There is no law that can railroad humanity into one narrow conceptual cubicle. What is meat to Europeans may be poison to the African. We all acknowledge that the world is changing but we also know that some so-called changes negate our essence and culture. In Africa, we do not condemn foreign values. We understand that there are many ways to skin bushmeat. What we can’t comprehend is that the understanding we extend to others is denied us because they think that their ways of life are superior to ours.

In recent years, there have been concerted efforts to force African nations to liberalise their laws to favour the US-led Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) movement. Africans consider it strange that the same people who did their damndest to depopulate the continent via slavery, colonialism, wars and all sorts of unjust stratagems — that these same people are now hawking new wares: LGBTQ rights.

The problem with those marketing homosexuality and other deviant behaviours is that they do not recognise traditional boundaries and age-long cultural values. Indeed, they consider anyone who holds a different view as primitive or uncivilised.

When President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed the country’s anti-LGBTQ bill into law the other day, you would think he had detonated a nuclear bomb. The western world was up in arms. Why criminalise homosexuality? Why prescribe the death sentence for offenders? As personal preferences go, I have my own reservations about the death penalty, but that is where I part company with those condemning Museveni and the Ugandan parliament.

The law imposes the death penalty or life imprisonment for certain same-sex acts; up to 20 years in prison for “recruitment, promotion and funding” of same-sex “activities”, and anyone convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” faces a 14-year imprisonment The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, describes it as “shocking and discriminatory”.

The UK government said it was appalled by the “deeply discriminatory” bill, which it said will “damage Uganda’s international reputation”. President Joe Biden of the US decried the Act as “shameful” and a “tragic violation of universal human rights”. He threatened to impose sanctions and visa restrictions on Ugandan officials.

Uganda’s speaker, Anita Annet, urged the courts to begin enforcing the law immediately. “We have stood strong to defend our culture and [the] aspirations of our people,” she said, thanking Museveni for his “steadfast action in the interest of Uganda”. She noted that the parliamentarians had withstood pressure from “bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists”.

The UN also voiced its objection: “We are appalled that the draconian and discriminatory anti-gay bill is now law. It is a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people and the wider population. It conflicts with the constitution and international treaties and requires urgent judicial review.”

The Africa deputy director for Human Rights Watch, Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, weighed in: “Museveni’s signing of the anti-homosexuality bill is a serious blow to the right to freedom of expression and association in Uganda, where instead of being restricted they ought to be strengthened. The law is discriminatory and is a step in the wrong direction for the protection of human rights for all people in the region.”

It is always dangerous to rely on one single perspective in trying to understand socio-cultural issues. Unfortunately, those who take it upon themselves to lecture Africans about everything even though their crimes on the continent cry to high heavens, will never have the kind of influence they crave on the continent because they refuse to respect or even grudgingly acknowledge the African perspective.

In Africa, as in most parts of the world, marriage is between a man and a woman. The electrical charge of conjugal bliss is powered by both positive and negative terminals. Society, like the natural law of physics, does not accept positive and positive, or negative and negative. In this respect, Africans are in agreement with Christians and Muslims who insist that in the Garden of Eden, God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

I wrote about this subject 12 years ago in the Daily Trust when the Nigerian Senate passed a bill outlawing same-sex marriage as well as banning public displays of affection between homosexual couples. The bill prescribed a 14-year jail term for anyone involved in same-sex marriages. Those who abet or aid such unions could be put away for 10 years, as would “any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs… or directly or indirectly makes public show of same sex amorous relationships.”

At that time, homosexual groups in the US besieged the Nigerian Embassy to protest the bill.  Several other pressure groups mounted street campaigns and social media interventions. US President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum directing “all federal agencies engaged abroad to ensure that US diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons.” Obama also directed government officials to “protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers.”

I laughed in vernacular at the time because Obama’s charge to US officials to protect vulnerable LGBTQ refugees had not gone unnoticed by our 419 kingpins. I predicted that thenceforth, every lay-about seeking greener pastures in America would claim to be fleeing gay persecution in Nigeria.

Marriage is a sacred institution in Africa. It is through the union of a man and a woman that children are brought into the world. Anything that attempts to sabotage this natural order is considered unacceptable. There are so many existential problems from Cairo to Cape Coast that a debate on same sex relationships is considered a luxury. Many Africans cannot even comprehend why an antithesis of the natural order is being flaunted as a fad.

Gay rights activists have done a yeoman’s job in carrying their campaigns around the world. I do not condemn them. Rather I am inspired by  Pope Francis’ admonition in which he asks the world “to pray fervently for this intention so that Christ can take even what might seem to us impure, scandalous or threatening, and turn it … into a miracle” because “Families today need miracles!”

The  2010 judgment of the court of human rights in Strasbourg has recently been given new life on social media in response to the renewed gay rights debates worldwide. The court had ruled that, “There is no right to same-sex marriage”. Its decision was predicated on a myriad of philosophical and anthropological considerations based on the natural order, common sense, scientific reports and, of course, positive law. The Court decided that the notion of family contemplates not only “the traditional concept of marriage, that is, the union of a man and a woman”, but also that they should not impose on governments an “obligation to open marriage to persons of the same sex”.

The Quran contains several allusions to homosexual activity, which has prompted considerable exegetical and legal commentaries over the centuries. The subject is most clearly addressed in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah “after the men of the city demand to have sex with the (seemingly male) messengers sent by God to the prophet Lot (or Lut)”. The Quranic narrative largely conforms to that found in Genesis.

So, whichever route you take on this matter — traditional, Christian or Islamic, there is no place for the justification of homosexuality in Africa. Having said that, it is also part of our culture to respect the differences of other people. That is why Africans are not quick to condemn the Euro-American gay campaign. But if Africans are that accommodating, why does the West threaten fire and brimstone and withdrawal of economic aid whenever Africans assert their rights to stay true to their culture?

Some conspiracy theorists have suggested that the gay lobby in Africa is meant to depopulate the continent. Former President Robert Mugabe probably felt that way when he threatened that any gay couple caught would be locked up in prison until one of them became pregnant. Many Africans agree with Mugabe — and they wonder why gay couples are allowed to adopt children and spread their ‘virus’ to the younger generation.

In Africa, there is no confusion about gender. Men are proud to be men and women celebrate their femininity. That accounted for the outrage that greeted the recent Gender Switch celebration in Delta State University where boys turned out in girl’s outfits and vice versa. That is how confusion starts!

Expecting African countries to equate LGBTQ rights with human rights is a tall order. There is no self-respecting family in Africa who would invite kinsmen and neighbours to celebrate the wedding of their son to another man. This is not being judgemental; just plain honesty about who we are.

I wish the new authorities in Abuja would listen to the many voices of reason and wisdom, which continue to pour in at this time that photo opportunities should be frozen immediately. The new strong man in Africa needs to freeze the meretricious visitations and photo sessions so that he can observe the implications of the flame of fire from the midst of the bush called Nigeria at this moment. The bush is already burning with fire even as the bush isn’t consumed yet.

In other words, the oracles are already out warning our leaders about the fire of inflation rate that is already burning enthusiasm that came with having a New Sheriff In Town. Now is a time to reflect on the likely consequences of rising cost of transport, which Frantz Fanon’s“wretched of the earth” still can’t understand. It is a time for the new men in power to step aside and look closely at the burning bush of rise and rise of cost of living the morning after the removal of the devourers called fuel subsidy. It is indeed a time to organise a think tank on the status of our local currency against the dollars. I hope the duty bearers in our national capitalwould step out of the Aso Villa’s presidential cocoon and ask for real reports of risk analysis on the daily announcements of rising school fees at all levels of public schools even when the framework for the bait called student loans has not been clearly set up. I hope the risk analysts in the powerhouses in Abuja and 36 state capitals would consider the implications of a report at the weekend that, “Residents desert roads in states”. In other words, I wish the intelligence agencies would study the reasons the endemic traffic on even Lagos roads and routes are disappearing fast. Is it organic and healthy that even bus drivers and other ad-hoc transporters are fast running away from even intra-state transportation business?

And so as the bush is still burning but not yet consumed, it is relevant to draw attention of the authorities at all levels to engage in some introspection on their personal comfort, personal emoluments within the context of public service and sacrifice. Our leaders should not get it twisted: this isn’t a time for careless public policies and mediocre calls on people to understand the times without concomitant attention to calls too on the leaders to look at their lifestyles.

Lifestyles of our leaders have hitherto ruined our future. For their lifestyles today, they have ruined our tomorrow. What is worse, our leaders haven’t been paying attention to the ever-rising cost of governance, no thanks to their recklessness. They give directives to civil service leaders for reckless employment of even unqualified cronies and emergency friends. They don’t study the colour of expenditure framework before implementing their numerous consultants’ projects. The public service nationwide is full of people they can’t even pay. The revenue agencies and institutions of governance even have special remuneration packages different from the mainstream public service. But now even the Head of the Civil service of the Federation or indeed the presidential bureaucracy can’t answer any questions offhand on the number of public officers we have even with Integrated Personnel and Pay System (IPPSS) and other digital tools for payments in the federation.

Expectedly, those who should know have been telling the president that he should not be too distracted to deal with soaring cost of governance. It is however beginning to appear before the people who dwell in the poverty capital of the world that our representatives in the National Assembly do not understand the essence of calls being made to deal with cost of governance. They aren’t ready to listen to the need to deal with their national greed. They are ever ready to increase the cost of governance. Sadly, the power of the national purse, the power to control the treasury and public accounts generally rest with them.

At the inauguration lecture the other day, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, charged the then President-elect Bola Tinubu, to cut down the cost of governance.

Adesina noted that the bloated size of government would normally come with high cost of public sector expenditure and its negative impact on the development process in the country. Speaking on the topic, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Economy”, he said, “The cost of governance in Nigeria is way too high and should be drastically reduced to free up more resources for development. Nigeria is spending very little on development.Today, Nigeria is ranked among countries with the lowest human development index in the world, with a rank of 167 among 174 countries globally, according to the World Bank 2022 Public Expenditure Review report.”He asked Tinubu to rise to the challenge of governance on his first day in office, as the country needs leadership that will reassure it with hope of security, peace and stability. On this same subject, The Guardian, Nigeria did a symposium and contextual report titled, 

Soaring cost of governance: All eyes on Tinubu(July 2, 2023).
According to the report, President Tinubu who was yet to manifest the colour of his cabinet at the weekend was reminded of the need to cut the cost of governance in line with economic realities of the moment. According to the article, dwindling revenue on various fronts, fiscal measures being introduced in the economy, mounting debts, and debt-servicing obligations are already putting strains on the nation’s finances, while government hopes to run the country on shoestring budgets that cannot engender true development.

A corollary to the point at issue is that development economists, public sector experts, are daily stressing that bogus civil service costs Nigeria around 30 per cent of its annual budget. They argue that the Federal Government could reap an estimated N12 trillion annually from the realignment of its national workforce.

Last year, out of the country’s ₦16.3 trillion budget, ₦6.8 trillion was spent on the payment of salaries and other personnel overheads. This year, the figure is higher as N8.5 trillion of the N21.82 trillion budgeted would be spent paying salaries and allowances of public officers and other ancillary costs.

Indeed, it is estimated from available data that Nigeria can save as much as N12 trillion annually from the merger of government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that have overlapping functions. This is if it implements the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye report (2011/2013 on the reduction of the cost of governance. Africa’s most populous country is currently neck deep in debt with the nation’s total debt stock now estimated at N49.85 trillion, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).

Still, the rising cost of governance is taking a huge portion of the yearly budget, leaving behind peanuts for development projects. During Buhari’s eight years in office, for instance, only 19.7 per cent of the total budgetary spending, or N14.5 trillion went into capital expenditure (CAPEX), much of which would end up in office equipment and sundry items. The total CAPEX outlay was less than half of the over N30 trillion deficits accumulated by the administration, according to fact file from official quarters. Can we continue like this?

Sadly, within eight years, N59.2 trillion was frittered on overheads, personnel costs, and other items of recurrent expenditure and debt servicing. The African Development Bank (AfDB) had raised the alarm that the rising cost of debt service, which the World Bank said could surpass 100 per cent of retained revenues, would crowd out investment in infrastructure needed to develop Africa.

The Guardian also quoted from the DMO’s file, which also informed us that between October and December 2022, Nigeria spent N406.77 billion on domestic debt servicing, while it spent $312.27 million (N143.74 billion) on external debt servicing, giving a total of N550.51 billion. Between January and March 2023, Nigeria spent N874.13 billion on domestic debt servicing, while it spent $801.36 million (N368.87 billion) on external debt servicing, giving a total of N1.24 trillion.

A detailed analysis of Nigeria’s 2023 budget shows that a total of N18.04 trillion is allocated to all government MDAs. With a total of 541 MDAs, each MDA is estimated to receive about N33.27 billion.

Going by the Oronsaye recommendation that the MDAs be pruned down to 161, Nigeria will only need a little above N5 trillion to spend on all the MDAs put together, saving the nation over N12 trillion. Meanwhile, the ostentatious lifestyle and fiscal indiscipline of elected government officials present even more cause for concern.

In the 2023 budget, Nigeria is to spend N14.2 billion on the Presidency alone while the National Assembly has a budget of N228.1 billion. Former President Buhari between 2016 and October last year, spent about N81.80 billion on the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) maintenance and foreign trips.

The colossal figures include N62.47 billion for the operation and maintenance of PAF, N17.29 billion for foreign and local trips, and N2.04 billion earmarked for related expenses. The Presidency has maintained 10 aircraft since the inception of the Buhari regime in May 2015.

Under Buhari’s administration, the government created more agencies, including the Nigerian Diaspora Commission (NDC), North East Development Commission (NEDC) as well as the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), amongst many others.In 2020, the federal government had to borrow the sum of N2.8 trillion from the central bank via the Ways and Means provisions.Debt servicing gulped N3.2 trillion in the same year, while Nigeria spent a total of N5.6 trillion on recurrent non-debt expenditure in 2021.The money was spent on Personal cost for MDA’s rising from N2.8 billion, in the 2020 budget to N3 billion in 2021 budget. Personal cost for government-owned enterprises (GOEs) also more than tripled from N218 billion (2020) to N701 billion, in 2021.

What is worse, as Nigerians are raising concerns over the over-bloated government spending, the institution, that ought to help check government spending, the National Assembly, has consistently increased its annual budget as can be seen from the increase from N134 billion in 2022 budget to N169 billion, under the 2023 budget. They also just earmarked N70 Billion in an amendment to the N819.5 billion 2022 supplementary budget as support for the “working condition” of new lawmakers. This has been the attitude of the representatives of the people: they hardly understand the perilous times!

So, as the Tinubu government desperately seeks ways to cut governance costs due to low revenue from oil sales, stakeholders believe that this is the right time for our political leaders to show exemplary leadership and bemoderate in their lifestyle. They need to stop long and noisy convoys. They should sell some of their mansions that we know. They should stop reckless lifestyle even in their villages. They should not ask us to understand the painful times while they and their families show that moderation is only for the poor. They should stop sending their children to schools abroad. They should also stop using our money to buy houses abroad, lest the people’s revolt will be inevitable sooner than later.

The Concerned Northern Forum has decried the continued detention of Sarkin Hausawan, Lagos, Alhaji Aminu Yaro, over his alleged connection to former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele, by the Department of State Services, DSS.

The forum described the detention as a violation of human rights and disrespect for the rule of law.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the forum, Mohammed Danlami, on Sunday, the group said, “We don’t see any legal reason for the DSS to continue to hold such a respected figure in detention, a community leader and renowned businessman along with his wife. This is barbaric; we detest and stand against it; it is not done anywhere in the world, it is not democratic, only under military dictatorship will such a thing happen.”

He said an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law, lamenting that the DSS was yet to arraign him.

Danlami said the group could not ignore the perceived injustice being meted out to Yaro and his wife, urging President Bola Tinubu to call the DSS to order.

It also called on Nigerians to come out en masse for a peaceful protest against the leadership of the DSS over disrespect for the rule of law and acting without professionalism.

[DailyPost]

I received the material you are about to read from a beloved first cousin of mine, Architect Akintunde (Tunde) Imolehin way before the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president, Titled “ASIWAJU: 10 Things before May 29”, I cannot actually say why I did not print it before Tinubu’s inauguration since the “10 things” listed therein were meant as a guide or advice to the president. But some writings are best enjoyed posteriori than a priori. I enjoy reading old news reports and analyses and then amuse myself with how far away from the point many of them turn out to be! Try it and amuse yourself! You will discover, just a few days after, how terribly many who pontificate and comment like oracles overshoot the tarmac! You will then see that it is not only the prophets that goof, writers, too, do! The good side, however, as you will soon see with Akintunde’s piece, is how leaders still make avoidable mistakes despite the avalanche of good advice made available to them for free. Why this is always so should interest researchers in our institutions of higher learning. Let’s listen to Akintunde:

“Expectations are very high, Asiwaju. Many want you to succeed while not a few wish otherwise. The choice is yours. It is also our mandate. You have what it takes to be the best president Nigeria has ever produced. Going forward, I would like to submit 10 salient points (not in any particular order) you should not ignore before May 29, 2023 and even beyond. 1. MERIT FIRST: Merit is the quality of being particularly good. In all that you will do as President, place merit above all. “By merit, not favouritism, shall we attain our ends”, Plout remarked. 2. TAKING DECISIONS: You cannot make progress without making decisions. Life is determined by the decisions we make. With so many options available to us, making decisions can sometimes feel daunting and confusing. Like Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Nothing is more difficult and precious than to be able to decide. And in the words of Maya Angelou, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them” We have seen you demonstrate uncommon courage in decision-making in the past. A particular case was the seizure of funds belonging to local governments in Lagos State by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005. That action provided ample opportunity for Lagos to think like a sovereign state able to overcome its financial challenges. Remember the words of Roy Disney that “Decision-making is easy when your values are clear”. To become a great president, count on the words of Wesam Fawzi who said “The quality of life is built on the quality of your decisions”. We are our decisions, Professor Salam Al Shereida said. May your choices reflect your hopes, not fears, in Nelson Mandela’s unforgettable words of inspiration!

3. REWARD PHILOSOPHY: We are in a country where the entitlement mentality is profound and scary. But you must not mix this with reward philosophy. Reward is based on internal relativities, commitment and loyalty to the institution. One of our weak points has been the lack of appropriate reward for loyal, hard-working, patriotic and highly resourceful men and women. But given your pedigree, this should be a thing of the past. Not everyone can be in office (but) we must find a way of boosting and keeping the rank of progressives by running an all-inclusive administration (that would make) everyone to have a sense of belonging. Note that recognition is not a scarce resource; you cannot use it up or run out of it, according to Susan Heathfield. Kindly also note that many people work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise and reward, in the words of Dale Carnegie. As Robert Mcnamara noted, brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.
4. LESS IS MORE: “Less is more” is about efficiency and optimum yield and value. It is the concept of minimalism popularised by the famous German-American architect, Ludwig Van de Rohe. It is the value of simplicity and that, by having less, you can actually create a life of more. In applying this philosophy in governance, many have spoken of a smart/lean government that guarantees efficiency: Government of quality and not quantity. I know some will argue whether this is possible under our present political dispensation; I believe it is possible. One of the things that should define your government is to try things not because they are popular but because they are ideal and sustainable. We should restructure the system. The dead weight is immense and unsustainable. We should shed our weight, else we perish in illusion. There is no gain without pain! If the government is lean, resulting in a healthy and wealthy country, we all are gainers.
5. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE PROBLEM: In 2015, one of the “mistakes” was to underestimate the rot left behind by the defeated government of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Avoid this! Go to Aso villa with the mindset that all is not well in the polity. And, of course, arm yourself with the notion that the anthem of corruption is unchanged despite hard efforts. Like Robert H. Schuller said, never underestimate your problem or the ability to deal with it. 6. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: Modern times demand this, especially in the face of scarce resources and global competition. You need to explore ideas that are creative and unusual and are not limited or controlled by rules or traditions. Results posted in the last 8 years have indicated that we need to think differently, be unconventional and see things from a new perspective, especially in addressing the three cardinal points of the (Muhammadu Buhari) administration. The beginning of greatness is to be different and the beginning of failure is to be the same, according to Roy Whittier.

7 LOW HANGING FRUITS: These are easy-to-accomplish tasks or easy-to-solve problems in a particular situation. For Nigeria, job opportunities rank high. Anything that can bring down the embarrassing unemployment figures in the country within the shortest possible time and halt the growing restiveness of the youths should be explored. Live up to your promise to make youths believe they can work with you and that they have a future in Nigeria. Of course, the stress induced by the mismanagement of the CBN’s money-change policy and the subsidy quagmire demand your immediate attention in office. However, remember that the higher hanging fruits are typically riper and more nutritious. 8. PROTECT THE WEAK: “Defend the weak, protect both young and old, never desert your friends; give justice to all, be fearless in battle and always be ready to defend the right” – The Law of Badger Lords, Brian Jacques. Defending and protecting the weak is self-preservation. It is simply logical. One day, you and I might become weak and can expect others to help us do the same we did to them or to others. Take a great number of people out of poverty. Whilst providing a suitable environment for the strong to get stronger, the weak and poor should also be strengthened. Do the strong have the obligation to help the weak? They do! Remember the metaphor, “EAT THE RICH!” 9. LEAVE A LEGACY: You already made it clear at Abeokuta when you said “I don’t want to be forgotten. Give me the Presidency. It is my turn” This implicitly means you will like to live and be remembered. Leaving a legacy means giving something that will be valued and treasured by those who survive after your passing. The one legacy that comes to mind is leaving the situation better than you met it: A more united, peaceful and secured nation (and) an industrialised and sustainable nation! But it takes hard work!

10. REBUILD PATRIOTISM: Can the average Nigerian die for his country today? Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion and sense of attachment to one’s country. Over the years, love for the Nigerian flag or passport has waned. Many Nigerians have lost their patriotic zeal and spirit for one reason or the other. Apart from a strong and healthy economy, safety and security, inspirational leadership is key to sustaining the spirit of patriotism, especially among the youths. The Nigerian Orientation Agency should be restructured and empowered to power an advocacy strategy that can make Nigerians want to live, work and die for their country if need be. Leadership by example should be the watchword. We need leaders who will inspire through their lifestyle. We all have to make the necessary sacrifice to achieve this just as Bob Riley noted when he said “I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism”. Oscar Wilde also wrote: “Show me the heroes that the youth of your country look up to and I will tell you the future of the country” Patriotism is a thing of the heart. A man is a patriot if his heart beats true to his country, according to Charles E. Jefferson”.

How many of the inspirational ideas espoused above by Akintunde has Tinubu imbibed in his short spell in power? If morning shows the day, as the elders say, what has Tinubu’s first two months in office demonstrated to Nigerians? Perhaps, it is too early to make definitive statements about Tinubu and his fledgling administration. He is even yet to have a full cabinet as it were. I recommend the 10 points above to anyone who can get them to Tinubu and or his kitchen cabinet. I am sure you know that a new set of cabals has since replaced the Buhari cabals who are now out there in the cold. Nature abhors a vacuum. Every rule – be it monarchical, absolutist, theocratic, dictatorial, proletariat, representative or democratic – is by a few over the majority. As one cabal expires and exits, another quickly emerges and takes its place. True, then, are the words of Rousseau that “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains”

Rest on, Prof. Lai Oso

Our paths first crossed when I was chairman of the Editorial Board of PUNCH newspapers and he had come for his sabbaticals. Unassuming, quiet and hard-working, the Board members learnt a lot from him, especially those of us who did not read Journalism or Mass Communication as first degree. He, too, must have been enriched by the practical aspect of the job that we exposed him to. After he returned to his post as the Head, Department of Mass Communication, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, I had cause to barge in on him one day seeking admission into the HND class for a friend. He was presiding at a meeting when I sent in my call card through his secretary; he promptly came out of the meeting to attend to us. “Consider it done”, he told me, and that was it. For the two years that my friend spent in that school, Lai Oso treated her – and I each time I visited – like royalty. Eternal rest, grant him, O Lord, and the family the strength and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss!

George Akume, secretary-general to the government of the federation (SGF), says President Bola Tinubu is committed to fulfilling his promise of improving the lives of Nigerians.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Akume reeled out actions the Tinubu administration is taking to fulfil the All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto.

Another Weekend is here- 20 Nuggets To Chew On

As our team takes shape, I want to remind you all that @officialABAT came prepared- he came with a plan. He knows what to do & he is doing it. He has nurtured this vision for decades and he is now bringing it to life #TheAsiwajuPlan pic.twitter.com/YPvqhOZ2Pm

 

— Senator Dr. George Akume (@SGFAkume) July 22, 2023

Some of the plans, the SGF said, is to stabilise the surging price of petrol in the country.

In his inaugural speech as president on May 29, Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy which immediately led to a hike in the pump price of the product across the country.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, which also increased the price of petrol at its retail outlets, said the change was due to market forces.

TheCable had reported that transport costs soared by over 100 percent in the wake of the president’s speech.

Speaking on the situation, Akume said Tinubu’s vision to restore the country has been in the works for decades and that the president is addressing the solution.

He asked citizens to be patient while the government unveils a plan to improve the country’s economy.

“As our team takes shape, I want to remind you all that @officialABAT came prepared- he came with a plan. He knows what to do & he is doing it. He has nurtured this vision for decades and he is now bringing it to life #TheAsiwajuPlan,” the SGF tweeted.

“As a government, we have heard your cries about fuel price increases, and be rest assured, we are working round the clock to normalize & bring solutions that ease the pain. Our job is to give you the quality of life you deserve when you wake up. So far, we are on course.”

The former Benue state governor described the petrol subsidy regime as regressive, adding that the annual payments were not sustainable and that Tinubu “had to act”.

Although he noted that the immediate effect is not favourable, the former senator asked Nigerians to be patient.

“To this end, we are already working out modalities to ensure market forces normalize pricing while we drive policies that better your lives & boost your earning power. We have a clear economic restoration plan, so I urge you to trust the process,” he said.

Akume said Tinubu’s actions of unifying the exchange rate and rejigging the country’s security architecture were proof of his commitment to using strong measures in securing the country’s future.

“Deregulation is only the first part of this process/plan. Other health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and more measures will come on stream soon. #HolisticSolution #NigeriaISBack,” the SGF added.

[TheCable]

My only other Nigerian civil war era military hero, apart from General Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Colonel Joe ‘Hannibal’ Achuzie, Major Shuwa, and within strong limitations, Colonel Benjamin Adekunle, is Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.

He was killed on July 29 1967 (some sources report July 26 1967) along the Obolo-Afor road, Nsukka, by the federal forces of Nigeria in an ambush. Officially, he was not attached to a Biafran unit; indeed, Ojukwu initially suspended him from military duties after releasing him from detention in Eastern Nigeria following the January 1966 coup. Nzeogwu and his co-plotters were transferred to various jails from Lagos after General Aguiyi-Ironsi quashed their plot and locked them up.

Ojukwu had good reason to keep Nzeogwu away from Biafran rifles. The Major from Okpanam in present day Delta state, who was Nigeria’s first military intelligence officer, subdued all of Northern Nigeria during the coup except Kano, mainly because Ojukwu, as commander of the Fifth Battalion, stoutly opposed the coup and allied with Ironsi. More than once Nzeogwu nearly unleashed bullets on Ojukwu but was restrained by the crafty Major Alexander Madiebo. But the tide changed following the July 29 1966 coup; slaughter of Eastern Nigerians in most parts of the country; failure of the Aburi talks; and declaration of Biafra.

Nzeogwu did not help matters by speaking out against secession in his famous ‘interview’ with Dennis Ejindu, published in the magazine ‘Africa and the World.’  But with the outbreak of the war and Biafra’s reversals in the Northern sector, Nzeogwu, a radical, courageous and somewhat reckless soldier, went into action with his personal band of guerrillas. According to Major Adewale Ademoyega, Nzeogwu’s co-plotter and author of ‘Why We Struck,’ just before the war, Colonel Victor Banjo and Nzeogwu offered Ojukwu far reaching strategies to take the war to Nigeria, even offering to  stretch the lines to the River Benue. Ojukwu refused. Maybe because he was ill-equipped to fight; maybe because he was uncomfortable with the people making the offer.

In spite of this, Nzeogwu, now a Biafran army Colonel (some sources say he was a Brigadier), dominated the Nsukka theatre of operations, favouring hit-and-run, commando operations instead of conventional war, because Biafra was in no shape for head-on confrontation with its superior adversary. There are accounts that despite Ojukwu’s reservations, the Biafran leader saw that Brigadier Hilary Njoku, the Biafran army commander, was making a dog’s breakfast of the war. Nigeria was virtually routing Biafra from the North. Njoku was given a mandate: change the tide or lose your command. One of the operations planned to achieve this was the controversial Mid-Western invasion. Nzeogwu was slotted to lead it, being a Mid-Westerner, but he died before assuming command.

So why did Nzeogwu fight on the Biafran side instead of Nigeria where he still had a strong following, despite the January 1966 coup?

First, Northern officers and politicians hurting from Nzeogwu’s killing of Premier Ahmadu Bello of the Northern Region would not stand for having him in the army. In their eyes, all Nzeogwu was good enough for was facing a firing-squad.

Second, the Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, would never free him from jail or agree to reabsorb him in the army, even though he personally liked Nzeogwu.

Third, Nzeogwu was critical of the Nigerian government’s policies and actions right from the days of Ironsi. He was unhappy over the massive slaughter of Eastern Nigerians, but perhaps he failed to realize that if not for the January coup, the madness might not have occurred. He stood against Northern hegemony.

Nzeogwu was persuaded by civilians who appreciated his capabilities and charisma to join the Biafran war effort. Ojukwu did not stand in his way.  His younger half brother, Thomas Bigga, born to Ojukwu’s mother and a European after the former divorced Sir Louis, Ojukwu’s father, was a member of Nzeogwu’s guerrilla force. He was killed with Nzeogwu in the ambush. Was Nzeogwu’s death a relief to Ojukwu?

For me, Nzeogwu’s patriotic instincts, military capabilities, sheer charisma at such a young age (he was 30 when he died), fearlessness and personal lifestyle are what gives him the hue of heroism. Till date I have not read of any woman coming out to say that Nzeogwu fathered her child out of wedlock or that they had an affair. That means his well-known abstinence from womanizing, a staple diet of the military, was real. He was no homosexual, either. He made homosexuality a capital crime in his coup speech. Not that he disliked women; he was just too busy with his pan-Nigerian, pan-African dreams to think of marriage, though he was the first son of his parents. He fell in love as a military student during a course in India with the daughter of the commandant of his College. But he did not follow it up. In ‘Bitter-Sweet: My Life With General Olusegun Obasanjo,’ Oluremi Obasanjo’s biography about her life with General Olusegun Obasanjo, Nzeogwu’s colleague and close friend, the general’s ex-wife paints the picture of Nzeogwu as a kind gentleman who gave her a shoulder to cry on when the general unleashed marital thunder and lightning on her.

Contrary to general belief, Nzeogwu was not the leader of the January coup, though he was deeply involved in its planning. That dubious honour goes to Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna who gave the go-ahead orders for the H-hour in the early hours of 15 January, thus unleashing ‘Operation New Wash.’ (Ifeajuna’s code-name for the coup). On getting the go-ahead, Nzeogwu who commanded operations in Northern Nigeria, let the leopard leap. (His code-name for the coup in the North was ‘Damisa,’ Hausa word for leopard). If he had total command of the coup, Nzeogwu would have ended the myth that it was an Igbo affair by wasting Igbo politicians and officers like General Ironsi. That was the kind of man he was: e no send your tribe, even if you be him brother.

But the fact remains that fifty-six years since his death, Nzeogwu’s legacy still remains unresolved. I wish the January 15 1966 coup never took place. I also wish our current generation of politicians learn from the mistakes of their predecessors that compelled young army officers to take up arms against the government.

Sleep on, Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.

Henry Chukwuemeka Onyema is a Lagos-based author and historian. Email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In some way, I pride myself as someone in touch with the trends and slangs on social media. But I was caught napping when I was discussing Brighton & Hove Albion FC in the Premier League (I once schooled in Falmer, Brighton) with a friend. I told her that “we will be playing in the UEFA Champions League in 2024 by God’s grace”. My friend, a staunch Obidient, replied: “This reminds me of a running joke on Twitter.” What is it? “So, when Tinubu was inaugurated, this person came online and wrote: ‘This new government will favour me and my family in Jesus’ name.’ Now, whenever anything (negative) happens, people go to that tweet and quote it.” I laughed. I don’t know how I missed that.

When President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy in his inauguration speech and the pump price skyrocketed from around N200/litre to over N500/litre, people joked: “This new government will favour me and my family in Jesus’ name.” When the exchange rates went haywire with the attempted bridging of the official and parallel markets, people teased again: “This new government will favour me and my family in Jesus’ name.” And so it goes for hikes in transport fares, food prices and cost of foreign education. When petrol prices went up again last week, an Obidient wrote on her WhatsApp status: “This new government will favour me and my family.” Hilarious!

Times are tough and could even get tougher. For me, what the impact of the subsidy removal has proved once more is that cheap energy had been keeping the cost of living somewhat stable in Nigeria for long. Experts often argue that fuel price hikes only have a one-off effect on inflation, but the leaps in five weeks are so adverse that millions of Nigerians are in severe pains. All our lives — at least from the time we hit oil boom in the 1970s — we had been used to cheap petrol. We had been mostly protected from prices of crude oil — the raw material for petrol, diesel and other fuels — so much that it was always a major event when a policy tampered with the pump prices of products.

In most other countries, including many oil-rich nations, citizens are used to waking up one day to discover that pump prices have changed. By the following week, prices can change again. As crude prices rise, pump prices rise. As crude prices drop, pump prices drop. This is because crude prices determine product prices. Additionally, their governments charge VAT and fuel duty on every litre. It is no news to them when pump prices rise or drop. It is something they are used to. But this is an entirely new experience for us in Nigeria. We usually argued and fought over whether or not pump prices should be adjusted. Political considerations often carried the day. Public peace is precious.

I have been carefully observing reactions to the rising cost of living. Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have come down heavily on the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Even some APC supporters are now expressing regrets for supporting President Bola Tinubu. Sarcastic memes are all over social media. Some analysts who had always prescribed the removal of subsidy and the liberalisation of the FX market are having second thoughts because things appear to be spinning out of control — beyond projections. It seems they expected immediate positive impact, such as FX inflow and, consequently, lower rates. They are now fidgety.

I was not surprised that petrol prices went up again. When crude prices hit $80/barrel, worsened by a falling naira, I started panicking. I knew it would reflect on pump prices in a matter of weeks. Actually, high crude prices are not good for the global economy. Only some oil-producing countries and oil companies love high crude prices. My prayer has always been that crude should sell for around $60 in the interest of world peace. As things stand now, anytime crude prices go up, fuel prices will follow sooner than later. If the price of yam goes up, the price or quantity of pounded yam will react. With subsidy gone, Nigerians have lost their age-old protection against high crude prices.

Does it mean that if crude prices hit $120/barrel, we will have to buy petrol at N1,200/litre? That is why some governments intervene. If Nigeria’s oil export is good enough and we earn billions of dollars from the $120/barrel windfall, government can choose to step in. The notion that government should never interfere is an extreme economic ideology. In the UK, for instance, a litre of petrol is £1.45 (about N1,447). This includes a fuel duty of 53p (about N529) and 20 percent VAT (we don’t charge these taxes in Nigeria). What the UK government did recently because of high crude prices was to cut fuel duty to contain the pump prices. The fuel duty cuts will end in March 2024.

I have heard some Nigerians argue that if our refineries were working, we should be buying petrol at N150/litre. That is quite some argument. That was similar to my position 15 years ago. Someone said the N500 billion meant to be distributed to the poorest Nigerians should be spent on building refineries to make petrol cheap. However, this idea raises questions. If crude oil, an internationally traded commodity, is $80 per barrel, at what price would we sell it to local refineries for Nigerians to buy petrol at N150/litre? I don’t know the economics of it but let us say, out of hand, that it would be $15/barrel. That is a whopping discount of $65 per barrel. Well, that is still subsidy and lost income.

While I am enjoying the brickbats between pro- and anti-Tinubu forces on social media, the counterfactual of the situation is: would Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP) or Peter Obi (Labour Party) have retained petrol price at N185/litre and maintained multiple exchange rates? Were either to win the election petition and be inaugurated as president, should we expect petrol to return to N185/litre and “official” FX rate back at N420/$? I am yet to hear from Atiku on this, but Obi has said, concerning petrol subsidy, that he would have put some palliatives in place prior to the removal. This sounds fine. That means he agrees with these difficult policies but prefers a different approach.

Politics apart, the truth is that NIGERIA IS BROKE. There was a time we could afford the subsidy bill. When oil exports were bringing around $5 billion monthly into the federation account, we could afford to burn $200 million on subsidy every month, even if experts often argue that it is a waste and that the money could be better spent. But, at least, we had the war chest. We used to robustly “defend” the naira by meeting all FX demands and keeping the rates around N165/$. What many Nigerians don’t understand is that as at today, we don’t have that kind of money again. We earn virtually nothing from oil exports. We even mortgaged future production as so to sell petrol for N185.

When some Nigerians argue that the country is rich and can afford to pay for this and that, they are probably unaware that we are spending almost all our revenue on servicing debts. If we are paying salaries and contractors regularly today, it is because we are taking loans upon loans. How can you be spending 95 percent of your salary on paying debts and then borrow to buy food and pay your maiguard and still claim to be rich? Something has to give if you want to continue to be a living thing. In this same country in the 1980s, we queued to buy essential commodities, such as milk and rice, because there was no forex to import in abundance. We were heading towards that quagmire again.

Delayed adjustments can be very painful. Whereunto shall I liken Nigeria’s case? It is like unto a man whom the doctor has assessed and advised to watch his cholesterol. The doctor recommends dietary and lifestyle changes to keep it under control, but the man ignores it since he cannot see or feel any problem. His cholesterol goes higher and higher. The doctor then prescribes daily cholesterol-lowering medication. The man only uses it when he likes. Years later, he starts having excruciating chest pains owing to repeated heart attacks. He now needs a painful, very costly but life-saving surgery on the coronary artery to mitigate his coronary heart disease after ignoring doctor’s advice.

Or shall I liken the Nigerian economy unto a man diagnosed with borderline hypertension and advised to make necessary adjustments? The man says he cannot eat meals that are not rich in salt and he cannot imagine himself snubbing a chilled bottle of beer. He eventually gets diagnosed with hypertension and is advised by his doctor to take his anti-hypertensive medication daily but he chooses to do as his spirit directs, sometimes skipping weeks. The kidneys, which have been bearing the brunt of high blood pressure for years, then pack up. He now requires dialysis every other day or a kidney transplant to stay alive. Both are very expensive, disheartening and painful processes.

Having said all of this, though, I believe Tinubu could have implemented and communicated his economic reforms better. As Obi said, the way and manner the subsidy was removed was akin to extracting a tooth without anaesthesia. While I agree that subsidy removal will always come with pains no matter the timing and the strategy, a lot of prior groundwork should have been done to lessen the pains. At the heart of economic activities in Nigeria are fuel prices and exchange rates. I may be wrong, but I sense that Tinubu did not have a timetable. It is good that he is now trying to cushion the effects but it looks to me like an afterthought. He clearly put the cart before the horse.

Although “this new government will favour me” has become a joke because of the harsher economic times brought upon us by these reforms, I am ready to bear the pains insomuch as I am assured that I would not suffer in vain. I am ready to sacrifice in the hope that my leaders will sacrifice too. That is why I am proposing here today that we should channel our pains into positive energy in order to engage in constructive civic engagement with our leaders at all levels — not just Abuja, as is our wont. All tiers of government will share from the benefits of these twin policies. The adjustment pains must motivate us to have a change of attitude towards the campaign for public accountability.

Where do I fit in? Where do you fit in? For a start, we need to be rigorously dissecting the budgets at federal, state and local levels. What is the justification for every budgetary item? How is the revenue being spent? Was the road in the budget built? Was the health centre revamped? Were the teachers recruited? Why are we building an airport when people are drinking from the stream and dying of cholera? As a journalist, I hereby re-commit myself to asking the hard questions. More Nigerians must come on board. If the pains of these reforms do not push us into demanding good governance, then we will, of all nations, be most miserable — and our latter end will be worse than the former.

AND FOUR OTHER THINGS…

SUBSIDY SACRIFICE

I was happy to hear that the three tiers of government have agreed to save N1 trillion from the record N1.9 trillion that accrued to the federation account in June 2023. We need to stop “eating with ten fingers”. And to avoid the benefits of the economic reforms going into frivolous and wasteful expenses, an infrastructure support fund (ISF) will be set up with specific mandate to intervene in transportation, agriculture, health, basic education, power and water resources. Otherwise, everything could go into overheads and building palaces for our governors (as usual). Nigerians now have to closely monitor implementation to make sure this will not be a mass scam. Accountability.

TRIBUNAL TROUBLES

All eyes are now on the presidential tribunal to deliver judgment on the petitions filed by the PDP and the Labour Party challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential poll. From an unproven allegation that the chief justice disguised on a wheelchair to meet with Tinubu in London to fictitious reports that a member of the panel had resigned because he was put under “political pressure”, this must count as the most dramatic petition in this democratic dispensation. My astonishment is the way parties before the tribunal are making highly sub judicial statements in the media. I honestly have never seen anything like this before. Amazing.

OIL AND JAZZ

Did you read that a private security outfit intercepted a vessel with crude oil stolen from Ondo state a couple of weeks ago? The outfit, reportedly owned by a former Niger Delta militant, said it burnt the 800,000-litre vessel and its contents to sound a “note of warning” to other oil thieves. NNPC said the vessel had been operating “undetected” for 12 years. I have some questions. One, why destroy 800,000 litres rather than reclaim the contents? Two, how can a vessel operate for 12 years (NNPC was so exact) without detection? Above all, where was the navy in all this? There is something they are not telling us, and it is more saddening that Nigerians are not asking these questions. Vigilance.

AND FINALLY…

After the Igbo/Yoruba online war over the Mmesoma Ejimeke/UMTE result forgery saga — during which many Nigerians gleefully displayed their barely disguised ethnic chauvinism — I noticed some calm last week. It may well be the peace of the graveyard but at least we had some breathing space. Long may it last! But don’t bet on it: all it takes to start another ethnic baiting and cyber combat is for a Yoruba or Igbo driver to beat the red light. We would then start hearing “bigot” and “no man’s land” again, complete with Civil War tales and counter-tales. I do not expect this bitter war to end this year or next, but we need to enjoy this peace — or is it armistice — while it lasts. Amusing.