Lai Mohammed's hasty pronouncements

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information in Nigeria is making a lot of enemies with his utterances in recent times. How on earth could he say Nigerian movie and TV producers should not venture beyond the shores of Nigeria to produce their products? Is Mohammad trying to ignorantly fix a restriction on creativity or perhaps his pronouncements are made from a passionate desire for Nigeria to develop? Recently, Mohammed also added insult to this injury when he said Nigerian companies should stop promoting foreign sports competitions, arguing that Nigerian companies have a duty to support Nigerian sporting activity like the Nigerian Professional Football League(NPFL).
It appears that Mohammed did not consult anyone before arriving at his conclusions. There are an array of industry professionals under his purview who would have given him proper insight to the challenges many Nigerian practitioners of movies and music face within the shores of Nigeria. Mohammed has failed to see the opportunities his ministry and indeed the government would derive from partnering with and catering for the creative industry.
In the United States of America, the government has made tremendous contributions to the growth of the industry via an enabling environment, funding, provision of props at minimal or no costs at all, providing real life locations when there is a need and creating and enforcing copy right and infringement laws that have helped reduce and control piracy.
The stance of the government of Nigeria as projected by Mohammed not only smacks of ignorance, but also demonstrates desperation for funds on the part of the government. Unknown to Mohammed, it is relatively cheaper and more rewarding to shoot many Nigerian movies and musicals in South Africa where the post production facilities are world class, security is guaranteed and electricity is stable. Production crews who produce and edit in Nigeria often go through a myriad of difficulties, many of which are caused by the unhealthy environment in which they have to work. On the sporting side, competitions like the NPFL need to brace up to the challenge of being properly organized if they want to attract more sponsors. Nobody forces a company to sponsor a competition that does not give its product the mileage it deserves. The number of people who watch the NPFL world wide could never be compared to the English Premiership which is viewed around the world by over a billion enthusiasts and has grown to become a business that has fueled various other businesses around the world. Speaking of Nigeria alone, the EPL produces thousands of indirect jobs via betting, viewing centres and Satellite TV rights. On the movies side, TV stations in Nigeria run on non stop diesel generators. For the production component, not all programmes aired can be provided by the TV stations and so they have tor rely on a myriad of private producers to supply them content. Among these suppliers of content are a few who are willing to seek the best quality in the world for their productions so that they can have a market anywhere they go.
In the final analysis, the government of Nigeria might be highly patriotic in its pronouncements with a view to keeping the financial resources at home, but the minister should not allow his patriotism to be rooted in ignorance of how the creative and sports marketing industries operate. The order of things should be research before you make pronouncements.

Femi Fani Kayode and Bode Geogre arent good enough for PDP now.

Femi Fani-Kayode and Bode George are definitely not the best that the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)  can present for the position of National Chairman of the once biggest party in Africa at this time. The two men just have too much baggage and to carry that into the party which desperately begs for repacking would do more harm than good. Do we not understand how important leadership is? Fani-Kayode is still answering to the courts for cases that bother on corruption, he has also become Nigeria's number one conspiracy theorist on what some dreamers have called "the Islamization of Nigeria". It seems that he has forgotten that there are northern Muslims in his great party, many of whom are frowning at his recent rhetoric.
Bode George does not even have the clout to muster the members of PDP in South West not to talk of being respected nationally in the party. There is brief jail experience that he had over a National Ports Authority case. The performance of PDP in the South West in the last general elections of which he also helped coordinate was a massive failure. Beyond winning Ekiti state which was mainly the effort of Ayo Fayose and Musiliu Obanikoro, PDP has little or no foothold in the South West. Although isolated performance problems in some of the states in the South West like Osun State which is reeling in a debt of salaries and others could turn the voters against the APC.
The PDP desperately needs a newer candidate who can help give it a new face and galvanize people to vote for the party in the next general elections. One thing would work for the main opposition party. The inefficiency and mediocrity of the ruling All Progressives Congress could be a deciding factor in the next elections.
Strangely enough, in spite of all the accusations of kleptomania, theft, embezzlement and misappropriation, many Nigerians have begun to believe that the Goodluck Jonathan led administration which had PDP at the centre was better than what Nigerians are currently witnessing with the APC that promised a change in the way the country would be run. In many elections around the world and even in the one that took place in Nigeria that brought the APC into power, the electorate are known to vote against the arrogance, insensitivity and lackluster performance of a ruling body. That may well take place in Nigeria. The APC have a year to prove it is the better party. Nigerians are watching.

The strategy of 300

Can you free your mind of worry and focus on creativity and strategy? That's the hallmark of a great mind. The great minds in warfare as well as business, domestic affairs and even politics have been able to reduce panic and worry to the barest minimum when they are under pressure and focus on creativity and strategy. There are many examples of people that did this in real life, but to suit our purposes here, lets consider King Leonidas of the mythical Sparta City which is listed among the Greek city states. Leonidas in surrounded by the mighty army of Persia and he can only spare 300 fighting men to defend his kingdom. Another general would have freaked out and decided that the battle is lost already. But not Leonidas. He leads his army to a narrow pass on the outskirts of his empire and lays in wait for the army of the Persians. The pass is so narrow that only a few numbers of the enemy can approach them at a time. Leonidas' strategy is to fight his battle here and hold the enemy off for as long as possible, if possible win. The Spartans kill so many Persians and hold them off for so long that the Persian King begins to doubt his superiority which is based on numbers and weaponry. The Spartans have spears, swords and shields but they have learned to use them efficiently. Even though Leonidas and his army loses the battle to the Persians, the fame of his army spreads beyond that kingdom and sends shivers down the spines of those who hear it.
We learn a useful lesson from the story. Superiority begins in the mind and not necessarily with numbers or tools. As people who want to succeed, we have to think over and above our circumstances, and find a way out of our dilemmas.
In every situation instead of spending valuable time and efforts worrying about our circumstances, it would be better for us to knuckle down and ask ourselves some pertinent questions: What is the cause of this problem? How can I resolve it? What tools are available and what plan can work here. Instead of getting stressed and worried, we ought focus on a plan that could help get us out of the situation. Noe that there are always tools that can be used. Sometimes we are so morose that we cannot see them.
Gideon of ancient Israel lived in fear of his enemies.In fact when we are introduced to him in the story In the book of Judges of the Bible, he is busy hiding his food from the enemy who had made a constant raid on the farmers of his time. An encounter changes Gideon's life such that he realizes that instead of running and hiding from the enemy he can actually face them and win the battle.
Battles are only won if we fight them with a view to winning. Competitions are usually entered by contestants to win. Our mind is a very important tool that we must use positively to promote our cause and not negatively to worry, spot and analyze all the problems we may face. In the story, Gideon triumphs over the enemy who have also surrounded his city. with just 300 men in his own army. Originally he summons 32,000 but it is revealed to him by God that he does not need that number of people to win. And so the reduction takes place and he has 300 men left. At the end, he wins the battle with his army and a farmer has become a successful General.
IF you can free your mind of worry and focus on creativity and strategy, you will move forward. Sometimes, the battles, triumphs and problems are given to make us stronger. So, lets not waste time worrying. With God on our side we can win.
The process includes remembering that:
No situation is totally hopeless. So we must 1.create a mindset that believes an answer exists 2Eliminate any crippling concept of hopelessness 3. Highlight what our needs are 4. Look around us for tools to achieve our purpose, there are always tools so what can we use?5. Ask yourself what is good about the situation or what makes it positive, we must always look for something good to hold on to.
Remember, God will help us if we allow Him to.

A tale of two speakers

Does it not seem like robbing Peter to pay Paul if  the Lagos State House of Assembly  reduces pensions of former governors in the state only to slyly add the names of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to the Pension list?

Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa  told civil society organizations. that the House is amending the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law. The amendment is titled, Public Office Holders (Payment of Pensions) Amendment Bill, 2016.

“The bill has been read first time and awaiting second reading. The intention of this bill the legislator claims is to save taxpayers’ money while addressing the cost implication of some parts of the law.

  The law allows a former governor and the deputy to have a house each in Lagos and Abuja, while both governor and the deputy are also entitled to six and five vehicles respectively.

  The amendment seeks to ensure that both the governor and the deputy will be limited to a house in Lagos where they served, as well as have three and two vehicles respectively.

  The amendment also seeks to give due recognition to the legislature by allowing the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to benefit from the pension scheme.

 In Abia State, the Speaker was involved in fracas that led to the hospitalization of Federal Road Safety officers. Speaker, Chikwendu Kalu has allegedly ordered the shooting of officers who stopped a vehicle that was transporting his wife. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop that the designated point only to stop at a distance. The speaker was summoned and order the shooting.The police allegedly shot an officer of the FRSC and other officers on the beat were also beaten up.

Rice importation has not been reduced.

To say that Nigeria has reduced the importation of rice by 90% as stated by the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osinbajo in his Democracy Day address might not be entirely true. Nigerians consume an amazing quantity of rice which borders on 500 metric tonnes a year! The government's policy on agriculture has led to attempts by farmers all over the country to seek to improve the production of rice up to levels considered to make the country self sufficient in rice production. The new target offered by the minister of agriculture is December 2017. The belief is that all the rice farms around the country would have started harvesting their investments. There are a tremendous number of farms in the middle belt of Nigeria and the south eastern state of Ebonyi that have focused on rice production. The collaboration between Kebbi and Lagos states which has led to the production of LAKE Rice has also contributed to a considerable increase in rice production in Nigeria. As at last year, statistics reveal that 18 states in Nigeria produce a a total of 5.7million metric tonnes. Even with all the combined production of the farms in the various states, the production is no where near the 500 million metric tons a year consumption level that the country requires. The United Kingdom's department of International Development DFID reports that a marker and growth rate of 7.9million tons each year was set in 2015 and that the country has not been able to meet the cut off. 

If Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh enforces the ban on rice this December it would only lead to an increase in smuggling. Currently in Nigeria, rice importation takes place legally through sea boarders, but there is high wave of illegal trade taking place through the land borders via smuggling. The general fear is that the ban would only increase the activity of smugglers through borders like the notorious Idi Iroko in Ogun State.

Another crucial factor is the price of rice locally produced.If and when the ban is instituted, prices of locally grown   rice cannot exceed that of smuggled rice or else the market for smuggling would be encouraged. 

Buhari and Osinbajo are wasting time

Liberal democracy requires an interplay of lobbying activities for it to thrive. The executive led by the president or prime minister as the case may be, goes into a negotiation with the legislative in order to drive his agenda and make the ordinary citizen of the country feel his presence. 

Nigeria under the Buhari-Osinbajo Presidency does not seem to understand this functionality or perhaps there is a belief that policy can be created and driven and can thrive with out the help of the legislative arm of governance. Sadly, the success of the executive hinges on its ability to influence voting patterns in the National Assembly and use the bills once passed into law to drive policy. In over two years of the Buhari Osinbajo presidency, this synergy has failed to take place and the National Assembly appears to be setting the agenda, thereby running roughshod over the executive. Presidents are supposed to lead the agenda of a polity, this presidency seems to be following the dictates of the legislature. The 8th Assembly might not be any liberal minded Nigerians' ideal representation. Never has there been such  a group of strange bed fellows. Ex military governors, erudite scholars, controversial polemicists all rolled into a gathering of seemingly infallible powerful and rich egoistic pontificators who fight to enforce their agenda over that of the populace they are supposed to represent. The Senate also consists of quite a number of former governors who are being tried by the courts of the nation for offenses bothering on corruption. 

Odd as it may seem, some eminent Nigerians submit that Nigerians ought to respect the institution of the Senate, since its the highest law making body of the land with the special duties of an oversight over executive activity. But is it possible to separate an institution from the individuals that occupy it? Is the whole not made up of the parts? If an institution, no matter how lofty, is made up of individuals who have not earned public trust, can it demand respect from the people it appears to represent? These and many other questions are what are on the minds of many Nigerians who observe the daily activity of these legislators who claim to represent Nigerians. 

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki recently hailed the senate sighting the number of bills, many which have become laws, that have been passed in the two years of law making. Ninety six was the number of bills highlighted as having been passed by the lawmakers. Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives also shares the sentiment. But with the myriad of bills passed, how come Nigerians have not started living a better life? A close assessment of the country shows that few gains have been made since democracy begun in Nigeria in 1999.

If there is anything like dividends of democracy, the people in government are the only ones who are seemingly enjoying them. Besides the presidency not understanding the arts of negotiation and lobbying, Buhari and Osinbajo appear to believe that they can actually run the country without the lawmakers. The Acting President Prof Osinbajo recently remarked that they do not need the Senate to approve the nomination of the Ibrahim Magu, The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC). Even Speaker Dogara has consistently but erroneously referred to the executive as the government, whereas constitutionally, the government refers to the executive, legislative and the judiciary. There are appears to be a constant struggle for supremacy between the legislative and executive. Instead of complimenting each other they appear to be competing against each other.  The judiciary has been constantly approached to explain issues that could be and really should be sorted out at the negotiation table. For instance, the appropriation and budget composition. Liberal democracies around the world draw up budgets via an interplay of horsetrading and negotiation. The executive might set the agenda, but the legislative also has input. Why can our own bodies not understand this? Should such misunderstandings really be subject to the intervention of the courts? Is this not really a waste of time? Another rather embarrassing situation is the Federal Government from the offices of the Attorney General seeking to try the Senate President at a code of conduct bureau. How on earth does the executive expect cooperation from the leader of the senate if it is trying him for corruption or perjury? The option would be to remove the Senate President by lobbying his removal among legislators in the Senate, or work with him and make sure that the Presidency achieves its agenda. Its a catch 22. Without the interplay of the Executive and the Legislative there would be no success of this government and as Buhari and Osinbajo have recently begun to find out. Time is of essence.

Nigeria's moral compass is lost

Prejudice: a judgment or opinion made without adequate knowledge;bias intolerance or hatred of other races.

In H.G Wells short story, "The Country of the Blind", a mountain climber falls into a valley and finds himself in a country where 15 generations of blind people have lived.  His reaction is to think, "I can dominate this place, because, as the saying goes, "in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king".  He is in for a shock for he discovers that the whole society is constructed around the blindness of its people. His sight, a meaningless advantage is rather a hindrance and he cannot integrate. The country of the blind is unique in itself. All work undertaken at night, houses have not windows, colours are meaningless. All explanations and considerations based on sight have no meaning. In order to fit in the mountaineer has to conform to the dominant norms of the society and either have his eyes removed or pretend to be blind.

The Nigerian nation has many dominant prejudices:gender, ethicity and religion are all an issue. Those who aspire to leadership use prejudices rather and values and ideas as stepping stones. Most of the time we find that people who do not know the game or refuse to play it, do not make head way in politics in Nigeria. Every part of the country has its dominant social group which will to a large extent determine the pace of development and the personality involved in the process.  Social dominance has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. If the group in contention have viable plans for society then there is some measure of development, If however, the group of leaders are more concerned about their personal gain, then society would be stunted and growth and development would remain at a stand still. 

In eighteen years of democracy Nigeria has been at a stand still in terms of development. The same problems which the nation suffered in 1999 are the ones being faced by people in the country and even worst ones. One of the greatest problems bestriding the country is the inability of the farmers in Nigeria to feed the nation. Over a trillion Naira is spent of food imports every year. The major imports are rice, sugar, groundnut oil and flour. Time and again since 1999 the governments of the country have worked out policy that would help grow food within Nigeria so that the country does not have to keep relying of other nations to feed it. The sad tragedy is even in 2017 Nigeria is still importing food. The government of the day has tried to give agriculture more attention. But the smuggling of commodities like rice and  frozen fish, as well as frozen poultry has undermined those efforts. A frustrated Minister for Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh threatened to close the borders in between Benin Republic and Nigeria if the smuggling is not stopped. But the threats have fallen on deaf ears. Anyone would lives in the towns around Idi- Iroko the border town would know that smuggling is still thriving with aid of law enforcement officers who are supposed bring down to the barest minimum. 

The policy makers merely sit in Abuja and make policy. There is no one to drive such policy. And even when they take broad leaps like attempting to grow rice and reduce the reliance on foreign food, it is usually inadequate and ineffective since the prices of imported foods cannot be met. Lack luster agricultural development is just one of the major challenges the country faces but critical analysis shows a lack of commitment on the part of policy makers who do not really care if their laws and policies help the Nigerian nation or not. Nobody is really driving policy. Billions have been looted from the public treasury over a period of forty years and inept law enforcement has not been able to bring people responsible to book. Nigeria totters on a low moral ground. This is the root of most of the problems that the country faces and there appears to be no way out of this maze. Nigeria's moral compass is lost. The judiciary is no longer the last hope of the common man and people are suffering in more ways than can be counted. 

Why do we trace the central problem of the country to lack of proper morals? People with sound morals do not neglect their country for personal gain, steal from the country at the slightest opportunity, take such money abroad and come back Nigeria as if nothing happened. There appears to be no redeeming factor in the nation because like the sighted man in the land of the blind, those who care about what happens around them are very few and the majority who are part of the trend are ruled the prejudices that keep them from thinking straight. It is a sad situation. Do those of us who know but refuse to acknowledge the problems continue to act as if nothing is wrong. Do those who are position of leadership continue to enrich themselves at the expense of the generality? Who will put an end to all this? Can the man who sees clearly put society in order and create a new trend of thinking and acting. If there is such a person, now is the time for him to stand up.