The king did not die

The king is dead, long live the king! This paradoxical formulation all but summarizes the acute existential dilemma of all people with kings. For such people, the death of kings is not a funny matter at all. It is a terrible disaster. It portends chaos and millennial disorder. It is a radical disruption of the sacred order of being; the reign of anarchy. Things fall apart indeed and the centre can no longer hold.

So therefore for these people, the king cannot and in fact must not die. As the sacred and supreme law-giver of the tribe, the king cannot die just like that. As the father and protector of the tribe, the death of the king provokes a sense of panic and a feeling of acute helplessness and vulnerability.  The people feel naked.

Who will now defend them against the cruel marauders from across the great rivers and the mighty mountains?  Who will shield them from the fiery swords of sworn enemies and the outrageous arrows and slings of fortune? Who will take their propitiatory offerings to angry ancestors? And who will save them from themselves?

Far away from home, and in bitter captivity, the ancient people of Israel remembered their king:

By the Rivers of Babylon, where we sat down

And then we wailed, when we remember Zion

For the wicked carried us away in captivity

And required from us a song

How can we sing King Alpha’s song in a strange land?

For people of kings, the mystery-shrouded disappearance of a particular king after the end of his golden tenure this side of the abyss of transition is but a minor coitus interruptus in a long and intense copulation between the ruled and their ruler. It is romance. It is a labour of love and affection. In the absence of pressing contenders, death itself is magically transformed into a stout ally of the ruling class; the principal Praetorian guard of the sacred order of divination and secular divinity.

The king does not die. He can only magically transit to the other side in a world of continuity and contiguous reality between the living and the dead. When this great ritual of royal disappearance is managed very well by the crack custodians of the commonwealth, the great sages and savants of the traditional society, it is a seamless and painless transition. But when it is not, it is Anubis resurgence. The world shakes with stress and distress.

Time, however,  has proved the greatest enemy of the old order and its ruling classes. In Africa after they have failed to shake off a particularly vicious post-colonial sovereign, they often leave things to inevitable death, better known as a biological coup d’etat. For example, in  Zimbabwe they are all reconciled to the fact that the old Wizard of Harare might be around for quite some time. Human agency is eventually put in the shade by human ageing.

It is obvious that the ancient framers of the Yoruba constitution and its kingly passage never reckoned with the passage of Time itself and the colonial irruption which abridged the power of traditional authority. Neither could they have bargained for globalization and its dire consequences, particularly the virtual abolition of time and space and the eruption of global means of communication which subvert and undermine the power of modern states not to talk of traditional kingdoms.

This past week, the Yoruba people of Nigeria experienced what is it like to be caught in the whizzing whirlpool of the unequal contest between tradition and modernity and the ceaseless surveillance which often leaves the state better surveiled than it is capable of surveilling  its own citizens and better electronically patrolled than it is capable of electronically patrolling its determined denizens. It is an epic confrontation on the scale of Things Fall Apart and Death and the King’s Horseman.

But this time around, it was not canons and maxim guns booming but computers bleeping and sophisticated phones flashing. Satanic twitters and tweets abound. The pressing and ever present conflict between modernity and unsecured tradition always leave the latter holding the wrong end of the stick. This is even more so in an inchoate multi-national nation like Nigeria without an overriding national ethos.

On Monday evening, snooper began picking some unusual vibes and signals from the international tell-tale circuits. The global electronic eavesdropping commune began converging like virtual vultures. The heavy hints all led towards one conclusion: something unusual was happening or about to happen in the principal House of Oodua. A caller asked yours sincerely to investigate from local sources, but the columnist quickly met a brick wall or got gnomic evasions for answer.

A few days earlier, snooper had stumbled on the information that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, had been flown abroad in an air ambulance following serious medical developments which could not be readily accommodated in any Nigerian hospital. This information was considered to be too politically sensitive to be inflicted on the public. In any case, it is believed that among Yoruba royalty, deliberate orchestration of death or its brutal proximity is part of an elaborate ritual of life enlongation. Buyers beware.

When snooper reported back to the person who had initiated the original inquiry, he was told to forget it because the great Iroko fell a few minutes earlier.  After a brief silence only punctuated by pained sighs, the person requested for an immediate adjournment of conversation.  Yours sincerely spent the next hour listlessly roaming around the house. Then at about 11.30pm, a phone call came through which all but confirmed developments. If he was still in doubt, snooper was admonished by the caller, the news was already on the facebook.  That did it.

Thirty six years earlier when the last Ooni, Sir Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi,  joined his ancestors, the forces of globalization were yet to take firm roots. There was no viable internet, no gsm, no bb, not to talk of facebook, twitter,hashtag and all what not. The royal transition was superbly choreographed, with early warning signals and coded palace-speak.

The world has since become one vast cyber Kibbutz. One pin drop from one end of the globe instantly registers in another part thousands of miles away. The first sign of defeat for tradition was the very moment the Ooni was taken out of his palace for medical rehabilitation in a land thousands of miles away from home. That sealed the route for a quiet return to the palace in whatever form and turns the royal translation into the first publicly enacted departure of a major sovereign .

The following day after most national dailies had broken the news of the passing, Ife palace chiefs rallied valiantly by insisting that it was all a rumour, drawing attention to and sustenance from similar mischief in the past. But a few hours later, Saharareporters, the impish and irreverent on-line news service, swiftly countermanded this by insisting that the king had truly departed. A day after, a major daily reported the Nigerian High Commissioner in England paying a condolence visit to the family of the monarch.

There are important lessons to be learnt from this remarkable encounter between the old order and rampart forces of the new world. You cannot argue with an earthquake or remonstrate with its scalding and molten lava. In the unending and ceaseless confrontation between globalizing modernity and the forces of tradition, wise societies and sober nations negotiate their own terms of entry and accommodation.

This is what Singapore, Japan, India and the Asian Tigers did and is what China is doing. This what Russia did politically and militarily but not economically. This is what the heroic Cubans did after a tense half a century face off. You must never allow yourself to be frog-marched and dragooned to modernity. The failure of Nigeria to live up to its billing often shows up in dramatic and expected ways.  The irresponsibility of our ruling class haunts us and hunts them in a way and manner we can never foresee.

When you shortchange others, you also shortchange yourself. Had we used a fraction of the money stolen to build good roads, many lives, including our traditional rulers often slaughtered like propitiatory rams on our high ways, could have been saved. Had we built world class hospitals, there would have been no need to airlift our revered monarch abroad in the first instance and the notable Yoruba culture and tradition might have been spared a humiliating encounter with the rampaging forces of unrelenting modernity.

So, did our great father, the Alase ikeji orisa and Arole Oodua die on Monday?  No, no, the king did not die and the king cannot die. But when we allow modernity to trump tradition through our careless greed and gluttony, the kingship institution suffers a near fatal wound. May the throne of Oduduwa survive for many more epochs.

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Money laundering: CBN moves against banks

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has impressed the need on money deposit banks to discourage money laundering.

The apex bank, which has come hard against banks aiding high net worth individuals to launder money, yesterday reiterated its commitment to deal with any bank involved in such malfeasance.

In a statement by its Director, Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Mu’azu, the bank said following report by the Global Financial Integrity group, which ranks Nigeria as one of the 10 largest countries for illicit financial flows in the world, with an about US$15.7 billion of illicit funds annually, it becomes imperative that banks should be on the alert.

It reads: “In the light of this avoidably negative commentary, we wish to draw the public’s attention to several protocols on illicit fund flows, money laundering and terrorism financing both in Nigeria and around the world and warn that the CBN will increase its vigilance to ensure that Nigerian banks are not used as conduits for illicit fund flows, especially in foreign currencies.”

The CBN said it was however heartening to note that: “Nigerian banks have started to curtail the acceptance of foreign currency cash deposits, much the same way as customers in other countries cannot just walk into banks and make foreign currency cash deposits without proper documentation.”

The CBN, he stressed, “will continue to support the federal government’s fight against money laundering, corruption, and terrorism financing and will block any and every avenue that may be used for these purposes.

 

 

 

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Senators launch struggle for juicy committees

Senate President Bukola Saraki has sparked a fierce struggle for juicy committee membership in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly after asking senators to signify interest in committees of their choice.

He asked them to pick forms from the office of the Clerk to the Senate to indicate their preferred committees.

The committees’ main responsibility is their oversight role in holding the executive arm, through each ministry or agency, accountable for its actions and ensuring that such ministries and agencies implement policies in accordance with the laws and budgets as passed by the legislative arm.

Consequently, such committees as Senate Services, Appropriation, Finance, Petroleum (down and upstream), Defence and Army, Communications, Aviation, Interior, Rules and Business, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Federal Capital Territory, Education, Niger Delta, Agriculture, Environment and Ecology, Power, Gas, Works, Marine Transport and Health which are considered influential have always attracted more interest than the rest.

They are classified as Grade A committees. Saraki said each Senator should indicate interest in about five committees.

The body of principal officers, also referred to as the Selection Committee with the Senate President as its chairman, has the responsibility to assign Senators to the committees based principally on the interest shown by individual Senators.

Although the 54 committees in the upper chamber are supposed to be equal and made to receive the same allocation, some are considered more ‘lucrative’ than others.

The Senate Services Committee was constituted last week with Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir from Sokoto State as chairman and Senator Abubakar Kyari, from Borno State as Vice Chairman.

Other members of the special committee are: Senators Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo central) Olufunke Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti Central) Sunday Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South), Mohammed Hassan (Yobe South), Mathew Urhoghide (Edo South) Philip Aruwa Gyunka (Nasarawa North), Tijani Yahaya Kaura (Zamfara North) and Ibrahim Rafiu.

A reliable source close to the Selection Committee, told The Nation that “since Saraki’s announcement on the constitution of standing committees, the traffic of Senators to the Senate President’s office has dramatically increased.”

Although the source described lobbying for committees as a normal legislative practice, he said: “It is interesting to observe that what is going on cuts across all political interests in the Senate.”

According to him, “It seems as if nobody wants to be left out in the choice committees.”

A new Senate rule stipulates that the committees should be shared equitably among the geo-political zones.

Some All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators have criticized the rule, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Seventh Senate did not adhere to such sharing formula.

It is also not clear when the committees will be constituted but going by the emerging spirit to move the Senate forward, the committees are likely to be formed before the end of August.

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DSS bursts notorious kidnap syndicates, arrests suspects

The Department of State Services (DSS) has burst a number of kidnap syndicates and arrested some of the masterminds of the gangs across the states.

The gangs have been terrorising their victims and members of the public, particularly in the South-South, South-West and the North-West zones of the country in the last few months.

Some of the victims were raped, maimed or murdered by the gang members, thereby inflicting psychological pains, humiliation and grief on the victims and their families, even after collecting huge sums in ransom from their families.

A statement yesterday by the Acting spokesman of the DSS, Mr. Tony Opuiyo said the suspects were arrested in special tactical operations across flash point states.

Among the suspects arrested were Victor Afikparobo of the Federa Gang operating within Ikorodu/Otta axis in Lagos and Ogun states. He was arrested alongside some of his gang members on July 20.

John Felix, Rowson Anufa and Obukoko Emoabe operating along Lagos-Ikorodu Road and Owo in Ondo state were also arrested on July 22.

The statement said, “On 24th July, 2015, about 0230 hours, at Uduere, village in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State, one Joseph Ojobor, aka chairman was also arrested. Subject is the leader of the Lagos cell of the “Federa” kidnap syndicate. He had also been linked to some incidents of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.

“Also, on the same 24th July, 2015, about 0500 hours, the team arrested another member of the Lagos cell of the “Federa” kidnap syndicate, one Timothy Japhet in his house at Onokpasa Avenue in Okhan village in Ughelli North LGA, Delta State.

“Earlier, on 19th July, 2015, another member of the notorious gang, one Howell Anufa was apprehended by the Service. The suspect was instrumental to the kidnap of the Regent of Akungba in Ondo State.

“Anufa also participated in the spate of kidnap incidents, carried out by the gang in Lagos and Ogun states respectively, before he relocated to Warri, Delta State, where he was eventually arrested.

“Furthermore, same date, the Service arrested one member of the Ekiti kidnap syndicate, Ayodeji Oluwafemi. Also, one Rachael Oladapo, a female, who was used by the gang as a reconnaissance spy and informant, was equally apprehended.

“In a follow-up tactical raid in Ekiti State, five (5) other members of the notorious Ekiti kidnap gang were intercepted by operatives of the DSS. They are Felix Omaiwa, Bose Ajayi, Tope Gabriel, Olayemi Ogunmola and Damilola Obamoyegun.

“Also, on 26th July, 2015, about 2000 hours, at Ibokun in Obokun LGA, Osun State, Service tactical team arrested three (3) kidnap suspects, Owolabi Olarewaju (aka Owo Blow), Olajide Ayobami (aka Gongo aso) and Gbenga David (aka Oruma)”.

The DSS also said another gang member, operating within Abia and Imo state axis, Henry Chibueze was arrested on July 16. He was described as a ruthless criminal who derived joy in shooting his victims in the leg whenever there was delay in ransom payment.Chibueze was said to have been arrested at his hideout in Ohafia, Abia State, where he was being treated for an injury he sustained when he escaped during an earlier operation in Owerri, Imo State.

Also in the net is Akeem Bello, a lance-corporal who deserted his unit in the Nigerian Army when he was deployed in Maiduguri, only to join vampire’s kidnap gang.

“Between 19– 20th July, 2015, at varied locations in Danko-Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, the Service apprehended four (4) suspected kidnappers of one Maryam Mohammed Rabiu, the daughter of Mohammed Rabiu who was abducted on 13th July 2015.

“The gang has been identified as the syndicate which perpetrated the recent kidnap of Abbas Mohammed Jega, the driver of the brother of Attahiru Jega (Prof), former Chairman of INEC.

“The gang in its bid to evade detection, used one of the three (3) mobile phones stolen earlier from Maryam Rabiu, to establish contact with the family, in which they demanded a ransom of Twenty Million Naira (N20m).

“On 24th July, 2015, at Mailaka village of Danko-Wasagu LGA, the Service also arrested three (3) key members of another kidnap syndicate operating across Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, FCT, Kwara and Oyo States.

“These elements are Umar Gide (Dudu), Ibrahim Mugu and Baban Garna Dudu was found to be involved in the kidnap of the daughter of former Council Chairman of Danko-Wasaju LGA and the mother of the Post-Master General of the Federation, among several others.

“Another member of the gang, Mohammed Sani, a.k.a Sani Maja, was arrested by the Service in Zamfara State,” the statement added.

The DSS said the operations were still ongoing to arrest fleeing members of some of the identified kidnap gangs and others hibernating at various areas across the federation.

The service added that judicial processes were being perfected to arraign the suspects in court.

It assured the citizenry that it would not relent in its efforts to checkmate the activities of any criminal gang that terrorising innocent citizens anywhere in the country.

The DSS urged members of the public to freely volunteer useful information that could assist in apprehending members of the criminal gangs anywhere they may be hiding.

The service assured that such information would be treated with utmost confidentiality and dispatch.

 

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The Buhari Presidency: Behind the scenes

Since President Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power on May 29, his governance style has been a major discourse among citizens. His traducers, especially the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have turned fault finders overnight and won’t give him a breathing space. In this piece, YUSUF ALLI, MANAGING EDITOR, NORTHERN OPERATION explores the ‘slow and steady’ pace of Buhari and his unsung silent initiatives which may turn the nation around.

Contrary to the awkward and uncomplimentary claims of a governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the countdown to the March general election, President Muhammadu Buhari is waxing stronger by the day. His capacity to cope with the workload has remained amazing to his aides, friends and associates. And in the last two months, it is becoming obvious that a new dawn is imminent for the nation. There can be no better testimony than that of President Barrack Obama, who lodged Buhari at the famous Blair’s House meant for philosopher leaders, and gave Nigerians a lot to cheer about their president. Obama said: “President Buhari came into office with reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda that is to make sure that he has been bringing safely security and peace to his country.”

Trailing Buhari in the last two months has revealed many dimensions of the new President and the how he is laying foundation for a robust future for the country.

 Buhari’s unusual schedule causes stir in The Villa

Apart from going through some discomfort (through a make-shift life) before packing to the Presidential Villa, the President lives an austere life. He works from 7am to the wee hours of the night with intermittent time for his five daily prayers. He consults with few underground advisers (close and old associates of many years) in House 7 and aides on daily basis to weigh options. Talking on the tight schedule of the President, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu said: “Maybe because of his military background, the President wakes up early and he is an avid listener to radio stations. Before he reports for work by7am, he must have listened to all the talk shows on radio and you will be amazed how he picks you up on some national issues discussed on radio. Most times, he starts his day by 6am.

“The President works from the early hours of the day till 1am and 2am. In fact, there was a time the team around him had a meeting and expressed worries that the President was having only three hours of sleep. They therefore redesigned his schedule by saying no more appointment by 9pm. The new policy did not last more than one week. After that, the President worked till 1am.” Responding to a question, Shehu said: “I think it has to do with his military training because it got to a point that one of the youngest staff working with the President could not cope with his schedule.”

Unveiling Buhari’s moral curtains

Coming into power with a hard-earned reputation, Buhari has changed the face of Aso Rock – the seat of government. Unlike in the past administrations, loafers, busy bodies, political heavyweights, multi-colour businessmen masquerading as investors, chieftains of banks seeking to influence financial policies, portfolio investors and money bags do not have easy access to the Presidential Villa again. Instead, they now loiter around the corridors of the Senate and House of Representatives to have a peripheral feeling of what Buhari or the Federal Government is up to. This is the first time since 1999 when those who usually alter the fortunes of Nigeria at night over champagne have been shut out of the Villa. They can no longer drive in and out of the Villa at will; they cannot have gossip dinners with the President and have no access to every file signed by the President or a privileged knowledge of appointments and government policies again.

The situation got to a ridiculous stage under the late President Umaru Yar’Adua that a businessman was always getting the copy of policy statement even before Ministers or Permanent Secretaries knew of the government direction. While ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was in charge, some businessmen and money bags could influence policies within minutes after a shuttle to the Villa. They sought monopoly of everything in the country, they wanted waiver to direct the economy as they like or determine how Nigerians breathe, and some of them manipulated the oil, industrial and financial sectors from the tip of their fingers. At a stage under Jonathan, Ministers feared these money bags and Presidential friends than the ex-President himself. All the luxury is gone with Buhari in charge. A source said: “To Buhari, any businessman, political heavyweight or money bag visiting the Villa must come to add value and not to diminish or deplete the system.”

These men of means are unhappy being on the same pedestal with the poor but Buhari is unruffled. Besides having quality time to meditate on the state of the nation and plan, the Vila is saving huge cost often spent on accommodation at state expense, choice foods and exotic champagne like Vodka which was the delight of some people in the last government.

Instead, Buhari runs a tight administration with a code of conduct for his immediate family and aides. Aides must live above board and keep sealed lips on official secrets, especially crucial policies and itinerary. Once you cross the border line, you are either redeployed or isolated or ejected from the Villa. To the shock of every staff in the Villa, Buhari woke up one day and relieved his Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani and Administrative Officer Widi Liman of their jobs. Although the government has kept mute on the removal of these confidants, findings revealed that Mani might have been redeployed for allegedly “leaking Buhari’s itinerary to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke who strove to travel on the same flight to London in May. It was also learnt that Mani was sent out of the Villa following power tussle between him and the Aide-de-Camp of the President, Lt. Col. Muhammed Abubakar Lawal over the security changes effected in the seat of government. Another source said Buhari was unhappy with Mani and Liman on how they mismanaged the ‘opportunity’ to take care of his appointments. He suspected some connivance when unwanted guests or some corrupt elements were placed on appointment list.

Also a desperate businessman looking for an oil block had attempted to bribe a brother-in-law, Musa Yola, to get access to the President but the in-law paid dearly for it. The dubious transaction was not only busted, Buhari ordered the arrest of his in-law in handcuffs. He ordered the State Security Service (SSS) to investigate the scam.

This is the first time that the First Family will be under some restrictions. Buhari has listed no go areas for his wife and children in order to avoid abuse of power. When his wife and children went for lesser Hajj (Umrah) a few weeks ago, he made sure they travelled on Emirates Airline, a commercial flight with a caveat that they must not receive any gift from wealthy Nigerians who are usually using the pilgrimage to curry favours. A top source said: “President Muhammadu Buhari has adopted a strict policy on the use of presidential aircraft in order to save cost. His wife and relations have been restricted to the use of the aircraft in the presidential fleet.

“A situation where the aircraft were used anyhow by some friends, associates of the President during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan can no longer be applicable in this dispensation.

“For example, the Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari and three children travelled for lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia on Emirates Airline instead of using presidential aircraft.

“Buhari is determined to ensure the judicious use of the presidential aircraft to save cost. He is also setting a new template for governance. Do not be surprised if you see the President using commercial flights.”

Findings also revealed that Buhari is blazing another moral trail as a leader because his wife still cooks for him. While hosting some children to Eid-el Fitr festival, the wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, made the unusual disclosures. She said: “I’m going to leave you soon. I want to go back home to cook for my husband. Because my children are here playing with you, nobody is at home, only my husband. I want to go back home to be with him and also cook dinner for him.” As at the time of filing this report, Buhari is yet to acquiesce to pressure to make his wife to go about with the appellation of the ‘First Lady’. A source added: “I think the President does not want the Office of the First Lady hijacked by vested interests as the case between 2010 and 2015 when Jonathan was in charge. So far, Hajiya Aisha Buhari is known and addressed as the ‘Wife of the President.’

Awaiting the fate of presidential jets

Going by his level of contentment, it was apparent that the President does not need all the aircraft in the Presidential Fleet but he is yet to make up his mind on what to do. During the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, about N9.08billion was spent annually to maintain the 10 aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF). The aircraft are two Falcon 7X jets, two Falcon 900 jets, Gulf stream 550, one Boeing 737 BBJ (Nigerian Air Force 001 or Eagle One), and Gulf stream IVSP.

Others are one Gulf stream V, Cessna Citation 2 aircraft and Hawker Siddley 125-800 jet.

A presidency source said: “Do you know that it costs about N747 million to fuel the aircraft in the presidential fleet per annum. President Buhari said his administration cannot afford such a luxury. He has limited the use of presidential fleet by his wife, immediate family and friends.

“The US President, Barrack Obama uses only two Boeing jets and one helicopter. So, Buhari is determined to cut cost. In any case, he lives an austere life. If he can ask his wife to fly on a commercial jet, then other public officers must emulate his standard.”

How he is running government without ministers

Gradually the President is restoring the old glory of the nation’s civil service in line with the 800-page report of Ahmed Joda Committee, which was submitted on June 11. Ahead of his appointment of ministers next month, the President is running the government with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, Permanent Secretaries (who are the accounting officers of ministries) and the Chief Executives/ Directors-General of parastatals and his key aides like some Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants. The Permanent Secretaries and the CEOs of agencies are enjoying every bit of freedom because for the first time since 2007, they can now make suggestions, rub minds with the President and implement without anyone breathing down on them. The Senior Special Assistant on Media, Shehu said: “The Permanent Secretaries are there to assist him and he has given them independence to take decisions (including financial ones) unless it is something extra-ordinary.”

Reforms/ the coming structure of government and new ministers

Sources in the Presidential Villa confided in THE NATION that the report of the Ahmed Joda Committee and the 2012 document of Steve Oronsaye panel will go a long way in shaping the surgical reforms which Buhari will carry out. These reforms may include merger of ministries and agencies, cutting waste in public service and putting in place a culture of transparency and accountability. In its report, the Joda committee said:  “There is no direct relationship between the number of ministries and efficacy of service delivery. The US with a population of 316million and with GDP of $17, 328 trillion (30 times Nigeria’s GDP) has 15 ministries. India has 24 ministries while the UK has 17.

“The current structure of the Federal Government of Nigeria with 28 ministries and 542 agencies (50 of which have no enabling laws) results in very high cost of governance. The portfolios of ministries are not responsive to all the major critical national challenges such as family and child affairs; religious affairs; vulnerable and elderly group affairs as well as the North-Eastern crisis.

“There is an apparent conflict between the desire of reducing the cost of governance through cabinet downsize and the constitutional requirement of a cabinet-level ministerial appointment from each of the 36 states of the Federation.”

More than any group, the new ministers coming into Buhari’s cabinet may not enjoy the same luxury like some of  their  reckless predecessors in the administration of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Shehu said: “The President has said he will cut wastes everywhere. He used to tell us that as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, he was always applying to the Federal Executive Council for estacode each time he was going for OPEC meeting. You can predict his policy.”

But the only challenge Buhari might have is about his plans to reduce the number of ministers from 42 to 18 or 19 because it will amount to a violation of the 1999 Constitution unless the relevant Section 147(1-3) is amended.

The section says: “There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.

“Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.

“Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:

“Provided that in giving effect to the Provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state.”

When contacted, one of the strategists of the new administration said: “The President is still keeping the list of ministers to his chest; he has not disclosed any list.”

What has changed in the past few weeks?

Nothing sums up the turn-around being championed by Buhari than a confession by one of the immediate past ministers who said: “I don’t believe that everything can be done in an orderly manner as presently the case. Buhari’s personal leadership qualities, including hard work, have made a difference. Former President Jonathan said he was caged but I have realized that we were all caged.”  Without firing any shot as a military General or visiting any establishment, the President’s body language has done much magic in the past few weeks. The system is working in every Ministry, Department and Agency because public servants and government officials know that Buhari will not take nonsense. Since no one wants to incur the president’s wrath, civil servants now report at their desk on time.

The same body language charm afflicts the electricity generating, transmission and distribution companies such that the nation’s power supply is reasonably stable since May 29 when Buhari only inherited a “historic low” of 727 megawatts (mw). According to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Wednesday, the National Transmission Grid has recorded another peak of 4,662 megawatts (mw) of electricity. The TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Seun Olagunju said:  “Power generation and transmission have been recording new peaks above 4,500mw following improvements in gas supply to the generating stations as well as equipment/ infrastructure upgrade and enhanced human capacity of system operators.”

Revving up anti-corruption agenda

Contrary to the posture of his predecessors who used to receive brief from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies, Buhari has only left these agencies to “read his lips and be on the same page” with him in fighting corruption. A presidential aide, who spoke with our correspondent in strict confidence, said: “Do you know that Buhari has not asked any of the anti-corruption agencies to arrest anyone? He has not called for the file of any suspect or given them a list of the untouchables.  Suddenly, these agencies increased their pace because Buhari does not place any inhibitions on their way, no presidential interference at all.” In the last few weeks, some heavyweights either quizzed or arraigned in court were ex-Governor Sule Lamido and sons;  ex-Governor Martin Elechi and son; ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim; Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki (the wife of the Senate President); Hajiya Zainab Dakingari (the daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua); ex-Governor Murtala Nyako and son; a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi and Mrs, Ifeoma Nwobodo, who was the Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sullivan Chime.

Asserting the principle of separation of powers

For 49 days, the National Assembly was on the verge of brinkmanship because the President refused to interfere in the internal affairs of the Legislature. There were conflicting reports on whether or not ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo prevailed on Buhari to intervene, it was however obvious that the President took a constitutional risk which almost overshadowed  his victory and the electoral gains of the All Progressives Congress (APC).  In the end, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking on a live interview chat with NTA on Monday, the President explained why he refused to interfere. He said: “I have to be very sensitive to the Constitution of the country. I do not like to be told by anybody, especially the legislators that I am interfering in their matter. There are three arms of government: the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Over the years, they have developed the system of choosing their leaders.

“There is no way I can directly interfere. All I can do through the party is to appeal to their conscience that what I already observed, we should go over it as soon as possible. When I say we, I mean the APC.”

Corroborating his claim, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said Buhari stuck to his stand till the end. He said: “Mr. President made it once again clear that everybody has no alternative but to listen to what the party says. He emphasized the fact that all of us were what we are thanks to the platform that the party provided for everybody. I think this message resonated very intensely with all the members of the House. He still did not interfere and his parting words to us were that the leadership of the House and the party should go and resolve whatever issues that were militating against a resolution.”

Buhari’s unique visit to the US

This trip was a major breakthrough for Buhari because it came early in the day of his administration and he can now settle down for work. Besides mending the strained diplomatic ties between the US and Nigeria, Buhari was able to seek support for  the nation’s war against Boko Haram and anti-graft campaign which may lead to the repatriation of about $6billion looted funds.  The shuttle also fetched a commitment of $2.1billion loan from the World Bank (through its International Development Agency) to rebuild the insurgency-ravaged North-East. While the first 10 years of the loan will be interest free, additional 30 years would attract interest “lower than capital market rate.” On its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) might invest about $300million on immunization against malaria. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is expected to work with Dangote Foundation for a zero polio free system in the country. A former Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora told THE NATION’s correspondent during the week that the gains of the trip were significant. He said: “It is a measure of goodwill Obama and the United States have for President Buhari and his administration. That goodwill goes beyond America; it also extends to international community especially the Western world.”

Giving anti-terror war a new bite

Since the appointment of new Service Chiefs, the nation’s counter-insurgency campaign has heightened. Troops have seized many camps of Boko Haram, killed more than 300 insurgents and set free hundreds of captives including a six-day old infant. Buhari has also initiated a military alliance with Chad, Niger Republic, Cameroon and Benin Republic. A military source said: “With the way we are going about the campaign, we will rout out Boko Haram in the next six months if we sustain the tempo.”

Bail out for states

Worried by the collapse of the economy of most states, the President has reeled out some bail out measures including the release of N713.7billion intervention funds for states; N413.7billion represents special intervention funds; and the balance of about N250billion to N300billion as a soft loan to states. While about N413.7b ($2.1b) was sourced from the recent LNG proceeds, the remaining N300b came from a Central Bank-packaged special intervention fund. The Debt Management Office (DMO) is expected to assist states to restructure over N660billion commercial loans crippling their economy.

What should Nigerians do?

National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu during the week asked Nigerians to be patient with Buhari to effect the much desired change. He said: “Change is not by magic, it is driven by the people… You see, we have had so much problem in this country in the past because we run into policy blindfolded without adequate and effective planning. You don’t have results unless you plan well. The time it takes you to plan, examine, re-jig, re-evaluate is more important than the time you just rush into taking action because you are either being sentimental, being emotional and being driven by forces that are not expected.”

 

 

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PDP workers to party leaders: ‘Stop blaming APC for your misery’

•Metuh replies them: ‘I am ready to face probe’

Workers at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday  insisted that the party’s leaders were the architects of its current misery, and should therefore stop blaming the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for their woes.

The workers are currently at war with members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over a planned 50 percent slash in their salaries and allowances.

The NWC had, through a circular by PDP’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, also given notice of a 50 percent reduction in secretariat staff strength.

But the workers responded to the NWC’s move by dismissing the officials as corrupt, insensitive and reckless.

They also staged a protest at the party’s secretariat on Friday, and threatened to drag the NWC members to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for investigation.

But the   National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, did not take kindly to the workers’ action.

He accused them of acting the script of the APC with a view to destabilising the PDP.

However, the workers, under the aegis of the PDP Staff Welfare Association, dismissed Metuh’s accusation as “absolute bunkum, clumsy, and blundering blackmail.”

The association’s Chairman, Ngozi Nze and the Secretary, Dan Ochu-Baiye vowed, in a statement, to expose more of the party leaders’ corrupt practices.

Describing Metuh’s stand point as “a weak shot from a mortally crippled arsenal of witch hunt”, the workers said such blackmail would not break their resolve to see the NWC members investigated and prosecuted.

Their words: “Metuh’s allegation is a wide window into the impressionable character of the man who has been in the saddle as the party’s image-maker and an ominous signpost into the shallow manner the publicity of the party has been run.

“We wish to state that this is a man whose conduct, demeanour and media outings have been a repulse to professionalism and a source of embarrassment to party members.

“We therefore place it on record that the majority of the establishment staff of the PDP are not just unrepentant members of the party who have spent over sixteen years in service; who have assimilated the PDP ethos as a way of political life, but are also the repository of the party’s institutional memory whose spirit can hardly succumb to the ephemeralty of power loss.

“Who plays anti-party? you may ask. Staff members who are genuinely resisting the morally repugnant and obsessively corrupt NWC so that the PDP will survive, or the likes of Olisa Metuh who have a track record of anti-party given his open endorsement of APGA candidate in the 2013 Anambra governorship election.

“What with Metuh’s subsequent denigration of the PDP candidate and his chances on live television programme less than 24 hours after the election, even as the result was being awaited?

“Earlier in January 2010 Anambra governorship election, Metuh as National Vice Chairman, South East, abandoned Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, the PDP candidate while openly galvanizing support for Hope Democratic Party candidate, his friend and benefactor.

“The PDP did not only woefully lose in Otolo Nnewi Ward 1 of the Party’s zonal vice chairman, but came a distant third in his polling booth! What a faithful party officer!”

They queried Metuh’s support for former President Goodluck Jonathan in the run up to the last election and wondered what happened to “a whopping sum of N450 million media fund earlier approved for the office of PDP Publicity Secretary by President Jonathan.”

They also cited the recent congresses in Anambra as “another signpost to the destructive trajectory which the likes of Olisa Metuh is driving the PDP to.”

They added:”as we write, the party is still waiting for the result of the congresses a week after it was held, pending when Metuh is done with his conclave of distortion and extortion.

“This is the same man who we reliably gathered, is surreptitiously scheming to emerge as the Organizing Secretary of the party next year. To do what? Turn the party organization into Idumota Market and institutionalize extortion, graft and impunity.

“This is a man who started in 1999 as a zonal youth leader, then National Ex-officio, Acting National Auditor, Zonal Vice Chairman and now publicity secretary. It is either his umbilical cord was buried at Wadata Plaza or that he can’t survive on any other thing except the PDP.

“We make bold to add that the worst form of anti-party is the mindless plunder of the party resources by the NWC which Olisa Metuh is an integral part. He is, in fact, the leader of the body’s extortion gang.

“Recall that the same man was the Chairman of Kogi State congresses which held last week and match it with the fact that the widely rumoured request for one billion Naira from the state governor emanated the same week.

“Indeed, labelling the staff of the PDP could be a veiled attempt to justify the huge sum of N70 million which Metuh collected in July in the name of fighting the APC in the media.

“We wish to therefore advise him and the NWC to respond to gritty issues raised in our press briefing without which the fortunes of the party will continue to dwindle.”

The workers had, among others, accused the party leaders of squandering N12 billion realised from the sale of nomination forms during the last general election.

They also alleged that the party leaders had compelled delegates to pay N10,000 each into a private account of a company called Morufi Nigeria Limited only to squander the over N1 billion realised from the transaction.

Metuh in his reply to the workers volunteered to be investigated by the security agencies over the allegations of corruption against him.

In a statement by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Richard Ihediwa, Metuh said the workers’ actions were meant to bring to public odium and to distract him from his duties.

He said he was being persecuted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) through the workers, for his relentless criticism of the policies and programmes of the administration.

According to him, “This is not unexpected given the role of the National Publicity Secretary in the rebuilding of our great party and how uncomfortable the ruling APC has been for his outspokenness.

“We are aware that the anti-PDP forces have easily found a handful of disgruntled PDP staff as willing tools to attack Chief Metuh with a view to bringing him to public odium, distract him and deny our party a credible voice to propagate its positions.

“These forces had even gone to the extent of engineering some discontented PDP members to portray statements by the National Publicity Secretary as his personal opinions in the attempt to discredit and intimidate him.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the National Publicity Secretary will not be deterred or detracted by such threats and cheap blackmails as he remains committed to his role in the rebuilding of the PDP and in providing firm, credible and issue based opposition to the ruling party.

“This office would not join issues with these elements, however we make bold to state that Chief Olisa Metuh, being aware of the challenges that come with his new role has offered himself, his office as well as all his private companies for probe by the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other government agency for that matter.

“We also find it laughable that anybody would criticise the recent PDP congresses in Anambra and Kogi that have been widely applauded to be transparent and credible as established by the peace and harmony that characterised the processes.

“One also wonders how the issue of congresses helps the case of welfare matters being pushed by the staff, if not for the ulterior motive of destroying the PDP publicity”.

Metuh said his accusers have deliberately refused to appreciate his immense contributions to the party and the fact that he became the longest serving member of the National Executive Committee due to hard work and the confidence members of the party reposed in him as an individual.

He expressed relief that his accusers are now calling for his investigation instead of resorting to plots to assassinate him.

“However, we restate that the National Publicity Secretary will not in any way be cowed or intimidated by the threats, blackmails and attacks by anti-PDP forces to abandon his mandate as spokesperson of our great party”, the statement

 

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Alleged N12b waste: PDP NWC faces sack

• Jonathan, BOT under pressure to move against Secundus, Oladipo, Metuh, others

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders, embarrassed by the litany of corruption charges against members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), have commenced consultations on moving against the officials.

Workers at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja, had accused members of the NWC of massive corruption including alleged sharing of about N12billion realized from the sale of forms for the March general electionS.

They also alleged that N1billion changed hands during the recent congress of the party in Kogi State.

The allegations came on the heels of the planned reduction in the staff strength at the secretariat by 50 per cent and salary cut by the same ration.

For a party still reeling from the effects of its loss of power in the March and April elections, the workers’ allegations have not gone down well with party leaders including former President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the Board of Trustees (BoT).

Party sources informed The Nation last night in Abuja that the workers had forwarded their grievances to Dr. Jonathan and other stakeholders.

It was gathered that the stakeholders have already launched into consultations to save the party from further embarrassment.

Sources said the stakeholders were being pressurized to prevail on the National Executive Committee (NEC) to dissolve the NWC forthwith on account of the allegations.

A top source in the party said: “The workers have taken their protest to Jonathan, who is the leader of the party and the BOT. They are mounting pressure for the sack of the NWC by NEC.

“They said with the present NWC in charge, the PDP will die. Some BOT members have started consultations on the way out of the challenge at hand.

“I think we may end up convening an emergency meeting of NEC in order to save the party this unnecessary embarrassment.”

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