THEWILL NEWSPAPER, December 03, 2023

VOL 3 NO. 49 • DECEMBER

VOL 3 NO. 49 • DECEMBER

03, 2023

Shaibu’s Entry Into Edo Governorship Race And Political Implications

03, 2023

EK EWOORR EDEW EKUUED A Producer’scer’s An Actress’s Vision Vision , An ,Actres A Produ ey Passio Journs’s n, A n, A Star’s Star’s Journ Passio ey

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TH EWI LLNI GERIA

T HE W I L L N G

Intervention Funds: CBN’s Policy Shift Paves Way For BOI, DBN to Bolster Entrepreneurship Support

PHIL OSAGIE

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The Conservative Image Maker

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T HE W I L L N IG E R IA

DECEMBER 3, 2023 • VOL . 3 NO. 54

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ONDO 2024 GOVERNORSHIP:

Tinubu, Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa Battle For 'Alagbaka House'

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

Digital

Onah Nwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

E

ku Edewor has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade.

She started in Britain’s Next Top Model, then to TV show hosting and moved on to acting; now, she is producing. Eku always had a flair for producing; right from when she was a child, she and her twin sister would produce plays at home. As she grew older in university, she got her break in film while organizing a festival where she met a producer. She then got hired as a producer’s assistant, and that’s how her journey began. She didn’t go straight away into producing films; she started with commercials. In discussing the similarities between producing a film and a commercial, Edewor says, ”The creative process of films and commercials is similar; the production process, however, is a little different. In a commercial, you’re producing a very high-value short film/scene(s) that lasts a minute or a few minutes with a budget that can usually achieve most of the demands of the concept. With films, you’re producing 90-180 minutes of high-value content on a budget that is usually not adequate for the demands of the script, and you have to be creative, scrappy and pretty ingenious to figure it all out. I have shot commercials that have had the same budgets as films I’ve produced.”

On pages 8 through 10, you will find her story from actress to producer.

VOL 3 NO. 49 • DECEMBER 03, 2023

The fashion pages explore ways street style is the inspiration for high-fashion trends. You’ll find that on pages 4 and 5. While our décor page discusses minimalist designs, that’s on page 11. Don’t miss out on the movie review page, which also has a playlist. All you have to do is click on the instructions beneath the QR codes on page 16 to download the music.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

EKU EDEWOR A Producer’s Vision, An Actress’s Passion, A Star’s Journey

OnahNwachukwu @onahluciaa +2349088352246

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COVER

ONDO 2024 GOVERNORSHIP:

Tinubu, Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa Battle For 'Alagbaka House'

BY AMOS ESELE AND AYO ESAN

C

ome April 2024, about five months from now, political parties will hold primaries to choose candidates for Ondo State Governorship Election, which is coming up in November.

The ongoing political crisis within the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, following the supremacy battle between ailing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is providing the perfect platform for interested parties in the 2024 governorship to stake their claims, according to investigation by THEWILL. The interested parties are President Bola Tinubu, Governor Akeredolu and his Deputy, Aiyedatiwa and their supporters.

Ordinarily, these interested parties would still have asserted their right to pick and choose candidates for the forthcoming poll, but the current situation is weighing in favour of some over others. Here is where President Tinubu, who had been challenged since 2016 and defeated by local and Abuja-based forces to install his preferred candidate as governor, is enjoying the Ondo spectacle due to his stature as President and Commander-

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in Chief of the Armed forces, as a source puts it.

Mimiko won the election and soldiered on.

“One of the southwest states that Tinubu had a serious challenge installing a governor is Ondo. He had financially and politically backed some candidates in the past and they won, but later turned against him,” said a dependable source, “ This time around, he will get his pound of flesh as President.”

Undaunted, Tinubu played his cards in 2016. This time he decided to support Segun Abraham, one of his political protéges and an international businessman, as well as a one-time Chairman of Owena Motel under Governor Adefarati, to pick the ticket of the then brand new APC, having formed the national government in 2015.

THE TINUBU FACTOR

Aware of the opposition of the players in Abuja led

by President Muhammadu Buhari, who often felt uncomfortable with Tinubu’s claim to APC National Leadership title and Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Tinubu cut a deal with his wife and current First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

According to the source, Tinubu made several efforts in previous years, but with negligible success, to install a governor in the state. Starting from 2008 when he was seen as the leader of Southwest politics, he ‘invested’ heavily in the legal battle at the election petition tribunal that eventually threw out Governor Olusegun Agagu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and affirmed former governor, Olusegun Mimiko of the then Labour Party, LP, as the duly elected governor. But the political romance was short-lived as Tinubu and Mimiko later fell apart.

Then in 2012, Tinubu tried to pay Mimiko back in his own coin by backing Akeredolu on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to unseat Mimiko.

While Tinubu supported Abraham, Oluremi supported Senator Robert Boroffice. Akeredolu, who had fallen out with Tinubu, got Abuja’s support and was able to defeat other contestants, including Abrahams and Boroffice, at the primaries.

ZONING AND ONDO GOVERNORSHIP RACE Ondo-South is, by general consensus within the APC, the THEWILLNEWS

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

COVER

....Battle For 'Alagbaka House' next zone to produce the governor of the state.

Aiyedatiwa and Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, are both from the zone. But the Deputy Governor is from Ilaje, the largest voting catchment area in the South. The plan to impeach him was part of the game plan to get him out of the way as successor to Akeredolu, even though the governor personally chose him with that reason in mind, particularly when his first deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who hails from the same zone fell out with him in 2020 and resigned to contest the governorship election on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party and lost. The Ondo South Senatorial District is said to be the next in line to produce the next governor after Olusegun Mimiko from Central served for two terms and Governor Akeredolu from Ondo North is in his last lap in office.

But Aiyedatiwa’s current supremacy battle with Akeredolu may have put his chances of succeeding Akeredolu in jeopardy. The ailing governor and his henchmen almost got him impeached for ‘misconduct’, after getting his media aide sacked for allegedly maligning the governor, who was then recuperating in Germany.

The governor’s wife, Betty, who is one of the power brokers in the government alongside their son, Babajide, (Adviser and Director-General of Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit of the state), is said to favour Chief Oke, SAN, who is also President Tinubu’s choice, as successor to her husband. Moreover, Oke is also from Ilaje, like the current deputy governor.

ONDO 2024 STORY Aiyedatiwa, who succeeded Agboola, was said to have been recommended by Akeredolu’s wife, Betty, who wields a lot of influence in the government.

But Aiyedatiwa soon fell out with the First Lady who considered him ‘over ambitious’ and ‘desperate’ because he was accused of trying to take over from his ailing boss in acting capacity.

Because of this, he fell out of favour with the Governor’s camp leaving his governorship ambition on shaky ground.

In fact, a force led by the governor’s wife, his son, Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa and others allegedly did everything possible to stop him. This is despite the fact that the governor ‘deliberately’ did not hand over power to the deputy, in accordance with the provision of the 1999 Constitution.

The thinking is that if Akeredolu did not survive the ailment, his deputy would not stand a good chance to succeed him. In order to prevent him from emerging as a governorship candidate, his traducers have laid other accusations at his doorstep; they even went to the extent of alleging that he molested his wife, an allegation which he denied.

Party stalwarts from Ondo South Senatorial District who are eying the governorship, come 2024, are also involved in the web of intrigue surrounding the contest for the governorship. Prominent among them are the Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa; the Senator representing Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim; running mate to Akeredolu in the 2012 governorship election, Paul Akintelure and National Vice Chairman APC Southwest zone, Isaac Kekemeke.

These aspirants are courting the favour of the governor through his wife and son, while some of them are also courting the president.

For now, Mr. Olusola Oke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one-time National Legal Adviser of the PDP, before he defected to ACN in 2012 when he contested for the APC governorship ticket but was prevailed upon to step down for Akeredolu, former NDDC Commissioner in 2001 and Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, OSOPADEC, pulled some surprises with his performance at the 2016 primaries. He THEWILLNEWS

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lost, but his performance and CV made an impression on Tinubu.

“Of all the potential candidates for Ondo 2024, Oke appears to have the President’s attention,” said a party source.

He is said to come from the zone where the governing party is likely to zone the governorship in 2014.

THE BACKGROUND The crisis in Ondo started in June 2023, when Akeredolu went on a medical vacation to Germany when he took ill and failed to transmit power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa, in an “acting capacity,” pending his return to the country.

During his stay in Germany for treatment, Governor Akeredolu’s health was rumoured to have worsened and some powerful people in the government fingered the media crew of the deputy governor as being responsible for spreading the rumour.

Akeredolu returned to the country in September and officially wrote to the State House of Assembly, informing it of his resumption. A copy of his letter to the lawmakers was also forwarded to Aiyedatiwa, thus relieving him of his position as acting governor.

But since his arrival in September, Akeredolu has been staying in his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State recuperating and performing his duty as governor from there. His absence has sparked some protests and debates about the constitutionality of his actions.

His managers are said to have been forced to bring him home to prevent a public backlash against his long stay in Germany as he is said to be physically unfit to withstand the strain of his office.

But his continued absence from office in the last five months and failure on his part to transmit power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa, since he returned to the country in September, has polarised the Sunshine state into many camps and heated up the polity.

Governor Akeredolu’s failing health and his inability to transmit power to Aiyedatiwa have combined to put governance in Ondo state on auto-pilot at the moment, further dividing many interest groups.

Tension is currently running high in Ondo State as many groups and the main opposition party, the PDP are constantly protesting the governor’s absence in the state.

“

One of the southwest states that Tinubu had a serious challenge installing a governor is Ondo.

He had financially and politically backed some candidates in the past and they won, but later turned against him,” said a dependable source, “ This time around, he will get his pound of flesh as President

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The groups, under the aegis of PDP Forever Initiative, led by its National Coordinator, Obande Gideon Obande, threatened to occupy Governor’s Office should he (Akeredolu) fail to heed the 72-hour ultimatum. Disturbed over what they called leadership vacuum created by the absence of Akeredolu from office, the groups asked that his deputy should be fully empowered to run the affairs of the state.

At one end, there was a civil society group, the Incorporated Trustees of Liberate Foundation International, which sued the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa and 20 members of the State Executive Council, seeking an order from the court to declare Governor Akeredolu incapable of discharging the functions of his office on the ground of serious ill-health.

The legal action, according to the group, is sequel to the governor’s absence from office since May 17, 2023 till date without any particular date of his return to office in sight.

Alarmed at this development, the majority of the State Executive Council on Thursday, November 16, 2023 passed a vote of confidence on the governor.

The cabinet members, in a communiqué, promised to continue to support the governor in his drive towards ensuring the development of the state.

However, different groups are protesting daily and calling for the resignation of Governor Akeredolu.

At this point, the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti and other elders in Ondo State waded into the feud between the governor and his deputy and appealed to President Tinubu to intervene.

Ondo elders urged President Tinubu to end “the current constitutional crisis in the state, to avoid the looming breakdown of law and order,” according to Pa Fasoranti after an emergency meeting held in his Akure home, attended by traditional, religious and professional leaders, market women, the academia and other notable stakeholders.

President Tinubu on Friday, November 22, 2023 waded into the matter and persuaded the opposing factions to embrace peace and maintain the status quo. He urged the lawmakers to refrain from any impeachment move against the deputy governor, and the deputy governor to rise above partisanship and embrace all groups and shades of opinion in the state.

Responding, Aiyedatiwa pledged to carry all commissioners and officials along in the handling of the state’s affairs, just as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Olamide, resolved to halt all impeachment moves against Aiyedatiwa over alleged misconduct.

These resolutions came after nearly six hours of deliberations presided over by the President and attended by state officials, including party officials and members who converged on the Presidential Villa, Abuja, until late Friday, November 29,2023, night.

The Deputy Governor, who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the warring factions said, “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go just as the President has advised us.”

The Ondo House of Assembly and the Speaker, Oladiji, withdrew their appeal challenging the decision of the Federal High Court stopping the moves to remove Aiyedatiwa from office. But they vowed not to support him in acting capacity as governor, a status quo that favours the many political interests ahead of 2024 polls.

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NEWS

L-R: Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Chairman, Senate Services Committee, Sunday Karimi; Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau; President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and the Commandant, Nigeria Defence College, Rear Admiral Muyiwa Olotu, during a courtesy call on the President of the Senate, on November 30, 2023

I've Petitioned NJC For Nigeria, Germany Sign Guiterres Appoints Pact to Accelerate PPI Ahonsi as UN Resident Review of Judgements Project Implementation Coordinator in Türkiye – Plateau PDP Chairman

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resident Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Friday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, witnessed the signing of an accelerated performance agreement aimed at expediting the implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to improve electricity supply in Nigeria.

The agreement, consummated on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit, was signed by Mr Kenny Anuwe, the Managing Director and CEO of FGN Power Company and Ms Nadja Haakansson, Siemens Energy's Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa.

The PPI, formerly known as the Nigeria Electrification Roadmap Initiative, was the outcome of the visit of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Abuja in August 2018.

An agreement was signed between the governments of Nigeria and Germany in 2019 to improve the power sector.

President Bola Tinubu, since assuming office, has consistently advocated the accelerated realisation and expansion of the PPI. To achieve this, the project has been a major focal point in three rounds of bilateral discussions at several meetings between the President and the German Chancellor, in New Delhi, Abuja and Berlin.

Signed on Friday, the agreement will see to the end-toend modernisation and expansion of Nigeria's electric power transmission grid with the full supply, delivery and installation of Siemens-manufactured equipment under a timeline of 18 to 24 months.

The agreement will also ensure project sustainability and maintenance with full technology transfer and training for Nigerian engineers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

Speaking after the signing ceremony in Dubai, Managing Director of the FGN Power Company, Mr Kenny Anuwe, highlighted Siemens Energy's effective delivery of crucial equipment worth over 63 million Euros to the country since the project commenced. This includes 10 units of 132/33 KV mobile substations, 3 units of 75/100 MVA transformers, and 7 units of 60/66 MVA transformers, currently being installed by FGN Power Company at various sites across Nigeria.

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BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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he United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has appointed Mr Babatunde A. Ahonsi of Nigeria, as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, with the host Government’s approval.

Ahonsi has 26 years of experience in international development acquired inside and outside the United Nations.

Prior to his current appointment, he served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone, where he coordinated and facilitated the UN’s operational activities for development in the country.

During his tenure, he has led the UN country team and ensured system-wide accountability on the ground for the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. He has also coordinated UN support to Sierra Leone in its implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the UN Secretary General’s Prevention Agenda.

Prior to this, he served UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in China from June-September 2020. In addition, he served as UNFPA Representative in China/Country Director for Mongolia from January 2017-June 2020, and as UNFPA Representative in Ghana from 20142016.

Between 1997 and 2014, he held senior management positions with the Ford Foundation (covering West Africa) and Population Council (covering Nigeria) overseeing reproductive health, women’s empowerment, and youth development programmes and initiatives. He had also lectured at federal universities in Ilorin, Calabar, and Lagos, Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s.

Mr Ahonsi holds a BSc (First Class Honors) degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and a Ph.D in Population Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, England.

FROM UKANDI ODEY, JOS

T

he Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Plateau State chapter, Hon Chris Hassan, has disclosed that he has written to the National Judicial Council of Nigeria to seek a review of the of the judgements of the Appeal Court in respect of appeals arising from the verdicts of the elections petitions that sat in Plateau State.

Saying that he could not have afforded not to take such a step, Hassan insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party has the best and most entrenched ‘structures’ of all the political parties in Nigeria, and the court and the justices were misled into taking the wrong decisions and arrive at verdicts that did not truly bear justice.

Hassan noted that the PDP in Plateau complied with the Justice Gang court order that invalidated the state congresses of 2020. He said in compliance with the Justice Gang Court order, the Plateau State PDP held a fresh congress on September 25, 2021, after which the major contender for the Party chairmanship who was the petitioner in the suit that won the 2020 Justice Gang Court order for fresh congress, Bitrus Kaze, accepted the outcome and congratulated the winners.

Hassan narrated that thence forth, not even Kaze or any other member of the Party has gone to Court to challenge, in part or whole, the conduct and outcome of that congress, and to that extent, there is no court order burdening that congress.

He therefore wondered how the Appeal Court relied on a non-existing court order to cite and plead “disobedience” of Court order and give a verdict that is actually standing on nothing.

Hassan said it also became necessary to petition the NJC because Plateau State was singled out for peculiar treatment as the judiciary curiously adopted a dedicated panel to handle all the thirty seven (37) cases related to Plateau, while it was flexible in the manner it assigned the cases from other states to various panels simultaneously.

The Appeal Court dedicated panel, relying of the contentious claim of “no structure”, upturned the victories of all the PDP National Assembly members, State House of Assembly members, and even invoked the same ground to invalidate the election of Governor Mutfwang which is now before the Supreme Court for superior advocacy and adjudication.

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NEWS

L-R: Chairman, Power Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (PICAN), Obas Esiedesa; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency, Assiebel Utsu; Director, Media Public Relations, Ministry of Power, Mrs Flourence Eke; Special Adviser on Media to the Minister, Bolaji Tunji and Head Communication Department, Niger/Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Ajah Okoro, during the 3rd Edition of Power Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria Annual Workshop in Abuja on November 30, 2023.

Christmas: Owerri Residents Lament Rising Cost of Living

BY SAMPSON UHUEGBU

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hristmas is around the corner. As always, Nigerians are expected to literally roll out the proverbial drums and celebrate. Unfortunately this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations may be low-key or outrightly uneventful, if not dry, if the current prices of goods and services continue to rise in Owerri, capital of Imo State and other parts of the country.

The situation has worsened amid speculation that the pump price of petrol will be increased before the end of December 2023. It has left many anxious and feeling that the Yuletide could be marred by such challenges unless the Federal Government does something to ease the burden on the residents of the city.

Less than a month to Christmas, a litre of fuel now sells at N680. While some petrol filling stations in Owerri are dispensing fuel at N700 per litre, house rents, the prices of foodstuff, the cost of transportation and other goods and services have risen very high, despite public outcries and calls to the federal and state governments to address the issue.

THEWILL investigation showed that at the Douglas Road, Relief, Orji, World Bank and Ekeonunwa markets, there was panic buying of bags of rice, beans, cartons of Indomie noodles, condiments for stew or soup and other food items by residents.

In an interview with a commercial motorcyclist who operates around the Orji Flyover Bridge, Mr Nnawugo Anyanwu, told our reporter that the increase in the pump price of petrol has made him to double the fare he charges from passengers depending, according to him, on the destination.

A housewife, Mrs. Augustina Gbazie, who spoke on how she would celebrate Christmas with her family, said she was worried about current hike on goods in the market.

Gbazie also told our correspondent that she believed this year's Christmas may not be exciting as a result of the hard times. Her family could barely make ends meet. Her husband, who is the breadwinner, has been struggling hard to feed and provide other needs of the family.

•Continues online at www.thewillnews.com THEWILLNEWS

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Boko Haram: 50% Of People Fake US Military Officer, One Other Bag Jail Terms in Kaduna In N'East Suffering Mental Health Illness – APN

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he Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has convicted a fake United States military officer, Zulayman Haruna, for Internet fraud.

A press statement by Dele Oyewale, Head, Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, said Haruna was convicted on Wednesday, on a one-count charge of falsely presenting himself as Mariee Guerrero, a white female military personnel, to many unsuspecting victims on Facebook in order to cheat them.

The statement reads: "Justice A. A Bello of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on Wednesday, November 30, 2023, convicted and sentenced a fake United States military officer, Zulayman Haruna, to two years imprisonment.

"He was jailed after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of internet fraud upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. "The one-count charge reads: That you Zulayman Haruna (a.k.a Mariee Guerrero) between January and October 2023 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, attempted to commit an offence and in such an attempt did a certain act towards the commission of the said offence, to wit: falsely presented yourself as Mariee Guerrero, a white female military personnel, to one Greg and other several unsuspecting victims on Facebook (a social media application) in order to cheat them and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law. "He pleaded guilty to the charge upon which prosecution counsel, E. K Garba, urged the court to convict him accordingly.

"Justice Bello convicted and sentenced Haruna to two years imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only). He also forfeited an iPhone X, which was the tool of the crime, to the Federal Government through the EFCC. "Similarly, Justice A. A Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has sentenced Didam Jesse to two years imprisonment.

"He was jailed after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of cheating by impersonation upon being arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

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BY LADI DAPSON, MAIDUGURI

T

he Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has said about 50 per cent of people living in the northeast region are suffering from mental health illness due to prolonged insurgency and economic hardships currently bedevilling the country.

APN President, Prof. Taiwo James Obindo, disclosed this during the 54th Annual General Meeting held in Maiduguri on Friday, with the theme, "National Mental Health Reform; Prospect and Strategy of Implementation of the National Mental Health Act 2021."

Prof. Taiwo noted that many of the populace required basic mental health services that could not be afforded due to their economic status.

He also decried the alarming rate of mental illness due to multiple dimensions including kidnapping, unemployment, underemployment, loss of lives, insecurity and economic hardships in the country.

"The high sycophant substances have increased mental health numbers. The factors we have now can make someone have mental health illness. I think it is important to appreciate those who offer psycho-social support intervention to people who are being displaced by the insurgency.

"It is about 25 per cent as of 2006 but with insurgency, kidnapping and all forms of insecurity, the figure has increased but when we look at the northeast we should be talking of 50 per cent of the populace.

"When we look at the figure we can be sure of more than a decade of insurgency; it could be up to 50 per cent."

He said the pre-conference medical outreach by the APN reached 500 patients, who were attended to and benefited the host community in Maiduguri.

"We treated a total of 500 patients with all different kinds of illness. If we had more time you can be sure over 5,000 would be reached. We were able to see quite a set of patients," Prof Taiwo.

He urged governments to ensure adequate training is given to medical students, resident doctors and other specialists.

Speaking, the Medical Director of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, Dr Ibrahim Abdu Wakawa, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the APN for making this year's conference a success.

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POLITICS

Shaibu’s Entry Into Edo Governorship Race And Political Implications

BY AYO ESAN

E

do State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, last Monday formally entered the 2024 governorship election in the state as he publicly declared his intention. He said he would contest under the banner of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Describing himself as a “100 percent Home Boy”, an allusion to the clamour that the next governor of the state must be someone who knows the state very well, and not someone ‘imported’, a veiled reference to the touted candidate of Governor Obaseki, Asue Ighodalo,

of governance, being familiar with the nook and cranny of the state.

Shaibu is going into the race, determined to confront his principal and Governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, who is not in support of his ambition. He alluded to his political travails in the last couple of months, especially, and declared that he remained unbowed, even as he forged ahead against Obaseki’s unfavourable disposition.

Opposition to Ighodalo has been fueled by claims that he is unknown in Edo State, a narrative that Shaibu has since advanced by declaring himself the homeboy who does not need to learn the ropes

Others are skills development and job creation, healthcare, social welfare system, agriculture, rural development, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and transparent governance.

The signs of what will come in the state emerged when Shaibu’s public declaration, which was earlier scheduled to take place at Eterno Hotels in Government Reserved Area (GRA), Benin City, was shifted late Sunday night when information filtered in that one of the Governor Obaseki’s support groups, “Obaseki Ending Well,” also scheduled an event at the same venue on Monday.

The development forced Shaibu to look for an alternative venue and he chose the sacred ground of a Catholic Church in Benin City, the state capital.

Addressing his supporters at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Central, the new venue, Shaibu said that despite his predicament, his antecedents in the struggle for democracy were part of the propelling factors for him to move on to actualise his ambition.

“

Addressing his supporters at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Central, the new venue, Shaibu said that despite his predicament, his antecedents in the struggle for democracy were part of the propelling factors for him to move on to actualise his ambition

Shaibu hinged his campaign on five pillars: Infrastructural development, economic diversification, education and sports.

He said that while working closely with Obaseki in the past seven years, a solid foundation for progress had been laid in the state.

“Under our administration, we have seen remarkable achievements and milestones, but there is still much work to be done. I am aware of the need by the greater Edo people for a more inclusive government, a government of the Edo people, by the Edo people, and for the Edo people,” he added.

Speaking on what to expect from his administration if he wins the election, Shaibu said that his administration would be “a government of individuals who have been there, who know the pains and wishes of an average Edolite.”

He said that under his supervision, the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), grew impressively, which he attributed to the introduction of digital and cutting-edge ideas.

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

POLITICS

...Governorship Race And Political Implications “Back in the day, you didn’t just call me ‘Mr Constituency Project’ for nothing. In my time as a legislator, I delivered 49 constituency projects at the state level and 13 solid constituency projects within my short stint at the federal level.

They have however observed that despite this, he has not been able to deliver for the PDP in elections.

Other PDP leaders from that district include Chief Mike Ogiadomhe and Chief Dan Orbih, among others.

“I have fought the good fight for you my people, along the way, suffered humiliations and enjoyed many moments of victory, but I am thankful in all things.

I have been pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, badly hurt but not destroyed. I resonate with the tireless and irrepressible spirit of the Edo people. By the grace of God, nothing and no one can stop us. After all, I be original Edo son; your 100 percent home boy.

Speaking with THEWILL, a political commentator based in Benin City, Mike Obakume said, “Shaibu is too desperate. He was said to have started the preparation for his governorship ambition immediately after the 2023 presidential election by forming a campaign group in all the wards across the state.

“Oshiomhole who handed over to Obaseki is from Etsako West. Shaibu is also from the same local government area. How does he think it would be proper politically for him to succeed Obaseki? What then happens to the other local government areas in Edo North and Edo Central thave have never tasted power?”

“This is why today, I stand before you with great conviction and resolve, as I declare my intention to run for the office of governor of Edo State under the platform of the PDP in the upcoming 2024 election,” he said.

In his first official reaction to the Shaibu declaration for the governorship race, the Governor Obaseki, declared on Thursday that his deputy, Philip Shuaibu, is free to contest the state governorship in 2024.

But, while reacting to the issue of zoning, Shaibu said Governor Obaseki was not in the best position to preach zoning ahead of the 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

Obaseki, who asserted that Shaibu had the constitutional right to do so, said nobody had a right to discourage the deputy governor.

He gave the variety of ethnic representations in his office as against what he said operates in Obaseki’s Government House as an example of the governor’s ethnic prejudice.

He, however, sidestepped the question of whether he would support Shaibu, saying his lone vote could not determine the latter’s fate.

Obaseki spoke to journalists in Bauchi at the end of a closed-door meeting with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

Political Implication of Shaibu’s Declaration The first implication of Shaibu’s declaration for governorship is that there is going to be a clash between him and Governor Obaseki.

It would be recalled that there was a feud between the duo and before it was resolved, Shaibu approached the court to stop what he called the plan by his principal to impeach him.

Not only did the crisis between them degenerate into a court case, Obaseki also relocated Shaibu’s office out of Government House.

The feud was later resolved after Shaibu publicly apologised to the governor.

But from what he said at the declaration, Shaibu has dared his boss and said nobody could disturb him from realizing his ambition to rule the state.

Now political analysts are foreseeing a repeat of the hostility between the governor and his deputy.

It was gathered that Shaibu’s ambition did not get the blessing of his principal who is backing another aspirant, even though he said openly that the deputy governor is free to contest the governorship election.

From the governor’s end, his supporters claimed that he concluded that the governorship would be zoned out of Edo North Senatorial District based on THEWILLNEWS

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“

But from what he said at the declaration, Shaibu has dared his boss and said nobody could disturb him from realizing his ambition to rule the state

the argument that his estranged predecessor who is now a senator, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Shaibu are both from that area and he seemed to be favouring Edo Central Senatorial District.

It was further argued that Governor Obaseki feels that if by any chance the governorship goes to Edo North, it should not be Etsako West where Oshiomhole and Shaibu come from.

Aside Etsako West, there are Etsako East, Etsako Central, Owan West, Owan East and Akoko-Edo as the other local government areas that make up Edo North Senatorial District.

As a loyal deputy, Shaibu had enjoyed so much support from Obaseki that at a point he was seen as the most influential deputy governor in the country.

This has earned him several awards, especially in the area of sports which the governor had given him freely to handle. It was gathered that Obaseki was miffed at his ambition.

Political analysts believe that Shaibu has a grip on the politics in Edo North as until the last feud between him and Obaseki, he was solely in charge of all appointments from Edo North .

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Further, he said that if Obaseki from Edo South believed in zoning, he should not have contested the 2016 governorship election when ordinarily it should have been the turn of Edo Central after stints

by Edo South through Lucky Igbinedion and Adams Oshiomhole in Edo North.

Rebuffing the claims on zoning, Shaibu said: “It is only in my office that you have fairness, you have Esan, Benin, Owan, Etsako and even Igbo and Yoruba. Go to any office in Government House, you won’t find that fairness and equity that is being preached,” Shaibu said in an interview on Arise News Television.

Noting that Obaseki lacks the moral gravitas to talk on zoning, having taken the turn of Edo Central in 2016, he added: “Equity and fairness means that in 2016, Edo Central should have been governor, not Godwin Obaseki and Philip Shaibu. So, if you want to talk about equity and fairness, in 2016 it should have been Esan’s turn, not the turn of the governor now.

So, if the governor is talking about fairness, it should have been 2016 not 2024.” Shaibu said that Edo North has also never produced a PDP governorship candidate: “Edo North is the only senatorial district that the PDP has not given a ticket since 1999. So, when you are talking about equity, fairness and justice, the only senatorial district that has not been given ticket is Edo North.”

“The governor has told him that it is not time for politics so that governance does not suffer. He maintains that at the appropriate time, attention will be given to politics, but he is not ready for that and wants governance to be abandoned for politics.”

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

POLITICS

Controversial Judgments: More Knocks For Judiciary

BY AYO ESAN

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his is not the best of times for the Judiciary as it has come under severe criticism from eminent Nigerians, following the controversies that trailed some of the judgments at Election Petition Tribunals and the Court of Appeal in the consideration of cases arising from the last governorship elections.

So, any pronouncement from our courts must be infallible. But, when people begin to question the judgement of a particular court, it shows that there is crisis in the polity. And this is totally unacceptable in Nigeria of 2023

The most controversial of these cases is the one involving the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf who was the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) against the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasiru Gawuna.

In its ruling, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed Yusuf’s appeal and affirmed the judgement of the tribunal which nullified his election.

However, the Certified True Copy (CTC) that emerged from the same court gave victory to Yusuf and awarded the sum of N1million as cost to Yusuf and his party.

In reaction to the double judgement, the Registrar of the Court of Appeal said it was a mere typographical error. But the lawyers to the NNPP disagreed with the court. .

And this is totally unacceptable in Nigeria of 2023.

The Lagos PDP Elders after its meeting in Lagos noted that the political situation in the country had reached a critical point. In a communiqué prepared by 33 elders, including former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele and read by a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, the PDP Elders said, “What is oozing from the third arm of government in the world's most populous black nation is offensive to millions of Nigerians. And when the judiciary is compromised, one way or the other, in a democratic system, then democracy is gone.”

“The judiciary, recently, and to the embarrassment of millions of Nigerians, has not lived above board. There are many conflicting judgements from courts of coordinate jurisdiction that Nigerians begin to wonder: “What exactly is going on?

“There was this popular saying from the 1950s to 1980s in Yorubaland 'orun ke niwaju Adajo' (you dare not sleep before a judge).

“Those were the glorious years in Nigerian judiciary when judges were judges, but what do we have today?”

George said that many Nigerians believe that members of the Executive and Legislature are already living in a different planet. So, they see the judiciary as the last 'Estate' standing in the 'Realm'.

The highly respected Justice Niki Tobi once said: “a Judge by the nature of his position and professional calling, is expected to be straight forward, upright, diligent, consistent and open in whatever he does in court and in other places of human endeavour that he happens to find himself. This is because his character as a Judge is public property.”

“In Nigeria, there are hundreds of judges upholding the sanctity of the judiciary. They not only give judgements, but they deliver Justice. Nigerians still believe in them.

“But, because of conflicting and contradictory judgements coming from a few, the belief of many Nigerians in the judiciary is understandably shaken. And this is worrisome because if the people don't believe in the Third Arm of Government anymore, anarchy looms.

“What do we have in the country today? Some courts constantly come to the rescue of selected political elite, either in political or criminal cases.

Speaking at the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Paris, France, recently, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Olumide Akpata, lamented that only by sheer luck will the Nigerian judiciary produce a good judge.

“Today, many Nigerians point to some corrupt judges who escape unscathed to enjoy their ill-gotten wealth because the system is weak or compromised to do proper investigation.

“We now have a situation in which courageous judges who refuse to do the biddings of the 'powers that be' are accused of being corrupt and forced to resign. What an irony!

“In his lamentations, he said: "The country is under judiciary capture. When I was a statutory member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) (the body saddled with the responsibilities of recruiting and disciplining erring judges in Nigeria), I found out that politicians were desperate to pocket the judiciary. It is deliberate and intentional. And it is achieving results for them.

“In many political cases, millions of people believe, and rightly so, that some judges deliver judgements, NOT justice.

“Eminent Nigerians knew the judicial and justice system in the country during the days of former Chief Justices of Nigeria, such as Justice Stafford Foster Sutton (1955 – 1958), Justice Adetokunbo Ademola (1958 – 1972), Justice Teslim Olawale Elias (1972 – 1975), Justice Darnley Arthur Alexander (1975 – 1979), Justice Atanda Fatai Williams (1979 – 1983), Justice Gabriel Ayo Irikefe (1985 – 1987) and Justice Muhammed Bello (1987 – 1995), the first Northerner to become Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“What of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and Justice Kayode Eso? These are legal giants who stood their grounds against any form of victimisation or unnecessary manoeuvre from the executive branch of government. You dared not look at their faces or even try to bribe them.

“So, the questions being asked today are, among others: 'What exactly is the problem of the judiciary? Where did we get it wrong? Why is it difficult for the judiciary to assert its control over politicians and political parties? Why are technicalities being used to affirm electoral heists and in the process, undermine the will of the people and silence them? What is the meaning of a 'typographical error' when

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“Embarrassingly, there are now incessant conflicting exparte orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

a judgement had already been delivered? Is it, according to some Nigerians, that the 'real' judgement was pushed aside and another read which has now led to a 'typographical error'?

“In justice delivery and matter of life and death, judges are next to God. That is why anything that comes from the court is final, especially from the apex court in the land the Supreme Court. There is nowhere to go again after the Supreme Court says YES or NO on a matter before it. It is the final bus stop.

“So, any pronouncement from our courts must be infallible.

But, when people begin to question the judgement of a particular court, it shows that there is crisis in the polity.

“Many Nigerians see this as a cankerworm affecting the Judiciary. Stories of millions of dollars now fly around, especially in political cases.

“Sadly, some politicians now use the court as a shield and the highest political bidders are recklessly granted favourable orders.

A few weeks ago, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Musa Muhammad Dattijo, took the judiciary to the cleaners.

Nobody could have exposed the rot in the Third arm of government better than the septuagenarian jurist. What a shame!

“Obviously, the unholy alliances between some politicians and judges are dangerous to our democracy.

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

POLITICS NEWS

L-R: Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Brigadier-General Muktar Adamu; General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2nd Division of the Nigeria Army, MajorGeneral Bamidele Alabi; Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji; Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, BrigadierGeneral Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd); and Col. J.N Garba of the 32 Artillery Brigade; during a visit to the Governor in Ado- Ekiti… on Thursday.

Continuous Use of Technology Will Improve Our Electoral System – Agu AYO ESAN

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he Chairman, Board of Trustees, Abuja Literacy Society, Architect Ferdinand Agu has said that if the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) persists in the usage of technology to drive the country’s electoral system, it will get it right in future elections.

Agu who made this known while delivering a lecture titled ; ‘Leveraging Technology in Leadership’ at this year’s annual induction and award of Fellowship of the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute in Lagos said INEC should follow the example of financial institutions which he said persist in the usage of technology in its cashless policy that is already yielding fruits.

Agu who said the use of technology is so important for any successful activity nowadays said INEC raised people’s hope when it promised to use technology in the 2023 elections.

He said Nigerians were however shocked at what happened during the election.

“Look at INEC in the last election. Eight years ago, INEC introduced what are called card readers. Some people complained that it suppressed votes in some places, but Nigerians bought into it. This is a very popular idea to leverage technology in something that affects all Nigerians.

“Eight years down the road, the National Assembly allocated

Continued from page 12

..More Knocks For Judiciary “Millions of people will come out on the day of election, queue, collect ballot papers, cast their votes for their preferred candidates, the results will be announced and everybody will jubilate only for three, five or seven judges to upturn the popular will of the people. What an affront.

“Pitiably, we now have a situation in which politicians who did not participate in party primaries are affirmed by the judiciary as candidates because of 'technicalities'.

“That is why Nigerians strongly believe that some members of the executive suppress and intimidate judges, just to get favourable judgements.

Electoral verdict should be the sole responsibility of the electorate, but it has now been turned upside down. It is now "government of the judiciary, by THEWILLNEWS

the judiciary, for the judiciary".

to tell us who the winners are.

“Democracy should be about the people, exercising their fundamental human rights, not being goaded, as we are presently witnessing. Now, Judges select who should be members of House of Representatives, Senators, Governors and even the President.

What kind of electoral system are we running that all vices, electoral crimes, defects and manipulations cannot be checked before the general elections?

“This is not good for the polity. This is not good for Nigeria. This is not good for our electoral system. A compromised judiciary is dangerous.

Something urgent must be done to stop this malady.”

“It is our belief that the best the judiciary must do in political cases is to adjudicate and where there are discrepancies, order for a rerun without giving victory to party A or B. “In our opinion, it is wrong to remove the power of the electorate to elect political leaders and for the judiciary

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Also the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Group , Afenifere in its State of the Nation message said Nigerians are losing confidence in the judiciary.

Rising from its monthly meeting at Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, the group in a communiqué signed by its national leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, lamented that it has serious implications for the country.

•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

billions of Naira and they tried it in some states. INEC assured us, everybody was expectant. On the day of the election what happened is known to everybody.

“All of a sudden our best chance to leverage technology in leadership on one issue that virtually affects all Nigerians collapsed.

“Our problem is not in the private sector, it is in the public sector, when we talk of application of technology.

“If you remember, the former Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi popularized the cashless system. It is still an ongoing thing. It Looks very inconvenient but if we look back now, that should be the most consequential action of Sanusi as CBN Governor because gradually and steadily we are moving into a cashless economy. Despite the challenges that it produced, somehow the people driving it persist.

“So what I am saying is that if INEC can do what the financial institutions did, despite the initial problem of cashless. If INEC persists, then it will get it right. It is possible, don’t let despair.

“Don’t let us continue to say Nigeria cannot grow, Nigeria can’t improve. We have no option because technology and leadership as well as progress go hand in hand”, Agu said.

“You cannot be an effective Chief Executive Officer without leveraging on technology .The problem of leadership not leveraging on technology is more pronounced in the country’s public institutions.

“In corporate sector, Nigeria produces many leaders, be it in banking, educational or health sectors. Each of those leaders doesn’t need us to lecture them on how to leverage on technology. Their enterprises are growing because they have leverage on technology”, Agu said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, Dr Nathan Obasi said he is happy with the progress being made by the institute as most of their members are now occupying leadership positions across the country.

“In this outgoing 2023, the institute enjoyed greater visibility than the past years. In this year , our President/ Chairman was appointed Vice Chancellor of a well established Private university, our member was elected into the House of Representatives, other members were appointed into

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EDITORIAL

DECEMBER 3, 2023 WWW.THEWILLNEWS.COM

Sustaining Campaign Against HIV/AIDS For decades, the global response to HIV/AIDS has been driven by governments, international organisations and healthcare professionals.

While their efforts have been commendable, it is time to recognise the pivotal role that communities play in shaping the response to this epidemic.

Communities should be at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and their leadership is crucial in achieving our goals of prevention, treatment and support 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@thewillnews.com

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he World AIDS Day 2023 was marked across the globe on Friday, December 1, with a charge on communities to lead the campaign against HIV/AIDS. Headlining the commemoration of the day with different enlightenment activities was the World Health Organisation (WHO) with communities and partners who focused their actions on the theme for this year, “Let communities lead.”

The message to communities living with and affected by HIV, networks of people from key populations and youth leaders across the world has always been centred on the need for the continuation of efforts to ensure progress in the HIV response. The message continued this year as stakeholders were encouraged to ensure that everyone, everywhere has equal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

The World AIDS Day was also marked in Nigeria with activities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with enlightenment campaigns, seminars and road shows targeted at encouraging care and concern, as well as equal access to treatment for those infected with HIV/AIDS. WHO estimates that globally, 39.0 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2022 while an estimated 0.7 per cent of adults aged 15–49 years worldwide are living with HIV. While the burden of the epidemic continues to vary considerably between countries and regions, the 2019 Nigeria National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact

Survey puts the number of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the country as at 2018 at 1.9 million though HIV and AIDS are far more prevalent among people in prisons and high-risk drug users, especially with people who inject drugs (PWIDs).

A similar survey by Statisca also indicated that in 2021, 1.9 million people in Nigeria were living with HIV with women being the most affected group, with 1.1m individuals just as the number of children up to age 14 who were HIV positive was put at 170,000.

Nigeria's First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, Friday, also joined in lending her voice to the fight against HIV/AIDS as she maintained that the fight against HIV/ AIDS can only be won with the active involvement of leaders of various communities. Mrs Tinubu spoke in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, at an event to commemorate the 2023 World AIDS Day organised by the First Lady of Zimbabwe, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, ahead of the 22nd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STI in Africa (ICASA).

Decrying the recent statistics released by the UNAIDS, which revealed that in 2022 there were about 1.5million new infections on the African continent, at the event which had participants from the United Nations and other sister agencies, Mrs Tinubu stressed the need to scale up advocacy and education about the pandemic.

“For decades, the global response to HIV/AIDS has been driven by

governments, international organisations and healthcare professionals. While their efforts have been commendable, it is time to recognise the pivotal role that communities play in shaping the response to this epidemic.

“Communities should be at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS, and their leadership is crucial in achieving our goals of prevention, treatment and support,” Mrs Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Senior Special Adviser to the First Lady, Mrs Busola Kukoyi, on Friday in Zimbabwe.

While we commend the First Lady for her efforts to complement that of other advocates on this important occasion, we are still saddened that despite the significant progress made over the past decades, the global HIV/AIDS response is still facing serious threats.

The threats include insufficient funding, dangerously high rates of 1.3 million new HIV transmissions annually, an estimated 630,000 deaths each year and responses not being prioritised highly enough, particularly in lower-income countries.

We are therefore glad that other NonGovernmental Organisations, such as AHF Nigeria and others are still sounding the message loud and clear that the fight is not yet over. With AHF Nigeria actively and happily playing a supporting role to support the effort of the Nigerian Government through NACA and the Federal Ministry of Health, we have no doubt that the fight to end AIDS by 2030 is achievable.

THEWILL NEWSPAPER TEAM Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Business Editor – Sam Diala

Photo Editor – Peace Udugba

Austyn Ogannah

Copy Editor – Chux Ohai

Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph

Editor – Olaolu Olusina

Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata

Deputy Editor – Amos Esele

Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu

Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh

Politics Editor – Ayo Esan

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Guest Art Director – Sunny Hughes

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OPINION

DECEMBER 3, 2023 WWW.THEWILLNEWS.COM

Tinubunomics And Revenue Generation From Expatriates’ Employment

BY DIEKOLA MODUPE

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he media is somewhat awash with reports about broadening the government’s income base.

It is commonsensical to grow inflow, flowing from the extant, age-old, and probably weatherbeaten desire to diversify the nation’s revenue source from oil. Agriculture, steel development, manufacturing, mining and quarrying have, among other sectors, been proposed as future major determiners of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In recent times, it has been partly pursuant to the promise of the Bola Tinubu administration to advance the GDP to one of a trillion-dollar economy in another seven years. While most of these plans are long-term, the short-term variants have come in the quest for the elusive portfolio investment, the recalibration of the payment system for improved effectiveness, FROM THE PROPOSAL, and the latest talks around extending the contribution base of COMPANIES ARE UNDERSTOOD expatriates' employment.

TO EMPLOY EXPATRIATES FOR THE SHORT OR MEDIUM TERM TO DEVELOP OR TRAIN LOCAL EMPLOYEES. ONCE UNDERSTUDIED, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO EXIT. BUT IN ACTUAL PRACTICE, THEY STAY UNNECESSARILY LONGER

To be sure, the expatriates are supposedly highly skilled workers, putatively hired to do jobs that local expertise cannot do, or rather hired because of the exotic preference of the employer, provided they can handle the cost implication. For now, just around $2,000 is expected to be paid by every expatriate annually as a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) fee. This is a statutory levy for permission to work.

The new argument is that beyond this level are the untapped opportunities of getting more income from the nearly 200,000 expatriates in the country, which could fetch between $1.5 billion and $2 billion per annum from the activities of the skilled men in what is supposed to be different from what they presently pay, and which every other citizen pays.

The plans are that if the nation needs to seek other ways of paying off its huge debt, manage its growing population, faced with declining resources and then mitigate the anxieties of filling the $3trillion gap required for its infrastructure in the next two decades, then it has to be much more creative and ingenious in raising revenue. The place of infrastructure cannot be over-emphasised for being a tool for macro-economic stability, the creation of employment, enabling productivity and efficiency, social change and development of the rural areas, boosting trade and commerce and sustainable growth and development.

The other argument seems to be that the practice of making expatriates contribute more to a nation's purse happens in countries like Singapore, Japan, and Cambodia to shore up the chances of locals by discouraging foreign entrants into some sectors where locals can thrive. There is also the question of nationalism, considering how migrants have become useful to many foreign economies even beyond what they pay, in addition to other huge financial commitments for naturalizations and job-specific payments.

If these are done in other places, why can’t there be some semblances here in Nigeria? What is more?

The proposed obligations from the expatriates shall be because their income is locally generated and a central contribution is necessary given that they are presently only obligated to the states. In many situations where they are mobile, tracking their payments is difficult. But this could be resolved with the overarching obligation to the centre.

As projected, an expatriate should be obligated on the aggregate amounts of his/her income for the year, from any salary, wage, fee, allowance or other gain or profit from employment including compensations, bonuses, premiums, benefits or other prerequisites allowed, given or granted by the employer to the expatriate.

Other than the factors highlighted, the need for more expatriates' contributions has now arisen because expatriates and Nigerians should not be at par when it comes to liabilities on income as presently is, in addition to the fact that Nigeria has no special law governing revenue system with respect to expatriates, in a situation where a presumptive income due is required. Importantly, Nigeria is considered a very Expatriate Friendly country.

From the proposal, companies are understood to employ expatriates for the short or medium term to develop or train local employees. Once understudied, they are supposed to exit. But in actual practice, they stay unnecessarily longer. The anticipated increased financial obligation should discourage this anomaly.

The proposal leaves the government and citizens without any burden. It is also against the background of the fact that with Africa rising as an emerging market, more expatriates are coming in. The large markets from a large population and a greater influx of foreign skilled workers are in evidence, especially in a country like Nigeria.

Records have it that Nigeria's natural resources and economic opportunities continue to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) from investors worldwide. Based on the National Bureau of Statistics, capital inflow to Nigeria in 2018 was $19.07 billion, of which $7.78 billion represents FDIs. Capital inflows from January 2019 to May 2019 amount to $14.2 billion, of which $2.87 billion represents FDIs. Beyond these facts is the thinking that the flow and people need to do more. Looks plausible, if probably practicalised.

•Mr Modupe, public policy analyst, writes from Abuja.

•Continues online at www.www.thewillnigeria.com

Mutfwang’s Disastrous Reception And Sustained Assault on Judiciary

BY YAKUBU DATI

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t is a pity that some who find themselves in positions of leadership rather than guide their followers on the right path, use the position to deceive and mislead the people.

selfishness, have since abandoned him, and even his godfather has begun to maintain a dignified distance from him, having realised the kind of person he is dealing with.

Like Fela once sang, the VIPs, instead of living up to their name as very important persons choose rather to be vagabonds in power.

That is not all. While the governor surreptitiously romances the APC-dominated government in Abuja, he turns 360 degrees to lambast the party when he returns to Jos with his sustained claim that the APC Federal Government wants to Islamize Plateau State, forgetting that the same propaganda was used during President Buhari's tenure and the people IN TERMS OF SECURITY, have seen that it is baseless and illogical. His acts of deception may have worked during THE STATE WITNESSED A the election when unsuspecting voters were RESURGENCE OF ATTACKS THAT lured into voting for the LP candidate in the presidential elections but the colossal HAS ROBBED IT OF THE GAINS failure of Muftwang since he assumed office has exposed the claim as merely self-serving.

OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE

With all sense of responsibility, one can say without fear of contradiction that what all the political leadership in Plateau State had succeeded in doing within the last six months is to deceive, manipulate and confuse the people for personal gains.

One had thought that with the shellacking of the contraption that brought the PDP to power in Plateau State, which further exposed its lack of structure and locus to contest elections, the party would at least become sober and in contrition, apologise to the people of Plateau for misleading them.

It is, however, unfortunate to observe that rather than apologise and put its house in order, the leadership of the PDP in Plateau, led by the Governor, Caleb Muftwang, has chosen to continue in chicanery and self-deceit, which manifested two days ago Following his sack by the Appeal Court, the outgoing Governor of Plateau State, on Saturday, organised a so-called “reception party” to welcome him back from Abuja, a city where he spent an average of four days in a week since he assumed duties as governor six months ago.

This is not to mention the one month he spent in the US holidaying at the expense of the people only to be compelled to return home on the eve of the appeal court verdict on his election.

Even as a non-party member, one cannot help but feel sorry for PDP legislators whom he abandoned to their fate and did not consider worthy to be around to give them moral support while their cases were going on until it was time for his case to be determined.

Happily, this selfishness and lack of team spirit on the part of the Governor has been confirmed by the legislators, who have started avoiding him, starting with the scanty reception he sponsored, which was lavishly boycotted by all PDP leaders of repute.

But to show that he has not been pruned of the delusion, Gov Mutfwang was quoted as saying, according to the Nigeria Tribune of 25/11/23; “We’ll recover all lost legislative seats in Plateau."

This is the height of deceit for a man who abandoned the PDP legislators to their fate when he could have, at least, boosted their morale with his presence. But it is coming at a time when matters concerning the election have been concluded and therefore irreversible to raise their hopes again. If only he knows that one can fool people sometimes, but not all the time.

As it stands, APC has two out of three Senatorial seats from Plateau with one pending rerun, while at the House of Reps, APC has claimed seven seats out of eight with one pending rerun. At the State Assembly, APC has 20 out of 22 seats, leaving the remaining two to LP and YPP. Little wonder, the sacked National Assembly members, who lost at the appeal tribunal, realising his THEWILLNEWS

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AND REVERSED THE STRIDES ACHIEVED UNDER THE LAST APC ADMINISTRATION OF SIMON LALONG

There is more coming in the act of perfidy.

The outgoing governor had days earlier joined the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Gov Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, to accept the verdict of the judiciary on the judgment affecting members of the party in Plateau, only for him to return to Jos, stage a protest against the judiciary.

For the past six months that Gov Mutfwang had held sway as the Governor of Plateau State, the state has been left to go to seed with the erosion of notable gains of the past administration.

In terms of security, the state witnessed a resurgence of attacks that has robbed it of the gains of peaceful coexistence and reversed the strides achieved under the last APC administration of Simon Lalong with the support by the caucus of the then National Assembly led by Ahmed Idris Wase, the cerebral former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The duo had continued to distinguish themselves as nationalists and had brought development through providing development, employment and empowerment irrespective of ethnicity, religion and creed.

At the sponsored reception by the Governor, even the heavens had enough of his failed attempt to denigrate the judiciary, as it rained cats and dogs, dispersing the hired crowd who scampered for safety to avoid the literal consequence of 'sun kira ruwa, ruwa ya na ta dukan su.'

•Dati, a former Commissioner in Plateau State, writes from Jos •Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

DECEMBER 3, 2023 • VOL . 3 NO. 54 WWW.THEWILLNEWS.COM

MANUFACTURERS LAMENT OVER FOREX POLICY REVERSAL ON 43 IMPORT ITEMS

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Christmas Season: Fidelity Bank Set to Host 2-Day Family Entertainment

EDITOR Sam Diala

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Intervention Funds: CBN’s Policy Shift Paves Way For BOI, DBN to Bolster Entrepreneurship Support AGRIC GDP PERFORMANCE 2017-2023

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anufacturing companies are expressing concerns over the impact of the policy reversal on the 43 items earlier banned for foreign exchange.

Ihe Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had on October 15, 2023 announced the readmission of the 43 import items to the official forex window after eight years of exclusion, when the CBN had insisted that no reversal should be contemplated.

Some of the affected items include rice, cement, margarine, palm kernel, palm oil products, vegetable oils, meat and processed meat products, vegetables and processed vegetable products, poultry, tomatoes/tomato paste, soap and cosmetics, and clothes.

The apex bank’s action was received with mixed feelings because it had earlier in June 2023 restated that the 43 non-eligible items remained banned from forex By this development, the manufacturing firms which have been operating in an atmosphere of choking macroeconomic headwinds, are set for more challenging experience.

First, the policy will crowd out real manufacturers from the forex market and make forex difficult to access by manufacturers thereby worsening their already challenging situation.

Secondly, it will increase the cost of sourcing forex to meet their needs. In view of the devaluation of the naira, manufacturing firms will need more naira to buy dollars in the forex market amid raging inflation and high interest rate.

Again, the firms that had commenced domestic production of the items will have their projects hampered. Some operators who spoke to THEWILL said they had already commenced local production of the items. They lamented that the new policy will also impact severely on the small and medium enterprises (SME) who are engaged in the production value chain.

For real, the manufacturing firms came off two national economic recessions in six years between 2015 and 2021.

They also faced the excruciating pains of the federal government’s disastrous naira redesign project, the obnoxious 15-month border closure, spiraling inflation, government’s debtdriven macroeconomic policies and

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he policy shift by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its development finance activities will pave the way for the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) to expand their support for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) towards advancing the nation’s economic development..

The bank’s involvement in development financing is driven by the need to address market failures resulting from the apathy of banks to lend to critical sectors/segments of the economy due to perceived risks.

Through its interventions, the bank has improved access to affordable and long-term finance to the real sector, de-risked these priority sectors by incentivising banks and other financial institutions to lend, and stimulated investments in the productive base of the economy.

It has been shown that the interventions of the Bank are targeted at priority sectors of the economy that have the potential to transform the productive base of the economy to facilitate growth, stimulate sustainable jobs, expand the non-oil export basket to enhance the foreign exchange earning capability of the economy, and facilitate financial inclusion.

Traditionally, the emphasis of these interventions is to stimulate the flow of affordable credit to targeted priority sectors with high growth impact and employment elastic potential, such as agriculture, manufacturing, energy/infrastructure, healthcare, MSMEs and exports.

However, during is screening by the Senate last September, the current CBN Governor, Dr Olayemi Cardoso, said the apex bank under his watch would play down on its role in the development finance space. Similarly, at the Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos on Friday, November 24, Cardoso reiterated the position to restrategise the development finance roles of the institution.

His words, “I am aware that events over the past few years have also put the CBN in bad light.

“These issues can be attributed to various factors, such as corporate governance failures, diminished institutional autonomy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a deviation from the core mandate of the

Bank, unorthodox use of monetary tools, an inefficient and opaque foreign exchange market that hindered clear access, a foray into fiscal activities under the cover of development finance activities.

“There was also a lack of clarity in the relationship between fiscal and monetary policies, among other challenges.

“Hitherto, the CBN had strayed from its core mandates and was engaged in quasi-fiscal activities that pumped over 10 trillion naira in the economiy through almost different sectors ranging from agriculture, aviation, power, youth and many others.

“These clearly distracted the Bank from achieving its own objectives and took it into areas where it clearly had limited expertise.”

An agro-processing operator, James Kalakie, said the CBN should rethink its decision to reduce its involvement in the intervention funds projects.

“The CBN should reconsider its position on the support of small businesses because the Bank really created the avenues for small business operators to survive at difficult times of the economy; the new CBN leadership should approach the new policy with caution,” Kalakie said.

The two development financial institutions the CBN aims to partners with in its new policy framework are the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN).

Both have their related objectives focused on providing the real sector with finance as well as business support services. Because these industries are mainly industrial, BOI is charged with providing finances to purchase equipment for value chain productions Notwithstanding the challenging environment, the bank has discharged its mandate as a catalyst for industrialisation. Working with the commercial banks, BOI through its various programmes, has supported not less than 15,000 youths since 2019, in addition to its participation in the various Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention funds..

With the decision of the new CBN leadership to play down on its development finance activities and the imminent full take-off of THEWILLNEWS

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...CBN’s Policy Shift Paves Way For BOI, DBN to Bolster Entrepreneurship Support

...Over Forex Policy Reversal on 43 Import Items

the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), it is expected that BOI will play a greater role in the pursuit of its statutory mandate of industrialisation.

THEWILL recalls that In line with the focus of the Federal Government to revitalise Nigeria’s industrial sector and create millions of jobs by leveraging the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, the BOI successfully concluded a landmark US$1 billion loan syndication transaction three years ago. The transaction was aimed at further improving the capacity of the bank to continue to effectively support micro, small, medium and large enterprises (across key sectors) of the Nigerian economy with affordable loans of medium to long-term tenor, alongside moratorium benefits On its part, the DBN has pursued the strategies in its support for the MSMEs to navigate the current troubled economy, triggered by the recent fuel subsidy emoval, naira devaluation, high inflation and deepening pains of multiple taxes, among other challenges.

In its policy document seen by THEWILL, the development financing institution articulated action steps to pursue its mandate of supporting and developing small businesses, a sector it acknowledged as the spring board to economic development worldwide.

“Small businesses are known to be the springboard of development worldwide, creating economic opportunities, especially for those at the lower rung of the economic ladder.

Nigeria, being an ever-entrepreneurial nation, is no exception.

“With over 40 million MSMEs, accounting for 96 percent of all businesses, 84 percent of employment, and approximately 50 percent of the entire GDP, MSMEs make a remarkable contribution to our nation's development,” the bank said in the document signed by its managing director/CEO, Tony Okpanachi.

Outlining the strategies to propel the MSMEs to greater heights, the bank said it would leverage their strength to facilitate growth in crucial sectors such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Manufacturing and work towards tackling challenges like energy poverty and struggling tourism sectors.

THEWILL findings showed that the bank plans to build on the financing support it has offered to its participating financial institutions. According to it, this will result to increasing the over 313,000 MSMEs that have benefited from its financing support amounting to the tune of N631 billion as of December 2022 and leading to the creation of more than 900,000 jobs.

It said it would harness the potential of the sector to support green transactions and combat climate change, a move he said represents the compelling vision it has for Nigeria’s short- to med-term future.

“They underpin our mandate and drive to continue supporting MSMEs with development financing, with the hope that our efforts will result in enviable growth and development that other parts of the world can learn from,” the bank said.

unprecedented high energy cost amidst deplorable infrastructure and ravaging insecurity.

They have been grumbling and protesting..

Manufacturers reacts The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has cautioned the government to urgently reverse the decision in order to save the nation from the looming job crisis, insecurity and outright collapse of the nation’s economy.

Featuring in a national television programme, the Vice Chairman of Basic Metal, Iron and Steel Products sector of MAN, Mr. Lekan Adewoye,.totally condemned the new policy of the CBN stressing that the policy reversal could lead to the collapse of many companies soonest “For items that can be produced in Nigeria, such manufacturers ought to be encouraged.

This directive will further kill the manufacturing industry that is already struggling to survive,” Adewoye said.

When contacted, the Managing Director/CEO of Erisco Foods Limited, manufacturers of tomato pastes and allied products, Chief Eric Udofia, lamented what he called the partial implementation of forex policies by policymakers.

In a note to THEWILL, Chief Udofia condemned the new policy and argued that the CBN ought to have found a way of identifying the genuine manufacturers and supporting them in their business.

“I hope that the federal government would find a way to obtain the data of genuine manufacturers in Nigeria with a view to supporting them to expand as that is the only way to lift Nigeria out of the prevailing economic troubles which have lingered for a long time,” Udofia said.

Uche Uwaleke, Professor of Capital Market at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, opined that the immediate impact of the policy reversal will be to reduce the premium between the official and the parallel market.

“But it will have negative implications for import substitution and local manufacturing efforts. The decision to readmit the 43 items is ill-timed in view of the current forex shortage. The official exchange rate will further rise to meet the parallel market rate,” Prof. Uwaleke said in a note to THEWILL. However, the Director/CEO, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, on the other hand, hailed the policy reversal which he noted to have contributed to the distortions in the forex market.

“We welcome the decision of the CBN to discontinue with the forex exclusion policy on the 43 items. It is a move in the right direction. It is part of the policy normalization process.

The exclusion of the 43 items was one of the several drivers of distortions in the forex market,” Dr Yusuf told THEWILL in a note Deeper challenges As anticipated, the volatile forex market has become more challenging as the naira faced a rollercoaster ride in the financial markets recently – plunging to a record low of N848.12 per dollar on the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), formerly I&E window, on the October 12 announcement of the policy reversal. The naira touched the deepest level of N1,145 per dollar at the parallel market on Thursday, October 19.

The scenario reflects the harrowing experience of the manufacturing sector since the first six months of the year, culminating in huge losses arising from the devaluation of the naira on June 14.

The 2023 interim half-year financial results of Nigeria’s manufacturing companies revealed they are battling for breath as they struggled to lift margins. Their profit and revenue haul were severely impacted, while the key six cost indices revealed an average 92 percent increase.

*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

Experts believe that the development financial institutions should step up their support to enable the MSMEs to play a more active role in the value chain ecosystem

Zenith Bank’s Multiple MOUs Signpost Quest For Industry Fintech Leadership

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enith Bank Plc has executed different Memoranda of Understanding in recent times which indicate its unchallenged industry leadership grip as Nigeria’s largest financial services institution by market capitalisation (N1,1 trillion).

Analysts predict that this will put the bank far ahead of its peers as it begins to reap the benefits of the massive investment in technology which is the anchor of these MOUs. Zenith Bank successfully held a Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 3.0”, on November 23-24, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos; From the over 500 contestants that participated in the Zenith Hackathon (Zecathon), Sync, a team collaboration and workflow management platform that provides synergy, enables project management, task planning, messaging, payments, scheduling and people operations, emerged as the overall winner, taking home the grand prize of N20 million.

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“This is in addition to a mentorship programme with Seedstars, a company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacity-building programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets,” the bank said in a statement.

The two-day Tech Fair which was described as a huge success by participants, featured presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Contactless Payments, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, FinTech, Data Analytics, Financial Intelligence, and communication technologies, with the keynote address,” “Artificial Intelligence – Application & Bias“, delivered by Chris Lu, the renowned IT Specialist, business strategist and Managing Director for Huawei Technologies, Nigeria.

The MOU Zenith Bank recently signed with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat for the development of the SMARTAfCFTA Portal was another milestone.

Zenith Bank Plc strongly believes that AfCFTA, among other benefits, would expand intra-Africa trade and provide real opportunities for Africa and Nigeria in particular.

Also, the financial institution remains committed to promoting the non-oil export sector in Nigeria by identifying emerging opportunities which help stimulate non-oil exports and develop robust financial products and incentives for operators in the sector.

The SMARTAfCFTA Portal which has the capacity to provide information like trade indicators, market trends, custom tariffs, trade agreements, rules of origin, market access requirements of relevant jurisdictions, export potentials, export diversification indicators and contact details of business partners in target markets and other traderelated information about Africa, would help to unlock the vast opportunities for trade on the African continent. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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L-R: Board Member, Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG), Mrs Iklimatu Ramallan; Deputy Director, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Kola Oyeniran; Chief Commercial Officer, Arnergy, Omobola Omofaiye; Chairman, Uniccon Group, Dr Chuks Ekwueme; Lead Consultant, Secretariat, TTSWG, Bekeme Olowola; General Manager, Quomodo Systems Africa, Adedoyin Segun-Noibi and Manager, Sustainability, ESG and Sustainability Communications, IHS Towers, Suleiman Ibrahim, during the launch of the Telecommunication and Technology Citizenship Awareness Roadmap (TATCAR) at the Innovation Makers Challenge 2023 Conference and Exhibition by TTSWG, held in Lagos recently.

COP28: NASENI EVC, Halilu to Speak on Homegrown Technologies For Rural Electrification in Dubai

Financial System Stability: NDIC Boss Urges Collaboration Among Relevant Stakeholders

he Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu is set to detail the Agency’s plans and strategies for rural electrification in Nigeria using homegrown technologies.

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, though officially opened Thursday, 30th November 2023, also known as Conference of the Parties (COP28), holding at the Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) will see Mr. Halilu on December 3rd, 2023, to deliver opening remarks and also participate at a panel session titled ‘Advancing Sustainable Rural Electrification through Homegrown Technologies’ The COP28 also referred to as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) will hold from November 30 to December 12, 2023, and is intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.

The event will be graced by Presidents and Heads of State, government officials, business leaders, investors, development partners, civil society organizations, academics and media.

Halilu, NASENI’s EVC/CEO during the panel session, to be moderated by Al Amin Idris, CEO of Interface Africa, will speak alongside Gunther Beger, Managing Director of the Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, UNIDO; Gov Mohammed Umar Bago, Governor of Niger State, Nigeria; and Miklós Veszprémi, Climate & Sustainability Expert Consultant at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The NASENI boss is expected to discuss the roles which NASENI currently is playing, back home, to promote development and adoption of homegrown technologies for rural electrification in Nigeria as well as other initiatives undertaken to advance sustainable rural electrification in the country.

Mr. Halilu since assumption of office in September 2023 has made sustainable rural electrification via renewable energies one of his key priorities, having embarked on partnership commitments with government agencies and companies such as Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) to ensure rural communities are provided with affordable renewable energy solutions and also homes. This is being accomplished through provision of fund toward research and development, facilitating technology transfer, and support for commercialization of innovative solutions.

In September, NASENI and REA agreed to work together to deploy NASENI solar resources and other renewable energy technologies to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas. Also in November, the Family Homes Funds Limited signed an MoU with the Agency to promote modern and sustainable building designs for affordable housing across Nigeria. According to NASENI’s EVC during the MoU signing event with FHFL, he said “the Agency will contribute toward reducing the cost of building materials so that Nigerians can build, own homes and to deploy affordable solar energy solutions” Family Homes Funds Ltd is a limited liability company owned by the federal government of Nigeria and represented by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) was established in 1992 by the Federal Government of Nigeria with the mandate specifically in the area of capital goods research, production, and reverse engineering.

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he Managing Director / Chief Executive of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Mr. Bello Hassan has called all relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian financial system to collaborate so as to strengthen banks through prudential thresholds and other regulatory instruments.

The NDIC boss revealed this during the opening ceremony of the 20th edition of the workshop for Business Editors and members of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Owerri.

According to him, “the Deposit Insurance System, as a critical component of the financial safety net, has continued to play critical roles in complementing the drive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in promoting stability in the financial system. This becomes more significant for the NDIC with a broad mandate of risk minimizer. As expected, the Deposit Insurer has always been impacted by the challenges that confront the financial system at various times. Though some of the challenges are universal, others are, however, unique.

“The desire to strengthen our banks through prudential thresholds and other regulatory instruments, calls for collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian financial system.”

Hassan in a press statement said “it is this background that informed the choice of this year’s FICAN Workshop theme: “Stocktaking of Deposit Insurance Practice: Assessing the Past, Evaluating the Present and Forecasting the Future.

The statement reads, “It is therefore profound and instructive that the 20th edition of this workshop has been organized to share thoughts, knowledge and experience together with you as critical stakeholders, with a view to defining a brighter and insightful future for the practice of DIS in Nigeria. Some of the issues to be put in perspective include the adequacy of the deposit insurance coverage; developments in bank distress resolution; the role of technology in the future of deposit insurance; faster reimbursement of depositors in the event of bank failure; and of course, the roles of the media in promoting fintech in the banking system, amongst others. There’s no gain saying that your meaningful and constructive contributions in the course of this workshop are highly expected.“it may interest you to note that, in order to deliver on this, which is in harmony with the vision of the Corporation: “To be one of the best deposit insurers in the world”, we launched the 2021 –2025 Strategic Plan, which was formulated in consideration of current realities and trends, as well as the desire to differentiate the Corporation by providing excellent and efficient services to our stakeholders across board.

“I am glad to report that our commitment in this regard has not gone without yielding the desired results. We have introduced the Single Customer View (SCV) framework that has enhanced speedy payment of insured sums to depositors of closed banks; we have enhanced collaboration with the bar and the bench, leading to speedy dispensation of justice and more informed judgements on failed banks cases.

“We have equally put in place policy and framework on Alternative Dispute Resolution for out-of-court settlement, which had enabled us to resolve some hitherto protracted failed bank litigations; we have reviewed the Framework for Differential Premium Assessment System (DPAS) to make it more risk sensitive and account for significant developments that have taken place in the Nigerian banking system since its adoption in 2008; and we have established a special desk at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has energized investigation and prosecution of parties responsible for failure of banks.

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L-R: Head, Rules and Adjudication, NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo), Oluwatoyin Adenugba; Head, Market Surveillance and Investigation, NGX RegCo, Abimbola Babalola; CFA, President, CFA Society Nigeria, Ibukun Oyediji; Chief Digital Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Olufemi Oyenuga; CFA, President/CEO, CFA Institute, Margaret Franklin; CFA, Vice President, CFA Society Nigeria, Chuka Maduabum; Treasurer, CFA Society Nigeria, Frank Nnamka; CFA, Head of External Funds Management Office, CFA Society Nigeria, Musa Bagudu and CFA, Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, CFA Society Nigeria, Yemi Ajagun, during a courtesy visit to NGX in Lagos on November 28, 2023.

Christmas Season: Fidelity Bank Set to Host 2-Day Family Entertainment

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n the spirit of the Yuletide, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced plans to host the maiden edition of the Fidelity Family Weekend.

Scheduled for Saturday December 16th and Sunday December 17th, 2023 at the Fidelity Grounds, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event is designed to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere for children to play, parents to relax and young adults to unwind during the festive season.

“The Yuletide season is all about coming together and spending quality time with loved ones especially as we wind down the year in anticipation of a new year.

“As a bank committed to providing memorable experiences for its clients, we pioneered the Fidelity Family Weekend to fete host our customers and clients to two fun filled days of family entertainment.

We believe this is one more way of thanking our customers for a successful year,” noted the Divisional Head, Brand & Communications, Fidelity Bank Plc, Meksley Nwagboh, in a chat with journalists.

The Fidelity Family Weekend will run from 10am to 10pm daily and will feature dedicated fun activities for children including dancing competitions, bouncing castles, train rides, Santa’s Grotto, balloon games, amongst others.

Similarly, the programme for the adults’ section would feature exciting activities like karaoke competitions, games arcades, couple games, musical performances and so many more fun games that are geared towards providing a memorable experience for guests.

Entry into the event is free but guests are required to pre-register at www.fidelitybank.ng/ family-weekend before 12 December 2023.

Commenting further, Dr Nwagboh said, “As a bank dedicated to helping individuals grow, businesses thrive and economies to prosper, we boast of an array of products and services for our diverse client base.

“These include the Fidelity SWEETA account for young children below the age of 17 years, Fidelity Flex for teenagers and undergraduates; and even the Fidelity Vintage Account for senior citizens; all tailor-made to meet our customers specific needs.

“The Fidelity Family Weekend is therefore another demonstration of this devotion to provide platforms for our customers to fulfill their lifestyle requirements”.

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards…

The Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

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Ecobank Group Delivers Strong Performance in H1 2022, Grows Profit Before Tax by 24% E

cobank Group reports strong performance during the first half of 2022, with unaudited Profit before Tax (PBT) increasing by 24% to US$261 million. The Group also announced a record return on tangible equity of 19.5% and increased earnings per share for shareholders by 24% year-on-year. Despite the challenging operating environment of high inflation, weakening African currencies, and slower economic growth, the Group’s net revenues increased by 10% to $910 million.

These results demonstrate the sustained success of our revenue expansion goals under our ‘Execution Momentum’ strategy. They also show the effectiveness of the Bank’s diversified operating model, which impacts our customers and clients positively, as we benefit from our ‘Manufacturing centrally, Distributing locally’ strategic approach. Our business lines, Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), Consumer Banking (CSB) and Commercial Banking (CMB), grew their PBT by 33%, 43% and 15%, respectively. The performance of each of our regions also demonstrates the strength of our diversified panAfrican presence. Nigeria, French-Speaking West Africa countries (UEMOA), Central, East, Southern African countries (CESA) and Anglophone West Africa markets (AWA) grew their PBT by 74%, 42%, 37% and 8%, respectively.

During the first half of this year, clients’ economic activities continued their postpandemic recovery trajectories. Higher spreads on buying and selling currencies for clients and higher payment volumes increased our revenue. The payments business grew 23%, or $22 million, to $119 million (13% of Group revenues). The acquisition of more merchants and the increased usage of our cards by customers through sales and promotional marketing campaigns drove this growth. In addition, customers continue to trust us and adopt our digital platforms (Omni Plus, Omni Lite, Ecobank Online, Xpress Points) across our businesses. As a result, customer deposits increased by 3% year-onyear, with the value of digital transactions rising by $10.5 billion to $39.1 billion.

Ade Ayeyemi, Group Chief Executive Officer, commenting on this solid half-year performance, said: “Our results for the first six months of 2022 reflect the benefits of our diversified business and geographies. It also shows our resilience and execution capabilities in the service of clients and customers in a challenging environment while generating adequate returns for our shareholders.”

Ayeyemi continued: “Our investments in technology and digital capabilities are scalable and have reduced our cost-to-serve. Coupled with revenue growth, we achieved a record cost-to-income ratio of 56.0%. We increased impairment charges to reflect heightened credit risks. More importantly, we have proactively built-up central impairment reserves of $206 million, which we can deploy if needed in a stressed credit environment. At the same time, our balance sheet remains liquid and adequately capitalised, providing us the capacity to serve our customers better.”

During the first half of this year, Ecobank Group, across its pan-African footprint, won nearly 20 Awards from highly respected industry media and corporations. These reflect the beneficial impact on our services to our customers and communities, anchored in our vision to contribute to Africa’s economic development and financial integration.

Indeed, a few days ago, Euromoney named Ecobank as Africa’s Best Bank, Africa’s Best Digital Bank and Africa’s Best Bank for SMEs at its 2022 awards ceremony.

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Nigeria’s 2024 Budget: Another Grope in The Dark?

BY MARCEL OKEKE

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ver the years, every Nigeria's annual budget has been titled to give the impression that its implementation will lead the country to an Economic Eldorado.

‘Budget of Hope and Economic Transformation’; ‘Budget of Inclusion and Accelerated Economic Growth’; ‘Budget of Reforms and Sustainable Economic Development’; and ‘Budget of Fiscal Consolidation and Transition’ are some of such beautiful but deceptive budget titles.

The assumption that the level of inflation in 2024 shall be at 21.4 percent as against the 17.10 per cent benchmark for 2023 is also laughable and unrealistic. Even for the current year, the gap between the hyperinflation rate as at endSeptember (26.78 per cent) and the assumed level (17.10) is almost 10 per cent. And, for sure, this trajectory is most unlikely to alter (markedly) in 2024. In other words, rather than the rate of inflation dipping in 2024, the upward trajectory shall be sustained. This is because there is nothing in place yet to show that the Federal Government has commenced addressing the incubus.

It is against this backdrop that the N27.5 trillion 2024 proposed Federal Government budget that was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) should be taken with cautious hope and optimism. The proposed budget figure marks a substantial 19.15 perent increase from the N21.83 trillion 2023 expenditure estimate.

Just like others before it, the 2024 proposed budget promises to focus on infrastructure development, human capital investment, and economic diversification. But before analyzing the budget details, it is pertinent to consider its underlying assumptions.

The unfathomable negative multiplier effect of fuel subsidy removal that has pushed the prices of goods and services through the roof is still unfolding. The pump price of petrol is still rising, and feeding into the prices of all manner of consumer items.

The FX rates unification (and its resultant Naira devaluation) is another key enabler of cost-push inflation that has come to stay. Economic agents (especially local manufacturers) are spending fortunes to source dollars to import machinery and other critical inputs—and these are reflected in the higher prices of goods and services. What therefore gives optimism to the Government that the rate of inflation shall drop from its present high level in a matter of months is nothing short of chimera.

For now, the 2024 Federal budget is merely a ‘heroic pronouncement’ to commence another ‘grope in the dark’ in the search for Nigeria’s elusive If these assumptions and proposals are eventually economic Eldorado passed by the National Assembly into an Appropriation Act 2024, it means the entire budget is built on a faulty foundation ab initio. By the middle of October, when these proposals were approved by the FEC, the exchange rate of the Naira vis-à-vis the dollar was over N800/US$ in the official window while it hovered around N1,200/ US$ in the parallel (black) market. And yet the FEC went ahead to approve N750/US$ as the rate that shall prevail in the foreign exchange market in 2024.

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Apparently, in the ‘hurricane’ mode of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to enthrone market forces in its economy management, the government had also cancelled the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiative to drive/stimulate non-oil exports from Nigeria. Thus, the apex bank’s RT200 and Dollar4Naira schemes to incentivize exporters of nonoil products from Nigeria to repatriate their proceeds were all dismantled alongside the multiple FX rates unification ‘fiat’.

Right now therefore, there is neither the incentive nor the coordinated drive to make exporters of non-oil items to (patriotically) bring home their FX earnings. Yet, the government dreams of improved FX inflow in no time!

Under each of these rubrics, the government of the day goes on to propose very lofty policies and programs, but usually end up overwhelmingly under-delivering. And this is why on every indicator, previous budgets have remained monumental failures—neither revenue targets are ever achieved nor most (budgeted) projects implemented.

Specifically, it is assumed that in 2024, the price of crude oil will average US$77.96 per barrel, an increase from the US$70 per barrel assumed in the 2023 budget. The 2024 budget is also predicated on an anticipated rise in oil production to 1.78 million barrels per day, up from 1.69 million barrels per day in 2023. An exchange rate of N750/ US$ is also assumed for the 2024 budget; a major jump from N435.57/ US$ assumed in the 2023 budget. Targeted also, is an inflation rate of 21.4 percent for 2024 fiscal year as against 17.10 percent for 2023.

the major foreign exchange earner for Nigeria. Not much FX inflow comes from non-oil exports so far. It is therefore very doubtful if the encumbrances around oil production/export will give the 2024 budget the shot in the arm, as projected.

It has since been obvious that one of Nigeria’s major economic challenges is the persistence of acute shortage of foreign exchange (FX)—especially as a largely mono-product and importdependent economy. It is therefore a warped expectation to believe that the national currency shall soon gain much strength against the dollar and other hard currencies—to stay at N750/ US$ in 2024.

This unlikelihood ties-in with another faulty assumption that Nigeria’s crude oil production shall in 2024 stand at 1.78 million barrels per day, from the current level that hovers around 1.45 million barrels per day. The 1.69 million barrels per day 2023 budget benchmark was never attained.

At present, the oil and gas sector in Nigeria is bedeviled by the bizarre problem of massive oil theft, vandalism of oil installations and outright sabotage of production activity, among others. Consequent upon these, Nigeria for several years now has been unable to meet its Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) allocated quotas (for export). And this has translated into dwindling inflow from crude oil sales—

It is also worth noting, as regards the 2024 budget benchmarks, that Nigeria is already worrisomely overleveraged: public debt stock as of end-June 2023 is a humongous sum of N87.38 trillion. This has since pushed the debt-service-to-revenue ratio to 73.5 per cent; a level that is far above the threshold of 50 per cent. This trend amply indicates that a major proportion of the revenue in 2024 would go into debt servicing.

Already, a huge sum of N8.25 trillion (of the N26 trillion budget) is being earmarked to service public debt in fiscal 2024. This is even against the backdrop of President Tinubu’s touted US$1.5 billion loan from the World Bank and the much bandied US$10 billion ‘soft’ loan announced by the Finance Minister, Wale Edu at the just-concluded Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) confab in Abuja.

For now, the 2024 Federal budget is merely a ‘heroic pronouncement’ to commence another ‘grope in the dark’ in the search for Nigeria’s elusive economic Eldorado. In truth, economic development goes beyond expression of political will and courage, as recent reforms of the Tinubu administration amply portray.

It also goes beyond playing to the gallery or clutching onto some hackneyed economic theories—like market forces—as the rudder. Perhaps, Tinubu and his team should urgently do a reappraisal of their roadmap and strategy!

•Okeke is a practising Economist, Business Strategist, Sustainability expert and ex-Chief Economist of Zenith Bank Plc THEWILLNEWS

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Director, Nursing Services, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Omokehinde Oyebode; Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin; Provost, Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Dr Gbonjubola Owolabi and representative of the Registrar, Mrs Bola Abdul-Wahab, at the Annual Convocation of Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery in Ibadan on November 30, 2023.

L-R: Vice Chancellor, Salem University, Prof. Alewo Johnson Akubo; Guest speaker, Arc. Ferdinand Agu; Director General, Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute, Dr. Nathan Obasi; Legal Adviser/ Secretary, Maercy Johnson and Director of Communications, Dr. Fyneray Mbata, during the 2023 Annual Induction, Lecture and Award of fellowship of Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute (FLPi), held in Lagos on November 30, 2023.

L-R: Managing Director, ASOLAR Systems Nigeria Limited, Momohjimoh Umar; Group Head, Financial L-R: Co-author of the book, Professor Rotimi Olatunji; Representative of the Vice Chancellor, Covenant Inclusions, Access Bank Plc, Chizoba Iheme; CEO, ASOLAR Systems Nigeria Limited, Hakeem Shagaya; University, Prof Dokun Omojola; Co-author of the book, Professor Wole Adamolekun and Former Regional Director, Branch Banking, Access Bank, Abuja, Neka Adogu; Chairman, ASOLAR Systems Executive Vice-President, Opay, Mr Olu Akanmu, during the public presentation of the book titled; Limited, Bola Shagaya and Group Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank Plc, Njideka Esomeju, during Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development, at the Metropolitan Club Victoria Island, Lagos, on the partnership unveiling of Access Bank /ASOLAR gadgets in Abuja recently.

November 29, 2023.

L-R: Representative of Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr James Abimbola; rep. of Nigerian Breweries PLC, L-R: Former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode; MD, Bluetec Logistics & Solutions, Mr. Ladi Sade Morgan; presenting a certificate to a graduand of Solar Power Insulation, Onah Amadi, during the 2023 Adelekan; MD, Agusto & Co. Limited; Mrs. Yinka Adelekan and Babajide Sanwoolu, Governor of Lagos Industrial Training Fund and Nigerian Breweries PLC, Graduation Ceremony in Abuja on November 30, 2023. State, at the Evening of Honour for the founder, Olabode Mubasheer Agusto, held in Lagos recently.

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Olukorede Adenowo Dumps Standard Chartered Bank For First Bank

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY EDITOR Ivory Ukonu

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bout eight months after he was elevated to the position of Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited, Olukorede Adenowo has made his exit from the bank where he built his sterling banking career. He is now the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, United Kingdom. His appointment became effective from November 16, 2023, subject to regulatory approvals.

The financial group obviously saw that Adenowo demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of the global Continues on page 41

Why Seyi Makinde Has Not Announced New Alaafin

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lmost two years after the demise of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Oyo throne has remained vacant.

Many have blamed the Oyo Mesi, traditional kingmakers, for this vacuum.

According to THEWILL investigation, it is the duty of the Oyo Mesi to make consultations Continues on page 41

PHIL OSAGIE The Conservative Image Maker THEWILLNEWS

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

It's Challenging Being a Christian in a Field Where Foundational Ethics Are Constantly Compromised - Phil Osagie Public relations expert, Dr Phil Osagie, speaks with IVORY UKONU about his career and sundry issues. Excerpts:

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hat have you been up to lately?

Doing what I know how to do best: Public relations.

I have learnt to move with the times over the years.

To his end, we floated some new initiatives, one of which is luxury public relations and we do that for luxury sport marketing.

Luxury Public Relations is simply helping luxury brands who have carved out a unique niche for themselves, reach a small network of people who value exclusivity, quality, and status. We help to create a sense of exclusivity that can make customers feel unique and important by offering limited edition products, personalized services, or hosting inviteonly events. It is a new niche in the public relations space in Nigeria.

How well is that aspect doing?

Very well I must say Your public relations firm, JSP Communications, is based in Nigeria. Why do you run it from outside the country?

It is becoming a cliché to say that the world has become a global village. Nowadays, with the way businesses are run, the factory is the brain, not necessarily the space you occupy. So, in my opinion, certain services aren't dependent on where you are located, but on what you have to offer. It doesn’t matter where I am to offer the service that I do. What matters is the quality of what I have to offer.

Why did you decide you wanted to be a public relations practitioner?

I had a choice of doing both public relations and advertising because of my background. I once worked at Insight Communications, one of the leading advertising firms in Nigeria. While I was there, I was doing two jobs for the price of one; advertising and public relations. I felt that public relations was more niche, more personalised, more individualistic, fresh and it resonated better with me. The advantage I had was the fact that I understood advertising and marketing, but I chose to specialise in public relations. It is difficult to do both under one umbrella as you have to make a choice. But if you understand both, you can make a choice and do it well.

Who knows, maybe one day, I just might form an advertising agency or something of that nature.

Considering that many other public relations agencies have been unable to survive infancy, what has kept JSP Communication going for almost 30 years?

Well, we go through challenges like any normal business, but I think what keeps us going is the fact that we are not transactional by nature; with the people we deal with – the media, our clients and suppliers. What we have with them is real, authentic and as a result of that, our clients trust us enough to remain with us. We hardly lose clients and those we have lost, over the years we have been operational, is an THEWILLNEWS

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insignificant number. We probably have the best crop of clients. Our clients trust us because we don’t make promises we can’t keep. They find us authentic because we are not flashy, so to speak. We are a little bit conservative and ethical. With my staff, we take care of each other and look out for each other. Even when things are tough, we stick around.

Most of my staff have been with me for a long time, they are like family to me and even when things are tough, we suffer together and when it's rosy, we enjoy together. So, these are some of the things that have kept JSP Communications going.

Some public relations agencies lack the required certification or membership of professional bodies to provide some sort of authenticity. Why is this so? Can a PR company operate without membership of a professional body?

Membership of professional bodies, such as Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) the regulatory body for the practice in the country or Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), a prestigious group for agencies responsible for laundering the image of corporate bodies and political groups - is a good thing.

With NIPR, one has to Osagie take some exams just so you have a basic understanding of what Public Relations is. PRCAN offers training from time to time. What that does is that it offers a bit of protection to both clients and practitioners. There are basic standards that must be met before one can join these professional bodies, such as the quality of graduates one must employ, the number of departments a standard public relations agency must have - client service, accounting etc. These standards must be met and kept. Unfortunately, these standards are hard to enforce which is why you have a lot of agencies practicing Public Relations without certification. Membership of these professional bodies doesn’t necessarily give one

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more business, but it helps as it offers some sort of authenticity.

What if one is a member of these two professional bodies and desires to practice without opening an office?

I think it can be worked out. One can have a virtual office. It happens a lot abroad. But to appear credible, you must have an office. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate one anyway.

Being a veteran in the game, are you into mentorship?

I do, but I want to do more of it because I believe I have a responsibility to make others better. I am involved in a lot of charity work. Judging by my background, I consider myself extremely fortunate which is why I want to lift as many people as I can. I do not like to brag, but in Nigeria’s public relations industry, it’s hard to see people rise in an organisation the way PAGE 39

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY they do in JSP Communications. We have had people who joined as cleaners and have risen to become managers. Here anyone who comes becomes better because the environment compels you to be. I don’t only encourage them to be smart, but to be smarter than our clients because you can’t serve someone and not be smarter than them.

Not in a competitive way, but in a way that the client will respect you. I don’t have the time to mentor too many people, but I give my time to as many people as possible.

point in my life, I am always of the belief that I can do better as that isn’t the best of me or if the reverse happens to be the case, I do not believe that is the end of life. That always keeps me going. I am always looking out for new horizons. So the story of my life is just so remarkable because where I was coming from was totally unbelievable and where I am now could only have been propelled by God. Did it ever cross your mind to try politics?

If I have to go into politics it would be to play behind the scenes, maybe in an advisory capacity, but not to aim to be governor or any frontline thing. I don’t like the headlines too much. But I always say in life, never say never.

What do you find most challenging in your line of work?

Being a Christian in a field where some of the most foundational ethics are constantly being compromised. When we started, we told ourselves there are some things we won’t do and there are some businesses we won’t take, even if you offer us a billion dollars. We have lost some businesses because we refused to do some things that are not ethical. But that’s okay, better to get things on merit. I keep two things in mind: God is the most important factor in all that we do; and then for the kind of clients that we service, I know that what’s important to them is to get results. They want a partner that can help them achieve their goals. If we can make ourselves be that partner, then all is good.

And so far, I think we’re constantly scoring high.

What was it about your growing up years that prepared you for a life of entrepreneurship?

My parents influenced my life. They weren’t rich; my dad was a school administrator and my mum was a petty trader. They sold almost all they had to send me to university in the United Kingdom. My dad had an old car he sold to pay for my first year in school. At that time, university education in the UK cost a lot of money. Subsequently, I worked to pay my way through school. When I finished, I came back home and wanted to go back for a Master’s degree.

My dad wanted me to take a break, but my mum agreed with me, closed down her business, sold her allocation for distributorship which was my entire school fees and gave me the money.

My mum isn’t educated formally, but she is smart and very wise and I do everything she says. I used to work in Kaduna as a journalist. My mum just told me one day to head to Lagos because she felt that Lagos would be better for me, being the federal capital in those days. I did and that was how my life changed.

I came to Lagos, I didn’t know anyone. I was going from company to company in search of a job; newspaper houses, advertising agencies etc. With advertising agencies, when I walk in, if I like the atmosphere, I stay and ask to see the person in charge. Sometimes I got lucky, other times, not so lucky. And if I don’t like the atmosphere, I don’t bother to say anything, I just leave.

So, I went to Insight Communications and asked to see the Managing Director. I was obliged. It was the founder, Biodun Shobanjo and I began to tell him about myself and what I was capable of doing for about an hour. The position I was given was going to be advertised, but he took a chance with me.

Advertisement for the position got cancelled and that was how I began work there.

While at Insight, I fine-tuned and sharpened my communication and Public Relations skills and when The Quadrant Company, the first full-fledged Public Relations Consultancy in Nigeria was founded years later, I became the pioneer general manager. So, basically, my mother, parenting, influence of things I read, self-belief, all helped to shape me into who I am today.

I have always believed that God has a special plan for me.

I know I am a special person, not in an arrogant way but I always believe that no matter where you are, it is not your final destination. That is my philosophy in life and that helps me go through life with less stress. When I do so well at any PAGE 40

How do you unwind?

I like to read the bible; I wish I could read it more. I love basketball, too. I used to play a lot of basketball, but now, I just enjoy watching it.

I also like to play golf. I also like to take care of plants.

If you weren’t a public relations expert, what else would you have found joy doing?

Perhaps any other area of communication or work with a foundation as I love to help people. Or, perhaps, be in real estate business.

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Osagie

You are obviously fulfilled with what you do Oh yes, very much so and I have bagged some awards and commendations from far and near for exhibiting exemplary leadership qualities in this field. Besides plying my trade in Nigeria, I am also a Public Relations consultant to World Business Forum in New York and the Academic Association for Surgeons, International Conference (AAS) among other notable institutions.

I have always believed that God has a special plan for me. I know I am a special person, not in an arrogant way but I always believe that no matter where you are, it is not your final destination.

That is my philosophy in life and that helps me go through life with less stress. When I do so well at any point in my life, I am always of the belief that I can do better as that isn’t the best of me or if the reverse happens to be the case, I do not believe that is the end of life. That always keeps me going. I am always looking out for new horizons. So the story of my life is just so remarkable because where I was coming from was totally unbelievable and where I am now could only have been propelled by God Osagie THEWILLNEWS

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DECEMBER 3, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnews.com

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU Continued from page 38

SAMUEL OGBUKU BAGS CHIEFTAINCY TITLE IN NIGER DELTA COMMUNITY

Olukorede Adenowo Dumps Standard Chartered Bank For First Bank

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amuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has been bestowed with a chieftaincy title as the Ama Tondi 1 of Tugbeni Oruma land by the Paramount Ruler of Oruma Community, King Pere David Amakiri.

This is one of several recognitions bestowed on Ogbuku by several communities in the Niger Delta Region, whose appointment as the MD of the developmental body, they claim has brought about a renewed zeal to see developmental projects in the region.

Extolling Ogbaku's leadership skill in NDDC, the traditional ruler described it as impactful and exceptional. He commended him for demonstrating zeal and determination in driving the process of development in the Niger Delta region. This is in addition to his youthfulness, energy, vibrancy and his high sense of reasoning, which he said makes Ogbaku a competent, consummate personality as well as an amiable and considerate individual.

In his acceptance speech, Ogbuku said the chieftaincy title was an expression of appreciation by his people and a mandate Ogbuku for him to do more in developing the Niger Delta region. He assured the community Deputy Chairman Oyo State Council of Obas and that he is committed, with his team, to the Chiefs, Oba Francis Olushola Alao, several monarchs transformation of the Niger Delta region. within the Nigeria Delta region and very important The installation ceremony had quite a number of personalities too numerous to mention. dignitaries in attendance some of whom were the

financial landscape which is why they wasted no time poaching him from Standard Chartered.

Adenowo brings a wealth of experience built by a proven track record of success in the banking industry across several countries. He began his career at Deloitte Nigeria, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1991. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 2003 and received a Distinguished Alumnus award from Deloitte Nigeria in 2015.

He is an alumnus of INSEAD and Said Business School, Oxford University, where he underwent management training in Leadership.

Adenowo, who has a total of 35 years post-university experience in Banking, Finance and Consulting, is a founding member of staff of

Adewunmi Continued from page 38

Why Seyi Makinde Has Not Announced New Alaafin and come up with a candidate deemed fit enough in pedigree, character and liquidity, who will be announced as the new Alaafin.

However, a proclamation document, which has since gone public, proves that the kingmakers are not to blame for the selection process as they have rightly selected Lukman Adelodun Gbadegesin, a prince from the Agunloye ruling house and forwarded his name to the Oyo State Government since 2022.

The proclamation was signed by the five living members of the Oyo Mesi and two warrant chiefs selected by the state government to replace deceased Oyo Mesi members. The kingmakers explained that they received a list of 82 aspiring princes which was eventually narrowed down to Gbadegesin.

In the proclamation, all the kingmakers signed for Gbadegesin as his grandfather, Alaafin Bello Gbadegesin Ladigbolu II, was the predecessor of the immediate past Alaafin Adeyemi III. According to the law, an aspirant or the ruling house has 21 days to petition the government to challenge the selection. But no such petition has been written. However, at the expiration of the 21-day window, a certain prince, Hakeem Ladigbolu, approached the court to set aside the selection process. But in a judgment given by an Oyo State High Court, it upheld the process leading to the selection of Gbadegesin.

Despite the proclamation by the Oyo Mesi and THEWILLNEWS

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the court judgment upholding the process, the state government is yet to make a formal announcement, thus giving rise to concerns that political interests might undermine the Oyo Mesi and foist another person on the ancient Yoruba town. And they are not wrong. THEWILL exclusively gathered that the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde is allegedly hesitant to make the pronunciation because Gbadegesin is allegedly a close ally of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Makinde and Atiku do not see eye to eye on account of the drama that played out in the months leading to the 2023 general election, which saw a quintet made up of Nyesom Wike, former Rivers State governor now minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Makinde; Samuel Ortom former Benue governor; Okezie Ikepazu, former governor of Abia State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State - all members of the PDP, otherwise known as the G5 governors of the Integrity Group, breaking ranks with the national leadership of the party for not honouring an agreement to return power to the South.

Makinde probably thinks that announcing Gbadegesin as the new Alaafin would be a plus for Atiku which may not be the unlikely reason for the unnecessary delay in the announcement.

No doubt, he is allegedly, racking his brain on the best possible way to circumvent the process.

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KEMI ADEWUNMI QUIETLY WALTZES INTO 60S CLUB

Jennifer Uchendu Makes List of BBC 100 Inspiring, Influential Women

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ocialite and humanitarian, Kemi Adewunmi recently clocked 60. Quite a number of her fellow members on the Lagos social circuit and fellow politicians had expected the widow of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Alfa, to roll out the drums for a grand celebration on account of who she is in the society and her achievements. They hoped she would shut down Eko Hotel and Suites just as she did during her 50th birthday party 10 years ago. But Kemi shocked everyone when she decided to go low key to celebrate her diamond jubilee. The former governorship aspirant in Ekiti State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, instead chose to give thanks to God for the privilege of witnessing her 60th birthday at her local church in company with her two daughters.

Later in the evening, she had a private dinner at an exclusive restaurant with her family and very few close friends. Perhaps the current mood of the nation may have compelled her to opt for a low-key celebration. A philanthropist of note, Kemi is the president of Soroptimist International and the Women Initiative for Advocacy, Social Justice and Empowerment, among many other organisations and groups she heads.

Standard Chartered Bank in Nigeria and has held various senior positions in Standard Chartered Bank Group in the last 24 years. He has served as Head of Origination and Client Corporates for Standard Chartered, West Africa; Deputy Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Cameroon and a senior management executive in the Wholesale Bank in Standard Chartered Nigeria.

An Economist turned chartered accountant; he was appointed Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Institute Accountants of Nigeria in 2000. Korede is married to popular architect, Jumoke who is fondly referred to as Africa's 'Starchitect'. She is a well sought after speaker and author who runs AD Consulting, an architectural firm.

Uchendu

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ennifer Uchendu, a Nigerian environmentalist, has emerged as the only Nigerian on the list of British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC 100 inspiring and influential women for 2023.

The announcement of this year’s list kicks off the BBC’s 100 Women 2023 season – focusing on women’s right and diverse life experiences around the globe, This will be the first time BBC will recognise the disproportionate impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls by specifically highlighting a group of women leading

the battle against the climate crisis.

By naming 28 climate pioneers from all corners of the globe, the BBC 100 Women list 2023 celebrates those inspiring and leading their communities to tackle and adapt to the devastating impact of climate change in their regions.

Jennifer, who is devoted to climate change and mental health advocacy, has her most recent work focused on exploring the impacts of the climate crisis on the mental health of Africans, especially young people. The 30-year-old runs SustyVibes, a sustainabilityfocused organisation, to draw leaders to action on the United Nations (UN) climate change conference, widely known as the Conference of the Parties (COP). A graduate of Chemistry from Covenant University, she set up the Echo Anxiety Africa Project in 2022 to focus on validating and safeguarding climate emotions in Africans through research, advocacy and climate aware psychotherapy.

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Yemisi Sanusi Becomes Asoju Oba of Egbaland

Wilfred Bonse: The Face Behind Patricia's Woes

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he past few months have been a trying period for Hanu Fejiro Agbodje, the founder of Patricia, an e-commerce platform and cryptocurrency firm. The information technology firm is neck deep in debt as a result of alleged fraudulent activity and a security breach that took place on the platform which greatly affected N2 billion of its customers' funds. Instead of disappearing into the thin air, Hanu decided to convert the trapped funds into Patricia shares as a solution to resolve the debt issue. Now respite has come for Hanu as one of the perpetrators of the security breach has been nabbed. Incidentally, he is a politician who once contested a governorship election in Cross Rivers State. He is Wilfred Bonse. He has been arrested by the police on charges of conspiracy to launder the sum of N50 million that originated from the fraudulent diversion of N607 million on Patricia.

The Nigeria Police Force was able to track and arrest him with the help of their national cybercrime centre.

The N607 million is part of the N2 billion that Patricia lost on its crypto processing platform in May. Bonse allegedly received the funds through a crypto-currency wallet. The case involves a criminal Bonse conspiracy, unauthorised modification of computer systems, network data, and the unlawful diversion uncle who visited Nigeria, and who used to give of funds amounting to over N200 million. him iTunes gift cards. He didn’t own an iPhone and Apparently, Bonse isn't the only one involved in so had no use for it. He then tried to find where he this matter. There are other people who are at large. could exchange the cards for real money and couldn’t Although the N607 million isn't all the money lost, find any local company doing that and he ended up it would go a long way to pacify Hanu's customers. getting scammed of the card.

A graduate of Mathematics and Statistics from the At that point, he realised he had stumbled on to University of Port Harcourt, 27 year old Hanu began something. He figured that if he had this problem, Patricia.com in 2017. It was supposed to be a side there would be others most likely to have the same hustle to earn an extra N30,000 a month but as problem and that was how Patricia was born. At the fate would have it, the business grew beyond his height of its fame, Patricia was described by industry imagination. watchers as one of the fastest growing e-Commerce Recalling how it all started, he said he had an firms in Nigeria and Africa.

Chioma Ajunwa Adds Another Feather to Her Cap

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ast week, Chioma Ajunwa added another feather to her cap when she was honoured by a non-governmental organisation, the Mbaise People’s Congress (MPC). It was during the celebration of the organisation's annual professionals' ball where professionals of Mbaise extraction in Imo State, who have distinguished themselves in their different fields of endeavour are recognised and honoured for making their marks in their profession.

A former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ajunwa retired from the Nigeria Police Force four months ago after 35 years of meritorious service. The first female Olumpic gold medalist

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Ajunwa

in Nigeria, she is also the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Ajunwa was not the only indigene of Mbaise who was honoured. Other honourees at the auspicious event themed 'The University of Mbaise (Ejiri mara Mbaise) So long! How long?' included Ikechukwu Amaechi, Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of 'TheNiche' newspaper; Dr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC); Josephine EffahChukwuma, a development specialist, an advocate against domestic violence and founder of Project Alert among several others. The MPC has over the years assumed a life of its own and has become the most important local recognition accorded to successful sons and daughters of Mbaise nation by the people themselves.

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Nwakuche

ADAOBI NWAKUCHE IS NOW MD VERITAS KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC

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hile family and friends were still rejoicing over Adaobi Nwakuche's appointment with Trustville Insurance Brokers, three months after she left her very high-profile job as the MD/CEO of businessman, Tony Elumelu-owned Heirs Insurance Limited, she has proved once again that no circumstances, regardless of its nature, is capable of holding her down.

The socialite has again moved on from Trustville Insurance and has now berthed at Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc as its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. Announcing her appointment, Nwakuche said that she is ready to lead with enthusiasm, dedication, and a commitment to excellence.

Fondly referred to as the first lady of Nigeria's insurance industry because of her sharp business acumen and far-reaching prominence in that sector. Her popularity also extends to the social circles, where she is one of the hottest and most eligible divorcees.

A graduate of Government and Public Administration from the Abia State University with a Masters degree in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology and a PhD in Insurance, Risk Management and Corporate Governance, she has held sway both in the insurance industry and on the social scene for the past 20 years without her popularity waning one bit. From her rookie days at Standard Alliance, she rose through the ladder of success plying her trade at Standard Assurance Company of Nigeria before moving on to Equity Assurance before berthing at HEIRS Insurance, where she threw in the towel in controversial circumstances.

emisi Abdullahi Sanusi, the Ogun State chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been bestowed with the traditional title of Asoju Oba of Egbaland by the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo.

The conferment of the title coincided with his 70th birthday. The title of Asoju Oba is significant being that Sanusi is the third indigene of Egbaland Sanusi to be honoured with the title. Revealing why he and merchandise business. conferred him with the title, He is the chairman of Akin The Alake said that the Egba and Sanusi Co Ltd; Chairman, Traditional Council over the Ogun State Housing years watched Sanusi and Corporation and holds several noticed his integrity, hard other chieftaincy titles. His work and leadership qualities, installation ceremony as Asoju hence, the conferment of the Oba took place penultimate important chieftaincy title. week at Adire hall inside the The traditional ruler urged Ake Palace, Ogun State. It him to use his new title to was witnessed by the State contribute to the socio-cultural Governor, Dapo Abiodun, development of Egbaland in former governor of the State particular and Ogun State in and National Leader of the general. Sanusi who is also APC, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the chairman, governing former Speaker of the House council of Federal Polytechnic, of Representatives, Dimeji Ukana is an astute Bankole, immediate past businessman who bowed out Nigeria Higher Commissioner of civil service three decades to the United Kingdom, ago and went into full time Sarafa Tunji -Ishola, and other building/civil engineering traditional rulers.

Chioma Ikoku Launches Fashion Outfit

Ikoku

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hioma Ikoku, more popularly known as Chioma Goodhair, has finally given vent to her love for fashion by expanding her business frontiers to the fashion industry. The law trained beauty entrepreneur and social media influencer has launched her eponymous fashion outfit called Chioma's Closet. Chioma's Closet, which has been in the making for a few years is an opportunity for many who have always admired her sense of style to shop from her vast array of fashion picks from her closet and beyond. Simply put, it is an avenue to sell off pre

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used luxury items, a branch of fashion that is fast gaining traction in Nigeria.

Ikoku made a name for herself selling luxury and exclusive hair. She co-founded Good Hair Ltd and beauty hub, The Good Hair Space. She later expanded to the hospitality business with Brass and Copper Restaurant and Lounge alongside her partner, Kika Osunde.

The 34-year-old is a graduate of law from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.

She has an LL.M degree in International Environmental Law and International Commercial Arbitration from the University of London.

A philanthropist, Ikoku is the founder of the Chioma Ikokwu Start-up Fund Initiative, which focuses on providing capital for small businesses with innovative ideas and runs an executive coaching program where she mentors entrepreneurs in business creation, branding and marketing. She is also the founder of The Good Way Foundation, an organization that focuses on sickle cell disease awareness as one of its major focus areas.

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU AND ABUOSE USIFOH

CHOCOLATE CITY RISKS POTENTIAL LOSS OF 60% SHARES N

igerian music company, Chocolate City, founded in 2005 by the trio of Audu Maikori, Paul Okeugo and Yahaya Maikori, is at risk of losing up to 60 per cent of its equity to partner, WEA International, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group (WMG) based in New York. This development arises from a loan dispute between the two entities, with the commercial division of a High Court in London ruling against Chocolate City's attempt to prepay a $1.7 million loan from WMG before its due date in 2024.

The judgement affirms WEA/WMG's right to choose repayment with 60 per cent of Chocolate City's shares, a decision that could significantly impact the Nigerian music powerhouse. The court's decision concludes Chocolate City's effort to exit the loan obligations early, preventing the lender from opting for a 60 per cent share conversion to offset the loan. The loan, obtained in 2019, was to be repaid or converted into a substantial portion of Chocolate City's equity.

The judge, David Foxton, emphasised

that prepayment before the due date was not envisaged in the agreement signed by the parties. This ruling effectively grants WEA/WMG the discretion to accept payment with full interest at the due date or convert the loan to 60 per cent Maikori of Chocolate City's shares. The loan agreement, outlined in court documents, reveals the complex nature of the financial arrangement, with the potential for equity conversion at the end of the loan term.

The court's reliance on precontractual documents and correspondences provided an insight into the agreement's details. The partnership between Chocolate City and WMG, announced in 2019, initially showcased promises of global reach for African artistes and new opportunities for regional

Bishop Oyedepo’s Son Formally Unveils New Ministry P

superstars. However, the recent legal dispute has added uncertainty to the collaboration.

Chocolate City has been home to recording artistes, such as M.I Abaga, Nosa, Dice Ailes, Victoria Kimani, Ice Prince, DJ Caise, DJ Lambo, Jeremiah Gyang, Ruby Gyang, Pryse, Brymo, Koker, Jesse Jagz, Lemon Adisa, Mr Gbafun, Ijay, and Kahli Abdu, VHS Safari and more. Artists currently on the label are Tariq, Noondave, YoungJohn, Blaqbonez, CandyBleakz and MajorAJ.

astor Isaac Oyedepo, the son of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, has officially unveiled his own ministry, The Isaac Oyedepo Evangelistic Ministries.

As expected, Bishop Oyedepo prayed for his son and his wife, Ayomitide, during the event.

He said, “As hands are laid on you, I pray for unusual grace for sustainable connectivity that will keep you going without sweat.

I pray that impact will be your goal, not good preaching but great impact and I pray that your life will interpret your message in Oyedepo the name of Jesus.

“As you step into this new phase of your assignment, may you be clothed with humility. I have never begged, yet I have never lacked,

TONTO DIKEH WRITES OPEN LETTER TO MOHBAD’S DAD

Richard Pryor’s Daughter Joins Nollywood

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ain, daughter of late Legendary Hollywood actor/stand-up comedian, Richard Pryor, has announced plans to launch a groundbreaking multimillion-dollar film project in collaboration with Nigerian producers. Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola will be starring alongside major Hollywood actors in a movie project that will bring together both cultures.

Rain Pryor is currently working with Bola Atta and Chike Nwoffiah, a Nigerian filmmaker and arts consultant on the film project. While Pryor takes on the dual roles of director and executive Producer, Atta and Nwoffiah are executive producers of the film project.

On the inspiration behind Pryor the project, Pryor said, “What prompted the story was my family. I have a family Atta and Nwoffiah disclosed that the that is rich in tradition and culture high budget multi-million dollar and when I travelled to Nigeria film project is in the pre-production to learn about the Yoruba culture, stages and will begin filming in predominantly Ifa, I thought of how 2024 with the film set for a 2025 to bring together Nigerian and black release. Atta also said the film will Americans to create something be shot in Osun and Lagos States in that is a mixture of Hollywood and Nigeria and Maryland in the United Nollywood. My father, who was a States of America. popular comedian and actor, made The project focuses on the history profound changes in his life when and culture of African-Americans he came to the African continent and Africans worldwide, tracing their and felt that he found his soul and roots back to Nigeria. himself. Here I am doing the same Rain Pryor, who is an actress and thing and finding my place.” entrepreneur, is not only bringing THEWILLNEWS

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Hollywood and Nollywood together but also promoting tourism and cultural exchange between Nigeria and the United States.

The 54-year-old, who said she was enthralled by the beauty and richness of the Nigerian culture, which informed why she adopted the Yoruba name, Osunyemi Oriomodun.

"You can't really tell the story without being where the story originated from and that is why I am in Nigeria and have visited different cities including Ile Ife known to the Yoruba as the source,” she said.

Pryor said her ultimate goal is to “go home, go to the motherland, come to Nigeria and your roots. Immerse yourself in the culture because no one has yet done an International Film of this magnitude between Hollywood and I believe that it will get people excited in the States to say let's go to Nigeria. Let's see what it's about.”

I have never borrowed yet I have never lacked. My son, His times are not in Your hands, your times are in his hands.

“Don’t be part of maligning or bringing down any ministry.

Some years ago, someone stood up to give a testimony and to malign The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM and Deeper Life Bible Ministries and I corrected it immediately “Never get to a point where you say this thing is only happening to me. This young generation of ministers believe they are everything. A sister told me she saw Pastor Kumuyi praying for her and I sent her to him with a note.”

The younger Oyedepo had in October clarified that there were no complications in his relationship with his family, particularly his father, and he remained a steadfast member of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel International.

Dikeh

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ontroversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has accused Joseph Aloba, father of late singer, Illerioluwa Aloba, otherwise known as Mohbad, of focusing on material things rather than mourning the passing of his son.

Tonto, who expressed displeasure at his actions since the death of his son, had a lot to say about him in an open letter. She posted a picture of Mohbad on her Instagram page and addressed his father, condemning the hasty burial of the singer which took place immediately after his death, an action which led to a public outcry in September 2023.

"I can empathise with the harsh realities of poor conditions, but when it involves your own flesh and blood, your son, it’s truly heartbreaking. How is it that material things or wealth seems to outweigh the love for your own child?

"The hurried and undignified burial of our dear MohBad within a mere 24 hours of his supposed

passing, compounded by insufficient arrangements due to financial constraints after getting a whopping sum of N2 million, is deeply distressing considering his status. Need I remind you of the shameless, senseless and inhumane way MohBad’s neck was broken?"

She condemned Mr Aloba’s persistent cry for a DNA test to be conducted on Mohbad's infant son, Liam, alleging that his interest in the boy's paternity only grew after some funds were paid into the boy's bank account. She reminded him that Wunmi was his son's wife, his current widow and he ought to go to her with his DNA demands.

"The decision to exhume your son’s remains stemmed from a collective outcry of Nigerian youth – which is a testament to our shared concern. While we acknowledged that Mohad is indeed your son, please note, he was a married man, and the responsibility should extend to his wife regardless of any circumstances.

"In your quest for global assistance and DNA verification, it’s crucial to address the right of that woman personally, the one who holds the answers. By the way I totally agree with DNA, but why are you asking Nigerians for DNA and not Wunmi?" the actress added.

"Your immersion in social media, driven by trivialities and fleeting fame, is disheartening. I find solace in the knowledge that you are not a part of my family, sparing us the pain of witnessing your disregard for your son’s memory. It’s bewildering that your discontent only surfaced upon witnessing contributions to your grandson in custody of his mother, your late son’s wife."

Finally Tonto alleged that Mohbad's father had capitalised off his son's death and charged N10,000 to N15,000 to grant interviews. She urged him to do better for the sake of his son.

About Nigerian Artistes Who Faked Their Death to Promote Their Career

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he Nigerian music industry has had its fair share of rumours and speculations surrounding the fake deaths of some artistes. While it is crucial to approach such claims with scepticism, a few cases have managed to capture the attention of fans and the media alike. One notable incident is the alleged death of popular Nigerian singer, Abbey Elias, aka Skiibbi Mayana, on August 14, 2015.

Elias was declared dead by his former

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manager and music executive, Soso Soberekon. However, less than 24 hours later, his former record label, Five Star Music, refuted the news, asserting that their artist was, in fact, in good health.

Skiibii initially attributed his blackout to a medical issue, he later disclosed that the promotional stunt was orchestrated by his manager.

Also, on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, Nigerians were shocked to hear that a fledgling rapper, Oladipupo Olabode

Oladimeji, a.k.a Oladips, had passed away. Two days later, as tributes poured in for the struggling rapper, his colleague and close associate, Qudus Fakoya Oluwadamilare, popularly known as Qdot, debunked the rumour, claiming that the rapper was indeed alive. A week after his death, a supposed proof of life video of Oladips surfaced, showing him and his mum vibing to one of his singles off his newly released album.

Oladimeji

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Villain Yesterday, Model Today It is one of the ironies of life that a confirmed villain yesterday can quickly become a model today. From May through July to December 2022, former Accountant-General of the Federation Ahmed Idris was pretty much in the news for the wrong reasons. After failing to honour invitations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on fraud charges, Idris was arrested in May, docked in July in a court in the Federal Capital Territory up until last December.

The same Idris was recently turbaned Ajiyan Hausa by the Emir of Kano sparking outrage from Nigerians, as THEWILL found out. Michael Jimoh reports…

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hough a fictional character in Chinua Achebe’s A Man of the People, shop owner Josiah darkly brings to mind circumstances surrounding a real life person in Nigeria today. As the eponymous author of Things Fall Apart tells us in his fourth novel, Josiah stole a blind man’s walking stick in the erroneous belief it has magical powers that will attract customers by the dozen to his dry goods shop.

The villagers of Anata community are repulsed by the trader’s egregious act. As punishment, they boycott his shop and then ostracise him. But things change in no time for the disgraced shop owner-turned-thief. Josiah the villain of yesterday soon becomes a very important person in Anata, wooed and courted by supposedly prominent individuals in the same community. The next time readers encounter the thief, he has morphed into a very important campaign manager overseeing a rally for one of the contestants in a forthcoming election.

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such as BBC, Bloomberg, CNN and Al Jazeerah made their splashes as well, disclosing detail by grinding detail how a supposedly trusted civil servant from Kano state practically turned the national treasury into an ATM machine.

In his report of 30 July 2022 for The Guardian, Sodiq Omolaoye stated how the former Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, “compromised the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and carted away billions of naira belonging to the Federal Government.”

Quoting sources from EFCC, Omolaoye stated that Idris used the stolen money “in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms and Kano City Mall.” On the strength of their investigations, EFCC invited more people involved in the numerous dubious transactions with companies traced to the suspended AGF. One of them, a Bureau de change operator Baita Ibrahim Kura of B I Kura Ibrahim admitted paying “N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank.”

The BDC operator also admitted paying N866 million to

that much of that loot was re-looted by the AGF himself leading to his suspension by Buhari.

Of course, the antigraft agency stepped in discovering, in the process, that like the bent Otunla, Idris was no less crooked. He had been siphoning monies

What of people protected living in government houses and looting the treasury every day? We almost worship them, we praise them, we sing about them, we dance for them

Published in early 1966, critics and literary historians have not glossed over the fact of Achebe’s fourth novel presaging the first military coup in Nigeria because A Man ends with a coup overthrowing a corrupt civilian government in which Chief MA Nanga was Minister of Culture – the main subject of Achebe’s satirical portrait. The author’s uncanny ability to foresee that the villain of yesterday can become the hero or model of today is equally telling.

Though not of equal standing, there’s a parallel to Josiah in the person of erstwhile Accountant-General of the Federation Mr. Ahmed Idris. It is true the bespoke suit-wearing civil servant is on a higher realm than the penurious, superstitious trader. Idris is in the business of keeping records all the same, of presiding over the incomes earned, revenues generated and expenditure of his country.

Appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he was reappointed for a second tenure four years later. Buhari sacked Idris’s predecessor Mr. Jonah Otunla for misappropriating N2.5 billion of security agencies funds and then appointed Mr. Mohammed Dikwa a director in the office of the AGF in acting capacity. But by midyear 2015, Idris assumed duties fully as the AGF, allowing him a complete run of the nation’s finances.

It was during his tenure as AGF, for instance, that monies stolen by onetime governor of Delta state James Onanefe Ibori was repatriated to the Nigerian government with the intention of transferring same to the state where they were purloined. It never got to be. Investigations soon showed

all along. But where Otunla stole N2.5 billion, Idris had outdone him by more than 500 percent, embezzling N109 billion, according to findings by EFCC. For a government with a fabled boots-on the ground approach to fighting corruption, the scandal was too juicy for editors of both mainstream and online publications to pass by. So, a common headline in national newspapers at the time ran something like this: “How suspended Accountant-General swindled FG, EFCC reveals” (The Guardian) “EFCC set to arraign former accountant-general, Ahmed Idris, over N109bn fraud charges” (Premium Times) “Court orders forfeiture of former accountant-general Ahmed Idris’ $900,000, 15 houses” (Premium Times) “Alleged N109bn Fraud: EFCC To Arraign Ex-Accountant General Idris On July 22” (Vanguard.) Foreign media

one Architect Mustapha Mukhtar of March Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.”

Through his position as disburser of funds to the nine oilproducing states concerning 13 percent derivation from Excess Crude Account, Idris and some of his accomplices THEWILLNEWS

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...Model Today under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.”

who were also his subordinates made some bricks of cash amounting to millions of dollars. A Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) had considered the complaints of the nine oil producing states and then approved $2.2 billion for them to be deducted over a 60 months period on a quarterly basis.

Following these damning indictments, some of the properties and assets illegally acquired by Idris have been forfeited to the Federal Government. At the last count a year ago Premium Times listed some of the properties as Kano City Mall/Al Ikhlas Shopping Mall at Mandwawarti, one-storey Shopping Complex at Ladanai, Corner Shops at Ladanai all in Kano and some in Abuja.

According to one witness in the ensuing court proceedings in Abuja, “11.5 per cent of this figure amounting to N44.7 billion was put aside as payments to some public officials to facilitate payments to the oil-producing states.

With this high-profile scandal swirling around the former AGF and pending cases in court, Nigerians were rather surprised sometime in October when the same disgraced public official was honoured with a traditional title of Ajiyan Hausa by the Emir of Kano.

“After the determination of this committee, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele a staff under Idris, was presented under the guise of consultancy….

Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts…another transaction occurred on February 12, 2021, with N21 billion paid into his account.”

Till date palace officials have not stated clearly why the title itself was bestowed on the beleaguered former AGF except that it is to strengthen the ancient ties between Daura and Kano. Still, observers are worried about the Daura connection. Idris himself is Kano-born so how does the Daura connection come in?

The witness named Ahmed (not a relation of the former AGF) said inter alia: “Funds were shared with some groups, including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), represented by one of its Commissioners, Peace Akomas, former Deputy Governor of Abia State, who allegedly collected N18.8 billion. He said the money was withdrawn by Akindele and converted to U.S. dollars and handed over to Akomas.”

Worse still, analysts are left wondering how it could ever be. What, some people pointedly asked soon after the conferment of the title, is one to make of a public official on trial for corruption having this title bestowed on him by no less a revered first class traditional ruler than the Emir of Kano?

The second group of beneficiaries represented by the AGF was generously compensated with N18.01 billion while the third group, comprising Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil producing states, received N21.4 billion, the witness said in court, insisting that “the money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to U.S. dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.”

Reacting to that, Professor Abdulrahman Bello Bada of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto last November lamented the negative effect of corruption on countries in general and Nigeria in particular. Fresh from a meeting with some like-minded progressives in Sokoto apparently on and about corruption, the lecturer said the topic discussed at the meeting was “corruption as far as leadership in Nigeria is concerned.”

Two other groups were similarly paid, according to Ahmed, totaling four and all the defendants confirmed in writing to having received the monies.

On that premise, EFCC instituted an eight count charge against the former AGF stating in count one that “you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 (Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.”

Count eight rehashed Idris’s criminal conspiracy with his technical assistant Olusegun Akindele: “That you, Ahmed Idris while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable THEWILLNEWS

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“

like the bent Otunla, Idris was no less crooked.

He had been siphoning monies all along. But where Otunla stole N2.5 billion, Idris had outdone him by more than 500 percent, embezzling N109 billion, according to findings by EFCC

“I expressed my own understanding that corruption does not spare any country that as a human being if you don’t implement the rules and regulations of that country, I don’t think you can stop it,” Bada declared, alluding to a corrupt individual as desperate enough to kill.

“Sometimes he can turn into something else. Sometimes he can even become animalistic, he even kills in pursuit of his own interest.”

Zeroing in on Nigeria, the professor went on cite to examples of someone whose salary is not up to N300 but own houses everywhere. For the discerning, it was Bada’s way of coming around to the real reason for meeting with the press.

“Nobody can believe what happened recently,” he continued. “A former Accountant-General of the Federation who is accused in a court of law for stealing over N109b was last week turbaned by the Emir of Kano in Kano celebrating what actually is not in our character. This is something entirely new to us. You can’t believe it.”

The professor of Sociology couldn’t have been more correct: how did an indicted man under trial who has already forfeited some of his illegally acquired wealth and assets to the Federal Government be made a titled man in the society?

Bada himself provided some answers: “As long as we don’t use our laws, we don’t punish those who are offenders, then only God knows where Nigeria is moving to…But what of people protected living in government houses and looting the treasury every day? We almost worship them, we praise them, we sing about them, we dance for them. This was not the culture of Sokoto Caliphate…Something is really wrong.

We have to think.”

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Are Super Falcons Returning to Continental Dominance?

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

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he Super Falcons of Nigeria have been the dominant force in African women's football for over two decades.

As 11-time champions of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and ever-present at the FIFA Women's World Cup since 1991, their pedigree remained undisputed on the continent for years on end.

Nnadozie

However, their status as African queens, which was initially jolted at the 2008 WAFCON, where they finished 3rd, in 2022 where they were 4th, came into question at the 2021 Nigeria Football Federation-organised Aisha Buhari Cup, where South Africa’s Bayana Bayana whipped the Super Falcons 4-2.

Most recently, the status of the Nigerian women's team, which was rising again, was dented by a heartbreaking exit on penalties to England in the round of 16 of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

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Beating Cape Verde home and away was expected for a team with designs on being Africa's flagship side

That loss, which was believed to have lit a fire within the Super Falcons as they embarked on qualification for the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco, did not initially seem that way when they played in the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In their first competitive match since the World Cup, the Falcons faced off against Ethiopia to a disappointing 1-1 draw away from home. It was a massive letdown from the impressive heights of the World Cup performances. Fans widely lambasted the display and called for an improvement in the reverse fixture. They got what they asked for.

The Super Falcons comprehensively defeated Ethiopia 4-0 in the return match, played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Nigeria's capital Abuja. The hosts put on a dominant performance that made it easy to forget the disappointing first leg draw. The coaching team made two changes to the starting XI as Rofiat Imuran and Ifeoma Onumonu started.

Just before halftime, Uchenna Kanu calmly slotted home to give Nigeria the lead after a pinpoint pass from defender Oluwatosin Demehin.

The floodgates opened in the second half, with Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala getting on the score sheet with a textbook header in the 68th minute. In between Oshoala's goal, Atlético Madrid's Rasheedat Ajibade netted a brace to pad Nigeria's lead. Her first finish in the 50th minute came from an assist by Oshoala, and she wrapped up the scoring in the 72nd minute after combining well with Oshoala again.

The emphatic 4-0 result saw Nigeria through at 5-1 on aggregate. They will next face either Cameroon or Uganda in the penultimate qualifying round for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. After that game, questions began to circulate about the whereabouts of Super Falcons’ coach, Randy Waldrum, who was absent from both fixtures and had not been seen with the team since the end of the World Cup. The uncertainty around his continued functioning in the role did not abate, even with the successful 4-0 second leg result.

Waldrum’s continued absence was critical as Nigeria had to face Cape Verde in the second round of qualifying for the WAFCON. Cape Verde was expected to pose little problems based on their respective world rankings, but that was the mindset of the Super Falcons going up against Ethiopia in the first leg of the Olympic qualifiers. Complacency was always going to be dangerous.

Reports monitored by THEWILL claimed Waldrum was unable to join the Falcons’ camp due to his university coaching duties in the USA. His absence obviously stripped

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...Returning to Continental Dominance? the team of the architect of their World Cup performances where they pushed England all the way before bowing out painfully on penalties.

Waldrum has also been embroiled in confrontations with the NFF over contractual disputes regarding his long-term future. Without his tactical acumen and man management, question marks will continue to hover over the Nigerian camp.

Furthermore, talismanic striker and captain, Asisat Oshoala withdrew from the squad, along with emerging midfield talent Jennifer Echegini.

Oshoala, the reigning African Women's Player of the Year and nominee for another record-extending honour, leaves a gaping hole in attack that appeared difficult to fill. Yet, the quality of talent available in the squad meant that her combination of skill, speed and ruthless scoring prowess, which is virtually unmatched on the continent, was not missed against Cape Verde.

the requests of Oshoala and Echegini to pull out of the team came as a surprise to the Federation, which had sent their invites accordingly. Reasons for their absence may come to the fore in due time.

Waldrum

Another curious omission was newly eligible defender Ashleigh Plumptre, who plays club football for Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League. Plumptre impressed for the Falcons before and during the World Cup but has since been left out entirely from selection. As a smooth, ball-playing centre-back, she adds quality defensive depth making fans wonder as to the rationale of her continued absence. It has since become clear, by her own admission, that fitness issues were behind her absences.

In the absence of Waldrum, assistant coach Justin Madugu took the helm. While Madugu lacks the experience of Waldrum at international level, his tactical decisions and motivational ability were put to the test right away against Cape Verde in their opening 2024 WAFCON qualifier. The Super Falcons showed little signs of distraction or weakness despite these absences. Storming to a dominant 5-0 first leg victory over Cape Verde in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, the Falcons took control of the tie from the early moments.

The rout began with experienced striker Uchenna Kanu, who netted twice for Nigeria, with the opening goal coming

Continued from Back Page

‘Money Politics’: Symptom of Nigeria’s Decaying Democracy ing political aspirants or elected officials, must be constituted. Judges linked with questionable rulings must also face disciplinary review to signal impunity’s end.

Finally, Nigeria needs to reinforce measures to further strengthen the independence and integrity of INEC as an institution with sustained nationwide civic education on citizens’ rights and responsibilities during electoral processes.

With the controversies still surrounding his victory at the 2023 presidential election, through resolute leadership, President Bola Tinubu possesses a historic opening to implement reforms capable of gradually reducing money’s stranglehold over Nigeria’s democracy.

The revelations from Obanikoro on exploits aiding former Governor Fayose cement perceptions that THEWILLNEWS

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seized power through crooked means a decade ago, the political class has only further perfected tactics for capturing governance institutions to perpetuate misrule and self-enrichment schemes veiled as leadership. When votes appear easily purchasable for the right price and justice for sale to the highest bidder, public hopes continuously dashed for accountability and inclusive development come as no surprise.

Although the former Minister shed light on wanton wrongdoing, present inaction to deter future abuses risks turning future election cycles into further reinforcement of impunity’s enduring reign in Nigeria. The choices ahead for President Tinubu and leaders of the National Assembly, as well as other newly elected leaders are clear. Seize this moment for decisive action or abet Nigeria’s democratic decay through inaction.

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Echegini

Ajibade

As for Echegini, the midfielder enjoyed an outstanding freshman season for Florida State University and was expected to add flair and youthful fearlessness to the midfield. The 22-year-old’s promise is immense and resolving her absence to ensure availability moving forward will be key. Abdulrafiu Yusuf, who is the NFF’s Assistant Director (Technical), said

in the 7th minute. Gift Monday added to the lead in the 25th minute before Kanu found the net again, making it 3-0 going into half-time. After the break, Esther Okoronkwo came off the bench and promptly scored a brace of her own to round out the scoring for the home side.

In addition to the standout attacking display, Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, whose job between the sticks for Nigeria was instrumental to their impressive World Cup display, made a remarkable save to deny Cape Verde an equaliser shortly after they conceded the opening goal, highlighting the all-around strength of the Nigerian squad.

The only critique that could be levelled at the Falcons was some wayward finishing, as nine shots missed the target.

However, this seems like nitpicking given the ruthlessness of the performance overall. Cape Verde was simply overwhelmed and defeated by the time the referee blew the final whistle.

While the Falcons took care of business emphatically in the first leg, they will not read too much into this result against limited opposition. Beating Cape Verde home and away was expected for a team with designs on being Africa's flagship side. Waldrum remained unavailable for the second leg qualifier away to Cape Verde so avoiding injuries or fatigue was a priority once the tie was won.

The real statement of intent will come later in the Olympic qualifying series against heavier weighted sides like Cameroon or Uganda. The Super Falcons are highly motivated to reassert their dominance over such African opponents after falling just short at recent WAFCON tournaments and at the World Cup. Qualifying for the 2024 WAFCON and the Olympics will be the first marker en route to redemption on the world stage.

There remain uncertainties with leadership quandaries and absences of key players. However as the Cape Verde demolition showed, the essence of the Falcons dynastic pedigree and winning mentality in Africa remains intact. With talents such as Plumptre, Nnadozie, Kanu and Okoronkwo rising to prominence, and the assurance in the striking quality of Oshoala and Ajibade, the future remains bright.

The road to Morocco 2024 and Paris 2024 promises twists and intrigue, but the smart money remains on the Falcons to eventually soar again to their customary position atop the African game. Nursing the scars of their near misses against South Africa at the 2021 Aisha Buhari Cup, WAFCON 2022 and England at the 2023 World Cup, this Nigeria squad appears more focused than ever on re-establishing themselves as Africa's undisputed queens of football. Are we seeing a return to dominance on the continent? Time will tell.

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www.thewillnews.com •December 3, 2023

‘Money Politics’: Symptom of Nigeria’s Decaying Democracy W hen former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, recently revealed in court how he helped orchestrate an operation about a decade ago to fly the sum of N1.2bn ($7.5m) in cash to the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on the eve of election in the state, it shone unflattering light on the backroom deals and transactional money politics undermining Nigeria’s political integrity.

This latest glimpse into brazen vote buying involving stolen taxpayer funds to tilt the playing field serves as a microcosm for the macro dysfunctions choking the lifeblood from Africa’s largest democracy.

The revelations feed public perceptions that since it seized power through underhanded means a decade ago, the political class has only further perfected tactics for capturing control of governance institutions to perpetuate business as usual. In turn, ordinary citizens see hopes continuously dashed for accountability and inclusive development.

Cynicism understandably abounds when votes appear easily purchasable for the right price and justice is available for sale to the highest bidder. Although Obanikoro shed light on past wrongdoing, present inaction to deter future abuses risks turning the post-2023 election cycle into further reinforcement of impunity’s enduring reign.

Lamentably, many of the governorship and legislative seats decided saw candidates widely accused of misusing public office in the past completely outspend opponents. Recently, courts sided with several prominent candidates who lost after judges voided results from select polling stations or even whole local government areas over purported irregularities or technicalities in the appeals.

Given a long history of judges delivering suspect rulings to cement illegitimate electoral victories secured through money politics, these latest judgments cast further doubt on the credibility of the process.

The prevalence of politicians today employing illicit funds to sway electoral outcomes or buy off judges speaks to the normalisation of corrupt behaviour that has slowly hollowed out Nigeria’s democratic institutions for over two decades. Since the return to civilian government in 1999, money politics has become the lifeblood of a dysfunctional system of governance that is consistently failing ordinary Nigerians.

Beyond explicit vote buying and legalised forms of vote solicitation, the crisis manifests through politicians channelling largesse through well-oiled patronage networks, with beneficiaries expecting manifold returns upon victory at the ballot. Having captured control over public purse strings, elected officials syphon funds towards a coterie of supporters at alarming rates rather than the provision of

basic services for citizens.

With anti-corruption watchdogs keeping only a select subset of predatory elites partially at bay, each election cycle the political class repurposes yet more of the proverbial “national cake” away from development priorities into the bottomless pit of self-enrichment schemes veiled as campaign spending. Cynical horse-trading overcharges between party chieftains shopping for the highest bidder party slot have become routine.

In the euphoric days surrounding the 1999 transition from military dictatorship, even seemingly flawed elections provided a source of hope, marking gradual, if uneven, progress. Yet, after witnessing billions pilfered from public coffers disappear into politicking once again while their daily struggles continue unabated, many citizens now summarise their view as founded on the need for a different kind of democracy where money and godfathers are not deciding factors.

With the country at a political, economic and social inflection point, given mounting nationwide insecurity and strikes stemming from economic pressures, establishment parties manifestly failed to present a clear alternative vision during campaigns. Rampant vote buying reinforced perceptions that acquiring power was largely a transactional endeavour among the elite, with ordinary

voters serving as relatively meaningless pawns.

The turnout plummeted in some areas to barely a quarter of registered voters. Among the vast numbers disenchanted enough to stay at home exists fertile recruiting ground for violent entrepreneurial actors thriving in the current disorder.

Most youths view participating as either further legitimising a rigged game or sacrificing personal dignity for meagre handouts insufficient to even temporarily alleviate economic struggles.

Those still clinging to hope invested years back during the #EndSARS anti-police brutality protests see them brutally crushed by the cynical political elite yet again beating democracy into further submission through brute force of ill-gotten gains. Where expectations for accountability and representation once flickered, darkness descends.

It worsens when there are scant repercussions for blatant abusers. Not too long ago, at the valedictory sitting of Nigeria's 9th Senate, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa revealed how he obtained favours from his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who was the President of the Court of Appeal, for his colleagues in the Senate. On Thursday last week, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Kano State, claimed on national TV that winning elections in Nigeria is beyond the casting of ballot papers, while reacting to the controversy surrounding the Kano State governorship elections.

The boldness of these politicians in making these public claims that ought to be political hara-kiri in healthy democracies is telling of the decline in the quality of our democracy.

To begin turning the tide against transactional money politics, it is pertinent that Nigeria initiates a full implementation and resourcing of an action plan as immediate as possible.

First, we must bolster enforcement capacities against vote buying with legislation instituting stringent sanctions against candidates, parties and voters verified as participating. Also, we have to provide supplementary funding for monitoring.

Secondly, given documented abuses of power and illegal self-enrichment, Nigeria must prohibit anyone convicted on corruption charges from seeking office at any level for 10 years after fulfilling sentences.

Thirdly, we must fast-track legislative endorsement of campaign finance reforms that will formalise reasonable ceilings on spending and contributions to make races more competitive.

Fourthly, a structure to insulate anti-graft agencies from partisan interference and increase their funding levels to incentivise thorough investigation of embezzlement cases, especially those involv-

Since the return to civilian government in 1999, money politics has become the lifeblood of a dysfunctional system of governance that is consistently failing ordinary Nigerians PAGE 48

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