One of the abiding arguments why people believe that politics and public service in Nigeria have failed is that many politicians and those in public office are not professionals. Even those with thriving businesses and professions, abandon them, on getting to high political offices.
It is for this reason that they do everything in their powers to remain in office. For the professional politicians, they commit the most heinous crimes even to the extent of killing people, apart from the normal bribery, electoral heists and general corruption of the system to win the next elections.
For the appointees, they do everything to bribe the next appointer. It is either they jump ship and start singing the praise of the next government in power or they become irascible critics that would make the most noise, a gimmick meant to attract attention to themselves only to shift their positions, once they are settled with the next appointments.
In fact, the country is replete with those who have been in power or its corridors for as long as anyone could remember still clutching their files searching to secure either political offices or board appointments even with all the evidence of age-induced infirmities written all over them. There are examples of those who actually went to the extent of selling valuable properties to raise money to induce and outright bribe those they believe could get them appointments.
Why? In Nigeria, people equate public office with arrival. It is never, to them, an opportunity to serve, but one that grants instant and boundless opportunities either to have full access to public coffers or position of influence towards getting in the dinner table to share the public cake without limits.
That is the reason for the sadness, bitterness and general sense of loss for them and those around them out of office, as opposed to the merrymaking and stupendous joy at the point of appointment. Because they abandoned their professions or businesses, they never believe that there is anything again in the country for them. So, those that made this loss possible become instant enemies that must be pulled down at all cost.
It is against this backdrop that the recent undertaking of Prof. Chinedu Nebo, must inspire and speak to a different paradigm, one that encourages life after public office. Nebo was at the office of the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, recently.
The former Minister of Power, was there to present, what could be the solution Nigerians have been waiting for, to be liberated from decades of living in darkness figuratively and literally, due to lack of, or at best, epileptic power supply situation.
Some fundamentals instantly come to the fore here. First, having been a university teacher and two-time vice chancellor of two federal universities, before becoming minister, he could be said to possess the credentials to look for the next job. At least, there are many in the corridors of power today who would likely listen to him, study those credentials and make his case at the highest echelon of power.
Otherwise, he could also become a bitter critic of the government. He possesses not only enough personality and public influence to get the right attention, but the intellectual and language power to say the right things that would rock the system and lacerate the government and its officials to no ends.
Indeed, being part of the last government which lost power, he ought also to have been equipped with the right sentiment – the bitterness of losing power to become a virulent clog in the wheel of progress, were he the ordinary Nigerian.
But not Nebo. He did neither. Nor did he take the numerous international jobs waiting for him for the picking, as he peers would have done. Instead, he retired to the quietude of his original enclave – the research room, to apply his knowledge, which he had gathered and horned over the years in the classroom as scholar, teacher and high office holder.
The result is that today, Nigeria may soon shout Eureka! For that singular disposition, a regime of 24-hour uninterrupted supply is beckoning.
He explains: “Before I ended my tenure as Federal Minister of Power, I had chanted to all who wanted to listen that the big power machines, those mighty turbines that are several hundreds of megawatts capacity may take decades to solve Nigeria’s power problems. And for that reason, we needed to do a lot of embedded generation – small scale power generators that will saturate the entire landscape of our country and help to bring about industrial revolution, by making power available at the beck and call of our people.”
The result, according to him, is the Power Seed Web (PSW) system, a system he described as not only science and technology at its best, but one that is 15 to 20 years ahead of the world.
How it works: The PSW in a layman’s perspective, according to Nebo, is designed to use the same quantity of fuel, needed to generate a small capacity generator to generate 10 times or more what ordinarily was possible. For instance, using the less than the amount of fuel needed to produce a 25kilowatts to generate 250kilowatts of power and with the possibility and potential of producing one megawatt.
He added: “The implications are mind-boggling. Number one, homes, businesses, industries, villages, agricultural clusters, manufacturing clusters, industrial clusters, schools, hospitals, campuses, you name it, can now get electricity at much less expenses.
“Take for example, you have one of those mighty generators consuming 100litres an hour and our system will use only 20litres an hour, you save 80litres an hour and in one hour, you save 160,000 litres, in a day, maybe you run for 10hours, you save 1.6million, you can imagine the impact this will have on the society. So, the days of the big size generators are numbered, as our innovative machines can save up to 80 per cent of the fuel needed to run them.
“Next, we have also designed and tested a power ovary machine and seed, driven by 100 per cent renewable energy. In other words, we have also designed one that doesn’t need fossil fuel or any non-renewable fuel to drive. That will be the next level production of our innovation and the implications are astounding – clean, cheap electricity, produced by machines, made in Nigeria, by Nigerian engineers. And this can be used for embedded generation in every part of Nigeria.”
The beauty of the entire phenomenon is in its simple operation. Unlike the big turbine that takes the space of a whole village, this particular one could simply be vehicle-mounted in an estate, a village or industrial cluster.
Then, gone would be stories of bursting and vandalising of gas pipelines that feed electricity turbines, vandalising transmission lines and stealing cables or vandalising transformers as have been the lot of the old system.
Besides, by the time the target consumers are cut off from the national grid, more power would be freed and the surplus used to service consumers still connected to the system.
The result – Nigerians will simply return to work. With that comes smoking chimneys resulting from rolling machines in the factories, restive youths off the streets, creative minds revving up, a thriving economy and ultimately, waking the Nigerian giant. How else is public service defined?
Onu described it as a futuristic vision, the type that turned Japan into an industrial giant, when they went for the option of developing smaller cars that consumed less fuel as opposed to the American cars known for huge consumption of gasoline.
Whatever comes from Nebo’s efforts remains to be seen. But what is evident so far, is that public office is not the only way to contribute to public service or public good. That’s the message.
•Igboanugo, a journalist, lives in Abuja.
Tag: Nigerians
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Revolution Nigerians have been waiting for
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Expectations of Nigerians in 2017
The hopes of Nigerians for a positive change in their lives were largely dashed in 2016, with the advent of the economic recession and the perceived inability of the Buhari administration to address the challenges facing the economy. In this report, Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI looks at the expectations of Nigerians in 2017.
NIGERIANS had mountains of expectations from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration at the beginning of 2016. The administration inadvertently heightened the expectations of Nigerians, when it kept blaming its poor performance in 2015 on the fact that it implemented a budget prepared by the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. But in 2016 when it ran its first full year budget, with a cabinet in place, Nigerians expected to see some urgency on the part of the government in tackling the issues that had reared their ugly heads. Sadly, this was not the case. Beginning from the delay in passing the budget, the foreign exchange restrictions that had an adverse effect on the economy, deterioration in the security situation and policy flip flops, the year was a lost opportunity to reset Nigeria and set it on the path to turnaround its fortunes.
The year 2017 presents another golden opportunity for the Buhari-led administration to make good its promise of delivering good governance and demonstrating that the improvement of the welfare of Nigerians is high on its agenda. So far, it is yet to make a bold statement in this regard. Experts say if it desires to correct the above anomaly and improve the quality of life of Nigerians, it must do the following:Better cohesion in governance
Nigerians want to see a better cohesion between the Executive and the Legislature. The failure of President Buhari to show interest in the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly at the outset of the administration is believed to be the genesis of the problems currently facing the government.
Many Nigerians are desirous of seeing an end to the Executive and Legislature face-offs, to help bring the economy out of the doldrums. If they can settle their differences in the interest of the common good of all citizens, then harmony will occur and progress will be made in the governance process. This would, for instance, bring about a speedy passage of the budget. Nigerians are suffering and the leadership needs to provide quick short-term interventions to keep the citizenry afloat before the long-term ideas they envision begin to manifest.Revamping the economy
From all indications, the defining struggle of Buhari’s second year in office is the country’s failing economy. According to experts, for the first time since 1995, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) looks set to shrink on an annual basis, as Nigerians struggle with the near-doubling of fuel prices and surging costs for almost everything else, including food. There is no doubt that falling crude prices, the return of militancy in the Niger Delta and, according to some, the current administration’s policies have damaged the country’s oil-dependent economy — which is now officially in a recession. Throughout 2016, Nigerians have particularly felt the effects of surging prices caused by inflation and the controversial cut of popular fuel subsidies in 2015.
Despite Buhari’s successes in the war against terror and efforts to recover looted funds, Nigerians’ unusually poor views of economic conditions suggest his presidency may ultimately be judged by his ability to diversify the economy, control inflation and promote job growth. In this regard, the expectation is that a seamless relationship between the Executive and the National Assembly will help the government in passing its policy initiatives into law.Cushioning effects of inflation
There is a widespread belief that the Buhari administration might be making a drastic mistake if it thinks that fighting corruption is a substitute for putting food on the table of Nigerians. The refrain everywhere is that two are not mutually exclusive and that prolonged starvation might even undermine the fight against corruption. Nigerians are hungry and are now more interested in seeing the President doing something to cushion the effects of inflation on them.
President Buhari, they insist, has often reiterated that he is wary of introducing policies that would increase the suffering of the common man. But, ironically, that is what Nigerians have witnessed in the last one and half years. From fuel pump price increment, to the increase in electricity tariff, to the implementation of the Stamp Duty and the planned tariff on phone calls and the looming hike in the cost of data, the common man have always borne the brunt of the policies.
In the short run, the Federal Government has been enjoined to put in more money into the pockets of Nigerians, by paying outstanding salaries and wages of workers, outstanding pension to retirees, and outstanding payment for completed and verified contracts.Corruption
Buhari’s historic election gave rise to a rare moment of hope in Nigerian politics, stemming from the expectation that he could crush Boko Haram and rein in the country’s debilitating corruption. While Nigerians are satisfied with the government’s performance against terrorism under the Buhari administration, the perception that corruption is widespread in the government remains prevalent. There is a growing call for the President to extend his anti-corruption campaign to his kitchen cabinet.
Nigerians are also hoping to see a speedy conclusion of the numerous pending cases of corruption; to ensure that people perceived to have looted the treasury are jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.Good governance
Beyond the fight against insurgents and corruption, Nigeria’s governance problems persist, and the economic situation is worsening. In the view of observers, the Buhari administration needs to demonstrate that it has the capacity to improve governance as promised. Buhari has only two clear years left in his term to achieve improvements in governance, as governance in the fourth year of a president’s term is overshadowed by politics and elections. What Nigerians have witnessed so far falls below expectations.Increased power output
The Buhari administration is expected to do something to improve the country’s generating capacity in 2017. The current scale of the country’s electricity deficit is daunting. Nigerians are groaning as power generation drops to about 3,000 megawatts (MW), as at early December. This was a sharp drop from the 4,285 MW recorded on September 16. The drop has been attributed to scarcity of gas and repair work being carried on at hydro power stations.
Against the national power target of 6,000 MW, 10,000 MW, and 50,000 MW, for short-, medium-, and long-term, respectively, the situation appears to have worsened in the last one and half years. The previous administration trudged towards meeting the target, reaching about 5,000 megawatts before it left office. Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has consistently blamed low output on the vandalization of gas pipelines that supply power-generating plants. But pipeline vandalization is not a new phenomenon, and while previous administrations have always raised concerns about the issue, it did not bring power production to the present low level.
Despite the recent privatisation of the sector, the industry remains a virtual monopoly. Though the old state distribution behemoth has been carved into 11 ‘private’ distribution companies, the industry by and large has not been deregulated.
In spite of the fact that they get only a few hours of electricity daily at best, consumers are groaning under the weight of estimated billings. As a result, they have enjoined the authorities to provide pre-paid metres; so that they would pay for only what they consume.Electoral reforms
One of the greatest legacies bequeathed to Nigeria by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan were the credible elections of 2011 and 2015. Nevertheless, the right to vote and be voted for in Nigeria remains beset with a number of problems. The setting up of the Electoral Reform Committee headed by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani is President Muhammadu Buhari’s response to the challenges.
Nigerians are still waiting anxiously to see what would come out of that effort. Past experiences suggest that the obstacles to genuine electoral reforms are deeply ingrained in Nigeria’s political culture. These, according to experts, are embedded in the winner-takes-it-all attitude of Nigerian politicians, which is informed by the prevalent culture of using public office as an avenue to amass wealth.
Observers say the Justice Mohammed Uwais panel report remains the benchmark for further reforms in the electoral act and that a full implementation of the report is the best step that can be taken. -
Nigerians must stop feeling sorry for Majek, says associate
A day before announcing his intention to quit journalism, notable showbiz writer, Azuka Jebose’s parting piece sparked venom. In a raging 3, 193 word article, the veteran writer and showbiz entrepreneur took troubled Nigerian reggae artiste, Majek Fashek to the cleaners, opening a can of worms that has been effervescent for about 10 years
Jebose was responding to an interview Majek granted a Nigerian newspaper in which he and a colleague, Charles Novia, were accused of defrauding the singer of his money and music royalties.
“I want Nigerians to please help me stop Charles Novia and Azuka Jabose from defrauding me. A lot has been happening, which I am giving a little tip. I have never had contract with Charles Novia. He put me in trouble with my American boss, even the Little Patience album; I did not receive a penny from it. The song was recorded by Coral Music, Los Angeles… Azuka is full of scandal. I have never had contract with them and they have no right to negotiate my business; they have been using me for too long,” said Majek who also challenged soul singer, Timi Dakolo of copyright infringement. “I also need Timi Dakolo to present the management he paid to and how much by going to use my song and earning money from iTunes and making money from ‘Send Down the Rain’,” he said.
This was not the first time Majek was accusing Jebose and Novia of defrauding him, but perhaps for the troubled nature of the singer, they decided to dismiss the accusations until Jebose’s snapping article of December 30, 2016 which he titled ‘A Prisoner Without Conscience’.
“Majek accused me of fraud. He attacked me publicly with vitriolic statements that were lies and hurtful. He further stated that I was a cab driver in America and he had been helping me survive,” said Jebose who gave graphic details of how he reconnected with the singer in 1997 when he was “on a mushroom mediocre national tour of America” and how messy the business reunion had been since then.
“It is time to respond; said Jebose, who said “chose to ignore his antics because a lot of people claimed Majek is insane so we must ignore him.”
“I didn’t know Majek would be in Raleigh until a friend called to inform me,” said the America-based writer. “That summer night, I came to Rocking Reggae early and Majek’s band was performing sound checks when I arrived. I asked after Majek from Mr. Donovan. He directed me to his then manager, Charles Dagastino. I walked up to Dagastino, excited and told him I really would love to see Majek. I had not seen him for over seven years. Mr. Dagastino directed me to a parked 15 passenger Ford van. Inside the van, Majek was sleeping on one of the benches of the Van. A superstar sleeping in a Van was shock and awe. Majek welcome me into his Van, barely awoke. He was gracious. He asked I stayed behind and we chatted, a catch-up moment between two friends, separated by the hustles of the times, then. By the end of the night, we had exchanged phone numbers. That was how we stayed connected for years.
“Majek called me about three times every day. He called at 7a.m some days, then at 2p.m and 8p.m. There are different personalities associated with each calls and times. I enjoyed Majek in the mornings: that was the Majek that was sobered, calmed natural, innocent, helpless and without any influences. Majek opened up during those morning calls about his life and misbehaviors, about the problems with his life, the challenges, the demons and how his mother’s death contributed to his instability in life. I was a great listener. Sometimes, I cried, just listening to him. His phone calls in the afternoons were mostly to demand for money.”Jebose, I beg I need some money. I never eat since morning. Wire me Western Union”. My records at Western Union would show and tell how frequent I sent Majek money as a brother and friend.
“Majek was careless about the success of his Nigerian entry, Little Patience, until Charles Novia pushed us to visit Nigeria. When the CD was released, I called Majek that his latest work was raving the music scene in Nigeria. But each time he called, he was incoherent, undisciplined and reacted erratically to our conversations.”Majek are you drunk?” I would ask most times. “Jebose why are you sweating me?”
“Okay call me when you are ready to discuss serious issues”. I would get frustrated and hang up the phone.
“In 2005, I went to Nigeria to reposition The Mandators. Charles Novia visited the media conference at Night Shift. Charles and I reconnected with the Majek project. When the ThisDay music fest was about to happen, my friend, Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo, asked if I would attend. I told him I needed Nduka Obaigbenna’s contact because I wanted Majek to perform at the festival… Few hours later, Novia called excitedly and inform me that Majek would be one of the headliners of the concert…
“We arrived at Nigeria one day late because Majek and I were thrown out of the plane in Memphis, Tennessee. Majek got drunk in transit and was misbehaving, trashing everyone and oozing alcohol…
“Throughout my relationships with Majek, I offered him management contracts and he refused. My ex-wife was a Legal secretary. She worked for one of the best law firms in this city. She was concerned about Majek’s residuals and royalties from his past recordings:” Why are you giving superstar money all the time. Where are his royalties to help him live?” She always asked. I called Majek and asked him about his royalties from Mango, Putumayo and other known labels that published his music? Majek had no coherent responses. Imagine a Nigerian huge reggae star that had performed and recorded with biggest world labels and world music stars, not able to have a consistent royalty from his music. Majek told me so many stories and accused a lot of lawyers of stealing from him. I asked him to send me whatever papers, contracts he had signed in the past so I could read and study them. Contracts do expire. Papers have a life span. But Majek would get angry and hang up the phone…
“In 2006, I was extremely frustrated with Majek and his lifestyle. I approached my friend, Tony Okoroji, for assistance with regards to helping Majek with sustainable living. “Jebose, the best you can do for him is registering him with COSON. His works would be protected and he would be paid royalties”. I registered Majek that day, using my address in North Carolina and listing Rita, his ex-wife as next of kin, incase Majek suddenly died. That same year, late Sonny Okosuns and Kris Okotie at various times encouraged me to bring Majek to their churches for serious prayers and spiritual healings. I informed Majek of these good deeds from concerned colleagues. He abused them: ‘Jebose, na dem dey mad’…”
With a voice of finality, Jebose said Nigerians must stop feeling sorry for Majek. He said: “Nigerians must stop wasting any financial assistance on Majek. He has a catalogue of music that could enrich his generation just as Fela’s generation. Let him be useful to his family rather than manipulate us. He is no longer a star, but a pathetic waste. Nigeria’s music scene terrain has changed. Majek is a homeless street pan handler star. How many people has Majek helped with his music? How many charity events has he ever performed? How many benefit concerts has he ever performed for the less privileged? None, because Majek is always the less privileged.” -
Nigerians are hungry, Mbaka tells Buhari
Adeboye, Oyedepo, Olukoya hopeful
Pope preaches peace
Enugu Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ease the economic pains many Nigerians are suffering.
The coordinator of the Adoration Ministry, who is famous for his fiery sermons, spoke at the weekend in his New Year message at the “crossover service”.
”Many Nigerians are suffering,” he said.
“Though the President is trying on corruption and security, Nigerians are hungry; they want to see more changes.
“There is the need to assist businessmen and women in their businesses.”
The cleric advised the President to appoint experts who would help him to revive the economy.
Besides, he should consult Church leaders and eminent men of God to advise him and tell him the truth about the economy, he said.
“We cannot reach him for advice because of the kind of people around him,” Rev. Mbaka added.
He urged Nigerians to be patient and be prayerful “as your sufferings and hardship would be over in 2017.
“Nigeria is set to be great again,” he said.
In Ota, Ogun State, the presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, Dr. David Oyedepo, urged Christians to obey God’s word to be successful this year.
Rev. Oyedepo, who spoke on Saturday during the night service to usher in 2017 at the church’s headquarters, said: ”In 2017, the quality of life of any Christian is dependent on the level of his obedience to God.
”The obedience of any child of God can silence every opposition on his life.”
Christians do not need to make noise to be relevant in the society, as they are distinguished by being obedient.
He said every commandment of the scripture was applicable at all times and to all children of God, irrespective of their denomination.
Bishop David Abioye, also of the Winners Chapel reminded Christians to obey to God as it is more important than the economic crisis facing the country.
Bishop Abioye his 2016 cross over message at Living Faith Church Durumi, Abuja, with the topic “Commanding noiseless breakthrough in hard times’’.
He said obedience to God had more relevance because it would naturally enhance the quality of one’s steps in life.
He called on Christian to practise God’s covenant of obedience to flourish even in hard times, adding that opportunities would still come because no circumstance on earth can render it useless.
“Covenant people that obey the Holy Bible usually flourish even in difficult times.
“If the covenant is on the path of grace, God’s covenant is committed to deliver it.
“The quality of your life is a result of the quality of obedience you give God; this is the time to be close to God.
“Seeking the kingdom of God first will always pay to the covenant of obedience like our salaries and allowances being paid,’’ Abioye said.
Cleric, Rev. Fr. Leonard Ojorgu, says the security challenges in the country will soon come to an end.
The Assistant Parish Priest of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ediba, Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Rev. Father Leonard Ojorgu, said during the New Year service that this country’s challenge would end “as God will restore peace.”
According to him, Nigeria would overcome its current security challenges and rise above its problems through prayers, obedience to God and good leadership.
The cleric, who drew his homily from the book of Isaiah 52:7-10, said Nigeria was faced with serious security challenges that needed collaboration of stakeholders to overcome.
He added that “one of the major problems facing the country today is insecurity. The North East has been under series of attacks by insurgents.
“The sect has carried out attacks on villages, churches, schools and mosques in the Northeast. But in this 2017, God will restore peace and unity in affected areas and the country in general,’ he said.’
In Enugu, the Archbishop of Anglican Arch-Diocese, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of tolerance to build a peaceful nation.
Rev. Chukwuma made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, saying: “no nation could develop under an atmosphere of hatred and unforgiving spirit’.’
He urged leaders to continue to preach peace and support the government’s programmes that would promote peace.
The cleric urged Nigerians to be security conscious “so as to easily fish out mischief-makers that are architects of the crisis in some communities and areas of the country’’.
Rev. Fr. Clement Mato of St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Mararaba, Nasarawa State urged Christians to ensure peace among themselves in the new year and shun malice to
promote unity.
He made the call in his sermon , stressing that Jesus Christ preached love all his life and Christians should to emulate him.
The cleric said: “Many Christians are praying for blessings and good life in this year, but how can we get all our heart’s desires in a world or country filled with violence?
“Some Christians pray against people who have wronged them, raining fire and brimstone on them in their prayers.
“As a child of God, learn to forgive and not keep malice; that is how love works and make sure you desist from sin to attract God’s blessings.”
In Abeokuta, the Ogun capital, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese, the Most Rev. Peter Odetoyinbo, urged leaders to be alive to their responsibilities in addressing the prevailing hardships in the country.
Rev. Odetoyinbo, in his New Year Message, said Nigerians needed to pray for God’s intervention “and for the fear of God in leaders as we look into year 2017 with revitalised hope’’.
In Minna, the NigerState capital, Bishop Martins Nzuokwu, the Catholic Bishop of Minna Diocese, urged Nigerians to seek spiritual revival to sustain good democratic governance .
Rev. Uzoukwu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, added that “prayers would greatly assist leaders to fashion out policies and programmes that would improve the lives of Nigerians’’.
He said President Buhari needed the support in his commitment to repositioning the country for optimal growth. He lauded the political commitment demonstrated by the President in dealing with the activities of insurgents in the Northeast and the fight against corruption.
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Who will stop Europe-bound Nigerians?
The number of Africans, including Nigerians, who perish in the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara Desert and the lawless Egyptian Sinai in their desperate bid to relocate to Europe and Israel, has become worrisome to world leaders. But, African leaders have not shown enough concern to the plight of these soldiers of fortune in their search of perilous greener pastures. Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON reports the dangerous trend.
No fewer than 140 Nigerians were recently deported from Libya for immigration and sundry offences.
Immigration officials were at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, to receive the deportees who were flown in a chartered aircraft that landed at the cargo section of the airport.
It was gathered that their deportation was facilitated through a deal between Nigeria and the International Office of Migration (IOM).
Some of the deportees who relived their ordeals in Libya expressed mixed feelings on their return. One of them was seen rolling on the floor and praising God for returning to the country alive. On inquiry, the female deportee said it would take days for her to narrate how she made her journey to Tripoli, the Libyan capital and how she was caught and brought back home with others.
On June 16, last year, 162 Nigerians were deported from the North African nation with the aid of the IOM in collaboration with the Swiss government and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.
According to media reports, rather than resettling with their families, 107 of the returnees decided to ‘seek refuge’ at a popular Lagos-based church.
The church authority donated N6 million to those affected to start a new life
But the number of the two sets of deportees is negligible to the number of African youths, including Nigerians, perishing in Libyan detention camps, those who lost their lives in the futile and ill-fated trips to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara Desert and the lawless Egyptian Sinai, where rebels and militants fleece such adventurous travellers of their belongings.
The unlucky ones, according to witnesses, lose parts of their bodies to desert criminal gangs for inability to pay for their freedom. Some die in the process and others get evacuated to hospitals by Egyptian security forces after they had been stitched up amateurishly by their tormentors.
So, the return of some of the lucky ones last month has been described an opportunity to pick the pieces of their lives again. Many of the deportees, who are bent on relocating, may have started nursing fresh ambitions to reach try their luck again. The allure: they believe their compatriots, who remit $35 billion home in nine months alone, were not specially born and they must equally “hit it in the land of honey as well”. But their wishes are not always horses as many European Union (EU) countries have one form of economic problem or the other to contend with.
With the war in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and others as well as the attendant armies of refugees crossing to Europe, it would be easier for a Carmel to pass through the eye of the needle than for Nigerians to get permanent resident permits, an immigration expert said.
For instance in Germany, from January to November, no fewer than 19,720 people were stopped from entering Europe, the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung (NOZ) reported, citing numbers from the German Federal Police. About 1,237 Nigerians were stopped from entering Germany last year.
A troubling dimension
From ages, it has been in human nature to move from one place to the other in search of safety, greener pasture and other gains. But the refugee or migration issue has captured the world’s attention more in the last few years than at any time.
The photograph of a three-year-old Syrian boy, who drowned in the Mediterranean and the flood of migrants into Europe, brought into public’s consciousness the need to do more to tackle perilous migration. So many Africans, including Nigerians, have passed through and still passing through worst scenarios.
The immediate past United Nations Economic Commission for African (UNECA) Executive Secretary Carlos Lopes gave an insight into the many factors influencing individuals’ resolve to look for existence beyond the shores of their lands.
Quoting official statistics, he said 250 million people currently live outside their countries of origin. The stock of Africans in those 250 million, Lopes claimed, is 8.5 per cent. In Europe, that stock is slightly above nine million people. For a population of about one billion, that accounts for the equivalent of 0.9 per cent of the continent’s population. He claimed that most Africans who migrate do so within the continent.
According to him, Africa has the highest intra-continent migration levels in the entire world.
Lopes said: “Not all seek migration due to ambition alone. Many are compelled to leave because they are in a situation of desperation. Conflicts provoking heavy casualties have risen significantly in the last six years on the continent. They are mostly associated with terrorism. Attacks by radical religious movements have increased 300 per cent since 2009.
“Exclusion of social groups has become the most pervasive governance problem Africa has to confront. Pastoralist societies are particularly hard hit as they struggle to adapt to fast urbanisation and growth of services in the economy. United Nations (UNHCR) has around 14 million Africans listed as ‘people of concern’, the highest number since statistics started being kept.”
Experts agreed with Lopes that opportunities in Africa itself have proven elusive for some, as they got expelled by fellow Africans.
Since independence, African countries have expelled other Africans 35 times.
According to experts, this lack of acceptance “makes the journey elsewhere, across the waters, hazardous, but potentially more attractive”.
Aside those who take to dangerous migration, there are also educated Africans, who take planes, rather than pick-ups in the desert or small rafts across the sea.
A former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Paul Lolo, blamed the trend on a combination of factors.
He said: “In trying to look at migration, we should look at a gamut of circumstances that motivate youths to embark on such perilous adventures. It may be as a result of political, economic or social factors.
“Generally, migration is a common thing in human species. It takes place always and has been part of human history. People move from one place to the other. It is only the dimension of migration today that has assumed a dangerous dimension – one may say very perilous dimension.”
On remittances by the army of African migrants, Lopes said: “One in every six university graduates finds a way out of their country of origin, making Africa’s migrants surprisingly educated.
That partly explains why remittances continue to rise, last year, attaining $71 billion, or over four per cent of the continent’s combined GDP.”
But, Lolo argued that African leaders must separate perilous migration by mostly unproductive migrants, who are ready to damn the consequence of crossing to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. He said this set of migrants only go to Europe to clean toilets, sweep streets among others dirty jobs. On the other hand, he warned African leaders to be careful on the way young African experts move to European countries.
According to him, the young experts are the leaders of tomorrow who should start filling critical areas for inclusive and sustainable growth.
However, an EU data show that an average of 83 Nigerians crossed illegally from Nigeria to Europe, daily, via the Mediterranean in the first nine months of last year. The EU said the daily figure was extrapolated from the 22, 500 illegal Nigerian migrants that crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe between January and September, last year. Many others also perished in the sea and the desert.
The President of the Italian Red Cross and Vice President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Francesco Rocca, said since the beginning of 2015, thousands of people from Africa, Asia and the Middle East set off from Libya and from other points along the North African coast and embarked on a perilous journey across the Mediterranean Sea, often risking their lives on unsafe vessels.
And tragically, in the last five years, “thousands of them died during their perilous journey,” he said.
How migrants reach Europe
The desert city of Agadez in Niger Republic is a popular route for migrants crossing the Sahara to Libya, from where they continue their journey into Europe via Italy.
Potential migrants board vehicles from their countries into Niger, from where they pay traffickers to transport them through the desert to Libya. From Libyan coasts, they embarked on the final leg of their perilous journey by boarding canoes, boats and smaller ships to reach Italian coasts in Sicily, Calabria and others.
But such journeys are always tortuous and many lives have been lost. Some ended up being victims of human traffickers, who exploit them, sometimes for years.
Under Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Yury Fedotov, in his address at the “Security Council Open Debate on Trafficking in Persons in Conflict Situations”, raised the alarm that “this terrible crime has acquired ever more appalling dimensions”.
Heightening concerns
United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama joined European leaders at the UN Summit on September 20, last year, in making impassioned plea for countries to fulfill a moral obligation to alleviate a global refugee crisis “of epic proportions”. This was despite a political backlash in the U.S. against absorbing those fleeing Middle East and African violence.
Obama and Ban Ki-moon who bowed out of office yesterday as UN Secretary-General, also convened a Leaders’ Summit on Refugees at the UN.
President Muhammadu Buhari has also frowned at the high rate of illegal migration of Nigerian youths to European countries through the Mediterranean Sea. Buhari spoke at the 32rd Annual Meeting of the Sahel and West Africa, organised by the Food Crisis Protection Network in Abuja, to mark its week.
The President, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, called for an immediate stop to the action by Nigerians, saying it was unfair to European countries.
He said: “We are pained when we see our youth across West and North Eastern Africa in a desperate attempt to cross the desert; get to Libya and cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. We consider it as something that must stop as fast as possible because it is unfair to Europe.”
In an interview with The Nation on the issue, the Executive Secretary of African Capacity-Building Foundation (ACBF), Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, said the Diaspora remittance cannot justify the inaction of African leaders.
His words: “It is unacceptable and we should accept responsibility for not being able to provide the kind of leadership in the continent that has to be able to really recognise that there is nothing worse than the young people in your country running away, not because of any other reason, but lack of opportunities or maybe they are running because of some sort of repression that is happening in the country.
“It is understandable that when there is conflict, people would always try to find security somewhere. It is outrageous to find countries, where young people, sometimes educated young people – who should be the backbone of the economy and who should be contributing to the development of their country – are willing to risk their lives. Many of them die in the high seas or in the deserts and a lot of them are treated like animals anywhere they go in the world. If anybody doesn’t see this as a great outrage, then I think I might be a minority in that case.”
Nnadozie, who heads the body founded by the AU about 26 years ago to tackle dearth of critical manpower on the continent, enjoined African leaders to take up this issue, “to really call a spade a spade, to recognise the sources and what can be done, either as individual countries or collectively as a continent, to help to stem the tides of massive migration of young Africans”.
On the notion that the porous nature of Libyan borders was the creation of western powers, who removed and killed the country’s leader Muammar Ghadafi, the ACBF chief said: “Blaming somebody doesn’t solve a problem. If you don’t recognise you have a problem, then you can blame anybody in the world and still have the problem. I did differentiate between those who are refuges running away from conflict that we see in Syria today, ranging from people running to Europe from Syria and same case that you mentioned in Libya and the rest of them.
“Forget who is responsible. What I am trying to say is, before Libya, several young Africans migrating towards Europe and a lot of them losing their lives in the Mediterranean Sea. We know because a lot of them are coming from countries in West Africa, some are coming from East Africa and some from North Africa. We see these things happening and cannot just sit down and say because there is instability in Libya, that is why they are migrating.”
Lolo said that television and print media reports, one is horrified how African youths are being wasted in their desperate efforts to escape the circumstances they found themselves in their countries.
Solutions to stem the tidal waves
Idea of African high level panel on migration
But concerned watchers of African affairs had thought that the Tenth African Development Forum of UNECA earlier scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year would have addressed part of the issue of migration. But UNECA announced its postponement to 2017.
The organising committee indicated that one of the strategic objectives of the 10th African Development Forum was to formally launch an African High Level Panel on Migration to galvanise action on the role of international migration as a vehicle for inclusive growth and transformation in Africa. It blamed the postponement on a transition that will be marked by a change in leadership in both the AUC and the ECA. It said new dates would be announced in due course.
Experts hope the forum will help in tackling the menace when it finally holds.
- Tackling root causes of conflicts
However, IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria Ms Enira Krdzalic urged the Federal Government to tackle the root causes of conflicts to end humanitarian crises.
She spoke in Abuja during the 2016 Annual National Dialogue with the theme: “Policy Coherence in Migration Governance’’, and sub-theme “Managing Migration and Displacement: The way forward’’.
According to Krdzalic, until the root causes of conflicts are addressed, Nigerians will continue to make desperate and dangerous trips across the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert in search for safety and greener pastures.
“The challenges of migration and displacement cannot be durably resolved without commitments to tackle the root causes of conflicts because if not addressed, it is bound to cause repeated patterns of humanitarian crises.
“Unless the displaced populations are effectively stabilised through adequate protection and assistance, there can be little hope in achieving sustainable peace,” she said.
The IOM chief advised the Federal Government to develop advocacy programmes against irregular migration in schools, markets, worship places and communities on the dangers of illegal migration.
Besides, she urged stakeholders to engage in a fruitful dialogue to proffer solution to the global menace of irregular and dangerous migration.
- Transforming governance structure
Lolo called for the transformation of African governance structure in such a way that government becomes more responsible and responsive in carrying out their mandate.
He said: “A situation where an individual perpetrate himself in office and lay claim to public office as a personal enclave is not right for peace and tranquility. On the other hand, when ethnic and religion tensions break out, all these display people from their homes. Also, without access to opportunities, tensions are bound to rise.
“African leaders charged with responsibilities of governance should become more accountable, must govern well and respect the wishes of the people – meaning, if it is time for them to seek the renewal of their mandates, they will be no manipulation whatsoever of the process.
“The process should be transparent, fair and very credible, so that those who cast their votes are not manipulated, people are not induced, and men and women, who are eligible to vote, are allow to exercise their rights willingly without intimidation. Leaders must provide better opportunities to the youths and must diversify the economies, especially in Nigeria, where we have depended for too long on crude oil.
“We must take advantage of our God-given opportunities to develop our economy and diversify so that every Nigerian will have better opportunities as well as those running through the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea in the most harrowing experience.
“It is like the life they are escaping is dangerous than the risk they are taken. But the truth of the matter is that the world is going through difficulties and there is no Eldorado anywhere. African leaders should be reminded that we are facing a critical situation worse than anything in the history of continent.
“It is incumbent on our leaders to rise against the current migration; not because the UN or the West is breathing hard on us, but because it is in our interest to enthrone the right and better conducive environment for our people.”
Paying attention to right education
Nnadozie said: “We have to ask why they are leaving countries that are peaceful and democratic, and are risking their lives to go to Europe, where they are even likely to meet worse conditions than the one they left in their own country.
“This must be addressed squarely by African leaders and I know the African Union (AU) is doing something already and I suggest that all of us have to join hands to do it together.”
He urged governments to pay attention to education, especially of young men and women at all levels.
Nnadozie said: “Many of the successful countries you see today paid specific and special attention to educating their population in the right way and making sure that they have the relevant kind of education that would help them to promote growth.
“For Africa, you need to recognise where the continent is coming from, immediately after independence many African countries did not even have any tertiary institutions at all. The kind of education that was promoted by the colonial authorities was not the kind of education that promotes growth in a continent.
“Education was promoted towards facilitating the colonial authorities’ exploitation of the continent. But today, you can see that the African young people are becoming more educated. They are becoming better educated and in large numbers.
“Having said that, we should also recognise that there are many countries and many educational institutions where we do not have the right quality of education that is necessary to assist the countries in achieving their goals.
“In other words, the quality of education is less and desirable and this creates a major problem both because it does not improve those who are being educated, the youths, who will be able to either employ themselves or be employable.
‘There are some areas in the countries where things are happening very well. But overall, it is very important for African universities to reexamine what they are doing so that they can be able to educate the African youths to be able to address Africa’s problems.”
On what ACBF has done to support education, he said: “ACBF has done well to support education overall. One of the critical things we have done is to assist the leadership of African universities by building their capacities in such a way that they would be able to better manage the universities and their institutions. They would be able to organise their curriculum in such a way that they would be able to put address the needs of the continent.”
Agric, employment and capacity building programme
As it tackles the issues of conflicts and insecurity, the Federal Government hopes to use agriculture to stem the tide of illegal migration.
President Buhari said: “We think that if we reorganise our agriculture better, many of these youths will earn a decent living at home rather than become an embarrassment to their host countries and to us here in Africa.
“We are not unmindful of our youths population here, hence the need to ensure that the agriculture sector is revitalised as soon as possible.
“We have decided that we will no longer rely on rainfall, we will create dams, water reservoirs and insist on harvesting food at least three times in a year.”
Describing agriculture revitalisation as a solution to the migration issue, the President renewed his administration’s support to farmers to boost local production.
President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Marcel De Souza, listed some of the developmental challenges of the Sahel and West African regions to include economic and political governance.
De Souza called on governments of the regions to invest toward addressing unemployment and food crisis, which he described as the bane to development.
Labour & Employment Minister Chris Ngige has urged the National Productivity Centre (NPC) and National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to help drive the Federal Government’s mass employment process.
Ngige, who was on a working visit to parastatals under his ministry, urged the parastatals to develop programmes that would drive government’s efforts at creating mass employment for Nigerians.
EU to fund Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia, others to curb migration
The Federal Government has announced a plan by European Union (EU) to fund a social intervention programme for the repatriation of illegal Nigerian migrants from the EU countries.
Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, who spoke from New York, said the government was also addressing factors predisposing Nigerians to migrate abroad illegally.
According to him, the social intervention programme by the federal government is going to be a very important component of the 2017 budget.
He said the social intervention programme for the repatriated Nigerians was with the aim of empowering them through skills acquisition programmes.
Onyeama said: “On the issue of migration, we have been discussing with the European Union about this. And you know we have a social intervention programme by the government that is going to be a very important component of the 2017 Budget.
“So, we are discussing with the European Union for looking at the possibility of them also investing in that programme.”
The EU offered $635 million to Niger for keeping a lid on migration from Africa through the Mediterranean to Europe.
It has increased financial assistance to Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali, as well as Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, among others to tackle migration problems.
The bloc has urged countries to prevent people from leaving for Europe, as well as to accept swiftly any deportations of those who apply for asylum in Europe with valid reasons.
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Be hopeful, Senator Tinubu tells Nigerians
The senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has urged the citizenry to be hopeful in the New Year, stressing that “expectations are great”.
In a statement felicitating with Nigerians on the New Year celebration, she said: “The year 2016 was eventful for us as a nation – our great country slipped into recession, inflation rates increased, elections were contested and won, and we made strides in the war against corruption and terrorism. There has been a revival of erstwhile dormant sectors of our economy, and several others too numerous to mention.
“The challenges we faced and conquered as a nation continue to reinforce our unity as a people.
“It is important to reflect on 2016, its highs and lows, its successes and failures, to enable us chart a course for 2017. It is my hope that in the New Year, we can let go of our complacencies and whatever forms of ethnic, gender and religious divisions are preventing our great nation from realising its full potential.
“The year is new, hopes and aspirations are new, and expectations are great. In this New Year, we must act to diversify our economy, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.
“We must embrace the New Year with a positive outlook.
“I wish all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, especially those at the Lagos Central Senatorial District, a very prosperous 2017.
“Nigeria will be great again!”
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Nigerians defy hardship, head home
•ATMs fail to dispense cash
Nigerians have defied the impact of the economic situation to travel for Christmas as many motor parks witness huge turnout of travellers yesterday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Motor parks at Jabi and Utako areas of Abuja brimmed with passengers all day with Mr. Jude Ugwu, Public Relations Officer, Peace Mass Transit (PMT), stating that people still preferred to travel despite the economic downturn and the increase in fares.
Ugwu said the PMT park recorded an upsurge of passengers on Friday which he described as the peak day for travellers.
According to him, what PMT is experiencing this year is the same as last year.
“We had a surprise because we were not expecting passengers to turn out the way they did this year considering the cost of fare and the economic situation in the country today.
“Eventually we saw a good turnout of passengers irrespective of what is on ground economically,” he said.
Ugwu explained that even though the passengers were complaining about the hike in fare, they had equally shown understanding with the company considering the fact that prices of parts had gone up.
He added that the only option available to the company was to increase the fare because of the fact that the buses often return to Abuja without carrying passengers.
Other factors according to him, are the cost of spare parts and prices of buses because the Toyota Hiace bus that normally sold for N9 million is now sold at more than N24 million.
Mr. Muhammed Hassan, Financial Secretary, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos Unit at Jabi Motor Park, said the passengers’ turnout was low yesterday as against the rush on Friday.
Hassan said that they loaded about 10 buses to Lagos and eight each to Ibadan and Akure on Friday.
According to him, “passengers are paying N5,500 to Lagos as against N5,000 we usually collect but Ibadan, Akure, Oshogbo are still the same N5,000 and N4,000 respectively.
Across the country Automated Teller machines (ATMs) were besieged by customers who were desperate to withdraw money. It was however a frustrating experience as many customers were unable to withdraw money due to cash paucity and epileptic networks.
In Osogbo, Osun State, many spent countless hours on ATM queues and were restricted to withdrawing only N10,000 only. It was a tough experience as many left in frustration.
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‘Indians learn from Nigerians how to be happy’
Mr. Sanjeev Tandon is the General Secretary, Indian Cultural Association and Senior General Manager, Group Projects and Administration at Kewalram Chanrai Group, Nigeria. He has lived in Nigeria for about two decades and spoke to NNEKA NWANERI.
Nigeria is a lovely country and Nigerians are good people. We learn from Nigerians how to be happy people. Nigerians are the happiest people in the world. I miss Nigeria anytime I go back to India.
Nigerians have potential, talent and capability. It’s just that the timing is not yet right but yet to come. The day will come when it will be the topmost country in Africa. It will be my pleasure to know that my prediction will come to fruition in the next ten years or more. Mark my words; it will be among the top five countries in the world.
Nationals of India, China and Nigerians are hardworking, intelligent and work almost 24 hours to reach their goals and that is all that is required to be a professional.
So what went wrong?
Nothing is wrong with Nigeria. It is only the timing and the time is coming fast.
About Chanrai Group
In Chanrai, we train our staff and give them a free hand to work and that is why there are people who have stayed here for more than 40 years and still give their best.
How long have you been in Nigeria?
You see, I am Indian but Nigerian at heart. I’ve been in Nigeria for almost two decades and my children schooled here before going to the United States of America to study in the University. Both my daughter and son are in University of West Virginia and they represent not only Nigeria but Africa. They love Nigeria and see it as their own country. While one is schooling in Boston, another two are in West Virginia University, but still I wish they are here in Nigeria schooling because it’s better off here. But now they are older and chasing their own careers.
My daughter, Tanya is the President of the African Union of Students of WVU. She was secretary of the association from 2010-2011 and vice president from 2011 to 21012. My son, Kashish is the Vice President of the International Students Association; events coordinator of the African Students Association and a member of the National Society of Black Engineers.
For the development of Africa, and especially to Nigeria, Kashish believes he was born here having come into the country when he was just a year old. I remember him telling everyone he was born here. He is also a die-hard Chelsea fan
Which Nigerian delicacies do you like?
I love that roasted plantain (boli) and garri (eba) and that soup with fish inside (ofe nsala).
Advice to government
Government has to take extra steps needed to attract investors since there is no available Forex and ensure that such investors have government’s confidence that their interests will be well taken care of.
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Olutoye’s successful operation on unborn baby has greatly boosted Nigerians’ image in US —Classmate Takon
THE attention of the world was focused on Nigeria recently for a positive reason. That was after one of the citizens based in the United States of America, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, led other medical doctors in a Texas hospital to carry out a successful surgery on an unborn baby.
But unknown to many, the journey towards attaining the feat wasn’t a happenstance. It was an achievement that started about 16 years ago with Dr Olutoye’s laborious experiments on different types of animals. This much was revealed by one of his classmates at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Dr Joseph Takon, who is also a medical practitioner in the US.
Dr Takon described his friend, Dr Olutoye, as a brilliant and God-fearing person, adding that his achievement has tremendously enhanced the image of Nigerians living in the US. “Of course, his feat has boosted our image in the US. He is a fine Christian and he attends one of our parishes in Houston. Incidentally, I had had a conversation with him almost 16 years ago when that procedure was still at the experimental stage. He was still carrying out those surgical procedures in animals like monkeys then. So, it is such a thrill and a delight to all of us who know him and have a common background that, that thing had become commonplace and is so widely celebrated. Of course, he has brought a lot of pride to not just Nigerians but even to the whole medical professional community.”
The pride about what Dr Olutoye has done as a Nigerian, according to Takon, “is the antithesis of what people know Nigerians for because the general conversation about Nigerians when they are mentioned in many places abroad is in association with fraud and things that are ignoble. But for once, we can reference him and say, see what a Nigerian has done. He is not the only Nigerian in that category. There are many other Nigerians who have made such great accomplishments in the field of medicine, technology, the market place. That has brought tremendous pride to all of us as Nigerians. For me as a person, when I see people who try to undermine our accomplishments, I point to the fact that every Nigerian is not a hoodlum or a fraudster. There are people of integrity and great accomplishments.”
If there is any human being that Dr Takon, who hails from Cross Rivers State, would ever remain grateful to, it is the late Mary Slessor who put an end to the killing of twins in Calabar several decades ago. He simply owes his being alive to the late missionary.
With the benefit of hind sight and appreciation to Slessor, Takon said: “The reason why I am alive today is because a woman called Mary Slessor came to my part of the country, laboured and actually died there in her effort to help save twins and then educate the society to know that twins were not such a bad omen. That’s my background. I started primary school in Cameroon, finished my education in Nigeria before going into private practice.”
Not forgetting how his life was saved by Slessor, Dr Takon, after his missionary activities that took him from Nigeria in Haiti, said he started rendering free health services to indigent people when he got to the US and found that millions of people didn’t have access to health care.
The medical expert who doubles as the presiding pastor with the City of David Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, said: “I left the country in 1996. I left as a missionary primarily to the Caribbean. I was sent by the Redeem Christian Church of God to Haiti. I was there for about four years before I transited to the US. In the US, as late as 2013, for instance, we had over 40million people who did not have health insurance, which was about 13% of the society. We have cases of under-insured too.
“So we have uninsured and under-insured. And that was part of the motivation for why President Barack Obama fought so hard to establish the affordable care where it became mandatory for every American to have health insurance. If you didn’t have health insurance for instance, it became mandatory for employers of big companies to ensure that everybody in their pay roll is insured. So if you didn’t have health insurance, you were penalised. Yes, indeed, there are some people in the country who don’t have health insurance and we have those underinsured.”
Takon addded: “In fact, before the affordable care, popularly known as Obamacare, insurance companies did not allow people who had preexisting conditions to register on their platform. So if you had a preexisting condition, you couldn’t find a healthcare provider. What happened was that a lot of people had to file for personal bankruptcy because when they went to the hospital, the hospital bills were outrageous and companies also on the other hand couldn’t take of the spiking hospital bills. So there were people who did not have health insurance.
“When I saw the situation, I set up a community clinic that took care of the under-insured and uninsured. I get resources to run it through personal donations, private donations and the church support to the clinic. Some people donate to the clinic.”
Apart from his concern about the health of people in the US, Takon also expressed worry about the state of medical practice in Nigeria. He said: “Two things worry me about the practice here (Nigeria). One, there is a lot of ignorance; ignorance on the side of the patients, ignorance on the side of some doctors. Two, there is also a lot of bad practice bad practice on the side of doctors.”
To stem the challenges, Dr. Takon said he has decided to kick off a weekly health radio show which will enlighten the public on issues of public health and answer many health-related questions bothering them.
According to him, “The programme, Vital Health, is a passionate call to give back to the society by meeting a very crucial need of the people back here in Nigeria. We all know how important health is, and the fact that the health sector in Nigeria is in bad shape. People die avoidable deaths all the time and so many suffer for so long from curable diseases either because the facilities are not there or they just do not have simple health information. For instance, people need to know the role their lifestyles, including eating habits, play in their overall wellbeing. For instance, more than 90% of hypertension cases (which affects about 20 million Nigerians) are preventable.
‘We want people to eat healthy, feel healthy, stay healthy and live long. The programme will address several health issues ranging from cancer to diabetes. Others include heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, malaria, among other diseases and health conditions and will be disseminated in simple ‘Elementary Four’ language, accessible to all. We would engage policy makers to see if more hospitals could be built for the people.”
He added: “We would also engage stakeholders in the medical field and see if we could get doctors to go to rural areas where there are no health facilities and treat the people. We would provide accommodation and pay the doctors for the agreed period of times as long as they will not abandon the people to do other things. I will also from time to time come with experts from abroad to attend to the health needs of the people in different parts of the country. “
“The programme will take off early 2017 on Star FM, Lagos, on a weekly basis and will evolve into a daily programme as well as running on multiple media platforms, including radio, TV, print and social media. The initiative will ultimately involve dimensions, including health communication, policy formulation and partnership with other strategic partners.”
On how he hopes to combine his job as a pastor, a medical practitioner, with his health communication programme in Nigeria, Takon said: “It is a matter of time management and managing my schedule. This is my philosophy: to whom much is given, much is expected. At the end of my life, I don’t want to look back and realise that the wisdom, intelligence, and the opportunities that God gave me, I died with them. I want to have divested myself in such a way that I know I have contributed as much as possible to those who I leave behind just the same way Mary Slessor contributed to my survival. That is my objective.”
As a resident in the US, Takon said he has no fears about the threat of the President – elect, Donald Trump, to deal with the blacks. “I don’t have any fears about Donald Trump and I will explain why. T.S. Elliot many years ago said the destiny of a nation is not in the hands of state men, but in the hands of the Almighty God. It is God who determines who becomes a leader. So if Donald Trump has become a leader, he is only there for a period of time to accomplish what God has determined for him to either accomplish or not accomplish. I know he said a lot of things during the campaign.
“Now, we are realising that some of them were just bogus political hogwash just to get him through the election. Some of them he has no plans to implement. Even the constitution and the structure of the fabric of America will not even let him carry out some of the wild fear-mongering promises he made. So I’m not bothered about him. There’s a constitution in America within which every leader operates. Donald Trump is going to operate within the ambience of that constitution. And as long as Nigerians live by the law, they have nothing to fear.”
Even though he often exercises faith as a Christian, Takon averred that he would never even as pastor advise any sick person to do away with his medication and exercise faith to get healed.
He said: “I don’t subscribe to the concept of not taking medications when one is sick. If you want to be well, get treatment and we will pray for you if you need prayers. We do the two. Every bird has two wings. My analogy is that these two wings are medicine/scientific endeavour and prayer/faith. So as far as I am concerned, any reasonably good bird cannot fly with one wing. When a bird uses both wings, it enhances the flight and the sustainability of that bird in the air. So for me, it is not a conflict at all.
“The Bible says when Jesus came, He went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil. Doing good can also involve medical treatment. If an injection is going to cure me of malaria, why do I need to spend three days fasting and praying that I should be healed of malaria? If a particular medication is going cast away the demons of particular diseases, why do I need to go on a protracted spiritual discipline when there is an easy answer?”
He further said: “When you even look at the field of medicine, a lot of the medical knowledge will blow your mind. Who gave people the insight to establish medical knowledge? It is God. When you read the Book of Revelations, it talks about a tree in heaven where the fruit is available for the healing of the nation. One fruit every month. Why did God not put a Bible to be available for the healing of the nation in that particular passage instead of putting a tree? Almost all medications are synthetic, they come from the manufacture and the synthetising of leaves, fruits and trees. So, I do not have a problem marrying medicine and spirituality.
“If you go to the hospital and your wife has an obstructed labour, what do you do? And if you keep praying and the baby does not come out, and then the woman ruptures her uterus and she dies, the baby also dies, what do you do? I have seen cases like that. You have somebody who had high blood pressure, and was advised to get treatment so that he can get well but he said he wasn’t going to get treatment, that he prefers praying about it. I told him, ‘your blood pressure is going up. Just take one medication, and your blood pressure will come down now.’ But he refused. Is it not better to take medication and be better because at the end of the day, medicine does not kill. It rather helps us to be healthy.”
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Buhari to Nigerians: don’t despair as recession’ll end in 2017
•President urges ambassadors to change Nigeria’s narrative
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed optimism that the recession will end next year.
He spoke in Abuja while opening an induction course organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for career ambassadors-designate.
Buhari told them they would be responsible for resources in their missions.
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We are optimistic that the external factors that partly contributed to push our economy into recession will end in 2017. Until then, I regret that the resources available to fund our missions abroad will not be as robust as we would like.
“We are working hard to turn around our national economy by effectively reforming our macroeconomic environment through measures, some of which were outlined in my budget speech to the National Assembly last week.”
Noting the prevailing circumstances have led to a restructuring of missions abroad, Buhari told the ambassadors-designate: ‘’As we are making great sacrifices at home, we also expect you to similarly make judicious use of resources put at the disposal of your missions.
“As heads of missions, you will be held accountable for the utilisation of resources under your control. These are lean times, and we are expected to do more with less.”
He urged them to change the narrative of Nigeria outside the country by playing up the positive values and contributions of Nigerians in the global arena.
He said: “I want to emphasise your duty to change the narrative of Nigeria as seen by the outside world. For too long, we have allowed Nigeria to be defined by others, always emphasising things negative. To the average foreigner, Nigeria evokes 419, terrorism, militancy, communal and religious clashes, insecurity, corruption and other faults.
“You have to correct this narrative by taking the initiative to define and portray our country for what it truly is. We are a nation of 180 million vibrant, enterprising, hardworking, hospitable and peaceful people. We are a remarkable nation that has succeeded in harnessing our multiple diversities as strength, such that we are the leading country on the continent.
“Therefore, you will need to mobilise, sensitise and motivate your staff so together you engage with your host governments, private sector and other segments of the society to explain that Nigeria is much more than the negative image portrayed to them.”
The President enjoined them to leverage on achievements of Nigerians here and in diaspora.
“Think of people like Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Chinedu Echeruo, who founded Hotspot application, which he sold to Apple for over a billion dollars; think of Bayo Ogunlesi, who runs over a billion dollar infrastructure fund and is now adviser to United States (U.S.) President-elect; and Jelani Aliyu, an accomplished car designer at General Motors. Indeed, these and other hardworking Nigerian professionals in the diaspora have never forgotten their roots and have been making significant contributions to their communities back home and even to our economy through their huge remittances.”
He urged them to sustain the work ethic characterised by the love of the country, professionalism, excellence, integrity and honour associated with the “Nigerian diplomatic tradition established in 1957 by the pioneers of the Nigerian Foreign Service, sometimes referred to as the ‘Twelve Apostles’ and “bequeath same to succeeding generations”.
Buhari advised the ambassadors-designate to stress Nigeria’s commitment to international peace and security through contributions “to nearly every UN peace-keeping initiative since 1960”.
“In addition, we are the stabilisers and shock absorbers of West Africa, having helped to contain potentially de-stabilising developments in the sub-region,” he said.
He urged them to always be mindful of national priorities that “revolve around the economy, security, anti-corruption, good governance, agricultural transformation and infrastructural development, including rail, roads and power” and use their roles “as principal representatives to build meaningful partnerships to attract foreign investments, new skills and technologies.”