Feature/OPED
Abba Kyari was Created by us…
By Prince Charles Dickson PhD
The Indians have a proverb that literally means “Your future does not depend on the lines of your hands because people who do not have hands also have a future”.
Often people ask me why I write on certain topics and issues all the time, like bashing governments at all levels and the band of ‘confusionists’ that run them, my take on the education, health and power sector, insecurity, the lack of or non-existent governance, arguments on ethnicity and the indigene question amongst others.
My answer is that I do because I believe that such subjects are important for Nigeria and Nigerians as they are for other nations, but when it appears to me that Nigerians and our leaders particularly do not react to these topics the way they should, I repeat them in new essays to remind old readers and recruit new ones to participate in the continuing dialogue.
Between 1999 and today the police strength has grown from 112,000 to somewhere around 371,800 officers, a very poor figure, compared to our population, even if you recruit 10 million men into the police and with almost 100 million Nigerians hungry, unemployed, frustrated, crime would still be high, and if you add to the fact that many of the policemen and few women out there are examples of everything bad and ugly about Nigeria need I rest my case because, in a system where a Police Recruit would earn barely N9,019.42 and N302,970.47 for a full Commissioner, there would be different versions of Abba Kyari.
Sadly, the police itself is one of the worst culprits of poor remuneration and motivation, have you seen what the police barracks look like across the nation?
Despite the poor and degrading nature of our prisons, most police barracks are not different from rehabilitation homes for juveniles. The police have been reduced to an agency of ridicule and hatred amongst the populace. The only robbers they shoot are ordinary citizens who refuse to give them the N20 toll. When they conclude an investigation successfully, it must have been that of a landlord and tenant or two- fighting at a bus stop.
Right from the days of Anini the great robber, the police rather than be the combatants of crime has been partners in progress to armed robbers, robberies and all manners of social vices. It is that bad, if you have an encounter with robbers, you have a 70% survival chance, but the same encounter with a policeman in possession of a pistol, you will have less than a 30% chance of survival.
A security outfit without equipment, funding, logistics, communication facilities resorts to the very crimes they are supposed to protect us from. Divisional Police Offices are now banks; the Divisional Police Officers’ are branch managers waiting for daily ‘returns’ (bribe) from marketing executives (Junior ranks).
When robbers and assassins attack with assault rifles and the police come with Dane guns, it is obvious that a lot is wrong.
The edifice called the police is a case of epilepsy, from the change of uniform to the increased recruitment of illiterates that can barely spell their names. The problem is not necessarily just that of the Nigerian police but that of a nation whose leaders have thrown their responsibilities to the gutters.
So, Abba Kyari is part of the bigger problem, he and the war of words between the Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA is like a Police crime scene unit; the story has holes everywhere like the Nigeria Police has a settlement scene unit in every divisional police office. The entire scene is devoid of care and details that go into the investigation. The same Nigeria Police without a behavioural unit, arresting you for having dreadlocks or beards, or carrying a laptop…you can understand why there is no collective in what Kyari has done wrong, or right and who he represents and what he truly is, in the bigger picture.
Have you ever seen a Nigerian policeman wear a protective glove at a crime scene? The closest has been at wedding ceremonies or ceremonial occasions.
I was at a local police station recently and watched as different activities went on, from the radio message alerting another station that Adam was about to eat the apple, to the old Olympia typewriter that brought back memories of my late uncle Atiku who was a teacher in the Congo.
I noticed the state of the uniforms of the rank, the frustration on the face of officers. I saw how men of the force collected N100 to buy plain sheets, files and biro for a complainant to put down his grouse. Officers that are more often than not dirty and unkempt…oh I hear it’s about being covert.
Talking about the police, it is interesting to look at the police from what it should be. Police are agents or agencies empowered to enforce the law and to affect public and social order through the legitimate use of force.
The term is most commonly associated with police departments of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. The word comes via French from the Latin politia (civil administration), which itself derives from the Ancient Greek πόλις, for polis (“city”).
In our experience, the police have contributed negatively to an increasingly disjointed social order in the nation. The Nigeria Police has failed the nation in its primary function of providing safety, ensuring public order, enforcing criminal law, traffic regulations, crowd control, criminal investigation etc.
Once upon a time, a mad man was assumed to be admiring the police parade at a nearby police post, the Divisional Police Officer walked to him and asked if he wanted to join the police and the mad man retorted, ‘I dey mad?!’.
Like the teaching profession, these days’ people join the force as a last resort, so naturally, they vent all the frustrations of life on the job. Bail is free on paper but in practice, the price you pay all depends on the offence, your negotiation skills and the officer in charge.
I once narrated the tale of an officer who stopped the police commissioner in his state and asked for a bribe of N20 or else he was going to arrest him for driving at night alone when the roads were dangerous. How many times have we seen policemen disappear on the occasion of an armed robbery, everyone wants to get to heaven, but none wants to die?
A visit to a police barracks tells you the story, poor welfare, houses without common sanitary facilities, falling buildings, electricity disconnected, breeding grounds for miscreants and even worse.
The frustration sips into the policeman’s wife, every nine months another baby, and the thick line of abject poverty, social deprivation moves and finds habitation in the vicious cycle. It is in these situations that officers also wreak havoc, from the pay office, all sorts of fraud occur, the usual illegal deductions, to the ghost officers.
With our police everything is wrong, nothing is right. The new uniforms are only for the Ogas, the material is in the open market and anybody can buy and wear and get a salute. There is a public apathy against the police so much that even if they wore white they would discrete the colour.
Abba Kyari is not just about the police but equally an examination of our society, one that questions our core values. The fact is that we should be asking how we got here? Who created Kyari?
The Nigeria Police are not entirely bad, there are good ones amongst them, in fact, let me state categorically that there are gentlemen officers and women in the police, but they are sadly negligible…We are having the likes of Abba because our police lack 21st-century policing skills that thrive more on intelligence gathering, tactical operations, which should bring about clinical execution of their assignments, in manners that are beyond stain and societally transparent. We lack security operatives that adopt modern techniques in fighting crimes. The Force is devoid of values like the larger Nigerian society, the reason some criminals are also celebrating Abba Kyari’s fall.
Between an endless hope and a hopeless end, let us see hope on the horizon, though this is difficult to see. The situation is bad, let it not be said that we did not talk, write, and even beg the government to do something. When will address the Kyaris, when will we face policemen that interrogate, arrest, and detain goats, hens and crates of beer as witnesses, accused and complainants—Only time will tell.
By Luke Kyohere
The global payments landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation. New technologies coupled with the rising demand for seamless, secure, and efficient transactions has spurred on an exciting new era of innovation and growth. With 2025 fast approaching, here are important trends that will shape the future of payments:
1. The rise of real-time payments
Until recently, real-time payments have been used in Africa for cross-border mobile money payments, but less so for traditional payments. We are seeing companies like Mastercard investing in this area, as well as central banks in Africa putting focus on this.
2. Cashless payments will increase
In 2025, we will see the continued acceleration of cashless payments across Africa. B2B payments in particular will also increase. Digital payments began between individuals but are now becoming commonplace for larger corporate transactions.
3. Digital currency will hit mainstream
In the cryptocurrency space, we will see an increase in the use of stablecoins like United States Digital Currency (USDC) and Tether (USDT) which are linked to US dollars. These will come to replace traditional cryptocurrencies as their price point is more stable. This year, many countries will begin preparing for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), government-backed digital currencies which use blockchain.
The increased uptake of digital currencies reflects the maturity of distributed ledger technology and improved API availability.
4. Increased government oversight
As adoption of digital currencies will increase, governments will also put more focus into monitoring these flows. In particular, this will centre on companies and banks rather than individuals. The goal of this will be to control and occasionally curb runaway foreign exchange (FX) rates.
5. Business leaders buy into AI technology
In 2025, we will see many business leaders buying into AI through respected providers relying on well-researched platforms and huge data sets. Most companies don’t have the budget to invest in their own research and development in AI, so many are now opting to ‘buy’ into the technology rather than ‘build’ it themselves. Moreover, many businesses are concerned about the risks associated with data ownership and accuracy so buying software is another way to avoid this risk.
6. Continued AI Adoption in Payments
In payments, the proliferation of AI will continue to improve user experience and increase security. To detect fraud, AI is used to track patterns and payment flows in real-time. If unusual activity is detected, the technology can be used to flag or even block payments which may be fraudulent.
When it comes to user experience, we will also see AI being used to improve the interface design of payment platforms. The technology will also increasingly be used for translation for international payment platforms.
7. Rise of Super Apps
To get more from their platforms, mobile network operators are building comprehensive service platforms, integrating multiple payment experiences into a single app. This reflects the shift of many users moving from text-based services to mobile apps. Rather than offering a single service, super apps are packing many other services into a single app. For example, apps which may have previously been used primarily for lending, now have options for saving and paying bills.
8. Business strategy shift
Recent major technological changes will force business leaders to focus on much shorter prediction and reaction cycles. Because the rate of change has been unprecedented in the past year, this will force decision-makers to adapt quickly, be decisive and nimble.
As the payments space evolves, businesses, banks, and governments must continually embrace innovation, collaboration, and prioritise customer needs. These efforts build a more inclusive, secure, and efficient payment system that supports local to global economic growth – enabling true financial inclusion across borders.
Luke Kyohere is the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq
In a heartfelt statement released today, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has extended its warmest congratulations to Ghana’s President-Elect, emphasizing the importance of learning from Ghana’s recent electoral success as Nigeria gears up for its 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP highlighted the need for Nigeria to reclaim its status as a leader in democratic governance in Africa.
“The recent victory of Ghana’s President-Elect is a testament to the maturity and resilience of Ghana’s democracy,” the CNPP stated. “As we celebrate this achievement, we must reflect on the lessons that Nigeria can learn from our West African neighbour.”
The CNPP’s message underscored the significance of free, fair, and credible elections, a standard that Ghana has set and one that Nigeria has previously achieved under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. “It is high time for Nigeria to reclaim its position as a beacon of democracy in Africa,” the CNPP asserted, calling for a renewed commitment to the electoral process.
Central to CNPP’s message is the insistence that “the will of the people must be supreme in Nigeria’s electoral processes.” The umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria CNPP emphasized the necessity of an electoral system that genuinely reflects the wishes of the Nigerian populace. “We must strive to create an environment where elections are free from manipulation, violence, and intimidation,” the CNPP urged, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take decisive action to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
The CNPP also expressed concern over premature declarations regarding the 2027 elections, stating, “It is disheartening to note that some individuals are already announcing that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027. This kind of statement not only undermines the democratic principles that our nation holds dear but also distracts from the pressing need for the current administration to earn the trust of the electorate.”
The CNPP viewed the upcoming elections as a pivotal moment for Nigeria. “The 2027 general elections present a unique opportunity for Nigeria to reclaim its position as a leader in democratic governance in Africa,” it remarked. The body called on all stakeholders — including the executive, legislature, judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civil society organisations — to collaborate in ensuring that elections are transparent, credible, and reflective of the will of the Nigerian people.
As the most populous African country prepares for the 2027 elections, the CNPP urged all Nigerians to remain vigilant and committed to democratic principles. “We must work together to ensure that our elections are free from violence, intimidation, and manipulation,” the statement stated, reaffirming the CNPP’s commitment to promoting a peaceful and credible electoral process.
In conclusion, the CNPP congratulated the President-Elect of Ghana and the Ghanaian people on their remarkable achievements.
“We look forward to learning from their experience and working together to strengthen democracy in our region,” the CNPP concluded.
By Kenechukwu Aguolu
The proposed tax reform, involving four tax bills introduced by the Federal Government, has received significant criticism. Notably, it was rejected by the Governors’ Forum but was still forwarded to the National Assembly. Unlike the various bold economic decisions made by this government, concessions will likely need to be made on these tax reforms, which involve legislative amendments and therefore cannot be imposed by the executive. This article highlights the purposes of taxation, the qualities of a good tax system, and some of the implications of the proposed tax reforms.
One of the major purposes of taxation is to generate revenue for the government to finance its activities. A good tax system should raise sufficient revenue for the government to fund its operations, and support economic and infrastructural development. For any country to achieve meaningful progress, its tax-to-GDP ratio should be at least 15%. Currently, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio is less than 11%. The proposed tax reforms aim to increase this ratio to 18% within the next three years.
A good tax system should also promote income redistribution and equality by implementing progressive tax policies. In line with this, the proposed tax reforms favour low-income earners. For example, individuals earning less than one million naira annually are exempted from personal income tax. Additionally, essential goods and services such as food, accommodation, and transportation, which constitute a significant portion of household consumption for low- and middle-income groups, are to be exempted from VAT.
In addition to equality, a good tax system should ensure equity and fairness, a key area of contention surrounding the proposed reforms. If implemented, the amendments to the Value Added Tax could lead to a significant reduction in the federal allocation for some states; impairing their ability to finance government operations and development projects. The VAT amendments should be holistically revisited to promote fairness and national unity.
The establishment of a single agency to collect government taxes, the Nigeria Revenue Service, could reduce loopholes that have previously resulted in revenue losses, provided proper controls are put in place. It is logically easier to monitor revenue collection by one agency than by multiple agencies. However, this is not a magical solution. With automation, revenue collection can be seamless whether it is managed by one agency or several, as long as monitoring and accountability measures are implemented effectively.
The proposed tax reforms by the Federal Government are well-intentioned. However, all concerns raised by Nigerians should be looked into, and concessions should be made where necessary. Policies are more effective when they are adapted to suit the unique characteristics of a nation, rather than adopted wholesale. A good tax system should aim to raise sufficient revenue, ensure equitable income distribution, and promote equality, equity, and fairness.
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