THEWILL MAY 16 - MAY 22 EDITION

VOL 1 NO.14 • MAY 16 – MAY 22, 2021

COOPERATION BETWEEN GOVT, PUBLIC WILL END INSECURITY – YAKASAI

CHIKE OGEAH

Setting The Marriott Standard In Nigeria’s Hospitality Industry

– page 12

RENO OMOKRI ABANDONS WIFE IN AMERICA, WELCOMES NEW BABY WITH UK BASED LOVER – page 40

Price: N250

EXCLUSIVE: NNPC GIVES NEW CRUDE LIFTING CONTRACTS TO VITOL, LEVENE, SAHARA, 23 OTHERS – page 34 T H EWI LLNI GERI A

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SELF- DETERMINATION

Yoruba at Historic Crossroads

SPECIAL REPORT

Lagos Ports: Organised Den of Economy Killers

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COVER

Yoruba at Historic Crossroads

BY THEWILL CORRESPONDENTS he Yoruba may have found themselves at a historic crossroads. This is despite the fact that they have been foremost and consistent in calling for the restructuring of Nigeria as a true federation. Their desire, for long, had been to see Nigeria emerge as a country in which the federating units develop according to their capacity and live in mutual self-respect and interdependence. But that’s not the case anymore. Now, there is a major division in the house of Oduduwa as the voices of dissent are rising every day.

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There is no doubt that the general state of insecurity in the country has assumed a frightening dimension, even as poverty and unemployment are hitting an all-time high.

The call for self-determination, however, is gaining more grounds and winning adherents at home and abroad.

Credible sources confided in THEWILL that the Yoruba in the Diaspora have taken it upon themselves to do much of the work to actualise self-determination for the South-West.

According to THEWILL’s findings, “The Belgium-based UNPO is an international membership-based organisation established to empower the voices of unrepresented and marginalised peoples worldwide and to protect their fundamental human rights.”

SHIFTING ALLIANCES AND ALLEGIANCE The main blow to the once unified aspiration for restructuring is the perceived helplessness of the Federal Government in dealing a deadly blow to insecurity and its agents: Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and killer-herdsmen.

That helplessness has aided self-help entities at the personal and state level, such as Amotekun, Civilian JTF, Ebube AGU and Sunday Adeyemo, alias Igboho, which have further created the impression of independence.

“It is the fault of security chiefs who have failed in their responsibilities to protect citizens, that is why people are agitating for the creation of Oduduwa Republic. If the security forces join hands together with the citizens, we will be assured of strong security.

“There are many activists around the world who say they want the Oduduwa Republic. Never will I be the enemy of the Yoruba. We do our virtual meetings and it is obvious that our people want an independent Oduduwa nation,” said the Aare-Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, a former unapologetic advocate of restructuring, in a recent BBC interview.

Adams further explained in a viral video that when the virtual meeting of the Yoruba at home and in the Diaspora was held, 800 out of the 1,000 participants voted for selfdetermination. Among them were renowned scholars, entrepreneurs and politicians.

“Whatever they want is what I also want,” he quipped.

Alongside Adams are Prof Banji Akitoye, the Oodua Peoples Congress and Sunday Adeyemo. While Akitoye is a popular historian, a Senator who was in the National Assembly between 1979 and 1983, as well as an activist, Adeyemo cut several videos to propagate the views that “this is not the time to discuss issues surrounding restructuring, resource control or a new constitution but rather to secede from Nigeria peacefully, without violence or war.” The OPC has of late become swayed by the tide.

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On his election as President of OPC, a fortnight ago, Otunba Wasiu Afolabi, said what Dr Frederick Fasehun fought for before his death and which the OPC will continue to pursue is the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference to restructure the country from a pseudo-federalism that it is currently practising.

Ajibola

Reminded that what was coming was not self-determination but secession which could go violent and thereby become treasonable, according to the extant laws of Nigeria, the source sounded magisterial: “The laws are meant for the living. Life is about challenges and responses,” he said, adding, “Anyway, we have registered with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation.”

Falana

“As at the last time, some professors have been detailed to work on the passport, money and anthem of an Oduduwa Republic, three powerful symbols that define a country,” said one of the sources, who craved anonymity.

imminent attack by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra.

He said, “What Dr Fasehun was concerned about was for Nigeria to hold a Sovereign National Conference. Baba preached the gospel of restructuring, in which the state or regions would enjoy devolution of power and resource control. He believed that the current 1999 constitution did not give any hope for an equitable, just and progressive Nigeria. But Dr Fasehun never, ever spoke about an Oduduwaa Republic.

Nine Yoruba organisations signed a statement in condemnation of the statement by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu.

They are Femi Ajibola of Oodua Nationalist Coalition; Dr Kunle Oshodi, Agbekoya; Alhaji Taofik Adeyemi of Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed); Chief Diran Obalola of Oodua Liberation Movement; Mr Femi Agbana of Yoruba World Congress, Lagos State Chapter; Mr Rasaq Arogundade of Oodua Peoples Congress (Reformed); Mrs Eunice Okunola of Oodua Women Coalition; Pastor Goke Otunla of Network for Yoruba Alliance and Ahmed Korede of Apapo Oodua Koya.

“Like our great founder fought for all his lifetime, OPC stands for the convening of a Sovereign National Conference that will give Nigeria a truly Federal Constitution. We need to have a Constitution that will guarantee equity and justice for all parts of the country. Once that happens, Yoruba will be content to remain in one Nigeria.”

They said, “We are deeply concerned that the Police publicly declared allegation tempts the prospect of setting Yoruba in the South-West against Igbo. This is very unfortunate at a time that state institutions are increasingly being turned to instruments for pursuing primordial ethnic interests. The Yoruba will work never to allow this to happen

The group, however, shifted its position while speaking with THEWILL in a recent chat.

“We are concerned that terrorists and armed herdsmen of Fulani extraction have openly been attacking, kidnapping, raping and killing the Yoruba in the South- West, but at no time did the police call a press conference to announce such plan after, before or after each horrendous killing. There was also never a time the police linked such attacks to any ethnic group.

According to Afolabi, “There is no fire without smoke and no true Yoruba person is comfortable with the current situation in Nigeria today. Agitations whether for Biafra or Oduduwa Republic are being fueled by the rising scale of insecurity, the unhindered killings by Fulani herdsmen, kidnapping and poverty. OPC will not go against the wishes, aspirations and decisions of the Yoruba on the matter.”

The change of position, as an insider in the organisation told this newspaper, was caused by the need to play safe under the cloud of uncertainty hovering over the country.

“People have told them they cannot swim against the tide,” the source said.

This shifting of alliances while hanging on to former allegiances is supported by the need to close ranks against a perceived common enemy.

Take, for instance, the immediate reaction of Yoruba activists to the alarm raised by the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Police Force in its Monday, May 9, 2021 statement on the

“Only recently, Yoruba in Mile 2 were attacked by these people, the police did not make any attempt to speak about the ethnic identities of the perpetrators, yet we know they are largely from a section of the North.”

They however concluded on a popular note: “On the rumoured plan by the police to attack agitators for Yoruba expressing their desire for self-determination, we urge the police to have respect for international laws and should signify the basic democratic principle which is the right of a people to debate their political and economic future.”

CROSSROADS Despite the growing agitation among different ethnic groups for self-determination, there is no visible template to consummate the demands which appear unclear and THEWILLNIGERIA

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COVER view. The circumstances and conditions that prompted the 30-month civil war in the 1960s when every Nigerian was struggling for a place under the sun are now magnifying in the 2020s when everybody is looking for a shade to rest from the serial crises created by years of broken promises by manipulative politicians, corrupt and unaccountable leadership.

That was the point Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu made in his interview with Arise TV late Wednesday night when he revealed the fears of his counterpart from the South-East.

He spoke on behalf of all 17 governors of southern Nigeria who met in Asaba, the Delta State capital to harmonise positions on the insecurity in the region.

While fielding questions at the event, he revealed some of the fears expressed by his counterparts from the SouthEast. IPOB, he said, had become a major headache for the governors in the region because Nnamdi Kanu’s “daily broadcast from his hiding every day continues to pull the youths to his message of self-determination. Virtually every part of southern Nigeria is under attack and that is why we have decided to come together to chart a way forward.”

FG SHOULD ACT NOW – Farounbi The current situation is so precarious that, in the absence of stabilising impersonal institutions and rule of law, anything can go wrong.

But former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, broadcaster and politician, Yomi Farounbi, thinks otherwise.

Adams

Igboho

According to him, an understanding of the current dynamics in modern Nigeria ought to guide the government in handling the crisis in the country.

confusing. For instance, the composition of the proposed Oduduwa Republic looks weird. Apart from the six Yorubadominated states in the South-West, Kogi, Kwara and Edo States, which have significant proportions of the Yoruba or their linguistic descendants, are being considered as part of the envisaged Oduduwa Republic, prompting reactions from pundits that it would amount to imposition to cobble persons who did not agitate to leave their enclave for a new ‘republic’.

CLAMOUR FOR SELF-DETERMINATION LEGITIMATE – FALANA Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, insists there is nothing wrong in embarking on self-determination by any group in Nigeria, but it must be done democratically. He told THEWILL that things should be done democratically to conduct a referendum among the people so as to know whether they support the self-determination plan, as has often been done in civilised countries of the world, such as Canada over the Quebec question and the United Kingdom during Scotland’s quest for independence.

“But I can tell you that some Yoruba groups are trying to conduct a referendum online,” he confirmed.

Moreover, prominent politicians and revered monarchs in the South-West have been silent on the clamour for selfdetermination and would rather support restructuring to devolve power to the units with some financial and administrative autonomy.

Aare Adams disclosed that much in the BBC interview when he said, “We are supposed to ask where our kings, leaders and politicians are going because I also want the Oduduwa nation. We have written letters to all the Obas in Yorubaland, and I signed the letters alongside members of the Oodua Peoples Congress.”

Besides, it is unclear whether all the groups share a common vision. The source, who confided in THEWILL about the seeming change in position by the OPC, said: “They have not joined the bandwagon, but they are fine-tuning the rhetoric to say they will flow with majority Yoruba decision.

But they will not be led by the nose, neither will they head the agitation also.”

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soon.

According to Falana, since Nigeria has domesticated Article 20 of the African Charter on Human Rights, the government cannot refuse the people their rights to self-determination.

“That is why I insist that the government has to enter into dialogue with the IPOB and Yoruba groups and try to convince them why they should remain part of Nigeria,” he said.

When asked if the call for secession was not against the law of the land, he asked rhetorically, “What is secession? At the level of campaign, it is not an offence. It is only when you take up arms to dismember the state.”

WE’LL QUASH ANY ATTEMPT WITH FORCE – Yakassai Elder statesman and first republic politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, thinks the call for self-determination, particularly by the South-West, is selfish, warning that any attempt to violently push it would be resisted by Nigerians.

“Everybody, whether in the South-West, South-East, SouthSouth, North-West, North-East or North- Central, needs Nigeria. I know the South-West is one of the richest parts of the country. If, indeed, it is the richest part of Nigeria today, it owes its wealth to all Nigerians. Some of the people want to carry the riches and run away. We will stay here together and rebuild this country. Let’s come together and build a country where we can live together peacefully,” he told THEWILL in an interview.

He also supports the use of violence to put down any attempt to secede.

“You and I know what happened when some people tried to secede from this country. The majority of Nigerians want to stay together and they will join forces to fight whoever that wants to secede from Nigeria. You know history, nobody can destroy Nigeria peacefully. When anybody is thinking of secession, he is thinking of war. Such a person should know that the whole country will come together to fight him in the same way the whole country came together to fight Ojukwu when he wanted to secede. I can assure them that that is what is going to happen. If they don’t believe me, let them try it,” he stated.

Yakassai, though, may have sounded reductionist in his

He told THEWILL, “I expect those who are ruling Nigeria t to ask why the Yoruba are agitating for Oduduwa Republic.

They have been the most accommodating set of people. If a group of people who accommodated the sabos and gaas and Fulani herdsmen and have many parts of their cities inhabited by the Igbo begin to ask for separation, then those who are ruling Nigeria ought to know that they have been pushed the goat to the wall and the goat is about to turn and bite them. So action has to be taken because tomorrow may be too late.”

ACTION UNDERWAY The Federal Government, in coming to terms with the gravity of the situation in the country, appears to be taking concrete steps to put the country on the right course. Apart from many security meetings that President Muhammadu Buhari has held with service chiefs and continued restatement of the unity of the country, the government is also considering acting on far reaching measures that may end up pulling the country from the brink.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a meeting with journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, said the National Executive Council, comprising all the 36 state governors and presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was considering a 10-point agenda, which was taken at a town hall meeting on April 8, 2021 in Kaduna. The agenda, the minister added, comprised issues on political restructuring, state policing, rule of law, decentralisation of the judiciary through constitutional amendment, free, qualitative and compulsory primary education, promotion of inter-marriage among Nigerians by traditional rulers, setting up of ranches to avert farmer/ herder conflict, local government autonomy and the training and equipping of security personnel, etc.

“The stakeholders who attended included all the service chiefs, members of the legislative and executive arms of government, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups as well as labour,” the minister said, adding that the resolutions had been forwarded to the National Economic Council, chaired

by His Excellency the Vice President, and which also includes all the state governors.

“As a prelude to adopting the recommendations, the NEC has directed all state governors to organise state-wide consultation on them and then revert to the council in its next meeting,” he said.

The coming days will, however, see if these measures will be implemented to douse the tension in the land before the prevalent crisis degenerates to a point of no return and the self-determination groups make good their bid.

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NEWS Iniubong Umoren: Hundeyin Slams Akpabio Over Lawsuit Threat

FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO avid Hundeyin, an independent investigative journalist, has said the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s threat to institute a lawsuit against him would not deter investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Miss Iniubong Umoren.

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Hundeyin had made series of tweets and other online publications accusing Akpabio and his wife of complicity in the rape and eventual murder of the 26-year-old job seeker.

According to the investigator, Davok Hotel, which located at 58, G Unit, also recognised as Plot S9, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, involved in the nefarious activities was owned

by Akpabio’s wife.

In his reaction, the minister, through his lawyer, Otobong Inyang Esq, wrote to Hundeyin, demanding a retraction of publication and a letter of apology within 14 days, failing which he would take legal action.

Rather than apologise to Akpabio, Hundeyin had asked him to request authorisation to telecommunication companies, Airtel and MTN to release the voice notes of the conversation that took place between the alleged suspects, instead of threatening him with lawsuits.

He posted on his Twitter handle: “Instead of sending old policemen to fight with me on TV or threatening me with lawsuits, just authorise Airtel and MTN to release the voice notes of the conversation between Frank Akpan and Kufre Effiong. It is very simple and will end this controversy. No need for plenty talk.”

Akpabio, a former Senate Minority Leader, made the demands in a letter he addressed to the author of the articles via BusinessDay newspaper.

Signed by the Minister’s lawyer, Otobong Inyang Esq, and dated Wednesday 12 May, 2021, the letter was in response to a series of tweets and other online publications by the author linking him (Akpabio) and his wife, Unoma, a role in the rape and eventual death of Umoren.

In the letter, Akpabio claimed the author had made statements suggesting the hotel located at 58, G Unit, Ewet Housing Estate, is also recognised as plot S9,Unit G, Ewet Housing, Estate, Uyo, which the suspect(s) used for their activities, is owned by his wife, which was not true.

According to Akpabio, the author’s publications gave the impression that he and his wife were not only complicit in the death of Umoren, but were also members of a syndicate specialising in the procurement, sale and/or use of human body parts for ritual among others.

The letter reads in part: ”Reporter, columnist and writer and in the said capacity, you issued a purported investigative report regarding the alleged abduction, rape and murder of one Iniobong Umoren, the late University of Uyo graduate.

“In the said report which you published on Your Twitter handle @DavidHundeyin, Facebook Page/Timeline and on several online news channels/platforms such as NewsWireNGR of 1l/5/2021, e.t.c., you alleged that a certain Kufre Effiong was complicit in the alleged murder and also attempted to portray our clients as being members of an alleged syndicate responsible for perpetuating the dastardly act.

“In a paragraph in your said report, you made the statement thus: “Who exactly is Kufre Effiong? I eventually found the answer after scrolling through dozens, maybe hundreds of social media profiles with that name. Mr. Effiong as it turns out, is something of a big fish in the Niger Delta civil service circles.”

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President Muhammadu Buhari (right), receives the new Chadian President , Transitional Council of the Republic , LT. Gen. Mahamat Idris Deby and his delegations at the State House Abuja on 15/5/2021.

Afenifere Backs Southern Govs on Restructuring, Ban on Open Grazing

BY AYO ESAN

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he pan-Yoruba socio - political group, Afenifere, rose from its meeting held on Friday in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State and threw its weight behind the decision of the governors of 17 southern states to ban open grazing, among other resolutions.

In a communique issued at the end of its meeting, Afenifere said it was in total support of the decision of the governors.

penalties for any violator”.

Afenifere also said it was delighted to note that restructuring as a workable recipe keeping Nigeria from falling apart, had becoming more popular and started winning converts on a daily basis.

The group added, “We are delighted because restructuring is something we have been advocating for a long time. From around 1953, Afenifere had been advocating a federal system of government for Nigeria.

The group noted that although the declaration by the governors was long overdue, considering the gravity of the crimes arising from open grazing of cattle committed by killer herdsmen across the country, it was better late than never.

“A Constitution based on true federalism was operating in the country until 1966 when the military consigned it in the dust bin of history.

Since then, Nigeria has not been enjoying true federalism.

It said, “Despite the various steps taken and appeals made by state governments and communities, herdsmen continue to graze their cattle on the farms of our people. Each time the farmers tried to protest, they (the farmers) were harassed, maimed and sometimes killed. Our female folk are often raped. This is a very important reason for the need to completely outlaw open grazing with severe

“We in Afenifere believe very strongly that failure to practise federalism and increasing unitarisation of the country were largely responsible for the travails the country is suffering today – and will continue to suffer – unless it is restructured. We have no doubt about this at all. We are happy to note that some of those who were either opposed to restructuring or hesitant to accept it are now embracing it. We therefore demand that restructuring should be effected now.”

NOTICE OF INCREASE IN COVER PRICE

Dear reader, since we launched our first print edition in February 2021 we have striven to deliver bold, fresh and authoritative content in top quality newsprint and art paper with a cover price of N250.

However, in the last three months, the prices of newsprint and art paper have increased by more than 30 percent. For instance, a ton of newsprint, which sold for N350,000 in February now sells for over N550,000. The importers have ascribed the sharp increase to the weakened naira in the FX market.

Our printers have also increased the cost of printing by over 30 percent, citing hikes in the cost of ink and other printing consumables as the reason.

Sadly due to these developments, it has become impossible and unrealistic to sustain production at our current cover price. Hence management has decided that starting from June 6, 2021, the new cover price for your trending and favourite Sunday weekly newspaper will be N350 with a commitment to adjust it downwards as soon as the prices of printing consumables drop.

Thank you for your understanding and continued patronage.

Signed Management THEWILLNIGERIA

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SPECIAL REPORT

Lagos Ports: Organised Den of Economy Killers

BY SAM DIALA

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orruption, collusion and confusion – rolled together – produce the frustration that reigns among users of Nigeria’s foremost seaports in Lagos -- Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports. It is no news that the hydra-headed gridlock has gripped the ports, projecting the country to the world as a place where leadership has gone on vacation. What many people may not know is that the anomaly is being treated as a national priority that has come to stay because the wrongdoings perpetrated in the area are tacitly backed by the authorities because their officials are actively involved.

THEWILL recently visited the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.

Those places constitute another ‘arm’ of government with the powers to make their own ‘laws’ and enforce them in the most aggressive and brutal manner possible. It is like an ‘arm’ of government set up to kill the economy through an insidious conspiracy that runs through the system. It operates in an environment of organised wrongdoings distinguished by its lack of sanity.

From morning to night, week to week, illegal ‘business’ ventures flourish in the ports and their immediate environment. Such ‘business’ ventures are facilitated by officials of government agencies whose actions are killing the economy. They wear no masks and their uniforms carry their name tags.

THE KILLER TEAM Among the organised teams of economy killers are officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Lagos State Traffic Manage­ment Authority, personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police, the Army and the Navy. By conventional wisdom these are security agencies whose traditional role is to ensure orderliness, THEWILLNIGERIA

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especially in the aspect of traffic flow. But the reverse is the case.

They are agents of extortion, intimidation and corruption. Truck drivers and their associations play complementary roles in the periphery.

THEWILL learnt that the gridlock created by trucks and articulated vehicles, sometimes stretching from Apapa to nearby Oshodi (on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway) and spanning a distance of about 12 kilometres, is an offshoot of organised corruption created by government agencies. It was obvious that these ‘killers of the economy’ have hijacked the ports’ operations for extortion and other corrupt activities. They are bold, wild, brutal and red-eyed.

They are there to make money in uniform.

Consequently, a process designed to be seamless has turned out to be a nightmare. The same teams that should be clearing the road for importers, motorists and other road users deliberately create road blocks within short distances. That way, they obstruct the free flow of traffic in order to extort those doing their legitimate business. A licensed clearing agent, who preferred to be called ‘Modern Chairman’, told THEWILL that the security agents and officials of the NPA devised a system called ‘Fast Track’ at the ports.

THEWILL findings showed that FT is a system which grants a truck driver/owner a speedy call-up and permission to enter the ports, ahead of those on a queue for several days or weeks.

The truck or goods owner pays a bribe through the clearing agent who knows the route and receivers of the payment, Modern Chairman said. “With this, you are given a special pass that is recognised by the security agents to allow the truck driver to pass through the ports’ multiple gates.” The payment ranges between N250,000 and N350,000 for a 20-foot container; and N400,000

and above for a 40-foot container.

Then there are multiple roadblocks from the ports beyond Mile2, depending on the route of exit. “This is where you meet the Customs checkpoint after the goods have been cleared by Customs at the wharf. If you are not lucky, your goods may be seized for a minor reason or the truck is towed to Customs office at Ikeja”, THEWILL learnt.

The deplorable state of Apapa Wharf road, which made the movement of vehicles impossible, resulted in the flood of commercial motor-cycles, popularly called ‘okada,’ in the area. Notwithstanding the practically impenetrable gridlock, which has grounded businesses and movements in the area, the economy killers mount several roadblocks to extort operators of the commercial motorcycles who create alternative exit routes.

“They charge between N2,000 and N3,000 to grant us access at the checkpoint,” an okada rider, who introduced himself as Adamu, told THEWILL. According to Adamu, the money is recovered from the passenger because it is usually agreed at the beginning of the journey. “There is no other way of moving to or out of the port. If somebody is in a hurry and knows he has an urgent business to execute, he will willingly pay the money. That is the Nigeria we find ourselves,” he lamented when sharing his experience recently.

THE ROT DEEPENS Last year, a presidential task force was dispatched to rid Apapa of the gridlock. Like every other thing in the area, the task force became a pain in the neck of the users. THEWILL learnt that they embarked on the worst form of extortion that made what had been happening at the port seem like child’s play. According to those *Continue on Page 8

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SPECIAL REPORT

Organised Den of Economy Killers

*Continued from Page 7

gridlock. During a meeting with the former managing director of NPA, Ms, Hadiza Bala-Usman, he expressed optimism that the e-call-Up system would create a new wave of life in the environment.

who spoke to THEWILL, the existing team of economy killers increased their ‘fee’ by additional N50,000 or N100,000 “for the task force”. The task force has since been disbanded.

He said, “This is the beginning of a better journey time for our citizens within the Apapa seaports and environment.

This electronic system has a limited interface with security operatives and unions, which usually cause the gridlock problem. It will be a simple case of possessing electronic clearance. If you don’t have it, you don’t have any reason to be around the seaports.

The new dimension to the rot is that the access roads to the ports have become totally impassable. Goods are being freighted on barges through the Apapa Creek and canals down to Mile 2/ Festack ‘ports’. This is an additional cost to the importer after battling with extortion by the economy killers. THEWILL learnt that in most cases, the shipping lines prescribe the barge to hire and also stipulate the fee. “When they recommend the barge to you, there is nothing you can do because they will not allow another barge to freight the goods,” Gab Udeh, a licenced clearing agent told THEWILL.

“In enforcing the new regulations, we are deploying more than enough towing vehicles to impound erring trucks. The huge amount to be paid as fine for flouting the call-up system will be a deterrent for drivers not to repeat it. The stakeholders need to understand that we are serious about ridding Apapa of the menace that has brought pains to our citizens living and doing business along the corridor.”

According to Udeh, the risk in freighting goods from the Wharf through the barges is very high. He disclosed that four containers he cleared for a client fell into the creek recently and he had to hire a specialised crane to recover the containers and load them on another barge. He said, “One of the containers has not been recovered till this day and I am battling it with my client. That is how the economy is dying. It is so terrible,” Udeh said.

He said, “A client of mine spent about N500,000 to bring a container from China to Apapa Port and he spent over N1 million to ferry the same container from Apapa to Agbara in Ogun State.

“Congestion, bribery and storage costs add to problems for importers in Africa’s largest economy. The congestion at the port in Lagos has become so bad that it can cost more than $4,000 to truck a container 20 km to the Nigerian mainland these days, which is almost as much as it costs to ship one 12,000 nautical miles from China,” Financial Times said in its edition of December 28, 2020.

The questions bewildered Nigerians are asking are: Why is the Federal Government not interested in fixing the dilapidated Apapa Road? Why are there no efforts to develop the Warri, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar Ports? Why are the security agencies detailed to do a job that is injurious to the economy?

Who ultimately bears the cost of extortions? Why are importers and transporters not protesting the extortions? Why is the Federal Government adamant about the rot in Apapa? Who is really in charge?

An equally worrisome thing is that the ports are cash cows for the government. Apapa is home to Nigeria’s two busiest seaports estimated to account for over 70 percent of export and import activities in the country. Its economy is estimated at N20 billion a day, yet there are no access roads to the ports. There is no evidence that the Federal Government is worried about the massive corruption going on in the ports, which is compounded by the vested interests of those who make bold moves in the direction that kills the economy.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, revealed that it realised and remitted to the Federal Government a total revenue of N518.046 billion for the year ended 2020. The amount indicates a 2.33 percent increase, when compared with the preceding figure of N423.6 billion made in 2019. It is not determined how much the Lagos State Government rakes in from the ports as revenue, but it has introduced a number of charges, such as Wharf Landing Fee and infrastructure taxes.

ENTER SANWO-OLU During his election campaign as governorship candidate of Lagos under the All Progressives Congress in January 2019, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, pledged to clear the gridlock in Apapa in six months, saying he had identified a solution to the current gridlock across the state.

At the time, Sanwo-Olu spoke during a private-sector interactive forum organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce for the governorship candidates of the two leading political parties in the country, which also featured the candidate of the Peoples

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Amaechi

Urban miscreants called ‘Area Boys’ who have their own ‘bills’, often hang around the Mile 2/Festac barge ‘ports.’ The importer will also pay for security of the ‘Canal port’. Udeh disclosed that it is now cheaper to import and ship goods from India or America than to move your cargo from the port to ‘Canal port’ or to park your truck on Point Road, Apapa, or Amuwo Odofin.

Sanwo-Olu also said the state government would deploy 500 officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority to work collaboratively with the NPA and enforce the new callup regulation, directing the state’s agency not to spare any effort in achieving free flow of traffic in Apapa.

Scores of Lagos residents and motorists got stranded for several hours at Oshodi-Apapa and Ijora-Apapa expressways following unconfirmed reports of the collapse of the electronic Call-up system machine.

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Among the organised teams of economy killers are officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Lagos State Traffic Manage­ment Authority, personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police, the Army and the Navy

Democratic Party in the state, Jimi Agbaje.

“One of the things I would do within the first six months in office is to solve the Apapa gridlock I have identified traffic managers who would help us solve the gridlock across the state if elected governor and we would make street lights across the state also work,” he said.

Five months later, and two months after he was sworn-in as governor, Sanwo-Olu made denied that he ever promised to solve the Apapa gridlock crisis in 60 days.

While fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja, in June 2019, the governor had said, “The Apapa trailer issue is very serious. I’m going to take it very seriously. I believe that it is something that we are going to solve in the first 60 days of our government. Whatever is going to be required of us, we will take them out.

“A lot of politics is being played around there. But no, it cannot be the way we’ll continue to live. We cannot continue to give excuses.

“Interestingly, some media houses have actually been counting down on me. They said that I mentioned during the campaign train that I was going to clear it in 60 days. I have mentioned it before, what I said was that in 60 days we would review what was done, but that does not take the fact that even if people give you a dateline, it’s because they want you to do well and they want you to be accountable for those datelines.”

In February 2021, Sawo-Olu applauded the Nigerian Ports Authority e-Call-Up system meant to terminate the Apapa

BUSINESS AS USUAL The system reportedly collapsed a few days after installation, leading to congestion and chaos on Lagos roads. The situation, which resulted in a gridlock reportedly worsened as traffic law enforcement agents abandoned control to miscreants and officials of port unions. No official of the newly created Lagos State Special Traffic Management Enforcement Team could be seen at the gridlock points.

The traffic snarl, which started building up mid-morning, had worsened by noon, stretching from Ijesha to Berger Yard, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, while the Ijora-Apapa to Area B inward Nigerian Ports Authority was also shut down due to the high influx of articulated vehicles.

Gov Sanwo-Olu blamed the sitation on those he called saboteurs who were intent on working against the system because of their personal interests.

While speaking with journalists during the commissioning of the newly reconfigured Lekki First, Second and Third Abraham Adesanya Roundabouts in March 2021, the governor warned that his government would deal with persons sabotaging its effort. He vowed to fight, name and shame saboteurs trying to frustrate the government’s effort to tackle the Apapa gridlock.

“I am facing the camera now and saying that we will not stop at anything to ensure that we will do everything possible to fight those people who are tryng to retract and take us back to where we are coming from on the gridlock in Apapa.

“We will name and shame them. We will mention their names, be it a corporate organisation, company, trade union, police officer or Lagos State Government official, be it a that will say that the solution that we have brought about will not work, they will go and answer to the citizens of Nigeria and Lagos.

“We will bring them to the public court for them to see that we are serious. We cannot condole the recklessness and carelessness that our citizens have gone through,” he said, adding that his administration gave a commitment that it would do everything possible to tackle the gridlock in Apapa.

The chairman, Apapa GRA Residents Association, Ayo Vaughan, was quoted as saying that the gridlock had rendered properties worthless. “You do not expect somebody to come and live in a house of N5 million per annum and right in front of his house, somebody is frying ‘akara’ or doing any other form of business.

So, we have houses that are not rentable, not leasable nor even sellable”. According to him, up to 40 percent of all the houses in the GRA were empty as at late 2020. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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POLITICS of any of the requirements for registration as a political party; failure to win at least 25 percent of the votes cast in one state of the federation in a presidential election or 25 percent of the votes cast in one Local Government Area of a state in a governorship election; failure to win at least one ward in a Chairmanship election, one seat in the National or State Assembly election or one seat in a councillorship election.

As expected, reactions trailed the judgement. Most of the people that spoke with THEWILL agreed with the decision of the Supreme Court on the deregistration of the parties.

The Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria’s National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Agbo Major, in a statement said that while they supported the apex court ruling, the affected political parties should work with the 18 registered parties for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.

The statement reads, “IPAC is particularly happy with the speed in determining and delivering judgement on this matter, which obviously was a clog in the wheel of our preparation for the 2023 general elections.”

Yakubu

The National Chairman, Young Democratic Party, Aye Georgina Dakpokpo, said, “In fact, the Court of Appeal ruling in our case, ACD & 21 Others V INEC, also affirmed the decision by INEC to deregister NUP, while stating that due process wasn’t followed in our case.”

INEC and Deregistration of Political Parties

BY AYO ESAN HE Supreme Court, judging by its judgement of Friday, May 7, 2021, has empowered the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister political parties which performed poorly in general elections.

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to determine the performance of political parties in the elections.

The Supreme Court’s judgement affirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the deregistration of 74 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The commission had last year deregistered the parties over their failure to win any election during the 2019 general elections.

He added that in addition, the parties were also assessed on the basis of their performance in the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, the only Local Government elections which INEC was empowered to conduct. He said consequently, the commission had determined that 16 political parties fulfilled the requirements for existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution, while 75 parties did not satisfy the requirements of the fourth alteration to the constitution.

Announcing the deregistration in February 2020, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the parties were deregistered for their inability to fulfill the requirements for existence, based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“However, one of the political parties, the Action Peoples Party filed a suit in court and obtained an order restraining the commission from deregistering it. “The party remains registered, pending the determination of the case by the court.

Yakubu recalled that prior to the 2019 general election, Nigeria had 91 political parties, while one more party was registered by court order after the election, thus making a total of 92 political parties.

“The new political party, Boot Party registered by court order after the 2019 general election will also continue to exist. “Accordingly, 74 political parties are hereby deregistered. With this development, Nigeria now has 18 registered political parties,” Yakubu said.

He noted that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vested in INEC the power to register and regulate activities of political parties. He also recalled that in 2018, the Constitution was amended “in addition to the extant provision for the registration of political parties, the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution (Section 225A) empowers the commission to deregister political parties.”

Yakubu said that in order to implement the provision of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitution, the commission carried out an assessment of political parties to determine compliance with the requirements for their registration.

He said that similarly, following the conclusion of the 2019 general election, including court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations, the commission was able THEWILLNIGERIA

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It would also be recalled that the INEC based on the Electoral Act provision, between 2011 and 2013, deregistered 39 political parties.

Several of the political parties challenged the power of INEC to deregister them, particularly on the grounds that the Electoral Act is inferior to the constitution and that deregistration infringed their fundamental rights under the same constitution.

Subsequently, the courts ordered the commission to reinstate the parties. It was for this reason that the National Assembly amended the Constitution to empower the commission to deregister political parties on the following grounds: Breach

Also In his reaction, human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), told THEWILL that the Supreme Court merely upheld the obvious because INEC was empowered to deregister any party that failed to meet the constitutional requirement.

He said, “There can be no competitive game without a centre referee. It will be lawless and unruly. The Nigerian situation where you have tens of mushroom political parties that exist only in name and on paper, without any genuine effort to cultivate voters and win elections or even serve as credible opposition by speaking out against the ills of the society, does not augur well for our wobbling, fumbling and groggy democracy.

“These associations that label themselves political parties simply clog up the ballot papers, over-tasking INEC in its job and voters who want clear choices in their presence.

Many a time, a valid election was nullified simply because one of the relatively anonymous parties was erroneously or inadvertently left out of the ballot. And when allowed to contest, many of them score just about five to 12 votes, while the real parties score millions of votes. That is no credible contest by any stretch of the imagination. The answer lies in amending the Constitution and constitutionalising independent candidature to enable persons who are not able to ideologically identify with any of the existing parties run as sole and independent candidates.”

Another Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Monday Ubani, while speaking with THEWILL on the judgement described the deregistration of political parties

by INEC as sacrosanct and in conformity with the law. He said there should be no controversy over INEC’s power to deregister parties.

He said: “Although some people will argue that we are in a democracy and people have the right to come together to form political parties, we must allow sanity to prevail.

Otherwise, before 2023, we will have over 100 political parties. To me, it is better we have two major parties, than having mushroom parties that can’t win a single seat at the local government polls.

“We have to look at the provision of the law in order to amend it. INEC should apply the power granted it by law to deregister parties that failed to win a seat throughout the federation.”

He added that parties that fail to abide by the provisions of the Electoral Act should also be deregistered.

A member of Campaign for Democracy, Mr Sola Olawale said the decision of the apex court would sanitise balloting on the day of election. A party that cannot win any councillorship seat cannot be taken seriously as a political party. It is better to prune down the number for the electorate to easily make a choice.

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POLITICS Ngenev Community Secondary School, Sankera, also in Ukum Local Government Area.

The lawmaker further disclosed that he had extended rural electrification from Tse-Dugwer-Gbagir at 90 percent completion, including the installation of 500KVA transformers. A further extension of rural electrification from Gbagir to Afia Gbeji is about to commence in the 2021 Budget.

Other projects, according to him, include 10 hand-pump boreholes at various communities across the constituency, such as Tse-Akaanger, Agu Centre, and Tse-Nderi Mbakoor near Gbor Tongov in Katsina-Ala LGA; TseAmatso (Ugondo), Jootar Tswarev, Agena, Akpuuna II and Tse-Kwaghbo in Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas, respectively.

On agriculture, Gbande said he distributed a truck load of 600 bags of NPK and Urea fertilizer to farmers in order to boost their agricultural activities for consumption and commercial purposes.

The former chair of Benue State chapter of the NULGE has also empowered 150 women with cash grants to the tune of N3 million, distributed over 310 sewing machines to women and the Department of VTE at the College of Education, Katsina-Ala. He also provided welfare packages to youths and the less privileged in Sankera Federal Constituency.

Gbande claimed he was also able to facilitate financial grants to the tune of N15 million to his constituents. He distributed truck loads of grains and confectioneries as palliatives during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gbande

He added that he facilitated the employment of six constituents in some federal agencies, in addition to lobbying for the restoration of suppressed polling units across Sankera Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission before the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

Gbande: Giant Leaps of An Effective Lawmaker FROM AUSTINE JOR, MAKURDI

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omrade Richard Gbande, a lawmaker representing Katsina-Ala / Ukum and Logo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, is a tested union leader who rose through the ranks to become thwe National Vice Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees in Benue State. He was elected to the Nation Assembly after two attempts in 2019.

A well grounded politician, Gbande went to the National Assembly with a clear-cut agenda on what he intends to do for his people, a conviction he left no one in doubt as he canvassed for the position.

Since was sworn-in in June 2019, Comrade Gbande has continued to impact on the lives of his constituents both on the floor of the Green Chambers and in reaching out to them towards alleviating their day-to-day problems.

It is on record that upon getting to Abuja, Gbande initiated a motion for the rehabilitation of the Katsina-Ala Bridge which had become a dead trap at the time. The motion that was agreed and adopted by the house, which directed that the bridge be rehabilitated.

It remains to Gbande’s credit that the Federal Government acted swiftly by awarding a contract for the rehabilitation of the bridge. Work on the bridge, according to findings, is nearing completion.

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Still in the milestone of his legislative acumen, the lawmaker has also sponsored and co -sponsored other motions that were subsequently passed into law by the National Assembly.

Given the high-level insecurity in his constituency (Sankera), Gbande never stood aloof as he brought the issue on the floor of the National Assembly with a view to drawing attention to the insecurity in the constituency, whose economic mainstay (agriculture) has been shattered by the activities of local militias.

Only recently, Gbande briefed his constituents as demanded of every responsive lawmaker. The event took place at the Government Technical school Zaki-Biam and it was graced by a large number of people, most of who expressed joy over his decision to come back to appreciate them over their magnanimity towards him throughout his political outings.

Presenting his score card, Gbande mentioned the construction of a classroom block with a VIP toilet at Tongov Community Secondary School, Amaafu in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area; the construction of three classroom blocks with VIP toilets at RCM Primary School, Zaki-Biam in Ukum Local Government Area; the construction of a 500- capacity examination hall and a VIP toilet at Tombo Community Secondary School, Ayilamo in Logo Local Government Area; as well as the construction of six classroom blocks and a VIP toilet at

During the briefing, the lawmaker announced an annual scholarship of N250, 000 each to five undergraduate students to be paid annually throughout their studies. He also ensured that 400 students of tertiary institutions in his constituency benefitted from the Dr Richard Gbande’s Scholarship Scheme, which covers the 35 council wards of the constituency. He noted that disbursement of bursaries to the students had already commenced on April 30, 2021.

Gbande has to his credit 10 bills/motions/petitions, some of which includes the Federal University of Education, Katsina-Ala, Benue State Establishment Bill 2019 HB. 539. The bill seeks to upgrade the College of Education, Katsia-Ala to university status.

Other contributions of the lawmaker on the floor of the House include the Abattoir Regulation and Meat Inspection Bill 2019 HB 540. This is a bill seeking to regulate and control the consumption of meat in Nigeria. The second contribution is the Federal College of Education Technical Establishment Bill 2020, which was co-sponsored with Hon. John Dyegh of the Gboko Tarka Constituency. Also there is the National Tuber Crops Research Institute, ZakiBam, Benue State Establishment Bill 2020 HB.1131.

The bill seeks to conduct research on tuber crops for the purpose of enhancing their growth so that the nation will be self-sufficient in food production.

Gbande also claimed that he moved a motion for the urgent rehabilitation of River Katsina-Ala Bridge and the Yandev-Ugbema-Zaki Biam-Wukari Road in 2019. The bridge is almost completed at the moment.

Other motions include the investigation of the Nigeria Port Authority’s alleged involvement in the non-remittance of N8 Trillion in the Federation Account and the rehabilitation of the Katsina Ala-Tordonga-Harga-Gawa-Takum Road, to be captured in the 2022 Budget, among others.

Speakers at the event include Senator Gabriel Suswam; Chairman of Ukum LGA, Stevie Ayua; and the Chief Whip of the Benue State House of Assembly, Thomas Mlamga. Traditional rulers and other guests all applauded the lawmaker for having achieved so much within a short time at the National Assembly.

THEWILL observed that the constituency briefing was preceded by a peace meeting which addressed the security concerns in the area.

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Ojezua

Ikimi

Obaseki

POLITICS

Obaseki Moves to Hijack Edo PDP

BY AMOS ESELE

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overnor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state and the Peoples Democratic Party are embroiled in a faceoff that may result in their parting of ways if the crisis generated by the governor’s move to dissolve the exco of the party is mishandled.

The Chairman of Edo State PDP, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, had on Tuesday petitioned Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP national chairman, to stop Obaseki from carrying out his alleged plan to dissolve the state executive.

According to Aziegbemi and Hilary Otsu, Secretary, the move by Obaseki was insincere as the intended harmonisation of the party in the state was hatched with some big wigs, namely, Chief Tom Ikimi, Mike Oghiadomhe and Charles Idahosa, without the knowledge of the leadership of the party.

They, therefore, asked the national leadership of the party to stop the governor, adding that if he was genuine in his decision, he should replace the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu and Secretary to the State Governor, Osarodion Ogie, with PDP members.

THEWILL investigation shows that the current crisis is a recent development of a deepening crisis that started in December last year shortly before the former state chairman of the All Progressives Congress and a fierce loyalist of the governor, Mr Anthony Ojezu, defected to the PDP with about 15,000 members.

At that time, the governor had showed no inclination to appoint his exco ostensibly on the grounds that he wanted to run a lean government following the toll the ravaging Corona Virus had taken on finances globally amid the crash in oil prices, the country’s mainstay and the funding of his re-election.

According to a story published in the December 2020 preview copy of THEWILL Newspaper titled, ‘Obaseki, PDP On Collision Course,’ Obaseki and the Peoples Democratic Party were at loggerheads over appointments into the former’s cabinet.

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The newspaper had reported that the governor had a disagreement with the party over the choice of key officers to be appointed.

Speaking with THEWILL at the time, Aziegbemi had conceded to the position and disclosed that things would be sorted out by February 2021. But Obaseki, as reported, was buying time to accommodate his APC loyalists.

Now the proverbial chickens have come home to roost.

Sources say the governor is uncomfortable with the PDP exco while, “his APC people are floating.”

Speaking with THEWILL, former APC Chairman in the state, Ojezua said the position of the PDP was uncalled for.

He said, “I think the letter is uncalled for. There was no need for it. If a personality as critical as the governor were to join a political party, it is expected that the configuration will be adjusted to accommodate the governor and the people coming with him. The governor is an institution. That is what the Constitution says. He dominates.”

When asked if that equates to wanting to take over the structure of the accommodating party, Ojezua retorted, “That is a natural consequence of his defection. That is what happened when the PDP admitted governors into their fold. It happened in Bauchi, Sokoto and Benue States. The only difference in Edo State is the timing. As at the time, he (Obaseki) defected to the PDP, it was close to his reelection and there was no time to address the situation. Now that we have all collectively won the election, we should collectively share in the victory. PDP is the oldest surviving political party in the country. Whatever they do will depend on negotiations.”

of Governor Obaseki as governorship candidate of the PDP. Ikimi said, “In the PDP, I happen to have served in a special committee that handled such negotiations recently and it is indeed, a breakthrough to receive such high-calibre members.

“A state governor or leader joining your party will only do so if, among other things, he retains his status quo.

“All state governors who have relocated have done so in a joint ticket as governor and deputy governor. And the equitable sharing of structures is fundamental in the exercise.

“Retaining the tradition of the party, the governor, as soon as he becomes a member of the party, assumes the role of the leader of the party in the state.

“The state chairman and the state exco should from then on operate in consultation with the governor.”

In a swift reaction, the PDP, in clear terms, debunked his position where he stated that governors who defected always took along their deputies.

In a statement entitled, ‘The Inflated Ego of Chief Tom Ikimi Deflated by His Actions,’ the party said: “Stunned by the tone of the state exco’s letter to the national leadership of the party, Governor Obaseki reportedly conveyed a meeting of the State Working Committee in Government House in Benin-City, the state capital, and appealed for understanding, adding he was taken out of context. Moves, it was learnt, are afoot to resolve the face-off.

Ojezua added that he did not need to discuss the matter with Aziegbemi, although they were still on speaking terms, because it was between him and the governor.

“Party Chairman, Dr Aziebgemi, who had agreed to speak after the reported Wednesday meeting between the exco and the governor, later changed his mind and refused to answer repeated calls to his phone, apparently to continue the discussions with the governor in camera.”

Chief Tom Ikimi, one of the key chieftains of the party in the state who is sympathetic to the move by Governor Obaseki to dissolve the exco, told THEWILL that his press statement had captured what he had to say on the matter. His reaction is similar in context with Ojezua’a position except for the restatement of his personal involvement in the emergence

Following Aziegbemi’s refusal to constitute his cabinet since the governor was sworn in on November 10, 2020, there is an indication that more trouble awaits the party in the days ahead. The recent move to dissolve the exco and accommodate his APC loyalists may be the beginning of the crack in the relationship between the party and the governor.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

Cooperation Between Govt, Public Will End Insecurity – Yakasai In this interview with AYO ESAN, second Republic politician and founding member of Arewa Consultative Forum , Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, speaks on issues of national importance. Excerpts:

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hat is your reaction to the worsening security situation in the country?

We need to ensure there is cooperation between the Federal Government and the citizens.

They need to cooperate and work out how to solve this problem. I believe the problem can be solved.

I know there is insecurity in the country, but then it has not overwhelmed the country. This is because despite the tension generated many markets are still open and I see a lot of people going about their normal business undisturbed. I am not aware of any market being closed because of insecurity. But I have seen that all the 774 local government councils are working. The Federal Government itself and the states are still working. None of these institutions has stopped working because of the worsening security situation.

When you say Nigerians should put heads together, do you mean the government should organise a fresh national conference or national security summit?

I won’t support a fresh national conference. Why? Because I know there are people who don’t want this country to stay united. Although they are in the minority, they are pursuing that agenda with seriousness. Fortunately, they have not been able to take total control of the country. These same people have enjoyed and are still enjoying a lot of benefits from Nigeria, yet they are bent on destroying the country. They have gained so much from Nigeria, but are not willing to give back to the country.

Many of the things going on in Nigeria nowadays happened during the crisis in Rwanda. For example, the media in that country were inciting one tribe against another. Eventually, war broke out. The people started fighting one another. We had to go there to restore peace.

About half a million people in Rwanda lost their lives during the war. After the international community PAGE 12

Yakasai

Nigeria is facing many challenges at the moment, no doubt. What we need right now is a synergy between the public and the government. We have no other country to go to. God has given this country great strength. We have the largest concentration of black people in the whole world. So, what we need to do is put our heads together and find a solution to this problem.

intervened, they people now realised the need to come together and work out solutions to their problems. I have heard that nowadays if you go to bed anywhere in Rwanda and you leave your doors open, nobody would enter your house. If you forget your handbag somewhere, either in a shop or in a bus, you will get it in the same place where you left it or at the nearest police station. We can create a similar situation in Nigeria.

The younger generation of Nigerians ought to be very careful. The future of this country belongs to them. I am talking about those in their 30s, 40s, even 50s, who still have about 50 years or more to live on earth. They are the people that are trying to foment trouble in the country. If they keep causig trouble, they certainly will not live the rest of their lives in peace. Nigeria is their only country. No other country will accept them when things really go wrong. No THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW country in the world will be willing to accommodate 200 million people as refugees. So we better unite to restore sanity in our country.

it, I just can’t remember. Let him remind me, as a friend, what it was all about. I don’t want anybody to mislead you, the younger generation, by saying that we agreed on restructuring at one time. I am older than Adebanjo. May be this is why I tend to forget things easily now. Being a younger person, he should remind me of how we came about adopting restructuring during our conference.

How do we put heads together?

Unfortunately, the Muhammadu Buhari Administration has only two years left. The administration has spent six years doing what it thinks is the best, but its best has not been good enough for the country. My opinion is that government can make mistakes. If we had been patient with the leadership of the country in the First Republic and given them time, Nigeria would have been far developed.

Some groups in the South-West are agitating for secession from Nigeria. What is your take on this?

Everybody, whether in the South-West, South-East, South-South, North-West, North-East or NorthCentral, needs Nigeria. I know the South-West is one of the richest parts of the country. If, indeed, it is the richest part of Nigeria today, it owes its wealth to all Nigerians. Some of the people want to carry the riches and run away. We will stay here together and rebuild this country. Let’s come together and build a country where we can live together peacefully.

We should not elect people because they happen to be from our tribe or we happen to like their faces or names. The basis for electing them should be their programmes. We should be sure they have what it takes to solve our collective problems. Then we could begin to think of how to restore sanity to the country. I can assure you that with prudence and hard work, we will be able to achieve peace, harmony and prosperity for Nigeria.

How do you assess President Muhammadu Buhari’s government?

I believe the Muhammadu Buhari Administratio is doing its best, but its best is not good enough for the country. That is my assessment.

President Buhari always talks about fighting Boko Haram. Of course, one of his campaign promises was to eradicate the Boko Haram insurgency.

Unfortunately we are having more problems in the country. We now have the problem of kidnapping and ransom taking, among others. The problems have simply multiplied, yet the President has not been able to solve them and change this country for the better.

Some people believe that restructuring the country is the only way to solve these problems. Do you agree with this?

I am not impressed by those who are talking about restructuring. For over 20 years now, they have been talking of restructuring, but not one of them has come up with a programme of restructuring in Nigeria.

Anybody who wants the country to be restructured should give us a plan on how to go about it.

Nigerians should not be carried away by mere sloganeering. We should demand that those calling for restructuring should come up with programmes good enough to convince us that they will take this country to a higher level. I am not in support of restructuring. I am for a programme that will deliver the country from its current challenges and make it better.

The All Progressives Congress came up with the slogan, ‘Change.’ Every Nigerian supported them without asking what they planned to change. Now, tell me, what changes did we see in Nigeria? Is it change for the better or for the worse? We have moved from fighting the Boko Haram insurgency to tackling a host of security challenges in the country.

So, I don’t want people to take Nigeria for a ride, in terms of slogans. Restructuring is a mere slogan.

Let it be defined. Let us know the black and white THEWILLNIGERIA

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Yakasai

In the future, no Nigeria should support the aspirations of any political party except it shows proof of concrete programmes. Political parties should come out with sound agenda on how to address the challenges facing this country. We should not support them until we are sure that they are capable of solving our problems.

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Nigeria is facing many challenges at the moment, no doubt. What we need right now is a synergy between the public and the government. We have no other country to go to. God has given this country great strength.

of restructuring. What will it look like? What and what are we going to restructure? I will not support anything that I don’t know. Let me know what it entails, then I will make up my mind, whether to support or oppose it.

Chief Ayo Adebanjo said you all agreed on restructuring before the 2019 general elections.

How true is this?

Adebanjo is my junior brother and a colleague. We have known each other for over 70 years now. I know him very well. So let him explain, especially to the media, how we reached an agreement on restructuring.

Tell him I have forgotten what we discussed about restructuring. It’s not that I deliberately forgot about

Are you saying the idea of secession should be abandoned?

You and I know what happened when some people tried to secede from this country. The majority of Nigerians want to stay together and they will join forces to fight whoever that wants to secede from Nigeria. You know history, nobody can destroy Nigeria peacefully. When anybody is thinking of secession, he is thinking of war. Such a person should know that the whole country will come together to fight him in the same way, the whole country came together to fight Ojukwu when he wanted to secede. I can assure them that that is what is going to happen.

If they don’t believe me, let them try it.

Do you believe in zoning of the presidency? Which zone do you think deserves to produce the president in 2023?

To tell you the truth, I was a member of the National Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic. It was the NPN that introduced zoning and rotation into Nigeria’s political vocabulary. Let me tell you, I am proud of my participation in the NPN. It was the first political party that brought everybody together.

The NPN didn’t belong to the Yoruba, the Igbo or the Hausa. It belonged to everybody. We were all equal partners in the NPN. But you asked me about 2023 presidency, whether it should be zoned to a particular place. Let me tell you the truth, I am tired of the American presidential system of government. I am proposing the French system.

In the French system, they have the President and the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister heads the government and the parliament forms the governnent.

In case the members of the parliament are not satisfied with the performance of the government, they can bring it down through votes of no confidence by a simple majority. I think this is what is better for Nigeria.

So, I prefer Nigeria adopting the French system of government. I know we are thinking of changing the constitution. I hope they will do that, so that this country, whether we love it or not, move forward. The mindset of whether it is North or South will be taken care of.

With the French system of government, if the president is coming from the North, the Prime Minister will come from the South or vice versa. There will be peace and harmony in the country, as well as synergy and more team work. This is what this country needs to move forward.

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MAY 16 - MAY 22, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

EDITORIAL NIN-SIM Linkage and Endless Duplication of Biometric Data Base

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he Federal Government has extended the deadline for the integration of the National Identification Number and the Subscriber Identity Module to June 30, 2021. This is the seventh extension since the exercise was unveiled in midDecember, 2020: First, there was a two-week deadline, which lasted December 30, 2020 and really rattled Nigerians. It was later shifted to January19, 2021 and then, February 9.

Another extension of the deadline to April 6 was announced through a court order; followed by May 6, then June 6 and now June 30, 2021. These multiple deadline extensions and the chaos initially witnessed at the NIN registration centres across the country betrayed the Federal Government’s unpreparedness for such a sensitive exercise. Indeed, the ugly scene aired on the nation’s television stations, which also went viral on social media, was a huge national embarrassment. It also exposed a government that claimed superior capacity in managing our national affairs.The world was shocked that Africa’s largest economy could not execute biometric data capturing of her citizens in a seamless manner.

The amazing negligence prompted a court action instituted by a human rights lawyer, Monday Ubani, in February, which led to a two-month extension to April 6, 2021. Ubani had argued and the court agreed that a short deadline would lead to a rush and clustering of people at NIN registration centres, thereby exposing them to the corona virus.

Like an action taken before thinking, government has decentralised the NIN registration by licensing the network providers and other private sector outlets. While the exercise is said to be free of charges, Nigerians are being extorted and forced to pay between N3,000 and N5,000 per registrant at various centres.

It is worrying that Nigeria has witnessed unending search for a database for over three decades, coupled with endless duplication of biometric data schemes.

Initially, the harmonised and digitalised driver’s licensing system introduced by the Federal Road Safety Corps in 1989/1990 was to create a biometric data base for the nation. Indeed, the Commission was empowered to keep records of all registered vehicles, licensed drivers and motorists in the Central Data Bank and make it accessible to sectors on request.

Another database was later initiated by the Nigeria Police Force – the Central Motor Registry for particulars of motor vehicles and their owners. This was later jettisoned after it created an avenue for corruption and extortion by the enforcement agencies.

Thereafter, the “reform” of the new vehicle number plate meant to enhance the database and check car theft emerged. The Bank Verification Number followed. The BVN, it was declared, would solve multiple biometric-related problems beyond banking transactions.

The Independent National Electoral Commission also introduced the Permanent Voter Card – as a biometric data base to solve the dearth of functional personal identity data. This was after the SIM registration exercise, supervised by the Nigerian Communications Commission at the cost several billions of naira, had seemed ineffective. The government was optimistic that the SIM registration would tackle the security challenges in the country. But the opposite turned out to be the case.

The new national identity card initiated by the Goodluck Jonathan Administration in 2002 was later suspended for an enhanced version. At the launch of the all-purpose plastic ID card in September 2014, Jonathan gave the assurance that the card would be targeted at solving many identity-related issues, noting that it would be used as ATM card, voter card and ECOWAS travelling ID card, among others.

He also observed that a number of government agencies, from the Police to the INEC had embarked on their own separate ID card schemes, adding that the plan was to eventually include details such as driving licence, health insurance, tax and pension information on the single card.

“The regime of duplication of biometric databases must now have to give way to harmonisation and unification with the e-ID scheme, which shall be the primary database,” Jonathan had said.

But President Muhammadu Buhari shunned the $3.5 billion National e-ID card project on assumption of office in 2015. The exercise eventually resumed with new challenges that further slowed down the process.

At the budget defence session concerning Diaspora Data in October 2019, the Director-General of the NIMC, Engr Aziz Aliyu, told the House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs that the agency could register only a quarter of Nigerians for the National Identity Card, because of inadequate funding by the Federal Government.

He said that for the commission to register all Nigerians, it would have to set up 10,000 registration centres across the country and consequently, require adequate funding from the national budget.

There are still large crowds at the local government headquarters and other registration outlets in the states where power and interconnectivity remain a challenge. The case is worsened by the decision of the Joint Matriculations and Admissions Board to make NIN a requirement for this year’s UTME registration.

The FRSC has also been asked to link driver’s licence holders’ data to NIN, a process that has created hardship for many applicants as the FRSC records showed that applicants’ data are being muddled in a manner that makes retrieval of their particulars difficult.

It is not certain how June 30 deadline will bring the exercise to an end.

We had in our earlier editorial urged JAMB to relax the requirement of NIN for this year’s UTME registration until next year. There are reports that the exercise is not fluid and efficient in many parts of the country because of epileptic power supply and poor interconnectivity.

We are also urging the Federal Government to extend the NINSIM linkage to the end of this year. This will allow the system to accommodate all those to be captured. The exercise should be further decentralised. The challenge of poor connectivity especially in the rural areas should be addressed.

However, the National Identity registration should be a continuous exercise. Adequate facilities and competent hands should be provided for the NIMC.

Let Nigeria’s endless search for permanent biometric database come to an end.

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AUSTYN OGANNAH

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala News Editor (Online) – Felix Oboagwina Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @THEWILLNG +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com] PAGE 14

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OPINION Why State Responsibility is The Basis For Patriotism

BY SEUN AWOGBENLE

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he other day, I participated as a guest analyst in a programme broadcast on one of Nigeria’s leading television stations. I was very delighted to speak on the politics of 2023 and youth activism, as we count down to what is most likely going to be the most consequential election in our recent history.

Let me quickly add, that in my roughly six years of policy analysis and social commentary across major platforms in Nigeria and beyond, including the one with BBC World Service, that outing should rank as one of the most insightful I have had.

The anchors were brilliant, their questions cut across the role of young people, my latest advocacy for Nigeria’s vision and how young people could galvanise the numbers to influence election outcomes.

I recall that the first question I was asked, which must have triggered this intervention, borders on what young people are doing at present to decide the outcome of the next general election. Although it was very thoughtful, I thought to myself that the focus now should be more about what the country is doing for young people and maybe not what young people are doing for the country.

What I meant is quite simple. For too long, we young Nigerians have put up with other people telling us that we are not doing enough for the country. Some of these people have even chosen to blame us for the country’s failings. For a long time, I used to think that, perhaps, we have not done enough.

But God bless the day I got convinced that young Nigerians have never been the problem. The real problem has always

been about a country that has failed to meet even the most basic needs of its younger generation, yet demands absolute patriotism from them.

It is the reason why a set of people, whose opinion I now take exception to, are those telling us not to “think about what Nigeria can do for you, instead think about what you can do for Nigeria.” I have come to see those people as not only disingenuous, but also very dishonest. How do you ask us not to think of what the country can do for us? The country owes the people, especially the younger generation, a lot.

If you are a young person reading this, never allow anyone to manipulate you with that twist and heap of guilt. It is a statement that is used to reinforce oppression and even divert from the real issue. This means that government has a major role to play in our lives.

When people claim that young people lack patriotism, I tell them that is a very uncharitable thing to say. Patriotism has never been a given anywhere in the world. Patriotism has always been first about the commitment of government to provide and protect its people. This is very fundamental.

I read somewhere that between December 2020 and May 2021 more than 600 school children across the country have been abducted. Some of them were released after ransom was negotiated and paid, while others lost their lives (may God rest their souls and comfort all those who mourn). At least, I remember the case of the Greenfield five, who were recently murdered. They were young people in their prime whom the country failed to protect. The other day in Akwa Ibom, a promising young woman and job seeker, Iniubong Umoren, was murdered in cold blood. Most of us, including myself, are yet to recover from the shock of that classic act of inhumanity.

How can you demand patriotism when there are 23 million unemployed young Nigerians and the underemployment rate is perpetually rising? How can you demand patriotism when at least 13 million children are still out of school? How can you talk about patriotism when the purchasing power of the average Nigerian is low, inflation is rising and the prices of food items have shot up astronomically? How can anyone demand patriotism from young people when our lives are endangered and we have become prey to kidnappers, bandits, hoodlums and terrorists?

State responsibility has been and will continue to be the basis for patriotism. It is true that I am one of the biggest proponents of a united Nigeria. I recall saying on TV that the people who propose secession may have lost their minds. My argument is that all of us have already invested so much in Nigeria to think of living outside it. Personally I can’t think of spending the rest of my life outside this country. I want to remain a Nigerian, but Nigeria must do better than this.

I am glad that my new book, which will be announced in a few days, has also explored some of these vital arguments and will be followed by an inter-generational dialogue to strengthen mutual understanding between the old and young, particularly the political leadership and young people. What we need is an inter-generational cooperation. We must all come together across all ages to identify a common way forward.

There is no doubt about what we can achieve as young people, but everyone must understand that patriotism is not a given; it is earned. Earned because it is first the result of the firm commitment of the state to prioritise its people and make them the primary purpose of government.

Tackling Youth Unemployment

BY TIMI OLUBIYI frica’s youth unemployment problem has been the subject of so many debates in recent years because of its prevalence in Africa. The youth unemployment rate simply refers to the percentage of the unemployed in the age group of 18 to 35 years as compared to the total labour force.

In Nigeria, for instance, the unemployment rate is often higher than the overall African average due to the country’s total population. According to reliable data, over 60 percent of the Nigerian population is made up by the youth. However, the majority of these youths are equally vulnerable and out of any significant social welfare system. This situation also exists in many African countries, such as Namibia, Angola, South Africa, and Mozambique, to mention a few.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many economies and necessitated the high unemployment rates in many countries. Many workers, who were lucky to escape the initial fall-out from the pandemic, are still likely to either lose their jobs or experience salary cuts, drops in the value of their real incomes, even redundancy. In fact, the combined consequence of COVID-19 and youth unemployment is severe and damaging to any nation.

With the negative impact of the pandemic, particularly on economic growth, it is inevitable that the unemployment and poverty rates will go further up and they might even be on a steady path of increase, if no meaningful step or measures are taken.

With the current realities, job opportunities for Nigeria’s teeming youths continue to wane due to increase in population, inadequate qualification and the depressed economy. However, to avoid a likely surge in the crime rate and criminality, which is a direct consequence of unemployment; participation in sporting activities should be encouraged among youths by governments and policymakers.

The participation of young people in economic and social areas will be of great significance to the overall development of many countries.

African countries need to see sport as both business and a way to promote healthy living among their citizens. Sport is one of the easiest avenues for young men to quit the poverty lane and unemployment. It is important to note that with sports, the youths can become athletes and be gainfully employed. Besides, there will be more job opportunities and commercialisation on the continent for companies, investors, talent scouts, agents, coaches, referees, trainers, sports analysts, media companies, facilities management companies, sport wear manufacturers and merchandisers.

A good sporting environment will equally encourage partnerships between corporate companies and sporting

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entities, as observed in situations where stadiums bear the names of companies and sponsorships deals with company logos appear on athletes’ clothing and equipment, and so on, in the developed countries around the world.

Studies have shown that sports can provide a reduced risk from alcohol use, smoking, terrorism, criminality, and illicit drug use amongst young people versus those who do not indulge in sports.

That said, in the world today, it is quite challenging to estimate the exact number of sports or games around the world. However, a reliable report has shown that there are more than 8,000 sports in the world. Yet, there are roughly 200 sports that have international recognition through a reliable international governing body.

Nonetheless, the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of sports, has only validated 28 sports as of 2016. To give a general idea of some of the most participated sports using available data from the Olympics, we have adventure Sports (kayaking, canoeing), aquatic sports (swimming, bodyboarding), strength, and agility sports. (aerobics, gymnastics), ball sports (baseball, basketball, football), mountain sports (climbing, cross-country cycling),and motorised sports(formula racing).

Most of these sporting events are seen as lucrative career options and in most developed countries, so much effort and resources are channeled into it. From a European perspective, sports-related employment represents a significant percentage of total employment on the continent.

The amount of investment and cash that several sports stars earn around the world is mind-blowing. Excellent examples from Nigeria are Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua Nigerianborn British boxer (World heavyweight boxing champion), who commands more than £30 million for every fight.

This is apart from several endorsements he enjoys. Another athlete is Divine Oduduru, the second-fastest African athlete earning around N180 million yearly. Nigeria’s top table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, has started the year 2020 as the 18th best player in the world and doing well with the sport. Likewise, John Obi Mikel, Odion Jude Ighalo, Victor Moses, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Osimhen are earners to reckon with in football. In the ultimate fighting championship and kickboxing career, the following Nigerian-born individuals Kamoru Usman, Isreal Adesanya, Sodiq Yusuf and Kennedy Nzechukwu are active and dominant in the sport.

According to the National Basketball Association, four of the players are of Nigerian origin. They are Al-Farouq Aminu, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chimezie Metu, and Josh Okogie. Interestingly, these sportsmen get additional income from endorsements and sponsorship deals all over, which leads to additional millions of dollars in earnings. This situation is not only applicable to Nigerians, but also to other well-meaning African nationals. The point is that money

will always flow to areas where the masses have focused attention, such as sports, particularly football, basketball and boxing.

Similarly, available data from Forbes Magazine indicate that some of the wealthiest athletes in the world are Floyd Mayweather (boxing), Tiger Woods (Golf), Lionel Messi (football), Christiano Ronaldo (football), Conor McGregor (kickboxing), Neymar (football). It is imperative to state categorically that most of these athletes probably never registered any startup business to gain prominence, but they are undeniably talented in what they do because of consistency and dedication.

While talents are essential, a lot of seriousness, concentration and motivation is required from athletes to become successful. Energy can be channeled into mastering and pursuing careers in several sports, just like we have seen in the entertainment and the music industry. Without a doubt, it could lead to a strong sports culture and competitiveness in both domestic and foreign markets.

Admittedly, sport is a veritable outlet that can offer a proactive solution to youth unemployment in Africa. This is because sporting skills can be learned and developed.

Nonetheless, policymakers, sports associations and government need to make decisive and responsive policies to encourage robust youth participation in sports and learning programmes. If a more professional approach is adopted in the sports industry, government will benefit from it and consistently generate income.

The various sports associations should be designed to run professionally with a competent governing board, just like any major global corporation. This will ensure adequate structure to guarantee adequate followership, which eventually will lead to huge sponsorship, great athletes and substantial marketing revenues, among others. So many stakeholders -fans, advertisers, TV stations, investors, and collaborators can equally benefit. Many of the functions within the sports industry are service-based, which means it will be a labor-intensive industry.

In conclusion, sports can make positive contributions to the development of any country. Sports can also help to promote a healthier lifestyle amongst youths. Governments can develop sport policies and situate community hubs across cities to bridge the unemployment gap, where young people could come and improve their sporting skills and become professional athletes. I see a tremendous opportunity for African countries and their citizens if they can adopt these principles, begin to design systems around sports and create well-paying jobs for millions of young people.

Dr Olubiyi is an entrepreneurship and business management expert.

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MAY 16 - MAY 22, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

Declining Oil Revenue: Time for Purposeful Agric Sector Reforms

FMDQ Admits Coronation MB, MTN, FSDH On Platform

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Experts Canvass Harmonised Reporting of Nigeria’s Mutual Funds PAGE 34

Cape Town Treaty: Nigeria’s Exclusion from Benefits Worries Experts

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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Mshelia said “We recommended that N500 billion should be set aside by the Federal Government in 2013, as a leasing company for local operators to access and bring their planes in.

xperts and stakeholders in the aviation industry have explained Nigeria’s exclusion from the benefits of the Cape Town Convention, a treaty that offers tremendous operational and financial benefits to member operators. They advise that the anomaly be corrected to boost Nigeria’s wobbly aviation sector.

“The lessor is supposed to be Nigerian leasing company. So we will be paying here. All the income will be domiciled here and it will help to strengthen our naira. It will be only parts and training that we may be worrying about. If we intensify our things properly, we can even have our trainings reduced to Nigeria as we have all the airplanes simulators here”, the pilot emphasised.

It was noted that almost 15 years after adoption, airline operators in Nigeria’s aviation industry are yet to benefit from the Cape Town Convention signed on November 16, 2001, which later became effective on March 1, 2006.

Explaining further, Capt Mshelia lamented that some African countries were able to set up such facilities simply because Nigeria did not put its house in order. He noted that such facilities, which are now domiciled in one of the East African countries, should have been set up here in the country because Nigeria is where the market is.

Among other benefits, the Convention was designed to reduce some of the risks associated with aircraft finance and leasing transactions, as well as potentially broaden credit options available to borrowers and reduce interest rates.

ADVANTAGES TO AIRCRAFT FINANCIERS/LESSORS For a financier or lessor (each one a creditor), the virtues of the 2001 Cape Town Convention bring speed, certainty and cost savings to repossession, deregistration and export of aircraft, helicopters and aircraft engines (aircraft objects). This should be on insolvency or other default where the aircraft object is in a country whose laws would otherwise not be creditor-friendly.

The convention also protects creditors’ interests in aircraft objects by providing for the registration of “international interests” in those aircraft objects at a single, web-based, “International Registry” that is open 24/7; subjecting those interests to a simple priority regime.

For airlines and other aircraft operators, Cape Town’s virtues are that improved creditors’ rights can translate into better pricing. For example, airlines in states that have implemented Cape Town’s Alternative A insolvency regime – with a “waiting period” of 60 days – have achieved impressive pricing on their capital markets financings of aircraft.

Confirming that Nigeria had not benefited from the agreement, Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt Musa Nuhu, said it was due to the fact that most airline operators in Nigeria were not complying with the requirements. He said the issue of aircraft lease had remained one of the major challenges to airlines in the country.

Nuhu said, “Nigeria is not benefiting very well because we have cases where people go and lease aircraft and come to Nigeria.

They don’t pay and they don’t want to release the aircraft. So it creates a bad reputation for the Nigerian market.

“That is why I tell you, when you do such things it is not about one person; you are damaging the reputation of the country. So

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Capt. Nuhu

Since it was concluded in Cape Town, the primary aim of the Convention and the protocol is to resolve the problem of obtaining certain and opposable rights to high-value aviation assets, namely airframes, aircraft engines and helicopters which, by their nature, have no fixed location.

when you want to lease aircraft, they will tell you to return it when it is due. When you go and bring one court injunction, you damage the reputation of the whole country. It is damaging. Since I came, I have successfully dealt with three cases with Cape Town Convention.”

Narrating his experience in the past one year as NCAA DG, Capt Nuhu said there was an airline that took some engines and never wanted to return them. He also cited another case in which a helicopter was seized and he had to fight for its release.

He said, “There was a helicopter that was seized, we fought for it and they released it. There was an aircraft that we let go. If we don’t do that people don’t feel safe allowing their equipment into your country. Even if you are doing it, you pay excess and you pay a premium on the ongoing market rate and whatever profit you think you are going to make is wiped off”.

To bridge the gap and for local airlines to survive and keep afloat in their flight operations as it concerns aircraft leases, experts have suggested a situation whereby the Federal Government sets up aircraft leasing company, up to the tune of N500 billion, which will eventually solve the problem of aircraft lease in the country.

In his reaction, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, the Chairman of West Link Airlines, noted that a situation whereby airlines would be looking for dollars to pay for their lease was not desirable. He added that since local airlines operate in naira, they should also pay in naira.

Meanwhile, agreements between aircraft lessees and lessors had always had difficulties with airline operators in Nigeria. The bone of contention is usually the issue of maintenance. With about N25 billion spent annually on aircraft maintenance by local carriers, one of the major challenges is the financial capacity of the operators to service the equipment as at when due.

Over the years, airline operators have been groaning due to high cost of aircraft maintenance. For instance, to carry out comprehensive C-check on an aircraft, it ranges between $1m and $2m (N470m to N940m), depending on the scope of work.

Investigations have revealed that about 70 aircraft are flown by eight scheduled operators in the country at the moment, just as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has imposed a calendar limit for a C- Check at every 18 months. With this kid of situation in mind, aviation experts have continuously called for an MRO facility in Nigeria.

The Chairman, Ex-workers of Nigeria Airways, Engr Lookman Animashaun, lamented that Nigeria lacked an MRO because the country had not been serious about having it.

The aviation expert said, “Honestly, I must tell you that we are playing to the gallery. If truly we are serious as a nation, we should be having an MRO by now. We should have built on what we had in Nigeria Airways then, rather than liquidate it.”

Animashaun stressed that without a sustainable MRO in the country, the industry would continue to experience capital flight.

He stated that in most cases when aircraft is due for heavy maintenance, it would be taken out, whereas there is no foreign exchange to carry out the maintenance.

“The aircraft will remain there and the next we are going to hear about it is that it can’t be sent to Nigeria. That is one of the reasons we are having low capacity in the industry as of today,” he said.

On the way forward, he urged the Federal Government to build MRO facilities now. “If this is done, nobody will regret it because there is work for them throughout the year,” he added.

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ECONOMY/AGRIC

Declining Oil Revenue: Time for Purposeful Agric Sector Reforms

BY CANIS OPARA

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he challenges arising from Nigeria’s overdependence on oil have brought to the fore the urgent need to diversify the economy through agriculture as the nation’s revenue challenge worsens.

The talks about agriculture sector reforms have filled the media space over the years. It is high time the nation moved to actualise the scheme through purposeful and aggressive actions in that sector.

Beginning of A Smooth Journey of Pains Oil, which was first discovered in 1956 in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State, has since the 1970s, when it created a boom in Nigeria’s economy, remained the mainstay of the nation’s economy contributing about 80 percent of her revenue. This is by no means a small impact. It suggests that the economic development we have recorded as a nation since then, including the building of Abuja as the nation’s capital (from a virgin land), is attributed to oil.

As a result of the oil boom, Nigeria now depends almost solely on the commodity as the source of her foreign exchange earnings. Money generated from oil is used to finance about 70 percent of the country’s annual budget.

Indeed, everything regarding foreign exchange earnings and spending in the country revolves around oil, thereby placing the country on the perils of a mono-economy.

Today, Nigeria is the largest oil producing nation in Africa and 11th in the world, exporting mainly to Europe, Asia and America.According to reports, Europe has been Nigeria’s main trade partner of crude oil, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the export value of crude oil to Europe amounted to about N853 billion, approximately 2 billion U.S. dollars.

Overall, the exports of crude oil experienced a sharp fall in the second quarter of 2020. The country’s economy was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the period. Oil prices experienced a sharp fall due to an attendant low demand amid the country’s decreasing daily crude oil production.

Counting the Cost Rather than being a blessing to Nigeria, oil is now seen as a curse. The managers of the country’s resources have continued to mismanage the proceeds, leaving the citizens to wallow in abject poverty. The result includes dilapidated road networks, no electricity, poor health care facilities and a poor educational system. To worsen the situation, there is a high unemployment rate and galloping inflation, coupled with the hydra-headed insecurity challenge across the country. Protests and agitations for better welfare are frequently registered virtually in every sector of the economy.

Unfortunately, Nigeria’s over-dependence on the commodity has made her so vulnerable to any price shock in the international oil market. In the last decade, the country experienced two recessions between 2014 and 2020

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“The recent COVID-19 pandemic also impacted severely on Nigeria as oil price dimmed in the international market, contracting government revenue to the effect that allocation to the three tiers of government dropped sharply” THEWILLNIGERIA

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which created untold hardship for the citizens. This was mainly as a result of oil price shock in the international market which resonated at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted severely on Nigeria as oil prices dipped in the international market, thus contracting the nation’s revenue in such a way that allocation to the three tiers of government dropped sharply.

During this period, Nigeria recorded low oil sales in the international market as prices of crude crashed to the lowest point per barrel, making the country to witness a drastic reduction in foreign exchange earnings, as already highlighted.

Nigeria’s crude oil production was reported at 1,481.000 barrel/ day in March 2021. This is an increase from the previous figure of 1,474.000 barrel/day for Feb 2021. All the same, there is little to cheer about this because the figures remained on the low level.

Similarly, available data from relevant sources shows that from April 2020, Nigeria’s oil production continued to be on the decline– from a record high of 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in April 2020. Since then, it has been on the downward trajectory to as low as 1.3m bpd in November 2020 and 1.3m bpd in January 2021. It managed to climb to 1.4m bpd in March 2021.

Time for a Shift

The low figures, largely due to COVID-19, aggravated the concerns of citizens, who pointed out that the country cannot continue to depend on oil for her foreign exchange earnings and to grow the economy. They agree there should be a paradigm shift.

Furthermore, there are fears that many of the industrialised countries that import Nigeria’s oil are beginning to look for alternative supply sources to power their plants and drive their automobiles. The coming of electric cars, which will have no need for fossil fuel, is a pointer to the fact that Nigeria’s oil will soon witness less patronage in the international market. Indeed, there are reports that some countries have started developing cars that run on electricity, targeting between years 2030-2050 for its actualisation.

Additionally, the Department of Petroleum Resources has advised the Federal Government to intensify the search for other sources of revenue as it predicts a total depletion of the nation’s oil reserves in 49 years at the current level of production.

Then, the Question With all this in perspective, the question then will be what steps is the government taking to shore up the economy without oil in the coming years? There is no choice other than to diversify the economy towards a strategic agricultural reform that targets industrialisation, employment and backward integration.

Other areas to explore include aviation, textile, mining, information technology, telecommunication, manufacturing, tourism and many others. But agriculture remains a priority because of its strategic position in our economic development.

The emphasis on the agricultural sector is mainly due to its value chain. Again,the country is blessed with vast arable land and good weather for cultivation of crops. This makes the way for mechanised farming fluid. Mechanised agriculture will enhance productivity, create employment and boost foreign exchange earnings.

Obviously adequate focus on agriculture will also ensure food security in the country and conserve foreign exchange spent on food importation. It will provide raw materials for local manufacturers and for export as mentioned.

When job increase occurs, it will lead to development in other sectors through its value chain. This was the case in Nigeria in the 1960s, prior to the oil boom. The agricultural commodities that sustained the economy then still abound today. They include cassava, yam, cocoyam, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea and groundnut. Others are cocoa, oil produce, cotton, groundnuts, ginger and sesame.

Similarly, potatoes, rubber, shea-nut, cashew nut, groundnut, guinea corn, cowpeas, rice, corn have maintained their relevance. The country should shift attention to these commodities to boost employment, earn revenue and begin the process of industrialisation.

Data, and Data It is on record that agriculture played a crucial role in pulling Nigeria out of the last recession. For example, Crop Production’s GDP grew in the 4th quarter of 2020 by 3.42 percent compared to 1.39 percent in the previous quarter -- nearly double quarter-on-quarter.

From Q3 of 2019 to Q4 2020, the contribution of the agric sector has been hovered between 29-26 percent. In Q3 2019 it was 29.25 percent,and thendropped to 26.09 percent Q4 2019. In Q2 2020 it went down further to 24.65 percent, Q3 2020 witnessed the highest rise to 30.77 percent and dropped again to 26.95 percent in Q4 2020. This shows that the potential is still there.

Adding value by processing before export will boost revenue earning of the country. This is where the Standards Organisation of Nigeria comes in to certify and ensure that these processed crops meet international standards to compete favourably in the international market.

Nigeria could take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area to penetrate the African food market. Relevant previous and current programmes meant to boost agriculture should be revisited and the necessary reforms introduced. The focus should be to boost local production, feed manufacturing companies, fill the relevant value chain gap, and meet international standards for export.

However, before Nigeria can reap the benefits of this agricultural revolution, efforts must be intensified to address the lingering infrastructure deficit, such as poor electricity and bad road network. Engaging technology-based windows to address storage, processing is imperative. Of course, development of human capital along that line should be part of the paradigm shift.

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BUSINESS NEWS Experts Canvass Harmonised Reporting of Nigeria’s Mutual Funds

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inancial experts have observed that if Nigerian funds want to play in the international league, they need to adopt a standard form of reporting.

The observation was part of the deliberations held recently during a virtual media Briefing on Coronation Asset Management Mutual Funds Report, titled “Comparing Mutual Funds: Apples and Oranges; Why Harmonised Reporting Is The Next Step Forward”.

Speaking at the briefing, in his welcome address, Managing Director Coronation Asset Management Mutual Funds, Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede affirmed that Nigeria needs a standard form of reporting for things to work out in the future.

L-R; Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, Sifax Group, Mr. Bode Ojeniyi; General Manager, Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja, Mr. Janse Van Rensburg; Executive Director, Strategic Planning, Sifax Group, Wumi Eniola-Jegede, and Managing Director, Mac-Folly Hospitality Ltd. Mr. Chike Ogeah, during a press conference to announce the opening of Lagos Marriott Hotel in Ikeja , Lagos on 11/5/2021.

Exclusive: NNPC Gives New Crude Lifting Contracts To Vitol, Levene, Sahara, 23 Others

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he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has awarded the highly coveted crude term contracts to 26 trading companies made up of both international and local trading firms, according to a list seen by THEWILL. Duke Energy, Sahara, Oceanbed Trading, Vitol, Levene Energy, Oando, Bono Energy, Mocoh Energy, BP Oil and West Africa Gas Limited are some of the approved traders who submitted bids for the contracts and were awarded deals.

The contracts, which were issued last week to the winners, are for a period of two years 2021 – 2023.

The other beneficiaries are Emadeb, Litasco SA, Petrogras Limited, AA Rano, Hyde Energy, MRS, Matrix, Brittania-U, Masters Energy, AMG, Casiva, Barbedos, Mercuria, Trafigura, Hindustan, Petramina.

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The companies are expected to lift at least 1 million barrels of crude per day out of the country’s output of around 1.5 million barrels per day due to OPEC+ cuts.

On September 2, 2020, the NNPC invited local and international companies to bid to lift Nigerian crude oil and condensate.

The tender document said refiners, companies forming part of a government-to-government arrangement, global crude oil traders and “indigenous Nigerian companies engaged in Nigerian oil and gas downstream activities” could apply.

THEWILL checks further revealed that the NNPC also gave government-to-government contracts to the following countries according to the compilation seen by THEWILL - China, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Niger, Senegal, Fiji, Turkey, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone and India.

Corroborating Aig Imoukhuede, Head, Research, Coronation Asset Management Mutual Funds, Guy Czartoryski also advocated for a proper reporting system in the sector.

He said ‘harmonising the reporting of Nigerian’s Mutual Funds is a necessary step to creating Unit Price data and helping industry to achieve its potential.

Czartoryski equally advised that Nigeria needs to adopt Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS), noting that very few Nigerian fund managers apply GIPS at the moment. With GIPS, Guy said many investors across the world would have access to data that is comparable to thousands of fund across the world “GIPS opens the way to the future. It has to be a long term goal because introducing GIPS is expensive and takes time to enforce”, Czartoryski said.

On Mutual Funds gaining ground in 2020, he added “Last year market interest rates fell precipitously, with the yield on a one-year Nigerian Treasury Bill (NTB) falling from 5.40% in January 2020 to 0.15% in early December 2020.

It was difficult for investors to get good rates of interest from their bank deposits.

According to him, initially investors turned to Money Market funds, which are the biggest segment of the Mutual Fund industry. Later on, Czartoryski noted that they turned to Fixed Income funds because some of these were reporting good Unit Price gains during the year as interest rates fell and bond prices rose.

FMDQ Admits Coronation MB, MTN, FSDH On Platform

MDQ Securities Exchange Limited has approved the quotation of the Coronation Merchant Bank Limited ₦0.71 billion Series 13 and ₦14.13 billion Series 14 Commercial Papers (CPs) in March 2021, and the ₦1.41 billion Series 15 and ₦20.19 billion Series 16 CPs in May 2021, both under its ₦100.00 billion CP Programme, on its platform.

This is just as the Exchange approved and admitted for quotation of the MTN Nigeria Communications PLC ₦19.77 billion Series 3 and ₦53.74 billion Series 4 Commercial Papers under its ₦200.00 billion Commercial Paper Issuance Programme on its platform.

In the same vein, the Exchange equally approved the listing of the FSDH Funding SPV PLC ₦7.05 billion Tranche A and ₦4.95 billion Tranche B Series 1 Fixed Rate Bonds (“the Bonds”) under its ₦30.00 billion Debt Issuance Programme on its platform. FSDH Funding SPV PLC is a special purpose vehicle set up to raise capital from the Nigerian debt capital market for FSDH Merchant Bank Limited.

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Commenting on the completion of the commercial papers quotation, the MD/CEO, Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, Banjo Adegbohungbe, stated, “we are delighted at the successful issuance and subsequent quotation of the Bank’s ₦0.71 billion Series 13 and ₦14.13 billion Series 14 Commercial Papers. This transaction further underscores the confidence of investors in our brand and entrenches our continuous leadership in the use of market instruments to create shared prosperity for all stakeholders”.

According to Adegbohungbe, the timely admission of these CP issues, and in general, all securities on FMDQ Exchange, is a testament of the efficiency of the FMDQ Exchange securities quotation process.

Also, the Chief Financial Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Modupe Kadiri, stated that “MTN Nigeria is very pleased with the success of our series 3 and Series 4 CP issuances, which further diversify our funding sources, help to optimise our finance cost and strengthen the Nigerian financial markets. The issuance was well received by the market, with strong participation from a diverse group of investors, signifying the market’s continued confidence in

our business. By quoting these CPs on FMDQ Exchange, we are able to provide investors with a strong platform for liquidity and price discovery. Proceeds from the issuance will be deployed towards the company’s working capital and general corporate purposes”.

Speaking on the successful issuance of the Bonds, the Director, FSDH Funding SPV PLC, Mr. Adekunle Awojobi, stated that “we are pleased about the successful ₦12.00 billion capital-raise under the FSDH Funding SPV PLC’s ₦30.00 billion Debt Issuance Programme.

The bond issue is the first series under the programme and comprises two Tranches (Tranche A & B) of subordinated and senior bond notes, each with a 5-year tenure.

“The listing of the bonds on FMDQ’s platform will help provide visibility and enhance the liquidity of the bonds. The net proceeds of the bond issue will be used to fund the growth of risk assets of the Sponsor, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited (the “Bank”). A portion of the bond issuance will serve the dual purpose of shoring up the Bank’s Tier 2 capital, in line with its Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process”, Awojobi said.

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NEWS XTRA Local Partnerships Not Viable For Security Crisis – Envoy

FROM UKANDI ODEY, JOS

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lobal partnership of World Powers, rather than local and indigenous options, have been identified as viable alternatives in combating on-going security challenges in Nigeria.

Saying the on-going security problems in Nigeria are “massively complex and no partnership is going to resolve such multiplicity of problems”, the British Envoy and Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, while answering questions from newsmen, also said Nigeria’s security problems are not just about intelligence and security and military structure, but are linked to issues such as society, humanitarian support, and education.

Former Emir of Kano. Sanusi Lamido-Sanusi, leading Eid-el-Fitr prayer at Murtala Square in Kaduna on 13/5/2021.

A’Ibom Police Parade Suspected Murderer of Job Seeker •I Have Lured Six Girls -Suspect

FROM UDEME UTIP, UYO

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kwa Ibom State Police command Friday May 14th paraded the suspected killer of the 26-years old Iniuobong Umoren, Uduak Akpan even as he has confessed to the crime and having lured and raped six girls in the pretext of offering them employment.

The suspect who was paraded alongside his father, Mr. Francis Akpan at the Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia made the confession while answering questions from journalists.

Mr. Akpan who confessed that he tricked the deceased to his village in Nnung Ikono Ufio, Uruan LGA,in the pretext of offering them employment said he has done the same thing to six girls but denied killing any other victim apart from the latest.

He claimed he had a mutual understanding to have canal knowledge of the victim saying that she only insisted on the use of condom, adding after condom was brought the deceased turned violence and started beating him.

Akpan, a 200 level student of Public Administration, Obong University, a private institution in Akwa Ibom state, said he had to use stabilizer on her in self defense, adding that he wouldn’t mind if justice takes it full course on him “What happened was that she came for the supposed job interview.

I decided to used a reverse psychology on her. I told her whether she can work in a farm that hard drugs are kept as a secretary. She

said that he can that she was ready to work. When she came I told her thi s farm doesn’t exist’ that is was just a hoax. “ I told her that before we could even start I would like to have sex with her and she agreed but she gave a condition that I should use a condom which I agreed. While I removed the condom she became furious and picked the nearby stabilizer to hit me on my head. She bit my left ring finger.

“While I was bleeding, in a bid to stop her, I used the stabiliser also and hit her. And when I hit her she fell there after she died,” “Initially, I used reversed psychology on her. I have had very bad experiences with runs girls and prostitutes. I asked whether she can work in a farm that hard drugs are kept and she accepted. She even told me she took marijuana and cocaine .

“I felt that that was the best way to revenge for the runs girls and prostitutes. I used to patronize prostitutes but now I don’t. I have six girls before in the name of giving them jobs.

“I am not happy about what has happened. But the commissioner of police has assured Akwa Ibomites and the entire world that justice will take its course.” .

His father, Frank Akpan, a retired Civil servant denied knowledge of the crime until he was invited by the police, even as he admitted that the house in which the murder was effected is his own.

Asked to comment on the kind of justice he expects in the case, Mr Akpan stuttered and said “I’m not happy about what my child had done. I don’t even believe this can happen to me after I had sent them to school, tried to bring them up. Yea, justice can be done if the system so permits.”

Diri Donates Bus to Bayelsa Muslim Community

FROM DAVID AMOUS - OWEI, YENAGOA

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ayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has commended the Muslim community in the state for supporting his administration’s anti-grazing law.

He gave the commendation on Thursday when he hosted Muslim faithful in Government House, Yenagoa, to mark this year’s Idel-Fitri celebration.

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, quoted the Governor as saying that he was pleased with the participation of the Muslim community prior to the passage of the Bill and the subsequent enforcement of the law.

He stated that the Anti-Grazing Law was not against any ethnic group but to ensure peace and order in the state.

The Governor particularly thanked them for joining hands with government, citizens of the state and adherents of other religions THEWILLNIGERIA

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He said “as one of the key reasons why partnerships will not work in resolving the problems”, the issues of society, humanitarian support, and education must be re-appraised and factored into policy and programming of counter terrorism.

It will be recalled that the Advent of British ‘sphere of influence’ in Africa for trade interests and territorial rights identified five uniquely different “societies” that eventually became “Nigeria” under British colonialism.

According to the British Minister for Africa, some nonnegotiable values such as autochthony, ethnography, demography, economy, and religion are critical in determining a new, peaceful, and harmonious Nigeria, noting that the earlier amalgamation of Nigeria along mutually exclusive treaties had their shortcomings and time bombs, and that could be the bane of local partnerships to counter insecurity in Nigeria today.

“Cultural Education Will Ensure Peaceful Co-existence”

BY AYO ESAN

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Cultural Ambassador and Chief Executive Officer of Asa Day Worldwide, Prince Olaniyi Oyatoye has said that there is the need to promote cultural education to sustain Nigeria economy and create peaceful co-existence in the country.

In a release he issued and signed Friday , Oyatoye said cultural education can not be ruled out, if we want to achieve peace in the world saying the promotion of culture could be used to empower the youths .

He said it is for this reason that Asa Worldwide in conjunction with the Oyo State Government is organising a One Day festival tagged ‘ Asa Day 2021’ to promote Nigerian cultural heritage.

to keep the peace and ensure mutual coexistence.

He said the event will hold in Ibadan on Friday, May 21, 2021 and will have as its theme : “Let’s use our cultural heritage to revive our economy”.

He said: “I like to commend you for your peaceful disposition throughout this period of fasting and prayer. I like to also appreciate and commend you for supporting and helping the government to keep the peace in Bayelsa State.

Oyaniyi said the maiden edition of the festival was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and had in attendance, Nigeria’s first class monarchs, cultural ambassadors; Yoruba actors and actresses as well as Representatives of Canadian Government.

“I recall that even when we sent the Executive Bill to the House of Assembly on the burning issue of open grazing, you were part of it. You participated even at the level of the committee for the public hearing.

He said the festival is aimed at bringing international outlook to Yoruba heritage, promote Yoruba culture to attract more investors and encourage tourism to give recognition to Africa heritage.

“When issues arise, you have never taken them to yourselves to seek help from other sources. You are always law-abiding either to the Constitution of Nigeria or the laws made by the government of Bayelsa State. You were holding meetings before and after the Bill was signed into law. The law is not against Muslims or anyone in our society but to ensure that we live peacefully and that there is order and mutual respect for the various parts that make up Bayelsa.”

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“ The festival is also aimed at promoting the establishment of cultural institution and Yoruba Cultural Museum in Manitoba, Canada”, he said in the release..

“2021 Asa Day will feature Lecture and Symposium by Prof.

Adedotun Ogundeji, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan; Empowerment of Youths; Cultural, fashion and language display . It will also feature awards to major players and promoters of Yoruba culture”, Oyatoye said.

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L-R: Dep Inst lGen Adm Ilom Ign on Con

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

President Muhammadu Buhari (m); his wife, Aisha, and children, after Prayers to celebrate 2021 Eid-d Fitri, held at the State House on 13/5/ 2021.

President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda (2nd left) and his wife, Janet, welcomes Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of Nigeria (right), to the 6th inauguration of Museveni at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, Uganda on 11/5/21.

L-R: President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Ambassador (Prof.) George Obiozor; Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dr. Pascal Dozie, during Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s courtesy visit to the governor at Lagos House, Marina on 13, 5,2021.

Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodimma (centre); Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof Placid Njoku (3rd left); Prince Alex Mbata (3rd right); Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu (2nd left): Chief Henry Njoku (2nd right), and other Dignitaries as Governor Uzodimma Commissions the Prince Alex Mbata Road in Owerri 10/5/2021.

L-R: The top 5 of 11 contestants, Nigerian Idol season 6: Emmanuel Elijah; Akunna Okechukwu; L-R: Cima Sholotan, Director, Sustainability and Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria, and Mr Dotun Deloye; Faith Mac, and Comfort Alalade, durig the Nigerian Idol Top 11 Meet & Greet, at the Ramon Kolawole Salako, Snr. Special Adviser to the Deputy Gov. of Ogun State at the graduation ceremony of 100 beneficiaries from the IHS Project Empower initiative in Ogun State on 10/5/2021.

Ikeja City Mall, Lagos on 9/5/2021. Photo: Peace Udugba.

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INSIDE:

•NNPC Boss Tackles Petroleum Minister 40 •Reno Omokri Abandons Wife In America, Welcomes New Baby With UK Based Lover 40

BOB MANUEL UDOKWU Multi-Talented Thespian THEWILLNIGERIA

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Government Has Failed Nollywood – Bob Manuel Udokwu

Bob Manuel Udokwu carved a niche for himself after playing a role in ‘Checkmate,’ a television soap that graced the screen in the 1990s. His impeccable role interpretation and acting skills made him to stand out in the movie industry. In 2014, he made a detour from the movie industry when he got appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano on Creative Media, (Movie/Entertainment industry,) a position he has pursued with vigor and enthusiasm. In this interview with SHADE METIBOGUN, he speaks passionately about the state of the nation, the entertainment industry and sundry issues. Excerpts:

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ou once contested for a seat in the Anambra State House of Assembly under the All-Progressive Grand Alliance, but didn’t win. What happened?

The party’s leadership told me that of all the people aspiring for the position in my constituency, I was the best-known candidate.

They said I was the best person to put forward because they knew I would make a difference. But I didn’t get enough votes to be given the party’s ticket. Those who pretended that they were standing with me disappointed me. So I picked up, dusted myself and moved on. The governor was magnanimous enough to return me to office because I was already an appointee of his government before the primaries. I had to resign my appointment to go and vie for the State House of Assembly ticket. Some political appointees did the same thing and were immediately replaced, but he was magnanimous enough to give me back my portfolio as the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Creative Media (movie/entertainment industry).

How do you assess your tenure as SSA to the governor?

Prior to my appointment, entertainment was not given priority.

What people used to know as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was changed to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Indigenous Art Works, Culture and Tourism, in order to encompass all the aspects of the creative industry. In 2017, for instance, (Easter Sunday to be precise) we had one of the biggest and innovative concerts ever in Nigeria. We had top -10 pop bands of the 1970s in attendance. They list included Sweet Breeze, One World, Apostles, Funkees, Aktion, Foundars 15, Wings, Semi-Colon, Soky Ohale and Dan Ian with Wrinkar Experience. They performed live at Ekwueme Square in Awka which is like the Tafawa Balewa square in Lagos, just for you to know how big the concert was. Most people don’t know that the pop bands of the 1970s are still alive and playing good music.

They were all assembled in Awka to play on one stage. There have been many shows and events in entertainment that has been going on in Anambra State. A lot of entertainment hubs are springing up all over the state. There is a tremendous boost to the entertainment industry as practitioners and creative people of Anambra origin have since gotten busy.

Why haven’t you considered collaborating with the Actors Guild of Nigeria to produce great feature movies on Anambra State?

Anambra State is always in partnership with the AGN. Although movie making is a business venture, the government has also

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created an enabling environment for it.

You have been exposed to government and its activities. Will you say your perception of government and governance changed when you became an SSA? If you are outside government circles and you are looking inside, you will have a different perception about governance.

But when you are inside, you will begin to see the actual way that government machinery functions. That is why people complain about bureaucracy in government. For instance, if you are applying for financial assistance from government, it takes a long time because there are several huddles to scale. So many offices and officers are given the responsibility to handle your request. But in the private sector, once you meet the Chief Executive officer of an organisation and he buys into your idea, he would do whatever you want because he has the authority.

He does not work for anyone. It doesn’t work like that in government. There are many checks and balances. I wish people can change their perception of government and governance. I wish they can understand that government work is not what you can achieve with the snap of the fingers. There is a processes to follow. Unfortunately, in Africa, it is slow and difficult to achieve results fast.

Many Nigerians believe that politics is dirty. Based on your experience, would you say this is true?

It is unfortunate that people say such a thing. Politics is not dirty. It is the people who engage in the act of politics that are, perhaps, dirty. There is always lack of trust among political actors. The human mind has a capacity for a lot of mischief. And like they say, you don’t have permanent friends or enemies in politics, only permanent interests. A lot of people are there for their own personal interests and gains. I have been there and I

have witnessed that, first hand. People will speak with you in the morning and smile with you, telling you that you are the best; but before afternoon, they will switch over to another person entirely. I told you about what happened to me when I decided to vie for an elective position. That is a firsthand experience from people who pretended to be working with me. They may just be the people working against you. The experience gave me the opportunity to really prove that human beings cannot really be trusted. But it has made me a better person in terms of understanding how the politics of this country called Nigeria works. What I don’t like about Nigerian politics is the issue of unethical attacks on individuals. Those who feel you stand a better chance of succeeding will descend to the gutters. They make up all kinds of lies against you and in today’s world of social media, people can stay in one small corner of their room, cook up incredible lies against you and put them on social media. You know many people love bad news. If providence smiles on you and your trajectory in life begins to go up, nobody wants to see that. Even if you put it on social media, they will just look through and move on. But if there is tragedy or negative stuff about you, a lot of people will become excited.

This is one aspect that I find unsettling.

If you have the opportunity, will you vie for an elective position again?

Of course, yes. You see, the people who are there are not better equipped educationally or more experienced than I am. The truth is that the process of selection of those who represent us in public life in Nigeria is seriously flawed. You find people, who are not competent enough to manage public affairs, I charge because they have the financial muscle to push their way through whatever means and foist themselves on other people.

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What I don’t like about Nigerian politics is the issue of unethical attacks on individuals. Those who feel you stand a better chance of succeeding will descend to the gutters. They make up all kinds of lies against you and in today’s world of social media, people can stay in one small corner of their room, cook up incredible lies against you and put them on social media

Your appointment denied your fans the privilege of seeing more of you in the movies. Isn’t this true?

My appointment did not affect my appearance in the movies.

My appointment came in 2014. By that time, decline had already started in Nollywood. Today, I wonder how many of my class, A-list movie celebrities, that you see in movies every time. Since the decline in movie productions, which is more noticeable now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Nollywood practitioners have been out of work. Our job is a person-toperson job. It involves body contact and that is something to avoid due to the pandemic. It is only now that vaccines are available that people are beginning to produce movies again.

Secondly, my portfolio in government is SSA on Creative Media, with emphasis on the entertainment industry. If I don’t go out there to know what is happening in Nollywood, how can I make an impact with that portfolio to actualise the vision?

What are your plans for the future now that your principal’s tenure will end soon?

My career is not tied to the government. It is the other way round. The governor realised the impact that I have made in my own industry (like other political appointees) and decided to make me a part of his government. Besides, I run away from discussing my plans and the things I do because we are in a society where people steal each other’s ideas without blinking an eye. I have done something like that before, revealed my plans for production and events that I wanted to handle and before you put your things together, somebody else is already running away with it! I don’t want to do that again. Suffice it to say, there is so much to be done both in terms of the creative industry and in terms of being part of the political establishment of my state and my country.

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Would you say the changes that Nollywood has undergone between that period and now has been for good?

Nollywood is less than 30 years-old. I wonder why people compare it to Hollywood which is more than 100 years-old.

There was no Nollywood when we started. It is the job that we were doing in the film industry of Nigeria that gave rise to that name Nollywood. If you talk about the early days of moviemaking like when we did Living In Bondage, Circle of Doom, Taboo and all that, things were done more professionally and a lot of people were involved in production. If they were not professionally equipped, they probably would have been attached to performing theatre groups and they would have been trained on areas like television production for a long time. So there was professionalism. Don’t forget that back then, there were no cell phones. But we were able to communicate with the production teams and all concerned. Things were done properly almost by the book. Unfortunately today, professionalism has been thrown to the dogs. All kinds of characters are now practitioners in the industry. You will find out that people long to see the people that were in the movie industry from the beginning. People looked at our films with nostalgia unlike what is happening today. The people you see in front of the camera today are hardly trained. They have no knowledge of script interpretation, character analysis, internalisation, lines delivery and vocal modulation, not to mention acting. These people go through all kinds of shortcuts to land roles on movie sets. You find people who didn’t go to school at all and they can’t read scripts properly. They can’t tell bad English from good English, yet you see them in front of the cameras. These are forced on the viewing public who really don’t have a choice or who may feel that they don’t have a choice.

I will also say that government has failed Nollywood in terms of support. When you hear that government wants to support the entertainment industry, it is on camera, television news and in newspapers. If they tell you that millions of naira have been earmarked for the movie industry, make an attempt to access the funds and let us see what happens. It is all talk and no actions.

Making motions where there is no movement and so the public is left with wishy-washy productions. People are attracted to the industry because there are no jobs anywhere. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the entertainment business is not where you ask for certificates. It thrives on performance. Nollywood is being sustained, right from the beginning to date, by private entrepreneurs, businessmen and women who risk their personal money to invest in the film industry. Now they also have to look for profits. Therefore, if Bob Manuel Udokwu charges N1.5 million, for instance, for a film and puts up a great performance, all will be well and good. The same executive producer will look at using that sum of money to get five additional artistes and churn out a wishy-washy production just for his company to be seen as one that is still producing films. Who loses in the end?

It’s the viewing public that is shortchanged. Even those younger ones who are coming behind, people with genuine talents, don’t see role models like us to help them to hone their own skills.

Comparing the industry in the early 1990s when we started till now, I see a huge gap. The quality of production, in terms of performance, has dropped. And that is referring to the human input. Now, in terms of technology, it has advanced so much.

The quality of pictures that we have nowadays is great. There is state-of-the-art equipment, which doesn’t cost a lot of money, that is being used today in movie production and production of musical videos. In terms of technical input, Nollywood has come a long way. There is serious improvement technically.

How do you think some of these challenges can be tackled, with regard to artistic decline in the movie industry?

The answer is just to give core professionals the enabling environment and encouragement to bring in their training and experience and share it during production. That is all.

What happened to the reggae songs you once recorded through Orits Wiliki?

Music has always been part of me. It is just that people don’t know that aspect of me. Some of the songs were written a long time ago. When I checked through my song book, there were many that I wrote more than 20 years ago. I was beginning to make some consultations for the videos of one or two tracks when the lockdown came. That is what delayed the official release. It is something that has always been with me by nature. I am not one that talks about what I want to do. I just want people to see it when I do it. That is what performance is all about. It is performing art, it is not written and it is not learnt. If I had not done the recordings and I mentioned Orits Wiliki, people will be like “what is he talking about”? Last year, one or two DJ’s asked me to give them some of the recorded songs to play for my birthday and I obliged them. As soon as I do one or two videos, I will officially release the entire album.

Let us talk about the state of the nation. What is your view on recent events in the country?

I am surprised that my fellow entertainers are not speaking

up. The country is gradually dying and if nothing serious is done about it, the country is moving irreversibly towards self-destruction. The bloodshed in this country is up to high heavens. How can anybody be talking about entertainment, sports or even any other field when the country is on edge? You can’t travel safely anymore to any part of the country through any means. Just one tiny ethnic group, incidentally where the President comes from, is terrorising the whole country. Why? And the body language of the Federal Government is to shield these people. If we can’t call them terrorists, the whole world has designated them as the fourth topmost deadly terrorist group in the whole world. I see that the country’s leadership and the northern elite are supporting these terrorists by their silence.

It might be in the name of Fulani herdsmen or Boko Haram.

Boko Haram is succeeding in their deadly mission to shut down schools through sheer terror. We were told that Boko Haram means “Western education is an abomination” in lslam. I have friends who are Muslims and they tell me it is not true. That aside, if that is actually the case in lslam, why is it that places like Qatar, United Arab Emirates, have become so advanced in western education and technology? What about Saudi Arabia, the birth place of Islam? Nigeria, a once promising country and the hope for Africa has allowed itself to descend to the level of Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia. Nigeria, due to bigotry, greed, nepotism and religious intolerance. The country has allowed itself to be overrun by Islamic terrorists and government seems to condone it. If there is no official connivance, why does the Army seem to be helpless against the terrorists? Once terrorists strike and kidnap people, they collect ransom and use the money to rearm and embolden themselves the more. More schools are shutting down in the North. Boko Haram is feeding on western education in this country. They kidnapped some students and demanded the sum of N100 million and 10 motor-cycles. What does that tell you? They will use the money to arm themselves and use the motor bikes to run through the bushes as they strike repeatedly. The cycle of violence, carnage, bloodletting and terrorism continues. If government officials are not complicit, how can you go to an educational institution, kidnap 300 students from their school and take them into the forest. With what means of transport?

And there is not a single police or military check point on the roads? State governors have been attacked in the North. They have been attacked in the middle-belt. What else do we need to see to know that the country is under siege from bandits, criminals, armed herdsmen, or any other fanciful names that authorities have chosen to give them? When you say that government is failing, they will call it hate speech. Everyday people are dying in this country. Life has become too cheap and meaningless here. Nigeria is not officially at war with any other country yet we have so many internally displaced persons, refugees much more than when Nigeria fought Biafra in a civil war! What does that tell you? Why would anybody in 2021 desire to supplant people from their ancestral homes, hoist their flags and plant their own people, with the aim of having a jihad so they can force those people into their own religion? And somebody is presiding over it? When you say that some people in government are sympathetic to terrorists and terrorist groups, you are branded an enemy of government and they would send operatives of the Department of State Security after you. The economy has already collapsed. Playing the ostrich wouldn’t get us anywhere and pretending that everything is alright will only make things worse. Things are so bad and expensive; people are living below a dollar per day in a country that God has blessed with almost everything. Why would a sitting president in a country that is multi ethnic, multi religious as Nigeria find only people from his own part of the country good enough to work for the nation. Not just people from his own part of the country, but also people from his own ethnic group. You can’t beat a child and ask the child not to cry.

What do you think should be done differently?

The president knows what to do. We all know what is right and what is wrong. Let me tell you, what we have now is military dictatorship in civilian clothing. There is no difference. I was a teenager when the current president shot himself into power through the military. I was aware of what obtained then. This time around, some of us thought that he would make tremendous difference and write his name in gold. Solutions have been proffered; the man knows what to do. There is an agenda which he is championing. Nigeria under his leadership is moving very fast towards self-destruction. We are not fighting any external enemy but today, Nigerians are more impoverished than during the civil war. Things are very tough for even the rich, not to talk of the poor. If I have the opportunity, I wouldn’t employ only the people from Anambra State in my cabinet. I wouldn’t employ only my relatives in my government. I wouldn’t send people to speak in favour or defend those who have been accused of showing sympathy for terrorist organisations. I wouldn’t tell people to live peacefully with those who come at night to murder their people and set their home ablaze. Those are some of the things I would do differently.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Reno Omokri Abandons Wife In America, Welcomes New Baby With UK Based Lover

NNPC Boss Tackles Petroleum Minister

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cold war brewing between the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, is threatening the foundation of Nigeria’s oil sector. The war has divided loyalties among workers in the nation’s cash cow, with some dancing to the tunes of Kyari and others interested in being in the good books of Sylva.

The bone of contention is obviously the disruption in the smooth operation of the NNPC, in terms of policy making.

Reports from very credible sources say the corporation now gets circumvented in some policy making decisions, which Kyari should ordinarily have an input in, with only the junior minister getting a say in such matters. Even the Department of Petroleum Resources, being the chief regulator of the oil industry that usually seeks the NNPC’s input on certain issues, has now resorted to bypassing Kyari and dealing directly with Sylva.

The NNPC boss, sources claim, is not happy about the development. A recent case in point is the mining licences

taken from Addax Petroleum and given to Emeka Offor’s Kaztec Engineering Limited/Salvic Petroleum Consortium.

Working in tandem with Sylva, the DPR had revoked Addax’s mining licences. It cited the company’s inability to comply with agreed targets, thus causing the country significant losses in revenue and jobs Prior to revoking the mining licences, both the NNPC, through Mele Kyari and the late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, were against the switching of the ownership of the mining licences. But following the death of the CoS, Sylva applied the necessary pressure and got the licences revoked and given to Offor’s company. Naturally, this didn’t go down well with Kyari. Thinking he has won the battle for this round of contest, Sylva unfortunately got a rude shock when the revoked licences were restored to Addax Petroleum, which is involved in a production sharing contract with the NNPC. Superior power play you may say. The last may probably not have been heard about the mining issue and we wait to see who blinks first between Kyari and Sylva.

Olori Sola Alao Gives Birth to Twins

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Oba and Olori Alao

hese are certainly the best of times in the household of Olori Sola Alao nee Adedoyin, as the former bank chief, now the Olori of Orile Igbon Kingdom, was recently delivered of a set of male twins nearly 20 years after she had her first son.

Sola, who gave birth to baby boys at Shady Grove Medical Centre in Maryland USA, couldn’t be happier at welcoming the children with her husband, who from all indications, has succeeded in bringing back the missing spark in her life.

At one point in her life, Sola, who is the daughter of wealthy industrialist, Chief Samuel Adedoyin, must have thought that the heavens had abandoned her as she battled a series of unfortunate events in her life.

First, she was diagnosed with breast cancer which compelled her to seek medical intervention outside the shores of this country.

No sooner had she returned to the country, than she became a regular guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the monumental fraud being perpetuated at her family’s bank, City Express Bank. She was eventually kicked out as the managing director/CEO and the bank liquidated. While that was going on, her only son was diagnosed with brain cancer that nearly terminated his life.

Shortly after the bank closed shop, Sola went into hibernation and never made any public appearance until the news of her second marriage to Oba Francis Alao, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon in Oyo State in 2017 was made public. Sola, who was previously married to a certain Mr Adeoti, a clergyman with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, before it ended, due to irreconcilable differences, didn’t think she would give marriage a second chance until she met Oba Alao, who swept her off her feet. Suddenly the heaviness that hung over her disappeared. She regained her groove and glowed from within. Oba Alao, who is the Deputy Chairman of Oyo State Council of Traditional Rulers, made her see life worth living again. With the arrival of her bundles of joy, one can’t deny that her joy is certainly full and overflowing.

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Reno & Tope Omokri

Kyari

Sylva

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hen a famous writer said that it is far better to be seen by others as only human with flaws, warts and all, than to be regarded as sanctimonious, when in reality, deceit is second nature to you – he must have had people like a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri in mind.

Or how else does one explain his pious projections on life and living when his personal life is the direct opposite of what he preaches?

Reno, who currently spends most of his time in London rather than the US where he is supposed to be based, recently welcomed his fourth child named after his former boss, exPresident Goodluck Jonathan. He had sent a photograph of himself, his new baby and a lady he identified as Hana, to a daily newspaper last week for a congratulatory message on the dedication of the child.

Reno, who claims to be a pastor/preacher posted the said publication on his social media page, thanking the paper for honouring him and his ‘wife’ with the publication. In the post, he deliberately omitted the woman’s name but referred to her as his ‘wife’. Well, Reno wasn’t being truthful and has been outrightly deceitful. His rightful wife whom he married in Nigeria in both traditional and Church marriage ceremonies before their relocation to the United States, is Tope Omokri nee Onuwaje, a school teacher in the city of Antioch, a small town in northern California, where they also live.

Two years ago he abandoned Tope for reasons best known to him.

They lived as man and wife in that city with their three children.

Reno, who recently initiated #harassbuharioutoflondon, was only able to do so conveniently because he absconded to London where his new partner lives, contrary to his narration of flying out to London from California for the cause.

He has allegedly refused to contribute to the upkeep of his family, one of whom is a special needs child. This is beyond absurdity for a man who claims to have single-handedly built an orphanage in Edo State and is always quick to donate money to other people in need. Even the Holy Bible, to which he often makes reference, describes a man who is unable to cater for his family as worse than an infidel.

A control freak, Reno allegedly subjected his estranged wife to emotional abuse for the better part of the 14 years they lived together. The former presidential aide, who is never short of opinion on virtually every subject on earth and everyone, including a recent statement about not having sympathy for single mothers except they are victims of rape or domestic violence, needs to reveal the full identity of the woman in the publication to the people he projects his self-righteousness to. Does he now have two wives? We sure know he has not divorced Tope because our reliable sources say they are still legally married.

So we ask! Why did he abandon his family in the first place?

THEWILLNIGERIA

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MAY 16 - MAY 22, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY SHADE METIBOGUN

Stella Damasus’ Third Marriage Crashes

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Damasus & Ademinokan

few weeks ago, Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus put up a social media post in commemoration of her 43rd birthday. She had a photo shoot to celebrate her day amid goodwill messages from her friends, colleagues and fans.

Despite the euphoria surrounding her celebration, insiders alleged that the mother of two didn’t have a perfect day as her husband, Daniel Ademinokan totally ruined her day by shunning the event.

Findings reveal that the handsome producer intentionally snubbed the social media space a day before Stella’s birthday and didn’t make any post until a few days after the actress had marked her birthday. Well, with this development, there is no mincing words that there is indeed trouble in their marriage and the duo are not giving reconciliation a second thought.

It would recalled that sometime in 2020 it was rumoured that the couple’s marriage had crashed and Daniel had moved out of their matrimonial home in Dallas to Houston, Texas with his son from his first marriage to actress, Doris Simeon. Despite frantic efforts made by friends to settle the rift between the two, it seems they are finally done with their union as they have both moved on.

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Uche Ogbodo & Lover

Uche Ogbodo Finally Finds Love With Younger Lover

ollywood actress, Uche Ogbodo may have just ended her search for her ideal man as she has finally found love after her many failed attempts at nurturing a relationship. The mother of one is giving love another chance with a much younger lover. And despite opposition from certain quarters, with regard to the age

Kehinde Oshadipe: Life After Twin Sister’s Death

of her lover, Uche has chosen to ignore the dissenting voices.

Uche’s current relationship seems to be quite deep and from the look of things, the couple is most likely to walk down the aisle soon. The new man in Uche’s life, Bobby Marris, is an upcoming music act in his late 20s, which makes him four years younger than the actress.

The lovebirds only dated for a few months before Marris put her in the family way. The actress is so happy that she has been singing his praises to high heavens and comparing him with the other men she has dated in the past.

Uche confessed that she dated older men in the past, but they all left her heartbroken and demoralised. This is the reason why she has decided to go the extra mile to ensure her relationship with Marris does not end the way the previous ones did.

It would be recalled that Uche was briefly an item with Apo Arthur a few years ago. They were so much in love with each other that many thought they had actually tied the nuptial knots. But she broke up with him when she was 10 months pregnant and after she realised that their relationship was built on lies and deceit. Today, the product of their romantic dalliance is a beautiful girl who is six years-old.

Yomi Gold Now Sells Goat Meat in America

hen gospel artiste, Kehinde Oshadipe’s twin sister, Taiwo Oshadipe, died more than six years ago, fans of the popular artist were worried sick that she might never recover from the loss. But it seems the lady of songs has proved them wrong and moved on with her life.

Kehinde’s recovery started after family and friends persuaded her aunt, who was based in the United States, to invite her for a brief stay. What was supposed to be a brief stay blossomed into a permanent one and eventual relocation to the US. Kehind was able to fill the vacuum created her sister’s passage by getting married and having her first child in April 2018.

The singer was delivered of her second child on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, 2021. Before the arrival of the baby, she was planning to give music which she had abandoned, another shot by going to the studio to record a new song in celebration of Mother’s Day. The plan was aborted with the arrival of her new baby.

The English Literature graduate from the University of Lagos appears to be enjoying life to the fullest with her new family.

But she often remembers her late twin sister and pays tribute to her on the anniversary of her death. Investigation conducted

by THEWILL revealed that she has been catering to the needs of Obama, her late sisters’ son who was placed in the custody of her relative after she relocated abroad. We learnt that she has been showering him with gifts and other good things of life. Kehinde has also, effortlessly bridged the gap the death of Obama’s mother created by playing a motherly role in her nephew’s life.

The Oshadipe twins were a force to reckon with as gospel and contemporary music artistes before Taiwo’s passage in 2014 after a brief illness. The latter became a regular visitor to the hospital shortly after Obama was born in 2013. The cause of her sickness was initially unknown until she tested positive for Lupus, a disease that affects the human immune system.

At first, Taiwo had recovered from the disease and was given a clean bill of health, but she suffered a relapse which unfortunately claimed her life in 2014. She gave up the ghost before her twin sister ferried her to the hospital.

As a result of Taiwo’s death, Kehinde took a break from singing. A few months after recovering from the shock, she tried to resuscitate her career. She released a tribute song titled, ‘Reflection,’ abandoned her music career soon after and started a non-governmental organisation, known as The Oshadipe Twins Initiative. The NGO organised a programmed tagged ‘Walk Against Lupus.’ It was an awareness campaign against Lupus, the deadly disease that killed her twin sister. She also birthed the Oshadipe Twins on Campus, a student lifestyle and entertainment programme and a dream she conceived with her sister before her death.

Yomi Gold THEWILLNIGERIA

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Kehinde & Taiwo

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omi Alore, popularly known as Yomi Gold, who left these shores a few years ago for the United States of America in search of the proverbial greener pastures, may have found a new calling which seems to be yielding more positive results than his acting career.

The truth is that Yomi now sells goat meat in the fabled ‘God’s own country.’ He is said to be so passionate about his new vocation that he is now jokingly being addressed as ‘Mr. Goat.’ Yomi also does not hesitate to tell whoever cares to listen that he is now a goat seller. He has even opened a social media page to fuel his hustle and he calls it “MrGoatUSA”.

Most of Yomi’s posts on social media nowadays dwell on his new business: How he moves from one ranch to another purchasing goats to be slaughtered and distributed. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he plies his trade, the father of two takes delivery of his goods around neighbouring cities.

Besides selling goats, the erstwhile actor also sells chicken and cows.

The news of his new trade has since generated reactions from some of his colleagues back home. Some of them have berated him for leaving his flourishing acting career in Nigeria and his job as chief executive officer of April Empire Television, a movie production and distribution company, and chose to sell goat meat in the US.

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MAY 16 - MAY 22, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

BY JOY ONUORAH

Why Etinosa Idemudia Cannot Stick to One Man

Etinosa

Williams Uchemba Makes A Debut With Mamba’s Diamond

of the most generous entertainers in Nigeria. He has been a pillar of support to many upcoming artistes who also rose to fame through his assistance. His success is reflected in the careers of the artistes signed on to his music label, DMW Records. The likes of Mayorkun, Peruzzi and Dremo have all enjoyed a robust career as a result of his influence.

UNICAL Student Tattoos Body With Ayade’s Face

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Nze, Jalade-Ekeinde and Uchemba

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he long-anticipated movie, Mamba’s Diamond, the first feature film by Nollywood actor, Williams Uchemba, premiered last weekend at a star studded event. The movie, written by Darlington Abuda and directed by Seyi Babatope, was shot at a real diamond mine in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is based on the story of two amateur thieves who hatch an unsuccessful plan to steal a car but end up with stolen diamonds worth millions of US dollars. The diamonds belong to a queen of the underworld and leader of a deadly cult known as the Black Mambas. This is Uchemba’s first movie production and one that features some of the brightest stars in Nollywood, such as Gabriel Afolayan, Osas Ighodaro, Williams Uchemba himself, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Jimmy Odukoya, Sam Dede, Ejike Asiegbu, Ayo Makun, Nancy Isime and Venita Akpofure. In the movie, Uchemba takes on his familiar comic character alongside Gabriel Afolayan.

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opular music producer and artist, Olumide Ogunade, a.k.a ID Cabasa, has described the news that Olarenwaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, was recently diagnosed with throat cancer in the United States as false.

Online reports had on Thursday claimed that Sound Sultan was diagnosed with throat cancer and hospitalised in the US, thereby attracting goodwill messages and prayers from his colleagues, fans, friends and well-wishers. In response to one of the messages, ID Cabasa cautioned music fans against spreading fake news about the singer. Meanwhile, the singer’s elder brother, Baba Dee, in a message to an online platform noted that although his brother was sick and currently recuperating in the hospital, he was not diagnosed with throat cancer.

Ayade

avid Adedeji Adeleke, aka Davido, has just clocked 10 years as a music artiste. The singer, who rose to fame after the release of his second single, Dami Duro, in 2012, may literally roll out the drums anytime soon to celebrate.

Davido’s rise to stardom, no doubt, has been remarkable.

Although he was born into a wealthy family, his highly successful foray into music was by dint of hard work and good planning. Many music fans who are close to the talented artiste know that he is very diligent and tenacious when it comes to making good music.

The singer is not only considered to be the most influential musician of his generation in Africa, he has also won several awards both locally and internationally in the course of his career. He recently appeared in the awardwinning movie, Coming to America where he performed one of his hit songs, Assurance.

Like most other entertainers, Davido has had his fair share of challenges and criticism. He has often been criticised for different reasons: for his songs, which many insist are not written by him; his choice of friends and association with some alleged anti-social groups; even for his lifestyle and relationship with the opposite sex.

Beside his flourishing career, Davido is regarded as one

ID Cabasa Debunks News Of Sound Sultan’s Ailment

Davido

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Davido Celebrates 10 Years in Music

Sound Sultan

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hen Nollywood actress and media influencer, Etinosa Idemudia, walked down the aisle in a secret wedding last September, many thought she had finally quit the spinsters’ club and settled down for good. However, judging by the latest gossip currently making the rounds, it seems the light-skinned actress is not cut out for marriage, after all.

The recent breakup of Etinosa’s second marriage to Benin-based lawyer, Ighorosa, has compelled many to ask what could be wrong with the Edo-State born actress. Etinosa is not new to controversy. She has been in the news a few times or more over issues like dancing naked in a live Instagram video shot by MC Galaxy; using the pages of the Holy Bible as an ashtray; openly flaunting her relationship with a lover younger than her by 10 years.

Perhaps it is safe to assume that the actress might be suffering from what looks like the psychological effect of what she experienced in her first marriage. According to Etinosa herself, her first marriage to Babatunde Solomon, a soldier, ended on account of domestic violence.

Bullying, intimidation and torture characterised the marriage, which took place when she was 22 years-old and lasted six years. Even after it ended, Solomon continued to threaten her until she called him out.

It appears that the series of abuses she faced may have contributed to her hasty decision to quit her second marriage.

Etinosa’s second marriage, which lasted only eight months, produced a daughter who is her only child.

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200 level Mass Communication student of the University of Calabar, identified as Miriam Ekeng, has joined the growing list of youths who have images of prominent people tattooed on their bodies. Ekeng, who recently had the face of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State tattooed on her back, says she did it in order to attract his attention.

A self-confessed admirer of the governor, she claims that she was motivated by his good works, which include the execution of some developmental projects that have benefitted many people in Cross River.

Ekeng’s greatest desire at the moment is to have a one-onone conversation with Ayade in which she hopes to make some contributions towards the overall development of the state.

THEWILLNIGERIA

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MAY 16 - MAY 22, 2021 www.thewillnigeria.com

ARTS Out of Life Comes Art

The House My Father Built by Adewale MajaPearce, Farafina Kamsi, Lagos, 2014, 175pp

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

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ome of the most gripping tales in fiction or non-fiction are those the writers experienced themselves, either personally or their immediate environment. Without a lengthy prison sentence, it is doubtful if Nelson Mandela’s A Long Walk to Freedom would ever have been published. In writing his most recognised masterpiece, Gustave Flaubert had to cut short a continental jaunt and go back to his own native port city of Rouen from where he began and finished Madame Bovary.

In other words, writers sometimes mine their lived experiences – however distressing or enjoyable – and distill them into publications that have become stunning successes.

The Man Died by Wole Soyinka is a classic example of this, a point made abundantly clear by his jailor and former head of state, Yakubu Gowon in Abeokuta in 2004.

On the occasion of the Nobel laureate’s 70th birthday, with dozens of state governors, top politicians and high profile guests in attendance, Gowon admitted his government had to put the idealistic writer behind bars. And while thus incarcerated, the genial general went on, Soyinka wrote his prison memoirs which became an instant bestseller.

The House My Father Built by Adewale Maja-Pearce is one such publication though the author didn’t have to go to the slammer.

Still, he went through all the physical and psychological torture that can befall anyone in his position as a newly minted landlord inheriting his father’s house in Lagos.

The house itself is a solid structure of four flats in a livable space somewhere in Surulere, willed to the author and his sibs by their late father. Being the eldest child, he had to “take possession,” as Pentecostal evangelists around here are wont to say.

It was in the process of taking possession of his rightful property that all kinds of obstacles began to crop up – mostly human, mostly from his tenants, close pals he used to hang out with, the police, NEPA, court clerks, a judge with bribe-infested fingers and even hired assassins who, apparently, failed or did not attempt to take him out.

The tenant who brought two roughnecks one afternoon to give him a one-over was the closest to Maja-Pearce. At the time, Prince, now late, not only lived in the author’s house rent-free but also depended on him for almost everything that could keep a guy going – food, drinks and much else – yet he was the most stubborn to evict.

Nearly all the other tenants, from Ngozi to Pepsi, Alhaji and Prince behaved likewise with the exception of two who complied with the landlord’s order. It was a protracted battle fought at different venues – some at home, at police stations, in the courts and just about anywhere convenient for the combatants. (It would be unfair, though, to classify MajaPearce as one since he was magnanimous enough to them through his one year rent-free tenancy and, for obvious reasons, they nearly always instigated such shout-downs.)

On one infamous occasion, the wife of the Alhaji challenged him to a duel but were separated by the prompt intervention of those around. The same woman would later beg the author to “buy me small stout” when it seemed they had made up. In his characteristic generosity with malice towards none and charity for all, Maja-Pearce obliged her.

But before this time, it was pure hell for the THEWILLNIGERIA

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author. Once his order was conveyed to them, the tenants quickly formed alliances with one another to resist his eviction, leaving Maja-Pearce to also look for dependable allies to help prosecute his case. “I had no idea at the time,” Maja-Pearce tells us early in the book, “how fierce and long-drawn out it would turn out to be, how rancorous and tiring, how absurd and humiliating.”

From the moment the author intimated his tenants – starting with the Yoruba Alhaji (“a squat, thick-set man in his early fifties with red lips, bandy legs and white skull cap”) – of his plans to evict them after offering them one year rentfree tenancy, what was previously a cordial relation became acrimonious.

The Alhaji in question was the oldest and first tenant in the house, so presumably had a sense of entitlement to the place.

As Maja-Pearce writes, “he thought me amusing when I politely knocked on his door and told him that he had to go in a year’s time, but that it wasn’t personal…It took me six years to be rid of him.”

Confrontations between landlords and tenants are as common as danfo drivers roughing it out with LASTMA officials just about anywhere in Lagos, from the slummy Ajegunle to posh places like Ikoyi or Victoria Island, middle class neighbourhoods in Egbeda, Festac Town or Surulere.

Unlike scuffles between road rage perpetrators and those who try to check their excesses, we don’t often get to see how landlords and tenants square up over unpaid electricity bills, accumulated rents or even expiration of tenancy. Most often, such confrontations end up in dusty police files or even dustier cabinets under the care of lugubrious court clerks.

But with The House My Father Built, Maja-Pearce has availed readers with what happens routinely in many parts of Lagos. It is the first of its kind in the history of Nigerian literature. It is not fiction yet it reads like one. Nor is it a potted auto bio of the author yet there are aspects of that in the 175-page book.

Maja-Pearce has been Africa editor of Index on Censorship, contributed pieces and articles to The New York Times and reviews for the London Review of Books. The author’s remembrance of things past is simply astonishing because when many of the incidents happened, he probably never thought of writing them in a book form. By the time he did, every single detail came flowing back in such sequential order that you wonder whether he, indeed, jotted some of them down in a secret diary.

Tall and rangy like a Scot, Maja-Pearce has a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother with Caucasian features – from his hair to pigment and visage. Of course, that would have emboldened the headstrong tenants in prolonging their stay, making it seem someone from the outside had come to disrupt their already settled lives.

Besides, none of the tenants, one can safely assume, would have been equal to him in height, making some of them look up to him while he looked down on them. It is an unfair advantage the embattled tenants would have felt grumpy about. Sometimes, too, by his own account, he used to stay up in his balcony and talk with them like a true Lagos landlord. Well, it is not his fault that his father bequeathed a house to him and his sibs. Neither is it his fault that the tenants took for granted his eviction notice.

Of the whole saga itself, Maja-Pearce has this to say: “The more drawn-out the case the more money I would have to part with, which suited not only whichever lawyer I happened to be using at the time (and I went through a number of them) but also the court clerk, the fellow who helped with photocopying (always so many papers) and even the old man under the spreading almond tree.”

It is a miracle he survived the unnecessary ordeal, how tenants he had freeloaded one year rent on refused to move or even pay tenancy rates or electricity bills, how one of them almost made away with the gate; another stole his meter and then complained he was denied access to electricity and was cheeky enough to report to the police.

Even so, any sympathetic reader would have hoped that Maja-Pearce never had to endure the indignities and shout-downs with his tenants, the same way one would have hoped that Soyinka didn’t go to prison for The Man Died to have been written. But, as they say, what will be will be and sometimes for good.

It is a good thing Maja-Pearce has left us this charming publication. It is even better that, somehow, he linked the incidents/ events in his father’s house to the larger society, Nigeria itself that was going through its own years of upheaval just about the same time when the military refused to quit the political stage in 1993. Six years later when the author had sent the recalcitrant tenants packing, the military had voluntarily handed over power to civilians.

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TOURISM

LUFASI Park:Where Nature Meets Modernity JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR writes on the Lekki Urban Forestry and Animal Sanctuary Initiatives, describing the park as home for holiday makers

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ekki Urban Forestry and Animal Sanctuary Initiatives has been transformed to serve as a prominent tool for attracting eco-tourists and fun seekers for forestry adventure in a more unique way.

The 20 hectares of land located on the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Aja, Lagos is now a private nature park where thousands of tourists visit to experience nature to the fullest.

However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic also affected the park in the first quarter of 2020.

There is no doubt that the pandemic exacted a heavy toll on many business ventures in the country and the tourism sector. LUFASI is not an exception.

Despite the pandemic, the experience in LUFASI is quite unique, which makes people yearning to visit the place. The most famous of the lot is the Lekki Forest or the Red Iron wood, which releases a great deal of the oxygen that tourists enjoy.

It is on record that before the first wave of the, the most visited site was Lake Moses and Lake Nora because of the pathway which tourists would always want to explore.

There is one interesting thing about Lake Nora, the walkway that leads to the Love Zone where fun seeking couples make propositions to each other and even get engaged.

“It is the relaxation spot of the famous African Spurred Tortoise named Mama T. According to a source, Mama T has lived for more than a century. The park is also home to Terena Palm trees and the wild local palm tree.

What about the African civets stripped black in a white background. The facilities at Lake Nora include a playground for children, a sporting arena and an education centre, all of which have their own distinctive vibes.

There are resident birds at LUFASI, as well as squirrels and other small animals. The park currently has a pangolin retention centre.

LUFASI’s Chief Gardener, Desmond Majekodunmi, revealed that a lot of people visit the facility just to relax and enjoy nature. He said, “We should care for nature. If nature didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have anywhere to relax and we would not have oxygen, water, food and medicine. This is beyond relaxation; it is also taking care of God’s creation. This is why the creator said we should take care of the environment and not destroy it. People come here to have a good time and to get refreshed. The turnout is low today, but it is okay. We do not want the park to be overcrowded.

We are happy that there are few people and there is no PAGE 44

problem.”

According to him, It is difficult to keep the place running all the time. Unfortunately a lot of people, especially those in the corporate sector, do not seem to understand what the management of the park is doing.

Majekodunmi continued, “We are not getting any sponsorship or support for the green space in Lagos, eventually they will come to the realisation.

“The Secretary-general of the United Nations once said that nature is under attack by humanity and this is

suicidal because she always fights back. When some people came to the realisation that he was speaking from a very good position of knowledge, they realised the need to look after nature and they invested in places like LUFASI Park.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the manifestations of the onslaught against the wildlife and the ecosystem.

There is also climate change and the possible extinction of some species of fish. The lesson is that we have to change, renew our minds and demonstrate far more reverence for creation than we have shown, as well as understand the part of the scriptures which commands THEWILLNIGERIA

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TOURISM us to take care of the environment.”

The General Manager of LUFASI Park, Mr. Evans Bassey, said the running of the park is capital intensive.

Nevertheless, he called on Nigerians to come and breathe in fresh air on the park.

example, is dragging the creatures to extinction and we are trying our best to preserve them.”

Bassey added that the park was in good condition, but the COVID-19 pandemic had sent most of the regular patrons away.

On the available facilities, he noted, “We have the pangolin retention place because pangolins are facing too many threats to their existence. The ecosystem, for

One Star Fashion and Arts boss, Joseph Emmanuel, lamented that the park was experiencing a sharp drop in business activities as against the previous year which

FROM JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR

longer exist, we still have art works of 1994 well displayed or greatly admired till today. All I do is how to get people to love art. That is my major vision,” Iyoghiojie said.

recorded a boom.

“There is no money. Some people just take a look at the items on sale and leave without buying any. We do not even influence the prices,” he said.

For Naya Bitara, LUFASI Park is a beautiful place to be. “I love the place. It is fun to be here. The environment is good for relaxation and the kids love it. LUFASI is super safe for fun seekers.” She said.

More Nigerians Turn Art Collectors

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here is no gainsaying the fact that the arts and culture are strategic media for accelerating tourism growth in Nigeria. To this end, it is agreed that museums and art gallery are good tools for the promotion of Nigeria’s art and cultural heritage.

Experts have, however, advised that to achieve this, the Federal Government should adopt certain steps to make it work.

Tourism expert, Julius Iyoghiojie, has advised that for Nigeria to have its full potentials in that area, the country should have more visual artists in the international space.

Iyoghioje said that when more artists occupy such space, more people would want to identify with their works.

Describing tourism as a major driver in the promotion of the products of the arts and culture, he listed some of the items to include indigenous and games, such as Ayo and Ludo.

Iyoghojie added that there were many tourist destinations around the world featuring the Nigeria’s heritage sites.

Calling on artists to collaborate with their counterparts in the international space as their colleagues in the music industry had done, he said that art appreciation in Nigeria had improved.

He said that unlike the past, the arts and culture had experienced a significant increase in the number of art collectors in the country, stressing that more Nigerians had become art collectors.

“One thing is certain. Your television set will become an old model, your car will become an old model and your furniture will become obsolete. It is only the art work in your house that will be priceless, which your grandchildren and children will want to inherit. So I believe that although the cars of 1900s no

Among his collection are man-made and handcrafted art works from popular artists, such as Bruce Onobrakpeya, Dele Jegede, Yomi Momnoh, Sam Ovraiti, and Zibo Moses. He also has over 800 framed works and 500 unframed pieces in his collection.

The Director, Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art at the PanAtlantic University, Dr Jess Castellote, has recently observed that museums all over the world can gear towards helping people learn about art and learn through art.

“So in our way, this is like every other university anywhere in the world. We are privilege to have a very nice collections in our museum and most of the works here comes from Prince Shyllon and some have come from collections and donations, while others came from the artists and collectors. We are here for people to learn more and to offer the visitors a possibility in learning more on Nigerian’s art.”

He pointed out that the museum open for all and we allow people to come and see. We are here to serve the whole community and it is not only for the students.

On the benefit, he said, “There are not going to be receipt of good education without the museum. Art is good for everybody.

But I think the museum can contribute positively and there are so many things one can learn from our world.

Explaining further, Castellote noted, “Art is good for the nation. You can learn through art and discover things through art. This applies to everybody, not only young people.We have some historic world collections in our museum such as uche Okeke, Osakwe, and the Ife Bronzes, Nok Tera kulta centuries among others.’

On the challenges, he said the people and corporal organisations

had been unable to support the museum in addition to lack of funding from government.

Meanwhile, YSMA is home to 1,000 traditional and contemporary art works donated by Prince Yemisi Shyllon to the Pan Atlantic University, including a steadily growing number of items donated by artists and arts collectors.

The YSMA collection features painting, sculptures, mixes media, and time-based artworks from some established Nigerian artists, including Ben Enwonwu, Okeke Aina Onabolu, EI Anatsui and Bruce Onabrakpeya, among others, alongside works by younger artists, such as Uchay Chima, Peju Alatise, Ben Osaghae, Tony Nsofor, Lanre Tejuosho, Kelani Abass and many others.

Marriott Hotel Berths in Lagos

FROM JANEFRANCES CHIBUZOR

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agos Marriott Hotel, located in the Ikeja area, has finally opened its doors for business, with a promise of offering premium services to all its guests at all times.

The General Manager of the hotel, Janse van Rensburg, at a briefing held recently on the premises, said the desire to offer premium hospitality services to the Lagos market was responsible for the huge investment in the hotel.

He said: ““Every client of Lagos Marriott Hotel is set for an unimaginable premium experience like never before. We assure them of world-class hospitality and superb customer satisfaction. Frequent travelers who have points using the Marriott hotel franchise globally can also redeem their points here in Nigeria too. We have an in-club system for our premium members located on the first floor of the hotel.

“The unique selling propositions of this hotel are the various amazing products we offer our clients which are non-existent in the country’s hospitality industry. The security of our guests is very paramount to us and that’s why every door and window in the facility is bomb-proof. Our pricing is also very commensurate with the quality that we offer.”

Rensburg further noted that the hotel, which is in the classic premium category on the Marriott quality ranking, would be managed by the franchise owner, Marriott Hotel, for quality assurance purposes.

Also, speaking at the event, the Managing Director of MacFolly Hospitality Limited, the SIFAX Group’s hospitality subsidiary, Chike Ogeah, applauded the Group Executive Vice Chairman, SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, for bankrolling the multi-billion naira hotel, adding that his vision of a premium hospitality business in Lagos has manifested through the new hotel.

He said: “The building of this hotel took us six years. We took our time to tastefully select all the materials and equipment that were used in order to serve our clients the best. As a man that has travelled all over the world and experienced firsthand hospitality at its peak, our Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, decided to build this hotel in Nigeria in order to promote the hospitality and tourism industry in Lagos and provide opportunities to further improve the economy”.

Meanwhile, it is widely believed that lovers of premium hospitality service in Lagos are in for an exciting experience as the Lagos Marriott Hotel comes on board.

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SportsLive

Poor Organisation Jeopardising Nigeria’s Athletics Fortunes

BY JUDE OBAFEMI igeria’s full participation in athletic events at the forthcoming 32nd Olympiad to be held in Tokyo, Japan has faced increasing challenges that have dimmed the chances of the country’s athletes contesting for places at the different events they have prepared for, ahead of the event.

in the US.

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Visa delays have also hampered the opportunity of Nigerian Olympics prospects like the brilliant Alaba Akintola, who demonstrated his promise for a podium finish at the Olympics by racing to gold at the recently concluded National Sports Festival held in Edo State early this year. As a true product of the rationale for the fiesta, it is unfortunate that his chances at the big stage may be upset by the small details of his visa delay.

The issues obstructing the country’s participation have to do with organising for these athletes to partake in the qualifying competitions that will guarantee their places in Tokyo.

Apart from Akintola, Seye Ogunlewe is languishing in Abuja for the same reason. The 29-year-old track and field sprinter specialises in the 100 metres and was a finalist in the 100m and 4 × 100m events at the 2015 All-Africa Games. He won the 100m event at the Nigerian Championships in 2015 and 2016. Yet, he may not be at the Olympics if he cannot make it to the qualifiers.

As reported by THEWILL in May, all 24 athletes listed for the 2021 World Athletics Relays in Chorzow, Poland, by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria could not make the trip after their applications for visa were refused by the Polish Embassy in Nigeria. The embassy claimed the AFN submitted its visa applications later than was required.

Although the AFN Secretary, Niyi Beyioku, gave the athletes the assurance that they would be immediately flown to their respective events as soon as their visas applications were approved, it is an unfortunate course of events for these athletes that the organisation for their participation at these events is so inherently sloppy.

To prevent the athletes from completely missing qualification for the Olympics, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, intervened to secure a slot for the athletes representing the country at the United States Relay Tour taking place in Texas. As a result, 16 athletes departed the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday, May 6, to participate in the qualifying stages of the relay events.

Dare

Another avenue that was exploited after the visa shenanigans of Poland, where the athletes were expected to compete to qualify for the Tokyo games, was the African Senior Athletics Championships scheduled from June 22 to 26 at the MohamedBoudiaf Olympic Complex in Algiers, Algeria. Nigerian athletes left out of the Texas qualifiers were being prepared to claim their slots for their events in Tokyo through this championship.

However, that has been hit by an unfortunate snag as this important and eagerly anticipated gateway to some relay events at the Olympics and one of the last-resort qualification windows for Nigeria to Tokyo has been postponed to a date that is yet to be announced.

Citing the health situation linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and following “the recommendations “of Algeria’s Scientific Committee for monitoring the evolution of the pandemic and the country’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, the organisers called off the original start date of the Championships and placed the entire event on hold.

For athletes prepared to give their best in representing the country and in establishing their names in gold, missing out on the World Relays in Poland, not being in the contingent that flew out to Texas earlier this month while waiting for the championships in Algiers, this has come as a gutwrenching blow. It makes it obvious how terrible it was to have missed out on Poland and may jeopardise all their chances to meet up with the requirements of participating in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

This is because the qualification window for the Olympic Games will be closed on June 29 and there is a growing shortage of athletic events that classify as qualifying series in the same class as the postponed African Championships.

In the statement issued from the ministerial department concerned with the Algiers Championships, the rationale for the postponement was clear: “Due to the health situation,

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Of the 25 medals Team Nigeria have won at the Olympic Games, 13 have come from the track and field. The first ever individual gold medal, which the amazon Chioma Ajunwa won at the Atlanta Games in 1996, was in the women’s long jump event

marked by a rebound in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of circulation of a new variant (s), the competent authorities, following the recommendations of the scientific monitoring committee of the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic, recommended the postponement of this sporting event to a later date,” the statement reads.

This dire situation for Nigeria’s full participation in the athletics events at the Games is not helped by the circumstances surrounding athletes waiting for their visas to join their comrades due to participate in the Relay Tours

These athletes are ambassadors of the country and they deserve to have the details of their visas and welfare handled properly and in a systematic and timely manner that will not encumber them with anything other than to focus on their training and readiness to represent the country. That visa issues are still being used to bottleneck willing athletes, even after the Olympics were pushed back by a whole year, is truly regrettable.

The physical, mental and psychological state that these athletes will be in now because of the anxieties sadly brought on them by the uncertainty of their participation at the qualifying series cannot be removed from how they will eventually perform. If they are unable to rise to the occasion and not qualify or if they make it by dint of personal mental power, it must be remembered that they went through much pain and difficulty in their preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Their competitors did not have to face these obstacles and they were better funded, had better facilities and were well treated.

All this put together paints a sordid picture for the country’s pursuit of more medals in the track and field events at the games. For a country with a history of bagging most of her medals from the track and field, as well as boxing events, preparing her representatives in such slipshod manner is the very antithesis of seeking improvement in the nation’s fortunes at sports’ biggest stage, especially against competitors backed by better structured and more systemic organisations.

Of the 25 medals Team Nigeria have won at the Olympic Games, 13 have come from the track and field. The first ever individual gold medal, which the amazon Chioma Ajunwa won at the Atlanta Games in 1996, was in the women’s long jump event.

Since then, it has been silver medals, with the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where Blessing Okagbare won silver in the women’s long jump event and the quartet of Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila, Franca Idoko and Damola Osayomi gave the country another in the women’s 4x100m event. Unless the organization, ahead of the games is golden, expecting the type of performance that merits gold medals is trying to reap where one has not sown.

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