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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

Okowa, Ibori Walk the Cornerstone Tightrope Insurance Plc:

5 Years of Dividend Drought, 1,000% Hike in Directors’ Pay

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COVER

Okowa, Ibori Walk the Tightrope

BY AMOS ESELE

F

or the first time in the political history of Delta State under the new democratic dispensation, a quake of massive proportions is about to call out the big wigs in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and make them declare their stand, ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2023.

The sudden turn of events, which was certain to happen following covert political manoeuvres in the state since Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s re-election in 2019 and after he consolidated his grip on power and expanded his influence in the political party, took place on May 18, 2021 when the governor unexpectedly dissolved his cabinet in one fell swoop without hinting or consulting Chief James Ibori, his main backer and political leader, according to multiple authoritative sources close to the two leaders.

According to the immediate past Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, who briefed journalists shortly after the state executive council meeting presided over by the governor, all the 25 Commissioners and the Secretary to the State Government, Chiedu Ebie; Chief of Staff, David Edevbie; Senior Political Adviser, Funkekeme Solomon; Chief Strategist, Festus Agas and Special Advisers were removed.

“The governor thanked and commended members of the dissolved cabinet for their contributions to the success of his administration in the past six years. The governor also directed that all the affected former appointees hand over to the permanent secretaries in their respective Ministries,” Aniagwu said.

On Monday, May 31, Okowa appointed nine persons as his advisers. All were his loyalists. They include the pioneer Executive Secretary of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Chief Andi Osawota, whom he appointed as his special adviser.

Mr Omimi Esquire and Chief Isaac Anwuzia were approved for appointment as political advisers to the governor, while Hon Kelly Penawuo, Chief Mary Iyasere, Chief Edwin Uzor and Chief Godwin Ogadi, were listed for appointment as special advisers. The appointment was contained in a statement issued by the State Head of Service, who doubled as Secretary to the State Government, Reginald Bayoko.

On Friday, June 4, 2021, Governor Okowa appointed Mr. Patrick Ukah as Secretary to the State Government, SSG, a post previously held by Ebie, a very close ally of Ibori.

Following the shocking sacking of the appointees and the tension it generated in the state’s political circles, not many people were ready to volunteer information for fear of being caught in the brewing web of intrigues.

THEWILL, however, gathered from sources, who craved anonymity, that although Okowa and Ibori still maintain cordial relations, it appears that the governor is being his own man because it is absolutely clear that himself and Ibori are not on the same page on who succeeds him, come May 29, 2023.

Although the sources were united in saying that the possibility of the governor openly clashing with Ibori was remote, they submitted that their close associates were setting them up for a possible clash if the two key leaders do not manage the succession process tactfully “because their main men are singing discordant tunes and reacting to events including the cabinet dissolution differently and drawing lines in the sand.”

For now, the sources told THEWILL, it is still not very clear how things will pan out. But one source was quick to add that what is certain is that one star is rising and another is setting.

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Okowa

Okowa wielded the big stick and eased out all political appointees mostly made up of aides, protégés and associates of key party members. He has so far filled 10 of the positions with people believed to be his core loyalists.

Ibori built his political structure in 1998 and he has used it to decide the tone of politics in the state since then.

But Okowa’s involvement in the governance of the state reaches far back to 1992, when he was a local government chairman, after which he served twice as commissioner and then as secretary to government, as well as a senator before becoming governor in 2015.

Ibori’s travails in London compelled him to limit his public appearances, but he has been aggressively consulting and engaging lately in the state. Only last August at the PDP convention held to elect a new exco, Ibori’s absence set tongues wagging that he had lost grip of the party. But as it turned out, the former state Chairman of the party, Olorogun Kingsley Esiso and other members of the state’s executive were returned unopposed after Okowa insisted on retaining them and got Ibori to support his decision.

As another source, a politician in the state puts it, Okowa and Ibori both have open political cheques to cash anytime.

The source said, “Give it to Ibori, he paved the way for Okowa to be governor. Okowa has also paid back his political debts to his predecessor. For example, he appointed Ibori’s core men into his administration, brought Ibori’s daughter into politics at a time some powerful forces were against it, made her his Special Assistant when he was Senator and helped her into the House of Assembly as a lawmaker.

“No, I don’t see Ibori taking Okowa head on and I don’t see Okowa taking Ibori head on, following the recent dissolution of cabinet. I also believe we should not produce a candidate that will pose a problem to the PDP in any governorship election. That is why I say that even if there is a clash between Ibori and Okowa, it will lead to a compromise and an agreement.”

According to a government source, sometime in February, Governor Okowa twice asked members of his cabinet and anyone holding political office who is interested in running for governorship in 2023 to have consultations with him, saying there were certain things he knew that might serve the interests of the aspirants and that of the party. He was said to have told those coming to see him to do so with a witness.

Deputy Governor, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and Senator James Manager, representing Delta South at the Senate, heeded the governor’s directive immediately. Edevbie; former Commissioner of Works, Chief James Augoye; a former Secretary to the State Government and Chief Strategist, Chief Festus Agas, and a former Senator, Chief Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, also informed the governor of their intentions.

What would however unsettle and annoy Okowa was that those in his cabinet with ambitions were holding nocturnal meetings regularly at the expense of their assignments and causing realignments within his cabinet without even waiting nor caring for his guidance on the matter.

Worse still, a political group called DC-23, an acronym for Delta Central for 2023, according to our source, had been put together to “force Okowa into giving the 2023 governorship slot to Delta Central with Edevbie, as their preferred choice.”

Offended that members of his cabinet were undermining his administration by oiling their ambition without clearance, Okowa decided on May 18, 2021 to wield the big stick and send them all packing for “insubordination”.

OKOWA’S IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

Another source, who advises both men, told THEWILL that Okowa and Ibori will meet during or after the 30th anniversary celebration of the creation of Delta State later this year to formally hold succession talks.

To douse the tension that had built over the matter, Okowa decided to address the problem frontally. On Wednesday, May 20, 2021, two days after he sacked his cabinet for what he described as a necessary move to save his administration from ‘distraction’, the governor said there was no written agreement on how the governorship seat should be rotated among the three senatorial districts in the state.

THE PROBLEM AT HAND

Okowa disclosed this during the Quarterly Media Briefing with journalists across the state in Asaba, the state capital.

Producing any candidate, one of our sources added, that gives the party peace of mind is actually the source of the challenge facing it at present. This may, in the long run, tear it apart and probably expose the two ‘big men’ to a possible clash, even if temporarily, before an agreement is reached.

He said, “A gentleman’s agreement is an agreement that is not written and I want to believe that that is what it is supposed to be. There was no formal meeting where a gentleman’s agreement was reached and that is the truth as at today.

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COVER After Ebonyi’s Dave Umahi defected to the APC last year, many thought it was a one-off event, given the policy bent of that governor and his pro-President Muhammadu Buhari posture. Few weeks ago, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, crossed the red, white, green line of the PDP to the green, white/broom, green line of the ruling APC. Both Ebonyi and Cross River have been PDP states since this dispensation. They still are, relatively speaking. The party is still deep rooted in those states, but Nigerian politics is not deep.

Closer home in Delta State, former Governor Uduaghan defected to the APC on whose platform he contested the South Senatorial District poll in 2019. He lost his bid, but the gamble was too close for comfort for his former comrades in the PDP. For one, Uduaghan is Ibori’s cousin. Uduaghan’s father, an Itsekiri, is related to Ibori’s mother who is also Itsekiri. In fact, Uduaghan was brought up by Ibori’s mother, having lost his mother during his childhood. So, he speaks fluent Urhobo, just as Ibori speaks fluent Itsekiri through his mother’s influence.

Indeed, when Ibori wanted to contest for governorship in 1998, many thought he was Itsekiri because of his middle name, Jolomi, an Itsekiri name. Their politics is also watered by blood, but it proved to be skin deep when it mattered most.

Ibori

So, when Uduaghan defected, it was a foreboding of future things to come for the party, a sure sign that the house that Ibori built was beginning to show some signs of weakness.

No doubt, Uduaghan’s defection was an outcome of a power play that went awry.

“It means that whatever we are doing or talking about today is about what is fair, what is equitable and how to define what is fair and what is equitable and justifiable.

North, respectively, to allow Delta Central to produce the next governor of the state in the “interest of equity and justice.”

“On allegations of an intention to hand over to an Ijaw man, it is only God Almighty that knows who will be governor after me.

The sound of the phrase“interest of equity and justice” has an ethnic bite to it. Although Delta Central was the first to start the game through Ibori’s tenure, it is predominantly Urhobo. In the other ethnic composition of the districts, Delta South is populated by three major groups, namely the Ijaw, Isoko, and Itsekiri, while the north is made up of Igbo speaking tribes.

“I cannot pretend to be God. I don’t know who God is going to bring and I don’t have the intention of playing the role of God.” Okowa’s statement came at a time pundits were alleging that he had reached an agreement with Ijaw leaders to ensure that his successor comes from the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Delta South Senatorial District as a payback for their overwhelming support to his administration.

The governor’s deputy, Otuaro and Senator Manager, who were the first to heed his directive to seek his clearance, are Ijaws.

POWER ROTATION Although the governor said there was no formal meeting where a gentlemen’s agreement was reached on power rotation in the state, it is believed that an understanding of sorts on that platform had helped the party to make all the three Senatorial Districts produce governors since the return to democracy in this dispensation.

Chief Ibori kicked off the arrangement for Delta Central and governed between 1999 and 2007. He was succeeded by Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan from Delta South - 2007 to 2015 and then Okowa, who hails from Delta North.

THE CURRENT CHALLENGE With the three districts having taken their turns, three major debates have sprung up, according to pundits, ahead of the 2023 general elections. The first is that whether by right, the Urhobo should take the next shot or that the contest be thrown open to the three senatorial districts. The second is that if all the zones had taken turns, was there ever a time it was agreed that the Urhobo should be the one to start the game afresh?

Thirdly, the concept of power rotation is based on politics as in senatorial districts and not on ethnicity, which inevitably translates into the constitutional right to contest.

It is to this third leg of the argument that the DC-23 bases its objective. Openly declaring its aims recently, it appealed to all aspirants to declare their intentions publicly and appealed to the leaders and party members in Delta South and Delta

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In his response to enquiries by THEWILL, Mr Sunny Appiah, spokesman of DC-23, described it as a lobby group and does not think it is too early to start campaigning for the 2023 governorship election.

“Aspirants at the presidential level have already started their campaigns, he said, adding that the group is loyal to Governor Okowa. Our leader Prof Sam Oyovbhaire has said the governor is not angry with DC-23.” On Edevbie’s ambition, he said he was not sure.

“Edevbie has never attended DC-23 meetings. May be some members are supporting his ambition, but I do not know him to be a member of the group,” he said.

Attempts to reach Edevbie proved unsuccessful as his telephone line did not connect.

THE UNDERCURRENTS Before now, everybody who mattered in the politics of Delta State and even beyond, knew who was in unquestionable control of political affairs in the dominant oil rich state in the heart of the Niger Delta.

James Onanafe Ibori has dominated the politics of the state since he was elected governor in 1999 on the platform of the PDP. He literally chose all his successors, Uduaghan and Okowa, who is two years into his second tenure.

Although Ibori still moves and shakes the politics of the state at will, Okowa, according to THEWILL checks, is determined to assert himself as a dominant force and kingmaker in the state and will leverage on his influence and political experience to actualise this feat.

But, with the All Progressives Congress raiding the opposition PDP at the national level and snatching their governors with the southern parts of the country as prime target, things are not quite as certain and predictable in the politics of Delta.

The former governor had wanted to make Sir Anthony Chucks Obuh, the Permanent Secretary in Government House, his successor in 2015.

Obuh was from the Delta North Senatorial District, which had been clamouring for their turn to be governor after the other two senatorial districts, Central and South, had taken their turns in Ibori and Uduaghan, respectively.

But the Urhobos kicked up so much fuss that Uduaghan, who was perceived to be trying to build his structure independent of Ibori’s, while the latter was in prison, backed down and fell for the choice of another Urhobo, Edevbie, who was however, not the popular choice in that round of election and lost the PDP primary because Ibori got wind of the move and asserted his power in backing Okowa, a long- time associate since their days as members of the Peoples’ Democratic Movement, founded by late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua in the 1990s.

Having lost face, Uduaghan bided his time and as events unfolded, defected to the APC in 2019. His action, in a way, proved the truism in politics that the immorality of politics predisposes many politicians to do unpredictable things after they had grabbed power.

So far, another governor aspirant from Delta Central that has announced a bid is Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, a former Minister of State for Education. Though his aspiration is a long shot.

Edevbie is said to have Ibori’s support or at least the support of Ibori’s key allies. His choice is said to rankle Okowa who considered his former Chief of Staff disloyal for hobnobbing with the DC-23, which by its public declaration wants to determine his successor by fiat. But, as a notable PDP stalwart told THEWILL, the one-time Commissioner for Finance has “some issues.”

“Edevbie is not on the governor’s list of favourite successors if the numbers were one million,” said the political source, who added: “but you just never know. This is politics.

“Politicians are survivors. They do not want those who will retire them.”

As things stand now, with Ibori tacitly supporting Edevbie and Okowa said to be against his former rival in the 2015 party primary, who appears bent on pushing his luck through the DC-23 platform, there is palpable tension in the politics of the state. “This can only be resolved through horse trading, but certainly not after Okowa and Ibori have tested their muscles,” the source said, adding that with what he called the raiding formula of APC, nothing should be left to chance in the ruling PDP in Delta state.

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NEWS AKSU denies receiving N327m from A’Ibom State Govt FFROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

C

ontroversy has continued to trail the recent disclosure

by Governor Udom Emmanuel that his administration has been releasing the sum of N327 million as monthly subvention to the management of the Akwa Ibom State University.

The institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which denied the Governor’s disclosure vehemently, has vowed not to call off the lingering strike that has grounded academic activities in the state owned tertiary institution for months now.

It would be recalled that Governor Emmanuel, in a recent media programme titled ‘The Governor Speaks,’ which was broadcast on radio stations in the state, disclosed that his administration had made the funds available to the management of the university.

The governor, who also disclosed that the academic staff of the university was the highest paid in the country, expressed his displeasure with lecturers who were still unwilling to return to the classrooms despite the huge expenditure on the institution.

But, despite Emmanuel’s claims, ASUU, AKSU branch has vowed that the strike will continue until their demands are met by the state government.

The ASUU chairman, Dr Ime Okop, in an interview with THEWILL, maintained that the position of the union, regarding the strike, would not change as the lecturers were not prepared to shift ground until all their salaries and other entitlements were settled by the government.

“What the governor went on air to say is not what we will contest.

It is left for the management to explain that. What we know is that the university has been receiving a monthly subvention of N250 million as of 2019. So, if the state government has increased it to N329 million, it is left for the management to explain and to let us know when the amount was increased,” Okop stated.

The chairman frowned at the situation where both the government and the management of the university were playing pranks with issues of education.

Christian Leaders Express Concern Over Worsening Insecurity

FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI

Christian leaders in Nigeria have expressed deep concern over the worsening security situation and promised to sustain prayers for the return of peace and security to all parts of the country.

Nigerian Christian Elders’ Forum led by the President, Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, who also doubles as President, Nigeria Evangelical Fellowship, Prof Dachollom Datiri, made their position known a courtesy call on Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.

Datiri stated that Benue would remain victorious and Nigeria would come out of the woods, stressing that the solidarity visit was to identify with the governor and the Benue people on what the state is going through.

The Christian leader encouraged Governor Ortom to remain courageous and continue to speak out for the oppressed and injustice, as well as against impunity in the country. According to him, the governor is not alone in the struggle and he is being supported with prayers.

Datiri also noted that the assassination attempt on Ortom’s life meant that the aggressors were mad at him and they wanted to eliminate him. He prayed that they would never succeed because God had ordained the governor for what he is doing.

Responding, Ortom acknowledged the firm support of the church to the fight against injustice, impunity and lawlessness in the country.

The governor said he meant business when he called on the FG to allow responsible Nigerians own AK47 rifles to defend themselves since it could not stop influx of foreign Fulani Herdsmen to the country.

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L-R: Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina; Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; the New Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and AIG Aderanti [rtd] at the State House, Abuja after the Police Council confirmed the new IGP on 04/06/2021.

Constitution Review: Kano Supports Amendment G FROM MUSA DISO, KANO

overnor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has said that the state government is in support of calls for a review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The governor made the statement, while declaring open the public hearing sitting of the House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee held at Bristol Palace Hotel in Kano on Wednesday.

He said, “There is no better time to hold this event than now that many Nigerians are yearning for it. Our problem in Nigeria is that we allow diversity to be a challenge. People should understand that our diversity is something that is natural. It means we must try and utilise it for our collective benefit.

“The Kano State Government is highly in support of this exercise and we hope the House of Reps review committee will come up with a solution”.

Ganduje said the state would make its contribution on the 17 identified areas in due course through the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji. He urged members of the committee and other Nigerians to make their contributions while putting the country first before any other consideration.

Describing calls for secession from any part of the country as unacceptable, the governor said, “United, we will remain stronger and more recognised by the global community. Studies have shown that there are good things embedded in our diversity. So why can`t we put our heads together and utilise those good things for the betterment of our dear nation?”

The Chairman of the constitution review committee, Alhaji Doguwa,

gave the people the assurance that his committee would work hard and round the clock to meet the yearning of the public for proper submission to the larger house.

Doguwa said the focus of the constitutional review was to secure the participation of all Nigerians and also to have a constitution that will meet their expectations.

He said, “It is obvious that Nigeria as a nation is challenged from all sides by the agitation and the need to address a number of contentious issues as enshrined in the constitution.

“This legislative hearing is an opportunity being accorded to the citizens of this country to bring forward all the issues that may manifest in the future. With the input of the people, we will gradually begin to move to a quasi a referendum that will restore and guarantee peace and tranquility in our country by addressing those contentious areas in our supreme democratic document.”

Doguwa also emphasised that in a journey of nationhood, people must take advantage of expressing themselves as a great nation is built on advancement of shared values and the protection and advancement of mutual interests, regardless of their diversity.

“Our expectation is that after this exercise nationwide, we will be in a position to address most of the challenges facing this country and above all, have an amended constitution that largely incorporates the divergence of opinions, interest and advances our common national aspirations.”

He urged the participants to speak frankly, to make their presentations with clarity and to put the interest of their people and nation above any primordial or parochial consideration.

1999 Constitution: Lawmaker Blames Presidency For Failed Attempts at Amendment T FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

he Minority leader of the House Representatives, Gwani Lucas, has indicted the Presidency and the State Houses of Assembly for killing previous attempts to amend the 1999 Constitution.

Lucas, who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Special Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in the SouthSouth Geopolitical Zone, made the indictment during a zonal public hearing held in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday, May 2, 2021.

He said, “Some State Houses of Assembly refused to concur on some of the issues raised by Nigerians and captured in the bills sent to them from the National Assembly on one part, while the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had decided to withhold his accent to the bills on the other hand.”

While fielding questions from journalists at the end of the exercise

in Uyo, Lucas absolved members of the National Assembly of blame, saying that both chambers exercised their legislatives’ functions by collating the various positions presented by people and groups into bills during the said review exercises.

In his attempt to allay fears over the outcome of the exercise in Uyo, Lucas said, “You can recall that this Constitution has been reviewed four times. Some of the issues that were received were probably the most unimportant ones and it has been received four times and now we are making an attempt to review it again.

“I have said that in the exercise of reviewing the Constitution, there is a process that we must follow and one of the processes is what we are doing today.

“We, the National Assembly, will have to conclude after we have aggregated all what Nigerians have put together and then see how we can now come out to proper bills for every issue that were eventually be passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

CORNERSTONE INSURANCE PLC

5 Years of Dividend Drought, 1,000% Hike in Directors’ Pay

BY SAM DIALA

S

hareholders of Cornerstone Insurance Plc will assemble for the company’s 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) later in the year to listen to the chairman’s statement and transact other statutory businesses. However, they will be paid no dividend. Details gleaned from the firm’s unaudited 2020 financial statement submitted to the NGX Exchange (formerly Nigerian Stock Exchange) showed that the directors have proposed no dividend for 2020. And this will be the firm’s fifth consecutive year of dividend drought. It paid dividends last in 2015 and that was 2 kobo per N50 share.

The insurance sector was not spared the bruises of COVID-19. It also suffered the effects of a 15-month THEWILLNIGERIA

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land border closure, which, combined with recession, put business ventures on the edge. Expectedly, 2020 was not a pleasant year for Cornerstone Insurance.

The firm recorded Profit After Tax (PAT) of N1.6 billion as against N4.10 billion in the corresponding period of 2019 – a decline of N2.51 billion or 61.4 percent. The 2020 post-tax profit was also the least since 2016 (see table) A curious twist in the narrative is that while the shareholders will receive virtual handshake, the eight directors of the firm will be laughing to their banks.

An examination of the financial statement revealed that the firm jerked up its directors’ emolument from N68.254 million in 2019 to N932.369 million in 2020.

This represents an increase of N864.115 million or

1,266 percent. The paradox also exists in the fact that the directors’ bumper harvest occurred in a lean season for the firm and the investors.

Jerking up directors’ remunerations in a year that businesses suffered COVID-19-induced challenging environment that knocked life out of some firms and many walked a tight rope to survive, is puzzling.

Furthermore, the eight directors of the firm are Nigerians. The spike in their remuneration cannot be attributed to forex differentials as would be the case with firms that have expatriate directors.

It is also the highest emolument drawn by the directors during the five-year survey period. The almost *Continue on Page 8

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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

5 Years of Dividend Drought, 1,000% Hike in Directors’ Pay *Continued from Page 7

N1 billion largesse poured on the eight directors of Cornerstone Insurance constitutes 45.63 percent of the total N2.043 billion ‘Other Operating Expenses’ which jumped 45.09 percent from N1.408 billion in 2019.

Although gross premium income rose from N13.058 billion to N17.59 billion representing 34.7 percent; stakeholders and industry experts observe that the drop in post-tax revenue does not offer a justifying reason to jerk up directors’ pay in a year of gloom.

Moreover, many of the company’s peers did not toe the line of Cornerstone in remunerating their directors during the year.

A look at the financial statements of rival firms, including Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc and AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, showed that they all cut their directors’ emoluments, fees and expenses even when they recorded profits that could justify towing the path of Cornerstone Insurance.

For the five years that Cornerstone Insurance shareholders received no dividend, the company maintained substantial directors’ remuneration pattern to the tune of N1.2 billion: In 2018, directors’ emolument was N51.39 million while the company recorded post-tax profit of N3.28 billion. For 2017, the directors’ pay was N62.64 million while the company posted a loss of N3.42 billion. In 2016 when the company posted N1.73 billion post-tax profit, the directors received N81.54 million.

When contacted, Cornerstone Insurance Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Cordelia Ekeocha, declined to comment “until the accounts are published”. When reminded that the firm’s unaudited 2020 financial statement had been submitted to the NGX Exchange and is accessible to the public, she responded in a note, “Sorry, I won’t be able to comment on this now; wait until our accounts ae published. Thanks for reaching out.”

STAKEHOLDERS’ REACTIONS The National Co-ordinator, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Ms Bisi Bakare, described the over 1,000 percent raise in Cornerstone Insurance directors’ emolument as outrageous and wondered if the figures were not a “typo error”. She said it is abnormal to starve investors of dividends and package huge emoluments for the directors when the company’s earnings dwindled.

“That is outrageous, from N68.25 million to N932.36 million; almost N1 billion. That must be a typo error.

It is abnormal. When profit declined by over 60 percent and no dividend paid the investors for the past five years? The increase in the directors’ emolument is on the high side and it is very difficult for me to believe that the figures are correct,” Bakare said in a note to THEWILL. The Chairman, Ibadan Zone Shareholders Association, Mr. Eric Akindiro, stressed the prevailing economic challenges call for prudent management of scarce resources, cautioning against prioritising personal comfort against creating value to enhance investors’ assets at this time.

“Any board that places priority on personal comfort than creating value to the investors is not worth leading an organisation. Prudent management of resources this time will go a long way in boosting the bottom-line; unfortunately, some companies are not seeing it that way,” Akindiro told THEWILL in PAGE 8

CORNERSTONE INSURANCE PLC VITAL STATISTICS 2016-2020 (N'bn) 5

4.1

3.75

3.28

2.5 1.25

0.932

1.73

1.6 0.068

0

0.051

0.063

0.082

-1.25 -2.5 -3.75 -5

-3.42 2020

2019

“

A curious twist in the narrative is that while the shareholders will receive virtual handshake, the eight directors of the firm will be laughing to their banks.

An examination of the financial statement revealed that the firm jerked up its directors’ emolument from N68.254 million in 2019 to N932.369 million in 2020

a note.

QUEST FOR RECAPITALISATION The insurance apex regulator, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in August 2020 rolled out a new capital base for insurance firms listed on the NGX Exchange. The announcement revealed that a total of N142.13 billion would be required to meet the new minimum capital base for the 24 of the listed 25 firms.

NAICOM in a circular specified the minimum paidup share capital of all classes of insurers ― insurance and reinsurance companies ― with the exception of Takaful operators and micro-insurance companies.

The minimum paid-up capital of life insurance

2018

2017

2016

companies was reviewed from N2 billion to N8 billion, while that of general insurance companies was reviewed from N3 billion to N10 billion.

The paid-up capital requirement for composite businesses was reviewed from N5 billion to N10 billion. That of reinsurance businesses was reviewed from N10 billion to N20 billion. NAICOM also barred regulated entities from borrowing money to meet the requirements, a move that left the firms with the options of merger and acquisition or capital raise by rights issue.

Only the African Alliance Insurance Company Plc, with a share capital of N10.29 billion as against the NAICOM prescribed N8 billion, met the new requirement then. Available data then showed that Cornerstone Insurance would seek additional capital of N8.05 billion to boost its existing N1.95 billion to meet the newly stipulated minimum paid up capital.

Cornerstone Insurance Plc said on July 24, 2020 that its board of directors had reached a decision concerning a proposed issuance of bonus shares to its shareholders as part of the plans to meet its recapitalisation mandate. In a notice that was sent to the NGX Exchange, the firm said the resolution on bonus shares was one of many other resolutions that were reached when its board of directors met on July 22, 2020. It said that the bonus shares would be issued in the proportion of seven new shares for every 30 shares of 50 kobo each, already held by shareholders.

No date has been announced for Cornerstone Insurance Plc 2020 Annual General Meeting. Certainly, the outrageous raise in the directors’ remuneration is one subject the shareholders will demand a satisfactory explanation from the board and management of the company. The share price of the firm as of Friday, May 21, 2021 is about N55.

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POLITICS management of the party was not vested in a pressure group, adding that if the group had any idea that could be of benefit to the party, they should channel it through appropriate authority.

He noted that the new factional group was absurd and unrecognised, saying that no one would be allowed to rebel against the party’s leadership.

“The constitution of the party doesn’t recognise any splinter group within the entity called APC in this country. The man that signed the statement is the leader of the party. There is no role for the former acting chairman in the management of the party.

“As a leader of the party, if you believe in a cause, there are organs of the party through which such grievances could be channeled. But when you go outside all those structures or you don’t believe in those structures again, then you should not consider yourself to be a member of the party anymore.

You cannot rebel against a constituted authority within the party,” Famodun added.

Oyetola

Aregbesola

A political observer in Osun State, Mr Aina Oluokun linked the development to Governor Oyetola’s second term. He told THEWILL that members of TOP comprised Aregbesola’s foot soldiers and leaders of the Osun APC.

Aregbesola, Oyetola’s Cold War Splits Osun APC

BY AYO ESAN

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he strained relatioship between Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State and his predecessor and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, assumed another dimension recently when some loyalists of the latter formed a new group within the All Progressives Congress in the state.

The group, which tagged itself, ‘The Osun Progressives,’ is trying to position the Aregbesola camp for the APC’s forthcoming state congress and the party’s primaries for the governorship election scheduled for the third quarter of 2022.

The mobilisation for TOP across the state, it was gathered, has been tremendous as members of the group were seen in all the 30 local government areas of the state.

THEWILL learnt that the group has been working hard, on the ground and in the social media, to convince residents of the state to identify with its objectives.

The leaders of the group have accused the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee in Osun, Prince Gboyega Famodun, of running the party unilaterally.

They expressed the opinion that under Famodun’s watch, Osun APC lacked cohesion and unity, noting that the party almost lost the last governorship election in the state due to his negative attitude.

In a recent statement signed by the Chairman of the group, Adelowo Adebiyi, the stakeholders said TOP was formed to ensure that APC does not suffer a loss in the next year governorship election.

Some of the notable political leaders that formed TOP include the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yussuf; a former Speaker THEWILLNIGERIA

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of the Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salam and Comrade Gbenga Awosode.

They called on leaders of the APC, including Chief Bisi Akande, Governor Gboyega Oyetola and Igbimo Agba, to call Famodun and “others of his type” to order.

The statement reads, “Famodun’s inability to demonstrate needed capacity expected of him as the chairman of the party towards the 2018 governorship election nearly caused the party some grief.

“No dispassionate chairman would have allowed defection from his party a few weeks to a critical election as Famodun did in 2018.

“Rather than demonstrating father figure to all contending forces within the party, he chose to take sides in all matters and destroy the party’s cohesion and unity.

“As we speak today, Famodun is at war with his two predecessors, the current deputy and secretary, the minister and other notables in the party.

“Famodun cannot differentiate between monarchical inheritance and a democratic organisation where multiple interests are aggregated to ensure the good of all, which is the essence of a political party.

“The above-stated reason is responsible for the problems in the party today and therefore, we at the TOP wish to note that his kind of person is unfit to handle party management as would be expected.”

The group said they would work towards the promotion of internal democracy, effective and efficient party management, re-mobilisation, reconciliation and networking, which would aid the party’s victory in 2022.

Reacting to the development, Famodun noted that the

Describing the group as a formidable one that should not be underrated in the politics of Osun State, Oluokun advised Oyetola’s camp to settle its dispute with Aregbesola’s group so as not to lose out at the forthcoming primaries in the state.

Speaking with THEWILL, Adebiyi said TOP was formed to ensure internal democracy in the party.

“The Group is formed to ensure equity, fairness and justice, accountability and unity within the party. Those are our vital objectives.

“We are APC, we are still in the party, but we are working towards the forthcoming congress of the party. We want to mobilise for the congress and to ensure that we have internal democracy,” he said.

On the alleged grouse with Famodun, Adebiyi said, “What grouse? He is currently the chairman of the caretaker committee. If he wanted to become the chairman of the party, let him obtain the form. Other people will contest with him. That is what I call internal democracy.

“If he is qualified to contest for the chairmanship of our party based on our constitution, can I prevent him from contesting? No. What we are saying is that we don’t want imposition.”

It would be recalled that the relationship between Oyetola and Aregbesola became frosty, following the reversal of some of the educational policies initiated by the latter during his tenure as governor. They include the single uniform and mixed schools policies, as well as the 4-5-3-4 educational system, among others .

But speaking after the reversal was announced, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ismail Omipidan, made an effort to correct the notion that it was intended to spite the Rauf Aregbesola administration. He had explained that the new policies were part of the state government’s response to the yearnings of the people.

Also, the Commissioner for Political Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Taiwo Akeju said the reversal of the education policies was not aimed at destroying Aregbesola’s legacies in the state.

Akeju, who described the immediate past governor and minister of interior as his leader and brother from Ijeshaland, said the policy reversal in the education sector has nothing to do with vendetta.

He said the people during a thank you tour by Oyetola in 2019 unanimously told the governor to look into the policies as they had impacted negatively on the lives of the students.

“In 2018, the policy reversal became a subject of debate in the state. Opposition parties castigated the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress and now governor, Gboyega Oyetola, because of this. In his response, he said that if it was the wish of the people to reverse it, he would do that. *Continue on Page 11

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POLITICS In this interview with UKANDI ODEY, the Plateau State Commissioner of Information, Dan Manjang, speaks on the resurgence of killings in parts of Plateau State, among other issues

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There was early warning before the recent attacks.

What steps did your government take to forestall them?

The steps that were taken are typical of what we do when we get security reports. The appropriate authorities – the Police, the Special Military Task Force, the chairmen of local government areas as chief security officers of their areas and community leaders were well informed. It was incumbent on the Local Government Chairman and the Security echelon at the state level, including the Police and STF to be able to deploy their men. I can say with authority that this was done and the communities and their residents were warned. Individuals too were called and warned.

You know, the peculiar nature of settlements in Plateau – that is sparse settlement – makes it easy for the attackers.

Because the people are predominantly farmers, they settle in a manner that allows them enough space to carry out agricultural activities. Because of this sparse settlement, you wouldn’t know exactly where the killers might come from. However, in response to early warnings, they were told; and troops were deployed. You know, after the first day attack, the killers went back the second day. This time around, I was informed that they did not find it easy.

So what was the security response on the second day?

Security response on the second day was better than the first day. Take note that already there were security personnel in these communities. They were able to chase the attackers and killers away. And I can tell you on good authority that three of the assailants were gunned down by the security men and a policeman lost his life I the process. Two of the killers were also wounded in the same encounter.

You see, the problem is that some of the residents of these communities harbour criminals. The ones that were injured were taken to a hospital in a neighbouring state.

As I talk to you now, the DSS has been able to trace them to the hospital and apprehended them on the hospital bed.

Even the owner of the hospital has been apprehended and they were all brought to a hospital here in Jos where they are being treated. They are already making confessional statements. That is part of the proactive disposition of our security men which you should know.

The impression among the residents of Dong and Kwi where these attacks took place is that Governor Lalong’s response to the development was poor. What actually happened that the governor was not visible?

When people are aggrieved and they have these kinds of challenges, they are bound to say things that are not correct. The context of the governor was such that none of them knew. They did not know the situation the governor

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os is in the news again due to a resurgence of violence and destruction of valuable property in the city. How did we get back to this kind of situation?

The causes of these attacks and killings are multi-faceted.

It is like an octopus or a monster with many faces. First, it is man’s inhumanity to man, which has its history.

Secondly, it is because of the prejudices that people have harboured over the years. This also has its branches and dimensions, such as ethnicity, religion and politics. Finally, it has connotations of the kind of people I’ll call ‘crises merchants’ who benefit from these unfortunate acts, in terms of monetary value, by engaging in arms trading from the local to international level. You cannot always expect absolute peace and tranquility because such people will be out of business. It is unfortunate, but I can tell you that outside this other sentiments are primordial. The ones I have highlighted are actually key factors that trigger these barbaric activities.

Crises Merchants Are Behind Jos Killings – Commissioner

was in. The more important thing is that a government delegation comprising myself and the secretary to the state government went to these communities in the company of the chairmen of the respective local government areas . For example, in Jos North, the Chairman of Bassa accompanied that of Jos North to the community. In Kwi, the chairman of Barkin Ladi, which is a neighbouring local government area, accompanied the chairman of Ryom to the community that was attacked.

You can’t blame them. I probably would have thought that way, if I were in their shoes. Even when our delegation got there, they still complained that we should have come earlier – very early in the morning! That is human nature.

You know when somebody is facing that kind of challenge, his thinking is affected. So, we can’t blame them. The more important thing is that the governor has been able to take proactive measures. With authority and a sense of responsibility, I say that he has taken measures that are immediate and long-term in nature. As I am talking with you, security meetings are being held. More of such meetings are going to take place, so that we can talk to community leaders and put the necessary measures in place to prevent the collapse of communal relations. It is better to mediate and achieve something enduring than to give up.

Has the government made any arrest so far?

Yes. But the onus of arrest is squarely with the security agents. As the Commissioner for Information, I do not have such information now. I cannot claim that I have figures to that effect. Maybe later, after I have conferred with the police on this.

Some people have been displaced by these attacks, thereby worsening the problem of internally displaced persons in the state. What is the overall picture of IDPs in Plateau?

Yes, some people have definitely been displaced because houses were torched. Some people ran away from their homes out of fear, pending the return of normalcy. Many people are displaced as a result. Although it is reported that local government chairmen are on top of the situation, I learnt that some people are taking refuge in primary schools or with their relatives and friends. On the whole, the situation is pathetic. Because it has not happened to me, I’ll not claim that it is not a humanitarian crisis. With the subsisting economic hardship, it is not easy for one to start thinking of resettling his family and meeting other upkeep challenges and inconveniences. We are working very hard, in conjunction with the State Emergency Management Agency, to put certain things in place.

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POLITICS NEWS

Priority Will Be Given to Education, Agric in Benue – Lawani FROM AUSTIN JOR, MAKURDI he Immediate past Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Steven Lawani, has said he will give priority attention to education, health, agriculture and local government reforms if elected as governor in 2023.

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THEWILL gathered that Lawani is contesting for the governorship position on the platform of the All Progressives Congress ( APC).

Addressing stakeholders from Minda, a political bloc in Benue North West Senatorial District, Lawani said he would focus on maintaining the peace in the state.

He also said that if elected, the agricultural sector would be revamped through improved security in order to bring the state back to its lost glory as the food basket of the nation.

Speaking on the health sector, the former deputy governor said he would ensure that all the general hospitals in the state remained functional.

Lawani promised to carry out reforms at the local government level that would be aimed at rejuvenating the system, especially as it regards revenue generation, and in the process reduce overdependence on the federation account by local government councils in the state.

In his remarks, Justice Paul Utsaha said security should be part of the governorship hopeful’s priority list if elected.

According to the retired jurist, major public places in the Guma Local Government Area had been taken over by refugees fleeing persistent herdsmen attacks on the people.

He berated President Muhammadu Buhari for woefully failing to secure the lives and property of Nigerians, adding that the President was no longer the person he knew.

Utsaha, who revealed that he participated in the drafting of the 1970 Constitution, regretted that more premium was placed on the Federal Government control over security and expressed support for the establishment of state police.

While advising Lawani to give maximum attention to civil servants through service reforms and prompt payment of their salaries, the elder statesman further assured him of the necessary support that will enable him to clinch the state’s plumb job.

The Chief Host, Akange Audu assured the governorship aspirant that MINDA and other blocs in the state will synergize to ensure that he emerges victorious.

Mrs. Grace Angereke who spoke for the women promised that she will mobilize women for the former deputy governor to actualize his governorship bid come 2023.

Group Advocates More Women Involvement in Governance FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

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he Women Political Participation Technical Working Group (WPP-TWG) has called for a review of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate more women in governance.

The group’s position was made known during the public sitting of the House of Representative Committee on Constitution Amendment organised by the National Assembly in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State.

The group’s Director of National Issues and Welfare, Mrs Glory Ekaso, said the WPP-TWG comprised 26 women groups across the country with a common mission to ensure equitable women representation in government.

She said that female political representation in the 2019 general elections was negligible, compared with the population of women in the country.

Stressing the need to amend some sections of the Constitution to accommodate at least 35 per cent female representation, Ekaso said, “Female political representation in the 2019 elections was negligible, relative to approximately half of the population they constitute. Out of the 2, 970 female candidates (11.36 per cent), only 70 got elected. This is a meagre 4.71 percent of elected officials.

“This figure represents a decline from the period between 2015 and 2019 in which women comprised 5.65 per cent of elected officials.

“From the foregoing, the WPP-TWG submits that efforts must be made to ensure gender neutral and sensitive language in our constitution; masculine languages are gender biased and they undermine women and girls’ political participation, which further hinders inclusive governance in Nigeria.

“Ensure equitable women representation in government, through at least 35 per cent women representation in appointive offices at the Federal and State levels.

“This will begin with the amendment of section 14 Sub (3), which prohibits the predominance of persons from a few states, ethnic or sectional groups in the composition of the government and its agencies to also introduce a prohibition of prominence of any sex in the composition of agencies.”

The group also called for the inclusion of gender as a benchmark for federal character and the creation of additional special seats for women in the federal and state legislative Houses.

According to the group, these measures would enhance inclusive governance that the WPP-TWG are earnestly yearning for.

Cold War Splits Osun APC *Continued from Page 9

“After the 2019 general elections, the governor went round the state for his thank you tour and asked the people what they desired. It is on record that over 99 per cent of the people requested a policy reversal in education.

“More so, the Department for International Development (DFID) after carrying out a survey across the state, recommended a review of the present education policies to the governor.

“After that we realised that this is a consensus of the people. The exco, in order not to take a unilateral decision, assembled credible and reliable Nigerians in the education THEWILLNIGERIA

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sector to sit on a committee appointed to assess the report and give a feedback. The likes of Prof Olu Aina, General Alani Akinrinade and other credible Nigerians did the review and the exco approved it,” he said.

Akeju noted that the present administration in the state is committed to upholding, consolidating and sustaining the legacies of the immediate past administration led by Aregbesola.

“Those insinuating that there is a crisis between Aregbesola and Oyetola should desist from doing so. The two leaders talk several times a day and they both discuss how to make Osun great,” he said.

Benue 2023: Political Blocs Intensify Consultations, Visits Ortom FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI s the clock ticks, ahead of the 2023 general elections, political activities in Benue State have already started in earnest with contending interest groups intensifying consultations, especially as it regards the governorship position.

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In one of such consultative moves, stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party from the Kwande geopolitical bloc of the state recently visited Governor Samuel Ortom and solicited his support to enable one of them succeed him in 2023.

THEWILL gathered that Kwande is among the geo-political blocs laying claim to the coveted seat.

Governor Ortorm’s Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde, also believed to be in strong contention for the position, hails from the bloc.

During the courtesy call, held at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi, seasoned politician, Elder Atsaga Anemba, and former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Nicholas Ada, spoke for the group.

They stated that Kwande was best positioned to succeed the governor as it bears the pains and scars of invaders on conquest and occupation and was best primed to continue the resistance struggle against their agenda.

The spokesmen stressed that Ortom’s tenure would be more memorable than that of the late Aper Aku because he was succeeding against a hostile Presidency, while Aku had support from the Federal Government of his time They listed favourable zoning, competent and experienced indigenes aspiring to the position, as well as a solid legacy bequeathed by Aku, whom they described as their worthy son, as positive developments working in their favour.

Elder Anemba and Prof Ada debunked the argument that the Tor Tiv and the governor should not come from one area, pointing out that in 2015 both came from one local government area because Kwande people, who had suffered injustice on the matter in the past, led the campaign for the separation of the traditional institution and political positions.

Ortom commended the stakeholders for their visit and the gifts which they presented to him.

He described his decoration in traditional regalia as unique, adding that he found some of the submissions of the group educative.

The governor stated that at the appropriate time he would provide a platform for various groups campaigning for the 2023 governorship position to dialogue among themselves to produce a consensus candidate and that competitive primaries would be held as a last resort.

He drew the attention of the stakeholders to the need to secure their land, stressing that without adequate security of lives and property, 2023 would be a mirage.

The highlights of the occasion included the presentation of gifts to the governor, which included male and female indigenous cattle, assorted fruits, yams, honey, bunches of plantain and palm oil.

He was also decorated with Tiger Skin to signify his protection of the Benue people, just like the tiger protects her cubs.

Chief Margaret Icheen, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees and a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly led the delegation.

Another delegation from Jechira comprising Vandeikya and Konshisha Local Government Areas that is canvassing support for Jechira’s governorship ambition have also met with Ortom at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State speaks with CHRISTIANA BABAYO on the security situation in the NorthEast, his experience as governor for the past six years and other issues of national interest. Excerpts:

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ome people have warned that Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a failed state. What is your take on this?

Of course, we are moving towards that state. Even the blind can see it and the deaf can hear clearly that we are sliding into anarchy. What are we saying? Soon, splinter groups will be controlling different parts of the country. Is that not anarchy?

Take a ride to Rwanda and see what I am talking about.

It’s so sad. This is a very beautiful country and the only one we have. We must work hard to ensure that we protect this country for many generations to come.

In a situation where a matter is beyond the state police, the federal police intervene. They never bring their military to address situations in that country. They go to war externally. But here in Nigeria, the vital components of state and local police is removed. I am addressed as Executive Governor. What am I executing if I cannot implement the decision I take with the troops under my command? So the state police is compulsory and it must be allowed to come to stay. Without the state police, it won’t work. It has reviewed itself across the country.

How can the federal police hope to be all over the nooks and crannies of the country to forestall a breakdown of law and order or to even address security challenges as they arise? It will not work. It has never worked and can never work. The sooner state police are passed into law, the better for all of us. And it is not just the state police. As soon as I get the approval to form state police I will initiate the local government police because they go in stages. There are crimes that are local. Some are state and federal offences and you deploy the right unit to address these issues appropriately. It is only on the last resort that you bring in the military. Regarding the insurgency in the North-East, for example, you need the military to come in and flush it out. The military should be in a position to do this. It is a disgrace if a country’s military cannot flush out insurgency. It is a disgrace to all of us.

So the issue is that we need state police. We need the constitution to be amended and here in the North-East, we don’t need a regional security outfit. It may work in other regions, but we have passed that stage here.

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Will you support a regional security system for the North-East as we have in other parts of the country?

The North-East is not contemplating a regional security outfit. I, for one, don’t like the idea. But like I have always said that we need state police. I have said it time and again that the constitution has been shortchanged. In the United States of America, where we copied our constitution, it is written and established that they have local, state and federal police and they complement one another. There are situations that only need the local police to handle and where it is beyond them, the state police move in.

North-East Not Contemplating Regional Security Outfit – Ishaku Nigerian military could go to Congo, Sudan Sierra Leone and other countries and excel in peacekeeping, why are they not able to contain the insurgency in just one region of this country? That question must be answered.

There has been a resurgence of killings in the last few weeks in parts of Taraba State. What are you doing to address this?

It is a bad situation that originated from Benue State.

The Tiv in Benue killed some Fulani at Dogongawa.

They burnt some Fulani tankers and killed some of the Fulani. Unfortunately, the Fulani decided to revenge by attacking some Tiv settlements in Taraba State. They killed about 18 people, but we reacted immediately by asking the military and the police to stop and search anybody coming in from Benue. We made sure that a lot of people who took part in that THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

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Nigeria belongs to all of us. If the country crumbles today, I have nowhere else to go. So we must fix our problems.

Those of us in the Peoples Democratic Party made a proposition that if Nigeria is in a mess, we have some knowledge that will be useful

It is unfortunate that some people who don’t know what is happening will just be talking. like I said before, if it was not for the day before yesterday’s incident, we have contained the situation. This was an accident that was magnified out of proportion. For now, things have calmed down, but we want absolute normalcy before the people return to their homes.

Are you worried by the cross carpeting going on across the country nowadays?

I am totally not worried because these are personal decisions. Regarding those who are leaving, well, I would say that they are taking a bad decision.

Democracy is about having a strong opposition. If you don’t have a vibrant opposition in any democracy, then it will fail. So you need a strong opposition that will keep those in power on their toes.

Nigeria belongs to all of us. If the country crumbles today, I have nowhere else to go. So we must fix our problems. Those of us in the Peoples Democratic Party made a proposition that if Nigeria is in a mess, we have some knowledge that will be useful. We offered to co-sponsor a national dialogue on how to tackle this, but they refused to listen to us. In some places, even members of the opposition are appointed into the President’s cabinet if they are seen to have something to offer.

carnage were arrested.

But then, some of these things happen in the hinterlands and before the news gets to the officials or to law enforcement agents, the damage may have been done. For instance, we understand that two days ago, there was an accident involving two Fulani who were traveling on their motorcycle. But then some people went and spread the rumours that it was the Tiv that killed them and some of the Tiv who were in the market on that fateful day were harmed before we got the police and army to prevent another carnage.

Let me tell you that a lot has been done, but you don’t expect the government to disclose everything to media houses. Sometimes we do these things quietly for maximum benefit. As a governor, I can’t be going to the press to say this is what we are doing and all of that. You can only feel the impact with what you see on ground. All the people that went to seek shelter in schools and other locations are being fed by the government. It is the same government that is providing them with beddings and all. It is the government and we are doing it.

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So why can’t we set aside political affiliation and make the country work for us? It is a beautiful country and like I have always said, our strength lies in our diversity. Diversity is beauty. Even the most beautiful flowers have thorns. We must be able to tolerate ourselves and work for our common good.

What is your position on the implementation of N30,000 minimum wage?

I have always been a labour friendly governor and have been very friendly with the trade unions. As a matter of fact, I have been paying my workers’ salaries up to date and I have no problem with the civil servants and employees. Now what the labour union must understand and take into cognisance is the fact that you do not go on strike for the sake of it. You don’t just wake up and say you want to hit the streets to demonstrate and enforce the implementation of the minimum wage. You must weigh your employer. It’s just like not feeding your cow for several months and then you try to milk it. You won’t get milk. In fact, you may end up having blood flushing out instead.

So when a labour union decides to fight for a new minimum wage, while the current minimum wage is yet to be realised, then there is a problem. Some states are not even able to pay the current minimum wage and you are talking about a new one. So the labour union

must sit down and objectively look at the feasibility of their demands and their employer’s capacity to afford it or otherwise. You can’t extract juice from stones.

But when you sit down with your employer and listen to his constraints, then you will be able to come to a compromise on what to do. Some states decided to sack some workers, up to 30,000 and and you went to demonstrate against it. If those states did not sack the 30,000 where will they get the balance to pay the new minimum wage?

For some of us, I will rather maintain all my staff, rather than sack a chunk of them to get money and pay the rest a new minimum wage because that will have a more devastating implication for the generality of the people. Mind you, all the people you want to sack to save money and pay others also have at least 10 dependants each. What kind of damage will you be doing to the rest of the people just to please a few? I will rather maintain the 100,000 workers I have and continue paying them what I have and speak to their conscience that I cannot afford an addition. Let us be reasonable about these things.

You don’t have to go on the streets to get what you want. Labour should not be about going to demonstrate on the street. I was looking for some people in the labour union to join my team in our efforts to block ghost workers because that is how I can raise more money for them. But they were not there because they were going on strike.

How would you assess your six years in office so far?

The six years of Darius Ishaku on the saddle in Taraba State has been a combination of the good, the bad and the ugly, or the sweet, the sour and the bitter, however you look at it. It has been a tortuous journey, as expected of any leadership. You would remember that when we resumed here, there were crises in different ramifications from ethnic and religious violence, banditry, cattle rustling and others and they keep changing faces. It degenerated to insurgency, but now we have substantially surmounted the evil days. We still have security challenges, but they are not as intense as they were in 2015. The situation had worsened in 2017 with the crisis on the Mambila Plateau, but now the graph is flattening out. Of course, you know that the whole country is battling with insecurity and we are no exception.

On the developmental side, we have done a lot and I will score myself 80 percent, both at the visible and invisible levels. We have recorded giant strides in education, roads construction, agriculture, and others.

Now there are other components of development that are not very visible, for example chieftaincy titles,that have helped to reduce tension in the state. Look at efforts aimed at getting people to accept to live with strange people.

There are others that are intangible but indispensable components of development that must be put in place for tangible development to take place. So summarily, it has been a story of success and tears. Tears because I wish I had done more. I wish I had the enabling environment because if you have all the resources and you don’t have peace, even the things you put on ground will be useless because nobody will enjoy it.

So we have done our best, given the prevailing circumstances. I assure you that in the remaining two years of our tenure we would be able to finish all the projects that are already in the pipeline so that we can hand over a better state and allow those coming in to have a softer landing.

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EDITORIAL CBN Intervention Programmes: Smoothening The Rough Edges

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curious revelation was made recently by the Central Bank of Nigeria when its Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, declared that the response of the South-East geopolitical zone to the apex bank’s intervention programmes in agriculture was not encouraging.

Nwanisobi who spoke at a fair organised in Enugu for farmers and bank officials in Enugu State, applauded the CBN intervention initiatives as successful. He lamented that the programmes’ reception had been low in the South-East, a comment that stunned the audience.

“While other zones had continued to benefit, we noticed that there seems to be a little bit of lethargy by people from the South-East in embracing these interventions and that is why we are coming out to aggressively talk to them,” the CBN spokesman stated. He urged the zone to embrace the intervention programmes in order to grow their business and agriculture.

Media reactions have described the CBN spokesman as being clever by half. Among other things, the CBN is accused of deliberately excluding the South-East in its intervention programmes to favour other parts of the country. Members of this zone lament that their applications were hardly approved by the apex bank and that they hardly access the intervention funds in agriculture and other sectors which their counterparts in other zones have benefited.

It is not our wish to judge the parties that are right or wrong in this matter. What is evident, however, is that there is little or no presence of CBN intervention programmes in agriculture, in particular, in the SouthEast and this is lamentable.

In furtherance of its development finance agenda, the

CBN introduced the intervention policy in 1977 to address Nigeria’s economic development challenge. The micro-schemes created under the CBN intervention policy are all sector-specific, thus result-oriented. They include the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS); Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL); Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS); the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Fund; and the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

To save the economy from the catastrophic consequences of COVID-19, the apex bank took proactive measures by rolling out various intervention programmes that played the role of the proverbial stitch that saves nine.

These include the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) as a stimulus package to support households and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic Others include the one-year extension of a moratorium on principal repayments for CBN intervention facilities; reduction of the interest rate on intervention loans from 9 percent to 5 percent; and strengthening of the Loan to Deposit ratio policy (stepping up enforcement of directive to extend more credit to the private sector).

Others are granting regulatory forbearance to banks to restructure terms of facilities in affected sectors; and additional N100 billion intervention funds in healthcare loans to pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners intending to expand/build capacity. The interventions came with clear guidelines devoid of implementation bottlenecks.

With this determined objective of the apex bank, any well-meaning Nigerian should be concerned that schemes meant to grow agriculture, create employment

and boost the gross domestic product (GDP) are nonexistent in the South-East or any zone for that matter.

This will defeat the purpose of the intervention policy introduced in 1977, which has gulped over N4 trillion.

We therefore urge the CBN to take urgent and concrete steps to address the low or non-participation of the South-East in its intervention programmes. This can be done through definite programmes developed in conjunction with strategic groups and representatives of the organised private sector. These include the state and zonal chapters of the Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Associations for Farmers in Nigeria (AFAN), Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME), and the others.

Co-operative societies at town union and local government associations should also be consulted in the arrangement that include banks and appointed CBN officials.

It is important that the progress of any intervention programme is properly and effectively monitored.

There are reports of beneficiaries of intervention funds not being able to access foreign exchange to import machinery and other equipment approved by the CBN under the scheme. This has led to huge losses as the beneficiaries are caught up in the web of currency devaluation and attendant inflation.

We applaud the CBN’s concern over the lack of its agricultural intervention programmes in the SouthEast. The apex bank should now take concrete steps to address the matter and reverse the trend. That is where the success story lies.

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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 OML 118 Dispute Resolution: Kyari’s Legendary Leadership and Nigeria’s Next Billion Barrels

BY MOMODU ABUTU other Nature has a way of depositing its vast treasures wherever it pleases. In the wonderful world of hydrocarbons, these resources are either placed onshore (on land) or offshore (in water). Beneath the hidden depths of world’s seas ranging from a few hundreds to several thousand feet (called deepwater), therein lie vast fortunes of oil and natural gas resources. These resources have the capacity to boost world economic growth and play a vital role in the future of the rapidly changing global energy mix.

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It is on record that Nigeria is fortunate to have its own fair share of the world’s deepwater endowments. Available data show that the country produces almost 10 per cent of the global deepwater oil production in recent times. More so, the deepwater terrain has become extremely significant in Nigeria’s energy space, representing almost half of the nation’s oil production and holding about 35 per cent of the country’s oil reserves.

As critical as Nigeria’s deepwater terrain is, it happened that this high-volume environment has been plagued with protracted dispute between the International Oil Companies (IOCs) contractors and the host nation, Nigeria, represented by the NNPC. The disputes have, over the years, been rooted in entrenched differences in the interpretation of the provisions of the Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and its associated laws.

Since the commencement of production in 2005, these disagreements have festered and led to arbitration. These differences in opinion have inflicted a heavy strain on investor trust and confidence, stunting growth and creating possibility of huge contingent liability on the nation. Essentially, the disputes have proved to be a major clog in the wheel of progress for all parties concerned.

As at 2016, contingent liability due to arbitration claims against Nigeria ran into billions of naira with high uncertainty of the sustainable future for the investors. In 2017, NNPC revised its engagement strategy and adopted a commercial solution as an alternative to the protracted legal dispute. The revised strategy was premised on the principle of trading the disputed bitter past for a brighter collaborative future for both parties.

Kyari

As evidence of the significance of this hugely prolific terrain, six out of the eight international oil companies - which control about 75 per cent of the world’s deepwater space - all have some presence in Nigeria’s deepwater. Suffice it to say that the deepwater terrain has become a critical hydrocarbon landscape, which the nation cannot afford to lose or manage with kid’s gloves.

Production Company (SNEPCo), Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG), Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL) and Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) .

The truce heralded the progress which formed the basis and solidified the commercial framework for parties to settle and create the pathway for a sustainable and a brighter future, as well as to serve as a reference point for resolving longstanding dispute. The HoT was designed to translate into fully termed agreements, including the Dispute Resolution Agreement and a new PSC Agreement for the OML 118 Contract Area.

The strategy deployed to resolve the conflict in the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 118 Bonga PSC is expected to serve as benchmark for resolving the remaining PSC deepwater disputes. The Bonga PSC was thus the gateway PSC to the resolution of the industry-wide disputes that have over the years hamstrung the potential in the deepwater terrain.

In what could be considered as a major move in the resolution journey, GMD NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, went a notch higher than the HoT. Shortly after coming on board in July 2019, he rolled out his strategic goals for the petroleum upstream sector one of which was unlocking deep offshore potential to grow the nation’s reserves. Close observers of the NNPC and the oil industry know that with Mele Kyari, such things don’t just occur by happenstance because when he marshalled out his plans for the upstream upon assuming office, everyone knew the end of the OML 118 disagreement was almost in sight.

But why is the NNPC and the IOCs using the OML 118 dispute resolution template as a reference and a benchmark for resolving other disputes? The answer is not far-fetched. It is because of its significance in many ways. Along with the straddled fields, the OML 118 is home to five major players in the deepwater space not only in Nigeria but also globally. It is also the first major deepwater development in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, 75 kilometres from the shore containing the Bonga fields at water depths of over 1,000 metres.

So today, here we are. Barely two months before Kyari clocks two years on the saddle, he has delivered on that promise – galvanising and bringing together NNPC’s contractor parties to agree to the much-anticipated full term agreement, which finally creates a certainty for the desired brighter future in the nation’s upstream sector. These five agreements signed by the parties are Dispute Settlement Agreement, Settlement Agreement, Historical Gas Agreement, Escrow Agreement and Renewed PSC Agreement.

The field is arguably one of the most prolific deepwater assets in Nigeria, boasting almost 2 billion barrels of crude oil and up to 1TCF of gas. It also has a modest cost of operations and has delivered appreciable value for the investors with a sizeable take for the country. The field also supplies gas to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), another strategic asset to the NNPC and its strategic partners.

The signing of these agreements recently is therefore a testimony to Kyari’s visionary leadership, which, potentially, will lead to more success stories. These include, but not limited to, paving the way for the unlocking of over $1 billion of oil in the bloc, up to 1 TCF of gas, unprecedented partner alignment, foreign direct Investment inflow of almost $10 billion, contract lifecycle revenue of almost $50 billion that will create energy security and shared benefits for both the investor and nation.

So, after two years of negotiating the strategy and seeking alignment on some of the PSC terms, the NNPC in February 2019 signed Heads of Terms (HoT) with the OML 118 PSC contractors (PSC) partners - Shell Nigeria Exploration and THEWILLNIGERIA

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In essence, this new agreement will also help to re-balance fiscal terms and address global competition in prioritisation of investments by key players. The signing of these agreements,

no doubt, will create a new dawn of unprecedented progress in the oil and gas industry, which will pave way for unlocking additional treasures of the deep for the benefit of all stakeholders. It is indeed a major milestone for Nigeria, the NNPC and its partners, their investors, and most importantly, the 200 million plus Nigerians.

In similar vein, what this major milestone means is that, through Kyari’s ingenious effort and visionary leadership, a dispute that had stood in the way of progress and development for many years has been resolved in the best interest of all partners. This is a win-win situation. Today, everyone in the OML 118 PSC mix is happy that while other deepwater assets in the world are facing decline, Nigeria’s Bonga field is witnessing massive potentials for further development that could unlock billions of dollars of investment.

Going forward, this “watershed moment”, as described by almost all the parties involved in the PSC, will ensure that the three projects related to Bonga that are in development stages but haven’t been given the green light – Bonga South West, North Tranche 1 and Main Life Extension and Upgrade – will become a reality, sooner rather than later.

It was Booker T. Washington, the legendary 19th Century African American intellectual who once said: “You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you have to overcome to reach your goals.” As such, if you consider the attendant positives that will very soon accompany the huge accomplishment of OML 118 dispute resolution, then it would be safe to say that Mallam Mele Kyari’s fantastic negotiation skills and leadership acumen will continue to be deeply impactful in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for many years to come.

As the dust of the deepwater disputes continues to settle in Nigeria, it is instructive to know that the fortunes of Nigeria’s upstream sector – in particular the deepwater terrain - would never be the same again. Without doubt, industry watchers will be keen to see how the NNPC and its contractor will start reaping the rewards of this remarkable truce. While Nigerians patiently wait to witness the deepwater dollars streaming into the nation’s energy coffers, let us, at the same time, relax to see how the Mallam Kyari wisdom will rub off on the other outstanding PSC disputes.

•Abutu, an Energy Analyst, writes from Benin.

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Concessioning of Non-Aeronautic Assets of 4 Major Airports

Forex: Shun Street Hawkers, ABCON Chief Urges Nigerians

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Amaechi Commissions NSC Kano Office

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PAYE Tax Accounts for 62% of States’ IGR – Investigation CHART:

BY SAM DIALA ver 60 percent of internally generated revenue (IGR) of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory constitutes deductions from employee emoluments under the PAYE (Pay-As-You-Earn) tax system, THEWILL investigation has revealed. PAYE is a tax paid on employee earnings. It is taken directly from the employee’s income and paid to the government through the Inland Revenue office as a category of personal income tax.

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2020 STATES/FCT IGR: TAXES BY SUB-SECTORS (N'bn) 900

675

450

225

PAYE tax also accounts for over 70 percent of total taxes realised by the states, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). This is against the widely held thinking that the states (or sub-nationals) have grown their IGR through more creative efforts. The report further revealed that the exponential growth in the states’ IGR in recent years did not occur from the sub-nationals becoming ingenious in finding alternative revenue channels beside federal allocations.

In the past five years, the 36 states’ IGR increased remarkably –from a total of N823 billion in 2016 to N1.306 trillion in 2020, an increase of 58.7 percent. Further analysis of the reports showed that the states’ PAYE tax revenue rose in the same trend from N403.87 billion in 2016 to N851.73 billion in 2020, or 110.8 percent increase. This excludes 2017 without available PAYE information. Total PAYE tax realised in 2018 was N669.21 billion, hitting N809.3 billion in 2019. The tax deductions from workers’ income also boosted the states’ IGR in 2018 and 2019 from N1.168 to N1.334 trillion respectively.

The exponential growth of PAYE tax dwarfed the other revenue sub-sectors. These include ‘Direct Assessment,’ which is a form of personal income tax used to assess tax for self-employed individuals. It also relates to taxes imposed on businesses, especially informal, by the tax authorities based on the size of the business activities.

There are also ‘Road Taxes’ – daily levies paid by commercial transport vehicles operating within the state and ‘Other Taxes’ which include various taxes, such as levies on market traders, land registration and other related fees, development levies on individuals, pool betting/lottery/ gaming fees, stamp duties among others. The states also earn IGR from services rendered by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), classified as MDAs Revenue.

The total IGR from Direct Assessment in 2020 was N37.1 billion as against N47.67 billion and N44.26 billion in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted 2020 Direct Assessment IGR as a result of the lockdown and effects of the land border closure. The scenario also impacted on Road Taxes, which dropped to N28.4 billion in 2020 from N30.27 billion in 2019. The 2018 figure was N23.95 billion.

Other Taxes IGR showed a total of N171 billion in 2020

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170.5

0

PAYE

37.1

28.4

D/ASSESSMENT

ROAD TAXES

OTHER TAXES

STATES/FCT IGR:2016-2020 (N'bn) 1400

1334

1306

2019

2020

1168 1050

936.47 823.16

700

350

Fayemi

The states have been under pressure to diversify their IGR since the 2014 oil price shock in the international market, which caught Nigeria unawares. The development created a huge revenue shortage for the Federal Government, leading to lower revenue allocations to the three tiers of government.

While there is a marginal increase in other revenue subsectors, investigation reveals that the states’ IGR has grown exponentially on the back of PAYE tax deductions.

851.74

“

The newly enacted 2020 Finance Act has expanded the scope of PAYE tax which will increase workers’ tax burden effective January 2021. ‘PAYE tax is deducted at source; so there is no way a worker can escape it; this is why it grows instead of dwindling’

compared to N221.55 billion in 2019 and N165.71 billion in 2018. MDA revenues for 2020 was N218.4 billion in 2020 as against N221.55 billion and N265.78 billion realised in 2019 and 2018 respectively. In percentage expression, PAYE tax constitutes 62 percent of total IGR in 2020 as against 60.66 percent in 2019.

Industry experts attribute the exponential growth in the states’ IGR to their close monitoring of employers’ tax deductions from their employees’ salaries as some employers default in remitting the PAYE taxes deducted from their employees’ earnings. Other employers have been accused of shortpaying the government by designing their payrolls to create tax exemptions for their employees. “Government now imposes tax on every income earned without exemption,” says Mike Ojewale, a tax consultant.

The high PAYE revenue also shows that a large population of workers is in paid employment and in the formal sector as against the self-employed in the informal sector. The newly enacted 2020 Finance Act has expanded the scope of PAYE tax which will increase workers’ tax burden effective

0

2016

2017

2018

January 2021. STATES/FCT PAYE:2016-2020 (N'bn) 900

809.31

851.73

“PAYE tax is deducted at source. So there is no way a worker can escape it. This is669.21 why it is growing instead 675 of dwindling,” Doris Nwaka, a legal practitioner and tax consultant told THEWILL. 450 403.87

Taiwo Oyedele, Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax 225 Leader at PwC observed that virtually all tax heads are under-performing in Nigeria and that PAYE and other 0 0 taxes would increase if the states embark2019on an aggressive 2016 2017 2018 2020 tax drive. He said in a note to THEWILL that personal income tax (including PAYE tax) is the number one source of tax revenue in many countries and that it is not unusual if 60 percent of states’ tax revenue in Nigeria constitute of employee income tax.

By geo-political zone, the South-West tops with a total PAYE tax of N360 billion in 2020, followed by the SouthSouth with N198.36 billion and FCT N83.7 billion. NorthWest recorded a total PAYE tax of N63.84 billion during the period, while North-Central had N47 billion followed by South-East and North-East with N50 billion and N40 billion respectively.

The South-West, with a total IGR of N552.51 billion tops the list, followed by South-South N263.46 billion. NorthWest achieved a total IGR tax of N139.94 billion followed

by FCT with N92.10 billion. North Central recordedN86 billion IGR, while the North-East and South-East achieved N55 billion and N52 billion respectively.

The total domestic debts of the 36 states and the FCT as of 31 December, 2020 stands at N4.19 trillion while the external date is $4.78 billion. At the CBN I&E official exchange rate of N410.22/US$1, the states’ total external debt ($4.78 billion) amounts to N1.95 trillion, bringing the total (external and domestic) debts to N5.5 trillion as of December 31, 2020. This suggests that the states have to generate more than four times their current IGR level to offset their total debts.

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AVIATION

Concessioning of Non-Aeronautic Assets of 4 Major Airports Airports Concession: How Far, So Far.’ At the webinar, the participants, comprising renowned aviation experts enjoined the Ministry of Aviation to also ensure that the terminal concessioning process is transparently conducted in compliance with the extant laws and due process to avoid post-agreement controversies and rancor, as previously experienced.

In addition, they advised that government should, in its current concessioning plan consider all the 22 airport terminals.

Other recommendations made by the stakeholders include the fact that all existing legal, labour and other complications arising from previous experiments should be conclusively resolved. Therefore, there is a need for government to allay the fears of the unions and employees of FAAN with regards to the planned concession. The process must be fair and transparent.

ANTHONY AWUNOR looks at new trends in the Federal Government’s concessioning plans for Kano, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports

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or many years, the Federal Government has been seeking the best possible ways to concession four major Nigerian airports that are believed to be viable.

The airports, which are being considered for a period of 2030 years, include the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Malam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers State.

Throughout the initial stage, aviation stakeholders have been in the dark regarding the actual sections of these viable airports that will be concessioned.

Another question that has been begging for an answer is this: What parts of the airports are being considered for concessioning? Do they include the terminals, car parks or airside? What happens to the workers at FAAN? In fact, the fear of job loss has fuelled the stiff opposition that has trailed the concessioning, especially from trade unions. The dominant feeling among trade unions has been that jobs would be on the line as soon as government hands over the management of the airports.

Another major issue that requires explanation from the Federal Government is what becomes of the ongoing refurbishment of terminals that is financed by Chinese loans in the four airports? Already the four terminals are on the verge of completion. In fact, the ones in the Lagos and Abuja airports are only awaiting commissioning.

to deliver a number of infrastructure projects throughout Nigeria in 2013. The Passenger Terminal Development works are a small part of this and the Federal Government has every intention to service its obligation”.

It was also gathered that the concessioning applies to the nonaeronautic assets of the airports located in the Passenger and Cargo Terminals. The implication is that the concessioning comprised of the assets from the point of entry of the airport to the point of boarding a plane, and from deplaning to the exit doors.

This space, commonly referred to as the Passenger Terminal, comprises retail spaces, waiting and seating areas, airport and airline lounges and baggage collection check-in counters as well as administrative offices.

The cargo terminals consist of the facilities between the point of entry up to the loading and offloading points, including administrative offices within the said facilities.

Supporting the concessioning plan, in order to reduce the financial burden on the Federal Government for airports infrastructure development management, key players in the nation’s aviation industry have advocated airport concessioning with the target of turning the airspace into a regional hub with four mega carriers, at least, operating with 50 aircraft each for maximum utilisation.

In reaction to the numerous enquiries, the Ministry of Aviation recently announced the areas that will be concessioned in a document signed by its

According to the stakeholders, the concessioning of the terminals should not just be a departure from the status quo, but with an objective to deliberately drive regional competitive hubs and mega carriers that will operate in those hubs.

Director of Public Affairs, James Odaudu, also stated, “There is no conflict regarding the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which was contracted

These submissions were part of the deliberations reached at the end of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) webinar held recently with the theme: ‘Nigerian

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Nonetheless, aviation labour unions have been adamant in their opposition as expressed recently when they carried placards at major airports in the country, singing, dancing and rejecting the proposed concessioning. The workers, represented by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), FAAN branch, and Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) , said concessioning was not the solution to the problems affecting the smooth running of the airports. Describing the proposed concessioning as a fraud, they blamed inefficiency in the system on political interference.

The Secretary-General, Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu, said FAAN, NAMA, NCAA and NiMet resolved at their zonal council meeting to oppose any form of concessioning, in view of past and present corrupt tendencies being applied to favour a few individuals.

“We say no to it and we shall fight it with the last blood of our union. We wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari about the danger to the security of Nigeria. We asked questions on issues which must be given in full detail,” he said.

The unions are afraid that the concessioning of airports will go the way of the Nigeria Airways, which left many workers in abject poverty after its liquidation by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

But the aviation ministry has argued that the delivery of this project will help Nigeria to achieve its objective, in terms of air transport value chain growth, by developing and profitably managing customer-centric airport facilities for the safe, secure and efficient carriage of passengers and goods at world-class standards.

According to FMA, investing in and continuously developing the assets put up for concessioning is key to unlocking these opportunities. It noted that the four major airports have huge potential, but they are currently operating at a suboptimal level due to many factors that will be addressed through their concessioning.

On why all the parts of the airports will not be concessioned, the ministry said, “Infrastructure concessionings are very complex and sensitive programmes. They often requiring years of planning and preparation to secure the requisite inputs and approvals from the relevant regulatory bodies.

We are starting with the most strategic assets because the successful delivery of this concessioning programme will give all stakeholders the confidence required to consider other possibilities in the sector.”

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BUSINESS NEWS Foundation Tackles Post-COVID-19 Business Restart Logjam

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR n a bid to revamp businesses adversely affected by the devastating effects of COVID-19, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Candle Light City Foundation (CALICIF) has mapped out strategies to enhance business restart when the pandemic finally subsides.

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According to the Foundation, through a youth camp workshop scheduled to hold in August, 2021, the NGO hopes to train and build capacity for 150 youths across the country, for the first phase.

Already, over 1,000 youths have benefited through the Foundation’s empowerment initiative which cut across the entire country.

L-R: General Manager Operations, FrieslandCampina/WAMCO Dairy Development, Mr. John Adekunle Olayiwola; President, Commercial Dairy Ranchers Association of Nigeria (CODARAN), Alhaji M.D. Abubakar; Senior Programme Manager, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Audu Grema, and Dairy Development Manager, FrieslandCampina/WAMCO Dairy Development, Mr. Samson Akinade, during the CODARAN World Milk Day Conference in Abuja on 01/06/2021.

Forex: Shun Street Hawkers, ABCON Chief Urges Nigerians

BY SAM DIALA he Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has advised foreign exchange users and the general public to patronise only Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-licenced Bureaux De Change (BDCs) to get dollars at the approved rate. In a statement issued at the weekend, ABCON President, Alhaji (Dr) Aminu Gwadabe, said only CBN-licenced BDCs operate with regulatory guidelines of selling dollars at approved rate.

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Gwadabe advised members of the public to always patronise CBN license BDCs, which are regulatory-complaint and operate within international best practices. He said that parallel market activities have for years become major drivers of the exchange rates and control over such transactions have become burdensome. He said that forex speculators are capitalizing on the state of the foreign exchange market and the naira to sell dollars above CBN approved margin.

Gwadabe stressed that CBN-licenced BDCs are not selling dollars to end-users above the N2 per dollar margin set by the financial sector regulator to protect the naira against foreign exchange speculators and ensure exchange rate stability.

The ABCON Executive Council has therefore denied report, claiming that the CBN-licenced BDCs bought dollars at N393 to dollar and sold at N494 to dollar, representing N101 margin.

The ABCON Executive Council, has therefore brought the inaccurate report to the attention of the Nigerian Press Council, urging it to call those responsible for the misleading report to order. The ABCON said it was constrained to bring to the attention of the Nigerian Press Council the need to advise those misleading the public to diligently observe professionalism in whatever they publish.

He stated that the professional ethic of accuracy, truthfulness and the right of every individual and organisation to fair hearing is an age-long truth.

Punch had in a report published on Saturday, 29th May, 2021, titled “Naira Devaluation: BDCs Get dollars at N393, Sells For N494” attributed a report to an anonymous commercial source.

The report read: “Sources from some commercial banks told our correspondent that the banks were asked to fund the BDCs at the rate of 393/$ as of Friday”. A bank official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “We are still giving them $10,000/BDC twice a week. As of today, we are giving them at the rate of N393/$”.

The ABCON described the report as “factually inaccurate assertions as neither do commercial banks fund BDCs nor do BDCs collect dollars from the banks”.

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The ABCON Executive Council said that while its members comply rigorously with the CBN’s regulatory requirement of a predetermined weekly transaction margin, it has failed to see what informed the newspaper’s spurious claim of an imaginary selling margin.

ABCON Executive Council said ABCON has continued to ensure that BDCs file their reports as and when due. The BDCs also do customers Know Your Customer (KYC) and due diligence reports.

Speaking at a media briefing at CALICIF headquarters in Ijaniki area of Lagos State, CEO of (CALICIF), Bishop Edwin Asongwe said that the Foundation has a community vision to foster development in different areas of life.

According to Bishop Asongwe, he was inspired to establish the Foundation through the experiences he had in his Church: Candle of Anointed Mission, since the mission has a limit to what it can offer in terms of community development.

“I started the Foundation because of my experiences at Candle of Anointed Mission because we had limits there.

We started in 2020 but the vision started two years ago. It was fully registered by the Nigerian government on 9th October, 2020”, Asongwe said.

The Bishop said that one of their major challenges is seeing people who have skills but lack capital to set up businesses. Another major challenge, according to him, is the number of street boys in their neighbourhood who don’t have help but equally need their assistance.

It said that while BDCs are licensed to offer retail, across the counter, foreign exchange transactions, they however play critical roles in the economy and have contributed to the economic development of the country like ensuring order and confidence in the forex market, providing data for monetary policy, channels for CBN Intervention in Retail forex market and creation of over 15,000 jobs among others.

Other challenges, according to the Foundation are: admin challenges, lack of volunteer services, difficulties in entering partnerships amongst others.

ABCON has therefore assured the public of its commitment to orderly conduct of retail forex transactions as defined and regulated by the CBN for licensed BDCs

Also speaking, International Consultant to the Foundation, Pastor Mai Abehch said the initiative will produce about 5 million entrepreneurs between now and 2025.

On funding, he said “We task ourselves and also we get external funding. By the special grace of God, today, we have partnerships.

Amaechi Commissions NSC Kano Office T FROM MUSA DISO, KANO

he Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has commissioned the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) North-West Zone co-coordinating office complex in Kano, Kano State.

Speaking recently, at the inauguration ceremony, Hon Amaechi said NSC served as an agent for economics development through intervention in cost moderation and cargo transport issues result in positive impact on inflationary trends in the country.

According to the Minister, transport is a critical determinant in the conduct of international trade and impact on national economies, stressing that the availability, quality, cost and efficiency of transport service influence trading environment and competitiveness of export goods on international market as well as cost of import goods.

Being the commercial hub of Northern Nigeria, Amaechi noted that the strategic location of the council office there, is to ensure delivery of council services of the North-West zone part of Nigeria and into the interior areas.

Amaechi explained that Kano has been well known as the

center of commerce since the advent of transahara trade that spanned the desert of North of Africa down to the west Africa coastal sub-region.

He added that the location of Kano as an industrial hub makes the city, the commercial center linking most part of the Northern Nigeria by air and land, pointing out that the vast agricultural dams in the state support the growth of agricultural crops for both domestic and international market.

He said the vision of the present administration is to re-engineer the economy by providing modern technology driven critical to transport infrastructure that will strengthen the nation logistic value chain and support the development of non-oil-sector.

According to him, President Muhammad Buhari-led administration through the ministry of transportation is constructing an international rail link standard gauge line with an alignment of about 387km from Kano to Maradi, branching from Kano-Dutse which is in progress. .

In his address the Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said the initiative of the Council in citing the North West Zonal office in Kano has been very objective and well thought out, considering the status of Kano as the Northern regional commercial hub with the largest concentration of importers and exporters in the region.

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

R-L: Managing Director/CEO, DBN Plc, Tony Okpanachi; Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; together with ED, Finance and Corporate Services, DBN Plc, Ijeoma Ozulumba and ED, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Hassan Iman, during a courtesy visit to DBN head office in Abuja 02/06/2021.

L-R: Former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and President of Women Youth and Children Care Organisation (WYCCO), Hajia Farida Waziri; Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba-Marwa ( rtd); members of WYCCO, Dr Dayo Kusa and Mrs Bunmi Dipo-Salami, during WYCCO delegation’s visit to NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on 02/06/2021.

BY

L-R: PR and Communications Manager, Cars45, Bemigho Awala; Vice President, Finance, Basit Sameer; Vice President, Commercial, Patricia Duru and CEO, Cars45, Soumobroto Ganguly, during the presentation of African Leadership Excellence Prize 2021 to Cars45 in Lagos on 01/06/2021.

L-R; Tope Osunkeye, Head of Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria; Caroline Oghuma, Executive Head of Corporate Affairs, MultiChoice Nigeria; Martin Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria; Jennifer Ukoh, Public Relations Manager, GOtv Nigeria, and Adetunji Beyioku, Senior Marketing Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria at the Euro 2020 Media Briefing in Lagos on 31/5/2021.

L-R: Senior Analyst, CIO Management, Oladipo Olateju; CEO, Lamin Manjang; Chairman of the Board, Mr. Sola Adepetun and Executive Principal RM, Corporate Commercial and Institutional Banking (CCIB), Tayo Osundosumu, all from SCBN Limited at the Legacy Planning session organised by the Bank’s Network of Men Initiative at the Standard Chartered Bank Headquarters in Lagos on 31/05/2021.

L-R: Prince Oluwatope Orekoya; his wife, Oluwabunmi of (FMC) Abeokuta; Oluwatosin Orekoya, CEO, TFA VENTURES; Engr Olajide Orekoya, Chairman Harmony Community, Bells, Ota ; his wife, Pst Gbemisola Orekoya; Oluwatayo Orekoya, former Director, LAMATA, Lagos State, and family members/guest, during the burial ceremony of their father, CSP, Emmanuel Orekoya, age 91 years in Ogun State on 30/05/2021.

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VIEWPOINT Olu of Warri-Designate: Protagonists and Intrigues Behind the Scene [1] present another candidate. The decision was conveyed to the family by the Ologbotsere, who asked for another candidate, but the Ruling House of Ginuwa 1 insisted on Prince Tsola Emiko as its sole candidate.

BY CLIFFORD OGBEIDE To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity – Nelson Mandela

I

t is no longer news that the 20th Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, has joined his ancestors. I want to use this medium to sincerely commiserate with the Itsekiri nation on the demise of Ogiame Ikenwoli. May his departed soul rest in peace. What is news is that the print and social media have been awash with commentaries and controversy surrounding the selection of the Olu of Warri -designate, 37-year-old Prince Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko.

He has been selected by the Ruling House of Ginuwa 1, for the exalted traditional stool, in accordance with age-old traditional practice.

The next statement was the presentation of (Omoba) Prince Utienyinoritsetsola Emiko as the Olu-designate. There was thunderous ovation signalling acceptance from the people.

The young prince is seen by his people as god-chosen, with a ray of hope for prosperity for the Kingdom.

Prince Utieyinoritsola Emiko was born into royalty three years before his father, Prince Godwin Toritseju Emiko, succeeded his own father Ogiame Erejuwa in 1987. Prince Utieyinoritsola’s father, Olu Atuwatse II, was Olu of Warri between 1987 and 2015. He was the 19th Olu of Warri Kingdom, with the title of Ogiame Atuwatse II. He was crowned on May 2, 1987 at a ceremony recorded as the last attended by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Chief Awolowo died on May 9, 1987, a week after Atuwatse’s coronation. Atuwatse II died at 70 in a hospital in Lagos in early September 2015.

ISSUES SURROUNDING THE EMERGENCE OF PRINCE UTIEYINORITSOLA EMIKO AS OLUDESIGNATE UNDER THE DECLARATION MADE UNDER SECTION 8 OF THE TRADITIONAL RULERS AND CHIEFS EDICT 1979 However loud was the ovation of acceptance of Prince Emiko, as the Olu-designate of Warri Kingdom sounded at Ode-Itsekiri, on Monday, April 5, 2021, there was a dramatic twist of events. The selection of Prince Emiko was “rejected” by a group led by Chief Ayeri Amami, the Ologbostere of Warri Kingdom.

Chief Amami and his group are advocating the strict adherence to the laid down traditional process of occupying the vacant traditional stool, as prescribed by the “Declaration Made Under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict 1979”, which was signed by D.P. Lawani, for the then Secretary to the Military Government of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, stating the customary law regulating succession to the title of Olu Of Warri.

The declaration expressly asserts the procedures of customary law regulating the succession to the title of Olu of Warri. A careful glance at the aforementioned 1979 Declaration, it is obvious that it is being erroneously referred to as “edict” (bylaw) rather than a declaration and it is also numbered in “paragraphs” and not in “sections” as it is inaccurately referred to as well.

This document was put together during the Military interregnum in the former Bendel State of Nigeria in 1979 for administrative expediency for the succession of various

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Olu of Warri-designate

Monday, April 5, 2021, will forever remain indelible in the hearts of the people of Iwereland, as two most important statements were made on that day by Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, at their ancestral home of Ode-Itsekiri, in Delta state. The first was the symbolic breaking of two earthen pots adorned with red garlands and filled with white chalk (efun) to signify (Alejefun) the transition to eternity of His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, after five years and eight days on the throne of his ancestors.

The Olori-Ebi (administrative head) of Ginuwa I Ruling House, Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh, as was the norm, further sent a letter to the Ologbotsere informing him of their decision, as well as directing him to kick-start the process towards Alejefun and ultimate installation of the candidate as the Olu of Warri Kingdom. The Ologbotsere publicly tore the letter and returned its shred in an envelope to the ruling house, an action that was widely condemned by the Itsekiris.

They described Chief Emami’s action as “not mature for his (Ologbotsere’s) position or any civilised and educated person.” It was however learnt that the rash action was the manifestation of a no-love-lost relationship between the Ologbotsere and some members of the ruling royal family.

traditional thrones in the entire state and this was not peculiar to the Olu of Warri traditional stool. The interpretation and meaning of this declaration is unambiguous. Nevertheless, only law courts in Nigeria are statutorily empowered organs of government responsible for the interpretation of legal documents.

SUSPENSION OF CHIEF AYIRI EMAMI AS THE OLOGBOTSERE OF OLU OF WARRI KINGDOM Chief Ayeri Emami articulated his disenchantment over the flawed procedure that led to the choice of the new Olu designate and stressed that in accordance with the “edict” in question, only male children born by Itsekiri women or women of Edo origin to an Olu of Warri are qualified to be selected to ascend the throne of their forefathers. He stated that it was on this ground that the new Olu-designate was first disqualified from contesting the Oluship position five years ago. In his place, his uncle, the late Ogiame Ikenwoli was appointed Olu-designate and subsequently crowned as the 20th Olu of Warri.

Chief Emami further explained that with the appointment of the new Olu- designate, the custom and tradition of the Itsekiri people had been desecrated for no just reasons, because the mother of the appointed Olu-designate, is a Yoruba woman from Ogun state.

Chief Emami buttressed his arguments as conditions stipulated in the 1979 “edict” as follows: “There is only one Ruling House in Warri Kingdom known as Ginuwa I. Succession to the throne of the Olu of Warri, is limited to Olu’s Company (Otolu’s) that is, the descendants of the last three Olus. The descendants of the other Olus, who have previously reigned are known and referred to as Omajaja Company. Ordinarily, succession passes to a son of a demised Olu, failing which to a suitable member of the Otolus, if brothers are preferred to uncles and uncles are preferred to grandsons and grandsons are preferred to other relatives within the Otolus. Females are absolutely barred from ascending the throne of Olu of Warri. It is the duty of the Ologbotsere to summon a meeting of the members of the ruling house to the palace (Agbofen), specifically to choose a successor.” Prince Emiko was subsequently disqualified by Emami’s group.

When the Ruling House of Ginuwa 1 presented Prince Tsola Emiko to Chief Ayiri Emami, as the then Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, as stipulated by the 1979 Declaration, it was learnt that the Ojoye-Isan met and asked the ruling family to

In response, the ruling house held a press conference and announced the suspension of Chief Ayiri Emami as the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom and the dissolution of the Ojoye-Isan. A new Ojoye-Isan was constituted with Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, saddled with the role of Ologbotsere and the task of completing the succession process. His position was greeted by thunderous applauses by backers of the Olu-designate, while others commended the Olori-Ebi for taking action to prevent a greater harm or prevent injustice.

Okotie-Eboh is being hailed as the messiah whose action has unshackled the tribe from the grip of the Chief Ayiri Emami’s group. Prince Toju Emiko stated: “Chief Ayiri Emami, having exhibited actions and tendencies unbecoming of the position he occupies, and having proven himself unworthy of the Ologbotsere stool, is hereby suspended from Warri Council of Chiefs.”

The Warri Traditional Council of Chiefs headed by the Iyatsere, Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, proceeded to formally announce the passage of His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri. The Iyatsere, Chief Amatserunleghe, who is also the acting Chairman of the Council of Chiefs and the Olu Advisory Council, said the Regent of Warri Kingdom, Prince Okotie-Eboh, and the Ruling House had written to notify the Council of Chiefs of the suspension, adding that the council would set up a committee to investigate the infractions leveled against the suspended Ologbotsere. This eventually paved the way for the emergence of Prince Tsola Emiko, as the Olu-designate.

The supporters of Chief Emami, the suspended Ologbotsere, questioned the ruling house’s power to unseat him and replace him in the process, while others queried the power of the suspended Ologbotsere and Ojoye-Isan to disqualify a candidate chosen by the house.

However, according to Chief Emami, the “edict” expressly states, “To qualify, a candidate’s mother must be an Itsekiri or of an Edo mother origin. His father must be an Itsekiri.” In these two clauses, please note the word ‘must’. He stressed, where is the equity and fairness in this case? The new Oludesignate’s mother is a Yoruba woman from Ogun State.

With this act, we as chiefs are deliberately helping to destroy our custom and tradition. This “edict” stipulates the role any Chief is expected to play in the selection process of a new Olu of Warri. it states “The oldest man of the Ruling House presents a candidate selected to the Ologbotsere, who in turn presents the candidate to the Olu Advisory Council, which is made up of the Ologbotsere himself, the Iyatsere, the Uwangure, the Ojomo, the Oshodi and a maximum of two other Ojoyes (titled noblemen) whose presence in the opinion of the Ologbotsere is essential. In this case, it was Chief Johnson Atserunleghe, the Iyatsere of Warri Kingdom, that was directed to act and take over the role of Chief Emami, the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, after being suspended by the ruling Ginuwa House for gross misconduct.

•To be continued next week

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INSIDE:

•Reno Omokri AWOL as Daughter Clocks 16 40 •Cubana Chief Priest, Obi Iyiegbu Reconcile 41

ADEDAYO LIADI

FOREMOST CHOREOGRAPHER THEWILLNIGERIA

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Dad Nearly Disowned Me For Choosing a Career in Dance – Ijodee After a difficult beginning that was fraught with challenges, Adedayo Liadi, popularly known as Ijodee, is today celebrated all over the world for his contributions to contemporary dance. The father of three children, whose dance routine in the music video of a popular gospel song, Olori Oko, speaks with JOY ONUORAH about his career and other matters. Excerpts:

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id you choose dance as your career or it just happened?

I was chosen by dance. Dance picked me. I started dancing right from primary school. I’d join a gathering of girls and dance with them. I enjoyed myself all the while. This continued in secondary school. After secondary school, it became clear to me that dance was what I was meant to do. I was my parents’ first child.

My father wanted me to become an engineer. It was tough for him to accept my decision to become a dancer. Initially he didn’t accept it. I wouldn’t blame him for this. He had never seen anybody who made it big in life through dance. But I didn’t budge. I kept pushing to achieve my goal. At a point, I had to leave home. Later that same year, a certain school of technology in Ikorodu offered me admission.

For a while, I didn’t know what to do, whether to accept the offer or not. Eventually I decided to accept it and I started attending the school, but I wasn’t enjoying anything. I left the school. About three years after leaving secondary school, some white people came from France on a mission to teach Nigerian youths how to do conventional dance. I was interested and got involved. We were 267 dancers from all over Nigeria. I was the youngest among them. This was in 1992. The white people later started training us and screening some persons out. Out of 267 participants, only five of us made the final list. One day, one of the officials approached me and asked if I’d like to study dance in France. That signalled the beginning of my international dance career. In the western countries, dance is like sport. When you are in school and you perform on any platform, scouts are there watching you. In those days, each time I performed, somebody would just walk up to me, commend my performance and then request that I join their school or group. Although my career in dance started in Nigeria and I was trained by different people, I didn’t study dance in Nigeria. I did all my studies in different schools in Europe. I studied at the International School of Dance in France and Senegal, Kiongi University in Korea, CCNN Dance School in France, Impulstanz Dance School in Austria and other institutions across the world. Fortunately, I won scholarship awards to study in all the institutions that I attended. I never paid fees for any of the programmes and I never pushed for any. In the western countries, everybody wants the best student in the school unlike what obtains in Nigeria.

At the time you left your family, where did you stay and for how long?

I was away from home for about three or four years. I was staying everywhere. I’ve slept everywhere. I have lived under the flyover at Ojuelegba in Lagos. Meanwhile, I came from a good home. My parents were not poor, but my dad was deliberately opposed to my choice of career. That was why I left home. The only thing I didn’t do was join the wrong group of people. I was determined to make my mum proud and happy, as well as to prove my father wrong.

He actually threatened to disown me if I failed to do his wish. My mother’s role in my life was what encouraged me to work hard and make her proud.

After you were selected by the French officials, did you go home to break the news?

Yes, I went back home to my father. My mum was not living with him at the time. When I told him about the opportunity to travel to

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France, he said nothing. He snubbed me. So I asked my stepmother to help beg him. The strategy worked. The day I was about to travel to France, dad and my step mom accompanied me to the French Office in Ikoyi. Dad was quite surprised and he couldn’t hide it.

At the point of saying goodbye to him, he realised that I had been treated badly for nothing. That was when I got my freedom from him.

What was it like being at the helm of the Dancers Guild of Nigeria?

It was an opportunity to serve and to help people embrace dancing, not just for leisure but as a complete profession.

What are the major ingredients of your success as a dancer?

Determination, focus, passion and doggedness, as well as good training and the grace of God. The place of training cannot be over-emphasised. Even when the trained body becomes old, it will still manifest signs that it was trained. People always say that I’ve been receiving awards for many years now. How old am I? I’d say something like 50 years and they ask how come I’m still receiving awards. I work on my brain just as I work on my body. I also mentioned doggedness. I’ve suffered injuries that were more than enough to stop me from dancing forever. I have undergone several surgeries, but here I am still active and dancing.

Can you make a comparison between today’s dance forms with what used to be the vogue in the past?

Not at all. Today’s contemporary dance forms are traceable to the past. They are not new; they are just modernised. However, most of the dancers we have now are so concerned about the money that they leave out many other things money cannot buy. They ignore the aspect of thorough training. We need more message-oriented dancers than commercial or leisure dancers.

Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, otherwise known as Kaffy, is one of those popular dancers that look up to you Yes, maybe. I am a creative dance artist, while Kaffy is a commercial dancer. I like her a lot for her strong will. She is a young lady doing her best and I think it’s good for her to still look up to older dancers like us. It will help keep her focused.

You were initially involved in the Maltina Dance All reality TV show. What happened?

I was a consultant to the organisers of the show. I worked with only the finalists in the competition for about three months. Unfortunately, the show was rested after that year.

What was the inspiration behind your performance in the music video of Olori Oko, the popular song by defunct gospel music group, Infinity?

When I returned to Nigeria after a stint abroad, I was invited to do

something for a particular project. That was how I met the group known as Infinity. They asked me to come up with something, an idea for Olori Oko. The dance was eventually birthed on one of those days we had a rehearsal.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a choreographer and how did you overcome them?

There were attacks from different angles, but with God’s grace, I was able to overcome them all. I am now a permanent overcomer.

What else would you have excelled in other than dance?

That would be sports. I wanted to be a sportsman, but my dad stopped everything. I couldn’t go into sports because I needed money to train myself. Fortunately for me, training in dance in Nigeria at the time didn’t require much money. In the 1980s, you could just go to the National Arts Theatre complex in Lagos and join any group. That was how dance took me away from sports. I was one of the best discus and javelin throwers, as well as a sprinter in secondary school. I also struggled as a short man to do high jump.

Do you have something like a dance school or are you hoping to start one?

I have Ijodee Dance Company, which is the dance performing aspect of my organisation. There’s also Ijodee Arts, which specialises in various things, such as dance, poetry, music and drama. I have Ijodee Foundation, which is aimed at helping people who want to study dance. I’m not the one to train them or pay for their tuition. The Foundation is basically to connect them with the organisations that I am connected to as an affiliate. Sometimes these organisations say they need one person from Nigeria. Then I would look for someone who suits their description. I don’t just pick anybody because I have a name to protect. I also have Ijodee Dance Centre. This is the one that organises festivals, conferences, seminars or concerts and it is the administrative aspect of my company. Finally, the newest one is Ijodee international Arts. It was the lockdown that compelled me to think up that one and it will commence activities very soon.

How do you let off steam?

I love to go for a swim and I listen to music a lot. I enjoy riding a bicycle and I watch sports on TV. I love gospel music and can listen to it for a whole day.

Not much is known about your nuclear family I am a very private person. My wife is doing well and my three children, a girl and two boys, are very well too. They are based in the United States of America.

Is any of your kids likely to follow your footsteps?

I wouldn’t know. I just let them go with what they chose to do as I’m not imposing anything on them. Just as our faces are different, our destinies differ too.

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STORIES BY SHADE METIBOGUN

Bimbo Afolayan Unveils New Ultra-Modern Hotel

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bout a week ago, the wedding pictures and videos of popular skit maker, Abdulgafar Ahmed Oluwatoyin, also known as Cute Abiola, flooded the social media space. Many were disappointed that the handsome dude did not get married to his colleague, Adedamola Adewale, popularly known as Adeherself, who many believed he was dating. Instead, he married his girlfriend in a private ceremony that took place in Ogbomoso, Oyo state on Friday, May 28, while their Nikai took place the following day.

THEWILL reliably gathered that Cute Abiola and Kudirat Anike Tajudeen dated for some years before tying the knot. They were already in a serious relationship when he ‘proposed’ to Adeherself. The so-called romance with Adeherself, it is alleged, was part of a strategy to win more fans and followers to their side. Kudirat, the new bride, is a devout Muslim from Ilorin, Kwara State. She was educated in Abuja and completed her national youth service in Adamawa State in 2020 before starting a catering business called, Mahma Munchy Cravings. Kudirat is also an ex-beauty queen, having emerged winner of the Face of Arewa Ajilete Ogbomosho, a local beauty pageant in Oyo state four years ago. Fondly called Khudra Mahma by her friends and relatives, she is said to be social media shy. She opened an official social media handle last year but made it private after the news of her traditional marriage went viral and her handle witnessed an upsurge in the number of busy bodies who wanted to know more about her. Kudirat also opened an official business handle for her catering business, but deleted it when she noticed that the same people were following her. She is multilingual. She speaks English language, Hausa, Nupe and Yoruba fluently.

Tchidi Chikere’s Ex-Wife Gives Birth to Fourth Child Outside Wedlock

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ophia Williams, the ex-wife of Nollywood producer, Tchidi Chikere, has given birth to her fourth child. The actress announced the arrival of her bundle of joy on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.

Many of her fans who heard the news were shocked because the actress didn’t leave a clue about her pregnancy. She was able to conceal her baby bump till the day she gave birth. The father of Sophia’s child is a fastrising music artiste known

Double Celebration for Adewale Ayuba

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onsue fuji maestro, Adewale Ayuba, is in a gay mood. The reason is not far-fetched.

He has just been crowned the Otunba Aare Bobaselu of Ikenne. The event, which took place at the palace of Alakenne of Ikenne, Oba Oluwayomi Ademola Odeneye, had in attendance, other royal fathers and dignitaries from Ogun State and its environs. Mr Bubble, as he is fondly called, also used the opportunity of his new title to unveil his multimillion-naira mansion located in his home town, Ikenne. The fuji star, it was gathered, plans to stay in the palatial country home with his family whenever he visits Ikenne where he was born and where he started his music career at the age of eight.

Reputed to be the most refined fuji artist in Nigeria, Adewale Ayuba loves to acquire properties. In 2011, he built a state-of-the-art hotel in the highbrow area of Lekki, in addition to other properties that he owns in Lagos and its environs.

20 Years After, Alariwo of Africa Back With Dem No Fit

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eteran singer cum broadcaster, Oluwarotimi Martins, popularly known as Alariwo of Africa, is reviving his music career after taking a break that lasted 20 years. The self-styled crossover king is currently in the studio and getting set to return to the Nigerian music scene with a new single entitled, Dem No Fit. The singer debuted with Yawa Go Gas, an afrobeat song that became an instant hit in 1998. Unfortunately, he went on a break while the ovation was still loud and reappeared in 2002 with another album titled Boju Boju friends.

But the latter was not as successful as his first effort.

He recorded a third single titled, Back on Track, in 2012 and took another break from the music scene, during which period he ventured into entertainment consultancy and event management and also battled with varicocele, a disease that occurs when the veins deprive blood transfusion to the scrotum. The ailment was treated abroad after some money was raised on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire TV show for that purpose. Alariwo took to his social media handle a few days ago to announce his plan to return to the music scene after 20 years. Many of his fans are optimistic that the ‘noise maker’ is finally back for good.

Alariwo

Sophia & Mula

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as Young Mula. The two became an item not long after she parted ways with her former husband, Tchidi Chikere. Ever since the two love birds started dating, Mula has been spoiling her silly with the good things of life and also sponsoring her flamboyant lifestyle. We learnt he has also taken her three sons by Tchidi as his own children and pampers them with gifts, too. In 2016, Young Mula bought Sophia a brand-new car and also last year, the handsome young man gave her a Mercedes Benz car as gift. On her last birthday, he also gave her a house as a present. Besides the gifts he showers on Sophia, the two have been all over each other on social media.

With Sophia always commenting on his post and addressing him as her king while he responded with love emojis. Sophia’s marriage to Tchidi broke up in 2012. The union produced three sons.

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Afolayan

Cute Abiola Dumps Adeherself For Ibadan Lover

Ayuba

Abiola & Adeherself

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ight-skinned actress, Bimbo Afolayan has joined the league of entertainers who are serial entrepreneurs. The beautiful mother of one is a skin therapist and the brain behind extreme beauty palace located in the Alimosho area of Lagos State. She is also a fashion designer whose fashion house, Extreme Clothings, has catered to the needs of many of her colleagues and fashion icons. Afolayan recently signaled her entrance in the hospitality world with the opening of a new ultra-modern hotel named Extreme Royal Hotels. Located in Ogun State, the hotel boasts of a well-furnished lounge, private bar, fully air conditioned rooms and conference halls. According to the serial entrepreneur, her love for the hospitality business is the reason she left no stone unturned in order to pursue the dream which gave birth to Extreme Royal hotels. She resumed work as the Chief Executive Officer of the hotel on Wednesday, June 2 and many of her colleagues have been sending their best wishes.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Reno Omokri Goes AWOL as First Daughter Clocks 16, Continues to Leave California Family in Limbo

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aysayers who have refused to believe that selfacclaimed pastor and motivational speaker, Reno Omokri, is capable of some of the things he preaches against, would be shell shocked to know that the man who they think can never do wrong in their eyes, was AWOL on his first daughter, Tsola’s birthday on May 30th. Reno, who has always been an advocate of raising a well-rounded and healthy family, shut out his daughter and deliberately didn’t turn up for the poor girl’s 16th birthday celebration, one of the most important days in the life of a teenager. He instead chose to spend the day hibernating with Hana, his Ethiopian born baby mama in London, United Kingdom.

Whatever his issues with his estranged wife, Tuope Omokri nee Onuwaje maybe, the innocent girl obviously isn’t the reason and as such shouldn’t have to suffer for her father’s indiscretion. But like a man who is hell bent on tarnishing the marriage institution, a path he keeps railroading his numerous followers not to tow, Reno is past caring about the consequences of his actions.

three key questions he has craftily evaded since we busted him on this matter so it can be put to rest. a) Who is the mother of the new baby you fathered and dedicated in the United Kingdom? b) Do you have another wife other than Tuokpe Omokri nee Onuwaje? c) Since you claim Hana, your Ethiopian baby mama, is your new wife, does it mean you are married to both Tuokpe, your Itsekiri wife and her?

Osula

Recall that THEWILL had exclusively reported a few weeks ago that Reno who likes to project a sanctimonious, holier than thou image of himself, abandoned his children and his legal wife of 14 years who is a school teacher in northern California where he lived with them and absconded to London to live with Hana, who he prefers to call his ‘wife’ and who is also the mother of his fourth child, Weyinmi Ebele Omokri. For over two years since he abandoned his family, he has allegedly refused to contribute to their upkeep including that of one of his sons who is a special needs kid.

How much more ironic can it get for a man who likes to think of himself as a philanthropist, yet refuses to take care of his immediate family.

Julian Osula Opens New Flagship Store

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Perhaps having gotten wind of the fact that this newspaper in its usual fact-finding mission, would report his lackadaisical attitude on his daughter’s day; no physical presence, no birthday post or message, Reno cunningly put up a post two days after her birthday, on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts, calling her his fashionista daughter, while deliberately omitting any birthday message to her. This makes one to wonder if the daughter is the reason he abandoned his family in California or if she is just collateral damage. For those still doubting that Reno has abandoned his wife and his three teenage children in California, Dr. Baba Adam, a respected Nigerian/American political scholar in the United States, who is familiar with Reno’s bad behavior, last week emailed the flippant influencer and copied the ‘who is who’ in Nigeria including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno’s boss, congratulating him and his baby mama on their new born baby while urging him to give his wife and family a call and return home to them in California.

Omokri & Daughter, Tsola

Since he denied ever abandoning his family to father a child in another continent and even threatened to sue this paper for falsehood and propaganda, an action he has cowardly refused to undertake, we ask once again; why he wasn’t at his daughter’s 16th birthday celebrations this year. Tsola who desperately craved her father’s presence for the celebration, spent it with trips to the SeaWorld in San Diego in Southern California and another to Las Vegas which coincided with Memorial Day in honour of US fallen soldiers, in the company of her two brothers and mother who has allegedly been responsible for their upkeep all by herself since Reno absconded. Last year, while he only managed to wish her a happy birthday, [See picture] he was nowhere physically present for her 15th birthday as he had abandoned his family the year before.

Sanwo-Olu’s Chief of Staff Basks in Euphoria of Second Marriage

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ayo Ayinde, the chief of staff to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, obviously can’t stop thanking his stars. He ended his marriage with his first wife, Titilola and quickly moved on with Doyin, a niece to board room guru, Otunba Adekunle Ojora. He has

So again, THEWILL hopes Reno graciously answers these

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Tayo & wife, Doyin

The email seen by THEWILL, was captioned: “Pastor R Omokri - Please Call Home.”

Some of the interesting quotes from his cheeky and satirical lengthy email include: “The lure [ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/ english/lure ] of London or Addis is intoxicating but just in case you forgot - please call home +1 510 36x-xxxx [H] or +1 925-28x-xxxx [O] - ASAP... address - xx41 Spruce St, Brentwood, CA 94513...”

“We have Engr. Mamuda and YaKa’ana from Borno in Brentwood/Antioch CA who know the beautiful family very well...”

ust like John Obayuwana of Polo Limited, Julian is considered a top player in the luxury retail industry in Nigeria. However, unlike Obayuwana, he likes to operate behind the scenes and make his own moves quietly.

This explains why there was no pomp and ceremony when he opened his new flagship store, which he aptly calls, Julian’s Luxury Emporium, a few weeks ago. Only a few people, including the two priests who blessed the building and declared it open; some members of his staff and his wife Oghogho, who is an executive director in his company, were present during the commissioning. The Emporium was built and designed to reflect Osula’s luxurious trade.

It is a large edifice located on Lagos Island. A VIP dealer in luxury goods such as exclusive timepieces, jewelry, leather goods, accessories and writing materials, the Edo State born businessman began his foray into the world of luxury goods over 20 years ago when he started the printing and supply of gift items to blue chip companies, such as Elf Petroleum, Texaco, INEC, Access Bank etc. Before then, the University of Benin law graduate had a stint with First City Merchant Bank, now First City Monument Bank, and Alpha Merchant Bank precisely, before venturing into the business world.

In 2011, he expanded his printing and gift item business to include the sale of luxury goods and renamed it Julian’s Luxury from its former name, Staple Gate.

continued to bask in the euphoria of his second marriage to the young lady and can’t stop appreciating her for giving him a second chance at love and marriage. The lanky government strategist grabbed yet another opportunity to show his appreciation when Doyin recently celebrated her birthday.

Ayinde took to his social media page to thank his wife for being there for him and reminding her of his undying love for her. This scenario must have played out the same way with his ex-wife before things went awry between both of them. Whatever must have caused him to end his marriage with a woman, who toiled with him when he had nothing, must be quite unpalatable, so much so that he thwarted every effort by his close friends and relatives to reconcile them.

Even when the thought of losing him almost drove his first wife into depression, he was bent on quitting the marriage.

Barely a year after their divorce was finalised, Ayinde went public with his affair with Doyin in 2019 and ever since, the sparks have not stopped flying, at least for Ayinde who was a chief security detail to former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With fingers crossed, this is hoping the fire that burns in their hearts remains stoked and doesn’t wane.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

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he once sour relationship between Obi Iyiegbu, owner of popular night club, Cubana, and one of his former employees, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has ended and both parties have sheathed their swords and resolved

to move on. This move to end their 10 month-old feud was at the behest of Kingsley Okpala, the face behind New Age, a popular brand of power banks, charger, ear phones, cables, etc. The reunion took place at the post-funeral concert held in honour of Okpala’s late mother in Anambra State. At the colourful ceremony, both men shook hands and hugged themselves with an understanding to bury the hatchet and let bygones be bygones. Their feud started midway in 2020 after Okechukwu reportedly informed Iyiegbu that he was no longer interested in being a part of the nightclub. The decision to move on and start his own nightclub business didn’t quite go down well with Iyiegbu.

The latter had unfollowed Okechukwu, who many thought owned Cubana, on Instagram. The Chief Priest was as miffed as many others, who wondered why his former boss would refuse to grant him freedom after serving him diligently and lifting the Cubana brand to the height it has attained today in night club business in Nigeria. Well, the erstwhile Cubana Chief Priest was so determined to succeed without the blessings of his former boss that he decided to go on to erect a huge edifice within four months of dumping Cubana. The building houses his own club, Xhrine, which is reportedly doing well in Owerri.

Otunba Cash Regains Freedom in Turkey

Aneke

the music industry benefited from him as they sang his praise, the women in the industry equally benefited from him as they warmed his bed whenever he came into the country or they traveled to Turkey. We watch with keen interest to see who, among his numerous entertainment friends, will rehabilitate him if and when he is sent back home.

Adaobi Nwakuche Lands at HEIRS Insurance

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Nwakuche

he is widely referred to as the first lady of the insurance industry because of her far-reaching prominence in that sector. Nwakuche’s popularity also extends to the social circles, where she is one of the hottest and mst eligible divorcees. A graduate of Government and Public Administration from the Abia State University with a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology and a PhD in Insurance, Risk Management and Corporate Governance, she has held sway both in the insurance industry and on the social scene for the past 20 years without her popularity waning one bit. From her rookie days at Standard Alliance, she rose through the ladder of success plying her trade at Standard Assurance Company of Nigeria before moving on to Equity Assurance and now berthing at the newly launched HEIRS Insurance. Nwakuche, no doubt, is a success story when it comes to her profession. But it isn’t quite so with her personal life. One sore point that keeps sticking out is her failed marriage to Fredrick Nwaeme, who she was joined with in holy matrimony in 2006, at a multi-million-naira and carnival-like event that took place at the Church of Assumption, Falomo in Ikoyi and the upscale Lagoon Restaurant in Victoria Island, Lagos. The who-is-who in Nigeria’ s business, political and social space jostled for seats at her wedding. Unfortunately, the union ended less than two years later due to irreconcilable differences. She has managed to put behind that aspect of her life and has moved on, while taking greater strides in her profession.

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Richard Nyong Marks 40th Birthday Quietly

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ollowers and lovers of Nigerian fraudster, Emmanuel Aneke, popularly known as Otunba Cash, will be glad to learn that their mentor has completed his jail term in Turkey and is today a free man. For many who don’t know or can’t recall, Otunba Cash, was arrested in Turkey in October 2018, following a sting operation in connection with a $1.4m e-mail scam. The fraudster, who is also the CEO of Instanbul Entertainment, was arrested after the Danish police sent a letter to the Turkish Police Department in May 2018, via Interpol, informing them about an unauthorised access made to one GM Plast company’s e-mail address. It was gathered that the company paid money into some accounts in Turkey and an investigation by Turkish Cybercrime Department led to the arrest of Turkish ED, ZI and N.M, whose companies were used as fronts. The investigation further revealed that Nigerians were behind the scam and a simultaneous operation conducted by the police led to the arrest of Emanuel Aneke at a luxury hotel where he was staying with some of his accomplices. Quite a number of luxury items were also confiscated from them. They were promptly charged, tried and sent to jail. At the peak of his popularity, Otunba Cash had literally acted just like his name. He made a lot of friends in Nigeria’s entertainment industry. While those in

Nyong

Okechukwu & Iyiegbu

Cubana Chief Priest Reconciles with Ex-boss, Obi Iyiegbu

t is hard to believe that popular real estate entrepreneur and socialite, Richard Nyong, just turned 40. For all that it is worth, it would have been quite understandable if Richard had chosen to celebrate elaborately, considering the kind of stunt he pulled in the real estate sector at such a young age. Instead, he chose to mark his birthday quietly in his home, devoid of fanfare and with only very close friends and family members in attendance. His decision may not entirely be unconnected to the need to lie low and remain under the radar after the series of unfortunate incidents that nearly marred his business and threatened to put him away for a long time. Long before the real estate business in the Lagos metropolis became an all-comers affair, the Akwa Ibom born dude through his Lekki Gardens Limited, dominated the field with fervor and a freshness that many wanted to be a part of, by buying into what he was selling; premium homes in secluded and gated communities on Lagos Island. But a few years after he began his venture, in March of 2016, to be precise, one of his buildings, a five-storey building collapsed, leaving 30 people dead. Surprisingly, the building had not been approved by the Lagos State Government. In a bid to cut corners and make quick money, Nyong had placed order for the building, which was initially supposed to be a threestorey building to be increased by two floors, because of the high demand of his customers. He was arraigned on a sixcount charge bordering on failure to obtain building approval for the collapsed building and involuntary manslaughter, the offences, contrary to and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of Lagos State 2010, and Section 229 of Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 respectively. Nyong was arraigned alongside his partners; Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Get Too Rich Investment Limited, HC Insight Solution Limited and four others. Although he regained his freedom after a short time and with the input of his very competent team of lawyers, however, the incident dented his image. It shook him so much that he went into oblivion. Not one to give up, he tried to stage a comeback but no sooner did he surface for air than he was slammed with another lawsuit for reneging on an agreement he signed with the residents of another gated community on Lagos Island, which he developed.

These unending lawsuits, especially from the 2016 building collapse, which haunts him till date, forced him to take a complete break from the social scene. He is, no doubt, grateful that he is alive. Like a die-hard businessman, he has refused to drown with the dramas of his past as he forges on.

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ARTS

Toni Kan @ Fifty: A Road Well Travelled

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

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ome kids get all the luck, sired by wealthy and educated parents who parcel them off to Ivy League schools where rich parents’ kids go and then end up in blue chip companies where they invariably become directors.

Some kids get some of or half the luck, born to not so rich but educated parents, attend mid-level institutions and through self-application end up in managerial positions in reputable companies. Some kids get no luck at all, a vulcanizer’s son, say, with no education who may end up himself as a vulcanizer.

Toni Kan Onwordi, TK as some of his close acquaintance call him, is smack in the second category. His father was a school principal, oftentimes transferred at short notice from place to place in the old Bendel state.

For that, young TK “had a peripatetic childhood. My father was a principal and he kept getting transferred around the old Bendel state so I ended up attending six primary schools. I was a quiet and studious child who did not engage much in physical activity and I also did not socialize a lot mostly because I had a stutter.”

If you had to make yourself clear in five or more minutes what took your mates two or less, you will most certainly become the butt of jokes. If you didn’t play football while your peers romped around on the pitch, you will most certainly be distanced from them. TK was. What did he do to engage himself? He read.

“I read, mostly,” he told me via email this week. “As a child, no one gave me toys or football as gifts. I got books as birthday presents.”

Many more books followed, most of which he read while his peers tooled around in wooden tricycles or kicked leather. There was, for instance, The Last Duty by Isidore Okpewho, Cross of Gold by Lauretta Ngcobo and Flowers and Shadows by Ben Okri.

“By 11 I had read well over 200 books many of them in the African Writers Series but those three books from Longman’s Drumbeat series left a different rhythm in my brain. After reading Ben Okri’s debut novel, I sat on the stoop in front of our house at St. Thomas’ College, Ibusa and shed tears for Jefia, the protagonist. That was the moment I knew that I wanted to be a writer and I wanted to write stuff that would make people cry. That was my ambition and motivation for becoming a writer.”

If there is one word that best describes TK from his younger years to now that he will turn 50 on June 11, it is focus, more focus and more focus. He started winning writing prizes right from the get-go, in primary school right through secondary up to university and thereafter.

“I started winning writing awards from primary school but it was in secondary school that it began to get attention because I was a science student who was getting the highest scores in Literature.”

At Jos, TK entered for a British Council competition for Nigerian universities. He came second. “It was a defining moment for me,” he reminisced. On the strength of that prize, he attended a Summer School at University of Edinburgh, Scotland. On the strength of that prize, again, his close friend and classmate Ralph Bruce introduced him to Kayode Ajala and Reuben Abati who were the

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Toni Kan

The first books were presented to him by his father whose library followed his numerous transfers wherever he went. In retrospect, TK’s fate was being decided at just that time - a writer in the making.

reigning scribes at HINTs magazine where TK would hone his skill as a writer.

One more ward came courtesy Swiss Radio for all of Africa necessitating his travelling to Switzerland. All of that was while he was still in Jos, from where he was contributing to HINTS, a soft sell magazine he would also edit for years. But before then, TK graduated as the best student in his class.

The first indigenous award came from Liberty Merchant Bank Short Story competition. TK was third while his current partner, Peju Akande came second. The chap who came first died before the presentation ceremony in Lagos. One striking thing however was they were all Josites, as graduates and undergraduates from the Middle Belt institution of higher learning are called.

More prizes have followed, from MuSoN Poetry prize to ANA/ Ken Saro Wiwa Prize. And then the fellowships which TK has attended; first, there was Heinrich Boll in Germany, Civitella Ranieri in Italy and Yaddo in Saratoga Springs in New York.

Though a science student in secondary school, and owing to his early contact with the masterpieces in his father’s library, he took up literature. He always topped his class.

TK would most probably have been a medic if he’d followed his original course of study at the university – medicine. For whatever reason, the University of Jos offered the chap Biochemistry or Chemistry. He was not

impressed with either. Enter his uncle who was a lecturer at the university.

“I had applied to JAMB for three years to study Medicine and I kept getting offered Biochemistry and Chemistry,” TK told me. His uncle was so frustrated and so asked his nephew what else will he study? “I said English and off we went to the Head of Department whom he was friends with. The man looked at my WAEC and GCE results and said he would take me on one condition: I would be kicked out of the department if I failed a test or assignment. I said game on. It was funny because when they gave us our list of books for one of our courses, Introduction to Fiction, a two-semester course, we had 48 novels to read and I had read 47 of those. Guess who came tops? I ended up as Best Student and got a scholarship.”

What might have been if, by any chance, the university hopeful was offered medicine as his first course of choice? Given his focus, keen intelligence and tapering fingers ideal for surgery, TK would have made good as a medic, more than average, for sure. But the pull of writing was ever stronger, no doubt, than the lure of the theatre or wearing surgical gloves.

By the time he got admission to read English, the young man seemed perfectly at home plus he would meet some of his lifelong friends and mates in the same department (Peju Akande, Ralph Bruce, Helon Habila, Dave Njoku, Peter Okwoche,) all of them united by a common interest – writing.

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ARTS

Toni Kan @ Fifty: A Road Well Travelled Both Helon and TK were particularly drawn to one another as classmates, having read some of the prescribed texts. There is a story of the two always being the first to answer questions in class – a character in A Passage to India or the relevance of plot in Aspects of the Novel by EM Forster. Of course, that will deepen their relationship and also trigger a subtle academic rivalry, a kind of Mailer/ Vidal competitiveness without the acrimonious shout downs and punch ups.

Moreover, Helon and TK have remained consistent in their creative output, perhaps, more than any of their contemporaries in Nigeria. With a number of books to his credit (Waiting for an Angel, Measuring Time, Oil on Water and most recently Travelers) Helon is a professor of Creative Writing at George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia.

On his part, TK has held on gallantly on the home front, having published over 20 books ever since his very first Diana: Princess of Wales he co-wrote with Njoku while he was editor at HINTS, a romance, soft sell weekly that was a staple for many a secretary and female university undergraduates back in time. As TK tells it, Diana: Princess of Wales took him and Njoku “three or four alcohol-fuelled nights” to write.

Published just on the cusp of the tragic death of Lady Di, it was a commercial success, selling 50, 000 copies in just a week. A reviewer with THISDAY at the time, Oji Onoko, panned the publication, with a rather insulting headline of “History Told in a Hurry!” Dismissive as the reviewer was, he inadvertently gave Diana: Princess of Wales good publicity.

It wasn’t that TK couldn’t write serious stuff. Coming from the University of Jos, an institution notorious for its academic rigour especially in the Department of English and Literature, and with a burning desire to be a writer, TK soon published his first, When a Dream Lingers Too Long. It got an honourable mention during the yearly annual convention of the Association of Nigerian Authors the same year.

Next was Ballad of Rage a novella published in 2004, shortlisted for the more prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by gas giant Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas. Another, Night of the Creaking Bed followed. This time, it got the ANA/ Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize. The author insists it is “probably the only Nigerian book that has not gone out of print since it was published in 2008, though that is debatable. A year later, TK published Songs of Absence and Despair and in 2015 The Carnivorous City.

TK has added to that oeuvre, concentrating more on bios now because, in his words, literature with a capital L does not pay the bills. So far, he has co-written half a dozen or so bios with his partner Peju Akande, ghost-written some, mostly of prominent Nigerians: Austin Avuru, Ali Baba, Julius Agwu, Newton Jibunoh, DJ Jimmy Jatts, SO Shonibare.

TK’s collabo with his partner Peju Akande has paid off handsomely in their personal and professional lives. Both run their public relations firm, Radi8 together. Of their relationship from 1990 till date, Akande recalls they met in school when her mother entrusted her to TK’s care, a sort of male guardian. And such is their closeness Ms. Akande now refers to TK as “my partner in crime because he’s the one person I told all my issues, things I couldn’t with my girlfriends or family.”

Those who know the pair intimately say of their union as two rivers flowing in parallel directions but destined to meet somewhere, somehow, an intellectual and romantic THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

“

If there is one word that best describes TK from his younger years to now that he will turn fifty on June 11, it is focus, more focus and more focus.

He started winni ng writing prizes right from the get-go, in primary school right through secondary up to university and thereafter.

venture. His illness got worse over a few days and by the time he died and was buried I had run through my savings which ran into millions back then. It was a tough time and I remember sitting outside my house one evening after the burial and crying and wondering what to do next.

Then a few years later, in 2012, my marriage crashed.

That was crazy too and the crash of my marriage remains the most devastating failure in my 50 years. I did not think it would happen to me because I was one of those who married for love and put in the energy to make it work. As the French say, c’est la vie.

My mother took my brother’s death hard because he died in her arms and I think that triggered her battle with Alzheimer’s which finally claimed her life in 2020.

So, yes, there have been sweet and sour moments in this 50 years journey but these are the saddest.

union comparable to celebrated French writers, Jean Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir, who were never married but lived together for much of their lives.

Generally, what would you say of getting to 50, has life been fair, dealt you a good or bad hand? What are your expectations from now on?

If God gives me an opportunity to come back, I will live my life the same way. I have had an amazing 50 years of it and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s been a whole lot of fun being me, I swear. My expectations are simple; good health, my faculties in order and enough ends to meet my needs which are simple; seeing my kids through university, write more biographies and have a healthy old age.

TK, Akande wrote to me, “has been a most consistent friend and partner.”

Tell us about TLR, the most serious online publication on and about Nigerian, nay, African literature.

Another close buddy, Ralph Bruce, whom TK has known for more 21 years says of his sense of humour as “massive.” They met in Jos in 1990 and they’ve not parted ever since. “He’s been loyal, profusely honest when it comes to life matters and he thrives on healthy competition, fast with the double ‘F’ and, above all, my best friend.”

Most serious, wow. Peju and I co-own thelagosreview. ng with our friend, the poet, Dr. Dami Ajayi. We wanted something that would help introduce young writers to a discerning reading audience like Nduka Otiono and Harry Garuba did alongside people like you and Akin Adesokan with The Post Express Literary Supplement which was modeled in many ways after Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi’s The Guardian Literary Series. I have never said this before in an interview but when I came to Lagos I wanted to be like Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi – academic, journalist, business man. He is suave, intelligent, a people’s person and a PR maven. I think I am not doing badly sha. So, TLR is almost two years and even though I don’t have enough time these days I keep pushing because I consider it a labour of love and a legacy project.

Himself a senior journalist, poet and novelist, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu has worked closely with TK for decades.

Reflecting on TK’s journey so far, Uzoatu told me from his base in Awka that “Toni Kan is a natural leader, very respectful, a person you will see as a younger brother that you will want to do anything for. No wonder they call him Mayor of Lagos because he is a crowd puller. His attention to writing, the literary world is well informed. It is difficult to find people who are dreamers who actually actualize their dreams. He is a thinker, doer,” concluding that TK “can go the distance.”

There have been incredibly sad moments as TK made his journey through life. The first was in 2009 when he lost his elder brother, Charles, to cancer. Undetected early, the cancer had advanced pretty quickly. Within weeks, the formerly bubbly chap had shriveled to half his size and later died in his mother’s arms.

Charles’s demise got to the entire family. But it was the matriarch who was most affected. Seeing your first born wasting away on account of a degenerative disease is bad enough. Having him die in your arms would certainly be disastrous. It was for Mrs. Onwordi. The toll was simply unbearable. She never got over the unexpected loss.

TK, I also know you’ve had some incredibly sad periods in your life’s journey - losing Charles to cancer, parting ways with Wendy, mum’s sickness and demise. So, what year(s) did these sad events happen and how did you cope?

My brother Charles died in December 2009 just as I had quit my job and was gearing up to start my first business

As far as Nigerian literature is concerned, for more than three decades up until now, you’re a point man.

How do you feel about this, especially now at 50?

I wanted to be a writer. Writing was the gift God gave me and I wanted to do it well and make a good living.

It started from Hints and has continued over the years even during my sojourn in corporate Nigeria when many said I had sold out. They say you are a lucky man if your gift and passion can feed you. On that score, I consider myself very blessed by God and very lucky as I turn 50.”

In a profile published in TIME magazine of June 16, 1997, on Steve Spielberg at 50, Richard Corliss and Jeffrey Ressner wrote that “50 is an age for realists…A man takes stock of his dwindling physical inventory and starts thinking not of empire building but of simple maintenance in health, family and career, the preservation, for just a few more years…Fifty is a time for holding on, for hoping that time and gravity will not pull you down.”

In good health, bouncing and all he could ever wish for at 50 at his fingertips, whether by chance or choice, TK’s prompt response to his uncle in the HOD’s office proves beyond any doubt that his métier is a road/ route well travelled.

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TOURISM

Abayomi Barber’s Birthday: Where Tourism Connects Art, Culture

BY JANEFRANCES EBERE

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large number of actors in the Nigerian tourism and arts sector recently assembled outside the compound of National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Onikan Lagos to celebrate multi-skilled Fine Artist, Mr. Abayomi Barber who was 92.

There was a group exhibition of 24 sculptural works, 44 paintings in different medium ranging from charcoal on canvas, acrylic on canvas, bronze etchings, on paper, tyre and metal works.

Also, the celebration witnessed the presentation of a 305-page

special exhibition brochure; “Abayomi Barber: An Artist Born and Made” published by the National Gallery of Art, (NGA) Abuja.

The exhibiting artists include Muri Adejimi, Olumuyiwa Spencer, Adebisi Alade, Olubunmi Lasaki, Archibald Etikenrentse, Adebayo Akinwole, Femi Adewolara, Ato Arinze, Olatunde Barber and Conrad Decker. The exhibition, which will run for two weeks was curated by Dr. Simon Ikpakronyi.

Surprisingly, the dual-purpose event was designed by NGA to honour Barber, a sculptor and an accomplished saxophonist, whose life has been dedicated to the development of talents, refinement of skills and imparting of knowledge to younger people across

generations for close to half a century.

Little wonder it attracted the corps d’ elite of the Nigerian art sector including Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, represented by General Manger National Theatre, Professor Sunday Ododo, Founder OYASAF Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, Nike Okundaye, Professor S. Adetoro, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo, Timothy Adebanjo Fasuyi, Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, Jerome Elaiho and representatives of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and National Films and Videos Censors Board. The event was chaired by the chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism. Rocha’s Okorocha.

The event kicked-off shortly before midday when guests began turning up in colourful attires. Director-General NGA, Mr. Ebeten William Ivara disclosed that his administration has resolved to make NGA a revenue generating agency that will make artists gainfully engaged. He added that he will soon inaugurate a joint committee of NGA and the Society of Nigerian Artists to harmonise the Establishment Act with a view to re-presenting it to National Assembly for repeal and re-enactment. He urged Nigerian artists to be part of this new vision for the betterment of visual art and artists.

Barber

“We actually held a stakeholders’ meeting in December to chart a way forward for visual arts in Nigeria. A major take away from that meeting was the resolve to make NGA revenue generating and fine artists gainfully engaged. I want to announce that my next assignment in Lagos will be to inaugurate a joint committee of NGA and the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) to harmonise our Establishment Act with a view to re-presenting it to the National Assembly for Repeal and Re-enactment. I enjoin you all to be part of this new vision for the betterment of visual arts and the practitioners,” he noted.

NCF Commemorates World Environmental Day with Ecosystem Restoration T

BY JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR

he Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), a foremost environmental NGO dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resource management, joins the global community to commemorate World Environment Day Wednesday, June 9, 2021 with the theme: “Ecosystem Restoration.”

To that end, NCF has lined up key activities promoting restoration of the ecosystem across the nation. This year’s theme is in line with the goals of Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) an initiative of NCF. The highpoint of the NCF weeklong activities for Wednesday, June 9 is a hybrid event on Thursday, June 10, 2021, at its National Headquarters in Lekki, Lagos. The event will be held with strict compliance to all COVID-19 safety protocols. This would be followed up by setting up school gardens and fruit tree orchards in 20 selected schools across different locations within Lagos State.

School grounds cannot be neglected as climate change impact is being felt all over Nigeria, trees will provide much needed shade and cooling, creating more pleasant environment for children to play. Moreover, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air thus reducing the obnoxious fumes from heating up the atmosphere.

Planting trees on school grounds provide fencing and fruit for school children and teachers. They also provide opportunities for environmental education, getting young children thinking about environmental conservation early.

Meanwhile, at Finima, Bonny Island, Rivers State, community sensitization meetings would open the event, as NCF will be

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However, Ivara lamented the inability of NGA to secure a national edifice befitting a gallery that will facilitate the promotion of modern Nigerian art to the globe. He assured that efforts are ongoing to overcome this challenge which, he said, has been hindering the optimal performance of the gallery since inception.

Founder OYASAF, Omooba Yemisi Shyllon who declared the exhibition open urged management of NGA to look beyond holding exhibitions and arrange residency for artists in order to expose and enrich their practice.

planting 400 coconut seedlings along the seashore to provide protection for the riverbank. Beach clean-up exercise would also take place.

“It is not enough to host art exhibitions. Organising of art residency

by NGA will go a long way to empower the Nigerian artists, many of who are in dire need of opportunities to be exposed. Artists need to be trained and learn from the masters such as the legendary Abayomi Barber, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo and lots more. OYASAF have held residencies for over 30 Nigerian and non-Nigerian artists. The NGA is more empowered to do it. And it is more meaningful for NGA to run such programme,” he said.

At Calabar, Cross River State, NCF in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Education, University of Calabar, and selected secondary schools from Calabar Metropolis as well as other civil society groups would commemorate the event within the university environment. Activities to be carried out include tree planting, a short walk for nature, clean up exercise and an outdoor talk on the theme of the event will feature.

Shyllon also drew the attention of NGA to the disappearing collections of some late collectors, saying such collections are being auctioned to foreign buyers. He said NGA owes Nigerians the responsibility of ensuring that collectors don’t die and their works disappear because when such collections disappear, the greatness of such artists we are celebrating will disappear with them.

Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystem that has been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystem that is still intact. Healthier ecosystem, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils.

Anyone can be part of this by actively planting a tree or by helping to remove pressure on nature so that nature can recover on its own. It is not an easy task to return an ecosystem to its original state, but it is a desirable and necessary urgent action to be taken.

Over the past four decades, NCF has been in the fore of securing a better future for nature conservation and sustainable livelihoods for people and wildlife resources in Nigeria.

Myriads of projects have been initiated to achieve this. GRN, for instance, is one of such initiatives, borne out of the dire need to retain a significant proportion of Nigeria’s landmass under forest. For instance, a total of 1,713,750 was planted in the 2020 planting season.

The events and activities this midweek were supported by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (NLNG), Dangote Group plc, IHS Nigeria Limited, FCMB, Access Bank plc, Union Bank plc, Soroptimist International Ikoyi, among others.

“We are here celebrating a living legend, but we must also live our life meaningfully. To live a meaningful life is to live for others.

What are we doing for others? Let’s commit ourselves to live a meaningful life,” Shyllon added.

Speaking on the artistic legacy of Barber, renowned Media and Creative Arts Consultant Mr. Ben Tomoloju described the nonagenarian as a member of the league of great Nigerian artists who garnered fame in the international realm in the fifties and sixties like Ben Enwonwu and Bruce Onobrakpeya.

On the categories of Barber’s disciples, Tomoloju said: “In a certain light the productivity and distinction of these legatees tell of another dimension to the life of Abayomi Barber; that of an art educationist. Although at the early stage of his employment at the University of Lagos, he firmly resisted the offer of becoming a lecturer, the inevitability of the complete profile of a master came into play later in his life. In a near-axiomatic sense, a master will always be a teacher. This is the glorious attribute of Barber, the doyen whom we are celebrating today, whose life has been dedicated to the development of talents, refinement of skills and imparting of knowledge to younger people across generations for about 50 years.”

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Some of the vehicles recently bought for the state security outfit

FEATURES

Umahi’s Agenda for Combating Insecurity in Ebonyi T

his is not the best of time for Nigeria. The current security challenge, no doubt, has brought the country to her kneels. From the North to the South, the story is the same. If it is not banditry, killer herdsmen, unknown gunmen, it is the Boko Haram insurgency.

The situation is overwhelming, such that nobody is safe any longer. The security agencies are even the worst hit. Many security personnel have paid the supreme price, while trying to secure the lives and property of fellow citizens, just as their facilities have been targets for attacks.

Ebonyi State, like most other states in the country, has had its fair share of the prevailing security crisis. From the time of the EndSARS protests till this moment, Ebonyi has been enmeshed in a difficult and explosive security situation.

For instance, no fewer than six police divisions have been burnt by unknown hoodlums and many policemen lost their lives during several attacks on police facilities in the state.

Unfortunately, the attacks took a dramatic turn for the worst in the past one month, thereby resulting in the killing of many policemen and military men by criminals described as unknown gunmen mostly at checkpoints and police facilities; the massacre of innocent and law abiding citizens by killer herdsmen and inter/intra communal related killings in the South-East and South-South States and Ebonyi, in particular.

The Governor of the state, David Umahi, has made efforts to tackle these security challenges headlong, considering the measures he has put in place so far, one of which was the establishment of local vigilante groups across the state.

The establishment of the South-East security outfit, codenamed Ebube-Agu, which has become operational in Ebonyi State, is also a right step in the right direction.

In furtherance of his efforts to ensure watertight security, Governor Umahi has also imposed a curfew on all exit and entry points to Ebonyi State from 8pm to 6am till further notice. The objective is to check the worsening insecurity in THEWILLNIGERIA

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the state.

Umahi, who made the declaration while briefing journalists on the outcome of a meeting of the state security council held at the governor’s office in Abakaliki, directed the chairmen of local government areas in the state, security agencies and the officials of Ebube-Agu to ensure strict enforcement of the curfew.

On the murder of security agents and civilians, the governor directed the security agencies to fish out the killers within 72hours and to put an end to all criminal activities in the state.

He also announced a ban on wake-keeps and other social activities beyond 6pm, and warned that violators would be adequately sanctioned.

Reacting to the recent killings in Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State, the Umahi alleged that the Agila in Benue State hired mercenaries who did the killing.

He said that it would be the last of such killings in the state, as his administration was determined to protect the citizens of Ebonyi against unnecessary attacks.

Gunmen recently attacked Ngbo community, killing not less than 15 residents and burning many houses. While the state government accused a community in neigjhbouring Benue State of masterminding the attack, the natives insisted it was carried out by herdsmen.

Lamenting that the social media had become a tool in the hands of some people for disseminating fake news, Umahi disclosed that the council had directed the security agencies to crack down on anyone found spreading fake news in the state.

He said, “We agreed that fake news is rampant in Ebonyi State. For example, somebody posted that herdsmen were killing people in the state and schools started closing down and people started running helter-skelter. Is that what we are going to continue to tolerate?

Umahi

CHARLES IKE writes on the security situation in Ebonyi State and how the government plans to tackle it

security agencies and Ebube-Agu must enforce it. In fact, all social activities must end by 6pm and if you are caught doing otherwise, you will be made to pay a minimum of N1m. A lot of criminal activities happen when we allow wake-keeps to take place at night.

“We appeal to our people to stop killing security men and innocent civilians in the state. We want them to stop burning down government infrastructure. There is no agitation in this criminality. Those that killed policemen in Onueke took their guns and went to Umuoghara in Ezza North to rob and kill innocent quarry operators.

“Does agitation imply that you must go to Onueke and shot a bank manager and rob the bank? It is pure criminality and the state security apparatus must descend on the criminals.

“We have directed that Okada riders must form their own vigilante because 90 percent of our security problems are coming from those operating commercial motorcycles in the state. If after seven days they failed to do that, we will ban commercial motorcycles from operating inIEbonyi, especially within the state capital.

“We have a law banning okada from operating in designated areas, especially in the dualised roads in the state and that will take effect from today. It has to be reinforced.

“We can now confirm as a state that Agila people in Benue State hired the herdsmen mercenaries that came and did the killings in Ngbo. That is one killing that won’t happen again.

We are determined to protect our people.

“So, I have directed that anybody posting fake news should be tracked down and made to prove whatever he or she is posting.”

“Our ban means that night clubs must not operate beyond 6pm. If we don’t convict you when you defy this order on security ground, we will convict you on COVID-19 violation.

So, there is no escape.”

On the curfew and violence in the state, the governor added, “We have directed that all wake keep in the state must end by 6pm and the local government council chairmen, the

Governor Umahi has also held town hall meetings with all the clans in the state to get their buy-in in his efforts to tackle insecurity in the state.

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SportsLive

Naomi Osaka: Focus on Mental Health of Athletes

BY JUDE OBAFEMI n the week that marked the start of the French Open, one significant discussion held sway and threatened to detract from the glamour of the clay court Grand Slam to the dismay of the organisers and governing bodies of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

I

It began on the eve of the competition when Japanese female tennis player, Naomi Osaka, made public her decision to skip press conferences at Roland Garros. The four-time Grand Slam winner shared this decision across social media platforms from her official accounts and made it clear that the reason was personal as she wanted to focus on her mental health, above all else.

The 23-year-old was not comfortable with the practice of athletes breaking down in front of the media after a loss and she believed the practice of requiring athletes to talk about their losses after a game was like “kicking a person while they’re down” which she wanted to avoid following a struggle she has had to endure in previous events, with adverse effects on her mental health.

Osaka’s very public honesty of her vulnerability and admission of her personal circumstances were greeted with mixed reactions. There were sportsmen and women who identified with her experience and empathetically praised her bravery while a few voices stressed how important the media was to the sport, without which there was no prize money and zero visibility.

Therefore, when last Sunday, after her opening match victory over Romanian Patricia Tig, Osaka stuck to her decision to skip the mandatory press conferences at Roland Garros, she was immediately slammed with a $15,000 fine and issued a formal warning that came as a joint statement from all four Slams. The Japanese was warned that she could face a default from the competition, as a whole, if she continued to shun her media obligations.

In fact, the Slams made it clear that Osaka risked yet stiffer repercussions if her boycott persisted any further: “We have advised Naomi Osaka that should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences.

“As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament (Code of Conduct article III T.) and the trigger of a major offence investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions (Code of Conduct article IV A.3.).”

On Monday, the very next day, Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French Open and released a statement on her Twitter feed that explained her premature withdrawal to be based on the reasoning that she “never wanted to be a distraction” from the other players participating in the event and believed removing herself from the situation was the best for everyone and for the competition.

She posted: “I think now the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well-being is that I withdraw so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris. I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer.

“More importantly I would never trivialise mental health or use the term lightly. The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018 and I have had a really hard time coping with that.”

Although the initial tough stance of the Slams was softer in their reaction to Osaka’s withdrawal, what the bravery of the 23-year-old wrought was to return global attention to

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Osaka

She wrote, “I’ve often felt that people have no regard for athletes’ mental health and this rings very true whenever I see a press conference or partake in one. We’ve often sat there and asked questions that we’ve been asked multiple times before or asked questions that bring doubt into our minds and I’m not just going to subject myself to people that doubt me.”

the very significant conversation that needs to be had around the high-pressured nature of competitive sports, the mental balance of the sportsmen and women who partake in them and their relationship with the media.

Mental health was not always a concern in the same way that physical health was prioritised by every aspect of the sporting world. Extra measures were put in place to regularise efficient management of the physical well-being of sportsmen and women but mental issues were relegated to the background until recent shifts in perspectives and Sports science began to cater for a more holistic view of the individuals engaged in professional sports.

For athletes fortunate enough to be in United States leagues, the attention to mental health has gone hands-on. In May 2019, the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Players Association ensured that each team hired a clinician focused on supporting players’ emotional health and well-being, who is available on-site for at least eight hours a week. Teams were also required to create a mental-health emergency action plan.

Basketball teams are required to have a plan for mentalhealth emergencies, and to make mental-health professionals available to players. The same applies in Major League Baseball and clubs have a mental-skills coach to help players with all mental aspects of the game, and an Employee Assistance Professional (EAP), a licensed clinician who helps players with on- or off-the-field issues.

If there was anything of the sort to help sportsmen and women in Nigeria, it could have made a difference in the life of a football legend like Rashidi Yekini. Although the exact medical details of the player in the time before his unfortunate demise are not available for scrutiny, the conventional media coverage blamed his death on a combination of mental and physical deterioration. An intentional monitoring of his mental health had the potential to sustain his productive years for longer.

He is but one example of the many athletes and patriots who have dedicated their youths to the high-pressure of competitive sports for the sake of representing themselves and the country without due regard for the mental balance only to suffer the consequences down the line and die off prematurely, alone and abandoned by the sports they participated in and the country they represented.

The global discussion that Osaka has engendered with her prioritisation of her mental health over the fines and threats, the media and conferences must bear fruit in the domestic front with a localisation of the issues at stake. The Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development ought to have a recognisable programme that addresses the unblemished

mental health concerns of Nigerian athletes, whether subsumed directly under the Ministry or a restructured National Sports Commission.

The queries about the mental health conditions of athletes will not go away. If anything, Osaka’s bravery will give it enough Oxygen to sustain it in global discourse for the foreseeable future and, if others come forward with similar issues, there will be no dodging the need for a conversation about how important it is to competitive men and women sports. The best time to get a handle on it in Nigeria was long ago. Today is another chance. It must not be wasted again for the sake of the physical and mental balance of our sportsmen and women.

New Chairman For Benue SWAN FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI

T

he Sports Writers Association of Nigeria(SWAN), Benue State Chapter, has conducted its elections, with Comrade John Shiaondo of Blueprint Newspaper emerging as the new Chairman.

Announcing the results, the Chairman of the association’s Credentials Committee, Issac Kertyo, said Shiaondo polled 13 votes to defeat the immediate past Interim Committee Chair, Patrick Omora of Radio Benue, who polled 10 votes.

According to the results, Comrade Tamenor Kwaghzer of News Echo polled 16 votes, as against Daniel Uzah of Radio Nigeria Harvest FM’s 7 votes, to emerge Secretary of the association.

Other contestants were returned unopposed for some of the positions. They include Hembadoon Orsar of Leadership Newspaper, George Chiangi of Ontiv and and Uche Nnorom of People’s Daily Newspaper, who emerged as Financial Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.

In his remarks, the Acting Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Comrade Martins Kajo, commended members of the association for voting candidates of their choice to steer the affairs of SWAN in the state. He urging them to hit the ground running, even as he pledged the council’s support for them.

Administering the oath of office on the new officials, the National Vice President of SWAN, Zone D, Comrade Uja Emmanuel, charged them to revive the body in Benue State with a lot of activities so as to keep the members busy.

He urged the entire members of the NUJ and SWAN to give their unflinching support to the new EXCO to enable it discharge its duties effectively.

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