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The Enduring Quest for a Better Nigeria

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Vanessa Obioha writes that at a leadership retreat in the rocky city of Abeokuta, Ogun State, spearheaded by THISDAY columnist Joseph Edgar, professionals from different sectors of the economy took a bold step to effecting the desired change in the country

The train had barely left the Mobolaji Johnson Train Station at Ebute Meta, Lagos that Friday afternoon when the discussion on the Nigerian construct and leadership took centre stage. That was of course after the over 50 delegates on the trip to Abeokuta got acquainted with one another. However, the aura of camaraderie in the commodious coach suggested a higher level of familiarity. This was somehow expected given the sense of belonging the digital world offers. Having familiarised themselves on a WhatsApp platform, it was easier to mingle in person.

Despite the banter and quips, it was evident that these professionals from different fields such as health, information technology, oil and gas, finance, were full of anticipation for the weekend in Abeokuta which included a strategic session with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a tour of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL). The retreat was initially birthed by Osa Umweni, the co-owner of Incentive Games Ltd, but finally executed by THISDAY columnist Joseph Edgar. While the session with Obasanjo was to glean from his wealth of knowledge on the way forward for Nigeria, particularly as the 2023 national elections draw closer, the expectations of many on the trip were to network with like-minded people who share the vision of working for a better Nigeria.

To a large extent, that goal was achieved.

Starting with the tour of the presidential library, a first of its kind and the only in the country, the delegates were reminded of the importance of history. The OOPL sits on 62 acres of land and houses three museums, depicting the different stages of Obasanjo’s life; from childhood to military rule to democracy. The delegates expressed a gamut of emotions that ranged from astonishment to admiration, and then disappointment to determination. The OOPL tour was a stark reminder of the critical role history plays in the nation today. They listened with rapt attention as the tour guides took them through historical facts stored in both digital and physical forms. One of the sections that held them spellbound was the Nigerian child. This section encourages children to come face to face with their future by selecting the attire of their chosen fields and taking a picture with it.

For instance, if a child chooses to be a doctor, he or she would pick a doctor’s attire and pose in it in one of the photo booths in the library. Not a few lauded the concept as a strategic way to prepare the Nigerian child for a better future.

By the time the participants had the strategic session with the former president anchored by Nonny Ugboma and Tope Fasua on the theme ‘The Nigerian Construct: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow — What Hope?’, they were re-energised to work towards a greater nation.

Still looking agile in his eighties, Obasanjo walked into the conference hall in purposeful strides, and with his jocose remarks, kept the interactive session from being arid as he fielded questions from the participants.

The questions revolved around the economy, leadership, and polity.

Having ruled the country thrice — once as a military ruler and twice as a democratic president — Obasanjo acknowledged the beauty of our diversity but was quick to point out that mismanagement of our heterogeneousness remains a hindrance to the progress of the nation. This he said affects our identity while emphasising that he would rather be seen as a Nigerian than a citizen of the Republic of Egbaland. For the former president, the idea of restructuring is confusing as it means different things to different people. However, his understanding of the term which in recent times has been amplified is a devolution of power. He kicked against collapsing states into federating units. He added that Nigeria needs statesmen and not tribesmen.

Although greatly revered for his many contributions to Nigeria, not a few have reservations about Obasanjo. If that bothers him, there was no way of finding out. But always bold and outrageous, Obasanjo does not sit on the fence or stop halfway. So when the discussion tilted towards the leadership of the country, he did not mince words that the present situation of the country is worse than when he ran for the presidential office in 1998.

“Since I left office in 2007, three leaders have emerged but how do you assess their performance?” he queried.

He was still modest to admit that the political leaders have not done as much as expected since independence and therein lies the question of why they haven’t lived up to expectations.

Perhaps, the answer lies in the belief that there is a singular person or political party that can solve all Nigeria’s problems. Obasanjo was quick to dismiss this perception, stating that the solutions to Nigeria’s problems lie in the hands of every Nigerian. He also stated that the lack of continuity in governance was part of the hydra-headed problems facing Nigeria.

In his summation, the key things to focus on for national development are security, education and the economy.

As a custodian of history, the session was not complete without the delegates seeking his thoughts on the place of his history in Nigeria today. He bemoaned the fact that Nigeria is careless with records and queried why leaders do not want to talk about the Civil War.

A critical question he asked regarding history was “How have we made use of yesterday for today?”

The erasure of history in Nigerian schools he said gives room for deceitful narratives such as the widespread perception that Mungo Park discovered River Niger.

From the expressions on faces of the delegates, it was evident that the session with Obasanjo awakened their belief in the country.

“Beyond exploring great national issues with incredibly grounded and progressive delegates, it was also great delving into the mind and perspective of former president Olusegun Obasanjo (Baba). One of the elements Baba mentioned during the strategic session which I feel holds the key to solving Nigeria’s problem is that ‘Until we have statesmen, instead of tribesmen, Nigeria will not enjoy the kind of progress desired.’ That was very instructive,” remarked the founder of Rellies Works, Kemi Ogunkoya.

While Omotayo Olusegun, a chartered accountant with over 20 years experience, was not moved by Obasanjo’s “oratorical dictates and his understanding of history (for he is a child of history),” and queried the role he played in bringing the nation to this state of debauchery, he, however, commended the OOPL.

“Truth must be told, Chief Obasanjo loves Nigeria (a reciprocal affair) and this was well manifested in the organisation of OOPL. Every step you take, every door you open has a story to tell about his person and that of Nigeria. The section dedicated to children in the library is an inspiration to me. Maybe if every Nigerian child has the opportunity to visit OOPL, the future could have a reset,” he said.

For Edgar, the convener of the retreat, the Obasanjo retreat was strategic.

“He has a compendium of 60 years of Nigeria’s history in one place. There is no other place like this in Nigeria. And again, he also comes with a strong pedigree and credibility. So coming to Abeokuta and staying in the Green Legacy Hotel is a full package because it comes with the history as seen in the OOPL and the man as seen in the strategic session with Obasanjo. So it is a weekend of engagement and networking. People are going to take a lot away from here and run with it.”

Indeed, the takeaways from the session manifested the next day during the networking session where hope and impact dominated discussions. The delegates shared ideas and established groups that will tackle issues such as education and youth development. One of the participants, Olusegun Akanji who has a background in investment banking pledged a N10 million endowment to have school children visit the OOPL while the CEO of BLK HUT, Hakeem Condotti offered an advertisement slot to air educational content on his upcoming primetime show ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’.

Even as the train departed Abeokuta for Lagos on Sunday evening, the discussion continued, particularly on the drug and substance abuse by youths. Clearly, the weekend retreat has birthed a movement of emerging leaders who are committed and determined to build a better nation for all.

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Not an Easy Road for Akpatason’s Fourth Term Bid in Akoko-Edo Federal ConstituencyAdibe Emenyonu writes that the ambition of Hon. Peter Akpatason, member, representing Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency of Edo State to return to the Green Chamber of the National Assembly for a fourth term is currently brewing disaffection in the area The Akoko-Edo federal constituency is currently housing the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Peter Akpatason. Akpatason is in his third term as a member of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly. At the close of June 2023, he would have spent 12 years in the chamber. He was first elected in 2011 and has already spent 11 years in the saddle. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, a position he has used to attract projects to the LGA to the admiration of all. However, those who want to unseat him, have insisted that his performance is less than salutary as it took him 12 years to attract meaningful projects to the LGA compared to first-timers like Dennis Idahosa (Ovia Federal Constituency) and Prof. Julius Ihonvbere (Owan Federal Constituency) who have gone the extra mile to break the sealing for their people within two years of their first term. His opponents have also argued that if those before him decided to over stay, he would not be in the House of Representatives. Notwithstanding, other arguments against Akpatason is that he has breached the rotational arrangement in the local government between north and south of the largest local government in Edo State. A prominent figure in the area who preferred anonymity, noted that the chairmanship and House of Representatives seat rotate between the southern and northern part of the local government, but expressed surprise that only one ward and one person has monopolized the position of the House of Representatives, negating the principles of justice, equity and fairness. He said: “If it’s about performance, Akpatason is doing well after three terms. But if it’s about rotation Akpatason has completely canceled the principles of zoning as was applied during the period of Col. Tunde Akogun (rtd), who spent only two terms. This is why you are seeing other persons irrespective of party affiliation indicating interest instead of just someone from Constituency 1, monopolizing it.” From all indications there are five aspirants who have indicated their interest to take over Akpatason’s job. Prominent among them are Kabiru Adjoto, former Speaker, and three-term member of Edo State House of Assembly. Adjoto who lost out to Akpatason in 2019 through court judgment has vowed to unseat Akpatason this time around. Adjoto’s strength is based on the fact that he is a political ally of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. Another advantage is that he is a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). With this, it is expected that the governor will use his sagacity to support him. Investigations also indicate that one Joy Billy Akande has thrown her hat into the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency ring. Akande, as gathered derives her strength from the help she was said to have rendered to a lot of people from the area in terms of job creation. Another Aspirant is Johnson Afegason, who is little known except that he is an Abuja based oil and gas merchant and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It was also learnt that he is in charge of the APC local government council executive having triumphed over Akpatason during the party LGA congress held in 2021. Although he is perceived as a quite aspirant, Afegason is said to be a huge threat especially being the only Okpameri son in APC who has indicated interest to contest the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency seat. Kabiru Adjoto, Joy Billy Akande and Johnson Afegason are not the only established threats against Akpatason’s emergence in both APC and PDP. Last weekend, Taiwo Akerele, a native of Igarra, headquarters of the local government also indicated his interest in the contest for the federal seat. The World Bank trained Economist and former Chief of Staff to Governor Obaseki, who resigned his appointment before the 2020 governorship election, has declared his intention to contest the APC primary election for the federal house seat. Akerele who made his intention known in a chat with journalists at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area of the state, said he has been privileged to work closely with key policy makers which has given him the vision and quality to represent his people, adding that Nigeria is ripe for accelerated development and that people like him possess the capacity to contribute their part towards this speedy development. According to him, “Akoko-Edo is blessed and having worked with a state government and other key government actors, my focus will be more on encouraging private sector investments in our divine factor endowments which is solid minerals to enable us engage our youths productively.” He advised those coming into the race to eschew politics of mudslinging and name calling by displaying maturity in engagement and issues-based approach ahead of the APC primaries and subsequently the general elections. He also said: “The Nigerian House of Representatives should be populated with intellectuals; men and women of strong character and solid training that will execute their assignments with all sense of dedication, patriotism and enthusiasm and not otherwise. If given the mandate I intend to focus on those areas that will help grow the Nigerian economy at least five percent per annum starting with my local federal constituency with small scale industries and at the federal level, help advocate for reduce borrowing, budget more for basic education and more investment in commercial agriculture with a view to generating more employment opportunities for our teaming youths. “In my very eventful service in government I have conveniently come to the conclusion that there is so much government and government officials can do at all levels to improve the quality of life of the citizenry. The little intervention I made during this period gives credence to this fact. Government has delivered less than expected.” THISDAY checks reveal that, the Akoko-Edo federal seat may not be available to Akpatason as those calling for his return are mostly from his Uneme ward. Apart from this, it is also on good record that given the quality of aspirants that have indicated interest to slug it out with him in the primaries, the game would be a very difficult one. Sources have also posited that if APC goes ahead to give its ticket to Akpatason or any other person from the south, and PDP gives its ticket to Adjoto or another person from the south (Okpameri) axis of the LGA, it will pose serious threat to APC except the party pacifies those that may lose in the primaries. When asked about the issue of zoning, an acolyte of Akpatason who refused to give his name said there is no cause for alarm. He said “as you can see, zoning is not an issue when it comes to legislative business and ranking.” QUOTE A prominent figure in the area who preferred anonymity, noted that the chairmanship and House of Representatives seat rotate between the southern and northern part of the local government, but expressed surprise that only one ward and one person has monopolized the position of the House of Representatives, negating the principles of justice, equity and fairness

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