Plansfor a Valentine’s Day issue were underway but had to change because it’s our second anniversary. It feels as if I wrote an Editor’s note for the first anniversary only a few weeks ago, yet the reality is it’s been one year!
I can’t thank the Almighty God, The Creative of creatives, enough for everything from the content stage to what you read every week.
Our readers are not left out. Thank you for all the encouraging messages we receive from you all. It puts a smile on our faces to read that we are sharing helpful information with you. Nothing could be more fulfilling in a job such as this.
While our focus is on our second anniversary, we have a few pages in honour of the day of love, one of which talks about the challenges of finding true love in this new age of technology.
To get a sense of how this works, we spoke to the Co-founder and CEO of Trueflutter, a dating app, to understand the trends in the world of dating. He also shares how the security system they have built flags catfishers and possible fraudsters...Tinder Swindler, anyone? You don’t have to worry about that happening to you.
Downtown confidential renders advice on how to keep a long-distance relationship fun and spicy. Bon Appetit, our food page, shares cocktail recipes for those who couldn’t reserve a table for the special day or prefer to spend an intimate evening at home with their partner. With the fuel crisis, et al., this seems like the way to go for Valentine’s this year.
While many couples in Nigeria are, as the Gen Z and Millennials would say, ’giving couple goals,’ some of them have unique love stories from their first meeting leading up to saying “I do”. Others are still engaged.
We have profiled some as our favourite stories on pages fourteen through fifteen. It would be nice to read your thoughts. Here’s wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day in advance.
And to my team, you guys are the best!
Until next week, enjoy your read.
OnahNwachukwu
Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN @onahluciaa +2349088352246
BY AMOS ESELE
President Muhammadu Buhari's approval for the constitution of a 22man Presidential Transition Council to ensure a smooth handover to a newly-elected President on February 25, 2023 underlines his commitment to a free and fair election this year.
A senior government source said Buhari yielded to “sound advice to approve the committee in order to keep naysayers at bay, despite repeated assurances at different fora of his commitment to the conduct of a free and fair election.
“Some people were even mischievous enough to suggest the idea of an Interim Government,” added the source.
Even so, anxiety is still mounting over the forthcoming General Election. It is not hard to guess where this is coming from.
While millions of Nigerians were suffering from the twin evil of fuel and naira scarcity all through last week, many were able to
detect a common enemy in the average and self-seeking politician.
Abeokuta, now famous as a launch-pad for political missiles during this election season, where the presidential candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, confronted President Buhari with his pre-presidential convention ‘Emilokan’ diatribe and a recent outburst accusing ‘the powers that be’ of scheming to derail his presidential ambition by orchestrating the currency swap and fuel crisis, was in the news again last week.
Angry residents protesting against the twin scarcity marched through the Sapon area of the ancient town and shouted “Aa fe politicians” in Yoruba, meaning “We don’t want politicians again.”
Although Tinubu’s recent proclamation in Abeokuta gave an unnecessary political colouration to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s currency redesign project, which was aimed at controlling money supply, checking
counterfeiting and aiding security agencies in tackling illicit financial deals, the protesters who dramatised the terrible pain and suffering that Nigerians were undergoing merely re-echoed Tinubu’s insinuation that politicians had manipulated the system to their advantage by hoarding the new naira for vote buying, not minding the negative impact on the people. Coming less than a fortnight to the muchanticipated presidential poll, the ongoing fuel and naira scarcity has further worsened the anxiety of a majority of Nigerians, many of whom are overwhelmed by the harsh economic, political and security situation in the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has thus far shown his readiness to ensure the conduct of free and fair elections and it will be a national calamity for the politicians to disrupt the process,” Chief Willy Ezugwu, General Secretary of the umbrella body of registered political parties and political associations in the country, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, told THEWILL.
In a note made available to this newspaper on Friday, Ezugwu used the recent litigation against the currency swap as an example of the extent to which politicians can go to upset the political process when their ox is gored.
He said, “The APC has made Nigerians to believe that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, is their enemy, whereas the obvious collaboration between some unpatriotic individuals in the commercial banks actually led to the hoarding of the redesigned naira notes as media reports indicated that banks stashed the new notes in their vaults rather than distribute allotted funds from the CBN through their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
“Clearly, the APC, through its Governors in three states — Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara — has again demonstrated that it is not ready for a free, fair and credible election in 2023, despite being a beneficiary of such credible process in 2015.
“Even when the party is aware that the monetary policy is outside the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the party went ahead to use the apex court to coerce the Federal Government and its monetary agency into submission with a view to thwarting the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. This could be a recipe for a crisis which could unnecessarily heat up the polity.”
The litigation against the currency initiative is not ending soon. Last Thursday, February 9, 2023, two APC states, Ondo and Kano, joined their Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara counterparts, which together compelled the Supreme Court to temporarily suspend the February 10, 2023 deadline for swapping of old Naira notes with new ones.
The suits, which had introduced some complexity into the already fiery situation, forced the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who had initially contested the jurisdiction of the apex court to entertain the suit, to beat a hasty retreat on Friday.
During a meeting of the National Council of State on Friday, where the council back the cashless policy and directed the CBN to recirculate old notes or print more new notes, Malami disclosed that the Federal Government would abide by the court ruling until the court’s next sitting on February 15 when the Ministry of Justice would file its claims.
The electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has on many occasions raised the alarm over threats to the conduct of the 2023 presidential poll. Initially, the Commission cried out that multiple attacks on its offices might undermine its capacity to conduct the election. Starting in February 2019 through 2021 and 2022, INEC’s offices in many locations across the country, particularly in the South, were attacked and materials destroyed or set ablaze. It got so bad that the Commission’s boss, Mahmood Yakubu, lamented that the attacks were not isolated but coordinated to undermine the Commission.
Then as early as January 2023, about one month to the upcoming poll, an INEC official, Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, alerted the public to the dangers posed by insecurity to the polls. Zuru, who is the Chairman of the Commission’s Board of Electoral Institute, said, “If the insecurity is not monitored and dealt with decisively, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of elections results and precipitate constitutional crisis.
“This must not be allowed to happen. It shall not be allowed to happen. Therefore, security personnel in particular and all election officials in general must be security conscious and alert to unusual activities in their environment and must be fully equipped to deal with any challenge at all times.”
Then on February 10, 2023, INEC once again alerted the public to the fact that it might encounter logistics challenges, should the fuel scarcity persist till the last days of the poll.
Speaking with THEWILL in an interview, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Committee of INEC,
Festus Okoye, agreed that the “Commission is concerned about the attacks in our facilities, having recorded over 53 attacks in 15 states since the conclusion of the 2019 general election and has taken proactive steps to ensure and guarantee electoral continuity.”
He however warned that “the delivery of a good election is a shared responsibility. The framers of the Nigerian Constitution and our laws assigned different roles and functions to different agencies and organs of government to make for smooth elections.”
The President of the Nigerian Political Association, Ibrahim Salihu, however thinks that lack of trust between the government and the governed is at the root of the anxiety over the upcoming elections in the country.
Salihu, whose association organised a twoday roundtable on 2023 general election, with the theme, ‘Attaining Electoral integrity 2023 General Elections: Pointers to Policy’, last Thursday through Friday in Abuja, explained, “There are trust issues between the citizens and the government. Something must be done to address the issue of citizens seeing the government as the enemy and vice-versa. The citizens must have to trust the government and the government must have to trust the citizens.”
Issues of insecurity, rising poverty, high unemployment and mutual ethnic mistrust, he contended, were at the root of lack of trust. He called for committed efforts by stakeholders to tackle the challenge.
Okoye is frontal about the legal and constitutional measures required to address the problem. He said: “We have gone far with preparations for the conduct of elections. INEC will not give room for doubt or anxiety. Sections 132 and 178 of the Constitution have circumscribed the period for the conduct of elections in Nigeria. Sections 134 and 179 of the same Constitution have also delineated the periods for the conduct of a second election if no winner emerges on the first ballot. These periods are constitutionally and legally circumscribed and the Commission will not tamper with these periods.”
Ezugwu said that the people needed to be reassured about their security and anti-graft agencies act to address the current tension in the country. He said, “the security agencies must double their efforts in mitigating the ongoing economic sabotage by desperate politicians through the commercial banks. We urge them to do more to ensure that illicit and proceeds of crime are not deployed by vote buyers in the forthcoming general elections.”
The security agencies must double their efforts in mitigating the ongoing economic sabotage by desperate politicians through the commercial banks. We urge them to do more to ensure that illicit and proceeds of crime are not deployed by vote buyers in the forthcoming general elections
Agroup operating under the aegis of the Forum of Concerned Benue Elders (FCBE) has expressed disgust over what it described as a hasty conclusion by the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido and others that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and the State Livestock Guards are involved in the incident at Akwanajo that left many dead in Nasarawa State.
Spaeking at a briefing held in Makurdi, capital of Benue State on Friday, the leader of the Group, Dr Laha Dzever, alleged that, as at August 2021, Nigeria had recorded 8,343 casualties from herders' attacks on farmers, with Benue accounting for 2,539 deaths, representing 33 per cent of an estimated 303 attacks carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen nationwide. "Available statistics indicate that the number of casualties in Benue alone has exceeded 6,000 deaths and as we speak, 18 local government areas in the state have been partly or completely invaded and occupied by the herdsmen.
"It should be clearly understood that neither the Benue State Government nor her agents have a hand in the Akwanaja bombing in the Doma Local Government
Area of Nasarawa State. Therefore, any attempt to rope in the governor and the people of Benue State, as portrayed by Lamido Sanusi's letter, is hereby totally condemned ".
Dzever said the group would not celebrate or be indifferent to the killing of people of any ethic group or religion anywhere in the country. He condemned the unfounded allegation made by some northern elders against the Benue State Livestock Guards and affirmed that the legally established body would continue to enforce the AntiOpen Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law of the state in order to protect livestock and crop farmers in the state.
He said, "Benue State houses more than 2,700,000 Internally Displaced Persons whose conditions are continually worsening. We condemn and protest the persistent and deliberate campaign of calumny against the person of Governor Samuel Ortom by Fulani ethnic groups, such as Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Fulani Nationality Movement. They ought to take responsibility for the violent killings in Nigeria, including the over seven assassination attempts on Ortom".
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Plateau State, Dr. Patrick Dakum, has blamed the failure of the Simon Lalong Administration in the state on what he described as an all-knowing mentality and refusal to listen to advice from elders and stakeholders.
Addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre in Jos on Friday, Dakum said Lalong had closed his ears to wise counsel and refused to carry everyone along in providing content and direction for his administration.
He also disclosed that Lalong's poor leadership style had left some members of his cabinet members so disillusioned
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has said that the state is enjoying steady growth due to the continuity policy of his administration.
Diri stated that continuing projects of previous administrations had not only saved the State funds but ensured that they reaped the full benefits of the policy.
The governor spoke during the inauguration of a new complex for the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) in Yenagoa, on Wednesday, noting that the scheme was a brainchild of the immediate past administration of Senator Seriake Dickson.
He said his administration decided to continue with the health scheme due to its benefits to the people of the state, adding that the scheme was expanded to accommodate the informal sector and to reach out to more people.
"This health scheme was initiated by my immediate past predecessor. We looked at it and saw the benefits for our people. We decided to continue and expand it. Today, it has accommodated the informal sector,” he said.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones, has described as absolute falsehood a report making the rounds in some sections of the online media that Governor Yahaya Bello has reportedly ordered the sack of Kogi teachers who are not APC supporters.
Jones, in a statement issued in Lokoja, described the report as fake, baseless and a figment of the imagination of unscrupulous individuals masquerading under the guise of the opposition with the intention to create disaffection amongst teachers and workers in the state.
The commissioner said that, contrary to the fake report, the Kogi State Government was on the verge of releasing the list of 1,500 successful applicants to be employed as teachers in the secondary schools in the state as part of the first phase of an ongoing recruitment exercise for teachers.
He said that it would interest the authors of the sponsored report to learn that in the recent transparent exercise carried out to recruit teachers in the State, nobody was asked to show his or her party membership card, "whether he is APC or PDP, rather, for everybody that was interviewed, what mattered was whether the applicant possessed the requisite qualification to be a teacher in the State or not."
and disgruntled that they had concluding plans to exit the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Dakum said that if voted into power, he would operate with listening ears and establish an Elders Consultative Council as an observatory and residue for action and policy direction.
Speaking further, he promised to give priority attention to the vulnerable in the society – women, the physically challenged, aged and children, especially in terms of empowerment and sundry benefits that will carry them along and give them a sense of belonging.
*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com
Noting that the present administration in Kogi placed much premium on the recruitment and improvement of the welfare of teachers and workers in general, Jones said, “At no time was any directive issued to local government Chairmen in the state, as contained in the report, to compile the names of teachers not sympathetic to the APC.”
He pointed out that no compilation of names of teachers was ever contemplated, adding that the present administration of Gov Bello was one that had instead repositioned the education sector in Kogi for the future.
The commissioner said, "In the last seven years under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello, we made the building and renovation of primary schools across the state top priority. The GYB Model Science Secondary Schools across the state are another signature of the Yahaya Bello Administration that has remained a watershed in the state's education history.
Delta State Governor and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, inaugurated the BHIS House as part of activities to mark the third anniversary of the Diri administration. Okowa commended the implementation of the Health Insurance Scheme in Bayelsa, saying it is among the few states in the country where the scheme is functional.
Describing health insurance as important, Okowa said it would cater to the health needs of the poor, adding that the essence of governance is to touch the lives of ordinary people.
He lauded the Diri administration for building a befitting office space for the scheme, saying it will enhance its implementation.
The PDP vice presidential candidate also hailed former Governor Seriake Dickson, for initiating the BHIS and commended Diri for not deviating, saying continuity in governance is laudable, especially when the policy is about the people.
Okowa, however, decried the nonrelease of funds by the APC-led Federal Government, which he said had stalled the implementation of the scheme at the federal level.
He promised that when elected into office, the PDP would ensure that every aspect of the Health Act is made operational.
In a related development, the Bayelsa State Ultra Modern Transport Terminal at Igbogene, was also inaugurated. Diri described the project as more than a transport terminal as it comprises two banking halls, a medical centre, retail stores and a VIP lounge.
The governor said his government had already procured vehicles to take commuters from the terminal to their destinations and called on transporters at different terminals in the State capital to relocate to the new terminal.
In his closing remarks, the immediate past Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, thanked Governor Diri for his dedication and passion, which has ensured the completion of projects inherited from his administration, adding that he was glad to witness the dividends of democracy being demonstrated by his successor.
The National Council of State has backed the redesigned naira Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The Council, however, urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to either intensify the printing of new notes or recirculate the old ones to ease the hardship of Nigerians occasioned by the policy.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Governors Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, as well as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, briefed State House reporters on the key issues after the council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Malami said the two major issues deliberated were the level of preparedness for the general elections and the new monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Alkali Baba, assured of adequate readiness for the elections.
His words: “So by way of conclusion, the two major resolutions that were driven, arriving from the deliberations of the Council, are one that we are on course, as far as election is concerned and we are happy with the level of preparation by INEC and the institutions.
“Two, relating to the naira re-designed policy, the policy stands, but then the Council agreed that there is need for aggressive action on the part of the Central Bank, as it relates to the implementation of the policy by way of ensuring adequate provision being made with regard to the supply of the naira in the system."
THEWILL reports that President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, presided over the National Council of States (NCS) meeting at the State House, Abuja.
The Council of state is an organ of the federal government saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy making.
The meeting was attended by former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has again polled a lead over his counterparts in the two major political parties in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a latest opinion poll conducted by Premise Data Corp for Bloomberg.
Bloomberg, a New York based global television and media giant, conducted the poll between January 26 and February 4, 2023.
According to the poll result released on Friday, the LP presidential candidate was the preferred choice of respondents, polling 66 percent of the 93 percent of respondents' votes.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC and his counterpart in the PDP, former Vice
Over 40 anti-corruption Civil Society Organisations gathered in Lagos on Friday to protest what they described as the incessant disobedience of court orders by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under Abdulrasheed Bawa and the seeming politicisation of the agency's activities.
The anti-corruption CSOs alleged that the EFCC, under Bawa, had chosen to become an institution known for brazenly disobeying orders of courts in such a manner that does not only undermine the institutions of Nigeria's democracy, but also indicates a contradiction to the anticorruption agenda of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and came to a conclusion that Bawa must be sacked for the Commission to recover its past glory.
The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers has rescheduled its campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, February 11, to Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Rivers State Government recently reapproved the use of Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium for the PDP presidential campaign rally, after it initially cancelled the approval.
The Campaign Council, however, rejected the reapproval, adding that it was not formally communicated through a written memo to the Director-General of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.
However, the Spokesperson for the Campaign Council, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, who announced the rescheduled rally in a statement, said the rally will hold on Tuesday, at 9 am, while the venue will be communicated to members of the public "as soon as possible."
The statement read: "This is to inform the general public that the PDP Presidential Campaign Rally slated to hold on the 11th day of February, 2023, in Rivers State has been rescheduled to hold on the 14th day of February, 2023. The time is 9 am, while the venue will be communicated to you as soon as possible.
president, Atiku Abubakar, got 18 and 10 percent respectively.
Two-thirds of respondents said they intend to vote for Obi, Bloomberg reported.
“San Francisco-based Premise polled 2,384 Nigerians from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4 via a smartphone app. Submissions were selected from quotas developed by age, gender, and location across the country’s six geopolitical zones", the company said.
Results, according to Bloomberg, were then weighted against the original quotas to ensure national representation.
"Nigerian businessman and exgovernor, Peter Obi, remains the top choice to become the nation’s next president", Bloomberg added.
"The PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Rivers State Chapter, hereby regret to announce the said postponement and plead that the general public, members of PDP and the Supporters of Atiku/Okowa Presidency bear with us on the inconveniences this adjustment in date may cause you.
"Remember to keep a date with Atiku/Okowa for a better Nigeria.
"PDP! Power to the people!
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the DirectorGeneral of the Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State, Dr Abiye Sekibo, escaped a gun attack.
Gunmen dressed in police uniforms were said to have opened fire on Sekibo’s bulletproof jeep at Rainbow town in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Sekibo had gone to inspect the venue of the PDP presidential rally when he was attacked.
The bodies, led by the Chairman, Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran; Executive Director, Zero Graft Centre, Kolawole Sanchez-Jude; Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, Toyin Raheem; Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson; and Ahmed Balogun of Media Rights Concern, among others, spoke at a press conference, themed: "EFCC’s Consistent Disobedience of Court Orders is a Recipe for Anarchy; A Call For The Immediate Sack of Mr. AbdulRasheed Bawa". Other leaders include Ologun Ayodeji, Transparency and Accountability Group; Declan Ihehaire, Activists for Good Governance; and Ochiaga Jude, Centre for Ethics and Good Governance, among others. According to the anti-graft bodies, aside from the EFCC’s penchant for disobedience of court orders, the situation has reached an embarrassing height where the Commission's boss, Bawa, has been committed to prison more than once within two months for clear breach of the extant orders of the Court.
They said, "EFCC’s Gestapo-style regime of disobeying court orders must stop. Nigeria is not a banana republic. Attempts by institutions of state to ridicule the country and make it seem like a lawless fiefdom must be resisted by all. The EFCC seems to be allowing itself to be used as an instrument of political witchunt as it targets some individuals more than many others.
"Some of our organisations have submitted several petitions to the commission, which it has refused to act on even when you sit with them to reason on the merits of those petitions. Once there is a political interest the whole processes of investigation and litigation become politicized.
"The commission seems only to act with gusto against perceived political enemies of some powerful political forces in the country rather than being neutral and professional. For instance, the Ogun State Assembly Speaker was bundled in Gestapo-style to Abuja on corruption allegations while several similar petitions elsewhere have been left untouched by the Commission. Where is the justice, the impartiality and the professionalism?"
"This culture of impunity as consistently exhibited by the EFCC Chairman continues to ridicule Nigeria in the comity of nations and sabotage efforts at attracting foreign direct investment. Investors only go to jurisdictions where the rule of law and respect for human rights are guaranteed while shunning countries where ‘rule of men’ predominate," they added.
BY AYO ESAN
With less than 13 days to the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election, political parties are rounding up their campaigns across the nooks and crannies of the country. Out of the 18 political parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for the election, four candidates stand out . They are Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, (APC); Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP); Peter Obi of the Labour Party, (LP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
Although there are ongoing permutations among loyalists of these candidates as to who will emerge winner of the election, there are certain factors that may shape the final outcome.
Prominent among such factors is religion. Religion has been playing a greater role in the outcome of elections in Nigeria. Nigeria being a secular state, it is no surprise that religion will have influence on the politics of the country as adherents of different religions will want one of their members to be at the helm of affairs.
From the beginning of this nascent democracy, efforts have been made to strike a balance between the two highest offices in the country – President and Vice President – and to ensure that both positions are equitably shared among adherents of the country’s two main religions, Islam and Christianity.
Since the North is predominantly Muslim and the South is largely dominated by Christians, the task of choosing the presidential and vice presidential candidates of any of the parties has always been undertaken in such a manner as to ensure that both candidates do not belong to the same religion. Thus in a situation where a presidential candidate turns to be a Christian, the vice presidential candidate is expected to be chosen from a Muslim community or vice versa.
In 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who emerged as the President was a Christian and his Vice President for eight years, Atiku Abubakar, was a Muslim. When Goodluck Jonathan was President, being a Christian, he had Namadi Sambo, a Muslim as Vice President. The incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari not only has
a Christian as his deputy but also an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
As it is, the presidential candidate of the L P, Peter Obi is a Christian from the South and his running mate is Yusuf Baba Ahmed, a Muslim from the North. Similarly while the NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso, a northerner, has picked a Southern Christian, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, as his running mate, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP has picked Ifeanyi Okowa, a Christian and Governor of Delta State as his deputy.
Only Tinubu of the APC has jettisoned the religious balance. He chose a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as the vice presidential candidate of the party. What this means is that the ruling APC is having what we call a Muslim –Muslim ticket.
The APC Muslim – Muslim ticket has attracted much criticism, especially from Christians in the North and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). In fact, the party’s decision to settle for the ticket had left many shocked and disappointed such that some of its leaders
of the APC were forced to defect to rival parties. They include a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara. Dogara has since joined the PDP, while Babachir Lawal joined the Labour Party.
One of those who dumped the APC as a result of the religious factor is Prince Tonye Princewill, a former governorship candidate of the party in Rivers State and close ally of the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. In his resignation letter, which was addressed to the Chairman of APC, Ward 3 (Royal Ward) in Buguma City of Asari Toru Council, Princewill said he could not defend the decision of his party to field a Muslim-Muslim ticket against a public outcry by well-meaning Nigerians.
“I can’t argue for equity in my state and defend inequity in my country,” Tonye said, adding that in such a situation he could not continue to remain in a party that was “totally insensitive”.
Princewill’s resignation came a day after another chieftain of the party, Daniel Bwala, joined the league of members who announced their resignation after the party’s presidential candidate, Tinubu, announced a Muslim running mate.
Bwala, in a post on his Twitter account, said that he had decided to dump the ruling party based on principles and convictions that he held dear. “What Nigeria needs is for us to work towards uniting the country,” he noted. Also, the lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Abbo, who described Tinubu’s decision to pick a Muslim as his running mate as irresponsible, resigned his membership of a Tinubu support group.
Abbo said: “For Tinubu now to be given the ticket and turn around to do what he couldn’t achieve in 2015, despite opposition from Christian leaders, is extremely irresponsible. Buhari fought a civil war and understands the consequences of a divided nation.
Nigeria being a secular state, it is no surprise that religion will have influence on the politics of the country as adherents of different religions will want one of their members to be at the helm of affairs
“
When Tinubu wanted to be VP in 2015, Buhari said no because he understood the importance of unity.”
The last time that a party fielded a Muslim – Muslim ticket in Nigeria was in 1993 when the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) fielded late Chief Moshood Abiola and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe as presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively. The duo, both of them were Muslims, later won the June 12, 1993 presidential election that was annulled by the military.
The question on the lips of political analysts and watchers of political developments is whether Tinubu / Shetttima can achieve the same result, come February 25 or whether the Muslim-Muslim ticket will be an albatross that will cost the APC the presidential election. Another factor that will shape the presidential election is power rotation between the North and the South.
Since the beginning of the current democracy in 1999, there has been an unwritten convention that power must rotate between the North and South after two terms of four years each. This was conceptualised to ensure that the two major political zones of the country, the North and the South are allowed to rule the country. So, the arrangement has been that if a President from the North completes a tenure of eight years, the South takes over for another eight years.
The four leading candidates in the presidential election come from the three dominant ethnic groups in the country. The groups are the Yoruba and Igbo from the southern part of Nigeria, and the Hausa/Fulani from the northern part of the country. Tinubu is a Yoruba from the South-West, Peter Obi of the Labour Party is an Igbo from the South-East and Atiku Abubakar is a Fulani from the North-East.
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is also from the NorthWest.
Many ethnic nationality leaders are sympathetic to Obi and willing to support his ambition. According to them, only the Igbo out of the three regions in the South has not produced a President since 1999. Many individuals and groups from the South-East have also argued that because the region is yet to produce a president, it should get its turn in 2023.
Similarly many northerners are saying that the NorthEast, where Atiku Abubakar comes from, has not produced the president, so it should be their turn. They are of the view that since the death of the First Nigerian Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, nobody from the zone has been chosen to govern the country.
Many Nigerians equally believe that it is wrong to allow a northerner to succeed Buhari, who is also a northerner, when he completes his two terms in May this year. So this ethnicity factor may sway voters in favour of different candidates in the election.
INEC ‘s independence and the new 2022 Electoral Act which allows for the electronic accreditation and transmission of results will also shape the presidential election. It introduced innovations, such as the electronic transmission of results from the polling units and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) intended to curb election rigging.
Money is also crucial in any election, especially in Nigeria, where there is high level of poverty. This means that people need financial support before they can even attend campaign rallies.
The past experience has also shown that vote buying and selling influences the election results. In fact some analysts have described election results in Nigeria as the outcomes often determined by the highest bidder.
Money has therefore become a prominent feature of elections.
Despite measures to improve the transparency of the electoral system, it is most likely that money will remain a big factor in the next month’s presidential election.
The structure of political parties is another factor that may determine who wins the election. Nigerian political parties are special purpose vehicles for winning elections. That is why there is likely to be sharp divisions and crises within parties, even the smaller ones.
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), report also stressed that “money will continue to play a huge role in determining who emerges the winner
if the presidential primaries and recent gubernatorial elections offer any lesson.”
On how sentiments would influence the presidential poll, CDD added that “religion, ethnicity, and money politics would shape the people’s choice among the four major candidates – Atiku of the PDP, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party’s Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Speaking, a lawyer and news analyst, Dr Sam Amadi, stated that many factors would shape the 2023 presidential election. “Many issues will affect the 2023 presidential election. One of them is the collapsed economic and social life of Nigerians.
“Another factor is religion. The Muslim-Muslim ticket debate will affect voting. In the South and North-Central , many Christians will reject the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket because of its lack of religious diversity.
The unknown is how much it can mobilise Muslim votes for the ticket in the North. Ethnicity may not be such a strong factor. The South-West seems poised to share votes between the old and the new; between the status quo and the future. Ethnicity may improve voter enthusiasm in the South-East where the candidate of the Labour Party hails from. But it may be displaced by religion and social and economic issues,” Amadi observed.
He added, “Demographic changes will affect the result. We will see rural-urban divide. It is expected that whereas the rural electorate may remain attached to the status quo parties, we will see significant urban shifts.
The winner of the election will be the person who takes much of those urban voters who have in the past not been keen to participate in presidential election.”
Also speaking with THEWILL, a public affairs commentator, Comrade David Akpan, said the 2023 elections will be shaped by three major factors.
According to him, one will be ethnicity, the second will be religion and the third one will be sectionalism.
He said “Sectionalism will play out in the Middle Belt and the South-South geo-political zones. The Middle Belt is a place where the people of different ethnic backgrounds have a common agenda protecting their land from invaders. They have an agenda cut across religion and ethnicity because protection of their ancestral land is what binds them together. These three factors will definitely underscore the direction of the election in 2023”.
The four leading candidates in the presidential election come from the three dominant ethnic groups in the country
With about 13 days to the Presidential election and all candidates and parties rounding up their preparations. The former Governor of Anambra State and Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, is enjoying the rave of the moment and this is the best of times for him.
Several opinion polls had credited him with victory in the February 25, 2023 election.
According to a new poll conducted for Bloomberg, the New York based global television and media giant, Peter Obi is the top pick for Nigerian President.
In the results of the survey conducted for Bloomberg News by Premise Data Corp, a San Francisco based Data Company which was published last Friday, about two weeks to the election, it showed that Two-thirds of respondents said they intend to vote for Obi, in elections scheduled for February 25, 2023.
Premise Data Corp has conducted six polls for Bloomberg, and in all Obi has maintained an unassailable lead.
In the latest poll, of the 93% of participants who said they’ve decided how to vote, 66% named Obi as their preferred choice. Obi scored a slightly higher 72% among decided respondents in an earlier Premise poll that was released by Bloomberg in September as the official election campaign kicked off
It could be recalled that another national survey conducted by Stears has predicted the election of Obi as the next President of Nigeria in the event of the massive turnout.
According to a statement released last Tuesday, by Stears, an Africa-focused data-driven company founded at the London School of Economics, the company said the “Stears electoral poll and prediction model indicates that Peter Obi is Nigeria’s most popular presidential candidate and should win the presidential ticket as long as Nigerians follow through on their stated intent to vote”.
According to the poll, Obi has a good chance of winning the 2023 Nigerian presidential election if voter turnout is high.
The poll shows that Peter Obi could win the election with as many as 41 per cent of the votes cast, ahead of the All Progresses Congress (APC) Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is at 31%, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at 20%.
It however, tilts toward the presidential candidate of the APC, Tinubu if the election has a low voter turnout..
“Peter Obi holds a comfortable lead,” the statement read. “In essence, the Stears electoral poll and prediction model affirms that Peter Obi is by far the most popular and desired candidate for the 2023 Presidential Elections.”
“Having said that, to get a more realistic prediction of the outcome of the race, we can apply the same high and low turnout scenarios to our model predictions. When we do so, Peter Obi once again emerges triumphant in the high turnout scenario,” the company volunteered.
Like the Nextier Poll, which predicted a run-off election, the Stears poll also forecasts the possibility of a runoff should all ‘certain voters’ stick to their preferred candidate.
According to Stears, the most likely scenario would be a run-off between Obi and Tinubu.
The other two ‘big parties’, the APC and the PDP have however reacted sharply to the opinion polls dismissing the placing of Obi in the top echelon.
Speaking on the issue, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El- Rufai in an interview with a national Television in Lagos said Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), does not have the necessary support across all states to win the presidential election.
El-Rufai, who described the LP candidate as a “Nollywood
actor”, said Obi can only expect significant votes from the south-east and south-south, but not from the north and south-west.
“We are ahead. How can Peter Obi win any election?
Peter Obi is polling at one percent in Sokoto; two percent in Katsina; five percent in Kano. That’s where the votes are. All states are not equal,” he said.
“The fact that you’re doing 70 percent in Anambra state does not mean somebody doing 10 percent in Kano is not better than you. Kano is four million votes that actually happen. The number of votes in Anambra is the size of one local government area in Kaduna state. So, all states are not equal.
“If you poll states and you make them equal, yes, Peter Obi will sweep the south-eastern states; he will do well in south-south; where else? He’s not polling well in the south-west other than a drop in the ocean in Lagos. He’s polling in the Christian enclaves in the north — he’s polling well — but how many are they?
“Peter Obi cannot win the election. He doesn’t have the number of states; he doesn’t have 25 per cent.
Also speaking, a PDP Chieftain, Fabiyi Oladimeji dismissed different polls giving Peter Obi the lead in next
year’s presidential election.
He maintained that such exercise has little impact on the outcome of elections.
“We are not making any assumptions. This is what we are saying: polls are not real determinants of elections. It is how many people you are able to convince and reach out to at the grassroots, not polls”.
Fabiyi who was speaking hours after a poll commissioned by the Anap Foundation gave the Labour Party presidential candidate the leverage in next year’s exercise.
Though he said such polls don’t affect election outcomes, he believes they have their roles.
“It will only tell you where to work and focus more. There are credible polls and there are polls that are not credible,” he added.
“We know those credible ones when we see them and when we see them, they spur us more to go to work and do the needful. So, we appreciate them when they come. That’s what polls help you to do, they do not tell you the outcome of the elections”, he said.
He also questioned the sample size used in the poll and argued that the number of people sampled is inadequate. In the poll, which came four months after a similar one by the Foundation gave Obi the lead, the former Anambra State governor is ahead of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Obi has 23 per cent, Tinubu scored 13, Atiku got 10 and Kwankwaso polled two per cent in the fresh poll released in December 2022 according to the Anap Foundation President Atedo Peterside.
In his reaction , the Chief Spokesperson of the Obi/ Datti Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said that they welcomed the result of the poll, which only affirms the outcome of all recent pre-election polls beginning from that published in September 2022 showing Peter Obi with “a solid lead”.
“All the polls can’t be wrong,” Dr Yunusa declared. He said when the ANAP Foundation published its poll results in December 2022 and declared a “solid lead” for Peter Obi, the organisation’s founder was viciously attacked by the APC propaganda machinery.
“They did the same to the founder of one of Nigeria’s most-respected policy consulting firms, Nextier, when the organisation released a credible poll showing that our candidate, Mr. Peter He He said Obi is one of the most inspirational leaders on the continent and that he has made inroads into Northern Nigeria and expanded his lead nationwide.
“Today, Stears Data, considered the most-trusted source of African data and insights and sometimes referred to as “Africa’s Bloomberg,” released its latest poll and called the elections for the Labour Party.
“One wonders what the APC spokesperson would say about this poll. Let’s not forget that ‘Bloomberg’ itself, the world’s most-trusted data company, called the polls for Peter Obi back in September 2022.
“These independent and reputable organisations can’t all be wrong. Nigerians are tired of the lies and Nigeria’s failed status,” the former National Chairman of the National Conscience Party said.
“This is some of those conversations that have taken place over the period and while we continue to mobilize people around the polling units. We also have interviews that we granted all over the nation that have been getting positive results. And this must have resulted in the polls being published but that will not deter us, we will keep working on the field so that we can do more and we can win this election in a clean sweep”, Tanko said.
In the latest poll, of the 93% of participants who said they’ve decided how to vote, 66% named Obi as their preferred choice
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has urged the electorate to vote leaders with good character to move the country forward.
Akeredolu stated this in Akure o Thursday at a programme organised by a sociocultural and political group, The Atulunse Initiative, with the theme: “Let Our Votes Count.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that the topic for the event was “Ethical governance: Awo’s legacy as a case study.”
The governor, represented by his Deputy, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, urged the people to shun vote buying at the forthcoming elections.
“It is the quality of followers that is affecting the quality of leaders,” he said. Akeredolu urged Nigerians to vote for leaders with qualities and attributes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
He also enjoined Nigerians to stop celebrating those who value money over good behaviour and character.
“We need to look for visionary leaders like Chief Awolowo. So, let us look at the characters of those that are contesting, whether they have the character of Chief Awolowo or not.
“You can see that our governor is doing well in the state. You can see that Akeredolu has the same character with Awolowo and the development of this state is very paramount to him.
“Let communal life be our priority; let us look at the characters of the candidates before we vote.
“Let us vote for the candidate that is ready to provide adequate security and move this country forward,” he said.
The Chairman, The Atulunse Initiative, Mr. Akin Akinbobola, thanked the participants for making it to the occasion in spite of the unpleasant situations in the country.
Akinbobola said that the organisation had spread to the 36 states of the federation sensitising people on how to make their votes count.
The chairman said that a lot needed to be done to get the country on the right path,
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on political parties to review their manifestos to reflect the critical role of physical planning in their agenda.
Mr. Nathaniel Atebije, National President of NTIP made the call in Abuja at the 2023 quarterly press conference of the Institute. He said as the 2023 general elections drew closer, there is a need for political parties to put the issue of town planning on the front burner to curtail the rising cases of disasters in the country.
“We recommend to the political parties to review their manifestos to reflect the critical role of physical planning in their agenda.
noting that there was a wide gap between the rich and the poor.
“Give us education that is affordable. When those living in luxury are sick, they travel abroad, while the poor go for herbal treatment because orthodox medicine is not affordable.
“Life has become unbearable for most Nigerians, why? It is because their votes don’t count. All these must stop. They buy votes and people go for such.
“Power is in our hands. That vote is in your hand. That is why they beg you for it. But when you sell it, they will come back and make life unrealistic.
“But when you vote based on your conscience not by ethnicity or any affiliation, you will enjoy the country,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion and Chief Imam of Akure Kingdom, Alhaji Abdulhakeem Yayi-Akorede, said that the purpose of the gathering was to ensure that votes count in the forthcoming elections.
The guest lecturer, Prof. Akin Alao of Obafemi Awolowo University, said many political parties had failed to develop programmes that would create wealth and positively impact the economy.
He said, this was, unlike Awo’s Action Group, which attained its popularity through hard work, honesty and forthrightness.
Shalom Olaseni, Coordinator, Atunluse Initiatives, said “good governance should be undebatable when the hearts of the leaders are in the right place of delivering dividends of democracy to the citizens.
“It is also very important for the voters to vote in leaders that can represent their dreams, help achieve their aspirations and also enact laws that bring comfort and make life more bearable for the citizens.
“Both the Leaders and the citizens have roles to play in ensuring good governance as the quality and the values of the society is reflected in the kind of leaders we elect and vice versa.
“Atunluse Initiatives believes that leaders should strive to provide better life and social amenities for the citizens rather than serving their own pockets.”
Centre for Women Studies and Intervention (CWSI) has reiterated its determination to curb marginalisation of women, apathy and passiveness in the electoral process through enhance participation in the 2023 general election.
The centre’s Project Officer, Mrs. Precious Uwubiti, stated this at a news conference, in Abuja.
Uwubiti stated that the centre had executed projects in five communities in two Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory aimed at increasing young females’ participation in the 2023 general election.
She emphasised the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to put in place more measures that would guarantee women and girls’ safety during the election.
According to her, if adequate security is provided, women will be encouraged to participate well in the election.
The project officer explained that youths make up over 70 per cent of the country’s population with young women and girls accounting to be more.
“INEC and security agencies should provide the enabling environment for women and girls to be encouraged to participate in the forthcoming election.
“Women have the mind of a mother, they care about welfare and the future, if interested with anything they would not fail.”
She observed that young women and girls within the age’s range of 18 to 35 were largely not represented in decision making and governance.
According to her, they are often reduced to agents of political violence during elections while a number of other young persons show little or no interest at all in elections and its processes.
“There is need to also carry out development in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning, 1992 as amended in 2004,” he said. Atebije said the Institute was working on an holistic document to be presented to the political parties soon, that will address the issue of urban planning and disasters in the country.
The president also stressed the need for government at all levels to immediately begin sensitisation and installation of measures to minimise flooding this year. He called for stiff punishment for offenders of building collapse and for more meticulous approval and monitoring of building projects across the country.
“There is a need to enforce city management and building control standards strictly to minimize disasters of building collapse. “Let the authorities for once make offenders and violators to face the wrath of the law with possibilities of capital punishment.
“This will possibly scare people in the production process of buildings and make them strictly comply with extant regulations,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has given assurance to Nigerians that it was behind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure a peaceful election in the country.
Dr Ibrahim Kana, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, gave the assurance at a media interaction at the ministry’s headquarters.
Kana also gave assurance that the ministry was behind the electoral umpire to ensure a peaceful handing over on May 29.
He noted that the scorecard of defence and security in the country was most important, according to the Minister of Information. He noted that the synergy among the three military services could not be overemphasised which had resulted in great successes recorded in fighting security challenges in the country.
According to him, the synergy among the military services has improved, and the minister is in charge, as he is responsible for harmonising all the services.
With less than two weeks to the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls, there should be no going back on the conduct of the much-anticipated 2023 General Election in Nigeria. The governorship and state assembly elections are expected to follow on March 11 as scheduled.
The die is cast and the stage is set for this all-important event that is expected to determine or shape, to a large extent, the future of this country.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for the umpteeeth time, has assured the nation that the commission is ready and prepared to conduct the polls, even as he has listed some anticipated challenges that might affect the exercise.
Last week, INEC started putting its logistics in place. It conducted a mock accreditation exercise nationwide to test the efficacy of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for February 25.
The BVAS machines used for the mock exercise on February 4, according to the INEC chairman, will be reconfigured in preparation for the main elections.
Last Wednesday, Yakubu also reassured President Muhammadu Buhari, who appears ready to hand over the baton of power to whoever wins
the presidential election, of the readiness of the Commission to go all out for the elections. Perhaps to show that he is determined to hand over the instruments of power to a deserving successor, President Buhari has constituted a Presidential Transition Council headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to facilitate and manage the 2023 transition programme. Members of the transition council, which is expected to be inaugurated by the SGF on Tuesday, February 14, include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice.
Also included in the Committee are Permanent Secretaries from the following ministries and offices: Defence, Interior, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Special Duties and InterGovernmental Affairs, Cabinet Affairs Office, General Services Office, and Economic and Political Affairs Office, and State House.
The National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, InspectorGeneral of Police, Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Director General, State Security Services, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and two representatives to be nominated by the presidentelect are also members of the Committee.
To give legal backing to the
Committee, the President also signed the Executive Order No. 14 of 2023 on the Facilitation and Management of the Presidential Transitions. These are all in a bid to assure Nigerians of his willingness and readiness to institute a seamless transition of power from one presidential administration to another, as part of the legacy he would be leaving to Nigerians. With all these preparations and assurances, Nigerians could see the sincerity of the Buhari Administration in going ahead with the elections despite the fears and anxiety being
raised in some quarters. The Federal Government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC) has also directed all universities in the country to shut down operations for three weeks to allow both the staff and students to participate in the elections, as well as to ensure the safety of lives and property on the campuses . We commend INEC for the preparations and assurances, even in the face of obvious challenges as witnessed in the continuous attacks on its facilities in different parts of the country. We also salute the Federal Government for the support given to the electoral commission so far in its preparation towards the elections.
However, we implore Nigerians to see the forthcoming elections as a great opportunity to effect the much-desired change they have been clamouring for through the ballot. There should be no room for apathy as that will not bring the desired change.
Nigerians must ensure that the elections are held as scheduled under a peaceful atmosphere by refusing to be used by political shenanigans for violence before, during and after the elections. We also charge the various political parties and their leaders not to see the elections as a do-or-die affair. They should always remind their teeming supporters that there is life after the elections as we condemn any form of political violence that is likely to mar the success of the elections.
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EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA
[Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com]
We implore Nigerians to see the forthcoming elections as a great opportunity to effect the much-desired change they have been clamouring for through the ballot. There should be no room for apathy as that will not bring the desired change
When the IMF categorises resource-rich countries, it classifies the countries according to their export baskets. At least, twenty African countries including Nigeria, Angola, Ghana and Tanzania are classified as resource-rich, with their export base comprising a bulk of unprocessed crude oil, minerals and agricultural commodities. Classification of countries in other continents such as Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia are based on the diversity of their export base and value-added products. Since 1973, the year of the first oil boom, crude oil has constituted more than 90% of Nigeria’s export earnings. Making Nigeria a global classic case of a monocultural economy. Though a monocultural economy has its advantage of product specialisation, it runs contrary to the spirit of section 16 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in building a balanced economy that is resilient.
Within the context of the ideals and objectives of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the State has a responsibility to “harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and selfreliant economy, and direct its policy towards ensuring the promotion of a planned and balanced economic development,” as provided by section 16 of the Constitution.
To achieve this State economic objective, the National Economic Council, established by the provisions of section 153 (1) and paragraphs 18 & 19 of Part I of the Third Schedule, chaired by the Vice President and comprising of the 36 State Governors, the Governor of the Central Bank and other co-opted government officials, has the mandate to “advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular, on measures necessary for coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programme of the various Governments of the Federation.”
Notwithstanding that the President sits atop Nigeria’s leadership hierarchy with enormous and broad responsibility to influence national economic policies and outlook, the next President must provide coordinated and collaborative leadership in compliance with the
constitutional requirement for the three tiers of government in Nigeria to identify, harness and coordinate economic policies that leverage on their comparative economic advantages in producing at least one quality good or service per State, at a lower opportunity cost than other states, regions or countries.
To transition and transform Nigeria’s economy beyond oil, subsistence farming and informal activities as the core drivers of the economy, to a manufacturing-basedindustrialisation, the President must be intentional in pursuing devolution of power to ensure that subnational governments have the necessary energy baseload for industrialisation – the power and capacity to generate and transmit electricity to industries within their states; revive our steel sector; invest heavily in education, enterprise and technological skills; and importantly, create an enabling business environment for industries to thrive through the efficient institutional implementation of ease of doing business policies in Nigeria.
Beyond this, is the question of whether a world without oil is possible? Changing global economic environment suggests such possibility, though not as simple as it seems, given that oil has multipurpose usage – from fuel to petrochemical products, which form the material basis for such products as tech gadgets, plastics, cables, creams and other products. With the global green revolution predicated on the proposal that economic growth no longer requires higher carbon emissions, Nigeria needs a firm President, who understands that with Nigeria’s 206tn cubic feet of natural gas reserves, Nigeria needs climate justice and fair energy transition that allows gas as our transition fuel, in our process of contributing to global climate solution.
With changing landscapes in geopolitics, achieving a diversified economy that is transitioned away from dirtier fuels like diesel, kerosene and petrol, is in the best interest of Nigeria. At the peak of the Covid-19 global pandemic in 2020, Nigeria was stuck with unwanted cargoes of crude oil
and liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil prices fell to an all-time low, trading at minus $37.63, although Nigeria’s Bonny Light crude was trading at $12, our biggest buyers could not buy due to the effect of the coronavirus. When countries opened up their cities, it was easier for most diversified economies to bounce back from the effect of Covid-19 than monocultural economies that rely mainly on oil.
Nigeria must now go beyond political platitudes to creatively explore our comparative economic advantages, leveraging on our over 45 mineral resources like lithium, which in the next decade will account for 94% of tech batteries made globally and currently valued at $78,000 per ton; a leather industry that is projected to generate over $1 billion in export earning by 2025, if well harnessed; a rice industry that can feed Nigeria and many countries of the world, among other minerals.
The end goal of a Nigeria without oil is an economy with stable distribution and redistribution of national wealth operated in a manner that does not permit the concentration of wealth or means of production and exchange in the hands of a few individuals or a group; which ensures that Nigeria’s material resources are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good; situate industrial clusters across the country that define the productivity identity of each region in Nigeria; and an economy that is diversified, sustainable and stable enough for the benefit of the people. For the survival of our economy, we need Presidential leadership to take responsibility and govern Nigeria as though there is no oil, to fully implement the PIA and our local content laws, to end oil theft in order to improve our revenue base, to prudently reinvest oil proceeds in other productive sectors of the economy, and conclusively curb corruption within the economic environment.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• Ekpa, Stanley Ekpa, Editor-in-Chief, Nigerian Corruption Cases Law Report, wrote via ekpastanleyekpa@gmail.com
In the past couple of weeks, allegations of corruption against the presidential candidates of the leading contenders for the office of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria has taken centre stage.
That is contrary to the view that l canvassed in an article, published in the mass media in September of last year titled: “Presidency 2023: A Contest Between Three ‘Sinners’?”
In that piece, I had drawn attention to the fact that the front liners for the 2023 presidential contest, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Wazirin Atiku Abubakar, Mr Peter Obi and Dr Musa Kwakwanso, are ex-public servants, and in light of the fact that Nigerians regard all present and past public office holders, especially of the political hue as corrupt, l surmised that the quartet, who having served as state governors and Nigeria’s vice president respectively, are deemed to be ‘sinners’ in the eyes of Nigerian masses and would not be bullish on corruption allegations against each other.
Furthermore, l made the case that since corruption is an overflogged issue in Nigerian political space and an overrated factor in leadership, the presidential hopefuls are all likely to ‘let the sleeping dogs lie’, by not anchoring their campaigns on who is more corrupt or better positioned to fight the menace.
It had seemed as if my prediction would come to pass with the initial focus of the campaign by the demagogues being on issues about development and related matters, but corruption allegations and counter allegations reared their ugly heads a couple of weeks ago and l got proven wrong in assuming that corruption would not be a hot button issue or lightening rod in the 2023 general elections campaigns.
And the whole shebang came by way of an allegation by one Micheal Achimugu, purportedly a former media aide to ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential flag bearer. The self-styled whistleblower fouled the political atmosphere by releasing an audio tape (purportedly the voice of the man he claims to be his former boss) speaking about the use of Special Purpose Vehicles, SPV, while serving as vice president under the regime of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, OBJ, 19992007.
It was considered a weighty allegation against PDP presidential
flag bearer and the ruling APC’s presidential campaign team decided to make a song and dance of the claim by the so called whistle blower by making it look like the mythical opening of a pandora box.
Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of state for Labour and Employment, who is Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council spokesman threw down the gauntlet: “We understand that the law enforcement agencies may be reluctant to act simply because of the perception of persecution of a presidential candidate that this may evoke.
However, facts are sacred. The facts so far presented to the world clearly indicate that Atiku Abubakar has a case to answer. In other climes when such serious allegations arose in the middle of campaigns, the law enforcement agencies acted decisively.
The issue of the Marine Float Account is not new to Nigerians. In the voice note, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar can be heard boasting that the issue of that account was thoroughly investigated by EFCC, yet then he was smart enough to escape.
However, we note that in 2006, at the height of his public quarrel with Obasanjo over the sharing of money, the same PDP officially asked Atiku Abubakar to refund N500 million taken from that account.
And the Atiku Abubakar campaign, having been provoked and appears no longer interested in ‘letting sleeping dogs lie’, has unleashed damning allegations of corruption against the APC standard bearer.
Mr Deji Ologbondiyan, a spokesman of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, seemed to have hit Tinubu with what can be compared to a sledge hammer with the following weighty allegations:
“This is the case in the vexatious plots by Asiwaju Tinubu to divert attention from his litany of atrocities by seeking to impugn the impeccable character of our Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with the unfounded controversy of corruption.
“Today, the entire world has seen that the real Mr SPV; the Corruption kingpin, the real ‘artful dodger’ of Nigeria is Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, the ‘emilokan’ Presidential Candidate of the APC.
“Bola Tinubu, sensing that his many corrupt activities, especially his fleecing of Lagos State with many Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) companies was about to come to light, rushed to hire a serial blackmailer, as he has always done, to foul the public space with fabricated allegations against Atiku Abubakar.
“Nigerians now know of how Tinubu has been desperately trying to divert attention from his alleged use of Alpha Beta Consulting Limited and Alpha Beta LPP, companies he reportedly owned by proxy, to loot N100bn tax money belonging to Lagos State, since 2002.
“It is now in public domain how Alpha Beta, which has for over 20 years held the exclusive rights to collect taxes in Lagos State in return for a commission under very shady arrangements, through which it reportedly siphoned billions of naira belonging to Lagos State.
“The public is now aware of a petition before an anti-corruption agency wherein Tinubu’s alleged SPV company was reported to have used another company, which shares same address with Tinubu’s office on Idowu Taylor Street in Lagos to launder Lagos State funds.
“Documents sighted in one of the anti-corruption agencies reveals that Tinubu’s SPV allegedly laundered over N20 billion ($46.5m) in different currencies to several companies including payment of N1bn ($2.3m) to company that is widely known to belong to him.
“Bola Tinubu should come out clean and speak to these damning money laundering allegations against him.
“He should explain to Nigerians how billions of naira belonging to Lagos State and meant for the welfare of the people, reportedly found its way into Soft Alliance and ended in bits and pieces in foreign currencies into domiciliary accounts allegedly owned by him in commercial banks.”
• Magnus Onyibe sent this piece from Lagos.
•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com
The RT 200 scheme launched on February 10, 2022 to revolutionise non-oil export drive, stimulate domestic production and expand the frontier of diversification, has proved a success story one year after it was launched.
The RT 200 which stands for “Race to US$200 billion in Forex Repatriation” constitutes a blueprint that will enable Nigeria to attain the sky-high goal of US$200 billion repatriation, exclusively from non-oil exports over the next 3 to 5 years. The scheme was created on five anchors, namely Value-Adding Exports Facility, Non-Oil Commodities Expansion Facility, Non-Oil FX Rebate Scheme, Dedicated Non-Oil Export and Terminal, Biannual NonOil Export Summit. Each of these anchors constitute a distinct and related channel of implementation of the scheme for measurable outcome.
The programme includes a Non-Oil Exports Proceeds Repatriation Rebate Scheme, which incentivises exporters in the non-oil sector to repatriate and sell export proceeds in the official FX market. Under the scheme, CBN pays rebate of N65 for every dollar repatriated and sold in the Investors & Exporters (I&E) window to authorised dealer banks for third party use. The CBN also pays rebate of N35 for every dollar repatriated and sold into I&E for own use for eligible transactions only, provided the spread is not more than 10 kobo.
The apex bank also stipulated that payment of the incentives shall be quarterly with exporters that qualify credited within one week after the end of the quarter.
At the launch of the scheme last year, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said “I am mindful that this
The deregulation of the aviation industry by the Federal Government in 1980 paved way for the establishment of many airlines. The development ended the dominating power of Nigeria Airways at the time, after which private airlines such as Okada, Gas, Aero-contractors, as well as
others, started their operations for airline carriers.
In the 1980s many operators and businessmen launched dozens of new airlines, most of which failed. A good example is Harka and Hacco Airlines. As a result, existing carriers intensified
Continues on page 33
goal itself may appear unattainable to some. But I am resolute and determined that we can achieve it. Many countries that are much less endowed than Nigeria are doing it. Consider for example that agriculture exports alone from the Netherlands was about US$120 billion last year. Yet, the Netherlands has a land mass of about 42,000 square kilometers, which is much smaller that the land mass of Niger State alone, at over 76,000 square kilometers.”
Speaking on the performance of the RT 200 programme in the first quarter, Q1 ’22, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, disclosed that 150 exporters repatriated $60 million as export proceeds and qualified for N3.5 billion rebate under the programme. She disclosed that the CBN Governor, Mr. Gowin Emefiele, had earlier ordered the release of the rebate to the exporters through their respective banks.
Onyeali-Ikpe spoke at a virtual press briefing at the end of the Bankers Committee meeting held yesterday on April 13, 2022;
The Fidelity Bank MD disclosed that there were 150 customers at various levels, some under the finished goods categories and some under the semi-finished goods categories. “The money was only released today for this quarter. It is going to be paid quarterly and N3.5 billion will be paid to the 150 customers that I mentioned earlier on.”
At the well-attended maiden non-oil summit held in Lagos on June 16, 2022 with the theme, ‘Setting the Roadmap Toward Achieving RT200 and Non-Oil Exports for Development’, Emefiele drew attention to the perennial forex challenge that had plagued the
Continues on page 33
MORE INSIDE
MTN Posts N2trn Revenue, Proposes N203.5bn Final Dividend
PAGE 34
DMO Reopens Four Bonds Estimated at N360bn For Auction
PAGE 35
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that Nigeria has been able to locally produce over 100 million Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards in the last year.
NCC’s Head of Financing and Stakeholders Engagement Team, Aderonke Sola-Ogunsola, made the disclosure at the 2023 AFRICANXT event on Thursday in Lagos.
She said this feat followed the federal government’s ban on SIM importation last year. According to
Continues on page 34
Continued from page 32
opening ceremony of the League of Airports & Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Training Programme held at International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, Nuhu, who was represented at the event by his Director of Human Resources, Mr Wakili Adamu, said, “There is no doubt that there is an increased confidence in the sector as new airlines are coming on-board and existing operators are expanding their routes. Expectedly, our costs of surveillance programme and other oversight responsibilities as the regulator of the industry have increased correspondently.”
“We, at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, consider training (including initial, on-thejob and recurrent training) as key component of aviation development in Nigeria. Infact, training and retraining, can be likened to a capital project as it is critical to our operations as the apex regulatory Authority for Civil Aviation. The Authority’s personnel are exposed to appropriate trainings all over the world to enhance and maintain their skills".
The increased the cost of surveillance programmes of the NCAA is also coming at a time aviation agencies are struggling to raise enough money to meet up with a revenue target of 40 percent recently set by the Federal Government.
competition by expanding into markets that they had not served previously. Numerous mergers occurred later as carriers attempted to gain a greater share of the market and expand quickly.
As of today, there are about 10 major commercial airlines operating in the country, including Air Peace, Azman Air, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Dana Air, Max Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Green Africa Airways, Overland Airways, Value Jet, etc. There are, however, others operating charter, cargo hajj, etc.
The emergence of these new domestic airlines in the country, from all indications is already weighing on the workload of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in terms of its regulatory functions.
This was confirmed by the Director-General of Civil Aviation in Nigeria, Capt Musa Nuhu. According to Capt Nuhu, the emergence of new airlines in the country and the route expansion programmes of existing operators have increased the cost of surveillance progranmmes and oversight responsibilities of the agency.
Speaking as a Special Guest of Honour at the
Recently towards the end last year in October, the Federal government instituted compulsory contributions of revenue-generating agencies to the Federation Account which were increased from 25 per cent to 40 per cent.
The Federal Government began implementing the new regime in mid-October. With this, 40 per cent of internally generated revenues (IGRs) by all government agencies are now meant for the Federal Government to execute projects.
There are six agencies in the Ministry of Aviation, out of which four are affected by the new policy of the federal government. The affected agencies are the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria. The new target is seriously affecting aviation agencies. Another source close to NCAA, who didn’t want to be named, confirmed the development to THEWILL.
Meanwhile, NCAA is the regulatory body for aviation in Nigeria which became autonomous with the passing into law of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 by the National Assembly and assent of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Act not only empowers the Authority to regulate Aviation Safety without political interference, but also to carry out oversight functions of Airports, Airspace, Meteorological Services, etc as well as economic regulations of the industry
Some of the responsibilities of the agency include: regulation of safety of aircraft operations, air navigation and aerodrome operations. It also oversees monitoring of aircraft operating environment for safety and security; regulating of methods of entry and conduct of air transport business.
In addition, the organisation also advises the ministry on policy formulation on aviation related matters; balance the economic interest of operators, users of aviation services as well as the general public and the nation as a whole. Ultimately, it was set up to provide aviation safety and economic regulation in the most efficient, effective, quality and technology driven manner to the satisfaction and benefit of all stakeholders, consistent with the highest international standards and the sustainable development of the industry and national economy.
Continued from page 32 economy, which gave rise to the RT200 scheme, as a way out.
Recalling that the RT200 FX effectively kicked off within two months of its launch with the payment of a total of N3.5 billion in rebates to 150 exporters who had taken part in the scheme so far, the CBN governor stressed that the measure should convince stakeholders that the scheme was not set up to attract robust rhetoric but to be implemented for results.
Paper presentations were made by different experts on ‘Addressing the Logistic Constraints to Improve Non-Oil Export’; ‘Bridging the Finance Gaps, Effects of the CBN Initiatives to Boost Non-Oil Export’; ‘Non-Oil Export Performance in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospect”, and ‘Service Industries: Harnessing the Opportunities in Service for the Foreign Exchange Earnings’.
A major outcome of the event was the decision by the CBN, banks and the Nigerian Ports Authority to fix export bottlenecks at the Lagos Port in 90 days. The apex bank in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders in the non-oil exports agreed to find lasting solutions to export bottlenecks, especially in the ports areas, within 90 days. Emefiele said the Summit was a problem-solving outing to determine “what we have done, what we have achieved and why we failed to achieve what we set out to accomplish.”
At the second non-oil Summit held in November 2022, the CBN disclosed that it had paid out a total sum of N81 billion to Nigerian exporters in the year as rebates for repatriating their export proceeds in line with the RT 200 FX policy. It revealed that a total of $4.987 billion had also been repatriated into the country by non-oil exporters, higher than the $3.190 billion repatriated in 2021.
\The payments were made in fulfilment of the apex bank’s promise to reward Nigerian exporters who repatriated their export proceeds as spelt out in the ‘Operating Guidelines for RT 200 FX Export Proceeds Repatriation Rebate Scheme’ published in February 2022. It has been stressed that the rebate scheme was designed to incentivise exporters in the non-oil sector to encourage repatriation and sale of export proceeds into the FX market.
The payments of the rebates, no doubt, would clear the doubts that might have been harboured by some Nigerians about the ability of the CBN to execute the scheme as proposed.
“I know that when we proposed a rebate payment on every repatriated foreign exchange into the country used for Own expenses or sold at the I & E window, some may have doubted our resolve to meet and sustain the obligation.
“However, events in the last three quarters have shown that when CBN makes a commitment, it keeps that commitment to the last letter,” Emefiele stressed, adding, “In 2022, a total of $4.987 billion will have been repatriated into the country
by non-oil exporters, higher than the $3.190 billion repatriated in 2021. Of this amount, only $1.966 billion qualified for the rebate program, but only $1.559 billion was sold at the I&E window or for own use.
The CBN had also paid out about N81 billion in rebates to hard-working Nigerian exporters as at that period. This is a testament to the resolve of the CBN to ensure quick acceleration of the export value chain in the country.
Other gains of the scheme include improvements of infrastructure and processes which have been a bottleneck to effective export business at the ports. In terms of processes and infrastructure for improving trade performance, the scheme has recorded some achievements in automation and digitization of the trade processes.
Specifically, transaction windows like the SONCAP, NAFDAC, and Marine insurance certificates have been automated and fully integrated with the Trade Monitoring System. Relevant stakeholders are working with the Quarantine Service to integrate their permits and certificates into the system, and very soon, the NPA eCall Up System will also be integrated.
Other enhancements have also been done with eNXP, including integration with SGD and the development of the PIA portal aimed at digitizing the process of issuing Clean Certificates of Inspection (CCIs) by PIAs and ease of scheduling of inspection by exporters.
Emefiele stated, “All these are made possible because of the interest shown and the commitment made by all of us gathered in this room and beyond,” elated Emefiele had revealed.
.“We are already getting feedback from Banks of interest by exporters in adding value to the products they export to allow them to benefit from the program.
“We are happy that this is happening, and we encourage more exporters to find ways to add value to their exports so that they can benefit not only from the scheme but get better value,”
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports show that there is exponential growth in Nigeria’s nonoil export since the introduction of the RT 200 in February 2022.
The increased the cost of surveillance programmes of the NCAA is also coming at a time aviation agencies are struggling to raise enough money to meet up with a new 40% revenue target set by the Federal Government
The payments of the rebates, no doubt, would clear the doubts that might have been harboured by some Nigerians about the ability of the CBN to execute the scheme as proposed
her, the locally produced SIMs have been ordered by various telecommunications companies putting an end to the importation of SIM in Nigeria.
Speaking on the topic ‘Mandate and Strides Towards Full Digital Economy in Nigeria’, Sola-Ogunsola said that through the Nigeria Telecommunications Indigenous Content of the NCC, the country could serve as the SIM manufacturer hub for West Africa.
Following this development, the Commission said the country was working towards becoming a hub for the supply of SIM cards to other West African countries.
While noting that the Nigeria Telecommunications Indigenous Content
policy was put in place to encourage innovation among the youths and promote the digital economy, Sola-Ogunsola said ‘’There is the need to ensure individuals, businesses, and the nation harness derivable benefits and the opportunities offered by the emergent digital culture, to improve quality of life, grow businesses, and leapfrog the national economy. This remains the overarching objective of government policies, plans, and strategies.”
Also speaking at the event, the Head of Digital Skills and Services at NCC, Freda Bruce-Bennett, said that Nigeria was rapidly becoming a digital economy. She noted that out of seven unicorns in Africa, Nigeria had five which were Andela, Flutterwave, Interswitch, Jumia and Opay.
Nigeria’s ICT solutions and products giants, Integral Communications Nigeria Limited, has concluded plans to celebrate lovers at the forthcoming Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2023.
The General Manager of the company, Mr. Ifeanyi Nihe, in a statement, said that the company has come up with a message to its existing and prospective customers to reminds them that their love deserves to be celebrated and urged them to visit any of the company’s showrooms to get items of their choices at the best prices for their loved ones with lots of freebies.
It also promises to 'spoil' its customers this Valentine.
“Granted that our company’s watchwords are customer intimacy, product leadership and service excellence, it behoves on it to demonstrate love to our loved ones at this difficult time as the company recognises the difficulties customers have had re-imaging their wedding days during the present economic downturn in Nigeria,” Nihe said.
It also plans to celebrate the lovers against the backdrop of the prevailing economic hardship Nigerians are passing through presently orchestrated by the dearth of cash and fuel and to celebrate the history of proposals and romance, which the company sees as
quite necessary to reduce the stress and emotional trauma of its customers.
Nihe said the company plans to use this Valentine’s season to reach a wider target and build a stronger relationship with their existing and prospective customers.
It’s noteworthy that the company usually uses the Lovers’ Day as an opportunity to identify with their customers, engage them to interact with the Integral brand to create positive memories.
These experiences are then shared on the company’s social media platforms through user-generated content, creating a buzz and influencing sales.
Integral Communications Nigeria
Limited specialises on the sales and installation of mobile phones, computers (laptops and desktops), printers and copiers, special gadgets, CCTV systems, intercoms systems (PABX), network switches, procurements, etc.
Renowned for quality products and services, this has endeared the company to numerous clients, ranging from walk-in clients to corporate organisations, cooperative societies, Federal Government institutions and MDAs, educational institutions amongst others.
The company partners with a lot of OEMs like HP, Dell, Microsoft, APC, Cisco and MCafee.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc reported revenue in excess of the N2 trillion mark for 2022, a bumper year during which turnover swelled by one-fifth and bottom-line by about the same rate, its audited earnings report showed on Wednesday.
The feat firms up the place of the wireless carrier as Nigeria’s biggest public company by revenue, with turnover climbing 21.6 per cent to N2 trillion and service revenue contributing 99.7 per cent of that sum.
Income sources, including data and digital services, saw appreciable growth, details of the report showed.
The local unit of Johannesburg-based MTN Group signed up 7.2 million new subscribers in the review year translating to an expansion of 10.5 per cent and increasing its subscriber base to 75.6 million.
“We continued to manage and invest in the resilience of our business and networks, expanding coverage and capacity with a focus on expense efficiencies and disciplined capital allocation,” CEO Karl Toriola said in a separate document accompanying the financials.
“We became the first mobile network operator to launch a i5G networkn Nigeria, providing coverage in key cities in the six geopolitical regions. Since its commercial launch in September 2022, we have rolled out 588 sites and brought the 5G network to 5G-enabled smartphones, starting with iPhone users.
Finance income modestly grew to N13.8 billion from N11.9 billion, driven by interest income on bank deposits.
The telco last May launched its payments subsidiary MoMo PSB one month after it got regulators’ approval to run the unit, and the latest report indicated it had added 2 million active mobile money wallets since the launch to the end of December
Active fintech subscribers surged by over a half to 14.9 million during the year.
Direct network operating costs, which soared 18.1 per cent to N459 billion, and finance costs, which leapt by approximately one third, were major pressure points for earnings.
Costs saw considerable jump, dealing a blow on margin, which stood at 17.8 per cent compared to the financial year 2021, when net profit margin was 18.1 per cent.
Head of Investment Research, Parthian Securities, Oluwaseun Dosunmu has expressed confidence in the Nigerian equities market notwithstanding the uncertainties surrounding the 2023 elections. According to him, the equities market dominated by domestic investors would remain resilient this year despite the trend of a market dip which usually occur in an election year.
Dosunmu said this at the bi-monthly forum of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), where he spoke on Assessing Nigeria’s Financial Sector and Outlook for the Economy in 2023.
He believes that since the equities market is primarily dominated by domestic investors, the space is exempt from capital flight and other global market volatilities.
He said: “In 2019 our market was largely driven by domestic players because the foreign investor who used to drive our markets decided to leave and not come back in the same quantity that they left, which means that domestic Institutional players like the pension fund administrators (PFAs) and the likes are dominant in the market.
“The interesting thing is that if the domestic players are moving the market, that means the markets would not be subject to foreign shocks. It is a good thing and it also has its negative side but a benefit is that whenever anything happens in the global economy space the impact in our market is always minimal.”
“This is an election year, and if you look at the pattern, historically, in every election year, you would recall that in 2019, the market was negative. From the start of the year, we had only three months in the whole year that closed the positive, the whole of 2019. But that is not the case in this election year.”
He emphasised that the narrative has changed, and the focus for investors in 2023 would be on specific sectors that will actually give them the kind of return that they want.
On her part, Head, Global Markets at Parthian partners, Ronke Akinyemi noted that while the removal of subsidy will be a positive for the government, the process has to be gradual. She however alluded to the fact that while the removal of fuel subsidy would lead to an improvement in foreign reserves of the country and reduce the burden on the fiscal side, it will also lead to an increased cost of living in the country.
“The impact of subsidy removal will be an increased cost of living because at the moment we are buying fuel expensively. We know how this has affected food prices. How this has affected transportation costs. So, we expect that these things will happen. If the subsidy is removed, there is likely going to be increased social unrest.
“However, we have a recommendation that even if the subsidy is removed or when the subsidy is removed, it should be staggered as opposed to removing it 100 percent. So, let's say 25 per cent, wait a few months to see how that pans out, take out more so that the effect is not fully felt by the most vulnerable even though it will be fully felt. Because it is staggered, it sort of prepares them for what is ahead."
The over 31 years old FICAN bimonthly forum is a platform where finance Journalists engage subject matter experts to discuss topical issues, investment, policy implications and the Nigerian economy in general.
L-R: Legal Manager, Litigation & ADR, Nigerian Exchange Limited, (NGX), Oghenekevwe Akpobia; Divisional Head, Business Support Services and General Counsel, NGX, Irene Robinson-Ayanwanle; Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Nigeria, Olubunmi Osuntuyi; Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Group, Oscar N. Onyema, OON; Chairman, Arbitration Group, ICC Nigeria, Dorothy Ufot, SAN; Co-Chair, Planning Committee, 7th ICC Africa Arbitration and Centenary Conference, Jean Chiazor Anishere, SAN, and Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, NGX, Clifford Akpolo, during a courtesy visit by the Arbitration Group, International Chamber of Commerce, in Lagos on Friday 10, 2023.
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) ranked among the top leading brands in 2022, according to a survey published by a media research outfit, Plexus Media.
Brands in Nigeria experienced a lot of challenges in the survey year amid difficult business environment, unstable policies and several economic issues.
Despite the economic downturn, some brands have found ways to cope with the present realities to create value for Nigerians. It is on this note that Plexus Media Interlinks, an integrated communications firm, compiled the list of the most performing brands of the year in 2022.
The firm, which understands the value of brands, included players in the financial services, information technology, education, consumer goods, oil and gas, professional services, among others on the list, taking into cognisance their media presence, media exposure and overall impact across the country.
The surveyed entities are:
Afrinvest
Afrinvest West Africa, one of the foremost investment organisations, is a financial advisory holding company with a focus on Nigeria and West Africa. It is active in four principal areas: investment banking, securities trading, asset management and investment research.
From the third quarter till the end of 2022, Afrinvest was the most performing brand in the media by virtue of its dominant presence across all media platforms. It also achieved various milestones, including the launch of a new subsidiary, Afrinvest Securities Limited, a new logo signifying its new brand identity as a digital investment bank, and celebrated its 27th anniversary.
Afrinvest Securities combines the experience, expertise, infrastructure and network of Afrinvest for the purpose of delivering award-winning capital markets, corporate finance, asset management and research services to investors and institutions operating across Nigeria and abroad.
In October 2022, the leading investment banking holding company launched Afrinvest Sparkle, to create more value
for institutional investors, active investors and the general public.
Its equity fund was also ranked the best performing for 2022. Achieving all these shows resilience, innovation, consistency and, of course, a sparkling track record.
Optimus
Navigating uncharted territories is one of Afrinvest’s strongest suits, and it accomplishes this through innovation and creativity. With almost a three –decade history of pioneering innovation in the Nigerian investment banking sector, it unveiled its new financial digital platform, Optimus – a financial technology solution by Afrinvest designed to provide financial freedom for Nigerians. It combines banking, wealth management and brokerage requirements into one simple and secure platform, thereby simplifying investment and creating wealth.
With Optimus, customers get access to intelligent financial insights from experts with a wealth of experience to help individuals make informed financial decisions now and in the future. The fintech platform helps Nigerians invest their funds in the best investment portfolio types across the world. Afrinvest, already transforming Nigeria’s investment banking sector, is set to improve the digital banking space and become Africa’s preferred digital investment bank in the coming years with Optimus.
Willie Obiano
For our pick of personal brands, Willie Obiano stands out as an icon. In the first half of 2022, the accomplished politician, banker and technocrat was a media sensation. As one of the performing governors in Nigeria before his tenure ended on March 17, 2022, he became the first and only governor to successfully build an oxygen production plant in the region. The largest oxygen plant in the South East, the facility has changed the state’s health sector.
Not only were his audacious achievements the talk of the nation, he also survived the malignant media attacks on his person and administration.
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has listed four bonds valued at N360 billion for auction.
Announcing the bond auction on behalf of the Federal Government, the DMO listed the first offer as a February 2028 FGN bond, valued at N90 billion at interest rate of 13.98 per cent per annum while the second is an April 2032 FGN bond, valued at N90 billion at 12.50 per cent interest rate per annum
In addition is an April 2037 FGN bond, valued at N90 billion, at 16.24 percent interest rate per annum
The fourth offer is an April 2049 FGN bond, also valued at N90 billion, at an interest rate of 14.80 per cent per annum (30-year re-opening).
It announced that the auction date is Feb. 13, while the settlement date is February 1.
Atotal turnover of 944.293 million shares worth N22.710 billion in 18,615 deals was traded last week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 3.789 billion shares valued at N27.500 billion that exchanged hands the previous week in 20,333 deals.
The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 634.086 million shares valued at N6.442 billion traded in 8,540 deals; thus contributing 67.15% and 28.37% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 78.603 million shares worth N2.218 billion in 2,993 deals.
The third place was the Conglomerates Industry, with a turnover of 59.564 million shares worth N110.109 million in 788 deals.
Trading in the top three equities namely Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Universal Insurance Plc and Transnational Corporation Plc. (measured by volume) accounted for 269.288 million shares worth N2.999 billion in 1,845 deals, contributing 28.52% and 13.21% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers at the tank farm in the Ijegun Egba Satelite area of Lagos have started selling petrol at N172 per litre.
This was part of the Federal Government’s directive at tackling the nation’s petrol shortage with independent marketers now expected to deliver the product at the government-regulated price to motorists and other users.
The Ijegun Egba tank farm directly contributes to 33 to 35% of the national consumption volume making it critical to the distribution channel of petrol.
Speaking to the press in Lagos on Thursday, the Chairman, Ijegun Egba Tank Farm Operators, Debo Olujimi, said they have now been supplied petrol which will be sold at the government’s regulated price.
“As of date, NNPC for the month of February has given Ijegun over 150 million litres. So you can see the vessels are discharging at the jetty and we are telling Nigerians and we are confirming it to everybody that this product is coming out from there and at the government-regulated price,” Olujimi said. On those who refuse to sell at the government-regulated price going forward, IPMAN’s National Operations Controller, Mike Osatuyi, said, “Right now we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel that things are getting better now; we have sufficient fuel in the system. We go out, we monitor and when we find out that either you are under dispensing or selling out of range we shut you down.”
The new development is expected to end the beleaguering long queues in filling stations across the country.
Directors of banks, under the auspices of the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN) said, it working to free up the bottlenecks that led to the unavailability of Naira notes in the country, while empathising with bank customers who had found it hard to make cash withdrawals across the country.
In a statement signed by the group chairman, Mustafa Chike-Obi, BDAN said, it has been in communication with banks and is seeking out ways to bring the situation under control.
“We, the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN), empathise with members of the public at this crucial time. We are mindful of the discomfort and hardship associated with the current currency reform which has introduced the newly designed naira notes and reduction in withdrawal limit.
“It has indeed been a difficult period for Nigerians and BDAN is making it top priority to ensure that this hardship is not only addressed but eliminated. We are in constant communication with all the Banks and are assured that they are all doing whatever is within their control to normalise this difficult situation.
Reasonable steps to influence the structure and mechanisms that should free up bottlenecks and open channels that will speed up the resolution of the crisis,” the group pointed out.
At the normative level, there is negative correlation between an increase in the nominal anchor, popularly called the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and equity prices in the stock market. When there is an increase in the MPR, speculators hit the panic button, dump their shares and move the money to the market to take advantage of rising interest rates. This often pushes the stock market into bearish trend. As a corollary, when the MPR decreases, speculators withdraw from the money market to take position in the capital market.
Although an analyst can predict the market through fundamental analysis, technical analysis or random walk model, the market occasionally takes its own course irrespective of an analyst's forecast. This played out on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) in November 2022, when the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) raised the MPR to 16.5 percent as one of the last options to tame the rising import inflation.
However, contrary to the usual expectation that speculators shall take advantage of anticipated higher interest rate and pull out of the stock market, they defied the new rate and continued to invest in equities of quoted companies with strong fundamentals. Under this atmosphere, NGX gained above 20 percent, a significant performance by global standards against the background of a tough operating environment. Top analysts attributed the market's Stella performance to heartwarming corporate earnings and great expectation of a new government after the upcoming Presidential Election.
At the moment, the permutation is that whoever emerges victorious among the three top contenders will be pro-market and operate a private sectorled economy. These and other issues cut across the manifesto of each of the three leading aspirants. As at the period of this writing , NGX is on a bullish trend.
By recent development, the market has signaled that a change in MPR does not automatically translate to negative correlation in equity investment. There is nothing esoteric about the market performance . It has only confirmed the perception that the market is imbued with self-correction mechanisms.
The Nigerian economy is tail spinning into a bleak future every day. The World Bank has lowered the Nigerian economic growth to 2.9 percent in 2023 from 3.1 percent in 2022 and also says there will be no growth in 2024. The projections may not be so realistic, but they portend weak and slippery economic outlook for Nigeria this year. The global rating agency, Moody's Investors Service, has downgraded Nigeria's rating from B3 to junk bonds and also issued red flags to nine Nigerian banks:
Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Guaranty Trust Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Sterling Bank. External reserve
has declined by $64 million from $37.08 billion to $37.01 billion at the end of January 30, 2023. Naira has depreciated to N462 to one United States' Dollar due to scarcity of Naira amid demand pressure for forex. At a period like this, investors more than ever need strategic investment advice in order not to get their fingers burnt. They need to speak with their stockbrokers.
This is a moment of leveraging market timing to profit from investment in a stock market timing is an act of switching funds between asset classes to maximise returns and minimise risk . It is a predictive method of purchase and sale of securities as a risk aversion method.
Market timing is an integral part of active investment management. It is the opposite of a buy-and-hold investment strategy. Professionals that deploy market timing use tools like chart analysis, trend analysis, economic forecasts and even gut feelings to determine the optimal time for a transaction.
According to Wikipedia, market timing is good for investors that have short time horizon. It can generate big profits, curtail losses and tame volatility. But some stockbrokers, fund and portfolio managers who shy away from market timing would argue that it is time-consuming and requires paying daily attention to the market. It is subject to higher transaction cost, tax-disadvantaged short time capital gain and risk of determining the time to enter and exit the market.
The investor's risk tolerance and time horizon as revealed in his Investment Policy can help to determine his appetite for market timing as an investment strategy. Many investors had made fortunes from the market through constant use of market timing. The strategy is close to technical analysis of securities.
•Oni is Chief Executive Officer, Sofunix Investment and Communications.
Although an analyst can predict the market through fundamental analysis, technical analysis or random walk model, the market occasionally takes its own course irrespective of an analyst's forecast
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Country HR Manager, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Mr. Shakiru Lawal; Hon. Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Ogun State, Dr. Kehinde Oluwadare; Factory Manager at Nestlé Flowergate Factory, Mr. Gbenga Oladunjoye; Managing Director, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wassim Elhusseini and Akarigbo of Remoland, HRM Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, during the commissioning of the Nestlé Technical Training Centre in Ogun State on February 10,2023.
L-R: Student, Pan-Atlantic University, Jessica Fortune-Oguh; Member of Faculty, Pan-Atlantic University, Anthony Okoeguale; Founder/CEO, BlackHouse Media (BHM), Ayeni Adekunle; Director,
The Macallan Brand Ambassador, Nigeria, Adeyinka Adepetun; British High Commissioner, Nigeria, Catriona Wendy Campbell Laing; United Nations Special Envoy, Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator, Dr. Ayo-Ade Alakija and Brand Manager, Edrington Portfolio, Coca-Cola Hellenic, Hammed Adebiyi, at the Macallan Burns Night held at the British Village Club, Abuja, on February 4, 2023.
Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Eddie Efekoha; Executive Vice Chairman, ND Western Ltd, Dr. Layi Fatona; Board Chairman, First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Ltd, Egbert Imomoh; MD/CEO Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Ganiyu Musa and MD/CEO, Nigeria LNG Ltd, Tony Attah, at the Egbert Imomoh’s Golf Tournament in Warri, Delta State on February 4, 2023.
In this St Valentine’s Day edition, IVORY UKONU narrates how some popular Nigerian entertainers went through hell and high water in search of true love
Standup comedian, actor and businessman, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, also known as Alibaba, has had to try his luck with marriage twice in search of true and lasting happiness. This is despite fathering a few children from different women, one of whom was Ras Kimono's late wife, Efemena Okedi.
Alibaba’s first marriage was to Patricia Leon, a stunning and elegant beauty from one of the Caribbean countries. Both Alibaba and Patricia were so into each other that they couldn't be bothered about having a regular wedding party. They signed the dotted lines at a registry in Ibadan, Oyo State and began to live as man and wife. Unfortunately, the union which produced no child, collapsed like a pack of badly arranged cards.
In Patricia’s absence, Alibaba ran into the open arms of one of his baby mamas, Mary Udo Bassey, who is a topflight banking executive. Since they already shared a daughter named Eseophe Edidiong Brandi at the time, it was easy to get back into the groove and they quickly solemnised their union. In 2021, the marriage allegedly began to wobble over alleged infidelity, but the comedian quickly debunked it. Today, the 17-year-old marriage is blessed with two children.
Nollywood actress and one-time Special Adviser to a former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, Nkiru Sylvanus is once again savouring the joy of wedlock, 13 years after her first marriage to Stanley Duru, a businessman based in the Netherlands, collapsed in 2020 amid controversy. She is currently married to Sammy Riches, an actor, Youtuber and businessman based in Japan. The couple dated for about five years before they decided to walk down the aisle.
LikePatrick Doyle, Mercy Aigbe is currently in her third marriage. She was initially married to an Igbo man, with whom she had her first child, Michelle, who is an undergraduate. The union was short-lived due to an alleged interference from her mother-in-law. She quickly moved on and married hotelier and businessman, Lanre Gentry. The marriage yielded a son named, Juwon.
In 2017, she left Gentry due to allegations of domestic violence and infidelity. Five years later, she settled for a third marriage with movie promoter and businessman, Kazim Adeoti as his second wife.
Expectedly, Adeoti's first wife, Olufunso kicked against it, accusing Mercy of snatching her husband despite the fact that they were family friends. Also, her estranged second husband accused her of having extra marital affairs with her now third husband while still married to him.
While Mercy denied that she was a family friend to the Adeotis, in response to criticism, Kazim argued that he had the right to marry a second wife as a Muslim, adding that contrary to Olufunso’s claim, Mercy did not ‘snatch’ him and that he was still married to his first wife. In spite of the drama, Mercy and Adeoti appear to be enjoying their newfound love.
Unknown to many, Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke has been married twice. She first got married in 2004 to Chikelue Iloenyosi, an ex-Super Eagles player and former national vice president of the National Association of Nigerian Footballers, but the union was short-lived.
One of the reasons the marriage ended was because Stephanie alleged that Chikelue was married to another woman at the time he was married to her. Chikelue denied this. Also, allegations were rife that he abandoned her on her sick bed when she had a ghastly motor accident that left her with burns all over her body and a fractured leg. The accident, which was a life changing one for her, affected not only her career, but other aspects of her life. The marriage was eventually dissolved.
In 2012, Stephanie married the CEO of DelYork International and founder of DelYork Creative Academy, Linus Idahosa, in Paris, France, at a lavish ceremony attended by members of her family and some Nollywood actors. They are blessed with two sons.
Unknownto many, actress and movie producer, Toyin Abraham has been married thrice. In 2010, she got married to Adeniyi Solanke, who was based in the United Kingdom. But the marriage was short-lived.
Toyin married her colleague, Adeniyi Johnson about three years later. Unfortunately, the marriage didn't last up to two years.
Toyin accused Adeniyi of infidelity and later caught him in the act. She moved out of their matrimonial home and although he tried hard to win her back, including admitting to cheating on her on social media, she never looked back.
Soon after, she began a relationship with another colleague of hers, Kolawole Ajeyemi, which culminated in marriage. The two were already friends, but their friendship didn't transition into full blown romance till she broke up with Adeniyi. In a recent interview, Toyin revealed that one of her greatest fears is the collapse of her marriage with Kolawole.
Actor, singer, producer and director, Segun Arinze, who is a reminder of the golden age of Nollywood, is also a victim of two marriages. He was first married to Nollywood actress Anne Njemanze. The marriage was short-lived and the divorce was finalised in 2010.
The marriage produced a daughter who is now 25 years-old. Arinze remarried, this time to a lady named July. The marriage is blessed with three children in addition to his two other children from other women.
Ifthere is one person who is happy to move on after the collapse of his first marriage, that person would be filmmaker, producer and director, Tola Odunsi. Currently in another relationship that may likely lead to a second marriage, to say that he relishes the company of his new love interest and has no qualms showing off how much she means to him, would be simply putting it mildly.
Odunsi, who is the CEO of Urban Vision Limited, used to be married to Onohi Iremiren, the founder of Eco Viridis Environmental Technology, an environmental and waste management company. They tied the knot in a fairy tale wedding in 2008, but ten years later, it became obvious they both had to go their separate ways.
Tola wasted no time falling deeply and passionately in love with actress Enado Odigie and while they are yet to get married, it is only a matter of time before they do.
Mofe Damijo, fondly called RMD, initially married late journalist, publisher and television host, May Ellen Ezekiel. Although she was older than him, they were both smitten with each other. The marriage produced no child at the time May Ellens passed on in 1996 due complications from fibroid. But she had a child from a previous relationship. Four years after May Ellen’s passage, RMD met and married former television presenter, Jumobi Adegebesan. The marriage, which recently clocked 22 years, hasn't been without its own fair share of drama, but they have both managed it effectively. RMD has grown-up children from other women. He is even a grandfather now.
Chinda had a bitter experience in her first marriage to Dejo Richards. The film producer and talk show host was a readily available punching bag for Mr Richards until she walked out of the marriage for fear of losing her life. The marriage, which ended in 2009, produced a child before Monalisa called it quits. In 2016, she married Germany based businessman, Victor TonyeCoker, who was her family friend, in Santorini, Greece.
By
every indication, it appears that Femi Adebayo made the best decision of his life when he opted to give marriage a second chance. Getting married has clearly affected his career positively. Adebayo was already upwardly mobile and popular, no doubt, by the time his first marriage was heading to the rocks. But by the time he remarried, his acting career got an unexpected boost and assumed a different dimension.
The actor was first married to a lady named Khadijat, whom he dated when they were both students at the University of Ilorin. They dated for six years before getting married in 2004. The marriage broke down irretrievably five years later due to alleged infidelity on Femi's part and Khadijat’s inability to cope with the demands of his job as an actor. The marriage was blessed with three children. Eight years after he ended his first marriage, Femi found love in the arms of Omotayo Aduke Meimunat and as earlier stated, everything about his career took a turn for the better. By October, the marriage will be seven years-old.
AlthoughTchidi Chikere is a gifted actor and movie director and has excelled in his chosen career, the same cannot be said of his marital life. He has been married twice and both marriages ended on a bad note. He first got married to Sonia in 2003. After 11 years together and three children, they went their separate ways.
No sooner did the marriage end than Tchidi began to flaunt actress Nuella Njubigbo as his new love interest. The couple got married in 2014 and in 2018, welcomed a child together. Unfortunately, seven years later, the marriage crashed.
According to Tchidi, Nuella simply took her things and sneaked out of his house without provocation. Following his two failed marriages, Tchidi has since found love again in the arms of another actress, Kenechukwu Ezeh Stephanie. He is yet to walk down the aisle with her.
Foluke Daramola has been married twice, first in 2005 to Tunde Sobowale. Unfortunately the marriage collapsed in 2008 after three years allegedly due to domestic violence. Five years later, she met and married her current husband, Kayode Salako, a businessman and politician in 2013. She has two children from her first marriage and none with her second husband. Although Foluke claims that her second husband is her soulmate and she is happy to have found happiness with him, the love and happiness however came at a cost. She was accused of being the reason her second husband's first marriage of 13 years collapsed. Kayode was married to a certain Olubukola Olusunmola Salako, a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at that time. Foluke was accused and trolled for a long time for allegedly using 'juju' to snatch him.
Actorand movie producer, Ibrahim Chatta, would rather not marry more than one wife at a time as his religion permits. He seems to be a one-man woman, but each time the relationship ceases to work in his favour, he moves on quickly to the next person. He has tried his luck with marriage thrice.
and broadcaster, Patrick Doyle, is not one to throw a pity party when things go wrong. After his marriage to Ireti, his second wife, crashed, he did not mourn but moved on quickly. Within a short time afterwards, Doyle found love with another woman and wasted no time to remarry for the second time. The marriage, his third, took place at the registry in March 2022. Doyle lost his first wife to sickle cell anaemia. He married her friend and budding actress, Ireti, whom he had also mentored in Nollywood. The marriage produced only a child before it packed up, although Ireti had an older child from a previous relationship while Patrick had children with his late wife, one of whom he also lost to sickle cell anaemia.
Veteranactor, Emeka Ike's first marriage to Suzanne of mixed parentage (Dutch/Nigerian) started blissfully. 15 years after, it became riddled with crises. Suzanne wanted out of the marriage because, according to her, her health was at risk. In July 2015, she filed for divorce. It was quite messy. She accused her estranged husband of domestic violence, torture and molestation. Expectedly, Emeka denied the allegations and accused some of his colleagues, particularly Ibinabo Fiberesima, the then factional president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN at that time, of being behind his woes. Two years later, the court granted Suzanne's request and their marriage was dissolved. Emeka was granted custody of their four children and their mother granted visitation rights to them. A year after, Emeka found love in the arms of a South African, Yolanda Pfeiffer and got married in a low-key ceremony. In 2019, they welcomed their first child together.
First, with a colleague, Olayinka Solomon, who bore him a son before the marriage packed up in 2008. Olayinka accused him of domestic violence, womanising and collecting her money and upon sensing that she was broke, misbehaving and bringing women into their matrimonial home. Chatta struggled to defend himself. He accused his ex-wife of not staying at home or taking care of their child. His second marriage was with Salamatu, the daughter of a former governor of Kwara State, Shaaba Lafiagi, in 2012. But the union crashed without much ado due to allegations of infidelity and wife battery. Also, their marital challenges arose as a result of what the latter and her family described as the lowly lifestyle the actor lived. While Salamatu was a silver spoon kid, Ibrahim's living conditions were no match for where Salamatu was coming from, prompting her to move out of his home. Ibrahim’s third shot at matrimony is to Olaide Aishat otherwise known as Lizzie Berry. The pair tied the knot in 2016.
to the appropriate quarters in the hope that it will scale the regulator's hurdle. Also, he has made his shareholders an offer in exchange for all the shares in their possession.
The deal is valued in the neighbourhood of N16.9 billion. He is doing this via Ignite Investments and Commodities Limited, the investment arm of his Ardova Plc.
stopped making payment, leaving a balance of $6 million. Despite this, he went ahead to buy a competitor, Enyo Retail and Supply, with about 95 retail stations all over the country. Tired of serving letters to Sowami demanding that he pay up his long overdue debt, Otedola approached the courts with a request to compel Sowami to offset his debt.
It seems that businessman and CEO of Ardova Plc, Abdulwasiu Sowami is tired of paying shareholders of the company large sums of money as dividends every year and given a choice, he would rather operate the company as a private entity than a public liability. Ardova is an integrated energy company that buys and distributes petroleum products via its extensive network of over 450 retail outlets in Nigeria. It has significant storage facilities in Apapa, Lagos and Onne in Rivers State.
Sowami wants to delist Ardova Plc from the Nigerian Exchange. He has already communicated his intentions
This latest development is coming at a time of mixed fortunes for Ardova. It would be recalled that in August 2022, THEWILL
Newspaper reported how billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola battled Sowami over accrued debts from the sale of his Zenon Petroleum and Gas company to Ardova, formerly known as Prudent Energy, for the purchase of 74 per cent share capital in Forte Oil Plc.
The sale took place in 2019, but four years after, Sowami was yet to make full payment of the cash equivalent of the shares. Otedola had sold the shares of Forte oil for $200 million at the time. The deal was structured in such a way that Sowami would pay the money in tranches, instead of paying it in full.
However, by mid-2022, Sowami had
Also, Ardova suffered suspension by NGX for failing to file its Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December, 2021. Eventually the suspension was lifted after the company filed its Audited Financial Statements and Unaudited Financial Statements for the quarter ended 31 March 2022, in compliance with all applicable rules of NGX. And then the company suffered some losses from its subsidiaries, Axles and Cartage, and the newly acquired Enyo Retail and Supply Limited, leading to a group net loss position of N3.8 billion. Just two weeks ago, Sowami lost one of his petrol filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory to a raging inferno which burnt everything in sight, including a long line of vehicles that were waiting in a queue to purchase fuel, beyond recognition. A philanthropist, Sowami who likes to operate in the background and abhors the spotlight channels his goodwill through his Abdul-Lateef and Sanni Foundation. He holds an M.Sc. in Corporate Governance from Leeds Beckett University, England and a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Maiduguri. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.
Only last week, THEWILL reported how Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura, more popularly known as AA Zaura, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kano Central District in the forthcoming senatorial election, has perfected the act of dodging charges of fraud leveled against him by cleverly evading court summons.
suffered due to the absence of the defendants during previous hearing dates.
One of the daughters of Mike Adenuga, founder of telecommunications company, Globacom, Belinda Disu, has fully stamped her authority in the property business via her Cobble-Stone Properties and Estates Limited, with her ongoing project. Three years after she successfully completed a high-rise luxury apartment building in the Ikoyi area, which she named Sisi Paris after her daughter, she is all set to complete another multimilliondollar edifice on Lagos Mainland. The humongous project, which is a shopping mall aptly named Ile-Oja, is situated on the bustling Opebi Road in Ikeja.
The exterior decor of the yet-to-be completed three-storeyed building already gives an insight into what the interior might look like when it is finally unveiled, hopefully before the end of the first quarter of the year. Although the portfolio of Cobblestone includes residential and commercial properties, none has announced her as well as Sisi Paris did and now this shopping mall.
There is no denying the fact that the 37-year-old is indeed a chip off the old block, taking incredible strides just like her father. Besides being a
big player in the property sector, Bella has made her mark in other areas that were hitherto dominated by the menfolk.
She runs Evonig Glass, a glass production company that has been revolutionising the building industry in Nigeria with made-in-Nigeria solutions that eliminate problems associated with glass importation.
This one-of-a-kind innovation is processed and assembled at Abumet, an aluminum manufacturing company where she holds sway as Chairman of the Board of Directors. She replaced businessman and politician, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was chairman of the board before his retirement.
Bella is also on the board of Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd. That her father reposes so much confidence in her is evident in the manner he chose her to be the Vice Chairman of Globacom and to represent his interests in almost all the companies that he has investments. A philanthropist, Bella runs Bella Disu Foundation, a non-profit organisation that provides education and employment
skills to disadvantaged children. She is also a distinctive benefactor of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), thus helping to encourage a better environment for musical learning.
In 2019, the French Government presented Bella with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her contributions to the preservation of the arts and culture, particularly her coordination of the construction of the Alliance Francaise Mike Adenuga Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Abigail Igwe, the mother of Adaeze Yobo, a former beauty queen and wife of a former captain of the Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo, is back after a long absence from the spotlight. Now in her mid-50s, Abigail first came to the limelight after her daughter won the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant. Her social status further got elevated when she started dating John Fashanu, a retired former Wimbledon and England striker. After divorcing their respective partners at the time, they decided to sign the dotted lines in 2011 at a marriage registry in Abuja. It was just the two of them and that was all that was needed. But had they been opportune to see the future before that day, they both would have been better off staying as friends. As it turned out, their marriage was very tumultuous. They had a very bitter and messy breakup that left their respective families hugely embarassed.
From allegations of kidnapping to death threats and unlawful possession of firearms, name it. While Abigail accused John of infidelity, claiming she walked in on him having a three-some with two other women, John insisted that he was the one that walked in on her cheating on him with another woman and having caught her in the act, she tried to kill him. In the end they eventually got divorced and both moved on with their lives. While John busied himself with another romance, this time with an Abuja based broadcaster who dumped her popular husband for him, Abigail became a recluse, preferring her own company and sometimes, that of her daughter, grandchildren or very close friends. That was until about two weeks ago when she surfaced at a wedding ceremony held in Lagos, to the surprise of many. At first, she tried to stay calm and attempted to evade attention, but the atmosphere at the wedding and the mood of the wedding guests was too compelling to resist. She gave in to her inner child and let her hair down for a good time. Hopefully, she takes this as a sign to get out more often.
In 2020, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) accused Zaura of duping a Kuwaiti national, Jamman AlAzmi, of the sum of $1.3 million under the pretext of procuring a real estate for him in Dubai. The Commission dragged him before a Federal High Court in Kano on a five-count charge. The court found him not guilty and discharged him on all counts. Dissatisfied, the EFCC filed an appeal and a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of judges, which set aside the judgment of the high court and ordered Zaura to be tried afresh by a different judge. Each time the court convened to hear his case, Zaura or his counsel were never available together for various reasons, ranging from the frivolous to the very ridiculous.
This repeated absence from court was the main contention of the appeal when the judgement of the High Court was delivered. Citing some past Supreme Court judgements, it held that an accused person must always be present in court throughout his trial, including judgment, and Zaura was found wanting in this regard. It was on this basis that the Court of Appeal found merit in the appeal and upheld the same accordingly. His arraignment on three different occasions could not go ahead, prompting the EFCC to declare him wanted.
At Zaura’s next arraignment on January 30, EFCC made good on its promise, arrested him at his residence and brought him to court. This time, it was his counsel who was absent and expectedly, the arraignment could not take place.
Ruling on the application, the judge adjourned the case to Monday, February 6, 2023 for the umpteenth time. And on the said day, Zaura's case, not surprisingly, suffered another setback. This time around, he employed a different tactic by changing counsel. When the matter was called, a representative of his new counsel informed the court that they needed time to study the case and consequently asked for an adjournment. The EFCC’s counsel, who was already at her wits end objected to the application for an adjournment, but the court overruled her on the ground that the new counsel had a right under the law to study the case before diving into the matter.
Consequently, the case was adjourned till March 1, 2023, for arraignment, ironically after the general election for the National Assembly. For the sixth time the arraignment was pushed forward at the instance of the defence counsel and judging by his past antecedent, it doesn't look like there is an end in sight for the trial to begin, not to talk of ending with a ruling.
Unless the EFCC decides to play smart and perhaps, employ the Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (he went into hiding after being convicted of fraud until the EFCC trailed, arrested him and sent him to jail) treatment on him, the case may end up being a wild goose chase. An ambitious man, Zaura had his eyes set on occupying Kano government house in 2019 on the platform of The Green Party of Nigeria (GPN). His expectations were however cut short when he lost out in the polls. He quickly changed strategy and defected to the ruling APC, exactly a year after he was arraigned for fraud, in the hope that it will enable him to escape conviction.
Exasperated, the EFCC counsel pleaded with the court to proceed with the arraignment, citing Section 33 Sub-Section (a) of the constitution to argue that the law allowed a defendant to take his plea even in the absence of the counsel. She also urged the court to take judicial notice of the several adjournments that the case had
he improved Ogun’s ranking on the list of most developed states in the federation from the 35th position to the 3rd and 4th positions consecutively. He pointed at the education and health sectors of the state, as well as the employment rate and complained that those areas had been on a steady decline since Abiola took over him as governor of the state.
Ibikunle Amosun, the immediate past governor of Ogun State and lawmaker representing Ogun State Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, and his successor, Dapo Abiodun, appear to be headed on a collision course once again.
Until they met recently during the coronation of the traditional ruler of Owu in Ogun State, Oba Saka Matemilola, both politicians were not on speaking terms for five years. The event, which took place sometime in October 2022, unexpectedly provided them an opportunity to put aside their differences. The two exchanged pleasantries and even shared a warm hug.
Then just when indigenes of Ogun State thought that both men had
finally buried the hatchet, they resumed their animosity towards one another. Apparently Amosun, who had previously boasted that he would work against the second term bid of Abidoun, fired the first salvo by pointedly shunning the latter’s APC governorship campaign train and openly supporting Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to spite Abidoun who he had accused of betrayal in 2019.
Amosun was seen addressing a crowd comprising ADC faithful at the flag-off of Otegbeye's campaign in Abeokuta last week. He did not only revisit his quarrel with Abiodun but also accused him of destroying the legacies that he left behind in Ogun. The former governor claimed that
Amosun also faulted the Dapo Abiodun Administration in the state on its ‘reckless’ spending on schools renovation. He argued that while his government had expended the total sum of N6.9bn on the construction of 15 model schools in the state, the present administration renovated a single school at the cost of N3bn.
Reacting, Abidoun denied the allegation and made it known that the model school was built with N830m as against N6.9bn mentioned by Amosun. He labeled the former governor a liar and revealed that he only converted Amosun's moribund model school to a functional technology hub within three weeks of assuming office. He in turn accused the former governor of not living up to his words when he was at the helm of the state. Acording to him, Amosun always claimed to have paid for his projects, whereas, in actual fact, he abandoned them.
Gbenga Agboola-led Fintech Company, Flutterwave, has joined other Nigerian Fintechs cleared of financial impropriety in
Kenya by withdrawing charges against the firm. The withdrawal of the charges was contained in a Kenyan High Court document and verified by Robert Gitau, a lawyer representing Flutterwave.
This development is coming at a time the multibillion company is engaged in a dialogue, preparatory to acquiring a leading British fintech company, Railsr, and expanding its operations.
Last year, a Kenyan court froze Flutterwave’s accounts and accused the biggest fintech firm in Africa of money laundering. The Nigerian firm is one of seven entities suspected to have been used as conduits for money laundering, credit card fraud in the guise of providing merchant services, according to the Kenyan authorities.
The Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) told the court that
The Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Dupe Olusola, has been named on the list of 10 Most Influential Black Corporate Leaders To Follow in 2023. Olusola, who started manning the upscale hospitality centre about three years ago, was honoured by a United Statesbased digital news company, CIO News. CIO News is the brainchild of CIO.Com, a one stop shop for enterprise, business technology executives around the world searching for unparalleled peer insight and expertise to remain on the cutting edge of business, tech and
leadership.
Ten corporate gurus were chosen from around the world with Olusola as the only Nigerian among them. Since taking charge of the affairs of the hospitality outlet, she has left no stone unturned to keep it among the top-ranking and best run hotels in Nigeria. Transcorp Hotels, under her leadership, have developed a companywide ethos of striving for and achieving excellence in all they do. Excited by the good news, Olusola shared the story of her journey as the CEO of the hotel, while encouraging career women never to give up their quest for career advancement.
Doyin Abiola, widow of late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, also known as MKO, has joined the octogenarian club. The mother of one, who was formerly the Managing Director and Editorin-Chief of the defunct Concord Group of Newspapers, has lived a fulfilled life in the past eight
decades.
A woman of many firsts and a second, Dr Abiola was the first woman to be named editor of a national daily and the first Nigerian woman to preside over the fortunes of a national newspaper group. She was also the first woman to be selected for the Eisenhower Fellowship in 1986. She was the second woman to receive a Diamond Award for Media Excellence, (DAME) Lifetime Achievements Award.
Dr Abiola started her career in 1969 at the Daily Sketch Newspaper where she was a columnist writing, Tiro, a column that addressed issues of public concern and gender matters. She left in 1970 to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism in the United States. When she returned, she joined Daily Times and was writing features until she rose
accounts belonging to seven targeted companies were used for money laundering in the guise of providing merchant services. The court restricted access to Sh6.2 billion, ($59.2 million) in 62 bank accounts owned by Flutterwave.
An additional sum of $3.3 million was also frozen two months later by the Kenyan court which belonged to the financial technology firm. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) also released a circular to all financial institutions in partnership with Flutterwave to cease working with the fintech company.
According to the CBK Governor, Patrick Njoroge, during a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, he stated that the company was not licensed to operate in Kenya. Following reports that its accounts had been frozen, the company, in a statement, said the financial improprieties attributed to the company in Kenya were entirely false. Kenya has since kept mum on why it dropped the charges against Flutterwave was dropped.
Alhaji Femi Okunnu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former Federal Commissioner for Works during the military government of General Yakubu Gowon has become a honourary fellow of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers. The good news was contained in a letter sent to the legal luminary ahead of the association’s 53rd Annual Conference taking place in June in Kwara State. According to the letter, the national body of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers conferred the
honour on the elder statesman for his indelible impact he made while he was the Federal Commissioner of Works and Housing which greatly influenced the real estate industry. Okunnu was able to push for laws that backed the profession and advanced its course as well as that of the practitioners then.The octogenarian who graduated from the University of London was a commissioner for a period of eight years between 1967 and 1974. He has also appeared in high profile cases especially in constitutional and land laws.
through the ranks and was made the Group Feature Editor. She later left for New York University to obtain a PhD in Communication and Political Science. Abiola went back to the Daily Times upon her return, but left shortly after to work with National Concord Newspaper. a newspaper company owned by her husband. She started off as its pioneer editor. Rising through the ranks again, she emerged the first Nigeria female woman to become the editor in chief of a newspaper. Dr Abiola’s Concord career journey spanned three decades where she groomed veterans in the industry and was a great influence in the lives of seasoned journalists, such as Mike Awoyinfa, whom she used to change the face of Nigeria journalism on Saturday with Weekend Concord, which majored in human angles stories that excited the reading public. Over the years, in many media houses in Nigeria and abroad, Dr. Doyin Abiola’s protégés have made her proud by flying the flag of the profession with pride.
On April 11, 2019, the head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis did what no other pontiff had done before in living memory. In a small room inside the Vatican, he sat with two African warlords, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and the opposition leader Rieck Machar. Frail and ailing, the 83-yearold Pope rose from his desk, approached the leaders and knelt before them, kissing their shoes and saying at the same time, “Remember that with war, all is lost.” By far younger than the Pontiff and humbled, Kirr and Machar quickly got him to his feet. “I am asking you with my heart,” Pope Francis implored them, “stay in peace.” Just last month, the religious leader was on a visit to two African countries. Naturally, South Sudan was his first port of call on the same peace mission he initiated three years ago. THEWILL considers the papal gesture worthy of emulation by religious leaders in Nigeria particularly and the African continent in general. Michael Jimoh reports…
It is something of a sacrilege in some African cultures for older people to go on their knees to their juniors. Except in rare circumstances, senior citizens in most parts of the continent do not defer to people they are older than. Instead, it is the other way round - for younger people to digweh, as the Urhobos would say, in the presence of elderly people, especially the male folk.
But Pope Francis did exactly the opposite three years ago when he knelt before two warring leaders of South Sudan to end the war in the newest country in the world. It had its desired effect. Shortly after that rare papal gesture, both leaders got to the table and talked things over to stop the needless war in the blighted African nation.
“Like a concerned father watching over the wellbeing of those under his care, the Pontiff was again in South Sudan early February to consolidate on his peace mission. Riding on the strength of the papal peace mission in 2019, the two warring leaders signed a peace agreement in Ethiopia and then to the Vatican last September for what has been described as “an exceptional two-day ecumenical retreat inside the pope’s residence
“Remember with war,” Pope Francis implored the leaders, “all is lost. I am asking you with my heart, stay in peace.”
A largely Christian country with a third of the populace Catholics, Pope Francis’s peace mission to South Sudan was not only to save those of the Catholic faith but the rest of the country that had been at war for years. So far, the war of dismemberment has claimed more than 400, 000 lives, left many destitute and displaced millions.
Like a concerned father watching over the wellbeing of those under his care, the Pontiff was again in South Sudan early February to consolidate on his peace mission. Riding on the strength of the papal peace mission in 2019, the two warring leaders signed a peace agreement in Ethiopia and then to the Vatican last September for what has been described as “an exceptional two-day ecumenical retreat inside the pope’s residence.”
The pope’s exceptional gesture in 2019 was showing results, apparently. It was the most delightful piece of news for a country that had been at war since 2013 because of mutual disagreement and resentment between Kirr and Machar.
At the Vatican peace meeting, Pope Francis had pointedly told the leaders that “there will be fights among you, but let these be inside the office.” According to observers at the meeting, the Pontiff had looked both of them in the eye and “urged them to respect their recent armistice and commit to forming a unity government,” adding that they “hold hands in front of the people.” With that gesture of friendship and amicableness, Kiir and Machar can “become fathers of the nation.”
Of course, South Sudan had always been one united country until the fallout between the president and his vice, throwing the country into deep despair of war. “I urge you, then, to seek what unites you, beginning with the fact that you belong to one and the same people, and to overcome all that divides you,” Pope Francis counseled them, insisting that “people are wearied, exhausted by past conflicts: Remember that with war, all is lost!”
Tagged ecumenical mission of peace, two religious leaders, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Iain Greenshields, the Scottish church leader accompanied the Pontiff to the East African nation. In his message which the pope admitted “may appear blunt and direct,” he told the leaders to “leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn!”
Since committing to peace in 2018 and after kissing their feet a year later, Pope Francis seemed not much satisfied with progress made so far in the direction of peace. “It is time to move from words to deeds. It is
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time to turn the page: It is the time for commitment to an urgent and much-needed transformation. The process of peace and reconciliation requires a new start.”
Speaking directly like an avuncular would to recalcitrant children, Pope Francis said inter alia: “Dear president and vice presidents, in the name of God, of the God to whom we prayed together in Rome, of the God who is gentle and humble in heart (cf. Mt 11:29), the God in whom so many people of this beloved country believe, now is the time to say “No more of this,” without “ifs” or “buts.” No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it, no more leaving your people a thirst for peace. No more destruction: It is time to build! Leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn!
As it happened in some newly independent African countries in the sixties and seventies, South Sudan descended into war because “the political leaders that now govern this country of 13 million people were once warlords and still have the mentality of warlords. They attend only to their own group’s interests and have difficulty in sharing power.”
In the Pope’s estimation, the South Sudanese people “need fathers, not overlords. They need steps to development, not constant collapses.”
If they do maintain that peace, he told them, the “sons and daughters” of this land, “and history itself, will remember you if you work for the benefit of the people that you have been called to serve. Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do. History will leave behind the enemies of peace and bring renown to those who are true peacemakers.”
Excited to no end about the papal visit, President Kiir gave Pope Francis, Shelby and Greenshields the full treat accorded visiting dignitaries. He personally received them at the airport, mounted a guard of honour, complete with the national anthem of South Sudan and the Vatican and the drive to the Presidential Palace in
I have come here as a pilgrim of reconciliation, in the hope of accompanying you on your journey of peace. It is a circuitous journey, yet one that can no longer be postponed... We present ourselves to you and to these people in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace...We come to listen to the young people, and to tell leaders about their hopes for peace and opportunity. We come to honor the women who have known such terrible suffering and yet have been the sign of the resurrection life
Juba the capital. KIir described the visit as “a historic milestone,” also reminding the Pope that his “gesture of humility did not go in vain” in 2019.
Responding, Pope Francis declared that along with Welby, Greenshields and the accompanying entourage of high-profile church fathers from England and Scotland “we undertook this ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, after hearing the plea of an entire people that,
with great dignity, weeps for the violence it endures.”
Continuing, Pope Francis said: “I have come here as a pilgrim of reconciliation, in the hope of accompanying you on your journey of peace. It is a circuitous journey, yet one that can no longer be postponed.” Then, the pope, drawing attention to the presence of the archbishop and the moderator, whom he referred to as “two brothers,” said, “We present ourselves to you and to these people in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.”
The ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, he went on, “is something rare” that “represents a change of direction, an opportunity for South Sudan to resume sailing in calm waters, taking up dialogue, without duplicity and opportunism.” It should also be “an occasion to revive hope” which “each citizen understands that the time has come to stop being carried along by the tainted waters of hatred, tribalism, regionalism and ethnic differences. It is time to sail together towards the future!”
On his part, Archbishop Welby made clear the visit of the three religious leaders. They had come “to encourage the church to remember its remarkable work historically in building peace and bringing people together. We come to listen to the young people, and to tell leaders about their hopes for peace and opportunity. We come to honor the women who have known such terrible suffering and yet have been the sign of the resurrection life. People in places near and far are becoming tired that more has not changed. That fatigue is mirrored in the faces of the people of South Sudan and in the words of many civil society organizations who faithfully, boldly, try to represent them in the face of strong opposition. When I remember the commitments made back in 2019, I am saddened that this is what I see and hear.”
Next to speak was the leader of the Scottish Church. “We need leaders and churches that really work for peace,” he said.
Pope Francis added that his brutal frankness was because of “the affection and concern with which I follow the life of your country, together with my brothers with whom I have come here as a pilgrim of peace.”
BY JUDE OBAFEMI
The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon 2023 was a race to remember, as 50,000 participants from around the world came together to compete for the $50,000 cash prize. The starting gun went off at 7:00 a.m on Saturday at National Stadium, Surulere, and the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, was on hand to give the runners a send-off.
The 42km race started at the National Stadium in Surulere and ended at the Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island, and the residents of Sports City, Lagos, lined the streets to cheer on the runners. The course was challenging and the competition was fierce, but it was Kenyan runner, Edwin Kibet, who emerged as the winner with a time of 2:14:06. Kibet joined a long line of Kenyan winners of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, as the East African nation has dominated the race since its inception. Kenya has won the race in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2021, and Ethiopia has won twice, in 2019 and 2022. This year's race was expected to be won by David Bamassai, the 2020 winner and race record holder with a time of 2:10:23, but he collapsed during the race, opening the door for Kibet to take the top prize.
Ethiopian runner, Dekeba Tafa, came in second place with a time of 2:14:54, while another Kenyan, Bernard Sang, came in third place with a time of 2:17:14. In the women's category, it was an Ethiopian affair as Alemenesh Guta won her second Access Bank Lagos City Marathon with a time of 2:40:42. Guta, who won her first marathon in 2018, is a regular participant in the race and came in second place in the 2021 edition. Urisa Kebene Chala finished in second position with a time of 2:40:42, while Naomi Maiyo, who came in third place in the 2022 edition, maintained her spot with a time of 2:40:56.
The Nigerian male runners also performed well, with Gyan Boyi coming in first place with a time of 2:48:33. Adamu
Shehu came in second place with a time of 21:30:52, and Friday Yohanna came in third place with a time of 2:33:02. In the female category, veteran runner Deborah Pam took first place with a time of 2:48:33, Elizabeth Nuhu came in second place with a time of 3:00:20, and Dinatu Yahana came in third place with a time of 3:02:12.
The winners of the 2023 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon were elated with their victories and spoke of the excitement of running in such a vibrant and competitive race. This year's edition was upgraded by the world athletics body to
a gold label, less than eight years after its maiden edition, and it continues to be one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the world of marathons.
In a chat with the media when questioned on preparations towards the 2023 edition of the race, Mr Yussuf Alli, the General manager of the Marathon, said the marathon had to return to its pre-COVID prize money at this edition. It was a step that became necessary at the time due to the global financial impediments necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, its status as one of the most competitive athletics meets in Nigerian remained undiminished and it had the pull to attract some of the best long-distance
It is evident that the Lagos City Marathon and other long-distance races in Nigeria hold a lot of promise for the country's sports scene. The organisers' efforts to reach the Elite Platinum Label status have not gone unnoticed, as they continue to inspire international long-distance races that draw the best athletes to Nigeria
talents at home and on the continent as a whole. It is also a testament to how far the marathon segment of athletics has become and the attraction it has brought for Nigeria. For no less than eight unbroken years, the Lagos International Marathon has continued to feature as an annual staple in the Nigerian athletic calendar. The 42 km race, which is organised by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has been contested in since 1983, tracing its roots back to several recurring half marathons held in the city. Regularly starting at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, the marathon course leads runners along the Third Mainland Bridge, over the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge, and finishes at Eko Atlantic.
The first edition of the Lagos International Marathon in the format that it is in today, took place in 2016, attracting over 20,000 participants and was sponsored by Access Bank. Kenyan national Abraham Kiptum emerged as the first winner, setting a course record time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 21 seconds. The fastest female athlete was Halima Hussein Kayo of Ethiopia, who ran a time of 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 36 seconds.
In the following year, Abraham Kiptum returned to defend his title, finishing the race in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 20 seconds. His female compatriot, Rodah Jepkori Tanuyi, emerged as the first-place winner in the women's category. In the 2018 edition of the marathon, a 10 km Family Race was introduced, starting at the Lekki Roundabout and ending at Eko Atlantic. This race was aimed at encouraging participation from non-professional runners, promoting fitness, fun, and health. In the same year, French-Kenyan national Abraham Kiprotich set a new course record of 2:13:04 hours in the men's category while Ethiopian national Alemenesh Herpha Guta came first in the women's category.
The 2019 edition of the Lagos International Marathon saw about 100,000 competitors, with Ethiopian national Sintayehu Legese winning the race in a finishing time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 28 seconds in the men's category. His female compatriot Dinke Meserete was the first to cross the finish line in the women's category. The 42 km race offered a grand prize of $50,000 for the first-place winner, $40,000 for the second-place winner, and $30,000 for the third-place winner.
In the 2020 edition, Kenyan Olympian David Barmasai emerged as the winner, setting an unofficial course record time of 2:10:00. He went home with a whopping $70,000 prize. Sharon Cherop of Kenya was the first female to cross the finish line. The 2021 edition saw Emmanuel Naibei of Kenya win the men's category while Meseret Dinke of Ethiopia came first in the women's category. In the last edition before this year's, held in 2022, Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia won the men's category with Siranesh Yirga of Ethiopia emerging as the first-place winner in the women's category.
Yet, the Lagos City Marathon is not the only long-distance race in the country, even if it is unrivalled in its grandeur. In 2021, for instance, there was the first Ijesha Grand Marathon, a 10 km road race, that took place in Ilesa, the
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capital of Ijeshaland, and attracted some of the best road runners in Nigeria. The event, which is also endorsed by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and directed by renowned coach and former middle distance champion, Chief Tony Osheku, was considered a success. According to participants, the seamless organisation of the race was a major highlight.
Fadekemi Olude, a top female road race and walk runner in Nigeria, praised the level of security provided during the event, saying "This is one of the very few road races in Nigeria that we had great security, especially on the course. In some races you will be competing with motorcycles (Okada) and even cars but here (Ilesa), there was nothing of such." The race started at the Ilesa Stadium in Irojo and ended at the ultra-modern Palace of Owa Obokun of Ijesha land, His Royal Majesty, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran. Olude won the women's title and received N400,000 as the top prize money. Overall, the Ijesha Grand Marathon was a successful event, showcasing the talent of Nigerian road runners and setting a positive example for future races in the country.
Also, the maiden edition of the 21 km Kaduna Half Marathon was successfully held in 2020, with Kenyan athletes John Muirurri Mburu and Caren Jebet Maiyo
concerned to clean up the system and make the elections as free and fair as possible.
Personally, I believe that in order to restore the integrity of the justice system, it is crucial that the Federal Government and all relevant stakeholders take decisive actions to address the issue of corruption in the judiciary. This can be done by increasing transparency and accountability in the decision-making process, ensuring that judges are held responsible for their actions, and by creating a system where whistleblowers can safely report instances of corruption.
I also recommend the introduction of strict measures to ensure the impartiality and independence of the courts. The formation of a special task force, composed of experienced lawyers and other legal professionals, could be a step in the right direc-
tion. This task force could be tasked with investigating and prosecuting judges and justices who engage in corrupt practices, and making recommendations for systemic reforms to prevent corruption in the future.
The situation in Nigeria's justice system is dire, and the corruption and abuse of power that have become normalised in the courts should be frontally confronted.
The judiciary must reinvent itself, act quickly and decisively to address these issues and restore public confidence in the justice system. Only then can we be assured that justice is truly blind. The future of Nigeria depends on the reforms that are implemented in the coming months, as a corrupt and unreliable justice system is a bad omen for the future of the country.
taking the top prizes. The Kaduna State Government expressed its gratitude to the runners, sponsors, citizens, media, and government agencies that helped to stage the event, which was praised by former Nigerian long jumper and three-time Olympian, Yusuf Alli, who is also the General Manager of Kaduna Marathon. Alli described the event as a three-in-one race, making Kaduna the first state in sub-Saharan Africa to host such a race. Although foreign athletes dominated the 21 km half marathon, two Kaduna runners won the top prizes in the 5 km race and runners from Plateau State won the 10 km category. Furthermore, the fourth edition of the community marathon series in Nigeria is set to take place in Lagos on February 19th, dubbed the "Epe Run." The race will feature both 10 and 5 km races, with a variety of cash prizes and medals for winners in different categories. The event will also feature aerobics, local acts, and acrobatics. The Chief Organizer Moses Nwanze stated that the Epe Run will promote unity and sportsmanship, and has already been endorsed by the local monarch, Oba Kamorudeen Ishola Animashaun. There is also the Abuja City International Marathon, the first full international marathon in the Federal Capital Territory, will be held on April 29, to look forward to. The marathon aims to foster unity and increase the general well-being of FCT residents. The theme of the maiden edition is "A Race for Unity," and Nilayo Sports Management, the biggest organizers of Marathon races in Africa, will sign a multibillion naira contract to organise the event. The race has been approved by Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, the Federal Capital Territory, and the Ministry of Sports, Youths, and Social Development. The target is to make the Abuja City International Marathon the second Gold-Label status full marathon race in Nigeria after the Lagos City Marathon. All of these are joined by other long distance races like the Bonny Island Marathon in Port Harcourt, the Hwosa Marathon in Calabar and the Ijebu Heritage Half Marathon in Ijebu Ode, among others.
It is evident that the Lagos City Marathon and other longdistance races in Nigeria hold a lot of promise for the country's sports scene. The organisers' efforts to reach the Elite Platinum Label status have not gone unnoticed, as they continue to inspire international long-distance races that draw the best athletes to Nigeria. With this, Nigeria is poised to establish itself as a destination of note in the world of standard international marathons. This not only brings recognition and prestige to the country but also has the potential to drive economic growth through increased tourism and investment. Overall, the future looks bright for Nigeria's long-distance racing scene, and the country is well on its way to becoming a major player in the world of marathons.
Justice appears to be for sale in Nigeria to anyone with a deep pocket. This is our current reality and the earlier we acknowledge this problem, the quicker the fix. Is it not ironic that the judiciary, which should be the bastion of our democracy, is now its undertaker?
I have reached a factual conclusion that the corruption in the judiciary is deep and only a drastic measure can reverse the ugly development. Some of the judgements delivered by the courts in this electoral cycle have been shocking, baffling and perplexing, to say the least.
The most notorious culprit is sadly the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country, with its latest rulings on the Yobe North APC Senatorial District and the Akwa Ibom North-West APC Senatorial District tickets. The controversial rulings declared Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Senator Godswill Akpabio as duly elected candidates.
The irony of this development is that both men did not participate in the senatorial primary elections. They were presidential candidates who participated in the APC presidential primary and lost. They could not have obtained forms to participate in the Senate primary because it is a violation of the Electoral Act, although the Act stipulates conditions where a party may conduct another primary (such as in event of the death of a candidate or voluntary withdrawal of candidacy).
The Supreme Court’s decision has been met with widespread criticism, as many believe that the court has become a hub for the sale of justice, with the highest bidder getting the most favourable judgment. Coincidentally, Akpabio is widely credited for this famous quote “What money cannot solve, money can solve it.”
This is not the first time Supreme Court justices have been called out over questionable judgements. The court has been accused of violating common sense and the will of voters, resulting in several controversial decisions that have upset the public. This was seen in the case three years ago in Imo State, where the apex court declared Hope Uzodinma, who was not even the first runnerup, winner of the governorship election in the state, to the bewilderment of many.
These kinds of decisions are a threat to our political system and they undermine the people’s faith in government.
Judicial experts and other legal luminaries have joined members of the public to express grave concerns over the level of corruption in the judiciary and its effect on the country. This is a fervent call for the immediate and complete overhaul of the judiciary, as corruption among the judges and justices has become a clear and present threat to our existence.
Nigeria is facing a crisis in its justice system, with corruption and abuse of power by powerful and influential people becoming normalised within the country's courts. Yet, no one cares anymore.
There is also zero accountability and many are questioning why the country has descended into a pattern of violent self-help. This is because the absence of accountability and lack of trust in the system is not just a recent occurrence.
There are instances in the past that bear evidence of this sordid decline. One such instance took place in 2007, during Nigeria's most venal elections mid-
ing the rules of professional conduct in the legal profession by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and was disbarred in 2015. However, his disbarment was later overturned by the Supreme Court, which found that his right to a fair hearing had been violated on the technicality that one of those who participated in the decision to debar him was not present at the hearing. This decision was a departure from previous Supreme Court decisions, which had taken a strong stance on judicial integrity.
More recently, in 2021, the Supreme Court made a similar ruling in a case involving three lawyers who had been disbarred for serious professional misconduct. However, unlike Kalejaiye's case, the court ordered a retrial of the lawyers by a new panel of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, without any explanation for the different treatment in two extremely similar cases and both of which hinged on the very delicate subject of integrity within the hallowed chambers of the bar and the bench and for the common man places his very last hope.
Yet, the experience in Nigeria is that the tendency to make decisions on a whim has become a characteristic of the country's highest courts, with varying rulings being made on matters of judicial integrity. This has led to confusion and a lack of confidence in the country's justice system.
The situation in Nigeria highlights the need for a concerted effort to address corruption in the country's courts and restore the integrity of the justice system. In addition to corruption, the independence of the judiciary is also under threat, as many believe that the judiciary has become a political tool, being used by those in power to achieve their own ends. This is evidenced by the recent cases of imposition of candidates, such as in the case of Akpabio and Lawan.
wifed by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and the disgraced INEC boss, Prof Maurice Iwu. A large number of the offices contested ended up before the judges, who ultimately decided the winners and losers as against the democratic practice of the people's choice. This led to intense pressure being placed on the judges and justices, and allegations of corruption were made against some of them. One such judge was Thomas Naron, who presided over a tribunal involving the governorship of Osun State in South West Nigeria.
Naron was found to have engaged in inappropriate telephone exchanges with Kunle Kalejaiye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria representing the then governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in whose favour the tribunal eventually decided. Naron's actions resulted in him being terminated from his judicial career by the National Judicial Council (NJC) in 2013.
Kunle Kalejaiye was also found guilty of violat-
The integrity of the justice system is crucial for the stability of Nigeria and it is imperative that reforms are implemented to ensure that justice is not only done, but also seen to be done. The public is calling for a judiciary that is impartial, independent, and transparent, and one that is not influenced by outside forces. The 2023 elections are here. We are less than two weeks away from the date when Nigerians will go to the polls to choose a new president and elect federal lawmakers and the penchant of politicians to challenge perceived and real irregularities and malpractices in the process means that the integrity of the justice system is essential for free and fair elections.
I advise that the reforms are initiated within the judicial system and in a timely manner, so that the integrity of the justice system is restored, and the public can have faith in the rule of law. This is crucial for the future of Nigeria, as a corrupt and unreliable justice system is a bad omen for the 2023 polls, and undermines the efforts of all those
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The situation in Nigeria highlights the need for a concerted effort to address corruption in the country's courts and restore the integrity of the justice system. The integrity of the justice system is crucial for the stability of Nigeria and it is imperative that reforms are implemented to ensure that justice is not only done, but also seen to be done