The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerians

  • Nigerians must be ready to storm this bastille (the National Assembly)

    ‘Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, are those who gain riches by unjust means.
    When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools. – Jeremiah 17: 11

    It is a shame of monumental proportions that  84 members of  the  senate of  the Federal Republic of Nigeria could,  in pursuit of  juicy senate committees, permit  themselves to be rail roaded into passing a vote of confidence  in  a man, albeit the senate president, standing trial on thoroughly scandalous charges before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Granted that Senator Bukola Saraki is presumed innocent, a more honourable group should have prevailed on him to step aside until his honour has been fully restored. It says so much for the moral of these senators, many of them brandishing, not only higher degrees, but membership of distinguished professions. Writing on today’s topic reminds me of Dr Segun Osoba, my teacher of unmatchable perspicacity, who taught both my Diplomatic History and Philosophy of History at degree level. Deploying deep insight and introspection, he had uncannily predicted today’s Nigeria way back some five decades ago. That wasn’t by magic, but the result of  clear-headedness and a principled stand on the side of the PEOPLE in their interminable war against the supposed great men of power; the despoilers of common causes, and oppressors of the flotsam and jetsam of society. Like most rational thinkers, my teacher voted for Holism over and above, Individualism.

    However, before we go into all that, let me most sincerely thank those who made my 70th birthday such an unforgettable and impactful event. This entire page will not contain their names but the good Lord knows you all. They made me an open book, saying what they know and believe about me as Olu Aluko did when he wrote on ekitipanupo: “indomitable is an appropriate word to describe Oga Orebe who, at 70, is still rugged, dogged, persistent and as ‘constant as the northern star – a man to admire and engage with, intellectually. Amiable and well cultured, he is a good example of what people should perceive of the Ekiti man!” I have since replied to thank  him while not forgetting to ask all the forumites, and  everybody  reading this, ‘to  kindly stretch a hand towards me in prayers  to the end that the Almighty God  will continue to instruct and guide me a right, to the last days of my life’.

    What the group of 84 senators is doing, holding up Senator Bukola Saraki as being superior to other Nigerians and should therefore walk away with a slap on the wrist instead of defending himself before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, completely stands logic on the head as it makes nonsense of the Hegelian postulate that the whole is greater than the part, and that the state is superior to an anarchic agglomeration of individuals, no matter what name they call themselves. In Hegel’s metaphysical doctrine – I don’t know how much of this our aspiring emperors of the Nigerian senate know – value, integrity and common sense reside in the whole, not in the part just as the eye is worthless when separated from the body. In the instant case, Saraki and his colleague senators, like the senate itself, are nothing more than a mere part of a country whose critical component are the PEOPLE. It is therefore numbing and defies all logic that Saraki, in being taken before a tribunal for his alleged personal transgressions, and having all the wherewithal to hire all of Nigeria’s SANs, can suddenly be equated to the whole senate as is now being mischievously claimed by the complicit 84 members, uproariously insisting that the senate leadership is being targeted and embarrassed. Senator Bukola Saraki, in case they truly do not know, is only  an individual and no amount of grandstanding by any number of bigoted  individuals, seeking after their own greed, must be allowed to shame the Nigerian judiciary as his mocking lawyers appear to be inclined. To succeed in that will mean that Saraki is a super man who can will whatsoever he wants on Nigerians. This is totally unacceptable and for every misguided pro-Saraki group demonstrating, there must be twenty or more, representing the interests of the Nigerian masses who remain victims of our politicians’ anti social devises. This tit for tat must continue until those misguided senators know that it’s inadvisable for them to hop up to Abuja, any longer, because they have proved to be enemies of the Nigerian people.

    For a whole sixteen years, these people, together with some who are now outside the power loop, but all the same luxuriating in their stupendous loot, ran this country aground, pauperising its peoples in the process. Now comes President Buhari, ready to right millennial wrongs since he appreciates that stealing is corruption but they think they can hamstring his administration. Nigerians say no. Indeed, they have a surprise waiting for them from the Nigerian masses and workers whose mere N18,ooo.oo  monthly salary remains unpaid for months before President Buhari came to their aid. It will be a shame of unimaginable proportions should pauperised Nigerians look askance and allow this ongoing Abuja shenanigan by a people who, by their own admission, earn unimaginable remuneration.

    In his defence when the EFCC arrested a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, it became common knowledge that these legislators, consequent upon a decision at an executive session on 30, March 2010, earn the following un-appropriated remunerations: Speaker – N100m, Deputy Speaker, N80m, House Leader N60m, Deputy House Leader N57.5m, Chief Whip N55m, Deputy Chief Whip, N54.5m, Minority Leader, N54.5m, Minority Whip, N50m, Deputy. Minority Leader, N50m, Deputy Minority Whip, N50m’.

    Is it a surprise then they have been fighting to the death wanting to grab these sinecure positions? These remunerations may have since been increased and Nigerians can only imagine what senators must be taking home quarterly from the national purse if the above is paid to House members. This, I imagine, is why they have now decided to distract President Buhari. And Nigerians just must say enough is enough.

    We must let them know that they lie if they ever think that through their continuing belligerence, they can cause anti-democratic elements to intervene because the civilised world hugely respects President Muhammadu Buhari for that eventuality to happen. Indeed, no soldier worth his commission will attempt that, having seen what transpired in Burkina Faso this past week. These senators, who are obviously not busy except  mounting a guard of honour  for Senator and Mrs Saraki wherever EFCC takes them, should find something  worthwhile  to do with their time. They should let Saraki be man enough to answer for his own actions. Saraki comes well prepared: a medical doctor, two-time state governor and Senate President.  His fair weather friends, as he would soon know, should allow him defend himself so that, rather than being remembered for those charges, history would record him as a man who stood up for his actions. Enough, too, of this chimera. Senator Bukola Saraki cannot equate the senate. He represents only a third of Kwara State in that hallowed chamber and the charge he faces is not against the senate as an institution. Those who are saying so should know that they are being laughed at all over the civilised world.

    For Nigerian politicians in general, there can be no better way of ending this piece than to quote Joe Igbokwe in his article in The Nation of 1st October, 2015 where he wrote:”Nigeria at 55 with Muhammadu Buhari as president provides a new window for all of us to sit up and be smart in re-ordering the way we do things. The massive flow of refugees from Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Africa into Europe should be food for thought for our leaders. Boko Haram insurgents, MASSOB and Niger Delta militants remain a big challenge to all. We must rise above ethnic sentiments in order to confront these threats and build the Nigeria of our dream.”

  • Will Nigerians be poorer in 2016?

    Will Nigerians be poorer in 2016?

    The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele had at the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting warned that the country’s economy could slip into recession by next year if proactive steps were not taken by the Federal Government to revive key sectors of the economy. In this report, IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF examines the issues

    THERE is no doubt that the current parlous state of the economy is one issue nearly every Nigerian has already come to terms with. Whether civil servants, manufacturers, teachers, housewives, single parents, artisans, students or even self-employed persons, there is nobody who haven’t tasted the bitter pill of the economy since the beginning of the year.

    But while many Nigerians are still at a quandary as to how to wriggle themselves out of the economic doldrums, those vested with the responsibility of managing the nation’s economy rather than providing answers and giving assurances to the hapless Nigerians, are themselves in a horns of a dilemma of sorts.

    The foregoing anecdote becomes apposite in describing the fears expressed by the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who at the last monthly Monetary Policy Committee meeting raised the alarm that Nigerians should brace up for tough times ahead.

    Clear and present dangers

    While addressing journalists shortly after the two-day meeting of the MPC meeting held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja, the CBN boss noted that the economy had remained fragile owing to various factors.

    For instance, he said the country’s Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate recorded a slow growth in the second quarter of this year, making it the second consecutive less-than-expected performance for the current fiscal year.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics, real GDP grew by 2.35 per cent in the second quarter of 2015, a significant decrease when compared with the 3.96 per cent and 6.54 per cent in the preceding quarter and corresponding period of 2014, respectively.

    Real GDP growth is projected by the NBS to stabilise at 2.63 per cent in 2015, compared with the 6.22 per cent recorded in 2014.

    The committee, according to the governor, however, noted that the impact of non-payment of salaries at the state and local government levels had led to reduction on consumer demand.

    He said while year-on-year headline inflation continued to trend upwards, demand pressure in the foreign exchange market remained significant as oil prices continued to decline.

    As a result of these developments, Emefiele said there were indications that some of the banking sector performance indicators could be stressed if these conditions worsen further.

    Specifically, he expressed worry that liquidity withdrawals following the implementation of the Treasury Single Account, elongation of the tenure of state governments’ loans as well as loans to the oil and gas sectors could aggravate liquidity conditions in banks and impair their financial intermediation role.

    These, he noted, could affect economic growth, unless some actions were immediately taken to ease liquidity conditions in the markets.

    He said, “The committee noted that the overall macroeconomic environment remained fragile.

    “The committee noted that liquidity withdrawals following the implementation of the TSA, elongation of the tenure of state government loans as well as loans to the oil and gas sectors could aggravate liquidity conditions in banks and impair their financial intermediation role, thus affecting economic growth, unless some actions were immediately taken to ease liquidity conditions in the markets.

    “Having seen two consecutive quarters of slow growth, the committee recognised that the economy could slip into recession in 2016 if proactive steps were not taken to revive growth in key sectors of the economy.”

    But what really is a recession in economic terms?

    According to Wikipedia, in economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction. It is a general slowdown in economic activity. Macroeconomic indicators such as GDP (gross domestic product).

    Kimberly Amadeo, a US-based economist says an economic recession is when growth slows down usually due to a fall-off in consumer demand. As sales drop off, businesses stop expanding. Soon afterwards, they stop hiring new workers. By this time, the recession is usually underway. However, it doesn’t affect most people until layoffs begin. As unemployment rises and consumer purchases fall off even more, housing prices usually decline.

    How real is this fear of recession?

    To many observers, the fear that the country may slid into a recession may be farfetched because the country had survived even harder times.

    One of those who believe the fear of recession is unfounded is Olawale Aremu, a public affairs analyst.

    Raising a poser, he said: “So Nigeria’s economy could be worse than it already is? I thought we had hit rock bottom already. The last time I checked Nigeria had been in recession for years. So what else is new? Nigeria is in recession already without realising it. People have not had it so bad. As we speak, there are no jobs, salaries not paid for months, there is infrastructure decay, social service and investment is terrible, etc.”

    Aremu’s comment finds sympathy with the jokes expressed by the late Pa Ola Vincent, former CBN governor, who led the bank from 1977 to 1982 when he retired.

    When asked to give a status report on the economy some years back, the foremost economist said Nigeria has been in a recession since the 70s.

    To parody the late Vincent, there is really no question of whether Nigeria is going to be in a recession. Nigeria has been in a recession since 1970s. Unlike other climes where many economic postulations work, Nigeria’s economic problems have defied many solutions which work elsewhere.

    Picking holes in MPC’s forecast

    Naturally, not many agree that the MPC’s pronouncement is the gospel truth.

    Raising the first salvo, Aniebo Nwamu, a public affairs commentator, while commenting on the outcome of the CBN committee meeting, described the MPC as doomsday prophets, and would rather the country ignore the doomsday prophecies rather than fear them.

    According to Nwamu, “The MPC’s statement should be the biggest lie told this year in Nigeria. Is it possible for Nigeria to sink deeper than where it has been all these years? The Nigerian economy has been in recession since the era of “austerity measures” in 1981. There is nothing worse to expect in 2016.”

    Waxing philosophical, he said, “He that is down need fear no fall. Perhaps the economists were referring to a total collapse of the economy-a time when everyone would be jobless and penniless. Such a day will never come.”

    Expatiating, he said: “Farmers, who comprise the majority of Nigerian workers, won’t be jobless; they may be poor but they can always get by. Small businesses will always be there. It’s the informal sector of the economy that has sustained Nigeria all this while. Besides, crude oil and the corruption that feeds on it have created a few billionaires who have more than enough for their children and grandchildren.”

    Echoing similar sentiments, Capt. Daniel Omale, said it’s becoming difficult to define how the CBN is steering the economy.

    While the government’s efforts to close all the drainpipes of corruption seem to be generating positive results, the CBN is lagging behind in its fiscal and monetary policies, Omale said.

    The best way to address the drift is to ensure the diversification from oil to other sectors.

    “Nigeria is not the only country suffering from the effects of low oil prices. Countries like Venezuela, Algeria, Kuwait and even Saudi Arabia are feeling similar pains. It is estimated that Saudi Arabia burns approximately $2billion a week from its $740billion foreign reserves. With a much smaller population, Saudi stands a better chance of weathering this storm than Nigeria,” he said.

    Citing an article in The Economist, Omale remarked as matter-of-factly that: “It is impossible to predict that far ahead, and the effects of even a far shorter slump are likely to differ from country to country. Qatar, for example, has so few citizens and so much money that it could, at a pinch, survive for years on income from overseas investments, such as the estimated $10 billion worth of London property. By contrast Algeria, with 40m people, faces a far more immediate squeeze. It ran a trade deficit of $8 billion in the seven months to August (roughly 7% of GDP when annualised) compared with a $4 billion surplus in the same period last year; its currency has lost a quarter of its value against the dollar.”

    Lending credence to MPC’s forecast

    To Mr. Jamiu Ekungba, former Acting Managing Director of defunct Trade Bank Plc, who currently sits atop as Chairman/Chief Executive, Royal Gold & Apple Direct Limited, an agent to TALL Security Print, UK, which specialises in security printing among others, the MPC’s forecast should be treated with the attention it deserves rather than being scorned.

    Apparently making a case for MPC, Ekungba said the step already by the CBN is in the best interest of the economy.

    Specifically, he said, a number of measures such as interest rate stability, among others have been in the nation’s best interest.

    According to him, some of the measures are normally to curb the ugly trends in the economy.

    “CBN has to come in to regulate the sector by adjusting Monetary Policy Rate. As a politician, accountant and former banker, it is not proper for me to say whether is fair or not. But as an industrialist, I know that there is no business that can thrive with double-digit interest.”

    Blessed assurance

    Interestingly, in the view of most of the economists, who spoke with our correspondent, recession may be possible if the government fails to take adequate measures to mitigate the declining growth trend.

    As suggested by Emefiele, the experts agree that the only viable option is for the fiscal and monetary authorities to stimulate growth in critical sectors of the economy.

    In the view of Prof. Pat Utomi, a political economist and management expert, the best way to address the parlous state of the economy is to diversify the economy.

    Utomi, who stated this while speaking on ‘Institutions, culture, and inclusive private sector rapid growth’ at The Platform in Lagos, said institutions set boundaries and help to reduce uncertainties. The forum was organised by Lagos-based Covenant Christian Centre.

    While noting the imperative of quality policy choices, he said weak institutions could be an impediment to the implementation, a situation that had seen the country move “two steps forward and four steps backwards.”

    A founding senior faculty member of the Lagos Business School-Pan Atlantic University, Utomi said, “We keep repeating our past experiences because our institutions are weak. Institution building is part of the critical challenge of nation-building.

    “Human capital is critical for economic development. Unless people are well-educated and have the right skills, we will not be able to make progress. Developing human capital is very critical.

    “Entrepreneurship is essential to wealth creation, and if we are going to grow out of the challenges that we face today, we will have to create value machines in the ways that our people think. Values shape human progress. Without the right values, you cannot make progress.”

    Utomi, who noted that every part of the country had endowments that could be harnessed to make the country a high-growth economy, said, “Just look at the endowments of our country; why have we for 30 years talked repeatedly about diversifying the base of our economy and have done nothing about it.”

    Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, an economist and Head, Investment Research, Afrinvest West Africa, is also on the same page with Utomi.

    “The Ministry of Finance will have to come up with ideas and policies that will drive growth in the manufacturing sector.”

    Pressed further, he said: “There are plans by the government to reflate the economy, and this will be partly done by identifying non-oil sectors that can drive growth. Before next year, we should have had in place policies that will drive investment and improve the economy.

    “I don’t think that the economy will go into recession; if nothing is done, it may; but I don’t think the government will fold its arms.”

    An economist and Head, Asset Portfolio Management at Meristem, Mr. Taiwo Yusuf, believes the economy may enter into recession faster than expected if the fiscal and monetary authorities fail to stimulate growth in certain critical sectors.

    He mentioned power as one of the sectors that the government might need to focus on due to its multiplier effect on the economy.

    “I cannot but agree with the Monetary Policy Committee that the economy may slip into recession if the fiscal and monetary authorities fail to stimulate growth in some critical sectors of the economy. It may come faster than we expect if nothing is done,” Yusuf said.

    He noted that although the economy might not experience any significant change over the next six to nine months, the long-term prospect was bright.

    “Government is already trying to establish development finance institutions, which will provide long-term funding for businesses and this will fuel investment and growth. We expect power supply to improve as well. I don’t think this growth focus will come with inflation because we have yet to reach our optimum productive capacity as a nation,” Yusuf added.

    A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Sheriffdeen Tella, said a considerable improvement in power and fuel supply would improve the nation’s growth figures in the coming months.

    As a result, he said it was very unlikely that the economy would slip into recession, but noted that the CBN was only taking precautionary measure to prevent such a trend.

    “If we are able to sustain the considerable improvement we are having in power and fuel supply till the first quarter of next year, the economy should recover by itself,” Tella said.

    The Head, Investment Research, Sterling Capital, Mr. Sewa Wusu, noted that the MPC had taken an appropriate decision by lowering the Cash Reserve Ratio on public and private sector deposits from 31 to 25 per cent, adding that the action would stimulate bank lending to the economy.

     

  • NIGERIANS IN LONDON The never told stories

    TAIWO ALIMI, who recently visited Britain, captures the untold stories of Nigerians living legally and illegally in London.  

    Clad in chunky overcoat and stretched fitting jeans worn over tight to keep away the biting London cold, Bunmi Adedapo (Not real names), dashed out of his one-room home at 4.30am to catch the early morning bus to his place of work. Adedapo works in the one of the biggest superstores in Bexleyheath, a quiet neighbourhood, 25 miles (about 40km) from London.

    After a quick check on his wristwatch, he realised he had only a minute to spare so he broke into a run. What happened next surprised the 48 year-old Nigerian, who arrived in London three years ago “I heard the blaring Police siren first; then, their unmistakable brightly coloured car with two officers crawled slowly alongside me. Instinctively I stopped and they jumped out with barrage of questions from where I was coming from to where I was going and why was I running?”

    Calmly, Adedapo answered these questions and more that came as if they have been rehearsed a thousand times. In between, one of them returned to their vehicle to punch in some information and after about 30 minutes-that seemed like eternity to the English graduate-he was allowed to proceed.

    “I wasn’t the only person on the street that morning. I was stopped because I am an African migrant and running at dawn. They assumed that I must have committed a crime or living in the U.K illegally.”

    Anthony Ayodele holds dual citizenships of Nigeria and U.K, and he has been living in Central London area for 10 years, yet he is not immune to the prying eyes of overzealous law enforcers. “I was on my way to office one morning. As I descended the underground station, I decided to video myself -something many people do every time. As soon as I reached the ground, two plain-clothes detectives pounced on me asking me to show them my video clips while identifying myself at the same time. I obliged them and after looking at the clips, insisted on seeing all videos and pictures on my phone. At this point, I declined asking if it was illegal to take pictures in the public. I quickly pointed at some people doing Selfie at that particular time.”

    Ayodele noted that they became more aggressive and if he had been an illegal migrant, he would have been arrested that instant.

    “I gave them my document and they had to ‘triple-check’ before apologising and allow me to go on,” added Ayodele, a seasoned journalist, who practised in Nigeria for two decades before relocating to the U.K.

    The treatment meted out to Adedayo and Ayodele by the U.K system is not uncommon for Nigerians living in London. “It is like the London weather: Erratic and unpredictable,” chipped in Adedayo.

    Two million Nigerians in Britain

    According to statistics obtained from the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK), it is estimated that about two million Nigerians currently live in the U.K and a sizable number of them, live in London. Their main abode is Peckham, a lively community in north London.

    Incumbent chairman of CANUK, Babatunde Loye confirmed that Nigerians daily live at the mercy of the U.K centralized system. He noted that Nigerians troop into the U.K ignorant of the immigration laws and regulations.

    “We have a system here where everything is concentrated on the government, in collaboration with the private sector. Therefore, you have to understand what workings to fit in. You cannot come here and think you can start work without securing work-permit and no organization will apply for work-permit without confirming you are residing here legally.”

    Loye is a manager in a leading insurance firm in London and he has been living in there for 15 years.

    “We try as much as we can to get all Nigerians under our umbrella so that we can cater and fight for them. I can confirm that we have over two million Nigerians in the U.K and there have been issues ranging from work problem, housing and feeding related issues. We try to pool resources together and address these problems. The reality is that many of our people come here without proper planning and they are stuck here. Some end up in prison or face deportation. We have a programme where we feed our people that are unemployed and homeless. Nevertheless, we can only do that for those who come forward to identify and register with CANUK.”

    Economic migrants

    From unofficial statistics gathered by this reporters over five weeks in London, it is observed that 90 percent of Nigerian migrants in the U.K are there for economic reasons. They come to search out the proverbial Golden Fleece and to improve their financial base back home.

    On the reporter’s first night in London, Fabian Eke, 51, an Economics graduate from a Nigerian University, was waiting for him at Heathrow Airport, to take the reporter to his hotel at Holborn – Central London. The Edo-born said he arrived in the U.K in 2000; and had worked as a store assistant and security guard. He now works as a cab driver with a major transport company with chains of businesses all over the U.K.

    “I am doing fine here,” Eke started. “I have worked as an assistant in a big store, then as a security and for four years now I have a stable job in a taxi company. I earn well to take care of my family and go to Nigeria once every two years. We have bought a house in the high profile Lekki in Lagos and I send money home regularly to my aged parents.”

    Asked if he is not troubled by the kind of job he’s doing? He snapped back. “You get paid well and on time for whatever job you do here. It is easy to plan knowing that you get paid. It is better than working in a big office in Nigeria and you are poorly paid.”

    Before the reporter alighted, Eke added quickly. “I hope (President Muhammadu) Buhari will fix Nigeria very soon, so we can come back home. Until then I will continue to drive taxi here so I can feed my family.”

    Adedayo, 47, decided to ‘bail out’ of Nigeria after 15 years in three media houses without financial fulfillment. “I am a graduate of English and I had to come to the U.K for greener pastures. I loved my job in Nigeria but it was not financially fulfilling. I’ve been working in a superstore as sales assistant for two years now and I’m fine. I send quality money home to my family and also planning to bring them here too.”

    As far as Adedayo is concerned, job fulfillment comes with financial growth and he is getting that as a sales clerk in the U.K.

    For Prince Efe Ereduwa, who has lived in the U.K for 31 years, he travelled there to study as a young man. He is now retired with a consultancy firm and a home to show for his stay. “In our days, we come to London purely to study and we stayed back if we get a good job where you are fulfilled as a young man. Today, it is a different story. Young Nigerians come to London for easy money and they are disappointed when they get here and see that you have to work extra hard to make money. Many have wasted their time and ended up in jail because they thought it is easy in the U.K.”

    He observed that Nigerians no longer work as hard as his generation again, hence the craze for London. “If you work hard and plan well for your coming it would be easier and you may get to do a better job that will be fulfilling for you. But, if you decide to come for the money, you will only end up like many Nigerians here; working in the store or as cab drivers and other unskilled jobs.”

    Uche Kingsley hails from Anambra and recently marked his 34th year in London. He was a top-ranked civil servant before jumping ship in 1981. Today, Kingsley is a ticketing officer in a superstore in London. “I came to London as a student, but it is very expensive now to come here for study. But it remains the best option; otherwise you are coming to London to suffer.”

    Emotional stress

    Aside  the feeling of second-class citizen, that permeates the air among Nigerian immigrants, sexual and emotional distress is also rampant.

    Mrs Rita Dimeji, 40, has been in the UK since 2007, she is a qualified nurse, and so getting a job was not so difficult. She works for a home that specializes in the care of the aged and she said she is fulfilled in her chosen field

    Her challenge however, is emotional. She lives in Peckham, alone, with her two sons; Labi (14) and Doyin (11) without their father, who has refused to join the London train. “It is not easy to live as a single mother in U.K. I have to work hard to train my boys because UK Welfare Service is watching, looking for the thinness of excuse to take away your children.”

    She also misses her husband’s intimacy and pays through the nose for the two tiny rooms they live in. “You cannot rely on a man here. Their goal is to reap you off as a single working mum.”

    Adedayo confided that since he got to the U.K three years ago, he has been under pressure from single mothers for sexual relationships. “I’ve been getting open invitations from women since I started work. Some of them are regular customers making passes at me. They are not genuine but only interested in your money. They have children from different men and are only interested in the child support benefits they get from government. It is another way women reap off men here and it is rampant among African and Latino women in the U.K.”

    Therefore, how does he ease off sexual heat in an extremely chilly climate? “I speak with my wife on phone every hour to keep me focused and reassure her because she is also under similar pressure at home.”

    To affirm Adebayo’s claim, the reporter went searching and met a Nigerian woman, who opted out of marriage for regular flow of child support settlement.

    Sade Williams (not her real names) booked her passage to London through her husband, a Nigerian with British passport. On getting to London, she became uncontrollable after having a child and within a year was out of the relationship. She became entangled with another unsuspecting Nigerian, got a second child out of him, and dashed out again.

    She now smiles to the bank every week to catch off her child support settlement.

    “I was treated badly by my men,” she stated, “and I don’t think I should stay put. The law here protects women, children, and the elderly and I’m much better without them (men).”

    High cost of living

    If Adedayo has a clear purpose of his coming to London, and would not part with his hard currency to women of easy virtue, he cannot beat the high cost of living in the U.K capital.

    For a single room that he lives in Bexleyheath, he has to cough out £100 pounds per week. That is £400 pounds (N120, 000) every month. In a year that amounts to N1.4million. Back home, Adedayo boasts of a three-bedroom apartment inhabited by his wife and only child.

    Mrs Dimeji shells out £150 pounds a week; £600 pounds for one month (about N180, 000) for two rooms in Peckham.

    “That is exclusive of water bill, electricity, gas, central heater, transportation, and other municipal charges. If you come to London and you are not working, I’m afraid you will have yourself to blame,” she added.

    Ayodele lives in Central London and pays higher than Adedayo and Mrs Dimeji. “I pay £200 pounds (about N60, 000) every week for my house,” he said simply while looking into space.

    He needed not to add that the astronomical standard of living is killing him and has deprived him the joy of bringing his family; wife and three children, to London permanently.

    The U.K system he complained bitterly has not been fair to young entrepreneurs like him.

    “I hold a British passport so I felt I would be given the enabling environment to excel in my line of business here. I relocated to London with the hope that I would be able to flourish my entrepreneurship. I have been here for 10 years, I have applied for several start up loans, filled many applications, written series of proposals, and attended several defences, but it has not yielded a pound. The system does not support Africans whatever the colour of your passport. It only takes what you bring and swallow it. It is either you conform to what they have to offer; which are menial jobs that their children pass off or nothing.”

    True to Ayodele’s assertion, most of the superstores in London; the like of Primark, Tesco, M&S, ASDA, and others are manned by Africans, Latinos, Indians, and Arabs.

    Mrs Ebun Folorunsho, 68, is battling rheumatism and ill-health from the extreme London weather, yet she told me she has to go to work to fend for herself. “I came to London 30 years ago with my husband, who passed on three years ago. My challenge is the cold and for some time I cannot move my legs. They get so stiff that I move around with great pains.” Mrs. Folorunsho plans to relocate back home in Ogun State this December.

    On the reporter’s last day in London, Eke (the taxi driver), sent him off with a parting shot  as he drove him to the airport, “The reality is that Nigerians in the U.K work extra hard to make ends meet under a harsh weather and system that look down on them. Underneath the façade that you see when we come home, is a heart willing to return home. I just wish they (Nigerian government) would make our country better.”

  • Why more Nigerians are buying private jets, by NCAA

    THE increase in the number of foreigner registered private/corporate jets in Nigeria has been attributed to lower insurance cover, convenience to secure crew as well the a ploy to conceal ownership, The Nation has learnt.

    Investigations reveal that many influential Nigerians, who have acquired private/ corporate jets in the last few years, have acquired them under foreign registration.

    Investigations aslo reveal that foreign registration of private/corporate jets will reduce the insurance cover significantly because Nigeria is considered as a high risk country.

    A part of lower insurance cover for aircraft with foreign registration, the owners of the aircraft in a bid not to trace the ownership of such luxury equipment to them request charter companies to manage such  aircraft for commercial utilisation, maintenance schedule consistency and other technical considerations.

    An industry source hinted that it is commercially convenient to dispose a private jet with foreign registration operating in Nigeria as opposed to an aircraft with Nigerian registration.

    He said the second hand value of a private jet with foreign registration is more valuable as opposed to a private jet with Nigerian registration.

    Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Captain Mukthar Usman, said there are 146 corporate jets in the country, of which only 46 are registered in Nigeria while 100 has foreign registration.

    Confirming the reasons  there is an increase in foreign registered private jets, NCAA spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, said the owners of such equipment consider many factors.

    He listed the factors to include lower insurance cover as well as how to optimise second value for such equipment.

    Adurogboye said: “There is nothing wrong with people giving foreign registration to their aircraft. All that is critical is that they subject the operations of their private jets in Nigeria to the prescribed rules and regulations rolled out for such category of operations by the regulator.

    “At the NCAA, we have a list of such aircraft and the conditions of their registration. But, investigations reveal that people give foreign registration to their aircraft because they consider many factors such as country where there is lower insurance cover for taking their action.’’

    “Some operators also do that because they want to conceal the identity of the aircraft owner; there is also the consideration for the second value for such aircraft. There are a lot of reasons.”

  • Next level indeed

    Next level indeed

    Nigerians devise new way to launder money: swallow dollars!

    Some years back, gonorrhea was seen as a disease of the famous in the country. At least that was the way those selling what they regarded as its cure in Molue buses used to advertise the product/s. The reason why the disease was so regarded probably has to do with the temptations that come with fame, some of which are irresistible. Attraction to the opposite sex ranks high. Since the idea of asking people to zip up was not yet common then, chances of people contracting gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were very high.  What the gonorrhea cure vendors were saying in essence is that should someone who is not too famous contract the disease, he or she had nothing to be ashamed of. He or she should just walk into any hospital or contact the local drug seller for solution. Today, despite the avalanche of churches and mosques, as well as all manner of campaign asking people to refrain from premarital sex, or have at most one sexual partner if they cannot flee from it, we have many cases of STDs

    Just as these STDs used to be the disease of the famous; so was money laundering, at least in Nigeria. Mere mortals could not have engaged in it because the stakes were usually high. Hence, it was usually heads of state, governors, ministers, etc. that engaged in money laundering. Some of them, including highly placed Nigerians, have had their days in jail abroad for engaging in it. But what we hear these days is that because some of those countries that they used to stash the money (usually ill-gotten wealth) have tightened the noose on them due to fears that such monies could be used for terrorism or drug-related matters, these rich Nigerians have now devised a way to beat the new measures. They are now said to be ‘warehousing’ those monies in buildings that they constructed specifically for that purpose. If this is true, then it is only a matter of time for us to be led into the new tricks of our big thieves.

    But, just as our big men are trying to find a haven for their ill-gotten wealth, some not-too-rich Nigerians came up with their own version of money laundering. According to reports, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) Joint Task Force (JTF) team has smashed a money laundering syndicate of six at a hotel on Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos. They allegedly swallowed $156,000 cash in a money laundering bid.

    What we were used to are stories about people swallowing hard drugs with the intention of taking them abroad to sell. Even when that started, it was strange to the rest of us who could never in our wild imagination have thought it possible or practicable for human beings to swallow hard drugs with the intention of excreting it later for monetary gains.  That practice apparently is still very much with us as the law enforcers keep making arrests that are widely reported in the media. But with advancement in science and technology, it was only a matter of time for the appropriate machines to be developed to catch up with such characters. Of recent, security agents have begun to arrest people with suspicious huge foreign currencies at our airports, with the aim of exporting such huge sums contrary to the law. Again, this seems not to be enough. But, like the Abiku (Ogbanje) and his mother who continue to engage one another in a battle of wits, those bent on making money, no matter how, have continued to deploy their God-given talent for even more sinister purposes. Given this new dimension, it would seem killing for ritual purposes too would soon be on the decline because many of those in the act are also being caught. Perhaps these are the reasons that made some other people come up with the idea of swallowing cash.

    Nigerians may not be the only nationals harbouring all manner of criminals, local and international, but we should hardly be surprised when our people are subjected to extraordinary frisking by security agents abroad because, if we have lost our own capability to be shocked, we should not expect others to be like us; and when they don’t, we should not be crying foul as if we do not know the extent some of us can go to get rich quick. It beats my imagination that people could be as ingenious as to even contemplate swallowing money. An equally baffled online commentator appropriately tagged it “Next Level Money Laundering”. I doubt if there could have been a better headline for the report.

    I wrote on this same page that for everything that God or man has made, there is always an adulterated version. When we talk about money laundering, it was not something for the hoi polloi; it was and remains a crime committed by the rich and mighty. But the poor who want to do what the rich do but could not muster the huge amounts the rich launder allegedly came together, with six of them trying to export $156,000. Even at a generous exchange rate of N220 to a dollar, the total amount is N34.3 million. Is this sufficient for six men to take the risk of swallowing cash? Many of those who swallowed drugs died in the process; just as many who are crossing over to Europe from Africa in search of the elusive better life. Yet, none of these is sufficient to deter others from doing same. Swallow cash? This sure, is more than next level in need. It smells more of next level indeed.

    The Nwosus, the police and jurisdiction 

    Even as the full and final report of what actually led to the abduction, on Monday, of Toyin, wife of the Deputy Managing Director of The Sun, Steve Nwosu, is yet to be released, one thing that has come out of it is the question of jurisdiction. According to report, when the marauders got to the Nwosus’ house, the husband placed calls through to the ‘Area E’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, but they did not respond on time because, according to them, the street where the Nwosus live is under Okota Police Division, which is outside their jurisdiction. I am not a policeman and therefore do not know how these things work. But I guess the divisions were created for administrative convenience and should therefore facilitate, rather than hinder efficiency. The Fire Brigade is a good example. When there is a fire incident, and you call the appropriate emergency numbers, fire fighters from as many as three fire stations could meet at the scene and collaborate to put out the fire. That, I think, should be the model. The police authorities could look at the issue again if that, strictly speaking, is not what obtains now.

    It is gratifying that Mrs Nwosu was released at about 2.20 a.m. on Thursday. But the family might have been saved the agony if the police division initially contacted had responded swiftly.

  • Don’t write-off PDP, Aruwa begs Nigerians

    Don’t write-off PDP, Aruwa begs Nigerians

    A former Senator, Ahmed Aruwa, has urged Nigerians not to write-off the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)) in spite of the massive loss it suffered in the last general election.

    Aruwa, who also lost in his bid for the Senate during the election, said the PDP still has the muscle to retake power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

    “ That APC defeated our party in the 2015 elections in the state and federal levels is not enough grounds to write-off the party.“

    The senator told newsmen after a meeting of the party’s stakeholders in Kaduna State, that the PDP would continue to remain relevant and organised in spite of the defeat.

    “ Our members are also working assidiously to achieve the established goal of a formidable opposition party.“

    According to him, the PDP still has hybrid leaders with requisite experience to provide Nigerians with a more focused leadership.

    He also said that the party was strengthening its structures to maintain its large number of supporters and attract more, ahead of the 2019 elections.

    Aruwa therefore urged memebers of the PDP nationwide to work closely to facilitate the party’s rejuvenation in order to reclaim power at all levels in 2019.

  • ‘20million Nigerians infected with Hepatitis’

    Twenty million Nigerians are infected with Hepatitis virus, a Gastroenterologist with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Dr. Mustapha Sabo Umar, said yesterday.

    Umar, who spoke in an interview to mark the Hepatitis Week, said 3.6 million people were infected with the virus in Bauchi State.

    He said it is contracted through contact with unsterilised blood carrying the virus and urged the public to ensure they are vaccinated.

    “Hepatitis has become worrisome because report shows that over 400 million people are being infected with the virus worldwide.

    “Children, especially babies, are supposed to be vaccinated to prevent contracting the virus. Once they are immunised, their bodies will develop anti-bodies that will fight the disease,” Umar said.

     

     

     

     

  • Six Nigerians among Saudi tragedy victims

    Six Nigerians among Saudi tragedy victims

    Six Nigerian pilgrims are among the  107 people killed in Friday’s crane collapse at Mecca’s holy site Ka’aba, Saudi Arabia.

    Kaduna State Task Force on Hajj spokesman  Saidu Adamu yesterday confirmed the death of a member of the state’s delegation.

    National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) confirmed the death of five other Nigerians.

    It named the dead Kaduna pilgrim as Alhaji Adamu Shuaibu Kargi from Kubau Local Government Area.

    Federal Government officials had on Saturday said no Nigerian died.

    Gombe State Amirul-Hajj, Abdullahi Mai-Kano, said four women pilgrims from the state were missing after the incident.

    According to him, the four pilgrims were from Akko, Dukku and Nafada local governments areas of the state.

    Mai-Kano said the pilgrim was injured in her head, but had been treated and discharged.

    He said the four pilgrims were declared missing after a thorough verification and bed checking in the three houses accommodating the state’s pilgrims.

    Authorities in Saudi Arabia had earlier on Saturday confirmed that 107 people died.

    The spokesperson for the Saudi presidency on the Affairs of the two holy mosques, Ahmad Al-Mansouri, said at “least 107 people were dead and another 238 were injured.

    [ad id=”403656″]Also yesterday, the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board said  4, 478 of the 5, 602 intending pilgrims from the state had  been flown to Saudi Arabia.

    Alhaji Nuhu Badamasi, the Public Relations Officer of the board, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that the intending pilgrims were flown to the holy land through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in nine flights by Max Air.

    According to him, the airline made its ninth flight with 530 pilgrims yesterday around 7. 30 a.m. with officials of the board.

    ‘’This brings the total of our intending pilgrims so far airlifted to the Holy land to 4, 478, while the remaining 1, 124 are still on ground waiting for their flights,’’ he said.

    Badamasi expressed optimism that the remaining pilgrims would be taken to the Holy land before the Sept. 17 deadline.

    ‘’We are appreciative of the commitment of the airline as it has kept to its promise and flight schedules since the commencement of the exercise’’.

    He, however, called on the remaining pilgrims to cooperate with the board to ensure the success of the airlift.

    NAN recalls that the airlift of the state’s intending pilgrims commenced on Sept. 5.

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Jama’atul Nasril Islam, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has commiserated with authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia over the deaths due to the collapse of cranes on the holy mosque in Makka.

    In a statement signed on behalf of Sultan Abubakar by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu , the royal father described  the  death of the 107 pilgrims as a great tragedy to the Muslim ummah (community).

    He said:”This is indeed a great tragedy to the Muslim Ummah specifically and the entire world generally.

    “This is a pointer to us that death is inevitable.

    “Therefore, we should be conscious of our actions and inactions, because death may descend anywhere, anytime.

    “We commiserate with the Saudi authorities, especially the custodian of the two holy mosques at this moment of grief over this tragic event.”

    The Sultan also expressed concern over the kidnap of his deputy, Sheikh  Adam Abdullahi Idoko by unknown gunmen.

    Sheikh Idoko is the Vice President of the JNI and Chief Imam of the University of Nsukka, Enugu State.

    While condenming the incident, the Sultan urged the government and security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the Islamic scholar.

    His words: “While congratulating the Ummah, JNI is also perturbed over the kidnapped of Sheikh Adam Abdullahi Idoko.

    “Indeed this ugly incident is strongly condemned by the JNI.

    “The JNI appeals to the government and security agencies at all levels to do everything humanly possible to rescue the distinguished Muslim scholar, hale and hearty, from the hands of the criminals.”

  • Osinbajo to Nigerians: your expectations will be met

    VICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo has assured Nigerians that their expectations will be met.

    Osinbajo spoke yesterday at the closing session of the 33rd Holy Ghost convention of the The Sword of the Spirit Ministries, at its international headquarters in Ibadan.

    The Vice-President, his wife, Dolapo and the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo, attended the programme.

    Speaking with reporters, he said the administration understood that there were high expectations, noting that they would not let the people down.

    He said: “We know that it’s been very good. I think that the nation has high expectations and I know that things are just getting better by day, and I believe that by the grace of God, all of those expectations and beyond will be met. So, we’re looking forward to more exciting times and great things for this nation.

    “We can’t talk about a policy direction in one year but I am sure that we all heard the President’s speech on the economy and what to expect in the next few days. What we’ve said about the economy, especially what we intend to do in the area of agriculture, infrastructure, power, roads; so much has to be done.”

    A lot of work has to be done in the next few months. So we will see a lot.”

    Osibajo also spoke on how the host Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries coordinated notable pastors in Ibadan to interview him on his candidacy and prayed for the success of the elections.

     

  • Endless verification killing Nigerians

    SIR: The verification exercises being conducted across the country by different agencies is having a great toll on Nigerians.

    The verification by the banks has not been completed only for the National Communications Commission (NCC) to come up with similar directive to Nigerians to go and confirm their SIM cards or have their lines blocked.

    Many Nigerians have had to abandon their businesses to queue up to get their SIM cards registered, wasting in the process, productive man-hours.

    The government should intervene and save the innocent citizens who are made to pass through hardships for no reason of theirs.  There ought to be better ways of conducting the exercise without the attendant disruptions to the day to day activities of citizens.

    The directive by telecoms service providers to disconnect anybody that has not registered his/her SIM card is even more unfortunate considering that most Nigerians have actually done the registration before.

     

    • Bala Nayashi

    Lokoja, Kogi State