IN 1987, the then Federal Military Government led by President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida IBB set up an electoral body – the National Electoral Commission NEC to midwife a robust transition to civil rule political programme. This columnist was deployed from the Nigerian Television Authority NTA, to serve as the pioneer Director of Public Affairs of the Commission.

This positioned me to observe a number of things about politics and elections in Nigeria. I once came across a pamphlet titled ‘future heroes of Nigeria’s democracy’ compiled by a non-governmental organization identifying some well-known politicians that would likely succeed the military. But from my interactions with several politicians, I had huge doubts that many of the listed political leaders would readily choose to undergo danger and pain for the sake of democracy.

One sign that my fears were real was how the political class managed the emergence of political associations that would later be registered as political parties. The anti-democratic practices by which our leading politicians implemented the subject were disheartening. For example, to establish a huge followership, the 13 associations presented several large boxes containing membership lists as part of the requirements for registration as political parties. 

During the verification of samples of the lists, the electoral commission found bogus submissions populated by fake and ghost names. Even when two of the 13 political associations – the National Republican Convention NRC and the Social Democratic Party SDP were eventually registered as political parties, there was no evidence that our politicians were prepared to play the game of politics by its rules.

While there was a point in the criticism that the military’s transition programme was circuitous, I saw clearly that the political class largely abetted the meandering nature of the programme. For instance, the first of the party primaries held by the NRC and SDP which were won by Adamu Ciroma and General Shehu Yar’Adua respectively were cancelled by government only because on a daily basis, party members and defeated candidates came forward with reports of a plethora of unwholesome practices which they claimed aided the winners. Why did democrats introduce anti-democratic practices into party prima- ries which they themselves conducted?

The annulment of the famous June 12 1993 presidential election was no doubt an error by the military, but several so-called democrats were also active participants in the conspiracy. During the collation of election results, representatives of the NRC- the party that lost the election – were fully aware that Moshood Abiola, the candidate of the SDP was the clear winner of the election. Yet, many of their members colluded with ambitious soldiers to scuttle the election. In addition, signs that the annulment could happen were already clear to the politicians some 48 hours earlier when the electoral commission was stopped from further posting election results on the big score boards installed by its premises for public viewing. Painfully, the expectation that the political class would close ranks and thereby dissuade the military from annulling an election recognized internationally as Nigeria’s best, simply evaporated.

Instead, unlike principled democrats, they exploited the stalemate to pollute the environment with false allegations. Indeed, officials of the SDP, the victorious party, were themselves too scared to claim their own victory. It is thus quite laughable to see some of such officials claiming today to be heroes of democracy when they did not put up any opposition to the emergence of an unelected interim government led by Chief Earnest Shonekan. In other climes, true democrats would have unanimously and unequivocally denounced all the undemocratic activities especially the mandate of the convoluted interim government to arrange for the conduct of fresh elections.

A few months later, the military, in line with their own script, returned to government under the leadership of General Sani Abacha. Again, officials of the NRC and SDP accepted to serve as Ministers of such an anti- democratic government amidst the continued efforts by MKO Abiola to pursue his mandate fully given by the electorate. The arguments of such opportunistic appointees that they were advised to join the government so as to fight for democracy from within or that Abiola gave them his consent were ludicrous especially when compared with the upright stance of the irrepressible human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi against continued military rule. In fact, Gani publicly revealed that he turned down General Abacha’s offer for him to serve as Attorney- General and Minister of Justice adding that he told the General to hand over power to MKO Abiola if he wanted history to be kind to him.

With many so-called democrats as willing partners, General Abacha stabilized as the new head of state of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. He even organized a transition programme designed to succeed himself using many politicians as fronts and agents. Indeed, all the five registered political parties at the time agreed to nominate Abacha as the flag-bearer of each of them! If General Abacha had outlived his self-succession programme, Nigerian politicians would have happily crowned him the first elected civilian president after military rule. The point must however be made that as military head of state, Abacha ruled the country with iron fist. He arrested and detained MKO Abiola who eventually died in detention and harassed into exile, every politician who refused to support his transition programme just as the few who remained at home were greatly traumatized.

It is from this latter group that we can find heroes of democracy led by Abiola. But there is doubt if such heroes are as many as people claim or that many of them were actually altruistic. I am unable to accept, for example, that anyone who served in Abacha’s military government can be counted among heroes of democracy. It is similarly unfair to recognize as heroes, those who went into trenches to fight military rule but returned later only to become enmeshed in undemocratic practices. Such persons readily belong to a group that only struggled to get into government to garner materialism and other perquisites of office. It would amount to a substantial derogation of democratic heroism to by whatever imagination elevate such pseudo democrats to the position of heroes of democracy.

The first feature of democracy is the sovereignty of the people. Everything done in a democracy is expected to be done on behalf of the people to whom all power belongs. In a democracy, the people are the subject and never the objects of governance. Can Nigeria, where the people’s representatives live in affluence at the expense of the toiling masses be described as a democratic society? The rule of law, a second feature of democracy which presupposes the equality of everyone before the law has never happened in Nigeria. Instead, office-holders often criminalize political dissent using a variant of the obsolete colonial law of sedition to arrest and detain anyone who seeks to hold them accountable. On their part, those who lose elections that should energize democracy through robust opposition, merely decamp to the ruling party for appointments.

Free and fair elections which constitute another feature of democracy have remained unattainable in Nigeria. To start with, each ruling party always assaults the independence of our electoral body by including politicians in the body which is legally expected to be an impartial umpire in the game of elections. Why must huge sums of money that would have been better deployed towards societal development be unnecessarily squandered on phoney elections especially at local government level? Although the judiciary had held in 2014 that the military should not be part of elections, the situation is yet to change just as our police have continued to wrongly disallow pub- lic protests which are an integral part of democracy.

For putting a blind eye to legislators’ inexplicable sal- aries/allowances, fake constituency projects and budget padding, our executive branch is left unchecked by the legislature contrary to what obtains elsewhere. Even loans to be repaid by future generations are hardly scrutinized to identify their probative value before approval. In the Judiciary, many judges are entangled in conflicting judgments that put them far away from their traditional rating as bastion of democracy. Searching for true heroes of democracy in Nigeria is thus a herculean task. Those involved in the search must strategically apply empirical criteria so as to avoid the likely possibili- ty of an inadvertent mix-up of political gladiators with true heroes.

One of the personalities I had expected to pump hands with at the dinner marking the 2024 Democracy Day in commemoration of the June 12 struggle, was the former chairman of the National Electoral Commission, 82-year-old Prof Humphrey Nwosu. His absence filled the State House Banquet Hall as if the pillars holding the rafters of the celebration were missing a couple of rods.

Without the street-wise academic whose principled commitment to transparency and accountability ensured the conduct of what has now been acknowledged as the freest and fairest electoral exercise in the history of Nigeria, there would have been no June 12.

Nwosu was appointed in the midst of the turbulence occasioned by the insistence of the irresistible military force of the Babangida machine to subvert the immovable resoluteness of the highly respected Prof Eme Awa whose removal as chairman of NEC created the vacancy that Nwosu filled.

Somehow, it seemed the hand of fate was at work. Nwosu had been Prof Eme Awa’s student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The first time I saw the affable Nwosu was shortly after his appointment when he visited his former teacher, Awa, at his Ikoyi residence for his blessings and advice. My crew and I were at Awa’s residence to conclude a chat we had been having with the respected prof.

At first, the nation did not know what to make of the ever smiling Nwosu. He was reported to have said that what Nigeria needed was good governance based on a centrist philosophy of ‘A-little-to-the-right-and-a-little-to-the-left’. It tallied with General Babangida’s preaching of evolving a ‘home grown’ philosophy, a kind of socio-capitalism, an ideological bat which was neither a rodent nor a bird.

At that time, those of us who had had the experience of tangling with the military warned Nwosu not to believe a fox declaring its conversion to vegetarianism because after the declaration, every goat and lamb would be classified as modern vegetables.

It says a lot about Nwosu’s emotional maturity that he seemed to play along with Babangida’s duplicity while working hard to deliver a transparently free and fair electoral process. Among several options, he chose the open ballot system which he called Option A4 — a method of voting where voters would openly queue behind the posters of their preferred candidates. Voters on the queue were openly counted and the result publicly recorded.

The system also stultified the usual practice of the use of thugs by politicians to snatch ballot boxes, steal ballot papers or destroy critical documents related to the polls. There were no ballot papers, no ballot boxes, no polling booths. Voters simply went to their designated polling centres to queue behind the photographs of their preferred candidates. They were counted and the result of each polling booth was immediately recorded on the official sheets and declared there and then.

Naysayers swore that the polling was destined to fail. It was the rainy season and if it rained, that would be the end of polling for many people because there would be no hiding place. Secondly, a massive use of thugs to inflict serious bodily harm on supporters of the opposing party on open queues could ensure that others fearful for their lives would take to their heels. Some critics even said that the system would put tenants at loggerheads with their landlords in instances where a tenant was on the opposing queue from his landlord’s. But it did not rain; neither was there any kind of organised violence. As a matter of fact, polling Day, June 12, 1993, witnessed a carnival-like atmosphere as supporters of SDP’s MKO Abiola and NRC’s Bashir Tofa turned out in colourful regalia.

Halfway into the collation of results, an Abuja High Court halted further announcement of election results. A big board displaying all results had already been mounted at the headquarters of the electoral commission. The whole country knew the results: MKO Abiola had won. Eventually, after using professional traitors like Arthur Nzeribe and pliant judges to muddy the waters, General Babangida annulled the elections and thereby destroyed what would have been his greatest legacy to Nigeria: a free and fair election.

With hindsight, I think it is fair to say that if General Babangida had had the slightest inkling that Nwosu’s Option A4 would be such a resounding success, he would not have allowed the polls to hold. It seemed that the calculation of the military was that after they had failed to use Prof Awa to deliver a flawed democratic process, Nwosu would not want to be removed like his predecessor and would ‘cooperate’. But Nwosu knew he was having a rare handshake with history and he chose to side with the people rather than be a military lapdog.

That is why Humphrey Nwosu is a hero of democracy today. He ought to be used as a beacon of patriotism and integrity for the younger generation.

When former President Buhari was declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring Chief MKO Abiola and some of the leading lights of the National Democratic Coalition, it did not occur to him that Humphrey Nwosu was alive and well and should have been celebrated just like those who were given national awards at the time. (Even Abiola’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, who had abandoned the June 12 cause, was given the second highest national honour!)

Abiola would not have been the hero he turned out to be if Nwosu had not conducted the most transparent election in Nigeria. No election before or after that epochal electoral exercise has come close to Nwosu’s Option A4 in transparency and acceptability!

There are others, too, who ought to be remembered and honoured at a time of historical significance such as the Democracy Day; for example, the veteran human rights activist and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Alao Aka-Bashorun who had to escape to Benin Republic, as well as many activists in Radio Freedom, Radio Kudirat and NALICON.

What about the quartet of June 12 activists: Richard Ogunderu, 19; Kabir Adenuga, 18;  Benneth Oluwadaisi, 20;  and Kenny Rasaq Lawal, 19— all students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)— who spent nine years in a Niamey (Niger Republic) prison for hijacking a plane to press for the validation of the annulled election?

I was expecting to see Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar in the front row on Democracy Day. Take a bow, great officer and principled gentleman!

June 12 was a pan-Nigerian struggle headquartered in (but not restricted to) the Southwest.

I remember some of the activists who stood firmly on the side of June 12: Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Shehu Sani, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, and, if I may remember some of those whose paths crossed mine in those days of goggled evil: Eze Mark Odu, BK Ogala, Moshood Fayemiwo, Jimmy Imo, Joe Igbokwe, Eddy Okparaoji, among others.

It was such a joyful sight seeing Kunle Ajibade, George Mbah and others whom the gods had snatched from the jaws of destruction. They’ve all paid their dues. The ways of the unmade maker are wondrous, I told myself, as I looked from one erstwhile classified enemy of the state to the other: ’fugitive’, ‘terrorist’, ‘dissident’, ‘NADECO spy’, ‘guerrilla journalist’, ‘NALICON informant’…. Now they’re all gaily turned out for dinner — in the State House!

They are ordinary people who did extraordinary things. As Christopher Reeve notes, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

I wager that President Tinubu will not need any further nudging to decorate Humphrey Nwosu, Abubakar Umar Dangiwa and other heroes of the June 12 struggle with the national honours commensurate with their service and sacrifice.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to show more care for their neighbours and extend charity to all in the spirit of Eid-el-Kabir.

Speaking with journalists after Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Lagos on Sunday, the President said some level of sacrifice will be required to move the nation forward.

"We have been told by the Chief Imam how we can follow the path of sacrifice. The sacrifice required of a good citizen. Citizenship comes with responsibilities. As citizens, what do we need to do to be committed members of our society? Yes, that is sacrifice; loving your country. Loving your neighbours. Sharing what you have with each other. And to always be thankful to Almighty God," the President said.

In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Suleiman Oluwatoyin Abou-Nolla, who led the prayers, reiterated the need for more love, sacrifice and care for the poor and the vulnerable.

"Our leaders like the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, to mention a few, sacrificed their knowledge, wealth, sweat, and even life, to the growth and development of the country we call ours today. All their activities and actions were geared towards nation-building.

"We must therefore ensure that their sacrifices are not in vain. It is incumbent on us to follow their footsteps to ensure that this nation, Nigeria, continues to grow in leaps and bounds," he said.

The Chief Imam of Lagos urged citizens to pray that God Almighty grant the President the strength and wisdom to deliver on his vision for a better and prosperous nation.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

The Bola Tinubu administration is at loggerheads with the states over local government autonomy. The federal government filed a lawsuit against the 36 governors at the Supreme Court seeking an order to allow federation allocations to be credited directly to the accounts of the councils, to stop the governors from constituting caretaker committees to run council affairs, and to restrain the governors from receiving, spending, or tampering with funds released from the federation account for the benefit of local governments when no democratically elected system is in place. In one word, the federal government wants the local councils to be autonomous — like the states themselves.

While we await the ruling of the Supreme Court, I have been reading arguments on the merits and demerits of council autonomy. Those in support of autonomy argue that being the closest government to the people, councils should be politically and economically independent, with democratically elected leaders. Those against autonomy think the councils could go on the loose with public funds, like state governments, if they have unfettered access to allocations. President Olusegun Obasanjo once called them “774 stealing centres”. There seems to be not much rigorous diagnosis of why the councils are weak. We tend to think it is all down to autonomy or lack of it.

To resolve my dilemma, I have tried to understand the place of councils in federal set-ups across the world. For a federal system — or any system whatsoever — to connect properly with the people, there must be a well-run grassroots governance which is devoid of any other layer between the government and the communities. It can be called local government areas (LGAs), municipalities, counties, councils, boroughs, whatever. They typically do drain management, sanitation, waste collection, street lightning, roads, and other essential services delegated by superior governments. The devolution of power across the world is effected mainly through the empowerment of councils.

Some advocates of federalism will say there are only two tiers in a federal system. That is 95 percent correct. Federalism is a union of two equal tiers of government — the centre (federal) and the states (subnational). Councils are an administrative, not federative, unit. But things are changing with the need to deepen democracy. In his article, ‘Local governments in federal systems: deepening federal democracy?’, Prof Nico Steytler, a South African scholar, notes that “local government is increasingly recognized in federal constitutions as an order of government, alongside the federal and state governments, with the right to a measure of autonomy regarding the affairs of the local community”.

In 1988, for instance, the Federative Republic of Brazil elevated councils (“municipio”) to a tier of government and granted them total autonomy from the states. In the Commonwealth of Australia, which is also a federation, local governments are treated as the third tier but with limited autonomy. Its federal constitution does not expressly mention local governments. Attempts were made to include them in the federal constitution but the referendums in 1974 and 1988 did not succeed. As things stand, every state constitution recognises local governments in its own territory. However, in Germany, Spain, and Switzerland, local authorities self-govern but they are not a federative unit.

In opposing the idea of council autonomy in Nigeria, some campaigners argue that the LGAs were created by the military and the numbers disproportionately favour the north. They posit that because the north has more LGAs than the south, granting councils autonomy and releasing their federation allocations directly to them will entrench injustice and imbalance in the political economy. I really don’t understand this logic, but I admit that emotional arguments are usually like that. I prefer we focus the debate on how to reform the councils to deliver governance to the grassroots — including a functioning primary health care system and improved enrolment in primary schools.

It is argued in some corners that Lagos and Kano used to have the same number of LGAs but Kano has now more than doubled the size of Lagos state. Kano has 44 and Lagos has 20. Jigawa, which was carved out of Kano in 1991, has 27. This takes the old Kano state to 71 LGAs “whereas Lagos remains stuck at 20”. On this basis, some are opposed to council autonomy “until Nigeria is restructured and the injustice is rectified”. However, some of these figures are incorrect and the comparison of Lagos with Kano only shows how data can be deployed to validate bias. In fact, at no time did Kano and Lagos states have the same number of LGAs. In 1979, Lagos had eight LGAs and the old Kano had 20.

At independence, the LGAs were called Native Authorities. Actually, there were a total of 246 NAs as at 1950, with the north alone having 144 (59 percent). The West (today’s south-west plus Edo and Delta states) had 55 and the East (south-east and south-south, minus Edo and Delta) had 47. That was what we inherited from the colonial masters. It is, therefore, disingenuous to hold the military responsible for the configuration. I am not sure of the criteria used in creating the LGAs, but I do not think landmass — which advantages the north — was the sole consideration. Otherwise, Toro LGA, which is about the same size as Lagos state, will not be just one local government in Bauchi state.

Although, the Lagos/Kano comparison is whipped up perennially to enhance the argument about northern domination of Nigeria, I do not think we should discount it. It serves a purpose. Without these debates, there may not be serious attempts to even things up in the federation. However, we cannot stretch the Lagos/Kano too far. The old Oyo state had only 11 LGAs at creation in 1976 but now has 33. Add that to the 30 LGAs in Osun state, which was carved out of Oyo state in 1991, and the old Oyo state now has 63. The old Imo had 20 LGAs in 1979. Today, it has 27 while Abia, carved out of the state in 1991, has 17. That is a total of 44. Ebonyi, partly carved out of Imo in 1996, has 13.

We can spend so much time arguing over “northern domination” of the national cake and then forget the real issue at stake: how to make the councils work better for the grassroots and for our democracy. If the councils do well, many things we complain about will be fixed: the roads in front of our houses, the drainage on our streets, the attention at the primary health care where basic treatments and drugs are supposed to be available, the sanitation of our environments and the enrolment of children into primary schools. If the councils continue to function like they do, we will continue to suffer from governance deficit. That is what we should be discussing, not Lord Lugard.

Even though I have a dilemma over the issue of local government autonomy, I still have a bias. I try to be as practical as possible because of the way we are. Given our history and practice of federalism and democracy in Nigeria, council autonomy will not work. The capacity is not there. The governance structure is weak. Pouring trillions of naira directly to the local governments will change nothing. We would just end up with a new generation of political billionaires. We are already dealing with waste and corruption at the federal and state levels. Only very few councils are manned by competent hands. That is the reality — the unfortunate situation we have found ourselves as a people.

I tend to prefer the Australian model for the councils. In Australia, LGAs are not treated as a tier of government and do not have direct relationship with the federal government. Rather, they operate as administrative units for the states to deliver household services to the grassroots. They build infrastructure, provide community facilities such as libraries and parks, maintain local roads and handle town planning and development approvals. I seem to prefer an amendment to the Nigerian constitution to define and place the councils as administrative units of the states. Let the states “own” the local councils and deploy them as their foot soldiers for service delivery to the people.

Nonetheless, there should be a democratic system of electing the officials to manage the political affairs of the councils, though this will be influenced by the governors. What we call council elections today are appointments made by the governors and formalised through the ballot. There is no need to deceive ourselves. But, still, there should be periodic elections. Enough of this caretaker joke. I think that every state should create as many councils as it wants as long as it can fund them. India, with a population of 1.1 billion, has 250,000 councils. The US, with a population of 328 million, has 90,000. Switzerland, with eight million people, has 2,775. Nigeria, with 200 million people, has 774.

Finally, I also think that the state joint local government account — into which councils’ allocations are paid and which the states habitually sit upon — should be abolished. All federation allocations to the councils should go to the states directly. Let them develop an equitable sharing formula in line with their priorities. Fair enough, councils have tax handles allocated to them in the constitution, so they can also generate revenue in addition to whatever they get from the federation through the states. I do not know if my suggestions would solve the problems at hand, but the reality on the ground is that the current system is not working for the people. We need to try something new.

AND FOUR OTHER THINGS…

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Days after Mrs Simisola Fajemirokun Ajayi, an aide to minister of foreign affairs, alleged that Mr Ibrahim Lamuwa, the permanent secretary of the ministry, sexually harassed her, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) curiously invited her for interrogation over an allegation of corruption that was not in the public domain. The timing of the invitation is provoking suggestions that the system is trying to protect one of its own. Empire always strikes back. That is why women hesitate to report rape and sexual harassment. Now, the onus is on the ICPC to prove that this probe is not being deployed to shut her up or harass her. Co-incidence?

‘TINUBU LULE’

President Tinubu missed his steps and fell while trying to mount the parade vehicle at the Democracy Day celebration on Wednesday. The usual suspects immediately engaged the celebratory button. It was a good thing that he got up immediately and performed the rest of the ceremony without any incident. At the dinner event, he found time to deliver some self-depreciating humour, saying he was not dancing “buga” but only “dobale” (prostrated) for democracy. The incident is now behind us but rumours of ill health will surely continue. Swimming against the tide of the mockers, Mr Peter Obi courageously put politics aside, sympathised with Tinubu and said it could happen to anyone. Class.

FINIDI JUDGED

It has taken only two competitive matches for many Nigerian football fans to conclude that Finidi George is not the man to lead the Super Eagles to the promised land. A 1-1 with South Africa now seems to be a great result compared to the 2-1 loss to “little” Republic of Benin a few days later. Nigeria faces an uphill task to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appears to have admitted it made a mistake with Finidi’s appointment by announcing its plan to engage a foreign coach. This fire brigade approach is obviously an attempt by the NFF to save face as we face the prospect of missing another World Cup after failing to make Qatar 2022. Quagmire.

NO COMMENT

Nigeria sent the highest number of registered delegates to the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland, according to a statistical analysis by the boffins at TheCable. Of the 187 countries represented at the conference, Nigeria — a country claiming to be cutting the cost of running government — topped the table with 289 delegates. Government alone sent 108 registered as “government delegates”. It is a tradition we have created and sustained for decades. Last year, Nigeria invaded the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates with 1,411 delegates. The Geneva jamboree has further demonstrated our resolve to cut costs. Wonderful.

The Oyo State Government has issued a call for more vigilance and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of a potential cholera outbreak in the State.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi gave the charge during her visit to a private hospital in Ibadan where two suspected cholera cases were receiving treatment.

Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi noted that Cholera is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces (poop) of an infected person. 

She explained that cholera is highly infectious and can cause severe acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration, adding that It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting, and fever.

The Commissioner described the two suspected cases in Ibadan, which had been tracked down to a private facility in the state as male workers at a construction site in Lekki Peninsula from Lagos State

She noted that there is no cause for alarm as the Ministry and other partners are on top of the situation. 

Dr. Oluwaserimi therefore reiterated the response efforts of the State Government through the Ministry at ensuring that the State does not record casualties from the cholera outbreak from Lagos State. 

According to her, the response efforts include; the deployment of LGA DSNO, promotional jingles in English and Yoruba running in different media houses, Immediate inauguration of the Cholera Technical Working Group, putting IDC Olodo into active mode for isolation and management, reaching out to all our surveillance rangers at the LGA level to intensify surveillance activities, re-posting of cholera case definition on the platform of community informants for updates, awareness, and sensitization of the gatekeepers and other well-established community structures. 

The Commissioner therefore appealed to all to be safety conscious and always drink water only from clean sources, practice good personal hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water. 

She maintained that anyone with the symptoms mentioned above should not partake in self-medication but present themselves at the nearest healthcare facility immediately.

E-signed:

Prince Dotun Oyelade,

Commissioner for Information and Orientation,

Oyo State.

 There is a miraculous deliverance coming for you now! Listen, you are not alone in this. Many have gone through more difficult situations and God faithfully delivered them. Joseph’s brothers envied, mocked, betrayed, disrobed and dumped him in the pit to die, but God miraculously rescued him. His trouble was as a result of the deep, grievous envy and hatred by his step brothers. They hated him because he was reporting their crimes to their father. They hated him because their father loved him. They hated him because their father made a special coat of many colours for him. Add he added salt to injury when he stupidly shared his God-given dreams about his destiny with them. God had shown him dreams that he would be exalted and blessed above his brothers and instead of him keeping it to himself, he began to broadcast it. Many of us destroy ourselves by talking too much or exposing so much to people and to our enemies. It is not everything you see that say out. Stop taking. There are things God will tell you to share with others and also there are some he will want you to keep to yourself and watch over. Joseph exposed so much and so early and almost paid with his life. Most people, including your good friends and loving relations may not be very happy to learn that you are divinely or humanly being tipped ahead of them. Shut your mouth if you want to live long! Did you hear me?

Nigerians have raised their concerns after President Tinubu lost his footing and fell at Eagle Square during the Democracy Day event. For many, this incident overshadowed the significance of the day and President Tinubu's speech. Such incidents are not completely uncommon, with similar events involving American Presidents Joe Biden and Gerald Ford and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Ordinarily, this should not be a source of concern unless it becomes a frequent occurrence.

During his speech, President Tinubu paid tribute to the heroes and heroines of democracy as Nigeria celebrates 25 years into its democratic journey. He also promised to protect the rights and freedom of citizens, reiterating that the current reforms, though challenging, are for the betterment of the country's future. Additionally, President Tinubu pledged to have a listening ear and said an executive bill on the New National Minimum Wage would soon be sent to the National Assembly.

While the President’s speech was filled with assurances and hope, Nigerians are asking for results and evidence of progress. As Nigeria marks 25 years of democracy, the critical question is how this has positively impacted the lives of Nigerians. The saying, "na democracy we go chop?" highlights the need for tangible benefits from democratic governance. The country, once known for saying, "Money is not the problem, but how to spend it," is now struggling to survive. Many ask;’’ how did we get here?’. 

Implementing an improved national minimum wage is seen as a crucial step toward alleviating the suffering of Nigerians. Apart from providing salary workers with decent pay, it is expected to stimulate the economy by increasing people’s purchasing power, and workers’ productivity. Business owners would benefit through stimulated demand and the government would receive more taxes. Long-term benefits to the nation include a reduction in crime and insecurity.

If the proposed Executive Order on “Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measures) Order 2024” is signed by the President, it will bring relief to both citizens and businesses. The proposal includes suspending import duties and other tariffs for six months on staple food items, raw materials for manufacturing, agricultural inputs, pharmaceutical products, poultry feeds, flour, and grain. While the government will lose some revenue, there are questions about what will happen after the six months.

The government should intensify its efforts to improve infrastructure, particularly in areas of transportation and power. A significant challenge remains insecurity, which has gradually crippled the country. Agriculture and mining, crucial sectors for economic diversification, are most affected. Nigerians are looking for immediate impact in job creation. With high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth, the government’s economic reforms must prioritize creating job opportunities. Improving citizens’ access to quality healthcare and education is also essential for national development.

Corruption continues to be a major obstacle to Nigeria's development. The government needs to increase its efforts to combat corruption, ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and that individuals involved in corrupt activities are held responsible. Transparent and accountable governance will help to establish public confidence and garner support for the government's initiatives.

As Nigeria celebrates 25 years of democracy, speeches alone are not enough. Nigerians desire results and improvements in their lives. They want to see more concrete actions and outcomes from the promises made. While celebrating the journey, the government must deliver on its commitments and ensure that democratic governance translates into better living conditions for all citizens.

The journey of democracy is ongoing, and while celebrating milestones is important, the true measure of success lies in the improved living standards of the people. Nigerians are not just looking for assurances; but for results that will make a real difference in their daily lives. The government must rise to the challenge and deliver on its promises to build a better future for Nigeria.

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.

In the evening of August 17, 2023, twelve Akwa Ibom persons were abducted along Sokoto-Zamfara expressway as they travelled to Sokoto. Eleven of them were young men and women reporting for their NYSC camp for the mandatory one-year service, while one was the driver of the Akwa Ibom Transport company-branded bus in which they were travelling. Months passed, and one by one, the captives were released as the abductors received huge sums of ransoms from the families of the abductees. By the middle of June, 11 abductees have been released. I have followed this story with the keenness of a brain surgeon. On November 27, I wrote a piece titled, ‘’100 days in captivity: the story of the abducted corps members’’. I followed it up with another one on December 23. I asked the authorities, including the NYSC management, to do all in their power to get them out. I argued that the government of Akwa Ibom State had a moral responsibility to intervene and facilitate their release since they were only going to serve their motherland. I also made efforts to reach the NYSC DG and hear from him on what the agency has been doing.

Last week, I met with one of the abducted girls. It was facilitated by one of her professors. Outwardly, she looks like any other young Akwa Ibom lady, but inside, she carries a scar, an emotional wound. She sobbed intermittently as she recalled the traumatic experience in vivid details. For obvious reasons, I will conceal her identity. Her story:

‘’I graduated in business administration in 2021 and was called up in 2023 for the NYSC scheme. I was posted to Sokoto State and I really looked forward to serving the country. I love the NYSC scheme; the khaki trousers and white vest; the parades; the drills; the opportunity to travel to other parts of the country, meet other Nigerians and see the vastness of the country and all that. We boarded the bus at the AKTC terminus in Uyo in the morning of August 16. We were all would-be corps members; some of us were heading to Abuja and Kano, but 11 of us were going to Sokoto. We arrived Abuja in the evening and spent the night at the AKTC terminus there. Early the following morning, August 17, we set off to Kano where some people disembarked; and eleven of us proceeded to Sokoto.

‘’Around 7.40 pm, on the Sokoto-Zamfara expressway, we ran into a roadblock mounted by kidnappers, on both sides of the expressway. They fired sporadically into the air and ordered all 12 of us (11 would-be corps members and the driver) out of the vehicle. As we were being marched into the bush, three of us escaped, leaving nine of us (four men and five women) with the captors. We walked all night in the bush till we got to their camp where there was a hut, but we slept in the open, on the ground, in the bush, in the rain and sunshine, day and night. I was released on December 7, after spending three months and two weeks with the kidnappers in captivity. I turned 27 in captivity on Friday, December 1. It was the worst experience of my life. We were beaten every day, mostly in the mornings, with iron rod; fed once in two or three days with rice which we cooked without ingredients – just white rice no salt; no pepper; nothing. We slept on the bare ground in the bush, in the same clothes that we had on when we were captured. We had our baths once in two or three weeks in a stream about a kilometer away. A lot of us fell sick and nearly died. I was very sick too.

On December 7, I was released with another girl - two of us. They led us back to the expressway. I was very sick and could barely walk. On the road, NYSC officials and military personnel were waiting for us. They came in armoured military vehicles, picked us and took us to a hospital in a nearby town where we spent two days before we were taken to a military hospital in Kaduna where we spent about three weeks.

 I enrolled in the NYSC scheme after I left the hospital and I am now serving at (name withheld). I understand that the bus driver was released early this year.

My father is late, but my mother is alive, dealing in petty business. My elder brother raised money, sold things and borrowed money to pay for the ransom. He travelled to Zamfara twice, bringing the money to designated point along the expressway for the abductors. We were released randomly as the kidnappers did not even identify the abductee on whose behalf ransoms were paid.

I thank God for keeping us alive and rescuing us from captivity. I still suffer from trauma. I feel unsafe and I’m always afraid, anxious and apprehensive. I salute the NGOs, activists and journalists like you who worked for our release. I have not been contacted by any official of Akwa Ibom State government, but I am grateful to the management of the NYSC for doing all they could to rescue us. I pray for the remaining person in captivity’’.

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, congratulates fellow Muslim faithful on the celebration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival, calling it, “a celebration of God’s love and mercy to mankind.”

The former Vice President, who is also the Waziri Adamawa sent his goodwill message to Muslims through a press statement on Saturday from his media office.

Atiku noted that the celebration of Eid, as stated in the scriptures, is not merely a fanfare but an admonition to the people to have forbearance and show compassion in every situation.

“The message of Eid al-Adha is to remind ourselves about the commandment of God to show love to one another and uphold peaceful interpersonal relationships.

“The essential purpose of that message is that we must put our trust in God almighty at all times.

“Even in the face of current hard times that many Nigerians are passing through, we must never fail to put trust in God and, more importantly, extend compassion and safety to the vulnerable people around us.

“What this means is that as we go about celebrating today, we must ensure that we extend good tidings of support and charity to one another, especially those in difficulties.”

The former Vice President equally sizes the opportunity of the Eid celebration to call on governments at all levels to be deliberate in initiating measures that will ease the hardship that confronts Nigerians on a basis.

“As we know that the essence of the celebration today is about a restoration of God’s mercy, it is thus incumbent on government at all levels to take a cue from the divine instruction and make sure that the hardships of the people are minimised,” Atiku said.

He also reminds Muslims in Nigeria and across the world to remember their responsibility of being good ambassadors of the religion by living their lives according to the practices and teachings of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

“The festivities that we are undertaking today is borne out of the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim and as also exemplified by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is thus our responsibility as Muslims to reflect on their examples in our lives by upholding the threshold of peace at all times, "Atiku also added.

He wishes every Muslim family a happy Eid celebration and prays for God’s protection and safety for everyone during and after the celebration.

Signed:

Atiku Media Office

Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has directed the resignation of Mr. Mamman Ahmadu from office as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

This is part of a larger reorganization effort in the public procurement system to reposition the agency for greater efficiency and transparency.

The Director-General is to hand over to the most senior officer in the Bureau, pending the appointment of a new Director-General.

The President thanks Mr. Ahmadu for his services and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)