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Tag: government

  • How government is frustrating subscribers’ telecoms experience

    How government is frustrating subscribers’ telecoms experience

    Whenever you pick your mobile phone and try to make calls or insert your modem in your laptop or personal computers (PCs) to connect to the internet and you are not getting the desired result, you may place the blame at the doorsteps of your mobile network operator (MNO). Many of these problems are, however, not entirely that of the MNOs as the government and its agencies too are responsible for most of the hiccups, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Madam Tito has had a very busy day in the office. As a banker with one of the first generation banks in the country with office located on the island, she had been so busy attending to customers that  thronged the bank to collect their monthly salary.

    A mother of three, she got a call from her husband at about 4.30 pm who wanted to know if she had heard from the kids. He had obviously tried fruitlessly to speak with them. According to him, each time he called their phone number, he would be told that the number is not assigned to a customer. So, he called their mother if she would be lucky. “After my husband ended the call, I started what became my greatest ordeal. I called my son’s phone number and was politely told: ‘The number you have dialed is incorrect, please check the number and dialed again’. After several attempts, I called my neighbour. Luckily, her phone number went through and was able to speak with the kids who told me the phone was never switched off. It was the network devil,” she said.

    A  spare parts dealer at Iyana Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, who identified himself simply as Chibike, recalled how ‘network devil’ nearly destroyed his marriage. He had called his wife only for him to have heard a male voice. Exasperated, he snapped the call. When they got home, he asked his wife where she has been and who the hell was the man that picked her call. The woman was completely shocked and denied any wrongdoing. It took the intervention of family friends who had experienced similar embarrassing situation to calm frayed nerves.

    The situation is no different when it comes to data services. Customers subscribe to data bundle plans for which they hardly get the value. The MNOs so often hoodwink their subscribers to sign onto data plans which they say ride on 3G technology, while they offer lesser technologies.

    Many subscribers blame their MNOs for dropped calls, poor reception, cross-talking and slow internet speeds, but unknown to them, the government is partly responsible for many of these evils.

    Mobile telephone users have grown phenomenally over the past one decade after the liberalisation of the telecoms sector. With this growth has come affordable smartphones for mobile internet. This, along with dwindling revenue from voice calls have made data a new frontier to be explored to shore up revenue. Faced by these realities, operators have no choice but to expand their capacities.

    Expanding capacity could only happen in one or two ways. One is to make spectrum available. The other is an increase in the number of base transmission stations (BTS) across the country. In providing any of these two, the government has a huge role to play.

    For some time now, the MNOs have stressed the need for the government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC) to make spectrum available to boost their operation.

    MTN Customer Service Executive, Akinwale Goodluck said spectrum is the oxygen of the telecoms industry, adding that its availability will boost service delivery and decrease the noise about low service quality.

    The NCC which auctioned the 2.3gigahertz (GHz) spectrum early last year, has continued to procrastinate over the auctioning of 2.6GHz spectrum which it said would allow licensees to offer retail broadband services to complement the 2.3GHz wholesale services. The 2.3GHz spectrum was won by Bitflux, an indigenous firm.

    Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr, Eugene Juwah first blamed the delay in the auctioning of the spectrum on the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country. After the virus had been contained, new timeline was set only for it to be postponed again. This, sector analyst say portends grave dangers to the realisation of the ambitious targets of the National Broadband Plan unveiled by the Federal Government.

    Juwah said: “(The) 2.6GHz auction had to be suspended because we wanted to make sure that we will be able to deliver the licence (and) actually the frequency slot to their winners. We were not sure we will be able to do that at the time of transition. Now we have done that and we are sure that going forward, we will be able to deliver the slot. So very soon, very soon, you will see a new advert for the 2.6GHz auction.”

    The processes to hand out spectrum are tied up in bureaucracy and government’s incompetence, which is costing Nigerian consumers and the country dearly.

    With the lack of additional spectrum, mobile operators are forced to use the more costly option of rolling out additional BTS. Even then, the government is keeping progress back through failure to grant approval to MNOs.

    According to sources, there are about 25,000 BTS across the country which is said to be a far cry from what is needed in a country with over 170 million population.

    Then the elusive 700megahertz (MHz) digital dividend spectrum which would have come to the telecom sector had the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the agency charged with leading the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting in line with the directive of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the government of former President Jonathan Goodluck done the needful. Nigeria has missed June 17 timeline already.

    NBC Director-General, Emeka Mba who had assured Nigerians that the date remained ‘sacrosanct,’ has pushed for an extension of the timeline. On the sideline of a stakeholders’ forum at Eko Hotel, Mba had dismissed fears about the adverse effects of failing to transit in line with ITU’s timeline, saying “the heavens will not fall if we fail to meet the deadline.”

    NCC blames states, local governments

    The NCC has blamed states and local governments in the country for hindering the development of telecoms infrastructures thereby compounding poor service quality issues in the country.

    It lamented that only Lagos State has, over the years, developed and implemented policies that accelerated the growth and the development of the telecoms sector.

    NCC said the state has slashed the cost of right of way (RoW) and the cost of setting up base stations by telecoms service providers, while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has refused to grant approvals to the service providers.

    Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mr Okechukwu Itanyi spoke during a meeting with  Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) organised by the regulator in  Abuja. He said poor quality of services (QoS) could be linked to developments such as erratic power supply, vandalism, multiple taxation, access to RoW and stealing of generators at BTS.

    He lamented that it takes an average of six months to get approvals for the establishment of base stations while approvals do not come at all in some states on the excuse that it distorts the master plans of the cities.

    Itanyi however said the NCC is working round the clock with other critical stakeholders in the industry to address the issue, stressing that once they are taken care of, the telecoms industry would assume its rightful position in the development of the economy.

    It is hoped that this blame game will stop soon so that Nigerians can have superior cellular experience.

  • Tambuwal: I’ll run participatory government

    Tambuwal: I’ll run participatory government

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal spoke with reporters about the focus of his administration, shortly after taking his oath of office in Sokoto, the state capital. Victor Oluwasegun was there.

    What are your plans for Sokoto State?

    What we have here in Sokoto is not a complete ‘change’ like we have at the centre and some other states. Our own is a continuity in ‘change’. The administration that came to an end today was headed by Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, who is a very strong member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Therefore, we intend first and foremost to continue with the ongoing projects of the administration and of course initiate new ones that will better the lives of the people of Sokoto State. Fundamentally, we are going to focus on areas of education, agriculture, healthcare delivery services, empowerment of our youths and women and indeed we are going to also pay special attention to the infrastructural development of the state.

    That is not to say that we are not going to pay priority attention to the areas of mining because we know the economic challenges we are facing in this country at the moment and we need all hands on deck to ensure that we generate more revenue. Indeed, we have identified the mining sector as one key sector that, if properly harnessed, will benefit Sokoto State and indeed the Nigerian federation enormously from the mineral deposits in the state. Of course, we’re also going to ensure that we introduce policies that cater for our women. I have in mind the issue of a micro-finance bank that will be called ‘Bankin Mata’ (Women Bank), which will be used as a medium to empower our women.

    What are the challenges you encountered as Speaker?

    Well, I started by this morning or afternoon (May 29) as it were, by extending an olive branch and hand of friendship and fellowship to the state House of Assembly for us to work as a team. What matters is the trust and confidence building between the two arms of government and respectability. If they have their position and we have our position from the executive side, what we need and we require is for us to sit down and agree and harmonize our positions and have synergy. I think that was what was lacking reasonably between us and the government when I was the Speaker of the House of Representatives. We shall engage ourselves; we must not allow friction between the legislature and the executive arm of government here in Sokoto State.

    What will you miss most about the House of Representatives?

    Definitely, I will miss the chambers; I will miss my colleagues. What you have in the National Assembly and other legislatures is a relationship of equals. Here, the expectation is different; the arrangement is different. The Governor or President or Chairman, as it were, is the chief executive; you dish out instructions. But, in the legislature you must court friendship; you must carry along your colleagues in what you intend to achieve.

    How do you intend to sustain the goodwill of the people till the end of your tenure?

    For us to sustain the goodwill of the people, we must engage the people; we must interact with the people; we must carry them along. We must also be open and transparent in conducting the business of government. What is expected of us constitutionally is to encourage participatory democracy. And once you’re open and accessible as a leader, I believe that the followers will always appreciate and understand your own position. Once you have that, by the grace of God, you will have a smooth ride.

    What will you do to unite the people of Sokoto now that you are in the saddle?

    In my inaugural speech today, I requested and appealed particularly to those who ran for the office of governor and other positions in other political parties to join hands with us to continue building the state. It’s not a personal estate of an individual; the state is for all of us. And I believe that the appeal to them will go a long way in ensuring that we win back their friendship. I intend to go the extra mile, of course, to continue till we get there.

  • Nigerians hail new government, demand reforms

    Nigerians hail new government, demand reforms

    Against the background of the massive endorsement it received at the March 28 election, the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will face many challenges. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN highlight peoples’ expectations about the new government.  

    Given the groundswell of support that catapulted President Muhammadu Buhari to power, the new administration is expected to hit the ground running, if it wants to avoid the kind of fate that befell the Jonathan administration. Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s honeymoon lasted for only six months. The tide of public opinion turned against him when he attempted to withdraw fuel subsidy in January 2012.

    Against this background, experts say the political appointments of the new administration must be merit-based. Indeed, the composition of the President’s cabinet is an immediate signal that would provide very strong indications of what lays in store for Nigerians. They want the Buhari administration to fill his cabinet with competent, ethical people and reform-minded people. This is because putting the best and the most competent hands at the helms of affairs will allow for smooth, effective and transparent running of the new government.

    As the Chairman, Board of Directors of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Chief Bisi Ogunjobi, aptly puts it, the administration requires a robust economic and political team at the helm of affairs at all levels. He said: While in accordance to the Constitution, each state is entitled to have a Minister or Minister of State, not more than two-third of them should be full Ministers with one-third being Ministers of State thereby implicitly capping the number of Ministers at 24.

    “Each state should endeavor to nominate their three best or top persons with at least one of them a technocrat. All the three nominees must be persons of good character possessing a track record of professional and administrative expertise and experience. Thus, the President will have a large pool of capable persons to nominate to the Senate as Ministers with the appropriate portfolios indicated for screening.

    “I expect the new administration to hit the ground running as an opposition party that has over the years been waiting to be the government with their alternative policies and programmes. In particular, I expect the President who is fourth time lucky to have a well thought out vision for the country and roll out the key elements within the first 100 days before the honey moon is over. Certainly, I expect strong and clear actions and not mere intentions.

    “More specifically, I expect workable solutions to the near intractable problem of electricity and power supply. On fuel scarcity, the full liberalization of the sector must be pursued vigorously with the privatization of the refineries. Corruption must be tackled at levels with no sacred cows while the relevant Agencies must be reformed and provided with resources and enforcement teeth. Protection of Life and property must be sacrosanct bringing Boko Haram and kidnapping to an end.

    “Like the proverbial white teeth of a dead dog, the new administration must identify, preserve and build on positive and good programmes and policies of the Jonathan administration without wasting time and resources in reinventing the wheels just for the sake of bringing about ‘change”.

    A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mallam Yusuf Alli, said his expectations from the Buhari administration are similar to the demands of the general public. The task before President Muhammadu Buhari is enormous. He said: “Buhari inherited a lot of problems. Many things have to be fixed. We all know the challenges facing us in this country. We have shortage of utilities which have been compounded by corruption in every sphere of our national life. The political gladiators have entrenched corruption into every sector. They used money to induce voters in the last general election but they failed to change the minds of the majority.

    “I am happy the President mentioned in his inaugural speech corruption, power supply, employment opportunities and economy as areas his administration will give priority. Stable power supply is so crucial to our existence. I believe once the power supply is stable, the economy will bounce back. The employers of labour will re-open shop and create job opportunities for the unemployed.

    “It is assuring that President Buhari’s speech touched every vital of our national life. I wish all Nigerians should support him in tackling these problems so that the loss glory of the country could be restored. I hope he will muster the political will in carrying out all necessary reforms.”

    Bishop of Lagos Central, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Rt. Rev. Kehinde Adeyemi observed that the problems of this country are too many and only God can solve them. He said President Buhari cannot easily solve them at a go because he is not a magician. Only prayers to God to show mercy and the co-operation of all Nigerians can help, he said.

    The cleric however noted that corruption had eaten deep into the nation’s fabrics and blamed the political class for the malaise. This is a major problem that the new administration must tackle effectively for it to make progress. He urged Nigerians to support the new government so that it will fulfil its promises.

    A United States-based Nigerian Space scientist, Dr. Bright Aregs, said no nation with security challenges can ever develop. According to him: “If the national business environment is safe and free of violence, businesses thrive, infrastructural development improves and the economy grows and so the value of the national currency. Under this setting, Nigeria people will start to ignite their sense of patriotism and begin to believe in the project-Nigeria.

    “What the government of President Muhammadu Buhari must do to mollify the expectations of the greater masses, is to stalwartly focus on conducive national business environments while protecting our borders, this is what will encourage Nigerians to invest in Nigeria and greatly attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), which is always the backbone of a nation desiring to grow and sustain its economy.

    “Nigeria is considered poor by developed countries because it lacks manufacturing industries and most importantly, it lacks foreign investments from major multi-national corporations in the areas that include manufacturing, research and development, communications and transportation infrastructures. Nigeria remains unreachable and thus unable to attract many of the foreign investors it desperately needed to grow its economy.

    Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Onaolapo Soleye expects President Buhari to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria for better; turn the present economic woes to economic gains for the country and Nigerians.

    Soleye who served under Buhari military regime said: “I expect him not to compromise his frankness, straight- forwardness and thoroughness in the name of anything. In anything he does as the President, I want him to always place the interest of Nigerians at heart and not that of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He must not compromise critical values he believed in like his anti-corruption stance. Under no circumstance should he concede to corrupt elements. He must let people know that the situation has changed through his actions and utterances.

    “I suggest that he should address the inability of many state governments to pay workers salaries. Though it is not the Federal Government that owes, but he should not forget that he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I also want to canvass for the reduction in the cost of running government by at least 50 per cent. We are wasting money in running government. I find it scandalous that our Senate President earns more than the United States President. It is spendthrift which must be addressed.

    The Senator-elect for Kaduna Central District, Comrade Shehu Sani expects Nigeria under Buhari presidency to reassert its leadership role in Africa. He said President Buhari must operate an open, transparent and accountable government so as to inspire other countries in Africa and help dissolve the remnants of dictators who still parade the political landscape of the continent.

    “President Buhari must in the consolidation or search for peace in African continent; he must lead in the global fight to end the presence of terrorist cells in the continent; he must lead in discouraging and rescuing our young men and women drowning in the Mediterranean Sea in search of a better life in Europe.

    “Buhari’s presidency must bring relief and a new hope for our people and our country. We must radiate this to the whole continent. Africa must not be a safe haven for tyrants and terrorists. We must champion the cause of the ideals of freedom, democracy, peace and development in the continent.”

    But, Nigerians could be very impatient when it comes to swallowing the bitter pills of implementing a reform programme. Echoing this viewpoint, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, the Chairman of Partners for Electoral Reform, Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, called on the incoming administration to meet the expectations of Nigerians in good time. He said that the incoming administration should demonstrate leadership by example by reducing the cost of governance.

    He said: “The power stations in the country are old, there is need to show more response to power by building new power stations through competitive bidding. If the incoming administration tackles the issue of power headlong, the textile industry will be back and will generate employments.”

    In his view, Mr. Bode Towoju, the Coordinator of North Central Zone of Muhammadu Buhari Legacy Foundation, said that one of the significant changes that the Nigerians called for was fight against corruption. He said making a change in other aspects of socio-political activities could be a difficult task without fighting corruption, insisting that corruption in the power sector had almost brought the country to its knee.

    In his view, Mr Ayo Thomas, the Director-General of Forum of Emerging Young Socio-Economic and Political Leader, a non-governmental organisation, said that Buhari anchored his campaign on education, employment, corruption and security.

    His words: “If you see him throughout the campaign, he never ceased to mention these four cardinal points which he said were the programmes most Nigerians would want him tackled without delay.’’

    Thomas noted that if the challenges in education sector, employment and security are identified and addressed, it would provide a clue to tackling other challenges. He advised the new administration to reform the nation’s public service because it remains the engine for executing any government programme.

    According to him, politician may not be directly responsible for corruption but the civil servants that are willing to aid and abet. Thomas also observed that there was need to assess political and economic situations in the states and local governments for a realistic plan of action.

    An executive of the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association, Mr. Umukoro Steve, said that the type of opportunities given to foreign expatriates should be given to Nigerians. He stressed the need to provide the enabling environment for local engineers and scientists to showcase local content so that indigenous technology could grow. “Most times when we bid for projects, we are turned down; up till now, our documents have piled up in various offices; but if they can give us this opportunity, we can do it,” he said, adding:

    “Most of these foreigners you see are not better than us; some of them are carpenters in their countries, but they will come here as managers and some only know one side of the field. It’s not the best for our country; because their colour is white, they will just think he is an expatriate.’’

    Ahmed Saleh, a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), stressed that Nigerian engineers were competent and fit to handle any construction job, irrespective of the size of the projects. He said: “In other countries of the world, they provide jobs for their own people, so it is not good for the country to give jobs that should be done by Nigerians to foreigners.

    “The government should try to engage the service of Nigerian engineers in any construction project and only employ the service of foreigners for jobs beyond the capacity of indigenous firms.

    In the same vein, James Olaoluwa, an engineer, urged President Buhari to push for the speedy passage of the Bill on Development in Engineering Designing in the country. He said the passage of the bill would enable local engineers to have their names on the list of notable world engineers.

    Olaoluwa called on the government to give local engineers a more conducive environment for practice, saying that it would usher in unlimited development.

    The Public Relations Officer, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr. Saffiyanu Attah, said there was need for the administration to make policies that would enhance the health sector so as to give Nigerians easy access to medical services.

    Attah urged the President to increase the health budget as there were lot of health issues that needs to be funded. He said: “In respect to this, we are calling on the incoming government that they should kindly look at the NHIS, we have a bill that is in National Assembly. If he can help to improve and pass the bill that will help the NHIS to carry all Nigerians along by giving easy access to quality health services.”

    The National President of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Mr. Marwan Adamu, said that the incoming administration should ensure that the judiciary operates independently like the other arms of government. Adamu said that it was JUSUN’s expectations that what was due to the Judiciary would be provided. He said it was his conviction that the new government would allow democracy to be sustained in the country.

     

  • Stockbrokers to engage government on investment education

    The Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) would engage the new administration of President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to integrate capital market operations into the entrepreneurial schemes of various government agencies, especially the National Youth Corps Scheme (NYSC).

    The CIS stated that such investment education and empowerment would avail fresh graduates more comprehensive exposure to the capital market operations and provide them with necessary knowledge to take useful decisions.

    The Federal Government has institutionalized entrepreneurial training in the NYSC scheme to enable the fresh graduates develop a new capacity aside from their academic background. This is part of the strategy to promote self-employment for the youths by de-emphasizing dependence on white collar jobs

    Head, research and technical, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Arinze Nwobu, who led a team in continuation of the institute regular enlightenment programme for youths at the 2015 Lagos State NYSC orientation camp Batch B , said the fresh graduates can make a career in the capital market.

    According to him, many of the young graduates could make career in the capital market after their NYSC primary assignment as it will broaden their scope on the capital market operations. Already, CIS has been at the forefront of investor education for the NYSC members every quarter. Many of the fresh graduates lack in-depth information about opportunities provided by the capital market and how they can take advantage of such.

    Nwobu said that serving graduates who had passed through universities and polytechnics are eligible and qualified to explore the benefits and opportunities in the capital market and could later take up jobs as stockbrokers, securities analysts, investment bankers and portfolio managers who are currently the major players in the capital market.

    He therefore urged the Corp members to take advantage of the programmes of the institute by enrolling for the CIS professional examination while serving the Nation.

    While appreciating the CIS, State Coordinator, NYSC Lagos, Mr. Cyril Akhanemhe remarked that it was quite thoughtful of the Institute to have brought great opportunity for the Corp members.

    He urged the Corp members to take advantage of exploring the opportunities available to them during their service year.

     

  • A government on AWOL

    Considering that it took its well articulated terms of reference to awaken the somnolent Presidency to the reality that it still ran the show, there might yet be something that the incoming All Progressives Congress administration can still do to help halt the pervasive meltdown under which vital institutions of state have gone prostrate.

    As it is, the story is virtually the same of governance in full flight – if you like, retreat. Not the lame duck stuff as one might expect of a government winding down. Indeed, for a country ordinarily under-governed, what is increasingly palpable is a Jonathan administration practically missing on all fronts – what the military call AWOL; the only exception being the rash of opportunistic appointments designed to rile the incoming government.

    In the electricity sector, the story is all too familiar of alibis manufactured, traded and recycled the same way financial sector smart alecs continue hawk their sweet poison of derivatives to the hapless public in Jonathan-nurtured laissez-faire environment. Once upon a time, the sector was comatose; today, it is as good as dead. The minister in charge, a world-class scientific mind now adorns the garb of prayer warrior in chase of industry demons. The electricity sector regulator – the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission – has since relapsed into the ‘sleep’ mode in the absence of an industry to regulate; meanwhile, the club of disparate players inelegantly called DISCOs or distribution companies –more aptly rent collectors- are apparently lost in the park after discovering something bigger than the magical pot of fortune promised them post-privatisation – they just couldn’t figure out what to do! Between them, the nation is presently locked in a bind.

    Isn’t it said that what you see is what you get? Should anyone still be in wonder as to why the nation is in darkness?

    As it is in the power sector, so it is in the petroleum sector. Here the administration’s benumbing incompetence, long laid bare before the world, ordinarily ought not to deserve any attempt at exhumation. Clearly, if the current paralysis of the nation’s socio-economic life occasioned by the dry pumps across the land is any living proof of the astounding lack of imagination of those running the downstream sector, that is only when one fails to reckon with the state-abetted criminality in the upstream sector – the industrial scale theft under which 20 percent of the nation’s crude is said to disappear to some invisible Mafiosi, daily. And this is aside the invisible operations of the prospecting arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation – the Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation – known of course only to the shadowy players and their patron saints in the oily business – thanks to the PWC fellows!

    How about that for a legacy?

    You ask: what happened to the Jonathan magic that was celebrated ‘live’ and in ‘colour’ by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) in the heady days of electioneering? I mean the outlandish claims of achievement in power stabilisation, railway modernisation and road building – that left one wondering if they were talking about another country but Nigeria?

    With recriminations going back and forth between the Finance Ministry and the cartel of fuel importers over the bureaucracy-induced crisis, it seems now so easy to imagine that the so-called called ‘Jona’ magic was nothing more than the relentless inflow into the piggy bank. With oil price in the dive and with it the sluggish demand for Nigeria’s sweet crude, the nation would appear wiser to the administration’s claims to superlative performance.

    It is however the security sector that stands the administration apart in corporate dereliction.  This is a sector in which the concept of the state as holding the monopoly in the use of force has undergone the most comprehensive redefinition by the outgoing presidency. Today, under Jonathan’s new-fangled paradigm, sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest navy now finds itself playing second fiddle to yesterday’s pirates on the nation’s exclusive economic zone. In the same vein, nearly a quarter of the nation’s security work is outsourced to a rag-tag army of ill-clad, ill-equipped and certainly ill-trained volunteers called Civilian Joint Task Force in the North-east. Again, under that strange blend of Public-Private-Partnership security model, another quarter has also been outsourced to yesterday’s brigands in the free-for-all bazaar of pipelines protection – and this in a nation with a long heritage of disciplined, cohesive and well-structured military.

    Do I exaggerate? Please recall the various accounts of the death of Oluwadimilola Adebimpe Fajana – the 26-year-old lady caught up in the cross-fire between the vandals and the OPC hired by the administration to do the job of policing the pipelines. Today, the much that is known is that she was felled by the guns of operatives of Jona-licensed militia at Arepo– one of the many popular theatres of pipeline vandalism along the Ogun State corridor.

    Pity the grieving father, Ojo Babafemi Andrews; he could only moan helplessly to wit that “by the reason of his patronage of people who have no basic training in arms and weaponry in the business of pipeline protection, which is a very dangerous security enterprise which is supposed to fall under the purview of the trained Nigerian security agencies… President Goodluck Jonathan is culpable in the death of Damilola Fajana and that of others by the virtue of his morbid desperation for political power which led him to awarding such senseless contract to OPC in return for political support in Lagos State”.

    Case closed.

    Now, I have actually heard one or two people wonder whether the current potion of affliction being administered by President Jonathan isn’t proving too much of a price to pay for the slaying of the PDP bear on March 28. To them I can only offer a word of consolation: forbear. Having long given up on my search for the distinction between a lame duck administration and a vengeful, mischief-driven one, I have since accepted the Yoruba philosophical expression – Suru lojo – which roughly means, patience has an end point.

    Finally: what’s the idea behind the ostentatious pity-party staged by the President at the weekend? I refer to his Thanksgiving homily where he stated that he, his ministers, advisers and other appointees will be persecuted when they leave office and that they should be ready for that? The problem, I guess, isn’t so much the President’s artful play on the word ‘persecution’ in place of prosecution to describe the fate awaiting his men – which is nonetheless opportunistic, if you ask me; it is his less-than elegant attempt to launder an ignoble legacy. The question is – could anything be wrong with being called to account for one’s stewardship? Why should anyone be afraid?

    ‘I have actually heard one or two people wonder whether the current potion of affliction being administered by President Jonathan isn’t proving too much of a price to pay for the slaying of the PDP bear on March 28. To them I can only offer a word of consolation: forbear’

  • Government must be proactive to fight piracy

    Government must be proactive to fight piracy

    Moses Babatope is the Group Executive Director, FilmOne Distribution and Production as well as Chief Operating Officer, Film House Limited. He spoke with FAMUYIWA DAMILARE about the newly launched Digital Package Format, which is aimed at checkmating the activities of pirates in Nigeria.

    What is FilmOne all about? FilmOne Distribution and Production Company is a film business company set up as an agency to get films to cinemas. As a production company, we are involved in the production of films, we co-produce films with filmmakers for cinema release and we also deal with packaging films for release in cinemas across Nigeria. Our production arm is responsible for creating films that we distribute to these cinemas.

    How is FilmOne Distribution different from Film House Limited?

    Film House Cinemas is an exhibition company. By exhibition, we mean it is basically a set of cinemas, where films are exhibited to the public or to the ticket-paying guests. FilmOne Distribution, on the other hand, is an agency that takes care of the marketing, licensing, billing, booking and ensuring the film format is correct.

    So, everything about FilmOne has to do with administration, coordination and logistic operations of getting a film ready to be shown in cinemas. FilmOne Distribution also has its production arm, which is saddled with the responsibility of creating the content itself. FilmOne is about packaging, marketing and creating, while the production part is about creating elements and ensuring the post- production (sound, pictures, posters and trailers) is alright so as to ensure that the film is well marketed.

    How long have you been running this channel?

    I have worked in cinemas for 15 years and Film House cinemas have been running since December 2012; so, we are about two years now.  FilmOne has been incorporated since 2011, but it started trading on August 1, 2014.

    So, how will you rate your achievements so far?

    We have never thought too high of ourselves.  We are a group of very passionate people. In terms of guest service that we deliver in our cinemas, we have set certain standards, which have impressed people a lot.

    What really is the unique selling point of this company?

    Most members of our senior team have some years of experience in cinema operations. Secondly, we know that the idea of cinema is about experience, so we pay particular attention to everything from the design of our cinemas, the ambiance that we try to create and the actual service delivery from our team members at site. So, if you go to any of our cinemas, the guest services stand out. We are also big about technology: our cinemas have the latest technology in sound. We have 7.1 surround sounds, which is arguably the only one in Africa, except the one in South Africa. We have digital projection systems across all our cinemas; we have about 90percent digital and we have what is called High Frame Rate cinemas. There is a lot of things I can’t mention off-hand. More interestingly, we are expanding across all regions in the country.

    How far have you gone with your expansion plans?

    We have six cinemas actively trading across four cities, including Kano, Calabar, Ibadan and Lagos. We have another three that are set to open in the next one or two months. As at December, we only had two cinemas. But today, we can boast of the ones in Lagos, Calabar, Ibadan, Kano and Port Harcourt.

    What are your efforts to tackle the menace of piracy?

    FilmOne revolves around investing in technologies to curb piracy, with the use of the Digital Package Format. With this, any film we release has to be encoded to that format to be presented in any of the cinemas. We also go further to encrypt those packages in a way that each of the projectors in the cinemas has a unique server for every film that is released. There is a unique pass code that unlocks that film to show on that particular screen for a particular duration, making it difficult for someone to try and copy out the content. So, piracy is near impossible, except the person is a genius or was involved in the packaging. We released the movie, October 1, in 2014…

    You talked about the movie, October 1, but we have been seeing the pirated copies all over the place. Is it that we don’t have a technology that can prevent movies being pirated?

    It’s very sad and my consolation goes to the filmmaker ( Kunle Afolayan). It is not the first film that will be pirated in a cinema. 30 Days In Atlanta (produced by Ayo Makun, aka AY) too was pirated. We are investigating frantically to understand where the source of this piracy comes from.

    It is also important to know that even when we have shown these films in cinemas, the filmmakers also make the films available for film festivals, sales online and other platforms that make it easy for piracy. In this situation, we cannot rule out any of those channels being the source of piracy. With us, the technology we trust so much was not available for October 1. It was launched a few weeks ago. But we’re still doing our best to convince filmmakers about the encryption service, which is the better full proof to it.

    Do you think the government is doing enough to curb piracy in the country?

    I will be unfair to the current government, if I say it has not done enough for the industry. It has done very well, in terms of empowerment of the industry and making sure the industry is very vibrant. But there’s still a lot more to be done.

    Having recognised that this industry is such a powerful industry, in terms of sustainability and economic activity, the government should be doing more to get filmmakers to make more from their contents. That means they should fight piracy and they could make more money from that. The regulators and enforcers can increase the tariffs of bringing in audio visual discs into the country because this is how the pirates do it. The government can also go as far as organising a task force to go to the key centers across the country, including places like the notorious ‘Alaba Market’. They should go after these people and if they don’t want to prosecute them, there is a way to make them legalise those distribution networks in Alaba and bring them to the better side of the law. Government can be pro-active, in terms of piracy.  Piracy is getting more attention these days and I think the government should do something about that. It can lead the way, rather than expecting filmmakers to do that.

    At a recent forum, you made mention of bringing Will Smith to Nigeria. How far about that?

    We are working on that and we are very confident that it will happen. We’ve been trying to meet with the person involved in the film that Will Smith is making about a successful Nigerian doctor. We made a lot of calls and sent a lot of emails, but we are quite confident that it will happen.

    What exactly is he coming to do in Nigeria and how can that enhance the entertainment industry?

    Essentially, the movie is about the legacy work of a Nigerian we are very proud of.  For a living legend like Will Smith to be interested in that story says a lot. So, essentially, he is coming to promote the film and also give validation to the accomplishment of the role of the man he’s playing. The man, Dr. Benneth Omalu, will also be here. We want people to be inspired, knowing that Will Smith sees Nigeria as a growing film industry.

    So, the idea basically is to get various stakeholders, producers, government, agencies and Nollywood practitioners to have a question-and-answer section.  We see one or two things that can be learnt from him as well as co-production opportunities. So, it not just a vanity fare, but it’s something that will benefit and inspire the industry.

    Having put in 14 years in the industry, what is your advice for the government as well as the people with regard to tackling piracy?

    My advice for Nigerians is: let’s appreciate those who put smiles on our faces; let’s learn to appreciate those who go out of their ways to entertain us. Though they are paid for it, let’s learn to contribute our own quotas to encourage these people. Let’s put ourselves in the position of those talented entertainers who have placed Nigeria positively on the world map.

    Also, the government should educate Nigerians about the evil of piracy, so that they can know pirated copies and help take them off the streets. The government shouldn’t just establish law enforcement agencies, but it should also fund them adequately. I don’t think piracy can be eliminated, but it can be reduced to the lowest form.

  • Implications of Change Manifesto (2)

    Implications of Change Manifesto (2)

    Moving away from the state of anomie that has been a part of the country’s experience over the years certainly requires heavy-duty calibration of all dimensions of governance and government

    Last Sunday, we examined the alienation between the State and the citizenry on account of a political and economic system that has denied citizens of their political efficacy through a governance system that is powered by rents collected from sale of petroleum. We concluded the piece on the need to move from a rentier state back to a productive economy, such as was in vogue in the country in the years before the civil war. We will today focus on the implications of the post- civil war political structure and culture (that should now be a part of the Manifesto of Change) on subnational units of government.

    As we mentioned last week, corruption in our country has two causes: remote and immediate. While immediate cause can be traced to character flaws of individuals in positions of authority, remote cause can be traced to the character of the country’s political economy over the years. The change of the economy from productive activities (agriculture, manufacturing, and service provisions) to rent collection from petroleum since the 1970s created a very fertile land for the growth of public and bureaucratic corruption. Multiplying states from 12 to 36 in the years after the civil war and designing such states to run on the steam of allocated funds from revenues from petroleum led to estrangement between citizens and governments all over the country.

    The fragmentation of the four regions in existence before the civil war marked the beginning of a political economy that enabled political leaders to personalise governance and freely appropriate public resources at the national and subnational levels. The revenue from petroleum was enough for the elite to share and settle scores among them, just as it was sufficient to establish and sustain security forces to keep citizens in line to cheer their political leaders as they enrich themselves. The relationship of alienation between citizens and the State made it easy for governance institutions to be built and nurtured, not for the contributions they could make to national development but for the symbolism of progress they can evoke.

    For example, the educational system grew in size with the same speed that it lost its purpose. Credentialing replaced learning all over the country. Infrastructure was neglected by leaders whose goal was to acquire enough funds to open accounts in foreign countries to train their own children, not minding what type of education the average citizen receives at home. The public school, known as the institution that generates literacy and development in most parts of the modern world was ignored by governments while citizens with access to funds created private fee-paying schools to replace or eclipse public schools. Academic standards and quality assurance were thrown to the wind by most learning institutions, and the consequence is what both citizens and political leaders now refer to as educational decline.

    The federal governments has viewed for the past 50 years freedom and development at the subnational level as a threat to national unity and integration. In the process, those holding the lever of federal power have been preoccupied with loading powers and functions on the federal level of governance. Politicians and public servants at the federal level with oversize revenue allocation have found pork everywhere and have been cutting without qualms as much for  themselves as could be done in a system that promotes impunity to shield those who defraud the state. At the subnational level in 36 or more capitals, the mimicry of federal style of personalistic and patrimonial governance has grown. At every level of government, those who seek political office also feel bound to privilege immunity over integrity, to the extent that even lawmakers also seek immunity for themselves in an amended constitution.

    There is no doubt that General Buhari has been voted by majority of Nigerians to inherit a broken nation, not in territorial terms but clearly in moral and political terms. Generally, the local parlance: “Nothing works in this place and nobody seems to be in charge” remains true until May 29. In a few states where there is an appearance of governance and progress, such situation is more of aberration that brings more danger to such states as citizens rush in droves from their states to such places. Moving away from the state of anomie that has been a part of the country’s experience over the years certainly requires heavy-duty calibration of all dimensions of governance and government. But building or re-building institutions that can sustain good governance also requires new thinking, more so now, that what has made it easy for both leaders and their supporters to abandon rules of engagement at all levels— easy flow of funds from petroleum— may be approaching its long lean years.

    It is common knowledge that no modern nation has been built or sustained with just one commodity: rent collection from petroleum. Most modern nations are sustained by revenues raised from activities of citizens and companies by way of taxation. No modern nation has survived without proper infrastructure, particularly energy provision for manufacturing, just as no modern nation can remain so without respectable mass transportation systems. No modern nation exists without internal and external security. In short, no modernity without infrastructures for modernisation.

    Correspondingly, no multiethnic nation can thrive under a political structure and culture that concentrates power and functions at the centre.A system (such as has been in existence in the country for decades) that grows a central government that controls subnational governments is not likely to be conducive to national development and unity. Most multiethnic federations that have succeeded are those that have promoted an ethos of cooperation among constituent groups, not those that have held subnational governments by the jugular all in the name of promoting national unity. There are plenty examples of multiethnic polities and societies that seem to have built national unity and development on the pillar of freedom for subnational groups to serve as centres of production and innovation. The United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, and even South Africa are illustrations of successful multiethnic governance.

    It is instructive that none of these countries has denied any section of it the fiscal autonomy of federalism that it needs to innovate and flourish. Given the magnitude of the systemic damage that has happened to Nigeria over the years, it may be unrealistic to expect that General Buhari will hit the ground running by leaving aside the problem of growing insecurity, endemic corruption, and dilapidated infrastructure and embarking in his first day in office. It will also be delusional to govern in a way to suggest that national development can ensue from a system in which the central government controls subnational units like vassals, the way Nigeria has been governed for almost 50 years.

    It is salutary that outgoing President Jonathan has refrained from accepting cosmetic constitutional changes sent to him by the outgoing legislatures. Even if President Jonathan had won the election and have been given the opportunity to implement the recommendations of the national dialogue that he established last year, he still would not have addressed the problems militating against freedom and development in the country, because the recommendations from his own conference are not any more substantial than those from the departing federal lawmakers.

    As daunting as the problems of corruption, insecurity, infrastructure deficit, and educational decline might be, suggestions to General Buhari should include finding ways to think creatively and courageously about how to govern Nigeria with a constitution and a political structure that Nigerians like. The existing constitution was almost used to prevent him from getting elected, if the rest of the world had not warned against deployment of overbearing federal might—police, military, and other security agencies— to intimidate voters across the country. Assuming, as usual, that the problems of Nigeria pertain only to the content of governance and not its form is to miss the point about how to return government to citizens through establishment of a productive economy in the different regions with the view to facilitate the growth of each region to create an education and an economy that can nurture a federal system.

    General Buhari may not need to rush into solving the country’s lingering political problems. However, he and his governing team need to get the matter of re-federalising the country back to the top of the list of Must-Dos, without doing anything to take political advantage of citizens’ yearning for an integrated multiethnic nation-state that is positioned constitutionally and structurally to benefit from unity of purpose than one that is designed to generate suspicion among its constituent units, as Nigeria has been for the past 50 years.

    To be continued

  • Task ahead for incoming APC government

    Task ahead for incoming APC government

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has made history by defeating the ruling party that dominated the leadership of the country since the return to civil rule 16 years ago. But, the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, must now begin the process of translating his visions into reality. In this piece, Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN examine the task facing the incoming administration. 

    One of the factors that aided the election of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the belief that it will not be business as usual from May 29, 2015, under a new government headed by the retired General. The electioneering campaign threw up a lot of issues bordering on the economy and the security and welfare of Nigerians and Buhari’s position on corruption, insurgency in the Northeast, unemployment and his vision of building a new Nigeria appear to resonate well with the Nigerian people.

     

    Beyond rhetoric

    But, having been given the mandate by the electorates, the President-elect is expected to move beyond rhetoric and start serious preparations for the tasks ahead. According to analysts, it is important for the incoming government to mobilise Nigerians to close ranks for the task ahead. This is because the election that gave Buhari the mandate is the first one since 1999 that politicians were confronted with the painful realisation that sovereignty belongs to the people, as stipulated in Section 14 (2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

    Hitherto, the political class only paid lip service to this important provision of the constitution and as such the level of impunity has been very high. There was also a marked absence of internal democracy and so-called party members had no hand in choosing those who represented their parties in elections. As such, the political space was saddled with characters who did not prepare for the task of governance. After taking over the reins of power such characters turn important political positions into kindergarten schools where the valuable four-year mandate is utilized to start learning the ropes of governance.

    But, the emergence of the APC as a viable opposition introduced an element of competition into the political arena. Today, the election that gave Gen. Buhari the mandate is widely regarded as the “first” democratic election since the advent of the Fourth Republic. Nigerians believe that their votes have started counting. Naturally, they would not hesitate to kick-out any government that fails to live up to their aspirations in future. This is the reason why it must not be business as usual for the incoming APC led by Gen. Buhari and Prof. Osinbajo.

    Now that the incoming administration is preparing to take over the reins of power on May 29, the onus is on it to begin to translate its visions into reality. Nigeria is currently faced with two critical challenges that have to do with her economic security and the security of the homeland generally. Unlike in the past, the dip in global oil prices and its impact on the country’s revenue profiles is not the only problem the country has to deal with. There is also the tricky situation of market loss – the market for Nigeria’s oil, according to experts in the oil trade, has dried up significantly. In the past, oil prices might fall, but in spite of the shortfall there would still be demand for Nigeria’s oil, and sales. This situation is quite different today because the United States, which used to be the chief importer of Nigeria’s oil, is now awash with her own oil.

     

    Diversification, blockage of leakages

    Stakeholders have started setting their own agenda for the incoming administration. For instance, manufacturers and members of the organised private sector have spoken of the need to address the nation’s fiscal outlook through effective implementation of diversification agenda, blockage of fiscal leakages, prioritisation of government’s expenditure to boost investments in critical infrastructure. The above requests, it is hoped, will help to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

    Besides, the stakeholders have emphasised the need to increase the momentum of the war on terrorism and insurgency, following the effects of such acts on business activities, while also enhancing a level-playing field for all investors across all sectors with regard to import tariffs, funding opportunities, and tax incentives.

    The President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Jacobs, said it is incumbent on the incoming administration to embrace and sustain policies that aid the industrialisation of the country. He said: “The incoming government should set on whatever good policy the outgoing administration had put in place, especially in the area of trying to diversify the economy. This is particularly important now that we are having challenges with the price of crude oil in the international market.

    “The outgoing government has come with the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) which is a very good policy that has been put together by the public and the private sector. The incoming government should sustain that effort and implement policies in a way that will help empower manufacturers. We have to recognise the importance of manufacturers in generating employment and other issues that affect this country. Therefore the issue of manufacturers’ empowerment should be given attention so that they would be able to address the problem of employment in the country.”

    The priority of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is for the incoming administration to address fundamentals like the high cost of doing business and low productivity, which could be ascribed to macroeconomic factors, institutional challenges and structural issues. The chamber said in a communique: “The plummeting oil price and the impact on the fiscal outlook present a significant challenge to the incoming administration. It is therefore critical to manage expectations at this time. The outlook for many macroeconomic indicators is not bright with foreign reserves dropping below $30 billion and persistent pressure on the naira exchange rate.”

    On industry intervention, the LCCI stated that investment incentives should be of universal application to all investors in a given sector. According to the communiqué, “The incoming administration should improve the scope and depth of financial intermediation for the benefit of all investors, irrespective of size. Guidelines for accessing intervention funds should also be reviewed and made less stringent.

    “They need to ensure a level playing field for all investors across all sectors with regard to import tariffs, funding opportunities, tax incentives, among others, ensure the sustainability of selected policies and programmes of the present administration which currently offer value to the economy and ensure robust consultation with the private sector bodies for inputs into policy formulation processes.”

     

    Nigerians must close ranks

    Given the array of problems facing the country, there is a consensus among observers that the incoming administration must assemble the best brains, irrespective of political party affiliation, to give the country a new direction. Respondents may have put it in different ways, but the consensus is that Nigerians must close ranks for the task ahead.

    As a civil society activist and President of Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS), Comrade Mashood Erubami, aptly puts it, “the clamour for Buhari as the catalyst for real change is not an end but a means to achieving a better end of democratic consolidation for a new dawn in the life of Nigerians.” Therefore, he said Buhari must commit himself to building on the legacy of global democratic order, by ensuring that the constitution of the new government is just, fair, people driven.

    The civil society activist wants Buhari to set up a “multi stakeholdership government” that will invigorate the already weak naira, boost the morale of Nigerians who are victims of the 16 years of unimpressive governance of the PDP.

    His words: “The election of Buhari has thrown up a new phase of politics in Nigeria which must be accompanied by new style of governance that considers the  concrete reality of mass unemployment of youths and productive adults, lack of electricity, scarcity of fuel and bad governance.

    “By choosing him, the electorates believe that, given his pedigree and antecedents, Buhari possess superior capacity to manage the economy and that he will not give spurious excuses for failing. Having been giving the chance, he should set up an innovative ‘multi-stakeholdership government’ as interface programme to bring about the much-desired change in the country, so that Nigerians can end the years of misery and hunger in the midst of plenty.”

     

    Anti-corruption crusade

     Besides, the issue of corruption was put on the front burner during the campaign for the last presidential election and Gen. Buhari presented himself to Nigerians as an anti-corruption czar who has the magic wand to curb the growing menace within the ranks of those in the corridors of power.

    Indeed, from the perspective of the Southeast Secretary of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Jerry Chukwuokolo, the dilemma facing Buhari is how he would curb corruption within the ranks of top APC functionaries who are going to play significant roles in the administration. Chukwuokolo warned Buhari to tread cautiously, saying that in history those who come in amidst the kind of high expectations that aided his election usually fail his people. “This is because the expectations are so high and there is no way he can meet up to that level of expectation.”

    In Erubami’s view, what Nigerians want to be topmost on the anti-corruption agenda of the Buhari administration will be the formation of a government standing on a tripod of fairness, human rights and social justice. The civil society activist said it would be imperative to evolve new policies that would bring about discipline and ethics in government and private practices, in line with his “War Against Indiscipline (WAI)” of the 1984/1985 military regime.

    He said: “This new WAI should be directed at changing the general attitude in the social, economic, political realm and environmental aptitude towards ensuring that people move to the attitude of change. Citizens should still be re-assured that Gen. Buhari will never run a unilateral government nor will he be vindictive, instead he should take the country along with Nigerians on the path of recovery, genuine change and progress.

    “These programmes should serve as the new foundation on which the creation of employment, power generation governmental ethics and socio, political discipline will be erected. With the new Charter of Human and Socio-economic and Political Rights of the APC, it is certain that the new administration under Gen. Buhari will not espouse a ‘winner-take-all’ policy; his government will represent the interest of all regardless of their political affiliation, sex and ethnicity.

    “Instead of concentrating efforts on arresting, prosecuting and sentencing corrupt elements in the past government, leaving no time for constructive governance, the Buhari government should be pre-occupied with how the country’s loan profile to be inherited will be defrayed without affecting the capacity to stabilise foreign reserve for emergencies arising from unforeseen socio-economic challenges.”

     

    National integration

    On insecurity, Chukwuokolo said Buhari should work towards national integration, by trying to instill the spirit of nationalism in Nigerians. He said: “Whether we like it or not, this country is very much divided today. The issue of re-integration is very important. This is because I don’t see the reason why an Igbo man in Kano has to run away because an election is coming up and thereby he is disenfranchised.”

    Civil rights activist Mr. Osita Kelechi said the incoming administration must give priority to security. He said the insecurity in the country has restricted movement from one part of the country to the other. “In a situation where goods and services are restricted because of fear of safety does not augur well for the overall development of the nation,” he said.

    On the economy, Chukwuokolo said the incoming President should be disciplined enough to hire those who would help him reposition the economy. “The first step is to work towards having a stable power supply in the country. One fact no one can refute is that the Jonathan administration has laid a solid foundation for stable power supply in Nigeria. What Buhari needs to do is to build on Jonathan’ power sector reforms,” he said.

    In the view of a finance and investment consultant, Mr. Akintunde Maberu, the incoming administration needs to look at those things that have constituted an obstacle that has prevented Nigeria from having stable power supply. He said the desire for a progressive government has been long and arduous. He added: “So, there are quite a number of things that Nigerians have been yearning for, which they would expect under the new government. Education is key. Education is one of the programmes emphasized in the APC manifesto. In the manifesto, the party has promised to provide free and qualitative education from primary to secondary school level.”

    Maberu also wants the government must look into the policies of the developed world in the area of healthcare, particularly that of Britain and adopt the welfare system that will enable Nigerians to have access to cheap but qualitative healthcare facilities. “The government should also strive to build infrastructure in the healthcare sector that will make it unnecessary for Nigerians to go abroad for treatment,” he noted.

    On the economy, he said it is imperative for the incoming APC government to open up other sectors of the economy, especially agriculture and solid minerals.

    Renowned economist Henry Boyo said the problem with the Nigerian economy lies with faulty monetary framework. He said there is urgent need for a fundamental restructuring of the country’s monetary framework. “So that our economy can be rapidly transformed to induce vast expansion in industrial activity with single digit lending rates, increase employment opportunities, lower single digit of inflation and a market determined mechanism. The government’s efforts to achieve these parameters, reduce poverty and enhance the social welfare of our people in the last 30 years have evidently failed woefully,” he explained.

    Boyo added: “Indeed our economy appears trapped in a paradox of deepening poverty with increasing export revenue. It is inexplicable, for example, that Nigeria became listed among the poorest nations of the world. A careful analysis of the process infusion of our export earnings into the economy will show that this anomaly was made inevitable by the Central Bank’s practice of capturing export dollar revenue and substituting naira at its unilaterally determined rate of exchange before payment of consolidated naira allocations to the three tiers of government.”

     

    Creation of job opportunities

    On how the economy could be propelled to create job opportunities, Boyo said: “the stronger naira exchange will bring down the cost of imported raw materials and machinery, and this together with low interest rates will energise the industrial and services sub-sector, and reduce unemployment and greater consumer demand. The local manufacturers will also be protected by a discriminatory tariff regime to favour patronage of locally produced goods in place of imports.

    “Increased commercial and industrial activities will provide a huge revenue base for government taxes. More workers will inevitably mean more income tax revenue for both state and federal government agencies. The stronger naira will not only bring down the cost of production, but will also reduce annual inflation to not more than two per cent, and consequently increase the purchasing power of low income group.

    “The increased job opportunities will increase employment and engender a conducive environment that will reduce strikes and other work stoppages. The enhanced economic growth and improvement in social welfare with increased purchasing power brought about by a stronger naira will begin to reverse the deadly infection of brain drain, as Nigerians in the Diaspora will return home to make valuable contributions and enjoy better life in their fatherland.

    Erubami said the APC government under the Buhari should be concerned with how to use fiscal and monetary regulatory policies to stabilise and mitigate the volatility of the country’s currency in exchange for other foreign currencies and notwithstanding the currently dwindling revenue, more monies should be generated to reflate the economy and bring about good welfare.

    He said: “Above all, substantial fund should be derived from blockages of prodigal spendings on frivolity, unnecessary celebrations and aimless interventions either internally or outside the country to be deployed into the building of useful and functional infrastructures and other sustainable human development projects for the comfort and welfare of the people.”

    The VOTAS President wants the incoming President to initiate efforts to stamp out Boko Haram for all time and create conducive environment for healthy living and sustainable industrialisation, which would lead to massive employment for the teeming unemployed youths and adults.

    He added: “He should provide adequate power and energy to power the nation and empower the citizens. These will provide energy for the industry and power to generate gainful employment, reviving and transforming the economy through heavy investment in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and infrastructural development, so as to set strong foundation for general development through standard, qualitative and functional education for all.

    “Corruption should be fought seriously, using the House of Representative report on oil subsidy as a head start to send right signals to culprits mentioned in the House Ad-hoc committee investigation as signs that he is ready to fight corruption.

    “Nigerians need a leader as Buhari, a person with honour, dignity and selfless passion for public service delivery to humanity, a courageous, committed and knowledgeable individual with quality and strong leadership imbued with character of integrity who is sincere and loyal to his country.”

    The VOTAS President is also of the view that the incoming President should also initiate new electoral reforms strategy that will revisit the Uwais report, “as first rung on the ladder of institutionalisation of democracy and good governance.”

     

    Long-term solution

    In the long term, Nigerians expect the incoming administration to work towards restructuring or discentralising governance, reducing the cost of governance and reducing ??????? Experts say the incoming administration must revisit the issue of resource control and fiscal federalism, and ensure that more money is allocated to the states, if it wants to bring out about the desired change. Resource control has remained contentious issue since the return of civil rule. Before independence, the colonial government, with the consent of the regional governments appointed the Fiscal Commission to look into the functions and powers of the legislative and determine the percentage of revenue the regional government will need to carry out their functions and the percentage that will go to the Federal Government. That was how government at independence up to the time of Murtala/Obasanjo followed the fixed constitutional formula of 20 per cent to the Federal Government, 50 per cent to state of origin and the remaining 30 per cent to distributive pool to be shared among the regions or states was established. But, today, the Federal Government takes 54 per cent.

    Former Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Femi Okunnu could not understand why the Federal Government’s share of the Federation Account should jump from 20 per cent to 54 per cent when the functions of the states are getting bigger. He suggested that the Federal Government should go down to 25 per cent if not 20 per cent as before; state of origin at least 25 per cent if not 35 per cent and the remainder should go into distributive pool.

    Okunnu is of the view that the present sharing formula is not fair to the oil-producing states. He said: “The retention of 13 per cent of the profit from the sales of petroleum and agricultural products to state of origin under the 1999 Constitution is grossly unfair to the states of origin of minerals and agricultural products. There are minerals in different parts of Nigeria, which are yet to be tapped.”

    The elder statesman bemoaned the neglect of agriculture. He added: “We see no more of Kano groundnut pyramids and cotton. No more huge production of palm oil and palm kernels where Nigeria led in the production as number one and three in the world 40 years ago. We have reduced ourselves to marginal world production of cocoa, timber and rubber.”

     

  • Agenda for in-coming APC government

    Agenda for in-coming APC government

    The transition to a new government is underway. Public affairs commentator Abiodun Ladepo, in this open letter to President-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, sets an agenda for the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

    Let me quickly jump in front of the oncoming bandwagon in offering my congratulations. I know you do not have too much time for niceties because much has been left in the Augean Stable for you to clean up. Let me be one of the first to offer my two kobo on how you should begin the art (for, in Nigeria, it is indeed an art) of governing us for the next four years. My advice is neither in chronological order nor even in any order of preference. But most of it stems from lessons learned in the huge fall from grace to grass of your immediate predecessor, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan.

     

    Declaration of Assets

    Even before your official swearing in ceremony scheduled for May 29th, go ahead and declare your assets as you promised. Do it publicly. In fact, find some money and buy space in a few national dailies and online media outlets and declare your assets. I am sure your Vice, Professor YemiOsinbajo, will follow suit. Nigerians know both of you are not stupendously rich, so no need to worry about having to explain how you came about your assets. Then go ahead and make it (in private, of course) a requirement for all your ministerial, judicial and heads of MDA appointees, to also declare their assets.

     

    Appointments

    Please look beyond the APC for a combination of brains and brawn. Make deliberate efforts to find talents in other parties (believe it or not, there are good people even in the PDP) and appoint them to, not just inconsequential positions, but key positions that will task their intellect and vigor. Look beyond active politicians for skilled people because many of them want to serve and can serve very well but for myriad reasons, could not participate in politics. Spread your appointments across the nation as fairly as possible. I know the southwest practically elected you (the north had always been with you) and you will be pulled by those of us from the southwest to reward us and not marginalize us like Jonathan did. But you are president for the whole country. Beam your searchlight on the east, south-south and all over the country and look for talents. If you try hard, you will find talents in the states that voted against you. You will find talents among Nigerians living abroad. You have to demonstrate the level of maturity that Jonathan lacked and show the world that you are not vindictive. How nice would it be if you could askNuhuRibadu to be Minister of Interior, in charge of the Police, Immigrations, Prisons, Civil Defense and Customs? These are parastatals that have become cesspools of corruption and need someone of Ribadu’s incorruptibility, energy, patriotism and attention-to-detail to lead. How about RajiFashola for Ministry of Works or Ministry of Justice? You get my drift?

     

    Corruption

    Nigerians trust you and to some degree, trust Osinbajo. But that is not the same and will, of course, not be the same for your appointees. You cannot single-handedly eradicate corruption in Nigeria. In fact, no one can eradicate corruption from any country. You can only do your best to reduce it to the bare minimum. To this end, you must return transparency and independence to the EFCC and ICPC. Once nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve for a specified term, the chairpersons of both organizations should only be removable by (a simple majority) legislative impeachment. This removes the EFCC from Executive control and allows every political party to have a say in how it does its job. Please ask your political appointees to sign an undated Resignation Letter before you appoint them. This will serve you well in the future if they misbehave and you need to sack them. All you would need to do is put a date on their Resignation Letter and ACCEPT their resignation. This letter serves to keep them on their toes. I have heard other members of your party (and specifically Prof. Osinbajo) promise to not go after those who have perpetrated corruption before your election. I hope that is not true. Nigerians expect you to go after those who stole the future of their children. No, you should not allow this to consume you and detract from more important things. Nonetheless, we cannot afford to let them go scot-free. They must pay, if only to serve as deterrence to future thieves.

     

    Judiciary

    You must overhaul the judiciary as a matter of urgency. The process of litigation in Nigeria is too long, too tedious, too expensive and too prone to abuse that justice is often delayed and thus often denied. Please embark on the construction of more courtrooms, upgrade the infrastructures of the existing ones, improve the welfare of judiciary workers and build more prisons to house those convicted in your new, expedited process.

     

    Federal Budget

    This is too fat. You have to demonstrate to Nigerians that you are going to live by example. All those billions of naira usually allocated for food in Aso Rock need to be drastically cut down. Everybody working in or visiting Aso Rock is already being paid handsomely. They can pay for their own food. Make the cafeteria in Aso Rock a pay-for-your-own-food establishment for everybody. Cut down on the number of people traveling out of town and out of country who collect estacodes and allowances for doing practically nothing on such trips. Then invite the Senate leader and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and ask them to lead their respective legislatures in taking drastic cuts both in salaries and in other emoluments. Nigerians find it unconscionable that a Senator earns more than the President of the United States. Your predecessor was too compromised to have the moral authority to ask the legislators to take a pay cut. You do not have such a problem. They – the legislators – are looking for motivation, direction and purpose. You must provide that leadership.

     

    NNPC

    I don’t need to tell you that this is the nation’s jugular. Fortunately, you are probably the most knowledgeable about this sector out of all who have governed Nigeria. So, there is very little anybody can tell you about this that you do not already know. You must appoint persons of absolutely unquestionable character to head this Ministry and the various parastatals that support our oil industry. Your Minister of Petroleum must believe in refining our oil within our country. And so that person must commence the construction of new refineries and the repair of old ones. If you have to borrow money to do anything, this is one sector you must get going almost right away. By the time your party comes to ask for our votes in 2019, we must be paying far less at the pumps than we are currently paying and exporting finished oil products to neighboring countries.

     

    Transportation

    I take you at your word that you will revive the moribund Nigeria Airways by first deploying most of the aircraft in the currently bloated Presidential fleet to the national carrier. It has been a national embarrassment that the Giant of Africa has been unable to manage its airline. Remember that what killed Nigeria Airways was corruption (from ticketing fraud to spare parts fraud and) general poor maintenance record. Your new Nigeria Airways must be peopled with crack professionals and technicians – people who take aviation safety and customer service seriously. On the railways, you will agree with me that the situation whereby people and merchandises headingfrom Abuja to Ondo, Ile-Ife, Sokoto, Ado Ekiti, BirninKebbi, Akure, Benin City, Ogbomosho, Oyo, Jalingo,Yola, Damaturu, Dutse, Calabar, and many more key townscannot even contemplate taking the train. Train tracks do not pass through these places! And the tracks we have are single tracks that force trains to wait for each other for hours at trains stations. These were the tracks betrothed to us by the colonial masters and we are yet to improve on them. Please start building new tracks and get rid of those archaic, used locomotives with which your predecessor “transformed” us back to the Stone Age. Remember, a viable rail system will ease the pressure on our roads as large goods such as petroleum tanks and containers will find it cheaper and faster to use the railways.

     

    Defence

    Like NNPC, this is another sector about which nobody can lecture you. As the Boko Haram quagmire has shown us, there has been gross corruption or negligence or incompetence of all of the foregoing in the Ministry of Defense dating back to before your predecessor. Things just got past him more because he knew next to nothing about this sector and he was too incurious and too afraid to ask questions. Luckily for us, you know what is going on and nobody can accuse you of being too afraid to ask questions. The ranks of our military leadership, the officer corps, has been politicized and bastardized to the point that they have lost credibility with Nigerians. The respect and adulation normally enjoyed by the military has been erased and replaced with scorn and derision. People now see the military as a bunch of willing tools in the hands of politicians; a rag-tag bunch who will scamper off the battlefield with tails tucked between their legs at the sound of Boko Haram’s Hilux trucks. You have to restore the dignity of the Nigerian military. Heads have to roll. In fact, heads that have left the service but responsible for the rot in the military must be recalled and set rolling. You must set up a panel of former military officers, aided by a crack team of accountants, to look into the books of the military and find all the missing trillions – the reason our military lacked weapons and other equipment when called up to defend the country; the reason why thousands of our citizens were easily massacred by terrorists; the reason why we lost parts of our country to a Boko Haram and the reason why our country became the butt of jokes in international military circles. You must reorient the military to the path of professionalism – training for war in peacetime as if they are at war; training them in some of the best countries in the world and with some of the best militaries in the world; equipping them with the most modern war-fighting equipment; taking care of their welfare and that of their family and building for them infrastructures that befit the status we want them to occupy in the world. If you have to reduce the size, please do so. Remember, size is not might. Most advanced nations have moved away from large, slower military to smaller and more mobile, more nimble forces. That is the direction we should be headed. We should be building a smaller but more lethal force.

     

    Intelligence

    There are too many unintelligent personnel parading themselves as intelligence operatives in our country. Like the military, they too have been co-opted into serving the whims and caprices of the government of the day. And they do not know what they are doing. I make this last statement boldly, confident that I know what I am talking about. Our intelligence organizations should complement the efforts of the law enforcement agencies and the military. In fact, they should be integral parts of those organizations and should not, themselves, be exempted from being scrutinized. You need to infuse the DMI, the NSA, the DSS and all the others with well-trained (internationally well-trained) professionals who can teach basic and advanceintelligence gathering, packaging and dissemination to the end user. The gun-toting, sunglasses-wearing and suit-decked so-called intelligence personnel are just collecting pay checks. Where, for example, is the Boko Haram leader? Where are the Chibok girls? How are weapons getting inside Nigeria – and I mean heavy weapons? How are fighters getting inside Nigeria and how are they getting re-supplied? You need to overhaul this sector.

     

    Medical

    Please send a bill to the legislature prohibiting all government officials from using government money to fund any aspect of medical care they receive abroad. They can exercise their inalienable right of free movement, but Nigeria should no longer pay for anybody to receive treatment abroad. In the mean time and while the bill snakes through the legislature, use your executive powers to deny requests for overseas medical travels that involve the use of government funds.

     

    Clearly, your biggest challenge is electricity. This is the giant killer that has “killed” those before you. If you fail in everything above and succeed in stabilizing electricity supply, increasing its generation and distributing it effectively, your name will be written in gold. This will task your brain and sap your energy the most. Every sinew of your being must be engaged when you appoint people to solve this very huge problem. With the talents that abound within our country and outside, with the resources at our disposal, you can eradicate our dependence on all sorts of generators. With stable electricity, you won’t need to create too many jobs as Nigerians will create jobs by themselves.

    Your Excellency, I know you have a full plate and you are no spring chicken. That is why assembling a team of very qualified and able people from across the country and the Diaspora will make your job easier. All you need to do is provide the motivation, purpose and direction and they will execute.

  • Government and extra time mentality

    SIR: The reason why we are still lagging behind in the comity of nations is because our governments, both past and present, have failed to prioritize every given opportunity in ensuring that its citizen’s physiological and safety needs are met. They prefer to be lethargic in governance and waste their time on frivolities till the tail end of their administration before they begin to show seriousness.

    Extra time, an additional time needed or given to accomplish a task or project has become a phenomenon in our polity. It has taken over our system and now cuts across every facet of our lives.

    The recent postponement of the general elections scheduled for February 14 and 28 respectively to March 28 and April 11 is a good example of an extra time phenomenon.

    After reassuring Nigerians repeatedly of its readiness for the general elections, INEC chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega announced in a world in a press conference that the general elections has been postponed for six weeks. While absolving his commission of any blame, he insisted that the postponement was because the Nigerian armed forces wrote that they could not guarantee security on the scheduled February date as they would be busy fighting the Boko Haram insurgents.

    One is forced to ask: why the seriousness this “extra time” and what magic do our armed forces intend to perform in six weeks to dispel the rag-tag terrorists which they have not done in six years?

    After failing to fulfil its core campaign promises and with less than six weeks to the general elections, the ruling PDP federal government has suddenly realized they are in extra time and have started showing seriousness in all their unfinished projects all over the federation. How possible it would be for these unfinished projects to be completed with less than three months before the May 29 hand over date? Just as it is in football, anything can happen.

    Before now, it has always been an easy ride by hook or by crook for the PDP to capture the seat of power; for the first time in our democratic history, an opposition party is going neck in neck with the ruling party in the contest for the seat of power. This is happening after 16 years of democracy. Right now millions of dissenting Nigerians are considering the opposition as an alternative government at the centre.

    Instead of asking themselves how they got entangled in this web by allowing the wind of change mantra catch up with them, the ruling party and its members have resorted to blame games; they have continued to blame the past rulers and opposition for the myriads of problems bedevilling our nation.

    Just as it is done in football, after the normal regulation time without a winner, we have been caught in the web of extra time and March 28, the most anticipated day of the year is the day this extra time will be played. Will the defending champions PDP be able to beat the rising opposition party APC and win the trophy back to back or will APC the underdogs who many never believed will get to the final stage rise up to the occasion and beat the defending champions PDP to the title?

    March 28 will tell.

    • Joe Onwukeme,