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2023:

PDP Tackles APC Over Umahi, Ayade, Matawalle’s Defection

•Trouble in Ebonyi •Uneasy Calm in Cross River •Zamfara Gov’s Fate Hangs in the Balance •Why States Are Strategic For Victory in Presidential Election

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COVER

2023: PDP Tackles APC Over Umahi, Ayade, Matawalle’s Defection •Trouble in Ebonyi •Uneasy Calm in Cross River • Zamfara Gov’s Fate Hangs in the Balance • Why States Are Strategic For Victory in Presidential Election

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BY AMOS ESELE he race to the 2023 general elections is getting hot with the passing of each day as the two leading political parties - the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) - are upping their games and perfecting their plans to outsmart each other in the big battle ahead. In a close presidential election which the 2023 poll is expected to be, the governing party in the state usually plays a key role in determining where the votes go in elections.

For the opposition PDP, the situation in which the governors of Ebonyi and Cross River States, David Umahi and Ben Ayade, as well as their Zamfara State counterpart, Bello Mattawalle, have found themselves over their defection to the governing APC might just be the needed tonic to take back the three states from the APC. The opposition party is therefore not leaving any stone unturned in its resolve even as the APC realises the implications of losing the states to the opposition party ahead of the 2023 elections.

Without any iota of doubt, this is not the best of times for the defectors as their actions are currently causing ripples in the polity. More worrisome is the fact that the calculations of most of those involved do not seem to be working, given the legal implications of their big gamble.

At present, Umahi, Ayade and Mattawalle are in the eye of the storm as their fate hangs in the balance as a result of their defection from the PDP to the APC. The three governors are not alone in the dilemma as some lawmakers in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly have found themselves in the same situation.

TROUBLE IN EBONYI Ebonyi State was on the boil over the weekend after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed last Thursday that it would meet this week to “deliberate over the court cases on the defection of the Governor and DeputyGovernor of Ebonyi State and 16 members of the State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.”

Following INEC’s disclosure, some lawmakers in the state went THEWILLNIGERIA

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public with their position on the pending matter. They alerted the public on the alleged illegalities being carried out by the 16 defector-lawmakers against the remaining loyal eight.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mr. Festus Okoye, had said on that Thursday that after the Commission was served with nine separate orders and motions from various courts on the defection, it responded by drafting its “Legal Services and Clearance Committee to study the processes,” adding that “The Committee will meet next week (this week) to deliberate on the matter and thereafter, make its decision public.”

The INEC’s decision to make its decision public this week, THEWILL learnt, has emboldened loyal lawmakers of the PDP in Ebonyi State to take a stand on the ongoing politics and alleged witch-hunt being orchestrated by the Speaker, Hon Francis Nwifiru, in the House of Assembly.

The eight lawmakers who refused to defect alongside the 16 others with Governor Dave Umahi and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, to the APC on November 17, 2020, spoke through one of them, Hon. Victor Aleke, on Friday, March 18, 2022.

They denounced what they described as an assault on their fundamental rights and freedom of association by the Speaker.

According to Aleke, representing Ebonyi North West Constituency, anarchy looms in the state, following Nwifiru’s victimisation of the eight representatives.

He accused the Speaker of carrying out unconstitutional and illegal acts by allegedly forging resignation letters, purporting them to belong to his fellow lawmakers and declaring their seats vacant.

According to Aleke, the situation was more worrisome when lawmakers, who were supposed to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, abused the law by forging resignation letters, purporting them to belong to their fellow lawmakers and declaring their seats vacant, saying the act was poised to plunge the state into anarchy.

He said, “It is in the public domain that on March 8, 2022, a

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Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked the Ebonyi State Speaker, Mr Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru and 16 sixteen other lawmakers for defecting from the party on whose platform they were elected.

“Reactions to the judgement have been overwhelming. Most people found no fault with removing the lawmakers from office because it tallies with the express provisions of the constitution.

“As lawmakers, the constitution has left no one in doubt that political parties are the most important actors in the nation’s electoral process. To start with, the constitution provides that only aspirants sponsored by political parties can be candidates in an election.

“The sacked members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly are fully aware of all these constitutional provisions, but they have decided to embark on acts of forgery and contempt of law by disobeying the Justice Inyang Ekwo judgement that sacked them from office.

“I hereby inform the general public to disregard the concocted information on the media that I and two other People’s Democratic Party Ebonyi State House of Assembly members resigned our elected position, thereby declaring our seats vacant.

These actions by the sacked lawmakers are total abuse of the rule of law and contempt of the court judgement, which is tantamount to arrest.

“The good people of Ebonyi State and Nigerians should disregard such information as it holds no water and it cannot stand. I urge all the constituents of these lawmakers whose seats were purportedly declared vacant to remain calm and peaceful as the court pronouncement that sacked the 16 Ebonyi State House of Assembly members still stands until they get a stay of execution or get favourable judgement from the appellate court.

“For your information, as it stands now, the members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly members are Hon Chris Usulor, Hon. Victor Aleke, Hon. Chidi Ejem, Hon. Humphrey Nwuruku, Hon. Dr. Oliver Osi, Hon. Franca Okpo, Hon. Okechukwu Ali and Hon. Lilian Ngozi Eziulo.”

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2023: PDP Tackles APC Over Umahi, Ayade, Matawalle’s Defection RELATIVE CALM IN CROSS RIVER In Cross River State, where Governor Ben Ayade is also facing litigation over his defection from the PDP to APC, things appear to be relatively calmer than in Ebonyi. Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Christian Ita, described as false the reports that the governor is divided over his party affiliations, following the judgement on his Ebonyi counterpart. He told THEWILL that the governor did not at any time swear an affidavit that though he defected to the APC, he was still a PDP member.

“The governor has said repeatedly that he is a card carrying member of the APC. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Digital Communication Committee of the APC National Convention.

So all is calm here,” Ita told THEWILL. GOVERNORS IN THE EYE OF THE STORM Although Governor Umahi’s case is currently on the front burner, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara also have defection cases hanging on their necks. Matawalle, defected in June 2021 without his Deputy, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau. Gusau was later impeached by the state lawmakers a fortnight ago.

Also, Matwalle’s case has gone farther than that of Umahi and Ayade. For Zamfara, a Federal High Court sitting in the state capital, Gusau, in February ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and ruled that only a tribunal or the State House of Assembly could remove the governor because he defected to the APC. Counsel to the plaintiff, J.C Shaka, said the PDP would appeal the ruling.

Currently on the front burner is the Umahi case whose pending motion is set for hearing on Monday, March 21, 2022.

On that day, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who had on March 8, in a judgment, ordered Umahi, his deputy, Igwe, and 16 lawmakers to vacate their office and seats, will allow the respondents to file a counter to the application for stay of execution filed by Chukwuma Ma-Chukwu Ume, SAN, counsel to Umahi and his deputy.

Counsel to the PDP, James Onoja, had informed the court of their intention to respond to the new motion on stay of execution filed

by Umahi and Igwe.

On March 10, Governor Umahi and others sought an order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stay the execution of its judgment directing them to vacate their offices over their defection to another political party. The judge also directed INEC to immediately receive from the PDP the names of its candidates to replace them.

In a motion on notice filed by their counsel, Ume, the applicants also prayed the court to stay the execution of its order directing INEC to receive other names in their place or hold a governorship election in accordance with Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.

Umahi and Igwe, in the motion on notice dated March 9, equally sought an order staying the execution of the order of court directing INEC to immediately declare the persons nominated by the PDP as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi, respectively.

They further urged the court to stay the execution of its order restraining the INEC from recognising or continuing to recognise them as governor and deputy governor of the state, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal dated and filed on March 9, 2022 by the appellants, among others.

LEGAL VIEWPOINTS FOR AND AGAINST DEFECTIONS Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome, notably counsel to Governors Matawalle and Ayade, and Femi Falana have written different positions for and against the governors’ defections.

Citing many election petition cases to buttress his argument, Ozekhome said that votes belong to a candidate and not a political party as has continued to be cited in an often quoted Supreme Court ruling on Amaechi Vs INEC He said, “It is not only the registered voters of a political party that cast their votes for a President, Vice President, Governor or Deputy Governor. Many non-politically partisan persons

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also vote; just like opposition party members who may prefer a particular candidate, even though he is not in their party.

“It is therefore not correct to hold that votes scored by a candidate belong to a political party and therefore not transferable. The courts have since gone over the era of Amaechi Vs INEC, where the Supreme Court had held that votes cast in an election belong to a political party. Section 141 of the Electoral Act, 2010, has altered that section, by providing that for a candidate to become governor, he must have participated at all stages of the election.

This includes primaries and the general governorship election.”

According to Ozekhome, “The appellate courts have since held again and again that votes cast in an election belong to a live candidate and not the political party which merely serves as a vehicle that enthrones candidates.

“The Judge, in his judgement, had agreed with the PDP, which relied on sections 221, 177(c), 106(d) and 65(2)(b) of the Constitution to substantiate its argument that votes belong to the political parties; and it is impossible for candidates to exist without a political party. The case of NGIGE V. AKUNYILI (2012) 15 NWLR (PT.1323) 343 @ 357-376, which came much later overruled this position. The court held in that case that: “…It is my considered view that the Appellant in relying on the provision quoted above (section 211 of the Constitution), has conveniently lost sight of the underlined words, which show that a political party canvasses for votes on behalf of the candidate. In other words, a political party is nothing more than an agent of the candidate in gathering votes for an election. It is my further view that is against the backdrop of this that the Electoral Act (Supra) requires the candidate (and not the party of the candidate) that has the highest number of votes at an election to be declared as the winner of the said election and further provides for the means of challenging the return of the candidate (and not his political party…”(Emphasis supplied).

Falana, SAN, on the other hand, made two submissions, one on the defection of Ebonyi 16 and the other on the governor and his deputy.

On the lawmakers, he cited section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which expressly prohibits crosscarpeting by legislators and provides for circumstance(s) in which legitimate defection is permissible; a division that makes it impossible for the legislator to function. For the defection of a governor and his deputy, Falana contends that it is the party and not the candidate that owns the votes of any election, adding that the famous Supreme Court ruling on Amaechi Vs INEC, remains relevant.

He said, “Whereas in the 2019 governorship election in Ebonyi State, the PDP garnered 393,343 votes across the 13 local governments areas of the state, its closest challenger, the APC, got 81,703 votes. After the PDP had emerged the winner of the election the certificate of return was issued in the name of its flag bearer by the INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmud, who stated ‘I hereby certify that Nweze David Umahi of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been elected to the office of Governor of Ebonyi State…’

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Even though Governor Umahi has decamped from the PDP to APC, neither the INEC nor the High Court of Ebonyi State has amended the Certificate of Return to read “Nweze David Umahi of the All Progressives Congress

“Even though Governor Umahi has decamped from the PDP to APC, neither the INEC nor the High Court of Ebonyi State has amended the Certificate of Return to read “Nweze David Umahi of the All Progressives Congress”!

Citing many legal cases to back his viewpoint, Falana, last week, stated: “It is interesting to note that some lawyers have maintained that Governor Umahi has exercised his freedom of association by decamping from PDP to APC. While the governor’s freedom of association is constitutionally protected, he cannot be permitted to infringe on the democratic rights of the 393, 343 citizens, who voted for him as the governorship candidate of the PDP, have been completely ignored. Or are we to believe that the votes scored by the PDP have been merged with those of the APC since the PDP candidate decamped to APC? Curiously, in making a mockery of the democratic rights of the people of Ebonyi State, the critics of the judgement of Justice Egwu have failed to advertise their minds to the undeniable fact that the majority of the voters actually exercised their franchise in favour of the PDP. After all, the names of the candidate David Umahi and his deputy were not on the ballot papers.”

Taking a look at the viewpoints of the eminent SANs, a constitutional lawyer, Mr Mack Ogbamosa, said both positions are right in points of law.

He told THEWILL, “The point at issue, however, is that there is a lacuna in the Constitution. The Constitution is silent on how a governor can be removed from office through defection from one political party to another. That is why it is subject to interpretation and the cases would have to be tried until we get a final judgement or the Constitution is amended. So when Governor Umahi insists that the ways to remove a governor are listed in sections of the Constitution, he is also right.”

Continuing, Ogbamosa added, “What the Supreme Court ruling on Amaechi Vs INEC established was that votes are cast for parties and not individuals. And when that ruling was made, Amaechi was yet to become a governor. As at today, what obtains is that it is political parties that votes are cast for in any election.

On the ballot are the names of political parties, not individuals, for whom voters cast their votes.”

Ayade’s adviser, Ita, a lawyer himself, disagrees. “What we are witnessing in the defection cases is an assault on the Constitution.

Section 308 grants immunity to governors from prosecution on any criminal or civil matter.

“The Supreme Court is not superior to the Constitution. Section 40 of the same Constitution talks about the right of association.

The Supreme Court has moved on since the often cited Amaechi Vs INEC case and the electoral law has been amended. There are High Court cases in Abakaliki and in Zamfara that said the courts had no jurisdiction because of Section 308 of the Constitution.”

Citing the means by which a governor can be removed from office, namely, through impeachment, death and resignation, Ita said, “The democracy we are practising is the same in the USA and the UK. Recently, the goveranor of Virginia defected from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party after nine months in office. Was he removed from office? A parliamentarian in the UK defected over the Prime Minister’s Borin Johnson COVID-19 party saga. Was he removed?”

WAY FORWARD “Everybody agrees that this is going to be a long haul,” Ita said, but he asserts that the cases would be decided in the favour of the defectors. “The Supreme Court is not superior to the Constitution,” he said.

Ogbamosa is inclined to support Falana’s position that until the lacuna about the defection of a governor in the Constitution is sorted out through amendment, political parties are owners of votes cast in elections. But he also concedes, “How the issues are canvassed in the court will go a long way in resting this matter.”

For Ebonyi lawmaker, Aleke, “the court pronouncement that sacked the 16 Ebonyi State House of Assembly members still stands until they get a stay of execution or get favourable judgement from the appellate court.”

•Additional reports from Sunday Ogbu in Abakaliki.

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NEWS NGO Trains NOSDRA, Bayelsa Officials on Effects of Gases FROM DAVID OWEI, YENAGOA

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L-R: Mrs Abdulrasaq; Dr. Alimi Abdulrasaq; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN; Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari; Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, and first lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Folake Abdulrasaq at the Turbaning of Dr. Alimi Abdulrasaq as Mutawali of Ilorin at the Emir’s Palace, Ilorin on March 18, 2022.

I’ll Declare My Intention to Run For President Soon – Osinbajo FROM SEGUN AYINDE, ABEOKUTA

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ice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that he will declare his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election when he is ready.

Osinajo stated this through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojodu.

Ojodu had led a delegation on a visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to inform them about the Vice President’s intention to join the presidential race.

Addressing Oba Gbadebo, he said,

“Kabiyesi, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo asked me to inform your Royal Majesty that when he is ready to declare, he will personally come to the palace to seek your approval and prayers.”

While welcoming the delegation to Abeokuta, the National Coordinator of the Integrated Supporters for Osinbajo (ISO), Otunba Rafiu Odewale, urged the members to spread ‘the gospel’ of Osinbajo’s presidential aspiration He said the Vice President would heed the calls of millions of his supporters to contest and enter the race for the presidency, adding that Osinbajo is not only a tested and trusted leader, but also a talented one.

ANCOPSS Seeks Stiff Sanctions Against Those Who Attack Schools

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Musa said, “The neglect of our value system and weak security architecture of our schools are responsible for the upsurge of attacks on schools.

The National President of ANCOPSS, Alhaji Mohammed Ibn Musa, disclosed this after the group’s National Executive Council met in Calabar.

“The near absence of stringent measures in punishing offenders and payment ransom being paid by governments and parents have continued to encourage attacks on schools as this has become a lucrative business.

he All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) has called for stiff sanctions against those who attack schools in Nigeria.

This year’s NEC meeting was themed, ‘Emerging Administrative and Management Innovations and Techniques for Handling Contemporary Issues and Challenges in Secondary Education.’

The national president said that the near absence of stringent measures in punishing offenders has made attacks on schools a lucrative business.

He however called for punitive measures to be meted to offenders and the resuscitation of the value system in the country.

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“Government and the society in general should resuscitate the value system and there should be deliberate efforts to improve the security architecture around schools.

“Stringent punitive measures should be meted out to attackers to serve as detergent”, he said.

The ANCOPSS president also expressed concern for the reluctance of most state governments to domesticate the new retirement age and years of service in the face of an alarming dearth of teachers.

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Police, PHEDC Clash Over N31 million Electricity Bill FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

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he Zone 6 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police in Calabar, Cross River State and the management of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company are at loggerheads over a N31 million electricity bill.

This follows reports that the Regional Manager of the PHEDC, Collins Igwe, was allegedly arrested by the police.

The reason for arrest is alleged to be the disconnection of the police headquarters by the management of PHEDC without prior notice.

However, the management of the Zone 6 command has dispelled the claims by the management of the PHEDC. In his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River State, Nelson Okpabi, said that at no time was the Regional Manager of PHEDC arrested by Assistant Inspector-General Usman Gonna.

He insisted that the AIG is law abiding and he discharges his duties in line with best practices.

Giving a background of the dispute with the PHEDC, Okpabi said, “The zone is a federal establishment, not the property or residential quarters of the AIG. Installing an industrial metre in an office that has no factory is fraudulent and a gross violation of customer’s right. The act of disconnecting the zone or anyone without prior information is criminal and it negates section 9 and 10 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act chapter M17. The zone will definitely approach the NERC with this misconduct.

“Contrary to the speculation on social media, the PHED Regional Manager was never arrested or detained, but he was asked in a meeting to explain the reason for the disconnection of a government establishment that houses detention facility and an armoury office without following the procedures prescribed by the regulatory body.

“Attributing a bill of N31million to a man who is barely five months-old in the zone is an abberration and a clear expression of Mr Collins loathing for the Police, hence his desire to defraud the zone in the name of meeting a set target for light never

Non-governmental organisation, Stakeholders Alliance for Corporate Accountability (SACA) has ended a three-day training programme on the effects of gases for officials of the National oil spill detection and Response Agency(NOSDRA) and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment.

THEWILL learnt that the programme, funded by Misean Cara of Ireland and St Patrick’s Mission, was a fallout of SACA’s avowed collaboration with government and other stakeholders towards ensuring a safe, healthy and gas-related hazards free environment for field workers in both public and private establishments.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the event, the Executive Director of SACA, Mr Kingsley Ozegbe, described the training as auspicious, adding that the essence of the programme was to learn and train the participants and the general public, as well as to continue to create public awareness of the dangers inherent in gases, including how even the ones considered to be harmless could become hazardous to human life and the environment when not properly used or handled.

“Today, through this training, the participants have also learnt that even gases considered to be non-hazardous could pose hazards.

We call on the multinational companies, government and all operators in the public and private sectors to be cautious in their handling and regulating of the oil and gas sector. But, even as citizens, we must also be careful when it comes to doing our jobs because we want to carry out these jobs without exposure to the hazards of gas.

“Already SACA has acquired a device that will help us to monitor the quality of the air and gases in our environment. It is called aeroqual gas monitor,” Ozegbe added.

Lions President Targets Sight, Childhood Cancer, Environmental Preservation For Benue FROM KAJO MARTINS, MAKURDI

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he newly installed President of the International Association of Lions Clubs, District 404 A2 Nigeria, Region 3, Makurdi, Dr Emmanuel Shior, has pledged to focus on sight, childhood cancer and environmental preservation as core service projects in the 2021/2022 lions year.

The Lions president, who made the disclosure in his acceptance speech at the occasion of his installation in Makurdi on Thursday, also listed other areas of intervention to include youth employment and feeding the hungry, including the IDPs, orphanages and membership drive.

“Our membership has not improved over time in spite of several appeals for members of our community to join us in rendering humanitarian services. It is my hope that at the end of today’s event many of you will volunteer to be part of our great family as the more we are together in lionism the happier our communities will be,” he said.

He called on people of the state to help the club in it quest to actualise its dream to carry out the core projects listed for the year, noting that the event was not just his investiture, but also to share fellowship, celebrate achievements, build new partnership and support.

In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Barr Chile Igbawua, described Dr Shior as a man known for prompt management of IDPs and resources in Benue State.

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Tuesday March 15th, 2022.

peoples democratic party (pdp) edo state We, elders and critical leaders of PDP in Edo State, having become aware of some political disagreements within the membership of our great party in Edo State, consider it urgent that all groups sheath their swords and respect Party leadership intervention at the highest level. We have been disturbed by the recent open confrontations between H.E. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and our Governor, H.E. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State. It is absolutely necessary for us to bring all this to an end immediately and ensure the smooth operation of a united South-Southern block of PDP states.

We recall that sometime in 2020, we the elders and critical leaders of Edo State met in Abuja and Benin City and proposed a plan of uniting the vast majority of Edo people into one party - the PDP to ensure our party wins the governorship election and takes over power in Edo State; power which had eluded our party for over twelve years before then. We therefore approached the National Chairman and National Working Committee of our party with our plans. Central to our plan was our invitation to Governor Godwin Obaseki, then of APC, to contest the 2020 Governorship election under PDP. We considered this a realistic approach as we did not want to run the risk of another four years in the opposition in Edo State. The Party leadership found our proposal very workable.

At the point of our approach to Governor Godwin Obaseki, which coincided with the Edo State APC crisis at the time, time was really running out. We were however aware that there were other interested PDP aspirants in Edo State and unfortunately one of them approached the court and obtained a restraining order to frustrate our efforts. This was most unfortunate but we must most sincerely thank the Governors of our Party, led by HE Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, the Chairman of the South-South PDP Governors forum who led their colleagues to Rivers State undertaking risky road night journeys and they secured a settlement that made it possible for the court case to be withdrawn and for all the other aspirants to step down.

It is true that HE Governor Nyesom Wike embraced our candidate Governor Godwin Obaseki and in his well-known manner, became a leading force in our joint commitment to ensure unlimited efforts to our achieving our mission to win Government House, Benin City. Indeed, he came to Benin a few days before the election and took in his stride the humiliation of being blocked in his hotel by the APC security people.

However, that notwithstanding, the force of his presence in Edo State reverberated across the whole State.

In the end, we won the election landslide. It was indeed a commendable act by HE Governor Godwin Obaseki to make it a point of duty to visit his brother Governors in Sokoto, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Bauchi, etc., immediately after his victory to express his appreciation to his brothers and colleagues.

The movement of Governors, Senators and other elected members from one party to the other is not new and in the PDP, the process always included the harmonisation of structures. It is unfortunate that because of the very tight time frame this was not done before the elections. It has become an issue of serious interest today because we won the election which has created diverse opportunities. It should be noted that this was an election won virtually landslide. It made true our calculations for bringing in

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Governor Godwin Obaseki who arrived with a great and powerful following including most of the APC State Executive, all the members of the State House of Assembly - PDP had none, all the elected Local Government Chairmen - PDP had none, and so many others. The need to harmonise and integrate was inevitable. There is no PDP Governor who is not in control of the party structure of his State and Edo State should not be different.

We have not been privy to the details of the negotiations that took place in Port Harcourt but one of the outcomes was the stepping down of the South-South Party National Vice-Chairman, Hon. Emma Ogidi of Delta State and the position given for immediate occupation to Chief Dan Orbih who had just finished an unbroken over twelve years tenure as PDP State Chairman of Edo State. The comments made by Governor Godwin Obaseki regarding his relationship with the new South-South Vice Chairman gives cause for concern.

In a very short time, HE Godwin Obaseki has been able to actualise an electronic registration of PDP Party membership in Edo State that today is in excess of 540,000 members. If this membership, which is still growing and should be encouraged is carefully managed, the landslide winning of elections by PDP in Edo State would be permanently guaranteed. Our commitment must be to continue to expand the frontiers of our party, increase its membership and ensure that all new members are integrated.

Many of us attended the ceremonies welcoming our new National Chairman, Senator lyorchia Ayu to Edo State last Thursday, 10th March, 2022 and particularly at the rally were the Deputy Governor of Edo State Rt Hon Philip Shaibu was one of the many speakers. He spoke openly and not in private. His mode of speaking was, as acknowledged by the National Chairman, in line with the attitude of our bustling energetic Youth population.

Governor assured him all would be well. We all rode together in the same bus to other events of the day. It is important to clarify here that we have always considered the Governor and Deputy Governor as a single ticket and it is our pleasure that there is no crack between Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu.

Once again, we appeal to all concerned to sheath their swords and to allow for the peaceful resolution of all matters by the highest authority of our party as was recently promised by our National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu. We are assured that there will be fairness, equity and justice which should guarantee a complete bonding of all our members in Edo State as we prepare to select our candidates for the upcoming general elections.

High Chief Tom Ikimi CON HE Chief Lucky N Igbinedion High Chief (Dr) Mike Ogiadohme CFR Senator Mathew Urhoghide Senator Clifford Ordia Senator Yisa Braimah

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POLITICS

Oyebanji, Kolawole, Oni, Others Battle For Soul Of Ekiti

BY AYO ESAN he political drumbeat in Ekiti State, the fabled “Fountain of Knowledge”, is fast assuming a deafening dimension. The deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for parties to come up with their candidates for the June 18, 2022 governorship election has expired. In all, the electoral umpire has announced that 16 out of the 18 registered political parties will participate in the election and it has drawn up a list of candidates that will fly the flags of the parties.

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Out of the 16 candidates listed by INEC, only two are females.

One of the two female candidates, Christiana Olatawura, appeared on the list as the governorship candidate of the Action Peoples Party (APP), while the second, Elebute-Halle Kemi, is of the Action Democratic Party (ADP)

It is gathered that the APC and its standard bearer, Oyebanji, are wrapping their victory joker in the power of incumbency and the fact that they have the government support which has been obvious in the deployment of state resources and manpower to provide colourful outings that can bequeath a soft landing to victory for their candidate. The process that led to Oyebanji’s emergence, his low political participation and experience, as well as some miscarriages in the allocation of positions in a government yet to be approved by the people, is seen as a barrier to the electoral success of the Ikogosi-born lecturer turned politician.

It was gathered that in the process leading to Oyebanji’s emergence, Governor Kayode Fayemi, had his own preferred candidate in the current Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Wale Fapohunda, who had all along been his ‘political son’ just as Oyebanji is the ‘political son’ to one-time governor of Ekiti State and current Minister of Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo.

A prominent APC leader said, on the condition of anonymity, that Oyebanji was stubbornly supported by Erelu Bisi Fayemi who found the former SSG more suitable and thus worked through influential politicians in the circle of government to ensure his endorsement.

Sources informed THEWILL that the choice of Oyebanji may not have gone down well with Dr Fayemi, who ordinarily would have loved to hand over to his preferred loyalist.

Despite the fact that the alleged manipulation of the APC primary election to favour the SSG was obvious, party leaders believe that with the enormous clout Fayemi planned to wrap around Oyebanji, victory is certain in the forthcoming election.

Oyebanji’s loyalists moved into action shortly after the primary election and approached those who were aggrieved at the outcome and still leaking their wounds and promised them a juicy political future, including retention of office for those who resigned from government to contest in the election. However, promises for the latter may not endure for long with the recent signing of the Electoral Act which, among THEWILLNIGERIA

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Watchers of political developments in Ekiti States have expressed the opinion that only four candidates, out of the 16 on the list, are in real contention for the topmost job in Ekiti

others, stipulates that primary election to the National Assembly must hold between April and June 3, 2022.

Oyebanji is from the Central Senatorial District of the state, a district which has led for 12 of the 23 democratic years of Ekiti State. The northern zone will cover for the remaining 11 years with the completion of Fayemi’s second term in October. This has spurred an intense agitation for a shift of power to the southern part of the state, which has never produced any governor, in the coming election.

Kolawole

To pundits, the June 18 contest will obviously be a big battle between the governing All Progressives Party (APC), represented by the immediate past Secretary to the Ekiti State Government, Biodun Oyebanji; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with a former Chairman of the party in the state, Bisi Kolawole, as its arrowhead; The African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by Dr Wole Oluyede; and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) led by a former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni.

Oyebanji

Watchers of political developments in Ekiti States have expressed the opinion that only four candidates, out of the 16 on the list, are in real contention for the topmost job in Ekiti.

The others, they conclude, are as numb, dumb and mute as the political parties they represent, many of which are hardly known by the electorate.

Fakoyede and the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly Rt. Hon Funminiyi Afuye and a host of top politicians and intellectuals, is said to be feeling slighted that the position of Deputy Governor is what they could be offered.

Many politicians and top monarchs from the South, are said to have vowed that the South will not settle for a second fiddle in the next dispensation, promising to use all legal means possible to ensure that power shifts to the zone for the first time.

Bisi Kolawole of the PDP is from Efon in the Central District of Ekiti State. Kolawole is the political son of former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose. He was the state chairman of his party. The emergence of Kolawole as governorship candidate of the PDP was deemed controversial by Segun Oni, who felt shortchanged by the process that produced the former. In terms of clout and popularity, Kolawole seems to score low points. But the Efon-born politician is relying heavily on the popularity of Fayose, which is unquestionable.

Talk of a governor who has made himself very available to the people of Ekiti, there is none like Fayose. He is seen by many as a man of the people, a friend of the oppressed and an outspoken governor, daring, combative and absolutely on the side of the people.

But to pacify the Southern District, APC has made overtures to them by picking Oyebanji’s deputy from Ikere -Ekiti, a major town in the Southern Senatorial District, in the person of Mrs Monisola Christiana Afuye.

To some Ekiti people, particularly the illiterate and the lowly, which formed the bulk of the electorate, Fayose is the ideal governor; he can walk the street bare footed, drink local gin with Okada riders, eat on the streets and always do the unthinkable.

It was however gathered that the people of the South are not well disposed to the post of a Deputy, hence the rejection that allegedly came from Ikere, the hometown of the chosen deputy, is said to be overwhelming.

But many see Fayose’s high-handedness and his choice of puppets for manipulation as obstacles that may cripple his ambition and affect Kolawole’s chances of success in the forthcoming election.

A town that produced the likes of Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN and top APC members who are close to the current government, like Muyiwa Olumilua, Wale Adebola, Engr

It would also be recalled that the PDP has suffered a huge downsize in followership with the exit of former Governor

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

2023 Presidency: Zoning Should Be Totally Rejected - Shettima

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ow do you see the signing of the new Electoral Act

by President Muhammadu Buhari It is a welcome development. The Electoral Act should have been signed into law long before now. But it is better late than never. So for me, President Buhari has done well. That is what is expected from a statesman.

The issue of zoning of the presidential slot is still generating crises in most political parties, especially the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party. What is your position on zoning?

I am still on my stand that we are not going to accept zoning.

We want true democratic principle to be respected. We want democratic principles to be practice under democratic government. Everybody should be given the right to seek political positions. Every Nigerian must be allowed to contest for the presidency. Any Nigerian who really means well for the country will not support zoning. So we are totally against zoning. We don’t have any problem with anybody contesting. But where we see that there are certain interests that are disposed to zoning, we will vehemently oppose it.

We shall mobilise in every part of the country against any political party that takes zoning into consideration. We have the number to do that and we will do it effectively. However, when somebody comes out to contest on merit, we don’t have problem with that. He can contest and his popularity will be shown through the ballot. But where an aspirant is relying on a zoning arrangement, we will oppose that.

The madness called zoning brought us to where we are today. Zoning is totally unacceptable. We want to ensure that democracy is being practised because some of us put a lot of energy and resources to bring about this democracy. If it was done in the past, it was done because certain abnormal things happened and there was a need to appease the SouthWest, especially after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had an uninterrupted eight-year tenure. Umaru Yar’Adua was elected to appease to the North, but he only spent two years. The rest of his two years and another four years were in favour of Goodluck Jonathan who contested in 2011. Ordinarily, he won’t have contested in 2011. He contested and won the election. So from all indication, the idea of zoning has been jettisoned since 2011. So in whose interest is the zoning issue coming up again?

The Yoruba Youth Council led by Barrister Dotun Hassan criticised you for your opinion on the ages of southern presidential aspirants and for calling for the jettisoning of zoning in an interview you granted a national newspaper recently. What is your reaction to this?

I will not join issues with Hassan. I have made our position clear and there is no need to join issues with Hassan or the Yoruba Youth Council.

Many Nigerians have expressed concern that the security challenges facing the country may threaten the 2023 general election. What is your stand on that?

We have never had any election without security challenges, but in the midst of all we still survive. It is going to be the same with 2023, but we will still have the election. The

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Shettima

President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, speaks on the new Electoral Act, security situation and issues relating to the 2023 general election, in this interview with AYO ESAN. Excerpts:

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Zoning is totally unacceptable. We want to ensure that democracy is being practised because some of us put a lot of energy and resources to bring about this democracy. If it was done in the past, it was done because certain abnormal things happened and there was a need to appease the South-West

general election will be conducted and we will still scale through. There will be winners and losers. The election must take place. We can’t stop it. It is up to the Federal Government to do the needful. Government must do everything possible securitywise to ensure that the general election is successfully conducted.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to conduct governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States in June and July. What is your advice to the Commission?

I don’t have any doubt about the capacity and capability of INEC under the leadership of Prof Mahmood Yakubu . I don’t have any doubt in my mind that Yakubu and INEC would do the needful and he has done beautifully well in the elections he conducted in the past. So I don’t have any doubt in my mind that he will do well. If INEC under him can do what they have done in the past in Edo, Ondo and Anambra States, there is no cause for worry . I believe he will do better.

You talked about the need for merit rather than zoning as we search for a new president. What are qualities do you think we should look for in Muhammadu Buhari’s successor?

Competence. When I talk about the next president, I am talking of somebody who has competence and experience, a president of the digital age, not analogue. And that has to do with a youth or a member of the younger generation.

The new Electoral Act stipulates that by June 3, 2022 all the candidates in the 2023 general election must have been chosen by the political parties. This gives the electorate more time to know the candidates. What is your take on this?

It is a reform and the timetable is coming from INEC. If that is coming from INEC, we don’t have any choice other than to keep to the timetable and pray for INEC’s success. Whoever is interested in contesting in the election should also work towards meeting INEC’s timetable. The prerogative is on INEC to fix the timetable and so we have to implement our programmes to tally with it.

What is your advice to the youth who usually constitute the bulk of voters in any election?

My advice to youths is that they should shun violence, be focused and be determined to take their destiny in their hands.

They should not be contented with playing a second fiddle.

We are championing the cause of the youths in the country.

They should also let us all bring our acts together and work together. It has to be a collective effort to liberate the youths.

They should be assured that we are going to have the Nigeria of our dream where everybody will have cause to smile.

Are you worried about the crisis in the two major parties, the APC and the PDP? I am not worried or disturbed. If they like let them put their hearts together, if not, they can do whatever they like in their parties. There are other political parties as options. We have 18 registered political parties. If they do the right thing, fine for them. I don’t have any sleepless nights about anything happening in any political party.

How are you mobilising Arewa youths for the coming elections?

What we are doing now is to sensitise the people, sensitise our members and our counterparts to ensure that at the end of the day, we will have cause to smile. And that is why I talked about all inclusiveness. All our hands must be on deck and we must all work towards the progress of Nigeria. That is why I advised the youths to be very proactive in their thinking, They must take advantage of the political space and ensure that there is no more thuggery and no malice. We should use our vote strength to get what we want.

How would you assess the current National Assembly?

Despite all their shortcomings, they still believe in the existence of this country, but they cannot be compared to the Eighth National Assembly. The current assembly still has time to adjust before the end of its tenure.

What is your advice to the electorate generally?

My advice to them is that everybody should go out and get their Permanent Voters Card so that we should have power to elect whoever we want to elect or retire permanently those we want to retire. This is because we are going to retire a lot of people permanently from politics. The PVC will be a determining factor. They must all have it.

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POLITICS Former APC Chairman Set to Invade Lalong’s Home UKANDI ODEY, JOS

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former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Plateau State, Hon. Letep Dabang, who has decamped to the PDP, has announced plans to Invade Governor Simon Lalong’s Shendam Local Government Area to receive decampees from the governor’s APC into the PDP. Dabang called on the PDP leadership in the State and other notable politicians in the PDP fold such as Hon. Beni Lar to join hands with him in the political mission to take over Shendam saying “the Great Movement that has commenced in the State is stopping at nothing until Plateau State is fully recaptured by, and for the PDP ahead of 2023”.

Oni

Oluyede

Dabang made the vow in Mabudi, Langtang South Local Government Area of the State as 12, 000 decampees abandoned the APC, citing Governor Lalong’s overbearing sense of politics, and joined the PDP.

...Others Battle For Soul Of Ekiti •Continued from Page 9

Segun Oni, who left the party with many of his followers in utter rage, The silence in Kolawole’s camp since he emerged victorious at the primary is lending justification to the fact that PDP may not achieve much in the June 18 election. Fayose is however seen as a man capable of springing a surprise in the forthcoming governorship election.

Dr Wole Oluyede of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is much talked about as one politician that may hit the accurate mark in the election, judging by the high points trailing his candidature. Barring the fact that he is not a run-of-the-mill politician, which is a plus in some quarters where the current order is seen as hellish, he stands tall among other contestants.

the lurch, watching the incumbent government as it gradually decimated the party by causing divisions among its members with attendant implosions.

As the APC primary approached, Oluyede was quick to see what would be the end result. He joined the ADC to pursue his governorship ambition, borrowing hindsight from the shenanigans recorded in the earlier congress where no election held, but the names of the government’s favourites were written and forwarded to the national secretariat in Abuja. A case is in court, challenging the illegality of that congress.

Today, Oluyede is the only candidate in the Ekiti governorship race from the southern part of the state. His running mate, a female Muslim, Hidiat Simbo Popoola, is from Ado Ekiti. Ado is where the bulk of the votes in Ekiti election come from.

He is believed to have penetrated the grassroots, to the surprise of many grassroots political leaders in the state, who were surprised at his growing political followership, despite living far away in Australia.

Political pundits believe that the combination of Oluyede and Simbo, from Ikere and Ado, respectively, is enough magic wand to make winning a reality for the fresh blood in politics.

Watchers of political developments in Ekiti State believe that Oluwole is an uncelebrated grassroots politician, who spends time, energy and money to attend to his people, particularly the lowly and the indigent, most of who are armed with his contact number and are sure of his response anytime they call him.

What may help Oluyede is the decision of the Ekiti people to break away from the leadership struggle between the central and the northern parts of the state, the APC and PDP, that many believe have not met their desired democratic expectations of the people.

“There are three things working for Dr Oluwole as a politician: humility, passion and philanthropism. To a man who is known to be a successful professional, accomplished investor, influential and wealthy, his unfettered relationship with the masses and the tumultuous followership he is getting in return from that circle has grown from envy to hatred in the camp of his peers in the Ekiti governorship race and some other top politicians,’ said Ayo Komolafe, a political analyst from Ekiti.

Dr Oluyede was a strong member of the APC and a financial backbone to the party at some point, too. He, among others in APC, have reacted to the shoddy mode of governance by the incumbent and formed the Ekiti Stakeholders Forum to challenge the winner-takes-all policy of Governor Fayemi.

They fought what they described as injustice in court and held on until the national body of the APC admonished all its members having issues in court to withdraw their cases.

When Fayemi would not bulge, the stakeholders waited in THEWILLNIGERIA

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Chief Segun Oni of the SDP is another strong candidate in the forthcoming election. He received applause for his little time in governance in 2007, but many are in doubt as to whether he still remains the one they know in his first term in office or he has changed.

Many believe he is too desperate to return to Government House and they cited his first movement to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) before finally settled for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Speaking on the June Governorship election, a Public Affairs Commentator based in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital, Peter Ajayi said, “As it stands, the four leading candidates remain, Oyebanji, Oni, Kolawole and Oluyede and anyone of them may coast home to victory. However, if the South can mobilise for their age-long agitation to lead the state, then Oluyede, an accomplished surgeon and businessman, may take over Ekiti cockpit for a safe flight to democratic freedom and economic buoyancy.”

THEWILLNIGERIA

According to Dabang, with the success of the Great Movement in Langtang South and Langtang North, thanks to Hon. Beni Lar and other PDP stalwarts in the zone, the whole of Plateau South has to surrender to the endearing principles and politics of the PDP, noting that Shendam is the only remaining area to be captured because Isaac Kwalu, a former executive chairman of the council, has already secured and brought Qua’an Pan local government area under effective PDP occupation and control.

He analysed and projected that once Shendam, Lalong’s home local government area is taken in by the PDP, the adjoining Mikang local government area will follow in a walk over effort.

For the second time, Dabang used the occasion to apologise to Plateau people over the role he played to bring the Lalong administration into being, and regretted that Lalong has not only performed woefully, but that his government policies and programmes have left Plateau State worse, taking the State several years backwards.

South Must Produce the President In 2023- Maharaj ji

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he founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj ji has called on the two major political parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to ensure that they fielded southerners as their presidential candidates in the presidential election in 2023.

Maharaj ji who made this known during an interactive session with journalists in Ibadan said President Muhammadu Buhari will complete eight years in May next year, saying a southerner must succeed him for peace to reign in the country.

Maharaj ji said: “The north will complete its eight years tenure next year and it is the turn of the South. For equity and fairness, a southerner must occupy Aso Rock Villa by 2023.

I have been saying this and I will not stop saying it because it is not only right but it is necessary to sustain the unity of the country”.

He said he will not disclose the person that will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari but said one of those that helped Buhari to emerge as the president in 2015 will succeed him, He said may be because of his position on the 2023 presidency, he has been subjected to attacks on various online platforms but said that will not derailed his mission.

According to him, some people are tarnishing his good image on some online platforms saying however, contrary to what they are saying, he has not been involved in rituals and his premises is open to anybody who want to visit as he is not doing anything illegal in the place .

“A lot of things are being said concerning my personality but I have not been involved in any rituals. My place in Ibadan is open to anybody who wants to visit. But I know probably because of my position that a Southerner should succeed Buhari that is why they are saying a lot of rubbish. I will not change my position and I will not be discouraged by those lying against me”, he said.

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EDITORIAL

FG, ASUU And Plight of Nigerian Returnees

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ays of rage are definitely back with us as there seems to be no end to the annual ritual of the Federal Government tussle with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over unresolved differences.

The students of public universities and their parents, however, are at the receiving end. Two years after the then Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Universal Basic Education Commission, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, slammed the Federal Government for the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), having failed to honour some of the agreements it signed with the universities’ lecturers, his words are still resonating today.

Ihonvbere spoke as the then governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2020 Edo State gubernatorial elections, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, also appealed to the Federal Government and striking ASUU to urgently resolve their differences and allow students to go back to class without further delay. IzeIyamu felt that the EndSARS riot of that year was compounded because many of the varsity students were at home as the ASUU strike lasted for nine months.

Sadly, after two years of going back and forth, with no tangible progress made on the initial 2009 agreement and the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties, we are back to square one as our children are back at home. An initial one-month warning strike by ASUU has just been extended by another two months because of the failure of the Federal Government to honour simple agreements.

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, was quite emphatic while announcing the extension of the strike by another two months. According to Osodeke, ASUU national executive council “was disappointed that Government did not treat the matters involved with utmost urgency they

deserved during the four-week period as expected of a reasonable, responsive, and well-meaning administration. “

Academic Technologist (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions.

He however acknowledged “the intervention efforts, in various ways, by patriots and friends of genuine national development (students, parents, journalists, trade union leaders, civil society activists etc.) to expeditiously resolve the crisis which Government’s disposition had allowed to fester, “ even as he maintained that “ASUU, as a union of intellectuals, has historic obligations to make governments honour agreements.”

All these are coming at a time the fate of the over 1,500 students recently brought back from Ukraine appears not to be the concern of the Federal Government anymore as the government is still basking in the euphoria of its success in safely bringing the traumatised students back home after the initial inaction. While the repatriation exercise is commendable, we feel it would have been better for the Diaspora Commission to be more proactive and advise the Federal Government to adopt the Ghanaian example instead of the media razzmatazz embarked upon. As it is now, the fate of these innocent young Nigerian students, who were forced to go to Ukraine for further studies because of the frustration at home, is hanging in the balance.

Now, the stage is set for another longdrawn battle as public universities students are getting restless with NANS issuing a two-week ultimatum for the Federal Government and ASUU to agree and reopen the universities. The initial attempt by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to make the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, reason with the lecturers was rebuffed by an arrogant minister who walked out of the meeting with the students’ leaders.

His Labour and Productivity counterpart, Chris Ngige, did not fare better either.

His public utterances on the issue smacks off uncommon arrogance that has unfortunately become the signature of Ministers under the Muhammadu Buhari seven-year-old Administration despite the fact that they have failed woefully to deliver on promises made to Nigerians.

Nigerians are shocked by the latest claim by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a payment system developed by ASUU, which had been okayed as far back as August 2021, has suddenly failed the integrity tests of user acceptance, vulnerability and stress. This is coming as the Minister of Education, Adamu, has also inaugurated another committee led by Prof. Nimi Briggs with a threemonth mandate of renegotiating the agreement with all university-based unions including ASUU, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of

The Ghanaian Government, which places great value on the future of its children, quickly swung into action by entering into agreement with some universities in neighbouring Georgia for the transfer of about 200 Ghanaian medical students in Ukraine to continue their studies in Georgia instead of bringing them back to Ghana.

We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to speak out against the apparent plan to cripple the country’s public university system by pleading with the leadership of ASUU to call off the strike while the negotiation continues

We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to speak out against the apparent plan to cripple the country’s public university system by pleading with the leadership of ASUU to call off the strike while the negotiation continues . We also commend the efforts of the House of Representatives member, representing Esan North East/ Esan South East constituency, Sergius Ogun, who may soon be having a big laughter at the end of the day despite the recent shutting down of his Bill which sought to prohibit public officers from sending their children abroad for education.

More importantly, the Federal Government should also learn to honour simple agreements instead of the blame-game it has continued to be playing over the matter.

Since government is a continuum, agreements entered into by previous administrations ought to have been honoured. While the government keeps complaining that it cannot, alone, fund public university education in the country , it has continued to shamelessly fund the extravagant lifestyles of its political appointees as it is also playing “Father Christmas’’ here and there with the donation of $1million to the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).

Also, the $8.5 million hurriedly released to bring back the Ukraine returnees, half of which will eventually end up in the private pockets of its officials, would have gone a long way in solving some of the problems in our public universities and our students wouldn’t have to troop to countries in Eastern Europe and other neighbouring West African countries in search of education.

It is really shameful and incomprehensible to note that Nigeria is fast bleeding to death with no solution in sight as almost every sphere of our national life is heading to ground zero.

Yet, our leaders, though appearing helpless, still feel unconcerned as what matters most to them right now is their personal political interests while the average Nigerian is left to bear his or her cross. This must stop.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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

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

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OPI N ION

Patriotism And Nigeria’s Leadership

BY CHINEDUM ANAYO

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t is inherent that love drives every positive virtue in our society. A former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has recently stated that Nigeria needs a detribalised leader to change results. In view, Senator Okorocha spoke out of love for his country.

What does Senator Okorocha mean by ‘detribalised’?

Tribalism is a necessary problem of society. It could be a tool for nation building and also a measure for disunity in Nigeria. Honestly, the average Nigerian is tribal; They advocate for tribal loyalty and consciousness. Indeed human evolution came with identity and mutuality. The proverb ‘birds of a feather flock together’ best describes the natural tendency to identify and conform with common interests and usages. Tribalism is more like social bonding amongst a certain group of individuals.

Senator Okorocha said “We need someone who is in the eyes of every Nigerian and he is not tribalised, because people cannot work together when they don’t agree.”

This statement is quite partial. Yes we need a leader who can work with everyone, but a leader doesn’t ineluctably agree with everyone. A Patriotic Leader should consistently do the right thing. Leadership is responsibility and not luxury.

It is impossible to have a detribalised leader because the concept of identity is collective. The fact is that we need a leader who supports the nation no matter what, a leader who defends the forces and agencies, a leader who respects the national flag and anthem and a leader who is not afraid to do the right thing.

Patriotism is a state of mind developed by the love of country and based on the beliefs of founding fathers.

All Nigerians belong to a particular tribe. Since there’s already the love for tribes, we need the love for country above all.

A Patriotic Nigerian only cares about the good of the nation. The belief is that citizens are equal components of the society and should therefore build in unity.

It is important to note that tribalism is more divisive in a multi-ethnic terrain like Nigeria. The interests of the country should always prevail before factions within.

Both religion and ethnicity have caused a stir in our nation’s unity. Nigerian politicians have repeatedly emphasised on tribal domination, thereby causing intertribal conflicts. The results are hostility and negativity towards other tribes.

To me, it is time Nigerian interests come first. We need a leader who can be a citizen, subjected to all laws. A patriotic leader represents his country, tribe and other tribes within his county.

Sometime in 2019, I was with a friend who made the statement “I am tired of Nigeria.” And when I asked why, he opined that there’s nothing to live for in Nigeria. I kept thinking about this and I realised that the majority in the nation share the same view and that is more alarming.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr, was a United States of America patriot. He envisioned a nation who triumphed over racism. He identified as a black man, but highlighted his belief in nationhood above race and colour.

In veracity, patriotism is a virtue for all Nigerians. As Nigeria begins preparations for the general elections in 2023, we must recognise the patriotic antecedents of all candidates. An unpatriotic leader would never love and care for the governed. We have a duty to our nation regardless of our various shortcomings. Moreover, what we have is a Nigerian passport and not an Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, or Efik passport.

Future of Widows in Delta State R

BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI

egardless of recent onslaughts recorded against the rights of Nigerian women, with the most painful example being the National Assembly’s rejection of bills that sought to grant special seats for women in the legislature and 35 percent party leadership during the voting on 68 amendments, recommended in the report recently submitted by the Special Ad Hoc Committees on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has shown that there exists a ray of political and socio-economic hope for Nigerian women, particularly widows in Delta State.

Aside from that, Governor Okowa has in the past sustainably manifested leadership traits that describe him as people-focused. A recent telephone talk with Elder Isioma Okonta, the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Social Investment Programme and Coordinator of the Delta State Widows Welfare Scheme, further demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that Okowa is a believer, in the words of the late former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Annan, that there is no tool for development more effective than empowerment of women and no other policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce infant and maternal mortality.

For a better understanding of the piece, a report recently defined a widow as a woman who has lost her husband by death and has not remarried.

Widows, it added, are invisible in society. They are scattered across the globe, owing to their condition and the enormous challenges, reproach and shame the majority of them are undergoing. For widows to secure expectation by keeping their hopes alive by way of feeding, providing accommodation and qualitative education for their children, they must assume the position of their dead husband who happened to be the breadwinner.

Speaking on how the state government decided on a life changing scheme, widely known as ‘Widows Alert’ in 2018 to provide succour and wipe away their tears, remedy their despair and perplexity, as THEWILLNIGERIA

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well as to assuage their hunger, Okonta explained that the initiative by the governor is taking care of the poor and vulnerable widows in Delta State and cuts across the 25 local government areas. The communities are touched by this programme, which is non-political and cuts across religious lines.

The programme provides monthly stipends to widows and there is a third scheme attached to it.

The widows can benefit from free healthcare. The premium of this healthcare is borne by the governor by way of the Delta State contributory healthcare.

So, even if the widows have to undergo surgical operations, it is free of charge. And we have 5,607 widows enrolled in this scheme.

On how the state tracks those that are real widows, Okonta said that the names of these widows before now were drawn from communities in Delta State.

And the state makes sure the community leaders are involved to help ascertain the veracity of the widows. To those that are saying they are widows, indeed and to those that are saying they are poor and vulnerable widows, the community leaders are there to ascertain those points.

He stressed that the state does not draw up a list without making sure that community leaders check the facts. “Recently the governor brought in a consultant and instructed that they should conduct an integrated service. They were saddled with the responsibility of coming up with an electronic database of widows across Delta State. Today, they have rounded up their work and we have over 50,000 widows in the Delta State widow’s electronic database. So, we now have a compendium of widows that have been electronically generated. This database is used as veritable tools for government to make decision and plans concerning the widows,” he said.

On Governor Okowa’s style of supporting the project, Okonta captures it this way: “The Governor is the reason for the success of the programme. You know, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is an astute chief executive and for every aspect of governance that is involved,

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there is a feedback mechanism that has been set up by him. Whenever there is a programme, the governor doesn’t just keep the programme; he pays attention to every detail.

“The structure we have today in the widow’s welfare scheme has been set up solely by Governor Okowa. Apart from me being the State Coordinator, there are three supervisors and each supervisor is in charge of each senatorial district in every local government. Two coordinators are saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the affairs of these widows and we have very little or no complaint coming from the widows. Dr Okowa is the reason why the programme is successful.”

In other states, you may see the governor taking care of widows only in seasonal periods, like Christmas and Easter or during electioneering periods. But Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has made sure that the issue of widows has been brought to the front burner.

There is so much violence out there, which was brought about by wrong parenting. When a family loses the father and breadwinner, leaving his wife to care for the children and the woman is not able to take care of them, what happens to the children? It is either their young daughters go into prostitution or their sons go into armed robbery.

When Okowa started taking care of widows, the narrative changed. The result is that widows in Delta State now have a new beginning and a brighter future.

The way Okowa structured this programme, anybody that takes over from him must keep the programme going. In his wisdom, the governor appointed a Commissioner for Humanitarian Services. Of course, widows’ welfare is part of humanitarian services. With the structures on ground, no doubt, the programme is sustainable.

•Utomi Jerome-Mario is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy) of the Social And Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA).

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Aviation Fuel: Travellers Groan As Marketers, Operators Disagree On Pricing

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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s negotiations between the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and domestic airline operators continue, air travellers in the country are now paying more, following a hike in the price of Jet A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel.

Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, had earlier in the week said that airline operators might be granted licences to import aviation fuel and thereby put an end to the ongoing scarcity of the product in the country.

Kyari asked the oil marketers and the airline operators to meet and agree on a transparent basis of pricing. About a week after, both parties are yet to reach an agreement on a new pricing template.

Currently, the cost of aviation fuel has hit an all-time high at N500 or N600 per litre. Considering that Jet A1 accounts for about 40 percent of the operational costs of most airlines, the astronomic rise in the price of the product by more than 300 percent, within one year, has equally increased the operational costs astronomically.

Consequently, some airlines have been left with no option other than to start increasing fares gradually from N50,000 to N70,000 and above on one-way economy tickets for domestic flights.

A visit to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos on Thursday showed that airfares had gone up substantially. For instance, Dana Air, as at Thursday, was charging N50, 000

Economy: Ominous Signs of Great Tribulation

BY SAM DIALA

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he signs are clear and convey no ambiguity. The worries cannot be subdued. There is no grit of guesswork underlying the facts that Nigeria’s economy is bleeding from every side. It is moving on the fast lane to embrace a season of atrophy with outcomes that are inevitably frightening.

warming up for the cloud of uncertainty that would befall Nigeria in the shortest time – through the remaining three quarters of 2022. The government is also struggling to stay afloat amid actions and inactions that seem to see Nigerians as people with inelastic capacity to bear pains.

All the conventional economic agents – individuals, households and companies – are

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While this script was being put

(Economy Discount) for a one-way ticket from Lagos to Port Harcourt; N54, 900 (Economy Saver); N58, 000 (Economy Flexible) and N86, 000 (Business Flexible). This is against the former fare, between N30,000 and N35, 000, charged earlier in the year.

Return tickets for the same route with Dana Air cost N54, 000 (Economy Saver); N58, 500 (Economy Flexible); N81, 000 (Business Saver) and N86, 400 (Business Flexible).

Similarly, Air Peace’s website as at Thursday evening indicated that outbound Lagos - Abuja one-way ticket cost between N50,000 and N60, 000, while inbound Abuja - Lagos went for N50,000.

At Arik Air, Lagos-Abuja return ticket was N100,500, while Ibom Air charged N80,000 for the outbound Lagos-Enugu route. Inbound Lagos-Enugu was, however, N50, 000. As in the case of Dana Air, this new fare regime varies significantly from the N30,000 to N35, 000 paid by travellers prior to the development.

Recounting her experience, Lagos-Abuja passenger, Constance Iyeke on Air Peace flight, lamented the increase in fare, saying that she expected to pay just N50, 000 only to discover that it was a little above that sum. She said, “I didn’t expect the fare to be more than N50, 000 for a one-way trip. You can see it is more than that now.”

Thompson Ukachukwu, who was travelling to Enugu with Ibom Air, also expressed shock that the fare had gone up. According to him,

Nigeria’s total public debt as at December 31, 2021, was N39.56tn or $95.78bn. The amount represents the total external and domestic debts of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 36 state governments and the federal capital territory

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Small Businesses Leverage TechInnovations For Quantum Growth

BY JOY ONUORAH

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igeria’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vigorously leveraging technology to achieve huge growth and transformation. By this move, they contribute more to the gross domestic product (GDP), create jobs and boost the nation’s tax revenue. It will also lead to expanding the private sector space and enhance non-oil revenue which the government is placing emphasis on to reduce dependence on oil.

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AVIATION/ECONOMY Economy: Ominous Signs of Great Tribulation Continued from page 30

Aviation Fuel: Travellers Groan As Marketers, Operators Disagree On Pricing Continued from page 30 the N80, 000 he paid was far above his budget. He advised the government to do something about the fuel scarcity.

In his reaction, the President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, (NAAPE), Comrade Abednego Galadima, warned that the scarcity of aviation fuel could cripple domestic operations and by extension, the Nigerian aviation industry.

According to him, the association is very worried about the issue as it has made travelling very difficult for passengers and caused much disruption in the operations of domestic airlines.

together, the Director-General of Debt Management Office, Mrs Patience Oniha, was on the television with the countenance of subdued worry and confusion.

She came to announce that Nigeria’s debt stock had hit almost N40 trillion. She appeared confident in her conviction that the nation is moving on the right way. She displayed the body language of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government that “there is no cause for alarm”.

Oniha said, “Nigeria’s total public debt as at December 31, 2021, was N39.56tn or $95.78bn. The amount represents the total external and domestic debts of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 36 state governments and the federal capital territory.

“The comparable figure for December 31, 2020, was N32.92tn or $86.39bn. The public debt stock for December 31, 2021, includes new borrowings by the FGN and the sub-nationals.

“For the FGN, it would be recalled that the 2021 appropriation and supplementary acts, included total new borrowings (from domestic and external sources) of N5.49tn to part-finance the deficit.

“Borrowings for this purpose and disbursements by the multilateral and bilateral creditors account for a significant portion of the increase in the debt stock.

Increases were also recorded in the debt stock of the states and the FCT.” Apparently, in response to a question from a Journalist, the DMO boss confidently reminded the audience that our children and children’s children “will enjoy the benefits of the loans”, including infrastructure being constructed with the facilities.

To her, Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio at 36.88 percent from 23.41 percent in 2016, is nothing to worry about.

She maintained the static position of the government that the nation’s financial woes hinge on “revenue” not debt. “You should assist the government by suggesting areas that can boost revenue; revenue is our challenge”, she maintained.

Like her colleagues in government, no mention was made of cutting wasteful expenditure and plucking avenues of revenue leakages. Private partnership in infrastructure construction is still an idea yet to be put into practice. Their priority is for the government to expand the tax loop. Government should drag Nigeria’s 200 million people into the tax net, and deepen the fiscal hose into their system to suck more taxes. Revenue is the solution; not the high percentage of debt servicing that sees Nigeria spend about 80 percent of its revenue on debt servicing.

Early in the year, Agusto and Co, a foremost credit rating agency in Nigeria, had projected that the country’s debt-to-revenue ratio will cross the 80 percent mark in 2022 following the build-up to the general election in 2023. In their projections for 2022, the agency stated that in 2022, the major themes that will dominate Nigeria’s economic landscape will be politics.

Government could spend as much as 92.6 per cent of its revenue on debt servicing this year. This is against the 76 percent recorded in 2021. This suggests that Nigeria spent over N700 of every N1000 it earned as revenue in 2021, leaving about N24 for other commitments.

With attention focused on expanding the tax base, the matter gets more compounded. Cost of diesel and aviation fuel has shot up to about N700 per litre. Premium motor spirit, popularly called petrol, has been in short supply since February when the NNPC and its contractors imported substandard fuel that caused severe damage to peoples with engine knocks. The rising cost of transportation reflected a high inflation rate of 15.7 percent recorded in February 2022, from 15.6 percent in January. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria have sent a distress call seeking Federal Government’s intervention on diesel, the price of which has soared to N720 per litre.

“It is getting extremely difficult to produce and I don’t know how we are going to cope because 70 per cent of industries are running on diesel, there is no light. It is a difficult thing ensuring production at this time, as diesel has gone up to N720 and N730 per litre. We are having 30 percent of what it used to be, whereas the disposable income of people is not increasing and the costs of products are going up.

“Even in my factory now, we are only running one shift instead of three shifts of eight hours each.

Other businesses are also running limited hours on diesel as they cannot afford to use generators all day,” Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lanre Popoola, lamented.

The economic consequence is obvious: high cost of production, low capacity, low consumption, loss of jobs, loss of tax revenue, closure of factories and other biting outcomes. How the government plans to continue to expand the tax window in the midst of dwindling economic fortunes amounts to an attempt at squaring a circle. Income and tax revenue do not grow under a lean economic environment. This may lead to squeezing life out of the people that are already exhausted.

The rising cost of petrol importation brings an additional burden to the economy. Nigeria saw its petrol import bill hit an all-time high of N3.96 trillion in 2021. The amount spent on the importation of petrol in 2021 jumped from N2.01 trillion according to data from the NBS. The cost of importing petrol last year is more than 40 times larger than the entire 2021 budget of N94.4 billion meant to pay for free universal basic education.

Furthermore, analysis of the trend showed that Nigeria’s petrol subsidy could surpass budgeted N3.36 trillion oil revenue.

Nigeria’s oil production is also falling below the 2.2 million barrel per day mark it used to record.

In its Article IV released on February 7, 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the Federal THEWILLNIGERIA

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Noting that the industry has yet to fully recover from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and many airlines have not completely recovered, Galadima said, “If this issue of scarcity is not immediately addressed by the Federal Government, the airlines will be negatively impacted and the ripple effect will be felt in the aviation downstream sector which may lead to job losses.”

He urged the executive arm of government to, as a matter of urgency, address the issues causing the scarcity and price hike so that normalcy can return to the industry.

Also commenting on the plight of passengers, aviation expert, Mr Hubert Odika, blamed the current scarcity of Jet A1 on the government’s failure to fix the country’s refineries.

Odika, a former Director of Operations, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company NACHO, who traced the hike in air fares to the airlines’ running costs, explained that the aviation industry would not have witnessed the current economic predicament caused by shortage of aviation fuel if the refineries were working.

“We will refine here at cheaper labour cost, but there is no ocean freight to bring back the finished product.

No charges in foreign currency for refining the PMS or AGO and bringing them back to the country.

Nigeria at the moment is cheating itself,” he said.

Odika expressed the optimism that President Buhari, who had worked as a Minister of Petroleum in 1979 and chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), would have considered it as top priority to see to it that the refineries are running.

On the fare hike, he said it was expected like every other business, but noted that the hike in Jet A1 from N200 to N625 per litre sounded unrealistic to him. According to him, if the increase in fare was justified, the airlines were at will to work out an appropriate strategy, instead of adopting a blanket increase across the industry.

“You don’t charge the same fare for a flight to Benin that is 35 minutes as a passenger going to Yola or Kano that is over one hour. That is not realistic”.

In the same vein, energy expert, Monica Maduekwe called on the Federal Government to put measures in place to insulate her citizens from external shocks emanating from the volatility in the international oil price market, bearing in mind that Nigeria’s

“

he President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, (NAAPE), Comrade Abednego Galadima, warned that the scarcity of aviation fuel could cripple domestic operations and by extension, the Nigerian aviation industry

performance on energy security is low despite being energy rich.

Maduekwe, who is the co-founder of PUTTRU, a digital platform that connects energy companies in Africa to global financiers, said this is necessary because the economic losses from high oil prices greatly outweigh the gains the country makes in terms of revenue.

She argued, “Without insulating her economy from the volatility of the international energy market, oil prices will continue to be both positive and negative for Nigeria. And, coupled with an upward inflationary trend, which reflects in the cost of aviation fuel, we cannot call this a good thing for the average Nigerian.

She recalled that as at March 10, OPEC reported an oil price of $117.23 per barrel, falling from $128.46 on 8th of March 2022. Moreover, at the 26th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, held on March 2, 2022, the body reiterated the decision to limit production until April 30, 2022, when this position will be up for revision.

While the increase in pump price has virtually affected the globe, she said the impact on countries has been different.

Meanwhile, Mr Clement Isong, Executive Secretary, MOMAN, has blamed the hike in the price of crude oil and its derivatives, such as aviation fuel, petrol, diesel and kerosene, on the ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.

He said: “We understand their pains, even the Federal Government that is paying a higher cost to subsidise petrol.

“The rise and fall of oil prices is cyclical. We have been here before and we are hoping that within a short period that international supply of crude will adjust to meet demand and prices will come down to more acceptable levels.”

According to him, the situation can also abate if marketers are able to get foreign exchange at lower rates instead of sourcing from the parallel market.

Isong, however, advised the domestic airlines to change the way they do business to enable them to get steady supply of aviation fuel to run their operations.

He urged the airline operators to clear their debts and adopt a pricing formula for procurement of aviation fuel in line with international best practices.

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TECH-SERVICE Small Businesses Leverage Tech-Innovations For Quantum Growth Continued from page 30 Of course, the SME operators cannot but embrace technology. The reason for this development is that technology-related inventions now play a central role in manufacturing, trade and services most of which feed the SMEs.

This has shown increased impact since its prominence manifested in the global business environment with ripple effects on emerging markets and developing economies.

Specifically, businesses are continually searching for technology-enhanced initiatives and areas they could be applied to reduce cost, attain targets in quick measures and harness the resources that specific choice of technology could create.

Additionally, awareness has been stepped up through campaigns, out-door and experiential marketing and other measures to reach existing, prospective and potential consumers. It is now common to see SME operators search the internet, attend trade fairs and make contacts for the latest development in particular areas of their operations which could benefit from the latest technology.

CHANGING NARRATIVE Before now, SMEs were solely dependent on their physical presence alone. How much of their target buyers/consumers they are able to reach and convince physically, determines how much they make. This was the case before the digital disruption that COVID-19 forced on the business environment.

Until this time, most SMEs never existed beyond the first five years of their start-up. According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Association of Nigeria (SMEDAN), most SMEs in Nigeria die within their first five years of existence, a smaller percentage goes into extinction between the sixth and tenth year while only about five to ten percent survive, thrive and grow to maturity. igeria employ less than 100 employees, implying that 97 percent of all businesses in Nigeria are “small businesses”.

Most of these SMEs did not embrace the opportunities of tech to bring innovation to their operations. Thus, existing beyond the first five years was a mirage. On the other hand, the tiny percentage that thrives and grows to maturity are the ones that are consistently evolving alongside the evolution of technology across their world.

In recent times, technology has become evident in virtually every aspect and scope of business. The SMEs are tapping into the opportunities to generate innovative solutions that allow them to launch into their full potential.

From high-speed internet service to cloud technologies, there are enormous benefits for SMEs willing to embrace the full possibilities embedded in tech, to their advantage.

SALUTARY OUTCOME Now that small businesses are embracing technology, the result is that they witness improved business agility. Technological solutions have also allowed small businesses to remain agile and quick to respond to changes within the markets. This is through the integration of various tech leads to increase collaboration among teams for better product and service development.

Also, the embrace of tech by small businesses has helped these businesses manage their teams better. They have developed the capacity to improve staff coordination and collaboration through the multiple significant advances in communication technologies.

For instance, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) systems, conference calls, and telepresence software have helped employees to interact remotely from any part of the world.

As such, it improves efficiency in the running of the business as well as promoting better work-life balance. It is discovered that small businesses play significant roles in the value chain that lead to the results achieved in this area. This includes transportation, supplies, maintenance and payment services.

The adoption of technology solutions allows SME operators to run as efficiently as the larger corporations. For instance, tapping into the benefits of high-speed internet and automation software allows for better handling of vital tasks. Automation tools have also enhanced digital presence and engagement with customers for SMEs.

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Now that small businesses are embracing technology, the result is that they witness improved business agility. Technological solutions have also allowed small businesses to remain agile and quick to respond to changes within the markets Businesses are also tapping into the potentials of Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click marketing to generate more leads and revenue. Also, the creation of e-commerce stores enables sales teams to target a broader customer base. For instance, in 2019, consumers spent over $601.75 billion with U.S. online merchants, up 14 percent when compared to 2018.

IT infrastructure modernization enables businesses to drop outdated legacy systems for better storage solutions like cloud storage. This is because the cloud storage systems are reliable, allowing for unrestricted access to business information from any place in the globe. It also enables business teams to work remotely, accessing the necessary information.

As earlier stated, communication solutions such as video conferencing and VOIP enable SMEs to save on travel costs and accommodation, thereby aiding financial savings. Cloud services reduce data storage costs and automation reduces the need for surplus staff, saving on labor costs. Through tech support, SMEs have been able to create encryptions and firewalls that enhance data security by protecting their corporate information.

Thanks to intuitive web designs, SMEs in Nigeria have been able to improve their customer experience and consequently increase patronage and revenue.

Through this tech solution, SMEs can streamline their operations on the first point of contact with potential clients. Automated tools also enable customers to book appointments and consultations. These technological systems are massively helping SMEs build consumer trust and brand image.

In terms of lending, Fintech has also overhauled credit by streamlining risk assessment, speeding up approval processes and making access easier.

By that, a good number of SMEs can now apply for a loan on their mobile devices from companies not based in their countries or locality. Major credit companies include Tala, Petal and Credit Karma. Some of the types of Technology in vogue include, machine learning algorithms, blockchain and data science integrated into the financial sector to carry out activities ranging from processing credit risks, payments, loans to credit scoring, stock trading and running hedge funds.

These technologies are common because they can be used by micro, small, medium and macro business enterprises for innovation, brand image, increased revenue, ease-of-doing- business, financial savings, cost saving, networking and sustenance amongst other benefits.

Obinna Micheal, a freelancer, told THEWILL that through Paypal, he has been able to write for foreign clients, get paid in dollars and receive his money safely.

A fashion designer, Stephen Nwosu, said he makes clothes for people outside the country and has no need to worry about payment as remittances are a lot easier with some Fintech apps like Zelle and Venmo. He added that his business has grown exponentially since he embraced this possibility.

Similarly, an online writing coach, Nonso Nwadike disclosed that tech has benefited him in several ways.

First through social media, he has been able to connect with different people across the world, some of which have proceeded to patronise him.

Secondly, Nwadike mentioned that instant payment has been the best advent of technology so far. In his words, “the joy of getting paid for your services in different currencies by people you’ve never met in your life and might never meet, is great. Getting paid is not enough; you can also access your money almost immediately through some payment Apps”.

A visit to the popular Tejuosho textile market in Yaba Lagos, showed that sellers and fashion designers are leveraging Apps to grow their businesses. They market, receive enquiries, orders and deliver to numerous clients without physical meeting or what one of them called eye-to-eye meeting. “With the phone, we start, execute, deliver and conclude a large number of orders to our customers in different parts of the world and receive payments seamlessly,” said Obinna Dike, a seller.

Courier and logistics firms are also expanding rapidly, especially in highly commercialized cities like Lagos.

Despatch and expert riders with their own distribution facilities such as fast-speed motorcycles, street identification and traffic monitoring apps to make fast delivery of goods. They also leverage on apps to pay the numerous state and local government taxes and levies that pertain to their businesses to avoid disruption and harassment by overzealous and corrupt revenue officials.

Private school owners and home teachers engage in distance lessons using Zoom to reach out to their students and pupils. Investigations showed that the learning effects have not been compromised and both parties have discharged their financial commitments seamlessly. The school/teacher receive payments from the learners through tech-enabled remittances that create no problem. Restaurants and caterers in busy cities like Lagos have placed and received orders through tech-assisted transactions that meet specifications. “We are entering into another stage of life where technology does all we need to do without hassles”, said Martha Ejiofor, a Lagos caterer.

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WOMEN BREAKING GLASS CEILINGS PAGE 33-37

•Adenowo

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•Liman

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CELEBRATING WOMEN BREAKING GLASS CEILINGS

Still celebrating the Nigerian woman in the spirit of International Women’s Month, IVORY UKONU writes on women who are carving a niche for themselves in fields that were hitherto the exclusive preserve of the men folk.

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She is one of the few female journalists who are bent on leaving an indelible mark in the field of journalism. An internationally recognised journalist and experienced manager, Toyosi is the current vice president, World Editors Forum. She heads the British Broadcasting Corporation, West Africa, where she leads the BBC’s operations and five language services in Anglophone West Africa and Francophone Africa with a team of over 200 journalists to deliver objective, trustworthy, creative and valuable journalism on the African continent.

Prior to that, she worked at The Punch Newspaper where she rose to become Editor of the Sunday title and the newspaper’s youngest editor. More important, she was the first-ever female editor in the organisation. A PhD holder in Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, Toyosi is a recipient of over 35 local and international media awards. She is also a recipient of the Presidential Precinct Inaugural Young Leader Award, a Knight International Journalism Award and President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative Award.

ADVOCACY CHIKA OKWUOLISA

BRANDING ADORA MBELU

TOYOSI OGUNSEYE

MEDIA

A multipotentialite, Adora Mbelu is a brand developer at Trellis Group, a brand development and experiential marketing company. She is also the founder of Lumination, an afrocentric transformational learning company. An author, Adora has published This Thing Called Purpose, a book that helps people understand the true essence of living with and through purpose. Prior to setting up Trellis, Adora worked as a content director on the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Conference, Nigeria Centenary Awards, and International Conference On Peace and Security.

She was also the project manager for Freemantle Licensed TV Shows, such as Nigerian Idol and Nigeria’s Got Talent, where she managed the business, brand, and production of the shows. She has also worked in the sports industry as the Corporate Communications Manager for OSMI during the 2010 World Cup managing all communications on the broadcast rights for Nigeria. Adora is a recipient of several awards.

Chika Okwuolisa: She is an engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the construction industry with a special focus in metallurgical and material engineering. Chika is the Managing Director of Abuja based Hogrago Engineering Company Limited; the lead partner, Base Metal, Iron and Steel Bulletin and a convener of the International Summit on Base Metal, Iron and Steel Summit through which she advocates rapid development of the metal sector in Nigeria. She is a member of several professional bodies - Nigeria Society of Engineers; Nigerian Institute of Metallurgical, Mining and Materials Engineers; Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Society of Women Engineers; Technologists and Scientists; Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria etc.

In 2017, Chika who is an unrepentant humanitarian and caregiver, decided to dedicate part of her time to Brain and Spine Foundation, Africa, a foundation she built to create awareness on Neurological Medical Conditions which presently is almost non-existent.

She is an advocate for early medical check before complications arise and has personally helped the less privileged with treatment which can be brainexploding expensive. In 2020, she set up Samaritan Ark Global Foundation, a club to make others as compassionate as her, contribute their widows’ mite to reach out to those in need.

BUSINESS Nere Teriba: A gold refiner, Nere is the Vice Chairman/ MD Kain Smith Trade and Co Ltd that recently acquired the licence to refine gold locally, and is the first and youngest Nigerian to refine gold locally when she was 37. Passionate about the mining, consulting, mineral concession management and minerals trading industry, Nere as an entrepreneur, mediator and strategist, had worked for sustainable community solutions in several countries and is maximising her knowledge with hopes to formalise artisanal mining and reduce illegal mining in Nigeria.

Using her company, Nere created a mobile solution — Zokia system, a mobile platform to register and bank artisanal miners.

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Popularly known as Arese Smart Money, she is one of the forces to reckon with in Nigeria’s financial sector. She is currently the Head of Wealth Management at Partnership Investment Finance where she is in charge of building the company’s wealth management division through business development and growing existing customer base.

She is also a non-executive director at Partnership Securities Ltd, House of Tara International Ltd and The Higher Education Foundation as well as an associate member of Women in Management Business & Public Service, WIMBIZ. An entrepreneur and advocate for

financial literacy, she is also the author of the book; The Smart Money Woman – an African girl’s journey to financial freedom. She describes the book as the 21st century woman’s guide to financial liberation. In 2020, the book was turned into a television series to exclusively bring to life what was in the book. In her quest to help young women make smart money decisions, Arese Ugwu founded a personal finance platform, Smart Money Africa. Her dream is to change the African description of poverty by educating this generation on financial literacy.

Arese uses stories the average African can relate to, workshops and several media platforms to encourage and promote financial liberation. She is also the founder of Smart Money Travel which is a platform under the Smart Money Africa brand, which provides travel packages for the small millennial and assures luxury for less. Arese Ugwu in her spare time hosts a program, Your Life, Your Money on Guardian TV’s personal finance show and is also a co-host on Analyse This on GTCO’s NdaniTv.

AVIATION She is an officer in the Nigerian Air Force and Nigeria’s first female military pilot. She joined the Nigerian Air Force in July 2011 after graduating from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology and was commissioned on December 9, 2011. She is currently assigned to the presidential fleet of President Muhammadu Buhari.

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ADA NDUKA OYOM

TECHNOLOGY

In her mid-20s, Ada is a software developer and open source advocate who currently leads developer relations at Interswitch group. She’s also the founder of She Code Africa and Open Source

Community Africa where she’s focused on matters bothered around Women in tech and Open Source respectively.

Aside software development and open source advocacy, Ada runs a podcast show for Loop Africa, one of the largest developer communities in Africa where she talks on issues bordered around tech while interviewing several personalities in tech.

Despite studying Microbiology in school, Ada’s love for tech began after she became an active member of the Google student club while in her second year at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. In her third year, she became the lead for the Google developer group chapter in her school and was exposed to amazing technologies and concepts and some of the brightest minds in tech across Nigeria.

INTERIOR DESIGN...

JUMOKE ADENOWO

She is a medical doctor, helicopter pilot and the Managing Director of the Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd, West Africa’s first air ambulance service, a crucial link for critically injured people who, like many across the continent, are far away from hospital care. A graduate of the University of York in Britain, Ola OrekunrinBrown has worked in the National Health Scheme for nearly ten years.

She has a specialist interest in trauma and pre-hospital Care and her work with air ambulance services in the UK and Japan. In 2020, at the height of Covid19, her firm created mobile testing booths to boost testing and reduce to zero, the number of infections on people conducting these tests. An author, she has published three books, EMQ’s in Paediatrics, Pre-Hospital Care for Africa and Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria: A guide to healthcare policy. She has also written articles in the British Medical Journal, The Journal of Emergency Medical Services, The Niger Delta Medical Journal, the New York Times and The Huffington Post.

An international speaker, Ola has spoken at the TED global conference, the European Union, the Swiss Economic Forum, the UN, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge University and the Aspen Ideas Festival. She is also the recipient of multiple awards in her field of endeavour.

In 2008, she was awarded the prestigious MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship and produced ground breaking research in the field of regenerative medicine, focusing on induced pluripotent stem cells.

She is also a TED fellow, a Dangote Fellow, an Aspen Fellow and has been honored by the world economic forum as a Young Global Leader. She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, international editor of the Journal of Emergency Services American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and a LinkedIn top ten global Healthcare Writer. Ola also sits on the board of the professional women’s network, Lagos Chapter, she also sits on the committee of the British Business Group, Lagos.

Funke’s quest to change the Internet landscape in Nigeria has led her to building one of Africa’s most important and pivotal tech companies. MainOne, the holding company for Main Street Technologies, West Africa’s leading communications services and network solutions provider. She has done remarkably well by positioning the company as a highly reputed and preferred provider of wholesale internet services to major telecom operators, ISPs, government agencies, large enterprises and educational institutions in West Africa. This only happened after she successfully ran a 7,000-kilometre undersea highcapacity black glass-fibre cable submarine from Portugal to Lagos, springing forth from the ground at the shore-end landing station in Ajah, Lagos and connecting all the big operators in Nigeria and Ghana to the global Internet. The result was an instant cyber-revolution in Nigeria, which made the company one of the biggest forces of transformation in the ICT sector in Nigeria. Little wonder, Equinix, one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure corporations, acquired the company for $320 million (about N134.70 billion) as part of its expansion programme in Africa.

FINANCE ARESE UGWU

FUNKE OPEKE

ICT

BLESSING LIMAN

OLA OREKUNRIN-BROWN

HEALTH

CNN has described her as “Africa’s Starchitect”.

She has been featured in the world’s foremost architectural journal, Architectural Record and has spoken on several platforms including the Global Women’s Forum and Harvard Business School. She has been described in several forums as the face of architecture in Nigeria and has also been recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects as one of the inspirational women in modern day architecture. Jumoke has been involved in the design and construction of over 80 projects that includes government buildings, private residences, public

buildings, financial institutions etc. via her AD Consulting, her architectural firm of almost 30 years.

In 2019, Jumoke was appointed Visiting Professor at the Technische Universitat Munchen, Germany, honoured as a guest scientist and laureate at the Chair of Theory, History of Architecture and Art and Design arm of the university’s department of architecture.

A recipient of several awards, she is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Architects. A public speaker, author and advocate for women empowerment, Jumoke also finds time to run her oil and gas services firm, Advantage Energy.

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The filmmaker, television director and music video director is one young woman giving men in entertainment a run for their money. Kemi whose works have appeared on Channel O, MTV Base, Soundcity TV, BET and Netflix, started out as a radio personality with Silverbird’s Rhythm 93.7fm, moved on to M-Net as an on-air personality, before setting up K’Alpha Innovations, a media production company catering mainly to music video production and Kemi Adetiba Visuals, a 360-production company specializing in film, music videos, documentaries, online content, and commercials. A story teller, she is the director of the record-breaking The Wedding Party 1, King of Boys and King of Boys: Return of The King and the much-celebrated King Women series. A recipient of several awards, Kemi’s mum is the highly cerebral engineer and actor, Mayen

Tina Onem: It has been almost 23 years since Nigeria returned to democratic rule, yet the country has not made satisfactory progress in terms of pushing for more women inclusion in political leadership. Nigeria continues to rank low in women’s political participation. The 2022 International Women’s Day, themed ‘Break the Bias’ was dealt a painful blow as lawmakers in the National Assembly voted against all bills seeking for greater representation of women in politics and other sectors of the society. Only after a protest did the male politicians rescind their decision, hoping to take a second look at the bills. However, from the few who are contributing their quota, one woman stands out among them and that is none other than Onem Miracle Tyna, the Councillor representing Ogbia Ward 2 in the Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Last year, Tyna was celebrated for building a bridge linking two abandoned communities in her ward with money meant for the purchase of her official car. A rare feat one must say, especially now that politicians are only after enriching their pockets rather than to be concerned about the welfare of the people they claim to represent. She started out working as a personal secretary to the Organising Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State.

Impressed by her dedication to duty and hard work, she was asked to contest for the position of councillor in her ward. The party executives gave her a free ticket to contest the position. They also sponsored her campaign and everything about the election. That was how she got into politics in 2019. She however admits that life as a female politician can be very challenging, as most people are biased towards women in politics.

They think women in politics are prostitutes who are just there because of men. Hopefully for Tyna, the sky will only be the limit for her.

TOYIN LAWANI

FASHION/STYLING She is one lady many love to hate, but what you cannot take away from Toyin, is her creativity.

She is an unstoppable creative force and she is not called the queen of fashion for nothing. Toyin, who likes to refer to herself as the transformer queen on account of the unique fashion pieces she churns out which can easily be transformed into two, three or more styles from just one fashion piece, has had some of her pieces recreated by international celebrities.

Via her Tiannah Place Empire, Toyin who recently clocked 40 is a serial entrepreneur who runs 30 other businesses aside from her fashion and styling business.

NEW MEDIA TOKE MAKINWA

KEMI ADETIBA

ENTERTAINMENT

The sad loss of her husband in the Sosoliso air crash has not in any way stopped Oke from pursuing her dreams and succeeding at it. A former branch manager with Zenith bank, Oke has been working in the cosmetics industry for over a decade. Through the years, she has been very focused on delivering sleek premium quality products at affordable prices to enhance the lifestyle needs of African women through her Zaron group of companies, comprising Zaron International Limited and Zaron Cosmetics Limited who are manufacturers, distributors and marketers of beauty care and makeup range of products under the Zaron brand. Through vision, perseverance and hard work, she has been able to build the Zaron brand into one of the strongest and fastest growing cosmetic brands in Africa with a business ethos anchored on integrity.

POLITICS OKE MADUEWESI

She is the Founder/Managing Partner of Catalyst Realty Solutions, a full-service real estate firm offering strategic advisory, implementation capability and asset management in the property sector for private, corporate and institutional pan-African clients. Her prior role was Group Head of Business Development Africa for Rendeavour – Africa’s largest urban land developers with over 12,000 hectares of land on 7 projects (averaging 1-2000 hectares) in five cities across Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, DRC, Zambia) and 250+ million USD in infrastructure investments over each projects’ lifetime. Chinwe spent over 14 years with JLL, a global full-service real estate firm which is a Fortune 500 company, as Head of West Africa out of Lagos, Nigeria. Before then, she was head of the French International Desk in Paris/France at JLL where she provided CRM and Portfolio/ Asset management services to key international clients.

In Washington DC/USA she established 50-year real estate master plans for the US Military Army/ Air Force as part of the US Military Housing public private partnerships initiative (over 2000+ homes).

Her projects received US Congressional approval for implementation. Chinwe frequently shares her knowledge on strategy and asset management via various mediums including the Lagos Business School Strategy Department. Chinwe serves in the investment committee for Rising Tide Africa (raising the RiTA fund) and sits on various boards.

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BEAUTY OKE MADUEWESI

CHINWE AJENE-SAGNA

REAL ESTATE

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If there is one person who understands how to leverage the benefits of social media, that person is Toke Makinwa. Toke’s presence is felt everywhere across the whole spectrum of social media, which is now the in-thing and this has translated to more money in her bank account.

She is one of Nigeria’s highest paid influencers, getting endorsements from many high-profile companies. A broadcaster, Toke is the host of The Morning Drive on Rhythm 93.7FM; a television personality, she has plied her trade on EbonyLife; a talk show host she has a pan African talk show on television. An event host Toke has hosted several high profile events; a

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

PUBLIC SHOW OF SHAME THAT WILL DEFINE EBELE OBIANO, BIANCA OJUKWU

Ojukwu

Obiano

F

or a long time, the alleged unstable nature of Ebelechukwu, the first lady of Anambra State and wife of the immediate past governor of the state, Willie Obiano, was whispered in hushed tones among indigenes of the state. But on Thursday March 17, at the inauguration of the new Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, the whole world saw Ebelechukwu in her true element. Ebele, as she is fondly called, arrived at the venue of the inauguration while it was underway, long after her husband had arrived and was already seated. Rather than take a seat, observe proceedings and get the respect accorded to outgoing governors and their wives, Ebele ruined it all by losing the last shred of respect she still had. She proceeded to exchange pleasantries with a few people. On sighting Bianca, widow of Chukwuemeka OdumegwuOjukwu, she walked straight to where she was seated to confront the former beauty queen turned diplomat on why she was at the occasion, having vowed in the past never to attend an event hosted by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the party through which Soludo emerged governor.

For context, this is why Ebele questioned Bianca: In the past, Bianca had always used every opportunity she got at various public fora to denigrate Obiano and his leadership qualities as it concerns APGA when he was governor. In 2019, she had called Obiano an ingrate for not showing up in person during her late husband’s posthumous birthday event. Obiano at that time was far away in the United States by Ebele’s side, who went through a surgical procedure for an ailment she was suffering. But Obiano had sent a high powered delegation to represent him at the event. Expectedly, Ebele did not let Bianca’s indiscretion slide. She said Bianca was the one who was an ingrate and not her husband. She accused Bianca of living in her husband’s shadows as her husband (Obiano) built her (Bianca) a house, changed her cars regularly, gave her money freely for her political activities besides the N20 million he gave her monthly for doing nothing other than being Ojukwu’s widow. Ebele wondered if Bianca’s failure to secure APGA senatorial ticket and her husband’s decision to stop payment of N20 million monthly largesse was the cause of her depression. Reacting to Bianca’s claim that Obiano rode on Ojukwu’s shoulder to become governor, Ebele wondered if Bianca suffered from dementia and wondered how her husband could have become governor on Ojukwu’s shoulders when Ojukwu was already THEWILLNIGERIA

dead before her husband became governor and could not have contributed anything from his grave. Ebele wondered if being appointed as an ambassador to Spain had gotten into her head or if emerging the most beautiful girl in Nigeria warranted her looking down on others.

She went on to caution Bianca and demanded to be respected for being the first lady and her husband the governor.

But Bianca would not stop denigrating Obiano.

In 2021, Bianca accused him yet again of destroying the party with his bad leadership.

It was again during the posthumous birthday of her late husband on November 4th, barely 24 hours to the governorship election. Bianca said Obiano should be held responsible if APGA loses the election in the state that it has ruled for the past 16 years. She blamed Obiano’s bad governance for the crisis within the party and the spate of defections taking place on a daily basis to other political parties in their numbers, especially to the All Progressives Congress (APC). She accused him of running the party like a secret cult, thus reducing the once vibrant party to a shadow of its former self. She blamed him for the extreme state of insecurity under his watch which has seen several citizens, including a traditional ruler in his community gunned down in broad daylight. She added that he squandered the massive goodwill the party once enjoyed and for that, she will no longer be attending any event organised by the party. She went on to invoke the spirit of her late husband on Obiano. In his usual manner, Obiano ignored Bianca and her accusations while his wife waited for the perfect moment, or so it seems, to strike.

So while the oath of office was being administered on Soludo, Ebele walked to where Bianca was sitting and asked, “So you are here?

I thought you said you would never attend any APGA event again.”

To which Bianca reportedly told her to get lost.

But Ebele continued to taunt her, called her a bitch and brushed her face with her palm prompting Bianca to stand up to slap her and thus started the ‘roforofo’ fight between them, which ended even before it began, no thanks to the security operatives at the event. Ironically, Obiano wasn’t even aware of the commotion his wife had caused and by the time Ebele returned to her seat looking ruffled and still raining insults on Bianca, all he could mutter was for her to sit down, but she rebuffed him and the former governor simply ignored her.

However, a few have countered Obiano not being aware of what was going on. This group of people are of the opinion that he knew

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very much what was amiss, but was too tired of his wife’s shenanigans to interfere.

This may not be far-fetched as Ebele has allegedly been a thorn in the flesh of Obiano in all the years they have been married. Ebele isn’t actually Obiano’s first wife. She was alleged to be his secretary and after Obiano’s wife passed on, she found a way to muscle herself into Obiano’s home and she became his wife. In fact, on the day of their inauguration eight years ago, Ebele appeared with a baby she was nursing on the podium where they were to sit. However, rather than enjoy a happy home, it has allegedly been one hellish experience for Obiano due to his wife’s alleged notoriety. Her alleged unstable behaviour allegedly pushed the former governor to take to the bottles in an attempt to drown his sorrows. APGA party members claim that Bianca has always had a special status within that party but when the Obianos became governor, all that changed. Ebele, they allege, felt intimidated by any powerful woman doing very well in politics and business including Bianca and got her husband to sabotage Bianca’s senatorial ambition including the 20 million naira monthly payment. When Bianca found out, she called them ingrates who used her late husband’s name to climb to power but now working against her.

Born and raised in low scale Shitta, Ayilara, Ojuelegba, Surulere area of Lagos State, Ebele is not your average Igbo woman. She has allegedly always been associated with the streets. She is said to talk down on people, has a penchant for slapping people and once slapped her husband’s deputy some years ago. For someone whose husband took to see Buhari to announce her intention to represent her constituency at the senate, one wonders if the event of Thursday, March 17 will make or mar her ambition. Your guess is as good as mine.

And as for Bianca, who threw caution to the wind and behaved nothing like a former beauty queen, will her action strip her of the honour she enjoyed as the widow of Biafra’s warlord?

That remains to be seen.

Osinbajo & Tinubu

Tinubu Absent At Installation of New Olubadan

T

hat there is an obvious rift between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is no longer in doubt. The gulf between the two however, keeps widening with each passing day. This became evident during the lavish ceremony that marked the installation of Oba Lekan Balogun, as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadan.

Dignitaries from all parts of the country were in attendance at the ceremony, which took place at Mapo Hall in the Oyo State capital.

While dignitaries, such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governors Dapo Abiodun, Kayode Fayemi of Ogun and Ekiti States, respectively; Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, etc, were present, Tinubu, who many looked forward to meeting at the event, was conspicuously absent.

Instead, the Jagaban of Borgu sent a representative in the person of Femi Pedro, his deputy when he was governor of Lagos State. For a man who has been junketing around the South-West to drum up support for his presidential ambition, his absence at the ceremony spoke more volumes than many of his foot soldiers would care to admit about the state of his relationship with the Vice President Osinbajo.

More worrisome is the fact that without batting an eyelid, Tinubu willingly sacrificed his attendance at the installation ceremony of the new monarch, who is incidentally his close friend and whose presence would have been a morale booster for the new Olubadan, just to avoid Osinbajo.

Only a week ago, Tinubu posted a terse message wishing Osinbajo a happy birthday on social media. Not only was the post a day late, he made the post all about himself with the kind of photograph he attached to the birthday message. The photograph was of Tinubu, Osinbajo and their wives cutting Tinubu’s 67th birthday/ colloquium which took place two-years ago. Also pundits consider the photograph to be a subtle jab at Osinbajo who is allegedly eyeing President Mohammadu Buhari’s seat come 2023.

Court Strikes Out Fraud Suit Against Toyin Kolade

T

he Iyalaje of Oodua, Princess Toyin Kolade, has been in a gay mood all week, following her exoneration from a N32.6 billion fraud case that was giving her sleepless nights.

Kolade

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos struck out the charge against the socialite, sequel to a withdrawal application made by the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Counsel from the Office of the AGF, Pius Akutah, applied to withdraw the charge as a result of a letter from the nominal complainant, Access Bank Plc. In his ruling, Justice Lifu said that since the case was not heard on its merit, but merely withdrawn before trial commenced, the appropriate other to make is to strike it out and the defendants discharged.

THEWILL had earlier reported how the businesswoman was charged alongside six others before the court by the Office of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) in a charge marked FHC/L/407c/2019, for allegedly obtaining the aforementioned sum by false pretence.

Others charged alongside Princess Kolade are four Indian nationals,

Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, Bhagwan Simgh Rawat and Mukul Tyagi, as well as two Britons, Marcus Wade and Andrew Fairie, said to be at large.

Also, four companies, namely Metal Africa Steel Products Limited, Wilben Trade Limited, Kannu Aditya India Limited, as well as Kolade’s Fisolak Global Resources Limited, were charged before the court for the same offences.

Kolade had earlier refuted the allegations of being accused of fraud, claiming that she was contacted by the foreign nationals to clear some goods on their behalf, as a clearing agent, which she did and got paid for the services her company rendered.

According to her, the Indian nationals, who supposedly got loans from the bank to carry out their business activities, at no point involved her in their dealings with the bank.

Kolade insisted that she had been fully exonerated by the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), which wrote to her and her company and even pleaded with her after discovering she was falsely accused.

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Why Nigeria Must Sustain Economic Diversification, Other Policies

T

he admirable drive to diversify Nigeria’s economy, which has remained built around oil revenue since the discovery of crude oil deposits at Oloibiri by Shell-BP in 1956, is a constant feature of the campaign manifestos of politicians during and after elections.

Over the years till date, receipts from crude sales have largely accounted for about 90 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Yet, beyond the whims and caprices of the political class of the day, the very real need for economic diversification is as pertinent in our contemporary existence as it has ever been previously.

Over-reliance on oil revenue is not only inimical to the need to become a self-sustaining nation, but also ties the progress or otherwise of the country’s development to the unpredictability of a highly volatile oil and commodities market that is prone to rising and falling based on circumstances often dictated by global events beyond our control.

For the country’s mainstay to be so intrinsically dependent on such distant but weighty circumstances as a border war between Iraq and Kuwait, which started in 1990 and snowballed into a major war the following year, or more fickle circumstances, such as a tweet from former American President Donald Trump making light of the alleged murder of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, by agents of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, should be a constant source of worry for every right-thinking Nigerian.

That the country’s entire budget is tied to the undulating nature of crude oil prices should be cause for sleepless nights. Nigeria’s crude oil proceeds fell by 41.60 per cent in the first quarter of 2021 to $6.48 billion from $11.1bn in the first quarter of 2020. These are the types of statistics that drive the message home for the leaders and citizens to be of one mind in the effort to wean the country off of its over-dependence on a mono-economy.

Despite several bold-faced attempts to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on oil through campaigns of economic diversification, backward integration and industrialisation, which have been supported with targeted loans, numerous reforms and sets of policy initiatives, oil remains the mainstay.

As a result, billions of naira that could have been ploughed back into the economy for expansion and growth have whittled away through imports that created jobs for other economies instead of ours and further impoverished our citizens.

Therefore, to stem this tide, Nigeria must be serious with the implementation of the backward integration and diversification policies, as well as prioritise her structural industrialisation revolution.

It saddens me that we did not take these policies seriously until recently. The biggest obstacle to the policies is the country’s epileptic public electricity. No real growth and progress can be achieved if we do not find a permanent fix to this perennial problem occasioned by decades of nePAGE 40

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glect, lack of investment and corruption.

This is why the boldest move yet to turn around the country’s electricity misfortune was greeted with cheers when the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and the Angela Merkel-led government of Germany on July 22, 2019, signed a Government to Government Agreement to revamp our power generation and distribution infrastructure over a period in three phases that will lead to the ultimate generation of a massive 25GW of electricity. Nigeria has already paid its counterpart funding of 15m euros and N1.708bn naira to Siemens, the contractor, which is scheduled to complete the project by 2025.

Despite the ongoing project, which I understand is going as planned, the recent collapse of the national power infrastructure and the astronomical rise in the price of diesel to run power generators are reminders that we are still miles away from being sufficient in power generation and distribution.

We must reject a system where capital exiting the country far outstrips inflows, which has been going on for decades without any serious and genuine effort to halt the trend Policy makers must forge ahead aggressively with the economic diversification and industrialisation agenda, though we must be reasonable, practical and systematic in the approach.

For a country like Nigeria, where unrestrained borrowing threatens to jeopardise the future of generations yet unborn, such a programme must involve a systematic and determined process of eliminating the importation of raw materials and finished products, as well as goods and services, which will be correspondingly replaced by homegrown alternatives. The comprehensive nature of such a programme will

include a project of ramping up local capacity to come within the limits of satisfying local demands and possibly external demands as well, in the long run.

The remote and immediate gains from a system of producing and manufacturing here in Nigeria goods that are currently being imported will be the catalyst for economic diversification with its resultant advantage of savings of foreign exchange outflow, while it increases job creation, allows for value retention, provides capital incentives and monetises the growing population estimated to be around 200 million people.

We must reject a system where capital exiting the country far outstrips inflows, which has been going on for decades without any serious and genuine effort to halt the trend.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, between January 2017 and March 2021, Nigeria spent N40.94tn on the importation of manufactured goods while earning just N4.22tn on exports of manufactured goods within the same period. It is no surprise that Nigeria’s exports were dominated by crude oil. In that period, the nation exported N49.31tn worth of crude oil, compared to manufactured goods that only earned it that comparably measly sum of N4.22tn. Such a shortfall must not be allowed to persist further.

This is why every well-meaning Nigerians should support the targeted policies of the Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria, whose main aim is to wean the country off reliance on foreign imports and crude oil as the only major sources of foreign exchange. The implementation of the policies will bring pain and inconveniences at the onset, but surely the gains overtime for Nigerians and the country in general will be worth it.

I must say that I was glad and impressed listening to the inaugural speech of Professor Charles Soludo, the economist and former Governor of the CBN, who is now Governor of Anambra State.

This is the kind of thinking and mindset that our leaders should bring to governance.

In his address, Soludo christened himself the “Chief Marketing Officer of everything Anambra” with a pledge to support state-grown goods and services and to only obtain anything outside “Made in Anambra” when it is not available within the locally available options. It is that mentality that must pervade our consciousness as a country as we drive towards diversification and industrialisation.

Although it is true that Nigeria is a signatory to various trade deals and had also signed on to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deal that aims to boost intra-African trade by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement among the member states, covering trade in goods, services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy, the country must engage its best minds, of which there are many, to drive its diversification and industrialisation policy for the benefit of the country.

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