The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspaper

  • Laudable scheme

    Zamfara State government’s plan to train and empower the teeming unemployed youths there to become economically independent is commendable. The state government is reported to have earmarked N3billion for the project. As the state government rightly reasoned, the banditry, cattle rustling and prevalent kidnapping in the state are fuelled by the high unemployment rate and endemic poverty in the 14 local government areas of the state. After all, as they say, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

    To earmark N3billion for such a project is an indication of determination by the state government to tame the monster of unemployment and free the youth from its pangs. If all states could do the same, it would go a long way in getting the youth usefully engaged as well as give a boost to the economy. Experts have always said that the route to a sound Nigerian economy is through the small and medium scale ventures. Vocational skills are still in short supply in the country, with artisans such as masons, carpenters, etc. usually fetched from neighbouring countries, and sometimes from as far as Eastern Europe.

    It is shameful that, to the contrary, Nigeria is exporting unskilled youths to other economies to be hewers of wood and drawers of water even in this century. In the past few weeks, South African rough necks have trooped to the streets to protest Nigerians, mainly the youth, being the preferred choice for menial jobs, among others. The situation in the West is even worse, while African countries are bearing the brunt of the giant with clay feet. Burkina Faso is protesting the influx of scarlet ladies from Nigeria. These are all young men and women who should turn the country from a consuming to a producing country. It should, however, be pointed out that merely allocating funds for the project is not enough. It should be well thought-out; training must be adequate and relevant loans should be structured and institutionalised. Only then can the objectives be assured.

    Given the guarantee of freedom of movement by the Nigerian constitution, other states in the Northwest should be encouraged to embrace the plan on a similar scale if the Zamfara State experiment is to succeed. This would necessitate the involvement of the Federal Government and its agencies such as the National Directorate of Employment, the Bank of Industry, and creation of intervention funds through the Central Bank of Nigeria. Disbursement of funds should be preceded by intensive training through vocational and technical institutes, where applicable.

    All stakeholders should support this initiative. Banks, the private sector and donor agencies have roles to play in ridding the country of vices and crimes festered by idleness and poverty. Unlike similar schemes in various parts of the country, this audacious plan must succeed. It should be accompanied with good orientation that would teach the people that it is a revolving scheme and is strictly for productive purposes and not for marriage ceremonies, buying cars or houses, or embarking on pilgrimage.

  • Dangerous dimension

    In what clearly is a new and dangerous dimension to kidnapping, four travellers who rushed to an accident scene in Elele, Rivers State, to rescue the victims were abducted over the weekend. According to reports, the accident victims were returning to their base in Bayelsa State from a traditional wedding in Mbaise, Imo State, in a Toyota Sienna car, when a vehicle had a head-on collision with their vehicle. A popular Ijaw youth and social media activist, Prince Elayo Ekete, and the driver of the Sienna car died on the spot. Reports say the state police command is on the trail of the kidnappers.

    This bizarre turn of events is something to worry about. It is simply amazing the extent that some people can go in their desperate search for money. There are two different accounts of how the abduction occurred. An account had it that other travellers from Bayelsa State, who witnessed the accident and rushed to the scene to rescue the victims were taken away by the abductors at the scene of accident.

    Dina Adiva, one of the accident victims said that some persons, who came to rescue them were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen, and prayed for their freedom. Adiva, who was rushed to hospital said: “I also pray for those that were kidnapped while trying to make arrangements to move us from Madonna University, Elele, to Yenagoa, that they come out unhurt.” She added that “This is a trying time for me and I know it will pass.”

    But another source said the kidnapped victims were abducted after they had successfully rushed the accident victims to hospital. “The kidnappers went to the accident scene, recovered personal effects of some of the victims and called one of the rescuers asking him to come to a particular place to collect them. When they got there, the gunmen seized them,” the source said.

    We are not interested in how the abductions took place: whether it was at the scene of the accident immediately it happened or after the victims had been rushed to hospital. We are worried that some people still had the presence of mind to abduct fellow human beings who had stopped by to empathise with victims of an accident in which at least two persons died.

    Perhaps we should not be surprised because some people had been caught searching the pockets and handbags  of dead accident victims and stealing their valuables.

    What all of these suggest is the loss of value in the country. The case under reference is particularly pathetic because accident victims deserve all the attention that can be given. The conditions of some of them are so critical that the attention they get within a few minutes after the crash will determine whether they will live or die. These were possibly some of the points considered when other travellers decided to give them a helping hand. To now abduct volunteer emergency responders in the course of rendering such humanitarian service is to send the wrong signals to others who might want to be nice that such does not pay.

    This is bad for individuals, including the kidnappers; it is bad for the country. Anyone could be involved in an accident which does not give notice before it occurs, and the victims that would be denied the needed assistance in the critical moments could be anybody’s relatives. It is bad for the country when we begin to deplete the tribe of Good Samaritans this way.

    But, contrary to Adiva’s believe, this is not a trying time for her alone; it is a trying time for the country. The question is: when will it pass? Put differently, how many more people would still be abducted before the government is able to put a stop to the menace of kidnapping? We join Adiva in praying that the Good Samaritans would not regret their kind gesture; that they will return home to tell their story.

  • ‘How refineries can function optimally’

    Over the years, Federal Government-owned refineries have suffered neglect, resulting in their inability to process crude at their installed capacities, despite efforts by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to put them back into shape. However, experts say the refineries can still function optimally once NNPC is able to garner enough funds, build expertise and ensure the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), among others, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE

    The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, seems to have hit the ground running with his plans to fix the four state-owned refineries by 2023, and return them to their combined capacity of 445,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

    The refineries are Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), Kaduna Petrochemical Refinery Company (KPRC) and Port Harcourt Refineries 1 & 2.

    The plans include the establishment of condensate refineries  to fast-track the supply of petroleum products across the country, supporting Dangote Petrochemical Refineries to actualise its dream of processing 650,000 barrels of crude daily and other private investors in the refinery business, in addition to ensuring that Nigeria becomes a net exporter of fuel globally.

    Expectedly, the plans were greeted with  applause by stakeholders who believed the idea would open a vista of opportunities for the refineries, which are on the verge of collapse, due to several years of neglect by various governments.

    Against this backdrop, there is the need to consider salient issues that border on the establishment of refineries by the Federal Government.

    Cost of refineries

    The refineries were estimated to have cost the government about $1.5 billion in the 70s and 80s, as the project were spread over time. Of note is that the refineries have become the most-prized national assets in Nigeria, despite their inability to process sufficient fuel for the daily running of the economy.

    With the exchange rate at N350 per dollar, the cost of putting a refinery in place is expected to be much higher. The former Managing Director, Nigerian Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Mr Godswill Ihetu, said refineries are multi-billion dollar projects and, as such, cannot be allowed to waste by any government that places the welfare of its citizens as a priority. The investment, he said, runs into billions of dollar and the government cannot afford to do away with it.

    Challenges

    Problems, such as bureaucratic bottlenecks, poor corporate governance, shortage of funds and obsolete equipment, are believed to have hindered the refineries from good performance.

    Others are lack of reforms in the industry and difficulties in getting suitable partners to repair the refineries.

    The Director, Energy Information Division, Centre for Energy Studies, Nigeria, Prof Omowunmi Iledare, told The Nation that the inability of the stakeholders, including the Federal Government, to  reform the oil and gas sector has caused a drawback to the refineries.

    He said lack of reforms has prevented the sector from having a clear-cut policy on the operation of some aspects that are key to its growth, adding that the issue makes monitoring of the sector difficult for the NNPC and other regulators in the industry.

    According to him, NNPC and other institutions saddled with supervising the industry depend on political expediency, adding that the issue was preventing them to use what he described as ‘rational economic decision determinants’ to stimulate growth in the industry.

    This, he said, was affecting the revenue base of the refineries and other areas. “The great barrier to the attainment of economy of scale in the petroleum industry is political interference, adding that the issue is affecting growth across the value chain,” he said.

    Maintenance

    The Federal Government has spent $1.6 billion on turnaround maintenance (TAM) of the refineries in the past 15 years. The figure, the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said was ridiculous in view of the state of the economy, adding that the cost of maintaining the refineries should be reviewed downward to grow the economy well.

    Kachikwu, who spoke at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, advocated the timely repair of the refineries to end fuel import.

    Similarly, the Southwest Chairman, National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers Union (NUPENG), Mr. Tayo Aboyeji, said the billions of dollars spent on the maintenance of the refineries was ridiculous. The Federal Government, he said, should try and fix the refineries, adding that the cost of maintaining the refineries was too high. By fixing the refineries, he said, the country would have enough fuel for its citizens, adding that fuel importation was killing the economy.

    Dormant refineries

    Some of the refineries are dormant, a development which requires urgent attention to put them back into use. In fact, the output of the refineries have continued to plummet as they posted losses for nine consecutive months, the NNPC has said.

    Findings from NNPC’s latest monthly financial and operational report showed the refineries recorded continuous monthly losses from May, last year to January, this year. Further analyses by the NNPC report showed that since January, last year, only Warri Refinery Petrochemical Company was able to make profits in February (N127.91million) and Augus, last year (N578.16million).

    The report showed that Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) posted the highest loss of N374 billion for January 2019 as it stayed dormant and failed to refine any crude from January 2018 to January, this year.

    The Port Harcourt Refinery recorded loss of N2.11 billion in January 2011 and the refinery was idle from July 2018 to January this year as it could not refine a drop of crude for seven months.

    Also, WRPC lost N2.513 billion in January 2019 but the report showed that of the four refineries managed by NNPC, only Warri refinery was able to process some volume of crude oil from January, last year to January this year. In January, this year, Warri refinery processed 104.459 metric tonnes of crude and posted capacity utilisation of 19.76 per cent.

    Way forward

    Experts said Nigeria is fuel-dependent; as a result, it uses the product for domestic and industrial activities. Nigeria consumes an estimated 35 million litres of fuel daily as against 50-60 million litres before the Federal Government shut its borders to countries, such as  Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo, and Niger in the sub-region where the product was allegedly smuggled to.

    Ihetu said it is imperative that NNPC shop for investors to improve the production from the refineries.  NNPC, Ihetu said, must put in place structures that allow corporate governance to thrive, adding that the idea would help in developing the refineries better.  “Lack of good corporate governance has impacted negatively on the operation of the refineries owned 100 per cent by the Federal Government,” he added.

    Iledare urged the government to reduce interference in the control of oil business. When this happens, operators would not lack the petroleum policy framework needed to survive in the sector.

    “Once the industry is freed from political interference, operators would be able to work well.  Operators would be able to guide themselves by the provisions of the PIGB. With the PIGB, there would be distinctions between policy, regulatory and commercial functions,” he said.

    He said selling the refineries in their current state is not the best option, arguing that the country would benefit when the refineries are fixed. “Selling or repairing the refineries should be a technical board decision not a management or ministerial decision, but if NNPC goes ahead to fix the refineries, the better for the country. In future, NNPC can leverage the refineries to achieve more growth,” he said.

    The Managing Partner, Zenera Consulting, Mr Meka Olowola, said the plans by NNPC to fix the refineries by 2023 could only be feasible when the country and the industry, in particular, were rid of the challenges facing them. Factors responsible for the continuous interruptions in the industry must be dealt with first before the refineries are fixed, he added..

    The problems, he said, include lakaidasical attitude of those in government and poor corporate governance, adding that the problems have resulted in the deterioration of facilities, pipelines vandalism that supply crude to the refineries and government’s inconsistent regulatory approach.

    The government, Olowola said, needs to put a better performance to stop irate youths from destroying pipelines and other facilities if the refineries should operate well in the country.

    “Refineries are set up to produce specified quantities of agreed products. If for whatever reason, operations are interrupted and they are unable to achieve production goals, the aims have been defeated. To prevent this from happening, when the refineries are fixed, the government has to put up a good performance with a view to stop the operation of the so-called vandals,” he added.

    Contracts for the surveillance, Olowola said, must be given to the right firms, adding that the idea would help in gaining the confidence of the communities in which the oil facilities are located.

  • Robert Mugabe remembered

    The death of Robert Mugabe at the age of 95 brings to an end the end of a tumultuous era in Zimbabwean history. What is now Zimbabwe was created by that English speaking South African imperialist Cecil Rhodes in the 19th century’s struggle between the Boers, the descendants of the Dutch-speaking adventurers who had emigrated to the Cape of Good Hope in the 16th century as part of a coaling station on the way to their colony in what is now Indonesia. Over the years, South Africa itself became a prized possession of the Dutch settlers who increasingly came into conflict with native South Africans particularly the Sothos and the much more formidable Zulus.

    Towards the end of the 19th century, the British had replaced the native South Africans in the contestation for power with the Boers leading to a bitter war with them and even drawing in Germany’s support for the Boers in what was a struggle for global power between the two Anglo-Saxon nations of Britain and Germany. Before the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902), the British had tried to outflank the two Boer republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal by planting a British colony north of them in a private enterprise by Cecil Rhodes, a millionaire who had made his fortune in mining gold in South Africa. This enterprise resulted in the territories of northern and southern Rhodesia named after him thus becoming the private property of Cecil Rhodes who provided the funds for establishing them.

    Africans were not totally docile in the politics of Southern Africa. The same territory claimed by Rhodes was ruled by an African potentate named Lobengula, the king of the Ndebele nation. The  Ndebele were an offshoot of the  Zulus who had precipitated an Mfecane (dispersal) northwards following pressure from European invasion of their territory and a revolution in their military tactics leading to their victory over the British in Isandlwana in 1879 but this was to be a Pyrrhic victory because they were eventually conquered.

    The point to note is that the history of Southern Africa is intricately interwoven. The modern states that have emerged in Southern Africa are the creations of European nation state ideology and map making. The people of Southern Africa are the same Bantu-speaking peoples albeit of different dialects of the same language.

    When the emissary of Cecil Rhodes met Lobengula and promised him protection of the queen of Britain, he laughed and said he was in a better position to protect the Britons who may come visiting. The visitors came first as missionaries and later as settlers. Lobengula later told the story of how the British came to his territory and asked him and his people to close their eyes to pray and that after praying they opened their eyes and lo and behold the British flag had been unfurled and was flying over their territory! The British soon found out that the Ndebele were a minority ruling over the vast majority of the Shona.

    This was soon exploited in the classical “divide et imperia” practice wherever the British ruled in their far flung empire. When the Africans woke up and began to fight for their rights, their movement was divided along tribal lines of ZAPU (Zimbabwe African people’s Union) led by the Ndebele leader, Joshua Nkomo while the ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) was led by the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole who was later edged out by the much more radical and ruthless Robert Mugabe, a Shona, who had previously trained as a catholic friar.

    The British tried unsuccessfully to bring their territories of northern and southern Rhodesia into a federation with Nyasaland (now Malawi) in what was called Central African federation under white settlers’ rule which was unacceptable to African nationalism. Nyasaland withdrew from the federation and became the independent country of Malawi under Dr. Kamuzu Banda in July 1964 and was followed by northern Rhodesia as Zambia under the leadership of Kenneth Kaunda in October 1964. Rhodesia remained firmly under white settlers control with Ian Smith as prime minister boasting that black Africans will not in a thousand years rule Rhodesia and unilaterally declared the territory independent in 1965.

    The Africans became more and more desperate to free themselves. They took to the bush and launched guerrilla war to overthrow the white settler ruled Rhodesia. The struggle was very brutal and the settlers regimes in Southern African territories of South Africa, South West Africa (later Namibia), Portuguese-ruled Angola and Mozambique supported in their own interest Ian Smith in Rhodesia. African countries through the liberation committee of the OAU with Nigeria paying substantially the lion share of the budget for the effort of the liberation movements in Southern Africa confronted the regime.

    Nigeria stepped into the effort of liberation of Southern Africa in a big way in the middle of the 1970s especially after the collapse of the Portuguese empire in Africa in 1975. This period coincided with the coming into power of Generals Murtala Muhammad and Olusegun Obasanjo. Even after General Muhammed was assassinated in 1976, the Obasanjo government continued to provide material and financial support for the liberation of Southern Africa especially when South Africa tried to support reactionary movements of UNITA and RENAMO in Angola and Mozambique respectively against the MPLA and FRELIMO governments in the two countries. Nigeria was designated a frontline state along with Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. The Commonwealth of Nations also put pressure on Rhodesia and South Africa to change their oppressive regimes and bend in the way African nationalism.

    In order to forge a unified front in Southern Rhodesia, General Obasanjo invited Mugabe and Nkomo to Dodan Barracks in Lagos and tried to appeal to the nationalist leaders for unity. When they refused, Obasanjo dramatically locked up the two of them and gave them revolvers to shoot it out. Both later came out laughing and dramatically later merged their forces in a new movement called ZANU/ ZAPU Patriotic Front. Obasanjo’ government nationalized British financial assets in Nigeria by taking over Barclays Bank and British Petroleum (BP) with threat that others will follow.

    This and the intensification of guerrilla war forced the British  in 1980 to concede independence and majority rule to southern Rhodesia renamed Zimbabwe after an African civilization that flourished in the place in medieval times. The country was under the leadership of Robert Mugabe from independence in 1980 to 2017 when in a military putsch, Robert  Mugabe’s authoritarian rule was terminated .The independence of Zimbabwe changed the strategic position of South Africa for the worst for the apartheid regime by strengthening the frontier of freedom confronting South Africa.

    I personally experienced this when in 1989, I stood on the Beit Bridge separating Zimbabwe from South Africa and looked into a future when South Africa would join the community of free African states; a hope which was realized in 1994 when Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa under a non-racial majoritarian democracy.

    With the death of Mugabe, the question is being asked about his legacy. There is no doubt that Mugabe gave his people confidence. The story is often told about a British economic mission visiting Zimbabwe after independence and their leader a British peer getting impatient with young, barely trained immigration officers and arrogantly loudly telling the immigration officers, “We have come to invest in your country”. Deflating the British peer, one immigration officer said “what is wrong in you investing in your own country?” That’s the kind of self-assuredness young Zimbabweans had.

    The unity in Zimbabwe did not last and soon after independence, Mugabe unleashed his North Korean trained special forces on the Ndebele in the south of the country killing thousands of them. He also soon took over by force, white farms and nationalized the diamond and other mineral mines. These acts led the British to mobilize their allies in Europe and North Africa to impose economic sanctions on Zimbabwe. These sanctions ruined the economy of the country and led to more extreme measures and authoritarianism on the part of the Mugabe regime.

    Many young educated Zimbabweans fled to South Africa and Europe to eke out some kind of miserable existence. The country was totally ruined financially and reduced to a laughing stock in the comity of nations while Mugabe remained ever witty in his criticism of the west and Britain in particular. The Mugabe story is a mixed bag of heroism and tragedy of an African ruler who fought valiantly for his country and also let down his own people in a fit of megalomania and inability to vacate the seat of power while the ovation was loudest.

  • Teary farewell for teens at STEAM camp

    About 50 teenage girls spent two weeks learning technology at no cost for most. But when it was over, they did not want to leave. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE reports.

    It was Olamide Ojo that turned on the waterworks at the closing of the Women Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) 2019. She featured in STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) Camp held at the Laureates College, Mafoluku, Lagos.

    After showcasing the efforts of two weeks of robotics, programming, photography, arts and craft, digital film production, self-defence, electronics, public speaking,  gender and leadership training to parents and other guests, Olamide led the 50 girls from public and private secondary schools within and outside Lagos in a farewell song and broke down in tears.  Many others joined in crying and had to be consoled after the event.

    The two short weeks were long enough for them to bond with their peers from other schools as well as their handlers from the W.TEC team.  They worked in teams to build apps, circuit boards, write codes, while enjoying sumptuous meals, daily exercise drills, and an excursion to the University of Lagos TV.

    Notable resource persons in technology, media, and others also visited the camp almost daily to enlighten the girls about their fields and how  to make the best of the opportunities as young girls.

    Olamide, one of eight SS2 pupils from the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Sagamu sponsored by alumni of the school, said she learnt a lot from the camp.

    “It was high technology and I really learnt many things I have not  heard of before.  They brought people from technology, science and arts – people that have experienced what we have not,’’  she said.

    Another camper, Ramat Yunus, a pupil of New Era Girls’ Senior Secondary School Surulere, said the camp empowered her as a girl to know she can reach any goal she sets for herself.

    “This camp has been a great experience. Some of the activities helped me to get to know the other girls. I learnt that when you fail once, it is not the end.  My experience made me realise who I am as a person, what I can become as a girl,” said Ramat who was sponsored to the camp by Hadassah STEM.

    Kanyisanola Adewole, who was crowned Miss W.TEC for being the most outstanding camper, said she was happy that despite not studying Science in school, she was able to fit into the camp and learn.

    “I did not expect it would be this interesting.They mixed fun with other activities.  They taught us everything from the foundation. I learnt that apart from being a lawyer, I can be a computer programmer, website developer, develop my drawing skills, become an artist or actress.  This camp broadened my horizon,” she said.

    A parent, Mrs Elizabeth Bernard, whose daughter, Abigail, attends Aiyetoro Secondary School, Ebute Metta, said she was surprised the way her daughter settled in the camp and the value it gave her.

    “I am very excited.  Initially when she told me about the camp, I said she could not go because she does not wake up early.  But I am happy she came.  Today, I did not want to come because I sell in the market but I do not regret coming to see what she has learnt,” she said.

    Programme Managers, W.TEC, Mrs Maryam Abdulsalam and Mrs Folashade Braimah, said the girls found the camp exciting because they were allowed to express themselves.

    “We gave them the chance to express themselves.  They learnt technology in a fun way.  It made them show their natural self.  We encouraged them to use technology to do whatever they want to do as their careers,” Mrs Braimah said.

    Seyi Oladeji, a member of staff of Hadassah STEM, said the NGO sponsored 20 girls from two public schools for the camp.  He said there was a clear difference between when they came into camp and the final day.

    “We did a pre-experience interview session before the camp.  The girls were timid. We could only do four interviews.  But today they are so excited.  Everyone wants to talk.  Their confidence level has surely gone up,” he said.

    W.TEC Founder, Mrs Oreoluwa Lesi, said up to 90 per cent of the participants for this year’s camp, is the 12th, were sponsored so did not pay the N50,000 camp fee.  She expressed joy that the camp had grown from 15 participants in 2007 to 50 this year.

    “We had sponsors like Hadassah STEM which brought 20 girls; FGGC Sagamu Old Girls sponsored seven girls and we gave them one more slot; Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation sponsored two girls, and the third got scholarship. African Global Women Initiative in Technology sponsored three.  Dr Tokunboh Somolu sponsored three girls.I realised that even with the increased number, that feeling of being a family was still there,” she said.

  • Edo Assembly without 12 members-elect

    There is no end in sight to the Edo State House of Assembly crisis. Only 12 lawmakers have been attending sessions. Correspondent OSAGIE OTABOR examines the activities of the divided legislative arm.

    In few weeks time, the seventh Edo State House of Assembly would round up its first first business calendar, despite criticism by some politicians and the Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) that there is presently no Assembly. Last month, the legislative arm extended its business calendar by 21 days to enable it pass some critical bills before it.

    Governor Godwin Obaseki has signed the first bill passed by the Assembly, led by Speaker Francis Okiye, into law. The bill establishes the Edo State College of Agriculture with campus in the three senatorial districts. The new law created one College of Agriculture, which is made up of the School of Agricultural Technology and Engineering situated at Iguoriakhi; the School of Aquaculture and Marine Technology located at Agenebode and the School of Forestry and Environmental Technology located at Uromi.

    Obaseki said the law would enable the agricultural sector get a new lease of life. The new institution train the needed manpower to drive and sustain the ongoing reforms in the state’s agricultural sector.

    Obaseki said the three schools would have one governance arrangement and would partner with private investors in the state as work would commence in the different schools with the signing of the bill into law.

    “I want to assure citizens of the state that this first law under the seventh House of Assembly is quite significant. With the law, we will swing into action to commence building of the schools,” he added.

    The first bill was passed by 10 lawmakers that have been attending plenary since June when the Assembly was proclaimed by Obaseki. Only 12 lawmakers have been inaugurated, but two of them joined 12 other members-elect yet to be inaugurated.

    Besides passing the College of Agriculture Bill, the Assembly has passed other resolution and attended to several petitions, which perhaps, showed that the Assembly is at peace and moving on without other lawmakers.

    It was the belief of many that the Sallah visit of Obaseki to the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, would made the 12 members-elect end the war and present themselves for inauguration, but that was not to be. Some politicians said the 12 members-elect were waiting for the National Assembly to return from recess to act on its threat to take over functions of the Edo Assembly should Obaseki fail to issue a fresh proclamation. There are, however, several suits filed at various courts barring the National Assembly from taking over the Edo Assembly functions.

    In one of the suits filed in Port Harcourt, River State capital, by the Deputy Speaker, Yekini Idiaye, and another member, Henry Okhuarobo, Justice Kolawole Omotosho declared that the National Assembly lacked power to take over the functions of any House of Assembly in the country, except through a court order.

    Justice Omotosho also ruled that the National Assembly lacked the power to direct Obaseki, to issue a fresh proclamation to the House of Assembly, as that would amount to extending the tenure of members of the House of Assembly.

    Omotosho said: “There is nothing before the Court showing that the Edo State House of Assembly is unable to sit. Some elected members have been inaugurated. The House has been carrying out its legislative duties.

    “The National Assembly lacks the power to take over the Edo State House of Assembly. It amounts to taking over the functions of the Edo State House of Assembly. The House of Assembly is not an appendage of the National Assembly.

    “The National Assembly lacks the power to seal-up or direct anybody to seal-up up the Edo State House of Assembly. The Nigerian Constitution is a federal constitution and National Assembly cannot unilaterally decide that Edo State House of Assembly is in crisis and seal-up same.

    “It is only a court of law that has the power to make findings, particularly after listening to parties, to decide the National Assembly can take over a House of Assembly.

    “I hold that it is the court that has the power to define and hold that Edo State House of Assembly cannot function and the National Assembly can take over.

    “As far as the law is concerned, the governor of Edo State has given a proclamation. The National Assembly has no power to direct the Governor to issue a fresh Proclamation. The Governor is the Chief Executive of the state and cannot be controlled by the National Assembly.

    “The Court will be extending the tenure of members of the Edo State House of Assembly, if it holds that the governor should issue fresh proclamation. Nigeria is a federal state and state governments are autonomous. Our political actors must see it like that and treat them as such.”

    But, the EPM at its recent meeting in Auchi, headquarters of Estako West local government area, expressed dissatisfaction with. The Assembly, alleging that the minority is operating as a parliament. It urged Obaseki to give peace a chance by carrying out proper parliamentary inauguration of 24-members, in line with the resolution of the two chambers of National Assembly.

    Oshiomhole said he refused to recognise Okiye as Speaker because he emerged through undemocratic norms.

    What next for the 12 members-elect now that the Court has ruled that the Assembly is legal and the National Assembly lacked powers to take over its functions? Will they still rely on Abuja powers?

    Some lawyers who spoke said the law is silent on what would happened to a member-elect that refused to appear for inauguration. The lawyers said it is their respective constituents that would protest their absence which may lead to fresh election being conducted since there would be no seat to be declared vacant.

  • Maths has life’s secrets, says pupil

    Mathematics is very important to man because it is the foundation and the secret of development of man and society,” says David Olaiya, a contestant in the Season Five of the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics Television Quiz Show sponsored by Cowbell Milk.

    Olaiya, a pupil of Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said Mathematics helps people reason better.

    “Analytical and reasoning skills are important because they help us solve problems and look for solutions. It contains the secrets of life and living which is very important in everyday life as it helps us to do the calculations easily and correctly”, he said.

    Olaiya and Favour Williams of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja won the semifinal tickets from the preliminary Group E (senior category).

    They beat Babakura Zanna of Elkanemi College, Maiduguri, Borno State; Paul Iginla from Divine Covenant Academy, Igbogene-Yenegoa, Bayelsa State; Goodness Olarewaju of the Incubators Secondary, Kaduna, Kaduna State and Rilwan Najib of the Caliphate International School, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

    In the junior category, Michael Enechizma, a student of Scholars Universal Secondary, Ota, Ogun State and Yakubu Yunusa of Nigerian Tulip International College, Yobe State advanced to the semifinal.

    Their counterparts who fell by the way side included Daniel Edeki from Gloryland Secondary School, Igarra, Edo State; Kaeto Ozioko of Marist Comprehensive College, Nteje-Awka, Anambra State and Musa Saadu, a student of International Secondary School, Atbu, Bauchi State.

    The quiz, which will run for 13 weeks, is divided into nine preliminary stages and three semi-finals before the grand finale in November.

    Aside the N2 million grand prizes, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited Mr Anders Einarsson disclosed that the winner of each category, (junior and senior) would enjoy an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country.

    First and second runners-up in each category will receive N1.5 million and N1 million each, while the teachers of the top prize win

  • Ugwuanyi: Taking democratic dividends to grassroots

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s priority is rural development. In this piece, Louis Amoke examines the administration’s rural development strategy, which has impacted on the grassroots.

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke, who represents Obokun/Oriade Constituency of Osun State, has given a good account of the policy thrust of the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and its positive impact on the lives of the people of the state.

    Oke, who led members of the Ad-hoc Committee on Investigation and Monitoring of Recruitment of Nigerians by MDAs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to pay a courtesy call on Gov. Ugwuanyi, when they visited the state on their oversight assignment, disclosed that the governor has concentrated massive development more in the rural areas “unlike what we have in other states where a governor will concentrate development in the state capital”.

    The parliamentarian extolled the leadership qualities of Gov. Ugwuanyi as a peaceful, humble, focused, hard-working and grassroots politician, stressing that they were impressed with the level of progress going on in the rural communities of Enugu State.

    Oke’s remark on Ugwuanyi was not only candid but also a true reflection of what his administration stands for. His assessment has reechoed the intrinsic aspect of the governor’s vision, strategy and untiring endeavor in reconnecting the people with reality and act of good governance, irrespective of class or socio-economic background.

    Ugwuanyi, in spite of the nation’s daunting economic challenges, the state’s lean resources and recent security challenges, has remained undaunted and resolute in his sustained efforts to build Enugu State of the founding fathers’ dream, where peace, harmony, inclusive governance and rapid development hold sway.

    His vision and passion for the well-being of the people of the state, irrespective of class or social status, as major stakeholders in the development project, gave birth to the massive infrastructural rebirth being witnessed in rural communities since the inception of his administration.

    As Oke rightly stated, Ugwuanyi’s grassroots development initiatives have truly ensured more concentration of infrastructural developments in rural areas than in urban centres.

    This reverse in the development strategy, which is novel in the annals of the state and seems to be alien to some urban residents, was in view of the fact that past administrations concentrated development largely in Enugu city, neglecting the majority of the state’s population who live in the rural areas. The governor’s rural development agenda have addressed to a reasonable extent, the unorthodox imbalance between urban and rural dwellers in terms distribution of infrastructure and other basic amenities.

    The success of the strategy, especially its direct positive impact on the lives of the rural dwellers was no doubt responsible for the over 94.5 percent votes Gov. Ugwuanyi garnered to win his reelection in 2019, which was adjudged the most peaceful and transparent electoral exercise in the history of Enugu State.

    In clear terms, the landslide victory which was unprecedented in spite of the fact that it was the first time the state went to the polls as an opposition political party to the ruling party at the national level was indeed a referendum on the governor’s outstanding performance.

    The outcome of the 2019 governorship election went beyond parochial sentiments in proving that the overwhelming majority of the people of Enugu State appreciate the good works of Gov. Ugwuanyi and his uncommon panache of humility, peacefulness, godliness and inclusiveness, which he brought to bear in the governance of the state.

    Standing on his vision to channel the bulk of development projects to the rural areas, Ugwuanyi in his inaugural address in 2015, promised to pay a special attention to rural development; open up the rural areas; create more urban centres; develop fresh economic opportunities and reduce pressure on Enugu metropolis for socio-economic expansion.

    The governor’s policy direction, which became the fulcrum of his administration’s success story, made it possible that citizens/communities in Enugu State who have not felt the positive impact of governance for many decades did so in an ambiance of peace and harmony.

    It was indeed a deliberate step anchored on the core values of justice, equity and fairness in an uncommon zeal to “take up the gauntlet of the struggle for the emancipation of the Wawa man from where our heroes past stopped”.

    On Ugwuanyi’s modest achievements, in spite of the recurring decimal of paucity of funds, coupled with the inherited huge debt profile and other enormous wage bills to be serviced, considering the state’s status as a large and the oldest city in the South-East, Ugwuanyi’s administration has remained regular in payment of state workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions, including the 13th month salary, even without receipt of federal allocations.

    His administration has covered about 550 kilometers of roads scattered all over the nooks and crannies of the state with some ongoing projects such as the Enugu State Secretariat Annex building in Nsukka and the administrative building of the Enugu State University of Education in Ihe, Awgu L.G.A – first university in the South-East zone that would be a degree-awarding institution in the area of education and a centre for training of teachers for primary, secondary and tertiary education.

    Other include, some internal roads in Enugu and the University town of Nsukka and the 200-bed Igbo Ano Specialist Hospital, Enugu North Senatorial District, which when completed with other proposed infrastructural development in the site, will serve as facilities for the ESUT College of Medicine that has been relocated to Nsukka, etc.

    In keeping with its commitment to zero tolerance for potholes on roads built by past administrations and maintenance of existing infrastructure, the state government, acting on professional advice, has announced plans to commence fixing of potholes created recently by persistent rainfalls, once the rains subside.

    Three months into his first term,  Ugwuanyi spearheaded the massive development of urban and rural roads across the three senatorial districts of the state, in Emene, Abakpa-Nike, 9th Mile Corner and Nsukka.

    Shortly after, his administration, in line with its rural development strategy, simultaneously executed 35 grassroots development projects across the 17 Local Government Areas of Enugu State, which ensured that every council benefited at least one project from the programme.

    There was also the N10 million “One Community, One Project” scheme, which has made it possible for every community in the state to execute one or two priority projects of her choice.

    All these were going on as completion of works on projects started by previous administrations were given adequate attention, such as the Enugu State Diagnostic Centre (completed), the International Conference Centre Enugu (ongoing), the Poly  General Hospital Asata, Enugu and the Udi General Hospital now completed and scheduled for inauguration.

    Besides the foregoing, the following were among the development projects successfully delivered to standard by Ugwuanyi’s administration in the last four years.

    The Nike Lake road and Abakpa Nike road in Enugu East Local Government Area, which were hitherto in deplorable conditions; the two 9th Mile Bypasses in Udi L.G.A, which have relieved travelers the stress of traffic gridlock in the area, especially during festivities; the Opi-Nsukka Dual Carriageway in Nsukka Local Government Area with state-of-the-art underground drainage and other facilities befitting a University town and the second largest city in the state – the first of its kind to be delivered by a state government in the entire south east. The New Market-Milliken Hill-Ngwo-9th Mile road, an ancient, historic and undulating road, modernised with streetlights and other safety measures after decades of neglect to showcase its potentials as a tourist attraction and the state’s natural roller coaster, which now serves as an alternative gateway into the city of Enugu, from Onitsha-Enugu expressway.

    The Agbani-Amurri road in Nkanu West LGA (Phase one), constructed for a community that has never experienced any form of development on its land in the past 100 years. The Ogonogoeji-Ndiagu-Akpugo road (from Atavu Bailey bridge to Afor Onovo), in the same council, which has a historic and symbolic attraction as the first state government road project in the entire Akpugo zone since the creation of Enugu State.

    Development projects of significant importance to the lives of the lowly and neglected were also executed in high density suburbs such as Ngenevu, Iva Valley, Ugbodogwu, Ogwuagor, Abakpa Nike, Emene, among others.

    The 49km Udenu Ring road (ongoing) linking over 10 adjoining communities with three bridges equally stands out as one of the legacy projects of Ugwuanyi’s administration in the rural areas.

    Today, the people of Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area are in jubilant mood as they await the inauguration of the 8.8km road connecting their agrarian community with Nkalagu, Ebonyi State, which was reconstructed to high standard by the Ugwuanyi administration after it was abandoned for over 36 years.

    Others include the Ogbaku road in Awgu Local Government Area, which was constructed on a difficult terrain that is both hilly and undulating; the Ebonyi River Bridge in Isi Uzo Local Government Area; the Nkwo Inyi-Akpugoeze-Mamu Forest road in Oji River Local Government Area, and the Nike Lake junction-Harmony Estate-Adoration Pilgrimage Centre road (Phase one), with five river crossings, which when completed will link Abakpa and Emene and decongest traffic in the areas. Numerous development projects have also been executed in the urban areas.

    Apart from road projects,  Ugwuanyi’s administration has also taken bold steps in other spheres of development which have endeared the governor to the people of the state.

    The areas include, the Enugu Traders Empowerment Scheme which has so far assisted 3600 genuine traders with the sum of N50,000 each to grow their various businesses; construction and renovation of over 589 primary and secondary school blocks in the state, with more than 260 ongoing, as well as procurement of learning tools; employment of over 5000 teachers; empowerment of 750 youths under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme and engagement of 1000 youths, additional 1000 underway, under the Enugu Clean Team Project.

    Others include award of scholarships to 680 indigent engineering students of Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, Ezeagu L.G.A and the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, for four years of academic studies as well as the recent scholarship offered to 22 post-secondary school indigent students to study at Mewar University, India.

    Others still include, construction and renovation of district hospitals and health centres in the state, especially in the rural areas under the primary healthcare programme; construction of over 14 new court buildings and open registries in the judicial divisions and magisterial districts across the state, which the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, described as “unprecedented infrastructural development that has not been witnessed in the entire Southeast” and “the largest single intervention in infrastructural development in the Judiciary of Enugu State for over 20 years”.

    Following the recent odd security challenges, which attempted to undermine the enviable status of Enugu as one of the most peaceful and secure states in the country, Ugwuanyi has grabbed the bull by the horn by initiating measures and strategies to decisively tackle the situation with the establishment of the Forest Guard operation (a first in the entire country); reorganisation of the Vigilante/Neighborhood Watch groups; creation of a new Ministry of Security Affairs; appointment of the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo as Security Consultant to the state government; purchase of 360 security vehicles for community policing as well as the Security Trust Fund, among others.

    With the submission of the weighty reports of the 12 sectoral ad-hoc committees set up by his administration on assumption of its second term to review government’s programmes, policies and activities in the last four years and make recommendations that would assist it to reposition the state’s public service for optimized service delivery and advancement of good governance, Gov. Ugwuanyi is set to commence more aggressive polices and strategies. These are expected to usher in further rapid development and take Enugu State to the next level for Ndi Enugu to continue to enjoy democracy dividends. Enugu State is truly in the hand of God.

  • As the new frontier beckons

    Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum made this opening statement in 2016 about the new frontier the world is venturing into: “We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society.”

    We now live in an age where the impossible is becoming possible. Barriers are being broken down; innovations are coming out rapidly and dizzying rates. Older innovations are being fine-tuned and getting crazier and man is pushing the boundary of nearly everything, all because of technology.

    The world has witnessed three industrial revolutions and the process of the fourth has begun in earnest. Where are our tertiary institutions – and our policy makers – in the scheme of things? Are we prepared to embrace this revolution? What is the rest of the world doing right that we’re not?

    At the global level, industries and governments are innovating and changing their old ways of doing things. There’s no doubt that the pace of technological innovation going on around the world will pose enormous challenges to people, companies and economies as they are fast changing the way people learn, work, live and even stay alive.

    Schwab painted a vivid picture of the revolution we’re looking at today. He drew a parallel between Detroit (USA) in 1990 to Silicon Valley in 2014. In 1990, the three biggest automobile companies in Detroit – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler – had a market capitalisation of $36 billion, revenues of $250 billion and 1.2 million employees.

    Fast forward to 2014; the three biggest technology companies in Silicon Valley had a higher market capitalisation of $1.09trn and generated $247Billion. But wait for this; they had about 137,000 employees! The implication is that more people would be out of jobs as the revolution gathers momentum.

    Underdeveloped and developing economies like ours would be the hardest hit. In the US where there is effective data, the expected fourth industrial revolution is projected to affect 49% of the workforce. From a historical point of view, technological changes bring with it disruption of the old system and challenges of adapting to the new because of the often superior technology involved in the processes.

    For example, the “New Deal” of Frank Roosevelt after the Great Depression of 1929 brought about state welfares and social safety net which was the peak of democratic standard in the 20th century. But this new revolution is about to make labour and trade unions irrelevant, big government spending on recurrent expenditure will definitely be affected. This should also serve as a wakeup call to the organised labour movements in Nigeria.

    The fallout from the 2016 summit in Davos, Switzerland was the all-important emphasis placed on the entrepreneur and an ‘Entrepreneurial Economy.’ I am aware that some universities in the country now have entrepreneurial centres, but how “entrepreneurial” these centres turn out to be is what matters in the long run. Also of importance is the ability of the economy to absorb the emerging entrepreneurs.

    For a nation that hardly plans, this emerging scenario can be scary. There were warnings in the past that crude oil price will crash and Nigeria needed to build buffers, but it was ignored and today, the economy is facing challenges because early warnings were not acted upon. We have now been forced to go back to the drawing board, but policy makers are facing challenges on the direction the economy should go.

    This notwithstanding, we have no choice but to face the hard task of positioning Nigeria to benefit from the revolution. Is this going to be easy? It may not because one of the most critical sectors that drive this revolution globally is lying prostrate in Nigeria. The government should move quickly with all sincerity to revitalise the education sector, because that is going to be the bedrock of the knowledge economy.

    It has been said repeatedly that we need to invest more in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education – other nations have added the arts and creative sector to the mix. Expectedly, the government should be the driver of this policy; all the tiers of government should invest part of their budget in projects that have technology outlook, especially in the area of research and development consistently in the coming years. The organised private sector should be encouraged to invest in research because they stand to gain even more than the government.

    We also have to face the frightening fact that jobs will be lost, especially routine jobs. This is a wakeup call for everyone to equip and retool himself as the present monetary policy would be jettisoned because an entrepreneur focuses on performance and result. In the long run, Nigeria may come out stronger if we understand how to positively use the high concentration of young people in our demography. It is easy for young people to learn new skills and it is the responsibility of the government to create the enabling environment toward building an entrepreneurial economy.

    This can be done by learning from Switzerland which laid down a plan that took off in July, 2016 to attract tech start-ups by providing financial resources and incentives. The country designed a policy called “Kickstart Accelerator” which attracts start-ups from around the world to live and work in Zurich where they will get $24,000 in ‘seed funding’ and $1,500 for living expenses. This concept allows for innovation and technology transfer to Swiss nationals.

    The Swiss read the global barometer right and they know too well that the disruption currently taking place around the world will focus on five critical areas of human endeavours: manufacturing, education, health, transport, agriculture and information technology. These are where most disruptions in the 21st century innovation will take place.

    Our government should not shy away from investing in hubs where start-ups all over the world can come and birth there innovative ideas. The United Arab Emirates has also done this with the Dubai “Internet City” and Dubai “Health Care City” initiatives. The strategy is simply to lure start-ups who through their presence will create jobs and wealth for the economy. It is instructive to note here that Nigeria are facing skill deficiency in critical areas of the economy like construction, manufacturing and innovation.

    At the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda 2015, held in Abu Dhabi, technology-thought leaders warned of the impending challenges posed by innovations in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics and 3-D printing, among others. The question asked at the forum is very relevant to the Nigeria situation today: “Are we investing enough in institutions that enable the platforms to accommodate different perspectives?” asked Diana Farrell, Chief Executive Officer and President of JPMorgan Chase Institute in the US. “We need a common platform to connect the dots. But we are so far away from that.” Governments can take a long time to produce legislation and implement major programmes, and once they do, the policies may already be obsolete, Farrell reckoned.

    Politics can get in the way too, she noted. “We have a disconnect between people who are trying to address real problems and the political show. Having closer accountability and judging politicians on their jobs rather than random political narratives would help a lot.” How apt.   Nigerians must come to the reality that the developed world is moving from physicality to a data-based world, even in warfare with the use of unmanned drones.

    The first Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanise the production process from a largely agrarian system. The second used electric power to create mass production. The third used electronics and information technology to automate production. The fourth is building on the third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. How prepared are we? Only time will tell.

  • RUGIPO to begin degree programmes

    From next academic session Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO), Ondo State will begin degree programmes in at least 16 courses.

    The institution will also introduce additional 29 ND and HND courses if approved by its regulatory body, the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).

    The Acting Rector, Mr Gani Ogundahunsi, dropped the hint with CAMPUSLIFE in his office.

    Ogundahunsi said RUGIPO was partnering the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in the award of the degree.

    He said the move was perfected at a deliberation attended by the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede; and representatives of the National Universities Commission; NBTE and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, (JAMB).

    Ogundahunsi said: “Let me tell you, one programme that people will be very happy about is the linkage of our HND and BSc degree programmes of OAU. The partnership (with OAU) is fashioned to take the same form of collaboration between Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo and OAU.

    “This one has reached an advanced stage, the Vice Chancellor and I met with National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and JAMB. We have discussed with the executive councils of these bodies.”

    He said the school authority has sent recommendations to NBTE, expressing optimism that the board would give approval before the next academic session.

    Ogundahunsi said though certificates to be awarded will bear the name of OAU, but the students will be receiving their lectures at RUGIPO.

    Ogundahunsi said the degree courses will be in areas such as Agriculture, Engineering and Environmental Sciences, where RUGIPO has comparative advantage.

    He said the new but yet-to-be-announced new courses for ND and HND are included. He noted that the institution would not stop its ND and HND programmes. He said: “Courses like Insurance, Cooperative Studies, Tourism among others, will be introduced,” Ogundahunsi added.

    “We want to expand our school, we have brought to fore about 29 new programmes, we have tried to redeem, re-tool and re-engineer the place.

    ‘’The mandate is for us to make our programmes relevant to our immediate society.”

    He said RUGIPO FM will come on air very soon, following the operating licence granted by National Broadcasting Commission.

    The Acting Rector said the entire 37 programmes run by the institution were recently presented for and re-accreditation, adding that they all scaled the hurdle.