Text of a welcome address by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Freedom Online, Gabriel Akinadewo, during the newspaper’s 4th annual lecture in Lagos…on Tuesday.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you are welcome to the fourth annual lecture of Freedom Online.
When the Board of Editors of Freedom Online met to discuss the topic for the 2022 lecture, it was agreed that Nigeria’s future should be the focus.
The reason for this is simple: In Nigeria, we are yet to draw a line between governance and politics. When does politics stop? When does governance for development start? When are we going to stop playing politics with development?
I cited this example a few years ago and I will cite it again now.
Jay Hammond, a Republican politician, was governor of Alaska in the United States (U.S.) from 1974 to 1982.
He was born on July 21,1922 and died on August 2, 2005 at 83.
In 1976, there was a crisis in Alaska bordering on oil pipelines.
Hammond called Republicans and Democrats to a meeting. In fact, a member of the Democratic Party moderated the event.
Eventually, they decided that 25% of oil proceeds should go to everybody in Alaska yearly.
So, they set up The Alaska Permanent Fund. It is an annual payment to eligible residents derived from state investment earnings on mineral royalties. It is for all residents of Alaska, whether you are black, white, a Nigerian, a Ghanaian, a Russian, Chinese etc.
As long as you reside in Alaska for one year, you will benefit from it.
The law allows a parent, guardian, or other authorised representative to claim a Dividend on behalf of a child.
Since 1982, it has paid out an annual dividend to every man, woman and child living in Alaska.
Because of high oil prices, the highest was paid in 2015. Each Alaskan got more than $2,000.
In 2021, each Alaskan got $1,114, that is more than N600,000.
This year, each person is expecting about $2,500, about N1.5 million.
About 732,673 people got the dividend in 2021, that is, more than $800 million paid to people of Alaska by the government.
Seventeen years after Jay Hammond’s death, his legacy lives on.
In Nigeria, I ask again, when are we going to draw a line between governance and politics?
There are many Nigerians looking for N100,000 to start a business. This can only be achieved if we focus more on development, rather than playing politics with development.
Many Nigerians are killed weekly not only because of insecurity.
Look at the spate of building collapses everywhere in the country.
The 26-storey Cocoa House building in Ibadan was proposed by the late Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to be built from the proceeds of Western Regions cocoa exportation.
His successor, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, inaugurated Cocoa House in 1965, at a height of 105 metres. That was 57 years ago. This structure, despite a fire incident on January 9, 1985, is still standing.
Today, three, four, 21-storey buildings are falling like badly-arranged packs of cards and Nigerians are being killed. So, what is wrong?
On the economy, the Naira was stronger than the dollar, pound sterling and other international currencies in the 70s and early 80s. What exactly is the problem today?
Also, why do we have insecurity?
Obviously, every security is local.
In New York Police Department, for you to be enlisted, you must be a resident of New York State and have a valid driver’s licence issued by New York State.
But, here, we post somebody from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to police Mushin in Lagos, a terrain he does not understand.
ASUU members are on strike now and students are back home. Lecturers have the right to agitate for better welfare but what many Nigerians are asking is why should a lecturer in, for example, Nasarawa State University, earn the same salary with a lecturer in University of Lagos when the environment and purchasing powers are different?
Also, we have federal and state universities. So, lecturers don’t have the same employer. Why should lecturers in Adekunle Ajasin University in Ondo State (a state university) be agitating for the same salary structure with lecturers from University of Port Harcourt (a federal university) when they don’t have same employer?
So, is ‘overcentralisation’ the problem with Nigeria?
We have 68 items on the Exclusive List in our Constitution. Should these items be exclusive, especially in revenue generation?
The biggest port in UK is known as Port of Felixstowe dealing with 48% of the country’s container trade. It handles more than $9.6 billion worth of annual trade cargo. It is run by a Group and has always been privately owned.
Same goes for the London Port, run by the Port of London Authority (PLA).
For the 18th consecutive year, the Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, the United States (U.S.), is the world’s most efficient airport.
It generates about $80 billion a year, accommodates more than 75 million passengers in a year with more than 700,000 flights.
This airport is owned by Atlanta City Council (a local government).
I believe our Distinguished Guests will do justice to our topic today.
The world is moving and Nigeria cannot afford to be stagnant.
I welcome you all.
Thank you.
Gabriel Akinadewo
MD/EIC, Freedom Online
