The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Welcome

  • Welcome Buhari, well done Osinbajo

    When Professor Yemi Osinbajo was nominated as running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari, not many thought he fitted the bill.

    Despite his accomplished status of being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Professor of Law, some analysts felt Osinbajo, whose only involvement in government and politics was serving as Attorney General under former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would not add much value to the ticket, except for being able to attract votes of some Pentecostal Christians.

    Even after assuming office, his ability as a good technocrat was not apparent to many who regard him as just another spare tyre, like most deputies and vice presidents are labelled.

    However, the extended medical vacation which President Buhari had to take for about 50 days has given Osinbajo the opportunity to prove the real, good stuff he is made of and his capacity as a very competent deputy to his boss.

    Within the period he acted as president, he has left no one in doubt that being an experienced politician is not the only qualification required to run a government, even at the highest level.

    His pronouncements when he acknowledged that the federal government was hearing protesters loud and clear, official visits to the troubled Niger Delta states that are mainly governed by opposition governors and unscheduled visit to the Lagos International Airport are really commendable.

    That the militants in the Niger Delta have been on holiday is not unconnected with the peace moves he has made in the region on behalf of the federal government which has hitherto not been taken seriously about its commitment to appeasing aggrieved people in the area.

    Such were the general impressive performance of Professor Osinbajo that even the opposition parties and even those regarded as ‘wailers’ could not but acknowledge that his style of leadership was different and more accommodating of all, irrespective of political divide.

    To avoid being seen as going out of his way to outshine his boss, Osinbajo and other officials of the Presidency had to issue statements insisting that whatever he was doing was a continuation of the policies of the Buhari administration and not his personal initiative.

    I have no doubt that Osinbajo didn’t set out to prove any point by whatever he did in his boss’  absence, rather the medical vacation was an opportunity for Nigerians to know that the professor is an asset to Buhari’s administration and he should continue to play major roles to attract more needed goodwill for the government.

    It is commendable that President Buhari trusted Osinbajo well enough to hand over to him as Acting President before travelling out, and good enough the vice president exceeded expectations.

    Impressed by Osinbajo’s performance, Buhari has said the vice president with the benefit of youthful energy and intellect has to do more. He really has to do more due to many issues begging for the attention of the federal government.

    Nigerians will need to get used to seeing more of Professor Osinbajo whenever the president is not available to attend to any issue.

    The lesson of Osinbajo being able to effectively hold forth for Buhari is that capable persons should always be chosen as deputies or vice presidents.

    They should be as good as their bosses since there may be need, like when President Buhari had to be away for medical treatment, for them to act in their absence.

    Even when there is no vacuum, deputies should be assigned enough duties to prepare them for any eventuality instead of being sidelined as the case has been in some states.

     

  • A HERO’S WELCOME (1)

    (Scenes from a Nigerian Political Circus)

    SCENE ONE

    Let the pigeon hear and tell the partridge

    Let the river hear and tell the road

    Our long-expected hero is back again

    Ogidigbodigbo, Warrior with scarlet shadows

     

     

    Noble Graduate of the Queen’s Majestic Prison

    With a diploma calligraphed in glittering letters

    Gallant Ambassador of our lucky tribe

    He honours us all with his priceless trophy

     

     

    Roll out the drums

    We say roll out the drums

    Let our prodigal ground quake

    With the thunder of jubilant crowds

     

     

    Gidigbo gidigbo gidigbo, ogidigbo digbo

    Scion of our Soil, gem of our race

    Who strode through prison, a noble felon

    How so majestic in his prison stripes!

     

    Didn’t you see him in his famous mug shot

    Hair low-cropped, forehead so fabulous

    Eyes wildly open, lips limp and lovely

    Our global celebrity in his five-star pose

     

     

    They call him “Thief”

    To us he is “Chief”

    Garlanded gangster, horrendous hero

    Scion of our Soil, Doyen of our Delta

     

    Let the pigeon hear and tell the partridge

    Let the crocodile hear and tell the creeks

  • A welcome probe

    •Investigation of alleged death threat by Rivers governor should be thorough 

    Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris’ decision to investigate the audio claiming that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State threatened to kill an electoral officer in the December 10 legislative rerun in the state is welcome. Indeed, it is the best thing to do in the circumstance, given the recrudescence of violence in the state, especially at election times. “They should return what they gave them or I will kill them,” the governor was allegedly heard telling an aide whom he asked to warn an unnamed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official deployed from Plateau State.

    Police spokesman Don Awunah said the IGP “has set up a team of detectives and experts to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents mentioned by the INEC chairman with a view to unravelling those who directly or indirectly are responsible for such incidents and bring them to justice. He added that: ”The investigative team is also mandated to conduct forensic analysis on the audio report released by Sahara Reporters purported to be the voice of the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike (CON) pertaining to the concluded elections.”

    A thorough probe into the allegation will reveal whether it is true or not, especially as the governor has denied making the threat adding that it was his political detractors who manipulated technology to give the impression that he made it.

    Elections are supposed to be a sacred duty in which voters peacefully go to the polls to decide their preferred candidates. That is the way it is in many developed countries and even developing ones, but not in Nigeria. Here, it is, to quote a former president of the country, “a do-or-die affair”. In most other places, elections are regarded as routine, with people strolling to the polling booths to cast their vote. Holidays are not declared and movements are never restricted. Hardly is there any noticeable security presence beyond the regular ones.

    But here, we restrict people’s movement, more or less declaring a holiday just because we are conducting election. Not only that, all manner of security personnel – the police, with sniffer dogs and drones, as well as soldiers are all deployed to make elections free and peaceful. Yet, hardly have we had any such peaceful elections. When elections approach, it is a time for apprehension because limbs and lives are likely to be lost. When the casualties are not many, we congratulate ourselves as if elections must claim even a soul.

    The experience with Rivers State in particular has been depressing. Recent elections in the state witnessed blood-letting in the most astounding manner.

    We must be able to guarantee the security of electoral umpires if we are truly desirous of having free and fair elections. They are likely to succumb to threats or blackmail if they realise that the state cannot guarantee their safety or that they are on their own. Threats, like the one under probe, can only return the country to the Hobbesian state of nature where might becomes right.

    Militarisation of areas where elections are holding (undesirable as this might even be) is not enough to check electoral violence; we will never have free and fair elections until we begin to punish electoral offenders. Those who snatch ballot boxes or destroy ballot papers, kill or maim during elections do so with impunity because they know there is no consequence for their actions. When one or two influential sponsors of electoral violence are brought to book, others who might be contemplating such illegality would think twice.

    We urge the police to diligently and professionally investigate the alleged threat and come up with a report which should form the basis of the prosecution of whoever is culpable. It is too grievous a matter to be swept under the carpet.

  • A welcome measure

    A welcome measure

    •Proposed Economic Stabilisation Bill is necessary to fast track economic development

    Monday last week, the media was abuzz with the plan by the Buhari administration to introduce a bill to grant special powers to the President to enable him tackle some of the issues hobbling the economy more frontally. Although one presidential spokesman later clarified that the proposal remained, at best, tentative since it had neither been passed to the President nor to the Federal Executive Council, the proposal has nonetheless sent tongues wagging as to whether what the nation requires at this time are such extraordinary powers.

    Among the many highlights in the public domain, the bill seeks to fast track the procurement process to support stimulus spending on critical sectors of the economy; make orders to favour local contractors/suppliers in contract awards; abridge the process of sale or lease of government assets to generate revenue; allow virement of budgetary allocation to projects considered as urgent, without going back to the National Assembly. It also seeks to amend certain laws, such as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act, so that states that cannot meet the counterpart funding to access the cash, can do so; bring radical reforms to the visa issuance process at Nigeria’s consular offices, and to compel some agencies of government like the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and others to improve on their turn around operation time for the benefit of business, among others.

    In more specific terms, there is about N58bilion trapped in the UBEC coffers that many states cannot access because they cannot raise the 50 percent counterpart funds; the proposed bill intends to reduce this to 10 percent to enable the states have easier access to the  money with which they can create jobs through contract awards. With regard to contracts,  the extant law provides for 15 percent mobilisation fee. In a time like this, especially with the stringent measures of banks on loans, it would be difficult for government to make contractors move at the desired pace to take care of exigencies. The proposed bill intends to raise mobilisation fee to 50 percent. The none-core assets that the government intends to lease or sell are expected to fetch about $50billion that could be used to shore up the country’s foreign reserves and the value of the naira.

    Similarly, the government plans to truck gas from source to the power plants to enable them get what they need for generation, instead of the present system of using pipelines to do same. This is costlier but it would facilitate power generation which is critical to economic development.

    We are not surprised that a sizeable number of Nigerians have voiced alarms at the proposal.  Aside the fact that Nigerians generally loathe the idea of untrammelled powers to the President in a democracy still struggling to inject life into its institutions, many more wonder whether the President actually needs any additional powers, given the awesome powers already granted the office by the constitution – powers, they insist, have neither been deployed in any structured sense to deal with the economic problems nor tested to any serious challenge. Moreover, for a President who took nearly six months to put his cabinet together, it would seem particularly incongruous that he will now require extraordinary powers to put his administration on some assumed fast lane.

    Are the powers being sought by the President unnecessary – or are they necessarily bad? We would agree that a lot would still depend on the specifics of the bill being proposed. Many have also argued that the powers being sought could have been achieved through the normal legislative process. Again, that may be true to an extent. What is also true is that some of the powers being sought have become necessary or inevitable in the light of current exigencies.

    First, it cannot be gainsaid that these are indeed extraordinary times. The indices are everywhere for all to see – from the fiscal crisis in the states the result of which many are in arrears of salaries and pensions by several months; the soar-away inflation and with it the steady decline in consumer purchasing power; the unprecedented level of unemployment, especially of youths; the acute foreign exchange crisis that has seen the naira on a free fall with no signs of respite imminent but rather possible prospects of foreign reserves depletion; the acute infrastructure deficit that continues to leave small and medium scale industries endangered – a situation now compounded by their inability to access foreign exchange to bring in spares and raw materials at a time the nation is counting on them to boost their operations to save jobs and cut back on imports.

    Only last week, for instance, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) reported 272 firms as drawing shutters on their operations in the last one year. While the problems have been with us for as long as anyone would care to remember, to the extent that the latest plunge in global oil prices has brought the crisis out in bolder relief, we cannot agree more with the view that the dimensions of the latest crisis have become such that would require some additional  tools to solve.

    Secondly, such powers, rather than being necessarily alien have in reality, tended to be an inescapable aspect of the democratic practice. Here, copious examples can be drawn from the United States where it is not uncommon for the President to issue executive orders made pursuant to Acts of Congress that explicitly delegate to the President some degree of discretionary powers. Nigerians would certainly recall a similar law made by the Shehu Shagari administration in 1982 to manage the crisis of that era. The least we expect the National Assembly to do if and whenever the President decides to send the bill is to put sufficient safeguards to ensure that it does not become so expansive as to be abused.  After all, the powers are supposed to last for only one year. Moreover, nothing stops any aggrieved citizen from challenging the exercise of such powers, particularly when they are deemed to be either arbitrary or in conflict with the constitution.

    All said, we have no reason not to support the bill when it eventually comes. We can only hope that it will meet the yearnings of Nigerians for the change they have long clamoured for, in terms of injecting speed and dynamism into governance and delivering real substance to the people.

  • Rousing welcome for Gbajabiamila

    Rousing welcome for Gbajabiamila

    IT was a rousing welcome for House of Representatives leader Femi Gbajabiamila at a town hall meeting organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos. Gbajabiamila represents Surulere Federal Constituency 1.
    As early as 9 a.m. Eagles Club, the venue of the programme was filled to capacity by party members and admirers of Gbajabiamila, for a programme scheduled to kick start by 10 a.m. One of the attendants, Mr Abdul –Azees Akintunde said: “Though I am not a card carrying member of the APC but anything that has to do with Hon. Gbajabiamila, I must be there because he is a grass root politician; he cares about the welfare of the people he represents. He is not the type of politician that will turn his back against the constituents after winning election. Besides, he doesn’t discriminate against opposition; he cites projects in wards that voted against him. I admire his style of politics.”
    The programme started with a welcome address by the former Executive Secretary of Surulere Local Government, Mrs Bamidele Hussain. She described Gbajabiamila as an illustrious son who through his legislative activities has succeeded in putting the name of Lagos on the world map. He has done many things that singled him out not only in Surulere but Lagos and Nigeria as a whole. The executive secretary said the people of Surulere are proud of him for his qualitative representation and purposeful leadership in the House of Representatives.
    In the same vein, a member of the House, Hon. Jide Jimoh representing Lagos Mainlan Federal Constituency, described Gbaja biamila as a dogged fighter who is committed to party ideals. He attested to Gbajabiamila’s leadership by saying: “He has been a good leader right from the time he became the leader of Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) caucus in the House, then Minority Leader and now Majority Leader”.
    Presenting the report of his activities in the House to members of his constituency, Gbajabiamila recalled the unfortunate scene at Ojuelegba, Surulere recently, where a trailer with container capsized from the overhead bridge and killed many people. He said he felt bad about it not only because it happened in Surulere but for the fact the killing of the innocent souls was avoidable. According to him, the unfortunate incident prompted him to sponsor a bill that will make it a crime for trailer with unlatched container to ply the roads. The bill, he said, is awaiting final reading and President’s assent.
    The House Leader described the situation whereby employers of labour both in the public and private sectors owe their employees’ salaries as unacceptable.
    For the indigent students, Gbajabiamila has a good tiding for them. He has sponsored a bill for the establishment of education bank titled “Student Loan bill”. When passed into law, the bank will offer loans to students in tertiary institutions who are unable to pay their school fees. He explained further: “those who gained admission to the tertiary institutions but could not honour the offer because of financial difficulties will also benefit from this facility. The loan will be interest free; repayment will be after graduation and after the beneficiaries have started working.”
    Unknown to many, Gbajabiamiala facilitated the invitation of the overall best graduating student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Mr Ayodele Dada for recognition and celebration on the floor of the House. “I thought a genius like Ayodele should be celebrated to serve as inspiration to others. To get him, I asked my Personal Assistant to look for him. We got him through the Dean of his Faculty at UNILAG. Unknown to me, Ayodele lives in Surulere, my constituency, even though he is an indigene of Ekiti State.
    Back home, Gbajabiamila has touched the lives of people in his constituency through numerous projects executed recently. They include N10 million support fund to constituents; 300 constituents sent on entrepreneurship training (Phase 1, February 2016); 50 sent for entrepreneurship (Phase II, May 2016). Provision of solar light in Tafawa Balewa Crescent, Mba Street, Laboye Laleye, Alhaji Ade Thani, Small London, Ibezim Obiajulu, Mercy Eneli, Ogun Street, Bereola Street, Calabar Street, Abebe Field, Akerele Extension and Abe Igi off Akerele.
    The support programmes include renovation of 306 Amala Food Vending Outlet at Rabiatu Thompson Crescent, renovation of designers rice food vending, donation of two ambulances to Surulere primary healthcare centre, facilitated employment of constituents into civil defence corps, teaching service commission, and Central Business District (CBD).
    He urged the party members to prepare for the local government election which, he said, was the most important election. He noted there were more aspirants for the position of chairman because Surulere is the hub, the engine room of Lagos economy and the melting port of the state. We have about 30 contesting for Surulere Local Government chair; the best person for the job will get it, he asserted.
    The leader of APC, Lagos Senatorial District, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, praised Gbajabiamila for his loyalty and dedication to the party. He said Gbajabiamila’s activities have distinguished in the House right from the time he became the leader of ACN caucus, later minority leader and now majority leader.

  • Welcome development

    •Withdrawal of Bill seeking to obstruct freedom of speech through the social media is good for democracy

    The move by the Senate to muffle the voice of Nigerians, especially the young ones who have been very loud on the social media platform, has predictably failed. In line with development on the information highway globally, young Nigerians have continued to speak their minds on the internet with a view to catching the ears of their leaders. But, the politicians see them as irritants and have continually sought means of withdrawing a platform they (politicians) did not create.

    It was in this wise that the Bill introduced ostensibly to curb the excesses of the social media was introduced in the Senate. Senators who supported the move said the citizen journalists, as they pride themselves, have become a menace to the society. They lack training and are subject to no rules. When they malign, as they often do, the senators said no ready remedies are available. As such, many politically exposed Nigerians are subjected to scurrilous attacks.

    Hence, the Bill sought to put in place laws that would rein in the citizen journalists, as those who might fall foul of the proposed law’s provision could end up in jail.

    As many Nigerians have said, we see no merit in the position of proponents of the Bill and are relieved that it has been withdrawn. At this stage of the national democratic development, what we need is to widen the scope of participation of Nigerians. It is in the interest of Nigeria that exasperated Nigerians have such forum to express themselves. Any serious leader should be thankful that the views of educated young Nigerians could be aggregated and accessed through the social media.

    We are not unaware of the excesses of some of the activists on the platform; many of them abuse and malign others inappropriately. Sometimes, baseless rumours are posted to the irritation of office holders. But, this is not enough to kill the platform. Given the level of corruption in the system, the social media has become a mode of dissemination of information that could keep the rulers of the society in check.

    Nigerians know their heroes and the villains. The same platform has been quite helpful in mobilising the people for social and political change. Rather than be fixated on seeking means of punishing those who post on the media, the legislators should tidy up their acts. During the tenure of the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, now Emir of Kano, Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi, he regaled the country with how the 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives helped themselves to a disproportionate share of the national wealth. This and other revelations about acquisition of exotic cars at a period of recession have naturally battered the image of the lawmakers.

    But killing the social media is not the solution. The legislators have to become more patriotic and support the change mantra of the government. They should launch a searchlight into obsolete laws and expunge them from the statutes, as well as step up their oversight function that would make them good representatives.

    Leaders should wake up to their responsibilities. They should be creative, too, in using the social media to inform the citizens about the various policies of government. If all platforms being abused were to be scrapped, then the National Assembly itself has no reason to stand. Government has failed Nigerians, but it is still being tolerated. It is therefore in the interest of the society that the social media be helped to develop and overcome its excesses.

    The Nigerian society needs the social media and it will serve no useful purpose to kill it. Withdrawing the obnoxious Bill is one of the best things to have happened in the National Assembly in recent times.

  • Welcome 2016

    SIR: Year in, year out, when terrorists massacre their victims, theorists would say: “Terrorism is a global problem; it has nothing to do with religion.”

    There are two groups of countries in the world today – countries that have security as top priority, and countries that have no future. It’s a privilege to own a gun in some countries; it’s Dylann Roof’s birthday toy in the United States of America. They’ve got plenty of sense but no common sense for gun control.

    The security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Needless to say, insecurity is one reason the Nigerian state faces a bleak future. Governors collect security votes and pretend to be chief security officers of their respective states. But God knows – the thief security officers in every state; kidnappers, armed robbers and hired killers all over the place; sorrow, tears and bloody rain between the reign of terror and free rein of evil. In countries where lives matter, states do have own state police and communities like a university campus or a local district reasonably do have district police. It’s long overdue the states were empowered to own their police to tackle crimes. A decentralized police is change we need. Federal police and state police and local police and community policing we pray!

    Our fears, our nemesis! We reason upside down that no need for state police because governors could abuse the “privilege” (?)! Maybe we should do away with the national security because presidents themselves sometimes do abuse their power. In any case, I do not think a country of 36 states would be so unlucky to have in government 36 lawless governors. Moreover, when we get serious we can import security architectures and protocols to checkmate governors, ordinary governors.

    Let’s talk about our greatest fear – one Nigeria. Methinks that the life of one Nigerian is more precious than one Nigeria. Of what use is one Nigeria if Nigeria is not one and not safe for one? Today in Nigeria, no place is secure and no one is safe. It is alarming innocent lives wasted daily across the country. It is sorrowful to know that fellow Nigerians perish everyday due to assassination, armed robbery, kidnapping, ritual killing, cultism, militancy, insurgency, terrorism, religious riots, ethnic violence, jungle justice, violent crimes by thugs, armed gangs, motor-park touts, area boys et al.

    Crime is everywhere in the world, and there’s no time and nowhere on earth crime will disappear altogether. Nonetheless, if we as a people would do the needful, Nigeria will become a peaceful country where people can live in peace and leave in peace.

     

    • John Adebisi,

    Abuja.

  • Welcome, fresh thinking

    •A US$ 25bn fund, to roll back recession, is charting a new economic path

    During the last electoral campaigns, the All Progressives Congress (APC) pledged a regime of  change that would encompass vigorously combatting corruption, aggressively fixing the country’s broken infrastructure, massively creating jobs for the unemployed and expansive welfare spending to offer succour to the multitude of Nigerians under the scourge of poverty.

    This basket of promises was predicated on the continued availability of a substantial inflow of revenue to meet the huge financial outlay involved. Today, the ruling party faces a vastly different and less promising reality. It has inherited an economy in the doldrums.

    Ever since the drastic drop in the price of oil by almost half last year, the country’s revenue earnings have plummeted severely. This implies the virtual fiscal crippling of an economy almost totally dependent on oil exports and one which failed to utilise earlier prolonged periods of fuel price buoyancy to build a diversified economic base with a solid infrastructure network.

    Apart from colossal budgetary underperformance, the national currency has been considerably weakened and external reserves grossly depleted. Thus, most states are practically insolvent and unable to perform the basic function of meeting wage obligations to their workers. Economic growth has slowed to about 2.35%, which is reportedly the lowest in a decade. Yet, basic infrastructure remains derelict and incapable of facilitating meaningful economic resurgence.

    While not hiding the gravity of the situation from the Nigerian people, the government has commendably not pressed the panic button and has engaged fresh thinking in confronting the economic challenges. It has demonstrated the resolve to defy conventional wisdom, which in the past would have dictated the introduction of drastic cut in spending, austerity measures as well as currency devaluation. Experience has shown that these measures only deepen economic contraction and worsen poverty.

    While the monetary authorities continue to do all they can to stabilise the value of the Naira, exchange rate controls introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) are designed to curb non-essential imports and stanch the external haemorrhaging of foreign reserves.

    The efficacy of these measures will undoubtedly be strengthened by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s recent revelation, in an interview with Bloomberg, that the Federal Government plans to create a $25 billion fund through public and private financing to stem the current slide to recession.

    Explaining the rationale for the planned initiative, the Vice President said “We think that the way out of this, what some have described as an impending recession is actually to spend rather than to cut back in any way”. We believe that this is sound economic reasoning and the right way to go.

    This is particularly so as the proposed fund is targeted at investment towards improving the current abysmally low level of power supply, which is a disincentive to a higher level of economic performance as well as modernising critical infrastructure like roads and rail transportation. These investments will stimulate economic activity by boosting public works, create jobs and ultimately help evolve an investment-friendly environment.

    Another key target area of the fund, according to Professor Osinbajo, is agriculture and here the target is to enable the country achieve self-sufficiency in rice production within 24 months. Meeting this target will result in huge foreign exchange savings that could be more productively utilised to enhance further economic capacity.

    Of course, the failure of many such brilliant ideas in the past teaches us that there is a wide gulf between intention and realization. The government must, therefore, possess the political will to ensure that this worthy idea does not become the victim of the kind of corruption, opacity, nepotism, incompetence, inefficiency and sheer impunity that have often constituted the vast grave yard of grand ideas in Nigeria.

  • Welcome apology

    Welcome apology

    •A well deserved closure to the grave injustice done Ajayi Crowther, Africa’s first bishop

    By a public expression of repentance for its unjust treatment of the illustrious 19th century African cleric, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the Church of England demonstrated a capacity for self-examination and re-examination that deserves attention. The historic admission of guilt highlighted the long history of racism and the scope of racially inspired but misguided chauvinism. It was also a lesson in injustice of a colonial colour.

    It is noteworthy that it took the Church well over a century to arrive at the point of public remorse. A June 30 ‘thanksgiving and repentance service’ to mark the 150th anniversary of Crowther’s historically significant ordination as the first African Anglican bishop in 1864 provided the stage for the moving show of self-purification. It is a measure of the institutional regret that the apology came from none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is the most important leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

    Welby’s words concerning Crowther, who is regarded as the father of Anglicanism in Nigeria: “We in the Church of England need to say sorry that someone was properly and rightly consecrated Bishop and then betrayed and let down and undermined. It was wrong.”

    He also said in his sermon: “In spite of immense hardship and despite the racism of many whites, he evangelised so effectively that he was eventually ordained Bishop, over much protest. He led his missionary diocese brilliantly, but was in the end falsely accused and had to resign, not long before his death.”

    It is relevant to observe that Crowther died of a stroke in Lagos in 1891, which was possibly connected with his desolation.

    To openly admit that Crowther didn’t deserve the blow he suffered from fellow Anglicans, as Welby has done, reflects the virtue of acknowledging fallibility. In this context, it is worth noting that Welby further said: “We are sorry for his suffering at the hands of Anglicans in this country. Learning from their foolishness and from his heroism, we seek to be a church that does not again exclude those whom God is calling. We seek new apostles, and the grace to recognise them when they come.”

    Crowther, described as “extraordinary”, played an undeniably effective role in evangelism in the early days of Christianity in Nigeria. “Today, well over 70 million Christians in Nigeria are his spiritual heirs,” Welby said in tribute to his pioneering efforts.

    Crowther’s achievements are remarkable, considering his path to priesthood. Born in Osogun in present-day Oyo State, Nigeria, and in 1821 seized in his village by Fulani slave raiders who sold him to Portuguese slave traders at the age of 12, the young Ajayi of Yoruba ancestry was rescued by the British navy and taken to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

    His conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 1825 led to his adoption of the name of a visible British clergyman of the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS). He studied in England and attended the Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, where he advanced his exceptional interest in languages, which became of immense use in evangelism.

    Crowther made history when he was ordained as the first African bishop of the Anglican Church at a ceremony in England. It is a testimony to his quality that in the same year he was also given a Doctorate of Divinity by the prestigious University of Oxford.

    To his credit, Crowther’s language skills produced the first Yoruba translation of the Bible, which was completed in the 1880s, and a Yoruba version of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. These projects illustrate how seriously Crowther took his Christianity. He also produced primers for the Igbo language and the Nupe language.

    The apology of the Church of England is very welcome. It is good for Crowther’s name, which is protected by history.

  • Communities’ rousing welcome for Ajimobi

    Communities’ rousing welcome for Ajimobi

    There were erroneous beliefs by some that the support which the All Progressives Congress (APC) enjoys in Oyo State has nose-dived. However, BISI OLADELE writes that last week’s tours by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to Oke-Ogun, Ogbomoso and Oyo areas of the state showed strong signs that the governor’s profile as well as that of the party is on the rise.

    Though Ibadan does not occupy more than a quarter of the total land mass of Oyo State, hosting the state capital and the headquarters of 11 of the 33 local government areas, 65 per cent of both government and commercial activities in the state take place in Ibadan.

    With a huge population and central location, Ibadan has been the major focus for decades, thus taking the shine off other communities.

    Nevertheless, last week will remain a special one in the lives of many residents of Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ibarapa and other major towns in Oke-Ogun areas of the state.

    It was a week traditional rulers, community leaders, politicians, professionals, artisans, students and others had a face-to-face interaction with their governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

    From Iseyin, Saki, Tede to Igbeti, Igboho, Ogbomoso and Oyo, the governor and members of his cabinet were received by surging crowds that acknowledged his impressive projects and peaceful tenure.

    The governor had undertaken the tours to the areas to see things for himself and have discussion with his subjects. Governor Ajimobi went on the tour with members of the State Executive Council, other political appointees and leaders of the party.

    He also used the opportunity to distribute appointment letters to newly recruited teachers in each of the local government areas. The teachers numbering 5,300 were recruited to fill the existing vacancies in the state’s school system.

    Though he had severally visited most of the towns on official assignments in the past, Governor Ajimobi literally relocated seat of government to other parts of the state. The tours, which started in Oke-Ogun, were rounded off in Oyo on Thursday.

    The tours began on Monday, November 3 with a visit to the 10 local government areas in Oke-Ogun. The visit lasted till Wednesday when he moved to Ogbomoso.

    Received by huge crowds at towns such as Saki, Iseyin, Tede, Igboho, Kishi and Igbeti, the governor met with traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, party stalwarts, professional bodies, artisans and ordinary folks in the zone.

    He distributed letters of appointment to the teachers just employed from Oke Ogun zone.

    While distributing the letters to the newly employed 2,500 primary school teachers from the area, Ajimobi pledged to continue to use the available resources to ensure even distribution of benefits of democracy across the five zones of the state.

    The programme, which was held at the Oja-Oba Market, witnessed the presence of party faithful, professional bodies and members of the public, even as the governor promised that his administration would continue to enhance the education sector in order to ensure standard.

    Governor Ajimobi said the previous administrations did not recruit any teacher during its tenure while its predecessor recruited only from Ibadan land and posted them to Oke-Ogun, pointing out that the teachers later moved to Ibadan through transfers, leaving schools in the area without teachers.

    He said the decision of his administration to recruit from Oke-Ogun and other local government areas was to prevent mass exodus of teachers from rural to urban areas.

    He, however, urged the newly recruited teachers to be dedicated to duty and work for the progress and development of Oyo State.

    Governor Ajimobi also used the opportunity of the event to accept new defectors to the APC.

    In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Busari Adebisi and his counterpart from the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, said the teachers recruited in the Oke-Ogun zone would be retained in the area.

    While receiving Governor Ajimobi in his palace earlier, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Adekunle, Ajinase 1, praised him for his high level of political maturity and security initiatives.

    He said the people of Iseyin were grateful to the state government for transforming the Iseyin Road into a dual carriage way despite the scanty resources available to the state.

    The monarch praised the efforts of the governor towards bringing development to all the areas of the state, stressing that the employment of teachers and other unemployed youths were indications of good governance.

    “We had never witnessed these unprecedented achievements in the history of Oyo State. I want to advise you to disregard the antics of the detractors and continue with your good works in Oyo State,’’ he said.

    In other towns in the zone, residents trooped out in large number to receive the governor.

    Traditional rulers in the zone pledged their unflinching support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the administration of Governor Ajimobi in order to achieve success in the 2015 general elections.

    The monarchs included the Iba of Kishi, Oba Moshood Aweda Lawal; the Alamodu of Ago Amodu, Oba Adebowale Lawal; the Alago of Ago Are, Oba Olagoke Jubril; the Onitede of Tede, Oba Abdulrauf Oladoyin; the Onjo of Okeho, Oba Rafiu Osuolale; the Onigbeti of Igbeti, Oba Emmanuel Oyebisi and Oba Rasheed Adekunle, the Onibode of Ona-Onibode.

    They described as unparalleled Governor Ajimobi’s achievements in the past three-and-a-half years.

    Indeed, the Alamodu of Ago Amodu was ecstatic as he sang several songs in his local dialect in praise of Governor Ajimobi for transforming the state.

    “We have seen the difference in your style of administration. Your commitment towards providing good governance and making life worth living for the people of Oyo State is unprecedented. Violence and brigandage which used to envelope the state before your coming on board has stopped. We are now sleeping with our two eyes closed.

    “We are solidly behind you. No government has done what your administration has done in Oyo State. No governor has shown love to the people of Oke-Ogun more than you have done,’’ they said, adding that the dual carriage way of Iseyin township road, the ongoing dual carriage way of Saki Township-Ilesha Ibariba Road and other road rehabilitation projects in the Oke-Ogun zone are evidence of the love the governor has for the zone.

    Responding, Governor Ajimobi assured the traditional rulers that his administration will continue to enhance the welfare of royal fathers, adding that they would be accorded due respect and honour.

    While urging the monarchs to continued their support for his administration, the governor stressed the need for them, especially those in Igboho land to be more united to ensure peaceful co-existence among themselves.

    In Ibarapa zone, the governor visited Eruwa, Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan and also visited the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola and the Asigangan of Igangan and Oba of Igboora.

    He also distributed letters of appointment to the teachers recruited from the zone.

    The Eleruwa praised the governor for his efforts towards developing the state.

    The monarch particularly acknowledged the governor’s restoration of peace and tranquillity in Oyo State as against the violence and thuggery that used to reign before he became the governor.

    He pledged his support and those of other traditional rulers in Ibarapa zone for the second term ambition of the governor.

    Governor Ajimobi promised to ensure equitable distribution of the benefits of democracy to all the five zones of the state.

    While at Ogbomoso on Wednesday, Ajimobi visited all the five local government areas.

    He also visited the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi  Ajagungbade III

    The monarch praised the governor’s passion for the development of Oyo State and pledged his continued support to his administration.

    Governor Ajimobi also had fruitful discussions with party faithful, community leaders, party leaders and other stakeholders in the zone.

    The governor and his team were treated to a rousing welcome by surging crowd in Oyo on Thursday.

    While at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, he was received by the Oyomesi, the baales, members of the Oyo royal family and community leaders.

    Oba Adeyemi debunked rumours that his relationship with the governor had been strained. He said he was solidly behind the second term aspiration of the governor.

    The monarch noted that the governor had been doing well to govern the state.

    “The governor has not offended me in any way. He has not done anything for us to part ways. We are still together. May God Almighty continue to guide him. If he offends me, I will tell him. If there is need for us to part ways, I would have told him, but there is no reason to warrant this,’’ the Alaafin said.

    Governor Ajimobi thanked the monarch for his rewarding pieces of advice to him the past three-and-a-half years of his tenure.

    He also corroborated the Aalafin’s assertion that the relationship between them is still cordial, even as he likened it to that of a father and son.