The United States of American Government has said that it was encouraged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to host the security summit for leaders committed to ending the activities of Boko Haram.
Ambassador David Pressman, the United States Alternate Representative to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs, said on Friday that Buhari’s hosting of the regional security summit in Abuja recently was a masterpiece in the war against the insurgents. In a statement, Pressman said that the US Government was encouraged by President Buhari’s decision to host the security summit for leaders committed to ending the activities of Boko Haram, saying: “the United States is encouraged that under Nigerian President Buhari’s leadership, a Security Summit of regional leaders, committed to carrying out a ‘sustained, comprehensive approach’ against Boko Haram was organised. “This, couples with rights-respecting security operations and civilian efforts to restore stability, promote governance and economic development to break the cycle of violence in all countries where Boko Haram is active. “The UN system, including the Special Representatives for West Africa and the Sahel and Central Africa, should continue to assist the Lake Chad Basin region to implement such a comprehensive strategy.” According to the statement, it is only a comprehensive strategy that mobilises stakeholders, including development and humanitarian actors, that can address terrorism in the region. It also urged the UN to mainstream preventing violent extremism and counter-terrorism issues throughout its core work on peace and security and sustainable development. According to the statement, activities of the Boko Haram crisis have disrupted farming and trade and cut off communities from the means they require to subsist and to survive. It said: Today, an estimated 4.2 million people are in need of emergency food assistance in the Lake Chad Basin region and 2.6 million are displaced within Nigeria and the neighbouring countries. “From Mauritania and Mali to the Lake Chad Basin, to the Horn of Africa, we see the complex challenges exacerbated by climate change on peace, stability, and security.” [myad]
The governments of Nigeria and Niger have pledged to deploy all their know-how to attain self sufficiency in agriculture, away from the notorious oil. President Muhammadu Buhari who received a Special Envoy of President Mahamadou Issoufou of the Republic of Niger at the State House, Abuja on Friday, made it clear that time has come for the two countries to boost the growing bilateral ties between them, especially in the field of agriculture. President Buhari said that his government will closely look at the message from his Nigerien counterpart, which he said was aimed at enhancing and deepening the existing cooperation in agriculture. The President, who hoped for good rains in both countries to make for bumper harvest this year, said that good crop yield will avert the spectre of hunger. The President also used the occasion to congratulate the government and people of Niger on the successful conclusion of the country’s election and the swearing in of President Issoufou for a second term in office. The Special Envoy of President Issoufou and Senior Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Albada Abouba, said that he had been sent to convey his country’s gratitude to Nigeria for its continuing support and cooperation, especially in the field of agriculture. He said President Issoufou was optimistic that existing bilateral ties will continue to get better under the current leadership in the two countries. [myad]
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Dr. Abraham Nwankwo has predicted a brighter economy for Nigeria with the hope that the naira and foreign exchange reserves will recover soon doe to government’s economy diversification.
Speaking on Friday at a Breakfast Meeting with Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos, Dr. Nwankwo said governments’ efforts at revalitalising the agriculture sector, solid minerals, manufacturing and taxation will have massive impact on the economy in the next three to five years.
He said that with government’s diversification project in full gear, Nigeria’s economic growth and development will no longer be determined by movement in the prices of crude oil.
He said that a lot of revenues will be derived from taxation going, adding that the country’s low comparative tax revenue to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio which stands at about seven per cent, against 18 per cent average in most developing countries, would be improved on as the country begins to gain strength in production.
He said that by simply paying taxes by individuals and corporate bodies, government can secure the needed fund to fund major developmental projects.
“You can see that in the manufacturing sector, some factories are operating below capacity. But with the ongoing implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari policy on diversification of the economy and revatilising the power infrastructure, the sector will pick up and create more jobs for the people.”
Nwankwo said achieving self-sufficiency in power will enable government generate more income; companies will be able to pay more taxes, thereby helping government diversify its revenue bases.
“In the next five to seven years, solid minerals will be exported. It is possible that in the next five to seven years, the whole picture of Nigeria will be a complete turnaround because of government’s economy diversification plan. The difference between Nigerian and other countries facing similar economic challenges is that those countries do not have the same opportunities we have in Nigeria. Nigeria is near 100 per cent idle capacity, meaning the flexibility to grow the economy is high.”
He urged Nigerians not to be depressed because of drop in crude oil prices, adding: “we have no reason to be depressed just because crude oil price is down. We have to see the varieties of opportunities available for the country to grow the economy based on a well-diversified and sustainable manner. We as responsible stakeholders in the economy, should emphasise these opportunities.
“Indeed in other countries, the major source of revenue is taxation. Taxation should also be explored. Government should be able to sustain itself with taxation revenues. Now with the better tax compliance, and effective sanctions for defaulters, we have a room to boost public revenue from taxation.”
The DMO boss said that government has made significant progress in agriculture adding that in the next five to seven years, Nigeria would have reduced its reliance on imported foods, tackled unemployment and created huge jobs for the people because production is synonymous with job creation.
He said the 2016 budget focus is to address structural challenges in the economy while providing the enablement to create diversification and self-sufficiency growth.
“This is the first time that the budget specified that all borrowed funds will be for capital expenditure. The sharing of internal and international borrowing is almost 50/50. We have been borrowing locally, but we have to take advantage of the relatively low cost of funds externally. We do not want to borrow too much from the domestic economy, so that we do not crowd-out the domestic environment,” he said.
He said that given the challenges the economy is going through, much depends on what the media reports. “The media is critical, because what the media tells the international community will determine investment flows into the country. It is our responsibility to continue working hard to ensure the resilience our economy exhibited is sustained, until we achieve the turnaround that will come with diversification,” he said.
Nwankwo said the Nigeria economy is not supposed to be oil dependent given the level of natural resources abundant in the country. “We have to remind ourselves, that in the first instance, our economy was not supposed to be dependent on oil, yes, historically, oil revenues, has dorminated our foreign exchange earnings up to 90 per cent and above, and public revenue about 70 per cent, but for many years, oil has contributed less than 20 per cent to the GDP,” he said.
He said the Manufacturing, Commerce emerging sectors like Entertainment, Music, Nollywood and ICT contribute over 80 per cent to the GDP and should be supported.
FICAN Chairman, Babajide Komolafe, praised the efforts being made by the DMO to support government’s diversification effort.
He said the role of DMO in economic development cannot be over emphasized, adding that FICAN will continue to support the DMO to achieve its goals within the economy. [myad]
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has pardoned all convicted female prisoners regardless of offences, with the exception of a few serving life sentences.
“A full remission of remaining imprisonment is, hereby, granted to all female prisoners regardless of offences committed, save for those sentenced to life imprisonment and to death.”
These were contained in an amnesty published in Government Gazette No 36, general notice. 85/2016.
It is reported that Chikurubi Female Prison, which was home to 246 prisoners, released 139 inmates yesterday. Some of the prisoners were due to serve lengthy jail terms for murder, fraud and armed robbery.
Those who remained behind are inmates still on remand and a few foreigners, who will be released to their respective governments.
Mosline Chakamufuna (25), who was sentenced two weeks ago to 10 years in prison for murdering her child, was one of the beneficiaries of the presidential pardon.
She joins Adlaidy Murombo (21), who was jailed for 10 years in 2014 for attempted murder, after striking her uncle with an iron bar in the eye.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) acting public relations officer, Superintendent Priscilla Mthembo said more than 2 000 inmates were likely to benefit from the latest presidential pardon.
“We don’t have the total figure at the moment because the verification process is still going on, but we expect over 2 000 prisoners to be released under the amnesty order issued by the President,” she said.
For male prisoners, Mugabe pardoned all those who are under the age of 18 regardless of offences committed, and those over the age of 60, who have served two-thirds of their prison terms and all inmates in open prison.
Terminally-ill prisoners, who were unlikely to survive their prison terms, were fully pardoned regardless of offences.
At Chikurubi Farm Prison, there was still uncertainty, as prison officers were still compiling names of beneficiaries, particularly those jailed for stocktheft, who have served a third of their sentence.
The officer-in-charge of the male prison, Superintendent Tonderai Magwaza, said so far, he had vetted 190 prisoners, who would be released.
Male inmates convicted of murder, rape, armed robbery and treason were not part of those pardoned.
The jail, which has a holding capacity of 560 inmates, currently has 681 prisoners.
Mthembo said the amnesty had the effect of decongesting the 46 prisons around the country, which were currently overpopulated by nearly 16%.
Currently, the correctional facilities have a population of 19 900 inmates, although their total holding capacity is just 17 000. [myad]
Less than 12 hours after crippling operations at Chevron’s Escravo’s oil terminal, the new terror group, Niger Delta Avengers have militants struck again, blowing up a large gas and crude pipeline operated by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
The attack was carried out near Warri, the commercial capital of Delta state.
The attackers taunted government that their sabotage was carried out despite the presence of Nigerian soldiers.
They declared on its Twitter feed: “At 11:45pm on Thursday @NDAvengers blew up other #NNPC Gas and Crude trunkline close to Warri,” [myad]
The Rivers State Police Command has declared five policemen missing after an ambush by unknown gunmen at Okujagu waterways in Okrika Local Government Area. The missing policemen were said to be part of a team that were on a routine police inquiry in the state.
The command however, announced the arrest of 53 suspects in connection with the missing policemen.
State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Muhammad, in a statement said that the policemen were attacked before they could disembark from the boat conveying them.
Muhammad explained that six policemen, comprising two inspectors and four other officers were initially missing while Inspector Aferuan Imoukhuede was rescued a day after.
“The Rivers State Police Command has announced the missing of five policemen who along with other colleagues were ambushed in the early hours of Wednesday 25/05/2016 at the Okujagu community, Okrika Local Government Area.
“The policemen went to Okujagu community on a routine police inquiry when they were ambushed by unknown gunmen before they could disembark from the boat that ferried them, they were bombarded with a barrage of heavy gunfire which forced them to scamper for cover.
“By the time the firing ended, six policemen comprising two inspectors and four other rank and file could not be accounted for but a day after Inspector Aferuan Imoukhuede, who was among the missing policemen, was rescued.
“Sting operations by the command are still on the top gear to rescue the remaining five missing policemen. Fifty-three suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and are currently undergoing interrogation,” he added.
Muhammad, however, disclosed that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Musa Kimo, had set up a “high-powered” investigative panel headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Investigation Department, to unravel the circumstances surrounding the entire incident. [myad]
The Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has described the federalism being practised in Nigeria as fraudulent.
Amosun argued that the resources allocated to the centre when compared to the one allocated to the states is quite disproportionate, given the fact that states have more responsibilities than the centre.
The governor who spoke in Abeokuta on Thursday in a commemorative lecture for the 2016 Democracy Day, with the theme: ‘Democracy in Nigeria, the pains, the gains: Ogun example,” stressed: “the federalism enshrined in our Constitution is an important area of our democracy. But do we have a good federalism in Nigeria?
At the lecture which was put together by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State chapter, as part of activities to mark Democracy Day on Sunday, the governor insisted that what Nigeria has is nothing but fraudulent federalism, adding t5hat this is because a federalism that put all the power, all the levy and all the money at the centre but put all the responsibility at the state is not a good federalism.
“Today in Nigeria the federal government takes 74 percent of wealth of the Nation, the 36 states and Abuja share 26 percent.democracy
“But the states are given all the bureau agencies. So there is pain. For example, Ogun state as an example has 70 bureau agencies, most of these agencies require the state to support their activities financially.”
Amosun who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, noted that the past 16 years of democratic rule in the country have had its pains and gains, both at all levels of governance.
But he was optimistic that as the country progressed, the fledgling democracy in the country would continue to be refined.
“Whether it is perfect or imperfect, let us continue to refine it and refine it until it gets to an acceptable level.”
He commended the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat even before the elections results were announced, without recourse to to violence or the intrigues of election tribunal. On the present economic hardship confronting Nigerians, the governor appealed to them to endure as their pains would soon be over.
“As the saying of the elders that when our mothers are going into the labour room, they are usually in so much pain but after the baby is born, they will smile. By God’s grace that will be the story of Nigeria at the end of the day.”
Amosun said that his administration had tried within the limited resources at its disposal to bring dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
“I am not saying we have scored 100 per cent but within the limit of resources available to us, we have done our bit by bringing the dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of our people. “When people see the gains of democracy, it is easy for them to buy-in into what we are doing.” [myad]
Head Coach of the Nigeria U-23 team, Samson Siasia has selected 20 players made up of 12 home -based and eight overseas –based professionals for next month’s Suwon Invitational Tournament in Korea Republic.
The list is dominated by players who featured against the Brazil U-23 in a friendly in that country two months ago, which Nigeria won 1-0. Two new faces; Emiloju Julius and Abdulrahman Taiwo break into the team, even as winger Saviour, Godwin also makes a return to the team after a long absence.
Addressing the players after its friendly game at the practice pitch of the National Stadium, Abuja, Coach Siasia charged those selected for the trip to see it as an honour. “That you were selected does not mean that those not selected are not good. We simply want to give everyone enough opportunity to justify why they should be part of the team to the Rio Olympics.”
To those who were dropped, Coach Siasia told them not to see themselves as not being part of the plans of the technical crew, but a clarion call to work even harder, as the team will be going to the United States of America for its final camping exercise where the best will be selected for the Olympics.
The delegation of 20 players and 10 officials will be led by NFF Executive Committee member and Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande. The group is expected to depart Nigeria for Korea Republic on Monday, 30th May aboard an Ethiopian Airline flight, and arrive in Seoul on Tuesday.
20 PLAYERS FOR SUWON TOURNAMENT
Emmanuel Daniel 2. Yusuf Mohammed 3. Emmanson Daniel 4. Sincere Seth
Ndifreke Effiong 6. Segun Oduduwa 7. Stanley Amuzie
One of the major news items in circulation has been the scarcity of tomato. Incidentally, Nigeria is (was) the 14th largest producer of tomato in the world and the second largest producer in Africa, after Egypt, but our country hardly produces enough to meet the local demand of about 2.3 million tonnes, and lacks the capacity to ensure an effective storage or value chain processing of what is produced. Out of the 1.8 million tonnes that the country produces annually, 900, 000 tonnes are left to rot and waste. Meanwhile, tomato-processing companies in the country operate below capacity and many of them have had to shut down.
The CEO of Erisco Foods, Lagos, Eric Umeofia laments that tomato processing companies lack access to foreign exchange to enable them buy heat-resistant seedlings and other tools that would help ensure the country’s sufficiency in local production of tomato paste. Similarly, Dangote Tomato Factory recently suspended operations due to the scarcity of tomatoes and the assault on its tomato farms by a tomato leaves destroying moth, known as “tuta absoluta” – a South American native, also known as the Tomato Ebola, because of its Ebola-like characteristics.
Other reasons have been advanced for the scarcity of tomatoes in our markets: the fuel crisis which has driven up costs making it difficult and expensive for Northern tomato farmers to bring tomatoes to the South, insurgency in the North East which has resulted in the closure of many tomato farms in that region, thus cutting off national output, the recent ethnic crisis in Mile 2, during which Hausa Fulani traders and other marketers engaged in a murderous brawl, climate-change induced drought and heat wave in the Northern-tomato producing states of Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Kano and Gombe. In the best of seasons, Nigeria spends $1.5 billion annually on the importation of tomato products. The cost in this regard, seems certain to rise.
Already, the effect of this tomato blight is being felt in households. Whereas a few months ago, a basket of tomato was about N5, 000, it is now about N40, 000 per basket. Housewives are protesting bitterly about how a piece of tomato vegetable has jumped up by about 650%, such that three pieces now go for as much as N500. Tomato in Nigeria today is thus more expensive than a litre of petrol! I have it on good authority, that in those face-me-I-face you quarters where the poor live, it has in fact become risky to leave a tin of tomato paste carelessly or fresh tomatoes lying around: they would most certainly be stolen, and there have been reports of soup pots suddenly vanishing should the owner take a minute from the communal kitchen to use the loo. Many are resorting to desperate measures to sort out a growing epidemic of empty stomachs and empty pockets. Unless this matter is addressed seriously and urgently, the social crisis may be far too costly in both the short and the long run: hungry people could become sick and angry, hungry citizens could become thieves and a nuisance, they could also become angry voters and a rebellious populace.
However, the most brilliant explanation that we have received so far from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is that there is tomato scarcity because of “tuta absoluta”. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, a group of experts will be immediately commissioned to advise the government of Nigeria on the way forward. The mandate of these experts is to “appraise the situation”, and then give us “a figure on cost of treatment…so we will source funds to tackle it.” Is that what this is all about? I am not in the mood at this moment, to spoil anyone’s day, with straight-to-the-nose-the-mouth-and-the-groin punches but I think that the response from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is far from adequate, if not stupid. Please, where is that bow-tie wearing Akinwumi Adesina, the former Minister of Agriculture, now on loan to the African Development Bank?
What we are dealing with is a national food security crisis. Before the commissioned outsiders begin to “appraise and cost”, the resident experts in the Ministry, should know that it is not only tomato that has become a scarce and expensive item in Nigerian kitchens, virtually every food item has become unaffordable and there are many homes that can no longer feed properly. The scarcity of tomato is only a metaphor for the spread of staggering inflation and the hunger that ravages the land. A bag of rice that was once N7, 000 is now N19, 000 per bag, a congo of garri has jumped from N170 to N300, bread from N200 per loaf to N300, and same is the case with virtually every food item. More than this, tomato scarcity is a metaphor for the lack of continuity in governance processes (What happened to all that revolution in the agriculture sector under Akinwumi Adesina as Minister?) and of course, for the failure since independence, to take agriculture seriously as a major vehicle of national security and development. If the response to this query is that nothing concrete actually took place under previous administrations, then what is the present Minister’s blueprint? What is his comprehensive agenda for ensuring food sufficiency?
It is indeed absurd that in 2016, we cannot produce enough tomatoes to feed ourselves – the short of it is that that single narrative about “tomato ebola” calls for more rigorous thinking. It is not enough to deal episodically with tomato scarcity, or the scarcity of any other food item; this must be done within the context of a plan of action. The job of government officials is to give the people hope and not to deepen their agony. A committee of experts looking into the scarcity of tomato, and how to throw money at the problem (!) is a round-about excuse for doing nothing. The knowledge that is required is within easy reach and much of the issues at stake, those within the province of the Ministry and those located in the larger context, are out there in the public domain, and perhaps, also in those accumulated files and old reports that most officials hardly ever read. The Ministry also spoke up rather too tardily.
For weeks, there have been all kinds of ethnic and political insinuations about how tomato became scarce, some of which, allowed to fester for too long, could have resulted in other crises. And we can only hope that the connection between food and health will not be lost on the experts. The health benefits of tomato alone are so many; to have a population no longer eating tomatoes, because of its cost could have long-term health implications. And while we expect the Federal Government to take the lead in terms of visioning, we should remember to ask: what are the state governments also doing? What are the states doing to promote agriculture and ensure food security? Apart from Kaduna state, other state governments have been criminally silent about the food crisis or they really don’t know since they probably get supplies of fresh tomatoes from neighboring countries for their own kitchens. All the big men eating imported fresh tomatoes when we, the people, can’t get tomatoes to eat, just “continuu eh” but don’t forget that a hungry and angry voter is an enemy of politicians.
There is another side to this whole tomato thing that is noteworthy. Special notice must be taken of the reference to the insurgency in the North East as a threat to agriculture. It is also interesting that most of the tomatoes produced in the country are from the North, and the Middle Belt. Check the list of major tomato producing states in Nigeria: Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Plateau. Also check the list of the states where people are complaining most about the cost of tomato: they are all in the South! We should ask: so Southern Nigerians are grumbling about tomato being expensive and scarce, why are they so dependent on Northern farmers? They want tomatoes from the North, but are these not the same people who don’t want to see Northern cattle herdsmen in the South? Are these not the same people campaigning on social media that Southerners should stop buying beef in order to spoil market for Northern herdsmen? They are now begging for tomatoes from Northern farms?
In Ekiti, the state Governor has already given local hunters an executive order to shoot any AK-47 wielding herdsmen sighted anywhere in the state. It may not have occurred to the Governor that an AK-47 is far more versatile than a “shakabula” that is made by local blacksmiths and that he may actually be sending his local hunters on a suicide mission, but I doubt if the same Governor will stop lorry loads of fresh and healthy tomato baskets coming from Gombe to Ekiti markets! Thus, whereas cattle-grazing is causing ethnic division, tomato is generating so much hypocritical love for the Northern farmer: “Please, send us tomato, stop selling tomato to the tomato paste producers!”. This country is truly far more integrated and its various units so interdependent, in more ways than the politics of hate and division would ever allow the people to see. It is tomato today, should onions, millet and kolanuts also become very scarce, Southerners may start begging Northern farmers to please bring their produce to the South. This is the truth of our interdependence but we need to get our politics right and those who exploit ethnic divisions must allow the country to grow.
One final point: The scarcity of tomato and the threat of a national food crisis should remind policy makers at all levels, of the importance of agriculture. A nation that can feed itself is a safe and secure nation. A hungry nation can only have sad people. Tomato is incidentally, a versatile vegetable, very easy to grow, usually ready for harvest between 60 – 85 days. Those who are screaming “give us tomatoes”, and playing politics with it, may also do well to embark on subsistence farming: create a small garden in the backyard, turn that uncultivated plot of land into a small farm, plant a variety of food plants, remove that your white collar, stop waiting on the Northern tomato farmer, get on with the food revolution we need…while hoping that some day, Nigerian leaders will stop waiting for oil money and rediscover agriculture as Nigeria’s true gold. [myad]
It is one year since President Muhammadu Buhari took office and all you mostly hear is the now usual call for patience from his political associates and court jesters as well as corridor managers. At the receiving end is the Nigerian, bartered and bruised by successive governments, his enduring shocks absorbers and capacity to accept and tolerate delays, excuses and disappointments at their wits ends. Still, he trudges on without getting upset, holding on to the eternal hope “e go better one day.” He is tossed round and about by politicians and their cheerleaders who hang on high chairs, vilifying critics and political opponents alike, forgetting Nigeria is here for the long haul and not the four-year, or eight if he’s fortunate, term of the administration. The Nigerian has been the ultimate victim of misgovernance, arrogantly disregarded and treated with impunity. He is only courted in the run up to elections with unending promises after which he is discarded to the background where the politicians and their appointees feel he belongs. That has been our story for 55 years of nationhood. And that’s assuming what we operate is a true nation. The administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo told all the tales of decayed infrastructures, moribund refineries and even undertook turnaround maintenance services for a period of eight years. Yet, the refineries never worked and were sold off. There were promises of `uhuru’ with several plans and roadmaps that couldn’t find their ways out of summit meetings and workshops in the Obasanjo days. In pretending to provide power infrastructure, he undermined the people, especially those of the Niger delta, citing power plants out of the region but proposed to run pipelines out of it to service the plants inlands. Now, the power stations are unable to operate because of gas pipeline vandalism. The reason for our perennial daily blackouts. There were unresolved issues in education and other sectors because to the ruling class, the average Nigerian’s patience seems inelastic. Less could be said of the President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration yet he achieved so much in his few months of stay in the Aso Rock Villa. He was not a preacher and within the short period before his health failed him, he took care of the problem that could have messed up his administration; the militancy in the Niger delta. Without a bullet fired into the air he resolved the agitation of the militants, initiating the amnesty programme, a legacy that has not been challenged in the six years since his death. He was known for fewer promises and only approved contracts that the budget guaranteed cash backings. He joked a lot about the weekly federal executive council meetings approval on contracts. He will tell his cabinet ministers that while the council members sit to determine, access and approve work, it is only the president that is called to task when they fail. He was never comfortable with the principle of collective responsibility but of no collective blame. Nigerians were patient with him when he became bedridden and incapacitated to do the job that he was elected for. We all prayed for him. After him came the bride of the Niger deltans, a man who ascended the presidency under circumstances that are now known as doctrine of necessity. President Goodluck Jonathan’s days were turbulent so he called for patience. He was taken as a political underdog because he is not from one of the big three ethnic groups, his reign was undermined from many quarters. He was haunted and taunted by all, politicians, party and polity alike. His troubles started when nature bestowed on him an opportunity to serve his people as president. He saw it all but felt there was always time to accomplish his dreams that looked his; alone. The rest is history. Some now liken his reign to the days of President Shehu Shagari when politicians were jailed for corruption. His reign though with a fine face had been enmeshed in the current ‘single upload’ of this administration; corruption. Every success of the regime has been drowned in the background, covered with the thick blackness of the corruption tar. Alas, it is been a year since the peoples government, the supposedly most accepted change administration came to power. Not much of the old song of patience but a rude and overbearing reference to our past and our tempered growth is heard everywhere. Shirking responsibility for anything but pointing accusing fingers at all that has been bad and not those that could be fixed. Alas we are patient. In the last 12 months inflation has climbed to 13.7 percent, a six-year high. Still, we remain calm about it. Our children have been indirectly stopped from schooling abroad over strict policies of the government on foreign exchange, we are patient. Several Nigerians have been pushed out of jobs, we are not complaining. There has been incessant power outage despite promises of quick fixes. We have kept mute. Electricity tariffs have been increased by about 50 percent in the past one year with the blackouts even far worse now. Our mouths have remained sealed. Petrol price has increased by over 60 percent, still, we are unruffled. We can’t even buy tomato, yet we are uncomplaining. Patience has become a compulsive option so we are not marked out as `wailing wailers’ or worse, picked up by our dark goggled friends known as secret police by the United States. But there are other people that are no longer that patient for the total disregards for their people. They have been ignored for decades, cheated, deprived with their people vilified till this day. These are the people of the delta. A former president and general woke up about 13 years ago and killed the people of Odi on the same circumstances that seem to be playing out today. For the sins of the Niger Delta Avenger, every Ijaw man is treated with disdain and as a suspect. His privileges and rights are denied and even looked down on in the society he calls his own, even when he exhibits a higher level of patriotism than his contemporaries. He is presumed to be a rebel despite sharing oil well from his backyard amongst people who now brag about the wealth acquired through those allocations on Forbes without complaining. He reads of how people become rich in millions of dollars because they had oil allocation while he paddles canoe into the same village where the black gold is drilled. Others donate whole blocks to universities in America with the proceeds from oil blocks to further scorn the Niger deltan living in squalor. There is no greater corruption than maintaining the regime of oil block allocation to a few individuals to the detriment of the livelihood of the Niger deltan and the generality of Nigerians for one more year and feel all can be well in a change situation. It is not well down here in the Niger delta especially with the influx of ‘okobo kobos’ manhandling our men and women in the past one year of change administration to gag the people while the mainstay of the nation’s economy is exploited without any social responsibility programmes for the people of the region.
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The United States of American Government has said that it was encouraged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to host the security summit for leaders committed to ending the activities of Boko Haram.
The Patient Nigerian, By Moses Okpogode
The Nigerian has been the ultimate victim of misgovernance, arrogantly disregarded and treated with impunity. He is only courted in the run up to elections with unending promises after which he is discarded to the background where the politicians and their appointees feel he belongs. That has been our story for 55 years of nationhood. And that’s assuming what we operate is a true nation. The administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo told all the tales of decayed infrastructures, moribund refineries and even undertook turnaround maintenance services for a period of eight years. Yet, the refineries never worked and were sold off. There were promises of `uhuru’ with several plans and roadmaps that couldn’t find their ways out of summit meetings and workshops in the Obasanjo days. In pretending to provide power infrastructure, he undermined the people, especially those of the Niger delta, citing power plants out of the region but proposed to run pipelines out of it to service the plants inlands. Now, the power stations are unable to operate because of gas pipeline vandalism. The reason for our perennial daily blackouts. There were unresolved issues in education and other sectors because to the ruling class, the average Nigerian’s patience seems inelastic.
Less could be said of the President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration yet he achieved so much in his few months of stay in the Aso Rock Villa. He was not a preacher and within the short period before his health failed him, he took care of the problem that could have messed up his administration; the militancy in the Niger delta. Without a bullet fired into the air he resolved the agitation of the militants, initiating the amnesty programme, a legacy that has not been challenged in the six years since his death. He was known for fewer promises and only approved contracts that the budget guaranteed cash backings. He joked a lot about the weekly federal executive council meetings approval on contracts. He will tell his cabinet ministers that while the council members sit to determine, access and approve work, it is only the president that is called to task when they fail. He was never comfortable with the principle of collective responsibility but of no collective blame. Nigerians were patient with him when he became bedridden and incapacitated to do the job that he was elected for. We all prayed for him.
After him came the bride of the Niger deltans, a man who ascended the presidency under circumstances that are now known as doctrine of necessity. President Goodluck Jonathan’s days were turbulent so he called for patience. He was taken as a political underdog because he is not from one of the big three ethnic groups, his reign was undermined from many quarters. He was haunted and taunted by all, politicians, party and polity alike. His troubles started when nature bestowed on him an opportunity to serve his people as president. He saw it all but felt there was always time to accomplish his dreams that looked his; alone. The rest is history. Some now liken his reign to the days of President Shehu Shagari when politicians were jailed for corruption. His reign though with a fine face had been enmeshed in the current ‘single upload’ of this administration; corruption. Every success of the regime has been drowned in the background, covered with the thick blackness of the corruption tar.
Alas, it is been a year since the peoples government, the supposedly most accepted change administration came to power. Not much of the old song of patience but a rude and overbearing reference to our past and our tempered growth is heard everywhere. Shirking responsibility for anything but pointing accusing fingers at all that has been bad and not those that could be fixed. Alas we are patient. In the last 12 months inflation has climbed to 13.7 percent, a six-year high. Still, we remain calm about it. Our children have been indirectly stopped from schooling abroad over strict policies of the government on foreign exchange, we are patient. Several Nigerians have been pushed out of jobs, we are not complaining. There has been incessant power outage despite promises of quick fixes. We have kept mute. Electricity tariffs have been increased by about 50 percent in the past one year with the blackouts even far worse now. Our mouths have remained sealed. Petrol price has increased by over 60 percent, still, we are unruffled. We can’t even buy tomato, yet we are uncomplaining. Patience has become a compulsive option so we are not marked out as `wailing wailers’ or worse, picked up by our dark goggled friends known as secret police by the United States.
But there are other people that are no longer that patient for the total disregards for their people. They have been ignored for decades, cheated, deprived with their people vilified till this day. These are the people of the delta. A former president and general woke up about 13 years ago and killed the people of Odi on the same circumstances that seem to be playing out today. For the sins of the Niger Delta Avenger, every Ijaw man is treated with disdain and as a suspect. His privileges and rights are denied and even looked down on in the society he calls his own, even when he exhibits a higher level of patriotism than his contemporaries. He is presumed to be a rebel despite sharing oil well from his backyard amongst people who now brag about the wealth acquired through those allocations on Forbes without complaining. He reads of how people become rich in millions of dollars because they had oil allocation while he paddles canoe into the same village where the black gold is drilled. Others donate whole blocks to universities in America with the proceeds from oil blocks to further scorn the Niger deltan living in squalor.
There is no greater corruption than maintaining the regime of oil block allocation to a few individuals to the detriment of the livelihood of the Niger deltan and the generality of Nigerians for one more year and feel all can be well in a change situation. It is not well down here in the Niger delta especially with the influx of ‘okobo kobos’ manhandling our men and women in the past one year of change administration to gag the people while the mainstay of the nation’s economy is exploited without any social responsibility programmes for the people of the region.
Twitter: @MOkpogode. [myad]