Much Ado About the Recommended Purchase of Two New Presidential Aircrafts

The recent recommendation by the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence for the Federal Government to purchase two new presidential aircrafts for the President and Vice President of Nigeria has sparked widespread debate. Critics argue that the acquisition is insensitive given the country's current economic challenges; hence suggest that existing aircrafts should be overhauled. On the other hand, proponents maintain that the purchase is a necessity rather than a luxury, crucial for the effective functioning of the highest offices in the land.

Recent travel issues faced by the President and Vice President underscore the pressing need for reliable and functional aircrafts. In April, the President was forced to take a chartered plane from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia, and he also recently returned from South Africa using a chartered flight. Additionally, the Vice President aborted his flight to the United States due to a faulty presidential jet. These incidents highlight the necessity for dependable transportation to ensure that the President and vice president can perform their duties without undue risk or delay. The ability to travel at short notice is vital for both national and international responsibilities. Just as business CEOs invest in private jets to ensure punctuality and reliability, the same principle applies. The stakes are even higher for the President and Vice President.

Maintaining outdated aircraft can be prohibitively expensive. Similar to how companies replace cars after a certain period to avoid high maintenance costs, the same logic applies to presidential aircraft. Furthermore, owning aircraft is more cost-effective in the long run than frequently chartering flights, which can accumulate substantial expenses. Newer planes are likely to be more fuel-efficient and require less frequent repairs, thereby reducing operational costs., contributing to the overall efficiency of government operations.

Functional aircrafts will enable the President and Vice President to fulfil their duties optimally. This is not about luxury but necessity. Reliable transportation is critical to the effective execution of their duties; including attending international summits, engaging in diplomatic missions, and responding promptly to emergencies. Presidential planes also serve as symbols of national pride and the status of the office. They are often seen as extensions of the country’s sovereignty and dignity, carrying the nation's leaders to important engagements. Ensuring these planes are in optimal condition reflects positively on the country and its leadership.

Nigeria currently faces high inflation, business difficulties, and unresolved issues like the new minimum wage process and the implementation of CNG buses, highlighting the financial struggles of the populace. The government's decision to invest in new planes amidst these hardships appears insensitive to many; making it a contentious issue. Additionally, there is increasing doubt about the sincerity of the current administration, leading to questions about the rationale behind purchasing the new aircrafts.

While avoiding waste and corruption is essential, leadership involves making investments that facilitate effective governance. The planes, considered assets, will serve beyond the current administration, contributing to the long-term efficiency of government operations. The concept of saving money is often over-emphasized. Government leaders are elected to positively impact the lives of citizens and perform their duties effectively. Overemphasizing cost containment can lead to cost savings at the expense of service delivery. Therefore, the focus should be on making prudent investments that enhance governance and public service. The primary concern for Nigerians should be ensuring that the planes are not purchased at inflated prices.

In conclusion, the purchase of two new presidential aircrafts will ensure the safety and security of the President and Vice President, provide cost-effective and reliable transportation, and enhance the efficiency of government operations. While the economic hardships faced by Nigeria are real and pressing, the acquisition of reliable presidential aircrafts is a step towards ensuring that the government can function effectively and fulfil its primary function of the security and welfare of its citizens. However, this decision must be communicated transparently to the public, emphasizing its necessity for effective governance while acknowledging the current economic difficulties.

Kenechukwu Aguolu  FCA

Abuja, Nigeria

Once hailed as the "Giant of Africa" for its abundant resources and economic potential, Nigeria now faces numerous economic challenges. The causes of this decline are multifaceted and complex, with some attributing it to leadership failures and others to sabotage or international conspiracy. To revitalize Nigeria's economy, a comprehensive and resolute approach is essential. This endeavour demands unwavering political determination from the government to enact meaningful reforms and foster an environment conducive for economic growth.

A key component of transforming Nigeria's economy is the reorientation of both citizens and leaders. As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." For Nigeria to thrive, a culture of unity and patriotism must be deeply embedded within society. Recognizing this, the present government has reintroduced the old national anthem, a symbolic step toward fostering national unity and patriotism. The National Orientation Agency has a crucial role to play in this regard.

Accurate demographic data is essential for effective planning. Nigeria's last population census was conducted in 2006, making it imperative for another one. In addition to conducting a population census, a robust system should be established to register new births, ensuring that population data remains current. Population census should be held at least every ten years to facilitate informed planning.

Diversification of the economy is another critical area that requires urgent attention. Sectors such as mining, agriculture, and tourism remain largely untapped, presenting significant opportunities to increase the country's revenue base and improve its balance of trade. Diversifying the economy will also help stabilize the currency, reduce unemployment, and lower poverty rates, fostering overall economic resilience.

Improving the country's tax revenue to gross domestic product(GDP)ratio is essential for sustainable economic growth. In 2023, this ratio stood at a mere 9.4%, which is very low by international standards. To address this, Nigeria should focus on widening its tax net, enforcing tax compliance, and possibly increasing certain taxes. These measures will enhance government revenue and enable more robust public investment.

Nigeria has a significant infrastructure deficit that hampers meaningful economic development. The lack of adequate power increases the cost of business, causing companies to lose their competitive edge. The government should Improve the road and railway infrastructure to ensure efficient movement of goods and people. Additionally, more fully operational seaports are needed to alleviate the long-standing issue of port congestion, which has caused substantial business losses due to delays in clearing goods.

Promoting entrepreneurship is crucial for advancing the Nigerian economy. It leads to job creation, poverty reduction, and GDP growth. The government should encourage economic activity and empower individuals to pursue innovative ventures by offering low-interest loans to aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses. Additionally, recapitalizing banks is essential to strengthening their ability to support economic growth, especially considering the devaluation of the Nigerian currency.

The civil service, forming the backbone of governance and playing a crucial role in policy formulation, implementation, and public service delivery, requires transformation. Addressing the current challenges within the civil service is essential for enhancing governance and effectively implementing reforms. The condition of the civil service significantly impacts the economy.

Eliminating corruption and waste in governance will significantly reduce the cost of government operations. The government should champion value-for-money audits to assess the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of transactions. Strengthening internal controls and ensuring that anti-graft agencies are effective are crucial in safeguarding public assets from theft and fraud. It should ensure that whistle-blowing policy encourages and protects whistle-blowers as it will help curb corruption.

Proper remuneration of workers is vital for improving productivity, fostering innovation, and reducing brain drain. Nigeria has experienced a mass exodus of skilled professionals in recent years. As the government concludes the process of setting a new national minimum wage, it must ensure that the minimum wage is adequate taking cognizance of current economic realities

Effective prioritization of government expenditure is essential given the inherent limitations of resources. Governments should allocate funds judiciously, focusing on critical priorities rather than indulging in misplaced spending. Adopting a scale of preference facilitates informed decision-making, enabling authorities to allocate resources strategically based on identified needs and desired outcomes.

Revamping Nigeria's educational system is crucial. It requires aligning the curriculum with national strategic goals and ensuring access to quality education for all. This reform must prioritize equipping students with relevant skills for a modern economy, fostering innovation, and embracing technology adoption. Historically, African nations, have emphasized natural resources over human capital development. However, investing in education is paramount, as knowledge is the cornerstone of sustainable economic growth and global competitiveness

The security situation in Nigeria represents a significant drain on resources that could otherwise be allocated to productive endeavours. Insecurity disrupts economic activities like mining, agriculture, and tourism and deters foreign direct investment (FDI) needed for economic growth. Addressing these security challenges is paramount for Nigeria to attain sustained economic prosperity.

Despite the savings from removing fuel subsidies and adopting a floating exchange rate for the naira, Nigeria still faces significant financial challenges primarily due to the substantial of servicing its debts. These high debt servicing obligations severely constrain the government's ability to finance crucial development projects that could stimulate economic growth and improve societal well-being. To alleviate this fiscal burden and create room for sustainable development, the government should pursue aggressive strategies for debt relief or restructuring. 

In conclusion, revitalizing Nigeria's economy requires a comprehensive and determined approach to address the nation's deep-rooted challenges. It is also imperative to know when and how to adjust monetary and fiscal policies, highlighting the need for astute professionals to serve as the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the Central Bank. Furthermore, Nigeria can achieve lasting economic resilience and growth with unwavering political determination, a culture of unity, and patriotism.

Author: Kenechukwu Aguolu FCA, PMP, CBAP

Business Analyst | Project Manager | Chartered Accountant | Public Affairs Analyst

Abuja, Nigeria         This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election Peter Obi has expressed concerns at the growing number of Multinationals exiting the country due to the bad business climate.

Obi noted that the reasons being adduced by these departing firms after many years of operations in the country are similar and largely governance problems that require urgent attention to stem the tide 

Writing in his X handle on Monday, the former Anambra State Governor said "I am compelled to address the alarming exodus of multinational companies from Nigeria, which has cost our nation a staggering N95 trillion in the past five years. According to The New Telegraph, in the last year alone, over ten multinational giants such as GlaxoSmithKline, Equinor, Sanofi-Aventis, Bolt Food, Procter & Gamble, Jumia Food, PZ Cussons, Kimberly-Clark, Diageo and others, have exited Nigeria, citing eerily consistent reasons. 

"According to The Punch, "Multinational firms exit Nigeria over harsh business climate." The Guardian reports, "Insecurity, high energy costs force companies to leave Nigeria." The Nation states, "Poor business environment, inconsistent policies drive companies out of Nigeria."

"These companies have highlighted the same problems across the board. These issues are not coincidental but symptomatic of a larger governance problem. Why are we not facing and solving these problems head-on? The responsibility lies with our leadership, those we put in charge to urgently address these challenges.

"Tackling these issues requires creating a business-friendly environment that fosters investment, innovation, and growth. This includes prioritizing security, stabilizing our policies, and reducing energy costs. We must also cultivate a culture of transparency, accountability, and good governance.

"We can build an economy that benefits all Nigerians, not just a privileged few. Let us unite to transform Nigeria into a nation conducive to business, attractive to investment, safe and prosperous for all citizens. Together, we can make Nigeria a beacon of hope and progress in Africa and the world. A new Nigeria is possible.

Signed.

Dr Yunusa Tanko 

POMR SPOKESMAN 

June 24, 2024.

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… laments as Regulator (NMDPRA) continues to grant licences to import banned dirty diesel, jet fuel 

Vice President, Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin, has accused International Oil Companies (IOCs) in Nigeria of doing everything to frustrate the survival of Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals. Edwin said the IOCs are deliberately and wilfully frustrating the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by jerking up high premium price above the market price, thereby forcing it to import crude from countries as far as United States, with its attendant high costs.

Speaking to a group of Energy Editors at a one-day training programme, organised by the Dangote Group, Edwin also lamented the activity of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in granting licences, indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country. He said, “the Federal Government issued 25 licences to build refinery and we are the only one that delivered on promise. In effect, we deserve every support from the Government. It is good to note that from the start of production, more than 3.5 billion litres, which represents 90 per cent of our production, have been exported. We are calling on the Federal Government and regulators to give us the necessary support in order to create jobs and prosperity for the nation.”

According to him: “While the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) are trying their best to allocate the crude for us, the IOCs are deliberately and willfully frustrating our efforts to buy the local crude. It would be recalled that the NUPRC, recently met with crude oil producers as well as refineries owners in Nigeria, in a bid to ensure full adherence to Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligations (DCSO), as enunciated under section 109(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). It seems that the IOCs’ objective is to ensure that our Petroleum Refinery fails. It is either they are deliberately asking for ridiculous/humongous premium or, they simply state that crude is not available. At some point, we paid $6 over and above the market price. This has forced us to reduce our output as well as import crude from countries as far as the US, increasing our cost of production…

“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country which exports Crude Oil and imports refined Petroleum Products. They (IOCs) are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their GDP, and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria - thus making us to be dependent on imported products. It is the same strategy the multinationals have been adopting in every commodity, making Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa to be facing unemployment and poverty, while they create wealth for themselves at our expense. This is exploitation - pure and simple. Unfortunately, the country is also playing into their hands by continuing to issue import licences, at the expense of our economy and at the cost of the health of the Nigerians who are exposed to carcinogenic products.

"In spite of the fact that we are producing and bringing out diesel into the market, complying with ECOWAS regulations and standards, licences are being issued, in large quantities, to traders who are buying the extremely high sulphur diesel from Russia and dumping it in the Nigerian Market. Since the US, EU and UK imposed a Price Cap Scheme from 5th February, 2023 on Russian Petroleum Products, a large number of vessels are waiting near Togo with Russian ultra-high sulphur diesel and, they are being purchased and dumped into the Nigerian Market.

"In fact, some of the European countries were so alarmed about the carcinogenic effect of the extra high sulphur diesel being dumped into the Nigerian Market that countries like Belgium and the Netherlands imposed a ban on such fuel being exported from its country, into West Africa, recently. It is sad that the country is giving import licences for such dirty diesel to be imported into Nigeria, when we have more than adequate petroleum refining capacity locally...” 

It would be recalled that in May, Belgium and Netherland adopted new quality standards to halt the export of cheap, low-quality fuels to West Africa, harmonising its standards with those of the European Union. These measures synchronise fuel export standards with the European domestic market, specifically targeting diesel and petrol with high sulphur and chemical content. Historically, these fuels, with sulphur content reaching up to 10,000 ppm, were exported at reduced rates to countries like Nigeria and other West African consumers.

Belgium’s Minister of Environment, Zakia Khattabi, announced that his country followed the Netherland, which in April 2023 also prohibited the export of low-quality petrol and diesel to West Africa via the ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Khattabi emphasised that the Netherlands’ decision to restrict dirty fuel exports had redirected the trade to Belgium, now used by oil producers and traders to export gasoline with excessively high levels of benzene and sulphur.

“For far too long, toxic fuels have been departing from Belgium to destinations including Africa. They cause extremely poor air quality in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon and are even carcinogenic,” said Khattabi.

In September 2017, an investigation by an international organisation, Public Eye revealed that polluted and toxic fuels were being exported on a large scale from the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam for export to African markets. As much as a quarter of the petrol and diesel available in West Africa originates from the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp. These fuels contain sulphur and other pollutants, such as cancer-causing benzene, in quantities up to 400 times the limits permitted in Europe. The Netherlands and Belgium were enjoined to enforce regulations to shield millions of Africans from exposure to toxic fuels.

The decision of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in granting licenses indiscriminately for the importation of dirty diesel and aviation fuel has made the Dangote refinery to expand into foreign markets. The refinery has recently exported diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other parts of the world. The same industry players fought us for crashing the price of diesel and aviation fuel, but our aim, as I have said earlier, is to grow our economy.

He noted that because the refinery meets the international standard as well as comply with stringent guidelines and regulations to protect the local environment, it has been able to export its products to Europe and other parts of the world.

While appealing to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently intervene for speedy implementation of the PIA and to ensure the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians are protected, he said: "Recently, the government of Ghana, through legislation has banned the importation of highly contaminated diesel and PMS into their county. It is regrettable that, in Nigeria, import licences are granted despite knowing that we have the capacity to produce nearly double the amount of products needed in Nigeria and even export the surplus. Since January 2021, ECOWAS regulations have prohibited the import of highly contaminated diesel into the region.”

Yes, you can still be healed! That sickness can still go away. Yes, there can still be solution to that problem. Though it is human and natural to want to give up on a situation after putting in everything to solve it, yet, we must also recognize that there is a supernatural power that can turn our impossibilities into possibility and our difficulties into testimonies.  As I write, there are people that have given up and are just waiting for the last whistle. They have tried everything, made every effort, spent all their resources and goodwill, prayers, etc, but the situation has just refused to change. They are just spent and tired. Even when you try to encourage them, they feel reluctant to accept that anything positive can still happen to them. Before I sat down to write this message I prayed for a lady in such condition. She has cancer in the blood. She has gone for transfusion before and she is due to go again. And I also heard the brother died of the same condition. As I prayed, her voice was very low and tired. I could immediately feel what she was going through and all the questions going through her mind. But I know a testimony is coming out of her situation because I meet so many like this daily – people waiting to die. I am waiting to celebrate with her also. God must stop this trend in that family - evil pattern. Yes, I have seen God turn the worst of situations around. With him all things are possible! Every sickness, every situation, every opposition, every confusion, every hindrance bows to the name of Jesus! You are being healed of that sickness now in the mighty name of Jesus! I said that you are receiving the solution to that perennial problem today! 

   As I was brooding over the events of the past week, the story of that desperate woman in Mark Chapter Five came to my mind. That is one of the most difficult and hopeless situations in the bible. She was very sick for twelve years. She was losing her blood (life) every second of the day. She spent all she had looking for solution, yet none came. She suffered so much and the condition grew worse. No improvement. No cure. No hope. And the worst was that even when she had a glimpse of solution, the surging crowd became an obstacle, a barrier to reach Jesus. My God! What can be worse than this? Does this sound like your situation? Look at it here, “Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, ‘If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed’. Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” Mark 5:24-29

  Some of you reading this message are like this woman today. You have been in that situation for a long time now. It looks incurable and terminal - the type that was described as being sick unto death. You helplessly watch as your life, your resources, your joy dim and slip away from your hand. The more you try is the more the problem, the frustration increases. It may not be your health directly, but things around you have become sick – your business, your relationship, your marriage, etc. You go a step forward and three steps backward. And no help, nobody cares to help again.  People, friends and relations are now tired of helping. You know that there is a limit to what people, even relations can offer at the time of trial. Look at that woman again. Did you hear anything about her friends or relations? Maybe some good ones have tried and got tired, got exhausted and then left her to her fate. They left her in her pain, stain and drain. Remember also that her condition was the type that will always attract unpleasant smell and constant demand for resources. So everybody ran away. Please, don’t get very angry when people desert you at the middle of your trial. It is just human. But let them go because God is coming to meet you. If they don’t go, if they don’t betray you, you may never know the real manifestation of God’s unfailing power and love.

   Now, what I love most about this woman is her determination and faith. Yes, the situation was very desperate and hopeless, but she totally refused to give up. She had no more relations, no neighbors and no friends to turn to, but was ready to try Jesus. And she had a crowd as a wall of obstacle but was also ready to press against it to snatch her needed solution. Wow! This is just what you need now to come out of your present situation. Pressing against the ‘wall’.  It is what you need to get your healing and breakthrough. You must be determined. You must refuse to accept defeat. Remember it is about your life. It is about your future and destiny. You must believe that this next step will sort you out. You must not give up. You must press against any physical, spiritual and psychological obstacle. Obstacles will always give way to those that refuse to give up! Don’t sit there and die. There is still a solution. Many have gone through this and survived. True. This woman pressed on even when everything was against her. She managed to touch the tip of Jesus’ cloth and the incredible happened. She was immediately, completely healed! I see you being healed today. As you touch him receive your wholeness now in Jesus’ name! God can do it again. We will continue.

In Nigeria, cholera has been on the rise since the 1970s majorly due to extreme poverty and lack of good potable drinking water. The probable reasons are the result of government negligence in embarking on initiatives that will improve the lives of an ordinary citizen. The majority of the people in Benue State, Nigeria, are rural dwellers who have little or no access to basic modern facilities; hence, the outbreak of diseases is inevitable.

Cholera was first reported in Nigeria in 1970. Since 1990, large outbreaks were reported in 1991, 1996, 1999 and from 2009 to 2011. Between 2004 and 2016, a total of 154,910 cases and 5,127 deaths were reported (CFR ≈ 3.3%). The largest outbreaks were reported in the northern states of the country. In the north, outbreaks often spread from Nigeria to neighbouring countries around Lake Chad (Niger, Chad and Cameroon) and in the south along the Gulf of Guinea.

A multi-sectoral study, linking water, sanitation, hygiene and health sectors, was carried out in the four countries of the Lake Chad basin, and especially Nigeria. This study aimed to propose an integrated WASH and Health response by first describing the epidemiology of cholera in the Chad Lake Basin and secondly by suggesting actions of prevention, preparedness and response to cholera epidemics. The Lake Chad Basin is a specific area with a climate typical of Sudan and the Sahel. The lakeside area and the lake’s tributaries as well as a marked seasonality structure the agriculture, pastoral and transhumance activities that take place here. In this essentially rural space, cross-border communication channels attract commercial activities. Population displacements occur between the several major agglomerations where dense neighbourhoods have structural difficulties with water conveyance and sanitation.

Cholera is an infection caused by the bacteria vibrio cholerae. More often than not, the bacteria is transmitted via contaminated water or food that has come into contact with contaminated water. The most common symptoms of cholera include extensive watery diarrhoea, severe vomiting, nausea, dehydration, loss of electrolytes, and muscle cramps. Severe cases may result in death, especially among children and the elderly.

The bacteria that causes cholera is usually passed out of the body of an infected person via the faeces. These bacteria may then contaminate a common source of drinking water and become widespread among populations. Poor water hygiene and sanitation are therefore important factors in the spread of the disease.

Cholera has been almost eradicated in most developed nations worldwide. It is, however, still a major health hazard in sub-Saharan Africa, south and south-east Asia, some parts of the Middle East and South America. Outbreaks of cholera may occur after natural disasters such as earthquakes or after war when there is overcrowding and lack of sanitation. Travellers are also susceptible to catching cholera, especially if they are travelling to areas where cholera is still endemic.

Good hygiene, access to clean drinking water, adequate sanitation facilities, and hand washing before eating and after using the toilet are simple measures taken that have reduced the incidence of cholera worldwide. Travellers are also advised to avoid ice creams and fruit juices offered by street vendors who display their sales goods in the open where they are exposed to flies and contaminants. In addition, travellers should not eat raw, unwashed vegetables, fruits, salads, or shellfish.

There is an oral vaccine that can help prevent cholera and is estimated to be 85% effective. Vaccination is recommended for travelling to areas where cholera is endemic, such as refuge camps and war zones.

The severe dehydration and loss of electrolytes from the body through vomiting and diarrhoea can cause death among victims of cholera. The first and foremost therapy is, therefore, replenishment of fluids and electrolytes in the form of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS), as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). An ORS sachet contains a powder made up of salts and glucose, which can be dissolved in clean drinking water. Antibiotics are also useful in reducing symptoms and treating the disease.

Although cholera can be life-threatening, it is easily prevented and treated. In the United States, because of advanced water and sanitation systems, cholera is not a major threat; however, everyone, especially travelers, should be aware of how the disease is transmitted and what can be done to prevent it. Cholera has been very rare in industrialized nations for the last 100 years; however, the disease is still common today in other parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Biosafety Management Agency has called on the general public to exercise caution over the recent cholera outbreak in some states across Nigeria, as the outbreak has now trying to become an epidemic as it is spreading across the state, just last week or thereabouts, it was recorded in Ogun state as announced by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, which occurred in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

Head, Information and Communications for NBMA, Mrs. Gloria Ogbaki, in a statement recently in Abuja, quoted the Director- General, NBMA, Dr. Agnes Asagbra, as saying there was need for carefulness, “Asagbra said Nigerians must exercise caution as Nigeria records over 30 deaths and 1,141 suspected cases from the disease.

“Cholera, a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by the ingestion of contaminated food or water, has been reported in Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos States.’’

Asagbra said NBMA, in collaboration with health authorities, was actively monitoring the situation and implementing measures to contain the spread of the disease. She also called on Nigerians to imbibe various hygiene practices such as boiling drinking water or using certified water purification methods. According to her, there is a need to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, especially before eating or preparing food.

The Director-General also urged Nigerians to always wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet, cook food thoroughly, and consume it while it was hot, advised that Nigerians to avoid raw foods, such as fruits and vegetables, unless they could be peeled or washed with safe water and to always keep the environment clean and dispose of waste properly to prevent contamination

It is now imperative to all Nigerians to be vigilant and adhere to these hygiene practices to protect themselves and their loved ones from cholera. Nigerians should also to be on red alert and report any case of cholera to the nearest hospital to aviod or avert the spread of the dearly disease.

It feels so like deja vu the gut hurts. All motion no movement. The country of great prospects pushing its people to the brink of despair. Many who can pack and leave. The poor and more vulnerable bear a disproportionate share of hunger, disease burden like Cholera and Malaria that could be avoided while self centered people of power wallow in self deceit and send attack dogs after foreign media too far away to rabies infected. Then they end up in the dung heap of history more worthless than used toilet paper.

Have I seen this before. It appears that I have. A familiar road. Pini Jason of blessed memory who found his columns from twenty years back seemed fresh and current, named his book: A familiar Road.

On this familiar road I have been called names but lived to see their Marxism or Activism disrobed and uncloaked as excuses for grabbing and misusing power for self aggrandizement often in thoughtless process that divides people, embitters many and takes away from society the cohesion enabling of the advance of the common good and significant human progress.. This familiar road began from very early as I returned from graduate school in 1982.

At the time the fire was Marxist rhetoric. I challenged that we ought to focus on creating wealth, governing well assuring opportunity for all and a social safety net for the more vulnerable. They called me names. One so thoroughly frustrated as I went toe to toe with logic against his rhetoric declared me a Bourgeoisie apologist. 

Not long after one of the rank Dr Iyorchia Ayu became Senate President in the Babangida transition. We had become friends. So he asked that I unveil him before the corporate titans. I obliged with a huge reception at my home. Just before I stepped down to welcome him and the guests I quickly glance at a journal piece I was reading titled Marxism: the apologetics of power.

Nigerians have indeed suffered tremendously in the last one year. Not strictly the hunger tugging at our bellies. That pestilence of hunger was brilliantly conveyed by the whammy soundbite, “Ebi npa wa o” as  Lagos Island people’s response to the president’s fleet of gleaming SUVs last year. As an aside, permit the pun, I think that national soundbite deserves a Grammy. Lacerating words from those who rule us even rub salt on our hunger injury. They make Christians race for their bibles to read the famous and incredulous story of King Rehoboam, Solomon’s son and successor. Some young men had helped Rehoboam design a Manifesto themed on how to effectively govern Israel. Perhaps, it was 80-paged, too? Or probably christened “Renewed Hope” as well? Whereas his father-predecessor inflicted heavy yoke on the people, counseled the young men in the Manifesto, Rehoboam’s administration should add to the yoke. So, Rehoboam’s Manifesto had the catchphrase, “whereas my father scoured you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.” In a language devoid of political sentiment, it looks like the transition from Muhammadu Buhari to where we are now has a Rehoboamic flavour.

I was not old enough to cognize what happened during the Nigerian civil war so, pardon my comparative shortcoming. Were Nigerian lives this miserable during the war? Many have, in the last one year, died of Rehoboam scorpion stings. Many are in the sanatorium. Many depressed compatriots are looking vacantly into the sky and muttering lullabies to God-knows-who. Many husbands have lost their economic manhood. The sick who could not afford spiking drug costs are now at conference table with their Creator. The president and his kitchen crew have become Eddy Iroh’s Toads of (our) War. They grow “big fat stomachs,” apologies to Fela Kuti. N21 billion just renovated the Vice president’s palace. Our First Lady got billions of Naira voted for her kitchen so that tomatoes and pepper can be plenty on the shelf.

Last Tuesday, our president cavalierly dismissed our sufferings. What the hell are we howling about? “You are not the only ones suffering!” he admonished the Ebi npa wa orchestra. Though it was from a statement issued by spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale, I imagine our president fluffing the arms of his agbada proudly and majestically like Mother Eagle. If you dissemble the president’s words properly, they are almost akin to Queen of France, Marie-Antoinette’s famous statement during the French revolution. French people were starving. “Let them eat cake,” the Queen had said, totally removed from the pangs of the people’s hunger. With hunger decking the bellies of the French, the Queen was literally asking the people the impossibility of making a gangan drum with the hide of an elephant. The president was comfortable comparing malaises and not wellness. Seyitan Atigarin of Arise television yesterday provided a perfect anecdotal explanation of the president’s infelicity. Aso Rock’s gaffe can be compared to the words of a gym instructor. To an obese person looking up to him for conquest of fat, the instructor asked the obese to look at the sea of the obese like him in the gym for inspiration. Shouldn’t he exemplify hope by citing those who had conquered their fat?

You do not need to slide the panes of your window to see tears, pain and anguish all over Nigeria. Sufferings are our ever-present guests. They sit at table with us, in company of their compatriot of tomfoolery in high and low places. But, don’t our elders say if the deity, the Orisa, cannot remedy a situation, it should not worsen it? When system henchmen ask why we make these issues daily refrain, we tell them that our case is synonymous with that of a poor man whose fowl was stolen by a rich man (èdá t’ó gb’ádìye òtòsì) and who, by that very fact, has courted to himself, not only the ire of the poor but a global amplification of the poor man’s fate (ó gbelé t’aláròyé). The whole world must hear of the inequity.

An example is the rude and unnecessary debate on whether our president should purchase a jet to add to his harem, pardon me, fleet of ten jets. This is coming at a time when “ebi ńpa wá” has become a national ringtone and Nigerians can’t see tomatoes and pepper on their dining table. We can however see a presidential “bùgá” and “bragging right”. Then, presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, came up with a widely-adjudged common error of reasoning. In a reaction to criticisms against the purchase of presidential jet by this government, Onanuga demanded if critics wanted the president to die in flight like Malawian Vice President, Saulos Chilima and Ebrahim Risi, president of Iran. Let us not dwell on the flavor of indecorum and gloating at the dead noticeable in the statement. Known as “emotive bullying” or “emotional gangsterism,” that presidential statement was an argumentative reasoning that sought to appeal to consequence. In Symbolic Logic, Onanuga’s argument is identified by a Latin word called argumentum ad consequentiam. In such argument to consequence, the one arguing creates an atmosphere of pity. They base the truth or falsity of their argument on whether the premise leads to pleasant or unpleasant consequences, waylaying their opponent by appealing to the consequences of the action of accepting or rejecting their line of argument.

Nigeria’s case is like that of the proverbial rolling stone that gathers no moss, something I have elsewhere referred to as a multidimensional malaise. This was what late Babatunde Olatunji couched to arrive at the title of his 1978 Yoruba novel, Egbìrìn Òtè. Are you following the tomfoolery going on in Rivers and Kano States? In both, you can see the hands of the Leviathan. It is obvious that year 2027 is high on the calculations of decisions being taken on the two states. If human casualties litter the streets of Port-Harcourt and Kano, so be it. A president who desires peace in Rivers knows what to do. A major irreverent piece in a faggot, which the Yoruba call “Igi wórókó,” which is upturning the peace of the earthen space, (ààrò) is right inside the president’s trousers (sòkòtò) in  Abuja. So, why pretending to be going to Sokoto to find it? If Nigeria’s No 1 Citizen desires peace in Rivers and Kano this moment, it will happen in a twinkle of an eye. All he needs do is agree that 2027 belongs to God and not to any human, no matter their buga. In Rivers, he only needs to pour cold water on this Rivers hot faggot that took residency with him right there in  Abuja and remove it from the fire. Kano has a Siamese portent with Kaduna. The president only needs to allow that impish irritant he is afraid would snatch the race baton from him in 2027, who he is hounding in Kaduna through a remote control, stew in his own broth. The belief that the Kano emirate, friendly to the imp, will help him in 2027 may not necessarily follow.

One of the multidimensional malaises happened in Zamfara state last week. Governor Dauda Lawal flagged off the construction of an airport. This is in a state where the number of out-of-school children rivals a migrating colony of bats. N62 billion of state funds was the sacrificial lamb, oil and cowries propitiated to this god of elite appetite. On the list of the malaises of last week, too, was the appointment of 85-year old Chief Bisi Akande as Chairman, Governing Council of our own UI. Akande, we are told, does not even have a university degree. Don’t our elders say gold should be given only to he who knows its worth? Four persons on the Council membership list are said to be immediate family members/political fawners who hail from Akande’s homestead in Ila-Orangun.

I am sorry for digressing this considerably. Today is clearly no day for all those malaises, the peculiar messes in high and low places. It is certainly not an epistle on the sting or bite of Tanpépé, agbón and oyin which we have stoically endured in the last one year. As I write this, I am listening to Odolaye Aremu’s elegy to S. L. Akintola and Adegoke Adelabu. Both had died in the First Republic. While Akintola was killed in the military coup of January, 1966, Adelabu died in a fatal automobile accident on March 25, 1958. He was aged 43. The unfortunate death happened in a place called Mile 51 on Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, near Shagamu, today’s Ogun State. In the company of a Syrian businessman, Adelabu’s car had hit an oncoming vehicle.

“Soldiers are killing people (àwon sójà ńpàà’yàn); the number of the dead is innumerable (èmí t’ó bó ò l’óñka),” the arguably one of the greatest musicians to have come from Ilorin, Kwara State, sings. It was a musical reminiscence on the aftermath of Adelabu’s car accident. This petrel of Ibadan politics’ supporters had claimed his death was spiritual assassination, leading to a deadly protest. Over 500 people were arrested by the police and 102 others charged to court. Odolaye’s most profound quip in that track and my takeaway in the midst of this Nigerian peculiar mess is, a tear-provoking happening that stupefies deserves to be confronted with laughter. It is same I canvass today. Odolaye sang it as “Òrò t’ó bá j’ekún lo, èrín làá fií rín”.

Each time I try to make sense of the various existential challenges Nigeria battles, I have, countless times, had recourse to Can Themba. Born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, South Africa, Themba was one of the most poignant South African writers whose works were done in Sophiatown, Johannesburg. An investigative journalist as well, Themba worked with the defunct Drum magazine. His famous award-winning short story entitled The Suit supplies answers to my worry on Nigeria’s uncountable malaises. It tames my wandering wonder. The story is about Philemon, a middle-class lawyer. He had an adulterous wife called Matilda and both of them lived in Sophiatown. Devoted as Philemon was to Matilda, the latter was always fond of turning his home into a tryst immediately he leaves for his office. On this particular day, Philemon was told of the escapade of his wife again. Rather than his wont of leaving for home late in the evening, Philemon went home midday. As the lawyers say, he caught his wife in flagrante with the lover. In the melee that ensued, the lover scampered out of the window but forgot his suit.

To effectively deal with Matilda, Philemon then concocted a strange and bizarre punishment for her. This was a routine he spelt out where Matilda had to behave to the suit which he hung on the shelf as a honored guest. This involved treating it with utmost respect, feeding it, providing ample entertainment for the suit and taking a walk with it, while discussing with it as an animate object. In conceptualizing the punishment, Philemon reckoned that this treatment would serve as a bitter and constant reminder to Matilda about her adultery. Remorseful, psychologically beaten and humiliated, Matilda eventually died of shame of her adulterous escapades. The treatment our Aso Rock tormentors and their predecessors inflict upon us is similar to Philemon’s. Were we at any time adulterous as a people? Is this their way of dealing with us?

Ojude Oba, Durbar and Musawa’s African Grammy

Last Tuesday’s cultural display of the Ijebu people of Ogun State in their yearly Ojude Oba festival caught the eyes of the world. Translated as Festival of the King’s Courtyard, it has over the years been one of the most glamorous cultural and spiritual festivals held in Nigeria for over a century now. Many people have queried the rich sartorial depth and affluence of the Ijebu in the midst of Nigeria’s national ferment. Among Yoruba festivals, the glitz and colours associated with this festival place it outside the ranks of any cultural festival in Nigeria. Usually held to coincide with the Islamic Eid-l-adha ceremony, the festival holds on its third day.

Oral historical accounts put the emergence of the festival to Chief Kuku Oduyingbo, who later became Balogun of Ijebu, and or Imam Tunwatoba. Either or both, having recently converted to Islam, gathered friends, families, and well-wishers in homage to then Awujale, Oba Fidipote, who reigned around 1885. It was to appreciate him for the opportunity he gave them to practice Islam without hindrance. Ever since, thanks to Dr. Mike Adenuga’s Globacom which heavily funds the festival, Ojude Oba has transformed from being a Sallah homage into a cultural melting point for the Ijebu.

The Ojude Oba goes beyond the glamour of the participants’ dressing, or the equestrian display. Today, it speaks directly to the cultural, religious, social, and military significance of its yearly celebration. It is attended by over a million people. Apart from the visual niceties it brings, it also speaks to the importance of group association as the bedrock of development. You can see this in the gathering and parade of age grade societies called Regberegbe. Established in the 18th century, the age grade societies are known collectively as Wompari. The aim is to bring about amity among groups and ultimately, development into Ijebu land. Wompari is further broken into Egbe Gbobaniyi comprising male and female (1962-1964); Egbe Bobagunte male and female (1956-1958); Akile of Ijebu (1959-1961); Mafowoku, Egbe Arobayo male and female; Egbe Jagunmolu (1965-1967), Egbe Bobakeye, and Egbe Bobagbimo. Most of the Wompari are top industry barons, successful captains of industry and A-List professionals.

What Nigeria advertises to the world in Ojude Oba is cultural elegance and communal cohesion. It does same in the Argungu Fishing festival where showpieces are made of the hugest fish catches. Also in the mode of the Ojude Oba is the Durbar festival, an ancient traditional annual Hausa cultural, religious and equestrian festival which began in the 14^th century. Native to northern Nigerian original ancient emirates of Kano, Katsina, Gombe and Akko, it is also celebrated in Sokoto, Zazzau, Bauchi and Bida. It rekindles Hausa’s ancient horsemen preoccupation in the Sahara and Sahel. Like the Ojude Oba, it is also a homage to the Emir and signposted by a colourfully mounted parade of the king’s retinue of horsemen. Musicians and artillerymen also add vibes to the festival.

Over the years, Nigerian creatives have also begun a renaissance to jumpstart the country’s creativity, especially in music. From African traditional music of Dan Maraya in Jos, Ogene songs of Oliver Decoque and Igbo highlife, a contemporary musical genre that combines highlife and Igbo traditional music, lifted into stardom by Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, to the Yoruba Sakara, Juju and Apala music, Nigeria has evolved into gaining recognition on the global stage. Today, our boys advertise their craft on global audience stage and harvest audiences in the realm of millions. Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Rema, Asake, and many others are doing Nigeria proud in that regard. Blends of Afro beats and hip-hop parade artists like Plantashun Boiz, Def ‘O’ Clan, Remedies, Trybesmen with world class producers like OJB Jezreel. While they ply their trade at the global stage, these music wizards have also pushed our entertainment industry into becoming a major contributor to the Nigerian economy. Indeed, Nigeria’s entertainment industry is ranked “second-best entertainment and media consumer market” globally with the American music industry being the clear leader.

So, it becomes bothersome when news streaked in that the Nigerian government, represented by Hannatu Musawa, the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, is entering into partnership with the American Grammy Awards to establish an African version of the Grammy Award. In a Global Music Industry Growth by Region rating, while Latin America had 21.5%, Asia 12.8%, Europe 6.2%, US/CAN 4.2%, MENA 19.8%, Sub-Saharan Africa had a whopping 28.8%. So why subordinate the master to his apprentice? The question to ask is, will this Africanization of the Grammy bring any good the way of Nigeria or her music industry? The answer is no. The idea is at best imperialist. There can be no two Grammy Awards. The original, which America monopolizes, has a high, if not total dosage of American music flavor. It prides itself as “the music industry’s highest honour” whereas our globally acclaimed musicians from Africa seldom crack its nut. It is why Nigerian superstars hardly win the Grammy. To have dross of Grammy in Africa as Musawa is contemplating is to accept the superiority and then inferiorize our own globally-sought music stars.

As a music enthusiast, I am convinced that what the Minister should be doing by now is to partner existing continental music award platforms which will strengthen and not overshadow them. African music awards institutions like South African Music Awards, (SAMA) Trace Awards, Headies, Ghana Music Awards (GMA), Soundcity MVP Awards, AFRIMA and such like will promote the continent’s music rather than this neo-colonial idea being toyed with by Musawa. She should also devise ways of revving the strides made by Ojude Oba, Durbar, Argungu and allied festivals into making those crafts recognized by the whole world. I hope the minister is listening?

NIGERIA’S senior national team, the Super Eagles’ last two games against South Africa and Benin Republic left much to be desired; the one against the minnows Benin Republic especially left a sour taste in the mouth. Everyone knows that sports remain the only adhesive that glues this country together, football especially. It is, in fact, the only occasion when Nigerians’ sense of patriotism and nationalism overrides every other primordial sentiment of creed or religion, state of origin or region, and tribe or race. Assailed on all fronts by debilitating odds, sport offers the only opportunity for the vast majority of our long-suffering people to know joy and have some respite. It is one occasion when they glow. So, you can imagine their grief when our national team not only disappoints but also does so miserably. Hence, the call for heads to roll. Quite understandable, then, when the head of the Super Eagles’Head Coach, Finidi George, was demanded on a platter, like that of the biblical John the Baptist! I became suspicious, however, when I read somewhere that the NFF conducted no interview for Finidi before handing him the job. If that is true, then, we must ask on what basis did they decide that Finidi was fit or was the best candidate for the job, since there were other competitors? Mere sentiments moved them? Extraneous factors other than competence and suitability for the job decided for them? Then, they are as guilty as Finidi himself – perhaps, even more so. So, the NFF itself deserves the boot! Sack them!

I know they will try to hide under the FIFA umbrella but we must find a way to rid ourselves of unpatriotic and self-serving football administrators feeding fat on national resources only to end up causing us pain and anguish, as you will soon see. We cannot allow such elements to continue to trample on the emotions and sensibilities of Nigerians, smiling their way to the bank while Nigerians groan and moan. The passion for football is such in this country that only God knows how many of our citizens lose life and limbs each time our football team disappoints. The last African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire is a case in point. To evade FIFA sanction, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should borrow a leaf from how former President Olusegun Obasanjo offloaded many Senate presidents and PDP chairmen one after the other! This is a low-hanging fruit that Tinubu should take advantage of and football-loving Nigerians will, at least momentarily, forget their sorrows and hail him!

Now, if you think the NFF is not as guilty as I have charged them here, read the following investigative report by Adewale Ajayi, reporting for Score Nigeria Editor, titled“Osimhen versus Finidi: The whole truth”

It reads:“Many out there saw the Finidi vs Osimhen saga as just another player vs coach disagreement that will fade away with time. To some, this is the perfect occasion for the NFF to stamp their feet on indiscipline among national team players by coming down hard on Victor Osimhen. This writer knows Victor Osimhen very well. I worked with him for close to two years as media officer of the U20 national team of Nigeria and I don’t really need anyone to tell me about his temperament. We ate together, travelled together and spent the nights gisting after dinner… he is a warrior, fighter and, above all, he is the most patriotic footballer I have ever seen or known. His passion for the green-white-green jersey is second to none. His hunger for success is unbelievable and he has got a big heart.

“I remember the U20 qualifier against Burundi in Bujumbura and the victory against Sudan in Omdurman. On both occasions, Osimhen rose to the occasion, even though he was nursing a knee injury and had to play in pain. That tells you how passionate this young man is when dressed in green-white-green. So, you will understand why he felt betrayed by comments allegedly made by coach Finidi George describing him as unpatriotic. Such comments will hurt any true patriot, especially when you remember the sacrifices (you have made). Let’s not forget, too, that he claimed he called to inform the coach of his injury after visiting his doctor in Wolfsburg and also pleaded with the coach that he would like to be in camp to offer moral support to the boys at the detriment of his own comfort, which coach Finidi reportedly turned down.

“Nevertheless, there is always the need to apply caution and maintain a calm, cool and coordinated approach at all times, especially when you find yourself in that position where many now see you as their role model, mentor or icon. As the current African footballer of the year, Osimhen ticks these boxes perfectly and has even grown to be classified as an idol to so many young footballers on the continent.

“In an attempt to unravel all the miseries surrounding the accusation purportedly made by Finidi that Osimhen and a few others pick the games that suit them and that majority of these players are not patriotic, this writer took time to dig deep to find out what transpired at the meeting that was held inside the conference room of the honourable Minister of Youth and Sports…

“The Meeting That Matters: The NFF delegation to the meeting, held at the office of the Honourable Sports Minister, was led by the NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau. Also, on the entourage were the NFF 1st Vice president, Anyansi Agwu; General Secretary, Sanusi Mohammed; team secretary and director of competitions, Dayo Enebi with the NFF technical director, Augustine Eguaveon, completing the list. The Sports minister, Senator John Enoh, had invited the NFF and Finidi to explain Nigeria’s dismal performance in those two World Cup qualifying games against South Africa and Benin Republic and point the way forward.

“At some point during the deliberations, Finidi was asked to speak and he poured out his mind, without holding back. According to my source, Finidi heaped the blame on his players. He was furious with the way the players responded to national call-ups, which some of us had complained about in the buildup to these matches. My source said Finidi then went on to assure the minister and his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation, that he has absolute confidence that the Super Eagles can still qualify for the World Cup if all hands are on deck. He said that he was surprised that a few players in the team have godfathers in the NFF. According to him, if he tried to stamp his feet on certain behavior in the team, some persons will remind him that the players in question belong to either a board member or a top official of the NFF.

“It was at this point that the NFF technical director, Augustine Eguaveon, cut in and told Finidi that, to succeed as head coach, he needed to stamp his authority, be decisive and be brutal, if need be. Eguaveon gave an example of how he banished Yakubu Aiyegbeni to the bench because the former Portsmouth striker who, at the time, was doing so well in the Premier League, thought he deserved an automatic jersey whenever he came to camp.

“Finidi then responded by saying he was going to change his approach henceforth. He said he would no longer tolerate these unpatriotic players in the national team. This was when he now said a player like Osimhen could have taken the risk and come to play for Nigeria if he really wanted to… At that meeting, the NFF didn’t tell Finidi in the presence of the Sports Minister that they had plans to engage a foreign technical adviser. However, he might have offended the “gods” by revealing during that meeting with the minister that some top guns in the federation are godfathers to players in the Super Eagles and that explains why they are seen as untouchables. Little wonder, a decision was taken behind him to employ a foreign technical adviser and demote the former Enyimba head coach to assistant coach. Immediately Finidi got wind of this plan, he quickly tendered his letter of resignation…

“How did Osimhen get to know about what Finidi said or did not say? It will also interest you all to know that there are top officials of Nigeria football that are on the payroll of Nigeria footballers. I know of a footballer that once gave an administrator in the previous Board a wrist watch worth over €40,000. I am also aware that every Super Eagles team list comes with a price. Before a Super Eagles team list is released, there are lots of interests at stake and most players, except the established names like Osimhen, Lookman, Nwabali and a few others, come to the Super Eagles camp armed with gifts for their godfathers. That is why these godfathers will do anything to please the players in return. There are also those secretariat staff that have their ears to the ground and push out information daily to curry favour. So, it baffles me why anyone would be surprised that Osimhen got inside information of what transpired at the meeting. He is too connected and too rich to be left in the dark.

“Now that it is established based on available facts that Finidi alleged that Osimhen and a few others are not 100% patriotic to the national cause, it is on that basis we will judge the Instagram live video posted by Osimhen… Osimhen has no reason to go live the way he did and his choice of words on the day are not acceptable. Victor Osimhen is a superstar of repute. The current African Footballer of the Year, a Nigerian player that is now idolized in Naples… the best footballer after Diego Amando Maradona to have played for the club.

“Putting all these into consideration, Victor Osimhen should know the weight of whatever comments he makes. He must learn to talk at all times to impress his fans and promote his brand, no matter his frustrations, obsessions or irritations. Secondly, for his personality, class and position, he shouldn’t be the one speaking always (but) should delegate these responsibilities, especially reactions to sensitive issues like this one, to his manager, agents or trusted friends. Your choice of words also matters… Attacking your coach the way you did and generalizing the attack to include Nigeria and Nigerians is demeaning, to say the least.. Go out there and apology to coach Finidi and everyone affected by your comments… for the sake of posterity”

I subscribe to this write-up hook-line-and-sinker! Tell Osimhen to watch it! He is yet to achieve a cent of Finidi’s contributions to our football. Where are yesterday’s super-brats of Nigerian football? In the end character trumps talent!

If we could end the Nigerian Civil War in 30 months at a time when our military and their armaments were less sophisticated, how come we are unable to defeat Boko Haram and its allied agents of terror in 15 years? That was the fat question posed by one of the advocates of non-kinetic interventions in the anti-terror drive, Prof. Usman Yusuf, who once served as the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

In battling the present state of insecurity, every voice counts because valuable clues that will help defeat the problem may come from unexpected quarters.

Yusuf is one of the members of the Northern Elders Forum, a body that believes in the carrot-and-stick strategy in defeating banditry and terror. For quite a while, the group has been campaigning for Sheik Ahmad Gumi to be given government backing to negotiate with the bandits with the hope that such a move will solve the problem case by case.

Plea To Negotiate

Last March, NEF appealed to President Tinubu to commission Sheik Gumi to undertake negotiations with bandits for the release of 200 internally displaced women in Borno State and 287 pupils in Kaduna. He pleaded with the president not to make the same mistake made by his predecessor, former President Buhari, who refused to negotiate with criminals, even though he was aware that some governors were paying ransom to secure the release of their people.

NEF’s Spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said Gumi should be supported to bring about a peaceful resolution:

He said, “While some may question the legitimacy of negotiating with criminals, it is important to consider the potential benefits of engaging in dialogue. In conflict resolution, dialogue is often seen as crucial to finding peaceful solutions. By engaging with the bandits, Gumi may be able to understand their grievances and motivations, which could potentially lead to the safe release of the abducted children. Additionally, opening lines of communication with the bandits could pave the way for addressing underlying issues such as poverty, lack of education, and marginalisation that contribute to the cycle of violence.

“By initiating talks, Gumi may be able to secure the release of the schoolchildren and potentially prevent future abductions. While dialogue with bandits may seem controversial, it can be a necessary step in resolving conflicts and ensuring the safety of hostages…”

The federal government has pointedly rejected the suggestion, saying it won’t pay a kobo for the release of abducted persons. The government’s decision seems to be informed by the plethora of literature and other research findings available on social media showing that banditry has become an industry. When terrorists are begged to accept money in exchange for their victims, the state is admitting that it has lost its claim to being a state and is no longer enjoying a monopoly of violence within its geographical space.
No sensible government will share the money it should be using in procuring arms and ammunition with terrorists who, in several cases, are already outgunning security agencies. With more ransom money, bandits are able to acquire more sophisticated arms and enforce the institutionalisation of their criminal enterprise.

Banditry Now An Industry

Anyone who has been paying attention to the subject will know that banditry has become an industry in Nigeria. Contrary to the claim that it is a northern phenomenon, it is now a pan-Nigerian thing. Marksmen with Sahelian physical features have taken over many forests in the southern states, killing at random and making hefty sums as ransom payment. Where they’re not decimating the population of farmers, they turn the interstate highways to their hunting ground where, at times, they abduct the entire passengers of interstate buses.

Although many of the so-called bandits opened shop as aggrieved herdsmen whose cattle had been rustled by gunmen who crossed into Nigeria from Chad and Niger, there is a conspiracy of silence between the thieves and a section of the elite. Listening to some of their defenders, you would think the poor farmer in Kaduna, Okigwe, Auchi, Maiduguri, Yola, Jos, Gusau, Oyo or Ilesha should be blamed for prospering while his cattle herding compatriot is allegedly suffering. What, I ask, is the link between the rustling of cattle in the far north and the terrorisation of agrarian communities in other parts of the country under the pretence of ‘farmers-herders clashes’. Now that it is clear to everyone that in some parts of the country, there are only bandits and terrorists determined to seize the ancestral lands of farmers, should we still be living the lie that non-kinetic solutions will do the trick?

The recent declaration by the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Dalijan Shehu, that banditry is now an industry in the state, plainly showed the extent of the problem. According to him, the class of people involved in banditry has compounded the situation. He disclosed that a former local government chairman has been arrested for involvement in banditry. In the same vein, a district head has been implicated in the supply of drugs to the criminals while a member of the State House of Assembly was implicated in banditry.

The police do not have the number of men and requisite firepower to confront the enemies of the people. Indeed, in some cases, the local vigilantes and traditional hunters have been known to rescue police operatives captured or trapped by bandits.

As a matter of urgency, the suggestions made by commentators in the public space over the last 12 months should be considered by the federal government. The ‘To Do’ list of deliverables within the next one year should include the following:

Establishment of State Police

Immediate prosecution and punishment of all the sponsors, informants, bagmen and other collaborators of bandits no matter how highly placed.

Enhanced intel-based military intervention simultaneously carried out in contiguous terror-endemic areas.
Coordinated use of drones to take out identified kingpins of banditry.

Retooling of relevant squadrons of the police involved in the anti-banditry war with superior arms more advanced than the terrorists’ weapons.

The franchising out of identified notorious bandits/terrorists’ zones to mercenaries (never say never)!
Banning open grazing nationally so that bandits and Boko Haram may no longer pose as herdsmen or continue to decimate the population of farmers under false pretences. Already, I have written about many ranching initiatives such as the ones established in Kano by former Governor Ganduje which all state governments interested in ranching can emulate.

Ranching Legislation

I notice that the National Assembly has been working on the anti-grazing bill with gusto. It shouldn’t be a divisive issue. In fact, without much ado, the lawmakers should carefully consider the judicial work that has already been done on the subject instead of pretending that the herder-farmer problem is a new development. We should remind them that the matter has since been settled in law by Hon.Justice Adewale Thompson in Suit no AB/26/66 at the Abeokuta Division of the High Court on 17 April,1969 as follows:

“I do not accept the contention of Defendants that a custom exists which imposes an obligation on the owner of a farm to fence his farm whilst the owner of cattle allows his cattle to wander like pests and cause damage. Such a custom if it exists, is unreasonable and I hold that it is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience and therefore unenforceable… in that it is highly unreasonable to impose the burden of fencing a farm on the farmer without the corresponding obligation on the cattle owner to fence in his cattle. “Sequence to that I ban open grazing for it is inimical to peace and tranquillity and the cattle owners must fence or ranch their animals for peace to reign in these communities.”