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Who Will Be Nigeria’s Next President?

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EHI BRAIMAH

By Ehi Braimah             

 

The list of presidential aspirants is growing daily with more declarations being announced at the drop of a hat, especially in the dominant parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – that are essentially two sides of the same coin. Even though our politicians keep crossing carpet and trading places between both partieswithout any sense of shame or history, they must understand that we need drastic changes urgently.

 

Politicians in Nigeria are generally fair weather friends, always in search of where their bread would be buttered; they do not have principles and the political parties find it difficult to stay on track with purposeful ideologies.

 

In APC and PDP alone, we have over 20 Nigerians seeking the highest office in the land – they all want to be president. As I have noted in the past, it is well within everyone’s right to contest; let them come out and test their popularity – as long as the process is free and fair. But one thing is clear: Nigerians need a strong and intelligent leader because we are tired of the hanky panky of the political elite and their collaborators.

 

In this article, I have identified, as much as I can, the front runners and likely candidates as we count down to the party primaries. It is expected that the parties will focus on winning the presidential election by putting their best candidates forward, taking into account their strengths and weaknesses.

 

“Democracy is not working in Nigeria and we cannot continue like this,” declared a Nigerian friendof mine living in London, obviously frustrated with the negative stories coming from home. “God has given us everything to prosper but we have many enemies of progress in Nigeria0,” my friend added.

 

These “enemies” know themselves but they are living on borrowed time.The biggest concern right now is that Nigeria cannot afford a humanitarian crisis, not with what we are witnessing in Ukraine after Russia declared war on the country. I’m not an alarmist but the threat from non-state actors is an ever present danger to the general elections and the unity of this country. Even more dangerous is the threat to daily survival of most Nigerians.

 

What politicians do is to play mind games with us in their flowing robes and position themselves strongly for quick wins. Politics, for most of them, is a full time job but they lack any visionary zeal and sense of purpose to take Nigeria to the “Promised Land” which explains our current situation: motion without movement.

 

Who, among the presidential aspirants, has what it takes to initiate a bold vision for Nigeria and act on it? You will agree with me that we can only project from the list of potential candidates available in APC and PDP, without prejudice to the other registered political parties. We are unlucky to be saddled with recycled politicians with deep pockets, but you can be sure our current “political culture” will definitely favour some of the aspirants.

 

Let no one fool you, if you do not have money, you cannot win any election – not even a council election. That is the dilemma but where do they find the money for electioneering? Sourcesof campaign funds running into billions of Naira are never declared.

 

From what Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said recently, he is worried about the security situation in the country. He averred that the extenuating circumstances constitute a threat to the general elections in 2023.This is why I am surprised that the Council of State approved we should the national census April next year when the current administration should be winding down.

 

It is the security of our country – not census – that should be our priority right now. The incoming administration can conduct the census. There’s no need to stampede Nigerians into a hurriedly packaged national head count; it can wait. Anyway, let us assumethe elections will hold.

 

Previously, APC had zoned the party’s presidential ticket to the South. It explained why Senator Abdullahi Adamu emerged as Chairman of the party through a consensus arrangement (at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari) at the national convention of the party which finally held on March 26 in spite of dissenting voices.

 

The three top contenders in APC, from my dip stick survey, are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a national leader of the party; vice president Yemi Osinbajo and minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in that order. However, it was Asiwaju Tinubu who first declared his presidential ambition; he has a first-mover advantage.

 

After weeks of speculation, Prof Yemi Osinbajo finally declared his intention to contest for president. Let us just say his announcement did not come as a surprise; it was only a question of time but his declaration could have been better choreographed, according to Victor Oladokun, a communications specialist and brand management expert based in Virginia, USA.The overall presentation struck me as what was put together in a hurry. Never mind, he is in the race and I think that is what is important.

 

As vice president since 2015, Osinbajo believes he is just one step away from occupying the exalted and powerful office of president and I must say it is well within his right to contest. But the unfolding scenario will be an interesting case study for political science researchers. Which political structure will Osinbajo rely on?How did President Buhari receive the news? At what point did he drop the ball with his former boss, Tinubu? What exactly was his motivation to contest?

 

Osinbajo, a brilliant legal mind, knows that declaring his ambition was “the ultimate test of his loyalty to Tinubu.”I took the liberty to paraphrase these words by Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, who is also eminently qualified to take a shot at the presidency. Well,the VP knows that the die is cast and there’s no turning back.

 

His relationship with Tinubu since his days as the chief law officer of Lagos state when the Jagaban Borgu was the governor has been seriously tested and it will be a straight fight betweenTinubu and Osinbajo who are clearly the front runners of the party.Insiders told me that their relationship is damaged and it may never be the same again.

 

Although Osinbajo’s high profile position gives him helicopter view of what goes on inside government circles, Tinubu’s formidable political machine built over the years will be an advantage. By the way, Tinubu – a democracy activist and technocrat — hit the ground running since January and he has been travelling round the country, engaging critical stakeholders. Anyway, politicians do that all the time, testing the waters and weighing their options in what usually turns out to be a cat and mouse race.

 

My friends and associates are divided on the matter between Tinubu and the VP. In fact, some of them want any party but APC at the centre next year because they are “unhappy” with the Buhari administration.

 

However, a majority believe Tinubu should get the ticket because, according to them, he will be a “strong” leader. Osinbajo has demonstrated his credentials as a public intellectual with the power of oratory and elocution but he should worry about the trending stories on hisappointments that allegedly favour RCCG (his church) members.

 

Rotimi Amaechi, from all indications, appears to be favoured by the northern establishment to take over from President Buhari, but it remains what it is: a mere speculation. Becoming president of Nigeria goes beyond wishful thinking. What is Amaechi’s game plan? Who are the delegates in his corner? What will happen in Rivers state where Senator Magnus Abe and Governor Nyesom Wike – two political adversaries – are waiting for him? Amaechi knows he has to deliver his state in the presidential election – that is if he is able to get the party’s ticket.

 

Ifwe cast our minds back, we would recall that Tinubu and Amaechi were the main “facilitators” of the emergence of Buhari as the party’s flag bearer in 2015. How would the seven-year-old gesture count in their favour?Who will be the ultimate beneficiary of the 2015 pact? What is Amaechi’s political capital? Is there something we do not know about his turbaning ceremony in Daura? Well, let us wait and see.

 

The other APC contendersare Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, Dave Umahi, governor of Ebonyi state (he defected from PDP), Senator Orji Kalu, Senator Rochas Okorocha and Pastor Tunde Bakare.With all due respect, these are players in the second division league of 2023 presidential politics. Not much has been heard from Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state and Senator Ibikunle Amosun but it appears they are also keen to join the race and become relevant in the scheme of things.

 

The delegate system will be used at the upcoming primaries – as opposed to the consensus method — to determine the flag bearer of the party but trust me when I say it will be a high stake game. Lobbying and horse trading are on and they are part of the game and our democratic culture. This is why there are so many presidential aspirants stepping out from behind their curtainsto be recognised and take advantage of the “free publicity”arising thereof. Name recognition (brand appeal) is a deliberate survival strategy in politics.

 

In the case of PDP, zoning where the party’s flag bearer would come from was a major issue but the matter has since been settled. Contestants can come from any part of the country and still be eligible to take part in the presidential primaries – but that is after obtaining the expression of interest form costing N40 million.

 

PDP, from all indications, wants to unseat APC but how ready is the party? My crystal ball tells me that APC will win the presidential election in spite of the “unhappiness” expressed by some people except, of course, there are major upsets from different polling centres nationwide. PDP also parades a long list of presidential aspirants and it should not be surprising; it is all about positioning for relevance and survival.Politics is a game and the rules were drawn up by the politicians themselves.

 

The contestants include Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice president; Senator Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Senator Ayim Pius Ayim; former secretary to the federal government; Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra state; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, founder of New Nigeria Group and Aare Dele Momodu, chairman of Ovation media group.

 

Others are Alhaji Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state; Chief Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state; Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom state; Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state andAyodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state.

 

Prof Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of CBN and Kola Abiola, son of late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, are also in the presidential race but in other parties – African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peoples Redemption party (PRP) respectively.

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There are deft political moves among the chieftains of PDP to forge a consensus but it is still unclear how it will play out. For instance, contestants from the South East are insisting that the party must zone the ticket to the zone.

 

Southern governors of the party have also asked for the presidential ticket to be zoned to the South. These permutations have far reaching implications for the eventual flag bearer of the party, making it difficult to say for sure who will get the ticket.

 

Based on political data and information available, the 2023 presidential election would be a straight contest between Tinubu and Atiku because they possess the clout and political capital which you cannot buy overnight. They are also immensely popular with dependable political structures and significant outreach initiatives. A consensus arrangement in the South East will favour Peter Obi as he is clearly the contestant with a broader appeal from the region.However, to win the presidential election, the candidate must have a national appeal.

 

Aare Momodu is a breath of fresh air in the party but how far can he go since money bags, according to his own confession, are in charge of the political process? I can also say the same thing for Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa but they both have their limitations. Udom Emmanuel and Nyesom Wike are two South-South contestants who also want to be president of Nigeria. Wike has been a financier of the party for a long time and he thinks the time has come to reap the benefits of his “investment”. He boasted that he will not play second fiddle to anyone, but later admitted he will remain in the party even if he does not get the ticket.

 

Wike understands that the party will not hand him the ticket on a platter of gold and if he is truly deserving of becoming the party’s candidate, he has to work harder but his chances are slim. If the ticket swings to the North, Atiku, Saraki, Mohammed and Tambuwal – in that order — will be the front runners.It has become evident that theyneed to agree which one of them should be the preferred candidate from the northern region. Saraki or Tambuwal looks like obvious compromise choices but Atiku is still the man to beat although my brother, Prince Kassim Afegbua, former information commissioner in Edo state, will disagree strongly.

 

Even if PDP decides to give the ticket to an aspirant from the South East, it is not a guarantee that PDP will go on to win the election; there will still be a contest with the APC flag bearer and the party will rely on the power of incumbency. PDP must wake up and smell the coffee.

 

Being a party flag bearer is one part of the long journey to Aso Villa but the contestant that eventually gets to the seat of power would be determined by the cumulative vote tally. The candidate’s key messages, the party’s manifesto and the voting pattern in Nigeria are critical in the political equation that ensures victory.

 

With our myriad of problems, a winning campaign must focus on the challenges facing Nigerians. They include strengthening the integrity of the electoral process, building strong institutions, promoting transparency and accountability in public service, solving the riddle of constant electricity blackouts, exposing corruption, tackling insecurity, creating more jobs, especially through industrialisation and agriculture;managing our wealth efficiently and championing prosperity.

 

Two key sectors also deserving of attention are education and public health. The incoming administration should search for quick wins – low hanging fruits — to earn foreign exchange in the short term. If the government is unable to manage the railways, airports and other critical assets, they can be concessioned but only on fair and equitable terms. The idea is for government to become leaner and efficient. In addition, our next president must understand that building confidence and trusting relationships are critical success factors to move Nigeria forward.

 

Whoever is going to be the president needs votes across Nigeria from the 176,000 polling units and every vote must count.  That’s where INEC comes. We do not need thugs, mercenaries, ballot box snatchers and hired killers. The world would be watching – right from the party primaries until the election of Nigeria’s next president in 2023.

 

Let us join hands together and make a difference for the good of our country.

 

Braimah is a public relations strategist and publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://naijatimes.ng)

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Tony Elumelu’s Entrepreneurs: A Decade Of Impact

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By Ehi Braimah

In the summer of 2020, I wrote an articletitled, “Tony Elumelu: God’s Gift to Africa,” which was later published as a chapter in my book, ‘My Lockdown Diary: Reflections on Nigeria and Covid-19 Pandemic.’ At the time, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) marked its 10th anniversary and admitted its 6th cohort in the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.

Elumelu is the Chairman of UBA, Africa’s global bank, and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, an African investment conglomerate with interests in financial services, healthcare, insurance, energy, hospitality, power, real estate, and technology.

Once you have a vision to do something, avoid distractions as much as possible and don’t allow anything to hold you back. Remember that there are always days of little beginnings. The holy book even admonishes us as follows: My people perish for lack of vision (Proverbs 29:18). This Bible verse is often explored at leadership development seminars. Without a long-term plan or goal (a vision), you cannot achieve anything in life.

The flip side of that coin is to acquire knowledge so that once you pick your spot, you can become an authority on the subject – your area of expertise. We must therefore constantly seek to expand the frontiers of knowledge and craft the desired vision to accelerate growth and development in any field.

This is what Elumelu has been doing: dreaming, craftingvisions and acquiring knowledge. Ideas rule the world, and the TEF founder has been running with his ideas by investing in different sectors of the economy.

On top of that, he is Africa’s leading funder of young entrepreneurs.

When he moved into philanthropy, Elumelu, with the support of his wife, Awele, a medical doctor, launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation in 2010. His primary objective was, and is, to create enduring prosperity and social wealth in Africa by empowering young men and women.

The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme began with the first cohort in 2015. I was one of the pioneer mentors.

By prioritising young entrepreneurs in Africa, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is investing in the future of the continent.These young business owners and employers have gone ahead to create over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs, grossing over $2.5 billion in revenue – a significant impact in a decade.

During that period, the Foundation trained over 1.5 million young Africans on the digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over USD100 million in direct funding to 20,000 young men and women.

The initial goal was to empower 10,000 entrepreneurs in 10 years, but all that, as we can see, have changed with time.

TEF is funded by an annual grant from Heirs Holdings and supported by other companies in the group.In the first five years, TEF spent over N2 billion to achieve its objectives. Each Tony Elumelu entrepreneur is given a non-refundable seed capital of $5,000 to start their own business.

But the number of grantees grew gradually with support from partners such as Google, African Development Bank, EU, UNDP, etc. This is why Elumelu is calling for a global coalition to expand the reach and impact of the entrepreneurship programme, and unlock the huge economic potential of Africa.

“Instead of giving seed money to only 1,000 young entrepreneurs, I’m envisaging a time when we can fund 100,000 entrepreneurs,” Elumelu said on March 22 (his birthday) when the new beneficiaries – the 10th cohort of the 10-year-long TEF Entrepreneurship Programme– were unveiled at the UBA Amphitheatre in Lagos.

Elumelu says we should spread opportunities and democratise luck for our young ones. This is his passion, as he is on a mission to empower young Africans to become wealth creators. He is quick to remind anyone that luck, chance and mentorship helped him to get along on his journey to the top.

He is always excited when he listens to TEF impact stories across the continent. These captivating stories are the joys of entrepreneurship which Elumelu needs to fire on all cylinders as he embarks on another decade of transforming lives.

Indeed, most of the TEF entrepreneurs are doing well, while some are failing or have failed. That is to be expected in the topsy-turvy world of entrepreneurship. However, you only need to listen to their testimonials and see how philanthropy can be used to leverage influence and impact in the way TEF under Elumelu’s leadership has done it.

The icing on the cake is that after 10 years of impact in African philanthropy, the Harvard Business Schoolhas launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation as a case study. Harvard researchers intend to examine the role and impact of the Foundationand its unique approach to catalysing entrepreneurship in Africa.

Harvard Business School will also explore the economic philosophy known as Africapitalism created by Elumelu. Africapitalism is anchored on the strong argument that the private sector must play a pivotal role in Africa’s development, and that investment in strategic sectors must seek social and economic returns.

Other billionaires in Africa should emulate Elumelu by creating a legacy of impact in any area of human endeavour. Their interventions should aim at improving the lives of Africans by changing the existing narrative of poverty into prosperity. Humanity is a precious gift, and we have a duty to nurture and preserve it.

In 2024, over 150,000 entries were received from the 54 countries in Africa, according to Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, but only 1,104 made the cut through a rigorous selection process carried out by Ernst & Young (EY), with 65 percent male and 35 percent female distribution.

As you would expect, Nigerians dominated the final shortlist with 53 percent, Benin republic had 10 percent, while the rest of Africa was 37 percent.

The criteria used were: feasibility of each pitch, market opportunity, financial understanding, scalability, and leadership and entrepreneurial skills. The beneficiaries of the 10th cohort have already identified what they will spend their seed money on, but I was not surprised that a majority of them(381) want to invest in agriculture and create agribusiness.

It is the only way we can boost food security and eliminate hunger and packageagricultural products for export.Nigeria can become the food basket of Africa in view of our vast arable land.

On the industry distribution listed presented by Ernst & Young, we also have information technology (133), beauty &fashion (118), manufacturing (80), education (64), professional services (63), green economy (57), medicine & healthcare (41), media & entertainment (34), logistics and transportation (30), energy and utilities (28), construction (25), tourism & hospitality (23), and FMCG (18).

There are a few categories not listed in this article but when added, would bring the total number of beneficiaries by industry distribution to 1,104. It is always a struggle to come up with the final shortlist because the pitch is highly competitive.

From the over 150,000 entries received, 69.8 percent came from West Africa, 0.5 percent from North Africa, 21.1 percent from East Africa, 4.5 percent from Central Africa and 4.1 percent from Southern Africa. But this is not a West African event, neither is language a barrier. We need more participation from the rest of Africa.

Research, advocacy, and training are strong pillars of the Foundation that was set up with the following objectives: supporting entrepreneurship, enhancing competitiveness, policy intervention and leadership development.

Elumelu is fond of telling his young entrepreneurs to “hang in there and be positive about your future.” He also says we must spread prosperity in Africa. “The easiest way to spread prosperity in Africa is to identify young entrepreneurs and support them to start their own business,” he told the audience at the unveiling of the 2024 beneficiaries last Friday.

“We are happy to see our young ones prospering, and we would like to partner with other global institutions for more impact,” the TEF founder continued.

“Today is a day of impact, gratitude and reflection. God has been kind to me and my family. It is not from the abundance of our wealth that we are funding young entrepreneurs, but it is from the realisationthat the spread of poverty is a threat to everyone. We cannot live alone in prosperity.

“I’m indeed happy that in our lifetime, we are able to impact the next generation.”Let us continue to spread opportunities, democratise luck and improve lives.

Braimah is a global public relations consultant and marketing strategist. He is also the publisher/editor-in-chief of Naija Times (https://ntm.ng) and Lagos Post (https://lagospost.ng), and can be reached via hello@neomedia.com.ng.

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Office Of Senate President And The Impeachment Broom

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By Kassim Afegbua

Crucify him, Crucify him! is the chorus in the Hallowed Chambers of the Nigerian Senate. The legislators are calling for impeachment of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. From day one in June, when this 10th Senate was consummated, it has been one impeachment threat after the other against this compatriot. Where has he gone wrong? It appears that the struggle and contest for the office of the Senate President between Senators Abdulaziz Yari and Godswill Akpabio is not yet over. It has as usual worn the garb of a North-South divide; some Senators from the North insist that in order to balance the algorithms of power, the Senate Presidency should be ceded to the North, considering that the current President of Nigeria and the Chief Justice of Nigeria are both from the South. The supporters of Senator Yari have thrown ethnicity into the fray and so pressured other members of the Senate to see reason to uphold their position to have the office zoned to the North. They choose to be oblivious of the very recent history of who and who occupied that office before Akpabio; this is our one Nigeria. Such is the temper of power in a multi-ethnic society where so many interests and factors are rolled into the process of power acquisition and distribution. After all the power play albeit, it culminated in Senator Godswill Akpabio being elected to assume the position of the Senate President.

But events following his emergence tend to suggest that the dust of the contest has not fully settled. Some of the forces behind Senator Yari are still up in arms against the Senate President, watching closely to see him slip on the banana peel, and latch unto every incident to rake up mud against him. Even when the issues are quite analogous, they tend to want to make them impeachable in a bid to rattle the Senate President, show strength, and alter the political applecart. Senator Akpabio as a person may not be their real target; it appears that they want to capture the office of the Senate President. The resolve is just to make sure that the South-South geopolitical zone is denied the office. Since 1999, we’ve had several Senate Presidents and impeachments that were deliberately orchestrated to swipe the South- South of power and consolidate a remote grip on the leadership of the Legislature. In eight years, eight few years, there were five Senate Presidents, all from the South-East who came about as consequences of one impeachment plot or another. Senators Anyim, Okadigbo, Enweren, Nwabara, and Nnamani all slipped on the banana peel route. These impeachments came to an end when Senator David Mark emerged as Senate President. He served for eight years in that position and there was peace and stability in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly. After him came Senator Bukola Saraki by a veritable political coup within the APC hierarchy. Saraki was followed by Senator Ahmed Lawan. None of them was impeached. They are all from the North.

Both Senators Saraki and Lawan served for four years each, and heaven never fell. Even though there were observed impeachable offences, the threats of impeachment never reared its ugly head. Senator Saraki who outsmarted all deliberate efforts to uproot him because he was not the choice of the APC, was still able to complete a four-year term before he bowed out of the Senate. The era of Senator Lawan was dappled with questionable approvals granted to the Executive on the “Ways and Means,” but nobody raised a voice of impeachment. Why then is it that it is only when senators from the South occupy the Senate President position that threats of impeachment rear their ugly heads? What exactly has Senator Godswill Akpabio done to warrant the calls for impeachment? Or what exactly has he done? Is it a conspiracy to have him removed to please certain interests from the North? Is he not conducting the business of the Senate well? Has he indeed committed any impeachable offense, to warrant the hoopla being generated? I am of the considered view that Senator Godswill Akpabio has brought in his own style to bear on the Senate, and as a man with his wits about him, he has succeeded in carrying every senator along. He may not be the angel from heaven like his predecessors, but he surely has led with an open heart, to the admiration of the majority members of the Senate. Those who are demanding that his head be gullotined are traitors and hypocrites. The Ningi episode presented a handy excuse to drive the nail of impeachment deeper into the coffin.

Senator Akpabio is not just a senator; he is one of exemplary repute, he’s a leader who has been able to politically impact on his people. As Governor of Akwa Ibom state, his level of transformation of the state through infrastructural renewal raised the commercial viability and prosperity indices of the state and his people. His performance as Governor was remarkable and exemplary. It is the reason he is referred to as an “uncommon transformation Governor.” Inter Alia, he was Minister of Niger-Delta, and a principal officer of the Senate. In those offices he raised the bar by quintessential delivery. These are the antecedents he brings to the office of the Senate President; he has a rich background of cross-country affiliations and solidarities that are needed to create synergies in the Senate. Those who want him out are only pursuing an agenda of the same old mundane regional domination that is never pregnant with anything that could possibly bring prosperity for our nation or people. Senator Godswill Akpabio may not be your usual dye-in-the-wool politician, but he understands the dynamics of playing in Nigeria’s political landscape and sure knows how to smoothen the relationships between the three arms of government for our collective best interest. He has the uncanny ability to rally round his colleagues and has succeeded in building a robust relationship between the Legislature and the Executive in pursuant of the renewed hope agenda. Those who are working assiduously to impeach Senator Akpabio need to be less pedantic, provincial and parochial, and more objective future thinking. Realpolitik is it in today’s world. Posterity should matter. We need to rescue our country from the clutches of crickets, before they throw us into another avoidable political crisis. What we need at this time is stability that would propel the wheel of good governance.

The suspension of Senator Mohammed Ningi to me, should be revisited; if he has now shown signs of penitence. His tactic was hare- brained; as a Senator, he has all the avenues to lay his complaints before his colleagues especially during their Executive Session, but he chose to go public without doing due diligence on his point of disagreement. He flew a kite which caught him midstream. Peradventure, he was trying to impress his constituents. Majority of the senators are buying into Akpabio’s leadership on account of his conduct of the affairs of the Senate. From his consummate administrative skills to his drive and mapping, he has proven to be the right man for the office. His colleagues have access to him, he’s a networker, he makes and follows plans, he is energetic, and he shows love for his people, which he converts to trails for prosperity. As a man with his wits about him, Senator Akpabio additionally has the gift of oratory and has been able to assert the relevance of South-South geopolitical zone since his emergence as Senate President. He will be fondly remembered even after many years of leaving office. Rather than call for his impeachment for no justifiable reason, the senators should work with him to create the required stability to enable Executive bring us out of our current quagmire. The beauty of contemporary leadership is being able to rally round the people and build affinities that would help cement unity in diversity. The South-South geopolitical zone is the treasure base of the nation and should therefore be cautiously cultivated to promote that sense of belonging that has been preached about over the years. Let us deliberately maintain peace in the region for our betterment. This latest hobby of calling for impeachment at the slightest or even no provocation is unbecoming. Nigeria is very fragile. We need to promote national cohesion and carry every geopolitical zone along, so that the real gains of the Renewed Hope afore promised will be accessed.

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Pulaaku Initiative: Tinubu’s Message Of Hope To The North

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By Modibo Mustapha

It was the first Nigeria Army Chief of Staff and Former Military Governor of the defunct Northern Region, late General Hassan Usman Katsina (Ciroman Katsina), that described in the social menace of begging and destitution in the North as a Hausan-Fulani community problem. He said this during a media chart on an NTA network program in February 1992. Exactly 32 years ago.

In his frank characteristic, the late Ciroman Kastina (of blessed memory) attributed the unfortunate situation to the failure of “the current leaders of the North including myself”, and that “only we the northern leaders can find a lasting solution to the problem”.

This statement will not come as a surprise to those who were familiar with the frankness and truthfulness of the late General.

He then called on the Northern leadership to work in unison, towards improving the condition of living in the region, through the provision of formal education and social amenities to the people, so that the menacing culture of begging on the streets of the North will be considerably minimized or completely eradicated. He further warned that if the situation is left unchecked, it may snowball into a major problem, with dire consequences to the peace and stability of the entire nation. Many will agree that the late General predicted the security situation of today over three decades ago.

However, before that remarkable statement was made by the late General Hassan Katsina on the degradable culture of begging in the North, Professor Jubril Aminu, as Nigeria’s Minister of Education in 1989, had introduced the concept of Nomadic Education into the nation’s educational system.

Many at that time, did not understand the passion with which Prof. Jubril Aminu wanted to take formal education to the nomadic Fulanis in the forests. With the benefit of hindsight today, one can sadly attest to the fact that the worries and warnings of both late General Hassan Katsina and Professor Jubril Aminu have been justified. This is in view of the criminal recruitment in droves, of uneducated northern children begging on the streets, and the illiterate nomadic Fulanis in the forests, into the army of Kidnapers, Bandits, and Terrorists that are currently unleashing mayhem on Nigerians.

It will not be considered an exaggeration to say that the absence of formal education and lack of social amenities for vulnerable children that are begging on the streets, combined with the deliberate isolation of the nomadic Fulanis from general socio political economic activities by government, have both contributed immensely to the frightening spate of insecurity in the North.

When on Tuesday the 30th January 2024, a group of policy analysts in Abuja known as the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), identified the recently established Pulaaku Initiative as the long awaited Non- Kinetic solution that can drastically reduce the susceptibility of vulnerable children and the nomadic fulanis, to the heinous crimes of kidnaping, banditry, and terrorism in the North, there was a sigh of relief among many opinion leaders across the nation.

The personal commitment and political will with which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, approved the establishment of the Pulaaku Initiative can be seen in the rapid release the sum of 50 Billion Naira operational fund for its immediate take off.

However, as good and thoughtful as the initiative appears, the challenge still remains that the intended beneficiaries of the new program need to be effectively mobilized and carried along in its implementation. This is absolutely a challenge to the Northern establishment.

It will amount to major failure and a monumental self-indictment on the part of northerners in government, either in elective or appointive offices, His Excellency Vice President Kashim Shattima GCON, who is coincidentally the custodian of the Pulaaku Initiative inclusive, if this presidential opportunity for the return of peace and stability to the region is wasted.

Leaders from the North, irrespective of their political leaning or inclination, are expected to unite and give the Pulaaku Initiative the needed support to succeed.

The emphasis of the Pulaaku Initiative on the provision of formal education and other social amenities, will go a very long way to give the vulnerable children in the North and the nomadic fulanis a sense of belonging and formal orientation, needed to interact with their immediate social environment without fear of complex and discrimination.

The nomadic fulanis in Northern Nigeria have been neglected for too long, owing to the failure of governments at all levels. The Pulaaku Initiative is the first policy of it kind, ever deployed by government with a deliberate intention to create government presence within the nomadic communities in the North.

This above objective, more than any other thing, should be more important to the North at this crucial point in time when peace and social stability seems to have eluded the region.

It is therefore incumbent on the current northern political class to pay more attention to issues like this that will bring genuine development to the people of the region, and to desist from distractive arguments on mundane issues like the unwarranted controversy over the transfer of some Federal Government staffs to Lagos from Abuja. This is gibberish, and a lallation of the highest order.

Mr. president needs to be commended and encouraged to sustain his interest and spirited efforts on the implementation of the Pulaaku Initiative, so that the goals and objectives of the initiative can be achieved within a reasonable period of time, to the credit of his administration.

Duty therefore beckons on His Excellency Vice President Kashim Shattima GCON, to use his good office to convene a summit of various leaders of the Fulani herdsmen, and the owners of the Sangaya Islamiya schools in the North. They are indispensable stakeholders in the Pulaaku Initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, and enlisting their passion and support for the scheme will largely determine its success.

Finally, the need for the North to support the Tinubu administration cannot be over emphasized in this context. The appalling neglect of socio economic issues relating to the Herdsmen and the Sangaya Islamic education system by successive governments in Nigeria, is the tap root of the current insecurity in the North.

The North must support the President for what Mr. Niyi Akinsiju, Chairman of the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), aptly described at a press conference in January 2024, as a “creative and pragmatic intervention that will most likely change the narratives around insecurity in the country”.


-Mustapha is a Legal Practitioner in Yola, Adamawa State.

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