Ningi, speaking exclusively to Sunday Vanguard, accused the Federal Government of pushing an agenda that undermines national inclusiveness.

He warned President Bola Tinubu against exploiting people’s silence or fear to impose policies against their will.

According to Ningi, the tax reform bills are skewed in favour of Lagos State and two other states, to the detriment of others.

The senator argued that the lack of inclusiveness in the bills makes them fundamentally flawed and urged lawmakers to reject them outright.

Ningi likened the current situation to the Third Term agenda under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when federal lawmakers rejected a constitution review despite its numerous benefits because of the overarching agenda to extend Obasanjo’s tenure.

Ningi said, “First of all, I’m against the tax bills for two fundamental reasons. One, it is discriminatory in nature because it gives some states more advantage over others.

“And there is no logic, no explanation as to why some states will benefit more than others and that is the crux of the bills.

“Secondly, I thought the National Economic Council, chaired by the Vice President of the country, is constitutional, strategic enough to be able to guide the President or the executive in running the country from economic perspective.

“You will recall that the National Economic Council unanimously rejected the tax reform bills and I find it really strange that the only person who is elected and he insists in flexing muscle with the bills is the President because the National Economic Council is headed by the Vice President and elected governors and as such these people represent Nigerians and I cannot see how Mr President will love this country more than the amalgam of those elected at the executive level.

“I find it really strange that after his failure to convince the National Economic Council to accede to his demand, he is now trying to flex muscles and put it in the parliament.

“I find it strikingly disturbing that he is bringing this thing to the National Assembly thinking he can have his way because he had his way all through from the beginning to this time.”

Ningi, who noted that there are aspects of the bills that are good for the country, said, “Yes I admit that there are some aspects of the bills that look positive in my opinion, but remember the Third Term constitutional amendment; just because of the Third Term, there were numerous clauses that were fantastic at that time, but because of the controversy surrounding the bill, the National Assembly threw it away.”

Calling on lawmakers to stand in unison in the interest of the country, the ranking lawmaker said, “I call on the members of the National Assembly to stand united, this is not about North and South.

“There is no difference in the pains of Bauchi and the pains of Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo or Cross River or Benue or Katsina, the pain just runs across.

“These bills are substantively made to benefit Lagos in particular and then two other states. It goes to show the kind of…

“So I think it is important that the President should recognise the pains, it is important that the President recognises that we are a very complex country and he should not try to take advantage of people’s view or people’s silence or people’s fear to impose something against the will of the people.

“We represent our people and we are going to stand with then, we are going to stand united, we are going to make sure that these bills do not see the light of day.

[NaijaNews]

Activist lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has disclosed that Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of Rivers State is responsible for the fight between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara.

Adeyanju said while Wike declared N11 billion when he was governor of Rivers State, Fubara is currently declaring N27 billion, hence the fight.

He disclosed this while featuring on a podcast by Glitch Africa Studio, The Honest Bunch.

The activist lawyer also described the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as a political party and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to Adeyanju: “If you give INEC water, they will turn it into wine, there is nothing INEC can’t do; what INEC can’t do does not exist.

“INEC is a political party and the current INEC is APC.

“Wike is fighting Fubara because about a year ago, he was declaring N11 billion as IGR. The same Fubara is declaring N27 billion and you say they should not fight?”

[DailyPost]

The just released audit report on Federal Government’s Consolidated Financial Statement for the year ended 31st December 2021 has indicted the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigeria Downstream, Midstream Regulatory Authority for huge financial infractions and non-remittance of revenue to the federation account during the year under review.

The report, prepared by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and submitted to the Clerk to the National Assembly ,cited cases of unauthorised deduction from the federation revenue, irregular deduction from domestic crude sale, warehousing of the federation’s miscellaneous income, unsubstantiated payment of shortfall from the sale of MT Cargo of PMS, outstanding royalties due from NNPC-COMD/MCA/PSC, and unjustified deductions from Joint venture royalty by NNPC before remitting to DPR.

Also mentioned as financial irregularities in the report are outstanding royalties on oil concession rentals and gas flaring payable by operators to the federation’s account, outstanding bridging allowance from NNPC Retail, outstanding bridging claims from other major oil marketers, irregular balance in  marketers’ indebtedness and non-payment of indebtedness by some DAPPMAN marketers.

The Auditor General for the Federation, Shaakaa Kanyitor China, who signed the report said the actions of the three state owned agencies were in violation of paragraph 213(ii) of the Financial Regulations (FR) and paragraph 217 of the FR 2009.

While Paragraph 213 (ii) precludes withdrawal from the revenue account other than for the purpose of transfer to the consolidated account, Paragraph 217 stipulates that it is the duty of the Accounting Officer responsible for the collection of revenue or other monies due to government are correctly and promptly brought to account, whether such collections are payable direct to him or to a Sub-Accounting Officer or through any other channel.

In the case of NNPCL, the report said the company’s payment records for the period 2020 and 2021 revealed that N82,951,595,510.47 was deducted by it  from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas (Federation Revenue)  for “purported Refineries Rehabilitation”

It said there was no evidence of authorization and approvals before the deductions were made. The Auditor General attributed this kind of action to weaknesses in the internal control system at NNPC which could leave room for possible misappropriation of funds, diversion of revenue meant for the Federation or loss of Revenue.

It also reported that the management of the agency did not respond to audit query, adding that “since the Management failed to respond to the issue raised, the findings remain valid until the Management implements the recommendations.”

It recommended that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL be requested to provide reasons to the National Assembly for the deductions being proceeds from the sale of Crude Oil and Gas.

Besides, it said that henceforth, the management of the NNPCL should avoid making any deduction from monies due to go into the federation account and violation should attract punishment as specified in paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009.

It also cited the deduction of N343,642,598,726.51 from the gross domestic crude sales in the name of NNPC Value shortfall, Strategic Stock Holding Cost, Crude Oil and Products Pipeline Losses, as well as the pipelines maintenance and management costs.

The report said since details of each of the cost components deducted were not provided for audit review, the Auditor General could not understand the justification for the deduction.

The OAuGF also said that N83,659,813,739.99 being miscellaneous income from the NNPC joint venture operations from year 2016 to 2020 went into the CBN/NNPC sinking fund account instead of the Federation Account, adding that warehousing of the miscellaneous income of 2016 to 2020 meant for the Federation Account in the CBN/NNPC Sinking Fund Account led the government  to resort to borrowing to fund public  activities

It said the shortfall should be recovered and remitted to government treasury and evidence forwarded to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.

In another instance, a sum of N3,748,581,281.27 was said to have been paid to a company as shortfall on the sale  of MT cargo of PMS, adding that details of the transaction between the NNPC, PPMC and the company were not provided for audit.

It said whereas the sum of US$1,655,352,328.14 was supposed to have been paid  by NNPC  to the CBN account of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in respect of Production Sharing Contracts (PSC), Repayment Agreement (RA) and Modified Carry Arrangement (MCA) liftings as at 31st December, 2021, the DPR received only  US$1,401,399,635.07, leaving a shortfall of US$253,952,693.07.

It said further that records obtained from NNPC JV schedules and other documents showed that the NNPC deducted N204,853,744,047.39 from the Oil Royalty assessed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for 2021 for alleged priority project, strategic holding cost, crude oil and product losses without any justifiable reasons.

It quoted the NUPRC as saying “the NNPC makes deductions for Government priority projects at source before remittance of royalty to NUPRC with the latter having no control over this. Thus, NNPC is in better position to provide necessary approvals to justify these deductions.

“The office of the Accountant General of the Federation has been duly written on the payment of 4% Cost of Revenue Collection to NUPRC for money deducted at source by NNPC for Government priority projects.”

The Auditor General said the Management failed to address the issue raised and therefore should provide reasons why the sum of N204,853,744,047.39 was deducted by NNPC from Federation Account revenue proceeds, while recovering the said amount and remit same into the Federation Account.

It said that a review of revenue ledgers for 2021 revealed that oil royalty amounting to US$1,742,280,008.32 remained unpaid by some oil companies as at the end of December, 2021, while an additional US$13,805,135.46 for revenue relating to Royalty on Gas Sales (Foreign) remained unsettled as at 31% December, 2021 in addition to N48,218,163, 192.67 for Gas Royalty (Local) for the same period.

[TheNation]

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has confirmed that the former two-time heavyweight champion is set to make his highly anticipated return to the ring in 2025.

The announcement comes in the wake of Joshua’s devastating loss to Daniel Dubois, a fight that derailed his bid to reclaim his position as a dominant force in the boxing world.

Joshua, who turned 35 on October 15, is at a crossroads in his illustrious career. While some speculated the defeat might signal the end of his journey in professional boxing, Hearn dismissed any talk of retirement, reaffirming that the British-Nigerian remains committed to continuing his career.

“Anthony loves boxing; he’d fight forever if he could,” Hearn said.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist entered 2023 with renewed vigour, securing four straight wins and looking poised to challenge for heavyweight supremacy once more. However, his encounter with Dubois in March 2024 proved a stumbling block. A brutal loss—following a first-round knockout victory over Francis Ngannou—reset the trajectory of his comeback.

Speaking on the loss, Hearn acknowledged the need for Joshua to regroup both mentally and physically. “After fighting four times in less than a year, Anthony needs to recharge. He’ll resume camp in January 2025, which sets him up perfectly for an April or May return to action,” he explained.

Hearn made it clear that Joshua’s return would not include tune-up fights.

“At this stage in his career, Anthony doesn’t need warm-ups,” Hearn said.

“He’s going straight in. There’s no appeal in smaller fights; it’s about making the big ones happen.”

This approach contrasts with Joshua’s previous rebuilding phase, following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Then, he fought Jermaine Franklin and other lower-ranked opponents to regain confidence. Now, with time not on his side, Hearn believes Joshua’s focus must shift exclusively to marquee matchups.

Despite recent setbacks, Joshua remains one of boxing’s biggest draws, both in the UK and globally. His ability to pack arenas and generate pay-per-view interest ensures he will continue to be a key player in the heavyweight division.

The next steps for Joshua largely hinge on the availability of Tyson Fury and Dubois. Fury’s bout with Usyk and Dubois’ February title defence will determine how soon negotiations can begin for either fight.

No democratic nation is expected to undermine any of the easily recognizable 5 pillars of democracy. These are: i)the sovereignty of the people in which government functions only on behalf of the people ii) the rule of law which presupposes the absence of arbitrariness in a society where everyone is equal before the law iii) free and fair elections, that is, periodic contests which throw up political leaders that are truly determined by only the electorate iv) majority rule in which government is formed by the political party which has the highest number of lawful votes and v) minority rights in which government is obliged to protect the rights of the vulnerable and powerless segments of society.

One feature which runs through all the pillars is that governance ought to be guided by the due process of law which abhors the abuse of power.  

An ideal democracy may no doubt be hard to attain but no supposed democratic society is expected to continuously undermine any of the above-named 5 pillars. Unfortunately, the political class in Nigeria does so all the time while consoling itself with the saying that the worst form of democracy is better than the best form of dictatorship. The truth however is that every bad form of democracy is a dictatorship. It is rather regrettable that many political leaders in Nigeria are not accountable to the people they claim to represent apparently because they are conscious of the fact that they were not the true choices of the people. They are able to use impunity to remain in power while despising the people through criminalizing political dissent. When Nigerian leaders say they welcome constructive criticisms, no one is left in doubt that the term ‘constructive’ remains the subjective determination of only the leaders.

Before 2023, some state governors especially those of Ebonyi and Cross River States took delight in ensuring the arrest and detention of political opponents and critics including even the media that is constitutionally mandated to hold government accountable to the people. Each time a critic was arrested, the law enforcement agencies would say the report of the critic embarrassed the governor or that aspects of the said report were capable of destabilizing society but at no point were the same agencies interested in scrutinizing the veracity of the reports they acted against. Painfully, the position is yet to change as we keep hearing of one critic or the other who has been arrested for criticising a top political office holder. In the last two weeks, 2 Nigerian citizens were allegedly arrested for criticising the governments of Sokoto and Imo states respectively.

From Sokoto, undisputed social media reports stated that a young Nigerian lady, Hamdiya Sidi Sharif produced a video which recorded the bitter experiences of some victims of bandits’ attacks in some communities and villages in the state. It was said that because the report embarrassed the state government, the Nigeria Police decided “to pursue, arrest, and secretly arraign” the young woman. She was reportedly first arrested on November 9, 2024 and later released only to be rearrested some 4 days later. According to the media, Hamdiya was “accosted on the streets, dragged into a tricycle, beaten with a machete, and was then arraigned in a court in Achida town for allegedly embarrassing the government of the state.”One would have thought that the unending bandits’ attacks on people that the government is supposed to protect is what should give the authorities more cause for embarrassment than a media report on survivors of the attacks.

In the case of the report from Imo state, a citizen Fabian Ihekweme who had served as a commissioner from 2020-2022 in the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma was arrested on account of what the police claimed to bea petition accusing him “of seditious and inflammatory publications aimed at inciting civil unrest in the state.” Ihekweme had since moved from the governor’s party to the opposition People’s Democratic Party PDP thereby serving as a veritable critic of the activities of the state government. The new role assumed by Ihekweme is necessary in a democracy to keep the government on its toes – a basic fact which the police ought to appreciate, except it is compromised. Otherwise, how can today’s law enforcement agencies rely on excerpts from the same law of sedition employed by the colonial dictators of old to curtail the activities of foremost leaders of nationalist movements fighting for their nation’s independence?

We do not even believe that Governor Hope Uzodinma agrees with the police that Ihekweme aims to incite civil unrest in Imo state. Uzodinma is probably the friendliest governor of the media who is more conscious of the essence of public accountability. Since coming into office, no other Nigerian governor has been as helpful to the media as Uzodinma who has severally hosted media conferences and conventions of both the Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ and the Nigerian Guild of Editors NGE. He ought to have had useful media advice to set up a formidable team to counter what critics like Ihekweme can say about government activities. If Ihekweme alone is stronger than the governments’ media team, the governor should review the team and perhaps extend invitation to Ihekweme to join the team rather than using whatever other means to criminalize political dissent. It is not for nothing that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a strong media team.

Every political office holder should expect commendation from loyalists and some other persons who are persuaded by his or her policies, but not every citizen would be so disposed. It is better to employ effective publicity to enlighten critics than to respond harshly to criticisms. A leader should endeavour to correct certain policies that are criticised while a few criticisms that are made in bad faith are best ignored. There is indeed nothing to suggest that fighting critics and the media can give positive support to the reputation of government. Instead, it is better to be inclusive, tolerant and open minded-an approach which may be more effective in silencing critics. One analyst the other day praised Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State for adopting such an approach that has reportedly reduced Buni’s critics drastically.

Unknown to some leaders, an undue harsh reaction to a criticism merely helps to make a larger segment of society to become aware as well to believe the negative points contained in a particular criticism. What this suggests is that using law enforcement agencies to frighten opponents and critics is ill-advisable. This is because each time a government critic is arrested, public reaction is usually negative with many asking the obvious questions which underscore the feature of freedom in a democracy. At a recent gathering, some participants demanded to know the exact law which empowers a governor to order the arrest of a citizen while others were questioning the power of the police to detain a citizen for more than 48 hours without a court order. The direct implication of these questions is that official harsh reactions to criticisms further escalate public distrust for political office holders.

It is time for the Nigerian Governors’ Forum NGF to take up the issue of incessant arrests of critics by their members because the subject is making the public see every Nigerian governor as a tyrant notwithstanding that some of them are innocent of the accusation. It is also time for our federal legislators to review aspects of the Cyber Crimes Act which seem to equate the Act to both the law of sedition enacted by dictators of the old colonial government and Decree 4 of the military. It is contradictory for Nigeria as a democracy to purport to have a constitution which guarantees free speech while at the same time employing some other law to suggest that every criticism a criminal offence. This needs to be urgently done to allay the fears of those who are no longer able to different their country’s democracy from a dictatorship.

One poser which Nigerian media professionals are unable to resolve is how to implement the mandate of Section 22 of the Nigeria constitution which directs them to hold political office holders accountable to the people when those in power are able to lock-up those to hold them accountable! Big pity, while other nations are designing technologies for combating fake news and disinformation, Nigeria is only able to arrest opponents and critics of persons in power.

“All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies” – Dr Arbuthnot, 1667-1735, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 191. 

Note: This article started on the day of the Ondo State election. The result was not surprising. “You can’t beat something with nothing”. PDP is now nothing. Obong Victor Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State and former Trustee of the PDP, is an internationally-recognised architect. He was the first African to be granted licence to practice as an architect in New York State.

Attah turned 86 on November 20 this year. Few Nigerians are aware that Attah designed the PDP flag. As a member of the G-34, a group led by late Dr Alex Ekwueme, GCON, former Vice President, 1979-1983, and an artist like all architects, the flag symbolised an all-inclusive party. Its original constitution reflected the intention of the founding fathers to create a society in which glaring marginalisation of any group will not be allowed. 

Ekwueme was on the way to becoming the first President elected under the PDP banner when powerful people intruded into the party; forced PDP to violate its own constitution and accept Obasanjo as their candidate. The facts are detailed in PDP: CORRUPTION INCORPORATED. Self-righteous Obasanio was thus the first beneficiary of the corruption of a sacred set of political principles laid out by patriotic Nigerians. Obasanjo quickly moved to dismantle the PDP constitution and to substitute one which was an image of himself – a dictator at heart; despite his hypocritical pronouncements now.

He appointed and removed party Chairmen at will and approved candidates for elections at all three tiers of government. How he removed Chief Audu Ogbeh would bring tears to anyone’s eyes. He sowed the seeds of the destruction of our democracy. Today, Attah is no longer active in politics. But, at 86, he must certainly feel disillusioned by what the PDP has become. The flag he designed is now a mockery of what the PDP has become in his life time. I was still writing this article when the result of the Ondo State election was announced.

It is predictable what will follow. There will be a massive desertion of the PDP to the APC. A few years ago, when the late Vincent Ogbulafor, then Chairman of the party, announced, as if he was God, that “PDP will rule for seventy years”, I told him that he will not live for 70 years, but, he might live long enough to see the party out of power. He did both. PDP had been living on borrowed time since (President) Jonathan lost control of the party and suffered defeat.

Now time has run out for the party. Even now, close to half of the leading members of the APC were once in PDP. More will now follow; leaving a party so weak as not to offer much opposition to the APC. Mr Daniel Bwala, a former spokesman for Atiku, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections, who was blasting the APC as lustfully as he did since the elections in September this year, had been invited by President Tinubu to “come and eat”.

He quickly accepted the offer and is now eating in Aso Rock and singing the praises of his new paymaster. That raises the question: Which party will defeat APC in 2027? The answer curiously enough might be APC itself or a new party primarily northern based. In fact, we might be heading for regional parties such as we had before 1960. Two developments account for this position. One, the APC, never a political party, in just nine and a half years, has left the North reassessing its support for APC.

The eight years of Buhari blinded the people to assume that the party was working in their own interests. His departure had laid bare the truth. Under Buhari, APC was a party of the elite, by the elite and for the elite. Tinubu’s presidency has marginalised the northern elite; like never before. They want to redress the situation as soon as possible. Two, hitherto, northerners have lacked a rallying point; there was no common agenda. Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills, considered anti-North by the vast majority, have provided the impetus for regional collective action.

It is doubtful if any northern politician will support the bills and survive politically. As one old friend from the North-West told me, “I canvassed for votes for Tinubu. He is holding a knife to our throats in the North. We will not allow him to get away with it.” It was, therefore, not surprising to me that all the northern governors are opposed to the Tax Bills. The real surprise was the unanimous opposition of southern governors as well.

Given the fact that the majority of governors belong to the APC, that has revealed the lack of principle within the party. It is doubtful if any Republican governor will oppose a Tax Bill proposed by (incoming US president) Trump because the party’s position on taxation has been consistent for over a hundred years. A situation in which the president’s own party governors and most National Assembly members might turn against him is worrisome – even if expected in a nation where politics without principles is the norm.

TAX REFORM: POSSIBLE ISOLATION OF LAGOS

“There are plans from Lagos to colonise the North” – Kwankwaso.

The presidential candidate of the NNPP is not alone in condemning the Tax Reform Bills; which most commentators, nationally, have not read; and very few understand. But, it now serves as a fulcrum for moving massive northern sentiments against the APC in the region. The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, a few days after Kwankwaso spoke, made an even more unmistakable declaration.

2027: “North will be best served by northerners” – Report, November 21, 2024.

Just in case anybody in Abuja misses the point, the ACF Chairman said: “Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring economic conditions, the policies of the current Federal Government has continued to make matters much worse, with little indications of needed sensitivity to the precarious existential conditions of Arewa people… economic reforms while indeed desirable, should not impoverish the same people they are meant to serve…” Battle line drawn. Elected, as well as appointed, APC northern politicians are now confronted with an unpleasant dilemma: Continue supporting Tinubu and his policies or bail out. Either way, there will be serious consequences. I don’t envy Vice President Shetimma or Ganduje. The attempt by the Board of Trustees, BOT, of the ACF to distance the old association from Dr Mamman Osuman’s outburst by suspending the Chairman was a blunder.

The blowback by several northern groups, especially youth groups, points to the possibility that the more cautious and conservative elders might not be aware of the depth of hostility to FG’s reforms. Nigeria is getting ripe for demagogues. Historically, demagoguery triumphs when there is a very angry, dissatisfied section of the populace who want simple answers to very complicated problems; and when the section can identify another distinct group to blame for its problems.

Kwankwaso, focusing on the section of the Tax Bills which recommends the principle of derivation to be adopted for Value Added Tax, VAT, revenue allocation, represents the northern view that with Lagos accounting for over 50 per cent of the VAT revenue collected, any change in that direction will adversely affect their states. Kwankwaso has deliberately ignored the fact that not only northern states will be affected. Even all the rest of the South-West states will lose.

But, President Tinubu is from Lagos State; so the conspiracy to further impoverish the North must be a Lagos agenda. That is most unfortunate; because it has shifted the discussion from addressing the merits of the tax proposal to North versus Lagos. More unfortunate is the fact that the northern leaders conveniently forget that the Nigerian economy was already ruined by the time Buhari finished his eight years in office. More importantly, as the Emir of Kano, Lamido, has warned repeatedly, the North was ruining itself – not Lagos.

Virtually all those in APC, NNPP and LP in the North were in PDP before; when the seeds of destruction of the economy were sown. Not to be left behind, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, led by Professor Ango Abdullahi, sent a chilling message. Read some of it; and it is clear why political lines have disappeared in the North: “The Tax Reform Bills are conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and is a palpable threat to our unity and national cohesion.

The brazen way and suspicious manner in which the Tax Bills were imposed on the nation confirmed the sinister intentions of those promoting this outrageous Bill. The days are fast gone when such conspiratorial connivance against the vital and strategic interest of the region, either by those within or outside of the region, would be condoned or even tolerated”.

Non-partisan political war could not have been more brutally declared. The attackers have the advantage. Serious economic hardship, especially coming so suddenly and brutally, invariably gives rise to the search for scapegoats – people on whom to place the blame. Despite Benjamin Franklin’s, 1706-1790, position that, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”, few people except government officials want to hear the word TAX. But, where there are political parties in the real sense of the word, the Tax Bills should have been discussed with party leaders of the ruling party; and everybody should now be out fighting for its passage. The party no longer counts in this struggle.

LAST LINE: Tinubu and his inner circle of advisers missed a vital step in advancing the Tax Bills. Now, the Bills are virtually dead on arrival.

Now that election campaign promises, shenanigans and peccadillos are over, it is a time to engage the Governor and Governor-elect of Ondo State on managing distractions from the so-called godfathers who would normally seek jobs for their people who ‘helped’ to secure victory the other day.

In all modesty, I know our country enough to know how the greed of the elite has crippled the most populous black nation on earth, Nigeria. This may not be a time to talk about how the greed of the elite has also crippled the national electricity grid that is supposed to trigger industrial development. But it is a time to get our leaders at all levels to note that enough is enough of frivolities and mediocrity they celebrate on live television for self-glorification every day. And so let me appeal to the newly hired Governor of Ondo State not to allow members of his ‘kitchen cabinet’ to impute motives for solution articles at this time.

The reason for this seemingly unnecessary appeal is not far-fetched: some of the media aides of political leaders have always had several drafts of how to lambast commentators who even advise their principals on how to set off legacy projects, let alone those who point out what they aren’t doing well. Some of the aides we have watched over the years at all levels have always concocted conspiracy theories about why certain writers, and even television anchors should be ignored by their principals. They don’t study the messages; they go for the jugular of the messengers for their “bad verses”. Most times, the perverted public relations officers keep evil files of even the problems they cause and seek ways of benefitting from crises by discrediting anchors and commentators. Political leaders should be aware of these crisis merchants and mediocrities in their public relations space.

This new mandate should be a difference maker of some sort without noise making. And so it should begin with strategic thinking and planning that will remarkably affect the health of the state. And here is the thing, let the new mandate reinforce your significance rather than your prominence. How do I mean that? A cleric and an iconic writer I have quoted several times here, Rick Warren argues in his classic, ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ that there are some people in this life who are prominent but they may not be significant. He says at the same time, there are some significant people who may not be prominent, after all. He reinforces this point by pointing to the fact that God, the Almighty is seeking significant, not prominent people to shape His Kingdom on earth – for the public goods game that leaders play. All over the place, you see most of our even under-achieving leaders spending a lot of money to promote their prominence on the front pages of our news journals and prime time television programmes without any significant projects that can enhance humanity. You see vanity upon vanity as most leaders celebrate on live television, building of overhead bridges and provision of classroom desks and tables for teachers in dilapidated basic schools to showcase their prominence.

It may not have been prominent in the media, but when you get to Akwa Ibom state that has used the model of public, private partnership (PPP) to run a flourishing airline, you will see the power of how state governments too can reform and run business as they do in Asia and most parts of the Middle East. I mean at the time our Federal Government, which exclusively oversees the Aviation industry and ministry could only unveil the fake airline (Nigeria Air) they promised for eight years on their last day in office, May 29, 2023, Akwa Ibom state floated Ibom Air within a four-year tenure of a governor. The Ibom Air is still running fruitfully till the present while the Federal Government’s fake airline has become a butt of jokes on dubious public sector enterprises. The state-supported Ibom Air is one of the preferred local airlines in Nigeria despite the inclement business climate in the aviation industry today. Go to Akwa Ibom where you will see on-going construction of a 10-lane road to the airport they had built before they established the airline.

Time to prioritise education:

Mr. Governor, don’t get it twisted, you need to prioritise education quality in Ondo State. The state of public schools at all levels is quite unconscionable and that has resulted in the state’s poor results from national examinations bodies. Part of this tragic situation in basic and secondary schools was captured the other day by Otunba Sola Olatunji who wrote a piece on this debacle before the election campaigns. It isn’t beyond redemption. Mr. Governor, reviving education facilities in Ondo State requires a multi-faceted approach. Here’s a comprehensive plan for your team to consider:

Infrastructure development

Conduct a thorough assessment of all education facilities in the state to identify areas of need. Develop a phased plan to renovate and reconstruct schools, focusing on the most critical ones first. Invest in modern educational infrastructure, including smart classrooms, libraries, and laboratories as the Enugu state government is doing with education management experts in the state. Besides, ensure that all schools have access to basic amenities like electricity, water, and sanitation facilities.

Teacher training and development

Provide regular training and capacity-building programmes for teachers to enhance their skills and knowledge. Most of the teachers were drafted to the classrooms from even the Local Government Council Service Commission, etc long ago. There is a need to collaborate with reputable institutions to offer certification programmes in modern teaching techniques for teachers.
Besides, the state’s education authorities need to encourage teachers to pursue higher education and provide incentives for those who do.

That is another way of fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development among teachers. You can recruit first class graduates as teachers and train those that didn’t have teaching certificates. To retrain them, pay them as consultants and specialists.

Curriculum review and development

This is 21st century where innovative technologies drive development. It should begin with education curriculum review. The state should conduct a comprehensive review of the current curriculum to ensure it is relevant and is aligned with modern educational standards.
You don’t need to wait for Abuja to develop a new curriculum that incorporates STEM education, vocational training, and life skills. Ensure that the curriculum is inclusive and caters to the needs of students with disabilities.

The state should sing a new song in education funding mechanism by providing resources and support for teachers to effectively implement the new curriculum.

Technology Integration

For the development goals to be sustainable in education, there should be investment in digital infrastructure, including computers, tablets, and internet connectivity, to facilitate e-learning. That is the only way we can face tomorrow as citizens, lest we become part of the huge population of the illiterate of the 21st century who can’t learn, unlearn and relearn as Alvin Toffler warns.
In the main, the schools should be funded to develop online platforms and resources to support teaching and learning. There should also be provision for training for teachers to effectively integrate technology into their teaching practices. The Education system should encourage the use of educational software and apps to enhance student learning. This is where the authorities should be intentional in employing computer and data science graduates and pay them well to retain them so that they can integrate technology into learning.

Community engagement and partnerships

There should be skillset of development experts in the system to foster partnerships with local communities, businesses, and organisations to support education initiatives. In the same vein, the education authorities should establish a mentorship programme that pairs students with professionals and entrepreneurs. There should be constructive engagements to develop a culture of volunteerism and community service among students and teachers.

Funding and resource mobilisation

To make the desired difference Mr. Governor should allocate a significant portion of the state budget to education. Politicians don’t want to do this because they feel it is intangible unlike over-head bridges and water boreholes. There can also be exploration of alternative funding sources, such as public-private partnerships and international grants. The state government can establish an education endowment fund to support scholarships, research, and infrastructure development. Modern governments in ‘glocal’ context encourage philanthropic donations and corporate social responsibility initiatives to support education.

Do we need three universities in Ondo?

There should always be needs assessment to determine whether the state can cope with three universities that have obviously been underfunded in Akungba, Okitipupa and Ondo City, in this regard. I was in Akungba by this time last year where I delivered the Convocation lecture of the oldest university. The premier university I saw there still needs robust funding for physical structures and equipment they need to live up to their billing as an ivory tower. The University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa and the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo require strategic funding to restore the ‘universe’ that they may have lost to under-funding. It is a time to revisit the feasibility reports on the three universities before it is too late. Do we need more or better universities? Over to you Governor Aiyedatiwa even as we say, congratulations!

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on the BRICS group nations if they undercut the US dollar.

“We require a commitment… that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100 percent Tariffs,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website, referring to the grouping that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and others.

The statement comes after a BRICS summit held last month in Kazan, Russia, where the countries discussed boosting non-dollar transactions and strengthening local currencies.

The BRICS group has expanded significantly since its inception in 2009, and now includes countries such as Iran, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Altogether the BRICS coalition accounts for a significant minority of the world’s economic output.

At the Kazan summit in October, Moscow secured a joint declaration encouraging the “strengthening of correspondent banking networks within BRICS and enabling settlements in local currencies in line with BRICS Cross-Border Payments Initiative.”

But at the end of the summit Putin indicated that little progress had been made on launching a possible competitor to the Belgium-based SWIFT financial messaging system.

“As for SWIFT and any alternatives, we have not created and are not creating any alternatives,” Putin told reporters at the end of the summit.

He added: “As for a unified BRICS currency, we are not considering that question at the moment.”

Trump has vowed to pursue a protectionist agenda, threatening hefty tariffs on neighbors and rivals.

If BRICS countries continue with their plans, Trump warned, they “should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US Economy,” he wrote.

“They can go find another ‘sucker!’ There is no chance that the BRICS will replace the US Dollar in International Trade, and any Country that tries should wave goodbye to America.”

[AFP]

The North’s resentment of the proposed Tax Reform Bills currently at the National Assembly,NASS, has expanded as northern youths attacked Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin yesterday, accusing him of being insensitive to the region.

They described the bills as anti-North, saying it would further relegate the region economically.
The youths, representing 19 northern states, said the lawmaker representing Kano North Senatorial District knows the bills would not serve the region’s interest.

Ever since the proposed laws were sent by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly, lawmakers of northern extraction have been expressing worries.

The executive arm of government had said the bills would ensure uniformity in tax revenue administration across Nigeria, eliminate double taxation, use taxation to encourage private sector investment in critical industries and boost disposable incomes through targeted tax exemptions.

The four bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583, The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584, The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585, and The Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.

Last week, the bills passed Second Reading in the Senate despite notable objections from some lawmakers.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described the proposed fiscal laws as “a significant move to overhaul the country’s tax system.”

However, the North is united in its opposition as all sections of its leadership consider the bills as being against the region’s socio-economic development.

The latest in the opposition by the North is the attack on Senate number two man, Senator Jibrin, by Northern Youth Assembly.

They were particularly angry over the fact that the Deputy Senate President presided over the sitting where the bills passed Second Reading.

The plenary was disrupted by anger and a shouting match over the bills, which came up for debate despite not being listed as an item for the day’s business.

Interest

In an open letter signed by Ali Mohammed Idris and Abdulhafiz Garba, President and Secretary respectively of Northern Youth Assembly, the youths said, yesterday, that Jibrin’s position on the bills doesn’t represent the interest of the North.

The letter reads: “The Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), on behalf of the 19 northern states leadership of the assembly, wishes to express our unequivocal disappointment and dismay in you, following your action towards the scaling for the second reading, of an evil tax reform bill, which would certainly undermine the North, and further relegate the region economically and commercially.

‘’Your support for the passage of the proposed evil tax reform bill put forth by the Tinubu administration is the highest order of your insensitivity to the economic and commercial plight of your constituency, Kano State and the entire Northern Nigeria.

“As representatives of the Northern Nigerian youths, we believe the proposed tax reform bill, in its current form, would surely disproportionately affect the economic livelihoods and aspirations of our people, and it is of course without taking into cognizance of the current economic reality in the country.

“Our disappointment is more on your attitude at the Senate plenary to impose your opinion and interest. Even though you are quite aware that this bill is anti-North and has the tendency of further impoverishing the people in the North, and would further cripple economic and commercial activities in the region, and yet you are hell-bent on making it a reality. While it is obvious that the proposed tax reform is of so much interest to the people at the centre, however, your unwavering enthusiasm to champion the bill, which is anti-North, exposes your misguided commitment to the course of protecting the interest of those you represent. Practically, the North faces a barrage of critical issues such as shortage of electricity supply, rampant insecurity across the region, naked poverty, unemployment and a dismal state of infrastructure, to name just a few, but you have yet resolved to lead the war of further destroying the little prospects left of the North.

“Let us remind you that the purpose of your election was to fundamentally champion the course to address the development challenges facing your region, through effective legislative engagement, rather than dedicating your energy to serve an anti-northern Nigeria agenda, which would further marginalize the Northern Nigerian people, the region where you come from. It would be wiser and more beneficial for you to prioritize your focus towards championing the course of alleviating the pressing socio-economic challenges ravaging the people in the North.

“This tax reform, in its current form, threatens to exacerbate the burdens of businesses and families in Northern Nigeria—that are already struggling to survive due to inconsistent power supply and un-friendly government policies which have been crippling the economy and growth of Northern Nigeria.

Lobbyists

“Northern Nigeria requires only the leaders who could speak in the interest of the region, not hired lobbyists and agents of destruction, who would do everything to misguide and deceive their people for some cheap political gains.

“We wish to inform you that the Northern Youth Assembly is highly disappointed in you and your cohorts for accepting to be engaged to destroy the north and its future.

“We are committed to fighting this course with our last drop of blood and to expose you and your likes, who are ready to auction the North and its future, as we could no longer trust and surrender our destiny into the hands of political merchants, betrayers and political hypocrites.

“The proposed Tinubu Tax Reform Bill is evil and that was the reason the National Economic Advisory Council and Northern governors rejected the bill in the first place, while people like you are trying to justify what is wrong in its totality to cash on the situation for some cheap political gain.
“We wish to finally advise you to change your ways before the entire people in the North, old and young, children and women are mobilised to place their curse on you.’’

[Vanguard]

Workers, senior lawyers and the civil society organisations (CSOs) have knocked the federal and state governments for failing to implement the Supreme Court judgement granting financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.

At the instance of a suit filed by the federal government against the 36 states of the federation, the country’s apex court on July 11, 2024, ordered that funds accruing to the councils from the federation account should be paid directly to the accounts of the third-tier of government.

But five months after the celebrated judgement, its implementation is still shrouded in secrecy.
Earlier media reports that the federal and state governments had set October 2024 deadline for the implementation of the ruling have been refuted by the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The reports claimed that at the expiration of the deadline, any state without elected leaders at the grassroots government would have the LG funds withheld by the federal government.
This made the governors to rush to conduct LG elections that were far from being credible

In an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the issue, Mr Kehinde Eleja (SAN), said any further delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy would not portend any good for governance at the third-tier of government and would be a great disservice to the country.
Eleja who spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State said a period of five months after the delivery of the judgment was more than enough for necessary action to be taken by the government.

He said, “It would be recalled that the Supreme Court, in appreciation of the constitutional importance of the case to the nation, gave the case accelerated hearing and promptly delivered its verdict. With that the Supreme had discharged its responsibility leaving the executive with the implementation of the borders made in the judgment.

“As for the delay in implementation of the judgment, it must be appreciated that certain mechanisms would have to be put in place for effective implementation of the judgment. However, a period of five months after the delivery of the judgment is more than enough for necessary action to be taken by the government. Any further delay does not portend any good for governance at the third tier of government and will be a great disservice to the nation.”

In Zamfara State, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and some lawyers condemned the delay in the implementation of the judgement, arguing that the delay had undermined the rule of law and the authority of the judiciary.

The state chairman of NULGE, Ahmed Isah, said the delay by the state governors was deliberate and accused them of selfishness.

A lawyer, Bello Galadi and former chairman of Zamfara State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), condemned governors’ non-implementation of the autonomy granted the councils.

Galadi queried the delay despite the Supreme Court order that was made since July 11, 2024 which gave a landmark judgement affirming the financial autonomy of the 774 local governments in the country and ruled that governors could no longer control funds meant for the councils.

A legal expert based in Bauchi, Safiyanu Idris, blamed the federal government for the non-compliance with the judgement.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Bauchi, Idris said it was apparent that joint accounts became the medium for the governors to siphon funds meant for the local governments in their jurisdiction.

“The federal government failed to implement punitive measures on states that tamper with local government funds. It is not supposed to be so. Overzealous governors unlawfully use local government funds and sometimes go the extra mile to deal with council chairmen who, in their assessment, are against their greed,” he said

Idris advocated for the scrapping of state independent electoral commissions, arguing that governors use them to impose their loyalists as chairmen.

A Kaduna-based legal practitioner, Hiifan Abuul, said the joint local government account with the state government should be scrapped immediately following the Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy.

Abuul however expressed reservation over effective management of local government funds by their chairmen, saying they were rather selected by their respective governors and not voted as witnessed during the local government polls across the country.

In Kebbi State, the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Abubakar Nayaya Ambursa, said they would speak on the matter after the assembly concludes its deliberations on it.

Similarly, the chairman of the state chapter of NULGE, Comrade Abubakar Umar, said the union was waiting for the outcome of the state Assembly’s resolution on the matter.

The chairman of the Gombe State Network of Civil Society Organisations (GONET), Ibrahim Yusuf, said the main obstacle to the implementation of the ruling was the pervasive influence of godfatherism in Nigerian politics.

“The governors installed people as local government chairmen. We don’t call it an election because they appoint them. 99 percent of those installed were their political stooges or godsons who cannot do without their masters,” he said.

Also, Bachama Yusuf, secretary of the Association of NGOs (ANGO) in the state, corroborated the GONET’s stance, warning that the failure to implement the ruling would erode trust in the justice system and undermine democracy.

The North Central coordinator of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) Steve Aluko, said it was an affront on the judiciary because the highest court of the land had ruled.

According to him, the National Assembly had also made their input, but the executive had subverted the process.

Also, an Abuja-based lawyer, Francis Adejoh, said the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and for the executive to have refused to implement the judgement was unfortunate.
He said, “It is very disappointing and embarrassing that the executive arm of government has refused to implement the judgement of the highest court in the land.”

The chairman of NULGE in Plateau State, Comrade Yohana Macquine, said the judgement was a welcome development.

When asked about his expectation from state governors on the judgement, he said he would not want to join issues with them, but said NULGE expected total compliance with the ruling.

The chairman, Cross River State Civil Society Network, Ben Usang, said the failure to implement the verdict portended danger because it would prompt people not to respect court judgments.

A legal practitioner and former chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, said it was illegal and unconstitutional for a judgment of a court not to be obeyed immediately after the court made the pronouncement.

He said, “It is equally unconstitutional for the executive branch of government to be dancing “Ajasco” or rigmarolling or playing crass politics while obeying the judgment of the apex court in the country.

“This is a violent infraction of section 287 subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides that the decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons and by courts with subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.

“It is simply outrageous, unacceptable, and scandalous, to say the least. It is a stain on the justice delivery system and goes to the root of the whole essence of adherence to the rule of law in Nigeria.

“It is also anathema to the principle of good governance, which is hinged on respect for the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democratic tenets. In other words, it is a recipe for bad governance.” Obla stated.

Meanwhile, councils in Jigawa State have been enjoying financial autonomy even before the recent court verdict in respect of the matter.

The state chairman of NULGE, Comrade Abubakar Garba Shittu stated this when contacted on the status of the local government financial autonomy in the state.

“We don’t have problems with regards to local government autonomy, even though the court verdict allowed states to continue to have much say on local government administration.

“In Jigawa State, local governments have been receiving their allocations but they pay back all the statutory deduction according to the state law,” he said.

Stakeholders have unanimously supported the delay in the enforcement of Supreme Court Judgement in Osun State.

While hoping that the judgement would be enforced to the latter in due course for good governance, they called for restraints in its immediate enforcement to avoid subjecting workers to hardship especially with the prevailing economic situation.

A local government staff at Obokun local government area of Osun State, Kunle Adeniyi, expressed the fear that if the judgement was enforced, it would be difficult for workers to receive their salaries.

A legal luminary, Bola Hammed, said due process of law should be taken in electing political officeholders at local government levels.

[Leadership]