The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reason

  • Reason for power sector poor regulation

    Politics, not lack of manpower has stalled every effort to regulate the power sector and further reposition it for growth since its privatisation in 2013. The Association of Electricity Distributors of Nigeria(ANED), Executive Director, Research and  Advocacy, Mr Sunday Oduntan has said.

    He said the inability of the Federal Government to demonstrate political will by appointing a substantive Chief Executive Officer for the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), has frustrated efforts to regulate the market well, ditto the delay, by the government to  constitute the Board of the agency.

    In a visit to The Nation last weekend, in company of ANED’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Azu Onya,  said the sector would have by now have a strong regulation, but for the failure of the government to constitute the Board of the agency.

    Oduntan said:’’ For eighteen (18) months, no  commissioner was appointed by the Federal Government to regulate the NERC. The agency is still without a substantive Board. All these are afffecting the regulationof the power sector. The issue bordered on politics in the sector, and nothing else.Does that mean that the country does not have competent and skilled workforce to steer the ship of the sector? Does that mean that the government can only get qualified personnel, when it shops outside the shore of Nigeria. At a time, an acting Chief Executive officer was appointed to run the affairs of NERC. In view, such officer does not have the power to regulate the sector well’’

  • That reason may prevail

    There is presently some de-escalation of the separatist outrage that gripped this country in recent weeks, and we shouldn’t hold back saying much of the credit goes to the leadership initiative shown by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Whatever the perceived downsides of those consultations, his getting traditional rulers as well as opinion and political leaders to the dialogue table largely helped to tamp down the fury.

    It is not yet Uhuru, as they say – very far from it. But it at least seems the government now has a handle on mutually bandied ultimatums by youth groups in different geo-political zones across the country that had threatened to tip us all over the cliff edge. Spurred by those threats, the Acting President undertook serial stakeholder consultations that culminated in his meeting last week with the 36 state governors. The moderating effect of those consultations showed that the much required for managing combustible moods in our polity is a disposition by the leadership to being attentive and open for discussion. Hitting upon acceptable remedies to our nationhood challenges is a function of sustained national conversation in a convivial atmosphere, which the mutual threats had not served to foster.

    The Acting President’s push for dialogue did relieve the tension and expanded the pressured space for dueling emotions. But not that the stakeholder consultations were without red flags. For instance, the separatist Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), whose May 30th sit-at-home order in the South-east ostensibly formed the trigger point for a three-month quit notice to citizens of Igbo lineage residing in the North by self-professed Coalition of Northern Youths (CNY), faulted the region’s representation at the dialogue table and blustered that it would not be bound by whatever understanding was reached. Well, we must wait to see if it is able to continually retain the fancy of reasoning South-easterners under its nihilistic streak.

    Also, some analysts had argued that the youths’ outburst a few weeks back failed the smell test of underhand instigation by community elders and political leaders, some of who might have been among the Acting President’s invitees to the dialogue table. But that, if true, only made the consultations even more relevant, because they were like tackling the fire right at source.

    During his meeting with state governors last Wednesday, the Acting President recapped the broad points of the understanding reached at the parleys with community elders and opinion leaders of the South-east and as well the North. “We’re all agreed that Nigeria’s unity should never be taken for granted, and that no one wants to see Nigeria going down the path of bloodshed. We also agreed on the primacy of the Nigerian Constitution…The Constitution guarantees the equality of all Nigerians before the law, and their freedom to live and work anywhere in the country, in peace and safety, without fear of discrimination or prejudice,” he was reported saying.

    According to him, there was also agreement that hate speech must be reined in by leadership pressure points. And that, for avoidance of doubt, was without prejudice to constitutional guarantee of free speech, and the fact that there are genuine challenges fuelling separatist temperament in our nationhood that need to be redressed. “There is a part of all of these agitations and statements that are made that is fair and may well be considered as freedom of expression,” Professor Osinbajo said, adding: “But there is a point where a line has to be drawn, and that is when conversations or agitations degenerate into hateful rhetoric, where the narrative descends into pejorative name-calling, expressions of outright prejudice and hatred. We must at some point ensure that even in the use of words, we are careful especially because the kinds of problems that we’ve seen, the conflagration that we’ve seen all over the world, even in our own society, starts with the use of words.”

    It is curious that the Acting President, going by reportage, omitted some geo-polities like the South-west and South-south in his stakeholder consultations, perhaps because the tantrums that informed his initiative did not originate from, and neither were targeted at those zones. That, to my mind, minimised the thoroughness of the initiative, and as well degraded the opportunity to take on board all sides to the fault lines that bedevil the Nigerian nationhood. And that was so even as the current presidency buckles on taking up the report of the 2014 National Conference.

    But you can’t take away from the aptness of the basic points of consensus the Acting President outlined. Nigeria’s unity must by no means be taken for granted, but neither so the touted desirability of her dismemberment. Nigeria’s unity is organic, not given, and must be worked upon on an ongoing and incremental basis. The constituent nationalities certainly can’t agree on all the fine points of this nationhood; but we can at least agree to disagree, and from there work out those points of disagreement. It is all the more unacceptable that separatists among us deploy inciting rhetoric to push their imprudent cause. For instance, IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu is famed for having described Nigeria as a sheer cannibal zoo. But the toxicity of that remark only needs to be weighted against the experience of Rwandans in the 1994 genocide, where the majority Hutus were incited to a last push against minority Tutsis who were pejoratively dubbed ‘cockroaches.’

    And neither does the logic in the familiar argument for dismemberment stand up to exhaustive scrutiny. Advocates hastily deploy the example of the amicable parting of ways by Singapore and Malaysia in 1965 as a model. They often are silent, though, on the fact that the separation resulted from deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia – and not wildcat civic agitations – which had created communal tensions. They also conveniently forget that the United States, which the world celebrates as a leading nation today, fought a four-year civil war (1861 to 1865) between secessionists of the Confederate States of America and nationalists under Abraham Lincoln who were loyal to the U.S. constitution to preserve their Union.

    The Nigerian nationhood of today is far from being equally beneficial to constituent nationalities, and neither is it even munificent to individual citizens. But we have a nationhood to work at, and on which we can hold our leaders to some account – no matter how minimally. It simply isn’t an option to seek a fractious break-up.

  • Lawal reveals reason for Tornadoes move

    Lawal reveals reason for Tornadoes move

    Niger Tornadoes new arrival, Shittu Lawal has explained the rationale behind his exit from Akwa United.

    The defender appeared once for the Promise Keepers in the first round of the ongoing Nigerian league campaign. But believes his inclusion in the Solid Miners’ setup in the second round of the season will help propel them to the topflight title.

    “I think it’s the right time for me to move from Akwa United and I feel it’s best for me to have joined Niger Tornadoes till the end of the season,” Lawal told Goal.

    “I came here to help the team win the league, they are in a very good position and I hope to add more quality as I work hard with the rest of the team to make history.

    “It looks like a big dream but dreams do come true if only one works hard to make it happen. Personally I want to improve on my game and being at an ambitious club like Niger Tornadoes offers every player the right platform to express themselves,” he said.

    Niger Tornadoes are placed fourth on the log, four points adrift of  Plateau United.

  • ‘Akeredolu has no reason not to perform’

    ‘Akeredolu has no reason not to perform’

    Dele Ologun is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC)in Ondo State. He spoke with DAMISI OJO on last year’s governorship election, the expectations of youths about the in coming Akeredolu administration and other issues. 

    What does the victory of Rotimi Akeredolu portends for Ondo State?

    My view is that whatever God decides in a man’s life,it will come to pass,no matter the obstacles and hindrances against it.God had destined Akeredolu’s victory. Every other issues were mere challenges to catapult him to his present destination . God gave him a well-deserved victory, after the poor outing of 2012 governorship poll when he came a distant third on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN).A lot of waters passed under the bridge, but today,the dream had come to fruition as he will be sworn in as the sixth executive governor on February 24. we are celebrating him and as well celebrating all that worked for him. The dogged man has fought for what he believed in and he has won and to God be the glory.

    What is your perception of political godfatherism in Nigeria?

    Well, the governor-elect has redefined it. What I think Akeredolu is saying in essence is that you should believe in yourself. Believe in who you are and stand firm. Believe in your God, believe in your capacity and capability and with God on your side, everything is going to work.One needs to first of all believe in himself or herself . That is what we can learn from Akeredolu’s victory, which has become a common phenomenon.

    How would the new administration cope with backlog of salaries of civil servants, the pensioners, contractor fees, and uncompleted projects in this period of recession?

    Definitely, that is another challenge. But, when you have a capable man at the helms of affairs, you are more relieved. It is going to be a very great task, but Akeredolu will bring back the state on the right track. Ondo State people will need to be patient with him. It is not going to happen overnight, but I can assure you that he will transform the state. I believe in him. he has done it before as the President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), as former Attorney-General of Ondo State. He has the capacity and the capability. Although, we shouldn’t expect miracle overnight, there will be challenges. Like you rightly observed, there is recession in the country and the most important thing is how to come out of it and having a man who is ready to work, he is very prudent and intelligent. I can assure you that the sun will shine again.

    How best do you think the youth can be developed and be involved in developmental processes and in the running of the affairs of the state?

    Youths need to be empowered. I will go back to what I said earlier. the youth needs to believe in themselves. The youths are not only leaders of tomorrow as often said, but they are the leaders of today and tomorrow. For them to function well, they must be empowered today, be given the opportunity to utilise their potentials. The present time is ours to take. And I will advise the youths to braze up for the challenges ahead and be prepared to take the bull by the horn. The Ondo State youths are not touts. Many  are where they are today because they were not given a better direction. But, once the youths are empowered, they will deploy their potentials to turn situations around for good. All they need to do now is to stand and ask for their rights. And fortunately, the man taking over the affairs of the state now knows what they deserve. He will give the youths the enabling environment to function well.

    In what ways can the youths be empowered?

    Empowerments are in various forms. It can come in form of providing the right tools for the craft men, make available power-electricity – and all sorts of that. Getting them gainfully employed, bursary and scholarship to the students in tertiary institutions. And most importantly, what each community needs differs from others. This should be looked into and provided for. I want to also inform you that myself and some other partners have developed a blueprint on how best the youths in Ondo state can be empowered and I intend to submit the document to the governor-eect soonest.

    What do you think people should expect in the first 100 days in office?

    People should expect accountability, prudency and transparency. When you have a governor that is accountable to you, who cherishes integrity and transparency, then, all is well because he is going to lay a foundation and leave behind a legacy that any incoming administration would find difficult to beat. He is a man that will first of all let us know what is on ground, where we are going and how to get there and, of course, he has a road map. In fact, I will tell you, he is going to rewind Ondo State back to eight years, where Agagu left it. And gradually, great things will begin to unfold.

    What advice will you give to the governor-elect on how to set up his cabinet?

    Akeredolu I know is a very cerebral man, brilliant and knowledgeable, a man with mission and focus. With all these endowment, he will pick the best out of the best. He had overtime displayed it and he knows what to do. Like I said earlier that he has road maps and he knows that, he needs capable and qualified hands to work with him. His ultimate goal is to transform the state and you must also remember that he is a man of integrity who would not want his reputation destroyed. And for him to achieve that he knows he must work with great minds, people that are competent, capable and shares his dreams for  Ondo State. I am not in the position to advise him on that. But, all I can say is that Ondo State is in save hands with Akeredolu. God will give him the wisdom to choose rightly.

    Recently, you decided to give back to the society by giving out scholarship,  JAMB forms and others. What informed this philanthropic gesture?

    Dele Ologun Foundation has been in existence for years. we are not just starting this. In the past years, lots have been done even in Lagos State. with this one, my local government benefitted. The simple truth is that one needs to give back to his or her community, to give back to humanity. And while you are doing that, you are helping yourself. If you develop people, the people will in return reciprocate by developing others and that is how you make the world a better place to live. Other projects are in the pipeline such as artisans empowerment, that is, giving out tools and equipment to some of the artisans like barbers, tailors, bricklayers e.t.c to start businesses; aged empowerment, that is, giving some stipends to the widows and widowers in the local government and later, we extend to the central senatorial district of Ondo state and lots more.

    What advice will you give to the youths?

    They should believe in themselves, to be hard working, focused and believe in tomorrow. I keep saying that one should believe in himself because that is the foundation of success. Anyone who doesn’t first believe in himself is dead already. When you believe in yourself, you will wake up in the morning and confess positively to yourself that you will make it and once you believe you are going to make it and you pursue it with all zeal, you can be rest assured that you will make it in life.

  • Rhyme and Reason concert to hold in June

    Come June 11, 2016 by 4pm,The Excision,the second edition of the Rhyme and Reason concert will take place at The Dome, off Admiraltyway, Lekki, Lagos Nigeria.

    Rhyme and Reason is a platform through which people come together to creatively express themselves, highlighting issues and challenges that affect everyarea of their lives, with a view to proposing solutions by creating a positive narrativethat resonates through the entire society, thus creating meaningful impact.

    The first edition of Rhyme and Reason concert held in 2014 at the prestigious Landmark events centerOniru, and some of the artistes that graced our stage includesrenowned rap artiste and Grammy award nominee, Da T.R.U.T.H., as well as P4CM’sEzekiel and Janette…ikz.The Excision promises to be even bigger and better as Ezekiel and Janette…ikz would be joined by fellow A list SpokenWord artistes – Preston Perry and Jackie Hill Perry.

    While this year’s concert is a free event, however registration is required at www.rhymeandreasonng.comas limited seats are available.

  • Triumph of reason

    Triumph of reason

    It is apposite in view of the eventual formation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet to revisit some contentious issues in our body politic with specific reference to the interrogation of political tolerance and its utility in the development of our democracy.

    Arguably, political intolerance is a vice in the polity. It manifests itself when political leaders refuse to give space to opposition politics through a rejection of different views. However, political tolerance is a necessity by accepting and respecting the basic rights and civil liberties of persons and groups whose viewpoints differ from one’s own. All citizens, especially political leaders, therefore, have a responsibility to practice political tolerance in their words and actions as a key principle of democracy.

    This is so because as an ideal, democracy upholds the right to differ as well as the acceptance of such difference by all. Democracy lets people speak their minds and shape their own future. Indeed that so many in so many different parts of the world are prepared to risk so much for this idea is testimony to enduring appeal of democracy. Otherwise the crude desire to restrict the rights of a disliked person or group based on their differing views represents a threat to democracy.

    Like in many other parts of the country, this enlightened perspective is no less relevant than the situation in Rivers State where the divergent political positions before and after the last general election between the former Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his political traducers left in its wake some regrettable impressions.

    Although the Peoples Democratic Party was declared winner and a government was formed, Amaechi somehow became the issue of governance rather than the implementation of the manifesto of the PDP government. All manner of accusations rented the public space. The media smear campaign was so much that a psyche of distrust already embedded in the people could possibly lend credence to the campaign since the character deficit in many political leaders, including the traducers was rife.

    It became so vigorous a campaign that many concerned leaders from Rivers State and the South-south region in general took notice and raised alarm to the effect that beyond the shenanigans being dished out, there was an ulterior motive to embarrass Amaechi so thoroughly to make his further rise in political leadership and perhaps public service impossible, at least in the new dispensation. This is the reason for the daily orchestration about corruption, about such incredibly humongous figures in “secret bank accounts” in capitals across the world. But it was all lies, a calculated recourse to evil doing to tarnish a hard-earned reputation.

    Initially, Amaechi never bothered because he knew his has a clear conscience and as such replying to such pedestrian accusations which can easily be detected as false would amount to frivolity. But it later dawned on him that when a lie is repeated over time could register as truth in the estimation of the ordinary people. And he took the most appropriate step through a legal redress to protect his name and reputation. The case is subsisting in court.

    It is worth reiterating that Amaechi’s travail in the hands of his traducers was purely political. It resonates in his political differences with former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, leading to his exit from the PDP basically on matters of ideological differences.

    And to compound “Amaechi sins”, the former governor was regarded to have contributed in some strategic ways to defeat the former president and hell was let loose. So the situation in Rivers State is a proxy war!

    What we cannot and must not overlook in the saga, however, was the fact that Amaechi’s actions were not personal but a realistic appreciation of his politics, founded on convictions, rather than any ethnic or tribal leaning, to the effect that patriotism and the need for a virtuous and vibrant way to democratic and leadership renewal was inevitable. Of course, such is hard to fault in the context of the common good. Amaechi’s political pragmatism has defined him over the years.

    Thus his inclusion in the Buhari cabinet, in spite of the dirty tricks by his traducers, underscores his relevance not necessarily as a political gift but essentially as a measure of his leadership character and ability to add value towards the realization of the president’s agenda. It is also an endorsement of his stewardship as former governor of Rivers State both in terms of integrity and performance.

    Whether his political enemies like it or not, Amaechi’s legacy as a reformer will outlive him in Rivers State. His numerous landmark projects and development initiatives in education, health, agriculture, power and empowerment, remain imperishable especially in the hearts of the people who were beneficiaries.

    President Buhari who appointed him should also be commended for his clear sense of mission and objectivity by not pandering to sentiment and antics of talebearers. Understandably, he must have done his due diligence to realize that the wholesale smear campaign was political without any iota of truth. It is clearly a triumph of reason rather than the emotion-laden chorus of ‘betrayal” as every discerning observer could read along the line of hate politics in Rivers State.

    Amaechi’s new challenge, however, is a call to service on a national scale which should dwarf his feat in Rivers State. He must make his presence felt in the new agenda of national regeneration.  Importantly, we must recognise as a people that a clash of views in politics is a good thing in creating a viable democracy. Many fledgling democracies have slid towards autocracy, maintaining the outward appearance of democracy through elections, but without the rights and institutions that are equally important aspects of a functioning democratic system. And when we look closely we found out that the vice is a function of leadership character molded in intolerance and the quest for absolute power which invariably corrupts. We must learn to tolerate one another even when we hold opposing views.

     

    • Njoku, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Port-Harcourt.

     

     

  • ‘My husband abandoned me for no reason’

    •Man: our union is bad omen

    A middle-age woman, Sophia Arapogun, has prayed an Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her 11-year-old marriage because her husband, Patrick, abandoned her for two years.

    Mrs Arapogun, who lives with her husband and his six children from his previous marriage, said he never asked her how she fed.

    “My husband buys foodstuff for his children and asks them to keep it in their room. He never asked what I needed at a particular moment and we lived together,” she said.

    The petitioner said her husband came home at a time to sprinkle something that looked like blood all over the house, adding that she worked as a clerical officer in her husband’s hospital.

    She said: “I used to package melon to sell in neighbouring markets but since my husband didn’t like the idea, he employed me in his hospital. There was a day I took N300 to take passport photograph, he shouted at me in the presence of his children and I felt humiliated. I was more shocked when he made sure I refunded the money.”

    She is seeking an accommodation from him as compensation if her petiton is granted.

    Patrick said he married her because he heard a pathetic story about her, adding: “I asked if she had any evil spirit or medical problems which didn’t make her conceive during her two previous marriages but she said no; then I married her.”

    The respondent, a doctor, said after their marriage, he discovered that three minutes after making love to her, he got a knock or slap on his head.

    “Not only did I get a knock, whenever I had the intention of sleeping with her, I had rashes on my manhood or my manhood twisted. At times, I did not get erection or my sperm seized. Since then, I became afraid of everything,” Arapogun said.

    He said his hospital crumbled after his wife began to work with him, adding that she stole money on several occasions.

    “When we lived together, there were times my wife left the bedroom and returned in the morning without any explanation. Our union is bad omen. I have suffered from swollen legs, slight stroke and it was when I realised my wife defecates in the bucket I used to bathe that I decided to leave with my children because I was not ready to die young and I don’t know what was going to happen next,” he said. The couple have no issue.

    The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, ordered the petitioner to maintain peace and adjourned the matter till July 13 for further hearing.

  • ‘Abia has no reason to be poor’

    ‘Abia has no reason to be poor’

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State, Alex Otti, yesterday said that the state has no reason to be poor, if the government is alive to its responsibilities.

    The former Managing Director of Diamond Bank lamented that poor governance has retarded the growth of the state in the last eight years.

    Otti told reporters in Lagos that a new Abia is possible, if the people can vote wisely at the general elections.

    He described himself as the candidate to beat, adding that his credential, pedigree and competence cannot be rivalled by other candidates.

    Otti reflected on the struggle for the ticket of the party between him and Chief Regan Ufomba.

    He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has affired his candidature, adding that Ufomba is wasting his time.

    Decrying violence in Abia, he said the state government and PDP leaders are intolerant of the opposition.

    He complained that his campaigns and ralies have been disrupted by suspected PDP thugs, who have been insulated from arrest by the police.

    Otti said the governor, Chief Theodore Orji, who is a senatorial candidate, is afraid because he has not performed in the last eight years.

    He said his legacy projects are not worthy of pride, adding that it will not last.

    Otti said that the completion of the Government House project will not be the priority of his administration, if elected as governor.

    He added: “The Government House is for one person. But, the welfare of the state is my priority.”

    The standard bearer promised to develop Aba, which he described as the economic hub of the state.

    He said, if  Aba, the commercial centre, is developed, the state would have expanded revenue base and created employment for youths.

    Otti urged the people to vote wisely during the election in the interest of the state.

    He urged the electoral commission to prepared well for the exercise by resolving the outstanding controversy surrounding the proposed use of the smart card readers during the contest.

    Exhuding confidence, Otti said: “In a feee and fair contest, I will win the governorship in Abia.

  • CPC, Coca-Cola and limits of reason

    I have a strong fascination for Nigerian proverbs, and it increases every time I have had cause to explore the deeper meaning and the life lessons encoded in each one of those wise, witty sayings. But, as the full weight of a proverb is better felt in its native language, much of the impact of these proverbs often get lost in translation.

    Have you heard this one: “You have pulled the trigger, why chase after the bullet?” I heard it long ago from an elderly manwho was admonishing a younger groom. The latter, obviously a conceited bully, was adamant on sending his wife packing for allegedly challenging his authority in public, even after the poor lady and his own parents had tired of explaining her action and begging for forgiveness.

    That proverb is a subtle admonition usually to an aggrieved person who has begun to react beyond the limits of reason or is unwilling to let go, even after his point is made. In other words, it says “You’ve made your point, don’t insist on a needless or foolish course to assuage your ego”.

    This wise counsel comes to my mind each time I read another of the unending twist in the unnecessary and unfortunate media blitz on the court case involving the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Coca-Cola and its bottling partner, NBC over “two short-filled cans of Sprite”. I normally do not like soap operas or anything resembling them. However, I have followed these obviously orchestrated media reports on CPC and Coca-Cola/NBCbecause it involves big business and a regulator.

    It seems to me that on this particular issue, someone pulled the trigger and has been chasing after the bullet to guide it aright.I do not wish to be a bore by rehashing the background details; there is already enough online.  Just in case you are late to the party, here is a summary: CPC investigated a consumer complaint in late 2013 involving two short-filled cans of Sprite during which it claimed to have found that Coca-Cola and its bottling partner, NBC did not have processes for quality assurance, product traceability and consumer complaints resolution.

    Consequently, the council directed the two companies to, among other measures, subject their production processes to its inspection for 12 months and to pay within seven days a sum of N100,050,000 broken down as follows: N40 million as civil penalties, N60 million as cost of CPC’s investigations and N50,000 as compensation to the consumer/complainant. The two companies disagreed with the CPC’s investigation report and the attendant orders and therefore applied to the courts for judicial review of the orders. But CPC reported the matter to the Attorney General of the Federation, who slammed criminal charges on the two companies and their CEOs, alleging failure to comply with the CPC orders.

    So, which party pulled the trigger and is nowchasing after the bullet? Every right thinking person in our society ought to be glad that the CPC is standing up for our orphaned consumers and is taking big business to task in defense of the consumer. If, indeed, Coca-Cola and NBC have a poorer quality standard in our country and are deliberately short-changing consumers through “short-filling” their packages as the CPC seems to have alleged, then the full weight of the law must be brought to bear on both companies. But, more importantly, the processes for arriving at this very weighty conclusion and its consequence management must be such that would in the end portray CPC and the Nigerian government as acting within both the law and the limits of reason.

    In my view, this does not seem to be the case and the CPC is unwittingly pulling the rug from its own feet through its ill-advised chase of the bullet, as its actions in almost every angle of this case appears excessive, if not precipitate. In the first instance, I hope that the agency has adequate technical capacity to investigate a food production facility and, if not, that it collaborated with sister agencies like NAFDAC and Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to arrive at the conclusion that Coca-Cola’s production processes lacked effective quality assurance, as this is not a mean indictment for a company of Coca-Cola’s pedigree.

    No less a commentator than Simon Kolawole in his back page piece in the November 31, 2014 edition of Thisday on Sunday described the whopping sum of N100,050,000 that CPC imposed on Coca-Cola and NBC as “daylight robbery”. It cannot be better said. Also interesting is that CPC apportioned the lion’s share of N60million to itself as cost of the investigation and another N40 million as civil penalties, whereas the poor consumer/complainant whose cause CPC is supposed to be fighting gets a paltry N50,000 or 0.05% of the booty. Truly a “daylight robbery”!

    CPC also appears to have been less tactful with the profuse manner it has used the media on the issue. From the press conference it hurried convened in Lagos in February where it showcased its investigation report hot from the press, to the clearly orchestrated same-day media blitz in October across print and online channels advertising the criminal charges and, of course, the sustained and sensational media coverage of subsequent court hearings in the matter.

    This approach is tactless and the agency should rather be focusing its mind and resources on winning the case in court, so that it can hopefully gain a judicial precedent that will establish the expansive scope to which it seems to have stretched its powers in the Coca-Cola/NBC matter. What if, after all of this media blitz, the court decides that CPC had acted out of order?

    The agency’s media goal in this case seems to be to amplify the nuisance factor, and this may be anchored on the perception that multinational corporations become vulnerable whenever their reputation is threatened. The ultimate aim is possibly to weaken the companies’ resolve to press on with the judicial review and thereby force them to pay the outrageous sum or to some form of settlement arrangement in order to have peace.

    How else does one explain the criminalization of the companies’ decision to seek judicial review of the orders, the orchestrated media blitz on the criminal case and the latest twist, i.e. the unleashing of activist NGOs and lawyers, all of whom are accusing the companies of impunity?

    It is noteworthy that impunity or reverse impunity is more grievous when it is committed by a government or its agency, as there is no further recourse for the victim and such act encourages everyone else to follow suit and it sends wrong signals about our country.

    My piece of honest advice to the Director-General of CPC is four-fold: first, the media is an unpredictable and often dangerous wave to ride to fame. Secondly, regulation is serious business and cannot be effectively and sustainably carried out with melodramatic approach. Thirdly, the fixation onthe Coca-Cola/NBC case seems to have blinded the agency to the entrenched abuses that consumers suffer in many sectors across our land. Finally, you have pulled the trigger, do not chase after the bullet. Let the courts finish the job!

    • Oluwo, an analyst, writes from Lagos.

  • Now Jega is seeing reason

    It would appear the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega is gradually coming to terms with the contradiction which his avowal to delimitate constituencies before the 2015 general elections had been. He was last week reported to have expressed doubts on the possibility of conducting the exercise before the said elections.

    Jega premised his pessimism on two planks: alleged lack of interest in the matter by the National Assembly and the controversy surrounding accurate and acceptable national census figures. For these intervening variables, he now doubts the commission can meaningfully proceed with that programme.

    It is good a thing Jega is coming to terms with the futility that he can possibly conduct a successful constituency delimitation exercise especially given the very fluid times this nation is currently passing through.

    When sometime last year, Jega and his team approached the National Population Commission (NPC) to seek data to aid them in the exercise, he was pointedly told by the then chairman of the commission, Festus Odimegwu that there were no certified data for the various enumeration areas of the country. Odimegwu had also shocked the nation when he disclosed that politicians bought numeration areas in the same manner they buy voters’ cards during election to gain advantage and that it was on account of observed flaws that the 2006 figures were not published.

    Despite this, Jega pressed on with the exercise. In his calculations, though there were issues with the 2006 census, it still remained the most credible and acceptable source of data to carry out the exercise. He had then also attempted to pacify critics by arguing that the exercise was to engender equality in electoral constituencies and not to create additional ones at the federal level.

    Apparently buoyed by this flawed perception; the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the electoral law that permit census to be conducted after every 10 years, Jega had pressed on with the project. He signed a memorandum of understanding with some agencies of government, partnered with some others in the overall bid to enhance the success and credibility of his pet project.

    Curiously, after expending resources and energy on the obviously controversial and ill-timed engagement, he has come to terms with the subsisting reality that he was headed on a wild goose chase. In an article in this column then, we had drawn copious attention to the inadvisability in continuing with the exercise given the weighty issues that are standing against it. The issues we raised then are some of the ones Jega is belatedly coming to terms to with. It was a huge surprise that Jeja thought he could proceed with the exercise and record some success when he had been advised by the NPC that there were no reliable data for the various enumeration areas. And since the most vital data for that exercise remains the census figures, it is to be imagined how delimitation arising from an obviously flawed exercise can stand the test of time.

    It is even more startling having admitted that the 2006 census has been faulted, Jega was still led to the misleading conclusion that it remained the most credible source of data for the exercise. How he came to that conclusion despite facts to the contrary must have been a function of educated guess. Even then, he seemed oblivious of the controversy that trailed a previous attempt by his predecessor on the same issue.

    Take the case of Lagos State which was so dissatisfied with the outcome of the 2006 census that it had to embark on its own independent count which produced a figure of 18 million people as against nine million allotted to it by that census. To make matters worse, the census tribunal had annulled the figures allotted to its 20 local governments. The state has since been urging NPC to conduct another headcount so as to accord it its rightful place within the census matrix.

    Even then, since the heightened insecurity in parts of the north culminating in the exodus of people for their safety, demographic dynamics have been at play. The changes have significantly altered whatever figures that were credited to the various areas thus further stultifying any attempt to rely on them for planning purposes. At the moment, Lagos State is ‘harvesting’ from a huge chunk of those who fled the north on account of the hostilities. It is even being estimated that the population of Lagos may well be over 30 million now.

    Its corollary is that the population of those states from where these people fled has been significantly reduced. The point being raised here is that little will be gained by the current INEC proceeding with the exercise unless Jega has some other interest to satisfy before he leaves office. Moreover, after eight years of the former census and barely two years to a fresh one, the population of the country would have altered very significantly.

    The most rational thing to do in the circumstance is to defer the delimitation until after the 2016 census. If that exercise corrects the flaws of previous headcounts, then any delimitation arising it, will command more credibility and acceptability. Such figures can then be deployed for the delimitation exercise. It also does not make much sense for INEC to have said it did not intend to create new constituencies at the federal level. Our reading of this is that even where there are genuine reasons to create additional constituencies, the commission will shy away from it. This is very curious to say the least.

    Why then embark on an exercise that will not do the needful? These contradictions point to the inappropriateness in embarking on the exercise before a headcount that truly reflects the demographic dynamics of the country is in place. Anything other than that, will amount to further perpetuating the observed inequities of the past that have been at the root of continuing systemic dysfunctions. The matter of population has been so politicized in this country that serious efforts must now be made to once and for all determine the accurate population of the diverse peoples that make up the country.

    This undue politicization is further underscored by the senseless opposition to the inclusion of such vital statistics as ethnicity and religion in previous census questioners. Tell me what anybody stands to loose if we know the accurate figures of the ethnic nationalities as well as the religious denominations of our diverse peoples. There can be no other reason than some groups have thrived on deceit on these matters and are afraid of the backlash of such deceits being exposed. But how can we record meaning progress in a system that relishes in deceit and injustice without compromising our corporate unity?

    With general elections close by and mounting skepticisms on the capacity of the electoral body to conduct free and fair elections, Jega would be taking too much to think he can embark on another contentious engagement without being heavily bruised. He already has so much in his hands that he should allow constituency delimitation to wait until we have an accurate and reliable census. Then, an exercise deriving from it will have a wide measure of national acceptability.