Nigeria Times

By Kabiru Ibrahim Dallah

There is no doubt that Africa and indeed West Africa, in particular, has witnessed a massive rise in insecurity challenges post-Gaddafi era in Libya.

Several reports by reputable media organizations have linked the proliferation of small arms and ammunitions plus the rise in terrorist activities in the Sahel of Africa to the collapse of Libya.

Most of the arms and fighters used in the fights against Gaddafi and subsequent battles for the control of Libya have found their way into several neighbouring countries.

This has caused great destabilization in these countries. Mali comes in readily as an example of the effect of the collapse of Libya. Many countries including Nigeria have had to battle the resultant effect of that event in history.

Nigeria has had its fair share of this international dimension of the insecurity challenge. The hitherto local terrorist organization have been bolstered and supported by former Libya fighters who trooped into the country in droves, alongside and with their arms and ammunitions.

The entire essence of the above narration is to acknowledge that the pervasive security challenge being experienced is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, definitely not!

The only difference, however, is that from Maiduguri to Otuoke, from Badagry to Kaura Namoda security is a big deal to politicians for several reasons. For some, it is the genuine desire to see lives and properties secured. Others, meanwhile, it is a tool for propaganda against opponents. Whereas some are just after the big financial war chest expenditure available in the battle against insecurity.

Insecurity in this part of the world has now been considered big business. That is why I took the time to explain earlier some of the real intrigues and international dimensions to this serious challenge of insecurity. Despite how real and serious the task of securing lives is, many people here still see it as a means of making money and enriching their cronies.

The many calls by some so-called activist for the sack of the service chiefs have now become big business to them. Many of these characters are cashing out daily from this call. 

This brings to mind a Sahara Reports report on the 15th of March 2013 where one Samuel Chinedu accused Ikenga Ugochinyere of being behind the registration of a pseudo All Progressive Congress APC then. The plan was was to thwart the registration process of the APC. Ikenga was accused than to have collected a lot of money from some big shots in the PDP for that mission.

Such is the life of some of these “activists”. They predate on critical life issues to make some quick cash. Characters like these are the ones leading the daily call for the removal of service chiefs. Those of us who know Nigeria understands how things work here. Once you see people of such shady character feeling uncomfortable with some process or certain people, it is imperative to take a deeper look and you will find that their reasons for discomfort is most likely not what they complain about but their desire to milk the system to their advantage.

Today we have service chiefs who will not attend political meetings in the night. We have men who are professionals to the core, whose only ambition is to secure the nation. We have service chiefs who would not play ball backed by a president with impeccable character and integrity. This cannot be palatable for the business as usual guys.

They have to now seek their source from those I call the enemy of the state. People that consider the well being of their pocket as more important than the wellbeing of the country.

Some see this insecurity as the new oil. An all-comers affair. They can’t let go quickly of the days where a government official will dole out $2.1billion USD without necessarily following any due process,  they probably miss the days when everybody was an arms contractor.

The campaign to remove the non-conformist service chiefs has seen all shades of people with questionable characters being engaged to do the battle. Men with shady characters leading calls for the removal of professionals who have proven their mettle in the discharge of their duties.

Men who have sacrificed all to make sure that we can sleep with both eyes closed. Yet at any slight incidence this “remove service chiefs “ gang will hit the airwaves with their usual rants.

The president who is a matured man understands clearly that everyone is needed at this critical time, he also understands that you don’t change your winning team during the battle. These men have helped stabilize the nation at different critical times. Some of us will not forget in a hurry what the situation was before the appointment of these current set of service chiefs. We won’t forget quickly how terrorist were hoisting flags indiscriminately on our soil, how whole local governments were completely overrun by terrorists.

Those with a better memory will appreciate why Mr president is a bit more cautious and not yielding to the campaigners. Mr President more than many of us and infact more than many of these so-called campaigners is very much abreast with the real facts of the matter. So he takes far more informed decisions than many of us will imagine because he has got the real facts of the matter.

It is time for these shady characters to consider finding another hustle as it appears this may not yield any results. It is important for us to support the service chiefs as they continue to make giant strides in our quest to have every inch of this nation secured.

Dallah is a pro-good governance activist and development expert based in Lafia.

By Bala Kuta 

Professor Ango Abdullahi is an amusing character at his octogenarian age. He is a Northern varsity don, an intellectual, administrator and former minister in Nigeria, whose name should ordinarily strike profound memories. But in his latter days in life, he has proven to be a negation of whatever an elder should represent.

He is loquacious and consistently parrots too generously. He talks like a dunce in leadership. At 82 years or so, one expects to see a calm and very calculated elder statesman. But he loathes everything associated with respect.

Those who know Ango Abdullahi, the former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU) Zaria closely should whisper into his ears that he is over-parroting and, in the process, denigrating himself. An academic anywhere is a tranquil person, who speaks wisdom and knowledge, as against sentiments. 

Academics strive to see a better society for the benefit of all. And when he is prompted by any burning public issue to make suggestions, his panaceas are religiously trusted as a remedy to a public affliction.  Ango Abdullahi defends herdsmen atrocities against Nigerians but thinks President Muhammadu Buhari should berth peace from heaven in Nigeria.

When commentators or public affairs analysts postulate that some Northern elders are behind insecurity in the North and other parts of the country, it sounds strange to some ears. But those who doubt it should not look far to find answers. With Ango Abdullahi’s public utterances, it’s clear to discerning minds that he is one of the shadows behind insecurity in the North.       

Nowhere in the entire globe where an intellectual is wasted, even when it is reasonably assumed that he has reached the age of senility. Professors emeritus are even more respected because of their treasure of knowledge. They are considered reservoirs of wisdom, decency and uprightness, virtues which endear society to them in veneration.

Unfortunately, Prof. Ango Abdullahi embodies the opposite of everything sane or these sound virtues.  He served as Minister under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and,  so sees nothing wrong with that administration. He will not tell Nigerians who introduced Boko Haram into the country and nourished it because he served as Obasanjo’s minister. He has never criticized that administration which laid the foundation of the national malaises bedevilling the country now.  

But President Buhari is a bad and incompetent leader in the estimation of Ango Abdullahi and his ilk because he is not patronized with an appointment. Therefore, President Buhari must be rubbished on whatever efforts he is making in correcting the ills, which a government, Ango served dutifully introduced in the system or polity.

The game of politics is played in Nigeria differently and very oddly. Only in Nigeria one plus one cannot always be two. One must look farther and search deeper to find answers to ordinarily very easy puzzles.

This country is populated by too many people who have no scruples. Do not mind the age, experience or exposure. Even the elderly, focus their lenses only beneath the abdomen alone. Plead with these elders to gaze at the open space, to see the scenic beauty of the environment and perhaps, grasp the alternative messages conveyed by even the tantalizing breeze is like the proverbial forcing of a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

Prof. Ango Abdullahi is a prominent Northern son and intellectual, no doubt. Ango leads a group of eminent Northerners and elder statemen under the aegis of Northern Elders Forum (NEF). But it’s obvious Prof. Ango Abdullahi has hijacked the association and runs it in the fashion of dictators.

He is a sole administrator of NEF. It’s been ages Nigerians read any public press statement from NEF on any decision concerning national issues. Ango Abdullahi thinks alone; takes the decisions solely and talks alone. Even at that miniature level of leadership, Ango Abdullahi has so mindlessly abused the etiquette; yet has the guts to frequently criticize the leader of an entire nation.

Ango Abdullahi has usurped the thinking of every Northern elder in that forum, so he speaks on their behest. Ask him when last, the group held a meeting, he won’t remember. It’s doubtful if Ango Abdullahi can still count who and who are still members of this otherwise revered association.  

He functions alone; thinks and initiates action for every member of the association. What baffles more is his effrontery to question the government of President Buhari on poverty in the North particularly and pretend in sycophantic ululations to be also concerned about my entire Nigeria. 

In his region, the North and despite occupying a vintage position, as leader of an assemblage of Northern elders under the umbrella of NEF, he has done nothing to alleviate the poverty of his people. He has no plan; no agenda or thought about it.  

It’s certain that Ango Abdullahi is barren of his basic responsibility for his immediate constituency, as a Northern elder. Since he assumed leadership of NEF what poverty alleviation agenda and schemes has he contemplated? None till tomorrow. Yet, he commandeered the position of chair of NEF. Give someone else that position, he would spring surprises for the benefit of the people.

Ango has forgotten that the people who should know their problems better and contrive ways of solving it are the Northern elders in NEF. The association should not just be an assemblage of respected personalities, but it should be a platform for solving some of these problems. Ango, have you ever contemplated it? This former minister lacks the capacity to galvanize the forces at his disposal for the benefit of his people.

Talk is cheap; criticisms of those in leadership easier. But when the same people assume lesser responsibilities at lower rungs, they fail woefully, as evident with Ando Abdullahi. Prof sir, you cannot continue to live in self-denial. If the Northern region is poor, with almajiris everywhere, its also your responsibility at this octogenarian age to strive to improve the situation. The North is a community which gave birth to you, fed, nourished and gave you the global fame in academics.

NEF as a forum, chaired by a sensible intellectual would have used to it to prod Northern elders to use their wealth in assisting the upcoming generation of the North to understand the meaning of existence in a region and county which breathe life into them.  Insecurity in the North is fueled by poverty.

Had the likes of Ango performed their responsibility as expected, poverty in the North would have been reduced and violent sects would not have had access to idle youths to recruit into their fold.  The mindless killings in the North would STOP or at least be reduced! Leadership does not start and end with the person wearing the crown of a nation, community or a particular enclave alone.   

Ango Abdullahi in fairness to you, NEF ended with the leadership of a passionate nationalist, detribalized Nigerian and international elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule.  If only the dead could rise, Sule, NEF’s pioneer chairman would have wept at your personalization of NEF.  You are just leading a band of elders in your family and local government, but certainly, not the North.   

Today, Ango presents himself as a contradictory personality and a talkative. That’s not the philosophy behind the formation of NEF.   If President Buhari is not a good leader as admitted by Ango’s recent interviews published by several media platforms; it’s also difficult to discern or even understand his preference for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

It is now clearly partisan. It means Ango has gleefully taken a partisanship position as leader of other Northern elders in the association he self-crowned himself as chairman. But the congregation or its members belongs to different political affinities or persuasions. The bitterness Ango harbours on the Buhari presidency permanently cannot make NEF better.

Ango should reposition NEF first before expending energy on thinking about Nigeria. Professor Sir, asking President Buhari to resign over insecurity in the North is the most thoughtless utterance. Please, tell Nigerians which administration brought Boko Haram into Nigeria. Ango should help Nigeria and the North by telling the sponsors of the killings that the North is tired of the bloodshed.  Ango, the sponsors are your friends and partners in crime and so, prevail on them to halt the killings. 

Kuta is a former member of the National Assembly and wrote from Minna.

By Abimbola Oluyede

Nigerians are complex people to lead. Sometimes, authorities struggle to understand where the people are displeased, excited or unexcited by policies or programmes. What seems to gain currency in the Nigerian market in political and social engagements, however, is to either hate the leader or disparage whatever he does good or bad. And a glut hardly looks at the merits of any case from a dispassionate perspective.

The latest news whirling in town now is the pronouncement by the Honourable Minister, Human Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq about the disengagement of batches “A” and “B” of N-Power beneficiaries.

Quite unfairly, Hajiya Saidiya Farouq merely communicated the lawful decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to terminate the appointments of these initial beneficiaries of President Muhammadu Buhari’s poverty alleviation schemes under N-Power. Nothing personal.

N-Power is encapsulated in the broad special intervention package called National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP). NSIP, though, has never been terminated and President Buhari will never sanction such. At least not now.

But since the public notice, tongues have been wagging. Minister Sadiya has vitriols aplenty, vile criticisms and outright abuses by some Nigerians over the termination of earlier batches of the scheme, especially after realizing that indeed it is beneficial to the poor of the poorest of Nigerians.

As they say, every coin has two sides. It’s a thing of pleasure that the critics have at least seen something good in the Buhari Presidency. It means, the government is not all bad after all despite the dummy sold to Nigerians in 2019 in order to thwart his re-election.

NSIP has many arms and in the last four years, Buhari practically forced the National Assembly to approve the meagre budget of N500 billion annually, as included in the Appropriation Bill to fund the scheme. It was tougher in the first year, 2016. Senators who looked at the amount as too bogus and could still vote any outrageous amount for their personal welfare, initially rejected it and threatened not to approve the budgetary votes.

Yet Hajiya Sadiya gets the sticks alone. In reality, however, there is absolutely no reason to scold, lampoon and lambast Minister Sadiya over the public announcement of the termination of batches “A” and “B” of N-Power jobs.

She never initiated the policy, as it was that of the APC-led FGN under President Buhari. Sadiya is just a servant of the Nigerian masses and a plank between the government and the people. She does not fund N-Power jobs from her family treasury or patrimony. It belongs to Government and the same Government made its conditions of engaging beneficiaries public.

From the outset, Nigerians and particularly beneficiaries of N-Power jobs were told that it won’t last eternally rather for two years. Of course, mass unemployment is a serious bane in Nigeria and the feelings of the people over the termination of N-Power engagements is understandable.

But by the designs of such jobs, the government envisaged that after two years of internship in the various categories of skills acquisition and experience the N-Power envelope provides for beneficiaries within the period, they should thereafter be competent to stand independently as employers of themselves and others in the labour market. N-Power batches “A” and “B” have spent over four years; a 100% grace period.

What else do Nigerians want? Is it to lock out others, while in the comfort zone? Where is the fraternity as compatriots? The country’s resources cannot go round everybody simultaneously and that’s why the rotation of social benefits is inevitable.

Let’s not forget that President Buhari’s APC-led FGN stipulated two years for each batch of N-Power beneficiaries in order to free the space for new entrants. If the programme began in 2016 with batch “A” and subsequently batch “B” and in 2019, Minister Sadiya announced FGN’s decision to terminate these batches for another set of beneficiaries, what is really the grudge against the FGN or the Minister? Why the vituperations on Buhari?

And it is not even plausible argument by any Nigerian that President Buhari has abandoned N-Power beneficiaries. In fact, the Government has tinkered with several options of engaging them in other areas, including reaching an agreement with their temporal employers to hire the productive ones among them. But there again lies a dilemma. Most do not go to work yet collect the stipends, sadly the basic mentality of Nigerians. Their assessment records would eventually not support such further engagements.

Most Nigerians perceive N-Power jobs as part of their national cake. Many believe they have no reason to contribute to national productivity or service. However, once a country exists by a name and an identity, such as Nigeria, it should continue to service indolent citizens who sap from it in perpetuity. But by the vision and design of N-Power jobs, nowhere has it been stated that it is life-term. Let it be clear to everyone, least, the opposition PDP comes mouthing against President Buhari meaninglessly again.

The N-Power beneficiaries whose contract with FGN has been terminated now hardly complain about the abuse of the scheme by their state governors. Although these sleaze governors have infused into the scheme, the beneficiaries also align with it and pocket whatever gets to them, without any labour.

President Buhari is very benevolent! He is a patient and kind leader. Its same spirit Minister Sadiya has imbibed. And that’s why even when conveying the decision of the termination of N-Power jobs, after a psychometric assessment of the previous beneficiaries to determine their competencies, Sadiya compassionately said;

“We are engaging private sector bodies to absorb some of the beneficiaries after the completion of the psychometric assessment to determine competency and placement into various opportunities. The Federal government is committed to the continuation and expansion and, as such will now begin enrolment and onboarding of a new batch of beneficiaries. Skills acquisition for entrepreneurship and job creation is critical for an economy that will require a boost in post-COVID-19 and we are gearing up proactively for the challenge.”

Minister Sadiya intends placing the scheme under some tight regulations to insulate it from the abuses by State Governors. She said: “The ministry has undertaken a review and re-appraisal of the programme in order to strengthen the program design and streamline for efficiency.” She deserves praises and not vilification. Nigerian s should be thankful, at least for once for the efforts of Government.

Therefore, the black sheep who have gone to town with everything at their disposal to blackmail the innocent woman because she is out to ensure fairness and equality in order to allow another set of Nigerians benefit from the scheme should have a rethink. Batch “C” of the N-Power scheme is already boarding and loading. No one has the capacity to restrain the anger of every Nigerian; but it can’t deter genuine public leaders from doing the right thing, as exemplified in Minister Sadiya.

The elements against her are just greedy and mischievous and much more, a negative portrayal of the kind of future leaders Nigeria is breeding. Nigerians must remember the philosophy of “live and, let’s live”. N-Power batch “C” has come to stay and Nigerians owe the Honourable Minister an obligation to embolden her to move on with every courage and charisma in putting smiles on the faces of other Nigerians; the same disposition which has earned her the appointment and trust of Nigerians these years.

Oluyede is an entrepreneur and wrote from Lagos.

By Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe [Chem Engr, NYC]

Who does Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara thinks he is fooling?

His decision to exit the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] for the All Progressive Congress [APC] could not have come at a more convenient time. A time when the current Speaker of the House of Representative Rt. Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila mandated the Federal Minister of Niger Delta Affair to put his mouth where his money is – and produce the names of the supposed federal lawmakers who were recipients of the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] contract bonanza and related fraud.

Just when the Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio responded that the recipients were not the members of the current House of Representatives but the members of the previous House of Representative under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Yabuku Dogara – Dogara woke up and discovered the corrupt nature of PDP in Bauchi State – and the pristineness of the APC. He suddenly came to realization he no longer wants a part of it.

Who does he expect to believe the tale he just discovered after more than one year the Government of Bauchi State is corrupt? After partaking in the unholy communion? Who is fooling who? And, who is gullible enough to believe the fairy tale?

The Cambridge dictionary defines a hypocrite as “someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in way that shows these are not sincere”. And, defines a coward as “a person who is not brave and is too eager to avoid danger, difficulty, or pain”.

If only the Nigerian public knew the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] was hot on his trail and had pulled his files, it would be clearer to understand the predicament Dogara finds himself.

The EFCC had begun investigating his activities while at the Green Chamber – and had concluded on its findings. To arrest the former Speaker was the next move. Dogara was faced with arrest and prosecution – in the same manner Senator Godswill Akpabio was faced with arrest prior to his shameful exit. Like Akpabio, Dogara flipped the switch and crossed over for the political cleaners where his sins will be forever forgiven – and amnesty granted, at the APC.

In Akpabio’s case, he was rewarded for his crossover, and for the synthetically manufactured battle he waged against the Governor of Akwa Ibom – the PDP Governor who took over the Governor’s seat after his exit. He was awarded a ministerial position in return.

In the case of Dogara, the play cards are the same. Off the bat, following his crossover, he launched his version of a synthetically manufactured battle against the PDP Governor of Bauchi State – detailing what he termed as corruption with the Bala Mohammed administration. An administration that has won accolades beyond the boundaries of Bauchi Stare as worthy of emulation. One that has revamped the educational infrastructure within the span of 12months by adding over 350 classroom blocks across the wards that makeup the State. Has achieved the erection of world standard molecular laboratory for the testing of Covid19 that presently serves four neighboring States at over 300 samples daily. Road construction networks in proportions never witnessed in the history of the State – including water treatment plants to accommodate the increase in population due to migration of IDPs.    

The question then becomes what is really Dogara’s agenda? It cannot be Bala Mohammed or his administration.

Apart from freeing himself from the grips of the EFCC. He maybe positioning for the Vice President position against the 2023 presidential elections or a Ministerial position.

As a coward battling out of the fear of possible prosecution, it is evident he has sold his rights and integrity to the drowning APC. A vomit he excreted. With which face will he face his former colleagues whom he lampooned when he defected from the APC to the PDP?

After labelling the APC, the party of corruption, he has returned to the party of corruption. Now, he sees the PDP as the party of corruption. Who is he fooling? And to imagine he was the number four citizen of the country for 4years defines the trouble with governance in Nigeria.

“What happened to the N4.6 billion loan taken from a bank and paid directly into a private company’s account?” – was one of the questions Dogara wanted answered. He claimed it led to his decision to exit the party.

Dogara, himself, knows firsthand the truth behind the non-existent loan. But he is earger to play dirty. He wants to play ostrich. Dogara knows the Bauchi Government never secured any N4.6billion loan.

The supposed N4.6billion concerns a legitimate contract awarded to a contractor for the purchase of vehicles for the government. The Bauchi State government, as most clever state governments do, issued the contractor an Irrevocable Standing Purchase Order [ISPO] – which in layman’s term means the Bauchi State government reached an agreement for the contractor to be paid in monthly installments through automatic deductions from the government’s bank account. Armed with the ISPO, the contractor approached a financial institution and presented the ISPO as a collateral to secure a loan. The contractor was awarded the loan – and the vehicles were delivered.

Dogara puzzlingly called simple transaction a loan in an open letter released to the public.

And to know that Dogara was among the recipients of the vehicles is disheartening and exposes his hypocrisy. He collected a Toyota Land Cruiser. Yes, he even wrote a thank you letter to the State government acknowledging the receipt of the vehicle.    

Dogara’s defection back to the APC may not be his last defection. It should be understood Dogara left the PDP for his personal gains and not for the benefit of good governance. The fear of EFCC prosecution and/or persecution propelled his exit [cowardice] – but to author a letter depicting the government of Bauchi as corrupt is weak and unnecessary.      

Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe is a Chemical/Environmental Engineer resides in New York