The Nation Newspaper

Tag: war

  • South Africa’s war against neighbours

    Just when Nigerians were celebrating the relatively peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections and the emergence of a people-oriented government, we all woke up to news of the infamous xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

    As I pen this piece, my heart is with those Nigerians and other Africans who are victims of this condemnable attack. Until now, I have personally rated South Africa as a leading African country where democracy has found firm roots. The country, over the years, has given the world the impression of a perfect ground to advance the cause of democracy and human freedom. But recent developments have given the world a true picture of the nation called South Africa. Even though there have been reported cases of violence against foreigners in the past, one can hardly imagine that a nation which Nigeria stood by in its trying moments can quickly turn against it, slaughtering its citizens at will and carting away their legitimate and hard-earned properties in broad day light. Nigeria issued at once, hundreds of passports to South Africa’s asylum-seekers in the dark hours of   apartheid. Nigerian musician, Sonny Okosun in 1977 wrote the hit song, “Fire in Soweto” in honour of black South Africans during these trying times. The gravity of attacks against Nigerians in the ongoing crisis in South Africa is at best virulent, brutal and overwhelming. This is definitely not the best way to reward a people who had made indelible contributions to the survival of South Africa.

    For foreigners, life in the Republic of South Africa is now hellish, brutish and short, just like Thomas Hobbes aptly captured it.

    Until now the realities of the word xenophobia was already fading away and being replaced by less offensive words like ethnicity. But the people of South Africa have however brought it back to the front burner. Wikipedia has described Xenophobia as the unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. It further says  Xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity. The people of South Africa have exhibited all of the above, including a devilish purity.

    Zulu King Godwill Zwelithi’s utterances on March 23 can be said to have launched the Zenophobic attacks in South Africa and he had refused to apologise, even after finding out that his people have maimed, killed and destroyed businesses belonging to black foreigners which he claimed were not his intentions. He insists that foreigners should go back to their countries but tried to save face by saying attacking the foreigners is not how to chase them away. He wants the government to do it legally. The Zulu king was quoted to have said: “we are requesting those who come from outside to please go back to their countries. The fact that there were countries that played a role in the country’s struggle for liberation should not be used as an excuse to create a situation where foreigners are allowed to inconvenience locals. I know you were in their countries during the struggle for liberation. But the fact of the matter is you did not set up businesses in their countries.” If not coming from a King, I would have by any means considered such a statement irresponsible, I would rather say it is insensitive, resentful, full of hate, largely acrimonious and rancorous.

    The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action speaks loudly and urges all governments to take immediate measures and to develop strong policies to prevent and combat all forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia or related intolerance, where necessary by enactment of appropriate legislation including penal measures. The Republic of South Africa is privy to this but has acted far from it.

    However, if South Africa has any genuine reason to banish foreigners and isolate itself from the comity of nations, it is free to do so. The Zulu King captured his genuine feelings when he said his three major complaints and why he wanted foreigners to go. One, South African traders in the townships said they could not compete with the prices that foreign-owned businesses were selling their products. Two, foreigners were involved in violent crimes. Three, lack of respect shown by foreigners to locals. The Republic of South Africa as a sovereign nation and it is free to pursue its foreign policies with little or no interference and whenever it wants foreigners on its land no more, it should be done with and within the ambit of the law without gashing of flesh and spilling of blood. Meanwhile, let’s see how far it can go in doing this.

    “It is safe to first pursue the thief from without before dealing with the traitor from within” says the Yoruba adage. As much as we castigate the government and people of South Africa, we should not spare the Nigerian government of the blame as successive governments have squandered and embezzled the common wealth of the nation. The irresponsible nature of the Nigerian governments has continued to gradually and systematically force its citizens to migrate to other – even smaller countries for various reasons, with the quest for greener pasture and qualitative educational topping the list. Nigeria has been turned to an infertile nation infested by cancerous politicians who have torn our national fabric into shreds and left its citizens hapless. It will be close to the truth to say that it is the dream of every Nigerian to either work, study, live, seek medical attention or even die abroad. That is the height of shame for a country which prides itsekf as the giant of world’s most populous black continent.

    However, as it is, all hope is not lost. Nigeria will be great again. Our dry bones shall live again.  Our cultural and moral lorry shall be restored. Nigerians will be proud to be Nigerians again.

    Nigerians have clamoured for a change and they have seen its realisation. General Muhammadu Buhari is the beacon of hope, and Nigerians should trust him enough to spearhead the much need change.

    Once again, I commiserate with the victims of the infamous xenophobic attacks in the Republic of South Africa as I call on the whole world to condemn the people of South Africa to have led such an inhuman onslaught on legitimate people in search of meaning for their lives.  God bless Nigeria.

     

    Mark writes from Abuja

  • Fenerbahce Coach: Emenike has seen war in Nigeria

    Fenerbahce Coach: Emenike has seen war in Nigeria

    Fenerbahce manager Ismail Kartal has urged supporters to show understanding with Emmanuel Emenike, in the wake of the striker attempting to get himself substituted last weekend.

    With only four goals to his name this season, the Nigeria international is lacking in confidence, and after missing a sitter against Besiktas, his own fans booed him.

    ”Emenike has seen war in Nigeria, the player has had a very difficult childhood. And that’s the reason he is full of emotions,” Kartal said at a press conference.

    ”He is a pretty good man, we have to show him more understanding. After what happened in the Besiktas match, I sat down and talked with him.”

    Coach Kartal added: ”Now his morale is better and he has began to laugh. We should note that Emenike is our contracted player.

    ”He is playing in the most important part of our game as a striker, and we cannot keep him away or out.

    ”However, we do not know what will happen in the future.”

    Emenike is not the first player to be booed by Fenerbahce supporters, with ex Spain international Daniel Güiza also suffering the same fate after having a bad game against Trabzonspor.

    However, Güiza did not get upset and attempt to walk away from the pitch.

  • JTF’s new 30 gunboats boost war against oil thieves

    The days of oil thieves in the creeks of the Niger Delta region are now numbered. The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, is determined more than ever to flush them out.

    After taking delivery of new 30 gunboats added to its fleets by the Federal Government, JTF’s moral is high and it seems motivated to increase its patrols of oil facilities in its Areas of Responsibilities (AoR).

    It was, indeed, a day of joy for the troops and officers of the JTF whose headquarters is located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff; Gen. Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jubril were in Yenagoa.

    They were joined by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson; Governor, Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alameseigha.

    Others were the Commander, JTF, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe; representatives of Chevron, Shell, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Setraco, Daewoo, royal fathers and state’s security heads including the Commander, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu.

    They were at the Government Jetty to witness the commissioning 30 gunboats acquired by the Federal Government to enhance the operations of the JTF. The gunboats were inaugurated by Badeh.

    The Chief of Defence Staff said the acquisition of the boats underlined the determination of the Federal Government to holistically find a lasting solution to the problem of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria.

    He said one of the steps taken to eradicate oil theft in the country was the establishment of a Technical Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control (TCCOTPC) by the National Economic Council (NEC).

    He said through the activities of the committee, the NEC approved some funds for the Defence Headquarters to procure gunboats for the operations of the JTF which is saddled with the responsibility of fighting crude oil thieves and pipeline vandals.

    He said the contracts for the construction of the boats were awarded to Messrs. Epenal Group of Companies Nigeria Limited and Messrs. Roshanal Info Tech Limited.

    He commended the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan for its undying commitment to providing needed support to enable the Armed Forces discharge its constitutional responsibilities.

    He further said the Chairman of NEC and Vice-President Namadi Sambo deserved a special appreciation for approving the funding for the project. Badeh also appraised the ongoing war against insurgency in the North-East saying it was gaining momentum and achieving results.

    He said: “These boats and indeed other resources allocated by the Federal Government of Nigeria would be judiciously deployed for the overall economic benefits of the country.

    “It is pertinent to also note that the Nigerian Navy has continued to intensify its war against oil theft which has remarkably curtailed the high level crude oil losses.

    “I make bold to warn all those criminals who take pleasure in stealing the nation’s crude oil and vandalizing pipelines in the Niger Delta to desist from such unpatriotic acts.

    “The receipt of of these gunboats has added impetus to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies’ campaign against oil theft and pipeline vandalism. To be forewarned is to be forearmed”.

    In fact, Uduaghan who was a special guest of honour at the occasion beamed with smiles. He had every reason to be joyful especially following his known disdain for oil theft and pipeline vandalism. Besides, he played a significant role in the acquisition of the military assets.

    Uduaghan is the chairman of the technical committee that approved the purchase of the gunboats. The governor said the decision to acquire the gunboats was taken after considering the challenges of the military in a NEC meeting adding that it was agreed in the meeting that the military should not be allowed to fight crime with bare hands.

    He said: “When there is a drop in oil revenue, it affects everyone. It affects the federal government and the states. We agreed at the NEC meeting that we must make some contributions as Federal and state government to the funding of the operation in this area because without funds we cannot be talking of security. Our military people should not use their bare hands to be dealing with security.

    “So, the council after due approval by Mr. President put up a committee with state governors and I was privileged to chair that committee. I am happy today that we are here to commission these boats which is a big plus for the operations of this area.”

    Uduaghan poured encomiums on the JTF and the Navy for making the region too hot for oil thieves. “Even before these boats, I can testify as a governor of the Niger Delta, the operations of JTF and the navy have been very uncomfortable for the criminals. We want to appreciate what you are doing in dealing with crude oil theft”, he said.

    Despite the effectiveness of the JTF and the Navy, Uduaghan said there were still challenges in crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, which he said was affecting gas supply to power plants.

    “We still have challenges in crude oil theft and even pipeline vandalism that is affecting gas supply especially yo our power plants.

    “We are proud of Mr. President, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is on the driving seat, who is the commander-in-chief in dealing with all these issues, the issues of crude oil theft and the issues of Boko Haram.

    “President Jonathan has done a lot in the power sector in terms of generation a lot of power plants have been completed and are fully ready for operation.

    “In terms of distribution a lot of work has been done and are fully ready but the challenge we have now is sabotage to our gas pipeline. It is sad that our people are involved in this type of sabotage. To stop this requires the participation of all of us.”

    The governor also called for the cooperation of the international community in dealing with the issues of oil theft in Nigeria.

    “There also other stakeholders in the business of crude oil theft and the most challenging one is international community. Over 80 per cent of the stolen crude is exported and used by refineries outside Nigeria.

    “If international community cooperates with Nigeria, I am sure we will reduce this problem. If there is no destination for this stolen crude, this whole thing will reduce. Mr. President is doing his best. He is determined to wipe out crude oil theft and as states we are determined to work with him to wipe it out”, he added.

    In his remarks, the host, Governor Dickson, said apart from maritime military assets, the state was in need of equipment on land to effectively fight crimes.

    He thanked President Jonathan for investing in security and military assets saying that he had shown uncommon determination “to equip, armed, trained and kept the military better prepared than any of his predecessors”.

    “Two weeks or so ago, Mr. President in June fell swoop provided four naval warships for our nation’s navy. This is in addition to several strategic investments of the federal government under the able leadership of our dear President.

    “I would like to commend the prudence with which the resources are managed by various service chiefs.

    “The boats that had been donated will go a long way to assist our men and women in uniform whose men and officers even as we speak are sacrificing their lives to keep our nation safe”, he said.

    On his part, though excited over the gunboats, Atewe, the JTF commander, lamented the lives of gallant soldiers lost in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and other forms of oil theft.

    He said recently five soldiers attached to the outfit were heinously killed by armed oil thieves. Atewe called for minute silence for the departed heroes and asked God to help their families bear the loss.

    Atewe thanked the dignitaries for attending the event and said the JTF had come of age. He said within the period he assumed the command of the outfit, over 157 vessels ad been seized. He said about 500 illegal oil pipeline vandals had been arrested while 300 boats involved in the illegal business had been destroyed.

    He praised Dickson, Udaghan and the Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) for their support in the war against economic sabotage. He further commended the security chiefs for their assistance especially the new 30 gunboats they made available to the command.

    Playing the Oliver Twist, Atewe asked the host governor not to relent in helping the outfit. Atewe reinstated his commitment to zero-tolerance to oil theft and regretted the environmental impact of pipeline vandalism.

  • Jonathan and tomorrow’s war against Nigerians

    Jonathan and tomorrow’s war against Nigerians

    The thought of tomorrow is as sweet as it is dreadful. Sweet because of people’s determination for CHANGE; and dreadful because of status quo ante’s devilish plot to have its way-by whatever means. So, tomorrow is presidential and federal legislative elections day when Nigerians with Permanent Voter Card (PVC), are expected to troop out enmasse and vote for the candidate of their choice, principally between incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and General Mohammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    For the first time in memorable history of this country, majority of the people are fiercely focused on the presidential contest, particularly on a certain opposition candidate against an incumbent, without blinking an eye over the other elections coming up tomorrow. From all indications, ab initio, the apex contest looks like the incumbent is already out of office. The jitters in official circles has led to the question: Will the president and his hatchet men allow tomorrow to be truly for elections, or will it be a war of persecution and intimidation disguised as necessary security provisions for an election? This column has seen the signal of fruitless militarization of Lagos since last week.

    The current Inspector General of Police (IGP), Sulaiman Abba, set the tone of intolerance, through his flippant statement on what to expect from the federal police when he publicly declared that Nigerians should not wait at polling centres after exercising their franchise. Meaning that the police is coercively planning to shield them from protecting their votes. What he forgot to realise is that an election, being a process, is not completed until the votes, under close surveillance by the people, are duly counted and properly recorded in the prescribed sheets by law through INEC personnel at polling centres. No wonder, Thomas Jefferson, the great apostle of human rights, once stated that ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.’ And since liberty only makes true sense under democratic governance, it would not be totally out of place by the people to keep vigil over their ballot so as to ensure that the candidate that they truly voted for is declared as winner in polling centres across the country.

    But the IGP is now threatening that the people should leave their votes to the protection of mostly compromised security personnel that the experience of last year August’s Gubernatorial election in Osun state taught us were acting the scripts of Jonathan and the ruling party. But for the eternal vigilance of Osun people and their endurance, there is no doubt that the winner of that election would have been shortchanged of his hard earned victory. Also, the revelations that came out of a video on how the state’s instrument of coercion in tandem with the ruling party’s top notch, plotted and actually intimidated and harassed indigenes of Ekiti state last years election is still roiling in the polity.

    How can anybody in his right senses believe what the IGP had said? After all, Jefferson also said somewhere that “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” The statement of the IGP smells of odious injustice and the citizenry have the right to rebel against such ranting, in a lawful manner because, Jonathan, through the IGP wants to use raw police/military power on voting day to steal majority of votes for the benefit of himself and few opportunity seeking cronies. The duty of the police at election centres, on Election Day, is to maintain peace and be neutral and not to take side as experience has shown in past elections. How can this IGP that unilaterally and illegally withdrew the security details of Rt.Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, simply because he defected from the ruling party because of its in-house crisis, just to please Jonathan-his benefactor. Such IGP cannot be entrusted with the votes of Nigerians that are ready to endure any form of official frustration at polling centres, come rain or sun shine, tomorrow.

    Again, the thought of tomorrow is as sweet as it is dreadful. Sweet because the people will have the opportunity of electing a more virile president to replace the inept Jonathan: And dreadful because of the barbarity that the Jonathan administration has put in place to circumvent and probably upturn the wishes of millions of Nigerians that would cast their votes against him tomorrow.

    From all over the country, this column is enjoining all to say no to electoral tyranny. Nigerians from all spheres of human endeavours witnessed the bad and ineptly corrupt governance under Jonathan and the beauty of democracy is that it offers opportunity for periodic elections. That opportunity comes up tomorrow and all must struggle to say No to intimidation and continuation of naira devaluation, insecurity, crude oil theft, insecurity of all shades, illegal arming and empowerment of ruthless militias for selfish reasons, degeneration of values in churches through wanton bribing of pastors and also corruption of traditional institution through pecuniary inducement, persistent fuel scarcity and price increment, land grabbing, astronomical unemployment and commercialization of employment that have all become the hallmark of the Jonathan presidency. Nigerians must stand up and be decisive in voting against these societal vices that Jonathan stands for in six years of his rulership over this country.

    After losing tomorrow, it is obvious that more devilish plots might still come from Jonathan/ruling PDP tables. Whatever post election evil plan might be in the offing, the reality is that the world is watching and despite the evil plots of reactionaries, Nigerians, who truly want this country to move forward, are working tirelessly to ensure that the decision of Nigerians at tomorrow’s poll prevails. Permit me to end this piece with the inimitable quote from Abraham Lincoln’s November 19, 1863 Gettysburg address to wit: “That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” Whatever maneuverings Jonathan, his men and mostly compromised security leadership put up tomorrow, let them have it in their minds that, like the the prophetic Lincoln said, democracy will outlive their evil machinations in power. That in the end shows the vanity of the incumbent’s lust for power and lack of respect for democratic values. This Jonathan, like other power mongers before him has simply refused to learn from history. What a pity for a man that once had no shoes!

  • Group queries Jonathan over renewed Boko Haram war

    Group queries Jonathan over renewed Boko Haram war

    A group, the Patriotic Nigeria, has berated the Federal Government for waiting till election period before intensifying the anti-terror war.

    The group said in a statement that many have died in the hands of the insurgents.

    Its media consultant, Idowu Quadri, said the Federal government allowed the carnage to continue for six years before intensifying action terrorists.

    He said the President decided to take a decisive action because he was confronted with a looming defeat at the general elections.

    “Though it is relieving to hear various stories of the successful raids by the Nigerian Army and the allied forces on the insurgents, but every patriotic Nigerian must interrogate this issue very well and demand to know what brought about the delay in taking the appropriate military actions,” the group said.

    The group accused the Federal Government of abdicating its responsibilities towards the citizens by failing to confront the Boko Haram menace as timely as was necessary. It added that Nigerians have confidence in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and other security agencies whose collaborations could have brought an end to the carnage.

  • Jonathan’s drumbeat of war

    Jonathan’s drumbeat of war

     ‘A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him’ – ——Aesop, in one of his Fables.

    President Goodluck Jonathan cuts across as a taciturn man of meek disposition but beneath that facade is a creature of perilous acuity. Most men of power with such personality trait have always ended being deadlier than the lion. They talk more with body language than with their mouths. And whenever they speak out, the actions that follow are always in sharp contrast to what they say. Such men usually could not be taken for their words and are gently ruthless against their people who, in most instances, have scanty regard for them.

    President Jonathan, as the election approaches, has further exposed his chameleonic disposition to the Nigerian state and the entire world. The United States of America, Britain, France and Germany among others are aware now that this president is everything but reliable in his assurances that a free and fair election would be conducted and that if he loses, he is ready to relinquish power to whoever wins. Ab initio, the idea of a postponement started as a rumour before Sambo Dasuki, the NSA to the president gave it semblance of presidential robe at the Chatham House, London recently.

    The election shift has become history today. But at the moment, two satanic speculations are rife in public domain: That President Jonathan is not ready and willing to handover power to the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) presidential candidate, Mohammadu Buhari. The other is that there is a sinister plot by the president’s henchmen and party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to scuttle peaceful hand-over by using the military to force the election to go the president’s way or create a stalemate that would bolster the chances of having an interim government in place.

    All these sounded like tales by moonlight but the president’s body language and the actions and inactions of his men in the deployment of state’s institutions show only one thing: That the President is aware that he will not win and is ready to do battle with Nigerians that from all indications are fed up with his inept and highly corrupt government.

    However, the game of presidential deceit continues since it has moved from the polity’s courtyard to the vineyard of God. Recently at the opening mass for the plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, at the opening mass for the plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki, Abuja, called on Nigerians to ignore the heinous speculations by giving “Mr. President the benefit of the doubt and stop sowing doubts that only raise tensions and create avoidable anxieties.” Cardinal Onaiyekan cannot be blamed for this call because at the same venue and time, the president gave an homily on constitutional adherence that given its face-value interpretation would portray the man, albeit erroneously, as a responsible leader. His deceitful speech is capable of melting any heart that is made, even of stone.

    Hear Mr. President at the conference on widespread doubts about his sincerity of purpose on the coming general elections and surreptitious plans to install an illegal government to take over from him: “There is no way Goodluck Jonathan, elected by people with clear mandate, will now go and head an Interim Government. The only interim government anybody can constitute is that of the military government which, of course, will not be accepted…ECOWAS, AU, UN won’t accept it. And Nigeria will not be a pariah state. Clearly, the insinuation of interim government to me is treasonable.”

    What this means is that those aides of the president that are working underground to destabilise the coming polls should be arrested and tried for treason. The president’s assertion that he ‘ will not do anything because of personal interest that would jeopardise the interest of this nation,’ may be far from the truth because he is actually planning to illegally win the coming presidential poll at all cost. But Jonathan will fail woefully. Cardinal Onaiyekan is aware of the death wish adverts, the wild unguarded statements that the president’s party men, campaign council and aides have been making and the illegal deployment of the military, police, DSS and other state’s institutions of coercion to the presidency’s advantage when he admonished: “There should, therefore, not be room for negative campaigns. Personal insults and caricatures should give way to rational discussion of issues that concern us all. Truth must be sacrosanct even in politics. Lies, deceit, calumnies cannot move us forward…They are the hallmarks of the bad politics which have not allowed us achieve the high level that we deserve as a nation. These are what build tensions, heat up the polity, spreads dangerous rumours and cause deep distrust among rival political groups. All this is not in the interest of our people.” But unfortunately, the president and his men all revel in these detrimental pursuits.

    This column wants Mr. President to learn from history by avoiding a repeat of the uncomplimentary verdict of history on self and family. Not searching too far, we, as students of history still remember what happened to Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha. Both former heads of state of this country ran sneaky administrations, put up a charade called democratic transition programme, but they both ended up as discredited leaders/men in the nation’s history today.

    As the clock tickles and the elections’ days reduce, let no one mistake the gentility of Nigerians for stupidity. The ruling PDP and President Jonathan should not push their intertwined luck to its elastic limit by attempting, again, something funny. He needs to prove whether he wants to be a statesman or a discredited leader and this coming election and the path he toes, will decide. For now, he remains a doubtful friend of his countrymen and women that is worse than an enemy.

    This column is saying no to sit-tightism and other odious plans against democratic values and ethos. Except the elections hold next month and early April as rescheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the devious plans of Jonathan and his cronies are only tantamount to the beginning of a chain of events, the end of which no one can predict. Usually, the originators of such evil plots are not the beneficiaries even when they seem momentarily beclouded by ego, needless greed and deluding optimism, having been held captive by same corridors of power leveraging evil influential elements of yesteryears.

  • ‘Force can’t win Boko Haram war’

    ‘Force can’t win Boko Haram war’

    The Transcorp Hilton Hall, venue of the discourse on how to end the Boko Haram insurgency was filled, and the event started on time. More than 20 repentant former leaders of the sect were in the hall. The opening remarks by Egbeme Eniwoareke set the tone of the discourse.

    He said, “The Northeast region used to be one of the economically promising regions of the country. It was the bastion of commerce and trade with prominent local enterprises. The region drew in entrepreneurs, technocrats and bureaucrats from other regions in Nigeria. Its growing natural resource base increased its investment and industrial potential. In those days, the region enjoyed religious, cultural and ethnic harmony.

    “In recent times, this has not been the case, as vicious economic hardship has become the most pertinent public policy challenge in present-day Nigeria. The activities of this terror organisation, Boko Haram, have paralysed the economy of Northeast Nigeria. An estimated 2.5 million Nigerians are internally displaced as a result. Prior to the scourge of Boko Haram, Northeastern Nigeria had 68 percent poverty and about 28.5 percent unemployment (according to the 2011 report by the National Bureau of Statistics). With the current decimation of the region, it will not be a surprise if the next set of economic statistics places the region lower down the economic ladder.

    “But this is not a Northeastern problem. It is a Nigeria problem. We are a family and whatever happens to the least of us, happens to us all. The innocents who have suffered the scourge of Boko Haram in the North are ordinary Nigerians who wish to be left alone to face the opportunities and challenges of life on earth”.

    According to Eniwoareke between 2011 to date, the Federal Government has squandered about N3.6 trillion on security, funds that could have been spent on other human development indicators. He said what is more scary at this time is that with declining oil prices and the expected decline in foreign exchange revenue, Nigeria may not be in a position to spend as much on security given competing demands for resources. What will then become of the security situation in the North and across other parts of the country?, he asked.

    However, in his speech, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and chairman, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku said solution to the Boko Haram challenge must be the responsibility of northern leaders. According to him, the Boko Haram experience was not totally different from the Niger Delta militancy, which later culminated in widespread kidnapping and bombing of oil and gas infrastructures. He said further that moving around the Niger Delta became an issue at the peak of the insurgency as parents were continuously warning their wards on where and when to move.

    Kuku got the audience laughing with a story in which he was involved in negotiating for the release of a kidnapped Urhobo man. “The captors of the Urhobo man refused to listen to him, that he wasn’t an expatriate, that he was an albino. He was eventfully released after days in captivity when nobody came for him. He nonetheless got the beating of his life for eating all the food given to him. That’s how bad it was.

    “The result was that many things were lost as Niger Delta region became deserted. Nobody wants to come to the region again, even technicians working for oil companies were flown in jets from Lagos and back. It however got to a peak when we had to decide on how to end it all. We had to talk to ourselves, the youths of the region. Events leading to the beginning of the end of the militancy could be traced to the night of my wedding with everybody in attendance only for one person, who drove into the venue on a power bike asking to see me.

    “The story he told me that night changed the whole process. He said some hoodlums (pirates) killed a one-year-old baby on Benin River while forcing the mother to laugh at the killing of her baby. That was the height of it because it was a pointer that our struggle has become self-destructive, especially with the event on Benin River.  That is what is happening to Boko Haram today. It has become self-destructive. That Benin River event forced us to decide how to clean up the struggle because we lost control. Today John Togo is no more”.

    Kuku said the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency can be solved taking some lessons from the Niger Delta experience where community and religious leaders, youths and women groups were all involved in the intervention with the militant groups. He asserted that huge use of force cannot win the war with Boko Haram. According to him, for the insurgency in the Northeast to end, same groups of people from the region must be involved.

    “We needed somebody, one of our own at the top in government to tell the militants that government’s intention to negotiate is genuine. As a result we went everywhere, to all the camps, with our political and community leaders like Diepreye Alamieiyeseigha, Timipre Sylva, Papa Edwin Clark all playing key roles and at the end, we are where we are today. What it means is that peace can win a war while the use of force can’t work ultimately.

    “You will need people to talk to the agitators to have the needed truce. You have to look for someone who was a key actor in the Boko Haram activities, whose trust and confidence is widely accepted, genuine activists to drive the solution like the Amnesty programme. In the Northeast that is what is lacking because we have seen that Boko Haram has become self-destructive with foreigners taking centrestage. At the beginning of Boko a Haram, it was designed to dislodge President Jonathan but what do we see now, the entire region is threatened while the whole country is not spared as well. Boko Haram is a threat to the entire country; they refused to properly interpret what they want, unlike the Niger Delta militants. Militant actors of Niger Delta we all knew but Boko Haram we don’t know. Offers were made for peace for them to come out, even comrades in prison were met but nothing came out of it. It appears like the determination of the northern leaders to see the end of the insurgency is being compromised. For instance, many of the insurgents caught weren’t looking like Nigerians. Our porous borders is a major problem.”

    The robust question and answer session that followed drew emotions from the audience when a speaker described how the government of Borno State is now left with only four Local Government Areas out of 27, the rest having been taken over by Boko Haram. He said 32 of his relations have relocated to Niger Republic as internally displaced persons (IDPs) with six missing or unaccounted for.

    Another speaker wanted to know how intervention of the youths and the political leaders can be effective with a group that is waging a jihadist war with no difference between Christians and Muslims.

    The highlight of the discourse was the pledge by the ex-militants to donate part of their monthly allowance amounting to N30m to the victims of Boko Haram onslaught in the Northeast, while Kuku assured that the PAP would offer useful and effective advice to government on how to overcome the challenge.

    He however warned that it is up to the people of the region and their resolve to end the insurgency because they are the ones that know their terrain and the history of their region. He said no individuals would leave their own region to come over to defend the Northeast but that they would have to take it as a personal effort to defend their own land. He commended the the courage of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) and implored the people to further encourage them.

     

  • Ouch, Baba’s children at war!

    God loved Biblical King David, to be sure. But the amorous excesses of the man who the Bible said knew how to celebrate God – and the Psalms are concrete proof – mainly on account of the Beersheba covetousness, received a God-ly rebuke: swords shalt never depart from thine house!

    Of course, you know God also loves Baba – Baba being former President Olusegun Obasanjo – at least from his own personal testimonies. Didn’t all of you hear Baba declare that if he had wanted a third term – and he had earnestly asked his God – God would have done it for him?

    Well, the old man is back at university, trying out a PhD in theology. Who knows? Maybe when all is settled, his swansong would be a book entitled Obasanjo’s Jehovah Praise, which in the sheer celebration of the Almighty, would put the David Psalms to shame? That, to be sure, is a mouth-watering proposition!

    In sweet expectation of that however, Baba seems to have caught the David syndrome, in terms of a civil war in his political house – his children are boys and girls at war!

    Ah, on the score, Baba lives by example! He fired the first shot by training his verbal AK-47 on Goodluck Jonathan, president of the Federal Republic, but a godson out of favour. Since godfather and godson fell out, the nation has been catching a cold!

    Godfather says godson is incompetent and useless – and mind you, Obasanjo doesn’t hate Jonathan; he only loves Nigeria. Godson counters godfather is no statesman to harshly put down his own president just like that – remember the Fela number “Just like that, just like that..”? He says godfather, at least from the irreverent lampoon of his own president, is nothing but a motor park tout.

    True, quid pro quo,  after Baba had shown up at Jonathan’s daughter’s wedding, Jonathan too showed up in Baba’s sanctuary – to beg: remember Fela’s “E don beg me” episode with Justice Okoro Idogu? But Baba? “No agreement today, no agreement tomorrow…”, ah another Fela’s famous number! The war continues!

    But as this war rages, the political children too appear to have caught the bug.

    When former CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi accused Jonathan of hugging sleaze on account of NNPC’s alleged non-remittance of US $20 billion into the Federation Account, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (NOI) was talking of some forensic audit, Oby Ezekwesili (OE), gave the coordinating minister for the economy a short shrift. What was needed, she roared, was a full international enquiry, not some closely-guided forensics. Both NOI and OE were golden girls of Obasanjo’s presidential economic think tank.

    Then comes the latest theatre of war: NOI vs Chukwuma (his first name is no longer Charles) Soludo (CS). CS, in a truly seminal intervention, rippling with contemporary Nigerian political history, political economy and economics qua economics, scored Jonathan F9 in his (mis) management of the economy. Not only that: he buffeted the president for “outsourcing” the economy, a chore he should have done himself!

    But NOI, the CEO of the “firm” benefiting from the “outsourcing” came out, eyes flashing, gun blazing: Soludo is Nigeria’s worst CBN governor ever! Well, ask Nasir El-Rufai: there is no love lost between the two, even during the halcyon days of Obasanjo’s economic management team!

    Which of Baba’s children would tango next? Watch out, Baba’s children are at war!

  • Old Mutual spends bulk of Africa war chest on UAP stake in Kenya

    Old Mutual Plc (OML), which earmarked 4.3 billion rand ($374 million) for acquisitions in Africa, increased its stake in Kenya’s UAP Holdings Ltd., meaning that the insurer has now spent more than half of that war chest.

    Old Mutual, which is expanding in Africa to profit from the continent’s fastest-growing economies, will now hold 60.7 percent of UAP after purchasing a further 37.3 percent stake for $155.5 million in cash, the London-based insurer said in a statement Monday. The transaction takes its investment in UAP this month to $253 million.

    “The majority stake we have secured in UAP, combined with the existing Old Mutual businesses in Kenya, will provide the Group with the scale and product breadth to capitalize on the significant growth expected in the region.”

    In Kenya, East Africa’s largest economy, UAP has the third-biggest property and casualty market share, the second-ranked health insurance business, a large property investment portfolio and a fast-growing life insurance business, Old Mutual said. UAP also has operations in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This deal follows Old Mutual’s acquisition of microfinance company Faulu Kenya DTM Ltd.

    “Following the conclusion of this transaction, we will have invested nearly $300 million in the region since 2012,” Ralph Mupita, chief executive officer of Old Mutual Emerging Markets, said in the statement.

    Old Mutual rose in Johannesburg trading, climbing one percent to 35.37 rand

  • Will CBN win naira rescue war?

    Will CBN win naira rescue war?

    Has the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lost the battle to rescue the naira? This is the question many are asking as the currency continues to depreciate despite CBN’s efforts to stabilise it, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

    Ahead of next month’s elections, increased political risk, falling oil prices and lack of interest in investors’ frontier assets have put the naira under pressure.

    The naira has depreciated to an all-time low of 188.48 against the dollar. Last week, the currency was  3.5 per cent down, the lowest since November 14.

    This has depleted the foreign reserves. Policy makers are contemplating either to allow the currency to move in a wider range against the dollar or raise interest rates.

    But the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele has promised to stabilise the currency without following either routes. He listed some of the challenges he is facing defending the naira, adding that the naira/dollar exchange rate has been under pressure over the last couple of months.

    Explaining the difficulties in managing exchange rate stability, the CBN boss raised a poser: “What then can a Central Bank do to react to such a situation of falling reserves and pressurised exchange rates?

    “One course of action would be to continue to deplete the foreign exchange reserves in trying to keep the official rate at a stable level. But there are several difficulties with this option.”

    He said regardless of its critical nature in an import-dependent country such as Nigeria, the exchange rate operates like any other ‘price’ in the market.

    The dollar/naira exchange rate is simply the ‘price’ of dollars in naira. The forces of demand and supply, he said, determine its movement. “When demand rises, the price rises. When supply falls, the price also rises as well. In recent times, Nigeria has faced a perfect storm of simultaneous dwindling supply of dollars and rise in demand. Both forces have led to a rise in the price of dollars, that is, significant reduction in supply of dollars to the market, even with constant output of crude oil production,” he said.

    The other global factor, which has significantly reduced the supply of dollars in the market is related to the end of Quantitative Easing by the United States (U.S) Federal Reserve. At the height of the programme, the Federal Reserve was supplying a total of about $85 billion into the U.S economy on a monthly basis, through asset purchases. This programme came to an end in October last year, thereby significantly reducing the supply of U.S dollars in the global economy.

    Another difficulty which has contributed to the continuing depletion of Nigeria’s foreign reserves, and its capacity to defend the naira is that the combination of a fall in oil prices and the end of the Quantitative Easing programme by the US Federal Reserve have led to a depreciation of most currencies in the world against the dollar.

    Emefiele said an analysis of the year-on-year change in the exchange rate of 26 Emerging Market countries (including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, and Nigeria) indicates that their currencies have depreciated by about 8.1 per cent on average against the dollar.

    Steps taken by the CBN

    The CBN has directed that all importations involving electronics, finished products, information technology, generators, telecommunication equipment, and invisible transactions will henceforth be funded from the interbank foreign exchange market only.

    In a circular to all authorised dealers, CBN Director, Trade & Exchange Department, O. I. Gbadamosi told stakeholders that the policy was to maintain the existing stability in forex market and strengthen the various policy measures, already initiated by the CBN.

    On the development, Head, Africa Strategy at Standard Chartered in London, Samir Gadio, said: “The importation of electronics, finished products, information technology, generators, telecommunication equipment, and invisible transactions importations shall henceforth be limited to the interbank market only.

    “We’re seeing more foreign-exchange flexibility. Perhaps they do not want to burn FX reserves unnecessarily. It’s a risky strategy though as the market will now look for the topside of dollar-naira and also because the lower rates will reduce the incentive to hold naira fixed-income assets.”

    BDCs policy

    On June 23, last year, the CBN, among other things, raised the minimum capital requirement of BDCs to N35 million from N10 million. It raised the mandatory caution deposit to N35 million from $10,000.

    Again, on July 7, the apex bank extended the deadline from July 15 to July 31, in response to appeals and intervention of Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON)and both chambers of the National Assembly.

    In a circular, CBN’s Director, Financial Policy and Regulation, Kelvin Amugo, said interest would be paid on the mandatory caution deposit of N35 million, based on the savings account rate. The CBN, Amugo said, would, on expiration of the deadline, cease to fund any BDC that failed to comply with the fresh requirements.

    Meanwhile, the CBN had given approval to additional 102 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators, bringing the total to 2,544 since the recapitalisation deadline lapsed in July.

    The apex bank had last August, published a list of 2,442 licensed BDCs, which it said, had complied with its new capital requirements of N35 million as at July 31, last year.

    There were 3,208 registered BDCs before the expiration of the deadline. The CBN had in June announced a new minimum capital requirement of N35 million for the operation of BDCs, up from the N10 million.

    To ensure that the forex dealers comply with the new capital requirements, the CBN had extended the deadline to July 31, last year. The forex dealers were previously given a deadline of July 15, last year. The apex bank had also stated that interest would be paid on the mandatory cautionary deposit of N35 million, based on banking industry savings account rate.

    It, among other requirements, also reviewed the mandatory cautionary deposit for BDCs upward to N35 million. The regulator had pointed out that on the expiration of the deadline on July 31, last year, that it would cease to fund any BDC that failed to comply with the new requirements, adding that “only BDCs that meet the new requirements would qualify to be engaged as agent by the licenced international money transfer operators for inward and outward transfer business in Nigeria.

    Dollar sales to BDCs slashed

    The CBN has cut dollar sales to BDCs by 70 per cent from $50,000 per week to $15,000.

    The N35 million caution raised from $20,000 represents a 1000 per cent hike among other conditions set by the apex bank in its June 23 guidelines for the subsector.

    Managing Director, Kayewd BDC Limited, Rotimi Dada, who confirmed the new dollar sales to BDCs, said the action has cut dollar supply to the market, and reduced profit margins for operators while the overhead costs remain the same.

    Speaking on the sideline of the ABCON public hearing in Lagos, he said operators had rents to pay, adding that they are not able to meet market demands for the dollar which is bad for the market. He said there is a multiplier effect of the policy, which makes it difficult for operators to buy dollar from commercial banks.

    Dada said the CBN was acting a bit hasty by cutting the dollar sales to BDCs and that the regulator should consult with stakeholders on what needed to be done. He said the CBN should see the BDCs as macroeconomic factors that favour the economy.

    Complex crises get worse

    The misfortune of the naira seems complex. The thinking is that massive inflow of forex from surging oil prices and the boom in the capital market were responsible for the appreciation of the naira in the past few years. Unfortunately, oil prices have nosedived and Nigeria capital market is in a shambles. The fall in the price of oil has major consequences on government revenue, aggregate output, capital formation investment, employment, trade and fiscal balance.

    The 2008 global financial meltdown also contributed to naira’s freefall.  Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives Bismarck Rewane, said Nigeria was unprepared for the shock. “The Nigerian economy believed to be one of the most resilient in the world was caught unawares by the global crisis,” he said.

    Analysts said a gradual appreciation of the currency will require building confidence in the financial system and price of crude oil in international market. This is what is going to drive the exchange rate now and beyond. We cannot isolate what is happening in the global economy like the issue of diversification of energy sources.

    Policy makers speak

    Sub-Saharan Africa Economist at Renaissance Capital and co-Author of the Fastest Billion Yvonne Mhango said the CBN has shown absolute commitment to dealing with dwindling fortune of the naira.

    The official devaluation of the naira, she said, allows the Retail Dutch Auction System (RDAS) to move within the range that straddles the interbank foreign exchange rate. “While the market reaction to the RDAS move in the near-term will be important, we think that these measures deal as comprehensively as possible with the challenges facing Nigeria.

    “While Nigeria cannot do much to influence the oil price, the combination of measures sends a powerful signal to all stakeholders on the CBN’s intent to do what it can to preserve macroeconomic stability,” she said.

    Head, Equities Market at FBN Capital Olubunmi Ashaolu said the CBN has by the policy, set clear cut objective on its monetary policy direction. He said the stock exchange positive reaction was an indication that local and foreign investors now understand where the naira is heading. “As long as there is clarity and good investment climate, the equities market will benefit,” he said.

    He advised government to improve infrastructure, noting that such action would make Nigeria’s investment climate more attractive for foreign investors.

    Rewane said the MPC’s decision has reinforced the CBN’s independence and autonomy.

    He said the currency adjustment has a direct impact on the cost of imports and may undermine the MPC’s efforts at ensuring price stability in a hugely import-dependent economy. The devaluation, he added, would slow down external reserves depletion. “Since the naira is closer to equilibrium, the need to intervene will be less,” he added.

    To the President of National Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Chukwu Wachukwu, there are consequences wherever currencies are devalued. He said the naira devaluation would make government to jettison its sole reliance on oil and pay attention to other sectors of the economy. “We can’t just continue to depend on oil, we need to diversify,” he said.