SUNDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2022

Oil Prices Head for $100 as Bonny Light Sells for $95 FG, others embark on joint probe of SEPCOL FPSO explosion 10 crew members still missing Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Oil prices continued their surge yesterday, sending one of Nigeria’s most valued grades, Bonny Light to $95 and Algeria’s

Sahara Blend to $97.48, in an obvious push towards the $100 mark.

The increase represented a 3.70 per cent for the Nigerian grade and 4.29 per cent for the North

African grade, the highest level they have attained since 2014.

This is coming as the federal government through the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission

(NUPRC), in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, yesterday embarked on a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the facility of the Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited

(SEPCOL), which exploded on Wednesday morning.

The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO), Trinity Spirit, located at Ukpokiti field in Oil Mining Lease (OML)

108 in Warri, Delta State, was engulfed by fire during the incident, with 10 members of the crew still missing.

Continued on page 6

Power Supply Partially Restored as Egbin Plant Resumes Operations... Page 5 Sunday 6 February, 2022 Vol 27. No 9798

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Despite Inauguration of New APC Chairmen, Crises Persist in 13 States Lai Mohammed, Ngige, Okorocha, Wamakko, Abe’s factions spit fire Our Correspondents Despite last Thursday’s inauguration of the state chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 34 states at

the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, the tussles over the control of the party structures have remained unabated in no fewer than 13 states, THISDAY investigation has revealed.

The affected states include Zamfara, Sokoto, Delta, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ogun and Kwara.

Others include Osun, Kano, Bauchi and Kebbi states.

Various factions of the party led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; former Governor

of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha; former Governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Magartada Wamakko; former Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, and Senator

Magnus Abe, have faulted the action of the national leadership of the party.

Abe’s faction in Rivers State Continued on page 8

Nigeria Needs Young, Energetic President in 2023, Says Abdulsalami How our presidential candidate will emerge, PDP reveals Wike: Nigeria will shake when south takes position on 2023 PDP warns Matawalle against plot to sack deputy Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja A former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has said that the country needs younger people to lead it as from 2023.

He said that the Nigeria of 2023 and beyond would not need leaders with a walking stick but the younger generation to give the leadership a new lease of life.

Also, amid the backlash against its decision to throw the 2023 presidential ticket open to the North and South, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday explained that all organs of the party would be involved in the decision-making leading to the selection of its presidential candidate.

This is coming as Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has said that the stakeholders in the southern region would soon take a position concerning the 2023 presidential election, stressing that the country would shake Continued on page 5

HONOUR FOR HARD WORK… New Tafida Babba Daura, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu (left), and the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, shortly after their turbaning as Tafida Babba Daura and Dan Amanar Daura, respectively by the Emir of Daura, Dr. Umar Farouq Umar, in his Palace, Katsina State...yesterday KUNLE OGUNFUYI

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WELCOME TO ILORIN… L-R: Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari; and Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, during a visit by the Senate president to the Emir’s Palace in Ilorin…yesterday

Power Supply Partially Restored as Egbin Plant Resumes Operations TCN recovers 180mw for national grid Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos Egbin Power Plc yesterday stated that its power plant at Egbin, Ikorodu, Lagos State, had partially resumed operations, after a recent fire incident, which led to the shutting down of about 630 megawatts.

The company, which has an installed generating capacity of 1,320mw and contributes 16 per cent of Nigeria’s entire generation, said this in a statement, stressing that it had partially restored the generation of 220mw of the lost power.

During the week, power generation had dropped by 630mw after a fire outbreak at the plant led to the attendant shutdown of generation by the company, coupled with the load reduction mechanism adopted by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to prevent system collapse.

The incident occurred at its power plant on Wednesday at about 4.20 pm, leading to a blackout in Lagos State, with the company saying that the fire outbreak was later successfully contained by a team of firefighters.

But in an update, the company stressed that its technical team was working to ensure that the entire system was fully back on stream.

“The management of Egbin Power Plc. wishes to inform the public and its stakeholders that plant operations have resumed following the recent fire incident at the power plant which was immediately contained.

“Unit (ST05) was put back in service and synchronised to the national grid at 19:57 hours on 4th February and is back on stream with a capacity of 220mw.

“The technical team at the plant is working tirelessly to ensure that 660mw is added to the grid

before the weekend runs out,” it noted According to the power company, it would continue to work with the regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to achieve full restoration in line with global health, safety, and environmental standards.

“While thanking our employees, the public, our partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support, cooperation and understanding, we use this medium to reiterate our commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly through safe, innovative and sustainable power generation,” it said.

Earlier, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC)

and Ikeja Electric (IE) Plc had attributed the outage being experienced by customers under their networks to a drop in power generation.

In a separate statement issued on its social media page yesterday, regarding the state of power supply to its customers, EKEDC said the reduction in supply was due to the drop in power generation from an average of 3,700MW to 2,000MW per hour.

The Disco said this was caused by gas limitations arising from vandalism, and more recently an issue affecting the TCN line from the Egbin Power Plant.

In the same vein, Ikeja

Electric said a power outage was being experienced in certain parts of its network due to load shedding by TCN as a result of the drop in power generation.

The Disco said the affected areas were: Iju, Abule Odu, Egbeda, Oregun, Anifowoshe, Ago, Okota, Oke Afa, Ajao, Amuwo, Ikosi, Mende, Ogudu, Bariga, Oworo, Gbagada and Ilupeju.

Meanwhile, TCN said it had restored 180mw out of the 630MW shutdown in the Egbin power station.

It noted that the ongoing load shedding in the Lagos axis was a result of the fire incident, which occurred at Egbin Power Station on Wednesday.

TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, who made this known in a statement, recalled that the fire necessitated the shutdown of all the power generating units at the power plant.

She explained that with the shutdown of the units, a total of 630mw was removed from the grid.

She noted that the ongoing load shedding in the Lagos axis is as a result of the fire incident which occurred in Egbin power station on Wednesday.

“This necessitated the shutdown of all the power generating units in the power station. With the shutdown of the units, a total of 630mw was

removed from the grid.

“The removal of 630mw from the grid at the same time meant that TCN had to strive to ensure that it achieved generation load balance to maintain the stability of the grid.

“This it did by reducing bulk electricity to Lagos, to avoid overloading the 330kV lines within the state, while the third unit at the Shiroro Station was tied. These were necessary to avoid the collapse of the nation’s grid,” it pointed out.

The TCN noted that it would continue the evacuation of generated power from the Egbin power station as soon as the station resumes power generation.

NIGERIA NEEDS YOUNG, ENERGETIC PRESIDENT IN 2023, SAYS ABDULSALAMI when they take a position.

Abdulsalami spoke yesterday at his Hilltop country home in Minna when a presidential aspirant and President of Kaftan TV, Prince Adewale Adebayo, visited to consult with him on his ambition.

“Thank you, Adebayo for finding me fit to come and tell me of your ambition. Indeed, Nigeria needs the younger generation to take over from us the older generation," he said.

The former Head of State expressed happiness that younger people are now showing interest to take over the leadership of the country “Like you rightly said the world is going digital and I believe the younger generation is more exposed internationally in ICT than the older generation.

“I am happy that you are thinking of moving the country forward and I believe with your ideologies and your youthful and vibrant ambition I think Nigeria is on the right part and wish Nigeria will be great.

“Nigeria with a population of over a 200million certainly is a

great country and such leadership will go a long way to make it a greater place.

“Thank you for finding me fit to come and visit me to tell me of your ambition. You can count on our support always trying to do the right thing,” he added.

He thanked the former Minister for Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung for bringing his friend to visit him.

The presidential aspirant who is a product of the National Consultative Front (NCfront), expressed gratitude to Abdulsalami for relinquishing power to democratically elected leaders.

“We are grateful to you for many reasons, that we saw you on May 1999 handing over power and collecting your service plaque; you have always been there,” he said.

How Our Presidential Candidate will Emerge, PDP Reveals Meanwhile,

the

PDP has

explained that all organs of the party would be involved in the decision-making leading to the selection of the presidential candidate of the party.

PDP insisted that it has not reached any decision on the zoning of the 2023 presidential ticket, adding that consideration for national unity will guide the issue of zoning.

The party stated that the governors elected on its platform, its national caucus, Board of Trustees (BoT), and the National Executive Committee (NEC) would be involved in the selection of its presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.

PDP further stated that any zoning decision would put into consideration the continued unity of Nigeria as a country.

The main opposition party has also cautioned the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle against stoking and inducing violence in the state by manipulating the state House of Assembly to commence the removal of the democratically-elected Deputy Governor of the state, Mahdi

Aliyu Mohammed Gusau.

National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, told THISDAY in an exclusive interview that all the organs of the party would be involved on all issues that affect the party, including zoning.

"On zoning, what we will do is this: The various organs of the party - the PDP governors’ forum, the National Executive Committee (NEC), the Board of Trustees (BoT), the national caucus and other organs will discuss from different zones and all these organs will take their positions to the NEC and the NEC will make a pronouncement to that effect.

"We have not gotten to that position on zoning. So, PDP is yet to take a position on zoning. We are not like the APC that thrives on lies. The truth of the matter is that the party as of today has not taken any position on the zoning of its presidential ticket.

“And typical of the PDP processes, the party is governed by regulations and rule of law, especially governed by the constitution of the party," he

explained.

The PDP spokesperson however said: "Anybody that is qualified can show interest but that does not mean that the party has taken a position on zoning "And when the decision on zoning will be taken, issues about the continued unity of Nigeria and the general well-being of everybody will be taken into consideration.

"And this is what the NEC will do and let me say it again, the party has not taken a position on the zoning. And when the party takes that position on zoning, it will have at its background the peaceful existence and unity of the country,” he added

Nigeria will Shake When South Takes Position on 2023, Says Wike Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the stakeholders in the southern region would soon take a position concerning Continued on page 70

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WELCOME ON BOARD… L-R: New Chairman, Board of Directors, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Mr. Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi; Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN); Acting. Permanent Secretary/ Director, Highways, Planning and Development, Mr. Chukwunwike Uzo, shortly after the inauguration of Gbeleyi at the Conference Hall of the ministry in Abuja…weekend

Army Chief Warns Commanders against Operational Lapses Bandits kill 30 in Zamfara community for failing to pay N40m levy Niger imposes curfew on LGAs Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja, Laleye Dipo in Minna and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, yesterday warned army commanders against tactical decisions that would lead to operational lapses.

He charged them to take appropriate tactical measures and bold steps to tackle the menace of banditry and kidnapping in their areas of responsibilities.

The COAS charged troops to rout out terrorists disturbing the peace and tranquility of the country Bandits have, however, killed at least 30 people, and abducted several others, mostly women, in separate attacks in Zamfara State.

This is just as the Niger State Government has imposed a 12-hour curfew on some towns in three local governments of the state.

Yahaya, who was on a tour of the 31 Brigade of the Nigeria Army in Minna yesterday, charged soldiers to also take measures and bold steps to tackle the menace of banditry and kidnapping in their areas of responsibilities, adding that they must be thorough and cautious about it.

A statement on the visit by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Army chief promised that the force would continue to deploy combat hardware and logistics to reposition and enhance ongoing operations across the country.

He, therefore, enjoined officers and men of the Armed Forces "to work in synergy with sister services and other security agencies to effectively dismantle the network of banditry and kidnapping in their areas of operation".

"You must be thorough and cautious about expunging all operational lapses in the ongoing anti banditry campaign," the COAS said.

The tour, which Nwachukwu said was in continuation of ongoing evaluation and review of troops' operations in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other sundry crimes in the country, added that in consonance with the philosophy

of the command, the welfare of personnel would continue to be accorded top priority.

In another development, bandits killed at least 30 people, and abducted several others, mostly women, in separate attacks in Zamfara State on Friday.

The attacked communities are: Nasarawar Mai Fara in Tsafe Local Government Area, Yar Katsina in Bungudu Local Government Area and Nasarawa village in Bakura Local Government Area.

Zamfara, like many of the North-west states, is beleaguered by insecurity in the forms

of kidnapping described as banditry.

The crime has become rampant and the bandits are seemingly irrepressible.

Thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped by the bandits in the North-west since 2021.

In the first three weeks of 2022, at least 486 people were killed by non-state actors across Nigeria, over half of them by bandits in the North-west and Niger State.

Multiple sources told Premium Times that the attack on Nasarawar Mai Fara in Tsafe Local Government Area was due

to the failure of the residents to pay a N40 million levy imposed by the bandits.

The levy was imposed by Ada Aleru, a notorious banditry kingpin operating in the area and the Faskari part of Katsina State.

Premium Times reported that Abubakar Bala, a resident of Tsafe, said residents could not pay the levy, hence the attack.

Balarabe, who has covered conflict for a local radio station and Thunder Blowers Online, said 20 people had been confirmed dead as of Friday evening.

In Bakura area, a health

worker, Masud Kyambarawa, said three people, including the chief imam of the area, Akilu Dan Malam, were killed.

He said: “I was in the town yesterday when the shooting started. We went for a survey. We had to rush to a neighbouring village in Rabah of Sokoto State. It was an unpleasant experience. People, especially women and children, were running into the bush for their lives. Alhamdulillah, we are back now safely but I heard that three people were killed.”

In Yar Katsina village of Bungudu, the bandits stopped people from attending the

Muslims’ Jumu’at prayers.

A source who asked not to be named for security reasons, disclosed that when the bandits stormed the village, people, who were already at the Jumu’at mosque, dispersed immediately.

Abdul Balarabe, a local journalist in Gusau, said at least 10 people were killed in the attack.

He disclosed that 10 bodies had been recovered while several other people were still missing.

Bala of Tsafe lamented the increasing number of attacks on villages and abduction of motorists on the Funtua – Gusau highway.

the fire had been successfully extinguished.

“The commission will commence JIV with relevant stakeholders immediately in line with our regulatory oversight function for upstream operations.

“The commission will further deploy its incident management strategy while also ensuring that the removal of the FPSO is carried out professionally to prevent an escalation of the incident.

“The commission will continue to ensure that all safety and environmental measures are strictly adhered to in the management of the incident,” the statement said.

Similarly, a release signed by the Chief Executive Officer, SEPCOL (in receivership), Mr Ikemefuna Okafor, owners of the vessel, confirmed that the JIV with relevant stakeholders and experts was fixed for yesterday (Saturday).

The vessel with a capacity to process up to 22,000 barrels of oil per day, inject up to 40,000 barrels of water per day and store 2 million barrels of oil, had exploded and sunk at the Ukpokiti Terminal, around Excravos.

THISDAY checks showed that the huge facility, TRINITY SPIRIT, was built in 1976 (46 years ago).

The asset is owned by SEPCOL, which in 2004 acquired all of 40 per cent of ConocoPhillips’ equity interest in OML 108.

The vessel had broken into two and partially submerged but there was no evidence of spilled crude,

sources said, adding that there could have been problems with the vessel's boilers, which they said kept no more than 20,000 barrels of crude.

An update provided yesterday by the company confirmed that the fire had been extinguished, while the search for the whereabouts of the crew on board was ongoing.

“The management of Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited (SEPCOL) in receivership, hereby provides an update on the explosion and subsequent fire that engulfed the FPSO Trinity Spirit located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, in the early hours of Wednesday, February 2, 2022.

“We have been working with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to contain the situation and an investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the explosion.

“We can confirm that the fire burnt out completely as of Thursday afternoon, February 3, 2022, and this has enabled closer inspection of the vessel.

With this development, a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) has been scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2022, with the relevant authorities, stakeholders, and expert organisations.

“Currently, there are still no reported fatalities, and we continue prioritising investigations concerning establishing the whereabouts, safety, and security of the 10 crew members who were on board the vessel before the incident,” the statement explained.

OIL PRICES HEAD FOR $100 AS BONNY LIGHT SELLS FOR $95 Other grades of Nigeria’s oil, which experienced a significant rise were the Brass River, which was selling for $94.13, an addition of 3.53 per cent and Qua Iboe, which hit $94.13 as at 6 pm Nigerian time.

Nigeria’s most popular oil and the country’s benchmark, Brent Crude was going for $93.27, a rise of 2.87 per cent while the United States crude benchmark settled at $93.27 a barrel.

This is happening for the first time since October 2014 due to ongoing supply worries and as frigid weather cascades across the US. The latest rally was attributed to growing concerns that extended cold weather could hit production in the US, exacerbating the tightness in world crude markets.

The market was also watching developments between Russia and the West over the former's aggressive posture towards Ukraine.

Crude benchmarks have been pointing upward for weeks on expectations that supply would tighten further even after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers (OPEC+) stuck to planned moderate output increases.

Demand remains on the upswing, with the Omicron coronavirus variant only temporarily denting consumption in major economies in recent times.

OPEC and allies led by Russia, known as OPEC+, during the week agreed to stick to a monthly

increase of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in output despite pressure from consumers to raise supplies more quickly.

In addition, Goldman Sachs has forecast Brent topping $100 a barrel in the third quarter, but that might come even earlier though insinuations are rife that OPEC+ may consider a faster unwinding of its production cuts.

Several OPEC members, like Nigeria, are struggling to pump more despite prices being at seven-year highs, with the country unable to meet expected levels due to sabotage, waning upstream infrastructure and outright theft.

Nigeria was unable to meet its oil production allocation by OPEC in January, as it was only able to pump 1.46 million barrels per day of the expected 1.683 million bpd for the month.

Moreover, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari, had said that NNPC’s joint venture partners were unable to restart oil wells shut down in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. His promise of a 1.8 million barrels target by December 2021 had earlier faltered.

The surge in the price of Bonny Light indicates that Nigeria now has as much as $33 above the $62 per barrel 2022 budget benchmark.

The budget was based on the production of 1.8 million barrels per day, including about 400,000 barrels of condensate that Nigeria produces daily.

Ironically, Nigeria’s external

reserve at the weekend fell below the $40 billion thresholds it had maintained in over three months. This was according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The reserve had endured a continuous decline in recent months, owing to the intervention of the apex bank in the official FX market and sustained forex crunch in the economy.

Notably, the reserve level had fallen to $39.98 billion as of Thursday, February 3, 2022.

Despite the rising oil prices, the country’s excess crude account had been depleted, while the foreign reserve dipped by $481.4 million in January 2022, following a $66.17 million decline recorded in December 2021.

The federal government had explained recently that the fund depleted from $72.4 million to $35milion in a space of one year, despite crude oil averaging higher than Nigeria’s benchmark for the year.

FG, Others Embark on Joint Probe of SEPCOL FPSO Explosion Meanwhile, the NUPRC, in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders yesterday embarked on a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the facility of SEPCOL, which exploded on Wednesday morning.

The FPSO, Trinity Spirit, located at Ukpokiti field (OML 108) in Warri, Delta State, was engulfed by fire during the incident.

In a statement issued yesterday by the NUPRC, providing an update, the commission said

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Buhari: Nigeria will Continue to Pursue Peace, Progress Globally Chinese president restates commitment to Africa’s development Deji Elumoye and Michael Olugbode in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that Nigeria would continue to pursue peace and progress in Africa, and other parts of the world, through a consistent campaign for justice, fairness and inclusiveness in global affairs.

Chinese President, Xi Jinping has also reiterated his commitment to working with African leaders towards the development of Africa.

In a sideline meeting with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, at the African Union meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday, Buhari said the country would remain unwavering in supporting democracy, development and good governance, particularly in ensuring the rights of individuals and institutions.

“As a country, we are doing our best, and we will continue doing our best to ensure justice and fairness,” he said.

Buhari promised the Palestinian leader that Nigeria would be “consistent” in pushing for peace and progress while upholding the tenets of justice.

In his remarks, the Palestinian leader noted that the situation in the Middle East, particularly relations with Israel, had deteriorated over the years, adding that the world needed to know the facts.

Shtayyeh thanked Buhari for his leadership role in the continent.

He said: “Your Excellency, we thank you for your wisdom. We need it more now.

“Please continue to stay well and healthy, because we need your wisdom".

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated his commitment to working with

African leaders towards the development of Africa.

Jinping who sent a warm congratulatory message to African countries and people on the opening of the 35th African Union (AU) Summit yesterday, said under new circumstances, China would stand ready to work with the African side to actively implement the outcomes of the FOCAC conference.

According to him, China would also help to further synergise the Belt and Road cooperation and the Global Development Initiative with the AU's Agenda 2063 and the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area, in a bid to steer China-Africa cooperation toward higher-quality and wider-ranging development and to write a new chapter in

China-Africa friendship.

In his congratulatory message to the AU Summit, Xi pointed out that this year marked the 20th anniversary of the AU's founding.

He noted that over the past 20 years, the AU has stayed committed to seeking strength through unity, actively explored a development path suited to Africa, facilitated important

progress in regional integration and coordinated a concerted response from African countries to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Such efforts, he said, have proven effective in maintaining peace, stability and development in Africa, and have also won Africa growing influence and stature in the world, Xi said.

“The year of 2021 witnessed robust growth in China-Africa

relations,” Xi added.

He however noted that the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successfully held in November last year.

He recalled that he announced during the conference nine programmes for cooperation with Africa in the next three years.

ROYAL VISIT… Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II (left), and former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, during the monarch's courtesy visit to former vice president in Abuja…yesterday

DESPITE INAUGURATION OF NEW APC CHAIRMEN, CRISES PERSIST IN 13 STATES has warned that the division in the party and the recognition of the faction led by the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi could lead to the exclusion of the party in the 2023 general election like in 2019.

The ruling party did not inaugurate the leadership of the party in Sokoto State, which is being contested by three factions led by a former governor of the state, Senator Wamakko; a member of the House of Representatives representing Illela/ Gwadabawa Federal Constituency, Hon. Balarabe Salame, Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammad Aminu Achida; and Senator Abubukar Gada, who leads his faction.

While Wamakko leads one faction, Salame and Achida are in one faction.

THISDAY gathered that Wamakko has six National Assembly members, a senator, and 13 members of the state House of Assembly in his faction.

But Salame, Achida and Gada’s factions have the backing of chieftains of the party based in Abuja.

When contacted, the Chairman of Wamakko’s faction, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida told THISDAY that nobody can truncate the will of the people of the state.

He further explained that those ranting that Wamakko has hijacked the party cannot win even an electoral ward for the party.

"The truth is that if you

remove Wamakko from APC in Sokoto, the party is dead because Wamakko is the party and the party is Wamakko,” he stated.

On his part, another factional leader of the party in the state, Salame alleged that Wamakko sat down in his house and wrote the names of the executives and submitted it to the party headquarters.

He further alleged that the party lost the governorship election in 2019 "because of Wamakko’s handedness.

He imposed an unpopular candidate, which made us lose the governorship seat.”

In Zamfara State, the APC faction led by Senator Kabir Garba Marafa had described the recognition of the faction led by Governor Bello Matawalle as an act of impunity by the national leadership of the party.

In a statement issued by the factional Publicity Secretary, Mr Bello Bakkyasuwa Maradun titled: ‘We enjoy watching APC's parade of madness,’ the faction stated that the action of the party’s caretaker and extraordinary convention planning committee would cause chaos in the party.

He predicted that APC would soon collapse because of impunity thriving in it.

“The saying ‘the wages of sin is death’ applies perfectly in the most recent action of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of presenting certificates to their selected chairpersons of

state chapters of the party. As one of the many factions across the country with legitimate grounds for agitation, the Senator Marafa-led faction of APC in Zamfara State sees this action as desperate and negates all principles of strategic thinking for building an enduring party that can weather the storm of 2023 as President Buhari rightly warned.”

In Delta State, members of the party opposed to the faction led by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, have also kicked against the inauguration of Mr Omeni Sobotie as the state chairman.

According to them, the socalled inauguration ceremony that took place in Abuja on Thursday was merely a sham as it did not follow due process, including the proper administration of the oath of office and oath of allegiance before competent officials.

Eminent chieftains of the party allegedly "shut out" of the process of the different party congresses by the Omo-Agege group include Dr Cairo Ojougboh; the 2019 APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru; former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and Executive Director at NIMASA, Chief Victor Ochei; and the National Women Leader, Dr Mariam Alli.

The (factional) state Deputy Chairman of the anti-Omo-Agege faction, Hon. Elvis Ayomanor told THISDAY in Asaba that the national secretariat of the

party Abuja has not confirmed Sobotie as the authentic chairman of the state chapter of the APC because the appropriate Oath of Office was not administered to him and his counterparts from other states.

A factional chairman of the party in Rivers State, Golden Chioma, has also faulted the inauguration of the chairman of the faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi.

Chioma said what APC needed was an inclusive party and not a divisive party.

The APC chieftain told THISDAY that the party leadership at the national level ignored a faction to protect the interest of the other faction, stressing that one individual cannot continue to control party structure in the state.

Chioma who belongs to Senator Magnus Abe-led faction further urged the party leadership to avoid making the same mistake that led to the experience of 2019 where APC was removed from the electoral process over the internal crisis.

“We are not asking for anything, but an inclusive party. The division in my APC in Rivers State is the oldest in the country.

"If you remember, in 2019, the party did not present any candidate based on this same division. So, we need to do something different. We need to be more inclusive and not divisive," Chioma added.

A faction of the APC in Anambra State led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has also rejected the inauguration of Mr Basil Ejidike as the state chairman.

The state secretary of the party, Mr Chukwuma Agufugo, who belongs to Ngige’s faction, has dismissed Ejidike’s executive, saying it would not stand.

Agufugo said Ejidike and his co-travellers have violated the order of the court, describing it as contempt, and vowed that they must pay for it.

Also, the factional Publicity Secretary, Mr Okelo Madukaife insisted that Ejidike and his executives remained rejected.

He said it was not true that the executives of the Anambra State chapter of the party had been inaugurated.

He said: "Our dynamic chapter of APC congratulates the national leadership of our great party for the wisdom contained in the decision not to swear in anybody as Chairman of Anambra State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC).

"This noble decision validates the position of the mainstream of our party in Anambra State that 2018 officials remain in charge of our affairs until congresses can hold as leadership abhors a vacuum."

In Imo State, a faction of the APC led by Senator Rochas Okorocha said it would rely heavily on the ruling of the Appeal Court of November

6, 2020.

The chairman of the faction, Mr Dan Nwafor told THISDAY that the recognition of the Governor Hope Uzodimma's faction, which has Macdonald Ebere as chairman was contempt of court.

A former Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in Enugu State, Mr Ben Nwoye, has also argued that Mr Ude Agaballa, another factional chairman, who was inaugurated in Abuja, was not sworn in.

In an interview with THISDAY, Nwoye who said he monitored the inauguration, explained that the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led reconciliation committee had listened to the complaints, reports, and petitions of aggrieved party members, adding that when Agballa’s name was mentioned in Abuja, he was directed to go back because he did not win any congress.

Nwoye noted that Agballa was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who only came in August 2021 and expressed his interest to join the APC. The Chairman of APC faction loyal to a former Governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Chief Derin Adebiyi, told THISDAY that his faction would hold a meeting to determine the next line of action.

The APC had sworn in Chief Yemi Sanusi, Chairman of a faction loyal to the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

EDITORIAL

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

INSECURITY AND RURAL DWELLERS The countryside is bearing the brunt of criminality. There is need to upgrade our security surveillance system to one that is technology-enabled

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he chilling statistics from the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) on the number of people abducted and killed in Chibok local government area of Borno State exemplify the situation in rural parts of the country, especially in the north.

According to KADA, 110 abducted Chibok schoolgirls are still unaccounted for since 2014, at least 407 persons have been killed in 72 attacks and 332 others abducted, 20 churches burnt and several houses and businesses destroyed.

While the endemic insecurity in the affected areas underlines the existing national embarrassment, Chibok is only in the spotlight as a residue of media prominence conferred on it by the mass abduction of schoolgirls eight years ago. The reality is that Nigeria’s overstretched security architecture has left the rural demographic gasping for the presence of a humane government, while Chibok only symbolises this alarming descent into anarchy.

In recent years, the security compromise particularly in the North has been underlined by persistently futile solutions that seem to yield results mostly in the speeches of politicians watching from afar. With helpless and hopeless rural dwellers submitting to payment of taxes and levies just for The reality is their lives to be spared by nonthat Nigeria’s state actors, the overstretched line between security architecture governance and anarchy becomes has left the rural blurry with demographic gasping each passing day. With for the presence of a insurgents in Northeast humane government, the and bandits operating alwhile Chibok only most freely in symbolises this the Northwest, in alarming descent into citizens huge swathes of our country anarchy now live at the mercy of criminals.

Several excuses have been given for this state of affairs: Insufficient manpower, inadequate equip-

Letters to the Editor

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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN DEPUTY EDITORS FESTUS AKANBI, EJIOFOR ALIKE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

ment, low morale, lack of intelligence, etc. To worsen matters, the federal government has resorted to mere propaganda to a serious national security challenge. Nigerians are daily regaled with numbers of unnamed persons and companies said to be financing terrorism.

Yet, nobody has been brought to justice.

The federal government must understand that Nigerians live on the edge and are increasingly vulnerable in most of the rural parts of the northeast and northwest, and some parts of the north central. This is double or triple whamming for people who are mostly lacking in basic amenities and are already abandoned to their own devices. Now they can't even live in peace, and the state is incapable of protecting them from opportunistic terrorists and bandits. Since most of our people live in rural areas the growing insecurity has ensured that they cannot even go to their farms anymore.

This complicates rural poverty and food inflation.

As sundry criminal cartels mastermind destructions of lives and property in the rural parts of the country, the hope of victims in the government wanes. Therefore, policymakers must pay attention to a possible radicalisation of the disillusioned citizens across the ravaged territories under the control of these non-state actors. t a period when bandits and terrorists are using a combination of violence and appeasement to secure local followership, the federal government cannot continue with the same strategy that has failed to achieve results. The way forward, therefore, is the prioritisation of the need for a wholesome review of the national security architecture to pave the way for the enlistment of competent hands in command positions. Above all, there is need to upgrade our security surveillance system to one that is more technology-enabled, and can capture expansive territories 24/7, and initiate necessary action. Mobilisation to own communal security will be helped if the material benefits of citizenship become more obvious and demonstrable.

We acknowledge the sacrifice of our armed forces, and we commend their efforts. But whatever they are doing is clearly not enough. We need to step up air and ground onslaught against the terrorists, coordinate more with our neighbours, regain the confidence of the communities and leverage technology extensively. And as Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State keeps saying, we may need to engage the services of mercenaries, if only for the short term.

Overall, government, at all levels, must be reminded of its responsibility not just for human welfare but for security of life and property.

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TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

SEARCHING FOR BUHARI'S SUCCESSOR

n May 29th next year President Muhammadu Buhari would hand over power to a newly elected president after election would have been conducted and result declared. By electoral laws, campaign has not yet started. However, aspirants who are looking for the high seat have continued to emerge from different political parties. Depending on which region these parties may field their candidates, evidence has shown the presidential election will be keenly contested between the ruling party (APC) and the opposition PDP. The raging debate among Nigerians and political analysts is:

who will occupy the office of the president after Buhari? Former President Ibrahim Babangida recently stated that the next president must have the following attributes: he should be in his 60s, has the ability to talk to citizens, must have the knowledge of the country's economy and above all understand the country's pluralism. Of course, nobody can dispute the fact that these are qualities of good leadership.

However, beyond these qualities, what the country is desperately yearning for is someone who will consolidate the gains of our democracy and build trust among Nigerians. One will have loved the former president to have spoken

about a president who will address the persistent issue of insecurity in the country.

While Buhari’s administration might have inherited insecurity, under its watch banditry has escalated to frightening dimension. For instance, the good people of north-west have a sad tale to tell. Many communities in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto have been sacked by bandits.

The next president should be someone who will take the battle to the hideouts of these criminals and liberate the affected states.

Buhari's successor should be ready to address the huge debt incurred by the government, the subsidy palaver and the free fall of the naira. This

where we need a leader with good knowledge of the economy as posited by IBB. Our next president should come up with comprehensive economic blueprint aimed at navigating the troubled waters of economic uncertainties. He should be able to assemble economic experts who will assist him with useful advice and point the road map for sustainable economic growth. There is no gainsaying the fact that the agricultural sector has received nod of recognition under the present administration. The CBN's Anchor Borrowers Programme has led to rice revolution in the country. This momentum needs to be improved and sustained. The over reliance on crude oil which accounts for 90 percent of the country's revenue, amidst global

market price unpredictability, demands for diversification of the economy by our next president.

The emergence of Buhari's successor will depend on how Nigerians vote in the forthcoming elections. While the electorate hold the ace for the emergence of the president, they should resist the temptation of falling into the hands of moneybag politicians. The electorate should also be mindful of politicians who will exploit our religion and ethnic differences for their political gains. Let Nigerians vote for Buhari's successor who is imbued with leadership qualities such as knowledgeability, competence, experience and integrity.

– Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State

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OPINION

TERRORISM AND THE RISE OF REPENTANCE The idea of `repentant terrorists’ is a grand illusion, pushed to serve parochial interests, argues Kene Obiezu

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igeria`s increasing brush with terrorism has thrown up a couple of dilemmas, some more pressing than the others. For those who have survived at the tip of its spear, the dilemma has often involved how to move on after their loved ones have been killed, livelihoods destroyed and houses razed. Crammed into filthy refugee camps dripping with squalor, they usually have enough time to compare and comprehend wounds.

A country that continues to experience the constant trauma that terrorism engenders must also now count the cost of continuously being in the eye of the storm. It is always one issue or the other with the conversation often veering wildly between the serious and the ridiculous. There have been conversations on whether IDP camps should be closed, the treatment that should be accorded those who have previously taken up arms against the Nigerian state but are now supposedly repentant of their heinous crimes.

Conversations along that line are often heated and engrossing. Recently, two men who govern two of Nigeria`s most volatile states had their take on the vexed issue of repentant terrorists.

First to go was the much-maligned Mr. Nasir el-Rufai, the Kaduna State governor. Dishing out truly horrifying figures on the security challenges facing his state as compiled by Samuel Aruwan, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, El-Rufai lamented that Kaduna State lost 1,192 residents to bandit attacks across the state in 2021, while 3,348 citizens were kidnapped.

Mr. El-Rufai soon took leave of his lamentation to launch a scathing attack on the whole idea of ‘repentant terrorists’ which many have been too eager to push recently. He said, “We continue to emphasize that as a state, we do not believe that there is any phenomenon like `repentant bandits’. Any person that makes a conscious decision to secure arms, challenge the authority of the Nigerian state, and threatens the lives and property of Nigerians does not deserve to live or be

granted any concession by the society.”

Across from Mr. El-Rufai in Borno State which has since become terrorism`s chief theatre of operations, Mr. Babagana Zulum the Borno State governor had a different view. Expressing confidence that 90 % of repentant terrorists are genuine, the governor said he was in no doubt that the majority of the terrorists who surrendered to the Nigerian military are truly repentant.

According to Mr. Zulum: “I am 100 percent confident. Yes. While no process is perfect in the entire world, so far, so good.

The process has yielded positive results; I believe over 90 percent of those that have surrendered are doing well and have given the government the necessary support. They are also calling their colleagues in the bush to come out and join the process of peacebuilding.”

To come out from where and return to what exactly? The divergence of opinions between two Nigerian governors whose states have first -hand devastating experience of terrorism, approximates what many Nigerians make of `repentant terrorists.’

On the one hand is the Nigerian Army which has enthusiastically pushed `Operation Safe Corridor’ as a solution by which it seeks to lure terrorists out of their lairs, deradicalize them all with the broader aim of defanging terrorist groups and ultimately defeating terrorism.

However, when sometime in 2021, the internet was flooded with pictures of supposedly repentant terrorists enjoying a

Justice is best served when people go in for what they have done especially when their actions have made life a living death for others

soccer match amid raucous laughter and cheers in an NYSC orientation camp in Gombe State, many Nigerians balked at the chilling cruelty of irony.

It hit a sore spot that while Nigerian children sacked from their communities cannot go back to school and are stuck in squalid IDP camps with their equally grounded families, those responsible are offered a new lease of life with the tax payer`s money. Amid the squalor that sticks like super glue, child victims of bone-jarring terrorist activities do not know what fun tastes like having lost their childhood.

If Nigeria is to ever attain true justice which is the foundational nucleus of any society that wants to know genuine advancement, those who have caused others so much death and suffering deserve stinging lashes of the cane across their backs and not casual slaps on their wrists with carrots.

When the supposedly repentant terrorists complete their deradicalization, to which communities will they then be reintegrated into? Nigerians are a forgiving lot and this laudable trait comes from a place of deep religion. However, to ask them to embrace those who once shared kinship with the killers who caused them so much suffering is to ask for too much while cruelly and unjustly mocking their pain. There can be no doubt that justice is best served when people go in for what they have done especially when their actions have made life a living death for others.

To pervert this kind of justice under any guise is not only appalling and atrocious, but abominable. The authorities can huff and puff all they want but Nigerians know that the whole idea of `repentant terrorists’ is one grand illusion, pushed to serve parochial interests.

The rustiness of such repentance is as rotten as the ruse of those who advertise and advance same. The merchandise they market is not just expired and extortionate, it is egregious. keneobiezu@gmail.com

NIGERIA AND THE FOSSIL FUEL CONVERSATION The death of oil and gas is not yet in sight in Nigeria, argues Godswill Ihetu

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he s world has recently intensified the conversation on climate change and the contributions of fossil fuels to global warming. In recent months and at various fora, this subject has dominated discussions in international conferences around the world.

Perhaps the one that captured global attention more than the others is COP26. Last October, COP26 held in Glasgow, Scotland, closely followed by the Russian Oil Week a month later, and World Petroleum Congress held in Houston, Texas, last December.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) came into effect on 21 March 1994. This United Nations initiative came about as a result of global concerns regarding the impact of human behavior on climate, and an attempt to stave off the danger that climate change poses. The first Conference of Parties COP1 was held in Berlin in 1995. COP21 was held in Paris in 2015 and was significant because it led to a new international climate agreement, applicable and legally binding on all 197countries including Nigeria, and aimed at keeping global warming at between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

The outcome of COP 26 was regarded as a contentious climate compromise. Of the many resolutions adopted, I have chosen to highlight the following as I believe they are most relevant to Nigeria.

One, in recognizing that coal is the single biggest contributor to climate change, Conference agreed to reduce or “phase down” the use of coal for power generation. However, only about 40 countries pledged to “phase out” coal. Oil and gas was spared.

Two, over 100 countries pledged to reverse deforestation by 2030.

Three, governments of 24 developed countries and some major car manufactures committed to “work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emissions globally by 2035, in leading markets. Major car manufacturing countries like the US, Germany, China, Japan and South Korea and some car makers had not signed to the pledge.

Four, new pledges were made for financial assistance to less developed countries.

The above resolutions mirror the words of COP26 Conference President, Alok Sharma, a United Kingdom Member of Parliament, who said that the “deal made progress on coal, cars, cash and trees”.

Much to the delight of the oil and gas industry, there were no decisions on halting new investments in the industry in spite of pressure from some shareholder and environmental activists. The focus seemed to be on coal, which survived even though most delegates had decided it should go. Although, Nigeria is neither a producer nor an exporter of coal, Nigeria must feel a sense of relief

that oil and gas was separated from the focus on fossil fuels.

Most of the oil giants think that it would be a mistake to halt oil and gas investments. They admit that fossil fuels, especially oil and gas, will remain the main source of global energy mix for decades to come. For Nigeria, perhaps the biggest outcome from COP26 is the fact that oil and gas did not suffer the moratorium on new investment that had been feared.

At the World Petroleum Congress, it was clearly recognized that, despite the global energy transition, and the desire to move away from fossil fuels, the demand for oil and gas will be around for decades to come. Many CEOs at the event emphasized that more oil and gas investment, rather than less, is required. The OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo, warned that “a halt in investment in oil and gas is misguided.”

At the Russian Oil Week, the CEOs of BP, Total Energies and ExxonMobil called for urgent investments in natural gas projects to help meet global demands even as the world moves towards cleaner sources of energy.

With the much-touted energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables, major petroleum companies are naming themselves ‘energy companies’ in order to incorporate alternative and renewable energies into their portfolios. They intend to ensure that their current legacy businesses would generate enough cash to invest in the new energy sources in the transition process. Should oil and gas companies agree to keep their oil and gas in the ground, as some climate activist demand, they say that energy transition will experience energy shortages. Demand, they say, will continue to increase with increasing global population and enhanced quality of life. The current European or global gas shortages seems to have vindicated their position, just a few months after COP26. Suddenly, the United States is selling LNG to Europe and even to China. Remarkably, the US is set to beat Qatar to become the world’s largest LNG exporter in 2022, due to new LNG projects coming on stream in 2022.

Even US shale oil drilling activity is reported to be picking up in recent months. With global high gas prices, at least three US LNG companies, whose projects have been stalled for years, plan to start construction this year. Nigeria needs to be vigilant, and note the mixed messages and contradictions coming from the US administration, which has urged OPEC to increase production just months after enacting some anti-oil policies at home.

According to OPEC World Oil Outlook 2021, oil demand will plateau between 2035 and 2045, although “renewables, other than hydropower and natural gas, are set to grow the most in that period. OPEC thinks that renewables and natural gas will continue to play a significant role in the evolving energy mix. Despite the plateau of oil demand after 2035, oil will still

be the number one energy source in 2045.” Even Faith Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA) was quoted recently as saying that there is “the need for additional investment to meet future demand,” explaining that “the demand for oil and natural gas will not drastically decrease even through our path towards transition to renewable energy.”

In the last few days, in a lecture in Minna, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has urged the industrialized nations not to put Africa in the same energy transition speed. He said that “putting every country in the same energy transition speed could result in unanticipated collateral damage that can spark energy crisis and deny developing countries access to available and cheaper energy for growth”. This is well said, and in consonance with President Buhari’s announcement at COP26, that Nigeria aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 not 2050 as most countries agreed at COP26. Justifiably, the government of Nigeria is committed to focusing on what pathways work for Nigeria. India announced a target of 2070 to achieve net zero emissions; again in recognition that each country determines not only what is in its own interest but also what is achievable. The wealthy countries expect developing countries such as Nigeria, to reduce emissions while at the same time bringing electric power and economic development to growing populations. Nations will still decide how much and how quickly they would achieve net zero emissions; each with their own economic interest and domestic politics.

It is important that Nigeria should go on developing its oil and gas business as supported by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the recently promulgated Climate Change Act. Nigeria will be in good company. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) of UAE, an OPEC member, is set to announce the award of a $20 billion gas development project.

US oil majors ExxonMobil and Chevron were among the top buyers at a US federal auction of oil leases in the US Gulf of Mexico on 17th November, 2021. Shell in a statement says it is currently committed to exploring hydrocarbons in Africa, and “doing so fits the company’s purpose,” according to Benjamin Mee, its exploration manager for deepwater Africa.

Although Nigeria appears to be making the right noises, implementation remains a problem.

– Dr. Ihetu, a former MD of NLNG and NGC, wrote from Lagos

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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LETTERS

HURDLES BEFORE APC CONVENTION AND PRIMARIES

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he ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is facing two big hurdles that may mar or make the party - the 26th February 2022 National Convention and the Presidential primaries for the 2023 elections.

These two events are not new to the APC, but are unique because of the ongoing scheming, intense horse-trading, ploys, and scramble for ‘who gets what’ by all the interest groups in the party. This is normal in political parties and most common in Nigeria.

The 26th February 2022 National Convention is critical because of the nature of the APC – a conglomerate made up of diverse interests and competing blocs. The 2023 presidency politics will be highly embedded in the 26th February 2022 national convention.

All the blocs and interest groups will flex their muscles in order to have an upper hand in the national convention, so as to have confidence in facing the presidential primaries.

Though in Nigerian politics, the formation of the national working committee (NWC) of political parties during the national convention is mainly a product of consensus rather than competition, interest groups will still try to have an upper hand.

All the interest groups know that the position of Buhari and sometimes that of the governors ultimately determines who gets what.

This is also common in Nigerian party politics, though not a written rule, it is generally accepted. The position of the president is the deciding factor. Buhari’s position will for sure be taken through the prism of the 2023 presidency, likewise the governors.

The Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker/ extraordinary planning committee (CECPC) is a kind of blessing to President Muhammadu Buhari and many of the governors because the party has been sealing as they wished- a tactful strategy ahead of the 2023 presidency politics and to keep control of the party structures as well as not take any chance. Those benefiting from the CECPC will try to have a new party structure similar to the workings of the CECPC. For operating without a Board of Trustee (BOT) for a long time, the APC committed a political error; if not corrected, its effects will emerge in the long run.

There are some candidates from the north who have shown interest in leading the APC. All of them are strong candidates and are being promoted by many groups and bigwigs. Former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al Makura; Borno State former governor Ali Modu-Shrriff, former governor of Benue, Senator George Akume, former governor of Bauchi, Malam

Isa Yuguda, former governor of Gombe State Senator Danjuma Goje. Senator Sani Musa, Sunny Moniedafe from Adamawa State and Alhaji Salihu Mustapha from Kwara State. All these hopefuls are highly qualified but politics, consensus, and interests will determine the emergence of the new NWC of the APC. In fact, someone can get into the NWC of a political party even if he/she is not on the ground at the venue of the national convention, because as earlier stated, consensus often produces the members of the NWC. The APC has no reason to retain presidential power in the north come 2023.

So, most of its presidential hopefuls apart from Governor Yahaya Bello are from the south — Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice-President Yemi Osinbsjo, Governor Kayode Fayemi, Governor Dave Umahi, Governor Ben Ayade, Senator Rochas

Okorocha, Rotimi Ameachi, Senator Orji Kalu, and one man - Samson Uchenna Charles - is making strong waves among the youths in the north. If he throws his hat in the APC, he will pull a surprise, because some of the 2023 presidential hopefuls in the APC are committing big political blunders - awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari's approval and endorsement.

Buhari doesn't have a history of such, and, he will never do it. While one or two 2023 presidential hopefuls in the APC are ahead consolidat-

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n Saturday, February 5, 2022, drums were rolled out amidst ostentatious political fanfare as Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, Catholic Knight of St. John, was turbaned by the Emir of Daura as the “Dan Amanar Daura”, meaning the “trusted son of Daura”.

While Daura will regale in the pomp and pageantry concomitant with an event of that magnitude, there will be eerie silence mixed with frustration from expectation that had been murdered in both Okerenkoko, Delta State and Ubima in Rivers State. Somehow, Amaechi has managed to demonstrate, with carefree gusto and queerness that what is good for Daura is not good for Okerenkoko and Ubima.

As the Daura event hits the national airwaves, not a few Nigerians will remember with heavy heart the altercation that erupted between Rt Hon. Amaechi and then Minister of State Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, at a federal government townhall meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in 2016.

Amaechi, with magisterial swagger, had summarily overruled the continued federal government investment

in the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State, with impervious insensitivity on the phantom ground of “misplacement of priority, insecurity” and what he termed “humongous amount of money” that was paid by the government to acquire the land for the university.

Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, miffed by such brashness and insensitivity to the people of Niger Delta, courageously disagreed with the Minister of Transportation, arguing that whatever reservation he might have about the processes that had gone into the Maritime University, it was wrong to throw away the baby with the bathwater.

“Any facility that is located at the South-South, we should work close to developing it”, Kachikwu had posited, drawing a thunderous applause from the audience much to the chagrin of the grimacing Minister of Transportation.

For his boldness and expression of support for the development of critical educational infrastructure in the South-south geopolitical region as in any other part of the country, Ibe Kachikwu was bitterly persecuted and actively blackmailed by the powerful super-minister until the hapless man was unceremoniously pushed out of the cabinet.

Sadly, today, whatever reservation Amaechi had about Okerenkoko is a child’s play compared to the

massive investment in the University of Transportation Daura amid the crippling insecurity raging in that part of the country. But never has it been said by the minister that the infrastructure should be cancelled. What is good for Daura cannot be good for Okerenkoko.

If Amaechi’s shocking attitude to Okerenkoko was disconcerting, his inexplicable about-turn on the University of Transportation Ubima, which he himself had suo moto proposed will be a study in knavish sycophancy.

The Minister of Transportation, since 2017, had been singing it like a song at the slightest opportunity in every forum that the federal government had concluded plans to build a University of Transportation in Ubima, his home town in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State, and that the project was to be funded as part of CCECC’s corporate social responsibility by investing a component of their profit from construction of railway in Nigeria.

Back home in Rivers State, Amaechi’s publicist, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, has been inundating news outlets in his ceaseless composition of monotonous panegyrics for Amaechi, listing the proposed university as “Amaechi’s achievement for Rivers State”.

Not only that, in Amaechi’s community Ubima, countless thanksgiv-

NWC with its strategies for the 2023 presidential election. For instance, it must look for youths to fill some positions and that of the vice-presidential candidate in particular. However, at the end of the day, President Buhari’s input will definitely determine the direction of the convention and who gets what. This is not a written rule in Nigerian party politics, but an acceptable one in party politics.

– Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja

WHY MURI-OKUNOLA SHOULD WAIT

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he purported move by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to replace the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu with Alhaji Hakeem Muri Okunola who is presently the Head of Service in Lagos, thereby restricting SanwoOlu’s administration to just one term, is a dangerous and unwise political move by the leadership of the party in Lagos.

This move is a patently perilous presumption that Lagos is safe for APC. For a fact the political stranglehold of APC on Lagos is fast loosening up, giving way to random movements of even former stalwarts and dependable allies. The Lagos 4 Lagos movement is an obvious example. Statistically, Lagos APC must be down to close to 55% of its former

AMAECHI: BETWEEN OKERENKOKO, UBIMA AND DAURA “I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets” -Eugene V. Debs

ing his old connections and networks and building new ones, many of them are dragging their feet concerning declaration and campaigning for the 2023 presidency - waiting for Buhari's greenlight- an approval that will never come.

The forthcoming APC national convention will be a make or mar for the party if consensus fails and one interest bloc hijacks the key positions because of the politics of 2023 presidency.

APC must align the membership composition of the

ing services have held in churches, with local women wriggling their waist in choreographed dance patterns, carrying offerings of their agricultural produce on their heads in procession to the alter to thank God for this unseen university which their illustrious son said plans had been concluded to construct in their home town.

Even on the political scene, the unseen university had been deployed as instrument of bragging right in Rivers State against the ruling party.

You can now understand why everyone was jolted when, after raising hope to Mount Olympus about the University of Transportation Ubima, on one hot afternoon in October 2018, Amaechi announced that the university was now going to be constructed, not in Ubima, but in Daura in Katsina State.

And before his vuvuzelas could come out to rationalise such disheartening aboutturn, perhaps, thinking that the minister might have been handed down a superior instruction about the location of the university, Amaechi himself came out to say that the decision was not influenced by anyone, that it was his own call, uninfluenced, to take the University to Daura.

– Oghenekaro Samuel Johnson, Warri Read the full article online www.thisdaylive.com

political strength. Of this low following there are those who on the surface are in but who, definitely do not wish the party well.

It is not news that leaders like former Govs Fashola, Ambode, and others like Muiz Banire are not completely in sinc with the party. =Also the division and schism that the Presidential aspiration of the national leader of the party will still bring about is difficult to calculate or imagine.= The obvious summation from all of the above is that Lagos APC is not sitting comfortably as far as being assured of victory is concerned.

Therefore any attempt to destabilise the apple cart may cause the opposition to cart away the victory in Lagos.

True no man is indispensable, but unless extraordinary situations emerge it is unreasonable to dispense off a winning team.= Muri-Okunola is politically a neophyte and a novice who is untested.

For him to ascend to his present exalted position of the head of service in this government, more than 20 senior officers had to be removed or displaced. It is administratively unwise and politically incorrect to disrupt the administration of Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has become the poster boy or the flagship of APC administration not just in Lagos but nationally.

The argument may be made that this same infamous act of the leadership of APC in Lagos was used to cut short Gov Ambode's tenure and replaced him with Sanwo-Olu. Yes, this is true. But in fact it was wrong then and it

is wrong still. If a political party prides itself in applying wrongful and unjust practices in selecting its principal officers, at one point that same act will become a painfully regrettable one.

Besides the very act itself is essentially a gamble. Like all gambling sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

Can the Lagos APC afford to gamble and lose in this season? =If for any reason the National leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu loses out of the Presidential race and Lagos is also lost to opposition, then it’s over for this generation of APC leaders and followers.

A word is enough for the wise. The dangerous suggestion that this unnecessary proposed change is for religious reasons should never be allowed to disrupt the unique and enviable unity and peaceful religious accord that has existed in the state and the entire South West from time immemorial.

We must in the interest of all perish this thought and focus on real issues that can never divide us.

The unassailable fact is that Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu is presently the best governor in the whole country, even across party lines.

He has made Lagos to be second to none in terms of projects execution and administrative performance.

Lagos deserves the best of the best and God has divinely provided this in person of this humble, unassuming and yet avidly assiduous man.

All Lagosians should come together to support this governor to do more.

– Biyi Samuel, Lagos

EXPENSIVE UNREAL COSTS

T

he fake online world has kicked the real investment world to the value of about $230 billion. As a comparison New Zealand's GDP in 2019 (IMF) was $255bn, putting it at 52nd place out of 211 countries reported on. New Zealand is a real country and quite well worth visiting once we can again. Like everyone who has shares or superannuation I am worried.

As one of the apparently few citizens without a Facebook page I wonder what its value really is. Yes, like Bill Clinton who smoked but didn't inhale, I tried it but didn't like it and deleted my account or hope I did, they

seem difficult to kill. There are of course billions, almost half of the world's population, who do have an account but does a large number of supporters make it a good thing?

Perhaps that sort of money could be better used, maybe to cure cancer or prevent famines but then again it is 'fake' money unlike the real problems that still do exist.

We should all get off the computers and meet our real neighbours and maybe do a few hours of volunteer work instead. You will receive real karma.

– Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY6, 2022

BUSINESS Banking on Revenue Yielding Agencies

Editor: Festus Akanbi

08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

As the Àrst Tuarter of 2021 beckons, all eyes are on the performances of the various revenue-generating agencies in the country amid the inevitability of an increase in government spending at a period when productive capacity is limited by security threats and the possible distraction from the impending uptick in the political activities, writes Festus Akanbi

L

ast week, President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan declared that the revenue-generating agencies of the federal government are capable of generating and remitting 1 trillion annuall\ to the coͿers of the government if eͿorts are made to cut down on wasteful spending.

Speaking at an interactive session on “the need to improve internally generated revenue of the Federal Government of Nigeria and Revenue Projections of the Agencies as Contained in the Appropriation Act 2022,” in Abuja, Lawan said one way of doing this is by being rigid on increased revenue to cut down on the country’s budget deÀcit and borrowings, as well as prevent wasteful expenditures by agencies of government.

He said, “In 2022, the National Assembly assumed and rightly so, that our governmentowned enterprises can generate up to N3 trillion if we are of the mindset that we can achieve that and, of course, ensure that we oversight to stall any possibility of unwarranted expenditures by agencies of government.

Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, in his intervention, lamented that there were insu΀cient funds for the implementation of policies and projects captured in the 2022 budget of the federal government.

According to the lawmaker, “there is an urgent need for all hands to be on deck on revenue generation for the government, as well as prevent misuse and leakages of such revenue for frivolous purposes not sanctioned by the laws of the National Assembly.”

A Dicey Situation Apart from the picture of uncertainty over the nation’s revenue painted by the Senate hierarchy, economic analysts argue that the present administration has taken some decisions which are bound to put pressure on the economy this year. One of such politically-motivated decisions is the recent suspension of the implementation of the much-desired subsidy on petrol.

One of such, according to them, is the urgent need to cough out an extra N3trillion to cover subsidy on petrol between July and December this year, since it was not taken care of in the 2022 budget.

The hope is that some of the revenue-generating agencies in the country should be able to rise to the occasion by raising the bar of their performances to generate good revenues for the government’s activities this year.

The list of these revenue-yielding agencies includes the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Nigeria Ports Authorities, (NPA), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC), Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian MaritimeAdministration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

NNPC On its part, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) remitted a sum of N10.54 billion to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in November 2021 from the proceeds of the sales of crude oil and gas in the previous month.

In its audited report for 2020, the corporation’s group revenue stood at N3.718trillion as against N4.634trillion in 2019, a decrease that was attributed to the decline in the production and price of crude oil due to the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

FIRS The FIRS, in the year 2021 collected a total of

tion body remitted N7billion and repeated the same in subseTuent years.

N6.405 trillion in both oil (N2.008 trillion) and non-oil (N4.396 trillion) revenues as against a target of N6.401 trillion.

In 2020, it collected N4.9 trillion.

A statement by the organisation said that for its 2021 operations, “Companies Income Tax amounted to N1.896 trillion Petroleum ProÀts Tax amounted to N2 trillion; Value Added Tax amounted to N2.07 trillion; Electronic Money Transfer Levy amounted to N114 billion; Earmarked Taxes amounted to N208.8 billion; among others. “Non-oil sector contributed 69 per cent of the total collection in the year, while oil sector’s contribution was 31 per cent of the total collection.

FAAN The 2021 revenue Àgure for the FederalAirports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was not available by the time this paper was going to bed, but it is on record that FAAN generated N30billion as revenue between January and September 2020.

The standing arrangement is that FAAN is expected to remit 25 per cent of its revenue to the government coͿers but industry sources said the agency has not been able to meet the target over the years. Incidentally, FAAN is seeking a suspension of its 25 per cent revenue contribution to the federation account to address infrastructure gaps.

NPA Although the total revenue collected for 2021 has not been made available, reports have it that the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) remitted a cumulative sum of over N89.9 billion into the country’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) within six months in 2021 just as it also remitted the sum of N62.66 billion to the same account for the year 2021 as at October 31, totalling N152.56 billion in compliance with the Tuarterly remittance of its operating surplus to the account and provisions of the Finance Act 2020. It generated N350.37billion in 2020.

Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) now the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURPC) claimed it was able to hit the N3.2 trillion revenue target by December 2021, whereas it declared it remitted N2 trillion naira to the federal government in 2020. This was disclosed by the DPR Director/Chief Executive, Mr Sarki Auwalu in Abuja when he led a delegation of the DPR management team to the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Mr Bello Gusau, in Abuja recently.

Customs The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N2.23 trillion revenue in 2021.

Its Public Relations O΀cer (PRO), Mr Joseph Attah, who was Tuoted in a widely circulated report said the amount exceeded the year’s target of N1.67 trillion.

The NCS said: “Nigeria Customs Service generated the sum of N2,240,880,308,195.77 for the year 2021. The service generated N1.6 trillion in 2020.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Finance has rejected the N1.33 trillion projected revenue by the Nigerian Customs Service the 2022 Ànancial year.

JAMB The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remitted N3.51 billion to the federal government as an operating surplus for 2021. In 2020, it remitted N3.5 billion.

A statement issued by the examination body and signed by its head of public aͿairs and protocol unit, Fabian Benjamin, noted that the remittance “is in line with Prof. Is-haT Oloyede’s avowed commitment to prudent management of public resources.”

JAMB began the impressive revenue drive in 2016 when the new leadership of the examina-

NAFDAC For years, the National Assembly has been at loggerheads with some federal government agencies over their failure to remit revenues and unspent funds to shore up government revenues, reduce budget deÀcits and borrowings.

One of such agencies is the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, (NAFDAC).

The NAFDAC’s DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye had earlier disclosed before a Senate committee that she inherited over N3bn liabilities on the assumption of o΀ce.

EFCC The total recovery declared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for 2021 was N152billion and $386million. These covered January to December 2021.

The commission’s image-maker Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement, said the Àgures were arrived at following a review of the operational activities for 2021.

The commission also disclosed that it recovered about £1.182 million, €156,000 1,723 million Saudi riyals, 1,400 Canadian dollars and 1,900 South African rands, last year.

In addition, the recovery also included a digital currency component with 5,36957319 Bitcoin and 0.09012 Ethereum.

NIMASA In 2021, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) remitted a total of N37.69 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

Accordingly, NIMASA remitted N37,691,630,450.22 to the CRF account in 2021, representing an increase of N5.852 billion when compared to the N31,839,917,978.20 remitted in 2020.

NCC Details of the total revenue remitted to the federal government’s covers by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was not available as of last week. THISDAY however gathered that the Commission exceeded its N36 billion projected revenue from spectrum license fees for 2021, after recording over N150billion revenue in the Àrst Àve months of the same year.

The Àgure represented an over 400 per cent increase in revenue budget performance in respect of spectrum fees generated by the commission between January 1 and May 31, 2021.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY6, 2022

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CAPITAL MARKET

Board Appointment in FBN Holdings: As Otedola Keeps Eyes on the Ball Last week, FBN Holdings Plc announced the appointment of a non-Executive Director to strengthen the board. However, capital market analysts believe the appointment of Mr Julius B. Omodayo-Owotuga, a Deputy Chief Executive of Femi Otedola’s Geregu Power Plc, is an indication that the single largest investor in the holding company is ready to keep his eyes on the ball, reports Festus Akanbi

F

or the board and management of Nigeria’s oldest banking institution, housed in a holding company, First Bank Holdings Plc, there is no looking back at the resolve to take advantage of the rising appetite of strategic investors in the shareholding of the company.

What began as a stealthy competition for the controlling shareholding of the FBN Holdings blew into the open in October last year when it became a duel between billionaire investor and Chairman of Geregu Energy Group, Mr Femi Otedola and the Chairman of First Bank Limited, Mr Tunde Hassan-Odukale.

The issue was however laid to rest when a letter of notiÀcation addressed to the bank

by Otedola, which was leaked to the press, put the billionaire investor ahead of HassanOdukale in terms of the volume of shares held in the company.

In the letter, Otedola informed the bank that he has now acquired 7.57% ownership in the bank, “I have recently acquired additional shares in FBN Holdings Plc (the Company), which has brought my total stake to 7.57% per cent of the issued shares capital of the company.”

Otedola’s earlier move spurred Mr HassanOdukale to swiftly lay claim to 5.36 per cent shareholding in the Holdco in what he called “cumulative equity stake” drawn from a combination of his direct, indirect and related party shareholding in the group.

Days after, the board of FBN Holdings issued a letter to the Corporate AͿairs Commission, notifying Hassan-Odukale’s “5.36 per cent” cumulative stake and other related details. A claim that was punctured by the clariÀcations by the National Pension Commission that the shareholding of Leadway Pensure PFA in First Banking Holding belongs to retirement savings account holders of the company and not Hassan-Odukale.

As the Dust Settles…

However, as the dust settles, Otedola, who recently upped his stake in FBH Holdings in a bid to Àrm up his position as its biggest shareholder, said he was not keen about holding a board position in the Ànancial services group, its Áagship unit First Bank Limited and any of its remaining subsidiaries.

The chair of Geregu Energy Group, days after news that he had scaled up his holding in FBN Holdings to 7.5 per cent broke, was quoted as saying that he did not acquire shares in FBN Holdings with the intent of becoming its chairman.

“I am simply an investor who saw an opportunity in the Ànancial institution and decided to take advantage of it through the investment I have made.

“My interest, contrary to speculations is not to become chairman of the bank or its Holdco. Moreover, I am in semi-retirement.”

The Calculations Given his reputation as a turnaround investor, shrewd businessman and a good manager of men, Otedola’s ascendancy in the First Bank corridor of power came with mixed feelings. To some other ‘heavyweight’ investors in the bank and some management staͿ, the current status of Otedola as the single largest shareholder was all he needed to take over the control of the board even if for one reason or the other he is not keen on contesting for the chairmanship position.

This development, if it plays out, according to their expectations, would complement the anticipated turnaround measures already put

First Bank head office, Lagos

in place in the company. But for how long would the serial investor be folding his hands with the excuse he is on a semiretirement was the question posed by some watchers of the unfolding drama.

Formidable Representation However, an indication that Otedola may have taken a concrete step to protect his interest in FBN Holdings played out last week with the appointment of Deputy Chief Executive of Geregu Power Plc and previously Group Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management of Forte Oil Plc (now Ardova Plc), Mr Julius B. Omodayo-Owotuga, as a Non-Executive Director of FBN Holding.

The appointment followed the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria according to the notiÀcation sent by the company secretary to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

It is a fact that no one can fault the competence of Omodayo-Owotuga, having distinguished himself as a Ànance expert with huge experience in Ànance, risk management, treasury, internal controls, general administration, procurement, and information technology.

It is also to his credit that while at Forte, he was a member of the Executive Management Team, “that restructured a then moribund company into a vibrant industry player. He equally led the capital restructuring, acquisitions, debt capital raise, maiden credit rating, and divestment initiatives.

Interestingly, the new appointment, which has since been ratiÀed by the regulatory authorities, has rekindled the

hope of those aspiring for a turnaround in the nation’s foremost bank.

“The investing public is not surprised by the latest appointment on the board of FBN Holdings. No one in his right sense will expect Otedola, who is today the largest single shareholder of the Holdco not to put his people on the board,” an investment analyst who craved anonymity told our correspondent.

According to him, Otedola’s declaration that he is in semi-retirement should not prevent him from stepping in whenever the company needs his experience as a wealth maker, manager of resources and an undisputable turnaround expert, saying the new director is simply a proxy of the billionaire investor.

He explained further that on the other hand, since Omodayo-Owotuga is just a non-executive director, it means he won’t be engaging in the day-to-day management of the organisation although he would be involved in policymaking and planning exercises. He pointed out that non-executive directors’ responsibilities include the monitoring of the executive directors and acting in the interest of the company’s stakeholders.

Analysts believe that whatever innovation Otedola wants to bring to bear in FBN Holdings can be done through his proxy. They, however, will not rule out the occasional clash of interests in the days to come as management and board are likely going to be divided along with the two major stakeholders in the bank.

Value Addition A statement by FBN Holding said

that regarding Omodayo-Owotuga, “He is a .PMG trained Ànance professional who possesses extensive investment experience spanning Ànancial services, power and oil and gas sectors with a proven track record of signiÀcant achievements.

His two decades of work experience spans blue-chip companies such as KPMG, Standard Chartered Bank, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Forte Oil Plc, MBC International Bank (Now First Bank of Nigeria Limited), and Geregu Power Plc. “JB is an alumnus of Oxford University’s Said Business School, United Kingdom, IE Business School, Madrid, Spain and the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. He has a B.Sc. in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration (with distinction).

He is a CFA Charter Holder; a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and The Institute of Credit Administration.”

As of Wednesday, the share price of FBN Holdings Plc (FBNH) was N11.45. FBNH closed its last trading day (Wednesday, February 2, 2022) at N11.45 per share on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX), recording a 0.9% gain over its previous closing price of 11.35 NGN. FBN Holdings is the most traded stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange over the past three months (Nov 3, 2021 - Feb 2, 2022). The Holdco has traded a total volume of 3.17 billion shares—in 12,995 deals—valued at N37.1 billion over the period, with an average of 50.4 million traded shares per session. A volume high of 442 million was achieved on December 8, 2021, and a low of 1.31 million on November 29 of the same year.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY6, 2022

TELECOMS

Nigerian Leading the Revolution at Airtel Africa Six months in the saddle as the Chief Executive O΀cer of Airtel Africa, Segun Ogunsanya is using his extraordinary leadership skills to make the organisation not only the largest, but the most proÀtable and reliable mobile telecommunications network in the continent writes Ugo Aliogo

T

he last week has witnessed an outbreak of good news for the telecommunications company with Indian provenance, Airtel Africa Plc, which operates telecommunication and mobile money services in 14 countries in Africa.

First, it was an announcement by the London Stock Exchange (LSE) that Airtel Africa, which was listed on the Exchange in 2019, would be joining the exclusive list of the largest companies by market capitalisation on January 31, 2022FTSE 100. Airtel Africa thus became the largest African company on the LSE. Before the ink dried on that spectacular piece of news, the Nigerian media was abu]] that Airtel Africa has become the largest company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX). In that singular move, Airtel Africa not only overtook Dangote Cement Plc, which has colonised that position for some time, it also became bigger than all the Nigerian banks listed on the NGX put together.

And while this was on, news came from the global headquarters in New Delhi that the tech behemoth, Google, would invest $1b in the Bharti-Airtel, the parent company, for a 1.28% stake. What an extremely proud moment this would be for the investors, founders, management and employees of the company Perhaps, what is most remarkable about these good tidings is that they are coming amid an extremely rough business year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Airtel Africa is succeeding despite the Coronavirus-induced global economic meltdown. Credit should go to the management and staͿ of the company led by Nigerian-born and bred Obafemi Awolowo University-trained Electrical Electronics Engineer turned Chartered Accountant, Segun Ogunsanya.

Ogunsanya was last year appointed to replace Mr Raghunath Mandava as CEO for Airtel Africa after nine years as the Managing Director and Chief Executive O΀cer of Airtel Nigeria.

Having run the business for only about six months, it could safely be said that Ogunsanya does have the Midas Touch and everything he touches turns to gold. This is no surprise to industry watchers because he performed a similar feat in Airtel Nigeria, which became PAT (ProÀt After Tax) positive only one year after he joined the company from the Coca Cola Hellenic’s Bottling Company, Nigeria.

Segun is a veteran having been a CEO for 23 years. He turned 55 last July. An Engineer and Chartered Accountant, as earlier promised, he has over 30 years’ cognate experience Àrmly under his belt garnered across multiple geographies, organi]ations and diverse sectors such as telecoms, consulting, Banking and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

He joined Airtel Nigeria from the CocaCola System, where he started his career in Finance and gradually transitioned into senior leadership roles within the various bottling operations of The Coca-Cola Company across diverse markets and countries in Africa. In his last stint as the Managing Director and CEO of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company in Nigeria, the Àrst African to be so appointed, he was responsible for over $1bn revenue operations annually.

He was also the CEO of the Kenya operations for Coca-Cola Sabco, where he was instrumental in successfully turning around the business.

Before this, he worked with Eco bank Transnational where, as the Managing Director of its Retail Banking for Africa, he was responsible for retail banking operations across 28 countries.

Between 1999 and 2007, he was the Chief Executive o΀cer of The Coca-Cola Bottling

Ogunsanya

of Company of Ghana where he turned around the business from loss-making to proÀt-making aside from supervising the divestment of the Government of Ghana from the business.

Apart from manufacturing and banking, Mr Ogunsanya has consulting experience having worked with Arthur Anderson Co in Nigeria where he was involved in Audit, Tax Advisory, setting up new businesses and proÀt improvement services.

Ogunsanya is arguably the Àrst African to lead an FTSE 100 company. Not a stranger to recording Àrsts, he is also the First Black African Chief Executive O΀cer of CocaCola Bottling of Ghana; First Black African Chief Executive O΀cer of Coca-Cola Sabco’s Bottling operations in Kenya and First African Chief Executive O΀cer of Coca-Cola Hellenic’s Bottling Operations in Nigeria.

In 2012, he was appointed a member of the Implementation and Technical Committee of Strategic Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Policy by the Federal Government of Nigeria. He was a member of the Business Support Group, which was set up to provide a platform for anchoring the views of the Organi]ed Private Sector on the development of a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan for the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2013.

A director on the board of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, the foremost private sector advocacy group in Nigeria and a director on the board of Grange Education

Ltd (Grange School). He also served on the board of the following organisations at various times: Coca-Cola Holdings, Kenya, Coca-Cola Juice Company, Kenya (BSK Limited), Board of Trustees of Machakos Institute of Developmental Studies (Kenya), American Chambers of Commerce, Ghana (Vice President), Board of Trustees of the Post Graduate Medical School of Ghana, Junior Achievers, Ghana Chapter, and ICT Advisory Board, Nigeria.

Ogunsanya, an alumnus of the highly regarded MayÁower School, Ikenne, Ogun State, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ife, Nigeria. He is also a Chartered Accountant. A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Credit Administration and Institute of Directors in Nigeria, he is also an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Food, Science Technology. He is a member of the prestigious Lagos Metropolitan Club, the Ikoyi Club and Lagos Motor Boat Club.

On, November 28, 2021, he was awarded an Honourary Doctor of Computer Education Degree by Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Nigeria. So, you can call him Dr Segun Ogunsanya If his track record is anything to go by Ogunsanya, with his extraordinary leadership skills and his revolutionary management team is well-positioned to makeAirtelAfrica the largest, most proÀtable and most reliable mobile telecommunications network

in the continent. Airtel Africa’s publicly avowed commitment to “expanding Ànancial inclusion, sustainably bridging the digital divide, meeting the evolving needs of customers and supporting host communities” seems strong enough pillars to make the above dream a reality. With the recent approval of Mobile Money and Super Agent licenses for Airtel in Nigeria, the coast is clear for greater earnings and the reality will be sooner rather than later.

Little wonder upon the news of his elevation, President Muhammadu Buhari, congratulated him, saying the Áag of Nigeria has been hoisted proudly across the African skyline once again.

Buhari added that the appointment has once again proven that Nigeria has a surfeit of quality professionals, who can hold their own in any part of the continent, and even beyond.

President Buhari said with the cognate experience of the new MD/CEO for Africa, which spans consulting, banking, fast-moving consumer goods, and telecommunications, he would acquit himself creditably in his new role, and repeat the strides that made him position Airtel Nigeria as the second-largest telecommunications company by revenue, serving over 50 million customers.

He urged younger Nigerians to draw inspiration from Ogunsanya, saying with focus, dint of hard work, and resourcefulness, they would reach the peak of whatever careers they have chosen for themselves.

“The reward for hard work is more work,” says President Buhari, as he wished Ogunsanya greater successes ahead.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

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THISDAY SPECIAL

Members of the newly inaugurated THISDAY Editorial Board...

Enter The New Board Members

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ast Monday in Abuja, Chairman THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, inaugurated the reconstituted Editorial Board of THISDAY newspaper. In attendance were THISDAY Managing Director, Mr. Eniola Bello, Editorial Board Chairman, Olusegun Adeniyi, and other members. While thanking members for accepting to serve on the editorial board, Obaigbena reminded them that THISDAY is founded on three cardinal principles: Democracy, free enterprise, and social justice.

“Those three kernels inform the decisions we take on critical issues with the overriding objective being the promotion of the greater good for our country,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Bello assured the members that the management of THISDAY operates the time-tested journalistic tradition of separating the Editorial Board from the Newsroom like Church and State. He said they have the freedom to discuss and write on any issue, without interference, but within the newspaper’s operating principles. Below are short proÀles of each of the members: CHIDI AMUTA Respected scholar, administrator and writer, Dr Chidi Amuta was at diͿerent times a senior lecturer in literature at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and University of PortHarcourt. He was Group Editorial Adviser and Chairman, Editorial Board, Daily Times and a pioneer member of the Editorial Board, The Guardian Newspapers. He has written several books, including ‘Towards A Sociology of African Literature’; ‘The Theory of African Literature: Implications for Practical Criticism’; ‘Prince of the Niger: The Babangida Years’; ‘IBB: Bio-bibliographical Insights’; ‘Writing the Wrong: A Collection of Articles’ and several others. He is currently Chairman/CEO, Wilson & Weizmann Associates Ltd and Chairman, Port Harcourt Literary Society.

WAZIRI ADIO Prior to his assignment at NEITI, Adio had held senior positions in diͿerent organizations, ranging from editor and columnist at THISDAY Newspapers, special adviser to the senate president, communication specialist at UNDP etc. Adio obtained his Àrst degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, a master’s in journalism from Columbia University and another master’s in public administration from Harvard University, where he was, at diͿerent times, a Fellow

of the Neiman Foundation for Journalism, and an Edward S. Mason Fellow in public policy and management. He is also a Fellow of the Àfth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-West Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

MAHMUD JEGA Following his stint as a lecturer in Biological Sciences at his alma mater, the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Jega has practiced journalism non-stop for more than three decades. For a total 13 years, he was Managing Editor, Editor, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Chairman of Daily Trust Newspapers. Prior to that, Jega was Editor, New Nigerian Newspapers, Editor of The Sentinel magazine, Kaduna and Assistant Editor, Citizen magazine.

BOLAJI ADEBIYI A two-term presidential aide and immediate past editor of THISDAY Newspapers, Bolaji Adebiyi is the managing editor of the newspaper. Elected the vice president (West) of the Nigerian Guild of Editors last year, he writes regularly on politics and issues aͿecting the profession of journalism. He attended University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) Ile-Ife, obtaining both bachelor and master’s degrees in History. A British Chevening Scholar, Adebiyi also holds postgraduate and advanced diploma certiÀcates in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and The Thompson Foundation, CardiͿ, Wales.

PAUL NWABUIKWU A pioneer THISDAY Editorial Board member, Paul Nwabuikwu, who has also served on The Guardian’s Editorial Board, is a respected public intellectual with decades of experience in journalism, advertising, and public communication. A winner of the DAME Awards for Informed Commentary, Nwabuikwu served twice as Special Adviser to former Finance Minister and current DG, World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and played a key role in communicating the Obasanjo reforms as well as the economic initiatives of the Jonathan years. Nwabuikwu holds a Àst degree in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and MBA from the University of Jos. SONNY ARAGBA-AKPORE Sonny Aragba-Akpore has a cognate practice in the media spanning more than three decades. In July 2010, he was appointed

Assistant General Manager/Head, Corporate Communications at the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd with a mandate to turn around the media fortunes of this government agency after a failed satellite in the orbit. Following his success on that assignment, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) invited Sonny to rejig the media proÀle of the telecommunications regulator. In November 2014, he became the NCC Assistant Director/Head, Media & Public Relations, a position he held until retirement in July 2020. Sonny attended the University of Lagos and holds B.A and M.A. in English. He is also a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

‘YEMI ADAMOLEKUN Currently the Executive Director of Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), a nonpartisan network of individuals and organizations committed to building a culture of good governance & public accountability in the country, Adamolekun has a 23-year diverse career spanning the public and private sectors. She started her working career in the United States as a management consultant in Navigant Consulting, before moving back to Nigeria to work at Alder Consulting. In 2018, she was named as one of the Most InÁuential People of African Descent (MIPAD), endorsed by the United Nations in the Humanitarian & Religious category. In 2019, Adamolekun joined the Africa Program of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in the US as a non-resident Senior Associate. Adamolekun has a Àrst degree in Mathematics & Economics from the University of Virginia; an MSc in Development Studies from The London School of Economics (LSE) and an MBA from Oxford University’s Said Business School.

GIMBA KAKANDA Founder of DMC, an Abuja-based communication and strategy consulting Àrm, Gimba Kakanda is a notable public aͿairs analyst, media and foreign policy consultant and author. He is a regular contributor for Aljazeera and several Nigerian publications, including Daily Trust. Kakanda holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE) and is an alumnus of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program. With a huge following on social media, Kakanda is a notable voice in the inter-generational conversations in the Nigerian polity.

AISHA SHUAIBU A business consultant with a decade of experience in brand and strategic management, Ms Aisha Shuaibu is Managing Director of Wa΁e Way in Abuja, and President of SWA Sports, an initiative that is promoting local talents in kickboxing, wrestling, and Taekwondo.

Ms Shuaibu obtained her B Sc in Business Studies from the University of Bedfordshire, Luton in the United Kingdom and her Masters in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey.

JOHNSON OLAWUMI In a military career spanning 35 years, Major General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi (rtd), a former Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), held several strategic appointments at the service, defence and public levels. He was once the Coordinator, Nigerian Army Aviation and later, Commander, Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Following his stint at the NYSC, Olawumi served as Director, Policy Planning and Research at the Defence Space Administration and later, Director of Policy at the Defence Headquarters. Olawumi obtained a Àrst degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the University of Ilorin and a Masters in Defence Studies from the Kings College, London. He is an alumnus of the National Defence College, Abuja, and a proud winner of the presidential award for best graduating participant. Olawumi also holds a certiÀcate in National and International Security from the Harvard Kennedy School.

SANYADE OKOLI The CEO of Alpha African Advisory, Mrs Sanyade Okoli has over 27 years of Ànancial advisory; private equity; corporate, commercial and management Ànance; and auditing experience. She holds an MA in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University, UK and trained as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen (UK). She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales and a Fellow of both the Africa Leadership Initiative-West Africa and the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Sanyade is also a regular analyst on Arise News’ Global Business report show. Furthermore, she is the founder of inspirational blog, www.justasiam. ng and creator of life-transforming e-course, Pursuing Wholeness.

Cont’d on Pg. 76

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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26

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

THE EXECUTIVE CHIKEZIE NWOSU:

Full Deregulation of Downstream Oil Sector is the Way to Go Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, an indigenous oil and gas company, has practically exhibited the spirit of ruggedness and resilience, rarely associated with many operators in the sector. Navigating the murky waters of the Nigerian oil and gas industry, it established a modular reÀnery in May 2020, not even deterred by the debilitating COVID-19 pandemic, which peaked in the country in March of that year. The Watersmith Petroman Chief Executive O΀cer, Mr Chikezie Nwosu, apprises Kunle Aderinokun of how the Àrm was able to achieve that feat while giving a testament to the Nigeria Content Development Act. Besides, Nwosu expresses his views on the Petroleum Industry Act, fuel subsidy and deregulation of the downstream oil sector

W

hat is your assessment of the Nigerian oil and gas industry?

The oil and gas industry in Nigeria has quite many challenges.

Depending on where you are, there are some generic challenges around the unit cost of operations. Services are quite expensive in Nigeria because contractors build a lot of costs because of the security situation. That’s general; it is suͿered by everybody.

The NNPC and NUPRC have been working to see that that unit operating cost can be brought under $10 a barrel, but it is still a challenge.

There are a couple of major challenges in the oil and gas industry. Some of them are general across the board, while others are speciÀc to the areas of operation. The ones that are across the board include things like the unit cost of operations. The unit operating expenditure, which is very high compared to other climes, simply because a lot of contractorsbuildinsomeadditionalcostsduetothe security situation, and the time spent in contracting especially when it involves the government agencies. The government agencies have done quite well in bringing down that time, which use to be upwards of 12 months, sometimes 18 months, some people even talk about six years. So bringing it down to about, six months has helped. But the security situation is still a challenge.

Therefore, if you compound these issues, it will be di΀cult to get quickly under $10 a barrel. But with the industry collaborating with the regulators and government agencies like NNPC, we hope we are going to be able to achieve that.

The second generic challenge is the ability to attract funding, especially for independents, but eventheIOC’saresuͿeringthataswell.Theenergy transition is picking up pace. If you take a look at the cost of energy, it can be demonstrated that some of the renewables, like solar, are cheaper on a lifecycle basis than fossil fuels.

Therefore, there is a lot of attention. Of course, they are cleaner, there is a climate change part of it apart from the commercial part. Therefore, there is pressure for that transition to happen in Africa as well, even though we are not one of the major polluters.

But these international companies, with a lot of their headquarters in the western world, have their investors putting pressure on them; that’s why you hear all these things about divestments.

So funding is drying up for upstream oil and gas, for fossil fuel investment, and it’s a challenge the independents are facing as well.

Although the Nigerian independents are interested in picking up the assets that are being divestedbytheIOCs,theissueaboutfundingisone that we also face because of the energy transition.

The third one is around the security of crude for export. This is particularly concerning the eastern axisofoperations,wherepeopleexporttotheBonny

point of view of the operators. So the government required some people who could give them some input into this. And it was important that we got a balanced bill that could reÁect the concerns of the operators especially around projects that have already been sanctioned, and were either in execution or operation so that these were not aͿected, because, the commerciality of the project, where fundingcomesfrom,isdependentonsuchstability.

So we talked about issues around grandfathering those contracts. For the others, to get terms that allowed a balance of investment, a little bit favouring the onshore and shallow oͿshore, and not particularly disfavour the deep water.

So we worked out quite what I thought were good commercial terms, and I’m very happy to say, I have seen those once transited into the new PIB and the PIB that was signed on the back of that.

So what I advise operators to do is to start implementation because it is good enough, of course, no bill or act is perfect. Where the rubber hits the road is in the implementation. I think it is a very solid and robust bill that will help drive investment in the oil and gas industry.

But implementation has to be from the point of view of the partnership between the government agencies that are involved in regulations, and the operators.Itcannotbewheretheytreatitasameans of the hammer to penalise people for not abiding by every single line in the PIA. So collaborative eͿorts during implementation are going to be what makes the PIA will succeed.

Of course, there would be a request for revision as time goes along, and I know that the current government has a listening ear to take up all these revisions.

All in all, it’s very good that we now have a PIA that is workable.

Nwosu

Terminal through the Trans-Niger pipeline.

That Trans-Niger pipeline, the TNP, has a lot of points where crude is stolen from. The TNP is down several days in a month, and some of the operators, who put their crude through there, suͿer as much as over 80 per cent of crude losses. So you can imagine if you put 100 barrels inside, you get less than 20 barrels at the Bonny Terminal. That’s a major loss.

And of course, when you calculate your unit cost based on that loss, it further compounds the problem.

So for us in Waltersmith, we suͿer the same thingbecauseourproductionfromourIbigwe ÀeldgoesthroughtheTNP,butwearefortunate that we have large units, which means that the impact on us is less when the allocation is done, but it’s still signiÀcant. We still suͿer between 30 and 50 per cent of crude losses from what we expect.

But since we have a modular reÀnery, to which we take about half of those volumes, the overall impact is lessened. So in a month, its 30 per cent, the half of our production is going to our modular reÀnery, the impact of our losses comes down to about 15 per cent.

These are some of the major challenges, but therearemanyongoingeͿortstoaddressthem.

The GMD NNPC is on top of this, so is the CEO of NUPRC.

After many years, the PIAwas signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in August2021.What’syourtakeonthenewlaw?

Let me just put some background to it.

Before I came to Waltersmith, I was in Addax Petroleum. I was leading the eͿorts together with people in the o΀ce of the minister of state for petroleum resources at that time, to put together a PIA. I was looking from the

As an industry operator, what does the new policy regime portend for Waltersmith?

Waltersmith currently operates only onshore.

AndtheÀscaltermsinthePIAarequitefavourable, they are much better than the previous terms that we operated under.

You can see our drive currently, we are now drilling. We have a drilling campaign of roughly aboutsixwells,andthatisactuallyonthebackofthe PIB because you can see that the terms encourage further development and funding of the assets.

In addition, we are in the process of acquiring some additional Àelds around that area. So for our upstream business, the Àscals are very good.

There is another part of the PIA itself that allows us to convert to a production mining lease or PML, which is also very positive so that we don’t stay as a marginal Àeld operator, to take over full ownership of the mining lease. So those are very positive aspects.

For the downstream business, there is also quite a lot that is very positive. The section of domestic reÀnery encourages investment in the domestic reÀnery. Especially when you link it to the current note that we received from FIRS, removing VAT

27

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

THE EXECUTIVE Full Deregulation of Downstream Oil Sector is the Way to Go from certain petroleum products. So you can see that that is very encouraging.

Some of these petroleum products are now excluded from the application of VAT. So in principle, the Àscals, the ability to convert to PML, and the FIRS note on the removal of VAT from some petroleum products are very positive for an operator such as Waltersmith. And therefore it encourages us both to continue to invest in the upstream business like I just mentioned with drilling, and in the downstream business by expanding our reÀning capacity.

Right now we are doing 5,000 barrels of oil per day. But with some of these new policies and directives from the government, we intend to expand our reÀning capacity to 50,000 barrels of oil per day.

:LWK )*·V SODQ WR UHPRYH IXHO VXEVLG\ IROORZ LQJ WKH DGYLFH RI %UHWWRQ :RRGV LQVWLWXWLRQV ,0) DQG 7KH :RUOG %DQN ZKDW DUH WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI VXFK SROLF\ RQ 1LJHULDQV DQG WKH HFRQRP\" You can already see that those subsidies, to some extent, were thoughtful for Nigerians to be able to aͿord these petroleum products. But they were misused by those that were given the ability to import these products, that’s my view on this.

Now, there is a huge burden on the federal government by this subsidy. In addition to that, it in a sense discourages investment in domestic reÀning for the products that are still regulated, basically because of the subsidy itself.

PMS for example, we started our modular reÀning journey, removing PMS from the product slate for that reason. But with the deregulation of PMS and the removal of the subsidy itself, in the expansion stage of our reÀnery, we expect to be able to include PMS and start delivering it to the market, and a lot of other people interested in domestic reÀning will come into the market.

TheexpectationisthatweÁoodthemarketwith these products that are domestically reÀned in the not too distant future, including what is going to come from the Dangote ReÀnery.

If this happens, over the long term, I believe that it becomes even much better for the citizens of Nigeria, because market forces would then drive the prices of these products like the PMS. And if market forces are driving that, just like you see with mobile telephoning, it will over time become aͿordable.Butitneedstobewatchedverycarefully so that it doesn’t get out of hand.

The other aspect is that the money saved from the removal of the subsidy has to be applied for infrastructural development in Nigeria, especially making the ease of being able to distribute these petroleum products, those logistics cost add-on to the cost to the end-users.

And if those huge subsidy funds are applied here, it will also have a positive eͿect in making sure that the prices to the end-users do not get out of hand.

It’s something that I believe that overall it’s a positive move, but it must be watched carefully, such that the impact on the already long-suͿering massesinNigeria.ThereisalotNigeriansaregoing through on a day-to-day basis, which that impact is managed. But to continue with the subsidy is not the way to go.

in the reÀnery. We have achieved and already surpassed our target of being able to reÀne about a million barrels of products. That is over 158 million litres of products. Our annual target is 271 million litres,andwehavemanagedtoachievesigniÀcantly towards that target.

So overall, the reÀnery has been a very good and ‘promising’ addition to the Waltersmith portfolio.

The word ‘promising’ is because I have already mentioned how it helps us concerning the security of exported crude because it limits our exposure to the crude losses of the TNP. We also have some great third-party contracts thatwehavesignedupwithsomepartiesthatallow us to purchase crude oil in Naira. And not at the parallel market rate but the o΀cial I & E window rate. That of course helps because the products are sold in Naira, and if the crude supply is also paid for in Naira, it does help in commercials of the reÀning project So, we are very happy with what we have embarked on, which is why we are now discussing the expansion project on the back of that.

Nwosu

and the products are sold in Naira, you can then understand that we expose ourselves signiÀcantly to this exchange rate dynamics between the Naira and the US Dollar.

So it’s a burden that we have taken on because wedobelievethataswecontinuetoconsumethese resources, with the attendant impact on the GDPin Nigeria, we also want to go into building an industrial and innovation park, where manufacturing will be attracted and will deliver energy and other utilities at attractive prices so that Nigeria gets to a position where we can redress both diversifying the economy and the import/export imbalance that causes the continuous downfall of the Naira.

So we are not playing the same game as a lot of other independents by just exporting crude to earn foreign exchange, we are trying to turn these God-given resources into impacting the economy, even though in the short-medium term it might impactus,becauseoftheforeignexchangevolatility, but we expect that as we expand into this region of domestic consumption, things will get better, and we will have a more stable Naira.

the more e΀cient ways that we deliver projects.

So those are the two major challenges we faced in the recent two years.

-XVW OLNH RWKHU FRXQWULHV RI WKH ZRUOG &29,' KDV KDG LWV GHELOLWDWLQJ H;HFWV RQ HYHU\ VHFWRU RI WKH 1LJHULDQ HFRQRP\ DQG LW·V VWLOO WDNLQJ LWV WROO ZLWK WKH RLO DQG JDV VHFWRU UHSRUWHG EHLQJ WKH ZRUVW KLW :KDW KDV NHSW :DOWHUVPLWK JRLQJ" :KDW KDV EHHQ WKH VWD\LQJ SRZHU" I’ll start from our ability to learn and adapt very quickly. We were executing our reÀnery project at the time the COVID-19 hit us badly in Nigeria.

This was about March 2020. And we expected to deliver the reÀnery project by May. With all the restrictions of travelling, because we had some expatriates who were working with us preparing for commissioning, we had to Ànd ways of leveraging more on the indigenous capacities that we have been building to complete the execution of the reÀnery, and we did that.

So even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Waltersmith commissioned the reÀnery and put it in operations by the Àrst quarter of 2020, when the Has there been any challenge in Waltersmith pandemic was still ravaging the world including WKDW KDV VLJQLÀFDQWO\ D;HFWHG RSHUDWLRQV" +RZ Nigeria.

GLG \RX GHDO ZLWK WKDW" So we can adapt. We are very nibbling in how The two major ones I can recollect in the last two we can make changes to the way we operate. That years are: Àrst, the COVID-19 pandemic. We had is one of the strengths that Waltersmith has. to learn new ways of working, relying on virtual The second part has to do with how we have tools to do most of the work that is done from managed the pandemic. This will come a little the head o΀ce. strangetoalotofpeople,wemandatedvaccination.

Meetings, even having technical evaluations, So all the stories you hear now around the 'R \RX WKLQN IXOO GHUHJXODWLRQ RI WKH GRZQ VWUHDP VHFWRU RI WKH RLO DQG JDV LQGXVWU\ LV WKH recruitment processes etc. We transferred all that world or companies, or governments trying to to the virtual platform. We rely on, for example, mandate vaccination, we mandated vaccination ZD\ WR JR" in our company. And therefore, 100 per cent of Absolutely Wehavetokeepaneyeonwhatthis Microsoft Teams, Skype and Zoom.

In the Àeld operations, we have started the the people who work with Waltersmith are vacfull deregulation means. The players in the place that is deregulated simply can’t play any kind of journey towards automation so that manual cinated. Taking that steps means that they do not cowboy tactics, cartels, to just arbitrarily increase interventions are limited. I can sit in my o΀ce here put themselves and their family at risk, and they the prices of these products to the detriment of in Lagos and be able to monitor what is going also don’t put their colleagues at risk. on in the operational areas. The deployment of So we can buckle up. We have been running the average Nigerians.

So why it is deregulated, the players in this drones for security and also for surveillance of our our o΀ces now since October 2021. Fully opened, deregulated market must business from an ethical facilities, operations surveillance. We are going to but with a few rotations. People are allowed to come to work, but we still maintain some of the perspective. They will still make money, but we get into that space as well.

So there is quite a lot in terms of the ways we virtual tools. cannot just allow them to do things as they like have changed how we work. Cool changes are ButwehavetakenthechallengeoftheCOVID-19 in the Nigerian economy in that area. handled diͿerently. There is an additional cost pandemic by the horns by doing what I believe 7KH FULVLV LQ 1LJHULD·V IRUHLJQ H[FKDQJH PDUNHW burden on constantly taking antigen or PCR tests, were the right things, that the rest of the world are KDV EHHQ SHUVLVWHQW $V DQ RSHUDWRU WKDW KDV LWV to ensure that we are safe in our head o΀ce and now looking at, trying to achieve.

So we are resilient and we adapt very quickly.

DFWLYLWLHV DQG WUDQVDFWLRQV GROODU GHQRPLQDWHG areas of operations, and also keep the people that Those have been our strengths.

HVSHFLDOO\ ZLWK WKH FUXGH RLO WKH EDVH SURGXFW interact with us safely.

The second major impact for us particularly is WUDGHG LQ WKH JUHHQEDFN KRZ KDV :DOWHUVPLWK the security situation in the Southeastern parts :DOWHUVPLWK 0RGXODU 5HÀQHU\ ZDV UHSRUWHG IDUHG" The impact on us is slightly diͿerent from other of the country where our operations are. There WR KDYH VWDUWHG RSHUDWLRQV ODVW \HDU &RXOG \RX people, who simply export this commodity and are constant disruptions. The sit-at-home orders. EULQJ XV WR VSHHG RQ WKH RSHUDWLRQV" We have been running the reÀnery very earn dollars. That is not what is in Waltersmith’s Sometimes, not even an order, but we just have to obey them; so you can imagine that when we smoothly. We initially had some expatriates who mission.

Our mission is to provide energy for the beneÀt are doing certain projects, where we expect to be are end personnel, quite a number of them, but we of humanity.And humanity in the sense of where able to take the full components of the number of have been training some Nigerians, and basically, days or week we can work, but we are limited to we are moving towards a situation, where we we operate currently is for Nigerians.

That is why we started the journey on domestic maybe three or four days in a week. That, therefore, can start releasing those expatriates. Because the reÀning. And it has to be clear, what the burden leads to a lot of slippage on our schedule for the Nigerianshavedemonstratedthatwearecompetent delivery of those projects. in running the reÀnery. that we are bearing on this is.

We hope that those security situations will So we have no issue concerning the e΀ciency of Because we take a signiÀcant portion of our crude to the domestic reÀnery that we have, gradually get resolved so that we can go back to running the reÀnery. We have had no downtime

7KH 1LJHULDQ 2LO DQG *DV ,QGXVWU\ &RQWHQW 'HYHORSPHQW 12*,&' $FW ZDV HQDFWHG LQ WR SURPRWH LQGLJHQRXV RLO DQG JDV FRPSDQLHV :KDW KDV EHHQ :DOWHUVPLWK·V WHVWDPHQW" It’s been very good. Let me point out Àrst of all that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is a 30-per cent equity partner in the Waltersmith ReÀnery. That means that not only are they there to provide us guidance, to make sure that we align with the Nigerian content laws, they are also a business partner as an investor.

Kudos to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, who is a very good friend of mine, has not only made active the talks about supporting indigenous companies but acting on it as we by becoming equity partners with Waltersmith. We intend to continue to grow the partnership.

In addition, in our upstream business, we have a very close collaboration with NCDMB. We share the same blocks of o΀ces with them on diͿerent Áoors, hence the daily interactions we have with them are just excellent.

On our own, it’s not just about what the content law says, Waltersmith at this time, the upstream businessis100percentNigerian.Thatmeanswedo not have any expatriates in our upstream business.

Not a single one. And this is to demonstrate that Nigerian companies can do it.

So when people talk about, we have 70 per cent Nigerians, and 30 per cent expatriates in their own companies, we have 100 per cent Nigerians, and we are very comfortable with that.

Weintendtoachievethesameinourdownstream reÀningbusiness.Buttheproblemwehaveinitially was that the expertise in Nigeria did not exist, so we had to build it ourselves. And therefore, we are on that track, and we are slowly releasing the expatriates who are in the operations parts of the business.

We extend our Nigerian content compliance to our engagement with the communities as well.

So apart from GMOs and those standard things, we have human capital developments with the community, where we have started. In 2021, we took 50 out of a pool of 200 graduates from Ohaji-Egbema LGA of Imo State and trained them in operations and maintenance of both the reÀnery and the upstream business for a period of about six to seven months. 10 of the best of that 50 were hired directly into our operations as senior staͿ. This is a programme that we expect to be running year on year, always tied to our capital project, as a requirement under the Nigerian Content Act. In parallel to that for human capital development, we run a Graduate Trainee Programme. So while the Technical SkillsAcquisition Programme (That’s what we can be the one in the community) are targeted and seriously reserved for only the communities, the graduate programme, which we call Accessed Graduate Internship, allows opportunities for other Nigerians.

Atthemoment,wehaveabout12graduatestaken from a large pool, that are currently undergoing a one-year internship programme with diͿerent departments of the company, legal Ànance, external government aͿairs, petroleum engineering, operations, commercials, human resources etc.

That is the second part of our applying the Nigerian Content Development Act towards human capital development in our operations.

In terms of our contracting, our contracts are almost very limited. When we have some consultancy work, we bring in expatriates, but a lot of our contracts in our operation areas, almost 100 per cent, are Nigerian companies. So in terms of companies that comply with the Nigerian Content Act, I’ll say that Waltersmith is at the top of that list.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

28

CONVERSATION WITH MY BILLIONAIRE FRIEND ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com PERSONAL FINANCE SAVINGS

08086447494 (SMS only) BUDGETING COMMODITIES

AYO AROWOLO

GOLD

INVESTING

Building Wealth Starts From Planning Ahead and Unbroken Devotion To Execution “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

-Benjamin Franklin “Good intentions might sound nice, but it is positive actions that matter.”

-Tim Fargo “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hope, no plans’ -Peter F. Drucker

I

have discovered over time that the best time to catch my Billionaire friend in his best element was either a Sunday or Monday evening. So, I intentionally planned my next visit for a Sunday evening. As it has been the practice, I signal I would become. My name gets registered at the gate of his estate and the gate of his home.

After observing all the required security protocols, I was ushered into his expansive, beautiful garden. At first, I was a bit startled by its dazzling beauty. You would think I was in Eden. My friend was exercising, hopping here and there, and enjoying Fela Kuti’s WATER NO GET ENEMY. My feet felt the gbedu; however, I was not here to dance. I was there to learn- get behind me, Fela! (I said in my mind.) My friend is a lover of Fela, his music, his dance, his style. He had a giant frame of Fela’s image with his signature saxophone.

My Billionaire friend was so engrossed with this exercise that he barely noticed I was in the garden.

When he saw me, he did not stop. He simply signalled he would be with me in a few minutes. 15 minutes later, our conversation began: “Sorry, my boss. That is how I recharge myself. I am actually doing two things; recharging my body and my spirit simultaneously. First, vigorous aerobics regulate blood flow in my body and strengthen my muscles, and is an energizer to my soul. We all need it, you should try it sometimes. I actually thought you would join me, but I quickly reasoned you would consider that to be worldly . Anyway, we have agreed that everyone should abide by his calling. I respect that.

“So my boss, let us get into the business of the day. So tell me, what you have been able to make out of our last discussion—any action you have taken?

Sure, sir.

I ordered a copy of the book you shared with me, 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE, by Steven Covey. I took time to read it, summarized and shared the review with my readers. I also engaged three of my friends in discussions around the lessons in the book, and we formed an accountability group. We agreed to ensure we implement whatever tips you share with us.”

“Incredible! I am impressed with this. Ayo, tell me what came over you. It seems you have suddenly found a kick. Tell me, what happened?”

I do not know, sir; however, the thought of being accountable is more than enough motivation.

“This is good, and I am encouraged. Please keep this up. Don’t ever drop the ball.”

Yes, sir. And thank you for creating the time to share those powerful tips with me.

“It is my pleasure, my boss. Today I am going to be sharing what I consider to be the most important step to take if you truly want to build lasting wealth.

I am going to be sharing with you what I have titled: BUILDING WEALTH STARTS FROM PLANNING AHEAD AND UNBROKEN DEVOTION TO EXECUTION “But before we start, let me ask you this question: who wrote the script you are currently acting out?”

I was shocked. Script? I don’t understand! We are not into filmmaking or something like that.

“I mean, who wrote the script of your life you are currently acting out?”

I still don’t understand, sir. I thought you said we should be discussing how to plan for wealth.

How did the script stuff come in?

“My boss, you have been playing out a script. It is just that you probably are not aware of the author of the script. It could mean that up till this moment, someone else had crafted a script for your life, and you have been playing this out without being conscious of it.”

I was even more confused.

What is he talking about?

“I hope I have not lost you, my boss?”

Well, I’m lost, sir.

“Let us do it this way. Since I know you are a churchman, let me suggest you pull out your phone and search for a Bible app and go into the book of Genesis. If you can find The Message Translation, that would be fine.”

He asked me to read chapters 1 and 2 aloud and suggested that I listen to myself while reading.

If a man intends to achieve a set goal, he tends to be successful at achieving a set goal, and then it requires planning. Planning, in this case, is about defining your goals, defining your strategies, defining your tactics and setting out programs towards achieving your set goals. Strategies in terms of how you want to go about ensuring that your set goal of building wealth is achieved as much as desired. Planning here in terms; of developing strategies toward the set goal of building wealth. It involves developing tactics and ensuring programs are drawn. That is what I mean by planning”.

What is a wealth plan?

“A wealth plan is a detailed form of looking at the micro and macro environment and devising ways and means of achieving wealth creation, in other words designing systems, designing structures, designing qualitative and quantitative inputs into achieving wealth. This is what wealth planning is all about”.

How do you go about wealth planning?

‘You go about planning wealth by ensuring you explore and understand the synergy around you. In other words, you ensure you are knowledgeable about all that it takes towards achieving your goal of building wealth. This may involve gathering knowledge both in written forms and by experience or by attachment to Artist impression of my Billionaire Friend or by obtaining mentoring in the building of wealth”.

What will be the content of the plan? What areas the planning cover?

I complied and read the chapter one verse after does “The content of the plan has to do with determining the other slowly and listened as I read. As I read, I was what your best feat is. Also, exploring the various getting different interpretations in my head. creation instruments and vehicles to determine “When you get home, I want you to go over the wealth best feat toward achieving building wealth is. I chapters again. You would see that the personalities which have had my own experience in how to plan to build mentioned at the beginning created a script which wealth. I commenced my wealth by finding they were acting out. When what they saw initially did out about the simplestbuilding to read in order to be not match what they put in the original script, they more exposed to buildingbook wealth and also at a young re-wrote the script and executed the content until age before the age of 20. I read book THE RICHEST they finished the drama. You could see that at the MAN IN BABYLON” by Georgethis Clarkson. book interval, they were saying: this is good; this is good. exposed me to how without having accessThat money, That means what was created matched what they one could begin to buy shares. In those to one had in their script. In chapter 2, God finished his own hundred shares of Nigerian breweries weredays, going for script and appointed man as his mini scriptwriter. So fifty-one kobo. One hundred of Guinness was about God has delegated the project of writing the script sixty-one kobo, one hundred shares of black dodge to every being he created.” about sixty-eight kobo. Mobil was offered then “The question is: who wrote the script you are were at about kobo per share .Those were the currently playing out in your life. In most cases, you early daysfifty-eight of my building of wealth. One got to have have probably been playing out scripts written for you one mindset that accumulating wealth by building it by parents, friends, business associates, the environment, gradually was the best way and ensuring that monies economic situations and others. If that is the case, you were not wasted. Scholarship monies and have been operating by default. It does not have to teaching in the university jobs made wereweekend on be. Starting from this moment, you can intentionally buying shares. This is how one started buildingused wealth. re-write the script of your life and take full responsibility And these grew into other wealth instruments like for playing it, including taking the blames when you Gold coins, like buying cheap land in my surrounding fail along the line.” thousand naira per plot buying some small art I was already sweating inside. It was tough to for two All those small investments eventually grew accept. They were playing out unknowingly scripts pieces. to accumulate to some comfortable wealth that was of my life written by others. humongous but comfortable.

“My friend, I can see that you have been quiet. Not notWhat happens If you don’t have a plan? to worry. The reason we are meeting and having this want you to go back to Genesis 1 and 2 again discussion is to ensure that from now on, you write and“I ponder on the creative process employed by the your own script and act it out intentionally; so that personality mentioned there. Many people have got you are no longer I living by default.” their lives upside down.

They do what they should do That is comforting, sir. last and what they should do last, first. Lasting “I know. You are not alone. How would it make you first, cannot result from such lives. feel if I told you that over 90 per cent of the people success I have encountered individuals who embark on you see are playing the scripts of life created by other housing projects when they don’t have established people? That is tragic. Someone put it nicely when he sources of income. Invariably, such people truncate said that many of the people you see on the road are their careers ultimately get the housing project actually deeply asleep, even though they think they abandoned. and God is a process-driven being. He is are awake. living.” in everything He does, and if we are truly This is getting more philosophical, sir. Can we get deliberate His image, we should act in the same manner. God into this planning stuff? visualizes the project He wants to embark on, What do you mean by a wealth plan? Please explain, usually sees the end from the beginning and carefully activates sir. Break it down, sir. sequence all activities that would be necessary “It is not complicated. The building of wealth is the in accomplish that project. He would do first things same as building properties and cultural land, dams, to middle things, middle and last things last. In His bridges and so on. The building of wealth is a worthy first, work, God created light before the sky and goal as all these others. Thus, in this circumstance, we creative sky before the land and land before the vegetation are discussing the specific goal of achieving a set goal. and vegetation before the stars and the moons and the stars before the living creatures and the living creatures before human beings. Think “The question is: who wrote the script for a moment. Assuming He created living before vegetation or human beings you are currently playing out in your life. creatures before vegetation and living creatures, what In most cases, you have probably been would happen? That would have been a recipe for confusion! And God is not an author playing out scripts written for you by Good planning helps you put parents, friends, business associates, the oftheconfusion. first thing first and the last thing last”.

“When you live your life without having environment, economic situations and a plan, you should not blame yourself if others. If that is the case, you have been you die in penury. Every youth should have a plan for his /her future. And you operating by default..” must be completely devoted to that plan.

Your plan must be absolute, the prioritizing of buying Aso-Ebi should be out of it, the issue about frivolous party goings should be out of it, the issue of buying unnecessary expensive fashion items should be out of it. The truth is building wealth entails savings that must be devoid of consumptive expenditure. It is a journey of absolute focus”.

“Anybody who makes a journey without having a plan should blame his/herself if he goes astray on that journey. It is very important you have a solid plan and keep track of this plan to measure one’s achievement. This helps in paying attention to areas where improvement is needed.

This is serious, sir. But why do people not plan generally?

“In general, particularly in many parts of Africa, people tend to believe in miracles. People tend to believe some supernatural forces will eventually take control, especially when such people are deep into some type of religion that believes that “God will do it”. Such people end up not planning and end up being dependent all their life”.

How did you take care of distractions and resolutions?

“Building of wealth requires avoiding distractions and complete devotion towards execution of wealth-building plans. To take care of that, one must be focused. One must not allow peer groups to make one deviate. One must avoid consumptive expenditures, one must find mentors, and one must relate and look up to heroes to guide one and ensure one is completely focused” What will planning accomplish for me?

“Planning helps you accomplish your goal of building wealth. Building wealth is a gradual process. When you want to build wealth in a gradual process, it will last. This again has to do with our core indigenous values. Wealth building should be based on our core indigenous values of wisdom, knowledge, honesty, hard work, contentment, and love for others. These are very important core values which can be found in our indigenous culture for which reading widely will expose anybody interested in building wealth to acquire this knowledge. In general, building wealth means being focused, being organized and being determined. Determination is very important. You must set out with a defined goal, and you must keep your eyes focused on the goal.”

“In general, building wealth is a serious business.

It is not for the weak-minded, and it requires a lot of determination and hard work. Hard work in terms of being frugal and acquiring knowledge such that the process is well built and well sustained. Building wealth is a very serious business, at which end it would create a comfortable existence for any wealth builder from his middle age to his ripe old age. Wealth builders never lack, wealth-builders always have savings, and wealth-builders have a strong position of assets, such as fixed assets, liquid assets and investment assets, all together in their portfolio. And they ensure their wealth is spread along with different risks and different portfolios. Such that their ability to overcome economic turbulence is solid. In other words, the building of wealth involves understanding the risk of investment; credit risk, economic risk, interest rate risk, operational risk, systemic risk, market risk, liquidity risk.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION Take each aspect of wealth building: (positive mindset, creating wealth, managing wealth, multiplying wealth, making wealth last and making wealth count) and develop long term, medium term and short term goals Isolate how many of the goals you plan to carry out in the next 12 months .

Then take them on day by day week by week and month by month without looking back.

Get your partners to hold you accountable for every aspect you are focusing on moment by moment PS: Any reader who wants to share his or her insight on the assignment with my Billionaire friend should send such to ayo.arowolo@ thisdaylive.com; and I will share with him.

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

06.2.2022

H

e is one of the outstanding media professionals to emerge from the North.

Through public service, he had distinguished himself and left with his head high. Yushau Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotions is renowned for his unique ability in his trade. Humble, quiet and unassuming, he has continued to be a shining light in his field.

Shuaib is a graduate of MassCommunication from Bayero University Kano with a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Westminster, United Kingdom.

His foray into image making began in his university days, serving as the spokesperson of Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA) and winning the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Prize for the Best Student in PR 1992. From Bayero University where he had distinguished himself, Shuaib repeated the same feat in Asaba, Delta State where he did his mandatory youth service. Here, he won local, state and presidential NYSC awards with automatic employment as one of the most outstanding corps members of that period. He served as PRO Delta State Government House, Asaba and later became Press Secretary in various Federal Ministries including Information, Finance; Health; Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Outside the public service, several organisations have benefitted from his fountain of knowledge. He has provided advisory services to corporate organisations and consulted for critical institutions in the military, security, intelligence and response agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), providing crisis communication services.

An author of repute, in the course of his career as a PR person and writer, he has published over 300 media articles and written books including `A Dozen Tips for Media Relations,’ ‘Financial Public Relations,’ ‘An Encounter with Spymaster and Award-Winning Crisis Communication strategies’ among others.

“Publishing has always been part of our business though we have different media platforms for different sectors e.g. PRNigeria, Economic Confidential, Emergency Digest, Techdigest, Politics Digest and Spokespersons Digest. After realising that our correspondents and desk officers cover specific sectors and projects, we find it necessary for the purpose of documentation and records to introduce the book project. Every book for the project is thematic on a central topic, subject, or message within a narrative. My recent books are also thematic especially, “An Encounter with Spymasters, Crisis

Yushau Shuaib

A Publicist with Panache

He is a consummate writer and crisis-communicator par excellence. A distinguished public relations practitioner of sterling quality, his ingenuity has won him both local and international recognitions. While pursuing Islamic studies in the university, he took Mass Communication as an optional course - a decision that would later become pivotal to his career trajectory. Behind him are years of shining brilliantly as a public servant. The public relations expert and Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion, Yushau Shuaib, tells Funke Olaode what spurred his interest in building a career as a publicist with a great panache.

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/victoria.olaode@thisdaylive.com.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

COVER My Father Wanted Me to Be a Scholar, But I Chose a Different Career Path

Shuaib with his children, Gidado and Saad

Communication Strategies” and also the recent ones by our staff members, “Digital Innovation for Economic Prosperity in Nigeria” by Inyene Ibanga and “101 Fake News on EndSARS” by Dahiru M. Lawal.

We currently have at least six books in the pipeline for presentation next year, God willing,” he said.

He is a recipient of several outstanding honours, especially in Public Relations. He was PR man of the Year of NIPR Kano/ Jigawa Chapter in 1995, Outstanding Digital PR Practitioner of NIPR FCT Chapter 2019 and the prestigious NIPR Presidential award also in 2019.

A spokesperson with tentacles across the globe, his crafts, creativity and ingenuity have been recognised globally. For instance, through some of his initiatives, especially the PRNigeria and Economic Confidential magazine, his firm has consistently won the African PR Awards in South-Africa 2016/7, Morocco 2017, Botswana 2018, Kigali 2019 and Tanzania 2020. At the global scene, his firm remains the only PR agency in Africa to have consistently won the Golden World Award of International Public Relations Association (IPRA) on Crisis Management in Qatar 2016, Bulgaria 2017, Spain 2018, Armenia 2019 and 2020. The firm was declared the Most Creative PR Agency Worldwide 2020 by Global Creativity Index GCI and Statista, the world renowned statistics portal.

Shuaib and his outfit have continued to blaze the trail. In 2021, his firm was on a shortlist of five finalists for the “African PR

Agency of the Year 2021.”

From public service to the private sector, Shuaib has remained true to himself to dealing with and solving image crises.

Why did he choose this path you may ask?

And why Marketing Communication?

His response: “I come from a family of preachers who are advocates of moral conduct and good causes where communication is the vital weapon of persuasion through convincing narratives.

Therefore, I have always admired public communicators who handle tough situations and solve problems.”

His father, an Islamic scholar and a PhD in Arabic Linguistics wanted him to study Arabic and Islamic studies so that he could also become an Imam like his grandfather.

While pursuing Islamic studies in the university, he took Mass Communication as a subsidiary, optional course because of his love for writing and speaking at events on campus.

“In the process, I developed an interest in reading newspapers which my father bought every day. I later started admiring the writing styles. Even before I took Mass Communication as a subsidiary course.

I was contributing articles to campus magazine before I later established Campus Voice Magazine monthly and Campus Express which came fortnightly whenever there are activities like politics, sports and events on the campus. So, I never had interest in Law, Accounting or any of the so-called lucrative professional courses because every organisation or profession

needs a communicator. So to me, communication was, and is still, everything and I went for it,” he recounted.

Shuaib was in the civil service where he made remarkable success and at a time was referred to as a star boy, he quit to pursue his ambition. Restless and ambitious with a purpose, he admitted he had always wanted to be his own boss.

“I thank the Almighty for his abundant blessing on my career path,” he continued.

I never thought of working in the civil service. I wanted to practice journalism and public relations. The NYSC honours including the Presidential award that offered me an automatic appointment in the public service changed my orientation.

From 1993 when I was offered the initial appointment in Delta State Civil Service, I promised myself to spend only a few years and quit to pursue my passion.”

In 1996, when he became a press secretary at the Federal Ministry of Finance, he was egged on by his friend at FAAC News magazine, where he began contributing regular articles. “Similarly, after I left the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in 2016, I supported my family in establishing another magazine known as Economic Confidential. I also established an online forum for Public Relations practitioners in Nigeria through a Yahoo Group known as PRNigeria,” he recalled.

Shuaib has a clear cut area of operation – reputation and crisis management services to corporate organisations and

critical institutions in the military, security, intelligence and response agencies. His background in the civil service became an asset.

“Actually, the first set of clients that requested my services were in the security and intelligence sector. I am glad that I served them to the best of my ability. The contributions we made in that sector remain unprecedented till today,” he said.

A man of vision who is constantly on a mission, one of his initiatives, PRNigeria and Economic Confidential magazine, have consistently won the African PR Awards across Africa including the Most Creative PR Agency Worldwide. For him, the secret to those successes lies in the ability to face challenges and his approaches to solve crises.

“You want me to divulge the secret of the trade in crisis communication and reputation management. Pay the fees and I will do so (Laughs). The truth is that at Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), we like to take on bigger challenges. In fact we enjoy being approached to resolve crises through strategic communication. Most of the international awards are largely interested in problem solving case studies. For a crisis management outfit, it is easier to list the problems from the crisis situations that were presented to us and how we managed them. Our activities are not the routine event coverages, press release distributions etc.

In strategic communication, for every event we organise and every statement we issue, there are a lot of factors and processes that must be considered before the communication campaigns.

“We were declared as the Most Creative PR Agency World in 2020 for the various campaigns we undertook that year with minimum budgets but with maximum result. Our campaigns have different objectives. Meanwhile, each of our campaigns followed the same templates from the summary on the challenges before we define the problem and list the Campaign Objectives.

We have to identify the geographic location and target audiences which would guide on the tools to be deployed to achieve the best results.”

Marketing Communication in a digital world needs brilliant and talented individuals for it to survive. Shuaib is of the view that even with social media and digital innovation, organisations should ensure they have incentives that could attract and retain the best hands.

His company is huge. It has made a name for itself. To onlookers, having affiliations with foreign partners won’t be a bad idea. “We are very mindful of the potential benefits of affiliation in the PR industry. We may consider such in future. Currently we observe and operate the concept of globalisation by localising global best practices in our business that makes us compete favourably with the international PR firms and Global brands.”

Shuaib is a workaholic and he is still excited with many of the company’s recent campaigns.

“Our clients are out there. I find it difficult to pick any above others because they all have a common goal for success in their various and diverse campaigns we executed. Meanwhile, I must admit that our crisis communication campaigns are the most successful going by the dozens of awards we bagged at events hosted by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), African Public Relations Association (APRA) and International Public Relations Association (IPRA),” he said.

In recognising role models and aspiring public relations experts, Shuaib and his team recently established award presentations.

The award presentation is a component of Public Relations, especially event management strategies.

“Having covered some of the sectors with constructive editorial and in most cases with criticisms in ensuring that best practices are observed, the other ways of acknowledging and recognising role models for emulation are mostly through awards of recognition.

We started with the Campus Journalism Award which is now more popular among student writers in Nigeria. Two years later, we introduced Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA) for that sector and this year we launched the inaugural Spokespersons Awards for PR practitioners and strategic communications in various categories.”

No doubt, Shuaib eats, sleeps and breathes PR through writing and speaking. “It has always been my desire to excel in every branch of Public Relations practice.”

For him, his life is not defined solely by the career path he chose. Away from practicing PR, managing crises, he still enjoys playing badminton and savouring some mouthwatering noodles at his leisure.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

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GLITZ PERSONALITY

What Joseph Edgar Really Wants?

Love him or hate him, Joseph Edgar is one of those individuals who care less about what you think of him unless of course, you are bringing value to his visions. The investment banker wears many hats that sometimes make it difficult to box him. Vanessa Obioha in a recent encounter with Edgar tries to find out what his ultimate desire is.

Edgar

W

hatever impression you have on Joseph Edgar, the popular THISDAY columnist, it quickly dissipates on encountering him.

Depending on your perception of him, you may love him or hate him more. Of course, one can easily deduce that he is voluble, restive, blunt and a show-off. If you read his Loud Whispers column or his unending WhatsApp messages, you may have rolled your eyes several times each time he bombards you with his numerous updates on his projects. Sometimes, reading his WhatsApp messages gives one the impression that he types as fast as he talks.

Edgar also has a great sense of humour which is often seen in his narratives. The way he describes his encounters often leaves one in stitches; be it his fear of contracting HIV due to an eye infection or his eternal love for Afang soup, you are likely to laugh out loud. The bluntness of his write-up has equally fetched him popularity among the corporate elites and politicians and in his usual manner, he ensures that you know he is chilling with the ‘big boys’. But Edgar’s show-off tendencies are not really for bragging rights, rather a subtle way of educating his followers on the importance of networking with the right people.

This was recently glimpsed when he convinced over 50 professionals

“It pains me to my bone marrow that we have a country like this and I believe that I cannot sit down and do nothing. I want to wake up Nigerians to the possibilities that are around us. I want to move as many people as possible from the onlookers’ side to the decision-makers” who cut across finance, agriculture, oil and gas, information technology, media and communications to go on a weekend retreat with the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

“It was my friend Osa Umweni who birthed the idea,” he tells me as we sit in the reception area of Green Legacy Hotel in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“He kept saying it in the WhatsApp group. He got the vision but one day it dawned on me that what he was suggesting was possible. It took me an hour to get the approval to bring the team here.”

Even though the retreat revolved around the revered former president and his contributions to the nation, Edgar who goes by the moniker Duke of Shomolu

points out that it was more of a networking opportunity.

“It wasn’t really about Obasanjo.

He provided the infrastructure that we needed, that is, the Presidential Library which comes with the hotel and the tour, and captures 60 years of Nigerian history. The delegates will take in all of that but the most powerful impact of the trip is the networking session where concrete steps were taken towards achieving what we set out to do which is to take back the country.”

At the networking session, the delegates shared their thoughts on the strategic meeting with Obasanjo where the latter talked about leadership, polity and the economy. They also

set up subcommittees to tackle issues on education, youth development and grassroots mobilisation.

His vision for the retreat, he says, is for the emerging leaders to file out into the senate.

“We may not be able to take the executive offices. They can put themselves or their children there but when it comes to the National House of Assembly — the Senate and House of Representatives, we will have professionals there. Accountants, lawyers and others who know their mettle very well. That way we will ensure transparency. We will be able to monitor the budget because we will call you after six months to give an account of how you spent the budget allocated to you.

Hopefully, from there we will get to the presidency.”

He continues: “So the vision is to take about 20 percent of state assemblies of states like Lagos, Kano, Rivers and other strategic states that have huge voter concentration. And then take 40 per cent of state assemblies nationwide.”

He calls the retreat a movement that will soon spread into different corners of the country.

As our conversation progresses, Edgar’s optimistic aura about Nigeria becomes infectious.

“I’m extremely optimistic about Nigeria.

The problems we have in Nigeria are not fundamental. It is about leadership and once that is sorted, we will sort it. Because it’s all about natural selection. There is a way nature deals with these things. People get old and die. So, the people who are ruling us, they took over from some people but the bad luck that we seem to have is that our leaders now took over very early in life. Those that took over from the Civil War were in their thirties so they have a long tenure. That will end in the next five years.

So now, the new emerging leaders have about 20 years to perform their duties so there will be that sense of urgency. I believe 100 per cent in the sanity of this economy.

Further, he adds that some sectors of the economy such as entertainment, technology and agriculture are employing many as well as the surge in diaspora receipts. He also lauds the entrepreneurial spirit of youths today.

“What we need now are visionary leaders just like Obasanjo pointed out the need for us to understand and manage our diversity in such a way that private initiatives will be able to come out and create opportunities.”

Like Obasanjo, he dismissed the logic that there is a saviour somewhere that will rescue Nigeria from the myriads of problems.

“Advanced societies became what they became by the vision of individuals. Martin Luther King woke up and said he wanted racial inequality to end and did the work.

Mahatma Gandhi said he wanted to end the caste system in India and he did the work. Nelson Mandela said he wanted to end apartheid in South Africa and he did the work. So, in Nigeria, let the visionary leaders stand up and start the work. If it makes sense, we will support him. It’s not going to be easy or served on a platter of gold. We should stop waiting for somebody to do something. Let’s start with ourselves.

We have to make things happen,” he argues.

An investment banker, Edgar has forayed into other fields such as media and theatre productions. Some of his stage plays last year included ‘Awo’ and ‘Ufok Ibaan’.

This year, he has rolled out a long list of stage plays which include ‘Emir Sanusi’, ‘Sardauna’ and ‘Baba Kekere’. Each of these plays is deliberately based on historical figures according to Edgar.

“With theatre, we are telling stories of past great people to remind ourselves of where we are coming from.”

With his head donning many hats, combined with his vigour, it is difficult to decipher what Edgar really wants. He puts it this way: “It pains me to my bone m a r ro w t h a t w e h a v e a c o u n t r y like this and I believe that I c a n n o t s i t d o wn and do nothing. I want to wake up Nigerians to the possibilities that are around us. I want to move as many people as possible from the onlookers’ side to the decision-makers.”

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GLITZ ENTERTAINMENT

‘Nollywood Portraits’ Goes to Smithsonian’s National Museum Stories by Vanessa Obioha At last year’s Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Smithsonian’s National Museum for African History and Culture which participated in the festival announced that the Nigerian-American artist Ike Udé’s ‘Nollywood Portraits’ will be opening in Washington DC. Udé’s work was officially displayed at the museum yesterday, February 5 while a virtual global launch featuring an interactive session with the artist and four Nollywood stars discussing their portrait experience, an exclusive preview of Udé’s documentary short, ‘Nollywood in Focus’, and a sneak peek of the exhibition is slated for February 11.

“We are very excited to join the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in celebrating these Nigerian film industry personalities in the classic, elegant style Iké Udé has perfected,” said Project Director of ‘Nollywood Portraits’, Osahon Akpata.

Udé celebrates the luminescent beauty and mystique of Nigerian visionaries by turning his lens on the talented people who drive Nollywood, Nigeria’s burgeoning film industry.

Known for his performative and iconoclastic style and vibrant sense of composition, the US-based artist’s photographs

use colour, attire and other markers to make elegant yet unexpected portraits. They make a bold statement about the power of African identities, despite centuries of attempted erasure by Eurocentric art history and notions of beauty.

“The radical beauty of these portraits is intended to make a bold statement about the portrayal of our people at the highest art and cultural institutions in the world,” remarked Akpata.

Director of the National Museum of African Art, Ngaire Blankenberg commented that the exhibition which falls on Black History Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the “contributions of African people across the globe to art, to history, to culture and our common humanity.”

“Whether he turns his camera on himself, flowers or the talented stars of Nollywood, Udé presents a world of beauty, and most powerfully, a world that centres on African beauty.”

The exhibition features 33 of Udé’s 64 portraits of Nollywood film stars, directors and producers, alongside — for the first time — some of the garments styled by the stars and a bespoke set, in which visitors can create their own identities with the help of on-site stylists.

The exhibition which will run through February 2023, was originated by independent curator Selene Wendt and curated for the Smithsonian by Karen E. Milbourne.

Toyin Abraham Joins Checkers Custard

Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi

One of the leading Nollywood actresses, Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi recently signed an ambassadorial deal with Checkers Custard brand. At a media unveiling held at the company’s head office, Mushin, Lagos, the award-winning actress while appreciating the brand for having her on board noted that she reached out to the brand first.

“Checkers Custard is the best family food. I reached out to them first because my family and I take the custard every morning and I don’t get to see it often. I promise the management that I will do my best, not as a brand ambassador but as a family. I would love checkers to keep to their promise to keep enriching customers.”

In corroboration, Managing Director of Checkers Africa Ltd, Karan Checker expressed joy as he noted that having Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi, as the first full brand ambassador for Checkers Custard is a dream materialized into the physical as the company has always looked forward to working with her.

Glo Battle of the Year Nigeria Goes Live Yesterday, February 5, the much anticipated Glo Battle of the Year (BOTY) premiered on the telecommunications company streaming platform Glo TV. The 13-episode series brings the thrills and chills of the show that will keep viewers spellbound.

Launched on October 13, 2021, and with auditions concluded in Kaduna, Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Benin and Lagos, the Glo BOTY reality TV show is hosted by the award-winning On-Air Personality (OAP) and actor, Do2tun and will chronicle the journey of young and talented Nigerians leveraging Globacom’s unlimited brand promise to unleash their potential and achieve their dreams of wealth, stardom and global domination.

The first 11 episodes including the premiere episode capture the thrills, drama, backstories, dance floor theatrics as well as the joy of qualification and pain of disqualification as the dancers battle through to the regional qualifiers. Episodes 12 and 13 would be live episodes featuring the semi-final and final events in Lagos as the judges observe and pick a winner in each battle category. The ultimate winner will go on to represent Nigeria at the international Battle of the Year competition in Japan.

As the competition progresses, the participating dancers will receive support and mentorship from seasoned and award-winning dancers like Poco Lee, Pinky Debbie, Izzy Odigie, Big Flo, Maxbuck, Dunamis, Franc Okwara, JC Jedor, Poxy (Cameroon), Gidnasty (USA), Menno (Netherlands), and Manuela (Germany).

BOTY competition has been running for over 10 years on the global stage with Nigerian dancers and crews attending. However, this is the first time Globacom is putting its weight behind the competition and bringing it to the mainstream. The company aims to help young talented Nigerians unleash their potential. “The array of Nigerian talents we have seen has been nothing short of exceptional and we are excited to show the world the quality of dance talents and entertainment Nigeria has. We are confident that with the unlimited talents on display, the viewing audience will be in for an exhilarating experience,” it said in an earlier statement.

Do2tun, host of Glo Battle of the Year Nigeria

Actress Genevieve Nnaji as one of the portraits

21 Filmmakers Shortlisted for ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’ Competition After a rigorous evaluation process by a wide range of industry professionals from across the continent, 21 emerging filmmakers from 13 African countries have been shortlisted for the short film competition by UNESCO and Netflix ‘African Folktales, Reimagined’.

The shortlisted filmmakers were selected from 2080 entries across the continent.

They are Nosa Igbinedion (Nigeria); Ebot Tanyi (Cameroon); Loukman Ali (Uganda); Tongryang Pantu (Nigeria); Walt Mzengi (Tanzania); Venance Soro (Côte d’Ivoire); Mark Wambui(Kenya); Volana Razafimanantsoa (Madagascar); Mohamed Echkouna (Mauritania); Nader Fakhry (Côte d’Ivoire); Anne Catherine Tchokonté (Cameroon); Mphonyana Mokokwe (Botswana); Anita Abada (Nigeria); Samuel Kanyama (Zambia); Machérie EkwaBahango (Democratic Republic of Congo); Oprah Oyugi (Kenya); Ndiyathemba Modibedi (South Africa); Gcobisa Yako (South Africa); Akorede Azeez (Nigeria); Katya Aragão (São Tomé and Príncipe) and Voline Ogutu (Kenya).

“This competition showcases the extraordinary cultural richness that Africa has to offer that we want to share with people all over the world, as Africa is a priority for UNESCO,” said UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, Ernesto Ottone R. The next phase of the competition will see the filmmakers pitch their stories to a judging panel comprising Nigeria’s filmmaker Femi Odugbemi, South Africa’s Bongiwe Selane, Leila Afua Djansi from Ghana, David Tosh Gitonga from Kenya, and Jean Luc Herbulot from Congo as well as representatives from Netflix and UNESCO who will act as guides in the process.

The panel will select the final six filmmakers who will receive a production grant of US$75,000 (through a local production company) to develop, shoot and post-produce their films under the guidance of Netflix and industry mentors to ensure everyone involved in the production is fairly compensated. Each of the six winners will also receive $25,000.

Nigerian Idol Premieres Tonight With two new judges D’banj and Simi, joining Obi Asika for the seventh season of Nigerian Idol which will premiere tonight on Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, fans can expect an entertaining show.

Beginning with the weekly show covering the auditions leading to theatre week, and then the live shows which will start in March, viewers would experience talented youngsters, bellyaching laughs, emotional moments and candid advice from the judges throughout the audition episodes.

This year’s edition is sponsored by Bigi Drinks, while Binance is the co-headline sponsor. The reality singing competition is also available on the online streaming device, Showmax, across Africa as well as in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Obi Asika, D’banj, Simi and host IK

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

HighLife

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

What is Akinwunmi Ambode’s Game Plan as He Gradually Regains His Voice?

Abubakar

Friends, Family, and Associates Rally Support for Jennifer Atiku-Abubakar Marriage is no joke. To the people intending to flit in, have a good time, and jump out, perhaps the latest development in the divorce proceedings between former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and his estranged wife, Jennifer, is enough motivation to reconsider.

And if this is insufficient, only personal experience will serve to show the way.

The marriage of Atiku to Jennifer has hit the rocks and hit them hard.

As the former man and wife contend over how to settle the matter without resorting to a bloody separation, friends and associates of the duo are already taking sides. And Jennifer appears to have more people on her side than you will find on Atiku’s.

Why did the divorce take place in the first place? The gist is that Jennifer wanted to stay in London but Atiku refused. That disagreement stretched and spread into other things that both parties had been mulling over. That is Jennifer’s story, anyway. Others think she couldn’t abide Atiku’s tendency to marry a new wife every time he travels somewhere.

Not long ago, Jennifer released a statement that the proposed divorce was costing her more than she had planned to cope with. The relatives, friends and security aides of the former VP have allegedly started throwing things her way, from insults to threats. And being the smart woman she is, Jennifer panicked and wasted no time in leaving Nigeria for her former husband and his people.

Jennifer stated that she left her law firm (Miyetti Law), sold off her assets, and gathered her belongings to take refuge abroad once the calls started coming in. Worse still, Jennifer is reportedly not the only target of Atiku’s alleged thugs: her kids, relatives and friends are also facing the same squad firing threats from the shadows.

As expected, Jennifer’s report has won support for her from all over. More people have assembled to fight her cause than ever cared about her before the divorce proceedings. Granted, some are just taking advantage of the flow but it is evident that some of the informal interventionists really care about Jennifer’s life and Atiku’s reputation.

This is not the time to keep a low profile, former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode will tell you. So ahead of the state’s 2023 governorship elections with fossils and new blood emerging from rocks and trees and rivers, what is Ambode’s plan?

Ambode is the person in Lagos at the moment who ordinary people consider to be at the same level as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in terms of gubernatorial potential. After all, while Sanwo-Olu is governor now, Ambode passed the baton over to him albeit unwillingly. So there is a lot of weight to Ambode’s considerations and declarations.

Ambode has kept mute over whether he will contest against Sanwo-Olu for the honour of serving Lagos and Lagosians. Since he crept up from the ruins of his past life as the ex-governor who only got to be in office for one term and no longer, Ambode has commanded the attention of all and sundry. Of course, It has been some time since notable public administrator and politician, Demola Seriki, took up the ambassadorial mantle to represent Nigeria in Spain. Ever since then, the dossier on the man has only grown larger to accentuate his good works, especially when some high-profile individual visits Seriki. Well, that dossier has now been splattered with dirt.

Not long ago, a blog article with ‘The Nigerian Embassy in Madrid Spain is a Mess’ as its title made big news. The article recounted in fantastic measures how Seriki was doing his best to live as good a life as possible in Spain. The ambassador was accused of turning himself into a small deity, driving a posh vehicle, threatening his local (Nigerian) staff with forced retirement every time things didn’t go his way; and more.

The author of the article claimed even further that Seriki had already fired seven of his staff, consequently offering up Nigeria to be mocked by the Spaniards. This angry allegation

Ambode

the spunk about him that netted him that gubernatorial spot the first time is still there, so it is no surprise that more people

Blackmailer on the Prowl: Demola Seriki Rubbishes Social Media Story about Nigerian Embassy in Spain

Seriki

are turning in Ambode’s direction and then running the numbers in their heads.

His recent post on social media triggered many debates and raised quite some speculations on what is in the mind of the Epe-born politician.

Can Ambode possibly beat Sanwo-Olu? Well, one cannot say. These things have a life of their own. You think you have a respectable grasp of political outcomes and then life finds a way to surprise you. After all, who would have believed that Ambode would rise from the ashes and endear himself to the people again?

After facing pressure from all directions about his plans for 2023, the accountant turned politician tweeted: “The youths are coming. The power is in their hands. Go and get your Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ready. Your future is NOW!” What a declaration! Indeed, that alone is enough motivation to respect Ambode again.

Indeed, no political analyst can thump his chest on Ambode’s next move.

Who knows, his tweet might be an indication of another bid for the governorship seat or he might head to the Senate He might even decide to go to Aso Rock. Whichever way Ambode chooses, it’s going to be a ride of intrigues and excitement, that is sure.

Lagosians are waiting and watching! painted Seriki in the flame-red colours of a devil.

But Seriki clapped back at the article, chalking it up to the work of disgruntled staff who were not impressed with the shaking up he did when he arrived at his duty post in Spain. Did he own and drive a Range Rover in Spain as the article claimed? Yes! However, he brought the vehicle from Nigeria having paid for it with his own money, not looting the government’s coffers. And he did this because there was no representative car when he arrived in Spain.

The ambassador also stated that the total number of staff at the Nigerian outpost in Spain was supposed to be 15. Somehow, that number had increased to 25. So, to save Nigeria some cash, Seriki opted to remove the redundant staff. He even offered them opportunities with similarly capped monetary returns. But they refused.

So there we are. A case of blackmail against an ambassador that is perhaps doing his job? Time will tell.

Funke Osibodu’s Former Bank in the Ring with Her Husband, Gbolade over Huge Debt There have been many instances of banking institutions declaring war on the matter of a high-profile customer in Nigeria. But a case like this where Victor Gbolade Osibodu is being chased by Ecobank, a bank that had his wife, Funke Osibodu, as a reigning lord, is quite rare.

Which makes for extra intrigue.

It seems as if the matter between Osibodu and Ecobank is heating up beyond all expectations. The founder of Vigeo Holdings Limited has already been dragged by his flaps to court. This is the latest development in the matter of Ecobank accusing Osibodu of owing it a debt of approximately N8.7 billion.

The backstory can be traced to 2007.

Ecobank submitted to the Federal High Court in Lagos that Osibodu had applied for

and gotten two loans worth $15 million and $1.75 million in the name of his Vigeo Limited company. He had then gone on to purchase a tugboat, Lady Magret (now Vigeo Olufunke) from a company in Norway.

Then Osibodu had yet another opportunity to apply for several loans at once and he did.

This time, he got N200 million, N750 million, and N350 million. He was supposed to pay back every year with the interest counting at 16 per cent. But he got the loan even though (according to Ecobank) his personal assets were worth a little over N2 billion.

Barely a year later, in June 2008, Osibodu allegedly approached Ecobank again to get another loan worth $2 million. Then in May 2009, he got yet another loan worth $1 million.

Okorocha: Is the ‘Lover of Statues’ the Right Man to Be Nigeria’s President in 2023?

Okorocha

The 2023 presidential election in Nigeria is highly likely to go down in history as the most dramatic of elections. The lineup of aspiring candidates is already very peculiar without mentioning how these individuals intend to compete among themselves. One of these individuals is Senator Rochas Okorocha, former Imo State Governor. Even among the gang of misfits, Okorocha has a corner all to himself.

The man who has been lovingly christened the ‘Captain of iberiberism’ recently declared his ambition to contest for the mantle of President Muhammadu Buhari under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, like the majority of his peers who have nailed their eyes to the same mantle, ‘Captain Okorocha,’ as he prefers to be called,

Osibodu

has outstanding issues that need to be sorted out before heading to Aso Rock Villa to roost.

Perhaps the most glaring of these outstanding issues is his 17-count case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). From the reports on this front, Okorocha still has to explain to the anti-graft agency why there is a ghost of public funds with N2.9 billion written on its forehead following after him. The EFCC continues to insist that Okorocha stole the money from public funds while the man of statues— for he built statues during his time as Imo Governor—insists otherwise.

The intending Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) has claimed that he did not touch any public funds. He argued that being a State Governor impoverished him and that Imo State owes him N8 billion for security votes.

Simple subtraction will show that N2.9 billion removed from N8 billion leaves enough for Okorocha to organize a presidential campaign anywhere in Africa. Shame that EFCC is not amused.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

HIGHLIFE

Moneybag Taiwo Afolabi Completes New Mansion

Has Yahaya Bello Delivered Dividends of Democracy in Kogi State?

At a time when the media can be used as an instrument to batter the public into favouring or ignoring an individual, it is usually difficult to tell left from right about said individual. Unless one makes a journey down the rabbit hole, that is said individual’s home country or asked someone else who has done so.

This is the riddle of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State? If he is as messianic a figure as people present him, why are there so few Kogi citizens praising him for his accomplishments?

Many Nigerians have seen the video clip of Governor Bello rebuking Chinese contractors over a shabby assignment. He hadn’t held back as he asked them, thrusting the microphone in their faces if such shabbiness was allowed back in China. A heartwarming video for some, a scripted narrative for others. But in the face of Bello’s desire to be Nigeria’s next president,

it is important to know whether he has done anything in Kogi State worth replicating on the national stage.

From inquiry and research, Bello has two selling points: the appointment of women into political/administrative offices and a penchant for projects completed before you can say, Jack Robinson. Other than these, Bello is alleged to be as removed from Kogi State as, say, the Governor of California.

Road projects are an easy sell for many governors. You only need to shell out a bit of money and contractors will build roads where even angels dare not tread. For Bello, the narrative is reportedly different. According to sources, the self-titled White Lion is in the business of renovating (rather than constructing) roads.

What about focused educational projects?

Politics is not for the faint-hearted. Rather, it is a convoluted game with enough working parts to enervate the untrained mind. This is a lesson business people intending to cross the great divide to join their political brethren in the game ought to learn. But for Akanimo Udofia, the lessons came too late.

So if you know anything about the shadow contest for who will take over from Udom Emmanuel as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, then you know that Udofia was advertised as a top contender for the position. According to the marketers, Udofia had the cojones to vie for the position and clinch victory in the face of overwhelming odds. But that is not all.

The advertisers that held up the right hand of Udofia as in a wrestling match admitted that whoever Governor Emmanuel announced as his successor is very likely to succeed him. Then they figuratively thrust Udofia’s hand into the air, essentially asking people to pay their respects to the man whose business brass, generosity, and admirable foresightedness is sure to win the governor’s favour.

3ROLWLFV 1RW /LNH %XVLQHVV DV $NDQLPR 8GRÀD /RVHV RXW

Udofia

Bello

What about the salaries of civil servants and pensioners? If sources are to be believed, here is one of the chinks in the Governor’s armour?

Recent events have shown Udofia’s marketers to be nothing more than noisemakers. Not long ago, Governor Emmanuel anointed Umo Eno, the current Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources as his successor. As you can tell, Eno and Udofia are two very different people.

So in the battle for Emmanuel’s hand, Udofia has already lost. According to Governor Emmanuel, Uno (who is a pastor) is the best choice for the gubernatorial position given his potential, character, and commitment to serving the people of Akwa Ibom. Moreover, Emmanuel stated that only Eno can continue his widely acknowledged star-spangled legacy.

So now that Udofia failed to get Governor Emmanuel’s hand in approval, what is to become of his gubernatorial aspirations?

Flushed down the drain? Maybe. Maybe not.

One thing is certain, however, and that is that Udofia has learned something about why the chicken crossed the road only to die.

Will Hakeem Muri-Okunola Battle Sanwo-Olu for Governorship Ticket?

Muri-Okunola

At the end of the day, you have to admit thatAdeola politics is a frightening domain. Human behaviour and character appear to be nothing more than an instrument to build and smash

expectations, depending on personal and corporate interests. Otherwise, why are people still murmuring about Lagos Head of State (HoS), Hakeem Muri-Okunola, competing with Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the position of Lagos Governor in 2023?

It seems as if there is someone out to sow discord between the lineage of the political family to which Governor Sanwo-Olu and Muri-Okunola (also called HMO) belong.

These rumour mongers continue to insist that there are plans underway to snatch the number-one administrative seat from under Sanwo-Olu. Even though HMO’s people have denied this rumour, the allegation is clearly gaining more ground as 2023 draws close.

A few weeks ago, on January 7 precisely, Sanwo-Olu was one of those who heartily celebrated the 50th birthday of HMO. And it has been obvious to all and sundry that HMO holds the greatest respect for the governor. Even though the latter is not responsible for HMO’s current

position as Lagos HOS, both men are brilliant and share common values and patrons.

As the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) has declared time and again, it is simply not true that they (the most influential body in Lagos’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress) have decided to swap Sanwo-Olu for someone else. The council stated that every action of SanwoOlu is worth celebrating since it is backed by the intention to make Lagos better. And indeed he has.

For what reason would they want someone else, someone who might not even want it, to replace Sanwo-Olu after just one term? And HMO of all people, someone with so close a tie to Sanwo-Olu that they can be mistaken for brothers?

Nevertheless, as some analysts have noted, it is better to wait and watch. Time reveals everything. If HMO will contest against Sanwo-Olu for the governorship ticket, he will. And if he won’t, he won’t.

Nigeria continues to churn out personalities that are virtually bent on breaking common sense with their astonishing accomplishments.

How long ago was it that the Group MD of SIFAX Group, Taiwo Afolabi, opened Marriott Hotel, a monster of a place of hospitality services, to the public? And before you blink your eyes to take a closer look, Afolabi again throws together enough money to construct another massive structure?

Such is the way of adulthood and everyday life that one cannot strike the forehead with the palm and suddenly grow wiser or wealthier.

Even so, Afolabi’s recent chain of achievements drives one to attempt this fruitless endeavour.

According to those in the know, Afolabi decided to inspire the people of his hometown in IjebuOde by erecting a mansion that is virtually unmatched in the reputable town. Even the most conservative estimates of Afolabi’s expenses as a result of this decision state that it runs into the tens of millions of Naira. And while these numbers are frightening to ordinary people, they really are nothing before the seemingly boundless treasure troves of Afolabi and his peers.

At this point, however, those that could be labelled Afolabi’s peers might not be up to 10. If the completion of this mansion sets Afolabi apart in the Southwest, then the establishment of Marriott Hotel raised him to the point of threatening the biggest and richest five in Nigeria. Then again, it might just be that Afolabi simply wants to build a mansion from within which he can do generous things for the Ijebu people. But isn’t that what was said about him regarding Marriott Hotel before the project was completed?

One can only say that Afolabi has enough wealth to rival some Nigerian states, enough courage to display this wealth, and enough standards to use the wealth to bring about the most violent reactions in the hearts of other people.

Emeka Oparah Appointed Vice President of Airtel Africa Corporate Communications… Supervises 14 African Countries It really should surprise nobody that Nigerians have begun to take over the world once again. Within the region we know as West Africa, Nigerian innovators and business people have impressed their names on enough achievement marbles to stand out for all time. As a corporate communications dynast, Emeka Oparah took a step towards that continental stage. He seems to call to Nigerians behind him: “Come up higher.”

The management of Airtel Africa has appointed Oparah to the post of Vice President of its Corporate Communications division. As the multinational company is the most capitalised company listed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) with Dangote Cement following behind, Oparah has just upped the scale for the biggest advancement since the start of 2022.

Following the appointment, Oparah has been tasked with ensuring that people living in Africa can easily identify with the vision and services of Airtel Africa. Thus, Oparah’s

Oparah

word is law in the presentation of the company’s image to the people. At least, this is the case in 14 African countries. Really, this is a big advancement for Oparah and Nigerians in general.

At the moment, the tech media space in Nigeria is currently enjoying the radiance of Oparah’s ascension. The man has demonstrated that all things are possible to the diligent. And so it has been with Oparah long before he joined Airtel Nigeria in 2002, then successfully made it into Airtel Africa in 2015.

Along with his unmatched grasp of the communications and advert business is a stacked portfolio of focused educational attainments. The portfolio covers everything from his first university degree in Mass Communications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to his postgraduate Diploma in International Public Relations from The Management School in London.

Afolabi

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Pastor Eno: The Kneeling Pastor from Nsit Ubium So...that is the anointed successor one, Pastor Eno on his knees and that is who used to be my governor standing with his hands on the kneeling pastor and that is my friend the ever beautiful First Lady sitting on the couch and watching in utter disgust and shame.

The picture was all over the internet and made a lot of Akwa Ibomites critter with shame. That day, I was for the first time truly ashamed of my heritage. Do these kinds of people still exist? People behaving like Hobbesian caricatures.

Why would I kneel down to anybody for these purposes? Is he the custodian of the people’s mandate?

Is it not only one vote that he has?

It’s simple na. They have hijacked the structures and processes, they have arrogated the peoples powers to themselves and the ill-qualified pastor knowing this very well, will pretend to be humble until the mandate is thrown at him and then he

LATEEF JAKANDE: DID YOU ATTEND A JAKANDE SCHOOL? This is the question I am asking everybody around me. Did you attend a Jakande school? I keep asking and most people are answering in the affirmative.

The reason is simple. My new production – Babakekere depicts the life and times of this great Nigerian leader.

On the back of the super successful AWO that we did, which attracted Prof Yemi Osinbajo, our Vice President, we felt it was well opportune to drop Lateef Jakande’s story as a continuation in our series on emulative leadership as we push towards 2023 But as we research the story, we begin to see the impact his democratisation of education has made and is still making in the system. He was the one that established schools on almost every street corner and those schools still stand to a large extent today providing a befitting super structure to build upon.

I attended one of these schools – Angus Memorial High School, Yaba formerly Igbobi College 2 and was

Late Jakande

L-R: Eno and Governor Emmanuel and his wife Martha

will ‘wike’ them.

A quick look at the pastors’

background justifies his kneeling down for there is nothing there to show

the best for it.

Even though critics had talked about the value of education received at those schools, its reach and engagement of all strata of the population negates this.

It was all encompassing, thorough and sincere in its execution and that is why I want to tell this story on stage.

The thought processes, the vision, the execution, its impact and its enduring legacy in a befitting oneyear celebration of the passing of the great leader.

Can leaders like this reincarnate in some of these modern-day leaders?

As we move towards 2023, is it possible for us to look for virtues as enshrined by people like Jakande as we choose leaders? For how long will we be inspired by ‘Agege bread’ to vote?

Today, he is enmeshed in a very serious issue and I must commend him for his foresight, depth of thinking and purposeful engagement Since I do not have any NSCDC personnel guarding me, I can jump into the matter very quickly. Let me say that I stand with Shina on this one – N100billion annual budget for a poor replica of the Police Force? It’s ludicrous my people.

Even though I do not totally subscribe to merging it into the force which although still needing manpower is already a heavy inefficient monster.

So even though I support the scrapping, we should slow down on the merger with police, we should look at maybe devolving it into state police or something for better policing at the grassroots. Just my thinking however if that is not possible, then maybe we can push it into the police and hope with effective and robust reforms we may achieve the efficiency required.

The NSCDC is a waste of scarce resources especially where there is no requisite and carved out role that they are doing now that cannot be

SHINA PELLER: MASKED CRUSADER Hon Shina Peller is my friend, even though my other friend Magnus Onyibe is not particularly happy with him - Bro go sort Magnus out na, he no good o- anyways Shina Peller still remains one remarkable young and emerging leader.

Okonkwo

Peller

that this was earned or justified.

A weak and tepid attempt at entrepreneurship, running a ‘per hour’ Hotel in Eket and a quick stint as Chairman of Tourism in Akwa Ibom during Attah’s Government and now Commissioner for Lands where nothing significant was achieved and all of a sudden thrust above six million people by a puppet king?

Why won’t he kneel down in utter gratitude? He will even prostrate and run around naked not believing his luck.

Akwa Ibom is just too important to Nigeria for this kind of ‘charlatanistic’ behaviour. With the kinds of resources both human and otherwise that we parade, we should not be under the throes of intellectual midgets.

This is a rallying call. This must STOP. The people must STAND up and redefine their destiny and not allow these cabal to keep running us around like the slaves we are not.

This must not STAND.

done by the police.

Not only dem Shina. Why do we need a Federal Fire Service mbok, complete with Comptroller General who will be running around in a motorcade and siren? Abasi, this just kills me. Abuja as Federal Capital can have a Fire Chief and the rest devolved to state. Mbok, these are the things we should be looking at - Federal Fire Service?

Make I keep quiet before they come and remove my maiguard. Welldone my brother, well-done but abeg call Magnus before he releases your ‘nude’. Lol. COUPS: ARE WE SAFE? As at last count, na five. I hear one almost happened in Guinea Bissau and although all of this is happening in Francophone West Africa it is becoming scary o.

No military anything is better for any country. Military in government remains an aberration and everything including circumcising the soldiers be done to ensure that no country goes back into the dark days of military government.

It then now behooves the

Osula

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

LOUD WHISPERS politicians to put in place strong governance and stop all these ‘monkey in the snake shadow’ type of governance where the general population gets the wrong end of the stick.

Yes, we can maybe trace directly these military opportunism to the general regional insecurity as thrown up by the activities of renegades, we cannot still discount the ambitions of these soldiers and the general dour economic situation in the region to all of these.

Please in Nigeria, we should not even think of it. I cannot at this my age be allowing one yeye soldier to come and be flogging me koboko because I yab am for paper.

Democracy, even the worse kind that we are witnessing today, is still better than the very best of military opportunism. There is nothing to miss about the military in governance so those of you who have begun to say, ‘ if na IBB…….. which yeye IBB, please anybody who has a vision should subject themselves to the stress of democratic process and structures no matter how stained or wobbly.

I’d rather die in a democracy than live in a ‘militocrazy’. Mbok, if he ever happen again in this my life time, let them give me 24 hours’ notice let me pack all my things, rush to Ojuelegba to get all the condiments for Afang so I can enjoy a life in self-exile on the beaches of Brazil ogling at the lovely bottoms of those Brazilian ladies. Thank you.

MAKINDE, OBADINA AND OKONKWO, TRUE MILITARY HEROES General Okonkwo, Admiral Obadina and Air Vice Marshall Makinde were all my classmates at the Command Secondary School, Ipaja Lagos. We all ‘suffered’ in that school with a host of great guys and came out with an outlook that continues to mark us out as true patriots.

While some of us decided to show our true patriotism by disturbing the female population, these ones joined the military and excelled.

These three have served Nigeria in so many capacities that I swell with pride when I watch them on TV taking over strategic commands.

Okonkwo’s resumption in Jos at the time of massive violence became a watershed moment for me. As I watched him on an International News Media Platform take over and address his troops, I called Duchess and said, ‘See, na me dey drink him tea for dinning room o. See, na General’. Duchess laughed and said, ‘This na the reason I marry you because of these kind people. If na only you, I know for gree.’ Mumu.

Obadina was born in Oshodi. He had always been very diligent and one of the strongest leaders even in school then. So, it was natural for him, he already had the military parentage so the Navy was obvious. The day he came for our Alumni election, the one I lost while contesting for President, I was so proud of him. His orderlies looked so neat and he cut the image of an officer and a gentleman.

Makinde on the other side was brilliant. His father was in the Navy, his elder brother Akin was also in the Navy but he went into the Air Force. The other day, as Air Officer Commanding, I went to his office and counted over 26 soldiers guarding him. I say ‘make I pass, na my paddy for secondary school’.

When we were leaving the office,

they blew the bugle, I was just shaking with excitement.

These gentlemen have all recently retired after serving so well. We at 84 Comlag remain very excited and proud that we also have contributed thru them to National cohesion.

I am doing a huge Afang celebration for all of them as my own retirement party. Although Makinde has already eaten his own, he can always come for a second round. He deserves it. Well-done.

Guys.

ABU SULEIMAN: A STERLING PERFORMANCE Last Sunday I hosted this very brilliant banker who so ever

happens to be the Managing Director of Sterling Bank Plc to a zoom discussion on leveraging technology by the financial system for cohesive economic development.

The session was so popular that we had more people outside trying to enter than those the Zoom had allowed in.

Abu is not only brilliant but a reformist. His ideas run so dispassionately away from the norm that it is so unimaginable for someone operating under such a strict regulatory environment. His thoughts on agriculture, health and education are expansive. His work also in human capital development are novel and I must commend the

BOLA TINUBU: MY CANDID ADVICE I have thought very seriously about this. I have put in hours of very deep thoughts before I reached this conclusion.

I think Asiwaju Tinubu is on the brink of immortality. I think he is about to join the realms of the founding fathers, the Awo, Azikiwe and Sarduana clan, if he can just be strategic and move with a little bit of sense.

Today the man sticks out. Out of over 200m people he is the man.

The focal point and the spotlight.

He is the core of Nigeria politics today. You cannot begrudge him that, he has worked so hard and deservedly so, has earned it.

It is even looking like the exalted position of the Presidency may even be too small for his stature and that is why I want to give him this advice.

I think a further push at the presidency, even a successful one, will leave his stature and image weak and if you now add an average presidential run, the mystique is over.

So, my thoughts are that he should step down, anoint

someone and have that person installed and pronto we will now have the ‘Asiwaju era’ in our national history.

So, Nigeria will be divided into three epochs – Colonial times, founding father times and Asiwaju era. Simple.

I am telling you. That is immortality. That is ephemeral, that is Awo and Azikiwe terrain, that is Lord Lugard terrain and not even the presidency will entice me if I was in Asiwaju’s position today.

Doubts about his background, doubts about his financial life, doubts about his style of politics will muddy him and get worse as we get closer. He will be stoned with tomatoes; he will be spat on and he will be turned into a monster and if he loses then it all just goes into the dustbin. If he wins, he will be so rubbished that he will use the first few years of his Presidency to reinvent himself and that is why baba, I am saying, let’s look at the other side.

Just think about it.

Tinubu

board and shareholders for having the patience to wait for this long gestation project to take firm roots.

Abu was in his element during the convo. He answered every question diligently and the few he could not answer humbly said so- sorry. This made him quite popular on the forum.

He had no airs but came across with the humility that comes with high intelligence and really sold his positions with awe.

For me, it was like eating a wellmade bowl of Afang. You know the feeling na, the way the thing will dribble down your throat and the various aroma and concomitant taste cascading through your taste buds giving you a feeling of fulfilment, that is how I was feeling as Abu was talking.

As a result of the deluge of requests, we have agreed to do it again next quarter so that more people will have access to this kind of thinking.

I tell you; you should have been there. It was explosive. Kai. DERE OTUBU: BELATED CONGRATULATIONS People like this you need to know.

Strong pedigree, strong network and powerfully intelligent with a huge dose of humility as spice.

There is someone I am really not joking with. He continues to contribute to the economy through some very powerful platforms, playing in Power, Finance and Insurance amongst others.

Anyways, that is how I walked into his office last week and learnt that he was now the Chairman of Eko Electricity Distribution Company which he claims is the most profitable and best run Disco in the country.

I hugged him o. I had gone to discuss my new play Ogiame Erejuwa 11 which is coming up this Easter at Amaju Pinnick’s powerful venue when I stumbled on the news. Dere who used to be a director at Access Bank is one of the new wave business leaders that have really worked very hard to enshrine efficiency and transparency on all the platforms he is part of; hence my undiluted admiration.

I wish him well in this appointment, even as I am very sure that this would also be a walk in the park.

Congrats my Lord.

MARCELLINE OSULA: A FINE DAME Let me take time out to celebrate Mummy. Mummy who is in her early 80’s is Dame Marcelline Osula, mother of my brother Julian.

Nothing beats a mother especially a mother like this that has so diligently contributed to society especially in strategic areas like hospitality and philanthropy.

For those of you who know Benin very well and frequented that ancient city in the 80s, you would have heard about or even stayed at the Motel Benin Plaza Hotel. That was the crown of hospitality in the City in those days. She was the spirit behind it, positioning it as the trigger and core for the modernization of the city.

She also had made tremendous impact in philanthropy and it is no wonder that His Holiness Pope Benedict xvi conferred on her the Knighthood of The Order of pope St. Sylvester Here is wishing mummy the very best in life and to also generally inform her that on my next visit, na me and her.

Lol

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Ken Calebs-Olumese’s Night Club Gets New Lease of Life In its glory days, the Coliseum owned by Ken Calebs-Olumese, famously known as Guv’nor, reigned supreme as the premium nightclub in the heart of Lagos. With its multipurpose nature and cosy ambience that gave it the irresistible appeal to a cross-section of Nigerians and foreigners, the Coliseum became a melting pot for the high-flying and high net-worth personalities around town.

Synonymous with class, sophistication, panache and poise, the club was successfully lifted far above many others, as many top professionals, who know their onions, patronised it for relaxation and networking.

It also served as a forum for professionals, entrepreneurs, and opinion leaders as well as a venue, where the eminent class of Nigerians and foreigners relaxed, discussed and had uninhibited fun especially during its flagship programme, Grand House Reception (GHR).

However, Olumese, after taking The Coliseum to a dizzying height finally took the back seat in 2019. But even in retirement, Olumese couldn’t allow the premium hangout-that could easily pass as a national monument-to just rot away. Consequently, the nightlife veteran has finally right-leased The Coliseum to another investor he believes will keep the flag flying with more tangible dividends: allure, power and top-shelf arm candy.

Contrary to the rumour in some quarters, Olumese has not sold The Coliseum but has only finally agreed to a lease plan for his premium nightclub sitting on a sprawling over 1,900 square metres in the belly of the Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos.

A source close to the respected showbiz mogul told Society Watch that he had signed a multi-million Naira lease agreement with a certain Edo-based businessman who will be partnering another notable nightlife entrepreneur, Kola Eddo-the dude behind the popular Floating World, a kinky adult club with well-mannered ladies and freewheeling gents located in Opebi, Lagosin taking over running of The Coliseum.

The terms of the lease deal signed and sealed a couple of weeks ago have been kept secret. The source, however, disclosed that “it is a long term, mouth-watering lease agreement that fits into Olumese’s dream and plans for his electrifying edifice that comprises a Security Tower, The Summit (Multi-purpose Conference/Banquet Hall), The Arena, which houses the Club Floor and Ultralounge, and then The Dacha-a 12Room Bed and Breakfast Guest Lodge.”

Already, a minor renovation has commenced, with a little touch on the exterior of the well-maintained hangout.

Prior to this latest development, it was learnt that many potential buyers had approached the Edo State-born septuagenarian with different offers when he initially shut down the club in 2014, but he turned down the offers for good reasons.

Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Chairman, Anthony Obiora’s Wondrous Donation Today, Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Chairman, Dr. Anthony Obiora is loved and appreciated by his kinsmen for setting up a foundation in honour of his late father famously known as Ezeifakaego.

His late father impacted his life positively in many ways beyond description. Specifically, one of the enduring lessons he learnt from his father is to be generous. Thus, the idea to establish the Foundation was inspired by the need to be kind to his fellow human beings, particularly those who are disadvantaged in one way or another.

Obiora, who has now inherited the sobriquet, Ezeifakaego (good name is better than money) from his late father, has been doing wonders through the Foundation, which offers scholarships to children of the less privileged in his hometown and across Nigeria; free medical outreach, foodstuff and

other valuable items, while also running empowerment programmes to lessen the burdens of unemployment in the country.

In his determination to continuously give back to society, he recently promised to sponsor the building of a Catholic Cathedral in his hometown, Nnokwa, in Anambra State.

As proof that Obiora, father of six, was not making any airy promise, the foundation of the church, which he plans to complete before his 60th birthday in 2023, was recently laid by some Catholic Reverend fathers. The project, according to a source, will gulp a whopping sum of N500 million!

Obiora’s story would inspire hope in anyone going through hardship in life, considering the fact he has risen to an enviable height from his humble beginning in Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos. His generosity is worth emulating.

Obiora

Billionaire Businessman, Alhaji Umar Saro’s Memory Lives on Last Tuesday, the memories of the late billionaire businessman, Alhaji Umar Saro, came alive when family and friends, once again, gathered to hold the first year remembrance party for him at his palatial Lagos home.

For the crème of society, including business moguls, captains of industries, top civil servants, managing directors of blue-chip organisations, top government officials as well as popular Islamic clerics in attendance, the event was another auspicious moment to celebrate the life and times of the renowned businessman.

In life, the late Saro was one of the wealthiest men to have come out of Ilorin, Kwara State.

Very cosmopolitan, he had attained greatness through dint of hard work and resilience. He was also well known, all over Nigeria where he wielded enormous influence, in addition to the respect and admiration he enjoyed from his hometown, culminating in his conferment with the covetous royal title of the Ilorin Emirate, the Sardauna of

Late Saro

Ilorin emirate.

The popular industrialist was exceptionally lucky, having been successful very early in life and endowed with uncommon wisdom, intellect, prowess and smartness, particularly in the business world. Many whose paths came across his are always quick to acknowledge his uncommon wisdom and business acumen. He ruled his world for over five decades, winning applause, home and abroad. And remained relevant till he breathed his last.

A source revealed that he was one of the biggest landlords in the whole of Nigeria with assets worth billions.

His death on January 31, 2021, at age 81 after suffering from COVID-19 was a blow to many of his family members, friends, business associates as well as benefactors.

Nevertheless, his family has accepted his passing in good faith and with total submission to the will of Allah.

Bakare Omolola Olanrewaju Reignites Political Ambition For a long time, Bakare Omolola Olanrewaju was identified with psychiatric nursing and real estate business. But if you take a good look at her intimidating profile, you will be pleasantly surprised that she also has a strong interest in politics.

Her incursion into politics, a few years ago, cannot be described as politics for politics sake! For her, any elective position should be maximally utilized to bring good governance closer to the people at the grassroots.

Everywhere sh e g o e s , s h e r e minds her listeners that she has been touching lives meaningfully, prior to her involvement in politics, through her pet project, Bakre Omolola Olanrewaju Helping Hand Foundation (LBHF).

The South Bank University, Londontrained housing and social worker is seeking to represent the Ijebu-Ode constituency in Ogun State at the State House of Assembly (OGHA) come 2023.

She is driven by the passion to serve humanity and improve the standards of living of the people.

Though she lost the ticket for the election into the Ogun State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019, this amazing philanthropist and grassroots politician has not stopped helping the needy. This time around, she has proven that she is more prepared and qualified than any other candidate to represent her people at the State Assembly.

Olanrewaju

Nigerian Ambassador, Maureen Tamuno, Loses Dad

Olumese

Unarguably, it is sad when you lose a loved one. But you are consoled when you realise again that the deceased lived a fulfilled life worthy of emulation. This feeling becomes more tellingly effective considering the reaction of Nigerian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Maureen Tamuno, to the passing of her father, Elder Clement Chepaka, recently.

The patriarch of the Chepaka family of Agbabiri in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State died at 93.

The late Chepaka, who was a media professional and producer with the Rivers State Ministry of Information, was a statesman, a custodian of history and tradition and disciplinarian to boot.

In a condolence message, President Muhammadu Buhari commiserated with the High Commissioner over the passing of her father and family’s patriarch.

The president sympathised with the family,

Tamuno

friends and associates of the departed, urging them to find solace in his good works, especially at the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Broadcast, where he worked for many years as a producer and broadcaster.

He also prayed for the repose of the soul of Elder Chepaka.

Although the date for the burial is yet to be announced by the family, a source revealed that plans are ongoing to give their patriarch a befitting burial.

Tamuno, a woman blessed with brains, beauty and confidence, is someone who believes that women should play important roles in society. Over the years, she has continued to deploy her God-given talents to the service of humanity.

Since she was appointed as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, she has not disappointed her people and those who entrusted her with the job.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY6, 2022

INTERNATIONAL Nigeria’s National Assembly and Political Recklessness: The Bill Seeking to Scrap the NSCDC

W

henConfuciusnotedinhisAnalectsthat‘learning withoutthoughtislabourlost,thoughtwithout learning is perilous,’he must have dreamt and foreseenhowpoliticiansbehaveinNigeria,how legislators make law without probing history before law-making, how patriotism is discouraged in Nigeria, how awards of honour and commendation letters are given for profligacy and how government only learns, not before, but always after, bitter experiences.

Nigeria’s National Assembly, though comprises many professionals with sagacious minds and patriotic stints, many of them are learning without thoughts and sometimes do think without learning anything from their history.This is a good illustration of Confucius’observation.

And true enough, the observation is an expression of the bill seeking to scrap the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and which passed the first reading on Tuesday 1st February 2022.

Honourable Shina Peller, of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), representingtheIseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/IwajowaFederalConstituency in Oyo State, proposed to repeal the NSCDC (Amendment) Act 2007 and establish a transition management committee to oversee the NSCDC and the transfer of its assets and personnel to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). In the thinking of Honourable Peller, there is no need for the counter productivity of the‘fragmentation of security resources across multiple competing agencies.’He believes that the expansion of NSCDC functions has now become a duplication of the NPF. HonourablePellermayberight,buthedoesnotappeartohavelearnt anything from the history of the NSCDC, especially how and why it ceased to be a voluntary organization which it was in origin, why it was never merged with the NPF despite desired efforts. It is useful to recall that the original Act of 2003 establishing the NSCDC says in its Section 5(3) that the NSCDC will ‘have the power to arrest with or without a warrant, detain, investigate and institute legal proceedings by or in the name of the Attorney-General of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against any person who is reasonably suspected to have committed an offence under this Act.’ Is this one of Peller’s rationales for thinking there is a duplication of functions? The reasons reportedly considered by Honourable Peller may be tenable, but limitedly patriotic.The bill is being sponsored out of deep thought while the reaction of Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Audi, the Commandant General of the NSCDC is not consistent with the rule of esprit de corps and the need for patriotism and self-preservation.

UnderstandingtheNSCDC Apparently in reaction to Honourable Peller’s proposal, the Head of Administration of the Oyo State Command of the NSCDC, Mr. Sotito Igbalawole, sent a letter number NSCDC/OY/173/Vol.III/196 to Honourable Peller, informing him of the need to withdraw the NSCDC security aides working with him. In the letter, Mr. Igbalawole reportedly said that‘following the directive of the Commandant General on the necessity of the deployment of the command personnel for an urgent national security assignment; on behalf of the state commandant, I hereby withdraw all personnel attached to you. This is to meet up with the urgent national need. All inconvenience this might cause is highly regretted.’

The reaction of Mr. Igbalawole, for me, is a welcome development. It was spontaneous and patriotism-, and self-preservation- driven.This is how any Nigerian institution should always be promptly defended.

Most unfortunately, however, the letter was not only disowned by Mr. Shola Odumosu, the NSCDC spokesperson, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Audi, mni, has thrown the letter into a dustbin of history and reinstated all the NSCDC aides attached to Honourable Peller on the grounds that Mr. Igbalawole did not clear with his superiors before acting. Attempt is made to shame Mr. Igbalawole and give impression that the bill has a good raison d’être which is far from it.

The decision to overturn the withdrawal of security aides reflects at best policy remissness, while the bill to scrap the NSCDC is a manifestation of political recklessness. First, it is virtually only in Nigeria that there is no goodness in being patriotic. Patriotism in whatever form is generally not appreciated if not sanctioned.Why should all civil and public servants not develop a 100% spirit of patriotism in such a way that the problem will be how to manage the excessiveness of it?

The establishment of Civil Defence organisations was a resultant of patrioticacts.CivilDefenceorganisations,theworldover,areestablished to assist national security efforts and that of Nigeria cannot be different.They were established to foster unity and cooperation in fighting common threats to national survival.Their functions are different from those of the police. In most cases, they are complementary.

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Gbajabiamila The Civil Defence Corps was first established in 1949 in Great Britain and was designed to be a voluntary organization. Its mandate was to mobilise and take control of affected areas in the aftermath of major national emergency.The major issue of concern was how to prepare for and contain outbreak of emergencies.The interest in this objective attracted about 330,000 people who accepted to join the corps as of 1956. Although the corps was discontinued, save those in the British Isle (The Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps) and in Ireland (The Civil Defence Ireland), the cardinal function of the civil defence corps remains to provide assistance in large scale civil emergencies. One may recall the slogan for mobilization in support of Nigeria’s civil war:‘do not sit on the fence, join the civil defence.’This partly explains the nature and function of any given civil defence organization.

Internationally speaking, the way the NPF is affiliated with the International Police (Interpol) so is the NSCDC in collaboration with the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO), which coordinates the activities of national civil defence corps in different ramifications.

The ICDO, for instance, gives technical assistance, provides consultancy services, reinforces national civil defence structures, represents national civil defence corps, federates the national civil defence services, and develops different training and information programmes for the personnel of civil defence services.

ICDO training programmes are quite varied and interesting. They include aid management for victims of terrorist attacks; emergency responseincaseofhazardousmaterialaccidents;forestfires;disasterrisk management; search and rescue, etc. in the area of security protection.

Fire investigation, logistic coordination, disaster management and intervention in dangerous locations are other training programmes organizedinnormaltimesandfromwhichvariousnationalcivildefence corps benefit, including the NSCDC. In fact, the ICDO has many beneficial projects in the demining and humanitarian sectors. It has demining projects in Lebanon, Serbia, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka and different national civil defence corps take advantageofsuchdeminingtrainingprogrammes.Itshumanitarianaid recipients areTajikistan, Afghanistan, Libya, North Korea, etc. Particularly in the education sector, the ICDO certifies higher education, training

Without doubt, the NPF does not deal with or monitor vandalization of public assets and infrastructure the way the NSCDC does. In many countries of the world, there are Ministries of Civil Defence, showing the great importance attached to the roles of civil defence corps worldwide. If Honourable Peller is much concerned about the duplication of functions and the need to reduce costs of security, there will be need for re-thinking and for hard thinking. The current situational reality of insecurity in Nigeria is largely prompted by poor, inadequate intelligence gathering which should not be.

The duplicated budget Honourable Peller is talking about can be diverted to specialized training in intelligence gathering for more civil defenders.

And true enough, former President Olusegun Obasanjo once directed that the various security agencies should establish offices in all the 774 Local Government headquarters to monitor foreigners and contain threats to national security. In appreciation of this, I, on behalf of the Moses Olanji Akinterinwa (my father) family of Ile-Oluji gave to the NPF, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Prison Service and the Department of State Service four standard plots of land each in the township to assist them in the maintenance of community and national security. Only the NIS has built an office in Ile-Oluji, the headquarters of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government. Thus, there are many areas of development needs to which the duplicated funds can be applied, rather than seeking to scrap the NSCDC. Doing so is politico-legislative recklessness.

courses, teacher training courses and training courses for students.

Thus, it is clear that the ICDO and the national civil defence corps are not merely established to engage in the day-to-day duties of the police force.They are particularly meant to respond to critical emergencies.

The analysis of the mandate of the NSCDC cannot but be relevant and quite interesting at this juncture. As contained in the 2003 Act establishing it, the NSCDC is required to maintain a 24-hour surveillance over infrastructures, sites, and projects for the Federal. State and Local Government.This is the mandate of national asset and infrastructure, which requires absolute protection in terms of threat deterrence and sanctioning any act of vandalisation.

The NSCDC has an anti-vandalism mandate that enables it to enter, search premises and seize any material suspected to have been used in vandalization or suspected proceed of vandalization. It is required to assist in the maintenance of peace and order and in the protection and rescuing the civil population during the period of emergency.

And perhaps more importantly, the NSCDC can arrest with or without warrant, detain, investigate, and institute legal proceedings by or in the name of the Attorney General of the Federation in accordance with constitutional provisions.This is the responsibility for intelligence and operations.

Andcommonly,itistheNSCDCthathasresponsibilitytorecommend to the Minister of Interior the registration of private guard companies, and from time-to-time, the inspection of the premises of private guard companies, training facilities and approve same. And to a great extent, the NSCDC has been very forthcoming in the execution of its mandate.

In fact, just last week, the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr. Audi, announced the shutting down of seven private guard companies not simply because they were not registered with it, but primarily because of the need to really profile and get the biometric of the private security guards most of whom act as informants for criminals and many of whom are undergoing prosecution.The NSCDC is visibly performing more and better than the police.

In this regard, should the concern be that of duplication of budgetary allocation and functions which are not similar?The NPF has fewer zonal commands: seven.The NSCDC is already well established with fifteen zonal commands, 37 State Commands. The NSCDC not only has a Board but also has sister agencies: the Federal Fire Service, Immigration Service and the Prison Service now called Correctional Service.

The NSCDC sees itself as defending the defenceless.With the present development of the NSCDC and its achievements, it is nothing more than political recklessness to seek to scrap it.

Whencomparedtothepolicemandate,theNPFandtheNSCDChave some similar functions, but which are not necessarily performed in the same context.The NPF was established on April 1, 1930, following the merger of the Royal Constabulary (formed in 1888) with the Southern Nigeria Police Force (SNPF). The SNPF was itself, a union of the 1906 Lagos Police Force and a part of the Niger Coastal Constabulary unit.

Frominception,theNPFhasmandatetosearchandconductprosecutions, maintain law and order, make an arrest, and take fingerprints.

Based on the NPF Act, the mandate to conduct prosecutions covers all criminal matters before any court regardless of whether a complaint is laid in the name of the NPF. Regarding the maintenance of law and order in the country, it is the NPF that has the sole responsibility to do so.The NPF contains disorderliness while the prosecution of the NSCDC is limited to cases of public vandalization of assets and infrastructure.

Grosso modo, the NPF implements constitutional laws. Like the NSCDC, the NPF can arrest with or without warrant.

Hon.Peller’sBillandNationalSecurity But without any whiff of gainsaying, seeking to bring the NSCDC under theNPF isunnecessarilyaddingsaltintoinjuryfor variousreasons: the NPF has been perennially underfunded and ill-equipped. Many policemen aid and abet crimes that they have mandate to prevent.

In fact, the NPF is operating in seas of corruption and terra of societal indiscipline. Perhaps more disturbingly, the #End SARS protests speak volumes in this case. If the main purpose of the protests was to seek an end to police brutality in various ramifications, and if that objective is still far-fetched, there is no way seeking an NSCDC-NPF merger can be helpful to the quest for national security in the long run.

In other words, at first sight, Honourable Peller’s bill seeking to scrap the NSCDC and merge it with the NPF looks good and patriotic because he wants to save costs, prevent duplication of functions, bring about greater effectiveness and efficiency in the maintenance of national security. However, it is important to state on a second look and stricto sensu, that the NSCDC security aides should not have been deployed to any public official, including the honourable law maker.

As aforementioned above, the main responsibility of the NSCDC is to provide security assistance in the time of emergencies, prevent vandalization of public assets and infrastructure through permanent surveillance. Law makers can be legally put under surveillance if they are suspected to be vandalisers and by so doing, are law breakers.

Perhapsquestionsshouldalsobeaskedhere:whyareprivateindividuals given police protection in exchange for payments? Apart from cases of complaints about threats to one’s life and requiring special police protection, why should policemen be deployed to private individuals bearing in mind that the NPF is seriously understaffed and ill-equipped?

Is it not because of inability of the NPF to provide general protection for everyone, the rich and the poor, that only those who can afford to pay for special protection do so?Why should the life of any law maker be taken more importantly than the ordinary persons like me?

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

6.2.2022

RE-ENACTING GENDER WARS ON STAGE The classic ‘gender war’ play by Ola Rotimi is back on stage. Though abridged, it still seethes with the heated gender debate,adriveformutualunderstandinganditspromisedcelebrationofmutualname-calling,saysYinka Olatunbosun

W

hatever is happening on that stage is a lot better than a ÀstÀght. Indeed, the play, Man Talk Woman Talk, has always been a high-octane drama featuring the sassy, yet cerebral, Karina (Girl) and the quick-witted Michael (Boy). A one-act play, it should be a director’s delight because of its simple setting.

With just one scene, this drama ² swirling around a plot built on long arguments ² often requires a minimalist stage design. It should surprise no theatre buͿ, therefore, that the theatre director, Joshua Alabi is able to maximise the small arena inside The Kininso Place at Oregun, Lagos in his bid to usher in the birth of community theatre in the heart of Ikeja.

Talking about the plot, it is also simple and is woven around a university community debate that mimics a civil court. A triangular table, stacked with books, forms the performance area. But in Alabi’s interpretation of the play, he remixes the courtroom template from the playwright by dressing the judge up in wear traditional costume as opposed to the regular wig and gown. The character of Karina is not particularly hyper-sexualised although she dons a see-through black top and a mini-leather skirt with pantyhose. Her argument draws attention to her cerebral acumen more than her physical appearance. On the Áip side, Michael seems somewhat uptight with his crisp white shirt tucked into his black pant held upright by suspenders. As a law student, he freely references existing judgements to support his provocative arguments against the womenfolk. This is to the delight of the judge, who is desperate to see a man win the age-long battle of the sexes.

Back to Karina, she is bent on recalibrating the way men perceive women.

With well-articulated lines, laced with insults, she carries on the argument to prove that men are playboys. Seeing that the judge is biased, taking sides with Michael, the counsellor backs Karina up with moral support and eventually both parties try to involve the audience in the argument. That, of course, is the beauty of a stage play: the direct interaction between the cast and the audience in spite of the fourth wall. In order to make the play just one-hour long, some interesting lines are trimmed oͿ from the original script by the director. But the actors make it interesting with their own interpretation of the roles vis-à-vis mannerisms and interjection of a few remarks in Pidgin or Yoruba.

The play is once again reinforced as a posthumous quintessential comedy from Ola Rotimi, which attempts to reconcile the biases against men and women to aͿect mutual co-existence of the two.

For Alabi, the plan is to keep this play running throughout the month of February. According to him, the response

A scene from the stage play

Another scene from the stage play from school-age children to this drama has been overwhelming. “This time because we are just starting the theatre series here in Oregun, it is a small space. We want to start small. We don’t have funding for what we are doing yet. And it cost us a lot of money. In Oregun, they really don’t know what theatre is. Our neighbours ² when we are singing or having night gigs ² would come. But when it is theatre, you won’t see them. We have decided that for the next four months, we will have plays that are not more than three or four cast so that we can pay an

encouraging amount to the actors and not involve too much technicalities.

“We don’t think we have exhausted ‘Man Talk, Woman Talk’ yet. We had a school run as part of our festival and a lot of school children saw it. We didn’t think that they would understand it because it is verbose and it has heavy language. But they enjoyed it thoroughly. We thought if secondary students could enjoy this in in open space within their school compound, then we should push more towards getting more adult audience to see it.

For February, it is still going to be Man

Talk Woman Talk.”

Joy Imezi who played the role of Counsellor in the play admitted that the play is still relevant to the contemporary society, especially in the way women are perceived as objects of sexual-gratiÀcation.

“I see the role as one of those women who has been so long in the law Àrm; one of those secretaries that are so e΀cient, very reliable,” she said. “They always want to do their jobs. I think she is also one of those women that support women. I feel that is why she is very supportive of the girl and her opinions.

“The play is still very relevant till today because if you look at the issues concerning how women dress, and how men see women which is not entirely their fault.

Most times, most men want the women to look a certain way and some girls focus on building themselves up physically to Àt that standard. This is always going to be a debate of the sexes.”

Also, the stereotypical way of measuring one’s intellectual strength by her chosen Àeld of study is one of the issues that the play seeks to resolve. Karina, a theatre student, makes very valid counter-arguments against Michael’s position on the gender matter before the judge. Even Michael has to ask what her discipline is. The playwright’s point is that a full knowledge of the law is not a prerequisite for a rational mind to think clearly about issues of our collective humanity. Another theme raised in the play is gender superiority.

The inconclusive end to the arguments by both sexes in Man Talk Woman Talk alludes to the inÀnite nature of arguments on the gender divide.

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

ARTS & REVIEW\\MUSIC REVIEW

DORIME: AN INSPIRING STORY BEHIND GOYA MENOR’S DEBUT HIT SONG Yinka Olatunbosun

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efore Goya Menor’s Àrst hit song “Ameno Remix” became a club or Tiktok anthem in December 2021, the original song performed by the French new-age musical project, Era had long been released in June 1996. It was popular in Europe and had at least three popular remixes over the years. DJ 4uicksilver’s 2001 version of the song topped several European music charts; Vincent Niclo and the MVD Ensemble made another version that was popular in France in 2012. Fast-forward to 2021- June 16, Goya Menor and the US-based DJ Nektunez dropped yet another version “Ameno Amapiano” that became a global hit, peaking at number one on World Digital Song Sales Chart by the Billboard several months later. The song also reached number one position in Apple’s Top 100 Songs.

Before that success story, Goya was already giving up on music. His monthly studio recordings had not resulted in a smash hit. He had paid to even perform at shows. Sometimes, he was turned down even with his money in hand.

He almost quit music. But he became curious one day after listening to Ameno at the club.

Ameno renaissance was linked to the meme culture where social media users use the song as a soundtrack to an emotional situation captured on video. Anyway, Goya decided to do his own little research and discovered that the song had been there for over two decades. After listening to it till the end, the next song was a track produced

by DJ Nektunez and he was already matching the beat to the earlier song in his head. Then,

Goya the idea struck him: he could really sample the “Dorime” chant from the Ameno song with the DJ’s help.

At Àrst, he didn’t think of it as a serious project or a comeback eͿort. But that was the thought that led him back to the studio that he had abandoned for a year. He reached out to Nektunez who subsequently produced the song. “I left it on Youtube,” he let on during an interview while on his recent Kenyan tour. “For the Àrst month, it had less than a thousand streams. The Àrst day I dropped the song, it was about 215 streams and those are my friends and family. I dropped it on Facebook. I would say the Àrst

person to comment on this song on Youtube gets a recharge card.”

He tried in his little way to promote it but it was far from igniting.

Three months after releasing the song, a fan reached out to him from Germany on Facebook.

She told him how she had searched for him on Google and couldn’t Ànd anything. The lady couldn’t have known that Goya was an up-andcoming artist, who had neither built an online presence nor has been signed by a record label.

But he was quite popular in Benin, at least among his folks.

Goya has a powerful rap vocal strength which combines with the addictive beat to make a hit song. But he wasn’t even ready for the meteoric rise of the song. His female fan from Germany told him that his song has become popular on Tiktok. Goya wasn’t even on Tiktok at the time.

4uickly, he set up an account at least to monitor the popularity of his song. He had to ask the fan how he could check to see the number of people that had used his song for their videos on Tiktok.

The fan must have a killer instinct because it had only been used 500 times. But then, the Àgures grew gradually until it was two million. By the Àrst week in December, the song was all over the club. And the catchy phrases “You want to bambam/ You want to chill with the big boys’’ made it such a rave. It was once pulled from Spotify and was later restored after satisfying the copyright requirements.

Goya’s remix took on a whole diͿerent meaning at the club. The clubbers turn it to an anthem or signature tune when someone is about to spend lavishly on the bottles. The moral lesson embedded in the lyrics was lost on many in the heat of the legwork. In the Àrst verse, Goya plays the role of

a father warning his son not to join a cult or get involved in any crime. But the son ignores the warning, joins a bad gang and is running from law enforcement agents. In the second verse, he advises the son that now that you have joined the bad gang and “You dey run kitikiti/ You dey run katakata/ You no Àt drink water drop cup.” (meaning ‘You are running helter-skelter/ completely restless’). The father urges the son to turn a new leaf as God still gives second chances.

The Ambrose Alli University sociology graduate was raised as a Christian and this has a powerful inÁuence in his career as an artist. Growing up in Ekpoma, he has Àrst-hand experience of the impact of cultism on the young generation. Edo is seen from the media lens as a cultism capital.

A case in point is the recent documentary on BBC on Black Axe. For Goya, an artist has to be socially-responsible, using the music medium to educate and entertain. His line “Say my pikin don go join cult” expresses the fear of every parent whose child has to leave home to be educated but succumbs to bad inÁuence. Invariably, Goya’s Ameno remix is a product of the artist’s background and a treatise for societal reform which starts with parental guidance.

Goya’s song is not necessarily a hit because of this powerful message behind the song. It is a hit because of the artistry behind its formation and the emotion behind every punchline. His graveltextured, gruͿ voice sounds very familiar- Goya must have been bingeing on DMX, Mystikal, Ja Rule, Busta Rhymes and Coolio. He brought that ‘dogg pound Áavour’ into his rhymes, which was a mixture of pidgin English, Bini and English.

He is not in a hurry to release another song; he still relishes the success of his Ameno remix, touring US and UK on the wheels of a surprising hit song.

NGA, UNIJOS AND THE ART OF SYNERGY EXHIBITION Oji Onoko

T

he Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), University of Jos, Professor Rahila Gowon elegantly stepped on to the podium. Smartly dressed, she was the epitome of beauty and brains. Her verdict elicited tumultuous applause from the capacity-Àlled Prince Tony Momoh auditorium. “The Department of Fine and Applied Arts is very important because it not only provides knowledge to students but it provides skill acquisition opportunities for students,” she had said.

This was a validation from the highest quarters on how serious the University of Jos takes the study of Àne and applied arts. The signiÀcance was even more poignant as she was representing the vice chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya at the event organised by the National Gallery of Art (NGA) to showcase the artworks of the

lecturers and students of the department, tagged Art Fair Jos. The date was Thursday, January 27. Earlier, the Director General, NGA, Chief Ebeten William Ivara outlined the reason for the art fair. “In putting today’s event together, NGAseeks to encourage the creative spirit of the Jos Art School, and recognise the immense contributions of staͿ and students alike, to the growth of the art school, since its inception in 2013. I must commend the staͿ and students, whose works are on display here today, for putting forward a rich array of expressive pieces that represent the very best of art tradition, spanning the life time of the department. In exhibiting side by side with their lecturers, it is hoped that the students will realise the heights they can attain in their artistic pursuits, and be prompted to aim higher in their academic endeavours. It is also hoped that this synergy will produce an entrepreneurial package that will be the delight of art lovers and all who will visit the fair.”

He explained that over the years, NGA has lent tremendous support to the promotion of art education and development, through various

National Colours. acrylic on canvas. 60 x 90 cm. 2019 by Jacob Enemona Onoja programmes targeted at enhancing the artistic development of both art instructors and students alike. “NGA is delighted and proud, to support the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the University of Jos, and pledges to continue to do all within its power, to promote Art Education in the country.”

On his part, the Chairman, Governing Board, NGA, Ambassador Umaru Azores Sulaiman commended the parastatal for rolling out the visual arts of Plateau State through its elite institution the University of Jos for all to view and appreciate.

He said the move indicates the extent NGA is willing and ready to go in showcasing Nigeria’s diverse art. He showered praises on the Jos Art School for achieving so much within a short life span of eight years. “The Art School boasts of highly-rated lecturers in all aspects of visual arts with graduates doing the school proud around the country. The focus on this school by NGA, therefore, is timely.”

Little wonder the erudite Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Gowon expressed sheer delight at the success of the art fair which featured paintings, sculptures, textiles, graphics and ceramics with many tagged on the opening day. “It will aid revenue-generation, skill-acquisition and art appreciation in Nigeria,” she declared.

How apt 2QRNR ZULWHV IURP WKH 1DWLRQDO *DOOHU\ RI $UW $EXMD

IMAGES THAT ELOQUENTLY EXPRESS A TURBULENT INNER WORLD Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

O

ver 30 works, brimming with suppressed emotions, are currently on display in TAAG Gallery s monthlong online solo exhibition, which opened on Tuesday, February 1 and will conclude on Monday, February 28. These works, which are essentially paintings, were produced by Lateef Olajumoke, a self-described multidisciplinary Nigerian artist, between 2019 and 2021. According to the gallery s curatorial statement, they are the artists candid visual takes on life in these di΀cult times.

Doleful, though that may sound, it is only the 40-year-old’s nod to the zeitgeist, which is rife with depressing ² rather than soul-uplifting ² expressions.

Like his contemporaries, who plume themselves on mirroring their environmental realities, he sought to transmute his inner perceptions of the overwhelming outward impressions of recent times into visible and relatable forms through the paintings, which are mostly done in acrylic and featured in the exhibition, titled State of Mind.

Olajumoke before one of his works

VISUAL ARTS Of course, Olajumoke could not have been oblivious to the events of recent times such as the rising insecurity and restlessness in the country s urban life, the mind-boggling corruption in o΀cial circles, and the uncertainties swirling around the COVID-19

pandemic, to name a few. Talking about these events ² the subtle emanations of which has deepened the ethereal gloom enveloping the earth ² they appear to have bolstered the ranks of those keen on deploying apocalyptic imagery to explain these perilous times.

This readily plays into the narrative, which places the burden on the artist to accurately depict the events of histime.Itisnotsurprising,therefore,thatOlajumoke’s works ² produced with a variety of materials such as acrylic, canvas, discarded plastic, egg crate, paper, and cardboardandencompassingsuchformsofexpression as paintings, photography, and sculpture ² bolster his credentials as a committed artist. Thus, as an artist intent on defying categorisation, he deploys diverse mediums, modes and themes to express himself.

This eclecticism is evident in the paintings, featured in State of Mind, which are brimming with passion.

Though the visual interventions of the Lagos-born and bred artist are useful, they are not immune to the consequences of ignoring ² intentionally or unintentionally ² the inherent lawfulness governing his earthly existence and environment. Thoughts and grotesque manifestations of anger or resentment can

only attract and open a Pandora s Box of their kind.

For the reasons stated above, it is heartening to note that an undercurrent of optimism lurks beneath Olajumoke s paintings, even as their dread-inducing images assault the viewers sensibilities. Could he have sensed, as an artist, that he has a responsibility to direct his audience s gaze toward a luminous goal" Of course, his ability to achieve this potential inner sensingisdependentonhisrecognitionandfulÀlment of the Primordial Will, whose Áawless Perfection ensures the existence of everything else. For this will give him access to higher inspirations, which he should be able to transmute into more earthly comprehendible forms.

Talking about forms, Olajumoke appears to prefer close-up views of his subjects. The viewer can easily discern the artist s restlessness as well as the seething urge to express so much in so few words through the tangled threadlike-mesh that resolves itself into coherent human Àgures. As for the uniqueness of his representations, which could be considered his signature style, it provides the viewer with new perspectives on previously unexplored themes.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

The Return of Military Coups to Africa As African Union and ECOWAS offer sterner pushback against military coupists in Mali, Guinea, Chad, and Burkina Faso, elected rulers running despotic regimes in West Africa should rethink their regressive governance models to save the sub-region’s remaining democracies, Louis Achi writes

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ith canny prescience, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai (rtd), now Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, had on December 4, 2020, sternly warned his officers and men to perish the idea of any coup attempt in Nigeria. Did he foresee the series of military coups that would sweep out civilian administrations and put the West African region on edge? Now a diplomat, it may be difficult to get him to share his genuine thoughts on the subject matter - beyond nimble diplomatic prattle.

According to the brawny ex-army boss, the Army hierarchy was aware that some generals were being approached and revealed that his eyes were on them. “Democracy has come to stay. We will not tolerate any agent of destabilisation. The years of military misadventure in politics have never carried us anywhere. It is over…Do not hobnob with politicians,” he had imperiously declared.

Buratai had also in May 2017 warned his officers against unholy alliances with politicians. The statement came on the heels of a major shakeup in the Nigerian Army then.

It appears that Buratai’s clairvoyant homilies would have hugely benefited the political leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad if they had had their antennas pointed at Abuja – and even Guinea-Bissau which escaped military overthrow by the whiskers.

As it were, 72 hours ago, jittery West African leaders held an emergency summit in the Ghanaian capital Accra, in response to the recent spate of coups in the region. The summit was initiated after Burkina Faso, on January 24, 2023, became the third member of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be seized by a military junta.

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was deposed amid public outrage over his mishandling of violence by armed groups. Burkina Faso followed Mali, where a coup in September 2020 was followed by a second in May 2021, and Guinea, where elected President Alpha Conde was deposed last September.

The Accra Summit came a few days after the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, survived an attempted coup after assailants armed with machine guns and assault rifles attacked the government palace.

The region’s recent turmoil has stoked fears among ECOWAS countries that efforts to steer West Africa towards stability and democracy are losing significant traction.

According to ECOWAS chairman, Ghana’s Nana Akufo-

Chairman of AU, Felix Tshisekedi

Addo, the coup in Mali had been “contagious” and had led to subsequent military takeovers in the region. The trend “must be contained before it devastates our whole region.

This summit will focus on the emerging threats in our region that stem from the military’s interference in Mali and its contagious influence in Guinea and Burkina Faso.”

It has been widely observed that military intervention in politics appears to be associated with economic crisis and stagnation of growth. In a study of intervention in politics by the military in Latin America, Martin C Needler, author of Mexican Politics and former Dean of the School of International Studies at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, suggested that governments were more likely to be overthrown by force when economic conditions deteriorated. When conditions were improving, the military was unlikely to intervene in politics.

It is estimated that there have been at least 100 successful coups in Africa in the past four decades, with more than twice the number of coup attempts. Most military take-

overs are initiated by disgruntled junior military officers, who are later supported by a few senior officers. Within days or hours they capture power by detaining or forcing the leaders to step down - as in the case of Mali.

More recently, in its February 1, 2022 report titled, ‘An Epidemic of Failure,’ a research firm, SBM Intelligence, stated that in the last 10 years, there has been a coup in every country in Sahelian Africa. Of more concern is that these military takeovers run through the West Coast (Mauritania) to the East Coast of the continent (Sudan).

Significantly, two of these countries, Chad and Niger, are Nigeria’s neighbours.

Today, Nigeria is experiencing considerable socio-economic stress - a scenario not helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, debt trap, the new nationalism sweeping through Europe and North America, as well as the global trade volatilities. As in much of human history and evolution of society, it requires transformational and visionary leadership to stabilise the ship of state by delivering progressive, empathetic governance across the board.

However, a military coup is not an option in the case of Nigeria.

Indeed, a military regime is not an alternative to a democratic rule as it is widely presumed that the worst democracy is better than the best military rule.

But looking at the big picture, the persistent failure of the leadership of ECOWAS and African Union (AU) to take a preventive and active role in dealing with these threats to democracy, human rights and the rule of law has unquestionably continued to contribute considerably to recurring coups and unconstitutional change of governments in many countries.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) had early last week urged ECOWAS chairman and Ghanian President, Akufo-Addo to invoke the treaties and protocols of the subregional group that ensure good governance so as to prevent the spate of coup d’etat that has taken over three countries in the sub-region.

Falana expressed genuine fears that the Mali and Burkina Faso’s experience may be repeated in other countries if the spate of impunity, disrespect for rule of law, abuse of human rights, poverty, and election rigging continue in the subregion.

It is settled that democracy is the best form of government but the primary goals of democracy are the people’s safety and their prosperity.

However, when these objectives are defeated as Falana averred, desperation sets in, fuelling extra-constitutional interventions.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

Can Babangida Aliyu Ever Keep Quiet?

Aliyu

CansomeonepleaseaskformerGovernorofNiger State,Dr.BabangidaAliyutokeepquiet?Inthelastfew weeks,hehasbeenmakingrecklesspoliticalpronouncementsunbecomingofaformergovernor,whohadalso attainedthehighestlevelinthefederalcivilservice.

First,hepaintedallthethengovernorsofthe19 northernstates,includingthoseofthethenruling PeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP),asdishonourable men,whoconspiredtodenyformerPresidentGoodluck Jonathanasecondtermin2015.

BabangidaAliyu,hadinastatement,saidfewmonths tothe2015Presidentialelection,thePDPgovernors joinedtheothernortherngovernorsatameetingin Abuja,andunanimouslyresolvednottoallowJonathan wintheelection. Aliyu,whowastheChairman,Northern Governors’Forumthen,saidthe19northerngovernors

concurredthatJonathanhadviolatedthetermsofan agreementhereachedwiththepartyandthenorthern governorsnottorunforsecondtermin2015 Butinaswiftresponse,aformergovernorofPlateau State,SenatorJonahJang,dismissedasuntruethe statementcreditedtoAliyuthatthethen19northern states’governorshadmet,deliberated,anddecidednot tosupportthere-electionofJonathan.

FormerJigawaStateGovernor,MallamSuleLamido, hadalsodeniedknowledgeofsuchameetingwherea decisionwastakenagainstJonathan’sre-election.

Aliyuhadalsorecentlypokedhisnoseintothepolitics oftheAllProgressivesCongress(APC)whenhedeclared thatVicePresidentYemiOsinbajoisthebestcandidate intherulingpartyforthe2023presidentialelection.

“MrVicePresident,doyouknowyouarethebest

candidateinyourparty?”hereportedlyasked.

Aliyuwasalsoreportedlyquotedveryrecentlyas sayingthatsomenorthernersmadeitimpossiblefor JonathantodefeatBokoHaram.

WhenwilltheformerNigerStategovernorstop openinghismouthverywide?

LittlewonderRiversStateGovernor,NyesomWike, recentlylambastedhim,sayingheisnotjustjobless,but apoliticalliability.

Wikesaidofhim:“AliyuBabangidahasnojobtodo.

Heisapoliticalliability.Whyisthathecouldnoteven organisepartycongressinNigerState.Itisbecauseof hisdictatorialtendencies.AliyuBabangidaisachronic liar,aserialbetrayal.Hesaidin2015,Northerngovernors workedagainstformerpresidentGoodluckJonathan.In 2017.Hehasnojob”.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

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BRIEFINGNOTES Emmanuel’s Attempt to Ambush Democracy in Akwa Ibom Without waiting for the Peoples Democratic Party to provide a level-playing field for interested aspirants to vie for the party’s 2023 governorship ticket in an open and transparent primary election, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has stirred up the hornet’s nest with his public endorsement of a preferred successor in an attempt to dictate to his party and the people of the state, Ejiofor Alike writes

A

s the Nigerian political stakeholders continue to encourage greater participation of the people in all stages of the electoral process, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel recently attempted to reduce the state to his private fiefdom where he anoints leaders without recourse to the choice of the people of the state or any political party.

Emmanuel had won his second term in the 2019 general election through sheer determination of the people of the state, who defied the ‘war’ threat of Senator Godswill Akpabio, now Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, and came out en masse to vote massively for him.

“In 2019, Warsaw shall see war and war shall see Warsaw. The 2019 elections will be a full-scale war and my party-the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win,” Akpabio, a former Senate Minority Leader, was quoted as saying shortly before the 2019 elections.

Despite these threats, the people of the state stood by their choice of Emmanuel, from the primary election to the governorship election.

With the result of the election, Akpabio’s reign as the godfather of the state ended on a sad note.

But as the governor is rounding off his second and final term, the choice of the people and the ambition of members of his party no longer appear to be relevant to him.

He has assumed the role of a new godfather with his public endorsement of a preferred successor without waiting for his party to conduct a primary election.

Emmanuel recently shocked political pundits when he named his Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Eno, as a preferred successor in 2023.

Eno was unveiled at the PDP stakeholders’ meeting at the state Governor’s Lodge, Uyo. Eno, who is relatively unknown in Akwa Ibom politics, was appointed commissioner in January 2021. Before then, he was preoccupied with his hospitality business – running a hotel in Eket and doing food supplies to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

Photographs of Eno kneeling down for the new godfather of Akwa Ibom politics were all over the Internet last week.

A former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, made formal presentation of Eno, on behalf of Emmanuel, to the stakeholders in the meeting

Udom So, instead of PDP to unveil its governorship candidate, democracy was turned upside down as the main opposition party unveiled Emmanuel’s governorship candidate.

The governor later explained that the reason he preferred Eno as his preferred successor was because he meant well for the state.

Speaking during an interview in Uyo, the governor said: “Let me say this emphatically; I mean well for this state, that is why I waited for God to show me the man, who would continue with the pace of developmental strides we have started in the last six years plus and then move the needle even further.

“Pastor Umo Eno is a highly respected person.

He has enormous capacity; he’s an epitome of humility, and is blessed with the common touch, a compelling story and is God-fearing.

“He is a successful entrepreneur, who has employed our people, lifted thousands from poverty to prosperity. He will be coming to the office of governor with an economic blueprint that will further guarantee employment, development, and economic prosperity for our people.”

With this pronouncement, the governor has

ambushed democracy and foreclosed the ambitions of other PDP members who are aspiring to the highest political office in the state.

By also declaring that Eno “will be coming to the office of governor with an economic blueprint that will further guarantee employment, development, and economic prosperity for our people,” Emmanuel has told the people of the state and other political parties that Eno’s victory as PDP candidate at the 2023 governorship election is a done deal.

Expectedly, Emmanuel’s premature misstep has drawn the ire of some stakeholders in Akwa Ibom PDP and caused a rift in the State Executive Council as some commissioners nursing governorship aspiration are said to be plotting to fight back.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Onofiok Luke, who is also nursing governorship ambition reportedly stormed out of the stakeholders’ meeting after the announcement.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Iniobong Ememobong and his counterpart in Economic Development and Ibom Deep seaport counterpart, Mr. Akan Okon, were

said to have shunned the meeting when they learnt of the agenda.

On his part, Luke, who played a key role in Emmanuel’s re-election, said he was not aware of the agenda of the meeting but attended to honour the governor’s invitation.

“I’m not against their endorsement; and I’m not against the elders of the state. But I’m saying the endorsement could have happened after proper consultation.

“I went to Obong Attah and asked him why didn’t you talk to all of us who are in this race?

Why didn’t you talk to Senator Bassey Albert?

Why didn’t you talk to Akan Udofia? Why didn’t you talk to Akan Okon? Why didn’t you talk to James Iniama? It was Obong Attah that made the presentation, not the governor.

“We would have loved their endorsement but that would have been after due consultation.

But whoever they would endorse should be the choice of the majority of people in the state.

“So, for me as Onofiok Akpan Luke, I am in the governorship race. I am going to stand election on the platform of my party, the PDP. I am not part of that endorsement at all,” Luke reportedly explained.

The governor is no doubt entitled to have a choice of successor in a democracy but his choice should be a reflection of his party’s choice after an open, transparent and fair primary.

By publicly announcing a preferred successor before PDP’s primary, the governor is trying to cow members of his party, other PDP governorship aspirants and the people of the state into submission, which is a rape of democracy.

With the unlimited resources of the state at his disposal, the Akwa Ibom governor will not spare the state’s resources to ram his choice down the throat of the PDP members and the people of the state.

But his opponents claimed that he controls only less than 30 per cent of the party’s structure in the state, while Senator Bassey Akpan is the one with the party structures across the three senatorial districts.

With the influence of Akpabio and other members of the opposition, threats by other PDP stakeholders, and his weak control of the party’s structure, it will be an uphill task for the Akwa Ibom governor to install his alleged surrogate as the next governor of the state and realise his alleged term third agenda.

Emmanuel has indeed played into the hands of his political enemies and set the Akwa Ibom PDP on fire with his premature endorsement of a preferred successor.

NOTES FOR FILE

Name Financiers of Terrorism Now!

Mohammed

The federal government last Thursday again revealed that it had uncovered 96 financiers of Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) between 2020 and 2021.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this during a press conference addressing the current administration’s fight against corruption, said to check terrorism financing in Nigeria, the FG deployed a plethora of tools to deal with the issue of corruption and money laundering.

He said analysis by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) discovered 424 associates/ supporters of terrorism financiers; the involvement of about 123 companies and 33 bureaus de change.

He added that not less than 26 suspected bandits/

kidnappers and seven co-conspirators were also identified by the agency.

What the minister said is not new. Since the incumbent government came to power in 2015, this has been what they have been telling Nigerians. It seems they are not tired of pushing these lies each time they have the opportunity to speak on this issue.

While the United Arab Emirates had long ago helped us to arrest, prosecute and sentence about six persons sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria, the government here lacks to political will to do same despite the havoc they have wreaked in the country.

Earlier in 2021, the President Muhammadu Buhari regime had disclosed that it arrested 400 alleged Boko Haram sponsors and financiers including bureau de

change operators but about a year later, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has not prosecuted the moneybags behind the nefarious activities of the bloodthirsty marauders who have viciously mauled thousands of Nigerians in the North-east for over a decade.

It is surprising that it cannot leverage technology to fish out those sustaining these terrorists with resources in order to bring the war against terrorism to an end.

Many now know that the action of the government lays credence to the assertion that it has something to hide and that some of their colleagues and family members are culpable.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 6, 2022

CICERO/ISSSUES

What’s Police Role in Defamation?

The dispute between the recently arrested sex therapist named Jaruma and billionaire businessman, Ned Nwoko, has raised questions on the boundary between criminal and civil defamation in Nigeria, Alex Enumah writes

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hen is defamation a criminal offence?

The dispute between the recently arrested sex therapist named Jaruma and billionaire businessman, Ned Nwoko, necessitated

this question.

Last November, Nwoko’s wife, Regina Daniels, had disowned Jaruma whose real name is Hauwa Muhammed, for claiming she used one of her potions to preserve her marriage to the businessman.

Jaruma had fired back at the actress and alleged non-delivery on an advertisement contract for which she claimed to have paid Regina the sum of N10 million.

The discord, according to TheCable, swiftly deteriorated into a social media row where Jaruma accused Nwoko of benefitting from her product. The businessman-cum-politician had denied involvement with the sex therapist and her products.

He also accused Jaruma of publishing falsehoods against him and Regina. Jaruma was eventually arrested by the police in Abuja.

The sex therapist was recently arraigned by the police at the Abuja upper area court for defamation of character, false news publication, and intimidation after Nwoko had filed a petition to that effect.

Jaruma was thereafter remanded in police custody ahead of subsequent adjudications on the matter.

But was her arrest and detention in order?

Legal practitioners have also questioned the need for police involvement in what could have been just another case for the civil courts.

Criminal Case or Civil Case Criminal cases are the ones between citizens and the state (government), wherein the state (government) is the complainant. The victim of crime is the nominal complainant in criminal cases.

Criminal cases include assault, murder, identity theft, alcohol-related crimes, fraud, or any action explicitly forbidden by state laws as they cut across a much broader range of interests.

On the other hand, a civil case arises from disputes and disagreements between people, companies or businesses.

Most often, it involves a breach of contract, landlord-tenant matters, divorce matters, wills and estate matters, debt recovery matters, non-delivery of purchased goods or services, among others.

In civil cases, an entity goes to court against another. Such cases typically don’t involve police or law enforcement agents. Cases of this nature are often aimed at seeking monetary compensation or the performance of a duty.

Civil cases can also be about the complainant seeking the imposition of court restrictions on an entity to prevent them from doing something harmful to the other party or to ensure that the defendant respects certain rights.

Defamation in Nigerian Context In defamation - the case against Jaruma - a person damages the reputation of the other, whether by slander or libel.

Defamation, in Nigeria and certain legal jurisdictions in the country too, can either be deemed criminal or civil.

The publication of words that can cause hatred, contempt, ridicule, or damage to the reputation or profession of a person to the hearing of such person or a third party without justification can be considered a criminal offence.

Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act states that “any person who publishes any defamatory matter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”

It also adds that “any person who publishes any defamatory matter knowing it to be false is liable to imprisonment for two years.”

Sections 391 to 395 of the Penal Code for northern states and the FCT Abuja also account for criminal defamation.

This is why legal practitioners have long been

IG, Usman Baba clamouring for criminal defamation to be expunged from the law in Nigeria, as has been done in developed countries like the United Kingdom, Norway, Sri Lanka among many others.

Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution states that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive; impart information without interference.

This is subject only to the laws of the country as to libel, slander, or injurious falsehood. And even where such a situation arises, it would be a matter for a court of law to determine and not the legislature.

Defamation and Police Involvement The Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) of 2015 excludes the police from interfering in civil disputes.

According to section 8(2) of the act, a suspect shall not be arrested merely on a civil wrong or breach of contract.

Even the Nigerian Police (Establishment) Act 2020 frowns at officers’ interference in civil disputes, unless on the order of a competent court, where Section 32(2) prohibits officers from arresting anyone based on a civil wrong.

Beyond jurisdiction technicalities, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, argues that the line between civil and criminal defamation is smudged, where the law is often activated in cases involving influential personalities.

“My opinion has always been that defamation is a civil matter, not something that should be criminalised,” Effiong who who to TheCable, said.

“In Nwoko’s case with Jaruma, it’s not so much about the law as it is about the weaponisation of the police institution. Nwoko has a very disgraceful history of weaponising the police against anyone who stands up to him.

“This is not the first time he has deployed the police as his personal thug. He has done this in his own community where he was accused of land grabbing. He used the police to witch hunt those who accused him instead of filing a suit.

“The police in Nigeria have become a tool in

AGF, Abubakar Malami the hand of influential persons that is used for personal vendetta.”

Questioned about the basis for police involvement, Frank Mba, the spokesperson of the police force in Abuja, stated that he had yet to be briefed on the full facts of Ned Nwoko’s case against Jaruma and is in no position to comment on it.

Is Jaruma’s Arrest in Order?

The justifiability of the arrest of Jaruma for her row with the Nwokos remains a matter for the courts to rule over.

Effiong argued that it raises questions when the police move to arrest one party over a verbal dispute involving two.

“I know Ned Nwoko’s wife and Jaruma engaged in social media banter where they exchanged words. They insulted themselves online. For the police to now take sides and arrest one is preposterous,” the human rights lawyer stated.

“I do not understand why Jaruma was arrested. This kind of madness shouldn’t happen. The fact that a billionaire has money to throw around shouldn’t make the police engage in acts that protect the interest of such a person.

“I saw some of the exchanges between the two parties. Why are the police taking sides in the matter? Jaruma said she paid Regina Daniels N10million to help her advertise her product and that she didn’t live up to the agreement.

“She called her out on social media and that led to a series of altercations between the two of them, at which point Ned Nwoko came into the picture. Regina, in turn, also made some disparaging comments against Jaruma.

“Should Jaruma also have Regina arrested?

Intelligent police officers would have said, ‘well, let’s not get ourselves entangled with this. Let them sort out their issues in a civil court.’But that’s not what the police do in Nigeria,” Effiong said.

He also raised concerns about the jurisdiction of the Abuja area court where the sex therapist was arraigned.

“It’s an area court. I know the FCT high court ruled at least in two cases that that court

lacks criminal jurisdiction. If that is the case, and she was arraigned before an area court, then that is a violation of her rights,” the lawyer said.

“When a higher court has made a pronouncement on a matter, an inferior court must abide by it. If that is the case, then Jaruma and her lawyer may wish to file a petition against the head of the court who made the order.

Effiong called for the expungement of criminal defamation from Nigerian laws, describing it as a tool for the rich.

“The Court of Appeal has ruled that the right to freedom of expression includes saying what is offensive,” he added.

“If I can only say something that is pleasant, then what is freedom of expression? Criminal defamation shouldn’t have a place in a democratic society.

“If someone makes a claim and the other feels it’s injurious, the other should file an action in a civil court, not using the mercenary of the state.

Corroborating Effiong’s submissions, another lawyer, Samson Edegbai, said the dispute is civil case that should have been instituted by Nwoko.

He wondered why the police should be involved in what he termed “two-fighting.”

Edegbai called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction the Area Court judge who agreed not only to entertain the case but ordered that Jaruma be remanded in prison.

“It is very obvious that the Nigerian Police have sold their soul to the highest bidder in the country.

They make mockery of the criminal justice system. Where is it ever done or heard that a mere exchange of words between two persons would lead to criminal defamation? Ned Nwoko is not even a government official but a private individual. So why would the police arrest and charge what is at best ‘two-fighting’.

“Even Muhammadu Buhari as the president of Nigeria sued Atiku Abubakar for defamation in this country. Did he order the police to arrest Atiku? No. General Murtala Muhammed as a Head of State also sued a person in this country for defamation.”

“My greatest worry is the Area Court judge who not only opened his two eyes to entertain the case, but ordered the remand of Jaruma in prison. The NJC needs to sanction him to act as a deterrent?,” he said.

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;˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

WITH LOVE FROM CHINA… L-R: Head of delegation from the Communist Party of China, Mr. Wu Baocai; Member, Mr. Li Ineijian; and National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, during a visit by the delegation to the PDP National Secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja…yesterday

Emirates Resumes in Nigeria as Flights Land in Abuja, Lagos Chinedu Eze After a long break occasioned by a frosty relationship between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nigeria, the Emirates Airline yesterday resumed operations in Nigeria with its Flight EK783 landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

The flight, which departed Dubai at 1030hrs landed in Nigeria’s busiest commercial city at 03.30 pm.

Another Flight EK785, arrived in Abuja after departing Dubai at 1100hours, landing at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at 03.20 pm.

The aircraft being deployed to both Nigerian cities was the

Three-Class Boeing 777-300ER, which offers eight luxurious First-Class suites, 42 generous Business Class seats, and over 300 seats in Economy Class.

THISDAY learnt that customers across all classes were able to enjoy the airline’s regional delicacies onboard, as well as its renowned in-flight entertainment system, ice,

NIGERIA NEEDS YOUNG, ENERGETIC PRESIDENT IN 2023, SAYS ABDULSALAMI the 2023 presidential election.

Wike spoke yesterday at a reception organised in his honour by the Kalabari people.

“The day the South will speak, Nigeria will shake,” the governor said.

“We believe in the unity of this country, but nobody can threaten us. Nobody should threaten us. We believe in the unity of Nigeria and unity of Nigeria must continue.”

Wike said the PDP would not give its presidential ticket to a candidate who would not serve the public interest.

He said some desperate politicians were already plotting for a candidate who would serve the interest of the affluent few.

“No amount of gang-up can make PDP give somebody who will want to run an election for the interest of some big men, and not for all Nigerians,” he said.

“Anybody who wants to be a candidate of PDP must be a candidate for the interest of Nigerians.”

PDP Warns Matawalle against Plot to Remove Deputy In a related development, PDP yesterday cautioned the Zamfara State Governor, Matawalle against manipulating the state House of Assembly to commence the removal of the deputy governor, Gusau.

The Zamfara State House of Assembly had on Friday served the deputy governor of notice of impeachment from office,

accusing him of corruption and disobedience to constituted authority.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba, PDP said that the illegal process of removal of the deputy governor, despite a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/ CS/ 650/2021 portends grave implication for peace and security not only in Zamfara State but the entire North-west region as well as the continued sustenance of democracy in the country.

The PDP said: "It is clear that this panic move by Governor Matawalle is induced by his realisation that the mandate of the PDP, which he stole away into the APC is at the verge of being recovered through the legal processes of the court and restored to the Deputy Governor; he (Matawalle), having violated the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is recklessly moving to the APC when there is no division in the PDP".

PDP further stated that Matawalle should note that the people of Zamfara State are solid with his deputy as the custodian of the PDP mandate after Matawalle’s infamous defection to the APC. "As such, any action against the deputy governor amounts to a direct assault on the will of the people which they will firmly resist.

"Any attempt, therefore, to strip the deputy governor of the mandate of the people on the grounds of baseless and unfounded allegations is a recipe

for a serious crisis that can result in the complete breakdown of law and order in the state," it explained.

The party cautioned the state lawmakers not to allow itself to be used against the people and destroy the state because of the bloated ego of Matawalle whose political career is at its twilight.

featuring over 4,500 channels of on-demand entertainment, including Nollywood films and content.

Dubai remains one of the most popular shopping and tourist destination for Nigerian travellers.

The airline said Dubai is currently hosting the world for Expo 2020, until March 2022.

“Through the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Expo 2020 Dubai aims to inspire people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world. Its programme is packed with experiences to suit all ages and interests, including a rich line-up of themed weeks, entertainment, and edutainment. Art and

culture fans, as well as food and technology enthusiasts, can explore exhibits, workshops, performances, live shows and more,” the Middle East carrier explained.

Emirates reiterated that all passengers travelling from Nigeria with Dubai as their final destination would require a 48-hour PCR test.

“Passengers must present a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate with a QR code for a test conducted at an approved facility, and validity must be calculated from the time the sample was collected. Upon arrival in Dubai, passengers will undergo an additional Covid-19 PCR test and remain in self-quarantine until the results of the test are received.

“Passengers travelling from

Nigeria and transiting in Dubai are required to follow the rules and requirements of their final destination,” the airline also said.

Emirates said it had introduced a comprehensive set of safety measures at every step of the customer journey.

“The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology and scaled up its digital verification capabilities to provide its customers even more opportunities to utilise the IATA Travel Pass, which can now be used across 50 airports served by Emirates,” it added.

With a good relationship restored between the two countries, the Nigerian carrier, Air Peace had also announced that it would resume flights to Dubai on March 1, 2022.

Daura Emirate Doesn't Give Chieftaincy Titles for Money, Says Emir Crowns Amaechi Dan Amanar Daura Nseobong Okon-Ekong, Chiemelie Ezeobi and Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Emir of Daura in Katsina State, Dr Umar Farouq Umar, yesterday stated that the emirate does not confer chieftaincy titles on personalities within and outside the country because of their financial status or political positions but based on merits.

This is even as the monarch urged Nigerians to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve peace, economic revitalisation, development and progress of the country.

The traditional ruler explained that only individuals with prerequisite qualifications and track records in terms of humanitarian services, irrespective of their religious, tribal, political and race, were given traditional titles by the emirate.

Speaking while conferring

the chieftaincy title of Dan Amanar Daura (the Trusted Son of Daura) on the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the ancient city of Daura, the emir said he had no regret conferring the chieftaincy title on the minister.

He said: "I want to assure you that this Emirate is giving different traditional titles to both people in the North and southern parts of the country, including the white men and whoever deserves to be given the chieftaincy title.

"Nigerians should not insinuate that the emirate is looking for money or has no money. I want to announce to all Nigerians and everybody here that this emirate doesn't give chieftaincy titles because of money or any position.

"I had never given chieftaincy titles because of money, fear of somebody or position. We give chieftaincy titles based on merit

and to help our masses who God will ask us hereafter," the monarch explained.

"I call on Nigerians to continue to support and pray for President Muhammadu Buhari as he governs our nation in the phase of numerous changes to achieve peace, economic revitalisation, development and progress of the country," he added.

He reiterated that the emirate conferred the traditional title on Amaechi to reciprocate his kind gestures in Daura and for initiating the establishment of the University of Transportation, saying the varsity would boost the education and the economy of northern states.

He added that a rail station with necessary facilities would soon be constructed in Daura for the benefit of traders, particularly those associated with import and export businesses.

Some of the dignitaries at the

event include Minister for Sports and Social Development, Mr Sunday Dare; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo; Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Tukur Buratai (rtd); Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Muhammadu Koko; Chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers’ Council, King Alfred Diette-Spiff, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, among others.

Also, contestants for the National Chairmanship of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirants for various offices turned the palace ground and its environs into a campaign arena with publicity materials and praisesinging supporters.

Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu was also turbaned as the new Tafida Babba Daura at the event.

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with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Memo to the Duke Initiative

I

t is boom season for Abuja’s dominant industry: politics. A late flight arrival means a drive along the neon drenched boulevard into city centre. This futuristic highway from the airport is illuminated by billboards and myriad neon displays announcing that politics is in season.

Africa’s most expensive piece of real estate is aglow with expensive high tower billboards of advertisements of merchandise ranging from detergents to high rise apartment blocks. Most of all, you are greeted by advertisements of the only product this city has to offer in abundance: power and its diverse seekers and mongers.

Abuja is power city. Its suffocatingly prosperous landscape is fed by wheeling and dealing in an intangible commodities – power, influence, networks, cartels and brackish linkages. In Nigeria, politics is about persons, mostly the African big men type. Bold, brash and extravagant displays and messages announce one Chief seeking to become a future king after the other. Ambitious men and women are on display pretty much like new brands of toothpaste, food seasoning or instant cure- all concoctions.

One aspirant wants to rule the ruling party.

Someone else wants to chair the opposition party.

So many are waiting in the wings to rescue the nation, the Federal Capital Territory or some distant state. In this land of many aspiring presidents, the heavier the embroidery on the aspirant’s tunic, the louder the claims on his billboard. I am reminded that INEC, the electoral umpire, is yet to open the floodgate for overt political campaigns. So, the messages are still a bit muted or nuanced and mostly suggestive images. When the floodgate finally opens, it will be hard to keep pace with the deluge of messiahs, leaders and dealers in the merchandise of power.

For someone who is at best an incidental ‘power technician’ and information mechanic, a working visit to Abuja last weekend was a journey into possibilities. The most refreshing consequential event for me was a night meeting of consequential elite power merchants from all over the country.

The informal gathering at a private residence was at the instance of my brother and friend, Nduka Obaigbena, publisher extraordinaire, serial media entrepreneur, creative maverick and l’enfant terrible of Nigerian journalism. The man we like to call the Duke is also a skilled navigator of the murky waters of Nigerian power and politics. I was not invited to the meeting but a few of my friends were there and so I had to feed on second hand reports.

In attendance were many governors, mostly from the ruling APC. There were ambassadors of corporate Nigeria, guardians of the commanding heights of business and money. The recurrent deities of corporate Nigeria were escorted by the Governor of the Central Bank. There were prominent chamber politicians, influencers of power as well as practiced and habitual investors in the political unknown. There were also some significant aspirants to the presidential contest of 2023 from both major parties. There were of course some shadowy figures of state power, very visible in the anonymity of their bad suits, predictable ties, scruffy shirts and unnecessary dark glasses at night.

The grand objective of what I choose to call the Duke’s Initiative is how to fix Nigeria going forward, using the opportunity of the 2023 presidential elections and transfer of power. The major item on the agenda was how to galvanize the national elite towards achieving a consensus on national leadership in 2023. At the back of the initiative is an admission that the nation is in a bad shape and needs a different leadership framework if the slide towards state failure is to be averted.

There was of course a tacit admission among members of the group that a national consensus that would shape the leadership change will have to be national in outlook.

There was a further narrowing of the focus to the burden of the ‘independence generation’, those born in the midst of the optimism of Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Going by the average age of those present at the meeting, the independence generation is being challenged to produce a new national leadership because it is their collective dream of a good nation that is at stake.

The targeting of the independence generation is refreshingly strategic and emotionally significant. Those in their late fifties and early sixties were born in the context of the euphoria

Obaigbena of independence. The hope of freedom and nationhood were integral to their growing up process. They were brought up to anticipate good schools, decent healthcare, working utilities and a functional public service.They were a generation of hope. They were born in hope and raised in promise and now face the danger of dying in despair at old age. They have seen the best of Nigeria –scholarships, positions of power and responsibility, infrastructure development, national integration etc. They have also lived through the worst of Nigeria – war and bloodshed, decay of infrastructure, degeneration of governance, pessimism and despair. It is now largely under their watch that the nation is faced with an existential threat of state collapse and anarchic implosion.

More significantly, the independence generation are the ones standing between the long reign of the old and the emerging dominance of the surging youth majority. The leadership envisaged by the Duke Initiative is therefore both transitional, futuristic and ultimately transformational. This for me is the great import of the Duke Initiative.

Beyond the friendly banter and endless flow of free champagne and cognac, the Abuja late night meeting has stoked the embers of what is clearly a raging national concern. Nigerians are today concerned about national unity, security, economic well being and want a leadership that resonates with the vast majority of the populace. The majority of our people share are lingering distrust of politicians and the political parties that accountforourleadershipselectionprocess.The majority of Nigerians are now more than ever before conscious of the connection between the quality of apex national leadership and the prospects of national stability at home and esteem abroad.

The Duke Initiative’s is therefore an informal mechanism of elite intervention to guide the political process towards an enlightened consensus on the ideal leadership for the future we seek. This is quite an ambitious project, requiring further engagements and deeper deliberation than just one night of free cognac and flow of champagne. It requires further work. On this basis, the meeting adjourned to reconvene this weekend in Lagos. It is to that follow up effort that these modest thoughts are entered as both a theoretical interventionandamemoofdesirablepractical possibilities.

While the broad objectives of the Duke

Initiative are laudable and patriotic, it raises so many practical questions in the context of a democratic polity. First, in a multiparty democracy, is it possible to achieve a non partisan elite consensus on leadership choice with a shared vision? More pointedly, in a landscape dominated by two dominant parties, is a bipartisan elite accord on national leadership remotely possible? Can an unelected national elite of diverse elements acting outside the ambit of political parties bring about a consensual democratic leadership change that would be acceptable to all? Can the conspiracy of an elite special interest group held together by obviously common economic and political interests eventually override the choices which mobs of common voters make through the ballot box?

The contest for a leadership change is first and foremost a partisan political confrontation. It is almost a war by other means. Political parties will spare no effort in outdoing each other to emerge victorious in the forthcoming presidential election. The computations on the basis of which they choose their presidential candidates often have nothing to do with the ideals and wishes of the elite. That imperative is more urgent in a society where those who are unaware of ideals outnumber the elite. The elite in Nigeria by their value orientation and life style hardly come out to vote at elections. Even if they do, their vote is overwhelmed by the turnout of the common people in the urban and rural areas.

In a democracy dominated by illiterate and politically unconscious mobs, the choice of leadership often defies the ideals of the elite.

However, the category of elite gathered by the Duke Initiative cannot be dismissed so casually. They are a power elite. They have the capacity to mobilize vast influence and resources to get the parties to drift in the direction of their wishes. This optimism is still a bit far fetched. It fails to acknowledge the real forces that determine the choices made by the arties and ultimately how the rural and urban mobs vote.

The political leadership of the parties consists mostly of a different sub set of the elite. These are mostly of the gangster variety, a mixed bag of failed professionals, high school dropouts, professional thugs and desperate power hustlers. They are largely amoral, indifferent to ideals, impervious to reasoned discourse and crave power for its own sake and for the sake of rabid and primi-

tive economic advancement and crude arrival.

They are unlikely to be invited to gatherings such as those of the Duke Initiative. They just wait for us all at the voting stations and collation centers armed with bales of cash or armed uniformed thugs.

Ultimately, our electoral outcomes are the product of the political machinations and rough tactics of this gangster elite and the verdict of the mobs they control. It is not the fine idealistic wishes of wings like the Duke Initiative collective that determines electoral outcomes. This is what got us to the present sorry pass. The lesson of the moment is that a cultic followership of mobs can supply the electoral majority to emplace a virtual idiot in the presidential palace to the consternation of the elite and their fine intentions.

Irrespective of the job approval rating of an incumbent president in Nigeria, it is hard to conceive of a succession that ignores him. There can be no effective elite consensus on leadership choice in the 2023 election without the tacit nod of Mr.Buhari and his courtiers. In order to have consequence, therefore, a national elite consensus on the next leadership must begin by recruiting the incumbent power structure to at least understand the logic of a managed transition of power. No external interest group, no matter the nobility of its cause and the depth of its patriotism, can choose for Mr. Buhari who succeeds him. A consequential leadership change can only come about either as a result of the force of an overwhelming opposition party victory or a carefully managed consensus within the ruling party.

For the avoidance of doubt, the structures of state power remain in the hands of the incumbent up to 11 am on 29th May 2023. This implies that any non-partisan initiative must of necessity secure the support and understanding of the incumbent. By the nature of the present stage of African democracy, even an outright opposition party victory at the polls can be vitiated by an uncooperative incumbent. Imagine what could have happened in 2015 if Mr. Jonathan decided that Buhari did not defeat him at the polls!

In pursuit of its objectives, nonetheless, the Duke Initiative has to take certain presumptions as given. Part of the existing bedrock of the projected national consensus on leadership is the strategic imperative that the next president has to come from the broad southern zones of the country. However, implicit in that presumption is the pragmatic realization that political power and the patronage and pork that goes with it have become instrument of survival, in fact an industry, among the northern power elite. The implication of this reality is that a North to South power shift, though expedient and inevitable, has to be based on a negotiated compromise rather than a winner take all proposition. Incidentally, national unity and stability remain contingent on a deft management of this historic balance of power between the two cultural and geo political poles of the nation. Even when the north felt entitled to presidential power in the run up to the Buhari contest in 2015, the northern political elite engaged with elements of Southern politicians to obtain the substantial South West and South South buy -in that made the project a success.

Yet the Duke Initiative cannot be overly optimistic about its potentials as a galvanizing force.

Political parties and their own intrinsic elite remain the pillars in the architecture of democracy. As state recognized power factions, the parties have their own interests and goals which are bound to override the interests of special interest elites and groups. At a practical level then, the participants in the Duke Initiative must fan out into partisan formations. The lofty goal of a consensual leadership change can only come about if the elite of both major parties push for the same caliber of leadership candidates in each party. In other words, the ideas behind the Duke Initiative have to be shared by all participating political parties in the 2023 contest.

ThesignificanceofeffortsliketheDukeInitiative is to set the wagon of dialogue of national restoration and leadership invigoration in motion.Through such efforts, we can help the political parties by streamlining for them the entry requirements for the leadership Nigeria deserves and desires from 2023. We may in the process be rendering a much needed patriotic service of ridding the imminent presidential race of the present baggage of circus clowns and power scavengers.

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NEWS

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08152359253

Report: Domestic Investors’ Dominance of Equities Market Sustainable Till Q2 Says foreign portfolio investments plummeted 40.41% in 2021 Festus Akanbi Amid growing concerns over the fall in foreign portfolio participation in equities trading of the Nigerian stock market, there are strong indications that the current dominance in the activities of domestic investors may persist till the second quarter of the year.

An analysis of the recently released report by the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on domestic and foreign portfolio participation in equities trading for 2021 put domestic investors ahead as

foreign portfolio investment in the equities market plummeted in the period compared to the value of transactions executed in the corresponding year of 2020.

However, analysts from Cowry Asset Management Company, in a report said local investors’ appetite for Nigeria’s equities market would be sustained by a rewarding dividend pay-out being made possible by the flurry of releases of companies’ unaudited results for 2021, and the fact that their returns are not as prone to exchange rate risk as those of their

foreign counterparts.

The report stated: “In line with our expectations, the equities market was bullish in the first month of the year amid releases of the Unaudited FY 2021 financial results. This was despite the dwindling level of participation by the foreign portfolio investors.

Hence, we expect the positive momentum to be sustained, as domestic investors consolidate on their positions, up until March 2022 by which time most corporates would have released

their audited FY 2021 financial results and declared dividends.

Going forward from April 2022, the performance of the local bourse would chiefly depend on the perceived level of risk in the political space as well as the performance of companies in Q1 2022.”

Some of the recently released results include MTN Nigeria, Ecobank Plc, Okomu Oil Plc, BUA Cement, NEM Insurance Plc, Unilever Plc, FCMB Plc and Vitafoam Plc, among several others.

The report blamed the decrease in total transactions for 2021 on the very weak appetite of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) amid sustained fear of foreign exchange volatility eroding their returns on investment.

It said: “Foreign investors appeared to have their reservations about the Naira not being fairly priced against the greenback.

“Nevertheless, local investors, especially the institutional players, dominated the equities market as they accumulated more shares to take a position in some

fundamentally sound stocks as they await the release of the full year 2021 financial results of corporates.”

Taking inspiration from the 2021 report of the capital market, Cowrie Asset analysts noted that local players’ participation in the equities market increased in the second half of the year than in the first – as fixed income securities yields, especially treasury bills yield, nosedived in H2 2021 contrary to its northward direction in H1 2021.

Appointment of Judges: NBA Releases 164 Names of Interested Candidates Alex Enumah in Abuja The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has released a list of 164 lawyers who have expressed their interest to be appointed judges of the Federal High Court.

In a public notice dated February 3, 2022, the association called on lawyers and members of the public who have reasons to question the suitability of any person named in the list to send in their petitions.

This, according to the public notice, is in line with NBA’s “commitment to ensuring that the process for the appointment of judicial officers of our superior courts is made more transparent”.

The Chairperson of the NBA’s Judicial Committee, Mr. Babajide Ajibade (SAN), who signed the public notice, stated “that only persons of the appropriate character and reputation are appointed to the bench.”

Ajibade added: “We kindly request that members of the Bar and the general public who know of any reason why any of the persons listed in the table below should not be considered for appointment to the Federal High Court Bench should forward a petition stating their reasons in the manner and on the date

and time set out below:” Prospective petitioners, the notice said, have up till February 9, 2022, to submit their complaints, which must be addressed to the NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata.

It also stated that the petitions are expected to be submitted either in hard copies at the National Secretariat of the NBA in Abuja.

The notice warned that all petitions “should include proof of the sender’s identity,” adding that “Anonymous petitions will not be considered.”

The Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, had written to the NBA, requesting nominations of suitable candidates for appointment to the court’s bench from 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The states, apart from the FCT, having vacant slots on the Federal High Court bench are Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

As of December 2021, the Federal High Court had 75 judges on its bench. The court has a maximum capacity of 100 judges.

FOSTERING COMRADESHIP… Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen. Bashir Magashi (left), and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya at the end of the year 2021 West African Social Activities (WASA) of Army Headquarters Garrison in Abuja…yesterday

Senate Flays NIS over N13.4m Premium Paid on Grounded Aircraft Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The Senate Public Accounts Committee has faulted the payment of N13.4million as a premium to an insurance brokerage firm by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

The panel at its last sitting on Friday wondered why the NIS should pay the huge amount as a premium for

two grounded aircraft.

The committee is currently scrutinising the 2016 - 2018 reports of the Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF).

However, the Deputy Controller in Charge of Directorate Account at the NIS, Wuraola Adepoju, whose tenure the premium was paid to the insurance broker, explained that the aircraft was available before

the presidential order that it should be ceded to the Nigerian Air force.

She, therefore, asked the panel to give her a one-week grace to present the pictures of the aircraft to members of the committee.

The panel, based on the AuGF report, claimed that the NIS paid a premium of N13.4million in 2016.

The panel also noticed that

the NIS did not make available, the renewal endorsement for 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 hence the panel claimed that it did not know the total amount paid for the unserviceable aircraft.

The Chairman of SPAC, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, expressed dissatisfaction with the payment of millions of naira as a premium for the grounded aircraft.

Sunday Igboho Will Be Released Soon, Says Counsel

14 Edo Lawmakers-elect Write Ayu, Seek Intervention

Segun James

The 14 elected members of the Edo State House of Assembly who were not inaugurated have petitioned the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu, to prevail on Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, to resolve the issue.

The petition dated February 4, 2022, and signed by Hon. Victor Sabor Edoror, on behalf of the 14

The Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Sunday Igboho) will soon be released from detention in Benin Republic, an Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has said.

He made this known in a Facebook post on Sunday, scolding Yoruba leaders for allegedly being selfish. Igboho had spent over 200 days in Benin Republic detention since he was arrested at Cotonou airport en route to Germany alongside his wife in July 2020.

Olajengbesi,whosecuredthereleaseof 12 Igboho’s aides arrested by operatives oftheDepartmentofStateService,noted that Igboho’s release would attract wild jubilation.

“Chief Sunday Igboho will be out very soon and there will be massive jubilation across the entire Yorubaland.

“He is no doubt a courageous man. This is very authoritative just that our Yoruba leaders should stop being selfish and allow good to prevail,” the lawyer said.

This is coming barely 48 hours after members of Agbekoya Worldwide asked the authorities of Benin Republic to free Igboho or they would use traditional means to get him out.

The President, Agbekoya Worldwide, Kamorudeen Okiki, who spoke in Osogbo on Thursday, said, “Sunday Igboho is not a criminal. We will continue to say that.

“We know that it is the Federal Government that is holding Igboho in Benin Republic, but we are telling Benin Republic authorities now to legally release him using their court.

“They should release him legally and quickly or we will use our traditional means and powers to take Igboho out of the court.”

Afenifere had called on international human rights organisations to get freedom for the embattled Yoruba Nation agitator.

The acting leader of the group, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, had made the call for international intervention to ensure the release of the imprisoned agitator during Afenifere’s first annual general meeting in the year.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

All Progressives Congress (APC) members titled: ‘Re-Unlawful Exclusion of 14 Elected APC Members of Edo State House of Assembly from Parliamentary Duty,” asked Ayu to use his position to prevail on Obaseki and his deputy, Shaibu and their agents to immediately cause the integration of all members of the assembly to protect the Nigerian democracy, which they said they believe PDP also stands for.

The letter delivered to Ayu read: “Chairman sir, it will be our honour to meet with you.

If you so desire, explain our plight in better detail. While looking forward to hearing from Your Excellency, kindly accept assurances of our highest consideration.

“Representations were severally also made to the National Assembly, members recommended that a proper inauguration be done, but were ignored by the

Governor Obaseki.

“Our resort to legal redress has also not yielded fruit, as Edo State High Court failed to hear the case till date for the third year running due to the influence of the government (Governor Godwin Obaseki and Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu) through her then Solicitor General now Attorney General, Mr Wole lyamu. The eighth judge is presently handling the matter without hearing yet.

Confusion in Sapele as Gunmen Assassinate Vigilante Commander Olusegun Samuel Sapele, a historic commercial town in Delta State, was Friday night thrown into mayhem as unknown gunmen brutally killed Vigilante Commander, Victor Lucky.

Victor, an anti-cultist crusader, was killed few minutes after he left the venue of the wake keep for the burial of the mother of another popular crusader for social justice and former Commissioner for Youth, Chief Omolubi Newuwumi,

at about 7:00 pm Friday night at the Okpe junction, Sapele.

Eyewitness accounts told THISDAY that Victor was accosted by his assailants numbering about five with AK-47 rifles and in a tinted SUV car at the popular Okpe road junction, and shot him at close range.

After shooting him to death, according to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen escaped unchallenged, even though the incident took place a few meters to police and army

checkpoints in the ancient town.

One of the accounts noted that the barbaric nature of killing the vigilance commander triggered confusion as shops and businesses close as early as 7:00pm, while tension reigned in the ancient town till daybreak of Saturday.

Residents of Sapele, who had been living in fear for years before the advent of Victor’s vigilante group, lamented that they had lost a hero and a crusader.

One of the residents, who

spoke with THISDAY, said Victor, backed by a former Commissioner, Chief Omoluabi Newuwumi, single handedly fought and battled violence crimes by cultists to almost a standstill in the last five years.

He blamed the police for not doing enough to protect Victor and his vigilante group for their efforts in trying to bring criminality to a halt in the town, saying with his death, the town is longer safe for indigenes and residents.

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NEWSXTRA

FG Promises More Weapons for Military Operations *2& XUJHV RIÀFHUV WR XSKROG QDWLRQ·V LQWHJULW\ Segun James The Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), has assured the Nigerian Army of more armament to boost ongoing insurgency operations.

This came as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu, has called on soldiers to remain dedicated to their duties and continue to uphold the integrity of the country.

Magashi praised the Army for ensuring peace across the country.

The Minister disclosed this at the 2021 Nigerian Army Headquarters Garrison West African Social Activities (WASA) in Abuja.

He advised the Army hierarchy to imbibe good maintenance

culture of support equipment.

Magashi noted that though the Nigerian Army has recorded significant success against the insurgents, “they must brace up for the year ahead” .

He said the WASA event brings together troops and their families at the end of the year to socialise.

According to him; “2021 was an eventful year, characterised by challenges server moments and records of successes. worthy of note in the gallant performance and sacrifices of the Nigeria personnel in counterterrorism counter agencies and other operations across the country. ” Let me commend you for the sacrifices towards ensuring an enduring peace across the country. I must also sincerely appreciate the federal government of Nigeria and the president

commander in Chief of the Armed forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria for the unflinching support to the Nigerian army in particular and the armed forces in general.

“I wish to state that you must imbibe good maintenance culture so as to make these equipment readily available when needed for operations”.

He said federal government acquisition of platforms added tremendous impetus in the fight against insurgency based “Ministry of Defence has continued to strive relentlessly to keep the services by providing various grades of equipments and ammunition.

“We shall continue to make efforts to ensure that more platforms are procured to sustain the tempo of operations.”

He said training is the best

welfare that can be given to officers and soldiers therefore more training exercises will be conducted to enhance the proficiency.

“The conduct of these trainings have proven to be result oriented.”

Meanwhile, the GOC 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu, has called on soldiers to remain dedicated to their duties and continue to uphold the integrity of the country.

Fejokwu made this remark during the West African Social Activities (WASA) 2021 night, which ended yesterday at the Bonny Camp Cantonment, Victoria Island, Lagos State.

The GOC was represented by the Commander, 55 Signal Brigade, Lagos, Brig.-Gen.

RUBBING MINDS… Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki (left), and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi at the 40th coronation anniversary of the Elerin of Erin Ile, Oba Abdulganiyu Ibrahim Ajibola II, in Kwara State…yesterday

Oladipo Oshunsan.

Fejokwu also charged the officers and soldiers to remain focused, train hard and be ready to combat any threats to national security.

He said: “Security is a collective responsibility, hence my challenge to you all to maintain a high level of security alertness, monitor and report any unusual activities to the appropriate authorities,” the GOC said.

According to him, WASA is an age-long heritage of the army, which was aimed at preserving Nigeria’s ethics and traditions through social interaction of its

In 30 Days, Lassa Fever Death Toll Hits 40 Nigeria’s death toll from Lassa fever has risen to 40 after more infected patients lost the battle to the disease within 30 days, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed.

The centre disclosed this in its latest situation report on the management of the outbreak of the disease in the country.

“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 4, 2022, 40 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 19.0 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021 (22.2 per cent),” it said in the report published on Friday.

Data from the report indicate that six new deaths were recorded in Week 4 covering January 24 to January 30.

The agency added that 229 suspected cases were reported from 16 local government areas across five states last week, but only 42 of them were confirmed.

This brings the total number of infections confirmed since the beginning of the year to 211 out of the 981 suspected cases reported from 43 local government areas across 14 states.

“In Week 4, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 74 in week 3, 2022 to 42 cases. These were reported from Ondo, Bauchi,

ENTER THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS KASHIM IBRAHIM-IMAM Cerebral, energetic, and strategic, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam has been active in politics in Nigeria for about 35 years. This vast experience has imbued him with a profound knowledge of the currents and actors on the political terrain in the country. It has also enabled him to build a robust network of allies and associates across the length and breadth of Nigeria. He has traversed the country and feels at home everywhere. He is the current president of the King’s College (Lagos) Old Boys Association.

He holds a BSc in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria MSc in International Relations from the University of Maiduguri. At the business level, he is the Chairman of UniCapital PLC (an investment banking firm) and the Chairman of First Guarantee Pensions PLC, among others.

OKEY IKECHUKWU With three decades of hands-on experience in the university system, the media and government at the highest levels, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, mni, is the Executive Director of Development Specs Academy, an internationally certified management consultancy and training partner of several institutions and organizations. Ikeechukwu was, at various times, Lecturer at the University of Lagos, Acting Editorial Page Editor, and acting chairman of the editorial board of The Guardian Newspapers. He was also chairman of the Comet (now The Nation)

Newspapers Editorial Board. Ikechukwu is the Regional Patron of the Nigerian Karate Association and holds a Brown Belt in Wing Chun Kung Fu, as well as a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate.

BENNETT OGHIFO Trained in news writing by Reuters Foundation at Rhodes University, Grahams Town, South Africa, Bennett Eyituoyo Oghifo is well-grounded in matters of Climate Change and the Environment, which he has covered for over a decade. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and master’s in public administration from the University of Benin and a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Oghifo is a fellow of Leadership for Environment and Development, (LEAD International), a global network supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, and a member of Africa Association of Science Journalists.

NDUBUISI FRANCIS Ndubuisi Francis started his journalism career in 1992 first as a judiciary correspondent with the now-rested specialised newspaper, Law Mirror before joining THISDAY Newspapers Group in November 1995. He has covered health, labour, capital market, energy, and aviation correspondent before becoming Deputy Group Business Editor, Group News Editor and currently, Associate Editor (Business) in the Nation’s Capital. Winner of several awards in journalism, Ndubuisi holds a

personnel, their families and well wishers.

“The event also seeks to promote comradeship and foster unity among personnel as one large family,” he added.

Fejokwu also appreciated the family members of the soldiers and officers for their firm support throughout the year.

“I specifically appreciate our wives for keeping the home front running. I pray that the almighty God will be with you now and forever. Your prayers have been our strength in the course of discharging our constitutional duties.”

Edo, Enugu and Delta States,” it said.

“In total for 2022, 14 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 43 Local Government Areas.

Of all confirmed cases, 82 per cent are from Ondo (30 per cent), Edo (27 per cent), and Bauchi (25 per cent) States.

“The predominant age-group affected is 21-30 years (Range:1 to 80 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8. The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021.”

While there was no new healthcare worker reported to have been infected in reporting week 4, the NCDC said it has activated the national Lassa fever multi-partner and multi-sectoral Emergency Coordination Centre (EOC) to coordinate response activities at all levels.

It explained that it has also sent Lassa fever alert letters to states, in addition to carrying out preparedness assessments for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the agency, the seven Lassa fever molecular laboratories in its network are working full capacity to ensure all samples are tested, and results are provided within the shortest turnaround time.

CONT’D FROM PG. 24

Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Lagos, a Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Abuja.

PETER ISHAKA A 1983 graduate of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Peter Ishaka worked at Newswatch and TELL magazines before joining THISDAY in 1997. He left the newspaper for a brief period to edit ‘Who’s Who in Nigeria’ before returning in 2011. Ishaka is currently THISDAY Editorial Page editor.

OLUSEGUN ADENIYI Journalist, writer and former presidential spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL) chairs the editorial board. Author of several books, including ‘The Last 100 Days of Abacha’ and ‘Power, Politics and Death: A front-row account of Nigeria under the late President Yar’Adua’, Adeniyi was a founding member of the National Stakeholder Working Group of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and current member of the Kaduna State Government Kashim Ibrahim Foundation. He also served on the Panel of Judges for the Nigeria Breweries Plc ‘Maltina Teacher of the Year’ for 2015 and 2016 ad currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Africa Initiative for

Governance (AIG) which awards annual scholarships and fellowships to Nigerians and Ghanaians for master’s degree programme at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University. In April 2019, Adeniyi was inaugurated, along with others from 29 countries, as a Council Member of the Belt and Road News Network (BRNN) in Beijing, China. Adeniyi holds a first degree in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and a master’s in international law and diplomacy (MILD) from the University of Lagos. In July 2007, he attended the International Visitor Leadership Programme organised by the US State Department in Washington. He also spent the 2010/2011 academic session as a Fellow at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs, Harvard University where he conducted his research on the factors that shape incumbent presidential elections in Africa.

MONDAY EKPE Currently an adjunct lecturer at the University of Abuja, Monday Ekpe was at various times editorial page editor, features editor and general editor at THISDAY. A brilliant writer with special interest in human stories, Ekpe obtained his first degree in English and Literature from the University of Benin and a master’s in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan where he completed his Ph D in 2015.

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NEWSXTRA

Lamido: I Doubt If Jonathan is Still a Member of PDP Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State has expressed doubts on former President Goodluck Jonathan being a member of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Jonathan has been a member of the PDP since 1999 but recently, the immediate past president has been absent at major activities of the party, including the convention of the PDP where Senator Iyorchia Ayu was elected National Chairman.

As a sitting president, Jonathan

lost his re-election bid to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He had conceded the election, playing the role of a mediator in troubled West African countries.

However, there are reports that the ruling APC is considering fielding him as its presidential candidate in 2023.

Jonathan has been paying frequent visits to Buhari at Aso Rock, holding private discussions.

The hobnobbing of the duo and Jonathan’s hosting of APC leaders

at his residence had led to a public exchange between PDP leaders and those of the ruling party.

While the PDP accused APC of attempting to woo Jonathan, the APC said the former president is free to contest on its platform in 2023.

The former president was not at the convention of the PDP where

Senator Iyorchia Ayu was elected National Chairman.

In a BBC interview where Lamido was asked if Jonathan is still a member of the PDP, the former governor said, “I doubt it; he has not been attending recent activities of our party.”

Lamido, according to ionigeria.

com, also opened up on the recent visit of PDP leaders to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying they were there to discuss ways of finding lasting solutions to the problems of the country.

He said: “Since the coming of Buhari’s administration Nigeria has not been itself as all the foundations

for development laid down by PDP are all destroyed by this government.

“We have no peace, no unity, no integrity, no trust and there is abject poverty and we want to change these things. So that is why we decided to go and meet Obasanjo and we did so. We spent at least two hours discussing it with him.”

Lawmaker Clarifies Proposal to Merge NSCDC with Police Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Peller yesterday clarified the bill seeking to absorb the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) into the Nigeria Police.

Peller, currently representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency in Oyo State, explained that the proposal was not to cause disaffection, but avoid duplication of functions and foster growth and development.

He made this clarification at the Progressive Youth Festival held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan under the theme, Organising to Negotiate a Better Deal for the Youth yesterday.

Peller had proposal a bill seeking to scrap the NSCDC and absorbed the agency into the Nigeria Police to avoid duplications of functions and mandates.

Shortly after the proposed bill was announced at the House of Representatives, the leadership of the NSCDC in Oyo State ordered the

withdrawal of its officers attached to Peller, a decision which was later rescinded by the National Commandant of the Corps.

The festival was attended by the APC Deputy National Youth Leader, Hon. Bolaji Repete, son of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Kabiru, son of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Ajibola and daughter of the late business mogul and politician , Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Derinsola At the youth festival yesterday, the lawmaker said the bill “is not about scrapping NSCDC, but merging it with the Nigeria Police Force to achieve better results in policing.”

Peller charged youths across the federation “to take advantage of their numerical strength to assume leadership positions in the various political parties and government at all levels.”

Peller urged youths to embrace the ongoing call for full participation in politics, describing as unfortunate the misconception of some people over the proposed bill.

I’m Nigerian for All Nigerians, Says Saraki A former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, has said that if he is allowed to lead, Nigerians will “have a greater sense of what it means to be truly Nigerian”.

In his verified Twitter handle, Saraki said Nigerians have been divided along ethnic and religious lines, instead of focusing on critical issues and the capacity of aspirants, and how they can make the country progressive.

He wondered why citizens would allow issues of the past to shape their future when they could work together and be united.

“For quite some time now, as a nation, we have focused on the old arguments of ethnicity and regional sentiments, instead of capacity, competence, and other critical issues,” he tweeted.

“However, whenever we watch football and when it is time to celebrate as Nigerians at weddings and other social engagements, we are united. Why should we allow past issues to drag us back and define us? Why do we focus on the old issues that do not define our future?” he queried.

AMACOS Elects Pioneer EXCOS The 1994 set of the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMACOS) of the Ogun State Polytechnic, now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta yesterday elected its pioneer executive members in Lagos as part of the re-union party organised by the group.

Apart from the election, the re-union party, which was attended by over 50 members of the set, also provided a unique opportunity for old friends to reconnect physically after 27 years of leaving school.

The ambience of the event created a convivial mood for

bonding amongst old classmates, most of whom had not seen one another since they left school in 1994. Even members in diaspora were not left out of the groove, as a link was provided for them to join the party/proceedings virtually.

Eight members of the group were elected unopposed to run the affairs of the group for the next 2 years.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Dr. Ayoola Ajasa, who is also the Provost, College of Broadcasting, Abeokuta commended members for the peaceful and seamless election.

EMPOWERING YOUTHS …

Head of Kudandan Jarman, Gabriel Garba (left), presenting certificate to one of the graduating students, Halima Labaran, during the graduation of 100 students on Youths Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Programme organised by the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical in Kaduna ... yesterday

Oni Dumps PDP for APGA, Cites Manipulation of Primary Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A former Ekiti State Governor, Chief Segun Oni has finally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), his political associates have revealed.

Oni was, according to his political associates, forced to join the PDP due to alleged manipulation of the primary in favour of Mr. Bisi Kolawole, a governorship aspirant supported by the state’s former governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

The associates confirmed the

decision of the former governor to dump the PDP at the weekend, citing the roles of Fayose and the National Working Committee, under the leadership of Dr Iyorchia Ayu One of his political associates claimed that Oni decided to join APGA because of the widespread belief that the large chunk of Igbo traders and residents would vote for the party.

He said: “It was never the wish of Oni to defect from the PDP, the party he joined in 1998 and under which he became the governor in 1999. He left because of the disgrace allegedly

meted out to him by Fayose.

“I can confirm to you that we have left PDP, but we have not made it official and that will be done next week Monday or Tuesday. We are joining APGA. “We are doing our homework and part of what we intend to do is embarking on home-to-home, door-to-door, market-to-market campaigns to market Oni, who is the most popular candidate today in Ekiti”.

Another political associate, who spoke privately with THISDAY, said the former governor of Central Bank

of Nigeria and now the governorelect in Anambra ,Prof Charles Soludo, is Oni’s long time friend and that he is expected to buoy his candidacy in this regard.

“Soludo is Oni’s friend and we expect that he will help solidify friendship with the incumbent governor in Anambra, Willie Obiano to campaign for Oni vigorously in Ekiti.

“Let me tell you this, having a state governor campaigning for Oni will give him and supporters as well as the electorate the required confidence to win this election,”

Crisis Hits APM Amid N16m Diversion Allegation Michael Olugbode in Abuja Crisis has struck the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) with its National Executive Committee (NEC) passing a vote of no confidence on the Board of Trustees (BoT) amid N16 million diversion allegation.

The crisis came to the fore at the NEC meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja yesterday. The meeting presided over by its National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle allegedly found the BoT guilty of deficiency.

In a communique signed by 30

state chairmen after the meeting, the NEC said the BoT could not perform her official functions and was suspended in its entirety until further notice.

However, the NEC passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman, Yusuf Dantalle to continue to lead the party NWC. Announcing the suspension yesterday, Dantalle noted that the NEC reviewed the constitutional structure, duties and activities of the BOT as enshrined in Article 9 Section A2 (A-K) of APM Constitution.

He said: “We have resolved that the BOT of our party as presently constituted is deficient, ineffective and cannot perform her official functions as clearly stated in our constitution and consequently.”

He, therefore, said: “We have decided to unanimously pass a vote of no confidence and suspend the entire BOT until further notice.”

However, the BoT Chairman, Mohammed Bagana said the BOT sack is not unconnected with the accusation of diversion of over

N16 million party’s fund against the national chairman.

Bagana alleged that his sack and that of the other BOT members was a smokescreen to cover-up the fraud perpetrated by the chairman, who had diverted over N16 million belonging to the party into his personal account.

Bagana said he remained the BoT chairman despite the vote of no confidence passed on him, adding that he could not be removed by Dantalle whom he brought to the party.

Court Jails Two Persons for Illegal Firearm Possession James Sowole in Abeokuta A Magistrate Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, Ogun State has sentenced Adewale Ogundele and Ibrahim Amoje to one-year imprisonment without any option of fine for illegal possession of firearms.

The presiding magistrate, Oluwakemi Adebo recently sentenced Ogundele and Amoje to one-year imprisonment without any option of fine after listening

to both the prosecution counsel and the accused persons.

According to the magistrate, both convicts were found guilty of illegal possession of firearms in the state.

The convicts were arrested on October 16, 2021 by men of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police and charged to court for the role they played at a political gathering held at Ake Palace, which was later disrupted

and created pandemonium in the area. Consequently, they were charged for being in possession of firearms without licence while three witnesses testified against them.

The political gathering was described as being illegal and not recognised by the National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The gathering said to be a state congress of the APC was meant to elect a State Executive

Council that would be parallel to the one supervised by the National Secretariat and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, loyalists of Governor Dapo Abiodun gathered at the MKOAbiola International Stadium, designated by the APC National Secretariat for the state congress, which had in attendance the national committee and the officials of INEC.

;˜ ͺ͸ͺͺ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

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B AC K PAG E C O N T I N UAT I O N FRAMES SUSTAINING NIGERIA’S WASTEFUL PETROL SUBSIDIES doesn’t really exist or that when met, these conditions will reduce the quantum of subsidy or reduce the pain of subsidy removal. These conditions include fixing government’s four refineries to ensure they can operate at full or close to full capacities, building new refineries or encouraging others to build new ones, and ascertaining the actual daily consumption figures of petrol. It is possible that these suggestions emanated from a good place. But these ideas are either solutions to different problems altogether or simply an exercise in futility.

To be sure, increasing local refining capacity will create a few thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria, will improve our balance of payments, and reduce pressure on our foreign reserves and our currency. It will definitely boost the supply of refined product locally available but will not significantly affect the market price of petrol because the main cost component is the price of crude oil, which is internationally determined. Refining locally can at best shave 10% off the market price (meaning that if, for example, the price of imported petrol is N350 per litre, the market price for locally refined petrol would at best be N315, which is still N150 or 91% higher than the regulated price of N165 per litre.) By the way, many with existing licences have not built refineries and international companies that venture into refining elsewhere are not doing so in Nigeria because investors will rather not deal with the hassle of queueing up or lobbying to collect the balance between real President Buhari price and the regulated one after investing consumption was around 35 million litres per millions or billions of dollars. If you really day in 2011 but subsidy was being paid on want to boost local supply of refined products, 59 million litres per day. Subsidised daily deregulate the sector. consumption is now between 65 million and While we can ignore whether trying to fix 72 million litres per day. Petrol subsidies have the government refineries (as we have tried created perverse incentives that will always to do forever with little to show for it) is a be exploited. When petrol is sold in Nigeria good use of public resources, the fixation on between 37% and 45% of what it is being ascertaining actual volume of petrol consumed sold in our neighbouring countries, are we is misplaced. According to the BBC, the actual surprised that most of the imported products

will be smuggled out? A relevant aside is that our border with Chad is 85km; with Benin Republic, 809km; with Niger, 1, 698km; and with Cameroon, 1, 997km. You can’t realistically contain smuggling even if you line up your entire security forces on the borders. You cannot create a boon for smugglers and security and other government officials and be griping that they are doing what should be expected. We have no business with actual consumption and

MADE IN NIGERIA, ENJOYED WORLDWIDE going abroad. They are focusing on rotary wings for now, but they hope to expand to fixed wings later, which means extending MRO services to virtually every type of aircraft.

But the sweetest part for me is that the facility also serves clients from outside Nigeria.

I just love it. You may not understand me.

When I started writing the series on “Made in Nigeria, Enjoyed Worldwide” in 2005, my aim was to celebrate, from time to time, the good things coming out of our beloved country in spite of our poor image.

I expressed a desire that one day, “Made in Nigeria” would be enjoyed “around the world”. I celebrated the feats of Dr Mike Adenuga’s Globacom, which was breaking new grounds in Nigeria. I desired to see Glo all over Africa and worldwide. I hoped to see Dangote spaghetti in European supermarkets.

I wished to see Zenon computers globally.

Along the line, Nigeria got overwhelmed by political and security challenges and my enthusiasm dwindled. But, thank God, “Made in Nigeria” did not dwindle. Against all odds, our fintech companies such as Interswitch, Paystack, Flutterwave and Systemspecs are flourishing at the speed of light. Mrs Amina Mohammed at the UN, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at WTO, and Dr Akinwumi Adesina at AfDB are flying our flag high.

Our Afrobeats artistes are setting the world on fire — and with plenty awards to boot.

In the midst of the ocean of negative news about terrorists, bandits, criminal herdsmen, secessionists and economic hardship, any bit of good news would do for me.

Another sweet part of the Caverton story for me is the foreign exchange angle. For those interested in the gospel of conserving forex, this offers some comfort. Although the spare parts are produced and shipped from abroad by the manufactures, certain forex expenses are eliminated, such as travels and associated costs. For the training centre, Nigerians often go for flight training abroad, at almost always fully booked facilities. They could be allotted 2am slots for flight lessons and under weather conditions that are not similar to Nigeria’s. We have two seasons while many countries have four. Plus, add the costs of foreign trips to train or retrain pilots abroad. It is not chicken feed.

“We used to spend $3 million yearly training our own pilots abroad,” the Caverton chairman told me over the phone after my tour. “Cost of training, tickets, accommodation, logistics and all. That is eliminated now.”

That may sound like a good development to him, but Nigerians do not joke with their dollarised allowances, so they may not be excited. They wouldn’t mind training at

2am in Dubai and under strange weather conditions as long as they would be able to smile to the bureau de change on their return. Jokes apart, I am happy that we are seriously building local capacity. “With our facilities,” the chairman said, “we will be earning forex as clients come from all over Africa.”

Already, the MRO and the training centre are providing services to the Nigerian government, which is good news to me.

According to Caverton officials, the MRO facility has done maintenance for some aircraft owned by the federal government as well as the police, while the CATC has trained pilots for the Nigerian Navy helicopter fleet.

“We are proud to have the Nigerian Navy as the ‘Launch Customer’ for our AW139 Full Flight Simulator,” Caverton tweeted in November last year, same month the simulator got the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. It is rated as the world’s most advanced commercial helicopter simulator. More simulators are in the plans.

Now, good things cost money. The facility benefitted from an €8 million loan from Bpifrance Financement — and, pardon me, I consider that to be good news too. You would think that with all the negative vibes, raising foreign capital would be one hell of a job for any Nigerian company. It has to be said that Caverton has obviously earned its stripes over the years, but it is also a vote of confidence that Nigerian companies are still getting international funding — just take a look at how our fintech start-ups have become the darling of foreign investors.

Caverton’s growth previously benefitted from the presidential aviation intervention fund which it says it has fully paid back.

Caverton — which the chairman named after his best friend in his undergraduate days at the University of Leicester, UK — has quite an interesting story. Although it had broken into public consciousness when it started offering air shuttle from Ikeja to Victoria Island, both in Lagos state, around 2006, Caverton would cause a major upset in oil and gas logistics business when it defeated a foreign company to win the contract to provide helicopter services to Shell Nigeria. This was in 2010. The foreign company had enjoyed absolute monopoly at Shell and it was something of a shock when an “upstart” Nigerian company upstaged them in a competitive bid. There was a back story.

In an interview last year, Mr Babs Omotowa, former managing director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd, confessed that the award of the contract to Caverton

while he was at Shell was “the biggest risk of my career”. He said: “We were working with these local companies and two of them really took the challenge. They found partners in Denmark and Canada, and started to develop their management systems, their technical capabilities. At some point, we felt that they had really started to have the kind of capacity that we could make use of.”

He got Shell technical authorities to audit them. They came from the UK, assessed the companies and passed them fit.

They went for a tender and the foreign company, facing competition for the first time, lost. Omotowa revealed that his boss, who had just joined the company while they were processing the contract for Caverton, quizzed him on the risk of engaging a local company with no previous experience in the oil and gas industry. Concerns were raised by the aviation team at the head office, with a warning that the move “can be a career-ending decision”. Nevertheless, Omotowa kept faith. He even stretched his luck much further by asking Shell to secure an $85 million loan for Caverton to purchase its own helicopters rather than lease aircraft for the seven-year contract.

Extraordinary.

“Of course, when I first brought the proposal, again everybody refused. The finance team in the head office refused and I justified why we had to lend them (Caverton) money.

One, it was for our own safety. Two, we had committed, as a company, to develop local capacity, we had local capacity development policy, so why not put our money where our mouth was?” he said. They told him it was unprecedented for the company to lend money to a contractor — and in Nigeria for that matter. Omotowa told them there would be a bank guarantee in place. Caverton did him proud. There was no incident or accident in the life of the contract and the company paid back the loan in full.

Today, Caverton’s clientele includes ExxonMobil, Total, Chevron, Amni Petroleum, Pacific Drilling, GE and NNPC — in addition to Shell. It controls over 80 percent of the offshore oil and gas helicopter services market.

However, Caverton’s clients do not have to worry about me — I would not be flying any of those helicopters anytime soon. I am acrophobic. I can’t be a pilot — except inside a simulator where all you do is joke and laugh if the aircraft crashes. At the end of the tour, I felt proud as a Nigerian. I mumbled to Waziri that Caverton should be a poster boy for our government, to be marketed to other African countries with enthusiasm. Made in Nigeria should be enjoyed worldwide.

whether there is leakage if there is no subsidy.

The conditions precedent arguments amount to both a distraction and work avoidance.

The third frame is the entitlement one. It comes in different hues, from ‘we shouldn’t be paying market price for what God gave us in abundance’, through ‘this is about the only thing we enjoy from our government,’ to ‘we can afford cheap fuel because we are a rich country.’ The summary of this frame is that this is our entitlement, a mentality that successive governments have also encouraged over time. Cheap petrol has been offered as a sop to the populace to keep them calm.

It is also a form of devil’s pact between the rulers and the ruled: enjoy this and look away from the unceasing abuse being meted to the commonwealth. Apart from the matter of opportunity cost, the key problem with this frame is the faulty assumption of riches and unreflective consumption of finite resources.

To start with, we are not as rich or as naturally endowed as we think both in absolute and relative terms, especially when you factor in our population. A country that uses 97% of Federal Government’s revenue to service debt is not exactly a rich country. But let’s stay with crude oil for now. Saudi Arabia produces between 9m and 11m barrels per day and has a population of 35 million people while we produce between 1.4m and 2.5m barrels per day and we have a population of more than 200 million. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia that used to be known for its exceedingly generous cradle to grave subsidies now sells petrol at a price 55% higher than that of Nigeria. And talking about riches, Norway (which has a population of just 5.4 million people and an oil savings of $1.2 trillion as against ours of a little over $2 billion) sells petrol at a price almost 500% above that of Nigeria. What other countries, especially more endowed and less populous ones, have shown is that there are better ways of enhancing the welfare of the populace than by mindlessly frittering away finite resources.

The fourth and the fifth frames are linked: political stability and protection of the poor.

Attempts to remove fuel subsidy have always upset public peace, even under the military.

Demonstrations, strikes and sometimes arsons and deaths always accompanied subsidy removals. So, it is natural that this will weigh heavily on the minds of decision makers. In trying to balance the books, you don’t want to create a spark that will lead to a conflagration. Experience has also shown that attempts to remove fuel subsidies are politically mobilizable and have political consequences.

President Goodluck Jonathan did not recover from the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protests, despite his clear victory in the 2011 general election.

However, while concerns about peace especially after the carnage that attended the #EndSARS protests in some parts of the country and as we move towards next year’s elections should not be dismissed, timing is only an issue now because the government had failed to act on deregulation at more receptive and less risky periods.

When the political-consequence frame is twinned with the need to avoid imposing undue hardship on the most vulnerable and most sizeable segment of the populace, it acquires more power as a deterrent to sensible economic policy. There is ample evidence, beyond the anecdotal, that fuel subsidies benefit the rich more than the poor, are inefficient as a poverty alleviation mechanism, and shift valuable public resources from areas that lift the poor. But it is also established that the poor will lose more from subsidy removal at least in the short run.

From experience, subsidy removal will increase inflation rate between 2% to 3%. Also, the poor will be more affected by resultant even if opportunistic hikes in food and transports costs. These sometimes consume up to 80% of the incomes of the poor.

Though readily and derisively dismissed in some quarters, the pro-poor frame is a strong and reasonable argument, especially in a country with high rates of food inflation, unemployment, and poverty. But this is not the reason to keep a subsidy system that doesn’t serve the poor and is likely to drive the country and the poor deeper into the abyss.

This is where the reasoned conversation and credible, alternative provisioning come in. It is better to devote a sustainable portion of the money earmarked for petrol subsidies to channels through which the poor will be negatively impacted by subsidy removal such as transportation and food and to other areas that will improve the quality of life and the productivity of the poor such as public education and health. That will not only be a more targeted approach but will also be good investments for the country at large. That’s the way to go.

79

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY6, 2022

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

Hosts Cameroon Fight back to Win Third Place in Shootouts Duro Ikhazuagbe

H

osts Cameroon secured third placeattheAfricaCupofNations on home soil after they beat Burkina Faso 5-3 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium last night.

Toni Conceicao’s side battled back from three goals down to clinch an unlikely victory in the end.

The Stallions were two goals up at the interval thanks to Steeve Yago’s 24th-minute opener and an own-goal from Andre Onana.

DjibrilOuattaraaddedathirdfourminutesintothe second to seemingly put the result beyond doubt.

However, Stephane Bahoken reduced the deficit on 72 minutes before two howlers from Farid Ouedraogo was capitalised on by Vincent Aboubakar to level matters.

After a cagey opening in Yaounde, Burkina Faso got their passing game going and looked comfortable on the ball.

Kabore was finding some joy down the right flank and he delivered a pin-point cross for Abdoul Tapsoba at the back post on nine minutes, but the Standard Liege forward couldn’t direct his header on target.

Tapsoba then tried his luck from distance two minutes later after cutting inside from the left flank, although his scuffed effort was easily saved

by Onana.

The Indomitable Lions had a half chance in the 16th minute when Ambroise Oyongo delivered a free-kick from the left which cleared the first line and struck Harold Moukoudi on the body before trickling through to the keeper.

Their first-clear-cut opportunity arrived just two minutes later as Jean Onana’s first-time strike was

Cameroon players and officials celebrating coming back from three goals down to beat Burkina Faso in shootouts to win the consolatory third place title PHOTO: CAF Images parried away by Ouedraogo, who had pushed Oyongo’s cross from the left straight into the Bordeaux midfielder’s path.

Onana threatened again on 22 minutes with a looping header that landed on the roof of the net from another Oyongo cross.

However,thepartizanhomecrowdwerestunned into silence moments later when the Stallions broke

the deadlock. Kabore sent a cross over to the back post for an unmarked Yago to steer into the roof of the net for a fine finish.

Cameroon ramped up the pressure in the closing stages of the first half as they looked to get back into the contest, but would find themselves 2-0 down just before the break.

Kabore showed good pace and determination

to beat his man on the right before crossing to the near post from the byline and Onana somehow turned the ball into the back of his net after it squirmed out of his grasp.

It was 3-0 just four minutes after the restart as Ouattara guided a header inside the near post from Bertrand Traore’s inviting cross into the box from the right.

Whatever the Result Tonight between Senegal, Egypt, Liverpool Win Senegal and Egypt meet in the Africa Cup of Nations final today, pitting two Liverpool stars up against one another.

Mohamed Salah is looking to lead the North Africans to a record-extending eighth continental triumph, while Reds team-mate Sadio Mane hopes to play a part in Senegal’s first ever Nations Cup victory.

The Teranga Lions have lost both finals they have played, in 2002 and 2019, while Egypt are looking to lift the trophy for the first time since 2010.

While the spotlight will fall on two stars of the Premier League, the two sides have had contrasting paths to the final, which will be played in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde.

The two forwards, both 29 and with over 100 goals in the English top flight, helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2018-19 and then end a 30-year wait for a league titlea year later.

Egypt and Senegal had already been drawn to face each other in March in a two-legged play-off for a spot at the World Cup in Qatar, but continental silverware is at stake first.

Mane has scored three goals and set

up another two in Senegal’s run despite suffering a concussion in a last-16 match with Cape Verde,while Salah has two goals and one assist.

“It’s great to play against Senegal as a team and also against Sadio,” Salah said.

“We will be rivals but afterwards we will be team-mates again.”

Sadio Mane (left) is set to battle his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah for the ultimate crown in African football tonight

BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Beat Leipzig to go Nine Points Clear Bayern Munich edged an entertaining game with RB Leipzig to go nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Thomas Muller slotted in a rebound after Peter Gulacsi parried Robert Lewandowski’s shot but Andre Silva poked in an equaliser.

Lewandowski scored a powerful header from Kingsley Coman’s cross before Christopher Nkunku’s clever finish for seventh-placed Leipzig.

Bayern won it when Serge Gnabry’s shot was deflected in by Josko Gvardiol.

It was a 310th career Bundesliga win for Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, equalling the record of fellow goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund host Bayer Leverkusen, who are third, on Sunday.

U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Nigeria’s Falconets Spank Cameroon, Close up on FIFA World Cup Ticket Nigeria reached the final round of the qualification series for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup afer the Falconets turned back their Cameroonian counterparts 3-0 at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday.

The encounter was the first international match at Nigeria’s premium sporting arena since the Falcons defeated their Senegalese counterparts 2-0 in a Women Africa Cup of

Nations qualifying match in April 2016.

A brace by left-sided midfielder Esther Onyenezide and one by Precious Vincent sent the Young Lionesses back to Yaounde empty –handed, less than 48 hours after that country’s senior men team was bumped in the semi final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations the country is currently hosting.

Onyenezide struck after 22 minutes,

before Vincent increased the worries of the visitors eight minutes from the interval. Onyenezide struck again in the 73rd minute to put the match beyond the Lionesses.

The Falconets will now tango with the winner of the Morocco-Senegal fixture in a two-legged affair next month for a slot at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica in August.

Lewandowski

TR

Sunday February 6, 2022

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Made in Nigeria, Enjoyed Worldwide

H

ave you flown an aircraft before? I just did. At the first attempt, I was nervous and crashed as I tried to take off.

I laughed, shrugged and gave it another try. At the second attempt, my instructor was more than impressed with my lift-off. He confessed this was a rare feat for a novice. We were soon on autopilot.

But I don’t know what took over me: I was suddenly in panic mode and started imploring him to land us quickly. (Waziri Adio, my co-pilot, later reminded me that I am acrophobic — someone with excessive fear of heights). Waziri took command and made an impressive approach to landing, but he descended too fast and crashed. We laughed it off as we disembarked.

“How I wish that in real life, you could crash an aircraft and start laughing, and everybody would walk out of the wreckage without a scratch,” I told Captain Kunmi Ojediji, the instructor. He laughed. The experience felt so real — it was as if I was actually in the air. That was why I panicked.

Mr Olabode Makanjuola, the executive vicechairman and CEO of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, also had a good laugh.

But he had other reasons to be happy. This is Caverton’s brand-new Reality H fullflight simulator, configured for the AW139

Chairman of Caverton, Remi Makanjuola helicopter, the dominant aircraft in its fleet which can fly 12 passengers at full speed.

The simulator can be retrofitted to serve other aircraft types.

The helicopter level D full-flight simulator — the first and only of its kind in the whole of Africa — is located at Caverton’s new training centre at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos. The construction of the facility, which also houses the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangar, started in 2017 and has survived economic downturn and the pandemic to see the light of the day. For a company that commenced operations in 1999 to provide aviation and marine logistics services to businesses in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and across West Africa, the addition of training and maintenance services to its portfolio represents a landmark leap.

Maintenance and training are major cost centres in the aviation industry. Pilots are expected to do at least two type rating trainings yearly. Those who fly more than one aircraft type do more (two each year for each type). Caverton saw the gap and has diversified while maintaining its core business. Last year, Mr Aderemi Muyinudeen Makanjuola, the chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, told me something big was cooking at the group’s new 40,000sqm facility and asked me to do a tour. I had been looking forward to it so I could share my experience, but my work and travel schedule had been very tight. I finally created time

on Thursday. I was glad I did.

I toured the hangar and training centre.

Apart from catering to Caverton’s own fleet of 28 aircraft, the MRO also does maintenance for third parties, including notably the government of Republic of Benin. Also, unlike in the past when certain types of aircraft had to be crated and shipped abroad for maintenance, Caverton can now do the entire overhaul locally. The MRO can handle all the checks — A, B and C. They can dismantle, repair and reassemble aircraft. Olabode, the CEO, told me that they are currently focusing on rotary wings but hope to expand to fixed wings later. They stock parts from original equipment manufacturers and are hoping to have a stock of at least $5 million, he said.

This maintenance turn-around time is further expedited by the location of an export free zone and bonded terminal within the facility. The hassles of ports processes and customs clearances have been abridged and this means a lot for MRO. More so, a maintenance that could take up to four months to do abroad can now be done locally in three weeks. The facility is equipped with all the needed manpower and tooling. The CEO said it now costs roughly 40 percent less to do maintenance locally compared to Continued on page 78

WAZIRIADIO POSTSCRIPT

Frames Sustaining Nigeria’s Wasteful Petrol Subsidies

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he Federal Government has, wittingly or unwittingly, reopened the decadeslong debate about the desirability and effectiveness of petrol subsidies in Nigeria. Most policy watchers had thought that the argument in support of retaining the sub-optimal and profligate petrol subsidy regime had been lost, that its proponents had been wrestled to the ground with superior facts and logic, or that Nigeria’s dire fiscal state had, at least, made a compelling case for why and how fuel subsidies are both unaffordable and unsustainable. They were wrong.

The resistance to ending the fuel subsidies goes beyond the labour unions. It runs deep and wide.

It is anchored in deeply held even if misguided beliefs, and it stretches from the highest reaches of government to the subconscious recesses of the streets. The resistance may be dormant, as it had been in recent times. But it is always there. All it ever needs to come alive is a tiny nudge. In the last week of January, the dormant resistance got more than a nudge. It received a big boost when the government decided to pause by 18 months the law-mandated take-off of the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry and topped it by entertaining a whooping N3 trillion proposal for petrol subsidies for 2022.

Old arguments against petrol subsidy removal

have thus been given a new lease of life. As I stated last week, this is an easy victory for the pro-subsidy lobby, and this will embolden that camp not just to harden its position but also to strongly resist future efforts at ending petrol subsidies. The logic is simple: if you can get the government to blink and bend backwards with the threat of strikes, imagine what actual strikes and other extreme measures can do.

This doesn’t mean that we are stuck with these inefficient and draining subsidies. It means more work needs to be done, and that includes understanding and tackling more vigorously, more persuasively, and more strategically the narratives that give subsidy retention such a strong and wide latent appeal.

Before we get into the subsidy-enabling narratives, it is important to quickly get some things out of the way. The first and most important is that subsidies are economically an inefficient way allocating scarce resources: the gains to the society are usually lower than the losses, creating what economists call deadweight losses. However, many countries, including the most capitalist ones, adopt subsidies either to fix market failures or to achieve strategic goals. To reduce the inherent inefficiencies of subsidies, it is important to be clear what the strategic goals of the subsidies are; be certain that there are no more optimal ways of achieving these

goals; be sure that the subsidies will lead to the achievement of those goals; ensure that the subsidies are well-targeted, not open to capture or corruption; and to cap the cost, ensure the country can afford the cost and that the subsidies have a terminal date.

All over the world, however, it is easier to start subsidies than to end them. So, resistance to subsidy removal is not just a Nigerian thing.

It is par for the course. It is also important to note that successful subsidy removal requires investment in strategic communication and negotiation and a form of compensation to address the most reasonable concerns of its advocates. We shall return to this part shortly after examining the subsidy-sustaining frames in Nigeria.

The first frame is the one that boldly asserts that there is no fuel subsidy in Nigeria. For five years, I had the privilege of being the head of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), an organisation that tracks payments by companies and receipts by government from the oil, gas, and mining sectors. I can confidently say that for more than 99% of the time, petrol is sold below what should be the market price in Nigeria.

It is very tempting to dismiss the no-subsidy frame because there is indeed subsidy except for some fleeting moments when refined products

were either sold at or above market prices.

But my sense is that this argument alludes to other ones: that what passes as subsidies are mostly inefficiencies and corruption. When you have refineries that operate at less than 30% of installed capacities and you keep all the staff and you import most of your refined products and questionable volumes of these refined products, it is difficult to completely laugh this frame out of court. That said, all the ways we have used to make refined products available—whether through local refining, offshore processing agreements, swap deals or through direct sales, direct purchase— have resulted in the landing cost of petrol being higher than their regulated prices. That difference (plus the less spoken about additional difference between the official exchange rate and the one used by the national oil company), is the subsidy which is taken mostly upfront from the revenues due to the Federation. So, subsidy exists, whether budgeted for or not, and whether called by its real name or disguised as under-recovery.

The second frame, which flows from the first, is the conditions precedent frame. This argument has two legs: either that certain conditions when met will show that subsidy Continued on page 78

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