Category:

Opinion

There is Shortage of Leaders

by Leading Reporters March 19, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

“Nigeria In Dire Need of Leaders That Understand The Moral Dimension of Leadership In Service Delivery”

Light I. Shedrack

“If you understand what sound leadership is all about, you’d know that the world, and indeed Nigeria have serious shortage of leaders in the truest meaning of leadership. When I talk about leadership, I do not mean the politicians that mount the podium during campaign and brand themselves “tested and trusted” leaders.

I am talking about leaders who understand the moral dimension of leadership in service delivery; leaders who have conquered selves, egos, and their ravenous appetite to steal from the treasury; leaders who understand the principle of stewardship; leaders who are followers and not bosses; leaders who understand how to optimize human, natural and other resources”.

The above were part of the opening address given by Light I. Shedrack in his talk to members of the Civil Society Organizations during its maiden edition of a two-day capacity building on Leadership/Basic ICT application training for civil society groups in Nigeria organized by Transparency Advocacy For Development Initiative (TADI) in conjunction with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Speaking on the topic “Leadership Capacity Building (Quality of Good Directive/Leadership Skill), Mr. Shedrack leveraged some legendary stories, including “Reformers of Selves Wanted in America’s Early History”, “The Sage Who Tied An Earthen Pot to His Waist” and “Mahatma Gandhi and The Woman Whose Son Had Sugar Addiction” to buttress the fact that leaders are first reformers who have reformed themselves.

“There is a silken thread of morality that holds great leaders together”.

In Mr. Shedrack’s words “leaders are those who have reformed themselves. Those who are selfless; Those who are driven by passion to serve and not to be served. Those who inspire others and build them to succeed”.

“There is the moral dimension of leadership and unless it is present, no society moves in the right direction. Forget about those that brandish the name “Leaders”. If they are truly leaders in the best definition of leadership, why have we not made any tangible progress since we got independence? He described a true leader as an organizer, a mentor, a manager and someone who truly inspires others to succeed. A leader is a Shepherd and not just a herder who only takes the sheep to the field. A shepherd stays with the sheep in the face of danger. He has emotive connection with the flock that he hurts when the flock hurts.

“Leaders always know the “Why”. They know why they are saddled with the responsibilities they are saddled with. They know why they need to deliver results. Mr. Shedrack reiterated the words of Raymond Smith, a USA business leader who said that leaders are in short supply and the society is not doing much to raise more.

“A leader is visionary and he thinks SMART. He is assertive. He teaches and is teachable. They are driven by passion to succeed and they do not only delegate authorities and responsibilities, they are part of the doing-team.

Mr Shedrack frowned at the system of leadership in Nigeria which sees others with bright ideas as a threat. He said that Nigeria public office holders, including civil servants and those in private sectors do not feel comfortable when they have subordinates or staff who look and act brighter than them.

“We only have managers and so-called leaders who will never allow those who exude more brilliance and intelligence to be promoted because they feel threatened that such brilliance and intelligence may take them out of business. It is called law of Injelitance”.

He encouraged the attendants to rejig their leadership consciousness towards promoting social cohesion, love, peace, intellectualism, merit and patriotism, among other virtues that build strong nationhood. He charged the attendants to begin to replace symbols of violence and divisions with symbols of peace, unity, love and creative engagements.

March 19, 2021 0 comments

Opinion

Nigeria’s Minimum Wage: Labour has a point

by Leading Reporters March 14, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

Last Wednesday, state capitals across Nigeria witnessed protests by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against the plan to remove the country’s minimum wage from her Exclusive Legislative List.

Expectedly, several elite voices have since condemned Labour on the subject. While some, such as governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, faulted the approach of the workers, others have described the protests as an attempt to stop the legislature from doing its work.

No one appears to remember that the National Assembly from where the bill was initiated is expected to consist of the people’s representatives whose primary obligation is to be on the side of the people. If so, which people in Nigeria requested their representatives to help them remove the minimum wage item from the exclusive legislative list or who are the legislators helping?

Opposition against the bill can hardly be surmounted. Already, many state legislators who addressed the workers’ protest last week expressed support for Labour making the reasoning of those in support of the removal to be unclear to everyone. It is argued that because some poor states may not be able to pay what others can afford, each state should have power to negotiate directly with its workers.

The argument is comical because a national minimum wage is supposed to be a figure that every state can pay; leaving more viable states with the option to pay far more than the barest minimum. In which case, is it not rational to leave the determination of such a benchmark to a central, neutral level? Against this backdrop, one is persuaded to agree with Labour that perhaps those against our apex workers’ union are yet to understand the ordinary meaning of ‘minimum’ as a term.

Why can’t Nigeria determine the least pay for her citizens in every part of the country? After all, the United States that our people constantly cite probably because our constitution is modelled after theirs has a national minimum wage. At the last count, no less than 29 American states had set their own minimum wages above the federal figure.

With respect to the reasonableness of the decision of Labour to organize protests against the bill which seeks to reorder the status of the minimum wage, one is tempted to conclude that our leaders are probably unable to appreciate that protests are legitimate and that they are covered by law in our country and elsewhere.

A peep at sections 38, 39, 40 and 41 of the Nigerian Constitution would reveal a combined effect of a fundamental human right of the people to assemble with like-minds to voice out their displeasure, disappointments and indeed their support for a policy. It is therefore unfair to echo the rather old-fashioned perspective in many parts of the country that persons who engage in protests are either unpatriotic or anti-establishment. It is hoped that this unprogressive stance will wear out soon, so that our nation is not dispossessed of what it takes to move side by side with other enlightened societies.

There is also nothing new or strange about the decision of Labour to protest. Perhaps some people would have preferred the option of dialogue, which at this point makes little sense in view of the long-drawn out dialogue which preceded the determination of the current minimum wage of N30, 000 that was done by Labour, Government at Federal and State Levels and the Private Sector. Six governors, one per geopolitical zone represented the states. The figure was negotiated over and over again and agreed upon before it was made into law. Labour imagines that it is states who have since breached the law that are now seeking a new path through a bill that removes the subject from the Exclusive Legislative list.

One would have thought that having reached a consensus earlier within the tenure of our current President, the determined minimum wage should have been allowed to work instead of looking for ways to thwart an agreement. Besides, we need to give peace medals to the current labour leaders who have not towed the path of their aggressive predecessors that harassed previous administrations on the same issues that are still begging for solution today.

We honestly cannot blame Labour now because many of the issues they have raised are not being tackled. For instance, Labour says minimum wage is a global phenomenon about which Nigeria should not seek to be an island on its own. They contend that the issue of a national minimum wage in the Exclusive Legislative List was settled as far back as June 16, 1961 when Nigeria joined other Sovereign nations to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 26 which prioritized the subject.

Another important point that has remained ignored is the issue of what happens to the informal sector when the minimum wage is put in disarray. Who will fix the minimum wage for the private sector and our numerous unskilled workers? In addition, if it is unfair for workers to earn same wages in different states that are not equally endowed, is it fair for governors of poor states to be equally remunerated with governors of more viable states? Would it not have been more palatable if the need to readjust wages began with our leaders who should lead by example?

The take-home pay of our national legislators has remained a disgusting issue. Each time it is raised, legislators team up as a union to place a smokescreen on the allegation. Those who publicly speak on the subject reveal only their basic salary, what about the outrageous allowances that even the body established to fix their remuneration has always disowned? Some even tell us of the ratio of funds available to the three arms of government to justify what the legislature gets. Is it only funds that should be shared by ratio, what about workforce? Those who speak privately for fear of suspension confirm millions of Naira at the disposal of federal legislators in Nigeria every month – a posture that is not amusing to the ordinary citizen. This probably explains the general belief that it is only the working class in our country particularly the lowly paid that are required to make sacrifices to stabilize Nigeria during this precarious financial situation.

History tells us how our leaders many years back without prompting, cut their expenses during periods of national financial difficulty. During the Murtala/Obasanjo military regime for example, austerity measures introduced to revitalize the nation began from the top when the most expensive official vehicle for top office holders was reduced to a Nigerian-assembled Peugeot car.

Today, the more the financial crisis, the more imported vehicles are procured for legislators and executives as if they belong to a group beyond the people they claim to represent. What this suggests is that if states are over-empowered at this point in time to determine wages, some of them will not only strangulate workers, they may procure private jets for retrieval of their own special allowances which being so high, might be in the sky. It is therefore hard to not agree that in the current agitation for workers’ survival, Labour has a strong point.

March 14, 2021 0 comments

Bandits and Criminals Deserve Punishment, Abiara tells FG

by Leading Reporters March 13, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

The Retired General Evangelist Christ Apostolic Church, Worldwide, Prophet S.K Abiara has charged the Federal Government of Nigeria to punish bandits and criminal elements terrorizing the nation.

Abiara while speaking at a press conference in Abuja over the weekend stated that justice needs to be done so that criminal act such as kidnapping and banditry must stop in Nigeria.

“The criminals are very rampant, and this is because there is no justice. I will like to advice the government that criminals should be punished, and proper justice be done, this will allow others to stop the criminal act”.

Meanwhile, Abiara noted that it is time Nigerians rise to pray as one nation so that peace will reign in the land.

Abiara however urge the federal government to follow the steps of developed nations in curbing the movement of cattle herders in Nigeria.

“Though the government is trying on this issue but I will like to advice the government to borrow a leaf from developed nations where you cannot see illicit movement of cattle across their road.

“Countries such as USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA and the likes, most of our leaders too travel abroad, they can never see these animals moving about the city center, we must find a way around this.

“It is very embarrassing even for visitors to see this happening in our country, so I want to advice the government to make adequate arrangements like other developed countries”. He added.

Abiara further advice that it is time states go into farming instead of waiting for a particular part of the country to bring in food.

“I want to advice all the states to go into farming, when all states have sufficient food and livestock, they will not bother about shortage of food, so I want to advice all the states to go into farming and livestock farming too to ensure food sufficiency”.

Also, Abiara stated that in order to ensure peace and tranquility in the country, the elected leaders must fulfill their campaign promises to the electorates while the masses too should exercise patience for government to fulfill her mandate instead of resulting to violence.

“We are in a democratic government and as such the government must fulfill campaign promises and must listen to the yearning of the electorates.

“This is very important because when you do not listen to the people and fulfill campaign promises, this will cause violence, and the masses too should be patient on the government particularly the youth”.

Abiara, through his foundation distributed food items, cash donations and empowerment scheme for the less privilege, noted that people are hungry, and as such the need for the donation.

He thereby advised well meaning Nigerians and philanthropist to use their wealth for the poor as exemplified by Jesus Christ.

“People are very hungry, and it is very good to lend a helping hand, so am using this opportunity to call on those who have should share with the less privileged in our society”.

March 13, 2021 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

N30b Storm water: Am unhappy with Obaseki

by Leading Reporters March 7, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

The saying that ‘government is a continuum’ makes ample sense to many because no patriot is likely to object to the continuation of well-thought-out policies initiated by a previous government.

It was perhaps the expectation that such continuity would be in the public interest that many Edo citizens in 2016 hastily embraced Godwin Obaseki, the governorship candidate of the then ruling All Progressives Congress APC. The anticipation was that Obaseki would continue with what was understood at the time to be his predecessor’s giant steps in project execution.

But based on a critical assessment of the over-publicized performance of the government of the day, this column did caution our people to be weary of hailing projects with hazy details. Government was so angered by my article for the week titled “Continuity in Edo on what?” published on July 31, 2016 that she expended huge public resources to procure nation-wide, live television coverage and full-page newspaper advertorial to denounce this writer. How I wish political jobbers who relished those paid, intemperate and defamatory adverts, had the serenity to read my response titled ‘Tonnie Iredia & the Verdict of History.’

Today, I am patently vindicated by the prompt verdict of history that is already on ground now. Of course, Obaseki who has since become governor, has disproved the suspicion that he would naively continue with projects without rationalizing them. Instead, he has shown commensurate wisdom by refusing to continue with projects whose concealed traps to shortchange his people have become exposed.

Interestingly, there are still politicians who have refused to condemn the booby-traps of the previous administration arguing that governor Obaseki should have ‘completed’ the 5-star hospital already commissioned by no less a personality than the nation’s President. What can any coherent citizen make of a clamor for a new governor to complete a project which had been formally commissioned with glamour before he took office? Perhaps it was to give ample time to those who diverted funds from the project to quietly return and have the job properly completed, that it took about 3 years before government set-up a judicial commission of enquiry into the affairs of the hospital.

Sadly, pertinent issues raised by the enquiry have been treated with kid-gloves. For instance, not much has been heard about the recommendation of the panel that the Ministry of Justice should institute civil and criminal actions against those found culpable in the project which the panel described as ‘fraught with breaches of the state’s procurement laws.’ If the constraint of the governor was influenced by his anxiety to avoid being distracted by prolonged probes, some people are surprised that he is yet to at least recover for the state, huge sums that may have been misappropriated. It is more upsetting that after Obaseki had himself seen several discrepancies in another controversial massive project – the N30billion Benin storm water scheme, he is still at the point of threatening to probe the contract.

Whoever is prevailing on the governor to soft-pedal so as not to be accused of pursuing his predecessor, is certainly not doing society any good. After all, there is nothing wrong with a probe that is well intentioned. While no one can stop governors from maintaining good relationships with their predecessors/political parties, all governors are under oath to adhere to the greater obligation of ensuring societal development.

This seems to explain the trend in other parts of the country where some governors have had to review previous projects for the good of society; an apt example here being the changes in Osun state where governor Oyetola has courageously and correctly reversed his predecessor and party leader. More importantly, if such changes involve recovery of misappropriated funds, it would be a disservice to look the other way supposedly for the sake of inter-personal peace.

In the case of Edo, the storm water project valued at N30billion is not only too huge to be toyed with, the consequence of leaving the state capital flooded is too grave to be pushed aside. The water project is therefore not one whose probe should be delayed. We are not unaware of efforts by some people to politicize the project by raising some irrelevant issues. First, there is the argument that the governor should have known that the entire budget of N30billion had not been spent – an argument which further justifies the need for a probe.

Apart from the fact that the argument does not controvert the original value of the project, the state is entitled to knowing the exact amount already expended, and the correlation between the unspent balance and what remains to be done. Can the amount yet to be spent, complete the job? If not, under which segment was money over-spent? How much is involved and how can it be retrieved? Besides, is it true that part of the funds made available for the project was allegedly shared? These are some of the issues that immediately render the probe inevitable.

In developed societies where Auditors have the required independence and strength of character to perform, a probe would probably be unnecessary; but in our clime where a leader can over-rule professionals, it is only through an enquiry that facts can be seamlessly exposed. There is also the blackmail by some people who are planning to indict members of the present government who were part of the previous administration. Such threats are honestly in favour of the state.

All those who have facts that would expose what anyone including the current governor did in the past, are welcome to play the role of good citizens by providing such facts. On the other hand, the call by some groups that governor Obaseki should waive his immunity and appear before the probe panel begs the issue. Such calls can only arise where any fact placed before the panel warrants the governor’s appearance.

We expect that the probe panel would not spare anyone involved in defrauding the state. Indeed, our people must learn to discard the tendency of seeking to use the misdemeanour of some other persons to justify theirs. All honest people ought to know that a probe is not a basis for automatic indictment, rather it is an instrument for correcting claims and false accusations which no one should be scared of.

Accordingly, we hope no one would resort to the old practice of using the judiciary to buy time by hopping from one court to another to stop the probe panel from doing the job. We are also in support of the decision of the state government to swiftly comb relevant ministries to retrieve crucial documents on the project which could be burnt by suspected arsonists.

Governor Obaseki has since 2016, evolved strategies for stopping the old order of fraudulent practices in government. Through technology he has been successful in removing political jobbers especially analogue revenue collectors from having access to state resources.

Having been so commended by all for the strategy, he cannot stop at that level of minor frauds. He must in addition, endeavour to take the fight higher by retrieving all stolen assets from past leaders and their influential aides. If not, the governor is likely to lose the admiration of Edo indigenes including this writer who are desirous of a speedy development of our state.

March 7, 2021 0 comments

Opinion

The Tottering Nigeria Ship of State

by Folarin Kehinde January 30, 2021

written by Folarin Kehinde

All watchers of the Nigerian political space must be agreed that at the present, the Nigerian ship of state is tottering.

Yes, Nigeria is a clearly wickedly structured country designed to fail. It has since its origin been seen as an unworkable union sustained by the greed and avarice of the political players.

Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of Northern Nigeria never believed in it and said so clearly and also said that if the new country would be acceptable to him and his tribesmen, it must be as an extension of the Estate of Othman Dan Fodio, the grand patron of the Fulani tribe.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo did not mince words in describing it as a mere geographical expression on paper. Conspiracy theories mentioned him to be behind Nigeria’s first military coup and to have planned other insurrections to end the evil arrangement.

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe lamented at one time that if this union would not work, let’s peacefully close it up and go our different ways.

Today, Nigeria is popularly called a “contraption” instead of a country.

All those who have seized power in the Nigerian political space be they the Nigerian military or politicians has never been mandated by majority of Nigerians. They have either shot their way to power with the gun in military coups or stolen the mandates through election rigging and brigandage.

It is obvious that Nigeria has done nothing with the huge human and mineral resources it has than to totter as a drunken man because like the irresponsible drunken man, the rulers has displayed the highest form of irresponsibility in their misuse of the huge financial and human resources of the country concentrating more on stealing money with open bravado from the national treasury or wasting what they cannot steal.

Meanwhile, never has there been a time in the history of Nigeria when the Nigerian ship of state has been in the state it is in today. The tottering of Nigeria under the Presidency that is being run in the name of Muhammadu Buhari is like a floating piece of paper in a whirlwind. The only prospect one can see for Nigeria today is the likelihood of the piece of paper in a whirlwind falling into a bonfire, the sea or on the highway where fast moving Dangote trucks are struggling to navigate out of muddy potholes.

It is clear that shipwreck and bonfire is going to consume Nigeria in not so distant time and if those fail, the Dangote trailers would certainly bury the piece of paper in the muddy potholes in all of Nigeria’s roads.

The worst part of our condition is that the so-called elite in the academia are waiting to be bribed. They are not willing to do anything because they can find food to eat at present. They cannot see beyond their nose that before long some hungry Nigerian youth who they call hoodlums would soon come for them.

The political hawks and vultures are having a field day on the carcass of the dead elephant (Nigeria). They cannot see beyond their noses. They strongly believe that they can pay for enough firearms to keep the hungry, listless, hapless and disoriented youth at bay. These are the blind and brainless rulers of Nigeria. They are so blind and brainless and also deaf that they could not see or hear or remember what happened in Central African Republic in 2013 when Fulani rogue rulers like them took over that country and proceeded like they are doing in Nigeria now to expropriate and subjugate the rest of the populace politically, economically and religiously.

Perhaps the worst failures are the Nigerian youth who have over the years demonstrated a failure to use their brain. Demographically, the youth age people of Nigeria are more in numbers than the rest of Nigeria. Yet they sit back helplessly and watch rogue rulers rubbish our commonwealth and the only thing they do is to seek for ways to join them. One of the worst of the groups is the youth of Niger Delta. Nigeria is hanging on a single hinge – the oil. The oil is extorted from the Niger Delta. The youth of Niger Delta like their older generations are satisfied to receive bribe from the Fulani minority overlords – a bribe paid for by the oil money coming from their own land where they cannot farm or fish again. That they are satisfied to be bribed by the Fulani with cash and scholarships abroad and sidelined from having access to the wealth coming from their own land is what I cannot understand how a people would sit by and let it happen.

One of the most worrying parts of the whole joke of a country is that the people and youth mainly are afraid to die and yet through the instrumentality of the Nigeria Police Force and Military, they are being killed on daily basis. This is why I said in past write-ups that “Nigerians are dead people who are afraid of being killed.” I cannot understand.

Well, history is not on the side of Nigerian politicians, rogue rulers and the Fulani. They have ignited a whirlwind that must destroy all of them. The time is coming and not so far away when the hapless youth would discover that it would be better to die fighting than to die like fools and chickens for sacrifice.

My advice to the Fulani and their comrades-in-arms rest of the rogue political class in Nigeria is to know that there is enough and to spare in this country when equity and rule of law is allowed to reign in it. You need to redress your steps now before it is too late. You think you have the Nigerian military and Police behind you. You must know that it is only a few of the military and police who are enjoying the loot with you and that when the revolt shall come, the largest majority of the men and women under arms are going to turn those guns on you and cause your blood and those of your wives and children to be spilled on the streets of Nigeria.

The above is not my plan. It is what happens in history. Remember the theory of the species. Once one particular species starts over-exploiting the ecosystem, nature engenders a revolt that changes it all. Avoid having to be on the run like the Fulani from Central African Republic. Wake up and learn.

January 30, 2021 0 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts