Nigeria at 52: A city set on a hill that cannot be hidden

By CHIOMA GABRIEL
Okonta still remembers  that morning when a neighbour rushed to the colonial  residence of Dr. Harrison at Ikoyi, Lagos, where he worked to announce to him that his wife Mariana  had been delivered of a bouncing baby boy. Okonta was dressed in his well- starched  khaki uniform in the colonial house when the cheery news got to him.
He made merry and entertained his friends to celebrate the birth of his son and named him Harrison after the whiteman in whose household he served as a servant.

The birth of  his only son coincided  with  the celebration of Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960.
Today, Harrison is 52 years and lives in Lagos. He has no  regular job  after  graduating from the university several years ago.
He had tried to sustain himself as a self-employed businessman but his business at Tincan Island suffered from excess custom duties and multiple taxations. Harrison couldn’t  cope with the blows that fate had severally dealt on him. At 52, he has no house he could call his own.
He has no regular  means of livelihood despite his B.SC in Business Administration and Masters  Degrees in two other Disciplines. He has no home  and has transversed severally between being an okada rider and a tricycle driver. On many occasions , he has served as a bus conductor and the finesse he acquired through education has given way to a crude, frustrated, middle-aged man.
But Harrison Ogbonna is not the only Nigerian whom fate has dealt with badly. Across the 36 States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, there are many Harrisons who have been battered by fate but only few  were able to make a success story from  the school of hard-knocks.
The above story sounds like the typical Nigerian story. From what they taught us in history,  the pathway to Nigeria’s 52 years of independence  was littered with broken  promises.
Nigerians are people  suffering from battered egos and damaged psyche. Ab initio, our leaders had envisaged prosperity for the country, given  the country’s enormous resources but that had been mere dreams. As a nation very rich in oil resources, we have  receded from oil boom to oil doom.  Nigeria  has become  a giant with mosquito legs.
The elders of the country left good legacies. But their successors could not match the strength of the sages.
Sir Ahmadu Bello, former Premier of Northern Nigeria at our independence in 1960 said that the freedom of Nigeria from British rule  is not the freedom of the jungle, where might is right.
“We are not free to molest others  less strong than ourselves or to trample on their rights simply because we are in a position of authority over them. Independence brings with it heavier and new responsibilities.
The eyes of the world are on Nigeria now and there are many friends who hope that we shall be the leading nation in Africa. Let us say with all emphasis at my command that we shall never attain this goal if there is suspicion and mistrust among the peoples of Nigeria.
Such an attitude cannot benefit anyone and can easily lead to strife as has been the painful experience of other independent nations in Africa and elsewhere.”
It is obvious that Nigerians of today  never heeded the wisdom of the sages . In today’s Nigeria, deceit holds sway ! Almost every year, we lament our situation , wondering if  achieving nationhood is such an unrealistic and unworkable project.
From all indications, many have come to accept the reality that ours is a society where the morons are the barons; a society where thieves are kings;  a  society  where the monkey works and the baboon chops; a society where might is right and injustice the order of the day.
Today, ours is  a kingdom against itself. Things are  falling  apart and the centre can barely hold. Anarchy appears to have let loose upon  the nation. Insecurity, corruption in high places and other vices are building strongholds. These are felt in every facet of our daily life.
For years, we keep questioning ourselves about what went wrong  with our country but each year, the questions increase but there are less answers. We are forever  preoccupied with how to redesign the Nigerian project after 52 years of self-governance because of  the folly and greed of those who took over the affairs of modern Nigeria.
Beginning from 1966,  the country recorded eight military regimes. The final military regime left power on May 29, 1999 in between interjections of civilian regimes.
The military government came to power in pretence of restoring sanity in government but today, Nigerians know better.
Celebrating Nigeria at 52 is only to fulfill all righteousness. At least,  the country has been able to sustain civilian government  without interruption of the military government since 1999.  With her avalanche of social economic cum political challenges, the country is still rated as a major key player in the global economy.
The present  Nigerian leaders should see this independence celebration as time to reflect on our  past so as focus on the political emancipation of the country; restore security and the confidence of the populace.

Vanguard

Nigeria needs an Igbo President to march forward – Ezeife

Former Governor of Anambra  State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife in this no-holds barred interview x-rays Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development  these past 52 years and posits that the component nationalities  and other social forces in the country must fix Nigeria this time around or forget about its future. He spoke to OKEY NDIRIBE AND EMMAN OVUAKPORIE in Abuja.
Considering the fact that a man of  52 is generally believed to be a mature person,  can you say Nigeria has matured politically, economically and socially?
It is unfortunate that every year we have to make this assessment. It appears that every year we are saying the same thing. However, there is something special about this year.  There is a story about the tortoise in Igbo folklore; the tortoise had fallen into a pit latrine. He was there for many days. However, on the very day the tortoise was to be rescued by some people, he began to complain and asked those who had come for the rescue operation to hurry up because the smell of the latrine was too much for him. But he was told to be patient since he had managed to endure the stench inside the pit for so long.

There is a Cape of Good Hope in Nigeria. For the first time in recent history, there is a convergence of views on what needs to be done about Nigeria. There is a consensus on what needs to be done for Nigeria-a country which is nearly always shipwrecked – so that it could become transformed into where things work.
Some eminent politicians held a meeting not too ago in Lagos and their major demand was that a National Conference be held.
Sometime ago, I was invited to Port-Harcourt over the debate on Sovereign National Conference. I was able to convince them that we should not talk about a Sovereign National Conference. This is because, once a Sovereign National Conference is convened, it would have the power to sack both the President and the National Assembly. Indeed, such a conference would have the power to do whatever it likes.
However, if we can have a National Conference,  where we reach a consensus on certain issues, its decisions would come into effect after the incumbent government has left office.
One of the major problems we have faced in this country in the past is that some people do not believe in agreements. For  instance an agreement was reached at the National Political Reforms Conference held in 2005 that an additional state should be created for the South-east geopolitical zone.  About three months ago, the Presidential Committee on Constitutional Reforms also endorsed the same idea with some refinement.
However, a certain Governor from the North was quoted to have said he was opposed to that agreement. The question I want to ask is what is the population of Northern Nigeria?
What is the population of the South? What is the population of Anambra State? What is the population of Kano?

Ezeife: Ndigbo

We should allow the sleeping dogs to lie in this country. kicking up old dust is not good.
In 1962, there was a census and what was called preliminary result was announced. The result indicated that the population of the North at that time was 14 .5 million. The population of the Eastern Region was 11.5 million and that of the Western Region was eight million. So, the population of the south at that time was above 19.5 million and higher than that of  the north.
Then two young men at that time: Mbazulike Amaechi and RBK Okafor now said that based on the census results, all the southern progressives should join hands together and form the next government. That declaration kicked up a census controversy. The lesson we learnt was from the controversy and its outcome. In the course of the controversy, the population of the North moved up from 14.5 million to 17 million. Then it was moved up again from this to 19 million. It was manipulated again from 19 million to 21 million and finally ended up being hiked to 29 million which was double of the initial figure for the region.
The East remained at 11.5 million while the West remained at eight million  but was later raised to 10 million. The increment of the figures for the West arose after the Late Ladoke Akintola , former Premier of Western Region agreed to cooperate with the political party from the North. This is the foundation of all the subsequent census that has been conducted in this country. So when certain people talk about the population of their own part of the country, you begin to wonder whether they really have a sense of history.
Mr Smith, a British colonial officer who conducted an earlier census in 1951 stated that after the exercise, the North was found to have a smaller population than the South. He confessed before he died that the British authorities at that time did not want that census result to stand and therefore ordered a revision which turned the table.
What we are advocating is that there should be equality of zones; these six zones should then become the federating units of the country. Each of the zones should have some autonomy. Any of the zones could create one million states if they like. There is a consensus on this already.
If this arrangement is finally endorsed and  captured in a constitution, there would be no need to argue over state police. There would be a middle ground and this could be called zonal police.
There should also be a revenue generation and sharing formula which recognizes fiscal federalism. Under this arrangement, there would be emphasis on the derivation formula as we have always had. We must emphasize national interest. All those who want Nigeria to still remain united do not desire a very weak central government. There should be a fairly strong centre; but nothing like what we have now. Again, we could ask ourselves whether we should continue with a bi-cameral legislature  or unicameral arrangement with only the Senate in place? We could even consider having part-time Senators.
This is because what we are seeing in Nigeria is abnormal in the extreme; a developing country which spends about 80 percent of its income on recurrent expenditure, rather than capital expenditure. It is like a farmer who consumes more than what he had harvested; nothing would  remain for him to plant in the next planting season.
Very recently, the House of Representatives rejected a bill which sought to recognize the geo-political zones. How do you react to this development at the legislature?
It is beyond the competence of the National Assembly to deal with matters

Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife

Iike that. The role of the National Assembly should be to repair the cracks on the wall of the House and not that of rebuilding the house. Rebuilding the House is the responsibility of the owners of the house.
It is not for the National Assembly which is part of the structural imbalances we want to correct to dictate the way to go. All the senators and members of  House  of  Representatives emerged from these manipulated constituencies based on doctored election results. Unless some people want this country to disintegrate, we must open our eyes and act fast. We must not use present advantages at all.
Under the present arrangement, the  North could kill whatever bill it doesn’t want. We need a National Conference to address Nigeria’s fundamental problems.
Nigeria has been moving along the wrong path; we don’t seem to realize that our country is the largest black nation on earth. We don’t seem to also realize that the black man who was number one in world civilization and development has today become the foot mat of the world.  We do not seem to realize the manifest destiny of our country which is to restore the dignity of the black race.
In today’s world you could get military power with economic power. Nigeria is the country in Africa which can become the super power of the black race. Nigeria has a history which could easily appropriate the credit for whatever success we achieve unlike say South Africa.  This could only be achieved if Nigeria remains a united country.
But if we cannot restructure, develop  and unleash the great potentials everybody has identified in Nigeria; if we continue to remain backward and our peers overtake us, then such a country should cease to exist.
What can you say about the high level of insecurity in the country as has been epitomized by the activities of Boko Haram in the North and other violent groups in other parts of the country?
Insecurity is a common problem in several countries of the world. But when you talk about Boko Haram, it has several dimensions. For instance, those who said they would make the country ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan if he won last year’s election have exploited Boko Haram. They had expected that by unleashing violence on the nation, Nigerians would be cowed into submission and ask them to take over power so that there would be peace. There is also the original Boko Haram which wanted to Islamise the entire country.  There are also those who are angry about how Nigeria has been governed and the poverty, illiteracy and disease it has led to and the emergence of the almajiris. However, majority of Nigeria’s past leaders responsible for the plight of even the almajiris were from the North. Yet some of them are still talking about power returning to the North in 2015.
I wish to state that those who think that they are punishing the Igbos by keeping them out of  power are deceiving themselves. It is Nigeria that needs and Igbo President for this country to move forward. Infact, until Nigeria produces an Igbo man as President, this country is going no where in terms of progress. Igbos are number one agents of development wherever they may be. They are known for transforming their environment.
But some of those opposed to Igbo presidency have said that Igbos are inherently politically unstable. Such persons have cited how other Igbos pulled down various Presidents of the Senate when that office was allocated to the South-East under the PDP zoning arrangement.
It is not true that Igbos are not united. There is no ethnic nationality which would remain out of power for such a long time without being affected politically. Look at how disunited the North has become after remaining out of power for such a short time.

Vanguard

Time To Raise Non-oil Revenue

  ISAAC AIMURIE

So much has been said by experts and politicians about the need to harness the huge potential in the non-oil sector for increased revenue and overall growth of the economy.
Current global trends are pointers to what could befall countries that rely solely on oil revenue. With the economic crises in  western countries and the attendant thinning of their spending power, Nigeria’s fate is hanging as a degeneration of the situation in Europe and America spells doom for the nation’s economy.
In the interim however, the crude oil money can be used to open up all the 774 local government areas in the country-electricity, road, schools, hospitals, town halls, modern markets, housing schemes and huge investment in agriculture.
While the beautification of city centres and peri-urban areas is not a bad idea, massive investment in infrastructures in the rural areas is the key to the nation’s industrialization and ultimately, economic diversification.
The infrastructure will no doubt drive economic activities in these local government areas and the socio-economic impact will be huge.
Also, with economic activities come higher earning power, and the tax agencies at the various levels of government can make tax deductions for the development of more infra and superstructures.
The recent  revelation by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) that out of the N3.401 trillion it collected in the first eight months non-oil taxes recorded N1.187 trillion of the cumulative figures, while oil revenue accounted for N2.202 trillion, lending strength to the call for economic diversification through non-oil sector.
According to reports the total collection by the Federal Inland Revenue Service the first eight months of the year represents an increase in the tax revenue collection performance of N468.65billion when compared to the total collection of N2.93 trillion for the same period in 2011. The service has less than N233, 57billion to achieve government’s provisional annual estimate of the N3.6 trillion, an average monthly collection of N302.95billion set for the FIRS in the current fiscal.
At a recent stakeholders’ meetings in Asaba, Delta State and Lagos, FIRS Acting Executive Chairman, Kabir Mashi, was quoted as saying that the reforms embarked upon by the agency were showing that oil taxes were no longer commanding the height in revenue generation.
His statement came amid fears of a possible  economic downturn due to the ailing European and American economies.
Mashi asserted the days of economic oil boom were were coming to an end as the non-oil taxes were giving oil and gas taxes a run for their money.
This is however not surprising given that  under the 2012 fiscal plan, the agency was mandated by the Federal Ministry of Finance to significantly grow the non-oil revenue to 10 per cent of the non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Acting Chairman of FIRS, Mashi said: “Our total collection as at May 2012 amounted to N1.886 trillion as against the government’s target for the same period of N1.515 trillion. This translates to 125 per cent of the set target with a positive variance of N371 billion.
However, when compared with the FIRS target, we recorded a shortfall of N232.6 billion which is roughly 11 per cent. The Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) contributed about 70 per cent of the total collection while Companies Income Tax (CIT) and the Value Added Tax (VAT) contributions were 12 per cent and 16 per cent in that order. Other tax types contributed the residue of two per cent, which is a cause for concern.
This trend is in sharp contrast with our set objective to grow the non-oil collection significantly in the year.”According to the figures, non-oil tax receipts leaped this year, rising from 26.8 per cent of total tax collections in the first quarter (Q1) to 41.29 per cent in Q2 in relation to oil and gas performance during the period under review.
In the first quarter, of a total tax generation of N1.172 trillion, oil and gas earnings accounted for N857.162 billion, representing 73.1 per cent while non-oil pooled N315.306 billion, representing 26.8 per cent.
During the second quarter, which ended in June this year, there was a leap in the performance of non-oil collection as, out of a total of N1.267 trillion, the gap narrowed with oil and gas taxes contributing N743.950 billion or 58.7 per cent while non-oil collection moved up to N523.279 billion, representing 41 per cent of the total revenue.
While the Q3 collection and analysis are still ongoing, there are indications that the trend had continued in favour of non-oil window as figures obtained for the month of July have shown a further narrowing of the margin, moving up to 42 per cent.
From the  figures, of a total of N524.12 billion tax revenue as at July 2012, oil and gas tax stood at N302.37 billion, representing 57.6 per cent while non-oil taxes fetched the sum of N221.749 billion, representing 42.31 per cent.
The agency attributed the increase to the  direct response to the “aggressive drive by the tax agency in recent times by our enforcement team, which is raking in a lot of revenue. In fact, there was a week we raked in over N4.2 billion. The initiative has also led to enhanced compliance by tax-payers.
And I can tell you that with the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Presidency, we can make up to N15 trillion yearly if we deploy the right information technology to track the activities of contract awards by agencies of the federal and state governments as well as the activities in the property and estate sectors to effectively assess and collect taxes from operators in the industry.”
Leadership

Occupational, Health Safety Bill Ready for Presidential Assent

Senate President, Senator David Mark

By Dele Ogbodo

The Senate President, Senator David Mark, Thursday assured Nigerians on the passage of the bill on Occupational Safety and Health.

Mark said the senate thoroughly debated the report which sought some amendments to the Act establishing it.

Speaking after the bill was unanimously passed into law, Mark said since the lower legislative chamber had equally passed the bill,  a conference committee would soon be inaugurated to harmonise the bill after which it would be sent for the  President’s  assent.

While presenting the  report of the Joint Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Health Establishment and Public Service,  Senator Chris Anyanwu, representing Imo East Senatorial District, also sought to make comprehensive provisions for securing the safety, health and welfare of persons at work and also to protect persons against risks to safety.

She also sought for the establishment of a national council for occupational safety to repeal and re-enact the Factory Act 2004.

The bill states: “That any employer who fails to ensure safety and health of all employees at workplace commits an and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than N500,000 or both imprisonment and fine in the case of an individual and a fine of less than N2 million for both body corporate.

“And in addition each director, manager or officer of the body corporate shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not less than one year or to a fine of not less than N500,000.”

It added:  “An employer shall after being notified by a female employee that she is pregnant, adopt the working conditions of the female employee in such manner as to prevent occupational exposure to ensure that the embryo or the foetus is afforded the same broad level of protection as required for members of the public and the employer shall not consider the notification of pregnancy as a reason to exclude the female employee from work.”

This Day

“There are a lot of opportunities for new investors in Nigeria” – President Jonathan

In an attempt to woo Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, President Goodluck Jonathan, in the midst of a group of foreign investors, claimed that his administration is tackling the dearth of infrastructure and the dire security challenges in the country.
Speaking at a dinner organised in his honour in New York, by the Corporate Council on Africa, and attended by the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Johnnie Carson, the president tried to douse the fears of investing in Nigeria.
He told the guests at the dinner that safety nets have been established to protect all foreign investors in Nigeria.
Such measures, he said, include the establishment and strengthening of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, and the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“We have some security challenges now, but let me assure you that the Nigerian Government is on top of it. We are dealing with the issue decisively; it will soon be a thing of the past,” the president said, in an attempt to gain the investors’ confidence.
“Opportunities abound for would-be investors with capital and technical know-how in key areas of Nigeria’s economy with a high rate of return on investment. I invite our friends in the United States to take advantage of existing incentives and invest more in Nigeria.
“I am confident that by the year 2015, Nigeria would have witnessed transformation in all sectors to the benefit of not only its citizens, but also those who have an interest in Nigeria,” Mr. Jonathan said.
Nigeria’s new focus
Attracting foreign direct investment is now the focal point of Nigeria’s foreign policy, the president said.
Mr. Jonathan said this decision is to accelerate domestic growth and create more jobs for unemployed Nigerians. He said his administration is wholly committed to promoting the development of a knowledge-economy that will enhance the security of lives and property, thereby accelerating growth, providing employment opportunities and reducing youth restiveness.
The President told the gathering of leading American businessmen and investors that attracting foreign investment to support the realization of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation is now the topmost priority of Nigeria’s diplomacy abroad.
“Let me restate here that Nigeria’s foreign policy is now anchored on the realisation of this Transformation Agenda through the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment.
“Under the new policy thrust, our Diplomatic Missions abroad have been directed to focus more on attracting investment to support the domestic programmes of government with a view to achieving not only our Vision 20: 2020, but to bequeathing an enduring legacy of economic prosperity,” he said.
In his welcome address, Mr. Carson pledged the Obama administration’s support for Nigeria’s efforts to attract greater foreign investment.
He said Nigeria is already a very important destination for American companies and the second highest recipient of American direct private sector investment in Africa. Mr. Carson said that he is very optimistic that Nigeria can become a great economic success over the next decade.
The Assistant Secretary of State announced that the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission which has been established as a primary platform for the promotion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries will meet again in Nigeria next month.
Meetings
President Jonathan’s other engagements in New York on Wednesday included meetings with President Sauli Ministo of Finland, and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mrs. Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.
The President had earlier met with President Francois Hollande of France, the Emir of Qatar, and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa. He also received representatives of the over 200 Nigerians who currently work for the United Nations and its agencies.
President Jonathan and Prime-Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, with whom he serves as Co-Chairperson of the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, also participated at an event to promote its work. Guests at the event included former American President, Bill Clinton.
 BusinessNews

Blame high price of cement on bad roads and fuel subsidy removal – CMAN

Cement Ready for Sales

Cement production capacity has improved over the last year and local production is likely to hit 17 million tons before the end of this year. Chairman of the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMAN), Mr Joseph Makoju in his address yesterday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital stated that, the production of cement has increased from 2 million tons in 2002 to 13 million last year.

Makoju said their primary focus now is beyond producing enough cement for consumers in Nigeria but to build human capacity in the industry as well as develop the export market in the nearest future.
He said, “Very soon Nigeria will soon be exporting cement to neighbouring countries, just as it is doing with crude oil.

“For the first time in Nigerian history there has been no cement import since the beginning of the year, because the local cement companies have been able to rise up to the challenge hence there has been no scarcity. “As at today, daily production of cement is even in excess of sales and they are in the process of formalizing the exportation cement to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and neighbouring countries,” he added.

The Chairman however, ascribed the high price of cement produce in some areas of the country to bad state of the nation’s roads. He advised consumers to be patient irrespective of the price as CMAN was talking to government about spending more on road and rail network as the focal point of the association is making cement available and affordable.

The Chairman stated that they are proposing the establishment of Cement Technological Institute that will help in the area of human capital expansion.
In conclusion, he called on the government to subsidize fuel for greater efficiency in the production and distribution chain. That because their plants are not close to gas pipelines, they choose fuel against gas, which is cheaper; they resort to fuel, which is more expensive.
BusinessNews

“We will surprise Nigerians after October 10″ – Bakassi traditional ruler

Paramount ruler of Bakassi Local Government Area and Chairman of the Cross River State traditional rulers’ council, Dr Edet Okon Etim, has warned that Nigerians should expect shocker after October 10, which is the 10th anniversary of the ceding of the region to Cameroun by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The monarch said, “I am very sure that something significant will happen on or before the 10th of October” Etim, who was reacting to a comment by President Goodluck Jonathan, where he was quoted to have said that there was no need to appeal, affirmed
“If truly the Federal Government refuses to appeal the judgment, then no one should be surprised by what will happen in Nigeria after October 10.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Treaties and agreements, Yacoob Bush-Alebiosu who visited the area two months ago said that, “President Jonathan should send an appeal to the ICJ immediately otherwise, from what we have gathered, after October this year, we may have another problem on our hands. We pray that it does not happen, because if it starts, I can assure you that the disintegration of this country will start from there. The people of Bakassi are very sad and I believe government must do something,” he said
Speaking further, the monarch affirmed that they are tired of being treated as second class citizens in their own country. He said: ‘We want to leave but the law continued to hinder us because the law pretends that we are Nigerians but we cannot be Nigerians with having a foot hold on our land or concede our land to Cameroon. We have said it clearly that before Nigeria and Cameroon, there was Bakassi, we don’t need Nigeria to define and determine our existence, but one point is clear, today it may be Bakassi and tomorrow it may be Otueke. If we are used as sacrificial lamb today, it may be another group tomorrow”

DailyPost