By Odunayo Ogunmola

Agriculture and rural development is a critical component of the six-pillar agenda of the Biodun Oyebanji Administration and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji has been up and doing in turning around the two sub-sectors for the good of the people.

Governor Oyebanji’s strides in agriculture has been widely acknowledged in the areas of attracting investment, empowering farmers with inputs and seedlings, reviving farm settlements, clearing of more land for farming, incorporating the youths and turning agriculture into business, among others.

It must also be noted that rural development occupies a special place in the heart of Mr. Governor. This is as a result of his belief that development should not be restricted to Ado Ekiti, the state capital, and other major towns.

The governor believes that development must reach every town, community, village, and hamlet in the state.

One of the means by which rural development can be accelerated is through construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of rural roads to give access to dwellers in rural communities and to connect them with other towns and communities.

In one of my earliest write-ups in these series, I highlighted the efforts of Mr. Governor in connecting with the development partners to ensure sustainable development of the state and ensure the realization of the Shared Prosperity agenda of his administration.

One of the development partners working with the Ekiti State Government is the World Bank. Ekiti is leveraging on one of the products of the Bank, the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), to carry out road projects in rural communities to open them up for transportation, agriculture, tourism and other economic activities.

The Ekiti RAAMP, which has as a seasoned and tested civil engineer, Hon. Sunday Adunmo, as the Project Coordinator, has been very diligent in complementing agriculture with the required infrastructure in a bid to make the state the food basket of Southwest Nigeria.

Hon. Adunmo is bringing to bear his experience in infrastructure engineering of over thirty years to bear having previously excelled in his role as the Special Adviser on Infrastructure (Roads) under the previous administration led by the former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

The Ekiti RAAMP is carrying out Governor Oyebanji’s marching order to add a fillip to his agribusiness and rural economic investment drive with the award of 13 rural road projects worth N17.2 billion to seven contractors and this is already eliciting joy in the communities that would benefit from the project.

With work kicking off on the road projects, the hardship and losses previously suffered by rural dwellers, most especially farmers, would soon be a thing of the past. Many farm produce used to rot away because of lack of access roads to evacuate them.

The loss is huge to rural farmers who had toiled to produce and harvest such food crops and cash crops; it is also huge to would-be consumers who were denied opportunity of prompt access and this contribute to food shortage with the attendant exorbitant prices charged on the available ones.

All these will soon become history with the commencement of work on these rural road projects through RAAMP with the Governor showing keen interest because good roads are critical to his desire of turning agriculture to big business to realize his vision of Shared Prosperity for the people of the State.

It must be noted that projects of this nature can not be possible without the payment of counterpart funds. The governor ensures consistent payment of counterpart funds to the World Bank for Ekiti to access more funds to facilitate the execution of these projects.

The contractors handling the projects have been given the directive to hire local workmen and artisans to create employment opportunities and improve rural livelihood in line with the local content policy of the administration.

The newly awarded roads are Enu Odi-Igirigiri Road, Omisanjana-Ben Folarin-Oke Aso Road, Ise-Imola Road, Owode-Anaye Road, Afolu-Odofin Road, Oye-Are Road, Ilupeju-Igbo Egan Road, Iye-Isapa-Olopomeji-Ikun Road, Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Rod, Igbole-Egan-Osi-Iropora Road, FMS Farm-Oke Ako Road, Ikogosi-AbaOsun- Aba Ori Okuta Road and Ara-Ekameta School Road.

Governor Oyebanji’s Midas’ touch on the roads is already generating excitement in the rural communities and they cannot but express their gratitude for giving priority to rural development and by extension agriculture which is the major occupation of the rural dwellers.

The sighting of workmen, bulldozers, and other earth-moving equipment on the Igirigiri Road, which marked the commencement of work, has brought immense joy to the residents and users of the road. They had endured hardship brought about by the dilapidated condition of the road, but the story of the road is changing following the intervention.

The tears, pain, and anguish of the past will soon give way. Farmers, residents, petty traders, commuters, drivers and staff of Ado Ekiti Local Government whose secretariat is located along that axis have heaved a sigh of relief because a big burden is about to be removed from their daily itinerary.

The Obanirare of Irare Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area, Oba Olukayode Adebowale, hailed the Oyebanji Administration and the World Bank for making his domain to benefit from one of the newly-awarded road projects.

Oba Adebowale said the construction of Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road would not only be beneficial to farmers in the benefitting rural communities but also provide access road to Irare.

The Oba noted that the award and execution of the project would bring relief to the users of Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road, which is the only road that leads to his community, which becomes impassable during rainy season.

Like Oba Adebowale and his subjects are already excited, the same is the sentiment being expressed in all communities that are benefiting from road construction because of the multiplier effects on their personal, social, and economic lives.

*Ogunmola is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media (Print Media)*

The Northern Senators Forum has cautioned the Economic Community Of West African States ECOWAS led by President Tinubu, against the use of military force in restoring democracy in Niger Republic

The senators led by Senator Abdul Ahmad Ningi called for political and diplomatic means to restore democracy in the Republic of Niger

The forum said the use of military force will cause the death of many innocent citizens in Niger Republic and the adjoining seven Nigerian States namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno that share border with Niger Republic will be negatively affected.

The senators added that the ECOWAS should explore every available diplomatic means in resolving the crisis as the consequences will be devastating and casualties among the innocent citizens who go about their daily business.

By Dele Sobowale

“When evil men must seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo; good men must try and bring into being real order of justice” – Reverend Martin Luther, Jr, 1929-1968.

The suspension and subsequent arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has brought the inevitable collision between President Tinubu and ex-President Buhari closer than the two of them realise.

Buhari, who hoped to have a peaceful retirement in Daura or Niger Republic, will soon discover that he had murdered sleep. Short of killing Emefiele, in order to silence him, the probe of the CBN ordered by Tinubu will reveal to what extent Buhari and his cabal, including Ministers and Advisers, privatised the bank

Since this is only a short article, and it is not my intention to reveal all the facts of violations of the Constitution, this is designed to warn Tinubu that if, indeed he wants to fight corruption, he could not have started in a better place.

Therefore, the first question to ask is whether or not Tinubu has the guts to step on all the toes and damn the consequences. We shall soon see.

GOVERNMENT OF CONSCIENCELESS LIARS

“Every government is run by liars; and nothing they say should be believed” – I F Stone, 1907-1929, US journalist.

Stone, a great American journalist, opened my eyes to the perfidy of government officials worldwide. Writing these columns over thirty years has revealed to me how totally untruthful Nigerian government officials can be at all levels.

But, of all the seven Nigerian governments that I have covered, Buhari’s administration is the one that has made lying a core aspect of their policy. They lie when it is unnecessary and when the falsehood is evident to everyone.

As Tinubu’s appointees go through the handing over notes left behind by Buhari’s people, they will invariably come across horrible deceptions foisted on Nigerians. They will be appalled that Honourable Ministers, Senior Special Advisers and the President himself can be so dishonourable.

A very recent example illustrates the point being made here. Currency change resulted in unprecedented cash scarcity in the country. A court of law made an order that old notes should continue in use. The CBN ignored the order; the President, at first, backed the bank until there was threat of civil unrest.

For several weeks, Nigerians had their money trapped in banks. Relief came only when the CBN faced contempt charges. One Buhari spokesman announced that his government has always obeyed court orders. He very conveniently forgot that Buhari had broken the law serially with loans taken from CBN on Ways and Means.

The Federal Government for eight years turned the CBN to its own ATM machine. More on that later… The test of honesty is money; the test of integrity is power. The President of any country is tested both ways. Buhari failed both woefully.

CBN: ONE OF TWO MAJOR TROUBLE SPOTS

“If you are looking for trouble, you’ve come to the right place.”

Sign in front of a bar in Kansas City, US in the days of Wild, Wild West

By now, Nigerians are aware that the Buhari government collected N23.7 trillion loans from the CBN without seeking approval from the National Assembly, NASS, packed full of spineless and unpatriotic people, in willful disregard for the laws and Constitution of Nigeria. It was not only Ways and Means.

There were other documented cases of presidential lawlessness; instances in which money, earmarked for a more beneficial purpose, was taken out and spent without record of the expenditure. Here is one example:

RAID ON WHEAT LEVY

“ISSUE 14: IRREGULAR WITHDRAWALS FROM PUBLIC FUNDS (=N60,832,040,370.72)

Section 80(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) states: No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.”

Also paragraph 417 of the Financial Regulation states: Expenditure shall be strictly classified in accordance with the estimates, and votes must be applied only to the purpose on which the money is provided. Expenditure incorrectly charged to a vote shall be disallowed.

“The sum of N13,775,687,264.39 was withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Pool Account, while N47,056,353,106.33 was withdrawn from 15% Wheat Grain Levy…for purposes outside the aim of the establishment of the respective funds, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution and Financial Regulation..””

Despite his low educational qualification, even Buhari would be expected to understand those simple constitutional and financial regulatory provisions. At any rate, his Vice President is a Senior Advocate and a Professor of Law; he also has an Attorney General and Minister of Justice, also, sadly, a SAN.

In addition, at least three SANs are members of his under-performing cabinet. So, Buhari cannot plead ignorance when he ordered the Governor of the CBN to release funds from the Wheat Levy Pool Account to pay for “the payment of earned allowance to non-teaching staff of Nigerian Universities (N8,000,000,000); “to finance 2019 recruitment of Police Officers approved by Mr President (N9,056,353,106.33) and “funds borrowed from special account for eventual release to MOD [Ministry of Defence] procurement of Military Equipment (N30,000,000,000).” Source: AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR THE FEDERATION’S ANNUAL REPORT ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2019).

I have gone to great lengths to reveal how, since a fish rots from the head, the massive corruption in the Federal Government from 2015 to 2023 had its origin, specifically, in the President’s office. Buhari, contrary to the lies told by his spokesmen, was an incorrigible serial law breaker.

The Wheat Levy was established to promote our self-sufficiency in wheat production and to reduce our food import bill. As we have seen, with evidence beyond reasonable doubt, Buhari illegally forced the CBN to release funds from that account for other purposes. Abuse of power.

He made the request without approval from the NASS. Breach of financial regulation. And, he deliberately kept all the transactions hidden from the NASS which did not ask questions. Nobody can now account for how the N30 billion released to the MOD was spent.

To cover up this and thousands of other shady conspiracies between Buhari and CBN, CBN Governor Emefiele was granted immunity. Queries by the Auditor General were ignored.

Summons by the NASS were treated with well-deserved contempt; leaders of the NASS were primed to “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” about Buhari – despite the unpleasant odour of monstrous corruption.

LEADING THEM INTO TEMPTATION

“And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil…”

I don’t know Emefiele well enough to know if he repeated the Lord’s prayer during his morning devotions; or if he observes morning prayers at all. I am certain he is fervently wishing to be delivered from the evil which had befallen him. I earnestly pray for him.

He was led into temptation very early in the Buhari regime. When the FG established Economic Management Team, EMT – with Vice President Osinbajo as Chairman, in the absence of a cabinet, Emefiele allowed himself to be lured into fiscal policy formulation.

From that association came one of the first fraudulent schemes – the Anchor Borrowers Programme, ABP. For the first time in history, the CBN was directly funding a fiscal policy initiative – which very quickly became politicised and corrupted.

Having fallen for the ABP trap, the CBN Governor was invested with presidential immunity. He could do anything and not be sanctioned. He was eventually drawn into gross violations of Ways and Means until the debt reached unbelievable N23.7 trillion. Now, he is alone with the problem; that is what the Buhari cabal thinks.

Probing Emefiele, to some extent a victim of his own ambitions and departure from the roles of a central bank Governor, will however not be as simple as Tinubu thinks. Buhari issued the orders; Emefiele obeyed. The probe ordered will sooner or later reveal the long hand of Buhari in most of the infractions.

Wheat Levy is only a hint of things to come. Anybody expecting Emefiele to go down alone is in for a shock. He knows too much; and he is not alone.

EL-RUFAI IN HIS TRUE COLOURS AT LAST

“You don’t always get paid for being intelligent; you pay dearly for stupidity.”

One northern Christian leader said that “El-Rufai’s utterances constitute a slap in the face for Christians who voted for him”.
I beg to disagree. Any Christian who voted for El-Rufai deserves whatever happens to him and his family – including abduction and murder. I wrote three articles warning Christians about him. Those who turned deaf ears should not complain…

(Opinion Nigeria)