The Nation Newspaper

Tag: legacy

Sofowote’s enduring legacy

One year after music and arts icon, Mrs. Motunlayo Adefunke Sofowote, passed away in Spain, the foundation she set up to ensure that the annual charity concert outlives her, has swung into action, by staging a special concert at the Main Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. She single-handedly ran the show for 10 years before setting up the Glowing Channels Foundation (GCF) which was inaugurated in 2009.

This was at a time she had no idea she was going to take ill; she just felt that it was more proper to put a system in place that could continue even when she is not around. But, the foundation could not get its acts together until now. Members of the Board of Trustees of GCF were a bit reluctant to get involved when the departed founder of the organisation was still with them.

As a result, she continued to run the show single-handedly until 2013, when her condition became critical. The last show she organised was in December, 2012.

A member of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, said it was only after her death last year that it dawned on them that this is an assignment or a duty that has been bequeathed to them. Orebiyi said they also recognised that there is nothing loftier for any humankind who has been bequeathed with a lofty legacy to continue in that tradition and even raise the bar in that respect.

He added: “That’s why we came together this year, to see what we can do. She died on Thursday, September 18, last year and was buried on October 2, last year in Lubeck, Germany. We could have had a concert last year, but because of the little time we had between October and December, it was not possible. So, this year, we felt we should do it in October to coincide with the first anniversary of her funeral.”

Orebiyi, who studied drama, with a specialisation in play production and play directing, said the foundation is facing a number of challenges with regard to the organisation of the concert.

His words: “First of all, Mrs. Sofowote has developed the concert into a brand; a brand woven specifically around her personality and individuality. Therefore, it was a challenge for us to be able to reach out to people in her absence; people doubted whether we can continue the show in her absence.

“In fact, people still find it difficult to come to terms with her departure and to picture a Glowing Channels concert without Funke Sofowote on stage. It still hasn’t jelled yet. So, we have that challenge when we try to reach out to people. We could still see some kind of reticence; this affected the attendance this year. In subsequent years, apart from those who have been attending the concert over the years, we hope to attract new faces to the show.”

This has also affected its charity projects for the year 2016. Glowing Channels’ charity projects are financed primarily from the gate-takings, as well as the proceeds from sale of raffle tickets. But, there was no raffle draw during the last concert. As a result, Orebiyi said charity projects might not feature next year. But, he is optimistic that things will pick up in the second year of running the show under the aegis of the foundation.

As in previous years, an array of established and budding talents entertained the audience with musical and dance performances, as well as poetry recitals. Though the attendance was poor, compared to previous concerts, the patrons were delighted with the scintillating performances put up by composer, singer and soloist Yinka Davies, singer, composer and pianist Femi Ogunronbi and Abuja-based polyglot, mechanical engineer, Mathematician and shipbuilder Meche Ekechukwu, who entertained them with Italian classical and English contemporary music.

Others who performed at the concert included Johnpaul Ochei, Ibukun Kafaru, Seye Aluko, Roli Afinotan, Kelechi Sunday Nwuko, Fatima Anyekenam, Iquo Diana Abasi, Cella Fusi, Joseph Omotoye (aka Jojo), Notes and Tones Choral Group, Footprints of David and the Ibadi Dance Troupe. The concert ended on a happy note, with the electrifying performance of the Ibadi Dance Troupe and the soulful highlife renditions of Ogunronbi, backed by others.

It was, generally, an evening of classical, choral, hymnal, instrumental and highlife music, spiced with poetry recitals. The patrons seemed appreciate the show. For instance, the chairman of this year’s concert, Mr. Olusegun Ajanlekoko, praised members of the foundation for not only continuing the legacy of the late Mrs. Sofowote, but also for putting up a good show.

But the organisers believe that their best is yet to come. Orebiyi said the number of groups and persons featuring on the show would be reduced in subsequent years, to cut down on time and provide more fun and entertainment.

December 9, 2015
Sustaining Sussane Wenger’s legacy

Ten years after the Osun Osogbo Groove was listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as a world heritage site, some sculptures in the groove are in urgent need of restoration and preservation.

Last Tuesday, a campaign, Save Our Art, Save Our Heritage, to safeguard the groove was launched with an exhibition at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos with a strong message: “Many of the sculptures created between 1960 and 1980 are in urgent need of repair and restoration. Restoration and preservation efforts must begin immediately or Nigeria risks losing not only the sculptures themselves, but also the important UNESCO World Heritage site designation.”

Worried by this development, The Sussane Wenger Adunni Olorisha Trust, led by Mr. Femi Akinsanya, initiated the campaign and exhibition to raise funds for the restoration and preservation of the failing sculptural works.

At a preview session of the exhibition that opened on Tuesday, Akinsanya said this generation of Nigerians have a duty to preserve the spectacular artistic works in the groove and hand them over in perfect form to coming generations.

“These works serve as a testament to the continuation of the tradition of great creativity of Nigerian artists in our time,” he added.

According to him, only two of the original artists working in cement are still alive and that, despite age, they are eager and uniquely qualified to do the restoration and to train the next generation of artists and artisans.

Robin Campbell, a member of the trust said, at the moment, the trust requires not only finance, but also expertise to restore the sculptures.

On why it is necessary to restore, one of the guest speakers at the exhibition, Mr Victor Ekpuk said: “Memory is that which gives us our sense of self and identity. The preservation of our people’s culture, history and art is a preservation of our people’s memory. The Osun Osogbo Grove and the art in it, is an important memory of a people. Preserving this memory is to bequeath an important legacy for the generations after us, so they not live in a sad condition of identity amnesia.”

The restoration campaign is not restricted to the sculptures alone as the trust will also restore Sussane Wenger’s remarkable Brazilian style house which houses her personal art collection. This is to make the house a living learning centre that will promote Osogbo art, the legacy of Wenger and Ulli Beier and establish an art residency programme.

He identified the followings as part of the benefits of the restoration project; conservation of art and heritage in Nigeria’s UNESCO site, youth training and employment of the next generation of Osogbo artists and artisans, employment and economic development through enhanced tourism, establish a foundation for increased promotion of art, providing education and awareness of the unique art legacy within Nigeria and internationally and protect the environment in the unique unspoiled forest.

“These works must be used to rally and inspire generations of Nigerians to remind us that we are a people with worthy cultural and historical achievements. From which we can draw a sense of identity and pride,” Akinsanya added.

The exhibition, which will run till mid-December is featuring works by members of the Sacred Artists Movement of the Osogbo, such as Sangodare, Adebisi Akanji, Rabiu Abesu, Kasali Akangbe-Ogun, and guest-artists, such as Bruce Onobrakpeya, Polly Alakija and Aldophus Opara.

December 2, 2015
Sofowote’s enduring legacy

One year after music and arts icon, Mrs. Motunlayo Adefunke Sofowote, passed away in Spain, the foundation she set up to ensure that the annual charity concert outlives her, has swung into action, by staging a special concert at the Main Auditorium, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. She single-handedly ran the show for 10 years before setting up the Glowing Channels Foundation (GCF) which was inaugurated in 2009.

This was at a time she had no idea she was going to take ill; she just felt that it was more proper to put a system in place that could continue even when she is not around. But, the foundation could not get its acts together until now. Members of the Board of Trustees of GCF were a bit reluctant to get involved when the departed founder of the organisation was still with them.

As a result, she continued to run the show single-handedly until 2013, when her condition became critical. The last show she organised was in December, 2012.

A member of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, said it was only after her death last year that it dawned on them that this is an assignment or a duty that has been bequeathed to them. Orebiyi said they also recognised that there is nothing loftier for any humankind who has been bequeathed with a lofty legacy to continue in that tradition and even raise the bar in that respect.

He added: “That’s why we came together this year, to see what we can do. She died on Thursday, September 18, last year and was buried on October 2, last year in Lubeck, Germany. We could have had a concert last year, but because of the little time we had between October and December, it was not possible. So, this year, we felt we should do it in October to coincide with the first anniversary of her funeral.”

Orebiyi, who studied drama, with a specialisation in play production and play directing, said the foundation is facing a number of challenges with regard to the organisation of the concert.

His words: “First of all, Mrs. Sofowote has developed the concert into a brand; a brand woven specifically around her personality and individuality. Therefore, it was a challenge for us to be able to reach out to people in her absence; people doubted whether we can continue the show in her absence.

“In fact, people still find it difficult to come to terms with her departure and to picture a Glowing Channels concert without Funke Sofowote on stage. It still hasn’t jelled yet. So, we have that challenge when we try to reach out to people. We could still see some kind of reticence; this affected the attendance this year. In subsequent years, apart from those who have been attending the concert over the years, we hope to attract new faces to the show.”

This has also affected its charity projects for the year 2016. Glowing Channels’ charity projects are financed primarily from the gate-takings, as well as the proceeds from sale of raffle tickets. But, there was no raffle draw during the last concert. As a result, Orebiyi said charity projects might not feature next year. But, he is optimistic that things will pick up in the second year of running the show under the aegis of the foundation.

As in previous years, an array of established and budding talents entertained the audience with musical and dance performances, as well as poetry recitals. Though the attendance was poor, compared to previous concerts, the patrons were delighted with the scintillating performances put up by composer, singer and soloist Yinka Davies, singer, composer and pianist Femi Ogunronbi and Abuja-based polyglot, mechanical engineer, Mathematician and shipbuilder Meche Ekechukwu, who entertained them with Italian classical and English contemporary music.

Others who performed at the concert included Johnpaul Ochei, Ibukun Kafaru, Seye Aluko, Roli Afinotan, Kelechi Sunday Nwuko, Fatima Anyekenam, Iquo Diana Abasi, Cella Fusi, Joseph Omotoye (aka Jojo), Notes and Tones Choral Group, Footprints of David and the Ibadi Dance Troupe. The concert ended on a happy note, with the electrifying performance of the Ibadi Dance Troupe and the soulful highlife renditions of Ogunronbi, backed by others.

It was, generally, an evening of classical, choral, hymnal, instrumental and highlife music, spiced with poetry recitals. The patrons seemed appreciate the show. For instance, the chairman of this year’s concert, Mr. Olusegun Ajanlekoko, praised members of the foundation for not only continuing the legacy of the late Mrs. Sofowote, but also for putting up a good show.

But the organisers believe that their best is yet to come. Orebiyi said the number of groups and persons featuring on the show would be reduced in subsequent years, to cut down on time and provide more fun and entertainment.

December 2, 2015
We’ll leave a legacy in Osun, says Aregbesola

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said his administration give Osun a legacy of an enhanced environment of learning.

The governor said this while receiving an Award of Excellence from the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) in Osogbo, the state capital.

He noted that his government has come to the realisation that school environment largely determine the quality and character of pupils produced.

“We are therefore building state of the art 100 elementary schools. The idea behind this is that there should be an elementary public school in every neighbourhood.

“We are also building 50 middle and 20 high schools. Out of these, 14 elementary schools, 15 middle schools and 11 high schools have been completed.

“On Monday, we are going to present our model high school, named after a worthy Nigerian and a great educationist himself, Prof Wole Soyinka. It is a school in a class of its own, that will accommodate 3,000 pupils, with full learning infrastructure,” the governor said.

November 19, 2015
A VC’s worthy legacy

Benue State University (BSU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Charity Angya’s five-year tenure will soon expire. The university communitys awaiting of her successor’s appointment; students are praising her for turning the institution’s fortune around. MSONTER ANZAA (400-Level Medicine and Surgery) writes.

SHE is leaving with her head high, bequeathing a worthy legacy. Prof Charity Angya, outgoing Benue State University (BSU) Vice-Chancellor will be remembered for the accreditation of the institution’s College of Health Sciences by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

For more than 12 years, the college fought the battle of accreditation, which impeded its progress to a full-blown medical school. The first set of medical students spent a decade at the college without graduation.

When Prof Angya was appointed, the BSU Teaching Hospital was under construction. Students were already losing confidence in the ability of the school and state government to fulfil their obligations to the medical college.

After spending years without hope of being inducted as doctors, the medical students staged series of demonstrations to the Benue Government House to protest what they called insensitivity by former Governor Gabriel Suswam. Till he left as governor, Suswam could not fulfil his promise to get the medical college accredited.

Last July, there was another protest, following the controversial death of a medical student, Nicholas Idoko Ejugwu, after he failed professional examination and advised to withdraw from medical school. Students alleged that the late Nicholas may have committed suicide out of frustration, having spent 10 years in the school.

This, perhaps, prompted Governor Samuel Ortom and the school management to procure facilities that would hasten the long-awaited accreditation by MDCN. Last month, the college was granted full accreditation, a development that excited the students.

Other challenges faced by the administration of Prof Angya at inception included inadequate facilities, including lecture rooms and hostel accommodation. The management was also faced with limited office spaces for lecturers.

But, with sheer determination, Prof Angya-led management tackled the challenge head-long. She started with rehabilitation of old facilities and provision of new ones, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre and ultra-modern girls’ hostel, which was built by Suswam.

Other buildings that were facilitated by the Angya-led management included the newly-completed Faculty of Law complex, Centre for Food Technology Research building, Faculty of Arts building, a twin lecture theatre, Computer Centre, Vocational and Technical Education building, Library Complex, Physics and Chemistry laboratories.

These achievements are not lost on the students as some of them, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, said the outgoing VC would remember for long.

Aondowase Iyormee, a 200-Level Religion and Philosophy student, said the success achieved by Prof Angya-led management was made possible by the investment in infrastructure. “That library project is the most outstanding thing I will remember Prof Angya for,” he said.

To Christopher Agee, a 200-Level Accounting student, the outgoing VC has etched her name in gold. “When we returned to school after lecturers’ strike, we saw a lot of projects being built. Prof Angya also got accreditation for the Faculty of Law and the College of Health Sciences. These are notable achievements that will take the school to the next level,” he said.

Another student of Accounting, Alfred Aluga, said the VC earned students’ respect because of the way she resolved issues with striking lecturers. But, he said Prof Angya’s successor must be prepared to surpass her achievement in the area of infrastructure.

Alfred said: “We are still lacking adequate classrooms and accommodation. We still have students standing during lecture period. In most lecture halls, there are no public address systems, which make it difficult for students to concentrate. All these must be addressed by the incoming VC.”

Christopher Tyohemba, a 400-Level Mass Communication student, rated the VC high, saying: “I feel Prof Angya is the best of all VCs the university has had so far. We have more development now than we did before. For instance, we now have a campus radio station, which her predecessor could not do.”

Mercy Kuityo, a 300-Level Psychology student, said she would miss the outgoing VC, who she described as a rare mother.

For Peter Tyeku, a 500-Level Law student, the VC would also be remembered for improved academic rating of the school. The university, he said, has increased its First Class products in the last five years. He said: “Prof Angya has also reduced the number of students with extra years. Before now, students could have an extra year if they failed one course. But the VC has normalised the policy in favour of students,” he said.

While she prepares to bow out next month, Prof Angya would be leaving a lasting legacy and her name for students to remember for a long time.

October 22, 2015
Twin brothers’ legacy for media

In every profession, there are those whose contributions and actions play critical roles in the growth of such human endeavour. Often times, such individuals help shape and define the trends and practices and thereby become masters of the trade. This, perhaps, informed the choice of 50 world journalists that make Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe’s book entitled 50 World Editors (conversations with journalism masters on trends and best practices.

But, who are these world class masters of the pen profession? Your guess is as good as mine. They are drawn from top flight media organisations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The 628-page book is a compilation of conversations with the masters on issues ranging from day-to-day schedules of practising journalists to what defines a news, what defines a front page story, quality of news, tips for success as a reporter, core values of a media house, the defining story of a reporter, and many more. In all, the conversations though share many things in common, reveal some interesting stories about some editors and their media organisations, including personal experiences.

But, the book, which is a result of the authors’ ten years of traversing the globe interviewing key players in the industry, is not all about editors, but top media players some of them at the apex of the media pole-publishers, presidents, managing editors, editor-in-chiefs, editors, bureau chiefs, line editors and correspondents who made great marks in journalism. The scope is all embracing as it covers practitioners in print, broadcast journalism and international news agencies such as Reuters, AFP and Globalpost. The book is ‘ultimately biographical in the sense that each of the candidates featured in this collection shares his or her own journalism story and in so doing, reflects on the diverse aspects of the practice and precepts of journalism in different generations covering different countries.’

To the authors, the book is a lived experience rather than a pedantic narrative of scholarly exploration, capturing similarities, diversities and sociological nuances of media operations in different countries of the world.

Published in 2014 by Corporate Biographers Limited, the book is in three sections A to C, with The Americas having 20 of the 50 masters, while Europe has 19 and Africa and Asia share 11 masters. Nigeria’s newspaper legend Alhaji Babatunde Ajose of the old Daily Times led the pack of masters featured in Section C that comprises Africa/Asia alongside Segun Osoba, Nduka Obaigbena Thisday newspaper), John Momoh (Channels TV), Dele Olojede, Bayo Onanuga (The News magazine), Joseph Odindo (Nation Media Group, Kenya), Ferial Haffajee (Mail & Guardian South Africa among others.

From The Americas and Europe Sections A and B are masters such as Michael Goodwin (New York Daily News), Jill Abramson (New York Times), Chris Cramer (former President CNN), Alan Rusbridger (The Guardian UK), Robert Thomson (The Times UK), Victor de la Serna (El Mundo, Spain) and Alan Johnston (BBC Correspondent).

On the challenges of being editor of Daily Times at the era of Nigeria attaining independence, Alhaji Jose said: “We published a paper that was trusted by the readers. To be trusted you have to show the integrity of a leader. The people knew that I had no political ambition. I had access and was consulted by highly placed government functionaries, prime ministers, presidents. So they know that whatever we did, it was not because I am a Yoruba man. They had seen the paper openly attacking Chief Obafemi Awolowo-the leader of the Yorubas.”

But given the content of the book, it can be described as the ‘most encyclopedic book on global journalism.’ It ranks among publications such as Martin Walker’s 1982 award winning book, Powers of the press: The World’s Great Newspapers. Apart from that, one unique character of the book is that it presents the journalistic views of the world editors in their own words.

Again, the public presentation of the book at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos on September 15 was more than a launch. It brought together veterans in the industry to celebrate a worthy product, an effort that would gladden the heart of the late Igwe in great beyond. However, some oversights were noticed in the compilations. For instance, the retaining of late Dimgba Igwe’s email and telephone number suggests the book had gone to press with all the information before the death of Igwe. But, classifying Gillian Tett (Financial Times, USA) under Europe is an avoidable error of proof reading. If charity, they say, begins at home, 11 masters interviewed in Africa/Asia combined is an under-representation by the book, especially when considered against the conditions under which these media operate. Or is it a case of get one, you get all? Nigeria and indeed Africa deserves more representations in the book.

Notwithstanding, the book is a legacy of a sort for the media industry, which makes it a must read for all-students of journalism, politicians and other professionals. 50 World Editors is a well-packaged book with clean quality prints and is a collector’s item any day. It will be useful for researchers, media operators and practicing journalists irrespective of generation or region of practice.

October 14, 2015
Fayose: we are destroying Fayemi’s legacy of betrayal

Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has said that his government was destroying the bad legacies left behind by the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.”

Fayose, who was reacting to Fayemi’s interview in some newspapers in which he said that “his legacy was being destroyed,” said no responsible government will sustain a legacy of debt that was incurred on projects with no direct bearing on the welfare of the people.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said it was necessary for Fayemi’s negative legacies to be destroyed. He added: “Even in the APC, his legacy of betrayal of Senator Bola Tinubu, the man who made him governor, is being destroyed.”

“If he served Ekiti and its people well, why was it that he was roundly defeated in all the 16 local councils in the state in the June 21, 2014 governorship election and his party was also defeated 16 – 0 in the Presidential, National Assembly and House of Assembly elections?

“Even, his own party men described his electoral defeat as the worst in Nigeria,” he said.

The governor, who said it was shameful that Fayemi, who left two months’ salary and four months cooperative and unions deductions from workers salary, as well as pensions and gratuities unpaid could be talking about his legacies being destroyed.”

The governor said: “When Fayemi became governor, he chose to close down two universities established by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of Segun Oni and abandoned the Oba Adejugbe General Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, claiming that the state could not fund more than one university.

“The same Fayemi, who said Ekiti had no money to fund more than one university preferred to take N25 billion bond to build a new governor’s lodge, civic centre, pavilion and execute other irrelevant projects.

“Furniture alone, in the N3.3bn governor’s lodge that he built for himself and his wife cost N604.9 million and Fayemi wants such legacy of profligacy to be sustained in Ekiti? We are sorry to tell him that we won’t sustain such legacy of waste.

“Even vehicles bought for traditional rulers and political appointees, his government did not pay and uncompleted Oba Adejugbe General Hospital and State Pavilion were inaugurated with fanfare.

“Today, Ekiti State is under the yoke of debt, courtesy of Fayemi’s mismanagement of the state resources and what we are destroying are those legacies of mis-governance he left behind.

“One bad news that we must however tell Fayemi is that; we won’t only destroy his legacy of mis-governance and betrayal in Ekiti, we will also make sure that economic devourers like him will never taste power in the state.”

August 21, 2015
50-year uneconomic legacy – The way forward
Are we seriously ready to sail through our present scenario of more than half a century old uneconomic legacy? Or are we going to excel in the myriad of flowing excuses we roll out for our disappointing state of economic affairs?

‘Corruption is the bane of our underdevelopment.’ ‘Lack of power is an obstacle to our economic growth.’ ‘Underfunding of our health and education sectors is a serious drag on our development.’ ‘Without infrastructural investment we cannot make progress.’ Yet, in these dire straits of a society as depressingly laid out, foreigners can set up various agricultural and agro-allied firms able to make something meaningful out of our country. It is the level of disorganisation, ineptitude and visionless outlook in the midst of aplenty that leaves one speechless without any national sense of achievement.

A foreigner once stated that his company grows and processes agricultural products in Nigeria before sending to Asia for further processing before onward shipment to Europe. Guess which country gets the more juicy part of the return on investment?

Another foreign company recently acquired a five hundred million naira machine in a suburb of Lagos as part of their expansion plan. This was bought during the height of our political tension with the accompanying downward spiral of the Naira. But it did not stop their growth.

In this unending list are another foreigner and Nigerian who were each given loans of, coincidentally, five hundred million naira. Within three years, the foreigner’s company expanded into a two billion naira company. The Nigerian, a well-known social philanthropist, never paid back the loan. With both of them living within the same environment, would this be financial corruption or bankruptcy of ideas? You decide.

Not to bore readers with all these examples, all these organisations are making it big and expanding here, but what are our excuses? – lack of enabling environment, power challenges, corruption, inadequate road and railway infrastructure, low educational standards, insecurity issues, blah…blah…blah.

The country needs a holistic approach to economic development especially at the socio-political level to involve three critical groups of people – governors, religious spokespersons and traditional rulers. They are the reasons for our lack of focus and without them being reoriented to rural growth values we are hardly going anywhere. Governors need entrepreneurial approaches to state governance and not merely resource administrators. It is almost impossible to point to any entrepreneurial governor since the regional premiers of the First Republic. We have had excellent administrators but finding governors able to wean themselves off Abuja goodies is like a pipe dream.

Same extends to the religious leaders who need to accord priority to the nation’s growth and image and not on JMR – Jerusalem, Mecca or Rome. Your national achievements in agriculture, industrialisation, national research and development, educational standards, etc., determine the respect we get abroad than our religio-spiritual endeavours. No amount of vigils or fasting would ever reduce the embarrassment and insults our green passports confer on us abroad. Keying in the religious leaders to this, to which we might have to call on the divine, is an obstacle that really needs to be surmounted.

Ditto our traditional rulers who are the best representatives to spur rural growth and development as it affects the up-and-coming towns and villages nationwide.

These three groups of people can effect changes through the relevant government establishments and their absence hamper local governance in being able to address rural developmental issues.

If we complement this at the federal level, we can consolidate what is available by developing easy large scale start-ups, reduce blockages to the financial system in all sectors, divert available power to identified priority sectors of the economy and apply same to the refineries.

A classic example of easy large scale start up or expansion would be the furniture cane weaving artisans in Mende, Maryland, Lagos, the Panteke fabricating market in Kaduna, the tie-and-dye ‘Adire’ textile market in Abeokuta or the Aba/Onitsha fledging industrial enclaves .

Imagine the cane weaving village being given a ten-hectare land with subsidised rates or leased by the relevant land authorities with government administrators spearheading the planning and layout. The economic village can display a museum or show rooms for commercial tourism, fashion design centres and technical-vocational institutes attached or partnering with it, car parking services and eateries sprouting from it, distribution network and transportation, business centres for branding, advertising and sales, visits from all academic institutions to key in the education sector, security provision, estate maintenance, banking, insurance and other financial services, revenue generation offices, and you would practically have a cane weaving economic hub – corruption or no corruption. The bonus of these kinds of places is the need for minimal power compared to the power consuming industrial outlays, large employment of labour, real reduction in rural-urban migration and one of the sources of real economic diversification on ground. Replicating this in every local government would not only ensure a leap in economic growth but would contribute significantly to both our Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and Gross National Product, GNP, handled for Nigeria by Nigerians not by foreigners which is what presently dominates our GDP biggest-in-Africa economic activities.

Without making civil servants proactive in orientation as opposed to sitting in offices and aligning remuneration allowances to the fate of their establishments’ results, then this is a non-starter. This extends especially to local government personnel mostly with no clue about their roles in rural or local development.

Revenue yielding ventures precedes infrastructural development and welfare spending. This is majorly why our administrator governors are busy constructing roads and other infrastructure, building fantastic stadiums on borrowed money or inadequate IGR, sponsoring pilgrimages earning no money while straining our foreign exchange, building schools and hospitals on a grand scale with a minimally productive population, all classic examples of misplaced priorities no matter the best of intentions. The result is an able-bodied population as demonstrated by the miasma of street hawkers nationwide and a fairly educated population seen annually at Immigration recruitment. They are however cheap enough to be in abundance and well-exploited by the smart foreign companies forever expanding within our midst.

There is financial corruption and also corruption of ideas. It is best to leave us to decide which one is drawing us back or is worthy of tackling.

The time is NOW to shift focus away from problems or passing blame and move towards solutions and opportunities. Looking inwards, there is enough intellectual capacity – local and foreign-based – to tackle the national and international development challenges affecting Nigeria. Are you one of such professionals? Are you willing to contribute Talent/Competences; Time/Effort and Treasure/Money (1, 2 or all 3) towards transforming the Nigerian society? Are you willing to work as a TEAM (Together Each Achieve More) with like minds to arrange a better benefit together? If yes, please send email to addresses below in not more than 250 words describing the contribution you are willing and able to make towards rebuilding Nigeria.
- Dele Owolowo, Author ‘Nigeria’s Odyssey…’, is an Educationist, Trainer and Rural Entrepreneur with widely travelled background. owolowo.dele@gmail.com and Lanre Rotimi – Director NEHAP, nehap.initiative@yahoo.co.uk
July 18, 2015
Jega’s legacy of honour

•He has done well; but we must continue to work towards strengthening INEC

The nation was virtually on tenterhooks. The March 28 presidential election had successfully held nationwide despite logistical lapses in some areas. Yet, the unprecedented number of voters who participated in the exercise believed in the integrity of the process and the sanctity of their votes. As the vote collation entered the third day and concluding stages under the exhaustive coverage of national and global media, it was obvious that the incumbent, Dr Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was heading for defeat, with President Muhammadu Buhari of the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) having the upper hand.

All of a sudden, an unanticipated drama erupted. The PDP polling agent, Elder Godswill Orubebe, a former Minister of the Federal Republic, seized the centre stage at the venue. He snatched the microphone, threw tantrums, accused the electoral umpire of being biased in favour of the opposition and disrupted proceedings for nearly half an hour. It appeared to be a carefully planned plot to abort the process.

But the man in charge of proceedings, Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not fall for the bait. He remained calm and unruffled until an apparently exhausted Orubebe dropped the microphone and regained his composure. After cautioning Orubebe against such behaviour, especially given his status in society in an exhibition of deep intellect and maturity, Jega continued with his sensitive task. Ex-President Jonathan later that day called Buhari on phone to congratulate him on his victory shortly before Jega announced the results of the historic election. Two weeks later, Jega’s INEC conducted substantially successful state governorship and House of Assembly elections, even though the latter were marred by brazen violence and rigging, especially in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

On Tuesday, Professor Jega voluntarily bowed out of office at the expiration of his five-year tenure. He is no doubt leaving behind a legacy of honour. He conducted himself throughout his occupation of the hot seat with dignity and integrity. Most Nigerians applauded his nomination on June 8, 2010 as Chairman of INEC by President Jonathan because of his track record as an honest, principled, committed and patriotic academic, administrator and activist.

Yet, some also felt that as a member of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral reforms Committee that recommended the appointment of the INEC Chairman by the National Judicial Council (NJC) rather than the President, he ought not to have accepted the offer. But the nation is certainly the better for his acceptance to serve. Jega has set a standard, which future occupants of the office will be under pressure to maintain, if not exceed.

Despite Jega’s successes, there is still a long way to go towards achieving the credible and reliable electoral system that can guarantee democratic sustainability in Nigeria. True, the introduction of Electronic Card Readers and Permanent Voters Cards under Jega have enhanced the integrity and transparency of the process. However, it is still necessary to implement those aspects of the Justice Uwais panel, such as involving the judiciary in the appointment of the INEC chairman to guarantee greater autonomy as well as taking more effective steps to apprehend and punish electoral offenders.

Jega’s tenure also showed that it is not enough to have a man of integrity at the head of the commission while some Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and other lower to middle cadre officers remain vulnerable to partisan and corruptive influences. Professor Jega tried with a high degree of success to overcome this problem by appointing his trusted vice-chancellor colleagues as Returning Officers. Commendable as this innovation may be, there is no alternative to having an electoral process built on systemic credibility and integrity irrespective of the personality at its helm. We congratulate Professor Jega for his patriotic and courageous service to his nation and wish him success in his future endeavours.

July 2, 2015
NASS: Between legacy and careerists

In “Between APC and SDP” (June 16), Ripples noted the tactical error of trying to keep at bay, the New-Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) bloc of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

That sparked the Bukola Saraki-led parliamentary coup of June 9.

But with the turn of events, and the nPDP elements now attempting to impose their own image on the National Assembly, has it transformed into a strategic blunder that could, in due course, nullify the Change Nigerians voted for on March 28?

That chilling question is imperative because two grim dramas are unfolding from the APC crisis: the fierce struggle for the party’s soul (the subject of “Between APC and SDP”); and the emergence, from inside the ruling party, of two different blocs: the Legacy bloc (most likely to drive Change) and the Careerists (most likely to, all-movement-no-motion wise, leave things as they are).

Gunning for the soul of APC, that boasts at best an ideological bric-a-brac, is neither unexpected nor illegitimate; and one dare says, the internal business of the varied tendencies in the party.

But whichever faction ascends is the business of the polity; for Nigeria would rise or sink by it.

If the pro-Change bloc wins, and radically pushes policies that would deliver a legacy of change for the better, Nigerians would have won with their March 28 heroics, that powered Muhammadu Buhari to the presidency.

But if the Careerists win — careerists that jostle for self-political offices, without a corresponding improvement in the collective welfare — it would be much of the old same.  The March 28 mandate would then have been in vain; and millions of longsuffering Nigerians would, yet again, have lost.

Given the vengeance and passion, with which Nigerians voted in March and April for change, that would be highly risky, if not outright fatal, for Nigeria — both for the entrenched establishment, and the  distraught rabble.

Because Nigeria perches at a delicate historical juncture, that is the correct prism to view the high-voltage drama from the APC front — and not necessarily from the relative loss or win of the individuals involved in the combat.

That, of course, throws the discourse right back to the dramatis personae.

By rebelling against his party, and having bulk PDP votes with a smattering of his own APC’s elect him as senate president, what was Saraki guilty of?

Realpolitik, his friends would coo: whatever lobby for influence that availed Ahmad Lawan his party’s backing also availed Saraki the push for support, inside and outside his own party.

Treachery and perfidy, his foes would roar: even the best of individual intents should be subjugated to the collective good; and party discipline.

That thrust-and-fence would perhaps do, particularly in a value-neuter milieu, where the vilest of conducts and the noblest of behaviours, on a single cause, are just two sides of a bloody controversy.  If in doubt, recall how the clear crime of annulling the free election of 12 June 1993 became the holy banner of anti-June 12 elements.

With the media itself ever ready and willing (for whatever motive) to spin even the most abhorrent of conducts, the society’s value-blindness and deafness become even more alarming.

Still, beyond contrived controversies, Saraki’s emergence as senate president; and his bloc’s spurning of rapprochement in the filling of other principal officers — winner-takes-all fashion — throw up troubling questions.

Needless to say, the attempt by Saraki’s confederates in the House of Representatives, which Speaker Yakubu Dogara leads, to replicate a similar ploy, led to the June 25 uproar in the lower house.

If APC’s nPDP bloc pressed their legitimate right to land vital positions in the new government (as reward for their electoral labour), why might they block the party’s bid for legitimate balancing, particularly after a sharp dispute, for the sake of peace founded on equity and fairness?

That has exposed them to a not altogether illegitimate web of conspiracy theories, which clearly conflicts with President Buhari’s clear mandate for change.

For starters, Saraki’s real blunder in the June 9 parliamentary coup was less in rebelling against his own party (as dire as that was for party discipline; in a new party elected on the mandate of urgent change in awful times); but more in selling out his party to PDP elements — PDP, with clear motives to block that change; and ensure APC’s utter failure.

A fall-out of that sell-out was the emergence, as senate deputy president, of PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu.  Though an embattled Saraki has denied Ekweremadu’s election was a logical quip-pro-quo (which sounds disingenuous, to say the truth), the charge of treachery and perfidy is not helped by the grim prospect that when Saraki is not around, Ekweremadu bosses proceedings.

Ekweremadu can be counted upon to stall the APC agenda.  Besides, by further defying their party and rejecting its preferred candidates for other APC National Assembly principal officers, outside senate president and deputy, the Saraki bloc would further split the party.

Saraki would, therefore, find it hard to throw off the charge of playing an alleged Judas out to halt the APC momentum of change; and haul Nigerians’ future right into the dark past of careerists and soulless power adventurists.

That, in Nigeria’s troubled political history, would dovetail into the decision of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua faction of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) to trade off the late MKO Abiola’s presidential mandate of 12 June 1993, for a sterile Interim National Government (ING) — with disastrous consequences, which the birthing of the current 4th Republic was programmed to correct.

Other conspiracy theorists have even claimed Senator Saraki is only the visible face of an alleged northern irredentist bloc, trying to push yet again an alleged “born-to-rule” project.

Ripples would find this claim rather implausible though, given the trouble June 12 (which tried to push this calamitous doctrine) caused the country; and the historic North-South West political entente that delivered the famous March 28 APC presidential win, to save the country from ruin.

But whatever the facts or fiction, Senator Saraki, by his somewhat legal but hardly legitimate emergence as senate president, finds himself at the cusp of a cruel historical pigeon-hole — the man that arrested change, when change was imperative for a sinking Nigeria!

That is why he must accommodate efforts at fair balancing by his party, in filling the remaining Senate principal offices.  On this score, the claim about stalling to avoid cohabiting with his “enemies” is balderdash.  Balancing senate principal offices is no ancestral feud.

But history and judgements are in the long, long run.  Right now, there is a government to run; and our people to bail out.

That is why President Buhari must step out and resolve this logjam — not necessarily for his feuding party, but for Nigerians who gave him a clear mandate for change.

After due diligence, the president should weigh in on the side of the forces of legacy, against the careerists. That is his covenant with Nigerians; and that is what he should do.

To do that, however, he might have to take the case directly to Nigerians, away from the feuding parliamentarians.

‘The president should weigh in on the side of the forces of legacy, against the careerists. That is his covenant with Nigerians’

June 30, 2015