THEWILL NEWSPAPER, September 17, 2023

OnahNwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

We are constantly flooded with images of perfect skin and bodies in this digital era. Social media portrays certain beauty ideals that are unreal. Our beauty page looks at social media’s significant impact on beauty standards and how to endure this era.

Adding accessories to your home makes it cosier. A throw pillow here and a painting there add a touch of style to your living space, bringing it to life. Page 6 discusses aesthetic boosters, those little accessories you place in your home to give it a facelift.

I love a good murder mystery; they have a way of weaving the plot such that your suspicion of who the killer is is always wrong, and it’s always the least expected person that turns out to be the killer. Our movie page reviews The White Lotus, and it seems to have just the right dose of suspicion, so I look forward to watching it soon.

As usual, we have a great selection of music for you; all you have to do is scan the QR codes to access the playlist.

Until next week, enjoy your read.

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

Labour Divided Over Planned Indefinite Strike

Backed Out of Warning Strike

With

BY AMOS ESELE, UKANDI ODEY, CHIBUEZE CHUKWUMA, BASSEY ANIEKAN, ABDULLAHI YUSUF, SEGUN AYINDE, SAMPSON UHUEGBU

All through the better part of last week, attempts by THEWILL to verify the proposed indefinite strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, hit a brick wall.

Some officials who asked not to be quoted, but volunteered information all the same said they were unaware of a “proposed indefinite strike coming up after the expiration of a 21 –Day ultimatum by September 22, 2023.”

The proposed indefinite strike ultimatum is however attributed to the National Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Mr Christopher Onyeka. In a report that gained considerable traction last week, he was quoted as saying that the NLC has given a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, with regards to the shoddy manner the stop-gap palliative measures are being carried out in the states

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nationwide, prompting the union to consider declaring an indefinite strike if it demands were unmet.

Lamenting the manner that government has so far conducted the distribution of the N5 billion allocation to each state and the failure of a series of talks between the government and organised labour, Onyeka disclosed, “We sent the letter to the Federal Government on September 1, 2023, so by September 22, 2023, the 21-day ultimatum will end.

“We have made it clear that the Federal Government has abandoned and absconded from the table for negotiation; that government is no longer negotiating with Nigerians and there is no good faith negotiation that is going on.

“President Bola Tinubu promised Nigerians on his own on the television with the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, that he was going to restructure the committees, but he did not do

that. Since then, the committees have not met and there has been no negotiation. As it is, the NLC is not negotiating with the government.”

THEWILL learnt that what a source, referring to Onyeka's statement, described as “statements by a middle level official of the NLC, not the President or his Deputy or the General Secretary,” was not binding on the Congress, even though the September Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6, two-day warning strike was described as warning strike, which paralysed social and economic activities in many states across the country.

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, for all senior staff associations in Nigeria, ally of the NLC, backed out of the warning strike, though its National President, Comrade Festus Usifoh, maintained support in principle.

Against the backdrop of uncertainty over the “21-day ultimatum,” by NUC’s Onyeka, a TUC official in Oyo State, Comrade Babatunde

...Divided Over Planned Indefinite Strike

Balogun, said the NLC was yet to hold a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting to ratify that position before the bearer popped it.

Even so, both the NLC and the TUC are preparing for a showdown with the Federal Government, depending on how the government reacts to their demands within the agreed time frame.

Comrade Balogun, who is Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and TUC Secretary in Oyo State, told THEWILL that “According to the NLC, they have not held any NEC meeting to ratify that position taken by Onyeka.,'' adding, ''As far as the TUC is concerned, the 14-days ultimatum that it gave the Federal Government to meet its demands will expire on Tuesday, September 19. It is after that day that the NLC and the TUC will meet to decide on the next line of action.”

In his reaction, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said he was unaware of any ultimatum as his ministry had not received any letter to the effect, even as he pleaded with the NLC to, “allow the new ministers settle into office and begin the work.”

LABOUR DEMANDS

However, pending the outcome of that meeting that is expected to hold during the week, organised Labour has lingering demands still awaiting the attention of the government.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress are asking for “wage awards, implementation of palliatives following the unplanned removal of fuel subsidy, tax exemptions and allowances to workers in the public sector and a review of the minimum wage.”

Various attempts by the government to broker an agreement with labour since June 19 when it set up the presidential steering committee and sub-committees to discuss measures to address negative impact of petrol subsidy removal have yielded no tangible result.

Areas marked for the sub-committees to investigate, particularly after the closeddoor meetings that the President held with labour leaders, include cash transfers, social investment programmes, cost of governance, energy, mass transit and housing.

“Even the issue of palliative distribution, it has gone nowhere near the envisaged plan, despite the N5 billion has given to the states,” said Comrade Balogun, adding, “What we are saying is that government should do something more concrete and substantial that would affect the lives of ordinary Nigerian. Why not distribute the palliatives through civil society-based organisations rather than state governors who are mostly doing so through their cronies.”

GROUNDS FOR STRIKE

With resumption of schools during the week and the days ahead, issues of increase in fees have added to the mounting cost of living crisis that Nigerians are experiencing under the impact of the petrol subsidy removal without commensurate palliatives.

Tertiary institutions, for example, have been taking turns to announce an increase in fees by almost 100 per cent, as new students prepare for resumption. Bayero University Kano, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Ibadan and the University of Calabar, to mention a few, have announced high fees that the Academic Staff of Universities, ASSU and parents considered alarmingly prohibitive.

An example is the case of the University of Lagos, whose management jacked up fees beyond the reach of most students, prompting days of relentless protests. Students of the institution studying medicine who previously paid N19,000 are now required to pay the sum of N190,250. For courses that require a laboratory and studio, they are expected to pay N140,250, up from N64,000, including other administrative charges.

Last Friday, the university authority had to succumb to the relentless protests by the students and the intervention of the leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Students, NANS, and slashed the fees.

The President of NANS, Comrade Usman Umar Barambu, told THEWILL on Friday that the UNILAG intervention will be replicated across universities where fees had been increased.

Barambu said he had to intervene because UNILAG had no Student Union Government, SUG, which ordinarily should have carried out the negotiation on behalf of the students in line with the resolution of the national body against

increase in fees until the government pays attention to their demands.

Barambu disclosed that although universities had planned to increase fees a long time ago, the removal of fuel subsidy forced them to go ahead with the implementation, adding that, if unchallenged, “it will affect people from poor backgrounds like us.”

GLOOMY ECONOMY

More than a month after the Federal Government approved N5 billion each to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, including five trucks of rice to cushion the impact of the petrol subsidy removal, cries of hunger and hardship are still reverberating across the country.

The complementary efforts of state governors with 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers, N10,000 approval to civil servants in states like Ogun, Kwara, Niger, Akwa Ibom and the reduction in working hours in many others to cut transportation costs is yet to bring the long-suffering masses some relief. Indeed, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics’ Consumer Price Index released on Friday speaks volumes. It said that Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose from 24.08 per cent in July 2023 to 25.80 per cent in August 2023, soaring by 1.72 per cent.

The report attributed the rise in school fees to increases in food, fuel, gas and transportation costs.

On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.27 per cent points higher, compared to the rate recorded in August 2022, which was 20.52 per cent.

This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., August 2022).

Similarly, on a month-on-month basis, the headline inflation rate in August 2023 was 3.18 per cent, which was 0.29 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in July 2023 (2.89 per cent). This means that in August 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.29 per cent higher relative to July 2023. On food inflation, NBS said the rate in August 2023 was 29.34 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.2per cent points higher, compared to the rate recorded in August 2022 (23.12 per cent).

According to the data, the rise in inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in the prices of oil and fat, bread and cereals, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables and potatoes, yam and other tubers, vegetables, milk, cheese and eggs.

COMPLAINTS GALORE

A common feature among the states that have been receiving the palliatives in batches so as not to increase inflationary pressures on the economy, according to Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, is distribution of the palliatives through appointed committees.

As far as the TUC is concerned, the 14-days ultimatum that it gave the Federal Government to meet its demands will expire on Tuesday, September 19. It is after that day that the NLC and the TUC will meet to decide on the next line of action... Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said he was unaware of any ultimatum as his ministry had not received any letter to the effect

...Divided Over Planned Indefinite Strike

Random reports from THEWILL Correspondents paint a picture of insufficiency in the states, amidst lingering problems of insecurity, runaway foreign exchange Naira/ Dollar parity currently standing at N950 to the dollar.

A trader, Nyong Effiom, told THEWILL in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, that the impact of palliative distribution was more felt in the air waves than in real life.

He said, “I heard that the Federal Government has released N5 billion naira to each state alongside foodstuffs.

“I am not aware of any distribution and no one either in our market union, church or neighbourhood has notified me.”

Still, Governor Bassey Otu has told the people to be patient, assuring them that the distribution of palliatives would go round systematically from one zone in the state to another.

Oyejide Sukanmi, a Peoples Democratic Party Youth leader in Ogun State, is full of praise for the N10,000 paid to workers in Ogun State, but he thinks that a better plan would be massive agricultural programmes that would make food abundant at affordable prices for Nigerians.

In Kano State, where Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has spent about N1.6 billion on the purchase of millet, maize and rice for distribution to the people of the state, alongside the palliatives received from the Federal Government, a resident of the state capital, a widow, Talatu Ibrahim hail the “distribution of the rice and any other palliatives, please, have brought some relief from the poverty and hunger ravaging us."

A poultry farmer in Lagos, Kayode Somerekun, told THEWILL that though the state government has intervened to bring down the cost of transportation by slashing fares on its public transport system, the cost of fueling his vehicles used for distribution was negatively impacting his business.

Somerekun lamented, “The cost of fuel is not just high, but the quality is questionable. In Ivory Coast, which our petroleum managers often cite in comparison, you have three types of fuel that are graded according to price there; that is low, medium and high types, all selling at the same petrol filling station. You buy according to your pocket. Here it is one type. With the removal of fuel subsidy, the price has not only increased but also the fuel appears lighter and burns faster. Before the subsidy removal, I could use N5,000 worth of fuel for a week. Now I am expected to pay over almost N30,000 for the same period, but it burns out in three days.”

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), last week warned that the level of poverty and anger in the country is capable of snowballing into a serious crisis, if not urgently addressed.

The Senator Adolphus Wabara led- BoT board,

which met in Abuja, on Thursday, to review the pending election petition pending at the Supreme Court, following the unfavourable judgement by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu, noted the “excruciating hardship, worsening insecurity and general sense of apprehension and despondency across the country, caused by the hasty implementation of ill-planned policies of the APC administration.

For Angese John, the NLC's secretary in Bayelsa state, "Government should reverse its policy because every family is feeling the pain of harsh policies ... which has resulted in the astronomical increase in transportation, food, goods and services.”

The Director-General of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association, NECA, Adewale-Smart Oyerinde, who during the week appealed to NLC to shelve the proposed strike because he thinks it will be counterproductive and hurt employers and employees alike, however appealed to the government to use the respite provided by the distribution of the palliatives to open serious negotiation with the workers.

He said, “The approval of N5 billion to each state is a step. If the money is well spent it will improve the economy in the states. We are also aware that the government is sharing rice. But, these efforts are not enough. There is an opportunity to renegotiate the terms that have been agreed upon, if you don’t have the

capacity to implement. We are calling on the government to do all that is necessary to avoid the strike.”

GOVERNMENT REACTION

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Lalong, has continued to appeal to organised labour to shelve the proposed strike. According to him, any strike will roll back some of the gains already made by the government. He promised to attend to the contending issues raised by the NLC holistically if given some time to settle into the office.

According to Lalong, , “It has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its intended strike, as such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.

“It should be realised that the cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.

“Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically.''

WAY FORWARD

In an interview with THEWILL, NANS President, Barambu, disclosed that they told President Tinubu during a meeting in Aso Villa on the removal of fuel subsidy, that “the money saved from fuel subsidy removal should be channeled to fund education, health, security and agriculture, which is a major employer of labour.” He said the president assured his team that the government would grow the economy to the benefit of Nigerians.

Professor of Political Economy at the Lagos State University, Sylvester Akhaine, said strike is usually embarked upon by organized Labour as a last resort and urged the government to address in concrete terms all the challenges facing the economy and stop moving back and forth.

“If the refineries are fixed, for example, many of the issues dealing with subsidy removal will pale into insignificance,” said Akhaine, who is eyeing the Edo State governorship on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC.

Attempts to reach the General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, failed. Phone calls made to his phone were unanswered while text messages were not replied. For Comrade Balogun, ASCSN Chairman, the NLC and TUC meeting this week after the expiration of the ultimatum will determine the way forward.

“Even so, we hope that the government would have agreed to our demands,” he added.

The cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs... The issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically

UNICAL Sex Scandal: No Court Injunction Against Investigative Panel on Professor Ndifon – VC

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, says there is no court injunction against the activities of the investigative panel against Professor Ndifon. She also disclosed that due process has been followed so far in the actions taken by the institution against the embattled former Dean.

Professor Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law of the institution had instituted a legal action against the university at the Industrial Court, Calabar.

In the originating summons marked NICN/CA/42/2023 he alleged breach of his fundamental human rights and failure of the institution in following the laid down rules of the institution.

Professor Obi insisted that by setting up a fact-finding panel, the management of the institution was giving Professor Ndifon an opportunity to defend himself.

"We have followed all laid down processes as stipulated by the laws of the university of Calabar in this matter.

"We set up an investigative panel, which is for fact finding, it is not a disciplinary panel that should try staff and there are different procedures in the trial of a staff.

"The best you can do for a member of staff is to set up an investigative panel which is what we have done. If we believed so much what the students alleged, we would have sent him to a disciplinary panel.

"We thought we were giving our colleague an opportunity to come before the panel and say his own story and the DVC chairs the disciplinary panel.

"From the fact-finding panel, we will get to the disciplinary panel, so these are Procedural processes. we have not violated any due process and will not violate any", she said.

She added that there is no injunction from the court against the activities of the panel and so the panel is still sitting.

In a viral audio purported to emanate from Uju Kennedy, the Minister of Women Affairs, Obi said that they did not consider it expedient to respond to the disturbing statement by the minister in the audio.

She explained that students of the law faculty wrote and submitted a petition and protested against the suspended Dean and those who testified before the panel were not promoted by anyone.

My Administration Working Towards Establishing Family Courts in Benue –

Alia

The Governor of Benue State, Revd Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said that his administration is working to address the immediate and pressing need for the establishment of family courts in the state.

He also assured of inclusion of substantial representation of women in critical decision-making facets of his administration.

The governor stated this on Friday at a stakeholders consultation on women's inclusion and effective Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) organised by the Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), with support from Palladium and USAID-Scale.

Represented by the Director-General on International Cooperation and Development, Mr Leo Viashima, Alia said that he was aware of the manifold advantages that the state could reap from a more equitable representation of women within his governance structures.

"It is an undeniable fact that the incidence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) can be significantly reduced when we empower capable and dedicated women to occupy key positions in our government.

"We welcome your invaluable inputs and insights through the International Cooperation and Development Coordinating Unit, as this process unfolds."

He expressed appreciation for the invaluable contributions of development partners, who have steadfastly supported the development initiatives in Benue state and acknowledged NILOWV and Palladium, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for their unwavering commitment to the SCALE Project, which facilitated the crucial consultative engagement.

In her remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mrs Lamin Danladi, said she became a member of the assembly and subsequently the deputy speaker, due largely to the efforts, awareness, resource mobilisation and demands for women's inclusion in political leadership and decision making by the Civil Society Organisations and development partners.

Mrs Danladi promised to use her position to champion and push for legislation that would yield the desired gender or women transformative change.

NNPP Crisis: South-West Leaders Pass Vote of Confidence on Kwankwaso

BY AYO ESAN

The leaders of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the South-West have passed a vote of confidence on the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, during a statutory South-West zonal executive meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

This is as the zonal leaders of the party also pledged their support and loyalty to the former governor of Kano State, as against Dr Boniface Aniebonam.

The leaders have also called on the leader of a factional group, led by Aniebonam and his cohorts, to retrace their step, while rejecting the leadership of Aniebonam outrightly and calling on all suspended former members of the party to toe the line of honour.

THEWILL recalls that Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of the party in the February 25, 2023 poll, was recently suspended from the party by the faction loyal to Aniebonam, over alleged anti-party activities.

The suspension by Aniebonam was later quashed by Justice Usman Mallam Na’abba of the Kano State High Court, last Tuesday.

The party leaders called on all Nigerians, especially in the southwest geo-political zone to support the NNPP for good governance and quality leadership

Those present at the meeting included the National Vice Chairman of the party (South-West), Prince Ademola Ayoade; the NNPP National Auditor, Ladipo Johnson; NNPP Chairman of all Chairmen in Nigeria, who is the NNPP Osun State chairman, Dr Tosin Odeyemi.

The Chairman of Chairmen, South-West Forum, Pastor Peter Olagookun; Lagos state Chairperson, Mrs Veronica Dikko Kila; Ekiti state Caretaker Chairman, Dr Oluyinka Gabriel Folahan; Ogun state Caretaker Chairman, Prince Kunle Ibrahim and other zonal officers.

In the communiqué read by the National Vice Chairman (South-West), Prince Ayoade, at the end of the meeting, which lasted four hours, the NNPP zonal leaders appreciated the performance of the various states during the 2023 general elections and agreed to do all that is necessary to reposition the party for better performance in the future.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (4th left); Daughter of the deceased, Aunty Tokunbo Williams (3rd left); Secretary to the State Government, Barr Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin (2nd left); Son of the deceased, Mr Seni Williams (3rd right); Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Tayo Ayinde (Right) and other relatives, during the governor’s condolence visit to the family of late Pa Akintola Williams, at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, on September 14, 2023.

FROM GEORGE MARTINS, MAKURDI

FROM BASSEY ANIEKAN, CALABAR

Off-Cycle Governorship Elections: Can INEC Redeem Image?

BY AYO ESAN

The Governorship Elections scheduled to hold in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States on November 11 will afford the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the opportunity to redeem its image in the eyes of many Nigerians who felt the electoral umpire performed below expectation in the 2023 General Election.

Before the general election, INEC had promised Nigerians that the election would not only be free and fair but also transparent in its conduct.

First, after the enactment of New Electoral Act, the commission grabbed every available opportunity to assure Nigerians that the results of the elections would be transmitted electronically from the polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal. It said this would prevent the manipulations that usually take place between the polling units and the collation centres.

Nigerians were bemused and totally disappointed when INEC failed to upload presidential election results to the Irev Portal several hours after the election, claiming some glitches in its website.

With less than 60 days to the three off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States, National Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has promised that the commission will deliver a credible election.

He said the commission had learned its lessons from the 2023 general election and that there would be an improvement in the forthcoming off-cycle elections.

He added that INEC was satisfied with the feedback it received during the 2023 post-election review that it organised.

“We promised Nigerians that we are going to hold the election review meeting and conclude it within one month. We started on July 4 and rounded up on August

4. The response has been overwhelming. Remember that we started with the state level consultation with the RECs. We had an engagement with the transport unions and then met with the state collation of the presidential election in Abuja. We had engagements with political parties and civil organisations, among others. So, overall, we are encouraged by the response of stakeholders across board and the quality of the contributions they have made,” Mahmood said.

Asked about the challenges that kept popping up during the review, the INEC Boss said, “Several challenges kept coming up. Technology for voter accreditation and result management are some of the issues were raised and recommendations made.

“The were issues of electoral logistics (so that elections can start promptly), the production and collection of permanent voter cards, among others. We are harvesting all the issues and all the recommendations and those that require administrative action by the commission will be dealt with, but those that require amendment to the existing laws, whether the electoral act 2022 or the Constitution, we will harvest and approach the National Assembly for consideration. So, we are happy so far with the response we have received and the frank discussions across board. The most important thing for the commission is that we have heard from Nigerians and it will enable us to go back to the drawing board in our quest to continuously improve the electoral process.

“After harvesting the information, there is an opportunity in the three off-cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States in November to implement some of the recommendations that require only administrative action by the commission, while those that require legislation, the National Assembly has to work on the laws.

There is also another opportunity for us because so far, four vacancies have been declared for by- elections; Surulere1 State Constituency in Lagos, Jalingo Federal Constituency in Taraba State, Chibok State Constituency in Borno State and Chikun State constituency in Kaduna State

Speaking during the conclusion of the three-day review in Lagos, Mahmood assured that most of the issues raised and recommendations made to improve future elections in the country would be test run in the forthcoming off-cycle elections.

...Can INEC Redeem Image?

“There is also another opportunity for us because so far, four vacancies have been declared for byelections; Surulere1 State Constituency in Lagos, Jalingo Federal Constituency in Taraba State, Chibok State Constituency in Borno State and Chikun State constituency in Kaduna State. So we will keep test running some of the recommendations in the forthcoming by-elections.”

INEC has also said that as part of the preparation for the forthcoming elections in the three states it will deploy 11,355 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS) machines for voter accreditation.

According to INEC, Bayelsa State has 2,244 polling units, Kogi,has 3,508 polling units and Imo has 4,758 polling units.

THEWILL recalls that the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on February 25, 2023, were marred by the BVAS malfunctioning.

However, the commission, during reviews of the 2023 polls, insisted that the deployed BVAS recorded 98 per cent success rate.

The electoral body has however given the assurance that the commission would perform better in the forthcoming off-season elections.

INEC said that 2,400 BVAS would be deployed in Bayelsa State, while 5,079 and 3,876 BVAS would be used in Imo and Kogi, respectively.I NEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood and the commission’s National Commissioners had met with the leaders of political parties at its headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting’s objectives include the review of the 2023 general election and the preparation for the November 11, 2023 off-season governorship elections.

Mahmood, who apologised for starting the meeting late, said that engaging with stakeholders is the best way to ensure the credibility of future elections.

The meeting, the first public meeting by the electoral umpire with leaders of political parties after the general election, was attended by the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and chieftains of other political parties led by the National Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council, Yabagi Sani.

On Monday, July 24, 2023, the commission met with accredited local elections observer groups and civil society organisations at its headquarters in Abuja. These meetings, according to INEC, were aimed at reviewing the past and presenting Nigerians with a free, fair and credible election.

THEWILL recalls that the Presidential election was conducted on February 25, 2023 and INEC declared the candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, the winner, but two main challengers — Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP – challenged INEC’s declaration, alleging various electoral malpractices, voters’ suppression, violence, the supposed inefficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) as well as insisting that the poll was not free and fair.

Aside from the presidential poll, INEC conducted the National Assembly election for both lower and upper chambers of the legislature. The electoral umpire also conducted governorship elections in 28 states with regular election cycles. The APC won in 16 states, the PDP in 10, the LP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won in one state each. Some governorship election results are also being challenged at election petitions tribunals across the country.

The general election was not without some drama and visible misconduct by some top INEC officials.

A worrisome case is that of a suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, who attracted rebuke from the commission and scathing criticisms from Nigerians for improper and unconstitutional actions during the supplementary elections in Adamawa State.

INEC however has said that it has learnt its lessons from the general election and promised to chart a way forward beginning with the November 11 elections.

At the local level in Kogi State, INEC and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have assured that the forthcoming governorship election in the state will be peaceful, fair and credible. Hale Gabriel Longpet, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and Williams Aya, the State Police Public Relations Officer, gave the assurance during a twoday workshop organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) for journalists in Abuja.

Longpet said that the commission has made adequate preparations to consolidate the last February 25 and March 18 polls to ensure that the November 11 governorship election is peaceful, fair, hitch-free and credible.

He said: “We are preparing towards changing the perception of Kogi. I am giving the people the assurance that with the help of the media, security operatives and civil society organisations (CSOs), we will get it right, come November 11, 2023”.

“We did sensitisation to educate people that that will help trigger people to have a rethink, unfortunately, a large number of people lives in the rural areas.”

“One of the positive things that I want is that the media will help in calming the people down. The act that INEC kept telling the people that nobody would tamper with the results but people are still making attempts to hack the results. Most of the ad-hoc staff don’t know how to transmit results after scanning the result and we have learnt from there”.

“INEC has gone ahead to make changes. I have enjoyed a good relationship with the media in Kogi and I pray it will continue like that.

“The question is can INEC walk the talk by deliver good elections in the three states. Will it use the offcycle elections only in three states to prove its worth as it did in Osun, Anambra and Ekiti states before the general election?

Speaking with THEWILL on his expectation from INEC in the three states upcoming elections, Jonas Agwu, a Public Affairs Commentator based in Abuja said he is not comfortable with any promise made by the INEC concerning the elections.

“I cannot believe anything or any promises from the INEC again. With all the promises the organization made before the last elections, what did we see in return.

“Whatever they like let them say. For me I don’t have such trust in INEC conducting good and credible election. If they proved me wrong, I would be happy “, he said.

Also speaking with THEWILL, a political analyst, Ojo Michael said Nigerians should encourage INEC to do well in the coming elections.

“We should encourage the INEC to carry out a credible election. It will be in our interest for INEC to do well. We were surprised with what happened during the last general elections. But we should still encourage the electoral body to succeed.

They should continue with the usage of BVAS and ensure prompt transmission of results to the Irev Portal . By this, people will begin to have confidence in the activities of INEC’, he said.

The question is can INEC walk the talk by deliver good elections in the three states. Will it use the off-cycle elections only in three states to prove its worth

Diri

POLITICS

PDP @ 25: Leaders Vow Party Will Bounce Back

BY AYO ESAN

The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently celebrated its 25th year of existence and declared that the 16 years the party was in power were the golden years for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Looking back to its creation in 1998, PDP leaders said they were very proud of the party and what it achieved in the last 25 years.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the party decided on a low-key celebration as, according to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had “frittered away all the progress the PDP made in 16 years within eight years.”

“Today, the PDP celebrates the resilience of Nigerians in the democratic process and particularly the founding leaders and teeming members of our party for their sacrificial roles in returning, nurturing and sustaining democracy in our country.”

“The belief that power resides with the people is at the core of PDP’s sustained focus on guaranteeing the rule of law, adherence to the principle of separation of powers, personal freedom of citizens, a free press, credible electoral process, liberalisation of the economy, vast infrastructural development, massive employment and business opportunities, among other initiatives that made the PDP years in government the Nigerian Golden Years.

“The PDP administration guaranteed a stable economy that boosted domestic and international investors’ confidence in all sectors, grew the Nigeria Stock Exchange into one of the most profitable in the world, achieved food security through massive investment in agriculture with increased the purchasing power of citizens, which ranked Nigeria as a major development hub with Fitch BB rating under the PDP administration.

“Sadly, all the gains achieved by the PDP have been rolled back by the APC, which in a space of eight years, wrecked our economy and turned our nation into the poverty capital of the world with a frightening 35 per cent unemployment rate, where hunger, starvation, strange diseases and sudden deaths now ravage our citizens.

“Under the watch of the vicious, corrupt and incompetent APC, major multinational companies are exiting Nigeria; the Naira has fallen from N197 to US$1 under the PDP to abysmal over N900 to US$1; petrol, which sold at N87 per liter by 2015, now sells for over N600 per litre. This is in addition to multiple harsh tariffs, taxes and levies imposed on citizens by the APC administration.

“Life in Nigeria under the APC has become very unbearable, such that Nigerians are now resorting to suicide and slavery abroad as options.

“The APC came to power through the instrument of lies and propaganda and seeks to sustain its hold with violence, intimidation, manipulation and election rigging.

“Nevertheless, the PDP urges Nigerians not to lose confidence in the nation but remain hopeful as our party continues to lead the charge for a country where the Will of the people prevails.”

Former Vice President and the 2023 presidential

candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, congratulated his party for attaining 25 years and impacting positively on Nigeria’s socio-economic and political landscape.

Atiku said, “The PDP is the progenitor of our contemporary democracy and therefore, the party shall ensure that democracy does not only survive in Nigeria, but that the country thrives through it.”

According to Atiku, “being one of the founding fathers

of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, I take great pride in having participated in the process of nurturing the party from infancy to a deliberate agency of socio-political and economic development in Nigeria.

“In the 16 years that the PDP was at the helm of affairs in our country, the party offered quality leadership through various administrations and the achievements recorded in those 16 years have remained the benchmark for positive growth in our economy and other critical areas of our national life.

“Of course, the PDP took a leading role in the deconstruction of military rule in Nigeria and the peculiarities of our contemporary experiences both within Nigeria and other countries in Africa demand that the PDP should, once again, rise to the occasion in cancelling the economic hardship and other structural deficiencies that directly bear negatively on our people in the past eight and half years.

“I have every confidence that the PDP will bounce back to give Nigerians a responsive government,” Atiku said. Also speaking with THEWILL, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, said it has been 25 years of experiences.

“We have been to the topmost mountain in Nigeria and we have also rolled back to the bottom of a deep valley to be in opposition,” he said.

George commended the founding fathers of the party, saying “I joined politics because of the tenets that I read about this party. And I am happy to tell you that the PDP is the first political party in Nigeria that has the full colours of our nation, from the Swampy region to the Savannah in the North.

“What did the founding fathers do? I remember a few of them. Late Chief Bola Ige was a founding father of the PDP. He attended the first meeting. You know what they did. They sat in the same room with Dr Alex Ekwueme. Can you imagine that? With Papa Jim Nwobodo. Then Papa Solomon Lar sat with Alhaji Adamu Ciroma in the same room to discuss political union. They tried. When about 14 of them met. They sat and asked, ‘What are these mitigating factors that have been preventing our nation from growing?’ They said, ‘Look, the majority always have their ways and their say while the minority are only onlookers. We can’t be in an association where only one man will be the leader and others will just be following him’. That is why they decided to divide Nigeria into six geopolitical zones. And they came up with six top positions: President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government and National Chairman of the party. So, each one of these positions will go to each zone and everybody will go home with something.

“That was how we started it in 1998. Everybody went home with satisfaction. There was a proviso: After eight years, all positions in the North will go to the South and all positions in the South will go to the North. We will be rotating. So that one day the minority will be president in Nigeria. You can’t imagine that in 1960 that a minority will one day become the president of Nigeria. That was how the party started”.

On the future of the party, George said “We will bounce back. Like I said we can disagree, but we should not be disagreeable. We have learnt our lessons. Let’s get together. Let us get a management team that will be fair to all. After the Supreme Court, we can say let us meet, let us move forward. I don’t think it is still late for us to meet. We can still get together. We don’t want it to go the ANPP way”.

While speaking on the 25th anniversary of the PDP, former National Chairman, of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, said it would mark its Silver Jubilee with joy, saying the party had reason to celebrate.

Baraje described the 16 years of PDP in governance as unforgettable and one to be remembered by Nigerians when they compare it to eight years of the APC.

“It was 16 years of unbroken democracy, revitalised economy and hope coming back to the country. There is a lot to celebrate; the past eight years by the APC in power can be compared with the 16 years of the PDP. And the difference is clear. Nigerians are now suffering. They could not eat well. Nigeria which was the giant of Africa under PDP is now the Poverty Capital of the World,” Baraje said.

The PDP is the progenitor of our contemporary democracy and therefore, the party shall ensure that democracy does not only survive in Nigeria, but that the country thrives through it

POLITICS NEWS

Makinde Delivering Benefits of Democracy in Oyo - Obasanjo

Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has lauded the governor of Oyo State, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde, for delivering the benefits of democracy to the state through building of infrastructure, education and restoration of the glory of the historical Fasola Farms, Oyo, among others.

Chief Obasanjo, who maintained that the essence of democracy is about the wellbeing and welfare of the people, noted that Makinde "is doing extremely well" and that the people of the state have given their mandate to the "right person."

He stated this at Ojongbodu Grammar School, Oyo and the College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin, a campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, where he joined the governor to commission the 34.85 kilometres Oyo-Iseyin Road and the LAUTECH Campus.

Obasanjo, who also joined the governor to inspect the nearly completed Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, Oyo, said governance should bring about development, peace, wealth creation and stability, calling on residents of the state to continue to support the governor. He commended the governor for restoring the glory of Fasola Farms, stating that though Oyo State is already number one in cassava production, it should complement that with investments in livestock production and other crops.

In his speeches at the separate events, Governor Makinde said with the completion of the Oyo-Iseyin Road and the LAUTECH Campus projects, his administration had delivered on its promises to build infrastructure that targets the economy and to make Oyo State the education hub of the country.

In Oyo, the governor said the Oyo-Iseyin Road is a key project that will open up

the zone through connectivity of roads, noting that his administration would continue to prioritise interconnectivity through road constructions.

He said the development would increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state and also expand the economy, thereby creating more opportunities for industries to establish their businesses in Oyo State.

He added that the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin road is of economic significance not only to the people of Oyo, but also to all citizens of the state, as the communities and businesses located in and around the area would be impacted massively.

The governor called on the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to synergize with the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) to explore the tourism potentials in Fasola Industrial Hub; while he also assured that the government would proceed to fix inner roads across the local government areas in the state.

Speaking shortly before the commissioning of the LAUTECH College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, Governor Makinde said he had also fulfilled his promise to make Oyo State an education hub, saying though he met only Tech-U and a jointly-owned LAUTECH; the state now has three universities.

According to the governor, the building of the College and other infrastructure around Iseyin also meant that his administration has completed the needed infrastructure, which successive administrations can build on.

Governor Makinde also used the occasion to congratulate residents of Iseyin over the appointment of the new Aseyin, noting that his critics who insulted the state government for the long time it had taken to fill vacant royal stools could see that he had been working.

Senator Kingibe Extends Hands of Fellowship to Opponents

Senator Ireti Kingibe has called on her opponents in the 2023 general elections to join hands with her toward making the territory a greater place.

Kingibe said this at a news conference in Abuja.

“I felt a great sense of relief on Tuesday night when the election tribunal affirmed me as the duly elected senator for the FCT,” she said.

She thanked ‘Obidients’, and her legal team for a job well done, saying it was time to start facing the work that the people of FCT elected her to do.

“I will like to reach out to Sen. Aduda. There is no victor and there is no vanquish. He has run a good race and now it is over. I want him to come and work with me to work for the FCT.

“Let us, together, do for the FCT the things he would have done had he won. The goal is to make FCT great. I have worked with him in the past and I am sure that is what he would wish for.

“I also want to reach out to Honorable Zakari and everyone that contested with me and others that have always strived for the best of the FCT to join hands with me to make FCT a great place.

“The city has regressed in the last 20 years. It is not the fault of anyone. But this is the seat of government and face of Nigeria; we should make it a place that we would be proud of,” Ireti said.

She also pledged that the Senate Committee on FCT would work closely with Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister to ensure that the right thing was done, and the city attained greatness.

Kingibe said that the 10th Senate was filled with vibrant lawmakers who knew their onions, adding that she had a long list of FCT demands that the senate needed to attend to.

CSOs Task Tinubu on Sustainable Growth

Some Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria have tasked President Bola Tinubu to formulate policies that would ensure inclusive sustainable economic growth in the country.

Mr. Adesina Oke, a member of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and spokesperson for the CSOs stated this at a news conference in Abuja. Oke said that the conference tagged “the Masses and the Economic Challenges: The Way Forward”, was informed by a joint communiqué issued at the end of a roundtable organised by the CSOs.

He said that the essence was to call on Nigerians, locally and in Diaspora, as well as well-meaning members of the international community, to lend their voices in charting an economic course for the new government because of the present economic situation.

“Nigeria has a huge debt burden. Currently, the bulk of its retained revenue is devoted to debt servicing.

“In 2021, about 90.0 per cent of Nigeria’s retained revenue amounting to about N4.221 trillion out of N4.64 trillion was spent on servicing its debt.

“It is projected that this might rise further to as much as 101.5 per cent and 121 per cent of its revenue in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

“Public and publicly guaranteed debts are now more than 40 per cent of the GDP and could reach 46 per cent by the end of 2023,” he said.

Oke advised the Federal Government to ensure that there were no new debts, especially foreign debts, except there were exceptional circumstances justifying them.

From right, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Chairman, Governing Council Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH); Prof Deji Omole; Olugbon of Orile Igbon, Oba Francis Alao; Acting Vice Chancellor (LAUTECH), Prof Kalilu Olatunde and Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr Bayo Lawal, during the commissioning of Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH (The College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources), Iseyin.

Lessons From Libyan, Moroccan Disasters

This is not the best of times for Libya. The troubled North African country under the leadership of two rival authorities is practically at the mercy of a deadly storm. The Libyan floods came as Morocco, another North African country, was grappling with the shock of a massive earthquake that rocked parts of the country, burying thousands of people under the rubble.

On Sunday, September 10, deadly flash floods swept through Libya, wreaking untold hardship across the country. In the end, Storm Daniel sent no fewer than 6,000 people to their untimely death, with several thousands more still missing. The catastrophe was massive. The rampaging flood waters, which came with the strength of a hurricane, destroyed the city of Derma, following the collapse of two upstream dams and submerged the entire seaside town of Sousse.

Now, the United Nations is looking for over $71 million to assist several thousands of people caught up in the disaster as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the United Nations Humanitarian Agency, Thursday, raised the alarm on a possible rise in the number of casualties.

Describing the incident as "catastrophic", the Head, OCHA, Martin Griffiths, said, “Getting lifesaving supplies to people, preventing a secondary health crisis, and swiftly restoring some kind of normality must override any other concern at this difficult time for Libya. Entire neighbourhoods have been wiped off the map. Whole families, taken by surprise, were swept away in the deluge of water.”

Two days earlier on September 8, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.6 magnitude hit the High Atlas Mountains, south-west of Marrakesh, Morocco at 18.5 depth, throwing the 840,000 residents of the area into confusion, with several houses caving in, leading to a heavy death toll that keeps increasing as search for survivors and those buried under the rubble continues many days after.

The situation was not different in Al Haouz Province, where over 3,000 people died and some 6,000 others sustained varying degrees of injuries, according to the local authorities.

The earthquake, believed to have been caused by shallow oblique-thrust faulting beneath the mountain range, is not only the strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the country but also the deadliest since the 1960 Agadir earthquake. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 300,000 people from Marrakesh and the surrounding areas were affected, including 100,000 children.

Coming with a massive force and totally destroying historic landmarks in Marrakesh, the earthquake is the seconddeadliest of the year after the Turkey–Syria earthquake, with the effects felt across Spain, Portugal and Algeria.

While relief efforts and emergency operations continue with governments and organisations across the globe mobilising humanitarian support to the government of Morocco and victims of the natural disasters, the incidents in the two countries are pointers to the effects of global warming and environmental challenges across the globe as the need to be prepared always in order not to

be caught unawares becomes more necessary now than ever

The failure of governance was totally responsible for the escalation of the Libyan incident as the country soon deteriorated into a failed state after the death of its strongman, Muamar Ghaddafi, with two separate governments in control of the country, thus delaying swift action to be taken once the signs of the impending doom became glaring. The big lesson for African countries is to strive to always put a good and acceptable government in place in order to quickly respond to emergencies wherever the need arises.

For us in Nigeria, our government at various levels must always be prepared for emergency response and assistance as warning signals of heavy floods in various states and communities have already been given and there should be no excuse for inaction or any delay whenever disaster strikes as a stitch in time saves nine.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in fact stated on Wednesday that at least 13 states and 50 communities are likely to witness heavy rainfall, which may lead to flooding between September 13 and 17. The Lagos Territorial Coordinator of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, listed the states and communities to include Kano, with communities like Sumaila and Kunchi, likely to be affected, saying Kebbi State, with communities including Argungu, and Katsina State, with Bindawa, Jibia, Kaita, Katsina communities are also likely to be affected. Other states listed also include Niger, Zamfara, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Gombe, Jigawa, Benue, Niger and Bayelsa.

For us in Nigeria, our government at various levels must always be prepared for emergency response and assistance as warning signals of heavy floods in various states and communities have already been given and there should be no excuse for inaction or any delay whenever disaster strikes as a stitch in time saves nine

THEWILL NEWSPAPER TEAM

G20: When Nigeria Goes Fishing

BY FREDRICK NWABUFO

There seems to be a transitioning, a metamorphosis from the quotidian loan-driven articulations, to investment-tailored pursuits and commitments. Nigeria has over successive administrations hypostasised borrowing in its bucket of foreign economic interests. These borrowings have overtime put a cosmic strain on government revenue. Nigeria’s external debt stands at over N49.85 trillion, and with about 73 percent of its earnings used for debt servicing.

In June, the Debt Management Office (DMO) described Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio of 73.5 percent as ‘’unsustainable and a threat’’.

THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT TODAY IS NOT VERY FRIENDLY. FROM TREMULOUS INFRASTRUCTURE, POOR POWER SUPPLY, ASPHYXIATING TAXES, INSECURITY, BUREAUCRACY, CORRUPTION, TO AN UNDISCIPLINED CIVIL SERVICE – ALL THESE CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT PRECARIOUS

The DMO said: “The country’s debt stock remains sustainable under these criteria, space has been reduced when compared to Nigeria’s self-imposed debt limit of 40 percent set in the mediumterm debt management strategy (MTDS), 2020-2023. On the other hand, the debt service-torevenue ratio at 73.5 percent in 2023 exceeds the recommended threshold of 50 percent due to low revenue, which means that there is a need to significantly increase government revenue. Under the alternative scenario, the total public debt-to-GDP ratio at 45.4 percent in 2023 exceeds Nigeria’s self-imposed debt limit of 40 percent. “

In May, KPMG warned that Nigeria might spend over 100 percent of its revenue on debt servicing. Clearly, a shift from this status quo has not only become necessary but also critical for the survival of the nation. Nigeria has a revenue challenge, but with unchecked borrowing, this problem becomes compounded. So, the government must come up with innovative measures of driving revenue as well as enchanting investment while weaning itself off prodigious borrowing.

In August, President Bola Tinubu said his administration was committed to breaking the cycle of overreliance on borrowing for public spending which results in the burden of debt servicing. The direness and exigency of the time demands this forward-thinking, innovation, and discipline.

Borrowing has its edge, but when unmitigated and without financial discipline, it becomes an

encumbrance to growth. Nigeria has played a good hand at the G20 summit in India. The country went fishing for investments, partnerships, -- and not for loans. This is a diametrical shift from the status quo. As it is today, it is much more prudent and decent to go fishing for opportunities for the country than to go borrowing.

According to correspondence from the presidency, Indian investors made financial pledges amounting to $14 billion during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Conference in New Delhi, India. These investors are said to include Indorama Petrochemical Limited which pledged a new investment of $8 billion in the expansion of its fertilizer production and petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State, and Jindal Steel and Power Limited, one of India's largest private steel producers, which committed to investing $3 billion in Nigeria, following discussions with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

Also, President of SkipperSeil Limited, Mr. Jitender Sachdeva was said to have announced that, following President Tinubu's personal intervention, he was investing $1.6 billion in the establishment of 20 100MW power generation plants across the states of northern Nigeria, amounting to 2,000MW of new power within the next four years.

Bharti Enterprises, a major first-generation corporation in India with interests in telecom, space communications, digital solutions, insurance, processed foods, real estate, and hospitality, was said to have expressed its commitment to invest an additional $700 million in Nigeria with work set to begin immediately.

The President was said to have approved finalisation on a new $1 billion agreement to bring the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to 40 percent self-sufficiency in local manufacturing and production of defence equipment in-country by 2027 through a comprehensive new partnership with the Managing Arm of the Military-Industrial Complex of the Indian Government.

A third MoU on Infrastructure Development was said to have been signed between the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria Limited (InfraCorp) and Invest India, the National Investment Promotion, and Facilitation Agency of India.

Going by the reports from India, it has been a fruitful outing for Nigeria -- if not the most rewarding from a single event. The leadership has shown capacity and facility for private capital attraction, and it is essential that this shift to innovativeness is sustained.

However, it is important that the business environment is made conducive for investors. It is one thing to attract private capital, and it is another to retain it. Nigeria is currently ranked 131 out of 190 economies on ease of doing business. The business environment, today, is not very friendly. From tremulous infrastructure, poor power supply, asphyxiating taxes, insecurity, bureaucracy, corruption, to an undisciplined civil service – all these contribute to making the business environment precarious.

Already, the government is beginning to address the constraints to business as regards taxes; I believe it will look into other factors. To go fishing is a more intelligent approach than to go borrowing unchecked.

•Nwabufo is a media executive

Ogbuku, NDDC And The Journey Ahead

BY CHIJIOKE AMU-NNADI

The appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to a fresh term in the newly announced governing board of the interventionist agency offers a few important lessons on how to manage opportunity and promise.

Appointed first in January, 2023, by the outgone administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Ogbuku, who as the managing director served with the former chairman, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, the former executive directors of projects and finance and administration, Mr. Charles Ogunmola and Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.), respectively, as well as a slew of other members in the old board, established a management style of technocratic governance, inclusiveness and openness that has endeared him to Niger Delta stakeholders and the Commission’s staff alike.

The announcement of his name to his old position, for a fresh tenure, was indeed greeted by affirmation and celebration across the region and along the corridors of an agency that has, over the years, yearned for a leadership that is committed to the efficient and effective discharge of its mandate to facilitate regional development. Having been accused repeatedly over the years of failing to rise to the call of their duty to serve their own people, the Commission’s staff, it has been reported, has thrown their collective weight behind Ogbuku’s drive to build a stronger workforce and a more efficient organisation.

For someone whose first sojourn can best be described as brief, the spontaneous outburst of approval may have come as a surprise to many. But there must be many more who understand his commitment to excellence, and to delivering on his assignment to the NDDC and the Niger Delta. But the question to ask would be: how did Samuel Ogbuku earn the confidence of the new President, as well as the plaudits and admiration of the people of the Niger Delta, whose best interest he serves?

The answer is easily unveiled in the lessons his time as managing director of a Commission, which has been heavily criticised in the past for poor delivery on its opportunities and promises. The first May easily be deduced from his history, pursuits and antecedents. And is his vision and passion for a Niger Delta region whose natural wealth makes its lands and people prosperous and peaceful.

As an activist in the quest for a better Niger Delta that meets the long-standing needs of the people and satisfies their expectations, Ogbuku has continued to identify with the challenges of regional development and the difficult living conditions of Niger Deltans.

The Niger Delta region, which produces the bulk of Nigeria’s wealth, has long been known for the unfortunate paradox of widespread poverty, high unemployment, poor infrastructure, embattled landscape and coastal areas, as well as poor social services, poor skills base and youth

restiveness. In the past few decades, Ogbuku has been an important part of the intellectual agitation that continues to call attention on what needs to be done to develop the region, as well as positively impact the people. His emergence, therefore, as the managing director of an agency whose core mandate is to facilitate rapid, even and sustainable development in the region, must have come as the needed platform, and impetus, to help him transform some of his ideas and vision, part of which helped earn him a PhD in political and administrative studies, as well as the lessons learnt in advocating for a better Niger Delta, into reality.

THE NIGER DELTA REGION, WHICH PRODUCES THE BULK OF NIGERIA’S WEALTH, HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR THE UNFORTUNATE PARADOX OF WIDESPREAD POVERTY, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, POOR INFRASTRUCTURE, EMBATTLED LANDSCAPE AND COASTAL AREAS, AS WELL AS POOR SOCIAL SERVICES, POOR SKILLS BASE AND YOUTH RESTIVENESS

As the managing director of the NDDC, Ogbuku has spearheaded a number of landmark changes, new ideas, renewed enthusiasm and accomplishments. While working to strengthen institutional structures and processes within the Commission, he is working to improve due process, financial discipline and transparency. He is working to improve the implementation of projects and programmes, so that they can adequately serve the needs of the people for longer, more sustained periods. And he is improving staff morale by addressing salient issues of commitment to professional conduct of an efficient workforce.

In instituting the public private partnership (PPP) model for the Commission, for which several engagements within and outside the country has already been organised, Ogbuku was reported to have said: “In the 22 years since its establishment, the NDDC has not achieved this mandate, despite what may be described as its best efforts.

PALM OIL IMPORTS GULP N19.6BN, AS CASHEW EXPORTS OVERTAKE COCOA IN Q2’23

EDITOR Sam Diala

Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock Rises to N87.38tr

Nigeria’s Inflation Soars to 25.80% Amid Rise in Food Prices

UBA Heads For N20trn Assets Mark on Robust HY2023 Key Metrics

Despite strict forex restrictions against palm oil, the commodity has remained a major foreign exchange consumer in the Nigerian merchandise trade, data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have shown.

THEWILL had tracked the trend in palm oil imports in recent times, which revealed continued increase in the shipment of the commodity into Nigeria, a country known for abundant oil palm in many parts of the country.

Besides, palm oil falls under the nation’s foreign exchange restrictions; it is among the 43 import items banned by the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Forex Exchange. This implies that importers sourced their foreign exchange from alternative channels such as the parallel market where the Naira exchanged N750/$ against N467/$ in the then official window – pointing to the important role the commodity plays in the economy

The 2023 Second quarter (Q2) Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics (FGTS) released by NBS recently showed that agricultural imports have continued to increase, with palm oil constituting a major component.

Palm oil imported during the period, from Malaysia, was valued at N19.60 billion. This was 33.9 percent higher than the N14.64 billion worth of the commodity imported, from Cote d’Ivoire, in the corresponding period of the preceding year.

The figure for Q1 2023 was not provided, however, data by the Malaysia Palm Oil Council, however, showed that Nigeria’s palm oil imports from Malaysia rose by 353 percent in the first four months of 2023.

Specifically, between January and April 2023, Nigeria's palm oil imports from Malaysia increased to 92,961 tons, up to 72,448 tons from 20,513 tons in the same period in 2022. The country imported 227,035 tons of palm oil from Malaysia for the whole year 2022.

The CEO of Palmtrade and Commodities Development Nigeria

Continues on page 33

BY SAM DIALA

The 2023 interim half-year financial statement of Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, shows strong key metrics that would launch the Tier-1 lender on the fast track to N20 trillion assets mark this year. And this will consolidate its grips on the industry’s leadership. The group recorded double and triple-digit growth across its major income lines at the end of the first two quarters of the year, despite the tough global macroeconomic backdrop and geo-political challenges that impacted negatively on businesses Profit before tax (PBT) rose to N404 billion, representing an extraordinary increase of 371 percent, when compared to N85.75 billion recorded in the first half of 2022. This translates to an annualised Return on Average Equity of 57.7 percent as against 17.1 percent a year earlier. The results also showed a profit after tax (PAT) of N378.24 billion, representing a leap of 437.8 percent over H1 2022.

This phenomenal growth triggered the group’s robust assets performance with a quantum leap of N4.52 trillion in six month ended June 30, 2023, representing a 41.8 percent jump to N15.38 trillion from N10.85 trillion as of December 31, 2022. This extraordinary jump in assets performance dwarfed the trend in the past years when the half-year results reflected a 9 percent growth on the average.

Checks showed that the institution’s assets performance for the 2022 half-year was a 9 percent growth from N8.54 trillion as of December 31, 2021 to N8.99 trillion at June 30, 2022. The Tier-1 lender’s assets performance for the 2021 half-year also revealed a lean growth of 8 percent to N8.31 trillion as of June 30, 2021 from N7.69 trillion posted at December 31, 2020. Assets growth of 41.8 percent in the 2023 half year was more than four times the trend in the past years, suggesting that UBA Plc recorded in one year what it achieved in over fouryears balance sheet growth. This indicates the group’s launch on the expressway to N20 trillion assets mark given the robust performance in key metrics.

Commenting on the significance of strong assets quality, Professor of Finance and Accounts at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Muhammad Mainoma, had told THEWILL that strong assets base is strategic to the development of any

business because an enterprise is handicapped if it trades with a lean balance sheet.

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

A stockbroker and head of securities trading at Planet Capital, Dr Paul Uzum, observed that the strong assets base being recorded by Nigerian banks is a way of consolidating their position against the uncertainties that define the operating environment.

He emphasised that strong assets base help the financial institutions now embracing the holding company (holdc) structure to go into diversification and spread their operations outside the shores of the country.

“Diversifying from an economically unstable country like Nigeria, will give the banks a pan-African outlook, with a more robust balance sheet which reflects in the banks’ EPS (earning per share) and DPS (dividend per share),” Uzum noted.

Specifically, the cost-to-income ratio (CIR), capital adequacy ratio (CAR), cost of risk ratio (CoR), and other key indicators of strong management quality reflected in UBA Plc’s impressive 2023 half-year performance. The components will build on the robust assets size to shoot the financial institution into a more prominent global spotlight.

The balance sheet showed that the lender grew its loan book by 43.8 percent to N4.50 trillion during the review period from N3.13 trillion as of December 31, 2022. It built on the expanding customers’ deposit which jumped to N11.13 trillion in the first six months of 2023 from N7.84 trillion at December 31, 2022, showing a 42 percent increase. This puts the lender in a comfortable position in complying with the prudential requirement of 65 percent Loan-to-Deposit ratio.

UBA ASSETS PERFORMANCE 2018-2023 Q2 Source; Coy Reports

BUSINESS WEEKLY

...N20trn Assets Mark on Robust HY2023 Key

Metrics

“When a bank is in a comfortable assets position it is at liberty to invest in areas that would facilitate its quest for excellence and helps it to stay ahead of the peers,” said Ben Daramola, a financial analyst. According to Daramola, UBA has started reaping from the gains of a strong balance sheet. He said it provides it the leeway to engage in massive investments that would further expand its assets base by the end of the year.

The financial institution recorded N51.07 billion from electronic banking income in the review period compared to N36.32 billion, representing a 40.7 percent growth year-on-year. Fund transfer income rose by 46 percent to N9.63 billion as of June 30, 2023, against N6.59 billion year-on-year. Transactional fees yielded a N17.82 billion income against N5.96 billion year-on-year which is an increase of 199 percent.

These reflect on the lender’s stock performance during the period.

The current share price of UBA is NGN 16.40. The stock closed its trading day of Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 16.40 NGN per share on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), recording an 8.3% gain over its previous closing price of N15.15.

Checks showed that UBA began the year with a share price of N7.60 and has since gained 116% on that price valuation, ranking it 29th on the NGX in terms of year-todate performance. Analysts believe that shareholders can be optimistic about UBA knowing the stock has accrued 18% over the past four-week period—17th best on NGX.

Checks further revealed that UBA is the second most traded stock on the Nigerian Exchange over the past three months (Jun 16 - Sep 14, 2023). The stock has traded a total volume of 4.01 billion shares—in 29,761 deals—valued at NGN 55.6 billion over the period, with an average of 63.7 million traded shares per session. A volume high of 962 million was achieved on July 20th, and a low.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba commenting on the results said the exceptional performance underscored the Group’s commitment to consistently deliver value to its shareholders. He added that the Group made progress in digital payments, retail penetration and also benefited from the effect of revaluation gains, arising from the harmonisation of foreign exchange rates at the different access windows in Nigeria

He said, “The Group recorded strong double-digit growth in revenues and profits from its operations, the result also reflects the effect of sizeable revaluation gains, arising from the harmonization of currency exchange rates in Nigeria. Our reporting currency found a new exchange level at about N756 to 1US$ as of 30 June 2023, compared to N465 at the beginning of the year. The results again demonstrate the benefits of our long-held diversification strategy across Africa and globally. The growth of our international business, most recently in the UAE, only reinforces this earnings quality.”

...As Cashew Exports Overtake Cocoa in Q2’23

Ltd, Henry Olatujoye, has been quoted in the news as saying that Nigeria's oil palm imports from Malaysia will continue to increase in the near term as Nigerian investment in the industry remains very low.

Palm oil is a highly sought commodity among manufacturing and processing firms, which use it as raw material to produce various consumer and industrial goods.

The CEO, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said that the palm oil produced in Nigeria is grossly inadequate, adding that the users would pay any amount to bring in the commodity if it would boost their margins.

“When products are expensive, it has a way of benefiting the producers because they will adjust their prices to maximize their profit”, Yusuf, immediate past director-general, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said.

An operator of a medium-enterprise palm oil processing firm, Emmanuel Ebong said the NBS figures do not reflect the actual value of the commodity that is shipped into the country. “A large quantity of palm oil is smuggled across the borders, particularly from Cameroun and Benin Republic. It is a huge business among the inland waterway transporters plying between Nigeria and the neighbouring countries. They are the real suppliers to the large manufacturing firms using the commodity”.

The NBS Q2 Trade in Foreign Goods report also revealed that cashew nuts has displaced cocoa as the major agricultural exports commodity, pushing cocoa to the third position after Sesamum seeds.

Previously, cocoa (especially processed and semi-processed) occupied top positions among agricultural export commodities.

Export of agricultural products was dominated by ‘Cashew nuts Shelled’ valued at N57.79 billion followed by ‘Cashew nuts in shell,’ with N55.02 billion and ‘Sesamum seeds’ with N38.32 billion.

By direction of trade, ‘Cashew nuts Shelled’ worth N52.53 billion and N4.05 billion were exported to Vietnam and India, respectively. Furthermore, ‘Cashew nuts in shell’ worth N34.72 billion and N18.83 billion were exported to Vietnam and India respectively, followed by exports of ‘Sesamum seeds’ worth N13.39 billion and N5.50 billion to Japan and China, respectively.

The displacement of cocoa by cashew nuts in the agricultural export priority points to a major challenge in Nigeria’s cocoa production which experts have drawn attention to.

In a document titled, “Addressing the Challenges of Cocoa Production in Nigeria”, by the Managing Director, Sunbeth Global Concepts (SGC) - a commodity trading firm - Olasunkanmi Owoyemi, noted that Nigeria’s cocoa production is on the decline.

“Nigeria may be the fourth largest producer of cocoa globally, only trailing behind Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Indonesia, but its output is still comparatively low. Ivory Coast produces 2,200,000 tonnes of cocoa beans annually, while Nigeria’s total annual output is about 340,163 tonnes.

“If any segment of the agricultural industry has shown a potential to improve the country’s economy and contribute to employment generation, it is the cocoa industry. In the right position, the industry will generate more jobs for farmers and other players involved in the production value chain.

MINILS Confers Fellowship on Danbatta For Empowering National Workforce

The Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) has decorated the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, with the award of Fellowship of the Nigeria Institute of Labour (NIL) under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

At the conferment ceremony in Abuja recently, which was part of the series of events marking the 40 Anniversary/ Founders Day of the Institute, the DirectorGeneral of the Institute, Isa Aremu, said Danbatta was being recognised for his exemplary contributions and that of his team to the betterment of the Commission and national workforce.

Alongside Danbatta, the Director, Human Capital and Administration of the Commission, Usman Malah, who is driving the effectiveness of the workforce at NCC was also honoured with a fellowship. Speaking at the event, Danbatta, who

represented by Malah, at the event, underscored the significance of collectively supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of Nigerian workers through increased access to affordable telecom services.

The EVC stated that only through a digitally skilled and informed workforce can Nigeria fast-track national productivity and development, alongside other initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government. Danbatta said the Commission would ensure affordable and ubiquitous telecom services to improve Nigerian workers’ daily activities.

While expressing gratitude for the recognition to him and Malah, Danbatta assured of his continued support to empowering NCC staff in improving skills, education and sundry capacitybuilding activities as well as stimulating the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure for bolstering job creation for Nigerians and improving national productivity.

Meanwhile, MINILS DG, Aremu, commended the Commission for promoting the deployment of telecommunications services to improve productivity and efficiency across different sectors of the economy.

“We have witnessed the amazing transformation in terms of broadband penetration, Internet subscribers and many other achievements recorded under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC and how the telecom sector, regulated by the Commission he leads, have improved national productivity,” Aremu said.

The DG of MINILS stated that the EVC has played a pivotal role in transforming and advancing the nation’s digital space and acknowledged that Danbatta’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and creating employment opportunities in the telecommunications sector has earned him accolades nationwide.

UBA began the year with a share price of N7.60 and has since gained 116% on that price valuation, ranking it 29th on the NGX in terms of year-to-date performance

Cement Sales Plunge 30% Over Naira Redesign – MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that during the period of severe naira scarcity earlier this year, cement sales dropped by a substantial 30 percent.

The association also noted that the absence of cash access during this timeframe resulted in a 20 percent decline in consumer goods sales.

In a dedicated section of its Manufacturing CEOs Confidence Index, MAN highlighted the severe repercussions brought about by the naira redesign policy on the manufacturing sector.

According to the report, there is no urgency for the Central Bank of Nigeria to accelerate the nation’s transition to a cashless economy or pursue overly aggressive policies, as significant strides have already been taken in that direction.

The crisis, MAN said, impacted negatively on the manufacturers by directly limiting their working capital, thus halting their daily business operations.

In addition, the report identifies that naira scarcity had a detrimental impact on the patronage of manufacturing firms by consumers, resulting in a substantial rise in their inventory levels, particularly for retail merchandise.

The report reads in part,“The substantial reduction in money velocity left opportunity for speculation and ignited the creation of a naira black market that compounded the woes of manufacturers already plagued by insufficient forex.

“The naira scarcity wiped out numerous small and medium manufacturing businesses whose transactions were cash-based, especially those within the agro-allied industries who regularly deal with local farmers in remote towns where no formal banking is in sight.

“More unfortunately, the exorbitant POS charges on such cash constrained the operations of resilient manufacturing SMEs and worsened their cost of doing business.”

Also, it was noted in the report that the economic crisis placed the cash-centric distributive trade sector in a vulnerable position, leading to significant implications for both the manufacturing value chain and the cost structure of logistics.

UNICEF Identifies $9bn Funding Gap in Nigeria’s Water, Sanitation Sector

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified a funding gap of $9.2 billion in the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in Nigeria, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Deputy Representative of Programme, UNICEF Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, made the disclosure when she visited the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of State, Bello Goronyo, in Abuja.

Khan said that for Nigeria to achieve the roadmap for the WASH sector, the funding gaps must be closed, adding that tiers of government must do more by providing an enabling environment that would advance the cause. According to her, working together to change the poor narrative will require new government financing at all levels, noting that low water access and poor sanitation are affecting children the most.

She pledged UNICEF’s sustained partnership with the Federal Government to achieve the Campaign to End Open Defecation and Improve Access to Water Supply.

Addressing the delegation, the minister acknowledged the huge contributions of UNICEF to Nigeria’s growth and development in the areas of education, health, water and sanitation.

Utsev said that Nigeria cannot underestimate the huge linkage between WASH, health promotion, and economic growth to help promote inclusive development.

“UNICEF has done tremendously well in the areas of water and sanitation, nutrition and health and the impact is felt in all aspects.

“Nigerian government is also working on its programmes like WASH in schools, WASH in health and Youth WASH interventions,” he said.

Utsev assured UNICEF of the Federal Government’s commitment towards improving the nation’s WASH sector, adding that the government's door was always open for more collaboration with development partners.

Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Goronyo, stressed the need for key stakeholders in the WASH sector to up their game in supporting the Federal Government to actualise the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.

He said that partnership with the Federal Government would help achieve the campaign to end open defecation and improve access to water supply.

The meeting had in attendance, the Permanent Secretary, Dame Didi Walson-Jack and some directors in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.

L – R:  Head, Listings Regulations, NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo),  Mr. Godstime Iwenekhai; Chief Digital Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Dr. Olufemi Oyenuga; Divisional Head, Capital Markets, NGX, Mr. Jude Chiemeka; Group Chairman, Chams Holding Company Plc, Sir Demola Aladekomo and Group Managing Director, Chams Holding Company Plc, Mrs. Mayowa Olaniyan, during the Facts Behind the Figures presentation at NGX in Lagos on September 14, 2023.

Nigeria’s Inflation Soars to 25.80% Amid Rise in Food Prices

Nigeria’s annual inflation rate rose to 25.80 per cent in August from 24.08 per cent in the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday. The statistics office said the August headline inflation rate shows an increase of 1.72 per cent points when compared to the July headline inflation rate.

The NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 5.27 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2022, which was 20.52 per cent.

“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in August 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., August 2022),” it said.

According to the report, the food inflation rate in August quickened to 29.34 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.22 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August (23.12 percent).

Food prices have been on the rise across Nigeria in recent years. The situation deteriorated due to the impact of government policies such as the removal of subsidy on petrol, among others.

Inflation has remained high in Africa’s largest economy, prompting the apex bank to hike interest rates to their highest levels in nearly two decades.

In July, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), raised its benchmark lending rate to 18.75 per cent.

The bank said, “hiking the interest rate has made a lot of difference in moderating the rate of inflation”.

It noted that the option to continue the hike in the policy rate, albeit moderately, also presented a strong alternative premised on the expected liquidity injections into the economy from the recent efforts to unify the nation’s foreign exchange markets.

In its inflation report Friday, the NBS said the contributions of items on the divisional level to the acceleration in the headline index are food & non-alcoholic beverages (13.36 per cent), housing water, electricity, gas & other fuel (4.32 per cent), clothing & footwear (1.97 per cent), and transport (1.68 per cent).

Others are furnishings & household equipment & maintenance (1.30 per cent), education (1.02 per cent), health (0.78 per cent), miscellaneous goods & services (0.43 per cent), restaurant & hotels (0.31 per cent), alcoholic beverage, tobacco & kola (0.28 per cent), recreation & culture (0.18 per cent) and communication (0.18 per cent).

On a month-on-month basis, the report said the headline inflation rate in August was 3.18 per cent, which was 0.29 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in July 2023 (2.89 per cent).

“This means that in August 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.29 per cent higher relative to July 2023.

The Food inflation rate in August was 29.34 per cent on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.22 per cent points higher compared to the rate recorded in August 2022 (23.12 per cent).

Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock Rises to N87.38tr

Nigeria’s public debt stock increased from N49.85 trillion (108.30 billion dollars) in the first quarter of 2023 to N87.38 trillion (113.42 billion dollars) in the second quarter of 2023.

The report said Nigeria’s public debt stock, which included external and domestic debt, grew by 75.27 percent in Q2 of 2023.

It said that External debt stood at N33.25 trillion (43.16 billion dollars) in Q2 2023, while domestic debt was N54.13 trillion (70.26 billion dollars).

“However, the share of external debt to total public debt stood at 38.05 percent in Q2 2023, while domestic debt was recorded at 61.95 percent.’’

In a breakdown by State, the bureau said that Lagos State recorded the highest domestic debt of N996.44 billion in Q2 2023, followed by Delta at N465.40 billion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the report showed Jigawa recorded the lowest domestic debt at N43.13 billion, followed by Kebbi at N60.94 billion.

In addition, it stated that Lagos State recorded the highest external debt with $1.26 billion, followed by Kaduna State with $569.38 million.

“Borno recorded the lowest external debt with $18.75 million, followed by Taraba with $21.92 million,” the NBS stated.

NGX ASI Ends Week Negative, Down 1.10% w/w

In the last trading session of the week, the domestic bourse recovered as the AllShare Index gained 0.09% to settle at 67,395.74 points. Gains in MTN Nigeria , Zenith Bank and Stanbic Bank pushed the broader index into positive terrain. Nonetheless, having lost in three of five trading sessions last week, the ASI closed 1.10% lower w/w.

Selloffs in MTN Nigeria, Nestle Nigeria and Zenith Bank were the major drags on the overall market, negating upticks in Stanbic and UBA . As a result, the year-todate (YTD) return fell to 31.50%, while the market capitalization shed N409.17bn w/w to close at N36.89trn.

Analysis of Friday;s market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 63.07%. A total of 408.87m shares valued at N5.23bn were exchanged in 6,972 deals. Sterling led the volume chart with 82.28m units traded while GTCO led the value charts in deals worth N926.85m.

Market breadth closed positive at a 1.75-to-1 ratio with advancing issues outnumbering declining ones. Chams led twenty (20) others on the leader’s log while Conoil topped eleven others on the laggard's table.

Nestle Nigeria Plc, Empowering Rural Women on  the 7th phase Project in Nigeria, with the incorporation of 50 female retailers from Sagamu in Ogun State on September 11, 2023.

Olayemi Cardoso: Navigating Tailwind Direction in Turbulent Moment

BY SAM DIALA

President Bola Tinubu on Friday, September 15, 2023, nominated Dr Olayemi Michael Cardoso, as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) subject to approval by the Senate.

When (not, if) approved by the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, as the rule demands, Cardoso will occupy his exalted seat as the 11th indigenous central bank governor since the apex bank was created in 1958.

But he is coming at a turbulent time. The CBN has been in the eye of the storm while playing its role as the monetary policy authority. This has made the apex bank chief a household name within and outside Nigeria. The reason is simple.

There is an organic relationship between the central bank and the economy of a nation; the bank’s policies have farreaching implications on the people’s wealth-creating abilities and standard of living. Navigating the troubled roads to achieve economic stability has been a tough job for the central bank chief in the last eight years.

In many cases, the apex bank had to push to close ranks with the fiscal authorities to keep the economy going. Such policies helped the CBN to navigate the economy through the recession and COVID-19 challenges.

policy mandate, the apex bank activated its Development Finance mandates through which it created several intervention programmes.

Currently, the CBN has 37 intervention funds targeted at stimulating the economy and addressing the issue of unemployment. While proof has been established that these programmes impacted positively on the economy, critics question their purpose and results.

The reason is that the economy has not fared better despite the interventions; but the CBN cannot alter its mandate to assume additional responsibility in the fiscal authority space. This is where the economy is today: in doldrums.

Cardoso is going to head a Central Bank battling with monetary policies to address myriad challenges: Rampaging inflation, mounting debt stock, rising unemployment and deepening poverty.

There is volatile forex market, dollar shortage, dwindling reserves, export promotion challenges, low domestic capacity, insecurity, receding investment inflow, backlog of unsettled forex commitments, oil theft, challenge of illegal refineries while legal refineries are dormant.

Coming on board three months after the abolition of multiple foreign exchange windows which led to the depreciation of the Naira by over 60 percent, Cordoso was welcomed Friday with the announcement of August 2023 inflation rate hitting 25.80 percent, and Naira slumping to N756,91/$ at the I&E window and turnover thinning down to $45.88 million. Meanwhile, the parallel market rate continues to soar – hitting N950/$ as of Friday, September 16, 2023.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) announced the same day that Nigeria’s debt stock stood at N87.38 trillion ($113.42 billion). Three ago, FTSE Russell announced that it had downgraded Nigeria from frontier to unclassified market status due to the challenge of investors repatriating their assets from dollar-strapped Nigeria.

The CBN policies that aim to stimulate local production and boost export have been hampered by a severely challenging environment which is not of the apex bank’s making.

Yet, Nigerians look towards the man occupying the Central Bank Governor’s seat for solutions.

A statement by President Tinubu’s media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, said the President also approved the nomination of four new Deputy Governors of the CBN, for a term of five years at the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

They include:

Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro

Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo

Mr. Philip Ikeazor

Dr. Bala M. Bello

Overlooking the scathing

•Cordoso, the Harvard-trained Economist and his team have their job cut out for them, clearly and specifically. The deliverables are not subject to guesswork.

Currently, the CBN has 37 intervention funds targeted at stimulating the economy and addressing the issue of unemployment

By extension, interest rate issues, external reserves, foreign exchange rates, price stability, financial inclusion, gap in the agricultural and manufacturing value chains as well as sound financial system, dominated public discourse over policy actions of the central bank.

criticism from some analysts who argued that the CBN had acquired renewed energy to push beyond its monetary

SHOTS OF THE WEEK

Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mba; his wife, Mrs. Mba; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma and his wife, Barr. (Mrs) Chioma Uzodimma at the burial of late Mrs Chinyere Lovelyn Mbah, mother in-law of the Enugu State Governor at Holy Trinity Church Obazu Mberi, Mbaitoli LGA, Imo State on September 14, 2023.

President Coalition of South-South Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (COSSCCIMA), Mr Okon Emah; Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Samuel Ogbuku and Chairman COSSCCIMA Board of Trustees, Mr Billy Hary, after their visit to the Acting Managing Director, NDDC in Port Harcourt on September 14, 2023.

L-R:  Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Shuaib Belgore; Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh and Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Dr Samuel Ogbuku during their visit to the Palace of the Traditional Ruler in Bayelsa state on  September 11,  2023.

L-R: Minister of Marine and  Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; Executive Director, Administration, Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group, Capt. Ibraheem Olugbade; Executive Director, Operations, Ports and Cargo Handling Services Ltd., Tobi Afolabi and MD, SIFAX ICT, Ijora, Paul Linden, during the inspection tour of the port by the minister at the Tin Can Island, Apapa, in Lagos on September 11, 2023.

L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mammam; representative of the Permanent Secretary; Federal Ministry of Education; Mr Abubakar Isah and the acting Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC); Mr Chris Maiyaki, during the 2021 and 2022 Nigeria Annual Education conference in Abuja on September 12, 2023.

L-R: Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Adeoye Aribasoye; Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ogundare; Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye and Head of Service, Engr. Sunday Komolafe, during the handing over of operational vehicles/gadgets to the Police in Ekiti on September, 14, 2023.

Adewale Oladapo Sends Tayo Ayeni Packing, Buys His Banana Island Home

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

EDITOR Ivory Ukonu

The name, Adewale Oladapo, might not ring a bell in social circles, but in the dredging industry where he is a prominent operator, he is well known on account of putting in 16 years of work and completing about 100 high-end jobs via his company, Oretol Nigeria Limited.

Oladapo became a game changer in the industry when he added to his dredging fleet, the powerful Beaver® 65 DDSP, considered the largest and the standard series of cutter suction dredger, with an increased dredging depth of 25 metres and the ability to pump soil over great

Continues on page 41

TOYOSI OGUNSEYE EMERGES CEO US PRESIDENTIAL PRECINCT

Nigeria's Sexual Minorities' Crisis

The United States Presidential Precinct has appointed Toyosi Ogunseye as its new president and chief executive officer. The organisation is at the heart of public diplomacy, and the programmes it hosts are among the United States’ most effective soft-power tools. Toyosi, who is the second president and CEO of the organisation, takes over from Neal Piper, the founding director. A few individuals are closer to the mission of the

Continues on page 41

•Macaulay

•Dibia

•Azuah

•Alimi

•Makanjuola

What’s Cure For Nigeria’s LGBTQ Headache?

BY MUYIWA MOYELA

Nigeria’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community is currently having a lingering headache. The latest bout of this persistent headache occurred recently in the Ekpan community of Delta State where 67 persons suspected to be homosexuals were arrested by the police at a gay wedding. This was on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

This scenario begs the question: Is the sexual character of the Nigerian society changing? It’s a simple question. Like most simple questions, the answer(s) may depend on the direction of the wind. This particular question is however rooted in the possibility that a growing community of Nigerians self-identify (secretly or openly) as gay or lesbian even as reactions and inherent attitudes associated with these growing social phenomena have been varied. While it is perfectly normal to contemplate the implications, including the healthcare and human security concerns, of new gender identities and personalities, we seem content with reviewing these countercultural lifestyle choices through the lens of culture and tradition, and religion. Yet, like religions, African cultures and traditions are a calabash of beliefs, taboos and open secrets.

Human inertia and possibilities

For almost forever, myths, mysteries, folklore, intergenerational knowledge and insights, decrees, preferences and prohibitions have been interpreted and advanced by our elders, spiritual leaders, communities and families in all shapes, hues and formats, from the noble and constructive to the undesirable and utterly dreadful: like social governance rules that prescribe respect for the elderly, traditional and civil authority; like the concept of communal responsibility for the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable citizens; like the stigma visited on albinos, mental health disorders and persons living with disabilities; and like disgraceful patriarchal systems and widowhood rites that spur abuse and gender inequality, stripping widows and females of their dignity and inheritances, just to list a few.

Thankfully, we still retain many of the prosocial and egalitarian principles of our traditional value systems. Many abhorrent practices and customs are now widely recognized as human rights abuses. Indeed, the ultimate goal of a more inclusive society devoid of malice, marginalization and discrimination can be achieved through deliberate steps towards increased engagement and humanitarianism.

Engendering a climate of humane interpersonal and community relations would require establishing a set of social transparency principles. This means promoting tolerance, communal inclusion and empathy for all shades of individuals, including social outliers. Currently, national, public opinion on ‘same sex’ activities swings between outright condemnation and loud silence. Subconsciously, we seem to be stuck between the orthodoxy of our moral codes and emergent social attitudes and norms.

I reckon our personal and collective discomfort, pity, anger or venom towards LGBTQ culture is simple: intimacy, sex, sexuality and gender identities are like contraband goods while nonbinary gender identification is perceived as an unfamiliar, offshore phenomenon. These attitudes come from our calabash of social and religious taboos. But taboos and the myths behind them often expire. We now have frank, informed and sometimes exhilarating discussions about previously touchy topics like inter-faith relations, sexism, rape, incest, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and well-being, divorce, teenage pregnancies, alcoholism, child abuse and drug abuse.

There was also a season in society when persons with physical and cognitive disabilities were often denied adequate healthcare and mocked by their families and friends, either secretly or openly. That was a season of shame and ignorance. We now appear to be in another long season of considering, denying and camouflaging the reality of LGBTQ culture. As a habit, it seems we tend to deride or ignore what we don’t easily understand. But then again recent developments in psychiatry, medical ethics and policymaking offer us valuable lessons to draw from.

In 2004, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Neurosciences and Drug and Alcohol Abuse at the University of Ibadan published a study on mental health which estimated that more than 75% of persons with severe forms of

anxiety, depression and substance abuse in Nigeria rarely get any treatment for their conditions. 19 years after this study, we have a freshly minted mental health legislation and anecdotal evidence and data from relevant agencies which indicate the rising prevalence of mental, neurological and substance use disorders across our urban and rural centers.

Enacted into law in January 2023, the National Mental Health Act, 2021, establishes human rights protections and promotes community-based approach to caring for patients. Hailed as a progressive and significant step forward in the march to achieving Nigeria’s universal health coverage objectives, the new health law offers a roadmap for other countries on the continent, as it overhauls the colonial era Lunacy Act of 1958 which succeeded the Lunacy Ordinance of 1961.

Re-exploring social and policy frameworks for LGBTQ

While we tend to attribute same sex and nonbinary gender behavior to foreign or western cultural norms, the history and ethnography of African civilizations supplies us with evidence of ancient cultures that tolerated diverse sexualities and gender expressions, according to the historian, Bright Alozie in his 2021 paper titled, ‘Did Europe Bring Homophobia to Africa?’ Dr. Alozie’s thesis is that imperial Europe exported homophobia to Africa in order to impose its cultural, political and religious concepts on the indigenous value systems of our forebearers.

While the jury is still out on this thesis, the occurrence of transgender, queer and same sex behavior across the country is a present-day reality that needs no hypothesis: visible LGBTQ identifiers include the late Dare Odumuye (1966 – 2007), a Nigerian sexual rights activist; Justin Fashanu (1961 – 1998), the world’s first openly gay pro-soccer player; Ademola (Bisi) Alimi; Davis Mac-Iyalla, Ifeanyi Orazulike, Jude Dibia, Olumide Makanjuola, Rashidi Williams, Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955 – 1989), Rowland Jide Macaulay, Unoma Azuah, Bob Actor, the Calypso King of the 1980s and the late queer icon ‘Area Scatter’ – real name, Uzoma Odimara – a cross-dresser and entertainer who enjoyed wide acceptance in eastern Nigeria in the early 1970s.

In the eyes of the law, the above listed persons are technically (and posthumously) in the same police net as the 67 Ekpan suspects under Nigeria’s Same Sex Prohibition Act which bans consensual same sex and ‘amorous relationships’ and prescribes jail terms of up to 14 years for offenders. The act came into force in 2014. In October 2020 at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Rilwan Aikawa dismissed a case against 47 men charged with public displays of affection due to the repeated failure of the government’s lawyers to appear in court and call witnesses. Defense and prosecution lawyers in this case said nobody had yet been prosecuted under the so-called anti-gay law.

Over the last several years, I have observed abusive citizens behavior and police maltreatment towards several persons based on their perceived or real sexual orientation in urban or peri-urban communities. In one instance, the suspects were a group of nurses and health workers attached to a clinic frequented regularly by commercial sex workers and were deemed guilty by association by law enforcement. Two of the nurses, Blessing and Mahmud (not real names) said they would frequently give free medical services and gifts to the cops to avoid ‘wahala’ amid threats of being ridiculed and/ or arrested.

Clearly, the issue is not so much society’s confrontation with supposedly imported norms. The real challenge is human inertia. Our re-examination of the politics and sociology of gender and sexual identity would take us though a complicated and tedious maze of unravelling enduring religious, socio-cultural and sexual taboos. Then there is the human rights angle, ensuring that society doesn’t go down the path of encouraging mob action, domestic violence, hate crimes and repression of citizens. It would be interesting to know President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s point of view and policy direction on this matter. Will his administration retain the status quo or move the nation towards a more liberal consciousness?

While Angola, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ persons, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda are among the 32 African countries with an assortment of restrictive policies and laws, including the death penalty, against same-sex activity. These laws are prone to being misapplied by legal and illicit enforcers, predisposing entire populations and vulnerable citizens to inequalities, increased discrimination and exclusion.

In the meantime, as things stand, the more LGBTQ-related ‘headaches’ pop up on our social radar, the more we will struggle to sustain our populist brand of conservative nationalism and notions of cultural exceptionalism. Our search for a social and policy manual for Nigeria’s LGBTQ society shouldn’t be a national, community or public headache. We may just need to establish the institutional capacities and new privacy, public decency and human rights laws that are shaped by candid private – public dialogues and a deeper scrutiny of the history of human relations on our shores.

Orazulike

Mac-Iyallah

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

DISPUTE BETWEEN DAPO ABIODUN AND GBENGA DANIEL WORSENS

It doesn't look like the feud between former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel and the incumbent, Dapo Abiodun, will end soon. They have taken their dispute to such a different level that both may not be able to recover from, with Abiodun's demolition of a five-storey building named DATKEM Plaza, allegedly valued at N1 billion and belonging to Daniel's wife, Yeye Olufunke, last weekend.

While Yeye Olufunke has vowed not to take it lightly with Governor Abiodun, the state government responded that neither she nor her husband were above the law when it comes to getting sanctioned for flouting the laws of the state. According to the aggrieved victim, the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority had on August 1 sealed the building without prior notice. The management of the complex on August 2, applied for the unsealing and regularisation of the building after paying the mandatory fee of N500,000 to the state government. But again on August 31, a quit notice was served on the building, asking the owners to vacate the premises within three days. While that was still on, on Sunday September 10, the state government went ahead to demolish the complex, ignoring an ongoing legal process. Explaining its own side of the story, the state government claimed the plaza is an illegal structure without an approved plan, contravened the state’s physical planning laws and violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects. They claimed that several efforts made by them to halt further development on site were ignored by the developers. Government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to avail the state of the structural equilibrium of the building, a request they say was ignored. This prompted the building to be brought down. Meanwhile, an Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu-Ode where the building is situated has granted an order asking the state government to maintain status quo and stay off the property.

Continued from page 38

Findings by THEWILL reveal that the demolition of the building may not be unconnected to Abiodun's unabated anger at Daniel who allegedly worked against his second term ambition as governor. Recall that this newspaper had reported how the former friends have been at each other’s throats particularly in the last two years. But just before the last general election, it got worse.

At a point, a former governor of the state, Olusegun Osoba tried to persuade them to sheath their warring swords. His intervention worked but only for a while.

Abiodun refused to support Daniel’s senatorial ambition, alleging that Daniel had thrown his weight behind Ladi Adebutu, his opponent in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and as such could not also support his senatorial ambition. Besides, Abiodun reasoned that if Daniel gets a senatorial ticket, he would undoubtedly want to have a go at the Senate a second time and not step down for him, thus creating a problem for him as he already has made up his mind to run for the Senate at the end of his second term as governor.

Little wonder, Abiodun supported his former chief of staff, Shuaib Afolabi Salisu against Daniel during the 2023 general election, hoping that if Salisu won the ticket, he (Salisu) would be magnanimous enough to step down for him (Abiodun) at the end of his second tenure as governor and allow him to run for Senate.

Daniel however claims that the reason Abiodun is at war with him is because he (Daniel) supported President Bola Tinubu during the APC 2023 presidential primaries, while Abiodun pitched his tent with former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Daniel also claims that Abiodun failed to see that majority of Ogun indigenes didn't support his second term ambition as governor. Also, sources close to THEWILL reveal that Abiodun allegedly believes that Wale Adedayo, the embattled Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Government Area of the state, who alleged that he diverted council allocations, is allegedly being used as a tool by Daniel against him.

Adewale Oladapo Sends Tayo Ayeni

Packing, Buys His Banana Island Home

distances. With the arrival of this vessel from the leading suppliers of maritime/dredging technology, the Royal IHC of Netherland, he raised the bar in the dredging business in Nigeria.

Having made an appreciable impact in that industry, he turned his attention to the burgeoning real estate industry where he has been providing top notch services. But none of the projects he has worked on over the years comes close to his biggest venture yet, which he is currently working on. Oladapo is set to build an exclusive and luxury mini estate inside Banana Island. He has already started work in the area where this estate will be situated by reclaiming the land. While at it, he hit a brick wall. There was no access path into what he wanted to build if one must come into the estate through Banana Island's only gateway. He

needed to find a pathway and the boss of Skymit Motors, Tayo Ayeni's mansion stood in the way. How? The area where he is reclaiming to build the mini estate is directly behind Ayeni's mansion and unless the mansion is taken out of the way, Adewale may as well kiss his luxury project goodbye. And so he did what most people would rather not think of doing - he made Ayeni a mouth-watering offer he couldn't resist o vacate his mansion.

For a luxurious mansion situated on a huge expanse of land in Ikoyi area of Lagos and in Banana Island precisely, where a piece of land will set one back by a few billions of naira, do the maths and then you can appreciate the magnitude of what Adewale Oladapo did. That is how deep pocketed the man touted to be very close to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is.

Continued from page 38

Toyosi Ogunseye Emerges CEO US Presidential Precinct

Presidential Precinct than Toyosi who began her tenure with the organization as a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow and has engaged consistently as a programme alumna since. Toyosi has two decades of leadership experience in journalism, most recently serving as a senior news editor for news and commissioning at the British Broadcasting

Corporation. She began her tenure with the BBC as Head of Language Services for West Africa. Prior to joining BBC, Toyosi was the first female editor in the 50-year history of Punch Newspaper. Toyosi, who recently concluded her term as vice-president of the World Editors Forum, is a board member of the World Association of News Publishers.

FLUTTERWAVE FOLLOWS TINUBU'S LEAD, SIGNS DEAL WITH INDIAN BANK

from the company’s account, etc. Like a phoenix that rose from the ashes of the past, as soon as the case of financial impropriety in Kenya was dropped, he immediately invested in the healthcare industry and got on the board of Lagoon Hospital.

Agboola

Flutterwave co-founder and CEO, Olugbenga Agboola seems to have overcome the challenges of the past year: A former staff accusing him of alleged bullying and intimidation; his company being accused of alleged money laundering and getting blacklisted in Kenya and later having the financial impropriety case against it dropped; dealing with billions allegedly stolen

Five months after that move, he has again grabbed another opportunity to expand his business. Following the business inroads that President Bola Tinubu recently made in India, he has signed a partnership with IndusInd Bank Limited, a leading financial institution in the South Asian country. This he did on the sidelines during the G20 Summit. The agreement will enable Flutterwave, worth about $3 billion, to expand its remittance product into the country, banking on IndusInd Bank’s 35 million customers, including individuals, large corporations and various government entities.

If Agboola succeeds with this, Flutterwave will be the first African company to do this at a scale where remittances from India to Africa become seamless and quick. This latest development is coming just as the company plans for an initial public offering (IPO). Since its founding in 2016, Flutterwave has rapidly expanded and now has a presence in about 30 African countries.

Mudashiru Obasa Free From

'Hangman's Noose'

Being on the side of the present political dispensation has more than paid off for Mudashiru Obasa, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The latest dividends of being a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is being declared free of financial impropriety. His bank accounts, which were frozen in September 2020 by the Federal High Court in Lagos on request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have all been defreezed. At the time they were put under lock and key, the agency said the accounts were being investigated for the offences of conspiracy,

diversion of funds, abuse of office, and money laundering. But the court has granted an order to defreeze the accounts. This was done rather quietly, after an application by Obasa’s lawyers. The three accounts current, savings (both in naira) and US dollar are all domiciled at Standard Chartered Bank. Ironically, the EFCC that froze the account in the first place did not oppose the application to unfreeze the accounts and it also withdrew the money laundering suit it filed. Also, the agency did not provide any specific reason for its application for withdrawal.

Obasa

Daniel Abiodun

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

KWAM1 TO OFFICIALLY ASSUME LATE SUBOMI BALOGUN'S CHIEFTAINCY TITLE

About two months after His Royal Highness, Ọba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, the Awujale of Ijebuland bestowed the 'Olori Omo Oba Akile Ijebu’ title, previously held by late Otunba Subomi Balogun, on the Maiyegun of Yorubaland and Fuji Maestro, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal. Plans are already in top gear to officially install him with the title in a lavish ceremony.

Recall that THEWILL had exclusively revealed that the traditional ruler bestowed the title on KWAM1 at the behest of President Bola Tinubu during a reception party held for him at the Awujale’s palace in Ogun State, shortly after his inauguration as president.

The monarch had sought a favour from Tinubu, for him not to hold any grudge against billionaire businessman, Mike Adenuga for openly supporting another presidential candidate. Naturally, Tinubu couldn’t turn down the revered monarch’s plea and immediately accepted to let bygones be bygones but not before making his own

request which the monarch quickly granted him. He asked that KWAM1 take over late Balogun's title, perhaps as a token of his appreciation to the singer's loyalty to him over the years. Well come 26th September, he will be officially installed with that title. The ceremony will span nine days, beginning from Monday, 18th September 2023 till Tuesday, 26th September 2023. While the 18th of September to 25th September shall be for the traditional rites and installation processes associated with the coveted title, the grand finale will be on Tuesday, September 26 at Oba Awujale’s palace in Ijebu-Ode. Guests expected at the ceremonies include members of the presidency, governors, top dignitaries, royal fathers, captains of industry and many other important guests. To ensure orderliness and forestall stampede of any sort during the grand finale on September 26, KWAM1 has already made provisions at different venues for his guests and members of the public where top artistes in his genre shall be performing, and foods and drinks would be served.

Tribunal Dashes Hopes of Jerry Gana, Theodore Orji's Sons, Others

The Election Petitions

Tribunal sitting in some states has upturned the election of several prominent individuals and dashed their hopes of either reclaiming their electoral mandate or never smelling the position they vied for, at least for now. First to get his petition kicked out was Chinedum, the first son of Theodore Orji, a former governor of Abia State. Chinedum, a prominent figure in Abia’s political landscape, previously served as the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly. He faced defeat in the February general election for the Umuahia/Ikwuano Federal Constituency on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The victory in the election was secured by Obi Aguocha, the candidate representing the Labour Party. Chimedum's petition was dismissed in an unanimous judgment for lack of merit. Also, former minister, Jerry Gana's son, Joshua, who was already enjoying the spoils of politics in the House of Representatives, was sent packing by the tribunal and a supplementary election to be held in 26 polling units of the Edati/Lavun/ Mokwa Federal Constituency in Niger State, ordered. His sacking was sequel to a petition filed by the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi UsmanGbatamagi, who argued that his opponent shouldn’t have been declared the winner of the election because he did not meet the required margin of victory as stipulated in the Electoral Act, 2022.

Ekiti Community Begs Oyebanji to Depose Traditional Ruler

The residents of OdoOra-Ekiti in Isokan Local Community Development Area (LCDA) of Ekiti have asked the governor of the state, Biodun Oyebanji, to dethrone their traditional ruler, Oba Akinola Samuel Adeyemo.

The indigenes, while making the appeal, said thatAyodele Fayose, a former governor of the state, imposed Adeyemo as the Obalemo of Odo-OraEkiti in 2017 on them. They insist that Adeyemo was not the rightful heir to the throne at the time he was installed, adding that the monarch was yet to perform the mandatory traditional rites laid down by the custom of the land. The father of the embattled traditional ruler had ruled between 1975 and 1988 and the mantle went to the second ruling family, which was Ogidilusu lineage, where the Owoniya family ruled for a few years before the demise of the traditional ruler in 2014.

Banjo

MARIAM JOE BANJO BAGS CHIEFTAINCY TITLE

Usman-Gbatamagi argued that his margin of victory was less than the number of registered voters in the polling units where elections were not held or were cancelled. The tribunal agreed with him and invalidated the votes in 26 polling units thereby reducing Joshua's votes and that of Gbatamagi. Similarly, Abba Umar, the son of Abdullahi Ganduje, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC and the immediate past governor of the state, had his petition thrown out after he challenged the victory of Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe of New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP. His arguments that the Rimin Gado, Dawakin Tofa, and Tofa Constituency election was marred with irregularities, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act were dismissed as his petition was said to be lacking in merit. Another prominent individual who was sacked by the tribunal was Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency. Ugochinyere who was the spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, contested the election on the platform of PDP. Not only was he sacked, but he was also barred from participating in the supplementary poll.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, has bestowed on Mariam Jobe Banjo the title of Erelu Osi Akinrogun of Egbaland. She was one of several people bestowed with chieftaincy titles on the occassion of the 80th birthdy of the monarch. The weeklong ceremony which started on Friday September 8 ended on Friday 15 September. Mariam was honoured because of her positive influence in her community and the country as a whole. A corporate executive with over 11 years of banking, business management, and legal experience in national and international business environments, she is the founder of The Jaiye Company based in Oregon, US, makers of eco friendly baby diapers and baby utensils. A graduate of communication from Portland State University with a law degree from the university of Liverpool, Mariam once had stints in SunTrust Bank, other financial institutions in the US as well as in the Gambia where she managed all aspects of the Retails Banking Unit with emphasis on developing and growing the commercial banking investment portfolio with private businesses, government, educational institutions and community with an operating budget of $5 million, a capital portfolio of $500 million and 25 employees.

According to the chiefs of the community, the royal mantle

currently falls on Fatimehin’s lineage, but the next families that were eligible to the throne were both Adewoye and Idowu’s families and not the Adeyemo family. The chiefs said the monarch was not the next in line to the throne as politics was played during the selection period and that unless he is dethroned, peace and development will likely not return to the town. Back in 2019, the monarch was locked out of his palace over this same issue. Palm fronds were tied to the gate of the palace to prevent him from occupying the building.

How Funke Moore Celebrated 60th Birthday

It was celebration galore when veteran broadcaster Funke Moore joined the 60s club. She feted friends, family and colleagues to a shindig at the Ikeja Golf Club where there was more than enough food and drinks to go around. Looking nothing like her age, she first appeared in a traditional regalia and later changed to a floor sweeping number which further took

some years off her. Music supplied was a mixture of old school and new generation melodies. Some of the guests who honoured her with their presence include Lekan Ogunbanwo, former General Manager, Lagos Television/Radio and Eko FM; Olori Adesola Kosoko the current General Manager, Lagos Television; Nollywood actress, Ronnie Dikko, media publisher, Dele Momodu; Master of Ceremony, Madam Kofoworola Abiola etc. Funke began her broadcasting journey when she joined the then Radio Lagos in 1983 at the age of 20 after her graduation from Nigeria Institute of Journalism. She later went to Lagos State University, Ojo, for her first degree and University of Lagos, Akoka for her Masters degree in Literature in English. She retired from public service after reaching the mandatory 35 years in service. A mother of two and grandmother of three, Funke is currently the managing director of Effemm123 Global Concept Limited.

Moore

Ayinde

Adeyemo

Orji

Gana

Ganduje

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

REMA’S UNENDING WINNING STREAK

Afew days after his single with Selena Gomez, 'Calm Down' reached 1 billion streams on Spotify, a global online streaming platform, Divine Ikubor, aka Rema, once again made history by winning the Best Afrobeat Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, the newest category introduced by the organisers of the show.

Rema clinched the award with the same song, 'Calm Down.'

It was nominated alongside Burna Boy’s 'It’s Plenty,' Davido feat Musa Key’s 'Unavailable,' Ayra Starr’s 'Rush,' Libianca’s 'People,' Wizkid feat Ayrra Starr’s '2 Sugar,' and Fireboy DML’s 'Bandana.'

Speaking on Rema’s Spotify’s feat, the streaming company’s Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, Victor Okpala, said the

feat achieved by the fast-rising star, is a clear testament to his artistry and global appeal. According to data shared as part of Spotify’s Afrobeats ‘Journey to a Billion Streams’ project, Rema ranked among the top 10 most streamed Afrobeats artists on the platform.

“Rema has achieved a remarkable milestone with his hit single, 'Calm Down,' featuring Selena Gomez, reaching one billion streams on Spotify. This is the first African artist-led track to join the Billions Club on Spotify,” Okpala said.

“The achievement not only highlights Rema’s growing influence in the music industry but also stresses the power of cross-cultural musical fusion in today’s interconnected world. This milestone is absolutely remarkable for Rema, marking a pivotal moment for this talented artist and the entire afrobeat community," he added.

Bolanle Austen-Peters Targets The Oscars With Movie on Fela’s Mum

Movie producer, Bolanle AustenPeters looks forward to making a major statement with her latest movie, ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,’ a film on the mother of Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat icon. She hopes it will scale the usual hurdles and get submitted for The Academy Awards and possibly earn a nomination or a win.

Directed by AustenPeters herself, ‘Funmilayo RansomeKuti’ is notable for its brilliant storytelling, unique characters, and stunning craftsmanship and is already wowing audiences at the cinema.

The film follows the story of Fela’s mother; from her pioneering days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti.

Together with her husband, they challenged oppression and created the Abeokuta Women’s Union, igniting a fierce battle against colonial

Runsewe to Establish Culture Villages in 36 States

and traditional rulers who stood in the way of fairness and justice. The narrative artfully contrasts Funmilayo Ransome-kuti’s tireless activism with her delicate balancing act as a wife and mother, revealing the indomitable spirit of a woman

who changed the course of history.

The cast of the film includes Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Suleiman, and Jide Kosoko. Others are Dele Odule, Adebayo Salami, Keppy Ekpeyoung, Adunni Ade, Omowunmi Dada, and Patrick Diabuah. Speaking on the project, Austen-Peters expressed her enthusiasm on where the film might be headed. “Submitting Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti for the consideration of Nigeria Official Screening Committee (NOSC) towards the 96th Academy Awards next year is a humbling and exhilarating experience. Our team poured heart and soul into this project, and this submission is a testament to their unwavering dedication,” she said. Funmilayo passed away in 1978 at the age of 77. The movie is currently being screened at the Silverbird Cinema, Victoria Island, Lagos. The movie screening, which began last Friday, will come to an end on Thursday.

Nnaji

GENEVIEVE NNAJI BACK FROM OBLIVION

Almost a year after she left the social media space by deleting her photos from Instagram, thereby giving rise to speculations about the state of her health, Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji resurfaced from oblivion to attend the premiere of her latest film, ‘I Do Not Come To You By Chance,’ at the the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF, in Canada. The film, which is part of this year’s centrepiece programme, was one of the 47 selected titles from 45 countries. It is Nnaji’s second attempt at executive film production. Her first film, ‘Lionheart,’ was produced in 2018 and it opened the door for Netflix to embrace Nigerian movies.

The new movie is a gripping adaptation of novelist, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s awardwinning debut novel, which shares the same title as the movie. The novel’s narrative delves into the treacherous realm of Nigerian email scams, unravelling the poignant tale of a young man grappling with the immense responsibility of liberating his family from the clutches of poverty. The story explores the extraordinary lengths he ventures to in order to secure the future of his loved ones.

Nwaubani’s literary masterpiece was the recipient of the prestigious 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book (Africa) and the esteemed 2010 Betty Trask First Book Award. Furthermore, it earned the distinguished honor of being named one of The Washington Post’s ‘Best Books of the Year.’ In the screen adaptation of the novel, Nnaji joins forces with co-executive producer and best friend, Chinny Carter to bring this compelling story to life. The cast features Blossom Chukwujekwu and newcomer, Paul Nnadiekwe in pivotal roles. Accompanying them are accomplished actors, Jennifer Eliogu, Sambasa Nzeribe and Beverly Osu, creating a dynamic ensemble under the directorial prowess of Ishaya Bako. Behind the camera, Femi Awojide takes on the role of Director of Photography, contributing to the visual splendor of the project. ‘I Do Not Come To You By Chance’ transcends language barriers as it seamlessly weaves together English and Igbo, captivating audiences with its cultural richness and emotional depth.

The Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has said that a plan is underway to replicate the Abuja Arts and Crafts Village in each of the 36 states of the federation to tackle unemployment and boost the nation’s economy. He said each village would generate funds for the state and serve as an avenue for the promotion of the cultures of the various tribes in the state. According to him, arts and culture is a sector that has the capacity to save the economy. Runsewe noted that in

countries such as the United Arab Emirates, there are very attractive culture spots where the art, crafts and cultural items are always on display.

Ruggedman Laments Dearth of Royalties

With that being said, most older generation artists still struggle to find a balance between what was obtainable in their time and what is obtainable today. Michael Stephens better known as Ruggedman, whose music career began professionally in 1999 recently revealed why he never earned royalties throughout his 24-year-old music career.

“Royalties?

Unlike the past, Nigerian musicians no longer solely on album sales and radio play to earn a living. Nowadays an artiste gets royalty in different ways. With the advent of streaming services like Boomplay, Apple Music, and Spotify, artistes can now earn money based on the number of streams their songs get on these platforms. This shift in the music industry has significantly impacted both up-and-coming musicians and established stars. It has helped to make the music listening experience more accessible and enjoyable for their fans worldwide.

Unfortunately, when I finally learned about iTunes, I said let me go and put my album there. I now found out that the album has been there since. I am one of those they used as in ‘‘them don chop me finish before I know say I fit chop am’ (SIC). There was no social media. We were the OGs before Instagram. That’s one of the reasons I have decided to do some new wave music because there’s a lot of money in the industry. I wasn’t getting the royalties. That one has gone already. People went behind me and did it. They had already milked that,” he said.

Runsewe

Stevens

Austen-Peters

Ikubor

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

MORROCANAMERICAN RAPPER DONATES

500 CANOES TO MAKOKO SLUM

Morocco-born US rapper, Karim Kharbouch, aka French Montana, has announced the donation of 500 canoes to the Makoko community in Lagos, Nigeria.

Makoko is a waterfront slum famous for its stilted and floating structures situated along the Lagos lagoon. Some weeks ago, Montana shot the music video of his song titled, ‘Wish U Well,’ in which he featured Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown, aka Swae Lee, another US rapper, and Lekan Osifeso Jnr. aka Lojay, a Nigerian singer, in Makoko. The rapper, however, attracted criticism from his Nigerian fans for choosing the slum as the location for his music video.

In reaction to the backlash, the rapper said he would donate 500 canoes to the community. He said local craftsmen, in collaboration with SALXCO, Gamma, and Swae Lee, will construct approximately six boats weekly, to reach 500 canoes by December. He added that after witnessing community struggles, he was inspired to get involved and to help impact change.

Banky W Hopeful of Electoral Victory

Music executive and politician, Bankole Wellington, aka Banky W, has reacted to the judgment of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sacking Thaddeus Attah of the Labour Party as lawmaker representing Eti Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State.

Banky W, in a tweet simply said, “It is possible. Still.”

Attah’s two opponents in the National Assembly election held on February 25, 2023 were Banky W of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and Babajide Obanikoro of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Attah received 24,075 votes, while Banky W got 18,666 votes. Obanikoro of the APC scored 16,901 votes.

Subsequently, the candidates of the PDP and APC filed separate appeals at the tribunal on the grounds that the election did not hold in about 40 polling units in the Constituency.

Delivering the judgment, the tribunal agreed with the petitioners and ordered INEC to conduct a supplementary election in 32 polling units within the next 90 days. However, Attah has

LASG Seals 8 Night Clubs

The Lagos State Government has sealed eight nightclubs and event centres within Ikeja and Victoria Island, respectively. Some of the affected facilities are Hot Box Night Club, Shades Night Club, Buzzbar, CCX Lounge and a number of event centres.

The state government said the facilities had to be sealed in the interest of public safety and with the aim of achieving zero accidents in workplaces and public facilities across Lagos. It said that it has zero tolerance for violation of safety laws and will continually monitor such facilities to ensure compliance with laid down safety laws. About two months ago, the state government at a meeting held in Alausa with nightclub operators and event centre owners, issued warnings to to them and vowed to shut clubs allowing use of drugs and firearms in their organisations. It decried the presence of underage persons in many nightclubs in the state, saying that it is against the law to allow the presence of minors at nightclubs. It added that clubs’ frontages have been turned to drug sales outlets and mandated the use of proper signages to convey the message of no drugs, no firearms and no underage to club goers.

The government warned nightclub owners and event centre operators to respect the laws of the state as it would not hesitate to wield the big stick on those flagrantly violating and disregarding the

laws of the state.

It also implored all recreational and event centres in the state who are yet to register with the state’s Safety Commission to do so and obtain the safety compliance certificate, while also encouraging event centres owners to obtain an event safety permit through.

The state government added that it would continue its enforcement exercises in order to ensure public safety and a safer Lagos for all.

BISHOP LAWRENCE OSAGIE DIES AT 65

The General Overseer of Powerline Bible Church, Bishop Lawrence Osagie, is dead. The cleric, who was the publisher of the popular Christian Benefits Magazine died on Sunday September 10, 2023. He was aged 65.

“In total submission to the will of God Almighty, the Powerline Bible Church Family announces the transition to Heaven of our father, founder, mentor, great teacher of the word, man of faith and God’s general, Bishop Lawrence Osagie. Bishop Lawrence Osagie, the founding pastor of Powerline Bible Church, passed unto glory on September 10, 2023 in Lagos at the age of 65 years. We thank God for the gift he gave us in our father, and we submit totally to our Lord Jesus Christ. He will surely be missed,” the church posted on its social media handle. The cause of his death is still unknown.

Tems Makes TIME Magazine's Next 100 List

denied reports that he was sacked by the tribunal.

Reacting, Attah said he was not sacked. According to him, the tribunal ordered a supplementary election in the 32 polling units where the election did not hold.

“No cause for alarm! I am here to clarify that I was not sacked.

The Tribunal has simply ordered a re-run supplementary election in the 32 polling units where elections did not hold. We will continue working for Eti-osa. I

urge constituents to keep calm as we are unshaken. We will get through this together,” he said. Meanwhile, just three months after the inauguration of the national assembly, Atth already began to deliver the dividends of democracy to members of his constituents. He procured five 500kva transformers and allocated them to Addo/Badore and Sangotedo communities in EtiOsa area of Lagos State to address the ongoing power issues affecting the communities.

Singer and songwriter, Temilade Openiyi aka Tems, has received a nod by TIME magazine as a leading voice in the international music industry. The music star was named as one of the people who have achieved peak influence in their fields in the 2023 TIME’s Next 100 list.

Tems in the

publication was compared to legendary musician, Nina Simone, because they both sing with emotion and conviction with hopes that one day, she will become one of the biggest artistes of her time.

Tems was also described as being in a class all by herself because no other artist sounds like her with her voice so unique and original.

Sanwo-Olu

Kharbouch

Attah and Wellington

Openiyi

Osagie

HIM Afolabi Laoye: From Pulpit to Throne

biographer, Dotun Oyelade, in a tribute published in The Guardian when the Soun turned 90 in 2016, the Oba-to-be met and spoke with Ooni Adesoji and Oba Ariwajoye one-onone concerning the military governor’s intransigence.

After a series of highprofile consultations and meetings with commissioners and relevant authorities in the state, the military governor capitulated. Oba Oyewumi wore his crown and the coronation went swimmingly. ‘’It was obvious at the time,” Rotimi later said in deference to the new monarch, “that even if you do not love him, you learn to respect him.’’

succeeding Oba Oyewumi who died in December 2021. Of course, the new king’s path to the throne was not easy, which accounted for the delay in the kingmakers selecting a new monarch. For starters, Alhaji Abdulwahab Laoye, chairman of the Screening Committee of the Laoye ruling house once let on that Prince Afolabi had not been cleared by the family. But High Chief Sobaloju Otolorin, Head of the kingmakers in Ogbomosho and Aare Ago of the ancient city discounted that view almost immediately.

According to the senior traditional ruler and leader of the kingmakers, “the problem began when all members of their so-called screening committee put the names of their children and nephews forward, because of that they couldn’t resolve it. For instance, their Mogaji had three nominees, the family secretary had his child, another family head called Cashman had his nominee, and one Alhaji Wahab (Chairman of their screening committee) had his own, every one of them. That is why they couldn’t resolve it. So, they had 23 names which they brought to us and we asked them if all of them are eligible and they said yes, that was why they sold forms to all of them.

“They forwarded the names to the local government in accordance with the law and the council sent the list to us which

BY MICHAEL JIMOH

Just before his coronation on December 14, 1973, erstwhile Soun of Ogbomosho Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III had a run-in with Brigadier Oluwole Rotimi who was military administrator of Oyo state at the time. Vested with the authority to appoint or dethrone traditional rulers in his domain, the soldier forbade Oba Oyewumi from wearing the beaded crown on coronation day or else…

The monarch refused, insisting he will and must wear the very symbol of authority passed on from generation to generation by his forebears. The military administrator was not amused. Nor was he alone. Massed against Oba Oyewumi were some traditional rulers as well, led by Ooni of Ife Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba William Ayeni Ariwajoye the Orangun of Ila. According to Oba Oyewumi’s

Oba Oyewumi reigned for nearly half a century from when he ascended the throne on December 14 1973 to December 12 2021 when he passed on. For his successor Prince Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye crowned Soun of Ogbomosho on September 8 at Ogbomosho, he didn’t have to contend with military officers or even rival traditional rulers. His own war was personal, a battle with his conscience.

Until his investiture by the kingmakers, he was a top-rated pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, overseeing the entire parish in North America headquartered in Washington DC.

So, there was that niggling doubt he might just not forsake the pulpit where he has been for decades for a throne he is unlikely to abdicate for whatever reason. By his own account, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, prevailed on him to take up his traditional responsibility. In other words, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, as the scripture enjoins.

On Friday September 8, Prince Olaoye was duly crowned Soun of Ogbomosho thus

“We had chosen in the best interest of Ogbomosholand...No ruling house has power in law to screen any aspirant, what they can do is to cajole, appeal and encourage their princes to step down for one another, they can’t screen them. It is only the kingmakers that have the power to screen. And that we have done and submitted the name to the governor. They can say whatever they like, it is water under the bridge

...From Pulpit to Throne

we consequently considered with local government officers as observers. That is where the assignment of the family ends. We invited them one by one to interview them and we found useful information furnished by the family on each of them.

“The first question we threw at them is that you knew there was more than one religion being practised in Ogbomosho - Traditional, Christianity and Islam, whether they were ready to embrace the three religions. Each of them said yes.

“We also told them it was not a matter of saying l have N10 million in my account, it is beyond that. In the first place, the palace is now empty. You have to replace everything from furniture to the last thing. In addition, we informed them there were many court cases pending, the burden of which you would shoulder for years, we let each of them know that whoever would rise to the throne would have to be adequately prepared for the financial burden. Furthermore, there are staff in the palace, most of whom are not being paid by the government but by the late Oba. So, we told them this was an additional responsibility and they all agreed, yes.

“We further told them that on Fridays, members of the royal families and others did come to the palace to be feted by the late Oba that there won’t be government assistance. All this is documented by the local government officers who sat as observers.

“We now went through their CVs and seriously considered who had the wherewithal to step into the gigantic shoes, we considered their profiles meticulously, this is not a matter of saying I am a pensioner.

“However, before this time, their screening committee members and other clans’ heads were trying to approach us to seek undue advantage for their preferred candidate. I was ready to swear with the Bible that Ghandi never came here. I never knew him. I spoke to him for the first time on the day of the interview and he even used a face mask. Though, on the day we held the eighth-day Fidau of the late Baba Soun, he also came and some people pointed to him, saying that was another eligible prince but he also used a face mask. And then he came with former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he came to pay a condolence visit on the demise of the late Oba and again he used a face mask, so I never knew him.

“I am saying categorically that what we did was not based on religion, if a Babalawo had the best profile, we would have chosen him. We need someone who is capable financially and who has impressive clout, someone who will not be taken for granted in the comity of Obas, Ogbomosho is beyond that, we need someone who can hold his own among other Obas.”

Of course, nothing suggests the new monarch will not in the company of Ooni of Ife, for instance, or any other high-profile monarch in Yorubaland for that matter. In traditional attires or in bespoke suits, clean shaven or with his John Player silver beards, Oba Olaoye is every inch the royalty he has always been. With a first degree in English and Literary Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife (1982) Oba Olaoye went to University of Ibadan for his Masters’ degree (1987) in Industrial and Labour Relations specializing in Human Resource Management. All of that and his ministerial duties would have prepared him for his duties as a king to wit: Solomonic wisdom and fairness coupled with the ability to listen to his subjects with avuncular patience.

With the title - Orumogege III – in deference to a former monarch and Soun – Oba Olaoye is married to a pastor like him, Omo Olaoye. She founded and oversees Jesus Women Ministries which “addresses pertinent women’s issues from birth to old age, with a view to positively affecting these areas in line with the Word of God.” They have two daughters. The new king has served RCCG in three countries – Nigeria, Germany and the United States where he was in charge of Conventions and Special Projects in RCCG North America.

Oba Olaoye is an accomplished businessman with awards. The African Business Roundtable conferred one such award on him: Youth Empowerment and Positive Mentoring of Africans in the Diaspora Award in December 2008.

Though a case is pending in court instituted by the Laoye ruling house against the selection of Oba Olaoye with judgment fixed for October 3, it does seem that the monarch has come to stay and nothing can dislodge him from the throne however much his traducers try.

On the day of coronation itself, the whole of Ogbomoso was in a state of excitement, delighted they have been presented with a monarch befitting of the throne left vacant by Oba Oyewumi. What’s more, the king has the full backing of Chief Sobaloju Otolorin.

Hear his last words on the matter: “We had chosen in the best interest of Ogbomosoland. They now went to hold a press conference, which was of no consequence. No ruling house has power in law to screen any aspirant, what they can do is to cajole, appeal and encourage their princes to step down for one another, they can’t screen them. It is only the kingmakers that have the power to screen. And that we have done and submitted the name to the governor. They can say whatever they like, it is water under the bridge. If we collected money, would l be free to sit comfortably in my home like this? I didn’t collect money from anyone, it is an unfounded rumour. Let me repeat this, all the Laoye clans’ heads came individually to solicit for their children and we did not oblige them. Ask them. And they all promised to abide by the outcome.

“Now they are saying Gandhi is not their child. You put together 23 names and his name was number 13, you sold the form to him and you interviewed him at the Town Hall. And you are now saying you don’t know him. Yet, his father contested the throne in the past though you didn’t support him. I just knew his father and l were together on the Board of Directors of the Ogbomosho Community Bank, he (Prince Oladunni Olaoye) was made the Chairman of the Board after Alata left. It is some of them that told me recently that that was his father, just recently, it is the same people that are now saying he is not of their family again. Everything is in the hands of God.”

In traditional attires or in bespoke suits, clean shaven or with his John Player silver beards, Oba Olaoye is every inch the royalty he has always been

Unravelling Consequences of Frequent Delays in NPL Kickoff

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

The Nigerian Premier League (NPL), the pinnacle of professional football in Nigeria, has been grappling with a recurrent issue that has marred its reputation in recent years: The frequent postponements and delay of its season commencement.

The most recent setback came in the form of an indefinite suspension of the scheduled kickoff date, initially scheduled for August 26 for the 2023/2024 season, then moved to September 9, 2023, before it was called off indefinitely. This regrettable occurrence follows a familiar pattern: The league's opening gets deferred repeatedly, often at the eleventh hour, due to a myriad of logistical and administrative issues.

However, to concretely grasp the gravity of the impact of infrequent commencement of the NPL on the initial dates scheduled for kickoff, there is the need to take a step back into history.

Last season, the NPL was forced to play an abridged version of the football league due to some issues that led to its postponement on several occasions.

It is a fact that that season was delayed by several months due to the

legal dispute between the NFF and the League Management Company (LMC), which resulted in the dissolution of the latter and the formation of the now operational Interim Management Company (IMC). Yet, it was to the disadvantage of the entire professional domestic football that the IMC had to start the league in October 2022, leaving only eight months to complete the season before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November last year.

To ensure uniformity with global football leagues and to align Nigeria's football calendar with the European leagues, which run from August to May, the IMC opted for an abridged calendar. This enabled the 2022/2023 domestic football to avoid clashing with major international tournaments and also facilitate transfers and loans of players between the continents. The proposal for the abridged league saw the IMC divide the 20 teams into two groups of 10 each, based on their geographical locations. The top two teams in each group ended up competing in a Super Four tournament that ultimately decided the league champions. The IMC accepted the proposal and inaugurated the abridged league and hostilities kicked off on October 19, 2022, which was won by Finidi George's Enyimba International of Aba.

It goes without saying that these postponements are not a new phenomenon in the NPL; they have been recurring for years. However, the recent upsurge in frequency has drawn increasing concern. It is essential to acknowledge that the IMC has cited reasons for the latest postponement. It explained that it was necessary ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Football Federation

Beyond the borders of Nigeria, these frequent disruptions portray the NPL as a disorganised league lacking professionalism in its administration

George

...Frequent Delays in NPL Kickoff

disruptions persist unchecked, the interest of these younger fans in the domestic league is at risk of fading away.

Rescheduling matches and startup schedules create a domino effect of logistical chaos for all stakeholders involved: clubs, players, match officials, sponsors, and media partners. Conflicts arise with other schedules, including continental club competitions. The congested fixture list later in the season, when the season eventually gets into full swing, increases the risk of injuries and negatively impacts the overall quality of performance on the field. The disorder trickles down to the grassroots level as lower-league and youth competitions structured around the NPL calendar are also adversely affected. Young talents waiting to showcase their skills get fewer opportunities due to cancelled league openers and condensed seasons.

It is not just the clubs and fans that suffer. Nigeria's national teams are also adversely affected by these delayed league commencements. The homebased players, who are crucial to the success of the national teams, find themselves at a disadvantage. With foreign leagues already in full swing, these players have a shortened period to attain peak match fitness before joining national team camps, when they are invited for major tournaments like AFCON and World Cup qualifiers. It also hampers their participation in the

with administrative issues that delay season takeoffs year after year.

To further underscore the severity of the situation, it is worth taking a comparative view at other football leagues in Africa. The domestic football leagues in several African countries have already kicked off for the 2023/2024 season, while the NPFL in Nigeria is still facing uncertainty. The Tunisian Ligue 1, Botola Pro, kicked off August 25 with a 2-1 match between MAS Fes and MAT Tetouan. South Africa's Premier Soccer League commenced on August 4 with Mamelodi Sundowns beginning the season with an away win against Sekhukhune United. The Ligue 1 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began at the end of August while the Premier League in Tanzania kicked off on August 15.

In contrast, the NPL's recurrent postponements portray it as an outlier unable to meet timelines and honour fixtures as scheduled. This reflects poorly on the league's image abroad and raises doubts about its credibility as a viable destination for foreign investment and partnerships. For the NPL to shed its reputation of perpetual uncertainty, a root-and-branch reform of its management and operations is urgently required.

(NFF), which was held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL board, Davidson Owumi, stated that everything was set for the kickoff, but due to representations from multiple stakeholders and complex logistics involved in having their Chairman and Clubs leadership travel from Ibadan to Uyo, the kickoff had to be postponed. Another reason for the delay was the integration of advanced technologies like AI cameras across 10 of the domestic stadiums to elevate the standards of coverage and fan participation.

Yet, the recurrence of these disruptions hints at deeper, systemic problems within the league's administration. It also has far-reaching repercussions. One of the most immediate consequences of these frequent postponements is the significant loss of momentum and fitness by the participating teams.

Preseason activities are meticulously planned to prepare teams for the rigorous league ahead. Delays disrupt these preparations, leading to a lack of match sharpness and fitness. Prolonged breaks between seasons can render preseason training ineffective, and the stop-start nature at the season's commencement increases the risk of injuries as players are thrust suddenly into competitive matches after extended layoffs.

Also, there are the fans to consider. For the ardent supporters who eagerly anticipate the new season, these postponements are nothing short of a heartbreak. The excitement and engagement that usually accompanies the start of the league dwindles as delays continue to push back matchdays.

The perpetual uncertainty also takes a toll on ticket sales and match attendance, as fans lose enthusiasm. This disenfranchisement of the league's core fanbase has severe long-term consequences, especially for the domestic game that is beginning to get fans back in their numbers at the local League stadiums.

These delays disconnect supporters, particularly the younger generation who represent the future of Nigerian football fandom. If these seasonal

CHAN continental tournament, reserved for only players in the domestic leagues of participating countries. Consequently, national team coaches hesitate to include them in the senior team squad selection for friendlies, continental and international competitions, which impedes the development of domestic talent and limits the selection options for national team coaches.

Beyond the borders of Nigeria, these frequent disruptions portray the NPL as a disorganised league lacking professionalism in its administration. This negative perception can significantly damage Nigeria's reputation and undermine the progress made to elevate the league's profile globally. Potential foreign partners and investors, which are of immense importance to the success of the League, get discouraged as the recurrent instability raises doubts about the league's prospects. Global interest in the NPL declines if it keeps grappling

The financial losses incurred by clubs, players, sponsors, and other stakeholders due to postponed matches also deserve closer examination. With no games held, clubs lose out on crucial matchday, broadcasting, and commercial revenues. This directly impacts their sustainability, especially for smaller clubs with inadequate finances. Players suffer salary cuts and loss of bonuses tied to appearances and performances. Sponsors fail to obtain value for their investments linked to brand exposure and activations around scheduled games. These monetary constraints have a domino effect on investments in infrastructure, player contracts, and other long-term growth plans.

Another area warranting deeper concern is the threat these disruptions pose to youth development in Nigerian football. Talented young footballers waiting in the wings for opportunities to showcase their skills are directly hit by cancelled league openers and reduced fixtures. With a condensed season, their chances of breaking into senior squads get severely hampered. Fewer league matches also provide limited opportunities for the next generation to gain exposure and experience needed to make the step up to the professional level. This stagnation of the youth talent pipeline has dire consequences for the future of the sport in the country.

Indeed, the NPL's persistent postponement predicament has manifold consequences that negatively impact various football stakeholders in Nigeria - from players, clubs and fans to youth prospects and the national teams. It points towards foundational administrative issues in Nigerian football leadership that need urgent rectification. Beyond stopgap schedule reshuffling, long-term infrastructural and governance reforms are required to address the factors precipitating these disruptions. Comprehensive audits assessing the league’s weaknesses must be conducted to revamp outdated management protocols. Communication and coordination channels with clubs, sponsors and other partners need streamlining to improve scheduling and event planning.

Providing adequate lead time for activities like facility upgrades and establishing contingency plans can help minimise disruptions. Without substantial changes implemented across the board in the league's organisation and management, Nigeria's premier football competition will continue being bogged down by this frustrating and familiar postponement problem.

Owumi