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Pendulum: Ahmed Lawan is Already My Man of the Year

Published

5 years ago

June 22, 2019

Eric

By Dele Momodu

Fellow Nigerians, it is with so much pride and joy that I wish to choose my man of the year, midway to the end of 2019. God’s ways are indeed mysterious. I was a bit uncomfortable and perturbed when the ruling party, APC, was fighting tooth and nail to install Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan as President of the Senate and Hakeem Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House of Representatives. The reason for my reservations and concern was not far-fetched. I had imagined that the only reason was that, as has been typical of the highly touchy and sensitive APC apparatchiks, they must have identified Lawan as a robot they believe would do whatever he’s asked to do by the executiven, no matter how preposterous the assignment may be. It was my belief at the time, the vitriol with which the race was being pursued by the Party hierarchy could only lend credence to the pervading public perception that the Party and the Government wanted to foist a pliable and malleable leadership on the National Assembly. This was particularly the case when the candidates themselves seemed to be maintaining a level of decorum and sense of fairness which the party top-notch seemed to be lacking.

Anyway. Lawan has won the contest by a handsome margin and he is now comfortably ensconced as the head of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly and, as a result, the head of the Federal Legislature. Congratulations to the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and our dear friend, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, who emerged as Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, also with an even healthier margin. It is noteworthy that their respective victories obviously transcended party lines and that the duo are quite popular amongst their colleagues as the applause and happy buzzing atmosphere that erupted after their elections demonstrates. I pray they both individually and jointly act in the overall interests of Nigeria and Nigerians. I’m of the opinion that their loyalty and allegiance should be to the country, in accordance with the hallowed and solemn oaths that they both took after their elections, and not to any individual or collective of individuals. May God grant them the requisite wisdom and courage to foster peace, fairness and unity at all times in all that they do.

I will not trouble you with a rehash of the antecedents of the new Senate President, Senator Lawan. Much of that information is now readily available. Such is the allure of power, that one can go from relative obscurity to instant fame and stardom. It is pertinent to however note some features of Senator Lawan which I believe has not only catapulted him into the elevated position that he now occupies, but also offers a glimpse as to his personality and what the future may hold for this man who seems destined for greatness. Lawan is a geographer and former university academic who holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Cranfield, in England, United Kingdom. His Bachelors and Master’s degrees came from the University of Maiduguri and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, respectively. It is clear that Senator Lawan is a very educated man who has the opportunity of international exposure in his educational formative years. I am partial to academics because I grew up amongst them and I know the expansiveness of their thoughts and views. Clearly, Senator Lawan is a man of this ilk and the views he espouses and his purposive embracing of all-comers in the political and social spectrum shows learning and a cultured background. It accounts for why he is able to reach out to everybody and his willingness to work with all shades of opinion as long as he believes it is the best for Nigeria. Lawan’s accomplishment as both Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee whilst in opposition and the Appropriations Committee in 2015 shows that he is a man his colleagues believe has integrity and accountability. The margin of his victory despite the shenanigans that accompanied the Senate Presidency elections, and the seeming uncertainty before that, typifies a man who is very well respected by his colleagues and seen as a unifying factor. Watching from the distance, I also see Lawan as a man of cool mien and demeanour.

What Nigeria desperately needs today is that unification process which all Nigerians are now stridently and strickenly crying for as they are ravaged and savaged by all manner of disuniting and separatist talk and actions. Nigerians certainly do not need or want the endless wars of attrition being fought by President Muhammadu Buhari and, in particular, his vengeful and neurotic cronies, allies, and foot soldiers who derive so much pleasure in seeking and drawing their pints of blood from real or imagined enemies. Unknown to them, it is not all wars that must be fought because the nation is bigger than them all. However, they studiously ignore this point and only seem to see the here and now. They forget the transience and evanescence of power and the ephemeral and fugacious nature of the intoxicating elixir that excessive and abusive power brews. They regularly flex their muscles and try to bully submissive and already wounded Nigerians into giving in to their bizarre ways.

One of their recent acts of truculence and obnoxiousness arose from an innocuous appointment made by the new Senate President, Mohammed Lawan. And what was the cause of their irritation and irritability? Lawan, in his uncommon wisdom had chosen to embrace meritocracy, competence and capacity by appointing as an aide, Festus Adedayo, a highly cerebral writer and journalist, and a Lawyer in the making, who was to be his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. The way the APC trolls responded was unbelievably shocking and irrationally jejune. They pressurised Lawan so much that he had to quickly drop Festus like a hot and scorching charcoal. They unleashed a blistering campaign of calumny and obloquy against a man they claimed had committed heresy by criticizing their demi-god, President Muhammadu Buhari. Oh my God! How, they asserted, could Lawan have committed such a huge blunder and colossal faux pas by appointing such an infamous person to enjoy the spoils of war that President Buhari had made possible for all APC legislators by his own might and right?

Unfortunately, and sadly, these are the signs of the times. I can almost bet my life that most of these APC folks who took to venting their unrelenting anger against Festus Adedayo have never read any of his articles which they seek to impugn. They only acted on rumours and hearsay. Even if true that Festus is such an irascible fellow who never saw any good in Buhari, was this not an opportunity to win one of the critics over? Why could none of them see that the fact that Lawan, who is expectedly a protégé of the President had deemed it fit to appoint him would suggest that there was some benefit and advantage to be derived from Senate President and indirectly the APC and the government. Previous administrations have brought in their most vociferous and harshest critics and converted them to their attack dogs. Your worst critics often become your greatest fanatic. So, in Buhari’s Nigeria, all critics of Buhari have been summarily rejected, convicted and regarded as persona non grata without any benefit of doubt or possible rehabilitation. It is indeed a sad moment for Nigeria.

What the APC has inadvertently confirmed is that political appointments are some form of gratification and reward for loyal party men and women and not a call to service. As such, Festus Adedayo was axed and hacked down because he was going to enjoy the soup he did not help in cooking. What chicanery! If his main crime was criticizing the President, I doubt if anyone has criticized Buhari in more trenchant terms than his own irrepressible wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, a woman whose objectivity and boldness we all hail as refreshing and commendable in a government that regards any form of critique as an attack on its performance and perceived successes.

What the President’s acolytes must realise is that critics are not necessarily the enemies of governments. Critics, even those that are acerbic, caustic and nasty can be like the mad man who enjoys his lucid moments. In their venom one will always find nuggets of golden truths that can illuminate and inspire the government to aim to do even better. In any event, every Government actually needs bold critics to help sharpen and reshape their focus. Buhari will fail, spectacularly, if he continues to live under the illusion of grandeur that he is infallible and beyond reproach. In my view , it is those selfish sycophants, lackeys and hangers-on that have contributed in the portrayal of the President as a spiteful, bitter man who does not forget or forgive. Indeed, I believe that people may have been taking advantage of his style of leadership by delegation to feather their own nests at the detriment of their principal’s reputation and goodwill.

I believe that President Buhari has just wasted what could easily have been a major public relations stunt for his government and party of gladiators and warmongers. Like I am doing now, many people would have hailed not just Lawan, but the entire APC executive and the President for allowing a vocal critic like Festus Adedayo to join the team of the country’s number three citizen. The danger I see is in the vainglorification of APC members and the illusory belief that Buhari is the only saint and no one must ever criticize him.

Nigeria can do much better than this. Our country needs loving and caring leaders and not divisive elements, diversionists and divisionists. If Nelson Mandela was a Nigerian, he would have killed all his enemies when he came out of 27 years’ incarceration, mainly in solitary confinement. But he chose the path of peace and became the world’s greatest statesman. Why can’t my own people borrow a leaf from such remarkable legacy.

Did our leaders not see or notice the peace the Republic of Kenya currently enjoys after President Uhuru Kenyatta and his arch-rival Raila Odinga embraced publicly and apologized to each other. There is much to gain in true reconciliation, obviously.

Nigeria has been effectively taken over by demons who are engaged in wanton destruction of lives and property. There is no other reason for this than the dearth and death of love in our climes. Nigeria is richly blessed with some of the smartest and loving humans on earth. Yet, we have suddenly become so poor of spirit and so suspicious of one another that the cankerworm of disharmony, distrust and deceit has eaten deep into the fabric and soul of our country.

Nigeria should go in search of anyone who can restore hope and glory to our dear beloved nation. That is why Senator Lawan is such a refreshing breath of fresh air that must be celebrated. I am aware that the recent appointments of his personal aides not only cut across party lines and the political divide, he also avoided parochialism and shunned religious bigotry. He did not save plum appointments for his kinsmen or fellow Moslems. He simply decided to choose those he felt were competent even if he did not personally know them. He worked on the basis of proven ability and diligence and passion for Nigeria. It was his reason for choosing Festus Adedayo. However, those who do not care about this nation, but are egotistical and self-absorbed persons immediately rushed to destroy what would have been an epoch momentous development.

DividingNigeria along political, ethnic and religious lines can only deepen the mortal and fatal wounds we’ve sustained these past few years. Someone needs to rise up stoutly and halt our supersonic slide towards perdition. That someone is no other than President Muhammadu Buhari, who needs to take a leaf from Senator Lawan’s book and be more all-inclusive and all-embracing in appointments, purge himself of sickening acolytes and their rabid viewpoints and proceed to keep Nigeria united, peaceful and prosperous.

President Buhari can still live up to the expectations of those who voted for change in 2015. He has one final opportunity. Indeed, he has entered the last chance train. How he acquits himself this time around may well determine whether Nigeria survives or not!

Headline

There’s Ongoing Cold War Between Dangote and Tinubu Govt, Dele Momodu Reveals

Published

2 days ago

July 25, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Veteran journalist and Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Aare Dele Momodu, has revealed that there is a cold war presently going on between richest man in Africa and the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of Nigeria.

Momodu made the revelation while answer questions as a guest on News Central Television on Thursday.

He said: “I am not an expert in petroleum, but I am an expert in conspiracy theory, and I believe that there’s an ongoing cold war between Aliko Dangote and the Tinubu government; that one I’m very convinced about.

“It’s unfortunate that we get personal in Africa, especially in Nigeria, and they are getting personal with him. If he was in their good books, it wouldn’t matter whether what they are saying is true or not. And it’s very dangerous for a government to be vindictive; very dangerous. Because right now, I cannot how investors, whether foreign or local would want to invest in Nigeria.

“In fact, with what Aliko said, that has really damaged our investment opportunities; that people warned him against investing in Nigeria.”

Recall that in the past few weeks, the Federal Government agencies including the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have been having a running battle with the Dangote Refinery with the FG claiming that the refinery is not licenced and its products are less than standard.

On his part, Dangote has reiterated, accusing some officials of the NNPCL of owning blending refineries in other countries just as he revealed a hitherto unknown fact that NNPCL owns only 7.2% of Dangote Refinery as against the popularly pronounced figure of 20%.

Headline

Nationwide Protest May Lead to Anarchy, FG Warns

Published

2 days ago

July 25, 2024

Eric

The Federal Government has warned that there would be dire consequences for the stability of the country if a nationwide protest being planned by some Nigerians goes ahead from the beginning of next month.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, met with ministers in his office behind closed doors to try to avert the protest.

But Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, dismissed reports that it was withdrawing from the proposed national protest by some citizens over the harsh economic situation in the country, saying it cannot be part of an idea that did not emanate from it.

South-east Governors’ Forum also distanced itself from the planned nationwide protests, citing concerns about the fragile political environment and potential hijack by criminal elements.

At the same time, some stakeholders, including some northern groups, opposed the idea of protest in the wake of harsh economic conditions. Instead, they recommended an engagement with the federal government.

But the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which supported the protest, said it was a constitutional right of the people.

In a similar vein, Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives urged the federal government to dialogue with planned protesters with a view to addressing their concerns.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammad Idris, issued the warning against the protest yesterday, when he received members of the Charismatic Bishops Conference, led by Archbishop (Professor) Leonard Kawas, who were on a courtesy visit to him, at his office in Abuja.

Idris said government was cautious and bothered about the protest against economic hardship, having seen the debilitating consequences of similar protests in other parts of the world, particularly in Kenya and Bangladesh.

The minister voiced concern that arsonists and criminals might be waiting to hijack the planned protest and unleash violence on innocent Nigerians.

Idris stated, “Why everybody is very cautious and very weary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world.

“We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the laws into their own hands.”

He said while the government of President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the right of every Nigerian to engage in protests, it was equally committed to ensuring that the activities did not disrupt public order or violate the rights of others.

According to him, “You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in the freedom of everyone within the confirms of the law to do what he thinks is right for him.

“Therefore, the president is not an opponent of protest of any kind. But the president is an opponent of violence and anything that will hamper the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“He believes and he has always been saying that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want to do provided that right does not infringe on another person’s right.”

Idris asserted that Tinubu was fully aware of the feelings of Nigerians across the country and he was actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.

The minister said one of the policies being fine-tuned by government was to begin to pay stipends to all young university and polytechnics graduates after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, pending their formal employment.

He stated, “But beyond that, there is also another new policy that the president has formulated, which will begin to be seen very soon, and that is that all young men and women who have finished universities and polytechnics and have certificates and have done their mandatory NYSC, and have not been able to get jobs, will have something from the government to keep them afloat until the time they get jobs.”

He described the introduction of the Compressed National Gas (CNG) policy by the president as a game changer in the country’s economy because of its ability to bring down the cost of transportation by about 60 per cent, thereby providing a viable alternative to petrol and diesel.

Idris said, henceforth, any government procurement of vehicles or machinery must have a component of CNG embedded in the contracts.

Earlier, President General of the Charismatic Bishops Conference, dissociated the conference from the planned national protest, saying they have been inundated with calls by some groups to join the protest.

Kawas said, “Recently we received some calls from some other religious organisations and other organisations asking us to join in preparation for a nationwide protest, which would start from 1st August 2024.

“We are here to let you know that we do not think the same. That we have rather decided to go all out and call for a truce. We have decided to sue for peace and humbly request that our brothers and sisters, who are aggrieved in one way or the other, that they should give us some time while we continue to communicate and negotiate with this government on areas that are pertinent to them.”

He appealed to aggrieved Nigerians in all parts of the country to give peace a chance and toe the path of dialogue and negotiation because no reasonable government will fold its hands and allow violence to break down the country.

Headline

Our Products Are Not Sub-Substandard, Dangote Fights Back

Published

6 days ago

July 21, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Steadfast and never-say-never entrepreneur, who doubles as Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has refuted various claims against his petroleum refinery and general enterprise bordering on inferiority and monopolistic tendencies.

The President of Dangote Industries Limited emphatically rejected claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA) that petroleum products from his refinery are substandard, in addition to the accusation that the company seeks to monopolize trade, especially in the oil sector.

Dangote rejected the allegations on Saturday when the leadership of the House of Representatives visited and toured the refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy Benjamin Kalu led the delegation from the House which included Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere.

To back his position, Dangote and his team tested diesel bought from two filling stations and that from his refinery at the refinery’s laboratories.

The tested diesel from other stations was bought in the presence of the lawmakers, while that from the Dangote Refinery was taken from production also in the presence of the lawmakers.

Two tests were conducted; a test of the sulphur level and a flash test. While all crude-based products contain some level of sulphur, high sulphur levels cause damage to engines and vehicle components.

The flash point refers to the lowest temperature at which the application of the ignition source causes the vapours above the liquid to ignite with the minimum expected flash point at 66.

The results showed that the sulphur content in the diesel from other stations was above 2,631 and 1,829; much higher than the recommended level while the tests for the flash point showed results of 26 and 63 respectively for the diesel from other stations. Both results fell short of the recommended minimum of 66.

The results for the diesel from Dangote turned out to be 87.6 ppm for sulphur and 96 flashpoints.

For Dangote, the result does not only show the reality of products from his refinery, but it also shows that substandard petroleum products are being imported into the country and sold to unsuspecting Nigerians.

‘Probe quality of petrol, diiesel at filling stations’

He called on the House of Representatives to investigate the quality of diesel and petrol at filling stations.

To carry out the investigation, he urged the House to set up a committee to test products at various filling stations across the country.

Decrying the damage being done to vehicles and engines by substandard products, also called on the House to investigate the quality of laboratories being used to test imported products and compare that with the one at the Dangote Refinery.

‘Monopoly Claim Untrue’

Dangote also said the claim in some quarters that his group of companies enjoy monopoly is not true.

“If you look at all our operations at Dangote (Group), we add value; we take local raw materials and turn them into products, and we sell.

“We have never consciously or unconsciously stop anybody from doing the same business that we are doing.

“When we first came into cement production, it was only Lafarge that was operating here in Nigeria…Nobody ever called Lafarge a monopoly,” he said, adding that labelling his group of companies as monopolistic is disheartening.

“Monopoly is when you stop people, you block them through legal means. No, it is a level playing field whereby whatever Dangote was given in cement, for example, other people were given because some of them even got more than us.”

‘No Single Incentive From FG’
The billionaire business tycoon said his refinery did not enjoy any incentive from the Federal Government.

“In the refinery, we did not, and I repeat, we did not collect one single incentive from the Federal Government of Nigeria or even Lagos State. Yes, the Lagos State gave us a good deal but we paid $100m for the land. It wasn’t a free land; we paid for it,” he said.

“Majority of the population are with us. So, we are not discouraged, we will continue what we are doing.”

Addressing the speaker, he said, “The most important thing, your excellency, is to note that the imported one they are encouraging, is the spec in test, but in certain cases when you check (independently), different results will show.”

This, he said, is “because those people who have the lab have been told what to write.”

He said the best way to determine the quality of products being imported and sold to Nigerians is by going to the filling stations, buying and testing them.

Speaker Abbas said going by the presentation and the contradictory claims, there was a need for an investigation.

“I don’t know how we have this contradiction of two players representing the public and private sector,” he said.

“I think it is something we need to investigate further to find out if there are ulterior motives.”

It will be recalled that during the week, a Federal Government of Nigeria petroleum regulatory agency, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA), dismissed petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery as inferior, making a case for superiority of imported ones.

The revelation was made by the Chief Executive Officer of NMDPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, while responding to questions from a section of the press, a video of which was trending online, adding that the refinery is only 45% completed, and yet to be licenced for operation by the Nigerian government.

In the short video, which lasted a little over a minute, Mr. Ahmed debunked theories attached to the functionality of the Dangote Refinery, saying it does not have the capacity to ‘feed’ the nation of its petroleum needs, as it stands. He however, refuted arguments that some elements within the oil and gas sector were trying to scuttle the Dangote Refinery.

A transcript of the NMDPRA’s boss short response is as follows:

“It about concerns of supply of petroleum products acros the nationwide, and the claim that we are trying to scuttle Dangote. That is not so. Dangote Refinery is still in the pre-commissioning stage. It has not been licenced yet. We haven’t licenced them yet. I think they are about 45 per cent completed, or completion rather.

“We cannot rely on one refinery to feed the nation, because Dangote is requesting that we suspend or stop imports, especially of AGO and DPK, and direct all marketers to his refinery. That is not good for the nation in terms of energy security, and it is not good for the market because of the monopoly.

“Dangote Refinery, as well as some modular refineries like Watersmith Refinery and Aradel Refinery, are producing between 650 and 1,200 PPM. Therefore, in terms of quality, their products are inferior to imported ones,” he stated.

It will be recalled that only last week, the President, Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, while hosting senior journalists from across various media concerns, revealed that the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) owns only 7.2% of stakes in the refinery, and not 20 percent as widely circulated. He also revealed that the refinery is set to begin fuel supply in August 2024.

Many stakeholders and respondents have alleged that there’s no love lost between the government of the day and the Dangote Group, and that explains the hiccup situation surrounding the takeoff the $19 billion refinery.

Dangote has been fighting a battle of his life since the establishment of his refinery; from OICs, IPMAN and other concerns, posing the question, who’s afraid of Dangote?