… pages 20-21 45 Years SchemeImpactfulof
Paris Club Refund: UnendingControversy, Web of Lies PAGE 16 Interest Rate Hikes ExpansionPensionProspectsBrightenofAssets 2023: SerialAtikuCanUndoLosses in The North? PAGE 1O PAGE 22 Doctor By Day, Artist By Night Price: N250 www.thewillnigeria.com THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 • VOL . 2 NO. 35
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Intervention Fund, created in 1977 to stimulate growth in key sectors of the economy, has proved a success story among the states and the FCT, as Plateu and Niger (in North-Central) showcase in this edition
Onah Nwachukwu Editor, THEWILL @onahluciaaDOWNTOWN +2349088352246
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 www.thewillnigeria.com THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA IS WHOLLYNOWDIGITAL Say Hello GrammytoAwardNominee RamadanHydratedToFruitsHelpYouStayThis THIS SOUND CONNOISSEUR WAS BORN FOR MUSIC AppearanceSpectrumAustismDisorder5EasyStepstoReduceTheofDarkCirclesDiscoverTheHealingPowerOfSoundBathsWhatYouShouldKnowAboutBye-ByeRacoonEyes Pressure?Under New Edition Available Every Sunday @ 6am Nigerian Time Scan the QR Code to Download current edition Scan The QR Code to Read on Website Or Visit www. thewilldowntown.com Scan The QR Code to Read on Issuu @insignamediaOshalusiKolaPhoto:Makeup:Zaron
In her opinion, “Things are different now, and although that’s what you know and experienced, it might not be right, Onah. Not everyone can handle the pressure the same way you would,” she said. Perhaps she is right; after all, things were different in our time from the time of our parents (parents of boomers and Gen X); they, too, could not understand our ways of handling certain situations. And so, I have come to accept that the world has changed, and what was suitable and mentally acceptable in our time may not be with the new generation. It’s all part of the Wellness journey and living a better life, and our cover story with Wellness and fitness expert, Maje Ayide reveals how to live that life at any age. In this interview, he talks about Wellness in general and how it needs to be viewed holistically. According to him, “Wellness is still a growing industry in Africa, and so much more needs to be done to educate Africans on the importance of Wellness. It is an umbrella that covers every aspect of an individual’s life: Mental, physical, emotional, financial and spiritual. We are in the midst of a mental health crisis in Africa, with one in four Africans dealing with some form of mental illness. One in eight dealing with severe depression, and suicide rates are through the roof. It is important that we destigmatise mental health and therapy….” This is my cue to stop, reflect, and smell the roses. And I urge you to do the same. Until next week, enjoy your read.
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend and fellow Editor of a leading Fashion magazine, and we discussed the importance of mental health, now more than ever before. Part of the conversation centred on the difference between training methods and how we reacted when we were sternly corrected as young writers for making a blunder versus how the new generation does. My thought and concern was if we could handle it, why can’t the new generation? What has changed? Why are they so unwilling to take correction and, at the slightest strict reprimand, cry, ‘Mental Health?’
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 4 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 5THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 6 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 7THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Surprisingly, both the Minister of Finance and AGF are pushing hard to pay the consultants. Why are they running away from the court?”
Available data showed that only $400 million was borrowed after 1985 and that Nigeria had made $8 billion payments on the debt to the Paris Club of debtors. The increase in Nigeria’s external debt, which was about $23 billion accrued on the initial external loans through interest arrears, interest charges on these arrears and applied Accordingpenalties. to experts, instead of applying Nigeria’s payments to post1985 loans, to make the performing loans increase arithmetically, the creditors had applied the payments to arrears and penalties. That way, the post-1985 loans were left unserviced to accumulate and accrue their own interests and penalties without protest or challenge from all the ministers of finance since 1985.
The genesis of the crisis can be traced to the ballooning of Nigeria’s external debt profile in the 1980s from something in the neighbourhood of $3 billion to about $30 billion in 2005.
Narrating how the governors, under the auspices of the NGF, would have lost out in the matter that had been partly settled by the law courts, though some aspects of it are still under litigation, which makes any further action a contempt of court, Barkindo said that seasoned lawyers in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) saved the “Threeday. weeks ago, we got a hint that the FEC was going to discuss the matter and we quickly wrote a letter to the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, that it was subjudice. Fortunately for us all, the seasoned lawyers in FEC, such as the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola; the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and two other cabinet members told the President that the matter was subjudice and it should be thrown out.
ORIGIN OF THE MATTER
It was during this time that a process was initiated that led to the agreement with the Paris Club of creditors to the effect that 60 percent of Nigeria’s debt or $18 billion would be written off, while the balance of $12 billion would be paid by Nigeria in one fell swoop to the Accordingcreditors.toatop government official, who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity, “This is where the consultancy claim, whether right or wrong, must have emanated from. We had ministers of finance who could not identify the over-deductions and wrong application of the debt payments that the country made to the London
The governors, on their part, dispute the claim by the consultants and the position of the AGF. They have also kicked against moves by the Federal Government to continue to make deductions from their shares of federal allocations to settle the “consultants”.
Many cash-strapped state governments are currently finding it hard to henceforth meet their financial obligations to the governed, following the failure of traditional cash cows like the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) to remit money to the Federation Account, despite making N2.38 trillion in the past six months. They will not back down on their ongoing “war” with the AGF and consultants.
But Malami would not budge. He said there was no going back on the decision to deduct $418 million from the 36 states’ accounts to settle their indebtedness to consultants and private firms concerning the Paris and London clubs refund. The matter is now in court with the Federal Government as the defendant.
“We are surprised that after President Muhammadu Buhari said payment in the matter be discontinued, two days later AGF Malami said they would continue payments. Are we now in Malami’s government?” Mallam Abdulrazaque Bello- Barkindo, Director, Media and Public Affairs, Nigeria Governors Forum, told THEWILL on Friday in an interview.
The FEC members who spoke against the deduction also argued that it was insensitive for the Finance Minister, Mrs Zainad Ahmed and Malami to have tabled a proposal for the payment of controversial debts to contractors at a time the government is struggling to pay its workers and fulfill its obligations to the citizens.
The debt burden with the accompanying debt servicing created serious fiscal challenges to the Federal Government and by extension, to the state governments. Addressing the post-military government infrastructure deficit inherited by the Obasanjo-led government was seriously challenged because of paucity of funds. This amazing discovery of the nation’s debt situation, which shocked the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration, had triggered prolonged negotiation with the Paris Club during which some individuals and/ or groups found out that there were some over-deductions which they offered to assist the country recover.
BY AMOS ESELE AND SAM DIALA
COVER
And the President agreed and said payments should be discontinued.
When THEWILL contacted the AFG’s office for response, someone who answered the phone said Dr Umar Jubril Gwandu, Special Assistant to the AGF, was in a better position to speak and he would provide the link. He never did and refused to pick up further calls.
Paris Club Refund: Unending Controversy, Web of Lies
Even so, the $418 million commission, according to Malami, is a legitimate claim. Malami, who is also the Minister of Justice, insists that the consultants are entitled to the sum on the justification that they had satisfactorily discharged their obligations under an agreement legally entered into by both parties, regarding the Paris Club refund.
Controversy has a way of tearing relationships apart, especially when money-related issues are involved as state governments, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, have found out in the ongoing tussle over the payment of $418 million to some persons claiming to have provided “consultancy” services to the states, with respect to Nigeria’s debt cancelation by the London and Paris Clubs in 2005.
According to Barkindo, what is even more amazing is that the consultants are insisting they be paid in hard currency: “Are we a dollar operating country? Are we a Bureau de Change?” he asked.
He however disclosed that the NGF’s lawyers have reached out to Nwoko to bring the facts to him.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 8 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA COVER and Paris clubs of debtors. The country was just paying and paying debts, yet the fiscal condition kept worsening.”
MALAMI Vs NGF
The state governments were said to have been convinced that positive results would come out of the legal battle. This resulted in their engaging more institutions and later entered into formal agreements with the private law firms of the concerned legal practitioners to pay commissions to the consultants should they succeed.
“Some years back, the Federal Government was approached by these consultants for the purpose of payment of their respective professional fees. The government then approached the Nigeria Governors Forum and ALGON and they collectively walked to the Federal Government and conceded to the position that the consultants had indeed provided the services and that they were ready and willing for the payment.’’
He said upon verification, the Federal Government took steps to demand for confirmation in writing from ALGON and the governors. He said that both the governors and ALGON wrote individually to the effect that they were liable. And eventually this payment commenced as far back as 2016. The crux of the matter, Malami insisted, is that, taking into consideration that the Federal Government was indeed sued as a party, that at the end of the day the liability would be placed exclusively at the door steps of the Federal Government, where in actual fact, this is a liability that was incurred by the NGF.
The NGF challenged Nwoko to approach the necessary authorities to bring to justice any person or persons (including himself) who were allegedly involved in misappropriating public resources for campaign financing. It also denied being involved in or being in receipt of $100 million or any other funds from Nwoko to finance elections in any state.
He described the statement as profoundly malicious and false, saying he had “never been disbarred from legal practice in the UK.”
THE STATES HAD THEIR CAKES
Reacting, Barkindo told this newspaper that he was shocked to read reports referencing Nwoko’s legal status attributed to his statement. He denied making such a statement, saying he never said anything about his legal status in the UK until he said so.
NWOKO SPILLING HALF-TRUTHS
NGF VERSUS CONSULTANT Controversies have trailed the Paris Club refund to states and local governments in recent times. A consultant that facilitated the London and Paris Club refunds had alleged that the NGF demanded and received the sum of $100 million to prosecute elections in some states.
The $418 million is what the AGF is pushing for payment as commission accruing to the private law firms that prosecuted the case to a logical conclusion before Nigeria’s foreign creditors agreed to write off part of the debt and effectively refunded the ascertained over-deductions. But it is now stalled by litigation. Giving a historical perspective to the dispute in Abuja recently, the AGF said, “Sometime as far back as 2013, there was an engagement by the outgoing administration and the NGF in respect of certain consultants that were engaged by the two (NGF and ALGON) for the purpose of recovering certain amounts of money relating to Paris Club “Theserefund.consultants that were engaged have indeed delivered and fundamentally, they were not paid the fees for the services they claimed to have rendered and on account of which they approached the judicial system for the determination of their rights and indeed, the enforcement of their fees.”
TOTAL – USD$418,953,690.59. The attempt by Mr Nwoko, the NGF said, to separate his own claim of $68 million as though not related to the claims of other consultants, is being clever by half.
In the letter, Nwoko accused the NGF of lying about his status with the U.K Law Society.
THEWILL findings showed that the repayment of the Paris Club refund to the 26 states spanned five years from 2017: This included the sum of N516 billion paid in late 2017. The following year, 2018, the Federal Government paid the sum of $2.69 billion to the states, which amounted to N523.5 billion at the prevailing exchange rate at the time. Another tranche of N649.43 billion was made in 2019. According to reports, a total of N2.233 trillion was paid to the 36 subnational governments as the Paris Club refund.
In a letter to the NGF, Nwoko, through his lawyer, accused the NGF of “publishing false, untrue and concocted stories about him without any attempt to verify.”
He asked the AGF and the consultants to allow the appeal processes to run and be exhausted.
“In his desperation to justify his claim, Mr Nwoko peddled untruths that his team was a member of the Federal Government Committee constituted to reconcile figures under the Paris Club refunds to the states and local governments. That is patently false. The report of that committee dated May 2007 shows that only the FMF, OAGF, CBN, DMO and RMFC (secretariat) were members. Private persons who were not privy could not have been included in a committee that was meant to examine purely public financial records. It was this Committee that did all the work now claimed by Ned (Nwoko) and the other consultants,” Barkindo said.
Last Thursday, Nwoko accused the NGF of casting a slur on his status as a registered lawyer in the United Kingdom, in a statement and threatened to sue the forum unless its members apologised to him in two national daily newspapers.
In a later reaction to Mr Nwoko’s statement, the governors, in a statement by their spokesperson, Barkindo, which was made available to THEWILL, said that besides spilling half-truths, Nwoko tried to single out and justify his $68 million, while the total sum, which all the consultants working in concert collectively seek and claim from the states and local governments albeit unlawfully, is The$418,953,690.59.’totalsumwas broken down as follows: Ned Nwoko ($68,658,192.83), Dr Ted Edwards ($159,000,000) and Panic Alert Security Systems Ltd ($47,831,920). Others are Riok NIG. Ltd (USD142,028,941.95), Prince Orji Orizu (USD1,219,440.45) and Barrister Olaitan Bello (USD215,195.36).
He stated that because the huge claim the NGF and ALGON made on behalf of the consultants, which was in the region of $3.2billion, the FG had to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Services (SSS) to verify the services rendered by the said consultants.
The negotiations were successful and the deal fell through. The three tiers of government, being collectively and individually victims of the over-deductions from the Federation Account, were equally the rightful claimants of the refund. And the refunds were effected.
The Ekiti State governor said the position of the NGF was clear and unequivocal, saying, “Although this matter is subjudice and we are very reluctant to get in the way of matters that are still being pursued in the court, the forum rejects all of the claims the Attorney-General has made on the issue.”
“If they do not tender an apology, published in two national newspapers and online mediums, they should leave the courts to interpret it,” he told THEWILL.
on Page 9
‘It is curious that in the introduction of himself, Mr Nwoko said nothing about his current status with the UK Law Society and the widely held belief that he was disbarred for fraudulent activities,’” the offensive statement was alleged to have been issued by the NGF.
“I could not have said it. You can go through my statement and see for yourself,” Barkindo told THEWILL.
THREAT OF LAWSUIT Miffed by the words of the NGF, Ned Nwoko has threatened a lawsuit against the Governors’ Forum for libel and disparaging publications.
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) disagreed with Malami on the payment of consultants for Paris Club refund. The Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, dismissed the Attorney-General’s claims. He said, “The forum set up a committee comprising the Chairman, the Governor of Ekiti State; Vice Chairman, the Governor of Ondo State; the Governor of Plateau; the Governor of Nasarawa; and the Governor of Ebonyi to interface with the committee set up by the President to review the matter.’’
The head of the Consultancy firm, Hon. Ned Nwoko, alleged that when he submitted a bill of $350 million as his consultancy fee, the state governors asked to be given 50 percent of it before it could be Hehonoured.saida former chairman of the forum had explained to him that the money was needed to prosecute elections in Bauchi, Ekiti and Ondo AccordingStates.to him, it was the Ministry of Justice that intervened before the governors eventually received the sum of $100 million. Nwoko alleged that the money owed to his firm, Linas International Limited, was $68 million and not $418 million as claimed by the leadership of the NGF. He equally distanced the firm from the $418 million figure being claimed by the NGF, saying it must be a miscalculation and adding, “We have nothing to do with it.”
“Now, someone is making a claim over the ‘services’ rendered and because of our endemically corrupt system, it is difficult to ascertain the veracity of the claim, the scope, the terms and all the conditions,” the source, said. According to findings, it was when the ‘skeptics’ saw that tangible progress was being made that the government showed interest.
Absolving the Attorney-General of the Federation of any wrongdoing, Nwoko stated that the agreements and judgments being executed were reached before the emergence of the current administration.
“Now, in 2013 parties, the then Federal Government and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum came together, agreed and submitted to a consent judgment by the court of law in 2013. That consent judgment is what gave rise to the liability in contention, as we are talking today.
Disagreeing with Malami’s position, professor of law and expert in project finance and execution, Konyinwola Ajayi, SAN, said on Friday evening that all parties to the controversy should await the ruling of the court, whether it takes two or three years to make. He expressed surprise that Malami “is so hard to challenge judgments in court,’’ adding, ‘’It makes you begin to question the propriety of the actions of the government.”
In the current situation in which many states and local governments are experiencing financial crunch, money should not be frittered away unaccountably. That is why I insist that the courts should be allowed to decide the matter. The way the AGF is going about it makes me begin to ask if he is not a troublesome interloper “
When THEWILL called Nwoko for his reaction, his media aide, Mr Adeyemi Ifesayo, said they were yet to get any letter from NGF lawyers in respect of the defamation suit and insisted that his principal would press on with the case. He said the NGF spokesperson has realised his mistake and now wants to deny it.
Paris Club Refund: Unending Controversy, Web of Lies
THEWILL learnt that the negotiation with the Paris Club took some time. It was initiated by some concerned persons and groups who committed their resources to prosecute the case. This was when most people, including the federal and state governments, were skeptical of the success of the legal initiative which focused on the overdeductions on Nigeria’s external debts.
*Continue
NGF DISAGREES WITH MALAMI
He described the publications as malicious and manipulative and demanded $40 million as compensation for the publications. He also demanded an “unqualified apology” to be published in national newspapers and online media.
He said the NGF also insisted that states would not give up on insisting that the purported claims were fraudulent and would not stand as far as governors were concerned.
The food experts made this call in Calabar during a Science Hangout organised by the ASN to enlighten the public on the benefits of biotechnology.
“That is the way to go. In the current situation in which many states and local governments are experiencing financial crunch, money should not be frittered away unaccountably. That is why I insist that the courts should be allowed to decide the matter. The way the AGF is going about it makes me begin to ask if he is not a troublesome interloper. The Federal Government is not the one owing the money, but the states and the local governments,” Prof. Ajayi said.
They have also challenged either on appeal or other courts the claims by the other contractors, including Dr Ted Isighohi Edwards ($159,000,000), Ned Nwoko ($68,658,192.83) and Panic Alert Security Systems Limited These($47,831,920).casesare pending and no steps ought to be taken to enforce the judgment and alter the status quo until the matters are fully determined, the NGF maintained, adding that a caveat issued to restrain all parties concerned and the public from dealing or honouring promissory notes issued had earlier been published.
BUHARI’S INTERVENTION Against the backdrop of the robust arguments advanced by the pro-NGF ministers, President Buhari was said to have insisted that the planned deductions being allegedly championed by both Malami and Mrs Ahmed be suspended until the courts make their final pronouncements.
“The role of GM crops is to improve the productivity of the crops to enable them to withstand adverse weather effects like drought, heat and improve their nutritional effect.
The American business community in Nigeria , Thursday, welcomed U.S. Consul General Will Stevens at a reception in his honor in Lagos. American companies representing a variety of sectors attended the event and offered perspectives and insights about their respective industries. In his remarks, Consul General Stevens outlined the United States’ priorities for strengthening bilateral trade and investment that contributes to improved economic opportunities in both Nigeria and the United States. He also highlighted the significant contributions of American companies to the Nigerian economy.
“We are constrained by many factors in the field so simple technologies like biotechnology can provide solutions to this,” he said.
WAY FORWARD For the state governors, the matter is currently pending on appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja for hearing. They said the Federal Government should exercise restraint in its handling of the Theymatter.based their resistance on the ongoing judgment of the Supreme Court, which on June 3, 2022 dismissed the suit of one of the consultants, Riok Nigeria Limited, who is a beneficiary of the promissory notes in the sum of $142,028,941.95, and had lost at the Court of Appeal.
The governors said that the purpose and essence of the definitive pronouncement by the Supreme Court is that none of the contractors recommended for payment of the sum of $418 million by the AGF and finance minister can be so paid because the contracts and payments relied upon were not processed as prescribed by the Constitution and the law.
Biotechnology Will Address Nigeria’s Food Insecurity – ASN The Alliance for Science Nigeria (ASN) has advocated the use of biotechnology in Nigeria’s food system, saying it will address food insecurity in the country.
The reception was hosted by the U.S. Commercial Service, the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce based in Lagos. The U.S. Commercial Service facilitates connections between Nigerians and U.S. products, services, and partners. Additionally, the U.S. Commercial Service supports American businesses coming to trade shows in Nigeria, while helping send Nigerian delegations to U.S. trade shows. At the event, the U.S. Commercial Service also welcomed the newly arrived Commercial Counselor for the U.S. Mission, Mr. Andrew Billard. Commercial Counselor Billard highlighted the U.S. priority of equal partnership across Africa, stating “Nigeria seeks these equal partners on its way to economic ascendance, and my office seeks to assure that you, the U.S. companies, are in the best position to engage.” He added, “The companies here tonight let their reputations and results speak for themselves – but I hope you’ll give me the opportunity to speak that message just a little louder.”
FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 9THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA NEWS
He said the ASN is a body of stakeholders that seek to promote scientific innovation to enhance food security, improve environmental sustain and raise the quality of living standards.
The NGF said it had consistently posited that neither the states nor ALGON can appropriate or deduct monies directly from the Federation Account which funds are meant to be paid into the States/Local Government Joint Account for which the Houses of Assembly of the states are yet to appropriate and arising from judgments to which the states, as custodians of the joint account, were not a party. The position, it argued, has been reinforced by the recent Supreme Court decision in the RIOK’s case.
Aline from William Wordsworth’s poem The Passing of King Arthur, The Old Order Changeth, Yielding Place To the New, best describes the recent announcement by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited of the three shortlisted poets for the Nigeria Prize for Literature this year. They are Su’eddie Vershima Agema with his entry Memory and the Call of Waters, Romeo Oriogun with Nomad and Saddiq Dzukoji with Your Crib, My Qibla. Three of the relatively unknown poets are now in line for the $100,000 prize money for the most prestigious literature award in Africa. After the announcement last Friday, the literary community in Nigeria wondered whatever happened to the established bards. Four years ago, four of the poets who made the list this time were also shortlisted. There was Ogaga Ifowodo, Obari Gomba, Chidi AmuNnadi and Iquo Diana-Abasi. They all made the long list of 11 entries for the prize this year, along with James Eze for his award-winning collection titled, Dispossessed.
“The application of agriculture biotechnology to create more fertile and resistant plant resources has been used to achieve food security in some advanced countries,” she said.
Also speaking, the guest lecturer and Executive Director, Institute for Agricultural Research ABU, Zaria Professor Mohammad Ishiyaku said there is a potential for development from science which our society should leverage on. He affirmed that bio-technology can provide solutions to some of our challenges in the agricultural sector.
... Unending Controversy, Web
“American products and services are an everyday part of Nigerian lives. As you demonstrate the American values of transparency and accountability in your daily interactions and showcase your commitment to the communities in which you work, you are highlighting the very best that America has to offer,” Consul General Stevens noted.
*Continued from Page 8
On her part, Dr Rose Maxwell Gidado, the Country Coordinator of OFAB Nigeria Chapter said biotechnology tools can enable plant breeders engineer plants particularly staple crops. These she said include rice, corn, cassava and others to express vital micro nutrients that are necessary to fight hidden hunger.
The governors argued that the Supreme Court had on the occasion made clear that neither the NGF nor ALGON had power to award contracts and charge the same directly to the Federation Account as done in this case.
“Thestates concept of biotechnology is unknown to many, therefore, public enlightenment on its use, benefits and contributions are crucial to enhancing food security and socio-economic activities in the country” he said.
$100,000 Literature Prize: Younger Writers Upstage Older Colleagues
“Despite the various breakthroughs that biotechnology has shown, there is still a public misunderstanding of its benefits.
American Business Community Welcomes Nigeria of Lies
The hangout is a public education on biosafety regulations and biotechnology applications in Nigeria. It was held in partnership with Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Nigeria and themed, ‘Food security, socio economic development and genetically modified crops in SpeakingNigeria.’during the hangout, the Coordinator of ASN, Opuah Abeikwen, said that despite breakthroughs, the concept is unknown to many.
U.S. Consul General to
“In Nigeria, a report released early this year 2022 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) estimated that the universal food crisis will affect 19.4 million Nigerians in 21
L-R: American Business Council President, Dipo Faulkner; U.S. Mission Commercial Counselor, Andrew Billard; American Business Council CEO, Margaret Olele; U.S. Consul General Will Stevens; with Group Managing Director (West Africa) Schlumberger, Sopiribo Ideriah; during a reception in honour of the U.S. Consul General in Lagos on Thursday, August 25, 2022.
POLITICS
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been aspiring to govern the country since 1992 when he contested in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primary election and came third behind Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and Late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, the eventual winner of the election held in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
The breakdown of the results shows that Buhari scored 612,371 votes in Niger State to Atiku’s 218,052 votes. In Sokoto, Buhari got 490,333 votes as against Atiku who scored 36,604 votes.
“What you are asking me is not difficult at all. Atiku Abubakar will win the northern votes . The northerners in their pattern of votes have always favoured one of their own. Luckily for Atiku this time around, he has no strong opponent in the North. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso would have given him strong opposition, but he is in a minor party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party. So Atiku will break the jinx. He will win in the North overwhelmingly.”
One thing that political observers and critics have noticed in the country is that Atiku has not been able to win convincingly in the North, despite the fact that he is a northerner and has been in politics for a long time.
Best pointed out that the PDP gladiators in Plateau have resolved to deliver the state for Atiku, having taken cognisance of his wealth of experience in politics and governance.
He added that the presidential candidate understood the terrain of governance more than other presidential candidates.
Will Atiku break the jinx and win the northern votes in 2023? That is a question that will surely be answered in February 2023.
TheState.spokesman of the group, Prof Shedrach Best, said that Plateau and indeed, the entire North would remain the home of the PDP.
The argument is on the assumption that the votes in the North
Also a group known as Plateau for Atiku Organisation said Abubakar would win the 2023 presidential election in Plateau
are region-based and Abubakar will overrun the North if APC fields a candidate from the South.
Atiku hails from Jada in Adamawa State, but in fact, the two times he contested, he lost the northern votes to the eventual Inwinners.the2007 presidential election, three northerners were candidates of the three major political parties. They were late Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Atiku Abubakar of the AC. INEC refused to release the breakdown of the official results of 2007 presidential election states by states. It only announced the final scores by candidates. But unofficial results across the states showed that Atiku performed woefully in the North behind Yar’Adua and Buhari. Yar’Adua had the highest votes in the northern region in the election, followed by Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar.
An APC stalwart said, on the condition of anonymity, that the presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu alongside the vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, would defeat Atiku Abubakar and the PDP in the North.
The final results released by INEC for the 2007 presidential election showed that Yar’Adua was the winner and he received 70 per cent of the total number of votes (24,638,063 votes). Buhari was in second place with 18 per cent of the votes (6,605,299 votes), while Abubakar was placed third with about 7 per cent (2,637,848 votes).
Bassey’s position also tallies with that of Dr Lee Maeba, the spokesperson of the National Mandate Group. He told THEWILL,” Atiku is set to take over Nigeria. There is nothing stopping him. He will win in the North and South.”
The results given by the INEC in 2019 showed that in the 19 states in the North and the FCT, Buhari won in 15 states, while Atiku won in four states and the FCT “ Serial Losses in The North? ESAN
Others are Yobe: Buhari 497,914; Atiku , 50,763; Zamfara: Buhari, 438682, Atiku, 125,423; Nasarawa: Buhari 289,903 as against Atiku, 283,847; Kwara: Buhari 308,984, Atiku 138,184; Kogi: Buhari, 285,894, Atiku ,218,207; Kebbi: Buhari, 58,552, Atiku, 154,282; Katsina: Buhari 1,232,133, Atiku, 308,056; Kano: Buhari, 1,464,768, Atiku, 391,593; Kaduna: Buhari, 993,445, Atiku, 649,612; Jigawa: Buhari 794,738, Atiku,289,895; Gombe: Buhari,402,961, Atiku 138,484; FCT: Buhari,152,224, Atiku,259,997; Borno: Buhari,836,496, Atiku, 71788; Benue: Buhari 347,668, Atiku,356,817; Bauchi: Buhari798,428, Atiku 209,313; Adamawa: Buhari,378,076, Atiku, 410,266; Plateau: Buhari,468,555, Atiku,548,665; Taraba: Buhari,324,906, Atiku 374,743.
Speaking with THEWILL, a public affairs commentator and analyst, John Bassey, said that with Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the PDP and with a APC presidential candidate coming from the South, Atiku would receive the majority of northerners’ votes in the 2023 presidential election.
The question on the lips of political analysts is whether now that Atiku is the only northern presidential candidate of the major political parties in the country, he can conveniently win the northern votes for himself and the PDP. It would be recalled that before the APC presidential primary, there was agitation among its members and leaders that with the emergence of the former Vice President as the candidate of the PDP, there was a need for them to also pick a northerner in order to secure the north votes.
The results given by the INEC in 2019 showed that in the 19 states in the North and the FCT, Buhari won in 15 states, while Atiku won in four states and the FCT. In the 2019 presidential election, Atiku lost in the North-East to Buhari in Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Gombe States, but won only in his home state of Adamawa and Taraba. In the North West, he lost all the seven states of Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto and Katsina. In the North Central, Atiku won in the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau and Benue.
An analysis of the past presidential election results has shown that Atiku is a bit stronger in the North-Central and was not strong but very weak even in his North- East region and the North West. Also the result of the SDP primary in 1993 showed that Atiku came second behind Babagana Kingibe in the pursuit of northern delegates ‘votes. In 2007, he lost the northern votes to Late Yar’Adua and in the 2019 presidential election; he lost the northern votes to Buhari.
2023: Can Atiku Undo
This has spurred arguments and many have expressed the opinion that the APC has no other choice than but to pick a northern candidate if it wished to win the 2023 presidential Butelection.theparty found itself in a dicey situation as it could not find a northern candidate that could compete favourably with Atiku, hence its decision to vote Tinubu from the South-West.
The final results also showed that Atiku lost the election in the North to Buhari.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 10 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
In 2019, Atiku was the presidential candidate of the PDP and he contested against President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), among other contestants.
Atiku
Despite his efforts and consistent struggle to be President, Atiku was only on the ballot papers two times. The first was in 2007 when he contested on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) and in 2019 when he contested on the platform of the PD, a platform he is using now to fulfill his political ambition in 2023.
BY AYO
“It will end up impoverishing its citizens, making life so difficult. I will ensure that more money remains in the pockets of our “Whencitizens.that is done, people will have money to spend. I will ensure that new money comes into the economy of the “Ifstate.Imay ask, how do we achieve this? This can be done through new investment opportunities. You attract new companies to the state so that unemployed people can be given employment,” he said. He stressed that his administration shall come up with a policy that would ensure that all the money meant to boost the coffers of the state government go directly into the state government’s coffers and nowhere else.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, made this known in Abuja at the Yiaga Africa Post-election Roundtable and Public Presentation of Final Report on the Observation of the 2022 Ekiti and Osun Governorship Elections.
“As previously delivered, we will leave no stone unturned in delivering our principal.
“In other words, unlike those who ate, dined and now claiming Nigeria is a failed state, we want them to know that hope is not lost in Project Nigeria because there is an encompassing ball of light glittering at the end of the tunnel, come what may,”Maharaj ji said.
Omole said the campaign council would work with other Diaspora support groups and align itself with the party’s directives from Nigeria.
“We will continue to harvest lessons from the Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and the Osun governorship elections in shaping the way we approach the 2023 general election.
he All Progressives Congress (APC) United Kingdom Chapter has inaugurated a council to lead the campaign in the UK, for the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential elections.
He said the 14-man council would be chaired by a veteran legal practitioner, Mr. Joseph Adebola while Mr. Patrick Oleh would serve as its secretary.
In a meeting with media practitioners in Calabar, he said his development agenda for the state bordered on then rule of law, social justice, agriculture and education. He stressed that the passion to serve the state inspired his decision to contest the governorship election. He faulted the present tax system in the state, saying the state government should not overtax its citizens with the hope of increasing its revenue base.
He said the terms of reference of the council include overall co-ordination of the APC UK presidential campaign Heactivities.added that this included but not limited to drawing up a UK-wide campaign timetable, itinerary and liaison with respective APC UK campaign Hecommittees.saidthat Adebola, chairman of the council, had promised to bring his wealth of experience into work with other members of the APC Diaspora chapters. This, he said, is to ensure Tinubu’s victory and that of his running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima in the 2023 presidential “Ielection.amconfident of the support of my members, we supported our great party in 2015, and 2019 and several governorship elections in Nigeria which led to a sound electoral victory.
”We are going to harvest all the good practices, we are also going to look at some of those issues we did not do so well and we will improve on them.
he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it is still learning from the recently conducted Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, ahead of the 2023 general election.
“Government should have no business stepping up its taxes just because it wants to make money.
He said Mr. Ade Omole, leader of APC UK, has urged the council members to take the assignment before them as important and must be accomplished.
NEWS
Yakubu, represented by Mr. Festus Okoye , INEC Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, said the commission would continue to listen and learn valuable lessons from those who observed the governorship Heelections.said,“I want to seize this opportunity to assure Nigerians that this present commission will be bold and courageous in prosecuting the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu said that citizens would be involved at every inch of the process in terms of knowing what is going on at the various polling units through INEC,s processes and procedures.
2023: INEC Learning From Ekiti, Osun Elections – Chairman
He said it is regrettable that Nigeria had more stop overs and setbacks than actual Maharajdevelopment.jisaidthere has been one identifiable great factor to Nigeria’s undoing and that it is the lack of good
APC’s victory in the forthcoming election is “Wesacrosanct.willreach out to all our Diaspora progressives and mobilise Nigerians in the United Kingdom to reach out to their families and peers in Nigeria,” Adebola Hesaid.described Tinubu as an household name and a sellable personality with good track records following his antecedence as a two-term former governor of Lagos AdebolaState. said members of the council and Nigerians in the Diaspora generally could not afford to miss such an opportunity to rebuild Nigeria with Tinubu as president.
APC
TForCouncilCampaignPresidentialInauguratesUKTinubu
“Our assurance is that this commission will not lower the bar and we are going to continue to upload polling unit results to our INEC results viewing portal. This commission will not depart from it.”
Nigeria Situation Not Beyond Redemption – Maharaj Ji SDP Guber Candidate Presents Six-point Agenda
He added the commission would continue to also manage the results collation process transparently.
FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR L-R: Director, Health Planning Research and Statistics (DHPRS) Dr Ngozi Azodo; Director General NVRI Dr Mariam Muhammed; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mahmud Mamman; Executive Chairman KENUP Foundation, Mr. Holm Keller; President Muhammadu Buhari and SGF Mr Boss Mustapha, during a courtesy visit at the State House Abuja. August 25, 2022.
“It’sleadership.leadership that determines many things in society, and when leaders are bad, things must fall apart. In fact it is not our economy, or civil service, or social service or police that are really defective but our leaders since the onset “, he said. He however assured Nigerians that no power can shake or dismember Nigeria’s nationhood as she gradually evolves as creation’s stronghold and creator’s laboratory for the crystallization of a new world order
C’River
Founder of One Love Family, Satguru Mahajj ji has said that Nigerian citizens should not feel hopeless and despair because the country’s situation is not beyond Maharajredemption.ji who was speaking to journalists in Lagos on the state of the nation said “We have all it takes to make a great, prosperous, technologically advanced nation; still we are reputed for backwardness. We are endowed with abundant and precious human resources, yet we are short of adequate personnel, because many egg-heads have been forced to migrate due to socio-economic and socio-political Hesituations”saidinstead of tapping the services and expertise of those specialists, our society frustrates them, and they thereby become a blessing and assets to foreign lands.
POLITICS
He said Dr Mustapha Abdullahi would serve as Deputy Chairman of the council, while Jacob Ogunseye would serve as its Publicity Secretary.
Mr Jacob Ogunseye, the chapter’s Publicity Secretary, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
T
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 11THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Cross River State, Effiom Okokon, has presented a six-point development agenda for the state.
“We wish to reassure Nigerians that the electronic transmission of results has come to stay. It adds to the credibility and transparency of the process when citizens follow polling unit-level results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time on Election Day. There will be no change or deviation in subsequent elections.
“The implication of this is that the collation process of results is still essentially manual, but the collation officer must collate subject to his verification and confirmation that the number of accredited voters stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units,” Okoye Okoye’sexplained.position was wrongly interpreted to mean that the commission would drop the electronic transmission of results that was used in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun ThisStates.drew huge criticism from Nigerians who panicked and started spreading the rumour that INEC was already planning to rig the 2023 General Election.
Commenting on planning for elections, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commissions current Strategic Plan (SP)
PDP candidate told INEC that Nigerians are not interested in litigation, but in a free, fair, credible election where their votes will count.
According to him, If INEC relies on manual collation, they will be going around the provisions of the Electoral Act to take the country’s electoral system backwards.
“We don’t want litigation. We want the voice and the will of the people to prevail in Nigeria,” he added.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 12
Preparation for the 2023 general election
In his reaction, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, speaking through his spokesman, Daniel Bwala, alleged that INEC had started laying the foundation for the rigging of the forthcoming general election through the manual collation of results.
As preparation for the 2023 general election continues, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has not minced words as regards the Commission’s commitment to raising the bar of the standard set in previous elections.
POLITICS
THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was recently commended for its performance in the off-cycle governorship elections held in Ekiti and Osun States, stirred the hornet’s nest when its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, was quoted as saying that the results of the 2023 general election would be collated “Sectionmanually.60(5)of the Act makes it mandatory that the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner prescribed by the commission. Thereafter, the presiding officer shall after recording and announcing the results deliver the same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available to such person as may be prescribed by the commission.
“Section 60 is clear. At the close of voting at the polling unit, the voting results will be uploaded, meaning that by the time the officer from the unit goes to the ward, he cannot present a result different from the one that was uploaded, which every voter can have access to it,” Atiku said. According to him, the same thing applies to the local government and the state, because there is evidence that results have been sent to a server where they cannot be Hemanipulated.said,what Okoye said means they are creating the room and possibility for somebody to manipulate the result without prejudice to the counting and the result as announced at the Theunit.
“So why are you trying to fix something that is not broken? It means something is fishy, we smell coffee. And that’s why we’re calling all well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of democracy in Nigeria and beyond to raise their voices and speak with one voice.
He recently charged Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to work towards addressing some recurring logistic problems in the conduct of elections and ensure that the 2023 general election is different from all previous elections in terms of the commission’s preparation and delivery.
“There must be strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act with respect to electronic upload and transmission of result, without prejudice to what INEC is thinking about bringing”.
He warned that INEC must never try to change the procedure that has worked in these states mentioned and the 2023 election must be free and transparent.
Okoye who had been criticised by Nigerians across social media platforms over the comment said it was misinterpreted. He insisted that the electronic transmission of results adopted in the recent off-season governorship elections has come to Hestay.argued that the electronic transmission of election results has boosted the INEC’s credibility as witnessed in the Yakubu As preparation for the 2023 general election continues, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu has not minced words as regards the Commission’s commitment to raising the bar of the standard set in previous elections “
THEWILLNIGERIA
Yakubu said the commission was committed to reviewing the engagement with stakeholders on the proposed expansion of voters’ access to polling units as well as the preparation for the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, among other Hethings.said, “As we continue to plan for the next general election, the RECs have been directed to compile and submit an inventory of all election materials in order to determine shortfalls and take early steps to ensure their adequacy and “Onlyavailability.afew states are still outstanding. I wish to remind the states that are yet to make their submissions to do so by the end of this week. This will enable us to address some of the logistics issues that have become a recurring decimal in the conduct of elections in the past. The 2023 General Election must be different from previous elections in terms of our preparations and readiness”.
But INEC two days later made clarification to the earlier report, as it said that it would continue to adopt electronic transmission of results for the 2023 general elections.
recently concluded governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun HeStates.said the commission had concluded plans to use the same procedure for the 2023 election.
INEC’s Preparation For BY AYO ESAN
He continued, “Sadly, they are trying to find a solution where there is no problem because this same electronic upload and transmission has been done in Anambra, Ekiti, Edo and Osun States and they were successful. That procedure has not been “Ifchallenged.yougo to court all the challenges in court were around certificates of the individual and whether that individual is qualified or not. But that procedure has worked.
Speaking on this, Okoye said that the BVAS would be deployed in the 176,000 polling units across the country, adding that the surplus will be kept handy as reserve.
“
At a public hearing on the “Bill for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission,” Prof Yakubu said work on the country’s electoral process would remain incomplete if electoral offenders continue to walk freely without conviction.
He acknowledged additional powers given to the commission in the new Electoral Act 2022 and argued that only electoral offenders are made to face trial, while the masterminds of the offences have not been properly dealt with.
Yakubu said he regretted previous attempts to pass the bill for the establishment of the commission without success, saying the failure to do so had frustrated efforts to get justice against offenders in Nigeria’s courts over the years.
A petroleum engineer, rights activist, and presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2015 general election, Mr. Martin Onovo said, “INEC is one of the major enemies of democracy in Nigeria. INEC has continued to violate the integrity of the ballot and the rule of law in many ways. INEC must not push Nigeria from a failed state to a collapsed state. The electoral umpire has disenfranchised voters in the past, registered underage voters, allowed underage voters to vote, allowed voting without accreditation, falsified election results and frustrated the audit of election results.
Dismissing the arguments against the establishment of the new commission in the past by different committees, Yakubu argued that if other security agencies had been established to deal with economic and financial crimes outside the EFCC, having an agency to specifically deal with this concern (election offences) should not be regarded as unnecessary.
NEC had the capacity to conduct a credible general election in 2023, adding that the commission is poised to replicate the achievements and successes recorded in the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls
Federation to make rules or regulations for the Commission, Yakubu argued that conferring additional power to any other body may cause friction or conflict with the proposed Commission which should be independent in the discharge of its functions even if doing so requires a consequential amendment to other laws of the federation to empower the Commission and guarantee its independence.
He said, “We will have one BVAS reserve in every Registration Area Centre (RAC) to ensure immediate intervention in case of any failure.”
“In any case, Clause 1(2)[c] of the Bill grants the Commission power to make its own rules and regulations,” he stated.
Also speaking with THEWILL, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, said his advice to INEC is that it must in deed, action and truth demonstrate that “it is an unbiased, independent and impartial electoral umpire.” It must avoid inconsistency and policy somersaults that will give people the impression that it’s working for and with any political party.”
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 13THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
My advice to INEC is to maintain its independence and follow the highest paths of integrity and transparency at every stage of the elections.
He proposed that an “Electoral Offences Tribunal be established with exclusive jurisdiction to try electoral Onoffenders.”Clause 44, which empowers the Attorney-General of the
As part of efforts to achieve a credible election, INEC has again made a case for the establishment of a new commission to deal with electoral offenders.
2023 General Election and the Strategic Programme of Action (SPA), 2017- 2021, has been reviewed to capture the period from 2022-2026.
Okoye also said that technical officers would be on standby at every RAC to attend to any technical issues that could arise in the course of the polls.
“Similar recommendations are contained in reports of police investigations, INEC administrative enquiries, court judgments, reports by the National Human Rights Commission as well as several accredited election observers. It is clear that the reform of our electoral process cannot be complete without effective sanctions on violators of our laws.
He said because work on the Bill started before the passage of the current Electoral Act into law, all references to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), for example, Clause 39(1), should be replaced with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
The INEC boss also call the attention of the lawmakers to the observed gaps in Clauses 33(1) and 44 of the bill under Withconsideration.reference to Clause 33(1), he argued that the section which confers power on Federal, State and FCT High Courts to try offenders has not been effective given the volume of cases before the courts.
Yakubu said the proposed electoral offences commission would take care of such gaps.
He said that INEC had the capacity to conduct a credible general election in 2023, adding that the commission is poised to replicate the achievements and successes recorded in the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls.
According to him, of the 125 cases of electoral offences filed in various courts, only 60 convictions have been made since “The2015.
“The Justice Mohammed Uwais Committee on electoral reforms recommended it in 2009, echoed by the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu Committee following the post-election violence of 2011 and, most recently, by the Senator Ken Nnamani-led Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform in 2017.
He further said that the Commission’s inability to arrest offenders or conduct an investigation that leads to the successful prosecution of high-profile offenders led to the suggestion to unbundle it and assign some of its extensive responsibilities to other agencies as recommended by the Uwais and Nnamani Committees.
Bill for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission is a critical legislation. It has been part of all national conversations on constitutional and electoral reforms for the last 13 years,” Yakubu said.
Speaking with THEWILL, Comrade Sola Olawale, a member of the Campaign for Democracy in Ogun State said, there is the need for urgent prosecution of electoral offenders especially those that were involved in vote buying and selling during the Ekiti and Osun governorship election. He said this would serve as a deterrent to others who may wish to engage in vote buying and selling during the 2023 general elections.
Also as part of the preparation for the 2023 elections, INEC has disclosed that it would deploy over 200,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS).
POLITICS
“At present, INEC is saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders under the Electoral Act. This has been very challenging for the Commission. For instance, since the 2015 General Election, 125 cases of electoral offences were filed in various Courts out of which 60 convictions have been secured so far, including the most recent one in Akwa Ibom State. In addition to these responsibilities, the Commission is required to prosecute electoral offenders”, he said.
He said he looked forward to a day in Nigeria where not just ballot box snatchers, falsifiers of election results and vote buyers at polling units are successfully prosecuted but “also high-profile figures that seek to benefit from these violations, are arrested and prosecuted.”
It is heartwarming, however, that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) is lending its voice to the debate as it has advised the government to explore the possibility of crude oil swap to defray the backlog of the trapped funds which some even believe might have hit $600 million.
The local operators, acting under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had earlier raised the alarm, saying most of its members may fold up their operations due to the high cost of services. Citing challenges encountered on a daily basis as a result of the overbearing attitude and unnecessary charges imposed by government agencies, AON said its members have lost over $60 million to the cost of repairs of engines damaged by bird strikes with delays, cancellations and refunds also gulping a whopping N20 billion.
With the exit notice already served by Emirates, we want to believe that other leading airlines, such as British Airways, may also stop operations in Nigeria before the end of the year, if nothing is done to save the situation. The implications of the pull-out are very grave as it will lead to massive layoffs in the sector alongside other negative effects on the Theeconomy.$265million released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday to the foreign airlines is a welcome Nigeriansdevelopment.haveneverhad it so bad as they are having it now. We therefore call on the government to rise to the situation and save the aviation sector from total collapse. A stitch in time saves nine!
disappointment over the worrisome situation, IATA said it was ‘’disappointed that the amount of airline money blocked from repatriation by the Nigerian Government grew to $464 million in July,” stressing that its many warnings ‘’that failure to restore timely repatriation will hurt Nigeria with reduced air connectivity are proving true with the withdrawal of Emirates from the market.”
We want to agree with IATA that “Airlines can’t be expected to fly if they can’t realise revenue from ticket sales,’’ just as ‘’ Loss of connectivity harms the economy, hurts investor confidence, impacts jobs and people’s lives.” We therefore plead with the Federal Government to save the situation and do the needful “before more damage is done.”
AON chairman, Onyeama Allen, who is also the Chairman of Air Peace, said: “Forex scarcity has hit us so badly and it has risen by 200 percent. What should we do? Over 50 airlines have closed shop in this country in less than 10 years. These are the reasons why some airlines have gone into extinction. We pay about 37 charges. Little wonder, no Nigerian airline is that strong.” Responding in their own way to the challenges, local operators were forced to raise the cost of an average local flight (one-way) from N30, 000 in 2021 to the present charge of not less than N100,000. Some airlines that could not bear the harsh realities had to stop operations and more are bound to pack up with Thetime.country’s airspace is not a bed of roses for foreign airlines either. Emirates Airline, penultimate week, dropped the bombshell, saying it would be stopping all flights to Nigeria by September 1, 2022 until further notice because of its inability to repatriate its funds from ticket sales trapped in the country due to forex challenges. The amount, according to Emirates, is about $85 million .
Emirates aboutaccordingchallenges.theticketrepatriatebecause2022NigeriastoppingsayingdroppedpenultimateAirline,week,thebombshell,itwouldbeallflightstobySeptember1,untilfurthernoticeofitsinabilitytoitsfundsfromsalestrappedincountryduetoforexTheamount,toEmirates,is$85million EDITORIAL
The global player in the aviation world had earlier limited the frequency of its flights to the country before slamming the latest hammer, which, according to an official statement, is to prevent further indebtedness occasioned by its trapped funds and the inability of the Federal Government to render any Thehelp.International Air Transport Association (IATA) last week put the total money of foreign airlines trapped in Nigeria at a whopping $464 million, a $14 million increase from the $450million recorded in ExpressingMay.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 14 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @ THEWILLNG, +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA [Letters/Opinions: opinion.letters@thewillnigeria.com] Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Austyn Ogannah Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Saving Nigeria’s Aviation Sector From Imminent Collapse Nigeria’s aviation sector is at a very hinderingastartedWhatcrossroads.dangerousinitiallywithjustfewchallenges operations in the industry has now ballooned into a full crisis. Now, the Nigerian airspace is about to be boycotted by major international airlines and Nigerians now have to pay more for tickets than they should ordinarily do as they now have to travel to neighbouring countries in order to catch up with major international flights. It is sad to note that while the aviation sector is growing in other climes, the reverse has been the case in Nigeria as no fewer than 50 airlines are believed to have folded up in the country since independence. While most of these airlines were completely owned by Nigerians, others were co-owned with foreign partners and while just a few of these airlines operated for more than a year, some others simply brought in aircraft without ever conveying any passengers before packing up. That is the sad trajectory of the aviation industry in Nigeria. The development is highly embarrassing to Nigerians who, unfortunately, are at the receiving end of some of the misfortunes that have befallen their once prosperous Fromeconomy.the increase in the price of aviation fuel, which is crippling local airlines, to the lack of modern infrastructure in most of our airports, which hampers the operations of both local and foreign operators, the major challenge now is the inability of many foreign airlines to repatriate their funds from Nigeria due to forex challenges.
BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI Bart Nnaji And Electricity Question
As he often notes, quoting the late Vice President Alex Ekwueme, “Nigeria is a miracle waiting to happen”. He is acutely aware that poor electric power supply is arguably the largest constraint to the occurrence of this long-awaited development miracle. Nnaji knows very well how most Nigerians, including those in top government positions, still speak of how the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration “wasted $16 billion on power without generating even a megawatt”. The truth is that the Obasanjo government did a lot in the power sector, particularly in establishing and building the National On 25 June 2009, late President Umoru Yar’Adua granted presidential amnesty to Niger Delta militants who were willing to surrender their weapons and renounce armed struggle within a 60-day ultimatum (6 August–4 October 2009). The Federal Government targeted up to 10,000 militants whose attacks in the six Niger Delta states had cost the country a third of its oil production. The programme was meant to stand on a tripod. The first leg of the tripod was targeted at the disarmament and demobilisation process. The second phase is designed to capture rehabilitation, which is the training process, while the third phase is the strategic implementation of the action plan towards holistic development of the Niger Delta region. Similarly, going by available information in the public domain, after the rehabilitation programme, they will be reintegrated into their various communities through vocational skills training, formal education or entrepreneurship skills acquisition either in Nigeria or abroad, depending on the exmilitants’ interests. The reintegration programme ranges from six months to five years. The programme has in the last 14 fourteen years of its existence restored what analysts’ describe as relative peace in the region. However, in the last decade, Nigerians with critical interest have asked questions about some grey and unclear aspects of the programme. For instance, many have asked these questions for too long and too often and they received responses that seem to be substantive but are not. Today, some of these citizens feel as if they are being manipulated. Some have expressed their opinion and feelings about the programme without receiving responses from the operator and they are feeling ignored. To the rest, Nigeria’s communication environment provides little opportunity for one to express himself about the programme. To this group, their frustration is further fed by the awareness that the responses or feedback they get from the media breeds cynicism. Synoptically, while the programme is still up and running with no end in sight and have within this period under review
recorded a very high rate of turnover of coordinators making many to wonder if the Act establishing the programmme made no provision for a tenured period for coordinators, the questions begging answer are as follows: How long was the Presidential Amnesty Programme initially structured to last? How many ex-militants were originally enlisted for the programme? How many have been trained? How many are still undergoing training? What stage is the programme; disarmament and demobilisation process, rehabilitation/ training processes or the Strategic Implementations/ Action Plan for the holistic development of Niger Delta as a region? How many of ex-militants are still receiving training? How many are currently receiving allowancesq? What is the amount? Is it the same amount approved right in 2008 or has it been reviewed? What is the fate of those that were youthful then, but today mature adults with families? Are they still dependent on the stipend as approved in 2008 or has the Amnesty Office reviewed such allowances upward to accommodate their new Moststatus?importantly, with the advent of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which provides 3 per cent for the oil bearing/ host communities, it will again elicit the question: When is the Federal Government going to wrap up the Amnesty programme? Or was it planned to last forever? If yes, what is the plan in place to make the Office self-sustaining?
Providing answers to these questions and drawing experience from similar programmes as implemented abroad are the two objectives of this piece.
Whileaccordingly.thekey difference determining the success of Burundi programme and unending failures of Nigeria’s experiment lies in leadership, there are however other observations to make and truths that this piece needs to underline.
As documented by Olivia D’ Aoust, Olivier Sterok and Philip Verwimp, the 1993-2009 conflict in Burundi was driven by years of ethnic discrimination. In the year 2000, the Arsha Peace Agreement laid the foundation for a peace process and a new constitution based on power-sharing and de-ethnicized political competition. The programme was coordinated by the World Bank, and organised in three phases: Demobiliation, reinsertion and reintegration. The demobilisation phase started with disarmament, followed by the transfer of the combatants to the demobilisation centre. Exc-ombatants spent eight days in the centre attending training on economic strategies and entrepreneurship opportunities as well as peace and Asreconciliation.partofthe reinsertion phase, demobilised combatants received a cash allowance worth several months’ salary, paid in four installments over a period of 18 months. Demobilised combatants received the first re-insertion payment when leaving the demobilisation centre. Called the Transitional Subsistence Allowance (TSA) by the World Bank, the reinsertion money was dedicated to ‘enable ex-combatants return to their communities and to sustain themselves and their families for a period of Comparatively,time.when one juxtaposes this account with our amnesty model, the missing link becomes evident. There is a long history of failures on the part of the nation’s successive amnesty handlers to come up with and implement a wellforesighted plan as demonstrated in Burundi. These particular failure has forced many Nigerians at different times and places to query the handler’s intelligence and in some cases, conclude that most of the coordinators lack a distinct set of aptitudes that a leader must demonstrate in three central contexts of work: Accomplishment of task, working with and through other people and judging oneself and adapting one’s behaviors
Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme Life Circle
The first question is much easier to deal with. The Aba Power project supplying electricity to nine out of the 17 local government areas in Abia State, is in its transition phase. The legal transfer of ownership of the Aba ringed fence area from both the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and Interstate Electrics to Geometric Power Ltd has taken place, but some issues are still being resolved. For instance, revenue generated from electricity consumers is still paid into the EEDC account. Almost 100 per cent of the technical workforce was inherited from the PHCN/ EEDC, and so requires a different orientation in service delivery. Electricity supplied to consumers is imported from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) through the national grid, with such grave implications as being subjected to constant partial and full system collapses. The 27- kilometre natural gas pipeline from Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area in Abia State to the Osisioma Industrial Estate in Aba has not been completed.
Talking about a similar programme at the global stage and its inherent benefits, a particular one that naturally comes to mind is Burundi’s demobilisation programme, described as a social transfer programme combining cash and in-kind benefit and lasted between 2004 and 2010.
BY C.DON ADINUBA
On the eve of his 66th birthday on July 13, I quickly scribbled a tribute to Bart Nnaji, the internationally engaging engineering professor who has been, among other things, the Minister of Science and Technology, as well as Minister of Power. The article was well received by the traditional and social media, but also the Nigerian public, including those in the IDiaspora.stillget calls regularly based on contents in the piece, especially as regards electric power development. Even a couple of global media have reached out to me in the last few days. Two related questions have stood out from their inquiries: if over 90 per cent of the Geometric Power 188-megawatt project in Aba is already completed, why hasn’t electricity supply in Abia State not improved dramatically since last February when Nnaji’s Geometric Power took over the Aba franchised area and what can be done urgently to remedy the current electric power crisis in the country?
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 15THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA OPINION Integrated Power Project (NIPP). Obasanjo built not just big and modern thermal power plants in various states but also provided a lot of facilities in the distribution and transmission networks. Still, the government did not complete the NIPP. As though to exacerbate matters, the succeeding Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration suspended the NIPP on coming into office in 2007. In the imagination of most citizens, therefore, “President Obasanjo wasted a fortune in dollars on electricity with nothing to show for it”. As for what can be done to quickly overcome the debilitating electricity crisis in the country, we will be oversimplifying a rather complex matter if we think we can offer the silver bullet solution in a few words in this article. The power crisis in the last 10 years is a reflection of the huge mess in the larger Nigerian society. A former Lagos State governor, on return to Nigeria in the middle of September, 2012, expressed sadness over Nnjai’s exit from the government, saying “it is a national tragedy that the most hardworking minister in the Goodluck Jonathan administration is the one who has Fourresigned”.years ago, I submitted a research paper to an Americanbased academic journal with a high impact factor in which I argued that the Nigerian power sector needed not just a change but a paradigm shift, that is, a transformational change. I based my paper on the latest management and leadership theoretical frameworks about transformational leadership and, of course, on anecdotes, that is, my observations about far-reaching changes unleashed in the power sector when Nnaji served as the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power and later the Minister of Power. The journal editors wrote back, requesting that the article be included, with fewer citations, in the forthcoming edition of The Global Encyclopedia on Leadership, Public Administration and Public Policy.
Nnaji recognises this fact and so has been working frenetically to get the little outstanding job in the Aba Ring Fence Area done. He knows that Abia people have been waiting anxiously since 2004 for reliable, uninterrupted and affordable power supply. Not just individuals or the state government but also such businesses as the Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Breweries, Glass Force, as well as small and medium businesses like the hundreds of thousands of shoemakers and clothiers at the famous Ariaria Market.
*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com
However, in respect of power, the only time most people believe that meaningful work has been done is when they switch on their bulb and it produces light. Most individuals don’t reckon with the magnitude of work done on power generation or the distribution and transmission networks or fuel to power unless work on the entire value chain is completed 100 per cent.
*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com
The four brand new power substations and the three substations inherited from the PHCN/EEDC which have been modernised and upgraded as well as the 150-kilometres of overhead power lines in the ringed fence area have not been connected. All this has to do with the nine-year hiatus which saw major work suspended on the project because of ownership issues between Geometric Power, on the one hand, and the EEDC/Interstate Electrics, on the other. The transition phase is happily coming to a close soon. It is critical to point out a glaring difference between electric power projects and some other infrastructure projects. The public can see, experience and appreciate, say, a road even when only five per cent of it is done, but people don’t typically appreciate a power project until it is done 100 per cent. Even if only one kilometer out of, say, a 20-kilometre road is completed, everyone will see it and can even enjoy it by driving on it.
Trapped Funds Dahir-Umar Emefiele
Some analysts have projected that the rise in pension fund investment in equities may not persist in the second half of the B
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 16 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com VOL.2 NO.35 Continues on page 17
BY SAM DIALA Recent developments in the interest rate regime are tending towards the fixed income market where a significant portion of pension assets are held. Investors are therefore positioning for the boom that will result from expansion in the pension assets considered a basket of golden eggs. Experts project a rapid expansion in pension assets during the second half of 2022 and beyond as momentum gathers towards the 2023 general election coupled with impact of rate dynamics in the US. A stock broker, Paul Uzum, said the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) already have almost all their assets in the fixed income market and that fresh investment in new deposits or matured obligations will most likely target the same investment window, thereby creating a more robust pension assets.
“The PFAs have about 90 per cent of their cash balance in fixed income assets already. Large sums are tied up in long tenured bonds created when rates ware low. For these classes the fixed interest will not change. However, for fresh investment made from new cash deposits, or for reinvestment of matured obligations, they will invest at the prevailing rising rates,” Uzum, who is Head of Securities Trading at Planet Capital, told THEWILL in a note last week. He agreed there might be a reversal in the long run, but that the new interest regime would favour pension asset in fixed income against the equities window. The signs are there, and getting more evident: The domestic equities market which has been predominantly bullish during the first half of the year is beginning to respond to the dynamics of the investment climate. The equities market attained the highest growth in the second half of 2021 since its 61 years of existence with market capitalization recording over N28 trillion at a time. The market reversed its bullish momentum in the second week of August, losing over N570 billion compared to the preceding week as investors further took profits off half-year 2022 earnings results and the fixed income market remains attractive. Domestic equities market recorded N26.79 trillion and All-Share Index (ASI) at 49,183.74 as of August 26, 2022.
Transforming Onitsha River Port Into Destination For Cargoes
to Offset Foreign
Universal BY ANTHONY AWUNOR BY ANTHONY AWUNOR Continues on page 18 CBN Releases Over
According to data by Pension Commission of Nigeria, PenCom, Pension Fund Net Asset Value in FGN Bonds grew to N8.808 trillion in May 2022 from N8.773 trillion at the end of December 2021. The marginal growth followed a 32 basis points decline in yield on FGN Bonds recorded during the period.
Determined to bring a solution to the lingering foreign airlines’ trapped funds in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday released the sum of about $265 million to airlines operating in the country, to settle outstanding ticket sales. A breakdown of the figure indicates that the sum of $230 million was released as special FX
C DA 0 100BN 500BN 1TRN 10TRN 2015-2022PENCOMFUNDASSETS 20182017201620152019 E ABCDE(N’trn) Source; PenCom trn3.39 trn7.52 50TRN 20212020GF F G trn12.31 trn13.42 F *2022G trn*14.27 *Q2 Interest Rate Hikes Brighten Prospects of Pension Assets Expansion PAGE 18 PAGE 18 MORE INSIDE FMDQ PetrolCommercialRegistersExchangeCitiTrustHoldingsN50bnPaperSubsidyRemoval:FGHasnoOtherOption–MOMAN Continues on page 17
Investigation revealed that the rising fortunes of investors in the domestic stock market reflected in the 22.4 per cent year-todate growth in total value of equities on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX, in the second week of July, triggering a 7.4 per cent increase in the value of pension funds investment in equities to N1.1 trillion. The performance was in sharp contrast to 0.4 per cent growth in pension funds investment in federal government bonds recorded during the same period, which is considered the preferred and less risky investment option for PFAs. Uzum expects yields in the fixed income market to trend upwards and that this would sustain the preference for investment in PFA assets.
Almost four decades, after the Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration conceived the Onitsha River Port project, a major breakthrough was reached on July 1, 2022, when the Federal Government signed a concession agreement with Universal Elysium Consortium Ltd, thereby marking the conclusion of a long process that spanned many years. Two weeks later, on July 16, the port was handed over to the concessionaire by the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority The(NIWA).Concessionaire, $265m Airlines’
“
THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Transforming Onitsha River Port Into Destination For Cargoes MARITIME/PENSION
National Co-ordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN), Prince Dr Anthony Omojola, agreed that the half-year performance of the pension assets in the equities market points to the bright prospects of the instrument as mass exodus to the fixed income market gathers momentum. Omojola in response to an enquiry told THEWILL that the pension assets would be the investors’ delight in the fixed income market that is beginning to regain “Themomentum.shiftfrom equities to fixed income securities will stabilise the investors’ (inclusive of pension assets managers) portfolio in a period when our currency is losing value. The pension assets managers could take greater positions but under rising inflation, they will, in addition, restructure their portfolios to be able to absorb shocks.
The shift from equities to fixed income securities will stabilise the investors’ (inclusive of pension assets losingwhenportfoliomanagers)inaperiodourcurrencyisvalue
•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com Moghalu
Looking at the performance of the equities market since the year, a month-on-month analysis of PFAs’ investment in equities showed 3.2 percent growth in January to N1.070 trillion from N1.037 trillion as at December 2021. The growth persisted in February with 1.6 per cent increase to N1.087 trillion. While there was a 2.9 per cent decline in March to N1.056 trillion, the upward trend resumed in April when pension investment in equities rose by 4.6 per cent to N1.105 trillion. The trend continued in May with marginal growth of 0.8 per cent to N1.113 trillion. Consequently pension fund investment in equities rose by 7.4 per cent to N1.1 trillion at the end of May from N1.037 trillion as at the end of December 2021. This is in sharp contrast to the 4.4 per cent decline recorded in the corresponding period of last year, January to May 2021. Furthermore, the 7.4 per increase in pension fund investment in equities in five months to May 2022 exceeded the 6.5 per cent growth recorded in full year 2021. Further analysis revealed that pension funds managers are ramping up their investments in government securities as their portfolio went up 6.2 per cent to N9.008 trillion in the first half of 2022, H1’22, from N8.475 trillion in the corresponding period of 2021, HI’21. The Federal Government securities targeted include: FG Bonds, Treasury Bills, Agency Bonds, and Green Bonds. The performance trend indicates that more funds will go into this class of investment from the PFAs in the second half of the year, as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) trends up. The MPR has moved from 11.5 per cent to 14 percent between May and July this Datayear. from PenCom showed that the Green Bonds recorded the highest growth, rising 428 per cent to N68.095 billion in H1’22 from N12.882 billion in H1’21. This was followed by Sukuk Bonds which surged by 58.6 per cent to N136.606 billion from N86.096 billion. FGN Bonds came third, recording 6.4 per cent growth to N8.313 trillion in H1’22 from N7.814 trillion in H1’21 Agency Bonds went up by 1.7 per cent to N13.825 billion from N13.6 billion. On the other hand, Treasury Bills investments declined 13.2 per cent to N475.636 billion in H1’22 from N548.132 billion in TheH1’21.
“They have about six months to do this till March next year when elections will be over and companies will be releasing their full year accounts. At that time, we will expect gradual price appreciation of stocks in the market in reaction to the performance reports,” Omojola told THEWILL in a note. The pension assets rose quarterly by N388.98 billion from the N13.88 trillion recorded at the end of Quarter One to N14.27 trillion at the end of the Quarter Two, according to data from PenCom. A significant aspect of this is the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) which has recorded impressive performance since inception in 2019. The total contributions under the Micro Pension Plan (MPP) rose to N296.96 million as of July 31, 2022, about three years after its launch. PenCom had increased the Minimum Regulatory Capital requirements of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) from N1 billion to N5 billion last year, to strengthen the capital base of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
“As a result of the latest development in interest hikes, investors are likely to diversify because they cannot afford to put all their eggs in one basket. In this situation, pension assets managers know what to do as experts for greater returns on the investments they manage,” Ndata said.
On why the government decided to concession the port, Moghalu said “If you look at modern business practices today, concessioning is a very good option, because the resources available to the government are not as they used to be. So bringing in the private sector partnerships is the way to go now. Then, apart from the fact that you have the advantage of proper management, it is to be run as a business. And it reduces pressure on the government. Don’t forget that these ports were built over two decades, three decades ago and nothing has actually happened. So, we think concessioning is our best option. And that was where the government was proceeding”.
“If we take a simple analogy and say let’s assume that it is five million containers that come to the country: If those five million containers are going to the south-east where you have more than 60 to 75 percent of these cargoes go, what that translates to is that the number of cargoes, assuming it is five million containers, means that 10 million trailers will be on the road. That is because five million will carry the containerised cargo and then five million will return the empties. Our roads are not designed to carry this kind of pressure, and they keep damaging our infrastructure. If we are able to use the water, we will save the resources that we require to build these infrastructure and then convert them to other contending areas of interest for the government to invest their resources, which for now, all of us know, are now limited”.
He waved off insinuations of litigation with regards to the project, saying “I don’t think we have any issues now. The road is clear, because as we speak, the technical partners of Universal Elysium, the Port of Antwerp (in Belgium), are already at Onitsha. Our Area Manager reported to me that they had arrived. For us, the process has started and we are looking forward to the great enthusiasm and expectations to see that the place works”.
It is a world class port, and has been completed and commissioned with all the modern equipment you can imagine in place. And we have started receiving unsolicited proposals, asking for concessions for those ports - even the ones that are under construction Elysium Limited, a Nigerian specialist infrastructure management and advisory services provider emerged after a lot of other organisations contended in a World Bank monitored process. And after all the submissions and proposals from various organisations, it was zeroed down to about three. At the end, Universal Elysium Limited was considered. With the agreement, the company is expected to handle the 30-year concession agreement which is expected to rake in an estimated amount of about N23 billion for the period. They are also expected to run the port and do lots of investments, both in terms of making sure the channels are opened and also ensuring that the port conforms in line with modern developments and technology. Already, stakeholders are excited over the new development, judging from the fact that there are many benefits derived from the project, if successfully implemented. For instance, if on the long run, Onitsha becomes a port of destination, vessels could now depart ports abroad and sail directly to Onitsha, as well as depart Onitsha with goods to others. Although, that has not been achieved yet, industry sources are optimistic that the authorities are working seriously to ensure that the port becomes a port of destination instead of the present arrangement where cargoes are transloaded on barges at the port in Lagos, Port Harcourt or Warri, then moved to Onitsha through the Confirmingchannels.
On benefits of the port, he emphasised “If you look at benefits, it is neither for the government, nor the concessionaires, but more for the people because if Onitsha River Port is actively functional and the channels are opened for cargo to move from Lagos to Onitsha, the importers will benefit massively. The local environment will benefit and there will be employment opportunities. Pressure will be reduced on our roads. I am one of those who believe that we need to open up our river waterways so that we can move cargo by water as we have in most civilised countries. Bulk cargo is moved either by water or by rail. But here, we move 90 percent of bulk cargo by road. And our roads are not designed to carry the weights they are carrying.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 17
Continued from page 16 year, H2’22, citing the expected rise in yields on FGN bonds and other fixed income investment following the commencement of tight monetary policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Doyen of the Stockbrokers and Director at UIDC Securities Limited, Sam Ndata noted that the latest development in interest hikes would lead to investment diversification because investors cannot afford to have their eggs in one basket.
Interest Rate Hikes Brighten Prospects of Pension Assets Expansion
“ Continued from page 16
the level of development on the Onitsha River Port project, the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority, Dr. George Moghalu said that there was a world bank-monitored concessioning process that was considering various unsolicited proposals long before he became the NIWA MD.
Dr Moghalu explained that he followed up what was on ground when he assumed office and was able to conclude the process which gave birth to the emergence of Universal Elysium as the preferred bidder. The NIWA boss who agreed that a lot of time had been spent on the project assured that he is putting in every effort with his team to get things done. He therefore, informed that the Onitsha River Port concession is just a starting point as other concessioning will be coming up.
IATA equally warned that, it is time for the Government of Nigeria to prioritise the release of airline from 16 BY ANTHONY AWUNOR
CitiTrust Holdings N50bn Commercial Paper
“The President postponed the implementation of free market pricing, which has caused a slowdown with respect to benefits expected from free competitive open market pricing, such as new investments and subsidy removal, “ he said.
Petrol Subsidy Removal: FG Has no Other Option – MOMAN
T
Continued
According to him, while the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has an important role to play in guiding our future, the best regulator ultimately is the market.
L-R: Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil and High Commissioner of Nigeria to India, H.E Ahmed Sule, during the collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in India to host the Nigeria-India Business Forum at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on August 23, 2022.
NUATE in a letter, signed by the the General Secretary, Comrade Ocheme Aba, addressed to the Minister of Aviation, with the titled Foreign Airlines’ Trapped Dollars: A Looming Catastrophe-A Call For Extraordinary Action, stated that it is important to wade into the matter, being the trade union to which all workers in the foreign airlines belong.
Proffering solutions, the aviation professional group led by Dr Gbenga Olowo advised that “the unborn Air Nigeria cannot produce this capacity, irrespective of the funds allocated, but by an aggregated process of developing our industry to produce vibrant flag carriers that will be courted for commercial partnerships which is the purveyor for successful international flight operations”.
“We are also of the opinion that to kick start this process, a functional and credible data gathering methodology for the industry is a necessity. We cannot continue to blow hot air without verifiable data,” they added.
Similarly, there were indications that British Airways was equally considering suspending operations to Nigeria from December 2022, if payment of its trapped funds in the country isn’t made. Before the release of the fund, stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry had expressed dismay over the appalling handling of the accumulated foreign airline funds trapped in Nigerian banks, due to the non-allocation of forex to these airlines.
Represented by Mr Clement Isong, Chief Executive Officer, MOMAN, Adeosun said it would remain extremely difficult to wean Nigerians off cheap PMS, also known as petrol. He said “ It is something that must be done as there are no more viable options.
“The market regulates prices if you are too expensive people would not buy from you. The market regulates quality as well as customer service. The market also rewards the best in “Weclass.need to move to an era of transparency and information dissemination.
he FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited has announced the registration of the CitiTrust Holdings PLC N50.00 billion Commercial Paper Programme on its Theplatform.successful registration of the CP Programme on the Exchange in August 2022, following the approval of the Board Listings and Markets Committee, attests to the highly efficient time-to-market and uniquely tailored securities admission service offered by the Exchange, FMDQ said.
FMDQ said that the registration of the Commercial Paper of CitiTrust, has seen the leading Pan-African financial and investment conglomerate in Nigeria join other corporate institutions across various sectors of the economy, enjoying the benefits of visibility, transparency and liquidity for issuers and issues that come with the FMDQ Exchange Quotations Service. This CP Programme registration, which is sponsored by Boston Advisory Limited – a Registration Member (Quotations) of the Exchange – strategically positions CitiTrust Holdings to raise short-term finance easily and quickly from the Nigerian debt markets. By the registration of its CP Programme and quotation of subsequent CPs from the Programme on FMDQ Exchange, the Company will avail on exceptional benefits which include, but are not limited to, unrivalled and efficient platform for access to capital, enhanced investor confidence, continuous information disclosure to protect investor interest, effective price formation, and increased global visibility.
FMDQ Exchange Registers
In the same vein, the foremost aviation union in the country, the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) had also described the foreign airlines’ trapped funds in Nigeria as a looming catastrophe.
According to a group known as Aviation Round Table (ART), these funds should have been remitted at the official rate on date of sale immediately the airlines get clearance after paying all the local obligations, including taxes.
In its earlier reaction, Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East had condemned the issue of trapped funds in Nigeria.
The MOMAN chairman said the marketers were also very convinced that gas (the decade of gas was declared by the Federal Government in January 2021) was clearly the way forward. He said however, the increase in gas prices worldwide and the unavailability of the product had made it a little more difficult in the roll Adeosunout.further said “The ordinary Nigerian who was meant to transit to gas not just for cooking but also for powering automobiles and power generation is struggling because PMS pricing is yet to be fully deregulated.
The Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) has said that ending the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is extremely difficult but the Federal Government has no other option in light of current economic realities. MOMAN also called for massive investments by the government in various sectors such as mass transportation, healthcare and education to successfully wean off Nigerians from petrol Mrsubsidy.Olumide Adeosun, Chairman, MOMAN, made this known during a panel session at the just Associationconcludedof Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Strategic International Conference which was held on Thursday in HeLagos.spoke on the topic: “ Energy Transition, PIA, Petroleum Pricing and the Way Forward for the Downstream Sector.”
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 18 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA BUSINESS NEWS
According to IATA, the amount of airline money blocked from repatriation by the Nigerian government grew to $464 million in July.
“ It creates an aberration and additional challenge for the adoption of gas, as most people are still dependent on cheap PMS for their cars and generators.”
Earlier, Emirates had announced its decision to suspend all flights from Nigeria, effective from 1st September, According2022. to the airline, they took that difficult decision to suspend all flights to and from Nigeria, effective 1 September 2022, to limit further losses and impact on their operational costs that continue to accumulate in the market”.
“Airlines cannot be expected to fly if they cannot realise the revenue from ticket sales. Loss of air connectivity harms the local economy, hurts investor confidence, impacts jobs and peoples livelihoods”, Alawadhi said.
intervention, while another sum of $35 million was released through Retail SMIS auction. A source in the apex bank disclosed that the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and his team were concerned about the development and what it portends for the sector and travelers as well as the country in the comity of nations. The source reiterated that the CBN was not against any company repatriating its funds from the country, adding that what the apex bank stood for was an orderly exit for those that might be interested in doing so. With the new development, experts are of the view that operators and travelers as well will heave huge sighs of relief in terms of running their operations.
CBN Releases Over $265m to Offset Foreign Airlines’ Trapped Funds
page
“We need to begin to remove the subsidy and mitigate the pains Nigerians will feel when petroleum prices begin to manifest their true Adeosunvalue.” said marketers were optimistic that the industry was headed in the right direction with the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act ( PIA) 2021 which was an excellent piece of “Welegislation.arenow at the point of implementation, which is taking a bit longer than hoped but this is not necessarily a bad thing.
“We are told that this year the subsidy bill to the Federal Government may be between N5 trillion and N6 trillion. Clearly, Nigeria cannot afford this. “To wean Nigeria off this subsidy, a lot of investment must be done to sensitise Nigerians in convincing them and finding alternatives.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 19THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Why do so many businesses fail so quickly, be they structured or unstructured? It can be attributed to many challenges, and this is the focus of this piece. In the context of this article, the word “failure” refers to any kind of closure, including bankruptcy, liquidation, stopping further losses, giving up and starting a new business, and/or closing by choice (like retiring early or shutting down).
The power (electricity) situation in Nigeria has been a great cause for concern for businesses, investors, and citizens at large and is equally significant in the overall performance of the Theseeconomy.infrastructural gaps and weak macroeconomic factors can be blamed on the depressed economy and prevalence of business failure in Nigeria. The turn-around time at the ports, congestion on the roads, are all imperative causes of business failures in the country and cannot be controlled by entrepreneurs and SME operators. Consequently, it poses a big risk to businesses unless the government intervenes decisively and gives the needed policy responses. This is the big prayer of all SMEs and entrepreneurs in the country.
Above all, the culture of not seeking expert opinion, advice, and consultation for problem solving is the overall bane of SME operators or owner-managers. One or more of the above-mentioned factors are warning indications of business failure. SMEs must pay close attention to these indicators as soon as they appear, in order to avoid a crisis. Maintaining an appropriate structure, adequate capital, and having contingency plans are some of the best strategies to control and reduce business failure that these factors can cause. Further prerequisites for small business success may just be the next article from the author.
Poor and negative customer relations; poor pricing techniques; lack of innovative drive, ignoring product or service innovations and new ideas; ignoring competitors’ pressure and offerings; resource mismanagement; undue family influence and control in the business operations can kill businesses. Further to this, poor internal communication, lack of free flow of business information, and fraudulent acts by employees, including legal tussles, can also be contributory to the failures.
Largely unforeseen mishaps can happen, failing to learn from this or one’s errors, and the repetition of such errors and poor decision making can have huge consequences. Overlapping responsibilities in the case of one-man businesses where the owner claims to be an expert in all departments and business functions can make the business fail. Where there is no distinction between ownership and management and there is an excessive concentration of authority, including excessive administrative rule imposition on subordinates and employees, it can ruin a business.
From the government’s side, unanswered macroeconomic challenges, economic instability, multiple taxation, no ease of doing business, regulatory hurdles, multiple permits, harsh economic climate, poor infrastructure, bad roads, erratic power supply, limited access to government grants and support and much more, particularly power and the cost of generating alternative power are just some of the negative factors.
Furthermore, the rising costs of doing business, inflation, irregular policies, the judicial system where disputes linger for several years, and political influence and interest, including corruption, are all part of the factors attributable to business failure. Even common macroeconomic factors, such as recessions, insecurity, government debt, exchange rates, highinterest rates, are just a few.
Despite the significance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the economy and national development, Africa has a high rate of business failures and short-lived businesses. In Nigeria SMEs account for 48 percent of the national GDP, 96 percent of businesses, and 84 percent of employment in the country, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report. In contrast, due to the country’s dire economic circumstances, at least 1.9 million SMEs have been lost since 2017, according to the report, yet business closures persist at an alarming rate.
canbargainingenvironmentcompetitiveandthestrongpowerofbuyerscausebusinessfailure “ ENTERPRENEURSHIP Predictive, Critical
Another is being outwitted by competitors or even former employees; and relying too heavily on one or a few clients’ patronage are also attributable.
SMEs BY TIMI OLUBIYI
Leadership tussles and conflicts within management, business owners, and/or power struggles cannot be ignored. Failure to provide value for money can make customers disgruntled and avoid patronage. Poor inventory management, failure to differentiate products and services in a highly competitive environment and the strong bargaining power of buyers can cause business failure. In the era of globalization, e-commerce, and high adoption of technology, any old equipment, machinery, or technology issues can make a business fail. Low or no online visibility, inadequate technological adoption, or failure to take advantage of new technological advances can also adversely affect businesses.
Others are ineffective and reckless leadership tendencies, a high cost of running the business, huge overhead and an inability to control expenses. Inappropriate response to new external and internal challenges, lack of strategic and business planning (competitor analysis, marketing analysis, risk analysis, opportunity and threat analysis), under-estimating or overestimating risks in the marketplace, among others, failure to recognise and capitalise on new market opportunities, intense competition and adherence to ineffective competitive formulas or strategies.
According to the author’s observations, small businesses, especially those with one to nine staff, are prevalent, mostly unstructured, and largely operating informally throughout the country. Convenience shops and grocery stores, dry cleaning and laundromat services, taxi services, trucking and transportation businesses, beauty salons, local restaurants, and several other small businesses operate with no data sets or registration databases. For instance, in Lagos state, most of these small businesses are overwhelmingly dominated by people moving in from other states of the country, largely due to the fact that barriers to entry into the business ecosystem are low, there is no compulsion for registrations or certifications, and the start-up capital is usually low. The worry is that many of these business operators are inexperienced and pay no attention to business structure, technology, skill sets, accountability, or the importance of business continuity. Therefore, business failures keep getting worse without any known help. In fact, it is hard to see how the sector can make a big difference or impact in creating jobs, growing the economy, and reducing poverty. Business failure is the last stage of the business life cycle. However, it is so prevalent that it happens within the first five (5) years of a significant number of SMEs in Nigeria and the rate is alarming. Even though the environment is a key part of how easy it is to do business, it is still harsh and hard in the country, with or without post-COVID-19 consequences. Truly, there are many problems with the economy’s supply chain and infrastructure, such as the price of diesel, problems with the foreign exchange market, and regulations that hurt businesses. Many of the business failure factors are frequently categorised as “poor management or lack of access,” though the failure predictors are in two broad categories: internal factors (controllable) and external factors(uncontrollable). Without a systematic outline and identification of the many challenges faced by small businesses, here are the most common business failure factors in the country that operators need to pay attention to: low quality or low level of education and qualification of operators and workforce; lack of manpower, loss of seasoned personnel and management due to social mobility and relocation (“Japa”), resulting in skill shortages within the business and inability to attract and retain new highly qualified personnel; lack of an appropriate corporate governance structure and organogram in the case of the few structured SMEs; Customer dissatisfaction due to low product or service quality; poor customer experience and declining Apatronage.varietyof funding issues are also relevant to business failures, including no or low business capital or profitability, revenue erosion (in some cases referred to as undercapitalization), insufficient cashflow or cash reserve, and an excessive reliance on borrowed funds (high leverage). Poor accounting practice, teeming, and lading can also result in business failures. The absence of adequate marketing channels, poor market knowledge, outdated services and products, and not being in touch with customer needs (for illustration, dealing in Nokia 3310 related accessories or phone sales when the market demand is for Android phones).
•Olubiyi is an Entrepreneurship and Business Management expert. Poor inventory management, failure to differentiate products and services in a highly Variables of Business Failures Amongst Nigeria’s
Intervention: Real Sector Support Facility- Differentiated Cash Reserve Requirement
GRAND CEREALS LIMITED INTEGRATED DAIRIES LIMITED
Intervention:Sector:(RSSF-DCRR)ManufacturingCommercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (Cacs) Sector: Processing Grand Cereals Limited, is a strong player in the agriculture value chain. They are in the business of processing locally grown grains into a variety of breakfast cereals, edible oils, and animal feed.
The company experienced a geometric increase in its processing capacity and output, an increased production of improved soya oil, animal feed, maize flour, refined maize grits (Brabusco), and a variety of cereals consumed in the Nigerian and West African Markets. Grand Cereals Limited is confident in its ability to contribute its quota in addressing food and animal feed needs in Nigeria and West Africa.
Integrated Dairies Limited (IDL) stands out as one of the largest companies involved in the production and sale of dairy products in Nigeria. It currently operates on 550 hectares of land, in National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau IntegratedState.Dairies Limited, accessed funds through CBN’s Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS). This led to its astronomical growth as a company: It purchased additional cattle and is presently home to more than 500 Holstein Friesian cattle (a breed of high-yielding cattle of European origin). They also acquired modern manufacturing equipment such as the REDA food processing plant and more incubation tanks for yoghurt processing.
NIGER
MICHAEL OLARINDE ROWLAND
The company benefitted from the Real Sector Support FacilityDifferentiated Cash Reserve Requirement (RSSF-DCRR] in 2021. Accessing the loan facility afforded them the opportunity to embark on an expansion project, purchase of additional manufacturing equipment, and employment of additional skilled and unskilled labour.
45 YEARS
CBN INTERVENTION PLATEAU
James Chetden is an entrepreneur with dreams of someday becoming a business tycoon. He currently runs a successful piggery business in Jos, Plateau State. Mr. Chetden benefitted from the Targeted Credit Facility (TCF), another intervention of the CBN, introduced to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses. This enabled him to revive his collapsing business by purchasing more pigs, and their feed. He also hired additional hands to assist him in the business. All these have contributed to establishing and expanding the piggery. Mr. Chetden appreciated the CBN for the opportunity and urged Nigerians to take advantage of the Apex Bank’s interventions. Mr. Michael O. Rowland has been passionate about farming since childhood. This deep-rooted love for agriculture stood as a constant motivation, propelling him to acquire a piece of farmland in Jos, where he cultivates a variety of pepper and tomatoes. Through the Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), Mr. Rowland accessed a loan that enabled him to purchase high-yielding pepper and tomato seeds from the United States and expanded his farm from less than half-hectare to about a hectare, inclusive of a greenhouse. The loan afforded him the opportunity to purchase irrigation sprinkler equipment and employ more staff to execute his farm operations with ease. He now boasts of increased output of his vegetables from about 18kg weekly to 45kg. He expressed his profound gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Governor of the Central Bank for being instrumental in actualizing his childhood dreams of becoming a productive farmer.
CBN INTERVENTIONS IN PLATEAU
About 12,688 and 18,722 projects in Plateau and Niger states respectively, have accessed intervention loans of the Central Bank of Nigeria. This reflects the unwavering commitment of the Bank towards poverty alleviation, job and wealth creation, and overall sustainable development of the economy. Below are some testimonials from businesses and individuals in the states who have benefitted from some of the interventions introduced by CBN. AND STATES OF STATE
JAMES CHETDEN
IDL has in its employment 180 staff, operating through the entire dairy value chain- from rearing to processing and distribution of fresh dairy products which stands out as world-class products to its numerous consumers in Nigeria.
The Real Sector development initiatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were introduced to stimulate and sustain growth in key sectors of the economy, revive moribund projects, empower the youth population, explore the untapped potential in various economic landscapes and enhance foreign exchange inflow into the country.
Intervention: Agri-Business Small And Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) Sector: SME Intervention: Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) Sector: SME
These interventions have significantly contributed to the overall growth of the Nigerian economy, from the provision of loans at concessionary rates to cushioning the dastardly effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. These initiatives which were originally designed to address the financing gap in core sectors of the economy, have now become a lifeline for most Nigerians.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 20 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
ALHAJI KUDU SANKI
Intervention: Agri-Business Small And Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) Sector: SME
Intervention: Agri-Business Small And Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme
Mr. Kudu Sanki learned carpentry at a tender age. This skill acquired at a young age enabled him to set up a furniture shop in Bida, Niger state with the funds he accessed through the Targeted Credit Facility, an intervention of the CBN. Mr. Kudu’s carpentry shop is famed for producing durable sofas, wardrobes, tables, and chairs that showcase master craftsmanship. The loan he accessed was utilized in the purchase of genuine leather and other carpentry equipment. He is now able to produce furniture that meets the specification of his clientele.
As a result of the funds he accessed, his business has created employment opportunities for more staff. This has increased his capacity to manufacture more furniture and enabled him to make more profit, and take better care of his family.
CBN INTERVENTION
HAUWA IBRAHIM NDANUSA
“
Intervention: Real Sector Support Facility- Differentiated Cash Reserve Ratio Sector:(RSSF-DCRR)Manufacturing
ORTOLAN FOODS LIMITED RAKIYA SAIDU IDRIS
Ortolan Foods Limited accessed the Real Sector Support Facility- Differentiated Cash Reserve Ratio (RSSF-DCRR), an initiative of the CBN. The facility enabled the purchase of milling machines and accessories, the procurement of rice paddies, and the purchase of 200-tonnes storage capacity facility. The expansion of the company has allowed for the creation of job opportunities for 80 indirect staff and 30 direct staff to ensure a steady supply of its products to the Nigerian market.
Hauwa is full of joy and continuously expresses her gratitude to the CBN for aiding in the realization of her dreams. She encourages women to key into the CBN’s commitment to womenled businesses by accessing any of the several interventions of the Apex Bank.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 21THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Ortolan Foods Limited stands out as an agro-allied company involved in the production, processing, and trading of rice. Ortolan currently cultivates 4 (four) hectares of farmland at Maje Dikko road, Suleja in Niger state.
Looking good is good business”. This adage rings true in Nigeria. Rakiya Saidu has capitalized on women’s affinity for fashionable clothes and ventured into business as a fashion designer in Niger State. Today, Rakiya stands proud of her craft and is confident that her designs will someday be on the world stage. She owes the success of her business to the loan she accessed under the Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AgSMEIS), which enabled her to scale up her small business, and hire staff to meet up with her customers’ demands.
Hauwa Ibrahim Ndanusa, who operates a small business along Western bypass in Bosso LGA of Niger state is one of such women that accessed the AGSMEIS loan. The loan enabled her to purchase 30,000 birds that lay approximately forty (40) crates of eggs per day. Her increased spate of business necessitated the employment of six (6) additional staff to increase the efficiency of her business operations.
NIGER OF
Intervention: Targetted Credit Facility (TCF) Sector: SME
To ensure increased participation of the female gender in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector of the economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) established the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF), which prioritizes a huge percentage of its lending to Women Entrepreneurs.
STATE 45 YEARS
he agricultural value chain is full of enthusiastic players committed to realizing the dreams of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on food security.
Sector:(AGSMEIS)SMET
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 22 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 22-27 ADEFEMI DAVID Doctor By Day, Artist By Night
You are considered Nigeria’s foremost speed painter. Does that make you the first at this? I wouldn’t say that I am the first. I’m pretty sure that there were others before me. I guess what it really means is that my work is distinguished in some way. Besides, I have taken speed painting to heights that no other speed painter in Nigeria has been able to do. What exactly is speed painting? It is an artistic style where the artist creates an art piece in a very short time. It can be considered a performance painting if the artist does it to a crowd and infuses some movement or fancy fast strokes to his work or in my case paint the image upside down. What other art styles do you do? I work as a contemporary hyper realist and this is where I use my charcoals and graphite to paint. Is there a relationship between speed painting and medical profession? Yes there is. I use my art to create awareness on medical conditions, especially in the field of dermatology. Art is a powerful tool to send messages with and communicate with individuals or different races, cultures and backgrounds. Many will argue that medical doctors hardly find the time for pastimes but you seem to be doing it differently with painting. How are you able to keep the two sides of your life working without both clashing? I wouldn’t call my art something I do in my pastime. It is my profession. Yes, I have two professions. I am able to carry on with both because I am passionate about healthcare, just as I am about art. Also, I plan my time effectively so there is no basis for both clashing. How did your journey into speed painting begin? It began in my 400 level in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos where I painted during a school event. The reaction I got from the crowd when I was done pushed me to do more and that was how it began. I started moving from shows to shows just looking for different platforms to show my work. Have you gone commercial with it? I am paid for every speed-painting I do. It is an industry on its own and just like every other performing arts, it is quite lucrative. Do you exhibit your works? Yes I do. I have exhibited in different countries across the world, including Nigeria, USA, UK, Italy, Spain and Germany. I also have an upcoming exhibition in October 2022 at the art pantheon in Oniru, Lagos. What kind of things do you paint, humans, objects or just plain abstract painting? I mostly work with the human figure. Which of your paintings would you consider to be your most significant and why? I have done so many and I actually consider them all very significant but right off the top of my head, I would say two of my works which I aptly named RESILIENCE I and IN THE ARMS OF MORPHEUS When these particular works were exhibited, I remember many people bidding for them simultaneously. Where do you get your inspiration from? I am inspired by everything around me, my day to day interaction David I DIDN’T START LIVING TILL I STARTED DRAWING, PAINTING – ADEFEMI DAVID
Nigeria’s foremost Speed painter and medical doctor, Gbadamosi Adefemi David, a.k.a Foladavid, tells IVORY UKONU how he created a perfect ‘marriage’ of his two professions. Excerpts:
Have you always wanted to be a doctor or is it a means to an end? I remember that I was always called a doctor right from when I was in primary school. I guess it just grew on me and when it came to selecting a course to study, I just chose medicine and surgery. What is your area of specialisation? I am yet to do my residency, but I have a special interest in dermatology and surgery. Why that? This is because I love working with the skin, whether in my art or in the hospital and surgery because I know my hands to be quite steady and reliable. Are your patients still eager to have you treat them when they find out that you are a painter at night? Many of my patients don’t even know who I am. But those that do absolutely love the level of care and professionalism I put into what I do
Do you think the Federal Government is solely to blame for the mass exodus of doctors and other medical personnel from the country? The issue with healthcare in Nigeria is very complex. There are so many layers of neglect and incompetence and it will take more than the Federal Government to solve this problem.
What is your story behind the FolaDavid Foundation? The FolaDavid foundation was born out of love for healthcare and art. How would you assess the impact of your foundation on the society? We have been able to carry out free medical outreaches in different parts of Nigeria and cater to over 5,000 people. Our creative projects have seen us set up visual development centers in Nigeria and in South Africa. We help children in various cities to harness their talents in visual art and give them a platform to show their works to the world. The South African National Lotteries Commission, NLC, gave us a yearly grant of $25,000 to do just that. We plan to take this to many other African countries. One thing I remember saying to myself a lot when I started my journey as an artist was that “I wish I started earlier…” I realised my major challenge was not even knowing what I had and what I can do with it. These centres help to deal with that challenge by helping children in different communities have access to tools, to mentorship, to platforms of expression and create a community of young budding artists
The health Minister once said something about looking into a law where doctors would be made to sign a bond to work for their country for a certain number of years before they can freely leave the country. What is your take on this? Currently Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for almost half a year. We are talking about a country where you can almost be guaranteed that your proposed graduation year of entry to the university will not be your actual year of graduation. I think it only makes sense to schools in a place with a more stable educational system. The government should be looking at making things better for doctors here instead of choosing to force them into the system further worsening it for everyone. with people and what I see or hear happening around me.
David
What was growing up like for you? Growing up was quite uneventful. I was a very bright student and that was mostly what my life revolved around. I didn’t start living till I got to the university and started drawing and painting. What would you say has shaped you to be who you are today? The people I met along the way, how they lived their lives and how they were able to achieve success has really influenced me greatly. What philosophy do you live by? It doesn’t matter how slowly you move as long as you do not stop. How do you let off steam? I love watching movies a lot! I have also appeared in two movies. One of them is called SYMPHONY and it will be released September 9 2022. Unlike many of your counterparts who see leaving Nigeria for greener pastures as the only way to make it as a Nigerian, why aren’t you following that path? I am going to be pursuing a residency outside the country in medicine and in art definitely, but this is just to gain the necessary skills to come back and help in building my country, Nigeria.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 23THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Do you plan to continue being a doctor or do you see yourself eventually leaving medicine to fully embrace painting? I will definitely continue to be a doctor and an artist. You run a project called skin positivity. What is it all about? Many people have fallen victim to society’s idea of what your skin should be like. There are many unrealistic ideas out there on what kind of skin people should be comfortable in. This has led to low self-esteem, depression and many people using very harmful products on their skin, all with the aim of achieving the “perfect” skin. My skin positivity project aims to encourage people to love themselves irrespective of their skin type, to boost their confidence and reduce the stigma associated with many visible skin conditions. What influenced it? It all came up from my interaction with my patients. I got to see the side most people do not see. How people have to live with the constant stares, endless questions and poking. I really just wanted to do something to help a lot more people I know are going through that emotional and psychological trauma of having certain skin concerns.
Why
Professor Atinuke Adebanji has made history. She has been elected as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Ghana’s second biggest university, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Adebanji,Kumasi.who used to be the Head of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the institution, is a proactive lecturer and researcher in Statistics and Public Health. She holds a PhD in Statistics and MPH (Reproductive and Public Health), with experience spanning over 17 years in Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Her research interests are Multivariate Data Analysis, Categorical Data Analysis and Development Statistics. She possesses outstanding communication, classroom management and presentation skills. She also has proven excellence in the development of strong rapport with students, colleagues, and administrators. In the course of her career, she has taught and supervised students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within and outside Ghana. Adebanji is an ardent believer in mentoring students and younger faculty, thus, she is also a protagonist for females in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) which has seen her play a focal role in Women in STEM. She has published about 50 journals in the course of her career and is a published author. She is also the recipient of several honours and recognitions. Adebanji obtained her BSc in Statistics from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in 1990; her MSc in Statistics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2001; a PhD in Statistics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2006 and MPH. in Population, Family and Reproductive Health, in Ghana in 2016. Adebanji considers her children her biggest achievement and her marriage her biggest failure as it ended in a needless divorce.Adebanji Atinuke Adebanji Emerges First Nigerian Pro-VC of Ghanaian VarsityBarely a few weeks after he was granted a presidential pardon on health grounds, businessman Emmanuel Morah may likely not breathe the air of freedom anytime soon. Morah, who was among the prisoners recently granted amnesty by the Federal Governmen, but yet to be released from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment by Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court on January 26, 2018, on fuel subsidy support fund fraud, amounting to N789.6 Dissatisfiedmillion. with the verdict, he filed an appeal, which was dismissed on October 26, 2018, by Justice Shagbaore Ikyegh, who led a panel of three justices of the appellate court. And so he remained behind bars until his pardon. Now Morah is facing another fraud charge. He was accused of obtaining the sum of N24 million from one Alhaji Kayode Kasumu, the chairman/chief executive officer of Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, under a false representation that he will use the money to complete a property at No. 10 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, within two months and rent part of it to him. Morah who operated under the trade names Rocky Nigeria Limited, Rocky Oil Limited, Rocky Energy Limited and Down Stream Energy Sources, was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos State presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi. Morah was also alleged to have issued a Diamond Bank cheque, dated October 2, 2016, with monetary value of N10m, with account name, Rocky Energy Limited, in favour of Beauty and Fragrance International Limited, which was rejected and dishonoured on grounds of insufficient funds in the account. The offences committed were contrary to and punishable under sections 1 (1) (a), (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; and sections 1 (1) (b), (2), and section 2 of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, CAP D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. He has however pleaded not guilty to the charges. Justice Akintayo Aluko admitted bail to him in the sum of N10m with one surety in like sum but however ordered that he be remanded in the NCS custody till the perfection of his bail terms. Again TAKING A THIRD WIFE
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 24 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
Emmanuel Morah Caught by The Law
2022, for a hearing when it is expected that Oriental Energy Resources would have filed its defence. A philanthropist of note, he has through his Mohammed Indimi Foundation touched many lives and helped vulnerable families through poverty alleviation programmes, as well as other programmes against hunger, illiteracy and ill health. He is said to have built a 100-unit N600m housing estate, as well as provided food and clothing for vulnerable people displaced by Boko Haram terrorists. Indimi, through the foundation, has also built schools and clinics. It built a 100-unit N700m residential estate in Mbo, Akwa Ibom State. This is even as he has awarded over 470 scholarships to students in Akwa Ibom. He also created a sponsorship programme for the University of Uyo’s Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering. He donated a NigeriachairmanBabangida,HeadAnSudanUniversityNigeriaBank,manyfortune.ofextricatedetermination,Indimi,wasnamedStatesLynninternationalmulti-million-dollarbusinesscentretoUniversityinFlorida,UnitedofAmerica.Thecentreisafterhim.Thoughhenotbornwithasilverspoon,throughsheergritandwasabletohimselffromtheclawspovertyintotheembraceofHeisontheboardofcompanies,includingJaizArabContractors,O.A.OLimited,theInternationalofAfrica,Khartoum,amongseveralothers.in-lawtoformermilitaryofState,IbrahimBadamasiIndimiisalsotheofM&WPumpLimited.
About two weeks ago, Borno born billionaire, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi clocked 75. He was also conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the University of Maiduguri which is one of several honorary doctorate degrees he has. The event coincided with his birthday. The Chairman of Oriental Energy Resources Limited, however, opted for a quiet ceremony with a special prayer programme that was attended by members of his immediate family members and a few close friends. His in-law, President Muhammadu Buhari and other notable Nigerians sent him congratulatory messages on the occasion. And that was it. This is very unlike the way he celebrated his 70th birthday five years ago. He had a mother-of-all celebration when he flew his 20 children, extended family members, friends and associates to the city of Madrid in Spain where he spent millions of dollars feting hundreds of guests for several days. Indimi’s preference for a quiet celebration may not be unconnected to the challenges facing the business mogul at present. Last week, a Federal High Court in Lagos froze his company’s bank account, restricting it from withdrawing, transferring, removing any funds, properties, or assets, outside the jurisdiction of Nigeria or encumbering any funds belonging to or held to the account of the company with 12 commercial banks, except for payments of salaries, over a $1.5m Indimi’sdebt.Oriental Energy Resources, an oil exploration
Mohammed Indimi Celebrated 75th Birthday, Degree Conferment Quietly Indimi
LawaniElegushi
OBA SAHEED ELEGUSHI NOT
STORIES BY IVORY UKONU
For some time Oba Alayeluwa Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, the Elegushi of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, has been rumoured to have considered taking a third wife. The story is that the traditional ruler put an Edo Stateborn businesswoman in the family way and he contemplated bringing her to the palace as his third wife. But palace sources claim nothing could be farther from the truth. While not denying or confirming that Oba Elegushi may be in a relationship with another woman or he may have got her pregnant, they claim that the brouhaha that arose as a result of the monarch taking Olori Hadiza, daughter of Kano politician, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, as second wife, was more than enough to discourage him from attempting to go down that lane again. They also insist that the he is too busy presiding over the affairs of Ikate-Elegushi to get entangled in a fresh romance with another woman, let alone take a new wife. They therefore asked the public to disregard the rumour. But naysayers are not backing down. They insist that the lady in question, a certain Tonya Lawani, has been sighted one too many times on the palace grounds, particularly at parties hosted by the monarch. They claim that the lady is not only close to Olori Sekinat, Elegushi’s first wife and childhood sweetheart, they refer to a birthday greeting addressed to the monarch last year and posted on the lady’s social media handle. While the birthday greeting divulges nothing to suggest anything untoward, naysayers insist the greeting bears a hidden message. The lady in question is said to be very comfortable and reportedly lives in Banana Island. She is the brains behind The SEAL Group, one of the fastest growing conglomerates in Nigeria with tentacles spread in advertising, hospitality, retail, print media, marketing communications, construction and procurement, hygiene and medical equipment ItOEM/supplies.wouldberecalled that in March, Oba Elegushi lost his only son and heir apparent to the throne. He was born to him by Olori Hadiza whom he married in May 2020. The young prince was just one year and seven months old before his unfortunate death. Both have since moved past the ugly incident with the monarch proving that he is still very much into Olori Hadiza when she accompanied him to attend the 75th birthday/coronation ceremony of Erelu Abiola Dosunmu a few weeks ago.
Morah
and suitandonrestrainingAnekeInproject.personnelunittheservicesaftertotopersistentfordrillingofincompanyIncorporated,OperationsBorrdraggedstartedcompanyproductionthathein1990,wastocourtbyInternationalaengagedthebusinessprovidingservices,thecompany’srefusalmakepaymentsoffsethisdebthiringitstoproviderig,drillingandexpatriateforahisruling,JusticegrantedtheordertheaccountsadjournedthetillSeptember26,
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 25THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
COLLAPSED IKOYI BUILDING: SOUN-ELECT, RCCG PASTOR, OTHERS SUE LAGOS GOVT MEET MOMOBAIGBENA’SWHOOKUSANYA-FEYITABOLANLEHANDLEDBURIALOlaoye Reno Omokri, Kwam1 Are Birds of The Same Feather Okusanya-Feyita Marshal Omokri Andy Uba, Arthur Eze’s Unending Cat And Mouse Game EzeUba
Without a doubt, Reno Omokri has since established himself as a man of questionable character. How he could comfortably abandon his lawfully wedded wife Tuokpe Omokri and legitimate children and relocate to another continent to hibernate with another woman and welcome a child by her, is something some of his ardent supporters are yet to come to terms with.
She is the first child of the former king of funerals, Olatunji Okusanya of MIC Caskets and Funerals. While her father was alive, he held sway in Nigeria alongside his son of the same name. He was ahead of his contemporaries and competitors in the field. Unfortunately, the light dimmed for both father and son on October 3, 2013 while in the line of duty. They both died in a plane crash. Following his death, not a few people felt that a big vacuum had been created in funeral services in Nigeria. So came Bolanle Okusanya-Feyita, a London based makeup artist who had to get trained on funeral arrangements with accompanying certifications. She relocated to Nigeria and took over the business of burying the dead from where her father and brother left it. But this was only for six months after which she disappeared and reappeared with a new name, LTJ Funeral International which she set up in memory of her father and brother. While LTJ is in the same line of business with her father’s defunct MIC, it is however with a different approach. She handles all the nitty-gritty of burial processions and makes it easy for people to have a hitch-free and stress-free ceremony as they bury their loved ones. From the time she set up the company till date, Bolanle has remained fully booked without mincing words. At only six years-old, LTJ has grown to become a global brand and the most sought after funeral home in Nigeria. Their area of expertise is in caskets which are finished with time-tested craftsmanship. She is the first choice of the elites when it comes to funeral arrangements. Some of the funerals she has handled were Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde’s mother, Ibadan billionaires, Chief Bode Akindele and Chief Harry Akande, former, Group Managing director of BGL Plc, Albert Okumagba, Baba Eto of Yorubaland, Chief Folarin Coker, Chief Emeka Offor’s father, Prof Emmanuel Edozien etc. Little wonder when Nduka Obaigbena, the publisher of Thisday Newspaper and Chairman of Arise News, Arise Play made up his mind to give his late mother a befitting burial in Delta State, the first name that came to mind was Bolanle’s LTJ Funeral International. And she didn’t disappoint. She personally led the procession that danced through the streets of Agbor, Owa-Oyibo celebrating the life and times of Princess Margaret Obaigbena across two days. She co-ordinated the horse and carriage procession, the limousine procession and many VIPs present couldn’t help but marvel in admiration the classy manner in which Bolanle handled the funeral, for which she has come to be associated with.
During the week, an Abuja Federal High Court ordered the seizure of vehicles belonging to Senator Andy Uba, the 2022 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Anambra State over his failure to refund a N50 million loan obtained from Oranto Petroleum Limited owned by billionaire businessman, Arthur Eze. The seizure is sequel to the judgement of an Anambra High Court delivered on March 6, 2017, in a case presided over by Justice Mbonu Nwenyi of the Aguata judicial division, Ekwulobia region of the state. While Uba argues that the money was a gift and donation from Arthur Eze for his governorship campaign and not a loan, Eze is insisting that he granted an interestfree friendly loan to Uba, which the latter refused to repay. This is not the first time Uba and Eze will engage in a cat and mouse game that would culminate into a court case. Back in 2012, both were at war over a property in Enugu worth N200 million. Their disagreement resulted in a sensational legal battle that was brought before an Enugu State High Court. The legal battle erupted following an attempt by Eze to take over two immovable properties belonging to one Major Emmanuel Okwuosa which the Enugu State High Court ordered should be sold to enable Eze recover the $1million (about N157 million) allegedly owed him by HoweverOkwuosa.Uba,from nowhere, suddenly claimed ownership of the two properties. He appealed against the order of the court for attachment and sale of the immovable property by Eze in order to satisfy the judgement debt in his favour. While appealing, Uba revealed that Okwuosa purchased the property on his behalf. He said that he told Okwuosa to give him the document after he gave him the sum of N250 million to buy the property but maintained that the document is with his lawyer and later with the officials of the Land and Registry, Enugu. But on further investigation it was discovered that Uba was not the owner of the two properties but Okwuosa, who had his interest duly registered in the names at the Lands Registry vide irrevocable power of attorney and Deed of Assignment. But when queried by the courts, Uba said he was surprised to find out that Okwuosa registered the land in his name. One is then compelled to wonder - if both men have had a tango in the past over a debt issue that turned to a court case, why would Uba return to Eze to ask him to fund his political ambition and Eze in like manner accepts to, but only reveal to the court when it becomes an issue that it was an interest free loan and not a gift?
Just like May 30, 2021, when he was AWOL on his first daughter, Tsola’s 16th birthday, Reno once again failed to acknowledge her birthday this year nor celebrate her openly on his social media pages like he had done in the past. Not even when his daughter graduated from junior class to senior high and celebrated it with a promenade dance, otherwise known as prom, a ball or formal dance at a school or college, especially one held at the end of the academic year for students who are in their final year. Reno pretended she didn’t exist. Instead, he would rather use his social media pages to celebrate his baby mama, an Ethiopian named Hana with whom he lives with in London and his daughter with her named after former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, his former boss. When he is not doing that, he would expend his energy either bashing Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate and his teeming supporters via his social media pages or the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress party. In like manner, the king of Fuji music, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal has fully assumed the stance of Reno. From all indications, it looks as if he may not have taken to heart his supposed reconciliation with his estranged wife, Titi Marshal and would rather extend whatever grouse he still carries about her, to his children with her. The 63 year-old earlier this month failed to acknowledge the 8th birthday of Adediwura Adefeola Alexander Marshal, one of his daughters with Titi. He completely failed to celebrate her. Instead, KWAM1 busied himself with preparing for the celebrations lined up for his 50 years on stage. To make the day memorable for the girl, her mum went all out to celebrate her new age. Besides the fun photoshoot she organised for her daughter, Titi hosted her daughter’s friends and her own personal friends to a classy afternoon party where gourmet food, cocktail. and mocktail were in abundance. The last known time KWAM1 publicly acknowledged the birthday of any of his children with Titi was in February when his last child with her added another year. He openly celebrated her on his social media page. It would be recalled that the father of over 30 children with numerous women, a few weeks ago, openly resolved his differences with his estranged wife, or so it seemed. They were re-united by concerned friends of the singer who wanted peace to reign between the music icon and Titi. Fans were hopeful that the peace keeping mission would yield positive results and the two lovers will return to their old romantic ways. But that has not been the case. Besides shunning his daughter’s birthday, Titi did not openly congratulate the father of her children on attaining 50 years as a Fuji singer. She was also not present in all of the parties hosted in his honour to celebrate the landmark events. Perhaps, she was not extend an Theinvitation.loveaffair between KWAM1 and Titi, who is a popular socialite and cloth merchant, started after Yewande, one of KWAM1’s wives relocated to Canada. Titi met the Fuji musician during one of his singing engagements. She was introduced to him by a socialite known as Gbenga Akinbobola, a.k.a Gbenga Islander. Gbenga was not only KWAM1’s friend at the time, but also Titi’s lover. However, Titi ended up dumping him for KWAM1. The two took their affair to the next level when they tied the knot in 2017 in his palatial residence in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. But KWAM1 left her for another woman, Emmanuella Ropo whom he married in 2021. Emmanuella, was a loyal client of Titi who would always sing Emmanuella’s praises for always patronising her. But like they say, Titi got served with the same ‘spoon and plate’ she served her ex-lover and KWAM1’s friend, Gbenga Islander.
STORIES BY IVORY UKONU
The Soun of Ogbomoso-elect, Ghani Olaoye, who was a Pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God before quitting the pulpit for the throne, has dragged the Lagos State Government to court over its intention to take over what is left of the collapsed 360 Degree Towers’ where a 21-storey building collapsed on 44BCD, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, OlaoyeLagos.isone of the 15 subscribers to the luxury building who have come together to file a suit against the state government. Others are Pastor Adetola Odutola, a former Pastor with RCCG who now runs his own ministry, Jesus House in Baltimore, USA; Wemimo Ogunde, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; socialite Zahra Temitope Motomori; Mr and Mrs Bunmi Odutola, Kwara Business School Limited; Mr and Mrs Folusho Folowosele; Mr Moses and Mrs Anibaba; Dr Oladipo and Mrs Adepeju Oluyomi, as well as Mr Tayo Oladapo, Theetc. petitioners claim that they invested over N15 billion in the property that was being developed. They are seeking to restrain the state government from taking over and demolishing the remaining two high-rise buildings. They argued that the government should not be allowed to benefit from its negligence by compulsorily, wrongfully, illegally and punitively acquiring or threatening to acquire the property known as “360° Ikoyi” at 44BCD, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi-Lagos covered by Certificate of Occupancy Number 48/48/2020A dated 3rd February, 2020 and registered as Number 48 at Page 48 in Volume 2020A at the Land Registry, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State through forfeiture and/or purported forfeiture to the Lagos State Government following the collapse of one of the towers. The claimants argued that any compulsory acquisition of the property by way of forfeiture in favour of the Lagos State Government would amount to rewarding the government by making it take benefit from the negligence of one of its agencies and in complete disregard of the equitable interest of the applicants, which was worthy of protection by the court.
The writ of summons marked Suit No LD/3962LM/22, was filed on behalf of the subscribers by A.U. Mustapha, a senior lawyer, before a Lagos state high court. Named as defendants are the governor of Lagos state, the attorney-general of Lagos, the state ministry of physical planning and urban development, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Edge of Design Limited. The claimants are seeking general damages of N200,000,000 and another N50,000,000 as the cost of filing the suit. Recall that in November 2021, one the buildings being erected by Fourscore Heights Limited collapsed killing 46 people including its chief promoter, Femi Osibona. The building had three towers all on Gerrard/Alexander road. One is 14 floors, another is 16 floors, while the one which collapsed was 21 floors. Details would later emerge indicating that Osibona flouted building rules by increasing the number of floors from the original number approved by the state government.
Bags Chieftaincy Title in Abuja Marwa Abubakar
Mohammed Buba Marwa
inheCommissionIndependentletter,governorshipbenationalAbubakarInhebeingcandidateaProjectAccountabilityHowever,electionthethein(APC)theHecurrentlygovernorshipAbubakar’sambitionisfacingstiffopposition.defeatedfouropponentsatAllProgressivesCongressprimaryelectionheldBauchiStatetoemergeascandidateofthepartyinforthcominggovernorshipinthestate.agroupknownasandDemocraticinBauchiStatewrotepetitionagainsttheAPCandaccusedhimofnotanativeofBauchiStateasclaimed.thepetition,itisstatedthatisnotevenaNigerianandshouldtherefordisqualifiedbeforetheelection.ThewhichwassenttotheNationalElectoral(INEC)revealsthatwithheldsomeinformationtheformthathesubmittedto
Chief Abiodun Ogunbo, a real estate and property merchant, has become the first traditional ruler of the Ogumbo community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. Ogunbo was crowned last week when the staff of office was presented to him by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon Bolaji Kayode OgunboRobert.wasinstalled after due process and a careful scrutiny which revealed that he was worthy of the throne. The event turned out to be an elaborate one as it was the first time the community would be having a king since its foundation in 1873. Ogumbo has always had a Baale and the newly installed king, the Ogudu Oshadi of Ogumbo Kingdom, Oba Ogunbo was the Baale of the kingdom for many years until the Lagos State Government decided to elevate the status of the chief to that of a traditional ruler. Ogunbo was orn into the family of the Ogudu Oke Oshadi, a chieftaincy family in Ogumbo land in Eti-Osa Local Government. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Ashela Properties, a company that is into sourcing and development of properties, project management in Lagos State. Ogunbo The traditional ruler of Aramoko Ekiti in Ekiti State, the Atayero of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Olusegun Aderemi has been given the key of Franklin town in the city of New Jersey by the Mayor of Franklin, Philip Kramer and the Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, both in New Jersey. The royal father was honoured for his contribution toward breaking boundaries and building ties with international communities, which has attracted foreign investments from New Jersey. Being presented with the key of any city is the highest honour that a city can confer on an individual or organisation. It is usually given to people who have contributed immensely to the growth, progress and development of such a city. It symbolises respect and the permission to enter and leave the city without any hindrance. Oba Aderemi was described as a true representation of African culture, humanity and honour. The key would strengthen the relationship of Nigeria with international communities most especially at a time when the nation needs to be rebranded for the outside world to see the inherent greatness in it. Oba Oluremi has been a rallying point for youths, women, and the elderly and less privileged in the society as he ascended to the throne. Aderemi
he Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd.), has been conferred with the title of Santuraki of Abaji Kingdom in the Federal Capital Territory, TheAbuja.traditional ruler 0f Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunsa, who is also the Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Council of Chiefs, made the announcement when the NDLEA boss paid a visit to his palace to advocate against drug abuse in the community. The royal father was celebrating his 25 years coronation anniversary when Marwa visited his palace to congratulate him and to advocate against drug abuse in Abaji Marwakingdom.wasdecorated because of his role in combating drug abuse in the community. Before Marwa became the CEO of NDLEA, Abaji was a haven for drug addicts, mostly married reeling under a lot of couples in the area. The traditional ruler deemed it fit to honour Marwa in recognition of his efforts toward reducing the incidence of drug abuse in the community.
Twenty-six year-old Rukyat Shittu, a media practitioner, has emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress to secure a ticket to represent Owode /Onire Constituency in the Kwara State House of ShittuAssembly.had the chance to contest after primaryfourSheherfriends,thewasmillionN500,moneyofKwaraConstituencyfortheSheitsmaniswithanywhichpassedAbdulrahmanGovernorAbdulrazaqabillin2021,stipulatedthatlocalgovernmenttwoconstituenciesmandatedtohaveoneandonewomanasrepresentative.wasabletopurchasenominationformtheOwode/OnireintheStateHouseAssemblyafterthewasreducedto000fromonenaira.Themoneygeneratedthrougheffortsofherfamily,associationandpersonalsavings.contestedagainstmenduringtheelectionwhich was not free and fair in her constituency as thugs invaded the place to disrupt the process. She later emerged as a consensus candidate despite the re-run election which was scheduled to take place a few days after the primary election. Her political journey started when she was a student. She was the first female Senate President of congress of the National Open University which covers over 85 study campuses across the federation in 2019 when she was still a student. She also represented her study center at the national level. She was a former head of news department of an online publication, Just Event and a member of a leading prodemocracy group called Kwara Must Change Shittu is an advocate of girl child’s right in the society. During her undergraduate days, she combined studies and volunteering at different political organizations.
Oba Olusegun Aderemi Honoured With Key of Franklin Town, New Jersey
STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN
Former Chief of Air Force, Sadiq the commission. It was alleged that he didn’t documents at the disposal of INEC shows his nationality. It was also stated that the documents which reveal the schools Abubakar attended left so many doubts. However, the governorship candidate denied the allegation and urged INEC to visit the schools he claimed he had attended to verify if he actually attended those schools.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 26 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA
StateAzareaprovedocumentstoHeelectiontoandofofState,AzarewasclaimedwhoThecitizenshowinformationprovidetothatheisaofNigeria.retiredofficer,hadalsothatheanativeofinBauchiwasaccusedbeingacitizenBeninRepublicnotqualifiedcontestforinNigeria.waschallengedproviderelevanttothatheisNigerianfrominBauchiasnoneofthe
Why Sadiq Abubakar’s Governorship Ambition is Facing Opposition
Meet Rukayat Shittu, Youngest Candidate For Kwara Assembly BECOMESOGUNBOABIODUN KINGDOMOFMONARCHFIRSTOGUMBO Shittu
T
WHY NYESOM WIKE, AUSTIN OPARA ARE AT LOGGERHEADS Deji of Akure, Iralepo of Isinkan’s Struggle For Supremacy Deepens Funmi Coker-Onita Clocks 70 Hafsat Balewa Appointed Chairman, Free Trade Zone, Ogun State BISI FayemiTITLECHIEFTAINCYHONORARYBAGSFAYEMI Wike Opara Aladetoyinbo Coker-OnitaAjimokunolaBalewa
The supremacy battle between two traditional rulers in Ondo State, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi and the Iralepo of Isinkan, Oba Olugbenga Ajimokunola may not end anytime soon. It is getting deeper by the day as the two traditional rulers are not ready to submit to the other’s authority. The two resumed their hostility a few months ago after they both appointed two factional leaders to head the Aladodo community in Akure, Ondo State. In a new development, Deji of Akure ordered the closure of all markets and stalls in Akure and its environs including Isinkan in preparation for the annual Aheregbe Festival which is taking place in August. However, Oba Ajimokunola warned that closure of markets should not be enforced within his vicinity. He warned the youths in the community not to enforce any order that does not come from him. He revealed that Isinkan is not part of Akure and that he is the aboriginal owner of the land. He revealed that closing the markets is forbidden and they should be ready to face the Therepercussions.kingnoted that the state government sent a directive that he should close the market and he would do it because of security reasons and not because he had been ordered by the Deji of Akure to do so. He also emphasised that it is the last time that Isinkan will ever close its market. The state government had to send security personnels to the major streets of Akure to avert a clash between the youths of the two communities as a result of the dispute between the two warring traditional rulers. The supremacy battle has continued to linger for some years and the court has intervened in resolving it. The Supreme court and Appeal court gave Deji of Akure the sole authority over lesser chiefs and Oba’s but Ajimokunola has refused to submit to his authority. He claimed that he was upgraded by the government and it is only the government that can lower his rank to that of a Quarter Chief. He was also supported by some kingmakers who insisted that he cannot be demoted.
theGovernment.helpdevelopedFreezoneanddesignatedzonesthezoneChina.betweenresultFreeOgunAbiodun.GuangdongTradeZoneistheofajointventureNigeriaandThefreetradeisoneoutofeightfreetradethathavebeenforAfricaitisthesecondfreeaftertheLekkiTradeZonetobewiththeoftheChineseIn2006,China-AfricaSummit forum was conducted in Beijing, in which the decision was taken to establish TheChinacooperationnumerouszonesofinAfrica.GuangdongFree Trade Zone is located in Igbesa, Ogun State. Balewa was appointed the chairman for her andinimitableleadershipexemplaryquality,expertiseexperienceover the years in other sectors of the economy. Since she assumed office, she has met with key stakeholders to chart a way forward for the progress of the free trade zone and how it will elevate the economic status of the country. The oil and gas mogul has been a big player in the oil and gas industry for almost two decades. She is the Director-General of several firms.
Erelu Bisi Fayemi, the wife of, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, has been honoured with the highest chieftaincy title, Yeye Oba of Erinmope- Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti- State. The coronation took place on August 27, 2022 during the grand finale of the week-long event marking the 20th coronation anniversary of the traditional ruler of the town, Obaleo of Erinmope-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Aikuraiwo Aniyi. The king honoured Fayemi for her contribution to the growth and development of the community most especially through the various empowerment schemes women in the community have enjoyed from the first lady. The event was witnessed by the Ooni of Ife, Ojaja II, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who was the royal father of the day. His Excellency, Governor Kayode Fayemi was also in attendance as the special guest of honour while other notable personalities, from political, Academic and Corporate world were also in attendance. The first lady has other chieftaincy titles to her name, she is the Ochiorah of Imezi Owa, Enugu State. She is also the Nne GburuGburu (Mother General) of the women wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. She is also the Erelu of Isan Ekiti, Iyalode of Ilafon Ekiti, the Eye Ajiseye of Ado-Ekiti, Olumo of IIara Mokun and a few other traditional titles.
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 27THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN
Foremost socialite and GeneralDirector-ofthe Pan African Chamber of Culture, Trade and Investment in Nigeria, Hadija Hafsat Balewa, has been appointed as the Chairman of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone by the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo
Asilent war has been brewing between Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Austin Opara, for a while now. The two used to be close associates and enjoyed a good relationship a few years ago but that seems to be in the past now. Though Opara seems not to be interested in creating enemty with Wike, it seems the governor would have none of that and would rather consider Opara his enemy since he is associating with people who are his political foes. When the going was good, Opara was the chairman of the 2019 Rivers State Governorship Inauguration Planning and Handover Committee, he was also a member of the People’s Democratic Party’s National Campaign Council. He worked with Wike who was the head of the council and he was able to draw up a roadmap and hands on strategies on how the party can win the election in 2019. This showed that he has enjoyed a good working relationship with the governor of the state. However, things turned sour between the two when Opara decided to pitch his tent with the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Opara and Abubakar’s relationship dates back to the years Opara spent as the speaker of the House of Representative between 1999 and 2007, when Abubakar was the Vice President of Nigeria. He decided to continue his allegiance to Abubakar despite the fact that Wike and the presidential candidate fell apart after he lost out as Abubakar’s choice of running mate. Though the party has been trying to resolve the crisis but they have not had a head way. Wike decided to extend his enmity to people who are supporting the PDP’s presidential candidate. He descended on Opara and removed him as the leader of the PDP in Port-Harcourt City Local Government Area. Not done, he went after people close to him, from his relatives to his associates in the party, clamping down on their properties and labeling some of them as oil bunkers.
Ace journalist and former publisher, Funmi CokerOnita will soon clock 70. The veteran who has paid his dues as one of the foremost members of the fourth estate of the realm will clock 70 on September 1, 2022. Onita is one of the people who created a path for celebrity journalism in Nigeria. He started a career in journalism as a reporter with Daily Times where he rose through the ranks and became Editor of Times International. He was the Editor of Prime People Magazine, one of the celebrity magazines holding sway in the 1980s before founding his own media company and magazine, Today’s Choice. The magazine was in circulation for over a decade before it was eventually rested. He ventured into media consultancy and public relations after making his mark in celebrity journalism. He also ventured into politics and became a big player in the politics of Kosofe Local Government Area where he currently Coker-Onita’slives.committee of friends, in conjunction with the Celebrity Journal Publishers Association, will be honouring him with a certificate of commendation and patronship will stage a birthday party to honour him in September.
L-R: Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun. Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen.Lucky Irabor and wife, Victoria.
Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]
Lying in state.
L-R: Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Princess Margaret Obaigbena (Nee Usifoh), mother of the Chairman of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, who died on June 16, 2022, following a brief illness, was interred at the family’s compound in Owa-Oyibu, Ika North East LGA of Delta State on August 20, 2022.
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; Margaret Emefiele and Founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia.
THEWILLNIGERIATHEWILLNGTHEWILLNIGERIAPAGE 28 AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com SHOTS OF THE WEEK
PRINCESS MARGARET OBAIGBENA (NEE USIFOH) GOES HOME…
R-L: MD, First Bank, Adesola Adeduntan; Wale Babalakin (SAN); Margaret Emefiele, wife of CBN Governor; her husband, Godwin Emefiele; Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo and Senator Kashim Ibrahim Imam. R-L: Delta State Governor and Vice Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and wife, Edith. L-R: Oskar and Wanda Ibru with Prince Nduka Obaigbena.
PAGE 29THEWILLNIGERIATHEWILLNGTHEWILLNIGERIA AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com SHOTS OF THE WEEK Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729] PRINCESS MARGARET OBAIGBENA (NEE USIFOH) GOES HOME…
L-R: Chief Press Secretary to Anambra State Governor, Christian Aburime and Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu.
L-R: Mofe Atake, SAN and Prince Nduka Obaigbena.
L-R: Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and Segun Awolowo Jr.
Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
L-R: Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori; Yomi Badejo-Okusanya and Chike Ogeah.
L-R: Senator Andy Uba; Nogie Meggison and Dakuku Peterside.
L-R: Chairman, UBA Group, Tony Elumelu; Chairman, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Founder of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia.
L-R: Senator Adetokunbo Abiru; Dr. Reuben Abati and Mr. Wale Edun.
L-R:Funke Aboyade SAN; Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo; Folake St. Mathew-Daniel and Ms. Onikepo Braithwaite.
L-R: Chief Timi Alaibe and Mr. Okunbor Osagie.
L-R: Nkiru Anumudu and Helen Prest.
The Obaigbena siblings.
Stellenbosch University Choir, Cape Town, South Africa.
THEWILLNIGERIATHEWILLNGTHEWILLNIGERIAPAGE 30 AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com SHOTS OF THE WEEK Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]
PRINCESS MARGARET OBAIGBENA (NEE USIFOH) GOES HOME…
L-R: Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Senator Lee Maeba; Dakuku Peterside and Senator Andy Uba.
Senator Tunde Ogbeha.
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (4th left); Prince Nduka Obaigbena (3rd left) and other guests.
Like the majority of international sports governing bodies, FIFA forbids outside influence on the national governing bodies. The possibility of a ban has grown increasingly real ever since the Indian Supreme Court removed the Praful Patel-led football body and established the three-member CoA to implement the National Sports Code-compliant modifications. The new National Sports Code prevented Patel, a seasoned adminstrator who had served as AIFF president for the previous 13 years, from running for reelection.
BY JUDE OBAFEMI
The suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, scheduled to take place in India on 11-30 October 2022, cannot currently be held in India as planned. FIFA is assessing the next steps with regard to the tournament and will refer the matter to the Bureau of the Council if and when necessary. FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved.”
Indian Football Crisis Putting U-17 World Cup at Risk
Now, FIFA’s opposition to having a body chosen by the Supreme Court oversee the nation’s sports is putting Indian football at risk. India’s Gokulam Kerala qualified for the AFC Women’s Club Championship for a second successive season after winning the Indian Women’s League in May. However, the Kerala-based side had to return home on the Monday that the ban was announced, from Uzbekistan because it was removed from the AFC Women’s Club Championships following the ban. The 23-member team, led by India captain Ashalata Devi, were left stranded in Tashkent for six days since arriving at the Uzbekistan capital on August 16, the day the news of the ban imposed on the AIFF by the world governing body FIFA reached India. As part of moves to have the ban removed, the Indian government made an urgent request in the Supreme Court for an early hearing to resolve the issue on August 16. The next day, the Supreme Court set the hearing on the matter for Monday (August 22) on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s request and requested the Union of India to take proactive measures to ensure holding of the Women’s U-17 World Cup and lifting the suspension on AIFF are duly achieved. Yet, there are indicators that FIFA will require before lifting it such as the Repeal of the CoA mandate in full, the restoration of full administration to the AIFF, the revision of the AIFF constitution in accordance with the requirements of FIFA and the AFC and to be approved by the AIFF general assembly without interference from any third party, the setting up of an independent electoral committee to be elected by the AIFF general assembly to run the elections of a new executive committee and due the AIFF to carry out the upcoming electoral process as per the statutory requirement while holding its elections based on the pre-existing membership structure of AIFF (i.e. state associations only).
“
AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2022 THEWILL NEWSPAPER • www.thewillnigeria.com PAGE 31THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA SportsLive
Hopefully, the parties involved can get this sorted out on time so that the U-17 World Cup, which was moved from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic can be held as scheduled and the Flamingos can continue on in the impressive pattern of Nigerian women athletes this year.
T
The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs.
It was FIFA’s reaction to decision of India’s highest court to disbanded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in May, which it followed with the appointment of a three-member committee to govern the sport. What the grouse is refers to FIFA’s culture of non-interference by government in football administration. FIFA therefore views India’s court-appointed administrators’ committee having a voice in how Indian football is handled as outside meddling and claims that having an equal number of prominent athletes and state association delegates in the electoral college is “not a prudent idea.”
Since its debut in 2008, the U-17 national teams of FIFA member associations have competed in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which, as noted above, will take place in India again this year. At least, that was the expectation before last month. With the goal of making it to the World Cup, to improve on the performance in the Jordan-hosted 2016 edition, where the Flamingos were eliminated in the first round after placing last in Group C, which also included North Korea, Brazil and England and earning just one point from its three games, the current crop of young girls, under the supervision of coach Bankole Olowookere, were determined and resilient from the start of the qualifying series to the very end for a perfect record. After missing the 2018 edition in Uruguay, there was a dedication in the team to truly represent the football chops the country has been known for on the continent in age-range Thiscompetitions.commitment was evidently displayed in two of their qualifiers. Nigeria won 5-0 against DR Congo to move on to the World Cup third qualifying round. The outcome gave the West Africans an 8-0 aggregate win after they won the opening leg 3-0 in Kinshasa on March 6. At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the Flamingoes wasted no time in scoring, with Opeyemi Ajakaye scoring as early as the fifth minute. Ajakaye quickly increased the hosts’ lead in the 14th minute by taking advantage of a defensive error by the Congolese. With the third goal scored by Oluwatunmininu Adesina in the 23rd minute, it was obviously a poor day out on the pitch for DR Congo. Doosur Atume scored the fourth goal for the Flamingoes in the 62nd minute, and Taiwo Afolabi added the last goal with two minutes remaining to seal the decisive victory. For a much stiffer test, the Flamingos were pitched against the Egyptian national side in the final tie of the third round. But the Egyptian girls received no leniency from the flamingoes. Ajakaye’s goal in the 28th minute gave the Flamingos the lead after a shaky start. The Flamingoes increased their advantage in the 38th minute, and they went into halftime with a two-goal lead. In the 54th minute, Miracle Usani of the Flamingoes blasted a low shot in for the third. Omowunmi Bello scored her second goal of the series and the fourth goal for the Flamingos by shooting past the charging Egypt goalkeeper in the 62nd minute. Ajakaye even added a fifth, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the return leg, held on the night of Saturday, April 30, at the Petrosports Stadium, Cairo, two early goals from serial goal-scorer Ajakaye and Bello sealed victory Bankole Olowookere’s girls seeing them through to the final round of the series where they met and best Ethiopia to secure their ticket to However,India.over at India, trouble was brewing and putting the World Cup hosts in jeopardy. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), which is in charge of football governance in the country, was suspended by the world football governing body, FIFA, on Monday, August 16 due to “third party” interference. The FIFA statement read: “The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.
In an effort to ameliorate the effects of the ban, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have met Indian football stakeholders and laid down a roadmap for the AIFF to change its rules by the end of July and hold elections by 15 September.
Like the majority of international sports governing bodies, FIFA forbids outside influence on the national governing bodies
he Flamingos, Nigeria’s Under-17 national female football team, were held to a goalless draw by Ethiopia in the second leg of the World Cup qualifiers played on Saturday, June 4, inside the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja, and qualified for the World Cup with a 1-0 lead on aggregate over both legs. It was a sensational qualifying run for the young girls. They had played six qualifying games and remained unbeaten during that time, scoring 15 goals without ever conceding. They therefore qualified as one of three teams to represent Africa at the October 11-30 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India. However, recent events in India have threatened the hosting of the event this year and with FIFA’s involvement there is a lasting hope that all the pending issues will be resolved before due commencement date so that the brilliant efforts the girls have put into qualifying will reap fruits on the global stage of youth football.
Without a solid educational foundation, leadership fails to gain and to improve and not only is the cur rent generation stunted in developmental indices, the next generation will have nothing to build on to stay relevant and compete favourably in the comity of nations. The poorly educated will continue to be subservient to the advanced academic competi tors. Little wonder those who know this are seeking “greener pastures” for their academic needs.
It is a fact that successive governments have under funded education and it is indisputable that funding and revitalisation of Nigerian public universities, as well as attractive pay for the lecturers, will go a long way in resolving most of the demands of ASUU.
PAGE 32 THEWILLNIGERIA THEWILLNG THEWILLNIGERIA www.thewillnigeria.com •August 28 - September 03, 2022
The lack of a desire to bring these conflicts to an end often imply that one or both sides are looking at different goals and this lack of congruence in objec tives makes it harder to reach a compromise and bring the war to an end. For the most part, a state of perpetual war is promoted by the powerful members of dominant political and economic classes, making a conscious effort to maintain their positions of eco nomic and political superiority, while the proverbial grass bears the brunt of their continuing conflicts. This is not exactly dissimilar with the current ASUU action. With barely nine months to the end of the current administration and the apparent aloofness of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, there is a feeling that ASUU is fighting a losing battle by at tempting to force the hand of what is mostly a lame duck administration to accede to their demands. There is no clear visible path towards a resolution of this impasse.
And so the Union has every right to seek to force the hand of government to see to it that education improves across the country.
There is a raging debate about “no work, no pay” further exacerbating an already implosive situation. We should focus more on negotiations so that those who do not have the luxury to attend private univer sities also have schools to go to and improve their Ilives.advise ASUU to call off the strike and return to the classrooms in good faith, even as negotiations with the government continue. Education must be treated as the essential service that it rightly is. At the re sumption of a new government, I will recommend that ASUU gets to sit down with those responsible and make reasonable demands for the resuscitation of the academic system and the overhauling of Nige ria’s tertiary education with measurable milestones to keep track of progress along the way. Clearly, this protracted industrial action is not working and it needs to be brought to an end as quickly as possible so that Nigeria’s traumatised students can return to learning.
The Nigerian tertiary education system consistently ranks poorly among universities and post-secondary school institutions worldwide. An analysis of rank
We must wake up to the reality that strikes are failing to engender progress as they should today and protracted strikes only serve to make things worse for all concerned
Those who had calculated their pros and cons for deciding to get tertiary education and who mapped out what it will cost them must, for the umpteenth time, make further adjustments to those calculations with uncertainty still hovering on the horizon.
The cause of this uncertainty is the reticent nature of ASUU’s leadership and their decision to stick to their guns and not give an inch until their de mands are met. The Union, which was founded in 1978 to cater for the interests of all academic staff in Federal and State universities in Nigeria, has had a long history of protracted industrial actions against successive governments and have over time built a resilient experience with a resolve to stick to their guns until their demands are ful Whilefilled. there are benefits to be accrued from pro tests against governments in the country that have historically shown to be unmoved by non-confron tational engagements, there is a very real danger in the concept of an unending war, or perpetual war in conflict studies. The concept refers to a lasting state of war with no clear condition or clear period of conflict cessation that would lead to its conclusion. These wars are situations of ongoing tension that may escalate at any moment, similar to the Cold War. The wars can last for a prolonged period of time and often come about when a stalemate occurs between warring sides. Such conflict situations are hard to end with a negotiated peace deal due to the different interests of the two sides and the diverging points of focus of those involved.
If after 16 strikes, since its first strike in 1988, when it protested against the extremities of the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, which led to the banning of the group on August 7, 1988, ASUU still needs to push for their demands with more strikes. We must wake up to the reality that strikes are failing to engender progress as they should today and protracted strikes only serve to make things worse for all concerned.
lack thereof, to very grave security and economic issues affecting the country are all indicative of a deep-rooted malaise that will continue to turn a blind eye to the very important issue of education.
It is, therefore, obvious that, as is the case with a perpetual war, the two sides of ASUU and the FG neither have a shared sense of the crisis nor are they looking at the progress of academic work through the same lens.
It is also important to arrest the ongoing brain drain, which is responsible for the migration of Nigeria’s best brains, students and lecturers, to countries where education is given the premium place it deserves so as to be certain about their academic Thenpursuits.there is also the sociocultural and civic benefit of a sound education. A proper education is the foundation of progress for every society and the academic system is the seed bed for every devel opmental step that a people make especially in this jet-paced 21st century.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is cur rently focused on the electioneering campaigns for the 2023 general election and Buhari’s reactions, or ings of tertiary institutions among the most influ ential and well established global rankings, such as the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World Univer sity Rankings, the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), provides evidence of the low premium the country places on academic excellence and world-class educa tion delivered by experts at the peak of their ca reers in diverse fields. Nigerian graduates are no longer highly sought after outside these shores. So, ASUU has a right to demand action to address these issues. Yet, I must call for an end to the incessant and protracted strike actions. The present Federal Government is not ready to negotiate fairly and will continue to pay lip service to the need to expedite action on resolving the crisis. Besides, given its traditional reluctance to tackle wastage in governance and close loopholes of corruption and theft, it is not cash-strapped to the point of borrowing to run the government. There is little to show that it will accede to ASUU and honestly attend to the demands of the striking lecturers. This government’s bad policy choices must not be the grounds for ASUU to drag this issue beyond the lifetime of this administration and belabour the next one with a crisis that is not of its making. The lengthy industrial action implies that the students bear the brunt of the lingering strike, with no end in sight. Most of them cannot commit to any long-term projects now because the uncertainty around the resumption of academic activities persists from one month to the other. They are losing time in the most productive stage of their lives and ASUU must not let it continue indefinitely.
From Monday, February 14 to Monday, August 29, 2022 the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will have been on strike for 196 days, which translates to six and a half months. In terms of active academic sessions, that is two semesters of continuous industrial action that can never be recovered. It will, by implication, elongate the academic programme of every student currently in school and probably stall their expected date of graduation.
ASUU Must Find Alternative to Protracted Strikes
