Maximising the gains of World Economic Forum

Editorial

For three days last week, economic activities were shut down in the nation’s capital, Abuja, as Nigeria hosted  the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) amid serious security concerns. The conference, which ended last Friday, was the 24th in the series since the meetings began in Davos, Switzerland, 24 years ago. It was also the first time it would hold in West Africa.
Expectedly, the forum brought together an assemblage of policy makers, heads of governments and institutions, renowned entrepreneurs, investors and donor agencies from around the world. Beyond the glamour, the tight security and the huge financial cost reportedly in excess of N4 billion, the forum provided an excellent platform for experts from many nations to explore the African business environment and increase international relevance as well as foreign direct investment in the continent. The august meeting held under the theme: “Forging inclusive growth, and Job Creation”
In spite of Nigeria’s security challenges, this forum could not have come at a better time for the country. It held not long after the rebasing of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which made Nigeria the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of N80.3 trillion, ahead of South Africa.
Nonetheless, while Africa was duly recognised as a potential investment haven, the business climate in Nigeria was a constant reference point among the discussants. The participants severally highlighted how successive governments in the country did not leverage on the nation’s abundant resources to forge inclusive growth and create jobs for its teeming jobless citizens estimated at 24 million, out of a population of 170 million.
We share these concerns. For instance, out of the 200 million youths in Africa, the over 60 percent of them that are jobless are Nigerians. This is largely believed to have contributed to the present insecurity in some parts of the country, with the North-East geo-political zone taking the largest share of the burden.
Undoubtedly, as the forum noted, Nigeria has great potentials and remains a very attractive investment destination. These potentials have not been fully explored and exploited, largely because our governments have paid more attention to winning elections than creating the environment necessary for sustained economic growth and overall development of the country.
It is not surprising that agriculture was identified by the participants as one sector Nigeria can effectively use to forge inclusive growth and create more jobs. Until recently, Nigeria paid only scant attention to agriculture, but the situation is gradually changing under the leadership of the incumbent Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina. What this means is that growth can be achieved in many sectors if our leaders demonstrate the necessary know-how and are dedicated to their duties.
But for this to happen, we agree with the forum that governments in Africa, and Nigeria in particular, must create enablers such as good infrastructure, good governance, security and rule of law. This also involves building of institutions, establishment of regulatory frameworks and strengthening of policies that will attract not only foreign investors, but also encourage local businesses and investors to keep their money in Nigeria rather than abroad. This fact was well illustrated by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the forum.
Currently, illicit outflow of cash outside Africa is put at $63 billion yearly, the bulk of this from Nigeria. This, sadly, under-develops the continent, while enriching other nations’ economies.
If the benefits of the just concluded conference are to be realised, the implementation of its various resolutions to bring about inclusive growth and improve regional integration is crucial. Things must go beyond the 2.1 billion people that the organisers claimed watched the programme worldwide. The gains must start with bridging the present infrastructure gap, and improve access to finance, which is one of the biggest problems in the country today. Also, unreliable power supply remains a major drawback. More than half the Nigerian population, according to a recent survey, lives in darkness. Education, especially among females in the North, remains low while healthcare is not affordable to many. Inequality is still high in the country, as the wealth of the country resides in the hands of a tiny few.
Overall, Nigeria may have hosted “the best World Economic Forum on Africa”, according to the forum’s Managing Director, Mr. Phillip Rosler, but this will mean nothing to majority of Nigerians if the attainment of inclusive growth and more job opportunities remains elusive. The people must feel the impact of this ambitious theme and plan. Indeed, in the absence of inclusive growth, the problem of insecurity will likely continue.
We, therefore, urge governments in Africa to create a community of interest, purpose and action towards actualising the lofty goals and resolutions of the Abuja conference.

Source: Sun Online News. Posted by: Crescent University Mirror(Oguntayo Ezekiel, Editorial Dept.)

Mandatory HIV tests before marriage

EDITORIAL

In a bid to check the spread of the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) in the country, the Federal Government has approved the conduct of compulsory HIV tests on intending couples before the solemnization of Christian and Muslim marriages in the country.
Under this initiative, no marriage can be conducted in Churches and Mosques unless religious leaders in the places of worship confirm that the  intending bride and groom have taken HIV tests.
The decision on compulsory testing is part of the new National HIV Prevention Plan released by the Federal Government during the National Prevention Plan Validation meeting in Abuja last week. According to the Director of Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, Dr. Yakubu Abubakar, the new measure is to prevent new HIV infections and curb further spread of the disease.
The Federal Government, however, did not include traditional marriages in the “no HIV test, no marriage” policy, possibly because of the largely informal nature of such marriages.
As explained by Abubakar, the new HIV Prevention Plan is an improvement on the previous one because it has input of local communities and stakeholders in the states and at the national level. He also stressed that the plan took into consideration the peculiarities of each state with regard to prevalence rate, mode of transmission, culture and approach to HIV prevention.
Although HIV testing, ordinarily, should be voluntary so as not to infringe on the right of the people to privacy on issues pertaining to their health, we welcome the plan to make intending couples undergo the test. We appreciate and support the government’s position on this matter because of the increasing seriousness of the problem of HIV/AIDS in the country. So many lives have been lost to AIDS in Nigeria, with a growing number of children orphaned by the ailment. So much money is spent on provision of anti-retroviral drugs to infected persons, while the Prevention-of-Mother-To-Child-Transmission (PMTCT) initiatives constitute a financial burden to the health sector.
With this huge cost of the disease to the country, AIDS may no longer be a private affair of individuals. It has, therefore, become necessary to support the government and the health authorities in this effort to curb the spread of the disease through increased testing. Testing for HIV before marriage will help intending couples to know their status, so that they can decide whether to go ahead with the union. They will also be able to learn the necessary precautions to take to avoid transmission of the infection to their partners, and their babies. The government’s position will help to ensure that no one gets married to an infected person out of ignorance. Ultimately, the health authorities should actively work towards encouraging all Nigerians to know their status. In this regard, efforts should be made to find a way to make testing compulsory for those planning to do traditional marriages, too.
To achieve the desired objective, we urge intending couples and religious institutions to abide by the letters and spirit of this regulation whenever its enforcement commences. Already, teaching hospitals conduct the test for pregnant women. A number of churches also require that HIV/AIDS tests be conducted before joining intending couples together. This is the wise thing to do as it is in the best interest of both the bride and groom.
Mandatory HIV tests, we believe, will also help the government to know the number of those affected by the illness so as to be able to plan for counseling services and other medical interventions.
Government should embark on massive enlightenment programmes to explain this initiative so that its good gesture and intention would not be misconstrued. Nigerians should be adequately informed about the test and how to go about it. Government should involve all Nigerians in this quest because HIV does not discriminate on account of gender, race or creed.
Beyond HIV/AIDS, intending couples should also be mandated to take the sickle cell test to determine their genotype so that they will not give birth to   children with sickle cell. Testing for these ailments has become necessary because the issue goes beyond the bride and groom to their communities and the nation at large.
The plan for mandatory testing for HIV must, however, go beyond the approval of the National AIDS Prevention Plan. The government should send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly so that the policy can have the necessary legal backing. This will help to reduce new infections. The passage of a law on compulsory testing, alongside public education and moral suasion on the need for these tests, will go a long way in reducing the spread  of HIV/AIDS in the country.

Source: Sun online news. Posted by: Crescent University Mirror(Oguntayo Ezekiel, Editorial Dept.)

OGUN APC: WAR CRIES

The two factions of All Proressive Congress APC in Ogun state are engaged in battle of wits for ascendancy. The outcome of the ensuing battle would be crucial in upholding the integrity of the ruling party in the state. Presently, Chief Isaac Olu Agemo and Chief Roqeeb Adeniji who are both from Ogun west senatorial destrict have emerged chairmen of the two factions of the ruling party in the state. The feud, according to findings is a struggle for absolute control of the party’s machinery in the state. However, the crisis is not peculiar to Ogun state as it is happening in some other state like Oyo, Ondo, among others. Culled from Vangard, May 8^th, 2014. Political group – Malomo Olanrewaju

OSUN 2014: FEAR OF OMISORE GRIPS APC

Ogun state chapter of All Progressive Congress (APC) has Monday inaugurated the campaign committee for the re-election bid of its candidate; Governor Rauf Aregbesola. This was in preparation for the August 9, 2014 governorship poll. It admitted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard bearer, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was a major challenge to the ruling party. Inaugurating the committee, at the party’s secretariat, the acting chairman of the APC in the state,elder Adelowo Adebiyi said the challenge for the party was senator Iyiola Omisore, declaring that’confronting Omisore was like confronting a violent organisation’’. Culled from Daily Times. 6^th May. 2014.   Political group – Adeleke Caleb   

What is wrong with Amosun

What is wrong with Amosun
by DAPO THOMAS

Before I was invited to be part of the team to go on an inspection tour of the projects that the governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun was doing, I have heard so much about those projects already from people who had visited Ogun state for one reason or another. On two or three occasions that I also had cause to visit Abeokuta for some engagements, I had encountered some of the road projects.

All entry and exit points in Ogun State have become construction sites. And the road projects are so massive that even a blind man who cannot see what is going on can feel the equipment that are making noise. But despite this project hoopla, the man Amosun was still in media deficit.

He is one governor that you may not see his face or hear anything about in major newspapers for two or three days except when he is attending the wedding ceremony of the daughter or son of a political chieftain in APC or when he is fighting his godfather and Ogun State lawmakers or when he is attending funeral ceremonies. His persona had overwhelmed his hardwork image. Though the man is strategically positioned in the Lagos-Ibadan press axis, he is consistently a victim of media bypass.

Though the man is the landlord of the Arepo media Mafia, he lacks the leverage to enhance his work image to the public. Amosun has one of the best journalists in Nigeria as his commissioner for information, yet, he is still under-reported.

So, what went wrong? Thank God I went on the tour with the governor and other media chiefs like Bayo Onanuga, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Soji Akinrinade, Yakubu Mohammed, Sam Omatseye, Sola Oshunkeye, Segun Ayobolu, Eniola Bello, Gbenga Adefaye and others. The reason(s) for the governor’s media scarcity became so clear to me after the tour.

Amosun is a man of tomorrow that is ruling a society that is opposed to tomorrow. This contrast produces complex paradox that is responsible for Amosun’s media deficit. Does Amosun expect to be celebrated for doing a Six-lane road with drains, walkways and street lights when the godfather has not eaten? Does he not know that elaborate projects of this magnitude are affecting the percentage of returns expected by the godfather(s)? What is wrong with Amosun? He is modernizing an ancient town with what he calls “Ogun Standard road when those who ruled before him are still alive.

Can’t he see that what will bring glory to him will confer shame on others? What he is doing today in Ogun State is casting aspersion on the integrity and image of those who ruled Ogun state yesterday. When the godfather was angry with him, it was because he was making his failure very visible. Amosun is a man of transcendental vision whose perceptive instinct is tormenting his adversaries. The network of conspiracy against Amosun is such that even his own party people now constitute themselves into opposition.

Amosun’s adversaries are not the masses who lined the roads to wave to him as the convoy drove past. His adversaries are the elites who are challenged by his passion and zeal for rapid development. It is the elite who feel threatened by the high cost of such rapid development to their own personal material accumulation.

It is the elite that are the governor’s major headache because they are the people who indulge themselves in the intrigues of competition, rivalry, envy and power tussles. The masses’ major expectation is to be pampered with good infrastructure and welfarist programmes that can alleviate and deflate the pressure of lack. From Itoku to Lafenwa from Sapon to Sango, From Agbado Oke Aro to Alagbole, Yakoyo to Ojodu, the people were excited about what was going on around them. But are the godfathers happy? What is wrong with Amosun? Why must a man who was beneficiary of the godfather’s political support dump his godfather for the masses? Amosun is a man of strong discerning power.

He knows the godfather gives support but he cannot give the votes. It is the people who have the votes. The godfather believes in bribing the voters on the day of election but Amosun feels projects are more ideal as incentives for voters than pecuniary inducements. The godfathers are always interested in dictating the pace of action because it guarantees them subservience and obedience from the godsons. The conspiracy against Amosun is so terrible that one cannot but marvel at the way he is still forging ahead with his projects. Work goes on 24/7 everyday including Sundays at the various sites almost at the same tempo. There is no sign at all that any of the projects will be abandoned. Amosun is determined. He is an accountant, he is having it smooth with funds. He is not looking back because his hand is on the plough. But his adversaries are unrelenting to. They will force him to look back. If the godfather cannot do it, then the next godson will do it.

What is wrong with Amosun? Does he not know that the template of performance that he has set up is on the high side and the next godson does not want it too high. He is envious of a legacy that will be difficult to match. He is also building his own pyramid of hate when he is yet to customize his power. In our society, we kill initiatives and run down ideas with our mouth because we are afraid of comparative assessment.

The next godson is an incubating enemy because he must not be seen to be friendly with a governor that has rubbished the achievements of the godfather. Why for God’s sake must members of the same party establish fraternities of hate for a performer like Amosun? If it is the collective wish of leaders that all their projects and programmes must be people-focused, why must there be disagreements among them again over what the governor is doing.

What is wrong with Amosun? Already, he is constructing roads with six lanes which he called the Ogun Standard road. In areas like Sapon and Itoku, he is doing ten lanes. If he is doing all these, what will the next godson use for his own campaign? In addition, he is building modern pedestrian bridges (installed with A/C) and bus stops which look like mini event centre with seats and cover. He is building model schools, model markets existing side by side some fine apartments and so on and so forth.

With all these, what will the next godson tell the people that he wants to do? What is more, Amosun is providing a 20-year infrastructure for a town like Aiyetoro. A town that will be satisfied with asphalt overlay for their “Onikolobo roads” is now a proud owner of the Ogun standard road (six lanes) with two of the lanes being used as a median for now. I came up with two theories when I saw what the governor is doing in the state. One, he is either compensating the people for having endured delayed development since the state was created, or two, he is a man that is in a hurry to actualize his vision of development suspecting that the man coming after him may be a “jegudu jera” governor that will clean up whatever money he was going to leave behind. What is wrong with Amosun? Why is he building beautiful luxury gated estates in the state when he can build “ultra modern” estates like the ones built by his predecessor in Aiyetoro? Who does not know that these days “ultra modern estates” mean “uncompleted sheds’ fit for goats and cows.

That is another reason for Amosun’s media deficit. His achievements, initiatives, innovations, modernizing projects must not appear in newspapers because they irritate his predecessors and remind them of their inadequacies and failures.

There is something about power of the media: It can cause blackout and it can illuminate. Unconciously entangled in the intrigues of power, the media put Amosun’s numerous projects in the dark and a hardworking man is presented to the public as a very indolent governor who has nothing to show for the people that voted him into office.

Whereas governors who never did half of what Amosun has done were given unstinting adulations while Amosun was unfairly abandoned. It would have been understandable if Amosun is a governor in one remote part of Nigeria. But he is actively and strategically located within the Lagos-Ibadan press and yet he is shut out completely. It was a wise decision by Amosun to have taken the “big men” in the media on a tour of just a fraction of his projects for them to see how unfair they have been to him. Is it still appropriate to ask the question: What is wrong with Amosun?

Culled from The Nation Newspaper.

Adapted by Olawunmi Odegbami .

Top of Form

SOUTH SUDAN SIDE RECRUITS 9,000 CHILDREN TO FIGHT

South Sudan sides recruits 9, 000 children to fight. More than 9,000 child soldiers have been fighting in South Sudan’s brutal civil war. UN human rights chief Navil pillay has said. The army and rebel forces had recruited the children, she said MS pillay said South Sudan faced the threat of a famine but there was an “apparent lack of concern” on the part of its leaders. She was speaking at the end of a visit to South Sudan where the conflict has displaced about a million people fighting broke out in December loyal to president Salva kiir and his sacked deputy, Riek Macha. Mr Kiir accused Mr Machar of plotting a coup. – Source BBC. Political group – Malomo Olanrewaju

GUNMEN STORM LIBYA’S PARLIAMENT

Gunmen storm Libya’s parliament and start shooting forcing MPs to abandon a special season to elect a new prime minister. Libya has been plagued by instability since armed groups toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. Correspondents say lawmakers left the building after hearing gunshots. The attempted vote followed the resignation of Abdullah al-thinni, who stepped down as prime minister earlier this month after himself and his family were targeted by militia men. Libya has been plagued by instability since armed groups toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. It is unclear who was behind the disturbance. –Source BBC. Political group – Adeleke Caleb    

> BY: BABATUNDE MAKU.
> ICAN HONOURS CRESCENT UNIVERSITY
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> The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria( ICAN) has honoured Crescent University, Abeokuta along with other 17 universities, 8 Polytechnics and 10 tuition centres across Nigeria.
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> At the Accreditation/Recognition Ceremony, the 49th President of ICAN Alhaji KABIR Alkali Muhammed stated,in his keynote address, that the recognition was to re-affirm the institute's commitment to high technical standards as well as facilitate the choice of academic institutions by its numerous students in their quest for accounting knowledge.
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> He added that such accreditation was part of the quality control measures designed to align the quality of knowledge dissemination by these institutions to global standards on which ICAN benchmarks its training curricula.
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> In achieving the set objectives of ICAN, the institute's Chairman, Students' Affairs Committee, Alhaji Razak Jaiyeola noted that to ensure conformity with the best standard, accreditation team checked students' entry requirements, physical infrastructure available, curriculum development, examination systems, tuition standard, library and ICT facilities.
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> Accreditation/recognition certificates were presented to Crescent University, Abeokuta and other accredited universities which include Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Redeemer's University, Mowe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti.
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GOVERNOR AMOSUN'S REBUILDING MISSION

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way"-John C. Maxwell

   BY RUKAYAT BABALOLA.

Every appointed or elected leader has their unique records. By inference, one unique thing that leadership of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was widely known for was free and qualitative education for all as this writer was a beneficiary of that largesse up to the school certificate level. Millions of south-westerners did benefit from that vision. And up till today, the impact of that positive vision is still with us Yorubas.That is why every visionary leader critically looks at a sector and develops it as his unique selling point. By so doing, such a leader will remain indelible on the minds of the electorate-and on the walls of history- even after they have long vacated political power.

This is time to beam a searchlight on performances of our elected leaders especially those seeking the second term in office. With the mission to rebuild Ogun State,the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has set another remarkable example with the new face of the state.(All areas Amosun's score card cannot be accommodated in this piece).The four cardinal points of the state roads have no doubt witnessed rapid transformation in terms of total reconstruction. It is gratifying that Ogun State has now left behind it the era of being refered to as 'The Ancient City' in terms of its outlook.( For God's sake, this is 21st century!). It is now indeed an ultra-modern city, given the aesthetic new outlook.This is one important area, I think, Ogun State has a Unique Selling Point. It should blow that trumpet well as people are now blowing it in its favour.

The critics contend if roads transform into meals on the table of an average indigene. They also argue that the roads and flyovers now being massively constructed are too expensive and so on and so forth.This is typical of politics. Though criticisms bring about the best in individual and government performance, what many inhabitants of the state are now really interested in, based on my sampling is the feasibility and high quality of these mega projects. We should realize that irrespective of one's social status (traders, corporate workers, industrialists, artisans, politicians, farmers, healthcare practitioners, pensioners, parents, students, transporters and others yet to be mentioned), we all need good transportation network to convey us and our goods and services to our various destinations. Good transportation network is germane to all and sundry. In Ogun State,road journeys are now shorter and smoother because of the smoothflow of traffic which is not unconnected with the ambience of the roads.

At fora, Governor Amosun had declared severally that his government would not discriminate in the reconstruction of 'federal roads' and 'state roads', stressing that state governments are closer to people at the grassroots to construct and maintain such facilities as roads. There are now instances federal roads are being reconstructed by Amosun government within the state.One good example is Lafenwa-Ayetoro Road leading to Crescent University. In these roads, there is reflection of 'The Ogun Standard' propounded by the incumbent government for the quality assurance of its programmes.State roads now have standard medians ( with beautification flowers and street lights), walkways, drainages,and parking lanes and lots. Also, recreation parks are now springing up across the state. All this constitutes a good handwriting that is most likely to stand the test of time in years ahead.It is hoped that the state government will not relent until the best is achieved in this area for prosperity.

One noticeable character of Governor Ibikunle Amosun is that he believes in the dictum "if you want a job done well, do it yourself". Because he holds these projects close to his heart, he personally supervises them without notice to contractors. And oftentimes, he walks hundreds of meters to satisfy his conscience on quality and standard. At sites, he interacts with the common people to get feedback. He listens to their comments and even practically explains government views where necessary. Many a time, he was seen in a peaceful dialogue with market women on relocation and re-allocation of their shops, where the old stalls had given way for the mega road projects.

With the standard of drainage system now put in place across the state, the incidence of flooding has been critically minimized as there is now proper channelling of rain water into the Ogun River and other streams. Inhabitants of areas where there used to be heavy flooding after rains are now heaving a sigh of relief.We encourage the Amosun government to work more assiduously in this area as a good complement of this laudable job.

Obviously, our roads in the state are now neater than ever, courtesy of the state government's partnership with refuse collectors who rid the environment of dirts. With the complement of the walkways, pedestrians' accidents have now been minimised. Users now find the paths worthwhile for exercising their legs without fear of running into any vehicle especially okada.

However, the Ogun State government should work hard, through monitoring of these drainage, to dissuade people from dumping refuse, particularly sachets of pure water and other items, in the water channels.Also, some of the walkways are occupied by street traders who discourage other users.The government should enlighten the public continuously and highlight appropriate sanctions for the culprits.

> PROPRIETOR ADVOCATES SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
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> Proprietor, Crescent University, Judge Bola Ajibola has canvassed for adequate support of private institutions by the federal government.
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> He advocated this recently in a piece entitled " Government Support for Private Universities in Nigeria", made available for the mass media.
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> Ajibola conceded that although the National Universities Commission was doing its best by way of checks and balances as well as supervision and quality control of all universities in Nigeria particularly the particularly the private ones.
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> He empahsised that government should ensure adequate support for education in private universities, justifying that several of these institutions were not established for profit-making but to give sound moral education that would bring about the fear of God and good society.
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> He cited Crescent University as a model example with the mission of sound education, good moral upbringing and the service to God, noting that "if these students are given the opportunity to study together, relating on the same campus for three or four years, they will not grow up to hate one another in politics in future."
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> Ajibola said "the fillip may in provision of facilities, projects and endowments".
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