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2023 Presidential Ticket: Zoning Tears APC, PDP Apart •Ruling Party Leans Towards South-South •APC, PDP Bigwigs, Business Leaders Meet Over Consensus Candidate •Atiku’s Bid Fractures Party •Southern PDP Governors Seek Ticket

State of The States

This special publication of THEWILL x-rays the potentials of the 36 states and the FCT to achieve a quantum leap in development through investment and job creation. The prevailing cash crunch in the country makes the project more compelling for policy-makers, investors and other stakeholders.

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Let’s take back the odds one vaccination at a time.

Get vaccinated today.

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

COVER

2023 Presidential Ticket: Zoning Tears APC, PDP Apart •Ruling Party Leans Towards South-South •APC, PDP Bigwigs, Business Leaders Meet Over Consensus Candidate •Atiku’s Bid Fractures Party •Southern PDP Governors Seek Ticket

BY AMOS ESELE AND AYO ESAN

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here should the next Nigerian President come from in 2023? Which of the six geopolitical zones should take the slot?

If the North has had it, it must go South. It is not what can be enforced anyway. So you have to allow candidates from the North to contest as well.”

This is the loaded question to which the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are striving to find an answer ahead of the 2023 general election.

HEADACHE FOR APC, PDP The idea that zoning is a gentleman’s agreement that cannot be enforced is the source of the problem, especially when considering that Nigerian politicians are everything but gentlemen in a proper sense of the word.

Ordinarily, where a President comes from in the most populous black country in the world should not pose a problem, if issues of accountability, due process and rule of law were the overriding principles in governance. But this is a country where promises of social welfare have been serially abused and broken with impunity by elected and appointed government officials that issues of place of birth and religious belief trounce transparency to necessitate recourse to affirmative action and the often dodgy federal character principles.

“Zoning in a federal state like Nigeria is like a safeguard that ensures no part of the country is marginalised,” said Professor Ayo Olukotun, Director of the Oba S.K Adetona Institute of Governance at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Awoye in Ogun State.

Olukotun told THEWILL that if political parties have zoning arrangements in their constitution, whether it is zonal or geographic, they have to respect it.

“In a federal constitution, you have laws such as what we call consociation. It is part of the federal character principle we operate in the constitution and also the affirmative process. If it is agreed by consensus that the presidency must rotate, so be it.

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Even the operation of the Federal Character principle in the Nigerian Constitution has not been as straightforward as it is spelt out in the law of the country. Every government in power has been involved in some form of nepotism and favouritism because of the Big Man nature of Nigerian politics, whereby the leader sees himself as a reflection of the fortunes and downturn of his tribe first.

At the beginning of the current republic in 1999 until 2015, the dominant political party was the PDP. The party inserted zoning in its constitution. It has struggled to maintain that arrangement, beginning with the administration of President Olusegun Obansanjo, who came from the (South) in 1999 through his successors, namely, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (North) and President Goodluck Jonathan (South).

Logically the arrangement should go North in 2023. But something happened along the way. Political expediency crept in. The party lost the 2015 general election after governing the country for 16 unbroken years. Racked by dissension and defections, it set up an Elections Review Committee to review why and how it lost the 2019 election to the APC.

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The Committee, headed by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, recommended, among other things, that the zoning arrangement of the party be looked into and possibly scrapped to allow all zones to contest the presidency.

Following that recommendation, all hell was let loose in the party. It was like a clarion call to every zone to stake their claim in the sharing formula that has dominated almost everything in the country.

But the real game changer was the take-over and consolidation of power by the APC. Apart from creating a two-party dynamic and thereby widening the scope of contest for aspirants for the presidency, APC’s emergence also made it impossible for the PDP to hold on to its formula as it provided a viable alternative to its rival.

That is why the Southern Governors Forum could take an interparty decision in their meetings held in Lagos and Enugu last year that the South must produce the President in 2023.

With these dynamics playing out on a broader canvas, both parties are finding it hard coping with the zoning arrangement, which was manageable when the PDP was the only political party in charge. That is why zoning can be used simultaneously in a geographical North/South context and as a formula for the six geo-political zones.

The PDP is currently torn between who, from where and how many in its fold can contest the number one seat in the country.

Governor Mohammed, from the North-East, wants to contest for the position. Same as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is also from the North-East. From the North-West comes

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COVER A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, is an aspirant of the PDP from the South-East.

Pharmacist Sam Ohuabunwa (South-East), has declared his aspiration on the platform of the party.

Governor Nyesom Wike who is doing his second term as Governor of Rivers State, suggests through his body language that he is preparing for the presidential election. Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State is another PDP presidential aspirant.

Governors Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom have their eyes on the Presidency as well. There is even talk that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is interested in the presidential race. Thus, all the six geo-political zones in the country are well represented, with aspirants on the platform of the party.

So when media mogul and founder of DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television and Raypower FM Radio Station, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, while meeting with party stakeholders nationwide on behalf of Atiku Abubakar, said that only a northern candidate can take the party back to the presidential villa, voices of dissent from the South swarmed on him. When ex-Governor Aliyu Babangida of Niger state echoed Dokpesi's claim, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prof.

Iyorchia Ayu, had to formally issue a statement denouncing their views publicly.

The party said: “This is completely misleading as it does not in any way represent the position of our party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP emphatically and unequivocally states that it has not zoned its presidential ticket to any part of the country.

“The PDP is a political party founded on democratic principles and every action of the party, including zoning, is based on extensive consultations, discussions and consideration of all the issues, as well as the various tendencies and interests across the nation, with the main objective of ensuring that the unity, peaceful co-existence and development of our nation are reinforced and promoted.”

Governor Wike was so embittered by the declaration of both party men that he had to issue a formal statement.

In a statement titled, ‘We’re asset, not liability to the PDP, Nigeria’ and signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Kelvin Ebiri, Wike warned Chief Dokpesi not to assume the position of PDP in the 2023 presidential slot.

In the statement, he said, among other things; "We are assets.

We are not liability. When we say we are going to support the party, we support the party with everything we have. We are not in America where you do television campaigns.

"When we come out, we will choke them. They know it. So, everybody should relax, let the south do their homework and then they'll make a proper statement."

Wike explained that since PDP is an opposition party, what is most tenable is for every member to forge unity within the party, build a greater team spirit and protect it from those who want to sow seeds of discord.

He said those who thought they could use money to overwhelm the process of internal democracy, and buy off the ticket, would be disappointed.

"What is necessary is how the party must be cohesive. To make sure that the party gets it right. Then when you threaten that it must be north then you're not trying to make peace or when you threaten it must be south you're not trying to make peace," he said.

Meanwhile, the governing APC, is facing the same dilemma, although many of the aspirants who have shown interest are mainly from the South with the notable exception of Governor Yahaya Bello from the North-Central.

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2023 Presidential Ticket: They include former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (South-West); Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi (South-East); Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu (South-East); and former Governor Rochas Okorocha (SouthEast). Others who are still weighing the options, though their body languages have since given them away are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (South-West); Governor Kayode Fayemi (SouthWest); Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi (South-South), Senator Ibikunle Amosun (South-West) and Works Minister Babatunde Fashola (South-West).

Again like the PDP, the party had to hurriedly deny a recent online report that it had zoned the presidency to the South and the position of vice president to the North.

Reacting to the report, the party’s Interim Chairman, Buni said it was false, baseless, unfounded, misleading and had nothing to do with him.

The Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee said the party had not taken any decision at any fora on anything relating to zoning of offices.

“The publication is just a figment of the author’s imagination that has nothing to do with the Chairman and the party. The public is hereby urged to disregard the purported list as it is misleading and completely false,” he said. The wording was almost similar to another denial in August 2021.

THEWILL can however authoritatively report that the APC has in principle agreed to pick its presidential candidate from SouthSouth.

Late last year, a former governor of Ogun State and chieftain of the APC, Chief Segun Osoba, had stirred the hornet's nest in the party when he declared that there was an agreement on zoning of the party’s presidential ticket before President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.

Osoba said, “During the APC merger, we decided that the President of the party would come from the North, the chairman would be from the South and after eight years, the Presidency would return to the South.”

Almost instantly, there were many reactions against him from the North. A representative view is that of Danladi Rabiu, a member of the Kwankwasiyya political movement, which belongs to ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso. He said that nothing like such a discussion on power rotation ever happened.

Rabiu said, “Our then political leader, Alhaji Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, was a member of the inner caucus and constitution drafting committee of APC. I remember we asked him this question in a meeting and he said emphatically that nobody raised the issue of rotation. All APC leaders from the North and South-West were interested in how to dislodge the then President Goodluck Jonathan from power and take over. Buhari was seen as the man that controlled block votes from the North and since the South was vulnerable to Jonathan, it was decided that Buhari stood the best chance to defeat GEJ than any other politician, North or South, in addition to his anti-corruption integrity.

Therefore, Buhari was chosen on personal merit, not because of any rotation.”

Bagudu

former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State, who has also indicated interest in running for president. Others are former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who is from the NorthCentral.

Checkmate is the game in town for both political parties. With the contest for the chairmanship of the APC narrowed to candidates from the North-Central, namely former Governor Umaru Tanko Al Makura of Nasarawa State and Senator Sani Musa, the APC is playing catch 22 with the PDP, which also got its National Chairman from that zone. More problematic for the APC is the fact that President Buhari is the main force holding the party together and the imminence of his exit is causing goose pimples among its big wigs.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan raised this fear last year at the party's First Progressives Youth Conference 2021 held in Abuja.

Lawan, who called for more consultations, coordination and patriotism among party members to deliver campaign promises to Nigerians or else campaigning in 2023 might be very difficult, said, “Whether we like it or not, the truth is that President Muhammadu Buhari remains the person with the bulk of the support we get across this country in APC. When he leaves, he will still have some roles to play. But I dare say that it is after he leaves office that the APC will face its challenge."

Another headache facing the parties is that the zoning formula has been so politicised that it is turning into a bitter struggle among the geo-political zones in the South and thus opening the parties to factionalisation and possibly defections.

According to findings by THEWILL, the APC and PDP will next month make a formal announcement on where their presidential candidates will emerge from.

As Dr Kunle Olajide puts it, any zone in the South can lay claim to the presidency if it understands the dynamics involved. Olajide, who is Secretary-General of the Yoruba Council of Elders, told THEWILL: “The understanding is that the presidential position must rotate between the North and the South. The North will be finishing its eight years next year. It depends on how well each of the zones in the South play their politics. This is because to win the election, they must not be restricted to the South alone; they must garner votes across Nigeria. So it depends on which zone has the quality, the capacity and the understanding of the Nigerian nation to be able to spread.

Given the winners-take-all politics played in the country, the PDP is desperate to return to power after spending eight years in the political wilderness, while the APC is ready to cling to power, which it has tasted for the past eight years, by 2023.

“If it is the South-West that continues to have it repeatedly, so be it. If the South- South can outplay the South-West, fine. If it is in the South-East, fine. Anybody who wants to govern the country must have an understanding of the workings of this country. So,

With the disagreements and denials on zoning, both political parties are finding a way to manage the crisis arising from the controversy over zoning.

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Zoning Tears APC, PDP Apart

of the key members was holed up for three days at their meeting, debating with others how to “Rescue Nigeria”, from insecurity, economic downturn and secure peace in the country while he was in contact with a group coordinating his presidential ambition with a formal launch of the group in Kano.

THEWILL has it on authority that the 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), students and Labour groups that stormed Kano last Tuesday to launch what they called The Nigerian Agenda, are fronting for a presidential candidate that is actively involved in the 2022 Committee, whose coconvener, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, has said is unconcerned about any presidential candidate.

In the same vein, there is friction among groups over zoning.

For the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who has been insistent that any party that fields a candidate from the North would lose the presidency, someone asked the question last week: “Should the parties concede the presidency to the South, who will Akeredolu most likely support? Tinubu, of course. Will the South-East agree to that?”

Fayemi

Tambuwal

As though to provide an answer to this question, leaders of the PDP in the South-East met last week and warned the party against zoning the presidency to the North. They insisted that it was the turn of the South-East to produce the next presidential candidate of the party, stressing that both the South-West and South-South have had their turns.

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The signal from the meeting of The 2022 Committee, which was attended by the who-is-who in both political parties, especially the Chairmen of the Governors Forum of each of the parties, namely, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bagudu Atiku of the Progressives Governors Forum of the APC and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Kayode Fayemi, to discuss and chart a new course for Nigeria’s survival, is that there is a movement towards an inter–party consensus on who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023

I disagree that a president must come from one zone in the south.

No, the presidency is not served a la carte. It is not turn by turn. It is about politics and you must be able to play your politics right.

ZONING FORMULA According to elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, it was the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the Second Republic that introduced zoning and rotation into Nigeria’s political vocabulary.

Yakasai, who is the leader of the Northern Elders Forum, told THEWILL: “I was a member of the NPN in the second republic. It was that principle that brought everybody together.

The NPN did not belong to the Yoruba, the Igbo or the Hausa.

We were all equal partners in the NPN.” When asked why the same principle that made everybody equal partners in the NPN was causing so much heat in the polity, the one-time political adviser to late President Shehu Shagari on the platform of NPN, said frontally, “You asked THEWILLNIGERIA

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me about 2023 presidency, whether it should be zoned to a particular place? Let me tell you the truth, I am tired of the American presidential system. I prefer Nigeria adopting the French system of government. We are thinking of changing the constitution. I hope they will do that, so that this country, whether we love it or not, can move forward. The mindset of whether it is North or South will be taken care of. With the French system, if the president is coming from the North, the prime minister will come from the South or vice versa. There will be peace and harmony in the country as well as team work and synergy.”

UNCERTAINTY OF ZONING Surprisingly, many of the presidential aspirants are also exploiting the membership of groups that would boost their chances.

At the meeting of The 2022 Committee in Lagos, a bipartisan group which has President Buhari's backing, for instance, one

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According to them, the zone deserves to produce the next president because of its people’s “eminent qualifications and overwhelming contributions to the development of all parts of the federation through the years,” adding that zoning the presidential tickets of parties to the South-East would be “the best way of ensuring that we build a nation that leaves no one or group behind.”

Those who spoke include former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe; former Abia State governor, Theodore Orji; PDP Vice-National Chairman, South-East, Ali Odefa, and former Imo State chairman, National Population Commission, Duru Iheoma.

According to Abaribe, “Igbos have all it takes to rule this country and make it better again, therefore, I encourage all Nigerians to support this noble intention.”

Anyim described the South-East as a good market for presidential material and sees no reason why any other region would want to rob the Igbo of the chance of producing the next President of Nigeria.

DYNAMICS OF ZONING FOR 2023 The signal from the meeting of The 2022 Committee, which was attended by the who-is-who in both political parties, especially the Chairmen of the Governors Forum of each of the parties, namely, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bagudu Atiku of the Progressives Governors Forum of the APC and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Kayode Fayemi, to discuss and chart a new course for Nigeria’s survival, is that there is a movement towards an inter–party consensus on who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

Given the prevailing sentiments in the country, particularly with many prominent northerners, such as Governors Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Nasril el-Rufai of Kaduns State and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, rooting for a southern candidate as president in consonance with the decision of the Southern Governors Forum, there is every likelihood that both political parties may zone the presidency to the South.

Between them, the APC, more than the PDP, is poised to zone its presidential ticket to the South. THEWILL has learnt that the party is eyeing a candidate from the South-South with an Igbo background that would serve as a bridge between the South-South and South-West geo-political zones.

For now however, there is no telling how the two major political parties will ride the stormy zoning arrangement ahead of the 2023 general election

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

NEWS NITDA Hosts Engagement Session to Discuss Digitiation in Nigeria

BY JOY ONUORAH

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he National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, recently held a stakeholders' engagement session at the Lagos Chamber for Commerce and Industry, Ikeja Lagos, to analyse the prospects, constraints of digitalisation, entrepreneurial evolution and the ramifications of the digital economy for Nigeria.

L-R: Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Mohammed Abdullahi; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN; Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr.

Abdullahi Sule, and CEO, Millard Fuller Homes, Nigeria, Mr. Sam Odia, during the commissing of 248 Home GrandLuvu 3B Estate in Masaka, Nasarawa State on February 11, 2022.

Yelwa Zangam Attack: Lalong Received Security Alert 3 Days Earlier FROM UKANDI ODEY, JOS

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he Executive Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State, Hon Joshua Ubandoma Laven, has said that Governor Simon Lalong received a security alert warning of an impending attack on Yelwa Zengam community in Jos North Local Government Area three days before it occurred.

Addressing journalists in Jos, the local government chair also said security reports on the attacks, including the August 2021 attacks on villages in Irigwe in Bassa Local Government Area, were received during a meeting of the State Security Council.

He said it was unfortunate that the Simon Lalong administration is more reactionary than proactive and had always failed to act to save the lives of the citizens by deploying security and other measures to avert the attacks.

Describing the issue of autonomy for LGAs in Plateau as a farce, Ubandoma noted that Governor Lalong was desperate to obstruct and truncate his tenure as chairman of Langtang North LGA because he had spoken the truth to power and exposed a lot of misdeeds by

the state government.

He claimed that he had alerted the world to the influx of bandits into southern Plateau, but was dismissed and chastised as crying wolf for no reason only to learn, four months later, that the Emir of Wase, Alhaji Mohammed Sambo Haruna, lamented that 50 per cent of his domain had been overrun by bandits.

Ubandoma expressed misgivings about the bridge project being embarked upon by the government, noting that it is important for the government to declare a time frame for the project and justice be done to those who are entitled to compensation as a result of the project, which completion he doubted would be feasible by May 29, 2023.

Also speaking on the occasion, a member of the Plateau State House of Assembly representing Langtang North Central State Constituency, Hon Daniel Nanbon Listic, said the current status of the House is that all members have agreed to come together to straighten certain procedures that were breached as it lapsed into acrisis, insisting that the issue of who will be speaker of the House should be considered immaterial for now.

3 Die, 1 Injured in Ogun Road Accident FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR hree persons have died in a multiple road accident that occurred on the Ogun State stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

One person sustained injuries, while the others were unhurt.

The crash involved four vehicles: an IVECO truck with registration number SSU517XA, a MAN diesel container with registration number T- 8493LA and two HOWO trucks.

The Superintendent Route Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Florence Okpe said the cause of the accident was over speeding, which led to loss of control on the part of the driver of one of the vehicles.

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Lab Scientists Urge Rivers to Tackle Healthcare Challenge

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he Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has appealed to the Rivers State Government to declare a state of emergency on healthcare delivery in the South-East Senatorial Zone of the state.

Mr Fred Uwikor, the Vice Chairman of the association, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) last Thursday in Port Harcourt.

He noted that the people of the area had generally resorted to self-medication following the inadequacy in the healthcare delivery for residents in rural communities within the zone.

“We want to appeal to the Rivers State government to, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the tertiary hospital sited in Bori, Gokana local government area, is commissioned and put to use.

“This will help to bridge the existing gap in healthcare delivery in the zone.

“The Bori facility when put in use will become the highest facility catering for health needs of the people of the Rivers South-east senatorial zone.

“We are also appealing to the government to reopen the Andoni General Hospital in Ngo town so that secondary cases could be managed there while more challenging cases could be referred to the Bori facility.

“We look forward to issuing a paper on our position on healthcare in Rivers State and I think, the loophole in Andoni LGA in respect to healthcare delivery will form part of our advice,” he added.

The medical personnel explained that as part of celebration for the group’s She said that officials of the FRSC annual Biomedical Week, its free medical were on ground to carry out the rescue programmes were ways to give back to the operations from the crash, which society.

occurred 200 metres to a Danco petrol “We choose any community within a local filling station situated on the expressway. area in the state and dedicate a day for our Okpe said the injured victims refused to free medical programme. be taken to hospital for medical attention, “We yesterday visited Andoni LGA: sincerely; while the corpses of the deceased were the people in that area are suffering because deposited in the mortuary at Idera of the medical inadequacy in the area Hospital.

“We saw that there were ailments that had The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ogun Sector Command, Commander A Umar, cautioned motorists against violating speed limits and advised them to apply common sense when visibility is poor.

been left untreated. The people have resorted to self-medication because they don’t have an option,” he said.

He noted, “Most of the cases we saw during the exercise needed a longer clinical management.

The session, which was themed, ‘Creating opportunities, breaking boundaries: Towards digitalisation and entrepreneurial evolution’, was specifically intended to provide a forum where vital insights and aids in breaking down barriers to digitisation and evolution could be discussed by the stakeholders in various facets ranging from education, health, finance, agriculture and telecommunication. More so, the session evaluated areas through which start-ups can maximize the evolution of technology to grow their business across Nigeria, Africa and the other continents just like businesses in other continents have been able to reach even the deepest parts of Africa through digitization.

In the keynote speech at the forum on behalf of the Lagos State Government, the Honourable Commissioner for the Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, Hakeem Popoola Fahm, noted that digital technologies have larger consequences for value creation and value capture than merely providing new options for inventors and entrepreneurs.

In his words, “The digital revolution has transformed our lives and societies at an unprecedented rate and scale, bringing enormous benefits and, of course, terrible problems. New technologies have the potential to make major contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but favorable outcomes must not be taken for granted.”

The Commissioner further stated that NITDA, since its establishment in April 2001 to carry out the Nigerian Information Technology Policy and oversee general information technology development, has continued to build a framework for the planning, research, development, standardization, implementation, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and regulation of information technology practices, activities, and systems in Nigeria.

“The NITDA has been Nigeria's primary Agency in charge of e-government implementation, Internet governance, and general IT development. However, the introduction of unique and powerful digital technologies, platforms and infrastructures has fundamentally altered innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said.

Fahm further noted that collective effort has to be made to bridge the digital divide where the majority of people have limited or no Internet access. He mentioned that inclusivity is critical to creating a digital economy that works for everyone.

Hence, new technologies, such as blockchain, machine learning and, in particular, artificial intelligence, will surely result in a significant shift in the labour market, including the elimination of jobs in some sectors and the development of changes in others on a vast scale.

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POLITICS

Osun 2022: PDP, APC Set for Primaries On his part, Yusuf said he was ready for the APC primary election.

“I am prepared and ready for APC primary election and election proper in Osun State. Whichever modality they want to adopt, this time around, we are ready.

“The prayer and the appeal to our party leaders is that there must be a level playing ground for the election to be free and transparent.

“Osun State people need a break and change. The only way to achieve this is for politicians to eschew violence and stop the idea of do-or-die. Osun State belongs to all of us”.

Oyetola

Adeleke

In the past weeks, Oyetola has been going round the state to commission projects and he used the opportunity to seek support for his desire for a second term in office.

BY AYO ESAN he two main political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently girding their loins to ensure that their candidates are chosen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the July 16, 2022 Osun State governorship election within the stipulated time.

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APC has released a revised time-table and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2022 Governorship Primary Election in the state.

The party fixed the sale of the forms at N22.5million and the nomination form at N20 million.

According to a notice signed by the National Secretary, APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, the expression of interest form costs N2.5million, while female aspirants and physically challenged aspirants are required to pay 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.

Akpanudoedehe explained that the time-table is in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

According to the Time- table, the last day for submission of completed forms and accompanying documents at the APC National Secretariat was Wednesday, February 9, 2022, while screening of aspirants took place on Thursday, February 10.

The publication of claims and objections is scheduled for Saturday February 12, 2022 and screening appeals fixed for Thursday, February 15, while primary election will hold on Saturday, February 19 and primary election appeal will be heard on Tuesday, February 22.

The main aspirants for the Osun governorship election are the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola; a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon, Najeem Salam; former Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf.

Governor Oyetola, Adeoti and Yusuf were screened last Thursday at the APC’s headquarters in Abuja.

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Adeoti had left the party to contest the governorship poll in the 2018 election on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), but he returned to the APC in 2019.

Initially it was gathered that The Osun Progressives (TOP), a group loyal to the former governor of the state and the current Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, will adopt one of the trio of Yusuf, Adeoti and Salam as its aspirant for the February 19, 2022 primary election.

As at the time of writing this report, it is gathered that TOP favoured Adeoti to contest for the party’s governorship ticket with Oyetola, after a rigorous selection process, which featured him, Yusuf and Salam.

Adeoti, Yusuff and Salam had earlier expressed their readiness to work together to rescue the party from what they described as imminent electoral defeat.

The secretary of TOP, Lani Baderinwa, who is also a former Commissioner of Information in the state, confirmed that the group picked Adeoti because he is well tutored politically and he is from the Osun West Senatorial District which, it was agreed, deserves to produce the next governor.

Baderinwa said that Adeoti was chosen after a rigorous selection process, adding that Yusuf, who had obtained the governorship nomination form and submitted it, will not be contesting for the party’s ticket as an aspirant from TOP. He said, “After rigorous selection process, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti emerged from amongst the three aspirants who are with us. So Adeoti is our choice and we are confident he will win in a free and fair contest.

“Adeoti is a grassroot politician. He is a party man to the core. He is well tutored politically. He is from the Osun West Senatorial District that has suffered untold marginalisation in the governance of Osun since the creation of the state. He is bold and courageous. He could be very loyal and resilient.

He may have his personal foibles, like all humans, but his positive attributes outweigh his negative ones.”

On the coming primary election, Baderinwa said, “We hope the National Secretariat will provide a level playing ground for all aspirants. This is key to the essence of the exercise.”

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In the PDP, six aspirants were screened and cleared to contest the party’s primary election scheduled for March 7, 2022. They are Senator Ademola Adeleke, Akin Ogunbiyi, Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade and Dele Adeleke.

The Party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, said, “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, at its 544th meeting on January 26, 2022, after a careful consideration, approved the Osun State Screening Committee and Appeal Panel reports, which cleared all the six governorship aspirants.”

The statement also revealed that the party’s primary election to pick a standard bearer for the July governorship election will take place on Monday, March 7, 2022.

However, the PDP outlined its activities, ahead of the primary. They include the Osun State stakeholders’ meeting with the NWC holding in Abuja on February 1, 2022; ward congresses to elect ad-hoc ward delegates betweenn February 16 and 17 and local government congresses to elect one national delegate per local government on February 26, 2022.

One of the PDP aspirants, Akin Ogunbiyi, has the backing of Olasoji Adagunodo, the National Vice Chairman, South West of the party and Senator Ademola Adeleke has the backing of Sunday Bisi, the incumbent PDP chairman in Osun State.

Political analysts believe that both aspirants will fight for the soul of the PDP in the primary election. They were the two leading aspirants in the party’s 2018 primary.

Political observers believe the PDP in Osun state can be put in two categories or camps. The Senator Ademola Adeleke’s camp, which has the support of the Sunday Bisi - led state executive committee and the other camp comprising of Sanya Omirin, Dotun Babayemi, Fatai Akinbade, Bamidele Adeleke and Akin Ogunbiyi, who have decided to align themselves with the other faction of the party in the state under the proxy leadership of Wale Ojo, who is standing in for Adagunodo.

The aspirants are working round the clock and perfecting their strategies but political observers believe it is likely that the other five PDP aspirants will come together to choose a consensus candidate that will contest against Ademola Adeleke in the primary election.

One significant scenario is that the two parties, the APC and PDP are embroiled in intra- party crises. It is believed that any of them that solves its internal problems on time may win the governorship election in July.

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

POLITICS/INTERVIEW

Demand For Zonal President, Part of Federal Character Principle – Prof Olukotun Professor Ayo Olukotun is the Director of the Oba S.K Adetona Institute of Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. In this interview with AMOS ESELE, the scholar and media expert speaks on topical political and social issues trending in the country. Excerpts:

Is it not a disturbing statement coming from the commander-In-chief of the country’s armed forces, more so at the level of investors?

Not necessarily, if it is interpreted to mean that if I reveal whom I am supporting for the presidency in 2023, the person may be in serious trouble.

Investors and most people know that politics in Nigeria is a zero sum game, that it conflates and the stakes are high.

Do you think the general election will be held next year, considering the worsening insecurity in the country?

I think the election will be held. The model to the world is Anambra where security forces overwhelmed the opposition. By that, I mean those who were opposed to the election taking place. Given that model, I am convinced that the election will hold.

Really?

Yes, we do not yet have urban guerrilla warfare in the country. What we have is banditry, mostly operating in the rural areas where the strength of police is yet to reach. They operate in the hinterland where, for example, distress calls in distant places cannot be heard instantly. If you check the location many schools that have fallen into the hands of the bandits are fairly in the rural areas. In cases where you have urban guerrilla warfare you have to fear. The worst that may happen is that some states like Zamfara where banditry has spread fast. But remember that even PAGE 10

in Borno State where Boko Haram held sway for many months, elections still held there.

Coming to the election, the INEC has called on the executive and lawmakers to speed up the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment to enable the Commission meet its timelines for the conduct of the 2023 poll. What is your take on that?

Well, yes I agree that the conduct of elections must be done with timelines. But I think we have enough time to expedite the process to pass the Electoral Act if we do it in the next one or two weeks. But if there is further delay they may have issues with the delay.

Do you think electronic transmission of results will make voting more representational as has been canvassed by those who are calling for a more transparent way of conducting our elections?

I think electronic transmission of election results will make voting more transparent. In the past, results were pre- determined and ballot boxes were snatched. But if there is collusion in terms of what is fed into the computer, things may remain the same. That may be difficult because agents of political parties would help by being transparent.

Yes, electronic transmission of results will reduce tampering with the results.

What do you think of the current clamour for a president of southern Nigerian origin in 2023?

Is it democratic?

It depends. If the political parties have zoning arrangements in their constitution, whether it is zonal or geographic, they have to respect it. In a federal constitution you have laws such as what we call consociation. It is like safeguards that ensure that no part of the country is marginalised. It is part of the federal character principle we operate in the constitution and also the affirmative process. If it is agreed by consensus that the presidency must rotate, so be it. If the North has had it, it must go South. It is not what can be enforced anyway. So you have to allow candidates from the North to contest as well.

Olukotun

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s a political scientist and media expert, how would you interpret President Muhammdau Buhari’s recent disclosure that if he named his successor, the candidate might be assassinated?

Well, it could mean several things. One of the things he may be saying is that all eyes would be on the person. The preferred candidate may be excessively targeted as president- in -waiting and with regards to the kind of political violence in the country; assassination has become a means of settling political disputes. Again, it could be interpreted to mean that.

Focus on gender issues have recently heightened ahead of the 2023 general election. One aspect focuses on gender discrimination, which Senator Biodun Olujimi has proposed in the Senate. The other by Honourable Onyegeochia proposes to make it constitutional to reserve some electoral seats for women. Do you think it is discriminatory to make it mandatory to reserve seats for women, as some opinion molders have said?

Not necessarily. Gender equality is a universal thing. Remember the Beijing Conference in the 1990s which mandated governments to give women 35 per cent participation in their administration, while for the United Nations, it is about 30 per cent. Nigeria is far short of that. That THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS the country?

They should not give up. I do not expect a 30-yearold man to have the kind of money that an Adenuga or a Dangote has. It takes time to gather wealth unless you come from a wealthy family. Now, we have youths in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. Change is incremental, so they should not be discouraged.

Currently raging in the polity is the issue of petroleum subsidy removal or continuity.

There is a prevailing agreement that government should remove it and let market forces determine the product. Where do you stand on this issue?

Not everybody agreed that petroleum subsidies should be removed. This is because there are several issues involved. It involves the exchange rate, importation of fuel and the refineries that are not working. The NNPC is giving conflicting figures. NNPC has come up with the figure of N3trillion and everybody is querying that, saying we do not use such an amount of fuel. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has said that there is a lot of corruption involved in the subsidy regime.The issue is that we need to build our refineries. Maybe when the Dangote refinery and petrochemical and modular refineries come, we will not be forced by the regime. If we do not import and we depend on locally refined fuel, subsidy will not be a difficult thing.

There is the thinking that the government was playing politics when it postponed removing the subsidy as it had planned repeatedly before the consideration of the electoral impact it may have in the 2023 election. What is your take on this?

I said that much in my article for the week published in The Punch. I said in a portion of the piece referring to subsidy that “all kinds of unusual favours for well-known reasons. Recall the famous words of the Swiss philosopher, J. J. Rousseau, made centuries ago, that “the people of England regards itself as free, but it is grossly mistaken; it is free only during the election of members of parliament. As soon as they are elected, slavery overtakes it…”

The Buhari administration’s eight years of socalled reformism, we have come full circle regarding the abracadabra of subsidy, resulting in a gargantuan foreign debt and the spectre of national bankruptcy.

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If the political parties have zoning arrangements in their constitution, whether it is zonal or geographic, they have to respect it. In a federal constitution you have laws such as what we call consociation

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is what affirmative action seeks to bring about. As for making it a constitutional thing, there will still be public hearings where it can still be shortened by those opposed to it. It should be properly looked into, the pros and cons could be looked into. The phrasing could be looked at, settled and amended.

But in general, I support affirmative action for women considering, among other things, that 49 per cent of the population, according to the last census, is made up of women. Change is by choice of the leaders and their inclination. When you make it constitutional it becomes the grundnorm and has to be obeyed.

Do you think Nigerian youths stand a chance of making good the motive of the Not-TooYoung-to-Run law in the monetised politics of

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“This apart, the Minister for Finance, Zainab Ahmed, confirmed recently that the deepening suffering of Nigerians as a result of high inflation is one of the reasons why the removal of fuel subsidy earlier slated for June has been put on hold.

“The eternally opaque Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation told us that Nigerians consume fuel to the tune of 65.7 million litres daily and that it will require a sum of N3 trillion to underwrite the cost of the postponement of fuel subsidy removal by 18 months.

“Unsurprisingly, an irate Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum fired back that “there is a lot of fraud in consumption and distribution figures,”suggesting that no one is sure anymore about the competing and contradictory figures churned out by NNPC.” PAGE 11

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POLITICS

Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency Deserves More Government Presence – Okolugbo in places that previously lacked good roads. That is why they call him road master in the state.

A former Commissioner with the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC) aspiring to represent Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State in the 2023 general election,Sir Ken Okolugbo,speaks on issues affecting Delta State and the Peoples Democratic Party in this interview with AYO ESAN. Excerpts:

Okowa’s government is the first in the state, I stand to be corrected, that has been able to build technical colleges in all the senatorial districts of the state. These new technical colleges will be able to equip people who can become gainfully employed. He has started empowerment programmes through small and medium scale industries, in the form of training the youths and equipping them. This is intended to assist the youths who cannot get employment from the state government. You know you cannot satisfy everybody. Nevertheless, Okowa's government should be given a pass mark for what he has done in the last six and half years in Delta State.

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You once served as a Commissioner at DESOPADEC. Many people in your area, especially youths, benefitted from DESOPADEC through you. How do you intend to satisfy their yearning when you become a member of the Federal House of Representatives?

When I was in DESOPADEC, I was in the executive. I couldn't give the people jobs, like you rightly said, but we gave them 600 tricycles. They were able to use that to earn a living. I know for one that it may not be as easy as when I was in DESOPADEC. But one thing I can assure the youths is that I will get the Federal Government to provide an enabling environment by seeking infrastructural changes that will take place in the areas that would create opportunities for employment. I will also be able to attract empowerment programmes from the Federal Government.

Your declaration for a seat in the House of Representatives is the first official announcement by any aspirant in your Federal Constituency. How are you so sure of securing the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket for the seat?

Well, the truth about it is that the PDP ticket is very competitive in Delta State in a sense that the state has been like a oneparty state and that includes Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency. We have never really had representation from the opposition parties at Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency.

So I know the party's ticket will be quite competitive. I intend to make myself available. I have declared during consultation with the delegates to make myself available on the day of the primary and to make them understand why I should be the one to be elected during the delegates congregation for a primary election to pick a representative for the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency.

What do you think makes you stand out among other aspirants?

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Look at the Federal Secretariat, for example. The governor has been able to get all the ministries to move into one building.

Then you now know that the money that is being paid for rent will now be saved. Apart from saving them money, those areas have also been filled up by people who want to carry out more infrastructural exchanges, in terms of investments, like I told you we are having in Asaba right now.

Okolugbo

ou recently indicated an intention to contest the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency election come next year. What informed your decision?

One of the things that informed my decision is the degradation and the neglect that my people in Ndokwa have suffered in the hands of the Federal Government. I have also looked at the representation we have had in the last 12 years and I felt it was below average. As a legislator, I know I have to make laws and act as an oversight to the executive. Above all, I am also expected to attract infrastructural development to my area, which is Ndokwa/Uwani Federal Constituency. The only way I can do this is by raising my representation above board and also engaging in interface with the necessary Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). It is through MDAs that I can get budgetary provisions in order to improve the infrastructural development of my area. Again, my area is one that is rich in gas. Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani are also oil producing areas. We have marginal fields and we actually export crue oil . So if we have such a federal contituency that is contributing so much to the national purse, I see no reason why we should be in the kind of state that we are in, in terms of federal government presence in Delta State. Mainly what we have in this area are state government developmental projects.

That is one of the reasons that have informed my decision to represent the people.

“

Again, my area is one that is rich in gas. Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani are also oil producing areas.

We have marginal fields and we actually export crue oil . So if we have such a federal contituency that is contributing so much to the national purse, I see no reason why we should be in the kind of state that we are in, in terms of federal government presence in Delta State

My report card is one thing that makes me stand out. When I was in DESOPADEC, I was able to complete 90 projects. Our people say, the festival will be successful starts from the breaking of firewood. If I should judge by my performance during the time that I served as a commissioner in DESOPADEC, then they should be rest assured that I will not fail them by the time I get to the Federal House of Representatives.

Let us look at Delta State under the PDP-government led

by Ifeanyi Okowa. How has it been in the last six and half years?

Okowa's governnent has done very well. If you look at Asaba today, it is the next tourist destination in Nigeria. You can't believe it that for you to get hotel accommodation in Asaba, you must book three to five days ahead and more hotels are still springing up. But the best way to judge whether the government is doing well is the level of infrastructural development in the state. The value of land in the state capital has appreciated.

The values of properties have multiplied and people are eager to invest, whether foreign local direct investment, in Asaba.

Governor Okowa has been able to provide roads infrastructure

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and some APC stalwarts in Delta State are boasting that APC will win next year's governorship election in the state. What is your reaction to this?

Well, I think the Deputy Senate President is hoping that the PDP will be a divided house. How can the APC win a governorship election in the state if the house of the PDP is not divided?

First and foremost, Omo-Agege, with all due respect, is a product of the PDP. He served as an Executive Assistant, commissioner and secretary to the state government under a PDP government. If he knows too much and too well about how the PDP became entrenched in the 25 local government areas and all the Wards in Delta State, he cannot boast of the same in the APC. The APC is divided in Delta State. Festus Keyamo is not with Omo-Agege. Victor Ochei and a couple of others are not with him, too. The two names I mentioned, one is a director in NIMASA, and the other is a Minister. When you don't put your house in order, you may not count them as having a strong political strength. But it is definitely going to hurt the deputy Senate President when he goes to the poll.

You must put your house in order first before going to poach other places. And when you are poaching, poach those who are relevant. I see most of the people who defected to APC in Delta State as those who have outlived their usefulness in the PDP. And they are not commanding the followership as they were used to doing. They want to find where they will be relevant.

So I don't see how the APC will win the governorship election in Delta State. If they want to rely on an implosion, there may not be any implosion. This is because, the way the PDP has been structured in Delta State, the governor is not out to encourage a primary that will be tilted towards an aspirant in the governorship, senatorial or even in the other sectors. I don't see any implosion happening in Delta PDP. How would you advise political leaders and PDP elders in your constituency, regarding your aspiration to represent them at the National Assembly?

I would appeal to them to go for merit. In terms of merit, I don't think there is anybody that can beat my record. The records are there. The first Glass House that was built in the whole of the local government area was done under my watch. Today, it is housing an educational institution. I reconstructed a lot of primary school buildings. I started many health care centres from the scratch. I provided vehicles for our foremost union. So they should look at merit and allow us to have for the first time a representative that will listen to the elders . That is one of the things I promised my people. I promise to engage the elders and listen to their wise counsel. Nobody can do it alone.

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

FEATURE When Men of God Get It Wrong during the polls in Anambra. As for the far-seeing prophet, the “massive death” he saw existed only in his imagination. It didn’t come to pass.

Also failing to come to pass was the 2019 prediction of Bishop Wale Olagunju, Presiding Bishop of Divine Seed of God Chapel Ministries at Ibadan, Oyo state. Shortly before the presidential election that year, the man of God quickly congratulated Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. Olagunju made it clear who the winner was going to be, according to revelations from God.

With oracular confidence, they tell us what is to come before they happen, to men in power, events big and small and, lately, results of continental competitions like the just-concluded Africa Cup of Nations. Days before the epic clash between Egypt and Senegal, an unnamed man of God told the world an Arab country was going to win. His prediction failed, prompting THEWILL to consult its own Ouija board on preachers/ pastors whose prophecies have been wide off the mark. MICHAEL JIMOH reports….

“Let me congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari for winning the ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress, and let me also make it clear to him that he will lose to Atiku Abubakar,” Olagunju declared with all magisterial authority.

“Let me also congratulate Atiku in advance because he will win the next presidential election come 2019.”

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f there is any man of God in Nigeria today who deserves a medal for failed predictions, it has to be Senior Pastor of Household of God Church, Chris Okotie. Sometime in 2002, the articulate preacher surprised Nigerians with a stunning declaration that God had revealed to him to contest the forthcoming 2003 presidential election. The divine instruction did not stop there. He will also win if he contested.

In the end, there were no congratulatory messages, not from Atiku to Buhari because he alleged that INEC servers broke down thus denying him crucial votes. It also turned out Olagunju sent a premature congratulatory message to Atiku because he did not win.

Of course, Nigerians know very well the outcome of that election.

If the first prediction failed, was a second one necessary? Once beaten, so the saying goes, twice shy. Not Okotie! The pastor sort of rehashed the same vision he’d seen before concerning his political ambition, another call four years after the first one. God had spoken to Okotie once again and, surer than ever, he will contest and win.

Like the first prophecy, if it can even be called that, this one failed again and the man of God was left to continue his ecclesiastical duties at his church in Ikeja instead of calling the shots from Aso Villa in Abuja.

Anyone will reasonably expect that after these two failed predictions, there would be no need for another. Na lie o. A good eight years after the second prophecy, the charismatic preacher let on what God told him again prompting him to contest the presidential election of 2015.

“I will run in 2015, God willing,” Okotie said at the time. “God spoke to me about my participation in the political process, which was why I took the step in the first place. He has not said anything contrary. I don’t want to talk about our strategy for now, we have learnt from our past experience, we don’t want to talk about it for now.”

Without ever being a councilor let alone member of the House of Assembly, the presidential wannabe lost yet again, making him a serial loser in the history of presidential elections in Nigeria, second only to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari who lost in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Though he was not a contestant when he made his Delphic pronouncement in 2002, Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly also spoke concerning a politician, former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He was more graphic in his interpretation of the vision from God he saw concerning the former prez. Bakare told Nigerians and the rest of the world that he saw the soldierturned politico tantalized with a crown which was never really placed on his head. The first crown, according to him, was taken away as quickly as it was lowered on OBJ’s head. The second was of death. A soldier who has been to several wars shouldn’t be afraid of death. Abi? It is doubtful if Obasanjo ever paid serious attention to Bakare’s doomsday warning. Needless to say that OBJ served for eight long years and is now drinking water and, as the Yoruba say, putting the cup down on the table in his house.

Every now and then preachers, prophets and men of God in Nigeria try to outdo one another in the number of visions they see concerning politicians home and abroad. Why it is so is not exactly clear. Nearly all of the prophecies were wise off the mark.

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the failed ones in 2016. He cast his gaze on the presidential election in faraway United States and divined that Hilary Clinton of the Democratic Party was going to win against Donald Trump of the Republican Party. The realtor-turned-politician won giving the lie to Joshua’s unsolicited message from God. Also unasked for was Pastor Samuel Akinbodunse’s vision and declaration in 2019 that PMB will not win the presidential election of that year. Akinbodunse is based in South Africa from where he lobbed his prophetic warning to the president, pleading with Nigerians to caution PMB. “Please Nigerians, warn Buhari that he is going beyond his boundary,” the man of God thundered. “That the Lord said his tenure is once and not twice. If not, he will not see the election o. If you know him and how to email the Presidency of Nigeria, please write him a text. If he made a mistake to campaign for elections, before they vote, he will die.”

As if to lend credence to his own warning, Akinbodunse insisted he was not fibbing. “And I am saying the truth, I am saying the truth,” he went on. “Tell him the same voice that spoke when people said Jonathan would be the President of Nigeria, the same voice is speaking to him that he must not make that mistake. Let him eat whatever he wants to eat inside sugar that he is now and leave the sugar ‘jejely’. If not, he will die. That is just the message.”

Last November, another prophet had a message for the people of Anambra state during the governorship election. IPOB had been mulling a sit-at-home order so as to truncate the polls. Whether that emboldened Prophet Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere aka Odumeje is hard to say.

In a video that went viral before the Anambra polls, Odumeje told his parishioners that what he saw was violence. “The future I am looking at, everybody will be shocked because there will massive death. I am seeing a massive death. And it shall be gun to gun.”

“I am looking at an election that will come in Anambra state.

Be praying. I don’t see elections, I see deaths. I see deaths of guns[sic]. I don’t see the election holding. I have been praying and telling God. Because I am seeing where people kill people.

Don’t say I did not said [sic] it.”

Of course, INEC conducted a free and fair election in the state.

For whatever reason(s), IPOB called off the sit-at-home order

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Supposed men of God in Nigeria sometimes turn their attention away from politics and politicians and crystal-gaze on something else. Sports is one. They also miss by a very wide margin.

Pastor Simeon Ononogbu of Ebonyi state had prophesied that the Falcons of Nigeria – the national female football team – will reach the semis in the Women’s World Cup held in France in the summer of 2019. He also said France will be fifth. Both predictions were wrong.

In a show of contrition, Ononogbu told reporters who met and spoke with him afterwards: “It is a pity that the prediction on the Falcons failed which means that it was not a revelation from God. We have so many spirits that can deceive people and if we are not careful, we will make mistakes such as this.”

Why do men of God make predictions? To shore up their reputation – especially spiritually that they do, as a matter of fact, possess powers beyond mere mortals like us. And what if the predictions never come to pass? Are they to be taken as messages from God? Of course, no. The scripture is very clear on that because God cannot lie. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD,” according to Deutronomy 18:22, “if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

As it is, nothing suggests Nigerian men of God will discontinue their prophetic utterances anytime soon. Just last week, one Adegbite bee-lined it from Isolo to THEWILL’s GRA, Ikeja office.

It was an unscheduled meeting and he requested to see the editor, Olaolu Olusina. He described himself as a pastor of a church of no specific denomination, though. He went on to say he read something in the newspaper he felt he should respond to and it was urgent, which was why he came in person.

However weird or cranky they come or sound and, out of forced civility, editors oblige such visitors, those with a comment, say, complaint, suggestion, or, in the case of the August visitor, predictions.

In his telling, he saw Atiku and his running mate General Onyeabor Ihejirika, former Chief of Army Staff, winning the 2023 presidential election. It was an urgent matter for which he wanted a direct contact with the former veep.

Of course, the editor baulked and showed the man the door. But he wouldn’t go just like that. He asked to see the editor privately outside the office – probably to ask for a little something for his pains. Olusina disobliged him this time.

The most lesson to learn from those with false predictions/ prophecies can be taken from a favourite George Orwell quip: “lending an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

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EDITORIAL

Lessons to Learn From AFCON 2021

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n Sunday, February 6, at the first Africa Cup of Nations to be played in Cameroon since 1972, Senegal finally took home the coveted trophy after two previously unsuccessful attempts. The Lions of Teranga defeated the Pharoahs of Egypt 4-2 on penalties after the final ended 0-0 after 120 minutes of deadlocked football. Liverpool FC's Sadio Mane scored the winning penalty kick after he had missed a crucial first attempt early in the final. He finished the competition as AFCON 2021 best footballer.

However, the duty of every serious football association across the continent is to take stock of the teachable moments that were available for learning at the tournament and effect the appropriate changes in the football system and culture that will leave their national teams in better stead.

Any other nation wishing to follow in Senegal's footsteps and win AFCON for the first time or add to the multiple times they have clinched the trophy in the past will have to make conscious, disciplined and consistent efforts to prevail over the odds stacked up against them.

Much has been made of the claim that there are no minnows left in African football. The competition in Cameroon took it upon itself to provide indubitable evidence to back up this claim. AFCON debutants in the Comoros and Gambia gave an excellent account of themselves as they progressed through tough

group stages to the knockout stage and the quarter-finals, respectively.

The Comoros team stood resolutely against hosts and tournament favourites Cameroon without a recognised goalkeeper and with 10-men for most of the game, while Gambia knocked out an impressive Guinean team in a debut tournament to be proud of.

affected no fewer than 12 players, including the coach and had to face Nigeria under the guidance of the assistant coach. It could not be more contrasting that the same Egyptian side that Nigeria defeated in their opener went on to the final, but the Eagles could not go past a poor Tunisia that barely scraped through as third best in Group F.

Countries with far more superior rankings, that were expected to present a serious challenge for the trophy, failed to live up to their billing. The more notable of these disappointing showings at the competition were the duo of defending champions Algeria and Ghana. Algeria had nothing of the form that saw them win the inaugural FIFA Arab Cup as their inability to score and a slew of disallowed goals marked their time in Cameroon before they were bundled home with only one goal to their credit.

The lessons to take home from stocktaking the outcome of Cameroon 2021 are numerous. At the top must be considered the lesson of consistency at the managerial level, which brought Senegal to victory in that fateful February 6 final. The Lions of Teranga have had the same head coach, Aliou Cisse, since 2015 and the strands of progress made overtime, which were obvious at the last AFCON in 2019 when they reached the final but lost to Algeria, reached fruition this year. Cisse, one of the 15 of 24 coaches this year that were native to the countries

Similarly, an underwhelming and disjointed team display saw Ghana unable to qualify for even a measly third slot in a group with teams from Morocco, Gabon and Comoros.

Ghana were so disappointingly poor that Milovan Rajevac was fired after they crashed out bottom of the group.

The contrasting fortunes of debutants and more established teams could not be starker than when x-raying Nigeria's participation in the competition as a whole. The Super Eagles were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition in the very first tie of the knockout stages by the Tunisian Eagles of Carthage.

The Super Eagles, the best team of the competition at the group stage, could not go past a team depleted by positive COVID-19 tests, which

The contrasting fortunes of debutants and more established teams could not be starker than when x-raying Nigeria's participation in the competition as a whole

they were coaching, was also the first Senegalese captain to play in an AFCON final, when Senegal reached their debut final in 2002. It is all evident in the solid experience and proper background rooted in patriotism and wrapped in the loyal confidence reposed on him by the country's football management.

Nigeria can learn from that.

Adequately preparing for sporting competitions has not been the country's forte. Often shoddy, sometimes haphazard, preparation for major tournaments have let down some of the country's best, especially when they have to contend against better-prepared opponents. This was at play in last year's Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and again in Cameroon. The firing of Rohr so close to the start of the competition and the NFF gamble with caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen and Portuguese appointee Jose Peseiro, the latter of which was subsequently rescinded, all display an acute lack of adequate planning.

The furore over attempts by UEFA clubs to withhold players, using COVID-19 as cover, drew the attention of the world to AFCON 2021 and it is to Cameroon's credit that there was no outbreak that made it impossible to continue and that the quality of the broadcast and accompanying organisation did not derail the scheduling.

A stampede that resulted in fatalities marred the overall success of the competition and the attitude of some fans, who resorted to physical violence and online abuse after their team lost, left much to be desired.

Yet, that is also a lesson that the Confederation of African Football can also take home from AFCON 2021.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Austyn Ogannah Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @ THEWILLNG, +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888.

EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com]

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OPI N ION

64 Toasts to Things Fall Apart

BY UZOR MAXIM UZOATU

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his year marks the 64th anniversary of the iconic novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe. It was first published on June 17, 1958 by William Heinemann, London and contains only 50,380 words, but it has packed more influence all over the world than many fatter novels written by masters and wannabes across the globe.

I cannot count the number of the editions of Things Fall Apart I have owned all through the years, but I am embarking on this toast here because I have just lost the edition by my bedside, which was in the big carton of books bought for me by the master poet, Odia Ofeimun, when my library got burnt back then in Lagos.

My long-standing plan had been to write a short story inspired

by Things Fall Apart, or more specifically the tragic hero Okonkwo. I had always kept the novel ready to hand to get cracking on the short story, but now the book is lost and all I have to do for the moment is ruminate on a piece of fiction that changed history.

There is no argument whatsoever that Things Fall Apart has proven to be the single most important piece of literature out of Africa. The 50th anniversary of the novel was celebrated all over the world with festivals, readings, symposia, concerts, etc.

The novel, which has been likened to epic Greek tragedies, has been translated into about 60 languages and has sold well over 10 million copies. It is taught not just in literature classes, but in history and anthropology departments in colleges and universities in all the continents of the world.

The archetypal theme of the meeting of the white world and the black race makes Things Fall Apart an epochal event in the annals of world literature.

The novel tells the deceptively simple story of Okonkwo, a strong man whose life is dominated by the fear of failure. As a teenager, he brought honour to his village by throwing the hitherto unbeatable Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match that transcended the spirit world. His fame spread through the nine villages of Umuofia and even beyond like harmattan bushfire, but he remained troubled that his musician father, Unoka, was a debtor and a failure.

As if to compound matters, Okonkwo notices weakness in his own son Nwoye and he comes to the sad conclusion that raging fire only ends up as impotent ash.

Against the warning of an elder, he kills the ill-fated child Ikemefuna who had been given over to the people of Umuofia as ransom, a child who called him “father”.

An accidental gunshot that kills a fellow villager at a wake leads to Okonkwo being exiled from Umuofia for seven years.

When he comes back from exile he discovers that the Christian missionaries have literally overrun the land and his son Nwoye had joined them.

The white master delivers the temerity of arresting and humiliating Okonkwo and other villagers – and makes Umuofia to pay for their release!

In anger, Okonkwo cuts off the head of the white man’s messenger, but the people of Umuofia would not follow him to war. Then he hangs himself on a tree and ends up being buried by the strangers he had spent his life fighting.

The book works at several levels, and can be read at any age from 10 to 100 and forever. As a child, one can enjoy the incidents such as the wrestling match with Amalinze the Cat, Unoka’s dismissal of his creditor, Okonkwo’s attempted

shooting of one of his wives, the visitation of the masked spirits etc.

Later in life, the many ironies in the book come into play such as the joke on the District Commissioner thinking that Okonkwo’s story can only end up as a paragraph in his planned book, “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger”, without knowing that one Chinua Achebe had taken the thunder from him by giving Okonkwo an entire book in which the story is narrated from inside!

Achebe is justly celebrated for succeeding in changing the perspective of world literature from the gaudy picture of Africa as painted by Europeans such as Joseph Conrad, Joyce Cary and Sir Rider Haggard etc. to the authentic telling of the story by the Africans.

Unlike earlier African writers, such as Guinea’s Camara Laye, author of The African Child, who painted a romantic picture of the continent, Achebe is relentlessly objective in his narration, telling it as it is, warts and all.

It is because of the remarkable success of Things Fall Apart that the publishers Heinemann UK launched the African Writers Series (AWS) in 1962 with Achebe’s first novel as the first title and the intrepid editor, James Currey, as a moving force.

For many years, Achebe served as a non-remunerated Editorial Adviser of the series in which the majority of African writers got their breakthrough in publishing. Things Fall Apart reputedly accounted for 80 percent of the entire revenue of the African Writers Series.

It is because of Things Fall Apart that Nelson Mandela tagged Achebe “the writer in whose hands the prison walls came crashing down.”

Enforcing Good Hygiene in Marketplaces

BY OLUWASEUN BOYE

he marketplace is an important part of a community all over the world. It could be an open square or a place in a commercial location where buying and selling takes place.

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and environmental pollution, as well as illegal dumping of refuse are common, calls for urgent attention from relevant government agencies because of the wider implication to public health.

Wikipedia defines market place or market as a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods.

It is a known fact that the rationale behind environmental sanitation in marketplaces is aimed at reducing the burden of environmental hazards and unhygienic practices that could result in the spread of diseases among buyers and sellers.

By and large, it occupies an important part of any community as it is a warehouse for goods, food items, household commodities and other materials.

However, some markets operate daily and are said to be permanent markets, while others are held once a week or on less frequent and specified days, such as festival days and are said to be periodic markets.

The form that a market adopts depends on its location, population, culture and geographical conditions. The term market covers many types of trading, as market squares, market halls, food halls and their different varieties. Due to this, marketplaces can be situated both outdoors and indoors. Even so, many markets have emerged online, hence the need to ensure and enforce sanity and cleanliness at all times. Marketplaces are key places and should remain clean through the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

In a bid to enforce environmental sanitation at all markets, every Thursdays has been set aside by some state governments in Nigeria for the cleaning of marketplaces. This directive must not be jettisoned. Compliance is crucial and must be enforced. Every stakeholder must take responsibility for this.

Carrying out an effective sanitation exercise across the markets have become a serious challenge in some major cities in Nigeria. There are reported cases of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on major roads, blocking of drainage systems and open defecation are common practices in some major markets.

Experts have warned that some marketplaces, especially those located on the roadside, are exposed to food poisoning, food-borne diseases and loss of lives through road accidents.

The sanitary condition of some of these markets, often littered by refuse, gives serious cause for concern. The lack of toilet facilities compels both sellers and buyers to urinate and defecate in the open and hidden places around the marketplaces, which may in turn, contaminate food items.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances cause more than 200 kinds of diseases, from diarrhoea to cancers. Also an estimated 600 million people – almost one in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated foods. More startling is the discovery that children under five years of age carry 40 per cent of the food-borne disease burden with 125,000 deaths yearly around the world.

WHO also disclosed that diarrhoea is the most common ailment resulting from the consumption of contaminated food, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230,000 deaths every year.

In Nigeria, WHO estimates that more than 200,000 people die of food poisoning by food-borne pathogens (especially Escherichia coli and Salmonella) annually. The deaths are caused by contaminated foods through improper processing, preservation and delivery.

The importance of a hygienic environment cannot be overestimated. According to some scientists, factors that influence the growth of individuals and the nation at large mostly has to do with the hygienic environment.

Unfortunately, various elements that make up the environment, such as, air, water, land and others are being contaminated daily.

Investigation has shown that the poor sanitary condition of some marketplaces can be blamed on the average health worker’s poor attitude to work. Waste disposal officials should also be cautioned to take their jobs seriously and to ensure they evacuate tonnes of refuse littering marketplaces as and when due. Government should ensure that there are sufficient incinerators to serve the people. This inadequacy has led to indiscriminate dumping of refuse on major road.

A polluted environment is a health hazard and it causes several diseases and ailments which endanger the human chances of survival. A visit to some marketplaces in Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ilaro, where noise, water

Another sanitation challenge is buying and selling on the roadsides, which constitutes a serious hindrance to both human and vehicular movement. Everyone can contribute to the maintenance of good hygiene in the marketplace.

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To achieve this, there is a need for periodic cleaning and fumigation of the marketplace. This will go a long way to mitigate the transmission of germs and spread of diseases.

Enforcement officers should first be empowered and saddled with the responsibility of preventing and controlling the spread of diseases in marketplaces and at various communities. Their responsibilities must include periodic inspection of food service, stalls and shops, as well as visits to communities, homes and markets, to ensure compliance with sanitation rules. They should also carry out routine inspections in the markets to ensure a safe and healthy atmosphere for the sale of goods.

There is a need for adequate enlightenment campaigns to reset the mindset of the people in the areas of cleanliness and to discourage unhealthy attitude to issues revolving around good hygiene and sanitation.

To this end, the provision of potable water, toilets and bathrooms, refuse disposal bags or incinerators must be provided by government at all levels, while open urination and defecation, which is rampant among the people, must be curtailed as the resultant effect on the environment will further contribute to environmental degradation.

Furthermore, there is a need an impoved supervision of markets by well-trained, non-corrupt officials equipped with modern sanitation tools to ensure world best health standards across marketplaces.

Buying and selling on access roads within and outside markets, as well as occasional barricading of access roads within the market and its surroundings, thereby leading to unnecessary loss of lives and properties during road accidents, must be prohibited,.

Although government deserves commendation for making efforts to construct modern markets with yellow rooftops across the states, this may not be enough if sanitary workers, heads of marketplaces and other stakeholders do not put in place guidelines that can put an end to the unwholesome practices at the marketplace.

To whom much is given, more is expected, especially from local government authorities, who must take charge as the marketplaces are under their supervision. They must ensure that traders comply with sanitation protocols at all levels by engaging in aggressive campaigns aimed at encouraging citizens to imbibe good sanitation and hygienic practices, as well as take preventive measures, such as keeping the environment clean, ensuring the use of clean and safe water and regular washing of hands with soap and water.

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www. t hew illni g eri a. c om VOL .2 N O.0 7

Kyari

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Bleeding Economy: Paying Deadly Price for Imported Bad Fuel

BY SAM DIALA

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igerians are dripping wet with anger and frustration over the recent importation of adulterated premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol. This has sparked widespread outrage across the country, with many of those whose vehicles were affected threatening legal action.

As expected, the outcry was directed against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), the sole importer of the product who admitted that an adulterated petrol was in circulation.

In a statement by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the agency informed the general public that “limited quantity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as Petrol, with methanol quantities above Nigeria’s specification was discovered in the supply chain.”

“Methanol is a regular additive in Petrol and usually blended in an acceptable quantity.

“To ensure vehicular and equipment safety, the limited quantity of the impacted product has been isolated and withdrawn from the market, including the loaded trucks in transit.

“Our technical team, in conjunction with NNPC Ltd and other industry stakeholders, will continue to monitor and ensure quality petroleum products are adequately supplied and distributed nationwide.

“The source supplier has been identified and further commercial and appropriate actions shall be taken by the Authority and NNPC Ltd.” The NNPC later shifted the blame to private organisations said to have imported the product. The source suppliers were identified as MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando and Duke Oil. But the management of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, one of the alleged defaulting parties, quickly denied involvement in the obnoxious deal.

The oil marketing company, in a statement, said, “It has come to the knowledge of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc (MRS or the company) that ‘MRS’ has been quoted, used speculatively on various social media platforms and in other national dailies as being solely responsible for the importation and distribution of substandard and contaminated Premium Motor Spirits (PMS) in the country.

“We want to reassure the public and all relevant authorities, that ‘MRS’ is a responsible corporate citizen and will not be involved in the purchase, importation, distribution or marketing of substandard petroleum products in Nigeria.

“It is therefore necessary that any news medium, reporting this false information which has resulted in the defamation of the company's brand and image, must immediately refrain Continues on page 33

Addressing Incessant Flight Delays, Cancellations in Nigeria’s Airspace

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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light disruptions in the form delays and cancellations have become very rampant in recent time. The situation has worsened as kidnappers, bandits and armed robbers have taken over many roads in the country, thereby forcing many travellers to embrace air travel as an alternative.

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The adoption of this mode of transport has further put pressure on the few airlines operating in the country, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.

Data obtained by THEWILL from the apex aviation regulatory Continues on page 33

MORE INSIDE PAN Nigeria Ltd Set To Roll Out Chery, Higer Vehicles PAGE 35

Abiodun Woos Foreign Investors On Power, Telecom Services PAGE 35

FMDQ Exchange Endorses Providus Bank’s 100bn Commercial Paper

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MDQ Securities Exchange Limited through its Board Listings and Markets Committee, has approved the registration of the Providus Bank Limited N100 billion Commercial Paper (CP) Programme on its platform.

The registration of the programme strategically positions Providus Bank to Continues on page 35

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AVIATION/ECONOMY Addressing Incessant Flight Delays, Cancellations in Nigeria’s Airspace

Bleeding Economy: Paying Deadly Price for Imported Bad Fuel

Continued from page 16

Continued from page 16

agency Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) indicates that, in the first quarter of2021, 7,554 out of the 14,662 domestic flights operated in the country, were delayed.

Also, 562 flights were delayed out of the 1,871 international flights operated out of the country.

Nine international and 149 domestic flights were cancelled.

According to the NCAA report, currently, there are about nine domestic airlines operating scheduled flights in the country, as 19 airlines operate international flights within and out of Nigeria.

Worried by the negative trend, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, in July 2021 announced that airlines should reimburse passengers after a twohour delay. Six months after that announcement, Nigerians and non-Nigerians who patronise the airlines are yet to benefit from such a directive.

Also, the NCAA had on many occasions urged passengers to take advantage of available consumer protection laws, including compensations for denied boarding, delays and cancellations of flights.

Legally, traveling by air or using air transport services confers certain rights to the passengers.

Some of these rights include the right to the full value for your money; the right to compensation for flight cancellation, delays, damaged/loss baggage and denied boarding for reasons other than technical, weather conditions, air traffic control restrictions, security risks and industrial disputes that affect the operation of the flight, among others.

Even under the Nigerian law, by virtue of Part 19 of the NCAA Consumer Protection Regulations, passengers on domestic flights are guaranteed certain levels of compensation if they are denied boarding or their flight is delayed, or their flight is cancelled.

Sadly, most air travellers are not accorded such rights. It is in the light of the above that the National Assembly decided to intervene in the system.

Speaking recently during the National Assembly joint oversight visit to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA in Lagos, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, said the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is planning to invite the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the DirectorGeneral of NCAA to explain the persistent delays and cancellation of flights.

According to Senator Adeyemi, complaints by passengers on the situation were putting the Industry in a bad light.

Adeyemi also warned that airlines hinging delays on bad weather and operational reasons would no longer be tolerated.

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According to him, real time weather information is provided by the Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NiMET), on a daily basis and wondered why airlines do not put this into consideration to avoid delaying passengers.

“When you get to the airport, there are people who stay as long as four or five hours at the airport. We want to know what the problem is and if there is a need for us to encourage other airlines to come into Nigeria to help us out we will do that because Nigerians want to fly now, the roads are not safe”.

Corroborating Senator Adeyemi, House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Aviation, Hon. Nnaji Nnolim insisted that the National Assembly would need an explanation from the operators, the DG, NCAA and other heads of aviation agencies on this recent development.

“We cannot take it. We will invite all the heads of agencies and discuss this issue of flight delays as it affects everybody because most times we ask them, they say operational reasons, technical reasons or whatever.”

The Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Lawrence Pwajok, assured that all navigational facilities across airports in Nigeria to aid aircraft takeoff and landing in the event of bad weather had been installed.

“We are very objective and very professional when it comes to deployment of safety critical equipment that we are doing 100 per cent in every facility,” he said.

He stated that there had been massive investment in communication, navigation and surveillance facilities to ensure aircraft safety in Nigeria.

To the Chairman United Nigeria Airlines, Chief Obiora Okonkwo, flight delays and cancellations are a big challenge to airlines in the country.

Chief Okonkwo said the inability of the Federal Government to resolve issues around and install airfield lighting at Runway 18L of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos was one of the reasons why there are delays and cancellation of flights.

According to the operator, the Lagos airport and 80-90 per cent of airports in the country run sunset operations hindering airlines.

Lamenting the challenges facing local airlines Okonkwo pointed out that, without AFL, funds are lost, with regard to operating after sunset.

He said that the sunset regime puts a lot of pressure on their operations and their schedule because “you have to schedule to make sure you start your business and end before sunset.”

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from doing so and endeavour to check the facts before printing unauthenticated information and statements, which would affect the goodwill of the company and the investing public.”

The oil marketing firm however stated that it, alongside other four companies, received the product in its depot and distributed the product to only 8 of its stations in Lagos.

“Following delivery into the tank, it was observed that the product appeared hazy and dark; Management immediately directed that further sale(s) should be stopped and the product isolated. Urgent steps were taken to analyze the product to determine the basis for its contamination, “The product analysis revealed that the PMS discharged by MT Nord Ganier had 20% methanol, which is an illegal substance in Nigeria. As a Company, we are aware that alcohol/ethanol is not permitted to be mixed in PMS specification. We immediately informed NNPC, NMDPRA and MOMAN and it was confirmed that other Members had similar experiences.

“As at the time of this Press Release, “MRS” had a total of 350,000 litres in tank at the 8 stations; we await approval from NNPC and NMDPRA for the return of the product.”

“

The product analysis revealed that the PMS discharged by MT Nord Ganier had 20% methanol, which is an illegal substance in Nigeria. As a Company, we are aware that alcohol/ethanol is not permitted to be mixed in PMS specification. We immediately informed NNPC, NMDPRA and MOMAN and it was confirmed that other Members had similar experiences

tests before discharge and also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specification.

“As a standard practice for all PMS imports to Nigeria, the said cargoes were equally certified by inspection agents appointed by the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA). It is important to note that the usual quality inspection protocol employed in both the load port in Belgium and our discharge ports in Nigeria do not include the test for Percent methanol content & therefore the additive was not detected by our quality inspectors” Kyari disclosed.

He said in order to prevent the distribution of the petrol, the company promptly ordered the separation of all un-evacuated volumes and the holding back of all the affected products in transit (both truck & marine).

“All defaulting suppliers have been put on notice for remedial actions and NNPC Ltd is working with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority to take further necessary actions in line with subsisting regulations,” he added.

‘YOU ARE WRONG’ The NNPC management countered MRS’s position.

Explaining how the substandard fuel was imported into the country, the NNPC which manages fuel imports through the government’s Direct-Sale-Direct-Purchase vendors, said that the bad fuel came from Antwerp in Belgium. It listed the vendors as MRS, Oando, Duke Oil and Emadeb/Hyde/AY BUSINESS AS USUAL Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium.

This development came after Nigeria is not strange to subthe federal government had standard petrol. Over the years, said it would carry out a major stakeholders and international investigation to know the observers have maintained that circumstances surrounding the Africa’s largest economy is the importation of adulterated fuel dumping ground for poor quality petrol for which the government into the country. and the people pay deadly prices. It The NNPC Group Managing contributes to killing the economy Director, Mr Mele Kyari, who while subjecting the citizens to a made the disclosure in a media limited standard of living. chat said that quality inspectors initially failed to detect the high In an article published in The level of methanol at the point Guardian in July, 2020, entitled of arrival in Nigeria because “Petrol sold to Nigeria from officials do not usually check for Europe 'dirtier' than black market 'bush' fuel”, the London-based methanol. newspaper revealed that samples “On 20th January 2022, NNPC from illegal refineries in Niger received a report from our delta were found to be of a higher quality inspector on the presence quality than imported petrol. It of emulsion particles in PMS maintained that Nigeria is having cargoes shipped to Nigeria from dirty fuel dumped on it that cannot Antwerp-Belgium,” he said. be sold to other countries with “Cargoes quality certificates issued higher and better implemented at load port (Antwerp-Belgium) by standards.

AmSpec Belgium indicate that the gasoline complied with Nigerian Specification. The NNPC quality “Shell, Exxon, Chevron and other inspectors including GMO, SGS, major oil companies extract and GeoChem and G&G conducted •Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

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CAPITAL MARKET

Investors and Psychology of Earnings Seasons

BY SOLA ONI

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he first quarter of the year is always characterised by announcement of audited financial results by the quoted companies on Nigerian Exchange Group PLC (NGX PLC). One of the key drivers of an efficient market is the availability of authentic and regular information from quoted companies. It is a Post- Listing Requirement that a listed company must submit quarterly and annual financial statements to the Exchange for immediate broadcast to all the Dealing Members.

The immediate announcement is to prevent insider abuse where someone can take advantage of privileged information for purchase or sale of stocks. The Exchange imposes sanctions on any quoted company that flouts the Post Listing Requirements. As part of its investor protection policy, last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), announced a new filing system for quoted companies.

According to the SEC, unaudited fourth quarter financial statements should be filled within 30 days after the quarter ended and annual audited financial statements within 90 days after the year ended. An investor whose investment objective is income invests a huge percentage of his money in stocks of companies with a track record of robust dividend payment. This is unlike speculators who invest primarily for capital appreciation. A speculator can buy stocks in the morning and sell in the afternoon.

This is the earnings season on NGX. Audited financial statements of the quoted companies across various sectors have been pouring in with announcement of dividend and date of annual general meetings. A leading manufacturer of rigid foams and other household materials, Vitafoam Nigeria PLC, has announced a whopping net profit of N4.38 billion for the year ended September 30, 2021, compared to N3.46 billion in September, 2020.

The company, whose annual general meeting is scheduled for 4th March 2022 has proposed a dividend of N1.50 per ordinary share as against its previous 70 Kobo, an increase of 114 percent over the previous one. Guinness Nigeria PLC, Meyer PLC, Airtel Africa PLC, Nestle Nigeria PLC, MTN Nigeria Communications PLC, and PZ Cussons PLC have also announced results.

Total Energy Marketing Nigeria PLC grew its profit before tax by 759 percent to N24.99 billion, in 2021, its revenue increased to N341.17 billion from N204.72 billion. Cornoil posted a profit before tax of N3.79 billion last year, as against N2, 15 billion in 2020 while its revenue hit N126.69 billion from N117.47 billion. MRS Oil Nigeria PLC posted a profit before income tax of N114.75, as against N2.26 billion in 2020 and recorded revenue of N71.98 billion from N41.98 billion. Bit Eterna PLC announced a loss before tax of N647.93 million last year as against a profit after tax of N702.46 million in 2020.

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Trading floor of Nigerian Stock Exchange

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Some of the key factors that will impact the stock market in Nigeria in 2022 are alignment of monetary and fiscal policy, implementation of 2022 budget, especially, the issue of budget deficit financing, rising inflation, another round of Naira devaluation and handling of petroleum subsidy among others

The stock market ended green in January on NGX as investors earned N2.04 capital gains, an average year-to-date return of 9.15 percent.

The bullish rally tends to validate the concept of the January effect when stock markets are expected to enjoy a bullish run due to a number of variables. But the concept has become a subject of debate as well. Risk averse investors channel their money to fixed deposit, mutual fund, and fixed income securities such as bonds while those with high risk appetite take position on blue chips.

At the basic level, equity investment generates capital gain, dividend and bonus shares. The psychology of equity investors at the moment is to purchase shares of companies that have proposed high dividend and dumb that of those which are unable to reward shareholders. It all borders on portfolio rebalancing. Dividend is after all an income.

Equity investment provides an opportunity for portfolio diversification as an investor can own stocks in different sectors of the economy.

It is easy to liquidate, especially through the

secondary market. There are large, mid and small capital equity funds, depending on the investor’s investment objective and quantum of funds for investment.

There are multi-capital equity funds, thematic equity funds whereby mutual funds invest in specific sectors such as banking, pharmaceuticals and IT. There are balanced funds where part of the money is invested in stocks and others in debt instruments and the equity linked savings scheme which provide investors tax savings.

Market pundits have always maintained that returns on equity is higher than fixed income in the final analysis. The yields on some stocks on NGX are above 10 percent, implying that they rank higher than yields on fixed income securities. Many of such stocks are currently trading below their intrinsic value on NGX. The rate at which investors scout for profitable stocks was demonstrated recently with the oversubscription of MTN Nigeria’s Offer for Subscription by 139.47 percent. Some of the key factors that will impact the stock market in Nigeria in 2022 are alignment of monetary and fiscal policy, implementation of 2022 budget, especially, the issue of budget deficit financing, rising inflation, another round of Naira devaluation and handling of petroleum subsidy among others.

Investment in a diversified portfolio of stocks is an excellent way to hedge against inflation.

This can be achieved by investing in index funds and mutual trusts. In a period of rising inflation, investing in individual stocks requires sound investment advice of a stockbroker as a risk management technique.

•Oni is the Chief Executive Officer, Sofunix Investment and Communications.

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BUSINESS NEWS Abiodun Woos Foreign Investors On Power, Telecom Services

FROM SEGUN AYINDE, ABEOKUTA

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L-R: Manager Training, United Nigeria Airlines (UNA), Mrs. Barbara Dan-Asemh; Director of Flight Operation, Captain Chimara Imediegwu; Director, Administration, Mr. Linus Awute; Chairman/CEO, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo; Chairman, League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, (LAAC), Mr. Segun Koiki; Chief Operation Officer, UNA, Mazi Osita Okonkwo; Director of Maintenance/ Engineering, Engr. Alex Iheuwa and Manager, Cabin Crews, UNA, Ms. Rounke Babalola, at a press conference held at Salem Dunoma Press Centre, Murtala Muhammed Int'l Airport, Lagos on February 9, 2022.

FMDQ Exchange Endorses Providus Bank’s 100bn Commercial Paper

Continued from page 16

raise short-term finance from the Nigerian DCM easily, through CP issues within its CP Programme and quote same on FMDQ Exchange for visibility of the issue and desired transparency for the investors.

Providus Bank is a Nigerian financial services provider, licensed as a commercial bank to provide banking, investment and wealth management services to individuals and businesses. The registration of this CP programme, sponsored by Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited – a registered member (Quotations) of FMDQ Exchange, validates the Exchange’s conscious drive to support the capital market needs of corporates and governments and to further deepen the Nigerian financial markets and ultimately, the nation’s economy.

FMDQ Exchange said it will continue to work collaboratively with market stakeholders to align the debt capital markets with international standards and will, through f product and service innovation and the championing of key market development initiatives, take commendable steps to ensure that growth and development opportunities abound for the markets under its purview.

In a related development, FMDQ, through its wholly owned subsidiary, FMDQ Securities, has approved for listing on its platform, the one billion units of N1.00 each Emerging Africa Money Market Fund, the one billion units of N1.00 each Emerging Africa Bond Fund, the twenty thousand units of $100.00 each Emerging Africa THEWILLNIGERIA

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Eurobond Fund, and the five hundred million units of N1.00 each Emerging Africa Balanced Diversity Fund of Emerging Africa Asset Management Limited (EAAML).

The firm is a subsidiary of the Emerging Africa Group, which provides portfolio management services to individual and institutional investors globally.

Speaking on the successful listing of the Funds, the Managing Director, EAAML, Ms. Ada Ijara, commented that “the Emerging Africa Group is pleased to announce the listing by Emerging Africa Asset Management Limited of its bouquet of four Mutual Funds on FMDQ Exchange’s platform to give the Funds the desired visibility and transparency provided by the platform. The four Mutual Funds, which are duly registered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provide corporate and individual investors with opportunities to invest in a wide range of underlying assets such as quoted equity stocks, bonds, eurobonds, treasury bills and other fixed income instruments.

“The four Mutual Funds offer great value to the investing public, catering to their varying risk appetites and investment preferences. We are grateful to FMDQ Exchange for providing benefits to the Funds listed on its platform, including but not limited to, global visibility through the dedicated ‘Funds’ page on the Exchange’s corporate website and price transparency to the funds through their inclusion in the FMDQ Daily Quotations List.”

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PAN Nigeria Ltd Set To Roll Out Chery, Higer Vehicles

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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ne of the foremost automobile assembly plants in Nigeria, PAN Nigeria Limited, has dismissed reports that its Kaduna-based factory has been bought over.

The auto firm stressed that it is operationally doing well in its auto business as a separate entity from Dangote PAN. An industry source close to PAN Nigeria Limited disclosed that the Kaduna-based auto assembler has ceased to be assemblers of Peugeot vehicles in Nigeria and now evolved as a multi-brand assembler of reputable international brands.

PAN Nigeria, which incidentally will be marking the 50th anniversary of its incorporation in Nigeria during the year, will be rolling out exciting new brands designed to meet the high expectations of its target market.

It was learnt that PAN had already signed deals with two leading Chinese companies, Chery Automobile and Higer Bus Company, which specialise in the production of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

While Chery is a leading manufacturer of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) and Sedans, Higer is a reputable producer of mini and city buses. The assembly of multiple brands at the PAN plant, will increase capacity utilisation, create new jobs, and promote local content development.

According to the source, "we have a wide range of exciting new products ranging from pickups, buses, sedans, SUVs, and ambulances which will be produced in our plant to serve needs of the important segments”.

If further disclosed that the new products would be competitively priced, offering high value for money in the PAN Nigeria tradition.

"The company would bring its extensive experience as the foremost auto manufacturer to bear on the production, distribution, and maintenance of the new brands", the source hinted.

overnor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has embarked on visits to Egypt and Ethiopia to attract foreign investments on power and telecommunication services to the state.

This was just as the Ogun State Government entered into a partnership with a private internet firm, AOA Windscreen Limited, to improve its waste service delivery to residents through digital payment platforms Abiodun, who visited the Ethiopian Minister of Industry, Ato Melaku Alebal, in Addis Ababa and two companies in Eygpt, said that Ogun was seeking partnership in the area of trade and investments from both African countries.

He added that he had met with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Elsewedy Group, Ahmed El Sewedy and the Chief Business Development Officer - Áfríkà for Wadi Degla Holding, Peter Emil, to facilitate investments in the state.

The governor mentioned the areas of investments required from Elsewedy Group to include health care, industrial park development, real estate, intelligent transport systems network and management, tolling systems and power sector.

He also sought further investment opportunities from Áfríkà for Wadi Degla Holding, a multi-business conglomerate in the areas of real estate, telecoms, and sports services.

Abiodun, who was in company with Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture, stressed that his visit was also intended to evaluate the benefits of and possible collaboration opportunities in the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZs) which are a product of the African Development Bank.

He said, "The group is the largest producer of prepaid meters in the world.

After this meeting, the investment team will be hosted in Ogun State to further evaluate and structure these investment opportunities, after which the president and chief executive of Elsewedy Group, Ahmed El Sewedy, who was on ground to receive us, will come to Ogun to sign a document in these areas and execute relevant definitive transaction agreements on these investments".

On waste service delivery in the state, the Chief Executive Officer, Ogun State Management Authority (OGWAMA), Mr Ola Oresanya disclosed this while meeting with the authority of the firm in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Oresanya said that digital payment, which is in the form of e-billing, e-payment and e-receipt will take waste management nearer to the people and eliminate the hardship encountered in the process of paying for waste services.

He said that the new innovation was part of the state government's ongoing waste management reforms to provide doorto-door payment service opportunities to residents after proper enumeration.

The special adviser urged households, commercial and industrial outlets, who had keyed into the waste-management payment reforms, to take advantage of the innovation for more efficient, stressfree service delivery.

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

L-R: Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presenting a gift to the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian L-R: President, Afreximbank, Dr Benedict Okey; Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; President/CEO, Elsewedy Electric, Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Temi Popoola, CFA, during a courtesy visit of the Management of NGX to the Governor’s Ahmed El-sewedy, and Ogun state commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubade, during a meeting with Afreximbank in Cairo, Egypt on February 9, 2022.

Office on February 10, 2022.

L-R: Governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Fintiri and Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), L-R: Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr. Sunday Dare; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Vice Chancellor, Emmanuel Jime, during the inauguration of a 10-man Committee to aid the development of Vehicle Transit Areas University of Lagos (Unilag), Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, at an event in State House, Abuja on February 10, 2022. ((VTAs), in Yola on February 11, 2022.

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi L-R: Governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and the Governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, during Egbeyemi, at the thanksgiving service to mark the governor’s 57th birthday at Government House Chapel, Ado- the installation of Jonas Benson Okoye as the new Bishop of Nnewi Catholic Diocese in Nnewi on February 10, Ekiti on February 9, 2022.

2022.

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MARYAM & JOHN TIMMER

LOVE ACROSS BORDERS

VALENTINE/1ST ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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PR consultant, beauty entrepreneur and ‘YouTuber’, Maryam Adeyemi-Timmer speaks with IVORY UKONU about her marriage to a Caucasian and her perception of St Valentine’s Day

MY FAMILY ACCEPTED MY HUSBAND BEFORE I AGREED TO DATE HIM – MARYAM ADEYEMI-TIMMER H

ow and when did you meet your husband?

We met each other at my family house. At the time my husband was a tenant and I was living with my parents.

My sister was by the poolside on a nice, sunny afternoon and she asked me to join her. My husband happened to be there, too. I decided to relax a bit before going back into the house.

Then he walked up to us and said ‘hello’ very politely. I didn’t respond as I was extremely tired and wasn’t interested in having a conversation. He persisted with more questions and I declined to say, “I’m sorry, but I’m not in the mood to talk. No offence.” The questions kept coming and then, my sister said to me, “Maybe if you give him your contact, he will leave you alone.” I did and we went our separate ways. A few days later, he called to invite me for an after-work hangout and since then, we have been inseparable. It’s been nine years.

What was the attraction for both of you?

He says it was love at first sight, although I know for a fact that it was one of those ‘worse’ days for me because I had slept off after a long day at work. So I had smudged makeup and mascara all over my face. For me, it was his persistence, kindheartedness and the fact that he accepted me for who I am.

How well did your families accept each other, him being Caucasian and you being Nigerian? I ask this because of the general perception of Nigerians by non-Nigerians This is very funny because my family accepted him before I accepted to date him. One thing he knew about me for sure was that family meant a lot to me and he used that to his advantage. He became friends with some of my family members and I remember getting pissed at them because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to date him yet. I felt they were giving him false hope. His family accepted me from the beginning and honestly, I was nervous due to our cultural differences.

Amazingly, I was wrong as they made me feel like a part of their family and I love them.

What are your thoughts about putting or not putting out your marriage in the public space as most 21st century couples do these days?

It’s a choice! I have nothing against it.

Do you think the frequency with The Timmers which marriages break up these days has anything to do with seeking validation from social media?

Whilst social media can have a negative effect on relationships/ marriages, I believe that if a relationship is built on the right foundation and values, nothing should be able to destroy it, not even social media. There just has to be some restrictions. Also, we must understand that it comes with thorns and one must be prepared for it with an open mind.

Marrying a Caucasian isn’t quite the same as marrying someone from your own culture. What are some of those things you both had to learn about each other's cultures and way of life to have made it this far?

We’ve had to adjust and accept of our differences.

Couples need to compromise in order to have a blissful relationship/marriage. That is what we have done and will continue to do. He has also learned quite a lot from my culture, like greeting. He prostrates happily to greet an elder. He has also learnt how to address anyone older than him. He enjoys our dishes - jollof rice is his favorite, etc.

It is St Valentine’s Day tomorrow. How do you both plan to spend the day?

He usually makes the plan for both of us and I just follow. I usually surprise him in the morning and he takes over in the evening. We share it...LOVE is meant to be shared by both parties and Valentine is about both parties. They should both feel loved and appreciated even though you don’t need a day to validate your love but it's a good opportunity to let your partner know how much you appreciate them.

What don't you like about your husband, hoping he will turn a new leaf?

Nothing really. We've been together for nine years, married for six years and if there is anything, I’m over it or we’ve found a way to work on it

If you were to advise anyone going through a similar situation, what would your candid advice be to the person?

You owe the world no explanation, as long as you know the truth and are living your truth, then go ahead with your decision. It’s important to ignore opinions and concentrate on you and your partner.

Lean on those who are there to support you.

What exactly does your husband do and in what ways has his work impacted your growth as a wife and a mother?

He is an engineer. His work ethic and problem-solving skills have contributed to the management of the responsibilities that come with marriage and motherhood. Being a mother, it is important that your partner is part of the journey in other to make it a beautiful experience and I'm grateful for his support.

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What does St Valentine’s Day mean to you?

It means showing love and appreciation

Shortly before you got married, your relationship got tested, particularly on social media. It obviously didn't deter you as you both went ahead with the wedding. What lessons did you take away from that incident?

I’m happy we are great now and have moved past it.

Another wrong perception is how Nigerians assume marrying/dating a Caucasian is all about securing the bag. Did you experience this prejudice?

I would be lying if I said otherwise, but I wasn’t bothered because I had always been hardworking and my family was well-to-do. He didn’t pick me up from the street or some night club. I started working when I was 19 years old and I still do till date. I can say that everything my husband and I have today was built by both of us.

You are a sociable person. How have you managed to stay off scandals for the six years you have been married?

Easy! We mind our business and keep a close-knit friendship circle.

What advice would you give a young person, male or female who is in the public eye and who is about to get married?

My advice is to just keep your happiness private.

The Timmers

You are a wife, mother, you run Six Sixteen Agency, a public relations firm, a beauty entrepreneur with your Lure Beauty brand as well as your Foodiology Youtube channel where you chronicle your love for food. How do you find the time to juggle all of these together and give them your maximum attention?

Simple! I create time for each of them as I love all of the things I am and do.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Sanwo-Olu Signs Bill to Protect Lagosians From Dubious Developers

EFCC GRILLS LADIDI MOHAMMED, SIX OTHERS IN AGF'S OFFICE OVER DIVERSION OF PUBLIC FUNDS

Mohammed

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AGF to work as a Project Team in collaboration with the Asset Recovery and Management Unit, headed by Mohammed, in carrying out their duty. The assets to be recovered are 74 properties located in Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Anambra, Edo, Enugu, Imo and Delta states and the FCT. While Lagos State has 29 properties to be recovered from highbrow areas of Lekki, Victoria Garden City and Apapa, Rivers State has eight properties to be recovered.

Cross River and Akwa-Ibom and States have two identified properties each to be recovered. Abia State has three listed properties, Anambra State has one landed property and four buildings etc.

However, lawyers and anti-corruption campaigners, particularly Itse Sagay who chairs the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption; Debo Adeniran, the chairperson of the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership and Auwal Rafsanjan, Head of Transparency International in Nigeria, have expressed grave concerns over the assets recovery contracts being shrouded in secrecy, devoid of competitive bidding and not in line with established procurement process. They argued that the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, not the AGF’s office, are the only authorised agencies empowered to recover stolen public assets. They decried a situation where the AGF prefers giving jobs meant for government agencies, allegedly to his friends and cronies, so that every public transaction will be shrouded in secrecy. They maintain that the AGF has no business hiring a third party to do the job.

Although Ladidi has said before in some public fora that it is nearly impossible under the present administration for recovered looted funds to be re-looted, as a mechanism has been put in place to prevent it, the onus now lies on her and the six workers in the ministry of justice to prove their innocence beyond reasonable doubt.

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has launched an investigation into a case of diversion of public funds, allegedly perpetuated by some workers in the Ministry of Justice. To this effect, the anti-graft agency has asked six members of staff of the ministry (Ojuekaiye Solomon, Grace Tizhe Ibrahim, Mohammed Ibrahim, Okon Eyo-Okon, Kingsley Iheanacho Monek and Smart Taire) to report to their office for further questioning.

The six are to report at various days of the week, between February14 and 21, 2022.

The investigation is sequel to one which began a few weeks ago and culminated in Ladidi Bara’atu Mohammed, Head of Assets Recovery in the Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Ministry of Justice, being invited by the EFCC for questioning over shady deals involving Nigerian assets recovered and sold off by her in alleged connivance with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

In one of such instances, it was

alleged that Malami allegedly secretly awarded a multi-billion-naira assets recovery contract to a private company and its lawyers, Gerry Ikputu and Partners, an estate valuer, which further engaged a law firm, M. E. Sheriff and Co, as its agent. This was in October 2021.

Malami allegedly charged them to recover identified large expanses of land and buildings said to belong to the Federal Government in 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Not only will the firms be entitled to three per cent of the value of every successful recovery, Malami’s letter awarding them the contract allegedly had a secrecy clause that bars them from making the details of the work public. The contractors would only be paid their share of the proceeds after the disposal of the recovered assets.

The firm was given six months to get the job done.

According to the terms of engagement, the law firm is expected to hand over the recovered assets to the AGF for further necessary action and directives. The law firm was also charged by the

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bank. The fire incident is also coming at a time when the Ministry of Works is allegedly putting plans in place to implement a retirement plan for the staff of the bank. Based on the retirement plan, the bank’s workers who have less than five years in active service, will be asked to retire.

A trained architect, Dangiwa was named the 2021 Housing Finance Person of the Year by the Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN), organisers of the International Housing Awards in recognition of his historic reform efforts to turnaround FMBN and strengthen it as an institutional tool for affordable housing delivery to Nigerians within the low- and medium-income bracket.

Dangiwa

Fire Guts FMBN Weeks to Expiration of Management’s Tenure he headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria has been gutted by fire. Believed to have started a few minutes before midnight on Wednesday, February 9, the fire, which began from the office of the Special Adviser to the Managing Director, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, soon extended to the boardroom of the bank linked to the MD’s office, destroying some very sensitive documents.

The timing of the fire is, no doubt, suspicious as sources close to THEWILL allege that it may have been ignited by some members of the current management whose tenure will be expiring next month. They allege that those who started it may be trying to cover up atrocities perpetrated at the THEWILLNIGERIA

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Adebutu

TOPE ADEBUTU RETURNS FROM OBLIVION YEARS AFTER MARRIAGE COLLAPSE

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ope Adebutu, the daughter of billionaire businessman and Premier Lotto founder, Chief Kessignton Adebutu, has finally moved past the breakup of her fairy-tale marriage to Olujonwo, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, 13 months after it was contracted.

The buxom lady, who stayed away from the social scene after the marriage collapsed in 2018, returned to host her late mother’s one-year memorial thanksgiving reception. Her mum, Princess Rosemary Obiageli DacostaAdebutu, died on January 10, 2021 and was buried without fanfare in the same year due to Covid19 restrictions.

Tope took charge at the ceremony, which took place at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos and feted dignitaries who trooped out to honour her and her late mum. Some of those in attendance were Rev Mother Esther Ajayi, Olori Ladun Sijuade, Chief Mrs Nike Akande, Tayo Ayinde, Chief of Staff to governor Babajide Sanwo Olu, Olumide Aderinokun etc.

While her marriage to Olujonwo lasted, it was devoid of bliss and characterised by allegations of physical abuse and abandonment. While Olujonwo alleged that he had to leave his matrimonial home for fear of his life and violent attacks from his wife, Tope claimed that she was never loved by her husband.

She alleged that she was abandoned during their honeymoon in Monaco as Olujonwo allegedly spent his time with other women, while she waited for him to arrive (since they did not travel together). Tope also revealed her ex-husband’s penchant for abandoning not only their home, but also their matrimonial bed which he barely slept in. In addition, she alleged that Olujonwo was addicted to drugs and had to undergo rehabilitation at a private hospital. She accused her then motherin-law,Taiwo Obasanjo, of launching verbal attacks on her person, with the aim to defame her, destroy her career and frustrate her marriage.

Before the marriage was contracted, Taiwo had raised the alarm over what she claimed would be the evil consequences of her son marrying Tope. She went as far as dragging her ex-husband and her ex-inlaw, Chief Kessington Adebutu, to court in order to stop the wedding from holding. Unfortunately, her warnings were ignored and the wedding held.

overnor Babajide SanwoOlu of Lagos State has signed a bill aimed at regulating transactions of real estate companies within the state. This follows an uproar that greeted reports on how a couple, Bamidele Onalaja, the chairman of popular real estate company, RevolutionPlus and Tolu Onalaja, the group executive director and the face of the company, allegedly fleeced unsuspecting customers to support their luxurious lifestyle.

THEWILL gathered that the law will not only help to protect citizens from falling prey to people masquerading as real estate professionals, but also help players in the real estate sector to know what is expected of them. Apart from this, the law will enable the Lagos State Government to monitor the activities of such players in the sector, while strengthening the government's intervention in housing through the Ministry of Housing. It is expected to keep real estate companies on their toes and to make them think twice before going out of line.

Last week, THEWILL had reported the many atrocities being perpetrated by RevolutionPlus, a firm which started out as a real estate company about seven years ago and metamorphosed into a holding company. The company set up a huge public relations machinery that helped to spin the story of a hardworking couple that was out to provide landed properties and homes at very affordable prices. This made many people seek the company’s services.

However, the tale assumed a different dimension when Nigerians resident at home and in the Diaspora were forced to voice out their displeasure after RevolutionPlus refused to fulfill their own part of the deals signed with their clients.

The nonchalant attitude of the couple towards their

clients in addition to Tolu’s rudeness, insults and brash attitude, proved a bit too much to swallow, which was what prompted the calling out. From not allocating land almost immediately, with some having to wait for almost seven years without still getting allocations, to allegedly selling over 1,000 plots of land in one of their touted estates that could only accommodate only 150 plots.

What this couple felt was more important to them was to allegedly use the millions collected from customers to fund an extremely lavish lifestyle that was virtually non-existent before then. From splurging on wonders on wheels to buying up properties in and outside Nigeria, Dallas, Texas, USA specifically, to setting up various other businesses. At various times, in celebration of either their birthdays or in commemoration of the company’s anniversary, they never hesitated to cough out tens of millions for these lavish celebrations.

The couple is also known to be huge donors to a popular Pentecostal church where they are staunch members, apparently, for prestige and perhaps to further woo unsuspecting members of the church who may have been allegedly hoodwinked into falling for their schemes. The Onalajas further boosted their profile by engaging popular entertainers as ambassadors of the brand, partnered and sponsored lots of events, parties and shows, including providing two-bedroom apartments to winners of the Big Brother Naija reality show, on two consecutive occasions. They just generally fronted a perceived successful brand that knows its onions when it comes to housing needs without the usual harassment of omo oniles.

The Onalajas

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THEY FOUND LOVE ACROSS BORDERS

In the spirit of St Valentine’s Day, SHADE METIBOGUN writes on Nigerian celebrities who still enjoy marital bliss despite being married across cultural and ethnic divides Ufuoma McDermott

running a communication business in the United States. He became fascinated with her after realising that she was not only hardworking but also had a deep passion for her acting career. They eventually got married in May, 2012 on a private beach in Puerto Rico. So private was the wedding that the media never got a whiff of it until the pictures surfaced a few days after the ceremony. Three years later, they both welcomed their son, Matthew Kenney Chinedu Rodriguez.

Like most marriages, theirs has not been a bed of roses. Their union has been threatened. In 2017, Kenney was accused of cheating on his wife with another woman. They shared some loved up pictures and he reportedly took her to his matrimonial home. It was later discovered that the unnamed woman was Kenney’s ex -lover and the pictures were taken when they were still dating, long before Kenney married the Nollywood star. Uche and her husband overcame the storm, but she ensured that her husband’s pictures were never shared on social media again.

Feb Idahosa

Bishop Feb Idahosa, son of late televangelist Archbishop Benson FwhoorIdahosa, it was love at first sight with his wife, Laurie Whetstone is from Delaware, USA. They met as teenagers in Benin City, Edo State. Their fathers, Archbishop Benson Idahosa and Gary Whetstone were friends. Despite the fact that they were teenagers, they shared an inexplicable connection that continued to grow till Feb proposed to Laurie in 2001. They got married the following year.

One of the toughest challenges the couple had was procreation.

They struggled through years of childlessness and had to undergo four In vitro fertilisation processes that were unsuccessful. When God smiled on them and one of the IVF’s eventually became successful, they lost the baby a few hours after he was born. However, in 2007, Laurie conceived naturally, contrary to doctor’s report that she and her husband were 99.9 per cent infertile. Their second son, Feb Jr. was born in July 2008. They tried another IVF again and it failed, but she conceived naturally again in 2011 and had their third son, Nathaniel Benson Idahosa in November, 2011. Their fourth son, Judah Benson Idahosa was born in January 2013.

Elvi Kioupouroglou

ark-complexioned Nollywood actress, Ufoma McDermott and D her Scottish husband, Steven McDermott, who is an advertising executive, have been married for 11 years. Ufuoma met him while

filming Everything it Takes, a television series produced by Wale Adenuga. Steven had accompanied a friend to the set of the series when they both locked eyes. They soon became friends and two years after, started dating. Steven flew her to Cape Town where he was filming a television commercial and proposed to her. The two got married on April 23, 2010 and they are blessed with two children, a son, Isio Jared McDermott, who was born in 2012 and a daughter, Kesiena Alize McDermott, born in August 2015.

Uche Jombo-Rodriguez

ctress Uche Jumbo found love in the arms of Kenney Rodriguez, A a Puerto Rican. The two met through a mutual friend while Uche was an ambassador of telecommunication firm, Globacom. Kenney

wanted to strike a business deal with the actress because he was also

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he is an entrepreneur married to a Greek named Danny, who is Shappily the General Manager of Eko Hotels and Suites. They have been married for 13 years. They met and started dating in 2007 and a year later, held their traditional and white weddings. They met while he was at work and both of them knew instantly that they would end up together. While Elvi hinges her reason on settling for him to his THEWILLNIGERIA

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smartness, treating her like a queen and sharing the same morals with him, Danny says it was relatively easy to fall in love with her due to her personality. On how he proposed, Elvi had gone to his house to make dinner one day. After eating and while she was clearing the dishes, he went on one knee and proposed right by the kitchen sink without a ring. They are blessed with three children.

Shina Adeleke

Karen Igho Rakos

they started dating. Carl managed Ashionye’s music career for a while before she ventured into the movie industry. They broke up after a few years and each person went their separate ways. As providence would have it, they reunited and reignited their love affairs. Ashionye was checking his socks one day when she discovered a ring tucked inside of it. After showing her lover the ring, she encouraged him to propose since she had ruined the surprise proposal he had for her. Not too long after his proposal, the two got married in 2009. They are blessed with two adorable children, a boy and a girl and their union has continued waxing stronger by the day

alented music act, Shina Adeleke, also known as Sina Rambo, is Tdespite married to a German-born model, Heidi Dagmar Korth. This is the fact that she is a single mother of one. The two met while

the singer was still based in the United States before relocating to Nigeria to pursue his music career. They dated for a while before the singer proposed to her. They had both their civil and traditional marriage in October and November 2021 respectively in Lagos State.

W

inner of the season six edition of the now rested Big Brother Africa Reality TV Show, Karen Igho-Rakos, also found love across borders. The controversial actress found love in a European, Yaroslav Rakos. She got married in a private traditional wedding in Jos Plateau State on December 14, 2014. The wedding was hosted by one of her friends, Denrele Edun. The two met in a Nigerian restaurant in London during Karen's summer vacation in 2005. They instantly became friends. They were together for nine years before they made their relationship official. The couple has two adorable children and they are living happily in the United States.

Rebecca Akosua Acheampong

Daniel Oyebanjo alented music act, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, professionally Tparentage. known as D’banj, is married to Lineo Didi Kilgrow who is of mixed Her father is American, while her mother is partly South

African and Nigerian. She was born in the United States, but grew up in Jos, Plateau State. That is why most people assume she is a Nigerian.

She also had her education in Jos and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The two have succeeded in keeping their marriage away from prying eyes. Even when they were dating, not much was known about their relationship until they got married in June 2016. Their marriage was tested after they lost their first son. He was just a year-old. He drowned in a swimming pool in the singer’s home in Ikoyi. The loss was a big blow to D’banj and his wife who couldn’t get over it on time.

Providence smiled on them again in 2019 and they had another son whom they christened Zane. Another baby was added to the family in 2021.

John Njamah

Ghanaian singer, Rebecca Acheampong, professionally Tfoundalented known as Becca, did not travel too far from home to find love. She love in Nigeria and she has been living her best life ever with

her husband of four years, entertainment executive Tobi Sanni Daniel, who she met over a decade ago. Tobi proposed to Becca at Central Park, New York City in 2015 and in 2018, they got married in a very private ceremony that was a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian culture.

The singer was severely criticised for neglecting Ghanaians to find love in the arms of a Nigerian, but that has not in any way affected their love for each other.

N

ollywood actor cum director, John Njamah married his Cameroonian lover, Angwin Tangi in 2016. The two met in 2014 during a media conference in Cameroon. The actor was one of the facilitators at the conference where he set eyes on Angwin who was a journalist. They dated for one year and decided to make their relationship official in both a civil and traditional marriage in Bamenda, Cameroon. John and his beautiful wife are blessed with a baby girl, Adamma Ziorah Njamah.

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Ashionye Carl Raccah

turned actress, Ashionye Carl Raccah, is also married to a Smadeinger non-Nigerian, a British national named Carl Raccah. What has their marriage easy is because her husband grew up partly in

Nigeria and can speak Hausa fluently. He also understands the Nigeria culture, traditions and values very well. The two met many years ago in 2001 at the office of the then Managing Director of MTN Nigeria. The actress was instantly attracted to Carl’s long hair which was up to his waist. They got along well and became friends. By the end of that year,

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STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

Real Reason Ronke Odusanya’s Baby Daddy Backtracked, Accepted Daughter

MEET ENIOLA MAFE, CEREBRAL LADY ROCKING RAPPER MI’S WORLD R

A Mafe

apper MI (Jude Lemfani Abaga) and his girlfriend, Eniola Mafe, made a public show of their relationship a few days ago.

The two sparked an engagement tale after Eniola posted their picture and labeled it ‘the incredible’. Since she made the post, many have been eager to know more about the beautiful lady rocking the world of one of their favourite rappers.

Though the Chocolate City boss has succeeded in keeping the identity of the love of his life away from the prying eyes of the public for some time now, the picture gave them away and fans are happy that the rapper might soon quit the bachelor's club. It was gathered that the two love birds have been an item for almost five years now.

Eniola Mafe is beauty and brain combined and she has an intimidating resume as a single lady.

She grew up abroad and bagged a Master of Arts from Georgetown

University School of Foreign Services, Washington, D.C. She also holds a B.A from Spelman College (Phi Beta Kappa). The ebony skinned beauty is a strategist and international development leader with a track record in facilitating high-level policy dialogue and partnership building to accelerate Africa’s transformation agenda.

She is the co-founder of SecureFarmer.com, a social enterprise developing the next generation farmers through precision data, mechanization and technology.

She is also the co-founder of The Women Collective, TWC, a platform of over 300 members changing the narrative of how gender equality is viewed in the workplace across corporate Africa.

Miss Maye serves as a Global Leadership Fellow at the World Economic Forum, WEF where she leads digital access and adoption work. She managed the Niger

Delta Partnership Initiative, NDPI foundation from 2013-2018. She was also former Program manager on Africa at Vital Voices Global Partnership in Washington. She once worked at the Women’s World Banking, Ghana and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City.

Eniola was named as one of Okay Africa’s 100 Women in Africa in 2018. She was named one of the 99 most influential foreign policy leaders in 2011 and one of 13 Young Africans Business/Economic Leaders to watch out for in 2013 by Ventures African Magazine. She was once an ambassador for the Women in Africa Initiative and served in the Technical Sub-Committee for the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

She currently leads the growth and development of 2030 Vision Initiative, focused on harnessing 4IR technologies to accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals within the next decade.

uji musician, Wasiu Alabi Odetola, popularly known as Pasuma, and his manager of many years, Matthew Adewoye, also known as Matthew Ididowo, are allegedly not on speaking terms at the moment. The bone of contention between the two, who used to be very close, is the latter’s failure to give account of a certain sum of money belonging to the musician.

THEWILL gathered that Pasuma needed to execute some projects.

When he requested the fund from his manager, Matthew could neither produce nor account for it.

The alleged missing fund, it was learnt, were the proceeds from

bookings by Pasuma’s clients over a period of time. Matthew Ididowo allegedly could not trace the fund, valued at several of millions of naira, nor tell how it vanished from a bank account where it was supposed to have been deposited.

The development did not go down well with Pasuma. Not only is Matthew Pasuma’s manager, the two share a bond: they are cousins.

The musician allegedly reported the matter to the Nigeria Police, accusing Matthew of investing his hard earned money into his personal business.

The manager has allegedly owned up to his boss’s allegations against him.

He is said to have begged his friends

to plead with Pasuma on his behalf.

Some members of their family have also stepped into the matter, begging Pasuma to forgive his manager. But the Fuji star insists that Matthew must produce the missing fund or prepare to face the law.

Matthew Ididowo has been around the music industry for over two decades. He has managed Pasuma for about 20 years and worked with other top Fuji musicians, such as Abass Akande Obesere, more popularly known as Omo Rapala.

Believed to be very good at what he does, he was managing Obesere when Pasuma poached him. Now their once rosy relationship appears to be over.

Pasuma Battles Manager Over Missing Fund F

ctress Ronke Odusanya’s baby daddy, Saheed Olanrewaju Aranmolate, also known as Ramon Jago, has made peace with her after posting an apology letter on social media. He also officially accepted Ronke’s daughter, Fifehanmi, as his own.

It was gathered that Saheed’s change of mind was influenced by both families, their lawyers and his close friends. After a court issued a bench warrant against him for stalling court proceedings, which would determine the paternity of their daughter, concerned members of his family decided to mediate and resolve their differences amicably. Although he wasn’t bothered about his predicament at first despite the bench warrant as he went about his business, his family and friends were forced to call him to order.

Worried that being declared wanted by a court of law would tarnish the image of their family, they advised the father of two to resolve the issue amicably. Some of his close friends also stepped in. They advised him to apologise to Ronke and accept his daughter.

It was gathered that beyond the apologies and promise to take up the responsibilities of his daughter, the families of the two warring parties are making

Inuwa

Aranmolate & Odusanya frantic efforts at reconciling the former lovers. Although they have not made any headway, they have however achieved their first goal as Saheed has apologised for demanding a DNA test.

THEWILL recalls that a few years ago, Ronke found love in the arms of Saheed. The two became inseparable, but their relationship later hit the rocks. One of the reasons for their breakup was because he caught the actress cheating on him. Also, he became broke at a point that he could no longer handle the responsibilities of his partner. The actress

instituted a court case over the custody of their daughter, which became a messy paternity fight in court.

Having caught her cheating, Saheed requested a deoxyribonucleic acid test {DNA) test to ascertain the paternity of the child. Ronke also accepted provided the test was done in a clinic selected by the court.

However, Saheed frustrated the process by his refusal to show up in court. The court issued a bench warrant against him and declared him wanted. But now, the issue seems to have been resolved.

Ex-Beauty Queen, Binta Sukai-Inuwa, Loses Mother B

inta Sukai-Inuwa, the 1990 winner of Miss Nigeria beauty pageant is bereaved.

She lost her mother, Mrs Victoria Kennedy-Sukai to the cold hands of death last week. The woman, who was in her 70’s, died of cancer.

Binta has been heart-broken and inconsolable since she passed on. The burial arrangement of the deceased is yet to be announced by her family.

Binta Sukai-Inuwa was crowned Miss Nigeria in 1990. Her parents went their separate ways when she

was still a child. She was raised by her Scottish grandparents in the United Kingdom. She was the first Northerner to win the beauty pegant title. She stayed in Nigeria for some years after her reign and returned to Europe to study Fashion at the Paris Academy of Fashion where she also studied History. She made several appearances at the Nigerian Fashion Show where she was often a judge. Binta is now an orphan as she lost her father, Major David Nana Sukai (retd.), in 2018.

Blossom Chukwujekwu's Ex-wife, Maureen Esisi, Reopens Fashion House

M

Odetola & Adewoye

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aureen Esisi, the estranged wife of Nollywood actor, Blossom Chukwujekwu, has revived her fashion business, House of Maureen Esisi. The beautiful lady abandoned the business after her controversial separation and divorce from her husband a few years ago. Heartbroken as a result of the failure of her marriage, Maureen found it difficult to get back to what she loved most and concentrated on her healing process as she

addressed the controversies surrounding her marriage break-up. She also took time off to rediscover herself while facing her brand influencing and skincare business. The elated lady opened her office to clients for the first time in two years about a week ago.

In August 2019, the social media was agog following the news that Blossom and Maureen Esisi had broken up. Blossom had moved out of his matrimonial home and told his in-laws that

he was no longer interested in the marriage. While reacting to the breakup, Maureen revealed that the actor was not interested in having children. Her constant pleas to her former husband to adopt kids if they weren’t going to have their own also fell on deaf ears.

The brand influencer had corrected the notion that the collapse of her marriage was due to domestic violence and infidelity on the part of her ex-husband.

Esisi THEWILLNIGERIA

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STATE OF THE STATES

BY SAM DIALA & OLAYEMI SHABA

Introduction:

T

here are concerns that Nigeria’s worsening revenue challenge may escalate into a financial implosion, with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (subnationals), being the worst hit. The situation is aggravated by the nation’s escalating public debt stock (now over #35 trillion). The debt stock comprises domestic and external loan obligations of the Federal Government and the sub-nationals.

With over 70 percent of the nation’s revenue committed to debt servicing annually, governments at all levels are struggling to survive. There is little left for capital budget, pay salaries and undertake other priorities to grow the economy.

Moreover, there is a limit to which the people and corporates could be taxed. Yet, profligacy and waste take the centre of our governance space while frugality assumes the back seat.

As such, the sub-nationals are hemorrhaging huge resources in paying salaries and other emoluments of a bloated bureaucracy. To survive, they are urged to diversify their revenue base, embark on aggressive internally generated revenue (IGR) and depend less on the shrinking federal allocations.

The purpose of State of the States project, is to present evidence-based alternatives. These include avenues for the sub-nationals to become more viable and less dependent on the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) – referred to as Abuja handout.

State of the States, a bi-weekly publication, features two states per edition. It endeavours to unearth hidden treasures in each state and ascertain, through consultations and evidencebased survey, areas of comparative advantages and economies of scale. The publication will show-case, in no exaggerated

ZAMFARA STATE

S

ituated in north-western Nigeria, Zamfara State was carved out of Sokoto State on October 1, 1996. Its capital is Gusau.

Its climate is tropical, with temperatures rising up to 38 °C (100.4 °F) and above between March and May. The rainy season starts in late May and ends in September, while Harmattan lasts from December to April.

This week periscopes Zamfara and Niger.

projects valued at N2.063 billion. According to the government, educational projects took about 60 per cent of the resources that CSDP gave to communities to execute projects.

The project provided 90 per cent of the funds for projects, solely initiated by poor communities, for which they contribute the rest 10 per cent in cash and in kind.

Matawalle

Gusau is also the commercial hub where industries, such as a modern bakery, Gusau Oil Mill, (which is the first vegetable oil mill in Nigeria to extract oil from cotton seeds), Zamfara Textile Industries Limited, the Gusau Sweets Factory and the Cotton Gingery are located.

Agriculture and gold mining are the main occupations of the people of the state and the central source of income, hence its slogan.

Agriculture and Rural Development Livestock production and crops form the basis of the farming economy in Zamfara. Livestock have many functions: Milk is consumed and sold; livestock are sold for cash income; rams are slaughtered for meat during certain religious festivals and new animals are purchased as a safety net against harvest failure or simply as a place to bank money. Manure is used to fertilise fields and oxen provide draught power to pull a plough or to transport goods.

We have featured Lagos and Ogun, Kwara and Kogi, Anambra and Enugu, Benue and Taraba, Kebbi and Sokoto, Cross River and Akwa Ibom, Edo and Delta, Ekiti and Osun, Bauchi and Gombe, Rivers and Bayelsa, Kano and Jigawa, Imo and Abia Borno and Yobe, Nasarawa and Kaduna, Ondo and Oyo.

The CSDP is one of the developmental projects in the country’s World Bank portfolios, using a community-driven approach, by which communities are the drivers of their project needs.

The Zamfara State Government made it a cardinal policy to encourage foreign and indigenous entrepreneurs to invest in the state, especially the manufacturing sector, so as to industrialise the state.

Tourist Sites Areas of interest include Kiyawa City Walls, Kalale Hippopotamus Pond, Kwartarkwashi Rock/Water Spring, Kuyambana Game Reserve, Zamfara State History Bureau Museum, Sambo Dan Ashafa’s tomb, Emir of Anka’s palace and the ruins of Yargoge’s Court at Kuyambana.

Furthermore, State of the States will examine existing realities that hinge on sector-specific areas of competitive advantage – Agriculture, Tourism, Transportation, Education and Skill Acquisition, Wellbeing and MSMEs. Ultimately, the project seeks to create the desired spotlight on the sub-nationals to motivate them to venture into something different for better results.

Between July 2009 and September 2020, CSDP assisted 262 communities and groups to implement 744 projects at the total cost of over N2.063 billion. The projects were to improve the poor people's access to social and economic infrastructure while increasing the availability and management of development resources at the community level.

Zamfara’s economy is driven by agriculture, with over 80 per cent of the population engaged in farming. Major agricultural products include millet, guinea corn, maize, rice, groundnut, cotton, tobacco, wheat, tomatoes, beans and livestock. Irrigation is required for cereals and legumes. The people also engage in the weaving of locally dyed and designed clothing materials, as well as other kinds of woven products often made from date - palm raffia. Some of the locals also indulge in illegal gold mining.

Mineral Resources Iron ore, alluvial gold, chromate, chamovite, granite, clay, limestone, quartz, and kaolin are found in the state.

terms, the socio-economic status of each state and highlight the opportunities and threats.

generate cash when required. During the reference year, as much as 100 per cent of the original herd is sold for cash.

Farmers have adapted by planting millet and short-cycle hybrid maize, as well as groundnuts and cowpeas. Nonetheless, this warmer and drier trend, coupled with an unpredictable climate and associated hazards (such as pests) will pose a significant challenge to farmers in the coming years.

When there are major production shortfalls, households have three basic options: (i) increase income; (2) reduce non-essential expenditures and buy staple food; and (3) reduce food intake.

The Zamfara State Community and Social Development Project (CSDP), says it has provided financial support to various communities in the state. The CSDP, a World Bank-assisted project, said the support was for the implementation of 744 micro-

FACT FILE: LGA: 14 Land Area: 15,352sq mi.

Registered businesses: 56 Public primary schools: 1,410 circa Public secondary schools: 260 circa University (2): Federal - 1, state - 1 Polytechnic (3): Federal - 1, state - 2 College of Education (4): Federal -2, state - 2 College of Agriculture: State - 3 Nursing School/health & Science (3): Federal - 1, state - 2 Technical School: State - 4 Total Revenue: N59.74bn @ 2020 Total Tax: N14.45bn @ 2020 Total IGR: N18.44bn @ 2020 (30.86% of total revenue) FAAC: N41.44bn @ 2020 (69.14% of total revenue) Domestic Debt: N66.77bn @ 2020 External Debt: $70.59m @ 2020 Unemployment rate: 43.6% @ 2020 Airstrip: Gusau.

In very poor households, the head usually does not own livestock, but the women keep a few sheep and goats of their own, as well as poultry (hens, ducks, or guinea fowl). These animals are kept to THEWILLNIGERIA

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Zamfara city

The rainy season is when livestock are near the villages. Milk yields (for human use) range between one and two litres per cow every day and half of that quantity is often sold.

Camels are not very common in the Zamfara Mixed Crops Zone. Nonetheless, this situation is changing as camel rearing is beginning to spread south from the LGAs bordering Niger Republic toward the central and southern LGAs of Zamfara State.

Kalale Hippopotamus

In Zamfara most of the farmers keep cattle. Sale of milk is common among Fulani herdsmen and cattle are kept for draught power rather than for breeding (or milking). Among the Hausa, only those that are well-to-do typically consume and sell fresh milk. Milk production peaks for three or four months during the rainy season (June-September) then continues, with lower yields for two or three months.

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STATE OF THE STATES

Zamfara Embarks On Gold Refining, Halts Illegal Mining

Z

amfara State has acquired equipment for gold mining that will turn the state into a hub of gold business in Nigeria.

Already, a state-of-the-art gold refinery equipment has been mounted in Baka Lori Dam, with more refining facilities already procured. This is on the backdrop of the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI).

“Zamfara State is going to benefit from this PAGMI programme very soon. We will set up a committee on PAGMI so that they can go round and the government and the Central Bank of Nigeria will be buying from us directly. It is good that they are selling it very cheap in the mining areas. The Federal Government, CBN and states can come in and buy from small-scale miners”

According to Governor Bello Matawalle, the project will expand the state’s economy. He disclosed that the state is partnering with serious investors from South Africa and Russia to kickstart the mining programme.

The governor, who lamented that insecurity was limiting efforts to expand businesses in the state, called on the people to support security agencies.

“The President even advised me that I should liaise with South African and Russian mining companies so that we can partner with the Federal Government and the 36 states to achieve much more. I assure you that within a limited time, once the ban is lifted I will travel to South Africa to see some companies and make some assessments and they will follow me to come and see what Zamfara has. I assure the people of the state that within 2 to 3 months , we will go into full scale mining” A recent government report showed that Nigeria lost over $3billion to illegal gold mining, mostly from Zamfara. Matawalle revealed that the state recently uncovered a large deposit of gold currently being mined illegally “In a few days, the people of Zamfara will see a lot of changes, especially in the mining sector. We want to strengthen local miners, identify them and organise cooperative groups so that they can be benefiting from mining.

He said, “As state governors, we have a big role to play. We just have to support the security agencies, no matter what. If the governors are not serious they can’t be able to achieve what they want. I advised the President that all those who are calling for the sacking of security chiefs should think of the best way to encourage them to improve on their performance, instead of sacking them.

“Even if you sack them, you are bringing another one. So let us use the one that we have. We will support them as a government. My state now is peaceful and everybody is aware.

“We have assigned more than 3,000 policemen to protect the mining sites. We have the security. It’s just for us as leaders to support them. I believe we will see a lot of changes in terms of security in this country.

Furthermore, the state government said it has taken stringent measures to address the multiple health issues associated with lead poisoning in the state. The government said that lead poisoning was discovered by Medicines Sans Frontiers during routine immunisation exercises in some mining villages of the southwest of Zamfara State.

“It was reported to be one of the worst of its kind in human history where over 700 children died of the disaster,” Matawalle added.

“The disaster brought gold mining in Zamfara State to the attention of the world, particularly artisanal mining which is the dominant mining activity in many communities”, the government said.

The government further said that it has taken necessary steps to prevent the reoccurrence of the painful experience of the past, notably organizing the artisanal miners into mining cooperatives as a step towards the formalization of their activities.

“This is in line with the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and the mining Regulations of 2011.

“Although mining activities have been suspended by the Federal Government for security reasons, it is our belief that by the time the programme resumes, the artisanal miners that have not joined any cooperative will do so.”

The government disclosed that it is committed to maximising the state’s potentials in the mining sector through the invitation of investment into the mining sector to promote safer mining among artisanal miners.

Challenging Factors: Insecurity, poor/low educational standard, large number of out-of-school children, poverty, lack of basic infrastructure, harsh weather condition.

ENDOWMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mechanized Farming

Poultry Business

Water Refill Station

Vet Clinic

Pharmacy Business

Gold Mining And Processing

Livestock Business

Restaurant

Mobile Banking

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STATE OF THE STATES

N

NIGER STATE

iger state is found in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria.

It is the largest state in the country by land mass. It was created on February 3, 1976. The state capital and major business hub is Minna. Its other major cities are Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. It is bounded to the north by Zamfara and Kebbi, with Kaduna to the north-east. Kogi is its neighbour in the south-east, while Kwara is on the southern border with the Niger River. The Abuja Federal Capital Territory is also on Niger state’s eastern border, while the Republic of Benin is on its western border.

are kaolin, casserole, columbite, mica, quartzite, and limestone.

Uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, petroleum, molybdenum, salt and gypsum are found in the state.

The landscape consists mostly of wooded savannas and includes the floodplains of the Kaduna River. The state experiences distinct dry and wet seasons with annual rainfall varying from 1,100mm in the northern parts to 1,600mm in the southern parts. The maximum temperature (usually not more than 94 degree C) is recorded between March and June, while the minimum is usually between December and January.

Agriculture and Rural Development The state government partners with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) towards sustainable food security and agricultural growth. The scheme also involves partnering with consortiums that ensure enhanced value chain in the agriculture and rural development plans. Government officials disclosed that the project which included readily available farm produce and machinery for smallholder farmers is all-encompassing and involved professional partners working on the different aspects of the agricultural value chain.

The rainy seasons last for about 150 days in the northern parts and 120 days in the southern parts of the state. Generally, the fertile soil and hydrology of the state permits the cultivation of most of Nigeria’s staple crops and still allows sufficient opportunities for grazing, fresh water fishing and forestry development. Most of the inhabitants are engaged in farming.

Tourist Sites Niger is among the richest states in the country, in terms of tourism.

Some of the Tourist attractions are Zuma Rock, Gurara Falls, Baro Empire Hill, Lord Lugard colonial ruins at Zungeru, Nagwamatse Well, Kainji Lake and National Park.

“For this project, which we started in 2017 and concluded this year (2021), we focused on the value chain of rice. We had partners who engaged in creating access to seeds, partners who focused on the

Cotton, shea nuts, yams, and groundnuts are cultivated both for export and for domestic consumption. Sorghum, millet, cowpeas, corn (maize), tobacco, palm oil and kernels, kola nuts, sugarcane and fish are major commodities for local trade. Paddy rice is widely grown as a cash crop in the floodplains of the Niger and Kaduna rivers, especially in the area around Bida. Cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and guinea fowl are raised for meat. Pigs are raised around Minna for sale to southern Nigeria.

“The initiative was aimed at getting farmers to understand good agronomic practices and field technologies, such as line spacing, the use of improved seeds, effective fertiliser application and best practices in the post-harvest area, such as threshing and harvesting.

We targeted 150,000 farmers in the state and were able to reach them all, with different levels of intervention.

“In terms of institutional collaborations, AGRA supported Niger State’s Ministry of Agriculture in a project called the State Capacity Strengthening Project to strengthen their staff and institutional capacity to achieve their mandate. With our support, they were able to develop their agricultural policy and agriculture investment plan, as well as other policy documents.

“We also supported the training of staff and helped them to get work equipment such as computers. In addition, there has been an attitudinal change in terms of how they engage partners in the budget process making it more inclusive. I think this was a very significant partnership.

“Based on the evaluation that was conducted towards the end of the project, it was observed that the productivity of the farmers we worked with improved from the baseline of 2.5mt of rice to 4mt and above in all the locations where we worked, so I can say that one impact made was improved productivity which was also reflected in the income of the farmers.

“Secondly, we witnessed increased access of farmers to farm inputs like improved seeds, and agrochemicals. For example, we supported the agro-dealers to have shops which we described as the last mile contact with the farmers, especially in communities which previously had none of those shops,” the state government said in a report.

Niger is dubbed ‘Power State’ which is derived from playing host to Nigeria's major hydroelectric power stations, the Kainji Dam and Shiroro Dam. There is also Zungeru Dam. The Jebba Dam straddles the border between the state and Kwara. Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro stations collectively produce nearly 2,000 MW of electricity to major cities across the country. Besides generating hydroelectric power, these dams sustain irrigation projects and fishing has developed as a viable industry on their reservoirs.

Being an agrarian state, it is said that 85 percent of the population engages in agriculture, while others are in secular jobs. Some of the natives are involved in pottery, brass work, glass manufacturing (using gold, tin, iron, and quartz as raw materials for glass artisans in Bida). Raffia articles and locally dyed cloth are significant exports. Marble is quarried at Kwakuti near Minna, which hosts a large brick-making factory.

FACT-FILE LGA: 21 Land Area: 29,484 sq mi.

Registered businesses: 429 Public primary schools: 3,960 circa Public secondary schools: 190 circa University (3): Federal - 1, military - 1, state - 1 Polytechnic (3): Federal -1, state - 1, private - 1 College of Education (2): Federal -1, state - 1 College of Agriculture: State - 1 Nursing School/Health Science: State - 3 Technical School: State - 4 College of Wildlife Management: Federal - 1 College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology: Federal -1 Minna Institute of Technology and Innovation: 1 Total Revenue: N49.077bn @ 2020 Total Tax: N10.27bn @ 2020 Total IGR: N10.52bn @ 2020 (16.17% of total revenue) FAAC: N54.56bn @ 2020 (83.83% of total revenue) Domestic Debt: N66.77bn @ 2020 External Debt: $70.59m @ 2020 Airport: 1

Niger city

Zuma Rock

Bello

Most of the educational centres and tertiary institutions in the state are located in Minna and Bida. A rice research institute and an agricultural research station are situated near Bida. A railway from Lagos traverses the state as a major highway road network system runs north of the railway and serves the market towns of Mokwa, Kontagora, Tegina, Kagara and Kusheriki.

Natural Resources Niger State has enormous natural resources, which include talc, gold, ball clays, silica, sand, marble, copper, falser and lead. Others

extension aspect, and partners who focused on giving the farmers access to fertilisers.

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

STATE OF THE STATES

Niger Woos Investors For Infrastructure Development Amidst Security Challenges N otwithstanding the mounting security challenges, the Niger State Government says it has moved to attract investors to infrastructure development as a way of lifting the state’s economy. According to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, priority has been given to providing infrastructure that will benefit the people and promote economic development in the state.

“For us to attract investments into the state, we need to have a good infrastructure system in place that guarantees access to the market and other factors of production,” he said.

The governor noted that his administration constructed over 40 civil engineering projects, 80 mechanical/electrical projects, while 30 public buildings have been built across the state among other projects.

He reaffirmed that despite the daunting economic and security challenges, the state government will continue to provide the dividends of democracy to the people.

According to the governor, most projects started from the beginning of the present government in 2015 had been completed and already being put to use, while others are still ongoing.

by the State House of Assembly includes N100.4 billion capital projects. The budget will be utilised towards completing ongoing projects, especially to critical roads in the state.

Among the completed roads was the Broadcasting Dual Carriageway constructed under the N25 billion Sukuk Private Bond Programme captured in the 2019 and 2020 Appropriation laws. The project includes the payment of compensation and relocation of utilities, such as water, mines and electricity installations.

“The budget was a reflection of our desire and commitment towards consolidating our achievements in the previous years,” said the Commissioner for Finance, Zakeri Abubakar. He added that strengthening the state security apparatus and completing vital ongoing projects were aimed to impact positively on the lives of the residents.

Other aspects are the milling of existing bituminous surface, concrete works in the median, side drains, laterite in sub-base, crushed stone base and asphalt in concrete binder and finishing.

Aside from infrastructure development, the government disclosed that the 2022 budget will be utilised to tackle security challenges in the state. “It will help the government to step up measures against the criminal elements as security challenges have greatly affected the effective implementation of the 2021 budget.”

The state government disclosed that it initiated 299 projects, with 165 already completed, including 12 new roads already in use in Minna.

To sustain the tempo, the Appropriation bill for 2022 approved

Challenging Factors: Insecurity, poor/low educational standard, large number of out-of-school children, poverty, lack of basic infrastructure.

ENDOWMENT AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Mechanized Farming

Yam Processing

Restaurant

Craft/Pottery

Road Transportation/Haulage

Maritime Business

Fish Packaging

Tourism/Tourist Guide

Auto Repair Workshop

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

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FEBRUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 19, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

One Year After...

I t is a good feeling to not just dream, but to dream big, steadfastly pursue it, no matter how long it takes and then eventually watch it come together right before your eyes.

This is the story of the newspaper in your hands.

About 13 years ago, at the start of the last quarter of 2009, around the period of the biggest economic recession the world has ever seen, the desire to establish a reputable media organisation, an idea I had conceived since my days in secondary school, was burning inside of me. I wanted to create a news media outfit that will be different in style, truly independent of censorship and interference, contemporary yet obligatory in expanding the discourse on salient national issues. These were my thoughts when I initiated the bold steps to begin what is today reckoned with as THEWILL. On this momentous occasion of the first year anniversary of the print version of this media organisation, I believe it is an auspicious opportunity to take a reflective step backward to see the journey that has brought THEWILL this far, to appreciate those who have made the amazing progress possible and to restate the organisation's avowed determination to stick to its core principles of truth, accuracy, accountability, fairness, impartiality and independence.

Imbued with a stoic determination to boldly report news as it breaks without bias, I began THEWILL as an online news platform in San Francisco, conceived as the forerunner of an ambitious and revolutionary media project that will blossom to birth the print and electronic channels, all of which will bear the authoritative imprint of providing a one-stop platform where readers, viewers and contributors can debate public policy, influence public opinion and ultimately, contribute towards the real change we so badly need in our abundantly blessed country, Nigeria.

The choice to start the project from the website was informed by the advantages that the technology offered in terms of immediacy and reach. It was also comparatively and affordably less capital-intensive – I had only $3, 000 (about N390, 000) in my bank account at that time. I went on Craigslist and found a graphic designer whom I worked with to create our insignia for about $350, bought the domain name and then paid for hosting. Therefore, in October 2009, THEWILL was born as a digital-first news organisation.

Publishing from San Francisco, California, where the United States Bill of Rights protects press freedom, as posterity would record it, THEWILL soon gained prominence and respect, especially when Nigeria was faced with a constitutional crisis and a power struggle evoked by the unexpected illness and eventual demise in office of the then Nigerian President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. It was an opportune moment for the inchoate organisation and with its fair, unbiased, fearless and authoritative publications, THEWILL afforded its growing company of regular readers an illuminating perspective through the intrigues of the power struggle that the period witnessed.

THEWILL will forever be recognised as one of the first media channels to break the news of Yar’Adua’s eventual death in Abuja on the night of May 05, 2010, while the facts were still being kept from the worried public anxious to get reliable information on the goings-on within the seat of power. That was undoubtedly an immense breakout for THEWILL, quickly earning it the attraction of legions of faithful readers, who have kept faith through the years and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude.

Yet, that break was only the beginning because one week later, precisely on May 12, 2010, THEWILL chalked up another major scoop to further consolidate its position as a powerful emerging media. THEWILL was first to report the arrest and detention of Chief James Ibori, a former governor of oil-rich Delta State and a very influential player in the Nigerian political space and power tussle at the time, by the Interpol in Dubai, UAE, following a warrant by the government of the United Kingdom.

By that report, THEWILL's growing reputation for cuttingedge news reporting and its knack for exclusive stories blossomed and has witnessed spurts of growth over the years, while forging ahead to establish itself as a model for others in the rapidly growing independent online news community in Nigeria. After a dozen years of unflagging and dogged pursuit of excellence in news reporting and determined to enter into the next phase of the news media project, in 2020 we started putting together the structure and infrastructure to actualise printing the newspaper in Nigeria. Proposed as a magazine-styled Sunday publication, with a glossy and glamorous pullout that was styled for the fashionable demographic, it was billed as a national newspaper that kept to the organisation's mission to "expand the national conversation."

The mission was unchanged. The focus remained to continue to stimulate and expand the engaging discourse of the contemporary Zeitgeist, whilst also providing a plat-

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form for readers, fellow advocates and contributors to keep working towards the country we can all be proud of.

In December of the same year we published the preview edition and on Sunday, February 14, 2021, the first edition of the newspaper was printed and circulated countrywide.

THEWILL newspaper has maintained an impressive and steady growth in the notoriously competitive print media sector since our first edition. We could not have achieved this feat without the hard work of our dedicated team, support of friends and mentors, our loyal readership and advertisers, who have remained steadfast and believed in THEWILL brand since 2009.

I recall with a chuckle how I worked as a one-man army to get the online platform off the ground, but there was always a set of experienced journalists, who believed in what I was doing, with whom I had a working relationship and who were collaboratively helpful as needed at the teething period.

As the news website grew, I hired more hands to work with me and it is a testament to the tireless work that we have all put in that we have come this far this quickly. As news never sleeps, there have also been countless sleepless nights that staff, reporters and contributors have had to endure to record all the achievements that have become THEWILL's signature within the media landscape.

To these indefatigable individuals who belong to the THEWILL family, I owe a debt of gratitude.

Without a smidgen of doubt, much of the strides that THEWILL has made could have been much too arduous to contemplate without the robust sup-

THEWILL will forever be recognised as one of the first media channels to break the news of Yar’Adua’s eventual death in Abuja on the night of May 05, 2010, while the facts were still being kept from the worried public anxious to get reliable information on the goings-on within the seat of power. port of our advertisers. Therefore, also deserving of unwavering gratitude is the loyal class of advertisers that are as much part of the THEWILL family as any. Access Bank, CBN, Zenith Bank, Aiteo, UBA, First Bank and GTCO are some of the major brands that have supported THEWILL project since inception.

Their fidelity spurs us to give our best at all times.

They have pitched their own renowned brands with ours, which carries the implication of endorsement.

We are infinitely grateful and will work hard daily to be worthy of such loyalty.

I will be in remission if I fail to thank those who have also criticised some of our stories over the years. As incredible a journey as we have had in the existence of THEWILL, it has not been without a fair serving of criticism, hard knocks and reprimand. As a responsible media that is wholesomely self-aware and desirous to improve at all levels, we never take feedback for granted. Each time we have been criticised, we have not only stoutly defended our stance, but also sought to see the positives that can be

learned from every instance. We have laboured to improve in delivery and in our responsibilities to the core of our vision and mission. In their own ways, therefore, those that have criticised us have contributed to our progress and we are just as grateful to them.

As Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, I shall continue to see THEWILL as our contribution to the struggle for a better country and future. We have always taken it upon ourselves to hold those entrusted with power accountable for its daily exercise and have striven, over the years, to advocate for justice, human rights, free press, free enterprise and a progressive government that can deliver good governance.

That is why, on the eve of yet another electioneering period, as the country goes through the motions again, in the hallowed practice of picking those who will be responsible for defining the path of our collective destiny, THEWILL believes it is apposite to awaken the national consciousness and point it in the most appropriate direction for the good of one and all.

In continuance of the critical role THEWILL has played in influencing thought, we intend to emphasise the necessity to steer the discussions towards helping Nigerians choose the kind of leaders that we know the country deserves at this crucial time in our history. Our position is for a President that will come from the private sector. This is hinged on the precedent that we have never had a truly and wholly grounded technocrat from the business sector at the helm, who can translate their wealth of experience in the boardroom to the corridors of political power at the centre and bring about that marked single-minded, result-oriented and purposeful dedication to roles and responsibilities attributable to the private sector that bring about growth and development.

A technocrat, who understands the business of creating wealth, the positives of employment, the advantages of strong, stable institutions and understands how to build trust between employee and employer and how the synergy of both will bring true progress, is the kind of leader the country has been yearning for but unfortunately denied.

These are the operational principles of the private sector engagement that only a technocrat will understand these.

That is why the leaders we should be on the lookout for at all levels, be it at the local government, the state or at the seat of power in Abuja, should have foundational and grounded private sector experience to boot.

We have tried the military, we have tried career politicians, we have tried ex-military officers who have transitioned into career politicians, but the situation gets worse with every trial. Yet, where seasoned technocrats have been given the opportunity, the difference that the results make speak for themselves. That is why Akwa Ibom State is a pacesetter in developmental progress. They have had a triplicate of technocrats that have held forte and ensured the continuation of growth. Architect Obong Victor Attah began the process that built on the professionalism he brought with him to the job in 1999.

This continued with the telecoms professional, Chief Godswill Akpabio, who rose to the position of Managing Director of a telecommunications company before becoming governor in 2007 to continue the progress of Attah before handing over to Udom Emmanuel, the former Zenith Bank Executive Director in 2015. This clear line of highly respectable professionals, who have brought their boardroom experiences to bear in government, with observable signs of growth ought to be a blueprint for countrywide application in the next election.

These professionals, which must include the ingenious Godwin Emefiele, who stepped down from his top job as Group Managing Director of the behemoth Zenith Bank Plc. to lead the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and is aggressively driving the country’s economic diversification agenda, and Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who stepped down from his position as chairman of one of the most reputable investment banking and management firms in Nigeria (Afrinvest) to govern Edo State, who bring their backgrounds to bear are our best bet out of the quagmire that we have found ourselves in as a country and THEWILL believes it is its responsibility to carry the discourse along that line of reasoning, ahead of the polls next year. We can no longer afford to leave politics in the hands of politicians alone. It is crucial that we all get involved now.

As THEWILL looks forward to more challenges, better quality, wider reach and continued milestones in the years ahead, I hope our news platforms will continue to be your choice for everything news, current affairs, commentaries and entertainment, while we pledge our continued dedication to positively influencing public policy and expanding the spaces that promote national discourse at every level.

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