THEWILL JUNE 20 - 26 EDITION

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JUNE 20 - JUNE 26, 2021 VOL . 1 NO. 19

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AHEAD 2023

APC, PDP Dodge Pitfalls, Political Landmines Ruling Party Mulls ‘Bridge’ Presidential Candidate PDP Still On The Fence

SPECIAL REPORT

DECONSTRUCTING THE RAGING BULL

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NEWS Taraba IDPs Return To Communities, Farms, Months After Attacks FROM CHRISTIANA BABAYO, JALINGO

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nternally displaced persons (IDPs) in Taraba State have started returning to their communities and farms, following a recent directive from Governor Darius Ishaku to do so unconditionally.

In a telephone interview with the Chairman of the Taraba State Tiv Traditional Leaders Council and Ter Tiv in Bali Local Government Area, Zaki David Gbaa, who confirmed the development, thanked Governor Ishaku for ensuring the return of peace in the areas.

According to Gbaa, the governor had directed the Chairman of the LGA, Prince Musa Mahmud to facilitate the return of all displaced persons in the area to their homes.

L-R: Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola; Chief Executive Officer, MTN Group, Mr. Ralph Mupita; President Muhammadu Buhari; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami and Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Adeolu Akande, during a courtesy visit by members of the board of MTN Group at the State House, Abuja on 18/06/2021.

C/River Varsity Denies Complicity in Assault on Teenage Student

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

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he management of Arthur Jarvis University in Akpabuyo, Cross River State has denied complicity in the alleged assault on a 17-year-old student of the institution.

The student (names withheld), who is a 100 level student of Mass Communication Department, was involved in an altercation with her course mates.

This prompted a response from her parents who questioned the commitment of the university management to effectively address the case.

However, the university through its Chancellor, Sir Arthur Jarvis Archibong, said the school had zero tolerance for indiscipline and would not conceal any act of misdemeanour.

The chancellor described social media reports on the institution by one Dr Lilian Ekanem, who is the mother of the student, as grossly misleading.

“I equivocally place it on record that, Arthur Jarvis University is not and does not represent any of the derogatory and defamation statements alluded and ascribed to it by Dr Lilian Ekanem.

“The University has zero tolerance for cultism, gangsterism, terrorism and other forms of social vices on the campus and the larger society.

“The university is not shielding any student(s) from any disciplinary measures by any appropriate authority nor is it concealing or destroying any evidence that is capable of corroborating the spurious allegations of Ekanem and her daughter.

“I urge the various participants in the social media, members of the public and parents/guardians to be skeptical and not swayed by this campaign of calumny and negative publicity directed at the university,” he said.

He said all the students involved in the assault would appear before the disciplinary committee of the university and appropriate measures would be taken against them at the resumption of academic activities for the second semester.

He insisted that the institution, which is the first private varsity in the state, was not a terrorist institution nor did it encourage violence against the girl child and violation of the fundamental human rights of the students.

“Following the governor’s directive, a security meeting was held in Bali and a resolution reached for all the displaced persons to return to their homes.

A letter to that effect has been sent to all the traditional rulers in the local government and our people are massively returning to their farms,” he said.

While appreciating the good efforts of Governor Ishaku, Gbaa added, “I want to thank His Excellency, Governor Darius Ishaku, for taking this step. He has directed that all lands belonging to the displaced persons, which were allegedly taken over by some people should be vacated for their rightful owners to take possession” The local government boss also said the development would help to prevent hunger in the area.

“This development will return peace to our communities and avert impending hunger now that people are returning to their farms,” he said.

Some of the IDPs from Bali B ward ,as well as Sansani and Maihula communities, who have since returned to their homes also commended Governor Ishaku for providing an enabling environment for them to return to their homes after spending several months in IDPs camps.

381 Students Benefit From Scholarship Scheme in A’Ibom

FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

N Benue 2023: Ortom’s Aide Declares Ambition C

FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI

2023.

hief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Terver Akase, has declared his intention to run for the governorship position in Benue State in

THEWILL gathered that Akase hails from the JECHIRA geopolitical bloc , one of the blocs favoured by zoning to clinch the Benue’s plum job at the expiration of Ortom’s tenure.

In a statement titled, ‘My Apeal To You All,” and signed by the CPS, a copy of which was seen by THEWILL, Akase said his ambition was not a do-or-die affair and his decision to join the race was informed by a burning desire to contribute his quota to the development of the state by leveraging the foundation that his principal and others had laid.

“My brothers and sisters, I wish to thank and commend all of you for the love and huge support you have been showing me.

“Some of you were in Gboko and you saw the governor present me and other eminently qualified sons of Benue as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship aspirants for the 2023 elections. That event marked the beginning of a new THEWILLNIGERIA

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In her reaction, Dr Ekanem said the matter would be taken to court.

chapter in my life and I’ve committed the journey into the hands of the Almighty God.

“There is one thing I wish to speak to you about. For me, 2023 is not a do-or-die affair. I have joined the race to seek an opportunity to further contribute to the development of our dear state. So I will appeal to those of you, who are supporting me, to always be civil and polite to others who are seeking the same office.

“Governor Samuel Ortom has worked very hard to lay a solid legacy for Benue State and it will only be fair that whoever takes over from him should protect and preserve that legacy.

My prayer is for God to have mercy on Benue State and anoint someone who can stand firmly for the people just as Governor Ortom has done.

“It can be Terver Akase. It can be any other aspirant. Please note this well. If eventually the PDP decides that I fly its flag, come 2023, I will gladly accept the responsibility. But if the party decides that another person should be the candidate, I will gladly support such a person. The interest of our party and our dear state is more important than me,” the CPS said in the statement.

o fewer than 381 indegenes drawn from the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have benefited from a mega scholarship scheme sponsored by the member of the Senate representing Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District, Obong Bassey Albert.

In a meeting with journalists in Uyo, Senator Albert described education as a core area that he was passionate about. He said he had been running a scholarship programme since May 2016, even as the first phase benefitted more than 180 students that were mostly drawn from the nine local government areas that make up Uyo Senatorial District.

Albert noted that by March 2020, during the second phase of the scholarship scheme, he extended the coverage to students from the 31 local government areas in the state.

“A total of 1,449 students applied for the scholarship, out of which 1,150 were shortlisted for the qualifying examination of the second phase of the scheme.

“After a rigorous screening exercise, 189 students (136 males and 53 females) were successful. That brought the total number of students that have so far benefitted from the scholarship programme to 381.

“The scheme covers all the fees and other expenses of the beneficiaries who are indigenes of Akwa Ibom State studying in various federal and State tertiary institutions across the country,” he said.

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COVER APC, PDP Dodge Pitfalls,

BY AMOS ESELE & AYO ESAN

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he governing All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party are surely on a not-too-comfortable sabbatical. The apparent silence of the two leading political parties on burning issues of national importance is also becoming worrisome. THEWILL can authoritatively reveal that the seeming “peace of the graveyard” disposition of both parties, especially at a time Nigeria has found herself at a crossroads, is all about the 2023 general elections.

ethnic and multi-religious as Nigeria, must build a system where everyone will have a sense of belonging there is no two ways to it. Every part of this great country should be given a sense of belonging, in terms of appointive and elective office. Zoning is inevitable,” Oyegun had said.

For a party that has no formal declaration on zoning in its constitution, that arrangement poses a landmine to the APC, which the party is skirting.

Skirting the political landmines, ahead of the next general elections, has, no doubt, turned the erstwhile vibrant parties into passive observers of national issues to the consternation and disappointment of many Nigerians. The overwhelming influence of the worsening insecurity in the country on national priorities has, indeed, relegated active partisan politics to the backwaters of national discourse.

SHIFTING THE GOAL POST THEWILL investigations have, however, shown that one of the major reasons APC has kept shifting its convention date is because of the issue of the president’s successor, apart from the crises within the party’s chapters in many states and local governments, all of which are still fueled by a power play that is still ongoing among the legacies parties that merged into the APC in 2013.

With about a year and a half to go into the next general polls, the polity would have gone into a rehearsal of a sort by now. But the reverse has been the case as the APC and PDP try everything within their powers to avoid pitfalls that could jeopardise their political interests, ahead of the next elections.

In reality, the party is keeping a careful watch over its main rival, the PDP, which is, naturally, eager to reclaim the power it lost at the 2015 general elections. But the PDP has not even started to think of a national convention so soon when the current Chairman, Uche Secondus, would be staying in office till the end of the year.

NOT-TOO-GOLDEN SILENCE But the silence of the two leading parties on burning national issues is not golden in any way. The general insecurity has shaken the country to its very foundation, just as the fears of possible disintegration of the once-united Nigeria are just too much to be ignored.

Issues, such as restructuring of the country, which has over time attracted national consensus as virtually all the six geo–political zones have prominent supporters, has somehow become a subject of mimicry when taking into consideration that the ruling party has since dumped the report of the Governor Nasiru el-Rufai-led committee on restructuring.

Burning issues on insecurity, violence and increasing mistrust and distrusts among the diverse, multi-ethnic nationalities in the country have not attracted policy reaction, fearing doing so might jeopardise their interests in the 2023 elections.

BREAKING THE ICE It, however, took the much-flaunted interview by President Muhammadu Buhari on Arise Television and the subsequent one broadcast on Nigerian Television Authority to douse the rising tension. But then, the President rather spoke his mind and not the mind of the ruling party which, unfortunately, has no executive body. His revelation that the APC as a party would determine his successor without individual interference was seen as a significant step towards resetting the grinding process of partisan politics, ahead of the 2023 general polls.

This is particularly so for his party and the main opposition PDP, both of whom operate like a tag-team partner, among others, in the battle for power and governance.

President Buhari disclosed that the Governor Mai Bala Buni led-Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party is expected to submit its report on the re-organisation of the APC to him for vetting, adding that nobody can sit in Lagos and determine how things would be done.

PRESIDENTIAL UPPER CUT “I told the acting chairman and the committee to give me the report on the convention they are going to conduct by the end of the month and then arrange general elections until 2023. All the elections. And we started this from the bottom to the top, so that members of the party will be sure they are involved in decision making.

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Buhari

Confirming the current disposition of the two leading parties to THEWILL on Friday, a top government source, who craved anonymity, said, “The insecurity situation in the country has made everybody, high or low, tiny or mighty, to be careful and watchful, weighing options before making categorical moves.”

“Nobody is just going to sit in Lagos and tell them what to do. This is what we are arranging. Succession plan depends on the party. The party will sit and make its decision by the constituencies they won,” Buhari had said.

The presidency was quick to deny the submission by pundits that the reference to a person “sitting in Lagos to conduct the affairs of the party” was a presidential upper cut aimed at Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the influential Lagos-based politician whose influence in national party affairs and governance has been drastically curtailed.

POLITICAL LANDMINES “The remark showed some of the landmines the party is skirting, ahead of 2023,” a dependable government source told THEWILL. Explaining further, the source disclosed that it was not entirely factual that the party discountenanced Tinubu’s influence in the APC and in the South-West geo-political zone but that the issue of the strange title of National Leader of the party, which Tinubu has claimed for himself since the formation of the party from the legacy parties, has continued to rankle party big wigs and Buhari was in a way reasserting his power to claim that title the party unquestionably ascribed to him as a top party boss when he made the statement in reference to his oversight powers on the expected CECPC report.

THEWILL also recalls that almost immediately former National Chairman of the governing APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, replied the President subtly but firmly on his statement that the party would decide his successor.

He reminded the President that zoning is a ‘gentleman’ arrangement in the party that should be applied to enhance inclusiveness among members.

“What the President said is what it ought to be. We are building not just a political party but a nation. Politics is all about inclusiveness. Although some Nigerians choose to call it zoning or rotation, I prefer to call it inclusiveness.

We must learn to be as inclusive as possible. Every part of a local government, a state or a nation, especially as multi-

On Thursday, however, Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, disclosed that the Caretaker Committee had, indeed, submitted its report to President Buhari. The party convention, he said, would be a matter of days once the presidential had given his approval.

“The Progressives Governors Forum met this evening and reviewed a number of issues relating to the assignments given to committee members, who participated in party affairs, national security and the economy,” said Atiku who is Chairman of the PGF, while addressing journalism after a meeting of the 22 governors of the party in Abuja. The PGF comprises governors elected on the platform of the APC. “There is a proposal before Mr. President and once he approves it, the National Caretaker Committee will announce the date,” the Kebbi governor further disclosed.

Although THEWILL learnt that the issue of exploiting the possibility of zoning power to the South is included in the CECPC report before President Buhari, some party hawks, it was also learnt, are uncertain if it would receive the President’s support.

UNFOLDING BRINKMANSHIP THEWILL can authoritatively confirm that, even so, Governor Buni, is eyeing the chairmanship of the party, leaving the power brokers within the party to deal with their preference for a southern president in a candidate that they refer to as “a bridge.” But Buni would have to resign as governor to become the substantive national chairman of the party because the APC constitution bars its national chairman from holding any other office while in that position.

‘A bridge candidate’, according to THEWILL checks, is a hybrid candidate that has a South-East and South-South lineage.

THEWILL gathered that the thrust of their argument rests on the perception and uncertainty about zoning power to the South-East. The current crisis in the region involving the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) on one hand and lack of unity between IPOB and Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the status of the 2023 general elections in Igboland, has weakened the hand of those rooting for the party to zone the presidency to the South-East despite the unpopular defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State from the PDP to the APC. NO SHAKING FOR THE OPPOSITION Nonetheless, the defection has not shaken the foundations of the PDP in the zone, considering that Umahi has THEWILLNIGERIA

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COVER

Political Landmines unsuccessfully convinced all his appointees to defect with him, not to talk of moving with the party structures in the state. For those pressing this zoning arrangement, wooing more governors from the South-East and South-South into the APC could do the magic. And they will continue to pursue that strategy to exploit the possibility of taking power down south.

WHO THE CAP FITS? When THEWILL put the question recently to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, whom this newspaper learnt fits into the description of the “bridge”, he parried the question.

“In November last year, campaign posters of you running for president with Governor Nasir el-Rufai as vice president were visibly positioned…”, THEWILL had asked him.

He, however, replied, rhetorically: “I wonder where those who printed those posters got the money from, but they must have enough money to waste that they can just go about printing posters.”

“So you have no ambitions for elected office?” the paper pursued.

Again, he parried it. “Can I finish what I am doing now?” he replied, adding, “How do you know that the President will not wake up one morning and announce that there is a new minister of transportation.”

With that, he foreclosed any further questions on 2023 politics.

ENTER THE PDP Although it is in opposition, the PDP has shown its desperation, naturally, to return to the Presidential Villa by frontally criticising the Federal Government’s policies and programmes. And given its potential to do so, it is also skirting the same landmines like its major rival, the APC. For one, a zoning formula is expressly stated in its constitution, but it seems to be ready to abandon it, if the APC makes a move that favours its permutations and calculations. The party produced Presidents from the SouthWest (Olusegun Obansanjo), Umaru Yar’Adua (North) and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (South). So, constitutionally, it should go north now. But there is a snag. 2023 is a different ball game as both parties have been tested by Nigerians and found to have credibility baggage in governance.

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“A party with a caretaker committee is saddled with a specific assignment and it cannot be seen to be making categorical statements on issues you have suggested. Don’t forget it is the ruling party whose president is the leader of the party. You want party leaders to be criticising the president?,” he queried.

When APC party chieftain and former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Bright Omokhodion, was asked the question, he said: “Without restructuring, there can be no election in 2023. During the recent constitution amendment review meeting, I spoke in the same vein when as a member of the Eminent Elders Group, we submitted a memorandum.”

Secondus

Furthermore, there is palpable fear that the South-West zone, which is predominantly APC and second in voting strength after the North, may be alienated once the signal is given that the presidency should go the South-East.

“We have also called for restructuring involving devolution of powers, state policing so state governors can take charge of security in their respective states. To all these suggestions and proposals, the government has not responded. So, it is wrong for anybody to say the PDP has not responded or defined a structure to deal with problems in the country,” he added.

Repeated calls to the General Secretary of the APC Committee, John Akpan Udoedeghe, went unanswered.

But a competent party source told THEWILL that the status of the current exco of the party poses a serious problem.

How that will work out is yet to be seen, especially against the background that, as THEWILL found in the course of investigation, Governor Ben Ayade’s defection from the PDP to the APC was a future foretold because he had been hobnobbing with the ruling party since 2018 and therefore, it was no surprise to his party that he defected. In addition, the South-East/ South-South zones have always voted massively for the PDP. In any case, Ayade’s defection has opened the way for estranged members of the party, such as former Governor Donald Duke, to come back to the PDP. Moreover, the love-lost between IPOB and Ohanaeze and South-East governors on the support for the 2023 polls awakens the sad memory of the misuse of the powers handed the region in the zoning of the Senate Presidency to it by the PDP, whereby the zone produced the highest turnover of Senate Presidents in the nation’s history: Evan Ewerem; Chuba Okadigbo; Anyim Pius Anyim; Adolphus Nwabara and Ken Nnamani between 1999 and 2007 until the position was zoned to the North-Central, resulting in the emergence of David Mark, who served for two unbroken tenures, from 2007 to 2015.

also called for the deployment of technology involving a multilateral security group, use of drones and aircraft to patrol our porous borders.

Even so, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who chaired the committee the party set up to review why it lost the 2015 presidential election, came up with a futuristic report. It projected that there was a clamour in the party for the presidency to be zoned to the North-East or South-East, but it said that in consideration of present realities, the party had to throw the contest open. One of the permutations of the PDP is that the South-West is more politically discerning, among the six geo-political zones and the most likely to vote for good candidates, either as a bloc or split votes, if more acceptable candidates are in the contest.

When THEWILL contacted party spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbodiyan, he confirmed the position of the Bala Mohammed committee report and added, “I do not know what the party decision would be. PDP has not decided on zoning,” even as he agreed that zoning is in the party’s constitution.

Ologbodiyan also disagrees that the PDP has not been frontal in addressing burning issues in relation to governance in the country.

“At every stage, we have provided alternative positions to the APC-led government. On insecurity, we proposed a carrot and stick approach because insurgency is an asymmetric war. But the fact remains that up till this time, the APC government has not been able to determine the true nature of the insurgency. At one point, the government said Sahelians were behind it. On the other hand, they asked governors to be accommodating to their neighbours.

Are the Sahelians the neighbours of the governors?

The government cannot define who we are fighting,” Ologbodiyan told THEWILL. According to him, when the PDP was in power, it had a template to confront insurgency.

“It was public knowledge that Boko Haram sprung up after their leader in Borno State was killed. The party engaged mercenaries to fight alongside the military. APC, then in opposition, said they were killing their members. We have

The governing party has had cause to dump its own committee report on restructuring and federalism, which was processed by the Governor El-Rufai-led committee on the verge of the 2019 elections.

With the nationwide clamour for restructuring at the recent Constitution Amendment hearings and the position of the President that the National Assembly is the only competent power to restructure via amendments, the party has sidestepped its own agenda.

IDENTICAL REMEDY A former presidential assistant under the PDP, who craved anonymity, told THEWILL, “The fact of the matter that seemed to make both big parties skirt the landmines, as you call it, is this: The reason may not be unconnected with the fact that they do not want to alienate groups, zones and regions. Some of the issues are localised within certain regions and none of the parties want to do or say anything that may be interpreted to its disadvantage. For any serious political party, the endgame is to win the election and the winning game is about numbers. Both parties would obviously be responding to whatever the other is doing, they want to win or retain power.”

A former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, however came out frontally on Wednesday and advised APC to pick someone from the South as its presidential candidate in 2023.

Shekarau made the call during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service in Kano on Wednesday.

According to the serving senator, political power shift is important for all Nigerians to have a sense of belonging.

He said, “It is also the same with rotating the presidency between the North and South.

“If we ignore power shifts, we’re not being fair to ourselves and we are not fair to history.

“In my opinion, a power shift is necessary for all Nigerians to have a sense of belonging.”

Shekarau, however, noted that although rotational presidency is not written in the APC’s constitution, it is desirable for justice and fairness.“For instance, the present six geopolitical zones are not reflected in Nigeria’s constitution, but it is a good arrangement. You cannot implement any policy in Nigeria without taking geopolitical zones into consideration,” he added.

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GLOBAL NEWS

Buhari Attends ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Accra

STORIES FROM ZACHEAUS SOMORIN IN TORONTO resident Muhammadu Buhari departed Nigeria to participate at the 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, June 19.

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The President will join other Heads of State of Government of ECOWAS for the mid-year statutory meeting of the regional bloc, with the exception of Mali, which was recently suspended from the group.

term report of the President of the ECOWAS Commission and the ongoing institutional reforms at ECOWAS, among others.

President Buhari was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, Minister of Defence, Maj. General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Minister of Health, Dr

Osagie Ehanire, and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

Other ministers on the trip are the National Security Adviser, Maj. General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, ECOWAS Special Envoy and Mediator to Mali, was expected to present a report on his latest working visit to the West African country to the summit of the Heads of State.

The Heads of State and Government will also receive a report on ECOWAS institutional reforms, single-currency programmes and a memorandum on the proposed mechanism of rotation of ECOWAS Member States’ candidature to the Chairmanship of the African Union.

A communiqué will be issued at the end of the summit. The 59th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government was preceded by the 46th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial Level and the 86th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, in Accra, Ghana.

The MSC, comprising of Ministers responsible for defence and foreign affairs from ECOWAS memberstates, considered the security situation in the ECOWAS Region, among other topical issues on the agenda while the 86th Ordinary Session considered a memorandum on the post-COVID-19 industry recovery plan, the 2021 mid-

Israel to Send 1m COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to Palestinian Authority

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he agreement will see the Palestinian Authority give Israel a reciprocal number of doses from one of its own shipments due to arrive later this year. The Pfizer-BioNTech jabs to be handed over are close to their expiry date.

Israel has faced criticism that it has not done enough to help vaccination efforts in the occupied territories.

About 55% of eligible Israelis have been given both doses as part of a mass vaccination campaign after the country obtained millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials.

The deal involving between 1.0-1.4 million doses was announced by the office of the new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who was sworn in on Sunday, replacing Benjamin Netanyahu.

It was not yet clear when the doses would be sent to the Palestinians. A statement from the Israeli government said Israel expected to receive reciprocal doses from the Pfizer shipment to the PA in September or October.

UN experts had been critical of Israel’s failure to fully extend its vaccination programme to Palestinians under its control. The country reached a special deal with Pfizer, in which it provided vital medical data in return for a quick rollout of the vaccine.

The Israelis said the Palestinians were responsible for managing health matters in the territories.

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Ebrahim Raisi (third from left) front runner in the Iranian Presidential Election and other contestants.

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Iranians Vote in Presidential Election

ranians voted on Friday in what many analysts have described as a controversial election that was all but guaranteed to deliver a hardline president after all the other serious contenders were barred from the race.

The practically uncontested frontrunner is Ebrahim Raisi, the ultra-conservative judiciary chief, who is currently under US sanctions. His only non-conservative election rival is Abdolnaser Hemmati, a former central bank governor running on a moderate platform.

There were signs on Friday afternoon that election turnout would be lower than hoped for by the country’s conservative clerical rulers, as many moderate-minded voters snubbed a poll seen by many as a foregone conclusion. Polls ahead of the election predicted that turnout could be less than 50% for the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

“Each vote counts ... come and vote and choose your president ... this is important for the future of your country,” said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after casting the first vote early Friday. “Low turnout will increase the pressure of the enemies.”

Raisi emerged as the frontrunner after an election supervisory body known as the Guardian Council barred his main rivals from the race. The move was widely criticized, even by Khamenei, who called some of the disqualifications “unjust.”

Raisi’s expected win would come at a pivotal moment for Iran. The next government will have to confront an economic crisis exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and calls for constitutional reform. Tehran is also currently locked in negotiations with the United States about how to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

There are also growing questions around the succession plans for the 81-year-old Khamenei. Regardless of who wins the presidential election, under Iran’s political system it is the Supreme Leader who makes the final call on all major matters of state. Analysts said victory for Raisi in Friday’s presidential election could pave the way for him to become the next Supreme Leader.

“It’s the right of the people to be upset and perhaps some have been upset by the current situation, but I’m asking all of the Iranian people to come to the polls to solve the problems,” Raisi tweeted after he cast his ballot on Friday.

“I hope that people will feel the change soon ... I consider myself a servant for all of the people of Iran,” Raisi also said, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

African Leaders Mourn Zambia’s Liberation Giant, Kenneth Kaunda

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frican leaders from around the continent have paid tribute to Kenneth Kaunda, the former Zambian president, who died on June 17, 2021 at the age of 97.

A statement from the African Union describes Kaunda as one of Africa’s finest sons.

“He embodied the true sense of Pan-Africanism, placing his own country Zambia at grave risk in order to provide safe harbour for the liberation movements of Southern Africa as well as its peoples. His championing of the Frontline States to defeat Apartheid and white minority rule in southern Africa laid the foundation for what we call regional integration today,” the statement says.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Deconstructing the Raging Bull SAM DIALA interrogates the myth surrounding the emergence of Nigeria as the world’s best performing Stock Exchange in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recession and other negative fundamentals

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any observers are still perplexed over the unusually bullish trend that earned Nigeria the Best Performing Stock Exchange in the World ranking in 2020 – a year that businesses experienced the worst operating environment.

By conventional wisdom, the stock market is a barometer of the economy. As an important component of a country’s economic and financial set-up, stock markets reflect and mirror the conditions of an economy at a given time. They are termed “barometer” because changes in the stock market index are indicative of the concurrent changes in the economy.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread human suffering and destabilised the global economy in the worst dimension in 100 years, Nigeria emerged the best performing stock exchange in the world. Exceptionally, the country beat the Group of 7 (G-7) nations which control more than 50 per cent of the global net wealth and determines the political heartbeat of the entire world.

Consider the London Stock Exchange (England), Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Germany), NYSE American (the USA), Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan), Toronto Stock Exchange (Canada) and the others in that higher-ranking category, some recording over $30 trillion market capitalisation.

Nigeria beat them all “hands down”.

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Besides the rampaging COVID-19, Nigeria was deep in recession at the time – the worst in 25 years. The country also wore (and still wears) the toga of the world’s headquarters of the poorest people. According to the World Bank, 80 percent of the world’s extremely poor people reside in Africa’s largest economy. The prolonged land border closure and the inauspicious #EndSARS protest did not end with good tidings for the economy.

Trapped in such a frightening socio-economic scenario, therefore, for Nigeria to emerge the best performing stock exchange in the world deserves some interrogation. At least, it will assist in enlightening the minds of the ‘uninitiated’ who are battling with the paradox and, also, watching the complex interplay of the stock market fundamentals from the sidelines.

THRIVING IN ANOMALIES? The year 2020 has been described as one of anomalies.

Perhaps, the most perplexing aspect of 2020 anomalies was the mysterious resurgence of the global stock market.

Interestingly, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), now NGX Limited, led the resurgence in global stock markets, outperforming other markets around the world. Out of 80 other stock market indices on Bloomberg tracking global stocks in different countries around the world, the NSE AllShare Index (NSE Index) was the best performing market with a year-to-date return of around 44.55 per cent – the best return in three years.

The nation’s inflation rate as of December 2020 was 15.75 per cent from 12.13 per cent in January of the same year (a rise of 362 basis points). The GDP rate grew by 0.11 per cent as the nation wriggled out of recession that gripped it in Q2 2020 with a negative growth of -6.1 percent.

Unemployment rate reached an all-time high of 27.1 per cent in Q2 2020 amid COVID-19-induced slump in oil price in the international market. Interest rate (MPR) was 11.5 per cent, while actual bank rates hovered around 20 per cent and over. GDP per capita dropped from $2,341 in December 2019 to $2,073, a decline of 11.44 per cent.

Notwithstanding its status as Africa’s largest economy ($447 billion), Nigeria was not among the IMF-ranked 10 fastest growing economies in the continent led by Ghana.

The high performance ignited the NSE market-wide circuit breaker on November 12, 2020 at 12:55 pm, the first in four years. The NSE circuit breakers are triggered during periods of extraordinary volatility in the equities market in order to maintain an orderly market and to allow liquidity to re-aggregate. On that date, the circuit breaker kicked in when NSE ASI rose beyond the set threshold of 5 per cent, triggering a 30-minute trading halt of all stocks. That is to show the unexpectedly bullish performance of the market at the time.

Again, more than N435 billion worth of unsuccessful transactions were recorded in the Nigerian T-Bills auction conducted by the CBN on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 on behalf of the Federal Government. The trend of limited attractive instruments had forced investors to bid as low as 1 per cent each for the 92-day and 182-day bills and 1.9 per cent for the longer 364-day maturities. Rates on T-Bills plunged further as the CBN settled its stop-rates at 0.04 percent, 0.15 percent and 0.3 percent for the 91-day, 182day and 364-day maturities respectively, as against 0.34 percent, 0.5 percent and 0.9 percent in the previous stop rates auction. *Continues on Page 8

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SPECIAL REPORT *Continued from Page 7

Deconstructing the Raging Bull

WHY MIRACULOUS SURGE? Several reasons account for Nigeria’s standing like an oasis in the desert during the COVID-19 ravaged year among global stock markets. The first was the sudden bullish trend created by the exodus of investors from the low interest environment of the fixed income market. The Federal Government had ‘decreed’ low-yield returns for the T-Bills and Bonds instruments. This, in its wisdom, was to discourage the influx of investors to the safe haven of the fixed income market incubating idle assets.

The government believed it could stimulate the real sector by ‘starving’ the fixed income market of funds so as to boost the equity market where long-term funds exist. The resultant and sustained CBN dovish position spurred a rally in the equity market, which provided a haven for investors fleeing low T-Bill and Bond yields. So, the equity market witnessed an influx of investors on pilgrimage who could also be described as bargain hunters in exile.

The second reason: The low-yield interest rate environment ignited an increase in stocks’ valuation, leading to a good number of stocks recording price gains compared to their pre-rally status. This included stocks outside the bellwether group, such as insurance, which used to flood the dormant equities and ‘kobo’ stock league. Not less than 30 stocks were identified among those that rewarded investors with impressive returns year-to-date; occasioned by the “induced” rally in the stock market. In other words, many dead stocks resurrected and injected more strength into the raging bull at a time many expected the bear to dominate the stage.

The third factor that led to the stock market quantum leap in 2020 was the palpable ‘frustration’ of foreign investors who could not access foreign exchange (forex) to repatriate their profits or import raw materials. They “had no better choice than to reinvest in the stock market,” said Uche Uwaleke, professor of Capital Market at Nasarawa State University.

Evidently, the biting forex scarcity discouraged investments even in the real sector.

Reports showed that manufacturers and other businesses relied more on the unofficial forex market to fund their operations, which ate into their earnings. Some manufacturers, who benefited from the CBN COVID-19 intervention funds, lamented over their inability to source forex to bring in the required machinery for their operations.

The fourth reason for the dominance of the raging bull on the stage was the effects of the controversial 15-month closure of the country’s land borders with neighbouring countries.

The development had its toll on many manufacturing companies as they could not export their products during the period. Among them was Cadbury Nigeria, which reported a 14.4 percent slump in export sales revenue to N3.3 billion in nine months in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the borders.

Aari Steel, an exporter of steel products, stopped selling to West and Central Africa as exporting by sea ultimately proved expensive. PZ Cussons and Nestle Nigeria reportedly spent weeks at sea, while exporting their products to the West and Central African markets. The bold step eventually turned suicidal resulting in loss of forex earnings, dwindling revenue and contraction of operations.

Many workers had to be laid off and the money saved from the payment of their salaries was moved to the stock market, according to industry sources.

The other factor was the reported preferential treatment extended to Dangote Cement and Bua Cement to export their products through the land while the border closure was still in force. This controversial treatment impacted positively on the market. How? Their activities obeyed the fundamental ‘ice’ law of economic growth: Investment, Consumption and Export (ICE), which the two companies’ activities involve. They earned huge money during the period. With a combined market capitalisation of N6.27 trillion (N3.74 trillion and N2.53 trillion), or 31 percent of total market capitalisation of N20.23 trillion as of March 12,

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Institutional investors such as Pension Fund Administrators, who are the major ‘movers and shakers’ of the stock market rally that created ‘irrational resurgence’ of the equity market in 2020, will naturally ‘amend their ways’. They have now staged a vigorous comeback to the fixed income market with the excitement of captives returning from exile 2020, Dangote and Bua naturally boosted the stock market.

Recall that Dangote Cement executed a buy-back (of 85.2 million shares) on the NSE in December 2020. The deal, aimed to repurchase 10 per cent of the company’s 17.04 billion issued shares, led to a 9.98 per cent rise in its share price to N230.4. The shares, which had hit bottom in April, rose to an almost two-year high on news of the share buyback, according to Reuters. One can philosophically say, when Dangote sneezes, the market catches cold.

Finally, as the earning season resonated towards the end of the year, bargain hunters ‘invaded’ the equity market to take positions. It preceded the dividend earning season of the first quarter of 2021 when quoted companies reward their shareholders with dividends or capital appreciation allotments. This equally accounted for the unusually bullish force that launched Nigeria on the global spotlight in 2020.

UNDERLYING IMPLICATIONS The historic development in Nigeria’s financial services industry points to one fact: Nigeria runs a public sectordriven economy which, sadly, crowds out the private sector – the engine of economic development. The ‘growth’ in the equity market was the outcome of ‘Caesar’s’ command. It was an uncommon phenomenon not expected to assume an

immutable stance.

Conventionally, capital does not obey the command of dictatorship. You do not decree the route that capital should stick to. Naturally, money works for whoever employs it the efficient way. When you decree on the route that capital must follow, be sure that it will ultimately make a detour to find the suitable course.

According to Benjamin Disraell, there can be no economy where there is no efficiency. For the government to borrow at 0.1 percent in T-Bills and Bond and ‘push’ investors to the equity market smacks of inefficiency; it mirrors no wealth-creating fundamentals in the first place.

Institutional investors, such as Pension Fund Administrators, who are the major ‘movers and shakers’ of the stock market rally that created the “irrational resurgence” of the equity market in 2020, will naturally ‘amend their ways’. They have now staged a vigorous comeback to the fixed income market with the excitement of captives returning from exile.

ENTERS MOMENT OF REALITY Stakeholders had predicted that a bust of the bullish stock market would occur in 2021, beginning from Q1. This is because the 2020 rally was not a creation of strong fundamentals. In the government’s unbridled bid for borrowing, experts predict early reversal in the government’s low interest policy. This has shown in both the T-Bill and Bond sale programmes published earlier in 2021. “Government is already returning to the fixed income market for borrowing; so, we expect a bust any time soon,” said Mr Paul Uzum, stockbroker and Vice President at Planet Capital.

The Doyen of Nigerian Stockbrokers and Non-Executive Director at UIDC Securities Limited, Mr Sam Ndata, described the unusual market rally of 2020 as puzzling and one not founded on strong fundamentals. “When has strong fundamentals supported market performance in recent times – is it PE (price earning) ratios or market hear-say, or what?

You hardly use fundamentals to analyse the market these days,” Ndata said, suggesting that the 2020 stock market rally was a hanging object.

“What is not in doubt is that given the bullish behaviour of the stock market, especially in Q4 of 2020, which can be likened to a tide that lifted some stocks beyond their intrinsic values, the stock market will pull back [decline] this year.

I expect some sort of market correction in 2021 since the conditions that pushed up stock prices last year (especially low interest rate environment) are likely to reverse,” Prof Uwaleke said in a note to THEWILL. THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS

National Assembly and Challenge of Constitution Amendment

BY AYO ESAN he National Assembly has begun the process of reviewing the 1999 Constitution which has attracted condemnation from many Nigerians over the past 22 years.

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The Senate held a national public hearing on the review of the constitution between June 3 and 4, 2021 in the Federal Capital Territory.

It would be recalled that the National Assembly had made previous attempts at reviewing the constitution in the past with little or no result to show to the agitating Nigerians.

The public hearing was a follow up to similar sittings held at the zonal level across the country a few weeks ago, an event described by Senate President Ahmed Lawan as successful. Under the exercise, each of the six geopolitical zones of the country was assigned two venues to enable groups and individuals present their demands. The venues were Enugu and Owerri for the South-East; Lagos and Akure for the South-West, Kaduna and Sokoto for the North-West, Bauchi and Gombe for the North-East, Port Harcourt and Asaba for the South-South, and Jos and Minna for the North-Central.

The process for reviewing the 1999 Constitution, as amended, gathered momentum with the zonal public hearings in 12 venues as attendees clamoured for the creation of state police, devolution of powers to the states, creation of more states, restructuring and fiscal federalism.

These demands featured prominently in the presentations made by stakeholders at the event nationwide.

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Major contributions during the zonal hearing came from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who advocated a return to the 1963 Constitution, his counterpart in Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, who called for a new constitution and not an amendment of the 1999 document. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State canvassed a special status for the state, which hitherto hosted the nation’s capital, while the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also submitted a 72-page document seeking the retention of the minimum wage, among other demands. Local government workers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), asked the lawmakers to make local governments autonomous.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Senator Kabiru Gaya, said the committee received a large number of memos from the states during the zonal sittings.

Akeredolu set the ball rolling by declaring his support for calls for a return to the 1963 Constitution, which gave powers to the regions to develop at their own pace.

The governor said the 1963 Constitution, which reflected the republican status of the country, remained the best document for a country as heterogeneous as Nigeria.

He said the powers of the Federal Government must be trimmed as it was the major source of friction in the country.

Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of the South-West Governors Forum, warned that the current attempt at constitution amendment should be taken beyond the usual jamboree conceived and executed to arrive at a predetermined result.

“The current exercise, therefore, must not toe the path of the previous attempts at tokenism. The basic law of any country must not be reduced to frivolities reflecting preferred whimsies,” he added.

Presenting the position of Ekiti State, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Jamiu, like Akeredolu, said the new constitution should allow only five political parties, independent candidates, e-voting and Diaspora voting.

He advocated a new revenue formula, which should be in favour of the states and local government areas. He also said that there should be state police.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State identified inadequacies in the constitution to cover revenue allocation, security provision and inclusiveness in running the affairs of the country.

On his part, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State noted that citizens’ participation in the ongoing constitution review would strengthen democracy.

Tambuwal also described the constitution as a reference point of democracy. *Continues on Page 11

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POLITICS PLATEAU APC

Undertones of Letep Dabang’s Suspension unambiguously, “The party is in receipt of a correspondence suspending you from office as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Plateau State chapter of our party over anti-party activities. Your suspension as contained in a document endorsed by members of the state executive committee and the executive governor of your state cannot be ignored.”

FROM UKANDI ODEY he chestnut is in the fire in the Plateau State chapter of the All Progressives Congress. The party is embroiled in an internal crisis resulting from a clash of interests between its chairman and the governor of the state, Simon Lalong, who is also the leader of the party in the state.

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Although the suspension order was kind enough to hint at a “pending investigation” to determine the veracity or otherwise of the charges, it is arguable whether Leteb will have the privilege of returning to office as Plateau State Chairman of the APC. Apart from the reality that the forces against him are unyielding and closing in with tactical consolidation by the day, Dabang’s governorship ambition is his albatross.

One of Dabang’s miscalculations, which his traducers highlighted, is his declaration of interest in the forthcoming governorship election in the state on the platform of the APC. His ambition to succeed Lalong as the executive governor of Plateau has transcended the realm of speculation, as his posters have been found at different locations in the state.

Without a disclaimer on the posters, it is assumed that Dabang himself is behind the project, for which reason some of the party faithful feel he should have voluntarily stepped aside as chairman of the party in the interest of fairness and good conscience. But there is more to it than meets the eye and the ‘patriotic’ conscience of the ‘Concerned APC Patriots’.

The fire started stoking when the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) announced a timetable and its readiness to conduct local government councils elections on October 8, 2021. This development put all the political parties willing to participate in the exercise on their marks.

For the ruling APC, the stakes couldn’t have been lower or less. For both Lalong and Dabang, party leader and chairman, respectively, it was not the time to delegate power or deploy functions, especially in the critical area of setting out guidelines that would regulate party members – especially aspirants – during the exercise.

Twice a meeting of stakeholders convened by Lalong at the Government House in Jos merely stretched into the night but ended inconclusively, no thanks to the dichotomy in the positions canvassed by Lalong and Dabang as regards how candidates of the party for the local government polls should emerge. On both occasions, Lalong ended with undisguised anger and annoyance with the submissions of Leteb whose script was united with his own only in their parallel and self-serving details.

For instance, Dabang was said to have unilaterally, as chairman of the party, favoured automatic tickets for incumbent local government chairmen, who are willing to run again, while Lalong reportedly objected to that, preferring a more inclusive arrangement in which candidates would emerge from the delegates’ options.

On both occasions, it was actually a night of tempests occasioned by boastful but bitter exchanges, forcing Governor Lalong to appropriate victory to himself by calling the meeting to a close with executive arrogance and callousness.

However, the lessons of the rowdy meetings were eloquent in both content and context. Dabang’s insistence on his own guidelines indicated boldly to Lalong and his foot soldiers that he underrated the governor and desired to take one step ahead of him by preempting who emerges as candidate.

Secondly, Lalong saw himself more as governor than party leader. He considered Dabang’s effrontery as an uncommon affront, which should be dealt with with political banality and contextual finality – the logic being that once he loses

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Dabang

At the root of the crisis is an amorphous group within the party, which calls itself the Concerned APC Patriots. On June 3, 2021, members of the group addressed a press conference in which they presented a multi-coloured impression of the fallen chairman, Letep Dabang, brought weighty accusations against him and charged him for antiparty conduct and unmitigated high handedness, which saw him running the party’s secretariat like a “Leteb Dabang Foundation”.

the platform, he will also lose the voice, relevance, and all appurtenances thereto.

For his current travails, many have blamed Leteb for proceeding without the benefit of hindsight: Ever since Obasanjo introduced the nebulous position of ‘party leader’ into political party structure in Nigeria, no party chairman has ever fought the party leader and won!

Eight days after the ‘Concerned APC Patriots’ launched the offensive at a press conference and after two nights of turbulence and turmoil, without a grand finale, on June 11, the national Secretariat of the APC slammed a suspension order on Leteb, over alleged “anti-party activities”.

The letter of suspension, signed by John James Akpanudoedehe, Secretary, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, states quite

Being a bona fide citizen of Plateau Central Senatorial District (Pankshin LGA) whose turn it is to produce the next state governor come 2023, Leteb’s ambition is not well received by Lalong, who is said to be more favourably disposed to the ambition of another Plateau Central Citizen from the Kanke Local Government Area. The suspension of Dabang is designed and calculated to hound him out of the party. Having served as chairman of the State APC for more than two terms, it will be naïve to discountenance his pedigree and reach. As he rues his suspension, or as ‘investigation’ into the charges against him continues, the Lalong war machine will continue an aggressive quest to neutralise his counter-offensive.

By and large, the forces on both sides are determined, just as the duel holds the prospects of denigrating fortunes for the APC in the local government elections and the general elections in 2023.

Already, both sides have to admit that the suspension has given rise to some issues in the party and factions have been created with Lalong and Dabang heading either platoon. Given the time and stakes, it is a fight-to-finish contest with a huge potential to spiral across senatorial borders. Whichever way it goes and whoever wins, it will be at a price to the APC. It may end up as an unnecessary war fought for selfish reasons over spoils that belong to the generality of Plateau people to decide.

C/River’s Ninth Assembly Presents Second Year Score Card FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN he Ninth Session of the Cross River State House of Assembly has presented its Second Year Score card to the public.

“Honourable Members of the ninth Assembly and selected staff attended two capacity building workshops organised

by Konard Adenauer Stiftung, one of our very reliable development partners.

The assembly which is headed by Rt. Hon. Eteng Jonas Williams said it has passed seven bills, three motions and twelve resolutions

“The first held in Nike Lake Resort, Enugu between 21st and 22nd October, 2020. The second was in Ibom Icon Hotel, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from 21st to 23rd April, 2021.

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It also said it is considering four matters of public importance and has done four confirmations.

Williams disclosed this at the Assembly Complex at a brief occasion to mark the second year anniversary of the 9th assembly.

The Speaker listed the seven bills passed by the House to include, the Cross River State Legislative House and Fund Management Bill 2020, the Cross River State Appropriation (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Cross River State Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau for Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill 2020.

Also listed are the Cross River State Polytechnic Bill 2020, the Cross River State Appropriation Bill 2021, the Cross River State Bureau of Statistics (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the Cross River State University Bill 2021.

He acknowledged the contributions of some of its partners who helped in capacity building for members of the assembly.

“These trainings have improved the overall management of the House processes both in and out of the Chamber.

“We pride ourselves as being one of the best House of Assembly in the Country in respect of our application of standard legislative practices and procedure”, he stated.

He said infrastructural development of the assembly complex was improved particularly the aesthetics of the Assembly and the rehabilitation of the Administrative Block to provide a decent working environment for Members and staff.

At the official residential quarters, he said there has been provision of alternative power supply and water remained uninterrupted in the last 12 months.

Moving forward into the third Legislative year, the Speaker assured that the Cross River State House of Assembly will remain indivisible, strong and committed to the service of the state.

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POLITICS public hearing of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He stated that true federalism must be clearly defined and it must reflect decentralisation and devolution of power among the federating units.

Speaking with THEWILL, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, described the attempt by the National Assembly to amend the constitution as deceitful.

He said, “Who produced the National Assembly? Is it not the same constitution? You can see the deceit”

Lawan & Gbajabiamila

George said the only solution to the challenges facing the country lay in the adoption of the report of the 2014 National Conference. He stressed that since the confab had discussed everything about Nigeria, it should be adopted as the way forward for the country.

A former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, Dr Yunusa Tanko, also adopted Afenifere’s position.

... Challenge of Constitution Amendment

*Continued from Page 9

In Enugu, devolution of power and creation of state police topped discussions at the public hearing. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi expressed his support and that of the state to the constitution amendments, which he said would enhance Nigeria’s unity and prosperity, especially “in an environment where justice, fairness and equity shall prevail.”

In Jos, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State expressed the hope that the constitution review would help to address the security challenges in the state and other parts of the country.

He said, “Hopefully, this constitutional review should lead to better policing that is closer to the people in order to stop this kind of unacceptable murders.

“Let me use this opportunity as the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum to say that we have since set up committees on restructuring, the role of traditional rulers, engagement with the youth and even economic reforms of the region.”

Also Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State emphasised the need for the amendments to produce a people’s constitution that would guarantee devolution of powers, fiscal federalism and creation of state police in addition to strengthening the electoral system.

He said the amendments must allow the states to create and sustain local government councils and ensure the reduction of the costs of governance at both federal and state levels.

“A better constitution can only be possible if the exercise is approached and carried out with sincerity of purpose and commitment to correct the fundamental challenges that have caused deep cracks to the foundation of our country and threatening to tear our dear nation into pieces.

“It is only the blind that may not see that Nigeria is headed for a dangerous precipice unless something drastic and urgent is done to correct the identified flaws in our constitution and the nature of the federal system that has been foisted on this country.”

The Pan –Yoruba Socio- cultural organisation, Afenifere, THEWILLNIGERIA

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described the process initiated by the National Assembly to amend the constitution as an exercise in futility.

The group did not submit a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review. Its Secretary-General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said efforts aimed at amending the constitution would not achieve any positive result.

He said, “Afenifere advocates fundamental restructuring of Nigeria for the reinvention of a federal constitution as the agreed principles of governing the country and its diverse ethnic nationalities by our founding fathers, which will ultimately replace the imposed 1999 unitary constitution.

“Amending the constitution is an exercise in futility and a waste of time and public fund.

“We cannot claim to be a federal republic and be governed by a unitary constitution. We cannot claim to be in a democracy and be governed by a constitution that does not emanate from the people.

In an interview with THEWILL, Tanko said, “I support a brand new constitution. Many Nigerians will not be comfortable with the amendment they are trying to make.

There are certain things that people are agitating for.

Some are demanding the creation of an additional state in the South-East. Some people are calling for resource control. Some are calling for true federalism, in terms of controlling their own police and so on. Generally the constitution needs a complete overhaul.

“No matter what amendment is made, if it does not take care of these things holistically, many people will kick against it. So, instead of allowing people to kick, why don’t we just have a constitution that will be acceptable to every Nigerian? Then we can start the process of rebuilding our country”.

Also speaking with THEWILL, former presidential candidate of KOWA in the 2015 presidential election, Prof Remi Sonaiya, said she also supported a brand new constitution instead of amending the 1999 constitution.

“I will like to let you know that what we are asking for is a brand new constitution. Of course, the National Assembly said they are not empowered to do that, that what their power can do is to make amendments. So our suggestion is that they can just do one thing for us. They should not worry about the issues that various interests groups have brought before them. Let them do one thing: Amend the constitution to allow the citizens to have a referendum on the constitution. Let them just do that one thing for us.

“The National Assembly is part of the issue to be determined in the process of restructuring and it cannot legitimately be the judge in such exercise.

“Once that is done, the citizens can take over. This is because what we want now is a citizen-driven constitution.

It is not the one that a group of people will impose upon us. The citizens are already talking. Some are saying let us first of all revert to 1963 constitution. That one was clearly negotiated and agreed to by the different regions of Nigeria. May be we can go that way and then each region with autonomy can now decide what kind of structure they want internally for their region. Some are rejecting this proposal because the regions in those days were named Western, Eastern and Northern Regions.

“This is evident from the condemnation of the declarations of the governors of the southern states in support of restructuring by both the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, while the committees, as agents of the National Assembly, were gallivanting around the country. From nothing, nothing comes. Ex nihilo nihil fit.”

“What if we just take the six geopolitical zones that we have now and let them be the federating units of our federation? Each federating unit can then decide what kind of structure it wishes to have internally. This issue about having the constitution listing the local government areas in the country is not the business of the constitution. These are the issues we are concerned about”.

However, Ohanaeze Ndigbo demanded internal autonomy based on a restructured Nigeria in the proposed new constitution.

Political analysts and watchers of political development are eagerly awaiting the National Assembly’s effort to bring about the desired change through the amendment of the constitution. Will the lawmakers be able to do it? Only time will tell.

“Amendment will not cure the anomalies. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.

“Every session of the two arms of the National Assembly since 2007 has embarked on the same jamboree of a constitutional amendment by spending public funds on public hearings without achieving any result.

The organisation’s President-General, Ambassador George Obiozor, spoke on the second day of the South-East zonal

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

Nigerian Constitution Needs Complete Overhaul – Tanko A former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party, Alhaji Yunusa Tanko, speaks with AYO ESAN on Nigeria’s democracy at 22 and the desire for a new constitution by Nigerians, among other issues of national importance. Excerpts:

Tanko

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n June 12, 2021, Nigerians marked Democracy Day. How do you see our journey into democracy since 1999?

It started very slowly and we had lots of doubts. I remember that in 1993 when we had the presidential election, which featured Chief Moshood Abiola and Alhaji Bashir Tofa, both of the SDP and NRC, respectively, we were expecting that the result would be different and that the people’s wish would be carried out . Then in 1997 or so when General Abdusalam Abubakar took over and he promised that the 1999 election would be free and fair, those of us in the civil society groups didn’t believe him. Many of us didn’t even contest the election. We left the stage for other people who had no business in government and who did not understand what we went through demanding for democracy. At the end of it all, what happened was that these particular individuals who grabbed power even made a silly situation out of it.

The electoral process was heavily monetised.

The electoral umpire has been polluted, especially with the President’s recent nomination of his media aide as a commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission. The system is so polluted that the common man cannot contest an election. Yet democratic rule is still far better than military rule because we still have the ballots in our hands to make the changes we desire.

prevent them from coming out to protest.

On Democracy Day, protesters were dispersed and some arrested by the Police in Lagos and Abuja. What is your reaction to this?

I found it difficult to believe this, considering the fact that many of us worked hard to ensure that freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom to protest when things are done wrongly was made possible. That is what obtains in a democratic system.

Of course, there are rules of engagement. When we are going out to protest, it is very important for us to notify the police. I am glad to notice that some of the protests in Osun and Edo States were even supported by sitting governors. Unfortunately in Lagos and Abuja people were prevented from expressing what is going on in their minds. That is undemocratic. I am amazed to see that some of our comrades, who were in the forefront of defending the interest of the masses, are now trying to antagonise the people and

What is your take on the Federal Government’s ban on Twitter?

With regard to the ban on Twitter, I have already said on AIT and Channels Television that we need to look at it and see if there is evidence of double standards on the part of Twitter. It would be unfair for Twitter to remove President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweets, while it retained that of Nnamdi Kanu, who has also been accused of trying to put some clog in the wheels of progress of Nigeria. Twitter should have trod with caution. It should have given the Federal Government a warning, not to blatantly impugn on the integrity and sovereignty of the country. This is because an attack on the President is also an attack on the sovereignty of the country.

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I condemn in totality a situation in which some of our people are gagged and stopped from exercising their fundamental human rights. The police may guide and protect, but they should not intimidate those who go out to express their displeasure with certain decisions and actions by government.

At the same time, some of the statements that were made by the President may be very offensive to other

people. So our leaders should be guided on how they make their statements. Nobody will stop Mr President from saying what is right. But in saying it, profiling a particular ethnic group would send a wrong signal to those people. We would advise that both Twitter and the Federal Government should have a round-table discussion and get a correct understanding of the matter. I also support the idea of registering all kinds of social media platforms in the country because they are really causing a lot of problems in the areas of jungle journalism.

You find it difficult to understand which of the stories coming out of the social media is correct or not correct. And that creates a lot of confusion in the system. Some people don’t know that false and damaging information travels faster than correct information. There may be a need to regulate some of the contents so that it will not create problems for those who are listening, watching, viewing or reading the messages and those who send them out.

So I support the regulation of the social media so that we can monitor some of these things. If possible, we can develop a Nigerian app. But that is not to say that we will deny the people the freedom to express their fundamental human rights. We also need to protect THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW the sovereignty of this country.

A few weeks ago, the Senate and the House of Representatives organised public sittings to get the people’s views on which sections of the constitution they want to be amended. If you were asked to make suggestions to the National Assembly, which areas would you think need amendment?

Sections 4, 8 and 9 are the areas that will give the National Assembly the power to constitute an extraordinary body through which representatives of the people can now come in from different areas and look at this particular constitution. This is because many Nigerians have raised a hue and cry over the constitution, which has provided a lot of challenges for us, especially in the areas of appointments, revenue generation and devolution of power, income generation, policy formulation and state creation. This also includes electoral reform and the registration of political parties. These are very inimical to our collective survival as a nation.

If the members of the National Assembly can muscle up and realise that we have a country to save, they can look at sections 8 and 9 and appoint a committee that will look at the reports of all the conferences we have had and draft a constitution that will be acceptable to everybody. With that we can save the country and avert a calamity that is dangling over our heads.

Are you suggesting a brand new constitution?

Of course, yes. Even the amendment that the National Assembly wants to make will not be accepted by many Nigerians. They will not be comfortable with it. There are certain things that people are agitating for. Some are demanding the creation of an additional state in the South-East. Some people are calling for resource control, while others are calling for true federalism, in terms of controlling their own police and so on.

The constitution needs a complete overhaul. No matter what amendment is made, if it does not take care of these things holistically, many people will kick against it. So, instead of allowing people to kick, why don’t we just have a constitution that will be acceptable to every Nigerian? Then we can start the process of rebuilding our country.

I believe the issue of zoning is the result of lack of equity and fairness in our system. If, for example, you have a southern candidate who comes out and has the capacity to lead this country, let him contest and let the people determine who becomes their president. After all, in the past we had candidates who came from different parts of the country and they won the election. The truth is that we are talking of zoning because there is no justice and confidence in the system we are running.

There is no trust in the electoral process. That is the reason why we are talking of giving it to the North or giving it to the South. Of course, that lowers the capacity of the person leading our country. So let’s leverage the issue of competence as a panacea to solve most of our problems as a nation.

What advice do you have for INEC and the THEWILLNIGERIA

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Tanko

One recurring decimal is the issue of zoning of presidency. What is your take on this?

I don’t believe in zoning or what others call rotational presidency. I believe in competence, fairness and equity. If you say we should rotate the presidency between the North and the South, what happens to the micro-zoning of the North- West, North-East, South-East and South-West, for instance? When we say let us zone it to the North and South, it may lead to a situation where an incompetent person becomes president. People will excuse his presence in that position on the ground that it is the turn of his region to rule.

National Assembly as we move towards 2023?

The key issue about electoral reform is that I want INEC to be led by an individual that has the interest of this country at heart. Although, the present INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, has also shown that he wants to do the right thing for the people, our legal instruments have hampered most of the people that found themselves as Chairman of INEC .

Look at our electoral system. How do you reconcile a situation where someone runs for an election in a political party and the next minute he jumps to another political party and INEC does not have the power to stop that person from running in the election? How do you justify people spending huge sums of money to contest an election? How do you justify the nomination of a card carrying member of a political party as INEC Commissioner? This is a very serious matter that is hampering the work of INEC itself.

“

We must make sure that the Electoral Act reforms get passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. We must also ensure that the contents of the Electoral Act tackle the issue of political ‘nomadism’ and take care of excessive spending on contesting election

We want an INEC that is truly independent and whose money comes from the Consolidated Fund without any interference from the National Assembly. We want an INEC that is unbundled in such a way that it will be responsible only for election, while other things like constituency delineation goes to the National Population Commission.

We need to have a commission that will enforce rules and regulations, where anybody that violates electoral regulations will be arrested and dealt with. With this we will reduce the burden of INEC. So that is the reason why a reform of the Electoral Act becomes very important and germane now.

We must make sure that the Electoral Act reforms get passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President. We must also ensure that the contents of the Electoral Act tackle the issue of political ‘nomadism’ and take care of excessive spending on contesting election, as well as all other forms of negative tendencies that are currently in the system, so that Nigerians can now have trust in our election and the electoral umpire.

Are you not concerned about the worsening insecurity in the country?

Definitely there is serious concern for every wellmeaning Nigerian. The truth is that we did not nip it in the bud when it started. We were so lackadaisical about it. Now the insecurity has now come to everybody’s doorstep. I think Mr President needs to take more decisive actions, as regards fighting the insurgency which has put the country in a shaky position. We are not happy with what is happening and the President hasn’t done enough. The root cause of insurgency has not been dealt with. Issues such as unemployment, hunger, non-payment of salaries of workers, lack of adequate care for the welfare of the citizens and so on.

What is the present state of your party, the National Conscience Party?

Well, we are still having issues with INEC. At the moment we are in the High Court in Lagos.

Unfortunately, we heard the judge has been transferred to Kano, but judgment has not been given.

You also know that judiciary workers went on strike and they are just resuming now. But you should also note that many cases are still pending at the Supreme Court on the same matter of deregistration by INEC. And we are mobilising the people to believe in the fact that this country belongs to all of us. We have a right as a political movement that has turned into a political party to go for election.

The process through which they went about deregistering political parties is what we are challenging. It is completely wrong.

We thank God that the Court of Appeal has granted that particular injunction and at the same time ruled in favour of political parties.

But INEC has challenged that ruling. The case is coming up in October. We hope and pray that it is going to be in our favour. All the political parties involved are already working underground, mobilising and preparing for our convention.

In 2019 you contested the presidential election. Are you still interested in contesting for the presidency in 2023?

That will depend on what the people want from me. At the moment I am concerned about working together with a lot of people to improve the country. But if the people find me worthy of running for the position, I will run. If they want us to support someone I will do that because we are democrats and we want to have a society that all of us to can have confidence in. So it is not about my personal interest; it is all about the interest of the country.

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EDITORIAL Southern Nigerian Governors Forum: Exploring the Flipside T

he recent meeting of 17 Governors of the Southern States of Nigeria, under the aegis of the Southern Nigerian Governors Forum (SNGF), in Asaba, Delta State, on May 11, 2021, was a landmark event.

Prompted by the exigencies of the time, the governors, in one accord, assembled at the venue, at obvious costs and avoidable inconvenience, to address a common challenge.

Their concern touched on the welfare of their people, in particular, and Nigeria in general, especially the grisly security situation across the country. To achieve their objective, the governors evidently abandoned parochial considerations and distanced themselves from the usual political imperatives that dictate their thoughts and actions. They, of course, realised that these are factors which give the erroneous impression that a sense of responsibility has receded from their priorities as leaders. It is commendable that they looked beyond these enclaves with a determination to achieve a common purpose.

It must be noted that the governors are all members of the pan-Nigerian Governors Forum as well as belonging to their sub-sectional groups. Some belong to the Progressive Governors’ Forum which is the umbrella body of the Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-ruling party. Others are members of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was also an admixture of the South-West Governors Forum, the South-East Governors Forum and those belonging to the South-South states governors.

At the end, they issued a 12-point communique, which suggests that the governors succeeded in collapsing their individual and party sentiments to arrive at the underlying consensus for good governance and welfare of their people. Again, they achieved the feat by consciously demonstrating the need for a common alliance towards the corporate existence of Nigeria on which the success of their sub-nationals hinges.

It is worthy of note that there was no dissenting voice nor

has there been a re-think among any of the 17 southern governors that participated physically or those that had their proxies attend on their behalf. There has not been a dissenting voice against the Asaba meeting since it was concluded.

Some critics have defined the southern governors meeting as an assemblage of ambitious politicians to propagate tribal lamentations of ethnic warlords. Others clearly accuse them of deliberate moves to undermine the unity of the country. These voices of opposition are expected in a democratic setting where freedom of association and choice of thoughts exist.

Our concern, however, goes beyond the political imperatives or other considerations underlying the event.

Rather, we applaud the prompt action of the governors and the show of sincere consensus ad idem in agreeing to arise and deal with a matter. We also commend the resolution of the governors to put Nigeria in the larger picture while considering the interest of their people.

We therefore believe that the governors, as a group, can build on this move by taking a step further to address the economic development of the region, not necessarily in isolation with the North, but in a complementary dimension.

In charting a course for the political interest of their zone, the governors must consider the economic welfare of their people, too. There is an alarming rate of poverty in Nigeria while unemployment soars. The World Bank recently stated that high prices (inflation) will drive additional 7 million Nigerians into poverty. With the existing 80 million living below $2 per day, Nigeria will be home to about 87 million people living in extreme poverty, who are mostly found in the northern and southern regions, and this will worsen her case as the world capital of poverty.

Southern Nigeria is rich in human capital and natural resources. Its location as the coastal territory is an added advantage. The region is blessed with good weather,

lush green vegetation and solid minerals. It is the hub of manufacturing companies with numerous micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) playing an active role in the supply chain. There are massive opportunities in oil and gas, as well as ICT-related facilities and huge access to financial services.

The comparative advantage which nature bestowed on the states is a huge asset in this regard. We urge the governors to explore the flipside to their meeting by creating an agenda for economic development. From available data, the zone accounts for N3.083 trillion of the total N8.3 trillion budgets of the states and FCT in 2021. The zone also accounts for N837.65 billion of total internally generated revenue (IGR) of the states and the FCT in 2020 amounting to N1.306 trillion.

According to data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the southern region also accounts for a total of $491.2 million external debts and N409.7 billion domestic debts of the 36 states and the FCT -- $4.77 billion and N4.186 trillion respectively as at December 31, 2020.

Their collective PAYE tax for 2020 was N608.4 billion, out of N851.73 billion by the 36 states and FCT. Using the opportunity of the Asaba meeting to fast-track the development of the region will urge the northern region to think along the same line. That way, the country will thrive in economic development. It will help in collapsing the dangerous borders of ethnic, regional, religious and sectional sentiments that divide and destroy us. It will also complement the efforts of the federal government in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development.

No nation has advanced economically with bad political leadership and vice versa. A successful economy encourages vibrant political leadership, which in turn encourages the development of relevant institutions.

Sound monetary and fiscal policies, which drive the financial markets and boost tax regimes, are imperative for economic prosperity.

m

AUSTYN OGANNAH

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala News Editor (Online) – Felix Oboagwina Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @THEWILLNG +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com] PAGE 14

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OPINION Democracy: The Bone of Contention

BY DAMILOLA ADEPARUA emocracy Day is a day set aside to commemorate the restoration of democracy in Nigeria. Initially May 29 was the official date for celebration of democracy. It marked the date when civilian rule re-emerged in 1999 after a protracted period of military rule.

D

If truly Democracy is concerned with equal representation of the citizens of a country, why is it that the political appointments at the centre are presently dominated by people from a particular tribe?

Unfortunately, most African countries do not regard the real essence of democracy, which is ‘equal representation’. It is evident that Nigeria’s political foundation was destroyed right from the day Lord Frederick Lugard amalgamated the northern and the southern protectorates.

Amalgamation is the process of uniting or merging two or more entities. Lugard did not seek the consent of the tribes involved due to his selfish reasons. The so-called unification was done for economic rather than political reasos. The Northern Nigeria Protectorate had a budget deficit and the colonial administration sought to use the budget surpluses in Southern Nigeria to offset this deficit.

A source reported that in 1913, Lord Harcourt claimed, “We have released Northern Nigeria from the leading strings of the treasury. The promising and well-conducted youth is now on an allowance on his own and is about to effect an alliance with a southern lady of means. I have issued the special license and Sir Frederic Lugard will perform the ceremony. May the union be fruitful and the couple constant”.

Also, it was discovered, in the handover note that Lord Lugard wrote on September 25, 1918, to his colleague Walter H. Lang, he stated hyperbolically, among other things, “The Hausa-Fulani has no ideal, no ambitions save as such that is sensual in character. He is a fatalist, spendthrift and a gambler. He is gravely immoral and is so seriously diseased that he is a menace to any community to which he seeks to

BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI

T

he latest report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund, which claims that the population of children involved in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide, is not by any standard a palatable one. The report titled, ‘Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, Trends and the Road Forward’ was released recently on the sidelines of the 109th Session of the International Labour Conference holding in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The new estimates are a wake-up call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk,” the report concluded.

While we mull over this disturbing news, it is important to remember that there is a particular sin that we all commit in the name of culture which cuts across ethnic and religious borders. This sin predates Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule and remains nourished till the present day. It has to do with the violation of women and children’s fundamental human rights.

In spite of the existence of the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, it persists.

The VAPP law, among other provisions, prohibits female circumcision or genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. It prohibits abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents without sustenance, as well as battery and harmful traditional practices.

It provides a legislative and legal framework for the prevention of all forms of violence against vulnerable persons, especially women and girls. This is a happy ending for a 14-year advocacy and passed through the three regimes of the National Assembly.

The law also prohibits economic abuse, forced isolation and separation from family and friends. It disallows substance THEWILLNIGERIA

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attach himself.”

He also described the westerners as the “lowest, the most seditious and disloyal, the most purely prompted by selfseeking motives” of any people he had ever met while referring to the Igbo people as “fiercely rebellious with no regard for authority. Though industrious and religious, in deference to the objectives of her majesty the crown, they are highly dangerous to be trusted with power.”

The selfish colonial masters, despite realising the dissimilarities in culture and social orientation, went ahead to amalgamate these different tribes while ignoring the possible implications or consequences of their action.

Now, in a nation with different people and different tribes that have different cultures but united merely by name, how far has the nation been able to observe equal representation in relation to democracy?

posits that everyone has the right to take part in the government of his or her country. In respect of this, it is not just a matter of favour, but also that of ‘right’ for every citizen, tribe or gender to be equally represented in matters relating to the governance of their country or countries.

True democracy has deteriorated in Nigeria to the extent that another civil war is looming over the country. This is the result of favoritism as displayed by the current Federal Government towards a particular tribe to the extent that this same tribe now claims to own the entire country.

History has it that the Ijaw ethnic group is the oldest tribe in Nigeria. It is also a collection of indigenous peoples living mostly to the forest regions of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, all of which lie within the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. But then, there is no need for any tribe to lay claim to the ownership of the country.

Dr Margaret Nasha, a former speaker of the parliament of Botswana says, ”Democracy, to me, means government of the people by the people and not government of the people by men. Democracy by nature should be inclusive with proportionate representation of most if not all sections of the population of a country”.

How do we manage the situation on ground? At this point, there is a need for the leaders of each tribe in Nigeria to discuss the way forward for the country. There is no reason to keep deceiving ourselves that we are one nation when we are actually divided in all ways. Yet, no matter the decision taken among our leaders, no life is worth taking.

Surprisingly, the issue of discriminated representation is not limited to women in Nigeria due to the domination of a particular tribe in the core governing positions in the country and this in turn constitutes the root of the ongoing upheaval in the polity.

Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. There is a need for the various tribes to come together and find a lasting solution to the problems created by the selfish colonial masters. The leadership of this country must understand that there can be no unity among the people as long as ethnic group continues to make attempts to lord it over others. No one tribe can dominate the country at the expense of others and expect to co-exist with them peacefully.

Unity means an undivided or unbroken completeness of a state and its people. People can only be united if those who speak their language, who know exactly where their feet are itching, are given the chance to represent them and their opinion. A situation whereby the people are not evenly or equally represented can lead to disunity among the citizens of a country, especially a country like Nigeria where different tribes were forced to live together.

The United Nations and the Declaration of Human Rights

Let there be equal representation and no room should given to those who have elevated nepotism to state craft to be at the helm. Let us do away with nepotism, corruption, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other vices that are currently threatening corporate existence of Nigeria, our country.

•Adeparua Damilola is the Programme Officer of Social and Economic Justice Advocacy.

In Defence of Vulnerable Nigerians attack, incest, indecent exposure and actions depriving other people of liberty, among others. It also intends to eliminate violence in private and public life and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims of violence, as well as punishment for offenders.

Looking at these spiraling provisions, the question that is as important as the law itself is; How far have we fared as a nation, in keeping to these laws and its provisions?

It is obvious that Nigeria urgently needs a higher level of initiative and creativity to address the ethnicity-driven challenges currently facing it, confront the forces behind human rights violations in the country and protect the masses while revitalising the nation’s economy.

The above revelation becomes more meaningful when one remembers that justice is more of external actions than interior emotions or passions, that it is rendering to each person what properly belongs to him or hers and what is equal, fair and balanced in any relationship.

Without minding what others may say if this change of heart is adopted in our society, it will not only herald something new that will help to check inhuman acts against vulnerable people, but announce a civil society where justice and love reign supreme.

The tendency to ignore this call is always high because while many will view it as a dangerous fiction without merit, others may see nothing wrong in those acts, which they are likely wave aside as mere cultural practices.

Ironically, from what sociologists are saying, culture is that realm of ends expressed in art, literature, religion, and morals for which, at best, we live. This definition, no doubt, places the denial of women’s rights to inheritance of late husband’s property as a direct opposite of culture.

One point that most people, who are hooked on this act, particularly the violations of widows’ rights, fail to remember is that there is an amazing democracy about death. Indeed, it is always easy to observe that something is seriously wrong with our social system and human tragedies do not occur by accident, but by a programme of planned inequality.

Regrettably, it is difficult to admit that we are all involved in this alliance for injustice. At different times and places, we have seen widows experience these social pangs in silence.

Curiously, media practitioners have seen culture lately gone the wrong way, but they assumed it was the right thing. They have watched traditional rulers redefine culture in the image of their actions, but viewed it as normal. The have overtly become more cautious than courageous in their reportage of wicked cultural practices.

This failure of the media to study the cultural failures and inform the masses has, in recent years, resulted in situations where traditional rulers persuaded their subjects to endorse and applaud cultural practices that were harmful to their lives and existence.

Civil Society Organisations and faith-based groups, formerly known for educating the masses, no longer see themselves as problem solvers or watchdogs of society. Rather, they now assume a high ground that they do not understand, thereby leaving the masses that initially depended on them confused.

Government has become the greatest culprit of this injustice to widows and other less privileged people through its failure to provide good health care facilities, accessible and qualitative education, funding for social housing, minimum wage protection for widows, welfare benefits for the poor and vulnerable people, employment protection, shelters for women and adequate child care centres or laws that adequately defend the rights of widows.

•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

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Changing Nigeria’s Road, Rail Infrastructure Development Story PAGE 34

Reopening Transatlantic Travel for Economic Recovery PAGE 33

FBNH Tasks Investors on Enhanced Returns PAGE 34

Nigeria’s Imports From China Soar, Exceed Europe, US, Others

BY SAM DIALA

N

igeria’s imports from China are rising exponentially, compared to other major trading partners, including Europe, Asia and America, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. Figures published in the NBS recent report showed that China dominates the import component of Nigeria’s merchandise trade and this has been the trend for a long time. It accounts for 49 percent (N2.01 trillion) of N4.17 trillion, the value of imports from Nigeria’s five major trading partners -China, Belgium, Netherland, US and India, in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021.

Similarly, 30 percent (N2.01 trillion) of the total imports (N6.85 trillion) from 10 listed countries and others during the period came from China. The other (non-major) import originating countries listed in the particular report include Germany, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom and South Korea.

They constitute N822 billion of the N6.85 trillion, or 12 percent of total import value for Q1 2021.

The NBS report, entitled “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics” for Q1 2021, revealed that Nigeria’s imports value from China in the last five years grew by N1.63 trillion. It rose from N383.9 billion in Q1 2017 to N530.98 billion in Q1 2018, and climbed to N979.3 billion in Q1 2019. In Q1 2020, the figure rose to N1.11 trillion and hit N2.01 trillion in Q1 2021, a rise of 24 percent.

NIGERIA'S IMPORT FROM CHINA Q1'17-Q1'21 (N'bn)

2,200.00

2009.94

1,650.00

1,100.00

550.00

'-

979.3

1109.46

530.98 383.9

Q1 2017

Q1 2018

Q1 2019

Q1 2020

Q1 2021

NIGERIA'S IMPORT FROM CHINA, UK, US Q1'17 - Q1'21 (N'bn) 6,000.00 5013.58 4,500.00 3431.79 3,000.00 1922.92 1,500.00

'-

US

UK

CHINA

Imports from Belgium in Q1 2017 totalled N340.2 billion, but declined to N238.51 billion in Q1 2021 or 3.5 percent, unlike the trend in China. However, the Netherlands’ exports to Nigeria rose from N246.9 billion in Q1 2017 to N726.1 billion in Q1 2021, an increase of 12 percent.

In the same way, imports from the US jumped remarkably from N184.5 billion in Q1 2017 to N608.12 billion in Q1 2021, a rise of 44 percent. Nigeria’s imports figure for India was N103.6 billion in Q1 2017; it rose to N589.11 billion or 22 percent in Q1 2021. A one-off transaction with Switzerland for the importation of drugs and health care- related items in Q1 2019 resulted in an import deal of N528.89 billion, which constituted 14.3 percent of N3.6 trillion total imports for Q1 2019 from the five major trade partners. Switzerland displaced Belgium during the period.

Further analysis showed that total imports from China from Q1 2017 to Q1 2021 was N5.02 trillion, followed by the US with N1.93 trillion and Netherlands’ N1.01 trillion. India exported a total of N1.42 trillion goods to Nigeria during the five-year period, while Belgium took the bottom position among the five major countries with a total exports of N1.01 billion.

The total value of imported goods from the five major originating countries was N19.58 trillion during the fiveyear period. This is made up of N2.28 trillion in Q1 2017, N2.51 trillion in Q1 2018 and N3.6 trillion in Q1 2019.

The sums of N4.2 trillion and N6.8 trillion were recorded in Q1 2020 and Q1 2021, respectively. The difference

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Source: NBS

between N2.28 billion in Q1 2017 and N6.851 trillion in Q1 2021 was 50 percent.

Further examination of the published data shows that China’s N2.01 trillion exports to Nigeria accounts for 29.34 percent of Nigeria’s total imports of N6.85 trillion in Q1 2021, followed by the Netherlands’ export of N726.1 billion to Nigeria, which amounts to 10.6 percent of the total imports. The US accounts for 8.88 percent with Nigeria’s import of N608.12 billion from the originating country and India’s 8.6 percent with N589.1 billion. Belgium recorded the lowest figure with N238.5 billion or 3.48 percent of total Q1 2021 import.

By this, China’s total import to Nigeria during the five-year period exceeds those from Europe, the US and other Asian countries, respectively. According to the report, China played the bellwether role in the export of machinery,

manufactured and energy goods among the 10 originating trading partners for import trade: China, Belgium, the Netherlands, US and India as majors; Germany, Russia, Italy, United Kingdom and South Korea as minors. There are other unlisted originating countries.

Further disaggregation of the NBS Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics data revealed that total merchandise trade for Q1 2021 stood at N9.757 trillion, representing 6.99 percent over the value recorded in Q4 2020 and 14.13 percent, compared to Q1 2020. The export component of the figure was N2.9 trillion or 29.79 percent of the total trade value while import was valued at N6.85 trillion, representing 70.21 percent.

According to NBS, “The higher level of imports over exports resulted in a trade deficit (in goods) of –N3.94 billion. The value of crude oil export stood at N1.92 billion representing 66.38 percent of the total export recorded in Q1 2021, while non-crude oil export accounted for 33.62 percent of the total export.”

The imported commodities from both major and minor originating countries during the period include Durum wheat (not in seed) worth N66.97 billion from Lithuania.

Durum wheat also came from Latvia (N41.51 billion), Canada (N41.31 billion). Edible mixtures orpreparation of animals, worth N82.86billion, was imported from Denmark.

Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupeapallasii) were imported from Russia (N15.8billion) and Netherlands (N14billion).

Others are machinery and transport equipment accounted for N2.492 billion, Chemicals and related products N1.302 billion and Mineral fuel N981.68 billion.

Aside from being a key trading partner, China has joined the league of Nigeria’s major creditors, especially under the Muhammadu Buhari administration. According to the Ministry of Finance, Nigeria has obtained 17 Chinese loans to fund different categories of capital projects and Nigeria will still be servicing the Chinese loans till around 2038, which is the maturity date for the last loans obtained in 2018.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) put the total value of loans Nigeria obtained from China at $3.121 billion as at March 31, 2020.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme recently, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed that the Buhari administration had only borrowed for the Kaduna-Abuja and the LagosIbadan railway projects.

When asked how much of the Chinese loans obtained that the Federal Government had repaid, Amaechi said, “The right ministry to respond to that question is the Ministry of Finance. They borrow and they repay, but I think the last I heard about it, it was between a $100m to $150m repayment that we have done so far in the Kaduna-Abuja railway project.

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AVIATION

Reopening Transatlantic Travel for Economic Recovery

provided travelers are vaccinated or can produce a negative PCR test, prior to boarding a flight. Our modeling studies conducted with Mayo Clinic put the risk of transmission on a plane traveling between the UK and US at 1 in 1 million.

“We’re proud of the measures which America and others have taken to navigate the pandemic and ensure we deliver a safe, healthy and enjoyable experience for customers as they return to travel. Reopening travel between the US and UK is a critical next step in both the travel industry and the global economy’s recovery. With vaccine availability continuing to expand, we know that our business and leisure customers are increasingly eager to cross the Atlantic, and we know that when they do, it will provide a major boost to the economies in the US, UK and around the world. We look forward to continuing to work with both governments as they make this important decision,” said Doug Parker, Chairman and CEO of American Airlines.

Heathrow Airport

Reacting, United’s CEO, Scott Kirby, noted, “Throughout the pandemic, experts have encouraged governments, businesses and the public to follow the science. United and other airlines have done just that and implemented the necessary safety protocols to confidently re-open key international routes like the air corridor between our two countries.

Amid renewed efforts to rejig the global aviation industry hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, industry leaders have reopened talks to resume transatlantic travel. ANTHONY AWUNOR draws attention to practical steps taken by key nations’ players towards actualising this objective

have received at least one dose, while about half of adults – 139 million people have been fully vaccinated. In the UK, almost 68 million, which is more than 75 percent of the country’s adult population, have received shots.

he CEOs of all airlines that offer UK-US passenger services – American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic – joined Heathrow Airport and other industry-leading CEOs in calling for the reopening of transatlantic travel, a move described as essential to igniting economic recovery.

Commenting, the CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss, said, “There is no reason for the US to be absent from the UK ‘Green’ list. This overly cautious approach fails to reap the benefits of the successful vaccination programmes in both the UK and the US. While transatlantic links with the US are restricted, it is costing the UK economy £23 million each day. We urge Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden to lead the way in opening the skies, making it a top priority at the G7 Summit. Customers, families and businesses need to book and travel with confidence. After 15 months of restrictions, the time to act is now.”

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At the G7 meeting recently held in Cornwall, world leaders also pushed for the reopening of the UK-US travel corridor.

With leading vaccination programmes in both the UK and US, there is a clear opportunity to safely open up travel between these two low-risk countries, thereby enabling consumers on both sides of the Atlantic to reconnect with loved ones, reestablish business relationships and explore new destinations after more than a year of lockdowns and travel restrictions.

The CEOs urged both governments to take a data-driven and risk-based approach to re-opening borders to travel.

A line-up of chief executives that included American Airlines CEO, Doug Parker; British Airways CEO and Chairman, Sean Doyle; Delta Air Lines CEO, Ed Bastian; Heathrow Airport CEO, John Holland-Kaye; JetBlue CEO, Robin Hayes; United CEO, Scott Kirby; US Travel Association President and CEO, Roger Dow; and Virgin Atlantic CEO, Shai Weiss, joined forces at the panel event hosted by Duncan Edwards, Chief Executive of British American Business.

Studies show that the vaccine programmes in both countries are successfully reducing transmission and the severity of COVID-19 infection, in addition to fighting variants of the virus and case counts in both countries continue to decline rapidly.

Also, the Chairman and CEO of British Airways, Sean Doyle, said, “As President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Boris Johnson meet this week, they must address the transatlantic ban that is separating our two low-risk countries at a major cost to our citizens and economies. We urgently need them to look to the science and base their judgments on a proper risk analysis, allowing us all to benefit from the protection offered by our successful vaccine rollouts. In the UK this means making the traffic light system fit for purpose, including a pathway to restriction-free travel for vaccinated travellers and getting rid of the complexity surrounding ‘amber list’ countries, eliminating quarantine and reducing the number of tests passengers are required to take.”

The participants spoke up after more than a year of travel restrictions that have deeply impacted the global economy, trade and tourism between the two countries. They discussed the merits of having the US on the UK’s ‘green list’, which means travellers from the US would no longer need to selfisolate on arrival in the UK, as well as the benefits that would arise from the US lifting the UK-related travel ban (the socalled 212(f) order) in order to open up the transatlantic corridor for UK residents to enter the US.

In his reaction, the CEO of Heathrow, John Holland-Kaye, said, “Connectivity between the UK and the US is one of the great engines of the global economy. The scientific data shows transatlantic travel and trade can be reopened safely; every day policymakers’ delay puts jobs, livelihoods and the economic chances of hardworking folks across our countries at risk unnecessarily. We cannot continue to keep lockedup indefinitely. Politicians should seize on the successful vaccination programmes in our two countries to begin looking to a future where we manage COVID rather than letting it manage us.”

The US is the UK’s largest trading partner and UK businesses are losing £23 million each day the transatlantic links remain closed. In 2019, 900,000 tonnes of cargo also travelled between the two countries. In the US, 63.5 percent of adults

Also, the CEO, Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, said, “As we see people reclaiming their lives and reconnecting with loved ones, it’s clear that the infection rates of our countries indicate an extraordinarily low risk to travel between the US the UK,

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“Programmes like the trials of COVID-free flights between Newark and Heathrow Airports and the US Department of Defense air filtration study conducted on board a United aircraft not only contributed to the body of scientific knowledge, but also demonstrated the near non-existent rates of viral transmission aboard an aircraft. Now, through mobile app, travelers can upload verified test results and vaccine records before international travel. With the successful leadership of vaccination efforts by both governments, no interests are served by delaying the reopening of these essential air routes. We are ready.”

Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue, Robin Hayes, also said, “The surge in travel in recent weeks has been remarkable as case counts fall and vaccination rates rise and we’re confident that demand for travel between the US and the UK would follow a similar recovery pattern with an established travel corridor between the two countries.”

He added, “As international destinations have opened to travellers across our Latin America and Caribbean network and traveling has been made easier with fewer border restrictions, we’ve seen a notable uptick in the number of people flying to these destinations. Data has shown that people can travel safely when certain health and safety protocols remain in place and we believe the UK should implement revised border restrictions similar to those that are already successful in many other countries.”

A recent York Aviation report stated that a second ‘lost summer’ of international travel would result in £55.7bn in lost trade and £3.0bn in tourism GDP, if reopening is delayed until September. If international travel remains restricted, it will cost the US economy $325 billion in total losses and 1.1 million jobs by the end of 2021, according to analysis from the U.S. Travel Association.

The President and CEO of the U S Travel Association, Roger Dow, said, “The millions of travel-supported US jobs lost to the pandemic cannot be replaced without the return of international visitors, and the UK is our No. 1 overseas travel market. Advancing a science-driven approach to restart international travel is crucial, and a US-UK corridor is a logical place to start because of the two countries’ excellent records on vaccinations and declining infections, as well as their strong relationship.”

The group has encouraged the United States Government to consider lifting entry requirements for travellers from the UK who have provided a negative COVID-19 test, ahead of arriving in the US or are fully vaccinated or can present proof of recovery.

On the other hand, British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was asked to consider removing the need for travellers returning to the UK from ‘green list’ countries to complete an expensive and time-consuming PCR test on their arrival, instead calling for lateral flow tests, used in care homes and schools, with only positive tests requiring a PCR test.

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BUSINESS FEATURES

Changing Nigeria’s Road, Rail Infrastructure Development Story

BY SUFUYAN OJEIFO

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n a report released in November, 2020, Moody’s Investors Service said Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, will need to spend at least $3 trillion over 30 years to close its infrastructure deficit or funding gap. This researched and unsentimental projection would probably have overwhelmed most national leaders, certainly not President Muhammadu Buhari.

As it were, President Buhari has demonstrated within his six years in the saddle that a powerful vision pulls in ideas, people and other resources, despite the tough challenges. Powerful vision creates the energy and will to make change happen. It inspires individuals, diverse stakeholders, partnering organisations and institutions to commit, to persist and to give their best.

Cut to the bone, this is the game-changing story of the focused turning around of Nigeria’s extreme infrastructure deficit by the President, a scenario that could hobble any transformational vision of any unfocussed leader.

It is beyond dispute that lack of infrastructure has been one of the biggest drags on Nigeria’s development trajectory. Rail, road and airport projects stretching across Nigeria are either well advanced, recently signed off or just breaking ground in the wake of an infrastructure drive by the administration of President Buhari.

The Federal Government is not only focusing on new infrastructure, but also on the rehabilitation of existing assets and the completion of longstanding projects that have failed to gain traction under previous governments. It can hardly be disputed and it bears repeating that Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit has been one of the biggest factors holding back growth and development.

But the problems go beyond funding. Billions of dollars have been sunk into infrastructure projects that failed to see the light of day or were abandoned after construction had started as a result of weak institutions, lack of accountability and limited policy consistency across previous administrations. The situation is compounded by graft and the limited maintenance of existing infrastructure.

The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Global Competitiveness Index ranked Nigeria 116 out of 141 countries, largely due to the poor state of its infrastructure. The situation is dire in most cities, but worse in rural areas where more than a half of Nigeria’s population resides.

All these positions expressed by respected international research platforms may have hardened the resolve of President Buhari to take a different path and change the old infrastructure story of the nation.

Going forward, a more specific focus on the grounds the Muhammadu Buhari administration has covered would show that genuine attention to specific infrastructure challenge produces a tangible, measurable result. Take roads for example.

A quality road network, being the most critical component of a national multimodal transportation plan, is the foundation of a thriving economy. Good roads link up the national socioeconomic arteries, centres and hubs. People move about and perform everyday activities, mostly by road. It is also by road that people go to earn a living, farm, or access other transportation modals like rail, air and water.

Essential social services, such as education, healthcare, hospitality, community integration, neighbourhood security, religious and private interactions are majorly accessed by roads. A quality road network is therefore the mainstay of any thriving economy.

For instance, out of Nigeria’s 108,000 km of surfaced roads, those categorised as federal roads make up 32,000km or 18 per cent and had steadily deteriorated in the period preceding the current administration’s - through a combination of official neglect, a poor maintenance culture, and perhaps more fundamentally, the absence of a legal and policy framework for private sector participation in funding, management and maintenance of federal highways.

It would be recalled that the Buhari administration established the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), in 2018, to fast-track the completion of critical infrastructure projects. In addition, the President, in January 2019, signed Executive Order 7 (the “Companies Income Tax Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme) which is aimed at attracting PPP financing for road construction across Nigeria.

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President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurating the Lagos-Ibadan train services penultimate week in Lagos.

It was through this laudable scheme that infrastructure funding is sourced from the Sukuk Bond.

Other projects being funded under PIDF include the Second Niger Bridge. Main construction for this vital gateway into the SouthSouth and South East regions started in 2018, and completion is scheduled for 2022.

There is also the reconstruction of the 375km Abuja-KadunaZaria-Kano Expressway and its transformation to a six-lane configuration; reconstruction of the Benin – Ofusu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu Expressway; the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, and the Kano-Maiduguri Expressways. The LokoOweto Bridge, linking Benue and Nasarawa States, an important inter-state project started by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, is being completed by President Buhari.

In 2017, the Buhari Administration identified and marked out 63 roads across the country, including 44 federal highways. These roads which linked up trade, commerce, port, and agricultural centres across the six geopolitical zones of the country were classified under Critical Economic Routes and Agricultural Routes, and accorded budgetary priority.

The roads include the Apapa/Tincan Port; NNPC Depot (Atlas Cove) to Mile 2 Accessed Road; Apapa-Oshodi Road; Third Mainland Bridge; Apapa/Tincan Island Port-NNPC Depot Access Road; Benin-Ofosu-Ore Ajebandele-Shagamu Road; Obajana Junction-Benin Road Phase 2: (Sections i-iv); Sapele-Ewu Road Sections 1&11; Second Niger Bridge, Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Amansea-Enugu State Border); Yenegoa Road Junction-KoloOtueke-Bayelsa Palm; and, Bodo-Bonny Road with Bridge.

Included are the Abuja-Lokoja Road Sections i&iv; Suleja-Minna Road Section 11; Kaduna Eastern Bypass; Kano-Maiduguri Road Section 1-1V; Hadejia-Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari Road and Kano Western Bypass; Odukpani-Itu-(Spur Ididep-Itam)-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway Sections 1&11; Ikom Bridge; EnuguPort Harcourt Dual Carriageway Sections i-iv; Calabar-UgepKatsina-Ala Road; Vandeikya-Obudu-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road; Oshegbudu-Oweto Road; Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge with approach roads; and the Nassarawa-Loko Road.

Others are the Kano-Katsina Road (Phase 1: Kano Town at Dawanau Roundabout to Katsina State Border); SokotoTambuwal-Jega-Yauri Road; Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road; Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Road (Sections 1&11); Ibadan-Ilorin Road, Section11 (Oyo-Ogbomosho); Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriageway, Sections 1&11, and Lagos-Otta Road.

Still others include the Zaria-Kano Road, Abuja-Lokoja Road (Sections i-iv), Ilorin-Jebba-Bokani Road, Ibadan-Ilorin Road (Sections `1&11), Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Road (Sections1&11), Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Road, and ObajanaBenin Road (Sections i-iv).

There are also the Kaduna-Zaria Road, Otukpo Township Road, Kaduna-Katsina Road, Onitsha-Enugu Road (Section 1&11), Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Sections i-iv), Calabar-OdukpaniItu Road (Section 1), Calabar-Ugep-Katsina-Ala Road (Sections 1 and 11), Alesi-Ugup (Iyamoyung-Ugup) Road, Ogoja(Mbok Junction) Abuochichie Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road(Sections i-v)

among those listed.

There is little doubt the completion of the reconstruction of over 600 roads will heighten the tempo of national economic recovery and achieve one of the cardinal objectives of the Buhari Administration.

On the railway infrastructure revamp front, three major rail projects inherited from previous administrations have been completed and inaugurated: Abuja Metro Rail and the Abuja-Kaduna Rail, and the 327km Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Rail, started in 1987, have been completed in 2020.

The 156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway with an extension to Lagos Port, funded by the Export-Import Bank of China are now nearing completion. The administration, in February, broke ground on a $2bn internationally-funded rail line connecting the country’s north to neighbouring Niger.

Work would soon start on a $3bn railway line that would link the country’s east side, from oil-rich Port Harcourt in the south to Maiduguri in the north. “The president is trying to grow all the sectors of the economy that would improve and increase production - he’s focusing on power, on roads, on transportation, and rail networks and maritime,” said the Minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.

To ensure that the considerable effort of the Buhari administration, to turn around the infrastructure deficit, especially concerning railways, is not sabotaged, the federal government is now considering capital punishment (death penalty) for railway track vandals. Amaechi said this during a Town Hall Meeting on “Protecting Public Infrastructure” on Monday, June 7, 2021, in Abuja. According to him, “rail track vandalism is a capital offence and its consequences should be treated as such; and, worse, the track vandalism is being done in collaboration with foreign partners.”

The President Buhari administration has also announced early this year it was forming InfraCo, a public-private infrastructure fund with N1tn ($2.6bn) in seed capital from the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and the Africa Finance Corporation, AFC, a mostly privately owned pan-African project finance firm.

InfraCo’s mandate is to finance public asset development, rehabilitate old assets and construct new ones. It will be chaired by the CBN governor with the managing director of NSIA, the president of AFC, and representatives of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, and Ministry of Finance on its board.

Buhari’s infrastructure rollout has not been without its critics.

Questions have been raised about the dominance of construction firm, Julius Berger, in projects and the extensive involvement of China.

The President has also been accused of prioritising development in the North of the country, where he hails from. But Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, from the Niger Delta in the South, has pointed to significant projects in Rivers State, Lagos and other parts of the South. The point remains that the infrastructure development story is indeed fast changing.

•Ojeifo contributed this piece from Abuja via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com THEWILLNIGERIA

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BUSINESS NEWS ITF Pays Students N1.08bn in 2020 FROM UKANDI ODEY, JOS

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he Industrial Training Fund, ITF, has said it paid the sum of N1,081,945,000 in 2020 to students as part of its obligation to the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).

The organisation also disclosed that it paid N156,309,500.00 as supervisory allowance for the same SIWES in the same fiscal period of 2020.

The Director-General of the ITF, Sir Joseph Ari, stated this in a review of the performance of the organisation when the House of Representatives Committee on Industry came to perform its oversight function.

Ari also explained that the Fund reimburses contributing employers up to 50 percent of the statutory annual training contributions remitted by them if the Fund’s Governing Council is satisfied that the training programmes of the employer were in accordance with the Fund’s Reimbursement Scheme”.

He said, “in the year under review, a total of N5,499, 821, 645.27 was paid to 401 companies as reimbursement for the year 2019”.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva (left), presenting a souvenir to his Ghanaian counterpart, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, during the latter’s visit to NNPC Tower in Abuja on 17/6/2021.

FBNH Tasks Investors on Enhanced Returns

BY SAM DIALA

purposes,” he said.

BN Holdings Plc (FBNH) Plc has advised investors in the nation’s capital market to always seek financial advice for investment decisions to maximise returns. The Chief Finanicial Officer of FBNH, Oyewale Ariyibi, said this at the Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) June knowledge sharing session in Lagos.

Explaining the relevance of financial statements to the user, Ariyibi noted,“For Management, it is used for planning, controlling and decision-making process, to evaluate the organisational performance and position, so that the necessary measures are taken for improvement.

Ariyibi said financial advisers would guide investors on fundamental stocks to invest in to maximise returns on investment.

“For shareholders and investors, financial statement can be used to analyse the viability and profitability of their investments and to assess the ability of the business/organisation to pay dividends and determine any future course of action.

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“As an investor, investing in financial market is not gamble or betting, you need a financial adviser for investment decision.

You should invest money you don’t have need for immediate use, invest for medium and long-term, and also invest in stocks that have good fundamentals for capital gains,” he said.

Speaking on the Fund’s outlook for this year, Ari said, “We have declared this 2021 year of Skills Heightening for Prosperity. We have also concluded arrangements for the implementation of more skills intervention programs among several other activities earmarked for implementation this year.

“In all, the programmes will equip and empower about 12,000 Nigerians between three and six months in wide ranging vocations and careers.”

As Ports Economic Regulator, Integrity is Our Watchword – Bello

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he Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, said the council, as the ports economic regulator in the shipping industry, has taken time to ensure that its integrity remains high in the performance of statutory obligations.

“While employees and trade unions can use it to evaluate the financial health of the business with a view to determining their job security, the possibility of future remuneration, retirement benefits and employment opportunities.”

He noted that corruption in the system, which constitutes a major problem in the nation’s ports, had made the cost of doing business expensive. Bello disclosed that the management of the council had over the years made credibility its watchword, being an umpire in the ports industry.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Understanding Financial Statement for Business Reporting,’ he raised awareness on the value derived from the financial statement of a company.

He said it would help to ensure that business operated in accordance with laid down rules and regulations aimed at protecting the interests of the stakeholders.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos recently, he explained that without credibility, the council would not be in a position to achieve so much as the ports economic regulator.

“A financial statement represents a formal record of the financial activities of an entity; it reflects the financial effects of business transactions and events on an entity. It is prepared by following certain logical and consistent accounting principles; and it is usually audited to ensure accuracy for tax, financing, or investing

He added that regulatory authorities/agencies relied on a company financial statement, while bankers and creditors assessed the financial capacity/capability of the company, its creditworthiness and its concern with the financial statement.

FROM DAVID AMOUS-OWEI, YENAGOA

value to KRDF communities.

Stressing that lack of credibility leads to compromise in the enforcement of necessary regulation, he added, “When we were appointed as the ports economic regulator, one of the terminals said it was just another government agency. But we made a resolution that we would never compromise. We have to have integrity to enjoy that respect for us to regulate. A regulator that takes money from the people he is regulating is a joke. People will question your statements because you have already compromised your integrity.”

Chevron Contributes N3.5bn to KEFFES Host Communities

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hevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has said that the Chevron/ NNPC joint venture has committed over N3.5 billion to eight community clusters in Southern Ijaw and Brass Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State since 2005.

The benefiting communities are Koluama 1 and 2, Ezetu 1 and 2, Foropa, Fish Town Ekeni,and Santana forming the acronym KEFFES. The General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, CNL, Esimaje Brinkinn, stated this while delivering a goodwill message at the 2020 Annual General Meeting of KEFFES Rural Development Foundation (KRDF) in Yenagoa.

Brinkinn, who was represented by Mr Sam Danibo, Area Manager, Public and Government Affairs , CNL said the oil firm provided the funds under the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) administered by KRDF. According to him, the development funds spent over the years went into infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects, including scholarships and human capital development that have added THEWILLNIGERIA

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He assured that Chevron remained committed to its social obligations even in the harsh operating environment occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a tough time for the Oil and Gas industry globally.

Nevertheless, Chevron takes its role as a corporate citizen in Nigeria seriously and remains active in many projects that promote health, education and economic development.

“We are committed to the terms of the GMoU. We will carry through on our commitments as contained in the agreements,” he said.

According to the audited reports for 2019,and 2020 financial years presented at the meeting, the KRDF received a total sum of N401.29 million in 2019 and N386.58 million in 2020 from Chevron for development of the eight communities.

The Chairman of KRDF, Mathew Sele-Epri, noted that the foundation was grateful to CNL for keeping faith and meeting its funding obligations to the GMoU, but appealed for upward review of the funding in view of inflationary trends.

Bello, whose council was appointed the lead agency in the implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM), said that apart from corruption, Nigerian ports were not expensive, especiallay as service providers had not increased their tariff in the past 10 years.

Pointing out that one of the examples of corruption in the ports in the boarding of ships for inspection by security agencies, he disclosed that the council was also involved in sting operations, which led to the arrest of some people in Port Harcourt.

He said the $20,000 bribe recovered from some security agents had been returned to the owner, a captain of one of the ships.

Bello also added that the council had been considerate with the service providers, explaining that this was because the shipping companies and terminal operators had made investments and needed to make profit.

“We are considerate with the people we regulate because it is important that the shipping companies, terminal operators earn profit by making investments. We are for free business with the private investments as far as they are responsible. We want efficiency,” he said.

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JUNE 20 - JUNE 26, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

SHOTS OF THE WEEK PHOTO EDITOR: PEACE UDUGBA [08033050729]

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma (left), receiving report of the Judicial Commission of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (middle); Former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun (left), and Inquiry on Police Brutality and other Matters from Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe (rtd), at the New COO of Dash Me, Ms. Arogundade, at the official launch of the Dash Me Foundation Store in Lagos on 13/6/2021.

Exco Chambers, Government House, Owerri on 16/6/2021.

Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; with debaters from different secondary schools at the official launch of Ekiti State Education Policy Document on Gender-Based Violence and inauguration of the anti-GBV Clubs in Ekiti schools, at Adetiloye Hall, Ado-Ekiti on 15/6/2021.

President Muhammadu Buhari inspecting a guard of honour during his visit to Maiduguri to assess the security situation on 17/6/2021.

L-R: Member, Women International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTER) Nigeria, Virginia L-R: Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho: UFC Welterweight champion, Nzeribe; Treasurer, Dr Odunayo Ani; President, Mrs Eunice Ezeoke; Secretary, Chizoba Anyika Kamaru Usman, and Africa Manager for Kamaru Usman, Fela Oke at a press conference for Usman’s and Chairman, Planning Committee, Irene Macfoy, during a news conference on the forthcoming homecoming on 14/6/2021. business luncheon of the association in Lagos on 16/6/2021.

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FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL

PRINCE JIDE KOSOKO AND HIS BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS THEWILLNIGERIA

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JUNE 20 - JUNE 26, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

Seasoned actor, Prince Jide Kosoko, one of the pioneers of the Yoruba movie genre, has paid his dues as a filmmaker. The celebrated actor and his beautiful daughters, Shola, Abina and Abidemi, who are following his footsteps, speak with SHADE METIBOGUN about their careers, their working relationship and other matters

Dad Played Role of Mother to Me as a Child – Bidemi Kosoko

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id you ever consider starting a career in other fields different from Nollywood?

Yes I did. I am also a hair dresser. I make and sell wigs, too. There was a time when I ventured into catering, not on a full scale though. I just cooked for some of my clients. Eventually I decided to take up film acting and totally fell in love with it.

Bidemi

What other career would you have pursued?

I would have been a caterer or hair stylist. I am passionate about cooking. I enjoy it a lot. Maybe, I would have pursued that vigorously, too. I can prepare all kinds of dishes. I also enjoy making wigs. Having said that, I will say acting for me is inbuilt. It is not just something that runs in the family. It is one career hat I enjoy a lot.

How does it feel working with a seasoned Nollywood actor who is also your father?

I always have a fantastic experience anytime I work alongside my dad. He is not only my dad, but also a legendary figure in the movie industry. He is very

professional and will not hesitate to correct me whenever I do something wrong so that I can get it right. I always have a reason to do things better anytime I am on a movie set, whether with my dad or another older actor.

How would you describe him as a father?

I used to call him the best father in the world. He is brave and loves to a fault. He is the best father anyone can wish for. He has been a mother and father figure to us. He treats everyone the same way. When I was growing up, we had house helps at home working for us, but he treated everybody the same way. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between his children and the house helps. My older siblings used to bring their friends home at the time. You could never tell the difference. He often reminded us to treat our house helps well because no parent wished to give their children out as house helps. My father also advises us every now and then, telling us what life is all about.

Do you mind sharing some of the career advice you have received from him?

He taught me to always be myself and not allow anyone to intimidate me. He also taught me to give my best, especially in my career, and to interpret all roles as if they are real. He taught me to be prayerful.

What are your wishes for your father as the world marks Father’s Day? I wish him long life and good health. He has been a wonderful father to many children. I pray that he lives long to enjoy the fruits of his labour. I also pray that we, his children, will have the opportunity to take good care of him in his old age.

Between your mother and father, who were you closer to?

I was between six and seven years when my mother died.

That means I was very close to my father. That was why I said earlier that my dad played both the role of a mother and a father in my life. I hardly knew my mother. I just have a faint memory of her. I love my dad very much.

...He Trained Us in Mum’s Absence – Shola Kosoko-Abina

You have acted in a number of movies alongside your father.

How would you describe the experience?

When I first started out as an actress, I was fearful. I often wondered if my dad would be comfortable with the way I was acting. I hoped he would like the way I was behaving on set.

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Sometimes he was hard on me, especially when correcting me.

At other times, he was gentle.

Back in those days, I tried hard to do things the right way. And I made some mistakes. I scaled those hurdles a long time ago.

Now when I am on a movie set with my dad, I act as if he is one of my colleagues. Whatever I need him to explain to me, I ask him as a senior colleague. He has been guiding and correcting us, but that fear is no longer there. We act as colleagues now.

Now that we have gained some experience in the business, we know the rudiments of acting and we have students who are training under our supervision. We are no longer scared when acting. If there is anything I need to know or learn, I still go to my father. He is not the kind of person that behaves as if he knows it all, especially when it comes to the social media. He would ask us how to handle it.

He taught us a lot of things and I can say that we are representing well.

Did acting interfere with your studies?

Like I said before, my acting career suffered when I was in school. I am not the type of person that can focus on two things at the same time. I am saying the truth. Although I never left the film industry, I had to concentrate on my studies for the time being. During my free periods, I would return to my acting career. That was how I was able to cope.

What lessons did you learn from your father? How have they influenced your career?

He has taught me to be humble. My dad is a humble person. He is humble to a fault and that makes him stand

Sola

Y

ou grew up in a home where your father is an actor and your step mother an actress. Would you say that basically influenced your decision to become an actress?

Yes, the fact that my dad is an actor influenced my decision to go into acting. Initially, I wanted to become a lawyer or broadcaster. Those were my career choices. Fortunately, I had appeared in some movies before I gained admission to the university to study for a diploma in Labour and Industrial Relations. By the time I wanted to cross over for the courses I had in mind, I was told that I couldn’t cross from social sciences to the arts. That gave me great cause for concern really. So I had to settle for Sociology, which in a way is related to my acting career. Sociology is the study of life, human beings and their environment, the problems we face in the society, reasons for the problems and how to tackle them. That is what sociology is all about. That is somehow related to filming.

My dad actually influenced my career. He asked me to feature in some of the movies he produced. I started with Ola Abata in 1999. Later, I did Oko Erese in 2000, then Omo Olori re in 2001. That movie shot me into the limelight. Since then, I fell in love with acting.

When I was in the university, I was acting and studying at the same time. This affected my career. I thank God for where I am today. It is really worth it. I have no regret choosing the same profession as my dad. It is like a family business. Most members of my family are involved in the movie industry. My younger sister is also an actress. My elder brother is a film director. I have kid brothers and sisters who do a lot of drama skits, too.

We all have no regrets. We give glory to Almighty God.

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out among his contemporaries. We his children do not hesitate to emulate that trait in him. He has also taught me the ethics of the profession, including punctuality and respect for senior colleagues in the field. My dad is a professional to the core. We learnt a lot from him.

It’s Father’s Day. What special wish do you have for your dad?

My dad really tried training us in the absence of our mum.

He tried his best as a father and we love him so much for that. I wish God grants him long life, good health and sufficient wealth. My dad doesn’t aspire to be very rich; he just wants to be very comfortable and happy. I pray he sees his children flourish and become important personalities in the society. He will be very happy to see his children excel in their various careers and to attain those positions he had always wished for them. I pray for more happiness for him.

Not much is known about your mother. Tell us about her My mum was a very calm and easy-going person. She was also a devoted Muslim. She is late and I don’t want to say much about her.

What was growing up like in a polygamous home?

We were raised as if we were from the same mother. We don’t see ourselves as step-sisters or step-brothers because we are all from the same father. We all love each other and we lived peacefully together. We still communicate well with our married siblings. Our polygamous family is blessed by God. We don’t have issues with one another.

We help each other whenever the need arises.

I’m Glad My Children Are Taking After Me Professionally – Jide Kosoko H

ow does it feel to have some of your children following your foot steps in the movie industry?

I feel so happy that my children are taking after me professionally because it is an industry I have laboured to build as a pioneer. I have worked tirelessly to ensure that we arrive at a great destination. To God be the glory. Since it is a good profession, it is one of the best things happening in this part of the world at the moment. I am happy that my children are part of it.

Did you try to discourage any of them when they started out?

I didn’t discourage them. I encouraged them, but I ensured that I didn’t force any one of them into it. I encouraged them a lot because they were already in the system since their childhood. When I had the largest theatre group in Lagos with no fewer than 110 members and they came around for rehearsals, my children would come around and watch them. They also participated in what we were doing. There is hardly any of my children that did not partake in films, either as a kid actor, a baby or something in those days. They have been in the system right from childhood, although they studied different courses in the university. I thank God they have been doing well as industry practitioners, too.

What are the most significant things you have done to

support your children’s careers?

First and foremost, I am their role model. They have seen the struggle and they have seen that it is something they can also do. They were determined to go ahead and of course, the helping hand I give them when they are on the job has greatly helped them. They have my name, which opens doors for them whenever they need it. Professionally, they have undergone some training. They know what it takes to succeed in the industry and they understand the trade very well.

Can you tell us about your children in other professions?

I have two scientists: Tunji and Adebanke Kosoko. I have Oluwatosin who lives in the United States of America. He studied Computer Science and Cyber Security. I have a son in the United Kingdom and he is into Real Estate. Back home, I have children in other professions. I am blessed with children.

What is the most amazing thing about being a father?

We have daddies and we have fathers. I am proud to say that I am a father. I did not only father them, but I also stood by them and gave them the necessary support when they were growing up. I tried my best to give them the necessary education. As a father, even as old as some of them are now, I still monitor them. Two or three of my children are over 40 years. Some are approaching 40 and some are approaching 30. Although some of them are already married, I still monitor what they do to ensure that they don’t do anything that will ruin the image of the family. I can tell you that they also guide me. As a father, you must endeavor to give your children a good upbringing. When you give them good upbringing, every other thing will fall into place and they will be able to tell their right from their left. I am not saying that they are weak. No. But they will be able to live life to the best of their abilities and to my own satisfaction.

What do you wish yourself this Father’s Day? I must thank God that I am still alive. As one of the pioneers of the industry, I thank God that I am still one of the shining lights today. It is the grace of God. I wish all hard working fathers, all good fathers and all fathers that have endeavoured to give their children good upbringing to continue to live well and enjoy the fruits of their labour. That is my prayer.

Kosoko

What is the best approach to fatherhood in the 21st Century?

It is not the same thing when you want to compare it to that time we were growing up. There is a high competition in the way children are brought up now. That is part of the problem our leaders created because they failed to recognise the increase in population. So they can quickly start providing the necessary amenities.

When I was in London, I used to hear that there was no money. From time immemorial, people have been complaining of money. But there are some basic things that people must enjoy, no matter how poor they are. The impact of the government on the society has reflected badly on the standard of living in the country. As a result, I will advise people to cut their coats according to their clothes. Some people may tell me to shut up because I am a polygamist, but I have been lucky. The only way that we can advise fathers and parent to go about giving their children good upbringing is by giving them education and allow them to acquire skills. That could even be their take-off point.

We know the situation in the country. The government is not willing to accommodate everybody, as regards employment.

From infancy, study children and know what they want and allow them to acquire a skill along the way. Parents should tell their children to tread softly, too. Youths should also get prepared for tomorrow. They should be prepared to take control. It is not all about agitation; it is all about participation. They make a lot of noise. But I still don’t want a situation where youths shy away from what they are supposed to participate in now. They should get involved.

The youths can take over through massive participation.

They can choose their own leaders. If they don’t participate well now, how will they be able to achieve that?

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU & SHADE METIBOGUN

Lagos Motor Boat Conundrum: Members Still At Daggers Drawn Over ‘Juicy’ Positions

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Ighodalo

Now Awogboro is in his 80s. Asking that an 83-year-old man be sanctioned is, to say the least, the height of disrespect. This set off a chain of reactions that engulfed the club. While some felt that Awogboro, as a trustee, properly intervened under rule 10 of the club because he was invoked by a member to deal with a matter that was affecting the club, others felt Awogboro crossed the line and should be sanctioned. So heated did things become that another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Eyimofe Atake almost came to blows with Ogunbanjo for openly insulting the octogenarian. From then on, things deteriorated at a dizzying speed.

Coker eventually got expelled for daring to put himself up for re-election, even after he was told to step down. But another member, Akinkugbe, thought it was a disservice that Coker was expelled for carrying out his elected duty as a member of the club without earning as much as a query. He eulogised Coker for diligently carrying out his duties and wondered why he wasn’t considered worthy of re-election when he was never found wanting of anything and was never disciplined for any offence until a group of members, who wished to remain in the shadows (Fowora, Akinrele), decided that he was not worthy of the office.

were right to do so, in accordance with the club’s tradition. He further stated that even after Towry-Coker and Ogunbanjo wrote to the electoral committee, seeking to know why their nominee was cancelled, they were simply informed that the cancellation had been done by a trustee, an action they felt didn’t make sense.

Following an intervention by some members, Coker’s expulsion was commuted to a six months suspension. But Coker won’t have none of it. He feels cheated and unfairly treated and more so, as nothing warranted the punishment meted out on him.

Akinkugbe reiterated that Coker did not put himself up for reelection but was urged to seek re-election by two long standing members of the club, Towry Coker and Ogunbanjo, both of who

Well, not that he has decided to seek redress in a law court.

Perhaps, a court verdict might just be what will finally end all the bad blood.

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How Baba Suwe Plans to Spend His N3.1m Compensation From LASG

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bout two weeks ago, Babatunde Omidina, aka Baba Suwe, received a cheque of N3.1 million from the Lagos State Government as compensation for his demolished property, which will pave the way for the expansion of the Igbogbo-Igbe Road in Ikorodu. The seasoned actor is happy that Governor Babajide Sanwo -Olu made good his promise to compensate residents affected by the demolition.

While Baba Suwe plans to use the money to rebuild his demolished house, he prays that the extent of the damage that took place does not surpass the compensation he got from the government.

“I have not visited the property in question due to my health challenge. My movement is restricted for now unless I get someone to drive me around. I hope the money I have received as compensation will be sufficient to rebuild the affected building,” he said.

Investigations conducted by THEWILL revealed that the property affected by the road construction is one of the many properties owned by the talented actor. The demolished building was leased out to tenants, while he lives at his Ewu Elepe residence.

Omidina

After listening to Akinrele and Ajose-Adeogun, Awogboro agreed with their suggestion and directed that Coker should not run in the 2020 elections. However, to the shock of Awogboro, his fellow trustees, Lanre Towry-Coker and Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo, went ahead to put up Coker’s name for re-election.

Awogboro felt slighted at their effrontery and proceeded to yank off Coker’s name on the notice board where the names of other members who were seeking elective positions was put up. Then he appended his signature to it as a mark of finality, a tradition of the club by senior members. This did not go down well with Coker’s supporters who requested that the person that struck out his name be disciplined.

H

ow time flies. It is already one year since the death of Ibidunni Ighodalo, businesswoman, philanthropist and wife of 13 years to the Senior Pastor of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo. On Sunday, June 13, the first phase of a memorial service was held in her honour at the Trinity House, Zion Centre. There were special song ministrations, prayers and tributes.

A documentary chronicling her good deeds was broadcasted to members of the church during the memorial service.

The second phase of the memorial service held on Monday June 14 at the same venue. This time, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and the Senior Pastor of House on The Rock, Paul Adefarasin, paid glowing tributes to the deceased. St. Late Ibidunni’s daughter, Keke, gave a special song ministration to the amazement of all present. Present at the Monday memorial service were the Deputy-Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, Asue Ighodalo and his socialite wife, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, Omotayo Omotosho, ex NTDC DG, the late Ibidunni Ighodalo’s mother, etc.

Described as a very generous and loving woman, Ibidunni, was found dead in her hotel room in Port Harcourt on the morning of June 14, 2020. She was in the garden city to establish a COVID-19 isolation centre and she was just a few weeks shy of celebrating her 40th birthday. Ibidunni, who was the first ever Miss Lux, a crown she clinched in the early 1990s, left behind two adopted children and two siblings, one of who is Dare Ajayi, who was married to popular fashion designer, Olamide Agunloye.

She was the founder of the Ibidun Ighodalo Foundation, a for nonprofit organisation that helps to raise awareness of infertility among couples and to help couples become parents by offering them free fertility treatments, such as IVF. She also ran the Elizabeth R, an event planning outfit, The Dorchester, an events centre and Avant Garde, a bridal outfit.

Ani-Mumuny

Unfortunately, the proposition to Coker ended up being misconstrued and this fuelled sympathy for him, thus leading to apathy among members of the club, with two groups; one clearly on the side of Coker and on the other, resonating Akinrele’s concerns. This prompted a member, Dapo Oshinusi, to table the matter before a trustee and a former president of the club, Prince Francis Awogboro, with a request for his intervention in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order, while also fingering Akinrele and Ajose-Adeogun as the person behind the tension brewing in the club.

Towry-Coker

To refresh your memory on the genesis of the club crisis, which almost led to the exchange of fisticuffs, trouble started when Demola Akinrele, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a senior member of the club, suggested to Femi Fowora, Folabi Balogun and Ladi Ajose Adeogun, all members of the club, the possibility of preventing Coker from putting himself up for re-election.

Akinrele felt that some of Coker’s ideas on certain aspects of the club’s operations were unorthodox. His message was relayed to Coker who initially accepted not to put himself up for reelection, but later changed his mind.

Awogboro

In the suit lodged at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, with suit number FHC/L/CS/578/2021, Coker is challenging his disenfranchisement in the club elections that took place in October 2020. He is also contesting his subsequent expulsion from the club, which he considers unlawful but was later commuted to a six months suspension. In the suit filed by his lawyers, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, and already served to the respondents, Coker is seeking, among other things, an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from conducting elections into offices, in respect of officers and members of the committee of the club, and holding the club’s Annual General Meeting, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Coker

ust when many thought that the messy fight among high profile members of the prestigious Lagos Motor Boat Club, Ikoyi, which almost tore the members-only exclusive club apart last year, has died a natural death, one of the members, Babajide Coker, has refused to let sleeping dogs lie. He has instituted a legal suit against the club and six of its members, registered trustees of Lagos Motor Boat Club alongside Dapo Majekodunmi, Babjide Balogun, Babashola Alokolaro, Ladi Ani Mumuny, Prince Francis Awogboro and the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC.

Ituah Ighodalo Remembers Late Wife, Ibidunni, One Year After

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Olumide Aderinokun, Wife Bag Chieftaincy Titles

Is There Trouble in Paul and Anita Okoye’s Paradise?

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Mr and Mrs Ben Oyekunle. In another charge, Aderinokun, Abdul-Wakil, and others allegedly forged a Deed of Assignment document and submitted it for registration at the Lagos State Land Registry, Alausa, Ikeja around March 3, 2012.

Also, sometime around February 2016, Aderinokun allegedly connived with some people to collect the sum of N18 million from one Mrs Jumoke Fola-Alade, claiming to be the owner of the property. The entire case was later adjourned till February of 2018 for trial, after Aderinokun and Abdul Wakil were both granted bail in the sum of N10 million each and the provision of two responsible sureties, one of who must be a civil servant not below grade level 16 in the State Public Service with an approval of the Head of Service to stand as surety. However, since then, nothing has been heard of the case.

We wonder if the case died a natural death through some form of inducement as Aderinokun was never reported to be acquitted of the charges against him. With a chieftaincy title already on his resume, we reliably gathered, he is already eyeing politics and may attempt to vie for a seat in the National Assembly to represent Ogun Central Senatorial District.

hey may look like the quintessential couple: A supportive husband and a caring wife. Everything about them looks good, but it is all for public consumption as the union between Paul, one half of the defunct P-Square, and Anita, his wife and mother of his three children, is allegedly, no longer on a solid rock. Despite the fact that the couple openly celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary in March, very close sources swear that it was all a ploy to keep their nosy neighbours and fans from knowing the true state of their marriage. Their relationship began many years ago when Paul and his brother Peter were still trying to find their feet in the music industry while still living in Jos. After 10 years of courtship, Paul decided to do the needful and got married to Anita. The latter would later resign from her good paying job to take care of the home front. Shortly after they had their set of twins, Anita opened Tannkco, a kiddies clothing store. All seemed rosy on the surface, but she wasn’t happy. Paul allegedly became a serial cheat and didn’t treat her ‘nicely’. One could clearly see the tension between them, each time they appeared in public, which was few and far between. But she endured it all. Not long after she launched the flagship store for Tannkco in 2019, Anita left Nigeria for the United States of America, precisely to Atlanta, Georgia, with her kids on the pretext of studying for another degree.

She has been there ever since. Well, let us hope the couple will sort out the problem between them and not give their diehard fans another cause for anxiety after the heartbreaking breakup of the P-Square.

Paul & Anita

Realness Institute Partners Netflix On Content Development Laboratory for African Writers

Aderinokun & wife

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ast week, on air personality, Stephanie Coker and her property developer husband, Olumide Aderinokun, received the traditional titles of Akinmuyiwa and Yeye Akinmuyiwa of Owu Kingdom, respectively. The couple was presented with a staff of office each by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is himself the Balogun of Owu Kingdom.

While congratulatory messages have continued to pour in for Stephanie and her husband, who is a sibling of late Tayo Aderinokun, one of the founders of Guaranty Trust Bank, not a few people have openly criticised the traditional institution in Nigeria for bestowing people of questionable character with chieftaincy titles.

To quickly refresh your memory, in 2017, barely five months after he got married in a lavish ceremony that took place on the Greek Island of Mykonos, Olumide Aderinokun was arrested and detained at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison on charges of fraud and conspiracy. He was later arraigned by the Lagos State Government on an eight-count charge before an Igbosere Magistrate Court alongside Balogun Adeniyi Abdul-Wakil, a staff of the New Town Development Authority (NTDA), for conspiracy, forgery and fraudulent sale of a piece land at Lekki Peninsula.

In one of the charges against him, Aderinokun allegedly converted a piece of land situated at Plot 7B, Block CBD.1, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, property of Ocean Trust Limited to his personal use. Meanwhile, the land originally belonged to

Okedare

Toyin Saraki Installed as Erelu Bobajiro of Iru Kingdom

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The Sarakis, Oba Lawal & others

I

n a bid to strengthen the foundation of quality storytelling in Africa, 12 creative industry professionals from Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe have been selected to be part of an inaugural three-month development laboratory programme for African film and television producers. The programme, launched by the Realness Institute, a non-profit organisation committed to fostering a new wave of African storytelling in partnership with the world’s leading streaming service Netflix, kicked off on June 13, 2021. It is expected to run until September 13th remotely. The two programmes: an Episodic Writers Lab focused on South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, and a Development Executive Traineeship (DET) for candidates across the Sub-Saharan Africa region saw over 500 applications, which was pruned to 12 creatives from Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe for the two inaugural three-month programmes.

At the end of the programme, each writer will have an opportunity to pitch their incubated concept to Netflix to have their series further developed for production. According to Alison Triegaardt, Netflix Manager for Grow Creative in Africa, the purpose of this traineeship is to build a critical missing capacity in the local media ecosystems with the hopes of expanding this expertise across the continent to help bolster the quality of work produced. This skill creates opportunities for professionals to work with national film bodies, film commissions, funders, story consultants and critics.

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oyin, wife of former Senate president, Bukola Saraki, now has cause to smile again after the pain of losing her older brother, polo buff, Dapo Ojora, through suicide last year. The beautiful mother of three was conferred with the traditional title of Erelu Bobajiro of Iru Kingdom last week by the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, for her contributions to the development of the kingdom. Toyin is the only daughter of board room guru, Otunba Adekunle Ojora and society

matriarch, Erelu Ojuolape Ojora. She is a princess and a scion of the Ojora royal family in Lagos and Akinfe titled clan in Ondo State. Words are not enough to describe her contributions to health coverage and the work she does through her WellBeing Foundation Africa, a nongovernmental organisation that serve as a platform for African women and children to rediscover the basis for their existence and tackle common vices associated with the feminine gender.

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BY IVORY UKONU

Toyin Lawani’s ‘Controversial’ Wedding Behind-the-Scenes...

Penultimate weekend, serial entrepreneur, foremost fashion designer and stylist,Toyin Lawani,got married to her photographer cum lover, Segun Adebayo, also known as Segun Wealth, in a ceremony that was attended by many celebrities.

VENUE OF THE WEDDING The venue for the star-studded ceremony was The Monarch owned by the queen of Ikateland, Olori Sekinat Elegushi, who honoured Toyin with her presence.

Pretty Mike, his baby mamas & six children

THE CHOICE OF DRESS CODE The Dress code for the wedding was all black. Toyin broke marriage protocol with her choice of colour for the bridal outfits. The guests were asked to wear black clothes and they all kept to the colour code. The same applied to the ushers who were all dressed in black. Even the interior décor was done in shades of black gold and red carnation.

The guests looked resplendent in their black clothes.

agbada attire as the men. Also, Toyin’s son, Lord Maine from her second baby daddy was on the grooms’ men train.

THE BABY BUMP TOYIN COULDN’T HIDE The result of Segun and Toyin’s ‘photography sessions’ in the bedroom was quite evident at the event. Toyin glowed and looked full in the right places. Despite her effort to conceal it, her baby bump was quite visible to the guests.

PRETTY MIKE AND HIS SIX BABY MAMAS Club owner and a manager with Cubana Club, Mike EzeNwalie Nwogu, otherwise known as Pretty Mike, who likes to keep people talking with his actions, made quite an entrance when he walked in with six ladies who were all pushing a couple of prams with babies in them. Pretty Mike claims the infants, four boys and two girls named Ebuka, Yomi, Bayo, Chioma, Rukayat and Micheal Jr, are his children and that he loves their mothers equally. It was another highlight of the wedding. However, not a few people felt he went too far with the baby antic. Since the wedding took place, amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and none of the guests put on a face mask or seemed to adhere to the protocols, concerned critics felt the babies could be easily infected because of their poorly developed immune system.

SIR SHINA PETERS WAS BRIDE’S FATHER Unknown to many, Afro Juju maestro, Sir Shina Peters is an uncle to Toyin who lost her father a few months ago. He did the needful by stepping out to play the role of a father to her on her big day.

ADEHERSELF, LORD MAINE ON GROOMS MEN TRAIN Influencer, Adedamola Adewale, otherwise known as Adeherself and ex-girlfriend to Instagram skit maker, Abdulgafaar Abiola, aka Cute Abiola, was at the wedding in her capacity as a maternal cousin to Toyin. She was one of the groom’s men and equally dressed up in the same native

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close friends of Toyin Lawani, were both conspicuously absent at the star-studded wedding. Blessing Ossom did not only fail to attend the wedding, but also she did not post a congratulatory message to her estranged friend on her social media page nor explain why she couldn’t make it to the event.

Similarly, Ehi failed to turn up at the wedding and she did not post any congratulatory message on her social media page to Toyin. However, it is rumoured that Ehi and Toyin’s friendship went sour when she started dating the current boss of National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, despite the fact that Toyin had allegedly dated him in the past.

The Couple

ABOUT HER HUSBAND, SEGUN ADEBAYO Segun Adebayo’s union with Toyin is mired in controversy.

According to the gossip mill, he is married with two children to another woman named Edel Idoga who lives in Port Harcourt. He left his wife and children and moved to Lagos in search of the proverbial greener pastures.

Segun met Toyin in Lagos and he became her photographer.

Not done with photographing her on set, tale bearers claim, he began to ‘photograph’ her in the bedroom and before one could say Jack Robinson, they fell in love and got engaged.

Not even Edel’s outcry on social media, claiming that her husband abandoned her and their two children, could dissuade the lovers from tying the nuptial knots together, although Segun wealth has denied abandoning his children.

While Nigerians were busy crying foul, Toyin and Segun carried on without a care in the world. Today, they are a married couple.

Aigbe & Ojo

THE SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR CALLED TOYIN LAWANI While many consider her controversial, Toyin believes she is simply unconventional and refuses to conform with traditional beliefs and ways of doing things. A very hardworking, talented and enterprising person who has a wide range of business interests, Toyin is to the Nigerian fashion industry what Kanye West is to the American fashion industry. While others prefer to play it safe, she likes to operate on a different and higher level of creativity.

A mother of two children, this is Toyin’s second attempt at marriage. Her first marriage, which happened when she was very young, produced her teenage daughter, Tiannah, after whom her business empire is named.

Sixteen-year-old Tiannah lives in America. Perhaps, due to the distance between that country and Nigeria, she was not able make it to her mother’s wedding. Following the crash of the marriage, Toyin dated other men, from Segun Oniru, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Waterfront Infrastructure, to rapper Lord Trigg , a younger lover who is the father of her second child, Lord Maine.

THE EXTRAORDINARY CAKE Toyin, who likes to stand out in whatever she does, made sure her cake aligned with the colour code of the day: black, red with gold trimmings. Boy, it was huge. It was also one of the highlights of the wedding.

BLESSING OSSOM AND EHI OGBEBOR CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT Society ladies, Blessing Ossom and Ehi Ogbebor, who are

Lawani.

MERCY AIGBE RECONCILED WITH IYABO OJO The two actresses were very good friends, but they had a misunderstanding, broke up, drifted apart and became sworn enemies. They met again at Toyin’s wedding and at the behest of another actress, Toyin Abraham, decided to mend fences and become friends again.

Unknown to many, Aigbe was the one who introduced Segun wealth to Toyin

BETWEEN ANITA JOSEPH AND MOYO LAWAL While Mercy Aigbe and Iyabo Ojo chose to bury the hatchet, fellow actresses, Anita Joseph and Moyo Lawal chose to carry on like total strangers by refusing to acknowledge each other’s presence at the wedding. The genesis of their beef began about two weeks ago when Moyo failed to participate in a surprise baby shower for actress Uche Ogbodo, despite promising to do so. When the pictures of the baby shower were posted on social media and Moyo attempted to respond to them, Anita slammed her for not keeping her promise. Moyo tried to explain why she couldn’t make it to the baby shower, but Anita would have none of her explanation, insisting she was well within the vicinity of the shower and should have popped in. Their verbal altercation had continued until Moyo backed down.

THE GUESTS’ LIST It was a star-studded wedding and people from all walks of life registered their presence. They include Nollywood actresses Anita Joseph, Mercy Aigbe, Iyabo Ojo, Moyo Lawal, Susan Peters, Lisa Omorodion, Eniola Badmus and Ebube Nwagbo. The others are Denrele Edun, Lola Ojetola, Dabota Lawson, Yomi Makun, Ik Ogbonna, Alex Ekubo, Bamike Olawunmi Adeibuyan, Olori Sekinat, Sir Shina Peters and Fisayo Michael Olagunju, to mention a few.

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VIEWPOINT Olu of Warri Designate: Protagonists and Intrigues Behind the Scenes •Concluding part

Chiefs of Warri Kingdom.”

BY CLIFFORD OGBEIDE

In Paragraph 11, it is stated, “that in the afternoon of 31st day of March 2021, the above listed persons and their cohorts, vide the Facebook account of Chief Richard Macgrey, initiated a campaign that was apparently designed as an alibi for the execution of the underscored offences, as they alleged through the said Facebook account that the Palace of the Olu of Warri had been broken into by unknown persons and some valuables carted away a few hours before the execution of the actual offence.”

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hief Ayeri Emami, the suspended Ologbotsere and his friend, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi (member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representative) have bias for Prince Oyowoli, the son of the immediate-past Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli. Prince Tsola Emiko, on the other hand, is promoted by some chiefs and politicians, including a former member of the House of Representatives, Daniel Reyenieju (who Ereyitomi unseated in 2019). His close associate, Mr. David Tonwe, among others, were close to the 19th Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, the father of the Olu-Designate, Prince Tsola Emiko.

In Paragraph 12, it is also stated, “that Chief Ayiri Amami having been suspended by the Council of Chiefs, a few days before the incidence aforementioned and decided to seize the keys of the store where the artifacts and monuments were kept”.

EXTERNAL FORCES INVOLVED IN THE CRISIS FOR ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC REASONS Some enormously powerful external forces are behind this crisis. Some of these “interest parties” are involved in the crisis simply for the purpose of promoting their economic interests, self-aggrandisement and expansions of their frontiers. The battle is beyond the throne of Warri Kingdom. It is about business interests and strategic political influence.

Shortly after the pronouncement of Prince Utieyinoritsola Emiko as the Olu-Designate of Warri Kingdom, President Muhammadu Buhari sent in his condolences and congratulatory messages, indicating presidential approval. Do not forget that the mother of the Olu-designate, Princess Gladys Durorike, is the daughter of late Oba Sijuade Okunade, the Ooni of Ife. The present Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is very unequivocal in his determination to have the issues resolved – in favour of Prince Utieyinoritsola Emiko. The Ooni was fully represented at the Ode- Itsekiri ceremony by Oba Akinola Oyetade Aderera, the Olubosin of Ife, and Adekunle Adeayo Adeagbo, the Ore of Otun Eketi. The Oduduwa kingdom would want to extend their traditional influence into the Itsekiri nation, to see one of the sons of their own becoming a King in the oil-rich Niger-Delta.

The Olu-designate is married to Ivie Uhunoma Okunbo, the daughter of politician-billionaire, Capt. Idahosa Wells Okunbor, and the marriage is blessed with three children – Oritsetsemaye, Oritsetemisan and Oritsetimeyin. It will not be out of the wishes of Capt. Okunbor to have his daughter as queen (Olorì Ọba or Princess Consort to the King) and a King as a son-in-law, as well as grandsons as future designated Kings in Warri Kingdom.

Capt. Okunbor is awfully close to the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II. He has vast economic interests in the oil and gas sector. Coincidentally, the Olu Designate, Prince Emiko, works for Ocean Marine Security Ltd, an oil service company owned by his father-in-law, Capt. Okunbor, which provides vital static asset protection and logistics services to the oil and gas industry in the oil rich Niger-Delta region.

The company also operates within the territories of the Itsekiri nation. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu and national leader of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), who is presumed to be one of the leading contenders in the struggle for the 2023 Presidential ticket, has congratulated Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko Tinubu prayed that the kingdom would experience rapid development and prosperity under Prince Emiko.

“His eventual emergence is a testament to the fact that he is indeed ordained to mount the throne of his forefathers,” he said.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, also congratulated the Olu-designate, describing his emergence as a testimony of God’s will for the people of the kingdom.

“It is with great excitement that I congratulate Prince Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko, on his emergence as the OluDesignate. History has been so kind to the people of Warri, who have a historic bond and antecedents with the Yoruba and Benin people,” Chief Adams said in his message.

In a statement issued on Thursday, April 8, 2021, the Erelu Oodua of Aye Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Tinuade Onaneye, congratulated PrinceTsola Emiko on his selection as the next THEWILLNIGERIA

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Olu of Warri-designate

Both factions have their agenda – real or perceived. Partisan politics and the political ambition of the actors cannot be ruled out. Those against Prince Tsola Emiko are afraid that he could be used by his backers against their opponent and vice versa.”

Olu of Warri, stressing that warri kingmakers also deserved commendation for their unity of purpose.

“Warri kingdom is greater than all of us and we must all work together for his greater upliftment,” she said.

According to the Erelu, the role of traditional rulers in nation building could not be overemphasized. She added, “The traditional institution must restore their dignity by appreciating their rightful place in the society for national growth.”

She urged Prince Tsola to emulate and build on the good works of the late Olu of Warri in the cause of uniting the people. She also added that the Yoruba would support his reign.

Also on Thursday, April 23, 2021, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who holds the final approval (official recognition and staff of office), congratulated the Olu-designate on his emergence. He called on the Itsekiri people to give him their full support.

The governor also commiserated with the entire Itsekiri nation on the demise of its monarch, Ogiame Ikenwoli, when members of Olu of Warri Advisory Council, led by the Iyatsere of Itsekiri Kingdom, Chief Johnson Atserunglehe visited him at Government House, Asaba, the state capital.

THE THEFT OF ANCIENT ROYAL CROWNS AND OTHER ARTEFACTS There is a mystery surrounding the theft of ancient royal crowns and other traditional monuments from the Olu’s Palace. The precious crowns and other artefacts were a regular feature of the throne since the 17th Century when the seventh Olu, Ogiame Atuwatse, received it as a parting gift from Portugal where he studied from 1600-1611 before returning home with a Portuguese wife and became the first graduate in sub-Saharan Africa. The whereabouts of the coveted pair of crowns, comprising the King’s that is made of diamond and the queen’s (hewn from silver), remains unknown.

In a petition dated 3rd April 2021 and titled “Threat to Life, Breaking & Entering, Burglary, Theft of Royal Artifacts, Monuments Etc And Conducts Likely to Breach Public Peace: A Formal Petition Against (1) Chief Ayiri Amami (2) Chief Richard Macgrey (3) Prince Oyowoli Emiko (4) Prince Omatsuli Emiko And Other Cohorts, signed by Precious Friday, Esq, on behalf of Warri Council of Chiefs, and the Olu Advisory Council, addressed to the Director of the Department of State Security, Warri, Delta State and the Assistant-Inspector General, Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State. The petitioner stated in Paragraph 1, “The above named Chief Ayiri Amami is the suspended Chairman of the Warri Council of Chiefs and Olu Advisory Council. Chief Ayiri Amami’s suspension was a result of his serial breaches of the relevant provisions of the Code of Ethics and Conducts of the

Also, Paragraph 13 reads, “that it is forbidden for the artifacts and monuments in the Palace to be moved by any person except by the King or by a resolution of the Council of Chiefs and the Olu Advisory Council”.

And Paragraph 16 states, “that given the antecedent of the above listed persons and especially that of Chief Ayiri Amami, their threats is capable of igniting unrest and the destruction of property and the loss of human lives, if pre-emptive measures are not taken forthwith”.

The petitioner finally “urged the Director of the Department of State Security, and Assistant-Inspector General, Zone 5, to use their good office to wade into the case in a timely manner, such as is capable of staying any further threats or degeneration of the situation.”

Tijani Momoh, spokesman Nigeria Police Force, Zone 5 Benin City acknowledged the receipt of the petition.

The disappearance Royal Crowns and artefacts may not be unconnected with the intrigues over the emergence of a new Olu in the kingdom.

In the meantime, the crowning of the Olu-designate, Prince Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko, as the 21st Olu of Warri kingdom, has been scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 2021, in Ode-Itsekiri, Warri South Council Area of Delta State. This was announced by the acting Chairman of the Olu’s Advisory Council and the Iyatsere of Warri kingdom, Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe, in a press conference held on Thursday, May 27, 2021, in Warri.

Amatserunleghe emphasised that the choice of Olu-designate came after a “rigorous process, which included a painstaking search within and amongst the descendants of the last three Olu ofWarri, as required by tradition, custom and extant laws, as well as several consultations and eventual confirmation by the Ifa oracle...”

He added, “It is my honour to declare to you, on behalf of the Warri Council of kingmakers, that Omoba Prince Tsola Emiko, will be crowned and formally installed as the 21st Olu of Warri on Saturday, August 21, 2021, by the grace of God.” Recall that Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri kingdom, had proclaimed on Monday, April 5th, 2021, Prince Tsola Emiko, as the Omoba, (Olu-designate of Warri Kingdom) after disclosing the peaceful passing away of His Royal Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli Present at the news conference were the Regent of Warri Kingdom, Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh; the Iyatsere of Warri kingdom, and acting Chairman of Olu’s Advisory Council, Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe, Chief Gabriel Awala, Chief Brown Mene, and Prince Yemi Emiko.

It is my fervent wish that the differences over the selection of Omoba Prince Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko, as the 21st Olu of Warri, be resolved amicably among stakeholders for peaceful coexistence and prosperity of Iwereland. My heartfelt congratulations in advance to the Itsekiri nation. Peace and prosperity for Iwereland.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter – Martin Luther King Jr. •Clifford Ogbeide, a public policy analyst, wrote in from Lake District, Alberta, Canada.

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ARTS The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari

by Haruna Yahaya Poloma, Abuja: Warp Nigeria Ltd, 394pp

BY MICHAEL JIMOH he story of Nigeria may just have been different if, by any chance, the subject of this book had survived the first military coup in January 1966. For one, he was “a tough customer” - especially professionally – as one of his subordinates found out during an unscheduled and unequal match that morning in mid-January.

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An Unfinished Life

Apart from his immaculate appearance, discipline, comportment and vast knowledge of most things military, Buhari was awed by Maimalari’s Sandhurst training. “We remember him as a very, very competent professional… the Sandhurst-trained officers of that era were the elite of the Officer Corps, not only in Nigeria but in the UK itself and most of the other British colonies. As far as you were a Sandhurst-trained officer in those days, you acquired an almost mythical quality as the military elite of the world.”

Party guests had since departed the Ikoyi residence of Brigadier Zakariya Hassan Maimalari when he heard gun shots at the gate. Sensing trouble, the Commander of 2nd Brigade, Apapa left his home by foot in his pajamas. Getting to a filling station, he saw his protégé, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, then a major under his command, driving by in a military jeep.

As any boss will react under such circumstance – especially in a profession with a rigid command structure - he motioned for Ifeajuna to stop unknown to him the major was one of the ringleaders of the coup whose duty was to take him out.

Abdusalami’s personal experience was in 1962 when he enrolled in the Army. At the selection board chaired by Maimalari, Abdusalami saw him “as a no-nonsense officer. He was thoroughly professional, straightforward and strict.”

Instead of taking orders from the commander, the major turned his gun on his boss who was said to be fond of him.

In the encounter that followed, the first regular combatant soldier in the Nigerian Army did not go down without a fight.

As for Babangida, he heard of Maimalari much earlier at Bida Provincial Secondary School when already serving army officers like Maimalari, Kur Mohammed, Abogo Largema and Yakubu Pam (all of them killed during the January 15 coup) were used as role models to “encourage and motivate” students in schools in northern Nigeria to join the Army.

Without his service pistol and staring down the O from the muzzle of his subordinate’s machine gun and quite defenceless, Ifeajuna would have had the first draw at Maimalari. Still, he neither put his hands up in surrender nor kneel to beg: post mortem results showed there were bruises on the plucky commander’s body suggesting aggressive resistance and intense struggle with his assailant.

Second, Maimalari was a thoroughgoing professional as attested to by dozens of army brass interviewed in this first bio about a career military officer who inspired and influenced many of them to join the Nigerian Army in its nascent years. At least five former heads of government from Olusegun Obasanjo to current president, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdusalami Abubakar, and dozens of other senior officers have glowing recollections to share about an individual who, unquestionably, contributed immensely to building the modern Nigerian Army.

Though General Yakubu Gowon is not among those interviewed, he gladly volunteered a deferential foreword, insisting he was “honour and duty bound” to do so, considering his closeness to Maimalari.

“His smart appearance, comportment, forthright manner, carriage and charisma” bowled the former head of state over.

Those “were some of the lasting influences that motivated many of us to eventually join the Army.”

Even before independence, the world already recognized and acknowledged Maimalari’s professionalism. Serving with the Royal Nigerian Regiment under the Queen of England, an American journalist gushed about Maimalari thusly: “I met Capt. Zakariya Maimalari, a lean, tough Kanuri with a British accent so broad you could drive two Cadillacs abreast across it. Maimalari who is in his early thirties is Nigeria’s first pro, its first graduate from Sandhurst…”

In one of the most telling interviews in the book, Brigadier Abba Kyari, former military administrator of North Central State and an alumnus of Barewa College, Zaria, where Zakariya himself had his secondary education, noted thus: “The very day an officer picks up a gun and shoots another, the Army can never be the same again.”

That observation might not apply to every country that has had one or two violent take-overs through coups. In the case of Nigeria, however, nothing rings truer: things have never quite been the same since then, either with the military as an institution or the country itself.

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However much any ancient or contemporary historian or chronicler of Nigeria’s history may want to deny it, the imbalance in Nigeria’s political structure today has a direct link to that first coup: cries of marginalization by some sections of the country sound almost like a refrain now; the mutual resentment, ancient animosities and suspicion among the various ethnicities at a low-boil then have flared up in carefully calibrated or spontaneous acts of violence and belligerence that have dominated the front pages for decades.

Which brings up the question: What might have been if Maimalari had had just a little more time to nurture and shape the Nigerian Army to the professional standard he wanted it to be? What might have been if he had survived the coup and even quelled it and subsequent ones? Though never pursued by the author in this book, those questions niggle the mind.

Even so, The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari by Haruna Yahaya Poloma, a graduate of Political Science from the University of Jos, is a great service to a most remarkable and distinguished army officer who would have remained a footnote or an aside despite his invaluable contributions to the Nigerian Army. He also shaped and influenced the professional lives of those who came after him.

President Buhari, for instance, remembers meeting Maimalari for the first time in June of 1963 during a mortar course in Kachia under late Major General James Oluloye.

Maimalari had successfully completed his training at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and was one of the instructors at the mortar training at Kachia Range. Buhari’s path and Maimalari’s would later cross again, this time in Lagos where the former was head of the Transport Company of the 2nd Infantry Brigade in Apapa.

Premier of the Northern Region, Sardauna of Sokoto Sir Ahmadu Bello and Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, were the driving forces behind the early recruitment. Maimalari was, IBB states unequivocally, “a rare officer and an outstanding leader of men. He was a very bright and intelligent individual who everyone wanted to emulate. He was a strict disciplinarian, but we all respected and admired him. He was very kind and jovial and assisted many of his subordinate officers in their careers, regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliations.”

Obasanjo did not know and had not met Maimalari when he attended his selection interview in 1957. But he recalls a smartly dressed Nigerian Army Officer, a Captain among members of a selection board who were mostly British.

They later met in the Congo during the UN Peace-keeping mission in “B” Company. Maimalari was the Company Commandant. There in the Congo, Obasanjo confesses that he began to observe Maimalari “more closely.” And what was his verdict? “He was a true officer and a gentleman. That means he was well-trained, disciplined, very honourable and an officer who clearly had his own mind.”

Interviewed independently over a period of seventeen years beginning from 1999 in different cities, towns and villages across Nigeria at different times, the senior citizens scoured the deep recesses of their mind and what emerges is an engaging trove of previously unknown facts and unpublished information on and about a man who has been left in undignified and undeserved obscurity for far too long.

Poloma’s use of oral history to present the subject makes him come alive more from the mouth of those who had familial ties or professional association with him, all of them giving a blow-by-blow account of his early years as a student in primary and secondary school, then the army, first in Kaduna, Zaria, Enugu, London and finally in Lagos.

Other senior military men, from service chiefs to military administrators and senior civil servants have all lined-up, parade-ground style, to share their fondest memories of this “soldier’s soldier,” as another described him.

*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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TOURISM

Adopt Expertise, Cleverness in Growing Hospitality Sector – Kruger STORIES BY JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR ities have always been in the struggle for using attractive environment to woo foreign investment.

And technological development has made this competition ever greater. So, in order to continue to create jobs and wages for people living in and around, Nigeria needs to be attractive inside and outside.

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For Nigeria, the ability of its cities to attract investment will determine the success of national economy as a whole. But little is understood about how Nigerian states measure up with their international counterparts.

environment. Another thing is good service and good service comes with friendliness. There are no excuses for good services. Be proud of yourself and of your services. Be soft on stuff but hard on substance.’’

Continued, he said he was not bothered that Nigeria still lacks the star rating system, saying that it comes with its own issues that may be difficult to contend with. ‘‘I am not too worried about that because that again will bring another

Kruger declared that he is “is satisfied living and working in Nigeria. Since stepping into the country in 2013, working with former Protea Westwood Hotel in Falomo, Ikoyi before moving to L’ Ola Hotel, Maryland, both in Lagos, and now The Envoy Hotel Abuja.”

This report seeks to address some pending issues hampering hospitality growth across states, but this could be difficult, looking at a range of economic insensitivity from all levels of government.

While describing his journey so far in Nigeria as very satisfying both on the professional and personal levels, he noted: ‘It is quite satisfying in terms of business and also personally. I would not have stayed here as long if not for the staff. The guests are also very important and enjoyable and we have developed good friendship all the way. Some of them from Lagos even followed me here, which is very satisfying. The staff too, even though the environment is difficult, but makes it a pleasure to come to work. I think they have a different approach to their work, to guests and to instructions, which is humbly. You can only do this job with the people that you can trust, which is what I found here.”

Nevertheless, the inhibition on hospitality should be considered seriously because it really has negative effect on nation’s ability to attract investment and create jobs as well.

‘‘So we tend to stay more with rugged installations and equipment that can stand the test of the demand of the

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ith the “Best of Lagos” Project, government of Lagos State has emphasised its commitment position the state into a major tourism destination in Africa after it engaged various stakeholders in the tourism sector including tour operators, hoteliers, tourism promoters, boat owners, ambassadors among others on workable strategy and synergy in a two-day Tourism working Summit held at Dover Hotel, in Ikeja on the, 15th and 16th of June.

Kruger

For the General Manager, The Envoy Hotel Abuja, Dewald Kruger, there are a lot of challenges confronting Nigerian hospitality. One of such is the power issue. However, he advocates for professionalism and sophistication as two key ingredients needed to bring Nigerian hospitality at par with international standard. ‘‘I wished that we can become more professional and more sophisticated.”

Kruger, while speaking with travel journalists, said that “certain things are working against us and the biggest is our power supply. We would like to introduce and use more technologically advanced systems but it is just impossible to maintain.

across the state recently embarked on visitation to all monument sites in the state with the intention of upgrading the sites to international standard.

The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Phar.

(Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who set the agenda for discussion at the summit, urged the participants to seize the opportunity of the summit to build on the existing tourism products of the state.

According to him, Lagos State is bigger than most countries in Africa with over 20 million residents running the sixtth biggest economy in Africa. It is surrounded by water, the ocean and the lagoon with beautiful beaches and waterfront, it has everything a tourist would want. It has the longest bridge over water in Africa, twice voted as having the coolest neighbourhood in the world, and also selected by Playboy magazine as the Most Authentic Party City in the world.

Similarly the other lead discussant Dr Adun Okupe, a Tourism Advisory Consultant, urged Lagos State government to train tour operators and tour guides who were the front liners in order to arouse and sustain the interest of potential tourists. Okupe stressed the need for Lagos State to upgrade the tourism sites to international THEWILLNIGERIA

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According to him, among the three hotels, Protea Westwood Hotel was challenging and this is understandable, being his first hotel in Nigeria. ‘‘All three of them offered unique experiences and growth. Westwood as my first one out of South Africa was a challenge on its own. I have to get accustomed to the local environment, the local ways of treating your guests and staff and also Protea had a very good brand loyalty and brand instruction. It was very good and I enjoyed it.”

Stakeholders Unveil Plans in Advancing Lagos State Domestic Tourism

One of the lead discussants was Ambassador Ikechi Uko, Organiser Akwaaba Africa Travel Market, who during his presentation highlighted the beauty of coastal state.

Speaking further, Amb. Ikechi Uko said Lagos Island, for instance, has the whole colonial history of modern Nigeria but nobody is promoting the fact that the amalgamation of Nigeria was presented to Nigerians in Lagos. “Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom and Zungeru in Niger State are fighting for the Amalgamation Houses but not Lagos. There should be daily trekking tours of the island identifying the houses of founding fathers like Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ajasa after visiting Freedom Park and the new Brazilian Musuem,” Uko said.

issue and it needs to be funded. It can be influenced. I am happy that the market determines if you say you are good or not. What is the difference if I put a five star on my door here? I don’t think it is necessary because the market will determine it. So you don’t all have to be five star hotels but you can be the best four star hotels, the best three star hotels and make fantastic money. Just be a good honest six star hotel if that is your decision. But don’t try and over decorate it, or overdo it and, above all, there is also a market for that.’’

standard for the advancement of the economy and to generate more revenue, just as she called on government to work on orienting and improving the people’s perspective to see Lagos as a tourist centre.

Also speaking was the Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Fatai Oluwa, who said that the House of Assembly was in full support of the decision of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to domesticate tourism activities in the state.

According to him, the House of Assembly as part of its demonstration of interest in revamping the tourism sites

According to her, the ministry had already ensured that structured plans were in place to develop existing tourism sites in the state to international standard, saying that involving of all key stakeholders in tourism activities is needed to bring the plans to fruition. She told them that the State Government has earmarked 100 Hectares of Land for the Lagos Film City to house Nollywood. This will come onboard in 2021. She used the Opportunity to introduce the 2021 Calendar of Events in Lagos.

Among those present during the summit were Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Fatai Oluwa; The Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs.) Uzamat AkinbileYussuf; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor, Hon Solomon Bonu; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Tunji Saymour; Senior Advisor, Red Clay Advisory, Dr. Adun Okupe; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Princess Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi; Amb. Ikechi Uko, Organiser Akwaaba Africa Travel Market. The event was anchored

by Ambassador Nneka Isaac Moses of GOGE Africa.

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FEATURES

Lagos Community in The Shadow Of Death Residents of Iba community in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos are at the mercy of suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers, JOY ONUORAH writes

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he residents of Iba community in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State are currently living in fear of the activities of armed robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers who seem to have permanently laid siege to the community.

THEWILL investigation shows that these criminals frequently operate in the community, especially on the LASU-Isheri Road, at will and without fear of security agencies. Their presence has not only driven fear into the minds of the residents, but also disrupted the peace they have been enjoying for many years.

There have been complaints of kidnapping and armed robbery perpetrated by people believed to be non-residents of the community. Stories have been told about the discovery of human parts and skeletons under the Iba Bridge, as well as carjacking and robbery incidents in which the victims were dispossessed of cars, undisclosed amounts of cash, cell phones and other valuable property by criminals.

Some residents, who spoke with THEWILL, confessed that they could no longer afford to send their children on errands for fear of being exposed to attacks from the robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers operating around the community. The situation, they claim, has reached a point where even shopkeepers and owners of several small scale businesses scattered around the area are scared of keeping their shops open at night.

A resident, Mr Poopola Ajayi, described Iba Bridge as a hiding place for suspected ritual killers. He said there was suspicion that ritual killers gathered around the bridge at night to sell human parts to strange men who came in big cars. It is also believed that the human parts previously

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found under the bridge belonged to kidnap victims.

Confirming this, a young man, who claimed to have joined a youths in pursuit of suspected ritual killers lurking around the community, told THEWILL that one evening he and his friends had seen three men, who were disguised as lunatics, emerge from the bush with a bag dripping blood. Suspecting that the ‘mad’ men had done something terribly wrong, they chased them.

The young man said one of them was caught with the bag, which actually contained a freshly severed human head, and forced to make a confessional statement.

According to the criminal, the gang was waiting for the arrival of an Alhaji, to whom they wanted to sell the human head, when they were accosted by the young man and his friends. He was saved from certain death lynching by a team of policemen who arrived on the scene.

Also lamenting the situation, another resident, Mrs Kofoworaola Simisola, recounted how she was chased by suspected criminals on her way from the market few weeks ago. Fortunately she managed to escape with the help of some people who got off a commercial bus to come to her rescue.

“

The criminal was later seen chasing a young girl after that incident. It means that the police did nothing about the matter other than to release him

Simisola also said other people in the community, children and adults alike, had complained of being chased around by strangers believed to be either robbers, kidnappers or ritual killers.

Most commercial bus drivers operating in the area, THEWILL learnt, have refused to stop around the bridge at night for fear of being attacked or robbed. Mr Chidi, a commercial bus driver, revealed that he had once fallen victim to a gang of armed robbers who robbed him and all his passengers near the bridge.

Most other commercial drivers had also suffered the same fate. As a result, they are not inclined to drop off or pick up passengers anywhere around the bridge, especially at night.

Asked why they did not report the incidents to the police, some of the residents said they suspected the police were either collaborating with the criminals or sponsoring their activities. Explaining further, one of the residents cited an incident in which some policemen prevented the lynching of a suspected killer, only to release him later, as proof of a possible cooperation between the operatives of the law enforcement agency and criminals operating in the area.

“The criminal was later seen chasing a young girl after that incident. It means that the police did nothing about the matter other than to release him,” the resident said.

As a result of the prevailing insecurity in the hitherto peaceful community, many Lagosians living in neighbouring towns and villages are afraid of visiting Iba at night. For those in need of accommodation, Iba is no longer the best place to rent a flat or build a new house.

In their quest for safety and protection from the activities of criminals, most residents have resorted to hiring private guards to secure their compounds at night. These guys are called the “vigilante” group. According to some of the residents, the outcome of that decision has been positive and productive.

Several phone calls made to the Chairman of Iba Local Council Development Area, Mr Adedayo Ramat Oseni, in the course of filing this story, were not answered. Also, text messages sent to him were not replied.

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SportsLive Domestic Football Under Kidnappers’ Siege which he was released. In June 2018, in what can only be described as a nightmare, the senior Obi was kidnapped for the second time in seven years.

BY JUDE OBAFEMI razen acts of criminality have become front-page news in Nigeria. There is not a single day that passes without the news of violent attacks, kidnap or killings dominating the headlines of major newspapers in the country.

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The footballer and captain of the Super Eagles received the news moments before the Super Eagles faced Argentina in the group stages of the 2018 World Cup held I Russia. He bravely kept the incident from his teammates and his father was rescued by the Enugu State Police after a gun battle with the kidnappers.

Kidnapping poses a serious challenge to security agencies and the leadership of the country. The menace has engendered a lucrative and booming industry, otherwise known as the “Kidnap-for-Ransom” enterprise. Till date, a total of 769 secondary school pupils and students of tertiary institutions have been abducted from boarding schools and other educational facilities across northern Nigeria in at least five separate incidents since December 2020.

Beyond sports, the pool of potential victims has greatly expanded and news reports illustrate that most of the victims are often poor civil servants, sometimes kidnapped indiscriminately. This is a departure from the targeted kidnappings of wealthy people, who often struggle to pay ransoms quickly because of their relative poverty, and such victims are much more likely to be killed.

The coach was reportedly kidnapped last Tuesday by unknown gunmen. In the typical fashion of the business, reports monitored by THEWILL hold that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N10 million.

Rivers United, the Rivers State-owned Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) outfit, were involved in a Sunday fixture against Adamawa United in Gombe, which the coach attended with his charges and which they lost by 2-0 after a Fabian Nworie 39th minute own goal.

The kidnappers, according to sources close to the team, must have accosted the coach and abducted him around Enugu on his way to Port Harcourt. No official statement has been issued by the Rivers State Government, regarding his whereabouts.

This is the second time that a high-profile coach of the top flight Nigerian football club has been kidnapped in recent times. THEWILL recalls that Abdulahi Biffo, coach of Kwara United FC spent about a month in the kidnappers’ den in 2019 after he was seized on Monday, January 7 in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Two of the four occupants of the vehicle that conveyed them, including the driver, lost their lives in a shootout that ensued when security agents attempted to apprehend the kidnappers, who were armed.

The coach revealed that the second survivor was a man identified as Aminu Lawal, a known retired justice of northern extraction. Biffo’s abduction was an unexpected development, which forced the League Management Company (LMC) to postpone Kwara United’s third NPFL matchday fixture against Rivers United at the time. The coach was not released until a ransom of N15 million was paid to his abductors.

Kidnapping has continued unabated across the country with scarcely any sort of deterrence to keep the perpetrators in check. The entire squad of Adamawa United FC was fortunate to have escaped a similar fate on the Benin-Ore Road in February 2021.

Unknown gunmen had attacked the NPFL side on Friday, February 19 when the players were on their way to Lagos for a game against MFM FC on Matchday 11. The driver of the vehicle conveying them, Kabiru Mohammed, was abducted by the criminals who also stole valuable objects from the players and coaches. A ransom of N50 million was demanded for the release of the driver who was freed after six days and the payment of N1 million.

In November last year, THEWILL reported the second kidnapping of Christian Obodo, which occurred on Refinery Road in Effurun, Uvwie Council Area of Delta State at about 5pm on Sunday, November 16. He was released after he paid an undisclosed sum. It was reminiscent of Obodo’s first experience in the hands of kidnappers in 2012 when he was abducted on his way to church. The day after that abduction, policemen were able to track his abductors to Isoko, just outside Warri. There, they found the player and arrested some suspects.

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The spate of kidnappings and violent acts have enough spread such that the heightened fear of insecurity in the entire country has reared its ugly head in the domestic football league with the alleged kidnapping of Stanley Eguma, the manager of Rivers United FC.

Before that, in March 2020, two football players, Enyimba FC midfielder Ekundayo Ojo and Abia Comet’s Benjamin Iluyomade were kidnapped on Sunday, March 22, on the Benin-Owo Expressway as they journeyed to Akure, following the suspension of the Nigeria Professional Football League amid concerns over the global COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, they were released three days later, although it was not known if a ransom was paid.

THEWILL recalls cases involving the relatives of footballers who were kidnapped for ransom. It took the payment of a ransom of $138,000 (about N56m) in two instalments to secure the release of Samuel Kalu’s mother, Ozuruonye Juliet Kalu, from the clutches of kidnappers in February 2019.

Also John Mikel Obi’s father, Michael Obi, was a victim of two kidnappings. The first incident occurred in 2011 after

A consulting firm, SB Morgen, reported that between 2011 and 2020, over $18 million (N7,352,460,000) had been paid in ransom. This accelerated in the latter portion of that period, a time between 2016 and 2020, when about $11 million (N4,493,170,000) was paid out. It clearly highlights the profitability of the enterprise and frighteningly demonstrates why there is an urgent need to curtail the ease with which the kidnappers operate.

That need is dire at the moment because in many parts of the country, the lure to take up kidnapping is gaining grounds, especially for a growing unemployed population.

The economic difficulties in a recessed economy and the twin evils of the impact of the coronavirus and the fall in oil prices, which has led to redundancies, putting more people out of work, can only serve to worsen the dangers.

The sporting community will not be spared as it exists within the system and carries with it a special attraction due to the juicy sums of money attached to almost every level of the game. It is hoped that within all sports, there will be greater attention to security, less exposure to risks and no report of casualties as the situation shows no clear signs of improving.

Naira Rain As Gov. Diri Splashes N195m On Bayelsa Athletes FROM DAVID AMOUS - OWEI

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overnor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State recently rewarded athletes that made the state proud at the National Sports Festival held in Edo State in April.

An elated Diri announced a total package of N195 million for the gold, sliver and bronze medalists, as well as the coaches and secretaries of the teams.

Bayelsa State, for the first time, placed third on the final medals table behind Delta and Edo States, a feat that surpassed its fourth place recorded since 2006 at the games held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, the governor, who received the state’s contingent inside the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Yenagoa, said the gesture was in appreciation of the honour they brought to the state.

For every individual gold medallist, Diri announced a cash reward of N1m, while team gold medallists got N500,000 each with outstanding swimmer, Ifiezibe Gagbe, getting over N10m reward having won eight gold, two silver and five bronze medals.

The largesse also captured non- medal winning athletes who were appreciated with N50,000 each, likewise their coaches and secretaries who got same amount.

The governor urged the athletes to reciprocate the gesture by improving on their performance in the next festival.

He assured them that the government would not relent in promoting sports at all levels.

He said, “We appreciate you for bringing honour to the state.

As you know, sports is no longer a social event. It is now a money-spinning business if you get committed to it.

“We pray that you would not end at just the national sports festival. Your Commissioner is a world champion in wrestling.

We pray that you follow those footsteps.

“Your next sports festival in 2022 began the day Edo 2020 ended. I’m sure that if you go to Asaba in 2022 with the same passion, patriotism and commitment you exhibited in Edo, you would surpass your performance. That is why I charge you not to relent in order to go beyond your current position.”

The governor also announced the adoption of two Bayelsaborn athletes in line with the “Adopt an Athlete Initiative” of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare.

Gold medal winning coaches and secretaries were also rewarded with N500,000 each, while individual silver medalists smiled home with N350,000, team silver medallists got N250,000 each and silver medal winning coaches and secretaries received N300,000 each.

The adopted athletes are Tokyo Olympic-bound multiple African and Commonwealth champion in wrestling, Blessing Oborududu, and 17-year-old sprinter, Tima Godbless, who won a silver medal in the women’s 200 meters and bronze in the 4x100 meters relay at the festival.

The reward for individual bronze medallists was N300,000.

Team bronze medallists got N100,000, while bronze medal winning coaches and secretaries were given N200,000 each.

Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Daniel Igali, stated that with 568 athletes at the festival, Bayelsa won 56 gold, 57 silver and 58 bronze medals to place third. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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