It has now become fashionable for associates of persons suspected of corruption to accuse government of “witch-hunting”. The latest was the booing of the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri by some members of the National Assembly. This is most shameful and should be condemned by all patriotic Nigerians. It will be safe for one to argue that there is really nothing wrong in hunting “witches”- corrupt persons. This is so because corruption has destroyed the foundation of good governance in the country.
There is no doubt about the fact that the widely reported story of the booing of the EFCC boss by some members of the National Assembly is very disturbing. The nation’s legislators should not squander the patience of the Nigerian masses. The masses have not yet recovered from the revelation by the CBN governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido that a whooping 25% of the nation’s total budget was used to service the welfare of members of the National Assembly alone. Indirectly supporting corruption will therefore push the poor suffering masses to tow the path of self help which is too extreme and dangerous for our democracy.
Rather than accusing the anti-graft agency of witch-hunting opponents of government, the legislators should condemn whatever form of corrupt practices by their colleagues and go ahead to make public the names of those being shielded from prosecution. The time has past when associates of persons accused of corruption fueled narrow sentiments or simply hide behind the banner opposition to buy the sympathy of Nigerians. This is a new Nigeria.
Those who live in glass houses are not supposed to throw stones- misappropriate or steal public funds. This is one reality most public office holders have failed to accept. The long arm of the law will always be there to flog them despite any amount of booing.
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corruption. Show all posts
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mourhinho Culture and FIFA Have Destroyed Nigerian Football
There is no gainsaying that Nigerian football has climbed down to its lowest depth in recent times despite a steady increase in financial investments. Apart from a complete absence of developmental programmes by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the issue of corruption has almost become an acceptable norm in football administration in Nigeria. Unfortunately, not much have been done to check graft in the system owing to the blind and illogical support FIFA gives to national associations. Any member of the board of NFF that speaks out against corruption is either suspended or sidelined by the leadership of the Glass House. To make matters worse, a few corrupt officials in the NFF and NSC openly accuse government of “interference” and go ahead to use FIFA to threaten a ban each time issues pertaining to graft are raised. Enough is enough. Is it not with government money that Nigerian football is run? Why should government not be seen as an active stakeholder in Nigerian football? If the NFF does not want stakeholders to ask questions bothering on their finances, it must do well to source for funds from organisations that do not know their rights or appreciate the culture of transparency, accountability, and due process.
As a Nigerian, I had wished and hoped that Nigeria reached an appreciable level at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This could not however be because football is a practical thing that needs a whole lot of planning and systematic implementations of associated actions and programmes.
I have said it over and again that the future of Nigerian football should not be built on foreign based players. We would therefore need to improve our local league and also invest in developmental programmes. No doubt, government cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. The organised private sector must be encouraged by way of incentives to partner with government in upgrading facilities and increase monetised benefits of professional players in the local league. With this, the mad rush to Europe will reduce and enable the coaches to effectively monitor and build our national teams around home based players.
Nigerians should ignore the charge of "inexperience" that is always hanged on the neck of home based players. While it is true that experience is vital in football, it is also true that this is the excuse lazy coaches have often times used to cover up their lapses. Knowing fully well that they have nothing to offer, such coaches would always want to ride on the backs of talented players to win laurels. This is what I refer to as the "Mourhinho culture." With the "Mourhinho culture", a coach does not need to develop talents. He only needs to poach. Unfortunately for Nigeria, there are no enough quality players to poach from both the foreign and local leagues. This is the reason why we have not been able to fair well at the world stage despite the fact some our nationals play first team football in major clubs across Europe.
It is very absurd that Nigeria rely on foreign based players for even cadet competitions. This should not have been the case if the quality of our local league is high. Perhaps I should mention here that most foreign based players are framed to value their respective clubs more than country. This could best explain the lack of commitment shown by most players in our national teams.
Another area of serious concern is the quality and integrity of our local coaches. This has most times led to the selection of low quality players. Apart from upgrading their knowledge on latest coaching methods, our local coaches must move away from sentiments while selecting players for the national teams. Chances to play in the national team should be open.
As a Nigerian, I had wished and hoped that Nigeria reached an appreciable level at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This could not however be because football is a practical thing that needs a whole lot of planning and systematic implementations of associated actions and programmes.
I have said it over and again that the future of Nigerian football should not be built on foreign based players. We would therefore need to improve our local league and also invest in developmental programmes. No doubt, government cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. The organised private sector must be encouraged by way of incentives to partner with government in upgrading facilities and increase monetised benefits of professional players in the local league. With this, the mad rush to Europe will reduce and enable the coaches to effectively monitor and build our national teams around home based players.
Nigerians should ignore the charge of "inexperience" that is always hanged on the neck of home based players. While it is true that experience is vital in football, it is also true that this is the excuse lazy coaches have often times used to cover up their lapses. Knowing fully well that they have nothing to offer, such coaches would always want to ride on the backs of talented players to win laurels. This is what I refer to as the "Mourhinho culture." With the "Mourhinho culture", a coach does not need to develop talents. He only needs to poach. Unfortunately for Nigeria, there are no enough quality players to poach from both the foreign and local leagues. This is the reason why we have not been able to fair well at the world stage despite the fact some our nationals play first team football in major clubs across Europe.
It is very absurd that Nigeria rely on foreign based players for even cadet competitions. This should not have been the case if the quality of our local league is high. Perhaps I should mention here that most foreign based players are framed to value their respective clubs more than country. This could best explain the lack of commitment shown by most players in our national teams.
Another area of serious concern is the quality and integrity of our local coaches. This has most times led to the selection of low quality players. Apart from upgrading their knowledge on latest coaching methods, our local coaches must move away from sentiments while selecting players for the national teams. Chances to play in the national team should be open.
Political Leadership and the Nigerian Masses
There is no gainsaying that the leadership institution in Nigeria has over the decades been bastardised to the extent that citizens have stopped nurturing the patience to appreciate even the genuine efforts of our leaders. As a result of this, all the actions of our political leaders- no matter how genuine or sincere they may be are hurriedly dismissed as callous, deceptive, or fraudulent.
Quite frankly, it is usually difficult to find sufficient good reasons to blame Nigerians for not trusting their political leaders. From whatever angle one wants to look at it, there are mountains of evidence to show that nation’s past military and political leaders did not do enough to win the confidence of the masses and the international community. This should however be a major challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan, as he attempts to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s economic and socio-political development.
One very rare quality of a good leader is the humility to not just listen, but also accede to popular wish. Remarkably, it takes only a sincere and humble leader to do so. Only recently, President Goodluck Jonathan responded to public opinion and withdrew the names of two nominees: Major General Abdullahi Mamman (rtd) and Ambassador Mohammed Anka to the board of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Rather than seeing and counting this as a plus for the president, a section of the media painted Dr. Jonathan as one that has been “forced to bow to public pressure.” But for the kind of person he is- not given to pride, President Goodluck Jonathan could for the sake of pride or ego decide to stick to his guns in subsequent cases. To a very large extent, it is the society that unconsciously makes dictators out of democrats.
A marked difference between Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and many of his contemporaries is that he is hardly moved to flaunt his inner strength even when compelled by natural or human-induced circumstances. That is one strong reason why some persons have rushed to dismiss him as a weakling. Funny enough, these were the same people that complained against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s iron-hand and one-man-army style of leadership. We should realise that the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria has prescribed equal amount of power for every sitting president. How raw, one uses political power clearly differentiates between democrats and mere politicians.
There is another significant lesson to learn from the events that led to the nomination and withdrawal of Mamman and Anka. In every healthy government- especially the presidential democracy; the president is not expected to make him or her self an island. Political leadership is usually a collective effort where the level of success is mostly dependent on the quality of team work. It was perhaps in this direction that both Mamman and Anka were identified and subsequently nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan. The consequent withdrawal of their nomination could as well cause the president not to have confidence in the opinions of his aides and personal staff in future. There is iron-cast evidence that one or more persons in the line of duty failed to carry out proper checks on the nominees. There were begging evidences against the nominees which the president could not have ignored. Similar developments have in the past turned listening presidents into a one-man-team. The late President Yar’Adua is a ready example. Most of his personal staff, aides, and confidants abused their privileged positions so much so that the president decided to do everything important thing by himself. This was the reason for his administration’s slow-motion. This is a huge challenge to all those directly and indirectly associated with political office holders. They must endeavour to always put the interests of the wider society ahead of parochial concerns. This will not only stimulate rapid socio-economic growth; but also help to deepen the roots of democracy and good governance. President Goodluck Jonathan has vital lessons to learn from the above narrative. It is not enough to seek the good of Nigeria. Nothing should make him undermine the old fashioned Nigerian factor. Vigilance is the word. All corrupt, unproductive, snail, and speed-breaker officials in his administration must be identified, removed, and prosecuted if the need arises.
While I agree with the argument that six months is enough to point to the direction of hope, I do not think Nigeria is healthy enough to recover in the next one year if the level of decay is anything to go by. But for the fear of being labelled an apologist, I would have mentioned right from the beginning that Nigerians should be patient with President Jonathan. These are the reasons: Nigeria’s major problem is poor leadership culture. With good leaders in power, every other thing will fall in line. The issue of poverty, corruption, moral bankruptcy, and the shameful collapse of public infrastructure will become a thing of the past if credible persons are in positions of authority. No amount of resources invested in critical sectors of the nation’s economy now will work magic because too many bad people are still in power. It is therefore wise that President Jonathan has chosen to first invest massively in the nation’s electoral system, which will in turn help flush out unpatriotic, corrupt, and inexperienced persons in government. This approach could be related to laying a very solid foundation on which the Nigeria of our collective dream would be built. This is not tangible and can hardly be counted as an achievement. Sound electoral system is the most important gift any president can give to Nigeria.
Nevertheless, the president must put in extra efforts to address the critical issues that affect the lives of every Nigerian. These include electricity, federal roads health care system, and the educational sector. More than that, the war against corruption must be fought with more vigour and dedication. Without all of these, every section of the country will join the Niger Delta militants and the traditional institution in Edo state to resort to self help. No doubt, self help is the product of discontentment. It is also a known fact that discontentment can lead to anarchy. As the 2011 election draws closer, those that benefit from crisis are warming up for opportunities to strike gold. The federal government must be wary and deny them of any such benefits.
It would also be necessary to note here that ethnicity is the major reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same ethnic lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This is responsible for why ethnicity is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, ethnic-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Quite frankly, it is usually difficult to find sufficient good reasons to blame Nigerians for not trusting their political leaders. From whatever angle one wants to look at it, there are mountains of evidence to show that nation’s past military and political leaders did not do enough to win the confidence of the masses and the international community. This should however be a major challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan, as he attempts to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s economic and socio-political development.
One very rare quality of a good leader is the humility to not just listen, but also accede to popular wish. Remarkably, it takes only a sincere and humble leader to do so. Only recently, President Goodluck Jonathan responded to public opinion and withdrew the names of two nominees: Major General Abdullahi Mamman (rtd) and Ambassador Mohammed Anka to the board of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Rather than seeing and counting this as a plus for the president, a section of the media painted Dr. Jonathan as one that has been “forced to bow to public pressure.” But for the kind of person he is- not given to pride, President Goodluck Jonathan could for the sake of pride or ego decide to stick to his guns in subsequent cases. To a very large extent, it is the society that unconsciously makes dictators out of democrats.
A marked difference between Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and many of his contemporaries is that he is hardly moved to flaunt his inner strength even when compelled by natural or human-induced circumstances. That is one strong reason why some persons have rushed to dismiss him as a weakling. Funny enough, these were the same people that complained against Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s iron-hand and one-man-army style of leadership. We should realise that the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria has prescribed equal amount of power for every sitting president. How raw, one uses political power clearly differentiates between democrats and mere politicians.
There is another significant lesson to learn from the events that led to the nomination and withdrawal of Mamman and Anka. In every healthy government- especially the presidential democracy; the president is not expected to make him or her self an island. Political leadership is usually a collective effort where the level of success is mostly dependent on the quality of team work. It was perhaps in this direction that both Mamman and Anka were identified and subsequently nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan. The consequent withdrawal of their nomination could as well cause the president not to have confidence in the opinions of his aides and personal staff in future. There is iron-cast evidence that one or more persons in the line of duty failed to carry out proper checks on the nominees. There were begging evidences against the nominees which the president could not have ignored. Similar developments have in the past turned listening presidents into a one-man-team. The late President Yar’Adua is a ready example. Most of his personal staff, aides, and confidants abused their privileged positions so much so that the president decided to do everything important thing by himself. This was the reason for his administration’s slow-motion. This is a huge challenge to all those directly and indirectly associated with political office holders. They must endeavour to always put the interests of the wider society ahead of parochial concerns. This will not only stimulate rapid socio-economic growth; but also help to deepen the roots of democracy and good governance. President Goodluck Jonathan has vital lessons to learn from the above narrative. It is not enough to seek the good of Nigeria. Nothing should make him undermine the old fashioned Nigerian factor. Vigilance is the word. All corrupt, unproductive, snail, and speed-breaker officials in his administration must be identified, removed, and prosecuted if the need arises.
While I agree with the argument that six months is enough to point to the direction of hope, I do not think Nigeria is healthy enough to recover in the next one year if the level of decay is anything to go by. But for the fear of being labelled an apologist, I would have mentioned right from the beginning that Nigerians should be patient with President Jonathan. These are the reasons: Nigeria’s major problem is poor leadership culture. With good leaders in power, every other thing will fall in line. The issue of poverty, corruption, moral bankruptcy, and the shameful collapse of public infrastructure will become a thing of the past if credible persons are in positions of authority. No amount of resources invested in critical sectors of the nation’s economy now will work magic because too many bad people are still in power. It is therefore wise that President Jonathan has chosen to first invest massively in the nation’s electoral system, which will in turn help flush out unpatriotic, corrupt, and inexperienced persons in government. This approach could be related to laying a very solid foundation on which the Nigeria of our collective dream would be built. This is not tangible and can hardly be counted as an achievement. Sound electoral system is the most important gift any president can give to Nigeria.
Nevertheless, the president must put in extra efforts to address the critical issues that affect the lives of every Nigerian. These include electricity, federal roads health care system, and the educational sector. More than that, the war against corruption must be fought with more vigour and dedication. Without all of these, every section of the country will join the Niger Delta militants and the traditional institution in Edo state to resort to self help. No doubt, self help is the product of discontentment. It is also a known fact that discontentment can lead to anarchy. As the 2011 election draws closer, those that benefit from crisis are warming up for opportunities to strike gold. The federal government must be wary and deny them of any such benefits.
It would also be necessary to note here that ethnicity is the major reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same ethnic lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This is responsible for why ethnicity is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, ethnic-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
ELECTORAL REFORM AND PDP's ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY
ELECTORAL REFORMS AND PDP’s ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY
There is no doubt surrounding the fact that democracy is the best form of government ever known to man. Even so, many democratic societies and its citizens still suffer gross underdevelopment and abject poverty owing to poor political leadership culture. This sad reality has elicited a whole lot of debate among political scientists, journalists, opinion leaders, and commentators on contemporary issues. The consensus opinion is that the masses have been robbed of their powers by the political class. It has become clear that political power no longer belongs to the people- electorates like it is supposed to be. As a result of this, the loyalty of political leaders is mostly directed at electoral umpires, god fathers, and kingmakers. It is for this simple reason that public office holders can afford to ignore the concerns of the electorates and loot the treasury.
In an effort to return power to the people, the late President Musa Yar’Adua stunned the world when he admitted openly that the election that brought him to power was faulty. He thereafter called for understanding and promised to carry out a holistic electoral reform exercise. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have failed to appreciate the true meaning of electoral reform and have therefore restricted it to mean the recommendations of Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee.
For the avoidance of doubt, let it be noted that the main aim of reforming the nation’s electoral system would be defeated if it is not done holistically. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when there is no internal democracy within the political parties. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when some key players in the nation’s electoral body- INEC are card-carrying members of political parties. In the same vein, Nigerians cannot talk of electoral reforms when political parties are allowed to practice undemocratic traditions such as rotational presidency.
One of the major aims of reforming the electoral system is to promote quality political leadership in the country. For this very important reason, whatever action or practice that would not support this objective should be jettisoned. Rotational presidency is one of them. Apart from promoting tribalism, the culture of seclusion is undemocratic. It creates bitterness among party members and also reduces the chances of sourcing for the best hands.
My opinion is not based on the fact that I and President Goodluck Jonathan come from the same state. After all, he has not said he is going to contest the presidency in 2011. Nevertheless, there would be nothing wrong if majority of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants him to contest. This is the beauty of democracy. Power belongs to the people- not a party’s National Working Committee or Board of Trustee. This is the time when Nigerians should come together and work towards making every vote count and not wasting valuable time on issues that will divide the nation along tribal lines.
Perhaps, it would be necessary to highlight the reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same tribal lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This anomaly is hugely responsible for why tribal lineage is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, tribal-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Just like I have submitted in previous write-ups, one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is tribalism. It is owing to the deep rooted nature of tribalism in the polity that successive administrations have not been able to effectively fight corruption in the country. There is an unwritten law in Nigeria that forbids citizens from exposing or prosecuting fellow tribesmen for corrupt practices. That is the reason why public servants that earns less than N12m annually will build mansions, acquire fleet of exotic cars, and own investments worth over N200m within four years without being asked to show proof of sources of funds.
Furthermore, tribalism promotes national poverty. It makes citizens to become lazy. In a tribal-infected polity, even people that sow nothing can reap bountifully simply because their tribesperson is in power. This is clearly against natural principle. The more we promote tribal agenda above democratic prescriptions, the closer we get to the source of our disintegration.
I do not know their individual names but most of the people championing calls for electoral reforms are carrying nametags that bear “Hypocrite.” That is exactly what those of them that support the culture of rotational presidency are. The reason for the reform must not be bleached to serve tribal agendas. And for those that are threatening the corporate destiny of Nigeria following speculations that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may run for the presidency come 2011; I wish them well. They should not play God. Nigerian masses are hungry for good political leadership. Let the people be allowed to decide whom they want. It can be Jonathan or any other person. Let us stop playing God and concentrate on how to make our votes count.
There is no doubt surrounding the fact that democracy is the best form of government ever known to man. Even so, many democratic societies and its citizens still suffer gross underdevelopment and abject poverty owing to poor political leadership culture. This sad reality has elicited a whole lot of debate among political scientists, journalists, opinion leaders, and commentators on contemporary issues. The consensus opinion is that the masses have been robbed of their powers by the political class. It has become clear that political power no longer belongs to the people- electorates like it is supposed to be. As a result of this, the loyalty of political leaders is mostly directed at electoral umpires, god fathers, and kingmakers. It is for this simple reason that public office holders can afford to ignore the concerns of the electorates and loot the treasury.
In an effort to return power to the people, the late President Musa Yar’Adua stunned the world when he admitted openly that the election that brought him to power was faulty. He thereafter called for understanding and promised to carry out a holistic electoral reform exercise. Unfortunately, many Nigerians have failed to appreciate the true meaning of electoral reform and have therefore restricted it to mean the recommendations of Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee.
For the avoidance of doubt, let it be noted that the main aim of reforming the nation’s electoral system would be defeated if it is not done holistically. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when there is no internal democracy within the political parties. We cannot talk of electoral reforms when some key players in the nation’s electoral body- INEC are card-carrying members of political parties. In the same vein, Nigerians cannot talk of electoral reforms when political parties are allowed to practice undemocratic traditions such as rotational presidency.
One of the major aims of reforming the electoral system is to promote quality political leadership in the country. For this very important reason, whatever action or practice that would not support this objective should be jettisoned. Rotational presidency is one of them. Apart from promoting tribalism, the culture of seclusion is undemocratic. It creates bitterness among party members and also reduces the chances of sourcing for the best hands.
My opinion is not based on the fact that I and President Goodluck Jonathan come from the same state. After all, he has not said he is going to contest the presidency in 2011. Nevertheless, there would be nothing wrong if majority of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wants him to contest. This is the beauty of democracy. Power belongs to the people- not a party’s National Working Committee or Board of Trustee. This is the time when Nigerians should come together and work towards making every vote count and not wasting valuable time on issues that will divide the nation along tribal lines.
Perhaps, it would be necessary to highlight the reason behind the culture of rotational presidency. It is to a very large extent erroneously believed that one has to share the same tribal lineage with the president in order to secure a key appointment or win a big contract. This anomaly is hugely responsible for why tribal lineage is regarded far above every other factor in Nigerian politics. Frankly, tribal-based politics can only be rife in a country where the government pay mere lip service to the culture of transparency, accountability, justice, and fair play.
Just like I have submitted in previous write-ups, one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is tribalism. It is owing to the deep rooted nature of tribalism in the polity that successive administrations have not been able to effectively fight corruption in the country. There is an unwritten law in Nigeria that forbids citizens from exposing or prosecuting fellow tribesmen for corrupt practices. That is the reason why public servants that earns less than N12m annually will build mansions, acquire fleet of exotic cars, and own investments worth over N200m within four years without being asked to show proof of sources of funds.
Furthermore, tribalism promotes national poverty. It makes citizens to become lazy. In a tribal-infected polity, even people that sow nothing can reap bountifully simply because their tribesperson is in power. This is clearly against natural principle. The more we promote tribal agenda above democratic prescriptions, the closer we get to the source of our disintegration.
I do not know their individual names but most of the people championing calls for electoral reforms are carrying nametags that bear “Hypocrite.” That is exactly what those of them that support the culture of rotational presidency are. The reason for the reform must not be bleached to serve tribal agendas. And for those that are threatening the corporate destiny of Nigeria following speculations that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan may run for the presidency come 2011; I wish them well. They should not play God. Nigerian masses are hungry for good political leadership. Let the people be allowed to decide whom they want. It can be Jonathan or any other person. Let us stop playing God and concentrate on how to make our votes count.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
NEED TO REJIG NIGERIA'S ANTI-CORRUPTION PROTOCOL
Corruption has been identifies as the mountain standing between Nigeria and her Promised Land. The prevalence of corruption has greatly discouraged the inflow foreign investments into the country. This is indeed a serious problem when viewed against the backdrop of the current economic order. It is necessary for our fiscal policy formulators and advisers to understand that Nigeria can only benefit from the culture of free market economy when the nation is able to win the confidence of the global business community. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s corruption and fraud index are still very high. This has discouraged many foreign corporations and institutions from trusting Nigerian citizens or investing in the country.
The bulk of whatever we still have as foreign investments in the country is tied strictly to the oil industry. Foreign investors still have some confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector because of its peculiar nature. In Nigeria, crude oil production and marketing is such that foreign investors have undue advantage over the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mostly because of the nation’s poor technological state. This has afforded the joint venture partners the opportunity to dictate terms and conditions of joint venture activities. It is in this light that the local content policy of the federal government is most welcome. If properly monitored, Nigeria will save billions of dollars spent annually on the fabrication, installation, and maintenance oil industry utilities.
It is for all these reasons that the federal government has channelled huge material and human resources towards fighting corruption especially in the last ten years. Nevertheless, it would not be out of place to argue that not much have been achieved when viewed against the backdrop of the number of high profile corruption cases being unearthed daily by the nation’s anti-graft agencies. This sad development is enough reason for government to rejig the nation’s anti-graft protocol.
To a very large extent, current anti-corruption efforts are focused mainly on investigation, prosecution, and punishment of convicted offenders. Even at that, the logic surrounding punishment of persons convicted for corruption is faulty. There is no justification for giving equal punishment to persons that embezzled different amounts of money. Take the case of two men- one embezzled N10m and the other, N10b but were all sentenced to two years prison term. Apart from prescribing long prison terms (minimum of ten years), every N1m of illegally acquired money should attract additional 1 year prison term. Through this, the weight of punishment can make some meaning. The current system where someone will embezzle up to N10b and serve a mere two year jail term is an insult on the sensibilities of poor Nigerians. If given the opportunity, many poor Nigerians would be too willing to collect N10m and spend three years in prison in order to escape poverty.
Nigeria’s current anti-graft campaign can be likened to pursuing a policy of cure, as against that of prevention. Government should consider legislations that will encourage citizens to live within their income. This should be done putting in place legislation that will compel citizens to disclose sources of income to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before acquiring properties or investing up to N5m and above. Whoever that fails to do so should be punished with a one year jail term and also forfeit the said property or investment to the applicable tier of government where the source of illegal money is traced to. Apart from discouraging corruption, the work of the various security and anti-graft agencies will be made easier and more efficient.
Nevertheless, government must have to tackle the problems of poverty in the country. Ordinarily, Nigeria is too endowed to experience problems of poverty. The inability of government to fight corruption and distribute national wealth evenly is the fundamental causes of poverty in the country. National wealth can be distributed evenly by strengthening of the nation’s socio-economic framework. To achieve this, the organised private sector will have to be energised to stimulate rapid economic growth. This would require stable power, effective transport infrastructure, friendly tax regime, and access to long term credit facilities among others.
Furthermore, government must also diversify the economy by encouraging the agro-allied and solid minerals sectors. Apart from contributing to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, millions of high-paying jobs will be created. Clearly, unemployment is a major source of poverty, malnutrition, crime, and insecurity in Nigeria.
There is no doubt that over 80% of Nigerian workers in both the public and private sectors cannot rely on their salaries for the feeding, housing, transportation, health care, and educational needs of their families. Like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), affordable premiums can be set to enable Nigerian workers and their family access quality health care services, quality education to university level, and ability to own houses commensurate with their income. Of what necessity is work if one cannot rely on his income to take care of the basic needs of life?
Nigerians should not allow themselves to be deceived by charges of “political witch-hunting” levelled against the presidency by highly placed citizens facing corruption charges. Are we saying, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) should not investigate and charge to court those sharing different political opinion with the president even when there are enough evidences to do so? This is not the best way to fight corruption. Until they are convicted in a recognised law court, such persons remain innocent. They should therefore submit themselves for trial and sue government for damage if they are eventually acquitted.
My sympathy for these highly placed Nigerians accused of corruption is tied to the proof that they do not have confidence in the judiciary. From all indications, the Nigerian judiciary can be entrusted with the freedom of the innocent and punishment of the guilty. Let us join hands and make corruption unpopular in Nigeria.
The bulk of whatever we still have as foreign investments in the country is tied strictly to the oil industry. Foreign investors still have some confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector because of its peculiar nature. In Nigeria, crude oil production and marketing is such that foreign investors have undue advantage over the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mostly because of the nation’s poor technological state. This has afforded the joint venture partners the opportunity to dictate terms and conditions of joint venture activities. It is in this light that the local content policy of the federal government is most welcome. If properly monitored, Nigeria will save billions of dollars spent annually on the fabrication, installation, and maintenance oil industry utilities.
It is for all these reasons that the federal government has channelled huge material and human resources towards fighting corruption especially in the last ten years. Nevertheless, it would not be out of place to argue that not much have been achieved when viewed against the backdrop of the number of high profile corruption cases being unearthed daily by the nation’s anti-graft agencies. This sad development is enough reason for government to rejig the nation’s anti-graft protocol.
To a very large extent, current anti-corruption efforts are focused mainly on investigation, prosecution, and punishment of convicted offenders. Even at that, the logic surrounding punishment of persons convicted for corruption is faulty. There is no justification for giving equal punishment to persons that embezzled different amounts of money. Take the case of two men- one embezzled N10m and the other, N10b but were all sentenced to two years prison term. Apart from prescribing long prison terms (minimum of ten years), every N1m of illegally acquired money should attract additional 1 year prison term. Through this, the weight of punishment can make some meaning. The current system where someone will embezzle up to N10b and serve a mere two year jail term is an insult on the sensibilities of poor Nigerians. If given the opportunity, many poor Nigerians would be too willing to collect N10m and spend three years in prison in order to escape poverty.
Nigeria’s current anti-graft campaign can be likened to pursuing a policy of cure, as against that of prevention. Government should consider legislations that will encourage citizens to live within their income. This should be done putting in place legislation that will compel citizens to disclose sources of income to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before acquiring properties or investing up to N5m and above. Whoever that fails to do so should be punished with a one year jail term and also forfeit the said property or investment to the applicable tier of government where the source of illegal money is traced to. Apart from discouraging corruption, the work of the various security and anti-graft agencies will be made easier and more efficient.
Nevertheless, government must have to tackle the problems of poverty in the country. Ordinarily, Nigeria is too endowed to experience problems of poverty. The inability of government to fight corruption and distribute national wealth evenly is the fundamental causes of poverty in the country. National wealth can be distributed evenly by strengthening of the nation’s socio-economic framework. To achieve this, the organised private sector will have to be energised to stimulate rapid economic growth. This would require stable power, effective transport infrastructure, friendly tax regime, and access to long term credit facilities among others.
Furthermore, government must also diversify the economy by encouraging the agro-allied and solid minerals sectors. Apart from contributing to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, millions of high-paying jobs will be created. Clearly, unemployment is a major source of poverty, malnutrition, crime, and insecurity in Nigeria.
There is no doubt that over 80% of Nigerian workers in both the public and private sectors cannot rely on their salaries for the feeding, housing, transportation, health care, and educational needs of their families. Like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), affordable premiums can be set to enable Nigerian workers and their family access quality health care services, quality education to university level, and ability to own houses commensurate with their income. Of what necessity is work if one cannot rely on his income to take care of the basic needs of life?
Nigerians should not allow themselves to be deceived by charges of “political witch-hunting” levelled against the presidency by highly placed citizens facing corruption charges. Are we saying, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) should not investigate and charge to court those sharing different political opinion with the president even when there are enough evidences to do so? This is not the best way to fight corruption. Until they are convicted in a recognised law court, such persons remain innocent. They should therefore submit themselves for trial and sue government for damage if they are eventually acquitted.
My sympathy for these highly placed Nigerians accused of corruption is tied to the proof that they do not have confidence in the judiciary. From all indications, the Nigerian judiciary can be entrusted with the freedom of the innocent and punishment of the guilty. Let us join hands and make corruption unpopular in Nigeria.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
DEMOCRACY, GOVERNORS' FORUM AND IWU
There is no gainsaying that the foundation of every healthy democratic society is built on the principles of sound and reliable electoral culture. This is so because, it is only through free and fair elections that credible persons could be picked and entrusted with key leadership positions in society. In the last thirty years of Nigeria’s history, several bold attempts have been made by the political class, social-cultural, religious, and civil society organisations to find enduring solutions to the nation’s weak and spongy electoral protocols. The faulty nature of the electoral system has helped to create room for the few moneybags to massage the conscience of electoral officials in order to rig elections in favour of themselves or their stooges. This is the reason why politicians respect electoral umpires far more than even the electorates. Without any fear of contradiction, this is the root causes of failing political leadership in the country.
Nigerians should not wait for Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton to confirm to us that poor leadership culture has been the bane of Nigeria- the supposed Giant of Africa, now struggling to make impact even among Lilliputian nations. It is a common fact that poor political leadership breeds corruption, underdevelopment, poverty, crime, tribalism, nepotism, and ineptitude among others. Many have therefore not seen it as a surprise that over 90% of the nation’s population are living below poverty line. To the utter dismay of many, a greater percentage of workers in both the private and public sectors earn salaries that are not enough to feed a family of three for just one week. Quite evidently, the rise in cases of ill health among Nigerians can be traced to poor dieting regime. Majority of Nigerian now eat between one and two low diet meals daily. This already bad situation is made worse by the non availability of access to clean drinking water most especially in the rural areas. The international community is shocked that the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil is relying on the importation of fuel to service her local market. It is an irony that Nigeria is still grappling with power generation with all the option of gas, hydro, wind, coal, and solar at our disposal. With an enormous population size, Nigeria is capable of generating enough power from waste products.
It is also very disturbing that job creation figures have fallen far below population growth levels. The authorities must understand that the consequences of high unemployment rate are capable of compromising the security of this nation. Governments at the local, state, and federal levels must therefore roll out practicable plans to stimulate economic and industrial growth. This will in turn create employment opportunities and improve the human worth of more of the nation’s citizens. With all of the above in mind, one can easily appreciate the reasons for the enthusiasm shown by Nigerians concerning the attempt by the present administration to reform the nation’s frail electoral framework.
While the Governors’ Forum are free to hold their opinions on issues bothering on the country, it is very clear that their hard-line position on the Chairmanship of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was very unfortunate. It bears clear traces of self help. The Governors’ Forum failed to convince Nigerians of what the nation stood to lose if Maurice Iwu is not retained for a second term. If one puts common sense to test, it would point to the fact that the nation’s electoral system cannot be truly reformed with Iwu as INEC boss. This is so because, civil society groups, religious organisations, socio-cultural bodies, and several political actors are convinced that evidences volunteered at election tribunals has stained the hands of Maurice Iwu with blood. Many stakeholders believe that he played significant roles in aiding electoral frauds. Retaining him would therefore pose a whole lot of credibility problems for INEC. Integrity is an important ingredient that cannot be divorced from the personality of electoral umpires.
The huge support that greeted the exit of Maurice Iwu last week was indeed unprecedented. By that singular action, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has made a bold statement that political leadership in Nigeria can surely rise above parochial interests. The only way Jonathan or any other political leader can be encouraged to always stand on the side of truth is for the political class, civil society, religious, and socio-cultural organisations to give them all the backing they deserve. But more importantly, the acting president should not ignore, but rather engage the Governors’ Forum in dialogues to remind them of the important need to put the nation first. In as much as state governors wield a lot of influence, I foresee a dull picture where their shallow and narrow minded opinions on key national issues would pitch the masses against them in the very near future.
Immediately after President Musa Yar’Adua was flown out to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, the Governors’ Forum quickly turned themselves into a mountain that Goodluck Jonathan must climb before taking important decisions. Even without the benefit of a prophet, one can see the handwriting clearly on the wall. The governors are trying to position themselves well ahead of the 2011 elections at the expense of the nation. Their shock and grief following the much expected exit of Maurice Iwu have no doubt distorted a well rehearsed cavalcade.
While there is nothing wrong in governors demanding to be consulted on key national issues, their attempts at sacrificing national interests for parochial ambitions should be resisted by both the presidency and the masses. This is one sure way we can safeguard our democracy. The time has therefore come for all to remind state governors of the important need for them to leave the acting president alone and face squarely the enormous responsibilities waiting for them in their various states. Under normal circumstances, they should not need Iwu to win elections. Let them allow their four year report cards to deliver them at the polls. The governors are certainly afraid that with the expected electoral reform exercise, the opportunity for rigging elections will be greatly reduced. A sound electoral culture will customarily make the electorates kings as is obtained in every democratically healthy society. Nigerian masses should start celebrating. The years of poor political leadership will soon come to an end.
Nigerians should not wait for Barrack Obama or Hillary Clinton to confirm to us that poor leadership culture has been the bane of Nigeria- the supposed Giant of Africa, now struggling to make impact even among Lilliputian nations. It is a common fact that poor political leadership breeds corruption, underdevelopment, poverty, crime, tribalism, nepotism, and ineptitude among others. Many have therefore not seen it as a surprise that over 90% of the nation’s population are living below poverty line. To the utter dismay of many, a greater percentage of workers in both the private and public sectors earn salaries that are not enough to feed a family of three for just one week. Quite evidently, the rise in cases of ill health among Nigerians can be traced to poor dieting regime. Majority of Nigerian now eat between one and two low diet meals daily. This already bad situation is made worse by the non availability of access to clean drinking water most especially in the rural areas. The international community is shocked that the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil is relying on the importation of fuel to service her local market. It is an irony that Nigeria is still grappling with power generation with all the option of gas, hydro, wind, coal, and solar at our disposal. With an enormous population size, Nigeria is capable of generating enough power from waste products.
It is also very disturbing that job creation figures have fallen far below population growth levels. The authorities must understand that the consequences of high unemployment rate are capable of compromising the security of this nation. Governments at the local, state, and federal levels must therefore roll out practicable plans to stimulate economic and industrial growth. This will in turn create employment opportunities and improve the human worth of more of the nation’s citizens. With all of the above in mind, one can easily appreciate the reasons for the enthusiasm shown by Nigerians concerning the attempt by the present administration to reform the nation’s frail electoral framework.
While the Governors’ Forum are free to hold their opinions on issues bothering on the country, it is very clear that their hard-line position on the Chairmanship of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was very unfortunate. It bears clear traces of self help. The Governors’ Forum failed to convince Nigerians of what the nation stood to lose if Maurice Iwu is not retained for a second term. If one puts common sense to test, it would point to the fact that the nation’s electoral system cannot be truly reformed with Iwu as INEC boss. This is so because, civil society groups, religious organisations, socio-cultural bodies, and several political actors are convinced that evidences volunteered at election tribunals has stained the hands of Maurice Iwu with blood. Many stakeholders believe that he played significant roles in aiding electoral frauds. Retaining him would therefore pose a whole lot of credibility problems for INEC. Integrity is an important ingredient that cannot be divorced from the personality of electoral umpires.
The huge support that greeted the exit of Maurice Iwu last week was indeed unprecedented. By that singular action, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has made a bold statement that political leadership in Nigeria can surely rise above parochial interests. The only way Jonathan or any other political leader can be encouraged to always stand on the side of truth is for the political class, civil society, religious, and socio-cultural organisations to give them all the backing they deserve. But more importantly, the acting president should not ignore, but rather engage the Governors’ Forum in dialogues to remind them of the important need to put the nation first. In as much as state governors wield a lot of influence, I foresee a dull picture where their shallow and narrow minded opinions on key national issues would pitch the masses against them in the very near future.
Immediately after President Musa Yar’Adua was flown out to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, the Governors’ Forum quickly turned themselves into a mountain that Goodluck Jonathan must climb before taking important decisions. Even without the benefit of a prophet, one can see the handwriting clearly on the wall. The governors are trying to position themselves well ahead of the 2011 elections at the expense of the nation. Their shock and grief following the much expected exit of Maurice Iwu have no doubt distorted a well rehearsed cavalcade.
While there is nothing wrong in governors demanding to be consulted on key national issues, their attempts at sacrificing national interests for parochial ambitions should be resisted by both the presidency and the masses. This is one sure way we can safeguard our democracy. The time has therefore come for all to remind state governors of the important need for them to leave the acting president alone and face squarely the enormous responsibilities waiting for them in their various states. Under normal circumstances, they should not need Iwu to win elections. Let them allow their four year report cards to deliver them at the polls. The governors are certainly afraid that with the expected electoral reform exercise, the opportunity for rigging elections will be greatly reduced. A sound electoral culture will customarily make the electorates kings as is obtained in every democratically healthy society. Nigerian masses should start celebrating. The years of poor political leadership will soon come to an end.
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