A Time for Truce
and come down their high horse. THISDAY is asking for a “sensible negotiation that should lead to a further downward review of the hefty fine”. To me this should be directed at MTN. If Nigeria is to pick lessons from Google and British government episode then describing Nigeria’s action as “unnecessary drama and muscle flexing” is uncharitable. To me MTN is the one that has been overdramatising and flexing muscle as if we owe them. Another question: “who” dragged the issue on for months”? This question is begging for answer.
When Obasanjo closed down BP’s investments in Nigeria in the late 70s heavens did not fall. Let’s call a spade a spade. A foreign company should not come to Nigeria and be doing “boju boju” for us – a South African company for that matter. I pray President Jacob Zuma’s visit will present an opportunity to resolve the lingering issue and put an end to the matter. The point I have been trying to make is that foreign companies (especially South African) should stop taking Nigeria and Nigerians for a ride. Ologun B. Freeman, Utako, Abuja
There are enormous challenges for governors in the northeastern states torn by Boko Haram senseless war. In Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and some parts of Gombe and Bauchi States, there are widespread human movement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), destroyed infrastructure and inaccessible land for subsistent agriculture. In addition, Boko Haram war has led to the painful destruction of schools and worship centres. Thus the education and agriculture problems in the northeast have become different from that of the rest of the country. Parents in the Northeast are also facing the problem of fear to send their wards to schools.
The Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima has developed excellent and feasible post-war programmes and projects with a comprehensive model that is fast-tracking the healing of scars of the war, restoring basic infrastructure and local economies, including returning communities to their pre-war peaceful and productive status. Governor Kashim is achieving this milestone through the newly created ministry charged with reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency and other pre-war development programmes.
Shettima’s effort in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of communities affected by Boko Haram insurgency is highly commendable because it is a multi-faceted approach which will help with restoration of basic infrastructure, integration of lives and livelihood of thousands of people, the quick rehabilitation of agricultural land; the local economy; places of worship, health-centres, bridges, schools including the creation of productive employment for the teeming unemployed citizens. Kashim’s effort is fast healing the scars of war in all the affected local government areas of Borno State as well as complements the security restoration and peace building by the military. The Borno State government’s 2016 budget is christened ‘Budget of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement’. Education, with the priority to reconstruct schools got the highest allocation of N27billion while the continued reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of destroyed communities got N10 billion. Women, especially widows, empowerment, the massive construction of new houses, IDPs resettlement, construction of trenches in vulnerable communities and the reopening of public schools are some aspects of Kashim’s pre-war development programmes that touch the lives of the ordinary people.
As the military is winning the war, the governors of the five northeast states should adopt Kashim’s model. Such a model will tackle the original factors that facilitated the growth of Boko Haram and helped the group in its recruitments and indoctrinations - abject poverty, illiteracy and the absence of employment opportunities in these states. Governor Kashim’s model should be adopted by the federal government in its effort to reconstruct, rehabilitate and resettle the communities ravaged by Boko Haram senseless war; it will fast track the healing of the scars of war, restore basic infrastructure and local economies, including returning these communities to their pre-war or even better conditions.