Some years ago, while Nigeria had abundant money from oil revenue, the prosperity gospel and motivational speaking also reigned. The prosperity gospel is a theology that promises divine blessings of material wealth and good health to the one who sows seeds of financial contribution to the church, a sacrifice that must be worthwhile enough to move divine transcendent power on one’s behalf. Motivational speaking was a similar message, except that the transformation it promised was connected to more secular tactics.

In that era, charismatic preachers made good. Their lavish lifestyle made their message self-affirming. A lot has since changed. The validity of the prosperity gospel has been contested in various ways; prosperity preachers and motivational speakers are now treated with the same derision. We have seen instances of people demanding a return of their seeds from pastors when they did not get the expected miracle and in one instance, someone even reported their pastor to the law enforcement agents. Even before Daddy Freeze (Ifedayo Olarinde) began to publicly spar with renowned pastors on the issues of tithe as a route to prosperity, the public had begun to raise questions. Even worse, social media platforms commissioned an army of sceptics who have become the nemesis of the media-savvy pastors.

Like the oil boom of the 1970s when Nigeria could afford to spend lavishly without concomitant productivity, the boom cycles (up till 2014) that coincided with the reign of prosperity gospel lacked similar structural strength. There was still no remarkable productivity at the base of the money flowing, and becoming rich was mostly a matter of scoring the right odds. Someone once said Nigeria is a place where you can sleep poor and wake up rich, and that is very true, especially if you get in bed with the right person.

While we are mostly wiser for the message of supernatural prosperity, our society has not ceased looking for magical wealth. There was a time when the fad was the so-called “money rituals.” We were told some people—from babalawos to pastors to alfas, many of them living in dingy houses and barely getting by themselves—were privileged possessors of the occult alchemy that would make instant wealth. Similar to prosperity pastors who ask you to sacrifice your life savings to move the heavens to open on your behalf, these ones too asked for money before they could make such a charm for you. Even more, they also requested human sacrifices too.

Then there is cybercrime, also called Yahoo Yahoo. Not only did young people acquire the set of technological skills that would enable them defraud unsuspecting victims in a transnational ecosystem where people from different countries of the world are now joined by electrical wires, but they also purported to enhance their skills through supernatural means. The upgraded version, called Yahoo Plus, gave birth to youths at the most productive stages of their lives chasing the illusion of super-logical wealth with the same dedication their parents put into the prosperity gospel. The craze got to a point that parents even actively connived with their Yahoo children.

Some of those whose religious and moral values did not allow them to go into Yahoo Yahoo or money rituals bought into Ponzi schemes when those too reigned in the social space. Again, similar to prosperity gospellers and motivational speakers, a generation of smooth talkers also arose to promise people an impossible return on investment if they invested in some dubious agro-industrial or real estate projects. The reasonable ones among those investors promised returns of 20 to 30 per cent, a rather high margin under even the best circumstances. To outbid this set in the market of illogicality, other Ponzi schemers went as far as promising a 200 per cent ROI! People invested with the same faith with which they put money in prosperity preachers’ pockets.

Even though the Ponzi market has largely receded when too many unfortunate investors finally got wiser, the kalokalo economy has continued. People continue their quest for magical wealth through betting schemes. One can argue that betting, unlike Ponzi schemes, at least does not deceive anyone into believing the activity is supported by some legitimate investment. Betting is transparent enough—putting in money is hedging an uncertain future on the chances of instant transformation if the odds favoured one. Still, it is not unlike the gospel that asks you to sow your seeds and expect a miracle of multiplication that will transform your ordinary life overnight. Stories are replete of young men staking money they made from daily hustles like their school fees, Okada riding, and even stolen money into the game of betting.

Then came the era of crypto. On the surface, it was a new thing. In reality, it was a replay of the era of “Forex,” another hazy investment enterprise that cleaned out millions of people who thought it was their route to prosperity. Like Ponzi schemes, most of those who invest in crypto (or even Forex) barely understood its mechanisms but they traded in faith all the same. It is the latest fad, the bandwagon on which millions of youths currently hitch their hope of social mobility and economic maturation. As it is, Nigeria has the second-highest adoption of crypto in the world after India, another country with the same unenviable mix of poverty, a mass of youths, and a demographic of wild dreams that will probably not be realised in this lifetime. One can hardly blame them. With few opportunities and fewer prospects of economic empowerment, people will follow any merchant of dreams that wheels their wares into the marketplace.

So popular is crypto in Nigeria that even the Afrobeat singer Davido (David Adeleke) floated one, $DAVIDO. You might wonder what a singer knows about the crypto economy, but that is how the magical economy works. Anyone can claim expertise over any domain as long as they can razzle dazzle with celebrity power. Remember, at the height of the prosperity gospel, pastors too invested heavily in appearance—flashy cars, clothes, jewellery, and private jets. Every Yahoo boy rushes to buy the finest commodity to accessorise and mimic the respectability of a made man.

 All these routes to magical prosperity are concurrent in Nigeria, just at varying levels. On the surface, these means look different but internally they are connected. Not only do they promise wealth without commensurate productivity, but they also promise social transformation outside the purview of politics and the government for salvation. By government, I mean the domains of national politics where the policies that can actually change our lives come from. The wealth that will supposedly transform is either going to come from a transcendental being (God, spirits, and similar forces) or outside the nation space (which is also why there also is a lot of japa), especially the magical spaces where technology connects us to some other humans (that we do not see/know) or some other foreign sources whose operations cannot be readily explained but is believed to hold the key to instant transformation.

By looking away from the government for life enhancement, it also seems that many of us have given up on the faith that Nigeria’s politics—as currently constituted—is capable of ever coming up with a political arrangement that will end our poverty. Maybe that cynicism also explains why our political actions are self-sabotaging. We abjure every good sense to vote for the very people who have paralysed us with their moral corruption and will keep doing so. Our lack of conviction in the rationality of our politics to transform keeps us looking for illogical means as a source of salvation. The faith that magical alternatives—instead of politics—are what will save us, is a big reason we have given up on the government.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said 23 local government councils in the state will operate from alternative secretariats following Tuesday’s sealing of the councils by the police.

The governor, who said this after swearing in the 23 local government caretaker committee chairmen on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said they could operate from anywhere.

Fubara stated this as the police barred the newly inaugurated caretaker chairmen from from accessing their offices in all the 23 LG headquarters. The secretariats were barricaded with police patrol vans manned by armed policemen.

The state police command had on Tuesday announced that it had taken over all the LG council headquarters to forestall further bloodshed and to prevent a breakdown of law and order.”

A policeman and a member of a local security outfit were killed during a clash between supporters of the governor and his predecessor, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike at Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

Fubara and his predecessor have been embroiled in a bitter disagreement since late last year.

The crisis led to the bombing of the state House of Assembly last year, factionalised the House while the governor survived an impeachment by Martin Amaewhule led 27 lawmakers of the House loyal to the FCT minister.

The crisis worsened on Tuesday when youths loyal to the governor dislodged some chairmen loyal to Wike after the expiration of their tenure.

The three-year tenure of the 23 chairmen expired on Monday but they had vowed to remain in office, citing the Local Government Amendment Law 2024 made by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.

The law by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Wike, empowers them to remain in office for six months due to the failure of Fubara to conduct local government elections.

Caretaker chairmen

The governor after swearing in the newly appointed caretaker committee chairmen in the Government House on Wednesday, charged them to eschew violence, maintain the peace, and be guided by the Constitution.

 Fubara also directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to commence an immediate audit of the accounts of the 23 councils, adding the new appointees could operate from anywhere

He said that the swearing-in of the chairmen would ensure seamless administration of local governments following the expiration of the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors in the state.

He warned them against any form of confrontation, insisting that such was not in his nature and style but advised them to be law-abiding as they take full control of the local government councils.

He said, “Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday), I know and the world knows that it is not from you people. Some people caused it. So, let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad in the comity of states.

“So, when you go back, if there is any situation, you should be law-abiding. I don’t want any confrontation. You can operate from anywhere for now. But the most important thing is that you have the control of the local governments today.”

Fubara defends appointments

Defending the appointment of the caretaker chairmen, he stated,  “What is happening here now is a defence of democracy. We will not allow the wrong precedent to be created in this country.

“It is not about Rivers State. It is not about Fubara. But if in any way this attempt at tenure elongation succeeds in Rivers State, it becomes a norm in Nigeria.

“So, we have taken it upon ourselves to say, not on our watch will it happen because it is completely alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” 

 Fubara wondered why the tenure of elected officers would expire, and they would want to perpetuate themselves in office against their oath of office and the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.

The governor said such insistence to elongate the tenure of council chairmen would not happen in the state.

He pointed to the importance of knowing how the finances of the 23 Local Government Councils were managed in the last three years and directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to begin auditing the accounts and make the report available within the next month.

He urged the new chairmen to ensure payment of the outstanding financial benefits and entitlements, including salaries of the immediate past chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors.

He added, “I am not of the class to say that because something happened, you should maltreat them. No. Whatever is their entitlements, ensure that they get them.”

Fubara instructed the caretaker chairmen to work hard to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order in their various council areas.

He added, “Please, I want to appeal to you that when you go back, I don’t want a crisis. Just manage the situation as much as you can. God does not start and end halfway. That is the truth. Since God has started with us, He will complete His work in our lives.

“I don’t want any fight. I don’t want any life to be lost because it does not earn me anything. We know that we can overcome, and we have been overcoming.”

Reiterating that the  caretaker chairmen would soon leave office, he said, “Let me also sound very clear here that your tenures are not going to be too long because as  a matter of fact before the end of today or tomorrow, there should be a process for the commencement of elective local government chairmen in our  dear state.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led State House of Assembly loyal to the governor had during plenary screened and confirmed the nominees,

 The list of seven-member nominees per local government council was forwarded to the Assembly under Section 9 (5) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, for screening and confirmation.

Secretariats shut

One of our correspondents who went round the state reported that the LG secretariats of Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ogu/Bolo and Ikwerre and other council headquarters across the state were under lock and key with police patrol vans stationed and fierce-looking operatives.

The caretaker  Chairman of the Ikwerre LGA, Dr Darlington Orji, said he was not able to access the council following the barricade mounted by the police. He, however, said he had assumed duties and could control the council affairs from anywhere.

Orji stated, “The police have taken over the place. When the police have taken over the place, what do you expect me to do?”

When asked if had started work, he responded in the affirmative.

Also, the caretaker  Chairman of the Ogu/Bolo LGA, Evans Bipi, who could not access the secretariat,  inaugurated other committee members outside the council secretariat and charged them to serve with diligence and honesty.

He said although the council was shut, he had assumed duties.

One of our correspondents observed on Wednesday that the Federal High Court along Azikiwe Road and the State Judiciary complex housing the State High Court were locked, although no reason was been given, but it might be due  the tension in the state.

Speaking to the correspondent on the development, the state Commissioner for Police, Olatunji Disu, said the LG council headquarters would remain shut for the time being due to the clash between the feuding parties.

Disu stated, “It is because two groups are fighting over something. Two groups are fighting over it. The other group is waiting to tackle them. We have to prevent them from clashing and killing one another like they did yesterday (Tuesday) and killed a policeman and one other person.

“So we have to prevent them from going in. We have locked up the local government secretariats. If we allow them (caretaker chairmen) to go in, other people will come out and clash. Then people will ask what are we doing as police officers?

“We are here to prevent a breakdown of law and to protect lives and property. So we know definitely if there is a clash, anything can happen. So we are doing our jobs of protection of lives and property.”

On why local government workers were not allowed into their offices, he said, “For the time being nobody should come in. If we allow local government workers to come in, others will sneak in. So it will still boil down to the same thing. How do we sit and those who are not workers sneak in?

“So it is better we lock up the place and ensure that there is peace. And that is exactly what we are doing.”

State of emergency

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in the state has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state, saying the governor and the police are helpless over what it termed ‘war in the state.’

The state APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, while briefing newsmen at the party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said, “I have been informed that the federal and state high courts cannot sit because of palpable fear. Young men are brandishing all manner of guns, so we are in trouble in the state. We are in a state of war.

“It is because the governor is un-teachable and he does not listen to counsel, even the counsel of the President. The APC in Rivers State is asking and demanding a state of emergency. That is the way it is so that you and I will live in peace. I say so because it will be too late to cry when the head is cut off.

“The Federal Government should do what it should do to ensure that this state of anarchy we are heading to, does not degenerate for us to be seeing fire everywhere.”

 Noting the importance of the state in terms of the economy of Nigeria, he said the country would be in trouble if there was anarchy in the state.

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, faulted the APC’s call for emergency rule, saying Okocha’s comments were not worth responding to.

Johnson stated, “On Tony Okocha I don’t think that what Okocha said is worth giving any attention. We should not break our heads over what Tony Okocha said.

“The other time he said there was a cholera outbreak.  When the medical personnel visited the place they said there was nothing like that. Another day he (Okocha) said he was welcoming members of the House of Assembly who defeated the APC. What is the position today?

“He also said that he was going to ask the members of the House of Assembly to commence impeachment of the governor, what is the position today?”

On the police refusal to allow the CTC chairmen access to their various councils, the commissioner said,” I am not in a position to speak for the caretaker committee chairmen.

“I am the Commissioner for Information in Rivers State and I can only speak for the state government. The caretaker committee chairmen are in a better position to speak on the matter by themselves.”

But the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, faulted the call by the state chapter that President Bola Tinubu should declare a state of emergency in the state.

Duru, in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, explained that there was no justifiable reason to drag the President into the crisis.

According to him, the matter is still within the purview of the law enforcement agents.

He said, “This is my personal view. This is something that lies within the purview of the law enforcement agents and Mr President cannot be dragged into matters such as this. Truly, we are in a democracy. What underpins democracy essentially is the rule of law, procedure and obedience to the relevant orders of the court

“So, Mr President cannot be dragged into isolated issues or issues that have to do with the functionalities of states such as this. That is my view.”

Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered a thorough investigation into the killing of the police officer and a vigilante operative in the state.

He also directed the probe of the general violence which erupted in the state.

During a clash between supporters of Fubara and Wike on Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, a policeman and a vigilante were killed.

The Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the IG directed the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state.

The statement reads, “The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, condemns in the strongest terms the recent outbreak of violence and subsequent breakdown of law and order at various local government council secretariats in Rivers State, where supporters of two political factions clashed over the tenure of local government council chairmen, which unfortunately led to the tragic deaths of a Police Officer – Inspector David Mgbada, and Samuel Nwigwe, a vigilante member at Eberi-Omuma in the  Omuma Local Government Area.

“In response to these heinous acts, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state and institute thorough investigations into the killing of the police officer and the vigilante operative, as well as the general violence which erupted in the state.”

Adejobi said Egbetokun also deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the police officer and the vigilante member.

“The IGP has specifically deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the police officer and the vigilante member.

“The IGP seriously warns individuals and groups of people who have a penchant for senseless attacks and mindless killings of police officers and other security operatives across the country to desist forthwith as the fullest force of the law will be meted on them.”

In a related development,  the Peoples Democratic Party  has alleged that there is a plot by the APC   to take over the state, saying the plot has failed.

The  PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, while responding to a call for a state emergency by the Rivers State APC, called on the Federal Government and the APC’s national leadership to immediately intervene and advise Okocha (the state APC chairman) to cease his actions as they posed a threat to democracy and stability in Nigeria.

The statement read in part “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party  has been drawn to yet another hallucinating press conference by the Rivers State Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Tony Okocha wherein he again fantasized that the will of the people of Rivers State as expressed in the governorship election which produced Governor Siminalayi Fubara can be upturned by the imagination of the APC.

“This reckless outburst by Tony Okocha further exposes the sinister plot by the APC in Rivers State which has been seeking ways to instigate crisis, forcefully overthrow a democratic order and impose an anti-democratic regime in Rivers State in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“The use of the word ‘war’ by Mr Okocha in his statement clearly shows an evil intention which has been firmly resisted and will continue to be resisted by the people of Rivers State.

“The APC in Rivers State should note that its malevolent scheme to instigate crisis and forcefully take over the state has failed. Rivers State is a stronghold of the PDP and the people are solidly behind the Government of the PDP in the state.”

[Punch]

As the nation awaits President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill on new minimum wage to the National Assembly, a host of states may need a bailout or retrench workers to be able to pay the N62,000 being proposed by the Federal Government and Organised Private Sector, OPS.

Although most of the states have been getting more allocations since the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023, sources told Vanguard that the increment was paltry and not enough to sustain payment of N62,000 minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the Organised Private Sector, OPS, yesterday said there was nothing like agreement in the just concluded meeting of the Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage but an alignment of interest.

This is coming as Governor Nasir Idris, of Kebbi State distanced himself from governors who gave hint of inability to pay N62,000 minimum wage.

This is even as Senator Ahmed Wadada, SDP, Nasarawa West, urged President Tinubu to approve at least N150,000 as the new minimum wage.

Currently, no fewer than 20 states are not paying any wage award to their workers to ameliorate the hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, in spite of President Tinubu’s plea to them to emulate the federal government that is paying N35,000, in addition to the N30,000 minimum wage.

Lack of funds

Lack of funds, sources said, was the reason most of the governors are foot-dragging on the new wage negotiations, which they didn’t take active part in.

According to data on federal allocations to states before and after subsidy removal in May 2023, most of the states received between 20 and 25 per cent increment in allocations, while some others conversely, received less allocations.

The states’ gross allocations include revenues from statutory allocation, Value Added Tax, VAT, electronic money transfer levy, EMTL, Exchange Gain, and Augmentations as of when subsidy regime was in place and the non-subsidy regime in 2023.

Paltry increment in allocations

Indeed, the 36 states received N2.188 trillion from January to June 2023 before subsidy removal; and N2.305 trillion from July to December 2023 after subsidy removal. The increment is just N116.79 trillion (five per cent).

Lagos State got a 28 per cent increment in allocation. It got N130.55 billion between January and June 2023, and N167.68 billion between July and December 2023. Anambra’s increment was 16 per cent; Ondo (three per cent), Edo (four per cent), and Imo (13 per cent).

Ondo got N56.5 billion/N58.2 billion. Anambra was N46.6billion/N53.6 billion; Edo N57.5 billion/N49.97 billion; and Imo N47.08 billion/N53.4 billion.

States that received less allocation after subsidy removal were Akwa Ibom (33 per cent), Delta (26 per cent), Bayelsa (20 per cent), and Rivers (12 per cent). Akwa Ibom got N185.6 billion before subsidy removal and N125.3 billion after. Bayelsa received N138.6 billion/N110.9 billion. Delta got N244.6 billion/N180.7 billion; and Rivers received N173.6 billion/N153.1 billion.

Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states received more allocation at the first half of the year when compared to the second half of the year of non-subsidy regime due to increase in the 13% derivation at the first half of the year and reduction in 13% derivation at the second half of the year.

Why states may have issues paying

Arguing that most states would have issues paying N62,000 as minimum wage, a governor said: The issue is not about the Federal Government, which Labour makes it look. What is being negotiated is a national minimum wage, not a federal government minimum wage for its workers.

“A national minimum wage affects states, local governments and private sector employers, especially SMEs and MSMEs. The first consideration in wage negotiation is affordability and ability to pay. Can states, local governments and private sector employers afford to pay?

“It means states and local governments will spend all their federal allocation and internally generated revenue and even borrow to pay their workers who are less than one per cent of their population. What will they spend on the rest of the citizens in the 36 states who need education, good roads, healthcare, security etc?

“There is need to consider the consequences on the economy, inflationary trend and possible layoff of workers if NLC/TUC blackmailed the government to agree on a minimum wage that is not realistic and sustainable.

‘’There is a general consensus that minimum wage should be increased but it has to be within a realistic band of what all parties can pay. That is why the private sector and government are offering N60,000.”

Idris distances self from unwilling govs

However, Kebbi State governor, Idris, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, said he was not aware of any meeting where governors made their stand known on the disputed N62,000 minimum wage.

The former unionist wondered when the meeting was held because he is a member of the negotiating committee and had been mediating between the federal government and organised labour on the minimum wage issue.

“I was not part of the meeting if it was even held and I will not be part of those who will not pay the agreed minimum wage. Like I did say at different public fora that I will pay the agreed amount, I stand by that.” he said.

He explained that, as a crusader for workers welfare and better pay, he would not abandon his people in these trying times, adding “as a member of the tripartite committee, I will continue to negotiate in favour of Nigerian workers.”

While urging both the federal government and organised labour to shift grounds to reach a common, acceptable and sustainable living wage, he pledged to implement the agreed sum to Kebbi workers.

No agreement, but alignment of interest — OPS

Meanwhile, the OPS has said that alignment of interest was reached at the just concluded meeting of the minimum wage tripartite committee and not agreement.

Spokesman of the OPS and the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Wale-Smatt Oyerinde, at a forum with Labour Writers Association of Nigeria, LAWAN, in Lagos, also diclosed that OPS was pushing for the new minimum wage to cover employers with 200 employees and above, against 2019 Minimum Wage Act that covered employers of 25 employees and above.

According to him, OPS is made up of different sectors with the Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs. Some are paying N35,000 as the baseline, and the big ones are paying about N70,000 or N75,000.
He said it would be unfair to legislate that these SMEs pay N62, 000 for instance, adding that explained the reason OPS was pushing that the new minimum wage covered only employers with 200 employees and above.

This, according to him, is to protect the SMEs., which are the highest employers of labour and backbone of every economy. ‘’They need protection. If you kill the SMEs, you will probably kill the economy,’’ he said.

Betrayal of Labour

Speaking on the alleged betrayal of organised labour during the negotiations, he said: “To the contrary, there was no agreement reached by the committee but an alignment of interest. What the committee sent to President Bola Tinubu was a recommendation, not an agreement.

‘’Agreement connotes a gang-up. There was nothing like that. We made a recommendation to the President who set up the committee to now decide or determine the figure he should send to the National Assembly to legislate on.

‘’If anybody is not satisfied with whatever figure Mr President sends to the National Assembly, such a person or group can go to the National Assembly during the public hearing to make his or her case. The figure rests squarely with the President. The issue here is about affordability.”

The NECA DG noted that the long-term objective of the OPS was to protect labour because the more OPS employ, the more labour becomes bigger, warning that “but the more we retrench, the more labour becomes weaker as they would lose both their members and prospective members.”

He added that Nigerians must know that there was a big difference between a minimum wage and a living wage, as “what we are talking about in Nigeria is a minimum wage and not a living wage.

‘’The ILO just in March this year agreed on a living wage. The next is to make it a convention before we can be talking about a living wage.”

Wadada seeks N150,000

However, Senator Ahmed Wadada has called on President Tinubu to approve not less than N150,000 as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Wadada made the call in an interview with newsmen in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State late Tuesday. The lawmaker noted that the current realities of the Nigerian economy informed his decision to propose the figure which will go a long way in alleviating the hardship faced by workers.

“I have expressed my opinion in the past on the issue and I am going to reiterate it here. For me as a person, the minimum a worker should earn is N150,000, looking at the realities of today,” he said.

Lawmakers’re willing to make sacrifices

He said he and other lawmakers were willing to make sacrifices in terms of reduction of their remunerations and allowances just to ensure Nigerian workers earned decent monthly salaries.

Wadada, who expressed confidence in the administration of President Tinubu, described it as an open, transparent and a listening government that would come up with a figure acceptable to workers.
“At worst, it should be higher than what the government is currently offering,” he said.

[Vanguard]

The immediate past member representing Oredo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Ogbiede Ihama Omoregie, has been expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for anti-party activities.

He was expelled by Ward 2 Oredo Local Government Area (LGA), following the resolution of an enlarged meeting by the ward members and executives, held on Airport Road in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Reading the resolution, the Chairman of PDP Ward 2 in Oredo, Lawrence Aguebor said the expulsion followed the suspension of Ogbeide Ihama by the ward executives and critical stakeholders of Oredo Ward 2, who met on 3rd of May 2024, and suspended the ex-Rep member for 30 days after which a disciplinary committee was set up.

He explained, “The committee wrote him letters and called him on the phone and sat five (5) times and Ogbeide Ihama Omoregie failed to appear before them.

“Today, we have received the report and recommendations of the committee and the committee has recommended the expulsion of Hon. Ogbeide Ihama Omoregie from PDP. The offenses of Hon. Ihama for which he now stands expelled are captured under section 58 (1) a, b, d, e, f, h, l, j, l. With the expulsion of Hon. Ogbiede Ihama Omoregie, members of the general public are to cease and desist from doing any business that has to do with the PDP with him.”

The ward party members also put his expulsion to a voice vote with all members backing his expulsion from the party.

On his part, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Political Matters, (Oredo) Hon. Victor Enoghama, said the suspension and expulsion was long overdue.

He noted, "Hon. Ogbeide Ihama Omoregie has donated his building at Ring Road by Sakponba Road Junction to the All Progressive Congress (APC) to be used as campaign office for the 2024 September 21st governorship election in Edo State.

"His suspension is long overdue. Let him join the APC family as we can’t allow him to be in PDP and fraternize with the APC.

Enoghama further charged, “We also call on the ward of the former deputy governor to follow suit and expel Comrade Philip Shaibu from the PDP, also for anti-party activities.

“He is carrying out anti-party activities. He has also donated his campaign office at Airport Road with vehicles to APC for the Governorship election on September 21st, 2024. He can't be in PDP and be supporting APC.”

The New York Times report "Nigeria Confronts Its Worst Economic Crisis in a Generation" published on June 11, 2024, portrays a bleak outlook on Nigeria’s economic state. However, the report lacks objectivity and may inadvertently misinform readers. It is essential to present a more balanced viewpoint that takes into account the wider context, including global economic trends and challenges shared by other nations. Moreover, it is imperative to highlight the proactive measures undertaken by the current government to address these issues and the inherited economic challenges it faces. By offering a comprehensive perspective, we can better understand the complexities of Nigeria’s situation and the efforts made towards sustainable growth and stability.

The report fails to mention that inflation is a global issue affecting many countries, not just Nigeria. By not acknowledging this, the report gives the impression that Nigeria’s inflation is an isolated problem, which is misleading. Additionally, when comparing the size of economies, it is essential to remember that they are typically valued in dollars. Therefore, individual country exchange rate policies may affect such comparisons. A country’s economic size appears smaller when its currency is devalued. For instance, a country that defends its currency might seem to be doing better economically than a country that floats its currency, although the latter may be making more sustainable long-term economic decisions. 

Labour Union strikes did not start under this regime; even the previous administration experienced various strikes by numerous unions, with the ASUU strike being one of the longest. The current government should be commended for its proactive approach to addressing the demands of labour unions. However, the government and labour unions must find more effective ways to resolve disputes to prevent the economic losses caused by strikes. 

When President Tinubu’s administration took office a year ago, it inherited an economy in a comatose state. The amount used for debt servicing was already over 90% of Nigeria’s revenue, making most expenditures reliant on borrowing. This situation was unsustainable, necessitating significant economic reforms. The New York Times report overlooks that the current administration is dealing with long-standing economic issues rather than creating new ones. It is also important to recognize that high infrastructure deficits and security challenges are inherited issues that the government is actively addressing.

Faced with an untenable economic situation, the Tinubu administration took bold decisions to remove fuel subsidies and float the naira. These measures were necessary to reduce the financial burden on the country and free up funds for critical investments in infrastructure and other sectors. While these reforms caused short-term economic shocks and hardship, they are essential for Nigeria’s long-term economic health. Many Nigerians question where the money saved from these reforms has gone. It is important to note that savings can be actual revenue saved or money that would have been borrowed but wasn’t. The removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira has reduced the need for borrowing and allowed the government to redirect funds to more productive uses.

The New York Times report does not highlight the government’s efforts to mitigate the hardships caused by economic reforms. To alleviate the situation, the Federal Government started paying ₦35,000 cash awards to federal civil servants, with various state governments following suit by paying varying amounts to their workers. Additionally, the government is about concluding a new, improved national minimum wage, with a bill about to be sent to the national assembly. Furthermore, the government has initiated conditional cash transfers and distributed thousands of metric tonnes of assorted grains to support vulnerable households. It has also introduced a student loan scheme to enhance access to tertiary education. The Dangote refinery is scheduled to commence production of premium motor spirit by the end of July. This holds promise for alleviating the impact of fuel subsidy removal by potentially lowering the prices of PMS 

Amongst other things, the report failed to acknowledge the current government's significant achievement in clearing the $7 billion forex backlog owed to foreign companies, a move that has boosted investor confidence. Critics argue that foreign companies are leaving Nigeria due to poor economic decisions, making the country unattractive for investment. However, this is not always the case. Companies may shut down operations for various reasons, including changes in business models or the inability to cope with competition from substitute products or services. For example, GlaxoSmithKline ceased operations in Kenya and Nigeria, opting for a third-party distribution model for its pharmaceutical products.

While Nigeria is facing economic challenges, it's important to provide a balanced perspective that takes into account the global context, historical issues, and the current government’s efforts. The administration led by President Tinubu has taken necessary but painful steps to address long-standing economic problems. These reforms, though causing short-term hardship, are essential for Nigeria’s long-term economic stability and growth. However, the government must remain committed to these reforms and ensure transparent communication with its citizens. Problems of several years cannot be solved overnight, but a committed and balanced approach can pave the way for sustainable growth and development.

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.

Last week, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf painted a pathetic picture of the state of primary education in Kano. “Above 4.7 million pupils are sitting on bare floors to take lessons while about 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes subjects and all pupils,” said Yusuf who put the current figure of out-of-school children in the state at 989,234. Not surprisingly, he blamed his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje for the problem. “Rather than building more classrooms and providing basic furniture in the schools, as well as hiring more teachers, the administration we took over from chose to butcher the land belonging to those schools. In some places, it demolished classrooms to create space for shops.” The schools that could not be sold, according to Yusuf, were closed. “The encroachment of public-school lands and the conversion of these vital institutions into private business premises is an affront to our communal values and a direct assault on our commitment to public education. This reckless appropriation of educational spaces for commercial use is unacceptable and must stop immediately.”

The growing number of out-of-school children has become not only a social problem but a serious national security challenge. More worrisome is what appears to be the lack of any concerted effort to deal with this vexatious problem beyond bandying statistics. According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), a huge percentage of the world’s total number of out-of-school children come from Nigeria. And this is not only a Kano problem. While perhaps more pronounced in the north, no state is free of the problem which is compounded by projections that Nigeria’s population could rise to 440 million by 2050. Such uncontrolled population growth of largely illiterate people poses a serious threat to the survival of a nation. Besides, it is from this constituency that criminal cartels now recruit their members. After all, as the saying goes, an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.

Yet, there is hardly any national conversation regarding primary schools. This tragic error has become the bane of education management in Nigeria. Our obsession with university education is based on the warped thinking that we can build a house from the roof while we discount the foundation, which primary schools represent. A recent report by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that no fewer than 27 states in the country have failed to access the sum of N54.9 billion basic education fund as of the end of March this year is very telling. The UBEC fund is an annual grant to help states upgrade primary schools. But to access the money, they are required to match the federal government’s grant. To evade accountability, many states ignore this facility even as children study under deplorable conditions, including lessons under trees and in dilapidated classrooms.

The growing population of out-of-school children is a symptom of the larger problem of irresponsible procreation. Unfortunately, population control is rarely discussed in Nigeria, not only because we choose to live in denial about what ails us but also because once we cloak an issue in the garb of religion, it becomes taboo for any serious engagement. The major concern about our rapidly growing population, as Dimos Sakellaridis, a population control advocate once reminded us, is the absence of infrastructural support. Especially since social services like schools, health care facilities etc. are not also growing at an equally comparable rate. In fact, they are deteriorating everyday which means that the only thing we are producing at a comparative advantage in Nigeria today are babies.

It should worry all critical stakeholders that a demographic crisis is already upon us. That there is a class dimension to this crisis merely compounds the problem. Deutsche Welle (DW), a German international broadcaster, recently produced a documentary on Nigeria’s exploding population. “Having a large family is a blessing from God. I am a product of a large family. I like a large family,” a resident of Makoko waterfront slum in Lagos who has three wives and 18 children reportedly said without a care about how to raise such a huge number of children that may end up on the street. “As a youth, I decided that, when I was older, I would have a large family.”

That mindset is replicated across the country by thousands of poor people based on the illusion that Nigeria is a wealthy country. We have never been one, though the potential was huge at independence 64 years ago. Even if we didn’t squander our riches, the rate at which our population has grown from 45.2 million to 229 million today would still be a problem. Meanwhile, in 1960, the population of the United Kingdom was 52 million, meaning that the country from which we were gaining independence had about seven million more people than Nigeria. Today, the UK is about 68 million, an increase of almost 14 percent over the past 62 years while Nigeria’s estimated population has increased by about 500 percent!

At some point we must come to terms with the reality that at the rate our population is growing amid dwindling resources, there is no way millions of children will not be left behind to our collective detriment. There must therefore be an enlightenment campaign on responsible procreation. “The resources available are unable to meet the basic needs of the growing population,” John Oyefara, a professor of demography at the University of Lagos, told DW. “This has resulted in inadequate facilities in our health sector, food security, housing, transportation and even employment.”

The numbers don’t look good. As of 2020, Nigeria’s share in the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (which is used to measure both the economic growth and living standards in any country) amounted to approximately 0.81 percent. Meanwhile, using data from the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, Pratap Vardin, an Indian full-stack data science engineer, came up with a graphic of countries where the next 1,000 babies would statistically be born into based on population and birth rates estimates. By his projection, 57 of those babies would be born in Nigeria. That means we will account for about six per cent of children born into the world who will then have to battle for less than one percent of global resources!

There is ample evidence to suggest that most educated and relatively comfortable people in our society produce only the number they believe they can care for. In fact, most of the middle-class professionals who have embraced the ‘Japa’ syndrome do so for their children, despite the sacrifices involved. On the other hand, it is those who are at the lower rung of society who have no qualms about having as many children as they like without considering the welfare of those they are bringing into the world. Having allowed the majority of our people to remain chained to belief systems that shun family planning, we now have a huge but largely unproductive population on our hands. If we are to develop as a society, we need an enforceable population policy that is tied to incentives as it is done in several countries.

As I have written several times on this page, the 1974 controversial book, ‘Lifeboat Ethics: The case against helping the poor’ by Garrett Hardin has now become a ready handbook for policy makers in most immigration departments of Western countries. It also accounts for the rise of right-wing leaders to positions of power and why opportunities for ‘Japa’ are shrinking in most of these countries. Metaphorically, according to the late American ecologist and microbiologist who focused his career on the issue of human overpopulation, “Each rich nation can be seen as a lifeboat full of comparatively rich people. In the ocean outside each lifeboat swim the poor of the world, who would like to get in, or at least to share some of the wealth.” He then asked: “What should the lifeboat passengers do?”

This was the way Hardin answered his own question 50 years ago: “So here we sit, say 50 people in our lifeboat. To be generous, let us assume it has room for 10 more, making a total capacity of 60. Suppose the 50 of us in the lifeboat see 100 others swimming in the water outside, begging for admission to our boat or for handouts. We have several options: we may be tempted to try to live by the Christian ideal of being ‘our brother’s keeper,’ or by the Marxist ideal of ‘to each according to his needs.’ Since the needs of all in the water are the same, and since they can all be seen as ‘our brothers,’ we could take them all into our boat, making a total of 150 in a boat designed for 60. The boat swamps, everyone drowns. Complete justice, complete catastrophe.”

The critical point in Hardin’s thesis is that most of the countries from where citizens flee are suffering the consequences of the choices their people make, especially regarding an unbridled population explosion. “The harsh ethics of the lifeboat become harsher when we consider the reproductive differences between rich and poor. A wise and competent government saves out of the production of the good years in anticipation of bad years to come. Joseph taught this policy to Pharaoh in Egypt more than 2,000 years ago. Yet the great majority of the governments in the world today do not follow such a policy,” Hardin wrote. “They lack either the wisdom or the competence, or both. On the average poor countries undergo a 2.5 percent increase in population each year; rich countries, about 0.8 percent. Because of the higher rate of population growth in the poor countries of the world, 88 percent of today’s children are born poor, and only 12 percent rich. Year by year the ratio becomes worse, as the fast-reproducing poor outnumber the slow-reproducing rich…”

For decades, we have sold the myth, especially to the poor of our society, that the government is responsible for taking care of them. And that the only problem is ‘corruption’ which our politicians keep ‘fighting’. The message must be that everyone is ultimately responsible for themselves and their family. Conducting a conversation on this issue is more urgent than ever before. We need voices like that of the Zamfara State Council of Chiefs chairman and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad, who once cautioned low-income earners against marrying more than one wife. “Civil servants on a salary of N15,000 a month marry more than one wife and end up raising families they cannot cater for,” the emir said. “It is this attitude that is responsible for increasing out-of-school children because the parents cannot shoulder the responsibility.”

On the immediate challenge, Kano and the other states must find the human and material resources to take children off the streets and put them in schools. But in the long term, Nigerians must also begin to understand that only a moderate population growth that enables a high quality of life for citizens can guarantee a sustainable society.

President Muhammadu Buhari was less than a year in office when he realized that his officials would not be able to produce the budget for FY 2017 on time. His Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, was frantically seeking help, not only to produce the federal proposal, but also to reform and reposition the entire budgeting process. The 2016 appropriation bill was signed into law by the president very late in the year; and it was replete with irregularities. It then was clear to senior administration officials that the Budget Office of the Federation, an agency responsible for designing and drawing up the federal government’s budget proposals, required an experienced and suitably qualified leader to do the job. The man at the saddle then was clearly below his depth. Fourteen years earlier, Senator Udoma was the chairman of the Senate’s Appropriation Committee – an influential and powerful Committee that scrutinizes and approves the federal budgets and those of its over 300 parastatals. He knows a lot about the budgeting process and technicalities involved, and was therefore in a hurry to headhunt a man of requisite and cognate skills to lead the Budget Office.

 Enter Ben Ifeanyichukwu Akabueze. Early in 2016, Akabueze was appointed Special Adviser to the President on National Planning, but his job description did not include budget preparations. He had observed the debacle in the Budget Office and all the commotion surrounding the 2016 proposals, but in the nature of Nigeria’s public service, he could only offer suggestions. Somebody then mentioned to Udoma that Ben was the right man to fix the mess. After a few consultations and discussions and Senator Udoma’s recommendation, the president promptly moved Akabueze to the to the Budget Office as the sixth Director General with a clear mandate to ensure the presentation of the annual budgets to the National Assembly by September of every year; review the annual budget and advise on the necessity or otherwise of a supplementary budget and reconcile and monitor monthly performance of key revenue agencies.

A fellow of three renowned professional bodies, (Institute of Chartered Accountants; Chartered Institute of Bankers and institute of Credit Administration), Akabueze came highly recommended for the assignment, and he soon proved that his selection was one of Buhari’s few fit-for-purpose appointments. Ben or Pastor Ben, as friends fondly call him, is one of the nation’s brightest, analytical yet unassuming professionals. For about nine years prior, he had served as the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in Lagos State, having been appointed by Gov. Tinubu in 2006 and reappointed by Gov. Fashola in 2007. Before then, he was the Managing Director & CEO of NAL Bank (now Sterling Bank) from 2000 to 2005.

There were rumours then that it was Asiwaju Tinubu, then National Leader of the APC, that had facilitated his appointment as the SA to the President, and subsequent deployment to the BOF. Both Akabueze and Udoma refused to comment on this when I asked them. A few months after Ben took the job, Senator Udoma told me in his office. ‘’I am lucky to have Ben around. He is sorting out the headaches in the Budget Office’’. I told Udoma that I knew Akabueze well, and that he had in December 2000 tapped me to lead the Corporate Communications department at NAL. ‘’He will make a difference’’, I assured him. I have been blessed to walk and work with the best of Nigerians in my long careers spanning two professions. Akabueze’s leadership and accomplishments as the nation’s chief budget officer between 2016 and 2024 are transformative, tangible and outstanding. I salute him for his unblemished records and sterling achievements in all of the two terms. He served with dedication, diligence and commitment.

Under him, the budget office recorded improvements in the quality and comprehensiveness of the budget documents, leveraging technology to achieve improved levels of citizens’ engagements in the budgeting process. We now have full disclosures of federal government’s payments; improved transparency, governance, service delivery and accountability. Multi-lateral and bi-lateral project tied loans as well as grants and donor-funded projects are now reflected in the federal government budget, unlike in the past when the process was marred by opacity and lack of clarity. In addition, fiscal risks and contingent liabilities are also included in the budget pack. There’s been also improved coordination and collaboration between the executive and legislature leading to a return to the predictable January-December budget cycle, for the first time since 1999. Until then, it was only the military regimes that were able to issue budget speeches on New Year Day. Another important change that Ben and his team introduced is the inclusion of the budgets of all government-owned enterprises in the federal budget presented by the president to the National Assembly. Further, there’s also been significant improvements in the budget and expenditure management of the MDAs.

Internally, Akabueze also restructured the BOF and took his management and staff through a visioning process that developed a vision and mission statement for the organization. Its mission is to provide efficient and qualitative budget functions to Nigeria, geared towards promoting fiscal sustainability, transparency and accountability in public finance management for national development in line with international best practices. Clearly, the achievements listed above are in with the mission. Its vision is to be a world-class technology-driven budget institution that is a catalyst for equitable distribution of the nation’s resources to engender sustainable socio-economic development. It is for no reason that he’s also known as Mr. Budget.

Last week, I asked Akabueze to review his tenure at BOF and all the other significant positions he’s held. As he is wont to do, he contemplated the question for a while and then said, ’I have done my best. Nigerians should do the assessment’.

Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and its commercial hub, Lagos, have been ranked as the first and second cheapest cities for expatriates to live in Africa for 2024, according to Mercer’s Cost of Living rankings.

The report highlights the cost of living is a crucial consideration for expatriates when selecting a city for relocation, as it impacts their quality of life and financial stability.

The findings attribute the affordability of these cities to currency depreciations, which have significantly reduced the cost of living for international assignees.

Blantyre in Malawi comes third on the list while Durban in South Africa and Windhoek in Namibia comes fourth and fifth respectively.

Here is a list of the top 10 cheapest cities to live in Africa with their global rank

1. Abuja, Nigeria

2. Lagos, Nigeria

3. Blantyre, Malawi

4. Durban, South Africa

5. Windhoek, Namibia

6. Gaborone, Botswana

7. Lusaka, Zambia

8. Tunis, Tunisia

9. Cape Town, South Africa

10. Johannesburg, South Africa

[TheNation]