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Father's Day Special:

Driven By Fatherly Love

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2023 POLL:

Atiku, Tinubu Set For Epic Battle *Forces at Play *APC Governors Insist on VP Ticket *Battlegrounds Where Election Will Be Won And Lost

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I remember at some point while growing up, we moved to a new city, so my parents would travel –in the same car – from our new home to work in a different town every day. Interestingly, although all four of us girls are great cooks, my dad wouldn’t have anyone else make his food when they both got home from work. Somehow his taste buds could tell the difference, so my mum went every day from the car to the shower and straight to the kitchen.

That’s what their generation knows marriage to be, and Chief Pete Edochie seems to be of that school of thought.

Born Peter Edochie, he was inspired by a foreign broadcaster called Pete Myles, so he dropped the ‘R’ in his name to answer Pete. While he maintains that they too were influenced by the west, he does not believe we should adapt their culture fully. For him, we owe ourselves the responsibility to, in his words,” pick from sources and strengthen your own culture.

Then you throw away the aspect you feel doesn’t compliment or think is anachronistic”. He went on to cite an example of the ‘white man” believing a man and his wife are equals, and because we tend to emulate them, the new generation husband would ask his wife for some water when they get home, and she, in turn, would remind him that they both just walked in. In his opinion, it shouldn’t be that way.

VOL 2 NO. 25 • JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022

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IS NOW WHOLLY DIGITAL

While I’m old-fashioned, I also believe that times have changed. While some things should remain, others should undoubtedly be treated as what they truly are; passé. If you remember, there was a time it was commonplace to kill twin children, but it was the western culture that stopped that cruel practice.

VOL 2 NO. 25 • JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022

As for getting home with your partner and being asked to perform a chore? In my experience, when you love someone, you look forward to doing those things for him, even if you both just walked into the house. I also think the couple understands each other and knows exactly how they are comfortable conducting their affairs.

DADDY MAKEOVER 7 Looks for Dad to try

Happy Father's Day! Until next week, enjoy your read.

Onah Nwachukwu

The Musings of Africa’s Proverbial Dad The Musings of Africa’s

chief Pete Chief Edochie

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COVER

2023 POLL:

Atiku, Tinubu Set For Epic Battle

*Forces at Play *APC Governors Insist on VP Ticket *Battlegrounds Where Election Will Be Won And Lost

BY AMOS ESELE

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ith 17 out of 18 political parties meeting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Friday, June 17 deadline for submission of the names of presidential and vice presidential candidates, the 2023 presidential race has just begun as master tacticians, intriguers, power brokers and game changers engage in a battle of wits and test of strengths.

THE METRICS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. Of the 17 parties in the race, namely, Accord (A); Action Alliance (AA); African Action Congress (AAC); African Democratic Congress (ADC); African Democratic Party (ADP); Allied Peoples Movement (APM); All Progressives Congress (APC); All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Boot Party (BP); Labour Party (LP); National Rescue Movement (NRM); New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Social Democratic Party (SDP); Young Peoples Party (YPP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); two parties stand out.

They are the governing APC and the opposition PDP. Right now, at the National Assembly, where only eight of the 18 parties have representation, the two parties dominate.

They are APC (62 Senators; 236 Representatives); PDP (44 Senators; 128 Representatives), while the remaining six, namely APGA (5 Representatives); YPP (1 Senator); NNPP (2 Senators); SDP (1 Representatives); ZLP(1 THEWILLNIGERIA

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Representative).

Two parties have only one or two representations at the State Houses of Assembly: ZLP and ADC. The rest: A, AA, AAC, APM, APP, BP, LP and NRM have no representation anywhere. Even so, besides the two major parties, all the other 15 in the presidential race are fringe parties.

Apart from their National Assembly strength, both APC and PDP have a total of 35 state governors and Houses of Assembly on their platforms, with the APC controlling 22 governors, PDP 13 and APGA 1. More so, most of the movers and shakers of Nigerian politics, especially those that have money to burn, belong to the two major parties.

when we would form the coalition of the mega-party.” The mega parties he is banking on are among the 17 out of the 18 registered political parties that submitted their names to INEC. The other party making waves, even though regionally, is the NNPP. A former Minister of Defence, who is also a former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also defected from the PDP to the party. He is currently making some inroads with his influential Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano State and neighbouring Jigawa State.

Yet, two of the parties have reared their heads in the contest because of the personalities that have joined their platforms.

They are the LP, to which former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State defected to from the PDP and clinched its presidential ticket. Obi is currently ruling the social media space where his supporters are pushing his famed frugality and breakthrough governance record in Anambra state.

But as the maxim goes, the tough gets going when the going gets rough. It is certainly going to be very rough for the 2023 presidency, given the general awareness among the Nigerian electorate who are baying for the blood of those they perceive to have sold them short on good governance over the past years, especially with the impoverishment of over 90 million Nigerians out of a population 200 million; hyper inflation at 18 per cent; decayed infrastructure; economic meltdown with low capacity utilisation; worsening insecurity with kidnapping, terrorism now taking place at homes and worship centres, and youth unemployment.

But at the expiration of the deadline for submission of the names of presidential candidates and their running mates to INEC on Friday, things looked gloomy for the LP. Doyin Okupe, campaign manager for Obi, had to submit his name as a “stand in” candidate, according to him, as VP, “pending

But there is no gainsaying the fact that the party that has the biggest war chest, enough foot soldiers, big wigs and old loyalties will make the desired impact and carry the day.

With their reach, membership and money, the APC and PDP fit the bill.

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COVER

Atiku, Tinubu Set For Epic Battle POWER PLAY WITHIN APC, PDP Although they hold the aces to the 2023 presidential election, getting a grip of things in the prevailing public distrust against politicians over years of broken campaign promises is testing the resolve of both parties. Having scaled the public expectations on zoning of the presidency, the forces thrown up by that victory over geo-political balancing are haunting the parties.

PDP For the PDP, the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate again threw up the geopolitical question on where he would pick his VP. When Atiku picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate, supported by a committee appointed by the party’s National Working Committee, a supposedly favoured candidate and Governor of Rivers State had felt cheated. The latter had publicly protested his betrayal by his counterparts from the South-South during the presidential convention. Before Atiku, expressing his right to choose, announced Okowa as his preferred choice as VP on Thursday, because of his capacity, competence and loyalty, Wike was perceived as the popular choice.

According to a dependable party source who pleaded to remain unnamed, the Mohammed Gusau committee members actually favoured Wike, not by voting but by expression of opinions and they ended up shortlisting Wike, Okowa and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State. The same forces that chanted “stop Wike at the convention” were at work. But at the end of the day, the presidential candidate reserved the right to choose his VP and Atiku has stated his reasons for doing so.

Although many PDP officials and a former National Chairman of the party in the person of Abubakar Baraje had extolled Okowa for his loyalty to the party, his capacity chalked up as a seasoned administrator, a one-time local government chairman, ex- Secretary to Delta State Government, member of the Senate and two-term governor, there is no gainsaying the fact that the governor had quietly wormed his way to the position.

At the convention, according to THEWILL investigation, it was Okowa that worked on the delegates from Edo, Bayelsa and Delta States for Atiku. He is also said to have picked some of the bill on the side of the former Vice President. But a selling point for him is his dual status as a south southerner and Anioma national, who has identified with the Igbo in the South-East.

On the other hand, Wike‘s abrasive politics has rubbed off badly on many of his rivals and enemies. His antagonistic attitude towards Governor Godwin Obaseki before the convention is still lingering. Legal as his pursuit of the VAT war with the Federal Government was, his accompanying statements that poked fun at his northern counterparts considered as lazy had painted him in bad light in the North and affected his choice.

Yet his emergence as the aspirant with the second highest number of votes after Atiku at the PDP convention has made him a force to reckon with in the party. Considering that party delegates attended the convention from the 774 local governments in the country, it means that he controlled more than one-third of the delegates. Besides, he enjoys the support of five out of 12 governors of the party, namely Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ahmad Fintiri of Adamawa State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Ifeanyi Uguwuanyi of Enugu State.

For that the party, THEWILL learnt, is making overtures to him. “They must do some reconciliation. They have to appease him,” the party source told this newspaper.

On whether Wike may frustrate the party’s chances in Rivers State noted for giving the party one of its highest votes- 475,000 against the rival APC’s 160,000 in 2019

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Apart from their National Assembly strength, both APC and PDP have a total of 35 state governors and Houses of Assembly on their platforms, with the APC controlling 22 governors, PDP 13 and APGA 1. More so, most of the movers and shakers of Nigerian politics, especially those that have money to burn, belong to the two major parties

(roughly the same figure with Delta State) and 1.2million in 2015 as against 60,000 for APC in 2015, the source said no.

He pointed out that though Wike was known for speaking his mind against perceived injustice and calling names, no matter whose ox is gored, he thinks the governor was too much of a party man to cut deals.

“Wike is a loyalist, a staunch party defender. But like I said, he has to be given assurances that his loyalty is appreciated and defended,” he said.

Attempts to reach Wike for comments failed. His Media Adviser, Kelvin Ebiri, would not pick his call nor reply to WhatsApp messages.

APC For the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu, things are not as clear as they seem in the public. He had to send what the party called a “hold on” name as vice presidential candidate to INEC to beat the electoral umpire's Friday deadline.

The person, Ibrahim Masari, is a kinsman of Governor Ahmed Masari of Katsina State, a fall guy that would have to withdraw for a substitute candidate before the INEC window on candidate substitution closes on July 15. Masari is a Muslim.

Tinubu is said to be having a running battle with the APC Governors who swung the deal at the last minute for him to emerge presidential candidate of the party at the convention.

It has become clear to him and party members that the fairness and justice that the 13 governors trumpeted as reasons for supporting power shift to the South was a ruse to give one of them a leverage to bargain for the VP slot. The governors, who have become increasingly powerful as a bloc in either of the two major parties, brook no interference when it came to their interests. The inability of Tinubu to pick from one of them has delayed the party in choosing an authentic VP, hence the search is still on.

THEWILL gathered that another hurdle that Tinubu is facing is the Muslim-Muslim ticket that is perceived as a ticking time bomb in a country that is deeply polarised along ethnic, language and religious fault lines, particularly under the Muhammadu Buhari Administration whose penchant for nepotism increased rather than abate the problem, hence the prevailing terrorism, farmers/herdsmen conflicts, kidnapping, insecurity separatist agitations and call for selfdetermination.

The APC stakeholders are currently facing this religious demon. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigeria Christian Youths have opposed a Christian/ Christian ticket just as they have warned against a Muslim/ Muslim ticket.

Speaking on the matter for his party, Governor Nasir elRufai of Kaduna State thinks that Nigerians desirous of living in a peaceful, fair and just society should think in terms of competence, capacity and character. He flaunts his

administration of Muslim/Muslim ticket as an example. A chieftain of the party, Kabiru Faskari, supports this view.

Explaining the choice of Masari as VP, he said that Tinubu, who made the choice after consultations with President Buhari and state governors on the APC platform, knows the man, who once worked as party secretary during Adams Oshiomhole’s days at the helm of the party’s NWC, very closely.

“Tinubu knows him very well. He has worked with him and he knows he will add value to his campaign,” said Faskari.

But the question that arises from that argument is whether competence is limited to persons of one religious faith.

The choice of a Muslim/Muslim ticket was precisely why Buhari refused to choose Tinubu as his running mate in 2015, just seven years ago. Is fairness and justice served when a Christian of northern extraction is made to feel that he is not considered as fit enough to become VP to Tinubu, a Muslim from the South? Why would Tinubu who has always obeyed the religious divide in his choice of candidates for governorship candidates in Lagos State, his strong hold, now find it hard to do the same thing at the centre?

More so, the cabal that had always worked against Tinubu’s emergence are still at the barricade waiting to pounce and have their pound of flesh after their game to make the Senate President Ahmad Lawan the party’s choice failed.

ZONAL STRENGTH With both parties about to settle the crises arising from their respective conventions and choice of vice presidential candidates, their focus may soon shift to the six geo-political zones where the contest will be fought.

With 22 governors, more senators, representatives and members of state houses of assembly than the PDP, the APC could on paper be said to be as good as winning the presidency. The geo-political zone with the highest number of voters is the North-West where prominent states such as Kano, Katsina and Kaduna return millions of votes every election season. They belong to the APC. Closely following the North-West is the South-West with five out of the six states e under the control of the APC. Then comes the North-East with three states apiece between the APC and the PDP. In the North-Central, five out of six states are for the APC. The South-South with five out of six states for the PDP and the South-East comes last with two states apiece between the PDP and the APC. Anambra the fifth state is under APGA. The permutations and calculations based on this party control may not work smoothly for both parties, if they fail to deftly address the burning issue of zoning, religious choice of candidates and sufficient war chest to influence voters as happened with delegates at the conventions.

Also, this is the first time electronic transfer of results will be introduced by INEC on a national scale. Analysts state that with the above average performance of the electoral commission in previous governorship elections in Edo state in 2021, Anambra in 2022 and Ekiti on Saturday, with a pending governorship poll in July in Osun, the parties may be in for surprises in 2023, even if 45 per cent to 50 per cent success is recorded in 2023.

UNSEEN HANDS Other factors that may come into play are the regional sentiments that often seizes the imagination of Nigerians when push comes to shove. The readiness of Tinubu to bend over backwards to go for a Muslim/ Muslim ticket is said to be due to the prevailing belief among many northern Muslims that the southern Muslims are too cosmopolitan and sophisticated to be trusted with power. On that note, Atiku may have an edge over Tinubu if he were to choose a Christian as VP. Only recently, Atiku stood in as the Father of the Day at the wedding fatiha of Buhari’s son, Bashir.

To discerning political watchers, that symbolises a lot and counts among “real Muslims” even though Tinubu was invited as a VIP to the event.

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NEWS Prophet Odunu, HRH Sunny Jacob, Ubile, Others Nominated For BMNA FROM DAVID OWEI, YENAGOA he General Overseer of Saviour Deliverance and Covenant Pillar International Ministry, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Senior Prophet Saviour Salvation Odunu, aka korokoro, and other prominent personalities have been nominated for the prestigious Bayelsa Media Network Awards (BMNA).

The Project Manger of BMNA, Mr Blessing Ozegbe, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, described Prophet Odunu as a renowned cleric whose prophetic abilities, antecedents as a philanthropist, service to God and humanity is highly commendable.

The statement also described Prophet Odunu as a honest, passionate and very humble cleric who has empowered many Bayelsans financially, awarded scholarships to indigent students, sponsored skills acquisition programmes and taken care of the elderly and widows.

It noted that Prophet Odunu’s leadership qualities are unequalled among the clergy, hence his nomination for the awards.

Other prominent nominees are HRM King Josiah Biobelemoye Ogbodo VIII, Amanyanabo of Opu-Nembe Kingdom, HRH Chief Sunny Jacob, Paramount Ruler Edagberi/BetterLand Community, Ahoada West Local Government Area, Rivers State, Hon. Smart Asekutu, Executive Chairman, Warri-North LGA Delta State, Mrs. Ubile Jack, Vice Chairman, Ahoada West LGA, Rivers State.

The statement further listed other nominees for the awards as Hon. (Evang) Hope Ikiriko, Executive Chairman, Ahoada West L.G.A, Rivers State, Mr. Oniyeburutan Yebi, CEO Onis and Steel Technical Nig. Ltd., Hon. Alalibo West, Nembe L.G.A Chairman The awards will also go to Moses Teibowei, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Bayelsa State, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, Senior Political Adviser to the Delta State Governor, Hon. Godknows Angele Executive Chairman Burutu L.G.A, Delta State, Hon Ayibaina Crowther Duba Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Bayelsa State.

Others are Late (Pst) Mrs. Roseline Ofinakesini Ikiogha, Hon Doubiye Alagba, Chairman Bayelsa State Vigilante Service, Hon. Lucky Oyinkuro Asanakpo, Chairman Bayelsa State Volunteers, ASP Oguche Emmanuel, Mr. Israel Alekhue, Inebaraton Preye, Henry Ahamuefula, Aqua Douye Akpuruku, Ebizimo Jumbo, Aotendeike Boloigha, Mabel Magnimo, Lawrence Office aka Husbandman, Best Breed Academy, Bayelsa State, Shafa Filling Station, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Royal FM 95.5, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, among others.

According to Ozegbe, the event is in honour of distinguished Nigerians who are deserving of recognition in form of awards of excellence for the contributions they have made in their respective fields of human endeavour and = their immediate communities, home-state and Nigeria as a whole.

The award ceremony will take place at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Azikoro Road, Ekeki, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Monday, December 26, 2022.

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L-R: US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nunland; Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and Ambassador of US to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard at the State House, Abuja on June 16, 2022.

2023: ABAT Movement SEMA Distributes Felicitates With Tinubu Relief Materials Worth N188m To Benue IDPs

FROM SEGUN AYINDE, ABEOKUTA he Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Movement has felicitated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his emergence as the flag bearer of the party for the 2023 general elections In a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and signed by its National Chairman, Cardinal James Odunmbaku and the Ogun State Director-General, Otunba Femi Soluade, ABAT Movement said it was proud to associate with Tinubu over his victory The group stated that it believe the choice of the former governor of Lagos State as the right candidate of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) to change the fortune of the country and take it to the promise land if elected the president of the country come 2023 elections ABAT Movement said that it was delighted to have deployed all the arsenal at its disposal in Ogun State towards projecting Tinubu for the

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job, stressing that it never regretted its efforts to ensure that he emerged as the flag bearer of the APC in the forthcoming general election.

"When we resolved to make you our principal and preferred candidate for the number one job in the country, we put all the arsenal at our disposal into use to campaign for you and win the people's support for your presidential ambition, which was widely acknowledged throughout the nooks and crannies of the Gateway State.

"Of a fact, we commend your doggedness, resilience and mastery of the political terrain of Lagos State, the South- West and by extension, the entire Nigerian nation as obviously demonstrated in the just concluded APC presidential primaries, which further proclaims you as the "Generalissimo of Nigerian politics.”

The group said that if eventually declared winner of the presidential election in 2023, Tinubu would transform the Nigerian economy to the largest and most viable in Africa.

Bayelsa Families Escape Death as Telecommunication Mast Falls

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ome families in Nange-Ama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State escaped death by the whiskers, following the collapse of a telecommunication mast.

The Telecommunication Mast, which is reportedly owned by a first generation mobile telecommunication company, Airtel, fell and destroyed properties worth millions of naira, including a residential building, a six -bedroom bungalow owned by one Mrs Eva Efere, who was inside the house THEWILLNIGERIA

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alongside three others. But no life was lost in the incident.

While confirming the incident to journalists in Yenagoa, Efere expressed shock and disbelief at the incident.

"I lost touch with reality for about a minute before I regained consciousness. I thought a bomb had been detonated," she said.

Other properties destroyed include the Nange-Ama community high tension cables, a farmland and an uncompleted duplex.

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FROM KAJO MARTINS, MAKURDI

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he Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has distributed relief materials worth over N188 million to various Internally Displaced Persons camps in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Emmanuel Shior, who performed the ceremony on Friday in Makurdi, expressed disgust over the rising profile of figures owing to consistent attacks of communities by suspected herdsmen unabated.

"Benue is playing host to over two million IDPs now. The implication is that 2 million voters will be disenfranchised in the 2023 general election, if care is not taken".

The SEMA Executive Secretary, who accused the Federal Government of paying lip service to the plight of Benue IDPs, noted with sadness that insecurity remains a big challenge in the course of returning the displaced back to their ancestral homes.

"The Samuel Ortom administration will sustain the tempo and step up the supply of relief materials as herdsmen continue to attack and displace the natives. We are hoping that respite will soon come their way by the Grace of God".

According to Shior, the 6,000 bags of rice and 4,000 bags of indomie, which were distributed to designated camps at Tarka, Makurdi, Okpokwu, Gwer West and Guma Local Government reas of the state.

He listed other camps to receive the relief materials to include Abagena, Daudu in Makurdi, Ukpiam, Agasha, Ortese and Udei all in Guma local government; Agatu and Anyiin in Logo, while victims in Jako - Aka, Nyihemba and Ikyogen as well as Cameroonian refugees in Kwande will also receive relief materials.

The SEMA boss announced that Ortom had approved additional food stuff, such as maize, Millet, cassava to be bought for distribution to lDPs; noting that shelter, medical care and other incentives have been introduced to various camps for the good of inmates.

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POLITICS

INEC And Clamour For Extension of Voter Registration

BY AYO ESAN igerians’ increasing interest in the general election, which is scheduled for February 2023, has led to an upsurge in the number of potential voters who have laid siege to the various centres provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).

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The fear of not being able to obtain their voter cards has made many to request the extension of the deadline for registration.

There have also been calls for a credible general election in the interest of peace and tranquility. And it is generally agreed that one way to ensure a free and fair election is by extending voter registration so as to accommodate millions of Nigerians who are yet to register for the election.

Those who have added their voices to the call for more time for registration include the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi. Obi has reportedly called on INEC to extend the voter registration exercise across the country as the deadline for registration of new Permanent Voter Cards draws close.

Obi made the call via his Twitter handle after acknowledging that voter registration across the country, especially in the South-East, had been impeded by bureaucratic bottlenecks.

“Information reaching me indicates that voter registration across Nigeria, more so in the South-East, is dogged by inertia and bureaucratic bottlenecks. I respectfully call on INEC to facilitate the speedy registration of Nigerians to enable them to exercise their voting rights,” Obi wrote.

The Labour Party presidential candidate called on INEC to facilitate a speedy registration of voters for them to be able to exercise their constitutional rights. There is a need to get the election right from the outset since the success, failure or rigging of the poll begins with compromised voters’ registration.

Recently, thousands of Igbo traders in Alaba International Market and other markets in Lagos, who shut their businesses to register, were reportedly attacked by hoodlums and miscreants in parts of the metropolis who prevented them from getting their voters’ card.

Most of them expressed their fears as they said it looked like there is a premeditated attempt to stop them from registering.

They urged INEC to investigate the ugly incident and ensure that everyone is free to register for the election.

INEC had earlier extended the deadline for online registration for new PVCs from May 31, 2022, to June 30, 2022. However, the electoral umpire maintained the deadline for all registrations on June 30.

Noticing the complaints, INEC announced that based on the reports it received from some states about “unprecedented surge in the number of citizens that wish to register as voters and the challenges they face across the country,” it held a meeting and decided to deploy additional 209 machines to the five South-Eastern states, Lagos and Kano where the pressure is most acute. INEC’s press statement added that “in some states, the sudden turnout of prospective registrants is overwhelming.”

The electoral body in a statement signed by its Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Barrister Festus Okoye said that it would monitor the situation over the next few days and thereafter hold another meeting to review the progress of the registration exercise.

“Every step will be taken and all options will be explored to ensure that eligible Nigerians are given the opportunity to register as voters. The Commission appeals for the patience and understanding of all citizens. Every Nigerian who is 18 years of age and above has the constitutional right to register and vote in any part of the country where he or she lives without let or hindrance,” Okoye said in the statement.

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He was said to have expressed the opinion that there might be a deliberate attempt to prevent millions of potential voters in the Labour Party’s strongholds from registering in order to disenfranchise them.

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Information reaching me indicates that voter registration across Nigeria, more so, in the South-East, is dogged by inertia and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

I respectfully call on INEC to facilitate the speedy registration of Nigerians to enable them to exercise their voting rights

In order to avoid the looming danger that may arise if many people are disenfranchised, many have called on the INEC not to end the exercise on June 30 as they urged it to extend it by two to three months. They believe that an extension will afford more people the opportunity to be registered.

Some civil society organisations and groups are even exploiting the legal option to compel INEC to extend the registration deadline.

Penultimate week, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) and 185 concerned Nigerians filed a lawsuit against INEC, asking the court to “declare as unconstitutional, illegal, and incompatible with international standards the failure of the electoral body to extend the deadline for voter registration to allow eligible Nigerians to exercise their rights.”

SERAP asked the court to compel INEC to extend the deadline by three months.

In the suit FHC/L/CS/1034/2022 filed penultimate Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP demanded that the INEC decision be declared a violation of eligible Nigerians’ rights to participate in their own government.

The suit is asking the court for an order to compel INEC to extend voter registration by a minimum of three months.

In the suit SERAP and the concerned Nigerians said: “The extension of voter registration would ensure that Nigerian voters are treated equally and fairly. The future of Nigeria’s democracy depends on it”.

The applicants insist voters are critical stakeholders in the electoral process and that treating all eligible Nigerians fairly would advance the people’s right to vote.

“INEC must not only be independent and impartial in the exercise of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities but must also be seen to be independent and impartial”, they said.

SERAP and others also want an order restraining INEC, its agents, privies and others from discontinuing the continuous voters’ registration pending the hearing and determination of this suit.

Those who share the view of SERAP believe INEC will not lose anything by extending the deadline arguing that despite INEC’s repeated fervent insistence that it would not extend the deadline for the conduct of primaries by political parties, it eventually did that, adding six more days to the deadline when the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had already started gathering for its presidential primaries.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room), a coalition of Civil Society Organisations had also added its voice to the call for INEC to extend the continuous voter registration exercise.

It said: “While we note that some registrants wait for the last minute to meet deadlines for registration, it is also worthy to note that there have been several complaints of inadequate manpower and equipment in INEC offices, thus making it difficult to have a seamless registration process,” its statement said. “This has led to delays and restiveness of citizens waiting to register in long queues”.

The body further said that it was concerned that many Nigerians would be discouraged and disenfranchised if the exer•Continues on page 13

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POLITICS that will give people the impression that it's working for and with any political party.

Farounbi

What is your take on the proposed Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC? Once again, just like the maintenance of a balance between the North and South is an unwritten rule, maintaining a balance between Muslims and Christians in the distribution of political power is an unwritten rule. Because of the peculiar sensitivity of religion in Nigeria, it has been accepted that a politically correct ticket will either be Muslim/Christian or Christian/Muslim. It will be considered insensitive and incorrect to have a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian ticket.

It is worse, given the recent exacerbation of ISWAP, ISGS, and BOKO HARAM activities that had awakened the sensitivity and fears of Christians in the country. Everything must be done to give all Nigerians a sense of belonging. Everything must be done to address the genuine fears of the people.. Everything must be done to wipe off the tears of the people. In the present circumstance, I will not suggest a Muslim/ Muslim ticket.

2023: Nigerians Should Put INEC on Surveillance – Farounbi Chief Yemi Farounbi is a former Nigerian ambassador to the Republic of Philippines.

In this interview with AYO ESAN, he speaks on the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator Bola Tinubu as presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), respectively and other issues. Excerpts:

A

re you impressed with the choice of presidential candidates for political parties contesting in the 2023 general election, especially the PDP and APC? At the PDP National Convention held in Abuja, about 800 delegates chose Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate, while 2,200 delegates who attended the APC Special Convention voted Bola Tinubu as the standard bearer of the party. So with votes from less than 3,000 delegates, the two major political parties are presenting two candidates on behalf of 205 million people. What kind of democracy is that?

One would have expected the direct primaries where the vulgar purchase of delegates would have been impossible. Secondly there is an unwritten understanding in Nigeria, since the tragic annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, that power will rotate from North to South and vice versa, in order to guarantee equal access to power to all Nigerians. The PDP chose to deliberately violate this unwritten rule. It chose to violate a fundamental principle underlying its formation in 1998. How can a party that cannot be trusted to respect its own laws, which will violate a national understanding, be trusted with power? In summary, it cannot be said that the two parties threw up their best, given the vulgar monetisation of the process. It is to the credit of the APC that it respected the rotation arrangement and understanding.

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The extension of the deadline for party primaries by INEC, a day before the PDP convention, made many people to believe that INEC succumbed to pressure from the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari. With this, do you think INEC can be trusted to conduct a free and fair general election in 2023?

Although the timing of the announcement of the shift of deadline for primaries gave some people reasons to begin to doubt the independence and impartiality of INEC, one action is not enough to allow one make a categorical declaration on the competence and independence of the Commission.

Many people believe the solution to Nigeria's security problem is decentralisation of the police system. Do you agree?

I believe that a country with an area of one million square kilometers, 205 million people to, 36 states, 774 LGAs and over 250 ethnic nations is too large and complex to have a centralised and monolithic police formation. What we need is not just a decentralisation of the police system, but also the creation of a truly federal police structure. Under this, there will be the Nigeria Police all over Nigeria to enforce federal laws. There will be State Police to enforce state laws. There will be Local Government Police to enforce local government laws. Under this truly federal police architecture, policing the nation will be easier. Police officers and men at the state and local government levels will be indigenous to the states or LGAs. They will understand the language and culture of the people. They will know and understand the terrain they are policing.

The 2023 general election is fast approaching. What is your advice to political parties and their candidates?

My advice to the political parties and their candidates is that they must explain their vision and mission to the electorate.

Let the electorate fully understand your agenda for moving the nation forward. Explain to the electorate and the people your competence, ability; experience and expertise for doing the job; explain what makes you different from the crowd of contestants.

Let the electorate have a true profile of your character from point of view, ability to form and lead a team, integrity, reliability, godliness, self discipline, selflessness and humility.

INEC postponed the presidential election in 2015, and still performed creditably. We should not give up on the electoral body, but put it under surveillance

The electorate must make an informed choice, not on the basis of money, language, religion but on the basis of quality of vision, competency and character.

What is your advice to INEC as we move towards 2023?

My advice to INEC is that it must prove that it is an independent and unbiased and impartial electoral umpire through its actions. It must avoid inconsistency and policy somersaults

What is your reaction to the recent killing at a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State?

The Catholic Church killing is tragic and sad. It is an evidence that the Federal Government has lost both the ability and the will to guarantee the security of lives and property of Nigerians. The Federal Government admitted that the massacre was carried out by Islamic State of West Africa Province.

The ISWAP does not recognise the existence of Nigeria nor its sovereignty. I think ISWAP is a dangerous threat to Nigeria because it doesn't respect its authority and its democracy.

ISWAP represents a violent method of Islamisation. And the Owo tragedy, among many others, suggests that Nigeria is a country waiting to be swept away by the Islamisation gale.

“

Although the timing of the announcement of the shift of deadline for primaries gave some people reasons to begin to doubt the independence and impartiality of INEC, one action is not enough to allow one make a categorical declaration on the competence and independence of the Commission

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This is tragic because ISWAP is more dangerous and poisonous plants than IPOB and Oduduwa Republic threats. Unfortunately one doesn't see the same level of aggressive actions and containment with which the Federal Government deals the apostles of secession in its handling of ISWAP all over Nigeria. It is for that reason that its acts of commission and omission that some people begin to see the government as a collaborator aiding and abeting insurgents, such as ISWAP, ISGS, Boko Haram or whatever names the terrorists are called.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

2014 Constitutional Conference’s Report Is Solution To Nigeria’s Problem – George Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Chief Olabode George, speaks on the 1999 Constitution and its impact on national development, Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy and Peter Obi’s exit from PDP, among other issues, in this interview with AYO ESAN. Excerpts:

We need to bring governance closer to the people so that they can make the necessary impact to improve the standard of living. This will bring competition and regional cooperation.

The idea of all resources going to Abuja for redistribution is not helping us.

We need to allow everybody to develop at his own pace. There is no part of this that God has not endowed with one natural resource or the other. If you mismanage those resources, your people will challenge you. Each state will have to contribute a certain percentage to maintain the structure at the centre.

What then is the solution to the insecurity ravaging the nation?

The staff strength of the Nigeria Police Force is inadequate to meet the country's security challenges. We need community and state police. As developed as it is, the United States of America has local government police, state police, Federal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). That is what we need in Nigeria. It will also create jobs.

If you take a look at the state of local government areas in Nigeria, you will find that the majority of the chairmen cannot even define the function of a local government. If the government is so close to the people at the grassroots, there will be fewer problems at the national level.

The first responsibility of any government at any level is the security of lives and properties. Who is safe now in Nigeria, irrespective of status?

Nigerian politics is riddled with tribal and religious sentiments. Aren’t you worried about this?

I have never seen this nation as bad as what we are witnessing today. We are now facing a lack of cohesion, religious and tribal intolerance. In 1914, the British colonialists united us for the purpose of economic interest. Having existed for over 100 years, I believe we should be at par with the so-called developed countries by now.

When I look at what is happening in my own part of the world, I feel sad. My immediate older sister was born in Christian home, but she married a Muslim she met in school. She was converted to Islam and attended Koranic School. Today she is addressed as an Alhaja.We live together in harmony. She invites me to events hosted at the mosque where she worships

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and I attend. I also have a younger brother who is a Reverend Pastor. His wife was a Muslim and today she is a pastor.

Nigeria is a secular state for God’s sake. How can we have degenerated to the level where the house of God will be desecrated. There is a great implication for that on Nigeria as a country.

What is your advice to the youth as we get set for another general election?

We are heading back into another serious election. The youth must not sit back now. They must get involved because that is the only opportunity they have to make an impact on their future. Who did they want to lead them? All these people parading themselves as presidential candidates must tell us their agendas for this country. We must hear it from their mouth and not from the third party. We want to hear them, we want to see and know who they are. This is not the time for those who are concerned about our nation to be quiet. I don’t want to talk as a politician, but as a Nigerian. I got a bit disturbed when I saw the kind of candidates that some political parties have chosen. It gives me a heavy heart. Is that the best this nation can produce?

The campaigns will begin soon. We want the candidates to come and tell us their views on some of the challenges facing the nation.

I pity the youths of nowadays. I remember that about 52 years ago when I graduated from the University of Lagos, there were eight students in my department, Electrical Engineering.

Most of us got jobs before we wrote our final examination.

Can you dream of that now?

Do you think that INEC will conduct a credible election in 2023?

While I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the new electoral law, which ends the era of physical movement of election results and gives no room for changing of figures from point A to point B. I am throwing a bold challenge to the Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu Mahmood. I know him personally, we have worked together before. Although he is trustworthy and god-fearing, I need to remind him that he is concluding the apex of his career as Chairman of INEC. He has built a good career; he should let the concluding part be in gold.

He must be honest as he used to be. He was the treasurer of the National Conference of 2014 and he performed well. I am challenging him to help this nation. I watched the French election held recently, it started exactly at 7am in the morning and by 7pm voting closed. By 7:15pm the lady that lost the election congratulated the other party and I was impressed.

Didn’t we have the competence to do that in this country?

Some people believe that the Atiku Abubakar candidacy will not produce positive results. Citing the poor handling

George

W

hat is the way forward for Nigeria?

We need to change the system of governance. Nothing has been working in Nigeria since 1999. The Constitution we are running is a fake one. It is only good for a military government and not for a democratic country.

It places too much power at the centre. It is not working. We need to revisit the constitutional conference of 2014 because it is the only solution to our present challenges in the country.

of privatisation of government businesses under his supervision, they think he is coming back to finish what is left of the collective patrimony. What is your reaction to this? What are the chances of your party regaining power with Atiku as the presidential candidate?

Do you think that if the government businesses were not privatised, they would still be functioning? Look at them as private organisations and government business and compare them to the way they are being run. Government is the worst manager of business anywhere in the world. Governance, the radar at which people move, does not give you that continuity you want in government business. Someone will just be a director there and muddle up things. Every four years they change the directors, but where are the account book and balance sheet? How many government- owned businesses were presenting their balance sheets?

Before the privatisation took place, the government allocated money to them. What happened to Nigeria Airways? You will recall there was a time they were taking the aircrafts from Nigeria to Dubai to Saudi Arabia, they claimed they went THEWILLNIGERIA

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW You see, politics is an experience, unless you are into it, you can’t master it . Genuinely and honestly, people will annoy you, they will insult you intentionally, but your inner self, the God you serve will be with you. I had my own low time, I was sent to prison for doing absolutely nothing.

But the conspirators, I called them convoluted conspirators, thought that they had silenced me forever. They forgot the kind of family I come from. My grandfather, Herbert Macaulay, was in and out of prison many times under the colonial régime.

When my mummy was told it was a conspiracy, she urged me to fire on.

No matter what, God did not tell you the highway of life will always be free. Sometimes it gets quite tough. If you still believe and trust in your God at the moment of trial you will come out.

I was very disappointed when I was told that Obi left the PDP. I was really disturbed because a rolling stone gathers no moisture. He started with the PDP. Then he said somebody had annoyed him he left the PDP for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). When the same people angered him in Anambra State, he came back to the PDP. With my experience in life, one has to stay there and fight it out. If I had thought that way, I wouldn't even be here. I would be ashamed of myself and hide myself somewhere. Whatever the chairman of the convoluted conspiracy has in mind does not bother me. Whatever God has destined me to be, I will be.

What he does not destined me to be I will not be. As a man, Obi should have stayed and faced the challenge. *Continued from Page10

... Clamour For Extension of Voter Registration cise was not made seamless and the deadline extended.

It added that INEC is yet to cover many of the rural communities in this process, thereby excluding citizens who may be far away from the INEC offices which are usually located within the local government area headquarters.

Following clamour for extension of the deadline due to upsurge in the number of potential registrants and the attendant logistics hitches, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said extension might be considered.

Several reports claimed the deadline had been extended prompting celebration in some quarters.

But when asked if it was true that the deadline has been extended to August 31, 2022, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi said: “No. It is not true. The deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is still 30th June. The online pre -registration service closed since 30th May. on C-checks. Where is the report on the C-checks? What happened to our electricity? It is the production of power that limits the distribution and they said the power sector was sold to wealthy people, but it is the production that prevents their distribution. The Federal government is supposed to produce power, but if it does not produce, what will it distribute?

form for N100 million and took the time to campaign and run around, on the day of their primary, in two minutes they were dropped off like rotten apples. But whatever we do today, the honour or dishonour remains with us. I watched Pastor Tunde Bakare, he said he watched some of his friends stepping down, but he would not step down, but he would step up.

When these companies were sold, people bought them. The moment another government came on board, it was supposed to investigate how the companies were sold and who got what? The government is almost eight years-old now, what has happened? Because now that they have been privatised, the companies are managed as public trust and every four years they are expected give account.

For our party, like I told you for every question they asked Bola Tinubu, every Nigerian has that right to ask our own candidate too, because he has offered himself. We have looked at his credential and supported it. Nigerians know what is good for themselves. They should choose between the two.

The chances of our party in all the elections are bright, nobody imposed any candidate. The candidates emerged on their merit and we don't carry that much money. In politics you need money, but it is mind boggling when you hear the amount the APC sold their presidential nomination form.

When I saw some of my younger friends who picked up the THEWILLNIGERIA

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Peter Obi regards you as a father. Why did he leave the PDP for another political party? What happened? Won't his exit impact negatively on your party?

When I heard he had left the party, I was shell shocked. He is a man that I have so much respect and regard for, in terms of his quality and his human feeling. I tried to call him on the phone, but I could not reach him. I have read some of his comments on why he left in the newspapers.

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“What the Commission has done to respond to the surge in numbers of those who want to register is to deploy more INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs) to areas where the pressure is highest. “These areas are all the states in the South-East region, Kano, Lagos and the FCT.” Speaking with THEWILL, a member of the Campaign for Democracy, Mr. Sola Olawale noted that what the people are demanding is their right. “People should not be denied their right to vote and so the should be allowed to register and get their voter cards. It is their right and INEC has no choice but to extend the deadline to enable every eligible voter to get their names registered,” he said.

Also speaking, a public affairs commentator based in Abuja, Duro Ajayi said INEC should continue to register voters and there should be no closing date.

“There should be no closing date for registration. Everyday many people reach the voting age and they should not be delayed to enjoy their fundamental rights. I think INEC should devise a way for continuous registration of voters.

Let there be no closing time and no deadline,” Ajayi said.

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EDITORIAL

Exclusion of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kaduna Public Schools' Students From WASSCE

T

he 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which started on May 25, comes to an end this week. By June 23, a total of 1,607,985 candidates from 20,221 private and public schools across the country who registered for the examination would have written their last papers.

According to the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the regional examination body, 800,055 students representing 49.76 per cent of the participating students are males, while 800,724 students, representing 50.24 per cent are females and about 30,000 “practising senior teachers, nominated by various ministries of education,'' are participating in the May/June diet of the examination as supervisors.

However, it is sad to note that SS3 students in public secondary schools in three Northern states - Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna - are missing out on this examination for the second year running These three states in the North-West geo-political zone are also among educationallydisadvantaged states in the country with large numbers of out-of-school children.

Students of public secondary schools in Sokoto State were not registered for the examination due to the inability of the state government to provide WAEC with the mandatory Continuous Assessment Score (CASS) of the students. The state government, instead, chose to register its students for the National Education Council (NECO) examination and the National Business and Technical Education Board (NABTEB) examination which are not globally competitive.

In Kaduna State, some 701 students of five government-owned schools and four private secondary schools, who had paid a whopping N12.61 million

as registration fees, were also shut out of the examination for the inability of their schools to upload the CASS of the students as at the April 1 deadline given by WAEC. The case of Zamfara State is very pathetic. The state is said to be owing WAEC several years’ outstanding arrears incurred by previous administrations and this has continued to shut public schools' students in the state out of the WAEC examinations. Yet, the state governor, Bello Matawalle, seems not to be bothered as he is more concerned with settling traditional rulers in the state.

While the reasons given by each of the three states differ, the common denominator is the nonchalance of their governments to public education.

governor splashed over N11 billion on a car bazaar for its monarchs and paid huge sums of money to pacify terrorists and local bandits, has only one university - the Zamfara State University, established two years ago. Sadly, the state university currently operates from a primary school with only four permanent staff.

Infrastructure development in the state is also at a zero level, except the cosmetic facelifts in Gusau, the state capital.

In Sokoto State, Governor Aminu Tambuwal would rather choose to spend N40 million on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms and other huge sums

THEWILL condemns this attitude as we call for a total commitment to the education of the youth in these three states, in view of the devastating impact of the activities of terrorists and bandits in North-West Nigeria.

We recall that earlier in April, the Zamfara governor, Matawalle, rather than clear some of the outstanding debts to WAEC in order to guarantee the future of the teeming youths in the state, chose to buy over 200 luxury cars for traditional rulers in an apparent show of affluence.

The governor gave out Cadillac 2019 Model cars to 17 Emirs, 13 Senior District Heads and 230 District Heads across the State. As if that was not enough, he also extended the bazaar to clerics and marabouts as he sponsored 97 of them to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj to pray for security in the state.

We consider these actions of the governor as misplaced priorities. It is sad and unfortunate that despite the resources at its disposal, when compared to other neighbouring states in the North-West, Zamfara, whose

The case of Zamfara State is very pathetic. The state is said to be owing WAEC several years’ outstanding arrears incurred by previous administrations and this has continued to shut public schools' students in the state out of the WAEC examinations

of money in the pursuit of his ill-fated presidential ambition than to use the funds to secure the future of public schools' students in his state.

We find the reasons given by the state government quite inexcusable.

Mohammed Bello, spokesperson for Governor Tambuwal, would rather blame WAEC for the exclusion of the students from the state.

“Instead of supplying the state government with the required financial propriety code in compliance with the state’s fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability programme, which stipulates correctness in all financial dealings, WAEC chose to ask for an advance payment of 40 per cent on the 30,000 candidates proposed for sponsorship by the government last year,” Bello had alleged.

WAEC on its part dismissed Bello's claim, saying, “at no time did the council ask for upfront payment,"' adding, "The state government asked for 100 per cent credit facility, and we refused it.”

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has also done more harm than good to public education in his state through his unpopular policies. Yet, the same el-Rufai is now positioning himself for national leadership despite his failure at home. Private education is not in any way spared either and schools in the state have been shut for several months because of the activities of terrorists and local bandits, who have been subjecting schools in the state to serial attacks and abductions for ransom.

While we call on the leaderships in the three states to do the needful and cooperate with WAEC for the sake of the students, we commend WAEC’s resolve to continue to dialogue with all stakeholders in the states concerned in order to settle all outstanding differences in a bid to deliver quality examination to Nigerian students.

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Austyn Ogannah Editor – Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor – Amos Esele Politics Editor – Ayo Esan Business Editor – Sam Diala Copy Editor – Chux Ohai Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor – Peace Udugba Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @ THEWILLNG, +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888.

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

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OPI N ION

Place of Developmental Infrastructure in Democratic Nigeria

BY TIMI OLUBIYI

D

emocracy Day is observed throughout Nigeria to commemorate the restoration of democracy in the country in 1999. It has become an annual event since. True democracy, on the other hand, comes when the environment encompasses safety, ample economic benefits, free, fair and trustworthy voting system, as well as the absence of poverty and unemployment in the country.

Electronic governance is one of the methods that may be used to achieve full and true democracy. The World Bank defines electronic governance as "the government's use of information technologies (including Wide Area Networks, the internet, software applications, cloud infrastructure, and mobile computing) to transform relations, safety and communication with citizens, businesses and other government agencies."

E-governance may improve public access to government services, information, dependable security, adequate oversight roles, accountability and regulations. The scope of e-governance may include simple citizen identification, e-registrations, e-voting, e-courts, e-policing, e-licensing, e-taxation, e-mobilisation, e-education, e-service delivery, e-feedback, intelligence collection and the analysis of public financial records.

Passionately, governments around the world are taking steps to incorporate technology into all governmental processes, which is a seamless service option and a way to achieve a meaningful data-driven decision-making system at a low cost and with less human interactions, which ordinarily aids corruption and bribery.

What is the significance of e-governance? For example, the government cannot fully provide social infrastructure unless it knows the exact population of the country. It cannot adequately provide educational infrastructure until it has data on children. More so, the number of automobiles, road users, unemployed youngsters, and even the country's unbanked and illiterate rates must be known for adequate and meaningful planning purposes.

Citizen data, in my view, is a development infrastructure and a real asset that the government may employ to improve the economic well-being of the people. Because it could tell us a lot about how people act, what they do, and how that affects society as a whole. It is long past time for all levels of

government to think about how to use technology through e-governance in running the country.

Nigeria has the fastest growing information and communication technology market in Africa, no doubt, particularly in financial technology (FinTech), according to reliable records. However, the country still ranks low in terms of providing e-governance services to its citizens. So, it is only necessary for the Federal Government to adopt digital innovation and fall in line, like other countries where technology greatly supports governance via e-governance.

Many countries and government agencies around the world rely more on electronic methods and technology to keep records, provide services and communicate with their citizens. Nigeria should not be an exception, especially because of the constant security issues.

Nigeria has a large population, which is projected to be 400 million by 2050. It is clear that digital application in national planning is critical and unavoidable for the country to achieve the needed growth and stability. Current infrastructures are more likely to be overstressed in the absence of a reliable data-driven decision-making system and adequate scientific projections. So, e-governance and the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in government operations are needed to make government services more available to the public.

Therefore, if e-governance is fully implemented, it can help in the areas of security, defence, judiciary, economic monitoring, social and national planning as it relates to demographics, electioneering, even tax administration. Furthermore, if implemented, data such as offenders, criminals and violators' lists may simply be shared and made available where necessary. This will aid in not having people with dubious characteristics or criminals in areas they should not be.

It is important to stress that no meaningful government can improve the lives and livelihoods of its citizens without reliable citizen data and a national database portal. As it stands, a large number of Nigerians are still without government-regulated identification and this is a huge risk to national development, security, and planning. In rural locations and some areas, people are generally born, they grow, reach maturity, retire, age, and die without the government knowing or being aware of their existence. This should not be the case; birth data is crucial and should serve as the foundation for other types of

registrations and records in the country. As things stand, we may have all kinds of foreigners pretending and claiming to be Nigerians.

Therefore, it is a clear and indisputable fact that to be able to govern with any degree of meaningful impact, the government needs to be able to know and be able to identify not only its citizens but all other people living within its borders. It appears that national identification number registration alone cannot adequately achieve this without formally having a national census and resident survey. The government should think about e-governance policies, especially the e-citizen portal, which will make it easy for people and businesses to use all government services in the country.

Thus, it is beyond doubt that the implementation of e-governance and a national database portal is imperative and crucial for national development. More so, e-governance can smoothen the working procedures of the government and also reduce crime and insecurity in the country, due to the availability of intelligence and information for the government to use from time to time. If well managed, it will be extremely useful in administrative, legislative, and judicial agencies (including both federal and local governments). Besides, when implemented, e-governance will help in developmental policies to fix or alleviate social issues, help with inequality, social intervention improvement and determine the rate of unemployment in the country meaningfully, among others.

In summary, the e-governance system is long overdue in Nigerian ministries, police force, prisons, courts, ports, and many other places. Thus, if widely implemented, it will reduce the perennially suffocating administrative costs and regulatory burdens on citizens and businesses. It will also promote good governance by increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the public sector, which will encourage more public-private partnerships, foreign direct investments (FDI's), and an open government ecosystem. Citizens' attitudes toward government will invariably change as a result of increased trust and public value. Although e-government requires significant initial investment in hardware, software, and expertise, it yields significant long-term benefits when compared to bureaucratic ones.

•Dr Olubiyi, an entrepreneurship and business management expert, can be reached via drtimiolubiyi@ gmail.com

Delta State Deputy Governorship And Christopher Ochor’s Competence

BY JEROME-MARIO UTOMI

I

t is no longer news that the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

It is equally relevant to the present discourse to underline that Oborevwori, who is also the National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, displayed uncommon resilience to clinch the ticket and presently celebrates his landslide victory with a call on Deltans, to ensure they all have their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the 2023 general elections.

Expectedly, his victory has elicited reactions from stakeholders and the general public. The boundaries between both spheres/ reactions have shifted back and forth for some days.

While some hailed his emergence, others are particularly not against, but are of the view that looking at the working relationship between Chief Sheriff Oborevwori and Deputy Speaker, Rt Honourable Chritopher Ochor Ochor, both should be encouraged and allowed to run on a joint ticket as Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively.

Aside from the time-honoured belief that one needs not change a winning team, the present argument is predicated on the seamless and mutual relationship evidently demonstrated in the last three years and enjoyed by the duo working as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Instead of allowing this relationship by these public office holders turned brothers go with the political winds, the Oborevwori/Ochor joint ticket should be encouraged and gainfully harnessed for the greater gain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state and for the greater good of Deltans, they concluded.

Indeed, the above argument may not be wrong, considering the fact that the healthy relationship between Oborevwori and Ochor , which many see as a major factor responsible for the sustainable peace the state House of Assembly and its THEWILLNIGERIA

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members presently enjoys, sets the stage for a rancour-free relationship between the State Executive and Legislatures.

At about the same time, many have wondered if Ochor truly possesses the capacity needed to occupy and function at the level of Deputy Governor. Does he really understand the meaning and requirement of being a deputy governor of a complex state like Delta or aware that it requires intensive efforts to keep the people of the state together? Is he ready to mix and interact with people of different types and classes in the state to benefit from their experience?

Does the Honorable Ochor have the right temperament, positive mindset, flexible attitude and enterprise spirit to work hard with concentration on the business of governance? Is he aware that as a state deputy governor, he needs to have detailed knowledge and sound experience before assuming such a sensitive position? Is he ready to gain adequate knowledge and experience with patience before May 29, 2023? Is he capped with patience, humility, tolerance and responsiveness to undergo this important phase of learning and experience? Is he cost and labour conscious? Is he aware that he is required to understand and follow public leadership rules, regulations and other restrictions and then conduct the business of governance each time his Principal is not around?

Without doubt, these are not just important questions but objective concerns.

However, while this piece is too short a space to establish whether Ochor understands or recognises the fact that it takes prolonged efforts to govern the people well, it is spaced enough to underline fundamental factors that may not only work in favour of Ochor if chosen, but, more than anything else, make him the best man for the job.

Aside from the awareness that Rt. Hon Christopher Ochor Ochor, who is currently a lawmaker representing Ukwuani Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, will never be a liability to the next governor or the state, as he is a certified teacher and graduate of Agriculture from Delta State

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University with varying experiences in public service, there are reasons why he should be considered the best man for the job.

First is his experience, which stands him out and sets him miles apart from the bunch of politicians angling for the position. Evidence abounds that at the early years of the 4th Republic, he occupied various positions amongst which were Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Matters and Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Matters.

As a member of the Delta State House of Assembly between 2007-2008, he sponsored a Bill targeted at the protection of Public Properties, while at same time attracting government attention to his constituency, especially in the areas of public health and road construction.

As a Commissioner for Special Duties, between 2008 and 2010, Ochor’s performance was not only remarkable but outstandingly glaring.

Equity and fairness consideration are the second very essential reasons as to why Ochor must be considered for the position. There is no doubt that Ndokwa people, going by available records, have been active in socio-economic and political affairs of the state since the days of the old Western and Mid-Western regions. In view of this spiraling fact, equity and justice should be the defining approach to the present political season/electioneering period.

If the above argument is considered and given favorable consideration, Honorable Ochor, without fear of contradiction, remains one of the most visible and relevant politicians in Delta with impeccable experience and records to benefit from such arrangement.

•Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos •Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

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JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

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

TIMI ALAIBE @ 60:

Businessman, politician and socialite, Timi Alaibe on June 10, 2022, hosted family, political Lagos, to mark his 60th birthday. Here are some photographs from the event.

L-R: The celebrant and a former MD, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri.

L-R: Founder, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Atedo Peterside, former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (back row; L-R), Timi Alaibe and Chairman, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (L) and former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye.

L-R: Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director, SPDC, Timi Alaibe, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investments, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Senami Ibori.

Sir Olu Okeowo and wife, Adejoke.

Tunde Folawiyo, Donald Duke and Mohammed Sanusi Daggash.

High Chief Dr. Ben Obi and Senator Mike Ajegbo on the dance floor with Timi Alaibe (m) and family.

Timi Alaibe and Managing Director, Heritage Bank, Ifiesimama Sekibo dance to songs by singer Kizz Daniel.

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK

associates and friends to a lavish reception at the Harbour Point Marquee in Victoria Island,

NBA Chairman, Olumide Akpata (l) with NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, Julie Pinnick and a Guest.

Ono Bello and April Abanulo

L-R: Businessman and APC Governorship Candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Akanimo Udofia and Publisher of Daily Times Newspaper, Fidelis Anosike.

Publisher, THEWILL Newspaper, Austyn Ogannah and Timi Alaibe.

Businessman, Dere Otubu (r) and THEWILL Newspaper Publisher, Austyn Ogannah.

Guests at the event.

R-L: Mr Henry Ogbolue and guests.

L-R: Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Timi Alaibe and Kasim Ibrahim-Imam.

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JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

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www.t hew illni g eri a. c om VOL .2 N O.2 5

Emefiele

JUN E 19 - JUN E 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R

Non-Oil Export Earnings: Emefiele, Bank Chiefs, Others Chart Ways For Game-Changer

BY SAM DIALA

Concerns Over $13.6b Deals as FAAN Halts Licences to FTZ at Airports

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR ith the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s decision to suspend the issuance of licences to applicants on the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) at the nation’s airports, industry analysts are worried that more than $13.6

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billion attracted into various Free Trade Zones as of April 2021, may be altered.

FAAN had suspended the issuance of licences at the airports until the conflicts in the regulatory framework Continues on page 19

for non-oil exports that will enable the country to attain its lofty yet attainable goal of US$200 billion in FX repatriation, exclusively from non-oil exports, over the next 3-5 years”.

To ensure effective implementation through target deliverables, the RT200 FX initiative is anchored to five pillars: Value-Adding Exports Facility, Non-Oil Commodities Expansion Facility, NonOil FX Rebate Scheme, Dedicated Non-Oil Export Terminal and Biannual Non-Oil Export Summit. Each of these anchors represents a channel of implementation that tackles every applicable aspect with measurable indices.

The one-day event which attracted participants from the financial services industry, manufacturers, exporters, shipping firms, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders, was the fifth of the pillars on which the programme is anchored: “Biannual Non-Oil Export Summit”.

In his address, Emefiele explained that the RT200 FX programme was borne out of the realisation that most of our current sources of foreign exchange inflows were unreliable, and perennially prone to exogenous vicissitudes of global economic developments.

“In order to avoid these sudden adjustments to our economic life, we needed to focus on strategies that can help us earn more stable and sustainable inflows of foreign exchange. We would need to follow the best practices of other countries and ensure that we protect ourselves a little bit from factors that are beyond our immediate control,” Emefiele said.

MORE INSIDE UBA Rated ‘Buy’ on Higher Earnings Expectation

Continues on page 19

First Bank’s Q1 2022 Report Signposts Impressive H1 Performance

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Robust International Commodities Registers Maiden N20bn Commercial Paper PAGE 21

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eading bank chiefs, industrialists, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, has kickstarted moves toward the actualisation of the historic RT 200 FX Programme aimed at boosting non-oil foreign exchange earnings.

At the well-attended ‘RT200 Non-oil Export Summit 2022’ held in Lagos on Thursday, June 16, 2022, with the theme, ‘Setting the Roadmap Toward Achieving RT200 and Non-Oil Exports for Development’, Emefiele drew attention to the perennial forex challenge that has plagued the economy, which gave rise to the RT200 scheme, as a way out.

He emphasised that the gathering was a problem-solving one and ensured that every identified complaint, challenge or obstacle must have a practicable solution.

He left no one in doubt about the passion to make the RT200 dream a reality in an event that he sat from the beginning to the end and made contributions at the end of every segment.

Speakers, panelists and moderators towed the same path of identifying roadblocks to effective implementation of the NonOil Forex Earnings initiative launched four months earlier, to the delight of participants.

The “RT200 FX Programme”, which stands for the “Race to US$200 billion in FX Repatriation,” is aimed at getting $200 billion in non-oil Foreign Exchange (FX) repatriation over the next 3-5 years, based on stipulated guidelines. While unveiling the programme on February 10, 2022, Emefiele explained that “The RT200 FX Programme is a set of policies, plans and programmes

he significant cut in First Bank’s impairment charges, which translates into a clean loan book in its first quarter Q1 2022 results, signals healthy recovery. It also points to an impressive H1 2022 performance after it successfully brought down its nonperforming loan to 6.1 per cent in its FY 2021 performance.

An analysis of the bank’s performance gleaned Continues on page 20 THEWILLNIGERIA

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JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

E-COMMERCE/BANKING Emefiele, Bank Chiefs, Others Chart Ways For Game-Changer

Continued from page 18

Continued from page 18

Yadudu

Concerns Over $13.6b Deals as FAAN Halts Licences to FTZ at Airports

between it and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) are resolved.

This is just as stakeholders in the free trade zones in Nigeria have lamented that inconsistent government policies and lack of infrastructure led to the death of the Tinapa Resort in Cross River State.

Speaking on Thursday at the ongoing maiden edition of the FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC) themed: 'Advancing the Frontiers of Possibilities for Safe, Secure and Profitable Air Transport,' participants equally decried the sorry state of Tinapa, which they said would have boosted the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) into the country if the Cross River State Government had been consistent with its policies on the resort.

The General Manager, Vicven Integrated

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FAAN had with immediate effect suspended the issuance of licenses to applicants on the Free Trade Zones (FTZ) at the nation’s airports until the conflicts in the regulatory framework between it and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) are resolved THEWILLNIGERIA

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Services and one of the panelists, Mr Obinna Emeazo, who spoke on the topic: ‘Special Economic Zones at the Airports and Trade Facilitation: Growing Revenue and the National GDP,’ s said there was a need for policy harmonisation by government agencies in order to ensure smooth growth.

Emeazo lamented the massive rot in Tinapa, which he attributed to government policy somersaults and lack of infrastructure.

According to him, Tinapa was designed to flourish with the approval of $5,000 worth of goods for local consumers, but it was later brought down to $330, thereby discouraging investors.

He said that the change in government policy had negatively impacted on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), especially in the area of exports.

Emeazo said, “Tinapa Resort started well and many investors were attracted by the benefits, but along the line it was brought down to $330, which led to a decline in the growth of the resort.

“Everyone, especially tourists, goes to Tinapa to shop and enjoy their holidays.

So, it is an inconsistency on the part of the government. You brought out policies that attracted investors and in mid-way, you changed such policies. If they have to focus on the special economic zones, we have to make it right. NEPZA must stand on its feet and make it strong. The regulations must be strong.

“If you cannot manufacture, you cannot export. How much are you able to attract?

When was the last time you heard about Tinapa? It is still at the elementary stage and one would have expected that it would have gone beyond that.”

He also decried multiple regulations between FAAN and NEPZA as one of the major factors slowing down the growth of free trade zones in the country, stressing that both agencies had to harmonise their policies for the progress of the country.

“NEPZA has to show strong leadership and must be able to show strong collaboration with other agencies. You have the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which is tax; there is still an argument on the tax that investors enjoy. Some states still come to tell the investors to pay tax. They should be able to bring all the states together.

“In their board of directors, you see all the government agencies like customs, finance ministry, FIRS and others, yet you do not see a strong stakeholder like FAAN. At the level of implementation, FAAN will tell you it is against its own approval,'' he said.

Also, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, the Managing Director, FAAN, has suspended issuance of new licences to intending free trade zone applicants in the airport areas.

According to him, at the Lagos Airport alone, there are two free trade zone operators, while two other companies have applied.

He explained that as it stands today, all the five international airports in the country have been designated as free trade zones and warned that if not well-regulated, it may be a big challenge for the country in the future.

Yadudu insisted that FAAN and other relevant authorities like the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should be represented in the board of NEPZA so as to address the challenges in the system.

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For example, he mentioned the ever-changing fortunes of oilexporting countries which he observed would not spare those that have been reputed to manage their oil proceeds well as they also would suffer from major shocks once oil prices plummet.

Recalling that the RT200 FX effectively kicked off within two months of its launch with the payment of a total of N3.5 billion in rebates to 150 exporters who had taken part in the scheme so far, the CBN governor stressed that the measure should convince stakeholders that the scheme was not set up to attract robust rhetoric but to be implemented for results.

“In continuation of the implementation of the programme, we are gathered here today for the maiden edition of the biannual Non-oil Export Summit to harness ideas on how we can increase the value and volume of export in the country, and improve the availability of foreign exchange therefrom. As things now stand, we really have very little choice left but to look inwards and find innovative solutions to our problems,” he said.

Emefiele also stated that the Nigerian economy has been challenged on many fronts in recent years due to a combination of local and global factors.

He said, “Disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delays in global logistic value chains and local security challenges have exerted undue pressure on our economy, making macroeconomic management very difficult.

“These factors impacted oil production and prices, disrupted trade and exports, reduced capital inflows and impacted food production. They also exposed the fragility of the Nigerian economy and the need for a more diversified economy.

“Yet, in the face of these challenges, the Central Bank of Nigeria has been confronted with rising demand for foreign exchange for both goods, services, and other needs. With this unabating demand, the Bank has been working to manage both the demand and supply side to meet foreign exchange obligations.”

Lamenting over the bottlenecks that impact on smooth export business through the ports, he pleaded with the key players to support the CBN in its efforts to grow the economy by boosting the non-oil export. He insisted that practical solutions were identified for each problem, and made timebound in many cases. He stated what CBN’s contribution would be when the panel presentations were made.

Paper presentations were made on ‘Addressing the Logistic Constraints to Improve Non-Oil Export’; ‘Bridging the Finance Gaps, Effects of the CBN Initiatives to Boost Non-Oil Export’; ‘Non-Oil Export Performance in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospect”, and

“

The Nigerian economy has been challenged on many fronts in recent years due to a combination of local and global factors.

Disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delays in global logistic value chains and local security challenges have exerted undue pressure on our economy, making macroeconomic management very difficult

‘Service Industries: Harnessing the Opportunities in Service for the Foreign Exchange Earnings’.

One of the major outcomes was the decision by the CBN, banks and the Nigerian Ports Authority to fix export bottlenecks in the port in 90 days.

The apex bank in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and other stakeholders in the non-oil exports agreed to find lasting solutions to export bottlenecks, especially in the ports areas, within 90 days.

Noting that logistics constraints, financing and regulation issues were some of the challenges faced by nonoil exporters, the lead participants agreed that immediate solutions should be found to fix the problems.

One of the solutions is the creation of an immediate dedicated export route for easy export of goods and services and, in the long run, the creation of a national single window for automation of processes and documentation to enhance the ease of exporting goods and services and consequently earn foreign exchange.

“I want to appeal to NPA, Nigerian custom, that we establish a working group comprising the banker’s committee, the NPA, the customs, shipping line to resolve two issues,” the CBN, governor said at the RT200 Non-Oil Export Summit organised by the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee.

He added: “We read about people who want to export goods out of Nigeria queuing for months before their goods can go out. Because time is against us, in the short run, what can the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Customs do for exporters, whether you want to create some sort of dedicated route where they can easily export their goods. “We need those export proceeds badly.

•Continues online at www.thewillnigeria.com

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JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

BUSINESS NEWS NGX, CIS, NGCL Set to Host Stakeholders on ETDs Market

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L-R: Head of Customers, Marketing to International Premium Spirits, Reserve and Modern Trade (IRM), Sammy Okwandu; Director, (IRM), Viola GrahamDouglas; Winner of World Class Nigeria 2022, Victor Obanya; Marketing and Innovations Director, (IRM), Mark Mugisha and Head of Reserve all, Guinness Nigeria, Ope Makinwa at the grand finale of World Class Nigeria 2022 held in Lagos on June 10, 2022.

Photo: Peace Udugba.

First Bank’s Q1 2022 Report Signposts Impressive H1 Performance Continued from page 18

from the group’s Q1, 2022 results showed that its exposure to bad loans has substantially reduced given the fact that the amount set aside as impairment charges has come down from N13.175 billion in the first quarter of 2021 to N8.75billion in Q1 2022.

In the period under review, First Bank of Nigeria Limited recorded gross earnings of N170.4 billion, up by 33 per cent as against N128.1 billion in the previous year.

The bank’s net interest income was put at N72.9 billion, a 42.1 per cent increase from N51.3 billion generated in the same period of 2021, while noninterest income was N58.8 billion, up by 21.7 per cent from the 2021 figure.

Profit After Tax for the first quarter of 2022 was N31 billion, whereas N16.3 billion was the figure declared for Q1, 2021. The bank declared total assets of N8.8 trillion, a 3.5 per cent rise from N8.5 trillion in the preceding year.

The bank’s customers’ loans and advances (net) totaled N2.999 trillion, up by 5.8 per cent, year-to-date as of December 2021, which was put at N2.835 trillion, while customers’ deposits were N5.9 trillion, as against N5.6 trillion in the first quarter of 2021, a 5.4 per cent increase.

In June 2020, improvements were noted in the bank’s NPL ratio, which stood at 8.8 per cent. By March 2021, this figure had impressively dwindled to 7.9 per cent, and going by the 2021 results, the figure only stood at 6.1 per cent Non-performing loans, or NPLs, are bank loans that are subject to late repayment or are unlikely to be repaid by the borrower. The inability of borrowers to pay back their loans was aggravated during the financial crisis and the subsequent recessions.

Analysts at Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) in their corporate report had stated, “First Bank delighted investors with a pleasant surprise when it announced stellar results confirming that its turnaround strategy pinned on the pillars of innovation, resilience and digging deep is working.

PAGE 20

Commenting on its FY 2021 report, the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, had said said: In 2022, our strategic focus is on revenue generation through digital channels and retail product offerings, further driving our synergy potential as well as continuing to improve our operating model to deliver more efficiencies.

“As a result of First Bank’s restructuring exercise, the bank reported a huge sum of N141 billion as loan recovery from previously written off Atlantic Energy Ltd loan in 2021. This exercise bolstered a 100 per cent bottom-line growth in the period under review.”

According to the analysts, this stellar performance is attributable to robust loan portfolio, effective cost structure and increased digital services.

Commenting on the results, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group said: “Following years of strategic restructuring of the Bank’s balance sheet and operations, the Commercial Banking business is beginning to transition into a sustained growth phase delivering performance commensurate to the size of our business and capabilities of our people.”

In 2021, FBNH operated in a challenging operating environment that was pressured by high inflation and currency devaluation, the effect of which increased operating expenses by 14.2% to N334.2 billion (Dec 2020: N292.5 billion). However, this 14.2% is below the inflation level (Dec 2020: 15.6%) whilst regulatory cost also rose during the period, up 23.2% y-o-y. Despite the inflationary push factors, operating income grew 35.5% to N592.8 billion (Dec 2020: N437.6 billion), resulting in an improvement in cost to income ratio to 56.4% (Dec 2020: 66.8%).

“Going forward, we will sustain our focus towards further improving efficiency by containing cost and increasing revenue,” Adeduntan said.

Three-Tier Airline Licensing Structure Gathers Steam ... As 3 Carriers Risk Extinction

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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he Federal Government has been advised to adopt a 3-tier airline licensing structure through the apex aviation regulatory agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The structure is targeted at establishing a 3-tier Airline Licensing Structure based on aircraft capacity to include: Air Taxi which entails 10 – 19 Seater aircraft; Commuter that entails 30 – 50 / 70 Seater aircraft and Regional / International, involving 100 – 250 Seater aircraft.

This is just as there are fears in connection to the imminent closure of three struggling airlines which may go under soon, due to depleting fleet size, increasing cost of Jet A1, lack of forex, poor infrastructure amongst other impediments.

Overtime, aviation fuel has skyrocketed to N714 per litre in some airports in the country, a situation that is putting most of the airlines on their toes.

While the level of infrastructure at most of the airports limits turnaround time of operators at the apron, scarcity of foreign exchange further reduces the operations and expansion of ground handling businesses in the country.

These submissions were some of the observations made during the ongoing FNAC with the theme: "Nigerian Airport System: Addressing Nigeria’s Unviable Airports Syndrome - Constraints and Evolving Sustainable Growth Strategies" organised by the FAAN. Speaking at the ongoing conference , the President and Chief Executive Officer of Top Brass Aviation Limited, Roland Iyayi, made a case for a 3-tier airline licensing structure, emphasising that such move will naturally defines market segments.

Besides, other players like aviation fuel marketers, ground handling companies and catering services in their separate presentations, complained about the state of infrastructure at some of the airports, but said FAAN in the last three years had done a lot to improve the facilities at the aerodromes.

igerian Exchange Limited (“NGX” or “the Exchange”), in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and NG Clearing (NGCL) is set to host a webinar to deepen the knowledge of the investing public on the recently launched NGX Derivatives Market.

The webinar, themed “ExchangeTraded Derivatives: Enhancing the Capital Market for Robust Value Creation” which will be held as part of the Exchange’s capacity-building and market development on Thursday, 23 June at 10:00 AM WAT. This event builds on the Exchange’s market leading initiatives to drive the derivatives market in Nigeria following the launch of the NGX Exchange Traded Derivatives (ETD) Market which was accompanied by the listing of two Equity Index Futures Contracts, NGX 30 Index Futures and NGX Pension Index Futures. To promote clearing efficiency, stability, and confidence, The NGX ETD market was launched in collaboration with the premier Central Counterparty (CCP) in Nigeria, NG Clearing Limited, to provide the clearing infrastructure for NGX Derivatives Market and its clearing members.

The webinar will focus on the intricacies of derivatives futures contracts, including how the contract is traded and settled on a day-to-day basis, the margining process, and risk management issues. Participants at the webinar will learn of various applications of equity indices and single stock futures contracts, including trading and arbitrage applications, and a range of investment fund applications, outlining the motivations for such transactions, how they are executed, and the rewards and risks involved.

Speaking at the webinar event, Mr. Jude Chiemeka, Divisional Head, Capital Market, NGX explained that the webinar will serve as a platform to further sensitize market participants on The Exchange’s effort and commitment to developing a thriving derivatives market in Nigeria. Additionally, he noted that the event will deepen the participants’ awareness on various applications of derivatives products, including equity index and single stock futures contracts, trading applications, arbitrage applications, and a range of investment fund applications.

Confirmed speakers at the webinar include Mr. Oluwole Adeosun, FCS, President, CIS; Mr. Temi Popoola, Chief Executive Officer, NGX; Elile Olutimayin, MD, CardinalStone Securities Limited; Mr. Farooq Oreagba, Partner, Karaho Capital Partners; Dr John Osuoha, ACS, Nigeria Country, Representative, CISI UK; and Ayokunle Adaralegbe, Chief Operating Officer, NG Clearing Limited. The virtual event will be hosted on Zoom and livestreamed on NGX’s YouTube channel.

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JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2022 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

BUSINESS NEWS Robust International Commodities Registers Maiden N20bn CP on FMDQ

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MDQ Securities Exchange Limited through its Board Listings and Markets Committee, has approved the registration of the Robust International Commodities Limited N20 billion Commercial Paper (CP) Programme on its platform. This is in keeping with its mandate to avail its credible platform to support capital formation, as well as tailor its registration, listing and quotation services to suit the needs of institutions seeking to raise capital from the Nigerian debt capital market (DCM),

L-R EL-Lab Medical Diagnostic and Research Centre, Markting Manger, Jane Okpalanunuzo; Blood Bank Manager, Blessing Nwakobi; Laboratory Manager, Anayo Chidobu; The donor, Dr. Kiki Omeili; Operations Director, EL-Lab Medical Diagnostic and Research Centre, Chioma Adibo; Human Resources Manager, Oyin Faloye and the Assistant Blood Bank Manager, Gina Ighomuaye at the 2022 World Blood Donor Day Celebration in Lagos on June 15, 2022.

UBA Rated ‘Buy’ on Higher Earnings Expectation

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earnings and net income at N722.14 billion and N137.74 billion, respectively, in 2022”, analysts noted in the review.

Nigerian based multi-asset investment firm, CardinalStone Partners Limited, has upgraded the price target of the UBA Plc to N10.94 following an upward adjustment to the Pan African lender’s earnings outlook for the year.

The Pan African lender is placed on CardinalStone Securities Limited buying rating. At the reference market price of N7.75 kobo, analysts said in the equity report that Ticker: UBA is trading at a deep discount to its 5-year mean price to book ratio.

In the firm’s projection of the year, analysts see UBA’s Pan African footprint as a supporting factor for the group’s earnings performance in the financial year 2022. According to analysts, a higher yield would stall margin contraction in the current year, noting that despite the slight moderation in asset yields in the first quarter of 2022, they remain constructive on UBA’s net interest margin (NIM).

For the current year, equity analysts indicate the expectation that UBA Group’s net interest margin will improve by 20 basis points from the financial year 2021 level.

Uzoka

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or the financial year 2022, equity analysts at Meristem Securities Limited have projected a healthy growth for United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, anchored on the strength of the group’s digital earnings performance.

The bank stock is rated Buy with price target sets at N9.15, providing an upside potential of 18.06 per cent at a reference market price of N7.75. According to its unaudited financial statement for the first three months, UBA Plc achieved a gross earnings jump of 18.39 per cent year on year to N183.91 billion.

This performance resulted from an increase in both the funded and nonfunded income streams, according to Meristem analysts’ outlook on the Pan African financial behemoth.

The investment firm explained that UBA’s funded income grew by 15.10 per cent year on year to N124.86 billion in the period under review, while feebased income advanced significantly by 25.55 per cent to N58.83 billion.

Analysts spotted that inflationary pressure in operating regions elevated the group’s operating costs by 20.46 per cent to N77.64 billion. Consequently, the cost-to-income ratio inched higher by 127 basis points to 61.67 per cent between the first quarter of 2021 and 2022.

Despite pressures on in the operating environment, UBA Plc. delivered a 9.73 per cent year-on-year increase in the bottom line, with profit after tax printed at N41.87 billion.

Balancing its outlook for the year, Meristem hints that impressive topline and bottom-line expansion are positive for the outlook for the year. Meanwhile, the firm said increased operational costs and cost to Income ratio are downside risks.

As such, analysts at Meristem Securities pointed out that they expect nonfunded income to push gross earnings and cost control measures to drive net income in 2022.

“We maintain our forecast for gross

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Julius Berger AGM: Shareholders Approve N2.50k Per Share Dividends

BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

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ith strong standing in the 2021 Financial Year, shareholders of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has approved a N2.50k per share dividends.

The approval was made at the 52nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company on Saturday in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, CON said that though the company had challenges in the 2021 financial year, it excelled and overcame the challenges by dint of hard work and unflinching commitment to success on the part of the management and staff of the company.

Mr. Sunmonu also presented the Consolidated Financial Statements of the year under review saying that within the period, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc performed positively despite the numerous macro-economic hiccups which affected businesses during the year.

He added that the company achieved exceptional financial performance, meeting targets for both revenue and cash flow.

“One for those challenges, of course is COVID-19, which remains ever present in our personal and professional lives – with prolonged consequences. Unfortunately, we are unable to put this virus behind us just yet,” the Chairman said.

In his own remarks to shareholders at the AGM, the Managing Director, Engr. Dr Lars Richter built on the Chairman’s earlier remarks saying that the three pillars of Julius Berger’s business strategy, “the core business, group subsidiaries and diversification” have remained central to all operations even as he shared an update on the company’s sustainability and inclusivity efforts, as well as on the company’s outlook for 2022 and beyond.

The Managing Director firmly declared that “Julius Berger continues to stand strong, our values are firmly in place and our reputation for reliable and quality delivery remains unmatched…. And within our core business we continue to realize meaningful progress across our portfolio of projects as a foundation for our continued success and growth.”

Robust International Commodities Limited (the “Issuer”) is an entity incorporated under Robust International Group - an organisation that is engaged in the international trading of agricultural commodities such as cashew nuts, sesame seeds, rice, maize and gum arabic, amongst others. This CP Programme, which is sponsored by Coronation Merchant Bank Limited – a Registration Member (Quotations) of the Exchange, positions the Issuer to raise short-term finance from the Nigerian DCM, through CP issues within its CP Programme limit.

Speaking on the successful CP Programme registration, the Chairman and Managing Director, Robust International Commodities Limited, Mr. Raaghavan Naarayan, stated “we are delighted with the successful registration of our N20.00 billion Commercial Paper Programme with FMDQ Exchange.

This milestone affirms our ambition to harness the Nigerian capital market in funding our operations and strategy”.

Also commenting on the Registration, the Executive Director, Robust International Commodities Limited, Mr. Vishanth Narayan, stated “We remain steadfast in our objective to unlock value for our stakeholders. As a leading player in procurement, sourcing, distributions, supplying, buying, selling and dealing in various agricultural commodities, access to short term finance is critical to our short-term working capital needs and the Commercial Paper Programme provides the opportunity to actualise our strategic objectives. We expect funds from this Programme to broaden our potential funding sources and create superior value, and we look forward to a warm reception as we engage with capital market investors under this Programme”, he added.

As the foremost debt Securities Exchange in Nigeria, FMDQ Exchange will continue to transform the Nigerian DCM by providing a cost-effective, efficient, well-regulated, transparent, and trusted platform where raising of funds can take place whilst adding value to its diverse stakeholder groups. The Exchange will continue to sustain its efforts in supporting issuers with tailored financing options to enable them to achieve their strategic objectives, deepen and effectively position the Nigerian DCM for growth.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

What Determines Huge Patronage For Businesses in Post-COVID-19?

BY TIMI OLUBIYI

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n recent times, we have seen more businesses reporting low or no profit and, in some cases, no revenue. The case of business failures is equally high and prevalent, which could be attributed to the changing landscape with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, high inflation, poor supply chains, high exchange rate regime, and a host of other struggles. Despite the coronavirus pandemic radically altering business operations and customer experiences, many businesses in Africa, particularly Nigeria, have stuck to the prevailing old pattern of customer service, which frequently involves poor customer convenience and low customer satisfaction.

Though we have seen more innovations around technology adoption in businesses to improve performance and retain customers little is noticed in small businesses and large firms in Nigeria. Despite changing business models all across different industries around the world to meet current realities and customer expectations. Consequently, businesses that wish to maintain survival need to adjust to the realities around customer expectations, preferences, and convenience without further delay. If small businesses fail to recognise these changes in customer expectations, they may face a business continuity threat rather than just poor performance, likewise large firms.

The majority of business advances in recent times have been inspired by technology, noticeably in service businesses and food-service sectors, particularly restaurants and transportation. For instance, considering the case of Uber, the car hailing business and the likes, the business model was driven by changes in consumer behaviour and convenience was the major driver. The success of the business model does not rest on a deep emotional connection with customers but the success may be summed up in a single word: convenience. Also, based on my observations around Lagos State, the adjudged economic capital of Nigeria, I have seen a restaurant with multiple outlets offer a single meal, rice with boiled egg, for N500. That is less than a dollar for a meal, noting that a $1 is around N600 in the country.

Similarly, banks provide mobile banking software applications (apps) through which accounts may be opened online and transactions can be completed, even to borrow funds, without having to enter the banking hall. Another example is the sudden deployment of point-of-sale (PoS) terminals to agents throughout the country, with the agents executing some banking transactions nearly everywhere outside banking halls.

Further to this, in Somolu, a Lagos State suburb, I have also seen that a local café (Amala joint) opens on Sundays when competitors are all closed, and chooses to close on Mondays to observe the one day off per week.

With this idea, the local cafe operator can give a lot of customers the flexibility and convenience they need on Sundays while also making a premium on the business gains. All these concepts are intended to capitalise on customer convenience and the current realities nothing more.

Therefore, business owners and SME operators should understand this and know that when it comes to the most crucial aspects of customer needs, convenience is supreme. Each customer, though, may have different ideas of what constitutes convenience, from pricing to the business location, payment options, ease of shopping or making transactions, business opening days and time flexibility, customer experience of ordering, delivering, and the likes. It is important to note that most consumers are price sensitive though and base their purchasing or service decisions on it.

According to my further observations in Lagos State, I noticed that despite a lack of solid business concepts and knowledge, the numerous neighbourhood corner-shops, traffic hawkers, and businesses without recognised classification, operate on this convenience model. Though it may seem to be an insignificant way to operate a business, the turnover, revenue, and profit could be sufficient to sustain the operators.

The expectation is that customers will hurriedly need items or products, and such businesses exist on this premise. Whereas I see major enterprises with a brickand-mortar retailing strategy still paying exorbitant rent to maintain a physical presence without operating online or adopting technology for convenience. Ignoring the digital age that has changed the retail industry, and indeed most sectors of the economy, where businesses

“

The majority of business advances in recent times have been inspired by technology, noticeably in service businesses and food-service sectors, particularly restaurants and transportation

can relate with customers anywhere and at any time.

As a result, it is high time for structured enterprises, retail outlets, and large businesses to adopt the convenience model in order to improve business sustainability and profitability. Convenience is more important to consumers than ever before, particularly in terms of pricing, (i.e., affordable services or products) and location that is easily accessible (physical or online).

What matters to most consumers is the time and effort they have to expend because they are largely impatient – the less time, the better, and the less amount, the better.

Giving an illustration of how convenience can make a business more profitable in the case of a superstore, patronage can be increased by having a good and convenient location, reducing expensive, specialty, or high-end products and exponentially increasing convenient goods. Convenient goods are items or products that customers can easily afford and frequently buy on impulse without much thought. Such items are groceries, eatables, detergents, toothpaste, paper products, and emergency products such as light bulbs and so on.

The idea is that large volume is likely to be sold within a short period, and repeat purchases will happen continually and such business will be active and performing. Furthermore, technology too can greatly help in this instance, that is where e-commerce comes in. The extra levels of convenience where customers can effectively use their phones with seamless payment platforms or gateways to effect purchases or transactions will help a great deal, no matter how small. For micro

businesses social media platforms and WhatsApp status can equally help with cheap advertisement and keeping customers updated.

For other forms of businesses, particularly large firms a business model can be designed or redesigned around convenient solutions. To create convenience, firms must find ways to eliminate any "friction" that may arise when a potential customer interacts with or purchases from their business. Such convenience can be designed around, packaging, delivery, usability, automation, and product variety.

Let the truth be told, convenience can actually increase repeat purchases of any form of business, which in turn helps increase and grow the profit margin.

Any strategy to boost the convenience of customers can also give brand loyalty, which will, at the end of the day, give a competitive edge and market-dominance.

Therefore, providing convenience can be the key to business success at this time of high inflation, low disposable income, and weak purchasing power of the majority, who are the masses. By saving customers' time, money, and energy, businesses can also earn more income.

Significantly, market survey and customer research may assist in determining which solutions will enhance business service, and overall provide a high degree of ease. Quite often, I have noticed that businesses do not leverage on feedback from customers. It is good to have present customers submit comments or reviews highlighting instances in which particular business (or rivals' business) failed to meet their convenience expectations and this may be a pointer to what needs to be addressed.

It takes more than pricing to outperform competition, so consider how to integrate convenience into a designed business model. Who says customers cannot order a haircut, photo shoot, home-cooked meals, or even a manicure directly from their mobile phones for a convenient home service? All that is needed is for the vendors or business owners to think critically and carry out research about the ways things should work.

In conclusion, to effectively engage with today's hyperconnected, technology-savvy, and impatient consumers, businesses must be preoccupied with offering quick, convenient, and simple' solutions. In short, nothing pays more for businesses at this time than being more convenience-oriented because it could be the shortest path to increasing customer retention, loyalty, and business profitability.

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

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• Duke

• Afolabi

Father's Day Special: •Orji

DRIVEN BY FATHERLY LOVE

•Kuti

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•Soludo

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• Obi

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• Adebayo

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In celebration of Father's Day today, THEWILL takes a look at prominent Nigerians whose children are actively involved in the entertainment industry

FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL: PROMINENT NIGERIANS WHOSE CHILDREN ARE ENTERTAINERS U

AFE BABALOLA

nknown to many, Afe Babalola SAN, the renowned legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University is the father of Bolanle Austen-Peters. A trained lawyer like her father, she actually had a stint in law in her father's law firm, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in Switzerland, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the United Nations Development Programme. She would eventually veer off course to embrace the world of entertainment as a movie director whose movie and theatre company, BAP Productions, has produced musicals, including: Saro The Musical, Wakaa The Musical, Moremi The Musical, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, The Oluronbi Musical and most recently, Death and The King's Horseman. It has also produced films, including 93 Days, Bling Lagosians, Collision Course, and Man of God. Bolanle is also the founder and Managing Director of Terra Kulture, the foremost Nigerian Art and Culture centre located in Lagos via which she partners with Google Arts and Culture Institute to create an online museum.

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ADEBAYO SALAMI

eteran actor, Adebayo Salami, professionally known as Oga Bello, is not only a talented thespian but he also has groomed his children in the act of movie making too. The film maker started his acting career in 1964 with a group called the Young Concert Party under the leadership of Ojo Ladipo. The group later changed its name to Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group. After the demise of the group leader, Adebayo took over the mantle of leadership which later brought him into limelight.

Four of Salami’s sons have already pitched their tents in the make believe world and are forces to reckon with when it comes to acting, producing and directing. There is Femi Adebayo, the most successful among his children who is also an actor. A property lawyer, most blockbuster movies in the Yoruba movie genre are usually not complete without Femi appearing in the movie. There is Sadiq Adebayo. A location manager, he however appears on screen once in a while. A graduate of Geology and Mineral Science from the University of Ilorin, Sadiq is the boss of Blackman Entertainment.

Then there is Tope Adebayo, a graduate of Computer Science from the University of Ilorin. He fell in love with acting after watching his father on the screen. He is fast becoming a favourite of movie producers. And finally, there is Ridwan Adebayo who plies his trade in Nollywood as both a video editor and an actor. He also handles almost all the post production works of his family.

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TAIWO AFOLABI

aiwo Afolabi sits at the helm of an investment conglomerate that has stakes in maritime, aviation, haulage, hospitality and financial services, as well as oil and gas. He has built the SIFAX Group of companies into a force to reckon with in the business world. Despite his vast business empire, his son, Damilola, otherwise known as L.A.X, isn't keen on joining his father to run things. He is more interested in making music. The younger Afolabi fell in love with music after visiting a studio with his friends. After Ayo Balogun, professionally known as Wizkid left Empire Music, the first recording artist he signed to his Starboy Entertainment record label was L.A.X in 2013.

The duo produced a hit single, Gingah, which was the first and only song they produced together before parting ways.

Unlike his father who has made a success out of every business he touches, L.A.X's music career has not been so rosy in Nigeria, but he has a huge fan base in London and Canada.

ADEDEJI ADELEKE

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r Adedeji Adeleke, the president of Adeleke University and the Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Holding Limited is father to one of the most popular music acts in Africa, David otherwise known as Davido. Like most typical Nigerian fathers, Adeleke senior was not in support of his son towing the music path, not after working hard to leave a legacy for his children. But having seen the unusual grace on his son in such a short period of time, he had no choice but to become an 'apostle' of his son's music.

Davido might have been born with a golden spoon, but he has achieved a lot today by dint of hard work. He has built his music empire and record Label, David Music Worldwide, DMW to a multi-billion naira empire. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, his interest in music started during his time at Oakwood University, Huntsville, Alabama, United States. He bought musical equipment and started making beats, in addition to recording vocal references.

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JOHN EDOZIEN

ohn Edozien was a career civil servant who rose through the ranks to eventually join politics, becoming first a Deputy Governor of old Bendel State in Nigeria in 1990 and later the first Deputy Governor of Delta State in 1992. He would later join the financial world as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Afribank Nigeria PLC and later, Chairman of Afribank International Limited before retiring from active service.

While some of Edozien’s children followed in his footsteps, his only son, Chukie turned to entertainment. Despite studying Economics and Marketing at the university, the younger Edozien fell in love with music and released his first debut single in 2009. Before then, he was already working behind the scenes as a digital recording studio owner known as Red Room. A few years after his foray into music, he became born again but never switched to the gospel genre. He currently juggles his singing career with running his businesses.

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CHARLES SOLUDO

e is a renowned economist whose tenure as Governor and Chairman, Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria left an indelible mark in financial sector. One would have expected any of his children to follow in his footsteps, but it is obvious that Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, the current governor of Anambra State, is not one to keep his offspring from pursuing their dream as he has allowed one of them, his London-raised son, Ozonna to follow his heart – the art and craft of music.

A graduate of music from the Institute of Contemporary Music, London, Ozonna is known for his ability to skillfully combine pop, dance and African rhythms with other music genres. The younger Soludo attracted the attention of music fans in 2013 when he released his free promo single titled, Me and You on Top. However, he is yet to hit it big on the Nigerian music scene.

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FEMI FALANA

enowned lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, is well known for opposing oppression from successive Nigerian governments, military or civilian. His only son, Folarin, otherwise known as Falz, equally a trained lawyer, showed that he was ready to take after his father in activism during the EndSARS movement that rocked the nation in 2020 where he was an active participant. Beyond activism, Falz showed early on that he is cut out for entertainment. An actor, singer and rapper, he is lucky to have the support of his parents. His love for entertainment dates back to his secondary school days where he formed a group called 'The School Boys'. He owns an independent record label, Bahd Guys Record and he has used his song to campaign against bad leadership in the country.

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DONALD DUKE

lthough Donald Duke is a politician, having been a former Governor of Cross River State and a one time presidential aspirant, he has never hidden his love for entertainment. One of his past times is serenading people with his saxophone. His first daughter, Xerona, though a trained lawyer from the University of Nottingham, UK has gone all out to give expression to her first love, entertainment. Besides being an entertainment lawyer to some Nigerian artistes including Ice Prince, Niyola, and some international artistes, she has recorded songs like, Free falling, Intangible, and the cover version of some prominent songs. Xerona who is also a filmmaker, is married to Derin Philips, otherwise known as DJ Caise, the son of Teju Philips, the first daughter of late billionaire businessman, Deinde Fernandez.

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PETER OBI

hrewd businessman and a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi's only son, Oseloka Gregory is in the entertainment business where he is making his mark in the movie industry in London where he is based. Like Soludo, Obi who is the Labour Party presidential candidate, has no qualms allowing his children to follow their own chosen path. A graduate of Philosophy from Bristol University, Oseloka has featured in a handful of movies in Hollywood. He is the founder of TB, a movie company in Bristol, London.

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eteran actor, director and movie producer, Zachee Ama Orji, professionally known as Zack Orij, is one of those whose sons chose a career in the entertainment industry. His son, Lionel, has registered his name among music acts in Nigeria.

He started singing when he was in secondary school. He started out as a rap artiste and his actor father has been a great influence in his career.

He was the one who took him to his first studio session when he ventured professionally into music. Lionel has worked with some famous Nigeria music artistes, such as Wizkid, Davido, MI and a host of others. Although the young man has made a name for himself, his father's name has definitely opened doors for him as an up and coming music act.

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ZACHEE AMA ORJI

SHINA PETERS

hatever appellation you choose to give him, either Sir Shina Peters or Bishop Shina Peters, the fact still remains that he has a pride of place when the history of Nigerian music is eventually written. Moreover, his ordination as a minister of the gospel has not stopped him from mesmerizing his audience with his brand of music. The afro juju singer sired a son with one of the most respected actresses in Nigeria, Clarion Chukwurah. The two met in 1982 when they both acted in the movie, Money Power. They hit it off and in 1983 after Clarence was born, the two love birds went their separate ways.

A renowned music video director, filmmaker and cinematographer, Clarence started out as a footballer, but later developed interest in movies and music after studying Cinematography in Cape Town, South Africa. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Dreams Pictures. He has worked with notable brands and made a name for himself without relying on the fame and fortune of his parents.

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JOSEPH BLELL

oseph Blell is a famous politician from Sierra-Leone. He was the team manager of the National Football Team, known as Leone Stars that qualified for the African Cup of Nations in 1994 in Tunisia. He also served as Sierra Leone's High Commissioner to Nigeria between 1993 and 2002. He was the Deputy Minister of Defense in Sierra Leone from 2002-2007. While he was stationed in Nigeria, he fathered singer Hadiza Blell-Olo, also known as Di'Ja. a signee on Marvin's Record Label. He is among the few prominent people who have supported his children's career, even though they didn't follow in his steps and this he did for Di'Ja when he made a cameo appearance in one of his daughter's music video in 2016.

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OBA LAMIDI ADEYEMI

EBENEZER OBEY FABIYI

conic juju musician, Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, otherwise known as Chief Commander, is one of the highly respected juju artiste in Nigeria. He started his career under the tutelage of another veteran artiste, Fatai Rolling Dollars in mid50's. He would later set up International Brothers band in 1964 but it later metamorphosed to International Reformers. His band was reputed for praise singing of socialites and business tycoons at social functions. He became a born-again Christian, switched to gospel music in the 1990's and established Decross Gospel Ministry in 1992 to propagate the gospel. Now in semi-retirement, his first son, Tolu, has taken over his father's career as an artiste. He started a band with his brother, Folarin, who later left to study abroad.

When he started out as an artist, people started comparing his style and performance with that of his father. However, he was able to hold it down and establish his own style of music which is different from that of his father's.

LEVI CHIBUIKE AJUONUMA

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he late veteran broadcaster, journalist, academic and public relation expert was popularly known for hosting an entertainment programme on Saturdays tagged Open House Party on Raypower FM. Also, while working at the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, he was famous for his entertainment show, The Sunday Show , Showtime and Levi Ajuonuma Live.

His son, Obinna, is a popular disc jockey known as DJ Obi. He started his career while still a student in 2011 and has won a lot of accolades for his works.

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PETE EDOCHIE

ete Edochie is arguably the most respected actor in Nollywood. He is also considered to be one of the most talented African thespians. One of his unique selling points is the use of proverbs while playing his roles in movies.

Of his six children, two of them followed in his steps. There is Lincoln Edochie who joined the movie industry in 1995. Then there is Yul, the more popular one and the last child. Yul joined the movie industry in 2005 but got his big break in 2007 in the movie Wind of Glory. In 2017, he made his intention known to venture into politics when he attempted running for the governorship seat in Anambra State but later stepped down. In 2022, he announced that he had taken a second wife, Judy Austin, months after welcoming a child with her.

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ba Lamidi Olaiwola Adeyemi III, the late Alaafin of Oyo who passed on in April 2022 fathered several children, but of the lot, only one of his daughters, Princess Adedoja Adeyemi is actively involved in the entertainment business. Despite being a former beauty queen, her love for entertainment led to her acting debut on the set of Kunle Afolayan's movie, Anikulapo where she played the role of a princess. Adeyemi has a Master's degree from the Institute of African and Diasporan Studies, University of Lagos. She made history as the first student to bag a distinction from the Institute since it was established in 2017.

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FEMI ANIKULAPO-KUTI

he Kutis have successfully made music through three generations.

Femi’s father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti pioneered Afrobeat music in Nigeria.

Reputed as the most challenging and charismatic performing musician who used his music for political activism, Fela passed the baton to his son, Femi who is also an iconic musician who has paid his dues in the music industry. Though he is still actively involved in music, Femi’s first son, Made, is poised to take over any time his father retires from active music which may likely not be anytime soon. Made has also made his mark as an Afrobeat artiste, songwriter and instrumentalist.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

For Ibrahim Obanikoro, All is Well That Ends Well

AKANIMO UDOFIA'S GOVERNORSHIP AMBITION IN JEOPARDY?

Udofia

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he gubernatorial ambition of businessman and socialite, Akanimo Udofia, may just be dead on arrival, if the issues surrounding his emergence as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State are not resolved.

Besides aggrieved parties petitioning the National Headquarters of the APC and

the state's election committee calling for the cancellation of the exercise, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state is seemingly not recognising the exercise that produced Akanimo as the party’s governorship candidate. The electoral body is of the opinion that the primary did not hold and therefore, the party has no governorship candidate for the state in the 2023 general election.

INEC hinged its argument on the fact that on May 26, which was the day the APC primary purportedly took place, the commission’s monitoring team led by the Commissioner of Police arrived at the venue of the primary for the third time at 6:45 p.m. and did not meet anyone. They wondered how and where the primary was conducted

and without its knowledge for Akanimo to have emerged winner.

As it turned out, there are two factions of the party in the state.

While one faction is loyal to Senator Akpan James Udoedehe who has since dumped the party and picked up the governorship ticket of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the other faction is loyal to the immediate past Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, who is himself battling to return to the Senate.

Udofia is loyal to the latter faction.

And more important, how does he get himself out of this quagmire if his ambition must materialize?

A philanthropist of immense proportion, Udofia runs Desicon, one of Nigeria’s indigenous companies patronised by international oil companies in the petroleum sector in Nigeria.

He is also the Chairman of Vision 2000 Ltd and a Director of SAIPEM Contracting Nigeria Ltd, a company with a huge structure covering all sorts of services to the oil & gas industry such as drilling on/offshore, construction activities on/offshore, engineering, maintenance.

Sons of Late Chief Lawanson Bicker Over His Property

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he sons of late business magnate, Chief Olujimi Anthony Lawanson, are allegedly at each other's throats over the management of their late father's property. Until one of them blew the lid off the can, most members of the late businessman’s family were not aware of what the other was doing with the huge estate their father left behind. One of the sons, Gbolahan, has alleged that his brother, Oladipo Akinwale, a former Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State, used his position to strip the family of its assets and sold them at ridiculously discounted prices.

The large sum of money realised from the sales, which runs into billions of naira, was laid bare at a family meeting held earlier in the year and presided over by the siblings' older sister. At the meeting, which took place following the funeral rites of their late mum, Gbolahan was asked to render an account of the family assets being managed directly by him. This he did and handed the assets in his possession to their elder Sister. Thereafter, he noted that as part of the family assets, over three acres of land valued at N650 million, company shares in various blue chip companies in their late father’s name, worth N250 million, the sum of N100 million lease rentals resulting from the lease of the family’s petrol station to Total Nigeria and the sum of N20 million lease rentals resulting from the lease of the roof-top to the family’s property situated at No. 8 THEWILLNIGERIA

Lawanson Road, Lawanson, Surulere, Lagos, to Globacom Limited for the construction of their communications mast - were all allegedly unaccounted for.

These assets, according to Gbolahan, were allegedly, handled directly

by Oladipo. When Oladipo was asked to render an account of the aforementioned property, he allegedly went on the defensive and allegedly vowed to deal with Gbolahan. He allegedly boasted that he has ‘friends’ in high places and that he was going to allegedly have Gbolahan locked up. True to his threat, on May 24, 2022, Gbolahan was invited to the office of Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Adeyinka Adeleke, on the pretext that the AIG wanted to mediate between the two brothers. The opposite was the case as upon his arrival, he was confronted by eight people brandishing petitions against him.

He was then detained in a cell at Zone 2 Police Head Quarters at Onikan, Lagos and prevented from contacting his lawyers or his wife to tell them about his whereabouts.

Gbolahan claimed he was held for 20 hours in a cell with no access

to water and food. He was arraigned the following day at the Tinubu Magistrate Court and the case has been scheduled for hearing on June 20, 2022. Gbolahan has refused to be cowed, insisting on fighting for his right and refusing to be intimidated on his birthright or allow anybody to disinherit any member of his family, nuclear and extended. He is believed to be quite successful in his own right and known to be a people’s man. He has a large grass roots following in the Lawanson, Surulere area of Lagos.

He is also of the opinion that his popularity may apparently be a threat to his brother.

Lawanson

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Adelabu

AFTER LOSING APC PRIMARY, BAYO ADELABU ALLEGEDLY DEMANDS RETURN OF CAR GIFT

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hen Bayo Adelabu resigned from the Central Bank of Nigeria as the Deputy Governor in charge of Operations in 2018 to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State, little did he know that almost eight years later the dream would elude him. Most of his supporters had touted him to be the most likely successor to the then governor of the state, late Abiola Ajimobi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election. Unfortunately, he was trounced at the polls by Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite the APC going into alliances with other political parties just to ensure the decimation of the PDP in the state.

Adelabu decided to try his luck again ahead of the 2023 general election, but was again trounced at the primary which saw three-time member of the Senate, Teslim Folarin, clinching the governorship ticket of the party.

There are allegations from Adelabu's camp that the primary was marred with irregularities and names of delegates allegedly substituted. Disappointed and angry, Adelabu, in a letter addressed to the leadership of the APC, described the primary as ‘daylight robbery’ and vowed to seek legal redress. Also some of his loyalists have allegedly demanded the return of a brand new SUV given to a top-ranking APC chieftain who allegedly made a promise to support, make a good case for their candidate and get the backing of the APC presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in exchange for the car gift. The party chieftain had failed to fulfill his promises and Adelabu has since dumped the APC for good. One of the grand children of Oyo political godfather, late Adegoke Adelabu, otherwise known as Penkelemesi, the younger Adelabu made his mark in the financial sector, rising to the position of Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of First Bank of Nigeria Plc. (FBN) prior to his ascension to the CBN.

ollowing the double tragedy that befell father and son in the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly primary, it was beginning to look like both Ibrahim and his father, Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence, were finished politically as they both did not clinch the tickets they were gunning for.

Now providence has smiled on Ibrahim and his family's political dynasty may not end after all.

THEWILL had reported about two weeks ago that Ibrahim lost his second term bid to return to the House of Representative. He lost to Oyekanmi Elegushi, a sibling of Oba Saheed Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom.

Elegushi beat Obanikoro by two votes to emerge the winner. While he was still mourning his loss, his father was trounced by Idiat Adebule, a former deputy governor of Lagos State. Although the older Obanikoro protested, nothing was done to change his situation. But the situation has now changed for Ibrahim as party chieftains prevailed

on Oyekanmi to relinquish the ticket to the younger Obanikoro who is an older horse in the game. While pledging his loyalty to the party, Oyekanmi appealed to his supporters to respect the decision of the party and ensure that all candidates of the party are returned unopposed in the 2023 general election. The latest development will no doubt salvage the Obanikoro family from double shame, at least. For now, the younger Obanikoro’s victory is half way secured until he eventually wins in the general election next year.

Obanikoro

Tunde Ayeni Throws Lavish Party For Mother-in-law's Burial

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bout a week ago, businessman and former Chairman of Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni, feted his friends and business associates to the final burial party of his late mother-in-law, Mrs Fadeke Amoke. It was his first major social event since his quarrel with late businessman, Captain Idahosa Okunbo, over the legal ownership of businesses in which they both had substantial interests. The party which took place in Lagos had all the trappings of luxury. Tunde went the whole hog, spared no expense and harnessed his wide contacts and connections to make the party grand. And

Ayeni

why not?

After his alleged entanglement with another lady who has since moved on, Tunde did everything within his power to make up for his shortcoming as it concerned his wife, Abiola who abhors the kleiglights. Those in attendance at the party were Segun Awolowo, Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council; Timi Alaibe, former MD Niger Delta Development Company; Daily Times publisher, Fidelis Anosike and his wife, Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic; Heritage Bank MD, Ifiesimama Sekibo; Joko Oni; former Delta State governor, James Ibori and his wife, Senami; Minister of industry, trade and investment, Niyi Adebayo; Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Holding Company, Segun Agbaje and his wife, Derin; etc.

Ayeni who was a one-time Vice Chairman of Ikeja branch of Nigerian Bar Association and also a former Member of Council of Legal Aid Council has been linked with controversies in the past, especially on oil and contract deals. He has been fingered to be allegedly responsible for the crash of defunct Skye Bank.

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STORIES BY SHADE WESLEY-METIBOGUN

Controversy Trails Tunji Raheem Olawuyi’s Political Career

TAIWO AFOLABI PLANS ANOTHER GRAND CELEBRATION P

rovidence has not stopped smiling at the new Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi. Since the beginning of the year, the billionaire businessman has had cause for celebration. First, he received the Eminent Personality Person of the Year Award and celebrated it with his friends and family. Then he staged a lavish 60th birthday party at the Ballroom of Sheraton Grand Hotel in London, United Kingdom.

There was another celebration when Afolabi was appointed Chairman of SIFAX, a leading investment conglomerate in Nigeria that he has devoted his

energy and resources to growing for over three decades. He also received the Businessman of the Year Award from the Vanguard Newspapers.

About a month ago, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group, Lagos Marriott Hotel, Ikeja clocked one year. Although he did not roll out the drums to celebrate the hotel, his tenacity of purpose and commitment to running a multi-million naira hospitality business in Nigeria, such as this, deserves to be applauded.

T

Afolabi

Today, June 19, 2022, the business magnate will once again host his friends, associates and family to the grand opening of his country home in Ogun State. The newly built mansion is located in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Meet Nigerian Born Artiste Who Performed During Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee

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he Platinum Jubilee of the Queen of England, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windor, may have ended, but one of the memories that will keep lingering in the hearts of Nigerians who witnessed the four-day event is the fact that a Nigerian was part of the artistes who performed at

Numbere

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the event.

The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee and 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

One of the highlights of the event was a performance by a Nigerian-born artiste, James Numbere.

He closed the Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Buckingham Palace where he performed alongside the London Community Gospel Chair and also sang the National Anthem at the climax of the event when the Queen stood with members of the Royal family on the balcony of the Buckingham Palace.

Numbere was born to a family of seven, to parents who are pastors.

His parents later relocated to London where he is currently based. His love for singing started when he was a child. He would use a broomstick strand and tie a polythene bag to the tip to use as his microphone. His mother also contributed to his growth career wise. She would take him to wherever she was going to minister as a pastor so that he can sing before she preaches.

He later studied songwriting in London before becoming a full time singer.

In 2018, the Afrocentric Soul artiste released a single, Smile which was inspired by the works of a charity organization, Smile,that performs life changing surgeries on children in mostly third world countries with cleft lips and palates. One of the songs he sang during the Platinum Jubilee celebration was from his EP A Tale of Two Cities which was released in November 2021. One of the reasons for releasing the EP was to showcase Port-Harcourt and Rivers State, his birthplace to the world, the dream was however amplified as he sang the song during the Jubilee celebration.

wo weeks ago, Tunji Raheem Olawuyi, otherwise known as Ajuloopin, won the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly rerun primary election in Ekiti/ Oke-Ero/Irepodun/Isin Federal Constituency held in Omu-Aran, Kwara State. But it appears that controversy surrounds his emergence as the APC candidate.

Olawuyi was still a lawmaker representing the same constituency in the House of Representatives before seeking to return to the House for a second term. He had initially contested in the APC primary and lost to the incumbent, Honourable Lola Ashiru. In a sudden twist of fate, a re-run was conducted and he was announced as the winner, instead of the son of a former governor of Kwara state,

Cornelius Oluwasegun Adebayo.

Adebayo actually won the rerun primary, which took place on June 6, 2022, with a margin of 72 votes to beat nine other aspirants. But it was discovered that his name was not on the list of contestants, while Olawuyi's name was written in his place.

Adebayo was also not informed of the 'kangaroo' re-run election which saw Olawuyi Olawuyi as the new wriggled his way to an elective winner. It was gathered that the position that he never declared latter did not even participate for. After he was declared the in the screening of the House winner, a protest broke out as of Representative aspirants for members of his constituency Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Irepodun/ Isin were not happy about the Federal Constituency. irregularities that took place Also Olawuyi allegedly during the re-run election. manipulated the primary and

S

ceremony in 2021. They had their traditional wedding ceremony in August, 2021 in Mbaise, Imo State while their white wedding took place in the same month in Lagos. It was Maduka's second attempt at marriage. Maduka claimed he spent all of N45 million on their wedding. However, things fell apart about four months after they walked down the aisle.

Iheuwa accused her husband of infidelity and the fact that he married her because of green card.

On the other hand, Maduka accused Iheuwa of being addicted to social media and often picking quarrels with

Steve Maduka Allegedly Abandons Baby With Estranged Wife, Sandra Iheuwa teve Thompson Maduka, the estranged husband of Sandra Iheuwa, has allegedly refused to acknowledge their child together. Iheuwa and Maduka got married in an elaborate

Iheuwa and Maduka

members of his extended family. Iheuwa, who was already on a nine month course by the time her marriage packed up, welcomed their son in March.

It is alleged that Maduka, has not reached out to her since she gave birth and it seems he is not interested in the baby at all. He is allegedly not thinking of child support anytime soon not to talk of co-parenting with his former wife in the nearest future. His action has been labeled as shameful and heartless, with many questioning his motive and why he would allow the issue he has with his estranged wife to affect the relationship he is supposed to build with his innocent son. Iheuwa is one of the baby mamas to politician and entertainment entrepreneur, Ubi Franklin.

Adama Indimi's Husband, Malik Ado Ibrahim, Clinches YPP Presidential Ticket

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alik Ado Ibrahim, founder of Reset Nigeria Initiative, has emerged the presidential candidate for Youth Progressive Party, YPP. The party held its primary election last week where Ibrahim defeated his counterpart, Ruby Isaac with 66 votes. The politician is also an accomplished polo player and racing driver. Ibrahim is the heir apparent of one of the most respected families in Nigeria. His father, Alhaji Dr Abdul Rahman Ado Ibrahim, is a traditional ruler, the respected Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Kogi State. Ibrahim is the husband of Adama Indimi,

daughter of billionaire magnate mother, Samira Sheriff Indimi is Mohammed Indimi. Her father, half Swiss, half Chadian.

Mohammed Indimi is the founder of various conglomerates and one of the richest men in Nigeria. He owns Oriental Energy Resources Limited, one of the leading indigenous oil and gas companies in Nigeria. He single handedly built a 100 unit housing estate for Internally Disposed Person in Born State. Indimi's The Ibrahims

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FEATURES On Valentine’s Day in 1989, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran, pronounced a fatwa on Indian-born, British writer Salman Rushdie following publication of The Satanic Verses. Except for a few, writers challenged the bearded mullah’s arbitrary death sentence on their colleague. Also, the British government provided Rushdie security 24/7, spiriting him from one safe house to another. Since the first blasphemy-related killing in Kano stunned Nigerians in 1995, the Nigerian government has not done much to prevent subsequent extra judicial murders. Could that be a reason why angry Muslim mobs take laws into their hands by becoming accuser, prosecutor and judge in cases of alleged blasphemy? Michael Jimoh reports…

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illing in the name of religion is fait accompli for some people as witnessed in the casual murder of Deborah Samuel by fellow students of Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto on Thursday, May 12 2022. She was accused of blasphemy. Instead of charging her to court to establish her guilt or innocence, the irate students and mob played the accuser, prosecutor and judge all at once.

Under such circumstance, the verdict can only be too predictable. Guilty, of course. Sentence? Death by stoning!

The mob proceeded to do just that and then added a macabre twist to it: they burned Deborah’s corpse as if symbolically dispatching her, in their reckoning, to hell where she belongs.

Although it didn’t go viral as Deborah’s unfortunate premature death, a similar incident had happened a month before in April but only recently reported in the Metro pages of Nigerian newspapers. With sickening disbelief, Nigerians got to know how one Hannah Saliu, a sex-worker, was similarly casually murdered and her body set afire by her killers in Alaba Rago Market Lagos state.

Only a glancing distance from Lagos State University in Ojo local government area of the state, the sprawling market is home to settlers and traders mainly from northern Nigeria.

Like Idi Araba, Ijora and Mile 12, Alaba Rago is sometimes the first port of call for traders hoping to sell their merchandise – goats and rams, grains and tubers, sugar canes, fruits and poultry.

Like the unfortunate student in Sokoto, the prostitute was accused of blasphemy. But unlike Deborah who shared her views via a WhatsApp message, Hannah made no such offending post. She had, as her profession demands, satisfied THEWILLNIGERIA

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Deborah

Blasphemy-Related Killings: Any Way Out?

“

By the time they searched Hannah’s room, they found no money. But they found a more ‘incriminating’ evidence under her pillow – a Quran. Everything turned against her almost immediately.

In their reckoning, it was sacrilegious for a prostitute to have the Holy book of Prophet Mohammed under her pillow while servicing her customers. From being an accuser, Hannah had become the accused

a customer in her hotel room and got paid a thousand naira for her timely service. By the time her customer departed, she discovered that her five thousand naira was missing.

Faster than a premature ejaculation, she bolted after the chap, caught up with him and then accused him of stealing her hardearned money. Whether the said customer is a regular or first timer isn’t quite clear. But it is true that when first-timers visit brothels, they don’t go in the same way they stroll confidently to a church or a mosque. They sneak in and out to avoid being seen – a self-condemnatory attitude very much like Adam shamefully acknowledging his nakedness after the act.

With that dodgy attitude, nothing can be more humiliating than a prostitute you just had sex with accosting and accusing you in public of purloining her money, possibly holding on tight to your shirt as startled onlookers begin to close in – forming that inevitable semi-circle.

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So it was on the day Hannah the prostitute planted herself in front of Abubakar Musa at Alaba Rago Market. The rational thing to do, as anyone will reasonably expect, is to search the customer right there. Nothing of such was done. Instead, with the prostitute leading the way, they (Musa and his accomplices Sarauta Monsur and Surajo Yusuf now in police custody) proceeded to her hotel room. From then on, it was as if fate already had a hand in the bizarre drama that was about to unfold.

By the time they searched Hannah’s room, they found no money. But they found a more ‘incriminating’ evidence under her pillow – a Quran. Everything turned against her almost immediately. In their reckoning, it was sacrilegious for a prostitute to have the Holy book of Prophet Mohammed under her pillow while servicing her customers. From being an accuser, Hannah had become the accused.

Like the students and mobs in SSCE Sokoto, the boys beat up the prostitute, killed her and then set her body ablaze.

Shikena!

But the matter has not ended just like that. The trio of Musa, Monsur and Yusuf are in detention awaiting their day in court – that is if they’re ever charged in the first place.

Cases of blasphemy-related killings are not entirely new around here. They are almost always carried out by an incensed crowd or mob who become the accuser, prosecutor and judge at the same time. No resort to any court of law for any form of trial. The judgment is nearly always instantaneous and most times ending tragically.

Sometime in December 1995, one Gideon Akaluka was looking forward to spending Christmas with his folk back in one of the towns in the south east where he was born some thirty-something years before. As is customary with Igbos in the diaspora, Easter and Christmas holidays are times for reunion with those they left behind in their homelands. A resident in Kano, Akaluka woke up one day that December to find himself the centre of attention by young Muslims who •Continues on page 30

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FEATURES

...Blasphemy-Related Killings: Any Way Out? •Continued from page 29

invaded his home in Sabon Gari quarters of the city.

What was the trouble?

grievous offence in UI and she escaped. Deborah who allegedly committed a less grievous one paid with her life in Sokoto.”

His wife, they fumed, used a page of the Quran to wipe her infant’s butt. Faced with that challenge, the police stepped in and spirited Akaluka away to their station so that no harm will come to him. It turned out even the police station was not safe enough.

Already benumbed with the spate of taunting attacks by insurgents and terrorists, killing on account of blasphemous remarks or actions is a frightening enough spectre for Nigerians. President Muhammadu Buhari, for instance, found Deborah’s killing objectionable. Muslims all over the world, PMB said, demand respect for the Holy Prophets including Jesus Christ and Mohammed, insisting that “no person has the right to take law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem.”

Growing ever larger and more belligerent by the minute as they marched on, the irate Muslim youth invaded the supposed safe haven, got their man, beheaded him and paraded his bodiless head around the city, chanting Allah Akbar, that is God be praised as the sated procession moved on.

On its part, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) speaking through its General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, said the unlawful and dastardly action of the perpetrators must not only be condemned by all right-thinking people but security operatives must fish them out and prosecute them. In the same statement, they blamed the attack on “the failure of the security agencies and the government to rise up to such criminalities in the past that gave birth to terrorists and bandits. And as long as the state fails to bring these beasts and criminals amidst us to book, so also the society will continue to be their killing fields.”

It is possible that, outnumbered by the mob, the officers took to their heels when they surrounded the station. It is also possible that, like Pilate’s symbolical washing of hands to absolve himself of any blame/ guilt in the imminent crucifixion of Christ, the officers turned their eyes away as if to say, well, the accused brought it upon himself.

It turned out in the end that Akaluka was falsely accused. But the man died anyway. One of the principal players on that day of infamy was a former Imam of a mosque in Kano who later became a top banker and subsequently a first class traditional ruler.

Akaluka

Also playing a prominent role in the death of Sunday Achi a 400-level law student of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi was the Imam of the mosque in the institution, Dr. Isa Pantami, now Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

At the time in December 2004, Achi was leader of ECWA Student Ministries. What was his crime? He was said to have shared Christian religious tracts in the mosque. The action fetched him a death sentence.

The spiritual head of the Muslim faithful, Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar himself condemned the attack, calling it “unjustified.” The Sultan also urged security agencies to fish out the criminals.

In an interview last April, Achi Senior disclosed that contrary to reports then, his son was not stoned to death but strangled right in the mosque for his alleged crime of blasphemy. His ward, Achi insists, never uttered any profanity against Islam or Prophet Mohammed.

But as if giving full endorsement to the brutal killing of the law student, Islamic scholar and cleric Pantami declared thusly: “We are happy whenever unbelievers are killed.”

The same fate would possibly have been meted out to another law student in another institution of higher learning in Nigeria but for the prompt intervention of elders of a mosque at University of Ibadan in August 2010, six years after Achi was killed for his profanity.

It was the Jumu’at service at the institution’s Central Mosque on the first Friday of Ramadan. Of course, the prayer ground would have been bursting at the seams with worshippers.

Among them was a Christian, Seun Olagunsoye, who, in retrospect, did not come to pray. She had embarked on a proselytizing mission to convert Muslims to become Christians. It was also almost suicidal.

Her method was both reckless and unwise. In the quiet of the hall, Olagunsoye suddenly stood up and began to shout at the top of her voice, telling the assembled worshippers that, ”no matter the amount of congregation, you won’t enter Paradise.

Allah is not God; Jesus is Lord. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and saviour….”

If ever there was any sacrilegious act, this was it. And yet, the young woman was spared. No one stoned or burned her to death for her obvious and premeditated blasphemous pronouncement right in the mosque. As recounted recently in the wake of the Deborah tragedy, Professor Martins Fabunmi of UI said elders of the mosque envisaged what might happen after Olagunsoye’s unexpected faux pas in the mosque.

“After the prayer, the Muslim Youths had besieged the female quarter where Seun was. They had huffed and puffed

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In separate interviews with the BBC Pidgin English a day after Deborah’s killing, two Islamic scholars, Oluwatoyin Yusuf and Sheikh Nuer Khalid condemned the perpetrators. Those who stoned and killed Deborah, Imam Yusuf said, are murderers and their actions do not represent Islam.

“

Growing ever larger and more belligerent by the minute as they marched on, the irate Muslim youth invaded the supposed safe haven, got their man, beheaded him and paraded his bodiless head around the city, chanting Allah Akbar, that is God be praised as the sated procession moved on

to mortally wound her till she eventually land in hospital or lay in her grave,” Prof Fabunmi was quoted in the interview.

But the “Muslim elders in the mosque had envisaged what might really happen. So, they rushed out to protect the lady and quench the protest.”

The level of tolerance shown by the school authorities, elders of the mosque and even students was simply astonishing, Fabunmi went on. The institution quickly formed a fourman committee, including members of the mosque where the incident occurred. Though the Vice Chancellor then, Professor Bamiro, was keen on handing the student a suspension, they appealed on the student’s behalf. The VC lent them a sympathetic ear.

Needless to add that the law undergrad was allowed to sit for her exams and has been called to the bar since then and practicing now. Even so, the don lamented the difference in both situations. Seun, Fabunmi said, “committed a more

Described as a digital imam on account of reaching out to Muslim faithful through social media, Nuer Khalid admitted that though punishment for those who blaspheme the prophet or the Quran is death, still the responsibility does not lie with them to pronounce judgment or even carry it out. The criminals who killed Deborah, he went on, would have reported the matter to the appropriate authorities, a competent court of law, say, to try her for blasphemy.

After pronouncing the fatwa on Rushdie in 1988, Khomeini urged the Islamic faithful to execute his orders. “I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of the “Satanic Verses” book, which is against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death,” Khomeini said then. “I ask all the Muslims to execute them wherever they find them.”

By some funny coincidence, Rushdie was to have a live interview on the day the death sentence was pronounced by Khomeni. So, as he arrived the station, someone handed him a printout of the death sentence. What does he think of this?

In his characteristic manner, Rushdie dismissed it, saying that “this was not a sentence handed down by any court that he recognized, or that had any jurisdiction over him.”

Of course, those who killed Akaluka, Deborah and Hannah had no jurisdiction over them but it didn’t stop them from seeing their evil actions through from start to finish. It also suggests religious intolerance and extremism on their part, a point made clear by Professor Fabunmi of UI. “Adherents of all religions should show mutual respect, love and tolerance for others with different religious beliefs and ideologies,” Fabunmi advised. He also cautioned against incautious pronouncements. “Children should watch their utterances and actions at all times. Majority of the youths in the North are out of school children who are bitter at the circumstances that the system puts them. They may attack after a slight provocation or misinformation.”

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SportsLive

Team Nigeria: Towards a Better Performance

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

W

hen the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, commended Team Nigeria's performance at the just concluded African Senior Athletics Championships in Mauritius, he pointed out the fact that despite the absence of some of the country's top athletes, such as three-time Long Jump champion, Ese Brume, Nigeria nevertheless had a strong showing at the competition.

That Team Nigeria thrived, even in the most tough and inhospitable conditions that they faced, was an encouraging element of their participation at the Mauritius-hosted championships and bode well for the country's performance at upcoming World Athletics Championships in Oregon from July 15 to 24 and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games between July 28 and August 8.

The 2022 edition of the African Championships in athletics, which was the 22nd edition of the continental competition, was held in Mauritius city of Saint Pierre, from June 8 to 12. The venue of the competition was the Cote d'Or National Sports Complex and it was plagued by challenges that appeared to have dogged the championships from the onset. The event was originally scheduled to be held in 2020 in the city of Oran, in Algeria.

Amusan

According to the Minister, it was an unambiguous demonstration of the depth that the country currently boasts of in both track and field events. Dare also indicated that, besides that depth of winning talent, the glowing overall performances of Nigeria's athletes presented an unrestricted view of the unyielding positive mentality of Nigerian athletes as well as their battling spirit that evoked them push towards success despite all odds.

However, due to challenges posed against the safe organisation of sport events in the thick of the ravages of new strains of the COVID-19 virus, Algeria withdrew its hosting privileges and pulled out forcing the competition to be postponed.

In a letter to CAA president Kalkaba Malboum, Nigeria's Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare, stated that Nigeria's Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) chairwoman recommended that the country was not in a position to organise such a competition due to a rising trend of COVID-19 instances in specific nations, as well as the broad occurrence of mutant strains of the virus outside the country, posing a risk of such mutant strains being imported.

This was a huge blow for many athletes of African origin who were hopeful of using the ranked championship as a means to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. In the end, it was impossible to organise before the Olympics and ultimately postponed until Mauritius 2022.

Even at the Cote d'Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius, the challenges did not stop. It turned out to be a championships where the weather was once again tough, with severe rains and winds, as well as late programming changes that made competing all the more difficult for the athletes involved. The treacherous conditions meant that some athletes had to be cautious doing their warm-ups so as to avoid injuries that could jeopardize their full participation in their events. The challenge other athletes faced was that they arrived at the venue of their events to realise that the conditions had forced a change to the start times of their events, leaving them with just enough time to self-motivate and compete for medals.

All these general and some personal challenges aside, the Nigerian contingent were fired up to excellence. Not only did they finish in third place and not only did they return home with medals, 11 total medals, some in the team also broke championship records to continue to stamp Nigeria's overall dominance in the competition.

One of these record-breaking performances, by reigning shot-put champion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, allowed Nigeria leapfrog Algeria on the medals table to a third-place finish. It was at the eve of the competition with Algeria assured of nine gold medals and Nigeria chasing on eight gold medals but better total medal numbers. Enekwechi, who had highlighted Nigeria's kitting problems at the Tokyo Games with a video of him washing his only kit ahead of the final instead of preparing for his event, was the man to bring in the new record and the gold. His 21.20m throw not only ensured that he defended his title by bettering his 2018 victory but re-entered his name into the record books as it broke THEWILLNIGERIA

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Okezie

To avoid that situation from ever happening, Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, took up the responsibility of hosting the Games at very short notice. After two postponements by Algeria, first from June 1-5 and later from June 22-26, it was agreed that Lagos will host the event between June 23-27. Disappointment followed when even Lagos had to back out of hosting the Games.

Olatoye

For the continental athletics event organised by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the continental association for the sport in Africa, a new host was required. The postponement meant that for the first time, the event, which has been organised biennially on even years, and which was always held in the same year as the Summer Olympics was going to break that tradition and hold in the year after the Olympics.

his previous championship record. It was a very fitting end to a continental competition wherein the athletes made the country proud, got themselves in shape for Oregon and Birmingham and gave a good account of themselves across the various competitions that they participated in.

Silver with a distance of 2.16m in the 1996 event in Yaounde.

It began with Tobi Amusan, the African record holder in the women's 100m Hurdles. She won Nigeria's first medal of the competition under damp and windy circumstances on Day 2, taking the gold medal with a wind-assisted timing of 12.57s. It was followed by Temitope Adeshina, who won silver in the women's High Jump after leaping to 1.79m in the final. Rose Yeboah of Ghana won gold, while Yvonne Robson of South Africa took bronze. Still on Day 2, Emmanuel Ojeli, Ella Onojuvwewo, Ayo Adeola, and Patience Okon-George won silver in the Mixed 4x400m Relay with a Season's Best (SB) record of 3:22.38.

Team Nigeria finished second in the Mixed 4x400m Relay event, with Botswana taking gold in 3:21.85 and Kenya taking bronze in 3:22.75. On Day 3, the women's 4x100m team roared back into contention, winning gold for the 11th time in the history of the championships in the women's 4x100m. In a time of just 44.45s, Tima Godbless, Praise Ofoku, Praise Idamadudu, and Amusan cruised to gold for Team Nigeria. On Day 4, Sade Olatoye triumphed against Algeria's Zouina Bouzebra to win Gold in the women's Hammer throw. It was a close race between the Nigerian and the Algerian, but Olatoye, who has a Personal Best (PB) of 69.89m in the event, pushed deep to win with a third-place finish of 63.67m, while Bouzebra had to settle for Silver with 63.48m.

Rawan Barakat of Egypt won Bronze with a score of 62.67m.

In other events, Chioma Onyekwere, the National Record (NR) holder in the women's Discus, added another gold medal to her collection by successfully defending her African Championships title from Asaba 2018 with a throw of 58.19 metres. Her Team Nigeria colleague Obiageri Amechi won the bronze medal in the same event with a distance of 54.15 metres. It was Amechi's debut international appearance for Nigeria and the marked it with a podium finish. Mike Edwards became the first Nigerian man to win an African Championships medal in the men's High Jump since Anthony Idiata, the current National Record holder, earned

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In his second appearance at the Championships, Edwards won Silver with a clearance of 2.15m, earning him his first ever medal for the country. Team Nigeria also earned bronze in both the men's and women's 4x400m relays. Deborah Oke, Queen Usunobun, and Ella Onojuvwewo relied on Patience Okon-George's experience with the latter having won medals in the women's 4x400m at Marrakech 2014, Durban 2016, and Asaba 2018.

Johnson Nnamani, Chidi Okezie, Adeyemi Sikiru, and Emmanuel Ojeli got around the baton to win Bronze in the men's division, inspired by the exploits of their female counterparts. Team Nigeria finished ahead of Kenya in the 4x400m Men's Relay with a time of 3:07.05, preserving their position from Asaba 2018, when Okezie also featured. It was all so fitting and brought the overall medal count to five gold, three silver, and three bronze medals, trailing Kenya and South Africa, which each earned 10 and nine gold medals.

Attention must now turn to getting into the best shape for the championships in Oregon before taking on competitors from across the Commonwealth in the Games to be hosted in Birmingham. For the latter, which will be officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games, the international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that is scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8, athletes have already begun to fine tune their strategies for medal finishes.

Already, a World Championship Trial is being organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to get the country's contingent ready.

No fewer than six medal winners at African Games and African Athletics Championship are among the athletes expected in the country for the trial event that starts on June 21. Enekwechi is in the line-up as well as Raymond Okevwo, who won the 100m gold at the African Games in 2019, Brume, Amusan and Oyesade Olatoye. Also expected are Triple jumper Grace Anigbata and Javelin thrower Kelechi Nwanaga. Hopefully, Nigeria will deliver a much better outing in Birmingham than the two measly medals Nigeria brought home from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

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www.thewillnigeria.com • June 19 - June 25, 2022

The Muhammadu Buhari I Can't Stand T he benefit of democratic practices, such as all the accoutrements of the electioneering system like intra-party politics, party conventions, congresses and primaries, is that it brings to the fore an assortment of pros and cons that are endemic to the system, while highlighting specific character traits of the dramatis personae involved.

Quite often, the election cycle unmasks pretenders, while simultaneously elevating contenders. Due to the opportunity it affords anyone desirous to stake a claim to power, the election season also exposes pretentious demigods, who are deluded by their self-styled messianic statuses and for whom everything politics is transactional as a result of which they hold that it is their turn.

The politically astute among Nigerians watched all these play out recently and need no clues to identify individuals within the major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who personified these tendencies and how they flooded the system with a nauseous superfluity of foreign currency to bring about their political ambitions with varying degrees of success. Yet, apart from this aspect of the system, there was another level of importance that the electioneering played. It confirmed some notions that were known about the character of some of the politicians involved, in minor or major ways. One of such personalities was none other than the President and Commander-in-Chief himself, Muhammadu Buhari.

As the leader of the APC, so much of what goes on in the party is aimed at kowtowing to him and it will not be amiss to lay the blame of the slipshod lack of readiness the party suffered, leading up to its belated primaries, squarely on the shoulders of the President.

After initially demonstrating scant concern for the process, as he was neither seeking political patronage personally nor showing signs of bequeathing any such favours on aspirants in the party seeking his anointing, his demeanour gave as much as 23 party faithful the cojones to part with N100 million for the party’s presidential nomination forms.

Then, as the initial dates for the primaries neared and President Buhari had not warmed up to showing interest in the process of electing a candidate nor the convention itself, those who could read between lines were not at all shocked when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adjusted the election timeline to allow the APC to reschedule its primary.

I have said many times, during interviews on television and radio, even in my writings, that President Buhari had privately told his aides and associates that he preferred someone from the South-South preferably an Igbo from Rivers or Delta States as the APC presidential flag bearer. This information came from credible multiple independent sources.

It was this thinking that threw up Goodluck Jonathan, which I wrote about in my article on this page of February 27, 2022, titled "Goodluck Jonathan And His Purported Presidential Bid In 2023", where I urged the former President to stay out of the race. It however appeared that the Aso Rock cabal had a different plan for the president’s successor. They wanted power to remain in the North and succeeded in getting Buhari’s nod to make this happen.

It was not long before the name of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, began to be whispered as an anointed favourite of the president. As callously tone deaf as such an outcome was, given the agitation in the polity

for a change of ruling region, on the one hand, and the justified calls for power to "shift" to the South-East for the first time in our democratic dispensation, on the other, the powers-that-be still pushed for the blessing of President Buhari in their bid to get the presidential flagbearer via consensus.

The obvious dread about going to delegate-voting was that the financial muscle and heft of political will was weightier in favour of party stalwart and presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Without the oil of anointing from the President, Tinubu was impossible to beat. Yet, the backlash attempts to foist a northern consensus candidate on the party by the imprimatur of presidential sanction, which forced the president to retreat.

Without further pressure, the President reverted to his true form: aloofness. That, more than anything else, was what the party primary highlighted for me about what has been a recurring decimal in his composure. It was glaringly obvious and I doubt if I was the only observer of this phenomena that has characterised the president's style of governance.

The most striking public evidence of what I am alluding to was exhibited at an interview with the Buhari, clips of which were shared online and quickly went viral.

In that January 5 interview with Channels TV, in his response to a question about his successor in the 2023 general elections, the President responded point-blank: "2023 is not my problem. I don’t care who succeeds me.

Let the person come, whoever the person is."

If there was any inkling into what had become clear to be President Buhari's standard operating mindset, it was captured in those words. The moment an issue, a

concern, a problem, a subject, a situation is not impinging on his person directly, his standard response and or "body language" reverts to the fact that it is not his problem, as such, he cannot be bothered enough to care.

Buhari may have been responding to next year’s general election, where he has no skin in the game, but anyone who has observed the landscape and his reactions to issues in the polity will agree that this is his modus operandi. It was evidenced at the primary of the APC, where, as soon as he could no longer be bothered about how the votes swung, he wanted no part in the electioneering business, even though the party's flagbearer carries the likelihood of winning next year and will be responsible for carrying on the hallowed responsibilities of moving the county forward. It was not his circus and he could not be bothered.

And, that is exactly the Buhari I cannot stand. The gold standard of leadership involves grooming the next generation of individuals that will be tasked with continuing to grow the leaders’ ideals and expand their legacies while expounding principles carried on from one generation to another. Leadership carries with it the burden of sacrifice and of service, of making one's own the cares and concerns of all, those who agree and those who do not agree. A leader must be seen to go above and beyond to do his utmost in being inspirational and influential,even when he has absolutely nothing to gain and when nothing accrues to his benefit.

A leader is also not to be seen as one who forgets favours, but one who knows that one good turn deserves another And, above all, a leader ought to provide reasons to aspire for more than what he has been served by nature or nurture.

Instead of these ideals, this detestable side of Buhari is eminently self-serving. For someone whose latter day rise to political fame was dependent on the political and financial sacrifices of others, whose contributions eventually brought him to his current pedestal that he had consistently failed to attain on his own, to become aloof when the time came to also make some sacrifices for others with the capacity to give the country a progressive trajectory, such as his own Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo or any other capable aspirant, it is indicative of a callousness that is inimical to leadership.

There are numerous examples, prior to the elections cycle, that bear witness to the President's penchant to remove himself from serious issues that have widespread implications for the whole country, but which do not personally touch his Kaftan. The iconic image of him sitting on a comfortable chair, picking his teeth after what may have been a sumptuous meal befitting a President while the country was in one turmoil or the other, is too picturesque to ignore in detailing this nature of his.

The massive cloud of goodwill that brought President Buhari to office became so dissipate as he seemed unconcerned while terrorists pillaged the North, herdsmen ransacked the country, kidnappers had a field day, millions of barrels of crude oil were lost to official and unofficial thefts, the economy constricted, inflation ballooned, there was capital flight and brain drain, industrial actions and unemployment skyrocketing, intermittent power grid collapses and massive population drops below the poverty line. In all of these, just as Nero fiddled while Rome burnt, the President seemed content to sit comfortably and judiciously go about picking his teeth.

That, right there, is the Muhammadu Buhari I dislike.

There are numerous examples, prior to the elections cycle, that bear witness to the President's penchant to remove himself from serious issues that have widespread implications for the whole country, but which do not personally touch his Kaftan PAGE 32

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