Anthony Akinola
Insecurity, corruption and Nigeria’s future
Nigeria Army: PHOTO: SIGNAL
When President Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 elections, the sense of optimism was tinged with hope among many Nigerians. Indeed most people believed that the election triumph would prompt the biggest positive change through infrastructural development, revamping the economy and creation of jobs that would lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. However, by every standard, with regards to reality on ground, President Buhari government is only as much as possible different from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s or any other government by party name. This is because several political players in the current government were very active and played vital roles in the previous administrations. It is against this background that, one can argue that they are not bringing new initiative to the table, therefore, insecurity and corruption continue to hold sway as the nation’s most challenging issues today.
Rightly or wrongly, the ruling government is navigating the same route as the former and it is no longer news that the Buhari government has continued in its failure to adequately address insecurity and corruption in the country. This has been at great cost as it discourages foreign direct investment in the nation’s economy. Of course, an economy that is operating beyond its capacity could perhaps create more space in building sky crappers of unemployed youth in various parts of the country. Here again, history is instructive to teach that this is as a result of policy error of past leaders and the continued misapplication of priority in the current government investment interest.
The Buhari administration to a large extent has failed to project what many Nigerians claimed it could achieve. In the same vein, the All Progressives Congress (APC) party is reeling in failure to keep its promises during election campaign. This failure helps to explain the administration’s lackadaisical attitude towards tackling insecurity and corruption squarely. Despite Nigeria’s multi-ethnic disposition, the ruling government has maintained a lopsided appointment favouring a particular ethnic group even as it continued to show soft spot towards the nomadic lifestyle of same which allows insecurity to resonate loudly with audacity. The invasion of farmlands by herders across the country continues to heat up the polity as farmers get infuriated by the destruction of farm produce by cattle. The fate of school children in northeast is such a burning issue as kidnapping has become the order of the day. Without bothering about the jeopardy in which the future of school children in the northeast region could turn due to kidnapping, the Federal Government is planning to criminalise ransom payment. Today, however, instead of the Buhari administration being a pathway to bring about security of lives and property in the country by sincerely fighting insurgency, it pretends to believe the fallacy the presidency is proclaiming that the insurgents have been degraded. But, in reality, it has not with the level of atrocities still perpetrated by bandits and the insurgents across the country.
With such a perceived threat of insecurity bedeviling the nation, it is alarming that corruption cankerworm is gaining deeper roots in the fabric of the society. Anyone who has keenly followed political affairs and events in the country would notice that the ruling government is far apart from fighting corruption like it promised during the electioneering campaigns. The other day, the prosecutor, Special Presidential Panel on Asset Recovery (SPPAR), Tosin Ojaomo, made a stunning revelation before the House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating the status of recovered loots and assets from 2002 to 2020 that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) allegedly stashed $60 billion of public funds in the United States.
This was indeed a great achievement for SPPAR, but it seems clear nevertheless that Nigeria’s fight against corruption continues to undergo some ugly twist and turn of events making it hard to achieve success and for society to take a cue and fall in line with being transparent in every dealings. The SPPAR prosecutor, Ojaomo, lamented that efforts by the panel to recover the above mentioned loot were frustrated by the minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who requested the case file from the body (SPPAR) and has not returned it. Indeed, if the possibility of the claim were true, it would not only be disheartening to Nigerians but deeply shocking that a cabinet member of government could frustrate attempt to recover looted funds. However, it would be tempting to dismiss this allegation as just another empty gesture. Hence, it is commendable that the Attorney General is summoned to appear before the House of Representatives committee to respond to the issues.
But one wonders if the change slogan is without a purpose for such ugly trends to rear its head in a government that pledged zero tolerance to corruption and insecurity. Therefore, the Buhari government cannot delay any further the political task in understanding that insecurity and corruption are enemies of progress to the country. Expectedly, corruption will not be an easy thing to sandbag. This is because those behind the wheel of corruption would always fight back to close their ugly tracks. But there would be nowhere to hide for corrupt government officials if a leadership that cares and does not compromise but rules by ennobling example comes to the defence of the common good. However, it is easy to say that political leaders must pursue the national interest rather than sectional interest of their ethnic group.
But, in many cases, this is mere wishful thinking as doing the opposite has become an extension of the presidency while the president seems to remain steadfast on national interest but not without thinking of his cousins.
Besides the above, it is important to say that policy makers should avoid seeing policy or taking certain actions through the eyes of a particular ethnic group, religion or race. The danger from such action creates domestic struggles and agitations among the people. President Buhari needs to update his skill to be able to face the challenges of a new age. For example, he needs to be more sensitive to the current changes in the demography of the country. In that regards, he needs to know that open grazing is no longer viable in the 21st Century but ranching. It is hard to determine the exact point in the nation’s history at which it became imperative that we must stick to obsolete system because of a people’s naivety to change. Indeed, when and how did sentiment over naivety become a directive principle of state policy? No doubt, the manifestation of these policies seems to have driven peaceful coexistence among Nigerians into unfamiliar territory.
Anthony Akinola
Penny wise, pound foolish
Electricity workers. PHOTO: Amos Kobor
These are indeed difficult and dangerous times for Nigerians. It would be out of place for anyone to envy Nigerians for whatever reason in these perilious times. For over a decade, Nigerians found themselves saddled with myriad of problems they had not sought and certainly are not enjoying. It is no longer news that most Nigerians pay electricity bills for darkness as the country is plagued by epileptic electricity supply. While the people across the country are constantly greeted with petals of blood and agony as a result of killings by Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, ritualists name it.
In the face of transmitting between six and ten hours of electricity daily, the electricity generating companies (GenCos) are planning to export more electricity to neighbouring West African countries, among them are Benin Republic, Togo and Burkina Faso. As if that is not enough trouble to contend with, the nation’s health sector that is supposed to care for the sick and injured patients from the above mentioned bloodletting monsters has dragged itself into further jeopardy as Nigerian doctors in their thousands continue to migrate yearly to Europe and America in search of greener pastures. Of course, it is shocking to learn that, there is sadly little or nothing the ruling government can do to stop these chains of ugly events.
Expectedly, being sorry or the need to accept the responsibility or blame is not what you see often in politics especially in this part of the world. Over here, it is usual to see politicians opt for character assassination and indictment as they look for who and what to direct the blame at. In the past six years, nothing resembles the desperation with which the blame game syndrome has become the most selling point of President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Therefore, the nation’s economy, whopping in the shadow of the greatest financial distress does not bother the ruling government to revamp it, so long as the current government points a finger at previous administration. Of course, the above is chiefly the reason behind the GenCos audacity to transmit poor electricity to Nigerians at very high cost. Instead of being a pathway to development by electrifying the nation for 24 hours, the GenCos are finalising agreement to export more electricity to neighbouring countries. Yes, as usual, they put the blame on surplus energy in the country as reason for their action.
According to the acting Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN) who also is, Chairman, Executive Board of the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP) Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz who said: “The power we will be selling is the power that is not needed in Nigeria”. It will surprise you to learn that, electricity supply to homes and factories have become a worrisome headache to Nigerians and businesses in recent times. The idea that about 2,000 megawatts of electricity is unutilised daily in Nigeria is a cheap excuse to export power in exchange for revenue in hard currency. This of course, is not only harmful and injurious to Nigerian businesses, it has made the cost of doing business to rise very sharply while many companies have reduced their staff strength as electricity supply hardly last for 10 hours daily and very expensive too.
The GenCos’ measure for revenue by exporting energy bore a stamp of panic and pain to well meaning Nigerians. Hence, the nation’s largest private sector group, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) warned that high energy cost would have a negative impact on businesses that are already grapping with high exchange rate due to the Naira depreciation. However, in justifying their intensions Mr Abdulaziz maintained that, “Nigeria has the greatest advantage among these countries (the buyers) because the electricity is going to be exported from Nigerian GenCos….revenue is going to be enhanced and a lot of people will be employed in Nigeria”. If not for greed for revenue in dollars, what else could be driving such a reckless and unpatriotic initiative? The GenCos and TCN should be reminded that this is not just a matter of revenue. It is about national development of the country that allows opportunities to spread evenly as well as tackle inequalities in the provision of public services like healthcare and education. No doubt, sufficient and affordable electricity in Nigeria would encourage entrepreneurship in the country and generate more revenue for the GenCos as well as create more job opportunities for Nigerians.
The simple truth is that, many Nigerian businesses and citizens are relocating to other countries not only because of the poor power situation, harsh economic and austerity measures or the killings by the Boko Haram insurgents and its sundry blood thirsty brothers. But, because of the ruling government insensitivity to the plight of the people, it is therefore, easy to understand why many Nigerian doctors are determined to embark on the greener pasture voyage abroad. This raises a serious concern about the healthcare sector that has been roundly ignored and starved of fund by virtually every administration. For an institution considered so vital to national life and development yet lip-service best describes its funding. Until now, it has not been easy to shrug off the exodus drift of Nigerian doctors abroad.
Hence, the President of Nigerian doctors in United Kingdom Seun Yusuf said: “The doctors….after eight years of medical school, one year of housemanship during NYSC, someone pays you N80,000 when you can earn better with that certificate in another country”. It is ironic that at a time when other countries seek the help of our medical doctors to confront the problem of healthcare, our government and its officials are less bordered. Sometime in April, 2019 Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said that Nigeria has surplus doctors and when they go abroad, they earn money and send back home here. Therefore, we have foreign exchange earnings from them.
So far, one might say that Nigeria’s current leaders lack the requisite sagacity to pilot the affairs of the nation due to leadership poverty. As a country whose fortunes hinge on the continued willingness to borrow to fund its infrastructure projects, the ruling government should start acknowledging reality and think outside the box. This would help to improve lives and renew its pattern of politics.
Anthony Akinola
Buhari and ‘the toxic press’
Buhari. Photo/ facebook/ekitistategov
The ongoing show-off between Twitter and the federal government and the latter’s desire to regulate social and online media is an attempt to criminalise journalism in the country. However, from the above response, the ruling government should be advised not to mess with the media, if it does not know that the mass media is the Fourth Estate of the realm.
The current government has rightly or wrongly spotted a defining moment by banning Twitter the other day over its taking down the President’s tweet on the ground of policy and ethics. No doubt, the government’s action against Twitter is quite an extreme one to take. But, in a bid to continue the adventurous display of power to clip social and online media wings, the ruling government is seeking prayers through the ies and nay members of National Assembly for the good of Nigeria as they usually say? By the way, the news is never so troublesome as the ruling government try to define it. Of what benefit is it, should the media organisations in Nigeria be censored to the dictate of the government?
How time flies. The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has forgotten so soon that it came to power with the help of the media especially social and online media. Indeed, the ruling government’s recent restatement through the minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to regulate social and online media has once again exposed the practice of journalism in Nigeria as one of the most maligned professions in the land. In fact, several media reports no matter how accurate or factual, spawn a new dilemma and controversy which erupt the wrath of government and its officials as they manipulate a theory with which to discredit the media reports and murder the sacred facts. Without being told, the government is expected to have a large heart to accommodate criticism from the media. The Twitter brouhaha is a good example of another level of censorship after the current government’s unsuccessful attempt with hate speech and fake news jingo to frustrate media practice in the country. However, it cannot be taken away that the media have a key role to play as they are constitutionally and professionally charged with informing the people of government’s activities just as it reflects the mood and aspirations of the people to the government. The challenge mostly driven by the actions of the media and the new (social) media in checkmating political office holders has elicited the little sincerity and determination of political office holders to give the people democracy dividends.
In a democratic setting such as ours, the agenda-setting of the media for good governance serves as a measurement of government performance at all levels. However, it would seem that, this humble nature of the media is viewed as provocative and considered as toxic journalism by the ruling government being led by a president who says he is a true democrat. Of course, by trying to regulate the media, the government is looking at a bonfire in which all the measures that thrill the society, but hurts few folks feelings in government are going to go up in smoke. But, wait a minute. Does this have to happen in a democracy? Surely, the answer is in the details as the media and most Nigerians took President Buhari in 2014 just like President George W Bush in 2001 while meeting President Vladmir Putin for the first time said: “I looked the man in the eye and was able to get a sense of his soul”. An error of judgment you may say regarding the suspicion that existed between both countries afterwards. The ruling government should do well to refocus its attention and resources on real governance that will impact positively on the lives of Nigerians instead of seeking avenue to gag the press. Indeed, the government cannot be said to be successful if its actions and lapses are not reported in the media, just as the media’s obligation is incomplete without reporting government. Although, such reports usually resonate with the ire of the government of the day as it tries to label the media as the case is with Twitter. Attempt by President Buhari administration to regulate social media platforms by asking all social media and online broadcasting service providers to apply for license is less than fair to journalism.
Especially now that majority of the youth are creating a niche for themselves as entrepreneurs with the social media space. There is a concern that the many strange allegations towards social and online media are efforts to unnecessary arrogate power to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to control media content and weaken investigations of government’s inappropriate conduct. The facts remain that with the level of uncertainty, palpable fear, insecurity, poverty among others in the land, there is hardly a way the media can refuse to be neutral and truthful especially as it did not create these events. The government should create a conducive atmosphere and a better way to get the media to work as the government’s partner in progress rather than being antagonistic.
Anthony Akinola
Eyes on Africa’s rising debts
FILE: Chinese PresidentXi Jinping(R) holds talks with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Beijing, capital of China on April 12, 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)<br />
There is nothing as frustrating as living in abject poverty amid riches. Considering the fact that Africa has come of age, therefore, it has reached a point where borrowing by its leaders as antidote to economic management must give way to a progressive development and management of the continents rich resources. One of the good things about Africa is that it is blessed with human and natural resources. But, in one breathless step for the African people to harness the spoils of their God-given natural gift through political leadership saw the continent being led by mediocres. Of course, the conflation of poor leadership among African leaders has generated nothing but decades of poverty, unemployment, conflicts and endless mysteries of financial mismanagement from Morocco to South Africa, and from Nigeria to Kenya.
As much as African leaders have cared, hunger and miserable living condition has become a companion to the masses irrespective of the natural blessings of the continent. There is no guarantee for portable water for all, healthcare for all, education for all, shelter for all, among others. Thus, there would be absolutely no need to worry about a brighter future, as it has been mortgaged with insurmountable debts. For all the adjectives you could use to describe debt, being a debtor is confounding, frustrating and above all, desperately boring. As it were, there is nothing particularly that brings a joyful memory or an exhilarating prospect to the African people from its leaders. Hence, the other day, at the African Development Bank Group’s 2021 annual meeting, the Director-General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) and ex-minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Tarek Amer and other regional stakeholders in a tribe of thought against borrowing gave a warm advice and warning about wide ranging reasons African leaders should beware of debt distress.
The speech was as rousing and a timely warning any speech could be in these debt burden panorama times. As rightly observed by Okonjo-Iweala, the debt burden pre-dated COVID-19 but worsened during the pandemic. Therefore, she warned, “prevention is better than crisis management because Africa could not afford to fall into debt trap again”. The facts and figures on parade are unbelievably true as it alarmingly disturbs the ordinary citizens more than the political class that are the architect of misery. In the case of Nigeria, and according to the data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) reveals that N612.71 billion was spent on domestic debt service, while N410.1 billion was expended on servicing external debt.
The issue of Africa’s debt burden remains a recurrent headache because the problem is getting worse by the day. There is no benefit in manipulating the true nature of the continents economy like politicians do, hence, the DG, WTO described Africa as an embodiment of the global trickery growth as the continent lags behind while advance economies and China are growing at a faster rate. Given the fact that, the last five years and certainly the last one year, the COVID-19 pandemic era has been very hectic for the continent. There is little or no fundamental initiative to grow the economy other than seek for financial bailout, some of which are with conditions best described as selling out the country to the money lenders. It is indeed sad, that the continent has in recent times been pleasantly plagued with leaders who chose to embrace handouts from the International monetary bodies or rich nations.
Aside Africa’s leaders collective weakness to roll up their sleeves and till the soil, the artificial divisions and boundaries created by the colonial masters who remotely through economic and military operations simply overt or covert allows the continent to remain static in economic growth and infrastructural development. This is why trade among African countries remains very poor and sluggish. It also explains why some certain countries in Africa may be starving, yet foodstuff and raw materials is being exported from another country abroad. The question today is whether Africa can survive in its continued borrowing and shipping away its natural raw resources in exchange for peanuts; compared to the revenue generated after processing the raw materials. It is important that African leaders and government should not only trade among themselves but endeavour to invest more on research to bring about processing their raw materials to finish products. In this regard, it is saddening that, African countries economy that is largely agrarian spends far less than half of what the industrial countries spend on research. To make a bad story worse, African leaders over-reliance on development research from outside the continent; majority of these research document are not necessarily relevant to the individual or collective needs of African countries.
The way things are drifting, the time has come to go beyond the rhetoric of conferences, seminars and propaganda of various African leaders that poverty and unemployment in the continent particularly their individual countries are sustained by monies they borrow from developed countries, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. It is obvious that even if the African economy grows at higher percentage, the continent cannot make any meaningful progress especially in competing with the rest of the world if it continues to borrow to finance its annual budgets. The warning from the DG, WTO and others is particularly notable to the extent that sustaining Africa’s economy should not rest on loans alone. It is high time African leaders should demonstrate a sense of sincerity that necessitate good governance through better management of the continents wealth for the good of all. This would help to create a new reputation and at least, keep the lights on.
Anthony Akinola
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Lauretta Onochie
The Senate, on Tuesday, rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Gaya, in his report, said Onochie did not satisfy the provisions of the Federal Character Principles.
The Senate at the committee of the whole subsequently voted against her nomination.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South), in his presentation, said the Committee received several petitions against the nominations of Ms. Lauretta Onochie and Professor Sani Muhammad Adam.
He disclosed that the petitions against Lauretta Onochie were against the backdrop that her involvement in politics and alleged membership of a political party.
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He explained further that her nomination violated the Federal Character Principle as there is already a serving National Electoral Commissioner from Delta State, Barr. Mary Agbamuche-Mbu who was screened and confirmed by the 8th Senate.
“In the case of Ms. Lauretta Onochie’s, having studied her curriculum vitae and other relevant documents, followed by exhaustive interaction around the petitions against her nomination which she responded to accordingly, including attesting that she is not a registered member of any political party,” Gaya said.
According to the lawmaker, the Committee bound by the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amendment) on Federal Character Principle, refused to recommend Onochie for confirmation.
“Therefore, based on the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) on Federal Character Principle as earlier stated, and in order for the Committee and the Senate to achieve fairness to other states and political zones in the country, the committee is unable to recommend Ms. Lauretta Onochie for confirmation as a National Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission,” he added.
Anthony Akinola
Our season of bitter pills
Oil field
The last few weeks must go down as season of bitter pills that made some Nigerians holding certain ideological belief or agitating for one thing or the other to squint over the unpalatable news before them. In a way, the season was inaugurated by the arrest and extradition of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which sends cold shivers down the spine of many of his adherents. Before one could say jack, news about the raid of Sunday Igboho’s residence that resulted to a bloody encounter and loss of lives gives you another sour taste. In the same pace and manner, the ruling government extends the bitter pills well beyond the secessionist wailers to resource control agitators of the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta. A region in the South South of the country where crude oil is explored, exploited, exported and earns the nation economic power in foreign currency.
The other day, after what seems like eternity, to be precise, over 13 years, the Senate and House of Representatives finally passed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). From every indication, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration seems to be a negligent teacher in areas where it is supposed to pay more attention. Quite often, the ruling government has consistently let matters of great national importance slide into crisis of public debate as it sluggishly allows the issue(s) to degenerate. The simple fact that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic society means that issues concerning any ethnic group resonate more loudly compared to others. This is especially so in the Niger Delta region that produces the economic live wire on which the nation depends. Therefore, with 30 per cent of profits accruing from oil and gas operations to be set aside for exploration of oil in the frontier basins and a paltry 3 per cent for oil producing communities is best described as humiliating to the people of the Niger Delta.
Of course, the uproar that greeted the decision on the floor of the Senate has hardly died down that the south Governors’ Forum vehemently rejected the 30 per cent proposal share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins. Also, they rejected the ownership structure of the proposed Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, (NNPC). The Forum reiterated its disagreement, ‘that the company be vested in the Federal Ministry of Finance but should be held in trust by Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA)’.
With each passing minute since the PIB was passed, the content of the bill is not only becoming clearer, but has encouraged wild reactions and condemnation of the National Assembly’s poor sharing proposal of oil profits. Aside the criticism of the PIB passage, it has raised tempers among leaders in host communities to a point that elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark began to think of seeking self help when he threatened that; “…if there was no reversal, the Niger Delta people may be forced to take their destiny into their hands…”. It would be tempting to dismiss this as just another empty threat. Knowing that in the recent past, our democracy has been plagued by authoritarian populists.
Nigeria’s democracy under the current dispensation has somehow escaped the limelight that brought it to power. Despite opposition parties and liberals furiously condemning the erosion of democratic norms, they find themselves steamrolled by the ruling government. In that sense, does the need arise to argue that the Buhari administration is likely to listen to words of wisdom with regards to the PIB, as it scoffs the opposition party or anyone with different views, as those who have nothing better to do than to point fingers at government? It is indeed sad that, the President Buhari governments’ disdain for expertise has made government less competent.
The passage of the PIB is purely a political phenomenon. Given the need for the provision of 30 per cent for the frontier exploration of oil in other regions, it is indeed struggling to make sense out of the miserable 3 per cent proposed to the oil producing communities. This is not in any way going down well with the Niger Deltans as it is an attempt to treat them like puppet. Yes, the government may try to argue that the 30% for the frontier exploration is all about promoting economic development in the country. But, is the government consumed with illusion that it cannot see such as advertising inequality in the system. No doubt, there is much that the ruling government gets wrong. The PIB passage is self-serving and dangerous. Nigerians are hurt in nearly every aspects of the current governments policy decisions, is it in area of electricity billing, fuel pump pricing, political appointments, infrastructure development or the equitable sharing of the nation’s wealth among others. Of course, it is no longer news that Nigerians once pined their hopes on promises to transform the country and lift millions out of poverty, today, the masses place their trust on God as hopes from government are fading with each passing day.
A vital principle is at stake. The key to the country’s progress is spiritual, cultural and national self-determination.
Without this, the nation may not be able to withstand internal challenges if any arises. Again, silencing alternative voices does not banish discontent, it bottles it up. Nigeria and indeed the government of the day must allow more space for dissent or risk an explosion in the near future. In truth, the country is on a never-ending roundabout of unfulfilled promises and bureaucratic wheel-spinning of important national issues. Let the PIB be reversed in the interest of peace in the Niger Delta and the country.
Anthony Akinola
The decline of ideology politics
Of late, Nigerian politicians in their majority appear to be assiduously working to diminish the relevance of the democratic system and the need to achieve good governance in the country. Therefore, there is need for serious concern given the spate of the rampant defections which has besieged the opposition party(ies) in recent times. Of course, by the relentless enthusiasm with which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party has been claiming the ‘backyard victory’, one would not be surprised if these unnecessary shouts of triumph would further derail and deny the people the dividends of democracy. Consequently, the ignoble practice of decamping should raise eyebrows and cause wariness among the opposition parties, the intellectual Left and well meaning Nigerians because, it is a matter of evidently weighty consequence in the near future.
The way and manner politics is being played nowadays is not only devastatingly surprising but shocking to learn from an elderly friend, the other day, of a time in the history of the country, when Nigerians took great pride and an unwavering stance in their ideological political parties.
A period when a political party’s manifesto gave the voter a clear understanding of the party’s ideology. A time, when the electorate’s votes count and when political power actually belonged to the people. Of course, an era when politicians are seen as servants not masters. Sadly, it is the exact opposite today. Politics now lack the ideology that propelled many among farmers, students, market women and associations to be card carrying members of political parties of old. Regrettably, today’s politicians and political parties are a collection of so many selfish individuals whose only agenda is to exploit and impoverish the masses. I would not at all be surprised if the candid minority among politicians in the country are themselves quite irritated by the fetish and insidious comments coming from both the defectors and the welcoming political party. One is mystified by the way in which defection is now being used to justify good governance and achievements.
A fortnight ago, President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina while glorifying defectors governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state and his counterpart from Zamfara state, Bello Mohammed (Matawalle Maradum) both duly elected as governors by the masses under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said: “…this is one of the happiest times for us in this party.
For you to have the courage to leave your constituencies speak a lot. I wish Nigerians will reflect about it…” Yes. Nigerians are indeed reflecting about the manipulations of political power and warped sentiments for personal gains. Amid the orgy of congratulations, the defectors claim their action is in the interest of the people, but in reality, they are merely looking for exclusive domain to continue the exploitation and impoverishment of the people.
This is not only dangerous but destructive as hate speech and fake news. Nigerians know too well the effect of such shady acts and comments in our political and national life. Shall we wait for a political war of words that could be translated into some colourations of religious or tribal stir to teach us to avoid whipping up political power or sentiments for personal gains? It is disheartening that Nigeria’s politicians continue to betray and is betraying the people’s trust, both in their pretension of being true democrats, to broken promises and their indulgence in jumping from one political party to the other in the name of the people.
With the incessant decamping of key politicians to the ruling party across the country, the political class seems to be working to destroy the relevance of opposition in party politics. Indeed, the decline of ideology politics is evident in the continued defection of politicians from the opposition to the ruling party. Currently, in the Green Chambers, the difference is not only clear, but very stark as APC members grew from 211 in 2019 elections to 236 last week due to defections.
This means the APC members in the House are just 4 members shy of the required two-thirds (240) to control overwhelming influence on every legislative matter on the floor of the House. One very disturbing nature of these defections is that unlike previous occasions when leaders of the party in the House (both the minority leadership and the House PDP caucus leadership) put up some form of protest, but in this case, not even a whisper was heard or a hand raised against the decamping politicians in the House. It is important to remind our political leaders, especially those in the opposition and a passionate appeal to civil society organisations, not to sit back and watch in silence while our democracy is taken down a path that undermines the rule of law and moral consciousness.
Time is of the essence to stop this ugly trend. Notwithstanding the decamping politician’s propaganda taking a populist turn, the onus to demonstrate good faith rests on the ruling government to show good leadership example and encourage the on-going electoral reforms to have a human face. This would create an order to prevent a political earthquake that could lead the nation, as earlier noted, becoming a one party state. Without electoral reform, the disorderliness among politicians will not only continue but worsen.
No doubt, politicians are supposed to be distinguished persons who ought to keep faith with the people that elected them into offices and having been elected into their esteemed positions, they do not need decamping to justify the confidence the people reposed on them to perform creditably. However, it is unfortunate that, the laxity in the system is partly responsible for the selfish interest that determines the need for defection. To save our democracy, this phenomenon must stop, as Nigeria cannot afford to be playing banana politics. In a larger sense, we cannot continue to treat defectors as hallow, Nigerians may not remember what the defectors said, but they can never forget the picture democracy is being painted by their (defectors’) action.
Anthony Akinola
Of education and its hunchback problems
A cross section of Nigerian undergraduates
Never mind whatever antidote the government of day may wish to administer to bring back education’s lost glory even when the remedies looks more like challenges in the education sector. However, the nation has in recent times been pleasantly informed by President Muhammadu Buhari why the education sector urgently needs more funds.
We cannot suppose from this statement as a ploy to silence stakeholders agitating for adequate funding of the education sector. In any case, such information from government quarters is as constant as the northern star, and therefore, not new. Hence, one of the pre-occupations of the Buhari administration has been its continued desire to make phantom promises on education by reassuring Nigerians how his government would strengthen the education sector.
The other day, the President once again in Daura, Katsina state promised while receiving the Vice Chancellor, Professor Akpofure Rim-Rukeh of Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE) Effurun, Delta state, that his administration would allocate an increasing share of resources to improve learning in the country and reform the educational sector. But to all intents and purposes, these promises do not seem to be entirely backed by action, as education remains in continued deterioration.
A government that is serious about education or is desired to spend more would reveal such ambition in its annual budget. Better still, take the bull by the horn and declare an emergency in the education sector to send a clear message of action to the stakeholders. For instance, in this year’s budget, the government only apportioned 5.6 per cent to the education sector out of a total of N13.6 trillion budget. Indeed, it is difficult to evaluate the wretchedness and ugly state the Buhari government and indeed past administrations has made education become nowadays. It is a shame that Nigeria, the so called, giant of Africa is nowhere near the UNESCO 26 per cent funding stipulation for education reading from the nation’s 2021 budget.
Funding has become a great challenge and dysfunction that continue to impede the growth and the realisation of education potentials in the country. Despite the ruling governments continued promise and desire to uplift education, it still enmeshed in the missteps of past administrations. It is not enough for President Buhari led administration to keep reinforcing what is already known that education can pave way to end poverty and used as the key to a secured future. What is required is action plan to pull out education from the doldrum state.
So far, so predictably, you might say that the catalogue of woes is compounded as the education sector is entering unfamiliar territory. In the recent past, we have seen how insecurity has played a part in further causing harm to an already worse education situation. In the north eastern part of the country, millions of school children are out of the classrooms, while hundreds are in captivity having being kidnapped or abducted in their various schools by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents. The ruling government, no doubt, has to deal with the issue of insecurity arising from Boko Haram insurgents knowing that their first cardinal objective is the dislike for western education. Insecurity has created an unassuming fear in the society and caused majority among school age pupils in the entire northern region to refuse to attend school. Given the state of insecurity in the country, government cannot achieve much success in the education sector if and when the sector is adequately funded. Therefore, would the ruling government still have to allocate increasing share from the budget to the education sector in the face of Boko Haram’s threat to education? The question hardly diminishes the fact about the horrible state of the education sector. But, notwithstanding, the Buhari administration has the opportunity to set a good record for incoming governments to emulate.
An increase in education fund is more likely to set the key for the development of the country’s human capital. In the same breath, much as funding is necessary to uplift education standard, we should not downplay other critical hunchback that are not amenable or a quick-fix solutions.
It is common knowledge that the quality of the teaching personnel is also central to the education system challenges. It is, therefore, disheartening that majority among teachers are poorly trained and many of those who take up teaching jobs do so at the absence of employment in their qualified profession. Also, the constant call for strike action in the education sector reveals that, the nation’s teachers seem not to be impressed about their wages and condition of service. Government should make it as priority the adequate payment of teacher’s wages, and retraining teachers because it goes a long way to help in the journey to revamping the sector by bringing out the best in the teachers. The shabby treatment of teachers and the general belief that teacher’s reward awaits them in Heaven has also exposed to a great extent, about the present low standard of education in the country.
Addressing the circumstance where funding is hampering education, in this case, the petroleum varsity potentials, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Rim-Rukeh, called on spirited Nigerians to support the institution as educational sustainability and progress of the country especially universities was being threatened by sole dependence on the federal government. However, in the face of all these challenges, will education die? No it shall not. But if the deterioration continues unabated, let the policymakers know that history will judge, not only by the principles they endorse but by their actual conduct and actions towards education.
It is indeed heartwarming to know that the ruling government appears self compelling to adequately fund education, but the basic objective should be centered more on action than mere lip-service. The sore taste in the nation’s education sector could be a lot better than what currently obtains, if the system of education has not being severally midwifed by the introduction of foreign calendars that revised the curriculum of schools at close intervals. The government is required to fashion an appropriate policy action to redress the deteriorating standard of education in the country before it becomes too late.
Anthony Akinola
Revelations from the pulpit
Buhari
It was in William Shakespeare’s epic novel, Julius Caesar, that the great Caesar was warned of an imminent danger as the priest’s divination could not find the heart of the beast. But because Caesar’s wisdom was consumed in confidence said, “…the gods do in shame of cowardice, Caesar shall go forth from his house today…”. Therefore, I would not be surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari administration which has sufficiently being consumed from inception with credibility and charisma ego, would not be bothered if legion of men of God, human rights activists and indeed millions of Nigerians join forces with the Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical province who, the other day, raised an alarm that Nigeria has lost its soul under the President Buhari administration that is enmeshed in politics with the semblance of divide and rule system. Without a second thought, the Buhari government would, like Caesar, launch a fierce self esteem appraisal and continue unabated irrespective of the critics brutal facts and wave them off as merely inconsequential voices being sponsored by the opposition to discredit the ruling government change train.
No doubt, the revelation is a damming indictment of the Buhari administration as many Nigerians are themselves just as the Catholic Bishops were quite irritated by what the Bishops call the selective administration of the Buhari government. However, if you did not see that coming from inauguration day as regards the body language and lopsided appointment under the Buhari government, then, you were not paying attention. Nigerians cannot fail to be mystified by the lopsided appointment that favours certain region and religion. Rather than try to brighten the political climate and improve the poor governance that has ravaged the country like earthquake, the ruling government chose to adopt ethnic and regional favouratism. It is worrisome that the Catholic Bishops revelation is coming at a time when the agitation for regional autonomy and the quest among the political class to zone the presidency in the upcoming 2023 elections to the South- East is heating up the polity.
It seems reasonable to say that the ruling government complacently enjoys the growing leverage of insecurity and the economic hardship affecting Nigerians. One sad thing about the ugly development of insecurity in the country is that Nigerians are fast becoming experts in detecting and isolating a presided enemy tribe among themselves. Things that were unthinkable about twenty years ago are taking center view in public life, if you conduct an opinion poll about insecurity in Nigeria then, with emphasis on suicide bombing, kidnapping and heartless killing of human beings. The respondents would probably have given you an odd look and a quick response that such cannot happen here, in Nigeria. Regrettably, these days, such incidents are daily headline news, scary stories about killings and displacement of people from their ancestral homes and turning communities into ghost towns. Surprisingly, the ruling government is bristling with accusation on the media as being responsible for the increase in insurgency attacks because of the latter’s coverage and analysis.
In contemplating the frightening scenes insecurity has bestowed on the nation, the clerics noted that the current waves of insecurity in the country is an indication that the President Buhari government has failed woefully to tackle the criminal elements wreaking havoc but rather dissipating energy on silencing lawful citizens.
Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how the reputation of the Buhari administration could sink any lower as insecurity and economic hardship has overwhelmed the citizenry. Crime and criminality is on the increase and the ruling government seems not quite focused to address it.
The clerics outburst that, “Nigeria, our country, seems to have lost its very soul because it is no longer a healthy entity…armed conflicts, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, insurgency, banditry, and extrajudicial killings have become the order of the day”, is indeed a peculiar Nigerian situation today. The government and its officials have woven itself in a strong illusion and have characteristically gone up in arms against patriotic and frank critical opinions, such as the recent expression by Bishop Matthew Kakah at the US Congress on religious freedom in Nigeria.
In the past, several pious calls for the Buhari administration to make its military weight felt by the insurgents have turned out to be empty. The government has remained surprisingly indifferent to the obvious danger before Nigerians regarding insurgency, banditry and kidnapping. To a large extent, it seems the ruling government’s continued strong sympathy towards the insurgents and that making excuses for the military inability to crush the insurgents is a signal of its lack of desire to crush the insurgents. No doubt, the ruling government’s priorities are changing by the day.
President Buhari, who was intent during his campaign on pivoting towards insurgency, kidnapping and banditry chose not to punish captured Boko Haram fighters and surprisingly so, allow arrested killer herdsmen to go free. It signaled that the Buhari administration is losing interest in the fight against insurgency and it is hard to overstate the scale of the change the ruling government promised Nigerians. Underlying the gloom and apprehension we now find ourselves in is the government we have foisted ourselves by way of (S)election.
A situation where there seems to be less and more to the case of insecurity than it appears. Less in that the government position on degrading the insurgents are flimsy, more is that insecurity can be seen as a clever way to smuggle an unpopular idea like grazing reserves, cattle colony, cattle route, water bill or RUGA into existence.
There is no use advocating a better future for Nigerians that never came close to reality. The ruling government has continued its slogan to create millions of jobs to alleviate poverty on the pages of newspapers and television screen but the reality remains that Nigerians are poorer by the day. Which demonstrate that the government is simply insensitive to the masses plights. If the government does not wake up to its responsibilities, there is a considerable risk that in the near future, the country may disappear geopolitically or worst still, the government will no longer be in control of the affairs.
Anthony Akinola
Improve education beyond rhetoric
Education. Photo: GOOGLE
International conferences, summits or seminars have their usefulness and advantages. They provide a forum for reasoned discussions, and for positions to be taken on contemporary problems facing nation states as well as focus the world’s attention on issues that affect humankind’s peace and well-being. But when they are held as a matter of routine and on issues that will not go away, there are the possibility and risk of calling such meetings window-dressing. The continued deteriorating standard of education in Nigeria presents one such problematic and recurrent discussion. Much energy and tones of prose have been expended over several decades in extolling the theory that, for any nation, education is the soul and key to a bright future for its citizens.
The recent Global Education Summit held in London, United Kingdom gives relevance to the fact that a well funded education sector would unlock development and grow the economy for the good of all in the country. In this context, fresh opportunity for a five-year pledge for leaders firm support to Global Partnership on Education’s (GPE) was reached in the London Education Summit to help transform the education system in up to about 90 countries and territories around the world. The London education summit also provided an opportunity for leaders present to brainstorm on the way forward for transforming education and deliberating on innovative solutions and commitment to address the core challenges facing education. The mindless neglect and poor funding by successive governments of Nigeria’s docile and poor education seems to receive a tap, and wake-up call from its protracted slumber. Yes, the hope for Nigeria’s education sector to regain its lost glory is coming from President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent pledge as a participant in the just concluded Heads of State Call to Action on Education Summit in London.
At the summit, President Buhari saw the need for his administration to increase the budget for the education sector by 50 per cent in the next two years. He said: “We commit to progressively increase our annual domestic education expenditure by 50 per cent over the next two years and up to 100 per cent by 2025 beyond the 20 per cent global benchmark”. Good talk you may say. However, given the scale of challenges facing the education sector in Nigeria for instance, the London pledge should go beyond the rhetoric of a summit or conference that earns a resounding applause. But to grab education challenges by the jugular is to rub your hand where the pain is to get relieved. It is disheartening to note that successive governments in Nigeria have consistently maligned the education sector by starving it of funds. Yet, government and its officials continue in their sermon that education is the utmost in human existence and nation building. Such beclouded action and sweet rhetoric is not healthy for the education sector and the nation in general. It is important for the Buhari administration to keep the ‘London Education Summit’ pledge dearly and not let it be gone with the wind like, the free school feeding programme or the monthly five thousand naira stipends for graduates among others.
If there is one thing Nigerians wanted from President Buhari administration when they elected him into office in 2015 and returned him in 2019, it was to improve the poor standard of education. Today, the ugly state of affairs in the education sector is alarmingly disturbing particularly the case with the girl child where cultural practice of early marriage stops the girl child from going to school. Also disturbing is the school children of the North East where insurgency is a contributory factor to the already deplorable condition of education in the country. Of late, the bandits have somehow shifted from their usual slogan of Western education is evil by destroying school buildings and infrastructure to kidnapping school children and demanding ransom. To worsen the pathetic situation, the Buhari administration recently said it would no longer negotiate with bandits. Yet, there are no viable signs of government winning the fight against insurgency. It is important for the ruling government, in whatever way or manner to commit more resources and energy to defeating the insurgents.
The question of mandatory overhaul of the education sector cannot be over emphasised as the drop in quality of the teaching personnel affects the quality of graduating students. To make matters worse, teachers’ poor treatment result to frequent strike action over their welfare or demand for improved infrastructure in the education sector. The decadence in the education sector is further messed up by the all comers affairs due to the absence of employment opportunities hence individuals from other fields found themselves as teachers to make ends meet, not necessarily because of interest or motivation. The facts on the ground remains that, Nigeria’s political leaders owe the people a great deal of service, especially those they constantly refer to as the future leaders’ sound educational background by meeting the UNESCO 26 per cent evaluated standard in education funding.
On its part, government should have a clear idea of the education sector’s catalogue of challenges and ensure a diligent handling of the issues. Again, given the audience at which President Buhari made the education pledge, one hopes that it should not end with the applause it received on the floor of the summit. The Buhari administration must realise that the downward drift in education standard must stop now and government must be seen to truly move education forward by giving the sector a robust allocation in the annual budget. Anyway, the ‘London pledge’ and the ball are clearly in government’s court.