Officers
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday
stormed the headquarters of Kaduna State Urban Planning Development
Agency (KASUPDA) and whisked away the Director General, Malam Ismail
Umaru Dikko.
KASUPDA has gained the reputation of Kaduna’s most feared agency due to its demolition of properties across the state.
Its boss, Dikko, was a Special Assistant to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, before he was elevated to head the agency in 2019.
Daily Trust gathered that the DG was in a meeting with his staff when
officials of the EFCC took over the office premises a few minutes after
10am.
Eye witnesses said there was some commotion before the DG entered a black hilux Toyota vehicle of the EFCC.
Sources said two EFCC officials in suit, with two police officers with rifles had accompanied the KASUPDA boss into the vehicle.
The source said the staff at KASUPDA had earlier tried to stop the
EFCC from leaving with the DG and security at the gate had prevented the
car from exiting.
However, the DG had asked the security to open the gate.
Our correspondent gathered that the DG has been taken to the Kaduna
zonal office of the EFCC with sources saying that he had earlier been
served several invitations but failed to honour them so they decide to come for him their self.
The
2022 Commonwealth Games baton formally known as Birmingham 2022 Queen’s
Baton Relay is set to arrive in Nigeria on October 16, 2021.
The baton recently began its 90,000-mile
(145,000 kilometer) journey around the world when Queen Elizabeth II
presided over the launch of the baton relay for next year’s Commonwealth
Games in the central England city of Birmingham.
The 95-year-old monarch handed the baton
for what are often referred to as the “friendly games” to four-time
Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox, who is fresh from winning two
events in Tokyo.
Cox took the baton on a brief journey
around the nearby Queen Victoria Memorial in central London before
handing it to another competitor.
The Commonwealth Games, formerly known as
the Empire Games, are held every four years and involve mostly
countries and territories with former colonial ties to Britain,
including Australia, Canada, India and South Africa.
Flying out from Birmingham Airport, the baton will first
stop on the east Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus on Oct. 9 and a
week later it arrives in Africa, with Nigeria as the first point of
call.
The relay, which will involve 7,500 baton
bearers, will go through 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth
over 294 days and will return to Birmingham for the opening ceremony on
July 28.
Super Eagles seek revenge against C.A.R, Musa eyes 100 caps
Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho in pain during the first leg
of the 2020 World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic on
Thursday, October 7
Three
time African champions, the Super Eagles arrived in Douala yesterday
ahead of today’s must win FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African qualifying
encounter against Les Fauves of Central African Republic.
The Gernot Rohr lads who lost the first leg 0-1 in Lagos
are aiming at revenge against the Central Africans to remain on top of
Group C.
The Super Eagles who have come under heavy criticism from
Nigerian football fans had a feel of the Stade Japoma de Douala (venue
of today’s game) at 2pm Cameroon time (same time as in Nigeria) on
Saturday.
Meanwhile Skipper Ahmed Musa, who is looking forward to
earning his milestone 100th cap for Nigeria at senior level, says he is
more concerned with the Super Eagles taking all three points in the Day 4
encounter.
“I’m happy
that I am about to win my 100th cap, which definitely is a thing of joy
and pride for any football player at international level. However, I am
more concerned about the three points. The three points here have become
much more precious due to what happened in the first leg which we lost.
Individual honour is welcome but I am more concerned about collective
glory and our country’s pride.”
Super
Eagles remain top of the Group C of the qualifying campaign at the
halfway mark with six points, two more than Cape Verde and Central
African Republic, with three-pointer Liberia bottom of the table
In less than one month, eligible voters in Anambra State will file
out to elect a new Governor for the State. There have, however, been
controversies over the election as many believe that the election is
already threatened. This is because of the spate of violence in the
state, which has for months remained sustained.
The first real doubt about the election holding first came in March
2021, when some unidentified gunmen stormed the home town of Prof.
Chukwuma Soludo, Isuofia in Aguata LGA of Anambra State and attacked a
gathering where he was speaking with young people about his vision for
the state. Soludo is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA) for next month’s election.
The gunmen came at a time when Soludo was still struggling as an
aspirant to get the ticket of APGA. Even before the attack on Soludo,
there have been sustained attacks on federal establishments, including
Police Stations, Correctional Centers and burning of vehicles belonging
to government establishments, including attack on INEC. The attack on
Soludo, however, gave it a political coloration, leaving all with the
question of whether the election would hold or not.
In the last few weeks, the level of insecurity in the State has
become alarming. It came to the climax penultimate week when Dr. Chike
Akunyili, the widower of the late former Minister of Information and
former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili, was murdered
in the most gruesome manner, along with eight others.
Before then, in Ajalli, Orumba North Local Government Area, a police
station was attacked and two policemen killed. Also, the vehicle of a
member of the House of Representatives and former PDP governorship
aspirant, Hon. Chris Azubogu was attacked, and his driver killed.
The gunmen also set ablaze the offices of the Department of State
Services (DSS) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Nnewi, Anambra
State, leaving two people dead on their trail. Also set ablaze was the
Nnewi country home of a Lagos-based chieftain of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Mr. Joe Igbokwe, and the home of another prominent son
of Nnewi and former minister, Dr. Chu Okongwu, which was also invaded
and burnt down.
In most of the incidents, eyewitnesses have pointed at the separatist
group; Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), even though the group has
been struggling to extricate itself from it. Those who have witnessed
scenes of attack always say the heavily armed groups have always passed
one message for their lucky victims who escaped alive to go and tell the
concerned authorities that there will be no election in Anambra State.
Away from IPOB, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the
All Progressives Congress (APC) have been in a war of words over who is
responsible for the attacks in the State.
The APC had first accused APGA of not doing enough to stem the tide
of insecurity in the state. Senator Andy Uba, the party’s governorship
candidate, had accused Governor Willie Obiano of having a hand in the
increasing violence in the State for the purpose of putting off the
scheduled election.
Uba said with the huge monthly security vote collected by the
governor and his wife, the security of the State ought to be better
managed. Uba who spoke through the media director of his campaign
organisation, Hon. Afam Ogene said: “Each time Gov Obiano clownishly
adorns himself in military camouflage, does he do so for mere comic
display?”
But in a swift response, APGA stated that by accusing Governor Willie
Obiano of having a hand in the insecurity in the state, the APC was
indirectly accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of ineptitude, since the
president is the Chief Security Officer of the country.
The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr
C. Don Adinuba who also doubles as the Director of Media and Publicity
of the Soludo Campaign organization, argued that the “Anambra APC
indicts President Buhari anytime it comments gratuitously on a negative
security development in the state. President Buhari, not Governor Willie
Obiano, is the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and head
of all security agencies in the country. Security is on the Exclusive
List of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“Each of the 36 state governors in the federation is merely the
titular chief security officer of his state. No governor has control
over the police force or the Department of State Services or the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in his state, let alone any of
the Armed Forces. Even the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) is supervised
by the state police command, like any other state vigilante service,”
Adinuba explained.
As the brickbat continues, there have been arguments about whether
there will be election in the state or not. Attorney General of the
federation, Abubakar Malami reacting to this said the federal government
was determined to ensure that elections hold, and that even if it means
imposing an emergency rule in Anambra, it will not hesitate.
Malami has, howeve,r been roundly condemned for the statement, with
many stating that he has an ulterior motive by making such an utterance,
especially, being that he is a member of the APC campaign council in
the state.
Governor Willie Obiano who visited President Muhammadu Buhari on the
issue said: “I was warmly received today at the State House in Abuja by
President Muhammadu Buhari. I reported the statement credited to the
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to him. The
Minister had threatened that the federal government will impose a state
of emergency on Anambra State over security challenges.
“The President assured me and Ndi Anambra that the federal government
is not contemplating taking such drastic action. Rather, President
Buhari said that the federal government will increase its support to
security agencies operating in Anambra State to contain the challenges.
Among other measures, the President said that there will be more booths
on the ground”.
Obiano said that President Buhari frowned at those who use his name
and that of the federal government to intimidate Anambra voters. “We
also discussed the November 6th. 2021 Anambra gubernatorial election.
President Buhari assured me that he will not support intimidation of the
electorates in any form, and promised that the federal government will
support INEC and other agencies connected with the election to ensure
the conduct of a free, fair and credible Anambra gubernatorial
elections”.
On the feasibility of elections holding in Anambra State, the federal
government has responded by launching operation Golden Dawn, not only
for Anambra State, but for the entire South east. DAILY POST confirms
that there is a massive presence of the military and mobile police
operatives in all corners of Anambra State.
Hon Emeka Aforka, a member of the House of Assembly, while reacting
said: “Anambra has not recorded death above 15 persons since the new
scales of violence in the state. For a state that has for the past 7
years enjoyed well-deserved reputation of being Nigeria’s safest and
most peaceful state.
“Anambra has not recorded a fraction of casualties the nation has
seen in places like Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Plateau, Yobe,
Niger, Adamawa, Taraba, amongst others, where terrorists have killed
several thousands of civilians and attacked military formations. The
bandits operating in Northern part of the country have even brought down
some sophisticated combat aircraft, were elections not held
successfully in these states in 2019?
“Is the number of victims of the politically motivated violence in
Anambra State anything near what the nation has seen even in such states
as Imo and Ebonyi controlled by the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC)? Why hasn’t Malami considered a state of emergency in these
APC-controlled states? Anambra will hold its election, and it will be
peaceful,” he declared.
Echoing same stand, A human rights Lawyer, Barr Kelechi Eze who spoke
with DAILY POST said, “Let us assume that the insecurity continues,
have there not been elections in other states in the North, even in the
heat of terrorists attacks? I am very confident that elections will hold
in Anambra. The state governor has said he is ready for the election,
the APGA, APC and even PDP have also said same. So, is it people from
other states as the governor has said that will come and destabilize
what we are doing here?
“It is a one-state election, and so all focus would be here. I think
the federal government can also mobilize to ensure that the state is
better protected for the election.”
STATE OF THE NATION: Where Nigeria went wrong — ASIODU
•It’ll be horrendous if Nigeria fails as a state
•Buhari’s cancelling of Lagos light rail cost Nigeria $3bn
•With our resources and beginning Nigeria should be First World country now
•How 1975 destruction of civil service, abandonment of plans hurt Nigeria
•Buhari, others must take pay cut
•Obasanjo not qualified to be PDP candidate in 1999
•We had permission to export cow meat to Britain, others in 1971
By Clifford Ndujie, Politics Editor
At
87, Chief Phillip Asiodu, elder statesman, CFR, CON, retired diplomat,
bureaucrat, and former Minister of Petroleum, has seen it all. He was an
adult, 26 years to be precise, when Nigeria gained independence in
1960. The only surviving member of the revered top civil servants dubbed
as super-perm sec, Asiodu joined the civil service in 1957 and became a
Federal Permanent Secretary in 1965. He first served under General
Yakubu Gowon(retd), before and during the Nigeria-Biafra war. He was one
of those instrumental in the so-called U-turn on the Aburi Accord by
the General Yakubu Gowon regime in 1967.
In the botched
Second Republic, he was special adviser to President Shehu Shagari on
Economic Affairs. In 1999, he aspired for the presidency on the plank
of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but lost out and was appointed
thereafter as Chief Economic Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Among
other leadership roles, he played were the planning and implementation
of Nigeria’s oil and gas policies, negotiations for Nigeria’s admission
into OPEC, 1971 and formulation of development plans.
For instance, the elder statesman fingered the
foundation of the country’s nationhood and argued that if the late Dr
Nnamdi Azikiwe had been jailed by the Colonial Masters that the history
of the development of politics in Nigeria would probably have been
different as he would have emerged from prison as a towering and uniting
national hero.
He
decried the destruction of the civil service in 1975 via mass sack by
the General Murtala Muhammed regime, abandonment of development plans,
lack of continuity in policy formulation and projects execution, lack of
planning and vision, unproductive borrowing to pay salaries, and poor
implementation of projects, which he said are hurting the country.
Citing
the examples of China, India, and Brazil among others with diverse
races, Asiodu said with a visionary leadership and commitment to merit
Nigeria would be on the path to recovery, lamenting that Nigerians have
imposed poverty on themselves.
To
save Nigeria, Chief Asiodu, among others, said we must go back to
education, healthcare and infrastructure, cut the high cost of
governance with the President, ministers, governors, legislators and
others taking a pay cut to save money that could be spent on welfare of
the citizenry.
Asked
his thoughts on Nigeria at 61 years of independence, he said, “we are
very much behind where we should be; it is a great tragedy.”
According
to him, Nigeria has no reason to be poor because “Nigeria is so
blessed, in fact more blessed than any country I can think of in terms
of basic mineral resources, precious resources, arable land for
agriculture throughout the year, rivers and streams that could be
dammed.
“We
have enormous reserves of fossil energy, coal, petroleum and natural
gas, as well as wind and solar energy potentials. We can generate energy
from waves giving our large coast line.
“With our unique
geographical position, Nigeria should be first outsourcing place for
the Americas if we had our acts in order. The distance to markets in
America is 3,400 miles and less to Europe; but 11,000 miles for Asian
countries. All we need is leadership with vision and commitment to
merit.
“As someone observed long ago, if you are going to an
international conference, you don’t take your Fourth Eleven. And as
late Dr Pius Okigbo observed in one of his lectures, that we are doing
Affirmative Action and quota does not mean you should bring a village
idiot.
“There is no part of this country that does not have
bright people and men of intellect. If you are challenged you show what
you can do.
“Our problem is the result of the great damage of
1975 when within two to three months we destroyed the civil service,
which helped us to survive the two military coups of 1966; helped the
country to run and operate a disciplined government to survive the
crises and that of the civil war, and was able to organise the
logistics of expanding an army of 10,000 to well over 250, 000 to be
able to execute the war successfully without borrowing.
“That is why I am sad over the disgraceful thing happening today of borrowing money to spend on consumption.
“We
should borrow money to invest with the assurance that the return on
that investment will add something and enable us pay the debt. There is
no rational explanation for the borrowings.
‘’I propose salary
cut from the President down. This is a country where an average poor man
does not get the minimum wage and the minimum wage comes to N360,000 a
year.
‘’When I was in the Presidential Advisory Committee in
2010, we found that money being drawn by National Assembly members was
N212 million per senator. I don’t know what the executives were
getting.
“I pointed out that when launching in 1962, the first
post-Independence Plan, Balewa, Sardauna, Okpara, Akintola – the Prime
Minister, Premiers, Ministers and Ministers in the Regions took a 10
per cent salary cut to signal the need for savings to help finance the
Plan.
“In Nigeria today, in spite of our escalating crises, you
are well off if you have N1 million or N1.5 million to spend every
month. “We can start with gross salary of N35 million for the President
and go down. How can you say you are borrowing to pay civil servants?
Who are these ghosts?
“The point is, I feel very sad but I am not
hopeless. After the civil war, from 1970 to 1975, the Nigerian economy
was growing at 11.75 per cent per annum. Ten more years of that we would
have exited from poverty.
“By 1975, we were assembling Peugeot
and Volkswagen although not exactly at the terms we negotiated but they
were each producing 50,000 units.
“And we had worked out with
them a deletion factor, that is, you start with 100 per cent completely
knocked down package but at a certain volumes of production you
manufacture more parts in Nigeria
‘’By 1975, radiators, batteries
and brake pads were being produced in Nigeria. Then, people came and
without debriefing destroyed the arrangement by allowing several more
assemblers. The situation is even worse today.
“As Permanent
Secretary, Industries, late Abdul Attah and later I, did a survey. We
had seen what happened elsewhere. Brazil, for instance, concentrated on
doing Volkswagen; today, they are exporting it. India concentrated on
Morris Oxford.
“By contrast, Mexico and Peru each had about eight assembly plants for different makes. Did they get anywhere?
“Then,
we agreed that we would defend the market. Then, the leading ones were
Peugeot and Volkswagen. We agreed that we will defend the market
assuring them of 80 percent of 2 litres and below engine capacity
market.
“We started assembling before South Korea, now we are
importing from South Korea because we blew the basis. It is even worse
now where they are shouting that people are assembling various makes in
many places. The more you assemble different makes the more you go
nowhere in terms of local production.
“We have now lost the
manufacture of radiators, and brake pads when we had reached the stage
of eliminating importation of radiators and brake pads because we failed
to defend the market for them. Some people seem to be applauding this
foolishness. It has to stop. People have to reason.
“Why is this
so? In 1975 they (military) destroyed the public service by sacking some
of us who used to be saluted by the junior officers because they
wanted to do things with impunity.
“After that there was nobody to
say, ‘please, this is what must be done based on this and that.’ And
trying to debrief people seems to have been lost. As soon as you come in
nobody did anything and nobody notices.
“If only Nigerian leaders
will learn the reason behind the success of Augustus Caesar. Augustus
Caesar was no military genius like his uncle Julius Caesar.
“The
greatest gift Augustus had from God was that when he came to power he
realised that he should allow talented people to deliver. So, the
Senators and others were allowed to flourish and then Rome recorded
great success in a period which is now referred to as the Augustan Age,
not Ciceronian Age.
“Nigerians must learn that the more
brilliant and achieving your lieutenants are the greater your legacy.
That is what we suffer from.
“When we were confronting the
crises, people like Joda, Gobir, and Damchida, they were northerners,
came to the South. As Joda put it in his biography, when they set out
to come to Lagos, as Federal Permanent Secretaries Alhaji Ali Akilu,
then Secretary to the Government of The Northern Provinces, while
seeing him off, said when you get to Lagos be close to two officers.
“The
officers happened to be late Ayida and myself. And we became very good
friends. People were appointed but were told that they had a lot to
learn, and when you challenge people they rise to it.
“But when
people sit in their houses, you say it is quota, arithmetically
conceived, I never saw a more stupid circular like the one I saw in
2001, which under Federal Character principle, said no state should have
less than 2.36% and not more than 3% in any given post or something to
that effect.
“What did they do? They took 100 and divided by 36.
So, if you have one mathematical genius in Sokoto, you can’t have a
second one until you find one in Gusau, one in Enugu, and one in
Ijebu-Ode. What rubbish.
Destructive trajectory
“This
is the trajectory, a destructive trajectory we are in. Not only that we
also abandoned the principle of planning and even having a Vision.
“When
they appointed me in 2010 or so to do the Chairman of the Working
Committee to co-ordinate the production of Vision 2020, we agreed on
three implementation plans: 2010-2013, 2014-2017, and 2018-2021;
Four-year plans.
“What happened? As soon as Goodluck Jonathan was
elected President in 2011, sycophants went to him. Instead of keeping
to what was agreed, we now had Jonathan Transformation Plan. Where is
the continuity?
“Nehru was a friend of Balewa. Our first Economic
Adviser came from India, who was later on succeeded by Pius Okigbo. We
produced the Fourth National Development Plan, 1970-75 under which we
were moving from assembly-type industries to industries based on making
capital and intermediate goods — pulp and paper, fully processed
agricultural products, petrochemicals, spare parts, etc.
“The
gmelina trees we planted could be pulped in seven years. In competing
places in Canada, Europe and temperate zones, the tree has to be left
for at least 25 years.
“In 1983, having retired and doing
consultancy, I was invited by Birla Brothers, our technical partners in
the Jebba Paper Mill to visit the plant which they were managing in
Kenya. We drove them away after our 1975 convulsion.
“They were
also technical partners in the Kenya project. They were exporting pulp
from Kenya. We would have been doing the same. The Indians were to
introduce a type of bamboo for producing pulp. We had also planted
Tropical Conifers in Jos area, which would give us long staple fibre
for producing pulp for fine paper.
“At Jebba we already had pulp
for producing brown paper for packaging. Iwopin Paper on which about
300 million had been invested was commissioned by President Shagari
around 1980. Only a few more million dollars was required to complete
it. Tragically it was abandoned and the investment lost. Subsequently
the gmelina trees planted for pulp became overgrown and were been used
for firewood.
Herdsmen menace
“In 1971, I
became the founding Chairman of Bauchi Meat Complex that was started in
the First Republic when the Sardauna of Sokoto was Premier of the
Northern Region with UNIDO as Technical partner.
“What did we
do? We brought in calves from various places including Mambilla
Plateau, etc, fattened them for 10 weeks and slaughtered them. We had
permission to export meat and meat products to Britain and Europe.
“What
is the basis of Australian and New Zealand economy? Exporting of meat
and meat products to Britain and Europe. If we had continued the Bauchi
Meat Complex, and replicated it in a few centres in the North and if
today, we had eight of such complexes in the North would we have the
problem about herdsmen?
“Because within 50 kilometres the herdsman
can sell his cow and return to where he came from where he will have a
home, school for his children, etc.
“We cannot in 2021 take
Nigeria back to the time of Jesus and Mohammed of herders and shepherds
roaming over the land wreaking devastation of farms, properties, and
human lives. Nigeria’s population was 40 million at Independence.
“Now we are over 200 million and the population is still growing at about 2.8% per annum We must modernise our economy.
His regrets
“My
many regrets include the aborted development plans; destruction of the
civil service and public institutions. General Sani Abacha agreed for
us to do Vision 2010. We started implementing Vision 2010 under Abacha,
which would have taken us back on track.
“After the 1999
presidential elections, I became Economic Adviser under President
Obasanjo, who did not satisfy the requirements to be the PDP candidate
in 1999 because to become a candidate you must win your ward, local
government and state. He did not win any of these but it was waived for
him.
“After his election as President, he appointed me as Chief
Economic Adviser, with three deputies, of the rank of Ministers- of-
State, I tried to urge, and said to him, ‘let us implement Vision 2010.’
The country was at his feet.
“If he had agreed, and started, by
the time he was leaving in 2007 Nigerian economy would have attained a
growth rate about 10% per annum.
“The Government would have
become very popular The National Assembly would not have had the
opportunity of voting enormous perquisites for themselves far beyond the
recommendations of RMAFC, which arose from his second term ambition
because he needed their support; otherwise he would have been able to
constrain them.
You said you have hope…
“It
is a question of leadership. The elders (Burdened Elders) were
consulting before COVID-19 stopped our meetings, to find 12 or so
younger people from each state who will subscribe to a vision to
transform to 1st World status and unite to save the country, not like in
2019 when nine of them were presidential candidates.
“They should be united behind one, not more than two. They have the demography numbers even in the voters register.
“They
should be united for 2023 election and agree to four or five-year plans
to transform Nigeria to 1st World status and global significance.
“Looking back, seeing our resources, and how we started we should be among the First World countries by now.
“It
is still possible if we get a leadership of younger people that agrees
that there must be a Vision; 2040 or 2050 divided into 4 or 5 year
Plans. The plan has to be respected, and followed, and they should
utilize remaining institutional memory as much as possible.
“My
definition of younger people is 25 to 67 years. When we were planning
what would have become the Fifth National Development Plan in 1975, the
people (India) who helped us set up our Planning Commission were
completing their 11th Five-year Plan. We had abandoned our Fourth Plan
in 1975 and stopped planning.
“In those days, we used to consult
widely among the ministries and different states. Look at the Fourth
Development Plan, 1970-75, and see the various projects in various
states and in all sectors with detailed descriptions, costs, locations,
etc.
“In the Industrial Sector, the first priority was modernised
agriculture and Agro-allied industries, valued added development of
petroleum, gas, and solid minerals, then textiles, iron and steel
products, etc. Ministries used to produce Annual Reports every year on
targets and achievements.
“There has been no report since 1975
about what the ministries are doing. So, how do you monitor? There is
no substitute for planning whether you are in the public or private
sector.
Halted development
“I was the
Chairman of the committee that approved Festac. The built up Festac
today is one quarter of what we approved. It went up to Blackwater
Lagoon, and we had planned places for workers and others, and corridors
of transportation to take them to Ikeja Industrial Estate.
“It was
Alhaji Lateef Jakande who brought them to Dolphin Estate. How were you
to move to Ikeja Industrial Estate from Dolphin then?
“I was
Chairman of the Committee that persuaded late Gen. Yar’Adua when he was
Minister of Transport, and the government to let the RTP of Paris which
after surveying cities of Africa, said Lagos and Cairo were ready, and
started planning mass transit for Lagos and Cairo the same day.
“Before
then, Konisberger Report of the UN had as far back as in 1964 told us
to build monorail mass transit in Lagos from Ikeja to Ebutte-Ero.
“They
could see where Nigeria was going. However, General Buhari came to
power in 1984 and cancelled the Lagos Metro begun by Jakande in 1983.
“Then,
in 1991 or 1992, the Military Government of General Babangida sent a
delegation to the commissioning of the Cairo Mass transit. We cancelled
our own but sent a delegation to the commissioning of Cairo mass
transit.
“We lost our deposit of 80 million US dollars and were
fined 600 million US dollars by International Arbitration Board because
RTP said they had mobilised to site and had started work and sought
compensation.
“By the time we settled with Paris Club, it must
have become about 3 billion dollars because it was part of the Paris
Club debt.
“You can imagine the damage the military had done. Did they do it alone? No. They did it with the support of civilians.
“So much would have happened if we continued our trajectory of development and so much would have been saved.
All states are viable agriculturally
“With
education, planning and good leadership, there is no state that cannot
be productive in terms of agricultural resources. Okpara, Awolowo,
Sardauna developed the Regions in the First Republic with agricultural
produce.
“We abandoned agriculture, fiscal federalism, plans, planning and prudent management of resources.
“We
must go back to priority investment in high quality education,
infrastructure development especially transportation and communications,
and non-discriminatory zero-tolerance fight against corruption.
“On anti-corruption, there are two things that can still be done by the present Government before they go if they would agree.
“Like
we have in advanced democracies, they should limit the amount of money
anybody can contribute to a party in a year, and limit the amount of
money a party can spend on elections and party activities.
“If we
can get these two done, then the question of submitting yourself to a
godfather or selling your properties to raise money for election will
stop.
“If you borrowed money or spent heavily to contest election,
your first task after election is to recoup and this fuels corruption.
It also distorts the cost of government procurement and projects.
Cutting cost of governance
“Then,
we have to cut salaries of elected officials, which are too attractive
and much beyond our GDP so that we won’t have would-be robbers as
leaders.
“These are critical issues to be addressed and not just
restructuring. Whether you restructure or not, if the attitude of those
going into government is to be on the Forbe’s list of Rich People, even
if you turn my street into a state , we will get nowhere.
Misunderstanding restructuring
“When
you ask those who want to do restructuring, some are talking about
devolution and restoration of regional governments based on the zones.
“How
many governors are ready to do that? There is no point pursuing what
you know is farfetched. Some are talking about revising revenue to force
restructuring.
“However, if we are to pursue agro-allied
industrialisation, in five years each state will have hundreds of
thousands of people paying taxes from income.
“Once the taxes are
not used to pay armies of assistants, special assistants, etc, and
phoney civil servants, and going on reckless foreign trips the money
would be enough to develop our states.
Disintegration will worsen our crises
“It
is not surprising to hear otherwise level headed people, given the
current challenges, talk as if the breaking up of Nigeria into several
parts would be a solution since to them Nigeria is too difficult to
administer.
“I have no doubt that the solution to our problem does
not lie in disintegration. It is not possible to divide Nigeria neatly
into a given number of successor countries. A collapse of the Nigerian
State will most likely result in an unpredictable number of mini-states
controlled by warlords.
“Imagine leaving Lagos and encountering a
Customs Post in Ikorodu, then Ijebu Ode, then Ofuse, then Benin City,
etc. or travelling Northwards, in Sagamu, then Ibadan, then Ilorin,
then Minna and so forth. It will be horrendous to have Nigeria as a
failed State.
“The fault will be that of the so-called elites.
There will be no economic progress and civilization will be halted and
life will be very insecure.
“We would find ourselves in a
situation of general anarchy and violence. It is a prospect which should
shock us to exploring solutions to our current problems.
“What
the ordinary man desires is shelter, food, educational facilities to
ensure his children’s advancement in life and of course adequate and
improving availability of power, health and transportation
infrastructure. He is really not interested in the power struggles among
politicians.
“Good patriotic visionary leadership and good
governance which result in rapid economic and social progress and
improving standard of living and quality of life for the great majority
of the people are what will lead to national cohesion and stability.
“How
remarkable the success of Malaysia in uniting the Malays and Chinese
and smaller communities of Indians and others in a multi-religious,
multi-ethnic state. Again, China with her 1.4 billion people unites many
diverse ethnic and linguistic groups. We also have the Indian example.”
