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  • Nigeria @ 59

    Thanks to one particular WhatsApp group among the countless others I belong whose subject can range from nothing to just about anything under the sun, I found myself in a long drawn debate over the state of the nation, with particular reference to our institutions vis-à-vis the civic responsibility of the citizen, and the interplay of the two in the current morass in which the country has found itself.

    The particular forum, appropriately named Lagos- Ibadan Road Update, created in the wake of the on-going construction works being undertaken by the German firm, Julius Berger at the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, not only sought to provide regular, periodic updates on the hellish traffic situation to group members but for members an avenue for engagement on wider range of issues. For yours truly, the chat group has since become a must – a daily companion for the most part of the nearly four harrowing weeks on that traffic corridor. As one might imagine of such groups, discussions, more often than not, tend to veer into the railing against just about everyone deemed complicit in inflicting the needless pain on the “innocent motorist”: the federal government, the police and the traffic management agencies, and of course, the construction company – Julius Berger.

    It is as one might expect of the typical Nigerian Public Square where rules are not only expendable but readily dispensed with. If you discount the indulgence – by some- for disinformation, the penchant to trade fiction for facts, the bombasts, the uncivility of the language deployed to drive arguments, you probably have enough left to make sense of any issue in focus.

    And so it was that the chat group suddenly erupted on Sunday afternoon. This time, the big news was that the contractor, Julius Berger, had allegedly dug a giant canal on the alternative earth road known to have provided some succour in the last four weeks that the closure has lasted.

    What could be the basis – many had wondered? To some, the move was to discourage impatient motorists using the bye-pass to cut their ordeal even as it always turns out, that they end up further complicating the nightmare down the road. The big question was – whodunit?

    Was Julius Berger truly responsible? No one could be sure. A giant earth moving equipment allegedly sighted in the vicinity moments before the act would seem to suffice! Time it was once again, to call out the company for its ‘wickedness’, atrocious speed, indifference to the agonies of the road users and its evident lack of social responsibility given the scale of dislocation that have attended the construction job.

    Having been on the road for more than three years now, could the company not have made better plans not to talk of mobilization? How come, many ask, that JB couldn’t work 24 hours? Are they not being paid? This wasn’t the JB they knew; the one they knew would not only work 24/7 but at breadth-taking speed! The ranting went on and on…

    I perfectly understand the outbursts given the needless pains forced on the commuters on that stretch long arguably as the nation’s busiest traffic corridor.  If you have had the experience of enduring a minimum of four hours of stress in the terrible traffic in the course of eight hours work, you’ll probably understand not just the basis of their frustrations but why their anger is justifiable

    We must agree that Julius Berger has made a mess of the job. After all, it has been four weeks of hell on the highway. True, we may not have seen Nigerians dropping dead on the highway at this time; the same cannot be said of the slow, instalmental death which will surely come in the fullness of time.

    I mean, it would not matter if in the end, the stretch is paved with gold; the idea that a construction company in this day and age, could dispense with the niceties of good corporate behaviour and robust community relations/engagement obviously says a lot about how much premium the company places on the citizens. Ever heard of a doctor putting a patient through the rigours of a major surgery without anaesthesia? But that is what JB does to Nigerians!

    Yet, there is a sense in which our anger is misdirected. In treating Nigerians the way it does, Julius Berger may have in fact stretched outlawry to the limits; nothing however compares with the criminal indifference of Nigeria’s absentee government. Nigerians are supposed to be grateful that the government is finally minded to deliver the road; nothing, it would appear, matter after. The needless death and the public health issues from the lack of attention to details of planning and management are simply taken as necessary derivatives by a government that would rather mouth change than give it practical meaning!

    But then, if the Works Ministry is indifferent, the police, the FRSC and the other agencies of government deployed on the road are worse than pathetic. Good thing that they have not – at least not yet, set up tolling points; they have neither the sense of duty nor the understanding of what their duties demand at a time like this. When they are not indifferent to lawbreaking, some have proven to be abettors of indiscipline – the chief reason why chaos rule on the road.  Forget professionalism; we are yet to see evidence on display on that small stretch of the highway. At best, our uniformed men are mere bystanders!

    Nigerians are truly an impatient lot; not only that, they are certified wailers. They complain about everything under the sun – from the crass incompetence of their institutions to the legendary insensitivity of their government. The truth however is that they are no less complicit in condoning bad behaviour. Imagine how the antics of a few people, driving against traffic at peak traffic periods, turns the entire scene into bedlam. The next thing you hear is let him go – without so much as a demand for penance for the pains inflicted on other road users or the thought that this might constitute an incentive for others to follow the bad example. The trick is to tolerate and complain later!

    I would wager than a good number of motorists would readily present as a good case for the shrink. That is what the scale of chaos suggests. More than that however, it takes a high degree of permissiveness for bad behaviour for the chaos to endure. It is part of the intriguing mystery of how our society still manages to function – albeit minimally as a structured human entity. At best, the agony daily experienced on the Lagos- Ibadan expressway is a window into how we have sunk as a nation.

    Happy Independence Day celebration!

  • Save Satellite Town

    After 59 years of existence as a country, Nigeria is supposed to be celebrating laudable legacies. But instead, she is bogged down by basic existential challenges. Unfortunately, some of these challenges are manmade, and unless we change the way we treat ourselves and our national assets, we may continue tottering on the brink, when our nation’s contemporaries are leapfrogging to conquer space.

    Last Saturday, while journeying to participate at the official visit of the Rotary District Governor of District 9110 Nigeria, Dr. Jide Akeredolu, to the Rotary Club of Satellite Town, a drive that should take less than twenty minutes from Festac Town to Satellite Town, in Lagos, turned into a nightmare, necessitating the abandonment of the vehicle I was driving at a filing station, after wasting hours behind trailers and articulated vehicles.

    As the Assistant District Governor, seconded to supervise the club, I had to ride a motorbike, to ensure my boss doesn’t get there before me. The District Governor on his part journeyed for hours trying to navigate his way to the venue. Without any notice, a major exit artery off the expressway into the Satellite Town was blocked by a caterpillar, forcing the governor to pass the exit-road leading to the venue of the event.

    While the service lane of the expressway from around Ojo barracks down to Festac 3rd gate, is a nightmare, the inner roads of Satellite Town is worse than a nightmare. It is hell on earth. All the inner roads are spectacles of craters and emergency ponds. Whether you are driving on the inner roads of the federal government owned estate or the nearby communities, you are bound to wonder whether that part of Lagos has been at war for decades.

    Embarrassingly, some of the nations that Nigeria rubbed shoulders with in the 1960s, after she gained independence from Great Britain have so much to show off each time they celebrate their independence anniversary. Whether in the economy, military, science or technology, many of them have made significant achievements, and some are rubbing shoulders with the first world countries in science and technology.

    If Nigeria cannot compete in science and technology, it should not be a laggard in maintaining motorable roads, which does not require much exertion. The present leaders should at least maintain the infrastructure developed when Nigeria had the resources from the oil boom, such as the Satellite Town. It should also worry about the public health challenges that come with motorist staying for hours on the traffic.

    If the federal government has abandoned the Satellite Town which it built, the Lagos state government and the local government that controls the area should not abandon the people in the estate and its environs. The level of neglect is so palpable that a visitor would think there is no government office within the estate. So, I was surprised that a local council area has its office within the estate, and yet the entire area is looking like a dungeon.

    But Satellite was not always like that. It was developed as an adjunct to the Festac Town built to host African Nations to the Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977, when our central bank was over flowing with foreign exchange. In a record time, the federal government built the famous Festac Town, where it quartered participants and treated them to a lavish party. Part of the benefit of the African party was arguably the best planned estate in Africa at a time.

    Since Nigeria was awash with petro dollars, the federal authorities decided to build an adjunct to that town. So, a smaller but equally well laid out town was built across the West African trans-highway leading to Benin Republic, which became known as the Satellite Town. That smaller town, though less sophisticated in planning and execution than Festac Town, hosts the Central Bank of Nigeria Estate and several other estates owned by major oil companies and other industries in the 1980s.

    It is inside these enormous housing estates and adjunct communities that the Rotary Club of Satellite Town is tucked in. As the District Governor Akeredolu noted during the club’s presentation of exercise books and grants to selected students of the Satellite senior secoundary and Navy Town senior secoundary schools last Saturday, the Satellite communities have the potential to host a large Rotary Club. But that is not the case, and there is no doubt that the decay of Satellite Town had affected the health of the club, founded in 1982.

    So, those who allowed the town to dilapidate have not only downgraded the quality of life in the estate, they are also denying the residents the benefits that could come from hosting a vibrant Rotary club with all the attendant benefits. To restore the lost glory, the federal government, owners of the major estate in the Satellite town must lead the way. They should be supported by the state and local council authorities, since the extensions have more or less interwoven with the original federal government estate.

    The local council authority should borrow a leaf from the Amuwo-Odofin local council, which maintains the inner roads in Festac Town, even though the estate is owned by the Federal Housing Authority, a federal government agency. A planned urban renewal program is an emergency that would do everybody a lot of good. Whether for the enhancement of the value of the huge investment in housing in the area, or the quality of life of the residents, or general public health, the three levels of government and the residents association should work together to renew Satellite Town.

    The Federal Ministry of Works, which behaves like an irresponsible landowner must mend its waywardness. While allowing the estate to become an eyesore, it still collects levies on transactions on properties it owns in the estate. It even collects development levy, yet there is no iota of development going on. Without equivocation, one can say that if those Africans who marveled at the   beauty of Festac and Satellite Towns when Nigeria showed off its economic prowess in 1977 and beyound should visit now, they will be ashamed at the level of decadence and backwardness of the estate.

    I urge all government authorities to emulate the Rotary Club of Satellite Town, led by Rotarian Vera Nwagu, who despite their environmental challenges, still find a place in their heart to engage in doing public good. Other public spirited individuals resident in Satellite Town and its environs must seek out where the club meets and join them. As one of the best managed international non-governmental organizations with enormous potentials, Rotary stands in good stead to show how to save Satellite Town.

  • Which agency certifies drivers?

    If the government’s desire is to reduce carnage on the roads, the argument about who has the mandate to regulate drivers’ licence is needless and avoidable, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    Road safety experts have carpeted as needless, the query on the Federal Roads Safety Commission’s (FRSC) power to regulate the training of drivers or the issuance of drivers licence.

    The Chairman, Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NIIT) Zaria, Olorogun John Onojeharho in the Punch last Friday, had queried the FRSC’s right to issue licences. He alleged that it operates quack driving schools to train drivers.

    But the agency said the FRSC Establishment Act 2007 as amended, gave it the statutory right to train and certify drivers.

    Its spokesman Bisi Kazeem, debunking the “erroneous insinuation,” at the weekend, said drivers’ certification is part of the FRSC’s responsibility. “Our responsibility is to ensure that drivers, motorists, and motorcyclists education are trained on how to operate their vehicles before they apply for the National Drivers Licence,” he said.

    He said FRSC has no driving school but certifies privately run driving schools to ensure compliance to standards.

    He said FRSC derives its mandate from Section 10 (3)c of the FRSC Establishment Act 2007: “To educate drivers, motorists and members of the public generally on the proper use of the highways.”

    Put in broader perspective, according to Kazeem,”education and training are interchangeable where learning or education is synonymous with training, which means a process by which someone is taught a skill that is needed for an art, profession, or job.”

    According to him, the FRSC, as the agency charged with the safety of lives and property on the roads has not only been educating fleet operators on the minimum safety standards, it has continued to regulate the establishment and certification of driving schools that are registered to train drivers on the operation of vehicles and the proper use of roads.

    The beginning

    Prior to 1988, the Federal Government had no concrete or sustained policy to address the carnage on  the roads. Earlier attempts to manage carnage on the roads were limited to isolated attempts by some states of the federation and institutions.

    One of the earliest pioneers of road safety initiative, according to Wikipedia, was the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) between 1960 and 1965. Following on its heels, was the Nigerian Army’s Annual Road Safety Week which started in 1972.

    The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), established in 1974, was the Federal Military Government’s first real attempt at promoting road safety. It was however short lived. In 1977, the military administration in old Oyo State, established the Oyo State Road Safety Corps (OSRSC), which instilled some road discipline and achieved significant improvements in road safety in the state. The Corps was disbanded by the military government in 1983.

    In February 1988, the Federal Government established the Federal Road Safety Commission through Decree No. 45 of the 1988 as amended by Decree 35 of 1992, referred to in the statute books as the FRSC Act cap 141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), passed by the National Assembly as Federal Road Safety Corps (establishment) Act 2007.

    It has, among other statutory functions, the duty of making the highway safe for motorists and other road users, eliminate or minimise accidents on the highways and advising the Federal and state governments, including the Federal Capital Territory Administration and relevant governmental agencies on the localities where such works and devices are required, and educating motorists and members of the public on the importance of discipline on the highway.

    Its other responsibilities are: Clearing obstructions on any part of the highways, educating drivers, motorists and other members of the public on the proper use of the highways, designing and producing the driver’s license to be used by various categories of vehicle operators, determining, from time to time, the requirements to be satisfied by an applicant for a driver’s licence and designing and producing vehicle number plates.

    It is also mandated to standardise highway traffic codes, educate drivers, motorists and other members of the public generally on the proper use of the highways,  give prompt care and attention to victims of accidents and conducting researches into causes of motor accidents and methods of preventing them and putting into use the result of such research.

    The FRSC is also to determine and enforce speed limits for all categories of roads and vehicles and controlling the use of speed limiting devices, cooperate with bodies or agencies or groups in road safety activities or in prevention of accidents on the highways, making regulations in pursuance of any of the functions assigned to the Corps, regulate the use of sirens, flashers and beacon lights on vehicles other than ambulances and vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, Fire Service and other Paramilitary agencies, providing roadside and mobile clinics for the treatment of accident victims free of charge.

    Other mandates are to regulate the use of mobile phones by motorists, regulating the use of seat belts and other safety devices, regulating the use of motorcycles on the highways, maintaining the validity period for drivers’ licences which shall be three years subject to renewal at the expiration of the validity period.

    Needless controversy

    A safety expert who prefers anonymity, carpeted the NIIT chief’s unprovoked jab at the FRSC. According to him, the law which empowers the Corps to regulate safety could not have excluded from it the power to certify trainees.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Arrive Alive Road Safety Initiative (AARSI) Mr Ike Okonkwo said the FRSC has become a global brand that should be supported to continue to do everything to promote road safety.

    Okonkwo, who regarded the antagonism by the NIIT chief as needless and avoidable, said the impact of the FRSC is such that at the global summit of the United Nations (UN) in 2011, the UN, among other resolutions, urged member nations to emulate Nigeria and have a focal agency in charge of road safety.

    According to him, 1.3 million people reportedly died on global roads in 2011, and such an agency was to lead moves to reduce it by 50 percent in a decade.

    Okonkwo said AARSI, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) owned by Chevron, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Diamond Bank, has been working with the Corps  to keep the roads safe, adding that FRSC has maintained the lead in educating, training and certifying drivers wishing to drive on the roads.

    Can motorcyclist fly plane

    Safety Without Borders Executive Director Mr Patrick Adenusi wondered why anyone would fight FRSC over the certification of drivers.

    According to him, if no one would fly a plane whose pilot is a motorcyclist, why should anyone not be concerned that drivers who would ply the roads are trained and certified to use the roads.

    “If FRSC says it won’t do it because they are not empowered by law to train drivers or issue drivers licence, then the number of people dying on our roads, which is put at 5,000 could as well continue to rise.”

    He said arguments for pulling the rug off the feet of FRSC are self-serving. “No one should pick any hole at who regulates drivers in Nigeria,” he said, adding that over the years, the FRSC has continued to serve as quality control by ensuring that driving schools churn out only trained drivers, while those seeking renewals were mandated to undergo retraining to ensure that everyone keyed into the agenda to reduce road carnage.

    He said in his relationship with the Corps over the years, he has never heard the Corps own or run a driving school as alleged by the NIIT chief.

    According to him, though issuance of drivers licence is within the purview of the Motor Vehicle Administration Agencies (MVAA), the tripartite arrangement evolved over time, which saw the FRSC, MVAA and VIO manage the training, and certification of drivers should not be jettisoned.

    “The tripartite arrangement of driving licence issuance, which has always seen the FRSC, VIO and MVAA work together, has been working perfectly for Nigeria. In other jurisdiction, motor vehicle administration is saddled with drivers certification and drivers licence issuance, but our MVAA here are not as engaging and skilful as MVAA administration in America, which explains why FRSC should continue to play the leading role in sanitising the process through which drivers are certified to use the road and which type of vehicles they are certified to use.”

    According to him, “One should not forget that the main reason for certification is to reduce  deaths by road accidents, which going by WHO estimates of 30,000 deaths yearly, would have seen a growth rather than a reduction of global death statistics as a result of accidents.

  • Why court jailed ex-NBA chair

    A Federal High court sitting in Yola has sentenced a former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yola branch, Mr Esthon Runde Binani and a Magistrate Shehu Mustapha to five years in prison.

    The court further ordered that Binani refund N5 million  being the proceeds of Judgment obtained in favour of his clients while Shehu will return N61 million being part of the said proceeds placed under his care when he was the Litigation Secretary in the High court before his elevation to the lower bench.

    The suit was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) based on a complaint by the retired staff member of Sterling Construction Company who alleged that the two embezzled the proceeds of the judgment due to them.

    During the trial, Mr Esthon has insisted that the N5million was his professional fees and the remaining amount was paid to the High Court under the care of Mr Shehu.

    Mr Shehu denied spending the money but failed to mention who did.

    In a chat with The Nation, a source close to the court who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the sentence and stated that the lawyer was convicted for not paying the N5 million into his solicitors account; rather he paid it into his personal account and eventually spent the money for his personal needs.

    “Mr. Esthon had an understanding with his clients. They agreed for him to take 20 per cent of the debt when he recovered it for them. He recovered the sum of N72 million, but the registrar of the court refused to release the whole money to him, releasing only N5 million out of the money and refused to release the balance.

    Binani offered the N 5 million to his clients and they rejected it asking for their complete judgment amount.

    “Mr. Esthon paid the money into his personal account and eventually spent it. So, when the court eventually asked him to produce the money, he could not produce it because he had spent it. It is indeed regrettable,” the source stated.

  • Envisioning a new Nigeria at 59

    For those that witnessed our independence; their mind would be filled with crowded memories; memories of the projected destination envisaged. The memory of the attractive flowers of violet turned unattractive, the memory of kindness melting away, the memory of closely knitted cultures now faltering like a pack of cards…The memory of decorum turning delirium …

    Today the freedom we had has metamorphosed into distress; innocent people from the Northeast cannot sleep with one eye closed, the people in the Northwest are closely monitoring the activities of the bandits, the southern parts of Nigeria are beginning to witness the aftermath of lingering crisis in the north.

    Today the charming dinners we had is turning into harrowing dinners.

    Today what we have is the rich getting richer, the middle class are getting squeezed out and the poor are pregnant with triplet of anxiety, fear and hatred. These savage offspring are born daily and are dangling terror in most parts of the country.

    Today, the pattering rain of cash has dwindled and the glittering oil is shrinking yet the smoke of insecurity bellowed to every nook and cranny of the country.

    Today the descendants of the birds that squeaked on top of the treetops during our independence are howling for lack of food.

    Today, can our leaders look back and say they have fought a good fight without remorse for their past deeds? Today, can we sincerely say with confidence that our crop of youths are ready to take on the mantle of leadership?

    Today, the heir of the frogs that croaked are crying accent of mercy.

    Today we have the likes of typhoons, landslides and earthquakes that were once alien to us signaling the earth is changing. Today with the climate change, no one is sure of anything; it is a looming threat that we must be prepared for.

    Today the masses are clamoring for restructuring because of the present knotted structure.

    My eyes mist whenever I recite a phrase in our national anthem, the labor of our heroes past, shall never be in vain  and I pray that our fallen heroes’ effort shall not be in vain. On the other hand, I feel quite nostalgic for the recitation of O God of creation , Direct our noble Cause, Guide our leaders right , help our Youth the truth to know…but the questions is, are our youths dissecting the wheat from the chaff?

    How do the people living in the prone parts of the Northeast raise children when their environment is precarious and their future uncertain?

    It’s unfortunate to say that our preceding sailors who were supposed to sail us safely to our projected destination were struck by strong wind and we have since being sailing on turbulent waters.

    The probing question is, when did we get it all wrong? We cannot look back further than after the oil was discovered in Oloibiri in the now Bayelsa State. Like a pirouette dance, oil money started to flow and we forgot about streams of resources at our beck and call. Today, oil extraction remains the biggest divider among us yet a unifying factor. The rubber plantation was not in short supply, cocoa money performed wonders and groundnut pyramids reached the sky.  We should not forget at this period we had vegetables, lemons, cassava, cotton, coffee, papayas, and hibiscus, among others with a congenial weather to go with it. What other things could we have asked for?

    As we celebrate our independence today, it is a period of reflection where the affluence in our midst  who lives in an environment where they don’t have to think of electricity bill, they don’t have to think of what to eat, they don’t have to think of  what to wear, and don’t have to think of where to lay their heads think of the poor who are married to squalor living in a place they don’t want to live, a place surrounded by roaches, smells of urine billowing  from the backyards as if they are back-tracked to eight decades ago where all that were available were free range of toilets in the backyard. Some of them sleep on pallets and do not need repellant to keep rats away from romancing their toes at night… poverty.

    According to the Nigeria Economic Report released in July by the World Bank, poverty still remains significant at 33.1% in Nigeria as half of the population are now living in degrading poverty. There have been steps at poverty alleviation, for instance, in 1972, National Accelerated Food production programme and the Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank was created. In 1976, Operation Feed the Nation; it was to teach the farmers how to use modern farming tools. In 1979, Green Revolution Programme came on board where emphasis was laid on reducing food importation and increase local food production. In 1986, the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI)  was established by General Babangida administration  to tackle the issue of rural development and rural transformation. That same year, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was created. In 1993, Family Support Programme  and the Family Economic Advancement Programme was established. The National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA), the Rural Employment Programme (REP) were also established. Today the federal government has continued to roll out efforts at ameliorating poverty in the country with the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP),the N-Power programme designed to reduce youth unemployment with focus on young-graduates and non-graduates with skills, tools and livelihood to enable them advance from unemployment to employment, entrepreneurship and innovation. Despite all these efforts, there is still a lot of work to be done.

    What is the missing link?

    The developed world are talking about electric cars, artificial intelligence decentralization, Crptocurrencies, the semantic web linked data, block-chain technology, renewable energy, self-driving cars among others. A developing country like Nigeria is still talking about building good roads, provision of electricity, telephone and water supply. We are highly religious country waiting for God to solve all our problems. We are always gazing skyward to receive everything from Him. We seem helpless and hapless; frightened like chicken who heard the roar of the wind, flapped, squawked and hid under decrepit barnyard. We pile up debt for our children’s children instead of riches. It’s unfortunate that we don’t truly know what we are capable of achieving if we put our act together.

    Until we begin to harness our true potential, until we begin to design reality rather than merely reacting to it, until will do away with standards and structures that are absurdly ambiguous and riddled with loopholes, we will continue to dance around the question unanswered.

    It is my staunch belief that Nigerians are an incredibly talented people. Give them lemons and they will make lemonade. My question to you as we celebrate independence today is that when a story of Nigeria is being told, will yours be a tale of selflessness or selfishness?

    • Anjorin writes from Lagos.

  • Nigeria

  • Boosting farm produce with Green house alternative

    Greenhouse farms is becoming the alternative that is making agriculture more attractive to local farmers, especially those with some means. OSAGIE OTABOR writes about one such farms which would soon begin to earn big, exporting tomatoes and pepper

    The quest by the Federal Government to move the economy from oil dependent is gradually producing results. More Nigerians are seeing the wisdom in returning to agriculture. The Buhari administration is promoting agriculture as the nation’s new economy. In Edo State, agriculture is gaining ground as the first GreenHouse Farm is set to export tomatoes and pepper. Last year, the Wells Hosa Greenhouse Farm, owned by billionaire Captain Hosa Okunbo, showcased to the world its first harvest of vegetables, tomatoes and pepper. But the ban on importation of inorganic fertiliser is threatening the existence of the farm.

    Sitting on a 26-hectare, the Wells Hosa Greenhouse grows the roma, cherry and beef tomatoes, bell peppers, albanaro peppers and cucumbers. The crops are not grown on soil, but on coconut fibre, through the adoption of hydroponic technology. There are 14 greenhouses on the farm. To ensure an all-year round harvest, the greenhouses are divided to serve the cycle from nursery to harvest.

    Farm’s General Manager Franklin Owegie, who conducted reporters round the farm, said proper sterilisation is carried out to avoid diseases or pests affecting the plants.

    Owegie explained that the tomatoes and pepper grown on the farm were originally cultivated in Mexico but with the use of technology, they were successfully grown in Edo State. He said computerised irrigation, fertilisation and pest control are important to achieve optimal plant growth and higher yield compared with the traditional open field method of producing tomatoes and pepper.

    He said: “As you observed, we sterilised your cars before you drive in. Before workers or anybody enters any of the greenhouses, they must be sterilised. All the nutrients the plants need are prepared and supplied through the irrigation system. Each plant has its own drip point so the plant gets the nutrients it needs.

    “This is the first successful hydroponic green house in Nigeria. It has been working since August last year and we are still expanding. For us, this is like a pilot project. We harvest twice a week, there is no scarce season, it is an all -ear round harvest.

    “Instead of using natural ground where you have all the challenges, rather we are growing it with all the nutrients and giving it all the fertilisers it requires unlike how it is done in the open field.

    “All we are doing by creating a controlled environment is to have better yields. The plant doesn’t have to interact with the soil to avoid all the diseases. With this, we have high yield, we harvest all-year round and that is one of the advantages. It is expensive but, however, greenhouse farming can meet the food needs of Nigerians.

    “The good thing is that whatever you are planting you are surely going to meet the food needs of the people, it is just like investing in solar energy which has high investment but at the end of the day you get your return on investment.

    “Our nutrition solution centre is equipped with modern gadgets where the mixtures for nutrients are done. The fertiliser centre is also where the PH of the nutrition solution mixture is done.”

    The ban on the importation of inorganic fertilisers has forced the cost of production at the farm to increase in astrometric progression. As the crops do not grow on soil, all the required nutrients are from chemicals and inorganic fertilisers and they must be supplied in the right quantity. Non- availability of inorganic fertilisers might lead to  loss of jobs at the farm.

    Managing Director of Wells Hosa Greenhouse farms Mr. Bright Okunbo said greenhouse farmers in Nigeria may be forced out of business, if alternatives to get inorganic fertilisers are not available.

    According to him, “the most challenges we have observed in the past one year is getting the right input when it comes to chemicals and fertiliser at the right time and from the right sources. When we started the farm, we got NAFDAC’s permit to import inorganic fertilisers and end user certificate to enable importation of inorganic fertilisers, which is one of our major input for our irrigation system. Even if it took us a lot of process to have that done, but when we did, we were able to import any time we wanted within that one year period when the licences were valid.

    “Currently, with the new ban on importation of inorganic fertilisers, no bank will issue Form M for you to import. Most of the inorganic fertilisers are not available in Nigeria. That is our major challenge right now. Without those fertilisers and right chemicals, we will not be able to operate. There is no substitute for this. I cannot use organic fertilisers to run my farm because I am not planting on soil. I don’t have anything that will be pulling the micro nutrient or microorganism that is available in the soils. This is different because I have to introduce  every micro, macro nutrients and inorganic fertilisers by myself in the right quantity. If I don’t do all of these, I will not be able to operate. That is our biggest challenge.

    “As it stands, I have no alternative to the problem right now. There just has to be a way where we can either have a company that produces these fertilisers in Nigeria or open up the borders and allow importation of these fertilisers. With this development, our workers’ job is not only at stake, my job and the company is at stake. If I cannot import and there is no alternative, then there is a huge problem.

    “I am just hoping that this will last for a short time for government can look at ways we can have access to it so that pioneers like us can have access to the input that we need.

    “We have started talking to the relevant authority and we are looking at all the alternatives to get out of this predicament. I am, however, optimistic that government will do something urgent because we are not the only greenhouse farm in Nigeria affected by this. I think there is need to protect this and as one of the non-oil sector that contribute to the nation’s development. I don’t think government will want greenhouse technology to pull out of business in Nigeria”.

    Bright, however, stated that the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has been supportive in trying to see how the farm can get to export level so it can generate foreign exchange. He said the National Agency of Quarantine Services has certified the products of Wells Hosa okay for export.

    “Some policies are making it favourable for us to get to the status to export outside of the country. The people know our product. They know it is distinct. They know it is different from others. Anybody that has used our tomatoes for stew know the difference between Hosa Wells tomatoes and others in the market. They are willing to pay a little more than what they pay for regular tomatoes because they are getting value in … taste and quality. The yellow orange albanaro pepper we introduced to the market is distinct. When we first introduced it, the people were a little hesitant to try something new but as I speak, I don’t have my harvest sitting on the ground. I harvest twice in a week and before I am through with the harvesting, customers are waiting to get them.’’

    On the future of Wells Hosa Green House farm, Bright said they hoped to replicate the greenhouse facility in different geo-political zones.

    “The Green House can be established anywhere. Edo State is one of the most difficult places to establish a Green House farm because of the heavy rainfall. During the rainy season, it is always cloudy, there is less radiation, it affects the size and quantity of the produce. We have been able to mitigate that problem here in Edo. If I am doing this good in the worst place, then if I take the Green House to Abuja, Kaduna, then I will do …better. We want to establish different Green Houses across the country where we can grow other crops other than just tomatoes and pepper. We now grow the Roma tomatoes, the bell pepper, the cherry tomatoes, beef tomatoes and albanaro pepper.”

  • Sowore: The vestiges of dictatorship

    SIR: If there is any shouting evidence that the vestiges of dictatorship still remain with us long after we bade military rule goodbye, it is the current travails of political activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.

    Since the beginning of the fourth republic on May 29, 1999, successive governments have worryingly engaged in practices that can best be described as antithetical to democratic norms. Put plainly, democracy has failed to end abuses that  characterised the jackboot era of intolerance.

    Who will forget the infamous Odi massacre and the disregard for a Supreme Court order that the Lagos State funds seized by the Olusegun Obasanjo-led federal government be released?  Or the clampdown on media houses perceived to be enemies of former President Jonathan because of their criticism of his government for not adequately tackling Nigeria’s security problems?

    Who will forget the seizure of newspapers and destruction of thousands of copies by soldiers during the Jonathan administration which was described by the presidency then as “isolated incidents of security checks”?

    In the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, nothing appears to have changed. Only recently, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, said Nigeria had gone back to the repressive and dark days of the Abacha era following the unceasing human rights abuses traced to the Buhari  government. Also, Nigerians known to be too critical of the present government have either been detained or their whereabouts unknown.

    An egregious example of the blatant disregard for human rights and dissenting views was displayed when Sowore was arrested and detained for calling out Nigerians to protest the failings of the Buhari government. He was later charged with treasonable felony and accused of insulting the president.

    Rather than get agitated about the mention of revolution and protests, the Buhari government would do well to address the issues raised by the activist and his group. Except those who choose not to see the ugly realities confronting us on a daily basis, no one can deny that Nigeria is currently bedeviled by nagging security problems, grinding poverty, especially with Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world. Or is it the romance with individuals with various corruption allegations hanging over their heads who have now become new creatures  by virtue of the fact they are now belong to the ruling party? Or is it the economy that is in a tailspin?

    Instead of breathing down the necks of Nigerians that demand good governance, the call to protest should be a wakeup call to the concerned authorities to address the aforementioned problems for the betterment of Nigerians.

    Curiously, the same government that would not allow harmless protesters a breathing space has no issues with negotiating with bloodthirsty terrorists that have brought sorrow, tears and blood to many homes, justifying their action with the argument that it is a global practice.

    In the run-up to the 2015 elections, General Buhari had promised to uphold the rule of law and respect fundamental human rights, claiming to be a reformed democrat.

    Today, we are told national interest- as defined by the Buhari administration and the Department of State Services (DSS)- takes precedence over the rule of law. If we pretend to concede that the highlighted excuse for blatant disregard for the laws of the land is true, we can begin to understand why former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and Shiite leader,  Sheikh Ibrahim Elzakzaky are still languishing in jail. But what would be the excuse for detaining Sowore after a court has granted him bail?

    Interestingly, the same government that was quick to obey the order to detain Sowore has suddenly developed cold feet when the court granted him bail. Ordinarily, Nigeria’s biggest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), should be vociferous about the worrying disdain for court orders not in favour of the Buhari government. But that is if it has the moral latitude for such. In PDP’s Cross River State, Journalist, Agba Jalingo, is in detention for a publication the government does not find friendly. Where then will the PDP derive the moral justification to call out the ruling party for its disturbing abuse of power?

    Without any whiff of doubt, freedom of expression is under threat in Nigeria. And when a government justifies brazen disdain for court orders, it is not for any other reason but to kill dissenting voices. Little wonder Prof Wole Soyinka was quoted as saying the greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.

    It is time men of good conscience in the Nigerian Bar Association, the Nigerian Labour Congress and all civil society groups rose by exploring all constitutional means to save the judiciary from imminent collapse and Nigeria from its gradual slide into anarchy.

    • Ladesope Ladelokun,

    Ladesopeladelokun@gmail.com

  • Nigeria @59: FRSC urges motorists to imbibe positive driving

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has urged motorists to embrace safety ideals, positive road behaviour and adhere to all traffic rules and regulations as Nigeria celebrates 59 years of independence.

    Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem made the call in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

    He said that the call was part of concerted efforts to ensure free flow of traffic and the safety of lives and property of road users, during the celebration.

    Kazeem stressed the need for all road users to drive with caution and avoid any act that violated established traffic laws during the celebration period.

    “The Federal Road Safety Corps is aware of how much the country cherishes its independence going by the series of festivities that form part of the celebration.

    “Accordingly, the Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, admonishes motorists to apply all cautionary measures so as to achieve a crash-free 59th independence celebration.

    Read Also: 25 escape death in Anambra auto crashes – FRSC

    “He also gave the assurance of full deployment of operational facilities across traffic prone areas and others to ensure a hitch free movement of persons and goods.

    “To forestall all incidences of mishap on the road, I have directed Commanding Officers across the country to ensure full deployment of personnel and logistics for high visibility and to ensure prompt removal of obstructions and effective traffic management.”

    NAN

  • Notorious kidnapper killed in Rivers

    A notorious kidnapper in Rivers state, Brown Ike Ekwueme (a k a Lucifer), has been killed by men of the state Police command on Monday.

    The spokesman of the police in the state, Nnamdi Omoni who broke the news in a statement in Port Harcourt the state capital last night said, Ekweme was killed by men of Operation Sting in a part of the state.

    Omoni alleges that the deceased was responsible for the hijack of passenger vehicles and kidnappings along Rundele axis of Emohua Local Government area of the state.

    He described the alleged criminal as the most wanted kidnapper along the East-West road area of the LGA and assured that his gang members are also being trailed to ensure they are arrested.

    The statement said, “The most wanted notorious kidnapper from Egamini Rundele, in Emohua LGA, Ekweme Brown Ike, AKA Lucifer,  has been killed by men of the Operation Sing, in a Sting Operation led by the Commander, ACP Shem Evans.

    Read Also: Rivers APC congresses on hold

    “Ekweme is  responsible for all the kidnappings and hijack of Commercial Buses on the Ndele axis of the East/West Road.

    “The entire Rundele Community has been thrown into a wild jubilation as a result of his death.

    “Meanwhile, efforts are on to arrest his confederates in crime.

    Promising to keep you updated.” he said.