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Genesis 4: 7

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

The six percent stamp duty on rents in private residential buildings recently introduced by the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) has been described as a policy to favor government and privileged  Nigerians.

This assertion was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The Federal Government has decided to tax the poor for the benefit of the government and  the rich. The policy is aimed at further devaluing the Naira and make the cost of living very high. This certainly is the wrong policy. This is a government that is supposed to provide as a matter of right to citizens, accommodation, in order to guarantee their right to shelter but has defiantly refused to guarantee citizens' right to shelter and is now taxing citizens for providing shelter for themselves. The hard times are here,'' Comrade Emelieze lamented.

Nigerians have for so long complained of injustice, inequity, discrimination and other related inhuman acts by successive administrations in the country. Sadly, nepotism, favoritism and political patronage have become the order of the day at the Federal and state levels. In this interview the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the present administration in Nigeria should stop implementing discriminating policies to ensure national integration. Excerpts : 

How can the present administration in Nigeria ensure national integration and at the same time eliminate discrimination on the grounds of state of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnicity and language ?

National integration for Nigeria as an entity will promote love, enhance security and accelerate development. However, under the present circumstance, its complexity will require a giant stride of efforts from the present administration to achieve. This is because Nigeria has since by structure and architecture been viewed as a mere geographical contraption by name since the period of amalgamation in 1914.

Unfortunately, our failure to develop the culture of patriotism has been responsible for allegations of marginalization and inequality in having access to our common wealth.

 Nigerians today remain unnecessary heterogeneous because of the discriminatory attitude of our rulers and leaders through biases of differences in state of origin, gender, religion and language. Till date,religion is still a tool to fuel crisis and is a pun in the hands of politicians, not only to have tickets of opportunities to be voted into elective positions, but as a means to be appointed into juicy positions of power.

Discrimination is highly endemic in Nigeria, biases flow continue to stream out the choice of partners in marriages and the girl child and women are equally discriminated against even by their parents in the areas of developing the children.

At the career front, women equally suffer at the entry point of employment as well as at the promotional stage of their development in the establishment. It is unfortunate that our leaders do not see positions of power as an opportunity to serve meritoriously, towards leaving a legacy of good mentor ship by aggressively and seriously working on our weak areas that prove to be the bane of development. For example, the essence of adopting English language as a the lingua franca is to promote national integration, unfortunately, research into cases of fraud and corruption in Nigeria reveal that the majority of those who engage in these evils including the ‘’Yahoo yahoo’’ boys and girls are those ones who are regarded as educated with good diction, phonetics and fluency. Can these people build for us dignity of labor and fraud free society ? How then can we have national integration in the face of all these odds of life. If this government is to achieve for us and the next generation, national integration, there would be the need to overhaul most of our policies that favor discriminating attitudes . To this end, a restructuring agenda that is not based on ethnic coloration or religious sentiments must be effected as the main agenda that must be pursued as a project that must not fail, otherwise the proponents of the fact that Nigeria is a child of circumstance based on the 1914 amalgamation which lives on a document that was only renewable in 2014, that is after 100 years, of the people so wish, may hijack the project. We must not allow national disintegration to replace the lofty project of national integration. The present government must therefore serve the people by satisfying their physiological needs, otherwise the pursuit of the elitist project at the expense of the welfare of the people may be catastrophic in future.

People are uncomfortable with language, which suggests hierarchies and power relationships, however we are happier with the language of equality.

None of us is entirely happy with the thought of been a  prisoner of a servant.

These are words which have few honorable associations for us.

 So what is the mystery which Christ proclaims ?

It is precisely the liberty we most desire, a liberty which is a mystery or infinite treasure because it makes us all members of the body of Christ.

In Christ, we are offered the true equality of belonging.

These days it is very difficult for people to feel that they belong to anything.

We are deeply scarred by the kinds of greed or apathy which set whole communities against  each other.

Let us pray for global healing between nations, which have  made servants of each other and prisoners of debt; let us pray for world unity.

The suspension of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, his questioning and probe of the activities of the commission from 2015 till date has cast dark clouds on the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria. However, a cross section of Nigerians are of the opinion that this has exposed the worrisome state of affairs among the leadership. Interestingly, the panel’s roles are not stated in the constitution, even as the insinuation is that it has been five years of chasing shadows. In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. SabitU Olagoke says that the country is soaked in corruption. Excerpts :

The presidential panel on corruption is now saddled with the responsibility of looking into the activities of the suspended Chairman of the EFCC and the commission from 2015 till date. What is your reaction ?

Consider the present state of institutional indiscipline and impunity on the issue of sins and crimes in all sectors and spheres of life.

The environment is fraught with rent-seeking, hypocrisy, nepotism, Nigeria loss of identity(lack of patriotism) and kleptocracy where corruption is deeply ingrained in in our collective psyche through institutional indiscipline, impunity, blackmail and intimidation. This land is soaked with corruption, transgression, sins and crimes. Hence, there is a dire need for an enabling act as an antidote. Section(i) of the EFCC Act(2004) limits the appointment of the EFCC Chairman to ; ‘’Serving or retired member of any of the government security or law enforcement agency no t below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent.’’

The law was adjusted to make the EFCC answerable to the Attorney Genetral of the Federation, that should be more of probe, rather than monitoring the looted assets auctioning process profile.

One expects the agency(EFCC) to be answerable to the Presidency where the Presidential Advisory Committee(PAC) should be doing the monitoring of the process of the looted assets recovery and disposal system through due process.

This would have made the President to have first hand information and monitoring of the process through direct and timely briefing.

When will a civilian boss emerge with law background and antecedent of integrity with clean records and relevant experience ?

The Senate refused to confirm Magu’s appointment twice, based on security reports that declared him as a security risk or ‘danger’ to the anti-corruption war.

The present moral incompetence charges justify his detractors’ claim.

The anti-corruption agency has the antecedent of record of being used by the Presidency to witch hunt the opposition or perceived enemies of the powers that be. With this reduced status to a moral blackmail, the agency with its anti-corruption crusade, the whole process will by implication become questionable through doubtful integrity and credibility.

One expects that lessons ought to have been learnt with full determination of purpose to identify with the charge mantra of the government that appointed Magu as the acting chairman. However, for lack of autonomy the political wind could have beclouded Magu’s sense of professionalism an objectivity.

The war against corruption ought to have been worn out for the structure and architectural defects as well as attitudinal challenge of officers and the society including, governance, the battle process is always fraught with fictional resistances. All anti-corruption agencies need to be built upon clearly spelt out premises, while the monitor of the terms of references and training that dwell on :

1. Emphatic policy analysis and implementation process.
2. Monitoring mechanism and coordination structure.
3. Sociological consideration for corruption tendency. For example, past records of Timocracy and Kleptocracy at any given opportunity to serve at any level of operation
4. Sources and environment that enable corrupt practices.
5. Key trends in the evolution of sharp and corrupt practices.

 Process flow analysis of checking leakages based on the concept of prevention is better than cure, with the regulation mechanism in place such as :

1. Expenditure controls.
2. Audit systems and monitoring.
3. Assessment and evaluation framework.

All these must be the orientation of all officers of the EFCC and in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies and government functionaries including parastatals, Executive, Judiciary and Legislature with emphasis on on the need of transparency and accountability probity and auditing that corruption is nipped in the bud before it become full blown. To this end the following must be in place

• Autonomy of the agency is required to be immune from undue political influence. The independence of the anti-corruption agency must be guarded in law to protect its credibility and objectivity for maximum efficiency to produce deterrents .
• Periodical workshop on best attitudinal attainment for anti-graft officials to be reliable and dependable without disappointing people’s trust is sacrosanct.
• This must be driven through adequate training, capacity building, adequate resources, professionalism and rigorous ability to prosecute offenders.
• For effectiveness, the following must be given credence for enhancement :
• Conceptually grounded system analysis of corruption with basic consideration for :
• Level and dignity of labor.
• Location and characteristic attitude of the people in the environment.
• Magnitude of corruption a the strategy level to be able to restrategize.
• Keen focus on the drivers and enablers of corruption.
• Ensure that legal, societal and normal norms are fully aligned within the framework that enable operators to full fight the cabals, cartels and the yahoo yahoo boys and girls on quick money making syndrome.
• Above all, checks to regulate living not above our means deserve a wider and effective mechanism that would enable the anti-corruption commission and the society at large to naturally identify with the objectives and goals of the anti corruption agencies.
• Character and judgement are crucial and more important than professional background for the position of chairmanship of the EFCC, hence, the need to try a civilian pedigree in experience, education and impeccable character with a clean state of past records.

State Governments in Nigeria which have reopened schools in the heat of the coronavirus pandemic  have been called upon to commence tests for the coronavirus among students, teachers and other staff.

This call was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in a chat with Poverty Line.

‘’Now that some state Governments have reopened schools, it is very necessary for these governments to conduct COVID 19 tests among teachers, students and other staff in the various schools that have reopened in the states. This is what is expected of governments which project and are not ready to risk the lives of their people. As a matter of fact we need not remind these state governments to conduct the tests, if the intention of reopening schools was not to perform unnecessary experiment with our students or put their lives in jeopardy’’, Comrade Emelieze concluded.

Pick pocketing is now a means of livelihood for the young and old in  major cities  in Nigeria.

Young men and women, including the aged are noticeable at bus stops and other public places such as markets and events centers plying their trade. 

At bus-stops they are always out waiting for their victims, who board buses, tricycles, motorcycles and cabs. Sadly, their collaborators are in the law enforcement agencies

Ever since the privatization of the power sector, Nigerians have continued to pay for darkness even though the expectations was that the privatization would ensure that electricity would be stable and regular. Sadly, this is not the case.

Of worry, is the fact that estimated billing, in the face of the irregular electricity supply all over the country by the Electricity Distribution Companies(DISCO) has been more of a night mare for serious minded Nigerians.

In this interview, the Founder, Spiritual Head, Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that increase in electricity is not the way to go since 90 per cent of Nigerians are contending with poverty and hunger. Excerpts :

Darkness persists despite the privatization of electricity supply in Nigeria, do you think increasing tariffs is the solution?

Th system of government in Nigeria has always been characterized by insensitivity to the records of the history for its performance to put in place a value system that is not only maintainable but sustainable for the future. The consequence has always has always been a case of worsening situation through successive governments till date.

The level of corruption at all levels of its management became embarrassingly high to the detriment of our development even in the areas of economic diversification projects, vocational and entrepreneurship ventures and the general economy that is artisan driven. As the home comfort suffers, the industrial sector suffers more.

The solution to aid better performance became directed towards using metering system to avoid the further issuance of estimated or ’ crazy’ bills even in the absence of regular power supply. It is unfortunate to note that the failure of this sector has adversely affected the realization of the vision 20–20–20 project which experts projected that same would require a minimum of 6,000 megawatts power generation for Nigeria to be able to rise to be among the first 20 economically viable nations in the world.

It is embarrassing for government to direct its search light towards the masses of which 90 per cent of the population had already been impoverished to pay for the debt they never incurred through their attempted policy to increase the tariffs. It is equally embarrassing for the National Assembly and DISCOS to ask the Federal Government to subsidize electricity consumption without putting in place some measures such as proper metering before such hike could be implemented.

With the Coronavirus pandemic collapsing the economy and further impoverishing Nigerians who do not have access to jumbo pay, it is not proper to add more to the people’s challenges of coping with the present hardships through the so called cost reflective tariffs.