Tag: nation

SIR: Nigeria’s security crisis has reached a boiling point, with the nation grappling with an unprecedented wave of violence, terror, and senseless killings. The recent attacks on Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Bassa local government areas of Plateau State are a grim reminder of the precarious security situation in the country. Innocent lives have been lost, properties destroyed, and communities displaced, leaving deep scars that may take years to heal.

In Benue State, the situation is equally dire. The attacks in Otukpo, Agatu, Apa, Guma, and other local government areas have become all too familiar, with daily reports of killings, abductions, and destruction of property. The people of Benue State, known for their hospitality and resilience, are now living in fear, wondering when the next attack will come. The constant daily killings of innocent people have left families shattered, communities traumatised, and the entire state in a state of perpetual anxiety.

The security crisis is not limited to Plateau and Benue states. Insecurity has resurfaced in various northern states, including Kaduna, Zamfara, and Katsina, where banditry and kidnappings have become common. In these states, communities are living in fear, with many losing loved ones or being forced to flee their homes. The situation demands urgent attention and collective action to restore safety and security.

What’s more disturbing is that instead of defending the oath they swore to protect the nation, many politicians have begun campaigning for the 2027 elections. This blatant disregard for the welfare and safety of Nigerian citizens is a stark reminder of the leadership crisis plaguing the nation. It seems as though politicians are more interested in politicking than in addressing the pressing issues that threaten the very fabric of our society.

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The people of Nigeria are tired of promises and empty rhetoric. They demand action, tangible steps that will restore safety, stability, and trust in government. The fate of Nigeria’s citizens hangs in the balance, and it’s time for politicians to act. Strong leadership, strategic planning, and collaboration between government agencies, security forces, and local communities are essential to finding solutions. The government must demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing the insecurity crisis, and the people must be protected. It’s time for politicians to prioritise the safety and security of citizens above all else and work towards creating a more stable and secure nation.

The current state of insecurity in Nigeria is a result of various factors, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and deteriorating standard of living. To address these challenges, a comprehensive approach is needed, one that prioritises the safety and security of citizens above all else. The people will not be silenced; they demand change. It’s time for politicians to listen, to act, and to bring hope to a nation on the brink.

• Mohammed Dauda Eibo mohammedeibo2014@gmail.com

• By Carl M. Seiyaibo

Representative democracy is acclaimed to be one of the best methods of selecting a leader by the people. The people sacrifice power and the electee depends on the will of the electorate. However, in recent times the sincere will of the people in choosing and replacing a government through free and fair elections, and active participation, has continually been disrupted by few desperate political vampires.

Saturday, November 11, 2023, is a date with history in Nigeria’s political calendar, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will conduct the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States.

One critical issue that has dominated public discourse and has been a source of worry to Nigerians is that of presidential interference in regional political development. This form of political game first reared its ugly head in the country during the First Republic, when the Alhaji Tafawa Balewa-led central government of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), launched political onslaught on the Chief Obafemi Awolowo-led government of the Action Group (AG) in the Western Region. The development led to chaos and violence that formed part of the reasons the military took over in 1966.

This scenario has continuously replayed itself as Nigerians failed to learn from history, as the same situation reoccurred in the Second Republic, when Awolowo accused the Federal Electoral Commission, (FEDECO), led by Justice Victor Ovie-Whiskey, of compromising the electoral process to favor the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN).  What followed was protracted rule by the military where dictatorial governance drove representative democracy into oblivion.

Things have not been better comparatively, even in the current Fourth Republic. While the nation was preparing for the 2007 general elections, then President Olusegun Obasanjo, described the polls as a “do or die affairs” in the bid to install his preferred candidate, Umaru Musa Yar ‘Adua.

The damage such underhand activities of a sitting president in connivance with the electoral umpire does to our development process is incalculable. The benefactor also publicly confessed that he came to power through a faulty electoral process, but he could not excuse himself from the elected position to allow free process to lead.

These concerns over interference, irregularities, thuggery, manipulations been expressed concerning the forthcoming election in Bayelsa State. The battle line is already drawn among the principal actors.

The major concern is the anachronistic culture by members of the ruling party flaunting use of presidential power or “federal might” to undermine the sanctity of the ballot box.

Just like Lord Denning, the great legal philosopher would say “A judge on trial is also on trial.” In the emerging circumstances, Nigerians have put their military binocular to watch both INEC and the President’s honest commitment towards entrenching true values of democracy in the conduct of the governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi.

In the past couple of weeks, there have been some dangerous signals in Bayelsa, where principal political actors of a party have been beating their chest and flaunting to whoever that cares to listen over what they called “federal might” to dictate the outcome of the governorship election.

This display of megalomaniac attitude has not only elicited reactions by the peace-loving electorate in the state who have being enjoying unfettered peace, but reminded them of the replay of the historic 2015 Bayelsa state electoral violence.

It is unimaginable to reason how somebody in this time and season, when democratic nuances are being entrenched, can be engaging in acts that will take us back to the medieval era; an era where might was freely used as a right and life according to Thomas Hobbes, the great political philosopher, was brutish and short.

We thank God, today the country is under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, a tested democrat, who has not only paid his dues in the struggle for our hard-won democracy, but has also demonstrated his political values as a listening president within the short time he has been in the saddle.

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It is believed that he will follow and improve upon on the action of his predecessor in the 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa. Despite his military background, former President Muhammadu Buhari resisted all temptations and pressures to interfere in the electoral process in the state. This was a statement action that endeared him to even cynics in the opposition parties.

The great expectations are that President Tinubu would improve not only on those records, but also to prove beyond reasonable doubt his full commitment towards the conduct of credible polls by sending a clear warning signal to the security agencies, INEC and contestants to play the game by the rules.

The electoral umpire on its part should be told in clear terms that it is managing the most sensitive national service in public trust and should avoid any act of omission or commission. Any action beyond measurable international best practices will further betray the eroded confidence in the Commission. It owes the nation the sacrosanct duty to entrench peaceful transfer of power through a credible democratic process and should not contemplate cutting corners to undermine the sanctity of the ballot.

The facts have been established that most of the security challenges across the country are occasioned by the bitterness arising from the conduct of elections that were not free and fair. This is where the electoral body, backed by the political will of the President, should ensure that Nigeria is not taken back to the dark days of electoral rigging, malpractice characterized by mindless impunity.

Meanwhile, the political actors in the forthcoming governorship election in the state should be reminded that the consequences of “do or die” politics are very grave. They should therefore exercise caution in their conduct, as well as call their supporters to order for the peaceful and credible conduct of the election.

All critical stakeholders should bear in mind that peaceful transfer of power, through the conduct of credible election is the foundation on which prosperous and secured nations are built. This is a fundamental pillar and the road map to the flourishing of democracy and peaceful co-existence. Many countries have been thrown into avoidable wars because of the failure of their electoral institutions, being compounded by the do-or-die mentality of the ruling political party.

It is time for Nigeria to chart a new path by moving to join the league of progressive nations where the sanctity of the ballot is real. This is the time Tinubu needs to demonstrate and prove his readiness in line with his much-vaunted credentials of belonging to the progressive class. Nigerians and the world in general are watching with keen interest. There is no doubt Tinubu appreciate the fact that he is a president for all Nigerians and not president of any political party. Therefore, ensuring that the bar of conducting free, fair and credible election is raised to the optimum to the envy of all civilized nations. That is certainly the greatest legacy Nigerians will remember him for and engrave his name in the sands of time.

The president should ensure that security officers deployed to the election safely return to their loved ones after the discharge of their responsibilities. The incident in Nembe in 2015, where an Assistant Commissioner of Police was dehumanised and would have been dragged to death, but for the timely intervention of the military, should not repeat itself.

Till date, justice had eluded the police officer. Tinubu should also ensure that Zamfara State should not exist politically in Nembe Local Government Area as it produced one of the highest results in election despite many of her voters being intimidated and pursued out of their homes during election.

In addition, Kano State should not find herself in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, where a candidate used two local government areas to win election in the state with 90% of registered votes instead of accredited voted. In the state this habitual plan of the opposition is still in existence.

It is, however, the joint responsibility of the president and the chairman of INEC to ensure that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is not compromised. The entire process of accreditation, voting, collation, result transmission and subsequent result announcement should be the high priority of the management of the electoral affair. And this should be exemplified and demonstrated in this election. INEC should not be found wanting in her dealings and conduct the election in the most transparent manner as Bayelsans will keenly monitor and watch the flow of her actions.

The military should watch out for possible planned infiltration by hoodlums and militants in their ranks to disrupt the election. As the drums of electoral war have started being beaten, the drums of Nigeria’s security agencies should be tightened and deployed timely, fully equipped with wider coverage on identified flash points.

The national intelligence unit should not allow individuals to undermine the process with doubtful intelligence reports. The type of Israeli intelligence flaws that enabled Hamas to attack her should not be allowed, as attackers may have full ride in Bayelsa come November 11 , 2023, if not properly checked.

• By Abdulmojeed Salangiwa        

Nigerians, especially those who were schooled in the art of marketing and communications heaved a sigh of relief two years ago that the creative community had finally gotten off the hook of modern imperialism when the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) embarked on a move towards sanitization and enforcement of global best practice in the nation’s advertising industry.

But currently, the noble idea to rescue the sector appears to be drifting away due to the pecuniary interests of some individuals and organizations, who have consistently benefitted from the irregularities and poor regulation of the past. Leading the campaign to frustrate the move and return advertising to the old order is the Advertisers Association of Nigeria -a body of mostly multinational firms. Their opposition was initially through a subtle campaign to blackmail ARCON to submission. However, when the group and its backers realised that the federal government was not yielding to all their campaigns of calumny, they threatened to drag ARCON and the government to court to reverse the reform. Last week, ADVAN dared ARCON and the federal government and filed a suit to challenge the reform.

Since last week when the ADVAN President, Osamede Uwubanmwen announced that his association had finally dragged federal government to court, many questions have been asked on why the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP), which appears a laudable step towards unbundling a promising industry is being targeted for expulsion. Could it be AISOP on media rates deregulation that points out that no sector of the industry should cap or determine what media houses should charge as media advert rates, going forward? Could it be an area that compels advertisers and agencies to accord Nigerian media houses the same mutual respect they accord foreign media, operating in Nigeria and align with best practices? Perhaps it’s AISOP’s position on credit policy which recommends, in line with best practices, that payment for media and other advertisement services should be done within 45 days. But of course, there is a caveat here that payment after 45 days will attract interest at prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria interest rates. It was also stated that advertisers and agencies should honour advertising and marketing communications invoices politely and that all parties must be transparent in their dealings.

A critical look at the issue at hand reveals a strategic gang up against the country’s economy at a time drivers of the economy are struggling hard to protect local businesses and promote local content. But seriously speaking, to many Nigerians, the position being taken by ADVAN is like a deliberate attempt to provoke and foment trouble in the land.  If our local marketing communications industry is put side by side with what is obtainable in another clime, it’s like Nigeria is enduring where she should act and protect her economy. The popular proverb; “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander” aptly captures the relationship between agencies and clients in some countries compared to our experience in this part of the world.

For instance, Nigerian brands are currently among the most advertised brands on the Cable News Network (CNN) and other global media platforms but their appearances on  these platforms come with strict adherence to the media rate and payment regulation of not only the global platforms but the countries where they operate from. Before an ad could appear on CNN, the advertiser must have paid not only before placement but also in dollar currency. The issue we should deal with here is whether the Nigerian brands on CNN for instance adhere to these conditions or not. But sadly, in Nigeria, the federal government through ARCON is simply asking for 45 days and payment in naira not in dollars, despite the fact that the naira has lost a lot of value yet some fifth columnists, acting for their global paymasters think the best thing to do is to ‘kill’ the industry that would have served as a veritable vehicle to boost the economy.

Much as the constitution of Nigeria allows freedom of association, freedom of speech and rule of law, sometimes one needs to apply simple emotional  intelligence to know when and where to draw the lines. Yes, all over the world, advertisers are like the third leg of the tripod in a country’s marketing organogram but must submit to regulation. Events in the last 50 years have shown that ADVAN dictates the rule of the game as a referee, where it is also a player. In a country where the dream of every stakeholder is to grow the local economy and strengthen the market, I can’t come to terms with the fact that a Nigerian is allowing himself to be used against the federal government.

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While some analysts have argued that the government has what it takes to use its political will to correct every abnormality in the marketing industry, I consider the role being played by a few of our colleagues as not patriotic enough. In the course of my career, I have traversed many countries, especially in Europe and America, I’m yet to see where an American is recruited to frustrate a policy that could protect America’s interest and I’m yet to see where a professional association in China or India works against their governments to protect African or even European interests.

The Tinubu administration has initiated critical reforms to address macroeconomic imbalances across board and many economic analysts have argued that this window of opportunity could have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of Nigerians and establish a solid foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.

To further grow the economy, it has been recommended that specific, critical measures should be put in place to build on the new government’s bold start in making critical reforms, to ensure that Nigeria rises to its full potential. These include: (1) restoring macroeconomic stability by increasing non-oil revenue, reducing inflation through a sequenced and coordinated mix of trade, monetary and fiscal policies, and completing the forex reform, (2) expanding social protection to protect the poor and most vulnerable, and (3) developing and communicating how, as fiscal space recovers, resources will be redirected over time to meet urgent development challenges.

ARCON Director General, Lekan Fadolapo, like a man who saw tomorrow had started the journey to reform the marketing communications (MARCOM) industry since the last quarter of 2021.  Fadolapo saw the need to impact the economy through effective regulation and unveiled a new Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP) to deepen the business relationship among advertising agencies, their clients, and the media. I still believe that the industry-standard practice would unravel the lingering debate surrounding credit policy as well as payment of pitch fees in the industry.

Thankfully, in what looked like an endorsement of the ARCON’s position, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had during a recent visit to ARCON headquarters encouraged the leadership of the regulatory body to promote local content and production, pointing out that presently, many opportunities in the industry are lost to other countries despite Nigeria’s rich capacity, which he said is the pride of Africa. While describing the current development as nothing but unnecessary capital flight, the minister stated that he was aware of the audience measurement insight being handled by ARCON.

I am hopeful that ARCON, as pivotal in regulating advertising practices and ensuring that practitioners adhere to the highest standards, has achieved some milestones regarding this important issue, to ensure maximum return on media investments.

•Salangiwa, a marketing professional, writes from Abuja