The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerians

  • Obama to Nigerians: reject violence

    Obama to Nigerians: reject violence

    United States President Barack Obama has urged Nigerians to be peaceful, no matter who wins Saturday’s election.

    Obama, in his message to Nigerians ahead of the crucial elections, also reminded Nigerians that violence has no place in the democratic process.

    He urged political leaders and candidates not to incite, support or engage in any kind of violence—before, during or after the votes are counted.

    The message reads: “  I call on all Nigerians to peacefully express your views and to reject the voices of those who call for violence.  And when elections are free and fair, it is the responsibility of all citizens to help keep the peace, no matter who wins.

    ”Successful elections and democratic progress will help Nigeria meet the urgent challenges you face today.  Boko Haram—a brutal terrorist group that kills innocent men, women and children—must be stopped.  Hundreds of kidnapped children deserve to be returned to their families.  Nigerians who have been forced to flee deserve to return to their homes.  Boko Haram wants to destroy Nigeria and all that you have worked to build.  By casting your ballot, you can help secure your nation’s progress.

    “Nigeria is a great nation and you can be proud of the progress you’ve made.  Together, you won your independence, emerged from military rule, and strengthened democratic institutions.  You’ve strived to overcome division and to turn Nigeria’s diversity into a source of strength.  You’ve worked hard to improve the lives of your families and to build the largest economy in Africa.

    ”Now you have a historic opportunity to help write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress—by voting in the upcoming elections.  For elections to be credible, they must be free, fair and peaceful.  All Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear.

    ”So I call on all leaders and candidates to make it clear to their supporters that violence has no place in democratic elections—and that they will not incite, support or engage in any kind of violence—before, during, or after the votes are counted.  I call on all Nigerians to peacefully express your views and to reject the voices of those who call for violence.  And when elections are free and fair, it is the responsibility of all citizens to help keep the peace, no matter who wins.

    ”I’m told that there is a saying in your country: to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.  Today, I urge all Nigerians—from all religions, all ethnic groups, and all regions—to come together and keep Nigeria one.  And in this task of advancing the security, prosperity, and human rights of all Nigerians, you will continue to have a friend and partner in the United States of America.”

  • Nigerians let’s give peace a chance

    Hopefully as you read this, we are in the final week of this year’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. While I was writing, the certainty of the elections, slated for next Saturday, was a mere hope; considering the man-made uncertainties surrounding the polls. In this era of so called social media, the anonymity of a crowd has transmuted into the anonymity of the social media practitioner, with its grave consequences. Now, all shades of persons hide under the social media, to wreck emotional havoc on the society, through character assassination, tempestuous mass hysteria, multiple mudsling, uncreative falsehood, integrity hacking, false innuendo, outright libel, you name it.

    But the determined hangmen of this political era, are not anonymous. They are in the open. They are either supporting or within the political parties. Even they, also employ the tools of the social media to recklessly drive their poisoned screw into the thumbing heart of the social space. As I write this, the integrity of the electoral process has been so badly maligned that many Nigerians now see the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a villains’ empire. Yet, even where the hangmen are dangerously determined to have their way, we must rely on INEC to conduct the elections.

    So, now we are faced with submitting our country, pregnant with multiple babies, to a midwife that many have openly referred to as a quack, compromised and incapacitated umpire. Having so recklessly maligned the integrity of the midwife, the challenge now starring us in the face is, how can we accept that the new baby that will be presented after the delivery, has not been switched? For the midwife, whose confidence has been so heavily shaken, can she confidently apply her skills to the best of her ability, even when her best efforts will most likely be challenged?

    In employing the tools of her trade, like the card reader, what will Nigerians say or do, where some of the card readers unexpectedly malfunction, without any person haven pre-planned it? This is particularly scary, considering that while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written off the card readers as a compromised instrument, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has claimed that card jamming equipment have been procured, to frustrate the exercise. So, where we have an accidental malfunction of a number of the card readers in any state, will it not be interpreted to suit the written script?

    Because the parties are determined to have their way at all cost, the integrity of the chairman of the electoral commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, has been so badly damaged that he is now perhaps worth a penny, in the eyes of his many detractors. Yet, the INEC boss is the chief returning officer of the presidential election. So, unless he has a magic wand to whip the partisans in, to accept the results of the elections, there is the great likelihood that whatever results he announces after the elections will be dismissed as a fraud, with its huge consequences.

    Considering the weight of insults heaped on the head of the electoral chief, it is a miracle that he still works upright, without at least a hunch back. For many others, the real miracle is that as I write this piece, Professor Jega remains the chairman of INEC, despite the unprecedented hue and cry against his stay in office. Unfortunately the script against Jega was modelled from that made against his predecessor in office, the former INEC boss, Professor Maurice Iwu. Then as now, Nigerians are urging President Goodluck Jonathan to usurp lawful legislative powers, in exercise of constitutional powers.

    In an effort to hack Prof Jega to smith screens, the integrity hackers alleged all manner of perfidy against the man. Some had done their damage without any inkling as to the collateral consequences their action has foisted on the entire process. Recently as I watched Jega walking tiredly within the prescient of seat of the federal power, Aso Rock, Abuja, I could visualiSe the heavy chains dragging his feet as he dragged himself to the finishing line. But for a birthday congratulatory message showing him as being in his 50s, his recent gait had given him off as being in his seventies.

    Even as our sights are set on the presidential election, the states and the constituencies are no less combustible. For many, it is a zero sum game. A do or die affair. Of course, if Hon. Nduka Elumelu, a member of the House of Representatives, could, without duress, confess to a bewildered country, that he willingly gave out a humongous N 750 million to a well-heeled political tout, for a political pie in the sky, Nigerians would understand the reasons for the dreadful desperation to win, regardless of the preferences of voters.

    As recent events have shown, our common resources have come to the rescue of those who are already on the brink of personal bankruptcy. Since the unconscionable hard work of the contestants to win at all costs have now colluded with the civil elites’determination to gain materially from that desperation, the ordinary Nigerians and our national and state treasuries have willy-nilly, joined the desperados to the Ides of March. As is already clear to all and sundry, our national bankruptcy will soon be wedded to their personal bankruptcies, to our mutual tragedy.

    So, our Nation needs all the prayers, for surely it is at a historical cross-road. As I said at the beginning, much of the problem is man-made, and the so the solutions can be made by man. It is therefore important that our national security agencies should rise up, and join their capabilities to our supplication for a free, fair and credible elections, to save our democracy.

     

     

     

  • Nigerians must reconcile with God

    SIR, may I use your widely read newspaper to remind Nigerians that the only path to genuine recovery for ailing Nigeria and her embattled people is for us all to waste no further time in turning back to God by obeying His sacred commandments to the letter.

    Our dispositions to one another at all levels and on all spheres, governmentally and non-governmentally, show clearly that we have little or no regard for God and His interests. We behave as if we created ourselves for our cherished mundane purposes. Love, which God decreed in 1Corinthians 13, as the pivot of human interpersonal dealings, sadly, has no room in our affairs today.

    The general run of our so-called leaders feeds us with deceit, while we, the poor, swallow it hook, line and sinker in utter helplessness.

    The situation is exacerbated by the offensive conspiracy of silence by those that should be the conscience of the nation and the defender of the cheated at all times, and the callous support of the few that should guide the ungodly towards the path of righteousness.

    Quite disturbing is the fact that those among us that revel in criminalities like corruption and abominable exploitation/oppression of the masses of the people have forgotten that as old as Methuselah lived (969 years according to the Bible), he died one day.

    Those of us who own numerous mansions at the expense of the impoverished masses who live in shanties fail to realise the vanity of life and the fact that however long we live, we shall leave all behind and eventually give accounts of our (mis) deeds before God, The Impartial.

    Let us remind ourselves of what God says in Psalm 9: 17 – 18: “The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectations of the poor shall not perish forever.”

    The materialistic rulers of the world and their conscienceless cohorts may smile to the banks today while their preys languish in abject poverty (hunger, homelessness, inability to pay school fees etc); everything will end here because there is no bank in heaven to accommodate their loot.

    Daily today in the news media, we are innundated with mind-boggling stories of criminalities perpetrated by the desperate ones who have been pushed to the wall by the wickedness of those that should cater for their welfare. An idle hand, it is said, is the devil’s workshop and there is a limit to which a hungry soul can stand it without misbehaving.

    It is painful that the poor whom our Lord Jesus Christ came and lived for are now being cheated, exploited and oppressed by the few with the mandate to turn their situations around for better.

    Even in our private capacities, how do we treat our servants – housemaids, drivers and messangers? Do we realise that they too belong to the same society where people cough up intimidating amounts as university tuition fees per session? How do you, a multi-millionaire, expect the driver you pay a monthly paltry salary of N35,000 to be a proud father of a varsity student? One can go on and on about the nauseating indices of Godlessness that are fast turning life into hell for the majority.

    Money ritualists are on the loose while assassins, kidnappers and armed robbers are not showing any sign that they may down tools anytime soon.

    With all these, it is time we all sat down and reflect on why God created us and the consequences of treating His commandments with disdain. We must all daily ask ourselves: If God calls me today, have I been living in His ways? This is why we must reconcile with Him today that we may live according to His will and enjoy His abundant Grace.

     

    • Philip Babalola,

    Senior Pastor, Evergreen Church of God,

    Obanikoro, Lagos.

  • ‘Why Nigerians should vote for change’

    ‘Why Nigerians should vote for change’

    A social critic, Peter Kolade, reflects on the general elections and adduces reasons for the quest for change at the centre.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it is the biggest political party in Africa and that it will rule Nigeria for 50 years. Other leaders boasted 100 years. Why not? From the first general election in this democratic dispensation in 1999 to the last one in 2011, PDP won all the presidential elections, won most governorship seats, has been controlling the two arms of the National Assembly and has held sway in many House of Assembly than any other political party. However, the on-going climate of change has begun to alter the political landscape. So those statistics may be rooted on shaky grounds now.

    The ruling party owes itsawesome strength to its dominance of the political arena while fragments of the opposition were speaking in discordant notes. The All  People’sParty, APP that fielded Buhariin the 2003 presidential election, the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP that chose him as its presidential candidate in the 2007 election and the Congress for Progressives Change, CPC that made him its presidential flag bearer in 2011 were all parties that did not control enough spread to pose serious challenge to PDP. And so OlusegunObasanjo, UmaruYar’Adua and now Goodluck Jonathan just left Buhari in the lurch and won the presidential races in quick succession. Even the Alliance for Democracy, AD, later known as ACN and the rest could only scratch the surface and left PDP in virtual absolute control of machinery of Federal government and many state governments.

    So, under such circumstances, why should anyone except PDP to be modest when its handlers were engaged in perpetual dance at the seats of political power in Nigeria. As someone crudely puts it “If na you nko?” meaning if you had found yourself in such a position, what would you have done?

    The problem with that kind of overconfidence is that the PDP became complacent. Its slogan, PDP! POWER!! became so resonant that nobody knew if the other parties had a slogan to match that one. It is even worse that while the likes of Obasanjowho was brisk but sometimes brash and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who appeared to be trustworthy and even declared his assets publicly, created a semblance of governance, Goodluck Jonathan fell in love with the paraphernalia of the office of President. He has been evasive while his wife Dame Patience was vocal and quite visible sometimes to the extent of being the alternate president of Nigeria but for the constitution that did not really assign her any role in government. For the duo, power has been ‘sweet’ and they have spent the last six years or so just enjoying it.

    There has been public outrage about pandemic corruption in government with culprits of corruption walking around with so much air of freedom. Monumental contracts were awarded for infrastructural development all over the country. Only the President can tell the nation how often he visited the sites of those projects and whether or not he is satisfied with the progress of work. Certainly official briefs prepared for him on the contracts would always belly the facts while his ministers would like to tell him what he wants to hear.

    Like Babatunde Fashola, the governor of Lagos State recently asked: “Where are the 25,000 kilometres of roads that President Goodluck Jonathan said that his government had constructed across the country?”Honestly, if such achievement has been recorded, it is doubtful if the major highways in the country would still have ordinary potholes.

    Impunity reigned and the confidence of the people in their government waned The many attrocities of PDP’s domination of governance in Nigeria will fill volumes of books.

    However, there came a time when many of the opposition parties decided to fuse under a single banner. Incidentally BamangaTukur was the Chairman of PDP at that time. He dismissed the fusion of ANPP, CPC, APGA, ACN and others as “ordinary gang up that won’t affect the electoral fortunes of PDP.” Many political soothsayers, fortune tellers, practising marabouts and analysts of Nigeria’s political scene found a common tent to gather and dismiss the All Progressives Alliance, APC as a none starter. It was jocularity predicted that the alliance would crumble as early as it was formed.

    For nearly two years, a group that called itself Transformation Agent of Nigeria reeled out scripts dressed with audio visuals and told Nigerians that Goodluck  Jonathan was transforming Nigeria. While the propaganda went on in a frenzy APC spent time consolidating itself. As the saying goes, nobody can delay the sunset. So time was ticking away until the 2015 general election stared everyone in the face.

    All the predictions about the disintegration of the opposition have not come to pass. The achievements that Jonathan said he had recorded cannot justify the amount of resources that had been ‘poured’ on them. Many projects have not left the drawing board; yet a good number have been abandoned and what is more the ones going on are at best work in slow progress. No wonder the glib presentations that the President gives to explain his non-really-enviable scorecards whenever he engages the media!

    The other day, a group of people was watching the news on one of the TV channels and the President came on air to say that the nation was winning the war against terror. The chorus that greeted his remarks was: “We have heard that before.”

    It is the lacklustre image of the President and his inability to deliver on the promises he made to the electorate in 2011 that have become his nemesis. That is what has also tossed up APC as a viable alternative now and General MuhammaduBuhari, the man with the pedigree that can turn the nation back from the cliff hanger which is where the country is now. In addition, PDP is going into this election as a weakened imperial army.A good number of its ‘generals’ are now in APC and there are others who are still in the party but working against the party. Add that to a despondent electorate and you will know why the clamour for change is being echoed everywhere now.

    It is hoped that PDP that is ill-prepared for defeat will allow the will of the people to determine the outcome of the election and the party should take solace in the fact that 16 years in power is a period long in enough for one party to reign supreme. If change is inevitable now, so be it. Parties come, parties go, Nigeria should remain intact. That will lend credence to our democracy!

  • Jonathan’s govt has divided Nigerians, say Tinubu, Oshiomhole

    Jonathan’s govt has divided Nigerians, say Tinubu, Oshiomhole

    The Jonathan Presidency has bitterly divided Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole said yesterday.

    Lamenting the situation, both leaders canvassed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government should be voted out on March 28.

    Tinubu spoke in Amuwo Odofin in Lagos during a rally in support of the APC Lagos State governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode. Oshiomhole spoke while receiving hundreds of defectors to the APC in Edo State.

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and his Imo State counterpart Rochas Okorocha, among others, also spoke at the Lagos rally.

    Okorocha announced that seven PDP governors would join the APC.

    Tinubu urged the electorate not to fall for the campaign of calumny by the PDP, using religion and ethnicity to polarise the country.

    “The over 15 years of PDP rule in the country merely points to failure. Jonathan tells you a pathetic story that when he was in school he had no shoe. ‘I am from a poor family; I know what poverty is’; now he has forgotten.

    “Now he has plenty shoes, plenty clothes and plenty hats, but does that put gari on your table? If you spend five hours at the gas station without light for your business, is that what we want? They even ask you to pay for the electricity that you did not use. So, that is double jeopardy, by paying for diesel that you did not consume and electricity that was never utilised by you. In that situation, do you want them to continue?

    “In our schools in Lagos, did we register you on the basis of your tribe? Did we discriminate in our school fees? I am sure you are all aware of how we do things in Lagos. We believe we are the same, so we treat everybody equally. After six years, they have not been able to do anything meaningful for the people.

    “It is time for them to leave, to allow those with ideas and capability to lead the country. They do not have the skills to run effective government, so they need to go back and take the position of apprenticeship,” he said.

    Tinubu railed against ethnicism.

    He said:  ”God decided the language you speak and the tribe you were born in to. It is not your choice; it is the choice of God.  When you get to the hospital do you see Christian or Muslim section? Do you see Igbo, Yoruba or Ijaw ward? We are one people.

    “Does hunger or poverty have tribal mark? Can you go to an Igbo bread seller and say I am an Igbo man, I need bread? Can you go to a Yoruba woman selling roasted plantain and tell her to give you one because you are a Yoruba person? The road is not labeled Muslim, Christian, or Obatala road?  Let not these people continue to deceive us.

    “Those of you travelling with flights; for instance Dubai, when you want to board the plane, do you ask about the name, tribe or religion of the pilot. All you simply do is to pray to God for a safe flight.”

    Tinubu said the government had not been able to provide employment and insurance cover for soldiers in the battle front against Boko Haram, but the PDP-led Federal Government is going about distributing foreign currencies to woo voters.

    “Soldiers and police who are working in danger. Their insurance has not been paid, but they are busy bribing people for votes,” Tinubu said.

    Oshiomhole accused the PDP of stoking religious sentiments to sway voters, adding that its desperation, the PDP has bought some church leaders to preach against the APC and taint it as a Muslim party.

    He warned the PDP not to polarise the country along religious lines, saying it is dangerous for the polity as both Christians and Moslems have been victims of what he called the PDP’s misrule in the past 16 years.

    According to him, the PDP has made copies of a documentary which has been distributed in churches to the effect that the Gen. Muhammau Buhari (the APC presidential candidate)  would Islamise the country when voted as the President on March 28.

    He said: “Some pastors after collecting money are now preaching that Buhari wants to convert the nation to Islam. When Buhari was Head of State with absolute power, did he convert Nigeria to Islam? Did he convert Dodan Barracks to Islam enclave? Are there not Christian Generals all over the place?

    “The issue of this election is not about religion or tribe. It is about who has what it takes to repair our country. It is about who will give us light. If PDP couldn’t give us light in 16 years, shouldn’t we give it to someone else? Take a critical look at this election, when NEPA takes light, do they segregate between Christians and Muslims? When they bring fixed charges, do they differentiate between Christians and Moslem? Are both Christians and Moslems not suffering the inefficiency of PDP’s 16 years of mis-governance?

    “They are saying APC is a Muslim party. How can a party that parades Christians, such as me, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and many others, be described as a Moslem party? Now let’s look at it, if Nigeria’s problem is about religion, since 1999 till now, Christians have ruled the nation for 14 years, how come if it is really about religion that despite ruling for 14 years, Nigeria that ought to be like heaven is still like hell?

    “Nobody should use God’s name to deceive the people. The matter of governance is not about what you claim but about the state of your heart. In this state, from 1999 till now, all those that have governed Edo State are all Christians yet those that governed from 1999 till 2007 did nothing. Are we not all Christians but is it all of us that worked? They even stole from church because when you do not pay salaries for three months can the workers pay their tithe?

    ”In Edo State, Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers live together in peace and harmony. Across Edo State you find people of different religions and nobody should bring religious war to Edo State.”

  • Basket of hope for Nigerians

    SIR: Nigeria is land of unity, opportunities and irrepressible hope, endowed with rich human and natural resources. By nature Nigeria is too integrated to be disunited. Even the great rivers of Benue and Niger understood the efficacy of togetherness hence the Lugardian amalgamation of 1914 was not a mistake since the confluence at Lokoja was never by chance.

    We should no longer concentrate on our differences but should move on and appreciate our similarities. This is not a time for virulent campaigns but a moment of goodwill and selfless service to the nation.

    This is not the time for blind optimism, because politics without principle is like putting vinegar in place of water. This is not a time for religious obsession but a period of sacrifice. Give your country that which you should expect to have as people seldom get results not deserved.

    History is all about the rise or fall of people and their actions. As a result many parties and allied groups have come and gone, yet this is Nigeria.

    Just like every tree is greater than its branches, Nigeria is bigger than every individual or group and will continue to be as strong as bone which remains when all flesh decayed.

    Our founding fathers anchored the foundation of Nigeria on peace, unity and faith but given the present political firmament it is crystal clear that wishful thinking and rhetoric alone would not consolidate the dreams of our fathers.

    Good governance with its attendant social-economic dividends can only be achieved through collective effort; same with security which is everybody’s responsibility. We cannot afford to do nothing as there could be hope of success in our action.

    There is hope that one day Nigerians will have faith in one another and support the best candidate for the job without minding whether he is a Christian or Muslim.

    There is hope that one day the citizens will speak with one voice and make progress. There is hope that one day the monster called state of origin will be erased from the admission forms and files in every Nigerian school and students admitted on merit.

    There is hope that one day Nigeria will be corruption- free and the issue of who gets what determined by national interest and not by tribal consideration. There is hope that one day the doom mongers will turn around and become agents of boon.

    There is hope that one day Nigerians will stand up to let the world know through their cooperation that there is unity in diversity. There is hope that rain will fall again and the seeds shall grow to the benefit of all Nigerians.

    Until that day, keep the hope alive and do not allow your emotion to manipulate your vision. If you want an ideal nation, you must first of all live by example and become the change you so much desired.

    Like water, there is no alternative to home. Nigeria is our native land, let us work together and reclaim our manifest destiny.

     

    • Comrade Chike Oguanya

  • Emefiele: Nigerians to pay transport fares electronically

    Nigerians will going forward, pay for both inter-city and intra-city transportation electronically, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has said.

    Emefiele, who made this known at the inauguration of the Payment System Vision 2020 (PSV2020) in Lagos, said the new shift is in line with his determination resolve to reduce the use of cash not only in transportation but across other segments of the economy including salaries payment in government agencies.

    He said a pilot implementation will soon be organised with various transportation companies. “I am aware that a lot of traction has been gained on this initiative, on air transportation, but a lot still remains to be done on such other means as land, water and rail,” he said.

    Emefiele also restructured the Payment Systems Strategy Board (PSSB) to replace the National Payment Systems Council (NPSC). The PSSB will be the pinnacle organisation for the governance, management and operation of the Nigerian Payment Systems and will in line with global best practices, provide strategic direction for the National Payments System in the country.

    Aside transportation, he said the CBN is also developing electronic payment methods that would support the agriculture value chain and develop a cashless model for Smart Cities. The focus, he said, will be on both existing cities and “greenfield cities”, to ensure that less cash is used as a means of payment (retail outlets, and food).

    The CBN boss also hinted that going forward, end-to-end electronic channels will be adopted for all forms of salaries, pensions, suppliers, individual & business taxes payment and collection of revenues by private and public sector organisations.

    “There will also be a collaboration with key pilot hotels and other key entertainment venues such as restaurants, cinemas, sports centres to promote the ‘cashless initiative’,” he said.

    Emefiele said plans are ongoing to design and develop an electronic fund transfer system which utilizes multiple channels in processing electronic payments that supports the educational ecosystem with components such as grants, scholarships, consultancy services, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), tuition and administrative fees.

    On the health sector, the CBN boss said the regulator will provide solutions that support the provision of personal and medical information and payments for health and medical services. He called for increased usage of bill payments programmes across suitable industry segments such as insurance, pensions, telecommunications, Cable TV and utilities.

    The CBN boss also instituted Working Groups and Governance Scheme Boards to help the new initiatives work. He said the  West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) Special Interest Working Group, has been engaged to ensure consistency between domestic and WAMZ payment initiatives; the Legal Special Interest Working Group meant to promote the appropriate legal framework for payment systems; Information Security and Risk Management Special Interest Working Group which will develop and implement Information Security & Risk Management Framework for the payments system.

    Equally, the Public Awareness Special Interest Working Group is to act as a respected spokesperson for the payments industry, on behalf of the CBN and industry participants while the Securities Settlement Working Group  will create ‘best-practice’ solution for securities market-side and investor-side clearing and settlement.

    Emefiele said that under the previous PSV2020 plan, the management of the payment systems and reporting structure was that of the Infrastructure and the Initiative Working Groups, reporting to the Payment Infrastructure and Strategy Committee (PISC). The CBN boss said that the implementation of the new structure will result in a significant increase in participant’s engagement in the development and operation of the payments schemes.

    He said the selection and appointment into the various boards and initiative working group was done after extensive deliberations/consideration of the importance and the role played by the individuals or the organizations they represent.

    He said the new policy shift will facilitate economic activities, by providing safe and efficient mechanisms for making and receiving payments with minimum risks to the CBN, payment service providers and end users.

    Emefiele said the project will also make payment platforms available to all sectors and geographies, banked and unbanked, and conforming to internationally accepted regulatory, technical and operational standards.

    He said the PSV2020, was created to make the Payments System ‘Nationally Utilised and Internationally Recognised’. “It is gratifying to note that our country is acknowledged as a major economic force within Africa, but also increasingly becoming an active player in the global economy. To participate actively, our payments system must be successfully benchmarked against the global best practices, as in most developed nations of the world. We have made some significant achievements so far in this journey, but a lot still remains to be done,” he said.

    The Board, he said, shall be chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. It has the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Communication Technology; the Accountant General of the Federation; the four Deputy Governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria; the Chairmen of the four Payment Scheme Boards among others as members.

    “The PSV2020 initiatives were intended to benchmark the existing core payments infrastructures in Nigeria against international best practices.  The primary reference point was the Core Principles produced by the then Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS),” he said.

    He however said that through the implementation of the original PSV2020 initiatives by the CBN, in association with the banking community, the country has witnessed an impressive growth of electronic payments and a shift from the overwhelming dominance of cash as a means of payment.

    He said that the implementation of Nigeria the Uniform Bank Account Number     (NUBAN), deployment of a new RTGS that is built on the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) messaging standards, introduction of the cash-less policy, deployment of the Scripless Securities Settlement System (SSSS), introduction of Cheque Truncation, reduction of clearing cycles for ACH payments &cheque from three days (T+2) to next day (T+1) and settings of limits on encashment of third party cheques and a maximum cap of N10 million for cheque payments, to encourage the use of electronic payments channels a among others are some of the achievements recorded in implanting the cash-less policy.

    Emefiele said despite these feats, there is need for more work. He described the PSV2020 as a product of a detailed assessment of the Nigerian Payments infrastructure adding that the CBN had demonstrated over the years to be a strong catalyst for the adoption of electronic payments in the country.

  • APC gives Nigerians a good option –Ashamu

    APC gives Nigerians a good option –Ashamu

    In this exclusive interview, Tony Ashamu, the Chief Executive Officer of Olive Group, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Oyo Central, explains to the Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, the importance of the emergence of a strong opposition to Nigeria’s polity, pointing out that the envisaged change in Nigeria is very needful at the legislative arms. Excerpts

    You are a major player in the Nigerian business sector, what are you doing in politics?

    Yes, I can call myself a technologist and an entrepreneur but it is my passion for Nigeria that made me to come back to the country to set up a couple of businesses and to add value to what is already going on. Also, I am a part of the political discourse primarily because I want to ensure that we get good representation at the right places and that we make the right policies for the country Nigeria.

    As an active player, as one of the most visible All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirants in Oyo State before the primaries, how would you assess the current political situation few weeks to the actual elections?

    Although as a partisan politician, I have preference for my party, the APC, I will first speak as a Nigerian and perhaps speak also as a partisan politician. So, speaking as a Nigerian, I believe there is nothing called democracy if it is just one political party. Here, it has always been the PDP. So, regardless of who the opposition is, it pays the constituents better. It’s like in business, if you have only one station selling petroleum products in the whole of the country, there is no competition. The owner can wake up one morning and say he is increasing the pump price to one million naira per litre. There is little anybody can do about it. But if you have an alternative, it is better. So, I think the emergence of an opposition party is a beautiful thing. Look at all the established democracies like America, the opposition is always strong. So, I think we need a two-party system in Nigeria at different levels. It does not have to be just the presidency. If the presidency is one party and the legislative arm is another party, it creates checks and balances and there is no maligning of one structure, which is what has been happening. The arrogance of a party to feel that Nigerians have no alternative must stop.

    As an APC steward, I want to say that I am very impressed in the contributions of my party within the past few months. At least a year or two years ago, only few, if any, could imagine that there would be a very strong opposition to PDP today like this. This is all about strategy. I am looking beyond ethnicity, I am looking beyond party lines; I am saying that before now, we knew that PDP was just the only party that we had, every other thing was just a joke. My point now is that APC being the alternative may not be the best, but it gives Nigerians a good option, which is why I am excited that we represent the progressive arm of the Nigerian political discourse. PDP is the elephant; the elephant is tired. They are powerful but tired. They are power drunk. They already have power and so do not want any change. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t even want PDP to die. I want them to make us contrite. Even if APC wins the presidential election, I will prefer a situation where PDP would be able to come and say, look, you guys are slacking on these issues; so let us do this, let’s do that.  Again, I don’t believe in the president coming in and just appointing all APC members as ministers and so on. No. They must be the best brains and you must lead the country, not just lead one party or one state or one region. The president must lead the country as a Nigerian.

    As a major player in Oyo State politics, how would you describe the effect of the emergence of the two strong political parties to the politics of Oyo State, taking into consideration the power rivalry in the state PDP and the myth that no one is ever reelected governor in the state?

    I am of the strong belief that the myth that Oyo people do not elect anybody for a second term is about to change. This is because someone has finally come to the arena to show them what was not possible. It’s no joke; it’s no folktale. Go to Ibadan and see the transformation that has happened there. I am saying today that this governor has performed. It is the same in Lagos State. I am therefore saying this with so much conviction that PDP or any other party today saying that want to take over Lagos is a joke. It is a joke because people are seeing a system that is working. This is the cradle stone of a system that is working. See what is going on in Eco Atlantic. So now you want to change such a system when you have not shown them an alternative. Yes, go to Ibadan, go to Oyo State; people or critics can talk about stomach infrastructure; they can say that money is no longer shared like before, but you are seeing infrastructure, you are seeing your area turned into something better and that is what really matters.

    But are you not worried that this same issue about stomach infrastructure cost APC the governorship seat of Ekiti State?

    Stomach infrastructure is a phrase that is here to stay in Nigeria but to say that Fayemi was not a good governor is a lie. But we have heard about the tape; I have listened to the tape on what happened in Ekiti. Let’s assume that Ekiti election was free and fair; the people got what they deserved. If what they want is a governor that can give them ten, ten Kobo, so that they can come back tomorrow and not someone that can plan for 10 years, 20 years from now and invest on their kids, you will agree they got what they deserve. But if the Ekiti situation is a reference point, how come they were not able to replicate it in Osun State?

    You participated in the campaigns before the primaries, how would you assess the campaign rhythm for this 2015 election?

    My dream was never to become a politician. I am a businessman and an employer of labour. Before now, politics in Nigeria actually made me sick. But looking at involvement of people like me and looking at what is in the best interest of Nigerians, I can see that we need more entrepreneurs; we need more people that can create employment.

    Going back to what I feel about the campaign rhythm, especially when it comes to Oyo State; while going from house to house, we learnt that a lot of people didn’t want to be involved. So, what excites me about our campaign is that we were able to get these people involved; people that had lost hope. One of our key mantras was that we were going to create 10,000 jobs in four years as a senator and we had the plans to achieve that with the numbers to match. This involvement of intellectuals, they see it as a ray of hope in Nigerian politics. So, I am saying that we need more educated Nigerians and people are yearning for it. You see, if you send someone that barely has primary school education to the House or the Senate, or someone that has hardly done anything in his life except having the right friends and connection, what will such an individual do to better the lots of the people that are suffering? So, I think people want more incursions of sensible intellectuals that can change the course of this nation and that is the yearning that I see and that it what gives me hope that what Nigerians want is possible.

    And would you say the texture of the current campaigns of the major candidates and parties; the messages in the campaign advertorials and the focus reflect your ideal campaign in an age like ours?

    It is not because they are not issue based. What we are seeing are more of character assassinations. Unfortunately our people are used to this. But this is the point; finally, we have over 70 million Nigerians registered to vote. It is a major progress and this is what I am saying. Before now, democracy was a joke to most people because they believe that the result has already been decided. I think this is the first time we are going to have a real election because of what INEC has done. So, I want to give Professor Attahiru Jega some kudos because with this biometric system, where you must thumb print before you use your PVC, people now believe that your vote now counts. It changes everything; it gives people the power to bring on board the kind of people they want.

    Unfortunately, in our campaigns all we see remain character assassination. I still hear people talk from left to right that I will do this; I will do that, with no numbers to it; no plan on how to achieve it. It’s just a dream. So, what we see in papers or on television are unfortunate. Who cares if a president will die in two days? Can you guarantee if you will live to see tomorrow? So, why is anybody making this a front burner and spending so much money to confuse Nigerians? What are your plans for Nigeria; how will your presidency or governorship better the lots of the people of Nigeria? These should be the focus of our campaigns.

    You are a very successful businessman, who can easily vie for other offices, why did you choose to go to the senate. You talk about change; do you think the senate is where you and the type of change you envisage should begin? Why did you choose the senate?

    For change to happen in a democracy, you need the House of Representatives and the Senate, the legislature to pass bills into laws. But when people talk about problems in Nigeria, they only point to President Goodluck Jonathan at the presidency; they hardly talk about the legislature. Is the problem really the presidency or there is what is called separation of powers. There is the executive, the legislature and the judiciary which must checkmate each other. Yes, the president who exercises the executive power can veto but everything emanates from the legislature. Lawmakers are supposed to be forward thinkers of Nigeria. So, the legislature is more important than the presidency when it comes to effective change. To me, the legislature is the right place to represent the interest of the grassroots. That is where we need more enabled and intelligent Nigerians to be part of.

    Considering the known powerful forces that backed you, you were considered a front runner for Oyo Central Senatorial ticket but you suddenly opted out at the last minute. What happened, are you not hurt considering the huge resources you expended in the campaigns before the primaries?

    We are not prostitutes. I am in APC because of my ideological beliefs not necessarily because of getting tickets. Of course I had offers from different corners; come and take our ticket and run for the senatorial seat, but that will not show our good faith of building our party and our state. Look at Lagos State, all the people that contested for APC governorship ticket, including Hamsat, who came second and did wonderfully well, are still in APC. They believe in the party ideology. So, I believe that if you believe in the ideology of your party, you will remain no matter the current situation. As to whether I am not hurt because of the resources I expended, no, I am not hurt, I am not bitter because I believe politics is not a one day thing.

  • Boko Haram displaces 1.65m Nigerians, says AGF

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), said yesterday  that the Boko Haram insurgents have displaced about 1, 650,000 Nigerians.

    He said he issued advisory to Boko Haram and  those involved in the conflict, on the legal consequences of the unlawful use of children in armed conflict.

    Adoke said the Federal Government would hold accountable, those found culpable “for this crime and other crimes, such as abduction, rape, maiming, forced displacements and sexual slavery.”

    He said the elections were shifted to provide security and avoid disenfranchising 24million Nigerians.

    Adoke, who spoke at the 28th Session of the United Nations Council on Human Rights in Geneva, said the government was disturbed about the increasing use of child-soldiers and under-aged female suicide bombers.

    The text of the AGF’s address was made available to reporters in Abuja by his office.

    He said: “Nigeria’s experience in combating terrorism and insurgency perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect in the Northeast and our common borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon demonstrates the relevance and potency of international cooperation and solidarity in tackling this scourge.

    “Since the insurgency began, close to 650,000 Nigerians have been internally displaced in the Northeast; and another one million as refugees in neighbouring countries, such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger. This situation has posed grave humanitarian situation in the affected areas, including the neighbouring countries.

    “We note with satisfaction, the recent successes achieved by security forces and the increased level of cooperation at regional and sub-regional levels to raise a multi-national force of 8,700 involving Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin by the African Union, with support from our global partners.

    “My delegation believes that this initiative offers valuable lessons for the global community. In this regard, I cannot overemphasise the need for increased financial and material support for the multi-national force as well as the internally-displaced persons and refugees.”

    Adoke said the Federal Government was worried about the increasing use of child-soldiers and under-aged female suicide bombers.

    He added: “Mr. President,    another disturbing trend in the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group is the increasing use of child-soldiers and under-aged female suicide bombers in the perpetration of crimes against the civilian population.

    “Boko Haram has killed Christians and Muslims; bombed churches and mosques and have detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on soft targets in civilian populated areas.

    The Minister said an advisory had been issued to Boko Haram to stop unlawful use of children for insurgency.

    “On 21 January 2015, I issued an Advisory to the Boko Haram terrorist group and all those involved in the conflict on the legal consequences of the unlawful use of children in armed conflict and Government’s determination to hold accountable, all those found culpable for this crime and other crimes such as abduction, rape, maiming, forced displacements and sexual slavery.

    “This is consistent with our treaty obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional Protocols,” he said.

    The AGF restated the nation’s commitment to human rights-based governance.

    He said: “At domestic level, the Federal Government continues to pursue human rights based model of governance that emphasizes respect for the Rule of Law and the dignity of all residents of Nigeria.

    “Consistent with this approach, we are vigorously pursuing strengthening of the capacity of relevant Human Rights Institutions in the country. In addition, we are promoting increased collaboration with Civil Society Organizations in various facets of the polity.”

    Adoke also took time to explain that the general election was postponed till March 28 to provide adequate security and in order not to disenfranchise 24million Nigerians.

    He added: “Let me assure this Council that as Nigeria prepares for the General Elections scheduled to commence on 28th March 2015, we are convinced that entrenching democratic governance in Nigeria remains the best guarantee for peace and stability in our region and beyond.

    “The Electoral Body rescheduled the election dates to enable adequate security to be provided and ensure that about 24 million potential voters who had not received their permanent voters’ cards were not disenfranchised.”

     

  • How we plan to feed Nigerians, by Dangote Group

    How we plan to feed Nigerians, by Dangote Group

    The Dangote Group is confident that with its ongoing agricultural projects, Nigeria is on its way of being self-sufficient in  food production.

    The firm said it was determined to support the Federal Government in its effort to revolutionise the agricultural sector and make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production.

    Dangote pledged to continue to invest in fertiliser, rice, tomato paste and sugar production, among others.

    Only last year, the group signed a Memorandum of Association (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to invest $1 billion for the establishment of fully integrated rice production and processing operations.

    The statement said the MoU and the planned investment were  response to government’s reforms of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) launched in 2011.

    The statement said the company has acquired 150,000 hectares of farmlands in Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara and Niger states to be used for commercial production of rice paddy.

    The company will also establish two modern large-scale mills each with capacity to mill 120,000 metric tonnes of rice paddy, while doubling the capacity within two years.

    The statement said this will become the single largest investment in rice production in Africa.

    The rice plants estimated to produce 960,000 metric tonnes, representing 46 per cent of total rice imported into Nigeria.

    Its president Aliko Dangote said during the signing of the MoU that Nigeria “is capable of producing rice that can feed the whole of West African sub region.”

    A statement from the Dangote Group also said it was investing in tomato paste production in Kano, as well as a $2 billion fertiliser projects in Edo State.