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  • Entrepreneurship and national development

    Entrepreneurship and national development

    On the 20th of April this year, she made history at the Universityof Abuja (UNIABUJA) when she became the first woman to deliver an inaugural lecture at the University. She is none other than Professor Sarah OlanrewajuAnyanwu of the Department of Economics. Her inaugural delivery is the 13th since the establishment of UNIABUJA with Professor Anyanwu’s presentation being the second from the Department of Economics and the third from the Faculty of Social Sciences. I must confess that when a friend,at my requisite, sent me a copy of the lecture, I was initially unexcited about the title: ‘Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Fostering Economic Development in Nigeria”. I used to belong to the school of thought that studies like Entrepreneurial studies or home economics are largely pragmatic disciplines more concerned with the nuts and bolts of practical matters and with no room for the theoretical and philosophical bases of academic subjects properly so called.

    Yet, when in recent weeks, I have been reading the inaugural culture and I must admit that my earlier sentiments were completely misbegotten and erroneous. From my reading of the lecture, Professor Anyawu, has an incomparable passion for entrepreneurial studies. Her first major paper after obtaining her Ph.Din 1992 was titled ‘Women Entrepreneurs in Jimata and Yola of Adamawa state: A profile of Features, Problems and Precepts”. This was an early indication that Professor Anyanwu was not going to be your typical denizen of the scholarly ensconced in an the Ivory Tower blissfully proffering theories far removed from existential realities. She also gained further academic and practical experience when she served as Director of Entreprenursip of UNIABUJA in 2010.

    The central theme of Professor Sarah Anyanwu’s inaugural is lecture that a passion for entrepreneurial studies is an indispensable vehicle for national recovery and sustainable development. She has been particularly influenced by the great economist, Schumpeter’s ‘theory of entrenpreneurship’ with its emphasis on creativity, innovation and venture development. Professor Anyawu underscores the critical and indispensable role of entrepreneurship in achiving national economic growth and development. In her words “Entreprenurship includes identification of individual of resources, allocation of resouces to create value through the identification of unmet needs. It involves the courage to take investment risks, the creativity to conceptualise and actualise marketable venture to meet identical needs’. Thus, the psychological prerequisites of successful entreprenuiral ventures include capacity, attitude, a talent for innovation, high moral integrity as well leadership capabilities”.

    Citing several scholars – Schumpeter, Weber, Thomas and Mueller etc, Professor Anyanwu argues that there is a positive correlation between entrepreneurial activities “and the stimulation of economic growth, employment generation and the disadvantaged sections of the population, which include women and the poor”. But how does entrpreneurship promote national development? This she contends is through its role as a generator of employment and increased productivity through innovation, the facilitation of transfer or adaptation of technology as well as the dynamic generation and utilisation of resources.

    The link between the individual – creative, innovative, industrious, daring and courageous enrteprenurship and achieving his potentials in my reading of Professor Anyanwu’s lecture is a functional, effective, transparent and accountable state, which provides the necessary environment for business and enrepreneurship to thrive”. The professor thus exhaustively explores appropriate economic, social, psychological legal and technological contents that limit the potentials of entrepreneurial enterprise in Nigeria.

    One fascinating insight, which I glean from Professor Anayanwu’slecture is that unemployment, while being a key indicator of our economic performance and development, can also be a catalyst for enhanced entrepreneurial activity and national development. Describing this as the ‘Schmpeterian’ effect; Professor Anyanwu explains that high unemployment in a country is closely associated with a low degree of entreprenuial activities, that where the propensity to set up enterprises is very low, the rate of employment is very high.  A low entreprenuiral culture and lack of skills in any society may be a consequence of low economic growth, and higher level of unemployment.

    Professor Ananwu expatiates on this fascination thesis that an ordinarily negative phenomenon like unemployment can have positive factor ‘fast tracking entrepreneuship through ‘a refgee effect’. In her words “this remarkable view dates back to Oxenfelt (1943) who pointed out individuals confronted with unemployment and low prospects for wage employment often turn to self-employment as a viable alternative.

    According to Professor Anyawu, this observation was an extension of an earlier view by Knight that individuals make a decision among threestates – unemployment self-employment and employment. This simple theory of income choice, according to Professor Anyanwu, lends credence to the refugee effect by suggesting that increased unemployment will lead to an increase in start- up buisnesses. This implies and assumes the existence of effective government that implements viable national economics, which facilitate easy access to credit at affordable rates, enhancing the ease of starting and sustaining business as well as efficient of the vital physical and social infrastrucre for buinseess to thrive”.

    Other critical issues, which attract Professor Ayanwu’s lecture include youth enrepreneruship, Women entrepreneurial developmetas well as offering a clinical dissection of extant government fiscal and socio-economic policies at all levels and their implications for poverty alleviation and rapid economic development. Professor Anyanwu’s passion for entreprenrshipbrings to my mind Chief Awolowo’s thesis that man is the sole dynamic in nature. He is the- be all and all of creation. Investment in affordable but qualitative education, health care and the provision of modern social and physical infrastructure are therefore,  etc indispensable for the liberation of the entrepreneurial potentials of millions of Nigerians and making them catalysts of development.

  • Amosun, others call for national reputation summit

    Amosun, others call for national reputation summit

    Ogun state Governor Senator Ibikune Amosun and public relations practitioners have called for a national reputation summit.

    They spoke during a colloquium and awards by the Ogun State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) at the Olusegun Obasanjo Library, Abeokuta, the state capital.

    The keynote speaker, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, who is also the chief executive, CMC Connect Group, noted the political history of Nigeria, analysing the primordial factors that have affected its image and goodwill since independence. He said the nation had suffered serious image problem as a result of the decay in the system, adding that it has denied the country of her pivotal place in the comity of progressive nations.

    Badejo-Okusanya, who is also the Secretary-General, African Public Relations Association (APPRA), identified impunity as the bane of Nigeria’s socio-political and economic development. Nigeria, he said, “has suffered moral bankruptcy as a result of corruption that permeates every facet of our lives.”

    He praised President Muham-madu Buhari for making genuine efforts at eradicating graft and corruption in government.

    He also supported the summit, saying it would create a forum for stakeholders and communications to find solutions to the already battered image of the country.

    The chairman of the colloquium, Prof Lai Osho of the Department of Mass Communications, Lagos State University (LASU), said: “The nation is going through a rebirth in the way we think, the way we do things, and in our attitude.’

    He added that Buhari has brought sanity back to governance.

    Amosun, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Yetunde  Onanuga, praised the Chairman of the state chapter of NIPR, Mr. Tope Adaramola and his executives for creating a platform for cross fertilisation of ideas on how to make Nigeria better.

    He emphasised that the Change mantra of the ruling political party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has been the driver of the successes recorded in two months of the Buhari government.

    He called for attitudinal change among Nigerians to make the Nigerian project work.

     

  • A new National Carrier…staging a comeback 12 years after

    A new National Carrier…staging a comeback 12 years after

    The aviation sector is alive with a debate over the Federal Government’s plans to revitalise the national carrier. Experts and key operators are sharply divided in their perspectives on the modalities to be adopted in putting the Green-White-Green national colours back in the air, reports KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR

    The debate is on,  triggered by  a recent directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to  Aviation Ministry officials. They are to work out the modalities of setting up a new national carrier.

    The rationale for such a carrier has engendered unease among experts, airline operators and watchers of the troubled aviation sector.

    Expectedly, the directive has pitted against one another players in the sector on both sides of the divide. Those who are favourably disposed to the idea have described the directive as a welcome development. Others, who feel the government has no business going into such money-guzzling enterprise, have not hidden their opposition.

    The divergent views raised on the proposed carrier by experts are predicated on seven failed attempts by previous administrations to reestablish a national carrier since the liquidation of the Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) in May, 2003 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Such attempts include: Virgin Nigeria; Air Nigeria; Nigerian Global Airline and Nigerian Eagle Air among others.

    Since 2003, Nigeria has lost several billions of dollars to capital flights repatriated by over 27 foreign carriers that operate international flights into and outside of the Nigerians shore.

    More than a decade after it went moribund, relics of the weather-beaten and decripit airplanes, that were once Nigeria’s flag carriers, have been sold  as spare parts when Arik Air got the fanchise to operate the defunct NAL’s workshop at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja in Lagos.

    With no strong Nigerian carriers to reciprocate the over 73 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) it signed with countries, Nigerian routes have remained not only lucrative but for foreign carriers, which enjoy multiple entry points into the country under lopsided air treaties and Open Skies Agreements (OSAs).

    Worried by the trend, the President, penultimate Wednesday, directed Aviation Ministry to expedite action on the establishment of a new national airline.

    President Buhari gave the directive after he was briefed by officials of the ministry, led by their Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Binta Bello.

    Mrs. Bello, who apparently bought into the vision of the country having a carrier it can call its own, embraced the President’s directive to reestablish one.

    “Mr. President is quite concerned with the absence of a national carrier for now and he has directed the ministry to look into the possibility of having a national carrier as soon as possible,’’ she told State House reporters.

    The defunct national carrier – Nigeria Airways – was established in 1958 and was once the pride of the nation until it eventually went into liquidation in 2003. No thanks to mismanagement.

    So disturbed was the erstwhile President, Chief Obasanjo, that he complained that boosted of more than 10 aircraft when he left the office in 1979 as military Head of State, had only three that were on wet lease during his second coming as a democratically elected President, 30 years after.

    That informed NAL’ liquidation despite the privatisation options that could have savaged the ailing airline.

    But some experts and operators in the aviation sector have hailed the presidential directive that the ministry should facilitate the setting up of a national carrier.

    According to them, the resuscitation of the national carrier has become imperative as it will enable the country to utilise its many BASAs.

    Such experts include: the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bulejane Konzults, Mr. Chris Aligbe; President of Skyjet Aviation, Dr. Kassim Shettima; National President, Pilots & Engineers Association, Isaac Balami; aviation Analyst, Kingsley Chima; Chief Accountable Manager, DANA Air, Tony Mbanuzuo and another analyst Deba Uwadiae.

    Aligbe, who is former spokesman of the liquidated NAL, berated those opposed to the proposed national carrier, describing their opposition against the project as misplaced and unpatriotic.

    He accused those saying Nigeria does not need a national carrier of doing a great disservice to the country because such project will help to curb the billions of naira being taken out of the country by foreign carriers from ticket sales proceeds, the huge cost of offshore maintenance for aircraft and salaries and flight crew allowances paid to expatriate pilots, engineers and cabin crew members.

    In a chat with The Nation, Aligbe said those speaking negatively about plans to set up a national carrier are fixating themselves in the past.

    According to him, such people suffer from incurable fixation, which could further compound the woes of the aviation sector.

    He said such fixation could discourage the government from setting up a national carrier, warning that such intervention could reorder the trend in the aviation sector through job creation, massive investment and human resource management.

    He said the aviation sector faces a bleak future without a national carrier to fly the nation’s flag across the world and reverse capital flight.

    Aligbe said: “Those opposed to the proposal are afraid of the nightmares of the past and therefore incurably fixated on how to stimulate the aviation sector. What they are saying about the past could be correct but what is the way forward.”

    He said government could set up the new carrier without investing too much money, but create an enabling environment to allow it thrive through what he described as “sweat equity”.

    Aligbe went on: “We do not have the discipline to run a government-owned airline hundred per cent. The government should not own more that 25 per cent stake. It does not need to throw money into the airline. All it needs to do is have sweat equity.

    “The government should allocate land for the floatation of the new national carrier, set up the team – I mean a technical team – people who know about airline business, allocate land to the airline in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt for offices, designate the airline on major routes and ask all agencies to cooperate with the floatation.

    “The government should go ahead and facilitate long term loans for the airline from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). It must be routed through the airlines bankers. The bankers must take that loan and pay back. It is not free money but a credit facility for a period of between 15 and 20 years at a repayment rate of single digit interest rate. All these can be facilitated by the government as its own equity stake in the business, without putting one kobo. It will have sovereign cover.”

    Also speaking, Dr. Shettima, who welcomed the idea, urged the government to convoke a stakeholders’ forum to examine the intricacies involved in setting up a national carrier.

    Shettima said: “In my own opinion, I think the President needs to be properly briefed with what the current situation is. He (President) needs to hear the truth and nothing but the truth.

    “There should be a stakeholders meeting with the President where the he will meet face to face with players in the industry including unions and airline operators in Nigeria and so on.

    “Does the President know the cost of running an airline now? Does it know that a national carrier will have to be given subsidy from time to time? Why do we have to re-invent what happened to Nigeria Airways?

    “The President needs to have the forensic audit on why airlines in the country are often debt-ridden after venturing into the business. I hope it is not going to be business as usual because aviation is nothing but a serious business.

    “This might be a nightmare. In as much as this is a good dream, sentiment must not replace reality like what we have presently in the aviation industry.”

    NAAPE’s national president, Balami, said the establishment of a new carrier was long overdue because of the way the former national carrier was liquidated. Balami said: “Everyone who has been in, or around the aviation industry for a while would easily agree that the ill-advised liquidation of the defunct national carrier  – Nigeria Airways, was the evil wind that has bedeviled the industry till date.

    “And since the forced liquidation of the Nigeria Airways, no Nigerian Carrier has been able to go near its big shoes. None has even started to move in that direction

    “It is, therefore, with enthusiastic welcome, that one receives the news of the directive by President Buhari to the ministry of aviation to expedite action on the establishment of a new national carrier which can now spearhead Nigeria’s deserved quest for global reckoning in aviation.

    “It is expected that the new carrier will strive for a mega carrier status which can compete at the global stage. It is also expected that a full scale Maintenance Repair Organisation (MRO) will be part of the deal for the new carrier.

    “It is, however, important to sound this note of caution. Any idea of engaging a foreign airline, or foreign MRO as technical partner should be perished. This is because no sane business person who will encourage a viable competitor.

    “Such partners will also not agree to terms that will give the new carrier an advantage over their vested interests in the airline business.

    “It is sincerely hoped that the ministry of aviation will be open and transparent in the process of setting up the new national carrier and will allow participation by genuine industry stakeholders.

    “I, and my organisation – NAAPE – welcome this development enthusiastically. And we urge all industry operators to support it with every sense of responsibility.”

    Another expert, Kingsley Chima, said: “Before this decision/directive, have we done a thorough autopsy on the reasons that led to the death of Nigeria Airways. National carrier is going out of fashion in this industry as it has been demonstrated in many quarters.

    “National carriers succeed in countries where corruption is tightly managed as shown in the case of Ethiopian Airlines.

    “When government starts appointing directors and they start awarding elephant/juicy contracts, the airline will gasp for breath and die.

    “The operation cost is high and any cost that should be avoided must be avoided. But, with a national carrier in an environment like ours, I do not see this happening. We can only have a competitive national carrier when we make our airports efficient and effective.

    “The government’s involvement must not be beyond 25 per cent share. The technical partners can own about 15 per cent stake and institutional investors taking the remaining. I am not optimistic but you never know.”

    In his reaction, DANA Air’s Accountable Manager Mbanuzuo, said the government, rather than creating a new airline, should create an enabling environment for the expansion of existing airlines’ operation.

    His words: “With no concrete information from the government, we are unable to make any comment  although we feel that the government should create an enabling environment rather than actually running an airline.”

    Uwadiae, who is an aviation analyst, urged government to be more circumspect before setting up such an airline.

    He said: “Very simple. Until there is a fundamental attitudinal change towards what belongs to government whatever is set up as a Nigerian Airline will go the same way of the old airline.

    “As long as I’m yet to see any concrete effort towards that change, I will advise President Muhammadu Buhari not to rush into it. Though, we need a national airline but at what cost will this be at this point in time, when the naira is counting at over N220 to $1?

    “There are more fundamental needs of Nigerians than for the government to take up a humongous project of setting up a national airline again at this time or the next four years of President Buhari.”

     

    From a fleet of 32 aircraft in 1999 to liquidation in 2003

    The carrier had accumulated significant debts that outstripped its revenues virtually from the mid-1980s. While 1,000 jobs had been cut by late 1986, Nigeria ordered the airline to reduce the number of employees — 8,500 at the time, with a staff-aircraft ratio of 500:1— even more, and also to reduce or discontinue unprofitable routes.

    In 1988, cost-cutting measures led to the discontinuance of flights to a number of African destinations, including Cotonou, Dakar, Douala, Kinshasa, Monrovia and Nairobi; some of these routes were resumed a year later.

    In April 2000, employment was 4,516. At that time, an Airbus A310-200, three Boeing 737-200 Advanced, one Boeing 747-200B Combi and one McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, served a route network that included Abuja, Calabar, Douala, Dubai, Jeddah, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, London, Maiduguri, Malabo, Port Harcourt, Sokoto and Yola.

    That year, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) was commissioned by the Federal Government to assist in the process of restructuring and privatisation of the airline.

    Among three options, one of them was to partner with a large European airline; Air France, Lufthansa and Swissair were all considered. Other option was to liquidate the carrier. A fleet comprising 32 aircraft in 1984 gradually depleted to a three-strong at that time.

    The IFC withdrew from its advisory position in 2001 citing the unwillingness of both the company and the government to carry out the necessary measures that would make the airline attractive to potential investors. Likewise, there were various allegations claiming the airline’s failure was accelerated by former leaders, who looted and mismanaged the company.

    In 1997, the United Kingdom (UK) Civil Aviation Authority had banned the airline from operating into its territory citing safety concerns; the Federal Government replied, banning British Airways operations.

    The UK cited safety concerns again in 2001 when it refused to allow Nigeria Airways to operate the Lagos–London route, this time regarding the Boeing 747 that was leased from Air Djibouti to fly the route.

    The carrier ceased operations in 2003. The Nigerian government later came to an agreement with Virgin Atlantic Airways to found Virgin Nigeria Airways, intended as a replacement, yet the ground facilities of the folded Nigeria Airways were eventually taken over by an indigenous airline that has dominated the business till date.

  • Mazi Ohuabunwa celebrates birthday with national literary outing

    A former Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc CEO and notable member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa (OFR), will turn 65 on Sunday 16th, August 2015, and is celebrating with a special national literary outing.

    He will be launching his new two books titled The Port Harcourt Volunteer and Sam Ohuabunwa’s Paradigm to the delight of family, friends and invited members of the general public in four Major cities at Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Port Harcourt.

    The works will be reviewed by the following erudite intellectuals: Prof. Jamie Onwuchekwa , Prof. Ayo Olokotun; Prof Onyi Nwagbara, Prof. Nat Aniekwu, Prof. Walter Ollor, Prof Chris Ogbonna, Dr. Jerry Chukwu-Okoro and Alhaji Garuba Mohammed.

    The celebrant, who is also an entrepreneur and long-standing author, throws more light on the book launch. “In this season of economic belt-tightening in the country, I have chosen to celebrate my 65th birthday with a soul-searching book launch instead of just a lavish party. I want to thank God for His profound mercy and grace on sustaining me alive to attain this age. My new books are actually my memoirs of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war as well as my philosophical thoughts on life and the Nigerian condition.”

    The National literary celebration events will commence in Lagos by 12 noon prompt on Monday 17th, August, 2015 at Sheba Event Place, off  Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos under the distinguished chairmanship of an eminent Nigerian intellectual, Professor Anya O. Anya. The Abuja event will hold on Tuesday 18th  August, at Shehu  Musa Yaradua Centre, Central Business district Abuja and chaired by Prof. Uzodinma Nwala, and Enugu will host on Wednesday 19th August, at the Ohazurume Unity Centre, opposite Enugu Airport with Mazi Emma Nwokoro as Chairman. The last lap will hold at The Arena Event Centre GRA Port Harcourt on 20th August with Chief Ada George former Governor of Rivers State as Chairman.

  • We’ll maintain NYSC for National unity, says Buhari

    We’ll maintain NYSC for National unity, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday promised that his administration would take necessary actions to maintain and improve the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme as a functional vehicle for the promotion of  national unity and integration.

    Buhari gave the assurance after receiving a briefing from officials of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, led by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta.

    The President, according to a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, affirmed his confidence and trust in the programme, noting that the objective for which the scheme was established in 1973 was still relevant for national development.

    He said: “I firmly believe in NYSC and I think it should remain a national programme to promote integration.

    “Whenever I go home to Daura, I look out for corps members from Lagos, Aba and other parts of the country.

    “I am always thrilled to learn that except for the NYSC, some of them have never left their states of origin to visit other cities in the country,” President Buhari said.

    Mrs. Jimeta told the President that the increasing number of NYSC participants posed a challenge to the scheme due to the dwindling revenue, from the national budget, to cater for their needs.

    She told the President that the annual enrolment of corps participants had increased from 2,364 at inception in 1974 to 229,016 in 2014.

    “Given the increasing number of tertiary institutions, our projection is that the number of corps participants may rise to 300,000 by 2020,’’ she said.

    The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, told the President that there were plans to make the scheme voluntary  and reduce the corps population to make the programme more sustainable.

  • National Policy on Education

    Section 1, paragraph 8 of National Policy on Education (NPE) (2005/2007), states thus: “the Federal Government beginning from late 1970s shall take official interest in, and make policy pronouncements on the teaching of the indigenous languages, instead of concerning itself solely with English”.

    Further the Federal Government specifies that every pupil must in the course of primary school education spreading across six years, must study two languages, namely- mother-tongue, (if available for study) or any other indigenous language of wider communication in his area of domicile alongside English language.

    The law also provides that those in the three-year Junior Secondary School (JSS), must study three languages, namely, mother tongue, (if available for study), or an indigenous language of wider communication in his area of domicile, alongside one of the three major indigenous language in the country, namely, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba, provided the language chosen is distinct from the child’s mother-tongue.

    At the senior secondary school (SSS) cadre, English language is recommended for three years alongside, two indigenous languages: an indigenous language and English Language.

  • NLC to NASS: Explain ‘astronomical’ budget increase

    NLC to NASS: Explain ‘astronomical’ budget increase

    The Nigeria Labour Congress  on Thursday asked the leadership of the National Assembly to tell Nigerians how its annual budget jumped from N23.347 billion in 2003 to N154.2 billion in 2015.

    The apex labour body also said the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) should explain to Nigerians how it fixed the salaries and allowances of “certain political, public and judicial office holders” numbering 17,474 at N1.126 trillion annually.

    The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, stated this when the leadership of the congress visited the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in Abuja.

    Wabba said the congress is concerned about the lack of openness and transparency in the budget of the National Assembly.

    He noted that Nigerians are concerned and wants explanations on how the National Assembly budget, which in 2003 was N23.347 billion, rose to N66.488 billion in 2007, and then climbed to N104.825 billion in 2008.

    He added that under the watch of former Senate President, David Mark, the budget of the National Assembly reached an all time record high of N154.2 billion.

    The NLC chief said information available to the congress revealed that as far back as 2009, the RMAFC put the salaries and allowances of “certain political, public and judicial office holders numbering 17,474 at N1.126 trillion annually.

    The implication, he said, shows that the earnings of political office holders were such a big drain on the country’s revenue and were clearly unsustainable.

  • Imperative of new national paradigm

    “Only he deserves power who every day justifies it.” – Dag Hammarskjold 1905-61.

    Where is a sweltering Harmattan of expectation; a deluge of hope; a mountain of anticipation; and the profound euphoria that underscores the faith that the Nigerian people have in the change movement must determine the thrust of the present watch; yes the masses believe that with President Mohammadu Buhari and the APC comes a new paradigm that must redefine leadership and governance in this clime. It is believed and rightly so that it will no longer be business as usual.

    To hit the ground running we must realize the urgency of now, we must be conscious of the fact that when Nigerians chose change over continuity what happened in actual fact was a ballot-based revolution. We cannot assume that it was a mere political contestation that saw the APC taking the spoils, no it wasn’t. Nigerians voted for change against an era that turned governance to a Bazaar and liberalized corruption. Nigerians voted against corruption, such is the incontrovertible challenge on our hands, we must deal with corruption.

    We must create monuments of deterrence and monuments of reference across the Nigerian space. We must repudiate corruption, sleaze and fleece at all levels of governance and teach our countrymen and women the primacy of service to fatherland. We must overhaul the moral margins of state and national honours, if need be we must revoke all honours conferred on individuals who have been convicted for a crime, and refuse to honour Nigerians whose propensities are manifestly corrupt and egocentric. We must teach our children the nobility of hard-work and set a new praxis that repudiates corruption and corruptive proclivities.

    We must redefine our Federal Character normative such that at all times our enterprise must encourage excellence over mediocrity. It must always be the best man for the job irrespective of state, zone or region. We cannot lower the bar because State A or B doesn’t meet the criteria, Nigeria must be treated as a huge canvass on which only the best should paint. Our country must be treated as a huge national theatre where only the very best must perform; such is the minimum quid pro quo for greatness and progress.

    I know that we are a people with undying resolve to reach great heights. I know that we are resilient specie. I know that we are kindred of the Great Zik of Africa; scions of the sage Awo; kith of the pragmatic Sarduana; kin of the dogged Isaac Adaka Boro; and offshoot of the many greats that berthed this nation, so before us is the inviolable challenge to make Nigeria great again.

    The Green-White-Green must be seen beyond the fabric and treated as our collective identity. We must locate the path to the Isle of Peace, Unity and Good-Hope through a deliberate and conscious effort at thinning down the walls of creed and clan. We must raise our interactive bar to no less an estate where religion becomes a personal affair, and on our national stage make the second stanza of the National Anthem our national prayer.

    A Nigerian child doesn’t need to know if I am a Christian or a Muslim or perhaps a Traditional worshipper, the child wants to see a leader who cares, a leader that creates jobs, a man who doesn’t steal and a leader that empathizes. If you must know the truth our people are tired of rulers who profess one religion or another but whose daily regimen vitiates even the least expectations of their faith. The linchpin of the new national orientation paradigm must be service delivery, patriotism and commitment to the good of Fatherland; yes it must be country first.

    We must review the cost of governance vis-à-vis the emolument of public office holders; we cannot pay political office holders so much salary and allowance in a country so economically rudderless, bare-chested and anaemic and yet lay claim to seeking economic recovery and national growth, no, we must change the way things are done. The urgency of now is the imperativeness of a new paradigm, we must begin a massive rework of values in governance such that leadership must become responsive and responsible to the people, and such is the only permissible minimum.

    Those who see partisan loyalty as the first course in the national buffet must realize that without Nigeria the dining table will be scant or perhaps non-existent. We must therefore make the praxis of our three course meal; yes our full course, Patriotism, Service and True Brotherhood. A nation of patriots thinks more of the good of nation and its people. Service to nation is service to all, and above all true brotherhood devolves on both, when governance delivers on the promises of democracy beyond the banal bounds of partisan, religious, regional, ethnic and parochial prejudices, true brotherhood fosters.

    Like the prized dietary three course meal normative, our nation is a cord of three; yes we are a nation of three major tribes divided providentially by the waters of the River Niger and the Benue into three main regions, the North, the West and the East, we are a people of three major faiths, Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion; and remember how the Christian Holy Book put it, ‘the cord of two is strong, the cord of three who can break?’. Need I remind that the Muslim object of prayer the ‘Tesbiu’ is an unbreakable cord of three, and traditionally three represents the unison of spirit, soul and body not despising the other elements.

    Countrymen and women, please be mindful of this reality that no nation that is a cord of three major peoples and tendencies has ever broken up, most have survived gruesome wars, segregation and internecine conflagrations to weave the great nations they became, Britain, USA, Australia, South Africa et al are lucid mementoes; tell it therefore to those preaching the message of separation and to those drumming the gongs of self-determination that we are a great nation woven by an infallible God.

    The urgency of now compels a huge cross on this generation of Nigerians, it is much too profound now that Nigerians voted for change in the status quo ante bellum, before May 29, many infractions may pass unnoticed but today the margins are different and expectations mountainous, we must not only deliver concrete democracy dividends but we must unite the masses of our people and make the good of Nigerian the summum bonum.

    We must aggregate at no greater pedestal but that which must prize excellence over mediocrity, and make the greatness of Nigeria our collective primacy.We must congregate, Christians, Muslims, Animists, Traditionalists and the likes at the altar where nothing counts but the good of fellow countrymen and women. And we must assemble at the place where ‘though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand’; such is the basic practical minimum sine qua non for growth and progress.

    In the final analysis, we must seize the moment and make Nigeria the pride of all, citizens and foreigners alike. We must begin a massive overhaul of our collective morality and etch hard-work as prime on our corporate canvass. We must passionately rework the margins of leadership such that egocentrics would flee the political turf. We must rejig our economy by exploring other sources of revenue outside this sickening monolithic dependence on oil. We must reawaken the time tested values of patriotism as key to national growth and encourage discipline and discretion across the various strata of state and society.

    We must work so that in the end posterity will say of this generation of Nigerians, when the moment of change came, a vibrant people came at it, took it, and transformed their nation such that it never remained the same, nay this must indeed be done in the positive as the contrary is manifestly unthinkable, morally impermissible and divinely unpardonable.

    • Prof. Nwaokobia Jnr, Director General Change Ambassadors of Nigeria (CAN) writes from Lagos.

  • Industrialist allays fears over national debts

    An industrialist and Chief Executive Officer,  JKN Limited, Chief John Odeyemi, has said there is nothing to fear over borrowing by the government so long as the money borrowed is used for developmental and economically viable projecs with lasting socio-economic benefits for the country.

    Odeyemi, who is also the Chairman, JAO Investment Company Limited, said rather than lose sleep over this, Nigerians should be more concerned about the viability of projects than the debt incurred in bringing the project into being.

    He argued that there are several lending institutions that will lend Nigeria over $100 billion if they are convinced of the economic viability and benefits of projects the money will be invested in.

    He said: “Development is not only about the size of debt  a government is owing; the most important thing is for the borrowed money to be put into good use for the benefit of the greater majority and not fritted away into private pockets.

    “It is acceptable to borrow as long as what you are doing is viable, acceptable and beneficial to the people.

    “The economic benefit must outweigh the cost of borrowing; if development is right, the proceed will bring social and economic benefit to the people.”

    Odeyemi contended that the leadership of the country knows what is required to be done to move the country forward.  For him, Nigerians have never lacked ideas but implementation of such ideas is the problem, and until there is the will to implement lofty ideas and programmes, the nation may just continue to run round in circles.

  • Agenda for 8th national, state assemblies

    Agenda for 8th national, state assemblies

    Failure of the legislative arm of government at all levels to effectively and conscientiously play the critical law-making and oversight functions has been one of the signal failings of this democratic dispensation. It has been a major reason why democracy since 1999 has not delivered the developmental dividends desired by Nigerians. An indication of the laxity with which the legislature has approached its task was the haste with which the 7th National Assembly passed 46 bills in 10 minutes, as the end of its tenure loomed. This was an indication of tardiness, lack of seriousness and unproductive use of time by an institution with a fixed tenure of four years.

    If the change for which most Nigerians voted in the last election is to become a reality, there must be a drastic change in the approach of the 8th national and state assemblies to their responsibilities. Law making is serious business in a democracy. The quality of governance is significantly a function of the worth of legislation. It is not a vocation for unprepared and unserious minds. We thus expect the 8th national and state assemblies to invest adequately in their institutional capacity to enact qualitative laws emanating both from the executive and the legislature.

    It is, of course, no secret that legislators in Nigeria rank among the most highly and obscenely paid in the world. Yet, this unjustifiable and immoral remuneration has no bearing on their productivity individually and collectively. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to describe our legislators as one of the most indolent set of Nigerians. The drain, which the sundry allowances of Nigerian legislators, particularly the scandalous constituency allowances, constitutes on national resources, has become a serious drawback on national development. It is an issue, which President Muhammadu Buhari working closely with the leadership of the National Assembly and the political parties must urgently address.

    Another monumental obstacle on the path of development in this dispensation is the unconscionable degree of corruption by public office holders. One of the reasons for this unsavoury scenario is the failure of the national and state assemblies to honestly, conscientiously and meticulously carry out their oversight responsibilities over ministries, departments and agencies. Indeed, there have been several incidents in the past where legislators were discovered to have exploited the pretext of investigating agencies under their watch to engage in stupendous self-enrichment. A key agenda of the 8th legislature must, therefore, be to urgently sanitise the oversight process and move to improve the image and moral integrity of this important arm of government.

    The incessant and dysfunctional wrangling between the National Assembly in particular and the Executive over the budgetary process has, over the years, had negative implications for economic policy and development. While such differences are not necessarily inimical to development and may even have their positive side, they can certainly be handled more efficiently and positively so that delays in budgetary implementation no more remain a permanent fixture of our economic process.

    It was also most unfortunate that the 7th National Assembly and the presidency could not agree on necessary constitutional reforms despite the humongous resources, including time and energy, expended on the process. Nigerians are unanimous that certain constitutional changes are needed to strengthen the country’s federal practice as well as improve the democratic process. Therefore, the 8th legislature must work in concert with the executive to make this a reality.

    What obtains at the national level is almost the same even with the state houses of assembly. We consider it necessary to stress that the state assemblies in particular must cease to be mere rubber stamps to imperious governors as the case in almost all states today. More authoritative, autonomous and assertive state houses of assembly will help considerably to enhance the quality of governance in Nigeria.