THEWILL NEWSPAPER August 14, 2022

Governors’ Killer Dose For Nigerians PAGE 16 HY 2022: FCMB Group Plc Shows Growth on ParametersStrong 20 Lucky DrawKiddies,N4mRewardedKidsWithinUBATeens PAGE 16 PAGE 23 SABINUS Obsessed With Entertainment Price: N250 www.thewillnigeria.com THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 • VOL . 2 NO. 33 The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Intervention Fund, created in 1977 to stimulate growth in key sectors of the economy, has proved a success story among the states and the FCT, as Ekiti and Osun (in South-West) showcase in this edition … pages 20-21 45 Years of Impactful Scheme 33 RECOMMENDATIONS TO BUHARI

Yolanda Okereke-Fubara is Nollywood’s go-to girl for the job; a costume design whisperer, as I like to call her. Her exceptional work for over 15 years, acing cos tume design after costume design has put her on the map. Her execution of the characters of King of Boys says a lot about her work, and if for any reason you were still unsure about her abilities, her recent work for Netflix mini series Blood Sisters must have cleared any doubts. Okereke-Fubara landed her first project as a costume designer by chance. She had gone to deliver some clothes to two clients on a movie set, and the rest, as they say, is history. In this interview, she discusses the intricacies of costume designing and the importance of having a support system for such a tedious job. Hers was her husband, Karibi Fubara, who unfortunately passed last year. But that hasn’t stopped Yolanda; she still gets support from family—hers and his. In fact, she says both families have been phenomenal. “I lean on them; they have been amazing. His family is second to none. I am officially their last born.” Read her story on pages 8 through 10. The Soft Life is a term that has become quite popular lately. More and more peo ple in what can be called a movement are veering in the direction of a life that is less about struggle and more about making decisions that benefits them. This week, Oddbod takes us on her soft life journey; frankly speaking, I love it. Until next week, enjoy your read. Onah Nwachukwu Editor, THEWILL +2349088352246

W hen it comes to making movies, many hands behind the scenes add to creating the perfect picture. One of them is the costume designer. While some people regard costume designers as styl ists, they couldn’t be further away from the truth. You see, the job of the movie set costume designer is much more than styling, and certainly not, as some people would say, ‘just to get clothes.’ It involves creating a look that interprets each character’s role. And it doesn’t stop there; this person or groups of people have to work closely with hair and makeup for the perfect outcome.

@onahluciaaDOWNTOWN

@insignamediaOshalusiKolaPhoto:Makeup:Zaron

AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA IS WHOLLYNOWDIGITAL Say Hello GrammytoAwardNominee RamadanHydratedToFruitsHelpYouStayThis THIS SOUND CONNOISSEUR WAS BORN FOR MUSIC AppearanceSpectrumAustismDisorder5EasyStepstoReduceTheofDarkCirclesDiscoverTheHealingPowerOfSoundBathsWhatYouShouldKnowAboutBye-ByeRacoonEyes Pressure?Under New Edition Available Every Sunday @ 6am Nigerian Time Scan the QR Code to Download current edition Scan The QR Code to Read on Website Or Visit  www. thewilldowntown.com Scan The QR Code to Read on Issuu

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In his reaction to the value of the recommendations, particularly the one dealing with a one-off retirement of federal civil servants above 50 years, the Chairman of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Babatunde Balogun, described the recommendation as laughable and unconstitutional.

Balogun told THEWILL on Friday: “What is the percentage of Nigerian workers who work in government? Is it the over five million Nigerians seeking jobs that they are recommending to be taxed? How many private sector businesses are still operating in the country since 2000 to show that the economy is growing? They did not recommend the slashing or removal of their security votes. They made no suggestion to eliminate or reduce their huge retirement benefits and disengagement allowances for them and their retinue of aides? That is why I say that many of the recommendations are laughable.”

BY AMOS ESELE, WITH CONTRIBUTION FROM SAM DIALA

Things came to a head last Thursday, a day the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, publicly disagreed with the position of her counterpart in the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who had a few days earlier expressed his disapproval of the five per cent duty on data calls and vowed to fight it legally.

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While the official may be pardoned for invoking a superhuman intervention, given the ambience of the gathering, it occurred to nobody that a more direct approach was in the making as the 36 state governors did recently when they presented President Muhammadu Buhari with save-the-country-now suggestions.

According to Ahmed, the Federal Government would implement the tax, based on the Finance Act of 2020, stakeholders’ approval and the approval of President SheBuhari.said, “In view of the position of Dr Pantami, there could be the question whether he was absent in the whole processes that resulted in the Finance Act, which is a product of both the National Assembly and Federal Executive Council (FEC). “Suffice this to say that before the Act, the Finance Bill would have been through the FEC of which Dr Pantami is a member and the National Assembly.”

Still, other recommendations attracting public concern are that 22 per cent increase in salaries in 2023 to be reconsidered and a cap on Social Investment Programme (SIP) and National Poverty Reduction, as well as the need to introduce a flat 3 percent Federal Personal Income Tax on all Nigerians earning more than N30,000 per month and persons earning less than N30,000 per month whether employed or not, including farmers and traders to pay a monthly FPIT of N100. Then, offer federal civil servants above 50 years a oneoff retirement package to exit the service.

THE GOVERNORS’ 33 RECOMMENDATIONS TO BUHARI TO HALT ECONOMIC DOWNTURN 33 RECOMMENDATIONS TO BUHARI

At the moment, the economy is in a free fall, with the balance in Excess Crude Account falling gravely from $35.37 million to $376,655 and spelling doom for the country with a high debt servicing cost of N1.94 trillion against a total revenue of N1.63 trillion.

COVER

The economy is in such bad shape, the official wondered, that it may require a miracle for the country to make a meaningful headway soon.

A mixed bag of economic measures and demand-side reform, the governor’s suggestions seek economic growth through increase in taxation, suspension of welfare measures and restriction of the Central Bank of Nigeria to its “core and statutory mandate of exchange rate management, interest rate management and inflation targeting. It should also be directed to cease competing with development and commercial banks.”

Some of the recommendations appear vexatious and oppressive such that even implementing federal ministries are at loggerheads for and against the impact of some of the policies on Nigerians.

On the sidelines of the yearly gathering of academics, captains of industry, public officials and the media at the annual social event tagged PLATFORM and hosted by the Senior Pastor of Covenant Nation, Polu Oyemade, at Iganmu, Lagos, recently, with the theme: Is Devolution of Power The Solution To Nigeria’s Problem? a government official was overheard lamenting the parlous state of the Nigerian economy.

Governors’ Killer Dose For Nigerians

Interestingly, the fortunes of Nigerian workers and the economy have so dipped that suspending welfare measures as recommended by the governors comes across as insensitive. BudgIT, a civil group, in a statement signed by Iyanu Fatoba, Head Media, Communications and Creatives last week, stated that 12 states in the country owed their workers at least one month’s salaries as of July 28, 2022.

Part of their recommendation is for the Federal Government to impose a 5 percent tax on every living Nigerian, both the employed and the unemployed. They also proposed 5 percent communication tax on phone calls and data and N100 monthly deduction from the air time credit of everyone that uses the telephone. This is irrespective of the existing 7.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT).

The governors also urged the government to convert the N19 trillion Ways and Means outstanding loans obtained from the CBN into a 100-year bond with a proposed interest of one per cent. They added that CBN’s ‘fixed exchange’ stance discouraged foreign investment (peak of $90bn investment commitments in 2018, to $20bn in 2021) and Diaspora inflows ($20 billion), just as petrol subsidy has wiped out all accruals to reserves.

The 36 states of the federation parted with the sum of N21.62 billion as external debt deductions in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 31.5 percent from N16.44 billion deducted in the corresponding period of 2021.

In his assessment of the package, the Chairman of the Bar, Police Monitoring Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Benin City Branch, Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq, who think the governors were right

Governors’ Killer Dose For Nigerians

SOLUTIONS

The governors also urged the Federal Government to increase the VAT rate from the current 7.5 percent to 10 percent, before stepping it up to 15 percent, then raising it to 20 percent. This is coming two years after the government raised the VAT from 5 percent in 2020.

Meanwhile, the domestic debt stock of the 36 states in Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory rose to N4.84 trillion in the first quarter of 2022, representing an 8.6 per cent increase, compared to N4.46 trillion recorded as of the previous quarter.

the Minister of State, Timpre Sylva, said recently that 400,000 barrels of oil is stolen every day and the Ministry and Development Agencies fail to submit accounts to the National Assembly during budgeting process as an NGO recently submitted, does that not tell you that corruption and cost of governance is the major challenge bleeding the economy? The governors should start operating the recommendations first. They should cut down on expenses and overhead

In an empirical survey it conducted to spotlight and identify state governments that have consistently failed to meet the essential requirement of governance and employee compensation, the group stated that states were subjecting their workers to unpaid labour and harsh living conditions.

The governors suggested a reduction of empowerment programmes, as well as the recalcitrant personnel costs of Ministers, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). In addition to the MDAs, the following agencies should be stripped of foreign trips: Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). They also wanted government officials and their families to have limited access to visa approval, unless granted by the presidency. With Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account depleted to $376,655 from $35.37 billion in 2014, the governors believe that the measures they had tabled before President Buhari would boost the availability of foreign exchange, which will grow Nigeria’s reserves.

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President Buhari was also advised by the state governors to approve the retirement of public workers above 50 years of age. To raise the funds to make a one-off retirement package to public workers above 50, eliminate NNPC-funded projects. It was gathered that the suggestion was made to enable the government to have enough funds to make a one-off retirement package to public workers above 50 years.

What is the percentage of Nigerian workers who work in government? Is it the over five million Nigerians seeking jobs that they are recommending to be taxed? How many private sector businesses are still operating in the country since 2000 to show that the economy is growing? They did not recommend the slashing or removal of their security votes. They made no suggestion to eliminate or reduce their huge retirement benefits and disengagement allowances for them and their retinue of aides? That is why I say that many of the recommendations are laughable “

A finance expert and Managing Director/CEO, Taurus Capital and Advisory Services, Dr Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, said the 5 percent tax on every working Nigeria is not a bad policy, but a national identity data bank must first be created to ensure that only those above 18 years of age and who are gainfully employed are taxed. “Five percent flat tax on every working Nigerian is not a bad policy. But first we need to create a national identity bank that truly captures every adult Nigerian above 18. We need to merge the INEC data with what is at the FIRS and NIN. This will also help us to drive financial inclusion in the land. “It is not right to tax the unemployed. Five percent communication tax on all calls and data is good as long as the funds will be applied in developing Nigeria and not looted by political bandits. Those who provided ways and means to the Federal Government over and above the 5 percent of previous year’s budget violated the law. What did they do with the over N20 trillion notes printed?” Obiaraeri told THEWILL in a note.

Another way to halt the hemorrhaging economy, according to the governors, is to eliminate state-level profit income tax (PIT) and introduce three percent federal income tax. Also, they urged Buhari to introduce state sales taxes of 10 percent across the 36 states and FCT. In addition, the governors urged the Federal Government to revisit the decision to drop the subsidy on petrol after postponing its removal for 18 months. The government had planned to remove it in January.

to collectively make recommendations to redirect the economy for growth and development, however called for wisdom in implementing some of the suggestions. He told THEWILL that unless the law on retirement of civil servants, which makes 35 years of service or 60 years by age as grounds for retirement is amended, attempts by the President to invoke the aspect of the law that empowers him to remove workers discretionally may cause labour unrest and affect the implementation of the other recommendations. He said: “Organised labour will cause problems because they will think, rightly so, that their fate would be left to the whims and caprices of the President.”

According to the state governors, the Federal Government should embark on an aggressive revenue drive by creating multiple taxes, which would spare no one, irrespective of age, gender and status.

While the inter-ministerial fight between the Ministry of Finance and Communications and Digital Economy continues because the Federal Government, as stated by Finance Minister, Ahmed, has started implementing the data and calls tax and the Digital Economy Minister, Pantami has vowed to explore every legitimate means to stop the planned five per cent excise duty tax on telecom consumers, faulting the timing and process of imposing the tax on the telecom industry, insisting that part of the responsibility of a responsive government was not to compound the challenges facing the citizens, experts think things can be done in a better way.

For ASCSN’s Comrade Balogun, the government should streamline its appointments, cut down on overhead costs, create the infrastructural basis for foreign and local investment and embark on massive employment of youths, cut down or remove the severance benefits and huge gratuity for governors.”

Chief Willy Ezugwu, Secretary-General of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), thinks more accountability and transparency in government would make it unnecessary to further tax already underemployed, unpaid workers and poverty-stricken HeNigerians.said:“When

The associations’s made a decision to shut down all the stations after a series of meetings with some stakeholders.

The SEMA boss said the state government required the sum of N500 million monthly to take proper care of IDPs, lamenting that over 400 persons were displaced in last Wednesday’s attack by Fulani terrorists in Logo Local Government Area.

“The problems in Internally Displaced Persons camp in the state is not only humanitarian but also infrastructural as roads, bridges, houses were destroyed by invading terrorists herdsmen since 2018. Benue State will not stop crying out until the Federal Government wakes up to its “Theresponsibility.difference between Benue IDPs and that of Borno State is that Governor Zulum enjoys support from the Federal Government and over 200 NGOs, as well as other agencies providing incentives. In spite of the neglect, Governor Samuel Ortom remains resolute in his resolve to cater for them”. Shior also commended Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for his support to the state government, with regard to the IDPs. He accused the Federal Government of failure to promote education as students are out of school for over three years, while insecurity and the economy have taken a turn for the worse. While calling on Nigerians to use their PVCs to vote the APC government out of power in 2023, Shior hoped the PDP would come in to salvage the system for the good of Nigerians.

“IPMAN leadership has resolved to continue with their rights in the constitution and abide by the extant laws and subsisting judgments of the courts in their favour,” he said.

Daniel Enegu Mgbe, a counsel for IPMAN, regretted that the police under the watch of the current Inspector-General of Police decided to be misled by its legal unit. He insisted that the police authorities had no constitutional powers to either reverse the Attorney-General of the Federation’s legal advice or usurp his constitutional Heduties.added that any attempt by the police to override the legal advice of AGF would amount to locking horns with the law officer of the federation. He stated that Section 15 of Sheriffs and Civil Process Act 2004 clearly spelt out the functions of the Police under Section 4 of Police Act 2020.

TPoliceIndustrialThreatensActionOverHarassment

The Counselling Association of Nigeria (CASSON) has called on Nigerians, especially students, to engage the services of counseling professionals in solving their counselling related academic and nonacademic problems.

He said the association would also close down petrol filling stations owned by thousands of its members in protest against undue harassment of the leadership by the police and interference in its affairs. Obi frowns at the illegal moves by the police authorities and some disgruntled elements to either misinterpret the Supreme Court ruling or subvert the will of the people and subsequently impose their cronies on the association, even when the facts of the matter are very IPMANclear. warned that if the police takes any further step to interfere with the current leadership of the association headed by Alhaji Debo Ahmed, as national president, it would shut down the distribution channels of petroleum and allied products in Nigeria, pending the when the police return to their senses.

The SEMA boss said the agency had sensitised the people on the need to stop dumping refuse and building structures on water channels in order to check flooding in the state.

IPMAN

The meeting followed alleged moves by the Police Legal Force headquarters, Abuja to arrest its executives across the Thezone. police action is also aimed at installing a factional leadership, thereby creating more crises in the association, in spite of various court pronouncements laying the matter to rest.

CASSON ProfessionalismMembersChargesonBenue Appeals to Buhari to End Killings, Resettle IDPs 19-year-old C’River Girl Demands

Justice For Slain Father

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To this end, the association’s national president, Prof Elizabeth Egbochuku, in a statement, described counselling as centrifugally a school-based activity. She noted that counselling helps learners to actualise their academic potentials in order to make appropriate career decisions.

The statement further hinted that the goals of the association remain central to its core professional focus, emphasising, however, that with the establishment of and the subsequent passage of the CASSON Bill by the National Assembly, the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria(CASSON) is now in a position to offer much more services to the nation.

he South-East zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has threatened to embark on industrial action zone over harassment by the Nigeria ThePolice.South-East zone of IPMAN comprises Enugu, Abia, Rivers, Cross River and Benue States, with more than 40 depots and 1, 000 petrol filling stations and about 2,000 members under its control.

Speaking on the fresh crisis, the Chairman of IPMAN, Comrade Robert Asue Obi, described the action of the police as an invitation to anarchy, threatening that the association would not hesitate to shut down all depots in the eastern zone.

The association reiterated that following its resolve to fast-track its developmental processes during its first stages of registration, some renowned counselling practitioners were duly appointed as members of trustees of the profession. The trustees so appointed in the profession’s early stages, according to the association, were Professors Olu Makinde, C.G.M. Bakare, M. P Mallum, Frank Carew and Dr.(Mrs) C.C. Achebe, stating however that on the 14th day of March 2019, the Counselling association of Nigeria (CASSON) went back to the Corporate affairs commission (CAC) to update its certificate of registration. The association’s statement added that the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria bill seeks to establish the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria for the conduct of qualifying examinations, regulating the counselling profession, and determining standard of knowledge and skill required of persons seeking to become members of the Counselling Profession in Nigeria.

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

L-R: Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, during the Speaker’s commissioning of the 32 fully furnished 4-bedroom duplexes in the Legislative Quarters, built by Gov. Wike-led administration in Port Harcourt on August 12, 2022.

FROM DAVID OWEI, YENAGOA

The Benue State Government has challenged President Muhamadu Buhari to take concrete steps towards ending the killings terrorists and resettle Internally Displaced Persons in their ancestral homes. The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Emmanuel Shior, who made the appeal last Friday in Makurdi while distributing relief food and non-food materials for the month of August to IDPs, stated that the number keeps rising due to incessant attacks by Fulani terrorists.

Stella Mbayin Ndoma, a 19-year-old Senior secondary school pupil, has charged the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and the Cross River State Police Commissioner, Aminu Alhassan, to find the killers of her father. The girl’s father, late Chief Mbayin Ndoma, a.k.a Otisco, was murdered on August 3, 2022 at his hometown in Cross River by hoodlums in Orimekpang Junction Village, Boki Local Government StellaArea. said her father’s death should not be swept under the carpet. “I was shocked when I learnt that my father, who was a traditional ruler in Orimekpang Community, Boki LGA of Cross River State, was shot dead by hoodlums and not even a fly has been arrested in connection with his death”, she Narratingsaid. the incident, Stella continued, “At about 6 am on his way back home from the community secondary where he had gone to take refuge, the assailants attacked him. “They dragged him to Community Secondary School, Orimekpang, which is a stone’s throw to his residence. “The assailants left a note on his corpse with an inscription, ‘This is the beginning of war between the community and us. Any man who squeezes bitter leaf with his hands would be bitter’ with another note that read, ‘Anyone who intends to dare us should wait for his turn,”she said.

The association commended President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the bill, saying that July 27, 2022, the day the President signed the bill into law marked the beginning of a new era, 26 years after the association got its first certificate of registration, on the 22nd of April 1996.

FROM KAJO MARTINS, MAKURDI

The Chairman of the Abia APC Reconciliation Committee is Senator Chris Adighije, while the Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha, will serve as Secretary of the Othercommittee.members of the committee include a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chief Emeka Wogu; Martin Azubuike; APC National Welfare Secretary, Hon. Friday Nwosu; Hon. Emeka Atuma and the APC governorship candidate in Abia, Ikechi Emenike.

The main issue is to really step forward the business of reconciling aggrieved members in each state. What we agreed to do, moving forward, is to have state level committees that will meet with all party leaders and aggrieved party members with a view to reconcile Go to Abia, play politics there, do the needful, lobby and reconcile there because all politics is local.

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POLITICS

He warned that failure on the part of the party’s leadership to tackle the problem with open minds might aggravated it.

Others were Samuel Wyah, Zaka Makoshi, Jonathan Fedelix, Barnabas Samuel (Barry), Shua’ibu Yusuf, Alexander Danladi (Lulu), Samuel Ibrahim In Kebbi, hundreds of APC members also dumped the party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Argungu Local Government Area of the state. The horde of aggrieved party supporters who defected were led by Mansur Yargyra, a former House of Reps hopeful in the ruling APC.

Let Abians go and sit together Reconciliation in North-West, South-East

According to him, politics is all about contest, adding that it is normal to have disagreement during negotiation among party members.

It was in order to forestall more defections from the party that the North-West leaders of the party met to ensure reconciliation. Lukman announced that they had resolved to set up state level committees to address the alleged imposition of candidates and other abuse of privileges with a view to reconcile all aggrieved members.

Abuja is not Abia locality, Abuja is the Federal Capital Territory. We converge here from various states.

In order to achieve lasting peace in the Abia chapter, the National Working Committee (NWC) appointed a reconciliation committee for the state, just as Adamu said he would not entertain excuses for electoral failure.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has done his best. The National Working Committee, NWC should work with sincerity of purpose. The National Chairman should do something to keep the party united. I am not contesting for any elective position, but eminent personalities including senators are leaving the APC. I know my contribution towards building the party in Abia State and I will not want the party to be in disunity.

“It is a welcome development; it is better late than never. The reconciliation should have started earlier because the party has lost many aggrieved members to other political parties. But it is a necessary step for the party to secure victory in the elections coming up next year”, David said.

“ APC Begins

“Take for example, the Abia chapter of the party is in disarray. I am from Abia State. That is why I am talking about this. But it is the same situation in most states of the country. We should resolve these crises on time and hit the ground running for the preparation towards next year’s “Manyelection.members are confused and they are moving to other political parties. We should not allow this to continue. The leadership should do something urgently and sincerely too. “Different crises arose as a result of the last primaries. We had parallel primaries in some states. Those of us who entered politics and want to practice politics with sincerity are very pained with what is happening in our party especially in Abia State. This is a party that is in government at the centre, so we can’t afford to be in disarray.

BY AYO ESAN Adamu

The president cannot be intervening in the local crises in various states when the party has the national chairman and other committee Alsomembers”.speaking with THEWILL, a public affairs commentator based in Abuja, Mr. Paul David, commended the move by the APC leadership, saying it was long overdue.

all stakeholders. That will be done before the commencement of the campaign for the 2023 general election.”

“All the national elections – House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, likely the presidential election, we will not be satisfied with just the 25 per cent of votes cast. No half way about it. If we are to win, we must try to win every state. We have to do some work to avoid and forget some of the prejudices and stand together. We don’t want anybody to come here after the election and start crying and laying blame for our failures. I will not listen to that. This is the time to unite, this is the time to work for unity. If we do, God will be with us”. On his part, Senator Adighije pledged to bring all parties to the dispute.

Although the North-West APC chair disclosed that he was yet to have all the details of what led to the gale of defections, he was optimistic that the recent facts-finding tour being conducted would address the grey areas next week. He said, “We should not be seen or appear as passing judgment that nothing can happen. First, politics is all about contest. Disagreement is part of politics. You can’t have political contest without disagreement. As a party, what we are trying to do is to ensure the business of reconciliation is permanent. “I don’t know the details, but we will go back and look at it. Kaduna and Katsina are the only outstanding states that we are yet to visit in the ongoing facts-finding tour we are conducting.. “We met today to review the situation in the party at the zonal level.

The National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the party has waded into the leadership crisis in its Abia State chapter and urged the aggrieved members to reconcile and deliver the state for the party in 2023 rather than losing out and coming to Abuja to whine.

The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) has started making efforts to reconcile aggrieved members in the North-West and the South-East geopolitical zones.

Speaking on the reconciliation effort, Adamu said, “We had a very comprehensive meeting, composed of leaders of Abia APC who are involved in the negotiations. We have a series of meetings with the National Working Committee during the primaries and since the primaries. I hope that with what we have done today, the entire world will witness peace and we hope this is the very last step. We are not going to hold reconciliation meetings again. “We will now leave it to the leaders of Abia to go and play their politics in the state. Abuja is not about Abia. Go to Abia, play politics there, do the needful, lobby and reconcile there because all politics is local. Abuja is not Abia locality, Abuja is the Federal Capital Territory. We converge here from various states. Let Abians go and sit together.

“We are on our way back to Abia to play the local politics, reconcile all our members and ensure that we go straight for the low hanging fruits, which can be lost if we don’t come together. I know that by the grace of God and with the team we are going to do the needful and ensure victory for our party. “That is why the committee is there. If there is no challenge, there will be no committee and we have a good committee and I believe we will do the needful God being our help,” he stated. Also in the North-West, the National Vice-Chairman (North-West) of the party, Malam Salihu Lukman, said that efforts were ongoing to reconcile the aggrieved party members and stop the gale of defections reported in Kaduna and Kebbi States. Lukman noted that stakeholders and party leaders in the North-West had met to review and take a decision to douse the tension at the zonal Thelevel.APC vice-chairman made the clarification after a meeting of the North-West APC leaders at the Katsina Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. It would be recalled that at least 15 chieftains of the APC in Kaduna State have dumped the party, citing lack of internal democracy. Those who have dumped the ruling party included Mallam Audu Bode, Shuabu Ahmed, Habila Latu, Boniface Ubandoma, Mr. Yakubu Simon, Jashua Peter, Camio Bitrus and Patrick Paul (Pato)

Speaking with THEWILL on the development, a chieftain of the party in Abia State, Barrister Azubuko Udah, said the leadership of APC should handle the grievances and crisis that emanated from its presidential primary and in fact, all other primaries in all the states of the federation, with an open mind and sincerity of purpose.

BY UKANDI ODEY

Lalong Dariye

The third force hit the scene that fateful Friday with Patrick Sunday Dakum emerging from a cult-like and thoroughly controversial primary of the Labour Party as its preferred gubernatorial candidate for 2023. While the confusion that produced Dakum was yet to settle, the national leadership of the Labour Party, in an expensive after-thought and what many see as an emulating reflex action, announced the expulsion of the initial Plateau State gubernatorial candidate of the Party, Ambassador Yohanna Margif, on spurious grounds, four days after a parallel candidate, Patrick Sunday Dakum, emerged from a disputed and discredited primary.

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It was obvious at press time that this kite will not fly, with resplendent indications that not only will the kite refuse to fly, it will not lay eggs either for its owner to be consoled. Since his release last Monday,

On the home front, matters are solemn and heartrending, and the family appears to be in need of more of his time for reorganization and repositioning. It will be recalled that while the former governor was serving out his prison term in Kuje, his over 90 years old father was kidnapped, and was eventually gruesomely murdered by his abductors. Since the tragic incident, Dariye has not as much as have a moment with the rest of the family on the necessary traditions and rites. By and large, Dariye’s arrival on the scene will alter the calculations and arrangements towards 2023. However, the political elixir typical of him may not be as reactionary or potent and efficacious as it has been due to vicissitudes and varying variables. The Plateau APC should think less of his political medicine and therapeutics because the dispenser will not think and look at their direction this time. He may withhold the little he is ready to dispense to good will to the clamouring Labour Party because his political son, Dakum, is seeking from a house on a faulty foundation, and every investment may end as labouring in vain. At the end, the PDP may become the safe house for Dariye’s respite in 2023.

August 8,

“ Joshua Dariye is yet to arrive Jos from his Abuja home where he is savouring initial recuperation. Secondly, a family source said at press time that a humbled and sober Dariye requires some time for rumination and reflections, and is not ready for politics now – at least not this far spent processes to 2023. Observers also say the period of his incarceration also sapped him financially. For him to impact on the process, pull the strings expected of him and change the game in his characteristic fashion, he requires not just the structures and the connections to activate the network, he needs the cash to enervate the impetus and deploy the troops to produce results. He is neither ready to sponsor candidates or go into big time spending, especially because of the betrayal and cruel lessons he learnt from the attitude of Simon Lalong and his ‘boys’ while in prison

Many argue that Dariye’s imprisonment was for him a period of education and philosophising. Having been jailed by the APC, many argue, Presidential amnesty may neutralise the scar but cannot obliterate the memory and neutralise his anger and disappointment with his jailers

The eventual return to freedom last week of former Governor Joshua Dariye has put a spanner in the works in Plateau Sate as political calculations and the political firmament have changed dramatically, forcing many to review their plans, projections, and strategies, as permutations seem to suggest that anything can happen in 2023. Prior to his release, it was certain that the much hyped 2023 general election, which process is already imbued with sensibilities, sentiments and surmises, bookmakers of Plateau politics had ruled that it is a straight fight between the much refurbished and psychologically stabilised political army of former governor, Jonah David Jang, in the PDP, and the quarrelling, quarrelsome, garrulous, disconcerted, and miasmic political army of the incumbent governor, Simon Bako Lalong who himself is presently in a free fall in opinion polls. As a matter of fact, when political intrigues and intricacies seized the freedom of Joshua Dariye for one hundred and fifteen days after the President pronounced a Presidential pardon on April 14, Simon Bako Lalong, as the State Governor, was accused as the author and finisher of Dariye’s false and continued incarceration because he wanted to manipulate and determine the outcome of the APC gubernatorial primary before Dariye arrives to impact on his arrangements. True or false, Lalong succeeded: the APC gubernatorial primary in Plateau was only so-called, and at best a charade and shameless miscarriage of justice. Governor Lalong was able to emasculate the whole process leading to the primary election of the APC – he made sure delegates were not elected, as he selected those who ‘voted’ in the ‘primary’ that was protested, and is being contested by eighteen other aspirants, including Joshua Dariye’s Manfriday, Patrick Dakum, who had the potential to win the APC gubernatorial primary given a level playing ground. On Friday, July 5, however, a third force arrived the scene, which, barring possible political and legal hiccups, makes the race to the Government House, Rayfield, Jos, not exactly a handshake or confrontation between the colourful political soldiers of the Redemption college of former governor Jonah David Jang, and the ragtag army of Governor Lalong’s illkept Rescue school of self-seeking soldiers of fortune.

Although the estranged and embattled Ambassador Yohanna Margif is reportedly in Court to put a battle that will put some letters of the new Electoral Act to test, there is high spirit in the camp of Dakum, especially as his disputed and questionable emergence prefaced and interfaced with the eventual release of his political godfather, Joshua Dariye, from prison. This certainly caused a stir in the political circles in Plateau. Many argue that Dariye’s imprisonment was for him a period of education and philosophising. Having been jailed by the APC, many argue, Presidential amnesty may neutralise the scar but cannot obliterate the memory and neutralise his anger and disappointment with his jailers. Secondly, with feared complicity of Governor Lalong and his hatchet men in the machination and mischief that delayed Dariye’s release till last week, the former governor is certain not to pitch tent with the APC in the next elections for any

Thus,reason.the emboldened but apparently pyrrhic celebration in the State Labour Party that a big fish is inevitably in the net is understandable. This is responsible for some kite flying last week to the effect that the Labour Party has honoured the former governor with the ticket of the Plateau Central Senatorial position.

Plateau Dariye’s Release And Political Permutations

2023:

The group also called on the police to invite Amosun for questioning, since he admitted knowing those who rigged the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State.

The PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, is also a kinsman of Governor Abiodun as both are indigenes of IjebuAfterRemo.receiving an award from the Abeokuta Club to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the association, penultimate Friday, Amosun said he was not in support of Abiodun’s government in Ogun, saying the governor must vacate his seat at the expiration of his first four-year term. Speaking after the award event, Amosun said, “Well, I am happy. When you are in a place and they are telling you that you have done the work of four or five governors put together, I feel elated. I am happy that they appreciated our little efforts. “Just wait. Very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be removed.”

“There is absolutely no truth in the specious utterance of the former governor who is obviously still sulking from the electoral defeat of his surrogate party in 2019,” he said. “Our party and candidate not only won fair and square, the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun was also attested to by his co-contestants, many of whom later joined APC and are still in APC. “It is on record that many of the then opposition figures, such as a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salmat Badru, the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Transition Committee chaired by Mr. Tunde Lemo, which was set up by Prince Dapo Abiodun immediately after the elections.”

Akinlade was the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in 2019 and he contested against Abiodun but lost. He is currently the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election.

The National Working Committee of the APC recognised the primary that produced Abiodun, though Akinlade was backed by Amosun who was the sitting governor at the time. Not satisfied, Akinlade and other members of the Amosun’s faction in the APC went to APM where Akinlade was given the governorship ticket.

BY

“I will not be distracted by any person or persons who have a problem with self- delusion. I will not be distracted by any person who does not appreciate that Ogun State is not anybody’s father’s inheritance. We are all stakeholders in these commonwealth called Ogun State. “I am not going to join issues with anyone that wants to play God; I will leave them to God. God can deal with whoever is challenging His authority and wants to play God. All I can say is that what we stand for in Ogun State is administration that is committed to providing purposeful leadership and purposeful infrastructural development across the length and breadth of the state,” he said.

Reacting penultimate Saturday, Abiodun declared that he would not be distracted by any person who has a problem with self-delusion, noting, “Ogun State is not anybody’s father’s Heinheritance”.calledon the people of the state to ignore his predecessor, insisting that he would not join issues with him.

Amosun said he would tell his loyalists what to do next after his pronouncement, but THEWILL exclusively gathered that he is having private discussions with Adekunle Akinlade, who he backed in the 2019 governorship election, and will soon direct his loyalists to vote for him.

ESAN Continues on page 13

Amosun even took Akinlade to President Muhammadu Buhari for his blessing at the Aso Villa, though he didn’t contest on the APC Abiodunplatform. eventually won the 2019 election with a margin of 19,517 Speakingvotes.penultimate Friday, Amosun stated that the 2019 governorship election in the state was rigged to favour the incumbent governor. He added that he had moved on because those who orchestrated the rigging had apologised to him. “During the last election, thank God, Chief Osoba is here, I have said it, we won convincingly. They rigged and ended up with 19,000 votes. “Some of them came to apologise to me. I can mention names. We won that election. But I have moved on,” Amosun said. Reactions Trail Amosun’s Rejection of Abiodun In a swift reaction to Amosun, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Ogun State, Tunde Oladunjoye, dismissed Amosun’s threat to prevent Governor Abiodun from returning to office after the expiration of his tenure. Oladunjoye said the former governor was “obviously suffering from political amnesia and out-of-office loneliness.”

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determined to leave Ogun State much better than he met it.”

POLITICS

Background to the Conflict In 2019, the APC had parallel governorship primaries. One of them was organised by Chief Segun Osoba’s faction and it led to Abiodun’s emergence as governor, while the faction led by Amosun produced Akinlade as its candidate.

Why Abiodun, Amosun Are at War AYO

Describing Amosun’s statement as an empty threat, OPW, in a statement released penultimate Saturday, said that only the people of the state who installed Abiodun in office in 2019 would determine who will govern them in 2023.

Abiodun added that his administration remained committed to the development of all the sectors of the state’s economy. He expressed disappointment that a former governor and a sitting governor in 2019 would cry that he was rigged out during the “Howelection.can we that were on the outside take on an incumbent and then be accused of rigging out an incumbent in the same party? Anyone can explain their failure whichever way they like, Another group, Ogun Professionals Watch (OPW), in its reaction to Amosun’s threat, accused him of playing God in the state’s Theaffairs.group accused Amosun of arrogating to himself the attributes of God, which it described as blasphemy.

Calling on the people of Ogun to pray for Amosun, he described the former governor’s claim as an insult to the psyche of the Oladunjoyepeople. said, “It is a sad indication that the former governor is yet to purge himself of extreme arrogance and intolerance that were his trademarks, which earned him suspension from our party, even as a sitting governor.

Afew weeks after the internal wrangling within the Osun State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cost the party victory in the 2022 governorship election, the Ogun State chapter appears to be heading in the same Ogundirection.APC is currently entangled in a divisive web spun by an open conflict between the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun and his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Although Abiodun won the APC governorship primary in Ogun and he is planning to return to office for a second term in 2023, Amosun has vowed to ensure that the governor does not get reelected after his first tenure expires.

Oladunjoye also accused the former governor of littering the state with unfinished projects, despite paying for them “100 percent “Despiteupfront.” the handover without a handover note, the wanton destruction of public facilities, including pipe-borne water taps in Abeokuta, and notwithstanding the untoward provocations and shenanigans; Governor Abiodun remained focused and Amosun Abiodun Just wait. Very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be removed “

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There are 360 lawmakers representing 779 local government areas in the Federal House of Representatives. This writer has always paid rapt attention to their plenaries. It is observed that some of them neither move motions nor sponsor bills that are geared toward impacting positively on the lives of the constituents who voted them into office. What about the funds that the Federal Government earmarked for the development of the council areas that these lawmakers are representing? Were the funds judiciously used for rapid advancement or was it shared among the political stakeholders who are deemed to be the Alpha and Omegas of their people?

Naturally, Rt. Hon. Chike aspiration for a third term is viewed with mixed feelings by the electorate, some of who have expressed the opinion that the lawmaker should have honourably rounded off his second term in office and allowed others to occupy the seat. Others, encouraged by what they deemed to be his good performance in offence, have simply rallied around him in support of his ambitlon. Jonas Okeke, who is former Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, is another strong contender for the position. The race for the seat will be a tough one, especially between two major contestants. On the other hand, if Okeke wins the contest, suffice it to say that Ihitte-uboma would have produced a representative for the second time many years after Amadiegwu’s exit in 2007. Also, if Chike succeeds, it becomes a plus to Obowo LGA for having a single lawmaker who has represented the area for 12 years in the House of Representatives.

BY SAMPSON UHUEGBU Okafor Okeke

People of Okigwe South should be allowed to choose their

...Why Abiodun, Amosun Are at War

The group recalled that Amosun’s efforts to ensure that Abiodun did not emerge governor in 2019 were frustrated by God as “Governor Abiodun resoundingly defeated the candidate backed by him during the 2019 governorship poll because Ogun people were tired of the then governor’s antics. That victory was affirmed by the country’s apex court”.

Theelections.National Vice Chairperson, South-West APC, Isaac Kekemeke, said the party had observed the misunderstanding between the respected leaders/elders of the party in Ogun state.

•Uhuegbu is a journalist based in Owerri.

The Zonal Executive Committee of the APC in the SouthWest said it has initiated moves to quench the raging fire that is threatening the party in the South-West, ahead of the 2023 general

In a statement, Kekemeke said that nalthough misunderstandings and quarrels were inevitable, the APC, especially in the SouthWest, could not afford any form of dispute at this time. He said the contention was coming at a time when all hands must be on deck to secure a resounding electoral victory for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Kekemeke, who also doubles as the Chairperson of the SouthWest Executive Committee of the party, appealed to the former governor and his successor to sheath their swords and direct their supporters to cease henceforth from making public statements that would divide the party in Ogun State and the zone.”

Okigwe South Federal Constituency And 2023 General Election

“I urge all party faithful in the state to remain steadfast, rest assured that our party will emerge stronger and better,” he added.

Now that 2023 general election is drawing near, Rt. Hon. Chike Okafor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Jonas Okeke of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as candidates for APGA, Labour Party (LP) and others are all eyeing the seat of that Federal constituency.

representative, whether Rt. Hon Chike Okafor of the APC, Rt. Hon. Jonas Okeke of the PDP or a candidate from another political Speakingparty.during a programme tagged, ‘Fixing Nigeria at 60Sustainable and efficient democracy: Issues on accountability and transparency in governance,’ a certain Simon Karu from Gombe State, said that each member of the House of Representatives earned N9.3 million monthly. We expected that lawmakers who represented the federal constituency in the past were supposed to toe the developmental lines of the first Civilian Governor of Imo State, Late Samuel Mbakwe. Sadly, many dilapidated projects attracted by the then governor to Okigwe zone, such as Nsu Tiles, Ceramic Industry, Abadaba Lake, Avutu poultry and other projects that are supposed to have been resuscitated are still unattended to . We need a different outing in the 2023 general election, particularly for the House of Representatives. Anybody that emerges winner in the political race should regard himself as an apple of the people’s eye and he should stand on that premise to deliver on the needed gains of democracy that Ndi Okigwe South Federal Constituency desire urgently.

The above indicates that Obowo was never given a chance except in 2015 when the incumbent, Rt. Hon. Chike Okafor, took over the mantle of leadership till date.

The statement read in part: “The Ogun people remember too well how the vainglorious Amosun committed anti-party activities by sponsoring a governorship candidate on the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) platform, even while enjoying the perks of office as an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor and running for the Senate on the same platform. “But for the pardon granted him by the APC leadership, he would have been confined into political oblivion. Yet this fellow still has the effrontery to move around in the state, lambasting the sitting governor, claiming that his election was rigged and promising to repeat the mischief that led him nowhere in 2019. “The people of Ogun are aware of the Omoluabi practice that Governor Abiodun brought into office as against Amosun’s warlike behaviour and outlook, which kept his predecessors away from the state, lest they be harmed.”

Continued from page 12 POLITICS

Okigwe South Federal Constituency has produced lawmakers, who represented Ihitte-Uboma, Ehime Mbano and Obowo local government areas in the past. Following the return of democracy in 1999, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, the immediate past Minister of State for Education, contested in the National Assembly election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and won. The former Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFund) boss represented the constituency between 1999 and 2003. Hon. Francis Amadiegwu from Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area took over from him and also represented Okigwe South Federal Constituency between 2003 and 2007. It would be recalled that he made an attempt to go for a second term, but Austin Nwachukwu from Ehime-Mbano defeated him Amadiegwu in the keenly-contended 2011 general Inelection.2011, Prof Chudi Uwazurike took over from Nwachukwu but for only one term (2011- 2015). He was defeated by a former Commissioner for Finance, Chike Okafor in 2015. The latter has been on seat till date. Rt. Hon. Chike Okafor should consider himself fortunate to be nearing the completion of his second term as the representative of Okigwe South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He has stayed longer than his predecessors in the House, no doubt.

Ehime Mbano dominated the House of Reps seat for 12 years, having produced Prof Chudi Uwazurike, Honourable Emeka Nwajiuba and Austin Nwachukwu. Throughout these years in view, Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area took over through Hon. Amadigwu that held sway for a term.

“The party in the zone has already initiated actions to ensure that this family misunderstanding and others elsewhere in the SouthWest are amicably resolved,” said Kekemeke.

In all, a member of the House of Representatives should always bear in mind that his positions is beyond pegging his minds on the jumbo allowances he is getting monthly. His thoughts should be anchored on developments.

Rising Cases of Monkeypox in Nigeria

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Austyn Ogannah Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh

The

A few days ago, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH) announced the first case of Monkeypox infection as it said a 40-year-old patient on admission at the hospital tested positive for Monkeypoxthevirus, even as the hospital has shut down its orthopaedic unit

reported

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

M onkey pox, a viruswithinfectioncauseddiseasezoonoticviralisbya that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa. The virus is occasionally exported to other regions. It belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family known as Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox, an eradicated disease), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine) and cowpox virus. In endemic areas, the monkeypox virus is thought to be maintained in nature through circulation among a number of susceptible mammals, namely wild rodents (including squirrels and rats), with occasional spill-over to nonhuman primates and humans. Transmission of monkeypox virus can occur when a person or susceptible animal comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through skin lesions (even if not visible to the naked eye), respiratory tract or mucous membranes.

Of

AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 14 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @ THEWILLNG, +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888.

The Monkeypox virus is transmitted from infected animals to humans or other susceptible animals by direct inoculation via bites, scratches or by direct contact with the body fluids and/or the meat of an infected animal during hunting and other activities involving susceptible animal Human-to-humanspecies. transmission occurs mainly through close physical contact (e.g., face-to-face, skin-to-skin, whenpeakcasesshownReports31st,country157ControlThetheBolawhobeTheitsevenpositiveadmissionitcase(LASUTH)UniversityAriskdescribedinanimalHowever,transmission.tooutsideCurrenttransmissionnobreathingthearecases.short-rangerespiratorycaninfectious,inUlcers,duringmouth-to-skinmouth-to-mouth,contact,includingsex).lesionsorsorespresentthemouthorthroatcanbemeaningthevirusspreadthroughsalivaanddroplets(andpossiblyaerosols),insomeHowever,morestudiesrequiredtoknowwhetherviruscanbespreadfromandtalking,butthereisdocumentedhumantoanimalofmonkeypox.monkeypoxoutbreaksofendemicareasappearbedrivenbyhuman-to-humanthevirushasanorigin.Goodpracticesinteractingwithwildlife,asabove,canreducetheofspilloverevents.fewdaysago,theLagosStateTeachingHospital,announcedthefirstofMonkeypoxinfectionassaida40-year-oldpatientonatthehospitaltestedfortheMonkeypoxvirus,asthehospitalhasshutdownorthopaedicunit.unnamedpatientwassaidtoaroadtrafficaccidentvictimhadbeenonadmissionintheTinubuOrthopaedicsWardofhospitalsinceJune262022.NigeriaCentreforDisease(NCDC)hasconfirmedmonkeypoxcasesacrossthefromJanuary1sttoJuly2022.fromtheNCDChaveanuptickinMonkeypoxasithasnowsurpassedthenumberofcasesseenin2017MPXre-emerged to the latest report, the Monkeypox virus has been recorded across 26 states in Nigeria since January 2022 epidemiological summary shows that there were 56 suspected cases across 19 states between July 26 and 31, 2022 with Ondo State recording the highest number of cases. the 56 suspected cases, 17 were confirmed positive cases in Epi week 27, 2022 from 12 states: Ondo (3), Adamawa (2), Bayelsa (2), Delta (2), Anambra (1), Borno (1), Edo (1), Gombe (1), Katsina (1), Kogi (1), Plateau (1) and Lagos Three(1). deaths were recorded from three states – Delta (1), Lagos (1) and Ondo (1). In addition, between September 2017 and July 10, 2022, a total of 11 deaths have been recorded (CFR= 3.5 per cent) in six states: Lagos (3), Edo (2), Imo (1), Cross River (1), FCT (1), Rivers (1), Ondo (1) and Delta (1) We commend the efforts of the NCDC, not only in controlling the spread of the Monkeypox diseases, but also in watching out for more cases in all the nooks and crannies of the state. The NDDC is equally being urged to continue to monitor the situation, even as it sustains ongoing response efforts. We believe that the Federal Government has not done enough to sensitise the citizenry to the danger of the disease and how to avoid the spread. In particular, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has not been active and it has failed in the performance of its duties of sensitising Nigerians to what is happening in and outside the Wegovernment.wantthe Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, pay proper attention to rising cases of Monkeypox as the country, which is still sweating under the burden of a bad economy situation strives to avoid a potential nationwide disaster. The government should in the meantime step up its efforts to curtail the spread of the deadly disease. A stitch in time saves nine.

According

EDITORIAL

There is no doubt that these recurring strikes have pushed many of our students into all manner of crimes. Is it any wonder that we keep recording an increase in the level of crimes and insecurity in the country? Is it not possible for our students roaming the streets to join these groups of kidnappers, bandits and terrorists threatening the peace of the country. Non-recognition of our graduates/ certificates abroad Unlike the 1960s, 197os, even the 1980s, when certificates from our universities commanded respect at home and abroad, our certificates are no longer respected. It is instructive to note that most of the top professionals in various fields abroad got their first degrees in Nigeria universities between the sixties and eighties. Beyond that, most of our universities had a sizable population of foreign students during the period. Today, the situation is different.

Students of federal universities are also preparing for protests if the lingering strike continues.

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The Federal Government has woken up from its slumber, at last. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has agreed to be actively involved in the negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU) to end the lingering strike. Adamu also promised to get a result within the two weeks According to media reports, Adamu gave this indication last week during a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and relevant government ministries, departments and agencies. The President was said to have been updated on the current face- off with ASUU, which is now in its sixth month. Adamu is to be joined in negotiations by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who would both act as observers. This is encouraging. Since the beginning of the strike about six months ago, this is the first time we are seeing serious efforts on the part of the Federal Government to resolve the issue. Ngige, who has been discussing with ASUU representatives, did not appear to enjoy the confidence of ASUU. They believe he is a biased conciliator, who did not mean well for the Union. Instead of joining the negotiations from the beginning, the Minister of Education did not bother. He claimed that the issue was for the labour minister to resolve. Is it any wonder that nothing concrete has been achieved since the discussions began? Other Unions Threatening to Strike

BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI

This has brought about an elongated academic calendar. Basic degree courses that are supposed to be concluded in four years now take six to seven years while a professional degree course like medicine, supposed to be concluded in six or seven years now takes up to 10 years. Many potential university undergraduates could not start their programmes because of a backlog of admissions which many of the institutions could not attend to.

It is regrettable that most of these issues have been on the table for many years without resolution. ASUU started going on strike in 1988 during the military regime of President Ibrahim Babangida. The usual solution then was to proscribe the union, while most of the issues that generated the strikes remained unresolved. Since the return of the civilian government in 1999, university lecturers have gone on strike on 16 occasions. In 1999, the strike lasted five months: Three months in 2001, which lasted two weeks; in 2002, six months in 2003; two weeks in 2005; one week in 2006; three months in 2007, one week in 2008, four months in 2009, five months in 2010, two months in 2011, six months in 2013, one month in 2017, three months in 2018 and nine months in 2020.The current one is already going into the sixth month.

It has, of course, lowered our education standards in all ramifications. It is instructive to note that both students and lecturers who spend a significant proportion of their time on fighting for their survival instead of concentrating on learning cannot gain meaningfully from this situation.

BY MACK OGBAMOSA

Meanwhile, many other Labour unions have since vowed to join the strike in solidarity with ASUU. They include the Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC,) Trade Union Congress (TUC ) , the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) , National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) , Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG )

*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

The International Youth Day was recognised by the United Nations when it passed a resolution towards creating it in 1999. This day came into existence with the recommendation of the World Conference of Ministers which declared August 12 of every year as International Youth Day. Essentially there is a need for this because very many youths across the world are struggling with issues related to physical or mental health, education and employment, which need to be addressed. When government or society does not focus on proper development of the youth, they tend to become rebellious and many times opt for choices that are neither good for their development nor for their country. As the global community uses workshops, concerts, conferences, cultural events, seminars and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organisations to celebrate International Youth Day, while recognising the contributions of young people and volunteers who are working toward the betterment of the society and raising important issues that needs the attention of the society, the situation in Nigeria says clearly that instead of celebrating, the average Nigerian youth is currently in a state of frustration. The frustration of these young victims of our nation’s socioeconomic challenge was fueled by the present Federal Government’s failure to fulfill the promises it made to them in the past, as well as its penchant for leading without recourse to transparency and accountability. To explain this position, a recent report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), reveals that in the second quarter of 2020 the unemployment rate among young people (15-34 years old) was 34.9 per cent, up from 29.7 per cent, while the rate of underemployment for the same age group rose to 28.2 per cent from 25.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2018. These rates were the highest when compared to other age groups. Nigeria’s youth population eligible to work is about 40 million, out of which only 14.7 million are fully employed and another 11.2 million are unemployed. For a better understanding of where this piece is headed, the youth in every society, says a study report, has the potential to stimulate economic growth, social progress and national development. The strategic role of youths in the development of different societies of the world, such as Cuba, Libya, China, Russia and Israel, is obvious. Youth unemployment is potentially dangerous as it sends a signal to all segments of the Nigerian society. Here in Nigeria, the rate of youth unemployment is high, even at the period of economic normalcy i.e. the oil boom of the 1970s (6.2 per cent); 1980s (9.8 per cent) and the 1990s (11.5 per cent). Youth unemployment therefore is not a recent phenomenon. But if what happened in the 1980s and 90s were a challenge of sorts, what is happening at present, going by the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), is a big challenge. This and many other concerns have expectedly caused divided opinion and proliferation of solutions. From the above, it is obvious that, we are in dire straits because unemployment has diverse implications. Security wise, a large unemployed youth population is a threat to the security of the few that are employed. Any transformation agenda that does not have job creation at the centre of its programme will take this country nowhere. It is accurately documented that many Nigerian children are out of school, not because they are not willing to be educated, but because the cost of education is beyond the reach of their parents. The public schools are short of teachers with dilapidated buildings. The private schools, on the other hand, where the environment is conducive for learning, are cost intensive and out of reach of so many students and their parents. In like manner, the Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU ) has been on strike since February 14, 2022. The group embarked on the ongoing industrial action to protest the Federal Government’s inability to implement their demands on salaries and allowances of lecturers, as well as improved funding for universities. The implication is that for the past six months and counting, these youths have been idling away at home. As the 2023 general election approaches, the question is how far can the youth go in a nation where tribal loyalty is stronger than the common sense of nationhood? How far can the youths go as change agents in a country where excruciating poverty and starvation continues to drive more people into the ranks of beggars, whose desperate struggle for bread renders them insensible to all feelings of decency and self-respect? Or in a society where the majority of the youths can easily be induced to work across purpose and in political space where a high density of the youth’s population reside in various villages with no access to information or livelihood? Can they truly create any impact? Or remain united for a long time. It is important that Nigerian youths continue to speak up against violation of human rights, suppression of free speech and freedom of the press. Unlike their elders, youths must not initiate, encourage or spread false, mischievous or divisive information capable of misleading the populace and disrupting societal harmony and peace. They must speak up against any wrongdoing by government or fellow citizens that is capable of endangering sustainable democracy and the effective delivery of good governance. They should view as evil the argument by political deconstructionists that Nigerian youths must face difficulties as there is no nation where each has his/her own job and house, and where all children receive as much education as their minds can absorb. This claim is not only ‘rationally inexplicable but morally unjustifiable. Also, Nigerians are in agreement that the law is the supreme instrument of the state which must be respected and no one is above the law. This particular fact, if well understood, will assist the youths to comprehend that as citizens, they are constitutionally eligible to vote and be voted for.

Most of the grievances of the university lecturers revolve around funding of the tertiary institutions, university autonomy and their welfare. They are asking the Federal and state governments to fund public universities. It is a shame that most of our universities today have no functional libraries and laboratories. They are asking for the discontinuance of the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), which they say negates the autonomy of the universities. Instead, they are asking for the immediate deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) developed by the universities themselves to replace IPPIS. They are asking for the release of the visitation panels to federal universities, earned academic allowances, adjustment in their salaries and payment of promotion arrears.

16 Strikes in 23 Years

Lowering of Students Academic Performance

ASUU’s Grievances

Obviously, this is negatively affecting student performances. It is not easy for students to absorb well if they have to abandon studies for up to nine months because of strikes.

International Youth Day And Ordeal of Nigerian Youths

OPINION

Implications on Our Education Sector: Elongated Academic Calendar Friday August 12, 2022, was a very important date. It was a day set aside by the global community to celebrate the International Youth Day. According to information from the United Nations, the purpose of celebrating the annual event is, among other things, to raise voices against injustice and discrimination against the youth all over the world.

•Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA).

Bringing ASUU Strike to an End

Lowering of the Standard of Education

Increasing Crime Rate and Insecurity

The elements that contributed to the rise in profit numbers came from major revenue windows: Interest and discount income, Fees and commission income, Electronic fees and commission and segregated interest income from Loans and advances. Although FCMB’s income from Electronic fees and commission rose marginally from N6.68 billion in HY 2021 to N6.69 billion, other revenue windows performed impressively. Interest income from loans and advances rose to N78.74 billion from N63.07 billion, reflecting a rise of 25 percent. Interest and discount income grew significantly from N72.67 billion to N98.08 billion showing an increase of 35 percent.

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The growing numbers showed a gradual but steady growth after the COVID-19-induced recession. To stem competition, FCMB embarked on strong innovative measures. It took bold steps to drive value-added digital banking solutions aimed to boost its operations and to promote financial inclusion. One of these was the introduction of paperless transactions within the Bank’s over 200 branches in Nigeria. The innovation came with added efficiency. It eliminated the use of deposit slips, withdrawal booklets, or cheque books for the customers to carry out over-the-counter transactions. “In addition, FCMB customers now have the opportunity to enjoy cardless banking experience by just using their fingerprints to withdraw and deposit cash at 575 select biometric Automated Teller Machine (ATM) points of the Bank spread across the country and via biometric Point of Sales (PoS) terminals available within the Bank’s branches,” the bank announced in March 2021. The bank had earlier upgraded its mobile App for mobile banking with added features and benefits that address dispute transactions, increase transaction and card limits, manage cards, to apply for a loan, start a target savings account and generate transaction receipts on the go without hassles.

B C DA 0 10BN

BY SAM DIALA FCMB Group’s half-year performance in 2022 was significantly impressive. It revealed a growth trajectory that derived from strong financial parameters well above the company’s peers. The Tier-2 financial services institution is also coasting away from the COVID-19-induced recession effects amid headwinds that evidently challenge the industry. This gives the company a good mileage ahead. The Group’s revenue haul recorded a 34 percent jump to N126.22 billion from N94.22billion in the corresponding period (HY 2021). Revenues have been generally challenged by an increasingly harsh environment occasioned mainly by hyperinflation on the back of outrageous increase in the cost of diesel. Many banks have reduced their working hours drastically, or operate on alternate days in some branches to save cost. FCMB’s robust turnover accounted for a post-tax profit rise of 81 percent year-on-year to N13.66 billion from N7.55 billion. Profit before tax was N15.42 billion as against N8.91 billion in the equivalent period – reflecting an increase of 73.8 percent.

2022HY CUSTOMERSLOANS/ADVINT.INCOME.ASSETS.DEP.LOANS&ADV. E HGFI (N’bn) Source; Coy Annual Reports. bn94.22 INT/DEP.RevenuePBT.PAT.INCOMEFEES/COMM.ABCDEG2022HY(N’bn)HF bn8.91 bn13.66 bn7.55 bn98.08 bn16.61 bn78.74 bn63.07 bn2,652 bn2,493 bn1,637 bn1,554 bn1,120 bn1,063 5000BN FCMB HY 2022 RESULTS (N'bn) HY 2022: FCMB Group Plc Shows Growth on Strong Parameters PAGE 18 PAGE 19 MORE INSIDE Polaris Bank Partners Societal Healthcare to Reduce Maternal Mortality Emirates Invests Over $2bn in CustomerOn-boardServices Continues on page 17 Stakeholders Renew Clamour For Telecom Infrastructure Protection The advocacy for telecom infrastructure protection across the country by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has received the attention of stakeholders across all strata of the society. Among the numerous calls by stakeholders, in respect of telecom infrastructure protection, is that made by the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, who has urged every citizen in Nigeria to take responsibility for the protection of telecom facilities for mutual benefit of all. The traditional ruler, who spoke BY ANTHONY AWUNOR Continues on page 18 20 Lucky Kids Rewarded With N4m in UBA Kiddies, Teens Draw Balogun Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has rewarded a total of 20 kids with N200,000 each as scholarship grants in its just concluded Kiddies and Teens Draw, which held in Lagos on Thursday. The winners had qualified to win in this year’s first draw because their parents/guardians had maintained standing instructions of N10,000 to their child/ward’s UBA Kiddies or Teens Accounts for a 6-month period.Alawuba

According to the bank, the additional benefits complemented the existing ones, which included, funds transfer, account opening, account balance enquiry, airtime and data purchase, bills payment, wallet deposit and withdrawal, among other value-added services. Its innovative products targeted at boosting deposit paid off, though marginally during the period as the bank’s Deposits from customers rose from N1.55 trillion in HY 2021 to N1.63 trillion, an 100BN 500BN 1000BN

FCMB Group Plc Shows Growth on Strong Parameters

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•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

Prof Akande, in his address to guests at the forum that witnessed large turnout of traditional connectivitytointelecomsjoinandaskedoperatorsrepresentativesrulers,oftelecomandconsumers,theconsumersotherstakeholderstohandsinprotectinginfrastructuretheircommunitiesensuresustained

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We believe that despite domesticchallengingtheand global FCMBenvironment,Groupis well positioned to sustain its performance trend in financial and nonfinancial metrics

The event, which was presided over by the Chairman of the Board of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, was designed to discuss one of the most important issues affecting the operations of the telecom industry - the protection of telecoms infrastructure to guarantee improved quality of service for benefits of businesses and the Akande,consumers.in his address to guests at the forum that witnessed large turnout of traditional rulers, representatives of telecom operators and consumers, asked the consumers and other stakeholders to join hands in protecting telecoms infrastructure in their communities to ensure sustained connectivity.

through the Ayingun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Ademola Odunade, at the Village Square Dialogue (VSD) of NCC at the Mapo Hall, Ibadan recently, advised the Nigerian public “to support NCC to achieve its objectives of protecting telecoms consumer because this should be seen as a collective responsibility.”

Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Efosa Idehen, who commended the consumers from the Ibadan axis for turning out in numbers, pledged the Commission’s commitment towards the care of the consumers. Idehen stated that NCC has the responsibility to protect, inform and educate the million of telecom consumers in the “Therefore,country. part of activities to deliver on this mandate is this type of programme holding in Ibadan today. We value your feedback on all kinds of services you receive in the telecoms sector but most importantly, we implore you to join hands in protecting telecom infrastructure in your areas,” he said. Idehen advised members of the public to report any suspected cases of threats to telecoms infrastructure to law enforcement agents in their areas for necessary interventions. He reminded them that they can call tollfree numbers 112 in cases of emergencies or 622 to report complaints bordering on telecommunications services to the NCC. However, the issue of telecom infrastructure is very critical, particularly in the South West. For instance, telecommunication services in the two South-Western States of Lagos and Ogun, and Rivers State are better than that of other states in the country.

Stakeholders Renew Clamour For Telecom Infrastructure Protection TELECOM/BANKING

Continued from page 16 increase of 5.2 percent. Loans and advances to customers climbed from N1.06 trillion to N1.12 trillion which shows a rise of 5.7 percent. These contributed to boost the assets, though moderately, from N2.49 trillion to N2.65 trillion – a growth of 6.5 percent. Commenting on the half-year financial results, the Group Chief Executive of FCMB Group Plc, Mr Ladi Balogun, said: “We continue to leverage our unique group structure to enable a technologydriven ecosystem of platforms, customers, partners, talents, and capital to contribute to the sustainable and inclusive growth of the communities we serve. We believe that despite the challenging domestic and global environment, FCMB Group is well positioned to sustain its performance trend in financial and non-financial Additionally,metrics”.

Akande said the objective of the consumer engagement was “to explore how we can all protect telecom infrastructure to continue to provide us with life-supporting services and we are happy to bring this programme to Oyo State to really sensitise telecom consumers and other critical stakeholders in this regard.” Prof Akande noted that without telecom infrastructure, it will be difficult to communicate with family and friends over long distances while conducting banking, insurance, or access government services, education, entertainment and other essentials of “Thislife. means that telecom infrastructure is important, and we must all ensure that we guard and protect this Critical National Infrastructure,” Akande said. He also listed such destabilising situations in the telecom sector to include the negative attitudes and actions of hostile communities; theft of diesel, batteries and power generators from base stations; digging up and cutting of fibre optic cables; sealing/locking up of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites and other disruptive activities which must be tackled Director,decisively.

FCMB through EasyAgents, its agency banking network and other channels, announced in June 2022 that it had successfully onboarded and empowered one million financially excluded Nigerians, “ensuring they have a better and more sustainable future through access to financial services. As part of its financial inclusion programme, the bank has provided microloans valued at N40 billion to over 300,000 beneficiaries comprising 200,000 women traders across the country who have accessed over US$51.28 million (N28.7 billion) of the total loan sum,” the Tier-2 financial services company said. Analysis of the bank’s performance ratios showed a remarkable efficiency level in generating more profit from its revenue from 8 percent in HY 2021 to 10.82 percent in HY 2022. This indicates an increase in profit margin. Return on equity increased from 0.38 to 0.69 showing that the management is efficiently using the shareholders equity to generate profit. FCMB Group’s performance in the second quarter indicated that it was embarking on a growth trajectory when compared with the preceding quarter, both of which culminated in the impressive HY 2022 performance. For instance, revenue rose from N58.305 billion in Q1 2022 to N67.91 billion in Q2 2022, an increase of 16.5 percent. Profit after tax spiked to N8.49 billion in Q2 2020 from N5.16 billion in the preceding period. Profit before tax increased to N9.40 billion from N6 billion reflecting a growth of 56.7 Withpercent.the growth trajectory shown on the profit performance anchored on the surge in turnover, the shareholders can be sure of another impressive year as the earnings per share also increased (from 0.38 to 0.69). The bank paid a dividend of 15 kobo per share and 20 kobo per share in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The National Co-ordinator, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mrs Bisi Bakare, lauds the bank’s impressive performance amid a challenging operating environment that impacts the banking sector. She expressed optimism for the remaining quarters of the year and growth in shareholders’ returns through dividend. “As an investor, I am delighted with the result despite the environment that’s not conducive for business in the country, especially for the banking sector. The cost of running a business is now outrageous. The government is not providing anything to support businesses in terms of good road network, energy and security, “Thismainly.has become a huge burden on banks and other business organisations. Therefore I commend and appreciate the board and the executive management of FCMB for the excellent half-year results. I hope the remaining two quarters will follow the same growth trend so that the shareholders would receive handsome dividends for the 2022 full year,” Bakare said in a note to CommentingTHEWILL. on the result, the Chairman, Ibadan Zone Shareholders Association, Mr. Eric Akindiro also applauded FCMB Group for its resilience in a difficult environment. He noted that the bank’s ability to turn challenges into opportunities reflected in bold and decisive steps that defied the headwinds. “Another significant development is the customer deposits which rose by 21 percent during the period. This shows increased customer confidence in the bank. If this momentum is sustained it will translate to a robust bottom line and better dividend for shareholders this year,” he said. There is adequate provision for Impairment losses which increased from N8.14 billion in HY 2021 to N9.80 billion in the review period. This puts the profit margins on a good footing. Loan-to-deposit ratio of 68.5 percent is above the 65 regulatory mark, suggesting that FCMB’s liquidity is equally sound. This was through increased investment in IT and capacity building. IT expenses which rose from N3.6 billion to N4.88 billion, and Personnel expenses from N4 billion to N10.69 billion, point to the bank’s efforts to maximse opportunities in the industry. The bank’s share price closed at N3.11 at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Friday, August 12, 2022.

mirates says the international carrier is investing over US$ 2 billion to enhance its inflight customer experience, including a massive programme to retrofit over 120 aircraft with the latest interiors, plus an array of other service improvements across all cabins starting in 2022. In his comment, Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said “While others respond to industry pressures with cost cuts, Emirates is flying against the grain and investing to deliver ever better experiences to our customers. Through the pandemic we’ve continued to launch new services and initiatives to ensure our customers travel with the assurance and ease, including digital initiatives to improve customer experiences on the ground. Now we’re rolling out a series of intensive programmes to take Emirates’ signature inflight experiences to the next Somelevel.” of Emirates’ latest initiatives, according to the airline, include elevated meal choices, a brand new vegan menu, a ‘cinema in the sky’ experience, cabin interior upgrades, sustainable choices and a generous approach to the little touches that make travel Withmemorable.thenew development and starting from August, Emirates’ passengers can look forward to an award-winning team of chefs, a world-class catering team and a wide variety of suppliers have been assembled to design and deliver the best fine dining experience in the Emirates’sky. new vegan menu is also carefully curated to cater to the growing numbers of customers pursuing this thoughtful lifestyle. Vegans, or anyone interested in a delicious and healthy plant-based meal, will enjoy handcrafted gourmet dishes such as panroasted king oyster mushrooms, flavoursome jackfruit biryani and sliced kohlrabi garnished with burnt orange. With the Champagne and Caviar Experience also being elevated, customers can now savour unlimited portions of Persian caviar as part of the ‘dine on demand’ service, with an exquisite pairing of the world-renowned Dom Perignon vintage champagne. Emirates is the only airline with an exclusive agreement to offer the luxury brand on-board.

The 20 kids and teenagers who won N200,000 educational grants were Anderson Andikan Nathan, Salihu Yakubu Mahamud, Simeon Thankgod Ofomona, Nwaeze Annabel Chiziterem, Eva Favour Emmanuga Makuachukwu, Ifechukwudi Divine Ugbeh, Jeremiah Unekwuojo Isyaku, Iyare Francesca Owa and Okoye Gerald Munachi. Others are Charles-Agwanyokha Salvation Ilamosi; Ngbede Godswill Ishor; Molokwu Ezidinma Kosisochukwu; Nancy Esohe Aigboduwa; Alika Anwuli Erika; Funebi j Tapre; Ebubechukwu Goodluck Ephraim; Uchegbu Benedicta Chidera; Ireoluwa David Aderinola; Njoku Chinecherem Judith and Mariam Odunayo Oyewole. One of the winners, Okoye Gerald, whose father was contacted over the phone following his winning was very excited and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the management of UBA for the opportunity; “Thank you UBA, thank you,”. “This is very thoughtful coming from the bank. It goes a long way in showing that UBA is indeed passionate and dedicated to the growth of its customers and their children. A bank that grooms the young is indeed a wise bank, he said”.

Continuing, she said, “We know that the kids today are the future of tomorrow, and we are trying to groom them to imbibe the habit of savings, so that they can achieve their dreams as well as secure their future while putting away something for the future”. Also speaking during the event, Head of Marketing, Diana Ubah, pointed out that, “Our bank, UBA, has continued to show and prove that we are passionate about the overall growth and success of every customer, and that is why we go ahead of others to innovate and come out with initiatives that are unique and can transform the lives of our customers for good”. She further said, “In a tap-andgo society where money is rarely physically exchanged and quicker to spend, it is important to educate young people about the value of money. By including your kids so that they see how you spend money, it will help develop a basic understanding of transactions in the real world, as they grow up in an increasingly digital economy”, Ubah noted. The UBA Kiddies is an account designed for children between the ages of 0-12 years while UBA Teens Accounts is between the range of 1317 years. Other benefits of the account include a 13th-month cash reward and a special invitation to the bank’s children-focused events Continued from page 16

The draw is an innovative first-ofits-kind initiative conceptualised by UBA with special intention to inculcate a Savings culture that set kids and teens up for a secure future as well as put them on a strong footing for independence and ultimately actualising their dreams. The virtual draw, witnessed by representatives of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), saw winners emerge from across all the regions of the country.

In his opening remarks, Polaris Bank’s Group Head, North-West Group II, Mr. Ahmed Badru, disclosed that the Bank’s intervention was designed to combat the incidence of maternal deaths in Northern Nigeria. There is an estimated statistic of 546 maternal deaths in Northern Nigeria out of reported 100,000 cases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Emirates Invests Over $2bn in CustomerOn-boardServicesE

20 Lucky Kids Rewarded With N4m in UBA Kiddies, Teens Draw

Polaris MaternalHealthcarePartnersBankSocietaltoReduceMortality

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Mr. Badru explained that in line with the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), strategic focus on health, the workshop set out to train fifty (50) community midwives and health extension workers, randomly selected from 80 percent public and 20 percent private hospitals in Kano state.

Polaris Bank has been in the forefront of a series of global action to reduce premature deaths among women. It has supported over 30 indigent cancer patients for treatment; free scanning programmes for over 20,000 women and donated cancer screening machines to Care Organization and Public Enlightenment (C.O.P.E) to enhance quality diagnosis and clinical practices serving all classes of women in Nigeria. Polaris Bank’s consistent support for Nigeria’s health sector was recently recognized as the “Outstanding Healthcare Financial Institution of the Year” by the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA), the nation’s premier Health Award body.

Polaris Bank in partnership with Societal Healthcare Organisation (SHO) has organised a training for community midwives and health extension workers in Northern Nigeria themed: Life Saving Skills (LSS). The 3-day intensive training is part of efforts to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with major causes of maternal and neonatal death in the country.

UBA’s Head, Personal Banking, Ogechi Altraide, who congratulated all the winners after the draw said that apart from the monthly and quarterly rewards that the bank gives to its loyal customers in the UBA Bumper and savings promo, the bank had gone a step further to encourage parents to instil the savings culture on their kids and teenagers. She said, “I will like to let you know that this is another first from UBA, and of course, we are very excited at this because it again goes to show that we take very seriously the mandate of ensuring financial inclusion and this time, we are catching them young and ensuring that as they grow they increasingly become financially disciplined and can fuel their dreams to a happy end, which exactly what we are passionate about as a bank”.

“We will continue to work in partnership with relevant organisations like SHO to improve maternal health so that we can contribute our quota to reducing deaths that occur as a result of complications of pregnancy or childbirth,” he added. On his part, the Executive Secretary of Societal Healthcare Organization, Dr. Mahmoud K. Dankadai expressed profound gratitude to Polaris Bank for partnering with their organisation to improve the health and wellbeing of women and children in Nigeria. He appreciated the Bank for providing medical consumables comprising Polaris Bank branded bags; umbilical cord scissors; latex sterile gloves; delivery mats; surgical blades; cord clamps; povidone iodine; baby oil; hand sanitizers and facemasks in addition to the intensive training availed the Theparticipants.Group Head, who represented Polaris Bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Innocent C. Ike, pledged the Bank’s commitment to improved maternal health in TheNigeria.training which took place at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research (CIDR), Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano had on its faculty; Prof. Isa Abubakar, Director of CIDR; Prof. Zubaida Farouk of Department of Pediatrics and Prof. Muhammad Abdussalam of Department of Pediatrics, all of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and Bayero University, Kano.

L-R: Insight & Category Manager, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, Samson Opaleye; Popular Musician, Mohbad and Sales Operation Manager, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, Christopher Eiwo, during Confam Bitters Party, held in Abuja on August 10, 2022.

Societal Healthcare Organization is an NGO that offers unique community outreach and social services. Its mission is to provide qualitative and effective health to deprived groups, especially women and children in collaboration with stakeholders.

ECONOMY

Apparently rattled by this ugly trend, the Federal Government has begun projecting fiscal outcomes in the medium term (2023 to 2025) under two scenarios based on the underlying budget parameters/assumptions. Zainab Ahmed gave the breakdown thus: “The subsidy on PMS is estimated at N6.72 trillion for the full year 2023”. This amount, she said, “will remain and be fully provided for by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited on behalf of the Federation. The second scenario is that PMS subsidy will remain up to mid-2023 based on the 18-month extension announced early 2021, in which case only N3.36 trillion will be provided for.” She added however that both scenarios have implications for net accretion to the Federation Account and projected deficit levels.

But whatever scenario eventually plays out, the more potent but weird threat to the revenue flow of the Government is the festering crude oil theft that has left Nigeria producing/exporting crude at far below quotas allocated to it by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) of which it is a key member.

For quite some time now, even as the price of crude oil at the international market was surging to unprecedented high levels, massive oil theft (variously put at 50 to 80 percent of output), vandalism on oil facilities and willful sabotage have combined to stifle the nation’s oil export. While Nigeria’s OPEC quota for months now has been around 1.8 million barrels per day, the country’s output has been at around 1.2 million barrels per day; yet, the country has the capacity to produce about 2.3 million barrels per day.

The cost of subsidising PMS in 2020 was N450 billion; it has already hit N4.19 trillion and is still rising!

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Rather than making fresh investments in Nigeria, these IOCs are ‘off-loading’ their assets to local ‘marginal’ operators in the oil sector. All these translate to loss of revenue to Nigeria—living the country without any light at the end of its ‘fiscal tunnel’. And borrowing for servicing of public debt, as is now becoming the situation is, without doubt, a blind alley.

The recent disclosure at Abuja by no less a person than the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, that the Federal Government spent N1.93 trillion on debt servicing, which was about 20 per cent higher than the retained revenue (N1.63 trillion) between January and April 2022, literally opened a ‘can of worms’. It shows what Nigeria’s fiscal profile has become. In other words, debt servicing exceeded retained revenue by as much as N310 billion in the first four months of 2022. This marks the first time that the country’s debt service to revenue ratio would hit or exceed 100 per cent. The augury of this development for the nation is, for sure, the commencement of ‘fiscal wilderness’ of indeterminate Mrsduration.Ahmed who released this ominous fiscal profile during the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF and FSP) Public Consultation said “urgent action is required to address revenue underperformance and expenditure efficiency at national and sub-national levels.” But these prescriptions will not happen overnight, because the current ‘calamitous’ fiscal state was arrived at in spite of strident alarms and alerts over the years by wellmeaning local and global stakeholders. Specifically, for instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) just last year warned that debt servicing may gulp 100 per cent of the Federal Government’s revenue by 2023 if the government failed to implement adequate measures to improve revenue generation. The IMF’s Resident Representative for Nigeria, Ari Aisen, who shared this concern in Abuja while presenting the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook report, warned that “based on a macro-fiscal stress test that was conducted on Nigeria, interest payments on debts may wipe up the country’s entire earnings in the next few years.” Now, lo and behold, much sooner than expected, the ‘prophesy’ has come to pass—with Nigeria entering a sorry ‘fiscal pass’ ineluctably. The IMF chief had expressed worry that many African countries, including Nigeria, risked sliding into a critical debt servicing problem unless urgent actions were explored to significantly raise revenue. He said, “the biggest critical aspect for Nigeria is that we have done a macro-fiscal stress test, and what you observe is the interest payments as a share of revenue and as you see us in terms of the baseline from the federal government of Nigeria, the revenue almost 100 per cent is projected by 2023 to be taken by debt service. “It is a reflection of the low revenue of the country. The country needs to mobilise more revenue to be able to have macroeconomic stability. It has become an existential issue for Nigeria,” the IMF chief warned. But while the supply side (revenue) challenge of the fiscal equation subsists, the expenditure side has become even more worrisome; and this is where the incubus called fuel subsidy guzzles trillions of Naira.

Unfortunately, even as these causative factors are identified, the Minister said nothing about the nation’s refineries that have been shut down and remained so for so long. And for sure, subsidy payments, rather than shrinking, will keep bourgeoning, owing to Nigeria’s 100 percent dependence on importation of refined crude products from the refining countries. So, ceteris paribus, issues in the global market such as the Russia-Ukraine war that have caused sustained spike in the prices of crude oil, will certainly translate to unavoidable huge spending on refined products by Nigeria. And this is the extant scenario which dimension and direction is beyond the ken and purview of the country. The cost of subsidising PMS in 2020 was N450 billion; it has already hit N4.19 trillion and is still rising!

BY MARCEL OKEKE Rising Debt, Crashing Revenue: Whither Nigeria?

Again, whichever scenario that plays out could be messed up by extant challenges confronting businesses (big and small) namely high cost of doing business—essentially driven by huge energy cost. To this will be added high cost of funds (credit) induced by tight monetary stance of the apex bank; crashing value of the Naira at the foreign exchange market which has already made nonsense of all corporate budget projections so far. Fallouts and spillover effects of the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the deepening insecurity in the country scare businesses and investors (existing and potential) to no end. The import of energy transition, a phenomenon that has seen not a few International Oil Companies (IOCs) fleeing Nigeria actually heightens the nation’s fiscal challenges.

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Minister Zainab Ahmed alluded to this, when she observed during the MTEF and FSP presentation that the continuous rise in energy costs in the global market could push subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for 2023 to an estimated N6.72 trillion. She disclosed that petrol subsidy payments grew by 349.42 per cent from N350 billion in 2019 to N1.573 trillion in 2021, propelled by the rising price of crude oil in the international market and the falling value of the naira.

•Okeke, an economist, sustainability expert and business strategy consultant, lives in Lagos.

“Many analysts consider the disruptive move as no more than a clever marketing gimmick but in focusing on what was seen as gimmickry they fail to reckon with what has over the years become apparent as Adenuga’s unique approach to business.

Globacom And Nigeria’s Telecoms Revolution rise of only indigenous company in the telecoms sector

“

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It boggles the mind when you consider how much this 19-year-old indigenous institution has been able to achieve in a country where the prevailing sentiment is that things never work. From the moment it commenced operation in 2003, Globacom has never looked any way but up. It is still rising. It is not only glowing with pride, as one of the company’s copies boast, it has become a popular brand and assumed something of an iconic status to Nigerians very much like Coca Cola to Americans.

Mr. David Mark, under whose tenure as Minister of Communications the groundwork for GSM began in General Sani Abacha’s regime, infamously declared that phones are not meant for the poor, that it will be so expensive only the rich (counting himself among them) would be able to afford. Mark’s insouciant remark turned most Nigerians against him and was roundly criticized for it. But to MTN and Econet, it was like an unsolicited promotional ad by none other than the Minister of Communications himself.

and rise

We’re not saying it has the same international clout and reach as the almighty Coca Cola Company. No! It is their shared identification with their places of origin. Mention Coke anywhere in the world and people know its provenance. Mention Glo anywhere in parts of the West African subregion (Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo) and people know its Likeprovenance.CocaCola, it is privately owned. Even so, the same way people identify Coke with America is just the same way others identify Glo with Nigeria, down to its preferred corporate colour used in most of its commercials and promos. Famous Nigerian faces have featured in many of their commercials and promos, from the Nobel laureate to dozens of Nollywood stars, musicians, comedians and sports men and women who have been, or are still, cultural ambassadors, thus lending a wholly Nigerian theme to a Nigerian brand. Before it came on in 2003, two telecom companies – MTN and Econet – were already on the scene preceding Globacom by 24 months. They were foreign-owned and both were literally scalping Nigerian subscribers. Buying a SIM ran into several thousands of naira. The accompanying handsets by both companies were also expensive. Even the supposed well-off class griped about poor services and outrageous billings by the two foreign companies. But there were no alternatives, just MTN and Econet. So, if you wanted a handset at that time, you had to go to them compulsorily and shell out as much as N24, N35k for a SIM-card and phone - be it a Nokia, Ericsson, Sony or even Huawei. Nothing hurts more than someone ripping you off, shafting you steadily from day to day, week to week, month to month for two years and you are unable to do anything about it. So it was with millions of Nigerian subscribers at the time. It was a collective hurt Nigerians felt but could do nothing about – until Globacom arrived the Glo,scene.asit came to be known and better appreciated, was wholly Nigerian, founded by mega-businessman, Otunba Michael Adenuga. For the third “born” in the nascent telecoms sector, it was, as they say, an idea whose time had come. Globacom hit the ground running and to the delight of millions of Nigerian subscribers – for good reasons.

“In throwing his hat into the telecom ring, Adenuga seemed clear that it was to be in the service of the common people of Nigeria who had been denied access to telecom services. In putting the People first he was living his brand Purpose of offering Nigerians a service that would help them access the information super-highway and thus place them in pole position to rule their world. This was at the heart of Globacom’s enormous investments in the Glo1 cable which earned the company the endearing sobriquet Grandmaster of Data. Glo’s crashing of the SIM price and introduction of per second billing have since become modern business marketing case studies but for the discerning observer, they were statements of intent from a peopleoriented businessman.”

What did they do? They priced their products and services higher than most annual salaries following the minister’s cue. MTN and Econet loved it and so made millions at the expense of Nigerians. For Nigerians who like to show off their latest acquisition, especially the relatively new gadget, it was something of a privilege to own a functioning handset. Compared to the sleek and handsome sets today, they were mostly bulky and un-fanciful, complete with radio antennae resembling the walkie-talkies of yore. Nevertheless, Nigerians bee-lined it to the offices and outlets of those two, snatching up SIM cards and phones at outrageous prices. MTN and Econet were on a roll from then on, making oodles of cash in the process. Worse still, they priced them out of the reach of the poor, just as the minister suggested, thus denying a larger percentage of Nigerians what should be an essential handy gadget. There was a subtle hint at class division then suggesting that those who could afford it (the haves) were in a different class by themselves and those who could not (the have-nots) were somewhat lower. Owning a handset then was a measure of your worth, especially by those who couldn’t afford it. Once in a while mankind finds itself at a turning point in its history, a bind majority of Nigerians found themselves in those early years of telecoms. They needed a messiah. But where would the messiah come from? Who was going to deliver them from the stranglehold of MTN and Econet? “I will build a car for the great multitude,” Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, famously boasted. He saw it through and so started his auto industry from a steel mill in Michigan. Thus did Ford Motors take on its own life and the auto revolution began in earnest in America. Something similar was soon to happen in 2003. What has now been dubbed the telecoms revolution did not actually happen until Globacom entered the market - if we take into account the full meaning of a revolution? How did he do it? Much of the answer has become the stuff of legend in the history of telecoms in Nigeria. To understand it better, we turn to a charming piece written by Toni Kan, a Globacom staff, on Otunba Mike Adenuga’s 69th birthday last April. “Every time the story of Glo’s emergence in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is told,” Toni Kan asserted, “the raconteurs always seem fixated on Glo’s disruption of the industry with the crashing of the costs of acquiring SIM cards as well as its introduction of the per second billing which the earlier players had claimed was impossible.

in Nigeria. Michael Jimoh reports…

How true! Inspired or not by Ford’s vision of building cars for multitudes, of making average American families own their own automobiles, Adenuga’s dream for Globacom followed that business strategy. Though a late starter in the telecoms sector, Glo’s 55million subscribers alone in Nigeria says much about the success of the people first approach. Put people first or make them count in any business enterprise and you’re as good as made. The founder of Ford Motors was at one time the richest man in America. Adenuga is reputed to be the second richest man in Africa, according to Forbes’ latest rating. One of the greatest advantages of capitalism is that it encourages and drives competition and, in so doing, brings out the best in people, products and services. Just imagine if there was only one or two operators in the telecoms sector today Nigerians of a certain generation still remember those days of NITEL. With the privatization of telecommunications, MTN and Econet were first on the field. True, they provided better services than NITEL but they also made Nigerians subscribers feel they were doing them a favour for which they should remain forever grateful even though they were paying through their noses for it. With the advent of Globacom, Nigerians got to know you could become a subscriber without necessarily having to invest a month’s income to acquire one. Buying airtime was even cheaper, N50 at one time! There were other marketing strategies the latecomer introduced and adopted that caught on with millions of subscribers across Nigeria. This is the much-talked about telecoms revolution wrought singlehandedly by Globacom without firing a shot. It may be a combination of Adenuga’s entrepreneurial drive as a typical Ijebu man and his years in the US where he read and obtained an MBA. Faster than putting your finger to a keyboard, other telecoms companies reduced their charges for almost every service they provided and previously charged higher for. It was not hard to see why. Millions of subscribers turned to Glo who had shown that the impossible was possible to the chagrin, most probably, of the board of directors of rival companies. To stay in the flow, MTN and Econet beat down their prices, from SIM cards to calls, SMS and much else. It was as if Adenuga had come to show them the way this kind of business is done. Today, Glo is as much a household name in Nigeria as MTN and Econet now Airtel after several reincarnations and as it turns 19, the proudly Nigerian company is glowing with pride and more than certain to glow brighter/ better as the years go by. Glo is as much a household name in Nigeria as MTN and Econet now Airtel after several reincarnations and as it turns 19, the proudly Nigerian company is glowing with pride and more than certain to glow brighter/ better as the years go by

BUSINESS FEATURE

the

Globacom turns 19 on August 29. THEWILL considers the

Real Sector Support Facility-Differenciated Cash Reserve Requirment (RSSF-DCRR)

EKITI STATE

These interventions have significantly contributed to the overall growth of the Nigerian economy. The CBN has financed about 18,439 and 16,479 projects, in Ekiti and Osun states, respectively. Some projects that benefited from the Bank’s interventions in the two states are highlighted below:

The Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) was set up with the objective of fast tracking the development of critical sectors of the economy e.g. manufacturing, agriculture value chain and the service sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy. It is aimed at increasing output, generating employment, diversifying the revenue base, increasing foreign exchange earnings and providing inputs for the industrial sector on a sustainable basis. Under this intervention programme, priority is accorded to projects with high local content, import substitution, foreign exchange earnings and potential for job creation.

•Youth•HealthCare•Infrastructure•Manufacturing•AgricultureandEntrepreneurship Development

Apanisile Temitope is one of the beneficiaries of the Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme (AgSMEIS) in Ekiti State. She is a fashion designer and native of Ikere Ekiti who heard of the CBN intervention from a friend. The information about the CBN loan came at a challenging time in her life when it was difficult to feed and send her children to school. The loan changed her life and business as she was able to renovate her shop, sell tailoring materials and take care of her family.

CBN INTERVENTIONS IN EKITI AND OSUN STATES YEARS OF CBN

In recognition that of the importance of access to finance, being is a key limiting factor to for innovation and development of the global economy in Nigeria, the CBN’s key development finance interventions are targeted at priority sectors/ segments which include:

•Micro,•Export Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s)

INTERVENTION

Name: Promasidor Nigeria Limited Intervention: RSSF-DCRR Sector:TAgricultureheReal Sector Support Facility- Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement (RSSF-DCRR) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was introduced to stimulate and sustain growth in key sectors of the economy. The objectives of the real sector development initiatives include reviving moribund sectors of the economy, empowering the youth population, exploring the untapped potential in various economic landscapes, and enhancing foreign exchange inflow.

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Name: Prince Adeyemi Kolawole Intervention: Targeted Credit Facility Sector: SME Location: Ekiti State

Name: Apanisile Tope Intervention: AgSMEIS Sector: SME

45

The Agri-Business Small And Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AgSMEIS) Targeted Credit Facility (TCF)

Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AgSMEIS) was established to support the Federal Government’s efforts at promoting agricultural business /small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a vehicle for sustainable economic development and employment generation

There are 18,439 beneficiaries of CBN interventions in Ekiti State and one of the beneficiaries of the RSSF-DCRR is Promasidor Nigeria Limited. Promasidor Nigeria is the leading provider of high-quality food products across various regions in Africa. The company accessed the loan to partly finance the establishment and expansion of one of its subsidiaries, the Ikun Dairy Farm. Located at Etan Road, Ikun Amure in Ekiti State, the farm has a large expanse of land, and they are currently cultivating 180 hectares of maize and 15 hectares of soybeans farm. One remarkable fact about the Ikun Dairy farm is that they cultivate the Rhodes grass used in feeding the cows. Rhodes grass is cultivated on 20 hectares of the farm. They have 264 milking cows and 43 calves on the farm with an average milk production of 850 liters per day. The project is currently undergoing expansion with a new bedding for the calves being constructed.

One of the beneficiaries of the Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) in Ekiti State is Prince Adeyemi Kolawole, a businessman and the CEO of Smart Price Ventures. He read about the TCF from ‘Nairaland’, an online blog and initially thought it was a scam or that he was required to know someone in the system. However, he was amazed when he applied, and it was approved without having to know anyone within the system. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, his business had suffered a setback like many others was down like it was around the world. With the CBN loan, he was able to employ more workers and get more goods in his warehouses.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank of Nigeria granted loans to households and small businesses to cushion the effects of the pandemic across the country. The Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) supports households and small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Agri-Business Small And Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS)

With the help of the loan, they were able to call back their workers who were sent away due to lack of funds to pay their wages. They were also able to employ more workers and even repair their company vehicles used in the delivery of building blocks and other orders Nigeria Machine Tools (NMT) is Nigeria’s first internationally certified producer of Oil industry standard Stud Bolts, Nuts and Flanges. In addition, the company produces customized castings for various industries including construction, cement, oil and gas, and manufacturing. The company has built a reputation in providing quality products and services which have earned it a massive clientele list such as Dangote Cement, MTN, Julius Berger, Chevron and Theothers.company accessed the intervention to part-finance the purchase of machinery in support of the modernization and mechanization of existing ballistic vest, machine tool factories and foundries.

Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) was established to support the Federal Government’s efforts at promoting agricultural business /small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a vehicle for sustainable economic development and employment generation

Stanza Farms is a livestock and agro allied company located in Iwo, Osun state. The company aims to produce high quality foods by maintaining innovative and sustainable farming operations which include poultry, aquaculture, hatchery and commercial feed milling.

Project Name: Nigerian Machinery Tools Ltd Intervention: RSSF-DCRR Sector: Manufacturing

Name: Akande Samuel Oluwaseun Intervention: AGSMEIS Sector: Agriculture Location: Osun State Project Name: Stanza Farms Intervention: CACS Sector: Agriculture

Targeted Credit Facility (TCF)

OSUN STATE 45 YEARS OF CBN INTERVENTION

The Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) supports households and small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improved funding of the Agricultural sector will Increase output and foreign exchange earnings, generate employment, diversify the revenue base, and provide input for the industrial sector on a sustainable basis. Several projects with a high impact on the economy have been funded under the scheme. Some of the projects financed in Ekiti and Osun States are highlighted below In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank of Nigeria granted loans to households and small businesses to cushion the effects of the pandemic across the country.

Name: Sikiru Iyiola Akinola Intervention: Targeted Credit Facility Sector: SME Akande Samuel Oluwaseun is a greenhouse farmer in Ikirun Osun State. He heard of the intervention from a neighbor, applied and benefited from the AgSMEIS loan in 2020. With the help of the CBN loan, he was able to expand his business. From an initial one green house, he was able to build more green houses and to employ more members of staff, and this which resulted in increased income and a better life.

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The company accessed CACS to finance the additional state of the art facilities spread over 150 hectares, for poultry farming, hatcheries and catfish production. Since accessing the loan, the company has doubled production and increased the size of its workforce.

As part of its developmental role, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) established the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) to support commercial agricultural enterprises in Nigeria. The scheme is aimed at fast-tracking development in the agricultural sector and promoting food security through affordable credit facilities to commercial agricultural enterprises in the country.

Mr. Sikiru Iyiola Akinola, a native of Osun State is one of the beneficiaries of the TCF intervention in Osun State. He is the owner of a block industry in Kobaope along Ilesha road where he makes and supplies building blocks and well rings, as well as sand for builders. He heard about the CBN intervention and asked his son to help him apply. His application was approved, and he was credited in 2020. Prior to accessing the loan, his business had suffered a major setback due to the COVID-19 lockdown, as there were no jobs nor requests and all income received from clients were exhausted.

AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 23THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 23-28 SABINUS Obsessed With Entertainment

How does it feel to be the first ever winner of the 2022 edition of Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award in the Best Online Social Content Creators’ category? First of all, I give God the glory. If not for God, I don’t know if I would have won the award. Everything I do today is by the strength of the lord. I appreciate my fans for the support they made me, no other person. There were other people in the nominee lists that are better than me, but my fans choose to support me. I am saying a very big thank you to them for the support. A lot of people were of the opinion that there were other better nominees in that category who could have won. How did you feel when you were criticised for winning? It is a normal thing. Criticism will always come in things like that. It is not my power. That is the way I understand it. Anybody might have won the award, there will always be nominees and there will always be one winner. I feel opportune and I want to thank God almighty for it. You recently instituted a lawsuit against Friesland Food Wamco Nigeria Limited, makers of Peak Milk and UCA Foods, makers of Gala for using your intellectual property. Can you talk about it? The truth be told, I dont wat to say much about it. I have a management in charge of my trade mark so I can’t say anything about it. I am just busy going about my comedy business. Ask me anything about my comedy, I will be able to answer you.

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I AM IN LOVE –ENTERTAINMENTWITHSABINUS

What is it about you that your fans do not know? I love football. I enjoy staying alone at home a lot. I am not a very social person. I prefer to be indoors than attending parties and I don’t drink alcoholic beverages.

How and when did you venture into skit making? I ventured into skit making in 2015. The journey has been a wonderful one. It has not been rosy, but I thank God for where I am now. How do you develop concepts for your skits? Developing concepts for my skits is not something too hard for me. Getting those concepts is something that comes naturally to me. Let me just say that it is inborn. When I started, it wasn’t that easy. But with time, I got used to it and I wasn’t struggling to get my concepts. I try to observe people anywhere I find myself. I may not engage in any conversation with them. I will just observe to see how I can use whatever it is that they are doing or discussing as part of the concept for my skits. What are some of the interesting things about skit making? There are many interesting things about skit making. It connects you to a lot of people and enables you to see others through the lens of your work. Like I told you earlier, I observe people a lot and I make use of what I observe in my skits. I have met a lot of people that I didn’t expect to meet in the course of my career. It was skit making that made our paths to cross. Another interesting thing is that when people meet you they want to take pictures with you. Adults who are my father’s age would like to take pictures with me just because they identify with my skits. I feel grateful that I can make this calibre of people laugh and enjoy comedy. Such a feeling is not just interesting but fulfilling for me. How easy or difficult is skit making for you? It is quite difficult. The time and stress involved in it and some hurdles you have to cross while making the skits makes it difficult. You need to keep up, back to back. For instance, you have to look for a good location to shoot your skits. Even at that, you must get the permission of some people before you can use certain locations. Then I get harassed by area boys who are always ready to extort me or make away with some valuables if one is not very careful. When you consider the process at times, if you are not too careful, you will be discouraged. How expensive is skit making for you? It can also be expensive, but not all the time. The expenses come when you have a lot of people you want to feature or when you have to get more costumes. Then you have to settle those area boys so you can enjoy what you want to do on set. Basically the things you spend money on are the ones highlighted. If you are lucky not to encounter area boys and you can reduce your cast, then the expenses will be less.

What are the challenges you have had as a skit maker? It can be very challenging to think about the things you want to work on. Aside from the fact that I get my concepts from people, you also want to introduce more modern concepts and make it unique and acceptable to people. Every other person out there is also thinking of how to make their skits unique, so you have to constantly be on your toes. You have to think outside the box and come up with something new and different at every point in time. I must say that it can be very challenging really. Ejekwu

What is your comedy show, Oh My Ribs all about and what are some of the achievements so far? Oh My Ribs was staged a few years ago. There is another comedy show that I am also passionate about now. It is called Sabinus Live. I have staged it two times. The first edition was held in Nigeria and the second in Ghana. They were both successful. I thank God for that. It is a comedy show where people come and laugh, catch fun for the evening and enjoy good music. Like I said, the past two editions have been very wonderful. It is good to enjoy immense love and support even outside your country. It shows that you are doing something that international communities enjoy as well. Lagos is the hub of entertainment, but you are also doing well in Port Harcourt. Do you often think you are missing out in the unique Lagos experience? Lagos is the hub of entertainment, no doubt. Port-Harcourt is also a great place to stay. Anyway, I have relocated from Port Harcourt to Lagos now. I am also at the hub now. So we can all enjoy the entertainment industry in Lagos State together. I must say that Port Harcourt is also another wonderful place. I enjoyed my stay over there and I believe I will have a better experience in Lagos.

A lot of skit makers go into mainstream acting, are you looking in that direction too? Yes, that is true. A lot of my colleagues have already ventured into it. I have also acted in some movies, such as Billionaire’s Bride and Man of War. I have featured in some movies that are yet to been released, too. And I must say that I am looking forward to featuring in more movies. I enjoy the movie aspect of entertainment just the way I enjoy comedy and skit making too. If not skit making, what else would you have ventured into? If not skit making, I would have been doing my stand-up comedy. I am in love with anything entertainment. Beyond skit making, what is your long term plan? I am involved in real estate business as an investor. I love investing in properties. It is exciting. Who are the people you love to work with in the industry? I have some people that I admire in the entertainment industry. I have some international stars that I would like to work with as well. The likes of Kevin Hart and Mr Bean are international acts I would like to work with. In the Nigerian comedy scene, I would like to work with Mr Ibu. But I must say that I love and admire all skit makers. It is not easy to put out contents out there. It takes a lot of creativity, effort and hard work. How did you come about your stage name, Sabinus? My initial stage name was Mr Funny. Some people still call me by that name till now. I was shooting a skit and I thought of the right name to give them and Sabinus came to mind and it stuck. That was in 2000. It is even bigger than Mr Funny. the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award

Award-winning comedian, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu, otherwise known as Sabinus or Mr Funny, speaks with SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN about his journey into skitmaking and the challenges of the profession. Excerpts: Ejekwu

This seems to be the season of voluntary donations. Barely two weeks after Dr Philip Ozuah, an alumnus of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan donated the sum of $1,000,000 to the new hostel building fund for the College of Medicine, wealthy businessman and group chairman, Chisco Group of Companies, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, has donated the sum of N100 million to Nnamdi Azikiwe University for the study of auto-mechanics and property management training. The donation is geared towards providing machines, equipment and modern technological innovations in the automobile industry to facilitate training for young Nigerians as well as Property WhileManagement.accepting the donation, the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone, described the gesture as phenomenal to the development of the youth population, calling on notable individuals to emulate Anyaegbu by investing in our youths to help them be meaningfully employed. Anyaegbu who holds the chieftaincy title, Okeiyi Amichi, in 2012, built and handed over to the institution, a magnificent structure worth N78 million for the Chisco Institute of Transportation and Logistics Studies and he has for the past 10 years provided funds for continued training of young Nigerians in the transport and logistics industry. But this year, he decided to take the bar higher by providing the humongous amount, N100 miilion, which has since been paid into the school’s account to ensure further training, with the addition of training on property management and real estate development.Arenownedphilanthropist, Anyaegbu considers this to be his little way of giving back to the society, especially through education, as he had no opportunity to get to the highest level of education himself. He believes that the training will help a lot of young Nigerians especially indigenes of Anambra State who are interested in acquiring skills and make a living for themselves by getting the right training and empowerment in the transport and logistics studies, as well as building/property management etc. He has however attended several short management and entrepreneurial courses in France, USA, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Anyaegbu was conferred with a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (Honoris Causa) by Penn State University, USA in 1996. He is a Fellow, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (International) London and possesses the Business Certificate Award by University of Houston USA. A Member of the Federal Republic (MFR), Anyaegbu, started out with spare parts business in 1978 with the sum of N120 which he got from his uncle after his apprenticeship. He would later expand his business concern to include transport and logistics services via Chisco Transport has since diversified into real estate development, oil and gas, aviation, education, imports and exports etc. He sits on the board of several companies both in and outside the country.

Donates

poll. He took his graciouslydefeat and had hoped that he

Party.towhichswitchhewasAkindele.Funkeproducer,andoftheneophyteainsteadbethataspirants.thedeputyJandor’spickedperhapswouldbeasfromlineupofButwasnottoasJandorpickedpoliticalinpersonactressmovieThatthecueneededtocampshedidtheLabourButwhether

the issues that have engulfed the substitution primary will enable him to represent the party at the polls, still remains to be seen. Young, vibrant and charismatic, Rhodes-Vivour began his political journey in 2016 when he contested for the position of Chairman, Ikeja Local Government Area on the platform of KOWA Party. When that didn’t work, he joined the PDP in 2017 and in 2019, emerged the PDP Senatorial candidate representing Lagos West District. He lost out to the eventual winner, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, who is struggling to represent the people of Yewa, Ogun State in the senate. Rhodes-Vivour challenged the results of the election at the Election Petition Tribunal based on widespread targeted violence in PDP strongholds. He alleged that based on INEC’s declaration of cancelled results due to violence across three local governments, 94,301 votes was more than the 79,801 difference between himself and the APC candidate, which should have necessitated a rerun as was done in three other local governments in the Lagos West Senatorial AnDistrict.activist, Rhodes-Vivour started his activism with his Anti-GMO struggle by debating with the Minister of Agriculture in the national dailies as well as on National television. In 2017, he led a 2,000-man march to the Senate in partnership with environmental activists. He is an avid campaigner of the teaching of history as a subject in Nigerian Heschools.comes from a long line of lawyers. His parents are lawyers. He is the great-grandson of Justice S.B Rhodes, the second indigenous judge ever appointed, a grandson to Chief, Justice A.R.W Rhodes-Vivour and a nephew to Supreme court Justice, Bode Rhodes-Vivour. He is a great-great-grandson to William Allen Vivour, the single most successful 19th-century planter in Africa.

Amosun Abiodun Rhodes-Vivour

Amosun’s camp did not hold a parallel primary election, leaving Abiodun’s men to take all the APC tickets for elective positions in Ogun WithState.the rebuff, Amosun has resigned himself to leveraging on his support for a ‘Tinubu presidency’ and other influences he has within the APC and the presidency. THEWILL had exclusively reported how Amosun in his bid to ensure Abidoun is ousted in 2023, teamed up with his predecessor and a political foe, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, with whom he was at daggers drawn during his tenure as governor. But with the current situation, especially as Amosun abandoned his loyalists, led by Akinlade, all of whom have since defected to the PDP, he currently has no cards to play with. He seems to be losing grip on the possibility of holding any notable political position or having some form of influence come 2023 and has resorted to a smear campaign in hopes that things would work out in his favour eventually.

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This past week, a former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun and the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun engaged in a seemingly unending altercation for reasons that many people are yet to understand. Amosun threw the first salvo unprovoked when he said that the 2019 governorship election in the state was rigged in favour of Abiodun and vowed to ensure his removal, come 2023. He insisted that his erstwhile protege, Adekunle Akinlade, who contested the election on the platform of the Allied People’s Movement, after defecting from the ruling All Progressives Congress, won the Amosunelection. claimed that those who actually rigged the election in favour of Abiodun had apologised to him and he had moved on. So one wonders why he is revisiting his rivalry with his successor over the 2019 governorship election, if he has indeed moved on. Abiodun did not let Amosun’s allegation slide. In response, he described his predecessor as suffering from self-delusion and political amnesia. He urged his supporters to ignore Amosun and his rantings as he (Abidoun) would not join issues with him. He, however, expressed his disappointment that Amsoun would cry that he was rigged out during the “Howelection.canwe that are on the outside take on an incumbent and then be accused of rigging out an incumbent in the same party. Anyone can explain their failure whichever way they like, anyone can also begin to pant and threaten that they will do whatever,” he had said. Well it turns out that Abiodun was being pressured to hand over the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket to Amosun, who did not indicate any interest to return to the Senate but was gunning for the presidency and later stepped down for Tinubu. Abidoun had openly supported Afolabi Salisu, his Chief of Staff. Salisu had won the ticket during the APC primary election organised by Abiodun’s faction of the party.

Chidi Anyaegbu N100m to Nnamdi Azikiwe University FIGHTING

Anyaegbu WHY IBIKUNLE AMOSUN AND DAPO ABIODUN ARE

DIRTY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s Road to Alausa Under Threat

Architect and public policy expert, akaAbdul-AzeezPDP,tickethopedofhisbeinAlthoughandBesides,theaffidavitaddingheAwamaridigovernorshipathethatAwamariditheLagosLPof(INEC)NationalSecondly,towhoallegingtheelection.incapacitatedfromanconductedApeople.notmannertheUnfortunately,(APC),theSalvador,111duringofGbadebogovernorshipwinnerDemocraticstaunchRhodes-Vivour,GbadeboaformermemberofthePeoplesParty,hasemergedoftheLabourParty’sprimaryinLagos.wasdeclaredwinnertheLPsubstitutionprimarytheweekafterpollingvotestodefeatMoshoodaformerchieftainofAllProgressivesCongresswhogot102votes.theoutcomeofsubstitutionprimaryandtheitwasconductedhasgonedownwellwithafewsubstitutionprimaryisifthecandidateforelectivepositionwithdrawstherace,becomesordiesbeforetheFirst,Salvadorrejectedoutcomeoftheelection,thatsomedelegatesvotedwerenotmeantparticipateintheprimary.theIndependentElectoralCommissionhadpublishedthenameIfagbemiAwamaridiasthegovernorshipcandidateforinthe2023elections,butLPdeputychairmansaidhadwrittenformallyhewaswithdrawingfromrace,claimingthathewasplaceholderfortheparty’scandidateslot.Butrejectedtheclaimthathadwithdrawnfromtherace,thathehadswornanofnon-withdrawalbeforeFederalHighCourtinAbuja.heisstillverymuchalivenotdead.heisnotagreenhornpolitics,thiswouldhoweverthefirsttimehewouldsignifyinteresttooccupytheseatpowerinLagosState.Hehadtoclinchthegovernorshipontheplatformofthebutunfortunately,Dr.OlajideAdediranJandor,trouncedhimatthe

When in 2021, Justice Lateefat Okunnu, sentenced Francis Atuche to six years in prison after he was convicted for committing fraud to the tune of N25.7 billion in a trial that lasted 12 years, the former bank chief knew he needed to do something and fast. He couldn’t imagine himself spending six years behind bars, not after spending many years living large on depositor’s funds. And so in April 2022 when it was time for the council of state (an organ of the federal government, saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy-making matters, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari (with former presidents as members), to pardon a few prisoners sentenced to jail for fraud, Atuche’s name somehow found its way into the list made up of 162 names. He hadn’t even spent a year in jail, compared to the other names listed for pardon, who had spent varying numbers of years in jail. Unfortunately, his desire to be pardoned boomeranged. His name did not even make the final list of 159 offenders granted pardon by the council. Instead among those pardoned were former governors of Taraba and Plateau states; Jolly Nyame and Joshua Dariye. Fresh facts have now emerged as to how Atuche’s name was listed when he was never considered for a pardon by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy (PACPM). The PACPM is headed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and has as its duty, embarking on a nationwide visit of prisons to investigate cases of prisoners and ex-convicts who are deserving of presidential pardon, with the ultimate aim of decongesting prisons in the country. Curious as to how Atuche’s name found its way into the list, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, requesting the probe of members of the PACPM over allegations of conspiracy, abuse of office, bribery and corruption. With a high level investigation launched, the EFCC uncovered a plot hatched by two high ranking government officials who altered the presidential pardon list and smuggled in a few names, one of which was Atuche. The two individuals indicted in the anti-graft agency’s report are a senior official in the secretariat of PACPM, an assistant chief state counsel in the federal ministry of justice and an agent of Atuche. Both officials were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Justice to serve in the PACPM secretariat. EFCC investigation revealed that the two officials both got money from the agent of Atuche to insert his name on the list. The EFCC claims efforts are in top gear to arrest the co-conspirators for THEWILLprosecution.recalls how Atuche at some point in his banking career was considered a wizard in his field. He would later rise to the peak of his career as the managing director of Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank. With position came influence and then money, which he had full access to. He was not only well respected in his industry, himself and his wife, Elizabeth, courted the limelight. They were the quintessential couple, who never failed to light up any social event they stepped into together. While Francis was always dressed in some of the best designer silk suits, his wife was no less different. From high street apparels to jewelries made from different precious stones, Elizabeth was always drenched in them. Gracing newspaper and magazine covers was like breathing to them. But what many didn’t know was that Francis and his wife were involved in money laundering, using depositors’ funds. Shortly before he was sentenced, Atuche, who had formerly boasted that as a Catholic who was baptised in the church and one who takes the Holy Communion every day, he could not possibly be a thief because God has been gracious to him, suddenly began to plead for leniency. “As a professional banker and chartered accountant, I don’t want to become a convict. I pray that God will place in your heart to be kind. I plead from the bottom of my heart. I’m extremely sorry, today will be a turning point in my life, I’m very sorry”, he told Okunnu.

Evelyn Edamwen Asemota, the first wife of late Captain Hosa Okunbo, has reappeared from the blues. Evelyn who is the mother of his older children, one of who is Ivie Okunbo, the Olori Atuwatse III, married to the current Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse lll, was sighted at the 70th birthday party of society matriarch, Daisy Danjuma last weekend. It was a rare sight as Evelyn, who is in her 60s and is hardly seen at society gatherings, really let down her hair. She made sure she enjoyed every bit of her time for the duration the party Thelasted.last time she would have made a statement with a public appearance was when she lost the man she married in her youth. She was barred from paying her last respect by the late businessman’s second wife, Nosa who was ironically estranged from the late Okunbo at some point until he decided to make peace with her when he realised that his time on earth was almost up. Nosa had approached an Edo High Court sitting in Benin City, seeking a restraining order to stop her from parading herself as his widow and from doing anything that will disrupt the week-long burial rites of the late business mogul. Evelyn and the late Okunbo were the quintessential couple while they were married, with the late mogul obsessed with her, while she remained the loyal and dutiful wife. She began life with Okunbo when he barely had anything to his name.

When businessman and investor, Femi Otedola and his company, Zenon Petroleum and Gas company, reached an agreement with AbdulWasiu Sowami and his company, Prudent Energy, for the purchase of 74 per cent share capital in Forte Oil Plc in 2019, little did Otedola know that four years after, he would have no choice but to battle Sowami for full payment of the cash equivalent of the shares. Otedola sold the shares of Forte oil for $200 million at the time. The deal was structured in such a way that the Ogun State-born Sowami would pay the money in tranches, instead of paying it in full. With that landmark transaction, Sowami became the owner of Forte Oil, which was later renamed Ardova. However, Sowami who had been paying, stopped payment this year. The balance of the payment due to Otedola currently stands at $6 million and despite the debt and not yet completing payment, Sowami went ahead to buy a competitor, Enyo retail and supply with about 95 retail stations all over the country. With the current state of the economy, not wanting to lose out of the bidding process for the five National Integrated Power Projects (his energy company, Amperion Power Distribution Company, the parent company of the Gerugu Power Station, is among the 16 energy companies listed by the Public Bureau of Public Enterprises qualified for the bidding) and also not wanting to risk the sale of his First Bank shares, in a bid to retain dominance in the banking sector, there is no denying that Otedola is in dire need of money. Ironically, one of Sowami’s companies, Ardova PLC is also among the 16 lucky winners that will bid for the power assets. Tired of serving demand letters to Sowami to pay up his debt, which is long overdue, Otedola approached the court over Sowami’s inability to pay his debt. Whether Otedola will have an upper hand in the unfolding drama remains to be seen. Ardova Plc itself, formerly Forte Oil, has not been without its own fair share of Lastchallenges.month the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) lifted a suspension placed on trading in the shares of the company for failing to file their Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2021. But after the company filed its Audited Financial Statements and Unaudited Financial Statements for the quarter ended 31 March 2022, in compliance with all applicable rules of NGX, the trading house lifted the Also,suspension.thecompany suffered some losses from its subsidiaries, Axles and Cartage, and the newly acquired Enyo Retail and Supply Limited, leading to a group net loss position of N3.8 billion. Unlike Femi who is well known publicly, Sowami likes to operate in the background and abhors the spotlight. Himself and Otedola are alike when it comes to philanthropy. Sowami established the Abdul-Lateef & Sanni Foundation to build schools and provide scholarships to indigent students. He holds an M.Sc. in Corporate Governance from Leeds Beckett University, England and a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Maiduguri. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.

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No doubt, whatever chord once joined movie producer and boss of EbonyLife and Films, Mosunmola Abudu and a sitting South-West governor, have been severed, at least for now. This much was reiterated at a recent high profile party in Lagos that had very important personalities in the business, political and corporate sectors in attendance. At the party, the movie producer took a chance and approached the table where the governor was seated to exchange pleasantries. It was also about the same time, a serving minister walked up to the same governor to also exchange pleasantries with him. The governor must have thanked his stars that the minister approached his table, which enabled him to avoid an awkward moment with Mo, as she is fondly called. He quickly reached out to the minister for a handshake barely acknowledging the greeting from Mo whom he gave a quick thumbs up before she scurried back to her seat. At the height of their relationship, the governor was a recurring decimal at events and parties hosted by Mo. He was always given preferential treatment at such events. But after an expose on her by those gunning to tear down her reputation, alleging that she is guilty of committing several infractions with two governors (a former and a serving one) for contracts and outright refusal to execute the contracts, even after collecting money for their executions etc, this sitting governor decided to keep her at an arm’s length. The last known event the governor attended with her in attendance was at a fashion, music and food festival late last year. The governor was compelled to be there with his wife because the event which was a brainchild of Mo was in collaboration with the state government. Besides, the deal had been signed and sealed long before the expose. Attempts by the mother of two and grandmother of one to play co-host with the governor at the event backfired as she was promptly prevented from getting anywhere near him. That turned out to be the beginning of the end of their relationship. Similarly, about two months ago, the movie producer hosted a cross section of public figures to the premiere of her Netflix movie, Blood Sisters. Conspicuously missing from the crowd of guests was the governor. Although the premiere turned out to be a success, were he to be there, his presence perhaps would have given the premiere a bigger boost.

BLUESFROMREAPPEARSASEMOTAEVELYNTHE Otedola Abudu

Sitting atAbuduGovernorSouth-WestServesMoColdReceptionLagosParty

Asemota

The curtain may have fallen on the marriage of Tolu and her ex-husband, film producer and director, Kunle Afolayan, but she is not allowing that sad incident to hold her back from forging ahead in life. Not only does she now have a thriving jewelry business, the mother of Kunle’s three children is now in another relationship with a very successful man who dotes on her in a way that Kunle never did. Tolu also went back to school and bagged a certificate from Lagos Business School. The leggy beauty recently clocked 40 and she chose to have a quiet celebration with her new love interest, close friends and family. While her marriage to Kunle lasted, it was characterised with suspicion and distrust. The former couple became hostile companions under the same roof. Friends and family tried in futility to salvage the troubled union. Kunle’s alleged infidelity was one of the major reasons the marriage collapsed irretrievably. His alleged waywardness was said to be so legendary that he was perennially accused of chasing women of different shapes and shades. He reportedly had no boundaries and was alleged to be at home with single women as much as with married women and widows. Tolu’s endurance level became stretched to its limit when she came to the full realisation that there was no salvaging her husband. She simply packed her bags and left her matrimonial home for good. Those in the know claim Kunle and Tolu’s marriage was one of convenience as Kunle was never in love with Tolu. According to these sources, Kunle was done with the union long ago but stayed in it because of their children who needed their mother’s care and attention on occasions when Kunle was not around.Afolayan

FEMI OTEDOLA BATTLES ABDULWASIU SOWAMI OVER ACCRUED DEBT

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Kunle Afolayan’s Ex-Wife Gets Back Her Groove Atuche

Francis Atuche in Alleged Bribery Scam

STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

Constituents Displeased With Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly CIRCLETORETURNSINEGBESEMARYSOCIAL

Ibani Former Chief of Army staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, Tukur Buratai, will be installed as Are Balogun Agba of Owu-Kuta Kingdom in Osun State any time from now. The title was recently conferred on him by the traditional ruler of Owu-Kuta, his Royal Highness, Oba Adekunle Tegbosun III, after consultation with the Olowu-in-Council and the entire royal family. The title was given, based on a long-standing personal relationship between the traditional ruler and the retired Army general, as well as the fact that Buratai is a “worthy icon who has served the nation meritoriously and displayed an impeccable character and moral values when he was active in Obaservice”.Tegbosun further revealed that his gesture toward the retired military chief is to signify that people appreciate what he did in Nigeria and Osun State at large. It is also intended to encourage him to do more for Theposterity.installation ceremony would take place later in the year. The date has not yet been decided by the traditional ruler.

Animashaun

Buratai

Mary Inegbese, the wife of billionaire car dealer and Chief Executive Officer of Ineh-Mic Motors, Chief Mike Inegbese is back in the social circle. The light-complexioned and elegant socialite used to host a lot of parties in the past. She decided to take a break after staging a flamboyant wedding ceremony for her son, Michael Junior, sometime in Mrs2019.Inegbese decided to focus on the home front and left the social scene for the younger generation. But it seems she is back to take her place as one of the pillars of Lagos parties and enjoy a few high profile shindigs in recent times. She was first MotherOdua,theinstallationDosunmu’sErelureceptionserviceduringspottedchurchandofDrAbiolaasYeyeObaQueenoftheHouse of Oduduwa in July. She was at the elaborate ceremony with her husband, Chief Mike Inegbese. The two rocked the party and enjoyed their stay before leaving the venue. She was also at the 70th birthday party of Senator Daisy Danjuma, which took place on Saturday, August 6, 2022. Elegantly dressed in a simple flowing and beautiful grey gown, with a marching hair accessory that belied her age, Inegbese walked into the hall unaccompanied by her husband. Many were wondering why she decided to attend the party alone as she is often seen in his company at most social gatherings. She exchanged pleasantries with a few friends before sitting down to enjoy the party. Inegbese

Edward politicalanExpoHeforofhadappointment,2022.Saturdaytakecoronationcommunity.newforindeliberationafterappointedDapogovernorOguncommunityofappointedjournalistLarunsi,DadaaseasonedhasbeenastheBaaleSorobi,Obada-OkoinAbeokutaStatebytheofOgunState,Abiodun.HewaslastweekseveralweeksofbytheChiefCouncilresponsibleapprovingtheleadersintheHiswouldplaceonthefirstofSeptember,BeforehisLarunsiputinthreedecadesworkasajournalistvariousplatforms.laterestablishedPlusMagazine,entertainmentandmagazine in 2006. Before his appointment, Sorobi Obada-Oko had been witnessing the notorious activities of land grabbers, kidnappers and cultists thestateAlaketraditionalelevatedthatpromisedchiefamongpeacefulorderpromisedtrainedhistolawcommunitytheheadtonecessitatedwhichtheneedappointacommunitytooverseeactivitiesoftheandensureandorderisrestoredthecommunity.Withappointment,thejournalisthastorestoreandensureco-existenceindigenes.TheincouncilhasalsothenewBaalehistitlewouldbetothatofaruleroncetheofEgbaandthegovernmentgivesapproval.

Buratai Bags Chieftaincy Title in Osun It was a gathering of society bigwigs, politicians, captains of industry when Chief Nike Animashaun, a former Lagos State Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, staged the final burial ceremony for her mother, Mrs Olubunmi Ibiyemi Craig. Madam Craig died on July 13 and was buried on August 4, The2022.deceased was a foremost educationist, philanthropist, community pillar and an active member of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos before her demise. She was the proprietress of Labo Memorial Primary School and Somerset Secondary School both in Lagos Friends,State. family and society pillars threw their weight behind Animashaun as she bid her mother farewell. Despite the fact that the beautiful woman had it rough and left the Lagos State Civil Service in a controversial manner, many were solidly behind her during the ceremony. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, automobile merchant, Tayo Ayeni, Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Media mogul, Mo Abudu, Kwara State first lady, Olufolake Abdulrazaq Craig, former Kwara State first lady, Toyin Saraki, Oba Abdulwasiu Gbolahan Lawal, Nkiru Anumudu, Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo, Oando boss, Wale Tinubu and others attended the Animashaunevent. rose from a junior Magistrate in the Lagos State judiciary to become a Permanent Secretary, but was sacked by the Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration. She later became the Company Secretary of the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NNPC).

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Edward Dada Larunsi Becomes Baale of Sorobi Community

Nike Animashaun Fetes Society Bigwigs at Mother’s Funeral

The speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Ikuinyi Ibani, is not in the good books of some members of his constituency. The bone of contention, THEWILL gathered, is so serious that it is feared that he may lose the goodwill of the people of Andoni who he aims to represent in the National Assembly in 2023. Ibani first came into power in 2007 after he was elected member of the State House of Assembly representing Andoni Constituency in River States. He served for two terms between 2007 and 2015. He was appointed Chief Whip of the House in 2015 and later became Speaker. However, he voluntarily resigned as Speaker personal grounds. He was reelected in 2019 under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party representing(PDP), Andoni Constituency of River State. Members of his constituency have accused the lawmaker of not living up to expectations. As the third most senior citizen of Rivers who has been in power for over a decade, he has not used his influence to bring ButofgoodwillinfactAndonidevelopmentadequatetodespitethethathehasbeenapositiontobringtothepeoplehisconstituency.thepeople have lamented the poor state of infrastructure in the constituency. In a video that has been circulating on the Internet, some of Ibani’s constituents accused him of turning a blind eye to the deplorable roads within the constituency. One of the major concerns of his critics is the neglect of the Andoni end of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo-Nkoro Unity GovernorRoad. Nyesome Wike had in 2021 commissioned the Opobo end of the Ogoni-Andoni-Opobo/ Nkoro Unity Road, amid pomp and circumstance,because of the number of years the road was neglected despite the fact that contractors were paid to fix it. However, the neglected part has become a death trap for travellers. The affected portion of the road has also become a regular haunt of kidnappers who operate at will. Even some indigenes of neighbouring communities have fallen prey to the criminals. A lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt and two journalists were kidnapped along the route a few months ago. The level of atrocity taking place on the axis made indigenes cry out and promise to vote against any interest the speaker might present in the 2023 election.

Larunsi

AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 28 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

The last has not been heard about the raging battle of supremacy between the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi and the Iralepo of Isinkan , Oba Olugenga Ajimokunola. The two traditional rulers have resumed their hostility toward each other after they appointed two factional leaders to head the Aladodo community in Akure Ondo State. Oba Ajimokunola appointed Charles Fatoki, as the Olu Alado of Aladodo community of Isinkan kingdom. While preparation for his official installation was going on, the Deji of Akure announced his own candidate, Adekunle Olumide as the new Olu Alado of Aladodo community. He made the announcement through his Chief Press Secretary, Michael Adeyeye. He pronounced the earlier appointment made by Oba Ajimokunola as null and void. The act has caused some divisions within the community. The supremacy battle has been on for some years now and the two traditional rulers have gone to court over it. It all started after the Iralepo and Osolo, who are quarter chiefs, approached a High Court in Ondo State in 2005, seeking to be upgraded to chiefs. Their requests were granted by the court. They were also installed by the Ministry of Local Government and kingmakers as traditional rulers after the court injunction. However, the case was appealed in court. The Appeal Court reversed the verdict of the High Court and reduced the ranks of the chiefs to quarter chiefs, also asking them to be subjects to the authority of the Deji of Akure. The aggrieved parties went back to the Apex court of the land in 2012, but their case was thrown out as lacking merit. The two quarter chiefs became members of the Deji-in-Council and prerogatives of the Deji of TheAkure.Supreme Court also ruled that the two chiefs cannot be granted the status of an Oba without the sanction of the Deji of Akure. In exercising his authority as the paramount ruler, Deji of Akure appointed High Chief Edward Adejoyegbe Adewole as the Osolo of Osolo. He wanted to nullify the appointment of Ajimokunola as the Iralepo of Isinkan but he was opposed by some kingmakers who insisted that he cannot go against the state government who were granted the authority to upgrade the status of the chief. The two traditional rulers have been at loggerheads since then. The installation of Oluwarotimi Mulero as Oba of Ibeseland in Ogun State has been opposed by some aggrieved members of the community. Just one week after the traditional ruler was inaugurated by Governor Dapo Abidoun, some residents of Ibese kicked against it. Some members of the Oloko family, one of the ruling houses in Ibeseland in Yewa North Area of the state protested against his emergence. According to them, Oba Mulero was illegally chosen by some kingmakers without the recommendation of the ruling house in Ibese as required by law. The people condemned the election that led to Mulero’s emergence as the new ruler. They insisted that two pending matters were instituted against his choice when he was the Oba-elect of the community. The first suit was instituted by Prince Alexander Aliu Adegbemiro Idowu, who challenged the candidacy of Mulero as the Oba-elect. The second case was filed by another contestant of the stool, Prince Azeez Idowu, who also challenged the coronation of Mulero. According to him, the new traditional ruler is the son of one of the female members of the ruling house which made him non-eligible to be crowned as king. He revealed that only children born to the male members of the ruling house can lay claim to the traditional title. It was gathered that after the demise of the former traditional ruler of Ibeseland, His Royal Highness, Oba Joel Bamgbose in 2017, the Oloko family had the right to fill the vacant stool. Six candidates were presented from the family to the kingmakers, but two later stepped down, leaving Prince Alexandra Idowu, Prince Azeez Idowu, Prince Mustapha Shuaib and Prince Rotimi Mulero as contestants. However, none of the four candidates was willing to step down. So an election was conducted and Mulero was pronounced the winner. The result of the election was sent to the Yewa North Local Government Area Secretariat and Mulero was later installed as the traditional ruler. But the Idowus, two of the contestants, were not satisfied with the result of the election and went ahead to challenge it in court.

FAYEMI STRIPS 3 CHIEFS OF TITLES OVER GROSS MISCONDUCT Sola Giwa appointed SA to Sanwo-olu on Lover,PartsChiomaTransportationRowlandWaysWithKingCarterOndo Traditional Rulers Clash Over Appointments MuleroOFMULEROOLUWAROTIMIREJECTSCOMMUNITYASOBAIBESELANDFayemi Giwa Rowland AkinjolaAjimokunola Aladelusi

Chioma Rowland Avril also known as Chef Chi, the third baby mama of foremost music artiste, David Adeleke, otherwise known as Davido, has parted ways with her lover, Kelvin Adesina Akinjola also known as King Carter. Chef Chi took solace in her new man after her celebrated romance with Davido hit the rocks and reconciliation seemed to be not in sight. She literally relocated to Dubai to be with her man. She even tattooed her lover’s name “king” on one of her arms as instructed by King Carter to show how much Chef Chi loves him. The two parted ways as a result of the way King Carter treats her, especially when it comes to the issue of Chef Chi and Davido co-parenting their son together. King Carter often restricts her movement because of the kind of lifestyle he lives. He has been on the watch list of police in Dubai because of his notorious and fraudulent activities as a drug kingpin and fraudster. He was banned for a period of 10 years in Dubai and Kenya, but often sneaked in for business transactions. As a result of that, he prevented Davido from having access to his son some time ago and it caused a fight between the two of them. He even went as far as issuing death threats to the Asinger.fewmonths after King Carter had a faceoff with Davido, Chef Chi decided to call it quits with the kingpin just to enjoy her peace of mind and to nurture her son in peace as well. The two unfollowed each other on social media and deleted videos of their joint outing and cruise. He immediately hooked up with another lover whom he has been showcasing on social media. King Carter and his lover recently went for a boat cruise. Their video has since been circulating on social media. Chef Chi also seems to have moved on. She became closer to her baby daddy and even Davido had to declare that she is now his gist partner with a love face emoji on social media.

Aformer representinglawmakerLagos Island II constituency at the House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) between 2015-2019, Sila Giwa, has been appointed as the Special Adviser on Transportation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos State. Giwa was once the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) during the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State. In 2011, he was made the Senior Special Assistant on Transportation to the then Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola before contesting for the Lagos Island II seat at the State House of Assembly and won. Giwa has paid his dues in the transport sector where he has just been made a Special Adviser. After relinquishing his post as a lawmaker, he became the Senior Special Assistant on Central Business District to Governor Sanwo-olu in 2019. In 2021, he became a member of the Lagos State Taskforce to manage the gridlock in Apapa. He rose to the position of Head of Operations, Apapa Traffic hisEnforcementManagementCommitteebeforelatestappointment.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State is set to strip some chiefs of their titles over gross misconduct and abuse of their chieftaincy titles. The Petu of Oketoro, Chief Bayo Akerele, Chief Simon Esan, the andOdofinyinsomeotherquarterheadsinsomecommunitiesinIyinEkitiwereaccusedofparadingthemselvesastraditionalrulersinthestate.Theywentasfarasputtingtheinscriptionof“palace”intheirhomes,therebyignitingacrisisanddivisioninthetown.Itwasgatheredthatthechiefswerenotwillingto subject themselves to the authority of the new king, Oba Adeola Adeniyi Ajakaiye, who is the traditional ruler of Iyin Ekiti in Ekiti State. Ajakaiye was chosen by the kingmakers after scoring the highest votes among the eight contestants that signified interest in the traditional stool in 2020. He was later appointed by the Ekiti State Government and crowned. However, a few months after his coronation, the quarter heads started parading themselves as kings, too. The Deputy Governor of Ekiti, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, who represented the governor, held a meeting with the quarter chiefs and gave them a seven-day ultimatum to clean the inscription and stop parading themselves as Obas or else they would face the consequences of violating the Ekiti State Chieftaincy Law. Egbeyemi advised them to request autonomy from the government instead of taking the law into their hands. The affected chiefs, however, denied the allegations and revealed that the crisis of being mistaken as Obas was inherited when they were appointed as chiefs and not an act of insubordination from their part.

SHOTS OF THE WEEK

Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Dr Kamoru Yusuf; Kwara State Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Pharm Bioku Rahamon; Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and President, MAN, Engr Mansur Ahmed, during the 8th Annual General meeting of MAN in Ilorin, on August 11, 2022.

L-R: Kola Fadahunsi; Femi Oyewumi; Awesome Ajuma; Tolu Ajayi and Segun Komolafe, all new Chaplain Corps Officers, during the inauguration of the newly commissioned Officers of the Redemption Chaplaincy International, as part of activities to commence the 70th Annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan expressway on August 8, 2022.

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, Delta Afrik, Engr. Tunde Elesin; presenting and ward to the founder, Zeetin Engineering Limited/Guest of Honour/Keynote Speaker,  Mr. Azibaola Robert and President, the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Engr. Dr. Elizabeth Eterigho, during the Mentoring/Career Fair for Young Engineers, in Lagos on August 11, 2022.

L-R: Programmes Manager, Irede Foundation, Wuraola Kayode; Head, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Erhumu Bayagbon; Executive Director, Irede Foundation, Crystal Chigbu and Director, Human Resources, Airtel Nigeria, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias, during the Airtel Touching Lives Season 6 Prize Presentation at the Irede Foundation office in Lagos on August 8, 2022.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Risk Control, Mr. Femi Ajayi; Chief Operating Officer, Academy Halogen, Dr. Wale Adeagbo; Repr. of Proton Security, Mr. Kola Adeyemi; CEO, Background Check International, Mr. Kola Olugbogi; MD, Halogen Group, Mr. Wale Olaoye and MD, Trapezoid, Mr. Bolaji Olamiju, during the official launch of the Background Screeners’ umbrella body, in Ikeja, Lagos on August 10, 2022.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo (5th left); Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa (4th right), flanked by  some members of staff of NIDCOM during a courtesy visit to former President Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State on August 10, 2022.

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For Helon Habila, professor of Creative Writing at George Mason University Fairfax in Virginia, Biyi’s death was as shocking as it was unbelievable. Speaking with THEWILL midweek from his base in the U.S., he asked whether it was true that Bandele had died.

couldn’t resist asking some of his colleagues what they remember of the prodigiously talented writer, director and photographer. In his response, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, senior journalist, writer and poet agrees with Bandele’s daughter. For one, they were both students of University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo “HeUniversity.)started out as Biyi Bandele-Thomas,” Uzoatu writes, “and shocked the literary world with his amazing precocity. He was admitted to my alma-mater Great Ife (University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University) after I had graduated from the school where Professor Wole Soyinka was our Head of Department. He won the International Student Playwriting Competition with his play “Rain,” and travelled to London to receive the prize and did not return to his studies at Ife. He then published his first novel The Man Who Came In From The Back Of Beyond. He made a great career of publishing novels, writing and directing plays, undertaking still photography, and making movies. He earned plaudits for his theatrical work on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the filmic rendition of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half Of A Yellow Sun, and a Yoruba language adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s Death And The King’s Horseman entitled Elesin Oba – The King’s Horseman scheduled to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival this year.”

the director of Half of a Yellow Sun. But long before that novel and film and Chimamanda, we had known him as Biyi Bandele Thomas the Kafanchan born “fabu master” who dropped out of the University of Ife after winning an award in London. “Biyi Bandele was, at heart, a story teller. His books, The Man Who Came in From the Back of Beyond and The Sympathetic Undertaker: and Other Dreams, both published in 1991 were dreamy and magically realistic books filled with fantastic tales and so the “fabu master” appellation. His critically acclaimed novel, Burma Boy (The King’s Rifle) which was about the experiences of African soldiers in World War 11 showed Biyi at the height of his storytelling abilities. Aside novels, he also wrote plays successfully adapting Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart to the stage but it was Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun that brought him to the attention of a whole new audience and who came to know him as Biyi Bandele sans Thomas and not as a novelist or playwright but as a film director.”

From his base in Canada where they would no doubt have met at TIFF had Bandele been alive, another professor of African Studies, Nduka Otiono, wrote in his Facebook account how he never met with the late filmmaker despite several attempts. “I never met Biyi Bandele but we got to share some close conversations about life and art, off and on,” Otionoi reminisced. During a visit to Nigeria in 2019 I tried to connect with him in Lagos but his long hours of shooting a film and my own demanding research schedules frustrated it. His passing on Sunday left me wondering what I could have missed in the last email he sent me. Without going into the other deeply personal details of the long mail, I’d like to share a slice of the prodigious work he was up to as a way of celebrating his life of commitment to the creative Thearts.”

MICHAEL JIMOH ARTS When the 47th edition of the Toronto Film Festival begins on September 8 in Canada, a film adaptation of a Nigerian play will be screened for audiences made up of actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, screen writers and sundry professionals in the film industry. The play is Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman directed by Biyi Bandele-Thomas for Ebony Life AsMedia.most Nigerians and the rest of the world are now sadly aware, Bandele-Thomas passed on Sunday August 7 in Lagos. He will not be at TIFF to witness the reception – good or bad – of the drama he helped bring to life on screen. In 2013 when Half of Yellow Sun was screened at TIFF, the director, Bandele, was on hand to receive rave reviews and praises for his directorial debut. The film adaptation of Death and the King’s Horseman would have made it his second appearance at the famous film festival in all of North America. Not anymore! Biyi’s death caught the literary community in Nigeria unawares. No one expected it and all were devastated by the announcement on Monday August 8 via his daughter Temi that his beloved father had passed on. “Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” Temi wrote. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his THEWILLwork.”

interchange between Otiono and Bandele is testament to the latter’s very busy schedule as a writer, director and poet, a tireless and total artist. “The past few weeks have been incredibly busy for me,” Bandele began by telling his friend and colleague in Canada. “Aside from working on Faraday Okoro’s directorial debut “Nigerian Prince” as an executive producer alongside Spike Lee, I am currently writing and directing a feature documentary on Fela Kuti for the BBC and the Toronto International documentary festival Hot Docs. I’ve also just finished writing my first novel since Burma Boy. “it’s called Gregory Conga, Lagos Area Boy and it took three years. To keep body and soul together during that time since my kind of fiction has never attracted big advance fees from publishers, they have always been written on spec) I have in that time been a resident artist at NYU and – currently –an arts-by-fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge. I’ve also just been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend the 2019-2020 academic year carrying out research at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. These are all prestigious awards and I count myself Itfortunate.”isacommon practice for writers to acquaint themselves with their works in progress, a novel or collection of poetry near completion, say, or one just begun. That was exactly what Bandele did in that one-paragraph piece to Otiono.

For now, Bandele’s family and the literary community are left wondering what happened, why so soon, the same way families of professors Pius Adesanmi and Harry Garuba would have felt in March 2019 and February 2020. Pius was consumed in an Ethiopian airline crash in March of that year. As for Harry, it was leukemia that got him. Though Bandele’s family has not let on the cause of death, it was no less shocking to all as Pius’s and Harry’s – intellectual superstars and rising stars in the ever widening constellation of the Nigerian literary firmament cut down in their prime.

“I have been following him on his Instagram page where he used to post his professional photo shots of Lagos,” Helon recalled to the newspaper. “I even saw some of them on Saturday and they are truly brilliant.”

The following Sunday, Bandele was dead.

Biyi Bandele-Thomas: All Round Man of The Arts

Concluding, Otiono says that “such was Biyi’s busy creative life and humility about his towering achievements. Realising that he did not add to the long list of his works-in-progress anything about Elesin Oba, his latest film adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman, which is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, suggests the many works he must have had in his creative foundry.”

For many, their first reference to Biyi Bandele is as the director of Half of a Yellow Sun. But long before that novel and film and Chimamanda, we had known him as Biyi Bandele Thomas, the Kafanchan born “fabu master” who dropped out of the University of Ife after winning an award in London “

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Like most of his compatriots, Uzoatu says that hearing of Bandele’s death was such a shock. “It was such a shock hearing of the death of the all-round man of the arts I fondly called Boy Biyi. We always had our animated discussions on all aspects of the arts in the Surulere, Lagos home of our mutual friend Adewale MajaPearce. I invited him to join us at a made-for-television discourse on JP Clark’s work but he could not make it due to the exigencies of Lagos. While in Lagos he devoted time to street photography that he always posted on Facebook. I met him in London when I went to take a BBC short story prize, and he wondered that I was so unassuming unlike other Nigerian writers who printed “Writer” on their complimentary cards! He published my work in Homeland News that the venerable Tunde Fagbenle founded in London. Biyi passed away aged only 54, but he did enough work in his lifetime to ensure that he will never die.”

Toni Kan, writer, poet, PR man and now staff of Globacom, reminisced thusly on the tireless and total artist, insisting that most people remember Bandele as the director of Half of a Yellow Sun. “For many, their first reference to Biyi Bandele is as

Pius was only 48. Harry was 61 and Biyi just 54.

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It meant that the Nigerian contingent surpassed the previous best record that the country had managed in the history of the Commonwealth Games, when in 1994, Nigeria won 11 gold medals. Yet, the more remarkable aspect of this epoch-making outing was the fact that every one of the historic gold medal run was won by a female athlete to the point where not a few Nigerians wondered if the male athletes were not competing sat the Games. So dominant were the displays of the women that every time there was a Nigerian national anthem played across the duration of the event, it was a female victoriously standing at the top of the podium making the country proud, over and over again. Without exception, Nigeria’s best ever Commonwealth Games record owes its place to the outstanding displays that these women produced to stay ahead of the competition from other commonwealth countries, who were champions in their own rights. At each event that returned a gold medal, the Nigerian woman (or women, in the case of the 4x100-metre relay event) did not relent in their persistent pursuit of excellence but strived even more to outperform the competition and earn the glorious applause of champions and earn the country a place of honour among the Commonwealth. From the 100m hurdles, long jump and relays to weightlifting, wrestling and shot put, the women stood up to be counted in gold. Even in the women’s discus event, there was a woman in the traditional Nigerian green-whitegreen to stake a claim for the gold medal and win it proudly. Before Team Nigeria took to the tracks to leave a trial of gold medals, the weightlifters and powerlifting athletes were making a statement. It began when Adijat Adenike Olarinoye followed up the silver medal she won at the World Wrestling Championship in Tashkent, with her first Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham. The 23-year-old lifted a total of 203 kg in the women’s 55 kg weightlifting competition to claim the gold medal. Olarinoye opened the record-breaking feat for the Nigerian women as she broke two records in the women’s 55kg weightlifting Snatch category, lifting 90 and 92 kg in 10 minutes. Right behind her was Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, the clear favourite for the women’s 59kg weightlifting coming into the Games. The 25-year-old was boasting of a four-gold-medal haul from international tournaments, beginning with the African Games in Rabat in 2019; the 2021 African and Commonwealth

2022:

Championships. Not only did she live up to expectations but made sure to claim gold at her first Commonwealth Games with a new Games record of 206kg from her snatch and clean and jerk lifts. They set the tone for the dominating displays that brought the gold medals and record breakers from the women arm of Team Nigeria. Chioma Onyekwere, the defending champion of the All African Games and the African Championships, won the third gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s discus event, becoming the first Nigerian woman to do so at a competition. With her 61.70-metre fourth throw, the US-based 28-year-old mechanical engineer at Ford Motors passed local girl Jade Lally, who had held the lead since in the event with her first throw of 57.33m. After South African Elizna Naude won gold at the 2006 Melbourne Olympics, she became the second African woman to ever win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Then,Games.the spectacular para-athlete Goodness Nwachukwu put on a show for the audience at Birmingham’s Alexander stadium by shattering not just one but two world records in short succession to win the women’s Discus F42-44/61-64 event for Nigeria’s fourth Folashadegold. Oluwafemiayo did not want to be left out and broke her record to win gold in the women’s Heavyweight para Powerlifting event. The Paralympic champion was in an incredible form, lifting a new world record of 155kg to victory for her first gold medal at the TheGames.sixthgold belonged to Odunayo Folasade Adekuoroye, who may not have broken a record but triumphed in the final of the Women’s Freestyle 57 kg wrestling event, defeating India‘s Anshu Malik by points (7-3) to claim gold. Nigeria earned a second gold medal in wrestling soon after as Blessing Oborududu, participating in the 68kg women’s freestyle division final, comfortably defeated Canadian opponent Linda Morais. Oborududu had previously won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, making her a two-time winner at the Games. There was one more wrestling gold as Genesis Miesinnei Mercy defeated Canada’s Parks Madison in the Women’s Freestyle 50kg event, taking a 3-1 VFA (victory by fall) win. Amazingly, 48-year-old Eucharia Njideka Iyiazi got in on the recordsetting act, clinching the gold medal with a new Games record in the women’s shot put F55-57 event. The two-time Paralympic champion and world record holder registered a throw of 10.03m on her fifth attempt to record her season’s best performance in the final Para athletics field event at the Alexander Stadium. Then, it was time for Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan to continue her record-setting in the 100-metre hurdles as the Nigerian won the gold medal with a record time of 12.30 seconds in the women’s event. She not only successfully defended her Games crown, but also currently holds the Nigerian record, African record, Commonwealth record and World record in the 100m hurdle with only the Olympics record outside her collection. Nigeria won the 4x100-metre Women’s Relay with a team comprising Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rose Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha to claim Nigeria’s 11th gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and set a new African Record of 42.10s. It was left for Ese Brume to cap it all up by another Commonwealth long jump gold with a 7.00-metre leap that surpassed the competition record of 6.97 metres set by Bronwyn Thompson. There were medals for Nigeria in other medal categories (9 silver, and 14 bronze medals) and the male athletes, including some other female contingent featured, but this was a record of the dominant display of Nigeria’s gold medal and record-breaking female champions, whose performances brought the best Nigeria has ever accomplished in the Commonwealth Games annals. Many of these champions benefited from sports scholarships and improved their talents through regular collegiate competitions. They had very minimal assistance from the sporting federations in Nigeria, such as Amusan’s inclusion in the Adopt-An-Athlete initiative of the Sports Ministry, when her State governor, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State agreed to adopt her, but the Nigerian government was quick to own their excellence at the Birmingham Games. Of course, their victories rub off on the government but it is not enough for the government to take claim of the accolades their victories have brought the country. What must be the lesson from their successes is government’s accepting that they have been lagging behind in giving female sports the level of support that their male compatriots enjoy with football as a telling example. The most successful African national football team is the Super Falcons and yet the ladies had to stage a protest and sit out a training session to get government’s response to a backlog of bonuses and allowances due them. It is unfair treatment for a team that has not stopped, until recently, to bring glory to the country as Asisat Oshoala gave evidence to when she won a historic fifth African Footballer of the Year honour. The support of our female teams and athletes must become a priority now, as should the males too, to give them the onus to continue this outstanding level of performance all the way to the next Olympics in Paris. The women ought to also be recognised with national honours and gifts accordingly to show government’s appreciation of their excellence and act as a spur to encourage others to emulate and even surpass their accomplishments. That is how we can celebrate them and what they have brought Nigeria at Birmingham.

Birmingham Celebration of Team Nigeria’s Excellence

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

With its best-ever performance at the Commonwealth Games, Team Nigeria finished the 2022 event held in Birmingham with a handful of new records, carting home 12 gold, 9 silver, and 14 bronze medals to finish in the seventh position and earn a new ranking as the highest-ranked African country among the participating nations.

We need to remain a country and our coexistence will be hinged on how we can navigate the campaigns in peace for the brighter tomorrow we seek

These are just two examples of a growing wave of pro paganda actions that are gaining in spread, but which those who know how they can go off the rails and degenerate into a lawless free-for-all must immediately call out and stand against. National progress is based on our ability to empathise, solve social problems and make moral decisions. As humans, we would not have evolved language, tools, art, or even war without our capacity to copy, cooper ate, learn from and comprehend one another, if we only competed and waged war. We must learn not to be driven to extremes. Despite Obasanjo’s declaration of the 2007 general elec tion as a do-or-die matter for his candidate and party, neither the retired General himself nor any of the other participants in the extreme verbal political campaigns died. Rather, it was a set of unidentified Nigerians that undoubtedly were sacrificed as a result of the tension, bloodshed, and fraud that surrounded the elections.

Those who evoked violence during the 2011 campaign cycle also are still active in politics and may be seen on the streets today. We must not let ourselves become victims of this cycle. As we support those whose manifestos and policies res onate with the type of country we want to belong to, it is our responsibility to practice high standards of politi cal engagements without rancour or bitterness, argue policies, debate standards, disagree on principles and vote on convictions without sowing seeds of division, distrust and hate. We need to remain a country and our coexistence will be hinged on how we can navigate the campaigns in peace for the brighter tomorrow we seek.

As we approach another election season, this danger ous warring by other means through the instrument of campaigns has started. That is why, as I witness pre-campaign shenanigans begin to sow seeds of divi sion, distrust and even hate before the campaigns begin proper next month, I am considering it a duty to sound a strong note of warning. Our natural tendencies to be competitive must be bal anced by our collective responsibilities to ensure that the country that we call our own before the elections next year continues to exist during and after the results have been announced and a winner has emerged. The smoke of misinformation and disinformation typi cal to the propaganda of elections often points to the existence of an unwatched fire that has the potential to bring the house down to ashes if caution is thrown to the winds and our need for peace and coexistence is sacrificed on the altar of victory at all costs.

many families who had the means relocating abroad to avoid being caught up in the crossfire, especially after the vitriolic levels of hate campaigns that preceded the polls. Perhaps, the acceptance of the election results by Jonathan spared further bloodletting.

Despite that the Independent National Electoral Com mission (INEC), under Attahiru Jega’s leadership, made efforts to introduce reforms, at least 800 people were killed in three days of post-election violence, according to the Geneva-based Human Rights Watch. The pon tificators who evoked that violence began with propa ganda during the campaigns. In addition, even though Nigeria did not record a large number of deaths, following the 2015 elections that brought the incumbent to power, the weeks before then claimed the lives of 58 people, at least, killed across the nation during election-related violence between December 2014 and February 2015, according to the National Human Rights Commission. This was considered a good outcome in the end, because the fear of a full-scale war was very real, with Asprofitable.wehave experienced recently, some governments that frequently employ propaganda have taken over official and private media outlets, allowing them to disseminate their propaganda through these channels and give it a false air of legitimacy. Donald Trump, for instance, disseminated his propaganda via social media and the assistance of a small number of supportive media outlets, such as Fox News. However, the main stream media did contribute by identifying and dis seminating the false information. The act of spreading his messages, regardless of the circumstance, promotes their propagation even when it is done to elicit criti Politicalcism. propaganda, however, is more than just a means of deceiving people. Instilling mistrust by leav ing people unsure of the facts is a crucial component of propaganda. In the long run, this will lead to people completely tuning out of political conversation since it will be too difficult to choose who to believe. That was why the Ghanaian president’s debunking of fake news attributed to him and emanating from the pre-campaign disinformation cycle in Nigeria was a warning to everyone: the political parties, their fervent supporters and the general voting public. President Nana Akufo-Addo took to Twitter to officially remove his name from claims on Facebook that he had asked Bola Tinubu (APC) to give Peter Obi (LP) a chance, while the APC leader sought treatment for his health, calling the claim “completely false and mis chievous, with no iota of truth whatsoever in it.” This followed another prominent call out from the eminent Professor Wole Soyinka, who distanced himself from the political leanings of the National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as the Pyrates Confraternity, which he co-founded, and members of whom were seen in a viral video making fun of Tinubu’s health.

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More than most countries, the competitive Nigerian election experience has given evidence to the claim that “elections are war by other means,” an extension of the quote of Prussian General Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz (1780-1831), who believed that war is the “continuation of politics by other means” in his seminal work ‘On War,’ which became a standard textbook for the military leaders of the 19th and early 20th centuries. From the election campaigns that followed the return of power to civilian control up until this historic three-way pre-campaign propaganda, the country has witnessed a hotbed of political tensions, unbridled violence and a combination of misinformation and disinformation campaigns to sway the voter’s thinking one way or another in much the same way as military generals do in the war theatre. When former President Olusegun Obasanjo stated that the election that would determine his successor would be a ‘do-or-die affair’ in 2007, he was expressing the crudeness of this reality. Obasanjo was insisting on the PDP retaining power in the 2007 general election and putting every machin ery in government’s control and beyond, to see that the party did and it was a success. There was violence and rigging in certain parts of the country as the PDP muscled its way to retain power at all costs. If anything, it got even worse in 2011 in the election cycle before the general election with Goodluck Jona than on the PDP ticket and both Muhammadu Buhari and Nuhu Ribadu representing the opposition.

The attribution of the supporters of one candidate as card-carrying members of the Indigenous People of Bi afra (IPOB), a nationalist separatist group aimed at the restoration of the Republic of Biafra via a breakaway from Nigeria, is the exact type of political mudslinging that cannot but foster virulent outbursts and can go off the rails to result in actual violence against those on the other side of the divide. There was enough vituperative back and forth going on online, with a popular newspaper columnist publishing an article that twisted the “Obidient” movement of the Labour Party presidential candidate with the title ‘Obituary” that the author became the target of real threats of violence and, at the very extreme, death. And, that is a path down the rabbit hole that is best avoided. This warning is made more paramount because the main distinction in political propaganda today is not necessarily the content, but the audience that it tar gets. Political propaganda may now reach more people faster and much more easily than ever, partly due to the Internet and social media, as well as a media industry that is pushed by sensationalist reporting because it is The fact remains that competition is healthy because it improves, strengthens, and increases one’s chances of success. This is widely acknowledged in business and politics. In the context of Charles Robert Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” which contends that competition is not only beneficial but also natural, it carries an air of scientific validity. However, as Maxwell A. Cameron, professor at the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Uni versity of British Columbia argues, the tremendous evolutionary advantage that humans have comes from our ability to cooperate, not compete, because competi tion, by itself, has never been the foundation of a great Thissociety.train of thought was what occupied my mind recently as I read the series of propaganda and outright falsehood being bandied about by mostly supporters of the presidential candidates of the major political par ties: the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP). The fact that it is the first time we are seeing the emer gence of a potent third force in our presidential elec tions since the return to democratic rule in 1999 has meant a triplication of the usual competitive tendencies of the electioneering campaigns.

Avoiding Propaganda, Falsehood And Violent Election Campaigns in Nigeria

Yakubu