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  • Govt warns Atiku against self-help

    The Federal Government yesterday warned Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar against resorting to self-help over the outcome of the February 23 election.

    It asked Atiku to realise that the only lawful channel for challenging the result of an election is the court.

    Any act capable of triggering a crisis will not be condoned, the government said.

    The government said it was absurd that Atiku had hired a lobbying firm to convince the United States not to recognise the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari until the Supreme Court has ruled on the suit he filed. Atiku has denied this.

    It said having lost by almost four million (4m) votes, it was  unfortunate that Atiku is seeking US recognition as the winner of the election.

    To the government, it is unfortunate that Atiku is thinking of replicating the Venezuelan model in Nigeria.

    The government made its position known at a briefing in Abuja by Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, which was attended by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

    Mohammed said: “As you must have noticed in recent times, posters bearing the picture of former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with the inscription: ‘’THE PUKKA, H.E. ATIKU ABUBAKAR, THE REAL AND THE RIGHT’’, have surfaced across major streets in Abuja.

    “The appearance of these posters coincide with the media report  that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has hired a US lobbying firm to convince the United States not to recognise the re-election of President Buhari until the Supreme Court has ruled on the suit by the PDP presidential candidate

    “The posters and the hiring of U.S. lobbyists, the latest of such by the PDP candidate, have triggered questions about what Alhaji Abubakar is up to. Is he starting a fresh campaign after the elections have been won and lost?

    ”Has he rescinded his decision to challenge the results of the presidential election in court, perhaps after realising that the results he claimed to have obtained from the INEC back server are cooked? Is he now going for self-help? What really is Atiku’s motive?

    “Gentlemen, we are aware of media reports that the PDP presidential candidate on Wednesday distanced himself from the posters that are circulating in Abuja. He also reportedly denied hiring U.S. lobbyists, claiming tongue-in-cheek that the APC fabricated the report.

    “If the media reports are right, it means that the former Vice President has suddenly realised the grave implication of his actions, hence has decided to beat a quick retreat before it is too late.

    “As a self-avowed democrat, he should realise that the only lawful channel for challenging the result of an election is through the courts. Resorting to self-help, as he seems to be doing now, is an act of desperation and the consequences are dire.”

    The Federal Government described Atiku’s plot to replicate the Venezuelan model in Nigeria as sheer daydreaming.

    Mohammed added:  “There is no doubt that the PDP presidential candidate, out of desperation, is thinking of replicating the Venezuelan model right here in Nigeria. But he should realise that Nigeria is not Venezuela, and that the situations in both countries are not the same.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari won the Feb. 23rd 2019 presidential elections fair and square, with a margin of 3,928,869 million votes. The election’s credibility was attested to by local and foreign observers.

    “There is no doubt that President Buhari’s victory is well- deserved. As I said at a different forum, it represents the triumph of the ordinary Nigerians over the elite.

    “The election is a direct contest between ordinary Nigerians and the elite, most of whom are rent seekers. Of course, the ordinary Nigerians have won. This is not a surprise, considering the pro-poor policy of the Administration.

    “Despite the antics of the naysayers, Nigerians demonstrated that they appreciate the giant strides that have been made by the administration; whether in the areas of economy, fight against corruption or in tackling insecurity.”

    Although the minister admitted that it is within the fundamental human rights of Atiku to go to court on the results of the Presidential Election, he cautioned him against seeking U.S. recognition as the winner of the poll.

    He said: “ Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has the right to do whatever is lawful to challenge the outcome of that election. But he cannot get through the back door what he couldn’t get through the front door. That will be a pipe dream.

    “ If he believes hiring a foreign lobbying firm will advance his quest, we wish him the best of luck. But seeking U.S. recognition as the winner of an election that he lost by almost four million votes is unconscionable.

    “Recall, gentlemen, that after the result of the presidential election was announced, the U.S. joined other countries to congratulate President Buhari.

    “Let me read a part of the statement by Michael Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State: ‘We commend all those Nigerians who participated peacefully in the election and condemn those whose acts of violence harmed Nigerians and the electoral process. We note the assessments of international and domestic observer missions affirming the overall credibility of the election, despite localised violence and irregularities.  Going forward, the United States remains committed to working together with Nigeria to achieve greater peace and prosperity for both our nations.’ I think that says it all.

    Mohammed said losing an election is not the end of the world and warned Atiku against resorting to self-help.

    He said: “Yes, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has lost an election. But he will not be the first or the last person to lose an election, and he should realise that losing an election is not the end of the world.

    “He has challenged the result of the election in court. That’s just as well. However, he should not give the impression that he does not have confidence in the judicial process, which is what resorting to self-help implies.

    “He should stop overheating the polity and quit trying to instigate a political crisis in Nigeria. No citizen, no matter how highly placed, is above the laws of the land. Enough is enough!”

    Responding to some questions, Mohammed added: “To answer your question, I won’t use the word as strong as treasonable felony. I will simply say that any act of  anybody capable of triggering local crisis will not be condoned by this government.

    “We are glad he has distanced himself from the posters. But we will want to sound a warning to him that elections are not a matter of life and death; that this country is greater than anybody’s ambition

    “To the question that whether or not we are trying to intimidate Atiku, I think he is the one trying to intimidate this government. A  government is not just there for elections, a government is there to preserve law and order and ensure that every citizen, no matter what his interest and rights are, is free to go about and achieve his or her aspirations.

    “But when you now overheat the polity and you behave as if the country is at war, no responsible government will sit by and overlook it.

    Read also: Atiku hails Fintiri’s election

    “Atiku has gone to court and the court process is on, what is the point of asking whether we will accept the verdict of the tribunal or not. Don’t forget, there is a process in Nigeria. If the tribunal pronounces one way or the other, you will appeal and go to the Supreme Court. The question of whether or not we will accept the verdict of the tribunal does not even arise. To me, his going to the tribunal is an exercise in futility. Look at the figures, look at the spread. We won fair and square. We have six zones and Buhari won comfortably in four of the zones.”

    The minister insisted that Buhari won the presidential poll based on his integrity and performance in office.

    He added: “This is a government that has done so much with less in restoring decency and integrity to governance. Like the New York Times said, the re-election of President Buhari is a referendum on honesty.

    “Of course you know that the policies of the administration endeared President Buhari to the ordinary Nigerians: The government feeds 9.3 million school children every day; 500,000 unemployed graduates have been employed under N-Power; 300,000 families are benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer; Interest-free loans of between N10,000 and N100,000 under the TraderMoni and the MarketMoni Schemes, respectively, to small business owners; Pensioners who have been left in the lurch are being paid – ex-workers of the Nigerian Airways, NITEL and former Biafran policemen; fight against corruption is being institutionalised with a number of policies that include Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Whistle-blower policy that has led to the recovery of huge amounts of money as well as property from looters.”

     But the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar said he did not pay a United States lobby group $30, 000 to prevail on the US Congress to stop the May 29 inauguration of President Buhari.

    The Buhari Campaign Group had alleged that Atiku paid the group to push for his recognition as the winner of the February 23 presidential election.

    Reacting through his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, Atiku said the allegation was “diversionary”, adding that they are “shameless lies and dirty propaganda” against Atiku.

    In a statement, he said lying had become a culture of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and, the Atiku camp was not surprised by the diversionary allegations.

    The statement said: “Since Atiku resisted pressure not to go to court, the APC has been behaving like a cat on hot bricks  because the outcome of the 2019 elections has exposed and shattered the facade of their dubious integrity.

    “The APC are behaving nervously like a thief living under the fear of being exposed and shamed. They are now using fake news against Atiku instead of focusing on defending themselves in the court.

    “For a party that has broken the worst record in election rigging, the APC doesn’t have any iota of integrity to be taken seriously by anybody.

    “Atiku’s court case has become their biggest burden because it exposes their integrity as a sham, and instead of defending their stolen mandate in court, they are now using fake news to divert public attention from the historic electoral heist they have committed against Nigerians.”

    The statement added that no amount of diversionary propaganda and fake news campaign by APC will stop Atiku Abubakar from continuing the court action he started to reclaim the “stolen mandate”.

  • Ex-minister ‘blew’ $56m cash on jet

    About $56million of the $1.09billion Malabu Oil Block cash was used by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources to buy a jet, The Nation has learnt.

    The aircraft has been traced to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

    Four anti-corruption organisations have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) demanding the seizure of the jet.

    These disclosures were contained in the petition sent to the EFCC by the four groups.

    The petition was signed by the Chairman, Human Resource Development Centre (HEDA), Olanrewaju Suraju; Corner House Director, Nick Hildyard; Re: Common Director, Antonio Tricarico; and Co-founder, Global Witness, Simon Taylor

    They alleged that the jet was said to be worth 56million dollars.

    In the petition, which was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the anti-corruption groups said the jet was bought with proceeds of corruption relating to the fraudulent sale of OPL 245.

    They demanded the retrieval and forfeiture of the jet by the Federal Government through the EFCC.

    The four anti-corruption crusaders, which attended the court proceedings in Milan, said their position was strengthened by “findings from the on-going international corruption case taking place at the Milan, Italy Court”.

    The petition said: “The investigation focused on the sales of OPL245 to Eni and Shell. It also involves grievous allegations of corruption linked with several serving and former company managers, including Nigerian politicians.

    “Prosecutors in Milan were told by a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, Debra LaPrevotte and Ten. Col. Alessandro Ferri both involved in the investigations of the case, that 56 million USD of proceeds of corruption was used by the former minister for the purchase of a private jet in Oklahoma City, USA.

    “The specific tail registration number of the aircraft was given as M-MYNA

    “What we heard from testimony in the court confirmed the information enclosed in a table produced by the FBI, and already disclosed as a public document in the court case, Crown vs. Malabu Oil and Gas, which was held at Southwark Crown Court in London, UK; namely that proceeds of the OPL 245 deal were used to purchase a Bombardier Global 6000 private jet with the registration number M-MYNA”

    “This aircraft is listed as registered to Tibit Limited (BVI) and registered in the Isle of Man. The FBI table notes that the aircraft purchase was made from Insured Aircraft Title Services, Oklahoma City, US. We note that the company appeared in a 2010 investigation by the US Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee, Permanent Sub-Committee on Investigations, regarding their role in the purchase of aircraft by PEPs.”

    They alleged that “the individuals connected to Tibit Ltd, a BVI company involved in selling several Bombardier 6000 jets, have been the subject of a court case with the Australian Tax Office.

    Read also: Malabu Oil deal: FG claims $1.975b against JP Mogan, Shell, Eni

    “The report related to the Panama Papers has also raised questions about the Bombardier sales.”

    The anti-corruption organisations urged the government to seize the aircraft.

    They said: “The aircraft’s most recent flight, according to public aircraft tracking websites, was from Paris to Dubai airport on the 7th June 2017. The aircraft appears to have remained in Dubai since.

    “There is, therefore, reason to believe that the jet is still in Dubai airport and could be frozen by competent authorities as possible proceeds of crime.

    “We kindly urge you to verify this information and take appropriate steps, including asset freezing and forfeiture, where possible, under the 2018 Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates.”

    The OPL245 is an offshore oil block with about nine billion barrels of crude.

    It was auctioned for $1.3 billion (1.1 billion euros).

    Although the Nigerian government received only $210 million as Signature Bonus, about $1.092 billion was traced to a London bank account which was suspected to be slush funds allegedly used to bribe some middle men and politicians in the country.

    A former President was accused of benefiting about $200 million from the Malabu oil deal.

    About $523million of the  $1.092billion paid for the block was shared out as bribes to some former ministers and politicians.

     

  • Wike to Amaechi, others: let’s unite

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has called on Transportation Minister Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to join hands with him to develop the state.

    It was the end of the road yesterday for the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) in its battle to unseat the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the Southsouth state.

    The Supreme Court struck out three appeals filed by the APC, its candidate in the governorship election Tonye Patrick Cole and members of his faction.

    The governor, in a state broadcast to mark the landmark ruling by the apex court waved the olive branch. He said the state stood to benefit more if all leaders are united.

    The governor specifically urged Amaechi, the leader of the APC in the state, to team up with him in developing the state.

    He said: “Although the present politics of acrimony and bitterness may have strayed from the noble path of the past, I still believe that we shall be better if standing and working together for our state and our people.

    ”I therefore appeal to the APC and the Minister of Transportation to join hands with us to move our dear state forward. We cannot as leaders continue to remain divided and expect government to deliver on its responsibilities to our people. Let us from henceforth seek the common ground instead of allowing our differences to be exploited to retard our march to progress.

    ”I appeal to our people to eschew all acts of acrimony, criminality, unrest, and violence throughout the state. I wish to recommit myself to continue to do all that is humanly possible to ensure the unity and peaceful co-existence of all our people, irrespective of political affiliation”.

    Wike directed the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to review all pending criminal cases linked to politics before the 2019 elections and make necessary recommendations to promote reconciliation.

    He said: “I hereby direct the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to review all pending criminal proceedings filed against any person by the state and directly related to political activities prior to the 2019 general elections and make appropriate recommendations to me for necessary action to promote reconciliation among us.”

    The governor pledged to run an inclusive government aimed at promoting the state.

    He said: “Today, I recommit myself to be the Governor for all the people of Rivers State for the next four years. Accordingly, we shall form an all-inclusive government to advance the collective interest of all our people, irrespective of party, ethnic or religious affiliations.

    “We have come a long way in the last four years and accomplished a lot to be proud of. But there’s still a lot more to do to advance and realise the ultimate vision of our founding fathers for a truly united, secure, and prosperous State and we need the support of all our people to realize this bold vision.

    “We salute the opposition for their courage to fight within the confines of the law to the end. Now that the legal battle is over, the task of building the State must take precedence over all other considerations.”

    Wike expressed gratitude to God for the Supreme  Court judgment, assuring the people that with the judgment all legal tussles have come to a close with the people having nothing to fear.

    Read also: 2019 elections: Reps probe killings of Poly lecturer, others in Rivers

    He said: “Few hours ago, the Supreme Court of Nigeria struck out the consolidated appeals of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tonye Cole for lacking in merits.

    “With this decision, all legal issues regarding the fielding of candidates by the APC for the 2019 National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Rivers State have finally and permanently been put to rest.

    “What this further means is that the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidates in the 2019 National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections is legally safe, secured and protected.

    “I wish to assure you that there is nothing else to fear or be worried about, as there is nothing more the APC or any other person can do to deny us the victory you freely gave to the PDP and its candidates.

    “Let me also express my deepest gratitude to the people of Rivers State for the opportunity to serve you as your Governor for another four years. I am truly humbled by your continued trust and I will not take this support for granted.

    “For me, the collective interest of the people of Rivers State is the reason I am in politics. When you gave me the mandate about four years ago, I committed myself to be the governor for all the people of Rivers State and stayed through to that commitment.”

    Also yesterday, Rivers PDP Chairman Felix Obuah echoed the governor’s call on APC members to join hands with him.

    According to him, yesterday’s ruling by the apex court once more heightened the dignity of the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

    Obuah, said in Port Harcourt, noted that having exhausted all avenues of defusing the choice of Wike by the mass of Rivers people, the APC had no choice but to acknowledge the obvious fact that the governor’s re-election had divine endorsement.

    He hailed the wisdom and maturity exhibited by Wike, urging the governor to continue to see the state as one united and indivisible stock of God’s people.

    Obuah said: “Members of PDP in Rivers State are delighted and will forever remain grateful to God for seeing them through all the stress and above all, granting the Rivers PDP undisputed victory at last.

    “Today’s (yesterday’s) judgment of the Supreme Court striking out the consolidated appeals by the APC and Tonye Cole (the party’s governorship candidate) has ended the litigation by APC to put a wedge in the wheel of democratic governance in Rivers State.”

     

  • Oil prices dip nearly 2 per cent

    Oil prices fell yesterday, after rising to five-month highs earlier this week on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)-led production cuts and free-falling Venezuelan output.

    International benchmark Brent futures were down $1, or 1.4 per cent, at $70.73 a barrel. Brent hit a more than five-month high at $71.78 on Wednesday.

    United States (U.S.) West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures fell $1.11, or 1.7 per cent, to $63.50 per barrel. WTI whit a high of $64.79 going back to Nov. 1 earlier this week.

    Selling accelerated yesterday morning as U.S. crude dropped below $63.71 a barrel, a technically-significant level at which some funds had stops in place, triggering automatic sales, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho in New York.

    Read also: Oil rises above $71 on tight supply

    U.S. crude inventories surged by 7 million barrels to a 17-month high of 456.6 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. However, U.S. gasoline stocks fell by a whopping 7.7 million barrels, sending U.S. gasoline futures higher by 3.5 per cent on their close on Wednesday.

    U.S. crude oil production remained at a record 12.2 million bpd, making the United States the world’s biggest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

    The surging production and regional refinery outages have depressed prices of cash grades, putting more pressure on U.S. crude, said Yawger.

    U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude at Midland yesterday traded at the biggest discount to futures in almost four months after Phillips 66 closed a unit for maintenance at its Borger, Texas refinery, adding to a backlog of barrels as production climbs.

    Oil markets are tightening amid the increasing effectiveness of U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, the International Energy Agency said yesterday.

    U.S. sanctions and power outages pushed OPEC member Venezuela’s crude output to a long-term low of 870,000 bpd, IEA says. Two days ago, OPEC reported Venezuela’s March output sank to 732,000 bpd, citing independent sources, while figures provided by the country put production at 960,000 bpd.

    Iranian supply could fall further after May if, as many expect, Washington tightens its sanctions against Tehran.

    OPEC and its allies led by Russia are due to meet in Vienna on June 25-26 to set their policy.

     

     

  • IGP: records point to significant rise in crime after polls

    Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, at a meeting with strategic police managers yesterday in Abuja, admitted increase in crime and outlined efforts to curb it. Excerpts from his speech:

    Criminal records point to a significant rise in crime following the conclusion of the general elections. While some security experts have attributed the trend to the disengagement of the criminal elements from politically-related activities for which they might have been engaged during the elections, others have attributed the trend to socio-economic factors.

    While the debate on the cause of the upsurge in crime could be a subject of debate or academic conjecture, what remains undebatable is the fact that the primary and statutory duty of the Nigeria Police as the lead agency in internal security framework, is the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of our internal security order.

    This places on us the responsibility of assuring the citizens of their safety and security without any form of excuses. It also challenges us to rededicate ourselves to our statutory duties, constantly review our law enforcement strategies and re-order our policing priorities towards stemming the tide of crime. It is within this context that this meeting was summoned.

    In this regard, let me emphasize that as strategic police managers, your professional competence is measured by your capacity to dissect the trends and patterns of crimes within your Area of Jurisdiction, develop and modify crime management strategies and deploy your human and material assets towards achieving a stable security order.

    While some of you have demonstrated a very high and commendable level of professional competence which has manifested in the moderation of crimes in your commands, unfortunately, the professional proficiency and sense of commitment to duty of some others are being called to question in the face of inappropriate response to threats of crimes in their jurisdictions. The current security realities in the country have made this trend intolerable.

    Read also: How politicians ruined 2019 elections, by INEC chair, IGP, others

    Consequently, I charge you all, as you return to your various commands, to renew your sense of commitment to duty and demonstrate requisite professional leadership needed to roll-back the current unacceptable trend of crimes in your commands.  In so doing, you must have the knowledge to see things differently, wisdom to think differently and courage to act creatively. Because as noted by Albert Einstein, you cannot be ‘doing the same thing over and over and expect different results’. The dynamics of crime should task you to evolve new thoughts and new approaches to crime management. Your ability to this is what defines you as a professional and an experienced police manager.

    You must therefore, return to your commands to evaluate and coordinate actions directed at overhauling your current crime control structure and strategies being conscious that the current security challenges represent a test on your leadership ability. You must learn to crime-map your jurisdiction and harness the strength within to neutralize all forms of crimes and security threats.

    The only way we can stay ahead of criminals is to continually generate actionable criminal intelligence to support our anti-crime functions. This can only be achieved if we cultivate citizens’ partnership and confidence by returning policing to the people. Consequently, in reviewing your current strategies, you must fully engage the two core policing policies of the current police dispensation which are built on community policing and intelligence-led policing values. While we at the apex leadership level will strive to support and motivate you, we shall, henceforth, not hold back in sanctioning any officer whose dereliction or weak leadership capacity continually occasions increase in crimes.

    Indeed, it is in furtherance to our commitment to complementing you that Operation Puff Adder was conceptualised and launched on 5th April, 2019 to address in the shortest possible time the threat of kidnapping, armed robbery and armed banditry in Kogi, Niger, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina States as well as the FCT. It is gladdening to note that this initiative has recorded remarkable achievements.  Between 5th April, 2019 (when the operation was launched) and today, the initiative has recorded the following achievements:

    1. No. of kidnapping suspects/armed bandits arrested – 46
    2. No. of Suspects killed in operations    –  10

    iii.   No. of victims safely rescued – 2

    1. No. of firearms recovered – 18 (9 AK 47 rifles and 9 other locally fabricated/automatic weapons)
    2. No. of live AK47 ammunition recovered – 1300
    3. No. of live cartridges recovered – 28

    vii.  No. extra rifle magazines recovered – 10

    I expect you to replicate this strategy in your various commands in order to restore order in the public space and enhance public confidence in the Police.  Let me reassure all citizens of our renewed commitment to emplacing effective strategies towards addressing the current security challenges. The threats might appear challenging, but I can assure that they are surmountable and we shall provide the requisite leadership needed to address them.  We, however, cannot do it alone. We seek the citizens support and we trust that you shall all partner with us to present a common front in the war against criminal elements that are bent on re-ordering our national values and testing our common will.

  • Envisioning the Yoruba in an ideal Nigerian Federation

    Yoruba values are the ageless strength of the Yoruba nation. Paradoxically, they are also part of her challenges. The core value of Omoluabi still remains the pillar of the Yoruba civilization. Iwa (Character) is its fundamental moral principle. Guided by this principle, generations of Yoruba parents brought up morally upright children who have gone on to succeed wherever they find themselves. They were told that if they demonstrated outstanding traits of character, they would go places. However, should they develop bad character, they might open themselves up to derision and hate.

    The components of Iwa include a strong habit of hard work (ise logun ise), the philosophy of live and let live, and hospitality (ikonimora) to mention a few. We also have a rich language which appears to accommodate opposites without qualm. While we say ise logun ise, we also insist that kitikiti ko mola, ka sise bi eru ko da nkan. Also, with the same mind that we philosophize about the morality of hospitality, we also express our misgiving about preferring strangers to natives (eniti a bi won bi kii wu won….). We are not worried about the apparent ambivalence of our proverbial statements. Our ancestors prioritize moderation and balance in every situation. If we learn from them, we would have little or no challenges that we do not have indigenous resources to meet.

    In an ideal federation, the central and regional or state governments are co-equals. There is no parasitic relationship and the regions/states have sovereignty over affairs relative to their customs and cultural traditions, including language policy, education, economy, etc. Specifically, an ideal federalism respects cultural democracy. That the Nigerian Federation is non-ideal is no longer news. It has been so since 1966 despite the complaints of many citizens, including political leaders, traditional rulers, educationists, legal luminaries, labor, and students. We also know that this deviation from the norm of federalism has been a clog in the wheel of our national progress and development.

    We know where we were at the dawn of independence having been in an ideal federation for at least five years before 1960. And we know where we were on the eve of January 15, 1966. And we can infer where we would have been if, on that day, the brake pedal of unitarism had not been depressed to slow our forward march.

    No one is in doubt that the current federal structure of the Nigerian state undermines the progress of every group, the Yoruba especially, in all areas. Recall, for instance, that the Awolowo administration defied the colonial federal government to pursue its own development agenda even though it meant forfeiting its allocation of federal fund. So, the current federation is not anything but a setback for the aspirations of the founding fathers of the former Western Region. For the Yoruba or any ethnic nationality or region to make progress relative to its aspirations, we must have something close to an ideal federation, if the ideal cannot now be achieved.

    Having made the point in the last paragraph, however, let me throw in a major caveat. We know the impediment to Yoruba progress in the current quasi-unitary system. But there is also another matter that must agitate our mind as we contemplate restructuring toward an ideal federation.

    What we haven’t really confronted is what prospects and challenges the Yoruba might encounter in an ideal Nigerian Federation when restructuring is accomplished. Hopefully, the prospects are excellent for a reconfiguring of our zonal agenda for the development of our people. However, I hazard a guess that there would still be some great difficulties in view of our special circumstances. Unfortunately, we haven’t engaged seriously with these issues. Here I choose one for further reflection.

    We suffer from a deficit of consensus, talk less of unity of purpose. We pride ourselves in the matter of the priority we give to differences of opinions on matters of importance. We cannot all sleep and face one direction. Our uniformity of tongue and blood doesn’t prevent bitter political fights. No Yoruba leader since the days of Awolowo has ever controlled the admiration, talk less loyalty of a large percentage of the people. Superstitiously, we attribute this to the curse of Aole. But if we don’t speak with one voice, who is going to take us seriously? It is no surprise that the political geckos have always taken advantage of the cracks in our walls to invade our space.

    It is even more distressing that the most disruptive conflicts have not occurred because of ideological differences. Conflicts of personalities have always been the bane of our civilization from the days of inter-tribal wars to contemporary shenanigans among traditional rulers and political leaders.

    Along with the foregoing is our posture regarding our common ancestry and the glorious history of our immediate past. We are justifiably highfalutin recalling our exploits in the First Republic. We were first in all the innovations that mattered to a developing country. We were like a country within a country. And we regret that our march of progress was stopped because we decided to go national with our brand when all that national leaders saw then was a threat to their hegemony.

    Now that we have been strategically partitioned into tiny cubicles, each cubicle head decides to guard its power trimmings jealously. Thus, when the idea of a return to regionalism was first proposed years ago, the first attack on the idea came from our zone. “We are not ready to go back to Ibadan was the refrain” as if we are incapable of out-of-the-box thinking again. Surely going back to Ibadan or using another regional headquarter can’t be our only option.

    What we do about this issue of internal division and personality conflict is going to determine (a) whether we project a common voice regarding the need for restructuring and (b) whether and how we benefit from it when it finally occurs.

    About (a), we shouldn’t deceive ourselves thinking that APC leaders among us are the resisters. Many of them have been lifetime advocates of restructuring. The truth is that, in the present republic, resistance started in 2005 during the Obasanjo constitutional conference when PDP was in power in the Southwest apart from Lagos. The Yoruba Agenda was carefully prepared by activists and civil society leaders. It was endorsed across the board only to be turned down by PDP Governors who insisted that they were the elected leaders and they must have their way regarding the political agenda for the Yoruba.

    Of course, they had the backing of the then President whose disdain for restructuring was and is not a secret. If there are APC political office holders now resisting restructuring, it may be worth our while looking into the negative psychology of power that overcomes its bearers and render them incapable of long-term consideration of legacy. Just as the curse of a country with a wobbly foundation is not borne alone by one party or the other, so the blessings of a restructured Nigeria will rebound on everyone whether they support it now or not. But history records impartially and, in the fullness of time, it will make its record public.

    On (b) assume that restructuring finally occurs despite the resistance of the powerful. If the Yoruba are at each other’s throat, how are they going to benefit? A restructured Nigeria, with a true federal system, where federating units are quasi-autonomous, and are in control of their resources while paying taxes and royalty to the federal government, will not be a bed of roses initially. The success of each federating unit in such a system will depend on the quality of its human talents more than the material resources it controls. Therefore, the Southwest must prepare itself through the creative energy of leaders and followers who work cooperatively to reinvent the pacesetting genius of its past.

    The future that we envision calls for the closing of ranks and the mending of fences that tend to divide. This is our urgent TASK.

     

    • Excerpts from a goodwill message to Afenifere Renewal Group Retreat, March 30, 2019

     

  • Politics and women in governance

    The 2019 elections have come and almost gone as the battles have shifted to the legal front. But a look at the race has shown that women are significantly few in the number of candidates and winners in the election. Except for a few of them that were elected into legislative houses, there were little gains for the women folks in the Nigerian political system.

    Truth be told, the two major political parties – All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – claim to love the womenfolk dearly. They wax lyrical tunes and political messages to show their interest in advancing the political interest of women in the country, but unfortunately, this is where it ends.

    In the last general election, no woman was nominated governorship candidate of both parties and none was elected. Instead, the best they did was to nominate a few of them as deputy governorship candidates – and like deputy governors all over the country, they do not have any political influence, and their relevance is negligible.

    Statistics put women and youth at almost 80% of eligible voters in the country; yet, they have been ignored politically, except during elections when their votes count.

    In numbers, under the current political system, women’s representation in the House of Representatives is 5.5%; in the Senate, it is 5.8%. Only five out of 73 candidates that ran for president in 2019 are women. In all, 1,668 men and 232 women vied for 109 senatorial seats while 4,139 men and 560 women competed for 360 seats in the House of Representatives.

    Since 2006, Nigeria’s National Gender Policy highlights women’s right to equality in economic, social and political life, with provisions to increase women in elected and appointed positions to 35 per cent—but that hasn’t happened.

    “There have been so many protocols, conventions, amendments of the Nigerian constitution, which support providing a quota system, but in reality, women are excluded in politics,” says Blessing Obidiegwu, Head of the Gender Division for the Independent National Electoral Commission. “Such problems as patriarchy, violence in elections and their economic situation serve as barriers to women’s participation.”

    In 2016, a Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill was tabled, calling for the adoption of temporary special measures to eliminate discrimination in political and public life. UN supported the bill’s passage in five states (Anambra, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi and Plateau) and is currently advocating, alongside partners, for its adoption at the National Assembly.

    Although Mrs. ObyEzekwesili was just one of the six females among the 73 presidential candidates, before she withdrew her candidacy, her role was significant insofar as she was a direct repudiation of the gendered narratives that portray women candidates as incompetent and unable to compete in the world of politics.

    While women make up 47 per cent of registered voters for the 2019 elections, only eight per cent were cleared to vie for electoral positions in presidential elections.

    Furthermore, all six women presidential candidates withdrew their candidacy even though their names remained on the ballot box. Women can expect to remain a significant minority in elected offices under this election cycle.

    Women’s minimal participation in Nigeria has multi-dimensional implications for the democratic project in Nigeria and for the continuing quest for gender equality in Africa’s biggest economy. The 2019 elections is the sixth consecutive general elections since the beginning of the fourth republic in 1999. This marks what is undoubtedly, a measure of democratic progress – if only for conducting periodic elections since the return to civil rule.

    What remains deeply in doubt, however, is how inclusive this progress has been and, in particular, to what extent women have benefited from the democratic dividend of equality and fairness.

    The first of the wife of leaders of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to place a significant role in advancing the course of women was Mrs. Maryam Babangida. With her Better Life for Women programme, she significantly brought to the fore, women’s cause. This was followed by Maryam Abacha, Stella Obasanjo and Patience Jonathan each in their individual ways.

    In the present dispensation, the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari has been very outspoken in her resolve for political inclusiveness for women. A couple of years ago, she openly said to her husband and the political leadership that she would not mobilize the women for him if there are no political changes in the system.

    During the last elections, she and the wife of the vice president, Dolapo Osinbajo introduced and ran the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign for the APC. The success of this was clear through the door-to-door campaign members embarked upon across the country. This is an indelible new introduction into the political lexicon of Nigeria.

    Before the elections, President Buhari repeatedly announced that he will engage more women when he wins his second term. We wait to see whether he will follow his words with action now that he has won his second term.

    Liberia’s former head of state, Ellen Johnson Sir-leaf made history as Africa’s first female president. In the United States, Senator Hillary Clinton has made a positive impact in America’s politics. Also the late Republican Party’s presidential candidate, John McCain picked a woman – Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska as his running mate for the U.S election. This could be seen as the strong factor women constitute in the political parlance of any nation.

    Today, many countries of the world are making efforts to bridge the gap between men and women in politics. But in Nigeria, the representation of women in government even though has improved is still very low compared to what obtains in other nations of the world, particularly in the developed nations. The representation of women in the last republic, 2003 election, was poor – only three women made it to 109-member senate, while 21 were elected in 360-member lower House of Representatives. As it were, the number of serving female ministers is still very few.

    A greater inclusion of women in the political permutations of political parties in order to win future elections is becoming a reality. Whereas the exclusion of womenfolk has been maintained by successive governments without repercussions, just as it happened in the last elections, the implication of neglecting women may prove costly in 2023.

    There is no doubt that women have some potentials and rights to contribute meaningfully to the development of their country. Therefore, the Nigerian government should work towards achieving gender equality in democratic governance, increase women participation and access to politics. It must be realized that the role of women as homemakers cannot be downplayed in that it equally has an extended impact on their responsibility in service; the feminine touch – they say, cannot be wished away.

     

    • Ayomo is Abuja-based Human Rights Advocate and Media Consultant.

  • Rising youth unemployment worries SMEDAN DG

    Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) Director-General, Dr Dikko Umaru Radda, has expressed worries over the level of youth and women unemployment, urging the authorities to tackle the situation before it becomes a crisis.

    Dikko, who spoke in Kaduna, at the inauguration of sensitisation programme on Young Business Owners in Nigeria (Y-BON) in the Northwest Zone, warned that if the situation was not properly tackled through deliberate measures with sufficient job creation, civil, social and political upheaval might ensue.

    The SMEDAN boss said available data showed that only one out of every 100 graduates get employed by both the public and the private sectors after graduation.

    He noted the global population of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 was rapidly increasing with vast majority of that group living in emerging economies such as Nigeria.

    Radda, therefore, said there was the need to properly manage the group to yield positive demographic dividends rather than become a security burden. “This is the surest way to diversify the economy and employ the huge youth population,” he said.

    He identified skill shortages caused by dearth of skilled personnel and entrepreneurial competence as some of the factors responsible for unemployment in Nigeria.

    Read also: Only one of 100 every graduate gets job in Nigeria —SMEDAN DG

    “There is no doubt that unemployment situation in Nigeria has reached a crisis level,” Radda said, noting that it was in a bid to address this challenge that SMEDAN initiated the Y-BON programme.

    He explained that the programme was aimed at providing a platform where existing entrepreneurs either as stand-alone or cooperative societies will be competitively selected for further support packages to reduce some of the fundamental challenges that usual confront Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs.)

    “Essentially, the target beneficiaries are young people between the ages of 20 to 45. The focus on this target is because of the need to create new opportunities for employment and enterprises growth, which are usually not easily realisable in start-ups,” he said.

    The DG noted that through a similar programme in 2018, SMEDAN supported 460 business owners with workspace in Anambra, Kebbi, Kogi, Cross River and Osun State.

  • Why Nigeria needs a blue revolution, by FISON

    The Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) has called on the Federal Government to promote a blue revolution that will encourage more farmers to develop entrepreneurial agri-businesses.

    Specifically, the society called for commercialisation of culturing of herbivorous fish species, to tackle high cost of fish production.

    The society made the call in Lagos, during the National Fisheries Stakeholders Forum, tagged: Harnessing the potential of non-state actors in fisheries and aquacultural development in West Africa.

    Participants at the forum said aquaculture researchers should develop the herbivorous specie (grass-eating fish) and make them available to farmers, so that Nigerians would have various fish species to choose from.

    FISON’s National President, Dr Lukman Agbabiaka said Nigeria could not continue to propagate ‘fish eating fish’ policy, which was not helping the industry.

    Agbabiaka said fish is a major ingredient for fish meal production, which has a negative effect on the cost of production, and trickles down to the cost of retail prices of fish.

    “The cost of producing fish in Nigeria is very high; and this is due to the fact that fish meal, which takes over 70 per cent of the cost of production, is majorly from fish.

    “We should be looking at cultivation of herbivorous fish, which is the fish eating grass specie. We cannot continue to propagate fish eating fish, because that is what kills the sector.

    “Over 70 per cent of production goes into fish feeds; but grass will be cheaper to cultivate, and the grass-eating fish is very delicious,” he said.

    Agbabiaka urged stakeholders in the sector to diversify into other value chains, especially the shell and scale fish sections, because of the opportunities embedded in the sections for economical relevance.

    A  former Director, Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF), Mrs Folake Areola, said the herbivorous fish species, such as grasscarp should be considered.

    According to Areola, the grass carp specie is very delicious and commands a high market price in the international market, compared to other culture fish species.

    “We need to commercialise production of the grass cap, to expand the local and international markets. There is no focus on the specie even though it is in Nigeria.

    “There is also mallet, which most coastal communities already know, and people love their taste and flesh; so, what are we waiting for to develop that specie? Nigeria needs varieties,” she said.

    Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Babatunde Olusegun, said that there was a demand gap of about 2.4 million metric tonnes of fish.

    According to Olusegun, Nigeria currently produces 1.1 million metric tonnes of fish, while the annual demand is 3.5 million metric tonnes, giving room for importation to close the deficit.

    He called for private sector partnership to create an enabling environment through well-thought out policies, to guide the growth of the industry.

     

  • Review privatisation of power sector, Fed Govt told

    THE President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration should review the privatisation of the power sector to prevent the collapse of the economy, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has said.

    The workers spoke at their fourth triennial delegates’conference in Enugu. It had as theme “Privatisation and unionism: Nigeria’s power sector experience.”

    SSAEAC President Comrade Chris Okonkwo, who was re-elected  for another three years, wondered why the government has remained indifferent to the issue, despite that privatisation is in its sixth year.

    “Everyone has seen that the privatisation of the sector was an error and there is a clause that allows a review after five years. Since last year, we have been charging the government to use the clause and correct the anomaly in the process, but nothing is being done,” he said.

    He noted that incompetence of the distribution companies had been the bane of the process, adding that an overhaul of the sector was the only solution.

    The SSAEAC chief lamented the experience of workers and the unions with their employers, despite the union’s intervention.

    “This challenge informed our choice of the theme to dissect the concerns and factors still impacting negatively on the power sector and the goal of government to make the power problems a thing of the past,” he said.

    Commending employers, such as Abuja, Ibadan, Eko, Jos and Kaduna distribution firms, and the TCN, who have signed agreements with the union, he warned others like Ikeja, Benin, Kano, Yola, Enugu and Mainstream Energy that they might soon be picketed by the union if they fail to work with the union.

    “It is important to note that it is in the interest of the companies and staff, through the unions, to have this contract documents because it offers protection to both sides,” he said.

    Also,  the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, criticised privatisation, noting that it has made it difficult for unions to discharge their core responsibilities.

    He accused employers of maltreating workers and not following due process and labour laws, warning that such employers would be dealt with.

    Ajaero said: “Privatisation is taking what belongs to everybody and giving it to an individual, or their own people. That is my definition of privatisation. They say it will bring foreign investments, none has come.

    “There’s urgent need for us to look at it critically. PDP wants privatisation, APC says it does not have it as agenda. Why can’t they review it, if there is no collaboration between them?”

    Similarly, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, criticised  our privatisation model, adding that it has done more harm than good.

    He called on the government to review the privatisation model, advising that it must be discarded in order to achieve efficiency.

    Kaigama said: “There is a dire need to revisit or reverse privatisation in the sectors that it has failed. The processes were wrong. The intention may be right, but wrongly executed  probably by vested interests.”

    The guest speaker, Dr. Godknows Igali, however, tasked the workers on playing an active role in restoring the sector, which he said, is the driver of the economy.