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Tag: year’

  • A yearly ritual

    The day will linger in people’s memory.

    Women from different parts of Lagos ignored class, wealth and ethnic differences as they gathered at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos to celebrate.

    It was the yearly Family Day organised by the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Lagos State chapter.

    The women were gorgeously dressed in different attires and colourful clothing and hijabs to depict the festive mood and atmosphere.

    As many as they were, each local government representatives wore different material. They were distinct in their clothing, hijabs and shoes with matching bags.

    The FOMWAN members in Ikeja wore peach on white and those from Lagos Island went for the Nigerian green white green. Ikorodu women had different colours. Some in wine, others in white and blue. Alimosho old and young women took the centre stage as they paraded various colours.

    They wore various colours — cream on chocolate brown; green, purple and blue.

    Special guests also dressed well to suit the occasion. The Amirah, Alhaja Fatima Gawat, wore a green and black attire.

    All those at the event could attest that it was, indeed, an occasion worth celebrating.

    The yearly event was packed with various activities to makeit memorable.

    Students participated in quiz and quran competition and the best three received trophies and gifts.

    Aside that, some schools in Lagos were represented and the children participated in a march past, showing different skills in the process. The best ones also received gifts.

    FOMWAN members also marched past with their banners. The best local government was recognised and given a trophy.

    There was an empowerment programme for individuals from various local governments. Some were given provisions, some machines – grinding and sewing. There were those who got books, drinks, hair accessories, children clothes and even fish. It was presented to each of them by the Arowoshadini of Nigeria, Alhaja Muyinat Shopeyin-Akande, and other guests.

    Four indigent students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University (LASU) were given gifts to assist them in their education.

    It featured the recognition of the past Amirahs with awards and certificates for their contribution to the society.

    The General Secretary of the group, Alhaja Rahmatallah Olaniran, described the day as great.

    “We make ourselves happy because we are celebrating the Family Day. That is why women appear in their best colourful clothes. It is a family affair, meant for mothers and their children,” she said.

    She promised that the 2014 edition would be better than this.

    Vice-Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government and FOMWAN state Assistant Public Relations Officer Kudirat Omolara Dada noted that the Family Day was a special occasion.

    She prayed for more people to witness it next year, in good health and prosperity.

    Alhaja Shopeyin-Akande said the yearly event makes many women happy and they looked forward to it.

    She said it is like a re-union party for many to celebrate and mingle.

    The children had fun, riding the train, jumping on the bouncing castle and other games provided for them.

    Some of the guests at the occasion were Senator HAB Fasinro; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Alhaja Lateefah Okunnu; Dr Jubril Oyekan; Alhaja Yinka Ayanwale; Alhaja Ramdat Okunola and many others.

  • How can I tame my stubborn 5-year-old son?

    Please ma, how best can one tame stubborn children, my boy of five plus is too stubborn but brilliant.

    -Uche IB.

    Dear Uche, children are a handful but they are very special gifts we all desire from God. Yes, at certain ages – ages which I like to describe as ‘the discovery stage’ – kids are aware of what they want and what they don’t want. You may want to serve them custard for instance and they tell you they want corn-flakes. You call that stubbornness but they call it self-assertion. From the period they begin to crawl and move on their own, they start enjoying freedom of movement and trying to stop them will elicit some kind of protests. Then by ages 4 through 5 to 8, they  know by instinct that you cannot wield the stick and they still have some kind of immunity, so, they use their stubbornness to great advantage over you. Do you see 10 year olds arguing with their parents and being really stubborn? Below, I have helped you get some tips on how to deal with this young man trying his remote control on your superiority and trying to see how far he can get with you:

    Story-telling: Try story-time to help them wind down. This works especially well with strong-willed kids, who may have a hard time relaxing enough on their own especially at bed time.

    Play the “yes” game. Ask your child questions that will prompt him to answer “yes” at least three times in a row, such as “Wow, you’re having a great time playing with those toys, aren’t you?” (Yep!) “What eating this now and eating that other one next time? Would that be fun? “Do you have strength to move that bag from the floor? Can you show me?” The “yeses” help break down your child’s resistance, and he also feels like he’s been heard and understood.

    Offer options. Gently guide him toward the next step with two choices, such as “Do you want to dry yourself off with the towel or should I help you?” Don’t announce that bathtime is over; simply start the process. Move seamlessly through the getting-ready-for-bed routine, offering two options at a time along the way, such as “Which book should we read before bed—X or Y?” If your child balks at the choices—”Neither! I’m not going to bed!”—respond calmly, “That wasn’t one of the choices. Did you want this book or that one?” Repeat calmly as needed. Stubborn kids hate hearing parents sound like broken records, and they usually give in. If they don’t, simply say “Okay, I guess you’ve chosen not to have a book tonight. Good night, sweetie! We’ll try again tomorrow night!” Lights-out. And don’t give in, even if your kid puts up a fuss. Sticking to your word practically guarantees you won’t have a repeat episode tomorrow night.

    Establish a connection.  Before actually moving your kids toward the direction you want, use a technique psychotherapist Susan Stiffelman calls “Connect Before You Direct.” Take a few minutes to sit beside your child and show interest in the game he’s playing or TV show he’s watching. Ask a few well-placed questions or say something supportive like “I can see why you like this show—it’s really funny!” When kids feel connected to you, they’re much more likely to do what you ask next.

  • South Africa is destination of the year

    South Africa’s reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after offshoring destinations has received endorsement from the European Outsourcing Association (EOA), which named the country as its destination of the year.

    Last year’s winner was another African country, Morocco. It was honoured along with MEDZ Sourcing, which manages business parks in Morocco that are dedicated to offshoring.

    The EOA is Europe’s most important association of professionals and experts in the outsourcing industry, according to AbderrafieHanouf of MEDZ Sourcing. It has over 1,000 corporate members representing national trade associations from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, theUnited Kingdom.

    South Africa was a finalist last year, and this year saw off competition from Russia and Serbia to clinch the top spot, and put the continent of Africa on the global map. It also boosts the African brand

    The ceremony took place on in Amsterdam. South Africa was entered by the national association, Business Processing enabling South AfricaBusiness Processing enabling (BPeSA), and the award comes hot on the heels of its October, last year’s triumph at the London-based National Outsourcing Association’s yeraly ceremony, where it was voted the UK offshoring destination of the year.

    BPESA Western Cape Chief Executive Gareth Pritchard was delighted with the honour, saying it confirmed the quality of service that South Africa offered to its European clients. “Services in other languages, combined with a growing base of high-end skills in financial and legal services, have highlighted the country’s status as a world-class offshoring location,” he said.

    Offshoring contributes about $895-million to the province’s economy and employs thousands of people, according to the Western Cape’s minister of finance, economic development and tourism, Alan Winde.

    Statistics from the City of Cape Town reveal that the city’s outsourcing industry grew from 20,428 agents in 2007/8, to 27,552 in 2011/12 – a year on year increase of 10.5 per cent.

    During the same period, the offshoring sector increased from 2,963 to 4,727 agents. This represents a remarkable yearly growth of 16.9 per cent. Last year, the industry attracted investments of $57-million).

    A survey by the international research group Everest Consultancy named South Africa as one of the top three emerging offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) destinations in the world.

    Offshoring goes one step further than BPO, which relocates business processes that a company performs in-house, such as accounting or customer call centres, to a third-party service provider, to carry out on behalf of the company.

    Outsourcing becomes offshoring when the third-party service provider is located in another country.

    South Africa is expected to make steady progress in the offshoring sector in years to come, said senior analyst ParthaIyengar of technology research firm Gartner. He predicted the creation of 40,000 new jobs through offshoring by next year, while the local insourced sector would provide jobs for 120,000 people.

    Iyengar said by 2015, he expected offshore contact centre jobs in South Africa to grow over three times the number in 2010.

    Firms making use of South African facilities include, among others, British Gas; Amazon; Switzerland’s Edelweiss Air; global outsourcing leader WNS; Bloomberg; Virgin Mobile; Everything Everywhere, which handles communications for the Orange and T-Mobile brands; and British retailer Asda, which has been running its contact centre from Cape Town since 2005.

  • What has Tukur achieved in one year?

    What has Tukur achieved in one year?

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur assumed office a year ago. In this report, Assistant Editor AUGUSTINE AVWODE beams a seachlight on his score card.

     

    The glitz and glamour of being the national chairman of the largest party in Africa are quite alluring. The ruling party has had the fortune of producing the President, since the return to democratic governance about 14 years ago. Besides, not less than 20 of the 36 state governors are in office, courtesy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It is certainly an enviable feat.

    However, leading such a party, an amalgam of the good, the bad and the ugly, is akin to navigating a treacherous riverine course. The challenges are many. They are daunting in nature and can easily overwhelm the lily-livered. In the main, they are crises of factionalisation, indiscipline and lack of internal democracy.

    All the men who had travelled the course before had bruises and tales of woes to show for their efforts as national chairman of the PDP. Yet, on March 23, 2012, former governor of old Gongola State and consummate businessman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur emerged as the seventh national chairman of the party.

    It is one year now since he took over the reins of the party. How far has he been able to deal with the problems plaguing the party which symbol, the Umbrella, is too often depicted in tatters and at the mercy of chaotic wind by cartoonists across the country? Expectedly, the opinions of party loyalists and faithful have been as divided and varied as the general tenor that has dogged the party even before he took over its leadership.

    To the chairman of the Ogun State chapter of the party, Chief Adebayo Dayo, Tukur is on the right tract. He commended his efforts at rebuilding the party based on the principles of internal democracy and rule of law. For the record, the state chapter is one of the most factionalised in the country and it took the pronouncement of the courts of law and the efforts of the national body to recognize one as the legal PDP.

    According to him, the size of the party make quarrelling and disagreements inevitable. He emphasized that what Tukur leadership of the party has done is moving the party in the right direction in his bid to restore not just peace and unity but also discipline.

    “The first thing I want you to know is that the job is a very difficult one. It is so because of the size of the party. It is the largest in Africa and all people come into it to realize their political ambition. As a result there are bound to be misunderstandings and bickering.

    “So, his first job is to settle quarrels. He has been doing that very well. You see the recent reconciliatory moves across the country. And very importantly, he has ensured that achieving peace and unity in the party, which everybody wants, are not sacrificed on the table of indiscipline and lawlessness.

    “What he is doing is to at the same time entrench internal democracy and the rule of law. He wants to return the party to the good old days when the party is supreme. He is doing well and I want us to encourage him. If we encourage him, the party has nothing to fear from the opposition. In fact, very soon people will be defecting from other parties to the PDP. He has done well and he will do better”, Dayo said.

    In like manner the Southwest Zonal Youth Leader Mr Bolaji Jeje said Tukur has shown an untiring zeal to deal with the problems of factions and indiscipline in the party. He argued that his passion to reposition the party and make it a solid united family, instill discipline and loyalty among members are efforts that must be applauded.

    He said it is not true that the chairman is acting out a script written for him by anybody.

    “The national chairman comes across as a father figure to all of us. And no father will allow his house to be disorganized and be in disarray as a result of fighting among siblings. His efforts at resolving all the challenges posed by misunderstanding can be seen by everybody.

    “Since last week Saturday, he started the Town Hall meetings in the different zonal regions beginning with the Southwest and you could see that it is a good development. We are working to consolidate the efforts and results of the meeting, especially in the Southwest and I can tell you that things are going to be alright. It will be very dangerous for anybody to write off the party in the Southwest because the reconciliation process is on and we are all supporting it.

    “With him, we are on the right tract. And if all the party members are united as the national chairman is saying and urging all to forget the past, I see no reason why the party should not bounce back in a big way come 2015.

    “As my personal opinion, I don’t think the national chairman is acting any script to favour anybody. He is our father and no father favours one child at the detriment of the other. His passion for the continued success of the party is visible and all we need to do is to support him. In the last one year, therefore, I can say he is on course and he will take us to a higher realm”, Bolaji said

    Yet, the opinion from Tukur’s backyard is not as savoury as those from afar. Perhaps, it is a case of a prophet who lacks honour and respect at home. A PDP chieftain from Adamawa State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, has harsh words for the chairman. He actually described the past 12 months of Tukur as the chairman of the party as “wasted and bred more controversies”. He argued that the chairman may end up doing more harm to the party than he met it except he changes his style and side with the masses.

    “We all agree that he is our brother, but being our brother is not what is important in this matter. The party is big, the interests varied, and the ambition of individuals are very tall. He has not been able to show that he could be non-partisan. Ask anybody what led to the big problem that almost consumed the party and even him in Adamawa State not long ago? If not for the intervention of the governors of the party, the Adamawa chapter of the PDP could have been completely destroyed by now.

    “Then, look at the way the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has been polarized by the establishment of the PDP Governors Forum (PGF). If all other parties form their governors’ forum, what will become of the national body? And of course, you know what the insinuations have been, why the party formed the governors’ forum. Take a look at the way the issue of the national secretary of the party was handled. There seems to be more of personal vendetta in the whole issue than just mere desire to ensure that the rule of law is followed.

    “There is no problem that does not have a political solution. When you insist that the verdict from the court must be obeyed to the letter, it is good, but after obeying it, did you do anything else to close the gap and heal the wounds? What you are doing is creating more problems. Even when he came here few days ago, you can see the turnout; those that matter did not attend the so called Town Hall meeting for reconciliation.

    “We are watching and waiting, but the last one year has not been marked by excellent performance. The 12 months have been wasted months. We thought that here was an opportunity to really re-build the party, but unfortunately, there have been more controversies and it is not good for the PDP in the face of an emerging formidable opposition, “ the source said.

    From day one, when he muted the idea of leading the party, signs that he was in for a rough ride emerged. His famed business acumen, age and political accomplishment counted for nothing as he came face to face with stiff opposition from the home front. So vicious was the opposition that it took the uncompromising intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan for Tukur to eventually emerge as national chairman. Barely three days to the convention, Tukur was roundly rejected at the party’s North East zonal Congress in Bauchi. The party in the zone preferred Dr. Musa Babayo who secured 14 votes to defeat Tukur who got only two. It was a symbolic decision. But the party over ruled the zonal congress on the ground that it did not conform to “stipulations by the PDP constitution”.

    As the “anointed candidate” by the presidency, Tukur overcame all the intrigues to stop him. After series of meetings, the deal was sealed. At the convention ground, Alhaji Shettima Mustapha announced the withdrawal of all the other 10 aspirants contesting the party’s chairmanship position, leaving only Tukur in the race. And with only a voice vote by the delegates in the Eagles Square, they affirmed the choice of Tukur for the top job.

    Tukur started off with new, but controversial steps. On assumption of office as chairman, he appointed aides and in the process created some offices attached to the chairman of the party that were hitherto unknown to the party. He named the former pioneer National Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Alhaji Habu Fari, as his Chief of Staff while the former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro was appointed the Special Adviser on Security Matters.

    He also appointed Senator Saidu Umar as Special Adviser on Independent National Electoral Commission and Electoral Matters, while Abduallhi Gumel was named Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters. Besides, his salary, alleged to be N2million monthly, became a talk of town. Insiders say no chairman before him earned salaries other than sitting allowances.

    Fari’s title later changed from Chief of Staff to the National Chairman to Principal Secretary when the National Working Committee (NWC) members protested that such an office was unknown to the party’s constitution.

    Tukur made reconciliation of all aggrieved old member of the party his campaign slogan and he had pursued that with much zest. As part of the plan to realize his vision, he selected some chieftains of the party and constituted them into what he called “advisory committee”. The committee, he claimed, would assist him in running the party.

    When he inaugurated the committee on Wednesday, May 30, it was obvious that the chairman never had the support of members of the NWC. They stayed away on the ground that it was an illegal body, unknown to the constitution of the party.

    The committee has former Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme as chairman.

    Even two members of the NWC were listed on the committee, Deputy National Chairman Sam Jaja and former National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola did not honour the inauguration too.

    Early June last year, it became obvious that all was not well with the party hierarchy. The former national secretary wrote a stinker to Tukur declaring the activities and actions of his aides illegal, particularly, Fari. The face-off between the two party administrators worsened with Fari challenging Oyinlola’s authority to query him and his actions. Perhaps to satisfy Oyinlola, Tukur fired Fari, few days later.

    Then there was the crisis of the Adamawa State chapter. But for the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan who was said to have launched several moves to douse the fire, it could have consumed the chairman.

    The manner in which the Southwest zonal crisis was resolved has also left some open sores yearning for attention. There is no doubt that the desire to be seen as allowing the rule of law to run its course has also come with a heavy cost of jettisoning political solutions. When the zonal Town Hall meeting held in Ibadan recently, the big names were expectedly absent. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the former National vice chairman Segun Oni and former scribe Olagunsoye Oyinlola were among the big names that failed to turn up at the meeting. The one that held in Bauchi last week also witnessed prominent party stakeholders from the Northeast geo-political zone shunning the reconciliation meeting.

    Today, though on the surface there is healing and reconciliation going on, but the fault lines are still visible within the party. And until Tukur establishes a system that can ensure a wholesale healing of the party within and without, the job is not yet done. He still has two years before 2015 to effect the total healing the party so badly craves. But for now, it would be a farce to say Tukur has realized his campaign manifesto of rallying the party together by reconciling warring factions and ensuring unity and oneness of all stakeholders.

     

  • Fashola envisions a better year

    As Nigerians join others in the world to usher in 2013, Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has expressed a wish for a better year for all.

    He implored residents to stay safe, healthy, shun the temptation to cut corners and be security-conscious.

    In his New Year message, the governor urged vigilance and compliance with law and order, which represent the measure of the civilisation of every society and the only way through which it can identify and put pressure on the few people who are making life difficult for the majority.

    He added that it was by so doing that the people could bring the few spoilers to justice, secure the state and make it the model mega city.

    Governor Fashola said the New Year resolution of his administration is to continue to serve the people and evolve policies and programmes that would secure their life and property, and advance their welfare.

    He said given that 2012 had some challenges, particularly in terms of security, everyone must vow to fight the menace if any progress must be made as a nation and a people in the New Year.

    He stressed that everyone must realise that security is everybody’s business and that those who make life difficult for the rest, such as kidnappers, armed robbers, suicide bombers and other criminals belong and live within the communities.

    Said he: “They are not ghosts but people like you and I. They must be known by some people. It’s our duty as individuals and communities to expose such people. Their activities only benefit a few and the majority suffer.”

    Governor Fashola said everyone must respect the rights of others and obey the laws of the land, noting that it would be difficult to realise any noble aspirations or dreams if there is no order in the society.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • The year that was 2012

    The year that was 2012

    n a two-part column for this newspaper (December 6 and December 13), the historian Jide Osuntokun called the year just ended our annus horribilis. I doubt whether, if they are true to themselves, other persons reviewing the major occurrences in Nigeria over that period will come to a different conclusion.

    Right up to its closing hours, 2012 has been a year of horrors.

    It began with a callous ambuscade. Nigerians woke up on January 1 to find, contrary to assurances from on high, that the price at the gasoline pump had gone up 120 percent, ending, it was claimed, a subsidy that had for decades subverted the nation’s quest for economic greatness.

    Nine days of people’s power centered fittingly on the Gani Fawehihmi Freedom Square in Lagos forced the government to retreat somewhat. But the harm had been done. The uncertainty and confusion that heralded the New Year governed most of the year, putting investment decisions and the launch of new ventures in abeyance. A measure allegedly designed to perk up the economy ended up crippling it.

    As part of its climbdown, a panicked government embarked on what it called palliatives, to cushion the impact of the hike in gasoline prices. Suddenly, some more than 1000 passenger buses bobbed up in Abuja, as if conjured out of President Goodluck Jonathan’s fedora, to serve with several hundred more expected shortly. The full assembly would work out 2.5 buses for each of the nation’s 774 local government areas.

    Where are the buses today? What is the status today of another palliative, under which each state was going to get federal assistance to put 10, 000 young men and women to work? And just how much relief has the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) delivered with savings from the abolished “subsidies”?

    It would turn out, as was obvious to anyone paying even cursory attention to the matter, that subsidising was not petrol consumption but corruption of the most brazen kind, carried out on a scale almost beyond belief by government insiders, heir cronies and their proxies.The government has been going through the usual pretence of making them disgorge their loot and bringing them to justice.

    The pains arising from cutting the phantom subsidy continue and have in some cases grown worse, but relief is in short supply. Meanwhile, “subsidy” payments continue, almost doubling projections.

    Nigerians were still figuring out how to cope with this government-made disaster when they were zapped by a natural disaster of almost biblical proportions. From the parched Sahel to the mangrove swamps of Nigeria’s Atlantic coast, flood waters raged and swelled and swallowed everything in their path.

    An equal opportunity visitation, the flood waters spared neither the tin shacks of the poor nor the marbled palaces of the wealthy. Even Dr Jonathan’s country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, went under water.

    For the better part of a week, vehicular traffic from the south could not reach Abuja. And for the same period, millions of Nigerians displaced from their homes and farms were left to fend for themselves. When relief finally came, it was vitiated by poor distribution and corruption. Some families reported getting only a cup of noodles. For many of the displaced persons, life will never be the same again.

    And then, there was Boko Haram, carrying its campaign of terror to the heart of the military establishment – the Command and Staff College at Jaji, near Kaduna, after more or less completing what General TY Danjuma called the ‘ Somalianisation” of Northeastern Nigeria.

    Just this past week, some 40 gunmen believed to belong in its ranks attacked the Adamawa border town of Maiha, setting alight the police station, the court house, an official residence and freed prisoners in the jail house. It ended the year with a deadly note at the weekend, with the killing of 15 people in a Borno State village.

    Kidnappers stepped up their game. Among their trophies: Delta State commissioner for Higher Education, Dr Hope Eghagha; the 82-year-old mother of Finance Minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and retired professor of sociology, and the wife of retired Brigadier –General Oluwole Rotimi, lately Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States.

    All have returned to their families, but their experience just goes to illustrate how perilous life has become in Nigeria, even for people of privilege.

    Amidst these travails, the nation was treated to a harvest of deaths of the prominent and not-so-prominent, and to reprise of the UmaruYar’Adua health saga that is playing even at this writing. Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser General Owoye Azazi were killed in a helicopter crash.

    The President’s wife dropped out of sight, reportedly “resting” in Dubai, exhausted after hosting a summit of the African First Ladies Peace Initiative, only to be traced later to a German sanatorium where she was being treated for an undisclosed ailment.

    Dame Patience’s prolonged stay led to rumours that she had died. Since her televised return some six weeks ago, she has stayed discreetly on the sideline. And the public is none the wiser about her condition.

    Rumours of death have also been swirling around the heads of Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime and Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke. Chime left Nigeria last September for treatment of an undisclosed illness and was not heard of or from,until he reportedly issued two weeks ago a statement of condolence to the Yakowa and Azazi families.

    Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who claims to have met with Imoke recently in the United States, says Imoke is not sick, much less dead. The governor, he said, was only enjoying a well-earned vacation

    But, according to government sources, Imoke actually served notice that he was travelling to the United States to attend to a minor ailment and formally transferred power to the Deputy Governor as required by law.

    Chime’s condition remains uncertain, and not even Imoke’s Facebook postings have settled the matter.

    Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai, who suffered critical injuries when the plane he was piloting crashed near Yola, Adamawa State, last October, is in a bad shape, according to a prominent Nigerian who saw him several weeks ago on his hospital bed in Germany. It is doubtful whether he can return to duty.

    A gruesome end-of-year crash near the state capital Lokoja almost claimed the life of Kogi State Governor Idris Wada.He is said to be responding to treatment in Abuja. His aide-de-camp Idris Mohammed was killed on the spot.

    But it has not been all doom and gloom.

    The government says it has finally taken measures that would help ascertain just how much crude is lifted from Nigeria’s oil fields, some 32 years after the University of Lagos polymath, Professor Ayodele Awojobi, established in testimony before the Irikefe Commission that the barrel being used in Nigerian oil fields was four gallons larger than the standard international barrel.

    The economy grew by 5.8 percent, slower than in previous years but still one of the highest rates in the world.The rehabilitated railways, a key element in the Transformation Agenda,ferried 450 newly recruited soldiers from Zaria to Lagos, completing the 613-mile journey in just under 26 hours.

    Above all, we have Dr Jonathan’s assurance that, while 2013 may not be annus mirabilis, it will be much better than 2012. Don’t mind those kvetching that he had said the same thing about 2102 at the end of 2011. And don’t mind those complaining that he is slow. He has himself admitted that much

    They conveniently forget that our GEJ is also steady. They forget the old saying that “slow and steady wins the race.”

     

     

  • Gone with the year

    Gone with the year

    The outgoing year is one that witnessed the death of many Nigerians. Some died in plane and helicopter crashes. Others died of terminal illnesses and some passed away in their sleep, writes Buki Ponle, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

    When is a goodbye not good at all? Perhaps, it is when a dear one is dead. When is goodbye not good for a country? It is when that country has lost the gem of its people, especially in a rapid frequency as it happened in Nigeria in 2012.

    Many Nigerian families lost dear ones and for members of some of the families; life can never be the same again.

    This is because the deceased could have been the life support of the family members: their water during thirst, their shelter in time of homelessness and their hope in time of need.

    And they are all gone!

    Among those citizens who died in the outgoing year are statesmen, eminent lawyers, politicians, film stars and national heroes, who in one way or the other, touched the people’s lives, directly or indirectly. However, their deeds live on even after their demise.

    The Dana plane crash of June 3 in Lagos State killed 153 persons on board and caused six deaths and a number of injuries on the ground, all celebrities in their own right. It was a traumatic experience for residents of Lagos in particular and a calamity for Nigerians generally.

    Perhaps the most dramatic and painful of deaths was the latest, involving the former Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa (65), who died on December 15, along with five others, after attending a funeral ceremony in Bayelsa.

    The late Yakowa and the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi, were returning in a navy helicopter, after the burial of the father of Oronto Douglas, the Special Adviser to the President on Research, Documentation and Strategy, when the fatal accident occurred.

    In a tribute, President Goodluck Jonathan eulogised the late Yakowa, describing him as a “bridge builder’’ who loved his people, irrespective of religious and ethnic considerations.

    “Yakowa was a nationalist. He played his roles very well as a civil servant of the old, not as a civil servant of today. No ethnic or religious divide in his blood,” he said.

    Commenting on the late Yakowa’s death, the Most Rev. Mathew Kukah, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, said that nobody could neither teach God knowledge nor question His decisions.

    He, therefore, urged the people should not feel despondent over the governor’s death.

    “The deceased died at his appointed time by God,’’ he said, adding that people should disregard those who are wielding suspicious stories about his death.

    Kukah said the late Yakowa made history as the first man from the Christian-dominated southern part of Kaduna State to attain top positions at various levels of government.

    He acknowledged the late Yakowa’s achievements as governor, particularly in development efforts and in promoting unity.

    When renowned jurist Kayode Eso was being interred on December 22, the Primate of the Anglican Church, Rev. Nicholas Okoh, stressed that the only way to immortalise him was for Nigerians to allow justice to prevail in all circumstances.

    Okoh, in a sermon on December 23 during the thanksgiving service held in honour of the late Eso at the Anglican Church of the Holy Trinity in Ilesa, Osun, described the late jurist as a “champion of justice and jurist of the helpless.

    “Unless Nigerians realise that there is value beyond money, the problem of graft and corruption will be difficult for the government to tackle,’’ he, however, said.

    The late Eso, a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who died in Britain at the ripe age of 87, was given a state burial by the Osun Government in recognition of his courage and fearlessness which stood him out an exceptional jurist.

    The late Dr Olusola Saraki, 79, the strongman of Kwara politics and a Second Republic senator, also died on November 14. Prior to his election as a senator, the consummate politician was a member of the Constituent Assembly which produced the 1979 Constitution.

    The late Saraki, a medical doctor, also worked as a medical officer at the General Hospital, and the Creek Hospital, both in Lagos.

    Other politicians who died during the year include Alhaji Lam Adesina. The 73-year-old former governor of Oyo State, who died on November 11, was described by many as an insightful politician, bridge-builder and a listening leader.

    The movie world was hard hit in 2012 with the deaths of no fewer than 10 actors and actresses, both famous and obscure. Messrs Pete Eneh and Enebeli Elebuwa are two of the renowned actors who lost their lives in the year.

    The late Elebuwa’s career captures the ups and downs of Nigerian life and accurately charts the country’s emergence as a significant producer of talented artistes.

    His march to stardom began as one of the star actors who featured in the legendary television series — The Village Headmaster — which hypnotized the country’s television audience in the 1970s.

    In the 80s, Enebeli became a superstar with his incredibly realistic portrayal of “Andrew’’ — the desperate and frustrated Nigerian who was determined to abandon Nigeria and emigrate to a foreign country in search of greener pastures.

    As 2012 comes to a close, Nigerians say farewell to the dead politicians, actors and actresses and national heroes who had once touched their lives in one way or the other. However, the list of the departed appears inexhaustible.

    All the same, death is inevitable! Perceptive observers urge Nigerians to be mindful of this fact, while they strive to do things that will place them on the good side of history.

    Adieu, our departed souls — the young and the old, the mighty and the low, the strong and the weak, our celebrities and minions — you will greatly be missed.

     

  • Rivers to spend N490b next year

    The Rivers State Government has proposed to spend N490.32billion next year.

    The proposed budget is N52.32 billion higher than the N438 billion appropriated for the out-going fiscal year and which translates to 11.9 percent increase in the budget.

    Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who spoke yesterday at the House of Assembly, said: “The proposed figure was reached after a careful consideration of project submissions, options and factors that are needed to achieve our developmental targets in view of the challenges facing us as a state.”

    Amaechi said the proposed budget would be funded by Statutory Allocation (FAAC) of N245 billion; Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), including Social Levy of N80 billion; the balance from the out-going year which is N48.32 billion; bond proceeds of N100 billion and World Bank/African Development Bank (AfDB) credit of N17 billion.

    The Capital Expenditure is N314.30 billion as against N323.70 billion in 2012 while N176.02 is being proposed as recurrent spending. This is higher than the N114.25 billion.

    These proposed expenditures, the governor said showed a sharp increase of 54.06 per cent in Recurrent Expenditure and a decline of 2.92 per cent in Capital Expenditure compared to the 2012 Budget respectively.

    Capital Expenditure projection is 64.10 per cent of the total budget while Recurrent Expenditure is 35.90 per cent of the budget.

    The education sector was given special attention as new recruitments including the hiring of additional 13,000 teachers to strengthen the sub-sector would be implemented.

    Adequate provisions were equally made for the Monthly Pension/Contributory Pension Scheme, bond issuance related costs and loan repayment in 2013.

    These provisions, which amounted to N92.19 billion, Amaechi said is responsible for the obvious increase in the proposed Recurrent Expenditure.

    He also said the government would approach the capital market in the first quarter of 2013 and conclude the first bond issuance for N100 billion.

    The governor said the bond proceeds would be applied only forspecific projects.

    These would include: The Greater Port- Harcourt M-10 Highway; the construction of M-1 Highway; new campus of Rivers State University of Science and Technology and funding of monorail project.

    The breakdown of the capital budget shows that the economic sector take N93.09 billion with Works gulping N93.09 billion while energy and natural resources takes the least with N160 million.

    Under the social sector which N64.50 billion, education would gulp N47.81 billion while social welfare and rehabilitation would take the least amount of N500million.

     

  • ‘Nigeria’s GDP will grow at 7.5% this year’

    FBN Capital Limited has said the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow at 7.5 per cent this year on the basis of the resilience of the non-oil sector of the economy.

    The firm in a report entitled: Economic Outlook: Riding the larger waves, said though the world will be spared a rapid fall in oil price on the scale of what happened in late 2008, Nigeria cannot escape the global headwinds.

    The firm said it is less confident about the on-going discussions between the Federal Government and the governors to replace the excess crude account with the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) initiative.

    It said the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to strengthen naira is not in tandem with the realities of the global economy.

    “ The fear is that the global downturn feeds into a lower oil price, which upsets Nigeria’s macro balances by fuelling currency depreciation and domestic inflation.

    Our views is that the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) favours managed rates, but is not dogmatic about its levels. We see another small adjustment to the midpoint in H2,”it said.

    The firm observed that fiscal policy remains the weakest because it is marked by poor implementation and poor management. It said the government has a tough medium-term policy framework in place till 2015, adding that the government could transform its fiscal stance if it adheres to the policy.

    According to the firm, the government climbed down in part over fuel subsidies in January because Nigerians do not trust its ability to use the proceeds of the subsidies well.

    “This government is not the first in Nigeria to suffer from lack of credibility. It could make good this weakness by providing consumers with regular power for the first time in a generation,” the firm added.