The Nation Newspaper

Tag: new dawn

  • A new dawn

    A new dawn

    I know that the above caption is not just unoriginal but inappropriate too. But out of a sense loyalty I have decided to use it as the title for this piece which has been fermenting in the vast, not to say dark recesses of my mind for more than twenty-four feverish hours. Even then, when I finally decided to tackle the subject, I still found some cob webs standing in the way of writing what could be considered the perfect article or at least, something close to it.

    In the depths of my retirement, I find the time to respond to WhatsApp messages even if I quickly discard most of them especially the video clips, many of which I find irritating, even annoying. The wrath is especially reserved for those clips which are accompanied by some maniacal bouts of laughter in the background. Most times such clips are not even remotely funny. But I have gone in front of my story which is not about video clips at all and the only thing remotely connected to video clips is that the story which captured my imagination as no video clip has done for a long time was that the item of news which elicited my inappropriate caption was delivered through a video clip.

    As everyone and their dog  by now must know, the Dangote refinery will, at last soon, or maybe by the time you read this, be pumping high grade petroleum into motor vehicles all over the country. And for good measure to supply this commodity to petrol stations all over sub Saharan countries. I have no idea and I wonder if many people have any inkling of how much a litre of petrol will be sold for throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria. That, at this time is a secondary consideration if only because I recently had to cough up close to one thousand Naira for the dubious privilege of putting a litre of the volatile stuff in my car, which for some months now has strictly been restricted to local runs. Its powerful engine which requires a healthy quantity of petrol just to warm it lies comatose most of the time and if it had a memory would remember those long departed days of indulgence when a trip to Lagos nearly two hundred kilometres away was the work of a few rapid hours. What I know is that large volumes of petrol  are consumed in Nigeria everyday and this being the case, a few Naira profit on each litre of petrol purchased will soon mount up to billions of Naira in profit. I had it on reliable authority that one of the most buoyant petroleum giants in Nigeria was satisfied with making just one penny on each gallon of petrol that she sold everyday. Today, the quantity of petrol sold everyday is perhaps a thousand times more than what was sold in those long gone days. It stands to reason therefore that we should not have to break the bank to buy fuel. My optimism on this point has however been hugely dented by the news that the NNPCL, the same organisation that has not produced any fuel for simply ages has done the magic of inserting itself into the supply chain for Dangote produced petrol. I fear that this debt ridden contraption will try to squeeze every ounce of advantage from her position and so I am sure that pump prices are not coming down any time soon. But, that is another story.

    The politics of petrol sales in Nigeria over the last two decades or so has made it impossible for anyone to truthfully say how much fuel is consumed here on a daily basis. This is because the amount of money paid as subsidy to those hitherto amorphous if not anonymous importers of fuel into the country depends on the volume of fuel purportedly imported by them. This figure is justly shrouded in mystery because it is suspected that petrol meant for consumption here in Nigeria is simply transferred to other neighbouring states from where the wily importers now turned exporters, collect another round of subsidy payments.

    In the new regime, the painful but lucrative business of preventing petrol produced in Lekki from straying across our notoriously porous borders is no longer within the purview of our hard working but lamentably underpaid Customs officers.   Alhaji Aliko Dangote has staked a fortune on producing liquid energy with which to run our collective economy. Rich, no, fabulously wealthy as he is, his many financial commitments makes it incumbent on him to make a going concern of his refinery in as short a time possible so as to make his debt repayments as easy as he possibly  can. This venture is not a charitable venture. That is restricted to the distribution of bags of rice and some deodourised palm oil as palliative to the very poor. For that he will give all kinds of satisfaction  to a whole lot of people from different quarters. The refinery is however another matter entirely. It is a monstrously expensive business venture which must be more than capable of paying rich dividends from the shark infested waters of Nigerian industry. Every litre of fuel produced but unaccounted for is an irreparable loss to  Dangote and he must ensure that apart from some level of evaporation every litre of fuel produced is accounted for and added to the bottom line. I have a feeling that all the worm holes through which hitherto, petroleum products escaped local utilisation will soon be blocked through the deployment of the latest available technology. Dangote has not only brought us up to the age of the state of the art energy production but has brought us kicking and screaming into the age of the latest monitoring technologies. Other industrialists have this example in front of them and they will no doubt rise up to the challenge.

    Another example in front of us concerns quality control. To be fair to our industrial producers, they have always tried to build quality into their products but Dangote is taking this to a new high level. Only a few weeks ago we were informed by a cynical clear eyed official who stood in front of a nest of microphones to charge the Dangote refinery with negligence in the matter of the quality of her products. Dangote has come out boldly to announce to the world that for the first time in a very long while, virtually sulphur free petrol will be available on the Nigerian market, all of it produced onshore. Enhanced engine performance as well as pollution free environment are two of the advantages coming our way soon.

    Read Also: Protest not solution to recent fuel price hike – NANS

    Close to half of Forex allocations are for people to import petroleum products with. I am sure that with these products being pumped out of the refinery at Lekki, the demand for dollars will be pointedly reduced in such a way that the pressure on the Naira will ease, allowing it to taste the sweet air of freedom for goodness knows how long. The effect of this on the economy is both immense and incalculable making it possible for us to dare to dream of better times.

    Only  a few weeks ago, the news was that for the first time in his career, Dangote was not in the good books of the present government as he has been with all the governments that went before. Some were moved to applaud the situation because the charge has always been that Dangote’s outstanding financial success has been on the back of government handouts to the detriment of the rest of us. Strains of the applause for this situation were still floating around when news came that crude made available to all refineries operating in Nigeria would be paid for in Naira, taking out the dollar in our refining equation. The only company ready and waiting to take advantage of this decision in any meaningful fashion belongs to Dangote. The eternal government client has won out again even though there is absolutely nothing debarring any other businessman from taking advantage of this reasonable gateway to profitability. I can imagine that several groups and individuals are working their phones feverishly at this time, attempting to set up deals which will lead to building refineries. They will all follow in the wake of Dangote as they have tried to do with sugar and cement. And just as what happened to all the junks bringing in cement from all corners of the globe and clogging up our ports, the armada of petrol bearing mother, sister and daughter ships will soon be consigned as the saying goes to the unplumbed depths of the dustbin of history.

    With the Dangote refinery fully operational, we stand on the threshold of a new beginning throughout the continent of Africa. By the time Europe collided with Africa back in the fifteenth century, many empires were flourishing furiously in the heart of the continent of Africa. Some of them, the Oyo, Benin, Kongo, Bornu, to mention only a few were at their apogee. They were not as technologically advanced as the Europeans but existed at a level which was astonishing to the Europeans, almost always the Portuguese who made first contact with these African empires. But there were Europeans from other countries who came and found a degree of civilisation which not only exceeded their expectations but found that they exceeded what existed in their own countries. Unfortunately for Africa, the Europeans from wherever they came had guns which were superior and vastly so to whichever weapons were available to the Africans and it was therefore easy for the Europeans to impose their will on Africans they interacted with. They formed selective alliances following the fault lines which had existed within African groups long before their coming and through this arrangement undermined the development of African units. From then until now, the relationships formed between Europe and Africa  have been not just unequal but punishingly so for Africa. This has been especially so in the issue of trade. From that time Africa has always exported raw materials including human beings to Europe and the rest of the world and imported perishable goods in return. Those goods have disappeared with no trace. Whilst the Europeans steadily built up their countries on the backs of their African trading partners, the African units which existed before the coming of the Europeans began a long but steady state of implosion which hollowed them out so badly that the Europeans simply waltzed in at one point and colonised the whole continent. Since then Africa has been working for little returns to develop Europe to the detriment of her own development. This is how come Africa has settled into the mould of producers of raw materials and consumers of cheap manufactured goods from Europe. That has not changed and until we make concerted efforts to change the dynamics of our situation, it will not change.

    Over the last fifty years or so, Nigeria and indeed, most parts of Africa has had to import all her petroleum products from Europe. The Dutch for example have no crude oil but they have built up a refining capacity which is able to supply refined petroleum products to all parts of Africa. Dangote has been able to set up a single facility to rival the Dutch masters at their game and broken a five hundred year mould which dictates that Africa must depend on other people to refine our raw materials. We now know that we can become masters at industrial production of virtually everything we put our mind to. We are capable of buying the technology we need for our own development as Dangote has done so painstakingly over the last decade. Besides that, we have now seen that apart from buying technology we can borrow or even steal technology from wherever it is available. We can even develop it whenever it is necessary. What Dangote has done with this refinery goes far beyond the production of refined petroleum products. Handled properly, it has opened our eyes to endless possibilities in the same way that he has done for cement and sugar. There was a time when sugar was squeezed out of the cruel and unpaid labour of millions of Africans but today we can produce sugar from scratch and export it to the rest of a sugar crazed world and we can do that for whatever we want. What we have lacked over the last five hundred years has been the confidence in our own ability to be industrial producers of the things we need. I am confident that in the next fifty years, if we boldly follow on the path hacked out of the jungle by the single expedient of that refinery, the largest single one of its kind on earth,  we will become formidable exploiters of technology.

    I have often wondered why a man would want to be a dollar billionaire when he cannot live long enough to actually spend a thousandth of that humongous sum of money. Now, I know that you can buy a slice of history and you need many billions of dollars to do that and that to me is what is so impressive about what Dangote has done. He has bought for himself a large slice of history. More than that he has set the world on a new path, if only we as Africans are ready to see the path which has been opened for us. Seen in this light, perhaps the heading of this article is appropriate after all, a new day has risen over Africa.

  • A new dawn?

    A new dawn?

    • A 24-hour port-clearing policy will give the economy a fresh jab of life

    The idea is a single-window trade concept, that propels importers and exporters to submit their international trade information to a single e-platform, jointly developed by all the service and revenue-earning agencies at the sea ports. 

    This is against the present practice of approaching these agencies separately to fill paper forms, thus losing lead time; aside from maximising human-to-human contacts, and risking wide-spread crippling corruption.

    So, everyone can understand why President Bola Tinubu was upbeat, at the April 17 inauguration of the National Steering Committee of the National Single Window (NSW) Project, chaired by Zacch Adedeji, chair of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    If NSW succeeds, it would reduce the clearance of goods from ports to 24 hours (down from days, even weeks); and even beat the 48-hour thresholds of some other ports in West Africa.

    “The national single-window is a game changer that will revolutionise the way we conduct trade by simplifying government trade compliance through a digital platform,” the President enthused.  “This initiative will link our ports, government agencies and key stakeholders by creating a seamless and efficient system that will facilitate trade like never before.”

    Indeed, the federal ministries fused into the NSW Steering Committee are finance, marine and blue economy, transportation, and industry, trade and investment.  The federal agencies to work as a unit under NSW are FIRS, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency

    (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).

    The motive therefore would appear clear: inasmuch as revenue-earning agencies dominate NSW, they cohabit business-support agencies from the public sector, giving a clear message of planting before reaping big in revenue.

    Again, that reinforces the President’s excitement, at the inauguration: “The benefits of this initiative are immense.  Paperless trade alone is estimated to bring an annual economic benefits of around US$ 2.7 billion.  Countries like Singapore, Korea, Kenya and Saudi Arabia have already seen significant improvement in trade efficiency after implementing the Single Window System.”

    Dr. Adedeji, whose job is to corral as much revenue as possible to energise the Federal Government’s fiscal spending on infrastructure, physical and social, to grow the GDP, even upped the ante: “This initiative will serve as a catalyst for achieving an average GDP growth rate of seven per cent annually and propel Nigeria to new island of prosperity.  The national single window is not just a technological advancement,” he added, “it is the gateway to a more connected, efficient and transparent system by linking our ports, government agencies and key stakeholders.”

    Read Also: Broken jinx, new dawn at Supreme Court

    Quite.  It would appear another putative glad tidings on the economic front, with the Naira’s relative parity success on the forex front.

    Still, let no one get ahead of themselves.  True, the administration,

    through the NSW Steering Committee, has clearly put a lot of quality thinking into this new trade window, so much so that the anticipated success is almost infectious.

    Nevertheless, the likes of Singapore, Korea, Kenya and Saudi Arabia, that have made a success of NSW, didn’t just do it with the open sesame of technology, though reduction of human-to-human contact is a very effective start to reducing sharp practices, all too rampant in Nigerian seaports — and even airports — today.

    They have made such a difference because the operating humans have aligned themselves to the goal of NSW, as codified in the computer.  Those governments have shown zero tolerance for sundry hustlers who might want to sabotage the trade set-up and game the system.

    So, the NSW committee should be no less intolerant of such seedy practices.  Indeed, the earlier success indicators should be the committee’s ability to crack down on rats, and uproot such corrupt tendencies.

    Also, the public should know the 24-hour clearance threshold is a process that wouldn’t happen in a day.  But with NSW doing its job and the public contributing own quota, the prospect is alluring, for both Nigerian importers and exporters.

    An abiding question, though: by easing revenue collection by different government agencies, how would NSW hamper the agencies’ own repatriations?  Will it slow down the process, as many agencies complained of, under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) regime?  How will such a possibility slow down morale?

  • A new dawn?

    A new dawn?

    • Senegal gets Africa’s youngest president as Bassirou Faye, 44, is sworn in

    Senegal, the Francophone West African country of merely 18 million people has again reaffirmed its sterling democratic credentials since gaining independence from France in 1960. Senegal is one African country that has escaped military interventions in the country’s politics. The democratically elected presidents might not have done remarkably well given the slow level of development, but Senegalese democracy has been very stable, comparatively.

    The electoral victory of the new president surprised many, given that he had never contested for elective positions; and the political dynamics that gave verve to his candidacy. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a lawyer and tax inspector seems to have been a child of circumstance as he benefited from the disqualification and imprisonment of his ally, Ousmane Sonko, the leader of The African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity, or just Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF). His endorsement as a candidate in November 2023, a few months to the Senegalese presidential election despite his being in detention was a game changer for the party, even though he had been banned earlier, meaning he ran as an independent candidate.

    A coalition of support from Sonko, former President Abdoulaye Wade and his Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, another candidate who withdrew to support Faye gave him the boost he needed.  Sonko’s political appeal and Faye’s own youthful charisma and political strategies/manifesto, amongst other political nuances, gave him the victory.

    President Faye at 44 becomes the youngest president in Africa, notorious for its parade of gerontocrats in many presidential houses in a continent with more than 55 per cent youthful population of between 18-35.

    We commend the people and military of Senegal for their fight for an enduring democracy. When the former President, Macky Sall, few months to the 2024 elections ordered the indefinite postponement of the election, citing parliamentary investigation of two judges of the Constitutional Courts over the integrity with regards to the electoral process, he stirred the hornet’s nest. The citizens trouped out in protest and his 12-year reign was beginning to end.

    The Constitutional Council on February 15 ruled that the decision to postpone and reschedule the election by former President Sall and the National Assembly was “contrary to the constitution” and ordered a cancellation. The elections were then rescheduled by Sall to hold on March 24, 2024. We commend the Constitutional Council of Senegal for being on the side of the people through the constitution. We equally applaud the immediate past president for obeying the law and not using his powers to desecrate the constitution.

    Read Also: Broken jinx, new dawn at Supreme Court

    The important thing is that an election has been conducted and adjudged free and fair, and losers have all accepted their fate and congratulated the winner who was sworn in yesterday. The ball is now in President Faye’s court. He has come off talking tough, especially against Senegal’s former colonial master, France, who he came down hard on for a lifetime of short-changing the country through imperial policies. He in a way toed the lines of many of the recent military coupists in some Francophone West African countries like, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

    We however know that ‘talk’, they say, ‘is cheap’. The world is waiting to see how well a President Faye would perform as a youthful president in a continent beset by poverty and underdevelopment.  While we understand the impact of colonialism and neo-colonialism on the continent, we believe too that diplomacy and tact can solve a lot of problems. The world is powered by multilateralism and the only way to navigate profitably is to engage diplomatically and tactfully.

    Senegal is a poor country with all the economic issues that have stalled rapid development like food insecurity for such an agrarian society, unemployment in a country with a very high youth demographics whose enthusiasm for change got him elected in the first place. Senegal is presently divided socio-politically and the new president must try to unite the country as a sure way to kick start economic regeneration to assuage the needs of citizens.

    We congratulate the new President but must also remind him that as a child of providence, to whom much is given, much is expected.  He could have moved from prison to the presidency but the people equally want that seeming miracle in their lives as they need the country to move from poverty to abundance, and from underdevelopment to development, given his youthfulness, energy, education and campaign promises. He must not disappoint the youth that he has projected as capable of leading. Africa and indeed the world are waiting and watching.

  • Kwara: New dawn, new expectations

    Babamale Ismail examines the challenges that will confront Kwara State Governor-elect Abdulrahman AbdulRasaq

    AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Governor-elect of Kwara State, is today the closest public official who bears as much burden of expectations as President Muhammadu Buhari did in 2015.

    Although his fellow party men have also clinched all the legislative seats at the state and national levels, AbdulRazaq has won the biggest prize in the 2019 elections in his state.

    Kwara has had a peculiar history. It was the only state where, as if in a monarchy, a son almost seamlessly succeeded his father as the political leader of the north central state. Cumulatively, the Sarakis reigned for nearly four decades amid tight control of the socioeconomic and political destiny of the people. While the older Saraki was respected for his friendly style, notwithstanding his prebendal politics, the younger Saraki is considered an arrogant dictator against whom Kwarans have finally revolted.

    This piece is not about castigating the Sarakis. It is about the natural expectations of a people who have long yearned for good governance, probity and development. For this reason, AbdulRazaq deserves to be pitied because the next few months may be tougher than he and his team had ever thought. Kwara hasn’t been creative or smart enough to shore up internally generated revenues. The Sarakis ran an unsustainable patronage system which made thousands — including the political class — totally dependent on favours or crumbs from elected or appointed officials.

    This system is fed with public funds. This system had until recently made it almost impossible for any opposition figure to succeed. Indeed, apparently knowing  the difficulty in sustaining the patronage system, the Sarakis often taunted the opposition for being nocturnal politicians who couldn’t stay around for too long. Staying around means spending so much to keep your support base. That system served the Sarakis because they were in government.

    This is the system AbdulRazaq is inheriting. It is not sustainable — certainly not in Kwara with less than 3bn monthly allocation and less than one billion naira IGR. Yet he cannot simply discard it on his first day in office. But the people must realise this system must end if Kwara will progress. There must be a consensus for this system to end and for development to take place.

    Forget the pretences in the media, Kwara has one of the most opaque systems in human history. AbdulRazaq will discover soon enough that he’s inheriting problems far greater than he ever imagined. These include huge debts, unpaid salaries, pensions, and a rotten public accounting system. In the bid to cover up shady deals, many public spendings not linked to concrete projects or verifiable endeavours will not be accounted for.

    These are the realities of the next four years. I have always told friends in private circles that, like Buhari, whoever succeeds the Saraki dynasty may be very unlucky except God decides to be kind with him and give him a very understanding public. Things can hardly be rosy for the new government because Kwara has operated an unaccountable ‘monarchy’ in the past 16 years.

    For the first time, Kwarans will have a government that would be subject to viable opposition from not just the ousted Saraki but the now energetic public themselves. While the Sarakis, like the PDP in Buhari’s case, will pray that AbdulRazaq should fail, the public will be in a haste to have things fixed within the shortest time possible. Like a man feigning sleep, nothing can placate the Sarakis. They will seek to wrong foot the new government every step of the way to prove that the people were wrong to have chosen AbdulRazaq.

    Kwarans must never fall for such in their own interest. The people of Kwara must realise that the state has reached the rock bottom and is just about to start anew. Without necessarily indulging bad behaviour or arrogant posturing, they will need to support the new government to reset governance. This won’t happen overnight.

    Because so many things are wrong and would require critical thinking to move in the right direction, the new administration may appear slow or inactive. It would require patience, proper planning and constructive criticism to move the state forward.

    As my dear state begins a new journey on May 29, it is perfectly within the democratic right of the people to be vigilant and expectant of a better deal. However, such expectations must be realistic and situated within the context of where the state is coming from. Things will definitely change for the better in Kwara  but it would be gradual. No miracles. I wish the governor-elect good luck for he deserves all the prayers and support at the moment.

     

  • NAIIS: A new dawn in HIV management

    With the launch of Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) results by President Muhammadu Buhari last week, experts say a new dawn beckons in HIV/AIDS treatment and management in the country, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF.

    The Federal Government has unveiled  the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) for measuring the size, distribution and determinants of HIV/AIDS epidemic and the impact of interventions.

    It has set a new path in the country’s handling of the pandemic that has ravaged many of its citizens and depleted its active workforce for decades.

    Experts described NAIIS as the largest survey on HIV in the world.

    Presenting the findings at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari noted that the NAIIS’results would inform the country’s response to HIV/AIDS as a public health crisis.

    Nigeria, with support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other partners conducted the survey in nine months through a $70 million grant from the US and $20 million from the Global Fund.

    Unlike previous surveys that neither matched the country’s size nor produced reliable results to guide planning and response efforts, experts said NAIIS could assist in  the fight against HIV.

    Another feature of the survey is that it measured HIV prevalence and viral load suppression, which, ultimately, will allow Nigeria to focus on providing services and resources to areas where the disease is rampart.

    There are other glad tidings from the survey. One is that the country’s true position in global ranking of the pandemic is known, and can be backed with data. Findings show that Nigeria’s prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS is at 1.4 per cent. This means 1.9 million Nigerians are living with HIV, a significant improvement to what obtained previously, when the country was estimated to have 3.1 million people living with the deadly virus. With the results, Nigeria has moved to the fourth position among countries worst hit by the HIV epidemic after South Africa, India and Mozambique.

    Buhari, elated by the news that fewer people are living with HIV, said the results would provide the government with appropriate information to enable the country end the HIV epidemic before the 2030 target.

    “Prior to this major survey, Nigeria had the second largest HIV burden in the world and the highest number of children born with the virus. The availability of accurate and reliable HIV data for the country is crucial for planning effective health interventions to arrest the HIV epidemic and ultimately rid the country of this health threat.

    “Recently, the national HIV programme and our development partners have faced challenges in measuring progress against targets and efficiently utilising scarce resources due to gaps in our HIV data. This result will provide the government with information to move forward in the HIV fight based on scientific data. We are already a step ahead in this regard,” he said.

    According to NACA Director-General, Dr. Sani Aliyu, the results of NAIIS are products of the best methods and data management procedures by experts in Nigeria, US, UMB consortium of technical partners and the United Nations agencies. He added that the data from the survey had been  scrutinised  by international experts before their release.

    Explaining the significance of NAIIS, Aliyu said despite the huge investments made over the years on HIV/AIDS interventions, repeated surveys have failed to demonstrate significant improvement in the epidemic status proportionate to her efforts. Instead, impact data has continued to show a gap between the individuals on treatment and those projected to be in need of services, he said.

    “These concerns informed our decision to conduct a more scientifically robust household survey – the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS). NAIIS had a large sample size of 225,000 persons drawn from more than 97,000 households across all the local government areas of Nigeria, making it truly representative of the general population. At any point during the survey, we had at least 3,000 staff collecting and reporting data in the field.

    “The survey measured the incidence and prevalence of HIV, level of virological suppression and the epidemiological impact of the HIV programme among different age groups. The NAIIS survey and its findings have greatly positioned Nigeria to objectively assess our performance as a country against internationally set targets for achieving global epidemic control. We now have greater clarity on the extent of the HIV epidemic, the impact of our programmes and even more importantly a clear sense of direction on what we need to do to achieve our goal of eliminating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by 2030,” Aliyu said. 

    At the briefing to analyse the results, Minister for Health Prof. Isaac Adewole said  those infected with HIV, especially pregnant women, should get treatment so they can achieve viral suppression. He added that if all pregnant women have access to antenatal services and are tested during every pregnancy, it will be easy to know and support HIV-positive mothers, thereby ensuring that the next generation is free from HIV.

    Although there is a reduction in prevalence, the number of people affected by the disease, especially those not on treatment, is still huge. Based on NAISS findings, HIV prevalence among women is significantly higher at 1.9 per cent; male prevalence is estimated at 0.9 per cent. Among other things, the new data also differentiates prevalence on a state-by-state basis, showing that some states have lower prevalence than previously estimated; while some states higher prevalence than previously assumed.

    Seven states – Abia, Taraba, Benue, Enugu, Anambra, Akwa Ibom and Rivers – led the pack of places with high HIV prevalence in the country, having prevalence of two per cent and above. Thirteen states (plus Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are categorised as having medium prevalence rate between 1.0 per cent and 1.9 per cent. They are Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Cross River, Imo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos and Ogun.

    The other states are considered to have low prevalence, below 1.0 per cent. Broken down into geo-political zones, what this means is that all states in the Northwest zone, except Kaduna, have low HIV prevalence. Likewise, all states in the Southwest zone, except Lagos and Ogun, also have low prevalence. However, the story is mixed in the North-central where there is low, medium and high prevalence.

    NAIIS also revealed that seven states account for 50 per cent of the estimated number of persons living with HIV (PLWH), with 80 per cent of PLWH estimated to be living in 19 states and FCT. In terms of geographical distribution, the estimated number of people with HIV is highest in the Southsouth zone of the country, followed by the Northcentral and lowest in the Northeast. Results also reveal that HIV prevalence among adult population (15-49) is 1.4 per cent and 1.5 per cent for 15-64.

    While reminding the public that HIV/AIDS still remains a significant problem, particularly on the continent, Adewole explained that it requires high-level political commitment, vision and leadership, quality epidemiologic data and strategic interventions to defeat the disease.

    “As you may be aware, the first case of AIDS in Nigeria was reported in 1986. Since then, the epidemic has grown steadily from 1.8 per cent in 1991 to 3.8 per cent in 1993, 4.5 per cent in 1995, 5.4 per cent in 1999 and peaked at 5.8 per cent in 2001. The prevalence began a gradual reduction from 5.8 per cent to five per cent in 2003, this decline continued to 4.4 per cent in 2005, 4.6 per cent in 2008 and 4.1 per cent in 2010.  By 2014 the HIV prevalence rate was 3.0 per cent.

    “I promise that the (NAIIS) findings would be used to improve health care planning and the coordination of HIV/AIDS control activities in the country. I implore everyone to study the findings, understand them and use them for effective and efficient planning at the national and sub-national levels,” he said.

    But Buhari cautioned that it was not yet time to sing the victory song, as there was still a lot of work to be done. The President tasked NACA and relevant institutions to work closely with state governments, especially where there is high HIV prevalence, to reduce the epidemic drastically. Pledging his administration’s continued commitment to healthcare, he promised that more people living with HIV will be put on free anti-retroviral treatment.

    “However, we cannot celebrate yet as we are more committed to ensuring that more people are placed on treatment. Now that we have the data, I urge us all to work together to ensure that we deliver ahead of 2030,” he said.

     

  • New dawn in Osun

    The tenure of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola will end tomorrow. It will be eight years that Aregbesola came into power after the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, sacked his predecessor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Undaunted by two previous court judgements that were not in his favor, Aregbesola pursued petitions before the election tribunal, challenging the declaration of Oyinlola as the winner of the 2007 poll.

    When he assumed the reins, Aregbesola behaved as if no time could be enough for him to fix the state. The Aregbesola administration met a deficit in infrastructure in many sectors of the economy, including education, health, tourism and roads, on assumption of office. He renegotiated the N18.3 billion loan of his predecessor, and secured  liberal terms in repayment. Though he was criticised for hypocrisy in seeking new and bigger loans, bonds and an Islamic Sukuk loan, Aregbesola said how the funds were expended was what that mattered and the development it will bring into the state.

    As many hailed his achievements in infrastructural development and road construction, some described some of the projects as misplaced priorities and without direct economic impact on the people. According to critics, the construction of mega schools, bridges and flyovers was unnecessary. But what cannot be ignored about his achievements is how he had opened up the state in terms of huge construction, particularly in Osogbo, the state capital. Real estate benefited so much from polices of government as value of properties went up by more than 200 percent.

    His greatest achievement is the re-establishing the Omoluabi ethos and rebranding Osun as a state of the virtuous. He once spoke to a huge crowd at a public function on the importance of character in the progressive journey of man, saying he felt fulfilled for reconnecting the people to the values of yore, which had promoted hard work, honesty, peace and good neighborliness.

    Like in the time of Chief Obafemi Awolowo whose vision and sense of mission made the Western Region to be ahead of other regions in education, agriculture, health, civil service administration among others, Aregbesola has been able to lay a foundation for a sustainable development. In education, he significantly improved school infrastructure by building world class mega schools with modern facilities that can support learning. The new schools replaced many dilapidated school buildings. He merged many unviable schools and reclassified the school system to make it functional. Also, he devised a tablet of knowledge, otherwise known as”Opon Imo” in which all subjects, including history and Odu Ifa, were installed. The Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) of his administration provided jobs for teeming unemployed youths. He inculcated the values of hard work, dignity of labour service. His administration also provided support for small and medium enterprises through various economic and financial programmes. This, to a large extent, engaged the people, particularly the youths and by implication, reduced crime rate in the state.  In health, many policies and programmes of government like the provision for emergency service for accident victims known as O’Ambulance were innovative and  life-saving. In agriculture, Aregbesola has many intervention programmes that will inspire development. During his tenure, the reforms in the civil service was silent, but had far reaching effects.

    The incoming governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, is expected to hit the ground running because he was a major participants in the Aregbesola administration for eight years as Chief of Staff. In the last edition of Ogbeni Till Day Break, an interactive programme to query the activities of government and to know the mind of governor on issues as they affect politics and governance, Aregbesola revealed that no single file got to his table without first passing through his Chief of Staff. He therefore, expressed confidence in Oyetola’s ability to perform. “There was no file I treated that must not first pass through him (Oyetola) before getting to me. He is a major contributor to the success of this administration. He is not going to be told what to do. He knows where the work stops and where to start. I have no doubt that the future of OSUN is secured. He will continue our good work and even open up new frontiers,” Aregbesola said.

    However, people are saying the incoming governor will face some challenges. He is believed to be up to the tasks because he had demonstrated his ability while serving the outgoing administration. People say Oyetola’s strength is in calmness, his integrity, peaceful disposition and character. He was never linked to any fraud. He has a rich experience in the private sector for over 30 years and public service in the last eight years. A major challenge expected to be faced by his administration is finance. Osun is not among the states receiving huge federal allocation and its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile could not be compared with that of Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kano among others. Though the Aregbesola administration raised the state IGR from about

    N250/400million to a little over N1 billion monthly, this is not enough to support the federal allocation to meet some of the obligations. Also, the state is paying some loans,  part of which some will be liquidated in 2019 and 2020.  Clearing arrears of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ allowances after an agreement of modulated salary scale between the government and the labour unions, may initially reduce the capacity of the Oyetola administration since the workers want the matter to be urgently attended to. However, people are looking up to the incoming governor to use his expertise in public finance and leverage on the goodwill and contacts locally and internationally, particularly in the private sector, to drive his polices and programmes.

    Another is the issue of combining governance with politics, which Aregbesola was able to master effectively. The incoming governor must be prepared to apply political skills to overcome many of the antics of the opposition and at the same time not allow himself to be distracted from governance. The incoming administration may also face a dilemma of either submitting the state resources to the political class or utilise it for public good. The expectations of many politicians as the slogan goes is “Kajo se, Kajo je” meaning “Let’s work together to build and benefit.” So, this could be a challenge for Oyetola to master balancing sectional personal interests with over all interests.

    Also, he may face challenges in appointing some of the cabinet members to work with him as political class is in the habit of sponsoring candidates on political patronage,  not on merit and capability to fill key offices. Oyetola must be prepared to search for best professionals hands to work with him to deliver on his promises to the people of the state.

    As Oyetola and his deputy, Benedict Alabi, step into office, the people of Osun are hoping his tenure will be a blessing to them.

  • New dawn here, says Fayemi as he takes oath of office

    Buhari, governors, Tinubu, diplomats at colourful event

    JOHN Kayode Fayemi,  scholar, politician and activist, was yesterday sworn into office as governor of Ekiti State.

    He promised residents of the “Fountain of Knowledge” a new dawn.

    Standing before thousands of people, including dignitaries and excited ordinary folks, at the packed Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Fayemi promised to turn around the “Land of Honour” with a four-point agenda.

    He is coming into office for the second time, after losing his re-election bid in 2014.

    Leading the army of dignitaries at the colourful ceremony was President Muhammadu Buhari, who said Ekiti people made no mistake in electing Fayemi. He promised to support the new administration to develop the state and make life easier for its people.

    Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, promised that Ekiti will enjoy cash support and projects under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.

    The oath of allegiance and the oath of office were administered on Dr. Fayemi, with his wife, Bisi, by his side, by the Chief Judge, JusticeAyodeji Daramola, at about 12.25 pm.

    Justice Daramola had earlier swore in the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, who was also accompanied by his wife, Margaret, at about 12.12 pm.

    Fayemi won the July 14 governorship election by defeating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and immediate past Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola and candidates of 33 other political parties.

    The governor polled 197, 459 votes to beat Olusola who garnered 178, 022 votes.

    Before taking the oath of office, Fayemi was driven round the arena in a Land Rover, a police ceremonial vehicle, acknowledging cheers from the appreciative crowd.

    He also inspected a police guard of honour.

    Fayemi promised to turn around Ekiti by concentrating on four cardinal policies.

    These, according to him, are agriculture and rural development, social investment, infrastructure development and knowledge economy.

    Fayemi, who reiterated that he is not on a vengeance mission, promised to review all documents to know the exact financial situation of the state and make his findings known within 100 days.

    The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development said he will ensure that the payment of arrears of workers’ salaries is fully and firmly addressed as soon as possible.

    The governor said his victory at the July 14 governorship poll and his regaining the highest office in the state signalled the “end of an era and end of an error in which Ekiti passed through wilderness in the last four years.”

    Fayemi said the social security scheme for the aged in which registered senior citizens received N5,000 monthly stipend will soon return. The announcement received a thunderous applause.

    He promised to bring succour to the citizenry by eliminating corruption.

    While pledging to review the state of the treasury, Fayemi said the action will not be taken in a vindictive manner but to ensure that public funds are accounted for.

    Fayemi disclosed that Ekiti is owing N170 billion, which are loans taken by the immediate past administration, noting that the challenge won’t hinder his government’s plan to meet the needs of the people.

    The governor said never again shall pupils in public and private schools be made to pay tax that was imposed on them by the Ayo Fayose administration.

    Fayemi promised to bring relief to the people by executing policies that will improve their standards of living which, according to him, worsened under Fayose.

    Fayemi assured his audience that the famous Ikogosi Warm Spring resort, a reputable tourist destination, which was allegedly left to rot away by the Fayose administration will be revived.

    He said: “In the last four years, Ekiti was governed by a rudderless, inept and egregiously corrupt government, which was led by those who deceived our people through the instrument of stomach infrastructure.

    “In this context, never again will Ekiti slip into the hands of those who knew nothing about governance; never again shall we allow our school children to pay taxes; never again shall we abandon the burgeoning resources at Ikogosi Warm Spring to waste.

    “Never again shall we allow our judiciary to be debased by a draconian government and never again shall the most educated state like Ekiti be an apostle of stomach infrastructure that has made us a laughing stock.

    “In our quests for economic rejuvenation,  our government shall invest heavily in Youth in Commercial Agriculture, because Ekiti is basically agrarian, reactivate community based projects, tap into our tourist potential and ensure security of local and foreign investors.”

    The governor went on: “As of today, the debt profile and other financial commitments hanging on the state look challenging, but with your support, we shall overcome. The light shall shine again.

    “We shall celebrate our core values of scholarship, knowledge, hard work, unity and strong characters bequeathed to us by our founding fathers.

    “We appreciate our fathers who fought for the creation of this state in 1996 and I want to assure them that we shall keep the flag flying and make sure we don’t disappoint them by fulfilling their dreams and aspirations within the next four years.

    “We shall network with the Federal Government and other local and international bodies to bring dividends of democracy Ekiti people deserve to their doorsteps.”

    While expressing confidence in Fayemi’s ability to deliver democratic dividends to Ekiti people, Buhari revealed that the governor, as a former member of the federal cabinet, always pestered him with issues of development of his home state.

    The President added that Fayemi’s governorship would afford him the opportunity to redirect Ekiti to the path of greatness and economic prosperity.

    Buhari pleaded with Ekiti voters over his re-election bid in 2019, saying he has a lot to offer Nigerians if reelected.

    He said: “I know Dr Fayemi very well, he has always cherished anything that has to do with the development of this state. As Ekiti governor between 2010 and 2014, he instituted some laudable projects that impacted positively on the lives of the people and this pavilion was one of them.

    “I know that he will do what is right to justify this mandate. I charge him not to relent in his efforts to serve Ekiti with passion, commitment and candour .

    “FG has given support to states in the areas of bailouts, budget support, ecological funds and Paris Club refund, of which Ekiti was a beneficiary.

    “We have extended the standard rail project to Ekiti and the construction of the Federal Secretariat  will soon be completed. The FG is also planning to dualise Ado-Akure road and reconstruct Ado-Ikare Road for the use of our people. We have also built another 133 KVA power source in Ekiti that will be commissioned soon.

    “As of today, 11,000 Ekiti indigenes are benefiting from the N-power programme of this administration.

    “We are confident that Dr. Fayemi will help cover the lost grounds brought by past administration. From today, you will begin to have a new breath in Ekiti under the present government.”

  • Fayemi: Is a new dawn imminent in Ekiti?

    In this piece, Prince Diran Aladesanmi examines the issues that will shape next Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. You cannot have your cake and eat it and it is only possible to give what you have. A common slogan says that the journey of a thousand kilometers starts with a step and that exceptionally important step was displayed at the recently concluded APC party primary in Ekiti, which led to the emergence of Dr Kayode Fayemi as the flag bearer for the 2018 Ekiti gubernatorial election slated for July 14. Ekiti people as a matter of urgency and conviction must cultivate the mindset that greatness is not given but earned and earning this all important virtue requires commitment and doggedness.

    In contemporary Nigeria politics, people tends to assume the confidence that political actors in the forefront of seeking various political offices  through people’s vote, most of the time, end up not having anything to offer in return for such votes. Be that as it may and as tenable as this assertion is of some politicians, there are still handful of personalities in the political terrain, who are apostle of virtue of integrity and by sheer courage and commitment to a just cause, have shown that they are promise keepers, when it comes to fulfilling electioneering campaign promises made to the electorates. This class of people have exhibited overtime, the stuff they are made of by excelling in various responsibilities thrust upon them in the past and are still eager of contributing more to national development in any capacity they might find themselves.  John Kayode Fayemi, an amiable grass-root person, a dogged fighter of the right of common man, a role model that transcend party politics, a statesman of an unequalled dexterity for excellence and an accomplished administrator, no doubt belong to this class of politician.

    The good people of Ekiti at home and in diaspora know and will always give credence to what this patriot and highly principled man whose word is his bound can offer in terms of bringing dividends of democracy and succor to his fellow citizens through unparalleled good stewardship. Dr Fayemi may be seen by some as a controversial politician perhaps due to his fearlessness on issues that touch on the destiny of our dear Ekiti State, however, majority and well-  meaning citizens of the state see him as a no- nonsense personality who is always at the vanguard of the masses welfare .He is that politician who is ever ready to put his life on the line for the common good of the under-privileged Ekiti person majority of who have been enslaved for the in the last few years by a crude system of government holding the jugular of the  state.

    Fayemi, in his characteristic manner believed that the time might be hard and despairing, the challenge must be a springboard upon which to erect a new super structure for Ekiti. According to JKF, our common-wealth and resources might have been wantonly depleted before now, but there are more latent human and material resources waiting to be harness and husbanded by putting them into better use for the general good of all in Ekiti. Furthermore, this quintessential politician of unquestionable pedigree when the issue of good governance is involved continue unabated to opine at all available fora, that the resilience of the Ekiti people, their bustling energies and peerless creativity portend a glorious future given the right leadership. Now that the coast is cleared and the vessel is set to navigate to a safe harbor, a man with requisite credentials when it comes to political re-engineering and ingenuity like Fayemi is the only way out of the current doldron we find ourselves in Ekiti State. This is the time to jettison pre-modial sentiments by giving our unwavering support to a tested and trusted personality to pilot the affairs of our great state to the next level of sustainable development in all its ramification. This is also the time to be prepared to take our destiny in our own hands by standing behind the candidacy of Dr Fayemi, who is at all times prepared to serve the aggregate interest of all and sundry in Ekiti State.

    Over time, Ekiti has suffered in the hands of individuals who get to power for selfish agenda rather than the common good of the majority. The current economic retrogression, political rascality and lingering state of insecurity in the land with its attendant ills cannot be allowed to continue to ravage our hope of a state where things work for the overall interest of all and sundry. John Kayode Fayemi a political icon with an unblemished record for transparency and good stewardship will correct all these anomalies if given the mandate to once again take the driver seat as far as governance in Ekiti is concern.

    For every ending, there is a new beginning and for every memory, there is a dream ahead. According to Fayemi, confronting the current drift and stagnation in Ekiti State socio-political and economic fronts requires a proper leadership armed with an appreciable discipline, prudence and a strong political will. Someone who will put an end to the prevailing idleness and endemic system collapse characterised by corruption of all shades and impunity bedeviling us as a state. In the words of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, “It is far more dignified to confront the creatures of hell than exist in a fool’s paradise.” There is therefore the need for all of us in Ekiti to wake up from our slumber by putting square pegs in square holes through our votes for Fayemi on the 14th day of July 2018 with the sole aim of heralding the Ekiti of our collective dream.

    Fayemi, a personality familiar with dynamics of leadership, whose passion for excellence remains unequalled in the annals of government business in Nigeria and beyond , a prudent manager of men and resources, an astute technocrat of impeccable records of accomplishment remains a character who is very willing and adequately prepared to put in place in his second coming as Governor of Ekiti State the foundation of an enduring democratic process that is devoid of temporary show of excitement and manipulation of an over-articulate section of the elites and its captive audience at the expense of the majority. This rare gem and a great son of Ekiti had repeatedly said that he would want to live the rest of his life for history by means of beneficent and selfless service to humanity in general and to the good people of Ekiti state in particular. This is a rare feat. JKF, a man of his words meant every bit of that statement.  He remain a political figure that have over the years exemplify excellence and transparency in both his public and private life. A man whose value for diligence, hard work, vision and focus leadership is legendary. Little wonder that he is been referred to as a man with the Midas touch by his admires as whatever he touches always translate to resounding success.

    Good people of Ekiti, another golden opportunity is staring us in the face at the forth-coming gubernatorial election and we as citizen of this great state must grab it with both hands. Let us pick the gullet and hit the ground running knowing fully well that a statesman of note like Fayemi can once again make things work in Ekiti. For the labour of our heroes past not to be in vain, our unalloyed support for JKF at the poll next month is not negotiable. Fayemi a rare breed with an uncommon zeal to make Ekiti State a model among its peers, has always and unequivocally maintained at different fora that, for the state to attain its fully potentials, there is need for dynamic, visionary, pragmatic, experienced and purposeful leadership in order to consolidate on recorded gains and decisively chart the course for tackling contemporary challenges of renewable and sustainable development. This in all modesty is the propelling factor of JKF incursion into partisan politics and has thus fired his imagination to serve.

    To fix the despairing state of affairs in our dear Ekiti state, positive leadership based on skill and experience with consideration for balance remain the best potion and the only way out. With Kayode Fayemi leadership endowment, amiability as well as Ekiti electorates unflitching support for this man of destiny at the gubernatorial poll in July, the sky will not only be the limit but also the beginning for complete restoration of hope for all Ekiti. While this un-relented promoter of quality leadership by example is eager to set in motion agenda for unfettered economic development restoration and broadly shared prosperity as against the current trend of enriching very few privileged ones at the expense of the majority, it is also expected  that  Ekiti electorates give their total support and have abiding faith in John Kayode Fayemi leadership ability and approach to governance for the attainment of our desired goal of being one of the most developed state in Nigeria.

    At this point of our history as a state and to actualise the goals set by our founding fathers, launching into the future with a renewed vigor and hope to secure a better tomorrow should inform our political decisions in Ekiti State. Fayemi, a leader who loathes timorousness, vanity, sloth and dissipation but cherishes the virtue of intrepidity, charity, integrity and above all, an advocate of an egalitarian society remains out best bet and right potion that can guarantee a roboust socio-political and economic prosperity for Ekiti.  Finally, Ekiti electorates are advised to make their choice of candidate for the exalted office of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State at the poll in July 2018 through achievable manifestos, altruism of the candidates based on their antecedent and character both in public and private domain over the years as well as experience on the job thus saving Ekiti people bitter experience of the past when elected officials use people’s mandate given to them for self-aggrandizement.

    A vote for Fayemi at the poll next month is a vote for progress, purposeful, dynamic, people oriented leadership, human and infrastructural development as well as prudence and accountability in the affairs of our dear Ekiti State. As election in Ekiti beckons, we wish ourselves the very best by electing through our votes John Kayode Fayemi as the Executive Governor of Ekiti State so as to turn the state’s despair to hope, melancholy to victory, lack to abundance, defeat to triumph and greed to selflessness.

     

  • It’s new dawn in APC, says Akintola

    A LEADING aspirant for Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, Chief Michael Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), has described the victory of the party’s national chairman, former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, as birth of a new dawn.

    The former Labour leader was affirmed as APC national chairman through voice votes by delegates at the national convention conducted at the weekend in Abuja.

    Akintola, in a statement, said he was convinced that Oshiomhole was coming to take charge at the party’s national secretariat at an auspicious time when the party was in dire need of a tested team player imbued with the administrative skills to galvanise the party’s faithful ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    He said: “Your Excellency, I am very happy to congratulate you on your election as the national chairman of our great party, the APC.

    “You could not have come at a better time than now that the party needs your wealth of experience.

    “Your adoption without any opposition eloquently attests to your immense leadership qualities, experience and character, all of which will combine to foster unity and give our great party the much-needed direction to unassailable victory in the coming elections in 2019.

    “It is truly the birth of a new dawn for the party and our dear country Nigeria.”

     

  • It’s new dawn in APC, says Akintola

    A LEADING aspirant for Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, Chief Michael Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), has described the victory of the party’s national chairman, former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, as birth of a new dawn.

    The former Labour leader was affirmed as APC national chairman through voice votes by delegates at the national convention conducted at the weekend in Abuja.

    Akintola, in a statement, said he was convinced that Oshiomhole was coming to take charge at the party’s national secretariat at an auspicious time when the party was in dire need of a tested team player imbued with the administrative skills to galvanise the party’s faithful ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    He said: “Your Excellency, I am very happy to congratulate you on your election as the national chairman of our great party, the APC.

    “You could not have come at a better time than now that the party needs your wealth of experience.

    “Your adoption without any opposition eloquently attests to your immense leadership qualities, experience and character, all of which will combine to foster unity and give our great party the much-needed direction to unassailable victory in the coming elections in 2019.

    “It is truly the birth of a new dawn for the party and our dear country Nigeria.”