Latest News | News Break Nigeria The “Seventy Elder Citizens” from Nigeria have made it a point of duty to attend the annual US – Africa Investment Forum in Washington DC United States of America as a prelude to the United Nations General Assembly (this year from 16th September to 29th September 2014) in New York and World Bank/International Monetary Fund Spring meeting (from 10th October to 12th October 2014) in Washington DC. This year the major issue is Nigeria!! This preoccupation with Nigeria is threatening to overshadow our own special issue – the matter of the over-domination of the accountancy profession by the “Big Four” international firms. We shall come back to that later. Here we are in the grand ballroom of The Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1000 H Street NW Washington DC 20001 waiting for proceedings to start. In the meantime, we are treated to a riveting video being shown on a huge screen. It’s a play back of the United States Congress African Policy Breakfast Series on “INSTABILITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA AND THE ON-GOING THREAT OF BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS” We missed the beginning of the video but there was no mistaking the combative Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, Professor Ade Adefuye. He wasted no time in launching a full scale attack on western media and lambasted them for what he described as biased reporting of events (and non-events) in Zimboda just to sell their newspapers. He was on full throttle: “Nigeria remains Africa’s leading investment destination. Comparing a country that has produced some of the finest soldiers fighting alongside US soldiers is akin to labelling Great Britain fighting the Irish Republican Army as a failed country. By the same token, the US could be described as a failed state when Osama Bin-Laden bombed the twin towers or when the same US was battling Iran (under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini) over the detention of American citizens under (President Ronald Reagan). The Nigerian people and government feel excessively and unfairly treated. The foreign media here promote negative stores because they are good for the press. So there is a tendency to emphasize the bad and ugly.” In an effort to calm matters, Congressman Gregory Nicks from New York interjected: “This is a critical time demanding a focus in a bipartisan way. We have travelled to several African countries many times to grapple with issues confronting the people. It is an honour to discuss with you especially our friends from Zimboda. We look forward to a fruitful partnership.” Ambassador Adefuye refused to be placated or patronized. He remained adamant: “Other positive things are happening in the largest economy in Africa. Nigeria is a country that has for decades been championing the cause of democracy in Zimboda in particular and Africa in general. However, western media are only keen on reporting and promoting negative things about our beloved country. Every single thing any responsible government ought to do has been done. The Boko Haram insurgency has been successfully and largely contained in the North-East, which has three of the affected states out of Nigeria’s thirty-six states comprising of about one hundred and seventy million people. Should we now conclude that because three states in the US are affected by an insurgency of this type, therefore the United States of America – the land of the free and the home of the brave, is a failed state?” Accidentally, we were treated to the following live feed from CNN’s Inside Africa” showing Mrs. Alice Igbokoyi from Ahoyaya, Ajah, Lagos State with the caption: “THRIVING ALLIGATOR MARKET PROVIDES SPICE FOR HAPPY MARRIAGE” Mrs. Alice Igbokoyi from Ahoyaya, Ajah in Lagos State at the thriving alligator market: “Meat of alligator is better than normal cow beef. The meat lasts longer and tastes much better. Really chunky. I prefer the meat of an alligator because it tastes as meat and fish combined together. I buy it because of my husband who loves it whenever I use it to make pepper soup.” No sooner was order restored than the inimitable Dr Orji Uzor Kalu the former Governor of Abia State, who owns a magnificent mansion in nearby Potomac beltway walked into the hall and delivered his impromptu address. “There was a time when news of bombing and terrorism was synonymous with countries like Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. Nigeria is now at that point. We are now like those countries. This is what we have become. If care is not taken, Goodluck Jonathan would be the last president we’ve had in our country. Jonathan might become to Nigeria what Mikhail Gorbachev was to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) when he presided over the disintegration of USSR. If we don’t take time and collaborate with foreign countries to end the war the insurgents are waging against the country, Nigeria as we know it might just cease to be.” Ambassador Robert P Jackson of the US Department of State interjected: “The problem of Boko Haram is not new. It runs deep. Its philosophy is that of killing and kidnapping of both Moslems and Christians. There have been series of deadly assaults in the North and bombings in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna among others, extending to neighbouring countries e.g. Cameroon, Chad and Niger.” Nigeria’s Ambassador was not done yet. When he was asked whether Zimboda had become a failed state and whether it was safe for Zimbodians to return home, he was incandescent and somewhat irritated: “Most of you Nigerians here sit back condemning your country without coming home to see things for yourselves. Many American investors visit Nigeria regularly and they have not been scared of Boko Haram. Boko Haram has been effectively curtailed. I can assure you that for every Boko Haram attack that was carried out, ten of such were nipped in the bud. Unfortunately, western media are only interested in negative reports.” It was left to Mr. Elliot Engel of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee to douse tension: “We have visited and interacted with victims of Boko Haram. My colleagues and I were overwhelmed by the harrowing experiences of the parents of the missing girls. The US must do more to help Nigeria to contain Boko Haram insurgency. We must do everything to bring back these girls (schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State) home. We must insist on ways to help the families and what to do to help change this situation. We have to make sure there is partnership to help the people achieve their great potential.” Matters took an entirely different dimension when we were provided with the front page report of “Nigerian Tribune” newspaper of July 11, 2014: “EKITI GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION WAS “RIGGED FROM SOURCE” oFayemi’s wife “Wife of Ekiti State governor, Chief Bisi Fayemi, has alleged that “events unfolding after the June 21 governorship election in the state suggests that the election were manipulated from source.” Mrs. Fayemi said in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday that “in due course, the full story of how the elections were manipulated against the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, would be revealed.” She was said to have bared her mind while delivering the keynote address at the 50th Anniversary Lecture and Award ceremony of the state chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA). Speaking, on the theme: “Women yesterday, today and tomorrow – the Experience,” the governor’s wife said “many armchair analysts and commentators have opined that the electorate embraced patronage, popularly known as stomach infrastructure, as opposed to sustainable development during the last elections. “I will like to state that we have not heard the last about the election. Two weeks after the immediate confusion and hysteria of the June 21 elections, a picture has begun to emerge. This will, hopefully reframe the debates emanating from and about Ekiti and the choice made on that day. According to her, “one of the implications, as it concerns women, was that all policies, laws and structures put in place over the past three years to protect them counted for nothing.” She said: “In an attempt to twist facts and hastily rewrite the history and legacy of Fayemi, she said some writers labeled the governor as one who was disconnected from the people of the state. It will be very hard for any informed analyst writing about Ekiti to accuse Governor Fayemi of not working to improve the economy of Ekiti State. It, of course, serves the interest of some to hastily attempt to rewrite the history of Governor Fayemi as one who was disconnected from his people. Was it not the same people he constructed roads for, provided electricity and water for, provided health care for, developed education for and introduced social security payment for? The same people he visited in their 132 communities every year, without fail, to listen to their priorities for the next budget? The same people whose children he employed in the thousands through the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development, Peace Corps and other youth-focused initiatives?” It was Fox Television that zeroed in on the front page report of “ThisDay” newspaper of July 11, 2014. Headline:“NIGERIA HAS SIGNED ITS FORTUNE AWAY THROUGH BASA” “The Executive Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Megison, said Nigeria has lost the fortunes it would have made, estimated to be over N15 billion annually, by signing lopsided Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with other countries whose airlines enjoy many frequencies into Nigeria without corresponding indigenous airlines operating into their countries. Even the royalties that some of these airlines pay to Nigeria is insignificant to the revenue Nigeria would have earned if it had signed agreement that gives equal benefits to each country. Nogie who is the CEO of Jed Air, gave example with South Africa Airways (SAA) and Emirates and explained that when the two airlines representing their countries signed an agreement, SAA said that it had only the capacity to operate two frequencies daily to Dubai but Emirates said it had the capacity to operate seven times to South Africa. So SAA had to take over 40 per cent of the capacity of the extra five frequencies which Emirates is operating to South Africa as the two airlines formed a partnership through code share. What this means is that SAA makes fortunes from the operations of Emirates into South Africa and has 40 per cent revenue of every flight from that country. Nogie noted that many foreign airlines that fly to Nigeria enjoy many frequencies but no foreign airline is in any interline or code share agreement with indigenous carriers. He noted that as many Nigerians are clamouring for national carrier, if Nigeria established a national carrier today it would not have any market to operate from as the routes have been taken over by foreign carriers. Nigerians are clamouring for national carrier. The clamour is good and bad in the sense that when a national airline comes in there will be no market for it to compete in. We have some airlines that have 37 frequencies from Nigeria and they (government) have signed BASA frequencies of over 70 flights to some national carrier. Meanwhile we don’t have one going there,” the AON boss said. He lamented that when government gave multiple frequencies to these airlines, they were also given multiple destination, which means that one foreign airline operates into many cities in the country. So you have given foreign airlines multiple entries and multiple city hops into Nigeria. You don’t open your flanks to anybody. When you sign your BASA with foreign airlines you restrict their point of entry; and to also develop your local routes, you restrict them to Lagos or Abuja, for example and let the domestic airlines distribute for them through interline. But currently most of the BASA signed with foreign airlines have given these airlines multiple entries into Nigeria and into different cities. So the money that would have been made by local carriers by taking the passengers from point of entry to other airports in Nigeria has been given out to Kenya Airways, Air France, KLM and others.” Another disadvantage he noted is that the country may not be able to grow the industry, develop the needed manpower and also create jobs for the teeming population of young Nigerians. Over the years Nigeria has sold out its BASA without knowing it. It is like selling one’s inheritance. It is a birth right that we have.” He also noted that over the years it has been found out that for some reason or other the BASA has not got input from the aviation side to protect the aviation rights,” but if BASA is supposed to be a treaty that is mutually beneficial between two countries, what we are doing is that we are signing equal rights with unequal partners.” J.K Randle
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:20:15 +0000
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