News

Financial Times’ Article On Nigeria Enrages Presidency

Published

3 years ago

February 7, 2022

The Presidency has rebuked the Financial Times’ Africa Editor, David Pilling, over an article on President Muhammadu Buhari government published on January 31, 2021.
In an open letter to The Editor, Financial Times, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said, “The caricature of a government sleepwalking into disaster (What is Nigeria’s government for? January 31, 2022) is predictable from a correspondent who jets briefly in and out of Nigeria on the same British Airways flight he so criticises.
“He highlights rising banditry in my country as proof of such slumber.
“What he leaves out are the security gains made over two presidential terms.”
According to Shehu, “the terror organisation, Boko Haram, used to administer an area the size of Belgium at inauguration; now, they control no territory”.
He said, “The first comprehensive plan to deal with decades-old clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers-experienced across the width of the Sahel–has been introduced: pilot ranches are reducing the competition for water and land that drove past tensions.
“Banditry grew out of such clashes. Criminal gangs took advantage of the instability, flush with guns that flooded the region following the Western-triggered implosion of Libya.
“The situation is grave. Yet as with other challenges, it is one that the government will face down.”
In his article titled, ‘What is Nigeria For?’, Pilling had written:”On the British Airways flight between London and Nigeria’s administrative capital of Abuja, one of the airline’s most profitable routes, nearly all the space is taken up with flatbeds. The unfortunate few making their way to a crunched economy section at the back must trudge through row after row of business class.
“Evidently, there is plenty of money to be made in Abuja’s corridors of power. Nigeria’s economy may be flat on its back, but the political elite flying to and from London will spend the flight flat on theirs, too.
“Next year, many of the members of government will change, though not necessarily the bureaucracy behind it. Campaigning has already begun for presidential elections that in February, 2023, will draw the curtain on eight years of the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, on whose somnolent watch Nigeria has sleepwalked closer to disaster.
“Buhari has overseen two terms of economic slump, rising debt and a calamitous increase in kidnapping and banditry—the one thing you might have thought a former general could control. Familiar candidates to replace him, mostly recycled old men, are already counting their money ahead of a costly electoral marathon. It takes an estimated $2billion to get a president elected. Those who pay will expect to be paid back.
“There are some promising candidates. If Yemi Osinbajo, the technocratic vice-president, were miraculous to make it through the campaign ticket and emerge as president, the hearts of Nigerian optimists would beat a little faster.
“But that may be to underestimate the depth of Nigeria’s quagmire. The problem is not so much who leads the government as the nature of government itself.
“Nigeria’s administration is fuelled by oil — though not its economy; more than 90per cent of output is generated from non-oil activities. But for decades, the business of government — whether military or, since 1999, democratic — has been to control access to oil revenues and earn patronage by spreading petrol-dollars to federal and state supplicants.
“Outside oil, government raises a petty amount of revenue, proportionally much less than other African states. Since the provision of services is so dire, no one who can afford to pay taxes is willing to do so. Nigerians with money opt out of the system.
“They send their kids to private school, attend private hospitals, employ their own private security and generate their own power. The state borrows ever more heavily to fund what little capital expenditure there is and service mounting debts. Like a giant leech at the top of the body politic, government is essentially there to fund itself.
“This thwarts the aspirations of millions of highly capable Nigerians. Officials extract ‘rent’ by controlling access to business opportunities. The objective thus becomes to slow down investment not speed it up.
“Almost all the energy, drive and wealth creation in Nigeria happens outside government. New unregulated businesses in the booming tech sector, fashion, design and the creative arts are flourishing. Every day, tens of millions of Nigerians somehow get by, despite the efforts of those supposedly looking out for them.
“As is said of India, Nigeria grows at night while the government sleeps — hardly surprising that some libertarian tech entrepreneurs want the government to withdraw and leave the private sector in charge.
“In reality, the government is not too big. It is too small. The federal budget — not counting money transferred to states — is about $30billion, derisory for a population of more than 200million people. Only trust in government — and a willingness to pay taxes — can redress this balance.
“Nigeria desperately needs an administration whose energies go not into preserving its own privilege but into providing public goods — basic education and health, rule of law, security, power, roads and digital infrastructure. It must remove distortions and subsidies that direct entrepreneurial activity from production to arbitrage.
“The chances of a corrupt system reforming itself are slim. But if Nigeria’s ruling class cannot manage it, any remaining faith Nigerians have in their system of government will evaporate. That way lies disaster.”

News

In 2025, God’ll Crush Rivers Enemies – Fubara …Prays For Peace, Progress Of State …As He Attends Crossover Service In Opobo

Published

10 mins ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed solid faith in the omnipotence of God to crush self-styled enemies of the State and its people.

Governor Fubara spoke at the crossover into 2025 church service held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.

He raised a gallantry song, with the brethren picking up the lines, and singing along: “At the mention of your name (God), every knee shall bow. At the mention of your name, every tongue confess. That you are Lord, you are Lord, you are King, you are King of kings.”

Governor Fubara said the wordings of the song were not just consolatory but a charge to embolden the people to firm up their trust in God, who alone, can navigate the path to greater triumph in the New Year.

He said, “The Red Biro is still filled. It is still here with me. Every plan of the enemy will continue to crash,” and wished everyone a Happy New Year.

The Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Niger Delta, Dr Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, who conducted the service, recalled the many challenges, including conspiracy, blackmail, attacks, economic hardship and ill-health and near hopeless situations experienced in 2024 but quickly added that those troubles never overwhelmed the brethren.

Rt Rev Oko-Jaja said God has given a new song of triumph to those who are grateful to Him for the marvellous works perfected in their lives, admonishing them that in the New Year, God will faithfully uphold, deliver and ensure that they continue to live victoriously.

He prayed for the peace, unity, progress and accelerated development of the State in line with the key targets of the State Government’s 2025 Budget of Inclusive Growth and Development.

Highlights of the service included Praise and Worship, Choir Ministration, which ushered in 2025 at midnight Tuesday with shouts of ‘Happy New Year’ renting the air.

Those who joined the Governor in the service include, the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo; Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr Edison Ehie; some members of the National Assembly – Hon Awaji-Inombek Abiante; Hon Boma Goodhead; Hon Anderson Igbiks; – and Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja.

Others were Senator Adawari Michael Pepple; former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro; Hon Theodore Georgewill; Dr Tamunosis Gogo-Jaja; members of the State Executive Council; some Local Government Council chairmen; elders; political leaders; and key stakeholders in the State.

News

Ogoni Day: MOSOP Unites, Demands Share from OML 11

Published

17 mins ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called for the carving out of Ogoni blocs in Oil Mining Lease (OML 11) from the existing concession agreement between Sahara Energy and WAGL.

MOSOP made the call in a joint statement signed by its President, Engr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, and its past factional leaders, Feghalo Nsuke and Priince Nuyete Biira, which was read on Saturday during the commemoration of the 33rd edition of Ogoni Day.

The statement was read by King Samuel Nnee Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, who is also the Converner of Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers on behalf of the Ogoni people.

MOSOP leaders demanded that the Ogoni blocs in OML 11 should be carved out and be given to an indigenous firm that would be committed to the development of the area.

“MOSOP demands the unbundling, removal or carve-out of the Ogoni fields from the existing Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara and WAGL for the OML 11 concession and the assigning of the Ogoni bloc to an indigenous operator that is acceptable to all parties and willing to make concessions and commit a fair proportion of its earnings for Ogoni development through the immediate establishment of an Ogoni Foundation or Trust.

“The details of the operationalization to ensure transparency and effectiveness will be made known in a couple of weeks,” MOSOP said.

The statement also called for the clearing of the names of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis who where murdered during the Gen. Sani Abacha military regime in 1993 of any wrongdoing and also confer posthumous national honours on all the 13 Ogoni martyrs.

MOSOP in the statement lamented that about 500,000 barrels of daily crude oil was trapped under the Ogoni soil since 1993 that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)exited Ogoni land due to disagreement with the people.

The monarch read that the people had been denied the benefit of the over 500,000 barrels per day oil trapped under the Ogoni fields, expressing the resolve of the Ogoni people to support oil resumption in the area through a special purpose vehicle which would drive development in Ogoniland.

“The commencement of a judicial review to clear the name of Ogoni Great Martyr Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa and eight of his fellow martyrs and granting posthumous national honour to the foremost martyrs of the Ogoni struggle, also known as the Ogoni 13″, who were executed on November 10, 1995 during the regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha,” Nnee read.

The monarch said the idea of Ogoni control of its resources resonates with the goals of their founding fathers and are enforceable within the context of extant laws of the Nigerian federation, calling for cooperation and support from all Ogonis to achieve the goals.

The body also frowned at the pace of work being done by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project,(HYPREP), calling on the agency to fastrack the evacuation of underground oil and provide potable drinking water and also establish a mechanism within HYPREP to compensate for livelihood losses due to environmental pollution.

MOSOP also called for the fastracking of the Presidential assent to the bill for an act establishing the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Saakpenwa in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers.

The body thanked President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Siminalayi Fubara for their love towards the Ogoni people.

In a remark, the Head, Media and Communications, Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project, Mr Enuolare Mba-Nwigoh, represented by the project’s Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, assured the people of Ogoni of the agency’s commitment to ensuring environmental sustainability in the area.

He urged the Ogoni people to be patient and peaceful with the ongoing project.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Derek Mene, called for unity and love amongst Ogonis to move the area forward.

Mene also called on the youths to queue behind leaders of the area and avoid acts capable of causing disaffection in Ogoniland.

News

Minimum wage’ll be reviewed in less than 2 yrs, says Minister

Published

20 mins ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, says the new minimum wage will be reviewed in less than two years from now.

Onyejeocha said this on Thursday in Umuahia, while addressing newsmen after a meeting with labour leaders in Abia.

She said that President Bola Tinubu was committed to his promise to Nigerian workers by ensuring minimum wage was reviewed after three years.

She said that the president was deeply concerned about the welfare of workers and would keep to every promise he made to them.

“We are not going to allow minimum wage review to be forever.

“It used to be about five years, but now, in three year’s time, which is less than two years, we will also review the minimum wage,” Onyejeocha said.

According to her, it has been said and it has been documented.

The Tide source reports that Tinubu had approved N70,000 minimum wage in July 2024, with a promise to review it every three years.

Onyejeocha, who hails from Abia, said that she decided to meet with the labour leaders, who she described as her constituents, “to wish them well”, after spending her Christmas and New Year holidays in the state.

She said that she reminded the leaders that labour is an integral part of the government that should help to ensure stability and peace, not just at work place, but also in the country.

“I reminded them that we should have a strike-free year, where we will be able to work with the government in partnership, knowing that if we are in peace, we will be more productive,” she said.

The Abia Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Ogbomna Okoro, commended the minister for her giant stride in office, saying that the body was proud of her and would collaborate with her.

Earlier, the minister, who is from a royal family, had a roundtable with the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, where she took time to explain some Federal Government’s policies to them.