When Will The World Defeat This Menace?

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

On May 31 every  year, 'World No Tobacco Day' (WNTD) is marked across the world. The theme for the 2015 campaign is: “Stop Illicit Trade Of Tobacco Products.” 

First observed in 1987 following a motion passed by a cabinet of the World Health Assembly (WHA) which received the tacit support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), May 31 has since then been devoted to global campaigns and efforts to significantly reduce (which, I believe, will eventually lead to the total elimination of) the production, distribution and consumption of tobacco which not only ruins the health of its users, but also exposes every other person to serious harm by polluting the air we all breathe.

This is most worrisome given, for instance, a recent study published in the British medical journal, Lancet, which contains the chilling discovery that second-hand smoking (that is, passive smoking by people who are in the same environment with smokers) claims about 600,000 lives annually. 

More disturbing is the revelation that a third of these unfortunate victims are hapless children who inhale poisonous cigarette fumes from their parents or other family members who are smokers. Even much more disturbing is the discovery that as much as six million people die every year from what is regarded as the “global tobacco epidemic.”

Every year, when the World No Tobacco Day  is observed across the world, some definite objectives are targeted. This year’s campaign focused on achieving the following:

Duke/Imoke Tango And The Death Of Honour

By Dan Amor

"If our credit be so well built,
So firm that it is not easy to be shaken
By calumny or insinuation,
Envy then commends us,
And extols us beyond reason
To those upon whom we depend,
Till they grow jealous,
And so blow us up
When they cannot throw us down"-  Clarendon.

Former governor of Cross River State (1999-2007), Mr. Donald Duke and his successor, Senator Liyel Imoke, who governed the state between 2007 and 2015 have been best of friends. They know how they and one of their own, Senator Gershom Bassey, came together and drew up a blueprint for the New Cross River  State prior to the current democratic civilian dispensation in 1999. 

*Duke handing over to Imoke in 2007 

(pix: crossriverwatch)

As progenitors of the intricate power calculus in the state, they know what arrangement they had behind closed doors as to who among the three musketeers would give the first shot at the governorship of the massively agrarian state. They also know how they have been helping one another from when they met up until today. As politicians, they know that crisis is part and parcel of the game of politics. And they have, individually or collectively, been in and out of crisis after crisis in the course of their involvement in the political engineering of the state. It is common knowledge in Cross River State that in 2007, Duke did not support Imoke to succeed him. He actively encouraged and financially supported his Deputy, Walter Nneji to run against Imoke, an aspirant whom Imoke roundly defeated at the primaries.

Yet, since the build up to the 2015 general elections, Duke's political temperature has had to rise to fever pitch time and time again. At a time when even erstwhile strange bedfellows were aligning and re-aligning for relevance, Duke who, at a time, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on whose platform he rose to power but was brought back by his benefactor, Imoke, was said to have openly lambasted the latter in a clandestine or cavalier manner. According to reports, Duke, against the backdrop of the 2015 political engineering, had an ulterior motive to hijack the party structure from Imoke who ideally was the leader of the party in the state as the then sitting governor. At a reception for Goddy Jedy Agba, a governorship aspirant, by a faction of the party in Calabar, the State capital, Duke was said to have derided Imoke for the crisis that rocked the State chapter of the party.

He was said to have queried the veracity of Imoke's claims on the development of the state vis-a-vis the economic health of the state under Imoke. As though he was out to disparage his successor or to challenge him to another round of political combat, Duke called Imoke a dictator without looking back at how he (Duke) behaved while in power including his relationship with his late Deputy, John Okpa. Like the proverbial monk who wants to have his cake and eat it, Donald Duke is once again in the news, for the wrong reason of promoting mischief. In a cover interview he granted Newswatch Times magazine dated July 2015, Duke gave a false narrative of his relationship with Imoke and his successor's role over the fate of his legacies. It was headlined "How Imoke Ruined My Efforts- Duke." As if that was not enough, Duke granted another interview to a new magazine, The Interview dated August 2015, a section of which was used to attack Imoke.

Nigeria: CBN's New Policy Is Harming Small Scale Businesses

By Okey Ndibe 

President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to outline the direction and goals of his economic policy. Even so, major players in the country’s economy are already feeling the impact of specific policy decisions as they are emerging. For a wide segment of these critical players, the impact is negative, even grave. 

Under Mr. Buhari’s watch, the Central Bank of Nigeria has banned access to foreign exchange to certain categories of importers, including those who bring in toothpicks, rice, vegetable oil and tomato paste. The bank has also placed severe impediments on other businesses, among them manufacturers that import machinery and other goods. 

The motives behind the bank’s recent monetary policies may seem sound—as former Governor Peter Obi recently told reporters in Awka, the capital of Anambra State—but Nigerians appear to be worse off for them. 

With the price of crude oil showing no signs of going north soon, Nigerians are in for a long season of hard times. We just came off an electoral season in which all manner of politicians mopped up dollars for their campaigns. If you factor in the flight of capital—as many foreign and local institutional investors, scared of post-election uncertainty, pulled out of the stock market—the picture is of an economy certain to pass through a significant phase of scarcity and painful adjustment. The pressure on the naira remains enormous, and has led to a significant drop in the currency’s value.

The CBN’s response has been to use monetary policies to defend the naira. In pursuit of this defensive stance, the bank has chosen the role of an umpire determined to favor some players in the economy while rigging out other players. It has given the red card to importers of certain commodities. The bank also made it significantly more difficult for Nigerians to make transactions with their domiciliary accounts. It prohibited cash deposits into such accounts, and set new limits for cash withdrawals from accounts. During foreign trips, the daily withdrawal limit is N60, 000 or $300, a rule that defeats the gain of joining the global financial village of electronic bankcards. 

NERC – Regulating In Whose Interest?

By Idowu Oyebanjo

What exactly is happening in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)? Whose interests are the leaders serving? Whose interest are the operators of the weak electrical network serving? And most importantly, in whose interest is the The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulating the industry?

*Sam Amadi, NERC Chairman 

(pix: leadership)

These questions have remained with us for a long time now. Each time one examines these questions, more questions come to the fore. Was Nigeria ready for privatisation? Does Nigeria realise that the management of electricity systems is highly technically intensive and would need individuals who know their onions to mediate the course? Is the regulator aware of its role to protect consumers from the regional monopoly of the operators? Why has it taken so long, after "unending" complaints from poor and already impoverished consumers, before NERC was forced by an order from the 8th Senate to carry out what is supposed to be its main function?

Why should consumers be pushed to the wall before a revolution occurs? Why should government wait until a huge crisis of discontent from millions of individuals - North, South, East or West, united in one voice, unleash mayhem on public utility and public officers because of years of neglect and mismanagement of funds meant to provide electricity for the nation? Why is Nigeria yet to have electricity which was discovered over a century ago?

It is widely accepted that regulation, where it is impossible to have competition, as is the case with the distribution of electricity through wires, is a veritable means of providing quality service at low cost to service users. This is true but so much depends on the regulator. The principal role of a regulator in a privatised electricity system is to cater for the interest of the consumers in such a way that operators can make reasonable profit without exploiting the consumers. In this regard, NERC has failed Nigeria woefully in recent times. Why do we say this?

There is ample evidence that NERC has orchestrated a villainous act against customers in the area of estimated billing and fixed charges. In effect, NERC has raised money for the distribution companies (DISCOs) from the pocket of already impoverished Nigerians. With NERC unable to account or monitor how much money has been "borrowed" from individual consumers, this act of treachery is daylight robbery.

Understanding Buhari In 100 Days

By Garba Shehu

THE ENORMOUSLY popular talk show, Berekete on WazobiaFM radio, Abuja station told the incredible, yet true story of the hardworking and respected school teacher somewhere in Plateau state who hanged himself.

He hadn’t been paid salary for seven straight months. He came home to find that no one had eaten and two of the children had medical prescriptions for which there was no money.

President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo 

He sneaked out without talking to anyone.

After a long while, news came home that he had strangely been caught with a stolen goat.

On his day in court, the teacher confessed to the offense. The reason he stole, he told the local judge, was that he hadn’t been paid for seven months and when he got home to see what he saw, he just couldn’t stand it.

The judge allowed him to go home on bail on self-recognition given, as he said, the good impression the entire village had of the otherwise respected teacher.

All were shocked to find his body dangling from tree the morning after. He couldn’t live with the shame.

In the recommendations and notes the Ahmed Joda transition committee presented to him as President -EIect, Muhammadu Buhari was informed that a section of the Fedaral government as well as 27 states hadn’t paid salaries, in some case for up to a year.

The Joda committee advised that this was a national emergency and should be treated as such.

It is on account of this that one of theactivities- please note the choice of this word:activities, not achievements- of President Muahammadu Buhari in these past three months is the settlement of unpaid salaries. This is going on right now.

Domiciliary Accounts: No People-Respecting Govt Lies To Its Citizens

By Patrick Dele Cole

The principal reason for the heedless pursuit of a cashless society is the belief that this will stop corruption. This is a Western notion which we have embraced fully – bringing lots of jobs to the West – the computers, the dispensing machines, the chips, pin, cards, etc. In the process it has changed banking beyond recognition. The bankers no longer want to see their clients: Their attitude is this: bring your money to the bank, but speak to the ATM. The rationale is fundamentally flawed in a developing economy.

The system – cashless – is presaged by an assumption that all of us have computer related devices – i.e. phones; that we are literate, that the ATMs work, that there is electricity and that ATMs are available nation wide.

If you live in the cities, you may be able to do all of this; ( in Europe and US they even have receiving ATMs where the traders can actually deposit end of day sales, thus we have the beginning of making high street Banks irrelevant and unnecessary.) Bottom line is to reduce cost of banking and increase profit for bank owners.

The question we should ask our Western minders is this: was corruption eradicated or reduced in their countries because their society was cashless? In Nigeria the outcome necessarily is mixed. In my village we have one bank, one ATM, no light therefore most of the time the ATM is not working. The traditional local bank manager is an encyclopedia of local custom, he knows who is coming up in society so that when CBN, for example, intervenes in agriculture the bank manager is able to interpret that intervention to potential clients who stand to benefit.

Such intervention in small scale agriculture may be the saving grace of Nigeria. But our suited CBN bureaucrats obviously have not created the agricultural intervention for the farmers but for a class of fast thinking, fast talking computer literate manipulators, who know how to fill the CBN forms without leaving Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri etc. These city sleek operators are the beneficiaries of nearly all CBN interventions whether for agriculture or transport etc.

Stop Media Trial Of Jonathan’s Regime, Former Ministers Tell Buhari

Text OF JOINT Statement By Ministers In The Jonathan Administration

“We, the Ministers who served under the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, have watched with increasing alarm and concern the concerted effort by the Buhari administration and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to condemn, ridicule and undermine the efforts of that administration, in addition to impugning the integrity of its individual members.

*Jonathan 

“While we concede that every administration has the right to chart its own path as it deems fit, we nevertheless consider the vilification of the Jonathan administration, to be ill-intentioned, unduly partisan, and in bad faith.

“The effort that has been made to portray each and every member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible, in an orchestrated and vicious trial by media, has created a lynch mentality that discredits our honest contributions to the growth and development of our beloved nation.

“We are proud to have served Nigeria and we boldly affirm that we did so diligently and to the best of our abilities. The improvements that have been noticed today in the power sector, in national security, and in social services and other sectors did not occur overnight. They are products of solid foundations laid by the same Jonathan administration.

“Contrary to what the APC and its agents would rather have the public believe, the Jonathan did not encourage corruption; rather it fought corruption vigorously within the context of the rule of law and due process. For the benefit of those who may have forgotten so soon, it was the Jonathan administration that got rid of the fraud in fertilizer subsidies, which had plagued the country for decades. This helped to unleash a revolution in agricultural production and productivity.

President Buhari’s Politics Of Exclusion

By Ikechukwu Amaechi

Let me make a confession from the outset. I have always been a fan of President Muhammadu Buhari and I didn’t hide my admiration for him.

On the four occasions he contested for the Presidency, I voted for him except in 2007. And that was because I left the country late 2006 for my Chevening Scholarship programme at Cardiff University, United Kingdom and returned after the 2007 polls. Had I been around, I would have voted for him.

Not only did I vote for him, I wrote articles extolling what I thought were his unassailable qualities.

*Buhari 

Yes, no man is a saint and I never deluded myself that Buhari was one. In any case, angels and saints don’t populate this space with us. They populate the outer space called heaven where, we are told, they are in perpetual camaraderie with God.

But if there was any former Nigerian leader I thought was inherently a good man, it was Buhari. I saw him as a man of integrity, incorruptible – and a man who believes in Nigeria and the greatness it can aspire to and, in fact, achieve if all its potentials are harnessed and aggregated.

I believed Buhari when he said he was a changed man, a democracy convert who has no place in his heart for vendetta. I looked forward to a man who would be president of all Nigerians and not president of only those areas where he got his fabled 95 per cent of the votes by hook or crook.

I looked forward to a man who would transcend the limitations of partisan politics, who would stop being the presidential candidate of a political party with all the shenanigans, to being a statesman, president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and father of all.

His age, 72, qualifies him to be exactly that – father of the nation.

I expected so much from Buhari, not the least a man who would govern Nigeria and deal with fellow citizens on the basis of equity, justice and fair play. But I must confess again that Buhari has greatly disappointed me.

How Practical Is The Practical Nigerian Content Forum?

By Harrison Declan

The Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) is an annual event that brings together government and industry stakeholders to discuss and debate key issues surrounding local content in Nigeria.

The event started in 2010 the year of the Nigerian Content Act, and is delivered in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the body established by the Nigerian Content Act to enforce the provisions of the Act in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The primary organiser of the event is CWC Group, a UK based global company that has for over a decade been “providing top-quality information and opportunities for governments and industry players to come together to promote commerce and develop relevant skills”.

While it is not disputable that the event being organised by CWC is an applaudable event, it is pertinent to ask if this event that showcases the extent of the success of the Nigerian Content Act can be organised in violation of the spirit and letter of the Act, in other words, how practical is the Practical Nigerian Content Forum?

It is worthy of note that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act was signed into law in 2010, and since then has continued to guide and guard the development of local content in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Reports from the regulator, and feelers from some of the indigenous oil companies indicate that so far, the Act has been successful in encouraging development of local content, though a lot more has to be done in terms of enforcement. The Act contains elaborate provisions which emphasises on the use of local content in all facets of operations in the oil and gas industry.

It is thus ironical that the event to showcase the success of this Act is being organised in stark violation of the provisions of the Act, and more ridiculously, with the solidarity of the body supposed to enforce the provisions of the Act.

The Semantics Of 'First Ladyship' In Nigeria

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye

When I saw the headline in a national newspaper last weekend indicating that the federal government had “abolished the office of First Lady,” I hastened to read the report thinking that President Muhammadu Buhari has finally gratified the wishes of many Nigerians by terminating the overly wasteful, distractive and illegal position usually assumed by the spouses of our rulers.  

*Aisha Buhari 

Anyone familiar with my writings would easily recall that I have remained unrepentantly opposed to that illegal “office” behind which many spouses of Nigerian presidents, governors and even council chairmen hide to squander public resources, wield obscene influence and almost run a parallel administration. You could, therefore, imagine my excitement on seeing a headline that seemed to suggest that an end has finally been put to the whole revolting glamorization of illegality and frivolity.  

But I was brutally disappointed. What Buhari did was merely to “abolish” Six and replace it with Half-Dozen. His wife will now assume the “Office of the Wife of the President” instead of that of the “First Lady.” It is, however, doubtful if a mere name-change would introduce the slightest hint of departure from the notorious preoccupations that have over the years distinguished the contraption referred to as “First Ladyship” in Nigeria.  Perhaps, we were all expected to applaud this new chapter in the book of “Change,” but if you ask me, I think that somebody is merely trying to imply that we are a country of numbskulls, quite incapable of realizing when we have been fooled.    

Nigeria Economy Worse In 90 Days Of APC – PDP

…Says Nigerians Have Been Scammed With Empty Promises

Press Release 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decries as alarming, the damage so far done on the nation’s economy by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) since it took office at the center, three months ago.

The party said the shambolic state of the nation’s economy within the period, which represents the worst in the nation’s contemporary history, is a direct fallout of uncertainty created by the inability of the Buhari-led government to chart a clear-cut economic policy, worsened by abuse of regulations, and flagrant violation of constitutional provisions.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Saturday said instead of gains, official reports show that the last three months under the APC-led government have brought a sudden decline in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with attendant losses and hardship to the citizens, while the government embarks on propaganda of imaginary achievements in addition to attempts to foist harsh economic regime to cover its ineptitude.

“If not for crass incompetence or a possible ulterior motive to subjugate Nigerians for selfish reasons, what else explains the adamant stance of this administration in running a government without the statutory components of a full cabinet and precise fiscal policy direction, even when the negative consequences of this strange totalitarian approach are taking serious toll on the economy and the polity in general?

“Whereas the APC led government is busy with its propaganda of imaginary achievements, official reports from the National Bureau of Statistics show that that the economy is being grounded with Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plunging with about 2.35%, while job creation has dropped by 69 percent.

How Long Will President Buhari’s Intoxicant Work?

By Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye 
Strange and worrisome as the decision by the Buhari administration to limit its ongoing probe of public officers and institutions to the era of the regime it took over from is, not a few Nigerians are encouraged by the fact that a bold attempt to expose shameless looting of public treasury and allow the law to punish those implicated in the mindless plunder of the country’s resources is indeed happening. At least, it is being drummed into everyone’s consciousness once more that stealing of any kind is a most revolting and self-debasing crime which only the scum and scoundrels of the society are attracted to. It should by no means be witnessed, accommodated or, worse, celebrated and glamorized within the bounds of civilized and decent society as several members of Nigeria’s ruling elite have brazenly done for many years now.

*Buhari

We have heard allegations of witch-hunting and all that, but the pertinent question to ask is: are you guilty of what you are being accused of? Did you loot the amount of money you are being accused of carting away?  In fact, it is most insulting that any person would want to solicit our sympathy after callously stealing what belongs to all of us and impoverishing the majority.

The submission that many of you looted the treasury but only a couple of you are being singled out for investigation is lame, even nauseating and grossly offensive. The point is that you looted public funds and today is your day, so face it! Tomorrow may be the turn of your partners in crime. Let the process just begin. We should, however, not rule out the possibility that along the line, the anti-corruption “war” may eventually get out of hand and grow to overwhelm even its initiators and supervisors and kick-start a far-reaching housecleaning and reclamation process where discrimination may no longer be possible. Already, the signs are embarrassingly showing up everywhere and it remains to be seen how long Buhari would remain comfortable with his current preference of harassing some alleged thieves and hobnobbing with others, even the real godfathers in the business. 

 

But this is not even the main worry. There is a growing concern at several informed quarters now about whether President Muhammadu Buhari is truly sincere about fighting corruption to the ground or is the whole thing not merely another means to some end!

Author Profile

Ugochukwu Ejinkeonye, a regular contributor to this blog; Contact: scruples2@hotmail.com; twitter: @ugowrite 

The One Trilion Naira Mischief

Press Release 

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report captioned, "Alleged N1tn diversion: Senate to probe Lamorde’s alleged diversion of N1tn," which appeared in The Punch Newspaper of Monday August 24, 2015 containing salacious claims of corruption against the person of the chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde.

*Lamorde 

(pix: dailytimes)

The EFCC should ordinarily not dignify the publication with a response as the motives of the promoters and their media allies are to impugn the integrity of the EFCC boss with fabricated stories of corruption.
However the Commission is constrained to respond, to expose the motive behind the sinister plot. In the first instance, claims of a N1trillion corruption in the EFCC is infantile and assaults the sensibilities of all reasonable stakeholders in the anti- corruption fight.

Even if the EFCC had not returned a kobo of recovered assets in its 12 years existence in addition to the yearly appropriated funds from the federation account, it will be nowhere near a trillion naira. This clearly exposes the mission of the so called petitioner as nothing more than mischief, designed to smear Lamorde.  

2015 WAEC Results - A Reflection Of The Nigerian Educational System!

By Idowu Oyebanjo 

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has just released the results of the 2015  May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the results as expected, "experiencing a free fall under gravity", pointed in the "right" direction - Downward! Why? Quality Education has become history in Nigeria, especially in the Public Institutions of Learning. Despite the myriads of "Private Schools" springing up, the situation is going from bad to worse.

*Buhari 

Yeye, my great Grand-mother, always said to me while growing up as a boy in Ikogosi-Ekiti, "Ti Iwaju O ba se lo, eyin a se pada si", meaning, if it becomes impracticable for you to move in the forward direction, it must be possible to take a reverse". I think this is dependent on the route. There is clearly no alternative route to getting a sum right than doing it right; starting from, and according to, basic principles. Therefore, a mirror reflection on how the system of education was before our "uncommon" era is in order.

Teaching was, and still is, a profession for the erudite in any given society. As such, Teachers must be respected, well remunerated and encouraged. That was the case in the golden era of The Nigerian Educational System. Teachers were paid comparatively higher than most workers and were among the few individuals who had bicycles or cars. To qualify to teach, you must know your subject well enough and must pass requisite examinations unaided by examination mal-practices. Yes, Teachers were the "Alphas" and the" Omegas". They were feared and respected because they represented the needed back-up for Parents when their children proved stubborn at home. Teaching was a profession of well-disciplined individuals. Undertaking Teacher training made you aware of this. Teacher Training was an on-going exercise. From graduation to becoming a Teacher, throughout the School Term, and some good part of the School Holiday, a Teacher was required to undertake a form of training or the other. Every weekend within a School term, a Teacher had to prepare notes of planned lessons for the week ahead. This afforded the opportunity to prepare for the needs of each member of a sizeable class. The notes of lessons would be critically assessed by the Head Teacher or anyone designated. 

Useful comments were made by the reviewing Teacher and where appropriate, re-submission of planned work may be demanded if there was evidence of gross unpreparedness for the Lessons of the Week. This way, it would be easy to spot, not for victimisation, the training needs of individual Teachers to be saddled with the responsibility of shaping the future of the lives of the children, the nation! The Head Teacher would often be a Teacher too and certainly not a money collector nor a Finance Director!

Why Next Senate President Should Be Christian

 By Dan Amor
At a time when the alleged acrimonious campaign to Islamize Nigeria by an emerging power bloc is almost gaining currency, few members of the public, the Press, or the political class have never actually presumed — in context or in full— the hidden agenda of the new clique of powerful anti-Christian elements whose ultimate design is to implement the secret accord they had with their sponsors using Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a pastor, as dress rehearsal. The clamour by a section of the political class to push for the emergence of a Muslim as the new Senate President in spite of the its inelegant religious statement since the President-elect General Muhamadu Buhari is a Muslim and the sure bait of another Muslim emerging from the Northeast as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, flies in the face of rationality.

*Saraki: Senate President 

This dangerous maneuver puts at risks, to say the least, nothing less than the survival of the structure of our government as set in place by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which in its wisdom recognizes the Federal Character and ethno-religious paradigms of our Union. If this terrible gamble scales through, what now passes for constitutional theory in our most prestigious law schools, in many of our courts, and in much of liberal society is not legal theory at all, but an egalitarian political agenda which no elected legislature will enact, thereby prompting an elite intellectual and political minority to use the courts as a means of fighting the imposition of religious agendas.