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  • Ambode hails Lagosians for remaining steadfast with APC

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi  Ambode  has inaugurated the state transition committee to ensure a seamless transition to the next administration on May 29.

    Ambode lauded Lagosians for remaining steadfast and committed to the progressive ideals, which the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), has sustained in the last two decades and still continuing.

    The governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello, at the ceremony at the Cabinet Office Conference Room,  Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, added that a smooth transition to the next administration was imperative to ensure that the machinery of government continues to roll smoothly.

    He described Lagos as a delicate state with very significant importance in the economic importance in the economic and social stability of the nation.

    The governor said in about seven-week time, the tenure of this administration would come to an end with a new administration under the leadership of the Governor-elect Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    He added that the gathering was to formally inaugurate the members and kick start the process.

    The governor expressed his profound appreciation to Lagosians for the rare privilege to serve them and  keeping faith with his administration. “Government is not a spirit or a short distance race.  It is an unending race in which every successive administration builds upon the achievement of the past administration.

    “For us in Lagos State, it has been a progressive race in which every successive administration build upon the achievement of the past administration,” Ambode said.

    He urged the committee jointly to be  chaired by the Deputy Governor-elect Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Secretary to the State Government and members of the committee to accord the assignment the diligent and commitment it deserves.

    Read Also: Ambode lauds NYSC for election role

    The Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, stated that putting in place the committee members was important for  continuity.

    He added that the members would put in their best to achieve the best results.

    Also speaking, Hamzat noted that a seamless transition is very necessary between the present administration and the incoming one, adding that it is in the best interest of the state.

    He gave a commitment that the committee members would hit the ground running and would work hand in hand for the progress of the Centre of Excellence.

    The 20-member transition committee also include: Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem as the Dep,  Co-Chairman,  the Head of Service as Dep. Co- Chairman,  Commissioner for Finance  Mr.  Akinyemi Ashade – member,  Commissioner for Works,  Ade Adesanya – member, Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Fela Bank-Olemoh – member,  Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabule – member and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure Olujimi Hotonu  – member.

    Others are: Permanent Secretary State Treasury Office/Accountant General  Mrs.  Abimbola Umar – member,  Permanent  Secretary Ministry of Economic Planning  and  Budget  Mr. Yomi Kadiri – member, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi -member, Mr..  Sam Egube – member, Dr.  Muyiwa Gbadegesin – member,  Tayo Bamgbose-Martins – member, Mr. Bayo Sodade  – member,  Mrs. Solape Hammond – member, Mrs. Bunmi Fabanwo – member, Mrs. Bukola Odoe -member and  Mrs. Toke Benson -Awoyinka, member.

  • IMF: growth for commodity exporters weighed down in Nigeria, Angola

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook released on Tuesday shows that growth prospects for commodity exporters in Nigeria and Angola are hampered and are expected to reach about 2.6 percent and 3.9 percent in the medium term. Excerpts:

    Global growth in 2019 is also weighed down by the emerging market and developing economy group, where growth is expected to tick down to 4.4 percent in 2019 (from 4.5 percent in 2018), 0.3 percentage point lower than in the October 2018 WEO. The decline in growth relative to 2018 reflects lower growth in China and the recession in Turkey, with an important carryover from weaker activity in late 2018, as well as a deepening contraction in Iran.

    Conditions are projected to improve during 2019 as stimulus measures sustain activity in China and recession strains gradually ease in economies such as Argentina and Turkey. In 2020, growth is projected to rise to 4.8 percent, driven almost entirely by an expected strengthening of activity in these economies on the back of policy adjustment and some easing of strains in countries affected by conflict and geopolitical tensions. For the latter group of countries in particular, the forecast is subject to very significant uncertainty. With declining growth in advanced economies, the projected pickup in global growth in 2020 is entirely predicated on this projected improvement for the emerging market and developing economy group.

    Near-term prospects for emerging market and developing economies continue to be shaped by the interaction between country-specific fundamentals and a challenging external environment marked by the slowdown in advanced economies; trade tensions; expected gradual tightening of financial conditions consistent with some further removal of monetary policy accommodation in the United States; and, for commodity exporters, a generally subdued outlook for commodity prices (including oil prices, which are projected to remain below their 2018 average throughout the forecast horizon).

    Growth in emerging and developing Asia is expected to dip to 6.3 percent in 2019 and 2020 (from 6.4 percent in 2018), with a marginal downward revision for 2020 relative to the October WEO. Economic growth in China, despite fiscal stimulus and no further increase in tariffs from the United States relative to those in force as of September 2018, is projected to slow on an annualized basis in 2019 and 2020. This reflects weaker underlying growth in 2018, especially in the second half, and the impact of lingering trade tensions with the United States. The projection for 2019 is slightly stronger than in the October 2018 WEO, reflecting the revised assumption on United States tariffs on Chinese exports, as described in Box 1.2, while the projection for 2020 is slightly weaker, as the underlying momentum in activity is more subdued. In India, growth is projected to pick up to 7.3 percent in 2019 and 7.5 percent in 2020, supported by the continued recovery of investment and robust consumption amid a more expansionary stance of monetary policy and some expected impetus from fiscal policy. Nevertheless, reflecting the recent revision to the national account statistics that indicated somewhat softer underlying momentum, growth forecasts have been revised downward compared with the October 2018 WEO by 0.1 percentage point for 2019 and 0.2 percentage point for 2020, respectively.

    Activity in emerging and developing Europe in 2019 is expected to weaken more than previously anticipated, despite generally buoyant and higher-than-expected growth in several central and eastern European countries, before recovering in 2020. The sizable revision for the region is mostly due to a substantial projected contraction in Turkey in 2019, where the weakness in demand—following tighter external financing conditions and needed policy tightening—is expected to continue in early 2019 before a recovery takes hold in the second half of the year.

    In Latin America, growth is projected to recover over the next two years, to 1.4 percent in 2019 and 2.4 percent in 2020. In Brazil, growth is projected to strengthen from 1.1 percent in 2018 to 2.1 percent in 2019 and 2.5 percent in 2020. In Mexico, growth is now forecast to remain below 2 percent in 2019–20, a markdown close to 1 percentage point for both years relative to October. These changes, in part, reflect shifts in perceptions about policy direction under new administrations in both countries. Argentina’s economy is projected to contract in the first half of 2019 as domestic demand slows with tighter policies to reduce imbalances, returning to growth in the second half of the year as real disposable income recovers and agricultural production rebounds after last year’s drought. Venezuela’s economy is expected to contract by one-fourth in 2019, and a further 10 percent in 2020—a greater collapse than projected in the October 2018 WEO and one that generates a sizable drag on projected growth for the region and for the emerging market and developing economy group in both years.

    Read Also: IMF: economy on right track

    Growth in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region is expected to decline to 1.5 percent in 2019, before recovering to about 3.2 percent in 2020. The outlook for the region is weighed down by multiple factors, including slower oil GDP growth in Saudi Arabia; ongoing macroeconomic adjustment challenges in Pakistan; US sanctions in Iran; and civil tensions and conflict across several other economies, including Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where recovery from the collapse associated with the war is now expected to be slower than previously anticipated.

    In sub-Saharan Africa, growth is expected to pick up to 3.5 percent in 2019 and 3.7 percent in 2020 (from 3.0 percent in 2018). The projection is 0.3 percentage point and 0.2 percentage point lower for 2019 and 2020, respectively, than in the October 2018 WEO, reflecting downward revisions for Angola and Nigeria with the softening of oil prices. Growth in South Africa is expected to marginally improve from 0.8 percent in 2018 to 1.2 percent in 2019 and 1.5 percent in 2020, a 0.2 percentage point downward revision for both years relative to the October projections. The projected recovery reflects modestly reduced but continued policy uncertainty in the South African economy after the May 2019 elections.

    Activity in the Commonwealth of Independent States is projected to expand about 2¼ percent in 2019–20, slightly lower than projected in the October 2018 WEO, as weaker oil prices weigh on Russia’s growth prospects.

    Modest Outlook for Medium-Term Growth Beyond 2020, global growth is set to plateau at 3.6 percent over the medium term. For the advanced economy group, growth is projected to moderate further over the medium term as the underlying structural headwinds to potential output (namely, continued weak productivity growth and slowing labor force growth) increasingly assert influence on the path of output as the cyclical forces discussed above fade away. Growth for the emerging market and developing economy group is expected to broadly stabilize at its 2020 level for the outer years of the forecast horizon, but with important offsetting regional differences.

    Specifically, for advanced economies, growth is projected to slow to 1.6 percent by 2022 and remain at that level thereafter. The productivity slowdown that set in before the 2008–09 global financial crisis (Adler and others 2017) is projected to abate somewhat, with a slight pickup in productivity expected over the medium term. Despite the apparent proliferation of digitalisation and automation, their cumulative impact on productivity is expected to be modest over the forecast horizon—likely benefiting consumer welfare to a larger extent than labor productivity (Box 1.5 of the April 2018 WEO). Other developments potentially have less favorable implications for productivity. These include the retreat from global economic integration (projections for global trade volume growth have been marked down following the tariff increases of 2018).

    The modest uptick expected in productivity is likely only partially to counteract the drag on potential output growth anticipated from slower labor force growth as the population ages. This is particularly relevant for Japan and southern Europe (see Chapter 2 of the April 2018 WEO for a discussion of the changes in labor force participation rates across advanced economies).

    For emerging market and developing economies, growth is projected to stabilize at about 4.8 percent over the medium term. The combination of higher growth than in advanced economies and the group’s rising weight in global GDP translates into a significant increase in emerging market and developing economies’ share of global growth, from 76 percent in 2019 to about 85 percent in 2024.

    The medium-term growth forecast incorporates continued strong investment growth in emerging market and developing economies, accounting for more than one-third of their GDP growth rate during the projection horizon (Figure 1.14). In turn, this robust investment path is predicated on a smooth trajectory for the drivers of capital spending; a gradual tightening in financial conditions (which is particularly relevant to the investment outlook in the emerging market and developing economy group, given the rapid build up of leverage during years of low interest rates); quick resolution of trade disagreements and subsequent easing of trade tensions; and broader policy actions that help reduce uncertainty. Chapter 3 discusses how the retreat from trade integration threatens the long-standing downward trend in the relative price of capital goods and how this could weigh on the investment prospects of developing economies.

    The medium-term growth forecast for emerging market and developing economies reflects important differences across regions. In emerging Asia, growth is expected to remain above 6 percent through the forecast horizon. Central to this smooth growth profile is a gradual slowdown in China to 5.5 percent by 2024 as internal rebalancing toward a private-consumption and services-based economy continues and regulatory tightening slows the accumulation of debt and associated vulnerabilities. Growth in India is expected to stabilize at just under 7¾ percent over the medium term, based on continued implementation of structural reforms and easing of infrastructure bottlenecks.

    In Latin America, growth is projected to increase from 2.4 percent in 2020 to 2.8 percent over the medium term. Financial stabilisation and recovery in Argentina, where growth is projected to strengthen to about 3½ percent over the medium term, contributes to that region’s growth improvement. So is stable, though moderate, growth in Brazil and Mexico (in the range of 2¼–2¾ percent) as structural rigidities, subdued terms of trade, and fiscal imbalances (particularly for Brazil) weigh on the outlook.

    Activity in emerging Europe is projected to pick up from the current post-global-financial-crisis low, with the region expected to grow just above 3 percent over the medium term. This improvement reflects primarily the forecast for Turkey, where activity is projected to gradually strengthen after the economy returns to positive annual growth in 2020. Over the medium term,

    Turkey’s growth is projected to pick up to 3.5 percent as domestic demand recovers from the current sharp contraction that is reducing macroeconomic and financial imbalances. For other economies in the region with robust growth rates in recent years, such as Poland and Romania, growth is expected to moderate to about 3 percent over the medium term, reflecting the fading of stimulus from EU investment funds and accommodative policies.

    The outlook for the Commonwealth of Independent States is for growth to stabilize at 2.4 percent over the medium term. This largely reflects sluggish growth in Russia of about 1½ percent over the medium term, weighed down by the modest outlook for oil prices and structural headwinds.

    Prospects vary across sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting the heterogeneity of the economies, associated with disparities in the level of development, exposure to weather shocks, and commodity dependence. For the region as a whole, growth is projected to increase from 3.7 percent in 2020 to about 4 percent in 2024 (although for close to two-fifths of economies, the average growth rate over the medium term is projected to exceed 5 percent).

    Growth prospects for commodity exporters are weighed down by the soft outlook for commodity prices, including for Nigeria and Angola, where growth is expected to reach about 2.6 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, in the medium term. In South Africa, growth is projected to stabilise at 1¾ percent over the medium term as structural bottlenecks continue to weigh on investment and productivity, and metal export prices are expected to remain subdued. Rising debt-service costs as financial conditions tighten globally and difficult adjustment processes to diversify production structures away from resource extraction are expected to weigh on growth in many economies across the region.

    The medium-term outlook for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region is largely shaped by the outlook for fuel prices, needed adjustment to correct macroeconomic imbalances in certain economies, and geopolitical tensions. Growth in Saudi Arabia is expected to stabilize at about 2¼–2½ percent over the medium term, as stronger non-oil growth is countered by the subdued outlook for oil prices and output. In Pakistan, in the absence of further adjustment policies, growth is projected to remain subdued at about 2.5 percent, with continued external and fiscal imbalances weighing on confidence.

    Elsewhere in the region, activity is weighed down by the expected impact of sanctions in Iran, civil strife in Syria and Yemen, and rising debt-service costs and tighter financial conditions in Lebanon.

    Convergence prospects are bleak for some emerging market and developing economies. Across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region, 41 economies, accounting for close to 10 percent of global GDP in purchasing-power-parity terms and close to 1 billion in population, are projected to grow by less than advanced economies in per capita terms over the next five years, implying that their income levels are set to fall further behind those economies.

  • Again, xenophobia in South Africa

    Fresh attacks on black foreigners have, once more, unearthed the cankerworm of xenophobia in South Africa. In the latest spate of attacks, which began around the end of March, black foreigners in Brits, located in North West province and Durban, located in Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa have faced hostilities by locals. The hostility has been aimed at persons and their businesses, in the same pattern of attacks that have become a regular occurrence in South Africa since 2008. Nationals of many African countries have had to seek refuge in police stations.

    The widespread violence that erupted in South Africa in 2015 is still fresh in our memories, when a particularly bloody wave of xenophobia enveloped South Africa, after divisive remarks by Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, stirred racial sentiments amongst the black population. The attackers have always cited competition for jobs and incursion of criminals from other parts of Africa as reasons for their xenophobic outbursts against black foreigners in the country. The Nigerians in South Africa have been severally accused as being behind majority of the activities that fuel the attacks, with places like the notorious Hillbrow area of Johannesburg fingered as the den of “Nigerian criminals”.

    The Nigerian government has said that hundreds of Nigerians have been killed in South Africa in the past few years alone. On March 15, South African authorities confirmed that a 44-year old Nigerian man was killed in eastern Pretoria, and a manhunt was launched for the man’s killers. Despite the repeated attacks and killings of Nigerians and other African nationals in the country, the hostility has never been contained. The attacks have continued, sometimes with the alleged complicity of South African police and even public figures, as in 2015.

    The response of the Nigerian government has always been measured, and many would say, ineffective so far. What we have on our hands is a crisis which could trigger retaliatory attacks all over Africa. The governments of African countries like Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe and others, who are usually caught up in the xenophobic episodes, have been too soft on their South African counterparts. Finding a lasting solution to the severe anti-African sentiments that bubbles beneath the surface amongst the black population has now become a matter of great serious concern to all.

    On April 1, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, condemned the latest attacks, reminding his countrymen of the sacrifice of African countries towards the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. His message can pass for an “April fool” joke because the president himself has been credited with statements that could have incensed the xenophobic sentiments. It is also clear that the election season rhetoric amongst South African political leaders, has stirred up those ugly sentiments. Black foreigners are the usual scapegoats for the high level of crime and economic strife suffered by the lowest rung of the South African society.

    In decrying the targeted attacks on Nigerians and others in South Africa, one must also acknowledge that Nigeria has some bad eggs, all over the world, who have been giving the country a bad name. Just recently, there was news of the apprehension of five Nigerians who allegedly were involved in a daring robbery of a money exchange house in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E). Within the same period, news of the execution of a Nigerian woman in Saudi Arabia for drug related offences was still in the news. This led to a plea made by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the president on Diaspora, for Nigerians to adopt good conduct when abroad. She said the woman executed in Saudi Arabia was the eighth Nigerian executed there in recent times, while another 20 are on death row in the kingdom. The image of the country is suffering a battering in many places. Even one of our closest neighbours, Ghana, recently deported scores of Nigerians who were reportedly subjected to inhumane treatment during the process.

    The trouble of wide-scale emigration from Nigeria is not a surprising thing when the country is struggling to provide basic amenities to a growing population. It is often said that the generation of Nigerians below 45 years of age, have never seen a stable Nigeria, without the dream-killing and suffocating lack that pervades every facet of life. As Nigerians go in search of better systems and opportunities in foreign countries, the hardworking and focused ones are quietly assimilated into their new environment without ceremony, while the antics of the bad crops are publicised and magnified until it becomes a smear on the image of the country.

    With the large population in Nigeria, the size of our emigrants is also substantial, especially in an under performing economy. The significant number of Nigerians migrating to other countries creates the impression that “Nigerians are taking over”. Thus, our size, which can be a strength, is working to our detriment in places like South Africa, where locals with xenophobic tendencies find the numbers of our countrymen uncomfortable, despite the advantages to their economy which may exist. Being the most identifiable African immigrants, because of their industry and numbers, Nigerians bear a great portion of the brunt of South Africa’s hatred.

    Without paying much attention to the high crime rate in South Africa, even in neighbourhoods predominantly populated by native South Africans, South African political leaders and authorities irresponsibly point at the African immigrants, through obvious accusations and subtle hints, and through inaction at times of xenophobic attacks. The weak response to the indolence of South African authorities is also a contributing factor that is, perhaps, the most unfortunate for the victims. Nigeria and other African countries need to explore all avenues available to pressure South African into taking responsibility and standing up to the dangerous fire of xenophobia burning within its borders. No better avenue than the African Union, AU, exists, for an open discussion and adoption of measures to protect Africans in South Africa.

    With the South African elections around the corner, there is a greater danger to Nigerians and other foreigners in this period. It will be wise for the Nigerian government to secure the assurances of the South Africans that there will be consequences for inciting violence against Nigerians and others. In a continent that requires greater collaboration than ever before in its history, this seemingly small matter of xenophobia in South Africa can lead to far greater consequences for African unity if it is not dealt with decisively. A few high profile prosecutions will go a long way to reassure African countries of South Africa’s commitment to peaceful co-existence, to which it has only paid lip-service so far.

    The great Nelson Mandela, that fine African that captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world, would be consumed by grief, if he could behold what some South Africans are doing today. He always sued for tolerance, peace and equality, even in dealing with South Africa’s former oppressors. His foresight saved South Africa from the fate of many African nations today, and he never lost sight of what a strong Africa could be in the world. South Africans need to be reminded of the example laid down by their most revered statesman. Particularly, the political leaders in South Africa need to remember the achievements of that visionary leader, which he earned through collaboration and tolerance.

    For Nigeria, the plight of our countrymen in these foreign countries should be an indicator of that popular saying: “there is no place like home”. Nigerians should not have to flee their homes in search of basic comforts in a foreign country. Also, for whatever reason that a Nigerian has left this country, the government’s duties for his or her safety is not extinguished by reason of the decision to seek a better life in another country. The government is responsible for the welfare of its citizens, wherever they may be. The truth is that we must get it right at home before our government can be composed enough to protect its citizens abroad. May God help us.

  • Charity must begin at home

    Ordinarily, it would have arrived as a most salutary piece of information, signalling a government agency hard at work. But alas, it has left many in sheer bewilderment.

    The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) recently announced that it has extended its service of capturing the identity of Nigerian citizens into its database to two foreign countries – United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK). According to Aliyu Aziz, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, “The extension is in line with the NIMC’s mandate to ensure that all Nigerian citizens in Nigeria and the diaspora and legal residents in Nigeria are enrolled into the National Identity Database and issued with the unique National Identification Number (NIN) to applicants upon successful enrolment.”

    The exercise, which would involve the demographic and biographic data capture of all Nigerian citizens residing in activated countries is in line with the Federal Government’s directive to make the possession of NIN a mandatory requirement for elections, banking transactions, acquisition and renewal of international passport, driver’s licence and ECOWAS travel document, to mention a few.

    Some Nigerian companies are said to have been licensed to work with partners across Africa, Europe, Asia and America for the purposes of diaspora registration and identity capture. Additional locations are to be rolled out by the NIMC across the world and announced from time to time.

    Read Also: Charity for needy at Church

    As already noted, NIMC’s foray into foreign lands in search of Nigerian citizens is most laudable had the national identity card scheme not been mired in controversy and crippling inefficiency right from inception. The need to create a wholesale national identity card started in 1977 but several initiatives were defeated by graft, ineptitude and a lack of will by various governments. A most notable effort was made in 2003 when the directorate of National Civic Registration (DNCR) was created.

    Over 50 million Nigerians were registered in the scheme but at the end of the day, it was again mired in corruption and the card issued was a worthless piece of plastic which didn’t serve even the primary purposes of identification and prevention of identity fraud.

    It was not until 2010 when the NIMC was established that Nigeria switched to the computerised national identity card scheme. There is NIN for citizens, which is part of the national identity management system, and there is the General Multi-Purpose Card (GMPC). Every individual’s number carries his or her unique database which is borne in the identity card.

    Apart from the NIN, the new national identity card contains two photographs of the cardholder and a chip containing the biometric information of the card holder. The current card also has the features of a prepaid card which means it can be used as an ATM card.

    Though there is remarkable improvement in the current attempt to create an identification scheme for Nigerians, the execution has been wonky, to say the least. After about five years, just about 30 percent of Nigerians have been captured in the registration process which is roughly about 30 million people. But of this number, hardly about 10 million may have been issued the card. Many have been captured for a couple of years and issued the NIN on a piece of paper, yet they have no cards. For a country the size of Nigeria, there were just about 2,000 registration centres in Nigeria as at 2018.

    It is in the light of this awkward and lethargic manner of delivering the identity card scheme in Nigeria that people turn up their noses to the foray abroad by the NIMC. What is the hurry or overarching benefits even, rushing to capture Nigerians abroad while the process has been haphazard and inchoate at home?

    We dare say that the diaspora populace is a different kettle of fish entirely that must be handled with utmost caution. And we say: sort the home front out first!

     

  • For transparency

    Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have asked the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and tertiary institutions to publish information regarding disbursements to tertiary institutions—universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country. According to Austin Chinonye, CEO of Basic Right Watch, one of the organisations making the call, TETFund should “publish the funds that it is allocating to tertiary institutions and let the tertiary institutions be open so that the public can know what they are getting and what they (tertiary institutions) use the funds to do.”

    This call has come at the right time, given the fact that in 2017, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, called for credibility and professionalism in the conduct of audit of TETFund and beneficiary institutions across the country. Even though it is not clear if the CSOs have observed any violation or negligence in adherence to stipulated regulations guiding operations of the agency and tertiary institutions, periodic reminders about importance of transparency on the part of agencies managing public funds is necessary. It is also necessary for the Federal Ministry of Education to find out if the agencies were really defaulting and, if so, why sanctions for lapses were not imposed.

    Like the laws governing all public agencies, the one guiding TETFund, an agency set up to “provide focused and transformative intervention in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria through funding and effective project management” also expects the agency to “ensure accountability and transparency in all its undertakings.” Therefore, the demand by the CSOs that TETFund as a disbursing agency, and tertiary institutions that benefit from funds managed by it publish financial records of all transactions between them is perfectly within the remit of such civil society organisations to protect and promote public interest.

    We commend the alertness of organisations calling for openness and transparency on the part of an agency charged to manage revenue from taxes collected from companies toward “focused and transformative intervention in public tertiary institutions… through funding and effective project management of physical infrastructure for teaching and learning, instructional material and equipment, research and publication and academic staff training and development. There is no gainsaying that, given the pivotal role of higher education in the provision of knowledge required for national growth and development, the demands for transparency in the use of funds at the disposal of TETFund are made on behalf of all stakeholders in the education sector.

    Just as the advice of TETFund’s Executive Secretary in 2017: “I want us to conduct audit of the agency very creditably and professionally… Once you deviate from this, it will be business as usual. Believe me, the report of this exercise will also serve as a deterrent from misuse of funds as well as help the beneficiaries in their accounting.”

    We, therefore, lend our voice to the call that agencies in the education sector, including TETFund, Universal Basic Education Commission, and all educational institutions—primary, secondary, and tertiary that manage or use public funds live up to their responsibility to be accountable to the public, by publishing at regular intervals financial records of their transactions, about which citizens have the right to know.

  • Kindling wet wood

    The Nigerian youth forges his bad karma. The want of bread disturbs his peace, but in pursuit of bread, he guns for gold and perverse glamour. Modesty succumbs to vile, honesty deserts his heart and the beaming brightness of good forsakes our bothersome neighbourhoods.

    The demolition of Nigeria is ongoing. And it is being perfected by the most useful agents of hope or destruction; the youth. But as Nigeria ruins, we ruin too. The much romanticized promise of our generation manifests as a pathetic lie we inherited from our forbears. Today, we tell it to each other in the thick of despair for false hope and cheap comfort.

    The history of our generation will be one continuous disaster from one time-line to the next, if we do not change. But change is what dream of it. It is what we make it out to be. Change is what we make of will. Have we such will that ignites dying embers to scorching hearths of hope and unquenchable ardour?

    It is the malady of this age that the youth are too busy preaching that they have no time left to learn or grow. It is a sad manifestation of stunted growth that most evolve into foetal adults and spend the rest of their lives seeking the comfort of what Ayn Rand aptly sums up as “life boats.”

    It is even more disheartening to see many more adopt as a favourite past time, the anticipation of doom for our fatherland; they chant with emphatically, that, “This country is doomed,” and “Nigeria is finished.”

    The Igbo youth laments his persistent marginalisation from the scheme of things. He believes Nigeria is skewed to work against him and fellow Igbo because his peers from other ethnic groups are wary of his touted acumen, industry, courage and political savvy.

    The Hausa youth believes he has inalienable right to reign supreme and lord it over his peers, irrespective of merit considerations. And the Yoruba youth, goaded by sentiments of his perceived higher wisdom, towering depth in diplomacy, culture and politics, believes, that he is entitled to the best the country has to offer, on a platter of gold.

    Every youth desperately perpetuates his sense of victimhood and entitlement. The idea is to keep whining until he gets lucky and appropriate an immense portion of the proverbial national cake – with minimal exertion and at no cost.

    We are increasingly handicapped by greed and lack of creed. By creed, I mean a coherent and specific set of goals, a consistent series of norms according to which society is to be remade.

    Since we have learnt to blame the ruling class for everything, what is it that we want from them? We don’t need their permission to make something of the world where they have failed but we still live our lives seeking their permission to evolve positively in our own interest.

    It takes courage to evolve a humane ideology and establish it. We haven’t the courage and the will, and this interferes with our ability to accomplish progressive change. More worrisome are our violent attempt to be radical; eventually they resonate too feebly, like a kind of rudderless activism.

    This was reflective in the attitude of certain youth segments during the last general elections. Mistaking hooliganism for “higher political awareness” or “being woke,” they harassed their peers and the elderly, for not rooting for their candidate.

    Their devilry knew no bounds on and off the social media in particular, there, they frantically sought for votes for self-styled messiahs, whose only unique selling points (USPs) were their exaggerated sense of self-worth. Extravagant sections of the press called them titans. But they were no titans. They were simply merchants of rot, who emerged to clothe dross as gold and filth in newer, fanciful packs.

    Leading a motley pack of rabid followers, they condemned the incumbent ruling class to frantic applause. But soon after they spoke in brilliant, rousing cadences, their platitudes started to trail off in confusion.

    Today, their language echoes like the battle-cries of four-year-olds playing war Generals against an army of hostile corn stalks. Having provoked the citizenry’s dormant passion with deceptive dialectics, as the election wore on, their passion was shown for what it was, the spunk of beetles kindling wet wood.

    Most youth candidates failed to shine at the last general elections because their gospel of hope was untranslatable by realistic yardsticks. They spoke the same gibberish as the oligarchs they sought to unseat. Ultimately, they brought nothing new to the table, save a slew of platitudes and tiresome rhetoric.

    For instance, some other dizzy candidate promised to turn marijuana into a national revenue earner and establish a N100, 000 national minimum wage package for the country in a manner reminiscent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s lifeboat solutions. Another promised to rescue the Chibok girls, eradicate terrorism and entrench gender equality without a practical blueprint for achieving such.

    Eventually, their desperate rants and promises established them as dangerous daydreamers, who could, and would, rip apart a nation already fragmented and ruined by bigotries, maladministration and plunder.

    Such is the quality of the Nigerian youth – the ‘politically woke” and most vocal segment to be precise. They identify all that is wrong with Nigeria but they are never specific about what must be done to correct them.

    It is relatively easy to join a picket line and tirelessly castigate our elders and ruling class for everything that is wrong with our lives but these actions, while they demonstrate frustration, in some instances even heroism, deal generally with symptoms of· our problems and not the solutions.

    All the picket lines in the world will not resolve maladies of fraudulent and impatient youth, greed, racism, disillusionment with learning and substandard education.

    Yeah, bad news is in the air. We worry and gripe about it. Bloggers and columnists rant about it. We have even learnt to joke about it. But it’s time we do something about it.

    It takes so much effort to be cynical and vengeful, let us channel such efforts into more profitable enterprise, like visionary politics, honest labour and reorientation.

    It’s about time we projected more progressive views of our world. Let us begin to seek the upright amongst us. They aren’t so hard to find. They are the paltry few we love to haze and deride for being too “conservative,” “stupid” and “pretentious.”

    They believe in justice, equality and the rule of law. They are pious without being self-righteous. They are responsible, tolerant, and in many ways, more evolved.

    We need such breed of youth to drive a practicable and all-inclusive plan; a proposal of shared targets and intentions with broad based support and the moral and political will to implement its mechanisms and ends with profound understanding of law, governance methods, economics and social organisation of humane statehood.

    Without these, we will continue to flounder in the sea of well-meaning but ineffective good intentions.

    These are dark days for the Nigerian youth. We are going through a particularly unpleasant form of hell but it’s a hell that we have made for ourselves by our ghastly greed, laziness and inarticulateness. But we’ve still got youth on our side.

     

  • Civil Defence official ‘kills’ colleague, injures another

    An official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Innocent Osemi, on Monday night allegedly killed his colleague, identified as Senior Inspector Mamman Wuyah. He injured another.

    The incident allegedly occurred at the Lagos Deepshore, Offshore Logistics (LADOL) in Apapa, Lagos.

    The Nation learnt that a bullet had discharged accidentally from the gun of Osemi, said to be from Kogi command, but on beat assignment at LADOL, killing the senior inspector and leaving another person injured.

    Although it was initially alleged that the duo had a disagreement over money, sources at the NSCDC dismissed the allegation.

    According to them, LADOL usually took care of officials posted to secure their facilities, hence, it was very unlikely the issue was about money.

    “What we heard was that it was accidental discharge. It had nothing to do with money. Officers who are posted to LADOL are deployed from commands. In this case, the officer who died was from Kaduna command, while the other one was from Kogi.

    Read Also: Civil Defence holds 12 for crimes

    “LADOL pays their allowances directly to their accounts, provides them good accommodation, so, they do not even have need to touch their salaries. This is why I can tell you it wasn’t about money,” said a source.

    A statement by the corps’ spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh, said the suspect had been detained and stripped of his firearm.

    Conveying the message of the Commandant-General, Abdullahi Mohammadu, to the bereaved family, Okeh said a committee had been set up to look into the incident.

    He said the injured person was responding to treatment.

    Okeh said: “The Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullahi Gana Mohammadu, has expressed regrets over the ugly incident that occurred at one of the beats, where personnel of the corps were deployed to protect the infrastructure of LADOL.

    “The ugly incident occurred as a result of an accidental discharge by a personnel of the corps, which led to casualties involving two officials of the corps. The injured one is receiving treatment in hospital. The commandant-general received the information with a heavy heart and in view of that he commiserates with the family of the deceased and the injured.

    “Expressing shock at the incident despite warnings by the management against such act of negligence and carelessness, he assured the public that punitive action shall be taken against the official involved in this act, to avert a recurrence.

    “He stressed that investigation into the remote causes of the incident is on, as a committee has been set up to look into the matter. The official involved has been stripped of his firearm and is being detained, pending the outcome of the report of the committee. Justice will be done.”

     

  • Reps angry with PenCom over N33b remittances

    Pension remittances of N33 billion continued to be the subject of contention on Tuesday at the continued sitting of the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee Investigating the activities of the National Pension Commission and violation of the PenCom Act.

    The knotty question the committee was trying to unravel was what happened to six months remittances from the PenCom

    While Pencom stated that it has no outstanding in terms of remittances to Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) and Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

    Read Also: PenCom launches micro pension tomorrow

    But the lawmakers were not happy with PenCom and accused the body of reluctance to avail the House Committee of the statement of its accounts with the apex bank.

    Chairman of the committee Hon. Johnson Agbonayinma, said:

    “We have written several letters…’submit your bank statement and all stransactions with CBN.’ Up till now, no response. Every request that we have made, they are just manoeuvring.

    “Is there anything else you want us to do to get your attention to submit it? Look at the CBN, everything we requested they have submitted. Also the Accountant-General’s office, everything we requested for have been submitted. “

     

  • Fleeing teacher nabbed for sodomy

    A former teacher at Isolog Group of Schools, Agbole Akute, Ogun State, who fled after he was accused of sodomising pupils, has been arrested.

    The suspect, Adebayo Gbadebo, was arrested on Monday night after the school officials mandated to produce him, did so.

    It was gathered that the suspect had gone to the police division with a lawyer with the hope that he would be granted bail.

    The Nation learnt that the lawyer demanded that another medical examination be conducted on the latest victim, who had earlier been taken to the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), when the latest alleged sodomy was uncovered.

    Confirming his arrest, spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told our correspondent that the commissioner has ordered the transfer of the case to the anti-human/child trafficking unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), for investigation.

    He confirmed that the suspect came with a lawyer, who requested an independent medical examination on the child, but his request was turned down because the police station was not the court, neither would they allow the victim to be subjected to further emotional and psychological torture.

    Oyeyemi said: “Yes, the man has been arrested and the commissioner of police has directed his transfer to the anti-human and child trafficking unit for further investigation.

    Read Also: Man arrested for threatening to kidnap head teacher

    “They came with a lawyer and we disagreed on certain issues. They said they wanted to go and conduct independent test on the girl, but we told them we are not the court and since the division cannot handle the case at that level, the case has to be moved to the SCIID for expert investigation.

    “It was the school that brought him after the police compelled them to produce him. The school concealed the incident when it occurred. They just fired him and that was all.

  • Fayemi urges 14 commissioners, advisers to shun corruption

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has sworn in 14 commissioners and five advisers, with a warning that they may be sacked, if found displaying ineptitude and engaging in corrupt practices.

    Fayemi said the present administration penchant for transparency and accountability would not be compromised.

    The swearing in came after the names of the commissioners-designate were approved by the state’s House of Assembly.

    The governor said what the state needed at this time when it is financially-challenged is committed and visionary people, who are ready to sacrifice to make Ekiti great.

    The governor stated that the task to rebuilding Ekiti that would be of gains to all and sundry should be paramount to the appointees and not personal aggrandisement.

    He advised them to be prudent in the management of limited resources, considering lean resources available.

    Fayemi added that the inauguration signified the beginning and operation of a full-fledged state executive council since he assumed office in 2018.

    He said his government would be receptive to constructive criticism from members and that no one would be victimised for exercising such rights.

    “You all knew the state of our state before I was inaugurated and you could attest to the fact that we have raised the bar and change the landscape for better now within these few months.”

    The commissioners are: Dr. Adio Afolayan  (Local Government and Chieftaincy  Affairs), Dr. (Mrs.) Moji Yaya Kolade(Health and Human Services), Chief (Mrs.) Moji Fafure (Women Affairs), Mr. Emmanuel Foluso Daramola (Education, Science and Technology), Mr. Folorunso Olabode (Agriculture and Rural Development), Bamidele Faparusi (Infrastructure and Public Utilities) and Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo (Environment).

    Others include are Mr. Olusoga Davies (Trade and Investment), Mr. Sola Adebayo   (Works and Transport),  Mr. Michael Awopetu (Youths and Sports), Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua (Information and Orientation), Mr. Femi Ajayi (Budget and Planning), Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu (Regions Development and Special Duties) and Mr. Febisola Adewale (Lands and Housing).

    Also sworn-in as special advisers were: V.O Kolade (Special Adviser, Social Investments, Alhaji Ademola Bello(Special Adviser,  Inter – Party Relations and Allied Matters), Abiola Olowokere(Special  Adviser,  Legislative  Affairs), Dr. Sikiru Eniola(Special Adviser, Tertiary Education) and Dr. (Mrs.) Kofoworola Aderiye mni,(Technical Adviser , Education)

    Read Also: Fayemi appoints five more advisers

    Responding on behalf of the commissioners, Dr. Yaya-Kolade promised that they would justify the confidence reposed in them by performing their statutory duties without compromising the interest of the people.

    Fayemi on Tuesday kicked off 251 kilometres pipeline distribution project across the state estimated at N3,354,616,553.50.

    He said he started the initiative during his first term in office with intention to ensure every parts of Ekiti have access to uninterrupted water supply.

    The governor restated that his administration determination for all the strata of the people to enjoy infrastructure that can make their lives better remained resolute.

    He said the project will be jointly financed by the state government and the World Bank under the third national urban water sector reform project.

    Fayemi who spoke in Ado Ekiti during the official kick off of the 251 kilometres pipeline distribution project, said the project was part of the ways the people could reap the services attached to democracy.