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Why insecurity is deteriorating in the South East

Ikechukwu Amaechi

By Ikechukwu Amaechi

What causes heightened insecurity in the South East? This was the poser five governors and heads of the security agencies in the region raised when they met on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Owerri during the first South East Security Summit.

Many people are asking their own question: Don’t they know the reason?

While it will be a surprise that they, indeed, don’t know the answer to the riddle, it is not a surprise that the meeting played the ostrich by approving, as part of 15-point communiqué, that “the acting IGP (Inspector-General of Police) and other security chiefs do invite the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) to find out the reason for increasing insecurity of the Southeast,” while resolving “to maintain a joint security vigilante for the Southeast otherwise known as Ebube Agu” with headquarters in Enugu.

If the chief security officers in the South East don’t know the reason for increasing insecurity in the region, how then would leaders of a socio-cultural organisation like Ohanaeze know? How would Christian leaders know? It is laughable.

It would have been better if that summit didn’t hold. At least, people would have been left guessing. Now, they have held a summit and left no one in doubt that those we have as security chieftains are either a bunch of clueless power mongers or mischievous leaders or both.

I doubt how many people in the region took notice of the summit, not to talk of its resolutions. For many, the parley was too little, too late, because – to borrow a cliché – the horse had already bolted from the stable.

A week before the summit, precisely in the early hours of Easter Monday, there was a major security breach in Owerri when gunmen attacked the Owerri Correctional Centre and set free about 1,844 inmates and burnt down the police headquarters with little or no challenge from the Nigerian State.

Over 50 vehicles were destroyed and the entire police command was demobilised, literally.

The gunmen sang and danced in front of Douglas House, the seat of government in Owerri, daring those that claim not only to be in government but in power to do their worst, without any response from state actors.

They had a parade of honour, sporadically firing celebratory gunshots along major streets in the city without any challenge before finally vanishing into thin air.

As if that was not bad enough, two days later, gunmen also razed the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area Divisional Police Headquarters in the state. Being a policeman in the South East has become almost a death sentence as non-state actors effectually take on ineffectual state security forces and imprudently contest legitimacy with the Nigerian State.

Nigeria presently epitomizes the Hobbesian state of nature where life is nasty, brutish and short. So alarmed is the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Cardona Laing, that she screamed aloud last week: “We are extremely concerned about the deteriorating security situation” in the country. “Nigeria,” she said, “is facing a lot of problems everywhere” and really struggling.

Everyone else is worried for the country except the very people whose day job is to superintend over national affairs and worry on our behalf.

Assuming, without conceding that those who attended the summit didn’t know the reason for the heightened insecurity in the region, and were genuinely interested in the truth, all they needed to do was take a cursory look at the attendance register.

Could it be that they did but because they have been blinded by the suffocating injustice that has become the country’s signature tune, they no longer know the difference between right and wrong and how a people’s sense of alienation could spur feelings of resentment and resistance?

Alloy Ejimako, a lawyer and counsel to both the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, recently did a short but well-considered article on the security arrangement in the South East and how it fuels insecurity in the region.

I crave your indulgence to quote him elaborately.

“The current security arrangement for Southeast is unconstitutional: The ‘expanded’ security meeting on Southeast held recently with South East Governors had an interesting posse of security chiefs in attendance, including the following: Maj-Gen Abubakar Maikobi (GOC 82 Division, Nigerian Army); Air Vice-Marshall Idi Amin (Air Officer Commanding); Yusuf Ishaku (Director, DSS Anambra); A.J. Ibrahim (Director, DSS Abia State); H.E. Abdullah (Director, DSS Ebonyi); B. Likinyo (Director, DSS Enugu); Baba Tijani (AIG Zone 9, Umuahia); Awosola Awotinde (CP, Ebonyi State); Ahmadu Abdulrahman (CP, Enugu State); Rabiu Ladodo (CP, Imo State).”

Ejimako concluded thus: “You will notice that there is no single Igbo or Southeast person at the helms of deciding matters of security (life and death) that concern people of Southeast. This is unconstitutional. It is also wrong, ungodly and dangerous.

“How can you secure a people without their participation? When you do that, it runs the grave risk of being perceived as a belligerent occupation, or worse, a benign conquest. Plus, it breeds popular distrust, which is antithetical to security.”

And that is exactly what is happening in the South East and I dare say it will continue. It is natural. The people are resisting what they see as an army of occupation.

For too long, agents of the Nigerian State have behaved as if Ndigbo don’t matter. They have treated the people with so much contempt and disdain and any attempt to express their frustration was seen as an affront and greater force is used to crush it.

They are reminded through acts of omission and commission that they don’t have a say in Nigeria. It is so bad that President Muhammadu Buhari asked a journalist who wanted to know why Ndigbo are being treated so disdainfully in his first and only official media chat locally, “What do they [Igbo] want?”

What Ndigbo want is simple. They want justice, fairness and equity, which they deserve as of right because the 1999 Constitution, the country’s grundnorm, guarantees that.

The absence of equal rights and justice makes peace a scarce commodity in the country because the most formidable enemy any state can confront are a people driven to desperation.

When a people would rather prefer death to a life of servitude, society pays a steep price. And that is exactly where the angry Igbo youths are right now. Those who shout Biafra or nothing are not kidding.

Are the angry youths right in their actions? The jury is still out on that.

Many Igbo elite are scared that Nnamdi Kanu is leading the youths down a dark alley. I am one of them. Those who disagree with their methods are threatened every day that there will be no place for them in their Biafra. So, in the Biafra of Nnamdi Kanu’s dreams, we are all endangered species.

But make no mistake about it, he remains the most credible leader in the estimation of many Igbo youths who see the political leaders as a bunch of sell-outs. Are they misguided? Maybe! Is Kanu a demagogue? No doubt about that. But he is effective. He has become the greatest mobiliser of the people after Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Buhari has grossly mismanaged the commonwealth. Going to Ohanaeze Ndigbo or CAN leadership to find out why insecurity is getting worse in the South East is nonsensical but typical of the idiocy on parade in the country. (Thenicheng)

Opinion: Even The Trumpeters Deserve Some Blaring

Dare Babarinsa

By Dare Babarinsa

It is interesting that three media houses have something to celebrate in recent times. The Guardian, the authoritative flagship of the Nigerian Press, has just released a compendium to memorialise its first decade on the news stand. The Guardian was founded in 1983 and its first decade on the newsstand was a truly turbulent era when we moved from democratic governance to military rule and a failed attempt to return to democratic governance.
The Guardian is the newspaper of the Nigerian elite and its great prose and captivating cadence is a tribute to excellent journalism. While The Guardian is a daily, the City People is a weekly tabloid, noted for its sensationalism and appeal to the common man. It is marking its 25th anniversary on the newsstand. The third one is Ovation, the inimitable monthly that is Dele Momodu’s offering to the world of journalism. Ovation is about the rich and famous and it is about Dele himself.
The Guardian defines itself. Many of the foundation staff, including the great triumvirate of Stanley Macebuh, Lade Bonuola and Femi Kusa, came from the old Daily Times, the grand institution that sired many other publications. Therefore, in the beginning, there was the temptation to produce a paper like the Daily Times. Then the debate among the founding members whether the newspaper should be like the Daily Times. In the end, there was something close to a stalemate and it was left to Alex Ibru and Maiden, his wife, to decide. In the end, the Ibrus voted for The Guardian that was, and still is, like no other Nigerian newspaper before it.

Nigeria is lucky that Alex Ibru decided to set up The Guardian. It was an audacious gamble for a man who had no experience of either gambling or newspapering. He was ready to learn. It must have been something of an ordeal for him travelling to odd places with Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, the university teacher and self-made newspaper man, to interview the powerful and the mighty. I look forward to reading again the compilation of the Ibru and Ogunbiyi interviews so that we can relive the vibrancy and colour of those days. Where else are we going to get the likes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Colonel Muamar Gadhafi firing from all cylinders on newspaper or magazine pages?
For Ibru, The Guardian was not just an institution to make money. It was meant to raise a standard for freedom. During the ordeal of TELL under the military, especially during the terror-reign of General Sani Abacha, The Guardian was always in support of our cause for freedom of the press. In the end, the newspaper paid dearly for it. While Ibru was serving as a Minister in the cabinet of General Sani Abacha, the newspaper was sealed off. After he was forced to leave the cabinet, the evil ones were not satisfied. They tried to kill him. Those were the days when the killer squad was abroad and no one was safe.
What The Guardian has done by its recent publication is to assert the right to institutional memory. The newspaper was the cornucopia for the brightest and the best in journalism. It was here that Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor found their way to prison and their entrance into the history book of Nigerian journalism.
The newspaper was unique in its daring presentation and beautiful prose. Who could forget Alhaji Alade Odunewu, the columnist, in the early days or the daring reportage for which the medium became known. It was here that many of our colleagues, especially old students of the University of Lagos Mass Communication Department, made their marks. We have the likes of Niyi Obaremi, Tunde Olofintila, Emeka Izeze, Bayo Oguntimehin, Juliet Ukpabialla. They were joined by the likes of Sunny Ojeagbese, Debo Adesina, Reuben Abati, Folake Soyinka. Our teacher, Professor Olatunji Dare joined the intellectual train pioneered by the class of Ogunbiyi, Kole Omotoso and many others. The list as they say is endless. Amman Ogan, the editor of The Guardian on Sunday, was in a class of her own.

After the assassination of Dele Giwa in 1986, many Nigerian media houses were carrying the banner advert: Who Killed Dele Giwa? It was a jarring challenge to the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida because many Nigerians believed then that some elements within the junta might have been involved in that crime. All the newspapers were persuaded to discontinue the campaign. The Guardian insisted and it was the last to stop it.
Ironically, it must have been that uncertain era that spurred Seye Kehinde to start his influential City People. Kehinde was a staff member of the old Newswatch where he worked in the library with Nyaknno Osso, the grand librarian of Newswatch and keeper of the magazine treasure house of information. Kehinde later became member of the pioneering team of TheNews, the radical newspaper house that came out of rebellion to Chief Moshood Abiola, the publisher of the Concord Group of Newspapers. Most of them were staff of African Concord, then edited by Bayo Onanuga, founding CEO of The News.
Kehinde has since carved a niche for himself. I don’t know of anyone who is a member of the high society who has not appeared in the City People. Its breezy interviews and racy stories make it compulsory reading to titillate the mind. Simply put, it is an entertainment magazine. That Kehinde has done this for the past 25 years is a tribute to his resilience and intellectual vigour. It also shows his team’s capacity to adapt and innovate in an era when the print media is facing relentless challenge from the onslaught of citizen journalism. After all, who else could carry more rumours, more salacious stories than those blokes populating cyberspace? Who can rein them in when they decide to assail us with fake news and blatant mendacity?

But Momodu’s Ovation is in a class of its own. It tells the fairytale truth about the rich, the very rich and the fabulously rich. If you are rich, but you have not appeared in Ovation, then you are not rich enough. Momodu has created for our country and the black race something that we can be proud of. His incursion into the secret places of the Nigerian plutocracies is a marvel. In 25 years of chronicling the rich and the famous, Momodu has become like one of them.
Momodu came to Concord few years after my own set left to join our bosses to start the pioneering Newswatch magazine. I met him briefly at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, where I had gone to report a story for Newswatch. He later joined the team of Mike Awoyinfa in the trailblazing Weekend Concord. He became one of the young people in the circle of Chief Abiola and when the June 12 debacle happened on Nigeria, Momodu was on the firing line. He escaped with the cloth on his back, surfaced in London and tried to take advantage of adversity. That was when he was inspired to start Ovation.
It is 25 years since then and he has been everywhere. He is today one of the best known Nigerian in the world, as much a celebrity as the musicians and sportsmen who court him. His resilience and staying power show the possibility of Nigeria and its vast resources and limitless opportunities. Momodu is a living inspiration to younger Nigerians.
It is indeed good that these three media houses have found time to celebrate. Media houses are often shy to pause and celebrate themselves even when there are many reasons to celebrate. It is also necessary to record institutional memories because the media is not just the chronicler of history. The media is also part of the history it chronicles. Media houses blow the trumpets for others. It is not wrong for us to enjoy some blaring of the trumpets too. Chinua Achebe said the lizard that falls from the iroko tree without breaking any limbs, can at least salute itself, if no one would do so.

– Babarinsa, a respected journalist, writes for The Guardian Newspapers

Yusuf, Odinkalu differ on origin of banditry in the North

FORMER Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Usman Yusuf and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chidi Odinkalu, on Thursday, disagreed on the origin of banditry in Nigeria.

Yusuf was a keynote speaker at The ICIR live discussion series titled ‘Nigeria’s Insecurity: Addressing the Challenges of Banditry and Kidnapping,’ while Odinkalu was among the panellists.

Other discussants who joined them at the virtual meeting were former senator representing Kaduna Central Shehu Sani; Editor-in-Chief of the Guardian newspapers Martins Oloja, and Executive Director of The ICIR Dayo Ayetan.

Yusuf, a haematology-oncology and bone marrow transplantation professor, said banditry in Nigeria started in Kogi State, where kidnappers from Edo State hired herders from the North to keep their victims and shared part of their ransoms with the herders.

Upon realising how lucrative the business was, the herders returned home to begin kidnapping, he said.

“We know the injustices that have been done to the Fulanis over generations before we were born. They are one people that do not own land in this country. Their cows are rustled; there are a lot of injustices, usually by the local authorities, local judges and local police officers. They would sell their cattle. All these injustices are catching up with us.

Bandits.

“A bandit told me that all kidnapping in Nigeria started around 1999 to 2000 in Kogi State. What happened was that many of these young herders were told by their parents to take their cattle down South for pasture. They spent months and came back up North during the rainy season. He told me there is a forest around Kogi where kidnappers from Edo would bring in their abductees into the forest for these Fulani young men to hold for them.

“Once they get the ransom money, they come and give it to them and they took the abductees back. So, they realised there was money to be made from this criminality; and they started doing that. They started getting involved in drug; they started getting involved in alcohol,” he narrated.

However,  Odinkalu disagreed with him and said there had been a proliferation of arms in the North before the 1987 Kafanchan crisis.

Odinkalu, a Professor of Law, said the proliferation of arms in the North escalated the crisis in 1987. (icirnigeria)

Fulanis do not have monopoly of grievances – Odinkalu, Sani

…Oloja warns Nigerians to be wary of crisis entrepreneurs

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chidi Odinkalu and former Senator representing Kaduna Central Shehu Sani have said that nobody in the country, including Fulanis, have monopoly of grievances. 

Speaking at a webinar organised by The ICIR on Thursday themed, ‘Nigeria’s Insecurity: Addressing the Challenges of Banditry and Kidnapping,’ the civil society leaders said there was no justification for carrying arms against the state and its people.

“Nobody has monopoly of grievances. Several other Nigerians could possibly argue that Fulanis have dominated the country. This is an uncomfortable conversation, but I do think Nigerians must have the conversation about grievance and domination and hegemony,” Odinkalu said.

“If everyone who has a grievance resorts to shooting, there is not just going to be enough people to be destroyed in the country,” he stated.

He noted that there were between 379 to 383 ethnic groups in the country, with everyone having its sense of grievances. “The Fulanis have no monopoly of grievance or capacity to shoot their ways into grievance or out of it. I think that needs to be made very clear,” he stated.

He, however, called for dialogue for all aggrieved groups in the country, rather than just Fulanis.

In his contribution, Sani said insecurity in the nation had economic and political undertones.

He said the Fulani banditry should be condemned and no one should, in any way, support such actions.

“We all have grievances, but it is not an excuse for anyone to pick up arms, kidnap people and extort ransom from individuals, particularly poor people,” Sani said.

He called on governors in northern part of the country to come together and see the challenge as a serious problem threatening whatever efforts they made to develop the region.

Sani also called for harmonious approach to addressing banditry in the country. “A situation where you have some governors believing that this is a channel that can be explored to bring an end to this violence and some thinking that it’s not something they should associate with, then, you can’t have solution to the problem. If you solve the problem in Zamfara and Niger and the problem is not solved in Kaduna and Sokoto states, the problem will never be solved at all,” he said, referring to Governor Nasir El-Rufai and others who have vowed never to dialogue with criminals.

Mr Martins Oloja, Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian
Source: Tbiafrica.com

Meanwhile, Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Martins Oloja said there was a need to deepen understanding of intervention by Sheik Gumi, a prominent Islamic scholar and retired soldier who had been consulting with the bandits.

According to him, some authors had alerted the public of ‘crisis entrepreneurs’ who were beneficiaries of insecurity in the nation.

“It appears that banditry has become a big business. So, how do we deal with crisis entrepreneurs? How do we deal with the Federal Government of Nigeria within the context of injustice, within the context of dominance?

“We have at this moment a Fulani man in office and in power. Why is it that Sheik Gumi, Senator Shehu Sani and some others are able to get all these bandits to a point of dialogue? Why is it that the military authorities and indeed the Federal Government have not been enthusiastic about using dialogue to end this banditry, to even reduce banditry? Why the reluctance of the authorities?”

He also condemned increased budgeting for insecurity when the nation had been earning lower revenues, and called for probe into crisis commercialisation in the nation.

Oloja also hinted that the Hausa people in the North had been conquered by the Fulanis and they could no longer talk.

“What of injustice to the Hausa people in the North? We need to deepen our understanding. Of all the emirates in the North, how many of them are of Hausa origin? We are beginning to read that history, how the Fulani people also conquered the Hausas in the past, took their cultures, language and gave them religion. We are beginning to see that now. The Hausa people  are silent and nobody is talking about them.” (icirnigeria)

ADAEZE DESTINY IKPEAMA: TO AN ATHLETHE DYING YOUNG…

By Rahila Dauda

In his famous poem “To an Athlete Dying Young,”  A.E. Housman reflects upon a young athlete brought home to be buried, musing that he was lucky to die at the peak of his glory since he will now never experience the fading of that glory. The poem reiterates the general themes of the collection: death is a release from the torment of existence, youth and life are brief, and human beings can count on neither earthly happiness nor immortality.
Indeed the above can be said of young lawyer Adaeze Destiny Ikpeama whose life ambitions, goals and visions were cut short at am early age. The Madonna trained lawyer was just like every other young Nigerians beaming with hopes and aspirations, alas she couldn’t live to fulfill those goals, it was revealed that her husband whom she married in 2014 beat her up at their  home in Lagos,  she was later rushed to the hospital upon a cardiac arrest, the husband still went agead and unplugged the oxygen machine supporting her. This is indeed an act of wickedness and man’s inhumanity to man.
Adaeze left behind two children and infact was 6 months pregnant before she died.

Several groups have condemned the wicked act and have  swung into action to ensure that justice is served and the soul of Adaeze will indeed rest in peace.
In the words of the General Secretary of the NBA Joyce Oduah,

“It is heartwrenching that in this time and era domestic violence continues to plague our society. The alleged murder of our very own Adaeze Ikpeama by someone who she had during the course of their short and ill-fated union considered a partner and a protector leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

To cut another’s life short in such a repellently  frightful manner is terribly inhumane and
as an ardent advocate against domestic violence, I condemn vehemently the physical, emotional, sexual, psychological and verbal abuse carried out against any individual.

I am using this medium to urge and encourage our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters going through any form of violence to speak up and take the necessary steps to ensure their safety, as that is the topmost priority.

It is salient for us women to understand that abuse doesn’t just affect us adversely but equally affects persons around us, especially our children. Children exposed to violence in the home, most times, turn out to be victims of physical abuse themselves.
—  They are at risk of experiencing long-term physical and mental health problems.

  • – They are at risk of being violent

The circumstances surrounding Adaeze Ikpeama’s untimely death wouldn’t be treated as “business as usual” as the perpatrator would certainly be brought to book.
Justice shall prevail.”

The Nigerian Bar Association Women Forum(NBAWF) has also issued a statement to that affect..
According to Ms Folashade Alli, chairperson of the Advocacy Committe of the NBAWF

“The NBAWF reads with shock and consternation, the news of the death of a female lawyer, Adaeze Ikpeama, Esq allegedly murdered by her husband on the 12th April 2021. We are distressed to learn that the abuse by her husband is alleged to have gone on over the years. It is painful to know that our late colleague, an advocate, who holds the brief of others had her life ended in such gruesome circumstances.

To this end, we demand from the relevant security agencies that the circumstances leading to the death of our dear colleague be thoroughly investigated and the culprit prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

We have also noted a rise in the cases of Domestic Violence in our society at large. We therefore use this medium to call on our female lawyers to speak up and out on domestic violence issues using the platform of the NBAWF, so that such issues can be handled proactively.

NBAWF have  put in place mechanisms and platforms to help female lawyers protect themselves in such a situation.

We will work with the relevant security agencies, family members and friends of our late colleague to ensure that our colleague gets justice.
Indeed, Justice shall prevail.”

FIDA Nigeria Lagos Branch  is also keenly on the matter as they have ensured that the alleged perpetrator does not escape…
The chairperson of FIDA Nigeria Lagos branch stated this earlier
“I was informed of this case on Sunday, we were able to submit a petition to the AIG zone 2, who in his wisdom directed a DCP in Panti to take over the case and report to him all details.

We got to the DCP at Panti and have been given a team that is currently taking statement and also, they have sent signal to move the suspect to Panti from Ajah Police Station.

The police here have sent signal to retrieve the corpse for medical autopsy and also are willing to move and secure the CCTV and other evidence from the hospital and the home.

The suspect is in detention at Panti and not on Bail as some persons are saying.

The team working on this matter is capable and promises all Nigerians that we are working for justice for all, Justice for Nigeria, Justice for our dear Destiny and Justice for the husband”
Indeed just must prevail
Adieu Adaeze Destiny Ikpeama…

Generational tension and children up in arms, By Azu Ishiekwene

I was visiting a senior over the weekend when our conversation devolved into the soul of the Nigerian banter: how is the country going, I asked?

He paused. After a moment of reflection, he took a deep breath and said, “There is tension.”

I thought that was obvious and required no special gift to see. The tension sucks. There is tension between those in government and those who are not. Even among those in government, there is tension between the cabal and the fringe players. Tension between those who think policies ought not to be governed by fear and those who think government by fear modelling is the only way. 

Tension between those in one section of the country who feel hard done by and excluded, and those who think the other section is crying wolf where there is none. 

Tension between those in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And even within the parties there is tension between the natives and the migrants, between those who hold the purse strings and those making noise and spending the money. 

There is tension between farmers and herdsmen; tension between communities where fault-lines have surfaced and those where deep-seated resentments have washed up. 

There is even tension between fintech companies and banks; between service providers and users; and between employers and labour unions. Tensions motivated by religion, weaponisation of political appointments, and so on.

Tension is the mother of motion. So, what’s the problem?

He repeated that there is “serious tension” in the country and, this time, his words carried a strangeness and urgency that caught my attention. 

The senior explained that the tension he was referring to, was not in any of the categories I had in mind. It had little or nothing to do with ethnicity, partisan politics or position in government. It was a more insidious, more dangerous and potentially malignant kind of tension, one which had not only come to define our existence in recent times, but which threatens to consume us.

It’s potentially destructive tension.

I was all ears. And then he continued. In Nigeria today, there are broadly two classes – those between the ages of 25 – 45 (the #ENSARS generation); and those above, say between 50 and 65, the new population on the threshold of the geriatric ladder.

Back in the day, he said, by the time our fathers reached the age of 45 or 50, they would already be looking old and grey. There were a few exceptions, of course. The point was that the vast majority of 45-and-above lived relatively short, perilous and laborious lives, with very little of the benefits of modern medicine, science and technology that we currently enjoy.

By the time they reached middle age, the senior said, our fathers looked really advanced in age; some, in fact, like the great-grandfathers of today. A good number of them coveted the security of the civil service or other pension-paying jobs. They retired quite early and were happy to enjoy their retirement drawing on their pension, which never failed.

If there was tension at that time, the senior said, it was a different kind of tension, comprising mostly ribaldry over politicians and their shenanigans, community disputes and whether or not their children would have a better future. Life was, well, good.

He paused. And with a countenance that seemed overcome by a sudden flush of misery, he continued. Today, when you ask, “How is the country?”, the answer is different. It’s different because the tensions have changed quite dramatically. Those between the ages of 25 and 45 are pitched in a deadly oedipal war against those between the ages of say, 50 to 65. 

This, he said, was what he meant. Today’s young people, those in that first age bracket – derisively called the #ENDSARers – are a different breed. Millions of them have the best education abroad, while those who went to school at home are making the most of technology to improve themselves and their place in society.

They are wiser, more adventurous, more independent and determined. They are increasingly impatient with excuses for why Nigeria is being so badly and catastrophically run. For them, for example, the country’s predicament and the incompetence of the old guard are summarised by Jack Dorsey’s decision to set up Twitter’s Africa headquarters in Ghana instead of Nigeria whose 25million Twitterratti nearly equals Ghana’s population.

Their confidence in the system is so broken, so badly damaged that for days during the #ENSARS protest, for example, they refused to appoint leaders, because for them, “leader” has become a byword for corruption, incompetence and retrogression.

The young, today’s young, want a place at the table and they want it now. Some think it’s driven more by entitlement rather than by preparation or performance. Or perhaps by that feeling in every generation that its burden is the heaviest. Whatever it is, the senior said, #ENDSARS 2.0 is only a matter of time.

On the other side of the barricade are those who are between the ages of 50 and 65 mostly living longer, healthier lives. That should be good news for the younger generation that their parents are living healthier, longer lives, but it’s not. 

Ask rhythm and blues icon, Brian McKnight, who made a video about one year ago entitled, “Ungrateful children”, in which he accused one of his children of saying, “Dad is better dead.” But dad isn’t going yet. Science, medicine and technology have led to longevity. As lives have lengthened, however, so have complications and uncertainty arising from money issues and the economics of longevity. 

And this, the senior said, is at the crux of the tension. While the younger generation cannot wait to take the helm in politics, business and government, the older generation increasingly more responsible for looking after themselves in middle and old age, and without the certainty of job security or pensions, is clinging to power.

Older people are particularly impacted by the tension in countries such as ours with virtually no social safety net and runaway inflation. They are forced to stand their ground and fight with hair dye and foundation-reinforcing facial make-up to keep the young from encroaching. 

For those in government used to extravagant comfort, it’s another matter altogether. They dig in through means fair and foul to keep their place at the table because they believe they still have gas in their tank and are young at heart.

The senior told me that at 60, he could still do all the things he used to do at 45 – and that includes all things good and not-so-good. He said he could think like a 45-year-old and though he’s an outlier in the Executive Management, with people mostly in their late 30s and early 40s in the majority, when the chips were down, they could hardly out-think him.

This is where the tension lies: the young consider themselves prepared to take over, and can no longer wait to do so.  But the older generation, faced with the vagaries of the sunset years, especially the ravages of inflation, higher health maintenance costs, and mounting family pressures, is still not prepared to yield, whatever they might say about the youth being tomorrow’s leaders.

The senior insisted that at the heart of the multi-faceted tensions that I may prioritise, this particular type – tension between the young and the middle-age/old – cuts across: it cuts across ethnic and regional boundaries, across party lines, communities and families. Youths across all regions of the country, he said, want basically the same things – opportunities to express themselves, platforms to unleash their creative energies, and space to innovate and build. 

But they are not getting any of that. Instead, what they are getting are failed promises and long lines of warmed-over politicians or their godchildren, all determined to recycle themselves. 

That lack or denial of opportunity is what is manifesting as protests, massive migration and, in its regrettable and extreme form, separatism or insurgency. That is “The Tension.”

In typical Nigerian manner, we agonised over the matter, knocked it back and forth, and moved on, hoping – and perhaps praying – that the problem will go away. I don’t know. Perhaps sociologists and psychologists would examine the conundrum of generational tension and the impact of oedipal wars on social progress?

•Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP

TWITTER SNUB: LAI MOHAMMED GOES AGAINST NIGERIANS IN A GAME OF MOCKERY AND BLAME

On Monday, 12 April 2021, the co-founder of Twitter, Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter is now present on the African continent, and will be laying its head in Ghana.

Why Ghana?

Twitter had indicated that its attraction for Ghana was due to the country’s democratic virtues and respect for freedom of speech and online freedom. These are significant factors that define the hallmark of any decent society. Twitter’s Kayvon Beykpour and Uche Adegbite explained:

As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate. Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.

The Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, was full of excitement. In acknowledging the news as an excellent one, he flaunted what he perceived as confidence being reposed in Ghana by Twitter. He noted that Twitter’s presence in Ghana will help in developing the country’s technology sector. He was right, absolutely. 

Why not Nigeria?

Thus, the news of Twitter’s presence in Ghana was well received in Ghana but not in Nigeria. Expectedly so. According to available information, Nigeria records over 25 million Twitter users, as against about 8 million users in Ghana. Nigeria has everything it takes to be more favoured in the eyes of Twitter when considering where to site its headquarters in Africa. But Twitter snubbed the big African nation. The Company preferred Nigeria’s neighbour, Ghana. 

In search for answers, one may be tempted to look closely on the reasons cited by Twitter for choosing Ghana: “As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet.” Perhaps, one might be tempted to think that Twitter was indirectly saying that Nigeria lacks the identified virtues. 

Many Nigerians blamed the Nigerian Government and her leaders for losing out. But Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has reacted in a similar fashion on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria. He blames Nigerians for Twitter snub. According to him, Nigerians are the ones demarketing Nigerians to the world. An act he believes to be unpatriotic. He cited the #EndSARS protest as one of the reasons. 

The Minister lamented, while identifying the real impact of Nigeria’s snub by Twitter thus:

You can imagine the kind of job opportunities that siting that headquarters in Nigeria would have created, the kind of visibility it would have given Nigeria but we destroyed it. It is what the insiders say about their country that the outsider will use to judge and condemn the country. 

Interestingly, Lai Mohammed appears to be mocking Nigerians like a parent would do to a child who failed in life because the child refused to imbibe and assimilate proper home-training. It remains a fact, not too exciting, that many Nigerians who feel frustrated and oppressed do not seem to care in crying out to the world in the face of the injustices and bad governance. But the Minister appears to see nothing wrong in the fact that the Nigerian Government herself does not appear to have particularly led the way for the promotion of democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights, in line with Section 14(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which provides that “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice.”

Twitter’s decision not a commercial decision?

Lai Mohammed also argued that, looking at the figures (Nigeria’s 25.4 million Twitter users as against Ghana’s 8 million users), Twitter’s decision to lay its bed in Ghana and lie with the nation, was not a commercial and business decision. However, this argument appears unattractive considering the fact that the Tech Giants are not oblivious of the population figures. Twitter is aware that to take advantage of the Nigerian market, it does not necessarily need to site its headquarters in Nigeria. Being in the African continent and quite close to Nigeria is sufficient. The Company has highlighted its blueprint for doing business in Africa. It has also demonstrated that it cherishes some other valuable virtues, aside monetary considerations, which it desires to enjoy in a place it wishes to settle. Besides, Twitter in Ghana doesn’t mean Twitter for Ghana alone. It also means Twitter for the African region as a whole. Twitter confirmed this when it stated:

As part of our long-term commitment to the region, we’ll continue to explore compelling ways we can use the positive power of Twitter to strengthen our communities through employee engagement, platform activation, and corporate giving.

In the aftermath of the news of Twitter presence in Africa through Ghana, the lessons talked about by Lai Mohammed are actually for everyone – Nigerians and the Nigerian leaders. The leaders must lead the way by laying good examples. This is what true leadership means. The leaders must define patriotism by the decisions they make, and those being led would naturally fall into line.  (Stephenlegal)

Featured Image Credit: Punch.

Judiciary’s Financial Autonomy: JUSUN Is Right!

By Muiz Banire, SAN

In the recent past and up till about a week ago, I have been intervening in matters relating to the financial autonomy of the judiciary. Thus, I am an unrepentant supporter and advocate of financial autonomy for the judiciary for several reasons that I shall highlight in the course of this discussion. However, before embarking on that voyage, let me, for the umpteenth time, commend the executive and members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) for their resoluteness on this issue.

The union, at various times, has interrogated the issue via multiple legitimate means to actualize the import of the law. In one of such interventions, the union had approached the court of law and had emerged successful from it. This is in addition to the judicial intervention at the instance of the great Learned Silk, Olisa Agbakoba, that was equally successful.

To date, there are three pronouncements of courts. There was the decision in Olisa Agbakoba v. A.G., Ekiti State; Olisa Agbakogba v. Federal Government of Nigeria, the National Judicial Council and the National Assembly; and the last one, Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria v. National Judicial Council and Governors of 36 States. Thus, beyond the strikes and various other advocacies done by the union, JUSUN is still armed with the judgments of court mandating the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary. In a sane clime, by the very pronouncement of the court, the issue would have been resolved.

The governors were party to the suit and ought to comply as they are bound by the judgment. But for the immunity clause in the Constitution shielding governors, they ought to have been held in contempt of those decisions. However, since the governors swore to uphold the provisions of the Constitution of the country, Sections 81(2), 84 (1), (2), (3), (4) and (7) being part of the Constitution, the violation of such as pronounced by the court ought to trigger impeachment of the respective governors. Regrettably, this can only happen in a decent society with an independent legislature.

Little wonder there is silence on the part of the legislators. By the constitutional provision, the judiciary’s budget ought to be submitted directly to the legislature and not through the present practice of going through the executive, which hands over any figure it deems fit to the judiciary.

Again, the sum due and payable ought to remitted directly to the National Judicial Council from the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The attempt to distinguish recurrent and capital expenditure in the construction of the provision is untenable as, most times, most expenses in the judiciary can be classified under recurrent. Before delving deeper into the subject, let me quickly correct an erroneous impression of some people about the ongoing strike.

The JUSUN strike is one of the few exceptions to general strikes in which the beneficiaries are the agitators. The financial autonomy the union is demanding does not automatically confer on the members any pecuniary gain. The sum of the struggle lies in the improvement of the administration of justice in the country. As at date, there is no pretending about the fact the infrastructure of courts is comatose. Most courtrooms are inhabitable, with some in the shape of a storage facility. It is a show of shame to exhibit what passes today as courtrooms as a place for the dispensation of justice.

Most staff are not well trained as a result of paucity of funds for capacity development of the staff. The stationery essential for the running of the courts is lacking. Notwithstanding that litigants pay for the filing of cases and equally pay for the service of originating processes by the bailiffs of the court, litigants still end up paying again for files and service of processes to activate the cases filed. Judges still largely write in long hands, as modern technological devises are lacking.

Most times, courts are unable to transact businesses due to lack of power, and, in cases of alternate sources, lack of diesel to power the generating sets obtains. Several times, chairs in the nature of benches have collapsed during court sessions while lawyers and litigants are sitting. Most courtrooms are badly lit. What about the logistics for judges? Constitutionally, judges are expected to deliver judgments within three months of concluding trials in the face of the daunting challenge of lack of electricity supply to their various homes.

I am not unaware that in some states generating sets are provided but to last if possible till eternity. Little or no diesel supply is made. What am I even saying? What about power supply in the court? I have attended a trial before a judge who, out of his passion and commitment to the dispensation of justice, had to procure from his meagre renumeration a 5kva generating set and buy fuel to conduct cases. This was for a period of almost nine months without power supply to the court as a result of theft of external cable supplying electricity to the complex. The judge in question, at the risk of embarrassing him, is the Honourable Justice Okorowo of the Federal High Court. I only pray that, in the nearest future, such judges are appropriately rewarded. In another scenario witnessed by several senior lawyers during the hearing of election petition cases in the Federal Capital Territory High Court Complex in Apo, I had to draw the attention of the then Chief Judge to the state of sanitation in the court infrastructure, no water supply, much less any functional toilet system. In fact, lawyers and litigants were compelled to approach the nearby bushes to answer the call of nature.

For how long are we going to wait on the executive without appropriate financial autonomy for the judiciary to address these? Is it the health of the judges we want to talk about? I have witnessed instances of judges being denied financial support for treatment simply because such judges are considered anti-government in their judgments, little wonder these days litigants believe they cannot win cases against the government in state courts. This is an erosion of the confidence that ought to be reposed in the judiciary. Have you seen judges’ vehicles break down on the road? While other government officials cart away huge sums under vehicle allowances and still purchase and make use of high-grade vehicles tagged utility vehicles, judges’ vehicles, at times, have to be used for more than 10 years as against the four-year rule of serviceability. Provision of security for judges and the courtrooms is another thing entirely. Cases of invasion of courtrooms abound, even while the court is sitting, much less when the court is not in operation.

Recall several courtrooms burnt during the #EndSARS protest. I have gone this length to enlighten the public about components of the struggle so as not confuse it with other union or industrial actions that largely border on conditions of service and welfare. The totality of the picture depicted above is that the issues being canvassed by the union affect all of us as Nigerians. Thus, the whole lot of Nigerians need to rise up and terminate this oppression once and for all. I say enough is enough!

Let me register my appreciation for the President in his attempt to hitherto solve this imbroglio by signing the Executive Order 10. Although, legally, this is unhelpful as it cannot actualize the objectives of the struggle but, morally, it is encouraging. Let us recall that in terms of constitutional provision and case law, the field has been covered and the Executive Order is even a surplusage. What is required is breathing life into the law by compelling the actors, the governors to act responsibly in this regard. The counter-argument often placed by the governors is that the stream of revenue is not static.

One quite understands this contention but will submit that this can be addressed via percentage remittance. There should be agreed percentage of amount to be remitted to the respective arms from whatever amount that comes in by way of revenue.

For example, while the legislature could attract 15 per cent, the judiciary can have 25 per cent and the executive 60 per cent. I believe this will be fair enough and eliminate the misgiving as to the practicality of autonomy. As to the argument that judges are not meant to be dealing with execution of projects, I agree but opine that this is curable through the appointment of court administrators charged with such responsibilities. The earlier, the better the country appreciates the fact that the judiciary is not a parastatal of the executive nor a ministry or even a unit under the Ministry of Justice. It is in no way subservient to the two other arms that enjoy financial autonomy.

There is no better way of appreciating the role of the judiciary than quoting in extenso the pronouncements of His Lordship in A.G., Abia State v. A.G., Federation and Others thus: “It is also important to bear in mind that the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court in particular, is an essential arm in the governance of the nation. It is the guardian of the Constitution, charged with the sacred responsibility of dispensing justice for the purposes of safeguarding and protecting the Constitution and its goals. The judiciary, when properly invoked, has a fundamental role to play in the structure of governance by checking the activities of the other organs of government and thereby promoting good governance, respect for individual rights and fundamental liberties and also ensuring the achievement of the goals of the Constitution and not allow the defeat of such good goals and intendment. It is the duty of the court to keep the government faithful to the goals of democracy, good governance, for the benefit of the citizens as demanded by the Constitution.”

Per Mustapha JSC. Similarly, Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (Rtd.) in PDP v. Sylva had this to say: “This court and indeed all courts in Nigeria have a duty, to ensure that citizens of Nigeria, high and low get the justice which their case deserves. The powers of the court are derived from the Constitution not at the sufferance or generosity of any other arm of government of Nigeria. The Judiciary, like all citizens of this country, cannot be passive onlooker when any person attempts to subvert the administration of justice and will not hesitate to use the powers available to it to do justice in cases before it”. A situation where the Judiciary goes cap in hand to the Executive is unhealthy for the administration of justice. The situation of he who pays the piper, dictates the tune must not be allowed to continue.

Without financial autonomy, there cannot be judicial independence. In the light of the above profound statements, it is incumbent on all and sundry, particularly the Nigerian Bar Association and all lawyers, to support the struggle of the JUSUN.

Need For Review Of Justice System: Tribute To Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (Rtd)

By Afe Babalola, SAN

RECENTLY I had the privilege to Chair the virtual launch of a book published in honour ofHon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (Rtd.), CFR. I used the opportunity to address some issues which, in my view, affect the justice system in Nigeria and which require urgent review to bring upon an improvement in the justice delivery sector. Owing to the importance of the judicial arm of government, particularly in the light of the current shut down of Courts nationwide as a result of the strike embarked upon by Judiciary workers, I reproduce below, the text of my address at the event.

Chairman’s opening remarks
1. It gives me profound pleasure to welcome everyone to this Virtual Book Launch in honour of Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (Rtd.), CFR.

2. Please permit me to recognise the presence of distinguished jurists of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and the various High Courts, as well as the highly esteemed Senior Advocates of Nigeria and members of the Outer Bar.

3. I also wish to specially recognise Mrs. Doyin Rhodes Vivour (SAN), his wife, the presence of other family members, friends, and well-wishers who have gathered here today to celebrate and to honour one of Nigeria’s finest jurists – Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (Rtd.), CFR.

4. I know Hon. Justice Rhodes Vivour (Rtd). I have seen him at work, I have interacted with him in the court. He is a genial, decent, and disciplined person. He is a Judge with unquestionable integrity, character, industry and dignity.

5. A professional to the core, the legal colossus is a fervent believer in the rule of law. The professional ways he conducts himself both at the Bar, on the Bench and outside the Bar and the Bench will ever remain fresh in our memory for ever.

6. Today, as we proceed to launch three books in honour of Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-VivourJsc (Rtd), CFR, I have a personal question to ask him. The question is simple. My respected Jurist, are you fulfilled as you bow out from the Supreme Court at 70 years.

7. I know you will answer: “I am fulfilled”. But if we ask lawyers to answer the question, the answer will be “no, he is not fulfilled”. The next question is:Why is he not fulfilled? Because we believe that Justice Rhodes-Vivour (rtd) is a very strong and able young man, he doesn’t look 70,we believe that he should remain on the bench until he becomes Chief Justice of Nigeria.

8. Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour spent 11 years as a High Court Judge, 5 years as a Court of Appeal Judge and 11 years as a Supreme Court Justice. He should be commended because throughout his 27 years on the Bench, he served without any blemish. More importantly and remarkably too, he was never absent from work for a single day either due to illness or any other reason. While on the Bench, he was known for his fairness, impartiality and compassion. He wrote many lead judgements but on this occasion, I wish to refer to two landmark cases. (1) Ukeje vs. Ukeje (2014) 11 NWLR Pt. 1418, 384 at 408 where he declared that the Igbo Customary Law which disentitles a female child from partaking in the sharing of the deceased father’s estate as illegal, discriminatory and in breach of fundamental human rights. And also the case of JES Investment Ltd v. BrawalLere Ltd &Ors (2010) 18 NWLR (Pt. 1225) 495 at 544 on the need to reform limitation laws in Nigeria and for judges to be conferred with discretion to extend limitation periods for some actions.

Review of our justice system
9. I want to seize this opportunity to appeal to the authorities that we should review our justice system particularly the age of retirement of Supreme Court Judges. Experience has shown that a person becomes wiser and more experienced as he advances in age. Under our judicial system today, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC (Rtd) is retiring at the young age of 70 when he has not shown any sign of physical weakness and when Nigeria would have benefitted more from his wealth of wisdom, insight and experience. A brief look at other countries shows that appointment to the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. There is no age limit for a justice of the Supreme Court to retire. Often time, they stay as long as they probably can. In fact, many die while in office. But those who opt for retirement, the average age is 78.7years. The average retirement age has grown a whooping 103 years.

Practice after retirement: Need to reform
10. I have always advocated that retiring judges should be allowed to practise law. There is urgent need for reform of our judicial system. Even, if Judges are not allowed to return to full practice, there should be a measure of participation in law practice that will ensure their relevance in the nation’s development of law. I suggest that Nigeria should adopt the quasi-restrictive style in the operation in the US whereby a sitting judge may recuse himself in the case of conflict of interest or allow retiring judges to prepare and draft pleadings, motions and appellate briefs.

Appointment of judges
11. The position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is so important that it should not be based on promotion but strictly on merit. I know from experience that the best judges are those who have been in active litigation, who have interacted with clients, who have drafted claims and pleadings and who have addressed legal issues at different level of the courts. This is why in other climes, judges are chosen from seasoned legal practitiioners. I recall the case of the late Hon. Justice Teslim Olawale Elias (SAN). He was appointed as CJN and President, International Court of Justice. He was Attorney General of the Federation when he was a Professor at the University of Lagos and was invited to the Supreme Court where he eventually became the CJN.

12. I have always been an advocate of a new constitution to correct the ills inherent in the 1999 Constitution bequeathed to Nigerians by the Military and christened a people’s constitution. My crusade for restructuring and a new constitution started as far back as November 4, 2001, when the descendants of His Majesty, King Abbi Amachree IV, the Amanyanbo of Kalabari gathered together in Port-Harcourt to celebrate the first Memorial Lecture. The Board of Trustees including the talented Prof. Tam David-West brought together a large crowd including the Deputy Governor and the Vice President. I was honoured to deliver the first Memorial Lectured titled “Nigeria in Search of a Nation”.

13. Since then, I have been an advocate of a true federal structure. In my articles in the Vanguard and Tribune Newspapers on Wednesday and Thursdays respectively, I have written copiously on the restructuring of the country. As a member of Constitutional Conferences, I have also argued in favour of true federal structure.

14. After all, when the Military took over the reign of government on January 5, 1966, it did not abolish the then existing constitution, it merely suspended it. But curiously when the Military wanted to hand over power to a democratically elected government, it foisted on Nigerians the 1999 Constitution instead of going back to the suspended Constitution.

15. We truly need restructuring in this country today and that will assist us in many diverse ways. It will enable us to have a truly federal constitution as a result of which there would be a change in the mode of election and the type of people we would elect to govern us. It will ensure that we have part-time legislation, reduce the huge salaries currently being earned by our legislators in favour of sitting allowances. It will reduce cost of governance. It will ensure we run our elections at cheaper rates while women representation in governance will be higher.

16. Our constitution is the greatest problem of Nigeria, a country of nations, today. The operation of the constiittion is expensive with its attendant over-concentration of power at the centre, thereby rendering the States and Local-Gnvernments totally impotent unlike what obtained under the Parliamentary Constitutions of 1960 and 1963.

17. I say with emphasis that the only change that can change the country for the better and pave way for the enhancement of one Nigeria is the change in the structure of Nigeria. It is that change that will make politics less attractive, make each state to develop at its own pace and do away with all shades and shapes of criminality. It is restructuring that would enable the component parts of the country to develop their resources, provide employment, eradicate poverty and make individuals to become true Nigerians.

18. It is restructuring that would enable each state to curb insecurity, unemployment, poverty, defective justice system and do away with failed leaders.

Conclusion

19. Hon. Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour is a firm believer in the full tradition and nobility of the legal profession. His unwavering legacy of discipline, courtesy, decency, eloquence and respect have endeared him to many at the Bar, the Bench and the public at large.

This book launch creates a welcome opportunity to appreciate the amiable Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC (Rtd) and wife. Writing a book is not like writing a love letter or an article in a newspaper. I have authored seven law books. I know what it takes to write a chapter in a book.

I expect each and everyone to appreciate him by buying many copies at appreciable price.

AARE AFE BABALOLA, CON, OFR, FNIALS, SAN, FCIARB

Ghana Is Eating Nigeria’s Lunch

Bámidélé Adémólá-Olátéjú
April 13, 2021

“Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you Ghana and Nana Akufo-Addo”. Those were the words of the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, in a tweet yesterday. Within two minutes, yes two minutes, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo tweeted: “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. Gov’t and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country”.

Why Ghana? Jack Dorsey gave insightful reasons for their choice of Ghana. The statement reads: “As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate. Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.”

It important to note that Nana Akufo-Addo sealed the deal in a virtual meeting on April 7. It takes foresight, digital literacy and continuous interest in learning to engage in such deals. Can our president understand the nuances of cutting edge technology and its import for jobs and innovation? Can the stone age polymorph, Isa Pantami pull off a deal this juicy? Will Alhaji Lai Mohammed make any sense of the future without recourse to the consequences of free speech?

Nigerian Twitterattis were downcast on seeing Ghana trending, preening, and basking in the euphoria of their win. Their win is our loss. Nigeria is the market, Ghana is the hub. Nigeria has 25 million Twitter users, while Ghana’s combined social media presence is a measly eight million. How did that uppercut feel? Michelin left for Ghana, Dunlop left for Ghana, and many others. Soon Nigeria’s monied elite will start buying up Ghana the same way they financed Dubai, instead of fixing Nigeria. Twitter will, of course, hire many Nigerians and they will have Ghana as their base.

Twitter’s advertisement for several positions requiring deep knowledge of Nigeria’s major languages is already out there. The major benefits will go to Ghana. Businesses follow reason and facts, not emotions or wishful thinking. They exist to make money, not to feed fat cats or go to risky places. Why would smart money choose Nigeria when Ghana gives incentives such as 15-year tax holidays, free land and other policy initiatives, which would help drive their businesses? Why would Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) go to Nigeria with a rank of 131 in the ease of doing business, compared to Ghana’s rank of 118?

In Nigeria:
Insecurity ✔️
Religious strife ✔️
Unfavorable regulatory and legal environment ✔️
Unstable Macroeconomic policies ✔️

Why would any business choose Nigeria, the home of Boko Haram, the second deadliest terror group in the world to Ghana? When Fulani herdsmen wanted to start their murderous rampage in Ghana, it took a single policy directive for them to know Ghana is a no-go area. No good company whose best assets are its employees, would want to spend an unreasonable amount of money on life insurance and armed escorts to protect those in its employ for fear of kidnapping and outright slaughter.

How about the see-saw monetary policies, high inflation and unemployment? Only last week, Governor Godwin Obaseki lamented the printing of sixty billion naira (N60 bn) for sharing by the three tiers of government to finance the budget deficit. Are the consequences of unguarded quantitative easing lost on the government? Are they unconcerned with inflation depreciation and loss in bonds caused by their “ways and means” abracadabra?

Is a place notorious for religious hypocrisy, and ethnic strife the best place for a social media behemoth? How about our an arbitrary, knee-jerk and counterproductive regulatory environment? The whole world paid attention to Nigeria’s treatment of Uber and Gokada. They could be business school case studies on how not to stifle innovation. If Twitter were to consider Nigeria, what our folks would have demanded in bribes would have killed any enthusiasm the company may have had. Nigeria’s reputation precedes it as a prodigious and prodigal consumer, instead of a shrewd and calculating producer. From a political and economic perspective, our commitment to the rule of law is a charade and the world knows it. Same for our understanding of property, intellectual and contractual rights.

Ghana is eating our lunch and we seem incapable of defending our portion. The crises facing Nigeria are extraordinary, requiring the smartest, and most patriotic minds to tackle. We missed the mark long ago and we don’t seem to realise how big a hole we have dug ourselves in. How we respond, going forward, will set the trajectory for coming decades. Nothing can save us except well meaning reforms and restructuring. No one will take a country enmeshed in selective policies like closing southern borders, while the northern ones are open seriously. Most of West African trade pass through the Seme/Odiroko border. Nigeria should reopen all its land borders.

Playing favourites with the foreign exchange rate is not only wicked, it kills competition. Let the naira have a market-driven exchange rate and ease forex restrictions on business. Subsidies for the rich and the middle class must end, to curb luxurious consumption. This can be done by the complete floating of petroleum product prices. Efforts to fix the power sector is commendable but a lot still needs to be done.

Finally, the rent mentality has to be erased from our memory by reforming the tax system. If we pay reasonable taxes, chances are, we will demand accountability and responsibility. We will be able to reject a system of collecting taxes in Lagos to fund projects in Yobe State. Let each State eat, what it kills. It will be painful at the first but the pain can be assuaged by direct cash transfers to the vulnerable and poor. By all indicators, Ghana is leading. Will Nigeria fold its arms?

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