₦airaland Forum

Exactly five days to the retirement of Ms Amma Pepple as head of service of the federation, five permanent secretaries have emerged as front runners in the race for the top post.
The five front runners for the office of the nation’s number one civil servant are Dr Hakeeen Baba-Ahmed, the permanent secretary, General Services, in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Steve Oronsanye, permanent secretary, ministry of finance, Dr Goke Adegoroye, permanent secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Prof. Dapo Afolabi, permanent secretary, cabinet secretariat in the office of the SGF, and Dr Raheem Ogunbambi, permanent secretary, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The race appeared to be a straight tussle between the North and the South-west though Oronsanye is from Edo State in the South-south zone. While Baba Ahmed from Kaduna State is the only Northerner in the race, Adegoroye (Ondo State), Afolabi (Oyo State) and Ogunbambi (Lagos State) are all from the South-west zone.
THISDAY learnt that any civil servant of permanent secretary cadre is qualified to be named as head of service but experience and geo-political calculations are sometimes key considerations in naming the head of service.
While political leaders and bureaucrats from the North are seriously pushing for Baba-Ahmed to clinch the post, South-west leaders are arguing that the zone has never produced a head of service and that the zone has eminently qualified candidates all of whom can favourably compete in terms of experience, exposure and educational qualification.
Also, Oronsanye, the only candidate from outside the two competing geo-political zones is said to be calling on his wide contacts in the presidency where he served for almost eight years as permanent secretary, State House under the Obasanjo administration.
Baba Ahmed is believed to be the most senior permanent secretary having being appointed into that cadre in 1998. He has since then served as permanent secretary in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ministries of works and housing, foreign affairs and the Special services office in the office of the SGF. His candidacy enjoys the support of the North which is believed to be intensely craving for the post.
Oronsanye’s candidacy will come on strong if President Yar’Adua decides to broaden the catchment area. He is said to be the only candidate among the five with private sector background.
An Accountant, Oronsanye came into government from Peat Marwick, Ani, Ogunde firm of chartered accountants from where he served as personal assistant to his former boss, Chief Anthony Ani. Ani served the Abacha government as Minister of Finance.
He left government with Ani when the Abdulsalami government changed the cabinet in 1998 but he was brought back to the presidency in 1999 when the then newly elected president Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as permanent secretary, State house.
Oronsaye’s opponents believe he does not have the necessary civil service experience but they are afraid he has extensive contacts in the presidency which may come to his aid in the jostle for this top job.
Adegoroye who is due for retirement next year has been permanent secretary, Ministry of education, and director general, Bureau of Public Services and he is an experienced bureaucrat.
Afolabi was permanent secretary in the ministries of labour and agriculture and water resources. He has four more years to spend in the federal Civil Service.
Ogunbambi, formerly a research fellow at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, is due for retirement in September this year. An academic and bureaucrat, Ogunbambi is an experienced civil servant who is equally well connected.
The front-runners for the post of head of service are all men perhaps, according to a source, because the last two occupants of the post are women.
A source said the appointment of the head of service may be part of the shuffling and calculation that President Yar’Adua may have to contend with in the next few weeks as four top positions in the public service have to be filled in the next two months.

The post are that of Head of Service, Inspector General of police whose occupant, Sir Mike Okiro will be retiring next month, Controller General of Customs and Auditor-General of the Federation. The last two positions are not being occupied by substantive holders.
It is believed that in the spirit of federal character, the President may have to spread the positions among the six geo-political zones while also ensuring that competence, suitability and experience of the candidates are given sufficient consideration

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=145463

@kobojunkie and Yommyuk - you guys are speaking my mind!

@Kobojunkie
I agree with your point that churches need funding. And i guess that is why like other charities they don't get taxed on donations they receive.
However, the question we need to ask the Pastors is this 'who collects the proceeds from the books, tapes etc sales?

If the books are written under the name of the church then I agree that the proceeds should be tax exempt. But if the books are written by Pastors and they hold the copyright, then it is only reasonable that income received from its sales be taxed.

Similar issue came up with a Nigerian Church in the UK. Where the UK Charities Commission had to come in.

The challenge in Nigeria is that the relatiosnhip between church leaders and 'the church' is very fuzzy. And until that relationship is properly regulated Mr Fashola will only be chasing shadows.

I do agree with Governor Fashola that religious leaders should be compelled to pay taxes. In fact this issue is more than just paying taxes. I have always campaigned for stricter regulation of religious organisations - in terms of financial accountability. But before I go any further, I will state my interest. I’m a Christian and I do attend a Pentecostal church. But I will also be the first to criticise the Christian faith and more especially the Pentecostal mission. I believe they are the most guilty when it comes to financial transparency and accountability.

It is very unfortunate that whenever anyone criticises the activities of the Church or their leaders, you are likely to be classified as an ‘anti-Christ’. Even when such criticisms are genuine and unbiased, church evangelicals will label it blasphemous!

For me, most of Nigerian churches and their leaders can be accused of ‘double dipping. On one hand, they claim to be charity organisations – hence should be tax exempt, but on the other hand, they are reluctant to be transparent about their financial dealings. The fact is no one really knows the balance sheet of these Pentecostal churches or how much the leaders earn in salary. And it is even more unfortunate that the government allows this financial recklessness to perpetuate.

Why wouldn’t religious leaders pay taxes? I agree with Governor Fashola, that these religious leaders use the roads, their children use the schools, their wives use the markets, they use water, they enjoy the benefits of the security the government provides. So they are happy to enjoy these freebies at the expense of the masses who struggle hard to keep up their tax payments. But on the other hand, they can continue to live in their palatial mansions and junket around the world in their private jets.

However, the structure of Nigerian churches (especially Pentecostal) will make it very challenging for the State Government to enforce the tax regulation. The Federal tax law exempts religious institutions from tax payment but not leaders of religious bodies who earn salaries from such organisations. We currently have a situation where there is no clear delineation between the church and its leaders. Most of these leaders are not on any stipulated salaries. Some will even tell you that they don’t earn salary but live on goodwill of church members! We then need to ask ourselves, is it public goodwill that has helped purchased multi-million naira private properties? Is it public goodwill that paid for multi-million dollar private jet? Is it public goodwill that pay for the exotic holidays? Is it public goodwill that pays for the convoy of expensive cars? We’ve heard it all before!
The truth is they run these churches like a one-man private business or what I will term as ‘sole trader’. They dip their hands into church funds as if it is their family inheritance. They use church funds to finance their grandeur lifestyle. They live in the most expensive areas of the country. They are happy to show off their private jets as the Lord’s doing that his marvellous in the eyes of the ‘poor’.

The Churches themselves are no exception. We are now seeing churches engaged in secular business. As I wrote in one of my piece, Nigerian churches are now big time real estate investors. Some of the most expensive educational institutions in Nigeria today are owned by religious organisations. I wouldn’t be surprised if some have invested in the stock market. But that doesn’t really bother me. My concern is, we need to know where charity work ends, and profit-making begins. A charity organisation (which includes Churches) should not be engaged in any profit-making activity. In an ideal world, they are not expected to have huge bank balance, if they sincerely engage in charity work. It is only fair that if a church has property which it rents out and from which it earns income, it should pay tax from such earnings.

So what am I saying? You can be sure that some of these dodgy Church leaders will do everything to circumvent the system. And until, the Government sets up a regulatory authority to monitor the activities these churches and their leaders, Governor Fashola will be facing an uphill task.

moneygurl:


The federal law states that if a church or mosque has a house it rents out for money, it must pay taxed on that profit. [b]Is that different form paying tax on profit a church or mosque makes from book sales,etc.

Capital NO!

As part of my daily travel routine, I turned on my mobile phone to listen to the podcast of BBC ‘Breakfast’ programme.

The topic of discussion was on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. And the radio host, Nicky Campbell asked members of the public if the Prime Minister has ‘lost the plot’. But as I listened to barrage of public criticisms of Mr Brown personality and leadership, I began to put the current leadership failure in Nigeria into perspective.

Similar to President Yar’Adua, Gordon Brown assumed office in June 2007. Yar’Adua was hand picked and rigged into government by his predecessor; however Gordon Brown became Prime Minister following the resignation of Tony Blair. But in the eyes of the average British and Nigerian public, both leaders do not really have a mandate to rule - albeit the parliamentary system allows the party with the majority to form a government. While one is ruling on the mandate of his predecessor, the other is ruling with a ‘stolen’ mandate. It was therefore not surprising to hear radio callers demanding that an election be called as soon as possible in the United Kingdom, as a test of Mr Brown’s popularity. In Nigeria, opposition parties have also been making similar demands for the past two years but to no avail. The Supreme Court also failed to restore voters’ confidence in an electoral process that was described as the most fraudulent in the nation’s history - all in the name of political expediency!

Gordon Brown has been criticised by the British media for his lackadaisical attitude and failure to provide leadership on key issues. One of such issues was the MP expenses row and issue of Gurkhas equal right of residence. And like his Nigerian counterpart, his popularity is now at all time low that he his now portrayed as a political equivalent to Susan Boyle!

But as the dynamics of British politics continues to gather pace, what I find most intriguing, is that a state-owned media could encourage such an ‘open discussion’ on the future of sitting Prime Minister. I therefore asked myself if our democratic system can ever mature to this level in my lifetime. For example, the NTA or FRCN conducting similar type of open debate on President Yar’Adua. Can you imagine NTA/FRCN asking the public if President Yar’Adua should resign due to the failure of his government in the last two years?

We have also seen resignations of top cabinet ministers in protest against Gordon Brown leadership style. But I don’t think any politician has ever resigned in protest against government action or inaction in Nigeria. Even when their position is seriously undermined, they hold on power in desperation.

As a Nigerian, I hope that our democratic system mature to a point when opposing views will be welcome without been seen as ‘plot to destabilise’ the government. I look forward to the day when issues such as the President’s health situation can be laid bare for discussion and not seen as ‘threat to national security’.

As General Colin Powell said "We cannot have a democracy that does not have opposing point of view; the people must be allowed to organise political organisations that argue, that shout and fight with each other. If that was not encouraged, then you are on your way out of democracy. It is a clash of ideas, clash of views that our founding father believed was essential to democracy”.

GIVE YAR ADUA A BREAK visit your local senators and Reps to mount pressure.

Only if you know where their constituency office is located.

Do you even think an average Nigerian knows his MP?

Anyway, that's a discussion for another day.

As we mark the 10 years of democratic rule in Nigeria, the question on my mind is who has been the biggest loser in the last ten years? Unfortunately, all socio-economic indices show that the nation has been retrogressing since independence. The last ten years of civil rule has also not made any difference. In fact some will agree with me that the situation in the last ten years is worse than what it was twenty years ago. The rot in our economy and social life has continued to perpetuate - even at a faster pace! Our leaders have continued to loot the treasury with impunity.

While the failure of how our leaders will suggest that the masses are the biggest losers, I however want to disagree. Yes I agree that the masses are yet to see the dividends of democracy. Yes I agree that nation’s infrastructure are in decay. I agree that our refineries are still not working. I know we have given up on stable power supply. I know we have no potable water supply. I agree that our major highways are death traps. I know we don’t have a functioning transport system. Yes, I agree that 70% of the nation live in abject poverty. Yes, I agree that our educational system is in a mess. I will however argue that our leaders are the BIGGEST losers.

They are the ones who have failed in all aspects of life. Despite the vast human and mineral resources at their disposal, they have failed to make any meaningful positive impact on the economy. Instead of providing good leadership and governance, they continued to loot the treasury with impunity. They have used their position to rob us of our commonwealth. They have turned a nation of 140 million into a country of Oligarchs. They sold government owned enterprise to their families and cronies under the guise of privatisation. They continue to distort the market by creating private monopolies under the guise of Public-Private Partnerships.

All they know about is rhetoric. They tell us about due process and rule of law. However, they award billion dollar contracts to their cronies without any regard for due process. They squandered the nation’s resources on grandiose projects that lack any public benefit. They use the ‘rule of law’ to subvert the fight against corruption. They use taxpayers’ money for cosmetic image laundering projects. In some other society, some of our leaders will be languishing in solitary confinement.


They come up with vision and agendas that are bereft of any rational thinking. They talk about Vision 2020, in a nation that can’t get its refineries to function. Our can we a one of top 20 economies when we can’t even get the simple things right. Our can we be one of top 20 economies when we can’t even generate 1500mw of power? How can be in top 20 when industries are closing down left, right and centre due to lack of power supply? How can we be in top 20 economies when we are still importing plastic chairs from overseas? How can a nation of 60% unemployment be in the top 20 economies? How can an economy that is controlled by few private individuals be in top 20 economies?

Our leaders are a failure. They are visionless. Most of them are born losers! Some are not even fit to run a family not to talk of nation. What else do they want? We have the vast mineral resources. We enjoyed almost 10 years of oil boom. We had the opportunity to develop our human capital. Despite all these opportunities they continued to lead us on a path of destruction. All we read about in the media in the last ten years is systemic looting and thieving. They have turned the commonwealth into private possession.

Our leaders are cowards. They loot the treasury and seek court injunction to prevent them from being investigated or probed! Due to fear of been voted out of office, they continue to rig elections. They use state agencies to intimidate innocent civilians and subvert democratic principles.

It is also interesting to know that some of these leaders are now attending Harvard University to learn about leadership and governance. These are some of the delusions of Nigerian leaders. Can someone please tell them that leaders are born and not made? You do not need to attend Harvard University to become a good leader. How many of the world great leaders are alumni of Harvard University?

But in all these troubles, I can see hope. The days of these kleptomaniacs are numbered. The alarms bells are ringing. The sound of the warning signal is getting louder. Let him that has ears listen. But as they say, the dog that is destined for doom will never heed to the call of the hunter.

I'm now convinced that PDP is a party of jobless idiots. They have now resulted to blackmail.

So Obama is so jobless that it is Yar'Adua that he will be thinking about 24/7.

Anyway, is it not Obama prerogative to meet whoever he wishes. So as Nigerians,  we need to seek permission from Pres. Yar'Adua before we can talk to Pres. Obama.

What a whole load of nonsense!

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday accused the United States government and its embassy in Nigeria of conspiracy and plotting with opposition groups to destabilise the country.
Specifically, the party said that part of the plot is for the US Embassy to organise a meeting between the pro-democracy groups in Nigeria and President Barack Obama in Ghana, where the groups would seek to persuade the US President that the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua is “illegitimate”.
President Obama is expected in Ghana on July 11.
The statement also said the masterminds of the “conspiracy and plot” include a “failed” presidential candidate, two former Speakers, a former Senate President and “a sprinkling of political hangers-on”.
In a statement signed by the Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Bello Harilu Mohammed, the party said: “Incontrovertible information available to us also revealed that after their meeting in Kaduna, they approached the American Embassy to facilitate their plans to meet with President Obama in Ghana but they were advised to include civil society organisations in their proposed diabolical delegation as a way of portraying themselves as credible elder statesmen.”
PDP also said the aim of the visit to see Obama is to disrupt the existing trade relations between the United States and Nigeria, thereby worsening the already precarious state of the economy in the face of dwindling oil revenue and the global financial meltdown.
PDP urged the US “not to, by any acts of omission or commission, promote the evil plans of these unpatriotic politicians against a democratically elected government as such would raise questions about its respect for the sovereignty of other countries and the international doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign nations.”
The party said President Obama knows that due process and the rule of law are cardinal tenets of democracy and acceptable political behaviour anywhere in the world.
“President Obama is a product of an electoral process that evolved over time just as our President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has kick-started enduring electoral reforms in Nigeria, a process which his Administration is fully committed to fulfil (fulifilling) in the shortest possible time. The advent of the Obama era is therefore a necessary tonic to our on-going electoral reforms and the development of strong democracies in Nigeria, Africa and other developing countries,” PDP said.
The party also said the attempt by Nigeria’s political leaders to cause “incalculable damage” to the Nigerian economy and its peace-loving people at this critical time is “a disservice” to a country from which most of them who have held one political office or another in the immediate past and have immensely benefited.
“It is indeed shameful that these dishonourable politicians did not realise that the advice given to them by the American Embassy to include civil society organisations in their team was actually exposing their irrelevance to the political process as such views are only worthy of consideration if expressed through a respectable forum as a civil society organisation,” the statement stated.
PDP described as disturbing that “the American Embassy in Nigeria has chosen to lend itself to such a high-level political conspiracy against the Government and people of Nigeria while at the same time enjoying the hospitality of its host.
“This, to us, is hair-raising and we urge the relevant authorities in the United States to commence investigations although we are mindful that the Embassy may have been misguided by the calibre of the people involved in this plot. But we hasten to note that we do not expect the Embassy to be involved willy-nilly in such an organised conspiracy against the political and economic well-being of the Nigerian nation.”
PDP also appealed to organisers of the meeting with President Obama to shun acts capable of undermining the nation’s democracy which could endanger the collective destiny of Nigerians.
According to the statement, “this time in our history calls for total dedication to the growth and development of our nation. All divisive tendencies should be discouraged. Promoters of chaos and violence should be taken from our midst and handed over to security agencies. This is the only way to go.”
PDP called on security agencies in the country to wade in immediately and commence necessary investigation into the matter and several others “which we have exposed in the past”.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=144675

To put it simple - the guy is a disappointment!

We are in serious 'TROUBLE' in Nigeria.

I must however commend Saharareporters for their 'first-class' investigative journalism. Some of revelations by El-Rufai have been reported by Saharareporters in the past. This story only helps to piece things together.

Friends, only a 'bloody' revolution can save us from the bondage of these cabals. And I mean BLOODY! No peaceful protest can sort out this mees. We seriously need another round of blood-shedding!

It is not a matter of 'if'. But 'how and when' it will happen I don't know

One of Nuhu Ribadu’s requests was a review of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) to include power to prosecute both givers and takers of bribes. In his words, he noted that “until those receiving the bribes are punished for their actions, the marketplace for high stakes elite bribery will continue to thrive”. While I agree with Mr Ribadu that both givers and recipients of bribes should be seen as equal in the eyes of the law, I would be surprised if the US government will succumb to his proposal for the FCPA Act review.

The anti bribery provisions of the US FCPA Act prohibits corrupt payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business. Persons subject to the FCPA Act includes any individual who is a citizen, national, or resident of the United States and any corporation and other business entity organized under the laws of the United States or having its principal place of business in the United States. Criminal penalties of fine of up to $2million may be imposed on violator of the FCPA anti bribery provision and imprisonment of up to five years. If Mr Ribadu’s proposal is accepted, it means in the case of Halliburton as an example, the US government will be able to charge the Nigerian officials who were named to have received bribes from Halliburton officials. And for this to happen, the Nigerian government will be required to sign a Treaty Agreement with the US government, which would allow extradition of named suspects to the US for trial.

Nuhu Ribadu should remember that Nigeria is a sovereign nation. The US, as much as it can try, cannot dictate to the Nigerian government how it deals with its domestic issues (which include corruption). In fact, to ask the US congress for changes in the US law to help fight corruption in Nigerian is somewhat patronizing. We need to remember that we are the architect of our own problems. No country will enact laws in the interest of other nations. The primary duty of the US legislature is to enact laws that will protect the interest of the US and its citizens. As a nation, we are fond of looking for help where it does not exist. We blame everyone but ourselves for our woes. The fact is every developed nation (including the US) has had the problem of corruption one time or the other. But the good news is that they have been succeeded in flushing it out of their system. And I’m sure they did not ask for other nations to enact legislations on their behalf.
Unfortunately one of our biggest problems as a nation is that we fail to accept responsibility for our actions. I was reading the other in the newspaper, that the Minister for Foreign Affairs called a meeting of the diplomatic corps in Abuja, and he accused them of partly responsible for the Niger Delta crisis. As far as the Minister was concerned, the foreign nations are responsible because they buy crude oil from the militants in exchange for ammunitions. But the question I will ask the Minister is, how did we find ourselves in the Niger Delta crisis in the first place? Was it the western nations that brain-washed the Militants into blowing up oil installations? What has been the government track record in dealing with the Niger Delta crisis in the last 10 years?

The problem of corruption is endemic in the Nigerian society. We need to find ways of discouraging people from asking for bribes. There are enough laws in Nigeria to prosecute corrupt individuals. The political will is what is lacking. Corruption has become an institution in Nigeria. And it is this same institution that has produced the incumbent President. What do we expect from a President that rode into office on a political engine that was fuelled with stolen money?

Even if the US government accepts Mr Ribadu’s proposal, how does he think it will work in Nigeria considering the government continuous subversion of the anti-corruption crusade. How can a government that has been unable to institute corruption charges against any official be able to extradite anyone to the US or any other foreign country to face charges? We know how the current Attorney-General used the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to frustrate the trial of a former Governor in the United Kingdom. Mr Ribadu should then tell me, how the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act Treaty will be treated any differently by the Nigerian government?

I appreciate Nuhu Ribadu passion and zeal in fighting corruption, but I do believe the focus should be within Nigeria. No foreign government will help us solve our problem. Perhaps, the likes of Nuhu Ribadu should be using his position and influence to lobby foreign nations and aid agencies such as World Bank, IMF, DFID etc not to offer any nation; any form of foreign aid (not just Nigeria) unless it demonstrates strong commitment to anti-corruption. And the commitment should not just be setting up of ‘mickey mouse’ law enforcement agencies such as EFCC or ICPC. No government really needs an EFCC or ICPC to prosecute corrupt individuals, if it is really sincere. The Police Force is enough to do the job!

Having said all that, Mr Ribadu’s performance at the US Congress hearing can best be described as ‘below average’. Considering his exposure and role in the anti-corruption crusade in last six years, I did expect more from Nuhu Ribadu. Instead of answering questions directed to him and keeping to the point, Nuhu Ribadu allowed himself to be drowned in emotions. To me, Nuhu Ribadu came across as someone who was unprepared for such an important hearing. He was unable to properly articulate his viewpoints to the US politicians. The reality is most of this US politicians don’t even know anything about Nigeria, except for what they read or hear in the media. Their assessment of issues will only be based on facts and not speculations. And unfortunately, Mr Ribadu was unable to back some of his claims with facts required.

Is the taxpayer getting value for money from the current democratic structure? Are our elected politicians offering the taxpayers value for money? Should we outsource the nation legislative function to the private sector? Or should our elected politicians’ salaries/allowances be performance related? While some of these questions may sound trivial, these were some of the thoughts going through my mind over the last few days. It was reported in Thisday newspaper recently that about 17,500 public officers at all tiers of government draw N1.21 trillion allowances every year from the public coffers. This amount represents 93 percent of the N1.3 trillion that it costs the economy to retain their services every year. The balance of seven percent or N90 billion represents basic salaries payable to these public officers. To put this in context, it means N1.3 trillion is paid out to maintain 0.0125% of the nation’s population! Whilst the newspaper provided a further breakdown of how much is paid out in salaries and allowances to all tiers of government, the focus of this piece focuses on the legislature.

According to the newspaper, the 469 federal law makers (109 senators and 360 members of the House of Reps) cost the nation over N76 billion yearly salaries, allowances and quarterly payments. The breakdown shows that senators account for about 21 billion or 28 percent of the amount while House of Representatives take up the remaining 72 percent or N54 billion. We now know that each member of the 54 standing Senate committee receives a monthly imprest of between N648 million and N972 million per year, while, a member of the lower legislative chamber receives N35 million or N140 million as quarterly or yearly allowances.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I find these figures mind blowing. It even became harder for me to reconcile these figures when I read in the Tribune Newspaper that only one bill - the 2009 Appropriation Bill - had been passed by the lawmakers five months into 2009, and that they passed only four laws in the 2008 legislative session. And these were my reasons for the questions in my introduction. Based on these performances, I will be interested to know any legislator who can justify these salaries and allowances. I also don’t think these current salaries and allowances are sustainable in the long term.

As you all know, the legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to create and change laws. The main job of the legislature is to make and amend laws. In presidential systemof government, the legislature is considered a power branch which is equal to and independent of the executive. Members of the legislature are also expected to hold the executive accountable on matters that affect their electorates.

However, the Nigerian legislature is at odds with the functions of a modern democracy. Instead of holding the executive branch accountable for its actions, our lawmakers collude with them to loot the treasury. The ineptitude of the National Assembly is also not surprising, considering that most of these legislators don’t even understand their responsibilities. Our legislative assembly brews on of the highest level of mediocrity. In order to feed their greedy and kleptomaniac tendencies, they jump up for joy when Appropriation Bills are debated because it gives them opportunity to ‘load’ the national budget.
The nation expects more these lawmakers. Paying federal legislators N76 billion per year in salaries and allowances without commensurate performance is not acceptable by any standard. As I said earlier, we may be better outsourcing the function of the legislators to the private sector. I don’t expect that any company executive will be paid N140 million in allowances without delivering on company target.

I agree that politicians must be well paid to prevent them from being corrupt. However, political office should be seen as service and not short cut to riches. Salaries and allowances of elected politicians can never be at par with the private sector. And if any politician thinks it should, he might as well pursue a profession in the banking or oil and gas industry.

I have had the opportunity to live in two western democracies in the last 10 years, and I have met elected Members of Parliament in these countries. The members of parliament make themselves very accessible to their constituents. They have an obligation to make representation to government on behalf of their constituents on issues that affects their welfare. They operate a well staffed constituency office, and it is mandatory that they attend to their constituents on certain days of the week. Now tell me, how many legislators in Nigeria have an office in their local constituency? It is a well known fact that most of legislators when elected move permanently to Abuja. Even though they are paid an allowance to maintain a constituency office they never do. They only return at the end of their term to seek votes for re-election. What is the function of legislator who cannot fight for his constituents? We read everyday in the media how local community are being exploited by state agencies. I read a story about some local residents who were asked by PHCN to pay for an electric transformer to be replaced! In a civilized society, these are issues elected legislators should be fighting.

The present crop of legislators seems to have lost their heads. Instead of charting a new course which will help strengthen our democratic structure, they embarked on silly and grandiose goose chase, probing all sectors of the economy. No wonder why they have only managed to pass four bills in the last 18 months at cost of almost N76 billion per year. If the N1.3 trillion spent yearly on public officers is invested in the nation’s infrastructure, I’m in no doubt that the nation will be better off.

Transport infrastructure is a prerequisite—though by no means a guarantee—of economic development. However, in this current climate of global financial crisis and dwindling commodity prices, governments across the world are aiming to invest in transport infrastructure that provides the best bank for their bucks. Gone are the days, when government embark on transport projects that offer little or no public benefit, or projects which can be considered not be economically viable. As I often say, not all transport infrastructure projects are ‘good’ projects. While some of these projects might look impressive in the eye of the common man, especially in a country like Nigeria with significant infrastructure deficit, the ongoing maintenance/operating costs to the government can sometimes be exorbitant.

It is common knowledge that the cost of providing transport infrastructure can only be affordable if it is subsidised by the government. If the provider decides to charge the true cost, it is likely to be prohibitive to the masses. And this is a major reason, why public transport is not allowed to operate in totally deregulated market. Although subsidies are paid, it is still important that some of the operating costs are recovered. However in some western economies, the recovery costs can be as low as 30%. The long term effect of these maintenance and operating costs of transport infrastructure is the reason why these western economies develop evaluation and prioritisation framework for major transport infrastructure projects. Before funds for transport projects are appropriated in government budgets, these projects are subject to rigorous analysis which addresses the social, environmental and economic impacts of such projects. The business case supporting such projects needs to be compelling to convince the government that such projects are viable and offer sound public benefits. The evaluation framework used to assess transport infrastructure projects is usually devoid of any regional and political bias and form the basis of independent advice to Ministers.

This process of project evaluation assists in determining whether a project meets efficiently the country's economic and social objectives. For country like Nigeria, with different competing demands across sub-regional areas and massive infrastructure deficit, it could be advantageous in balancing community needs. Unfortunately, we currently have a situation where the government needs to be seen as investing in all six geo-political zones of the federation, even if some of the transport investments lack any merit or long term benefits. Public commentators will also continue to query the rationale behind some of these projects until the government is more transparent about its decision-making process. For example, the widening of the Abuja Airport-Expressway and Outer Northern Expressway to 10-lanes is being done at cost of $1.7bn. From a transport infrastructure planning perspective, the questions that come to mind are, how did the govt come to the decision to spend $1.7bn on widening these roads? Has the govt considered other ‘soft’ engineering traffic management options or even passenger rail? How does the need to widen these Abuja roads stack up against other strategic roads in the country that requires urgent rehabilitation? Is the business case supporting such investment compelling enough?

The government needs to deviate from the conventional approach of making transport infrastructure projects decisions without any sound social, economic and environmental rationale. The government should not just be seeking advice on just construction costs and traffic performance; they need information on long-term and indirect impacts on society's mobility, the environmental impacts/consequences, as well as the ability to serve diverse needs. The need for better understanding of the social, economic and environmental consequences of transport infrastructure projects is now required more than ever before. Hence, the need for a framework to prioritize transport infrastructure investments.

sbo is a Transport Planner and lives in Brisbane, Australia

Interesting,

tosh_acer:
If Lagos State is amongst the state building airports, I am sure the poster will not find it necessary to write this piece.

I wonder what Nigerians want, what is wrong in building airports? Please tell me, but dont bore me with details like, we need food, shelter bla bla bla.

Someone wonders why they are building an airport in Asaba, what a warped way to think, the other day, I had the need to make a quick dash to Asaba from Lagos, I had precisely half a day, because I have to travel out of Nigeria the next day, so, no straight flight to asaba, nearest Airports are Enugu and Benin, if I fly to Enugu, i will have to drive thru the hell called Onitsha, if I fly to Benin, I only have to drive to Asaba, which is better for me, so I took the option of flying to Benin and then drove to Asaba, if there is a functioning airport in Asaba, I would have flown straight, saving time and money.

It is a pity when people who know absolutely nothing about Nigeria go on writting issues about Nigeria, most of the airports now have flights to them on a weekly basis, you can fly to Ilorin, Akure, Ibadan, Benin and places in the north from Lagos and Abuja etc. Have any of you tried to find out the traffic on these airports? People do fly to these airports, Owerri, etc - why do you peole then just write about issues you know absolutely nothing about? It is indeed a shame.

Firstly, why can't we have constructive discussions on this forum that is devoid of ethnic bias? Do we have to put an 'ethnic spin' on everything?

Questions - Why do people continue to write on issues they do know about?

Answer - I think you have to blame the govt for that. When we only read about $billion projects on the pages of newspapers. The decision-making process is nothing but 'opaque' at the very least. In developed economies, most of these projects would have gone through public consultation, which will include feasibility studies, and a detailed business case. The business case will need to be compelling, in order to convince taxpayers that their money is been spent wisely. Even when Politicians want to build infratsructure for the sake of cutting ribbons, it is the role of bureaucrats to provide impartial and professional advice. As an example, if the FCTA or Ministry of Works or Transport had published more information on the planning of the Abuja Expressway, we may not be having this sort of conversation. At the end of the day, it is taxpayers that is been spent, and they deserve the right to know every detail.

For your information, not all infrastructure projects are good projects.

What sort of country do we live in?

The more I look into the contracts signed by the Obasanjo administration, the more I'm convinced that the man should be in prison. How on earth can you mortgage our future to a private individual under the guise of Private-Public Partnership. Why should PPP be set up to discourage competition?

So there shoudn't be any airport built in Lagos until Mr Babalakin makes his profit! So Mr Babalakin can continue to exploit the average consumer.

For how long will we continue to embark on deregulation/privatisation without any legislation to protect consumer rights?

My heart bleeds for this country. God save us!

For how long is Bi-Courtney Aviation Services expected to manage the New General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport,Lagos , under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement?

The row over tenure deepened yesterday, with Bi-Courteny insisting that it has 36 years to run the terminal. But, according to a document made available to The Nation, it has 12 years to manage the terminal.

The Nation

can reveal that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in a memorandum sent to him by former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode, did not extend the tenure to 36 years.

He had directed the minister to forward the request for approval to the Public Private Partnership Commission, charged with the responsibility before the matter could be brought to the Federal Executive Council.

The position of government on the agreement appears in tandem with the memoradum sent by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Richard Aisuebeogun, who canvassed that the agreement between FAAN and the managers of the terminal be re-examined. He affirmed that the General Aviation Terminal (GAT)was not part of the concession, though the managers of the new terminal claims to have applied and obtained approval for the use of the GAT from the Ministry of Aviation.

President Umaru Yar’Adua had hinted in a media chat that the government was working on modifying the BOT agreement of Bi-Courtney Aviation, but it rushed to an Abuja High Court to stop government from tampering with any section of the agreement.

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation at the weekend secured documents to show that approval was never secured for the extension of concession of the MM2 to Bi-Courtney Aviation from 12 to 36 years.

President Yar’Adua is said to have queried this extension of the concession given that Federal Executive Council files indicate that in April 2007, the then Minister of State for Aviation, Kayode, authored a memo wherein he pleaded to Obasanjo to approve the extension from 12 to 36 years.

But Obasanjo had refused to approve the request. The then President wrote back to Kayode thus: "Minister, No. We have the PPP Commission, which is charged with the responsibility now before it is brought to Council for approval". The Ministry of Aviation officials say that the Commission in question may not have considered this request and that the request for extension was never ever brought to the Federal Executive Council before Obasanjo left office.

A miffed President Yar’Adua is said to have ordered the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ascertain the basis for the claim by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services that it has a 36-year deal with the Federal Government.

Even then, Ministry of Aviation officials revealed that President Yar’Adua is of the view that the exclusivity clause in the BOT agreement is immoral and illegal ab initio and he is insisting on its modification.

Among other things, the exclusivity clause in the BOT Agreement forbids the Federal Government from improving or expanding the old terminal at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, otherwise known as the General Aviation Terminal (GAT); that all scheduled domestic flights in and out of Airport in Lagos State shall during the Concession Period operate from MM2 and that no new domestic terminal shall be built in Lagos State.
The Lagos State Government which has since perfected plans to build its own Airport at Epe is kicking against this clause.

According to sources, airline operators, who currently patronise Bi-Courtney’s MM2 are allegedly complaining of prohibitive charges and taxes which they say stem from the monopoly the BOT agreement confers on Bi-Courtney Aviation.

Will that be in public interest?

In a country where we do not laws to protect consumer rights, then we will be heading for a disaster. And that has always been the question mark around our so called privatisation. I do know any where in the world where economic reforms such as deregulation/privatisation have been implmented without laws to protect consumers - except in Nigeria. What will stop service providers from colluding?

As an example, that is why consumers are currently been ripped off in the telecoms sector.

Just to add a few comments

Someone needs to advise the Govt that road building is not the solution to traffic congestion. The MoT and FCT bureaucrats should be advise that you cannot build your way out of congestion. When developed economies are looking at ways of reducing traffic demand, and investing in public transport, we are still investing billions of dollars in providing uneccessary road capacity for a city with less than 1 million residents at a cost $1.7bn! Let's even accept that it is necessary, does it offer value for money? As someone noted earlier, has there been any study undertaken to see how we can make efficient use of  the existing infrastructure? Introduction of traffic management measures (such as intelligent transport systems) might just ease the congestion. That should be the first step before embarking $1.7bn road building programme.

Also, there is no doubt that we have a transport  infrastructure deficit in Nigeria. There are lots of strategic roads needing rehabilitation, and the list is endless. My suggestion to the Govt will be undertake some form of 'infratsructure audit' (i.e get a good understanding of the problems). Following this, the Govt then needs to develop an Infratsructure Plan and Program, which will prioritise how the infrastructure requirements will be delivered. The prioritisation will be based on a 'value for money' assessment framework and subjected to rigorous cost-benefit analysis. This process will ensure that only projects wth compelling 'business case' are appropriated funds in the Federal Budget. It will also create a transparent decision-making process.

For now, the whole process is totally disjointed. This will be needed sooner rather than later as move into the era of tight funding.

This sounds good but the govt should also be investing in Public Transport?

It is not just all about road building.

nuzo:
Why are you crossing your fingers on a very vital issue like this?
This federal character/quota system is due for scrapping.

My fingers are crossed with sceptism. You are totally right the Federal Character Principle should be scrapped from our constitution. Apart from the obvious fact that it promotes mediocrity, the question remains what is the character of Nigeria? The same constitution that wants Federal Character only recognises three languages (Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa). What a contradiction!

Let wait and see.

fingers crossed

The last few days has really been sad for democracy. Earlier in the week, I criticised Nigerian legislators for their ineptitude and the lackadaisical attitude they have shown recently in carrying out their statutory responsibilities – all at the expense of the Nigerian taxpayer. On the other hand, the British Parliament is trying very hard to restore its moral integrity following series of allegations bordering on corruption and fraud. Some members of the British Parliament (cabinet Ministers inclusive) are now being subject to all sorts of public ridicule because of their expenses claims. The subject of controversy in Westminster relates to the ‘second home allowance’ worth up to E24,000 (for MPs representing seats outside London) and incidental expenses allowance worth up to E22,000, which is aimed at costs incurred in the course of an MP’s duty. Following revelations from Freedom of Information (FoI) campaigners, we now know that some MPs have being abusing their privildege as Parlimentary members when it comes their expenses claims. So far, none of the MP have been found guilty of any wrongdoing, the allegations in the media borders seriously on fraud and corruption. It is therefore not surprising that people are now questioning MPs moral authority.

I find this issue worrying for two reasons. Firstly, the British democracy which is held in high esteem all over the world because of its values and transparency is now subject of sleaze. This sort of allegations does not help a country that is arguably one of the biggest exporters of democratic values. A democratic institution that should be setting high moral standards for a nascent democracy such as ours is now enmeshed in series of allegations of fraud and corruption. One question I have asked myself is, how will the British Home Secretary - who has been accused of ‘flipping’ her home address in order to exploit the system - tell Mr Aondoakaa to deal with corrupt Nigerian politicians? Anyway as the Yorubas say, “Ko si bi ti ise o si”, meaning “the grass is never greener on the other side”

The second reason, which I find more worrying, is the attitude and response of some Nigerians to this issue. Instead of learning from these unfolding events, some are busy using it to rationalise the endemic corruption in the Nigerian society. Some are busy saying, “after all corruption is not limited to Nigeria”, or that “Nigeria is not the only the corrupt nation in the world”. I totally agree that corruption is not peculiar to the Nigeria democratic institution alone – hence the Yoruba adage. But we wouldn’t do ourselves any justice if we continue to pursue such lines of argument.

Based on my own personal experience regarding fight against corruption, I have more faith in the British democratic system than the Nigerian system. I’m confident that if any MP is suspected of engaging in any wrongdoing, he would be charged to court and probably sent to Prison. British Ministers and Parliamentary bankbenchers have jailed in the past, so it is nothing new. You will all remember Jeffery Archer and Jonathan Aitken. However let’s ask ourselves, how many Senators or House Reps members have been charged to court and convicted in the history of Nigerian politics. I’m also confident that the current British MPs are fully aware that they are not above the law. Their cases do not need to be referred to any ‘special’ anti-corruption agency. The Metropolitan Police is enough to deal with such MPs. Also, the Prime Minister or Justice Secretary does not need to set up an ‘Investigation Panel’ with an 8-week ultimatum to look into such matters. In the British society, these are matters for the Police to deal with. So what I am saying, we can always trust the British system that the law will take its course.

We also need to appreciate the transparency in the British democracy. Let’s remember that information on the MP expenses were obtained through Freedom of Information Act. The FOI Act was passed in November 2000 by the British Parliament and it gives people a right of access to information held by public bodies. The range of public bodies covered by FOI can be very wide. The legislation represents the foundational right-to-know legal process by which requesters may ask for government held information and receive it freely or at minimal cost, One can therefore say that the Parliament is now a victim of a legislation, which it passed. I do agree and that is the way it should be. Legislators should be enacting laws that are based on national interest and not personal. In Nigeria, the FoI Bill has been going back and forth between the legislature and executive in the last 4 years or so. For me, this issue reinforces the urgent need for the passage of the FoI Bill in Nigeria.

Our democratic institution lacks any form of transparency. Thank God for technology and the internet news media, who have been successful in revealing some of the scandals in our democracy.
For now we can all sit back and make mockery of the British Parliament. At least we know what the British MPs are claiming in expenses and allowances. The question is, what about us?

Food for thought………………,

Is the taxpayer getting value for money from the current democratic structure? Are our elected politicians offering the taxpayers value for money? Should we outsource the nation legislative function to the private sector? Or should our elected politicians’ salaries/allowances be performance related? While some of these questions may sound trivial, these were some of the thoughts going through my mind over the last few days. It was reported in Thisday newspaper recently that about 17,500 public officers at all tiers of government draw N1.21 trillion allowances every year from the public coffers. This amount represents 93 percent of the N1.3 trillion that it costs the economy to retain their services every year. The balance of seven percent or N90 billion represents basic salaries payable to these public officers. To put this in context, it means N1.3 trillion is paid out to maintain 0.0125% of the nation’s population! Whilst the newspaper provided a further breakdown of how much is paid out in salaries and allowances to all tiers of government, the focus of this piece focuses on the legislature.

According to the newspaper, the 469 federal law makers (109 senators and 360 members of the House of Reps) cost the nation over N76 billion yearly salaries, allowances and quarterly payments. The breakdown shows that senators account for about 21 billion or 28 percent of the amount while House of Representatives take up the remaining 72 percent or N54 billion. We now know that each member of the 54 standing Senate committee receives a monthly imprest of between N648 million and N972 million per year, while, a member of the lower legislative chamber receives N35 million or N140 million as quarterly or yearly allowances.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I find these figures mind blowing. It even became harder for me to reconcile these figures when I read in the Tribune Newspaper that only one bill - the 2009 Appropriation Bill - had been passed by the lawmakers five months into 2009, and that they passed only four laws in the 2008 legislative session. And these were my reasons for the questions in my introduction. Based on these performances, I will be interested to know any legislator who can justify these salaries and allowances. I also don’t think these current salaries and allowances are sustainable in the long term.

As you all know, the legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to create and change laws. The main job of the legislature is to make and amend laws. In presidential systemof government, the legislature is considered a power branch which is equal to and independent of the executive. Members of the legislature are also expected to hold the executive accountable on matters that affect their electorates.

However, the Nigerian legislature is at odds with the functions of a modern democracy. Instead of holding the executive branch accountable for its actions, our lawmakers collude with them to loot the treasury. The ineptitude of the National Assembly is also not surprising, considering that most of these legislators don’t even understand their responsibilities. Our legislative assembly brews on of the highest level of mediocrity. In order to feed their greedy and kleptomaniac tendencies, they jump up for joy when Appropriation Bills are debated because it gives them opportunity to ‘load’ the national budget.
The nation expects more these lawmakers. Paying federal legislators N76 billion per year in salaries and allowances without commensurate performance is not acceptable by any standard. As I said earlier, we may be better outsourcing the function of the legislators to the private sector. I don’t expect that any company executive will be paid N140 million in allowances without delivering on company target.

I agree that politicians must be well paid to prevent them from being corrupt. However, political office should be seen as service and not short cut to riches. Salaries and allowances of elected politicians can never be at par with the private sector. And if any politician thinks it should, he might as well pursue a profession in the banking or oil and gas industry.

I have had the opportunity to live in two western democracies in the last 10 years, and I have met elected Members of Parliament in these countries. The members of parliament make themselves very accessible to their constituents. They have an obligation to make representation to government on behalf of their constituents on issues that affects their welfare. They operate a well staffed constituency office, and it is mandatory that they attend to their constituents on certain days of the week. Now tell me, how many legislators in Nigeria have an office in their local constituency? It is a well known fact that most of legislators when elected move permanently to Abuja. Even though they are paid an allowance to maintain a constituency office they never do. They only return at the end of their term to seek votes for re-election. What is the function of legislator who cannot fight for his constituents? We read everyday in the media how local community are being exploited by state agencies. I read a story about some local residents who were asked by PHCN to pay for an electric transformer to be replaced! In a civilized society, these are issues elected legislators should be fighting.

The present crop of legislators seems to have lost their heads. Instead of charting a new course which will help strengthen our democratic structure, they embarked on silly and grandiose goose chase, probing all sectors of the economy. No wonder why they have only managed to pass four bills in the last 18 months at cost of almost N76 billion per year. If the N1.3 trillion spent yearly on public officers is invested in the nation’s infrastructure, I’m in no doubt that the nation will be better off.

in the city of the blind,

Following the emergence of Barack Obama as the first US Afro-American President, Nigerians home and abroad are now desperately seeking an Obama who can deliver the much desired change that is needed in our beloved country. The search for the ‘Nigerian Obama’ has also now become a common slogan within the society. Many political commentators and media columnists have also joined the bandwagon in searching for the ‘Nigerian Obama’. But what most of them fail to highlight is the difference in the nature of the system that brought President Barack Obama into stardom, and that of Nigeria.

It was therefore interesting to read Mr Dele Momodu 4-week marathon article in the Pendulum column of Thisday Newspaper titled ‘The Search for Our Own Obama”. Like many people, I followed this article with great interest, trying to understand the perspective Mr Momodu was coming from. For me, the need for a Nigerian Obama is a no brainer, but the question still remains, how this so-called Obama will be able to take over the leadership of a nation with an endemic corrupt system. In arguing the case for the Nigerian Obama, political and social commentators often lose the focus of current discourse.

Mr Momodu’s in his article mentioned several notable names, who he described as a ‘potential’ Obama. He also provided an analysis on the reasons why some of these Obamas may never realise their potentials, even though according to him, they have all it takes to deliver ‘change’ to the Nigerian society. Some of the names mentioned include, Nasir El-Rufai, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Donald Duke, Babatunde Fashola, Fola Adeola, Oby Ezekwesili, Dora Akunyili, Pat Utomi and Buba Marwa.

I agree with Mr Momodu that many of these individuals have been tried and tested in the political scene. Some have also demonstrated good leadership qualities in their chosen profession. However, I believe that the search for the ‘Nigerian Obama’ should not be limited to any individual or group of people. I have no doubt in my mind that in a country of 150 million, whether we have somebody of Barack Obama’s quality is not the issue. I can tell you that for one Dora Akunyili, there are other one million and one other Akunyilis, who will even perform better if given an opportunity.

Rather than been narrow minded and singing the praise of few individuals either because of their success in politics or business, we should be clamouring for a ‘corrupt-free’ system that will encourage the ‘Nigerian Obama’ to come out from the closet. For me to mention the names of few individuals as potential Obama is somewhat patronising. The truth of the matter is most of these people will never venture to contest for political positions because they know quite well that the Nigerian electoral system is as corrupt as it can get. I need not to remind you of how some of these individuals have been hounded out office just because they tried to reform a corrupt system. Can we imagine a political contest that includes all the mentioned names? How interesting will it be to see Raji Fashola, Dora Akunyili, and Pat Utomi all contesting the Presidential elections under different political platforms? I can assure that if the system is fair and transparent, they will be many Obamas seeking political positions across all tiers of government.

We need to remember that Barack Obama was not the first afro-american to seek the post of US President. I’m sure we can all remember Rev. Jesse Jackson’s political adventure. Also, Barack Obama became the fifth black Senator in 2004. If Jesse Jackson was hounded in late 1980’s, which hope will it have given to the likes of Barack Obama. If Barack Obama was rigged out of the Senatorial election in 2004, do you think he would have contested the US Presidential elections? The point I’m making is, western democracies operate a political system that is fair and transparent. An average man on the streets of America or Europe knows that his votes count. He knows that his votes will not be collated at Police Stations. He knows that the election will be conducted by people of integrity, who will not bow to undue pressure from anyone.

Also, Barack Obama did not belong to the group of Washington elites. He did not emerge from the political ruling class, neither was he one of their favourites. He never held political appointment prior contesting for the position of President. However in Nigeria of today, you either have to belong to class of the political elites or have a political godfather in order to win elections. You need have been seen in the corridor of power before seeking leadership positions. You need to align yourself with the ruling party in order to secure political victory, because of the benefit of using the state machinery to rig elections,

For me, it is the system that has failed us in producing our own Obama. For example, how can an Obama emerge within a democratic structure that promotes mediocrity through meaningless principles of federal character? If elections into the White House were based on federal character, I believe Barack Obama will not even smell the streets of Washington. The discussion should be about how the system can be reformed. While I do not have a straight answer for that, I want to believe it will be a huge challenge. It is not surprising that the current political elites are not interested in changing the system. How do you expect someone to change the system from which he has benefitted immensely- albeit in a corrupt manner? This is one of the major fundamental problems with the Yar’Adua government. While President Yar’Adua accepts that the election that brought him into government was fraudulent, it is impossible for him to undertake any sincere electoral reform, as his political party is likely to be biggest casualty of such reforms.

In whatever way this reform is achieved, one is certain. We need a wholesale review of our constitution. The review should not be about meaningless issues such as state creation. We need a constitution that will promote transparency and fairness in our electoral system. We need a constitution that will promote a system of governance that will enhance our democratic values. We need an electoral system that will make every vote count. We need an electoral system that will give confidence to the Nigerian Obama that he will not be rigged out of an electoral contest. Until we realise these facts, we may still be searching for the Obama in 30 years time.

It was recently reported in the media that some Directors of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) were arrested by the EFCC over the alleged award of N1.7 billion for importation of plastic chairs. According to the Tribune Newspaper, the contract was awarded without regard for due process, and the contractor was paid a total of N61.7million for expenses which were already covered in the contract price.

Apart from the allegation of corruption, there is one issue in this story that I find really depressing. I can’t believe that 49 years after independence, the government is still awarding a contract for importation of plastic chairs (!). There are serious questions we need to ask ourselves here, does it mean that there is no company in Nigeria that manufactures plastic chairs? Is technology behind plastics so advanced that they have to be imported from the US? Let’s be frank, if we can’t produce plastic chairs in 2009, then what’s all the rhetoric about Vision 2020 all about? President Yar’Adua better get his thinking hat on. This is a national disgrace! When I was growing up there were thriving plastic manufacturing industries in Nigeria. I can still remember Eleganza and Metalloplastica. So what happened to these industries?

According to the report, the cost of the contract was N1.7billion. For goodness sake, can anyone imagine how many jobs will be created if those chairs were manufactured in Nigeria? What is the government actually doing to develop the manufacturing sector? We have failed to utilise our human capacity, and we have become a ‘big for nothing’ nation. When Third world nations were going through massive industrial revolution, our leaders have been busy looting the state treasury. Malaysia has been successful in manufacturing its own car. Indonesia has been successful in manufacturing plane engines. We are still importing plastic chairs!

Someone needs to advise the President Yar’Adua that none of G-20 nations imports plastic chairs.