THEWILL NEWSPAPER, August 25, 2024

Digital

OnahNwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

After a hiatus that left fans waiting for his return, Nigerian actor Gideon Okeke returns to the Nigerian movie industry. With Okeke’s career spanning over a decade, he has earned a reputation as a multitalented and compelling actor known for his roles in film, television, and stage. After taking a break from the spotlight, a move that allowed him to recharge and explore new creative avenues, Gideon Okeke is back in full force, taking on roles that push boundaries.

With new movies such as Tokunbo recently premiered under his belt, Okeke showcases his undeniable talent and passion for storytelling. As he steps back into the limelight, audiences can expect to be thrilled by his performance. When asked how he prepared for his role as Tokunbo, he said, “Let me put it this way: I just had the chance to make the movie I want to watch because the movie I want to watch isn’t out there yet, so this script coming into my hands was an opportunity to make a movie that nobody had seen before, to do stuff that nobody had done, so that alone was fuel to me.”

Please read the story of his comeback and his new movies on pages 8 to 10.

Have you ever been in a relationship where your partner shows you excessive love and affection, presents you with gifts, and always flatters you? Be careful there; they are exhibiting signs of love bombing. I urge you to read page 15 to find out all you need to know about this manipulative trait called love bombing.

As always, we have an excellent selection of music for you. To download the playlist, click on the instructions below the QR codes on page 16.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

Photo:

Kola Oshalusi

@insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

As Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Katsina, Others Stall, Minimum Wage Battle Enters Next Phase...

BY AMOS ESELE WITH UKANDI ODEY, UDEME UTIP AND KAJO MARTINS, AMOS OKIOMA

Almost a month after President Bola Tinubu on July 29, 2024, signed the new minimum wage of N70,000 into law, it is becoming increasingly clear in many states across the country that the willingness and readiness to obey the new law may not necessarily translate into ability to pay. From this lacuna comes restiveness among workers in about 27 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that are yet to set up committees to implement the new wage.

Thirteen states so far have constituted implementation committees. They are Anambra, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, Adamawa, Oyo, Bayelsa, Osun and Abia.

Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Enugu, Niger, Imo, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River and Yobe States are still foot dragging.

Long before the new wage was settled and signed into law, Edo State had announced N70,000, which it started paying on Labour Day. Also, Lagos State says it has been paying the minimum wage.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos, Mr Gbenga Omotoso told THEWILL on Friday that the

state had been paying its workers above the minimum wage before the enactment of the Act.

He said, “Before the announcement of the new minimum wage, what we were paying or what we are paying now is above the new minimum wage, which is about N77,000. So, the question of whether Lagos is paying or wants to pay is out of it.”

Explaining further, Omotosho added, “Before the conclusion of the talks over the new minimum wage, Lagos was paying N35,000 and when the Federal Government announced a wage award of N35, 000, Lagos started paying immediately. So, if you add the N35,000 apiece, you have N70,000. Then there is an additional N7,000 that was added to the wage to make it N77,000.”

He however disclosed that based on the new law, the state has set up a committee to work out the consequential component of the new wage.

Thus, apart from Edo and Lagos, there is no state in Nigeria, including the Federal Government, that is currently paying the new minimum wage since the enactment of the new law almost a month ago and five months after the N35,000 wage expired in April, 2024.

THEWILL can confirm the state of progress in the seven states that have set up committees on the implementation of the new wage.

The Kano State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Baba Dantiye told THEWILL that the committee has done much of the required work. “A committee has been set up and I am a member. The committee is yet to present its report but it has gone far with the job.”

In Kwara state, work on the execution of the new wage is in progress. According to Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbduRasaq, the state is awaiting the new wage implementation committee to complete work on the consequential part of the new wage before going ahead to start paying.

Ajakaiye told this newspaper on Friday: “The minimum wage is a law. It is already an Act of Parliament. So, the question of anybody paying below the N70,000 threshold is off the table. So that is not open to debate. What is open to debate is the consequential component of the new wage, which applies to the senior cadre. That is the stage we are now in Kwara State.”

The Akwa Ibom State Government says it has set up a committee on the implementation of the new wage, but

...Minimum Wage Battle Enters Next Phase...

the Head of Service, Prince Enobong Uwah and the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Sunny James both said last Monday that they were yet to engage in any discussion.

In Bayelsa, State, a committee has been set up by Gov Douye Diri headed by the SSG to the state government, Prof Nimibofa Ayawei. They have met but have yet to make public their resolutions.

Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State last Wednesday expressed his obligation on the new wage. He said on his X account: “As a demonstration of our commitment to the welfare of workers in Adamawa State, I have approved the payment of a N70,000 minimum wage starting this August. Our civil servants deserve this and more. Together, we will continue to build a prosperous future for all.”

Oyo, Ondo, and Osun have made the commitment to pay. The Secretary of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Babatunde Balogun, who is also part of an existing team in Oyo state that interfaces with the state government expressed the optimism that the government would pay the new wage.

Thus, while this general expression of commitment to pay among some state governors is ongoing, two out of the 27 states that are yet to set the ball rolling by setting up implementation committees, have come out to declare a two- pronged approach that may instigate protests.

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

The first approach is an expression of the inability to pay. The second is a policy of convenience. Gombe represents the first, while Nasarawa represents the second.

In the first category, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has said his administration does not have the money to pay the new wage. Rather than set up a committee to look into the matter, he invited labour leaders and their civil society counterparts for a talk in Government House. There, he told his guests that despite the recent increase in federal allocations since the removal of fuel subsidy, his administration would not be able to pay the new wage.

Yahaya, who is Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum said that paying the old wage had been a daily struggle, arguing that apart from his administration, many states cannot pay, too.

He said, “I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament.”

The second option is presented by the Nasarawa State Government. After expressing his administration’s inability to pay the new wage before labour leaders, Governor Abdullahi Sule, who announced that the state government cannot pay N70,000 as minimum wage to civil servants in the state, made an offer to the workers: Pending promotions will be carried out with the payment of backlog of salaries. In that instant, the implementation of the new minimum wage would be deferred to 2026.

He said, “… If the impact of the minimum wage comes to us as, say, N800m a month, if you put together this N200m, it is about one billion naira. The state cannot pay. The state does not have the capacity to pay.”

Similarly, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, who had earlier promised to pay the new wage, is not as sure-footed as before. Before the passage of the bill and the signing into law, he announced the willingness of his administration to implement it. However, the government has neither set up an implementation committee nor has he offered any explanation.

In Plateau, Governor Caleb Muftwang had taken a position during the #EndBadGovernenance protest in August. Addressing protesters at Government House a fortnight ago, the governor expressed his administration’s

inability to cope with the legalised minimum wage and said the state would collaborate with labour to reach a workable figure as its own minimum wage.

THE GOVERNORS’ ARGUMENT

According to the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, data in its possession shows that the total budgeted revenue of the 36 states in 2024 is N15,668,697,471,227, comprising recurrent expenditure of N6,212,475,163,133 and net revenue stands of N9,456,222,308,093.

The new wage, which was increased by 50 percent, has taken recurrent expenditure to N9,318,712,744,700 and net revenue at N6,349,984,726,526.

This conclusion is that many states may be able to pay the new wage. To source revenue, many would have to take the unpalatable route of increased taxation of their people, which may be very hard to do in the face of growing hardship since the removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira.

Many state governors who are reluctant to set up new wage implementation committees have warned that payment of the new minimum wage in their states could lead to retrenchment of workers. When reminded that increased allocation from the federation account has tripled since the removal of fuel subsidy, they argue that they are reeling in debts inherited from their predecessors.

A graphic example showing the inability of many states to pay the new wage is presented by the fact that 14 of them could not pay the old N30,000 minimum wage enacted in 2019 on a sustainable level. The 13 states include Abia, Bayelsa, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue and Taraba.

Sixteen states are currently paying the old minimum wage. They are Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Plateau, Yobe, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Rivers, Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Kwara.

ORGANISED PRIVATE SECTOR

Just like many state governors, the organised private sector is also fretting over the cost implications of the new

“Any state not ready to implement the new minimum wage, we will go after them. Some states have started paying. So, we do not want to hear that they are doing so because they are oil producing states or commercial hubs. It is all about commitment

minimum wage and thus giving some conditions under which they would comply. The Federal Government, they reportedly claimed, is yet to fulfil the promise of some support to the sector which will enable it to comply with the new wage law.

The Director-General, NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, while reportedly speaking on behalf of the sector, stated that at the time the consultations were ongoing on the national minimum wage, the sector had expressed concerns about the ability of the private sector to pay the N62,000 recommended by the Tripartite Committee then.

According to him, the N62,000 deal was premised on the understanding and agreement that the Federal Government would take definite steps to reduce the current economic burden on the organized private sector.

WORKERS, LABOUR LEADERS REACT

“As far as we are concerned, the state governors must abide by what the law says or we will fight them legally. What they are being asked to pay is not even a living wage,” Shehu Mohammed, National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCN, told THEWILL in a brief interview on Friday. “Before the bill was signed into law, the Federal Government had increased the allocations to states to twice the amount they used to receive in the past. That is quite enough. We are waiting for the government implementation committees to address the consequential issues of the new wage and release the template to the states. Then our colleagues at the state level will meet with the governors on the way forward.

“Any state not ready to implement the new minimum wage, we will go after them. Some states have started paying. So, we do not want to hear that they are doing so because they are oil producing states or commercial hubs. It is all about commitment.”

TUC’s Comrade Balogun said workers will exhaust all legal and civil means to make state governors pay the new wage.

He told this newspaper, “We have left the era of ‘sit down and look.’ Any attempt not to pay will be resisted. We shall mobilise all members of our parent body, the TUC to ensure total compliance with the national minimum wage at all levels. We shall employ both legal and our traditional measure of protest and strike to ensure compliance.”

For Comrade James Ezema, Deputy National Publicity of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties CNPP Shehu’s views are in order. He told THEWILL that “N70,000 is not a living wage but a mere minimum wage which a prudent and innovative governor can pay. Nigerians and Nigerian workers should hold their state governors accountable for their actions, if they fail to pay.”

Supporting the view that the new wage is payable, Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, Mr Fatai Ayoola, even said that local government councils have no reason not to pay the newly-approved N70,000 minimum wage.

He reportedly said that, with increased federal allocations under the President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the recently-granted financial autonomy, local government councils had been well-equipped to pay the new wage.

According to him, local government councils recorded a 100 per cent increase in federal allocations under the present administration.

“There is no reason LG councils should not be able to pay the minimum wage, with direct federal allocations coming to them.”

L-R: Senior Special Assistant to the President, Administration and Operations (Office of the Chief of Staff), Mrs Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Executive Vice Chairman/CEO National Agency for the Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President(Office of the Vice President), Sen Ibrahim Hadeja; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, during a familiarization visit by the Chief of Staff NASENI, in Abuja on August 22, 2024.

Corps Members Who Spent Service Year in Bandits’ Den Get NYSC Certificates

The National Youth Service Corps has announced that prospective corps members who were unable to participate in the one-year national service due to being kidnapped would be issued certificates.

The Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, made this known during a briefing with journalists in Abuja on Friday.

Ahmed explained that given the ordeal they had endured at the hands of their captors, they would no longer be required to participate in the national service. The victims were en route to Sokoto State for the three-week orientation course when they were abducted in Zamfara State. They were travelling in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus when they were ambushed. They were released in batches, with the last group regaining their freedom this week.

The victims are Daniel Etim Bassey (from Uruan LGA, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka); Obong Victor Udofia (from Ikono LGA, University of Uyo); Sabbath Anyaewe Ikan (from Eastern Obolo LGA, Akwa Ibom Polytechnic); Abigail Peter Sandy (from Abak LGA, Maurid Polytechnic); Glory Etukudo Thomas (from Eket LGA, Heritage Polytechnic); Emmanuel Esudue (from Urue Offong Oruko LGA); Victoria Bassey Udoka (from Ini LGA, University of Uyo); and Solomon Bassey Daniel (from Itu LGA, Akwa Ibom Polytechnic).

Ahmed said, “Obong Victor Udofia was rescued on the 3rd of February, 2024. Daniel Bassey was rescued on the 8th of February, 2024. Glory Etukudu Thomas was rescued on the 9th of June, 2024. Yesterday, 22nd August, we rescued the last victim, Solomon Daniel Bassey.”

He stated that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the corps members, emphasizing that they were rescued through the efforts of the Department of State Security and the Nigerian Army.

“No state government brought any amount for their rescue as claimed in the media. I must state that I have not received one naira from any state government so far in the name of the rescue of these corp-members.

“No group of people or organization aided the rescue of the prospective corps members apart from the security agencies, particularly the army and the DSS.

“The Corps members were transferred from one kidnappers’ camp to the other, hence, they were not rescued from one place,” he stated.

He mentioned that, so far, no arrests have been made, but the gang leader who orchestrated the kidnapping has been killed.

Over 150 Killed as Troops Arrest 327 Terrorists, Oil Theft Suspects

BY FELIX IFIJEH

Nigerian military troops on the frontline in the North East, North West and other trouble areas across the country have neutralised 171 terrorists and arrested 327 others including crude oil thieves in the last one week.

The Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said the troops also rescued 134 kidnapped hostages.

He said, “During the week under review, troops neutralised 171 and arrested 302 persons. Troops also arrested 25 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 134 kidnapped hostages.

“In the South-South, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of Eight Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Eight Hundred Naira (N846,480,800.00) only.

“Furthermore, troops recovered 84 assorted weapons and 1,499 assorted ammunition. The breakdown as follows: one PKT gun, one G3 rifle, 3 AK49 rifles, 44 AK47 rifles, 10 fabricated rifles, 18 dane guns, 10 pump action guns, four locally made pistols, 18 AK47 magazines, 2 FN magazines, one smoke grenade, and one bandolier.

“Others are 843 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 506 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 60 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ball rimmed, 90 live cartridges, 5 baofeng radios, 11 vehicles, 46 motorcycles, four bicycles, 52 mobile phones, cutlasses and the sum of N126,285.00 only amongst other items.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 26 dugout pits, 13 boats, 90 drums and 45 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 155 cooking ovens, four speedboats, one pumping machine, seven vehicles, and 98 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 799,400, litres of stolen crude oil and 151,150 litres of illegally refined AGO.

“The military will maintain its operational activities across the country to ensure enduring defeat of terror groups in the country. Additionally, troops continue to demonstrate stamina, resolve and strong desire to protect citizens and ensure their safety across the country.”

Ambassador Waiya Bounces Back as Court Sacks CSO Leadership in Kano

BY ABDULLAHI YUSUF

AKano High Court has granted an interim order restraining the executive committee of the Kano Civil Society Forum inaugurated recently, from parading themselves as leaders of the forum.

The Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya-led executive had gone to seek justice over what it called the exclusion of many registered members during the last election that produced the sacked new excos.

Ambassador Waiya had claimed that the election was conducted in disregard to their complaints despite formal requests for a postponement to ensure fairness and inclusion.

The Kano Civil Society Forum Board of Trustees had appointed an electoral committee to conduct the election, but the process was allegedly marred by irregularities, leading to the court action.

The presiding Judge, Justice Aisha Ya'u, granted Ambassador Waiya's led executive prayers who alleged that irregularities, unprofessionalism, and exclusion of many registered members marred the election that produced the executive committee.

The court order, specifically named 17 individuals, including Mohammad Bello, Fatima Musa, Aliyu Kabiru, and others, all affected by the court order as those restrained from presenting themselves as elected executives of the forum. The case has been slated for hearing on September 10, 2024.

20 Medical Students Kidnapped in Benue Regain Freedom

BY KAJO MARTINS

Twenty medical students, who were kidnapped in Benue State, have just been rescued. Security sources revealed this at the weekend. The operation was coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser. The rescue effort involved security agencies, including the police, DSS, and military personnel, along with support from the Benue State government.

The medical students were abducted last Thursday along the Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu federal highway while travelling to Enugu State for the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students’ annual convention.

Following their abduction, the IG team arrived in Benue State on Monday and was promptly deployed to Otukpo in search of the abducted students.

L-R: Marketing Manager, BIC in Nigeria, Patrick Bello; Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Oluwatosin Oloko; Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu; Business Development Manager, BIC in Nigeria, Mr. Ojo Adeyemi; Director of Education, Planning Research and Statistics, Mr. Obadiah Akindele and Deputy Director, Education Support Services, both of the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Rotimi Okeleye, at the presentation of 50, 000 BIC’s writing tools to primary and secondary schools students in Ogun state through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Ogun State on August 22, 2024.

NEWS

PDP Group Urges Tinubu’s Intervention Over Harassment of Supporter by Minister

FROM TUNDE OMOLEHIN, SOKOTO

Apolitical group, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Professionals Support Movement Group, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently call his minister of State Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, to order, for using his ministerial power to intimidate, destroy and weaken some of its party elders over frivolous accusations.

Addressing a group of journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, the group Chairman, Dr Muazzam Lawal Sadauki (Yariman Bukkur), described the action of the Minister against some of the PDP influential leaders in the region as uncalled for.

"Recently we heard about the alleged accusation of implicating some of our party leaders with spurious accusations of collaboration with a man called Bashir Hadejia who is now under detention by the security agencies. Yet, some of our party elders are now under scrutiny to implicate them with his dubious activities, something we view as illegal.

"Though we are aware that Hadejia was a supporter and close associate of Zamfara State Governor, HE Dauda Lawal, and other party leaders in our region, that does not warrant or give the Minister the right to intimidate or persecute them without due regard to the rule of law.

"Whoever knows Bashir Hadejia will undoubtedly testify that he is our bonafide member who has contributed immensely to the progress and development of our party, especially during the 2023 general elections.

The group said the party cannot abandon or ignore him for now just because of unsubstantiated allegations of financing terrorism and treason.

The group reasons that former Zamfara governor and now Minister of Defence Bello Matawalle is becoming desperate to destroy or persecute anybody perceived to be a threat to Mr President’s political ambition ahead of 2027.

It urged the Minister to explain the causes of his enmity against their party leaders, such as General Aliyu Gusau (), former governors Attahiru Bafarawa, Sule Lamido, and others, who according to the group have continually castigated or tried to bring down because of their oppositions to APC.

"So far, many of our political leaders including former governors, a retired army officer, and serving governors, have been marked to be relegated and implicated either because of their allegiances to PDP or are not in good names with the Presidency.

NLTF Commends EFCC on Over N9bn Recovery

The Executive Secretary/CEO, National Lottery Trust Fund, NLTF, Tosin Adeyanju has commended the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede for recovering debts owed to the Fund to the tune of over N9billion.

The commendation came on Friday, August 23, 2024 when Adeyanju led the management team of NLTF on a courtesy visit to the EFCC boss at the Commission’s corporate headquarters. Describing the recovery “as a big feat” he stated that it has ensured that the Fund played its role in assisting the federal government deliver on its promises of provision of social and physical infrastructure across the country.

“I want to thank the EFCC Chairman for the excellent outcome of our collaboration on the recovery of outstanding lottery liabilities to the federal government which has led to significant improvement of remittances by lottery operators to the Trust Fund. I must commend and thank you for providing leadership and recovering over N9 billion for the National Lottery Trust Fund. This is a big feat for us. This has ensured that the Trust Fund played its role in the fulfilment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in spreading good causes across the country.”

The NLTF boss further commended Olukoyede for the results achieved in the anti-corruption fight within the short period he has been in charge. “I must also commend you generally for what you have done in 10 months. I am aware that you have recovered over N200billion and over $58million of looted funds within the period. There is no better person to occupy this position than you and we thank the President for appointing a man of integrity like you to drive the anti-corruption fight.”

He appealed to the Commission to sustain its recovery efforts of lottery proceeds shortfalls noting that the interventions of NLTF in different areas of need in the country can only be sustained when operators and stakeholders in the industry remit what is due to the government.

Olukoyede in his response noted that though Adeyanju was new on the saddle, he has shown early signs of focus and determination to thread the path of probity. “I want to congratulate you on your well-deserved appointment. I see the steps that you have started taking as quite commendable. I see in you someone that is important that we collaborate with and strengthen relationship so that we can encourage you to do more because there is so much trust reposed in you. And from what we have seen since your appointment nobody can say that the trust has been betrayed,” he said.

Olukoyede admonished him that being in a position of trust he should be mindful of the legacy that he would leave behind at the end of his tenure. “I want to advise you to be careful in the application of the funds available to you. Like they say in Nigeria’s local parlance “shine your eye.” Don’t put your signature on what you are not sure of. Read every memo that comes to you and make sure that your people on the field monitor the execution of the projects that you are allocating money for. Be guided by your conscience.

Geometric Power Model is Impressive, Says British High Commissioner

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, has described the model of the Geometric Power in developing the Aba Independent Power Project in Abia State as impressive.

“The Geometric model is impressive”, declared the High Commissioner after inspecting the facilities in the $800m power project which comprises a 188-megawatt gas-fired plant with an embedded distribution firm that provides electricity to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State. “It represents the kind of innovation needed to drive sustainable development across Nigeria”. Dr Montgomery was accompanied by the Abia State Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engineer Ikechukwu Monday, and was received on arrival by the Geometric Power management led by its chairman, Professor Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power. Commissioned last February 26 by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Aba Independent Project was started in 2004 on the recommendation of the then World Bank president, James Wolfonsohn, and the then Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, when they visited Aba in March 2004 and discovered that the lack of reliable electricity was the main constraint to the realization of the city’s enormous manufacturing potential. They requested Professor Nnaji, a leading Nigerian engineering professor in the United States who had earlier led a team of Nigerian engineers to build the 22MW Abuja Emergency Plant, to consider establishing an independent thermal plant in Aba for small, medium, and large industrialists.

High Commissioner Montgomery also lauded the “state-of-the-art facilities” at the power utility. The utility, licensed to produce 188MW, has three installed General Electric (GE) turbines and has built four brand-new substations and refurbished three old ones inherited from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Edo D/Gov Suit: A Twist in The Tale

BY FELIX IFIJEH

The endless fight over status between the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki and the embattled Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, assumed a different dimension last week when a simple Appeal Court judgement was twisted to serve an end.

What followed as reports of the simple judgement was different from what was contained in the Certified True Copy, CCT, of the judgement signed by three justices, namely, Justices Okon Abang, Usman Musale and Hamma Barka.

According to the record of proceedings, the Lead Counsel for the appellant, that is the Edo State House of Assembly, Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, told the court: “We have filed a notice of withdrawal of the appeal since we have another appeal before the court which will take care of the instant situation.”

The Justices responded thus: “There being no objection, the appellant’s application seeking the withdrawal of this appeal is granted and by dint of 011R6 of the rules of this court, appeal with No. CA/ABJ/CV645/2024 is hereby dismissed.” Instantly, print, electronic and many online mediums read the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, to mean that the court dismissed an appeal by the Edo State House of Assembly and affirmed that Comrade Philip Shaibu remains the Deputy Governor of Edo State.

The Appeal Court, reports said, upheld the earlier decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which voided Shaibu’s impeachment and ordered his immediate reinstatement to office.

The court warned that any individual aside from Shaibu parading themselves as Deputy Governor would face legal consequences.

This development came after the Edo State House of Assembly impeached Shaibu on April 8, 2024, citing reasons such as perjury and leaking government secrets.

Much of the reports’ contents, it turned out, were taken from an earlier judgement by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court of July 24, 2024, which ruled that the impeachment procedure breached due process and ordered Shaibu’s reinstatement.

The court also set aside the appointment of Omobayo Godwins as the new Deputy Governor, replacing Shaibu.

In that judgement, the court directed the InspectorGeneral of Police to provide Shaibu with necessary security to enable him to resume office and perform his functions as Deputy Governor until the end of his tenure.

Omotosho held that Shaibu’s impeachment violated the provisions of the law. The court declared that Shaibu’s removal on April 8, 2024 by the Edo State House of Assembly was politically motivated. The judge ordered Shaibu’s reinstatement and directed the InspectorGeneral of Police to restore his security.

In its reaction to the Appeal Court judgement, the Edo State House of Assembly immediately refuted reports that the Court of Appeal, Abuja, had nullified the impeachment of Philip Shaibu as deputy governor of the state.

Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Charity Aiguobarueghian, described the reports as false and misleading.

“There was a suit instituted by Shaibu during the impeachment process to stop it, the case was before

Justice Egwuatu. While the matter was ongoing, he was impeached and the new deputy governor applied to strike out the case that as deputy governor, he is not interested in pursuing a case.

“Philip Shaibu went and filed a motion asking that his name as Philip Shaibu should be used instead of deputy governor of Edo State. He also asked that the case should be converted from originating summons to a writ of summons. The court granted both applications. So, it was that motion that the court granted that we went to the Court of Appeal for, it was an interlocutory appeal. We went to the Court of Appeal to challenge that order changing the name to Philip Shaibu.

“While all these were going on, he filed another suit in his own name and that suit was taken to the court of Justice Omotosho and Justice Omotosho, on the 17th of July, declared him winner in the later suit that was filed in his name and the Edo State House of Assembly filed an appeal against that judgment. The Attorney General of Edo State also filed another appeal against that judgment.

“All three appeals came up today (Tuesday) and we now withdrew the interlocutory appeal against Justice Egwuatu’s ruling. It is that ruling that he is now saying he won. Meanwhile, that ruling did not declare him the deputy governor.

“Against that substantive suit that Justice Omotosho declared him winner, the appeal processes were served on him in court today and he has five days to reply and we were given another five days to reply to his response. That is when the suit will now be taken and a decision will not be taken. The decision has not been taken on the impeachment case,” Aiguobarueghian said.

THEWILL recalls that based on the Federal High Court ruling, Shaibu appointed a handful of aides following his reinstatement as deputy governor of Edo state by a federal high court in Abuja.

Shaibu reappointed Kingsley Ehigiamusoe as chief of staff, and Musa Ebomhiana as chief press secretary.

Shaibu also appointed seven others to serve in various capacities.

The Edo State Government had faulted the appointments and said that Shaibu’s action was “provocative.”

The government said it has filed a stay of execution of the judgment.

Chris Nehikhare, Edo Commissioner for information and communication, asked the public to disregard the appointments made by Shaibu.

“It is clear that the impeached deputy governor is hell-bent on creating chaos in the state, but the Edo State Government has resolved to put his antics in check and ensure that the state continues to run smoothly,” the statement reads.

“We restate that Marvellous Omobayo remains the Deputy Governor of Edo State and the public is enjoined to disregard the shenanigans orchestrated by Shaibu.

“The government, once again, calls on citizens to be rest assured that we will maintain peace and order as we charge them to go about their lawful businesses.”

On April 8, Governor Obaseki declared Omobayo Godwin as his deputy, a few hours after the impeachment of Shaibu.

“According to the record of proceedings, the Lead Counsel for the appellant, that is the Edo State House of Assembly, Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, told the court: “We have filed a notice of withdrawal of the appeal since we have another appeal before the court which will take care of the instant situation

Reacting during the weekend, Engr. Marvellous Godwin Omobayo maintained that he remains the authentic Edo State Deputy Governor and still performs his official duties as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Deputy Governor, who spoke while receiving the leadership and members of the three recognised transport unions in Edo State who paid him a solidarity visit, namely the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW; Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEA, and Edo State Drivers Welfare Scheme, said that he was not distracted and remained focused on supporting his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, for the economic prosperity and transformation of Edo State.

We
felicitate
 ith
o r
amiable
E ec e
Secretar

as
he
gets
conferred
 ith
the
I ere
Dis ng ished
A ard
 b 
the
Ol 
of
Warri,
His
Majest ,
Ogiame
At atse
III,
CFR
 on
Sat rda ,
A g st
 ,
 .

This
 conferment
 is
 in
 recogni on
 of
 o r
 decades
 of
 sterling contrib ons to na onal de elopment and
 ser ice
to
 o r
Itsekiri
homeland.

Yo r
 la dable
 programmes
 s ch
 as
 Going
 Back
 to
 the
 Creeks and
 Capacit 
De elopment
Ini a es are
 directl 
 impac ng o r local comm ni es and taking Nigerian
 Content
benefits
to
the
hinterlands.

We
join
 o r
friends
and
famil 
to
celebrate
 o 
on
this
 great occasion and ish o more s ccesses in the
 ad ancement
of
 o r
comm nit 
and
the
na on
at
large.

Heart 
Congrat la ons
Sir!

Esueme
Dan
Kikile,
Esq

General
Manager

Corporate
Comm nica ons
and
Zonal
Coordina on Engr.

NNPCL Postponement Galore

For the sixth consecutive time, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company limited has postponed the resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery.

in the country on the one hand and the questionable capacity and ability of the managers of the country’s petroleum sector.

year.”

Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year

The refinery was previously scheduled to begin operations in 2021. Unfortunately this was not to be, due to what the NNPCL described as technical, financial and logistic problems.

With every passing day, the hopes of stakeholders and the general public for a return to petroleum products refining in the country and less dependence on imported, refined products are being dashed by forces beyond their reach.

Even with the latest postponement, there is no guarantee that a final date for resumption of operations at the refinery will be decided soon. This says a lot about the level of decay of infrastructure

Earlier, Group CEO of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, had announced in July, 2024 that the refinery would be operational by early August. Indeed, Kyari had declared in 2019 that the NNPCL would complete all four refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

Addressing the Senate on July 16, 2024, Kyari had said, “I can confirm to you, Mr Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.

“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this

The month of August ends this week and there seems to be no end in sight for the long wait for the resuscitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, let alone Warri and Kaduna refineries.

Indeed, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) between April and August 2021, approved the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna Refineries at the combined total sum of $1.5 billion and $1.5 for Port Harcourt.

Judging by the manner in which Port Harcourt Refinery has been handled, it is unclear whether Kaduna, Warri and the second Port Harcourt refineries will ever come on stream. Allowed to go to seed in the intervening years of the oil subsidy bazaar, all four refineries with a total capacity of 450,000 barrels of crude per day, have been allowed to rot.

OPINION

EFCC’s Bid For Whistle-Blowers’ Protection

TUNDE RAHMAN

elivering a paper on the “Impact of the whistleblowing policy on public sector accountability and transparency” on Thursday July 11, 2024 at the Inter-agency Task Team (IATT) conference in Abuja, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, reopened the debate about the imperative of effective engagement of

Restarting the conversation, perhaps unwittingly, he identified some of the perceived weaknesses of the whistle-blower policy, which should be addressed, including the need for adequate safeguards for whistle-blowers to shield them from

It was in a bid to expose and confront corruption that the Muhammadu Buhari Administration adopted whistleblowing as a government policy in 2016. The policy has since become lukewarm as many would-be whistle-blowers withhold information for fear of their safety. Corruption must be tackled frontally for it has eaten deep into our nation’s fabric like cankerworm. In fact, Olukoyede labels corruption as the next deadliest affliction of humanity after terrorism. Indeed, a measure of the magnitude of public sector corruption in Nigeria and its colossal disruptive effects on the economy emerged in a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, which indicated that Nigerian public officials received N721 billion as bribes in 2023, amounting to about 0.35 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. When it was espoused in 2016, a whistleblower who provides information about any financial mismanagement or gives clue about any stolen funds to the Ministry of Finance’s portal is rewarded or entitled to between 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent from the recovered funds by the Federal Government. Some important recoveries were made, following whistleblowing. For instance, within the first two months of the policy, the Federal Government recovered over $178 million stolen from government’s coffers. According to Wikipedia, by June 5, 2017, the Federal Ministry of Finance had received a total of 2,150 tips from the public and this grew to 5,000

by August of the same year.

The recovery that year, through a whistler-blower’s effort, of $43.5million, GBP27, 800 and N23.2million at No. 16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi in Lagos is particularly remarkable. To keep its part of the bargain, the Federal Ministry of Finance, according to reports, paid the whistler-blower involved the sum of N421million, though the entire episode later became controversial.

Strengthening whistle-blowers to expose wrongdoings has become imperative if the anti-corruption fight must fully succeed. This is why civil society organisations and concerned individuals have been engaged in a number of advocacies since 2016 to ensure that people who blow the whistle are properly protected. “The starting point is to emplace a legal framework for whistleblowing, including a Whistleblower Protection Law,” the EFCC chairman surmised, while also calling for the streamlining of the channels for reporting and procedures for the determination and payment of incentives. According to him, there should be “clear-cut guidelines on reporting channels, including determining agencies to receive the whistle-blower information”.

Olukoyede’s call is important. Those who blow the lead on corrupt practices must not be put in harm’s way. They must be sufficiently protected. Their resolve to promote the anti-corruption crusade will be strengthened if they know the law will protect them in the act. Since his appointment as the fifth Executive Chairman of the EFCC in October 2023, Olukoyede has ushered in a new era and leadership at the commission. A pastor and lawyer, he has left no one in doubt about his seriousness to wage the war on corruption and given the graft battle all it requires.

Olukoyede has taken important steps to take the battle against corruption to a new high. He has taken on those hitherto viewed as sacred cows, those who could not be touched, let alone asked to account for their deeds. At every turn, he uttered the right words and made the right call, though occasionally his haste and exuberance shone through. His passion and determination to clean the Augean stable is, however, unmistakable. His deep knowledge of the law has been a huge advantage, helping to moderate his handling of allegedly corrupt people.

While making a case for whistle-blowers to be protected, Olukoyede also urged Nigerians not to be motivated by pecuniary benefits in exposing corruption, stressing that incentives should not be the driving force of the policy. “A sustainable whistle-blower programme should be anchored on a moral foundation in which citizens provide information as a matter of patriotic duty, not propelled by a desire for reward. Whistleblowing should be organic, not driven by pecuniary considerations,” he said. For him, whistleblowing should also not be reactionary. “We should be more interested in whistleblowing that prevents the stealing of public funds rather than the recovery of funds. Once funds are looted, the entire loot may never be recovered,” he said.

2024 Edo Gov Election: The Debate Imperative

BY TONY EKATA

The Edo State 2024 off-season Governorship Election is barely one month away. Each passing day comes with renewed campaign vigour by the candidates and their supporters.

It is difficult to say if the campaign frenzy is more on the ground or on social media platforms, where friends are turning into temporary enemies because of different political convictions concerning the candidate deemed suitable to succeed the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), especially between the two front runners, Senator Monday (Akpakomiza) Okpebholo of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), and the PDP’s Dr Asuerinme (Asue) Ighodalo, both from Esan Central Senatorial District.

Perhaps the most contentious topic on social media is the recurring issue of the imperative of debates and formal public engagements, which the APC’s candidate is perceived to be avoiding.

Supporters of the PDP candidate claim that Senator Okpebholo is reluctant to engage the public via an official medium because of his communication handicap. On the contrary, his supporters and publicity handlers dismiss this as baseless, arguing that there is no nexus between language competence and administrative prowess.

The most impressive anti-debate argument I have seen lately is that by one Martins Itua, a native of Iruekpen in Edo State. Itua avers in his piece titled, In Defence of Senator Monday Okpebholo:

“Senator Monday Okpebholo’s journey is not one that fits neatly into the conventional expectations of those who measure leadership by polished rhetoric or academic credentials alone. His story is one of resilience, grassroots connection, and a deep commitment to public service. While some may see his candidacy as a joke, the thousands of people who have benefited from his leadership know it is anything but.

"It is easy to criticise a leader for their communication style or perceived sophistication, but leadership is about far more than eloquence. Senator Okpebholo’s effectiveness as a leader is rooted in his ability to connect with people on a personal level, to understand their needs and to take decisive action. His leadership style is characterized by empathy, a deep understanding of the challenges his constituents face, and a relentless drive to make tangible improvements in their lives.”

The seeming irony in this, however, is that Itua’s treatise is written in perfect, lucid, English. Why did he, a native of Iruekpen, not write it in Esan or Pidgin English? The reason is clear. He wants to communicate his fantastic defence to the greatest number of people, especially opinion leaders, the same people he classified as ‘elitist’, who can break down the message to the linguistically challenged members in their constituencies and across the world. Herein lies the reservation about Monday Okpebholo’s difficulty or reluctance to communicate with the people. Do we just believe he possesses the “diverse qualities that can make someone an effective and transformative leader” because Itua says so?

Itua argues that polished rhetoric, what others call oratory, and academic credentials do not make a great leader. The point cynics are making is that there is also no evidence that a barely literate person with all the empathy and grassroots connections possible, can successfully govern a state, especially in this knowledge-driven digital information age. They cite the ignominious performance of Barkin Zuwo,

former Kano State 'illiterate' governor between October 1983 and December 1983. It is illogical and hypocritical, they argue, that those who consider education, cognate experience, effective communication, capacity and core competencies sine qua non in appointing people to head critical public institutions, departments and agencies, sacrifice these prerequisites on the altar of prebendalism and primordial sentiments when it comes to the more crucial task of electing the president of a country or the governor of a state. Specifically, what is the place of debates in all this?

THE POINT CYNICS ARE MAKING IS THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT A BARELY LITERATE PERSON WITH ALL THE EMPATHY AND GRASSROOTS CONNECTIONS POSSIBLE, CAN SUCCESSFULLY GOVERN A STATE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS KNOWLEDGE-DRIVEN DIGITAL INFORMATION AGE

Debates in modern elections cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Thousands, possibly millions of Nigerians, watch seasonal debates between US election candidates. An estimated 51 million people worldwide watched the June 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump, then presumptive nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. During the debate hosted by CNN and simulcast across 22 networks, Trump’s penchant for making false and misleading statements was in the spotlight on a global stage when he reeled out the following claims proven to be false:

Trump warned that Biden “wants to raise your taxes by four times,” but Biden has not proposed anything like that.

Trump falsely claimed that “the only jobs” Biden “created are for illegal immigrants and bounced back jobs that bounced back from the COVID.”

Trump claimed that Biden “caused the inflation,” but economists say rising inflation was mostly due to disruptions to the economy caused by the pandemic.

Trump grossly inflated the number of immigrants who have entered the country during the Biden administration — putting the number at 18 million to 20 million — and he said, without evidence, that many of them are from prisons and mental institutions.

•Ekata, a former Deputy Director at VON is Editor–in- Chief of

•Rahman is a senior presidential aide

Estimated Billing: Electricity Consumers in a Dilemma as Meter Costs Surge

The fate of Nigeria’s electricity consumers under the estimated billing system is shrouded in uncertainties following the astronomical increase in the cost of electricity meter. Estimated customers refer to the system of arbitrary charging against unmetered electricity consumers for the volume of energy they did not actually consume.

The billing is based on perceived pattern of consumption, or on the ‘best of judgment’, with unjustified high revenue targets as the motive. Consumers in this system are mandated to pay far above what they consumed on a monthly basis and the charges are usually outrageous Over the years, the distribution companies (DisCos) have blamed the shortage of meter for their inability to provide their customers with the commodity as a result of which majority of the electricity users are placed on the notorious estimated billing system. The affected consumers, in turn, accuse the DisCos for deliberately starve them of meters in order to continue their arbitrary estimated billing system.

Incidentally, the deregulation of meter pricing has led to a significant increase in meter costs, with some three-phase meters now selling almost at N250,000 as against N80,000 thereby making it unaffordable to an average consumer. This has raised concerns not only about availability but also affordability, especially for consumers still subjected to estimated billing.

While energy experts agree that this move may help address the metering gap in the country, they caution that it does little to tackle the broader challenges posed by high inflation and the rising cost of living.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) move to deregulate Meter Asset Providers (MAP) was hailed as the much-needed solution to the country’s persistent metering gap crisis, but the high rate of inflation has

Continues on page 15

EDITOR

Sam Diala

Recapitalisation: FCMB Sees

Triple-Digit Growth Amid e-Banking Revenue Surge

FCMB Group, a foremost financial services holding company, posted impressive results for its half year

2024 operations. The remarkable performance, which reflects a positive trajectory towards a triple-digit growth in the recapitalization environment, underscores its robust commitment to digital transformation.

The Group recorded a quantum leap of 46.7 percent in e-banking revenue which surged to N10.86 billion in H1 2024 from N7.4 billion in the corresponding period of last year. The e-banking revenue boost accounted for 30 percent of the Gross Fee and Commission Income which rose to N36.19 billion during the review period, from N28.46 billion in H1 2023.

Nigerian banks have intensified competition in e-banking channels raising the profession to a level that only a clear cut superior service delivery makes the difference among the operators through which they reap huge income.

It is on record that they have embarked on various avenues to expand their e-banking channels for maximum performance and enhanced revenue generation, which has created a stiff competition among them.

The e-banking income includes revenue from electronic platforms, such as mobile applications, USSD channels, internet banking, ATM, POS as well as other debit and credit card transactions.

An analysis of the FY 2023 financial statements of the Tier-1 group revealed that the Big Five generated a total of N385.85 billion in e-banking revenue as against N277.14 billion in 2022, representing a 40 percent increase.

The measure has strengthened the earnings capacities of the banks through increased non-interest income. For FCMB, the Group’s noninterest income saw a crank upon the committed implementation of the bank’s digital programme towards enhanced service delivery in line with the Group’s vision.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FCMB Group Plc, Ladi Balogun, the financial services institution is determined to drive the e-banking window to achieve the objectives of the recapitalization policy

introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Mr Balogun, who stated this on the sidelines of the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos during an interview with journalists last May, stressed on the bank’s plan to improve the non-interest income through leveraging digital products and services which would come fully on stream in the next two years. These are solutions that help customers to receive payments from various e-channels platforms. Apart from cash deposits made in the branches, these products also enable electronic form of deposits from various electronic payment platforms. FCMB's e-channels include EasyPay, POS/MPOS, PAYSTACK, NQOR, FERN, among others.

“The bank has measured up to expectations. The competition is fierce and only the ones with the capacity will survive this period of mad rush for wealth. FCMB has grown steadily to the satisfaction of the stakeholders and the customers,” said Maurice Akindele, a financial analyst.

According to the 2024 half year financial statement presented to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), the impressive growth in gross earnings of N374.49 billion against N238.18 billion in H1 2023, an increase of 57.2 percent, contributed to a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 38 percent in Profit Before Tax (PBT) from NN38,23 billion in H1 2023 to N64.20 billion during the period. Profit After Tax (PAT), followed the same growth trajectory, as the Tier-2 financial services institution recorded a 68 percent rise to N59.48 on H1 2024 billion from N35.40 billion in the preceding year

The increase in gross earnings is primarily due to growth in interest and non-interest income. Interest and discount income increased by 80.6 percent from N149.02 billion in H1 2023 to N374.46 billion in H1 2024, while fees and commission income recorded a 26.8 percent increase to N36.19 billion from N26.86 billion in the corresponding period of 2023. Growth in non-interest income was driven by significant trading gains and an increase in gains from the revaluation of foreign currencies. On the other hand, interest expense increased by 112.47 percent from N76.70

Continues on page 15

BY SAM DIALA

BUSINESS WEEKLY

...Growth Amid e-Banking Revenue Surge

billion in H12023 to N162.97 billion in H1 2024 due to the high interest regime.

...Consumers in a Dilemma as Meter Costs Surge

dampened the euphoria that the arrangement created.

The Group commenced its public offer of 15.197 billion shares at N7.30 per share, amounting to N110.9 billion, on July 29, 2024, and is expected to close on September 4, 2024

Total assets increased by 34.38 percent from N4.23 trillion in H1 2023 to N5.94 trillion in H1 2024, largely due to growth in total deposits and the revaluation of foreign currency deposits. Loan and advances to customers grew 35.3 percent from N1.84 trillion in H1 2023 to N2.42 trillion in the review period.

The Management of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has disclosed plans to raise N150 billion between now and September 2024. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FCMB Group Plc, Ladi Balogun, stated this on the sidelines of the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos during an interview with journalists. According to him, the company has devised a variety of means to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s new capital requirements.

He stated, “Our plans during this period will be raising N150 billion through a series of structures. It’s not going to be one straight offer obviously and, that, we expect will be concluded by the end of September.

“We have a number of options, and we can achieve our objectives through any combination of the options we have. We are fortunate that as a group we have eight companies beyond just the bank. So, it’s just the bank that we have to capitalize on. “We also have people speaking to us on potential merger and acquisition (M&A) partnership, but there is no conclusive plan at this stage. However, if there is an opportunity that is accretive to our shareholders from an earnings perspective, we will consider such things.”

Furthermore, Mr. Balogun commented on the bank’s plan to improve the non-interest income through leveraging digital products and services which would come fully on stream in the next two years. On the rise of the bank’s loan impairment in the face of high-interest rate levels, the CEO stated that the bank will be supportive and ensure its actions will be in partnership with customers to prevent harming them in any way. The CBN, in March 2024, announced a new banking recapitalization exercise aimed at supporting the $1 trillion economy target of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to the CBN, Tier-1 international banks are expected to have a minimum capital base of N500 billion- up from N25 billion set during the last exercise about 20 years ago. National banks are expected to have a minimum capital requirement of N200 billion while regional and merchant bank’s minimum capital base was set at N50 billion.

The CBN mandated banks to ensure that in meeting the new capital requirements, retained earnings should not be calculated. Rather, it should involve the injection of fresh capital. Also, it asked banks to submit a plan to meet the new capital requirements by the end of April 2024.

FCMB has a capital shortfall of N374.7 billion to meet the apex bank’s new capital requirement to retain its international bank status. Currently, the bank’s capital base stands at N125.3 billion.

FCMB held a Facts Behind the Offer (FBO) session recently at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) as part of its recapitalization drive aimed at raising N110.9 billion. The session highlighted the Group's robust financial performance and underscored why it presents a compelling investment opportunity.

The Group commenced its public offer of 15.197 billion shares at N7.30 per share, amounting to N110.9 billion, on July 29, 2024, and is expected to close on September 4, 2024.

Mr Ladi Balogun said the public offer is part of the bank's comprehensive plan to meet the CBN capitalization requirements, adding that in addition to it, the Group has adopted a phased approach to raise up to N397 billion additional capital to drive its diversification plans.

He stated: FCMB is growing at approximately two million customers a year, and we believe that growth rate will accelerate. In banking, we are about number seven in net assets and among the top five Pension Fund Administrators (PFA) in the country. "Our goal is to sustain and grow earnings per share for our investors despite our additional share issuance. The proceeds from this capital raise will primarily drive business growth, focusing on lending to key sectors such as agriculture, SMEs, and non-oil exports, which we believe are vital for Nigeria's development,” he said.

The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has officially launched the 2024 edition of its flagship Annual DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program (DBNETP), aimed at equipping Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s economy.

Now in its 6th cycle, the DBNETP has successfully trained over 4,000 MSMEs across the country, offering both digital and physical learning experiences. The program is a key initiative of the DBN, designed to enhance the ability of MSMEs to access credit, efficiently utilize funds, engage in trade, and expand their market reach.

Giving more details, the Bank said, to participate in the 2024 DBN Entrepreneurship Training Program, MSMEs must meet the following criteria:

– The business owner must be at least 18 years old and a Nigerian citizen or legal resident.

– The business must be based in Nigeria and operate for profit.

– The business can belong to any sector of the economy.

For millions of Nigerians, the sharp rise in metering costs from about N80,000 to over N200,000 in just one year has become as burdensome as the problem it was meant to solve: eliminating estimated billing.

The arrangement was intended to empower customers, allowing them to obtain meters from any approved vendor without relying on the DisCos. While this policy appeared commendable on paper, it has brought new challenges. The most pressing of these is the increase in meter prices, exacerbated by the prevailing economic conditions and rising inflation.

Following the announcement by NERC, DisCos and their meter providers partners have declared new meter prices, pointing to the deregulation policy and ailing economic conditions. None of the new prices is below N100,000, a very sharp increase from the former price announced by NERC in September 2023.

According to the new prices by DisCos, the cost of a single phase meter rose from N81,975 to about N125,000, depending on the DisCo and the vendor the customer is purchasing from.

Different DisCos announced different prices from N120,00 for a single-phase meter to about N240,00 for a three-phase meter, a sharp increase that has made struggling Nigerians question their choices in obtaining meter and estimated billing.

In an ironic twist of events, the number of estimated customers of Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies (DisCos) maintained an upward trend in the first three months of the year (Q1 2024), while the firms recorded higher revenue with less power supply compared with their performance in the equivalent period of 2023.

Estimated customers refer to the system of arbitrary charging against unmetered electricity consumers for the volume of energy they did not actually consume. The billing is based on perceived pattern of consumption, or on the ‘best of judgment’, with unjustified high revenue targets as the motive. Consumers in this system are mandated to pay far above what they consumed on a monthly basis and the charges are usually outrageous

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in its latest electricity report that estimated customers of the DisCos during Q1 2024 were 6.43 million, higher by 10.22% from 5.83 million in Q4 2023.

According to NBS, on a year-on-year basis, estimated customers increased by 7.88% in Q1 2024 from 5.96 million in Q1 2023.

A look into the NBS electricity reports for 2023 showed that on a year-on-year basis, estimatedbilling customers increased by 2.58% in Q2 2023 to 6 million from 5.85 million in Q2 2022

Estimated customers during the 2023 third quarter were 6.03 million, higher by 0.53% from 6.00 million in Q2 2023. On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers increased by 2.02% in Q3 2023 from 5.91 million in Q3 2022.

Estimated customer system has remained a controversy in Nigeria’s electricity sector as a result of the notorious process it entails.

“Estimated billing is a system that thrives on corruption and is driven by tardy inclination to exploitation which defines a commodity in the category of monopoly,” said Gabriel Madu, an electrical installations contractor. While the unmetered customers who bear the brunt of a corrupt and inefficient system bleed, the DisCos, record an increase in their revenue.

Revenue generated in the reference period rose by 17.91% from N247.33 billion generated in Q1 2023 to N291.62 billion. While this could include outstanding debts, the figure shows that the DisCos’ business model earns them a value against the disadvantage suffered by their customers, amid the nation’s unresolved epileptic power supply including frequent national grid collapse.

The country recorded three cases of national grid collapse in the first half of 2024. It also witnessed a national grid collapsed three consecutive times in 2023 – with attendant huge economic losses as the entire nation is thrown into a spate of darkness;

The latest NBS report also showed that the DisCos supplied less energy in the Q1 2024 period when their estimated customers and revenue recorded an increase.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

– The owner must commit to attending the training upon acceptance of the application The selection process for the DBNETP is based on the following factors:

– Bankability: The MSME’s readiness to access credit.

– Feasibility and Sustainability: The viability and long-term potential of the business model.

– Scalability: The business’s potential for growth and job creation.

The DBNETP offers a blended learning experience, combining virtual and physical training:

– Virtual Training: This includes a self-paced curriculum delivered through the DBN Learning Management System (LMS) via the BizAid App. The curriculum covers basic business principles divided into nine modules.

– Onsite Training: A five-day intensive practical training session, based on the specific needs of the shortlisted businesses, will take place in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

Interested MSMEs can register for the training on the DBN Learning Management System (LMS) via the BizAid platform at [https://bizaid. devbankng.com](https://bizaid.devbankng. com).

Participants are required to complete at least four mandatory courses on the BizAid LMS and achieve a minimum overall score of 80% in the quizzes. The mandatory courses are:

1. Accounting and Bookkeeping

2. Sustainability for MSMEs

3. Marketing and Sales Techniques

4. Credit Management/Access to Finance

Upon meeting these requirements, participants will receive an email with a link to apply for the in-person training sessions.

After the submission of application forms, applicants will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours. The DBN will then screen and shortlist participants based on the eligibility criteria. Successful applicants will be provided with additional details regarding the training.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

Real Reason Epiphany Azinge Emerged Asagba of Asaba Designate

Following the demise of Joseph Chike Edozien, a professor of medicine and the previous Asagba in February after ruling over the affairs of Asaba for 33 years, the choice of who occupies the revered stool became a hotly contested one and one that had to be carefully

WHY TINUBU ELEVATED JENNIFER ADIGHIJE FROM SSA TO HEAD NDPHC

Jennifer Adighije has been appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC. Prior to this appointment, Jennifer was the president's Senior Special Assistant on Entrepreneurship Development in Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to the president. Not only is her appointment considered an effort to consolidate the National

on page 20

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

EDITOR

Ivory Ukonu

How I Supported Mohammed Ali Through Trials, Tribulation to Become The 'GOAT' –Dr Khalilah Camacho

Dr Khalilah Camacho, wife of late boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, was recently in Nigeria to kick-start events to mark the Golden jubilee of the iconic boxing match between Ali and George Foreman held in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), the first world heavyweight boxing bout staged on African soil and tagged 'Rumble in the Jungle.' She spoke with IVORY UKONU on a wide range of issues, including her late husband and her life as the spouse of a famous boxer. Excerpts:

Whatis your reason for visiting Nigeria?

I am here to collaborate with some sponsors for the 50th anniversary of the iconic boxing match between the late Muhammed Ali and George Foreman. The spectacular tournament, which will be tagged 'Rumble in Nigeria 2024,' will take place in October. Also, I am here to know more about the mental health of Nigerian athletes. Mental health is very important. We are here to support the mental health institute to make sure our athletes go through that so they can have support. A lot of them are injured, brain damaged and have mental health issues.

Why are you interested in staging the 50th anniversary of the fight in Nigeria rather than Congo where the 'Rumble in the Jungle' originally took place?

Well, Muhammad Ali had a deep and meaningful connection to Nigeria. Throughout his life, he made several visits to the country, which not only left a lasting impact on the people but also was significant in his life. One of his most notable visits was in 1964, just a few months after he won the heavyweight boxing title by defeating Sonny Liston. Another significant visit was in 1971 when General Yakubu Gowon, who was in power, hosted him. Nigeria gave him support in his career and you are all part of the legacy. Nigeria is a very important country not only in Africa but also globally. From your music to your movies, to the academia, Nigeria is on every lip.

This is obviously your first visit to Nigeria. What is your impression of the country?

Yes, it is my first time. Nigeria is a beautiful place and the people are great. The first time I came to Africa; everyone thought it was a jungle. We were fighting for black power and our civil rights in America. I came over here and I saw true black power. I saw men flying planes and all black men in the control towers here in Africa. I saw the true black power here. I just feel coming to Nigeria is like coming home.

What was your marriage with Muhammed Ali lke? What attracted you to him and made you fall in love with him? He was not Muhammed Ali when I met him. He was Cassius Clay. This man didn’t become great overnight. We had to come together to build a legacy. We struggled for his freedom so that he could fight. He wasn’t always Muhammad Ali like you see him. There comes the growing, support, sacrifice, struggle, it came with all of it first. Then the outcome. You see Muhammad Ali because he had a wife supporting him through his trials and tribulations. Behind every great man is a great woman. Marriage with him was beautiful. We raised four beautiful children and they are all Muslims. We are all Muslims. My children are grownups, even my grandchildren are grown now. My grandchildren from the twins that we have are the two boys that are boxers, like their grandfather. They are great fighters too, they are living the legacy and I’m proud of it.

What do you miss most about Ali?

His comedy. He could make you laugh. You know that we wanted to come to Nigeria together, but it didn't happen. I feel his spirit knows I’m here already.

Not many people are aware that Muhammed Ali was married to a pilot I started flying when I was 23 years-old and at 74, I still fly. I love to fly. I love speed. Now I am on the board of a flight company in Los Angeles, where we teach young black sisters and brothers to fly. I’m on the board of a flight company in California as well. We need more pilots, more female pilots, we need more astronauts. In NASA, the women were the mathematical scientists that gave them direction for landing people that

go to the moon and black women are part of that.

You don’t look 74. What is your secret?

I don’t feel it at all. I don’t act it at all, too.

You know what I feel? I feel 38. I don’t even feel 40. I think what has kept me this way is because I like to tour the world. I keep moving. I don’t stop, I keep moving. I have kept active, committed to the things I do. Like film and design. Film, maybe because I am also an actress. Half of my family members are in law enforcement. So, I have a police movie which dwells on how the police force works with the community in the United States. I am very excited about that. Most importantly, I’m a designer. I design athletic jumpsuits for men and women. I am designing athletic jumpsuits for Nigerian athletes; it should be ready in October.

Beside the police movie, what other movies have you produced?

I have produced one movie, but I coproduced some others.

You are also an author. How many books have you written?

I have only written one book and it is titled 'Undefeated' where I opened up about my marriage with Muhammed Ali as he faced his biggest challenges during the Vietnam War era. It is a story about forgiveness and reclamation and all that transpired in my relationship with him. In the book, I shared the stories of my struggle, success, survival, personal growth, infidelity, etc.

What would you consider to be your greatest influence when growing up?

My parents. I learnt from both of them, but my father was the one that inspired me to be open to different nationalities. My father opened up the cultural part of my life. My mother was always there. The way she acted towards my father showed me what love was about. If it wasn’t in her speech, it was the way she acted. My mother and father were married for 68 years, my father always followed her. They were friends with each other and they made a happy home for me and my sisters and brother. There is nothing like a good father and mother. When I say good, we may not agree on everything, but we respect each other.

You have a very peculiar style. How would you describe it? I always create my own styles. I wear my own style of clothes. It’s based

on majesty and respect. This is my Islamic heritage, donning proper dress which will ultimately make an impact on our children. We need to cover them up. They have to leave something to the imagination. A lot of American girls go nude and they show everything. We have to show them they don’t have to do that. What I advise women is to not follow Western civilisation’s wardrobe. Don’t try to be Barbie, don’t try to be somebody you are not. Be proud of your heritage, be proud of yourself, be proud of your beautiful black hair, your beautiful lips, your beautiful eye be proud of it because we are the most beautiful people in the world. We should be proud of it. I have a problem with the black woman wanting to have brown hair. I have a problem with everybody wearing red hair, blue hair, yellow hair. We have the most beautiful culture in the world and the most beautiful life. Our lips, our nose, eyes, ears, we are the most beautiful human beings ever so why try to copy some other culture or some other person? I don’t want to be a Barbie doll. I’m a Nigerian doll, and I’m proud to be Afro-American. I suggest to women, build your own culture, be proud of the way you look.

How do you unwind?

When I’m having a conversation, that’s how I unwind. When I go to another country, that’s the most hype for me. I love travelling around the world.

Camacho

Younger Ali and Camacho

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Lanre Shittu's Automobile Business Booms

Ayear and six months after the passing of late Olanrewaju Rasak Shittu, one of Nigeria’s top auto dealers and socialite, his auto business which he left behind has continued to blossom, much to the surprise of many who thought that with his passing, the business, Lanre Shittu Motors, would close shop. Fortunately, this has not been the case.

The deceased’s sons, Taiwo and Lukman, who are the managing director and deputy managing director of the company, respectively, have taken it upon themselves to make sure that their father's legacy outlives him.

The local vehicle assembler has jumped on the opportunity to assemble buses that run on 100 per cent Compressed Natural Gaspowered vehicles, CNG at its Lagos assembly plant. This the company says is to support President Bola Tinubu’s CNG initiative of easing public transportation and cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

The company is also willing to support those buying a large fleet, including state governments, with the installation of mobile CNG stations across different locations. Also, 100 units of the buses coming in two specifications would be introduced gradually. The first set of the 31-seater buses would be deployed for an intra-airport shuttle, while the second set, a 54-seater also accommodating 25 persons, would serve as a mass transit city bus.

The city bus built with seven cylinders can travel for 450-500 kilometres without the need to refill while the airport bus, also built with seven CNG cylinders, has a lot of space for boxes and two wheelchairs, like the city bus. They will all have charging stations. While on the move, one can charge mobile devices. The bus will be air-conditioned, durable and installed with viewing screens.

The patriarch of the Shittu family died in February 2023. He was aged 65. Before his death, he was and is still the number one dealer of Mack trucks in Africa, holding the sole franchise for Mack brand vehicles in Nigeria and also the only dealer of Sany heavy duty equipment and Yutong buses in Nigeria. His company is also a licensed dealer of KIA, NISSAN, Jinbei Buses, and was the leading supplier of genuine spare parts to automobile dealers in Nigeria and others. In his lifetime, Shittu

Continued from page 18

was not without controversy. In November 2000, he was abducted by operatives from the United States Drug Enforcement Agency in conjunction with their Nigerian counterpart, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and arraigned in a US court.

Apparently, there was a pending civil suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja over a move by former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to have him extradited to America to answer to the alleged money laundering charge. Although his extradition was a clear violation of the extradition treaty between Nigeria and the United States, there were speculations alleging that the federal government was aware of the ‘kidnap.’ He was eventually freed, following realisation that the District Court of New York lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter because both countries had violated the treaty on extradition, which they agreed to be binding on them.

Continued from page 18

VICTOR UMEH’S DAUGHTER TIES THE KNOT

Why Tinubu Elevated Jennifer Adighije From SSA to Head NDPHC Real Reason Epiphany Azinge Emerged Asagba of Asaba Designate

Integrated Power Projects, but he also feels that being an experienced engineer with vast competencies across management functions in the private and public sectors, she obviously has something to offer in his government, being a graduate of Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Lagos with an M.Sc in Telecoms Networks from Queen Mary University of London. Her appointment is as good as a round peg in a round hole. Jennifer began her career in Globacom upon her return to Nigeria and later moved to Helios Towers Nigeria as Head, Project Management Office. Her appointment with Helios however ended in a not so pleasant manner

which led to her exploring entrepreneurship. She floated a fashion house, House of Silk and later returned to paid employment as a key player in the Procurement Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Jennifer who is divorced is the daughter of Abia Senator, Chris Adighije, a member of the second national assembly, chairman, governing council and pro-chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja and more importantly, a staunch chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Sources claim that her elevation is payback for how assiduously her father worked for Tinubu's presidential victory at the polls.

scrutinized. After careful consideration and scrutiny, the Asaba traditional council announced the emergence of foremost legal luminary, Epiphany Azinge (SAN), as the 14th Asagba designate. Some of the 10 aspirants for the Asagba stool besides Konwea included Emmanuel Onwuka, a professor, and Chinedu Esealuka among others. Despite his vigorous campaign to be named the new Asagba, Anthony Ogugua Konwea unfortunately lost out in the race. With all traditional funeral rites for late Edozien now completed, all eyes are now on Azinge who would be crowned at a date yet to be announced. The Ochendo of Asaba, Anthony Edozien, announced the emergence of Azinge on behalf of the Council and said the selection process was in accordance with the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict of 1979, which applies to Delta State. Five quarters (families) of Asaba backed by the Iyagba quarters unanimously selected Azinge, hence his confirmation by the ruling council. A former director general of the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Azinge who is a professor of law holds the traditional chieftaincy title of the Okilolo of Asaba. He is a Judge at the Commonwealth Arbitral Tribunal sitting in London, where he represents Nigeria and Africa and is the founder and senior partner at Azinge & Azinge, a law firm in Abuja where his wife Valerie Azinge SAN is also a partner. Azinge was awarded honorary LLD in 2013 by the Commonwealth University, Belize and was decorated with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Fstates include Cross River (1), Ogun (1), Delta (2); Niger (2); Borno (2);

resh from his first international crusade in the United Kingdom, Pastor Jerry Uchechukwu Eze, founder of Abuja based Streams of Joy International with over 13 branches across Nigeria, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom decided to celebrate his 42nd birthday in a unique way. The humble clergyman who is also the convener of the very popular online digital prayer meeting platform, New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration, NSPPD which he hosts on YouTube, gave out a N100 million as business grants to small business owners and also built a total of 18 houses for widows in some states of the federation. These

All of these he was able to accomplish through his Jerry Eze Foundation. Considered the highest-earning content creator in Nigeria, Eze who is from Abia State holds a bachelor's degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University, and a postgraduate certification in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT). He once worked as a Communications Specialist with the World Bank project for HIV/AIDS and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) before becoming a full-time cleric. He is married to Pastor Eno Jerry, the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Governing Council of Federal University of Technology Babura, Jigawa State. Prior to this appointment, she was appointed as the chairman of the Abia state civil service commission by the state governor, Alex Otti.

Abia (4); Imo (2); Akwa Ibom (2); Ondo (1) and Ekiti (2).

Azinge

Shittu

Eze

The Ifeanyis

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

DAVID EDEVBIE'S WIFE NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN PARKVIEW ESTATE

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

DAAR Communications Lays Off Late Dokpesi’s Widow, Others

Dfor the trip tried to call Mrs Edevbie for them to embark on the trip but all efforts to reach her were unsuccessful. She then reached out to her husband David who on inquiry from his other domestic staff, the gateman, discovered that his wife hadn't been up all morning talk more of stepping out of her home. Time was 10am. David, the source continued, urged him to find a way to get to his wife to which the gateman mobilized, got a ladder with which he used to climb into the house and managed to wake up Mrs Edevbie. The cook, unable to carry out his mission which was to steal, kill and destroy, already packed his few belongings and bolted. Mrs Abiodun, according to the source, later arrived at the Edevbie's residence to take her friend to the hospital for proper medical checkup where it was confirmed that she had been drugged by the cook who was fortunately, unable to carry out his mission.

Hits The Diamond Age

as a model, makeup artist, fashion designer and creative director of his fashion house since 1989. He is the founder of Bunor Creazioni which comprises House of Bunor and Frank Oshodi for Bunor. The multiple award-winning designer has also graced runways both locally and internationally, capturing the hearts of fashion enthusiasts worldwide. As a key figure in Nigeria’s fashion industry, Frank has over the years, played a pivotal role in shaping trends and inspiring countless aspiring designers.

AAR Communications PLC, the parent company of African Independent Television, AIT, Raypower, and Faaji FM, has retired Dr Oluwatosin Dokpesi, a widow of his late father, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, from the employment of the broadcast company. Until her retirement, Tosin, who was one of the several wives of the late media guru, was the managing director of AIT. She was also one of the most prominent of his four wives. The 55-year-old was sent packing by Dokpesi junior alongside other staff such as Tony Akiotu, Ambrose Somide, Anthony Uyah, Paulyn Ugbodagha, Mary Lawrence-Dokpesi, Faith Ikems, Imoni Mac Amarere, John Iwarue, and Johnson Onime, all of whom were senior management staff and executive directors who served in their roles for over a decade. Their retirement is supposedly to align with the Code of Corporate Governance and the

Company’s Internal Control Policies and Procedures Manual. Their retirement is effective from October 31, 2024, after they would have completed their two-term tenure. Chairman of DAAR Comunications,

Celebrates 3rd Coronation Anniversary

This took place at the palace auditorium. This was followed by his subjects paying homage to him again on Wednesday which was the anniversary day itself at the palace auditorium. On Thursday, the king, his subjects and people of Warri witnessed a beautiful boat regatta which took off from the Warri Boat Yard. Later that same day the king's subjects paid him another homage, a third, this time at the Ode-Itsekiri hall and in the evening of the same day, the king watched a play presentation. On Friday was a novelty match organised by the Olori ladies at the Ode-Itsekiri FIFA training ground. This was quickly followed by more homage paying to the king at the Ode-Itsekiri hall. On Saturday, August 24th, the king presented awards to some Itsekiri indigenes who have distinguished themselves. The

Raymond Dokpesi Jnr has however clarified that the decision to part ways with the directors was not driven by personal preference because if it were up to him, he would prefer to harness their experiences, relationships, and skill sets for a little bit longer. He noted that many of the current management team members have been with the company since its early days, with some serving for up to 27 years. And so their retirement is, in fact, long overdue. He added that as a publicly listed company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, DAAR Communications is subject to the rules set by the Security and Exchange Commission and the code of corporate governance. These regulations mandate that directors serve no more than two terms of five years. Therefore, DAAR communications' responsibilities to its shareholders transcend personal choices or opinions.

JEREMI SET TO GIVE

MOTHER BEFITTING BURIAL

Sa

The

in May at the age of 74 after a

and

A service of songs for late Madam Jeremi will be held on Thursday, August 29, at her residence in Sapele, Delta State. Friends and family will gather to honour her memory and celebrate her life. The funeral service is scheduled for the following day at the First Baptist Church in Sapele, a place that held great significance to her. The reception will follow at the Athletic Club, GRA Sapele where attendees will get the opportunity to offer their condolences and support to Jeremi and other family members. Late Madam Jeremi’s legacy is one of hard work, courage, and unwavering commitment to her faith and family. Her life was spent fleshing out the values she held dear, which made her leave behind a legacy that will inspire her generations to come.

award presentation was held at the Palace Hall Aghofen. This was followed shortly after with a music and poetry concert performed by the Royal Iwere Choir at the Church auditorium, Aghofen. To round up the weeklong celebration is a thanksgiving service which will take place today, Sunday August 25th at the palace church in Aghofen. Ogiame Atuwatse III who succeeded his uncle, Ogiame Ikenwoli I and was crowned the 21st Olu of Warri on August 21, 2021, has succeeded in making his reign one of vision, deft leadership, and a reflection of his dedication to the betterment of Iwereland and Nigeria as a whole. This stands as a testament to purposeful leadership, grace, and an unwavering commitment to the advancement of his people, as a traditional authority in Nigeria.

Jeremi

Olu of Warri

Dokpesi

Edevbie

holaye Jeremi,

popular businessman

baby daddy to equally popular blogger, Linda Ikeji is preparing to bid farewell to his late beloved mother, Mrs. Lilian Jeremi.

matriarch of the Jeremi family passed away

brief illness.

SHOTS OF THE WEEK

Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Senior Manager, Partnerships, Showmax Nigeria,  Uchenna Michael; Managing Director, Eat N' Go Africa Ltd, Ademilola Odunubi; Head of Marketing, Showmax Nigeria, Arinola Shobande; Group Chief Marketing Officer (GCMO), Eat N' Go Africa Ltd, Olumide Aniyikaiye, at the press Conference to unveil the Showmax and Domino’s partnership, in Lagos on August 19, 2024.

L-R: Regional Sales Manager, Moniepoint Inc, Emmanuel Imouokhome; National Secretary, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) Pharm.(Mrs) Omokhafe Ashore; National Chairman, ACPN, Pharm. Ambrose Igwekwama; and Public Relations Manager, Moniepoint Inc, Bemigho Awala, during a courtesy visit to the new ACPN Executive by Moniepoint at the ACPN National Secretariat in Lagos on August 19, 2024.

Corps

L-R: General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Nigeria LNG Limited, Mr. Andy Odeh; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe and GM, Production, NLNG, Engr. Nnamdi Anowi, at the commissioning of the 10,000 Tons per annum galvanizing plant constructed by Daewoo Engineeering Nigeria Limited, at Abam-ama, Okrika, Rivers State on  August 16, 2024.

a

Head, Primary Market, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Tony

Ag. CEO, ITMB Plc, Mrs. Ngozi Chukwu and Independent Non-Executive Director, Mr. James Ahmed, during the ITMB Plc Facts Behind the Figures presentation in Lagos on August 22, 2024.

L-R:

Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, presenting

souvenir to the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Muhammad Ali, during the visit of the FRSC Corps Marshal to NAN headquarters in Abuja on august 22, 2024.

Ibeziako; CEO, NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo), Mr. Olufemi Shobanjo; Chairman, Ifinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc (ITMB), Mrs. Ene Iyana Okwa; CEO, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Jude Chiemeka;

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, presenting a souvenir to the Australia High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda, during the visit of members of diplomatic community to NIETI for collaboration and partnership on anticorruption and natural resources governance in Abuja on August 21, 2024.

Boniface's Impressive Leverkusen Journey And Super Eagles' Injury Challenges

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

Victor Boniface's goal for Bayer Leverkusen in their Super Cup victory against VfB Stuttgart adds another highlight to his growing list of achievements. This performance further cements his position as one of Nigeria's most promising football talents and strengthens his candidacy for the African Footballer of the Year award.

Boniface's journey in European football has been impressive, marked by both triumphs and setbacks. His path from Nigeria to the top of the Bundesliga exemplifies his exceptional skill and perseverance. In his first season with Leverkusen, Boniface made an immediate impact, netting 13 goals and providing nine assists in just 22 games. This outstanding debut earned him the Bundesliga's Rookie of the Season award, underlining his ability to quickly adapt to a new league and significantly contribute to his team's success.

What makes Boniface's accomplishments even more noteworthy is that he achieved this despite missing nearly four months due to injury. His ability to bounce back from setbacks and maintain high-level performance speaks volumes about his mental fortitude and physical recovery capabilities. Boniface played a crucial role in helping Leverkusen clinch their first Bundesliga title in decades, breaking Bayern Munich's longstanding dominance in German football.

However, while Boniface has found success at the club level,

his international career with Nigeria has been hampered by a series of unfortunate injuries. These setbacks have consistently occurred at the most inopportune moments, preventing him from fully translating his club form to the national team stage.

Boniface's history of missing crucial international tournaments due to injuries began early in his career. In 2019, shortly after joining Bodø/Glimt from Real Sapphire, he suffered a ligament injury that sidelined him for most of the season. This injury forced him to withdraw from the Nigeria Under-20 squad set to participate in the 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations. This early setback foreshadowed the challenges he would face in his international career.

More recently, and perhaps most disappointingly, Boniface was forced to miss the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in the Ivory Coast. On January 8, 2024, he sustained a muscle injury that ruled him out of the tournament. He was replaced in the squad by Terem Moffi, leaving the Super Eagles without one of their most potent attacking options at a critical time. The absence of Boniface's goal-scoring ability and physical presence in attack was keenly felt by the Nigerian team throughout the tournament.

team. He has expressed confidence in his ability to overcome his injury woes and is focused on maintaining his form and fitness. Boniface's determination to succeed for Nigeria is evident, and there is hope that with proper management and a bit of good fortune, he will eventually be able to bring his club form to the international stage consistently.

Boniface's playing style is well-suited to modern football.

difficult opponent for defenders. His ability to hold up play and involve teammates is complemented by his clinical finishing. These attributes make him an ideal focal point for both Leverkusen's and potentially Nigeria's attack when fit.

Despite these challenges, Boniface remains optimistic about his future with the national team

These repeated absences from major tournaments have created a noticeable gap between Boniface's club performances and his contributions to the national team. While he has shown flashes of his talent when representing Nigeria, the consistent impact he has made at Leverkusen has yet to be replicated on the international stage. This inconsistency is not due to a lack of ability or commitment, but rather the unfortunate timing of his injuries.

The recurring nature of these setbacks has raised questions about injury management and prevention strategies for Nigerian players, especially those based in Europe. This is one reason why there is a growing call for improved communication and cooperation between national team medical staff and club doctors to ensure players like Boniface can maintain their fitness and availability for both club and country.

Despite these challenges, Boniface remains optimistic about his future with the national

The striker's recent goal in the Super Cup is just the latest example of his knack for performing in big games. This ability to deliver when it matters most is what distinguishes great players, and it bodes well for Boniface's future at both club and international levels. If he can maintain his current trajectory and avoid the injury issues that have hampered his international career, he has the potential to become one of Africa's top footballers. His performances for Leverkusen have already put him in contention for the African Footballer of the Year award, and consistent appearances for Nigeria could solidify his status as one of the continent's elite players.

For Nigeria, a fit and in-form Boniface could be the key to success in upcoming fixtures, especially must-win matches in the World Cup qualifying series where results have been abysmally below expected standards. His goal-scoring ability, combined with his physical presence and link-up play, could provide the Super Eagles with the attacking threat they need to win all their remaining matches. However, for this to happen, careful management of his workload and fitness will be crucial.

Boniface

Boniface

Boniface

ogannah@thewillnews.com

Wabote's Transformative Leadership at NCDMB as Model for Nigeria's Development

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has made remarkable strides since 2016 under the leadership of Simbi Wabote, demonstrating how capable leadership can drive meaningful progress in Nigeria's public sector. A close examination of NCDMB's achievements provides valuable lessons on the importance of appointing competent individuals to key positions in government.

Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, until recently, was the Executive Secretary of NCDMB. He was first appointed in September 2016 and reappointed in 2020, following a stellar performance.

Before this appointment, Engr. Wabote had an exceptional career in SPDC, spanning over 26 years and holding various positions traversing engineering, project management, government relations and corporate governance, exiting as Executive Director. The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 established the NCDMB and tasked it with developing local capacity in the oil and gas industry and enforcing the provisions of the NOGICD Act.

In 2017, under Wabote's guidance, NCDMB developed a 10-Year Strategic Roadmap aimed at increasing Nigerian content in the oil and gas sector to 70% by 2027. This ambitious goal sought to create 300,000 direct jobs and retain over $14 billion of the industry's annual $20 billion spend within Nigeria.

The progress towards this target has been significant. By the end of 2021, NCDMB had moved Nigerian Content from 26% in 2016 to over 43%. This has remained consistent through to today. The establishment of manufacturing hubs in-country for the manufacture of equipment, components, and accessories required by the oil and gas industry, as well as its linkage sectors, has witnessed an uptick as a direct consequence of this ambitious project.

One of Wabote's most impactful initiatives was the establishment and expansion of the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund. Initially launched at $200 million, it was later increased to $350 million. Managed by the Bank of Industry, this fund provides long-term, low-interest financing to Nigerian oil and gas service companies and manufacturers.

Additionally, the NCDMB partnered with the Nigerian Export-Import Bank to create a $100 million fund specifically for women in the oil and gas industry. The total fund now stands at $500 million, with numerous beneficiaries already receiving disbursements. This financial support has been crucial in building local capacity and reducing dependence on foreign companies.

The NCDMB under Wabote’s exceptional leadership also invested strategically in modular refineries and gas projects, aligning with the government's goal to increase domestic refining capacity and utilise Nigeria's vast gas resources. Notable projects include the 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) Waltersmith Modular Refinery in Imo State, commissioned in November 2020, and investment in the 12,000 bpd Azikel Refinery in Bayelsa State. The Board has also partnered on various gas projects, including a 300MMscfd gas gathering hub in Koko, Delta State, and a 5,000MT LPG storage terminal in Delta State. These investments not only boost local production but also create jobs and stimulate economic growth in host communities.

In July 2020, the NCDMB completed its 17-storey eyepopping headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa using local contractors to deliver the world class project within allotted time.

The Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS) is another significant initiative under Wabote's leadership. This programme aims to establish industrial parks in oilproducing states to serve manufacturing hubs for oil and gas equipment components and spare parts. Two parks in Bayelsa and Cross River states are nearing completion, with others in various stages of development. These parks

are expected to create about 2,000 jobs each when operational, contributing significantly to local employment and industrial capacity.

Human capital development has been a priority for NCDMB under Wabote's stewardship. From 2015 to 2022, the Board trained 5,792 Nigerians in various skill sets. These efforts include direct training interventions in areas such oil spill management, geosciences, and underwater welding; project-based training aligned with ongoing industry projects; youth empowerment programs in welding, pipeline maintenance, and other technical skills; and the establishment of vocational schools and ICT centres across Nigeria.

Recognising the importance of innovation, NCDMB launched a $50 million Nigerian Content Research Fund. The Board has also established a Technology Innovation and Incubation Center (TIIC) and is setting up five Research and Development Centers of Excellence in different universities across Nigeria. These initiatives aim to foster local innovation and technological advancement in the oil and gas sector.

The Equipment Component Manufacturing Initiative (ECMI) driven by NCDMB has led to significant growth in local manufacturing capabilities. Local ownership of marine vessels has increased from less than 10% in 2010 to 40% in 2022. The initiative has also facilitated the establishment of valve assembly plants, pipe coating facilities,

and other manufacturing units for oil and gas equipment. Line pipe milling capacity has grown from 100,000 MT/ annum in 2010 to over 550,000 MT/annum currently, demonstrating the tangible impact of these efforts on local industrial capacity. Under Wabote's leadership, NCDMB strengthened its compliance monitoring processes. From 2015 to 2022, the Board issued 1,695 Nigerian Content Plans, 964 Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates, and 4,271 Nigerian Content Equipment Certificates. These efforts have increased the percentage of contract value retained in Nigeria from 67% in 2015 to 87.2% in 2022, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Board's enforcement strategies.

Wabote, who is also an avid golfer, fostered strong interagency collaborations, working with entities such the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and the Federal Ministry of Interior. These partnerships have enhanced the effectiveness of Nigerian content implementation across sectors, creating a more cohesive approach to local content development. The success of NCDMB under Wabote's leadership provides several key lessons for Nigeria's public sector. It demonstrates the importance of long-term planning and clear goal-setting, innovative financing mechanisms to support local businesses, focus on human capital development, collaborative approaches with stakeholders, datadriven decision making, and strategic diversification to create value and reduce import dependence.

To replicate this success across other government agencies and parastatals, Nigerian leaders must prioritise competence and track record in appointments to key positions, implement robust performance monitoring systems for public officials, encourage long-term strategic planning in all government agencies, foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in the public sector, invest in capacity building and skills development across all levels of government, promote inter-agency collaboration to address complex national challenges, and emphasise on data-driven decision-making and policy implementation. Wabote's tenure at NCDMB stands testament to the transformative power of competent leadership in Nigeria's public sector. His strategic vision, innovative approaches, and focus on tangible outcomes have driven significant progress in local content development in the oil and gas industry. This example offers a blueprint for success Nigeria can use to address its numerous economic and developmental challenges.

This country clearly needs Wabote and his likes in strategic public offices, if we are indeed serious about delivering real economic growth. The path forward is therefore clear: Nigeria must move away from a system that rewards mediocrity and embrace a merit-based approach to leadership appointments. Only by placing the right individuals in positions of authority can the country hope to address its myriad challenges and create a prosperous future for all Nigerians.

The achievements of NCDMB since 2015/2016 serve as a powerful reminder of what is possible when capable leaders are given the opportunity to serve. It is now time for Nigeria to learn from this example and replicate it across all sectors of governance. The future of the nation depends on its ability to identify, nurture, and empower competent leaders who can deliver tangible results for the benefit of all citizens.

This country clearly needs Wabote and his likes in strategic public offices, if we are indeed serious about delivering real economic growth. The path forward is therefore clear: Nigeria must move away from a system that rewards mediocrity and embrace a merit-based approach to leadership appointments