The Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting with the 36 States today, Tuesday, ended in deadlock as a result of what were observed to be discrepancies in N37.76 billion in revenue which the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), presented.
Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris told newsmen in Abuja shortly after the meeting that the meeting was inconclusive because of irregularities in figures presented by the NNPC.
“Obviously, you are all aware that anything that has to do with federation revenue is statutory and, therefore, constitutional and we must always verify our figures to the last kobo. Failing to do so will amount to committing illegality and unconstitutionality.
“It is on this note that we observe some issues in the figures given by one of the major revenue generating agencies namely the NNPC.
“The committee is of the opinion that until and unless these figures are reconciled, corrected, verified and factual; we cannot distribute the revenue as the case is.
“Let me again be quick to inform Nigerians that we are sensitive with the issue and to the fact that state governments may find it difficult without this money.
“But we have to follow the constitution and the laws for distribution of revenue,’’ he said.
Also, the Chairman, Forum of FAAC Commissioner, Mahmoud Yunusa, said the forum rejected the amount presented by the NNPC because it was far lower than what was projected for the month.
He argued that if the NNPC could not surpass what they presented in February, then they should not present anything less than what they presented the previous months.
“We started this meeting last week and NNPC did not submit their figures until yesterday (Monday), which we were not able to review until this morning.
“This morning when we were reviewing the figures as presented by the NNPC, it came as a great surprise to see that the amount was less than N100 billion.
“So we (states) decided that we will not collect the amount presented,
“We are contesting the figures because pipeline vandalism has reduced, while crude oil prices have continued to go up.
“On this note, we are wondering why the nation cannot raise enough money through that sector to share to states so that everyone can pay workers, contractors and so on.
“We are well aware that this development may affect the payment of salaries in states, but we cannot hurriedly accept this money and then later cry foul play.
“So, we should all be patient. But we hope that with this latest development, NNPC will do the needful as soon as possible,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, in a document obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NNPC paid in N74.06 billion into the federation account as oil revenue generated in the month of February, to be shared in March.
“Compared to the collection of N111.84 billion in Jan. 2018, the February collection of N74.06 billion is lower by N37. 76 billion or 33 per cent.
“We were unable to meet the approved budget as a result of low collection from Concession Rentals and Petroleum Sharing Contracts (PSC) Royalty.
“We wish to note that the sum of N30.5 million for the Misc Oil revenue and N6.11 million for Gas Flared are on transit at the end of Feb. 2018.
“Furthermore, we received 16. 56 million dollars out of the 85.94 million dollars expected from PSC and MCA lifting for the month under review, therefore leaving 68.65 million dollars as outstanding,” NNPC said. [myad]
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has said that he had never had any misunderstanding with President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies at the height of the herdsmen/farmers clashes and resultant death of many.
He stressed: “I am APC Governor and the President is APC. We have always been meeting and I have said very positive things about the President before and I have not retracted what I said.
Governor Ortom who spoke to news men shortly after an audience with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Tuesday, said: “the fact is that I have a challenge at hand and needed to stay with my people to be able to surmount this because they are the people that elected me.
“And Benue people first before any other thing. I have not had any strained relationship with the federal government. I had no strained relationship with security agencies, not even with security agencies and that was the point I was making.
“But all I was saying is trying to add value to the security of the nation by bringing my suggestions as a former local government chairman, former minister and now current serving governor.
“I think I have something to add to the security architecture of this country that can add value and help us to do better than we are doing. There is always room for improvement in any setting or organization by buying from one person to the other because nobody has monopoly of knowledge.
“We must synergize; we must corporate with one another and so, when you neglect this, and you have tragedy like the one you have in Benue State, it is not good enough. And people must be willing to accept pieces of advice, especially superior opinions that can help shape and add value to the development of our system.”
He said that he was in the Villa to thank President Buhari for the condolence visitor to Benue State after the killings and to also intimate him of where the situation is now.
“I am here to also remind him about the request of Bernie people when he paid that visit and to assure him that Benue remains committed for united Nigeria and to work with him in ensuring that we collaborate with the Federal Government to provide security for lives and property in Nigeria.”
Governor Ortom said that he also intimated the President about the plight of over 175,000 IDPs that are in eight camps, adding that such IDPs have expressed their desire to go back home. “And Mr. President is very passionate about their plight and has assured me that government will swing into action to ensure that rehabilitation is done to those homes that were displaced.
“If they go back home, where would they go and live when their houses were destroyed? That assurance has been given and he will also look at the other issues that we brought before him.
“It is quite assuring that it will be well and I want to thank the President for the support he has shown. I know that this crisis did not just start during his tenure; it precedes this government. “When I was serving as minister, my ancestral home was destroyed, 53 people were killed and this was in 2013 when Mr. President was not yet here. But I think that what is important is the NEC sun-committee headed by the Vice President which is doing the needful.”
“I believe that the meeting we held and the subsequent ones that we are going to hold will definitely proffer a solution to this perennial problem and we sought it out ones and for all. But we remain committed to our people and our ranching law and I believe that that is the way forward.” [myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again intervened in the inter-bank sector of the Foreign Exchange market to the tune of $210 million.
Figures obtained from the Bank today, Tuesday, indicate that the Wholesale sector of the market got a boost of $100 million, while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and invisibles sectors were each offered $55 million.
The Acting Director in the Corporate Communications Department of the apex Bank, Isaac Okorafor, said that the interventions were in continuation of the Bank’s commitment to maintain stability in the market as well as enhance production and trade.
Okorafor said that the monetary regulator was pleased with the cooperation by players in the inter-bank market, which he noted had enjoyed a great deal of stability and seamless access of customers to foreign exchange following regular interventions by the CBN.
The bank communications strategist expressed optimism that the first Monetary Policy meeting (MPC) of the CBN billed for early next month will add fillip to the monetary policy activities of the Bank. He therefore urged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the economic outlook for 2018, even as he insisted that the CBN remained people-centred.
It will be recalled that the CBN had last Friday, sustained its intervention in the Forex market by injecting the sum of $339.89 million in the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS).
Meanwhile, the naira exchanged at N360/$1 in the Bureau De Change (BDC) segment of the market today, Tuesday. [myad]
When on Saturday, March 24, 2018, Gen T.Y. Danjuma sent out a shrill cry to Nigerians using the exalted pedestal of the Taraba State University’s first convocation ceremony as a medium to send out his message, one could see nothing but desperation, frustration and hopelessness all over him as a result of the incessant killings of Nigerians of diverse nationalities by the marauding Fulani herdsmen terrorists.
Such emotions are expected of a man whose kith and kin are directly in the line of fire.
There is no doubt that Danjuma’s call for Nigerians to rise and defend themselves in the face of the immutable failure of security agencies to come to their rescue is germane, it is however too late, too little and too feeble. This is in addition to the fact that Danjuma has since lost his exalted place in the scheme of morality before the ordinary Nigerian. An unrepentant war-monger, Danjuma is not different to the criminal behavior of those he is attempting to castigate today. In fact, it is the tribal antics of narrow-minded people like the former minister of defence that brought us all to this unfortunate saga.
No one may like the content of this piece, but I am not writing to be liked, have never written to be liked and does not wish to write to be liked but to always be as truthful and, if possible, brutally truthful and hurtful to those averse to truth! This is all I owe my conscience and my God.
Just like the Fulani herdsmen terrorists of today, Danjuma also led a gang of armed bandits in uniform to Ibadan to murder the then Head-of-State, Gen JTU Aguiyi Ironsi, execution style. He then went further to actively participate in the near annihilation of the Igbo during the civil war where three million Biafrans were randomly and wantonly wasted, clearly against the rules of engagement.
The Asaba massacre is one example of the mindless nature of people like Theophilus Danjuma.
On that morning of October 7, 1967, the good people of Asaba had thronged out in their numbers to show solidarity to the Nigerian troops who had earlier pushed the Biafran soldiers further back from Ore to the Niger. The solidarity by Asaba indgenes became necessary as a way of abating the continued and unwarranted massacre of their people by the federal troops who accused them of being “sympathizers of Biafra”.
They thought that by expressing such solidarity in an all-white attire signifying peace and surrender would appease the federal troops. But that was their greatest undoing!
It is recorded that about 1,000 of them including some as young as 12 were murdered in cold blood during the massacre. Federal troops separated the men from the women in the solidarity march at the square and randomly opened fire on all of them: innocent, defenceless, armless, harmless and helpless civilians.
The gory story of the civil war has been told time and time again. Both sides have their faults, no doubt, but the deployment of “extra-war” strategies to prosecute the war against Biafra would remain the sour point in the history of that war.
The most heart wrenching of them all are the images of infants and children who were starved to death as Danjuma and his cohorts deployed starvation as an instrumentality of war. In that circumstance, innocent Igbo children who should have been spared the consequences of the war having been too young to have contributed to the causes were seen dying slowly and painfully on the streets, in the bushes and everywhere. Some of them had their severely malnourished bodies feasted upon by vultures even while still alive. Not even their mothers whose breasts had shrunk back into their chests due to deprivation could provide milk to save the infants from starvation.
Today, the reasons the late Emeka Ojukwu declared secession has come back to haunt Danjuma who thought he was doing humanity a great service by siding with the Fulani who, today, have turned the sword against him and his people under the auspices of herdsmen terrorists. What they could not see while standing on an Iroko tree, Ojukwu had since seen even while sitting on ute uche ya (his mat of wisdom).
Today, the chicken has come home to roost. While the southeast remains one of the most advanced and peaceful regions in the country today, there is mayhem, fire and brimstone visited upon Danjuma’s home by the same people he freely fell into infamy for in the years of the war.
Let us even assume without accepting that all those events happened as a result of war, it is more sickening that Danjuma has since carried on like an unassailable veteran whose evil deeds would automatically turn to good simply because he fought on the side of federal troops.
It would be good at this point to remind Danjuma that Igbo blood is thick. All those who participated in the massacres and starvation of even children in the 1967 – 1970 imbroglio would pay for them, not because Ndigbo would wage another war but because the God of justice hears the cry of the blood of the innocent and would set our traducers one against another unless such participants humble themselves, apologise and make genuine efforts at reconciliation, even if it is on individual basis, with the Igbo nation and all those who constituted the former Eastern Region.
The blood of those malnourished, innocent and extremely weak children whose condition were the result of a deliberate policy of starvation the Danjumas deployed during the war, and who looked on helplessly while their bodies were picked by birds of prey, rodents and reptiles, still speaks till tomorrow. No matter how far Danjuma and his gang run, the unmitigated divine law of vengeance would catch up with them.
In an interview with The Guardian in February of 2008, Danjuma insolently referred to Aguiyi Ironsi as a “useless”, “desk-clerk” Head-of-State. That was 40 years after the war. As recently as April of 2015, during a private visit of former president Goodluck Jonathan to his residence shortly after Jonathan lost the election, Danjuma ridiculously said if Ojukwu had conceded defeat early during the civil war, one year of bloodshed would have been avoided.
It is instructive to note that at no time did any matter relating to Ojukwu or the Biafra war came up during Jonathan’s visit to Danjuma. He was just showing how obsessed he was and still is with the Igbo, spitting on our people at every opportunity. Fifty years after the war, Danjuma would not let sleeping dogs lie.
Instead of making efforts at healing wounds, Danjuma has continued to open healed wounds with misplaced pride. He does not need to look too far to know that Ndigbo have since arisen from the ashes of that war to become one of the fastest developing regions in Nigeria in spite of the deprivations suffered during and after the war; deprivations that have continued till tomorrow.
So when one saw him on TV the other day calling on Nigerians to defend themselves against armed bandits who he said the military is colluding with and giving cover, one can only laugh and remind him that what goes around comes around. It was exactly how he colluded with men in uniform to commit the worst atrocities against humanity. He should stop lamenting but start reflecting.
A more reasonable man, instead of continuing to ridicule the Igbo at every given opportunity, lamenting and making lame calls, would have visited the Obi of Onitsha, for example, with the leader of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, present, to say “Your Majesty, we all made mistakes during the civil war. It should never have happened but it did. All sides made mistakes but I am here in your palace in my personal capacity to express my apologies for parts of my role during the war which caused the Igbo great grief. I am here to appeal that we should all let bygones be bygones, forgive one another, close ranks and live in peace. God has given me the grace to live up to this moment and I want to make the best use of it reconciling with all those who I might have offended in the cause of carrying out my duties as a soldier of the federal republic. I acknowledge we went too far in some cases. I want to meet my creator in peace whenever He decides to call me, hence, my decision to do this”.
He has the opportunity to do this especially now that the wife of late JTU Aguiyi Ironsi is still alive and around.
But Danjuma would rather live on like an eternal colossus lacking empathy except when the people of Taraba State are under attack.
Ndigbo have had their rights as major stakeholders in the scheme of things constantly denied and are deliberately deprived; they are marginalized in all areas of the nation’s life and have continued to suffer humiliation from a system deliberately skewed against them as punishment from the civil war. However, they have endured all and should be commended for their steadfastness and revival owing to God’s grace and the people’s determination and hardwork.
Let me conclude this piece by making it categorically clear that I am totally against the killings by Fulani herdsmen terrorists particularly as it is happening in the north right now. I have stated this position quite eloquently in both my writings and speeches, and I still stand by them.
It is an act of gross incompetence and wickedness for terrorists to be allowed to run roughshod over our nation without any visible concrete action by government and security agents to stem the tide. It is total failure on the part of government especially one that came to power on the promise of ensuring the safety of Nigerians.
However, such clarion calls as the one that came from Danjuma should not have come from someone like him. His hands are too stained with blood of innocent children from the East to be able to stir the people to self-defence as he attempted to do. Let him seek peace and forgiveness from necessary quarters and he shall know peace!
Jude Ndukwe is a public affairs analys and can be reached on irndukwe@yahoo.co.uk. [myad]
National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has openly supported President Muhammadu Buhari opposition to tenure elongation for the current National Executive leaders of the party, under the leadership of Chief John Oyegun.
“In the clear, straightforward manner that is his mode of expression and that befits the moment, President Buhari affirmed our party remains faithful to the principles of internal democracy and the rule of law.”
Asiwaju Tinubu, in a statement today, recalled the words of President Buhari, at the March 27 NEC meeting of the APC held in Abuja, the nation’s capital today, where he said that talk of extension or elongation of the tenures of national and state party executive officers was improper and therefore declared that any such moves would contravene both the national and party constitutions.
The APC national leader, who was a former governor of Lagos State said that President Buhari’s action had saved the party from serious legal turmoil, saying that if the elongations were deemed illegal then all subsequent party actions, including the nomination of all of the candidates for elective offices, might also be of questionable legality.
According to him, such a predicament would constitute an unnecessary and mortal blow to the party and its role in promoting progressive governance to Nigeria.
“Moreover, President Buhari has affirmed for all to see that our party is one based on the rule of law coupled with a firm adherence to internal democracy. While it would have been easy to allow the ill-conceived motion of 27 February to stand, President Buhari showed principle and courage by steering the party back to its original and correct path.
“The President has spoken. Today is a good day for those who cherish democracy and legality. His action will also serve to strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.
“His action will go far in advancing the process of internal reconciliation that is now underway. It is a time for the party to move forward and begin to plan and organize the needed congresses according to the existing timetables. After all, a party bearing the name All Progressives Congress should be the last party to resist holding congresses in which all its people have a fair say and fair chance to aspire to any position in the party for which they are qualified to hold.
“Again, this is a good day for the APC and democratic political practice in Nigeria. We shun the politics of old to move toward a new and better way of governing ourselves and this nation.” [myad]
I was in Morocco recently, about 20 years after I last visited Timbuktu, Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat and Laayoune. I was quite impressed to see how Morocco with its colour-coded cities remains very much an organized, efficient and a comparatively competitive country. The trip this time began from the Lagos airport aboard the Royal Air Maroc, which now plies the Lagos-Casablanca route. Twenty years earlier, I had to go first to Paris, France, change from one airport to the other, before boarding another flight to Morocco.
This crisis of transportation, having to go to Europe before accessing African countries, poses a major threat to trade, co-operation and integration among African countries. This time around, Lagos to Casablanca took no more than 4 hours. The flight was full; the passengers were mostly Nigerians. I would later discover that these passengers were not necessarily going to Morocco to attend the Crans Montana conference on Africa and South-South Co-operation taking place in Dhakla, they were transit passengers going to New York or Europe. Casablanca to New York is about 6 hours, and the cost of travel either to the US or Europe through Morocco is much cheaper. The Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Morocco has brought both countries closer, with many Nigerian businessmen taking advantage of the opportunity to trade with Morocco. Many Nigerian students are also now going to school in Moroccan universities and technical colleges.
As I took in these details, and reflected on the vast possibilities of closer Nigeria-Morocco relations, what struck me as I left Casablanca for Rabat, was not even the beauty of the roads and the skyline, or the meaty, physically majestic cattle that grazed on the fields along the highway, not disturbing motorists or crossing the road, or causing any violence, unlike Nigerian cattle and their herders, but the fact that it is this same Morocco, with its near-First-World standards, that has been struggling since early 2017 to be admitted as a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Nigerian trade unions, business investors and some former diplomats have been in the forefront of the objection to Morocco’s membership of ECOWAS. The reasons they offer are largely sentimental, not fact-based, not informed, all made worse by what seems to be a continuing lack of rigour in the management of Nigeria’s foreign policy process.
In January 2017, Morocco returned to the African Union (AU) after 33 years of absence. Under King Mohammed VI of Morocco, there has been in the last seven years or so, a concerted diplomatic effort to assert Morocco’s Africanism and to reach out to other African countries outside North Africa. Morocco’s issue with Algeria, the crisis in Libya, and the conflict of objectives and goals among the members of the African Maghreb Union (UMA) perhaps makes this re-strategizing of Morocco’s foreign policy pragmatic and inevitable. Having returned to the AU, Morocco took the additional step of seeking the membership of ECOWAS. In June 2017, at the 51st meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held in Monrovia, Liberia, ECOWAS agreed in principle to Morocco’s application for membership.
The ECOWAS Commission then put a team together to prepare an Impact Report on Morocco’s proposed membership to be considered at the 52nd meeting of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government scheduled for November 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria. As it turned out, ECOWAS could not consider the 70-page Report as scheduled, due to its busy agenda, as was claimed, but a committee of five comprising the Heads of State of Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria was empaneled to study the Report and advise the ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments accordingly.
The Extraordinary session planned for the first quarter of 2018 at which a decision is to be communicated in this regard, has not yet taken place, but Morocco’s proposed membership has already generated much interest across the sub-region. In Nigeria, for example, the Joint Committees on Foreign Affairs and Co-operation for Africa on November 15, 2017, organized a one-day public hearing titled “Public Hearing on the Review of Nigeria’s Membership of ECOWAS in view of Morocco’s bid to be admitted into the Regional Body.” Some of the arguments advanced at that event and which may have influenced Nigeria’s lack of clarity so far on the Morocco question are at best ridiculous.
It was argued for example that if Morocco joins ECOWAS, Nigeria will disintegrate. How? Nigeria is a member of the D-8 and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC); it has not disintegrated on account of that. No member-country of ECOWAS is in a position to disintegrate another country for whatever reason under the Constitutive protocols. It was also said, and this really exposes the hypocrisy involved, that Nigeria should block Morocco because it is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This is not true. Morocco’s corruption perception index has consistently improved while Nigeria’s CPI continues to worsen. Nigeria has no moral right to condemn any other country on the ground of corruption, and if this were a criterion for international relations, many countries including Nigeria would have been expelled from the United Nations long ago. It was further argued at that forum and in the Nigerian media that “any attempt to allow the North African country to join ECOWAS will subvert Nigeria’s economic prosperity.”
The evidence given in this regard is that Morocco is an associate of the EU under the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). And: Nigeria having refused to sign the ECOWAS-Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union could become a dumping ground for cheaper goods from Europe through Morocco, thus crippling investments across the sub-region. Our response is that in the long run, ECOWAS member-states in general, would have to strengthen their capacity to compete and be productive, rather than hide under protectionist policies. One other ridiculous excuse that has been given is that ECOWAS owes its existence and survival to Nigeria and that Nigeria should not allow any new country to reduce its control over ECOWAS. It is precisely this kind of undiplomatic talk that continues to make other countries in ECOWAS suspicious of Nigeria’s motives and unappreciative of the country’s contributions to the regional body. Other non-sequitur arguments raised by Nigerians include the Western Sahara issue or that Morocco is a monarchy, rather, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
What is required is a dispassionate study of Morocco’s application, even of similar applications from Tunisia, which is seeking an observer status in ECOWAS and Mauritania, which left in 2000 but now wants to return. Technically, those opposed to Morocco’s membership have advanced two noteworthy arguments so far but even then, both can be interrogated. The first is the argument about contiguity. They insist that Morocco is not contiguous with any West African country and may not meet the geographical criterion as defined in the Council of Ministers Resolution/Res 464 (XXVI) of the OAU, 1976, which divides Africa into 5 geo-political regions namely Northern, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. In this regard, Morocco is classified as a North African country along with Algeria, Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia. Further, Article 1 of the revised ECOWAS Treaty of July 24, 1993, defines members of ECOWAS as countries within the geographical region known as West Africa. So, how about Mauritania?
However, it is clearly within the powers of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments to determine that geography cannot debar an interested African country from joining ECOWAS. Economic and political considerations should override geography that is merely nomenclatural, particularly if the applicant-countries are within Africa. Opening up ECOWAS beyond geographical boundaries would be more in keeping with the long-term goal of the AU, which is the creation of an African Economic Community (AEC) that promotes the integration and cooperation of the various regional blocs in the continent. Incidentally, this is the growing global trend. For example, Egypt, Tunisia and Libya are members of the Common Market of Eastern and Southern African States (COMESA). Algeria has also submitted its accession applications to this economic body. Integration is not uncommon. The Community of Saharan States (CEN-SAD) cuts across ECOWAS, ECCAS, COMESA and UMA countries. The D-8 is an economic association of development countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. To push the counter-argument a bit further, if geography were the sole issue, ECOWAS by now should have long admitted contiguous countries like Sao Tome and Principe, Equitorial Guinea, Chad and Cameroon which have also expressed interest in ECOWAS membership.
The other major argument on the Morocco question is whether or not the country would commit to the principles of the revised ECOWAS Treaty. ECOWAS can afford to insist on its principles and objectives. It is, after all, one of the most successful regional groupings in Africa. In pursuit of its Africanism agenda, and perhaps to demonstrate its interest and commitment, Morocco has consistently identified with ECOWAS principles. Even without yet being a member, Morocco has since established strong ties with Mali, Senegal, and Mauritania, which are exempted from entry visas to Morocco. The country is also strongly involved with Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, and Mali where it provides support for agriculture and healthcare systems. The objection to Morocco by certain Nigerians should in fact be investigated closely. It is on record that Morocco and Nigeria are involved in a gas pipeline project, the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline; there is also a BASA agreement, which unfortunately, Nigeria currently lacks the will to utilize.
Both countries are also partners in a phosphate project in Kaduna. Some states in Nigeria have also signed co-operation agreements with Morocco, notably Bauchi state which is partnering with the OCP-Group of Morocco in agriculture and fertilizer production. OCP is the largest exporter of phosphate in the world. While some Nigerians are busy arguing whether Morocco is good for ECOWAS or not, the truth is that many Nigerians are already benefitting from Moroccan partnerships. There are 3,000 documented Nigerians currently living in Morocco – 195 of them are in prison. There is even a gallery of African Arts in Morocco featuring many Nigerian art works. There are also Nigerian students quietly enjoying scholarships in Moroccan colleges. At the level of person-to-person diplomacy, there are Nigerians doing business in Morocco, making huge profits. Take sardine, that variety of fish Nigerians enjoy, and import from Europe. Morocco has one of the largest troves of sardines in the world along its Continental shelf on the Atlantic all the way to the island of Sardinia in Italy from which the fish takes its name. It is cheaper to bring in fish from Morocco than to import from Europe! Morocco is the world’s leading producer of Sardines.
I have given these details just in case the vocal anti-Morocco lobbyists in Nigeria are doing so for their own selfish purposes. My suspicion really, is that there is a growing body of anti-trade lobbyists, and greedy rent-collectors, who want Nigeria isolated from the rest of the world and who are actively doing whatever they can to seize and exercise an undeserved monopoly over Africa’s largest market. Right now, 40 European and African organizations are opposing the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project, actively encouraged of course by Nigerian economic dream-blockers.
Membership of ECOWAS comes with both costs and benefits for Morocco. It is the second largest investing country in Africa after South Africa, with a GDP of about $100 billion, and according to Quantum Global Research Report 2018, “the most attractive economy for investments in Africa.” ECOWAS membership will grant it access to a market of about 320 million consumers, but it would also result in an influx of ECOWAS immigrant population. Morocco would be obliged to respect the free movement of such persons and of goods within the region, adopt the ECOWAS passport and join the Common External Tariff (TEC). Here is the trade-off: Morocco’s direct investment in ECOWAS has doubled between 2011 and 2017, from MAD 295 million to over 2 billion. This can only grow higher.
When it comes to the vote on the Morocco question, Nigeria should prioritize its own interests and not the selfish and emotional preference of a few. Foreign policy requires greater rigour and creativity than we have seen lately in Abuja. It is a blunder for example, I repeat, that President Muhammadu Buhari stayed away from the Extra-ordinary session of the AU in Kigali on the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty, the same treaty that had been approved and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), just because some unionists screamed that they were not consulted. Did Nigeria not participate in the negotiations of the treaty? An ad-hoc, knee-jerk management of foreign policy will only make us look more ridiculous in the eyes of the world. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari today, Monday, March 26, received in audience at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, family members of the African-American Human Activist Late Martin Luther Jnr.
during the visit, President Buhari was conferred with The First Black History Month National Black Excellence and Exceptional African Leadership Award 2018.
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the Swiss Federal Council and the International Development Association on the Return, Monitoring and Management of Illegally-Acquired Assets Confiscated by Switzerland and to be restituted to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A statement today, Monday, by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said that the President also signed the Instrument of Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Republic of Singapore for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital Gains.
The statement said that the signing of the two instruments was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), adding: “with the execution of these instruments, Nigeria’s trade relations with Singapore and income therefrom are expected to rise, while the return of illegal assets will not only boost the administration’s anti-corruption drive, but also provide additional funds for critical infrastructure.” [myad]
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has owned up to many socio-economic blunders it committed when it was in power for 16 years, from 1999 to 2015 and therefore apologized to Nigerians.
National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who apologized today, Monday, on behalf of the party at a public national discourse on “Contemporary Governance in Nigeria,” assured that under his watch, there would be no imposition of candidates or any form of impunity.
“I hereby, as the National Chairman, do admit that the PDP made a lot of mistakes; we are humans, not spirits and the ability to admit is key in moving forward. We admit that we have made several mistakes; we have passed through all our challenges and have acquired the experience no other party can boast of.
“We were sanctioned by Nigerians at the polls in 2015; let me use this opportunity to apologize for our past mistakes. It is the honest thing to do, a legacy to transfer to our children; we cannot continue like that.
“When we make mistakes, we should come out boldly to the people and apologize. It is important to do so because we have learnt from our mistakes unlike the All Progressive Congress (APC) that will make mistakes and lie to cover it.
“We apologize to Nigerians that we have made mistakes, we have learnt our lessons and we are ready to begin on a new agenda; experience is the best teacher, no other party has it,” he said.
According to Secondus, when things are not positive and the mindset is negative, it is time to reset it, adding that the public discourse is an ample opportunity for the party members to collectively “press the reset button’’ and set a new agenda for the nation.
According to him, there is too much power at the party’s National Headquarters, and going forward, power will be devolved to the wards, states and zones.
In his contribution, a chieftain of the party, Chief George Bode, said that the position of the party leadership rekindled his loyalty even as he called on members of PDP who left it as a result of its past mistakes to return home from the “wilderness’’.
According to him, to err is human and forgive is divine, it was time to walk the talk for the repositioning of the country.
One of the panelists at the event, Ms Toyosi Ogunshiji, commended the party for toeing the line of honour, adding that Nigeria must move from praying to taking more serious actions for the progress of the country.
Ogunshiji said that the country needed statesmen “who think about the people and not politicians who think about the next elections’’.
According to her, Nigerians only voted against President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and did not necessarily vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said that the electorate who would be seen in the 2019 general elections would be different from those politicians had seen in the past.
A 30 year old pregnant woman, Lauratu Abdullahi, has asked a Sharia Court at Magajin Gari in Kaduna State to dissolve her marriage because her husband has not been performing his sexual duties to her.
Lauratu Abdullahi also told the court that her husband, Yahaya Tanko, was always assaulting her and was also not providing for her.
The mother of five told the court today, Monday that Tanko had starved her of sex and food in the past four months.
“I want the court to dissolve our marriage because my husband does not love and care for me anymore. He beats me when he pleases.”
But, Tanko denied the allegations, saying that he still loved Lauratu, pointing out that the woman is carrying a four-month-old pregnancy.
“I want to inform the court that my wife is four months pregnant, so her claim of being sexually starved is incorrect.”
The Judge, Malam Musa Sa’ad, asked Lauratu if she was pregnant and the sex-starved woman said she was.
She said however, that the romance that resulted to the pregnancy lasted for only month.
The case was adjourned to April 3 for the two parties to present their guardians and witnesses.
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