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YCE replies ACF, says North is Nigeria’s problem
The Secretary General of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide, has said the North is a big problem and a great obstacle to the development of Nigeria.
Olajide said this in reaction to the statement credited to the Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum and a former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, who said that Nigeria could not survive without the North.
Olajide spoke in Osogbo on Thursday at the first memorial lecture of Nathaniel Abimbola organised by the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Abimbola, who was a reporter with the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, died in an accident along the Ife-Ibadan Expressway last year.
Olajide, who was the chairman on the occasion, said the North was home to the Boko Haram which was costing the Nigerian government billions of naira, religious crisis, killer herdsmen as well as numerous negative indices of quality of life.
He said, “The newspapers reported the Arewa Consultative Forum as saying that Nigeria cannot survive without the North. Whatever was meant by that statement credited to the ACF chairman remains to be understood.
“However, I congratulate him for accepting that the North as it is today represents all that is wrong with Nigeria. The North-East is ravaged by insurgency costing the country billions of dollars annually. The North-West is home to religious crisis, the North-Central is ravaged by herdsmen of northern extraction. Collectively the North is home to all negative indices of the quality of life. Infant mortality rate is highest in the North.
“Illiteracy rate is highest in the North and the number of out-of-school children is highest in the North. The poverty index in the North is high while the twin evil bedeviling the North is feudalism and religious fatalism. It will not be out of place to say the North has in fact been dragging Nigeria down since independence. All sorts of mischievous phrases were coined by the very tiny political / military elite of the North to give undue advantage to the North.”
The YCE scribe said the North staged-managed the military coup which removed President Shehu Shagari from power on December 31, 1983. He said the northern oligarch feared that there could be revolution in the country and they allegedly planned the coup with the military in order to ensure that power remained in the North.
Olajide stated that the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo spent greater part of his political career and his resources struggling to liberate the talakawas of the North from their elite but feudalism and religious fatalism frustrated his efforts.
He said the Yoruba people were not only insisting on the restructuring of the political architecture in the country, they were also insisting on the wholesale reform of this elite-centered system of government.
The Yoruba elder said the unfair wages and remuneration of the political leadership in the executive and the legislature must be reviewed downwards. Likewise, he said the outrageous pension benefits and severance allowances of political office holders must be scrapped and the entire political system must not be made financially lucrative to ward off political contractors and charlatans.
He said if these were done, only the service-minded people would begin to show interest to take over the political leadership of the country.
“Let me assure Alhaji Coomassie that much as we want a fair and egalitarian Nigerian society, it is not at all costs. The rest of Nigeria will survive, flourish and join the league of first world countries within two decades if the North exits. If it desires to leave Nigeria, join me in saying goodbye to the exiting North, I wish them a safe journey into the desert,” he added.
A member of the House of Representatives from Osun State, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, who delivered the lecture, said corruption was not the main problem of Nigeria but the constitution which he said was faulty.
The lawmaker said corruption was just a manifestation of the fundamentally faulty constitution which had raised regional suspicion.
Alabi added that Nigeria needed to convoke a Sovereign National Conference to determine its existence and how to go about it.
He explained that the word sovereign would not stop the executive, the legislature and judiciary from carrying out their functions.
Alabi said, “In essence, my colleagues in government have nothing to fear by the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference. That is the way to go if Nigeria must be returned to the path of sanity and greatness in our march to political stability, social harmony and economic prosperity.
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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has disclosed that 95 million Nigerians need to enroll for the National Identification Number (NIN) to meet its target of 200 million enrollments by 2025.
Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, emphasised the importance of this enrollment during an interview on X over the weekend.
He stated, “For NIMC to meet the 200 million target by 2025, 95 million Nigerians need to register for the NIN.”
Adegoke revealed that over 105 million NINs have been issued to Nigerians and legal residents so far.
He assured Nigerians of the commission’s commitment, saying, “We want to assure Nigerians that within the next one or two years, we will reach our target of enrolling all Nigerians.”
“The NIN serves as a unique identifier for each citizen and has become increasingly important for various government initiatives aimed at improving security, governance, and service delivery.”
Adegoke highlighted the efforts to streamline the modification and enrollment processes under the leadership of Abisoye Coker, the director-general of NIMC. He announced the development of a self-service platform, allowing Nigerians to make necessary modifications such as changing names, dates of birth, email addresses, and phone numbers from anywhere, using different devices.
Emphasising the convenience of the self-service modification portal, Adegoke encouraged Nigerians to utilize this innovative solution.
He noted the evolution of the process, citing the past requirement for applicants to visit NIMC offices for data corrections.
Engr Gbenga Komolafe, Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has disclosed that the nation’s oil and gas reserves have risen to 37.50 billion barrels as of January 1, 2024.
This marks an increase from the 37.046 billion barrels recorded in May 2022.
Komolafe emphasised the implementation of robust policies aimed at enhancing and optimising oil and gas operations across the country.
Notably, gas reserves stand at 102.59 trillion cubic feet (TCF), with non-associated gas reserves reaching 106.67 TCF, culminating in a total of 209.26 TCF of gas reserves.
Addressing concerns during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday regarding crude supply regulation and enforcement, Komolafe underscored the importance of prioritising feedstock supply to local refineries while addressing grievances from oil producers and the Dangote Refinery within specified timelines.
This announcement follows recent reports of a decline in Nigeria’s crude oil production during February and March 2024.
According to data from the April 2024 Monthly Oil Market Report of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Nigeria’s crude oil production (excluding condensates) experienced its second consecutive monthly decrease, dropping to 1.231 million barrels per day in March from 1.322 million barrels per day in February.
OPEC attributed this decline, amounting to a reduction of 91,000 barrels per day, to factors communicated directly from Nigeria.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni has commiserated with the senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari over the loss of his mother, Alhaja Buhari.
The matriarch, who passed away on Monday, April 8, has left a void in the family that Oseni described as irreparable.
In a condolence message released on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, and made available to newsmen, the lawmaker expressed his deep sympathy, praying for Alhaja Buhari to find eternal rest in the arms of God.
Oseni, who also represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, urged Senator Buhari and his family to find solace in the legacy of achievements left behind by their late matriarch.
He emphasised the importance of cherishing the memories of her life and the successes attained by her children.
The statement read, “Distinguished Senator Buhari, I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Mama, Alhaja Buhari. Please accept my heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy during this difficult time.
“Alhaja was a pillar of strength and a source of love and guidance for your family and community. Her legacy of kindness, wisdom, and resilience will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
“May you and your family find comfort and solace in the cherished memories you shared with her, and may the love and support of friends and well-wishers provide you with strength and courage in the days ahead.
“Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you navigate through this time of grief”, Oseni continued.
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