THEWILL NEWSPAPER July 23, 2023

Joseph Benjamin is a name we know too well as one of the popular ones in Nollywood. He had a promising career in the entertainment industry, not just as an actor but hosting as well. Suddenly he disappeared for a long time, and the next time we saw him was in Greenleaf, a Tv series in the United States.

According to the actor, his relocation was born out of the need for personal growth.

He explained that he wanted more, “I wanted more. There was a nudge in my heart to go out, explore, and get more. All of these were by design because God orchestrated them. Not just that I was pursuing growth in my career, wanting more and getting out of my comfort zone as it were…”

Now he is back and working on some projects, so hopefully, we will see more of him on our screens soon. Read his heartwarming interview about his journey back on pages 8 through 10.

Being intimate with your partner doesn’t entail just penetration. You will find that there are many ways to pleasure your partner, including manual stimulation. Downtown Confidential this week explores several ways you can give your partner pleasure beyond penetration.

More often than not, we forget to pay attention to our décolletage when we moisturise our face, so our beauty page encourages you to extend your beauty regimen to cater to those areas.

Our fashion pages explore eco-friendly fashion that treads lightly on the planet, while Bon Appetit unlocks your personality traits based on your favourite ice cream flavour.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

OnahNwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

Where Are The Palliatives, Nigerians Ask Tinubu

BY AMOS ESELE

Astudent of the University of Benin, who simply gave his name as Dave, planned to travel from Benin-City, the Edo State capital, to Lagos last Monday for a short holiday. But he had to postpone the trip till the next day under a cloud.

On that Monday, Dave got to the popular Iyare Motors Park at Iyaro and met the shock of his life. The lady at the ticket box told him the fare was N15,000. Alarmed, he called his schoolmate who had travelled a week earlier to confirm the fare he had told him he paid and which he had conveyed to his parents. He heard him right, it was N10,000, a 100 per cent increase after the May 31, 2023 price hike of petrol from N195 to average N537 per litre by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Deflated, Dave who was happy he had an extra N2,000 added to the old fare to spend on the journey, summoned courage to call his father and told him about the new fare. Expectedly, his civil servant father bristled at his thoughtlessness, but managed to ask him to postpone the trip till Tuesday as he needed to mobilise some money for him by then.

On getting home at about 4 pm that Tuesday, Dave who had expected to meet a welcome treat of wholesome food was told by his siblings that their mother had gone to the market and was unusually delayed. She eventually came home, but with a tale of woe. Arbitrary increase in transport fare, sudden increase in the prices of meat, fish and ingredients for soup had caused the delay as she had to sample prices before buying any item, she told her family.

Dave was saddened to hear that the N5.000 extra cost sent for his fare affected the cash at her disposal.

“This experience shows the uncertainty we have to face about the future. I cannot even imagine the hardship ahead of us under the current regime of subsidy removal. The new increase in the price of petrol after the first one will certainly raise costs of living higher. This is frightening,” Dave's father told THEWILL at the weekend.

This account of uncertainty and lack is a reflection of the situation in many Nigerian homes that still have sources of income. It is worse for those whose real incomes have been severely diminished by President Bola Tinubu’s arbitrary removal of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023.

For this and other middle class families that depend on a fixed low income amid the rising cost of house rent, petroleum products, transportation, school fees and food stuff all of which continue to be subjected to inflationary pressures, the Wednesday, July 19, 2023 further increase of the pump price of petrol by the NNPC Ltd from N537 to N617 per litre can only mean one fact: increased pain, mental stress and hunger.

Low income businesses, which were severely cash-strapped as a result of the Federal Government’s money redesign policy, are also reeling under the burden of the fuel priceinduced high transportation cost and the unification of forex windows, all of which have led to further depreciation of the Naira from N440 to N777 and N1,000 (parallel market) at the weekend.

THE PROBLEM

Between the May 31 and the July 19, 2023 increase in the price of petrol, the statistics are stark: According to the World Bank, recently 4 million Nigerians were “pushed into the poverty trap in the first six months of 2023 with another 7.1 million more expected to join the conundrum if properly targeted measures are not taken to manage the impact of fuel subsidy removal.”

This is in addition to the 153 million Nigerians suffering multi-dimensional poverty. Inflation, in just one month from May to June 2023 soared from 22.41 per cent to 22.79 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics in its Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report. On a yearon-year basis, the NBS said, inflation was between 4 and 19 per cent points higher than June 2022, which was 18.60 per cent.

As a sign of things to come in the days ahead, the education sector was rattled by the Federal Ministry of Education’s announcement on Friday that school fees for students enrolling in Federal Unity Colleges have been increased from N45,000 to N100,000. At the tertiary level, a government-owned university, the University of Lagos, announced an increase in tuition from N19,000 to N140,000. The depth of fuel subsidy removal has gone beyond just the pump price of petrol!

GOVERNMENT PALLIATIVE MEASURES

In the midst of this ravaging hardship, the Federal Government, which had fumbled for the past months after

...Where Are The Palliatives

announcing palliative measures of N8,000 cash transfer to 12 million “poor-of-the poor” families, responded to criticism of its seeming indifference in policy execution. It announced that its subsidy measures are wide-ranged including release of fertilizers and grains to 50 million farmers and households across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and the President’s recently signed Executive Orders meant to alleviate the burden of taxes as well as the suspension of the implementation dates of certain tax regulations.

Also, the National Executive Council held an emergency meeting last Thursday, after which the government directed all 36 state governors to generate cash registers to enable the cash transfer policy.

The 12 million households are to receive N8,000 monthly cash transfer for six months.

REACTIONS

Nigerians who are for and against subsidy removal and the cash transfer policy are united by one consideration. Nigerians of all hues need immediate relief from the barrage of stressful social and economic challenges. The difference is with the nature of the stated problem and the solutions being provided for them.

Ordinarily, Tinubu had alerted Nigerians of his plans on subsidy removal during electioneering. In his manifesto, however, the section where he talks about subsidy removal failed to match the May 29 inauguration declaration.

Under the headline: ‘Phased Out Fuel Subsidy’ the presidential candidate stated that the aim of his administration was to achieve stability in the supply of petroleum products by fully deregulating the downstream sector and ensuring that local refineries run at full capacity to meet domestic consumption needs.

“To this end, the government shall phase out fuel subsidies yet maintain the underlying social contract between government and the people.

“Subsidy removal and deregulation are, however, only part of the solution. To further increase our refining capacity, we shall focus on the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries and shall consider, as a model, the joint venture partnership arrangements implemented by other leading oil-producing states and global petrochemical firms.”

On inauguration day, however, Tinubu went against his resolve, announced off the cuff that “fuel subsidy is gone” because he “was possessed with courage to announce the fuel subsidy is gone” as against “phased out,” in his prepared speech, as he told his audience in France during a recent global business conference in Paris in June.

Since then, hell has been let loose on all fronts in the country and the impact has been wide-range, just as the reactions.

“The problem is not fuel subsidy, but corruption and deception tied to it. Over N25 billion have been voted for turn-around maintenance and yet the refineries are not working. Fake marketers who imported fuel and were paid huge sums of money are walking free. We need an audit on all these things. Even the palliative of N8,000 per month, if it even reaches the so called poor, will not make any difference in the lives of the beneficiaries, given the current high cost of living, ” General Secretary of Nigeria Conference of Political Parties, CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu told THEWILL in a brief interview.

He said the government in 2018 announced that it had removed the subsidy on petrol and proceeded to increase fuel prices from N89 to N145 per litre and subsequently to N195.

In a statement sent to this newspaper on Friday evening, he said that the CNPP recalled that in May 2016, the APCled Federal Government had announced the removal of subsidy on petrol, which prepared the ground for Nigerians to pay N145 per litre.

He quoted the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, who had announced that the government implemented the removal of subsidy on fuel on May 11, 2016, to the effect that the removal of subsidy from the pump price of premium motor spirit is “saving the Federal Government over N1.4 trillion that would have been expended on subsidy claims per annum.”

“Check out the Minister’s statement on the website of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board. From that date till today, the APC-led government has

been increasing the pump price of petrol under the guise of subsidy removal without adequate cushioning palliative leading to untold hardship Nigerians have continued to endure. So, on May 29, 2023, President Ahmed Tinubu scrapped the already removed subsidy announced by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration in 2016.”

Taking a slightly different view, the Christian Association of Nigeria on Friday saluted the Federal Government’s decision to remove the subsidy on petrol, but added that it should not be too idealistic about the policy and the anticipated impact.

According to the CAN President, Most Reverend Daniel Okoh, given the massive corruption that characterised the fuel subsidy regime over the years, there was a general consensus that the removal of fuel subsidy had become inevitable if the Nigerian economy must experience sustainable growth.

“However, it was also generally agreed that this must be done in such a way that Nigerians will not be subjected to untold hardship. In other words, what is idealistic must be balanced with what is realistic,” he said.

Okoh noted that Nigerians were trying to adjust to the initial increase in the fuel price to N540 per litre and its consequential effect on the cost of transportation, food, goods and services, as well as the general cost of living, when another hike to N617 per litre of petrol was announced, thereby placing an enormous burden on the already struggling masses and further widening the gap between the rich and the poor, as well as drastically eroding the purchasing power of ordinary citizens to afford the basic necessities of life.

“The situation is just unbearable for millions of Nigerians who are already suffering poverty. While CAN acknowledges the complex and difficult decisions that the government must take to manage the nation’s economy, there is an urgent need to prioritise measures that will alleviate rather than exacerbate the existing poverty level and hardships of Nigerians. It is therefore imperative that economic policies are formulated and implemented with utmost care and consideration for the prevailing hardships experienced by Nigerians,” he said and urged the government to go beyond the N8,000 cash transfer as palliative.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, which had praised President Buhari on the new tax deferment on Friday, however, advised the president to reconsider the pace and manner in the implementation of economic policies to avoid dislocating the country’s economy.

While speaking to journalists in Abuja during a conference organised by CITN and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), the organisation’s president, Samuel Agbeluyi, said that while the government must be commended for “removing the fuel subsidy that

The

has not helped anybody in the country and for setting up a committee to reform the tax system in the country, we will like to advice the government to be a little slow and not drastic in some of its decisions, for instance, the impact of the removal of subsidy leading to the current price of petrol is enormous on the citizens.” He frowned at the cash transfer policy as a form of palliative.

GROUNDS FOR DOUBT

Having found out that the National Social Register used by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration for cash transfer failed what the government called “integrity test,” the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have been asked to generate their own registers, thus creating grounds for the doubtful implementation of the policy.

Explaining the involvement of Anambra State in the cash transfer scheme to journalists in Abuja after the NEC emergency meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima last week, Governor Charles Soludo accidentally listed the challenges that the intervention may face.

Answering questions on the implementation of the intervention, Soludo said the amount to be paid out under the cash transfer programme would depend on the capacity of respective states.

The Anambra governor added that those that have outstanding salaries, pension and allowances to pay must prioritise clearing the backlog instead of implementing cash transfers.

He explained, “We have suggested that it will be nice that you can implement cash transfers, subject to your financial capacity. For example, suppose you have a state where the salary arrears of workers have been owed for three years or four years. In that case, the priority now is to start paying down some of the salary arrears or where pensioners have been owed their pension and gratuity for several years.”

STILL NO FEDERAL CABINET

Despite the promise to hit the ground running immediately after inauguration, the delay in forming a new federal cabinet is making it increasingly difficult for the President to implement his programmes and policies. The Ministers are supposed to be executioners of the programmes. Observers of the current trajectory believe that Tinubu may have underestimated the magnitude of the problems presently facing the country, otherwise, he would have thought that by now, his cabinet should have been in place . "These are not times for play at all. The economy is in very very bad shape, people are frustrated and hungry. Naira is plunging badly and people can even barely eat a meal a day . It is a big mess! Without the Ministers, who will implement his programmes, " a social commentator told THEWILL on condition of anonymity.

WAY FORWARD

For the Christian Association of Nigeria, the government should meet with critical stakeholders to find solutions to develop comprehensive economic policies that promote inclusive growth, job creation, social well-being, diversify the economy, reduce dependency on volatile commodities and promote investments in sectors with the potential to create sustainable employment opportunities.

“Government must listen to the concerns of the Nigerian people and implement sound economic policies that prioritise the well-being of all citizens. By addressing the prevailing hardships caused by the recent fuel price hike and high inflation, we can pave the way for a brighter future for Nigeria,“ Okoh said on Friday.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, decried the sudden hike in pump price of petrol twice within two months. For him, the ultimate way forward is for President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the petroleum sector.

The Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of IPMAN, Dr Joseph Obele, said the solution is fixing the refineries, otherwise the increase in the pump price of petrol “is going to bring hardship to the citizens and marketers will need to source for additional trading capital in order to remain in business.”

Supporting the refinery option, Chief Ezugwu said if the major refineries are put back into good working conditions, much of the petroleum related challenges will be solved.

problem is not fuel subsidy, but corruption and deception tied to it. Over N25 billion have been voted for turn-around maintenance and yet the refineries are not working. Fake marketers who imported fuel and were paid huge sums of money are walking free. We need an audit on all these things. Even the palliative of N8,000 per month, if it even reaches the so called poor, will not make any difference in the lives of the beneficiaries, given the current high cost of living

E-Payment, Online App Will End Touting, Rowdiness in Passport Offices – Rivers NIS Comptroller

....seeks enforcement of e-payment policy

BY DAVID OWEI

The Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS), Rivers State Command, James Sunday, has advocates for the proper enforcement of the E-Payment and Online Application policy, declaring that the policy will put an end to touting and rowdiness in the passport offices nationwide.

C’River Tribunal Fines NNPP N3m Over Petition Seeking to Sack Otu

The Cross River State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal has fined the New Nigeria People's Party N3 Million naira over its petition seeking to sack Senator Bassey Otu, the Cross River State governor.

The tribunal imposed the fine after dismissing the case filed by NNPP in its entirety.

Governor Otu had through his lawyers, asked for a N10 million cost against the NNPP, but the tribunal reduced it to N3 million after the conclusion of the case. In a unanimous judgment, Justice Oken Inneh said the petitioners failed to establish that their candidate was

NBC Asks Court to Set Aside Judgment

lawfully excluded and dismissed the case in its entirety.

Inneh said the petitioners only called two witnesses out of over 3,000 polling units and their testimonies were inconsistent.

She also added that the NNPP did not name the candidate who was substituted and INEC did not monitor its primary election in line with the Electoral Act.

The tribunal awarded the sum of N1 million to each of the respondents.

The NNPP alongside its governorship candidate, Amb. Wilfred Bonse, has approached the tribunal, seeking to nullify the just-concluded governorship elections in the state.

Ayade Lied Against Police, Military Over Failed Senatorial Bid – Jarigbe

Senator representing Cross River North in the National Assembly, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe says the former Cross River State governor Senator Ben Ayade lied against the Police and Military over his failed Senatorial Bid.

Senator Jarigbe made this known in a statement made available in Calabar.

The statement is titled: Politics of Primitive Acquisition : A Man cannot have 4 years in the Senate and 8 years as Governor, without meaningful achievements and be rewarded with a Senatorial Seat or a Ministerial Position.

Senator Jarigbe also accused the former governor of undermining the development of his constituency, saying he was being distracted from delivering his mandate.

"Everyone knows Ayade was rejected by our People. His rejection affected even the House of Assembly Elections, where his Party only clinched one Seat out of 6 HoA Seats in Cross River North. My Party (PDP) won 4 Seats.

"Is this not enough evidence to show that he was rejected?. He came on TV to shamelessly tell lies against the Police and Military, because they refused to bully the electorates and rig the elections for him.

"The clandestine attempts at compromising Justice and the Mandate of our People will not succeed. The only issue is that, I am being distracted by AYADE’s futile attempts and I cannot concentrate on delivering on the Mandate given by our People.

"The People of Cross River North are suffering indirectly, because of the distractions from Ayade. Resources that should go to our People are being spent to secure the Mandate given to me, by our People. He doesn’t want us to attract Infrastructural Development to our deprived communities," he said.

Jarigbe also faulted the planned movement of 50 members of his constituency to Calabar to testify against him as well as conscripting INEC.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) last week filed a motion at a Federal High Court in Abuja asking the court to set aside its May 10, 2023 judgment in which it, among other things, issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Commission from further imposing fines on radio and television stations.

The NBC, through its lawyer, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), claimed that the court lacked the jurisdiction to render the verdict and that it arrived at the decision in ignorance of the relevant facts.

The judgment arose from a suit instituted by Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Noah Ajare, on behalf of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), challenging the powers of the NBC to fine broadcasters, following a March 1, 2019 announcement by the then Director General of the Commission, Mallam Ishaq Kawu, that it had imposed a fine of N500, 000 each on 45 broadcast stations for alleged contraventions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

In his judgment delivered on May 10, 2023, Justice James Omotosho ruled that fines are imposed on a person found guilty of a criminal offence and that in Nigeria, only courts of law are empowered to impose sanctions for criminal offences.

In setting aside the fines, Omotosho held that the NBC was “neither a court nor a judicial tribunal to make pronouncements on the guilt of broadcast stations notwithstanding what the NBC Code says,” adding that the Commission’s action violated the Constitution.

But contrary to the finding of the judge in his judgment that the NBC “was served with the Originating Summons on 24th February, 2022 and served with several hearing notices but failed to file any process,” the Commission alleged that the originating summons in the suit, which led to the judgment, was not served on it.

It also claimed that the MRA had “two unappealed, subsisting and binding decisions of the Federal High Court on the same issues and parties” and that rather than appeal those decisions, it brought a fresh suit, setting the court on a collision course with decisions of the other Federal High Court in the same complex.

According to him introduction of the epayment and online application for passport will discourage touting and third party influence,the enforcement of e-payments and e-application will go a long way to remove touts and touting from the passport process and also reduce the traffic that results in rowdiness and over crowding of a small spaced office meant to accommodate reasonable number of applicants, but end up accommodating more than necessary people, that turn up due to physical appearance.

Comptroller of Immigration Service, Rivers State Command, James Sunday, in a chat with newsmen insisted that the NIS being the agency saddled with the mandate to administer the processing and issuance of the passport among many of its statutory duties should ensure that e-payment is encouraged to remove extortion and extra Charges associated with touts and other elements of corrupt and exploitative acts by unscrupulous elements.

According to him," these unscrupulous elements, who takes advantage of, unsuspecting citizens, who may be desperate to have a passport for reasons best known to the applicants while the touts cashing on this demand,with e-payment, human contact is removed and the system will work seamless, without bottlenecks between the applicant for passport and the institution, the Nigeria Immigration Service".

"Emplacement of e-application and e-payment will make the system of application and payment electronic based thereby reducing space and time, and improving the electronic documentation, since the application will be done online, through a dedicated and safe email or platform, payment into government account and the institution receiving and processing officially and electronically".

"The response and feedback mechanism must be electronically, to complete the transaction cycle, with a help desk established for contact, information where and when applications are made for follow-up, applicants may seek to confirm or get information on issues, the officers posted to such help desk must be patriotic, dedicated and motivated possibly with special official packages in the form of allowances and by extension other officers serving in the passport office should be made to enjoy special renumeration to discourage extortion and tendencies to want to make the process look as if it is difficult and not functional, thereby exploiting the vulnerability of applicants, this in my view will reduce or eliminate touting, extortion, delays and encourage dedication and patriotism in Passport service delivery and administration."

L-R: Senior Nutritionist, Federal Ministry of Health, Chiamaka Akanno; Head of Sports and Health, LEA, Gwagwalada, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Sarah Danladi; Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Major Edith Nwachinemerem (Rtd); Public Affairs Specialist, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Edidiong Peters; Deputy Director, Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Josephine Nwabiora; Associate Professor, Department of Public Health, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Dr Florence Uchendu, during Nestlé Nigeria’s Healthier Kids quiz competition for schools in Abuja on July 21, 2023.

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

Fresh Facts Emerge on NNPCL Operations, Record Profit Claim Confirmed

Fresh facts emerging from the operations of the NNPC Limited have provided new insight into the activities of the company, affirming that the firm actually made a whopping profit of N674.1 billion in 2021.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new facts appear to contradict some views by notable individuals and institutions on the activities of the company in recent years.

Sources familiar with NNPC Limited and its operations told NAN in Abuja on Thursday that the available facts had laid bare some key issues for better understanding of the activities of the company.

One of the sources described the N674.1 billion as the highest profit figure to be recorded by the organisation in its 46year history.

The source also told NAN that the emerging facts were released to provide current and true information, to redirect and educate the public adequately for a better understanding of issues in the company.

NAN learnt that some highly placed individuals and institutions have pilloried the NNPCL in recent times, “churning out inaccurate information on the operations of the company, to demarket the establishment’’.

The source noted that the development had visibly put the company in the eye of the storm, stoking confusion and misleading stakeholders and the general public on the activities of the company at present.

According to emerging facts, the NNPCL posted its first profit in 44 years in 2020, recording a profit of N287 billion from a loss of N803 billion posted earlier in 2018.

The company had similarly recorded a loss of N1.7 billion in 2019 before it returned to profit-making in recent years, arising from critical business strategies adopted by the company’s management lately.

Sylva's Wife Assures Keke Riders of APC Govt Support

The wife of the immediate past Minister of State For Petroleum Resources and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mrs. Alayingi Sylva, has had an interactive session with KeKe Riders at the APC Secretariat, Yenizue-Gene in Yenagoa .

Addressing a large crowd of Keke Riders at the party’s secretariat Conference Hall, Mrs. Alayingi Sylva urged them to support her husband win the Bayelsa Gubernatorial Election slated for November 11, 2023.

She stated that her husband, Chief Timipre Sylva, is on a rescue mission with the requisite experience, vast contact within and outside the country to attract development to the state.

World Youth Skills Day: Foundation Donates

The emerging facts detailed what it described as speculative and misleading allegations that needed to be explained for better understanding of the role of the NNPCL in nation building.

It cited what it described as untrue that “the NNPCL has been notorious for befuddled accounting, waste, losses, rundown refineries and non-remittances of cash, due to the federation account’’.

The emerging facts explained that the essence of the making the facts public was to bring out basic truths on various issues agitating the minds of people and to keep the records straight.

It also explained that the NNPCL had posted all its financial statements from 2015 to 2022, noting that certain claims could be verified in the office of the auditor-general of the federation, rather than misinforming the public.

On the allegation that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration wasted $19 billion to rehabilitate four state-owned refineries without result — the same amount the Dangote Group had invested in its 650,000-barrels per-day refinery, the emerging facts described the allegation as an attempt to mislead Nigerians.

“The totality of the spending inclusive of salaries and wages of workers can’t be compared with what it will cost to set up Dangote refinery,’’ a source in NNPCL argued.

Another source also shed light on a statement that the Goodluck Jonathan administration had said it would borrow $1.6 billion for Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) but that under Buhari, the NNPCL also borrowed additional $1.5 billion for the same TAM.

The source explained that the figures were wrong, saying that the company, which represented the Federal Government in its efforts to rehabilitate the refineries through an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with its partners had spent only its approved counterpart funding.

1,000 Garments to IDPs in Abuja

An NGO, Ladi Memorial Foundation (LMF), has donated over 1000 garments to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) at Durumi, Abuja, in commemoration of “2023 World Youth Skills Day”.

The Executive Director of LMF, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya said the garments were made by youths between ages 12 to 18 from the just concluded Incentivized Pilot Sewing Schools’ Championship 2023 (SSCP23) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Osikoya said the SSCP23 had a participation of over 1, 000 youths across the six Area Councils in the FCT, where three schools and some individual winners received over 50 Sewing Machines including industrial, manual and special purpose sewing equipment.

She added that the SSCP23 was initiated by LMF, supported by UNESCO, FCT Education Secretariat and other relevant partners.

Osikoya encouraged the youth at the IDP camp to embrace skills acquisition for personal financial empowerment, saying the garments being donated were made by youths like them.

The executive director said the garment industry has the potential to lift millions of Nigerian youths out of poverty.

“We are actually saying education cannot solve all our problems. The clothing industry in Nigeria, if properly harnessed, will compete with other countries like India. Bangladesh and the rest of world while our economy is also growing,” she said.

Osikoya opined that education provided a platform for mentorship and nurturing but emphasised that more attention should be paid to skills, especially for the younger generation.

“Imagine if every school in Nigeria is providing workshop for skills training, we will be able provide solutions to our basic needs of shelter, food and clothing and not just to speak English,” she stated.

Mrs Sylva assured that her husband will not ban Keke as means of transport in the state capital, but he will modernise the system in line with international best practices and urged them to get ready with their PVCs to vote massively for Chief Timipre Sylva to usher in a fresh breath of leadership in the state.

Earlier in her welcome remarks, the South South APC Zonal Women Leader, Hon. Mrs. Cynthia Asamaowei Princewill , enjoined the Keke Riders to identify with Chief Sylva who, she stated, understood the pains of Keke operators, while stating that the APC Bayelsa Guber Candidate valued the contributions made by tricyle operators to the growth of the state economy and will not ban Keke as a means of transportation but rather bring in new models.

She urged them to campaign for Chief Timipre Sylva to win the forthcoming Guber election in the state.

In their separate responses Chairman Edepie Keke Riders, Jonathan Ovie Achoro,, , Chairman Arewa Keke Riders Community in Yenagoa, Gift Muktari and Dominion who came into Bayelsa as a Youth Copper said the PDP Administration in Bayelsa State has concluded arrangement to ban Keke which he noted will throw over 19,500 Keke Riders out of business as they lack money to buy cars to be in business.

They hinted that when Sylva was Governor of Bayelsa State business was booming and are excited at his bit to contest the forthcoming election, and promised to galvanise grassroots support to actualise his ambition to occupy Creek Haven as governor.

Tinubu Promises to Ensure Adequate Security For Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu has assured that his administration will focus on providing adequate security to all Nigerians.

The President gave his assurance on Friday, at the graduation of Course 45 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State.

291 participants graduated and were conferred with the honour of the Passed Staff Course. (PSC)

Speaking at the ceremony, President Tinubu, who commended the military for protecting the territorial integrity of the nation, pledged more support for them.

He described the military as the best group of people out of the over 200 million citizens of the country.

L-R: Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Josephine Piyo; Plateau state Governor, Caleb Mutfwang; Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, during Obi’s visit to Plateau State governor over the killing in the state at the Government House in Jos on July 2023.

FROM DAVID OWEI, YENAGOA

POLITICS

APC National Chairmanship as Banana Peel

BY AYO ESAN

Senator Abdullahi Adamu was forced to resign his position as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, July 16, 2023 by the powers that are loyal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This was followed by the resignation of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was denied entry into the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting last Monday morning.

The unceremonious removal of Adamu and Omisore had followed a consistent pattern of forcing out the National Chairmen of the APC since inception.

Adamu joined the former chairmen of the party – John Odigie-Oyegun; Adams Oshiomhole and Mai Mala Buni – who were all forced out of office unceremoniously.

THEWILL recalls that Adamu emerged as APC national chairman during a national convention organised by the Buni-led caretaker committee at the Eagles Square in Abuja in March, 2022. He was Buhari’s preferred candidate and all other aspirants for the position of national chairman were asked to step down for him.

But Adamu’s chance of finishing his first tenure of four years in office without hitches was threatened by two factors: He did not support Tinubu during the last presidential primary of the party. He supported the then Senate President , Senator Ahmad Lawan. Secondly , he was consistently and openly attacked by the National Vice Chairman(North-West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, who said Adamu must step aside for a Christian to take over his office.

Adamu joined the former chairmen of the party – John Odigie-Oyegun; Adams Oshiomhole and Mai Mala Buni – who were all forced out of office unceremoniously

Lukman had argued that there was no equity, fairness and justice as President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and Adamu, the party’s national chairman, are all Muslims.

APC as a mega party was formed in February 2013 with the main agenda of wresting power from the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and it came into existence as a result of a merger of many political parties, which collapsed their structures.

The political parties that collapsed their structures to form the APC were the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All

Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP).

In the last 10 years, the APC has had five national chairmen and most of them were disgraced out of office or they left office in an unceremonious way.

Chief Bisi Akande was the pioneer National Chairman of the APC and the decision to appoint Akande as the interim national chairman of the party was arrived at in Abuja during a closed-door meeting of stakeholders which was well-attended by politicians across the coalition parties.

The party had informed journalists shortly after the meeting that the appointment was part of the requirements for the registration of the new party by the Independent National Electoral Commission. It was said that the appointment of Akande was a consensus decision among the merging parties. The National Secretary of the ANPP, Tijani Tumsa, was appointed as the interim national secretary.

THEWILL recalls that INEC had directed the merging parties to put in place a national executive as part of the registration procedure.

After registration, the APC jettisoned its Interim National Chairman, Akande and former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, was appointed as the first substantive national chairman of the party.

Odigie-Oyegun’s emergence was as a result of intense

...Chairmanship as Banana Peel

politicking and negotiations as the permutation was that the South-West geo-political zone where Akande comes from would produce the vice president and the North would produce the presidential candidate. His nomination was subsequently ratified by delegates at the first national convention of the party held at the Eagles Square in June 2014 in Abuja.

Odigie-Oyegun’s candidature was promoted by the national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who at that time was seeking either the party’s presidential or vice presidential ticket and who believed that Akande as National Chairman, being from the South-West, would block his ambition.

And after serving for only one term and leading the party in 2015 to defeat the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Odigie-Oyegun later had a frosty relationship with Tinubu. This led to acrimony in the party’s leadership.

The APC initially wanted to extend the tenure of the Odigie-Oyegun-led executive by a year, but because of a plan to scheme him out of office, it later resolved to go ahead with elective congresses and conventions.

Buhari and most of the party leaders, including some state governors, subsequently endorsed Adams Oshiomole for the slot.

Odigie-Oyegun did not initially indicate openly if he would be re-contesting the national chairmanship slot, but he later indicated interest in contesting the national chairmanship position at the convention scheduled for June 23, 2018.

However, a few days before the convention, he withdrew from the race, having seen the gang-up against him and in favour of Oshiomhole.

In the withdrawal letter, he said, “Even though I had the desire to re-contest as National Chairman of the party, I have decided that it is ultimately in the best interest of the party for me to withdraw from the race”.

“I have taken this decision without prejudice to my commitment to the party in helping to solve some of the subsisting and emerging difficult issues and my ability to continue to provide necessary leadership,”.

“However, I believe that the party faces difficult days ahead and all critical stakeholders in its leadership would be required to bind together for a common purpose. Therefore, the less contentious our national convention is the better for the party.

“I have always sought to be part of solving the problem of APC; I do not intend to be a part of the problem for APC to solve. It is for this reason that l hereby declared that I will not be seeking re-election as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC).

He said that if the earlier decision of extension of tenure for executives was sustained, the party would probably have achieved its objective, but it would amount to “postponing the evil day.”

He had added, “Once the decision was taken by National Executive Committee (NEC) to proceed with the congresses and the convention to elect new officers of the party across the country and at the national level, it would appear natural that I should seek re-election.

“Not only is it within my constitutional right to do so, I believe that my experience and ‘familiarity’ with some of the most important issues that must be at the top of our political agenda put me in the best position to lead the party into another election and for another four years. I also believe that my ability to constantly

seek the middle ground, and a win-win situation for all, is quite critical for a young party faced with our kind of challenges.

“Even without declaring my interest, several top stakeholders of our party at all levels began to rally in my support. I believe that these loyal party men and women instinctively chose to support me, not because I am John Oyegun but because they recognised what was in the best interest of the party at this point in time.”

He said since the convention planning committee had invited interested aspirants to obtain forms to contest into the various national positions in the party for the June 23 convention, “it was necessary for him to state his position”.

He said that he consulted widely with his family, friends and associates before taking the decision to withdraw.

Adams Oshiomhole had emerged as the next national chairman of the party. The former governor of Edo State had the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and other top leaders of the party.

Oshiomhole’s tenure was plagued with internal crisis and this led to his sack and that of other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The Oshiomhole-led NWC was sacked by the NEC on June 25, 2020, over an alleged abuse of office and failure to unite the various interests in the party. Oshiomhole and his team had just spent two of their four-year term when an existential crisis hit the party over the control of its structure.

A series of litigations led to Oshiomhole’s suspension via a court order and this was followed by several members of the NWC laying claim to the chairmanship seat.

Sensing the danger this could pose for the survival of the party, President Buhari acceded to a request by the then factional national chairman of the party, Victor Giadom, to convene a NEC meeting, where the decision to sack Oshiomhole was finalised.

Mai Buni was appointed to pilot the affairs of the APC after the NWC led by Adams Oshiomhole was dissolved. His appointment was due to the urgency to address the crisis in the party.

One of the pertinent agenda for the Buni committee was to plan and hold a convention as “soon as possible”.

The committee was first given six months, beginning from June 25, 2020, within which to organise an elective national convention that would produce a new executive, but the committee’s tenure was later extended in December, 2020.

At the expiration of the six months, President Buhari had single-handedly extended the timeline of the committee from December 2020 indefinitely to ensure completion of reconciliation in the party. Buni-led NWC had serious problems as there were protests by party members over its delay in organising the national convention.

Mala Buni was outside the country on medical grounds when he was unceremoniously removed.

Many Nigerians were shocked when reports of the replacement of Buni by another governor surfaced at a Monday meeting. Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, also a member of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), was said to have been appointed on Sunday night to steer the affairs of the ruling party.

And after serving for only one term and leading the party in 2015 to defeat the then ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Odigie-Oyegun later had a frosty relationship with Tinubu. This led to acrimony in the party’s leadership

Buni

Blame INEC For PDP's Presidential Election Loss – Sodangi

Senator Adubakar Danso Sodangi, a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), speaks with AYO ESAN about the ongoing litigation on the 2023 presidential election, the PDP’s loss in the election and President Bola Tinubu's less-than-twomonth-old administration. Excerpts:

Theoutcome of the 2023 presidential election is a subject of litigation at the election petition tribunal. What is your take on this?

The outcome of the election is being contested because the whole process lacked transparency and inclusive democratic process as assured by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

Would you subscribe to the insinuation that your party, the PDP, was responsible for its own defeat in the presidential election, especially against the backdrop of approaching the election as a fragmented house bedeviled with internal wrangling?

Despite the internal controversies in the PDP, I can confidently say that my party didn't lose the presidential election. Nigerians came out en masse and gave their mandate to the PDP and Atiku Abubakar to rescue the nation from the incompetence of the APC government. But, Yakubu Mahmood and the INEC sabotaged the process and overturned the people’s choice.

So are you now putting the entire blame of your party's loss on INEC?

Of course, I would say that INEC is the real culprit behind my party's loss. Because before the elections, INEC gave us hope of transparent, free, fair and credible polls; Mahmood said this countless times and even promised the international communities that it would transmit the election results electronically but the reverse was the case.

So, INEC is responsible for my party's loss.

What is your expectation on the outcome of the ongoing judicial process as it concerns the presidential election?

Firstly, I can say that the Nigerian judiciary is on trial. Because considering the number of evidences and witnesses the People's Democratic Party, (PDP), and its presidential candidate presented to tribunal on why the All Progressives Congress, (APC), candidate is ineligible to contest the election and why Atiku must be declared winner and accorded his legitimate victory in the last presidential election is overwhelming.

Secondly, I was confident on how Atiku concluded the case against the respondents,

Of course, I would say that INEC is the real culprit behind my party's loss. Because before the elections, INEC gave us hope of transparent, free, fair and credible polls; Mahmood said this countless times and even promised the international communities that it would transmit the election results electronically but the reverse was the case

with every relevant evidence, the forensic expert also did a very good job in proving to the court how INEC deleted BVAS data for FCT presidential election.

As it is, I can happily say that the outcome will be victorious for my party, the PDP, considering the high level of competency our legal counsels displayed in defending our nation's democracy.

Equally, as a youths ambassador, I implore the judges of the tribunal to give its verdict with fairness and fear of Almighty Allah.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What is your assessment of his administration in almost 60 days of being on the saddle?

The Wazirin of Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is my preferred choice. He would have performed more and done better than President Tinubu. And may the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal give him victory.

However, President Tinubu has performed very well in the past few weeks in office. I must give him that. His assessment is so far commendable, especially the replacement of the Service Chiefs and the removal of fuel subsidy.

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa is gone. Fuel subsidy is gone. Multiple exchange rates are gone. Fuel queue is gone. Slow pace of governance is gone.

He achieved all the aforementioned within less than two months in office; I love the new Nigeria and want her to succeed.

How would the incumbent Federal Government compare with the immediate past administration?

I have noted that the fuel subsidy is gone. A single naira exchange rate is emerging. Nigeria has just posted a trade surplus. The stock market has received a boost and rallied. And there is relative peace in the country. This is better compared with what we went through in the last eight years. Additionally, President Tinubu has been more accessible to labour and trade unions in the past weeks than former President Muhammadu Buhari was in four years.

However, a naira/dollar exchange rate affects our income and spending. Once the dollar becomes more expensive, our pockets are slighter and our spending smaller. Inflation will also go higher. Businesses will incur more costs and reduce their employment potential, thus increasing unemployment. Unemployment leads to insecurity and cripples productivity. So, all our problems are caused by the naira depreciation.

How then do we get out of this gloomy picture you just painted?

Most importantly, for any policy to work, Nigerians must play their roles. At this moment, the government cannot do it alone. It requires everyone's sacrifice. People must learn to be patriotic and forfeit some gains that hurt the economy.

George Canvasses For Restructuring, Backs Creation of State Police

Former Deputy National Chairman of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Chief Olabode George has said that Nigeria must change the 1999 constitution and consider setting up the State police now to help tackle the increasing security challenges nationwide.

George noted that the Nigerian constitution “is military in setting” and needed to be reviewed.

Nigerians Expect Good Governance From Elected Leaders – Uzodimma

STORIES BY AYO ESAN

Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has said that all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or tongue or religion, are united in their demands for good governance from elected leaders at all levels in the country.

He said all Nigerians know that when good governance is in town, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity will take flight and that in their place will be economic boom, abundant empowerment opportunities, good health care delivery, good quality and affordable education, abundant infrastructure provisions and the security of lives and property.

Uzodimma who was delivering a lecture titled: “2023- 2027: Nigerians elected leaders and expectations’’ in Lagos said good governance is a common language that does not need to be spoken yet can be heard clearly.

He disclosed that with good governance, Nigerians would boast of an improved quality of life and a higher average life expectancy.

“This is a common language that does not need to be spoken yet can be heard clearly. Once Nigerians see these, they will know that the country is working and that their expectations are being met. So what Nigerians expect is for the country to work. That is what they need and that is what they desired”, Imo Governor said.

Speaking on the last general election, Uzodimma said the election was remarkable for two reasons, “One, it was to herald a new administration at the Federal Government and the National Assembly and State Assemblies in addition to the majority of state governments across

the country. The second reason was the novel introduction of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS) by INEC for the accreditation of voters”.

He said the assurances by the INEC that the election was going to be relatively free attracted more voters, especially youths.

He said something actually happened that strengthened the power of the electorate over public officers.

“Many candidates failed to be elected or re-elected, contrary to their expectations. The voters exercised their franchise to the fullest, and their votes actually counted. Such political upsets are good signs that our democracy is actually on the path of growth, and this has been the case since 1999”, he said.

Uzoddima said there is no politician who deliberately goes into office with the intention to fail, but said that circumstances and other variables sometimes constitute themselves into a stumbling block on the path of performance.

“Another thing is that there are different parameters for the measurement of performance between members of the Executive arm and those of the legislature.

“Often times you observe that those campaigning to be elected to the legislative arm make promises to the effect of provision of essential infrastructure like roads, water and even electricity. The legislature cannot execute infrastructure, though it can approve the budget for such projects. With this information at the back of our minds, we should then know how to judge the performance of our lawmakers”

Uzodimma said.

Makinde Sets to Fix Potholes in Oyo State

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has issued a marching order to the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) to fix all potholes on roads in the state.

The governor, who asked residents of the state to look forward to the disappearance of potholes on their roads, assured them that the government would continue to fix potholes on the roads, while also building new ones.

Governor Makinde stated these shortly after meeting with the management of OYSROMA and inspected the agency’s facilities at its head office, located in Eleyele, Ibadan.

He said he had received assurance from OYSROMA that the state could achieve zero pothole, adding that the government would do everything necessary to make it happen.

“We have to keep fixing the potholes. The people of Oyo State should expect to see most of the potholes disappear. The OYSROMA has promised me that Zero Pothole is possible in Oyo State.

“I have asked them for their proposal, and I have also asked them to give me who I should hold accountable. They have given me the individual I should hold accountable, and I am going to do that,” the governor said.

According to Governor Makinde, who was at the OYSROMA Office in the company of the Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi and some other political appointees, the challenges of potholes had increased with the increased rainfall.

He noted, however, that his administration’s Zero Pothole policy is still on course and that residents of the state would see a drastic change, as according to him, the government will give OYSROMA everything it needs to achieve that.

He said: “You know, with the rain; we are having a lot of our roads developing potholes and also failing.

He said, “Having served that long in the military, I can authoritatively confirm to you that the Nigerian constitution is absolutely military in setting. In the military, orders come from top to bottom. But in a democratic dispensation, powers come from the people (bottom) to the top. But we have copied the American constitution, that’s why things are not working. We must be deceiving ourselves if we think that this constitution will take us to the promised land.”

The PDP chieftain also stressed the idea of state policing, noting that it would be a very effective way of securing the country. George said: “Having served that long in the Military, l can confirm to you that the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria is absolutely military inclined and this will never take us to our promised land.

“In the military, orders come from top to bottom, but in a democratic dispensation, powers come from the people to the top and that is why things are not working. Therefore, we need to revisit how we run ourselves in order for things to work properly for us.

I called for complete revisiting of the nation’s Constitution and not piecemeal review, noting that the constitution could no longer work for the betterment of Nigerians

The PDP chieftain also called for state policing, noting that it would be a very effective way of securing the country. According to him, there is the need for decentralisation, state and local government police and for every state to have control of its resources.

“Policing is community-based. If possible, we need to have local government police because they know those in their immediate environment".

“Also, the resources in the various parts of this country are enough for the progress of the nation”, he said.

He said it was time for the nation to put the Almighty God first.

He then prayed that God should forgive the nation’s transgressions and direct the minds of its political leaders in ensuring a good life to all the people.

“Enough of this deceit, rottenness in the financial management of our nation.

“Let us put an end to the economic inequalities, injustice, and unfairness in the distribution of our God given resources and our financial wealth.

“If we have the fear of God, moving forward, our nation will rise again,” he said.

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde (middle); his Chief of Staff, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi (left) and General Manager, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency, (OYSROMA), Engr. Johnson Adekola during the governor's working visit and facilities inspection to OYSROMA Head Office, Eleyele, Ibadan.

Already, about 153 million Nigerians are suffering multidimensional poverty as inflation, in just one month from May to June 2023 soared from 22.41 per cent to 22.79 per cent, according to the Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report noted that, on a yearon-year basis, the inflation rate rose between 4 and 19 per cent points higher than June 2022, which was 18.60 per cent

Real Trouble in The Land

There is no iota of doubt in the fact that there is real trouble in the land. Even the most optimistic Nigerian can now see that the country is in a big mess. No doubt, the cluelessness of the immediate past administration is beyond measure. The attendant monumental damage done to the country in the past eight years by an administration that became infamous as one of the most corrupt and rudderless regimes in the chequered history of Nigeria is dawning on us all.

Now hitting us all right where it hurts most is the uncertain future that we now face as a nation. Sadly, our beloved country has become a playing field where even the brightest ideas and policies seem not to be working again. Confusion appears to be taking the shine off concerted efforts being made to salvage a really bad situation.

Almost two months after the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu, there is no significant change in the general well-being of the people. The present situation really contradicts the great expectations of a people that have been so much impoverished in the midst of abundance.

Promising to hit the ground running from his first day in office, Tinubu left no one in doubt of his desire to correct the mistakes of the past with his "Fuel Subsidy is Gone'' declaration on May 29. Almost 60 days after the declaration, it has been one trouble or the other as Nigerians continue to groan under

severe economic hardship that is further compounded by the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

Attempts to sanitise the foreign exchange system have not helped the Naira as it went on a free fall to an unprecedented and embarrassing level. The multiple effects could be seen on the skyrocketing prices of goods and services in a country that depends largely on crude oil export while depending mostly on imports for survival.

To say that there is real hunger in the land now is an understatement. Most Nigerians are really going through hell, with the economy gradually coming to ground zero under policies that have simply refused to work. The muchanticipated palliative promised by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the subsidy withdrawal is not forthcoming two months after, even as the one dangled before Nigerians has fallen short of all expectations.

As the wobbling and fumbling continues, the stark reality on ground is not too palatable. According to a World Bank report, 4 million Nigerians were recently “pushed into the poverty trap in the first six months of 2023 with another 7.1 million more (are) expected to join the conundrum if properly targeted measures are not taken to manage the impact of fuel subsidy removal.”

Already, about 153 million Nigerians are suffering multi-dimensional poverty as inflation, in just one month from May to June 2023 soared from 22.41 per

cent to 22.79 per cent, according to the Consumer Price Index and Inflation Report of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report noted that, on a year-on-year basis, the inflation rate rose between 4 and 19 per cent points higher than June 2022, which was 18.60 per cent.

It is therefore interesting to note the manner in which Nigerians stood up and spoke against an unpopular decision to spend a whopping N500 billion as cash transfer to 12 million Nigerians considered as the poorest of the poor. We are glad that opposition to the plan has forced the government back to the drawing board to review the plan though it has decided to stubbornly stick to the planned disbursement with only a few modifications.

Now the country is back to square one with little or nothing to show for the pain they have been forced to bear with as the anticipated changes and promises are not forthcoming, even as no one is sure of what will happen next. Most disappointing is the lousy movement we had been witnessing and the attendant ''noise'' without any tangible progress in sight. The confusion in the land is so much now that it seems that the new government, really, doesn't know what to do again. We therefore call for a sustainable approach to the problems at hand and not the fire-brigade approach that has refused to work. Nigeria cannot survive on trial and error style that will lead to nowhere. Concerted efforts must be put in place in order to achieve desired results.

NIGERIA

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Austyn Ogannah

Editor – Olaolu Olusina

Business Editor – Sam Diala

Copy Editor – Chux Ohai

Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata

Photo Editor – Peace Udugba

Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph

EDITOR:

Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan

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THEWILL NEWSPAPER TEAM

The Furore Over N8,000 Cash Transfer Scheme

BY SIMBO OLORUNFEMI

Once again, we are back to this conversation about the conditional cash transfer scheme. If you have been engaged in a bit of social listening since the announcement of a proposed payment of N8,000 to the most vulnerable in form of conditional cash transfer, you could not but notice the talkdown.

What a paltry sum! How much is it in dollars? How will it get to the poor when we do not have a database? What are the criteria for selecting the 12 million? It is just money for the boys!

THE POOR DO NOT HAVE A VOICE. IT IS THEIR ADVOCATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE MUST LISTEN TO. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT MUST BE PLEASED. THE SAME ADVOCATES WHO ALL ALONG HAD BEEN CLAMOURING FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE TO HELP THE POOR

Indeed, there is nothing new or unusual about this. Once it gets to schemes for alleviating poverty targeted at the most vulnerable, it is the privileged who usually take the lead, assuming the responsibility to determine the appropriateness of what is on offer for the bottom of the pyramid.

The poor do not have a voice. It is their advocates on social media that we must listen to. They are the ones that must be pleased. The same advocates who all along had been clamouring for something to be done to help the poor. Now, they have turned around to argue, on one hand, that what has been offered is belittling and on the other that giving money directly to people is wasteful. They are lost to the contradiction. They are lost to the condescension on their part that the poor, who can even be more resourceful, will only apply such money to wasteful consumption. They are lost to what impact, however little, this makes in the economy of buying and selling at the bottom of the pyramid.

that appear founded more in ignorance, garnished with mischief, with no thought or consideration for the thinking behind the project or possible impact in the lives of the beneficiaries.

Such was the level of ignorance/mischief about the scheme that a fictional account of Osinbajo distributing cash to the people was concocted and passed around even till the last days of the administration, with some of those acting as advocates for the new scheme now guilty of propagating the lies to disparage him.

It is to Osinbajo’s credit that with the support of the World Bank, a National Social Register was developed, which has a database of about 50 million vulnerable Nigerians. That Register is an aggregate of State Social Registers developed through a bottom-up approach with direct participation by Nigerians from all the wards in the different communities in all the local governments of the federation.

Each individual captured in the register is said to have 138 indicators attributed to them, ranging from biodata to vocation, educational qualification, access to social amenities in the community, access to roads to the communities, access to drinking water, access to toilet facilities, dwelling places, disability status. It is that register that has been used over the years for effecting electronic transfer of money to beneficiaries of the different schemes under the Social Investment Programme.

With the challenges triggered by COVID-19, a ‘Rapid Response Register’ was also developed. That further enriched the National Social Register, which has been described as the first scientific targeting mechanism in Nigeria and one of the first and most comprehensive in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Register has been well received by international development Institutions and has served as database from which organisations, such as the UNDP, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Save the Children, UNICEF and other international NGOs have mined data, at different times, for their intervention programmes.

It is an interesting, even if it is an old, worn-out

debate. It is an encore of that which started sometime in 2015 when the Muhammadu Buhari Administration launched the Social Investment Programme under the supervision of then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with different components such as Tradermoni and Farmermoni. N5000 was deemed then not to be good enough to give to the poor.

Apparently, many of those who posture as ‘expert commentators’ on TV and social media platforms do not put in the necessary shift to acquire appropriate knowledge on the issues they take on, otherwise we won’t have so many of them hammering on non-availability of data, obviously unaware of the existence of this National Social Register. I doubt that what we currently have is error-proof, as every database does need constant update, but the fact is that the Register is there. Perhaps we can start with interrogating the data to see how representative it is of the demography targeted and plug identified gaps.

•Olorunfemi works for Hoofbeatdotcom, a Nigerian communications consultancy and publisher of Africa Enterprise.

Food Security And Anatomy of Hunger

BY FREDRICK NWABUFO

Hunger is violence. Many freaks, upheavals and misfortunes of history were by the fashioning of hunger. Hunger is a maximum ruler. It sets in motion inexorable forces of chaos and anarchy.

The French Revolution had the spurring of hunger. In 1788, France was scourged by a deleterious winter resulting in widespread famine. Citizens were seized by hunger. They starved as the famine ratcheted up its grip. The price of bread became unaffordable. Soon, riots broke out in some cities, including Paris, as the country was broke, and by 1789 the revolution conjured by hunger, with the alliance of some concomitant issues, began.

In Africa, food riots have led to the spiralling of violence, chaos and anarchy. In 2018, “the bread revolution” in Sudan upended the country. The consequence of that revolution today is Sudan in the throes of a civil war. The Arab Spring and the Tunisia bread riots were also some of the fashioning of hunger. Why always bread?

We must appreciate the power of hunger to deal delicately with matters of food security. Food security is national security. In policymaking, addressing hunger is pivotal, because “foodology” is at the nucleus of existence. Hunger is a mad man.

It is within this context that the Federal Government’s expeditious declaration of a state of emergency on food security is most judicious. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 22.79 per cent in June, relative to the May headline inflation rate of 22.41 per cent. Food inflation rose to 25.25 per cent on a year-onyear basis in June 2023, higher than the rate recorded in June 2022, which was 20.60 per cent. Evidently, this is a national emergency.

The Federal Government says all matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, will now be within the purview of the National Security Council. It also says it will deploy some savings from the fuel subsidy removal into the agricultural sector, focusing on revamping the sector.

According to Mr Dele Alake, spokesman of the government, the immediate intervention strategies are: the release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal; urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all-year round; creation of a National Commodity Board that will review and continuously assess food prices, as well as maintain a strategic food reserve that will be used as a price stabilisation mechanism for critical grains and other food items; and engage the security architecture to protect farms and farmers, so that farmers can return to the farmlands without fear of attacks.

Mr Alake says through the National Commodity Board, the government will moderate spikes and dips in food prices.

While proponents of laissez-faire economics, holding on to the trickle-down philosophy, disagreed with the idea itself, many of those who ridiculed the idea did so more on grounds •

Other measures he says the government is initiating to arrest the current drift are: “Activation of land banks. There are currently 500,000 hectares of already mapped land that will be used to increase availability of arable land for farming which will immediately impact

food output; mechanisation and land clearing – the government will also collaborate with mechanisation companies to clear more forests and make them available for farming; river basins – there are currently 11 rivers basins that will ensure planting of crops during the dry season with irrigation schemes that will guarantee continuous farming production all year round, to stem the seasonal glut and scarcity that we usually experience.

WE MUST APPRECIATE THE POWER OF HUNGER TO DEAL DELICATELY WITH MATTERS OF FOOD SECURITY. FOOD SECURITY IS NATIONAL SECURITY. IN POLICYMAKING, ADDRESSING HUNGER IS PIVOTAL, BECAUSE “FOODOLOGY” IS AT THE NUCLEUS OF EXISTENCE. HUNGER IS A MAD MAN

We will deploy concessionary capital/ funding to the sector especially towards fertiliser, processing, mechanisation, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, labour, etc. The concessionary funds will ensure food is always available and affordable, thereby having a direct impact on Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI). This administration is focused on ensuring the HCI numbers, which currently rank as the third lowest in the world, are improved for increased productivity; Transportation and

Storage: The cost of transporting agricultural products has been a major challenge (due to permits, toll gates, and other associated costs). When the cost of moving farm produce is significantly impacted –it will immediately be passed to the consumers, which will affect the price of food – the government will explore other means of transportation including rail and water transport, to reduce freight costs and in turn impact the food prices.”

These remedial measures are timely and show that the government is attuned to the prevailing hardship. Addressing hunger is critical to deploying and sustaining other government plans and programmes. Nigerians have to eat.

Food security is national security. No nation can secure itself if its citizens are hungry. Insecurity, itself, is a manifestation of the corollaries of hunger. As such, addressing food security with deliverable targets and a Marshall Plan is a must, and a commendable effort.

NIGERIA REMAINS AFRICA’S LARGEST ECONOMY FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR

Nigeria has emerged Africa’s largest economy for the fifth consecutive year after narrowly edging out Egypt to the second position by 0.2 percent.

According to data by the World Bank, Nigeria has maintained the position of the largest economy on the continent for the fifth consecutive year in 2022, with a nominal GDP of $477.4 billion.

The World Bank said Nigeria’s economy grew by 8.3 per cent year-over-year in 2022 from $440.8 billion recorded in the previous year.

The giant of Africa, as it is mostly referred to, accounted for 17.4 per cent of the African economy in the review year ($2.7 trillion).

In third position was South Africa with an estimate of $405.9 billion

Other countries that made the list of the top 10 largest economies in Africa include Algeria ($191.9 billion), Ethiopia ($126.8 billion), Kenya ($113.4 billion), Angola ($106.7 billion), Tanzania ($75.7 billion), Ghana ($72.8 billion), and Cote d’Ivoire ($70 billion). .

According to the World Bank data. Nigeria has topped this list since 2018 when it overtook South Africa as the largest African economy.

The World Bank report said Nigeria’s economy grew by 8.3 per cent year-over-year in 2022 from $440.8 billion recorded in the previous year.

Egypt followed with a GDP estimate of $476.7 billion, having recorded a 12.3 per cent growth in its GDP from $424.7 billion in 2021. In third position was South Africa with an estimate of $405.9 billion.

It is worth noting that the top three economies on the continent account for almost half of the

Continues on page 33

EDITOR Sam Diala

NGX All-Share Index Ends Week Strong, Gains 3.89%, as Naira Shrinks Marginally to N777.82

Access Corporation Plc: 5-Year

Strategic Plan Shows Early Signs of Accomplishment

BY SAM DIALA

About seven months after Access Corporation Plc unveiled its second five-year strategic plan (2023-2027) in January, 2023, the foremost financial services institution has recorded significant milestones in several areas, which points to possible early harvest of huge opportunities that the plan offers.

At the presentation of the plan to investors, the media and other stakeholder in their head office in Lagos earlier in the year, the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Access Corporation, Mr Herbert Wigwe, emphasised on the section that reads:

“By the end of 2027, we expect to be in at least 26 countries and in at least 3 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries supporting trade (United Kingdom, France & United States of America).

“The customer acquisition drive to hit 100mn for the Retail Business by 2027 will continue, as we emigrate the majority of customers to digital platforms by 2027 across touch-points.”

He added, “We want to be a global player with African heritage. We are a growth-oriented organisation and we will continue to invest in our people amid changes.”

Since then, Access Corporation has intensified its expansion strategy through the acquisition of whole or partial entities in banking, insurance, pension and payment services.

Recently, Access Holdings Plc and Standard Chartered Bank announced that they had reached an agreement wherein its flagship subsidiary – Access Bank Plc – will acquire Standard Chartered’s sub-saharan subsidiaries.

Under this acquisition deal, Access Bank will purchase Standard Chartered’s shareholding in its subsidiaries located in Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

Additionally, Access Bank will also acquire Standard Chartered’s consumer, private, and business banking business in Tanzania.

This followed Access Bank’s recent acquisition of a 51 per cent majority equity stake in Finibanco Angola.

Based on information from the company’s annual report, there

are about 13 African subsidiaries with investment at a balance sheet value of about N273 billion as of December 31, 2022

The ‘new arrivals’ will join the many subsidiaries of the bank in the continent to consolidate towards achieving the target of the corporate strategic plan which was one of the reasons for transitioning to a Holco structure.

The existing subsidiaries include:

Access Bank Sierra Leone Limited

Access Bank Rwanda Limited

Access Bank Ghana

Access Bank Zambia

Access Bank South Africa

Access Bank Kenya

Access Bank Botswana

Access Bank United Kingdom

Access Bank Plc also has other smaller subsidiaries in other African countries such as

• Access Bank Cameroon with 100 per cent equity,

• Access Bank Mozambique with a 99.98 per cent stake,

• Access Bank Guinea S.A with 100 per cent equity,

• Access Bank R.D. Congo with 99.98 per cent ownership,

• Access Bank Gambia Limited with 88 per cent stake.

“The financial services institution had transitioned to a Holco with ‘5 verticals’ as a tool to capture the opportunities the African market provides as the landscape evolves over the next few years,” the plan document stated.

Experts believe that the expansion-driven investments are targeted at cornering future growth by capturing market share now, as Access Bank Nigeria still contributes over 85 percent of the profits of the banking business owned by the group.

...5-Year Strategic Plan Shows Early Signs of Accomplishment

Other subsidiaries in Nigeria include Access Pensions Limited and Hydrogen Payment Services Company Limited

A major milestone in the acquisition spree is that it boosts the asset base of Access Corporation (currently at N15.4 trillion as of March 31, 2023) which is the largest among Nigeria’s quoted firms.

Commenting on the significance of strong assets quality, Professor of Finance and Accounts at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Muhammad Mainoma, had told THEWILL that strong asset base is strategic to the development of any business because an enterprise is handicapped if it trades with a lean balance sheet.

“Strong asset base signifies that a business is strategically positioned to take advantage of its environment. For a bank, there is no time that people will not need money. Once a business is focused and invests in areas that people always need, it will not lose. This explains the continuous growth (in assets) despite the difficult operating environment,” Mainoma, former President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), had told this newspaper in a note.

In his view, a stockbroker and head of securities trading at Planet Capital, Dr Paul Uzum, said “I think the bank is doing the right thing. Diversifying from an economically unstable country like Nigeria, will give the bank a pan-African outlook, with a more robust balance sheet. You can see how the EPS (earning per share) and DPS (dividend per share) of the bank has been rising over the last 3 years since they went global.”

Access Bank sees this acquisition trend as an opportunity to build a robust global franchise focused on serving as a gateway for payments, investment, and trade within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world which is in line with its strategic plan.

Commenting on the deal with Standard Chartered, the Managing Director of Access Group, Roosevelt Ogbonna said:

“For Access Bank, this strategic transaction represents a key step in its journey to build a strong global franchise focused on serving as a gateway for payments, investment, and trade within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world, anchored by a robust capital base; a relentless focus on execution; and best-in-class customer service & governance structures.

“At Access Bank, we are committed to reshaping the global perception of Africa and African businesses, even as we continue to build toward our vision to be the World’s Most Respected African Bank.

“Our 5-year growth plan will see us build a world-class class payments gateway leveraging the power of technology and a robust network of relationships across our operating countries. This will be supported by a dynamic ecosystem of local and international partnerships, enabling us to serve global payments and remittances efficiently.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

...Africa’s Largest Economy For 5th Straight Year

continent’s economy (49.5 per cent).

Other countries that made the list of the top 10 largest economies in Africa include Algeria ($191.9 billion), Ethiopia ($126.8 billion), Kenya ($113.4 billion), Angola ($106.7 billion), Tanzania ($75.7 billion), Ghana ($72.8 billion), and Cote d’Ivoire ($70 billion).

Egypt is however catching up with Nigeria on the list of largest economies on the African continent after the northeastern country expanded by 12.3 per cent to $476.7 billion, almost levelling with Nigeria.

Egypt surpassed South Africa in 2020 as the second-largest African economy and has remained in that position to date

On the list of fastest-growing economies on the African continent, Angola topped the list with a growth rate of 62.5 percent. Specifically, the GDP of the central African country increased from $65.7 billion recorded in 2021 to $106.7 billion in 2022.

According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the growth was spurred by sustained high oil prices, which averaged $100.65/barrel in 2022.

Sudan followed with a growth rate of 50.9 per cent as GDP grew from $34.2 billion to $51.7 billion in the review year. Zambia recorded a growth rate of 34.5 per cent to stand in third position, while Guinea was the fourth fastest growing with a nominal growth rate of 31.9 per cent. Seychelles grew by 23.4 per cent to $1.59 billion in 2022.

On the flip side, Zimbabwe recorded the highest contraction of 27.1 per cent as its nominal GDP dropped from $28.4 billion to $20.7 billion. Ghana followed with an 8 per cent contraction, while the GDP of Sierra Leone dipped by 6.6 per cent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, the continent’s economy expanded by 3.8 per cent to $2.7 trillion from $2.5 trillion recorded in the previous year, despite different headwinds, which impact most economies on the continent, ranging from high inflationary pressure, fiscal deficit, and high debt amongst others.

The African Development Bank has said that Africa is poised to become the second-fastest growing region globally in 2023, following Asia, underscoring the resilience of its economy in the face of numerous global shocks.

However, the attainment of this projected growth hinges on both global circumstances and Africa’s capacity to enhance its economic resilience, as indicated by the 2023 African Economic Outlook report by the African Development Bank.

The report, unveiled by the regional bank, predicts that Africa will strengthen its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a 4.3 per cent increase in GDP growth in 2024, up from 3.8 per cent in 2022. It further highlights that 22 countries are expected to achieve growth rates exceeding 5 per cent. It, however, recommended robust policy actions, including incentivising green industries, and providing guarantees at scale to de-risk private sector investments in managing natural capital across the continent.

It will be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) rebased Nigeria’s economy in April 2014 during which Nigeria emerged Africa’s largest economy, overtaking South Africa. The NBS is yet to review the report.

FBN Holdings Lifts HY Profits by 414% to N187.2bn Ahead of Industry Peers

Behemoth FBN Holdings dazzled industry watchers with an all-time high half-year pre-tax profit of N187.2 billion for the period ended June 30, 2023, translating to a 414 percent increase compared to N56.6 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2022.

The result was the highest that the Nigeria’s oldest financial services institution has recorded since it was listed as a Holco on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) in November 2012/

revenue, but gains from financial instruments significantly impacted profitability, given that bulk of the latter was eroded by galloping costs

Gains from financial instruments at fair value through profit and loss climbed twenty times over to N229.7 billion, helping to soften the blow of foreign exchange losses. Interest income accelerated 69.3 per cent to N383.3 billion, riding on the whirlwind of interest rate hikes in corporate Nigeria, which has helped other lenders post record profits.

Disaggregated on a quarterly basis, the institution’s second-quarter results (April-June) shows that pre-tax profits rose 5 folds to N150.1 billion as against N29.2 billion in Q2 2022.

FBN Holdings, which runs seven subsidiaries spanning investment banking, trusteeship, insurance brokerage, merchant banking and asset management, among others, relies on its commercial banking unit FirstBank for roughly 93 per cent of its revenue.

The group operates in 825 business locations in ten markets within and outside Africa.

FBN Holdings put aside N57.6 billion to cover a potential loss from credit whose chances of repayment have been weakened by perennial defaults, 165.4 per cent higher than the figure for last year.

A significant pressure point was operating expenses which rose to N151.7 billion from N116.8 billion due to surges in reglatory costs and promotional expenses.

According to its interim result filed with the NGX Limited on Thursday, July 20, 2023, the group recorded the profit boom on the innovative adoption of its financial instruments. This is unlike the majority of its peers who focus more on interest rate instruments to grow their top and bottom lines. Interest income accounted for more than 58 percent of

The increase in second-quarter profits helped its half-year profit before tax to rise by 213% to N206.2 billion compared to N65.7 billion same period last year.

Adesola Adeduntan, CEO of the group’s flagship division First Bank, described the feat as “the strongest financial performance in the almost 130 years of the Bank’s history,” in a separate document.

Non-performing loans as a percentage of gross loans slid to 4.3 per cent from 5.4 per cent a year ago, while total assets jumped by more than a third to N14.2 trillion.

“We continue to focus on customer-centric innovations with strong transactional and digital capabilities supported by sound risk management practices to anticipate and creatively deliver products and services that delight the different customer segments that we serve,” Group CEO Nnamdi Okonkwo said in the earnings report document.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

Our 5-year growth plan will see us build a world-class class payments gateway leveraging the power of technology and a robust network of relationships across our operating countries

Director-General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Mr. Jelani Aliyu (3rd Left); EVC/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr Bashir Gwandu (2nd right); Cars dealer, KB Lamah Motors, Mr. KB Lamah and others displaying a locally produced electric vehicle, during NADDC's validation workshop on the Draft National Action Plan for the Development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Nigeria, held in Abuja on July18, 2023.

NGX All-Share Index Ends Week Strong, Gains 3.89%, as Naira Shrinks Marginally to N777.82

Closing the week, the Nigerian equities ended on a positive note as the All-Share Index closed 1.68% stronger to settle at 65,003.39 points as against 63,930.72 points the previous day.

Market capitalisation rose to N35.39 trillion from N34.81 trillion the previous day, with investors gaining N584 billion on Friday.

Gains in Tier-1 banks, ZENITHBANK (+8.82% on share price of N35.15) , GTCO (+10.00% from share price of N38.50) and STANBIC (+10.00% against N62.70 share price) drove the market's strong performance. Having gained in four (4) of five (5) trading sessions this week, the ASI closed 3.89% higher w/w.

Over the course of the week, MTNN (+1.85% w/w), DANGCEM (5.07% w/w) and ZENITHBANK (+8.15% w/w) were the major drivers of the broader index positive performance offsetting loss in GUINNESS (-8.75% w/w). As a result. the year-to-date (YTD) return rose to 26.83%, while the market capitalization gained N1.33tn w/w to close at N35.39trn.

Friday's market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 21.04%. A total of 770.80m shares valued at N14.26bn were exchanged in 8,915 deals. UBA (+9.96%) led the volume chart with 111.21m units traded while AIRTELAFRI(+0.00%) led the value chart in deals worth N2.59bn.

Market breadth closed positive at a 2.85-to-1 ratio with advancing issues outnumbering declining ones. GTCO (+10.00%) led thirty-six (36) others on the gainer's log, while ACADEMY (-9.88%) topped twelve (12) others on the laggard's table.

On the currency market, the Naira depreciated slightly by 1.3 percent to N777.82/$ against N768.16/$ on Thursday.

NAICOM Intensifying Efforts to Meet Oil, Gas Industry Needs – Commissioner

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), says it has intensified its ongoing drive to facilitate platforms that address the demand-supply gap in the oil and gas Industry. The Commissioner For Insurance, NAICOM, Mr Sunday Thomas, said this while delivering a keynote address at the 2023 Oriental News Summit on Thursday in Lagos.

The theme of the summit is: “Building Local Content Synergy between the Oil and Gas, and Insurance Sectors in Nigeria”.

Thomas, also the Chief Executive Officer of the commission, said that the platform would encourage specialized insurance products that meet the needs of the industry.

Thomas said the commission was poised to address all potential regulatory impediments, support the development of human capacity and ensure the technical capacities of insurance suppliers in the industry.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

NASENI, AFIT Strengthen Ties on AAVDI, Made-in- Nigeria Helicopter

The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Agency for Science and Engineering (NASENI) Dr. Bashir Gwandu has called for stronger collaboration with the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, Kaduna State for the smooth take-off of the permanent site of Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute (AAVDI), an Institute under NASENI. The institute is located within AFIT Complex in Kaduna.

The NASENI boss disclosed this on Wednesday when the new Commandant of AFIT, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) S.L. Rabe paid him a courtesy visit at NASENI headquarters Abuja, congratulated the new AFIT boss on resumption of duty. AVM Rabe came to NASENI with AFIT Provost, Professor Dauda Mohammed; Director, Quality Assurance, AFIT, Dr I. Yahuza and Director of Projects, AFIT, Group Cpt Ahmed. He said his visit to NASENI was to congratulate the EVC on his appointment as well as touch base with him on the collaboration for the establishment of NASENI Institute in Kaduna.

He said it was an honour and he looked forward to strengthening ties with NASENI to develop AADVI and also fast track the on-going work on made-inNigeria helicopters. He promised to work with NASENI and asked that AFIT staff should be part of training for unskilled talents such as welding, etc. “I am of the opinion that the AFIT staff should be part of the NASENI training to gain knowledge from the training.”

Dr. Gwandu informed him that he was barely two months on the job since his appointment and that he has been visiting NASENI Institutes to see what some of them are doing. “Surely, our work with the Air Force and the military establishment are areas that I want to focus on because there are some of our key projects that AFIT is championing and that cooperation is very important to us in particular and to the country.”

He said the main reason for having the helicopter and the AAVDI is for Nigeria to be self-reliant in aviation technology, noting that there will be manufacturing of components for the helicopter and other aircrafts that NASENI can produce. “We can train people to learn to produce the components. "Iike I said, we have been looking at different components of aircrafts in particular and how we can penetrate that industry"

“We produce a lot of titanium in this country, as we know the body of aircrafts in particular use composite materials which do not work with aluminum as we all know because of corrosion. One of the key projects I am working on is getting a team to work on Titanium.

“I have companies that I am talking to courtesy of your colleague at NASENI. We will work with what we have to produce some of the parts. We have Institutes like HEDI in Kano that produce hydraulics that are needed in aviation. We are trying to form a team that we can train in different areas of aerospace such as satellites, down to aircraft aviation.

*Continues online at www. thewillnews.com

Honeywell’s N72.2bn Judgement Claim Exercise in Futility – Ecobank

Ecobank Nigeria Limited has lodged an appeal against the ruling of the Federal High Court, Lagos, delivered by Hon. Justice M. Liman, in the N72 billion lawsuit brought against the bank by Honeywell Flour Mills Plc.

A spokesperson for Ecobank asserted that the judgement claim is an exercise in futility as the bank would diligently pursue the appeal with the aim of overturning the judgment of the Federal High Court. Additionally, Ecobank remains committed to recovering the debts owed by Honeywell, emphasizing that the return of depositors’ funds is crucial for ensuring the continued support and growth of local businesses by the bank. In its Notice of Appeal dated 19th July 2023, filed on the same date, Ecobank seeks to overturn the judgment delivered on 18th July 2023. The bank is also seeking an Order from the Court of Appeal to uphold its Notice of Preliminary Objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to preside over the matter. Alternatively, Ecobank requests the Court of Appeal to dismiss Honeywell’s claim at the lower court, asserting that the evidence presented did not support the claim. Alongside the Notice of Appeal, Ecobank filed a Motion on Notice to stay the execution of the lower court’s judgment and to prevent Honeywell or any party acting on their behalf from taking advantage of the ruling pending the appeal hearing. The bank also seeks to restrain the Deputy Sheriff of the Federal High Court, bailiffs, and any other involved parties from enforcing the judgment.

The Bank filed several grounds of appeal, including, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter seeing that the court lacked the power to entertain a claim for damages based on an undertaking made by the Bank despite the judgment of the Supreme Court, which confirmed Honeywell’s indebtedness to Ecobank and directed Honeywell to settle its obligations. Ecobank maintains that this judgment by the Supreme Court nullifies the foundation of Honeywell’s current suit.

In its third Ground of Appeal, Ecobank contends that the judgment was delivered outside the constitutionally prescribed period of 90 days, resulting in a miscarriage of justice against the bank.

The trial concluded on 9th March 2021, and written addresses were adopted on 16th March 2022, while the judgment was delivered on 18th July 2023, more than two years after the trial’s conclusion. Ecobank argues that the prolonged delay affected the court’s impression of the trial, leading to a judgment that does not align with the weight of evidence presented.

Meter Production: Senate Halts TCN’s Move to Obtain $155m Loan From World Bank

The Senate on Thursday suspended the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) from obtaining a loan facility of $155 million from the World Bank for mass production of local meters.

The upper legislative chamber resolved to suspend application of the loan because its agreement promotes foreign manufacturers against competent and qualified local meter manufacturers in the country.

The suspension of the loan application was a sequel to a Sotion moved by Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) at the plenary presided over by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Mr Umeh, while presenting the motion, said if the loan is obtained, local manufacturers in the country will lose their jobs, and the Nigerian government will also lose revenue that ought to be contributing to the development of the country’s economy.

When the motion was thrown open for debate, many of the senators supported the suspension of the loan.

The senate president subsequently approved that the loan processing should be suspended, and the transmission company should negotiate with African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM) and the African Development Bank (AFDB) for an alternative loan to achieve mass metering production.

Mr Umeh, while giving a background of the meter production project, explained that the project was first funded by CBN in 2020, but the fund was withdrawn after eight months which affected the success of the production.

He claimed that the proposed plan of the TCN was to produce four million meters in 2022 that will be distributed across the country to electricity consumers.

The senator explained further that after CBN withdrew the fund, the TCN approached the World Bank for a $155 million loan facility to continue the metering production project.

He noted that the World Bank has already approved the loan for the national mass metering production.

Mr Umeh, in his argument, noted that 70 per cent of the content of the meter could be sourced locally by meter manufacturers in the country.

“Seventy per cent content of the meter can be sourced locally. The electronic parts are also available. We cannot allow them to continue sabotaging the economy.

“We are not against the loan. We are talking about the application of the loan, it is to make our local manufacturers lose out, and the opportunity will go to foreign manufacturers. If we can produce 70 per cent of what we use in Nigeria, we will be a giant among countries of the world,” he said.

Mr Umeh said the meters, if manufactured by local manufacturers, will be more effective than handling by foreign manufacturers.

L-R: Head of Customer Marketing, Reserve & Modern Trade, Adeleye Adeniran; Head of Reserve, Opeyemi Makinwa; National Champion, 2023 World Class Bartending Competition, Timilehin Anibaba; Director, Reserve and Modern Trade (IRM), Viola Graham-Douglas; Customer Marketing Manager, Olayinka Afolabi-Ajasa; Brand Ambassador, Reserve Portfolio, Tinya Alonge, all of Guinness Nigeria, during the World Class 2023 Nation Finals Competition, held in Sol Beach in Lagos on July 15, 2023. Photo: Peace Udugba.

CEO/Chairman Designation in Business: A Task For SME Regulators

BY TIMI OLUBIYI

The Board of Directors plays an important role in businesses by being responsible for making strategic decisions essential to the development of companies. It is headed by a President or Chairman, while the organisation is run by the Managing Director or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Family CEO duality or CEO duality in the context of business is referred to as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), doubling as Chairman of the Board (COB) or, simply put, the CEO/Chairman designation. To achieve CEO duality then, the roles of the CEO and the Chair of the Board of Directors have to be combined and this is typically prevalent in Nigerian businesses.

It is a situation where business power is centralised, where the titles of both the Board Chair and CEO go to one individual, that is, one person wearing two hats. It is usually an executive compensation where such governance structure promotes entrenchment, a negative impact on business performance in most cases and it comes with severe family dominance within the organisations.

The ownership and governing structure is one of the most important factors in shaping the corporate governance system of any business, be it large or a small enterprise.

But CEO duality has become one of the most widely discussed corporate governance issues. This is because it is a common practice among structured businesses in the country and this discourages internal checks and balances required of the Board Chair and other Board Members, resulting in a shortage of key oversight functions from them.

Largely CEO duality in any business, be it large or small business, is a form of governance or leadership that creates conflict of interest and could hinder the Board's ability to effectively supervise any CEO's role within the business entity.

Most times these powerful CEOs are less checked by boards and such a set-up may create more opportunities for the CEO to promote personal interests to the detriment of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders.

In fact, the functions of the Chairman and CEO by the same person will overlap, because the duties of the Chairman should be different and there should not be any concentration of power, to the detriment of proper management supervision.

CEO duality in most cases reduces the board’s monitoring capacity on behalf of the shareholders and promotes CEO opportunistic behavior, and interests. CEO duality further promotes the entrenchment of leaders where leaders or managers gain so much power that they can use the business to further their

own interests rather than the interest of shareholders. By encouraging CEOs duality within a business it undermines and can reduce the probability of replacing such CEOs. Within the small and mediumsized enterprises in the country, there is a very high concentration of family ownership in the shareholding structure of many of the structured small businesses including large firms, as such the overlapping of responsibilities of the CEO with that of the company’s Chairman.

In these small businesses CEO duality is prevalent, yet this form of business tends to have lesser public or regulatory scrutiny than the large or listed firms. Clearly, it is an infringement on codes of corporate governance regulations, and that of professional integrity at the workplace with such acts. This is a trend that has been impacting negatively on small businesses and family enterprises and corporate governance codes by implication.

Although CEO duality has been traced to faster decision-making within an organisation, the conflict, and conflict of interests that it creates makes it undesirable. And because the CEO essentially monitors them, this will only serve the interest of a few individuals within the business ecosystem. Likewise in family businesses, the family CEOs may not be able to strike a balance between the interests of the family and those of other stakeholders. As family-centric, family first investment decisions will be frequently made.

The duality of functions of the CEO and Chairman of the company can be a problem because the individuals who are responsible for the performance of the business would be the same ones that should evaluate its efficiency and control. This can be traced to one of the major reasons business failure is prevalent, which is the lack of separation between business ownership and management control, yet less attention is paid to this.

The way businesses are managed, as well as the layout of the management structure, is important to business continuity. Therefore business owners need education and awareness to understand the need to do things right to avoid the implication of business failure because such acts have a direct impact on business performance, decision-making, and overall profitability.

In the absence of CEO duality, the board is considered independent, which is the way to go. But in Nigeria, many businesses would not be able to transition to global brands where business activities can be conducted in multiple countries and one of the reasons would be because of the CEO duality that exists largely within the business space in Nigeria.

It may also impede business growth and long-term

business continuity. In many countries with friendly business environments, full disclosures and good corporate governance systems operate where those who manage a company – that is, managers and directors – are effectively held accountable for their decisions and involvement in business activities.

The big question for Nigerian entrepreneurs and business leaders is, can such accountability happen without the transparency of the leadership? Besides CEO duality, demographic characteristics, like gender, age, and CEO education, also affect business performance. But the separation of the CEO and company Chairman is considered best practice by many regulators.

However, the weakness of regulatory frameworks on this all-important matter has been a long-age issue in the country and it needs to be strengthened to protect the entire business stakeholders and the longevity of the small business that is widely known as the lifeblood of any economy.

In conclusion, the Chairman of the board ought to focus on the overall control of the company; while the CEO oversees the management of the day-to-day activities of the business with the aid of other staff.

In fact, the board of directors should have the power to hire and fire CEOs and also act in favour of shareholders in various capacities if things are approached normally. Hence, it is never too late for businesses in Nigeria, particularly small businesses to embrace this separation of roles, to promote business continuity and best standard practices.

•Dr Timi Olubiyi is an Entrepreneurship and Business Management expert.

The way businesses are managed, as well as the layout of the management structure, is important to business continuity

SHOTS OF THE WEEK

Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Chairman, MUSON, Louis Mbanefo; Chairman, MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi (OFR) mni; Gospel Artiste, Frank Edwards and Director, MTN Foundation, Dr Mosun Belo-Olusoga, at the MTN Foundation 16th graduation ceremony held at MUSON Centre, Lagos on July 6, 2023.

L-R: Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, during the Governor’s working visit to the office of the Senate President at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on July 20, 2023.

Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMITI), Dr Mrs Evelyn Ngige (4th R); Mayor of the City of Houston, Mr Sylvester Turner (4th L); Vice Mayor of the City of Houston, Martha Castex Tatem (R); the Director of Trade, FMITI, Mr Suleiman Adebayo (3rd L) and other dignitaries, during the visit of the Mayor and his entourage to the Ministry in Abuja on July 16, 2023.

L-R: Group Deputy Managing Director, Afrinvest, Mr Victor Ndukauba; Chief Operating Officer, Afrinvest, Onoise Onaghinon; Group Managing Director, Afrinvest West Africa, Mr Ike Chioke; Managing Director, Afrinvest Consulting, Mr Abiodun Keripe and Managing Director, Afrinvest Trustees, Mrs Rita Abengowe, during Afrinvest’s mid-year investment parley in Lagos on July 18, 2023.

Dr. Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Bashir Gwandu (left), presenting a sourvenir to the Founder, LEMI Technology, China, Ms. Joyce Chen, during a business delegation’s visit to the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja on July 17, 2023.

L-R: National Grand Patron, Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo Dikeora; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu and others, during the 2023 Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association Conference in Lagos on July 16, 2023.

REAL REASONS TINUBU'S MINISTERIAL LIST IS DELAYED

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

EDITOR Ivory Ukonu

Despite talks and speculations from various quarters that President Bola Tinubu has finally made ready his highly anticipated ministerial list for onward screening and confirmation by the Senate with plans to make the appointments before the July 28th deadline, THEWILL has reliably gathered that nothing could be farther than the truth. The list is far from ready. Considering that he had promised to send the list to the senate in batches to make the screening easier, Tinubu isn't even ready with

Continues on page 41

DSS Concludes Operation in Godwin Emefiele's Lagos Home

The Department of State Security, DSS, has officially pulled out of the residence of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele. Following his arrest in Lagos from where he

Continues on page 41

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

My Contents Are Inspired by Reality – Kenzy

Multi-talented Ekene Nna-Udosen, also known as Kenzy, speaks with SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN about life as an entertainer and sundry issues. Excerpts:

How did your journey into entertainment start?

I have always been drawn to entertainment. As a kid, I was always indoors and had my eyes glued to the television set. I was fascinated by it and I knew more than anything that I wanted to be in that field. Officially, I started in 2014 when I hosted my first ever event, thanks to the Rotaract Club of the National Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha.

In 2018, I made my first ever social media video and the feedback was positive, so I said why not make it an actual thing, which I did. Voice over artistry is a talent that came naturally to me or a result of my brain constantly diffusing the way narrators on the National Geographic channel (Nat Geo Wild) spoke. It eventually became a skill I’ve had to hone over the years.

What inspired the character, 'Madam Theresa' which you often feature in your skits?

I have spent most of my life around women and quite naturally, I picked up a thing or two or more. That character, ‘Madam Theresa’ has been an interesting journey for me and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Generally, my contents are widely inspired by reality and the character, ‘Madam Theresa’ is inspired by the experience of every single woman I come across in reality: My mother, my sisters, my aunties, an overly dramatic secondary school teacher, an usher at church and Women in general.

I also have the ‘Quick Pronunciation’ series, which was inspired by a need to educate the public on the proper ways of pronouncing commonly mispronounced words. It’s also a learning curve for me because in trying to teach others through ‘Madam Theresa’s’ character, I’ve had to do a lot of learning. So I’m also inspired by the need for a better me.

Which one is your favourite between ‘Madam Theresa Ndumodu series’ and ‘Quick pronunciation series’?

Let me first introduce who ‘Madam Theresa Ndumodu’ is. She is the typical Nigerian woman who enlightens the public about different issues in the society. I love all the work I put out there and I’m constantly trying to evolve, but if I’m to pick a favorite right now, I especially love one of my most recent videos: ‘The Gays will always be at the altar’ because it boldly tackles the issues of a minority group in the country. My favorite ‘Quick pronunciations’ would be anyone I’ve done with the fictional character, ‘Agnes Otigba’ played by the fantastic Chioma Nwosu. We have such great chemistry together.

What is ‘Gay will always be at the Altar’ all about?

It was a video highlighting an understated problem in our society presently. Most women and men are in marriages with gay people who have succumbed to societal pressure. The pressure of being in a heterosexual relationship or marriage. These marriages are mostly loveless, filled with infidelity and are bound to fail eventually. The video highlights these issues in a comic way and encourages people to live and let live.

How do you source the costume you use?

My mother, Mrs Ngozi Nna-Udosen, is pretty much my unofficial costume designer because I’ve taken almost a quarter of her wardrobe just for my content. A very good friend of mine, Rex Kingsley Okoye, a Nollywood costume designer, has also quite generously given me a few clothes for the work I do. He has also featured in some of my videos, playing a fan favorite character, ‘Calista Nedolisa’.

Did you expect your content to be well received when you started out?

Honestly, I knew that people would love my work and the reception

has been positive. It’s been that way till this very moment, except for an insignificant number of trolls that diss my work solely because of its nature. Some of them drag me for wearing female clothes for the purpose of entertainment. In a country filled with people who hate on anything they don’t understand, it’s very normal to have that few that disagree with the nature of my work, but I’m not going to let it stop me. At the end of the day, they can only hate from behind a phone screen.

How long did it take to get the attention of the viewing public?

My content became quite popular during the lockdown days. With lots of people at home, doing almost nothing, social media was an escape route and that meant more attention for creators like me. It’s been a gradual upward journey since then and I’m grateful.

Did you ever think of quitting?

Yes, there was a time I thought of quitting. Being a content creator is probably one

of the most exhausting career paths, but it is also rewarding. In those really low moments, when you’re so out of touch, fatigued and unable to see the purpose of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Quitting and doing something easier becomes a fantasy you accommodate. But when you think about it, what else is easier?

What was your mother’s reaction when you told her you wanted to become a skit maker?

She was super accommodating and accepting. She had no reservations about it. She even validated my choices by referencing individuals who have done the same thing, Eddie Murphy, Tyler Perry and some others. She gave me all access to her wardrobe and accessories, “take anything you need” she said. Till this very moment, she’s 100 per cent behind me.

You have also featured your mom in a couple of your skits. Was it difficult persuading her to do that with you? She’s a shy girl! She’s not one of the people who love being in front of a camera. But the way I see it, her love for her children makes her do anything to make us happy. Anytime I need her, she abandons her shyness and puts on her big girl shoes. Trust that she will slay the

house and the camera down.

Have you ever been a victim of online bullying?

This is normal for content creators like me. Initially, I would allow them to get to me. I can have over hundreds of positive comments and feedback on a particular post or about the work I do generally and I’d be focused on the negative comments from people saying the nastiest things to me, the worst thing you can imagine. I simply ignore them, block them and focus solely on the positive things people are saying.

You seem to be quite good at mixing Igbo language with English. How did you come up with that concept?

It’s not something I had to come up with. That’s exactly how I’ve been. Growing up in the east, I was exposed to the Igbo language and the culture. Like I said earlier, I spent a lot of time indoors, watching television. I imitated the way they spoke on television subconsciously and eventually as a result, I have a pretty decent command of both languages.

Wouldn't some of your non-Igbo speaking fans be discouraged if they don't understand what you are saying?

No, not at all because I try to provide English subtitles in all my videos. I also understand that reading subtitles to catch up is not the same experience as it is for someone who understands Igbo, but

Nna-Udosen

Nna-Udosen

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

that’s as much as I can do to accommodate my non-Igbo speaking viewers. I have also tried to balance my videos by speaking as much English as possible.

What are some of the challenges peculiar to skit making?

I think a content creator's greatest challenge is finding their audience, their own people. Simply put, our greatest challenge is making it as a content creator. Another challenge we struggle with as content creators is maintaining relevance. Once you’re out there in people’s faces, you become very concerned with the numbers because those numbers translate to engagement, which translates to relevance and that ultimately translates to revenue. The more relevant you are, the more brands seek you out and the more money you make via streaming platforms. Personally, skit making is exciting but it takes a huge toll on me, mentally, physically, emotionally. Most times, you’re doing all the work alone. You create the idea, you film yourself, you edit! The entire process can take long hours. Doing this over and over can sometimes feel like torture. It becomes paramount to seek help, especially to meet up with the demands of social media and the ever changing trends.

Most skit makers eventually venture into mainstream acting. Are you considering that too?

Yes, beyond consideration. I’m already making active moves in being part of the robust industry that is Nollywood. I have been in a couple of Nollywood projects like ‘Tokunbo’ directed by Ramsey Noah (yet to be released), ‘Smokescreen’, directed by Biodun Stephen, ‘An ordinary love’, which was directed by Emeka Madu, 'The Judge', a web series by Tee Kuro. Hopefully, with time and hardwork, I’ll be fully immersed in the industry.

What is your opinion about the content creation industry?

I think it’s one of the most versatile factions of the entire entertainment space. There are many content creators out there. With each day, there is someone new. It is vast, welcoming and very lucrative! I also think that it is the least toxic genre of entertainment. We help each other a lot. We are very big on collaborations, encouraging and pushing each other to succeed, especially when you find your people.

How expensive is it to be a content creator?

It is expensive, especially if you want to start producing your skits like it’s a Nollywood film. Some content creators spend almost as much as it costs to produce some of the Nollywood movies you’ve seen out there. From location, to paying the cast, to hiring crew, buying or renting equipment, welfare and logistics on mobility. It can be quite the money eater. But for me, I don’t spend so much. My content is very economical because I film in almost one location. I don’t need as many hands on deck because I pretty much sit down at a spot for most of my work. I only spend so much on buying gadgets that will improve the quality of my videos.

The industry has had its fair share of sex-for-skits scandals and controversies. Do you think there is a need to regulate it?

Like any other branch of media and entertainment, I definitely think it needs regulation. There are many blurred lines out there. People do anything and everything in the name of content and there’s no stopping them. From molestation, to child abuse, to public assault, all of this just to stack up the views. We need to put regulatory channels in place, preventing people from crossing certain lines and ensuring that they know the difference between creating content and committing a crime.

Do you have any formal training as a voice-over artist?

Not yet. Everything I know about art is self-taught. I plan to get official training from voice workshops and mini schools, here in Lagos Nigeria.

What are the special things you do or don't do to avoid straining your voice?

I take a lot of water, mostly room temperature and I try to sing a lot because singing helps to clear one's voice. I avoid screaming or shouting unnecessarily. I don’t smoke at all and I don’t drink as much.

Nna-Udosen

If you were asked to choose between skit making, voiceover and being a compere, which would you consider your favourite and why?

I’d definitely go with event hosting/TV hosting. There’s power that comes with being in that much control. It almost makes you feel invincible and impervious to anything. You’re in charge and I like that feeling. Most people won’t relate to this anyway because it makes them anxious and all that, but for me, it’s different.

You have talked about your mother, but nothing has been said about your father. Can you talk about him?

This is the first time I’ve had to think about my father in a very long time. One thing I can say for sure is that he lives on. I am the exact replica of my father, I look just like him. All his old photos of when he was younger feels like I’m looking at myself and the older I get, the more of him I see in me. I lost my father in 2008. He was diagnosed with kidney failure, which led to his death. Before his death, he wasn’t exactly very present in our lives, he lived in a different city for some time because of work. In this very moment, part of me wishes he was present in my life, maybe I’d have a certain level of masculine influence.

How was growing up?

Growing up was okay. We were comfortable for some time before we lost our father and after that, it was turbulent. My mother had to immediately assume the role of a single parent, taking care of her five kids. We were separated as kids. My elder sisters lived with a family friend, I and my immediate younger sister lived with my grandmother and my baby sister, the last girl lived with my aunt In Lagos. Eventually, we all came back together after some time and things got relatively better. I grew up surrounded by love, the kind that perseveres against all odds.

If not a skit maker or voice-over artist, what else would you have ventured into and handle perfectly?

I think I would have done radio broadcasting really well. Beyond entertainment media, I really would have enjoyed being an industrial farmer. I am super drawn to cultivating plants as well as rearing livestock. I probably will still venture into it in the future.

Except for an insignificant number of trolls that diss my work solely because of its nature. Some of them drag me for wearing female clothing for the purpose of entertainment. In a country filled with people who hate on anything they don’t understand, it’s very normal to have that few that disagrees with the nature of my work but I’m not letting it stop me

Nna-Udosen

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

ABUBAKAR MALAMI EXPANDS HAREM, TAKES ANOTHER WIFE

The dust is yet to settle on his very controversial tenure as the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, but that is the least of Abubakar Malami’s concerns. He seems to be more focused on expanding his harem. Two months after leaving office, he has taken another wife, the third to be exact.

The new bride, Hajiya Rakiya Bashir, was a widow. The low-key wedding ceremony between the couple reportedly took place on Sunday, July 16.

It would be recalled that about one year ago, Malami formally professed love and married Nana-Hadiza, a divorcee and former President Muhammadu Buhari's

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

Femi Otedola Unveils Ambitious Business Plan

third daughter with his first wife, Safinatu. THEWILL had speculated that the marriage was nothing but a means to consolidate power and shield him from possible prosecution. With his father-in-law out of power and a new Sheriff in town, Malami obviously sees no reason to remain totally committed to the 'cause' and thus decided to feed his insatiable desire to acquire as many wives as he possibly can.

Jumoke Oduwole Appointed Senior Fellow at Harvard University

Barely three months after divesting 2.8 million units of his shares in Geregu Power Plc, the power generation company, where he holds the majority stake, businessman and investor Femi Otedola has embarked on another ambitious business plan. In collaboration with the Lagos State government and African Development Bank, AfDB, he has put plans in place to develop a power transmission project. The collaboration will be a Public-Private Partnership arrangement. If the project comes to light, it will be the first of its kind in Nigeria as hitherto, private individuals were not allowed to transmit power in the country. With the newly signed electricity act and having identified public-private partnerships as key in driving investment in the power sector, Lagos state government plans to fully take advantage of it and establish a sustainable electricity market, particularly because the state is Nigeria’s biggest economy, and the fifth biggest economy in Africa.

Continued from page 38

REAL REASONS TINUBU'S MINISTERIAL LIST IS DELAYED

Oduwole

Aformer Special Adviser to ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, Jumoke Oduwole has been appointed a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in the United States. She will be working with the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. The appointment will elapse in June 2024. Jumoke was appointed after undergoing a rigorous screening process from a large and strong pool of globally acclaimed high achievers, and that only a few individuals are invited to be senior fellows each year. During her time at Harvard Kennedy School, she will research the role of business in strengthening government reforms. A 2013 Tutu Fellow, Jumoke served in the Buhari administration from November 2015 to May 2023. She was first appointed as senior special assistant to the president on industry, trade and investment; and later as special adviser to the president on ease of doing business. She also served as the pioneer secretary to the presidential enabling business environment council (PEBEC). A lawyer, prior to her appointment by President Buhari, she taught international economic law at the University of Lagos. In 2022, she was appointed as governance advisor to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab for her innovative strides in governance. A graduate of law from the University of Lagos with a Master of Laws from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; as well as a JSM and a JSD respectively from Stanford Law School in the US, Jumoke is a recipient of many awards including Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). She currently sits on the boards of trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and GIG Logistics, a subsidiary of the GIG Group; and previously served on the board of Ecobank Nigeria.

one batch. Infact, late last week, the media was awash with news that the president had finally forwarded the ministerial list to the Senate who would in turn invite those listed for screening. Unfortunately, that was nothing short of a fake news as the much-touted list is currently hanging. Tinubu wants to present a perfect list by the time it is made public. Perfect in the sense that he is being careful not to offend any section of the country and is thus trying hard to appease a lot of political interests across board with the ministers he appoints. Little wonder it is being referred to as the 'ministerial list of unity.' For this reason, the list has reportedly been tweaked a dozen times; each time it seems that he has perfected the list, something, a name or situation surrounding a name crops up, forcing him to return to the drawing board to have it tweaked again. For instance, Akinwunmi Ambode's rapprochement has brought about a different dynamic to the already prepared ministerial list. The former Lagos State governor is being considered as a nominee from the state, thus displacing Wale Edun who was pencilled down to represent the state. Now Edun is being moved as a former nominee from Lagos State to Ogun State. Edun who was the Honourable Commissioner for Finance in Lagos

State during Tinubu's two term tenure as governor is currently the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Monetary Policy. Similarly, with the resignations of Adamu Abdullahi, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress Party, APC and Iyiola Omisore, the national secretary of the party, the list needed to be tweaked again as Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the immediate past governor of Kano State whose name was initially pencilled down as a minister is now being considered to take over the position of the national chairman of the party. Also, former Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, whose name made it to the list, is now being considered to replace Omisore, a position he is not too keen on. Infact, THEWILL reliably gathered that as at last week, a few people were still being asked to submit their curriculum vitaes for possible consideration to be included in the list. But the earlier Tinubu gets the list ready, the better as that is the only way the economy can get formally kick started. While he already has the ideas on how he wants to run the country, these ideas unfortunately can't run on their own. This is where the ministers come in. Without them, he can't execute his supposed flawless ideas or get policies to be executed. Time is fast ticking.

DSS Concludes Operation in Godwin Emefiele's Lagos Home

was flown back to Abuja to face a crack team of interrogators, operatives of the security agency had sealed his home located on Iru Close, off Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. The DSS blocked the entrance of the palatial house with two Hilux vans and about six operatives were deployed to the house for further investigation. The operatives have now departed from the house, signaling the end of their siege. Perhaps

with the development, the court may finally grant Emefiele's request for bail after spending over six weeks in DSS custody. This is just as Nigerians await the outcome of their investigation and the next step President Bola Tinubu intends to take on the matter.

Despite a subsisting court order issued in December 2022 by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) barring Emefiele’s arrest,

the DSS, whose statutory role is internal security, on June 10 took the embattled CBN governor into their custody. Also restrained by the court order are the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. He was arrested over allegations of funding terrorism and economic sabotage among other alleged charges.

The Malamis

Otedola

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

DOUBLE CELEBRATION FOR SONNIE AYERE

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Donn Lorren Merrifield Capital Group, DLM Capital Group, Sonnie Babatunde Ayere, has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The International Investor. Ayere’s DLM Capital Group also bagged the 2023 Investor Award in the Best Development Investment Bank 2023 and Beat Comprehensive Investment Firm 2023 categories. The International Investor is a magazine that provides insight, news and visual informative pieces with topics ranging from world markets, investing opportunities and industry analysis.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is intended exclusively for business executives who have achieved notable accomplishment that is currently benefiting the community and will do so for many years. Ayere was recognised for his understanding of macroeconomic fundamentals and more than 30 years of solid expertise in corporate and structured finance, banking and asset management. Formerly a Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Global Market Limited, he has also worked with different financial institutions including NatWest Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank, Bank of Montreal Nesbitt Burns in London and the International Finance Corporation before moving on to set up Dunn Loren Merrifield (now known as DLM Capital Group).

Tom Amenkhienan Gives Out Daughter in Marriage

Reverend Tom Amenkhienan, an associate of the founder of Christ Embassy, Christian Oyakhilome, has given out his daughter, Praise Amenkhienan, in marriage to her beau, Enoch Boamah. The marriage ceremony started with a traditional engagement which took place at Christ Embassy Camp Ground Asese, Lagos/Ibadan Express Way. The ceremony was a blend of two traditions as the groom, Boamah, is Ghanaian while Amenkhienan is a Nigerian. The rich cultural heritage of the Ghanaians was on display at the wedding as guests and groom's men from Ghana adorned Kente, the popular Ghana fabric in different colours. Groom men had their kente strapped

Makinde Marks 11 Years of Late Father's Death

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has celebrated the 11th anniversary of his father, Pa Olatunbosun Makinde’s death.

Pa Makinde, who was a well-known teacher and accountant in Ibadan, Oyo State, passed on in July 2012.

The governor, his siblings and some of his aides visited the graveyard of the late accountant to lay a fresh wreath. Dressed in white, the governor said some prayers before leaving the place. He also took to Facebook to write a tribute to the deceased.

According to Makinde, his late father had a great influence on him and his siblings. He added that his father loved his children wholeheartedly and gave them all the support they needed to succeed. He also left indelible marks in their

lives before his departure. He prayed that the love that binds his siblings together will continue to radiate in their lives as they continue to cherish and treasure the moments they had with their late father.

Adewole

Funmi Findo Bags Chieftaincy Title

across their shoulders as they matched into the wedding hall. The white wedding also took place

on the same day at Christ Embassy Church in Lagos and the ceremony was officiated by the general overseer of Christ Embassy, Pastor Oyakhilome. The event ended with a lavish reception which was attended by many pastors from Love World Nation both in Nigeria and Ghana. Boamah is the National Youth Pastor of Christ Embassy Church in Accra, Ghana. He joined the ministry many years ago and he is one of the favorite spiritual sons of Pastor Oyakhilome. He got engaged to Amenkhienan about five months ago though they have known each other for more than two years. The father of the bride, Reverend Tom Amenkhienan, is a senior pastor in the ministry and one of the Central Executive Council of Believers Loveworld. His wife, Pastor Joy Amenkhienan is also a regional pastor in Believers Loveworld.

HOW OBA JOSEPH ADEWOLE ACELEBRATED 70TH BIRTHDAY

The Owa Ajero of Ijero kingdom, Oba Joseph Adewole, has joined the septuagenarian club. The royal father clocked 70 on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 and staged a grand celebration to mark his platinum jubilee. The two-in-one event took place at Ijero Ekiti in Ekiti State. The celebration started with a thanksgiving service at Christ Church Cathedral, Ijero Ekiti. Words of exhortation, choir ministration, glowing tributes by friends and children of the celebrant were some of the highlights of the church service. The thanksgiving service was followed by a grand reception at the Ajero palace. Praise singers, traditional dancers welcomed guests as they arrived at the reception venue of the birthday celebration. The event was graced by traditional rulers, politicians, business moguls and indigenes of Ijero-Ekiti. Guests turned up for the celebration in white and brown glamorous attires which were the colours for the occasion. Foremost singer, Niyi Bright was on the bandstand to entertain guests with melodious music.

Real estate guru, Otunba Funmi

Abiodun Findo, has been installed as the Otunba Atunluse of Egboroland. The millionaire businessman was honoured last week by the traditional ruler of Ijebu-Jesa in Osun state, His Royal Highness, Oba Moses Agunsoye ll, the Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa.

Oba Agunsoye II honoured Findo because of his philanthropic nature, his exemplary gesture of goodness and his honesty.

Findo, had promised to

facilitate development in Ijebu Jesa and he kept his word by initiating a multi-purpose building project which housed different government agencies, created employment for the youths in the community and opened up the town to investors. The traditional ruler had to reciprocate the kind gesture conferring the chieftaincy title on him.

The ceremony took place at the palace of the traditional ruler and was witnessed by friends, family of the new chief. It started with an opening prayer which was followed by the citation of Otunba Findo's biography.

An elated Findo appreciated the traditional ruler and the community for their kind gesture. He also showered praises on his aged mother for her support over the years. A grand reception took place after the traditional rites were observed and guests were treated to lavish food and drinks.

Otunba Findo, is the founder and Executive Chairman of a real estate company, Findobact Holdings Corporation.

Makinde

Findo

The Boamahs

Ayere

STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

RUNSEWE, COKER HONOURED BY NATOP

The duo of Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director-General of the National Council for Art and Culture and Chief Folorunsho Coker, Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), have been honoured by the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). Runsewe received the Tourism Pioneer Award for promoting culture and tourism in Nigeria, while Coker was named as the Outstanding Tourism Personality of the Year for his contribution to tourism development in Nigeria. Receiving his award, through his representative, Runsewe promised to continue to do his best to move the culture sector forward. Coker, on the other hand, acknowledged the professional and focused leadership provided by NATOP, while stating that

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

Yetunde Adebayo Flaunts

Multi-Million Naira Shopping Complex

Socialite cum entrepreneur, Yetunde Adebayo, also known as Asabi Alaso Oke, has built a state-of-the-art edifice in Ogun State that will serve as the headquarters of her multi-million naira business empire, Asabi Alaso Oke. Located in the highbrow area of the state, the two-storeyed building is surrounded by other ultramodern facilities. The building has already been furnished to taste and it is gradually becoming a bee-hive of activities for customers who love Adebayo’s signature.

he will continue to support through the provision of cutting-edge technology, machine learning and the use of artificial intelligence to help boost Small and Medium Scale Enterprises which the majority of NATOP members represent. He added that his agency has partnered with Google on the Google Street View project, a tool that will be indispensable for tour operators. And a Hackathon project is on stream where useful software is being put together by tech-savvy professionals for the use of the tourism industry. He also promised to end the terrible menace of quackery in the tourism sector.

Alex Oladimeji Fingered in Olujare Kingship Crisis

The Chairman of Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, Honourable Alex Oladimeji, has been accused of contributing to the kingship tussle rocking Ijare community. The throne became vacant two years ago when Oba Adebamigbe Oluwagbemigun, Kokotiri II, passed on. After his demise, the process of picking a new king by the royal family and kingmakers became a challenge due to the litigation arising from the illegal exclusion of Prince Kola Oyewole.

The Sejeokun Ruling House had dragged the kingmakers to court for the unlawful exclusion of Prince Oyewole who was their candidate for the throne. Thirteen people applied to fill the vacancy, but four people were screened out by the royal family. Oyewole was one of them.

A group known as the Concerned Ijare Indigenes alleged that Prince Oyewole and others who were illegally excluded constitutef a threat to the candidate who some people wanted to impose on the community. The Sejeokun ruling house had to run to court and asked the court to stop the selection process until their candidate was added to the list.

Hon Oladimeji was accused of influencing the list because he had a special interest in who

becomes the next traditional ruler of the community. The youth of the community had to stage a protest and called on the government to give fair hearing to all the candidates instead of screening out any one of them. Responding to the allegation, Oladimeji said that he lacked the power to impose a new king on the town, considering the various chieftaincy laws in the state. He described the allegation as unfounded and assured that the due process would be followed. According to him, the mass protest in the town was not against him but against the leader of the kingmakers, Chief Wemimo Olaniyan, for delaying the process of picking a new Olujare.

Oladimeji noted that there were rules and regulations guiding the selection of a new king in Ijare and neighbouring communities, particularly the Ondo State Chieftaincy Law, which nobody can influence. He explained that there was no way he could influence anybody to emerge as the king or force anybody in his town. According to the council chairman, he is not a member of the (Ijare) royal family, and he is not part of the people that screened the Princes, nor is he part of the Kingmakers (Afobaje).

The businesswoman had a grand opening of the facilities which was witnessed by celebrities in Lagos and its environment. She has since been flaunting her latest feat on social media which has attracted accolades and admiration from her fans and clients.

Adebayo, was one of the aso oke dealers who clothed different groups’ during the just concluded Ojude Oba 2023 festival which had a rich cultural display of the Yoruba traditional aso oke. Adebayo, started out as a fashion designer before diversifying into making and selling traditional aso oke.

OYEBANJI CELEBRATES DAD AT 90

Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has held a thanksgiving service in commemoration of the 90th birthday celebration of his father, Pa Ezekiel Oyebanji. The event took place at the First Baptist Church, Ikogosi, Ekiti State last week. It was attended by the governor's family, siblings and a few friends. Many who thought Oyebanji would host an elaborate party were disappointed because the celebration was devoid of any formal invitation to

Akpata, Mofe-Damijo,

The trio of Richard Mofe Damijo, Olumide Akpata and Audu Maikori have been honoured by the King's College Old Boys Association, North America Chapter, during the 2023 Reunion Gala of the association which held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington DC, United States of America.

Maikori, a lawyer and social activist who is the co-founder of Chocolate City graduated from the college in 1992. He had the opportunity to lecture at the college some years later and was a guest at the 2023 reunion event. He was honoured with the Professional Excellence Award.

anyone and without so much fanfare. Giving reasons for the decision of the family to have a low-key celebration, the governor said it was in line with the family’s modest manner of doing things, coupled with the fact he, as the governor of the state, has to live by example. Despite not inviting so many people, a few who heard about the thanksgiving service turned up to celebrate with the Oyebanjis. Paying glowing tribute to the celebrant, Governor Oyebanji described him as a man who places great value on honesty, integrity, humility, hard work and self-discipline. The virtues, according to him, have helped in shaping him to who he is today.

Maikori, Bag Kings College Alumni Award

College, Lagos, was awarded a plaque of Professional Excellence for an impressive career in film and television, which spanned more than three decades. The actor was also a guest at the reunion gala.

The entrepreneur was honoured for his perseverance and resilience as a leading figure among Nigerian youth and his contribution to the music industry. Nollywood veteran, Damijo, who had served briefly as a Theater Arts instructor at King's

Former Nigerian Bar Association president, Akpata, who was also one of the guest speakers at the event was awarded with a plaque of Professional Excellence. He was awarded for the transformation and implementation of various plans that he introduced which led to more effective governance, advocacy, and engagement with the Nigerian public when he was the NBA president.

Adebayo

Runsewe Coker

Oladimeji

Akpata Mofe-Damijo Maikori

The Oyebanjis

NEMA: New Partnership With Media on Disaster Reporting

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

As anyone would imagine, the media and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have little or nothing in common. But that isn’t quite correct because, in reality, both institutions have a lot in common. For one, both address large audiences. Both respond to unfolding events as they happen – the media being the first to report them and, in the case of unexpected disasters, NEMA is sure to be there to save lives. More than anything else, both of them are deeply involved in fieldwork and having to deal with people.

Last week at a fashionable hotel in Lagos, this synergy between the media and NEMA was the subject of discourse at a one-day interaction with the theme “NEMA’s Workshop for Media Practitioners on Disaster Reporting.”

By mid-morning of Saturday July 15, Hall 1 and 2 of Radisson Hotel on Isaac John Street GRA Ikeja, a good number of senior journalists and editors from the print, broadcast and online media were stepping into the icy interior of the hotel, having registered as participants at the foyer. Led by Toni Kan, PR and Development Expert and facilitator of one of the sessions, the synergy between the media and NEMA began on a good note.

The DG of NEMA himself, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, led a high-profile delegation that included NEMA’s Director Special Duties, Dr. Onimode Bandele Abdullahi, NEMA’s Director of Risk Reduction, Dr. Daniel Obot and Head of Lagos NEMA Technical Office, Ibrahim Farinloye.

Among the media team was Hamzat Idris and Dotun Oladipo, Managing Editor of Daily Trust and Publisher of Eagle Online respectively who were also panelists in one of the presentations “Navigating Challenges in Disaster Reporting: Insights from Media Practitioners.”

Communications Management Expert Chido Nwakanma, took charge of the technical presentation at the workshop titled “Collaborative Approaches in Disaster Reporting: Strengthening Partnerships for Effective Communication.” Toni Kan himself facilitated the third technical session with the theme “Ethics in Disaster Reporting: Balancing Sensationalism and Responsible Journalism.”

Outside the venue as time wore on, it rained ceaselessly with security staff proffering umbrellas to guests arriving at the hotel. Inside Hall 1 and 2, it was a rain of ideas for the NEMA team and media, particularly the panel of discussants.

The workshop was necessary, Ahmed declared, because “we intend to foster a collaboration between media practitioners and NEMA. Our shared goal is to facilitate effective information dissemination during emergencies. By working together, we can ensure that timely and accurate information reaches the public, creating much needed awareness and enabling them to make informed decisions and take necessary

Part of the reason for the workshop is the proclivity of some media organisations –online publications especially – to embellish and sensationalise disasters where they occur. It is even worse now with citizen journalism whereby anyone with a smart phone can upload fake stories and photographs of disasters that never happened.

Therefore, the DG insisted the workshop was necessary “to enable media practitioners to report on disasters and NEMA as the apex disaster management agency in Nigeria. The objective is to provide a clear understanding of NEMA’s remit, Nigeria’s triple response structure, and NEMA’s relationship with subnational actors” and the media’s role “as gatekeepers in this era of disinformation. We trust you to act as a bulwark against misinformation and fake news and the shenanigans of citizen journalism and fifth

The DG’s fears about fake news is not without reason. Bloggers are only too eager to exploit disasters for selfish reasons. So, they inundate sites with fake news of disasters, possibly culled from other countries and posted as recent occurrences in Nigeria just for mischief. Toni Kan pointedly recalled one such incident that happened in faraway Kenya but which a Nigerian blogger reposted as taking place somewhere in the north. To prevent all that, the media must not “rush to publish,” a participant urged, but get “your sources right.”

In as much as disasters and calamities are ‘good news’ for journalists, another opined that they should “rise above personal biases” in reporting them.

The workshop was necessary “to enable media practitioners to report on disasters and NEMA as the apex disaster management agency in Nigeria. The objective is to provide a clear understanding of NEMA’s remit, Nigeria’s triple response structure, and NEMA’s relationship with subnational actors

L-R: Toni Kan, PR and Development expert, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, DG National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Chido Nwakanma, Communications Consultant and Educator at NEMA's capacity building workshop for media practitioners in Lagos on Saturday July 15, 2023.

...Partnership With Media on Disaster Reporting FEATURES

Becoming ever more frequent especially now in the rainy season, the images of flood victims are all too familiar. An untamed, relentless rush of coffee-brown water inundating homes, highways, farmlands and bloating canals after a torrential downpour, insultingly sweeping away everything in its path: man and beast, furniture, beddings, pots, pans, cooking gas, stoves and a few driverless vehicles.

During and after rains, mud buildings dissolve into silts leaving behind thatched roofs floating downstream with the unstoppable flood. Otherwise sturdy brick buildings are submerged to their eaves and beams, with the occasional survivor pet squatting despondently on the roof.

Disasters of this type are common features across the tropics, especially after torrential rainfall rivalling or even surpassing that of Noah. While the hirsute patriarch had the privilege of providential early warning the better to prepare for the impending disaster, modern man is often caught unawares thus exposing him to the elements. And humans nearly always come off worsted in all of those unexpected and unequal contests with nature.

The records are grim enough: In Katsina a mother had a baby strapped to her back when a sudden deluge surprised her neighbourhood after an unceasing downpour weeks ago. She lost grip of the boy in tow because of the rapid onrush rising steadily until it reached her waist. While the rain poured around her, she could feel her daughter’s weight and wetness on her back. But one time her son was gone, gone with the flow as if he was never there with her at all.

A two-year-old girl was similarly lost to overflooding in Bayelsa last October. More than half a dozen communities Amarata, Edepie, Akenfa, Tombia, Akenpai, Agudama-Epie were surprised by the heavy downpour which rendered hundreds of families homeless. While asleep, a middle-aged woman was swept away along with her house.

In big cities and out of the way communities across Nigeria, it is an unending tale of lamentation like the rain itself falling without let, ravaging and levelling everything in its way. According to NEMA, more than 600 people were killed last year as a result of flooding.

Disasters, NEMA DG said at the workshop,

“are local and to enhance our disaster management capabilities, it is imperative that State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) are fully operationalized and Local Management Committees (LMCs) are activated. These bodies will play a crucial role in ensuring effective disaster response at the state and local level.”

Four days before the workshop, Ahmed met and spoke with Nigeria’s Governors Forum in Abuja seeking their cooperation for preparedness of the 2023 flooding season. “We seek to collaborate with NGF to establish a robust monitoring and evaluation framework which will enable NEMA and NGF to track progress, assess the effectiveness of flood preparedness initiatives, and identify areas of improvement. Regular feedback and joint evaluation exercises will support evidence-based decision-making and promote accountability in disaster management efforts.”

Furthermore, the meeting/ partnership with the governors “will provide a platform for facilitating the sharing of best practices and lessons learnt among the states. We can facilitate discussions, workshops, and peerto-peer learning sessions where states can share their successful initiatives in disaster risk reduction and resilience. This knowledge exchange will help expedite the adoption of effective strategies across the country.”

In that regard, the DG went on, NEMA “has taken steps to align its national policies and strategies with the Sendal Framework by developing the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and National Disaster Risk Management which provide guidance for implementing risk reduction measures at national, state and local levels. These initiatives emphasise and highlight the importance of multi-stakeholder collaborations and community participation in disaster risk management.”

NEMA was established via Act 12 as amended by Act 50 of 1999 specifically “to manage disasters, coordinate resources towards efficient and effective disaster prevention, preparation, mitigation and response in Nigeria.” Added to this is NEMA’s vision “to build a culture of preparedness, prevention, responses and community resilience to disaster in Nigeria.”

According to Ahmed, Nigeria was hit in 2022 with the worst possible flood in history, affecting 29 of the 36 states. Records from the Red Cross in that year showed that at least 2.8million people were affected with 603 fatalities and more than 2, 500 injured.

The NEMA DG gave the vote of thanks while president of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and publisher of Realnewsmagazine.net Maureen Chigbo spoke on behalf of the participants, all of whom were presented with certificates of attendance.

“The workshop was insightful and timely and would help enhance reportage of disasters and emergencies from the perspective of well-informed media practitioners,” she said.

The NEMA/ media workshop was facilitated and moderated by Dayo Alao of Impact Pointe Consultancy Limited, Vista and The Media Training Room and Radi8.

Participants at NEMA/Media partnership on disaster reporting at Radisson Hotel GRA Ikeja, Lagos.

Disasters, NEMA DG said at the workshop, “are local and to enhance our disaster management capabilities, it is imperative that State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) are fully operationalized and Local Management Committees (LMCs) are activated

Learning From Naija Super 8 Success

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

The Naija Super 8 Football Tournament, played at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos, captivated football enthusiasts and earned widespread recognition for its seamless organisation and captivating competitive atmosphere. The widely successful competition led many in the country asking how come a domestic tournament can capture the attention of fans so concretely that the stadium was filled to capacity for the matches, especially the nail-biter of a final. What actually contributed to the tournament's success and what valuable lessons can it offer for Nigeria's domestic football landscape?

SportsLive offers answers by looking at the positives of

the football tournament.

The Naija Super 8 Football Tournament was conceptualised as an innovative initiative to promote and revitalise Nigerian domestic football. Recognising the need to rekindle fan interest and enhance the appeal of local football, the organisers, led by Jenkins Alumona, Managing Director, Flykite Productions, devised a unique format that combined spirited competition with significant incentives for clubs and players alike. The tournament sought to celebrate and showcase the abundant football talent present within the country, fostering a renewed sense of enthusiasm and pride among football fans.

Organising a football tournament of this scale entails a myriad of challenges that demand astute problemsolving and flexibility from the organisers. Several key challenges arose in the pre-tournament phase. One of the prominent challenges faced by the organisers was related to security arrangements. A disagreement with the Lagos State Football Association Vice Chairman, Alhaji Olawale Gafar, over security provisions at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena threatened to disrupt the event's smooth organisation. However, through constructive dialogue and collaboration, the issue was eventually resolved, ensuring the safety and security of players, officials, and spectators.

Another major hurdle arose with the unexpected extension of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, as communicated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). This unforeseen extension necessitated the rescheduling of both the zonal play-offs and the main tournament dates, posing logistical challenges and requiring adjustments to

Organising a football tournament of this scale entails a myriad of challenges that demand astute problem-solving and flexibility from the organisers

SportsLive

...From Naija Super 8 Success

accommodate the changes effectively. Despite these obstacles, the organisers demonstrated resilience and adeptly navigated through these issues to ensure the successful execution of the tournament. The astuteness of the organisers was recognised by those who were involved and who participated in bringing it to fruition. The Naija Super 8 Football Tournament garnered remarkable support from a coalition of prominent brands that recognized the tournament's potential to invigorate Nigerian football and engage a vast audience of football enthusiasts. The brands that generously backed the competition as sponsors included Nigeria's leading telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria. The network has a strong commitment to supporting sports and community development initiatives and it backed the Super 8 all the way. Another backer was Hero Lager, a renowned beer brand known for its involvement in promoting sports and entertainment events in Nigeria. DStv, Nigeria's most popular digital satellite television service provider, kept faith with the competition, in tune with their consistent patronage of Nigerian football.

Other sponsors included: SuperSport, the widely recognized sports broadcasting network known for its extensive coverage of various football leagues; Pepsi; Moniepoint, a digital financial services platform that supported the tournament as part of its commitment to community engagement; and Custodian Assurance Limited, an insurance company that actively invests in corporate social responsibility endeavours, including sports sponsorships. The collective support of these esteemed brands significantly contributed to the success of the tournament, elevating its visibility and impact on Nigeria's football landscape.

The Naija Super 8 Football Tournament was designed to be a compelling and alluring spectacle for football enthusiasts and the wider public and by the final on July 16, it was obvious that they had achieved what they set out to do. Several key features contributed to its attractiveness.

Topmost of these features was fan engagement. The organisers devised a novel voting process that actively involved football fans in selecting the clubs to participate in the tournament. The club selection process for the Tournament was designed to be inclusive, transparent, and reflective of popular opinion. To ensure a fair representation of clubs from various regions, the organisers employed a voting system that extended beyond Nigeria's borders, allowing football fans from Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Ghana, and South Africa to cast their votes. The voting process was accessible through online platforms, which facilitated widespread participation.

The clubs that secured the highest number of votes in each of the six geopolitical zones advanced to the zonal play-offs, where they competed for a coveted spot in the Super 8 tournament in Lagos. This approach promoted inclusivity and democratisation of the club selection process, ensuring that a diverse array of teams had the opportunity to showcase their talent on

Continued from Back Page

a national stage. This democratised selection process empowered fans, making sure they played a crucial role in determining the lineup of participating teams. The fan engagement initiative not only piqued interest but also fostered a sense of ownership and emotional investment among supporters.

To uphold the integrity and credibility of the club selection process, the organisers collaborated with the reputable audit firm Deloitte to oversee the voting process. Deloitte's involvement lent an objective and unbiased dimension to the proceedings, providing stakeholders and football enthusiasts alike with confidence in the fairness and accuracy of the final results. The voting process was closely monitored to prevent any potential irregularities or manipulation, ensuring that the clubs chosen to participate in the tournament truly represented the collective will of football fans from across the regions. Another big positive was the prize money involved for participating clubs. The organisers introduced a significant financial incentive to motivate participating clubs. Each club earned N3 million per game, and the runner-up was awarded N9 million, while the victorious team received a grand prize of N25 million. This substantial prize money not only served as

Judges, Justices Responsible For Corruption Perception About Judiciary

There is a stringent need for judicial independence. They must safeguard the judiciary's independence by insulating it from political influence and interference. Another recommendation is the sensitization and education of the public. They must ensure a system whereby the education of the public about their role in upholding the integrity of the justice system and the consequences of spreading fake news are part of the process.

The foregoing points to a need for legal reforms. I have mentioned this several times before and we must of necessity expedite judicial processes to reduce delays in delivering justice and address the backlog of cases to ensure that we avoid a continu-

ation of the "justice delayed, justice denied" syndrome.

Addressing corruption and distrust in Nigeria's judiciary is vital for restoring faith in the justice system and upholding democracy. By taking decisive steps to cleanse the judiciary, promote transparency, and implement judicial reforms, Nigeria can create a more just and equitable society that serves the best interests of all its citizens. A renewed commitment to an impartial and fair justice system will help foster a culture of trust, accountability, and respect for the rule of law, strengthening Nigeria's democracy, promote good and accountable governance as well as ensuring justice for all.

a reward for outstanding performance but also presented an opportunity for clubs to invest in player talent and infrastructure, ultimately bolstering the overall quality of Nigerian football.

There was also incentive for the players to give it their best. Recognizing individual brilliance and talent, the tournament also awarded prize money to outstanding players. The best player in each match received N250,000, and players selected in the Team of the Tournament were each rewarded with N100,000. This not only elevated the spirits of players but also promoted healthy competition and sportsmanship throughout the tournament. This combination of fan engagement, attractive prize money, and recognition of player excellence contributed to the tournament's appeal, making it a sought-after event in the Nigerian football calendar. The availability of affordable tickets (N200 for entry) and adequate security arrangements made it possible for the numbers that thronged to the matches.

The zonal play-offs held in Eket produced six formidable teams that emerged as the top voted for teams from each geopolitical zone and qualified for the Naija Super 8 finals in Lagos: Yobe Desert Stars, Katsina United, Akwa United, Enyimba International, Remo Stars, and Lobi Stars. They were joined by Shooting Lagos and Rivers United as wildcard entries. They engaged in an all-out battle for the top prize until only the finalists remained. The pinnacle of the Super 8 was reached when the two top teams, Remo Stars and Sporting Lagos, battled it out in the grand finale, culminating in a thrilling and memorable showdown. Remo Stars, armed with a highly competitive squad and bolstered by their commendable run throughout the tournament, entered the final with determination and grit. Sporting Lagos were the underdogs. A team on the rise, Sporting FC Lagos showcased tremendous potential and determination, dazzling fans with their flair and skill.

The final was a fiercely contested encounter, with both teams giving their all to secure victory. The match concluded in a 1-1 draw during regulation time, leading to a tense and electrifying penalty shootout. Ultimately, Sporting FC Lagos emerged triumphant, edging past Remo Stars with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory. The jubilant celebrations that ensued reflected the passion and commitment demonstrated by both teams, solidifying the Naija Super 8 Football Tournament's position as a premier footballing event in Nigeria.

The resounding success of the Naija Super 8 Football Tournament can be attributed to a confluence of factors that cohesively contributed to its triumph: The involvement of a reputable audit firm such as Deloitte to oversee the voting process instilled confidence in the transparency and integrity of the club selection procedure.

This impartial oversight bolstered the credibility of the tournament and fostered trust among football fans. The introduction of substantial financial rewards for both clubs and players elevated the stakes of the tournament and acted as a powerful motivator for exceptional performance.

The enticing prize money not only attracted top-tier talent but also incentivised players to display their best skills throughout the competition.

Also, recognizing the significance of fan engagement, the organisers orchestrated a captivating experience for spectators at the matches. The inclusion of live music performances, interactive activities, and fancentred initiatives created a carnival-like atmosphere, drawing larger crowds and elevating the overall matchday experience. Meticulous planning and coordination played a pivotal role in the seamless execution of the tournament. Collaborative efforts with various stakeholders, including sponsors, government authorities, and local communities, ensured that the necessary infrastructure and facilities were provided to support the event. The efficient organisation contributed to the smooth running of the tournament, further enhancing its reputation as a well-managed and professionally organised competition.

Gusau

Judges, Justices Responsible For Corruption Perception About Judiciary

Nigeria's judiciary has been plagued by allegations of corruption, leading to a pervasive lack of trust among the public, much of which is its fault. This widespread perception of corruption within the judiciary has negative implications for our democracy.

For the survival of our teetering democracy, we must immediately address the reasons behind Nigerians' distrust of the judiciary.

The specific, yet disparate, cases involving Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, spouse of former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa (retd) and Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, all demonstrating how critical the situation is and how mistrust in the judiciary can be exploited by purveyors of fake news and misinformation.

It is no longer news that corruption allegations within Nigeria's judiciary have severely eroded public trust, leading citizens to believe that justice can be influenced or purchased. This perception is highly problematic for Nigeria's democracy, as it undermines the principles of fairness, equality, and the rule of law.

When the judiciary is perceived as being partial or compromised, citizens lose faith in the democratic process, resulting in reduced civic engagement and increased disenchantment with the system.

The roots of corruption in the judiciary are multifaceted, stemming from systemic deficiencies, a lack of effective checks and balances and a prevailing culture of impunity. Lawyers have been active enablers of corruption in the bench. Political interference further exacerbates the issue, compromising the independence of the judiciary. Instances of judicial bribery, nepotism, and manipulation of court processes for personal gain fuels the perception that the judiciary can be easily compromised. In a democratic society, an impartial justice system plays a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for all citizens, irrespective of their social status. The judiciary's independence is paramount in safeguarding the rights and liberties of the people, providing an equal platform for all individuals before the law.

By remaining impartial, the judiciary can function as a check on the executive and legislative branches, ensuring accountability and adherence to the constitution. Furthermore, it offers citizens a forum to seek redress, protecting them from abuse of power and guaranteeing the upholding of the rights of the vulnerable.

An impartial and fair judiciary strengthens the social fabric of a nation and fosters trust in democratic institutions, creating an environment in which the rule of law is respected, and justice is perceived as attainable.

Nigerians' lack of trust in the judiciary can be attributed to several factors, some of which are perpetuated by judges, justices and lawyers. The judiciary's history of corruption, with past cases of judges accepting bribes and compromising their integrity, has fostered a belief that justice can be

bought. We need look no further than recent cases involving Senators Ahmad Lawan and Bulkachuwa to realise the depth of this problem. Furthermore, there is a perception that the judiciary often rules in favour of the powerful and wealthy, leading to accusations of favouritism. This

with President Bola Tinubu aimed at pressuring the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja in favour of Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC). A section of the media reported these allegations, which raised concerns about the CJN's impartiality and the integrity of the judiciary.

To counter the reports, the Supreme Court and the APC issued separate statements denying the existence of any secret phone conversation between Chief Justice Ariwoola and President Tinubu. The Director of Press at the Supreme Court, Festus Akande, clarified that there was no such telephone conversation between the CJN and anyone, emphasising that falsehood and rumour peddling would hinder the progress of Nigeria. The APC also dismissed the alleged phone conversation as mischievous and intentionally misleading.

Justice Ugo's case involves false reports claiming that he resigned from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) due to interference and pressure from the executive branch. The reports suggested that Justice Ugo feared undermining Nigeria's democracy and refused to side with the government in cases challenging the election of Tinubu.

perception is reinforced when individuals with political influence receive favourable outcomes in their legal cases.

Prolonged court processes and delays in delivering justice also contribute to public frustration and a lack of confidence in the system. The slow pace of justice can lead to a sense of impunity, where wrongdoers believe they can evade accountability over a lengthy court trial.

In addition to the above, allegations of political interference in judicial decisions further contribute to public distrust. When the judiciary is perceived to be influenced by political actors, its impartiality is called into question.

All of these are given legitimacy when instances like Bulkachuwa admitting to have influenced decisions of his wife. The perception of potential bias stemming from his marital influence has generated public distrust in the judiciary's ability to deliver a fair verdict. Although Bulkachuwa eventually denied any such influence, the incident contributed to the already widespread perception of corruption and undue influence within the judicial system.

The case involving Chief Justice Ariwoola revolves around allegations of a secret phone conversation

However, the Court of Appeal, represented by its Chief Registrar, Malam Umar Mohammed Bangari, categorically denied the accuracy of these reports. Bangari issued a statement dismissing the news as entirely false and misleading, urging the public to disregard the fake news. These cases highlight the importance of maintaining an independent judiciary and ensuring that false information and rumours do not compromise the integrity of the justice system. The judiciary must take responsibility for the mistrust it faces. Like a serial liar, even when it delivers justice, suspicions of foul play and bribery persist due to past incidents of corruption and political influence. These instances have tarnished the reputation of the entire system, making it challenging for even genuine acts of justice to be perceived as fair. The judiciary must address its internal issues, such as corruption and inefficiency, to restore public trust. Additionally, proactive efforts should be made to engage with the public and enhance transparency, demonstrating a commitment to impartiality and justice.

To restore public trust in the judiciary and strengthen Nigeria's democracy, there are recommendations that can help to begin the process of restoration. It must begin with judicial cleansing. The judiciary must conduct thorough investigations into allegations of corruption and nepotism within the judiciary with the resolution to dismiss and prosecute those found guilty to send a strong message against corruption.

Transparency and accountability must become watchwords. They must implement measures to enhance transparency in the judiciary's processes and decisions. They must also publish judgments and ensure accessible information to the public.

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When the judiciary is perceived as being partial or compromised, citizens lose faith in the democratic process, resulting in reduced civic engagement and increased disenchantment with the system