The Nation Newspaper

Tag: POWER

  • Ambode: Power of performance

    A winning governor will attract endorsements that are justifiable.   So, it is logical and predictable that Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is enjoying an abundance of justifiable endorsements.  He is qualified to seek reelection and his endorsers are backing him for a second term in office. The beauty of the endorsements is that they are based on what he has to show for his time in office so far. In other words, he has attracted powerful endorsements through the power of his performance.

    The three lawmakers representing Lagos State in the Senate – Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West) – said in a letter of endorsement: “We particularly are proud of the infrastructure development that you have brought to the entire state in general and to our districts in particular. Your smart solutions in tackling the traffic and security challenges that initially faced your administration have become template for other states to copy. Also, your strategic partnerships with Kebbi and Kano States have thrown more light to the capacity of Lagos State and the creative manager of man and resources which you are. We must also mention that through the course of the period which our country battled with an economic recession, you made sure that Lagos State remained well above the curve.”

    Similarly, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives from Lagos State endorsed Ambode for a second term in office. They also presented a letter to him, asking him to seek reelection. The Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, who led the caucus, was quoted as saying:  “Because of the giant strides of our amiable Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode in the last two and a half years in governing the State; because of the things he has done across the board, across all the Local Government Areas, across different sectors, we sat together and we decided without a dissenting voice to seek his audience and endorse him for re-election in 2019 as the Governor of Lagos State.”

    Also, the chairmen of the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of Lagos State endorsed Ambode for a second term in office. The Chairman of Conference of LGs and LCDAs in the state, Omolola Essien, who is also the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, said: “Our decision to support him for another term in office is based on the fact that he has performed extremely well; we can all see that everything that he has done in Lagos State, no other state has been able to do that. He has done very well.”

    It is noteworthy that Ambode’s endorsers are not only APC members who want their party man to continue in office. Various other groups and individuals want Ambode to seek reelection.  For example, on April 11, the National Union of Lagos State Students (NULASS) held a rally to support Ambode for a second term in office. Another example: Traditional rulers in Lagos State of Ijebu extraction have unanimously endorsed him. The traditional rulers are from Epe, Eredo, Agbowa-Ikosin, Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki.

    The point is that Ambode represents forward-looking governance, which Lagos needs to develop.  Listed 12th among the world’s largest 35 cities in 2015 when Ambode became governor, the former federal capital is work in progress, and the development-related results of Ambode’s progressive efforts are unmistakable and applaudable.

    The range of Ambode’s vision leaves no room for underdevelopment in any area, whether it is lighting up the city, keeping the city clean, building homes, rebuilding roads, providing security, tackling transportation, building theatres and so on.

    Interestingly, last year, Ambode published his “random thoughts” in a thought-provoking newspaper article in which he said:  “I am sharing my thoughts in this article, not necessarily as the Governor of Lagos State but as a Nigerian; a Nigerian who wants to see progress and sustainable growth in our country. I have been lucky to be administering over a state that has been put on the right track by my two predecessors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). I do not think I have done anything special except to bring my own style of leadership, my own experience and my vision. Lagos, as it is, has not reached its peak but we can see signs of progress and positive transition to the Lagos of our dreams. What bothers me personally is that I do not see the same level of progress elsewhere in the country. I am not happy that most states in our country are not advancing like Lagos.”

    Through his concept of “One Lagos,” Ambode has promoted inclusive governance as key to inclusive growth.  It is commendable that his administration’s inclusive governance and inclusive development efforts continue to drive development at the grassroots.

    He continues to work for good governance, but recognises that development takes time. “It will take time but I believe in the philosophy of Think It, Plan It and then Act It…We must and are expected to think through all our policies properly and to the end before planning and executing. The difference between the thinking time, planning time, the execution time and the action time demanded by the populace is what makes people cry out,” he reasoned in his article.

    Ambode is impressively focused on remodelling Lagos and making it a model megalopolis. It is a tribute to Ambode’s quality governance that the country’s other states cannot resist applauding his governance model. He has shown that well-rounded governance is an expression of well-rounded thinking, and has demonstrated the possibilities of political governance in a country that needs models of creative thinking in high political office.

    As the 2019 elections approach, it is foreseeable that Ambode will enjoy more endorsements. Any objective measurement of his first-term performance cannot deny that his administration has had a significant impact on the development of Lagos State. There is no doubt that Ambode has done enough to earn a second term in office.

  • Ganduje in Dubai: Seeks investment on agriculture, power, mining to boost economy

    Kano state is seeking foreign investment in critical sectors such as power, agriculture, infrastructure mining, to boost its economy and enhance its competitiveness, the state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has announced.

    “My government is reaching out to foreign investors on a regular basis and providing them with necessary incentives such as land for the setting up of industrial ventures, adequate tax relief, adequate infrastructure and assurance of stable and secure environment”, he stressed.

    Ganduje also said his government would provide support for local employment of staff, facilitate transfer of dividend or profit, even has he pointed out that his administration was zero tolerant to corruption.

    The governor stated this in a speech during the Kano presentation at the 8th Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) taking place at Dubai World Trade Center, UAE, according to a statement by Ameen Yassar, Director-General, Media and Communications, Kano Government House.

    The Annual Investment Meeting is the world’s leading platform for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), aimed at facilitating strategic networking and promoting investments and this year, it is focusing on the theme ‘Linking Developed and Emerging Markets through FDI: Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development’.

    Ganduje stated that “Kano state that was ranked 23rd (2017) in the Ease of Doing Business by the World Bank has stepped up efforts to ensure that it remains investor friendly. This has made us the most successful PPP state in Nigeria”.

    “A Chinese multinational company, Shandong Ruyi Technology, has already embraced the benefits of our liberal investment policy and is investing over $600 million in the textile and garments industry (in Kano)”, he noted.

    He, therefore, urged international investors to take advantage of Kano’s vast agricultural potentials, alternative energy resources, huge solid mineral deposits, commercial prospects and productive population, among others for mutual profit.

    On the sidelines of the Annual Investment Meeting, AIM, Ganduje met with the Under Secretary, UAE Ministry of Economy, Abdullah al- Saleh, where they discussed possible collaboration in the agricultural value chain and renewable energy, for mutual development.

    The governor, alongside his Niger state counterpart, Abubakar Bello also held discussion with a leading member of the ruling family in Dubai and owner of AMERI Group, Shiekh Ahmad bin Dalmook Al-Maktoum on prospective investment.

    He told the governors that the AMERI Group has signed an MOU with the government of Lagos state in some sectors, and constructed a power project in Ghana, which could be replicated in their states.

    The 3-day Summit, which is a conference of policy makers, heads of multinational corporations, academicians, financial experts and investors, is expected to witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding that will help countries enhance FDI flow.

  • Experts chart ways to efficiency in power sector

    Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) must be super-effective in every responsibility bestowed on them for the power sector to thrive, a renewable energy expert has said.

    The Chief Executive Officer, SolarCentric Technologies Limited, Adetunji Iromini, stated this, noting that “the power sector value chain is financed by bill settlement from consumers and it is DisCos that interfaces with the consumers.”

    For efficiency in the sector, he listed metering, tariff and decayed infrastructure as three-pronged issues that must be addressed by stakeholders in the sector.

    On metering, he said consumers must be adequately metered to reduce apathy. “Compelling cases for cost-reflective tariff has been made by many and there is just no point debating this. The sector requires huge investment and without clear and unambiguous means of recovering the investment, appropriate investment would continue to suffer. According to the recently released Power Sector Recovery Programme 2017-2021, a unit of energy is estimated at N50.30 indicating that the sector is subsidised,” he noted.

    Explaining  what  he  called ‘decayed infrastructure,’ he said: “The quantity of energy made available to the consumer is lower than demand. We continue to hear cases of stranded energy, which Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) cannot evacuate and evacuated energy being rejected by the DisCos due to inability within their network to distribute and manage bill settlement effectively.”

    On  whether the Federal Government should take over the sector fully again or not, he said: “governments all over the world have largely proven to be unable to manage businesses.

    “The government is currently doing what is expected of it by enacting laws and policies that favour the sector. Such include the Mini-Grid Policy, Independent Electricity Distribution Network (IEDN) and the Captive Power Generation in the distributed generation area. A 30:30:30 recommendation that we made at National Council on Power (NACoP) Kaduna in 2016 was approved as a policy. The policy simply promotes renewable energy, that is, 30 per cent renewable of 30 gigawatts (GW) by year 2030. This was an idea we deliberated upon based on existing circumstances and realities of our environment.

    ‘’The working group (Renewable Energy Committee) that I represented at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) put this forward and it is a policy today. Each of the policies or a combination of some will promote efforts on the much needed distribution and generation. That is the guaranteed way forward from the current rigid central grid system.”

    Iromini was one of the Renewable Energy experts fielding questions from The Nation during the 12th edition of a seminar series tagged: Potentials of Renewable Energy, organised by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos and the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria / CIM.

    He in the meantime expressed optimism about power stability in Nigeria, adding that, ground for that is being set already, despite the privatization challenges.

    The Campaign Director, Nigeria, Power for All, Mrs. Ify Malo, in her recommendation towards power stability in the country, called on the government to decentralise RE through mini-grid for rural areas, Stand Alone Home Solar System to serve SMEs and Biogas and Biomass for highly industrialised states like Lagos.

    While the seminar tagged: “Solar PV Development in Nigeria” lasted, it featured Malo making presentation on: Mini-grids as a driver for the 4th Industrial Revolution; Dolapo Kukoyi, Partner, Details Commercial Solicitors, presenting on: Mini-grid Regulation while Bolusope Ogboye, Renewable Energy Transaction Advisor, REEEP (Winrock Int’l), made presentation on: Access to Finance for Mini-grids.

    Other speakers include: Duke Benjamin, Head of Energy and Environment Desk, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria, Mrs. Alexandra Herr, Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos.

  • Artisans lament power outage in Kogi

    Artisans lament power outage in Kogi

    The Blacksmith, Welders and Iron Benders Association of Nigeria (BWIAN) in Kogi State has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Yahaya Bello to rescue their business from imminent collapse.

    They berated the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) for not keeping to its promise of distributing prepaid metres to customers after so many years. They lamented that their members in the central senatorial district, over 2,000, would soon be pushed out of the trade if urgent actions are not taken by the government.

    A statement by the association’s president in Kogi Central Musa Sa’id, and the branch chairmen of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okene and Okehi councils, said: “The AEDC, in the last three years, has been sending our members crazy bills for the electricity they did not consume.

    “More worrisome is the six hours’ light-a day, we get which, if evaluated, amounts to only seven days in a month. But the company bill us for 30 days.

    “We are tired of paying for the electricity we did not use. While disconnected, the bills keep coming. Many of us can no longer feed our families talk less of paying school fees. We get jobs but there is no electricity to execute them.

    “We have been asking AEDC to give us prepaid metres, but they deliberately refused to serve us because they want to continue cheating us”.

    The Liaison Officer, Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Haruna Ahmed Osike, who bemoaned the plight of the artisans, appreciated the government’s effort at encouraging people to learn a trade for self-reliance. He, however, lamented that the power situation is discouraging and may spell doom for the state and the country at large.

    AEDC’s Marketing Manager, Okene Business Unit, Mr. Olusegun Pelema, however promised that the association’s complaint will be forwarded to the company’s head office in Abuja for attention.

  • Lagos’ power project

    Lagos’ power project

    Waiting expectantly for an ambitious scheme that will transform the state but also compound its population

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State would have opened a brand new chapter in the annals of governance in the state if he succeeds in seeing to fruition his government’s Embedded Power Project. Although it would not be the first in the state’s history, it is an ambitious project that would impact massively on power supply. The state House of Assembly gave its consent to the project on January 29 when it passed the Lagos State Electric Power Reform Bill while Governor Ambode signed the bill, alongside six other bills, on February 8, to become laws. The idea of the power project is to generate electricity 24 hours daily for Lagosians towards improving the state’s economy and night life which many people who were born in Lagos or stayed for about two decades in the state would readily agree has fast disappeared.

    The first beneficiaries of the project are those in places like Ikeja, Ajah and Lekki while it would be extended to other parts of the state over time. Although the target is to generate about 3,000MW, the project will start with 1,000MW and gradually move up to the 3,000MW.

    Without doubt, this is sweet music in that it is an ambitious project designed to free the state from the unsteady and unreliable power supply from the National Grid, which has been more of a curse than a blessing. One thing is clear, unless we want to continue deceiving ourselves, the present power supply arrangement in the country, in spite of the privatisation of the sector, cannot take us anywhere. Many people who had thought the privatisation would bring about improved power supply must have been disappointed at the way things have turned out, more than four years down the line. It was either those who bought the distribution companies in particular did not do their due diligence well, or they just thought they would continue to exploit Nigerians through dubious electricity bills that they could not explain how they came about, just like their precursors; the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

    In the first place, the National Grid is senselessly risky; given the aphorism that one should not keep one’s eggs in one basket. But the soldiers who seized power and imposed a unitary system of government came with their one-cap-fits-all, not only in the power sector, but in other sectors as well. Before then, every region in the country was developing at its own pace and there was a healthy competition among them. The soldiers reversed all that, and this is at the root of the clamour for a return to (true) federalism today. Many sections of the country have seen the reality that one cap can never fit all; even God who created us did not design things that way. That is why we have people with big heads even as we have those with miniature heads.

    Lagos State saw the return to democratic rule in 1999 as a good opportunity to launch its own electricity project and free itself from the shackles of the ineffectual National Grid. That was why the state government, under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu sponsored an Independent Power Project handled by a U.S. company, Enron. The project was expected to provide additional 270 megawatts of electricity for Lagos. The then NEPA, quite expectedly, raised issues over the project but the worst obstacle came from the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. The rest is now history. Suffice it to say that the opposition to the project led to its ability to deliver only 90MW, a drop in the ocean.

    We can only imagine the damage this has done to the economy of Lagos in particular and the nation as a whole. Lagos is not only the country’s commercial hub; it is also its industrial capital. It is therefore not surprising that the state alone consumes about 40 percent of the electricity generated in the country. If, therefore, we have been complaining about perennial epileptic power supply, Lagos must have suffered the most.

    Power is pivotal to everything we do. We need it to run our industries, to power our electrical and electronic equipment both for comfort and relaxation. In a typical tropical climate like ours, we need power to keep our fans and air-conditioners working so that we can sleep well. Although things have been made easier for countries like ours, with all manner of rechargeable items, we still need power to charge those equipment when there is power supply so they can be useful to us when light goes off.

    The other day, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) gladly embraced the 2,000MW stranded power that the distribution companies (DISCOs) cannot absorb because it will save a lot of money for them; it means they will have to spend less on diesel to power their generators. It is on record that some industries and companies have since cut themselves off from the National Grid while some permanently switch over to generators whenever they want to start production. Many of the industrial giants that had left the country, like Michelin and Dunlop, had their plants here in Lagos. Their unceremonious exit meant thousands of direct job losses and even more by way of indirect redundancies.

    It is heartwarming that consumers of the embedded power will only pay for what they use. This is a major attraction in that the question of appropriate billing is one of the main issues Nigerians have with the DISCOs that are not willing to provide prepaid meters because of the rent they make from estimated billing. There will be no room for any ambiguous charges.

    The Lagos State government must however have a Plan B to fall back on should the DISCOs bring in their present business model into the embedded power project. One is here talking about the government ultimately having plans for its own distribution lines/wires instead of relying on the DISCOs. I know this, apart from being expensive will also be cumbersome, but it may be worth it after all. The state government, no doubt has a good intention but this can easily be frustrated by the DISCOs if they see that it is denying them revenue at least in those areas to be served by the project. They may choose to be blind to the larger picture.

    The state government must put in place the reliable machineries it promised for efficiency and sustainable electricity supply through the embedded power project. In order not to run into the same problem of inability to distribute the power that will be provided, the  government must ensure that the distribution network in Lagos is upgraded and improved upon. New wires and cables should be provided where necessary and even distribution transformers changed because many of them are old and outdated.

    It is however good that the project will be private sector driven. But then, we have seen from the privatisation of some government entities that privatisation alone will not necessarily guarantee efficiency. Therefore, the state government will still have to ensure that its officials who will monitor and regulate the project do their job in the best interest of the people and the investors. There should be no compromises. One is happy that the government is not striving to protect the interest of power consumers alone, but that of the investors as well. Hence, its provision in the law to handle any power theft issue. Anyone that is caught will be jailed or heavily fined. This will put investors’ minds at rest that their investments will not go down the drain.

    But, then, the number of people that will want to engage in power theft will be few because many Nigerians will readily pay once they are sure they are paying only for the power they consume rather than paying bills concocted by some officials in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices. This is the main reason many people are reluctant to pay electricity bills. They cannot vouch for the integrity, fairness and accuracy of the so-called bills. The government has come out to say that customers will slightly pay higher for it, I do not think this will be a major problem. I was at a power summit at Dopemu, Lagos, sometime last year and I saw a lot of artisans giving their blessing to the power project that was supposed to have started at the Alimosho Local Government Area sometime in 2016. I do not know whether it is this same project  that has now been reworked. But the artisans readily agreed that they were ready to pay, especially with the 24/7 power supply attraction. They compared it with what they are losing either by not working because there is no power supply, or by working on generators. This, however, should not mean that the investors should exploit this to charge arbitrarily. Yes, they are here to make profit; yet, they should not exploit the situation by overcharging consumers and start arguing that it has to be so because electricity is more expensive in Benin Republic or Niger, as some people are arguing with fuel.

    One can only hope that the state government is gearing up for the other side of this development that has the potential of compounding the state’s population, especially in a country where many state governments have simply gone to bed, and their indigenes rushing to the ‘city’ in search of the proverbial greener pastures that they could not get back in the ‘village’.

    I cannot wait to see Lagos returning to its glorious past, when as children; we used to play on the streets, not knowing the difference between night and day, until our parents would call us that it was bedtime.

  • US to give 600,000 Africans access to power, others – USAID

    US to give 600,000 Africans access to power, others – USAID

    The United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ) has announced that more than 600,000 people would have  access to affordable power and the internet under the U.S. Power Africa Initiative.

    USAID’s Administrator, Mr Mark Green, who disclosed this at the ongoing Fourth Annual Powering Africa Summit in Washington DC, said that the Power Africa project had so far benefited many African communities.

    “Power Africa is helping our private sector partners to set up micro-grids, which will bring reliable and affordable power to these camps for the first time.

    “Once the camps are electrified, USAID’s innovation team and other coalition members will work to connect them to the Internet.

    “We are creating digital tools that tap into residents’ mobile phones to track health records, to provide digital identities, and to enable pay-as-you-go power, school fees, and other digital vouchers for services.

    “In total, we expect to give more than 600,000 people access to affordable power, internet, and these digital tools,’’ he said.

    According to him, Power Africa has so far helped 58 million people across Africa to gain access to electricity using market forces and enterprise principles.

    Green said that to make Power Africa a success, the agency was
    releasing the Administration’s strategy for Power Africa 2.0.

    The USAID Administrator said that the new strategy would ensure that Power Africa could continue to bring innovative ideas and enterprise-driven approaches to bear to help meet Africa’s power needs.

    “Under Power Africa 2.0, we will be expanding beyond our previous targets of increased energy generation and access and looking to make gains in the areas of distribution and transmission.

    “And perhaps most importantly, we will be taking on the enabling environments that allow private enterprise to grow and thoroughly flourish,’’ he said.

    Power Africa is a U.S. Government initiative that addresses one of the most pressing challenges to sustainable economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa — access to electrical power.

    NAN

  • Nigerians will return PDP to power in 2019’

    Nigerians will return PDP to power in 2019’

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo Central Senatorial District yesterday converged on Igbara Oke to chart a new course for the party.

    Leader of the Elders’ Forum in the state, Professor Olu Agbi, assured the party members of a resounding victory in the coming elections.

    The party chieftain noted that PDP remained the only party with depth, experience and administrative acumen to put Nigeria in the right direction.

    He said Nigerians had compared the PDP with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and accepted that they made a mistake in the 2015 general elections.

    Agbi said the electorate were prepared to rectify the “mistake” in the forthcoming elections.

    He advised members to go to their communities and ensure unity among members.

    The PDP chief hailed the party’s State Executive Council (SEC) for its steadfastness, commitment to bringing back lost members into the fold.

  • Power, media and diplomacy

    Power, media and diplomacy

    Kenya’s Raula  Odinga’s  declaration of himself  as  president  of  Kenya, this week    and his inauguration in that nation,  as well as Donald  Trump’s State of the Union Address, which  was a lesson on the ideals of government, and democracy  dominate our thoughts  today. Both  events question the essence power, authority  and legitimacy in any democracy.  Along with  these  but   on   the lighter side we look at a comment by a diplomat  at a Diplomats Night organized by  Nigeria’s premier  social  club   –  The  Island  Club, Onikan  Lagos  – at which a retired Ambassador  ridiculed  journalists  as only interested in sensationalism  while diplomats carry out   foreign policy,  a dubious claim  that I intend to expose   here  as a fallacy.

    With  regard  to Kenya I  want to remind the self- declared Peoples President  Raula Odinga of an African proverb  which states  that until  one has seized  the hilt  of his sword he does  not inquire  the cause of his father’s  death. This  proverb  is applicable  to  Odinga in  terms  of his personal  history and political  life  as well as a form of saying  of the wise  to  be respected. In  declaring himself  as president  Odinga has taken the fight to the rightful president of Kenya, Uhuru  Kenyatta. It  is a  bold  fight between  legitimate authority and a stolen and illegal presidency. It  is a challenge against  constituted  authority . Really,  Odinga’ has murdered’ sleep  and   like  Shakespeare’s Macbeth,’ will  not sleep  again’.

    Perhaps Odinga  is taking the matter  personal  between  him and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta  as their  fathers were  President  and Vice  President respectively   and  parted company over  succession when  Kenyatta  picked  Arap  Moi  as his successor  over the leftist  father of  Odinga. More than that too,  even  though  it  does not matter,  was  the  fact   that Odinga  had won election in  Kenya before in  2007  and had to be pacified after riots   and  appeased  by a new constitutional contrivance  that created a post  of Prime  Minister  for  him  for peace to reign in Kenya then.  But  now with a self declared president  in place with an elected  president,  can peace reign in Kenya? The  answer  is definitely  No. This  is because  the legitimate government must claim  and assert its authority  or else  it will  be assumed to have been usurped  effectively  and decisively, albeit  illegally  by the self declared Peoples  presidency of Raula Odinga. Unfortunately  the Kenyatta government  moved against  the media instead of its political  challenger  and closed  the media threatening them  with total  closure  if they covered  the event  only for  a court  to overrule  even  that  misguided order  by asking that the media houses be opened for the duration of the hearing of the case on  the matter.  So   who  is in control  in  Kenya? Definitely the  whole world  is watching   with  baited   breath  political  developments in  Kenya  as  a unique  event  and development  in   and  for   Africa.

    Similarly  in Nigeria  it was widely  reported in the news  media  that  the former  governor of  Kano  State  now   Senator  Rabiu  Kwankwanso  was  advised  by the state  police command  not to come to the state during the week  until  the security situation in the state was ‘ neutralized’.  I  thought  that was a new  way  of  addressing security  situations because if security is neutralized it means it  has been  compromised  and it is not adequate. Which  can  only mean or lead to insecurity. Was that  what the state  Police  Command had in mind?  I   doubt. Anyway, what  stops a former governor visiting  a state he developed  so much  and so well  and in which he handed over  to his Deputy  who is now governor?  Definitely  something  big   and  suspicious  is happening in  Kano  politically  that  needs security  to be ‘neutralized ‘before  a  governor  who  was a hero  during his tenure  as governor cannot  suddenly  be seen in broad  daylight  by the people he once governed  so popularly.

    In  the US, Donald  Trump gave his State  of the  Union Address which  to me was a very brilliant  one to bring unity  amongst  all  Americans irrespective of their  political  leanings. That  he was able to couch  and deliver such a speech in the midst of the media war he created by lambasting  part of the media as Fake News and the on going Russia  hacking and interference in the 2016 presidential elections is really  amazing. I really do not care what the American political  elites and media make of Trump’s presidency but I  want to share some of the fascinating aspects of that  speech with anyone interested good political  literature  and fine people  oriented rhetoric.

    At a ceremony  to which  were brought  ordinary  Americans who  had performed incredible but patriotic duties like the kid who mad flags for graves of dead US military  heroes, Trump  rallied   Americans in my view  like Winston Churchill  rallied  the British people  in their  darkest  hour during the Second  World War. Except  that  the Americans are  facing no war   now,  besides   that between  the Republicans and Democrats   on one   hand, and the media war  between their president and those he had labeled Fake News on the other.

    Trump  told  his people that  in America it  is faith  and family  that count, not government and bureaucracy, because America’s motto  is – In  God  we trust.

    In  a moving exhortation  he applauded  that America gave the world  the arts and music, science and other spheres  of knowledge. The  American people he said dreamed the US, the American people built  it,  and it  is the American  people  who  are  making it great again. When   leader invokes  power  and authority   as belonging   to  the electorate   in  any  democracy   he cannot but have their  admiration   and undying support  in any   clime and  in any  polity. No matter  how grudgingly, it is difficult  not to admire Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address.

    Let  me now  round  up  with  the retired Ambassador  who  mocked  journalists  at  the Diplomats Night of the  prestigious  Island  Club  this week. I   was at the event at which  the Chief  of Protocol represented the Minister of  Foreign  Affairs. I  raised a question on  what  is now the cornerstone of Nigeria’s  Foreign Policy  which was the topic of the day. The  Minister’s  representative did her best  in identifying National  Interest  as the Ministry’s  focus  of  attention before   former  Ambassador  Segun  Akinsanya  came up to patronizingly  insult  journalists by claiming that they  are  only interested  in sensationalism  and do not know anything about   foreign   policy  which  he claimed to be the  work  of diplomats. Which  to me is a comparison  that was   as unnecessary  as it was   grossly  misinformed. This  is because  the media  has a huge input in any foreign policy, including one  that is focused on National Interest  because  even that is moulded and articulated  by the media before it becomes  foreign policy. Diplomats and Ambassadors do  not  make foreign  policies, governments and politicians  do, and Ambassadors and diplomats carry out   the dictates of  the  policy. Perhaps  the pomp  and pageantry  of diplomacy, the balls and cocktails  may  put diplomats  and Ambassadors in the lime light while the journalists  bring the issues  to the public domain as foreign  policy  from the background,  but that does not  mean that Ambassadors and Diplomats make foreign  policies. In    fact   and  indeed   they  run  errands across  the globe to  implement  foreign  policy.  They  do  not make it  just   like   the saying that ‘ the hood does  not  make the monk‘. Once  again, Long live  the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Ministry warns communities against erecting bumps on highways

    Ministry warns communities against erecting bumps on highways

    The Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing on Tuesday warned communities located near federal highways in Nasarawa State against erecting bumps without approval.

    The Federal Controller, Ministry of Works, Power and Housing in Nasarawa State, Mr Wasiu Adetayo, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia.

    “Normally, for you to fix bumps on a federal highway, you need to take permission. We always reject such request because it is not done.

    “They will come with various excuses such as vehicles killed their people and so on, but by the time you fix such bumps, it is no more express.

    “That is not to say I am exonerating drivers who speed recklessly but the fact remains that we don’t allow speed bumps.

    Read Also: Ministry strengthens fight against child labour

    “So, what they do is to wake up one morning and fix bumps without permission and the bumps they fix cause more accidents which they are trying to prevent,’’ Adetayo said.

    He said it was strange that most of the communities were erecting bumps without the knowledge or approval of their traditional rulers and preventing their demolition aggressively.

    “It got to a stage that the controller cannot just go out and say he wants to demolish illegal bumps. They will attack him.

    “So, we now propose to the headquarters that we have to use uniformed men to assist us because eventually it will get to a stage where we will go out and demolish these bumps.

    “We also discovered that to approach this issue, we need to carry the traditional rulers along,” the federal controller said.

    NAN

  • APC panel proposes power devolution

    APC panel proposes power devolution

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) panel on restructuring has recommended devolution of power to states and the scrapping of local governments as a tier of government.

    It recommended resource control, state police, independent candidacy and merger of states.

    Panel chairman and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai submitted its report  to National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun in Abuja yesterday.

    Oyegun said with the report the APC’s stance on true federalism and restructuring are clear, adding: “this is the totality of our views, but it is still going to go through the mill.”

    El-Rufai said the panel collated the views of Nigerians, especially party members, which were mostly reflected in the report.

    He said: “The first item that we felt needed legislative action is the merger of states. It is pertinent to note that only 36 per cent of Nigerians wants more states created while majority of Nigerians don’t want more states. For us, since the creation of states is already in the constitution,  there is no action needed than to implement that.

    “So, the first recommendation for which we have proposed a draft bill for constitutional amendment is the merger of states. Though there was no consensus from stakeholders on the merger of states, we felt that we should propose a bill that allows states to merge and it is left for the National Assembly, the party and the people of Nigeria to decide on that.

    “On derivation principle, it is recommended that the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission Act be amended to vest it with the power to periodically review the derivation formula and make recommendations to the President who shall table the same before the National Assembly for necessary action.

    “On fiscal federalism and revenue allocation, we propose an amendment to sub-section two of the constitution to give more revenue to the states and reduce the Federal Government’s share.

    “There was overwhelming popular demand that there should be devolution of power to the states and the committee recommended same. We have recommended that the first schedule, part one and two be amended to transfer some powers to the states.”

    The committee also recommended that states be allowed to have their own police.

    Oil and other mineral resources, said the committee, should be left to the control of the states where they are located. Offshore resources should be owned by the Federal Government.

    The committee proposed the amendment of the first schedule to the constitution to ensure that names of local government councils are removed from the constitution. States should be allowed to create and fund their own local governments.

    El-Rufai said the committee recognised the fact that the country was operating a federal system. He described as an aberration, having more than two tiers of government as federating units in a federal system.

    El-Rufai said: “Local government autonomy is a very interesting subject in which we were surprised at the outcome. There were divergent opinions on this issue. We recommend that the current system of local government administration provided for by the constitution should be amended and that states should be allowed to develop and enact laws to have local government administration system that is peculiar to each of them.

    “What we heard from Nigerians is that as far as local government is concerned, there is no one size fits for all. We all come from different histories, different cultures, different administrative systems and we believe that the constitution should ensure that there is a democratic local government system in every state. But the details of, and the nature of that local government system, the number of local governments should be left to the states and states houses of assembly.

    “We propose amendment to Sections 7, 8, 162, the first schedule, part one and the first schedule of the constitution to give effect to our recommendations. The section that lists the local governments and their headquarters should be removed so that local governments are no longer named in the constitution.

    “States can create their local governments and determine the structure of their local governments. We are, by this, recognising that in a federal system, you cannot have more than two tiers of government. Having three tiers of government is an aberration. There is nowhere in the world where our research has shown us that you have more than two federating units.

    On resources control, the governor said: “We have proposed that mining, minerals, oil should go to the states. Then there will be certain constitutional amendments.

    “The Petroleum Act will be amended to show that states can now issue oil mining licences; the Land Use Act, Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act, the Petroleum Profit Tax Act 2007 would all need to be amended. So, we have proposed amendment that will ensure that minerals, mining and oil are vested in the states except offshore minerals.”

    The committee recommended a constitutional amendment to allow for a referendum to be conducted on burning national or state issues before decisions are taken. Now, the constitution has no room for referendum, but only in the creation of states.

    On independence candidacy, the committee recommended that anybody who wants to contest an election as an independent candidate should not have to be a member of any registered political party six months prior to the election the person wants to contest as a candidate.

    El-Rufai said: “On independent candidacy, the committee notes that majority of respondents were opposed, surprisingly, to independent candidacy. However, the committee still recommends that the party should support the demand for widening the political space by allowing for independent candidacy.

    “We believe that having independent candidates with necessary safeguards will make the political parties to be more honest and more democratic. So, because majority of the respondents were against independent candidacy, we took note of the fact that most of those that took interest in our deliberations were party members. We therefore believe that widening the political space is consistent with APC’s and the President’s commitment and we have made recommendations but with very strict conditions.

    “We have included in the bill to allow for independent candidacy that no one who wants to run as an independent candidate should be a member of a political party six months to the election. What it meant is that you cannot be a member of a political party, lose primaries and then go ahead to run as an independent candidate. You have to make up your mind six months to the elections that none of the parties is good enough and you want to run as an independent candidate.

    “We have put this safeguard to ensure that independent candidacy is not a platform for opportunism, but a deliberate, passionate decision, not an emotional one. We have put four safeguards.

    “One, any person who desires to stand as an independent candidate must not be a registered member of any political party at least six months before the election in which he intends to contest. Two, his nominators must also not be members of any registered political party. Three, the said candidate must pay a deposit to INEC in the same range as the non-refundable deposit payable by candidates sponsored by political parties through their parties.

    “So instead of paying to the parties, you now pay to INEC. If a governorship candidate pays one million to his party, you must pay one million to INEC to stand as an independent candidate.

    He went on: “On citizenship, the issue of local government or state of origin is discriminatory and should be replaced with state of residence. It is around this that we have proposed an amendment to the Federal Character Commission Act to allow people domiciled in a place to be considered as indigenes.

    “We have proposed an amendment to create the State Judicial Council that will appoint and discipline judges within a state while the National Judicial Council will exercise control over the appointment, discipline of judges of the federal government only.

    “We have proposed the creation of the state court of appeal so that from the High Court, you can first appeal to the state court of appeal before it goes to the Supreme Court of the federation. Again, this is consistent with federal practice all over the world.”

    Oyegun said: “I‘m going to promise that before the middle of February, it would have been considered and decided upon by the major structures of this party, the NEC, the Caucus of the party. And whatever is thereafter agreed will be presented to the authorities as the considered views and decisions of the APC for appropriate implementation.”