Nigeria: Fuel Shortage and the Ghost of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)

Sonatrach is the Algerian version of the Nigerian NNPC. There was a time in Algerian Hydrocarbon history when Sonatrach was the most powerful institution in Algeria, more powerful than the government and more powerful than the entire nation-state of Algeria. It was the ogidigan, the god of the political and electoral process and the supreme overseer of the nation's revenue sources. Then, suddenly, the hammer fell. And a king who knows no Joseph came into office; powerfully armed, and dismantled Sonatrach. That's not the end of the story.

The President and CEO of Sonatrach, his son and some of the top management staffers were SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED and sent to jail.

Today, Sonatrach is the best-run State-owned petrochemical entity in Africa and throughout the developing world. It has investments in Africa, South America and in South East Asia, partnering with sovereign nations and IOCs.

Yes, I'm talking about a state-owned oil company of an African nation. How many times have we dismantled NNPC in recent years? Several times. Is there any evidence to that on the ground with respect to performance and accountability? On paper, yes. But not in reality.

NNPC on its part is also investing. It has expended extensively millions of dollars searching for crude oil deposits in Sokoto and around the Chad Basin, the same Chad Basin that Professor Jubril Aminu, as the Petroleum Minister, dissipated uncontrollably, our hard-earned foreign exchange, executing a futile mission in the name of searching for crude oil deposits.

Today, those who are in a position to talk or protest loud about the shortage of Petroleum products are in whispering mode - not talking or protesting. Because, in the opinion of a friend, those complaining about bigotry and bigotry related conducts are more likely to be accused of bigotry in Nigeria, than those who are actually bigotry personified. Here is a good example.

If for instance the former Governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliu, as the President or Chairman of the northern governor's forum is reported telling the press that he is going to instruct northern Senators and House of Representative members to suspend actions on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), until they (Governors) conference with experts on how the section relating to "Host Fund" would impact the interest of the northern region, he would be considered "just doing his job."

But, if one Alex is to blog about the Governor's divisive position and condemning it at the same time, he is automatically a bigot - he doesn't like northerners. And each time his name appears for screening for any federal government job, he can kiss the job bye-bye.

In Nigeria, it is politically incorrect to mention any region in your essay appearing in the public domain, irrespective of the premise of the usage or application. That's our reality. The fear, the resentment, and the subsequent rejection of the bold, the visionary, and the creative thinkers in our public service, especially in a land full of unfulfilled promises are real. And it must be rejected.

These three states in Nigeria, Imo, Edo, and Ogun, each of them graduates more lawyers every year than the nation-state of Algeria. While Algeria has one of the finest hydrocarbon law in the developing world (I wrote a term paper on it in my "International Petroleum and Comparative Law" Class in graduate school), on the other hand, Nigeria, with a massive reservoir of first-class legal titans cannot package an Energy Legislation in close to twenty years.

The Nigerian PIB has undergone a series of calibrations and dilutions, and more than fifteen years later, it is yet to be passed into law, because of one Section: the Host Community Fund. 

The host community fund, covered under Section 10, demands of IOCs and domestic companies engage in exploratory activities in the Niger Delta to set aside 10% of their net income for the host communities for ecological disasters and catastrophic occurrences.

The last time the Bill came up for hearing, some members of the National Assembly, expanded the definition for "host community" and gave it a convoluted definition for the purpose of benefiting regions or States that are not in any shape or form within close proximity to the Niger Delta. So, if a gas pipeline or crude oil pipeline passes through your backyard (e.g Kaduna or Kogi State) you are automatically a "Host Community State" whether or not your region or community is within close proximity to gas flaring or exploratory activities. Bizarre? Yes, sure bizarre. What's under threat here is peaceful investments climate in the Niger Delta, followed by curtailment in revenue streams into the Federation Account.
(You will find the political factors inhibiting the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill into Law in my published essay on the website of the NigeriaVillageSquare. It is also available on my blog).

If you think you're punishing the people of the Niger Delta by refusing to expedite the process on PIB, think again. Maybe the ongoing fuel shortage or hoarding is compelling enough for a rethink within the rank and file of the northern political leaders sitting on the passage of the Bill. Quote me: they are. I have records of all their comments each time the bill is tabled for hearing.

Finally, if Mr. President, as the Minister of Petroleum Resources as well as his DPR team didn't see the shortage or hoarding coming and were not proactive enough to develop a robust standby strategic action package to overcome the known shenanigans of the so-called saboteurs and marketers, knowing fully well that it is a yearly occurrence, I don't see any reason why the Minister of Petroleum Resources must continue on the job. Same applies to the entire executive team of the regulatory department.

Let's have a fresh start, Mr. President. We cannot continue every year doing the same thing, embarking on haphazard remedial measures after the damage has been done and expect Nigerians to be happy.

You need a new attitude, a new start, and new warriors conversant with the emerging trends in the petroleum and gas industry. I can run the compliance and regulatory department for you and for my country smoothly and disaster-free, much much better than what you have seen so far in DPR. Yes, I am putting my specialization and hands-on training on the line - licensing, permitting and regulatory compliance.

It is more than knowing the laws, it requires having a firm grasp of the facts on the streets coupled with audacity and the abilities to confront the so-called saboteur pound for pound and flesh for flesh proactively in the game they play. Learn from President Obama, you take the fight to the bedroom of your adversaries, not snippets of press releases.

You have been promoting from within in the energy sector, without appreciable results. I humbly recommend you step out of the cliques of the usual suspects to breathe life into a national oil behemoth that is now more celebrated for wastage and embezzlement of public funds than in developing new mechanisms and new attitudes for surmounting the age-old hoarding and artificial shortfalls of petroleum products prevalent during the yuletide. I beg to submit.

Merry Christmas, once again. Mr. President.

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Nigeria and the Scramble For 2019: My Verdict

The Maina Saga is quintessentially the Nigerian Story. It is NOT an isolated incident. That's the way we've been governed since the end of the Civil War - the privileged few just allocate public funds and public offices to themselves and their cronies, while the not so privileged, but who, nevertheless, have indirect access to the funds through employment opportunities or contracts, find ways to tap into some of the wealth by hook or by crook. The former group is the protected class, imbued inordinately with a sense of entitlement complex. The latter group is the one you read about most often - the usual thieves. Not anymore. Now, there is a paradigm shift in newsgathering and in the dispensation of news, thanks to the emergence of the social media. Besides, more Nigerians (whistleblowers) are now willing to talk. The cats are beginning to come out of the bag and the Mainas are spilling the beans.

That said, the incumbent, sad to say, is undeniably emblematic of the protected class as discussed above. Given his unperturbedness or helplessness, as some Nigerians would like to define it, in the face of the Maina's miraculous disappearance from Nigeria and his unannounced reentry into the civil service, there is no gainsaying that the saintly status that he parades in the Nigerian political system is cascading dangerously towards extinction. As events unfold, it is beginning to appear that the exalted rank he enjoys within the ruling class is not necessarily on the basis of his people-oriented ideological bent (Aminu Kano's populism) or sagacity in governance and public affairs (Almadu Bello's shrewdness), but arguably on the basis of his connection (kinship) with the Kano axis of the famed Sokoto/Kano Caliphate. 

The unfolding drama (thanks to the social media) and the mediocre performance of almost all the President's men and his Ministers, punch holes in an age-old facade of "a man of high integrity", "tough on crime" and of a "commitment to strict financial discipline." His Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the EFCC, the President's trusted men and the DSS are on collision course on how to shield or expose a fugitive from justice.

Mr. President is FEUDALISM personified. With him, you don't need a further lecture on entitlement, nepotism, and bigotry. Cattle-herders are on the lose, maiming and killing indiscriminately while he remains unruffled. And his hired consultants are continuing wasting and depleting our treasury searching relentlessly for crude oil in the Chad Basin and the North Western axis. He seems to be on a mission that has no traces of democratic values.

Analysis

Historically, his leadership, irrespective of the sector in the political system is all about the consultants and close-knit family members, taking charge. And these are collectively his brain - the untouchables, the undercover agents -  acting their own scripts in federal establishments and paying allegiance to no one in particular. To him and his henchmen, the Southern region is a conquered territory - its people and its resources. In his world, General Abacha

When he told his American audience that those who gave him 75% of their votes in the last Presidential election deserves more in terms of government presence than those who gave him 5%, he was unquestionably being Mr. Buhari. When he told his interviewer - and repeated it when later called upon to clarify it - that women belong to Kitchen and the "other room", he was, once again, being Mr. Buhari. Brutally frank and brutally honest derisively in expressing what he believes in. Truth must be told; his brand of honesty and frankness are not for the moment. He is not abreast of our reality. He is patently unaccommodating of contemporary school of thoughts. Integrity is time-conscious - evolving and embracing of all the emerging trends in social, political and economic developments. His trusted Advisers are very comfortable with who he is. And that's a measure of the quality of counsel he is getting from them. In the opinion of late Papa Awo, tell me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.

This is not personal, President Buhari does not have a good understanding of the Nigeria of the moment. His trusted friends, from all indications, do not know how to manage that vacuum with a view to strengthening and consolidating the much-advertised integrity.  And that is the "Buhari dilemma" confronting us a nation right now - an alien in his own country. He is not Babangida. And outside of his extended family members and the Kano/Katsina axis of our political system, he has no good understanding of who is who in business, academics, entertainment or in Arts and Culture. Therein lies the strength of the cabal - managing the vacuum aggressively to their own advantage. And it is now becoming clearer why they are unwilling to accommodate the views and engagements of the true progressives who fought for the mandate. 

That a Minister of State for Petroleum Resources had to resort to writing and sending a letter to Mr. President who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to be able to make his voice heard in some of the matters arising in the Ministry, exemplifies the current trends in the administration as well as the level of the disconnect between the President and members of his cabinet on the one hand, and between the Presidency and the general public on the other.

We cannot break the level of trust existing between Mr. President and those he is known to have worked with over the years. These are the people, his trusted followers, who couldn't keep the President's Villa in a habitable state while the President was convalescing in Lond Hospital. Yes, the same trusted followers who didn't know that the Aso Villa Medical Center is a ghost town, in spite of the massive budgetary allocations that the hospital boast of.  If we cannot force or persuade the President to distance himself from the same people who betrayed the progressive mandate, we can at least take our mandate to the one who is amenable to change and willing to do our bidding. Its all about the President's Men - that's what matters most in any administration anywhere in the world. 

As a President, you don't have to be an expert or a genius in managing public affairs, but who you parley with regularly makes a huge difference. President Buhari doesn't have the men, and he doesn't know, judging from history, how to step out of his comfort zone and out of the sights and sounds of the now discredited acolytes (the so-called cabal), to seek real patriots, detrabilzed mavericks, and technocrats to assist him in making a meaning of the supposed progressive mandate that he has.  

(1) The escalation in the bloodbath in the Middle-Belt, (2) the complete breakdown of road transportation networks throughout the major cities of the country, (3) his taciturn in the face of heightened and unbriddled lawlessness of cattle-herders, (4) the appalling disconnect between his Presidency and the people (questions of finacial accountability), and above all, (5) his noncommital resolve in the face of the brazen hijack and derailment of a PROGRESSIVE MANDATE by his trusted relatives and friends, who, in the opinion of the First Lady, were not privy to the "change struggle" are cogent enough to sustain a campaign of disqualification. I beg to move.

My Verdict - Moving Forward

President Obasanjo, towards the end of his eight years in government, said, "I do not know who is going to replace me as the President, but I know who won't." Fellow Nigerians, let change that narrative. The focus should be on ELECTABLE CANDIDATES who are known to be on the side of the people, who are moving with time; willing, capable and genuinely suited to act the "father figure's role" that is missing right now in the leadership. Demanding that the incumbent must not seek a second term mandate is not good enough. Attention should shift towards the search for who the cap fit, and not who should not wear the cap.

Therefore, the time is now for us - every one of us - to embrace a sterner resolve, to wit, speak truth to power and discard the DOCILE appellation. That sense of ENTITLEMENT and of the ANOINTED must be rejected and discredited; otherwise, this country will drift apart irretrievably. Take a stand on the side of truth and BREAK THE JINX. Or else, the jinx will break us. He is part and parcel of that old order. He can't break from it and he can't be changed. His Predecessor couldn't break from it and he was rejected. No one is entitled to or enjoy a right to Aso Rock that is not available to other Nigerians. 

If we truly cherish a philosophy of one great Nigeria and of one nation-state that is indestructible, we must also cherish and accept the right of every Nigeria from any part of the country to stand for Presidential election at any time. The talk of "it is the turn of my region to produce the next President" must be abandoned. If we are truly one country, tribal card, regional card, and religion card must be taken out of our politics and leadership selection. You cannot continue to push a narrative of one strong Nigeria and at the same time continue to argue that it is the time for your region to produce the next President. It doesn't make sense. That's a jinx we must break in the next Presidential Primaries and election for one true nation-state to evolve. 

As an addendum, I want to repeat as I stated elsewhere a few days ago that these gentlemen listed below are not just electable, but they possess leadership qualities that have been missing in our Presidency over the years. Donald Duke is electable. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is electable. Olisa Agbokoba (SAN) is electable. Governor Umar Ganduje Ph.D. is electable. Governor Peter Obi is electable. And last but not the least, Abubakar Umar is electable. Federal Character or Quota System did not play any role in the selection process. Why is Governor El'Rufai missing from the list? Simple. A few years ago, late 2012, to be precise; I used about two thousand words to endorse Malam El'Rufai for President for the 2015 Presidential race. By accident, I stumbled on his Facebook profile about a year later and I couldn't stomach the bile his fans were printing on his Timeline about President Jonathan. I was not a fan of President Jonathan; nevertheless, the hatred and the malignant tones that Mallam El'Rufai was presiding over or allowed to be printed on his Timeline regarding a sitting President, were unprecedented, undemocratic, and patently unpresidential. Stupefied, I went to my Blog and delete the endorsement. Do I believe that he is prepared or that he would do creditably well as President if given the chance? Absolutely. Beside former Vice President Atiku, I think he is one of the few active Nigerian politicians reasonably prepared to be President or who would know what to do from the very first day in office. But that is neither here nor there.  I do have serious concerns about national figures who are temperamentally predisposed to playing the ethnic card whenever they are not in government or occupying public office. 

A Presidential Betrayal and the Reinstatement of Maina.

[Article] - Debating the Rule of Law: Why I Stand With President Buhari

"Where were your indictments when the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Taskforce, Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Maina absconded with billions of pension funds rather than confront his accusers with cold hard facts and a detailed account of his stewardship?" Culled from "Debating the Rule of Law: Why I stand with President Buhari."  Feb 1, 2016, at 10:29 AM. Published by Nigeria Village Square.

That was me, Mr. Alex Aidaghese, questioning the wisdom and the audacity of our legal activists as well as commentators in the social media who had issues with President Buhari's continued incarceration of Dasuki. The essay calms nerves by injecting an aggressive progressive narrative into the debate - of an administration, upholding a philosophy of zero tolerance in our criminal justice system. I was wrong. I cited the disappearance of Maina as a justification for the continued detention of Dasuki, not knowing that as Nigerians were digesting my essay, the Buhari Presidency and the cabal were strategizing on how to ferry Maina from self-imposed exile back into power. The essay set a record. It was the most read story on NVS for the year 2016. 

That wasn't my first time. I stood by President Jonatha in another well-read opinion I published at Punch Newspaper (signed as Nonaligned Progressive) when he was confronted with massive criticisms by Boko Haran sympathizers following his proscription of the sect. My opinion garnered the most comments at the Punch Newspaper than any other story anywhere within the Nigerian social media scene for that day and the following day - more than four hundred comments (all of them in support of my opinion) and more than one hundred thumb-ups. I have always considered it patriotic to stand with my President whenever he is overwhelmed with troubling issues bordering on statecraft. I do this, conscious of the fact that I have a voice - a reasonable voice and a listening audience to boot.

In light of these disturbing developments, therefore, do I have to apologize to Nigerians for my blind loyalty to my President haven justified his action, citing a fugitive from justice who has since been stealthily reabsorbed into the political system? I am not so sure. President Buhari has to apologize to Nigerians for his betrayal. The reinstatement of Alhaji Abdul Rasheed Maina into the Nigerian Civil Service by his administration (as reported by the news media) is beyond the pale. But it tells one pathetic story: a revelation of the real Buhari who has no control over his acolytes; tolerant of their profligacy and financial recklessness, whether as head of the Petroleum Trust Fund, at NNPC and as a President. Yes, it punches holes in an age-old facade of "unparalleled integrity," "tough on crime," and of a "commitment to strict financial discipline."

As things stand now, only President Buhari can rebrand his bruised and battered ego. And that depends on whether the taciturn Buhari is in touch with reality, upholding to the fundamentals of constitutional democracy, of a government of the people, by the people and for the people as opposed to Kingship, Feudal Lordship, or Military Dictatorship.

Give Thanks To the Lord for His Love Endures Forever

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.  

Psalm 136New International Version (NIV)

Nigeria 2019: Where Are the Presidential Candidates?

Where are the Presidential Candidates running or planning to run for the 2019 Presidential Election? As of today, October 17, 2017, there is no Nigerian on record who has come forward to signify his or her interest in the Presidential race. And Nigerians should be concerned. This is a national crisis unfolding and the earlier it is confronted, the better for our democracy. 

Today, the very vocal and not so vocal commentators within the Nigerian Social Media scene are talking their heads out on trivialities, entertaining their fans and followers with bogus, unproductive insiders’ pieces of information planted by dubious political lackeys.

Have you ever taken the pain to ponder over whose children are occupying strategic and lucrative positions at CBN and NNPC? They are the children of PDP and APC power brokers and their political appointees. Therefore, you don't need to be reminded that there is no difference, ideologically speaking and credibility-wise, between APC and PDP. There is really no room for choice on the basis of ideological bent, party label or manifesto. In other words, the endless debate on where to cast the blames for all our woes is a futile engagement.

Consider for a moment that President Buhari won the last Presidential election riding on a Progressive wagon and populist talking points. But the moment he was sworn, his trusted lieutenants embarked on anti-Tinubu recruitment binds, making ways for Saraki and PDB lackeys to hijack a progressive mandate.

So, what do we do now? Simple. The focus should be on moving forward - searching for the right one, outside of the two gentlemen mentioned in the proceeding paragraphs. And that is the new challenge.  

So, if President Buhari is an ethnic or religious bigot, or not a Presidential material of the moment, and therefore unelectable as most of you have argued, then, prove it. Don't stop there, showcase your candidate who is ethnic cum religious neutral, and of sound mind and body. 

Personally, I am no longer rooting for President Buhari, because he has no control over his political party or over his trusted cabal. He is far cry from meeting the expectations of the people, especially, with regards to road transportation and movement of goods and services across the various states. Most disturbing is that he is seemingly in the wood on the question of taming the herdsmen and putting an end to the wanton killing of defenseless Nigerians all over the place. That alone is enough to disqualify any incumbent from contesting.

Though he is yet to make any pronouncement on his potential candidacy, he has remained the most visible, the most talked about candidate, and the man to beat in the primaries if he decided to run. Be that as it may, his number one battle right now is overcoming the lingering accusations of shady deals he allegedly participated in during the Obasanjo's Presidency. Allegation, standing alone, is not a disqualification. 

If Vice President Atiku is a thief, and therefore unelectable, again, as most of you have argued, the burden of proof is on you to prove his culpability with facts and figures. Disqualifying him is not enough; present your own candidate whose credibility is intact - better than Atiku's. That is the major task right now - the search for electable candidates. 

As I have stated elsewhere, I still firmly maintain that, with the exemption of Papa Awo, there is not another Nigerian political leader, living or dead that can boast of the craftsmanship of Mr. Atiku in statecraft.

On a final note, let's be realistic for a second on the state of our union and what the future beholds, to wit, if you think Nigeria is going to disintegrate between now and the next Presidential election, you are making a huge mistake. Therefore, do not overwhelm yourself with the talks and the demands for Restructuring and True Federalism. Get involved in the search for the next Papa Awo, Sir Bello, Zik, or Balewa. Please channel your energy, your writing or communication skills towards that goal - the search for a President we must trust.

As I sign off, I want to make the following declarations: Donald Duke is electable. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is electable. Professor Jega is electable. Olisa Agbokoba (SAN) is electable. Governor Umar Ganduje Ph.D. is electable. Dr. Olu Agunloye is electable. Governor Peter Obi is electable. And last but not the least, Abubakar Umar is electable. Federal Character or Quota System did not play any role in my selection.

The President's Letter: Why Dr. Ibe Kachikwu Should Have Resigned.

If it is true that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources does not enjoy broad, direct, and immediate access to the Minister for Petroleum Resources, who in the instant case, is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is an automatic disqualification, and Nigerians should be concerned. In similar vein, if the GMD of NNPC, in taking important decisions such as structural reorganizations of top personnel at NNPC, suffers no scruples in failing to consult with or extending deference to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (the Chairman of the Board), especially when the President was overseas, then a discerning mind is at liberty to conclude that the GMD of NNPC, DR. Maikanti Baru, is the substantive Minister for Petroleum Resources. Because, without NNPC, there is no Ministry of Petroleum Resources. In other words, he who exercises absolute power and control over NNPC is invariably in charge of the Ministry of the Petroleum Resources. 

That Dr. Ibe Kachikwu is still serving, remaining on the job as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources - with due consideration given to the contents of the leaked letter that he allegedly sent to the President - one is at liberty, also, to call Dr. Ibe Kachikwu a toothless bulldog and a Minister without portfolio - a casualty of the Nigerian political question that the cabal of the present dispensation suffers no qualms exacerbating as long as the black gold is in safe hands - the hands of the chosen ones.

Truth is, only you - by your action or inaction - can make yourself a Second-Class-Citizen. Try that with an El'Rufai or a Junaid Mohammed, the President and the Presidency will not sleep, restiveness will reign supreme within the rank and file of the industry stakeholders and the oil industry will not know peace. Here is the deal: I am not sharing this report because it is news-worthy. And I am not writing it for debate or for a "like." I am taking a STAND - a critical stand for the resurgence of a nation at the verge of disintegration. That a Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is pleading to have an audience with the Minister in the same Ministry is an aberration. (The "report" referred in this paragraph is only available to my Facebook's audience).

That said, the greediness and to a greater extent, the predisposition of Southerners towards capitulation on the most serious question of statecraft, influenced principally by the spoils of office, makes feudalism or the "the born to rule" culture a thriving occurrence. Once again, don't get me wrong; I am not advocating for the disintegration of our nation-state. I espouse the philosophy of "Decentralization without Disintegration." In other words, do not continue to "Sagay" yourself, when you are a product of quota (we have one of them), patently underutilized and wallowing in redundancy. 

The GMD of NNPC does not by any stretch of the imagination, consider Mr. Kachikwu, a political appointee and the Chairman of the Board, worthy of his concerns or attention in his defined adventure and reorganizations at NNPC, whether or not the President is in town or within reach. This ugly scenario that is playing out in the open is the quintessential Nigerian political question - a national tragedy - that is still being defined. Ike Kachikwu has everything that matters on the job - Ivy league educational background and a professional career that is one of a kind in the oil industry. Yet, he is pleading for attention in the same industry in his own country and before his immediate boss - the Minister of Petroleum Resources, who, as stated above, is the President of the country. That he remains on the job cast doubt on his integrity and put into question his understanding and appreciation of the virtue of selflessness in public office. 

My name is Alex Aidaghese, and I approve this message.

Nigeria @57: Celebrating the Birth of a Nation Amidst Unparalleled Misgivings.

"The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest." President Buhari

I want to join hands with the President to wish Nigeria and Nigerians happy Independence. We have come a long way as a nation-state and we must not relent in our course for justice, equality, fairness, and egalitarianism.

Much as I am willing to share the President's optimism in the war against corruption or the need for re-balancing our economy, I beg to add that such task, arduous as it demands of all of us, may remain illusory in the absence of intelligent transportation network system. An Economy in search of diversification requires unhindered movement of goods and services. Period. That is a fundamental criterion. Unfortunately, we cannot reach that conclusion in Nigeria of today.

"The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone." Well said, but we already know that. Most often, they keep emphasizing the importance of economic diversification and the need to shift from the crude-oil mono-cultural economy to agro-based industries. Over the years, that has been the slogan. Indeed, we are abundantly blessed with able and quality hands, we have the tools - though, crude in most cases - and we have a huge market for the produced goods and services. What is lacking is a reliable government - a government with the right mindset to match rhetorics with performance. 

That the President didn't address the deplorable state of our highways in his speech reinforces my concerns that the President and the Presidency are seemingly not at home with our realities. Nigerians are willing and are ready to work - to go to the field and till the land. In fact, they are already doing just that. But government must provide motorable roads for them to be able to move their products from the farm to the marketplace. That is a prerequisite. You don't need to have a Ph.D. in Economics to know that.

For instance, do you know the number of Dangote's Eighteen-wheelers and other vehicles, stuck in the mud with goods and farm produce, and abandoned inside the heartland of the Esan region, trying to avoid the now forgotten Auchi-Ekpoma-Benin City road axis? That is not how to re-balance the economy or energize one that is cascading dangerously to a recession. We are not interested in how much the government has recovered from thieving politicians. We want to see proof of real projects executed from the recovered funds.

We are not the problem. Government is the problem. Nigerians are very docile - easy to govern. And perseverance is their portion. In other words, they are very susceptible to appeasement, if the government is living up to expectations. The protracted demands for True Federalism and Decentralization of Power are traceable to the disconnect between Abuja and the rest of us. Anyway, happy birthday, Nigeria.

The Resignation of Rep Tom Price as US Secretary of HHS

Once a Privileged Scammer always a Privileged Scammer.

Please find below, my opinion about Rep Tom Price, on January 19, 2017, when he was picked by President Donald Trump to serve as his Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). I urged the new President to withdraw his name because of the troubling and proven allegations of Insider Trading leveled against him. Today, he is no more a part of All The President's Men. Tom Price has stepped down over allegations of wastage of public funds on luxurious private jets. - Culled from my Facebook Timeline of September 30, 2017

Alex Aidaghese

January 19 · Maplewood, NJ · 

Rep Tom Price and Insider Trading

The earlier Mr. Donald Trump drop Rep Tom Price as his Health Secretary nominee the better for his budding Administration. The Congressman's conduct constitutes a classic textbook definition of insider trading.

When you knowingly embark on stock buying escapades, taking advantage of protected information that is not available to the general public, you are as guilty as charged.

That conduct is easily distinguishable from Private Placement. Under private placement, information about proposed stocks is available to the general public, but buying is restricted to friends, family members, employees and privileged few.

As a member of the House of Representatives, buying stocks of specific drug companies you are writing legislation to regulate, and did regulate favorably, and subsequently made stupendous gain in the process is not only a classic violation of capital markets and securities rules, it is also abuse of House Rules and criminal in every respect.

The Resurgence of Justice Ayo Salami, the Former President of the Nigerian Court of Appeal.

The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness.

The Resurgence of Justice Ayo Salami and My Published Essay on August 22, 2011, Wherein I Expressed Some Misgivings About His Suspension and Eventual Removal from the Bench.

Please find below the entire essay, titled "The Suspension of Justice Ayo Salami," that I wrote and published on this Blog on August 22, 2011. Today, the same Justice Ayo Salami has a new mandate. A few days ago, he was appointed by the current CJN to head the newly inaugurated Corruption Trial Monitoring Committee. And I wish him well. My opinion in the essay speaks for itself. It was my humble judgment that the Supreme Court cannot suo motu take up a case that was never filed before it by any party. I didn't consider it reasonable and asked for a review of the suspension of Justice Ayo Salami.

A slightly different version was also published by the Sahara reporters. See the link above. 

"The Suspension of Justice Salami" - August 22, 2011.

It’s Deja vu, all over again: The end of the Road for Justice Ayo Salami.

 “I believe the Judiciary has an important role to play in this country as it is the last hope of the common man. The Judiciary has to be firm, fair, and courageous and must not employ any form of double standards. It is not right in my view to regard or treat the courts of Justice as an extension of the Federal Ministry of Justice. I cannot condone any attempt to destroy the judicial system in this country using me as a scapegoat.”

"That was Justice Yahaya Jinadu before he voluntarily resigned from the Bench following his refusal to apologize to Mr. John Oyegun, then Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the Military regime.  Yes, our own indefatigable Mr. Oyegun, before he became a Governor."

"The case involved one Garba v. Federal Civil Commission, while the case was pending in Justice Jinadu’s court, Garba was fired.  Justice Jinadu summoned Chief Oyegun to his court; not Chief Oyegun. He refused to show up in court. That led to contempt proceeding against chief Oyegun by Justice Jinadu.  As it turned out - trust the Nigerian system – it was Justice Jinadu who was instructed to apologize for harassing the influential super-perm-sec.  Justice Jinadu bluntly refused to apologize and resigned from the Bench.  See Salute to Courage: The Story of Justice Yahaya Jinadu by Richard Akinnola."

"Today, Justice Ayo Salami is no longer the President of the Court of Appeal. The president approved of his removal from the Bench sequel to the recommendations of the National Judicial Council.  The Salami’s saga is more complicated than that of Justice Jinadu. He impaneled an Election Tribunal to look into the Sokoto State’s Governorship election petition. While that process was evolving, the Chief Justice of the Federation allegedly told him to discontinue the tribunal’s mandate because the outcome would undermine the Sultan’s legitimacy and may lead to a breach of the peace. He declined his master’s command. The saga became a spectacle, followed by a plethora of unsubstantiated allegations leveled against the CJN by Justice Salami."

"The Chief Justice allegedly took over the case, contrary to known precedent and dismissed the petition. Later, Justice Salami went to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and filed a petition against the CJN for unduly interfering in the course of justice in the Sokoto State Gubernatorial election petition.  After many shenanigans at the NJC hearing, they came to a verdict – Justice Salami should, among other things, apologize to the CJN. Once again, Justice Salami said no.   The story later took a dramatic turn.  Justice Salami subsequently took the same National Judicial Council that heard his petition against the Chief Justice to Lagos State High Court for alleged abuse of process."

"Right now, that proceeding is preempted. Therefore, moot. And the rest is, once again, history. The President approved of Justice Salami’s removal from the Bench yesterday, August 21, 2011. Now that he is gone, I am not so sure he has the standing to continue the case at the Lagos State High Court because of mootness factor."

"Where we go from here is unpredictable.  It is my humble opinion that there is a prima facie case of judicial misconduct against the CJN because his alleged intervention in the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Tribunal has no support in law or in our traditional customs."

"According to Justice Salami, the CJN or the Supreme Court allegedly hijacked a pending Election Petition before the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto and rendered judgment on it, even though there was no petition before it asking for a hearing. Again, what was the nature of the exigent circumstance or security threat that prompts CJN to intervene in the Tribunal’s proceeding? Adding to that, there seems to be evidence of procedural lapses during the hearing at the National Judicial Council that culminates in the removal or recommendation for removal of Justice Salami."

"We should take politics out of the matter right away for the sake of our judicial system. What we are witnessing is analogous to an impeachment proceeding. Therefore, it is important to know whether or not Justice Salami’s alleged judicial misconduct is an impeachable crime or misconduct. If it is impeachable judicial misconduct or crime, did he receive a fair hearing?"

"These are legitimate questions that need to be answered by the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice." Alex Aidaghese, August 22, 2011