“Eh… My Oga!”, he exclaimed, with surprise written on his face.

I quickly glanced backward to see who the call was meant for.

Surprisingly, other guests, mostly editors and online publishers, were smiling and laughing.

“Alhaji Yushau Shuaib… very long time!” The unmistakable voice of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State rang out again.

Through my face mask, I returned a smile and exchanged a COVID-19 greeting of an elbow bump, rather than a handshake or an embrace.

A week prior to the face-to-face encounter with the governor, I had had an extensive conversation with the Auditor General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Mr. Usman Ododo Ahmed, who had highly extolled the success of Governor Yahaya Bello in securing and stabilising the State. Predictably, my guest had no prior inkling that I have known the governor since he was a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation And Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in the early 2000s, where I was then the Head of Media and Public Relations.

The Chairman of RMAFC at the time, the now late Engineer Hamman Tukur had sought the posting of young, vibrant and knowledgeable graduates who could assist the Commission in its constitutional mandate, especially in terms of data analyses on economic issues.

A renowned North-Central politician and industrialist, Dr. Faruk Abdul-Aziz, who was a board member of the Commission, was the one who had recommended Yahaya Bello, among the corps members who were selected to serve in RMFAC.

For those conversant with the Nigerian economy during that period, RMAFC, through its PR Division that I directed, had created massive awareness campaigns that equally encouraged public participation on issues bordering on public finance, such as the monetisation policy of government, revenue generation, federal allocations, and the general fiscal efficiency of the country.

As an Accountancy graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Yahaya Bello was among the Youth Corps members whose contributions in analysing financial data and other statistics, were invaluable in informing the public about fiscal issues properly. In fact, most times then, we worked till late into the night with the Chairman on sensitive assignments.

At that time, the Commission was central to the execution of the monetisation policy of government, pertaining to the remuneration of public officers; resolution of the crises over disputed oil wells among States in the Niger Delta; proposition of a fair and just revenue allocation formula across government; recommendation of economic diversification policies to the federal authorities; and reconciliation of the external debts of the federal and state governments, while equally suggesting better measures of managing those debts. It also served as a forerunner in the campaigns for financial independence of the tiers and arms of government, whilst creating awareness on the need for transparency in public finance.

Because of the open-door policy of the Tukur era, young staff members had opportunities to engage members of the board and management of RMFAC in vigorous and cordial debates on public issues, on one-on-one basis. Meetings at the Commission were the reflection of a market place of ideas, where the intellectual climate was such that it even encouraged National Youth Corp members to make contributions to issues, which they took up through factual analyses, employing historical perspectives, alongside appeals to legal and constitutional provisions, devoid of political undertones and counterfactual anecdotes. My office, then, was one of the vibrant hubs for the youth corp members, including Yahaya Bello.

It was therefore not surprising that outstanding corps members, who excelled in their contributions to the Commission’s mandate, were offered automatic employments at the end of their mandatory one-year service to the country. In this regard, some like Husseini Sani Kagara and Hawwah Dahiru, who served in my office, and Yahaya Bello, who served in the Allocation Department, were among those offered automatic employment.

While Kagara later transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria and Hawwah (who won the NYSC Award) went into private business, Yahaya Bello stayed on and received rapid promotions for his efforts, which saw him serve in different capacities in the Commission, before also leaving the public service for other private endeavours.

I recall the media intervention that I had spearheaded in opposition to Dr. Dora Akunyili’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the closure of Biomedical Services, a pharmaceutical company owned Dr. Faruk Abdulazeez, due to its production of certain Travenous Fluids in 2002. At that time, some media specialists, including the former Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Smart Adeyemi, had pointedly advised Dr. Abdulazeez not to engage Dr. Akunyili and NAFDAC in a media war because of her tremendous goodwill with the press. Yet, Yahaya Bello and one Abdul Bello (the Personal Assistant to Dr. Faruk then), who is now the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, were highly concerned about the plight of their benefactor and urged me to continue with and give greater momentum to the campaign. A press conference was eventually held to appeal to NAFDAC to reassess its clamp down on the products of Biomedical Services. The case was thereafter revisited, and in finding out that it had acted unfairly towards the company, NAFDAC subsequently reopened Biomedical Services.

Gov Yahaya Bello with editors and online publishers

I had never met Yahaya Bello since I left RMAFC in 2005, even though I also read about him, like most people do since he set out on his political path and finally became a governor. However, the opportunity of engaging with his political trajectory, and particularly at this juncture when there is a movement towards his run for the Nigerian presidency, came when I received an invitation to join some editors for a media chat.

I had intended to bombard him with a lot of questions, but he disarmed me by referring to me as ‘Oga’ and jokingly reminded me of ‘imported biscuits’ I had shared with them in my office. I was not his ‘Oga’ but only his colleague at RMAFC, where I was just another senior civil servant.

However, during the ensuing question-and-answer session, he was able to address some of the issues I had intended to engage him on. The session was moderated by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Dr. Ayoade Folashade Arike, who was recommended for the position by Governor Bello’s now political arc-rival, Senator Dino Melayo, in 2015

On the COVID-19 vaccine, the governor pointed out that he did not need to take the vaccine because he is fully healthy and not in the danger of any health concern. He added that Kogi State, which he governs, is faced with several other health challenges that are more serious than COVID-19, which are being successfully tackled and resolved, including outbreaks of Lassa Fever and Yellow Fever, without any noise being made about these, unlike the hysteria surrounding COVID-19, which is considered as largely contrived.

Pertaining to his relationship with former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who is a controversial politician, Yahaya Bello explained that he and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain are brothers who are mainly interested in the peace and progress of Nigeria, despite what might be their political divides.

He noted that Fani-Kayode had joined him in brokering peace between the Amalgamated Union of Traders and our other aggrieved persons, which led to the aversion of a North/South ‘war’ during the recent food blockade that threatened peaceful and progressive co-existence in the country.

In terms of the 2023 presidential primaries, Governor Yahaya Bello dispelled rumours about the existence of a zoning clause in the constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while pleading with leaders of the party to allow for unrestricted contest during the primaries, which should be open to all eligible party members nationwide.

He nevertheless, expressed confidence that he would defeat any APC presidential aspirant if there is a level playing field at the primaries.

While calling on politicians to think of the survival of Nigeria first in all they do, he pointed out that if it is the will of God, he would surely become the president of Nigeria in 2023.

Could there be the possibility of a repeat of the Kogi gubernatorial victory of 2015 in the forthcoming presidential election in 2023? As much as it is emergent upon time to reveal what it has in stock for all, yet the future lies in wait only for the brave and undeterred.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com

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President Jonathan- Picture by YAShuaib

By Yushau A. Shuaib
While addressing the nation in a broadcast over the unprecedented flood disaster that ravaged many communities in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan’s eyes and head movement, betrayed the fact that he was reading from a prepared text, though there was no sign of a speech on his table.

His stiffness said it all. He neither gesticulated nor moved parts of his body as he is wont to in normal discussions and addresses to the rhythm of the broadcast. Aside from the motion of his mouth as he uttered the words and the intermittent sounds of billions of Naira donations to some federal institutions and states, the broadcast was a mere dictation session.

However, an opportunity to study the natural moods of the President to the devastation away from the dictates of protocol, came when he undertook a tour of some selected states affected by the flood. He was accompanied on the tour by Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafiya and Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Muhammad Sani-Sidi among others.

The tour was indeed an opportunity to see him move in flesh and react naturally in his interaction with victims. He responded directly to their plights and walked under the sun to inspect the internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camps. Uncharacteristically, there were few body guards and security men accompanying him. In fact, any displaced person could easily walk to him and hold his hands as if it is not the same almighty Nigerian leader. The atmosphere was quite convivial.

In all the states he had visited, President Jonathan encouraged leaders of the IDPs to voice out their minds openly on their plights. In response, victims narrated how they lost their homes, livestock and farmlands. They gave gory tales of deaths, missing persons and submerged markets, schools, police stations and places of worship.

In Kogi for instance, President Jonathan was in a melancholic mood. His mien fell further when mothers brought newly born babies to him. He also learnt that some men committed suicide following losses of loved ones and lifelong investments. He admonished victims to desist from taking extreme decisions. He said: “please, don’t commit suicide. You have a government that will assist you. Even, if you borrow money from banks, don’t worry, when the flood is over, we will know how to deal with it. Be rest assured that the government will take care of the situation.’’

In Adamawa State, he disclosed that the government plans to construct more buffer dams on rivers Niger and Benue to check the menace of flooding in communities along the river banks and from neighbouring countries. He disclosed that the flood this year was a natural phenomenon due to climate change occasioned by global warming and pointed out that government would take steps to prevent a future re-occurrence.

In Delta State, President Jonathan inspected a camp, equipped with a skills acquisition centre where displaced persons were learning trades, artwork, music, drama, hair dressing and computer skills. While he believed that such facilities could make them useful after leaving the camp he disclosed that the government had initiated measures for proper resettlement of flood victims.

While addressing displaced persons in Anambra, he advised them not to worry as the Federal Government was collaborating with sympathetic groups and individuals to make life better for them after leaving the camp.

In Rivers and Bayelsa states, President Jonathan confessed that the flood disaster, which destroyed property worth billions of naira, was beyond the capacity of the Federal Government to solely remedy. He therefore solicited the supports of development partners and international bodies.

In Taraba State, while assuring that the European Union and the World Bank have indicated their readiness to assist Nigeria, the President stated that the water level was gradually reducing. He gave the assurance that government would provide farmers with maturing seedlings that would guarantee early harvest of farm produce as an antidote to the much anticipated food crisis.

President Goodluck Jonathan cuddles a baba at IDP Camp for flood victims- Pic by YAShuaib

In all the states he had visited, President Jonathan allowed governors to present their opening address and thereafter, stood and listened attentively to the victims. His responses were calm, re-assuring and warm as he sometimes cuddled new born babies while addressing the mostly women and children victims.

The President had also explained that the inauguration of a high power committee on Flood Relief Fund co-headed by billionaire businessman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and human rights activist, Chief Olisa Agbakoba was to raise funds, which will mitigate the effects of the devastation. He explained that membership of the committee included “individuals who could not steal people’s money because they include philanthropists and advocates of transparency and accountability who will not also condone injustice.”

While most of the utterances and actions of President Jonathan over the flooding are commendable, the establishment of the Dangote’s committee should have been in consonance with the enabling laws. As former Chairman of the governing council of NEMA, the President would recall that there is a provision envisaging such development in the law that established NEMA: Act 12 as amended by Act 50 of 1999. Among other things the law empowers NEMA to “co-ordinate the activities of all voluntary organisations engaged in emergency relief operations in any part of the Federation; Receive financial and technical aid from international organisations and non-governmental agencies, for the purpose of disaster management in Nigeria; Collect emergency relief supply from local and foreign source and from International and non-Governmental Agencies; and distribute emergency relief materials to victims of natural or other disasters and assist in the rehabilitation of the victims, where necessary…”

In view of the above therefore, the government could delegate and designate the Dangote Committee, as National Fund Raisers, to assist in the mobilisation of funds for the relevant established agencies including State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) to manage the processes judiciously. The secretariat could be in NEMA. If government is still more concerned about the selected individuals, the President could nominate them into membership of NEMA governing council.

It does not augur well to relegate established statutory institutions to the background due to vague misgivings. No-one is infallible, our leaders need to be supported and guided appropriately to take rational decisions to better the society without entertaining any fear whatsoever.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib has been published in the print edition of the New Nigerian October 22, Punch October 22, National Mirror October 22, People’s Daily October 23, Leadership October 24, Blueprint October 24, Vanguard October 24, Daily Trust October 25, and Daily Sun October29, 2012

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