The just concluded week, to many who are conversant with activities in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, seemed rather lacklustre as there were not so many movements or activities streaming from the Number One Citizen’s office, at least from the media view of things. Since he returned to Abuja Tuesday evening, after his six-day outing in Dubai, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he participated in the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (CoP28), not much of President Bola Tinubu has been seen in the public.
His seeming scarcity in public’s eyes did not mean he was not seen at all. Besides the photo ops seen in the media, including those taken at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Dubai, and the ones taken with some of his guests, especially those on official businesses, a couple of very critical events and activities have done much to confirm his presence and that he remains committed to gradually relieving Nigeria and Nigerians of their multiple unpleasant baggage.
He started the week offshore, in Dubai, where he coordinated Nigeria’s efforts at aligning with the global community’s climate and environmental solutions. He left for the CoP28 on the Wednesday of the week before the last, stayed the weekend and the earlier part of last week and returned on Tuesday. Of course, his activities and some of the multiple quantifiable gains of the outing were featured in the last edition of this column, what is, however, not highlighted yet will be the takeaways or significance of the event to the country and its people.
There have been some hues, and definitely cries, about Nigeria’s ‘huge’ representation at the global event; 1,411 persons. Many Nigerians, including those who do not know, talk less of understand, the concept of the CoP, have come down hard on the federal government for sponsoring ‘a whooping 1,411 people’ to the world’s marketplace. Then emerged a horde of emergency analysts, especially on the social media space, adding and subtracting, calculating the cost of air travel and hotel accommodations for what many of them have termed a jamboree.
Government, through Presidential Spokesman, Temitope Ajayi, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has done much to separate facts from fictions by providing verifiable figures, but those who have determined not to be convinced and are looking for negative slants to viewing Nigeria and its government, have stuck to their narrative. Even when many of those recorded as Nigeria’s representatives, but with independent or other sponsorships than government have come out to clarify their circumstances, the horde has refused to be convinced or persuaded. They will not take Minister Idris’ figure of 422 for government’s sponsorship and they do not want anyone coming to tell them that the government should not be crucified for doing what it has been constituted to do; ensuring gains for Nigeria from all engagements.
However, the truth that must be said, whether we like it or not, is that Nigeria was led to Dubai by President Tinubu for a serious business and not a jamboree, the President was focused on positioning Nigeria for an advantage to make away with as much of the cuts of the goods expected from the event as possible.
Besides the meeting with the President of the UAE and King Charles III, the electricity improvement agreement signed with Germany, meeting with stakeholders and investors in the Nigerian Carbon Market, where he unveiled the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan, President Tinubu also had his eyes on the big pie; the $250 billion ALTERRA Fund, to which the host country made a commitment of $30 billion. It is believed and expected that by virtue of size, being the largest black nation, Nigeria should be a major beneficiary of the fund.
His thoughts were on solving the multitudes of environmental challenges facing the country in different parts of the country. Since climate change became a global issue, Nigeria has found herself dealing with ever-compounding social, economic and security vicissitudes in different parts. Desertification is creeping southwards, gradually driving people from their homes in the affected areas, igniting conflicts among peoples over land ownership and worsening food security along the way.
Similarly, rising sea level in the coastal area is forcing people in the riverine areas out of their homelands, northwards. You can only imagine what will result from these developments and the interactions they will breed in a few years. These are serious concerns on Tinubu’s mind, then there is a forum that has been designed to proffer real solutions to these threats to the live and livelihoods of the people he leads, and we complain he has taken it as a serious business and decided to ensure Nigeria shows up there to stake her claim.
We should only be angry if we are not found there because in today’s global interaction, it is “who nor dey, nor dey” and such person’s (or nation’s) bishopric, another is bound to take. If he was not there, who would have had the balls to stand in the face of the global powers to point their injustice and double standards to them. At least we know that it was Tinubu who called the attention of the super-powers to their unjust expectation from the least contributors to the cause of global environmental crisis to sacrifice same as, or even more than, those whose industrial activities robbed the earth of her pristinity.
Thinking about all that Nigeria stands to gain from CoP28, added to the ones already set in motion from the various meetings and engagements by the President and his lieutenants at the outing, fighting the administration for this outing will be tantamount to spiting one’s face by cutting nose off. Government has attempted to give clarity by providing figures on sponsorships and that the whole 1,411 was just indicating where participants came from. This should suffice for anyone without an uglier motive than circumspection.
He came back on Tuesday, but even while abroad, he kept his eyes fixed on goings-on at home. For instance, as early as 8am on that day, he had ordered an intervention into the sad development in Tundun Biri Village in Igabi council area of Kaduna State, where a military drone misfire had wreck havoc on innocent civilians, including women and children.
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He directed an immediate and thorough investigation in the circumstances surrounding the incident, just as he ordered that relevant agencies of government should see to giving care, including medical treatment for the injured. He followed up on the intervention by sending representation for an on-sight assessment of the situation.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who delivered his principal’s message to the people of Kaduna State, especially the affected people, assured “the government will get to the root of the issue and anyone found culpable will be punished accordingly. We expect a report with immediate effect on the incident. The heart of the President is with the bereaved families. Rest assured that the Federal Government stands by the community and the government and people of Kaduna on this unfortunate incident”.
It was not surprising that he had to sound so tough, the weight of the loss is too much to ignore. As at Friday, the number of recoded deaths had risen to 120 and the situation seemed to be raising serious heat in the some parts of the country. Besides, the frequency of military friendly fires has started raising concerns among citizens, it is believed government must watch it and Jagaban, considering his passion for the well being of every individual Nigerian, this last one and the ones before it should not have happened at all.
Then on Wednesday, it was a time to reflect on relations with sister-West African countries. He hosted the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon, at the Villa. Jagaban’s philosophy of development is rather cooperative and that is what he has advocated at forums bringing leaders of the region together.
“We are one. No other nation like ours should be worried. What is affecting us is a lack of synergy. We have not developed the necessary economic synergy that will develop our two nations. We must have common economic principles and priorities. The economic programme you are developing through inter-ministerial collaboration is welcomed by me”, he told his Beninois counterpart.
He had other significant events and performed activities reflective of the continuing building process of the administration. For instance, on Thursday and Friday, he held meetings, results of which should yield positive fruits in coming days, weeks and months. He met the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Nigeria, led by Global Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, Ms Zoe Yujnovich, who informed him of new investment plans, involving an imminent $5 billion investment in Agbami North project and another $1 billion investment over the next few years into gas resources.
On Friday, he received the report of Course 45 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) research, encouraging the institute and the colourful array of its participant. He highlighted the importance of the exercise being participated in by noting that Nigeria has what it takes to succeed, especially when the quality of the research and its recommendation are seriously considered.
He approved new appointments in some agencies, including nine Board and Management members for the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as well as four new members for the National Council on Privatization (NCP).
This new week should come with new tasks as well. One such expected task is the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, holding today. President Tinubu, as Chairman of the ECOWAS leaders, will host his colleagues and other authorities involved in the region’s affairs. They have so much to talk about, including the state of democracy in the region and their mutual socioeconomic concerns, so you can be assured of a something about ECOWAS this week.
