Adams Oshiomhole

By Saifullahi Attahir

There was a time when most individuals engaged in either campus or labour association politics harboured the ambition of moving into mainstream politics. But years later, only a few achieved this dream. What went wrong? What is the difference between the two forms of politics, and why does success in one not guarantee success in the other?

Trade unions like the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the umbrella Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and hundreds of others are examples of trade unions that have a form of politics almost similar to students’ unionism. They address the welfare of their members and are often in constant confrontation with the ‘government’.

Trade unionism and students’ unionism share similar characteristics and differ entirely from mainstream politics — the partisan politics of electing Chairmen, Governors, and Senators. Unionism involves a group of people sharing similar ideologies, mostly young, and is mistakenly believed to necessarily be led by vibrant, idealistic, talkative, and radical individuals.

Of course, a handful of trade union leaders were lucky enough to do well in mainstream politics. Examples include Senator Ibrahim Shekarau (former National President of Secondary School Principals), Senator Adams Oshiomhole (former NLC Chairman), Dr Chris Ngige, Senator Shehu Sani, Senator Dayo Faduyile (former NMA Chairman), and a few more.

But those “born comrades” in mainstream politics are very few compared to the hundreds of politicians who were once averse to joining even school politics but are now full-blown politicians in Nigeria. Ironically, many of those occupying seats in Nigeria are accidental politicians: either a retired civil servant, a retired Army General, a tired oil marketer, a former banker, a university lecturer, or a classroom teacher with no apparent political ambition, only to be dragged in by either their constituency or by influential people in their region. That’s the sheer power of fate!

One of the factors I have curiously come to realise as a roadblock is the inherent attitude in those ‘comrades’ — rebellion, radicalism, idealism, and hot-headedness — that makes it difficult for them to conform with their people; hence, they cannot be easily entrusted to lead others outside campuses. Most of them have fire and fury in their bones, and are men of stone, not easily bent or manipulated.

Most unionists are anti-business, and also suffer from identity problems when it comes to street politics. 

There is also the problem of funding. Party politics rewards money and godfatherism with little regard for grassroots mobilisation.

Some are unfortunately consumed by bitterness. For them, surrender was an unforgivable act. Of course, that does not apply to all. But it is obvious that even those comrades who accidentally find themselves in political seats do not endure long. They are either in constant fight with their colleagues — Shehu Sani, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Nasir El-Rufai, Ali Ndume, Dino Melaye, etc. — or always prefer to rebel — Sowore, Lukman Salihu, Naja’atu Mohammed.

Negotiation is a key tool for success in mainstream politics, especially when dealing with people who have different ideologies and perspectives. Unfortunately, unionists are trained to strike and rebel.

Some have even been tried as leaders but failed. The story of Tai Solarin is an example. He constantly criticised President Ibrahim Babangida. It was said that IBB cunningly entrusted the newly established People’s Bank to Tai Solarin as Chairman, only for the scheme to fail a few years later.

Success in mainstream politics is complex and multifactorial, and carries a good chunk of luck and right timing. It is not purely sagacity or intelligence. It is not purely based on ingenuity either. But there is an obvious Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest.

I have summed up the following as some of the factors that aid seamless transition and success in mainstream politics: flexibility and adaptation, ability to tolerate others and accept their views, bigger ambition, independent source of income, self-knowledge and education, learning when to speak and when to remain silent, mentorship and obedience to those mentors.

Of course, even with the above, it is still not a guarantee of success. Success belongs to God the Almighty.

Saifullahi Attahir is the President of the National Association of Jigawa State Medical Students (NAJIMS). He wrote this piece from Federal University Dutse, via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.  

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that the daughter of Senate President Godswill Akpabio secured a position in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) without going through the proper recruitment process.

The former Edo State governor made the claim during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. He spoke while defending his remarks on the Senate’s handling of matters involving the NNPC and the bench warrant issued against former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.

Oshiomhole further alleged that Akpabio had a personal interest in issues concerning the state-owned oil company. He claimed that Kyari played a role in the appointment of the Senate President’s daughter.

According to the senator, information available to him indicated that the employment did not follow the standard procedure used for recruitment.

“Myself inclusive. The second is my response to the former chief financial controller of NNPC, whose tenure the investigation covers, who pointedly said to the committee that it is you people. And now I know that the Senate President said his daughter was taken by Mele Kyari and put in a, well as Nigerians we say, in a juicy position that he probably didn’t merit,” he said.

Oshiomhole also accused current and former officials of the NNPC of using their influence to secure jobs for relatives within the organisation.

“They all have employed their children, their uncles, their cousins, their in-laws into various aspects of NNPC and put them in different positions. If they carry out the payroll of NNPC, you will find that they’ve turned the top level to a family business,” he said.

Despite the allegations, the senator stated that there was nothing wrong with relatives of public office holders working at the NNPC if they met the required qualifications and were employed through the appropriate channels.

“You can only make an issue if you give them a job they did not merit, they are not qualified for, and you didn’t follow the right procedure. Well, somebody told me that the Senate president daughter was taken without, not through a regular interview, not through the normal, but that is his own problem,” Oshiomhole said.

He also responded to criticism surrounding reports that the Senate distanced itself from the arrest warrant issued against former NNPC boss Mele Kyari. Oshiomhole maintained that the National Assembly acted within the powers granted to it by the Constitution.

By Abdullahi Adamu 

The description recently by Senator Comrade Adams Oshimole, again at his best, advocating for good funding and monitoring of Universal Basic Education of the ever-rising number of out-of-school children across Nigeria as a “time bomb” is a repetitive sound bite. The reality of a large population of uneducated Nigerian youths has been a talking point for decades and is still rising. It is a pointed reflection of the incompetence, neglect and utter lack of vision of successive federal and state governments.

Talk is cheap; Senator Adam urged the state governments and the elite, including FCT, to take the necessary extraordinary measures immediately to defuse the deadly incendiary situation they created.

UNICEF adds that one in three children in Nigeria is out of school, totalling 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level. It said one in every five out-of-school children in the world is in Nigeria. These statistics are depressing; state governors can no longer afford to nurture another generation of illiterates.

The worst and increasingly incorrigible offenders are the Northern states and the region’s elite. Over 60 per cent of the total is in the North.

Out-of-school children are a social and serious security problem for us. I want to say that there are more than 20 million out-of-school children because the 20 million we are talking about are possibly only in basic education, that is, primary school and junior secondary school; what about those who have finished junior school and are unable to go back to Senior Secondary School? 

“We must be talking about 30 million out of school. That is a vast population and is a major issue. This is one issue that the state and federal government must take seriously,” Senator Lawan said.

Education is the key to Nigeria’s development. Oshiomhole stressed that Nigeria appears to be failing in its national plan for growth due to the lack of basic education. “It is not right for us to boast of an ultra-modern government house and have the most dilapidated schools and even employ teachers not to pay them.”

We have angry and hungry people in the classroom; they can’t be nice to our children, and when they show no kindness to those children, those children grow up without care, without feeling, and believing that society is uncaring.

This is a call to the government to embark on a comprehensive and radical educational curriculum review across Nigeria and prioritise skills rather than old-fashioned theories and colonial educational system expansion to help human economic growth, skills acquisition, and small-scale industry expansion.

The government must take a close look at what is happening to our children in Nigeria and the opportunities they are missing out on because they lack education. 

We need to look towards communities—leaders, parents, teachers, and caregivers—and together, find the best strategies to ensure that all children enroll in school, have access to continuous learning, and emerge with quality skills that equip them for a prosperous future. The situation has even worsened since then, up to 2023.

The government also need to ensure that children are safe when they are in school – no child should be afraid to enter a classroom – afraid their school might be attacked or that they will be kidnapped. And no parent should fear sending their children to school.”

In 2021 alone, there were 25 terrorist attacks on schools. A total of 1,440 children were abducted, while 16 children were killed. In March 2021, about 618 schools were shut down in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Niger and Yobe states over the fear of attack and abduction of pupils and members of staff.

Nigeria’s education system can be transformed through adequate funding.

Abdullahi Adamu wrote via nasabooyoyo@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Adams Oshiomhole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s election for Edo North Senatorial District in Edo.

Benjamin Adesina, the INEC Returning Officer, on Sunday in Auchi, declared Mr Oshiomhole as the winner of the polls with 107,110 votes.

He defeated the incumbent Senator Francis Alimekhena of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 55,344 votes.

“Adams Oshiomhole of APC, having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared as the winner of the election conducted on the 25th of February for Edo North Senatorial District,” Mr Adesina said.

(NAN)