Feature/OPED
I Stand with General Buratai and the Army
Dr Abubakar M.S
I have been an avid reader of the biographies of gallant and valiant military Generals all over the world. I will always remain fascinated by the lifestyle, leadership and patriotism of men like An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known as Salah ad-Din or Saladin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Collin Powell.
Here in Nigeria, I have taken time to study and reflect on the military and this is where I want to say that we are fortunate to have a rare breed in the person of Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the 20th Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, which to mind is the most potent institution that has been able to keep this fragile nation of ours as one indivisible entity in peace.
I am writing this article from two different perspectives; first of all, I am talking from the perspective of someone who was born and raised in the northeast, and secondly from the perspective of a media professional who has been able to interact with key stakeholders and the masses in the northeast. I make bold to say that there is a general consensus in the northeast that General Buratai is the best thing to happen to the northeast region apart from the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
There is also no gainsaying the fact that General Buratai is the most popular and most acceptable name when it comes to the fight against insurgency and alleviating the plight of the ordinary man in the northeast. I reckon that most people in the northeast region agree that he is honest, committed and passionate to see that peace and normalcy is entrenched in the northeast.
By the way, the northeast is now stable except for some minute challenges in some remote areas of Borno state. There was a time when people in the northeast rightly or wrongly concluded that the military doesn’t want the insurgency to end because they reckoned it to be a cash cow. This is no longer the case. And if not for the fact that some bad eggs in Borno and other places are fuelling the insurgency for political gains, this Boko Haram insurgency would have totally been forgotten by now.
I refuse to buy the cheap lie that says Boko Haram insurgency is simply an ideological thing; no. There are many people, sanctimonious hypocrites, men who are comfortable to fatten their financial chest with the blood of innocent peasants who are in the habit of encouraging, aiding, financing the insurgency and sabotaging the military.
The joy of the matter is that there is virtually nothing under the sun that will ever go unnoticed, unrewarded and unpunished. The havens are watching all of us.
As an individual, I am still sceptical and dissatisfied with the level of cooperation the Borno State Government is volunteering to the Army and in particular General Buratai who is also a bonafide son of the soil.
Despite all these setbacks and challenges, I believe that General Buratai is focused on one thing: ending Boko Haram insurgency, armed banditry and all sorts of threats to our national security. There is no standing on the fence. Each and every one of us must take a stand with the Army Chief and support the Army. If we fail to do that, it means we are for the enemy. God forbid! He is not here to make selfish gains for monetary benefits. He is a dedicated Infantry General who on numerous occasions risked his life in the theatre of operations just to see that the insurgents are rooted out of Nigeria. He is fortunate to have a keen ability to identify good hands and formulate a strong team because as a military tactician he knows that he cannot do it alone. So, like any good leader, he assembled a core team of trustworthy people who believed in his vision and relied on them heavily to get the job done.
“Even though he was a three-star general, he would still listen to what significantly lower-ranking people had to say,” says Special Forces officer in Borno to me. “His team had a very open way of communicating: they would read a mission, debate it internally, consider different viewpoints and then figure out the best way to approach it.”
General Buratai is the kind of person who doesn’t talk much but is always ready to listen. He has been able to use maximum kinetic force to dislodge Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast and he is now shifting his focus to the non-kinetic approach which will require all and sundry to join hands with the Army.
In an interactive session with the media held on August 30, 2018, General Buratai said, “In view of the aforementioned, I have directed that another sustained campaign focused on community stabilization be conducted to counter the negative narrative and ideology of the Boko Haram terrorists. This is necessitated by the power which is inherent in a community when members of the community team up to achieve a desired objective. We have discovered the power that is embedded in large communities when they collectively team up to achieve a desired goal or objective.
“Community Stabilization as you are all aware is a measure of the sustained ability of a community to utilize available resources to respond to, withstand and recover from adverse situations.
“It is also a means where communities stand up as a collective entity to resist whatever is deemed alien to their beliefs, culture, tradition and way of life.
“The insurgents have used fear and extremely negative religious fundamentalism as a justification for the deployment of women and children as suicide bombers, setting ablaze Churches and Mosques while engaging in indiscriminate killings of innocent people.”
What impressed me most in his address was where he said: “Community Stabilization lies in the ability of every community to say, ‘No more will we allow this to happen to us again’, ‘No more will we support and protect those who seek to destroy us and our future’, ‘No more will we succumb to the cheap threats of these insurgents.’ The resistance by the community will create an internal system that will complement the efforts of the Nigerian Army and ensure that these insurgents are ideologically defeated completely. We have witnessed the increased determination of the people of the North East to resist and unite against the terrorists, following their relocation back to their ancestral homes. It is obvious that the people of the North East are developing a collective resilience which only needs to be encouraged and supported. This is a positive response against the initial imposition of a strange ideology by the terrorists. The Nigerian Army intends to build on this.”
This is high time for all of us to rise up and get involve in countering violent extremism measures and approaches in the northeast. I find ridiculous to hear people say they love President Buhari and yet refuse to give their maximum support to the Army. This is because the success of General Buratai and the Army will always be a major credit to President Buhari. My plea here is that I want to see renewed partnership and cooperation from the people of the northeast especially the National Security Advisor, The Chief of Staff to the President and the Borno state Government.
In fact, I see a possibility of a change of heart from people like Ahmed Salkida and their ilk. The European Union, United Nations OCHA and other INGOs cannot solve this menace; the people of the northeast must take the bull by the horn and say “No more will we support and protect those who seek to destroy us and our future”, “No more will we succumb to the cheap threats of these insurgents.”
Abubakar can be reached via [email protected] or 08035770855
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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