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Tag: Words

  • Matching words with actions

    Matching words with actions

    With the President’s assent to the 2024 Appropriation Act, Nigerians are eager to assess the budgetary provisions in line with the president’s professed readiness to deliver on his promises. From the capital market to banking, telecommunications, aviation and agriculture, among others, there are so much expectations on the trajectory of the economy this year, writes Group Business Editor, SIMEON EBULU

    For years, Nigerians have gone through one cycle after another of unfulfilled promises, dashed hopes and avoidable poverty strains.

      A vast majority of the populace are concerned that a country so  well endowed with resources, is at the same time exhibiting such abysmal level of lack and want. There’s no gainsaying the fact that the poverty level, is more or less self imposed, given the amount of proven resources that are available in the country.

      Talking of resources, both human and natural, Nigeria has them in abundance.

    Nigeria has close to 40 billion barrels of untapped crude and a huge gas deposit, putting the country in the sixth position globally in gas resource alone. Either of this energy resource, standing alone, can transform the fortunes of Nigeria, if the proceeds are well utilised.

     Aside from crude oil ( discovered since 1956) from which the country derives close to 90 per cent. or more of its foreign exchange earnings, Nigeria is endowed with other choice minerals and metals that dot every nook and cranny of the country. There are known gold deposits in different parts of the country, including Osun and Zamfara states, likewise bauxite, known for the production of cell phone batteries and other electronics devices  and cyber security items, is found in Plateau, Adamawa and other states. Nigeria is classified as the world’s fifth largest producer of bauxite.

    Valuechain’s assessment of Nigeria’s official mining data revealed that these minerals cut across a broad spectrum, with the deposits categorized into five groups according to their uses. These are industrial minerals – such as barite, kaolin, gypsum, feldspar and limestone; energy minerals –  such as bitumen, lignite and uranium; metallic ore minerals – such as gold, cassiterite, columbite, iron ore, lead-zinc and copper; construction minerals- such as granite, gravel, laterite and sand; as well as precious stones – such as sapphire, tourmaline, emerald, topaz, amethyst, and garnet, among others.

    Outside of crude oil, Nigeria can still be reckoned with as a very rich country on the economic strength of its mineral deposits.

    The state of health of the economy the last administration bequeathed to the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is public knowledge. It has been variously described as “terrible, a dead horse,” and “a very bad economy.” These assessments came from no less personalities than those who should know, among them, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Professor Chukwuma Soludo and Olawale Edun.

    Oshionmhol, a former Edo State Governor and  chairman of the All Progressives Congress. (APC), had this to say about the economy Tinubu inherited: “The government inherited a terrible economic situation, an economy where our total national revenue was barely enough to service our debt burden – spending 96 per cent to service debts, meaning that for every N100 Nigeria earns, 96kobo will be required to service debts, with only N4kobo left to pay all the salaries. Nothing can be worse,” he however added that Tinubu’s government will have to do business ‘unusual’ to arrest the drift and stabilise the economy.

    Soludo, the Anambra State Governor and one time helmsman of the Central Bank of Nigeria, said Tinubu inherited an economy that could be compared to a “dead horse, but standing.”

    He commended the President for taking some economic decisions, including the removal of petrol subsidy, and urged the citizenry to support the government in achieving its plans. The last of the trio, Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and a close ally of the President, said the Tinubu administration met a very bad economy.

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    Hear him:  “We met a bad economy, unemployment is high and youth unemployment is even unacceptably high,” but assured that “the promise of Mr. President is to make it better.”

    Notwithstanding the state of the economy Tinubu inherited, he came prepared with his own agenda and ready for what was on ground. He was the least perturbed, if ever, going by his pronouncements. In a somewhat dismissive note, Tinubu, at the gala night following his declaration as the duly elected President, said: “Don’t pity me, I applied for the job and I campaigned for the job,” assuring that he will live up to expectation.

    The Anchor of Hope to which the future holds for Nigerians, at least in the near future, is hanging perhaps on this bold declaration of Mr. President.

    A major flank upon which the President hopes to actualise his bold economic plan this year, has been unveiled – The 2024 Appropriation. It is the statement of intention that encapsulates Mr. President’s economic blue print in the next 12 months, and beyond. The budget has laid out how resources will be apportioned to the different sectors of the economy to add value and grow the GDP, and also how existing programmes will be funded to equally bring them to fruition.

    The question on everyone’s lips, is what should we expect in terms of value addition, in the near future?  There’s no question, expectations are high on all fronts.

    Nigerians want to know if they’ll experience regular power supply; they are equally anxious to see how much better the roads will look like in the course of the lifetime of this budget. There are yet other concerns about availability of food, and whether it will be affordable.

    Will there ever be an end to the spate of incessant killings and mauling of harmless and defenceless farmers plowing their farms, will there be an end to kidnapping to guarantee safety on the roads for travellers? When shall we be free from hearing tales of those entrusted with public funds helping themselves with the very assets entrusted to their care? These are questions and many more, begging for answers.

    But we have assurances of Mr. President, not only of his readiness to act, but also his preparedness to turn the tide.

    Nigerians are waiting with high expectations as Tinubu promises to match words with actions.

  • More words than action

    More words than action

    It’s clear that the President Bola Tinubu administration inherited a troubling security crisis from the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which demands urgent remedial action. But it’s unclear how the Federal Government under Tinubu will fight insecurity in the country, or even how it is fighting insecurity. 

    There are verbal indications that the new administration will pursue different approaches to win the fight against insecurity, but it requires more than words to achieve the desired objective.     

    For instance, when the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, last week appeared before the Senate Committee on Defence, he faulted the fight against insecurity under the previous administration. He said: “The issue of Boko Haram is not new in the North-East and our system, but because of what has transpired in the previous government, the issue was not tackled seriously.” A former governor of Zamfara State, he also noted that insecurity, particularly banditry, “is new to us in the North-West.”

    According to him, “Today, actions are being made and operations taken on such criminals. The issue of security needs collective cooperation from state, local governments and the federal government.” The “actions” and “operations” he referred to must be visible and effective. The suggested three-pronged approach, involving the local, state and federal governments must go beyond words.

    At President Tinubu’s inauguration in May, he declared that security would be “the top priority” of his administration, saying the Federal Government would “reform our security doctrine and its architecture,” and invest more in security personnel by providing “better training, equipment, pay and firepower.” He needs to translate his words into effective action.

    According to SBM Intelligence, about 629 Nigerians were killed by non-state actors, including Boko Haram insurgents, ethnic militias, bandits and armed robbers, within the first 45 days under President Tinubu.  

    The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) and media reports indicated that non-state actors killed 587 people within the same period.

    Unsurprisingly, Nigeria’s security crisis was further highlighted at the opening ceremony of the Countering Violent Extremism Course 3/2023 recently organised by the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPCK) at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan supported the course, which had participants from Nigeria and other West African countries.

    The Deputy Resident Representative (Programme), UNDP, Mr. Lealem B. Dinku, drew attention to the scale of insecurity in the country, and the huge number of lives lost to the crisis. He observed that “violent extremism (VE) has continued to be ingrained in scope and impact since creeping into Nigeria geographical space in 2009 but has been more pronounced since 2013.”

    According to him, “It was estimated that between 2009 and 2023, Nigeria has suffered no less than 35,000 casualties while billions of dollars have been lost due to destruction of property, public infrastructures, disruption of socio-economic activities including livelihoods and displacement of mass population.”

    The authorities should be troubled by this picture of devastation within 14 years. Even more troubling is the reality that the crisis is ongoing. The UN official noted that the country “is still grappling with the menace of VE and its attendant socio-economic implications till the moment.”  

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    Japan Defence attaché to Nigeria, Lt.-Col. Morita Tatsuya, spoke in a similar vein at the event, saying, “Nigeria has been subjected to the adverse effects and attacks of Boko Haram and ISWAP in the North-East for quite a long time.” He also noted: “More recently, terrorists have expanded their sphere of influence to the North-West and other parts of the country.” Additionally, violent separatists in the South-East continue to add fuel to the fire. Banditry and kidnapping for ransom are part of the insecurity mix in many areas of the country.

     He identified solutions, including sharpening the capacity of security authorities regarding counterterrorism and the protection of civilians, and implementing measures to counter violent extremism, which is at the root of terrorism.

    Tackling insecurity in the country certainly demands more than words. It requires urgent action. The event gave an insight not only into the problem but also the solution. It was a grim reminder of the disturbing reality that the country is far from winning the fight against insecurity.

    It is noteworthy that when long-term Niger Delta activist Mujahid Asari-Dokubo visited President Tinubu in Abuja, in June, he was reported saying he had discussed security issues with him.  In an interview with journalists after the visit, Asari-Dokubo, described as the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force (NDPSF), took credit for bringing security and peace to parts of the country.  His words: “Today you are traveling to Kaduna on this road, it is not the army that made it possible for you to travel to Abuja or travel to Kaduna vice versa, it is my men employed by the government of Nigeria stationed in Niger. Today go to Baga, you go to Shiroro and go to Wase. We have lost so many men; we don’t even have one per cent of the armament deployed by the Nigerian military and we have had resounding success.”

    It was puzzling that he presented a narrative of collaboration with the country’s armed forces. It was equally puzzling that the Nigerian Army issued a statement denying knowledge of the activities of his so-called private military company in the places he mentioned.

    These conflicting narratives from both sides suggested that the country’s struggle with insecurity is unstructured. The country’s armed forces and security agencies are expected to be the actors in the fight, not non-state actors like Asari-Dokubo and his force.   

    The Federal Government has not clarified the status of Asari-Dokubo’s so-called private military company and its alleged role in the fight to bring security to the country, about five months after he made the claims.  Also, the authorities must decisively address the question of illegal arms in unlicensed hands. For instance, he has been seen in several viral videos playing the role of militia commander in the midst of gun-wielding robots. Are his martial activities lawful? Lawlessness must not be encouraged. It sends the wrong signals.  

    Notably, Matawalle told the Senate Committee on Defence that the country needed “key legislation on insecurity.” It remains to be seen how the legislative and executive arms of the Federal Government will collaborate towards tackling insecurity in the country. He also said, without proof, that the security crisis “is gradually going down,” adding, “we just received two attack helicopters to strengthen the battle against insecurity.”

    So far, words outstrip action in the fight against insecurity in the country. That is not the solution to the security crisis.  

  • Shettima’s ‘first and last words’

    Working with a newspaper for about 10 years, I had the learning experience of reporting and managing reporters across the north-east, the Niger Delta, and some states in the south-east geo-political zones. At work, I met different categories of people and seen scenarios. Of particular note, I have monitored relationships between governors and appointees in the north and south. I have seen humiliated appointees get running stomach on the mere sight of governors.

    Just when I wished I never had to share the experiences of these appointees, I was appointed by a governor in February, 2012. Leaving Port Harcourt for the political office, my prayer was never to face the kind of humiliation I had seen appointees face under two particular governors, one in the Niger Delta and another in the North-east.

    Incidentally, I came face to face with my fears a month after my appointment. Governor Kashim Shettima had given me some specific assignments. They were complex. The man’s standard, especially on writings, is very high. Shettima reads line by line, takes copious note of accuracy in names and dates, corrects punctuation marks, restructure paragraphs and he screens every sentence in a plagiarism checker he has on his laptop. Being a university lecturer, Shettima is very tough on plagiarism and insists on citing sources even if he paraphrases what someone unknown once said. Meeting these standards, the assignment kept me indoors for a whole day. I had done substantial part of it but there was something I couldn’t achieve.

    Governor Shettima was reading some document when I walked into his office one night in March, 2012. He collected the papers I brought, looked at them and didn’t say anything. It was my vest first major task under him. I stood by the side, watched him drop the documents I gave him and shifted his attention back to what he was reading before I came in. His mind wasn’t with me anymore. I was totally disappointed in myself, thought I should leave but I didn’t want him to see me leaving. I thought of vanishing but didn’t have witchcraft or some Nollywood powers to disappear. Humanly, I decided to leave noiselessly; taking steps as soft as a cat and as quite as an unarmed thief whose safety would only rely on how quiet he is able to sneak. I retired home. Just when I had perfected plans to avoid the governor for a number of days, I got phone calls from two persons, one a security aide and a commissioner, calling my two lines. I picked that of the security aide and he said, ‘Oga dey call you’. It was a troubling invitation. I returned the commissioner’s call and he said the same thing in Hausa, ‘Oga na kira, kazo yanzu yanzu’ (the governor wants you now now). As I was driving to the Government House, I was recalling how aides get humiliated.

    Back in 2008, I had seen one governor in Borno State publicly calling his commissioners stupid. I had seen one commissioner rushing to the mosque near a governor’s office to seek divine intervention after he was told a governor in Borno was calling him. That governor was feared like Mr. Fir’auna (a.k.a Pharoah). He was feared because he could say just about anything to humiliate his aides and he never humiliates privately but publicly. His commonest insult in public was, ‘You are very stupid. Idiot’. I just couldn’t imagine reacting to that kind of humiliation.

    Finally, I arrived Governor Shettima’s office, met three persons in his office. Soon as he saw me approach his seat, he said, ‘Honourable, sorry, I didn’t know when you left my office. Actually when you came in, I was reading a security intelligence report, my mind was completely on the report. I called you back because I forgot to say thank you when you delivered that work. I have gone through it, I noticed the one you didn’t address but I will do it tonight when I get home. I will be closing as early as 8pm tonight so I can work on it at home. I am very grateful and I deeply appreciate your good efforts’.

    I was confused. So, I said, ‘Your Excellency, but I don’t know why you asked me to come back’. He said there was nothing else, he just realized he didn’t thank me and it was for that he sent for me. The governor said he didn’t want to speak to me on phone. ‘Ikon Allah!’ I sighed. When he closed a little after 8pm, I got home wondering. However, my instinct as a journalist said to me, the governor was probably acting drama. I found it unbelievable that a governor would invite his own appointee to ‘merely’ thank him. Of course I knew that most people, particularly politicians, have two (oftentimes, distinct) sides. There is ‘who they are’ and there is ‘who they want you to think they are’. So, I secretly decided to monitor Governor Shettima’s relationship with not just me but all of his aides. In over five years of working with him, Shettima’s ‘last’ words to aides who impress him, is ‘thank you so much’. My monitoring led me to identify he not only uses ‘last’ words but also a ‘first’ word. This first word is ‘PLEASE’. Governor Shettima will never ask anyone, (including his messengers and drivers) to do any task without using the word, ‘Please’. This is known to all. If he is not speaking in English, he will say ‘dan Allah’ (because of God) which is the commonest alternative for ‘please’ in Hausa.

    There is the common evidence that Shettima’s ‘first’ and ‘last’, are part of his unconscious normal but perhaps unknown to him, these words define the willingness with which aides sincerely key into his vision for Borno.

     

    • Gusau is Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy to Borno State governor.

  • Delta communities trade words over abducted man, 34

    The disappearance of a 34-year-old indigene of Isaba community, Emmanuel King Ukiri, is causing tension between his people and their Aladja neighbours.

    Residents of Isaba Kingdom, who are mainly Ijaw, at the weekend, blamed their Urhobo neighbours in Aladja for Ukiri’s disappearance.

    They said their missing son was allegedly abducted and murdered by suspected residents of Aladja on April 3.

    In a statement at the weekend in Warri, Delta State, President of Isaba Kingdom’s youths, Moses Ogugu, said Ukiri, whose mother is also an Urhobo, was allegedly abducted by suspected Aladja indigenes and later killed.

    The statement said: “The name of the man is Emmanuel King Ukiri. His father is from Isaba in Isaba Kingdom while his mother is from Ekete and Ejewu in Udu Kingdom. He is an Okada (commercial motorcycle) rider. He is 34 years old. On April 3, Aladja residents caught him on DSC Expressway and kidnapped him to Aladja and killed him at 11 p.m.”

    But President of Aladja youths, Wisdom Onatomre, denied the allegation.

    He described it as a cover-up by Isaba residents to reduce the weight of a similar incident they allegedly committed against an Aladja indigene.

    Onatomre said: “If someone is kidnapped on DSC Expressway, how is it Aladja’s fault? I can assure you that the DSC Expressway they are talking about is a busy road. I have never heard that anyone has ever been kidnapped from there.

    “Anytime they do something, they’ll look for a way to cover up. Nothing of such happened. I can swear with my life, there’s nothing anyone or youth from Aladja will do that I, the youth president, won’t know.

    “On April 6, we were at the Government House Annex to sign a peace accord. Why didn’t they mention this there? The brother of the Ukiri they are talking about was also there and he signed as well. There was nothing like that. They are doing this to cover up what they did before. “

    Police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said there was a missing person’s report on the matter.

    He called for caution on matters involving communities to avoid jeopardising the peace-building process.

  • Wike, Peterside trade words on sponsors of crimes

    Wike, Peterside trade words on sponsors of crimes

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said Rivers people are tired of the lies, deceit and propaganda of the Nyesom Wike’ administration.

    He accused Wike, a former minister of state for Education, of promoting and supporting kidnapping.

    Peterside, who is the director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), spoke at the weekend at APC’s Rivers East Senatorial District campaign kick-off for the October legislative rerun at Okehi, headquarters of Etche Local Government.

    The rally was attended by Peterside’s running mate, Asita Honourable; Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari; APC’s Deputy National Chairman, Oji Ngofa; Rivers Chairman of APC, Chief Davies Ikanya; and candidates for the rerun; among other chieftains of APC.

    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, while speaking at the rally, described the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as a honest man, a man of integrity and a performer.

    He expressed surprise that despite borrowing billions in a little over one year in office, Wike still owed workers six months, giving the excuse of doing biometrics.

    The NIMASA director-general also accused Rivers governor of closing schools and primary health centres built by Amaechi across the 23 councils.

    Wike, who spoke through Samuel Nwanosike, publicity secretary of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asked Peterside to apologise to Rivers people and join him to develop the state.

    The Rivers governor denied promoting or supporting kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.

    He accused the NIMASA’s director-general and other APC leaders of living in lies, describing security as the business of the Federal Government, with governor as logistic officer not chief security officer of the state.

    Wike stressed that all loans taken by his administration to better the lives of Rivers people were approved by the House of Assembly.

    The governor insisted that many projects and programmes were embarked upon by his government, with those allegedly abandoned by Amaechi’s administration being completed.

    Peterside said: “We have another opportunity through the October rerun to correct the lies being told Rivers people. We never voted for Wike’s government and we would not have voted for this government. Rivers people are tired of their lies, deceit and propaganda. No amount of lies, propaganda and deceit can sway Rivers people. We are resolute to change Wike’s government. We want a government that will represent the interest of our people and that government is APC’s government, led by  Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers State.

    “While NBA (Nigeria Bar Association) conference was going on in Rivers State, a woman was kidnapped in GRA, Port Harcourt. In trying to escape from the kidnappers, she bashed her car and she almost died. While the NBA conference was taking place, another woman was kidnapped in Borikiri, Port Harcourt, in front of her house.

    “We know who gave them (kidnappers) guns and who cannot withdraw the guns. With the October rerun, the end of lies, deceit, propaganda, kidnapping and criminality has come in Rivers State. Your votes will make all the difference. Your vote is your power.”

    The APC’s ex-governorship candidate also said during Amaechi’s first term as governor, while he was the commissioner for Works, many projects were delivered, while challenging Wike’s government to show Rivers people one project it conceived and completed in one year in office, despite borrowing more money than previous governments put together.

    He maintained that economic exploitation must stop in the state, with good governance needed and promised that he and other APC leaders would not rest until good governance was delivered to the people

    Peterside urged them to vote for APC’s candidates, who represent good governance, during the rerun.

    He assured them of security, asking the electorate not to be scared.

    Peterside said: “Proper elections were conducted in Tai Local Government  (of Rivers State during March 19 rerun). After the elections, the returning officer declared the results properly. Somebody, who thought he could act God and could use money to compromise everybody, decided to sit on the results, but at God’s own time, the results of Tai LGA were announced. We thank INEC for the courage.

  • Ambode: From words to deeds

    Obviously, saying something is not the same thing as doing something. Also, it may well be easier to say something than to do something. These realities mean that a power-seeker may well be a talker and not a doer, and may well demonstrate inaction in power.

    In October 2014, a power-seeker who is today in power formally expressed his desire to govern Lagos State. He projected his political vision through an inventive acronym, LAGOS, which was notable for the inclusion of service.   Akinwunmi Ambode declared at a well-attended event at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos: “Our message is LAGOS. LAGOS is Leadership, LAGOS is Accountability, LAGOS is Good Governance, LAGOS is Opportunities and LAGOS is Service. This is what I stand for.” It was striking that his organising principles were put in a capsule named after the state he sought to govern.

    As Ambode marks a year as Governor of Lagos State, his performance in office shows that he is a man who can walk the talk.  It is useful to reflect on how he moved from words to deeds. What’s in a biography? Plenty, if it’s about Ambode.  The Art of Selfless Service by Marian Osoba, which was launched in Lagos ahead of Ambode’s political ascendancy, stands out as a must-read for anyone who wants a picture of him.

    Two quotes from the biography deserve contemplation, considering the familiar tendency for personal aggrandisement in the country’s corridors of power.   Ambode was quoted as saying: “A true leader sees his work as selfless service towards a higher purpose. A true leader should be judged by what he has not – ego, arrogance and self interest.” He also said: “We must, wherever we find ourselves, create an atmosphere of selfless service.”  Ambode’s emphasis on selfless service is a defining plus because a leader without a correct sense of service is ultimately negative.

    Interestingly, the biography provides a thought-provoking response to the view in certain quarters that Ambode is a puppet of certain political kingmakers. Ambode said:”At different points in our lives, we have had relationships; a teacher, a boss, an employer, a friend, a parent who has greatly changed the way we looked at life and the world. Someone who inspired us and motivated us, someone who taught us to set goals and instilled the confidence and spirit to achieve them, someone who had high standards and truly stood for something; such a person is the real mentor we all need to find. I have found true leaders through such observations in the course of my career…they help you build your art of selfless service, but it is important too that you carve out for yourself an identity authentically your own, that you don’t monkey another person’s life so slavishly as to lose your own.” Against this background, it may be observed that Ambode has been guided by his understanding of brand identity. In a year in office, he has communicated his own unique personal brand.

    Before he became a governor, Ambode in May 2014 published a piece in celebration of Lagos State’s 47th anniversary.  Ambode said in the piece titled “Happy Anniversary, Lagos State”: “As Lagos turns fifty in the next three years, therefore, the future beckons on whoever would take over the baton in the relay of enduring people-friendly policies to solidify and build on these worthy legacies.” His reference to legacies was a tribute to the governmental accomplishments of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who governed the state from 1999 to 2007, and Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, who succeeded Tinubu. The state’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated next year, and the Ambode administration is preparing for a mega celebration.

    It stands to reason that a megacity needs mega governance. The status of Lagos as a megacity is a reason for mega governance. Nigeria’s megacity in 2015 was listed 12th among the world’s largest 35 cities, and credited with an unofficial population figure of “approximately 21 million”. Of course, a mega city has to grapple with mega challenges. Megacity challenges include slums, crime, homelessness, traffic congestion and environmental pollution.

    “If we take the concept of resource generation, allocation and distribution into cognisance and apply the principles of good governance, we will achieve economic growth and development,” Ambode said while presenting a paper titled “Public Finance: Probity and Accountability” at a workshop organised in August 2014 by the Lagos State Government and the Lagos Business School. Also, in a newspaper interview he shed light on his understanding of good governance, which is an essential aspect of his vision:”In essence, the elected government is like a caretaker for the rest of the people, overseeing their resources on their behalf. The citizens remain the landlord while the elected officials are only caretakers. Arising from this, good government can only thrive where the resources of the people are judiciously distributed to various sectors/needs in the society in a just and equitable manner that makes life easier for every person.”

    It is noteworthy that when in November 2015 the Ambode administration donated modern security equipment worth over N4bn to the Nigeria Police Force, President Muhammadu Buhari described the donation as a “remarkable feat”. Buhari urged other state governments to “emulate Lagos State by supporting security agencies that are trying to keep us safe”.  Ambode’s exemplary donation was of national significance because security is significant.

    Food is significant too. Food is a hierarch in the hierarchy of needs. When in March the Ambode administration signed a record-setting agriculture-related Memorandum of Understanding with Kebbi State’s Atiku Bagudu administration, it was an exemplary move towards a much-needed agricultural revolution in the country. “This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that two states are collaborating to develop their agricultural potential,” Ambode declared. The logic of this agricultural partnership and how it will enable national food sufficiency and food security, apart from its employment-generation possibilities, is compelling and commendable.

    These two instances will suffice to illustrate and underline Ambode’s national relevance and remarkableness, beyond his undeniable gubernatorial value.  By effectively moving from words to deeds, he has shown what is possible when a leader takes his own words seriously.

  • PMB: Ponder on the words of Atiku Abubakar

    Many Nigerians did not read, and most do not remember, the memo which former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar sent to the 2014 National Conference. That is a pity. I have re-read it, and I must urge all lovers of this country to read it. Coming from one of the most eminent personalities from Northern Nigeria, it deserves to be ranked as one of the most important, one of the most patriotic, documents in Nigeria’s recent history.

    In particular, President Buhari, whom we elected on his promise of CHANGE, should read this document carefully and thoughtfully, and then respond to it. He has stolidly refused to respond to the countless calls on him to consider some agenda for restructuring our federation. He cannot now continue to do so without risking the loss of his credibility. That does not mean that we do not appreciate his fight against corruption; but it does mean that his anti-corruption fight does not, and cannot, touch the roots of Nigeria’s failings as a country.  Any claim to be making change without attending to the need for properly restructuring this federation of many nations is flatly unconvincing. We who support Buhari care very much about his evolving image and heritage.

    The following are the significant sections of the Atiku memorandum. The words are entirely his – with only minor touching to save space or to highlight sections.

     

    “What We Can Agree On

    A major reason why Nigeria is not working is the way we have structured our country and governance, especially since the emergence of military rule in 1966. We can agree that the federal government is too big, too rich, and too strong relative to the federating states. We can agree that there is too much centralisation of resources and concentration of power at the federal level.

    Nigerians would not have been calling for a National Conference, sovereign or not, if we were meeting our people’s basic needs, including food, shelter, education, security, energy, and transportation infrastructure, if we were putting the country on the right path and every segment of the country feels equitably treated. And we would unlikely see people describing as a mistake the amalgamation of the northern and southern parts of Nigeria 100 years ago.

     

    Unitary Federalism

    Therefore, many of our challenges are governance issues which can be tackled by a serious government committed to uplifting our people. To me then, the National Conference should design a political and governmental system that empowers local authorities and gives them greater autonomy to address peculiar local issues, and enhances accountability, while contributing to the general good of the country.  Such a robust federal system would reduce the tensions that are built into our current over-centralised system.  While the relationships among Nigeria’s ethnic and religious groups are important, the National Conference cannot expect to create a federating structure that coheres with our ethnic identities.  Those identities are not only numerous but cross-cutting as well.

    Although our regional arrangement in the First Republic was not perfect – and did have its tensions – it certainly made for more local autonomy and better quality governance than what we have today. Our current structure, which can best be described as “unitary federalism” (a contradiction in terms), was created under our military regimes in the context of rising ethnic tensions and violence, an unfortunate civil war and the sudden rise in revenues from crude oil rents.

    As more power was concentrated in the centre, the federal government appropriated more resources and expanded its responsibilities. All of these were done in the name of promoting national unity. And the process was relatively easy as the unified command structure of the military ensured little opposition. Military governors/administrators in the states could not defend greater autonomy for their states against their commanders from the nation’s capital: they were merely on military posting.

     

    How to Fix Nigeria

    Therefore, fixing Nigeria, to me, will require reversing decades of over-centralisation of power and over-concentration of resources at the centre. That is, it requires federal retreat or a degree of retrenchment of the federal government. The features will include:

     

    1. Fiscal federalism (which allows the component states to keep their resources but allows the federal government taxing powers)
    2. Devolution of powers to states and local governments (e.g. state and local control of education, health, roads and other infrastructure)

    iii. State and local police to augment the federal police (with clearly defined roles and jurisdictions)

    1. Independence of key democratic institutions, security and anti-corruption agencies.

     

    Facts & Realities

    We need to eschew emotions and knee-jerk reactions and examine these issues critically.  As is to be expected, interests have been formed and entrenched so that calls for devolution and decentralisation (mostly from the south) have been met with very strident opposition (mostly from the north). It is as though the over-centralisation of power and concentration of resources in the federal government benefit the north more than the south. Nothing can be further from the truth. In my view, and the evidence is there for all to see, the excessive dominance of the federal government has been detrimental to the development aspirations of all sections of this country.  It is precisely why we now rely almost exclusively on oil revenues, which come mainly from a small section of the country. It is what has, by extension, killed our agriculture, local control of schools, and promoted corruption that has eroded the quality of our public and even private institutions.

    I come from the north, and I can tell you that government’s reliance on oil revenues has virtually destroyed the economy of the north, and no part of Nigeria has been left unaffected.  I readily acknowledge the role of oil revenues in expanding our infrastructure such as schools, roads and irrigation facilities. However, were oil prices to suddenly drop significantly, the country, every part of the country, will be in even more serious trouble than we are today.

    Yet this is a country which, while I was growing up, had federating units that were able to send their children to school, build roads, universities, ports, factories, farm settlements, etc.  I had all my formal education in northern Nigeria and it was the Native Authority and regional government that funded it, even paid me to go to school. Three of the first generation universities, UNN, ABU and OAU were built by the then regional governments.

    We must stop assuming that anyone calling for the restructuring of our federation is working for the breakup of the country.  And the notion that over-centralisation and an excessively powerful centre is equivalent to national unity is false.  If anything, it has made our unity more fragile and our government more unstable.  We must renegotiate our union in order to make it stronger.  Greater autonomy, power and resources for states and local authorities will unleash our people’s creative energies and spur more development. It will help with improving security. It will help give the federating units and the local governments greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues, priorities and peculiarities. It will promote healthy rivalries among the federating units and local authorities. It will help make us richer and stronger as a nation.

    Let us consider restructuring our federation on the basis of the current six geo-political zones as regions and the states as provinces.

    Let us look at our First Republic Constitution for guidance.  It is a constitution that resulted from hard bargaining among our leaders then, leaders whom no one would accuse of lacking in patriotism or developmental zeal.  Let us look at our history, for example the history of our education management and social provisioning in the First Republic and compare that with the current situation. Let us also look at other working federations around the world such as the United States, Canada, and India.  What we will learn from them is that states or provinces and local municipalities have greater autonomy over their resources, development choices, and wage structures, among other things. There is no reason for the governor of Lagos State to earn the same salary as the Governor of Kogi State or for a teacher in Mubi to earn the same salary as the one in Abuja or Port Harcourt, given the widely varying costs of living, productivity and revenue generating capacities across the country.

    In a nutshell, the national conference should produce proposals that enable us have a smaller, leaner federal government with reduced responsibilities, a tax-focused revenue base, and a true federal system with greater autonomy for the component states and localities to control their revenues and their development”.

  • Behold, man of figures, words

    Behold, man of figures, words

    He used to play with figures. Now Dr Sunny Oby Maduka is feasting with words. Maduka, Senior Manager (Audit) at Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), has presented two novels – The Surviving Twins and Tears for Love in Lagos. The Accountant-author, EVELYN OSAGIE reports, is calling for peaceful coexistence and cultural re-orientation.

    They call him a man of many parts. He is an accountant-turned-writer, a marine expert, motivational speaker and filmmaker, among others.

    Dr Sunny Oby Maduka, Senior Manager (Audit) at Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), brought friends and associates together at the presentation of his books in Lagos.

    But they were not his first. The author has three other works – The Whispering Voice (2013), My Nation My Agony (2014) and The Collection of Iluminatory Poems (2014). He has also produced a film, titled: Blood Communion.

    In appreciation of the man and his gifts, guests thronged the Best Western Hotel, Victoria Island.

    Many wondered where this multi-talented executive finds the time and energy to churn out five creative works and a film within three years.

    Moved by Maduka’s agility and flair, Mr Chidi Ogboku, who chaired the event, described him as “an immutable talent” who is influencing many, particularly the young, across the nations.

    “Maduka is a man of many parts that is committed to whatever he does. I am not surprise that he keeps churning out books yearly. He is also very passionate about people, especially the young. The best we can do for posterity is to document our aspirations. Great minds, like the late Prof Chinua Achebe, Prof Wole Soyinka and their peers, have done their parts. It is inspiring to note that Maduka is following in their footsteps,” he said.

    Besides praising Maduka’s ability to merge diverse vocations, guests eulogised the intellectual depth in his works. They linked it to his being an avid reader. It was also observed that the multitasking author is also an ardent advocate for literacy, culture and moral values.

    The book reviewer, Mr Chris Emeka Mba, described the books as motivational, observing that the love expressed by the author in both works transcends “human understanding”.

    Mba,, an engineer, was of the view that the literati hold the power to change society. He, therefore,  commended the didactic lessons Maduka’s books, while urging guests to borrow a leaf from the author’s efforts at promoting reading culture and intellectual expressions.

    He said: “Having read his five books, I cannot but buy into his rare ideals. As an intellectual builder, he is indeed a comparative professor whose books talk about topical issues of global interests. Maduka makes case for culture and tradition. Both books are fascinating but similar in many ways in that they both hammer on the universal benefits of love and cultural reorientation.”

    Asked how he is able to keep abreast with the demands of his diverse endeavours, accountant-turned-writer said: “Multitasking has been a part of me from a very young age. As I grew older, I became used to doing many things at the same time and doing each well. I only sleep for few hours; and I am happy my wife understands the kind of person I am and supports me.”

    Maduka called for proactive steps to ignite the reading culture in the young, noting that in promoting and supporting writers and their works would improve the literacy rate.

    He said: “African must refuse the epithet of literary illiterates with the assertion that we don’t read. We must cultivate the cultural heritage of great who were/are not only good in writing but excellent in reading. Africa must arise and honour our literary giants who have put us in the world’s hall of fame, such as Wole Soyinka, Zainab Akali and the late Chinua Achebe.”

    While observing that “every creative work has a pondering and reflexive lessons for mankind”, Maduka emphasised that “no nation succeeds without its citizenry understanding the place of reading”.

    He decried the decadence in the social order, while naming the failure of government, corporate bodies and society at large to promote worthy causes as its source.

    He said: “Together let’s teach ethical values to generations beyond ours by becoming positive change agents in the gloomy earth’s systems. Let us be part of that generation that abhors any form of tribal and religious disunity that has knifed our great African communal heritage. No true African writer would devalue our values through their works. Writers should endeavour to promote our rich moral and cultural heritage through their works.

    “I have been inspired by the pains of the rich, the pleasure of the poor, the laughter of a home filled with love, the screaming of the exact opposite. I draw inspiration from the rat race where the rich out runs the poor and unfortunately too, the poor become architects of their doomsday by smiling ingloriously at glaring acts of injustice.”

    This writer-cum advocate brings his beliefs to bear on his writings as his works speak of a better future engineered by people-oriented change.”

    In The Surviving Twins, Maduka hazardous condemns anti-social traditions, such as the killing of twins. In it, the “abominable” twins and their mother were to be killed in Agafe forest. The task of execution was to be shouldered by two noble sons of the soil,but were murdered. Saved from death, the condemned and supposedly abominable soon became the turning wheel of Afigbo’s progress.

    Tears For Love is a love of Michael. The trouble is that Michela is not w in love with the woman he’s agreed to marry: he has hopelessly fallen for Phina. After meeting briefly her at the airport, his whole world turned upside down. But what and how is he going to tell his bride to be, Oluchi? And there’s also the problem of his all-controlling mother; not to mention the fact that Phina has no feelings for him and is barely aware of his existence, except as someone who is destined to marry someone else. Under pressure from all sides, Michael goes ahead with the marriage, but he can’t forget Phina, and begins an exciting journey to find her and make his feelings known.

     

     

  • Groups trade words as Bayelsa PDP’s crisis worsens

    •Party groups blame acting chairman •Defectors will come back to PDP, says forum

    The crisis in Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has worsened, following the defection of its Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd), and many others to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Inokoba led about 2,000 PDP members to the APC on Saturday at a mega rally at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital.

    But a scathing statement on Inokoba and the defectors, credited to PDP’s Acting Chairman Serena Dokubo, was said to have pitted PDP members against the acting chairman.

    Dokubo said Inokoba was suspended on alleged corruption and anti-party activity.

    The acting party chairman described the defectors as spent forces without electoral value.

    But a group in the state’s PDP, Bayelsa Great House (BGH), condemned the statement ascribed to Dokubo.

    It accused him of instigating and deepening the party’s crisis.

    BGH’s Chairman Ebinimi Owei and Secretary Victor Woyinkuro said Inokoba took the right decision by leaving “confused persons, liars, greedy and desperate politicians in the PDP under the Restoration Government for the APC”.

    They urged Dokubo to explain when and in which court of competent jurisdiction Inokoba was judged and found guilty of being a questionable character.

    Owei, for instance, accused Dokubo of being envious of the “sterling qualities of Inokoba”.

    The BGH’s chairman described the defected PDP chairman as “a seasoned administrator and one of the finest the PDP has produced so far”.

    He advised Dokubo not to drag his age through the mud because of cheap politics.

    Owei accused Dokubo of doubling as an acting chairman of PDP and an employee of the Judiciary Commission.

    The BGH chief reminded the party chairman that Governor Seriake Dickson, during a PDP meeting at the Government House on July 30 attended by Acting National Chairman Uche Secondus; National Secretary Dr. Abila acknowledged that Inokoba did not steal the party’s money.

    He said: “We implore Serena Dokubo to face reality because PDP Bayelsa is sinking every moment he engages in lies, deceit and other cheap political propaganda. Sam Inokoba’s qualities cannot be bought or destroyed by anyone.”

    On the description of the defectors as yesterday’s men, Owei reminded Dokubo that politics was a game of numbers, adding that the PDP was finished under his watch.

    He said: “We, therefore, state that Governor Dickson should hold Serena Dokubo and Fynman Wilson responsible, if he fails the governorship election, which is very clear. The PDP is never an Ijaw party.

    “It was Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who empowered Isaac Adaka Boro, our foremost activist; in 1996, (the late Head of State), Gen. Sani Abacha gave us a state called Bayelsa and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua gave us amnesty, the peace we are enjoying today.”

    Also, another group, the PDP Unity Group (PUG), said the defectors would return to the PDP.

    At a separate media briefing in Yenagoa, PUG’s Coordinator Mrs. Marie Ebikake noted that the defectors would return the moment the ideals the group was pursuing were achieved.

    She hoped that the souls and spirits of the defectors, despite their reasons for dumping the PDP, were still with the party.

    Mrs Ebikake said the shouting of the PDP slogan, instead of the APC’s by Inokoba at the APC mega rally last Saturday, was an indication that the souls and spirits of those who left the party were still with the PDP.

    She said: “Whereas the defectors have a right to their actions and some of their claims against the PDP may be true, the PUG is relentless on a mission to right the wrongs within the party, and there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

    “The group was instrumental to the last-minute change of heart of some members who would have defected last Saturday and we will continue to constructively engage other intending defectors.

    “There are strong indications that some of those who crossed are ready to return to the party the moment the ideals being pursued by the group are achieved.”

  • The words we live by

    I have heard the following words used more often: contracts, scrambling, jets, remunerations, dollars, bonds, exchange rates, loans, meetings, factions, tribunal, subsidy, oil, vandalism, corruption, death toll, boko haram, Niger Delta, militants, allocations, diversify, sharing formula, amnesty,  resource control …

    Dear reader, I don’t know about you but I am beginning to think that many words are getting obsolete in Nigeria. Take the word kindness for instance. Once upon a time, kindness meant coming upon a scene of accident while driving, stopping your car and suspending your journey until you ensured that the victims of that accident were safely deposited on a hospital bed with transfusion fluids flowing into them. Then you could resume your own journey. That was then. Now, people tiptoe or turn off their engines and roll their cars past accident scenes. Shshsh, let the FRSC deal with it; it’s their job!

    These days, I think kindness has come to mean someone coming into your house and announcing himself as a hired assassin who had been sent to kill you but since you wear this rather soft and harmless face, he would not do so provided you can give him a certain amount of money. In short, kindness is being allowed to ransom your own life in your own house. Mmmn.

    Take the story I heard some time ago. Yes, dear reader, I have just the right ears for these stories. Someone was driving home from a hard day’s work when he was stopped by an armed gang. The gang had him drive them to a spot and told him to get down and run. But, if he wanted to see his car again, he was to bring a certain amount of money to a place mentioned to him. The money amounted to approximately half of what he bought the car for.

    Well, I wish I could report that he thanked them for finally taking the blessed thing off his hands. No sir; he rather got the money together and took it to the announced rendezvous. On getting there, he found very many cars waiting to be ransomed and some tough looking young men guarding the said cars. After paying and being allowed to go, out of kindness, he was warned not to breathe a word of what had transpired. I tell you, kindness used to be when you took a stranger home; now kindness is not taking a stranger home.

    Another word well on its way out is patience. My apologies to all those named Patience out there, but seriously, the way Nigerians barrage their ways, you would think that patience has not only been outlawed; it has become a sin. My Encarta defines patience as the ‘the ability to endure waiting, delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset…’ Now, you just watch your average Nigerian, beginning with me, react to the announcement that s/he has to wait for five minutes. Oh no, sir, he doesn’t calmly say thank you, sit and pick up a book to read. Rather, he goes berserk. All arms begin to flail out, mouth is open, eyes bulge out, heart beats wildly, hands grope at the dry throat, and nostrils flare out looking for more air. In short, for a five minute delay, your typical Nigerian is near collapse. If you want to kill him, ask him to wait for a day or two.

    Once, while in charge of registering some students for a particular programme at university, I asked them all to form a queue. The parent of one student would have none of that. Why? It would take at least two hours to get through them all. What was wrong with that? He could not wait that long, he said. So I said, leave the young man, go about your own business, and come back later. Oh no, he said, he could not leave the baby of the house in the care of strangers. Oh dear, I said, we do have a problem because I was not going to let these young ones know that it was o.k. to shunt queues just because someone came with their parent. Should the parentless ones go and rent parents? Reader, in less than forty minutes, we were done with that registration and both father and baby were on their way.

    The word that has gone completely out of the dictionary of Nigerians is strangely enough the one that most qualifies to be there, and that is patriotism. Indeed, the word is so rarely spoken that I have hardly heard it used by this present crop of politicians, excepting the president on occasion, or we the followers. According to my Encarta, a patriot is one who is a proud supporter or defender of one’s own country and its way of life. I don’t know, but I have used Sherlock Holmes’ magnifying glass on our leaders’ and followers’ words and I can’t seem to find anything relating to ‘supporter of the country’. Instead, I have heard the following used more frequently: juicy committees, contracts, scrambling, party caucus, oversight functions, jets, jetting out, remunerations, Naira, dollars, bonds, exchange rates, loans, salaries, meetings, factions, elections, deadlock, tribunal, subsidy, oil, vandalism, corruption, death toll, boko haram, militants, allocations, opponents, petitions, diversify, sharing formula, amnesty, EFCC, arrests, resource control, central bank … Correct me if I am wrong or add to the list if you wish.

    Any palm reader such as I (yep; when the need arises, I rise to that occasion, particular if I want to read my housekeeping allowance on a certain palm) can read Nigeria’s palm from the words. I think it would go something like this: Nigeria, all you can think about is money; you are too money-minded. Go and grow up.

    Let’s see. Until Buhari came, it was said that most of our politicians – governors, assemblymen, etc., — liked to take their remunerations in dollars for the comfort of their families, friends and neighbours. Indeed, it got so bad at a point a minister of state for finance once had to cry out that whenever allocations were paid out, there was an unusual activity and demand on the dollar. It turned out that, soon after the allocations, our federal and state executive members were in the habit of jetting out and the fruits were not long in coming.

    This political dispensation has seen more private jets than at any other time. As of now, it is said that there are between seventy and one hundred and fifty of them in the country, most of which were bought directly or indirectly with government money. This means that the concern of most of those in leadership has not been how to build the country and make it sit more comfortably instead of tottering around like a drunken blind man. No sir, they have been more concerned with how to make their rear ends sit more comfortably.

    Today’s title is an adaptation of G. Lakoff’s The Metaphors We Live By which is the title of a text detailing how metaphors portray the thought processes of a people. In the same way, the words Nigerians live by tend to portray the narrow-mindedness of both the leaders and the followers in this country. The more frequently used words tell us clearly that the economy and all its related issues has been put ahead of cultivating the most important virtues such as patriotism, hard work and integrity. I think that putting these dying words first will ensure a better economic and political future.

    This is not to reduce the importance of economy. It is rather to say that without these virtues, there can only be chaos in a nation’s entire system. Indeed, the absence of ‘patriotism’ on that list is a sad statement on just how much we have missed it as a nation. I think we really need to dust up our dictionary. A nation is known by the words it lives by.