THEWILL APR. 04-10 EDITION by THEWILL NEWSPAPER

2023: WE WON’T ALLOW OLD GENERATION TO JOKE WITH OUR DESTINY AGAIN - SHETTIMA

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APRIL 4- APRIL 10, 2021 VOL . 1 NO. 8

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T H EWI LLN I GERI A

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AHEAD 2023 PRESIDENTIAL POLL

Tinubu Unleashes Masterstroke Against Challengers • Deploys Foot Soldiers Ahead Official Declaration • Set To Take On Buhari’s Staunch Allies • Kano Chosen As Strategic Launch Post - Insiders • No Problem With Tinubu-Ganduje Ticket - Governor’s Aide

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COVER 2023 Presidency: Tinubu Moves Against Challengers BY AMOS ESELE

ational Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also known as the “Lion of Bourdillon” appears set to roar into action as the race for the 2023 presidential ticket of the ruling party in the country begins in earnest. Insider sources close to the APC chieftain, who also holds the traditional chieftaincy title of “Jagaban Borgu”, told THEWILL last week that moves to unleash a political masterstroke had already been perfected to disorganise Tinubu’s major challengers, especially the powerful and influential associates of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidency as well as other opposition forces in the South West who are out to not only scuttle but also frustrate his 2013 presidential ambition. FOOT SOLDIERS DEPLOYED These revelations are coming as THEWILL gathered that foot soldiers in the forefront of the political power game had already been deployed across the country ahead of the official declaration for the presidential race by the former Lagos State governor, whose body language appears to be a more powerful signal of his intentions than words. His foot soldiers who are keeping up the public tempo, were in Kano last week, to draw on a political capital recently brokered with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. THEWILL gathered from insider sources that the 12th Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium organised to mark his 69th birthday which held in Kano on March 29, was well-organised ahead of time, almost to minutiae political detail.

Also, on a separate tour of the ancient city for the pre-colloquium event were select senior editors from Lagos based media firms, detailed to give maximum publicity to the event. TOP LAWMAKERS DECLARE SUPPORT At the top lawmakers’ meeting held in Kano on Friday, March 26, the senior lawmakers declared their support for Tinubu as their choice to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari when his tenure ends in 2023. Unlike the crack that attended a similar meeting among their colleagues in the Southwest geo-political zone early January, the Kano declaration was resolute. Tinubu, for them, was best equipped and ready amongst the pack of aspirants within the party to succeed Buhari and they would mobilise to help him realise the ambition. Obasa, flanked by lawmakers from Lagos - Victor Akande and Temitope Adewale - and two former speakers of Ogun and Oyo, said they were in the zone “to interact with their colleagues to stimulate discussion and harmonise views on how to move the country forward.” He said: “2023 is by the corner and the first thing is to look within us for the person that is capable, that has all it takes – the knowledge and capability – to deliver. To achieve that, there is a need for us to come together and talk and extend the discussion beyond our boundary to every part of the country to make it easier for us in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man that we believe can deliver.” Host Speaker, Mr Hamisu Ibrahim Cidari, who addressed journalists after the meeting, said with 2023 approaching, there was the need to source for a flagbearer “who can stand on his feet and effectively direct people.” He said, Tinubu already has their support and promised that he would win in Kano during the 2023 presidential election. Ambassador Saulawa said the organisation was formed to solicit the support of Nigerians for Tinubu ahead of 2023. He stated that it was time for the North, which got the support of the South West and Tinubu in 2015 and THEWILLNIGERIA

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Tinubu

Few days to the summit, an advance party of his front men led by the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and National Coordinator of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Movement, BAT, Ambassador Aliyu Lawal Saulawa, had stormed Kano to replicate a similar meeting of former and serving Speakers of the Southwest geo-political zone they organised in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on January 26.

2019, to reciprocate the support. “We have held an initial meeting in Ibadan in the Southwest where past and current speakers agreed to support the movement. We are now here,” he said, adding that the next meeting would be in the Southsouth and Southeast. Others who added their voices were Mr. Yau Abdullahi Yanshana, a former speaker from Kano; Abu Dauda, a former deputy speaker in Jigawa, who posed the intriguing question, “If not him, then who? If not now, then when?” Abdu A. Dauda from Jigawa, Moh’d W. G. from Sokoto, Hon. Aliyu Auwal from Kaduna. Aliyu Sabiu Muduru from Katsina, also made up the impressive list of attendees. CHALLENGE FROM SOUTH WEST Unlike the fractious Southwest meeting, obviously because it did not enjoy the support of the governors on whose behest Nigerian Speakers function smoothly, the Kano meeting had the full support of Governor Ganduje, whose interests had converged with that of Tinubu ahead of 2023. A day after the meeting in the Southwest, news reports showed that the meeting was not called to endorse Tinubu’s presidential ambition. Those from Ekiti were said to have disclosed that the meeting did not endorse Tunubu. For a lawmaker, whose governor, Kayode Fayemi, is said to be in contention for the coveted crown, it would be political suicide to tow a different path. *Continues on Page 4 PAGE 3

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COVER

...Deploys Foot Soldiers Ahead Official Declaration *Continued from Page 3

One of the Ibadan summiteers told THEWILL that when the attempt was made to propose the endorsement of Tinubu, strong voices against it were raised from more than one attendee, saying, they later agreed, “it would be premature at this time to make that proposition and endorsement until aspirants from the zone openly declare their stand.” At any rate, Governor Fayemi, whom THEWILL learnt is being canvassed by some very powerful power brokers from the North either for the post of President or Vice President, according to how permutations turn out ahead of 2023, has not publicly denied or confirmed whether he would run, leaving the entire thing in the realm of speculation. For a man, whose second tenure ends in October 2022, he has enough time to consult and decide and enjoy the wave of promised support that may see him not spending or lifting a finger to wear the ultimate political crown. The nearest he came to opening a window to that speculation was in an answer he gave to a question posed to him at a recent Channels TV programme, Hard Copy.

SET TO FIGHT THE CABAL TO THE FINISH Apparently set to give the powerful allies of the President in the Presidency a fight to the finish and probably teach his challengers what observers of the game plan referred to as “real politik”, Tinubu is said to be leaving no stone unturned in destabilising whatever plans the group often referred to as ‘The Cabal’ may be plotting to frustrate his emergence. Tinubu is also already spreading his tentacles far and wide to scuttle the moves of the clique and those his allies described as traitors in the power-play. Sources close to the power-play told THEWILL that some of Tinubu’s compatriots in the Southwest such as Senator Ibikunle Amosun, a former governor of Ogun State as well as the Minister for Works, Babatunde Fashola, also a former governor of Lagos State are allegedly strategizing with some of the members of the Cabal to block Tinubu’s presidential push. KANO AS STRATEGIC LAUNCH POST In what has been described as a political masterstroke to deal a deadly blow to opposition both at home and far, Tinubu’s choice of Kano for his birthday colloquium might just be it even as observers continue to wonder about the rationale for the choice of Kano for such an event. THEWILL however gathered that for the APC chieftain, Kano was a strategic place to launch out from an outpost at a critical hour as this. Why Kano? The APC National Leader himself asked, rather rhetorically during an interaction with journalists during the colloquium. He answered; “Why are we in Kano? It is to demonstrate to Nigerians at this critical time. It is because there is a Fulani man, a herder man who gave his daughter to a farmer, Yoruba man. And that Fulani, that Yoruba (sic), and some people are agitating wrongly. “If we can encourage support to go and spend a PAGE 4

Obasa

“I am laughing. You know why? I get asked this question all the time. I don’t know any seriousminded politician who will have the opportunity to govern a country with the blessings that we have – in spite of the challenges – that will not give it a shot but we are not there yet,” said Fayemi, who was recently endorsed for the presidency by the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

“

There is a need for us to come together and talk and extend the discussion beyond our boundary to every part of the country to make it easier for us in Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man that we believe can deliver

couple of days with my brother an in-law in Kano and demonstrate that he has not quarreled with me, he has not seceded from Nigeria, I didn’t need a passport or visa to get to Kano, maybe others will have peace of conscience, live in peace and harmony and be loving to one another. That is what Ganduje and I are showing to Nigerians and that is the purpose of this colloquium end of story.”

some lessons in realpolitik”, as a Tinubu insider told THEWILL, the “political juggernaut decided to open an outpost founded on a support offered to Governor Ganduje at a critical hour.” ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER According to the source, that support at a critical hour had to do with a time the Kano governor almost lost his second term to the candidate of the rival party, the PDP during the 2019 election, which later went into a supplementary rerun in some constituencies in the state. Tinubu, stepped in with the “Osun template,” to help secure the win. That template refers to a similar poll in Osun State in 2018, which the rival PDP almost won beyond bookmaker’s predictions, leaving the ruling APC to deploy hire-wired politics and contacts with a better mixture of thuggery and manipulation than that of the PDP and claimed victory in a rerun. Hosting the colloquium was a pay- back time by Ganduje. The governor also enjoys respect among party chairmen in the Northwest.

May be. But THEWILL has learned that politics of 2023 is the real answer to why Kano?

Moreover, apart from being the state with one of the largest votes in elections in Nigeria, running into millions, which is often times more than those of some four or five states in the country combined, Kano is also an inroad into the seven most populous voting states in the Northeast.

Tinubu is said to be leaving nothing to chance while preparing to checkmate those opposing his ambition. In an attempt to outfox his traducers and “teach them

TINUBU-GANDUJE TICKET When contacted for his views, Mallam Ameen Yassar, Director General, Media and Communications to THEWILLNIGERIA

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COVER

...Kano Chosen As Strategic Launch Post - Insiders and power in the power game of 2023. Apart from sidelining his loyalists from the structure of the party and positions in government, from former Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole to former Federal Inland Revenue Chairman, Babatunde Fowler and Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, to name a few, the recent constitution of the party’s 61-member Contact and Mobilisation Committee ahead of 2023, was the last straw. A most noticeable member of that Committee from Lagos State is the former Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was denied a second term for allegedly acting out of the party’s script in Lagos. His reelection denial that caused some bitterness within the party initially, which even President Buhari tried to intervene and when he failed, tried to compensate Ambode with a ministerial appointment that was successfully blocked by Tinubu on the altar of 2019 politics, appears to have been solved now with this new committee appointment for the only slot for Lagos State. PARTY REORGANISATION NOT TARGETED AT TINUBU - APC SCRIBE As the political game continues, interim Secretary of the party, Senator John Akan Udoedeghe, thinks it is wrong to see the constitution of the committee beyond its charge to mobilise influential Nigerians into the party and give the party more power and wider reach.

Ganduje

He told THEWILL that it is not targeted at anybody or devised to thwart the ambition of any member.

Governor Ganduje did not mince words when he said that Tinubu is beloved by his principal even though he contested the view that the choice of Kano for the colloquium had specific political undertones. He said; “I don’t think the choice of Kano was for pay-back time as you put it. To be frank, Tinubu supported all candidates during the 2019 elections, whether in Plateau, Kaduna, Adamawa or Sokoto. And you know, he is a national politician, he has friends all over the place. So, if you can have Tinubu from the Southwest and Ganduje from the Northeast trying to bring people together and overcome our religious and ethnic differences, would that go a long way in solving our challenges.” On Kano connection with Tinubu’s presidential ambition, he said Tinubu is a national leader of the APC, stressing, “So if the Speakers choose to support him since President Buhari is on his way out, they are free to rally round one person.” Asked if a possible Tinubu-Ganduje ticket for 2023 was in the offing, he laughed loud. “Ganduje and Tinubu? I do not have a problem with that. But his excellency, Governor Ganduje has not told anyone that he has a presidential or VP ambition. Fliers and posters of Governor Yahaya Bello, a much younger person, are being circulated. That is the beauty of democracy, provided he does not infringe on the right of any person.”

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Indeed, claiming ones right to vote and be voted for is one of the beauties of democracy. And for the Asiwaju, Kano may just be the foothold to claim that right. TROUBLE AT HOME For one, the Southwest home front is not a strong as it used to be years ago for the Jagaban, for reasons which are already in the public domain. The Fayemi factor, mentioned above, is indicative of that trend. Secondly, the ruling party and administration has cold bloodedly whittled down Tinubu’s influence

He said; “The party wants to remain relevant. When Ebonyi State governor (Dave Umahi) came into the party, we dissolved the party in the state to give him relevance. Recently some members of the PDP, former Governor Gbenga Daniels and ex-Speaker, Honourable Oladimeji Bankole, defected to our party. They were made members of the contact and mobilisation committee so they can bring in their members who are in the PDP. These are people who are influential members of their former party. Ministers representing each of the zones were also chosen. They were chosen to mobilize influential members into the party, that is all.” A former Lagos Commissioner under Ambode’s administration, who spoke to THEWILL on condition of anonymity, said, Ambode’s appointment at the central government had been pending since he was unceremoniously prevented from taking a deserved second shot at office. How the appointment will all play out he could not tell, but he was certain Ambode would not go against Tinubu, whom he said the former still has high respect for. “Ambode had done everything to please Buhari. He supported the campaigns from Kebbi to Sokoto, Kano, Enugu in 2019. He was however disappointed he was not made a Minister. That is why he had kept quiet all this while. Buhari did not want to offend Tinubu, otherwise, Ambode was shortlisted for the post of Minister of National Planning but was removed at the last minute when Senator Olorunimbe Mamora (Minister of State for Health) was forwarded from Lagos as replacement and the President had to merge National Planning office with Finance under Hajia Amina Zainab. This Committee membership is like a compensation of sort. Where it leads, I cannot say for now,” the former appointee said. Tunde Rahman, Tinubu’s spokesman, declined multiple calls to his phone to comment on this report. PAGE 5

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NEWS CAN Urges Christians To Take COVID-19 Vaccines In Kogi FROM JOSEPH AMEDU, LOKOJA

ishop Dr. John Ibenu, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kogi State chapter, on Friday urged Christians to accept and take the COVID-19 Vaccines in the state, saying it was safe. Ibenu gave the advice in Lokoja when officials from Kogi State Ministry of Health and Kogi Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), paid an advocacy visit to him towards the preparation to receiving COVID-19 vaccines in the state. According to Ibenu, the National CAN led by its President, His Eminence, Dr Ayokunle Samson, had a stakeholders meeting with Minister of Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, NAFDAC and other stakeholders. The Bishop said that at the end of the meeting, they all came to a conclusion that COVID-19 was real and it affected people and that the vaccine should be accepted and taken by Christians and Nigerians. ‘’We listened to many presentation by professionals and we carried out our own investigation and concluded that the vaccine is beneficial to mankind and that every Christian should accept the vaccine. ‘’CAN is satisfied that all Christians should accept and take the vaccines’’, Ibenu said. He assured the Christian brothers and sisters and Nigerians that CAN would be the number one body to stand against anything that could harm anyone. He stressed that it was against international standard and health practice to introduce anything that would be harmful to humanity, saying, ‘’CAN will never be part of anything that will be harmful to humanity. ‘’The COVID-19 vaccine is safe; there is no trick in it, there is no Antichrist or 666 number in it. Please let us not be left behind. ‘’I am appealing to everyone of us to accept the vaccine when it comes; I assure you it is necessary and beneficial to everyone of us, it is for the safety ourselves, family and the total population at large’’. He, however, noted that the vaccine was not compulsory and anybody who chose not to take it can stay away. The Cleric thanked Kogi State Government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello, for all they had done to save lives in the state since inception of COVID-19 pandemic. The Bishop commended the ministry of health and the governor in particular for being very open and practical in handling the issue of COVID-19 from the onset in the state. Earlier, Alhaji Acheku Yusuf, Kogi State Health Promotion Officer, said the visit was on the instance of Kogi Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu; and the Executive Director of KSPHCDA, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, to seek CAN support on COVID-19 vaccination in the state. He said that Kogi was expected to receive COVID-19 vaccines very soon, and CAN would be needed as one of the critical stakeholders to educate the Christian body.

Police Assure Anambra People 24 Hours Patrol During Easter

FROM CHARLES OKEKE, AWKA

he Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has promised the provision of 24 hours patrol daily across the state for the protection of citizens throughout the Easter festivities which started on Friday with a public holiday. The Command Spokesman, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu,who announced this development in a released to newsmen in Awka, said the Command will provide for “Ndi Anambra adequate security with 24 hours visibility patrols.” He stated that the Command have prepared an elaborate operations order which effectively covers all places of worships, recreation centres, public buildings, flashpoints, black spots and other vulnerable areas in order to ensure adequate protection of life and properties in the state. Stressing on the mandate of the Command as ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Monday Bala Kuryas, the Police Spokesman, assured Ndi Anambra and residents alike that this year’s Easter period like the previous ones would be celebrated peacefully.

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Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun (M), presents a Staff of Office to Noble Laureat, Prof. Wole Soyinka (L), as Super Marshall of Ogun State Security Network, otherwise known as Amotekun Corps, and Corps’ Commander, Mr David Akinremi, a retired Commissioner of Police (R), during the inauguration of the Corps, patrol vehicles and motorbikes in Abeokuta on 1/4/21.

FG To Complete Abuja-Lokoja Highway By December FROM JOSEPH AMEDU, LOKOJA

miles will soon come on the faces of commuters and motorists as the Federal Government has given end of December this year to complete the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of Abuja-Lokoja Highway. Engr Funsho Adebiyi, Director Highway Construction and Rehabilitation of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing disclosed this at the weekend in Lokoja while inspecting the progress made so far on the project. Adebiyi said the Federal Government was currently carrying on massive reconstruction of many major roads across the country with the Abuja-Lokoja highway section as a fraction which should be completed “soonest.” He said; “I want to assure you and our road users that this road will be completed soonest. “We are putting every effort to ensure that this project is completed as quickly as is humanly possible. “In fact, the Minister, Oga Raji Fashola has directed that all efforts, attention and resources be channeled toward the completion of the project before the end of this year and we cannot do otherwise. “We cannot afford to fail. Before the end of this year, we want to try to make sure that the entire four sections are completed,” he said. Adebiyi explained that the project was broken into four sections and awarded to different contractors with section one being handled by Dantata and Sawoe, presently at 96 per cent completion. Section two being handled by RCC was completed about four years back after attaining 100 per cent completion, while section three being executed by Bulletin had attained about 49 per cent completion just as section four under Gitto Construction Company had reached about 72 per cent completion. He listed some of the challenges militated against its timely completion to include poor funding, insecurity, management challenges among contractors and location of Lokoja Modern Market. “The projects are not long, the entire stretch is not long. Section one for instance, is only about 42 kms, Section two 50 kms, Section three, about 49.3 kms and Section four, 48 kilometres, he said, adding, “My worry is that the amount provided for in the budget has been a major challenge every year. Virtually all our projects are facing different sources of funding. Now this one has been placed under SUKUK.

“Apart from these challenges, we acknowledge that our contractors are facing some management challenges but that is not our problem. “Another challenge is the issue of Nataco road and the Lokoja Modern Market. Every four days there is that market at that junction and the human activities there are quite heavy. “They constitute traffic gridlock and again and again, we keep looking for solutions to this. “Initially, we proposed a fly-over there to have an interchange. It was removed by BPP but we are trying to make case to restore it.

Edo 2021: Our Target Is To Win, Say Rivers Commissioner

iver State, winner of the 17th National Sports Festival Rivers state has disclosed its preparedness to dust all comers to the 20th edition of the games starting in Benin, the Edo State capital on April 6. Rivers Sports Commissioner, Barr Boma Iyaye stated this at a media conference in Port Harcourt as the state’s contingent prepared to depart for Benin. He disclosed that the state would be participating in 29 events at the Sports Festival and was optimistic that they would produce medalists. Iyaye praised Governor Nyesom Wike for his “unprecedented support which shows that he truly understands the role sports can play in the unity of the state, youth empowerment, wealth creation and tackling youth restiveness.” He stressed that the athletes that would represent the state have been provided with the best of facilities and welfare, hence their satisfaction with the preparations so far. The sports boss disclosed that in order to ensure the best of atmosphere for the athletes, they would travel to Benin with the full compliments of all logistics that include ambulance, medical personnel, among others. Iyaye stated further that as a state that takes the issue of COVID-19 seriously, all the officials and athletes in the State contingent have so far been vaccinated, while PCR Testing as required by the festival organizers has been concluded. “We are going to the Sports Festival to compete and win fairly against other states. We are sure that our athletes will come out tops, we will be among the best, that is our charge,” he said.

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NEWS Huge Wage Bill: Bayelsa Won’t Downsize Workforce - Finance Commissioner •Declares Income, Expenditure For Two Months FROM DAVID AMOUS - OWEI

ayelsa State Government has assured civil servants in the state that it had no plan to downsize the workforce in view of the huge wage bill it is grappling with.

Rather, it said it would seek alternative sources of revenue to shore up its finances. The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai, gave the assurance on Thursday at the transparency briefing for the months of January and February 2021 in Yenagoa, the state capital. Mr. Ebibai said the state government got N6.8 billion for February as net receipts from the Federation Account after first line deductions as against the huge wage bill and other recurrent expenditures of N7.358 billion. He noted that the cost of running government had become highly challenging as the state was contending with dwindling federal revenues coupled with low internally generated revenue.

Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, test-riding AWA Bicycle (designed to ease civil servants movement) within the Government Secretariat, in Ibadan on 1/4/21.

Makinde: We Hired Consultants For Transparency in Tertiary Institutions G

BY AYO ESAN

overnor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has addressed the issues surrounding the strike action by some state-owned tertiary institutions, declaring that the state will resolve the matter within the month.

The governor, however, explained that the decision to engage Platinum Consultants, which is the crux of the matter between the state and some of the institutions, became imperative to ensure transparency and accountability in the system. According to the governor, his administration’s desire to improve the quality of education in the state had led to its scaling up the subventions to tertiary institutions from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. Makinde who spoke shortly after inaugurating the Governing Council of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, said that the government had to engage Platinum Consultants to look into the Internally Generated Revenue activities in the tertiary institutions. He said: “Let me also use this opportunity to talk about the lingering crisis at The Polytechnic Ibadan. Though most of the other tertiary institutions that embarked on the strike action have backed off, it is remaining only The Polytechnic Ibadan. “The students were at the Secretariat the other day to make their grievances known and we listened to them. But I must make this very clear; we would not have got into this situation if those schools’ governing councils did their jobs transparently and honestly.

“What were the issues they were talking about? They were saying they don’t want Platinum Consultants and other things. But we had to resort to hiring consultants because of the opacity of their transactions. “The day before the previous administration left, they moved the higher institutions’ subvention from 25 per cent to 50 per cent and from that 50 per cent, we moved it to 100 per cent. We said we would take it on because education is one of the major pillars of this administration.

“But I said to them that if we are moving on with 100 per cent subventions, you should also be open with your IGR. We watched the situation for several months and we did not hear anything about the IGR. As a result of that, we hired a consultant.” Governor Makinde, who assured students and stakeholders in the state that the government would take the decision that will be in the best interest of all stakeholders and the progress of the state, charged the managements of tertiary institutions to accept that the old order of lack of transparency in the financial activities of institutions has gone for good. “We know that they [the institutions] are unwilling to accept that the old order of things is gone, but it is gone really. Well, we will be making a decision about the next steps this month but I believe anyone protesting has the right to do so. But it must be done with the future of the students of those institutions in mind because time is money. If they keep wasting their time, courses that they are supposed to finish in two years, because they are spending a lot of time protesting and disrupting academic activities, they (the students) will bear the brunt.

Nigeria Has Best Adolescents Worldwide, Says VC

FROM OKKEY UCHENNA, UMUAHIA

ice-Chancellor (VC), Clifford University, Owerrinta, Abia State, Prof Chimezie Omeonu has said Nigeria has some of the best adolescents in the world, adding that what they need are good roles models to look up to and form their characters. Omeonu stated this at the first convocation ceremony of the university, which graduated 11 out of 66 students with first class, saying the graduands are among those that will show the light and the citizens will find the way to good life. “There are some of them that so distinguished themselves that it is almost difficult to allow them to go. The Alumni Association has been formed. We hope they will remember this university for good,” president of the Seventy-day Adventist Church university said. According to the VC, as foundation staff, the journey towards the realization of the university was not smooth as they all took off, not minding the weighty salary and the working conditions, THEWILLNIGERIA

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believing that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. “Every one of us considered Clifford University as an egg that must be held carefully so that it will not break. God blessed our efforts. Today, the story is that of success to the honour and glory of God. Thank you for your efforts,” said the former staff of Babcock University. In his address, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who congratulated the university and the church on the occasion, charged the graduands, tagged “Alpha Class” to apply trainings received in schools to real life and contribute to the development of the society. The governor, maintained that the world today is not looking for those with mere certificates but men of integrity, who could be trusted to bring positive development to the society, expressing the hope the graduands will fill the frame. He further said as the first fruits of the university in Isiala Ngwa North local government area with two campuses and 25 degree programmes, the graduands are expected to do the institution proud by being useful to the society and pursue uprightness and justice.

He said: “The state government is not considering rightsizing or downsizing the workforce. Cost cutting is not always the first solution to solving our problems. The first approach is to look for additional income. “If you consider our salary figures, the cost of running this government is a big challenge. But if you look at the extraordinary figures and capital projects expenditure, you would notice that our government is focused and we are ensuring that such extraordinary funds are dedicated to capital projects.” Presenting the income and expenditure figures for January, Ebibai said the state received N2.2 billion as statutory allocation, derivation was N5.5 billion, value added tax N1.4 billion, exchange rate gain of N81.9 million and foreign exchange equalisation N158 million. This brought the gross receipts from the federation account to N9.4 billion. He announced N1.9 billion as total deductions from the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee (FAAC), out of which the state spent N47.7 million for foreign loans, restructuring of N5.4 billion refund of overpayment of revised 13 per cent derivation indices of N183.3 million and payment of N940 million to oil producing states as refund of N11.2 billion among other items. The Finance Commissioner also stated that funds from other receipts include internally generated revenue of N890 million, refund of excess crude of N9.1 billion and funds from other sources of N1 billion amounting to a gross revenue of N19.1 billion. He explained that out of the N19 billion, government spent N1.2 billion as bank loans and guarantees, civil servants salary N4 billion, salary arrears N310 million, political appointees salary N325 million, gratuities N150 million, grants to tertiary institutions N849 million, minimum wage arrears N50 million among other components. According to him, total payments came up to N7.358 billion, leaving a balance of N11.8 billion. He said recurrent and capital expenditure gulped N18.7 billion leaving the state with a deficit of N6.9 billion, which was financed from the N17 billion balance brought forward from the month of December 2020, adding that it had a balance of N10 billion at the end of January. For the month of February, Ebibai noted that total receipts from the Federation Account stood at N8.8 billion, comprising N2.4 billion as statutory allocation, derivation N4.5 billion and value added tax N1.8 billion. The Finance Commissioner said the state’s total deductions gulped N1.94 billion consisting of foreign loans N35.9 million, commercial agricultural credit scheme N95 million, refund of N11.2 billion to oil producing states N940 million and restructured commercial loan N741 million. He noted that the state got internally generated revenue of N951 million for the month of February, refund from excess crude account N20 billion leaving the state with a net revenue of N27.8 billion. On deductions, the Finance Commissioner said the state’s total deductions gulped N1.94 billion consisting foreign loans of N35.9 million, commercial agricultural credit scheme N95 million, refund of N11.2 billion to oil producing states N940 million and restructured commercial loan N741 million. On gross outflows, he stated that it included bank loans and guarantees N1 billion, civil servants salary N3.99 billion, political appointees N307 million, gratuity N200 million, grants to tertiary institutions N848 million leaving a balance of N20.920 billion.

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NEWS Two Brothers Killed In ‘Okada’ Accident On Way to School

wo male siblings were on Thursday morning, killed in a motorcycle accident in the Sotubo community, Ogijo, Ogun State. The accident involved an Okada with six student passengers who were on their way to school. An eye witness said the motorcycle, popularly called Okada, a Red Bajaj Boxer, with registration number LSD 638 QB, ran under a moving red coloured Man-Diesel truck, with registration number, SHR 35 XA, in the community on the Sagamu-Ikorodu highway. The witness said the accident occurred as a result of reckless driving and impatience on the part of the motorcyclist, resulting in the injury of one male and one female passenger. Operatives of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who were seen at the scene, took both the injured and presumed dead bodies to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu. R- L: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, and Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, during the Federal Executive Council meeting presiding over by the VP, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday (31/3/202

Akwa Ibom Warns Hoteliers, Eatery Operators On Sanitation

enceforth, hotels and eateries in Akwa Ibom State which do not meet the environmental health conditions/ guidelines of the state government, would be shut down, the state Commissioner of Environment, Mr. Charles Udo, has warned. Udo, who issued the warning in a chat with our correspondent, said it was the decision of his ministry to take environmental and health issues very serious hence the recent workshop organised by the Ministry for the hotels, food and beverage sector. The commissioner who advocated a re-introduction of sanitary inspectors in communities, explained that the hospitality sector becomes the primary target in the fight against poor environmental health conditions because they deal with what is directly consumed by the people. “My dream is to bring back the days of sanitary inspectors. I call them sanitary inspectors but they are environmental health workers and have uniform: white and brown. Their business is making sure of what you are eating and the environment that you live. “The meat pie you eat in the fast food joint; do you know if the flour used is expired? It is the business of the environmental health workers, do you even know the hygiene condition of where the food is being processed? Do you know the expiry dates of the condiments? The condition of the physical structure they are? It is still their business. “As a little child, I can remember that the fear of sanitary inspectors was the beginning of wisdom among community

people, both young and old but they gradually evaporated. Not that they are no longer there but evaporated into their offices. “When I was given the opportunity to serve in this ministry, I realized that the job of an environmental health officer is not in the office. For instance, you have a borehole here and you think you are drinking clean water but over the fence, there is a septic tank over than the standard depth, automatically, you are drinking contaminated water. You can’t deal with that, it is the business of the environmental health worker,” Udo explained.

Speaking on the incident, Commander Seni Ogunyemi, Corps Commander/CEO, TRACE, commiserated with the family of the deceased, while reiterating the need for compliance to basic safety regulations, especially overloading an Okada on the highways. Ogunyemi said, “The accident is indeed a very sad one, throwing up the need for us to intensify our school’s road safety training programme which is commencing across schools in Ogun state. “The school road safety training will not only involve students, but also teachers, school heads and owners of the schools. The sensitisation for these trainings have already started to schools, and we would soon commence the trainings.”

He said the worship, which served as a refresher course, was opened to all hotel, food and beverage sector operators and hinted that guidelines would be issued even as enforcement and apprehension on defaulters would begin. “We did not want to go ahead to enforce the law and apprehend defaulters. We had to start by educating and creating awareness, letting people understand what they should do because for over 30 years, nobody has asked questions on environmental health or exposed operator in the sector to national guidelines in the country for compliance. “Now that the workshop is concluded, guidelines would be given. We will begin to visit hotels to check their kitchens, their interiors, based on what we expect from them on environmental health standard” the commissioner stressed. Udo noted that the guidelines would take into consideration, the categories and level of patronage in the industry, calling on stakeholers and the general public to treat the issue with utmost importance as it has to do with the overall health of the citizenry.

CDR Semi Ogunyemi

FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

Officials of both agencies also evacuated vehicles involved in the accident and cleared the road for normal vehicular traffic.

Ogun Inaugurates Arepo Journalists Estate Road Reconstruction

inconvenient a lot of people, but at the same time, we need to get the work done.

Representing the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to flag-off the project in Arepo, were the State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Waheed Odusile and his Works & Infrastructure counterpart, Engr. Ade Akinsanya.

According to the Commissioner, “This place has lots of journalists residing in the area, cover and probably document the changes you have seen along the way, so, you should be the government’s eyes on this project.

They were received at Arepo by the representatives of the community, including the Olu of Arepo, Oba Solomon Atanda; Chairperson of the Journalists Estate Residents Association (JERDA) Phase 1, Mrs Funke Fadugba; executives of the Arepo Central Community Development Association (ACCDA) as well as some residents.

“This is an affirmation that a promise made is a promise kept as far as Governor Dapo Abiodun is concerned, we want to assure our people that within the time frame allocated for the contract, it will be completed and delivered.”

FROM KOFI LOU BANKULI

gun State Government, Thursday, inaugurated the reconstruction of the Journalists Estate Road in Arepo, a community off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, in ObafemiOwode Local Government Area of the state, promising that the 2.35 kilometre road project would not exceed the projected ninemonth completion timeframe.

The Commissioners assured the residents that the project would not be abandoned but delivered on time. “This project is not going to be abandoned; the contractor is fully funded. We are going to do everything humanly possible not to

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“This is a dualised road with a median and street lights. The water will be channeled to the proper location to be disposed into the canal. Also, along the way, their will be a lay-by for transporters, the drain is covered, it will serve as a walk-way, the face of this place will change very soon,” Akinsanya said.

Assuring resident whose properties were affected by the project on adequate compensation, Akinsanya said: “The Ministry of Physical Planning is responsible, they’ve come out and asked all the areas affected to bring supporting documents. They came with the Bureau of Lands for the enumeration of whatever will be impacted, so, the issue bordering on compensation will be taken care of by the Bureau of Lands and the Ministry of Physical Planning.

“As long as you have all your permits and other approvals, take the documents to them, it will be taken care of. Luckily, most of the areas affected are either fences or walls, it is when you get to the end of the project that we are probably looking at about two to three houses and we can still look at how to mitigate the big impact.” Also speaking during the flag-off ceremony and inspection of the project site, the Commissioner of Information, Odusile, described the project as a fulfilment of the promise of the Dapo Abiodun-led government, to make movement of goods, services and the people easy in the area. “When the governor invited traditional rulers of various communities in the state to write to government what were their pressing needs, Arepo told us, this road is the most critical and the governor has listened and today, he has assured, the desire will come true,” he noted. Appreciating the state government’s show of concern to the community over the long-abandoned and deteriorating road, JERDA Phase 1 chairperson, Fadugba, appealed to the state governor to fulfil the promise made to the people on healthcare, saying the sprawling community really needs a primary healthcare facility. THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS

PDP, APC Battle For The Soul of Ebonyi S

FROM CHARLES IKE, ABAKALIKI

in 2020.

ince the country returned to civilian rule on May, 29,1999, Ebonyi state has remained under the rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until the incumbent governor, David Umahi, defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC)

The state created on the 1st day of October,1996 by the late Sani Abacha, has been ruled by three democratically elected governors.

They include; Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu, from 1999 -2007( Ebonyi North senatorial zone), Chief Martin Nwancho Elechi from 2007-2015( Ebonyi Central zone)and Engr. David Nweze Umahi, from 2015 till now .

After the governor’s exit, the two leading political parties have continued to trade accusations and counter accusations at each other.With Umahi’s revalidation of his membership of the APC he promised to secure over one million members from the state. Umahi boasted this during the occasion held at his home town in Umunaga Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state that the South-East zone had identified with the APC. The governor who reiterated that it was good for the zone to be demanding for additional registration materials, maintaining that it signified total acceptance of the party. “This shows that south easterners have moved to the next level and we thank President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the opportunity of digital registration,” he said adding that Ebonyi people have identified with the APC because of the president’s numerous infrastructural support to the state. According to him, the president recently released N6 billion for Ebonyi to produce limestone granules to support its fertilizer plant.

“

This shows that south easterners have moved to the next level and we thank President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the opportunity of digital registration

Anyyim

The recent defection of Governor David Umahi from the PDP to APC has kicked up the dust across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

Umahi

As the 2023 general election approaches, the Ebonyi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have begun strategic moves on how to put their houses in order, ahead of coming elections at all levels.

Others were, Mr David Ajah, President General (ICDU), Hon. Celestine Eze, Hon. Ejiofor Ndukwe, Mr. Anayo Okoronkwo, Mr. John Okorie, Mr. Ekeh Augustine, among other personalities. In his welcome address, the Coordinator, Echiele Development Centre, Mr Donatus Umeh, commended the party faithful, supporters and leaders for their swift response to the call, even at the shortest notice, stressing that the people of Okue Ward are happy with the Governor because of what he has done for the ward. On his part, his Ivo Development Centre counterpart, Mr Uchechukwu Afudike, affirmed that with what has happened in the Ward at the shortest notice, there is no more PDP in the ward. In her speech, Mrs Augustina Nwajah, the Vice Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, thanked the good people of Okue Ward for coming out en -mass to show solidarity to the most performing Governor in Nigeria.

“He also approved N400 million for us to empirically evaluate the salt deposits in the state. This would enable us produce hypo-chloride solutions for the entire water treatment plants in Nigeria and also table salts for commercial uses,” he said.

Chief Austin Umahi, former National Vice Chairman of the PDP South East zone who also registered with the APC, said that he was happy to take the ‘right step’.

Umahi said that he would continue forgiving those who attacked him on the social media and urged the APC state caretaker committee members not to attack them.

Umahi, who is the governor’s younger brother, said that he would introduce the winning mechanism which secured victory for the PDP to his new party APC

Also in his speech, Mr. Augustine Ekeh stated that Okue Ward is extremely grateful to the Governor for the infrastructural gestures he has done for Okue people and as a leader of one of the most viable economic cum social venture in the area, PDP is dead forever.

“I would, however, keep punishing them with monumental projects as no level of attack would distract me. I also appeal to those who peddle fake social media videos of a particular tribe being ejected from Ebonyi, to stop and consider the plight of Igbo in other parts of the country,” he said.

In a bid to reposition the party for further elections, the APC claimed that over 5,000 loyalists of the former Senate president, Anyim Pius Anyim have left PDP and joined the APC in Ishiagu,his home town.

He enumerated the projects of the Governor in the area, calling on the opposition to stop deceiving the unsuspecting members of the public who they are unwilling to better their lots.

The jubilant defectors according to sources, made their position known during an APC Okue Ward mega rally held at Aguena Primary School, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of the state.

“I dare the opposition especially, Anyim Pius Anyim, to show us any single project he attracted to the council area except crisis; we have maintained our peace for long but this time around we are battle ready to all contenders”, he stated.

The rally hosted by the APC leader in the area, Chief James Aroh Nweke, witnessed unprecedented crowd from the ward and was graced by notable personalities and members of the party in the area, among whom were Hon. Onyebuchi Ogbadu, Executive Chairman, Ivo Local Government, Engr Ogbonnia Obasi Abara, Commissioner for works and Transport, Mr. Donatus Umeh, Coordinator Echiele DC, and Mr Uchechukwu Emmanuel Afudike, Coordinator Ivo DC.

Expressing his happiness, the council Chairman, Hon. Onyebuchi Ogbadu, reeled the projects of David Umahi ranging from Okue/Nzerem road, Ivo Okue bridge, street light, Ivo water project, Etani bridge, Widows Empowerment, Youth Empowerment, Appointment of two powerful Commissioners from the Council Area, Numerous SAs, STAs and TAs; among other projects.

Chief Chima Onyekwere, Chairman of the APC Registration and Re-validation committee for Ebonyi state, commended the governor for projecting the APC cause among South Easterners. “Ebonyi is presently reaping the dividends of identifying with the federal government and I am optimistic that other South East states would follow. “The APC remains the most viable platform for the Igbos to be integrated nationally and we are happy with the enthusiasm shown by the people to register with the party,” he said.

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*Continue on Page 10

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POLITICS PDP Tackles APC For Supremacy in Ebonyi *Continued from Page 9

“The attention of the Ministry of Information and State Orientation has been drawn to a text of a press conference credited to one Chief Fred Udeogu who purports to be the State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party and the allegations contained therein.

Insisting that these and many more informed his cogent stand towards banning the opposition from all forms of gathering in the area. Following the defection of the former State Chairman, Onyekachi Nwebonyi , the state chapter of the party held its first meeting in the state.

“While we are not surprised at the visionlessness and emptiness of the meeting of a party that was discourtesiously held at a drinking place, we are surprised that the maker of the press extract could have the effrontery to connect the performing Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Engr. David Umahi (Akubaraoha) to the unending woes of PDP in Ebonyi State, when our dear Governor, the government and people of Ebonyi State have gloriously moved to a progressive party of national spread, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The meeting held at Salt Lake Hotels in Abakaliki, witnessed the presence of former Senate President, Senator Pius Anyim, Senator Sam Egwu representing ( Ebonyi North senatorial zone), Senator Obinna Ogba representing ( Ebonyi Central senatorial zone)and Senator Amah Nnachi representing (Ebonyi South senatorial zone).

According to PDP, the resignation and defection of Onyekachi Nwebonyi to APC would bring to an end all the machinations which had hitherto created problems to their party and its teeming members in Ebonyi State.

“It is understandable that the mass movement of Ebonyi people to APC has caused a colossal collapse of the PDP from its very fabric, but the remnants of that party should be brave enough to face the bitter reality of the fragile condition of PDP in the state. Emegha

Others at the meeting include; member representing (Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency), Hon.Sylvester Ogbaga, Hon.Chukwuma Nwanzuku, representing ( Ebonyi/ Ohaukwu federal constituency), Hon. Anayo Nwonu representing (Ezzza North/ lshielu federal constituency), Hon. Livinus Makwe, representing (vo, Ohaozara and Onicha federal constituency)and Idu Igariwey representing ( Afikpo south/ Afikpo North federal constituency)

“We are therefore surprised that the first meeting of PDP in the state, after the state’s defection to All Progressives Congress, which should have been agenda setting after being irreparably flattened by the mass exodus of the good people of Ebonyi state, was only held to play a blame game against the APC government of the state in which issues raised thereof are impotently, baseless, and objectively diversionary.

Addressing the party, the South-East Vice Chairman of the PDP,. Chief Ali Odefa, maintained that the party remains focus and that it does not belong to the noisemakers party. According to him, the era of “l will crush you, I will grind has gone.

“We want to use this medium to again admonish the PDP in Ebonyi State to leave the government and good people of Ebonyi State out of the party’s woes, including leadership tussle as we have no business with a troubled party.

“ We are reaching out to people and the result is what we all saw that happened in Aba, Abia State. Politics is not by shouting. We are not noisemakers, we are focused”.

“The plea that the Governor should facilitate the take over of Africa’s biggest Party Secretariat by the State Chapter of PDP and the allegation that the Governor unleashed violence and politically motivated killings in the state after our massive defection to APC can best be described as the most unintelligent shenanigans of the most frustrated opposition party in the history of the state.

In an interview with THEWIILL,Caretaker Chairman of PDP in the State, Elder Fred Udeogu, urged Governor David Umahi to have a rethink on the violence that he has unleashed on the state since his defection. He, however, described the spate of politically motivated killings across the state as condemnable.

Udeogu, in a telephone chat with THEWIILL, stressed that most of the APC’s achievements were not visible, but merely announced in the state-owned radio and television stations. He said, “We are not disturbed or distracted by the governor’s defection to the APC. It has not removed anything from our party. He went to the APC and many of our members are still with us in the PDP. “We heard they are doing registration. We can tell them that we knew what they did. What they merely did was to hijack the PDP membership register and copied names of PDP members into their own register. But of course, that does not make us sleepless, because we will sweep the entire state during the elections, come 2023.”

Udeogu

This was as the PDP alleged that it was ready to eschew negative tendencies that almost ruined it before the defection of Umahi to the All Progressives Congress, adding that, the governor’s sudden departure remained insignificant.

“If the present crop of leaders of PDP in the state had accused Ebonyi State government of punishing them with unprecedented transformational projects or exposing their inefficiency and failure to attract development to Ebonyi State which they did at the pleasure of their personal aggrandizement, it would have been understandable.

“

Most of the APC’s achievements were not visible, but merely announced in the state-owned radio and television stations

But the All Progressives Congress in the state said the PDP was day dreaming.The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, in a chat with THEWIILL said that the inconsistent character of the PDP National Vice Chairman (South-East zone), Ali Odefa, already signalled the party’s failure ahead of 2023 in the zone.

Engr. David Umahi, to the recent political woes of the party in the state, noting that the Governor is preoccupied in his development agenda of the state.

Okoro-Emegha, who doubles as the Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, said, “The PDP lacks the personalities and goodwill to make this boast a reality in Ebonyi State.They can’t try it and they know it’s very impossible.”

Orji, in a response to the press statement issued by PDP on Monday, after their meeting held at Salt Lake Hotel, Abakaliki, noted that the mass movement of Ebonyi people to the All Progressives Congress, APC, has caused a colossal collapse of the PDP from its very fabrics.

Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State orientation, Barr. Uchenna Orji, has warned the Peoples PDP Ebonyi State, against linking Ebonyi State Governor,

He urged them to be brave enough to face the bitter reality of the fragile condition of the party in the state, rather than resort to unwarranted name calling.

PAGE 10

“The good people of Ebonyi State cannot be deceived because we have the history and record of the involvement of each of the present leaders of PDP in the monumental violence, politically motivated killings and communal clashes that engulfed Ebonyi State like a holocaust between 2001 and 2003 for which their leaders were the protagonists, as we have the details including video clips of how they carried each other’s mock coffin as a smoke screen to hide their atrocities. “We are aware of the various but halted plots of the PDP to import weaponry and machinery to unleash terror on parts of the state for the ill-motives of Mr. Fred Udeogu and his group of PDP members. “We are not unaware that this new marriage of the formerly estranged political titans is not without violent motives, but they should be assured that our security surveillance has been networked in every part of the state to dismantle such orchestrations and forestall a re-occurrence of a show down of angry Abuja group in the State. “We therefore call on our dear Ebonyians to disregard and discountenance the press release of the Udeogu group of PDP, held on 29th March, 2021 as an idle and directionless cover up lamentation to curry the sympathy of the gullible and attract the attention of our focused Divine Mandate Administration to their self inflicted woes. “ Ebonyi state is safer, stronger, better and happier in the hands of a performer per excellence, His Excellency, Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi FNSE, FNATE even as we move into the Next Level of development under the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

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APRIL 4 - APRIL 10, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

POLITICS renewed supremacy battle between Okorocha and current governor, Hope Uzodinma, which has limited its reach in that geo-political zone. The recent ruling by Justice Taiwo Taiwo in favour of Ararume has merely pour petrol into the raging fire in the state. According to investigation, Governor Uzodinma, who had openly opposed the candidacy of Ararume, who is an Okorocha ally, had gone further to try and reduce his growing influence in the state and nationally, too. Along with APC chieftains in the state, Ararume had benefited from Abuja’s patronage with a nomination of a slot at the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC. So too was for an appointment at a directorate of the party National Secretariat. Both are currently vacant as the battle for sole control of the party in the state rages.

Buni

Yakubu

Penultimate week, the Senator Okorocha’s faction of the party in the state, THEWILL learnt, met with the national leadership of the party in Abuja and was told to await the Supreme Court ruling and the 61-member contact/ strategy committee inaugurated on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Imo By-Election And 2023 Scheming BY AMOS ESELE

or the angry youth who besieged the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday, February 22, the non- representation of Imo North Senatorial constituency at the National Assembly was unacceptable. It was causing them some political mileage in the scheme of things in the country. They had watched helplessly as the days grew into weeks and weeks into months since the by-election was conducted on November 5, 2020 and a representative was yet to emerge even after INEC declared a party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the poll, now marred in controversy. Seemingly endless litigations between the winning party’s supposed candidates who were disqualified few hours before the conduct of the election, Chief Frank Ibezim and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, has polarized political and corporate interests within and without the state. Prof Francis Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, who received the angry youth at his office promised to take their grievances to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. That same Commission had on Friday, parried a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Taiwo Taiwo the previous day directing INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume within 72 hours on the grounds that his rival, Frank Ibezim, had forged his academic certificates. According to the Commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye: “Based on the multiplicity of judgements and Orders in the Imo North matter the Commission will carefully study them and do the needful”. “The Legal Services and Clearance Committee will in turn deliberate on the matter and present a memo to the Commission. “The Commission will deliberate on the matter, take a decision and inform the public. Hence, these judgements must of necessity pass through our processes and procedures. We are not a Court of law. We do not have adjudicatory powers. “We give effect to judgements and orders of courts based on their tenor, context and our understanding of the judgement or orders we have been directed to give effect to.” Justice Taiwo’s 72 hours ultimatum came and passed and something else happened. Ibezim had approached the Supreme Court to upturn the judgment of Inyang Ekwo, a Federal High Court Judge, and that of the Court of Appeal, which both nullified his candidature on the grounds that he made false declaration in the documents he submitted THEWILLNIGERIA

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to INEC. Rather than judgement, he got politics, even allegations of partisanship. Justice Mohammed Dattijo, during the proceedings to hear the appeal by the Ibezim, announced the suspension of proceedings pending the resolution of alleged damaging petition written by the ruling party’s acting National Chairman and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni. He said: “Let me confirm to all counsel in this matter that the Interim National Chairman of APC had written a petition against me and two other Justices of this court, namely Helen Ogunwumiju and Abdu Aboki, accusing us of having a meeting with members of PDP to subvert justice in the case. “They alleged that my humble self had led my two brothers to attend a meeting with members of the PDP to strategise on how to subvert the outcome of this case. “I must say that this is most unfortunate and my heart bleeds for this country.” The apex court has, however, suspended the case indefinitely. Governor Buni has since denied that he ever made that petition. In a statement by his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohmammed, the governor and acting APC Chairman said: “I want to make my position abundantly clear and in an unambiguous terns that, I Hon, Mai Mala Buni, the Executive Governor of Yobe State and Chairman, APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, had at no time personally said, written nor directed anyone to write on my behalf or the party to allege or claim that their lordships met with members of the PDP or any political party on any matter. I must say I am conscious of the positions their Lordships occupy, and would not be a party or associated with such reckless statements against their Lordships.” He pledged that the party would investigate the matter. The summation of this endless controversy is this: “The fight over Imo North Senatorial District result and representation is beyond Imo politics,” as a government source told THEWILL. “It is the politics of 2023,” Recall how the current governor who was not a qualified candidate for the 2019 governorship election was crowned the state’s helmsman, courtesy of a controversial Supreme Court ruling that disqualified the incumbent governor, Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The motivation for the ruling appeared political as it enabled APC to retain that outpost, held by Owelle Rochas Okorocha in the Southeast for the eight years. But rather than sustain the party’s hold in the state and enable it to penetrate the South east, the legal victory opened a new chapter in

According to the National Secretary of the party, Sen. John Akpanudoehede, in a statement, “this is part of ongoing efforts by the CECPC to rebuild and reposition our great party.” That the party had failed or left the Imo turf fight to snowball, impacting jobs, security and social life in the state, culminating in the false indictment of the Supreme Court Justices through the impersonation of Buni, shows the politicization of the matter. With the appointment of Uzodinma into the party’s recently inaugurated contact and strategic committee, the governor appears to have taken the upper hand in the fight against his opponents back home. The faces of that committee look like the new movers and shakers around whom the new APC would emerge ahead of 2023. “Yet the government source is still adamant things are not right with the party. “APC itself is in factions. Okorocha and the governor belongs to different factions in the party,” said the government source. “Imo issue is juts one party of the scheming for 2023. The flip of the coin is that if you allow one side to be dominant, it would be a problem for the other side in the southeast.” Caretaker Chairman of APC in Imo state, Marcellinus Mlemigbo, did not answer to calls to his phone. National Secretary of the APC, Senator John Udoedeghe confirmed the influence of the politics of 2023 in the crisis and the care being taken by the party to settle the warring parties. Speaking to THEWILL on the development, he said; “ If you have two important personalities disagreeing on the issue, you will have to take time to bring in some respected members to bring the two together. People may not support the governor in his second term bid so you have to source people to resolve the problem. The party has the ability for conflict resolution. We will resolve it.” Meanwhile, INEC has denied taking sides in the matter. Asked if it did not spark off the controversy surrounding the litigated polls by crowning a party winner of the election when the Constitution in section 222 and 224 says it should be a candidate nominated by the party, spokesperson for the Chairman of the Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, told THEWILL, the electoral umpire was impartial and law abiding and followed the Electoral Act According to Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary of INEC Chairman: “Any aspiring candidate who wants to contest an election MUST be nominated by a political party through a properly conducted party primaries. “Although, INEC does not interfere in the manner by which parties conduct primaries and nominate candidates, they are nevertheless expected to follow their own laws and the provisions of the Electoral Act. When an election takes place, the votes that emanate from it belong to the political party that nominated a candidate for the said election. Now, where two or more candidates are in contention over who should be the candidate duly nominated by the political party for the election, and in the event of the said party winning the election, the Independent National Commission would only recognize the political party as the winner of that election. However, if a court declares any of the candidates as duly nominated, and orders INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to that individual, the Commission will comply.” When will that be, he was asked? He drew blank. “We give effect to judgements and orders of courts based on their tenor, context and our understanding of the judgement or orders we have been directed to give effect to” Said, National Commissioner, Okoye. With the indefinite suspension of the case by the Supreme Court and the continued supremacy battle among Governor Uzodinma, Senators Okorocha and Ararume, the politics in Imo can only get messier and dirty as 2013 approaches and the cry for a presidential candidate from the South geo-political zone raises the stakes in both bigger parties, the ruling APC and the opposition PDP.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

2023: We Won’t Allow Old Generation to Joke With Our Destiny Again - Shettima Alhaji Yerima Shettima is the President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum. In this interview with AYO ESAN, he speaks on the current insecurity that has enveloped the nation, the 2023 general election, the human rights community, among others. Excerpts:

It has also spread to the South especially South West where some Fulani herdsmen have resorted to kidnapping, killing, maiming and raping of women. This situation has led to a frosty relationship between the Northerners especially the Fulani and the people of the South West. Somebody like you who is very close to the South West people , what are you doing to restore the normal relation between the northerners and the Yoruba people? Well so far we have been working with other South West Comrades and contemporaries.We have been in very talking terms with the likes of the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Iba Gani Adams and few individuals as well as few organisations. We have been talking on how we can rectify the situation. So we are rubbing mind. We are still on it and soon we are going to make it open by talking with other major stakeholders on ground to discuss the issue and we are going to come out with the solutions after the resolution of the meetings, What do you think the Federal government can do to stop the kidnapping of students which is now becoming rampant in the north and to stem it from spreading to other parts of the country? What the government should do now is to be very proactive and work side by side with the communities for intelligence gathering and they need to also meet with the stakeholders to rub minds with them so that everybody will be committed to the project. This is a very critical period and we need to be very careful, while we go along with striking those who are criminally minded among us, dialogue can also be another way of resolving the crisis. Some people are of the view that the creation of state

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he current insecurity in the northern part of the country has taken a new dimension which involves kidnapping of students and governments at various level negotiating for their release through payment of huge money as ransom. What do you see to this? It is not what is expected in this critical period, the level of insecurity in the northern part of the country is really so high, so disturbing, so alarming also. We never envisaged this, we never expected this, but however it is a thing that must be seen to be collectively tackled, it must be seen as a national disaster. All hands must be on deck, today it is in the north, we don’t know where next it will be. So let us jointly put hands together and ensure that this thing comes to a level that people can sleep with their two eyes closed.

police could help curb the insurgency. What is your take on this? Yes I have always been an advocate of creation of state police or community policing. This is going to go along with the Federal Police at the centre and I think what the Federal Government can do is to also let us have community policing . In other developed countries you have the Federal, State Police and even local government police. So there is the need to have local government police. These was what we have in the 50s and 60s in the country and we could see how we can overcome our challenges of insecurity. So it won’t be a bad idea if we introduce this and put it right so that at the end of the day, we get it right. Looking back in the last five to six years, how will you assess President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption? Well in term of fighting corruption, the government has not done well enough. We expect to see something different, but incidentally , in fact this is the most terrible situation we found ourselves, where people take a lot of advantages of the situation at the centre and also steal money with impunity and get away with it without been brought out and dealt with decisively. So I think the government has to do more on its anti-corruption programme. To our surprise the

level of corruption is getting worse and in the next two or three years, only God know where we would be in term of corruption. The government needs to deal with those who are found wanting one way or the other. You have been a leading advocate of youth in government positions. The new EFCC Chairman is in his 40s, what is your advice to him in the task ahead? I have said it over and over again, Bawa is not just there for himself, he is there for some of us who believe that we need to correct the notion by the elders that we cannot do without them. I am of the view that we can and we can do better than what is obtaining in the past. Some of us are going to watch Bawa closely, we will ensure that we guide him, bite him when necessary and ensure that he succeeds and we pray he will do exactly what we advise him to do . One thing we can assure him is that, once he stood his ground to do the right thing, he can rest assured of getting our support and our closeness to him to ensure he succeeds . This is because his success is our collective success Despite the insecurity that pervades the nation, people are still talking of the 2023 election, and many youths are now clamouring that one of them should be the THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

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Bawa is not just there for himself, he is there for some of us who believe that we need to correct the notion by the elders that we cannot do without them. I am of the view that we can and we can do better than what is obtaining in the past

stand on zoning of the 2023 presidency? I don’t believe in zoning because it is not constitutional. So since it is not constitutional it cannot be binding on anybody. Everybody should come up and we would decide who we think is the best for us and we would work for him and we hope to get it right .But zoning does not count and will not count, zoning will amount to illegality. But some people said for equity and fairness, South East should be given the chance to produce, others are mentioning North East, cant we allow the two Zones to compete for it? Those who are saying that are also unfair, what about North Central? So let us go for merit and forget this zoning issue. If you talk of South east, what of North East and North Central. You can see that those clamouring for South East are also biased. What of the North East and North Central. Why don’t we follow the constitution and pick the best from any angle in Nigeria. I think that is the way out. Doing the right thing is important now.

president come 2023, what is your stand on this? I am 100 per cent in support of youth taking over as the president, youth must take over the political space. I am saying it, I will continue to say it over and over again, and the youth must occupy the political space come 2023. We will ensure that one of our own, our contemporary come 2023 emerges as the president. We will give him all the support and protection to ensure he won. Never again would we allow these older generation to joke with our destiny . We can’t allow that to continue because afterall we constitute over 65 per cent of the voters in an election. Rather than using that population advantage for any older person, we will use it for ourselves and we will use our support for a younger person who will emerge eventually. We will ensure we get it right this time around. This thing is easy to say like you are saying it. How prepared are the youth for that challenge? We are more than prepared, just wait and see. The issue of zoning also came to the fore recently when the committee set up by the PDP to review the 2019 elections recommended that the 2023 presidency should be made open to aspirants from all the six geo political zonse. This attracted wide condemnation, what is your THEWILLNIGERIA

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We have also read in newspapers that you said you will not support Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s ambition to be president in 2023. How true is this and why? It is just because he belongs to the old generation. That is the only issue I have with his ambition. He belongs to the old generation, so for now the likes of him and others of his age should not be taking us for granted anymore. He should be at the background and when we need his advice, he should be ready to give us. He and his contemporaries will definitely find it difficult contesting against the youth in 2023. The National Assembly is about carrying out electoral reform before the 2023 general elections, which areas would you suggest they should amend or adjust? We should adopt the Justice Mohammed Uwais’ report. That is already before us, we don’t need to waste another resources. The Uwais Committee has done wonderfully well and so we should commend that committee and adopts its report. Doing that is better than to constitute an electoral reform committee and start wasting resources , unfortunately for us, the resources are not even there for us now to waste Some are of the view that we should go for a brand new constitution and jettison the 1999 constitution in its entirety. How will you respond to this? Yeah, the truth of the matter is that some of the people saying this are right. I also believe it is the right thing to do .Personally from what I know, from my experience in the struggle, I know the constitution lacks legitimacy but how do we go about it and how are we going to get there is the problem . I know it can only be through referendum and if we are going to go through referendum, it means the constitution has to be amended to pave way for that referendum, to see if we can adopt it or go for a new constitution.

The issue of restructuring is vibrating across the length and breadth of the country, do you believe in restructuring? I am an advocate of restructuring because we cannot continue this way and allowing the Centre to control so much power. The way things are run at the centre is unbearable. We need to decentralise, the centre is choked up and cannot hold any longer. If we restructure the system, economically, politically, security and so on everything will fall in to place and things will begin to work just as it was obtained in the 50s and early 60s before the first military coup. Things were working in the country then, we should ask ourselves why things are not working now. It is because we over centralized the system of governance, too much resources and power are left in the hands of the Federal Government. That is not done then and it will take us to nowhere. Some people are of the opinion that if the insecurity is not stopped, we may not have election in 2023, how will you react to this ? With the way it is going certainly, if we don’t take good measures to curtail insecurity, certainly there won’t be election. You can’t have election in the middle of unchecked insecurity. I hope before then, the government would have come up with a master plan, working together with prominent Nigerians to know that this is the problem that affect everybody and checkmate it. If you want to be president and there is no conducive atmosphere, there is no way you can be what you want to become. If we allow this social devices to go on as it is, it falls on everybody irrespective of political parties, religious platform tribes and so we must all unite to ensure there is peace in the land. We must jointly attack the major threat to peaceful conduct of election among other things which is insecurity Will you support the call for another constitutional conference to determine the way forward for the county? It may not be necessary. How many conferences have he had? Which of their reports have been implemented? There is no fund and time for that now. I won’t fall for that. Would you then suggest we adopt the reports of the past constitutional conferences or how do we move forward as a nation? We can’t completely say that, but there should be something that will come out to the public domain. Let everybody know what is on, what is not on, so that amendment can be made. And if we agree collectively it can be adopted. This is in spite the fact that some of us have reservations on the Jonathan’s conference and Obasanjo’s conference. That notwithstanding, out of nothing, we can still hold on to something. The human right community of which you are a member seemed to have dozed off, they aren’t as active as before Are you worried about this development? If some of the human right groups have gone to sleep, some of us are still active and we are in the trenches. Some of them have been crippled by successive governments. Some of them at the end of the day were consumed by the governments. However, some of us remained resolute and committed to the project Nigeria and we remain very firm doing what we can do to salvage the country. Nigerians look desolate, the economy is bad, the problem of insecurity is there for all to see, and things are so terrible. What is your advice to the people of Nigeria? We must remain optimistic. We must have hope that this country can still come up. Also, we have option under democracy, we have to define our destiny by ensuring that we occupy the political space, consider our contemporaries and work side by side with them. All of us the youth must ensure we occupy the political space beyond talking outside the government. We must partake to bring a good government that will bring the desired results to Nigerians. What is your advice to the politicians in the country? To the politicians, they should be mindful of the fact that no matter what they think and no matter what they do , in as much as we are concerned as a nation, they must think and take Nigeria first . They must think of Nigeria first in all their dealings. They must think of Nigeria before thinking of their personal interest. So they must ensure that in their dealings, they must ensure that Nigeria remains in peace

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EDITORIAL

Medical Tourism: No Place Like Home

hen COVID-19 stunned humanity last year, American billionaire Bill Gates reportedly expressed fears about the possible casualties Africa would record if it became a pandemic. Microsoft founder’s apprehension was less because of his undermining Africans and more because of his understanding of the unreliable health system in much of the continent. He was right. Though he never mentioned any country by name, he could have been speaking directly about the unworkable health system in Nigeria. A year and two months after his accurate assessment, Nigeria has shown, once again, that the government has failed completely in overhauling or improving the health sector in the country. Not for the first time, President Muhammadu Buhari is currently on medical leave far away in London and not at any of the hospitals in his home state Katsina or where he calls the shot from in Aso Villa Abuja. Soon after he became president, Buhari was on medical leave for more than five months in the same city, leading many to speculate he had died and that a double was running the government in his stead. It was not true. But what is true is that successive heads of government and top politicians - from governors down to party chairs, local government chairmen

and even councillors in the country - from as far back as anyone can remember have depended on foreign countries for whatever medical condition they might be suffering from. Why is that so? The answer is simple. The ruling class do not trust the medical personnel in their own hospitals and the establishments they manage. Period! Again, why is that so? The answer, again, is simple. The health sector (whether federal-owned or state controlled) are shabbily run, almost always starved of much needed funding thus making them, in the eyes of many, Bill Gates, for example, death homes rather than places of treatment. In the last few years, for instance, the Nigeria Medical Association, the umbrella body of resident and practicing doctors in the country, have gone on strike as frequently as anyone can remember. Right now, the National Association of Resident Doctors is on strike even as PMB is on medical leave. It is something of an irony that on the very day he arrived London, Nigerians in the capital city massed out at the Nigerian House where he lodged to protest his frequent medical trip there. The protesters, according to reports, pointedly told the Nigerian president to return to his country for whatever ailment he is suffering from - a pointer, without any doubt, to the shoddy way successive administrations have handled the health sector in Nigeria. It is sad.

It must be said however that this proclivity of the ruling class in Nigeria to jet off to foreign medics at the slightest sign of a headache, toothache, earache or rumble in the tummy did not begin with PMB. Nigerians of a certain generation still remember that military president Ibrahim Babangida once spent time in a Paris hospital for what has entered medical lexicon as radiculopathy - an ailment with his foot. Those before him had their turn in foreign hospitals. It is still ongoing, witness PMB’s recent medical leave. Whether it will stop is hard to say. But what is blindingly obvious to Nigerians is that the health sector has been serially neglected by those in positions of authority. It should not be so. THEWILL strongly believes that if that neglect continues, the entire health sector will suffer correspondingly as it has been for ages. Nothing can change this unless those in positions of authority change their attitude: build up your medical facilities to a professional standard, a corresponding regard for the personnel running them - doctors, nurses, matrons and the sundry staff employed there. That way, they won’t look to foreign countries for job opportunities. But above everything, Mr. President and, by extension, politicians like him, can take their much needed rest of make-over under the careful watch of a Nigerian doctor in a Nigerian hospital. After all, there is no place like home, as the saying goes.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief - Austyn Ogannah Editor - Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor - Amos Esele Politics Editor - Ayo Esan Business Editor - Sam Diala News Editor (Online) - Felix Oboagwina 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 PH to Owerri: Reminiscing The Amaechi Days In Rivers BY UCHE IGWE

recently passed through Port Harcourt on a trip to Owerri, Imo State. The road was a bit lonely, thus raising security concerns for me. But I received assurance from my very gracious driver and travel companion Chimdi that a local vigilante is active securing the road. With his assurances, wrapped in the song “Take a message to Mary” by Everly Brothers playing in the background, I fell asleep. I woke up from my power nap about thirty minutes later in an area with a huge palm plantation. When I inquired on this route and site that was unfamiliar to me, Chimdi informed me that it is an alternative expressway to Imo state constructed under the era of the former governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Out of curiosity, I further engaged him further in a chat about the potentials of using oil palm production to replace crude oil as we have in countries like Malaysia. One topic led to the other and Chimdi aired his state level political opinions, also sharing how many indigenes and residents of Rivers state perceive the current administration. He recalled with nostalgia the development strides of their former governor. Typically, I should be bored by now listening to his single narratives, but I was somehow taken aback that a ‘common’ taxi driver could be so politically savvy. Then again, this guy spoke very eloquent English, possessing an awareness of his socio-political environment in ways I least expected.. I listened attentively as he passionately recounted the number of roads that were constructed or rehabilitated during the eight years under the Ubima born politician who is now the Minister for Transportation. “My brother Rivers people are missing Amaechi and that is the truth. What we are witnessing currently under Nyesom (referring to the current administration of Governor Nyesom Wike) is a complete mess and complete caricature. Apart from these flyovers, there is very little you can associate as the legacy of the current government.” He continued sharing, drawing from his history: “I was born and bred in this city and I can assure you that even after many years, it was only during the days of Amaechi that government presence was felt fairly and equitably across the state. Both of them Amaechi and Nyesom are my brothers and we now know the difference. Like him or hate him, Amaechi touched lives.” Reflecting comparatively on their assessment of these two men whom he called brothers, he shared some regrets. “Those of us who supported Wike are now regretting it but I guess it is now too late. At the end of his tenure, Wike’s biggest achievement will likely be fighting Amaechi. People are worried but fear for their lives. The man is brutal. Instead of consolidating on the achievements of his predecessor, Wike is out to make sure that such achievements are either completely undermined, destroyed or abandoned.” Chimdi glanced through his rear-view mirror to ascertain that I was listening to him. Upon establishing eye contact, he continued even more confidently: “Let me tell you sir, this governor (Nyesom) is the one buying the best properties in Port Harcourt as I speak. All of us know that he is probably one of the richest people in Nigeria. Look at me, I come from the same community

but I am driving taxi with a Master’s degree.” At this point, it all made logical sense to me how a ‘common taxi driver’ could command such confidence, and communicate his sociopolitical awareness with depth. Chimdi not aware of how his last information suited my puzzled mind, continued to buttress his positionality with examples: “Did you not hear that he donated 500 million naira in Sokoto State while Rivers people are suffering? Wherever you see new private construction going on in the city, it is either for the governor or his proxies”. The driver went on and on as I listened attentively but absentmindedly. Slowly I started having some recollections on some of his narratives and momentarily became sober. I remembered that I once accompanied the former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae from Washington DC to Rivers State for the inaugural session of the Claude Ake memorial lecture in 2010. I recall vividly how the face of the former President was brightened up as he inspected some of the projects under the former governor. “Just continue to do these simple things, those were the same things I did in Botswana back in the days” the former President said. Mr. Chimdi continued with his story as I lapsed back and forth into sleep though marveled by his recollections again and again. Reflecting over the last decade, he talked about the foreign scholarships granted students from the state to many universities abroad. He talked about schools and health centers that were built across the state and the employment of over 13,000 new teachers. He reminded me about the agricultural projects like the fish farm in Buguma, the Songhai Farm in Tai and the Plantain plantation in Ogoni. According to Chimdi “all these projects have been abandoned just because Wike does not want Rivers people to remember Amaechi anymore. Imagine where this state would have been if he continued from where Amaechi stopped?” Coincidentally, the two personalities that dominated our conversation have currently been in the news due to some verbal exchanges arising from their lingering political conflict. The current governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike is one of the most vocal voices of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Unsurprisingly, he has been constantly critical of the policies and actions of the ruling party. Fair enough. While it is difficult to challenge or question his motives, many people consider his methods as crude and confrontational. He is constantly at war with colleagues and regularly makes uncomplimentary remarks against fellow governors from his own party. For instance at the peak of the pandemic, the governor shut down the operations of an airline daring the federal government. Although the state is an independent entity in a federation, state governors are expected to accord some respect to the President and federal government even when they do not belong to the same political party. Governor Wike’s case has been different. In his several media outbursts he tongue lashed the federal government and the President as though he is an untouchable. Many people doubt his claim to a law degree because of the likely implication of some of

his utterances. Some even say this could be a carryover of his sour relationship with his former political ally Amaechi while others say there is more to it. Close observers of politics in Rivers State insist that Governor Wike’s regular media engagement is a calculated effort to sell himself to national relevance in the next political dispensation. As highlighted by Chimdi, Wike’s recent public donation to the victims of fire outbreak in Sokoto State sent tongues wagging about what his next political intentions might be. There are strong indications that he may take a shot at the Presidency in 2023 under the People’s Democratic Party. Coincidentally, there is a strong push for power to shift to the south in 2023. And for different reasons, there is a strong push within the ruling party that Amaechi should be given the ticket to run for Presidency. Visible promoters of this effort within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) include the governor of Borno State Babagana Zulum and that of Kaduna State Nasir Elrufai. Although the Minister Rotimi Amaechi has not made any public statement to that effect, many Nigerians are quietly rooting for him. They generally perceive him a daring developmentally minded and courageous leader who is capable of confronting the ongoing criminality by enforcing security and rule of law as he did during his tenure as governor. While he was known to have inherited a state where militants and cultists reigned brazenly, he did not yield to sentiments, attempt to placate them with any form of amnesty or treat them as freedom fighters. He rather treated them as criminals and allowed the law to run its course. Those who are familiar with the situation at that time in Rivers State are quietly seeking a leader with such a temperament to take over the country and bring in some sanity. They see it as one way of arresting the ongoing trend of kidnapping, banditry and terrorism. Back into my travel reality on the expressway, a stark difference is observed as soon as we entered the Imo State part of the road. I was told that although the road we drove on was categorized as a federal road, that it was under Amaechi’s government that it was rehabilitated. Few minutes later, we arrived at a security check, the tenth one on the road over a distance of less than ten kilometers. As the security men tried to delay us with frivolous questions, I thought about Nigeria. Our country is currently on a bad spot. Someone needs to come to the rescue. While we may not know the person yet, we all do have an idea of the quality of leader that the country requires at this time. And to speak my truth, I think that if we do not get it right in 2023, this country may go up in flames. While we may be divided by ethnic and religious differences, we are firmly united in the search for a new Nigeria. The elections are still months away. For now, maybe I should limit my anxiety and apprehension to a mere soliloquy. •Dr. Uche Igwe is a Visiting Fellow at the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (FLCA) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He can be reached at ucheigwe@ gmail.com

Mohammed Attah: A Good Material For House of Reps BY USMAN SANTURAKI

is first into the murky waters of politics was in 1999, when some concerned citizens of Jimeta, led by Alhaji Yusuf DanUma asked him to contest for the position of Chairman of Yola-North Local Government. Infact, he does not buy the idea,when he was approached because as an introvert person, he is not use to the ways of politicians. He was persuaded by his elder brother then whom the group led Alhaji Yusuf DanUma, approached him to talk to him as it is a Clarion call by the people of Jimeta. Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Attah, contested under the platform of the People Democratic Party and won with an overwhelming votes. He started the acceleration process of development in the Local Government by initiating laudable projects, that today stand the test of time. Because of the zeal, he had for the development of the Local Government, he sold his piece of land adjacent to the Government House to the Local Government where a Guest House was constructed in order to increase the revenue base of the Local Government. Not done

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yet, he embarked on the construction of additional office for the local Government by purchasing a building near the council Secretariat at Yelwa ward. His stewardship ended in 2011.

Because of his laudable achievements, he was prompted again to contest for the Chairmanship position in 2017, where he was elected for s second tenure. It was during this period, that he embarked on radical developmental projects. Sports as a unifying factor received his attention as he set up a club, that play in professional league called as JIMETA UNITED. the club during that time become a household name in Nigeria football. He went as far as signing an agreement with a German firm for the construction of a mini stadium. As someone, who is concerned with revenue generation, he waded into the issue of incursion of the Yola-South into the territory of Yola-North by taking the matter up with the late Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, and the boundary Commission. Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Attah, was born in Jimeta, on 30

December, 1952. He attended the NA Primary Schoolchool now known as Central Primary School from 1964-1969 and proceeded to the Government Secondary School, now known as General Murtala Mohammed College, from 1970-1974. He attended top management courses at the ADM Management Training at Niger Motors in Jos as well as in Maiduguri. He also attended many courses on Local Government Administration. Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Attah, was awarded with many awards by different organisations both at home and abroad. Having Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim Attah, at the lower chamber of the National Assembly is the best thing to happen for the people of Yola-North, Yola-South and Gerei Federal Constituency. He has meritoriously served the people well and that was why the present Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintri,of Adamawa State found him worthy to be appointed as a Commissioner at the State Pension Board. •Usman Santuraki, a public affairs analyst, writes from Demsawo, Jimeta-Yola.

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Much Ado About N27bn Aviation Sector Bailout Fund PAGE 33

SEC Approves Appointment of CEOs Of Demutualised Entities Of The NSE

Tipp Oil Receives German Institute’s 2021 Top Ratings for Rebottle System

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Tier-1 Banks Outsourced N277bn Services In 5yrs – Investigation

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BY SAM DIALA

igeria’s Tier-1 deposit money banks (DMBs) recorded outsourced services of over N277 billion within a five-year period – 2015 to 2019, investigation through their respective annual reports has revealed. The group comprises First Bank, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and United Bank for Africa. They rank top among Nigeria’s over 20 banks by their “Tier-1 capital” status which is the core measure of the banks’ financial strength from a regulator’s point of view. The bulk of the outsourcing centred on contract staffing.

the outsourced services of the Tier-1 banks rose by 42.87 per cent during the review period. The bulk consists more of staff and minor non-staff services ...the figures continue to increase as the banks adopt several costsaving measures to consolidate their foothold in the market

Data published by the surveyed banks in their respective annual reports shows that the Tier-1 banks outsourced services totalling N40.1 billion in 2015, N46.19 billion in 2016 and N55,74 billion in 2017. The figure jumped to N64.24 billion in 2019 to peak at N70.14 billion in 2019. Only Zenith and UBA have published their 2020 financials at the time of this report. On an individual bank basis, First Bank recorded the highest figure with N86.38 billion in 2019 from N15.82 billion in 2015; it is followed by Access Bank’s N55.93 billion in 2019 from N6.52 billion in 2015. Access Bank’s N8.1 billion in 2015 jumped to N55.93 billion in 2019; while GTB outsourced services in 2019 hit N43.48 billion from N7.86 billion in 2015. Zenith Bank’s reports, though contained unspecified figures, outsourced a total of N37.20 billion services; part of this was recorded among ‘Other expenses’ in its 2015 and 2016 reports.

other menial activities. Contract staff as support staff constitute the category of workforce in Nigerian banks who are ‘supplied’ by consulting firms. As employees of these outsourcing firms their services are seconded to designated banks which pay their salaries on an agreed commission with their employers.

GT Bank categorized its 2018 ‘Outsourced’ services into staff and material products/services; with N8.25 billion channeled to contract staff engagements.

Findings show that contract staff status has no predetermined tenor, notwithstanding the word “contract” in the engagement terms. Presently, they form over 70 per cent of the entire workforce in Nigerian banks with total individual staff monthly emoluments of between N40,000 – N150,000 depending on the bank.

In essence, the outsourced services of the Tier-1 banks rose by 42.87 per cent during the review period. The bulk consists more of staff and minor non-staff services. All the same, the figures continue to increase as the banks adopt several cost-saving measures to consolidate their foothold in the market.

As contract staff, they do not enjoy promotion and other entitlements like annual leave/bonus and terminal or disengagement benefits. They are more graduates of polytechnics and colleges of technology as against universities. They are also mainly engaged as tellers, marketers and sometimes customer service officers.

Outsourcing entails obtaining goods or a service by contract from an outside supplier. Essentially, it is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity that is or could be done internally. It sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to another under contract that spells out the obligations to the parties involved. Outsourcing became a priority among the DMBs as a costsaving measure and to free resources to strengthen their competitive edge in the industry. It also turned out to be an avenue for personal enrichment by bank executives as most of the contracts reportedly go to firms owned by them, their relatives or associates. The worsening unemployment situation also caused the banks to embrace downsize and push their regular employees into the labour market. They, in turn, hire desperate young graduates for contract jobs that earn the employee relatively low income. The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that Nigerian banks have a total of 46,235 contract staff members as at Q1 2019. This compares to 45,238 in Q4 2018, and 32,013 in the first quarter of 2018. It further

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The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) have at various times pointed accusing fingers at the contract staff for the rising cases of fraud in the banking industry. revealed that contract staff rose by 44 per cent year-on-year. The report also showed that total bank employees rose to 105,017 as at Q1 2019, representing a 0.33 per cent rise compared to the immediate previous quarter. This compares to 17 per cent year-on-year concerning employee hire for the banking sector. Essentially, Nigerian banks are hiring more contract staff compared to full staff for obvious reasons. Surprisingly, the banks are increasingly relying on outsourcing for core banking operations, unlike in other industries where outsourcing focuses on non-core functions. Contract staff doing core functions are now graded with functions like janitor, security guard, cleaner and those in

The CIBN revealed that at least 75 percent of banks’ insider related fraud cases are masterminded by contract staff engaged by the concessionaire entities contracted the by financial institutions, while NDIC disclosed that temporary staff members in banks are responsible for 64 per cent of fraud and forgeries committed annually. While speaking during a seminar for business editors and financial journalists in Ilorin, Kwara state, in 2015, the immediate past managing director/chief executive, NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, said, “A total of 10,612 of such cases were reported in 2014 as against 3,786 cases in 2013, which showed an increase of 183 per cent. *Continue on Page 34

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AVIATION

Much Ado About N27bn Aviation Sector Bailout Fund

ANTHONY OKECHUKWU looks at the intrigues that played out in disbursing the N27 billion bailout fund earmarked for the aviation sector

n response to the losses incurred during the lockdown, the Nigerian Government had released N5 billion out of the proposed N27 billion to operators in the aviation sector. According to the Government, the fund intervention is a kind of measure to restart air travel and keep the airports safer.

Already, there are complaints that most airlines are yet to get any disbursement from the N5bn aviation palliative shared from the N27bn disbursed to the industry by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“It is obvious the ministry just handpicked those they wanted. They do not want to give. It appears that we are less in number that did not receive. It is obvious a few of us were targeted. Whatever reason, I do not know. Nobody has called me why I have not received and when I will receive it”, Mshelia emphasised.

Sirika

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The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika had stated that the remaining N22bn would be expended on aviation roadmap and national carrier

Although only N 5 billion have been released out of the N27 billion, questions are being asked about the secrecy of the fund disbursement and the whereabouts of the remaining N22 billion.

that we have not been able to enhance their security in the event of any incursions or invasion especially now that bandits are said to be everywhere.

STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEWS In his reaction, Aviation Security consultant, Group Captain John Ojikutu, stated that there are more important projects in the sector, such as runway lighting at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, which is expected to have been executed in the first quarter of 2021 as well as perimeter fencing and other sensitive areas.

“There is the ATCs communication to be addressed, so are the periodic maintenance of the navigation aids, radar and others. Quite a lot must be done on the new airports’ terminal buildings, but the revenues are not coming because of the Covid-19 lockdown; the revenues are not coming because there are no flights and government aviation staff cannot earn salaries.

Wondering over other purposes that the balance of N22bn will serve, Ojikutu said, “We have been talking of MMA runway 18L lightings, so are the lightings of the runways of most airports, yet we are claiming satisfaction in the NCAA certification for them.

“If the airlines are getting palliatives to revamp their operations and pay salaries, we should expect the same for the government agencies, their equipment and staff and others. There is a need to know how much is needed for these. We need to know for the six aviation agencies: how much for the new ‘national carrier’? We need to know. So, ask the National Assembly Senate and House

“There are security issues around most airports perimeter fences THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

“They said they were going to give it to us, salaries are still being owed, staff are complaining. If they say they are going to give us, let them give us. They should not put it in the newspapers, and nothing happens thereafter.

Speaking further, the airline operator added “What I can say is that everything seems to be shrouded in secrecy. Nobody knows anything. I know the government has given us money and I heard some people have not received it. I know other colleagues who have not equally.

In the breakdown, the scheduled commercial operators all received the sum of N3 billion, out of which N150 million was deducted as five per cent debt to the regulators.

The situation has however, created “bad blood” amongst stakeholders in the aviation industry, particularly the airline operators.

Adeniji said, “I have called the Federal Ministry of Aviation; I have four helicopters that I am operating. They asked us to send account numbers, which we did. I have been calling to know what is going on. Unfortunately, I was in the US when my company’s name was published as among those who will benefit from the palliative, but we have not received anything up until now.

“My office submitted the necessary documents. I am a member of AON. There is no leadership of AON as far as I am concerned because we are already in court. The minister and all the relevant people were served. They said we should submit our account and other details to the ministry of aviation for the collection of palliatives. We wrote to the minister directly and drew the attention of the committee,” he said.

Operators such as Air Peace, Azman, Arik and Dana Air have received their own share of the fund. Others include the ground handling companies, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Aviation fuel marketers as well as airport car hire services.

THE CONTROVERSIES Since the Government doled out the aviation intervention fund, operators in the sector have been lamenting over the inadequacy of the fund or lack of access to it at all.

Speaking on their predicaments, Engr. Femi Adeniji of Tropical Arctic Logistics (TAL) Helicopter Company, said his organisation is yet to get their share.

In his own part, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia of West Link said his airline is yet to get the fund which had been given to others without any cogent explanation.

BENEFICIARY AIRLINES/OPERATORS In sharing the fund, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) agreed to a five per cent deduction from the approved N4 billion given to both scheduled and charter operators, as part payment of debt owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

The N49.9 million deductions earned FAAN N24.9 million; NAMA N12.5 million and the NCAA N12.5 million. Ground handling companies, Aviation fuel marketers and catering services got N233.3 million each. The National Association of Travel Agencies (NANTA) received N200 million, out of which N4 million was deducted for the regulatory agencies. Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria (ACHAN) received from the ministry N100 million as COVID-19 palliative.

THEWILL gathered that domestic airlines such as Aero Contractors, West Link, TAL Helicopters and a few others are yet to receive their own share of the initial N5 billion. Ibom Air was equally excluded on the reason that it is a state-owned airline.

“I understand they got N25bn from the government and they are giving us N5bn. Even at that, why give some airlines and not give the others?”

Since the release of the fund, airlines, travel agencies and service providers have shared the N5 billion intervention funds for Covid-19 granted to all members of the aviation sector. The special intervention was open to all airlines with a valid Air Operating Certificate (AOC) and distributed according to the size of the carrier.

The N150 million deductions earned FAAN N75 million; NAMA N37.5 million and the NCAA N37.5 million. Charter operators got a total amount of N1 billion, with N49.9 million deducted as five per cent debt payment to regulators.

of Representatives that approved the money and the ministry that is disbursing it”.

Commenting on the remaining N22 billion fund, former Secretary General of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Olayinka Abioye, said, “I am not sure if the money has been released to the ministry, the agencies are still struggling to get the money from ministry of finance. All agencies have submitted their needs, which is mainly on staff salary and overhead. “The agencies are liaising with finance for the money, but I was made to understand that there were small challenges between the finance and aviation Ministry”. OUTSTANDING N22B FUND The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had stated that the remaining N22bn would be expended on aviation roadmap and national carrier. Apart from supporting the airlines, the outstanding fund is expected to also fast-track the establishment of a private sectordriven national carrier. But national carrier project had already been suspended by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in September 2018, months after the unveiling of the Nigeria Air logo at the Farnborough Air Show in London. Till date, the suspension of the Nigeria Air has not been lifted and no approval has so far been given in that direction by the lawmakers. HOUSE COMMITTEE INTERVENES To unravel the issues surrounding the poor disbursement of the intervention fund, the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has stated that it will investigate the complaints by airline operators and other stakeholders on the handling of COVID19 aviation palliative. The committee chairman, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, who made the promise assured that the growing concerns being raised by stakeholders regarding the matter were too weighty to be ignored. Hon. Nnaji disclosed that the House Committee on Aviation has resolved to demand the detailed disbursement of the intervention fund from the Ministry of Aviation.

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BUSINESS NEWS Tier-1 Banks Outsourced N277bn Services In 5yrs – Investigation *Continued from Page 16

“The amount involved in 2013 was N21.80 billion as against N25.61 billion in 2014, which was a 17.5 per cent increase with expected/actual loss increase from N5.76 billion in 2013 to N6.19 billion in 2014. “It was also discovered that temporary staff, clerks and tellers accounted for 64 per cent of the frauds and forgeries in 2014, which required urgent attention to improve the electronic payment controls, IT Security, human capital and integrity profiling as well as motivation of staff.” These allegations have not gone down well with the outsourced bank workers. L – R: Tinuade Awe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NGX Regulation Limited; Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Group CEO, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, and Temi Popoola, CFA, Nigerian Exchange Limited, during a handover ceremony in Lagos on 01/04/ 2021. PHOTO : PEACE UDUGBA

FMDQ To Train Capital Market Journalists On Derivatives Market

BY SAM DIALA

“The objective is to equip CAMCAN journalists with knowledge of the Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETD) market and products, give an overview of the ETD market operations; the participants/ players and an update on FMDQ Derivatives Market Development project.

The Webinar is coming ahead of the launch of the FMDQ Derivatives Market announced last year to drive FMDQ Group’s vertically integrated status.

“At the end of the webinar, participants would have a basic understanding of the terminologies and concepts in the ETD Market to aid the ease of reporting news and events in the Derivatives markets”, FMDQ Group said in a note to THEWILL.

Announcing the training programme scheduled for April 6, 2021, FMDQ Group said that the Derivatives Market Webinar themed “Understanding Exchange Traded-Derivatives Market”, is to enhance the capacity of the participants in reporting the Derivatives Market.

The programme, it added, is meant to advance the strategy designed to facilitate the introduction of a standardized Derivatives Market in the Nigerian financial services system.

MDQ Group has concluded plans to hold a Derivatives Market Webinar for capital market journalists under the aegis of Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN).

It is being executed through its financial market education and capacity building initiative, FMDQ Academy. The Group further explained that the Webinar has been specially tailored for CAMCAN to serve as continuation of the first stream conducted in 2019. It stressed that the objective is to equip the Capital Market journalists with the knowledge of the Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETD) market and products. “The Webinar is aimed at upscaling the knowledge capacity of key stakeholders in support of the imminent launch of the FMDQ Derivatives Market. “Considering the strategic role of the Capital Market Correspondent Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) in the proposed FMDQ Derivatives Market, this Webinar has been specially tailored for CAMCAN.

It noted that it is in line with FMDQ Group’s mission to empower the financial markets to be innovative and credible in support of the Nigerian economy and to enhance capacity of its market participants. “These bespoke trainings, directed at different segments and participants of the Nigerian financial markets, are designed to address the diverse interests represented in the derivatives market and to provide a holistic understanding of the derivatives market”, the Group noted in a report. It could be recalled that the first stream of the training series commenced in April 2019 at the FMDQ’s Exchange Place with the objective to introduce market participants to the key concepts, uses, and benefits of derivatives products, expanding knowledge on types and application of derivatives products, and derivative risk management principles. CAMCN is a specialized group of business journalists covering the capital market with membership strength of over 60 – belonging to a hybrid of print, electronic and digital platforms.

The Deputy General Secretary, National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (UBIFIE), Sola Aboderin, condemned the blame heaped on the banks’ contract staff by the authorities. He vowed that the group would resist any action that would tarnish their members’ image and jeopardize their welfare, especially the recent move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to compel bank workers to declare their assets. In an interview with THEWILL, Aboderin said, “who really are bank employees? The banks outsource most of the positions such as tellers, marketers and those doing the core job. These people are not regarded and treated as bank employees. “Those in HR, ICT and Legal departments are not the ones doing the banking job, yet they are engaged as permanent employees. But the ones exposed to the risk of banking are not treated as bank employees. How would you then tell them to declare their assets? Are they declaring to their employers – the consulting firms, or to the banks they are outsourced to?” Notwithstanding widespread condemnation of the “slavish” treatment against banks’ contract staff, the system is not likely to be stopped with soaring unemployment rate (33.3 percent as at Q4 2020) and the banks’ thirst for cheap labour. Human Resource experts argue that outsourcing is a legitimate business practice that has international backing because it is obtainable globally. “The outsourcing system has created job opportunities for thousands of Nigerian youths who are trained and equipped with skills for future jobs either as employees or self-employed. Notwithstanding their ‘low status’, there is some air of fulfilment and high self-esteem among them being seen as bank workers, irrespective of their calibre”, said Nel Benson, a Labour Economist.

SEC Approves Appointment of CEOs Of Demutualised Entities Of The NSE

he National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange has announced that the appointments of the following Chief Executives to head its non-operating Holding Company and operating subsidiaries have been approved by the Securities Exchange Commission, Nigeria. Oscar N. Onyema, Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc. Temi Popoola, Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited. Tinuae Awe, Chief Executive Officer, NGX Regulation Limited.

Under the demutualisation plan, a new non-operating holding company, the Nigerian Exchange Group plc (NGX Group) has been created. The Group will have three operating subsidiaries – Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), the operating exchange; NGX Regulation Limited (NGX REGCO), the independent regulatory company; and NGX Real Estate Limited (NGX RELCO), the real estate company – forming the Group. All the entities have been duly registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission. Commenting on the appointments, Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group) Board of Directors stated: “The confirmation of these appointments is an important step in the process of building a leading and resilient African Exchange Group following the completion of

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our demutualisation programme.

“I am delighted to continue working with Oscar N. Onyema, OON who has played a significant role in the reshaping of the Exchange. As a proven business leader and strategic thinker, I am confident that he will elevate the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) and its subsidiaries successfully into a new era of development.” Otunba Ogunbanjo also recorded his thanks to the retiring ExOfficio Member of the Council: “I would like to warmly thank Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede, CON who retires as Ex-Officio of the National Council following the demutualisation of the Exchange. He not only provided wise and valuable counsel to the NSE over the years in its quest towards its demutualisation, but he also contributed significantly to the transformational achievements recorded by the Exchange during his tenure as President. “I speak on behalf of the Council and Management of the NSE in commending him for his exceptional service and wishing him well in his future endeavours. Equally, I thank all past leaders of the Exchange many of whom started this journey and are alive to witness this epochal transition.”

A.B Mahmoud, Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) said: “The confirmation of the appointment of Temi Popoola, CFA as the first Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited comes at a pivotal moment for Nigerian capital markets as the Exchange enters a new phase of its history as a demutualised company, bringing to the Exchange his track record of achievement local and global capital markets.

“He will focus on ensuring the Exchange delivers an even higher level of service for all its participants and stakeholders, including investors, listed companies and brokers. I look forward to working with him and his team in the new dispensation as we move forward on implementing the Group’s growth strategy.” Catherine Echeozo, Chairperson, NGX Regulation (NGX REGCO) commented: “The clear separation of the regulatory and business functions is an essential part of the Group’s operations following demutualisation and the Board was determined to ensure the selection of an experienced regulator for this task. “I believe all the Exchange’s stakeholders will welcome the announcement of Tinuade Awe as the first Chief Executive Officer of NGX Regulation, given her prodigious experience and track record in capital markets regulation. Our stakeholders can continue look forward to a robust and transparent regulatory regime under her leadership.” THEWILLNIGERIA

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BUSINESS NEWS Fidelity Bank Posts N28.1bn Profit In 2020, Declares N6.4bn Dividend

idelity Bank Plc has announced a N28.1 billion profit in 2020. The bank reported a 50.9 per cent growth in Core Operating Profits from N29.8 billion in 2019 FY to N44.9 billion while Net Revenue increased by 15.0 per cent from N111.8 billion in 2019 FY. Customer Deposit rose by 38.7 per cent from N1, 225.2 billion to N1, 699.0 billion just as Total Assets grew by 30.5 per cent from N2, 114.037 trillion in 2019 FY to N2, 758.148 trillion. However, Profit Before Tax dropped by 7.6 per cent to N28.1 billion from N30.4 billion in 2019, a situation the bank blamed on an increase in its loan provisions to shield it from any headwinds. It described that arrangement as a positive move for the Bank especially in the current era of Covid-19 and its attendant effect on business risks.

Managing Director, Tipp Oil, Sebastian Maier, proudly displays the Certificate of Award from the German Institute for Sustainability and Economics

The Board is proposing a N6.4 billion payout, which translated to 22 kobo dividend per share to its shareholders.

Tipp Oil Receives German Institute’s 2021 Top Ratings for Rebottle System

“We are pleased with our financial performance, which clearly showed the resilience of our business model as core operating profit increased by 50.9% to N44.9 billion from N29.8 billion in 2019 FY.

BY KOFI LOU BANKULI

erman premium lubricants producer, Tipp Oil Manufacturer Ltd. Co. KG, is presently creating a world sensation. The company, which is also revolutionising the future with its world’s first deposit system in the lubricants industry for plastic containers from 1 litre to 20 litres, is still basking in the euphoria of the numerous awards it has won for the quality of its products. Now, it has been officially confirmed that the Tipp Oil deposit system for rebottle is capable of reducing carbon dioxide from the environment . A major plus for the premium lubricants producer is that where governments and authorities and large oil companies shred or recycle plastic, a process which comes with very high effort and costs, Tipp Oil brings its plastic containers back into the system through its circulation system, which is revolutionary, as the used bottles are then cleaned, refilled and brought back into circulation. Only recently, the German Institute for Sustainability and Economics, after an audit discussion with the company as well as subsequent audit report and control, rated the deposit system as very good due

to the carbon dioxide savings. Moreover, the Institute also gave Tipp Oil a very good rating in economic competence and management. Managing Director, Tipp Oil Manufacturer Ltd. Co. KG, Mr. Sebastian Maier, confirmed these new developments to THEWILL in a chat last week. “It’s now official and we’ve done what no manufacturer in the world has done. The fact is that we have been officially awarded by the German Institute for Sustainability and Economics for our deposit system and circulation system of our oil bottles. By returning our empty containers, we save carbon dioxide where governments and authorities pay a lot of money for the destruction of plastic and plastic. “Our audit report is available and we have been awarded for 2021 around the world with very good results. We were rated very good in Social Responsibility; Very good in Ecological competence; and Good in Economic Competence,” Maier said. He also re-affirmed that his company is still interested in the Nigerian market even as he maintained that the company’s highly-recognised rebottle system would be of immense benefits to Nigerians.

“We also saw a significant improvement in our efficiency indices as cost-to-income ratio moderated downward to 65.1 per cent from 73.4 per cent in 2019 FY. However, Profit before Tax (PBT) dropped by 7.6 per cent to N28.1 billion as we proactively increased our provisions on risk assets to N16.9 billion from a net write-back of N0.6 billion in 2019 FY, said Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Fidelity Bank CEO, adding that the bank “took a conservative stance in recognition of the impact of the global pandemic, which has redefined business risks and opportunities in the new normal”. In a statement Wednesday, the bank said its digital retail banking approach has continued to yield positive results. Though Digital Banking income dropped by 18.8% due to the revised banker’s tariff, it increased by 19.6 per cent Q-o-Q on account of increased customer adoption as more services were migrated to the bank’s digital channels. Ms Onyeali-Ikpe is happy with the progress of its digital banking play stating that “over 52.8 per cent of customers are now enrolled on the bank’s mobile/ internet banking compared to 47.4 per cent in 2019 FY, while 88.4 per cent of our customers’ transactions were done on the digital platform products and more than 81 per cent of total transactions done on digital platforms”.

Export Volume Declines As Air Freighting Cost Soars 125 %

BY ANTHONY OKECHUKWU

he export volume at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, has decreased following the recent increase on the cost of freight.

THEWILL gathered that, due to the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, cost of freighting of cargo at the airport has been jerked up by 125 percent, causing untold hardship to exporters in the country. A visit to the cargo shed of the airport shows that, the cost of freight has gone up from N400 per kilogram before the outbreak of COVID-19 to N900 per kilogram presently. Explaining possible reasons that might have led to the increase of freight, Managing Director Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), Mr. Basil Agboarumi confirmed that, though cargo operations have gradually opened, it has remained down and low. According to Agboarumi, the full capacity as what was on ground in 2019 is not totally back, attributing the situation to forex volatility, fewer aircraft, multiple charges amongst other factors. Agboarumi said : “Before we got to July, we had seen the cargo operations gradually opened. In July, we had gotten to a point that the local aviation industry had to be opened. We were important in the opening. If you look at it from 2019 till now it is still very down and low. The full capacity as what was on ground in 2019 is not totally back. That could be because of many reasons, considering what the airlines are going through. Some aircraft are down, and THEWILLNIGERIA

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they are not coming up because of paucity of forex. Many of the parts for maintenance needed are not things you can buy from here.” “This time around, people want to fly but the capacity is not there. People are afraid to travel by road because of worsening cases of insecurity. This is the time aviation should have taken full advantage but the number of aircraft on ground cannot fully meet up the demands. “So you can see the effects of forex coming up from N360 to what it is today. Cargo has made great improvements but not fully where we are in 2019. We are getting to 80 to 90 on cargo and passengers, both international and domestic; we are at about 60 per cent or thereabout because some of the airlines have not returned as we talk. On domestic, we can say all the airlines have resumed but not at that capacity that we were at December 2019”, he added. The SAHCO boss lamented that Nigeria has been receiving without giving out but was now waking up as export was the sure way to earn forex. He said,” Now we are beginning to wake up because if you must make forex, you have to export. The more challenge and reason why we don’t have forex is because the rate at which they were selling oil has reduced. Immediately that happened, it affected our earnings. “The challenge is charges. Some operations are charged. I have heard some airlines cry out that they bring in things and that they

cannot take things out. That they even preferred to go out empty than take something from here because of the taxes that they need to pay on a particular thing. It is a question that the government needs to answer. Those shipping things out of the country should understand that they are going to compete with other abroad. “So, what is the essence of shopping things and it cannot compete with prizes in other parts of the world. It must be competitive world and aviation is a global best practice. The market is also becoming smaller because with internet you can buy anything anywhere in the world. If you need to purchase anything, you have to check if it will be competitive in terms of price abroad.” Corroborating Agboarumi, a cargo handler and Chief Executive Officer of Afamdex Nigeria Limited, Mr Afam Augustine told THEWILL that cargo business has resumed fully but with higher charges than it was during the pre- COVID-19 period. Mr Afam informed that the high charges are due to the fact that some international airlines such as South Africa Airline (SAA), Emirates Airlines, Virgin Atlantic (VA) and others have not resumed operations fully. “The cost of importing and exporting is now very high because most airlines have not resumed fully after the covid-19 lock down”, Mr Afam stated. Another clearing and forwarding agent, Stephen Dauda also informed that their job is a little bit slow due to fewer customers they have since the outbreak of covid-19.

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK PHOTO EDITOR: PEACE UDUGBA (08033050729)

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Director General, National Council of Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, and Ekiti State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Prof Rasaki Ojo Bakare, during the inauguration of members of the Local Organizing Committee for the National Festival of Arts and Culture ( NAFEST) 2021, in Ado-Ekiti on 30/03/2021

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, (Middle Front Row), flanked by former Super Eagles Coach Jo Bonfere (3rd, R) and former play-maker, Austin J.J. Okocha with other members of the Super Eagles team of 1994, 1996 during a reception for them in Lokoja on 30/3/21.

L-R: Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 16, Austin Agbonlahor, and Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Friday Eboka, during the inauguration of security vehicles donated by Rivers State Government to the Nigerian Police Force in Port Harcourt on 01/04/2021

L-R: An awardee, Mr. Joshua Olasehinde; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, during the presentation of car gifts to 13 outstanding teachers at the Lagos State Teachers Merit Award 2020, held at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja on 30/3/2021.

R-L: Wife of Osun State Governor, Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola; Governor Adegboyega Oyetola; State House of Assembly member, Hon. Wale Adedoyin; Chairman, Amalgamated Commercial Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Alhaji Mukaila Ajisefini, and Special Adviser on Works and President Muhammadu Buhari departs Abuja for the United Kingdom for routine medical check-up, Transport, Engr. Olatoke Olaniyan, during the official launching of the State Okada Riders Jackets Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, on 30/3/2021 and Identity Cards, at white House, State Secretariat Abere, Osogbo on 31/3/2021.

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THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

APRIL 4 - APRIL 10, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

INSIDE:

•Former Couple, Segun Odegbami and Oyindamola Adeyemi, Bury The Hatchet 40 •Celebrities Attend ‘Church’ For Premiere of ‘Prophetess’ 42

KEMI DASILVA-IBRU THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

– The Visioner Behind WARIF

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Rape of 3-Month-Old Baby Girl I Operated On Made Me Set Up WARIF – Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru With the rising cases of sexual abuse against young women, minors and incest in Nigeria, and its attendant emotional and psychological effect, THEWILL is shining the light on a woman who is leading the fight against this anomaly, albeit, in a unique and holistic way. An obstetrics gynecologist, Dr Kemi Dasilva-Ibru, is the visioner behind Women at Risk International Foundation, (WARIF), a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 in response to the high cases of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking across Nigeria and to raise awareness and address the prevalence of this problem. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Dasilva-Ibru also sits on the Board of Erelu Adebayo Foundation [ERAF], a non-profit Organisation that provides relief and assistance to widows and orphans in Nigeria, particularly in communities where HIV menace and unemployment are on the rise. She speaks to IVORY UKONU about her NGO and its successes so far.

Why are you interested in gender-based violence? After I moved back to Nigeria, I was exposed to a lot of young women and girls that had been abused in my practice as a physician, who had nowhere to seek help or treatment after their abuse. The exact incident that made me decide to channel my grievances into what birthed WARIF today, was the case of 3-month-old baby girl I had to take into the theatre because she had been raped.

Dasilva-Ibru

How are you able to help these young women and girls with your NGO work? WARIF tackles gender-based violence with our three pillars – Health, Education and Community Service. We address the health needs of survivors at the WARIF Centre where we provide immediate medical care, forensic medical examinations, psycho-social counselling, access to shelters, legal aid and vocational skills training. We implement educational programs for both boys and girls in secondary schools and also train students in tertiary institutions on sexual violence prevention. With our community service pillar, in the rural setting, we train traditional birth attendants to report and refer cases to us and in the more urban setting – law enforcement officers and religious leaders are sensitised on how to handles cases of sexual violence that they come across.

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The NGO is already four years old. How would you assess its impact so far? In the four years that we have been in operation, we have assisted over 2,000 survivors at the WARIF Centre, impacted on almost 10,000 people with our in-person initiatives and reached over 20 million people with our online campaigns. THEWILLNIGERIA

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“

WARIF currently offers educational outreach services and states where we have implemented our initiatives include Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Abuja and Ogun State. The dream is to have a WARIF Sexual Assault Referral Centre in different states across Nigeria and we are working to make this a reality

How best do you think it can be curbed? By creating more awareness – both in person and online. By educating not just the girl child but also the boysencouraging them to be protectors and not perpetrators. By ensuring that abusers are brought to book by being properly prosecuted and sentenced. By encouraging survivors to speak, so citizens are enlightened on the different harmful effects of this menace. WARIF is currently based in Lagos. Are you thinking of expanding to other states to make your services available? WARIF currently offers educational outreach services and some states we have implemented our initiatives in include Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Abuja and Ogun State. The dream is to have a WARIF Sexual Assault Referral Centre in different states across Nigeria and we are working to make this a reality. With the exception of Lagos State that has a specialized court for sexual offenders, Ekiti State that has a sex offenders’ register, Kaduna State that passed a bill to castrate sexual offenders and most recently and Jigawa that passed the death penalty bill for rapists - most states in Nigeria are less concerned with how they treat sexual predators. Why is this so and how can they be made to take sexual offence cases more seriously? Two Acts that make provisions for the strict punishment of sexual violence offenders in Nigeria are the Child’s Right Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act. All the states have been encouraged to adopt these acts as they dictate stiffer penalties for offenders. Last year, WARIF hosted Instagram live sessions with the Nigerian Governors Wives against Gender Based Violence. Viewers were educated on the current state of affairs and also given updates on the adoption of these laws in states where it has not been done. There have been reports of men and women of the Nigeria Police Force conniving with families of the perpetrators of sexual violence to deny victims justice. Does your NGO work with the police? Oh yes we do How so? WARIF launched the Law Enforcement Case Management THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

Dasilva-Ibru

Why do you think there is a rather high incidence of gender-based violence in Nigeria? Because of the culture of silence. Survivors are made to believe that the abuse was their fault and, in a bid, to protect the perpetrator, the survivor is blamed and shamed. In order to create a safer society for women and girls, we need to see it as our collective responsibility to support survivors, believe them and encourage them to speak up.

Sensitization Program to educate police officers on the proper protocols to follow when handling cases of sexual violence. The officers are trained with a manual and equipped with fliers and posters with information on the WARIF Centre and our 24-hour confidential helpline. Since the introduction of this initiative, we have seen a vast increase of referrals coming from the police. And to the families of the victims who sometimes shield the victim and prefer not to pursue the prosecution of the offenders, how does your NGO address such matters? WARIF offers legal assistance to survivors in partnership with the Directorate of Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Justice as well as private law firms. Survivors and their families are encouraged to pursue the prosecution of perpetrators with our full support. What do you hope to achieve with the ‘WARIF No Tolerance Campaign,’ which has now been running for two years? Our intention with the campaign is to raise awareness to the issue of rape and sexual violence. This campaign is special because everyone is carried along, whether male or female; young or old; they can join the campaign and lend their voices. We might not be able to push our message across Nigeria and Africa by ourselves but to know the No Tolerance T-shirt can be seen anywhere with our 24-hour confidential helpline written boldly across; it makes us believe that a survivor somewhere will see the message and know that there is hope. Sexual violence incidences are prevalent in the rural areas. Does your NGO reach out to those in the rural areas who don’t have a voice or the means to pursue justice? The WARIF Gatekeepers Project is targeted at women in the rural areas, with this initiative, we train Traditional Birth Attendants on how to be first responders to incidents of sexual violence. They are in close contact with women

and children in their communities and so they have access to these cases and have been trained to report and refer incidents to WARIF. These traditional birth attendants also serve as ambassadors who create awareness in their local governments and communities about the free services available at WARIF. What would you say has been quite significant to you and generally since setting up the NGO? The prevalence of this issue and the fact that 69% of the survivors that we see at the WARIF Centre are minors. These children under the age of 18 are brought in with both physical and emotional bruises that require adequate care to start them on their journey to recovery. If you weren’t doing this, what else would you have been doing? If I wasn’t running WARIF I would still be providing assistance to women and girls in my capacity as a specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. What have you learnt so far from life since running the NGO? Life humbles you. It makes you appreciate how fortunate you are. It makes you appreciate your circumstance and makes you realize that it’s a privilege to be able to help others. This is not a problem faced by those affected only but it is society’s problem where we are all responsible. It is our collective responsibility to make sure that we don’t have rape and sexual violence in our communities. Where there is no consent, the act is not consensual and It’s a crime. No means no. Consent cannot be given if one is a child and in Nigeria, the law states that a girl remains a child until she is 18. Consent cannot be given under the influence of alcohol or other substances; it cannot be given when you are asleep or under the threat of harm or physical violence. Rape and sexual abuse should never be justified by what a woman wears- whether a mini skirt or spaghetti strapped top. That is the message we need to take out there.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

How Oba Saheed Elegushi Keeps His Two Beautiful Wives Happy

Elegushi & Wives

Actress, Fathia Balogun’s How Popular London Based Hair Unknown First Son, Oluwatosin Entrepreneur, Funmi Hair, Died Akanbi, Unveiled of Brain Tumor

Odegbami & Adeyemi

ot many know that besides the two well known children Nollywood actress, Fathia Balogun bore for her ex husband and colleague, Saidi Balogun, she also has a son, one she had long before she met and married her former husband. The young man named Oluwatosin Akanbi resides in the United Kingdom and is a married father of two boys. She reportedly gave birth to him during her brief stay in the UK and left him there with his father when he was three years old and relocated home. The young man is in his mid 20s. While the 50 year old screen diva likes to show off her two kids with Saidi and celebrate them especially on their birthdays, she rarely ever does the same for Tosin. All the more reason why many do not know about him. Sources say Tosin who is a very private person gave his mother standing instructions not to publicise him for any reason.

Former Couple, Segun Odegbami and Oyindamola Adeyemi, Bury The Hatchet

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Fathia & Son

hortly after his over five year relationship with talk show queen, Funmi Iyanda which produced a daughter ended on a sad note, the paths of football legend, Segun Odegbami and Oyindamola Adeyemi crossed. Smitten by her intelligence and no doubt, connections to the corridors of power, he quickly began making marriage plans, despite not properly ending things with his first wife. They got engaged and had their introduction ceremony done. Unfortunately, while the food served them at the ceremony was yet to digest, the scales fell off Oyin’s eyes and she decided to end things between them. Several reasons have been adduced to why Oyin decided to dump him. Sources say that they not only operated on different wave lengths; financially, social standing, moral values - Segun had a lot of baggage he was yet to deal with properly before he decided to marry her. Obviously, ‘mathematical Odegbami’ had banked on moving into Oyin’s palatial home somewhere on the island after they tie the knot. But as soon as things fell apart between them and with Segun unable to continue funding the lifestyle he was already getting used to after meeting Oyin, he had no choice but to relocate to Ogun State. For four years after they went their separate ways, there was no love lost between them. And it remained that way until about two weeks ago when Odegbami appeared at her birthday party which she hosted in her expansive home. That guests were shocked to see them operate on such a friendly level, to warrant him coming to her home, would be putting it mildly. They laughed, hugged and some of the guests swore that they could see a sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him. Does this mean they are reviving the flame, are they getting back as lovers? Well, time will tell. Oyin whose mother is from northern Nigerian started out in the banking sector, then later got into politics and worked closely with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before floating Still Earth Group, a construction and engineering firm. So big is the firm that if you refer to Oyin as the female Julius Berger of Nigeria, you won’t be totally wrong.

he beauty and hospitality world is in mourning following the death of Funmi Namabiri, the London hair entrepreneur behind famous hair brand, Funmi Hair. The Osun State born indigene who ran Helena Hair Care Ltd in the UK, succumbed to the debilitating effect of brain tumor which she suffered from for a long time. More shocking is the fact that she suffered from the illness for so long and never let anyone in on what she was going through. Not one to bother people with her personal problems, she went about with poise and grace until she breathed her last. Her friends, family members and particularly the beauty world at large will forever remain grateful to her for producing her hair extension and wig brand which was of the highest quality, such that the Chinese known for knock offs, tried in vain to replicate the hair brand without success. The hair business which she started over 40 years ago still remains the most sought after hair brand by women who recognize quality and aren’t afraid to pay for it regardless of its cost. Funmi while she was alive, detailed the success of her hair brand in a book she authored titled, ‘The Secret Of Funmi Hair’. She is survived by her children and her Bayelsa born husband, Prince Isaac Namabiri, a former banker, who ran the family businesses with her; Funmi Hair and a resort, Praise Banquet Hotel and Resort, located in her home state.

Funmi

nly a man of means and a loving disposition like His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi, can comfortably keep two ravishingly beautiful women as his queens, despite his age, without fear of confrontations between the two women or back stabbings. From choice fabrics to expensive and rare jewelries and accessories to homes, flashy automobiles, hefty investments running into millions of naira, vacations to exotic places - HRM Elegushi hasn’t been found lacking in a few of the aforementioned just so as to prevent a ‘third world war’ from brewing in his home. When he met his first wife, Olori Sekinat, she must have thought that their love which began on the campus of the Lagos State University, would stand the test of time without a third party. But how wrong she was. After three female children, the 44 year old King, perhaps longing for a heir apparent, made his intentions known about taking a second wife. Expectedly, Olori Sekinat protested vehemently against this but she soon calmed down after emissaries visited her and reassured her of her rightful place. Then he married Kano born Hadiza who is the younger sister to Salihu Tanko Yakasai, the sacked media aide to Abdulahi Ganduje, Kano State governor, who fled Nigeria after his ‘unscheduled visit’ to the DSS for constantly criticising President Muhammadu Buhari’s style of governance. To keep both wives happy, Oba Elegushi has had to scale up his spending pattern. In addition to still providing his first wife with some of the finest things that money can buy, he funded the building of one of the largest and most beautiful events place in Nigeria for her. The all white edifice aptly named The Monarch sits on a 10,000sqm of land in Lagos Island with a 500 car park capacity and with the interior and exterior decor carefully chosen and planned with flawless finesse. For his second wife who recently bore him a son, he reportedly bought her an expansive and palatial home in an exclusive part of Abuja. This is also in addition to spoiling her with vacations, choice cars, jewelries and accessories, one of which she was spotted carrying at an event she recently attended with her husband. The peach colored Judith Lieber crystal embellished peony purse costs the monarch a whooping N3m. Who says you can’t have it all when you have the means.

THEWILLNIGERIA

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BY JOY ONUORAH AND SHADE METIBOGUN

Body Tattooing of Celebrities’ Faces Consumes Nigerian Youth

Netflix Releases N1.9bn From Creative Equity Fund to Help African Women in Entertainment

Bajara

n commemoration of the 2021 International Women’s Day themed Choose To Challenge, Netflix has released the sum of N1.9 billion ($5 million) from its Creative Equity Fund Account set up in 2017, to cater for programmes that will groom, develop and upgrade women in the entertainment industry. Also, a total of $20 million was recently allocated for the entertainment industry across nations. More so, Bela Bajaria, the recently appointed Head of Global TV, Netflix, also confirmed that the fund will be disbursed annually in the next five years to position underrepresented communities for success in the movie industry and also provide Netflix programs that will assist in identifying, training, and consequently providing employment for fresh talent globally, particularly in Africa. The Nigerian film industry has experienced many ‘first females’: ‘First Netflix original film ever produced in Nigeria’ and ‘first time Nigeria had submitted a film to the Oscars’ and Netflix, and that has been the springboard to developing and showcasing Nigerian talent and stories to global audiences.

Reminisce Expands Frontiers, Adds OAP to Resume

Safaru

apper, Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru more popularly known as Reminisce is proving that he is a man of many parts. Not only has he shown that he can compete favourably in the acting industry, his current engagement has proven that there is nothing he sets his mind to do, he won’t achieve. The father of two has expanded his frontiers to include On Air Presenting and has resumed work as an On Air Personality with Brila FM presenting a sport programme tagged “Agenda on air” every Monday. News about his new feat filled the air days and many have been sending their best wishes to him as he charts another course in his career. The wellrounded entertainer is said to be passionate about anything sports, most especially football, which is why his new role as a sport analyst and presenter is a welcome development. It was gathered that Reminisce once owned a football academy, a few years ago, where football talents were discovered and nurtured. The elated rapper who has since settled down into his role at the radio station has not stopped telling all who cares to listen about his new move. He was even spotted recently at the Super Eagles camp where he went to answer the call of duty.

he past few weeks has seen an increasing number of Nigerian youth tattooing celebrities on different body parts, all in a bid to catch their attention and possibly get financial rewards or connection from them. The speed at which this latest trend is fast becoming the norm is to say the least, alarming. The trend began with ex Big Brother Naija housemate, Anita Natacha Akide more popularly known as Tacha, who boldly inscribed Davido’s face slightly below her cleavage. That singular act brought her fame and also got the attention of the singer who eventually started following her on social media. However, following her participation in the reality show, she resorted to covering up the tattoo with makeup each time she wears clothes with plunging necklines. Another diehard follower of the popular singer, also embossed his face and that of his children on her back. This year alone, over 10 youth took the tattoo trend a notch further when several young ladies and a young man tattooed crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, otherwise known as Bobrisky on different parts of their bodies. Each of them got monetary rewards for their acts with the cross dresser taking the young man under his wings for ‘tutelage’ after a passionate public plea by the young man’s mother to Okuneye, to help her son. Seeing that she could likely make some money off this trend, another young lady tattooed ex Big Brother Naija housemate, Ka3na’s face on her body. Unfortunately, her action got her a backlash from her ‘celebrity idol’. Not forgetting another lady who tattooed Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s face on her back including his date of birth, face and signature cap She is one of the unlucky ones who never got a reward for her “heroic deed”. Also, actress Esther Nwachukwu who is a huge fan of her colleague, Pope Obumneme Odonwodo, otherwise known as Junior Pope got his initials tattooed on her body, an act she did as far back as 2018. However this didn’t come to light until a few weeks ago when she took to social media to lament that the actor’s wife blocked her from communicating with her on all social media platforms for no just cause even though they were both friendly at some point. More recently, a pregnant woman tattooed singer Mayorkun’s face on her growing baby bump but the singer who was shocked by her action told her on his social media page that “she was crazy”. Not also forgetting how a lady got disowned by her father for jumping on the tattoo bandwagon. Judging by how far Nigerian youth are willing to go to achieve their heart’s desire, it is unlikely that we have seen the last of this.

Where is Bread Seller Turned Model, Olajumoke Orisaguna?

THEWILLNIGERIA

THEWILLNG

Tacha

Orisaguna

Nwachukwu

few years ago, Olajumoke Orisaguna, the beautiful bread seller came into our consciousness when she became an overnight celebrity in what seemed like a fairy tale story after she photobombed a photo shoot organized by celebrity photographer, TY Bello for pop star, Tinnie Tempah. ‘Jumoke Oniburedi’ as she is more popularly known, became the talk of town following her miraculous transformation from grass to grace. Even on the international scene, she became an issue of discourse. Her fortune took a leap after she started getting endorsement deals, modeling contracts, tours and scholarship for herself. To crown it all, she got a luxury flat fully furnished from the CEO of real estate firm, Sijumoto owned by Sijibomi Ogundele, to stay in for five years free of charge. She there after started a Vlog on Youtube “Olajumoke sauce” where she shared her life stories in her native language. One would think her lack of adequate education and inability to communicate fluently in English language would hold her down, but she was able to hold the ace and anchor the programme for a year before it was rested. Things however took a downturn for the model after she started having problems with the father of her children, Sunday Orisagunna who was said to be frustrated because it was becoming increasingly difficult to live with the woman he had known for more than four years. He alleged that she became rude after fame and fortune found her. Her once robust modeling career also suffered some hitches. Rumor had it that despite the efforts put into her modeling career, she was often compensated with peanuts as her then manager; Victoria Nkong took the lion share. Now, many people are worried and concerned about her whereabouts as she has simply vanished from the public space. The mother of two also abandoned all her social media handles. Her last update on them was in 2019, except for her face book page which was updated in 2020. According to a reliable source, her absence from the entertainment scene may not be unconnected to the fact that she no longer makes the kind of money she was making as Nigerians typically do not waste time before moving on to the next big thing.

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BY SHADE METIBOGUN

Celebrities Attend ‘Church’ For Premiere of ‘Prophetess’ Sunday March 28, 2021 will remain evergreen in the hearts of movie lovers and celebrities who converged to grace the premiere of the much-anticipated movie, ‘Prophetess’, at Filmhouse, IMAX, Lekki. In attendance were the crème la de crème of the entertainment world, most of who went out of their way to make grand entrances thus making the premiere talk of the town as more people are now eager to watch the movie once it starts showing in the cinema.

Ojo

Alex

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS ‘Prophetess’ was produced by the trio of Victoria Teimere Akujobi, Mimidoo Bartels and Matilda Sola. Although the script was written by ace movie producer cum director, Niyi Akinmolayan, he however took the back seat by directing the movie. As the creative director of Anthills Productions, he has worked on some blockbuster movies such as ‘Elevator baby’, ‘Wedding Party 2,’ and ‘The Arbitration’. Victoria Akujobi one of the co producers of the movie is also not an amateur in the business of movie making. She is an award-winning film editor and producer and she won the African Magic Viewer Choice Award as the editor of ‘The Wedding Party 2.’

Okanlawon

TITBITS FROM THE MOVIE PREMIERE

...ROCKS WITH HUSBAND, KOLAWOLE AJEYEMI Toyin Abraham and her husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, gave us some couple goals at the movie premiere. Though they both got to the venue separately but immediately Toyin sighted her husband, she left the red carpet to give him a warm welcome and a hot kiss. They were inseparable after that. Kolawole was garbed in a purple attire that had a cape at the back. They both rocked the movie premiere together till the end. ...HONOURED WITH TOYIN ABRAHAM’S

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PRESENCE The Fespris production boss also made a grand entrance at the movie premiere to honour Toyin Abraham who is like a younger sister to her. The screen diva has never disappointed when it comes to looking glamorous and elegant to events. She came to the venue in her sexy prophetess inspired attire and she was the cynosure of all eyes. Her elegant ensemble was made by serial entrepreneur and fashion goddess, Toyin Lawani. THE DRESS CODE Guests at the movie premiere followed the rules of the dress code with many turning up in prophet and prophetess outfits. TOYIN LAWANI’S ‘BLASPHEMOUS’ OUTFIT Tiannah Empire boss, Toyin Lawani, received a series of backlash with her choice of racy outfit to the movie premiere. The serial entrepreneur in a bid to comply with the dress code opted to dress like a nun but with a twist.

Nze

TOYIN ABRAHAM’S GRAND ENTRANCE Garbed in a flowing white garment similar to Celestial Church of Christ worshippers, she was chauffeur driven to the venue in her new G-wagon which she acquired earlier this year. Immediately she stepped out of her ride, she was welcomed by her entourage who were all dressed in white flowing gowns just like her. They all danced majestically to the red carpet to enjoy and catch fun at the event.

Asuoha

‘PROPHETESS’ THE MOVIE The movie is the story of a local prophetess named Ajoke, who made a prediction about a football match. Her prediction led to a chain of events which was beyond her control and set her life in danger. She had to enlist the help of her sister to save her from the impending danger.

Lawani

THE CAST It was a star-studded cast. Niyi Akinmolayan, who has a reputation of working with young minds reenacted this with the movie. Most of the cast and crew of the movie were youths, not older than 40. The likes of Deyemi Okanlawon, Toyin Abraham, Stan Nze, Kehinde Bankole, Seyi Awolowo, Kunle Remi, Uzor Arukwe, Adedimeji Lateef amongst other up and coming actors. Toyin Abraham was chosen as the lead cast because of her excellent role interpretation in one of Akinmolayan’s movies, ‘Elevator baby’. Only two of the cast members are over 40; veteran actors, Ronke Ojo and Tina Mba.

Her gown was a sexy gown with thigh high slits which almost revealed her genitals. Nigerians didn’t find this funny and slammed her for desecrating the dress style meant for nuns. The personal assistant to singer Davido, Busari Idris, more popularly known as Aloma was the first to slam her. He described her attire as “nonsense and a disrespect to the holy cross”. He further called the dress “blasphemous”. Former Minister for Aviation, Femi FaniKayode, also described the dress as ‘antichrist’. She was not spared by her social media fans who criticized her choice of outfit. But despite all the criticisms, she remained unperturbed.

Instead, she decided to educate her critics who she said lacked exposure and are ignorant of what art means. She further said that they shouldn’t expect any apology from her because she learnt fashion designing abroad and is not willing to follow the rules of the society as she makes her own rules. She added that she is only being criticized because she is a Nigerian as many international celebrities have been known to use nun outfits as works of art. Over the years, Toyin Lawani has remained fearless, daring and eccentric in her designs and approach to life. THE ANGELIC USHERS Beautiful damsels numbering up to ten were on ground to welcome and usher guests to the red carpet and their seats during the movie premiere. The ladies also followed the dress code to the letter. They wore white flowing gowns with two detachable wings. They were at the beck and call of guests who needed their attention. Their appearance added spice to the event. THEWILLNIGERIA

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ARTS

of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and the Association of Nigerian Authors. He is a playwright, poet and currently professor of English at the University of Ilorin. A poet and playwright as well, Prof. Yerima won the gas company’s prize in the Drama category in 2006 and currently teaches at Redeemer’s University, Ede in Osun state. At a virtual ceremony held to introduce the new Advisory Board members and to hand-over the entries, NLNG’s General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams, expressed appreciation to members of the erstwhile Advisory Board led by Banjo for their “selfless service.” Professors Ben Elugbe and late Jerry Agada were members. The past Advisory Board, Fatayi-Williams said at the virtual meeting, “oversaw the growth of the prize into Africa’s foremost literature competition best known for its principles of excellence and integrity.” Just like the past members, Fatayi-Williams said the current Advisory Board members are “scholars who have distinguished themselves in their areas of specialisation and have contributed significantly to Literature in Nigeria who will bring their enormous wealth of experience to the prize.” Mrs. Fatayi-Williams further stated that the pandemic impacted on the established process of the prize but that it also presented other opportunities on how literature can be marketed and consumed. She called on writers to seize the moment, stating that it was time to push out creative works as people spend more time at home, reading. The entries were handed over to the current panel of judges led by Professor Toyin Jegede who is a professor of Literature in English at the University of Ibadan. She is a Fellow of the British Council of Nigeria, Centre for Afro-American Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal, Comparative Literature Association, University of South Africa, Pretoria. She has also served as an international panellist for the Commonwealth Book Prize for Literature.

Adimora-Ezeigbo

The other judges are Professor Tanimu Abubakar and Dr. Solomon Azumurana. Professor Abubakar is a professor of Literature in the Faculty of Arts, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is also a member of Nigerian Academy of Letters. Dr. Azumurana is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Lagos.

Nigeria Prize for Literature On Course After One Year Break BY MICHAEL JIMOH riters of Nigerian descent home and abroad were sort of disappointed last year after the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) cancelled the yearly prize it awards for literary excellence. The reason, as you may have guessed, was the raging virus that is now being gradually contained.

In February 2020, the gas company had already called for entries for the prose category and were set to hand over the 202 entries to the panel of judges. $100, 000 was up for grabs for the winner(s) if the most prestigious literary prize in Africa had run its course. But then, COVID-19 put an unexpected end to all that. A year and two months later, the virus shamed at last by man’s scientific ingenuity, the race for the company’s laureate for 2021 is now going swimmingly. How so? NLNG not only recently handed over all the entries received to the panel of judges but also instituted a new advisory board “towards making the prize’s governance framework and brand stronger.” Since the prize’s inception in 2004, Professor Ayo Banjo, professor emeritus, had been chairman of the Advisory Board. Now, another professor emeritus, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, has succeeded him. She is the first THEWILLNIGERIA

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It’s good that they didn’t abandon the prize completely because of COVID-19. Coming back to the prize shows they have their eyes on the prize which is the essence

woman to fill that post. She is also the first female winner of the prize in Children Literature category in 2007, an award she co-won with Mabel Segun. Two dons are to serve with Adimora-Ezeigbo as members of the Advisory Board. They are professors Olu Obafemi and Ahmed Yerima. Prof. Obafemi had been past president

The Prize runs concurrently with the Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism (also sponsored by NLNG) for which four entries were received in 2020. The literary criticism prize carries a monetary value of N1 million. For now, the writing community in Nigeria are delighted over the company’s decision to start off the prize COVID-19 or not. Senior journalist, poet and playwright, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu told THEWILL he is more than pleased with NLNG’s decision not to “completely abandon the prize.” In an interview during the weekend, Uzoatu said: “It’s good that they didn’t abandon the prize completely because of COVID-19. Coming back to the prize shows they have their eyes on the prize which is the essence,” insisting that “this idea of bringing in Akachi-Ezeigbo as chairperson of the Advisory Board is good because Banjo has done a sterling job. We believe that Akachi-Ezeigbo should be as diligent his predecessor.” Another senior journalist, Muyiwa Moyela concurs with Uzoatu. On the return of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, he told THEWILL thusly: “It’s a good omen not just for arts and literature but it also shows that things are returning back to near normal status and, additionally, to reenergise the arts and literary industry. It is also a timely tonic to the industry. It will help to provide much needed boost to winners because they will reinvest it in themselves for literary production.” As for Tony Kan, poet and public relations man, he agrees with Uzoatu and Moyela, saying that though “2020 was a difficult year and many events on the cultural calendar were impacted, the NLNG sponsored Nigeria prize for literature was not exempt. So it is pleasing to see the prize cycle return and as we look forward to the minting of a new literary laureate we are grateful to the NLNG for keeping faith with Nigerian literature and sustaining the prize.”

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FEATURES

Umahi’s Rice Revolution in Ebonyi CHARLES IKE from Abakaliki reports on the shot-in-the-arm given to Rice farming in Ebonyi State and how that is changing the economic fortunes of the people for good.

ice is one of the demanding staple food consumed across the country. Nigeria as a Nation, has abundant land for rice cultivation. Between 1966-1999, during both military and civilian eras, the rich production was at a very low. This however was not the same in South-East Nigeria that covers Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi States. Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, was a house hold name in terms of rice cultivation. Ebonyi State is one of the most agrarian states in Nigeria. Made up predominantly of farmers, with savanna and semi tropical vegetation, humid, sandy and marshy soil. The state is blessed with moisture land for growing of varieties of cash and food crops, such as rice, yam, cassava, cocoyam. Among the agricultural potential, the production of the famous Abakaliki rice has made the state so popular and a beehive of commercial activities. No visitor comes to Abakaliki, the state capital, without testifying to the high quality of Abakaliki rice compared with other rice produced locally and internationally. The Abakaliki rice is blessed with so many nutritional values, which is gotten from the salinity in the land of Abakaliki. It is even better and graded higher by those that know its nutritional values.

Umahi (middle) inspecting packaged Abakaliki rice prepared for distribution to the people for last Christmas celebration

Apart from its nutritional value, the Abakaliki rice is naturally salted with good taste. The reputation of Abakaliki rice is derived from its superior taste.

American experts. The rice is parboiled locally and processed by the small scale milling machines.

Rice production no doubt has created jobs from which a lot of people feed their families. There are a lot of jobs people do in Abakaliki Rice Mill Industry including technical / professional and unprofessional/ causal works, as well as others who sell their wares in the area.

A notable rice farmer and Commissioner for Agriculture and National Resources,Chief Moses Ogodoali Nomeh, noted that more than 80 percent of Abakaliki rice is grown organically because the soil in vast swathe areas in the state is so fertile that the need for chemically-based fertiliser does not exist and it’s now government policy to prioritise agriculture in absolute terms, and ensuring that everything else yields way to this policy.

Before and after Ebonyi State was created on October 1,1996, agriculture had remained the mainstay of the daily living and earnings of its people. The Abakliki Rice Mill as it is popularly called is adjudged to be the first indigenous company since the creation of the state.

In a chat with THEWIILL, the state commissioner for Agricultural and Natural resources, Chief Nomeh, stressed that the government was determined to boost rice production across the state, adding that professionalism, commercialisation and mechanised system of Agriculture would adopted as part of its work plan.

During the creation of the state, at least Abakaliki Rice Mill Industry is equally the only existing industry in the state. The company started as Abakaliki Rice Mill in 1967 on No. 60-65 Gunning Road Abakaliki.

He added that no land would left fallow in the state as Governor David Umahi has exemplified same by establishing a demonstration farm within the new Government House which has begun to yield dividend as crops are being harvested therein on regular besis.

The first engine procured for milling of Abakaliki rice was bought by one Mr. Anekwe Bestman. The relocation of the mill to its present site was done under one Hon. P. O. Nwike, who was then the Executive Chairman, Abakaliki Local Government Area in the then Anambra State.

Nomeh noted that the drive and target of the Umahi’s administration was to produce and supply 10 percent of the over six million metric tons of rice consumed in Nigeria annually.

However, on November 15, 1977, the land used for the construction of the rice mill was leased by the Abakaliki Local Council to Rice Mill Abakaliki, for 99 years upon payment of valuable consideration.

“The administration borrowed N2 billion to invest in encouraging farmers, public and civil servants as well as the youths and women to undertake farming of a number of crops but especially rice very seriously.

In September 1989, the Rice Mill Association Abakaliki was registered as a company with the incorporation name – Rice Mill Company Nig. Ltd with registration number RC. 136,800. But on January 1, 2000, customary right of occupancy with respect to the entire area of land measuring 1938.464 square metres occupied by the company was issued by the Government of Ebonyi State. Inside the rice mill established in 1957 lies an expanse of land measuring 1938.464 square metres, various workers abound – machine operators, dust carriers, bag stickers, off loaders, barrow pushers, on-loaders, accountants, water suppliers, security men and a host of others. Chief Sunday Oketa, said he started the rice mill business at the age 18. As a child, Oketa recalled how he joined the industry as a “dust carrier” and later trained for one year and six months as a machine operator.

“The injection of agro inputs and equipment such as seeds, herbicides, fertilizer, tractors, plus the necessary mechanical implements have enabled our citizens to put additional 20,000 hectares of land into rice cultivation this season,” he said.

Packaged Abakaliki rice on display come here, you see enough rice, food stuff such as cassava, yam and that’s why we name Ebonyi State, the Food Basket of the Nation,” Oketa told THEWILL. He further said that,back in the 1980s; people from as far as Lagos, Benin, Port Harcourt usually come to buy Abakaliki rice.

The rice milling machines were situated in such a way that it formed a cluster and people from far and near bring their rice produce there for milling. Most times, the centre is also a market where people buy or sell rice. Virtually in all communities and local council areas, milling machines are situated with commercial activities, especially for residents outside the capital city that may find it difficult to access the Abakaliki Rice Mill.

“My father was alive then and he was one of the founders of the rice mill,” he said, adding that the entire family members were trained properly in farming.

“In those days, 15 trailer load of the commodity, 50 to 60 Mercedes Benz 911 lorries, aside other small vehicles such as pick-up vans leave the mill every day,” Oketa said, adding that the importation of foreign rice into Nigeria “is killing business here.”

This large cluster of rice milling industry is owned and managed by private individuals and cooperative societies who have their milling machines, while government only collects royalties/levies from them. Usually, people come from far and near to the mill to buy or sell rice on a daily basis.

“Early in 1971, we sold a bushel of rice at 10 Naira here and by then there was nothing like foreign rice. All Ebonyi people were farmers; we never knew any other handwork except farming. And when you

Indeed, many are familiar with the popular Abakaliki rice which is believed to have a higher nutritional value than the imported polished and parboiled rice, and possibly the best in the world as certified by

People from the north including neighbouring states such as Enugu, Imo, Abia and Anambra always come to buy rice in Abakaliki in very large quantities. The reason for the high patronage is not only

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FEATURES that Abakaliki rice has been identified to have a unique taste when compared to foreign rice and other kinds of rice being patronised by people, it is cheap and affordable. The price differs depending on the quality of the rice and specie. Currently, due to the ban on importation of foreign rice, a bushel of rice is sold for N10,000 and above, depending on the quality, as against N4,000 a year ago. But the continued production of Abakaliki rice became endangered during the past administration of former Governor Martin Elechi, due to the face-off between the Abakaliki Rice Mill Company and Ebonyi State Government on the planned relocation of the rice mill to the three rice clusters in each of the senatorial zones of the state. The chairman of Abakaliki Rice Mill, Mr. Joseph Ununu, noted that the policy of relocation of the rice mill and its attendant cases of threats and intimidation have brought untold hardship to them and the trauma precipitated the untimely death of 15 rice millers as a result of heart failure. One of the patrons, Chief Chukwuka Okonwko, slumped and died shortly after hearing the news of the relocation. Mr. Elias Nwogu, 40, a father of six, said he has trained some of his children in both secondary and university from the proceeds of the rice business which he has been engaged in since the age of 15. Okonkwo said he wanted to sell his milling engine, but nobody indicated interest to buy it and that was how the man died. “The engine was estimated at N1.6 million, but nobody could buy it even at N300,000 and that broke his heart; because the rice mill is moving out and everybody is afraid,” he said. Mr. Augustine Obasi, father of four kids is one of the workers at the rice mill and hails from Ezza North local Government Area of the

state. Born in the mid-1970s, he said he joined the rice business in 1991 but lamented the government decision to move them. For Mrs. Eucharia Ogwutor, she said since joining the business in 1989 she has been buying from the farmers to do the final processing. “Ikwo Village is very far from here. No buyer would like to carry his money and go to such a distant place to buy. If Governor Elechi relocates the rice mill from here, people should just forget about the Abakaliki rice,” she said. However, respite came with the emergence of Engr. David Umahi, as the governor of Ebonyi State. With the dwindling oil revenue, the present administration has re-emphasised the need to revert to agriculture which was the mainstay of the Nigeria economy before the discovery of oil. To ensure agricultural revolution in Ebonyi State, Umahi has procured over 100 tractors for rice production. The Ebonyi State Government has also earmarked 40,500 hectares of land for rice cultivation this farming season spread across the 13 council areas in the state. Each of the LGAs has 2,500 hectares mapped for the rice production while IFAD has six thousand hectares and FADAMA, 2,000 hectares. This feat if actualised would boost food security in the state. Already, all public servants have been directed to go into farming. Public primary and secondary schools and teachers have also been directed to have farms as basis for promotion. Not lesser than 50,000 hectares of land have been identified and set aside by the state government across the 13 local government areas of the State for rice farming and production. Similarly, the state government after procuring 13 graders among other equipment to aid rice production, decided through the State

Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to choose three Pilots schools, Girls’ Technical College Agba in Ishielu local government area, Government Technical College, Abakaliki and Ehugbo Technical College, Afikpo, for the implementation of its Schools’ Agricultural programme in the State. The purpose of the programme is to reintroduce and establish the modern methods of agricultural practices and inspire students at the secondary school level on the need for them to be part of the agricultural revolution making wave in the state. As this agricultural policies begin to gain prominence across the state, the government has also handed over 292 hectares of land to Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Abakaliki for use as demonstration farms to grow all kinds of crops including maize, rice, tomatoes, yams among others. Many farmers in Ebonyi State, believe that rice revolution in the state actually begin in 2015 when the visionary Governor, Engr. David Umahi assumed office. Before then, the farmers said, locally produced rice were not attractive to the residents as they preferred the imported one. Prior to the present administration under Govenor Umahi, a 25Kg bag rice was sold at about ₦2,500 depending on the quality and bargaining power. A recent visit to the rice mill by THEWIILL, shows that a 25Kg sells #12,,000 and above while 50Kg go for ₦24,500 , which is equivalent to a foreign rice. One of the rice farmers who also doubles as machine operator at Abakaliki rice mill, Madam Catherine Nweke, said she was among the first beneficiaries of the revolution in 2015. Another rice farmer, Mr. Joseph Nwafor, said the revolution in rice today, was necessitated by the ban on importation of foreign rice by both Ebonyi State and the Federal Government.

Tackling Infrastructural Deficit in Akwa Ibom UDEME UTIP from Uyo writes on the moves to address the infrastructural deficit in public institutions in Akwa Ibom through the state’s Inter Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC)

n most organizations, leaders and managers often propose change and continuous improvement but their actions do not match their words.

They fail to walk their talk. This explains why inspirational writer, Israelmore Ayivor, noted that “words do less than 10 things, but actions do 10 thousand things.. “. Great leaders build muscles which make it clear to others the kind of leadership quality and what they purpose to achieve. This requires some level of uprightness and moral fiber that allow them to power through difficult situations. When he assumed office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel had pledged his commitment to revamp the education sector in the state. Without sounding immodest, the governor only inherited a free and compulsory education policy at primary and secondary levels which had been running for years. However, the growing influx of pupils and students intake ensured that school enrolment could not keep pace with available infrastructure.

The Akwa Ibom model school

This is where the big work had to be done. And Ayivor may have had a person in the mould of Udom Emmanuel in mind in his quotation above, when he concluded that, “Leaders don’t talk in vain; they follow with actions”.

In his second term, Mr. Emmanuel’s completion agenda has sustained the momentum in revamping of dilapidated schools for sustained growth and improvement in education.

Convent Primary School, Anua Offot, Uyo local government area, Comprehensive High School Idu Uruan in Uruan L.G.A and West Itam Secondary School in Itu local government area.

The Interministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee (IMDLCC) is a government agency saddled with the responsibility of addressing infrastructure deficit in public institutions in the state and Mr Sampson Idiong , SSA to the governor on IMDLCC, has given all his time and energy to the task.

A few weeks back, a good number of Akwa Ibom youths received award letters from IMDLCC for rehabilitation of primary and secondary schools. This was in fulfilment of the governor’s promise to empower the youths of the state. Done with documentation processes, the resource persons were fully mobilized to sites.

In the area of education; school blocks with broken walls, leaking roofs; those without desks, toilet facilities, water and other infrastructure have been given a facelift. The impressive reconstruction work has repositioned hundreds of public schools in the state and created conducive learning environments.

Sources have hinted that, soon, other stakeholders would be mobilised for another stream of empowerment through interministerial jobs.

There are also projects at Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom, Etinan and Ibiono Ibom local government areas. According to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Interministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, Idiong, each House of Assembly member nominated two-four classroom blocks for renovation and the construction of 600 dual desks in their respective constituencies.

Besides primary and post primary, IMDLCC has also provided timely interventions for critical infrastructure for tertiary education in the state. Beyond the necessary upgrades, the beauty of the projects lies in the direct and indirect jobs for thousands of Akwa Ibom people which has, in the process, strengthened the economy of the state and improved the economic welfare of many families.

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(Inset: Sampson Idiong)

As a matter of commitment and dexterity, the IMDLCC had chosen to hand over project sites to resource persons on the basis of senatorial districts. Each of the three senatorial districts is headed by a Special Assistant to the Governor on projects monitoring with a few team members. The decision will ensure that the handing and taking over processes are fast, smooth and convenient. This way, jobs will commence on time and be completed on schedule. In Uyo senatorial district, such project sites include Holy Child

The inspection teams must however be commended for giving their best. The IMDLCC performance has cemented the impression of achievement for the Udom Emmanuel administration. Irrespective of criticisms from opposing camp , IMDLCC has given another face to the present administration. The IMDLCC’s quality intervention deliveries have also transformed the health sector where moribund and dilapidated hospitals across the state have worn new looks. Ultimately, this rare show of commitment, dedication and ingenuity have facilitated the realisation of the governor’s vision for institutional improvements, human empowerment and the completion agenda.

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SportsLive

Definitive Guide to AFCON 2022 BY JUDE OBAFEMI

fter the conclusion of qualification football matches this week towards the 2022 TOTAL African Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be hosted by Cameroon next January, 23 of the 24 national teams booked their slots in the 33rd edition of the biennial continental tournament out of the 12 groups of the qualifying series. A standoff over the validity of COVID-19 tests which ruled out five of the squad members of the Squirrels of the Republic of Benin senior men’s national football team ahead of their decisive tie against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone could not be resolved in a timely manner forcing the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone the fixture for the next international window. That will bring the total number to 24.

Of the lot, two teams, from The Comoros and The Gambia are going to their debut AFCON tournament and will have nothing to prove but to show that they deserved their opportunity to be reckoned with on the continent. Egypt, meanwhile are going for 25th as the country with the most appearances, and simultaneously, the most successful African side in the competition, having won it seven times. THEWILL also offers a guide on how many times each qualified country has made it to the AFCON, when they last played at the continental showpiece of African football excellence, in what years each team performed their best and how they ended their part of the competition during their best years to better appreciate the background to this year’s qualifiers and as a handy Keepsake for when the hostilities resume in January. ALGERIA Although coming as the first team in the list of an alphabetical construction, it is fitting that the Desert Foxes of Algeria are on top of the pile because they are the defending champions having won the 32nd edition of the tournament which was hosted by Egypt from June 21 to July 19, 2019. This year, they picked their ticket under the guidance of the same coach Djamel Belmadi to make it to their 19th showing at the continental tournament. Apart from 2019, they were also winners at a previous competition, the 1990 AFCON. BURKINA FASO Prior to qualifying for the 2022 AFCON, the Stallions of Burkina Faso had made 11 appearances at the continental event but are yet to taste the sweetness of taking the trophy. The closest they have come to clinching to coveted African trophy was in the 2013 AFCON, where they lost the final to the Super Eagles of Nigeria to end as runners up. Their last AFCON was the 2017 edition as they failed to qualify for 2019. They go to Cameroon for their 12th with coach Kamou Malo providing them direction in the hope of a better result. CAMEROON As hosts, the Indomitable Lions will be at their 20th AFCON competition in the history of their participation in these continental events and with coach Toni Conceicao in charge of the national side. They have been one of the more successful African teams at the continental level with five trophies to show for their 20 appearances and one of the African teams to successfully defend the continental title between 2000 and 2002, their third and fourth titles. Their last appearance was at the 2019 event where they failed to defend it again after their 2017 success. CAPE VERDE The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde have previously made it to two AFCON Games, in 2013, when they surpassed the expectations of football watchers and pundits to reach the quarter-finals, and their last appearance at the 2015 tournament, where they did not make it out of the group stages after three draws from three matches. However, as they venture into their third, coach Pedro Leitao Brito, affectionately known as “Babista”, will be hoping they can improve on their 2013 debut. COMOROS The qualifying series for Cameroon 2022 had a fairy-tale ending for Les Coelacantes of Comoros as they resiliently reached their firstever AFCON to the pleasure of coach Amir Abdou. A top-two Group G finish was no small feat for Comoros as the group boasted stronger footballing nations like Kenya, with six AFCON appearances and one win, Togo, with eight appearances and one win, and group winners Egypt, 25 appearances and seven wins. But, the small island nation, which has only been competing in international football since 2006, picked up the second ticket in the group and will hope to show Africa some more of their resilience in Cameroon.

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Super Eagles team

For now, THEWILL provides the definitive guide to the 23 African teams that have proven themselves, through six group games, at home and away, with fans and without, in times of normalcy and under the health and safety protocols of the COVID-19 era, to be capable of representing the best the continent has to offer in football terms with the intention to battle it out in Cameroon for the title of African Champions.

COTE D’IVOIRE The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire have AFCON appearance numbers that rival Africa’s most successful side Egypt having notched up only one less than the 25 cases of the Pharaoh’s. With 24 showings, it is a tad disappointing that they have only been able to take home the trophy twice. The dismay is most glaring when juxtaposed with the seven the North Africans have collected in almost similar timeframes. The Elephants must rise again gallantly to better their lot from trophies in 1992 and 2015 and their inability to defend their title in 2017 to an improved 2022 tournament under the distinguished direction of coach Patrice Beaumelle. EGYPT The Pharaohs of Egypt have done enough to establish their continental superiority in football at both the national and club levels. Their unrivalled seven African titles cement their status as the dominant country of the tournament. They are always favourites to take home the trophy and prove that entitlement as valid often. They have defended the title twice, between 1957 and 1959 and between 2006 and 2008. Added to those four were victorious outings in 1986, 1998 and 2010. Their last showing was at the 2019 event. Hossam El Badry, their strict coach, will lead the Elephants once again to aim for further glory. EQUATORIAL GUINEA Juan Micha’s Nzalang Nacional team are similar to the Cape Verde team in the sense that this is their third time qualifying for the continental showpiece. They will go into the competition with the intention of improving on their 2015 appearance, where their impressive showing saw them go home as the fourth best team overall. ETHIOPIA Ten previous appearances for the Walia Ibex of Ethiopia has established the landlocked country on the Horn of Africa as one of the regular qualifiers but not very successful with winning especially recently because for all their showings, they have only a 1962 title to show. After all eight-year absence, Wubetu Abate’s charges must show that they can be known as modern-day winners too. GABON Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s captainship of the Panthers of Gabon was inspiring as it led to return to competing for glory on the continental stage after missing the previous 2019 edition. Though their last appearance was in 2017, their best showing at the AFCON had been a while. They have never gone past the quarter-finals stage, which they reached twice before in 1996 and 2012. With Patrice Neveu in their dugout, applying tactical injection into the team’s game, they have a good shot at better outcomes. GAMBIA The second debutant to AFCON after Comoros, the Scorpions of Gambia are a surprise package qualifying getting the same group as the Panthers of Gabon and were so impressive, they topped Group D, where four-timers Angola failed to qualify. The Tom Saintfiet-led team may have not much to prove but it was be unfortunate for any

team that underrates the sheer tenacity of the venomous Scorpions. GHANA The Black Stars of Ghana are the side with the third most appearances that qualified for the competition in 2022. Having been to AFCON 23 times, they deserve the consideration of tournament favourites that seem to follow them every time they show. And, they have the titles to show for it, carrying victories home in the 1963 edition that they defended in the 1965 event and two more in 1978 and 1982. Though they are yet to claim victories since the turn of the century, their physical toughness and defensive reputation set them apart as a team to watch. But, Charles Akonnor’s charges must know their nation expects a trophy to bring them back to continental reckoning. GUINEA The Syli Nationale of Guinea return for the 13th time to improve on a history of no-show in the honours list at the AFCON tournament. The disappointing run does not inspire confidence as their best of 12 previous showings was a dated runner-up slot at the 1976 tournament. There is something to be said about their consistent qualification as their last event was in 2019 but it is expected of the team with the tactical guidance of Didier Six to do more than just make up the numbers for these continental competitions and bring home more honour. GUINEA BISSAU For each of the two previous appearances of the Djurtus of Guinea Bissau at the AFCON tournament in 2017 and 2019, they have failed to make it beyond the Group stages. But, they have one thing going for them, in that they keep coming back to the continental event. Could this be third time lucky for them, will the the question for their coach Barico Cande, as he prepares for another shot at the top spots when Cameroon 2022 gets underway next year. If they make it beyond the group level, they will have made some progress on their record. MALAWI The Flames of Malawi have not too different a record from the Guinea Bissauns. The similarity is actually striking because they have also made two previous AFCON tournaments from which they have both not gone beyond the Groups. However the different is that while Guinea Bissau has done so recently, Malawi is returning after a sustained absence. After 11 years, to be precise. After a second group stage exit in 2010, with their first being in their debut in 1984, Malawi did not qualify for AFCON until this year. It may be something about what coach Meke Mwase has infused into the team or another factor but if they can build on it, perhaps a better outcome than the previous two may result. MALI The Eagles of Mali are one of the three teams going to Cameroon 2022 using the “eagle” in their nicknames; the other two being the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia. The Mohamed Magassouba team are heading to their 12th AFCON with only an old memory of the times they used to be feared. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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