"Under my leadership, these elections were organized with a promise to the Liberian people – a promise of fairness, transparency, and credibility. I am proud to say that, for the most part, we have fulfilled that promise. The Liberian people have spoken, and their choice will be honored and obeyed.’

“At this juncture, I would like to congratulate the National Elections Commission for a job well done. You have earned the respect of all Liberians, our foreign partners, international observers, and the world at large for completing this difficult task to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, including the contesting parties,”

These are part of the golden words of President George Weah, an African icon worthy of emulation. With the example of the Liberian election and the reactions trailing the outcome. It has become imperative for us to begin a new journey in the continent of Africa; a journey that signposted the beginning of a new era, a new dawn and a clear departure from the inglorious past where elections in many of our countries in the continent is a “Do or die” affairs.

Weah is Liberia’s 25th president after taking over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who had maintained a peace desperately needed after a war that killed an estimated quarter of a million people. The current president, and a global icon defeated same Johnson-Sirleaf’s vice president, Joseph Boakai who is now the President-elect after a narrow margin difference between the two gladiators.

The Liberian President, entered politics after a career as an international footballer that saw him become the only African to win the game’s most prestigious individual award and do stints at top clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea. He remains the only African, the only player outside of Europe, Brazil, or Argentina, to have won the Ballon d’Or.

Flowing from the above, events in Liberia, aftermath of the presidential election is a catalyst for transformation in Africa. With the examples of Liberia and some other democracies in Africa, the era of “Do or die” is gone for good. As such, Africa may not be a country. But it is more than a continent. Therefore, it is a clear demonstration of a new era of doing things with a mindset of selflessness.

Therefore, as we continue to reflect on the benefits of the political stability that engenders good governance and prosperity. It is important to note that, this is an historical moment, Africa have entered the “Golden era” Nations of the beautiful continent of Africa need to sustain the tempo and maintain political stability and security so as to attract more investors to commit capital into their economies.

Sadly, in the recent past, political stability has proved seemingly unachievable in Africa. For centuries, Africa has been the symbol of election rigging, proverty, corruption, famine and every other terrible things in this world, now history told us Africa was where civilization started (origin) but unfortunately we are practically still primitive. In Africa, it is I, myself and I. This is part of the reasons why as people, we are not making progress.

In conclusion, permit me to share with us a simple yet powerful Moroccan proverb that reads, “there is no beauty but the beauty of action” is one we’re sure will resonate with Global Citizens everywhere. Thoughts and words may be enticing but it is our actions that hold the real reward. Our actions have the power to change the world around us and inspire others in our lives to get up and take action too.

Finally, by way of dedicating this article, i salute the courage of our African hero, George Manneh Oppong Weah and the good people of Republic of Liberia.

I can’t hide myself
I don’t expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it’s like to be a man
It’s a lonely road
And they don’t care ’bout what you know
It’s not ’bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

Yeah, I know this life can really beat you down, uh
You wanna scream but you won’t make a sound, uh
Got so much weight that you’ve been holdin’
But won’t show any emotion, as a man, that goes unspoken
That we can’t cry when life gets hard
Unconditional love for women, children and dogs
We know that we just have to play our parts
And don’t nobody give a damn about our broken hearts, yeah
As a man, we gotta pave our way
Our only function is to work and slave
There’s no respect for you if you ain’t paid
You’re disregarded as a human and you can’t complain
And if you ever make it up and actually reach that place
And find a woman that you love and give her your last name
You’ll feel the things that you provide is only why she stays
And when you try to explain, you’ll say

I can’t hide myself
I don’t expect you to understand
I just hope I can explain
What it’s like to be a man (what it’s like to be a man)
It’s a lonely road (it’s a lonely road)
And they don’t care ’bout what you know (care ’bout what you know)
It’s not ’bout how you feel
But what you provide inside that home

Don’t give up, keep fightin’
As a man, our son is our horizon
And our fathers’ actions play a role and we end up like him
So they can’t let us see them hurt
‘Cause we’ll embody what we do and start a generational curse
No wonder most men are so depressed
All the things that they can’t express
They go to war, get thrown on the shelf
Then go back to war with their mental health
Then grab that bottle and ask for help
Try to pull themselves out of hell
Then fall back down and then realize
That they gon’ have to do it themselves
It’s the circle of life, as a man, you provide
They don’t know what you’re worth ’til the day that you die
And that’s when they start cryin’
Then move on to a man to confide in
That’s why we feel

We can’t hide ourselves
We don’t expect you to understand
We just hope we can explain
What it’s like to be a man (what it’s like to be a man)
It’s a lonely road (it’s a lonely road)
And you don’t care ’bout what we know (care ’bout what we know)
It’s not ’bout how we feel
But what we provide inside that home (inside that home)
That home
It’s not ’bout how we feel
But what we provide inside that home (inside that home)

Songwriters: Alex Nour / Daniel Nwosu Jr.

To Be A Man lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

I’m writing this on the heels of a really discouraging conversation. A friend I love has lost his faith in God — in His love, in His Word, in His existence.

His arrival at this place wasn’t sudden. It involved a journey of both of us watching the things he held precious get taken away. This loss includes watching what he thought his life was going to be, giving way over the years to what his life has become. As I listened to him, and as I ponder it now, I have nothing but empathy and sadness for him. To be honest, I’m cheating an eye upward — an accusatory side-glance to Heaven:

God, where were You? God, where are You?

I’m searching for a metaphor for what I’m feeling. I started with the picture of me standing by my friend’s hospital bed, hearing the beeping of the machines that are keeping him on life support. But that metaphor doesn’t go far enough. There’s still a bit too much hope in a situation like that. Really, it feels like I’m standing at my friend’s graveside. Past the point of hope.

A lot of people who come through the doors of the church and the mosque carry dire stories in their hearts, often sealed in a chamber just under the surface. They might be like me — carrying the burden of the spiritual death of a loved one. Or they might be carrying their own deadness or the grief of a dead situation. Either way, it’s a feeling of utter hopelessness. It’s not 99 percent despair and 1 percent hope. It’s not life support. It’s death.

Sometimes we must strain through tears to remember that God works with dead things. The question is, am I dead?

The challenges and hardships faced by individuals can be diverse and multifaceted. It’s important to note that experiences vary widely among different people based on factors such as socio-economic status, region, and personal circumstances.

I suffer economic challenges: Unemployment and underemployment are significant issues, leading to financial instability. Fluctuating economic conditions and inflation impacting the cost of living, making it difficult to meet basic needs.

I suffer security concerns: these security challenges, including insurgency, terrorism, and communal conflicts, affect my safety and well-being.

I suffer from a healthcare deficit: with limited access to quality healthcare services in certain areas it is not voodoo to see how I battle health challenges. Outbreaks of diseases, such as the occasional prevalence of infectious diseases, also pose health risks to what is left of my life.

It is intentional as I am denied access to quality education and opportunities for skill development, thus hindering my personal and professional growth.

I should just pretend about corruption: at various levels, it contributes to inequalities and hinder progress.

I suffer from gender expectations: Societal expectations and traditional gender roles place pressures on me to fulfil specific roles, impacting mental health and well-being.

 There are serious Infrastructure deficiencies, and deficits like inadequate power supply, poor road networks, and limited access to clean water can affect daily life and economic activities. I suffer from this!

My name is Nigeria, I am Nigeria, I am not APC, PDP, or LP, I possess no faith, and yet fate is dealing with me.

It’s crucial to address these challenges collectively through collaborative efforts involving government, civil society, and the private sector. By working towards economic empowerment, improved education, healthcare, and security, there is potential for positive change in the lives of Nigerians. Additionally, promoting equality, inclusivity, and good governance can contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous future for the country. May Nigeria Win!

—

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has spoken on Lagos participation in the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, the inauguration of the Lagos International Financial Centre Council, commitment of his administration to attract more investments to the State and President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Naija News reports that the governor spoke on these issues during an interview on ‘Business Live with Ian King on Sky News’ in London, on Friday.

Read the full transcript of the interview below:

What kind of growth are you expecting in Lagos State?

Right now, the population of Lagos is over 20 million and we will be conducting another census later next year, maybe by the second quarter or third quarter. But in terms of GDP, we have seen two, three percent GDP growth in the last four years. So, it is about $130 billion now. In terms of numbers, it makes the state the fifth-largest GDP growth in Africa. The GDP of Lagos is actually bigger than the GDP of Kenya; is bigger than Ghana, is bigger than Rwanda and is bigger than Senegal. So, Lagos as a sub-national, is actually very big in how it stands and how it sits and it is all of that conversation that we think a lot of people need to know what is happening in Lagos and how we can use the Lagos story to sort of tell the African story and be able to put it into where it should really be.

You just established the Lagos International Financial Council, what are you seeking to achieve with that?

The whole idea is for us to be able to let the world know what is happening in Lagos. We are starting with London because we have a lot of history with the city of London and we want them to know what is happening in Lagos. The Council will set up strategies where we can handhold companies; we can handhold British companies and investors, foreign direct investors that want to come into Lagos. Let us know what are the red tapes. What are the things they want us to do? The regulatory framework and legal framework. What kind of permits do they need to have? What kind of approvals do they need to have?

The Council is going to set up structures where communication and collaboration would happen; where we can set them on the right trajectory, where we can indeed listen to them and know what are the things they require us to do. And going forward, we have been able to also analyse how well we are doing that to be able to respond to the needs of the private sector at that time. And I on the political side can indeed give it all of the fit.

We are looking at business to government, and business to business, but pretty much just making sure that the environment is suitable for business. It is conducive and we can indeed grow the economy of the city and the state, create jobs for our people, and by extension also create wealth for the investors who are coming into the system.

In seeking to attract international investments into Lagos, what are your priorities? Which are the sectors that you are most keen to expand?

The tech industry is very important. For the past three or four years, Lagos has remained the tech startup capital in Africa. So, there is still a lot of depth that we need to bring into that space. The financial services. Yes, there are a lot of financial products that still need to be deepened in that sector. So, we want to see a lot more international financial organisations come into Lagos.

We want the creative industry to also have a play in our economy. Then, of course, general and consumer products. Because of the population we have, we believe anything indeed could have a market. You could have your share of the market. Petrochemicals, consumer products. Any of those three or four areas will indeed do very well in Lagos.

It sounds from what you are saying, the economy is very service-focused…

Pretty much. The reason is because we are just a little tiny space. We don’t have that much arable land for farming or agricultural products. You can see us leveraging on the final part of it which is value addition. But in terms of real agricultural land space, we don’t have the space. We can do very well because of the population in terms of services, technology, communication, IT, infrastructure, and anything around that space.

Obviously, Nigeria as a whole is a very young country. It is a young population. Is Lagos pretty similar in that respect?

We lead that population; we lead that young, beautiful and capable population. About 60 to 65 percent of our population are under 35 and it is growing. They are very capable, resource-driven and intelligent. So, these are some of the skills we want the organised practice to come and annex. You could be in Lagos and be working for a company in the United Kingdom or Europe with the kind of infrastructure that we are putting in place and we know that they are ready and good to go. So those are the future of work you can get in Lagos. The population is there.

One of the problems Nigeria has had historically is holding onto its talent and stopping people from going to work overseas. Is that still an issue for you and are you finding it easy to retain talent?

Well, it is still an issue, but that is why we are here and that is why I am having this conversation and we are trying to do the collaboration. That is one of the reasons the Council was set up for them to see us all as a global market, where it doesn’t matter where you are. We want to still be able to retain them as Nigerians back home but give them the global opportunity, that they all seek to benefit from. We are trying to say we can derisk some of those risks that come with trying to not secure the talent. They can be back in Nigeria, in Lagos while they are working for international companies. That is what technology does these days.

Who do you think you are competing with primarily?

We are truly competing with ourselves and we cannot sit back and just be okay with the status quo. No, we cannot. We know there is a whole lot that we can give as a state, as a people and as a country. We are the largest in the continent in terms of GDP and population. But we need to double up. We need to be able to let the world know what the potentials are. We have a new government at the central; the central government is just less than six months old.

Last week, the President (Bola Tinubu) was in Saudi Arabia. In the last two months, he has been in India, UAE and Saudi Arabia. His Vice President (Kashim Shettima) has been to China. They have been to Brazil. So, we are all out now, just telling the real story of what is happening in our country and me in my state so that people will understand that there is still a lot of energy we have. There are a lot of people that we need to be able to show out and bring investment, create wealth, reduce poverty and give people a sense of what the world has for us to be able to take on.

It sounds like the United Kingdom is the biggest foreign direct investor in Nigeria. From what you are saying, it sounds as though that might not be the case for too much longer if you have Saudi money and Chinese money coming in differently….

That is why they shouldn’t miss this opportunity. The Saudis are coming, the Chinese and the Americans are there already. The British are there because historically in the colony of Lagos, Nigeria and Britain have been for almost two centuries now. But we still cannot just leave the comfort zone. We have been there for 30 or 40 years but we still need to be creative, innovate and think out of the box. We need to be able to tell the stories differently because the world is actually becoming a lot more competitive.

You know competition is critical. Sustainability is very important for us. So, we need to also be able to come and show, and that is one of the things we have been able to achieve from the Lord Mayor’s Show just for people to know what we are about, what we are doing and to be able to let the business community in the United Kingdom where there is a larger diaspora population know in the United Kingdom that we are also open for more business.

President Bola Tinubu introduced a wide range of economic reforms shortly after he was elected. We are six months on from that now. Have they achieved what you would have hoped they would have done?

I believe six months is a short term but in terms of a clear strategy and focus, he is there. What he has done, no President in Nigeria has been able to take the audacity to remove the subsidy on petrol pump prices. That in itself will save the country about $2.5 billion. These are funds that can go into other areas in education, health and poverty reduction. But more importantly, is what he brings to the table in terms of having been a Governor in Lagos State before. That is one.

Secondly, the fact that he is challenging his cabinet members to say to them, if you don’t sit up and do the right thing, I am going to kick you out. He had said that to them two, three weeks ago and he said to them that we got a job to do, we have to do it well. So, what we are asking our citizens is, let us give him a bit more time. It is pretty tight up right now, but let us give him a bit more time. He set up a very bold, laudable agenda in his Renewed Hope. I think another six months from now we will begin to see the relief coming out from all of his interventions and I believe that the population will be better off for it.

[NaijaNews]

Morgan Stanley, a global leader in investment banking has revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s policies that put an end to fuel subsidies and the unification of the naira’s exchange rate, could fuel economic growth for Nigeria.

This declaration is contained in a recently published article titled, “Investment Outlook: Nigeria’s New Dawn” on the website of the American multinational investment banking firm.

According to the report by Morgan Stanley, the interventionist policies of former president Muhammadu Buhari -namely, multiple foreign exchange rates and fuel subsidies- led to economic bottlenecks and hindered the private sector’s ability to grow.

The report further explained that during the last eight years of the past administration, Nigeria, which was one of the fastest-growing economies in the world from 2001 to 2014, grew only 1.4% on average despite a 2.8% growth in the working-age population.

Opportunities for investors that could spark Nigeria’s economic growth

The report by Morgan Stanley further reiterated that the removal of fuel subsidies, which cost the country a whopping $10 billion in 2022 and benefited only 3% of the poorest 40% of Nigerians, could revive Nigeria’s growth in the next two to three years.

Also, the unification of Nigeria’s exchange rate by President Tinubu’s administration would reverse the 60% decline in foreign direct investment witnessed under Buhari.

According to Morgan Stanley, President Tinubu’s intention to grow the economy primarily through private investment could lead to a strong rise in incomes, which, combined with a young and fast-growing population, could usher in a new consumer class and several investment opportunities.

The report noted that the mobile banking and consumer segments are two sectors that present unique opportunities for investors seeking to invest in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s low mobile data penetration and usage levels, which is one-tenth of South Africa’s internet usage when compared, presents opportunities for providers of telecommunications-led mobile-money services, which are still in the near stages of growth.

• “Although more than 85% of the adult population has a mobile phone, around 55% have no bank account, and only 10% have a mobile money account.
• “Should mobile money penetration levels in Nigeria climb to the 75% to 95% levels seen in Senegal, Ghana, and Kenya, it would drastically increase financial inclusion and present an attractive investment opportunity, particularly in telecom operators,” the report read in part.

Furthermore, Morgan Stanley suggested that investable opportunities in several consumer segments in Nigeria are likely to arise as well.

The report asserts that should the economic policies of the current administration result in households having ample income to cover essential needs, Nigerians would be able to gradually afford more discretionary purchases.

If the policies of President Tinubu work as intended, such a dynamic in Nigeria could help the consumer goods market grow 150% from an estimated $240 billion in 2023 to about $603 billion in 2030.

This could present investment opportunities in several sectors, including packaged food and beverages, household and personal care products, education, healthcare, and even durable goods like appliances and transportation.

More Insights

Morgan Stanley also notes that the export of services offers Nigeria untapped opportunities. According to the report, the 125 million Nigerians who speak English underpin successful service-export industries.

The report further reveals that the music and film industries offer another potential avenue for service exports.

• “Nigeria is home to two of the most well-known “Afrobeats” artists, in a music genre that has amassed more than 16 billion plays on popular streaming platforms.
• Meanwhile, the Nigerian film industry, affectionately known as “Nollywood,” produces around 2,500 films per year and is attracting investments from major global media companies.
• By 2030, Africa’s film and music industries—which are dominated by Nigerian productions—could be worth 20 billion dollars and create 20 million jobs,” the report stated.

Morgan Stanley noted that once the current administration had succeeded in reversing the harmful policies and economic malaise of the past administration, Nigeria could witness a sharp upturn in economic growth in the next two to three years.

[Nairametrics]

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State says the election has gone beyond ethnic sentiment in the state, saying the All Progressives Congress won the November 11, 2023 governorship poll because it presented a popular candidate and not based on tribe or ethnicity.

He spoke at an APC stakeholders meeting at the Glasshouse of the Government House, Lokoja on Saturday.

Bello said: “Kogi must develop as one united state.

“Under no illusion must any tribe think it could vote for itself and become governor without the support of other tribes.

“The November 11 governorship election has shown that unity is the watchword.

“In 2019, I won without ethnic agenda. 

“I cautioned against tribal sentiments and asked that we desist from it before the election. 

“I was optimistic that the APC would win the November 11 governorship election. 

“I wanted it to be a sweet victory, the reason I cautioned against sentiments.”

Bello lauded President Bola Tinubu for his support toward the victory of the APC in the November 11 off-cycle election.

He added: “This is because our party, the APC, and its candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, won the election clean and clear.

“It was pertinent to review and evaluate the election, which APC won overwhelmingly, for people to learn from the mistakes and avoid the pitfalls of the past in future exercise.

“The journey was full of ups and downs in the last seven years. 

“But we thank God for the resounding victory.

“With all the obstacles before, during and after the election, the APC came out stronger.

“The time for everybody to carry his cross has come. 

“Everybody will bear his father’s name because there is still a future.”

Bello said that transparency would remain his watchword as he tries to ensure that the people enjoyed the democracy dividends.

The governor expressed regret that people allowed emotions, personal and parochial interests to cloud their sense of reasoning during the election.

He said that the good governance by his administration in the areas of road construction, health care and infrastructure development were enough for the APC to win overwhelmingly.

Bello described the Igala nation as good people, who were not tribalistic or racist but that unfortunately the majority were misled by poor representation.

To the people of Kogi West Senatorial District, he assured that payback time would soon come and called on leaders to educate their people to be selfless.

Bello thanked God for giving him the opportunity to serve the people, adding that he was well equipped to continue to serve the state better.

In his remarks, the state Deputy Governor, Chief Edward Onoja, congratulated the APC family and the governor-elect for the victory in the November 11 election.

He said that the victory wouldn’t have been achieved without the support and hard work of Bello.

“Those who could not work for victory should break away from sentiments and work for a united Kogi in the future,” Onoja said.

Senator Sunday Karimi (APC-Kogi) lauded the people for the victory.

Karimi, the representative of Kogi West Senatorial District, commended the people of his zone for standing by the APC in spite of having other candidates in the race.

In his remark, the state Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, appreciated the party faithful for fighting very hard for victory.

The Chairman assured members that the party would do a review of the whole process to determine those who betrayed the APC.

In an address to a management retreat organized by Nigeria’s Ministry of Police Affairs last week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly ordered the withdrawal of police personnel from Nigeria’s top elite group simply referred to as VIPs.  If this is obeyed, the police can then take back their normal duties as spelt out by law.

Now that it is the president himself that has reiterated the point everyone in the country has been harping upon, may be something would be done about it this time around. Indeed, virtually every former Inspector General of Police IGP began his tenure with a pledge to redress the situation more so as VIPs use police personnel for menial jobs thereby damaging the corporate image of the police.

On his part, the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun believes that withdrawing police mobile personnel from escort/guard duties would better position the police to effectively handle the internal security architecture of the country. Although, he made the statement at a meeting with crack squadron leaders and tactical commanders of the force, there is doubt if Egbetokun can achieve the plan bearing in mind that his predecessors were unable to do so. It should be noted that Tinubu is not the first Nigerian president to issue the withdrawal directive. Former president Muhammadu Buhari issued the same directive to no avail.

The boldest step to recall police personnel attached to VIPs was probably the move by IGP, Ogbonna Onovo in 2009 to recall all orderlies attached to those not entitled. According to Onovo only 22 beneficiaries are officially listed and this does not include former civilian or military presidents.But can the police ever withdraw orderlies attached to Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, Babangida, Jonathan or even those of former state governors? The truth is that the issue of those entitled has since given way to those who can pay for the service. For example, some two months ago, during the convention and electoral process organized by the Adamawa state students, three police personnel were seen serving as escorts to the student union president.

The implications of sending several police personnel to undertake guard duties are many. First, it further depletes the existing inadequate numerical strength of the Force. Second, it turns a large figure of police personnel into mere domestic servants functioning as handbag carriers and gate keepers. Why is the trend allowed to subsist? Some 5months ago, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting ICIR took a hard look at the subject and concluded that the regular notice of an end to police escorts for unentitled persons is mere rhetoric meaning that the police hierarchy does not appear to mean their directives on the matter.

According to the ICIR, after issuing a directive for such withdrawal in 2003, former IGP Tafa Balogun turned around to ask those attached to judges to remain. Nothing was done about the deadline given in 2009 by IGP Onovo for all unapproved orderlies to report for redeployment in 7 days. In 2011, a monitoring team set up by IGP Hafiz Ringim to monitor compliance with his withdrawal directive made feeble impact. The threat by IGP Adamu in 2020 that commanders will be held liable for continued illegal attachment of police escorts to unentitled persons did not alter the precarious situation.

Many large towns and villages hardly see any police personnel whereas individual elite groups could have dozens guarding their private residences. Governors and their government houses had hundreds of orderlies. At a point the Rivers State Police Command announced that former governor Rotimi Amaechi had 187 escorts. The same command was however silent on who deployed the escorts to him. Did Governor Amaechi get the assistance of a foreign power to invade the police command to appropriate 187 operatives? Of course, Amaechi was ‘indicted’ only after he stopped enjoying good relationship with the presidency. 

Interestingly, now and again successive past governments kept setting up panels on police reforms without doing anything about the reports of the panels. Reports of the Murtala Nyako panel (1989), the one set up by General Abacha (1995) another constituted by the Ministry of Police Affairs (2000) as well as the one headed by Professor Tekena Tamuno (2002) were all discarded. The reports of the Vision 2010 committee and the one led by former IGP Danmadami (2006) were similarly treated. In 2008 former IGP M.D. Yusuf chaired one that produced 125 recommendations which government is still experimenting upon.

At the same time, the police has a chief executive in charge of day to day administration of the Force. It also has a Police Service Commission, a Ministry of Police Affairs and a Police Council which point to too many cooks in the police kitchen. In another clime, the enormous minute by minute societal demands on the police which require immediate attention would not encourage a bureaucratic Ministry of Police Affairs. No wonder, we keep debating police reforms instead of allowing the management of the organization to follow global realities in policing. In fact, that the police leadership is incapable of implementing its own rules on basic issues such police escorts points at the elephant in the room.

The above explains why the police hierarchy is also unable to implement the scrapping of illegal checkpoints which every IGP vows to stop on assumption of office. What makes this more disturbing is that activities at checkpoints always lead to extortion and sometimes end in fatal injuries. Although, Muyiwa Adejobi force spokesperson publicised only 3 things to be presented to the police at checkpoints which are vehicle licence, driver’s licence and insurance certificate, additional fault-finding items are always demanded by the police. The goal is to get as much money as possible from road users especially in a lucrative route such as Lagos to Onitsha which is said to have more than 50 checkpoints. 

In 2019, a report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP did not only adjudge the police as the most corrupt institution in Nigeria, it also stated that “a bribe is paid in 54 percent of interactions with the police” adding that “there is a 63% probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay bribe each time he or she interacted with the police.” The argument that the police are virtually addicted to the operations of illegal checkpoints because their salaries are poor is certainly puerile. These days how many public officers are not poor? 

Apart from legislators who have between 100 and 200 million naira each just to purchase official car, no one is really financially comfortable with the salary structure of the public service. Extorting from tax payers because of insufficiency of their salaries is a criminal breach of trust. If other police personnel were that guilty, we would never have had the likes of Francis Erhabor, a serving police officer publicly commended by government for rejecting a bribe of N2 million. During the 20th Anniversary of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission ICPC, Erhabor who was at the time serving as a Divisional Police Office (DPO) Itam, Uyo in Akwa Ibom state was one of two Nigerians honoured by the ICPC as icons of integrity. 

It is time to deal with the real problem of the police which is pervasive greed and financial indiscipline among many personnel. It is suggested that the new Police Act of 2020 be strictly followed in the appointment and promotion of officers as well as the operations of the police. For instance, the Police Act in its Section 66(3) provides for a lawyer to be attached to every police station in the country to help promote human rights compliance. Former IGP Solomon Arase who is currently Chairman of the Police Service Commission should work with the current IGP to further reduce the number of personnel attached to only entitled persons. Incidentally, he reduced the figure for state governors from over 150 to 62 when he was IGP.

Finally, the police should embrace technology which all over the world has been recognised as the redeeming feature of humanity. With improved technology, there would be no need to deploy police personnel to voting centres where they are often accused of acting as catalysts for electoral malpractices. Our police personnel need value re-orientation.

The 19th All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC-2023) , which ended in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom state at the weekend has opened the eyes of the aristocracy of the Nigerian media to three issues that may have challenged some myths about development strategies in Nigeria. The first issue is that federalism matters a great deal, if we must make progress in this complex federation. The second issue is that it may not be true, after all as often claimed that government has no business in business. The third issue is that management of succession plan and its discontents within the context of internal democracy may be another way to make democracy safe in Nigeria.

I was briefly part of the Editors’ Conference in Uyo where I was also among fifteen Senior Editors and Managers who were decorated as Fellows of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (the highest honour of the elite Club) at the weekend. The Guild also inducted 39 new members into its fold at the same Conference in Uyo. So, we went to Uyo discussed issues in digital technologies that have disrupted and threatened the business model of digital journalism and how managers can cope with such existential threats at this time.

But some of us also noticed some strangeness in the polity: that democratic governance can trigger development too if our elected leaders can work differently by ensuring that they commit public funds to work in public interest.

Although we are editors, managers of newsroom operations, now enmeshed in the business genre of journalism, we are all reporters who nose for news as our essential commodity. What is this product called news? It is simply something that is unusual, odd, extraordinary, bizarre about people, places and events. One classic definition most journalists can’t easily forget is that news is something, somebody somewhere is trying to hide, the rest is public relations or advertising. This is what we do in public interest. This is what we have to pursue well for advertisers to patronise our products and platform owners to link us to sources of wealth.

And so I saw at the weekend in Uyo some unusual features that we need to report to Nigerians to study carefully. It is simply something unusual about one of the 36 states of the federation. It is about some silent paradigm shift in development strategy that we need to comment on at this time that some state actors spend more money on live coverage of meretricious projects that people hardly need, after all. It is about a state we can use to justify long campaigns for restoration of the pearl (federalism) we lost to the ‘soldiers of fortune’ in 1966. It is about Akwa Ibom State that is demonstrating in clear terms that claims by some motivational speakers that government has no business in business isn’t true, after all. The Akwa Ibom state development history we began to deconstruct from the airport to the hotels we used at the weekend is beginning to show that character, which most of our leaders lack, is the real paradise we lost and we need to regain for us to begin the race to lead Africa and the black race as the iconic Nelson Mandela predicted before he flew away. Here is the thing, the leadership succession arrangement that has produced the fourth governor of Akwa Ibom State since 1999 is generally believed to be the main critical success factor we have seen in the State of real aquatic splendour.

What is the drift here? Akwa Ibom state today stands out as one major and clear success story of a state that can be used to justify The Guardian’s Federalist Papers to be presented to the public on Tuesday November, 28, 2023. The Federalist Papers stem from a serial of 61 Editorials titled, ‘Federalism Is The Answer, After All’ the newspaper wrote on Federalism in 61 weeks from 2020 to 2022. What I saw in Akwa Ibom state at the weekend actually reinforced my conviction that Federalism really matters and it will encourage competition within the six geo-political zones as it did during the regional governments that the military truncated on the day they struck in 1966.

The brass tacks: On May 28 this year, we woke up to a rude shock of unveiling of a fraudulent national carrier, Nigeria Air that the Buhari administration promised the nation for eight years. On that day, the outgoing Minister of Aviation then Hadi Sirika commissioned a re-painted Ethiopian airplane as Nigeria Air’s. That was a day before leaving office as Aviation Minister. They got the naive President Buhari to commission a fake aircraft just repainted from a thriving Ethiopian airline. Till the present, after a mere questioning by the State Security Department’s operatives, the nation hasn’t been told what to do with the millions of dollars Sirika claimed to have spent on the fake national carrier the Buhari administration promised the nation.

But today Akwa Ibom state that once built an airport to ease air travels to the state has a stake in an airline, Ibom Air that has taken the nation by storm. And so, Nigerian Editors flew Ibom Air to Uyo last Tuesday and landed in a very clean Uyo airport built by the Akwa Ibom State Government. What is more, they saw what a serious government should do with road infrastructure: six-lane clean and solid road infrastructure to their classy Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort designed and built by former Governor Victor Atta, an architect who every educated citizen of the state knows designed the modern Akwa Ibom development agenda within the construct of urban renewal and rural infrastructure development. You fly into the city in their vessel, check into their world-class hotels in Uyo or Ikot- Epene where you will get another good hotel built by Governor Akpabio and run by Four-Point by Sheraton. The road to Ikot Ekpene from Uyo is also of good quality. Meanwhile, from Ibom Icon Hotel and Gold Resort, you can travel by any plying vessels to Calabar, capital of Cross River State and Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea. What do we need to develop thriving tourism industry other than what Akwa Ibom’s leadership succession arrangement has produced: good airport, good airline, excellent road infrastructure and good hospitality outfits (hotels) and allied facilities?

Besides, the weekend ANEC-2023 has been the only state where Editors have held their annual and biennial meetings and conferences without the state governor insisting on guided projects inspection during the conference. Most of the time, the Editors just laugh about celebration of mediocrity by many state government officials. In Akwa Ibom state, you don’t need project inspection before you notice robustness of even good inner-city link roads. And most of the critical infrastructure pieces were not commissioned with fanfare that we see daily with some under-achievers who spend more money on television live coverage of even refurbished school classrooms.

Most citizens of the state have enough civic competence to understand that Governor Attah the resource-control hero during the Obasanjo administration actually began the development agenda with a clear blueprint of where they want Akwa Ibom to be. Most people in the state also understand that not even the controversial party primary that set off the Godswill Akpabio’s government from 2007-2015 could discourage the uncommon achiever’s commitment to his able successor’s development plans. Akpabio who was generally believed to be a big spender and too liberal with state funds was succeeded by a more moderate spender, Emmanuel Udom who also committed himself to the development agenda of his predecessor. Attah and Akpabio built an airport, Udom exploited a public-private-partnership arrangement to float an airline that can be daubed a ‘state carrier’. And when you get to their airport they are already expanding to an international standard to include international flights under Governor Umo Eno, you will see these lines from his inauguration speech on an electronic board at the airport departure hall:

“I will like to reiterate that I cannot achieve or actualise this vision alone. This is a collective responsibility and I am very sure all of you patriotic citizens of Akwa Ibom State will join hands with me to further push the developmental strides as handed down by my worthy Predecessor…”

This is how their leaders’ minds work in the state. They all regard Attah as their Lee Kuan Yew and they would like to plan succession in such a way that they don’t encourage what Benjamin Franklin an American icon and a funding father called, “great talkers and little doers”. Politics of bitterness and curious vengeance can be found in some states including one where a successor has marked out more than 100 monuments and projects of his predecessor to demolish without considering the consequences to the state’s purse.

So deliverable from this weekend’s road note is that what is happening is Akwa Ibom state is a clear testimony that restoration of federalism we lost in 1966 can set the tone for development of various geo-political zones in the country. It is beyond rhetoric that the goal of democracy is to give the people a voice in the decisions, which impact their lives. But how does this work in practice, especially in countries where ‘The People’ mostly live in different regions of the country, and are made up of different ethnic, religious or linguistic groups?  These different people might have different ways of doing things.

One possible political solution for these diverse groups of people who share the same country, but live in different parts of it, is Federalism. It is a strategic compromise that divides powers and responsibilities between two main levels of government: a central or union level, and a state or regional level. That is what the Akwa Ibom example is teaching us today: that we need to restructure this dysfunctional federation today so that federating units can be competitive again in their federalist models such as we enjoyed before the evil unitary system the military government imposed on the country in 1966.

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!”(1 Thessalonians 5, 1-3)

For the students of the Obafemi Awolowo University resident in the off-campus hostels in Oduduwa Estate, the primitive invasion launched by fully armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)on November 1, 2023, at the unholy hours of 1.40am to 4am, ostensibly in search of internet fraudsters, must have seemed like Armageddon. 

Cowboy Stunt

There were no warrants and no solid leads. What seemed to have propelled the EFCC officers was the usual Nigerian Jankara cowboy stunt of abducting as many people as possible and then questioning them under grueling circumstances with the hope that some of them would incriminate themselves. The script is taken straight from the Little Secrets of King Leopold II, the butcher of Belgium who derived joy from harvesting millions of limbs from the Congo.

At a time when governments at all levels are making strident appeals to the Gen-Z to be more inward-looking instead of seeking their fortunes abroad and ‘Japa-ing’, an agency of government is actually giving young people more valid reasons to loathe the land of their birth. The Nigerian establishment alienates its young people and then turns round to accuse them of not having love for their country. 

In our days at the then University of Ife, we had an off-campus hostel at Ifewara. Students were bussed to and fro. When I heard of the recent EFCC raid, I dialled back and imagined if it had been a raid on Ifewara hostel by the then Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO), the ancestor of today’s DSS. The result would have been bedlam!

The trauma inflicted on the students can only be imagined, as evidenced by their accounts of what transpired. 

One Junaid Hafiz Adeyinka, a Part 5 student of Computer Science and Mathematics was thrown into so much panic when the raid started that he contemplated escaping through the ceiling of his room until he touched a live wire in the darkness and realised that he could easily be electrocuted in the darkness of the ceiling. He quickly texted family and friends to let them know what was happening. Eventually, the invaders wearing jackets emblazoned with the acronym EFCC burst into his room and marched him to join earlier captives lying face down.

He recounts what happened thus: 

Victims’ Account

“It was a harrowing experience as these gun-wielding men surrounded us as I was asked to lay down with my face against the floor, beating us for several minutes before being escorted into the vehicles holding one another like criminals. We were packed tightly into the bus I was taken away with, with several people having to lap others, myself included.

“At this point, I had no idea where I was being taken to, or why I was taken away from my home. Shortly after we started to drive off, we were continuously warned and threatened to keep our heads down and not look up. Not too long after, we stopped, and from the look of things, we had stopped at another hostel within the same estate where, at that moment, I could only imagine that the same actions that were carried out in my hostel, were about to be repeated. This was the case, as several other students and young men joined us. As we departed, another threat was issued, this time it was to give a bullet to anyone who tried to run.

“I am not a fraudster. I have never been into cybercrime and never will. I am just a student with several hobbies and skills all technology-related. I am a software engineer, with a diploma in Software engineering and also a technical writer with a blog where I publish content, I also have several work experiences where I have completed internships, some of these companies are EDFIN Microfinance Bank, Lagos, Mark Calthers Consulting Limited and Flosoft. I have undergone several courses on different platforms including AltSchool, Freecode Camp and Udemy and I’m currently undergoing Harvard CS50.”

The students’ union roundly condemned the incident in a tweet: “We strongly condemn the recent unjust arrest and harassment of our fellow students by members of the EFCC @officialEFCC in the odd hours of today, Nov 1, 2023. This action is unacceptable and goes against the principles of justice and due process.”

Many Nigerians also took to social media to condemn the cruel invasion and the dehumanisation of innocent students. One issue that has been highlighted time and time again is that EFCC’s  invasion and subsequent parade of innocent students as common criminals in the media, has smeared the students’ digital footprint. A cursory search of any of the names on the internet brings forth the salacious story of being a possible cybercriminal.

In an interview with Thisday newspaper, another abductee, Kolawole Alao who recently won first place position in the University project exhibition for Digital Nigeria Day with a Design and Development of a 3-axis CNC Milling Machine on October 27, 2023, lamented that anyone could label him an internet fraudster. A few days before the EFCC misadventure, the young man had celebrated his achievement on the X platform: “I’m thrilled to announce that my team won 1st place at the University project exhibition for Digital Nigeria Day with our Design and Development of a 3-axis CNC Milling Machine….”

Gestapo?

Apparently, we had been operating a Gestapo or Tontons Macoutes of sorts under the pretext of fighting financial and economic crimes. Many lives have been badly blighted in the process. Take the case of Nasiru Saidu Ali who faced a similar ordeal in 2019 and is yet to recover from the tag.  Ali complained on the X platform that, “My image and government name are still on your page and many blogs as a Yahoo boy since 2019. I wrote to your then chairman to take it down but no response. Your lawyers don’t even show up in court. I have lost a lot of opportunities at home and abroad because of this defamation.”

This nonsense must stop forthwith! The fact that 59 of the 69 students abducted were released within 24 hours shows that there was no due diligence in the EFCC operation. In what country do you arrest people first and then start looking for evidence later? It was a rude baptism of fire for the new EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, a lawyer and experienced security consultant who immediately barred the outfit’s operatives from carrying out sting operations at night.

Restitution

That can only be a beginning of the necessary changes that must be carried out to humanise the operations of the EFCC. The other urgent matter is to issue papers of complete exoneration to all those who have been unfairly paraded as criminals on the internet and to publicly apologise to them. There is no heroism in plucking unarmed citizens from their beds in the wee hours when honest people should be asleep. You can’t call that heroism. It looks more like banditry.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has released a statement saying it will charge to court the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel who were released on bail conditions on Friday by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Commission.

Recall THE WHISTLER reported on Friday that EFCC said it had a “face off” with the Nigerian Air Force during the week after operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command went on sting operations and arrested some suspected internet fraudsters at a residential Inn and Disney Chicken Eatery, Barnawa on 13th November, 2023.

The Commission said the arrest followed credible intelligence about the alleged activities of suspected internet fraudsters whose names were given as: Favour Itung, Rachael Ande, Zuleiman Haruna, Abubakar Ismaila and Solomon Olobatoke.

EFCC said all the suspects were arrested without any incident. However, it noted that “after the sting operation, six military personnel who witnessed the operation at Disney Chicken Eatery, stormed the Kaduna Command and attempted to forcibly release the arrested fraud suspects.

“They were subdued and detained over the security breach. The intruders are four Air Force personnel : Lawal Abdullahi, Chukwuma Chidi Christian, Alfa Suleiman and Emmanuel Ekwozor and two students of Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology, AFIT: Chidera Anuba and Joseph Tokula,” EFCC explained.

However, in the press statement released on Saturday by the Head, Media and Publicity Unit of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, the commission said: “The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, personnel released on administrative bail by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, November 17th, 2022 will be charged to court at the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.

“The officers were released to their Service in strict adherence to the bail procedures of the Commission.

“The Commission reiterates the fact that no one is above the law and the due process will be followed in bringing the case to a conclusion.”