19082019 - Nigeria to spend N2.53bn on 43 ministers

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36 — Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19 , 2019 Morality and the state: The <strong>Nigeria</strong>n experience (3) This is the third instalment of the convocation lecture delivered by Prof. Sogolo at the 2019 convocation of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n Academy of Letters, University of Lagos. The second part was published last Friday. By Godwin Sogolo IN a sense, <strong>Nigeria</strong> has sunk f r o m the era described by Ekeh <strong>to</strong> a low level of moral insensitivity, at both the civic and primordial publics. Today, it is one’s own relative or cousin who would rape one’s under-aged daughter; one’s kinsmen who would arrange for one <strong>to</strong> be kidnapped and negotiate a handsome ransom. It is a situation of anything goes and nothing evokes moral horror! In those days, elderly persons were accorded respect and given certain privileges. In the Western world, they are called “Senior Citizens” and allowed special provisions such as free transportation and free medical care. Today, <strong>Nigeria</strong>n elderly persons are <strong>to</strong>ld by the youths <strong>to</strong> hurry up and leave! In those days, when our children indulged in examination malpractices, we chastised them; <strong>to</strong>day, parents and teachers connive, plot and direct students on how <strong>to</strong> carry out exam malpractices. That is the collapse of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n moral system. It is sad: it is tragic! What we have <strong>to</strong>day is selective <strong>to</strong>lerance of immorality, concession and compromise. As against the old order, the new moral norm finds little or nothing wrong in a situation, for instance: •Where a convicted sena<strong>to</strong>r is allowed <strong>to</strong> continue <strong>to</strong> receive his salaries or even rewarded with an enhanced package; •Where state governors who have ended tenures of looting and PROF OF. GODWIN SOGOLO plundering, buy their way in<strong>to</strong> the upper chamber of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n Legislature; •Where an official contract is drawn up with a budgetary provision for “ransom payment” (an obvious invitation <strong>to</strong> kidnappers), and •Where the Police Force itself officially organises and pays ransom for the release of a kidnapped police officer. In those days, the payment of ransom, if ever, was done in secret and anybody found <strong>to</strong> have done so, was severely rebuked as encouraging criminality. Today, ransom payments are done almost openly and sometimes even publicly declared. Increasingly, violence, insecurity and brutality are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Failure in governance <strong>Nigeria</strong>’s moral crisis is a clear manifestation of the social distance existing between the individual and the state, the origin of which is connected <strong>to</strong> the failure in governance, manifested in an ineffective educational system that is incapable of inculcating in our youths sound moral values. These failures raise the important issue of loyalty, and perhaps also the question of legitimacy, as perceived by the individuals and the various sub-groups in post-colonial <strong>Nigeria</strong>. It is a situation in which the moral and political authorities of the State have been weakened. The dis<strong>to</strong>rtions have been further worsened by the inability of the state <strong>to</strong> fulfill its obligations <strong>to</strong> the citizens. Loyalty is a reciprocal attitude. So, it is either won or lost on the basis of mutual exchange. Today, the responsibilities of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n state have been virtually taken over by the primordial communities. The communities take care of the members’ welfare needs, including the problems of birth and death; they construct roads, bridges and other infrastructure through self-help; build schools, hospitals, medical clinics and even provide financial support for their members in times of special needs. As the state becomes more irresponsible, and as it increasingly abandons its civic responsibilities, so is its moral authority weakened. Indeed, this is a violation, by the state, of its contractual obligation <strong>to</strong> the citizens and no such state has the legitimate right <strong>to</strong> expect the loyalty of the people. As the loss of the state translates in<strong>to</strong> the gain of the primordial unit, ethnicity continues <strong>to</strong> grow as a powerful force in the moral consciousness of the people. A major failure of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n state is in the scant attention it pays <strong>to</strong> its responsibility of educating the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n youth, a responsibility that is being gradually transferred by the state <strong>to</strong> the private sec<strong>to</strong>r. Today, despite an increase in the number of public educational institutions at all levels, private institutions have virtually rendered state institutions worthless in the provision of quality education. The effect on the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n middle class is catastrophic and overwhelming. An average family, with two-three children, is saddled with the task of having <strong>to</strong> pay millions of naira (far beyond their meager earnings) as school fees. How some of them cope, especially civil servants, is a question that boggles the mind. What cannot be hidden are the frustrations of millions of <strong>Nigeria</strong>ns who have been abandoned by the state <strong>to</strong> cater for themselves. The <strong>Nigeria</strong>n situation, unfortunately replicated in much of Africa, is often ignored by some scholars in their eagerness <strong>to</strong> apply Western theoretical models in matters relating <strong>to</strong> the individual, citizenship and the relationship between the state and civil society. It is a known fact that societies in the developed world already have an established model of the role of the individual in relation <strong>to</strong> the state. That relationship is defined mainly in terms of the meaning of citizenship. The citizen is perceived as an au<strong>to</strong>nomous person who has willingly placed himself under certain implicit contractual obligations in the Hobbesian sense. Not only is the individual consciously aware of his rights, he expects and demands them from the state. The state, in return, accepts its responsibilities <strong>to</strong> the individual citizens. And, it is on this implicit compact that the Western differentiation between state and civil society rests. The idea of civil society is as complex as any other social construct and I cannot veer <strong>to</strong>o far in<strong>to</strong> the area by way of attempting a definition. In any case, its meaning changes from one scholar <strong>to</strong> another and from tradition <strong>to</strong> tradition. The most common understanding of civil society, however, is that it is a depoliticised, free and au<strong>to</strong>nomous public sphere in which individuals and associations conduct their affairs through the principle of social justice, unhindered by the state. Generally, the idea of civil society involves the presence of a moral consciousness, with individual rights taking priority over other obligations. There is, in addition, another important component of civil society as unders<strong>to</strong>od in Western literature, which Jean-Francois Bayart describes as its capacity <strong>to</strong> “moderate the excesses of the state … in so far as it is in confrontation with the state or more precisely, as the process by which society seeks <strong>to</strong> breach and counteract the simultaneous <strong>to</strong>talisation unleashed by the state”. In much of Africa, especially in <strong>Nigeria</strong>, the notion of the individual as a citizen, with rights and privileges, in relation <strong>to</strong> the state is not one that flows freely in people’s consciousness. Nor is the state perceived as an agent with obligations <strong>to</strong> the individual. In most cases, the state is seen as the acquired property of powerful rulers, despite the pretentious romance with democratic institutions. The truth is that there is hardly any sense of obligation <strong>to</strong> the citizen, unless it becomes necessary as a means of holding on <strong>to</strong> power. Herein lies the contrast between the state as unders<strong>to</strong>od in the Western world and the state as perceived in much of post-colonial Africa. In the West, the state is the joint property of both the citizens and those in government. Consider the protests by the Yellow Vests in France. Barring exceptional cases such as the social unrest that erupted in the Sudan, the general perception has been that in Africa, the state belongs <strong>to</strong> the rulers. I have discussed these peculiar characteristics of African social institutions so as <strong>to</strong> emphasise their his<strong>to</strong>rical origin. It must be admitted, however, that much as the effects of the past linger, the influence of contemporary global trends on Africa are also important. Like other human societies, contemporary Africa continues <strong>to</strong> be influenced by social and political changes taking place all over the world. So, whether or not there are persistent social challenges, modern Africa cannot escape being a part of the global search for liberal democracy, equality, justice, freedom, human rights and the dignity of the human person. In fact, these qualities are highly cherished in Africa, although they were more prevalent in precolonial Africa than <strong>to</strong>day. Global developments have influenced the creation of new social institutions in post-colonial Africa such that those Western structures that permit the differentiation Barring exceptional cases such as the social unrest that erupted in the Sudan, the general perception has been that in Africa, the state belongs <strong>to</strong> the rulers between state and civil society are beginning <strong>to</strong> sprout. Organisations such as the media, trade unions, student bodies, intellectual groups, religious bodies and professional associations are now parts of an emerging civil society prepared <strong>to</strong> “confront and moderate” the excesses of the state. As in other parts of the contemporary world, these positive social developments should tap the reservoir of values that exist in the primordial realm of our society. In spite of this positive note, civil society in Africa is still in a severe crisis, as anybody familiar with the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n situation can testify. Role of the Humanities Now, <strong>to</strong> return <strong>to</strong> the essence of moral education, as formulated by Pla<strong>to</strong> in The Republic, I believe that the moral gap between the people and the state in <strong>Nigeria</strong> can only be bridged by a radical value reorientation in education. To say that morality can be acquired by education is also <strong>to</strong> say that a people’s moral system, perceptions and attitudes can be impacted positively or negatively. It goes with the basic understanding of the broad functions of education. There is the education that imparts knowledge, skills and vocational expertise – for instance, the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, law, etc. Then, there is the education that is devoted almost entirely <strong>to</strong> teaching the student the art of living; the education that nourishes the intellect, spirit and moral qualities of man; in short, the education that humanises. In the course of thinking about this <strong>to</strong>pic, I had <strong>to</strong> consult the eminent scholar and playwright, Femi Osofisan, who, as far back as 1981, asked the question if, indeed, the humanities ever humanised. Osofisan’s answer, certainly, out of frustration with the conduct of academics in public office at the time, was negative. He explained why the humanities had failed <strong>to</strong> play this critical role. I agree with him. But, as we have tried <strong>to</strong> show in this discussion, a great deal of the lapses in our system are traceable <strong>to</strong> colonial importations, including the educational system, some of which did not quite fit in<strong>to</strong> the existing precolonial formations. It is sad that a large percentage (over 60 per cent, UNESCO: 2018) of <strong>Nigeria</strong>n youths <strong>to</strong>day have no access <strong>to</strong> education of any sort. For those with access, the dominant impression is that the quality of their education remains doubtful. Indeed, it is generally believed that most <strong>Nigeria</strong>n educational institutions are beginning <strong>to</strong> turn out only streetwise graduates who place a high premium on craftiness and manipulative skills, but are lacking in any sense of morality. Instead, they tend <strong>to</strong> be transactional in their dealings, almost seeing every social interaction as a business deal, with the belief that morality itself is old fashioned(I have a younger colleague and friend who jokingly calls me old school and thinks that my views on morality are outdated. He would insist - and seriously sometimes - that moral dispositions such as kindness, generosity, sympathy and such other sentiments are manifestations of emotional weaknesses of persons unable <strong>to</strong> withstand social pressures. He may have a point - there are persons incapable of controlling the flow of their moral sentiments. However, such a viewpoint is dangerous, not only <strong>to</strong> the well-being of society but also <strong>to</strong> the survival of humanity). It is worth noting, however, that the transactional attitude <strong>to</strong> social relations is increasingly becoming a global phenomenon, especially at the international level where some political leaders give priority <strong>to</strong> economic interests at the expense of human rights and such other moral values. So, it is factually incorrect <strong>to</strong> say that moral apathy or the emerging trend of insensitivity among our youths is limited <strong>to</strong> <strong>Nigeria</strong> or that it is an African peculiarity. The trend is universal and it is a growing behavioural character of young men and women everywhere. Still, that does not obviate the fact, as we have tried <strong>to</strong> show, that its peculiarities in <strong>Nigeria</strong> constitute a threat <strong>to</strong> the wellbeing, if not the survival of our society. In almost every educational system, certain disciplines in the humanities do not have as much appeal <strong>to</strong> candidates seeking admission <strong>to</strong> tertiary institutions, compared <strong>to</strong> professional/ vocational courses such as medicine, engineering, law, accountancy, business studies, journalism, etc. Until recently, in <strong>Nigeria</strong>, philosophy, my own discipline, was one of the highest rejects, understandably, because, unlike many others, it is neither linked <strong>to</strong> some specific jobs in the public or private sec<strong>to</strong>r, nor is it a teaching subject in the nation’s primary and secondary schools. To be concluded
Vanguard, MONDAY, AUGUST 19 , 2019 — 37 Development in focus as Sanwo-Olu inaugurates cabinet By Gboyega Akosile IN fulfilling his electioneering promise that his cabinet would be constituted within 100 days of his government, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently released the first batch of 25 nominees <strong>to</strong> occupy cabinet-ranked positions in the state. The list shows an administration that is ready <strong>to</strong> serve, given the pedigrees of nominees, most of whom are tested individuals with proven records of accomplishment of performance in their various fields of endeavour. Three weeks after, a new list consisting 13 names of another set of tested and trusted individuals was released making the cabinet positions 38 in all. Expectedly, the two lists generated a lot of interest in the political circle as well as the public domain. Every Lagosian at home and in the diaspora is interested in who occupies what position. You cannot query their interest. First, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s government came in<strong>to</strong> power, with an emphasis during electioneering that inclusive governance would be the core of its administration. In addition, Lagosians see the enormous challenges that have confronted the State in the recent years and they know that only a focused, dedicated and forward-looking cabinet can help <strong>to</strong> deliver Governor Sanwo-Olu’s campaign promises. Lagos has grown in leaps and bounds, with its population hitting almost 23 million people and still counting. This naturally comes with its challenges; increase in <strong>to</strong>ns of waste generated, rise in the number of patients at various government hospitals and primary health centres, more pressure on the existing infrastructure-roads, schools and housing among numerous social amenities being provided by government. Lagos, therefore, cannot be administered in 2019 using a 1979 template. The state has undoubtedly benefitted from its population growth-more revenue generation; physical development is recorded in different sec<strong>to</strong>rs making it a state on the move. At the last count, Lagos is said <strong>to</strong> have hit close <strong>to</strong> N30 billion mark every month in internally generated revenue (IGR), making it the most economically viable state in <strong>Nigeria</strong> and fifth largest economy in Africa. However, the State government has argued that this feat is still a far cry from what is required <strong>to</strong> run a megacity such as Lagos. For example, the budgetary allocation of the police department in New York City is $5.6 billion, when compared <strong>to</strong> the budget of the entire Lagos state, which stands at $2.4 billion; one can safely conclude that there is more <strong>to</strong> be done by government <strong>to</strong> get the state running. Being the nation’s economic nervecentre, Lagos is a city on the move but with enormous challenges. Apart from poor state of arterial roads that complicate free flow of traffic, commuters <strong>spend</strong> productive hours in chaotic gridlocks that are caused by failed sections on roads and disorganised traffic management. Many observers have opined that planning the best campaign strategies <strong>to</strong> win the governorship election was not much of a challenge before Governor Sanwo-Olu, as his party, APC commanded large following and significant popularity in Lagos <strong>to</strong> ensure his vic<strong>to</strong>ry. What they say will be the most testing hurdle waiting <strong>to</strong> be surmounted by him was the strategy <strong>to</strong> deploy in solving the long-standing and emerging challenges facing the state. When Sanwo-Olu emerged as APC candidate, Lagos had literally become a dumpsite as heaps of municipal waste littered the streets. The state agency set up for waste disposal had been disengaged in a curious and controversial circumstance, leaving residents <strong>to</strong> resort <strong>to</strong> indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which became a daily eyesore, even <strong>to</strong> the government of the day. The aesthetics of the environment was affected. All of these brought down the pride of Lagos, despite its growing profile as a hub for commerce, technology and innovation. Sanwo-Olu’s campaign was premised on the need <strong>to</strong> address these challenges, with the aim of proffering short and longterm solutions <strong>to</strong> them. Project T.H.E.M.E.S that became the thrust of his campaign slogan was formulated as an operational framework <strong>to</strong> solve these identified challenges and sustain the profile of Lagos as centre of excellence. Upon assumption of office as the 15th Governor of Lagos on May 29, 2019, Sanwo-Olu channelled his energy <strong>to</strong>wards a process of scouting for visionary individuals from various areas of human endeavour that will help him midwife his vision and deliver on his campaign promises. He said, during the electioneering that ‘‘as Lagosians, we can’t be like people who cannot solve their problems. Therefore, we must find solutions <strong>to</strong> our problems because they are created by us’’. As one who believes in harnessing the capabilities of homegrown professionals, Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians that his Commissioners and cabinet-ranked Special Advisers would be drawn from local pool of resources and will cut across acceptable demographics. Besides, he promised his cabinet would be constituted within 100 days <strong>to</strong> set the ball of governance rolling. In keeping the promise made <strong>to</strong> Lagosians, Sanwo-Olu announced the names of members of his cabinet exactly 47 days after his swearing-in. This is a rare feat for a governor serving his first term. The Governor said he unders<strong>to</strong>od the challenges confronting the state, noting that the selection process was a painstaking and laborious exercise, which the Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s government came in<strong>to</strong> power, with an emphasis during electioneering that inclusive governance would be the core of its administration aimed at introducing fresh ideas <strong>to</strong> governance. He said the team of professionals and politicians would be serving Lagosians in line with his administration’s vision of delivering a smart city-state that will rank among the <strong>to</strong>p most liveable cities in the world. His words: “We <strong>to</strong>ok our time <strong>to</strong> pick the best hands for the <strong>to</strong>ugh job Lagosians have elected us <strong>to</strong> do. The nominees for the twenty five (now thirty eight) Commissioner and Special Adviser positions include women and men who have made their mark and at the zenith of their professional callings.” Tough job? Yes, the tasks ahead are expected <strong>to</strong> be rigorous as Gov. Sanwo-Olu posited, given the challenges the state is confronted with and the expectations of the people based on the confidence reposed in the administration. Infusion of technocracy and political know-how Being the centre of innovation, Lagos has raised the bar of excellence with injection of fresh ideas and energy in governance. This tradition has been sustained in the last 20 years, and the young administration of Sanwo-Olu appears <strong>to</strong> be <strong>to</strong>eing the path, if the profiles of his nominees are anything <strong>to</strong> go by. Of the 38 cabinet members cleared for inauguration by the State House of Assembly are active politicians who are equally professionals in various fields. The infusion of politics and professionalism is perhaps the unique selling point of the Sanwo-Olu Cabinet. •Gboyega Akosile is Deputy Chief Press Secretary <strong>to</strong> Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu Succour as FG strengthens diabetes care at PHCs Rainbow Specialist Hospital makes case for podiatry, diabetes foot services in <strong>Nigeria</strong> By Sola Ogundipe TOWARDS stem ming the increasing incidence of diabetes in <strong>Nigeria</strong>, the Federal Ministry of Health is strengthening the primary healthcare system <strong>to</strong> include diabetes management with foot care - assessment and referral - in<strong>to</strong> the existing health care service at the primary healthcare level. At the 6th Annual International Diabetes, Podiatry & Diabetes Foot Care workshop organised by Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lagos, the National Desk Officer, Diabetes, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Alayo Sopekan who decried the burden of diabetes foot disease said its economic burden was quite significant. “In <strong>Nigeria</strong>, a large majority of people living with the disease have little or no knowledge of diabetes and its complications. It is estimated that the rate of foot ulcer among people living with diabetes is between 8.3 percent and 19 percent in the different zones of the country. “The rate of amputation was also estimated <strong>to</strong> be as high as 53.2 percent in people with foot ulcer in some centres, thereby making diabetes foot the most common cause of non-traumatic amputation in the lower extremities in <strong>Nigeria</strong>.” Sopekan, represented by an official of the ministry’s Diabetes Desk, Dr. Olanike Kehinde Akinkoye, however assured of Government’s commitment in providing leadership for prevention and control of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases through the Federal Ministry of Health “by strategically eliminating the risk fac<strong>to</strong>rs, improving the management of these diseases as well as preventing their complications. “ Already the apex ministry had prepared the National Guideline for the Prevention, Control and Management of Diabetes and currently carrying out a Diabetes Awareness and Care Project in the FCT and Imo State through support of the World Diabetes Foundation, WDF. “These supports include capacity building at Pharmacists establish 24-hr centres <strong>to</strong> check drug, chemical abuse nationwide By Chioma Obinna HOPE of survival has risen for <strong>Nigeria</strong>ns exposed <strong>to</strong> un<strong>to</strong>ward effects of drugs, substances of abuse and poisons as the Pharmaceutical Society of <strong>Nigeria</strong>, PSN, upscaled its information centre <strong>to</strong> a 24- hour National Drug & Poisons Information, Emergency Response and Research Centre. To this end, an eights<strong>to</strong>rey building estimated at N2.6 billion <strong>to</strong> house all the centres is under construction. The National drug centre will, among other things, serve as a counselling, referral and when necessary, mobilise appropriate response team for victims. It would also be a coordinating centre <strong>to</strong> responses <strong>to</strong> suicide attempts, rehabilitation of drug addicts and people injured by poisons as well as serve as information and research warehouse for re<strong>to</strong>oling pharmacy and pharmacists <strong>to</strong>wards greater relevance. At the unveiling of the project last week in Lagos, Chairman, Project Committee of the PSN, Dr John Nwaiwu said the Centre would also serve as part of preparing <strong>Nigeria</strong>ns for chemical and drug terrorism and other disease epidemics. Every State in <strong>Nigeria</strong> would have a dedicated phone line and personnel Nwaiwu noted. “The personnel must be fluent in local language for wider coverage and effective communication response <strong>to</strong> poisoning issues, adverse drug reactions report, enquiries on drug abuse use, suicide attempt calls and connects health professionals in hospitals, community pharmacies and other healthcare facilities, as <strong>to</strong> availability of emergency drugs, orphan drugs, Red Cross, State emergency response units, community pharmacists with hospitals and special care centres nationwide among others. “The Centre will also serve as a training facility open <strong>to</strong> all healthcare professionals and a window for internship programmes for pharmacy graduates etc.” the Primary Care level within the selected sites and medical outreaches. It is envisaged that the project would be scaled up. “More so, the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with nonhealth Ministries, Department and Agencies developed the 7-year National Multisec<strong>to</strong>ral Action Plan (NMSAP) for the prevention and control of NCDs <strong>to</strong> serve as a strategic guide for the national response <strong>to</strong> NCDs in <strong>Nigeria</strong>,” Akinkoye said. The Coordina<strong>to</strong>r and Managing Direc<strong>to</strong>r, Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Dr. Afokoghene Rita Isiavwe said the Medical Centre has, in the builtbeen building local capacity <strong>to</strong> improve management and prevention of diabetes foot complications and raise awareness on proper foot care in persons living with diabetes mellitus; through much needed trainings via regular interactive workshop sessions. The <strong>Nigeria</strong> Podiatry initiative, she said, had produced a documentary on diabetes foot while over 1000 local health care workers had been trained. Also, a certification programme on diabetes foot care at Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre had been successfully institutionalised. “The theme for this year’s workshop - Building the Diabetes Foot First Responders, is very relevant and important, as having a strong diabetes foot care pro<strong>to</strong>col at the primary care level will save more diabetes limbs and lives by ensuring Primary health care workers are able <strong>to</strong> recognise the high risk diabetes foot and know how <strong>to</strong> promptly triage them, <strong>to</strong> reduce delays in getting appropriate foot care services,” Isiavwe said. In his remarks, the Direc<strong>to</strong>r, World Walk Foundation Jamaica Chapter, Dr. Owen Bernard declared that foot care was not minor, but often an expensive venture that requires team effort which should be multidisciplinary in approach. Unfortunately, there’s a dearth of podiatrists, the specialists who manage foot problems, worldwide. “It makes sense <strong>to</strong> train as many people as possible so that we can deal with the problem of foot care, especially at the PHC level. We need <strong>to</strong> <strong>spend</strong> moiré time and money <strong>to</strong> prevent foot amputation,” he stressed.
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