The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • PILLOWTALK

    SWEET romance! That is what is uppermost in her heart at the moment. For hours, Maureen stayed glued to the screen watching her best movie with rapt attention. At the centre of it all, was the story of two lovebirds; emotionally attached in spite of the pressures and family feuds around them.

    To be or not to be? was the big question. But, somehow, they never gave up, instead their love waxed stronger and the passion kept burning and it ended as they tied the knot and lived happily ever after. As she looked away from the screen, her mind wandered off back to reality zone.

    The story of the lovebirds compared to her personal love story and uppermost in her mind was the wish to capture this heart that seems so elusive in spite of all her emotional investments’. “I don’t think I can survive another disappointment. I just hope this relationship work out because I am not sure I can start all over again.”

    Yes, she has really seen it all. It’s been tales of emotional frustrations and disappointment for our dear friend. Falling and stumbling in the emotional corridor and now she seems to be at a crossroads, looking for options and trying to make a choice.

    Take a deep look and you find that it actually isn’t really her fault. She has had to make the necessary sacrifice and played her role very well. The only snag is that she has been unlucky with her choices.

    The crux of the matter here is that, sometimes, luck plays a big role in the final outcome of the love process. We all gamble making a choice, believing that the choices that we have made are going to match our expectations in the long run.

    Unfortunately, it does not work out this way for many.”My younger sister met this gentleman who appeared to be so unserious and she wasn’t looking forward to anything at all. To her utmost surprise, he turned her world around in a fabulous way and made her a great admiration to family and friends. They were married in less than a year and the relationship remains a great reference point to a lot of people till date.”

    Finding the heart for keeps can be complex indeed. What works for A, may not necessarily work for B. It is actually a make or mar situation for our dear friend at the moment and she just cannot afford to make any mistake at this stage of her emotional life.

    She takes you down memory lane and confesses that it’s been a tale of emotional frustrations indeed. Falling and stumbling in the emotional corridor and now she seems to be at crossroads. This is the last card and it just must work, she prays.

    For a lot of people, love, like life, comes with a lot of challenges. It has the highs and lows too and the best thing to do is to understand your emotional season and make a smart choice. If you fail to decode and move in the right direction, you may just discover that you have lost out of the game.

    Emotional champions are not necessarily those who got the best opportunity in the field, instead they make the best of the opportunities available, play the right emotional cards, thus winning trophies (hearts) that others ignored, abandoned or took for granted .

    Many, like a famous quote, believe that being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”

    To win and be successful, you must keep your eyes on the prize. So, the secret to emotional successes like everything in life involves dedication, determination and perseverance.

    One other secret is to stop all the guesswork many stick to and start creating opportunities that will bring about the intense attraction that your partner needs to feel with you if your relationship is going to last and grow.

    Don’t let yourself get stuck in another relationship where you watch the affection and excitement of the man you love fade away.

    If you’ve ever struggled with how to keep that attraction and passion burning bright without having to try and worry if things are going to work out. It is also important to understand how to maintain a good relationship, prevent relationship crisis and continue to wax stronger in love forever.

    Interestingly, one great way of showing trust is when lovebirds accept mutual respect, set boundaries and have a common emotional goal. This would help them to assess what they do, how to enhance their relationship and redefine their goals as they move along in the different phases of life.

    However, permitting each other to have a private space and avoiding pushing the other person to do things they would prefer not to do helps a lot in creating sustaining happiness in relationships.

  • Giving NGOs a bad name

    Following the allegation of being sympathetic with terrorists groups, the Nigerian Army has shut down the operations of two international humanitarian organisations, Acton Against Hunger and Mercy Corps in North East region of the country.

    Specifically, the Army claimed that the two Non-Governmental Organizations were supplying food and drugs to members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State despite repeated warnings.

    If indeed the Army has credible information that any organization is sabotaging its operations to fight off insurgents it should take necessary measures to stop it. The battle against insurgents has continued for too long and the earlier the terrorists are truly defeated, the better.

    However, the military fiat accusation against the well-known global humanitarian organisations and shutting down of their operations is a matter to worry about given the attitude of the Army to NGOs working in the conflict areas.

    The recent action is not the first time the Army will accuse organisations spending their resources and risking the lives of their staff, as they do in other parts of the world, of sabotage instead of acknowledging the life-saving services they are rendering.

    Last December, the Army briefly suspended the operations of UNICEF for allegedly training selected persons as spies to support Boko Haram sabotaging counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency efforts.

    The Amnesty International has also been denounced by the Nigerian military for its reports of human rights abuses committed by soldiers. Some obviously sponsored groups have been mounting protests against AI and asking the organization to leave the country.

    Mercy Corps, Action Against Hunger and other humanitarian organisations have a history of the support they have been offering persons, especially women and children displaced in crisis locations not only in Nigeria but worldwide.

    Since 2012, Mercy Corps according to its response to the military action, has been working in the most marginalized regions of Nigeria to deliver urgent, lifesaving assistance and promote development. It partners with communities to help them recover and rebuild, while addressing the root causes of conflict, insecurity, and inequality. While it has suspended its operations in Borno and Yobe, its work in other parts of the country will continue uninterrupted.

    AAH has also maintained that it has been delivering neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian aid to people in Borno by providing basic services to the most vulnerable which the government at both state and federal levels have not provided.

    It is very doubtful that the humanitarian organisations are guilty of what they are being accused of by the Army given the record of their years of sacrifices globally but it seems convenient to label them saboteurs to hang them.

    But for the crisis in the affected states, they have no reasons to have come to offer the support they are giving. If there is any real major concern with their operations which the Army is not comfortable with, there should be a better way of settling the issue instead of shutting them down and denying the vulnerable persons the aid they need.

    How can the Army accuse the AAH of colluding with the terrorists when its convoy was recently ambushed and one of its drivers killed? One of its staff, two drivers and three health workers are still being held by one of the terrorists groups and their fate is unknown. There are other cases of staff of aid agencies that have lost their lives while on duty.

    It’s better for the Army to appreciate the need to comply with global best practices even during crisis situation instead of scaring away organisations that mean well and want to help victims like they do in other crisis zones.

  • WE ARE (5) : (Choreo-poem in Three Voices)

    (Pause)

     

    3rd Voice:

    Let Justice reign

    From Soweto to Alabama

     

    Let Justice reign

    From Manchester to Madagascar

    (Pause)

     

     

    3rd Voice:

    For the Sea is Memory

    Of blind, blind waves

    And sharks with oblivious jaws

     

    2nd Voice:

    For the Sea is Memory

    Of greed-tossed galleons

    And catacombs of crowded decks

     

    1st Voice:

    For the Sea is Memory

    Of blue-black waters

    And multitudes of murmuring mermaids

     

    ALL VOICES: For the Sea is Memory

     

     

    1st Voice:

    Listen, oh listen, to the throb

    In the tropical accent of the drum

     

    2nd Voice:

    Listen to the open hurray of the hide,

    Listen to the restless clamour of clashing cymbals

     

    3rd Voice:

    Listen to the metallic prophesies of the gong

    Listen to the gathering cadence of silent epochs

     

  • 11 months without light, courtesy Ikeja Electric

    Come October 29, it would be one year (less about three weeks) since I have been without public power supply, courtesy of Ikeja Electric (IE). Indeed, I am preparing to celebrate the first anniversary later next month, because, in our kind of country, that is a feat. I have been supplying my own electricity for about eight hours a day without any hitch; three hours in the afternoon and five at night. It is no doubt expensive, but it is worth it; especially for one who has a point to prove.  I had earlier reported when I was denied power supply for seven months, from October 2018 to June 1, 2019. The matter had gone to the NERC Forum and even beyond. When hope appeared to be in sight, then another impediment!

    Ikeja Electric threw my area in Pleasure, Lagos, into darkness. We have been having issues with the distribution company (DisC0)  since June 30 when we were disconnected from the transformer. Three months have thus passed since this darkness imposed by Ikeja Electric. The aim is to let the electricity consumers in the area put pressure on Ikeja Electric’s debtors to pay before the area would be reconnected. I won’t say much on this too till the first anniversary of my personal experience with this DisCo later in October by God’s grace. Suffice it to say the affected residents have mapped out their own response to this callousness. Protest has been staged and will still be staged. A court action is not ruled out, if I heard them right.

    Meanwhile, my fans should start preparing their congratulatory adverts for me on the occasion of the first anniversary of the ‘Do It Yourself (DIY)’ foisted on me by Ikeja Electric!

  • Africa as China’s second continent

    The Chinese communities are in every African country: The plan is to take some of its population and put them in Africa, while Africans just look on and hold fruitless meeting – Muammar Gaddafi

    The Chinese are here; they are all over Africa. Their presence speaks loud and clear, you cannot miss it or pretend they are not here. The might of their presence is visible all over the continent. Everywhere you turn, you encounter them and in every country on the continent, no matter how poor or prosperous, the Chinese are there! Perhaps the loudest proclamation of their presence is the towering $200m African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was purposely built and financed by the Chinese government. So what other testament does anyone need to proclaim their presence and (soft) power on the continent?

    I can confidently declare that there is no country on the continent where a sizeable population of Chinese cannot be found! From cities to towns and from the remotest of villages or hamlets without any modern amenities!!  Their presence and reputation have become so noticed that many are beginning to wonder if their dominant presence and power on the continent is not tantamount to “second colonization”. In fact, the population of China which is estimated at 1,433,783,686 according to UN data is equivalent to 18.59% of the total world population. A sizeable number of this large population has been unloaded on Africa, as the late Gaddafi’s quote above affirms.

    However, the question still persists as to whether this unprecedented movement to Africa is for the benefit of the continent or not. For instance, Chinatowns, as most of their settlements or where they live and ply their trades are springing up all over Nigeria and the African continent.

    Are they here to compete with Africa’s former colonial masters and the new friend of the continent, the United States of America? Or their venture into the continent is expansionist or in search of its rich minerals to satisfy its own country’s booming developments and growing appetites for industries and the veritable search for markets to sell its many goods?

    It is these questions and many more that Howard W. French sets out to find answers to in his very illuminating book about the Chinese in Africa. Titled China’s Second Continent: How a million migrants are building a new empire in Africa, the writer who had worked in Africa for many years for some of America’s most popular newspapers and publications was for many years bureau chief for The New York Times, Washington Post and other publications used his time working for this publications to gather experiences and materials which later culminated in the writing of this book.

    His fluency and familiarity with Chinese people, language and culture was also a factor that made many of those he encountered in Africa to open up to him and be ready to pour out their minds to him. As many of us know that language is usually the first ice breaker for you when you get to any community. If you can speak the language you are as good as a native.

    Setting out first from Mozambique in search of answers to why the Chinese have ventured into this rather queer, poor country he met those who expressed satisfaction with the fact that they came to the country just to perhaps escape what they see as the stifling atmosphere of their home country, where the state has become so large, commanding and intimidating.

    In his travels across Mozambique he met people like Hao Shengli who back home in China was married to three women in a country where such is an anathema. How was he able to do this and live in Africa? “I can’t be married to them legally all at once, but we’ve made arrangements. I divorced the first one to marry the second one, and divorced the second one to marry the third, who is quite young. I remain with all three of them, though, and have given each of them a company to run in her own name. The Fujian wife has my Fujian business, the Henan wife has my Henan business, and the Shandong wife has Shandong business, and they are all happy. Every year or two I’ll go home and see them. I don’t bother them. I don’t interfere in their lives, I don’t worry about them spending money or even cheating on me. They are happy.”

    To a Chinese like Hao, everything is business and this is the way most of those chronicled in this book are. What is responsible for this rather strange view of life among most of them? Could this be traced to the experience of the Cultural Revolution or the need to unleash their large population unto the other parts of the world to make room for their own country’s development?

     

    *To be continued next week

     

     

  • A judiciary in chains

     

    Kwame Nkrumah it was who said political independence without economic independence is useless. Of course, this is a truism, whatever the context. No one can claim to be free when someone else is in charge of economic power. This is why the alarm by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, that the judiciary is under financial bondage, should worry Nigerians who know the importance of an unfettered judiciary, particularly in a democracy.

    The CJN was speaking in Abuja at the special court session marking the beginning of the 2019/2020 legal year of the Supreme Court, and the inauguration of 38 Senior Advocates of Nigeria. The CJN said the judiciary might be independent in conducting cases brought before it but the independence had been lost to the lack of financial freedom. He likened the situation  to a cow that is tied firmly to a tree. How can such cow graze freely? According to him, “If you say that I am independent, but in a way, whether I like it or not, I have to go cap in hand asking for funds to run my office, then I have completely lost my independence. It is like saying a cow is free to graze about in the meadow but at the same time, tying it firmly to a tree. Where is the freedom?”

    But the CJN somehow contradicted himself when he made reference to the cases decided by the Supreme Court which he said were delivered without fear or favour. He said the Supreme Court is “the busiest and most hardworking” apex court in the world, and is “totally independent in the way we conduct our affairs, especially in our judgments”. He added, “We don’t pander to anybody’s whims and caprices. If there is any deity to be feared, it is the Almighty God. We will never be subservient to anybody, no matter his position in the society.” We all know that this cannot be, given the picture earlier painted by Justice Muhammad himself, alleging that the judiciary is starved financially. Or, is the Supreme court not a part of the judiciary?

    Indeed, the CJN’s other words on marble at the same occasion say it all:  “Be that as it may, when we assess the judiciary from the financial perspective, how free can we say we are? The annual budget of the judiciary is still a far cry from what it ought to be. The figure is either stagnated for a long period or it goes on a progressive decline.”A judiciary whose officials are not well paid cannot be said to be financially independent. Hear Muhammad, “I make bold to say that the salaries of judicial officers in Nigeria are still far from an ideal package to take home. Effort should be made by relevant authorities to increase the salaries and also work out measures to improve the welfare packages of judicial officers, especially after retirement.”

    No matter the efforts by the CJN to paint a not-too-bad picture of the situation, probably because he is a public official; he has driven the point home enough. Our judiciary is in dire need of financial independence. The point that is often lost on the two other arms of government – the executive and the legislature- is that the judiciary is the third arm and should not be seen as a mere footnote. The doctrine of separation of powers which gave birth to the three arms did not envisage a situation where one would be subservient to the other. Indeed, it was in the bid to ensure that this does not happen, and that there are checks and balances in the democratic process that the doctrine itself came to light. The judiciary it is that adjudicates between individuals, between individuals and governments, corporate entities and individuals and government versus government. It is referred to as the last hope of the common man. Where the judiciary is not free financially, any other freedom it might lay claim to is useless.

    The judiciary’s role is made more complex in our clime where the courts, rather than the ballot, are the last resort for the settlement of election matters. Democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people. This presupposes that it is the people who decide who should rule them at election periods. Unfortunately, it is not so in our environment where many politicians believe you should first commit electoral infractions and get power, and then go to the court to defend your illegality. This attitude has lingered apparently because they are hardly taught any lesson. Even when they were caught on video running away with ballot boxes, or when they are recorded thumb-printing multiple ballot papers  contrary to the ‘one man, one vote’ mantra, nothing happens by way of sanctions. We have too many sacred cows in the polity irrespective of the political party in power. The fact that such sacred cows who commit electoral offences or crimes are not arrested, or even when arrested, are not prosecuted to the logical conclusion has continued to embolden many others to commit such offences or crimes.

    So, it is to the courts that electoral cases are taken for resolution. Many governorship and other election cases have only recently been decided, with the courts upturning only a few. Right now, the presidential election that President Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of is still being challenged in court, with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) taking the matter to the Supreme Court.  In this kind of scenario, the judiciary has to be financially independent to be able to deliver justice appropriately. But where the judiciary has to go cap in hand to the executive arm for funds, it is likely to dance to the tune of the executive because, as they say, “he who pays the piper dictates the tune.”

    The struggle for financial freedom for the judiciary is not one for the judicial officers alone. It is a collective responsibility because it is our collective right as Nigerians that some people who have been privileged to occupy top political positions are abridging. In a country where legislators mindlessly arrogate to themselves emoluments beyond the ones envisaged by law, and all we do is bark and keep quiet after some time, and yet our judicial officers are starved of funds, we are bound to have the kind of challenge we are having with the judiciary. If the judiciary is not financially independent, if judges are poorly paid, then how do we expect that judgments would not be hawked for the highest bidder to pick?

  • eTranzact turnover hits N18.62 in 2018

    Despite the harsh business environment and plummeting consumer spending, eTranzact International Plc, Nigeria’s leading electronic and mobile payment processing company, grew its revenue by 59 per cent in 2018.

    The financial statement presented to the shareholders at its 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos shows that the company’s turnover increased from 11.68 billion naira in 2017 to 18.62 billion naira in 2018.

    Speaking at the AGM, Chairman, Board of Directors of the company, Wole Abegunde, said eTranzact has entered into new strategic partnerships and created innovative products that would lead to even better performances in the coming years.

    Abegunde said: “The Company fully understands the benefits of strategic alliances and the potential business opportunities these can create. We have fostered new relationships, enhanced and deepened existing ones and explored newer opportunities within the ongoing associations with existing partners. We are positive that our alliances will lead to improved performances in the years ahead.”

    According to him, the company’s product, PocketMoni was honoured as the Mobile Money Operator of the Year by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Interbank Settlement System in 2018, will continue to adopt global best practices in its quest to become a leader in both regional and global markets.

    The Chairman reinstated eTranzact’s unwavering commitment to strong corporate governance policies and robust risk management framework, which he said are critical to delivering superior value to all stakeholders.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Niyi Toluwalope, noted that the unprecedented growth in revenue was driven by the growth in the public sector business, the deepening of its financial inclusion and innovative product offerings.

    eTranzact International Plc, which launched its operation in 2003, has evolved into a global brand, providing cutting-edge payment solutions that are driving web, mobile, point of sale and automated teller machine payment processing.

  • National livestock transformation plan: Did we hear Bauchi’s Bala Mohammed correctly?

    Governor Mohammed quite unreflectingly, has added considerably to our problems of co-habiting in this country

    Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State must have sent not a few Nigerians into utter delirium when,  some two weeks ago, on Channels Television,  he waxed lyrical, authoritatively telling his listeners  how Fulanis  all over West Africa, are eligible  to participate in  the National Livestock Transformation Plan. Every question thrown at him to explain this dubious claim saw him telling Nigerians how every Fulani is a Nigerian because he, Mohammed, has relations in the Cameroons or such like inanities.

    Declared Mohammed  provocatively in answer to the question as to whether, like Nigerians,  foreign Fulanis  can also  partake in the programme: “Fulani herdsmen are nomadic, moving across countries within the continent. I think there is a lot of mistrust and misconception as regards the Fulani man. The Fulani man is a global or African person. He moves from The Gambia to Senegal and his nationality is Fulani. It would be inappropriate to stop them from benefiting from the livestock plan just because they are not from Nigeria. As a person I may have my relations in Cameroon but they are also Fulani. I am a Fulani man from my maternal side, we will just have to take this as our own heritage, something that is African. So we cannot just close our borders and say the Fulani man is just  a Nigerian. In most cases, he continued, the crisis is precipitated by those outside Nigeria. When there is a reprisal, it is not the Fulani man within Nigeria that causes it. It is that culture of getting revenge which is embedded in the traditional Fulani man that attracts reprisal”. “They are all Nigerians because their identity, their citizenship is Nigerian even though they have relatives from all over the world. So, presumably they are Nigerians because they move all over and have relations all over. That is why our population in Nigeria is fluid”.

    Some questions arise from the above: When on the suspension of RUGA by President Mohammadu Buhari and the Vice President , Professor Yemi Osinbajo, announced that “the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) is an initiative of the National Economic Council and that it as a comprehensive policy plan designed to accelerate the pace and scope of change in Nigeria’s agricultural system”, did he tell Nigerians only the bit he believed we would like to hear, deliberately leaving out the inclusion of foreign Fulanis? Did the National Economic Council factor the millions of foreign Fulani herdsmen that will , according to Governor Mohammed, participate in the plan, or is the governor merely on a frolic of his own, unilaterally incorporating foreign Fulanis? And since there is so much money approved for the Plan, a 100B at take off, is he saying that his Northern governor colleagues would all be throwing their states open to these hordes of foreign Fulani herdsmen? Or, indeed, can these people foray right down to the South, asking as of right, to benefit from the plan? Is governor Mohammed aware of the millions of internally displaced Nigerians the government has to cater for, inability to successfully do which, has led to foreign donor agencies lending support in various forms ? Is the governor unaware that Nigeria is initiating fresh borrowing modalities, e.g having to quit the Eurobond for concessionary funds, amongst others, in order to be able to finance her humongous budget deficit which is over two trillion? Does he know that the country is so financially constrained it is planning to create longer tenured bonds, example being an infrastructure bond, to be able to sustain the pace of its infrastucture procurement? Can the governor reasonably claim not to be aware of Nigeria’s dire economic straits that have seen some serious minds suggest a discontinuation of fuel subsidy even when such is guaranteed to inflict severe pain on a class of Nigerians? Is our dear governor un aware that over 10 million Nigerian children of school age are out of school, most of them in Northern Nigeria, or should the needs of foreign herdsmen mean more to Nigeria, than catering to the educational needs of these poor, young Nigerians who presently constitute a ticking bomb, as a ready recruitment ground for Boko Haram, and other anti social groups now mushrooming everywhere in the country ? Is it our health care delivery system witnessing, as of now, increasing medical tourism, or our education, barely attracting 15 percent of the national budget, that should be considered of less importance than the upkeep of the business of a foreign Fulani herdsman who has an elected government back in his country?Bearing all these in mind, is this the time for Nigeria to start playing the prodigal, especially to a group who come into Nigeria, armed to the teeth, multiplying our security problems?

    Were governor Mohammed patriotic, and less ethnically concerned, shouldn’t he be telling the federal government that it is time to ask ECOWAS to reconsider its clause on free movement in member countries so that we can at least resolve some of our nagging security problems? Shouldn’t he, in fact, be questioning the effectiveness of the Nigerian Immigration Service?

    Governor Muhammed’s take on what he calls the fluidity of the Nigerian population introduces a more menacing factor. One of the most potent arguments by opponents of RUGA was how it could have dramatically changed the demographics of the entire country with absolutely deleterious consequences on subsequent elections in Nigeria. Some even went to the extent of saying that before you know it, Fulani LGAs would spring up all over the country and bearing the history of the early 1800’s in mind, that Emirates would not have been long in coming.

    Was Governor Mohammed suggesting that foreign Fulani herdsmen participation will be limited to the North? Of course not , since he claimed, in his own words, that “Fulani herdsmen are nomadic, moving across countries within the continent. The Fulani man, he said further,  is a global or African person who moves from The Gambia to Senegal and his nationality is Fulani. It would be inappropriate to stop them from benefiting from the livestock plan just because they are not from Nigeria”.

    And by the way, what is the meaning of “his nationality is Fulani”? Is the Fulani, unlike all ethnic groups all over the world,  a country?

    What an attempt to harrass and misrepresent facts? Doesn’t every Fulani have a country of his/her own?

    Governor  Mohammed, by saying all these,  quite unreflectingly, has added considerably to our problems of co-habiting in this country. In all my writings, here on this column, and elsewhere, I have always held that we should not tire at  working towards a harmonious cohabitation between  all the ethnic groups in the country. Indeed, when it appeared like Governor Ortom of Benue state was becoming unnecessarily belligerent, I counselled that rather than accuse Fulani herdsmen for every killing in the state,  he should look no further than the internal militias concerning which he had severally accused his predecessor, and to resolve which, he declared an amnesty on his  assumption of office. Unfortunately, from Governor Mohammed’s Fulani exceptionalism here, we can infer that far more than the  Miyetti Allah people , many Fulanis, especially  in high places, are ‘ ad idem’ with the The Fulani Nationality Movement, (Funam) when that group  said the following :

    “We have said it over and over, that Nigeria is the only inheritance we have in Africa and anywhere in the world. This land belongs to us, from Sokoto to the banks of the Atlantic Ocean. This was the destiny bestowed on Uthman Dan Fodio which would have been fulfilled since 1816 if not for the obstruction of this great assignment by the British. It is no longer time to play the ostrish. Our men are waiting. We are eager to fight. We are boiling with the zeal to actualize our dream; enough of double dealing and ambivalence by Fulani political leaders who, unfortunately, think the Fulani can only take back what belongs to us through appeasement and elections destined to reflect cultural values antithetical to the preachings of Uthman Dan Fodio.”

    Given  the fact no Fulani leader, of any hue, condemned this rant by the duo of Badu Salisu Ahmadu, its National President, and Umar Amir Shehu, the fact that the governor of a top Fulani state like Bauchi believes that Nigeria owes non Nigerian Fulanis, this unearned responsibility, is proof positive that Nigerians need to take a fresh look at itself, restructure and thrive, or remain an animal farm and die.

    And this is  where President Buhari must have an eye on the future. He now has far less than four years to the end of his term as President of Nigeria and nobody, except him, will carve out for him, where his name will be located  in the annals of Nigerian  history.

    Again as I often say: I wish him well.

     

  • June 12: I was taking messages from Abiola to IBB and vice versa -Onabule

    Chief Duro Onabule, fondly referred to as ‘Double Chief’ by friends and colleagues, is one Nigerian who has a lot to say when the happenings of the nine years of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida as military president is up for discussion. Onabule, who served as IBB’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS) witnessed many events, including the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election results and the crisis that followed, leading to Babangida’s exit from government.
    In this interview with ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, the former Editor of late Chief M.K.O Abiola-owned National Concord newspaper, went down memory lane to revisit some of the most topical issues of the military era in the country. The respected media giant also bared his mind on the practice of journalism today compared to what obtained during his active days in the newsroom. Excerpt.

    YOU are a renowned journalist who has seen what it is to practice then and now. How will you compare journalism in your days and what we have today?

    I will say it is positive and negative. At our own time, there were so many handicaps which are no longer the case today. Your era is free from many of the difficulties we had to grapple with in those days. Of course, as we use to say then, those were hazards of the job and we saw them as part of the job. First, there were not as many newspapers, radio stations and televisions as we have today. So, the competition was so high. To get a job and retain the job; and of course, to compete with your colleagues, it was not as easy as it is today. This was because not many job opportunities were available in the sector because there were not many newspapers and televisions. Radio stations too were not this much. Also, the salary structure in those days was nothing to write home about. Yet we sustained our reputations so much that nobody could question our integrity as professionals.

    It is a different situation today, there are so many opportunities. So many newspapers, more radio and many television stations are all over the place now. I am not sure about magazines. I think we still don’t have many magazines. In fact, in those days I think we had more magazines than now. However, the standard these days, I must confess, is far, far, below what we had in those days. Professionally, there is no discipline in our sector anymore and nobody seems to be interested in maintaining discipline. When you pick up a newspaper today, you see poor headlines, grammatical errors, poor production and chaotic layout. Very disheartening I must say. But it is not all negatives. The feature pages surprisingly are now more innovative. Those planning the feature pages are doing very well. They are innovative.

    Of course, the facilities these days should make innovation easy. With the facilities at your disposal these days, the sky is the limit for you guys. That the production is now poorer as I mentioned before is an irony. Not just the better facilities, better working conditions too. The salary structure is far better than it was. There are more incentives that should serve as encouragement but yet, sadly there is not much to say in terms of discipline. The desire to maintain highest standard is surprisingly just not there anymore.

    You left the newsroom and joined the government as the first Editor of a prominent national newspaper to take up the role of a Chief Press Secretary (CPS). What influenced you to accept a job on the other side of the divide sir?

    The very good soul of Chief M.K.O Abiola should continue to rest in peace. He was the main motivation for me when I accepted to work with General Ibrahim Babangida who was then the military Head of State. I never met IBB before then. I was just writing my column and doing my work. Then in 1985, M.K.O, who was my boss then, came to my house and left message for me that I should see him. I had gone to Ijebu because when IBB took over government, it was a weekend. When I came back and was told, all I had in mind was that my job was over. It was unusual for him to tell me to see him. But when I got to him, he said, ‘Duro, congratulations.’ I asked him congratulations for what sir. And he answered that I am the Chief Press Secretary to Mr. President. I was surprised.

    I told him I am not interested as I preferred my job as Editor. He said ‘No, no. You have to take it. It is a prestige to you and it is a prestige to the company.’ I complained that I have never met IBB and he said yes but the new President is a good person and that I will like him when I meet him. He told me IBB told him to release me for him and he has assured him. All my reluctance was brushed aside by M.K.O as he insisted that I must take the job as he has promised IBB to get me to accept. I had no choice than to accept. But sincerely, at that moment, I preferred my job as an Editor and so much wanted to reject the offer and stay on as Editor. For about three or four weeks, IBB was still settling down in office so I couldn’t meet him. I eventually met him on September 9, 1985.

    We met in his office. He received me warmly and expressed his happiness that I agreed to take the job. I promptly told him it will be on certain conditions. He asked me to name them and I said one; the freedom to tell you my mind anytime on any issue; two; unlimited access to you. I can’t remember the third. But he granted me all my requests there and then. That was when I said, yes, I am ready to work for you. Those three conditions were applied all through my stay with him. They became very useful in influencing government policy; in changing government policy and setting agenda for government. I told him my mind always on all issues. Naturally, my decision to take the job generated a lot of controversies. Some people felt I should have taken the job. Others feel I was too big for the job. One of them even foolishly called me ‘errand boy.’ But many others were supportive of my decision. There was someone in Abuja who even told me ‘Duro don’t bother yourself, they are envying you.’

    But I was flattered one day in Abuja I was going when I ran into Alhaji Babatunde Jose. I greeted him and was on my way when he said ‘Duro, come here. I must apologise to you. I am one of those who criticized you for taking this job. But since you took over the office, I have seen a major change in the handling of government and media relations.’ I was pleasantly surprised. He was humble and honest in admitting that he was wrong to criticize me. And indeed, I initiated a lot of major shifts in the ways things were done. One was insisting that presidential broadcasts must be reported immediately. I went to IBB and told him that once he is speaking today, it must be in the papers tomorrow. He asked me how that will be done and I told him to leave that for me. He embargoed it and I set out to work.

    So, the first broadcast he made after that, that was on October 1, 1985, I release the text in advance and that same morning, it was in the papers, which is the standard all over the world. It was a novel idea then and it created a clash between me and the ministry of information. They were opposed to my releasing the text in advance. In any case, I was in charge and I took responsibility for it being released in advance. So when we came in from the parade, IBB said ‘how did you do this.’ Then I briefed him how it was done. I added that the ministry of information is not pleased with my style. He said ‘don’t worry yourself. I am pleased. Continue.’ That was the first paradigm shift I initiated. Also, same day, I was asked to announce a major appointment in the News Agency. If I had gone ahead, the appointee would have superseded his boss. So, I took it upon myself to explain the situation to the President. I told him and he asked what we can do. I said the appointment is in order but fortunately, there is an opening somewhere in the same organization. The Managing Director had just retired. So, I suggest me move the boss to become Managing Director while the appointee keeps the Editorship. And the issue was resolved.

    You used that position to influence policies and actions of government. But it is not the same way today sir.

    No, you can’t be too sure. Don’t blame them. You don’t know the efforts they are putting into making the government listen to them. I didn’t win every time I tried too. There were times I lost and I was not listened to. You need to be inside there to know what goes on. You can’t blame them. You may never get to know what they did to correct the situations you find wrong or what they do to make those in power listen to them about one issue or the other. It was because I was involved that I was able to do all that I did and know all that I know. In fact, every journalist needs such appointment to be able to appraise the processes of government policies and actions and compare with what goes on outside government. It is then you will understand that some decisions may be unpopular but they are necessary, while some are popular but unnecessary. Usually, it is a tough situation. When some people just sit down and they start lambasting the boys, I just keep my cool. That is why since I left office, I have been supporting all my successors.

    Let us talk about IBB and his government. So many sides of him are unknown out there. Who is IBB?

    IBB is largely a misunderstood person. And he has a mate in history  former American President Lyndon Johnson; largely discredited by the Vietnam War. That is all the average American remembers him for. Otherwise, he was the initiator of most civil rights reforms carried out in the country. But like IBB, everything about him is clouded by just one aspect of his rule, same with IBB. But for June 12, nobody has matched IBB’s record in office in terms of reforms. Take the third Mainland Bridge alone. Take that road out of Nigeria’s economy and you will understand its impact. Then look at Abuja the federal capital territory. Even SAP which was one major thing Nigerians detest IBB for, is one reform that saved the nation. The other name for SAP is deregulation of the economy.

    Without SAP I don’t know where Nigeria will be today. Look at the financial sector, in those days if you go to a bank to withdraw your money, you’ll spend four to five hours. Confirmation of your signature alone takes hours. Today, you just walk into the bank and few minutes you are out. That was deregulation by IBB. He did same in the aviation sector. In those days, to travel, you have to rely on Nigerian Airways only. You also book in advance. And when you get to the tarmac, come and see people running because it is most likely the aircraft is overbooked. IBB allowed the private sector to participate and the sectors became deregulated. We journalists also benefited immensely from SAP. It was the deregulation that brought about private televisions and radio stations. Before IBB, there was only NTA Lagos, Kaduna, Ibadan. He deregulated the industry and more journalists are now employed. He even deregulated the law profession. Because before then, you must apprentice with a senior colleague before you can set up your own chamber. Even the medical sector got deregulated.

    But the irony is that IBB is not remembered or appreciated for all these things. All we remember is June 12. As much as those who took over from him criticized SAP, they got into office, they could not reverse SAP. If it was unnecessary, they should have scrapped it. But the truth is that, though it was unpopular, it was necessary. Deregulation requires courage and IBB was courageous enough to do all these. But like I said, he is greatly misunderstood. The media especially didn’t help matters.

    What were the immediate challenges of your switch from the newsroom to government house back then as a media practitioner?

    Like I said, I got my blank cheque from IBB right from the outset on September 9, 1985. So, with the freedom and access I had to operate, it was easy for me to pre-empt possible harsh comments or backlashes. It made my job easy. It is either he agrees or disagrees. When he agrees, it helps to soften the ground in most cases. And when he disagrees, when events eventually happen, I tell him ‘sir, I warned you.’ And he would say ‘yes you warned me but we had to do what we did. And as the President, he would deal with the rest. That ensured that there was no pressure on me really. Then I made good use of my friends in the media. There was communication. I call ahead to explain government actions even before they start calling for government reactions. The approach helped a great deal.

    It is not as if today’s government media handlers are not trying. It is just that some publics are not easy to convince. But the change of government has destabilized some people and they just cannot come to terms with the reality of the change. So, there is greater need to explain government actions and policies more to the people. Imagine people who were complaining that Buhari had no economic team all the while. Then he constituted an Economic Advisory Council and the same people are still complaining. It is unimaginable. To many of these people, it is bad because it is Buhari that did it. What do they want the man to do? I am not saying the man has not made mistakes but some people will just not see anything good about Buhari.

    You left the newsroom many years ago. But according to you, you never stop missing the newsroom. What are those things that make you always miss the newsroom?

    First of all, our life as a journalist is sustained by instant knowledge of happenings around the world. When we were in the newsroom, we were getting it regularly. It is like the lifeline of a journalist. But once you are out of the newsroom, you have to wait till the next day to read the papers or listen to news before you get the same information you used to get instantly. So, that is a major reason for someone like me to miss the newsroom. Of course, I still write my column regularly. That is the same column I was writing in those days and I was accused of being used by the late (Chief Obafemi) Awolowo against the then military government. The DSS wrote a security report alleging that just because I am a Yoruba man from Ijebuland like Awolowo. Back then, it was like, ‘oh! It is Buhari that is harassing me.’ But my experience in government has shown that sometimes, the headman may not even know about many things being done in the government. This type of experience is very important for us all to have.

    I still sleep late even now. Moving from CNN to Aljazeera to Skynews ets is still a routine for me. So I don’t sleep till 6am or 7 am in the morning. And all is still in search of current hot news. I still desire to get the news before the newspapers are out in the morning. News is the oxygen of the average journalist. I still cannot do without it. If you are not careful, you will develop dementia if you fail to keep your brain working. Don’t overwork it, but it must be doing those things it is used to. That is the situation with me. It has become a part of me. I hate second hand news. I want it hottest Breaking news! If I want to write my column I start at about 11pm, 12pm and I write late into the night. I learnt from Awolowo that the older you get, the less sleep you need. I sleep as soon as I feel sleepy. If I get sleepy where I am sitting now, I just allow myself to sleep. Nothing rigid about it anymore, and in the morning just have my pap and get about reading newspapers and listening to music. I love music a lot. There is this lady, Sola Allyson. She is deep and I enjoy her music a great deal. Frank Sinatra is another musician I listen to a lot. Tunji Oyelana too. I listen to these people and you will learn a lot about the vanities of life, don’t just play music. Listen to the lyrics. That is when you will appreciate the content of such music. But sadly, the current generation lacks the ability to listen. They just dance to the beats and that is all.

    Looking back, do you have regrets both in your media and government experiences?

    I won’t say I have regrets. Rather, I’ll say the only thing I wish had been different was the matter of M.K.O Abiola not accepting the bail conditions given him while in detention. I firmly believed that he won the election and as such should not accept any condition that will make him give up his mandate. It never occurred to me that the man could die in the process. With all our education, we didn’t see that coming but the man we all saw as an illiterate, (Chief Lamidi) Adedibu in Ibadan then was warning about such possibility, urging M.K.O to accept the condition and come out first before claiming his mandate. That was one thing I regretted. I had the chance to talk to him then. But I just believed that he won the election and as such, let us fight it out. It never crossed my mind that he could die

     

     

     

     

     

    in detention because we were not used to such. How he died, what killed him, I wouldn’t know. But the fact remains that he died in detention because he rejected that conditional bail on our prompting. Another thing that worries me till today is ‘why should it be M.K.O to suffer that fate. For five years I worked with him. He is an exceptional human being. He was liberal and too nice. Why should such a man suffer such a fate?

    Also, I also regretted that while I was the CPS, I never knew NTA was in such a bad shape. They operate from porter cabins. No proper studio building. Abuja is the main one, go there and see for yourself. You will be shocked. Then the salary structure is nothing to write home about. If you know what the boys and girls put up with, you’ll be shocked. That is why they can’t give their best. They are not motivated to work at their best. They cannot retain their good hands due to this. And it is not the fault of NTA management. There are constraints. Without money, there is nothing you can do. You put up your budget estimate and it would just be slashed. We have to make up our mind whether we want governance or not. If we want governance, we must know it costs money. The idea of IMF or World Bank coming to tell us what we can spend and what we cannot spend is something I don’t agree with. They did it in France and the people took to the streets. President Macron was forced to abandon the austerity measures. Why didn’t IMF force him the way they forced us here. These are some of the constraints I talk about as regards NTA.

    There are those who feel he (Chief Abiola) shouldn’t have contested the presidency. What is your take on this?

    We always learn after the event. After M.K.O’s death, I’ve learnt so many things. For me now, there is nothing so rigid about life. When you encounter an obstacle, take it. After that, move on again. It is not a cowardly act to retrace your steps. Some will abuse you. Tell such people to assume your position and let us see how they will do it. So, many people who didn’t take part in politics died too. So, he may not have died the way he died, but we can’t say if he didn’t contest he would not have died.

    All through the June 12 crisis, what was it really like between M.K.O and his friend, IBB? You were close to them both at that time. Tell us what was going on between them.

    I can tell you that even at that time I was still taking messages from M.K.O to IBB and from IBB to MKO. Note that I had left office then. When M.K.O was underground, he was sending messages to me.

    So, they were not fighting?

    My friend that was what assisted me during the crisis. Here were two friends who at one time or the other, were my bosses. There was this stupid resolution from the then Ogun State House of Assembly calling on me to resign after the annulment. I told them I was not given the job because I am from Ogun State or because I am an Ijebu man. I was given because I am a Nigerian journalist. Secondly, none of them can claim to love MKO Abiola more than myself. So, I stayed put knowing fully well that even M.K.O himself would not want me to leave the job at such a time. He would say you don’t abandon your boss in difficult times. I know him that much. I won’t resign. He was that liberal. He would even say if he was the one in IBB’s shoes that is how I will abandon him. Naïve people are the ones criticizing me then for staying put back then. They don’t know MKO. In any case, if during the same crisis he was still sending messages to IBB through me, then they should know I knew what they didn’t know.

    You still look pretty healthy at 80. What will you say are the secrets of your good health in old age?

    I will say it is contentment. Some may see it as complacency. They may say after serving in government at such level you are living in this cubicle. They expect that I should be living in Lekki or Banana estate or is it island? It is all vanity. So, it is my contentment that gave me long life. I know people who also lived similar lives and they are alive too. We all love good things but it must be minimal. Enjoyment can lead to quick death unless you are moderate. Being moderate ensured that I never worried myself sick running after the vanities of life.

    And why didn’t you go into politics?

    At least in Africa, the best hands in politics are journalists and lawyers. I saw government at the highest level. I served at the presidency. So what else do I want? It is a thankless job. Forget those critics. Put them there and they will perform worse. All of them talking about corruption today, put them in charge of a project, half of the allocated fund will go to their pockets. And it is their voices that are loudest when it is criticism. Many critics grandstand in public during the day criticizing the government. At night, they are in government house to lobby for their dogs. If you get the appointment purely on merit like I did, you will be bold to face up and talk where needed. But when your appointment is given to you based on some cunny criticism, you will not be able to speak up afterwards.

    What is your opinion on the controversies surrounding the ongoing anti-corruption war?

    At least, two former governors are in prison as we speak. Number two, you need to know how much government has recovered from those who tampered with our money in the past. So much has been recovered. Just that the government is not spending the recovered money. They are worried about legal implications. Let these people go to court if they can. There are outstanding projects we can spend such monies on in the interest of Nigerians. We were just talking about NTA now. Let such money be spent on projects. But I disagree with the aspect of abandoning prosecution of politicians once they join the ruling party. That is not good for the crusade. That on its own is corruption.

  • Six finalists make it to DFA Bootcamp

    SIX fashion designers have emerged finalists at the Design Fashion Africa.

    The young designers who were part of the DFA online design challenge had their entries reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges and will now join the DFA Fashion Academy where they will receive training from some of Africa’s best designers.

    Design Fashion Africa had launched on September 3 with the goal of showcasing more young upcoming fashion designers to the rest of the world and help them commercialize their craft. Following a launch teaser video and an official announcement, the organizing team received over 1000 entries from across Nigeria. While there was some public voting for best designs, a panel had to sit through and vet all the entries to pick the very best designs from the lot, narrowing all applications to less than 1%.

    At the event hosted at the Eko Hotel & Suites, two designers were eliminated and while this was the end of the road for them.

    Following this event, the remaining 6 designers will undergo a three-day Bootcamp which will feature a fashion academy on the first day, a marketplace on the second and round up with a live fashion show on the final day. The fashion academy will feature training from some of the best in the fashion business in Africa such as Mai Atafo.

    Design Fashion Africa opens on October 3 and will come to an end with the live fashion show at Eko Hotels on October 5.