“I have read it several times that life is not always fair – but it has really never been fair. The poor cannot pull themselves out of poverty; they need the state. But the state does not think so. That is why some crazy English language users coined phrases that mock the poor. One of them would challenge the unfortunate to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” when it is practically impossible to do so. Try doing it – hold the strap of your boot and pull yourself up. I wish you luck. The poor in Nigeria has become, in the words of Sembene Ousmane, “a leftover from a vanished time, slowly being forgotten.” No one thinks the poor deserves to live. That is why the government of small-big men could not fight the big thieves but are training their guns at street hawkers. If you’ve ever watched corn sellers at their ‘job’ literally getting their fingers burnt for peanuts, you won’t call them by names their parents did not give them. It is a ‘work’ no one would do happily. Their sunken life is in the sadness of their sad eyes. One hundred percent of persons hawking on the street are victims of life and its contradictions. It is not like they prayed to be beaten ceaselessly day and night by weather and its inclemency. But it is said that what the world has inflicted you with is what they deploy in mocking you. A vicious band of locusts has siezed Nigeria in the name of democracy. The powerful have been flip-flopping in power for years to the sorrow of all; they’ve serially changed their masqueraders with tougher whips of many fingers. They have upped the ante in implementing policies that are ruinous to homes and damning to dreams. They now mock their victims.”

The only reason the poor have not started eating the rich in Nigeria is, perhaps, because this is the season of corn. And, I believe I am right. Check your neighbourhood. Except you are in this government, you would know that things are bad, very bad for every home. Every staple food is priced beyond the pocket of the poor. With famine wrecking the urban working class and the toiling village yokel, corn –roasted and boiled – has come as a life-saver. But dealing in corn has been pronounced an act of ‘terrorism’ by Nigeria’s new Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Mr Nyesom Wike. He announced in Abuja some days ago that he would sack corn sellers from the streets of the Federal Capital because they were criminals acting as informants to criminals. He said: “People selling corn will drop their waste indiscriminately and these are the things that cause insecurity. Criminals come to buy (corn) and use the opportunity to spy and give information to criminals. It is imperative we clear street hawkers.” It was a sweeping statement, very unfair, reckless, and even rash and incautious.

The same corn sellers that were the toast of politicians during street campaigns just a few months ago are Wike’s new felons in town. My people would gasp at what this minister said and say poor melon gave them delicious ẹ̀gúsí soup with which they ate their pounded yam, its peelings (eepo ẹ̀gúsí) have now become a taboo forbidden to be seen early in the morning (A fi ẹ̀gúsí jẹ iyán tán, èpo rẹ̀ wá di oun àìjí rí). When Wike said “it is imperative we clear street hawkers”, he didn’t apply his mind to the fact that what he wanted to “clear” are not just Marullus’s “blocks…stones…worse than senseless things.” They are human beings, the broken of all generations, many with dead dreams. The street trader we see daily also desire life in its better form but life happened to them. The sun rises and sets on their heads; the rains start and end on their brows. It is worse for the roasters of corn; their season is the rainy season and, yet, their embers must be protected from being quenched by the rains. Just as the scarred palm trees of Ijaiye forever tell tales of Ogunmola’s war, the charred fingers and palms of these unfortunate Nigerians sing the elegy of their unending wear and tear on the streets of life. Yet, we threaten them with eviction without giving them alternatives to where they are.

Was it not condition that made crayfish bend? If the street traders had options, Wike wouldn’t find them on the Abuja street. There is nothing cheery in being on the roadside or on the road, running up and down like the unwell. The next time you see hordes of hawkers running after your bulletproof Lexus, look into their eyes. If your eyes still see clearly, you should see sadness in its raw form in those sockets. When they sell to you, they smile and thank you. But the smile is always cold and rancid (erín kí korò). They work very hard but earn very little. Some get knocked down, maimed or killed. Yet, there is no end to their toil and struggle. The state has long left them behind in their struggle against want. We think their existence dents the beauty of our cities; we say investors won’t come if we don’t lock up the poor. A friend looked at everything happening around us and wondered why the state loved to rub salt into the injury of the people. I told him that salt complements injury in Nigeria. It is, in fact, the state’s preferred palliative for the injured.

Instead of Wike criminalising the poverty of Abuja’s street traders, his focus should be on what to do to get them sufficiently empowered to trade in safer places. Democracy is preferred because it promises life in its better form. It is not preferred because it allows people to perfunctorily vote periodically. That is why leaders in a democracy are counseled to treat people with respect and seek their welfare at all times. The Kikuyu of Kenya say that “to lead is not to run roughshod over people.” Leaders should not be the archetypal Shakespearean “hard hearts, … cruel men of Rome” who think they have crossed the river of life and should be disdainful of the people downstream. We have them in Nigeria. They do and say what pumped their ego. They even triumphantly rebuke their old mates on the other side of life. There are consequences. When everything failed in 1793 France, including the people’s revolution, and leaders became covetous and rude and poverty was perpetuated, renowned political philosopher and one of the leaders of the French Revolution, Jean Jacques Rousseau, made a fiery speech in which he warned that “when the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.” A commentator said “the rich” that Rousseau was referring to was anyone in power. US’ John F. Kennedy had a similar warning for big men who appropriate democracy and its dividends to themselves and their cronies and ditch the people: “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

I have read it several times that life is not always fair – but it has really never been fair. The poor cannot pull themselves out of poverty; they need the state. But the state does not think so. That is why some crazy English language users coined phrases that mock the poor. One of them would challenge the unfortunate to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” when it is practically impossible to do so. Try doing it – hold the strap of your boot and pull yourself up. I wish you luck. The poor in Nigeria has become, in the words of Sembene Ousmane, “a leftover from a vanished time, slowly being forgotten.” No one thinks the poor deserves to live. That is why the government of small-big men could not fight the big thieves but are training their guns at street hawkers. If you’ve ever watched corn sellers at their ‘job’ literally getting their fingers burnt for peanuts, you won’t call them by names their parents did not give them. It is a ‘work’ no one would do happily. Their sunken life is in the sadness of their sad eyes. One hundred percent of persons hawking on the street are victims of life and its contradictions. It is not like they prayed to be beaten ceaselessly day and night by weather and its inclemency. But it is said that what the world has inflicted you with is what they deploy in mocking you. A vicious band of locusts has siezed Nigeria in the name of democracy. The powerful have been flip-flopping in power for years to the sorrow of all; they’ve serially changed their masqueraders with tougher whips of many fingers. They have upped the ante in implementing policies that are ruinous to homes and damning to dreams. They now mock their victims.

Women in hijab recently protested against hunger in Rigasa, Kaduna State. I was told the powers-that-be in the locality invited them and they were warned to stop saying they were hungry. Nigeria is not a democracy. It is an odious blend of heartless oligarchy and the worst form of plutocracy. An oligarchy is a small group of people having control of a country; plutocracy is government by the wealthy. The operators of the Nigerian system are overfed men who wantonly misapply Cicero’s “hunger is the best sauce” quote in their engagements with the poor. They  have desertified the nation’s loam. Yet, they insist they have done well and deserve to be thanked. These are very delicate times; the people are hungry and restless. Government officials should carefully weigh their words and actions in relating with the poor. Not every Nigerian will emulate the epicurean patience of the country farmer, Ofellus, in Horace’s Satire. The character’s farm, his only source of sustenance, is taken away from him by the rich but he is seen celebrating the retention of what he calls the source of his happiness. Street trading is a reaction to lack of opportunity for better ways to earn decent living. Clearing street traders from Abuja cannot therefore be the solution to street trading. It will not even succeed. Wike’s predecessors serially sent them away, confiscated their wares and threw them into misery. But they came back because Nigeria has no place for them outside the streets. Their coming back is not pig-headed stubbornness or resistance. It is the resilience you find in every black man where suffering is everyday experience and the options are limited.

Across Africa, the people are hungry but their governments offer them threats and insults as pain killers. It didn’t start today but how it will end is what worries me. Mark G. Wentling is the author of ‘Africa Memoir: 50 Years, 54 Countries, One American Life.’ His engagement with Africa started in 1970 helping where he could in finding solutions to the continent’s existential issues. His bio says he is still involved in interrogating why Africans suffer and smile as the years roll by. Writing for ‘American Diplomacy’ in March 2014, Wentling recalled his experience of The Great Sahelian drought of the early 1970s and described Africans as “experts at buying time.” And that precisely is who we are. The article entitled ‘Africa’s Hunger’ contains a heart-wrenching account of the author’s encounter with a group of starving women and children at “a vast barren zone 200 kilometers north of Niamey, Niger Republic.” Wentling recalled that these people’s animals had died and “they had expended all their few assets. All the men in their clan had long ago migrated south to the coast or to Nigeria in search of work. Many of their children had already died from malnutrition and exposure, and more were likely to die in the days to come. All their old people had already died. They were the survivors, living on the edge of survival in a desolate place where all their usual drought-coping mechanisms had been exhausted and death was a likely prospect.” He offered to help move them farther south where their chances of survival were much better; where they could join other drought-affected people who were being assisted by aid agencies. Wentling said they refused, defiantly saying: “We prefer to die here in the place of our ancestors. At least, if our husbands, brothers and sons return, they will know where to find our bodies.”

When will suffering end in Africa? The American ended his ‘Africa’s Hunger’ piece asking the same question but answering it with words of frustration: “After over four decades of working in every hungry corner of Africa, I should have some answers, but I don’t. Quite the contrary, I have more questions than when I first set foot on the continent in 1970. Way back then, I expected hunger in Africa to be a thing of the past by now, but clearly that is far from the case. At this late stage in my life, I am at a loss and feel deeply the failure to feed Africans, particularly the children. My conscience suffers because so many children (40% in some countries) are permanently impaired by stunting. I believe the conscience of the world should also suffer. I am worn out and feeling like a casualty of Africa’s ‘hunger wars.’ I am not sure of what needs to be done to end hunger in Africa…”

It is not only the American that is frustrated and unsure; we who live in the crisis are far more confused. The people have no clues; their governments are clueless.

Tell Wike to hold his peace with the street traders. Even before he chases the corn sellers away from Abuja, they will soon disappear from where they are. Their survival is seasonal; the last harvest of what they sell is what they are selling. The farms are drying up. The worries are really very little for the trader. It is the government that should be scared of what is coming. What will the people eat after this corn season? The immediate preoccupation of any government person today in Nigeria should be how to tackle the ravages of poverty and starvation. It is careless bourgeois talk to boast of sweeping the poor off the streets. The people are powerless, hungry and deprived but the government offers threats instead of hope. What will the people eat going forward? Brooklyn, United States-based writer, Talia Lavin, warned in November 2019 that “revolution is usually born of an authentic powerlessness and privation.” It was her summation of this age that Rousseau’s “eat the rich” is becoming a literal consideration for the poor. We should be worried — and scared.

Touching down at the bustling Beijing Capital International Airport, you cannot miss that China has again opened to the world after COVID-19 shut down, nor will you miss the pervasive positive spirit and a sense of endless possibilities in the atmosphere. If you have any doubt, a 30-minute drive from the airport to Changping District, North of Beijing, tells the story of a country’s metamorphosis, ancient roots, and what pragmatic leadership can do. I am a guest of the Chinese government from the 20th of August till the 2nd of September. It has proven to be a unique opportunity to understand Chinese leadership thinking and the nation’s development trajectory. It has allowed me to do contrastive leadership and political models between China and Nigeria to see if there are vital lessons to be learnt and applied in Nigeria to accelerate our socioeconomic development.

Although different in many ways, China and Nigeria represent giants in their respective continents (Asia and Africa}. They symbolise the hopes and aspirations of their people in a highly competitive and polarised world dominated for over 500 years by the West. The story of how China got it right and has become the quintessential alternative economic and political power, whilst Nigeria has, at best, remained stagnant over the past decades, is fascinating. No doubt, a multiplicity of factors contributed to this dichotomous and contrasting outcome, which will merit elaborate analysis at an appropriate forum.

We must delve into their past to understand China’s and Nigeria’s present. First, let us look at China. Chinese civilisation dates to the first Chinese dynasty, Xia, founded in 2070 BC. From the period of this dynasty, through the Middle Han dynasty in the 3rd century to the North Song dynasty of the 10th to 13th century, ancient China was credited with four great inventions: gunpowder, paper making, compass, and moveable-type printing. Ancient China also grew in economic power, constituting 26% of the world GDP in 206 BC, 58% in the 7-9th century, and 60% of the global GDP in the 10-13th century. Like all ancient civilisations, ancient China declined in power and influence and was invaded by Western forces and Japan in the 18th century, which influenced the Chinese psyche for generations. This history of past economic development, though not a predictor of future economic status, mirrors hope, possibilities and what could be achieved with visionary leadership and excellent governance structures for China. Although almost on its knees by the middle of the 20th century, China came up with a way of working out of the dungeons of lack of productivity and economic quagmire.

The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, led by Mao Zedong, opened a new chapter in Chinese history. From the ashes of the Korean War, the PR of China effectively began economic reconstruction with the first five-year development plan as the foundation. Within 1953-1957, the visionary Chinese leaders established a solid foundation for its industrial renaissance. The scheme delivered over 10,000 large-scale industrial projects covering the construction of 250,000 km of railways, aviation, power generation, automobile production, precision equipment, steel pipes, and radio.

1978 marked a turning point in the development of China. Deng Xiaoping opened China to the outside world, introduced foreign direct investment, and legalised private investment. The private sector-led economy led to the establishment of a socialist market economy system and the development of capital markets and stock exchanges. The government privatised almost all small and medium-sized state-owned enterprises and lifted price control over most products. But this pragmatic approach is only the beginning of a phenomenal development. This unprecedented and rapid economic development reflects the quality of Chinese practical and visionary leadership.

The leaders of China centred the emancipation of China on economic growth. They pursued a vision of a new China using the instrumentality of economic growth as a strategy to power a great nation. A study of three of China’s most consequential leaders revealed a remarkable pattern contributing to their phenomenal prosperity. The three leaders are Mao Zedong, popularly called Chairman Mao, who is the architect of a unified China and the People’s Republic of China. The second is Deng Xiaoping, the champion of reform, which opened China to the world in 1978. Lastly, Xi Jinping is the father of modernisation and the current leader of China. He is leading the digital China: digital industrialisation, industrial digitisation, digital governance, and data ‘valurisation’. All three leaders share five common traits: their subscription to the power of ideas, strategic thinking, pragmatism, discipline, and resilience in sticking to a clear vision. Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward and Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms transformed China’s economy, and subsequent leaders have prioritised economic growth and development to maintain social stability. Xi Jinping also follows a similar path of economic prosperity as a pathway to social peace.

China is unarguably the world’s manufacturing hub. It is a product of vision, strong leadership, discipline, meticulous planning, hard work, and resilience. Powered by visionary leadership, China is focused on modernisation and digital civilisation today. They achieved zero poverty society in 2021, number 2 in research and development globally in the past five years and above USD 3 trillion in reserves since 2011. The power of visionary leadership does not submit to excuses.

In contrast, historically, Nigeria was a product of colonisation and cannot lay serious claim to historic economic progress of any significance in Africa. It is a fact that Nigeria suffered the double whammy of slavery and colonialism and was just a property for subjugation by Britain. Its fight in the pre-colonial period was a fight for survival and statehood. Having been conquered culturally, religiously, and economically, Nigeria was gasping for air to breathe when Britain gave independence. The independence, by all ramifications, was just a paper victory, and the fight for freedom and prosperity started in 1960 when our leaders were clamouring for the dignity of the black man.

Post-1960s, much remained the same concerning leadership outcomes. Our leadership quality has even worsened and has since plummeted. Except for a handful, each subsequent leader plunges Nigeria more into the abyss. And Nigeria is in dire need of visionary leaders that will transform it like the Chinese leaders did to China. Who are our innovative and visionary leaders in the mould of Chairman Mao, Deng Xiaoping, and Xi Jinping? Who among our leaders has created a vision of economic growth based on productivity and put in place the structures and systems that will make it work? Unlike most Nigerian leaders, most Chinese leaders are long-term thinkers. Developing strategic thinking involves thinking about more significant macro issues, unlike the micro focus many tend to take in Nigeria. Strategic thinking means seeing how the world, the country and the broader economy will evolve and function. It also includes thinking long-term in contrast to near-term, our trademark in Nigeria.

Notably, in 1978, when China laid the foundations of economic emancipation, Nigeria’s per capita income was better than the Chinese. China’s per capita income was around $155 to $175. Nigeria’s per capita income was around $350 to $400. Nigeria’s per capita income was double that of China. In 2022, China’s per capita was $12,814, while Nigeria’s was $2184. This is over 10,000 USD more than Nigeria’s. It beggars belief! Since 1978, China’s per capita has increased by over 50 times by 2022, whilst Nigeria’s has increased marginally by five times. We don’t need to look further to identify the cause of this. What is our shared or common vision? China, from 1978, focused on Better Life and Prosperity for all. Leaders and strategy have changed, but every leader has yet to abandon this vision. We had Development plans at various times: Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, Vision 2010, Vision 2035, and Vision 2050. What happened to all our long- and medium-term plans? Why did they fail, and did the Chinese succeed?

China’s economic growth is a multifaceted force reshaping the world order in complex ways. It challenges existing norms and global power structures, creates new opportunities in business, supply chain, technology and innovation. China’s growing influence has forced countries, especially in Africa, to navigate a changing geopolitical and resource control landscape. How these implications unfold will depend on the strategies and policies adopted by China and other countries in response to this evolving global dynamic. China’s hard and soft power is evident, and the world has taken notice. Besides, China is vying for global economic pre-eminence with the US but has no economic comparative advantage yet. However, the leadership factor puts it at a strategic advantage because of its unique one-party authoritarian model that aggressively pushes for growth and defies the hitherto philosophy that economic advancement is impossible outside the Western democratic and capitalist model.

Nigeria needs more focused economic planning, a clear and achievable vision and goals, and a clear understanding of its position in the emerging New World Order. In this Order, capital and economic development is premium. The core lesson from the China experiment is that pragmatic and visionary leadership makes a tremendous difference in economic growth. Nigeria needs such now more than ever. Our new president has a date with history to map a course that makes him such a leader. History beckons.

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), says the reduction in the number of days civil servants appear physically at work is not economically beneficial to the country.

Tommy Okon, ASCSN national president said this in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Okon said that the new development would also affect the productivity of the workforce.

It could be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on May 29th, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, prompting economic challenges for majority of Nigerians.

This led to some civil servants cutting down the number of days they appear at work physically.

According to Mr Okon, Nigeria is not ripe for such system, where people can sit at home and work steadily.

“The issues of poor electricity or internet facilities will naturally pose challenges to such working pattern.

“Nigeria is not there yet because we don’t even have the power, no electricity, the internet facilities and the rest of it.

“We are used to physically being present in the workplace, where things are done. That is the culture of work in Nigeria,”he said.

“Also, when you look at the future of work in other developed countries, yes, we can adopt work at home, we can adopt artificial intelligence, we can adopt every other means,”he said.

He added these can not be adopted in the Nigeria context or African extension, because we are trying to come out of the woods and culture and environment are different.

According to him, going by the developmental issues in labour management relations, there are three basics E’s which are energy, environment, and the economy and they must be present in order to achieve developmental milestones.

ASCSN president also said the palliative programme being mulled by the federal government in view of the subsidy removal policy to cushion the hardship was ‘over’ delayed.

According to Mr Okon, salaries of civil servants have remained static despite the subsidy crisis that has impacted much on livelihood of Nigerians.

“What is the take home, if you have removed fuel subsidy for three month now and the take home of the federal civil servant remains static, there is nothing coming and nothing going out, it a problem,” he said.

He also alleged that the 40 per cent peculiar allowance that the union canvassed for and got from the last administration, was now being taxed.

“We have sent a memo to government that allowance should not be taxed, so that tells you that those managing the economy do not understand how things work,” he said.

He however, called on the governments at all level to ensure proper distribution of the palliatives given to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the country.

He also urged them to setup implementation committees both at federal and states level with chairmen to ensure proper accountability for the palliatives distribution.

(NAN)

Nigeria’s external reserves dropped by $915m after the Central Bank of Nigeria officially floated the naira and liberalised the foreign exchange market.

CBN data obtained on Sunday showed that the reserves, which stood at $34.66bn as of June 14, 2023, when the naira was floated, fell to $33.74bn as of August 24, 2023.

The naira value had closed at 471.67/$ at the Investor & Exporter forex window on June 13, a day before the CBN announced the naira float.

Following the development, the local currency fell to over 700/$ at the I&E window.

The naira has been trading at over 700/dollar since then.

At the parallel market on Saturday, the naira was bought and sold for 900/$ and 915/$.

Pounds Sterling was bought and sold for N1160 and N1180, according to Bureau de Change operators who spoke with The PUNCH.

At the I&E window, the naira commenced trading on Friday at 773.29/$ and hit a high of 799.9/$ before closing at 778.42/$.

At the last Monetary Policy Committee meeting, the acting Governor, CBN, Mr Folashodun Shonubi, had said, “Accretion to external reserves remains weak while foreign exchange demand pressure persists.”

While noting that the apex bank would save the naira from further slides, he vowed to clamp down on operations of illegal Bureau de Change operators.

The development came after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said it was taking a $3bn loan from Africa Import and Export Bank, as a temporary measure to improve dollar supply in the country.

The President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria, Aminu Gwadabe, had said the CBN would be going tough on illegal operators in their efforts to stabilise the naira.

“At a sensitisation engagement between the CBN and a few of our compliance officers across the zones, the apex bank reiterated that by August 31, 2023, any breaches on the allowable margin of -2.5 per cent and +2.5 per cent on the average weighted rate of I&E closing rate, rendition of returns and payment of penalties, if any, will lead to revocation of the operating licence of the operator,” he said.

The Economic Community of West African States has demanded a shorter transition from the junta in Niger.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, told the Ulamas during a meeting with them on Thursday that the three-year transition proposed by the military leaders was unacceptable to the regional body.

A member of the Islamic clerics who met with the President, the National Missioner, Ansar-udeen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, disclosed this to The PUNCH in a phone interview on Saturday.

The Ulamas had held a meeting with the Niger junta in a bid to avert military intervention to restore democracy in the francophone country as planned by the ECOWAS.

During their interface, the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, had indicated an interest in holding a dialogue to resolve the political impasse resulting from the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum in the July 26 coup.

They also asked the Ulamas to prevail on Tinubu to restore electricity which was cut off from Niger as part of sanctions imposed by ECOWAS.

Speaking to our correspondent on the outcome of their meeting with the President, Ahmad, who is the spokesperson for the Ulamas, explained that Tinubu insisted that the military leaders must give specifics of their transition programme which must also be brief.

He said, “What we did Thursday was to brief him (ECOWAS chairman) on the outcome of our visit. The reason he has asked us to go back is that he wants specifics from the junta. That was what he said; their response was too open-ended and he could not hold that. That is why he asked us to go back.

“The President wants specifics that what he (head of the junta) had said is too general; they want to be able to hold them to a timeline and the commitment and the specifics of the short time of transition.”

On when the delegation would return to Niamey, the cleric said, “We are deliberating on when it will be convenient for members to go back and when it will be convenient for the people we are going to meet to receive us.

“We are still deliberating on when to go back, so we haven’t fixed a date yet. The point is that we have stated it time and time again, over and over, that we are not a government delegation as such.

“The vision to intervene was a private initiative of the Ulamas and it is not a committee set up by the government. We are only trying to facilitate peaceful resolution with regard to the conflict without the need for the use of force.

“So, to that extent, we sought the permission of the President because it is not something we can do on our own, basically with another country. The President granted the permission, and then we began and of course, our President is the chairman of ECOWAS and we briefed him each time we visited the Nigerien people. But basically, it’s is about the convenience of members of the delegation, and then we will reconvene and then we go.’’

The Presidency could not be reached for comment on Sunday as Tinubu’s media adviser, Ajuri Ngelari, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking confirmation of Ahmad’s statement that Tinubu was seeking the specifics of the junta’s transition programme.

But the President during his discussion with the clerics led by Sheikh Bala Lau at the State House in Abuja, emphasized that he was at the forefront of a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

“I am managing a very serious situation. If you take ECOWAS aside, other people will react, those who are outside of our control. I am the one holding those sides back. I am the one holding back ECOWAS,” he disclosed.

Addressing the urgency of the situation, the President said: “Even as at this morning, I have been inundated with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military force and contributions. However, I told them to wait. I am meeting with the Ulamas and I will get back to you.”

Tinubu told the Islamic delegation that the military junta must be held accountable for putting the entire people of the Niger Republic in jeopardy.

“They cannot use the gun given to them to protect the sovereignty of the country and turn it against.

The Economic Community of West African States has demanded a shorter transition from the junta in Niger.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, told the Ulamas during a meeting with them on Thursday that the three-year transition proposed by the military leaders was unacceptable to the regional body.

A member of the Islamic clerics who met with the President, the National Missioner, Ansar-udeen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdulrahman Ahmad, disclosed this to The PUNCH in a phone interview on Saturday.

The Ulamas had held a meeting with the Niger junta in a bid to avert military intervention to restore democracy in the francophone country as planned by the ECOWAS.

During their interface, the junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, had indicated an interest in holding a dialogue to resolve the political impasse resulting from the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum in the July 26 coup.

They also asked the Ulamas to prevail on Tinubu to restore electricity which was cut off from Niger as part of sanctions imposed by ECOWAS.

Speaking to our correspondent on the outcome of their meeting with the President, Ahmad, who is the spokesperson for the Ulamas, explained that Tinubu insisted that the military leaders must give specifics of their transition programme which must also be brief.

He said, “What we did Thursday was to brief him (ECOWAS chairman) on the outcome of our visit. The reason he has asked us to go back is that he wants specifics from the junta. That was what he said; their response was too open-ended and he could not hold that. That is why he asked us to go back.

“The President wants specifics that what he (head of the junta) had said is too general; they want to be able to hold them to a timeline and the commitment and the specifics of the short time of transition.”

On when the delegation would return to Niamey, the cleric said, “We are deliberating on when it will be convenient for members to go back and when it will be convenient for the people we are going to meet to receive us.

“We are still deliberating on when to go back, so we haven’t fixed a date yet. The point is that we have stated it time and time again, over and over, that we are not a government delegation as such.

“The vision to intervene was a private initiative of the Ulamas and it is not a committee set up by the government. We are only trying to facilitate peaceful resolution with regard to the conflict without the need for the use of force.

“So, to that extent, we sought the permission of the President because it is not something we can do on our own, basically with another country. The President granted the permission, and then we began and of course, our President is the chairman of ECOWAS and we briefed him each time we visited the Nigerien people. But basically, it’s is about the convenience of members of the delegation, and then we will reconvene and then we go.’’

The Presidency could not be reached for comment on Sunday as Tinubu’s media adviser, Ajuri Ngelari, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking confirmation of Ahmad’s statement that Tinubu was seeking the specifics of the junta’s transition programme.

But the President during his discussion with the clerics led by Sheikh Bala Lau at the State House in Abuja, emphasized that he was at the forefront of a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

“I am managing a very serious situation. If you take ECOWAS aside, other people will react, those who are outside of our control. I am the one holding those sides back. I am the one holding back ECOWAS,” he disclosed.

Addressing the urgency of the situation, the President said: “Even as at this morning, I have been inundated with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military force and contributions. However, I told them to wait. I am meeting with the Ulamas and I will get back to you.”

Tinubu told the Islamic delegation that the military junta must be held accountable for putting the entire people of the Niger Republic in jeopardy.

“They cannot use the gun given to them to protect the sovereignty of the country and turn it against.

A former Kaduna federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has said the disclosure of his allowances and salary as a member of the National Assembly, years ago made him an enemy to his colleagues.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he was the first lawmaker in the history of Nigeria to disclose that N13.5m was paid as allowances and payments to federal legislators.

In a chat with The Punch, Sani said the revelation earned the anger and distrust of many of his colleagues then, who felt that he should not have disclosed such payment that ought to be kept a secret.

Sani said there were plans to punish and suspend him from the Senate, but it took the intervention of the then Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his then deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, to stop the actions.

He stated that Saraki and Ekeremadu also stepped in to save the Senate because Nigerians would have stormed the National Assembly if he had been penalized and suspended.

He said: “Lawmakers at the National Assembly know that each time they go on a public holiday or recess, there is a certain amount of money that is credited to their accounts. This time, it would not have been controversial if it was done silently.

“I happened to be the first legislator in the history of Nigeria to disclose allowances and payments made to legislators, and I know it came with a price to me because I earned the anger and distrust of many of my colleagues, who felt that I was coming to the National Assembly and should not have unveiled such payment that ought to be done in secret. Well, I did so to clear my own conscience and to send a message to the whole country.

“My defence was that I didn’t say that all of you were getting N13.5m, and I just said that I had been receiving an alert of N13.5m and a salary of N720,000. So, if you are not receiving that, you can tell the world that you are not receiving that.

“But I became an enemy to many of them until later when time took over. I think Bukola Saraki, the then Senate President, saved me because I could have been penalised and suspended from the Senate at that time.

“That time, Saraki and (Ike) Ekweremadu stepped in to ensure that I wasn’t suspended. They also stepped in to save the Senate because if I had been penalised and suspended, Nigerians would have stormed the National Assembly. So, they allowed the matter.”

Sani said he did not regret his action, stressing that he went to the Senate as an activist who was one of those hammering on the humongous amount of money that is paid to legislators.

He added: “I am so happy to have done it. If I had not done it, my conscience would have pricked me forever. I didn’t go to the Senate as a politician; I went there as an activist who went into politics and couldn’t have imagined myself collecting such a humongous amount without saying anything.

“Before I went to the Senate, I was one of those hammering on the humongous amount of money that is paid to legislators, and I found myself receiving that humongous amount. I thought of it as an activist; what would I have become if I had left the Senate without disclosing what I was earning while at the National Assembly? I would have been simply termed a hypocrite.”

There are indications that commercial banks and merchant banks are increasingly depending on the Central Bank of Nigeria for liquidity as their borrowing from the apex bank has intensified in the last eight months of 2023.

Aside from August 2023 ending this week, commercial banks and merchant banks borrowed a total of N12.46tn from the CBN during the first eight months of this year, according to the CBN data accessed by our correspondent.

The financial institutions had in the first eight months of 2022 borrowed N6.96tn from the central bank, representing an increase of 79 per cent.

Commercial banks and merchant banks access lending from the apex bank using the Standing Lending Facility (SLF) window and deposit cash with the apex bank using the Standing Deposit Facility window(SDF).

According to findings, banks during the first eight months of 2023 accessed the SLF window against the backdrop of CBN’s tightening monetary policy stance.

The apex banking regulating body has the SLF, a short-term lending window for commercial banks and merchant banks, to access liquidity to run their day-to-day business operations.

The CBN data obtained by The PUNCH revealed that between January and June this year, commercial banks and merchant banks borrowed N10.25tn from the CBN via the SLF window, an increase of 138 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) from N4.3tn borrowed during the corresponding period of H1 2022.

The CBN data showed that the first quarter figure, which stood at N4.95tn, was higher than the half-year data for 2022.

The monthly breakdown revealed that commercial banks and merchant banks in January borrowed N528.16bn from the CBN but the figure dropped to N453.7bn in February 2023.

In March, it rose significantly by 776.22per cent to N3.98tn, the second highest after the N4.47tn recorded in April 2023.

However, the CBN data showed a N590.29bn and N235.06bn borrowing for May and June 2023.

In addition, SLF’s figure stood at N908.43bn in July and N1.3tn in August.

Commenting on the development, a former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr, Muda Yusuf, said, “This is a reflection of liquidity pressure some of the banks are going through. The facility is typically short term. This may not necessarily indicate that the banks are stressed or unstable. Meanwhile, the recapitalisation of banks is long overdue. The minimum capital requirements of N25 billion is no longer adequate, if discounted for inflation.”

A financial expert at Chapel Hill Denham, Tajudeen Ibrahim, said, “The development points to lack of liquidity on the part of banks. Monetary policy has been tightening and this has led to low liquidity. It is cheaper for banks to borrow from the CBN. This development is not positive but negative. We cannot continue to tighten because it will reflect of economic growth.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Benue State, Professor Bem Angwe, has said he does not want to be a member of the opposition party again.

Angwe, who was the NNPP’s former National Legal Adviser, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Markurdi, the Benue State capital.

The NNPP chieftain said he resigned as a member due to the recent unfortunate crisis and the confusion that has engulfed the party at all levels, among other reasons.

The former Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said he plans to resume his academic activities and involvement in the protection of human rights in the country.

Angwe, therefore, appreciated all the party executives and members who believed and stood by him during the 2023 gubernatorial election in Benue.

He said: “Considering the recent unfortunate crisis and the confusion that has engulfed the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at all levels and in accordance with the NNPP Constitution 2022 (as amended), I, on this day of 26th August 2023, withdrew my membership of the NNPP.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I have communicated the notice of my NNPP membership withdrawal to the party Chairman of the Mbatyu NNPP Ward Executive Committee in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State.

“I wish to express my special appreciation to my Ward, LGA and State party Executive members, other party members, supporters and all my well-wishers throughout Benue State and Nigeria as a whole for the great support they accorded me while I was in the party and during my Governorship campaigns as a Gubernatorial Candidate on the platform of the party.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to overturn the ban of 25 media outfits from Aso Rock.

SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

The socio-economic group was reacting to the withdrawal of 25 journalists’ accreditation from covering the activities of the President.

According to the group, the ban include those from the Vanguard, Galaxy TV, Ben TV, MITV, ITV Abuja, PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty.

SERAP urged Tinubu to publicly instruct officials at the Presidential Villa to reverse the ban.

In the letter dated 26 August 2023, the organisation said, “Barring these journalists and media houses from covering the presidential villa is to prevent them from carrying out their legitimate constitutional responsibility.”

“Your administration cannot with one broad stroke ban journalists from covering public functions. Citizens’ access to information and participation would mean little if journalists and media houses are denied access to the seat of government.

“Media freedom is a cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy and journalists must be able to hold the government to account. This is a matter of public interest. The government cannot cherry-pick journalists to cover its activities.”

The letter further read, “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”

“Nigerians may consider the expulsion of the journalists from the presidential villa as your government’s ambivalence towards media freedom, and citizens’ rights of access to information and participation in their own government.”

“The legal obligations imposed on your government to ensure and uphold media freedom and human rights, and facilitate public access to the presidential villa as a public trust outweigh any purported ‘security concerns and overcrowding of the press gallery area.”

“Media freedom, access to information and citizens’ participation in the affairs of their own government are the sine qua non of a democratic and rule of law-based society.”

“According to our information, your administration on 18 August 2023 withdrew the accreditation tags of some 25 journalists and media houses from covering activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.”

“The banned journalists reportedly include those from Vanguard newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty. Other media personnel affected by the withdrawal are mostly reporters and cameramen from broadcast, print, and online media outlets.”

“The affected journalists were simply told at the main gate of the presidential villa to submit their accreditation tags.”

“SERAP is concerned that the withdrawal of the accreditations of 25 journalists covering the presidential villa is a grave violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

“SERAP also urges you to take meaningful and effective steps to ensure respect for the rights to media freedom, access to information and citizens’ right to participate in their own government.”