The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Gen Akinrinade at 80: Courage, commitment, consistency

    FEDERALISM is the combination of self-rule and shared rule in compound polities…. While government in large unitary states is to some extent decentralized, it is non-centralized in federal ones. The powers of regional governments are not delegated by a central government but are directly derived from democratic representations.” — Rainer Baubock, “Why Stay Together? A Pluralist Approach to Secession and Federation” in Citizenship in Diverse Societies edited by Will Kymlicka and Wayne Norman (2000: Oxford University Press), p. 368.

    ‘No country in the world, where people are forced to co-exist on disagreeable terms lasts. Nigeria will not be an exception, if “true federalism” is not entrenched as a national principle of coexistence. It was clear from the beginning that a unitary system will not work in Nigeria as Lugard’s attempt to construct Nigerian unity through an amalgamation failed.’—General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade, “Which Way Nigeria?” A Lecture Delivered at the Inauguration of the New President of The Challenge Club, Ibadan, 2017

    General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade, CFR, GCON, just turned 80 yesterday and, served in his honor was an intellectual menu worthy of his consistency of principle and courageous commitment to national greatness. Ten years ago, on his 70th birthday, I described General Akinrinade as “a one soldier integrity squad.” He remains so.

    Twenty years ago, on General Akinrinade’s 60th birthday, The Moremi Foundation held a symposium in his honor at the Blackburn Center, Howard University, in Washington DC. The theme of that symposium was “Nigeria and the future of federalism”. It was a fitting tribute to the courage and commitment of an officer and gentleman in the best of that tradition, who, having served at the highest levels of the military in professional and political appointments, has not minced words, and has not shied away from speaking truth to power about the  fundamental challenges that we face as a nation. That the powers that be turn deaf ears doesn’t take away from the clarity of his thoughts and the forthrightness of his warnings.

    My interest in this piece is to salute General Akinrinade’s intellectual endowment which he has consistently deployed for more than 25 years in pursuit of true democratic federation in Nigeria. I do this by revisiting his constructive critique of the wobbly structure that the military imposed on the nation by fiat, and his thoughtful alternative for the resolution of the crisis of democracy in our land.

    If Rainer Baubock is right in my opening epigram, that the powers of regional governments are not delegated by the central government but are derived from democratic representation as fashioned in the constitution, we must admit that Nigeria has been practicing a fake variant of federalism since 1966. This is the fundamental problem with our system of governance. It is the root of our crises of identity.

    General Akinrinade is one of those who first saw in the military annulment of the 1993 presidential elections more than a personality disorder on the part of the principal architect of the annulment. He saw the foundation of that blatant disrespect for the rule of law something more sinister lurking in the inner recesses of a group, not just an individual.

    It is well known that Akinrinade refused to join the train of democratic transition in 1999 because it was clear to him that a solid foundation had not been laid for the democratic experiment. He expressed his disappointment that our people had not learnt from their recent history. Thus, in the interview he gave Wahab Gbadamosi of The News in Washington DC in June 1999, it bothered him that the political class decided to accept the military imposed constitution without raising a voice of protest:

    “If you have a political class that knows what the interests of the people and the political system ought to be, they ought to get together and call a conference of their own, outside this their parliamentary system, which is for a selected few who had been put there and declare that they don’t have a constitution….And therefore the political class should reject that (1999) constitution en masse…. They should then declare that they want to make a constitution for the people in their way. And they will win.”

    Of course, they will win because it would be a battle between the military and the people, and the military had just then been disgraced out of office. And the trajectory of our politics would have taken a whole different turn.

    The seed of that 1999 remark was already embedded in the text of General Akinrinade’s speech at the official launching of the Yoruba Autonomy Certificate in Washington DC in May 1998.  That speech underscored the importance of a true federal system which respects the internal autonomy of its constituent units:

    “…But let us suppose that we have managed to establish a Nigeria where there is recognition of equality of rights and privileges for all our people with whatever constitutional restrictions are necessary. Will that guarantee the stability of the commonwealth of Nigeria? …. Is it not quixotic to hope that a democracy of one man one vote will be enough to guarantee the stability of the state?”

    His answer is, of course, No. He then asks if it is not in our interest “to look now beyond the military and try to find our own home grown method of creating a stable Nigeria from the ashes of the military jackboot, a nation that will endure, a nation where no man (or woman) is or feel oppressed.”

    His emphasis then and now for the solution of our democracy crises is to find a political formula that enhances a sense of fairness and justice between the component nationalities so that an Ogoni citizen doesn’t feel oppressed by decisions taken based on majority votes of Fulani or Yoruba citizens. This is the nationality question for liberal democracy. We deceive ourselves if we believe that the principle of one man one vote is the be-all and end-all of democracy.

    In his 2017 Challenge Club lecture quoted in my second epigram above, General Akinrinade canvassed for a restructured Nigeria as solution to the threat of instability and the plague of underdevelopment with its attendant symptoms. He cited the unanimous agreement of the founding fathers for federalism in the 1951 and 1954 constitutional conferences when the emphasis was on “achieving unity at the center through strength in the regions.” This was the principle that formed the bedrock of the 1960 federal constitution and the 1963 republican constitution. It was the principle put into practice between 1955 and 1966 with good visible results that we still reminisce today.

    This takes me again to the quotation in my first epigram. Rainer Baubock distinguishes between unitary states and federal states based on the division of powers between them. Whereas unitary states decentralize powers from the center to the regions, in federal states power is not centralized to start with. Therefore, decentralization is a misnomer. Second, in a federation, the powers of the regional government are not delegated to them from a central government. Those regional powers are derived from democratic representation based on the constitution. Again, this was our system of government prior to the military era.

    Talk about devolution presupposes a pre-existing unitary government doling out excess powers to the regions. Based on the history of the country since 1966, we cannot fault anyone thinking that Nigeria is a unitary state, and that what we need is devolution of power from the center to the states. Incidentally, this is what APC manifesto promises. However, the depth of our structural challenges requires more than doling of powers from the center. It requires a new beginning that takes account of the defining mark of Nigeria as a multinational state. As Baubock also observes, in multinational states, “ a common grievance of national minorities is that “the terms of federation are either unfair or have been violated by the majority” (367).

    Redressing that grievance requires fundamental restructuring that recognizes the primacy of constituent units as was the case in 1951 and 1954.

    Happy 80th, General! Looking forward to the 100th!

     

  • IPOB claims Pretoria protesters

    The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Thursday claimed responsibility for protests outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa’s seat of presidency, during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit.

    It claimed that its members were attacked by South African police.

    Policemen reportedly fired rubber bullets at a small group of Nigerians who were protesting against the state visit.

    According to South Africa’s Sunday Times, at least three people were injured when police fired the rubber bullets.

    It said the protesters claimed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was not meeting the real President of Nigeria.

    The protesters were said to have claimed the man meeting Ramaphosa was not Buhari but an impostor.

    Read Also: ‘IPOB members’ attack in South Africa disgraceful’

    Outlawed IPOB Secretary Emma Powerful, in a statement, accused Nigeria and South African governments of sponsoring the attack.

    He said the group’s leader Nnamdi Kanu would hold an emergency broadcast to “expose the real reason” for Buhari’s visit which “was kept away from the public”.

    IPOB said the alleged attack was “a thoroughly ugly and distasteful development that pales the white apartheid regime into insignificance in terms of its brutality and incredulity”.

  • Buhari ready for transparent negotiation, says VP

    Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

     

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo last night assured that the Buhari administration will honestly and transparently resolve the request by labour in the implementation of the new national minimum wage.

    Prof. Osinbajo told the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by its President Quadri Olaleye.that they should consider the President as someone committed to the welfare of workers. One of the first things he did when we came in was to give states a series of bailouts to help repay backlog of salaries.”

    The Vice President also noted according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande, that the Buhari administration refused to ignore the situation, and instead provided different facilities including Paris club refunds and budget support loans to provide immediate succour for States.

    Read Also: Osinbajo pledges ‘uncompromised loyalty’ to Buhari

    He urged Labour to “find ways to work with a government that is honest and wants to work to resolve the issue transparently.

    “Let us give ourselves room to negotiate properly. The President wants an honest, open process, we will be transparent and honest about it. Labour leaders should give us the benefit of the doubt.”

    Dr. Ngige said the new national minimum wage was already being paid by the Federal Government, noting that arrears would also be settled.

  • Buhari, Ramaphosa sign 32 agreements

    Vincent Ikuomola and Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja 

     

    WEEKS after xenophobic attacks in South Africa stirred tension between Africa’s leading economies, President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, met yesterday to explore solutions.

    They agreed to set up “early warning mechanisms” to detect hostility between South Africans and Nigerians to avoid recurrence of violence.

    Buhari travelled to South Africa following diplomatic tension between Pretoria and Abuja, a situation that forced the evacuation of about 600 Nigerians.

    While the President expressed his condemnation for the violence against Nigerians, Ramaphosa said Nigerians living in South Africa should respect the law.

    He vowed to ensure there is no recurrence.

    Ramaphosa said: “We have expressed our deep regret at the events of the past few weeks that manifested themselves through attacks that were directed at foreign nationals and our condemnation of all forms of intolerance and acts of violence remains very, very firm.”

    Nigeria recalled its high commissioner and evacuated some of its citizens last month after a spate of attacks left at least 12 people dead, sparking protests in Nigeria that targeted South African companies, including MTN and Shoprite, which were forced to temporarily close shop.

    Buhari condemned “the very few incidents of retaliatory attacks”, saying: “We took strong and decisive measures to stop the attacks and prevent any recurrences.”

    He deplored “in the strongest terms, attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa, the looting of their shops and businesses and burning of their properties”.

    The President added: “We call for the strengthening and implementation of all the necessary measures to prevent the re-occurrence of such action which threatens to undermine, not only our strong bilateral relations but also, what we stand for in the context of our vision for a strong and prosperous Africa we want.”

    Buhari agreed to set up a committee to address the issue of compensation to the victims, though South Africa was yet to formally agree to Nigeria’s reparation request, it was learnt.

    The issue was not mentioned in the joint communique issued at the end of the meeting, but a source who was part of the delegation but prefers not to be named said it was agreed that a committee on compensation is set up.

    In the communique, both leaders condemned the violent incidents and the destruction of property. They reiterated their call for heightened law enforcement.

    Read Also: I’m not interested in third term – Buhari

    The two presidents endorsed the establishment of an Early Warning Mechanism and directed the two Foreign Ministers to give practical expression to it.

    They endorsed the reestablishment of the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Nigeria Consular Forum to meet twice a year.

    Buhari arrived in South Africa on Wednesday on Ramaphosa’s invitation.

    He attended the inaugural elevated Bi-National Commission (BNC) session, which he co-chaired, as part of continuing bilateral engagements aimed at deepening cooperation.

    The communique says Ramaphosa alluded to the fact that the unfortunate incidents were not consistent with the values and principles underpinning South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

    He dispelled the notion that incidents of violence affecting foreign nationals were targeted at Nigerian nationals, as other foreign nationals and indeed South Africans were also affected.

    Ramaphosa assured his counterpart that the South African government was fully in control of the situation and that several interventions and engagements with the diplomatic community were underway.

    Speaking at the ninth BNC at the Union Building, the seat of the presidency in the capital of Pretoria, Buhari urged the South African government to open up its economy for more Nigerian businesses and to protect them.

    Buhari said: “We are pleased to inform you that our government has made doing business in Nigeria easier through the Ease of Doing Business Initiative to open up more opportunities for investors in Nigeria.

    “We call on the Government of South Africa to also take steps to ease the doing of business in the country, and open up its market space for Nigerian businessmen and women.”

    According to Buhari, Nigeria would continue to value its relationship with South Africa.

    No fewer than 32 agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the visit.

    Buhari said: “We, in Nigeria, value the warm fraternal relations binding our two countries and cherish our Special relationship. We consider South Africa an ally and a strategic partner.”

    He called for increased collaboration against arms and drug/human trafficking and money laundering.

    Ramaphosa said the attacks were regrettable, assuring that his government would do more to safeguard lives and property.

    He said: “We will always be grateful to Nigeria for the support we received during the dark days of apartheid. We shall never forget the role you played to ensure that our people get the freedom we are enjoying today.”

    Ramaphosa said the 32 bilateral agreements and MoUs cover trade and industry, science and technology, defence, agriculture and energy.

    He said South Africa would create a more enabling environment for Nigerian businesses to thrive, acknowledging that more South African companies operate in Nigeria, while Nigerians were mostly in small and medium scale sectors in his country.

    He promised to deepen the reforms in his country to open the space for more Nigerian business to “address the imbalance”.

    Ramaphosa said: “The rule of law must be obeyed by all citizens. Nigerians in South Africa must obey the rule of law, while South Africans in Nigeria must obey the rule of law.”

    Nigeria is South Africa’s largest trading partner on the continent, with trade flows estimated at $4.48billion in 2018.

    According to data from the Stellenbosch-based Trade Law Centre, only nine per cent of Nigeria’s total trade is intra-African, and almost half of that is with South Africa.

    Nigeria is said to account for 64 per cent of South Africa’s total trade with the West African sub-Region.

  • 12 banks to lose N67.4b return on N499.17b LDR cash

     Nduka Chiejina and Collins Nweze

     

    THE 12 banks sanctioned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for failing to meet the 60 per cent Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR) by September 30, will lose at least N67.4 billion annual interest on the sterilised N499.17 billion cash.

    President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Uche Olowu, who stated this yesterday, said the amount represents 13.5 per cent minimum interest on the deposits, which is the CBN Monetary Policy Rate (MPR).

    He said by using the stick approach, the regulator has also shown the banks that it can bite.

    “The sanction is an indication that when the CBN tells banks to do something, it must be taken seriously. I still believe that the CBN may release the funds to the banks when they meet the new 65 per cent LDR target. The good thing is that the funds still counts for the banks’ liquidity ratio,” Olowu said.

    Former Executive Director, Keystone Bank, Richard Obire, said getting the banks to lend more requires certain policy decisions on the part of the CBN, including crashing the Treasury Bills (T-Bills) rates.

    He said: “If the banks do not find the T-Bills attractive investment plan, they will be forced to lend to the real sector.”

    The 12 affected banks are: Citibank (N100,743,055, 321); First Bank of Nigeria (N74,668,880,480); FBNQuest Merchant Bank (N2, 697,456,144); First City Monument Bank (FCMB), (N14, 371,064, 742) and Guaranty Trust Bank (N25, 147, 933, 628).

    Others are Jaiz Bank (N7, 525, 165,552); Keystone Bank (N4, 162, 938, 879); Rand Merchant Bank (N2, 823,177,399); Standard Chartered Bank (N30,027,137,984); SunTrust Bank (N1,703,205,427); United Bank for Africa (N99,676,181,916) and Zenith Bank (N135,629,337,625).

    The CRR is a portion of the banks’ deposits kept with the CBN for regulatory reasons.

    The apex bank, on July 3, 2019, directed banks to maintain a minimum Loan Deposit Ratio (LDR) of 60 per cent by September 30, 2019.

    The LDR, which was being reviewed quarterly to improve lending to the real sector, was 58.5 per cent as at May. It has now been raised to 65 per cent for the last quarter of the year.

    Banks say they have increased lending to their customers by N860 billion within the last 11 weeks.

    Speaking at the Bankers’ Committee meeting in Abuja, Managing Director of Zenith Bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, hinted that the bulk of the banks’ lending was to retail and mortgage sectors.

    Read Also: CBN order on cash deposit may be revised

    Managing Director of Citi Bank, Akin Daudu, said banks have increased lending by N860 billion in 11 months to support economic growth and investments.

    The bankers, when asked how they managed to be debited N499 billion for not meeting the lending threshold, said the debit was not a punishment but a nudge by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to get them to lend to more businesses.

    The bankers said they were delighted that “there is an increase in the flow of credit to preferred sectors of the economy as a result of the policies of CBN that compels banks to raise their LDR to at least 60 per cent before the end of September 2019.”

    According to them, they were able to secure CBN’s support to guarantee recovery of loans to some vulnerable sectors.

    They said: “We are mindful of the fact that there are some vulnerable sectors that we would be lending to. It is important for us to make sure that we mitigate our risks and have a credit fault default clause that allows us to set off the obligations of defaulting party against any other monies that defaulting party has in the industry.

    “It is important for all of us to include that provision in our loan agreements and the CBN is supportive in ensuring that where there is a need for us to enforce that clause, it would be enforceable.”

  • Bureau de Change operator arraigned for N17.9m ‘fraud’

    Adebisi Onanuga

     

    A BUREAU de change operator, Arinze Onwudiwe, was on Thursday arraigned before an an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for alleged N17.9 million fraud.

    Onwudiwe was alleged to have obtained N17.9 million from a businessman,  Mr Chinonso Nnebedum under the pretext of changing the money to US dollar equivalent.

    Onwudiwe,  40, of no fixed address  is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing  before Magistrate,  Mrs A. A. Famobiwo.

    Prosecuting Insp. Ibrahim Haruna told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences on September 11, at 11.00a.m, at No. 5, Ganiyat Street, Monkey Village Maza-Maza, Lagos.

    The prosecutor said that the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of N17.9 million from the complainant, Nnebedum, under the guise of giving him its dollar equivalent.

    He said the defendant, instead converted the money to  personal use.

    Onwudiwe pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Famobiwo granted him bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum.

    She ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years tax payments to the Lagos State Government.

    She adjourned the case until November 5.

  • Ex-perm sec jailed five years for N14m theft

    Adebisi Onanuga

     

    AN Ikeja Special Offence Court on Thursday sentenced a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Clement Illoh to five years  imprisonment for stealing.

    Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted Illoh of theft of N14 million belonging to the defunct Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programe, (SURE-P).

    He is also to make restitution to the federal government to the tune of N14 million.

    Illoh was convicted of two out of the three-count charge, bordering on stealing by conversion of property to the tune of N14 million, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The convict was initially arraigned on October 16, 2017 by the EFCC.

    Read Also: Why court jailed ex-NBA chair

    EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, had told the court that Illoh, while serving in acting capacity, stole the sum of N14 million from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 279(1)(b) & 285 (6) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No,11, 2011.

    Illoh who, was responsible for supervising numerous programmes of the government, including SURE-P, was accused of awarding fictitious contracts to himself through his company, Clement and Bob Associate, and friends.

    Earlier, in his final address, Oyedepo had told the court “If there is anybody that will deal anyhow with money, it should not be somebody who has risen to that status.

    “My lord, a permanent secretary of a ministry who was aware that the money was meant for his ministry, prevented the transfer of this money to the account of his ministry known to government.

    “We asked him if there was any contract between Clement and Bob (Illoh’s private company) and the ministry, he said, ‘No’.

    “He receives salary through an official account. Why didn’t he nominate the account of his ministry or his salary account? Why did he use his private company account?

    “We only brought N14 million here (high court). A public servant like him had N646 million in his account.

    “There were a lot of people and companies depositing money into the account, and we recovered N600 million”.

  • Cleric jailed for N37.6m fraud

    Adebisi Onanuga

     

    AN Ikeja Special Offences Court on Thursday sentenced an Islamic cleric, Afa Awojobi Ganiu to two years in prison for defrauding a United States-based businesswoman, Mrs Oluwatoyin Akinwole of N37.6million.

    Justice Mojisola Dada convicted Ganiu following a plea bargain agreement after being re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the Court.

    Ganiu, who was arraigned alongside a self-acclaimed oil marketer, Adesanya Olufemi Paul, pleaded guilty to an amended charge of stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

    The duo were alleged to have defrauded the businesswoman, leaked her nude pictures on social media and thereafter reported that she committed suicide by jumping over the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos in 2017.

    When the charges were read, during yesterday’s proceedings, Ganiu, who was the second defendant, pleaded guilty

    However, the first defendant, Paul, maintained his not guilty plea.

    The Alfa was thereafter convicted after he pleaded guilty to two out of four count amended charges of stealing against him.

    Ganiu’s counsel, Goddy Osuyi, in his allocutus, told the court that the second defendant has pleaded with the nominal complainant, Mrs Akinwole, to accept the property, a four bedroom flat, worth N13 million.

    He said  Ganiu was now sober and has truly repented.

    Delivering her judgement, Justice Dada noted that as part of his plea bargain agreement, Ganiu has agreed to forfeit a property, a four-bedroom flat he acquired as a proceed of the fraud.

    Justice Dada also noted that the convict was initially arraigned on November 8, 2018 and the prosecutor, S.O. Daji, had already called four witnesses to testify against him.

    “I have listened to the allocutus of the second defence counsel, Goddy Osuyi, and have also considered the plea bargain agreement before the court.

    Read Also: Court remands 2 friends for unlawful possession of Cannabis

    “The second defendant is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment as agreed in  the plea bargain.

    “The prison sentence should begin from the day of his remand by the court on November 8, 2018. This is the judgement of the court,” she held.

    It would be recalled that the businesswoman, in her earlier in her testimony told the court that her nude picture was extracted from her phone, put on social media.

    She also claimed that they framed her suicide story simply to deter and frustrate her from coming after them.

    She said, “My father even suffered stroke after seeing my nude pictures online.

    “They deceived me into believing that I would get a 150 per cent profit after a month of investment.

    “They kept extorting money from me on the claims that the ports needed more money to perfect the transaction before releasing the oil.

    This made me borrow huge amounts from friends just to make the deal work”.

    Narrating how she found out about the scam, the businesswoman told the court that one of Paul’s workers called her and informed her that the defendants never invested her money in any oil business but rather used it to buy houses and exotic cars.

     

     

  • Lagosians beg for pedestrian bridges

    Olaitan Ganiu

     

    AS WORK continues on   Oshodi-Apapa Expressway much to the delight of residents and commuters, an appeal has gone out for pedestrian bridges to be built at strategic places to ease the movement of people crossing the busy highway.

    Pedestrians are suddenly finding very high medians where they usually walked across to both sides of the expressway.

    At Iyana Isolo, for instance, there is no pedestrian bridge to access both sides of the expressway.

    One of such road users, Mrs Toyin Williams, on Thursday lamented that the demarmation is too high to climb.

    She said, “See as the pavement stained my cloth; this is not nice at all. It took the help of two men before I could jump over, it is like climbing a mountain.”

    Williams appealed to the state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to build bridges over those places Iyana Isolo.

    The Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is a federal project, which is why the Ministry of Works is handling its rehabilitation.

    But residents especially pedestrians are grappling with immense difficulties accessing the other side of the major road. They seem to think first of their state governor, rather than anyone else.

    Read Also: Lagos closes Costain Bridge

    A student of Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo campus, near the Iyana Isolo, said, “I just want to appeal to our governor, to build an overhead pedestrian bridge to save lives.”

    Recently, a Lagos lawmaker, Mr Jude Idimogu also pleaded with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to construct a pedestrian bridge at Toyota Bus Stop, near Iyana Isolo

    Idimogu, a two-term lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly said the bridge, which would connect the popular Ladipo market, will save lives of residents in the area.

    “The kind of accidents and human lives that are lost in the area makes the bridge crucial. This place needs a pedestrian bridge and the former governor promised that it would be done. I just want to use this medium to appeal to the current governor, since governance is continual, to ensure the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Toyota Bus Stop on Mile 2-Oshodi- Apapa Expressway.

  • Edo, NDDC fight over ‘shoddy jobs’

    There seems to be strained relationship between the Edo State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Emergency road projects appear to be the bone of contention, writes OSAGIE OTABOR

    The relationship between the Edo State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not been cordial since Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office in Edo State. The strained relationship is connected to the shoddy and sub-standard jobs executed by the NDDC contractors.

    Few months after Obaseki assumed office, he paid an unscheduled visit to some road projects being executed by the NDDC in the state. Obaseki was peeved that the contractors’ jobs were shoddy and the drainage were not linked to any primary drain. This, the governor observed, would make the water stagnant in the drains and make the road easily damaged.

    Obaseki directed the NDDC contractors handling various road projects in the state to stop work immediately. He said the NDDC would not be allowed to execute any projects in the state without meeting the state’s specifications and designs.

    The NDDC contractors were given seven days to submit the design drawings, Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation of their respective projects to the State Ministry of Works.

    After some grey issues were resolved, NDDC resumed construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state. Governor Obaseki entered tripartite agreement with the NDDC and the Edo State Oil and Gas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC) on the repair of the Benin-Abraka Road. The NDDC was to pay 40 per cent of the fund. Construction work has commenced on the Benin-Abraka Road and the NDDC is yet to meet its obligation.

    Crack re-emerged in the relationship between Edo government and the NDDC over who was responsible for the massive repairs and construction of many internal roads in Benin-City and its environs.

    When agents of Obaseki listed roads constructed by the administration, those opposed to second term coming of Obaseki were quick to point out that majority of the roads were constructed by the NDDC but there were counter-arguments that under previous administrations, the NDDC did not execute much projects as it is doing under Obaseki. Former Edo NDDC Commissioner, Hon Saturday Uwuilekhue, published list of roads executed by the NDDC apparently to out a lie to claims by agents of Edo Government.

    However, many of the newly constructed and rehabilitated roads were washed away by heavy rains and developed potholes. Obaseki’s administration was criticised for constructing poor roads. The Apostolic Street in Bénin-City that was just asphalted was washed away and houses in the street were flooded.

    Some roads such as the College Road, Joromi Street, Aiguobasimwin and others recently reconstructed by the NDDC have developed potholes.

    Last week when the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on abandoned NDDC projects visited Edo State, Governor Obaseki opened up on his reservation for the NDDC and why probe into its activities should commence. Obaseki stated that the N20 billion emergency funds allegedly expended by the NDDC on projects in the state in the last six months must be probed.

    Governor Obaseki said his administration was exploring the option of suing contractors handling the Commission’s projects for delivering sub-standard projects, which caused flooding in parts of the state.

    Obaseki, who reiterated his desire to stop NDDC contractors from executing sub-standard projects said there was need for synergy between the state government and the NDDC in delivering quality projects.

    He faulted claims by the interim management of the NDDC that the sum of N256 billion was spent on emergency project work, out of which N20 billion was spent in Edo State in the last six months.

    “This kind of action is embarrassing to our administration and causing us political problems as our citizens are confused about the roads we are constructing and the sub-standard roads executed by NDDC contractors.

    “I have instructed the state’s Solicitor-General to begin the process to take legal action against NDDC contractors, who execute sub-standard work in the state, particularly the contractor who handled the project on Apostolic Street off Sokponba Road, which led to flooding in the area. We will blacklist them.

    “I am surprised that the NDDC management is here as I invited them months ago when I received complaints about the quality of work done by their contractors but they ignored the invitation. There is no need having NDDC in the state when they have total disregard for the state government.

    “A year ago, barely 10 per cent of the NDDC budget for Edo State was implemented. The immediate past interim management team of the NDDC needs to come and show us how they spent N20 billion in the state.

    “Beyond what the House Committee is doing, there must be a judicial enquiry into the activities of the NDDC. People must go to jail for their corrupt acts. The 13 per cent derivation fund collected from oil-producing communities that was supposed to be used for the development of the region has not been spent by NDDC.

    “We have registered our displeasure on NDDC projects in Edo State and contest the claims of their spending N20 billion in the state for emergency work. We signed a tripartite agreement with NDDC. They were supposed to commit 40 per cent while the state provides 60 per cent. We opened an account but they didn’t remit one kobo into it,” he noted.

    Speaking during inspection of NDDC projects in Edo State by the Ad hoc Committee, Governor Obaseki said the NDDC and its contractors must pay compensation for victims whose properties were affected by flooding at the Apostolic Street.

    He said: “The contractor did the asphalt work on the road without taking into consideration the fact that there were manholes to channel water in the area. When the community advised the contractor not to block the manholes, he disregarded the complaints and blocked them. You can see the devastation that it has caused?

    “We are holding the NDDC and the contractor liable and we will take legal actions to ensure they compensate the victims affected.

    “The NDDC was supposed to contribute 40 per cent, while the state government and its agency would contribute the remaining 60 per cent to the Benin-Abraka Road project but the commission reneged on the agreement.

    “The state government has commenced work on the road and it will be completed with or without NDDC’s counterpart fund because the NDDC is grossly mismanaged.”

    Leader of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, Hon. Sergius Ogun, stated that they were in the state to investigate abandoned NDDC projects.

    Ogun, who expressed disappointment with the number of NDDC abandoned projects in Edo State, said some projects awarded since 2012 could not be accounted for anywhere in the state.

    “It is obvious that NDDC has not partnered with the state government. We are talking about projects awarded by NDDC in 2012. Seven years after, we cannot see any visible projects. These are some of the things we will take back to Abuja.”

    Uwulekhue berated the Ad-hoc Committee and Governor Obaseki for making what he termed unfounded allegations without asking relevant questions.

    Uwulekhue said he attracted projects worth N20 billion to the state but the money was not paid to contractors as it was the NDDC policy not to mobilise contractors to site.

    He said contractors must finish their jobs and certificate issued before payments are made.

    On why the NDDC did not fund Benin-Abraka Road project, Uwulekhue stated that the contractor should show evidence of job done before money would be released.

    His words: “People are talking without reading the NDDC Act. Once you bid for job, you go to site with your own money at your own risk. If our engineers did not certify the jobs as good, we will not pay.

    “Any NDDC contractor that does substandard jobs will not be paid as files go through 43 offices before payments are made. NDDC cannot go to Treasury Single Account (TSA) account and make payment anyhow.

    “I did my best to attract N20 billion projects but the question is whether the money was released. The Ad-hoc Committee does not have any information. They are just making noise. A right thinking person will not talk like that.”