A UN expert committee has announced that four countries could soon “graduate” from the ranks of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations.

The four countries are: Bhutan, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe and the Solomon Islands, according to Jose Ocampo, chair of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP).

Mr. Ocampo said the countries had increased national earning power and improved access to health care and education, making them eligible to exit the group of least developed countries (LDCs).

“This is an historic occasion,” Ocampo, said, noting that only five countries had graduated since the UN established the LDC category in 1971.

LDCs are assessed using three criteria: health and education targets; economic vulnerability; and gross national income per capita.

Countries must meet two of the three criteria at two consecutive triennial reviews of the CDP to be considered for graduation.

The Committee would send its recommendations to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for endorsement, which would then refer its decision to the UN General Assembly.

A member of CDP, Diane Elson, a professor at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, said the announcement was good news for millions of women in rural areas.

Elson pointed out that the latest session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), currently under way in New York, was discussing the challenges facing this population.

“The success of the countries that are graduating reflects things like the improvement of the health and the education of the population, which extends to rural women, and the increase in incomes in the country, which extends to rural women,” she said.

However, Elson stressed that the countries would need continued international support because they remained vulnerable to external shocks, including the impact of climate change, currently evident in Pacific Island states such as Kiribati.

Globally, there are 47 LDCs, according to the UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.

The majority, 33, are in Africa, while 13 can be found in the Asia-Pacific region, and one is in Latin America.

In the 47 years of the LDC category’s existence, only five countries – Botswana, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Maldives and Samoa – had graduated.

The CDP said two more countries, Vanuatu and Angola, were scheduled for graduation over the next three years.

Nepal and Timor-Leste also met the criteria but were not recommended for graduation at this time, due to economic and political challenges.

That decision would be deferred to the next CDP triennial review in 2021, according to Ocampo.

NAN

The police in Bayelsa State, on Wednesday, arraigned a pastor before a magistrate in Yenagoa for allegedly obtaining an SUV under false pretence from a churchgoer.

Kingsley Abiekunogho, said to be an apostle and founder of God Is Able Mega Fire Ministry, at Opolo, Yenagoa, is accused of tricking one Jones Seiyefa to hand over to him, a Toyota SUV and N20, 000 in exchange for “spiritual breakthrough”.

During a church programme at God Is Able Mega Fire Ministry, in September 2017, a visiting pastor was said to have called out Mr. Seiyefa from the congregation and prodded him to donate his car and the money to the accused, with the assurance that God had wonderful gift for him.

Mr. Seiyefa, who is the complainant in the case, was told by the pastor that within a month God was going to double the car and money collected from him.

He was subsequently invited to the church on a later day where he was made to drink a “special” honey to quicken the expected “breakthrough”.

Several days after, instead of things improving, life became more difficult for Mr. Seiyefa who then demanded his car back. But the pastor refused.

A relative of Mr. Seiyefa said he initially pledged to give only N20,000 to the church because that was all he had left in his bank account, but the pastor allegedly told him it was too small for a man of his status.

The relative said she tried to stop him from transferring the ownership of the car to the pastor but he refused.

“By the grace of God, days after he did the change of ownership he came back to his senses and revealed that he did all he did because he was under some kind of influence,” she said.

The police prosecutor in the case, I. Amakiri, read out a three-count charge against the pastor who pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate, Eke Spiff, granted the pastor bail and asked him to produce the guest pastor in court during the next hearing.

The case was adjourned to April 4, 2018.

PT

Despite the announcement Wednesday by the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, that a tweaked version of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill will be retransmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, the leadership of the National Assembly has said that it will go ahead with plans to override the president’s veto.

This is just as the Senate thursday protested the injunction granted by a Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining it from overriding the president’s veto on the bill. 

However, in an unexpected turn of events, Namdas on Wednesday said the National Assembly would expunge two amendments to the bill, but would retain the amended section that altered the sequence of elections, and retransmit the bill to the president for his asset.

Although THISDAY had tried to ascertain from the Senate if the House’s position had the concurrence of the upper legislative chamber, the Senate remained mum on the announcement all through Wednesday.

However, it emerged yesterday that there was some miscommunication between the Senate and House, as the leadership of the National Assembly has now agreed to go ahead and override the president’s veto on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill.

Sources among the leadership of both chambers confirmed to THISDAY yesterday that the announcement made by Namdas arose from lack of communication, as the House did not consult with the Senate before rushing to speak to the media on the issue.

They added that contrary to Namdas’ statement on the bill, it will not be resent to the president for his asset, nor would any of the amended sections be expunged, stressing that lobbying had entered high gear to either defeat the planned vote to override the veto or ensure it passes. 

Namdas, during his briefing, said the lawmakers had agreed with two of the reasons tendered by the president in rejecting the amendments to bill.

The first was Section 138, which the Buhari had said would limit the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process.

The second was Section 152(3)-(5), which the president objected to on the grounds that it might raise constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate over local government elections.

The two sections would therefore be expunged, Namdas had said, adding however that the legislature did not agree with Buhari’s contention that the amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act, might infringe on the powers of INEC to organise and supervise elections. 

The lawmakers had changed the sequencing of elections in the country for the National Assembly elections to be held first, before elections into the state Houses of Assembly and governorship on a separate day, while the presidential election would be conducted last, to complete the general election cycle.

Section 25 of the Principal Act was amended and substituted with a new Section 25(1) which provides that the elections shall be held in the following order: (a) National Assembly elections (b) State Houses of Assembly and Governorship elections (c) Presidential election.

The amendment is expected to whittle down the bandwagon effect of presidential elections on other elections.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the legal department of the National Assembly has proffered a position different from the announcement made by Namdas, contending that the reasons proffered by the president for vetoing the bill were faulty. 

According to the legal advise of the department, which was obtained by THISDAY, the president’s position that the amendment to Section 25 of the Electoral Act might infringe on INEC powers was unjustified when considering that Section 76 of the Constitution had been amended in 2010 to provide that INEC will conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. 

The legal department further explained that the president was not explicit as to what aspects or in what manner the powers of INEC would be infringed upon if the amendment is passed.

The president’s position was therefore deemed too general, the advise from the legal department held. 

The department further counselled that the grounds for rejecting the new Sub-section 3 of Section 138 on the grounds that it might limit the rights of candidates in elections to a free and fair electoral review process, was also misplaced. 

Proffering reasons, the legal department said the new sub-section clarifies the ambiguity contained in Sub-section 1 of the Electoral Act and reinforces the standards in Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the Constitution. This is also because it provides that no person shall be qualified to contest elections in breach of Sections 66, 107, 137 and 182 of the Constitution. 

The advisory also noted that the president’s rejection of the amendments to Section 152(3)-(5) was not right, as it was within the competence of the federal legislative body to make laws in respect of the procedures regulating elections into the local government areas in the country.

“The matter has also been decided by the Supreme Court in the case of Attorney General of Abia State & Ors v Attorney General of the Federation,” the legal department held. 

ThisDay

After the sustained campaigns against the state’s new Land Use Charge (LUC) by different interest groups, the Lagos State Government thursday eventually succumbed to pressure, announcing a review of the charges payable by all property owners across the state.

Specifically, the state government reduced the commercial charge by 50 per cent; properties occupied by owners and third parties in the same premises used for manufacturing purposes, and properties used for industrial and manufacturing purposes by 25 per cent; and owner-occupier properties by 15 per cent.

The state government equally introduced an instalmental payment plan for property owners across all categories, and completely waived penalties for late payments of the LUC, thereby providing additional relief to property owners.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade reeled out the concession on the Land Use Charge Law at a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, saying the exercise was received with mixed feelings by various interest groups who expressed serious concerns.

Ashade addressed the news conference alongside the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, and the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, among others.

Ashade noted that the state government reviewed the LUC payable by all property owners across the state in its desire “to build world-class infrastructure and improve the well-being of its citizens”.

He added that the state government made the concession in line with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s tradition of inclusive governance and civic engagement, noting that the government was committed to the welfare of its citizens and understands the importance of continuous engagement with the populace.

The commissioner said: “We undertook extensive dialogue with various stakeholders on the Land Use Charge revised Law and its implementation.

“Consequently, we received a wide range of responses from our dialogue with various stakeholders on the amended Land Use Charge Law, 2018.”

He explained that the various interactions formed the subject of extensive deliberations at the meeting of the Lagos State Executive Council on March 14.

“The Lagos State Executive Council chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode resolved to make some concessions in line with stakeholders’ demands,” he added.

He said commercial property owners, who were undoubtedly the stakeholders most impacted by this amended law will be granted a 50 per cent discount, explaining that a commercial property valued at say N20 million, which was earlier billed N91,200, would now pay N45,600 per annum.

He also explained that properties occupied by the owner and third parties in the same premises but used for industrial and manufacturing purposes will now enjoy a 25 per cent discount.

“This means that a N20 million property expected to pay N30,720 will now pay N23, 040 per annum.”

He added that owner-occupier property will get a 15 per cent discount, “so for a N20 million property, this used to be N9,120. Now, it is N7,752 per annum”.

Aside from the reduction across all categories, Ashade disclosed that the state government waived the penalties for late payments of the LUC, noting that property owners, who have received their bills, would no longer be penalised for late payments issued in 2018.

He said the removal of the penalties would provide additional relief to all property owners, noting that other rates and reliefs, apart from the ones stated above, will remain unchanged and will be implemented as stipulated by the law.

“The rates and reliefs include 40 per cent general relief, 10 per cent for 70 years and above, 10 per cent for properties owned by persons living with disability, and 10 per cent for properties that are 25 years old, and so on and so forth.

“Owners of properties across all categories will now be allowed to make payments in instalments. This will help to reduce the burden of taxation on our citizens,” he said.

He commended property owners in all categories who had performed their civic duties faithfully by paying the LUC, assuring those who had paid before the downward review that they would be awarded tax credits to the extent of the excess amount paid and carried forward to next year.

In his remarks, the state attorney general said the State Executive Council “shall forward to the Lagos State House of Assembly for review and passage the following regulations: a review of applicable rates and the regime of reliefs on categories of properties pursuant to the Land Use Charge Law, and regulation for a framework for self-assessment”.

He implored all stakeholders to participate effectively in the legislative proceedings and conveyed his appreciation to them for trusting the current administration with the responsibility of investing the revenue from the LUC in infrastructure renewal and overall development of the state.

Kazeem said under the amended law, there is a provision for establishment of five tribunals, of which one has been established in Ikeja and is now operational, adding that the remaining four would be established in other administrative divisions of the state in Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu and Lagos Island.

He said the law also makes provisions for aggrieved taxpayers to ventilate their grievances within 45 days through a mediation process, adding that so far over 80 cases had been resolved through mediation.

Lauding the review, the Executive Director of Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), Mr. Femi Lawson, thanked the administration for its empathy with the people of the state.

“This review shows a government that shares in the pain and concerns of the citizens of this state. Not only did they listen to our agitations but also the Lagos government took action to allay our fears and worries by bringing the LUC rates down and introducing some other tax relief measures. This is surely a pro-people’s government,” he said.

Similarly, Mr. Thomas Aderinola, a real estate investor in Lagos, said the downward review of the amended LUC Law was a reassuring indication that state government listens to its citizens.

ThisDay

Professor Stephen Hawking, physicist and leading intellectual dies, aged 76

Arguably one of the greatest scientists of the last century, the death on Wednesdayin the United Kingdom of Professor Stephen Hawking is not only a loss to his country but indeed to all humanity. He was recognised as a genius in the field of theoretical physics, first by the British community of scientists following his early challenges of existing theories in cosmology and then by other peers across the globe. His contributions to theoretical physics are concentrated in the fields of quantum gravity, general relativity and cosmology, especially his research on the concept of the Black Hole. But his life was also a unique story.

At 17, Hawking was admitted on scholarship to study at Oxford after which he proceeded to Cambridge to begin his doctoral studies in gravity and cosmology. At 32, he became a member of the Royal Society and Cambridge’s Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at age 37, a Chair once held by Sir Isaac Newton. It is also instructive that Hawking was born exactly 300 years after the death of Galileo, regarded as “the father of modern physics”, a development he dismissed as no more than a mere coincidence.

Meanwhile, for much of his adult life until he died, Hawking was restricted to the wheelchair and could only communicate electronically through a sensor attached to his cheeks which activated his thoughts into the recognisable characters that automatically materialised on a keyboard attached to his device.

Indeed, despite his several accomplishments in the field of science and the numerous books he wrote either alone or jointly with others, Hawking commanded global attention more because of his stubborn refusal to allow his disability define him as he became what the Times of London described as “a moving demonstration of the transcendent power of the mind”. And in a moment of introspection, Hawking once admitted that his fame might have been as a result of the fact that “no one can resist the idea of a crippled genius”.

In many ways Hawking symbolised the incredible will to rise above physical disability to actually use genius to the glory of humanity. But we hasten to add that this was only possible because he was born in a society that recognised his genius above his physical limitations. The system also accorded him his due. He had a net worth in excess of $20 million by the time he passed on, derived from royalties, endorsements, film credits and patents.

At the end, it was Hawking’s cultural outings that helped him make the great crossing from the narrow esoteric precincts of pure science into the canvass of the popular imagination. His book, ‘A Brief History of Time’, which became an instant bestseller, thrust him further into popular limelight. He gradually became a brand, a development cemented by his appearances on the American sitcom, ‘Big Bang Theory’.

As the world therefore mourns the passing of Professor Hawking, his eternal legacy is not only in his scientific breakthroughs but much more in his personification of the power of the human will to soar above physical incapacity to reach its fullest potential for our common humanity. It is also a lasting tribute to the society that enabled this to happen.

Thisday

A major trouble-shooting effort was launched last night to halt the imminent showdown between the Executive and the Legislature.

On the agenda were:
the controversial election sequence reordering, which is a subject of litigation;
the 2018 budget, which is stuck at the National Assembly— four months after it was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari; and the worrisome security situation.

Last night President Buhari met at the Presidential Villa with the leadership of the National Assembly.

The meeting, which started around 9p.m, was attended by Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Lasun Yussuff, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan and House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.

After the meeting, Saraki told reporters that the frosty relationship between the Executive and the Legislature was discussed. The budget was also discussed, he said.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha confirmed that the threat by the lawmakers to override the President’s veto on the Electoral Act amendment was discussed. He gave no details.

On the budget, the lawmakers were said to have complained that some ministers were yet to defend their inputs.

Buhari was said to have directed the SGF to write the ministers, directing them to defend their budgets.

Earlier in the day, Senate during plenary decided to write to Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to protest the ruling stopping lawmakers from overriding the President’s veto on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

It was also learnt that based on legal advice, which suggested that the President’s reasons for declining assent was not watertight, the lawmakers had decided to override the veto next week.

The controversy trailing the rejection of the Electoral Act 2018 amendment by President Muhammadu Buhari may be far from over.

National Assembly yesterday listed “flaws” in the constitutional provision relied upon by President Buhari to withhold assent to the Bill.

The leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly is said to have met Wednesday night to consider submissions from the legal department of the Assembly.

It was gathered that the legal advice dismissed the constitutional provisions cited by President Buhari as basis for his action “as baseless and of no effect to form the basis of withholding assent to the Bill”.

Senate and House Representatives leadership “accepted the submissions received from the legal department,” a source said.

The implication of the acceptance of the submissions of the legal department, the source said, “is that the two chambers may go ahead to override the veto of Mr. President to the Bill.”

The source hinted that “the two chambers appeared to be poised to do battle with Mr. President by exercising their power to override the president on any issue they feel strongly about”.

He added that the amendment of the Electoral Act which altered the sequence of elections, seems to be one of the issues the lawmakers are convinced was done “in the best interest of the country”.

The legal advice obtained by our reporter states: “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria vetoed the 2018 Amendment of the Electoral Act of 2010 passed by the National Assembly in the exercise of its constitutional powers under Section 58(4 oi) Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended following reasons.

“Each of the legal and constitutional reasons advanced by the President as a basis for the veto were examined in details below.

“1. The President claims that the Amendment introducing a specific sequence for elections under Section 25 of the Principal Act 2010 infringed the discretion of the Independent National Electoral Commission to “organise, undertake and supervise elections.” This argument is flawed because correct legal position however is that by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 First Alteration Act 2010, Act No. 1, specifically, Section 5 provides that “Section 76 of the Principal Act is altered thus

“(a)subsection (1) in line 2, by inserting immediately after the word ’commission’ ’the words’ ’in accordance with the Electoral Act. “

“From the above amendment, it is crystal clear that the power to regulate the principal elements of all Federal Electoral process was expressed by the above amendment, removed from the Independent National Electoral Commission and vested in the Assembly (N.A) which has the power to make laws for peace, order and good government” of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and any part thereof.

“Furthermore, the phrases ‘organize, undertake & supervise’ elections under Section 15(a) of the 3″ Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, according to the President, allegedly infringed the discretion guaranteed” to lNEC by Section 25 of the of the Principal Act.

“1. The argument of the President that the sequencing of the elections under Section 25 infringed the discretion of INEC without expressly pointing out what specific aspects or ways and manner cannot be a basis for legal or constitutional argument or decision. With due respect, the opinion expressed is too general to establish a basis for the exercise of a legal or constitutional power, more so because “discretion” is a principle governed by the rules of Administrative Law and not that of Constitutional Law, on which the President claimed to have anchored his arguments.

“2) .Thirdly, the terms “organise, undertake and supervise” may have conferred a wide discretion on lNEC in matters of all logistics in the preparation and conduct of elections, the issue of discretion only comes to fore in the actual details of the preparation, organizing and conducting elections.

”It is respectfully submitted that the sequencing of the elections in a Bill as to which was scheduled as first or last in the conduct does not in any way hamper or affect the discretion and capacity of INEC to organise, undertake and conduct these elections into various constitutional offices provided.

“3) The new subsection (3) introduced into Section 138 of the Electoral Act, which the President argued repealed two crucial grounds upon which elections could be challenged, is not entirely correct and the view could be misplaced for the following reason:

“a. The new Subsection (3) to section 138 actually clarifies the ambiguity contained in subsection 1 of the Principal Act and reinforces the constitutional standards specified in Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. In addition, it further provides that no person shall be qualified to contest elections in breach of any of the ‘Sections 66, 107, 137 or 182 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“The amendment to Section 152 (3)-(5), which collectively imposed an obligation on the State independent Electoral Commissions to apply the standard of ‘free, fair and credible elections in the conduct of Local Government elections’ is within the competence of the National Assembly to make laws in respect of the procedure regulating elections into the Local Government Councils in accordance with item 11 (Eleven) of the Concurrent Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution as amended. What specific aspects or ways and manner cannot be a basis for legal or constitutional argument or decision. With due respect, the opinion expressed is too general to establish a basis for the exercise of a legal or constitutional power more so because “discretion” is a principle governed by the rules of Administrative Law and not that of Constitutional Law which the President claimed to have anchored his arguments.

“Thirdly, the terms “Organize, undertake and supervise” may have confer a wide discretion on lNEC in matters of all logistics in the preparation and conduct of elections, the issue of discretion only comes to fore in the actual details of the preparation, organizing and conducting elections. It is respectfully submitted that the sequencing of the elections in a Bill as to which was scheduled as first or last in the conduct does not in any way hamper or affect the discretion and capacity of INEC to organize, undertake and conduct these elections into various constitutional offices provided.

“3) The new subsection (3) introduced into Section 138 of the Electoral Act, which the President argued repealed two crucial grounds upon which elections could be challenged is not entirely correct and the view could be misplaced for the following reason:

“a. The new Subsection (3) to section 138 actually clarifies the ambiguity contained in subsection 1 of the Principal Act and reinforces the constitutional standards specified in Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. In addition, it furthe provides that no person shall be qualified to contest elections in breach c any of the ‘Sections 66, 107, 137 or 182 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”

“The amendment to Section 152 (3)-(5) which collectively imposed an obligation on the State Independent Electoral Commissions to apply the standard of “free, fair and credible elections in the conduct of Local Government elections” is within the competence of the National Assembly to make laws in respect of the procedure regulating elections into the Local Government Councils in accordance with item 11 (Eleven) of the Concurrent Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“It is therefore not entirely correct, with all due respect, for the Mr. President to argue that the amendment may raise constitutional issues over the competence of the National Assembly to legislate on Local Government elections. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has decided on this issue in the famous case of Attorney General of Abia State & Ors v Attorney General of the Federation & Ors.

The Nation

In Metaphysics and Epistemology, solipsism is an interesting theory and position which views ‘self’ as all that exists. An adherent of solipsism is a self-absorbed, self-obsessed narcissist whose fixation is all about ‘me-myself-and-I’. A solipsist lives in the stratosphere and troposphere of egocentricity. From this worldview, they view themselves.  Nobody else matters or is considered important to the solipsist but self. 

A solipsist in political power strips others naked to cover his own nakedness. He is prone to killing and silencing others for fame to cover his shame. He pillages a commonwealth and pilfers the people’s money to provide himself the honey. He is a border-line cruel and mean maniac whose métier is pulverizing the people’s means of livelihood to prosper his egotistic self. Aggressive aggrandisement is his game. Greed is his name. Calories of corruption are his requisite nutrients.  In Nigeria, there are too many solipsists in centres of power. They are as countless as the stars of the skies.

In his ruggedness and doggedness, the average Nigerian fights through torture and hurt unleashed by mean men who rule over them. Nigeria’s GDP today is $404bn; the biggest in Africa. By year 2030, the consumer arm of Nigeria is projected to grow to be about 273 million in population, more than the population of France and Germany put together.

The GDP will spike by an additional $500bn in 22 years. Amidst plenty, the future of our children has been shortchanged plenty. I will narrow this discourse down to Nigerian legislators who stand out like sore thumbs and curses to democracy.

Over many years and through this medium, I have bird-dogged the lawmaking chamber and its elite members.

My opinions about the institution are in the public domain. I once asked a frustrated anonymous voice in Nigeria’s Presidency about our legislators’ remuneration structure who said: “The salaries and emoluments are shrouded in so much secrecy. I am not able to confirm”. I dwell on this today because of the “bombshell” from none else than Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, a man I have always wondered why he is not running for Nigeria’s Presidency.

Senator Sani recently revealed that each Nigerian senator receives N13.5 million monthly for unspecified expenses tagged “running cost” in addition to the N750,000 official consolidated salaries and allowances of the lawmakers as approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Allocations Commission. Some 109 senators coast home this whopping sum monthly for doing not much, or nothing at all other than dancing and revelling. They slumber off and fool around in the chamber, they pass no legislation that brings succour to the suffering masses, and many times don’t show up at work as often as you and I do because of the rules of the house written by all and abused by not a few.

Their preoccupation is nothing but the next election and obsession on flagitious remunerations.

Behold below the bogus and bruising “running costs” allowances Nigerian senators take home every month. There are 109 senators who stay in office, for example, for a four-year term. 13.5 million x 48=648million (1 senator only) x 109=N70.632bn every four years. Nigerian senators’ stay in office cost the Nigerian taxpayers over N70bn in monthly “running costs” alone. And that was all Sani told us.

There are other hidden costs that have not been revealed. We do not have an insight into what goes on in the House of Representatives with 360 members and a horde of aides.

Nigeria’s adopted democratic system, by default, has groomed and nurtured Chairmen of cumshaw; commanders-in-chief of Nigeria’s gravy-train; and cockeyed capo dei capi of corruption. Peruse the following breakdown of what I believe qualifies our National Assembly as a den of robbers: Hardship Allowance is 50 per cent of basic salary. Constituency Allowance is 200 per cent of basic salary. Newspapers Allowance is 50 per cent of basic salary. Wardrobe Allowance 25 per cent of basic salary. Recess Allowance 10 per cent of basic salary. Accommodation 200 per cent of basic salary. Utilities 30 per cent of basic salary. Domestic staff 70 per cent of basic salary. Entertainment 30 per cent of basic salary. Personal Assistants 25 per cent of basic salary. Vehicle Maintenance Allowance 75 per cent of basic salary.  Leave Allowance 10 per cent of basic salary. Severance gratuity 300 per cent of basic salary.  Car Allowance 400 per cent of basic salary.

I will not compare this charade to what obtains in other nations; I will compare Nigeria to Nigeria. In a Cimmerian economy such as Nigeria’s, this is flat-out insensitive!

Nigeria remains one of the five extremely poor nations of the world. Its poverty rate is pegged at 33.1 per cent.  Almost 100 million people live on less than $1 a day, and 92 per cent on less than two dollars a day. Almost 62 per cent of households in Nigeria consider themselves to be poor. Life remains stagnant for the majority. The minority elite class who claim to be serving the people are starving the helpless. 

While many nations of the world are planning for a greater future, Nigerian lawmakers are plotting to exploit. Hearty leaders are about the people; heartless ones are about self. When will this hoity-toity from Nigerian politicians change for Pete’s sake? Do you know it may be never?

Readers, if our National Assembly in Abuja has become a fiefdom and a den of robbers, the people helped to build, sustain and maintain it. Until my people wake up, the looting and unjust outrageous allowances and remuneration will continue.

No one can help the Nigerian people but the people themselves. But, are they ready? Painfully and sadly, I do not see signs they are.

There is little that is news worthy that does not trigger reflection about the state of Nigeria or some aspects of Nigeria. Today, it is the unnatural silence that should be filled with the voices of young Nigerians dissatisfied with the way things are.

A few days ago, students all over the United States and some parts of the world staged #NationalWalkOutDay in support of stricter gun control policy in the country. Many joined the protests despite threats of suspension and other forms of punishment — taking the knee (something President Donald Trump has railed against), lying in and marching to Capitol Hill and leaving 7,000 shoes on the ground in honour of those who have died from school shootings since December 2012.

Young people are typically the conscience of their societies — they are more idealistic, less accepting of structural injustice and thus, driven to influence and improve the space they inhabit. As I listen to people, the same age as my children, take on the US gun lobby and campaign financing, I cannot help wondering — where are Nigeria’s young people?  Is there nothing they care about enough? Is there nothing that inspires them or ignites their indignation?

The military happened.

Nigerian universities used to be vibrant spaces for lofty ideals, alternative thinking and challenging the status quo but the military knew (and its civilian successors know too), that education is a dangerous shield against oppression and group think and systematically weakened not just education, but student activism.

The opening assault was in 1978 when students, under the National Union of Nigerian Students decided to boycott lectures until a decision to increase fees was reversed and the military government met other demands including  ‘democratization, genuine independence and enhancement of the quality of life of the masses. At least six students, one in Lagos and five in Zaria lost their lives.

In those days, there was an ideological chemistry between students and lecturers where radical, leftist academics particularly those in the humanities and social sciences provided inspiration to students and were in turn inspired to support students when they took a stand on social issues. Parties such as the Movement for Progressive Nigeria formed around issues and while far from perfect, the spirit of fighting for a better society was strong.

But as Nigeria passed between military men, the relationship between students amongst themselves and students and lecturers became systematically weakened.

No one is credited with doing more to silence the conscience of students than military dictator Ibrahim Babangida. A favourite weapon was to keep schools closed and when schools were open, to infiltrate the student unions with security agents who acted as agent provocateurs. Soon, the students and schools were infected with cults and money was introduced into student  union politics. Students who could not be bribed or intimidated found themselves arrested and/or expelled. Students’ activism has still not recovered.

Over the last 19 years since the military officially returned to the barracks, too many unconscionable things have happened. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost not only to terrorists and bandits but to state security agents paid to protect us while inhumane government policies keep the majority in penury. If nothing else hurts, rising public debt and the pain that climate change and environmental degradation are bringing our way should worry the youths more because they will bear the brunt of these years of neglect.

The fact that there are many young people leading big and small reforms in various aspects of daily life could make it seem like protest activism is a thing of the past. After all, young people are driving legal reform on gender and youth inclusion in politics with the Gender and Equal Opportunity and Not Too Young to Run bills or promoting entrepreneurs and leading technological advancements in business and governance like BudgIT — organising around sexual violence and mass evictions and ensuring issues stay in the media. For these and other reasons, it might seem unfair to ask the youths to do more but there are a few reasons why their voices should be loudest about what needs to improve.

The first is that they are naturals — or should be. They are insulated by their innocence of the things their eyes have not yet seen. This should make them more fearless than the rest of us.  The second is that the their voices might guilt more of us into recognising our complicity in what Nigeria currently is and into making the right, but difficult decisions that need to be made.

And finally, it is precisely youth activism and organising to influence policy and societal norms that will help young people prepare for leadership and gain the confidence they need to push for the reforms that are needed to move Nigeria forward.

Dejected but slow to anger, Nigerians, as usual, are exhibiting apathy where there should be widespread indignation. They are struggling hard to assimilate the latest explosive revelations about the stupendous salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers. According to Shehu Sani, each senator receives N13.5 million monthly as running cost, apart from the N750,000 consolidated monthly salary.

Although it had been an open secret that the lawmakers were among the highest paid in the world, nobody knew the exact size of their hefty emoluments, until the All Progressives Congress senator lifted the lid on the obscene pay last weekend. The exposé is a confirmation of the avarice and selfishness of Nigeria’s political elite, particularly the lawmakers.

In a country where most states cannot pay the monthly minimum wage of N18,000, federal pensioners are owed 14 months arrears and social services have collapsed, it is disturbing that senators are so remunerated. “It was a moral issue,” Sani said. “The National Assembly is one of the most non-transparent organs of government. It pricked my conscience and I decided to burst the bubble and open the National Assembly to scrutiny.”

While the minimum wage stands at N216,000 per annum, the federal treasury loses N162 million per annum on each legislator. At the official exchange rate of N305.75 to $1, each senator’s allowance on just one item is $529,897 per annum. In addition, Sani stated that each senator grosses N200 million per annum via the controversial constituency projects. In any other clime where the people are not docile, the revelations would have triggered mass action against the degenerate and selfish parliamentarians.

Sani said, “But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leave senators and members of the House of Representatives with salaries.” He should follow through on this and expose the other hidden allowances being earned.

Ironically, this is a parliament that has been anything but productive. The lawmakers keep boasting that they are the representatives of the people, but what have the people benefited from them? From 1999 to date, the country has lived with a National Assembly that has abysmally failed in its responsibilities. Quite often, it thumbs its chest on bills passed. But many of them are self-serving, such as the National Peace Corps Bill. The corps is a private organisation that the parliamentarians want the government to inherit without thinking of the source of its funding, especially when existing security agencies are under-funded.

Its oversight functions are perfunctorily done. On its watch, the public treasury is haemorrhaged by public office holders, civil servants and lawmakers. Its involvement in this national bazaar is evident in the billions of naira it approves for its members annually and serial distortion of the budget for their members’ selfish interests. A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, was suspended for 180 legislative days for exposing how the budget was allegedly padded with N40 billion.

Apparently, only an inept, irresponsive and corrupt parliament would overlook the reports of the Auditor-General of the Federation detailing how public funds were managed and abused for 14 years as revealed by the then AGF, Samuel Nkura. He stressed, “…none of the said audit reports has been discussed at the plenary sessions…” Between 2004 and 2014, a total of N2.6 trillion in Service Wide Vote (fund) was spent by the Executive arm of government without appropriation, as a legislative inquest revealed after the damage had been done. Corruption drips in the MDAs as the $2.9 billion the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission recovered in two years shows.

The slashing of the N31 billion in the 2017 budget, provided by the Executive for the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to just N10 billion has led to the stoppage of work by the contractors. The money, with other cuts from the Second Niger Bridge and Mambilla hydro-power projects, was channelled into projects serving their selfish interests. During recession, the lawmakers nevertheless increased their own budgetary allocation from N115 billion to N125 billion in 2017.

Indeed, “there is a limit to appropriation,” as Jibrin railed at his colleagues’ recklessness. In the implementation of their fraud-driven constituency projects, N900 billion was injected into the budget between 2004 and 2014, Mohammed Ndume revealed in 2014, as the chairman, Senate Committee on Millennium Development Goals.

The underbelly of the scheme was exposed by BudgIT last year, which tracked the implementation of the 2016 projects in 20 states. It revealed that 343 projects were not executed. The locations of 4.8 per cent of the projects were not specified. “These projects were signed off and contractors got paid most of the fees…,” its report affirmed.

But while the lawmakers appropriate so much for themselves for minimal productivity, the average United States federal lawmaker, apart from the mean salary of $174,000, calculated in 2016 by the Congressional Research Services, allowances paid for three components for senators – administrative and clerical assistance, legislative assistance, and office assistance – are paid only for staff, and average staff, official and part time, for each in 2017 was 29 personnel.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that sets and administers the United Kingdom parliamentarians’ pay says, apart from the £76,011 annual salary of an MP, each lawmaker also receives expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, accommodation in London and in their constituency, and travelling between the capital and their constituency. However, IPSA ensures that the money is spent strictly on what it was approved for. These are countries with Gross Domestic Product and per capita income of $18.57 trillion and $58.030; and $2.61 trillion and $39,899 respectively.

But our senators, and their equally avaricious counterparts in the House of Representatives, are not swayed by Nigeria’s 80 per cent poverty level estimated by the African Development Bank last month, and our GDP and per capita income of $405.1 billion and $2,177.99 respectively, nor by the recent alarm raised by the International Monetary Fund that poverty was rising faster in the country.

A survey by the Inter Parliamentary Union in 2012 found that only 14 per cent of parliamentarians worldwide earned over $100,000 per annum and Nigerian lawmakers, with average basic pay of $154,000, were a part. Still, the country was a dismal 152nd out of 168 countries on the United Nations Development Programme of Human Development Index 2017.

Nigerians should reject the continued rape of their resources by an avaricious, unprincipled and uncaring coterie of lawmakers who operate like the inept Electricity Distribution Companies that collect humongous amounts from consumers monthly for services they do not render. This country can never make meaningful progress with this quality of representation. With poverty, insecurity and joblessness ravaging the land, a weak Executive and political parties that are undistinguished in their disdain for the people and poor service delivery, only sustained action by the people can shake off this parliamentary stranglehold.

All legal means should be adopted to stop the daylight robbery by lawmakers. Complacency has allowed this nonsense to thrive these past 18 years. In June 2009, public pressure forced the UK MPs to publish the full details of their expenses for public scrutiny and this has become a standard practice there. Workers and the labour unions, students and civil society groups, need to make their voices heard within the law as their pre-independence and military era predecessors who stoutly resisted dictatorship.

The clamour for fiscal federalism, transparent elections and good governance should be stepped up at all levels, joined by progressives at the bar and the mass media. This travesty should be stopped. In the face of the failure of other social institutions, the people must take their destiny in their own hands and demand accountability from these cavalier politicians.

Punch

Antonio Conte has praised Lionel Messi as the kind of talent who emerges only once every half-century after the Barcelona forward registered his 100th Champions League goal en route to eliminating Chelsea from the competition. Messi, who had failed to score in his first eight appearances against the London club, hit three of Barça’s four goals over the two legs and set up Ousmane Dembélé for the other, the secondon Wednesday night, as La Liga’s champions-elect progressed into the quarter-finals. Conte, having thanked his own players for their efforts, sought out the opposition forward at the final whistle to express admiration at his display as they departed the turf. “A fantastic player moved the final result, moved the qualification over the two legs,” the Italian said.

“I have to praise the commitment of my players, and be proud because they gave everything. But Messi made the difference and, when you have the opportunity to make a great compliment to Messi, it’s right to praise a super, super, super top player. A player who is able to score 60 goals in every season. Not only for one season. We are talking about an extraordinary player, the best in the world.

“He’s a player who can change the final result for any team he is playing in. But he started to play with Barcelona and, for sure, he will finish his career in Barcelona. Many teams can hope to have him in their team, but it won’t be possible. This is a great story for Barcelona and Messi. This type of player is born once every 50 years. We are talking about one single player with this capacity, with this ability, with these skills. He’s fantastic.”

Conte considered his side unfortunate to depart the competition 4-1 on aggregate after striking the woodwork four times in the two legs, only to be undone by Messi’s brilliance. “They scored three times but I think we didn’t deserve this type of result,” he said. “We were a bit unlucky because we created many chances to score. I think there was a penalty on Marcos Alonso [after a challenge from Gerard Piqué] at the start of the second half and, if you make it 2-1, you can put a bit of pressure on Barcelona. At the end, I repeat: I must be pleased with the commitment of my players. I saw great work from my players.”

Antonio Conte reflects on Chelsea's 'unlucky' Champions League defeat to Barcelona – video

There were reports from Chelsea supporters about being funnelled into cramped areas outside the stadium, and Spanish police using batons in the ensuing confusion, with the club intent on taking it up with authorities and appealing for witness statements from those involved.

“We are aware of reports of incidents outside the ground before the game, where a number of Chelsea fans were hurt,” said a spokesman. “We ask that our supporters contact us with accounts of their experiences of this evening’s arrival at the stadium so that we can take this up properly with the authorities.”

The Guardian