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Monday, May 30, 2016

Buhari’s first year: Five ways Nigeria has changed

President Muhammadu Buhari came to power promising Nigerians "change". Novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani gives five examples of what has changed in Nigeria since 29 May 2015 when he was sworn in. 

1. Are we safer?

Those of us who travel regularly in Nigeria's north-east had become used to what should be a 15-minute journey turning into an hour-long ordeal. 
You had to stop dozens of times at roadblocks and disembark, while heavily armed soldiers inspected your vehicle for traces of the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.
Today, the number of checkpoints has fallen significantly - even on the road to Chibok - thanks to enhanced confidence in the security of the entire region. 
The army has regained swathes of territory that the Islamist militants had occupied as part of their so-called caliphate.
Boko Haram has been considerably weakened, resigned to attacking soft targets using suicide bombers. 
Thousands of women and girls kidnapped by the group have also been rescued, including one of the 219 schoolgirls from Chibok abducted in April 2014. 
But while there is progress in the north-east, trouble in the Niger Delta, the country's oil-producing region, is resurfacing.
Recent attacks on oil facilities have caused a drop in production and helped push up the global price of crude oil.

2. Where's my money?

In the months preceding last year's elections, the popular chant on the streets was "Sai Buhari, Sai Buhari", which means "Only Buhari" in Hausa - the most widely-spoken language in the north where the president originates.
"Sai Buhari" became an almost magical greeting, capable of earning you a discount from the sweaty chap pushing a wheelbarrow of tiger nuts or sugar cane. 
It could even elicit a smile followed by permission to move along, from the miscellaneous airport officials who usually ensure that your passage through Nigerian customs and immigration is fraught with agonising delays.
A year later, the chant has changed to "Buhariya", which roughly translates to "Buhari's way" or "Buhari's time".
The slogan is now used to explain every unpleasant evidence of Nigeria's troubled economy and a time of austerity.
Q: "A basket of tomatoes has gone up from 3,000 naira ($15) to 18,000 naira?"
A: It's "Buhariya!"
Q: "How come the naira is plummeting against the dollar on the black market?"
A: It's "Buhariya!"

3. Where's our money?

This time last year, friendship with Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser, could have altered your economic circumstances forever.
He would have been besieged with invitation cards to be the chief guest at various events.
When he entered a room, almost everyone would stand in respect. 
Today, he sits in an Abuja jail, awaiting trial for the alleged mismanagement of billions of dollars meant for the war against Boko Haram - charges he denies.
Several other big men, previous untouchables, such as former service chiefs, top politicians and government officials, are also sitting in jail awaiting corruption trials, or out on bail. 
And, if you're looking for a second-hand luxury car to buy, now may be the time.
A number of people formerly linked to the government are desperate for cash and selling off their fleets.
It would seem as though the leaking taps that gushed dollars to be spent carelessly have stopped flowing since President Buhari came to power. 

4. Where are the women?

Ensuring women's participation at all levels in political, economic and public life is one of the targets of the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).
But only six out of Mr Buhari's cabinet of 37 are women, a meagre 16% and way down on the previous administration's 31%.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:
The president's wife, Aisha, is also the most silent first lady Nigeria has had in decades, barely seen or heard - except maybe when she is visiting unkempt children in a refugee camp or donating food items to victims of Boko Haram. She appears as the stereotypical good African wife. 
Her invisibility is suspicious when you consider that President Buhari, during his election campaign, said he would abolish the office of the first lady - but then retracted the suggestion when challenged by feminist voters. 

5. What are we wearing?

In Abuja the government in power influences the style of dress throughout the administration. 
Staff of the government, friends of the government and aspiring friends of the government all aim to dress like the person at the top. 
Northerners ruled Nigeria for most of the country's first three decades after independence from the UK in 1960. 
Over time, their traditional outfits, babarigas (flowing gowns) and kaftans, became firmly entrenched - even when a non-northerner was elected in 1999.
Olusegun Obasanjo is an ethnic Yoruba from the south but throughout his eight-year presidential tenure, he mostly wore babarigas. 
Cartoons depicting a typical Nigerian "big man" will usually feature him dressed in the flowing robes, his potbelly distorting the layers of cloth.
All this changed in 2011, with the election of Goodluck Jonathan.
He was Nigeria's first president from one of the country's smaller ethnic groups, and also the first from the oil-producing Niger Delta, in the south.
Mr Jonathan preferred the long shirt and trouser outfit that is traditional among his Ijaw community.
Suddenly, the babariga was nowhere to be seen.
Government offices and hotel lobbies began to feature an inordinate number of men dressed in the presidential style of the time.
Some even went as far as the fedora hats and walking sticks that go with the outfit.
Eventually, the style gained its own special nickname - "resource control" - in reference to the fact that most people who wore it seemed to be the ones controlling Nigeria's oil resources. 
Indeed, it seemed to be the preferred outfit of many of Nigeria's newest millionaires.
Not any more. Within a year of Mr Buhari, "resource control" outfits have almost completely vanished from view. The babariga is back. 

Beyond these five areas, there are many more profound changes that Nigerians are expecting from our government, but those will take time. 
The structure of corruption and mismanagement which previous governments left behind must first be dismantled before a new foundation of progress can be laid. 
And President Buhari is no modern-day Hercules.
Cleaning Nigeria's equivalent of the fantastically filthy Augean stables of Greek myth is certainly not a one-year job.

We Could Scrap VAT On Energy Bills - Vote Leave

The UK could scrap VAT on household energy bills if it left the EU, Vote Leave claims.

With less than a month left to persuade voters, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have highlighted a potential sweetener that could save taxpayers £2bn.

Member states are not allowed to go below 5% VAT on gas and electricity bills - and that is the current rate in the UK.

But Mr Johnson and Mr Gove write in The Sun: "The poorest households spend three times more of their income on household energy bills than the richest households spend. As long as we are in the EU, we are not allowed to cut this tax.

"When we Vote Leave, we will be able to scrap this unfair and damaging tax. It isn't right that unelected bureaucrats in Brussels impose taxes on the poorest and elected British politicians can do nothing. We'll also take back control of the VAT on fuel charged to motorists."

The potential change is also backed by Vote Leave chairwoman Gisela Stuart of Labour.

Meanwhile, Business Secretary Sajid Javid will visit Birmingham today quoting new figures that show 1.2 million small and medium-sized businesses either export to Europe or supply firms that do.

The Remain camp has been boosted by the endorsement of seven TV Dragons - as well as Professor Stephen Hawking.

The physicist told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "The exchange of people enables skills to transfer more quickly, and brings new people with different ideas, derived from their different backgrounds.

"Without this exchange, we would become more culturally isolated and insular, and ultimately more remote from where progress is being made.

"The other reason is financial. The European Research Council has given large grants to UK institutions, either to foster research, or to promote exchanges.

"These grants are in addition to those given by the traditional UK research councils, which seem to be becoming progressively starved of resources, by a government intent on short-term cuts, without attention to the longer term consequences."

A group of seven past and present members of the Dragons' Den panel of leading entrepreneurs said they were "in" because Brexit posed a "serious risk" to the UK economy.

:: EU In or Out: David Cameron Live, Sky News 8pm Thursday, Michael Gove Live 8pm Friday.

Ammunition Depot Fire Kills 17 In India

A blaze at a large military ammunition depot in India has killed at least 17 people and left more than a dozen injured, authorities have said.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as emergency teams battle the fire in Wardha, central India.
The Press Trust of India news agency said two officers were among 17 soldiers killed at the depot, which is one of the country's largest.
The fire reportedly followed an explosion in the early hours of the morning.
Smita Patil, superintendent of Wardha district police, told AFP from the scene: "Seventeen people have died. Nineteen are injured but are out of danger.
"An operation is in progress and the fire has been brought under control."
Ramesh Barde, a fire officer at the Nagpur fire department told the news agency firefighters using ten fire engines battled through the night to contain the blaze.
"The fire broke out at 1:30 am and nearby fire engines reached the venue by 2:30 am," he said.
"The fire was brought under control by 6:15 am. The situation is under control and a report is being prepared," he added.

Student Dies After 'Face Set On Fire By Ex'


A university student was burned alive by her boyfriend after she dumped him, Italian authorities said.
Sara Di Pietrantonio, 22, died in Rome on Sunday after being attacked by Vincenzo Paduano, 27, prosecutor Maria Monteleone told reporters.
First he set fire to her car, then chased her about 100 metres as she tried to flee, setting her ablaze when he caught up with her, authorities said.
ANSA footage of suspect with police
Investigators said her attacker used a cigarette lighter to set Ms Di Pietrantonio's face on fire after dousing her with alcohol.
"I can say that in 25 years in this work I have never seen something so atrocious," said Luigi Silipo, the lead police official in the investigation.
Paduano was being held on suspicion of premeditated murder, Ms Monteleone said.
The burned out car
The suspect first denied killing the woman, but after eight hours of interrogation, confessed to killing her, Mr Silipo told reporters.
"He couldn't accept the fact he was left by her when she ended the relationship," Mr Silipo said.
Investigators said Paduano, a security guard who had dated the victim, for two years, had initially followed her car.
Sara Di Pietrantonio
He then forced Ms Di Pietrantonio to pull over on a street in the outskirts of Rome, before he killed her.
A surveillance camera in the area captured some of the events, including cars that apparently passed by while the woman screamed for help.
Ms Monteleone added that if passers-by had helped, the woman's life might have been saved.

Prince Philip To Miss Event On Doctor's Advice

Prince Philip will not attend a commemoration marking the Battle of Jutland on medical advice.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "Following doctor's advice, the Duke of Edinburgh has reluctantly decided not to attend the commemorations marking the Battle of Jutland tomorrow in Kirkwall and Hoy."

A spokeswoman added: "The Princess Royal, who was already attending the events, will represent the Royal Family."

Sky News understands that he is staying privately in Scotland with the Queen.

The Prince has appeared to be in robust health recently, accompanying the Queen in Windsor during her 90th birthday celebrations last month.


Man Arrested Over T-Shirt Mocking Hillsborough

A 50-year-old man has been arrested after a pub-goer was seen wearing a T-shirt mocking the Hillsborough tragedy.

Police said the suspect, who is from Worcester, was arrested under public order laws on suspicion of causing alarm or distress by displaying abusive or insulting writing.

West Mercia Police launched an inquiry after a man was seen wearing the T-shirt describing the disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans died before an FA Cup semi-final in 1989, as "God's way of helping" a pest control firm.

Pictures were posted on social media of the man, who was asked to leave the Brewers Arms, in the St John's area of Worcester, by the landlord.

Superintendent Kevin Purcell said: "I understand the alarm and distress the offensive language shown on this T-shirt will have caused to both the people in and around the pub and further afield.

"I would like to thank the landlord of the pub for his support and all the members of the public who were in the pub at the time and came forward to report it.

"Police acted very quickly to arrest the individual and he remains in police custody at this time."


Crocodile Snatches Woman During Night Swim

A woman who went night swimming off a beach in northeast Australia is missing after she was attacked by a crocodile.
The 46-year-old Australian was with her friend in shallow water at Thornton Beach, Queensland, on Sunday night when she was pulled under.
Her friend attempted to rescue the woman from the reptile's jaws but was unable to do so.
Searchers scoured the areas in a rescue helicopter fitted with thermal imaging equipment but failed to find any trace of the victim.
Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman Neil Noble said: "The report that we have from the surviving woman is that they felt a nudge and her partner started to scream and then was dragged into the water."
Local police Senior Constable Russell Parker told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "Her 47-year-old friend tried to grab her and drag her to safety but she just wasn't able to do that."
The area where the woman went missing is about 57 miles (90km) north of Cairns and well off the main highway. 
Reports varied as to the depth of the water with police saying it was waist deep and paramedics saying she was up to her knees.
The survivor was taken to a nearby hospital in Mossman suffering from shock and a minor injury to her arm.
Reports say the victim was from Lithgow in New South Wales, while her friend was living in Cairns.
Mr Parker said the pair may not have known of the dangers at the beach, which is next to a creek where crocodile-spotting tours happen.
There were reportedly plenty of warning signs about crocodiles throughout the vicinity.
Warren Enstch, the MP for the area, said the women had to accept some of the blame.
"You can't legislate against human stupidity," he said.
"If you go in swimming at 10 o'clock at night, you're going to get consumed."
The attack took place near where a five-year-old boy was taken in 2009. 
In 1985 a giant crocodile known as Big Jim took local postal worker Beryl Wruck while she was having a late-night swim about an hour's drive from Thornton Beach.
Crocodile numbers have surged in northern Australia since the animals became a protected species in 1971.