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  • 2023: Year of transition, economic turmoil, bloodletting

    2023: Year of transition, economic turmoil, bloodletting

    PROLOGUE

    The outgoing year has largely been shaped by political transitions and economic turmoil occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy coupled with the fluctuation in foreign exchange rates.

    Politically, the country experienced changes of baton at the federal and across state levels. Some of the political parties lost states that they had controlled since the beginning of the present political dispensation. Apart from the general election,the year also witnessed the conduct of some off-circle elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states.

    The year kicked off with the economy walking on bended knees following the scarcity of new naira notes and the deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the citizens to stop using old naira notes. Businesses and service providers recorded massive losses as they could not access cash to carry out their activities. Those who could not cope closed shops, causing many to lose their jobs. A number of bank customers slept at ATM points to get money causing some people to die of exhaustion. Depraved business people latched onto the opportunity and turned the naira to a commodity that sold to the highest bidders.

    The anguish of the people was taken away when the Supreme Court ruled that the old and new notes should continue to be used simultaneously.

    The month also witnessed fierce political campaigns among the dominant political parties- the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party especially for the presidential election.

    The campaigns took a different turn compared to what obtained in the past when just two major political parties vied for the most coveted political seat in the land.

    In February, the political tension in the country came to a climax with voters going out to vote for their respective presidential candidates.

    Aside from the election in February, the month also experienced some high and low points economically. The country’s money supply (M3) rose to N53.3 trillion in February 2023 from N52.16 trillion recorded at the beginning of the year.

     On the other hand, the inflation rate climbed to 21.91% in the month representing a 0.09% point increase when compared to the 21.82% recorded in the previous month.

    The month of March was ushered in with the declaration of  the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the keenly contested February 25 election.

    Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to win the 2023 presidential election.

    Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes.

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    Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP came fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

    As the tension generated by the presidential election fizzled out, political hostilities shifted to the states in the course of the month as candidates of various parties entered the political ring to do battle for the governorship and house of assembly elections.

    The governorship elections were conducted in 28 states.

    The tensed political landscape witnessed some comic relief in April when Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Hudu Ari, sneaked into the state governorship collation centre to declare Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed of the All Progressives Congress winner of the governorship poll held in the state.

    The REC’s announcement was voided by INEC who summoned him and the Returning Officer, Prof. Mele Mohammed, to Abuja and halted further collation of results of the supplementary election in the state.

    Prior to the laughable development in Adamawa, murderous herders had thrown the nation into a mourning mood following the murder of 49 people in Benue State.

    The victims who were mourners included the son of the Otukpo Local Government Council Chairman and a police officer. The incident took place at Umogidi village, Enetekpa Adoka district of Otukpo LGA of Benue state.

    The country began the month of May on a sour note with the sentence of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice and Dr. Obinna Obeta at the UK’s Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, to nine years and eight months, four years and six months, and 10 years in prison respectively in the first conviction of its kind under Britain’s modern slavery laws.

    After all the brickbats that greeted the outcome of the presidential election, the flag bearer of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn-in as the 16 president of the country on May 29. President Tinubu was sworn in together with his running mate, Kashim Shettima

    In the first policy directive of his administration, President Bola Tinubu in his inaugural speech on the day of the swearing in announced the removal of fuel subsidy.

    According to him, subsidy can no longer justify its ever increasing costs in the wake of drying resources.

    Shortly thereafter, President Tinubu said his government had saved over one trillion naira within two months it ended the subsidy regime.

    But the policy was not without some dire consequences. The subsidy removal tripled fuel prices nationwide – from N195 to the current N600, with a resultant astronomical rise in transport, food and other basic needs costs.

    In June, the economic situation of the country didn’t get better as the inflation rate accelerated for the sixth consecutive time to 22.79 per cent.

    The inflation rate in Africa’s biggest economy rose to a new 17-year high of 22.79 per cent in June 2023 from 22.41 per cent in the previous month.

    July began on a controversial note with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) accusing a candidate,  Ejikeme Mmesoma (Joy) who had earlier been celebrated to have scored the highest mark in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) of  falsifying  her result. The candidate made a series of defenses claiming that she was incapable of committing forgery and also alleging that JAMB was out to malign her. At the end of the day, Mmesoma owned up that she altered the result and begged JAMB for forgiveness.

    The month also witnessed the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.  Senator Godswill Akpabio emerged the 10th President of the Senate after defeating Senator Abdulaziz Yari. Senator Jibrin Barau merged as the deputy. Hon Tajudeen Abbas emerged as the House of Reps Speaker with Hon Benjamin kalu as the deputy.

    The federal government made further moves to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in August by providing states with more cash.

    The National Economic Council (NEC) approved the release of N5 billion each to the 36 states.

    In the course of the month, the Federal Government filed a 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud, abuse of office and conferring corrupt advantage on a junior colleague against suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.

    Bitter pills were forced down the throat of  Atiku Abubarkar and Peter Obi in September  when the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

    The five-man panel of the Tribunal was led by Justice Haruna Tsammani.

    On the political scene, The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party, LP, counterpart Peter Obi, continued their quest to wrestle power from President Tinubu when they went to the Supreme Court to challenge the dismissal of their petitions by the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC.

    Barely two weeks after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 polls, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, filed 86 grounds of appeal at the Supreme Court to nullify the judgment.

    The two candidates in separate appeals asked the apex court to set aside the PEPT ruling and nullify Tinubu’s election, describing the verdict as erroneous.

    The eight-month legal battle that followed the declaration of President Tinubu was finally laid to rest in October when the Supreme Court agreed with the September 6 verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, on all counts in favour of Tinubu.

    The respite enjoyed by the citizens following the resolution of the presidential election by the Supreme Court was shattered towards the end of month as an explosion rocked the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.

    The incident came amid alleged moves by some lawmakers to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

    The festering crisis was arrested with the intervention of president Bola Tinubu who brokered peace between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor cum FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.

    In November, political battles shifted to Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states for the off-cycle governorship election.

    In Bayelsa, Governor Duoye Diri of the PDP polled a total of 175,196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Timipre Sylva of the APC to get a second term in office.

    Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State also got re-elected.

    APC’s candidate in the Kogi governorship election, Usman Ododo, also won the November 11 governorship election in the state.

    December took off on a sad note for the country with the killing of over 80 worshippers in Kaduna following an airstrike by the military.  President Tinubu called for a probe of the incident.

    The DHQ apologised for the killing, saying, “The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy.”’

    A similar tragedy was recorded towards the end of the month when gunmen attacked 15 communities in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of Plateau State on Christmas eve, killing over 150 persons and destroying 221 houses.

    Deaths of two high profile people were equally recorded as the month and the year by extension wound up. First to filter in was that of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who after a long battle with cancer bowed out amidst eulogies from across the country. Akeredolu was replaced by his deputy, Lucky Ayedatiwa.

    Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, was also reported to have died the same day that Akeredolu, popularly known as Aketi passed on. Akeredolu was 67 years old while Ghali Na’Abba was 65 years old.

  • A steady transition from petrol to compressed natural gas

    A steady transition from petrol to compressed natural gas

    The hike in the pump price of petrol occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy has made it imperative to shift to a cheaper alternative in compressed natural gas (CNG), with the Ogun State Government leading the way in converting mass transit buses to gas-powered ones. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE, who was at the conversion site in Abeokuta, reports

    When President Bola Tinubu announced in May that petrol ‘subsidy is gone,’ it suddenly birthed a sharp rise in fuel price with multiplier effects on all essential commodities and services in Nigeria. Nevertheless, it also provided ample opportunity to look inwards. One of such positive outcomes of the post fuel subsidy removal issues is the gradual switch to compressed natural gas.

    A blessing in disguise

      After the removal of fuel subsidy, domestic pump price of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) jumps up, now selling between N570 and N620 per litre. Natural gas is said to possess less carbon than other fossil fuels, which emit much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) that cause pollution. Switching to gas may be a blessing in disguise because petrol and other carbon-concentrated fossil fuels are known to cause respiratory disorder such as asthma. Besides making the environment toxic and unhealthy, petrol-powered vehicles emissions can trigger harmful respiratory and heart ailments as well as several cases of cancer. Nigeria is one of the leading consumers of road fuels in Africa, using around 1 million to 1.25 million Mt of petrol per month. It accounts for a large chunk of the country’s transportation demand.

     Checks revealed that GHG released in the atmosphere through the use of petrol causes global warming. It also causes diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer of the lungs. However, with Nigeria currently ranked as having the 9th largest global gas reserves with over 200 Tcf, compressed natural gas(CNG) is seen as the way to go. Experts reckon that CNG is a cheaper and cleaner alternative automobile fuel. Utilising CNG will ensure the environment and health of people are protected. It will also cushion the economic effects of the subsidy removal on Nigerians.

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     The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), in a report on CNG, said: “This has several potential advantages, including lower cost, reduced emissions, and improved fuel efficiency.” One of the most significant benefits of CNG is that it is considerably cheaper than petrol, which could result in substantial savings for vehicle owners. Additionally, the cost of CNG is more stable than the volatile price fluctuations experienced by petrol. Also, the use of CNG could reduce vehicle maintenance cost due to its cleaner burning properties, which produce fewer engine deposits that clog up the engine over time.”

    NIPCO pioneers CNG use in vehicles

      NIPCO Gas Limited, a subsidiary of NIPCO PLC, has pioneered a shift to natural gas as automobile fuel in the country. The firm is also into the construction of CNG stations in Benin City, Edo State. It has more than 12 CNG stations that provide gas to motorists in the country. Three of its CNG stations are located at Ibafo, Ogun State; Ajaokuta, Kogi State and Airport Road in Abuja. The Managing Director of NIPCO, Nagendra Verma, said that fuel costs N620 per litre in Abuja, while compressed natural gas for cars in Abuja costs N213 per scm (standard cubic meter).

     He spoke in an interview on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). Verma said diesel sells for N850 per litre, while CNG for vehicles that use diesel in Abuja is around N219 per scm.   “If we compare the price with diesel or PMS, the price of CNG for the different vehicles is approximately 35% of the current PMS or diesel prices.”  He said the firm’s 14-year experience of operating auto-compressed natural gas (CNG) in Nigeria, via 14 CNG stations has seen it converting around 7,000 vehicles to CNG.

     “This CNG project will be done at a very fast pace, and it will give relief to Nigerian citizens. As we all know NNPCL is the biggest oil and gas service provider in this country and NNPCL is in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. On the other hand, NNPCL has a wide pipeline gas infrastructure which becomes the backbone for the auto CNG stations. The natural gas pipelines will support the installation of CNG stations from where the gas will be taken. Also, NNPC Retail has a wide infrastructure network of retailing liquid fuels. With the support of the NNPCL, the gas pipeline infrastructure, and the downstream retail network, the autogas CNG stations will come at a much faster pace to meet the timelines and be more economical, having such infrastructure already in place,” he said.

     Verma said there is no shortage of gas in Nigeria, but there are constraints in the transportation infrastructure for gas. He noted that pipelines are available in the South-south and South-west and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline is also progressing and will become active soon.

    Inside the CNG value chain

    Verma said the CNG value chain mainly involves taking gas from pipelines and compressing it for automobile use, while the compression needed to store more gas in a specific size of a cylinder. He stressed the need to install mother stations at the pipeline locations. The NIPCO MD said there are four existing mother stations which will be connected to more ‘mother stations’ and then to ‘daughter stations.’  “Almost 20 or 21 states and Abuja will be having CNG by way of compressed natural gas, while other states will be having CNG by way of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which other companies like us are also working on and the NNPCL is on top of it.  When it comes to safety, CNG is just like other hydrocarbon products and should be handled carefully.”

     He said with any leakage, CNG escapes into the air and disperses. He allayed fears of explosion, noting that it has low flammability properties and it is safe for use.

    Last month, the Ogun State Government last month announced the commencement of the E-Mobility and Gas Mobility Programme, which involves conversion of mass transit buses from fuel to gas; and tricycles and motorcycles to electric. Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, in a statement noted that a team of technical engineers from India had arrived to kick-start the process of converting vehicles from fuel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). With this, the state is leading the way in the conversion of petrol-dependent vehicles to gas-powered ones.

     According to him, the four-man team will work on the pilot project, initiate first phase of the gas mobility programme and prepare a ‘process map to scale up’ and ensure implementation in phases on all commercial buses in the state. In March, the state government, in partnership with Nigerian Transport Solutions Limited (NGTSL), got CNG conversion kits for the pilot phase. With the fuel subsidy removal, the project is aimed at showing the commitment of the state to ensure a cheaper mode of transportation and cleaner environment.

     “The CNG team is on the ground. I was part of the team that received the CNG kits on behalf of the government early in the year and I visited the project site. The aim is to improve and modernise bus operations in Ogun State through conversion of buses to CNG by equipping them with latest technology to improve environmental and operational performance,” Talabi said.

     Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has said that fuelling stations for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) would be sited along bus routes across the state. Abiodun, who made this known after inspecting the first successfully converted diesel/petrol buses to CNG, said the positioning of the CNG fuel stations along bus routes would aid sustainability and smooth running of the project. The governor noted that the abundance of gas in the state would aid the project. He said plans were underway to convert close to 2000 buses at the expense of the state government.

     “Obviously, as we proceed, we will be positioning our fuelling centres on the bus routes, conveniently located so that the buses can refill from time to time. Luckily for us in Ogun State, we have an abundance of gas. Ogun State has a crisscross of pipelines, be it Epe, be it the West Africa gas pipeline that explains why we have a proliferation of industries in Ogun State. The conversion of buses is in progress. The plan is to first convert the state-owned buses and then begin the conversation of all mass transit buses that are even owned by the private sector.

     “We will be converting the buses at our expense. If we don’t do that, the owners of the buses will not be able to afford the cost of the conversion. So, the state has decided to take on that cost and find a way to amortise the expense over so many years. We are already thinking of how many gangs we need to have and how quickly we can complete the conversion of close to maybe 2000 buses in the state,” he said.

    Abiodun also said his administration would launch its E-Mobility programme. “Alongside with that, within the next two to three weeks, we will be launching our E-mobility programme, which is a programme that aims to swap all our petrol-dependent motorcycles and tricycles with electricity-powered ones that would be powered by rechargeable batteries. In another month, you will begin to see more electricity-powered motorcycles and tricycles in our state. This way, gradually, over the next three to four months, our people can begin to enjoy being moved from one point to another at fares that were obtained before deregulation,” he added.

     He said old buses operating in the state would gradually be phased out as they get older. “This is a journey; the ultimate aim is to have buses that will be powered by electricity. However, we appreciate the fact that we have relatively new buses. We have commercial buses out there that may not be so new, but are still road worthy. We cannot just wake up one day and scrap all those buses. We must transit from those buses that are currently burning diesel and petrol to those that would be powered by electricity.

     “The plan is we convert the current ones to use gas and we now begin to gradually phase them out. As they age, we phase them out and replace them with electric powered buses, while we roll out the infrastructure that they would require, charging stations and uninterrupted power supply,” he said.

    A visit to the conversion site in Asero, Abeokuta, Ogun State

    Following the announcement of the state government that it started the Gas Mobility project, this reporter embarked on a journey to the Asero in Abeokuta, the state capital, where the conversion is taking place. For a first timer, the conversion site inside the Ministry of Agriculture premises doesn’t bear an air of activity. Vehicles were seen parked and many caterpillars already gathering rust. The Ministry of Agriculture also houses the Department of Agricultural Services and the Agricultural Services Office Complex.

     The conversion point overlooks the Okun Rice Mill, formerly the Mitros Rice Processing Factory established by the previous administration of Ibikunle Amosun. Indians and other Nigerians were seen working on mass transit buses. A total of six mass transit buses were sighted. One was being worked upon, two had been converted already. CNG kits, gas cylinders were seen covered on the conversion point. A source at the site noted that the conversion has been successful, adding that the Indians and other workers on site have been working effectively.

     Speaking with The Nation, Information Officer of the State Ministry of Transportation, Jide Jokotagba, said the conversion process was an ongoing thing which may take weeks and months. He said local mechanics are also being trained. He didn’t disclose the number of buses converted so far, adding that in the ‘next few days, the testimonials will be out there in the public space.’ “It may take weeks, month as long as we continue to hand over our vehicles for conversion because it is simply the best and the cheapest as it provides a greener environment.  Our local mechanics here in Ogun State are also being trained concurrently as the conversion is ongoing. There may be variations in the number of buses converted so far because as I speak now, auto- mechanics are working assiduously to make sure that the Ministry delivers on time. We will not say this is the numbers that have been converted so far, but in the next few days, the testimonials will be out there in the public space. The ones converted so far have been duly tested and certified okay and are in  good working conditions.

     “What brought about the project is the resolve to make life and living conducive, affordable and convenient for the people. It is also to create a greener environment. CNG is cheaper than petrol and at the same time covers more mileage. It is sustainable as our local auto engineers too are being trained as the expatriates working on them engaged the services of our engineers in the process,” he said.

    Presidential backing for CNGs

    A statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that the CNG initiative would target over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing petrol-powered vehicles. It is aimed at mitigating the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on citizens. The statement said the initial focus would be on mass transit systems and students’ hubs, while adoption strategy will include establishment of workshops nationwide, local assembly and job creation. The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) would focus on achieving strategic objectives, which will include “the development of new stakeholder-operated Intrastate Mass Transit systems built on CNG.”

     “In furtherance of his commitment to easing the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians by reducing energy costs, President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI). This transformative initiative is poised to revolutionise the transportation landscape in the country, targeting over 11,500 new CNG-enabled vehicles and 55,000 CNG conversion kits for existing PMS-dependent vehicles, while simultaneously bolstering in-country manufacturing, local assembly and expansive job creation in line with the presidential directive.

     “The landmark initiative, which comprises of a Comprehensive Adoption Strategy, will include the following: Empowering Workshops Programme w/ Nationwide Network of Workshops, Local Assembly and Job Creation as key points of emphasis with an initial focus on mass transit systems and student hubs in order to significantly reduce transit costs for the general populace in the immediate term. Furthermore, in line with the PCNGI’s determination to ensure a seamless integration of CNG utility within the current midstream and downstream energy value chain to support its sustainability, the PCNGI will facilitate the provision of workshops across all geopolitical zones and states with essential kits and comprehensive training for newly employed staff, thus creating new opportunities for technical skill development and employment for Nigerians.

     “The new nationwide network of workshops, to be established through the initiative, would ensure widespread access and demand side utilization of CNG technology and CNG-related expertise, thereby facilitating smoother transitions for vehicle owners at the wider benefit of the Nigerian economy. Support for states to on-board new CNG buses as part of their Intrastate Mass Transit network (wholesale conversion, retro-fitting and new purchase). The deployment of CNG buses through existing Private Mass Transit operators, including new financing programmes for operators through an innovative asset finance programme.

     “Incentivise investors to invest in CNG processing, distribution and utilisation by providing incentives for enhanced investment and partnership. Deliver training and technology transfer to support the After-Sales Services and maintenance sub-industry to create sustainable jobs,” the statement said.

     It also stated that the President’s aim of assembling CNG-enabled vehicles in the country will stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and strengthen the nation’s automotive manufacturing capabilities. “The launch of this initiative also underscores this administration’s commitment to fostering a cleaner environment by reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy security through the utilisation of domestic natural gas resources,” it added.

  • A milestone, and a transition

    Long before I met Chief Ayo Adebanjo whose 90th birthday celebration was a major event on the nation’s political and social calendar several weeks ago, I felt as if I had always known him.  Wherever you turned on the political landscape, wherever you found Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he was there, and not just as a fringe actor.

    He was there in the politics of the old Western Nigeria, in the region’s ruling party, the Action Group, at the Treason Trials, and in the Unity Party of Nigeria.

    He has been a constant presence in Afenifere, and he was there in NADECO, the coalition of opposition forces that fought military rule and Abacha’s terror machine to a standstill. He belongs in the leadership of politically engaged Nigerians demanding a comprehensive re-design of the national architecture.

    Built like a battle tank, Adebanjo is a formidable presence.  He never pulls his punches.  If he were a professional boxer, he would ever press forward, like Joe Frazier.  No shaking, no retreat, no surrender.

    My first direct encounter with him took place sometime in 1990, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, on Victoria Island, Lagos.  The occasion was the launch of Ebenezer Babatope’s   book, Not His Will: The Awolowo Obasanjo Wager, before an array of Awo’s disciples.  The book was Babatope’s answer to Obasanjo’s Not My Will, in which Obasanjo declared, with not a little triumphalism, that the national leadership Awo sought in vain had come to him almost without a conscious struggle.

    Babatope charged in his book that as the military head of state who supervised the 1979 general election from which Shehu Shagari emerged president, Obasanjo had by acts and omissions stymied the quest of the UPN’s presidential candidate.

    Not proven, I said in the review I was invited to present.  Obasanjo was certainly not enamoured of Awo’s candidature, and had said that much in Not My Will. He had voted for Shagari, believing, that Shagari would make a better president than Awo.  But the evidence that Obasanjo had blocked Awo’s path to the presidency was inconclusive, I said.

    I had hardly come down from the platform when Adebanjo walked up to me.

    “Dare, you are wrong,” he said severely.  “You are very wrong. Obasanjo plotted against Awo’s election.  We know he did.”

    He must have come to the venue from the court, or from his law office at Western House, or was heading to some engagement, for he was wearing a suit. In subsequent encounters, I have never seen him thus attired, only traditional clothing, formal or casual, always matched by his emblematic AWO cap.

    Adebanjo never held it against me, and neither did Babatope, I must say to their credit, that I had not performed to the expectation of the assembled Awoists.

    Throughout the “June 12” struggle, he never fell for Babangida’s subversive generosity and was wholly undaunted by Sani Abacha’s terror machine.  Within hours of the state-sponsored murder of fellow NADECO chieftain and financier, Chief Alfred Rewane, in his Ikeja home, Adebanjo was on the scene, defiant as ever, calling things as he saw them, totally unmindful of consequences.

    If he should fall that very day, he said, it would not be said of him that he died prematurely.  But as               long as he lived, he would never flinch from championing justice, democracy, the rule of law, and a  more equitable federation, he declared.  As his life shows so eloquently, he was not grandstanding.

    Those who thronged the ceremonies marking his birthday anniversary were in a way affirming that he has stayed true to his vow, a profile in dedication and commitment.

     

    Adebayo Adedeji, scholar, author, administrator, diplomat, distinguished public and international civil servant, died last week, aged 87. He had been out of circulation on account of illness.

    The media took judicious notice of his accomplishments — professor of public administration, at the University of Ife; Federal Minister of Economic Development and Reconstruction in the aftermath of             the civil war; a major architect of the National Youth Service Corps; key negotiator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Treaty, and executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), among other distinctions.

    At these and many other fora, Adedeji performed with his quiet distinction.  He was soft-spoken and would have been unobtrusive as well, but for the tobacco pipe that accompanied him everywhere he went.  It may well have been a prop as was rumoured, for few recall seeing him taking a puff.  It nevertheless accentuated his dignified, donnish look.

    Adedeji, it should be stated for the record, was the second African to serve as the ECA’s executive secretary, not the first, as some media outlets have reported.  The first was Robert K. Gardiner, the distinguished Ghanaian socio-economist, previously director of Extramural Studies at the University College, Ibadan, as it then was.  I should also add that Dr Gardiner was also the first African to present the BBC’s Reith Lecture.

    Though Adedeji operated for several decades at the highest level of policy-making and execution in Nigeria and on the international stage, with abundant opportunities for self-aggrandizement, he was untainted by the merest whiff of scandal.

    He insisted that policy should be informed by rigorous scholarship and the force of data.  This stance brought him into conflict with the administration of military president Ibrahim Babangida, which expected him to parrot, as if they were Holy Writ, the structural adjustment policies the IMF/World Bank had clamped on Nigeria.

    The scholar in Adedeji would not oblige.

    They said in Nigeria that there was no alternative to SAP, variations of which The South Commission, chaired by former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere said in retrospect were often founded on “unduly optimistic assumptions . . . a doctrinaire belief in the efficacy of market forces. . . excessive dogmatism and lack of commonsense. . .”

    Adedeji took a leading part in formulating and articulating a muscular and well-received African Alternative Framework to SAP.  In that task, he could not have settled on a more formidable collaborator and proselytizer than the brilliant Marxist economist, Professor Bade Onimode, of radiant memory.

    If Adedeji had been home-based and his office did not confer immunity on him, he would most certainly have been detained or jailed along with dozens of prominent Nigerians who wanted to organise debates on alternatives to SAP.

    Even so, he had a taste of their wrath.  They launched a media campaign to discredit him.  His term was up at ECA, and renewal should have been routine, more so since his performance had been outstanding, and he needed just one more year to qualify for a pension.  As punishment for his anti-SAP stance, the Babangida Administration refused to recommend renewal.  It took all the influence General Olusegun Obasanjo could muster as statesman-at-large to ensure that Adedeji stayed on to qualify for a pension.

    At the urging of some influential persons, who still believed against all the evidence that Babangida meant to hand over to an elected president he entered the presidential race. The foray never really            got off the ground.  He had no regrets that it was short-lived.   But he must have been grieved that the ambitious Africa Centre for Development and Strategic Studies into which he ploughed his resources  did not flourish.  The funding he was expecting did not materialise.

    Adedeji played his part and played it to high national and international acclaim.

     

  • Welcome transition

    Welcome transition

    THE news that filing of documents and communications within the Supreme Court will henceforth be done electronically is a welcome development. According to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, at the launch of the project  recently:”A major component of the policy being implemented is the unique legal e-mail system, which will serve as a means of communication between judges, court staff and lawyers, as well as between lawyers.”

    The transition of judiciary from manual to electronic filing is long overdue and should be pursued with utmost vigour, across jurisdictions. Apart from being fast and quick, a robust and rigorous electronic platform will ensure tracing of communications. We believe that if practitioners know that they can only communicate on the platform and that what they write can be traced to them; they will be more transparent in their work.

    We therefore agree with the observation of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, through his representative at the event, Mr Abiodun Aikomo, that “the problems associated with the manual management of documents within our court system certainly contribute to the less-than-ideal speed and efficiency of litigation processes in Nigeria.” In this country, records of courts proceedings have been reported missing, to the embarrassment of the judiciary.

    We also urge the executive and the legislature at the federal and state levels to provide the required funding to ensure an efficient transition to the new platform, and for the judiciary to make the entire process seamless. Since by our constitution, matters could move from the federal and state high courts to the Court of Appeal and then to the Supreme Court, it is important that all levels of courts get adequate funding for this laudable project.

    Nigerians look forward to the CJN fulfilling the promise “to replicate this success in all other courts in the near future as the Nigerian judiciary is committed to employing cutting-edge technology to enhance justice administration and providing citizens with the justice system they deserve; one that is transparent, fast and accessible.” This can only happen if the other two arms of the tripod agree to cooperate by funding the project.

    Part of the challenge electronic means of communication will resolve is the issue of transparency in courts. While generally enhancing transparency of judicial officers, the statutory and other committees set up by the judiciary to monitor the judicial process will have a better handle on investigating any alleged infraction. Even when a judge is accused of untoward conduct, with respect to how a matter is handled, the investigating agencies of government can access the trajectory of the case to help determine the veracity of such accusation.

    The new system will also ensure that where a decision or judgment is reached the process of filing an appeal, if undertaken, is seamless, as the records of appeal can easily be compiled and sent to the appellate court electronically. The present system requires manual compilation of the records of proceedings at the lower court, and there are instances where some of the records are alleged to have been compromised or lost. When the electronic system is fully functional across the courts, parties will be confident that it is what they filed that will be sent as record of appeal.

    Of note, the legal e-mail will strictly be for members of the bar and bench, and such practitioners must subscribe to it, in other to have access.

    We commend the Chairman of the Judicial Information Technology Committee, Justice Kashim Zannah, who is also the Chief Judge of Borno State, and urge all stakeholders to quickly key into the project for the overall benefit of our country.

  • Restructuring: Bakare advocates 10 years transition programme

    Restructuring: Bakare advocates 10 years transition programme

    • Buhari not against devolution of power, says cleric

    Serving Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly Pastor Tunde Bakare has advocated the setting up of a Presidential Commission with a 10-year mandate towards actualising Nigeria’s restructuring.

    The cleric said the commission should be allowed to begin by 2018 and end by 2028.

    Bakare said his suggestion followed the manner in which the Nigeria’s seat of power, Abuja, was finally put in place over a period of 15 years, saying the idea called for sustainability.

    “We expect that the project will be flagged off under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in the period leading to the next governmental fiscal year,” he said.

    The cleric spoke in his State of the Nation address in the church in reaction to various agitations by various groups for restructuring.

    Speaking on the theme: “Pragmatic Steps towards Restructuring Nigeria,” he declared that the buck stops on the desk of President Muhammadu Buhari whose legacy was at stake.

    He prayed that the President would find the courage and political will to do what was right at this momentous period in Nigeria’s history.

    According to Bakare, who is also the convener of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), the body to be named “Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring” should be established by the President through an Executive Order, in full consultation with the Council of State and the National Assembly.

    The cleric, who noted that many proponents of restructuring were of the belief that Buhari was against restructuring going by his recent utterances, said his interaction with him in the last seven years did not suggest such line of thought.

    He hoped the National Assembly would do Nigerians proud on the onerous task of properly restructuring the country based on their antecedents particularly in frustrating the 3rd Third Agenda saga of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and in instituting “Doctrine of Necessity,” that brought in former President Goodluck jonathan – developments, he said, later stablished the polity.

    “Not only does the president want agitations managed through appropriate constitutional channels, he also wants a clarification of demands in concise terms, as well as propositions on practical pathways towards achieving those demands,” he said.

    On the job to be undertaken by the commission, Bakare suggested that the panel should be given the mandate and the powers to facilitate, within 10 years, the evolution of a functional and acceptable geopolitical structure subject to constitutional provisions while the 1999 Constitution was progressively amended.

    The commission, he said, “shall undertake a geo-economic and geosocial path to geopolitical restructuring by creating geo-economic frameworks, mending geosocial fault lines and attaining a geopolitical climax”.

    He said by this, the Federal Government would progressively devolve powers to the existing 36 states, which would themselves progressively evolve into a zonal arrangement.

  • Babangida implemented uncertain transition programme, says Bamaiyi

    Babangida implemented uncertain transition programme, says Bamaiyi

    Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, has described ex-Military President Ibrahim Babangida’s transition programme as “ the longest and uncertain”.

    He said there was no doubt that the late Chief M.K.O Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential poll which was annulled by the Babangida regime.

    To him the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel, which was set up by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was a waste of time because in his view, it was not designed to bring peace to Nigeria but to ridicule some former Heads of State of northern origin.

    Gen. Bamayi said he suspected an unwritten agreement  between Gen. Babangida and the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, which made the former to step aside from power in  August 1993 for an Interim National Government (ING).

    The ex-Army chief made these submissions in his book, “Vindication of a General,” which was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday.

    Gen. Bamaiyi said:  “Nigerians are not likely to forget that Gen. Ibrahim Babangida implemented one of the longest and uncertain transition programmes in Nigeria’s history. After several false declarations, President Babangida’s military administration found itself under much pressure from within and outside the country to return power to the democratic government.

    “The government took measures to return the country to civil rule. These include setting up the National Electoral Commission( NEC) and two political parties- the Social Democratic Party( SDP) and the National Republican Convention( NRC).

    “In the presidential election conducted on June 12, 1993, Chief MKO Abiola was the candidate of SDP while Alh. Bashir Tofa was the candidate of the NRC. These are two eminent Nigerians who are qualified to take over the mantle of leadership but the election was eventually annulled.

    “The Chairman of NEC, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu and other officials of the electoral commission set June 12,1993 as the date for the presidential election which was to bring an end to the military regime of Babangida .

    “Even then, this was in spite of efforts by individuals who benefited from the Babangida regime to frustrate the presidential election. One of such was Chief Arthur Nzeribe whose Association for Better Nigeria( ABN) got a High Court to stop the election on the eve of the election.

    “For the first time in the history of Nigeria, almost all eligible Nigerians trooped out to cast their votes. More than half of the votes went to MKO Abiola which thus gave him a clean, victory over his opponent, Bashiru Tofa.

    “In fact, Bashiru Tofa lost in his Ward which showed how acceptable MKO Abiola was throughout the country.

    “No sooner had NEC began to announce the results of the election than President Ibrahim Babangida declared it annulled.”

    Gen. Bamaiyi said he suspected that there was an unwritten agreement between Gen. Babangida and the late Gen. Abacha, which led to the former stepping aside from power in August 1993.

  • Mimiko’s, Akeredolu’s transition committees meet

    Mimiko’s, Akeredolu’s transition committees meet

    The transition committees of Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Governor-elect Rotimi Akeredolu, at the weekend, met to ensure a seamless transition.

    This is the first time in the state’s history that outgoing and incoming governments have set up transition committees.

    The Chairman of Mimiko’s committee, Jide Adejuyigbe, who is the Commissioner for Education, said: “The Mimiko administration  set up a transition committee headed by me and the other side is headed by Jamiu Ekungba.

    “What we have done today is to meet and start the process towards a successful, seamless, unique and great inauguration.

    “We are making history because this is the first civilian-to-civilian transition that will be seamless and we are proud to be part of this history making event.

    “We are breaking the jinx of hostile transitions and we need to do this for history and to demonstrate to the world that in Ondo State we are mature politically and we are ready to sustain democracy.

    “Our goal is to make sure we have a good and great event on that day.

    “This committee is to essentially provide the venue, comfort for the guests.”

    He explained that the committee will be working with other committees to ensure the success of the smooth transition.

    Ekungba said the two committees met for the same objective.

  • A milestone, and a transition

    A milestone, and a transition

    One of the blessings of my Rutam House years is that it brought me into close contact, on and off the editorial chair, with many exceptional men and women.

    I have written about Stanley Macebuh, the founding executive editor and later managing director, whose vision and leadership shaped what would be widely acclaimed as the best newspaper in Nigeria, and one of the best in Africa.  His dream was to make it one of the top 10 newspapers in the English-speaking world.

    I have also written about the late Alex Ibru, The Guardian publisher, who invested a fortune in the project but took a back seat for the most part and deferred to the expertise and judgment of seasoned professionals and academics from the universities, who ran the paper.

    Today,I write of two others, Sunmi(sola) Smart-Cole, who was my colleague, and Olorogun Michael Ibru, patriarch of the Ibru family and older brother of Alex, the Guardian publisher.

    Sunmi Smart-Cole, who turned 75 last week, comes closest in my book to the definition of a self-made man.  In an exact sense, there is no such person. He or she must have entered the world imprinted with genes from relations near and distant; along the way, the person must have been helped by other persons, or propelled by good fortune.

    Sunmi first came into my consciousness as a drummer for the Soul Assembly, one of the pop bands that rocked swinging Lagos of the 60s.  What I didn’t know then was that he had taught himself how to drum.

    Then he morphed into a barber, with a studio at McEwen Street, in what was then a tony part of Yaba, where Ogundero the Tailor, a wizard at his craft, had his well-patronised shop.  You can still see sunmi’s placebeneath the black paint over the façade of One McEwen.

    The going rate was a princely 10 shillings for a haircut, which I could not afford.  But there was no lack of well-heeled patrons, many of whom became Sunmi’s friends.  None of them, I suspect, know that Sunmi had taught himself the art of barbing.  He did it with such dexterity and precision, and with eye for visual effect. To him, barbing was an art form.

    Along the way Sunmi apprenticed as an architectural draughtsman, and has to his credit some remarkable buildings and structures in Sierra Leone and Lagos.

    But it was in the United States that he found his métier in photography, the art form for which he is justly celebrated.  On his return to Nigeria, he took up an appointment as the first photo editor of the newly established Guardian, turning what had been a ho-hum staple in newspapering into a creative and integral element of news and features.

    Given Sunmi’s unrivalled knowledge of the Lagos social scene and the close personal relationships he had cultivated with many of the influential persons in the city, he was a natural for the editorship of Lagos Life, a weekly journal of soft news and gossip that was the perfect complement to the sedate Guardian.  The centre-spread, featuring his photography, was one of the paper’s strongest selling points and a visual delight to boot.

    Even with this elevated status, Sunmi could not give up barbing.  He did it not for money, but for sheer love of craft, and as a way of signalling that he judged you worthy of his attention and friendship.  He carried his tool kit wherever he went, and could give you a fine haircut at short notice and just about anywhere, as long as there was electricity to power his tools.

    One day, as he gave me the first of many haircuts, we got talking.  My hairline was already in furious retreat, but I still had some hair worth grooming.  As his clippers slithered through my hair I asked whether he had considered parlaying his vast and distinctive output –black-and white only, like the Old Masters; no coloured prints, please —into academic credit that could lead without much fuss to a Master of Fine Arts degree of a university in the United States.

    The clippers went dead.  Sunmi stood still, motionless, wordless. Moments passed, and when I looked up, there he was, tears streaking down his face.  Composing himself several minutes later, Sunmi told me the story of his life, the story that has been captured faithfully in all major papers this past week to mark his 75th birthday.

    His formal education had ended at elementary school.  And so on and so forth.  Today, he stands as a peerless exemplar among photojournalists in Nigeria, and one of the best anywhere, emblematic of historian Edward Gibbon’s apothegm that the best and most important part of a person’s education is the part the person gives himself or herself.

    My interaction with Olorogun Michael Ibru, who died several weeks ago, aged 85, was limited.  I had admired him from the distance, having heard so much about his academic distinction at Igbobi College, where he was Head Boy, his sprawling business empire, his philanthropy and, above all, his humility, his capacity for relating to total strangers as though they were his buddies.

    That was until sometime in the late 80s, when the University of Lagos Alumni Association deputed me —as their “Rutam House man” — to ask if he would kindly chair their fund-raising dinner. When I called at his office to request an appointment, he checked his diary, and without asking what I wanted to see him about, granted my request.

    I met Chief Ibru several days later, in his well-appointed suite in an office block – which probably also doubled as some kind of residence or pad –overlooking Apapa Wharf, with a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean. He asked solicitously about my work at The Guardian and said he hoped my experience there would be so pleasurable that I would want to stay back.

    He had returned from Europe just the previous week.

    There, he had watched a movie about World War II that centred on the nine-month siege to Stalingrad (now Volgograd) by the armies of Germany and its Axis Allies, and the grim Soviet counter offensive that destroyed Germany’s  6th Army, in what has gone down as the bloodiest battle in history.

    The Soviet Army had a grander design:  to pursue the stragglers of the invading army all the way to Germany and capture Berlin.  The trouble was that they had only eight landing craft. How they overcame this logistic nightmare and pressed on all the way to Berlin was what fascinated Ibru most.

    If only Nigeria could learn from that titanic feat, he said, with a sigh more than once.

    It remains to add that he accepted the invitation without hesitation. He was represented at the event by Sam Okudu, a senior executive at the Ibru Organisation, and a former registrar of the University of Ibadan, who gave a spirited speech and presented a handsome donation on the chief’s behalf.

    Although he had no formal links with The Guardian, he was a lightning rod for the newspaper.  Whenever the military authorities were angry about something the paper published and could not reach Alex Ibru or feared that they might not be able to bend him to their will, they took their case to the chief, persuaded that he would be more amenable.

    He was nothing of the sort.  He would listen patiently as always, and then fob them off with a promise to look into the matter.  Then he would call to tell you about the encounter, assure you he had taken care of the matter, and that you (my colleagues and I) had nothing to worry about so long as our motives were “as clean as a whistle”.

    This was priceless admonition, a distillation of his experience as business mogul, humanist, conciliator and statesman. At his death, the great business empire built by this foremost indigenous entrepreneur, spanning agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, banking, car dealership and aero services, to name just a few, had become a shadow of itself.

    But his personal life and public life were untainted by scandal.  In this clime, there is no greater tribute and no greater legacy.

  • Transition and trauma

    Transition and trauma

    May you live in interesting times, the wise and inscrutable Chinese often say. But there are interesting times and there are interesting times. Some interesting times are so enervating of the spirit,so denuding of the will and so degrading of the human personality that you secretly wish that you were born in less “interesting” times. In a fit and feat of amnesia, one privately longs for the old status quo and its degenerate stability.

    Change is too simple and innocent a word to describe what has beenhappening in Nigeria in the last few weeks and particularly in the past few days. The change mantra, with its naïve automatic alacrity, cannot envisage such a complex phenomenon as regression in progression and stirring in stagnancy. The old order expires, but the new is yet to come fully alive. Monstrosities crawl into the vacuum. This is the lot of all societies in a state of traumatic transition.

    Change, with its rosy optimism and belief in a better and more humane society, is too sweet and compromised a word for such circumstances. For it is not a done deal yet and victory is not assured. It is a close run thing and it could go either way.  Everywhere you turn, forces of the ancient status quo are up in arms, fighting a desperate rearguard battle in what can be described the last sigh of dinosaurs. One thing is certain, if the enemies of change prevail, the unborn and even the dead are not safe.

    The Nigerian condition reminds one of what Jean-Paul Sartre, the great Frenchphilosopher, once memorably described as “the binary praxis of antagonistic reciprocity”. Your opponent lands a heavy blow and you respond in kind. Sartre could be describing the human condition, particularly in post-colonial Nigeria. You can never be sure of these things, but it was Sartre who once famously described Negritude as “anti-racist racism”.

    A cynic has actually gone as far as insinuating that with the above quote, Sartre was actually describing all marriages in general and his own in particular. It will be recalled that Sartre’s marriage to the great Simone de Beauvoir who was his equal if not superior in intellect and acuity of perception was based on what we propose as contractual infidelity.  You cheat on me and I cheat on you, no wahala. The only time Sartre ever took jealous umbrage was when he discovered that Simone had done it with Albert Camus, the matinee idol writer and playboy-philosopher ,hours or days after they met.  Some blows hurt more than others, and Sartre was actually describing boxing.

    But to return to Nigeria and concrete reality, how can you convince a man who had endured being without electricity for over a week and who had spent the preceding twenty four hours hunting for fuel like a foraging municipal rodent to accept that change is finally with us? What kind of change is this when the absolute misery index of Nigerians has shot up like hypertensive blood pressure? With no food, no fuel and no light anybody preaching the change mantra will be lucky to escape without substantial physical damage.

    On Thursday, having been dislodged from the house by the stench of collapsed refrigeration, snooper attempted to reach Ketu to get some fresh fruits at least. The market remained shut. The carnage was a scene out of the apocalypse. The stench of rotten tomato and putrefying onions assaulted the lungs. Yet it had suddenly become impossible to go back as a nasty and monstrous traffic gridlock had suddenly materialized. You begin to wonder how much more a nation can endure before something snaps.

    It never rains but pours. As it happens in all societies in the final phase of traumatic transition, all the contradictions we have ignored or that have been bottled up startbobbing and weaving at us in repressed aggression. As soon as we thought we have escaped a major political crisis, an even more aggravating crisis of virtual economic and infrastructural collapse hits the nation.

    Meanwhile while we are tending to this, a crisis of cultural andreligious values steals the limelight. But before we can say Jack Robinson, architectural impunity stares us in the face. Add to this the painful loss of a valued member of the cabinet and his family in a show of impunity and crass negligence on the road which sits oddly with the change mantra.

    And this is not talk of the clear and present danger IPOB constitutes or the implications of resurgent terrorism in the Niger Delta. At the international level, the swift countermand of General Buhari’s overly optimistic assessment that the Boko Haramgroup is no longer operating on Nigerian soil by the American commander on ground is a painful reminder thatour little local difficulty subsists.

    In philosophical parlance, this is known as overdetermination, a situation in which things no longer obey a simple cause and effect logic but in which diverse contradictions jostled for ascendancy in a condition of multiple causes and consequences. Take the following but in no particular sequence or order:  the naira tailspin which has virtually grounded economic activities, the strike by oil workers, the industrial lock-out by some power discos, the Yunusa versus Ese Oruro imbroglio, the ethnic flare up at Ketu market, the collapse of the Lekki skyscraper and the loss of the much admired James Ocholi.

    You get a sense of a government besieged and embattled on all fronts by conflicts many of which are not of its own making. We cannot because of this urge a reversal of the irreversible momentum of history. To do that is to play into the hands of the forces of religious, regional and cultural reaction and regnant retrogression and the enemies of progress. Changing a multi-ethnic nation riven by polarities is never going to be a tea party. We can only hope that the retired general is fully conscious of the overdetermined contradictions he is tinkering with.

    The obverse of the coin is equally interesting and intriguing. For the first time in the history of the country, you have a civilian government militantly committed to ridding the nation of the scourge of corruption and embezzlement going about the business with chilling almost cold-blooded resolve. A pan-Nigerian gaggle of top officials have been docked for various criminal infractions. A serving senate president is desperately battling for his political life. The sight of a former Chief of Defence Staff and a three-star Air Marshal being remanded in Guje prison is not a normal spectacle in these climes.

    The opacity and lack of transparency in some of these arraignments may not warm the heart of those who expect a more evenhanded and just approach. It may also mean that matters are still very much atthe level of symbolic import rather than a deep psychical cleansing of the society. But by that very token, matters might have slipped out of General Buhari’s hands. The revolutionary concussions unleashed on the Nigerian society by these unusual developments and the counter-revolutionary reprisals they seem to be provoking mean that some time to come, Nigeria will be in a state of turmoil and radical unease.

    The government needs a crash course in the history of societies in a state of traumatic transition. A nation like Nigeria steeped in systemic corruption and decadence requires a thoroughly systemic and conceptual approach which attacks the root and branches of corruption at the same time.  Nobility of purpose and the integrity of the arrowhead may not be enough. The situation calls for a pan-Nigerian mobilization rather than messianic one upmanship. God forbids if the Nigerian helmsman were to fall dead at this minute, that may very well be the end of the change project.

    The greatness of a leader is measured not just by personal sterling qualities but by the quality of apostolic followership he has nurtured. There are times when a just and noble cause can be lost due to ineptness and sheer inertia. The Spanish civil war was a classic example of how superior strategy and superior artillery can overwhelm a noble and progressive cause with a little help from international conspiracy. General Frank Franco was so sure of his fifth column already embedded that he took his time entering Madrid.

    General Buhari needs to be reminded that this is not an ordinary crisis of the state but an organic crisis of nationhood. An organic crisis occurs when there is complete institutional collapse or when the ruling class has failed in a major venture for which it has enlisted the populace. The Nigerian ruling class has failed in the project of democratic and economic development of the nation and the harmonization of its ethnic, religious and cultural disharmonies. This is why the various manifestations of the multi-dimensional crisis are mounting on a daily basis. The president needs all the help he can and must summon.

    The resolution of an organic crisis is not and cannot be foreordained. If progressive forces in ascendancy falter, other forces in operation and contention may impose a nastier and even more deadly solution. A stalemate cannot be contemplated even where it assumes the garb of a modification of vision and ambition. In this duel unto death, the post-colonial political theatre and its endemic skirmishes is akin to a coliseum of Roman gladiators in which a clear winner must emerge for the society to move forward.  The binary praxis of antagonistic reciprocity is in operation.

    This is why the death of a priceless and invaluable asset like the late James Ocholi must be regretted. It was a needless waste of outstanding human capital which exposes some of the internal contradictions of the change project.  How a federal minister came to be driven by an unlicensed rogue and in an official vehicle without correct tyre pressures is a security nightmare which sits oddly with the driven determination of the government to end the culture of impunity and lawlessness that permeates every sector of the society.  One will not be surprised to discover physically challenged drivers in the employment of the federal government.

    Ocholi was a star revelation during the ministerial hearing. This society would have benefitted greatly from his forensic brilliance and intellectual forthrightness. His loss attime when his country needs him most is a painful reminder of unfinished business. May his soul rest in peace.

  • Midlife crisis or midlife transition

    Continued from last week

     

    There are underlying mechanisms of the midlife crisis: physical, mental, spiritual, environmental, and social mechanisms.  To know them helps the mid-lifer to undergo mid-life transition rather than midlife-crisis.

    Spiritual:   Spiritual matters contributing to midlife crises are typically individualistic and may be above intellectual scrutiny therefore we will not attempt to analyze them too much here. It is important to know that having a good soul mate in marriage and/or suitable life companions, living according to one’s predestination which is often inscribed in our genetic makeup and talents, and having a proper relationship to one’s origin and end (widely understood as God) are important contributors to life fulfilment and satisfaction which are partially attained by midlife. Uneven yokes are risky and may become counterproductive. At midlife one may become aware of what has become one’s predominant contribution (good or evil) to one’s family, society, or the world: progress or backwardness, love or hate, mediocrity or greatness, order or chaos, justice or strife -temporary or permanent.  Positive outcomes of awareness of one’s contributions may be satisfaction, contentment, joy, peace, freedom, optimism, drive, momentum, etc.  Negative outcomes may be dissatisfaction, rebellion, unhappiness, viciousness, paralysis, pessimism, discouragement, despondency, etc. Crises are playgrounds of evil.  Transition is to gain spiritual power to overcome various evils.

    Environmental: A midlife entrepreneur in Nigeria at this point in early 2016 that has no personal solutions to problems of electricity, petroleum, and forex shortages experienced in the country may be bound for crisis.  Many parts of the world are hit by overpowering wars, floods, catastrophes, accidents, epidemics, etc. that devastate people’s lives instantly. No matter how matured and successful the mid-lifer was before such happenings, crisis is generally inevitable.  To see the gains of ones efforts in life destroyed suddenly and possibly irrecoverably is bad for one’s ego and emotions.  There can be lasting wounds: physical, mental, spiritual. People of power, influence, and affluence should be quick is assisting victims who suffer such disasters.  The quicker and the better the aid, the better the transition the victims can make.

    Societal: Some people at midlife find themselves with the double responsibilities of taking care of their children, especially costs of education, and taking care of their parents, especially cost of health care. Both can be financially draining, time consuming, and can limit one’s other interests or capabilities.  This can become a source of crisis.  On the other hand, the Empty Nest may be a source of midlife crises. The children have gone to live their own lives and single parents or couples are left alone in their homes. The initial adjustments may be difficult.  Mid-lifers may also grow tired of or sever longtime associates possibly through such factors as: change of occupation, review of religious beliefs, change of political affiliations, awareness of cultural identities, emergence of differential social statuses between oneself and one’s associates, limitation by illnesses, and relocation.   Loss of friendships, acquaintances, and relationshipsare telling in lack of social support when needed.  The wisdom of Ecclesiastes 4: 10 (NAB) puts it: “Woe to the solitary man!  For if he should fall, he has no one to lift him up.” Transition is to reposition oneself correctly in society and this may be in different aspects for different persons.

    Factors That Can Lead To Male Midlife Crisis

    Popular gossip says “men have huge egos”.  Has anyone been able to disprove it?  A man needs to feel that he is a man and if he does not feel so, there may be crisis. A crisis is expressed in active or passive behavior.   Actively, a man in midlife crisis would most likely do anything to make him feel bigger or better such as: having a new girlfriend that is twenty years younger or far more good-looking than his wife, marrying more wives that he has no time or money for; buying a new posh car that only creates a fleet in his yard; scrambling to the top of the professional ladder recklessly; embezzling a huge some; breaking laws with audacity; oppressing someone; doing outrageous things, etc.  Passively, one may escape from reality through drink, drugs, sex, abandonment of job or family, etc.

    Factors That Can Lead To Female Midlife Crisis

    A woman’s emotions are a treasure for her children and husband and when emotions are empty there may be crisis.  Celibate women who have lost the fervor of their celibacy may experience crisis due to unfulfilled emotions.  Single women may also be strongly disposed towards midlife crisis for lack of a spouse or children.  Widows, divorced women, and single mothers may also be strongly disposed to midlife emptiness.  The premenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal stages that women pass through may vary individually and may turn to crisis depending on whether the woman is celibate, single, a widow, or divorced and depending on whether she is a mother or childless.  Talking is a good outlet of one’s feelings but it can also bond one with the listener which may be good or bad, depending on the listener.  Emotional substitutions may be by anything including adopting a child, keeping any company including bad or unfit dates, attachment to groups and teams including faith groups, and using sex toys.

    Even though men may have huge egos and women may have huge emotions, the role of the ego or emotions in a crisis is individualistic and midlife crisis may have emotional or egoistic preponderance in either males or females alike.

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635