The scrapping of the Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS) throughout the country by the Federal Government within one week of daily protests across the nation, has come to confirm the statement I made a fortnight ago that correct and sustained civil disobedience actions can make restructuring possible within one year. Although the youth were not violent, President Muhammadu Buhari caved in because he knew that if he did not act quickly that the situation would have gotten worse.

Indeed, it may have led to the burning down of police stations and the killing of police men, if not along with their female colleagues nationwide. It could also have brought down his government because what is happening looks like the beginning of a revolution that may lead to the end of the current civil rule or the breakup of the country if restructuring is not carried out urgently.

If street marches by the youth that had not affected the country’s economic well – being forced President Buhari to act promptly, then it goes without saying that unwavering acts of civil disobedience that would effectively paralyze the country would make him, the National Assembly and the Houses of Assembly in the 36 states to take steps for the amendment of the constitution for the quick restructuring of the country.

Industrial actions have not been very effective since 1999 because of wrong methods and corruption among labour leaders. Their efforts always failed because they unrealistically declared indefinite strikes which they knew would not last more than two or three days. They do this because it gives them enough time to get the government to offer them bribe. No industrial action can last more than three days because by the third day people would be tired of staying at home without money to take care of their families.

As I suggested in this column in 2017 the only industrial action that will bring the desired result is one organized for three days every week until the mission is accomplished. In the first week, the strike could be from Monday to Wednesday and in the second week from Wednesday to Friday and on – and – on like that. Leaving out two days a week will allow people to be able to work and make money and take care of the members of their families and themselves.

Seventy per cent of the nation’s daily, monthly and annual earnings come from the oil in the South – South and parts of the South – West and South – East, while sixty per cent or more of the industries and commercial activities in the country are located and carried out in the South – West especially in Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States. Consequently, industrial actions that are effectively organized and carried out will make President Buhari and the legislators in the National and States’ Assemblies to do something within a few months.

More to come next Wednesday

 

Buhari’s embarrassing October 1 speech (2)

Without doubt, President Muhammadu Buhari did great damage to the country’s image and himself when he compared the price of a litre of petrol in Nigeria with those of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ghana, Chad and Niger. The people of the world would wonder what kind of leader the Nigerian Head of State is and ask if he is knowledgeable in simple economics and if his advisers are experts with sound education and experience in financial and economic matters.

As some have pointed out it was outrageous for Buhari to have compared the price of oil in Nigeria with that of Ghana, Chad and Niger because the country had been producing oil in large quantities for about 50 and 30 years before them and what it has is more than what all the three countries put together produce. It is the same with population compared with those of the three nations. Nigeria has a larger and better market than them and as a result oil should be cheaper in the country than theirs.

But more alarming was the comparison President Buhari made with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In the former, workers’ monthly pay is two hundred and twenty – two thousand naira (N222, 000) while in Saudi Arabia it is four hundred and thirty thousand naira (N430, 000), whereas in Nigeria, a worker receives N18, 000 – N30, 000 a month.

In Saudi Arabia petrol sells for N168 per litre and in Egypt for N211. So, how can Buhari say that Nigerians should appreciate that oil is cheaper in our fatherland than in these nations where the salaries of the people are seven to 15 times higher than in our country. Our president would do well to read and acquire good knowledge in modern economics and get his officials to do proper research before writing statements which demean and ridicule him in the eyes of most Nigerians and the world at large.

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This is the second time this year that President Buhari would embarrass himself and make Nigerians the object of jest by the people of other countries. Of all the 195 Heads of State in the world he was the only one who on January 1 thanked God that Nigerians survived the 20th century and lived to see the 21st century. This was shocking because 2020 is the last year in the 20th century while the 21st century would start on Friday, January 1, 2021 which is 79 days away.

If President Buhari and his officers had looked into their dictionaries they would have seen that a new century begins with a unit of one. So, 2020 could not be the beginning of a new century. In the Pocket Oxford Dictionary of Current English an example is given that the 20th century is 1901 – 2000.

 

Tinubu & Oshiomhole’s political future (3)

There are evidences in the Bible that keeping to promises and agreements is sacrosanct. Till today Almighty God still treats the Israelis, who in the Holy Book were known as Israelites, as His favoured ones. And this is why in spite of their small territory and population they have continued to defeat the Arab countries in all the wars fought since 1948.

The reason for this is that the Lord has continued to keep to the promise He made to their ancestor, Abraham about 1800 BC (3,800 years ago) when He entered into a covenant with him that He would always be with his descendants eternally (Genesis 15: 1 – 21). So, if God, who nobody on Earth or in Heaven can question has kept to His promise to the Israelis, how will any human being who does not comply escape punishment?

Will continue Wednesday next week

 

Prepaid meter problems (4)

When one buys an equipment or item from reputable companies or stores, guarantee is given that if it spoils within six months to a year, that it would be repaired free and that if the fault cannot be rectified the person will be given a new one.

With this, I was flabbergasted two weeks ago when I heard on a morning discussion programme on Arise News Television (ANT) that this is not so with prepaid meters. One of the three staff-journalists on the programme said when someone’s prepaid meter exploded about six months after purchase that the supply company refused to repair or replace it for the person. Yet, a one – phase meter costs about forty thousand naira and a three-phase meter eighty – nine thousand two hundred naira. It is callous to make customers lose such amounts when the problem of their prepaid meter was caused by factory fault.

This is something the Minister of Power, Mr. Saleh Mammam and members of the National Assembly particularly the Senate should look into. Companies supplying prepaid meters must be forced to give a year’s guarantee to their customers. It is what obtains in the developed countries and in Nigeria in the good old days of honest and honourable business

Continues next week