[dropcap]R[/dropcap]omelu Lukaku has started all of Manchester United’s games in the Premier League and Champions League, but the Belgian striker cannot expect a break just yet, manager Jose Mourinho has said.
Lukaku has hit the ground running since signing from Everton in the off-season with six league goals in as many games.
He has also netted three times in European competitions as United have barely missed the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Mourinho, who hailed Lukaku’s development since last working with the player during their time at Chelsea, said he must continue leading United’s line until Ibrahimovic’s return.“Without Zlatan, we cannot rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions,” Mourinho told the club’s website (www.manutd.com).“So, until the moment we have Zlatan, we cannot think about giving rest to our number nine, the same way we give (rest) in other positions. We cannot do that.”
Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals in 46 appearances for the club last season, but injured his knee ligament in the 2-1 Europa League win over Anderlecht in May.
The 35-year-old signed a one-year contract in the close season after surgery, but is not expected to return before the end of the year
The Portuguese manager said Lukaku had taken his opportunities well.
“I don’t want to speak about this progress. If I do that, it looks like we did something extraordinary in three months that he doesn’t have in the remaining years of his career,” said Mourinho.
“I don’t think it’s fair. It’s just a global evolution; I think every step in his career, he got it, grabbed it with both hands.
“It was always his dream to come to this level and since he’s arrived, I don’t think he thinks another thing other than success.”
The manager said Lukaku was coping well with the pressure of playing for the 20-times league champions.
United, who are on 19 points from seven games on the back of Lukaku’s fine finishing, after thrashing Crystal Palace 4-0 yesterday.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Presidency on Saturday released what it termed the 57 achievements of the Buhari-led administration.
The release of the list of achievements coincides with the celebration of the country’s 57th independence anniversary.
President Muhammadu Buhari came into office on May 29, 2015.
The list, from an email address in the office of the Vice President, Prof. Femi Osinbajo, was, however, unsigned.
The release stated:
57 ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BUHARI-LED ADMINISTRATION
SECURITY & RELATED MATTERS
1. Release of 106 Chibok girls, as well as over 16,000 persons in Boko Haram captivity.
2. Tackling insurgency, decimation of Boko Haram in the North East.
3. Recovering 14 local governments and territories previously under Boko Haram control in the North East, rebuilding lives of citizens there; about one million displaced persons in the NE have returned to their communities in two years of this administration.
4. Curbing the incidence of kidnap across the country. (Arrest of kidnap kingpins and dismantling of kidnap cells across the country)
5. Restoring morale of the Nigerian military; re-organizing and better equipping the Nigerian Armed Forces.
6. Purchase of 12 Super-Tucano aircrafts worth $600 million to aid the Nigerian military’s current operations in the North East.
7. Ensuring continued peace in the Niger Delta through consistent funding of the FG amnesty programme for ex-militants.
8. Introduction of an improved mechanism for distribution of aid to IDPs in the North East through the establishment of the Special Intervention Programme of the Federal Government. (Door-to-door strategy)
ECONOMY
9. Implementing the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to aid economic recovery, taking the country out of her worst recession in 29 years, despite fall in oil prices.
10. N1.2 trillion expended on capital/infrastructure projects nationwide, a milestone in the nation’s history.
11. Effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account, and increasing government revenue by over N3 trillion as well as entrenching transparency and accountability.
12. Implementation of the Bank Verification Number (BVN), thus tackling corruption by plugging loopholes for siphoning of public fund and tracking of illicit funds through multiple accounts.
13. Ease of doing business: the Federal Government signed into law two bills from the National Assembly (Acts are the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (otherwise known as Collateral Registry Act) and the Credit Reporting Act, 2017) which has facilitated access to more affordable credit for Nigerians, fast tracked budget submissions and promotes Made-in-Nigeria products.
14. Establishment of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum to enhance interaction and private sector participation in the development of the economy.
15. Institutionalizing E-governance setting the foundation for the creation of a truly digital economy.
16. Creation of opportunities for youths to leverage innovation in technology through the introduction of the Aso Villa Demo Day (AVDD) through which over N700 million has been disbursed to young entrepreneurs.
17. The revitalization of the Made-in-Nigeria campaign. (Emphasis on consumption of local products gain grounds)
18. Implementing reforms in the civil service which has led to the elimination of over 30,000 ghost workers, thereby saving the country billions of naira monthly.
19. Massive investments in agriculture, e.g, Anchors Borrowers Programme to improve local produce, improving fertiliser distribution and access across states through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative.
20. Reduction in rice imports as a result of government’s policies that has encouraged massive rice production across Nigeria.
21. Improving transport infrastructure (rail and road); construction work ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, renovation of Abuja International Airport runway, completion of Abuja – Kaduna Railway among others.
22. Social Investment Programmes (SIP): N-Power Volunteer Scheme creating jobs for over 200,000 (and still counting) unemployed graduates in all the 36 states and the FCT.
23. SIP: Ongoing Government Enterprise and Empowerment (GEEP) Scheme; commenced in November 2016 in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, where soft loans ranging from N10, 000 to N100, 000 have been given to over 189,000 market women and traders across different states.
24. SIP: Home Grown School Feeding Programme, where almost three million schoolchildren have been fed, while tens of thousands of cooks have been engaged in their respective states.
25. SIP: Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme, under which about 25,000 less privileged Nigerians so far are now being funded with the monthly N5,000 stipend in 9 pilot States (Bauchi, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo). More beneficiaries are expected to be added in more states.
26. The establishment of MSMEs Clinics, a small Business support programme to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in different states.
27. Establishment of One-Stop-Shops to support policies on Ease of Doing Business.
28. The take-off of the 2nd Niger Bridge.
29. Phasing out subsidy for petroleum products, elimination of fuel scarcity and queues in petrol stations.
30. Implementation of the FG Niger Delta new vision, a comprehensive road map to improve livelihood and social infrastructure.
31. Improved power generation nationwide adding $500million to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund and about $87million to its excess crude account.
32. The creation of the N30billion Solid Minerals Development Fund.
33. Encouraging the patronage of local contents and increasing export in agriculture.
34. Signing of Executive Order 001 which is the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment – to ensure that public servants offer prompt service in a predictable and transparent manner, and sanction undue delays.
35. Signing of Executive Order 002 which is on prompt submission of annual budgetary estimates by all statutory and non-statutory agencies of the Federal Government including incorporated companies wholly owned by FG.
36. Bailout of cash crunch states; about N689 billion to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries in 2015.
37. Complete refund of Paris loan deductions to states (unprecedented).
38. Implementing the 2011 UNEP report for the ongoing Ogoni clean-up process after decades of oil spills and pollution.
39. Modification of the tax system so that it is more efficient.
40. Reforms in the airports (reconstruction of the Abuja airport runway and ongoing work at the Lagos airport).
41. Reforms at the nation’s seaports (Issues with cargo clearance at the ports addressed)
42. Improved duration (under 48 hours) for visa approval especially for investors.
43. Resuscitation of the nation’s refineries which are now working at 50 percent capacity for the first time in over a decade.
44. Eleven of the dead 33 fertilizer plants have been resuscitated while four others are to be revived shortly and this has profound impact on the ongoing revolution in the agricultural sector.
45. For the first time in more than 45 years, the Mambila Power Plant is set to take off with the allocation of $5.6billion for its realization and an expected 3,050 MW output upon completion.
46. Increasing external reserves to a 13 month high of $33 billion from $29.13 billion which has surpassed the ERGPs target of $30.56 billion despite global low oil prices and production challenges.
47. Cancellation of the Joint Venture cash calls with oil multinational companies operating in Nigeria (For the first time in the history of the industry) which has led to savings of billions of dollars lost to fictitious contract payments.
48. Release of N2 billion take off grant for the Maritime University as part of measures to address agitations in the Niger Delta region.
49. The new development bank of Nigeria (DBN) is finally taking off with initial funding of $1.3billion (provided by the World Bank, German Development Bank, African Development Bank, Agence Francaise De Development) to provide medium and long term loans to MSMEs.
ANTI – GRAFT WAR
50. Improving Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation with neighbouring countries in fighting insurgency.
51. Anti-corruption war: Prosecuting alleged corrupt public officers and recovering billions of naira of stolen public funds; the successful establishment of the whistle-blower policy.
52. Signing of Executive Order 004 – Voluntary Income Asset Declaration Scheme (VAIDS). This aims to increase tax awareness and compliance, and reduce incidence of tax evasion.
53. Signing of agreements with a number of nations to provide Automatic Exchange of Information.
54. Signing of the Extradition Treaty between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates (UAE) toward strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
55. Establishment of PACAC – a think-tank that has provided leadership, direction and also built capacity of personnel in the fight against corruption.
OTHERS
56. Eradication of polio disease in the country.
57. The introduction of the One Primary Health Centre per ward programme of the Federal Government.
President Muhammadu Buhari has kick-started the activities to mark the 57 anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence with a nationwide broadcast.In his address, the President spoke about calls for restructuring, agitations in the country, the progress his administration has made in the areas of security, economy and in moving the country forward and the challenges facing the nation.
Read the full text of his speech below:
My dear Nigerians,
October 1st remains a special date for all Nigerians as this marks the day when we attained one of the most precious of human desires — freedom.Over the years the country has gone through trials and tribulations, but October 1st is always a day for celebrations.
It is a day for thanksgiving, reflection and re-dedication.
It is also a day for remembrance. We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999 – 2015, when our country happily returned to democratic rule.However, in spite of oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1m barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected.
We were left with no savings and huge infrastructure deficit.
The APC Government’s Campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric.The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest.
In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political Party at the Centre losing elections of State Governor, National Assembly seat and even State Assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions. Such developments clearly attest to the country’s growing political development. But like all freedoms, this is open to abuse.
Recent calls on re-structuring, quite proper in a legitimate debate, has let in highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country. We can not and we will not allow such advocacy.
As a young Army Officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2m lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.
I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly.
At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the National and State Assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for National debate, not some lop-sided, un-democratic body with pre-determined set of objectives.
Government is keeping up the momentum of dialogue with stakeholders in the Niger Delta to keep the peace. We intend to address genuine grievances of the communities.
Government is grateful to the responsible leadership of those communities and will pursue lasting peace in the Niger Delta.
SECURITY
On security, Nigerians must be grateful to our gallant Armed Forces for rolling back the frontiers of Boko Haram’s terrorism, defeating them and reducing them to cowardly attacks on soft and vulnerable targets.
Nigeria is grateful to its neighbours and the international community for the collective efforts to defeat this world-wide menace of terrorism.
Not even the most organized and most equipped police and security forces in the world can escape the menace of modern day terrorism, as we have seen in recent years in Europe and other parts of the world.
But we are not letting up. Our Armed Forces in an effort to enhance the operational capability of troops of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE have established Mobile Strike Teams in the North East. These will ensure the final push to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram.
In addition, through targeted air strikes most of the leadership and identified logistics bases and routes of the insurgents have been neutralized. The Armed Forces have established a Naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin as part of the coordinated military efforts to curtail the movements or re-emergence of the sect in the area.
Government is working round the clock to ensure release of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as other persons in Boko Haram captivity. Government will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies to fight not only terrorism, but kidnapping, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers violence and to ensure peace, stability and security in our country.
ECONOMY
With respect to the economy, the Government has remained pro-active in its diversification policy. The Federal Government’s agricultural Anchor Borrowers Programme, which I launched in November 2015, has been an outstanding success with:
· N43.92 billion released through the CBN and 13 participating institutions,
· 200,000 small holder farmers from 29 states of the federation benefitting,
· 233,000 hectares of farmland cultivating eight commodities, namely Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, soya-beans, Poultry, Cassava and Groundnuts, in addition to fish farming.
These initiatives have been undertaken in close collaboration with the states. I wish to commend the efforts of the Governors of Kebbi, Lagos, Ebonyi and Jigawa States for their support to the rice and fertilizer revolutions.
Equally commendable are contributions of the Governors of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Benue, Ogun, Kaduna and Plateau States for their support for the Presidential initiative for palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and other crops.
With the abundance of rainfall last year and this year, agriculture has enjoyed Divine intervention.
Since December last year, this Administration has produced over 7 million 50Kg bags of fertilizer. Eleven blending plants with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tons have been reactivated. We have saved $150 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in subsidy. Fertilizer prices have dropped from N13,000 per 50Kg bag to N5,500.
Furthermore, a new presidential initiative is starting with each state of the Federation creating a minimum of 10,000 jobs for unemployed youths, again with the aid of CBN’s development finance initiatives.
Power remains a huge problem. As of September 12th, production of power reached an all — time high of 7,001 Megawatts. Government is increasing its investment, clearing up the operational and financial log jam bedeviling the industry. We hope to reach 10,000 Megawatts by 2020.
Key priorities include better energy mix through solar and Hydro technologies. I am glad to say that after many years of limbo, Mambilla Power Project has taken off.
Elsewhere in the economy the special window created for manufacturers, investors and exporters, foreign exchange requirements has proved very effective. Since April, about $7 billion has come through this window alone. The main effect of these policies is improved confidence in the economy and better investment sentiments.
The country has recorded 7 consecutive months of lower inflation, Naira rate is beginning to stabilize, appreciating from N525 per $1 in February this year to N360 today. Broad-based economic growth is leading us out of recession.
Furthermore, in order to stabilize the polity, the Federal Government gave additional support to states in the form of:
· State Excess Crude Account loans,
· Budget Support Facility,
· Stabilization Fund Release
to states and local governments as follows:
· N200 billion in 2015
· N441 billion in 2016
· N1 trillion in 2017
Altogether totaling N1.642 trillion.
This was done to enable states to pay outstanding salaries, pensions and small business suppliers who had been all but crippled over the years.
In addition, the Government’s current N500 billion Special Intervention Programme is targeting groups through;
· Home Grown School Feeding Programme,
· N-Power Job creation to provide loans to small-scale traders and artisans,
· Conditional Cash Transfer,
· Family Homes Fund and
· Social Housing Scheme.
CORRUPTION
Fellow Nigerians,
We are fully aware that fighting corruption was never going to be a straightforward task. We expected corrupt elements to use any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion. But we are determined to eradicate corruption from our body politic.
In this fight, the Government has:
· Empowered teams of prosecutors,
· Assembled detailed databases,
· Accelerated the recovery of stolen funds.
The Administration’s new institutional reforms include:
· Enforcing Treasury Single Account,
· Whistle-Blowers Policy,
· Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System.
We have signed multi-lateral cooperation agreements on criminal matters with friendly countries. There are signs of increasing cooperation from the Judiciary. Recently the Chief Justice of Nigeria directed Heads of all our Courts of first instance and Appeal to accelerate hearings of corruption cases and dismiss any judicial officers found to have been compromised.
Justice Salami has just been appointed to chair the Judiciary’s anti-graft committee. Government expects a lot from this Committee.
I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. The government for its part will work for accountability at all levels – Federal, State and Local Governments. CHANGE will then be real.
As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ny 57-year-old will certainly have a story to tell – good or bad, positive or negative, of success and/or of failure. This, perhaps, is the reason a lucky few, who are privileged to hit the number 60 usually roll out the drums for a recap of their lives at diamond jubilee. Nigeria is definitely not an exception. That she has paid and continues to pay the price, although at a very high cost, for nationhood is trite.
From the amalgamation of the Southern and the northern protectorates in 1914 to the struggle for independence in 1960 and the post-independence tribulations of a rather promising black nation, the path to a desirable society had been quite undulating and paved with a degree of uncertainty, albeit with proportional if not higher promises.
Today marks the 57th independence anniversary of Nigeria as a nation. The country has seen it all as many would say. A country of multifaceted potential at birth, it still remains a toddler, while those beneath its developmental strides in the 1960s have since overtaken the acclaimed giant of Africa. Years have gone by but the nation has failed to translate the dreams of its founding fathers to reality. It is right now reeling in huge foreign and domestic debts. Some say the debt to GDP ratio is low but some experts are already talking about the huge funds being committed to debt servicing. In 2016, Nigeria committed 35 percent of her total earnings to debt servicing and in the first half of 2017, it has committed N57.4 billion to the same purpose. With increasing number of bonds being floated, you can only expect the debt profile to go higher.T 57, Nigeria presents a sorry picture especially in the sights of those who have followed her trajectory all these years. At the inception of nationhood in 1960, the leaders saw potentials and great hope. They saw a Nation that could hold its own in the comity of fast growing nation. They saw a young and vibrant nation waiting to be nurtured to a forward looking adult.
The states of the Federation are also worse off as none of them is excused from the debt burden.
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, painted the picture succinctly in an interview. His submissions led to the conclusion that in 57 years, Nigeria has been retrogressing rather than progressing.
He said: “If this country had followed the MDGs guidelines, we won’t be where we are today. In the year the MDGs started, China’s GDP was $1 trillion. By the time MDGs was completed after 15 years, China’s GDP had gone to about $12 trillion because China mainstreamed all the MDGs goals into their agenda and followed them strictly, and was able to pull 439 million people out of poverty.
“Our country is among the countries where the opposite happened. Rather than more people going out of poverty, more people became impoverished, because they didn’t follow it strictly.”
He continued: “I gave you an instance of China. In 1980, the GDP of China was $341billion. The GDP of Nigeria your country was $143 billion. So, you can say that China was twice bigger than Nigeria. In terms of savings, Nigeria had in 1980 $10.5 billion and China had $10 billion. In terms of per capita, Nigeria was $870; China was $193. Today, China’s GDP is 12 trillion; thirty times bigger than ours. China’s savings that was $10 billion is now $3 trillion. Somebody you were four times before has moved miles ahead of you that is our crisis today. That is why the agitation is on-going. It’s a simple thing. It’s the economy.
“I can go on and on and show you. South Korea just in savings alone had $3 billion when we had $10.5 billion. Today, they have $365 billion and we have $30 billion. I can go on and show you Indonesia, Thailand. Thailand was $5 billion when we had $10 billion. So, why don’t we take the right steps and do the right things?”
That is really the question. And Obi is not alone in dissecting the crisis of leadership. Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Babarabe Musa in dissecting the crisis of leadership in Nigeria said he could only single out three leaders of all the heads of government we have had. He talked of the First Republic Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, former Head of State Yakubu Gowon and the late Head of state, General Murtala Mohammed. He could not reckon with the contributions of the others.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Metallurgy and Steel Development, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who also spoke in an interview said that the crisis of underdevelopment squarely rests on the question of leadership.
He gave two clear scenarios to illustrate the leadership crisis: “I think we missed it at the level of leadership and let me explain what I mean; at the level of both leadership recruitment and leadership application to duty.
“Our leadership recruitment mechanism has been faulty. It throws up people who do not put Nigeria first. It tends to throw up people who use Nigeria as their own personal fiefdom and when it throws them up that way, what we now see is a Nigeria that is serially abused by those put in charge and in trust for Nigeria.”
One of the two examples of bad leadership he said is the troubles that befell the Nigerian Airways, which is now defunct. At a point, he said Ethiopian Airlines had three aircraft while Nigeria had 28. Today Nigerian Airways is defunct while Ethiopian Airlines is blossoming. The same also happened to the Nigerian Shipping Line which at a point had 26 ships. Today it is no more.
Abaribe further submitted: “So, we can go and on. There are just too many examples to show and it is purely and squarely what Chinua Achebe has said a failure of leadership.”
The above scenarios point to the fact that the union called Nigeria is not working. We call it the Federal Republic of Nigeria but in practice it is more of a unitary setting, with salaries and as many as 68 items on the Exclusive legislative list.
Is National Assembly to blame?
Many commentators have tended to lay the blame of Abuja’s inefficiency on the doorsteps of the National Assembly. They claim that the lawmakers collect “jumbo pay” and subject the polity to haemorrhage.
But the lawmakers have defended the institution by saying that the entire budget of the Legislature amounts to two percent of the National Budget, leaving the executive and the Judiciary to deal with 98 percent of the federal budget. They insisted that the executive often expose them to ridicule each time they attempt to expose corruption and oversight the polity.
Three-time Senator and Chairman of South East Caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe told part of the story of the lawmakers thus: “So, what is happening today is that when there is effort by us as legislators to make things right, the executive turns around and tries to portray us as fighting against the interest of the country. It is done deliberately by the executive, demonising us to make sure that we don’t curb their excesses.”
While defending allegations of jumbo pay he said: “We do not see how two percent or so will constitute a drain. Assuming that you remove two percent, you still have 98 per cent.
“The problems of this country are not caused by whatever is going on in the National Assembly and I’ve told you where we are going to locate these problems. We are going to locate it precisely at the failure of leadership. It is this failure that now leads people to start looking for excuses, especially Federal Government officials. When they run out of excuses, they want to say oh these people, that person or whatever.”
Presidency: The behemoth?
Details contained in the 2017 budget indicated that 17 budget subheads are directly linked to the Presidency. The subheads and their allocations in the budget include the State House (Headquarters, N11bn); State House(President’s Office, N1.3bn); State House Operations(Vice President, N448 m);Office of the Chief of Staff(N28.5 million); Office of the Chief Security Officer to the President (N123.m); State House Medical Centre(N331m); State House Lagos Liaison Office (N279 m); Office of the Special Adviser on SDGs(111.7m); NIPSS, Kuru (1.6bn); Bureau of Public Enterprises(N1.154bn); National Emergency Management Agency(N1.386bn); Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(N17.2bn); Bureau of Public Procurement(N1.494bn); Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (N1.2bn); National Atomic Agency Commission (N5bn); Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President(N106 million).
Besides having the above mentioned agencies directly under its budget purview, the Federal Executive Council gives approval to all substantial contract awards at the federal level.
Maybe it has its hands full, maybe not but the centralisation of the polity which was kick-started by the military on its incursion to the polity in 1966 has increased overtime. While in 1963 the Exclusive Legislative list had 45 items with 29 on Concurrent list, the list grew with the 1979 Constitution. In that defunct Constitution, the Exclusive list grew to 67 with 30 items on the concurrent list and by 1999, the Constitution had gone one better with 68 items on the Exclusive list and 30 on concurrent.
Rather than bring growth and development, centralisation of issues only brought retrogression.
In recent years, the revulsion about the state of development had given rise to calls for a review of the national question, convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), a National Conference and lately restructuring of the polity.
The calls had recently got to unexpected heights forcing skeptics to jump on the fray. For instance, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which initially dismissed the calls for restructuring as a sing song of the defeated forces in the 2015 polls is right now promoting a nationwide conference aimed at collating data that would inform its views in handling the restructuring debate.
The Presidency, which was equally on the same wavelength in its opposition to restructuring also recently announced it is not opposed to the idea.
The Northern political establishment which also rejected restructuring with a deceptive alibi that the idea meant different things to different people has also changed its focus with state governments organising meetings to define the idea.
Way forward: Restructuring Nigeria inevitable?
What all this amounts to is that the time is ripe to reorganise the structure of the Nigerian polity.
The South-West geopolitical zone where the loudest noise around restructuring and institution of true federalism had been rife had on September 7 organised a grand rally to pick the zone’s standpoint on the restructuring agenda.
The meeting, which also featured delegates from the South-East, South-South and the Middle Belt arrived at the need to re-adopt the 1963 Constitution.
The republican constitution guaranteed the right of the then four Regions to operate as federal components of the Nigerian Nation with the revenue formula that guaranteed the regions 50 percent of the products derivable from the particular area.
Over-concentration of powers at the centre has sustained a bitter struggle for power at the federal level because of a quasi-federal structure imposed by a military based on its command structure. States have become mere appendages of the centre, which has taken over their key constitutional powers against the cardinal principles of federalism. The usurpation of the functions and acquisition of resources of states by the Federal Government has created room for unprecedented scale of corruption in high places, as the end now justifies the means, just as it engendered primitive accumulation of wealth by those that find themselves in political powers. This has given rise to the cry of marginalisation and demand for fairness, equity and justice. Eminent persons like the renowned Constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), have offered the way forward, which includes genuine fight against the scourge of corruption.
“The cleansing process requires that Nigerian State be redesigned and re-built, not just rebranded. It requires, not its break-up into its component parts, but a more healthy integration of all its parts and groups into one solid entity, firmly united in its diversity. The new creation is the New Nigeria of our dream. The rebuilding of an existing rotten state, like Nigeria, requires that its superstructure be redesigned. The super-structure of a state is its Constitution. The present constitution of Nigeria is defective and unfit for use for the purpose, not only because it is not a People’s or democratic Constitution, having been made, not by the people, but imposed on them by the military rulers, just as its predecessors were imposed on us by the colonial masters.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan also craves for a new Nigeria, where unity, social justice and rule of law would be sacrosanct. “I hope and pray that 100 years from now, Nigerians will look back on another century of achievements during which our union was strengthened, our independence was enhanced, our democracy was entrenched and our example was followed by leaders of other nations whose ambition is to emulate the success of Nigeria; a country that met its difficulties head-on and fulfilled its promise.” However, he believes the quest for a new Nigeria must be predicated on some critical and fundamental factors, which the leaders had viewed and handled with levity over time. He said it is imperative to rise above the rhetoric of the indivisibility of the union, all of which according to the former president, underlined the decision of his administration to convoke the 2014 National Conference. His words: “Even as we remain resolute in our conviction that our union is non-negotiable, we must never be afraid to embrace dialogue and strengthen the basis of this most cherished union. A strong nation is not that which shies away from those difficult questions of its existence, but that which confronts such questions, and together provides answers to them in a way that guarantees fairness, justice and equity for all stakeholders.”
The national chairman of another party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, believes there is hope for the country in the coming years on the condition it does the needful. He says those opposed to restructuring, including the National Assembly should be decisive on the current wishes of the majority of Nigerians. “Restructuring and true federalism will give our country the latitude to be a global economic and political force. We should embrace it. The National Assembly should stop their timidity and allow Nigeria to blossom. ADC believes that governance is not collection and squandering of rents; rather it is building an enamoured ecosystem for wealth creation, security and prosperity. ADC will ensure that any state in Nigeria can compare and compete with its counterparts in any part of the world,” he said.
His position tallies with the views of Professor Nwabueze who has for the umpteenth time explained that it was wrong to insinuate about any intention to dismember the country, following calls for restructuring. According to him, “Re-structuring, as it is presently being demanded, seeks to revert our federal system to the true federalism of the 1960/63 Constitutions, to further reduce the powers of the Federal Government as may be thought necessary, and to reverse the specific matters mentioned above. The intention, furthermore, is to assuage, to an optimal extent, the demand for self-determination or self-government consistent with the territorial sovereignty of the country. Self-determination connotes essentially, not independent government, but the right of each group, within the territorial sovereignty of the country as one state, to govern itself in matters that concern it alone, without undue control by the Federal Government; the control is oppressive because it is being exercised without due regard to the requirements of justice, fairness and equity.” The erudite lawyer observed that the “over-concentration of power in the Federal Government with respect to the disposition of the pool of money in the Federation Account. The 1999 Constitution in section 162(1) establishes a pool of revenue belonging to all three levels of government, federal, state and local government, called the Federation Account, “into which shall be paid ALL revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”
President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbe, Dr. John Nwodo, who spoke last week at the Chatham House. London also echoed a similar trend.In his paper entitled “Restructuring Nigeria: Decentralization for National Cohesion.” Nwodo analysed the nation’s journey through history and added that the structure in operation has failed the people.
He said: “Our present constitution is not autochthonous. It was not written by the people of Nigeria. It was not approved in a national referendum. In jurisprudence, its effectiveness will score a very low grade on account of its unacceptability. Regrettably, it continues to hold sway and begins with a false proclamation, “We the People of Nigeria….”
He said that the model in operation favours “a model based on sharing of government revenue” which he said must give way to a new structure that will challenge and drive productivity in different regions across the country.
“This new model must take into account that the factors driving productivity in today’s world are no longer driven by fossil oil but rather the proliferation of a knowledge-based economy,” he said.
His declarations came on the heels of the Yoruba summit in Ibadan which recommended a return to the 1963 Constitution and called for a return to six regional structure.
Why is the 1963 Constitution so Attractive?
The Constitution largely recognises the possibility of self-determination by the regions and guaranteed fiscal federalism.
For instance, the Yoruba summit recommended thus: “The sharing ration of all revenues raised by means of taxation shall be 50% to the states, 35% to the regional government and 15% to the government of the federation.”
That recommendation is rooted in the 1963 Constitution which guaranteed some monumental levels of growth at the Regions while it lasted.
Section 2 of the 1963 Constitution indicates that “Nigeria shall be a Federation comprising Regions and a Federal Capital Territory and shall be a Republic by the name the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Section 3 (1) of the Same Constitution reads: “There shall be four Regions, that is to say, Northern Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria.”
Section 3(2) states that “The Regions and the Federal Capital Territory shall consist of the areas comprised in those territories respectively on the thirtieth day of September 1963.”
Section 129 and 136 of the 1963 Constitution which deal with Finance of the Federation. The Sections, like several other sections of the 1963 Constitution provide a 70/30 percent allocation on certain taxable products in favour of the Regions.
Section 129 reads: “All revenues or other moneys raised or received by the Federation(not being revenues or other moneys payable under this Constitution or any Act of Parliament into some other public fund of the Federation established for a specific purpose) shall be paid into and form one Consolidated Revenue Fund.”
Section 136(1&2) further clarified the relationship in revenue sharing between the Regions and the Federation on such special taxes.
The Section reads: 136. (1) Where under any Act of parliament a duty is levied in respect of the import into Nigeria of motor spirit, diesel oil, tobacco, wine, potable spirits or beer, the Federation shall, in respect of each quarter, credit to a special account maintained by the Federation (to be called “the Distributable Pool Account”) a sum equal to thirty per cent of the proceeds of that duty for that quarter.
136 (2): For the purposes of this section, the proceeds of a duty for a quarter shall be the amount remaining from the receipts from that duty that are collected in that quarter after any drawbacks, refunds or other repayments relating to those receipts have been made or allowed for.
The 1963 Constitution recognised the creation of a Distributable Pool Account which has its equivalent in today’s Federation Account.
The constitution makes resource control attractive byproviding free access and utilisation of mineral resources to the Regions while allowing them to pay 50 percent to the distributable pool.
The Constitution provided for Mining royalties and rent in Section 140 thus:
(1) There shall be paid by the Federation to each Region a sum equal to fifty per cent of –
(a) the proceeds of any royalty received by the Federation in respect of any minerals extracted in that Region; and
(b) any mining rents derived by the Federation during that year from within that Region.
(2) The Federation shall credit to the Distributable Pool Account a sum equal to thirty per cent.
(a) the proceeds of any royalty received by the Federation in respect of minerals extracted in any Region; and
(b) any mining rents derived by the Federation from within any Region.
(3) For the purposes of this section the proceeds of a royalty shall be the amount remaining from the receipts of that royalty after any refunds or other repayments relating to those receipts have been deducted therefrom or allowed for.
(4) Parliament may prescribe the periods in relation to which the proceeds of any royalty or mining rents shall be calculated for purposes of this section.
(5) In this section “minerals” includes mineral oil.
(6) For the purposes of this section the continental shelf of a Region shall be deemed to be part of that Region.
The 1963 Constitution also answered the question of revenue formula in Section 141 where it provided an equitable formula for distribution of funds in Distributable Pool Account
Section 141 states that: “There shall be paid by the Federation to the Regions at the end of each quarter sums equal to the following fractions of the amount standing to the credit of the Distributable Pool Account at that date, that is to say–
(a) to Northern Nigeria, forty ninety-fifths;
(b) to Western Nigeria, twenty-four ninety-fifths;
(c) to Eastern Nigeria, thirty-one ninety-fifths.
To lessen the burden on the Federal Government, the Constitution provides that the Regions are to contribute towards costs of administration. The details are provided in Sections 142 and 143 thus:
In section 142, It provides thus: “Each Region shall in respect of each financial year pay to the Federation an amount equal to such part of the expenditure incurred by the Federation during that financial year in respect of the department of customs and excise of the Government of the Federation for the purpose of collecting the duties referred to in sections 136 to 139 of this Constitution as is proportionate to the share of the proceeds of those duties received by that Region under those sections in respect of that financial year.
(1) Any sum that is required by this Chapter to be paid by the Federation to a Region may be set off by the Federation in or towards the payment of any sum that is due from that Region to the Federation in respect of any loan made by the Federation to that Region.
(2) The right of set-off conferred by subsection (1) of this section shall be without prejudice to any other right of the Federation to obtain payment of any sum due to the Federation in respect of any loan.
Section 144 of the Constitution provides that: “Any payments that are required by this Chapter to be made by the Federation to a Region shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation and any payments that are so required to be made by a Region to the Federation shall be a charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of that Region.”
With the growing debt burden weighing down the Federal Government and the states, many have seen the reality that the “feeding-bottle” federalism guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution can only lead the nation’s economy to the woods.
That surely is why the call for a restructured Nigerian polity has refused to die.
…Inaugurates campaign team for Anambra
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that the party remains the best option for actualising a south-east Presidency in the nearest future.
Oyegun disclosed this Thursday at the national secretariat of the APC while inaugurating a forty-eigth member National Campaign Committee for the forth coming governorship election in Anambra state urging them to work to bring the South-east into the main stream of Nigerian politics and into the progressive family.
Oyegun also urged the committee led by Bauchi state governor, Mohammed Abubakar to mobilize the entire citizens of Anambra state for victory, saying that the state was very important to the APC.
The APC boss pointed out that a victory for the party in Anambra will help address the cries of marginalization from the south-east geo political zone.
According to Oyegun: “we must change the narrative in the south east and we must start with Anambra because the APC represents the most viable root for any south east person to the presidency of this country.”
He said that the party recognised the fact that the election will not be a bed of roses in view of the fact that there is an incumbent governor in the state, adding that “if the APC can defeat an incumbent President, we can a,so defeat an incumbent governor, we have done it before in Kogi and Ondo state”.
The APC National Chairman used the event to formally welcomed former Deputy National Chairman to the Modu Sheriff-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Cairo Ojuogbo, to the party, saying his presence in the committee showed that he has a lot to contribute to the development of the party.
Chairman of the committee and Bauchi state governor, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar said even though the task given to them was daunting, the members recognized the fact that if was necessary to win the Anambra governorship election and bring the zone into main stream national politics.
He said there was the need for the party and its members to work for the success of the party in the election, pointing out that it was necessary to avoid a repeat of the defeat the party suffered during the Senatorial election in Osun state.
He said the party should capitalize on the age of the candidate to campaign for a generational shift , adding that his victory will give the youths a say and assured that the campaign committee will work to bring the state into the fold of the APC.
For the leader of the party in the state and Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige assured that all the people of the state will work with the committee to ensure victory for the party in the election.
Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi, Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nasir ElRufai (Kaduna), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Ministers of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
Others are former governors Orji Uzor Kalu, Jim Nwobodo and Segun Oni; Bolaji Abdullahi, Senator Ostia Izunaso, Babafemi Ojudu, former Speaker of the House of Representative, Agunwa Anaekwe among others.
[dropcap]U[/dropcap]BA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the United Bank for Africa Plc, has announced the call for entries for the 2017 edition of its annual UBA Foundation National Essay Competition in Nigeria.
The essay competition, which is put together for senior secondary school students, is organized as part of UBA Foundation’s Education initiative to promote a reading culture and encourage healthy and intellectual competition amongst secondary school students in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking at a well-attended press conference on Tuesday at the Bank’s headquarters in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of UBA Foundation, Bola Atta, said the essay competition, for which all senior secondary schools students across the country are eligible, provides an opportunity for students to win prizes in the form of educational grants to help them realise their goals in life.
Atta said: “We are well aware that if you help get one child educated, you help support an entire family as that child will eventually positively impact his/her community. The competition is a key aspect of our investment drive in human capital and we will continue to sustain the initiative because education is very important to UBA and we are more than committed to providing the necessary support for students in Nigeria and throughout the African continent.”
Atta also explained that each year, the bank donates thousands of books to students in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, under the ‘Read Africa’ initiative to encourage and promote the reading culture in secondary schools.
“We are driven by the mantra to do well and do good and we will not relent in our efforts at touching lives through our various projects, and initiatives,” she told the excited students.
According to her, the first prize for the UBA National Essay Competition is a N1 million educational grant for the winner to study in any African university of his or her choice, while the second and third prizes are N750,000 and N500,000 educational grants respectively.
Atta explained that entries received from students for the competition will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges made up of professors from reputable Nigerian Universities, who will then shortlist 12 best essays for further assessment. A second round of the competition will involve the 12 finalists who will write a second supervised essay, from which three best essays will be selected. “Three best essays will be selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the first round of the competition,” Atta noted. Atta explained that the choice of essay for this year’s competition is one that helps promote creative and analytical thinking in students.
The students are to develop a manual on any chosen form of technology or innovation (real or imagined) and make this manual discernable for the simplest of minds.
It is important to note that apart from Nigeria, the national essay competition is also held in other African countries, including Ghana and Senegal, with more countries to be rolled out in the first quarter of 2018. Also Speaking at the event, the Deputy CEO, Anglophone Africa, Ebele Ogbue, asserted that Knowledge is power and the only effective way to transform Africa is through education.
Ogbue said: “Undoubtedly, the future of any nation rests on the younger generation. “Hence, the legacy passed on by the preceding generation could make a nation. Therefore, investing in the future of the youths is key to redeeming the economy for the collective good.
“This is why UBA’s support of education across Africa is relentless.”As a the CSR platform for the UBA Group, UBA Foundation embodies the Group’s CSR objectives and seeks to impact positively on the society through a number of laudable projects and initiatives.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he House of Representatives has resolved to invite heads of the Nigerian Customs Service and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) to brief the lawmakers on plans to address the menace of small arms and light weapons.
The resolution, which was made on Wednesday at the Lower Chambers of the National Assembly, was in a bid to curb the influx of small arms and light weapons into the country. It is coming at a time when the Customs seized 2,671 pump-action rifles smuggled into the country between January and September this year.
One of the members of the House from Anambra State, Honourable Obinna Chidoka, who sponsored the motion, said urgent steps must be taken by the Federal Government to curb the trend. Some of his colleagues Betty Apiafi (River State), Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (Abia State), and Henry Ofongo (Bayelsa State) supported the motion with their various contributions.
The House further urged the Customs and the DSS, as well as the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, to speed up investigation into the shipment of arms and commence prosecution of the culprits involved.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in the Senate considered the same issue during Wednesday’s plenary. This is just as a bill seeking to provide for the destruction of illegally imported firearms passed a second reading at the Upper House.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Gbolahan Dada of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ogun State. Senate President Bukola Saraki also supported the bill after which it was referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary Human Rights and Legal Matters.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Judicial Council (NJC) has appointed a former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to head its 15-member Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO).
A statement signed on behalf of the NJC Secretary by the Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye, said the decision was taken on Wednesday at the 82nd meeting of the Council in Abuja. The Committee, which will operate from the Council Secretariat, also consists of the President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), and some former presidents of the association.
They are Mr Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN). The Committee also has as its members Justice Kashim Zannah (Chief Judge, Borno State), Justice P.O. Nnadi (Chief Judge, Imo State), Justice Marsahal Umukoro (Chief Judge, Delta State) and Justice M. L. Abimbola (Chief Judge, Oyo State).
Others are Gambo Saleh (Secretary NJC), Dr Garba Tetengi (SAN – NJC Member), and Mrs R.I Inga (NJC Member) as well as representatives from the Ministry of Justice among other organisations.
The primary functions of the Committee, according to the statement, are regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide, and advising the Chief Justice of Nigeria (Justice Walter Onnoghen) on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases.
Other functions include giving feedback to the NJC on the progress of cases in the designated courts, conducting background checks on judges selected for the designated courts, and evaluating the performance of the designated courts.
Consequently, Justice Onnoghen “directed all Heads of Courts to compile and forward to the Council, comprehensive lists of all corruption and financial crime cases being handled by their various courts.”
He also directed them to designate in their various jurisdictions one or more courts, as special courts solely for hearing and speedily determining corruption and financial crimes cases.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria and the Court of Appeal were equally directed to fix special date in each week for hearing and determining appeals from such cases.
The Committee is expected to drive the Council’s new policy on anti-corruption war.
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]agos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, vision to make Lagos the safest place to lives and work in Africa must be fulfill , as he cannot stop supporting the Lagos State Police Command with logistics to enhance their performance. Gov. Amode handed over 120 new 5KVA generating sets on Monday to the Lagos State Police Command to power all police formations across the state, with a pledge of continuous support to security agencies to ensure optimal performance.
Speaking at Lagos House in Ikeja while handing over the generating sets to the police, the Governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensure the enforcement of rule of law and safety of lives and property in the State, just as he said that his vision was for the State to be among the safest places to live and work in Africa.
Governor Ambode, who was represented at the brief handing over ceremony by the Chairman of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Mr Oye-Hassan Odukale, said the security of residents and investors remain one of the cardinal objectives of his administration, and that government would not relent in coming up with initiatives and programmes to guarantee safety of the people.
He said the generating sets were procured by the Fund to ensure that police formations in the State work optimally in their mandate of safeguarding lives and property.
According to him, “Lagos State is the safest state and we hope to make the State to be among the safest States in Africa which is our objective at the Fund. Anything about security is given high priority by our administration. Lagosians are now feeling safe. The safety that we are experiencing don’t come cheap but I like to assure that at the Fund, we are always willing to move at any time to ensure that we keep Lagos safe,” he said.
The Governor also congratulated the new Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Imohimi Edgal, and pledged to work with him to ensure the safety of the people.
He said aside the provision of the generating sets, the LSSTF had also been mandated to carry out the installations of the new equipment in all the Divisions and Area Commands in the State.
Besides, Governor Ambode urged police officers to take good care of the generating sets and use them for the purpose meant for the overall benefit and safety of the people.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Executive Secretary of LSSTF, Dr Abdulrazak Balogun said the generating sets would be distributed across the 107 Police Divisions and 13 Area Commands in the state.
He said the procurement of the generating sets was in furtherance of the Light Up Lagos Project of the present administration aimed at ensuring that every nook and cranny of the State are well lit.
He said: “The procurement is also in tandem with Governor Ambode’s vision of a secured and investment-friendly Lagos. Police formations are critical to securing lives and property in the state and it is very important that these stations function optimally. This is why the Lagos State Security Council recommended the provision of power generating sets for these stations and the State Security Trust Fund expeditiously approved the expenditure.”
Responding, the State’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Imohimi Edgal thanked Governor Ambode for the gesture, saying that the generating sets could not have come at a better time.
While assuring that the generating sets would be put to optimal use, Edgal said that the facility would go a long way to ensuring that the divisional and area commands are well lit up to enable them effectively enforce the laws of the land.
“You can imagine the confidence members of the public will have if divisional headquarters and area commands are lit with the confidence that their matters would be earnestly addressed.
“Power is very essential. Our communication gadgets, especially phones need to be charged. You cannot function anywhere, you can’t take complains, you can’t give directives to field officers when there is no power. These generating sets are very valuable to us,” the CP said.
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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he House of Representatives has resolved to invite heads of the Nigerian Customs Service and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) to brief the lawmakers on plans to address the menace of small arms and light weapons. 
