‘States Should Collect and Utilise Their Own VAT’
"AN INSISTENCE ON OPEN
GRAZING SHOWS SOME
LEVEL OF LETHARGY, AND
DEMONSTRATES THAT THE
SHEPHERD OR HERDER
IS NOT INTERESTED IN
INVESTING ANYTHING
IN ENSURING THAT HIS
CATTLE WILL FEED WHEN
THE SEASON CHANGES, AS
THEY SURELY WILL"
constrained to change with it. Besides, I doubt that the open grazing model could be sustainable in the long term, because the herders, at some point will need to start to plant the pasture upon which their animals will graze. I am aware that in Europe, where the weather undergoes significant changes on an annual basis, there is a saying that “you should make hay while the sun shines”. Hay is dried grass. If you travel in any part of the European countryside in the summer, you will see farmers gathering in the hay. They gather the hay into huge blocks while the summer sun shines, and stack them in barns for the cattle to eat in the cold winter months. This tells you that they are being proactive, and preparing ahead for the lean times.
An insistence on open grazing shows some level of lethargy, and demonstrates that the shepherd or herder is not interested in investing anything in ensuring that his cattle will feed when the season changes, as they surely will. Rather, he is happy to let nature or other people’s farms do that work for him. I have serious doubts that the said model can be sustainable, as the evidence before us has now confirmed. Development is happening everywhere at a very fast pace, and soon there will be no free or idle pasture for their cattle graze upon. This would be the opportune moment to make investments in acquiring grazing land, before that window of opportunity closes as well.
If however, the open grazing model is to be sustained, then strict rules and justiciable principles must apply. This brings to mind the story of the Prophet Mohammed (SWT) that we are told about, when the Holy Prophet mediated between a herder and a farmer whose crops were eaten up or destroyed by the herder’s cattle. The Prophet ensured that, justice was done in a fair and commensurate manner. Are the Holy books not given to us, so that we might learn from them?
What do you believe are the issues that need to be addressed, as the Constitution is being reviewed? As many are suggesting, is it a totally new Constitution we need or mere amendments? Many are not holding out any hope that anything will come out of this process started by the National Assembly. What do you think?
Much as I agree that what we need is a totally new Constitution, I believe that we need a document that will restructure the country to allow the regions to govern themselves, have their own Police, collect and spend their own VAT, control their resources under the umbrella of a unifying centre that will have reduced, but exclusive powers. compared to what presently obtains. However, I recognise that we are still far away from such a document, and will only have to be content with an amendment for the moment.
Given current realities, the present structure of the Nigerian Presidency is not sustainable, and appears designed to fail. Even if you were to appoint the most skilled and experienced persona into the office of the Nigerian President today, he or she would not score 40% with the majority of the people because the structure is defective. 40% is not a pass mark.
The way the country is presently structured, the Presidency can be likened to a polygamous father of very many children. As a father, he does love them and wants to provide for them adequately, but the resources are lean. He is determined to provide for them, but they must bring all their earnings and resources to him to distribute. He wants to provide them with everything they need such as education, scientific development, power, security, law enforcement, airlines, functioning ports, motorable roads etc. He wants to be everything to all of them, and he wants to control their resources. Given what we know, he is clearly failing in his quest to be everything to everybody, while controlling their VAT and their resources. It would be wise, at some point, for the father and his advisers to review his modus operandi, if he is to succeed in realising his desire to provide adequately and efficiently for his large family. After all, if you want different results, you cannot continue to do things the same way.
President Buhari had issued a shoot-on-sight order on those found armed in the forests. Recently, he also talked tough about knowing how to deal with those causing trouble in the South East, so much so that Twitter took exception to his post and took it down. Do you also think his comments are genocidal, when symbols of authority are being burnt and destroyed on a daily basis in the South East? The Minister of Communication has accused Twitter of a hidden agenda by removing President Buhari’s post. What are your views?
The Twitter ban is an unfortunate development for Nigeria, and only lends further credence to my earlier statement that we have strong men but we lack strong institutions in Nigeria. This lack of strong institutions, has led our leaders to have what I call a “Kabiyesi” complex. In other words, the mentality of the average Nigerian in a powerful position is, “I am he who you dare not question or controvert”. I am inclined to believe that this mentality is a carry-over, from some of our cultures that arrogate power and wisdom to the one who is in authority. The “Rankaidede” and “Kabiyesi” culture. At the end of the day, the said leader is only a man or a woman like you and I, with feet of clay.
Twitter has rules, and Twitter followed its rules when it received enough complaints about the President’s Tweets, they deleted the said Tweet. If the handlers of the President had been alert to their duties, they should have acquainted themselves with Twitter’s rules, and deployed the resources that are constantly available to them to complain to Twitter about those other Tweets that they found offensive, and I am sure that Twitter would have thrown the rule book at those Tweets as well.
With due respect, I find the comments of the Minister for Communication about Twitter having a hidden agenda on account of their removing the President’s post, as being misplaced and misconceived.
Do you think that Dr Isa Pantami should have been relieved of his position as Minister, since he did not resign?
In answer to this question, I want to remind us about the former Minister for Finance who was constrained to resign from office on account of the fact that she found herself, through no direct fault of her own, with an NYSC letter that was found not to be authentic. It is on record that she bowed honourably out of office. The infraction that led the former Minister of Finance to resign her appointment, is nowhere near as dangerous as what Dr. Isa Pantami has been accused of. This brings back to mind the issue of strong men, and our lack of strong institutions. Again, I restate, if we had strong institutions and any modicum of integrity, things should have played out differently with Dr. Isa Pantami by now.
It has been said that the Nigerian legal market is shrinking, and that Nigerian Lawyers are not enthusiastic about embracing new and emerging areas of law practice like other jurisdictions. How do we expand the scope of practice in Nigeria, so that many young Lawyers can be gainfully employed?
I am not aware that, Nigerian Lawyers are not enthusiastic about embracing new and emerging areas of law practice. As a matter of fact, I am surprised that anybody should hold this view. On the contrary, my view is that the Nigerian Lawyer is eager and enthusiastic to learn and embrace new and emerging areas of law. However, the Nigerian legal market is shrinking because the Nigerian economy is experiencing a rather slow growth rate, and this has economic implications that present as a challenge for the legal industry and consequently, for Nigerian Lawyers, by parity of logical reasoning. It must be borne mind that the ability to embrace new and emerging areas of law is not free, and comes at a significant cost. The less income you realise, the less disposable income is available to you to invest in new trainings.
Thank you Learned Silk.