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Sermon: Harvest of Shame 3
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By Babatunde Jose
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world)
diverts you (from the more serious things) (Quran 102:1)
The growth in Nigeria’s economy since independence in 1960 has not significantly affected the lives and the general wellbeing of majority of its citizens. Nigeria has been dependent on crude oil resources for a very long time, yet, what it offers the economy is a disarticulated and directionless economy, bequeathing nothing but misery and poverty of every kind on the people. Nigeria is richly endowed with 44 different minerals types scattered in more than 450 different locations across the country. This means that development of the solid mineral sector could generate even development of the entire regions of the country.
Among other things, the legislative list in the constitution presents a problem. Part I of the Second Schedule of the Constitution which places mines and minerals on the exclusive legislative list and the fact that “lands” still remains a residual matter within the legislative purview of the sub-national states is a conflict which creates legal obstacles. This tension has kept the law courts busy for decades. This can only be mitigated by a restructuring and a return to true federalism where the states or federating units have control over the economic life of their domain, as it was during the pre-military era.
Despite the huge revenue proceeds amounting to over US$700 billion in foreign exchange, over the years, the country could best be described as witnessing a “jobless growth”. Most of these proceeds were frittered away in frivolous and poorly executed projects; many of which are abandoned, some uncompleted and much of the money stolen in an orgy of self aggrandizement. Hence, the admonition in Sura Takathur, Quran 102: Acquisitiveness, that is, the passion for seeking an increase in wealth and position may affect whole societies or nations. And when it becomes inordinate and monopolizes attention as it is in our clime, it leaves no time for higher things in life. This is the bane of our leadership today.
As a matter of priority, what the country needs is a complete paradigm shift which is believed to be the only viable option to survive mounting economic uncertainty, retrogression and worsening socio economic conditions; which will soon be exacerbated by the impending population explosion.
Diversification alloys us to maximally utilize our abundant resource-base and to enjoy the benefits of all the linkages, synergy, economies of scale, grow national technology and foreign investment profile, build human capital, exploit new opportunities, lessen averagely operational costs, increase national competitiveness and grow the standard of living and confidence of the citizens for national renaissance. The Nigeria solid mineral sector with its long history offers us this great window of opportunities against the Dutch Disease and the resource curse of oil.
In times past, solid minerals such as coal, tin and columbite contributed immensely to the economy of Nigeria. Nigeria was at one point in time the largest world producer of tin and columbite.
Yet with these potential money spinning resources, states in the country are starved of funds and are currently facing a cash crunch. Nigeria as a nation is passing through economic hardship. The low activity in the solid mineral sector is not yielding the desired financial benefit as there are no records of payment of taxes and royalty to the government.
Nigeria is losing lots of resources from untapped mineral deposit as well as from the little that is being mined mostly by illegal miners who smuggle the products out of the country.
“Despite the fact that Gold and Barites were being mined across the nation, there is no record to show that these minerals are among the mined or exported minerals. Further finding shows that barites are mined in Benue and Nasarawa states, they are also purchased by multinational oil companies as drill fluids, despite high activities of miners there are no record of royalty payments. “From the available records of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, there was no evidence of royalty payment on these exported minerals. Thus, even in the mining of our solid minerals, ‘chua chua’ is going on. It is a Nigerian trait, embedded in our DNA.
Stagnation in the solid minerals sector cannot simply be attributed to the meteoric rise of oil: poor management by state-owned enterprises – compounded by corruption and an incoherent exploitation of resources – has also played its part, including a lopsided federalism.
We must not end this series without touching on the vexed issue of cattle ranches, RUGA and armed herders. No doubt in everything we do in this clime, we exceed the limits and bounds of God. “But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits will be admitted to a Fire, to abide therein: And they shall have a humiliating punishment”. (Quran 4:14). What have we made of the endowment in cattle? Our dairy industry is nothing to write home about. We talk of grazing land and herding of cattle when other less endowed countries continue to make huge monies from their cattle. As at 2015 Nigeria was number 14 in World Cattle Inventory according to the FAO. Nigeria had 20 million cattle; far more than Russia , France, South Africa, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal and Norway. What distinguishes these other countries from us is that they have striving dairy industry and a meat culture unlike here where our cattle are not capable of yielding good meat as a result of their aimless wondering in search of fodder. Their meat is non-nutritious and even their hide are of low quality. Yet, we import corned beef and other meat products from these countries. Shameless people, our elite take delight in consuming sirloin-steak, rump-steak and other quality beef products, all imported. It’s time we change the paradigm.
The whole issue of herders, ranching and RUGA boils down to the need for restructuring; if each state or federating unit were in control of its resources, the federal authority will never have had the insolence, audacity and the nerve, not to talk of the temerity and impertinence of commandeering state land for Ruga or whatever.
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
Babatunde Jose
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Dele Momodu, has said no political permutation will save President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that widespread hunger and hardship will determine the outcome.
Momodu stated this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.
According to him, Nigerians across all regions and ethnic lines are united by economic hardship, which no amount of money or political calculation can overcome.
“The common factor now is the hunger in the land. No permutation can beat hunger. The Yorubas are suffering, the Hausas are suffering, the Igbos are suffering, everybody is suffering,” he said.
He argued that President Tinubu cannot buy the entire country, even if he was able to deploy money effectively in Lagos State politics in the past.
“Tinubu believes he can buy the whole of Nigeria, but my personal belief is that if he could buy the whole of Lagos, I doubt if he can use money to buy the whole of Nigeria,” Momodu stated.
The Ovation Publisher said Nigerians had become wiser and would collect any money offered to them during elections but still vote according to their conscience.
He cited the Osun State governorship election as a case study, noting that, despite the huge funds allegedly deployed, the people voted for Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“And a lot of people will take the money like they took it in Osun State. People’s eyes are wide open now. They brought a lot of money to Osun State, but they still lost the election to Ademola Adeleke,” he said.
Momodu also recalled that Tinubu lost Lagos State to Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, which he said proves that incumbency and financial muscle do not guarantee victory.
He maintained that President Tinubu would not win in 2027, claiming that many Nigerians could not imagine a second term for the administration.
“If you ask an average Nigerian today, do you trust Tinubu to conduct a free and fair election? 90 per cent will say no. Nobody trusts Tinubu, including his own supporters,” Momodu said.
On the detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Momodu described him as a “prisoner of conscience” who is being persecuted because of his political influence.
“Nasir El-Rufai is a lion. They caged him because he is a lion. Even when a lion is caged, it is still a lion. They want him locked up until after 2027 because they fear his influence,” he said.
He disclosed that El-Rufai’s appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council was in honour of his sacrifice and resilience.
“It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails are quite political in nature. That is why Nasir has become a prisoner of conscience. He is in the hands of a government that he helped to midwife,” Momodu added.
He said the 2027 election would be a referendum on hunger, hardship and governance, and not on political permutations.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, Engagement and New Media Strategy, O’tega Ogra, has faulted Momodu’s comments.
Reacting to the interview, Ogra accused the opposition of embracing “perpetual negativity” and opposing government policies without objective assessment.
He said Momodu’s assertion ignored ongoing reforms and improvements recorded in key economic indicators, including foreign reserves, power generation and inflation management.
Ogra urged opposition figures to offer constructive criticism rather than painting a picture of total failure, stressing that President Tinubu would ultimately be judged by his reforms and track record.
The Tribune
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has denied asking Nigerians living in the United Kingdom to abandon relatives who depend on them for financial support, saying his message about hardship in Nigeria was distorted by political opponents.
Obi said he appreciates Nigerians in the Diaspora who make sacrifices to support their families at home, stressing that his concern is the country’s dependence on remittances to meet basic needs.
In a statement titled; “My Message Has Been Twisted”, posted on X on Tuesday, the former Governor of Anambra State clarified that he never asked Nigerians abroad to stop supporting their loved ones.
“I deeply appreciate Nigerians in the diaspora who work tirelessly and make enormous sacrifices to support their families back home,” he said.
“Their remittances pay for school fees, hospital bills, rent, and feeding expenses. Their patriotism and sacrifices deserve our profound respect. I never asked them to abandon their loved ones.”
Obi said his message was aimed at drawing attention to the economic conditions forcing millions of Nigerians to rely on relatives abroad for their survival.
“My concern is that Nigeria should not remain a country where millions depend on relatives abroad for basic survival,” he said.
“Our goal must be to build a nation that provides jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, and economic opportunities for its citizens.”
He accused political opponents of misrepresenting his comments, insisting that his position is about addressing the causes of hardship rather than discouraging financial assistance to families.
“Political opponents may twist my message, but the truth remains clear: I am not asking Nigerians abroad to abandon their families. I am advocating for a Nigeria that will no longer abandon its own people,” he said.
The clarification followed backlash over comments Obi made during a town hall meeting with Diaspora supporters in Manchester on Sunday.
In a video that went viral, Obi urged Nigerians in the UK to think twice before giving money to relatives and others at home who ask them for financial assistance, arguing that such support could ease hardship without addressing its underlying causes.
“You have people at home in Nigeria today who are begging you for money. Tell them no!” he said.
Obi attributed the country’s economic difficulties to poor leadership, urging Nigerians abroad to encourage their relatives and friends at home to vote for leaders who would prioritise productivity and economic opportunities.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has dismissed the EFCC’s appeal and affirmed the ₦12 million compensation awarded to Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN, for his unlawful 21-day detention in 2019. The court also awarded ₦300,000 in costs against the Commission.
Ubani was detained after securing administrative bail for a client accused of jumping bail. Despite a court order directing the EFCC to release him conditionally or charge him with any alleged offence, the Commission failed to comply, prompting his lawyer, Chief Professor Mike Ozekhome, to institute a fundamental rights action in his favour.
On January 5, 2022, the Abuja High Court, presided over by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, ruled in Ubani’s favour. The EFCC appealed, challenging the trial court’s jurisdiction and the amount of compensation awarded.
In dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeal rejected both arguments, holding that the compensation was justified and that the EFCC’s investigative powers do not permit arbitrary detention or disobedience of court orders.
The judgment reaffirms that law enforcement agencies remain subject to the Constitution and judicial authority. It also underscores the protection of fundamental rights, the limits of law enforcement powers and the consequences of unlawful detention.
Beyond the financial award, the decision highlights the responsibilities of sureties and the obligation of security agencies to obey court orders, making it a potentially significant reference in future fundamental rights litigation.
