SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2024 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Oil Sector Lags as Manufacturing, Banking Get Lion’s Share of Foreign Investment in Q4 2023 Lagos remains top destination with 65.38% of total capital importation Nigeria’s capital importation in 2023 lowest since 2007 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria’s oil and gas sector continued its persistent

underperformance in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, with the manufacturing and banking segments of the Nigerian

economy taking the lion’s share of foreign investment into the country between October and December last year, a new data

from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed. In the Q4 of 2023, total capital importation into Nigeria,

according to the NBS, stood at $1.088 billion, slightly higher than the $1.060.73 billion recorded in Q4 of 2022, indicating an increase

of 2.62 per cent. In comparison to the preceding Continued on page 5

SGF: We'll Soon Overcome Current Economic Crises… Page 6 Sunday, February 18, 2024 Vol 29. No 10539

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Idahosa Wins Edo APC Governorship Primary, Senator Okpebholo Emerges Winner in Parallel Election…Page 8

Relinquish Power Now If Nigeria’s Problems Overwhelm You, PDP Govs Tell APC

Matawalle cautions Tinubu’s critics against unguarded utterances Says provocative comments can cause violence

Chuks Okocha in Abuja Governors elected on the platform

of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have advised the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)

to graciously throw in the towel if it cannot mobilise Nigerians as well as all organs and tiers

of government for sustainable solutions to the various problems plaguing the nation.

This is coming as the Minister refrain from making provocative of State for Defence, Mr. Bello Continued on page 5 Matawalle, urged Nigerians to

Tinubu: Nigeria Open to Talks with Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Despite Coups Expresses readiness to host African Central Bank AU kicks against exorbitant military spending on conflicts, terrorism Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu yesterday declared that Nigeria remains open to dialogue with Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, despite recent coups in the four countries and the decision of three of them to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Tinubu stressed that the disagreements over the unconstitutional changes of government in the countries should not mean a permanent rupture of the abiding lines of regional affinity and cooperation. Addressing African leaders yesterday at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the President said his administration would Continued on page 5

FROM UNIVERSITY DROPOUT TO OSCAR NOMINEE… Nigerian-British photographer, Mr. Misan Harriman, whose most recent motion picture, ‘The After’ has been shortlisted for the 96th Academy Award in the Live Action Short Film category. See full story in THISDAY STYLE inside...

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S D AY

FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS OIL SECTOR LAGS AS MANUFACTURING, BANKING GET LION’S SHARE OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN Q4 2023 quarter, capital importation rose by 66.27 per cent from $654.65 million in Q3 of 2023. According to the report, production/manufacturing received a $450 million capital inflow, representing 41.35 per cent of the total capital importation, followed by banking, which raked in $283 million or 26.03 per cent during the Q4 of 2023. The report showed that Lagos State came tops as the preferred investment destination, followed by Abuja, while Rivers and Ekiti

states came to a distant third and fourth positions. According to TheCable Index analysis, Nigeria only attracted a meagre $3.91 billion in foreign capital inflow last year — the lowest since 2007. Lagos State remained the top destination in Q4, 2023 with $771.68 million, accounting for 65.38 per cent of total capital importation, followed by Abuja (FCT) with $370.80 million (34.07 per cent) and Rivers State with $6 million (0.55 per cent)

The NBS report detailing Nigeria’s capital importation volume in Q4, 2023, indicated that of the $1.088 billion that came into Nigeria, the oil and gas sector got only $2.04 million, representing a meagre 0.19 per cent of the total capital inflow during the period. Capital importation means foreign investments into a country's economy and is made up of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), portfolio investment, and other investments.

While the services sector got zero capital inflow, transport received 0.01 per cent, which is about $14,000, followed by construction, which got 0.02 per cent, which is about $25,000. Despite Nigeria’s need for massive investment in the agriculture sector, the sector had just 0.04 per cent, which was about $42,000, even as consultancy garnered 0.05 per cent or $50,000 inflow during the period under review. Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,

RELINQUISH POWER NOW IF NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS OVERWHELM YOU, PDP GOVS TELL APC statements about President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying that unguarded utterances can cause violence. The governors, under the aegis of the PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) specifically noted that the hardship and suffering being faced by Nigerians have no tribal, religious or party colouration, stressing that “a hungry man is an angry man”. In a statement released yesterday in Abuja by the Director-General of PDP-GF, Hon Cyril Maduabum, the governors further stated that their communique issued after a meeting held on February 12, was a patriotic intervention and wake-up call in the national interest. They expressly pointed out that the buck ultimately stops at the President Tinubu’s table as the President and Commander- inChief of the Armed Forces. The governors promised that they would continue to work collaboratively with President Tinubu in finding lasting solutions to “a very difficult situation created or exacerbated by the APC since 2015”. The governors however condemned the positions of the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; APC Governors’ Forum and other officials of the APC-led federal government who criticised the PDP governors for their suggestions, advice and patriotic intervention on the way forward for the country in a communique issued at the end of their recent meeting in Abuja. They reminded the APC-led government of the pertinent need to be guided by the fact that it sought power to solve the problems of Nigeria not to compound them or shift blame, or grandstand or use propaganda to obfuscate or confuse issues. “It must be noted that even though Nigeria is a Federation, there is indeed only one economy. “Hardship and suffering being faced by Nigerians have no tribal, religious or party colouration. A hungry man is an angry man. “While all tiers of government have a role to play, the APCled federal government has a disproportionate role to play in mobilising Nigerians and all organs and tiers of government for sustainable solutions. “If it cannot do so or is unable to do so, it should graciously throw in the towel. “Attempts by the Honourable Minister of Information, APC Governors’ Forum and other officials of the federal government who criticised the PDP Governors’ Forum for their patriotic intervention should be guided by the fact that the APC sought power to solve the problems of Nigeria not to compound them or shift blame, or grandstand or use propaganda to obfuscate or confuse issues. “PDP-governed states are comparatively the best in Nigeria in terms of developmental policies, programmes, and projects that benefit their States positively, regular payment of salaries, pensions, gratuities, and minimum wage to their workforce.

“State governments that are delinquent on these issues are not of PDP extraction. It is false to say so. “Even the food crises are exacerbated by insecurity and high exchange rate issues, among others, which are largely federal subjects. “The PDP governors as stakeholders in governance would continue to work collaboratively with Mr. President to find lasting solutions to a very difficult situation created or exacerbated by the APC since 2015. We believe in co-operative federalism,” the PDP governors explained.

Matawalle Cautions Tinubu’s Critics against Unguarded Utterances Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle, has urged Nigerians to refrain from making provocative statements about Tinubu’s administration, stressing that such comments are destructive and capable of causing violence. In a statement issued at the weekend by the Director of Press, Ministry of Defence, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, the minister noted that Tinubu was on top of the situation in the country.

“The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, cautioned Nigerians against using inflammatory comments against the government, saying that such comments are unnecessary. “The minister made this call against the backdrop of some unguarded utterances coming from some sections of the populace. “He said such comments are incisive and destructive and can exacerbate tensions and lead to violence in our beloved nation. Matawalle said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has the capacity and political will and he is working round the clock to see that Nigeria is better and a well-secured nation.” The minister also said Tinubu has put in place various policies to reshape and modernise the nation’s economy, and secure lives, and properties. The statement added: “The President has given priority to the safety of citizens by equipping the Nigerian military to function optimally while the Service Chiefs have also been charged to rebuild the capacity of the Security Services. “Matawalle said that the President understands the nexus between insecurity and poverty and that was why the government is increasing its investment in MSMEs. This is in addition to the

15 million vulnerable households that will be added to the extended social safety net. “He said just a few days ago, the president approved the creation of a committee that included the state governors and federal representatives that will explore among other things the possibility of establishing State Police that will help in checkmating crimes.” The minister, however, underscored the importance of unity, stating that what affects one Nigerian ultimately affects the entire nation. “It is imperative for us as Nigerians to embrace dialogue and understanding in addressing our differences. We must remember that our strength lies in our diversity, and only through unity can we overcome the challenges facing our nation,” he said. Matawalle noted that unwarranted utterances against the government would have consequences. “He advised the agents of disunity to refrain from further unwarranted utterances, as such will have consequences “Matawalle urged all citizens to prioritise peace, tolerance, and national cohesion in their words and actions, as we collectively strive towards building a prosperous and harmonious Nigeria,” the statement added.

currently in dire need of foreign investment, has been negatively impacted by incessant pipeline vandalism and the rising opposition by the West to the exploration and exploitation of fossil fuels. Although production has risen in recent months, hitting 1.42 million barrels per day in January, Nigeria has consistently failed to meet its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for almost four years. Also, with over 206 trillion cubic feet of reserves, transportation infrastructure remains a major constraint for the country’s enormous gas resources due to a lack of investment and general sabotage of existing facilities. However, at the top of the dollar inflow during the quarter under consideration as production/manufacturing, with $450 million or 41.35 per cent of the total capital importation, followed by banking, which raked in $283 million or 26.03 per cent during the three months. “In Q4, 2023, total capital importation into Nigeria stood at $1.088.48 billion, slightly higher than $1.060 billion recorded in Q4 2022, indicating an increase of 2.62 per cent. “In comparison to the preceding quarter, capital importation rose by 66.27 per cent from $654.65 million in Q3, 2023,” the data released by the NBS indicated. Other investments accounted for 54.64 per cent or $594.74 million, of the total capital importation in Q4, 2023, followed by portfolio investment which amounted to 28.46 per cent or $309.76 million, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $183.97 million or. 16.90 per cent. “The production/ manufacturing sector recorded the highest inflow with $450.11 million, representing 41.35 per cent of total capital imported in Q4 2023, followed by the banking sector, valued at $283.30 million

or 26.03 per cent, and financing with $135.59 million or 12.46 per cent,” the NBS reported. According to the NBS, capital importation during the reference period originated largely from the United Kingdom which amounted to $267.24 million, or 24.55 per cent of the total volume of capital imported during the three months. This was followed by Mauritius with $226.18 million or 20.78 per cent and the Netherlands with $149.93 million or 13.77 per cent of the total. Also, some $144.25 million in investment came from Singapore, while $116.37 capital was imported from South Africa. The report stated that Lagos came tops in terms of favourite investment destination, followed by Abuja and then Rivers with Ekiti in a distant third and fourth positions. “Lagos state remained the top destination in Q4, 2023 with $771.68 million, accounting for 65.38 per cent of total capital importation, followed by Abuja (FCT) with $370.80 million (34.07 per cent) and Rivers State with $6.00 million (0.55 per cent),” the NBS report added. Meanwhile, The Cable Index analysis showed that Nigeria only attracted a meagre $3.91 billion in foreign capital inflow last year — the lowest since 2007. The analysis also showed that in the five years between 2007 and 2011, inflow ranged from $5.7 billion to $9.57 billion. A significant jump occurred in 2012, with inflows reaching $16.62 billion. This was followed by two consecutive increases exceeding $20 billion between 2013 and 2014. Inflows dipped again from 2015 onwards, with a brief recovery in 2017. This culminated in a decline of $3.91 billion in 2023 — marking a 17-year low. At $24 billion, 2019 saw the highest foreign investment in the past 17 years but the feat was not sustained.

TINUBU: NIGERIA OPEN TO TALKS WITH GUINEA, BURKINA FASO, MALI, NIGER DESPITE COUPS engage the AU Commission in collaboration with member states to ensure that the African Central Bank takes off as scheduled in 2028. He also disclosed Nigeria's readiness to host the bank in line with the vision of the Abuja Treaty. This is coming as the AU has flayed the menace of conflicts, which have weighed down the continent's growth with terrorism destroying some of the states and reversing priorities through an increase in exorbitant military spending at the expense of vital social sectors. President Tinubu affirmed that Africa's success in conclusively addressing its challenges hinges on the firmness of its resolution, built on a foundation of deeprooted solidarity if it is to avoid perpetuating existing problems and creating new ones. He said: "As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people. Many of these obstacles, such as climate change and unfair patterns of global trade, are largely not of our making. However, some of the pitfalls, including coupbirthed autocracies and the deleterious tinkering with constitutional tenure provisions, are developmental cancers we as Africans are giving to ourselves." Commenting on the military takeovers in the Republics of Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the exit of three of

these nations from ECOWAS, the President said disagreements over the unconstitutional changes of government should not mean a permanent rupture of the abiding lines of regional affinity and cooperation. According to him: "The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people. Thus, out of the dust and fog of misunderstanding and acrimony, we must seize the chance to create a new people-centric era of trust and accord. "To all who care to listen, I declare that if you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are." On education, which is the theme of this year's summit, President Tinubu said education is the core ingredient in the process of evolving creative solutions to the unique challenges long confronting the continent. "In helping to achieve the Agenda 2063 objective of a peaceful, united, and prosperous Africa, I consider African education, not only in the narrow context of the benign use of science and technology to improve the material standards of our people, but also in the nuanced appreciation of the fact that Africa must also become better educated in the humane art of democratic

practice, diplomacy, and conflict resolution without violence. "This year’s theme encourages us to remodel our educational systems to fit these goals. In Nigeria, my administration is devoting ample resources to education at all levels. From redesigning our school feeding programmes and academic curricula to making ourselves an Information and Communication Technology hub, through which we shall bring more youths into the classroom and furnish them with the tools required to flourish in the global economy of the 21st century," he said. The president used the forum to extend an invitation to the Africa Counter-Terrorism Summit scheduled to take place in April 2024, in Abuja, stating that the summit aims to expand discussions beyond military and law enforcement remedies to comprehensively tackle the root causes of violent extremism, such as poverty, inadequate political access, and the propagation of hateful ideologies.

AU Kicks against Exorbitant Military Spending on Conﬂicts, Terrorism Meanwhile, AU has flayed the menace of conflicts, which have weighed down the continent's growth with terrorism destroying some of the states and reversing priorities through an increase in exorbitant military spending at the expense of vital social sectors. Chairperson of the AU

Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who spoke yesterday at the opening of the 37th Ordinary session of the body taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also highlighted the absence of peace, political and institutional instability, poverty, climate change, and deficit in economic governance, among others, as sources of concern to the people. He lamented that conflict, violence, and the decline of great principles have unfortunately taken over humility, peace, and the nobility of the founding values of human civilization. On his part, Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has expressed the readiness of the country to leverage the AU summit in Addis Ababa, to consolidate partnerships with its neighbours and member-states to give the citizens a sense of safety on the continent. Badaru, who spoke to journalists after he arrived at Addis Ababa, the summit venue, said Nigeria was also poised to end the menace of terrorism, and insurgency that has continued to trouble the West African Country. According to him: "As you are aware, peace and security of the continent is very important at this summit and Nigeria being faced by terrorism and insurgency will really look at possible areas of collaborations with both AU and memberstates. "In particular, we are discussing with many African countries in building our defence industries, so that we can be able to produce high-level defence

equipment in Africa, basically in Nigeria also." The minister hinted that Nigeria will, during the summit, also bring to the table and see how the AU standby force could be improved. "It is really very important and we are looking at ways to see how the AU standby force can improve and can be active so that we can together as Africa work towards lasting peace and the agenda of silence in the guns by 2030,” the minister added. Shedding light on the planned collaboration with neighbouring countries, Badaru said: "As you are aware, we are the main force behind those joint collaborations, and Nigeria has been the biggest force around, and it is doing its best around the area to make sure that we continue with operations. "You know, we normally have joint operations around Lake Chad to clear it of bandits and that is what is going to happen. We are planning the operations jointly with participating countries. And that will come up, I think, in eight months from now also. "With the countries that are willing to work with us, soon you will see the clearance of Lake Chad taking place also in collaboration with other countries and will continue to collaborate and we'll continue to look at our regional interests," the minister said. The minister also stressed the need for security agencies in Nigeria to step up and improve intelligence gathering and surveillance to end the prevailing insecurity in the country.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • FEBRUARY 18, 2024

NEWS

CONDOLENCE VISIT… L-R: Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo; Herbert Wigwe’s father, Mr. Shyngle Wigwe; and Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, during a condolence visit to the parents of the late Chief Executive Oﬃcer of Access Holdings Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe in Lagos…yesterday

SGF: We'll Soon Overcome Current Economic Crises Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has promised Nigerians that the raging economic challenges confronting the country would soon be over. He gave the assurance yesterday in his address as the Chairman of The Sun Awards 2023 held in Lagos.

Akume, who described nation-building as a collective endeavour, tasked Nigerians to join and support the government's efforts in the pursuit of a truly great Nigeria. "The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shall remain steadfast in its commitment to building a brighter future for all Nigerians, under the Renewed Hope Agenda. While progress

may seem slow at times, the vision for a better tomorrow remains resolute. We shall soon navigate successfully the current economic challenges," Akume said. While he admitted that like many nations, Nigeria was facing challenges, the SGF expressed the hope that through collective resilience in overcoming past adversities, the country emerged stronger from the civil war,

navigated economic recessions and persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the "resilient Nigerian spirit defines us as a nation and sets us apart". He urged all Nigerians, irrespective of professional calling, tribe, creed or persuasion, to strive to be part of the solution, actively seeking ways to contribute to the nation's progress.

Akume added that seemingly small actions, when multiplied by millions, can create a significant positive impact, saying every effort, however big or small, contributes to the collective good. Noting that collective endeavour requires the active participation of both the government and its citizens, Akume said that while the government will discharge its moral and constitutional obligations, it behooves the citizenry to also reciprocate through loyalty, hard work and commitment to nationhood.

He declared that despite the humongous, inherited and emerging socio-economic challenges, the administration of President Tinubu has in less than nine months on the saddle recorded positive accomplishments in diverse sectors. The SGF said Nigeria needs the Sun Group in collaboration with all well-meaning entities and individuals to promote her strength, celebrate her successes and showcase her talents in order to build a nation that all shall be proud of and bequeath to upcoming generations.

CLE, Nigerian Law School Release November 2023 Bar Exam Results Vatsa Family Asks FG to

Council accredits Adamawa, Nasarawa universities, three other law faculties Revisit 1986 Coup Allegation

Wale Igbintade

The Council of Legal Education (CLE) and the Nigerian Law School have approved and released the results for the November 2023 Bar Final Examinations. This is as the CLE approved the commencement of law degree programmes in five universities across the country after the universities met the accreditation requirements to offer the Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree programme. Of the 5,308 Bar applicants that sat for the examination, 251 representing 5 per cent of the candidates bagged a First Class Honours grade while 1,024 or 19 per cent made the Second Class Upper Honours grade. On the other hand, 2,179 Bar aspirants or 41 per cent bagged the Second Class Lower grade while 967 aspirants or 18 per cent made the Pass grade. Aside from 283 applicants or five per cent who made the Conditional Pass grade, 604 candidates or 11 per cent failed the examination and would have to resit it at a future date. The approved universities were Adamawa State University, Mubi, Adamawa State; Mewar International University, Masaka, Nasarawa State; Federal University,

Wukari, Taraba State; Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State, and Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State. This was part of the resolutions taken at the quarterly meeting of the Council under its chairmanship of Chief Emeka Ngige, (SAN). Acting Secretary to the Council and Director of Administration, Ms. Aderonke Osho, said in a statement that the accreditation was based on the reports presented by the Board of Studies chaired by the Director-General, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN). The Council of Legal Education is the regulatory body for the Nigerian Law School, which is mandatory for persons willing to practice law in Nigeria. The council also approved various sanctions in respect of referred admission cases as well as students involved in various forms of examination malpractice and other misconduct. Also, it approved the report and recommendations of the Appointments, Promotions and Disciplinary Committee (AP&DC) headed by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), for the promotion and discipline of some senior academic and non-academic staff of the Nigerian Law School.

Also, the council approved the report of the Management Publication Assessment Committee headed by the Director-General recommending the promotion of some intermediate academic and library staff to various levels based on their satisfactory publication of academic journals locally and internationally in accordance with the requirements of the council’s Handbook. It approved the appointment of Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayomi Odusote - Lagos Campus; Mr. Polycarp Chibueze Okorie Augustine Nnamani Campus, Agbani, Enugu; Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim - Kano Campus; Mr. Salmanu Mohammed Rilwanu - Yola Campus, as Deputy Directors-General and heads of campuses of the Nigerian Law School for a five-year tenure. Other decisions taken by the council include, "the commencement of a Mid-Year Academic Session for 2024/2025 academic calendar in order to clear the backlog of law graduates from various universities in Nigeria arising from COVID-19 pandemic, which adversely affected the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic sessions and the prolonged industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of the

Universities (ASUU) in the year 2021-2022. However, the exercise is not open to the universities that willfully exceeded their approved admission quotas by the Council and National University Commission (NUC). "The council deferred the management memo for the review of penalties for applicants to the Nigerian Law School previously punished by their universities for diverse acts of misconduct to allow for further consultations". It also expressed appreciation for the efforts and kind gesture of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for attracting interventions for the improvement of facilities at various campuses of the Nigerian Law School. It also expressed appreciation to the Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah, and the Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Francis Nwifuru for undertaking to construct a befitting auditorium at Augustine Nnamani Campus, Agbani, Enugu State, and the reconstruction of hostels, the library, the ICT block and staff quarters and the provision of a solar-powered borehole at the Augustine Nnamani Campus, Agbani, Enugu State, respectively.

Osinbajo Mourns Wigwe, Says Banking Icon Did Great Things Quietly Peter Uzoho Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday described the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, as a man who did great things quietly. Wigwe died along with his wife Chizoba and son, Chizi in

a helicopter crash in the United States penultimate Friday. Osinbajo, via a Facebook post, reminisced on an afternoon spent with Wigwe, the founder of Wigwe University, at his home on February 1. “He shared the Wigwe University Vision, collaborations with Ivy League universities,

immediate research objectives, the scholarship scheme for bright students unable to pay fees, and how the infrastructure around the University—especially the roads and power plant—would benefit the entire community. “He also discussed various initiatives for giving young people across the country opportunities to

excel, particularly in sustainability and climate action ideas,” Osinbajo recalled. According to the ex-vice president, Wigwe understood that service to man is service to God. “In Herbert’s typical style—thoughtful, progressive, compassionate—he quietly did great things,” Osinbajo said.

Dipo Laleye in Minna The family of the late Major-General Mamman Vatsa has appealed to the federal government to investigate the trial and the eventual killing of their son. Vatsa, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was allegedly implicated in a coup plot and executed in 1986 by the regime of the then military dictator, Gen Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). He was executed along with nine other military officers after they were accused of plotting a coup to topple Babangida’s regime. The call is coming a day after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the federal government to revisit the case of the brutal murder of a journalist and founder of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, and other journalists. Vatsa’s younger brother and spokesperson for the family, and a former Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, in an interview with journalists yesterday, in Minna, Niger State capital, said: “Now that the court in Abuja has

ordered the federal government to investigate the brutal murder of Dele Giwa, the case of General Vatsa and nine other military officers should be revisited. “We believe that our brother, our uncle, and our father is innocent of the coup allegation, it was a frame-up”. Speaking further, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain said: “After the re-trial and he is found innocent as the family believes, there is the need for the family to exhume the body and give him a proper and befitting burial. We know that he cannot come back to life but let the whole world know the truth about his killing. “What we are appealing is for the federal government to order an investigation into the killing of our brother and the nine other officers just as the Federal High Court has ordered for the re-trial over the killing of the veteran journalist, Dele Giwa. “All these happened in 1986 under one administration. So, if justice must be done to one, it should be done to all. The 1986 coup was a complete frame-up against the late General Vatsa to eliminate him.

Tinubu Rejoices With Ex-First Lady, Aisha Buhari, at 53 Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, as she clocked 53 years yesterday, February 17, 2024. The President, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, celebrated the former First Lady for her candour, unflagging principles, and discipline to commit wholeheartedly to any worthy cause regardless of the personal

cost, describing it as an emphatic quality she shares with her highly esteemed husband. President Tinubu commended Hajiya Aisha for her deeply impactful humanitarian pursuits, catering to the needs of the downtrodden and standing as a pillar and a fount of solace to those in need of hope and comfort. The President thanked Hajiya Aisha and her family for their support and wished them many more prosperous years ahead.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S D AY

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • FEBRUARY 18, 2024

NEWS

WITH DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS… L-R: Country Director, World Bank, Shubham Chaudhuri; Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akin Oyebode; and Governor Biodun Oyebanji; during a meeting at the World Bank office, Abuja…weekend

Idahosa Wins Edo APC Governorship Primary, Senator Okpebholo Emerges Winner in Parallel Election Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Juliet Akoje in Abuja A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ovia Federal Constituency in Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa has emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship election slated for September 21, 2024. Idahosa was declared winner of the governorship primary election which took place yesterday in Benin-City by the Chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma at the Protea Hotel, Benin-City. But in a dramatic twist, the Senator representing Edo Central, Monday Okpebholo was declared winner by the Returning Officer of the Uzodimma-led committee, Dr.

Stanley Ugboaje at the residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Uzodimma, while announcing Idahosa as winner, said he scored 40,453 votes to beat other 11 aspirants He said the other aspirants score is as follows: Prince Clem Agba, 100 votes; Monday Okpebholo, 100 votes; Sunday Dekeri, 2,030 votes; Osagie Ize-Iyamu, two votes; Gideon Ikhine, 700 votes; David Imuse, 400 votes; Charles Airhiavbere, 162 votes; Oserhiemen Osunbor, 180 votes; Blessing Agbomhere, 50 votes; Dennis Idahosa, 4,453 votes, Ernest Umakhihe, two votes; and Lucky Imasuen, two votes. According to Uzodimma, who was flanked by the deputy chairman of the committee and Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu; Committee Secretary, Lawan

Inflation: Soft, Alcoholic Drinks Dealers Groan Under Soaring Prices, Low Patronage Peter Uzoho Some wholesalers and retailers of liquor and beverages have decried the low level of patronage of their products amidst soaring costs, following price increments by bottling companies across the country. The stakeholders in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday, said there had been a 100 per cent price increase when compared with the same period in 2023. Already, notification of an upward price review had been issued by the bottling companies. A 50cl pet bottle of different brands of soft drinks currently sells for N300 as against N150 in 2023. Also, alcoholic beverages, including canned beer with current price pegged at N700 were previously N400, while a can of Malt drink increased to N400 from N250. Similarly, the intoxicant business recorded almost 100 per cent price increment from N350 to N600 during the period under review. A supermarket operator told

NAN that the sale of the items had dropped considerably by 30 per cent in her store. She charged the government to review the national economy holistically while addressing inflationary pressures across the country. “Let the government look at areas where they can help, because the way it is, it’s only God and the government that can help us. “People can barely eat or afford basic things anymore not to talk of luxury like soft drinks. This is why it is important that government should intervene before things get totally out of hand for the masses,” she said. A vendor also told NAN that the hike in the price of these products had been affecting daily sales negatively. This development, he noted, had resulted in a drastic reduction in sales by about 50 per cent. “If a client pays for items this morning, by evening, we have to compare prices to be sure we are still on the same page, else we run at losses.

Garba and other members, said: "This is the certify that Dennis Idahosa having scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared winner of the primary election.” Similarly, the Returning Officer for the election in the parallel primary, Dr. Ugboaje, in announcing the results, said Senator Okpepholo emerged winner with 12,145 votes while Idahosa scored 5,536 votes to emerge second. "I hereby certified that Monday Okpepholo, having scored the highest votes, is declared winner and duly returned as APC candidate for the election," Ugboaje said. Some persons suspected to be political thugs numbering over 100 stormed the venue where they disrupted the collation and announcement of the results. During the disruption, the thugs beat up journalists covering the exercise and destroyed their cameras. Journalists were however surprised that despite the presence

of armed security personnel at the venue, the thugs were able to invade the venue. But in a swift statement signed by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party said only the committee led by Uzodimma can announce the results of the governorship primary election. Morka urged the public to disregard any results announced by “unauthorised persons”. “We wish to state categorically that only the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Edo State APC Governorship Primary Election Committee is duly authorized to undertake final collation and announcement of results of the primary election in the state. “We urge all party members, officials in the state, and the general public to disregard the said announcement of results by these unauthorised persons,” Morka explained. Two aspirants, Lucky Imasuen

and Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe had withdrawn from the governorship primary a few hours to the exercise over the decision of a faction of the party to zone the ticket to the central senatorial district of the state. On Friday, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a former candidate in the last election, also withdrew from the exercise, saying his decision, though painful, was in the interest of peace and unity of the party. Reacting to the outcome of the elections, one of the aspirants and immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, vowed to challenge the results. “Unfortunately, what we have all witnessed in the APC party primaries in Edo State on Saturday, February 17, 2024 falls below the minimum standard of democratic elections that is universally acceptable. “I strongly believe that thousands of loyal party members were disenfranchised. Based on the

authentic turnout we clinched victory. The result so far announced is a ridicule and undermines the principles of democracy and fair play. The votes of the people did not count, the processes of election were compromised and the strength and unity of our party greatly undermined. “While I remain a loyal party member, I will not be part of a process that robs the mass of our loyal party members of their inalienable right to vote. What has taken place in Edo State negates all that even our political leaders have taught us over the years about democracy, the will of the people, one man, one vote and justice and fair play. “We must come together to challenge this great injustice and restore the integrity and strength of our great party. “Such Impunity that the people have been subjected to should have no place in our great party,” Agba explained.

Kaduna Governor Calls for Aggressive Military Operations against Bandits Gunmen kill six villagers, abduct five in fresh attacks John Shiklam in Kaduna Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has appealed for continuous aggressive military operations against bandits in the state following attacks in Igabi and Kauru Local Government Areas (LGAs), which left some citizens dead and others kidnapped. This is coming as six people were killed while five others were abducted in an attack by bandits on the Kwasam community, Kauru LGA of the state. A resident of the community who pleaded anonymity said in a telephone interview yesterday that the incident happened a few minutes after 10 p.m. on Friday. He said the bandits came in large numbers and were armed with sophisticated weapons. According to him, on arrival,

the bandits abducted two people, who at gunpoint, led them to the residence of one Mr. Zakariya Markus, a retired director of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), his younger brother, and his wife. He said as the bandits were leaving the community with the five abducted persons, residents rushed out in an attempt to rescue them; however, the bandits started shooting sporadically at them and in the process, six people were killed while two others were injured. He said: "The village came under attack by Fulani men a few minutes after 10 pm on Friday. When they came, they picked two people, who at gunpoint, led them to the residences of Mr. Zakariya Markus, a prominent man in the community, who happened to be a retired director of the CBN and kidnapped him. "After picking him up, they moved

to their family house and picked up his younger brother, Mr. Monday Markus, and his wife. "So five people were kidnapped, but as the kidnappers were leaving the community with them, residents rushed out to pursue the criminals in an attempt to rescue the victims. "But the bandits were shooting sporadically at them and in the process, six people were killed while two others were injured". According to him, those killed, include Danmasani Gwaska, Mrs. Giwa John, Kapishi Barmu, Ganya Ubangida, Shigama Salisu, and Gani Magawata. The spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mansir Hassan, could not be reached when contacted as his telephone was not connecting. But reacting to the killings, Governor Uba expressed condolences

to the families that lost their loved ones in the attacks. The governor spoke through the Overseeing Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, during an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in the affected areas in the company of the Garrison Commander, 1 Division Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Muhammad Kana, alongside other military commanders and security forces working in the general areas. "We are here on behalf of Governor Uba Sani to first of all condole with you over the lives lost in Kerawa and Sabon Birni Wards in Igabi LGA and also Kwassam, Kurera, and Kan Makama communities in Kauru LGA. "May Almighty God grant the deceased eternal rest, and grant a speedy recovery to the injured.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S D AY

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • FEBRUARY 18, 2024

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PROMOTING READING CULTURE… L-R: Author of the book, The Transformational Leader/Former Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Ademola Adebise; Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs. Bimbo Salu-Hundeyin; Oyo State Deputy Governor, Adebayo Adeleke Lawal; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Founder/Chairman, Elizade Group of Companies, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo; and Managing Director/CEO, Wema Bank Plc, Mr. Moruf Oseni, at the book launch in Lagos…recently

New Twist as Embattled LP’s Treasurer Wants Abure to Step Aside for Transparent Investigation Chuks Okocha in Abuja The crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) has taken a new twist as the embattled National Treasurer of the party, Ms. Oluchi Oparah, has asked the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Julius Abure, to step down for unhindered investigation. Oparah, who was recently suspended by the National Working Committee (NWC), said he needed to step aside to allow a transparent investigation into the allegations

of the finances of the party. Oparah spoke in an interview following the dismissal of her allegation that Abure misappropriated N3.5 billion. Abure had on Thursday dismissed her allegation, saying that what entered into the party's accounts was N1.3 billion, in addition to another N700 million that came into the campaign fund. Abure had also alleged that Oparah was suspended from her position as treasurer in 2017

over alleged inconsistencies in the accounts of the party. Responding to his assertions, Oparah also questioned the decision of the national chairman to send the audited accounts to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) without her signature. She said: “He said he had tendered it to INEC, (but) with whose signature? Why would you tender an audit report to INEC without my signature? "Why would he give it to the

National Secretary to endorse? What am I doing? “The first time that they brought this (audited report) to me, there was a position for me to sign but when I said I wasn’t going to sign it, the next thing he did was to remove the part I was supposed to sign.”, she explained. According to Oparah, in addition to the N1.3 billion and the N700 million were other funds that came into the party’s accounts during the off-cycle elections.

She said, “ For the reruns, we had over N30 million, this Edo that we are in now will have over N200 Million, Kogi, Bayelsa, Imo, we had over N958 Million. I have not even added the diaspora figures”. Asserting that she was not being sponsored to smear Peter Obi as alleged by the leadership of Labour Party, Oluchi Oparah said: “This is not about Peter Obi. Peter Obi is a very wonderful person. I will support him with everything I have. Peter Obi has been an exemplary leader. “Let him (Abure) step aside; let there be an investigation. Let the NWC see reasons with me that I am not fighting a personal

fight, No. “I have been writing letters for the past seven months. I was trying to exhaust the internal mechanisms of our party but unfortunately, it failed.” She also hinted that she would seek legal redress over her suspension as the national treasurer for six months by the party, claiming that she was not given a fair hearing. Earlier on Thursday, the national leader of the party and the presidential candidate of the party in the last presidential election, Obi, had called for a transparent investigation into the financial allegations against Abure.

With 25m Child Brides in Nigeria, FG, UN Agencies Synergise against Underage Marriage After Year-long Reconstruction, Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has commenced engagements with relevant United Nations (UN) agencies and other stakeholders to end the practice of early child marriage in the country. The agencies are the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, who spoke in Abuja at a National Dialogue on Ending Child Marriage in Nigeria, said that Nigeria had nearly 25 million child brides with prevalence in Bauchi, Jigawa, and Zamfara states. Munduate said child marriage was a harmful practice under international human rights law, which was often associated with severe forms of violence against women and girls, including intimate partner violence. “In Nigeria, there are nearly 25

million child brides; with alarming prevalence rates in states such as Bauchi which has 74 per cent child brides. “Also, Jigawa has 72 per cent of its children getting married before the age of 18, Katsina has little less at 69 per cent and Zamfara has nearly 67 per cent of its children getting married.’’ While calling for more investment in education for all children, the country representative said the practice of child marriage not only violated human rights but also hindered Nigeria’s social and economic development. “A recent study by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and UNICEF estimates an annual cost of $10 billion as the economic burden of child marriage to the nation. “The study also projects a potential GDP boost of nearly 25 per cent upon its eradication. “The consequences of child marriage ripple through society, impacting not only the lives of

child brides but the entire fabric of our nation,” she said. Also, the Deputy Representative of UNFPA, Mr. Koessan Kwawu, said the practice had adverse effects on the health, education, and future opportunities of the child. He called on stakeholders to seek an end to the practice. On her part, Minister, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, stressed the role of all stakeholders in meeting the target of ending child marriage by 2030. Kennedy-Ohanenye said there was a need to educate and engage traditional, religious women groups and other stakeholders at the community level on the negative effects of the practice on the girl-child. Wife of Kwara Governor and Chairperson of the Nigerian Governor’s Spouses Forum, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, said that ending child marriage in Nigeria involved leveraging on

the instruments of the law. “Also, there is a need for community efforts and the good standing of leaders of sociocultural and religious institutions; civil society organisations, and development partners to assess the concerns posed by child marriage. “As well as getting rid of endemic dysfunctional aspects of the various cultural traditions in the country which have an incorrect gender discriminatory norm,” she said. Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, represented by Emir of Zamfara, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed, said there was a need for children to attain at least 18 years with a minimum of secondary school education before getting married. Similarly, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, represented by the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Dr. Michael Akinwale, harped on the need for investment in the future of children to end child marriage.

10 Die in Fresh Lassa Fever Outbreak in Ebonyi Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki The Ebonyi State Government has confirmed 10 persons dead while 15 others were infected following an outbreak of Lassa Fever in seven local government areas (LGAs) of the state. Confirming the incident, the Disease Surveillance Notification Officer, State Ministry of Health, Mr. Orogwu Sampson, said that the cases occurred between January 4 and February 16, 2024. He noted that within one month, “25 people were infected, including two healthcare workers with 10 deaths.” Orogwu said that last year, the state

recorded 53 cases while 36 people lost their lives, adding that the disease cuts across all ages. He maintained that out of the 25 confirmed cases, 16 people were men while nine people were women. “Those who died include a pregnant woman, two children, men and women. “The local government areas affected include Onicha, Ikwo, Ezza North, Ebonyi, Izzi, Ohaukwu, and Abakaliki with Hausa quarters and Nkaliki residential areas recording the highest number of cases. “Other LGAs that have not recorded any case so far maybe because they

have not reported, and not that it doesn’t exist there,” he explained. He said that the treatment is free and urged people to go for early detection, early presentation, and treatment to avoid further loss of lives. In his reaction, the state Epidemiologist, Dr. Ogbonna Nwambeke, said that the state government was partnering with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Breakthrough Action Nigeria, and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), among others, to mitigate the menace. He called for the provision of logistics to increase surveillance and

community engagement against the risk factors. Nwambeke advised people to stop bush burning, avoid eating rats and touching the surfaces an infected person has touched as well as maintain a high level of personal and environmental hygiene like covering their food and utensils properly. He appreciated the state government for giving them a large volume of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to give to health workers at the National Obstetrics Fistula Centre to ensure that their own health workers are alive to save others.

FAAN Finally Reopens International Runway at MMIA Chinedu Eze The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday reopened the 3.9-kilometre Runway 18R/36R at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos used mainly for international operations. The first aircraft that landed on the runway yesterday afternoon was operated by Kenya Airways, followed by Delta Airlines to mark the reopening of the facility. The runway was closed in April 2023 for an eight-week maintenance, which stretched into months because of the work needed to be done on the taxiways in addition to the main runway. During the period it was shut down, airfield lighting cables were stolen on two occasions, which magnified the job to be done on the facility, as the stolen landing aid must have to be restored before the runway would be re-opened for service. Also, during the closure, many international airlines had complained about the inconvenience of landing at the alternative runway, Runway 18L, known as the domestic runway, as they burn more fuel taxing from the international terminal to the runway. With the heavy traffic, as all the airlines were using only one runway, they encountered delays while landing and taking off. However, the international carriers would now heave a sigh of relief with the reopening of Runway

18R/36R as links 2 and 3 of the runway are now open, allowing international airlines to avoid using the domestic 18L/36R runway. When Kenya Airways flight with registration number 5YCY touched down at 11:33hrs, it was welcomed with a water cannon salute marking the runway’s return to service. The Kenya Airways pilot who flew the Boeing 738 aircraft, Captain Meme Kondwani, confirmed that the surface of the runway was smooth while all the facilities were now in better working condition. During an on-the-spot inspection of operations at the Lagos international terminal about two weeks ago, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, had promised that the runway would be re-opened in a few weeks, stating it might happen sooner than anticipated. She said FAAN and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) were collaborating to expedite the reopening process, as NAMA is in charge of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and other landing aids. In preparation for the reopening, FAAN engaged with Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). “We are working closely with the contractor with the support of the Minister and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, aiming for a swift reopening,” she reportedly said.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY18, 2024

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CONJUGAL BLISS … L-R: Data analyst, Alma Adeniran; GP NHS UK, Dr. Amuche Nwaogbo; Human Resource Personnel Peel District School Board, Canada, Mrs. Ezinne Ononeze; MD USA, Dr. Elekwachi; Groom, Justin David; Bride, Ijeoma David; MD, Eyespec Opticals Limited, Lagos, Dr. Chizubelu Ejimogu and Cybersecurity Analyst, USA, Mrs. Patricia Nwaogbo, at the wedding of the couple in Oxford, England…recently

Aganga Backs Bill to Create Parliamentary Government, Says Current System Not Working Raphael Ehigiator A former Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, has endorsed the bill seeking to introduce the parliamentary system of government to the country. Sponsored by 60 lawmakers, the bill passed the first reading at the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Nigeria currently practices a presidential system of government. The key distinction between both systems lies in how leaders are chosen. In a presidential system, the citizens directly elect the president, while, in a parliamentary system, the legislature appoints a prime minister, with a lessdefined separation of powers. In a post on X at the

weekend, Aganga described the bill as a “very important development”. Aganga served as finance minister from 2010 to 2011, after which he was appointed Minister of Trade and Investment, a position he held until 2015. He urged Nigerians to join the debate on the bill for it to pass through. The former minister said the current presidential system is “not working” for the country, noting that Nigerians cannot “wait for another seven years”. “I encourage Nigerians to get involved in the debate and see it through. We may decide to run the parliamentary system with adaptations or come up

MCSN Slams Multichoice with N29bn Suit over Alleged Copyright Violation The Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) has sued cable outfit, Multichoice Nigeria Limited at the Federal High Court demanding N29 billion for the alleged violation of its copyright. In an ex-parte order, MCSN secured an ANTON PILLER order on January 12, 2024, to enter the office or premises of Multichoice Nigeria Limited to seize, detain, and preserve the infringing devices, tapes, transmitters, and any contrivances or equipment. l and inspect any document and broadcast logs however stored, relating to this suit, in the custody or under the control of the defendants (Multichoice). The Federal High Court, Lagos, also gave an interim order against Defendant preventing/restraining the Defendant from recording, synchronising, performing by any means whatsoever, broadcasting and communicating to the public or causing the doing of any of the acts in musical works and sound

recordings which copyright are vested in the plaintiff within the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed herein. Finally, the Court gave an interim order directing the Defendant to post (or make available) an acceptable bank guarantee from a reputable commercial bank licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) within the Jurisdiction of this honourable Court to cover the claims of the Plaintiff plus interest in the sum of N29,434,342,340.20 (TwentyNine Billion, Four Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Three Hundred and Forty-two Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty Naira, Twenty kobos) only and for same to be made available (within fourteen(14) days of this order to the Deputy Chief Registrar of this Honorable Court pending the hearing and determination of the motion on filed herein.

with our own hybrid of the presidential/parliamentary system that brings out the best in both together in a unique Nigerian way,” Aganga wrote. “Any evolving system

must be adapted to address the issues we have with the current system, learning from the experiences of the Swiss, UK, and many other wellgoverned nations that have

done the same. “What matters is that it delivers good governance; it is not expensive to run and that the energies of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora come

together for the much-awaited transformation of our country. As I explained in ‘Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa’, this is the first important step to transform Nigeria and reclaim the Jewel.”

Transnational Partnerships Necessary for Tackling Africa’s Complex Healthcare Challenges, Says Tinubu Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Bola Tinubu has declared that Africa must forge partnerships that transcend borders and sectors, leveraging collective expertise, knowledge, resources, and the private sector to address the complex challenges confronting the health sector. Speaking yesterday at the Ministerial Executive Leadership Programme on the margins of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and

Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the President said Africa’s effective collaboration with the rest of the world to tackle existential health challenges is not merely a strategic choice, but a moral imperative. President Tinubu who spoke in his capacity as the AU Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership, said the challenges confronting the continent are too complex

and multifaceted for any one entity to tackle alone. “Together, we can catalyse meaningful change and unlock new opportunities for innovation and impact in our continent. Not Africa in isolation, but a global Africa, engaged in respectful and well-considered partnerships with the rest of the world. “Our continent still grapples with numerous health issues that require urgent attention. Infectious diseases remain a

significant burden, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and cholera, and threats of reemerging infectious diseases that can devastate communities and entire economies. Access to essential healthcare services remains limited, especially in many rural areas, due to factors such as inadequate infrastructure, financial barriers, and more seriously, an acute shortage of trained manpower that is aggravated by workforce migration to wealthier countries.

Ndukwe Backs State Police, Says It Will Enhance Security Emma Okonji As the federal government and the 36 state governors mull the creation of state police, the Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe has described the creation of state police as a step in the right direction towards enhancing security in Nigeria. He commended President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state

governors for considering the need to establish state police. The MTN chairman urged them to remain steadfast and ensure the crystallisation of the idea in the shortest possible time. To him, the current parlous security situation in the country needs to be tackled firmly and comprehensively, and the creation of state police will help stem the increasing spate of criminality

in the country. He, therefore, enjoined both the government and the people to join hands to bring to fruition the idea of state police. Ndukwe contended that state policing would increase the numerical strength of security personnel saddled with the responsibility for internal security. He bemoaned the current situation in Nigeria where there

is only one federal police force with a total strength of less than one million personnel. He emphasised that state police would not only increase the overall number of police officers in the country but would ensure that officers of the state police force will operate in their localities or very familiar territories, which will help to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency.

Wema Bank Partners NYSC to Launch Nationwide Youth Empowerment Initiative In a move to empower Nigerian youths and foster economic growth, Wema Bank, has joined forces with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to launch the NYSC-ALAT Accelerator Programme, a strategic partnership to enable smooth and profitable entry into the labour market for young Nigerians through the NYSC scheme.

The NYSC-ALAT Accelerator Programme is an initiative targeted at equipping youth under the NYSC, with resources for skill acquisition, job acquisition and career development, to reduce unemployment and underemployment rates, thereby stimulating economic performance and national development. This partnership was officially unveiled at the Memorandum of Under-

standing (MoU) Signing Ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria. The pioneering programme will empower NYSC members with grants and funding to help them build sustainable streams of income, and provide cutting-edge digital training in areas such as design thinking, artificial intelligence, programming languages, and content

creation, in collaboration with Microsoft. Participants will also access mentorship opportunities and undergo a business plan competition to not only help them curate the perfect business plan but also substantially reward the best ideas that foster entrepreneurship and job creation; additionally providing loans for all participants.

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Editor: Festus Akanbi 08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

Will Domestic Drug Makers Step up Amid Multinational Withdrawals?

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SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2024 • T H I S D AY

Sunday 18 February, 2024

T H I S D AY Vol MONDAY MARCH 14, 2022 27. No 10518

OPI NION

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

BUILDING A HEALTHY NATION Fredrick Nwabufo writes that the Tinubu administration is committed to protecting the health of the citizenry

See Page 20

PRESIDENTIAL OR PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: WHAT CAN WORK FOR NIGERIA? The problem is with the cost of governance, not the system, argues ETIM ETIM

See Page 20

EDITORIAL ESCALATING HARDSHIP ACROSS NIGERIA

See Page 45

119

Harvard Professor, JACOB OLUPONA pays tribute to his Alma Mater at 70

GBOLUJI ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL ON MY MIND

n February 25th, 2024, the Old Students of Gboluji Anglican Grammar School (GGS) will gather in Ile-Oluji, Ondo State, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding. This one-week celebration is an occasion to praise God and remember the Anglican tradition and the community that gave birth to it. It would also be a period to reminisce on the labours of the forebearers who built the solid secondary school institution to which thousands of students across generations came to study, thereby lifting them from poverty, ignorance, and illiteracy. In addition, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the GGS founding provides an occasion to plumb the institution’s history to reveal its long tradition of delivering crucial moral education and knowledge, including the values of hard work, to every youth that has passed through its portals. GGS, in its 70 years of history, has come to symbolize the best virtues in adroit love for one’s community and nation, exemplary leadership and kindness. Founded on Christian principles, the school has also become an epitome of civic responsibility and an example of the unconditional love of God and one’s neighbour. Since its inception, the school has taught its students the cardinal Christian ethic of care. It was in 1954 when the Ile-Oluji community partnered with the Anglican Church in the then Ondo-Benin Diocese to build a secondary school to educate young boys in the town and its surrounding neighbourhood. The two critical players were the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, the revered and learned Cleric, S.O. Odutola, and the traditional sovereign HRH Oba Adeseko, Odundun II, who represented the church and the community, respectively, signed the government’s deed that established the school. Prominent community members donated the massive grounds on which the school now stands. GGS has since produced many distinguished alumni who have served in high positions in government, private sectors, academics, military, and other fields. These distinguished alumni include figures such as Major General Olu Bajowa, the former Adjutant General of the Nigerian Army; Sunday Ehindero, the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police; Bishop Amos Fagbamiye, retired bishop of ADOTT, USA; Chief Dele Fajemirokun, a business tycoon and entrepreneur and whose late father Chief Henry Fajemirokun a native of the town and legendary business mogul had the foresight to send him to GGS for the HSC; Samuel Adegboyega, a successful oil engineer; Dr. Isaac Akintunji, former Director of Medical Services, Nigeran Airport Port Authority; and Debbie Ajewole, Yeye Oba Olumuroko Ijesha Land; Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, former Governor of Ondo State; Dr Afolabi Adewakun, a former Permanent Secretary and the President of GGS National Association and many others. Built on Gboluji hill in the Ondo state, likened to the Biblical symbol of the city built on a hill that cannot fall, GGS had humble beginnings. God, in Zechariah 4:10, admonished His people not to despise the days of little beginning. The Lord’s joy was evident over the humble beginning of Gboluji Grammar School 70 years ago. That humble beginning provided a solid foundation that molded the school and imbued its graduates with a unique sense of

humility, self-discipline, and, more importantly, a prayerful life. The five-year-plus grammar school cycle of rigorous education and learning has served its students exceptionally well later in life as they joined the workforce. The school regimen, which included daily prayer, manual labour, sports, and stringent academic endeavours, especially placed students in vantage positions to excel in their life pursuits. Since its founding, the nature of GGS and its exemplary graduates have been subjects of exciting stories. I often remember a particular one regarding one of my mates in the Class of 1969, who was recruited to work as a clerk in Lagos immediately after graduating from the school. His uncommon diligence at work soon caught the attention of his employers, who sent emissaries to the GGS to plum the origin of his uncommon work ethic. Indeed, God is worthy of praise for the vision and labours of our forebearers, and especially for the impressive footprints of the school on the sands of time. Also worthy of commendation are the human agency of teachers, principals and the community who played their parts in elevating the school to its exceptional social and academic heights. The celebration of God’s goodness on exemplary achievements of our school over the last 70 years is also an opportunity to UHÁHFW RQ ZKDW OHVVRQV RXU QDWLRQ 1LJHULD can learn from GGS about its existence and status. Where do we as a community and a nation go from here, especially given the myriad unpleasant changes to GGS and other secondary schools in the country? GGS has always occupied an important place in my mind since I graduated in 1969 DQG EULHÁ\ UHWXUQHG IRU D RQH \HDU +6& before proceeding to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study Religion. What makes the school great and exceptional? How should we restore its lustre, dignity, and past glory? What should we do to reverse the GHFOLQH À[ DQG UHVWRUH WKH VFKRRO DV D WKULYLQJ model for other secondary schools and public education in Nigeria? What can we do to make our alma mater the exceptional academic citadel it once was? The number one item on the road to recovery is to enlist a high calibre of teachers, the type we were privileged to learn from during our student years at GGS in the 1950s

and 1960s. I still recall many of our teachers and marvel at their intellect and pedagogy. I remember my history teacher, Mr. Eniola Oni (aka Oni Coco). His nickname derived from his usual description of lazy students as coconut heads. Besides making the students laugh, Mr. Oni’s jokes always make us realize why we must be very serious in school. An Ibadantrained graduate and a true polyglot, he could teach any subject in the humanities, including History, Latin, French, and English. Mr Oni taught in a way that enabled students to learn quickly and master the subjects. So also, was Mrs. V.O. Oni, headed the coeducational wing of the school, where she expertly tutored an uncommon combination of English literature and Mathematics to her students. Though GGS was primarily an arts and humanities college at its founding, it gradually introduced the science wing, especially with the assistance of a few expatriates, such as Dr. Bill Palmer, Mr. and Mrs. Currien, and of course, our biology teacher, Chief Femi Fasuyi. The school soon built a reputation as a school where STEM matters. This focus on STEM prepared students to read medicine and Engineering in Nigerian Universities, and GGS can boast of numerous medical doctors and learned Engineers in the nation. Furthermore, the school’s coeducational program distinguished GGS, particularly in the leadership training provided by the famous Mrs. V.O. Oni, who took all the girls under her care as their surrogate mother at school. Stories of learning and mentoring under her during that period are still recalled daily by her former students. The introduction of science wing, girls’ education and the HSC program were major developments in GGS’s evolution into the modern school it is today. Back in the day, the background and training of the teachers prepared them fully well for training young minds and moulding them into future leaders. Their depth of brilliance was palpable and infectious and inspired my teaching at Harvard, so much so that whenever my students ask about my training, I begin with Gboluji Grammar School. It is an experience one always remembers. It is always in my mind and follows everywhere in my practice. Apart from ensuring a quality roster of teaching staff, improving the present state of infrastructure in the school is imperative. Consequently, the old students have suggested creative ways of responding to the current dearth of facilities in the school, principally caused by the government takeover of schools and the unsavoury intervention of the military. Many schools like GGS have become ghosts of their old selves. A group of GGS alumni based in Canada, the USA, and Nigeria, known as the GGS Impact Group, have therefore proposed the creation of a large endowment, which we will invest to generate annual resources for developing and restoring the school’s honour, prestige, and dignity. To launch the endowment, I have written an almost 300-page book titled In Pursuit of Excellence, Truth, and Learning:Gboluji Grammar School, Ile-Oluji, 1954-2024, and to be released on February 25th. We aim to raise 1 billion naira initially from the official launch. Dr. Uwanaka writes from African University of Science and Technology, Abuja. chukweks@yahoo.com

T H I S D AY SUNDAY FEBURUARY 18, 2024

FREDRICK NWABUFO writes that the Tinubu administration is committed to protecting the health of the citizenry

PRESIDENTIAL OR PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM: WHAT CAN WORK FOR NIGERIA?

BUILDING A HEALTHY NATION

hink of that man whose blue skies are crimsoned by the ravages of cancer. He cannot afford to travel abroad to get the needed treatment and his access WR OLIH VDYLQJ PHGLFDO FDUH DW home hangs by a hair’s breadth. Many of us might have had a vicarious experience with WKLV FHOO FRUUXSWLQJ SUR[\ RI GHDWK :H HLWKHU know a friend, a friend’s friend, or a relative that has been afflicted. We could as well have been victims. But access to efficient and effective diagnosis, management, treatment RI FDQFHU DQG RWKHU QRQ FRPPXQLFDEOH diseases, as well as communicable diseases is about to improve tremendously. In full apprehension of the economics of healthandthefierceurgencyofnow,President Bola Tinubu directed the immediate upgrade of key health infrastructure and equipment DFURVV WKH VL[ JHR SROLWLFDO ]RQHV 2QO\ D IHZ months ago, a strategic blueprint, the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, was launched. This health exemplar espouses D VHFWRU ZLGH PRWLI JHDUHG WRZDUGV improving population health outcomes through the primary healthcare system, and enhancing reproductive, maternal, and child health services in the country. According to the World Health Organisation’s Country Disease Outlook IRU QRQ FRPPXQLFDEOH GLVHDVHV OLNH cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease were estimated to have caused 27 percent of deaths in Nigeria in 2019. The reality is, the country has a high EXUGHQ RI ERWK FRPPXQLFDEOH PDODULD WXEHUFXORVLV +,9 $,'6 HWF DQG QRQ communicable diseases. And child mortality rates are still well above SDG targets. ,W LV LQ WKH OLJKW RI WKHVH SUH H[LVWLQJ and immanent health perturbations that President Tinubu’s valiant directive is situated. To this end, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority 16,$ ZLOO XQGHUWDNH DQ RYHUKDXO RI FDQFHU treatment infrastructure and other critical accoutrements in six tertiary hospitals across the geopolitical zones, as well as expand SULRU LQYHVWPHQWV WR LPSURYH EURDG EDVHG DFFHVV WR KLJK TXDOLW\ KHDOWKFDUH These tertiary hospitals – one, University of Benin Teaching Hospital; two, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital; three, University of Nigeria (Nsukka) Teaching Hospital; four, Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina; five, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital – will be sanctuaries for oncology and nuclear medicine to ease access to deluxe cancer diagnosis and care across the country. Also, 10 hospitals bestrewing the six geopolitical zones will be revamped to SURYLGH H[LJHQW DQG WRS WLHU KHDOWKFDUH services in the line of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, and cardiac catheterization. 7KH KRVSLWDOV DUH 1RUWK :HVW 5HIHUHQFH Hospital, Kaduna — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology); 6RXWK (DVW 0HGLFDO 'LDJQRVWLF &HQWUH Complex, Enugu — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical & radiation oncology); 1RUWK :HVW 8VPDQ 'DQIRGL\R 8QLYHUVLW\ Teaching Hospital, Sokoto — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac catheterization); 6RXWK :HVW 8QLYHUVLW\ &ROOHJH +RVSLWDO Ibadan — (Diagnostic and intervention radiology, clinical pathology, and cardiac FDWKHWHUL]DWLRQ 6RXWK 6RXWK 8QLYHUVLW\ RI Uyo Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and FOLQLFDO SDWKRORJ\ 1RUWK (DVW $EXEDNDU Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi — (Radiology and FOLQLFDO SDWKRORJ\ 6RXWK 6RXWK )HGHUDO Medical Centre, Asaba — (Radiology DQG FOLQLFDO SDWKRORJ\ 1RUWK &HQWUDO Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre

Complex, Ilorin — (Radiology and clinical SDWKRORJ\ 1RUWK &HQWUDO -RV 8QLYHUVLW\ Teaching Hospital — (Radiology and clinical SDWKRORJ\ DQG 1RUWK (DVW )HGHUDO 0HGLFDO Centre, Nguru — (Radiology and clinical pathology). These projects when completed, within PRQWKV ZLOO DPRQJ RWKHU EHQHILWV improve screening and diagnostics for FRPPXQLFDEOH DQG QRQ FRPPXQLFDEOH diseases; reduce mortality rates, as well as LPSURYH RXWFRPHV IRU QRQ FRPPXQLFDEOH diseases. It takes a healthy population to build a thriving economy. A diseased or decaying population cannot be very productive. Healthcare is an intrinsic element of human capital development, which is the nucleus of the overall wellbeing and advancement of society. The Tinubu administration has put healthcare on the foreground of its policy ideation, iteration, and implementation, with an understanding of the fundamentality of this variable in domestic economics.At the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, President Bola Tinubu was appointed as the African Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership in honour of his bold and groundbreaking interventions in the sector. The administration is training 120,000 frontline health workers over the next 16 months; it is doubling the number of primary healthcare facilities in communities across WKH IHGHUDWLRQ IURP WR RYHU the next three years; it is increasing health personnel enrolment capacity of accredited QXUVLQJ DQG PLGZLIHU\ LQVWLWXWLRQV E\ WZR fold to accommodate the new demand created by new facilities across Nigeria, and it is establishing a paid volunteer youth force of social accountability officers to monitor the functioning and financial integrity of primary healthcare centres. This is clearly innovative, purposed, and audacious. As the President said: ‘’Health is not merely the absence of disease but the embodiment RI SK\VLFDO PHQWDO DQG VRFLDO ZHOO EHLQJ ,W is a fundamental human right and Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Care Coverage is reflected in the unwavering dedication of my administration to uphold this right for every individual, young or old, in rural or urban areas.” Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement

The problem is with the cost of governance, not the system, argues ETIM ETIM

ur endless search for VROXWLRQV WR RXU VHOI LQÁLFWHG SUREOHPV KDV become comical. We DSSHDU WR EH LQ D PHUU\ JR DURXQG WU\LQJ RQH idea after the other. Restructuring. State Police. Fiscal Federalism. More States. Float the Naira. Managed Float. Privatization. Structural Adjustment. Sovereign National Conference. Military or civilian government. Commodity Boards. Price Control. Close Borders. Open Borders. Just about everything has been suggested as a panacea for our problems. Last week, a group of lawmakers in Abuja proposed a constitutional change to return the country to parliamentary system of democracy, over half a century after we dumped it. They claimed that the presidential system is too expensive. It is really not a novel idea. Elder statesmen like Obong Victor Attah and Chief Emeka Anyaoku are some of the notable proponents of a return to the parliamentary system. In addition, they want the states dissolved and the country restructured into regions as we had in the First Republic. They prefer six regions to align with the current geopolitical zones. Those who canvass this position are mostly senior citizens who are essentially nostalgic about their good old days. I don’t blame them. Most of them were in the university in Europe and America during that ‘golden’ era when the economy was doing well; FLYLO VHUYDQWV ZHUH ZHOO HGXFDWHG ZHOO WUDLQHG DQG HPSOR\HG VWULFWO\ RQ merit; corruption was very low and politicians were more dedicated to QDWLRQ EXLOGLQJ %XW GLG WKLQJV JR ZHOO in those days because of the system of government we operated or was it due to the quality of manpower and the patriotism of the leaders at the time? Does the system of government build the country, or is it the people who build their country and design a workable system for themselves? This is the crux of the matter. Countries choose different systems to suit their histories and peculiarities. European countries have either presidential or parliamentary systems; the US is a presidential democracy while Asian countries have adopted either. Saudi Arabia is both a theocracy and monarchy, and it’s a prosperous country. North Korea operates a draconian family dictatorship while South Korea has a competitive presidential system. China, the second largest economy in the world, is a civilian dictatorship, just like Russia. All these countries are at different stages of development and their citizens enjoy varying standards of living. But look at Africa. Most of the continent has one form of democracy or the other, just like in the other six continents. While places like Uganda have a civilian dictatorship masquerading as a democracy, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa have become relatively stable and competitive presidential democracies. A few others have parliamentary systems. But overall, Africa has remained a blithering basket case, with all indices pointing south. Why? There are many reasons why Nigeria has remained economically stunted or retrogressive over the years, and they can be encapsulated

into three categories: corruption, incompetence and decadence. No country can develop or has ever developed with the level of corrupt, incompetent and decadent leadership that has bestrode our nation, at all levels. No matter the system of government we adopt; this nation will not make progress unless the quality of human resources that manages our public affairs improves drastically. Our progress as a nation is not dependent on a particular system of government, but rather on the quality of our political, bureaucratic and technocratic leadership at every important level. The reason the regional governments of the First Republic seemed to have performed well is EHFDXVH WKH\ ZHUH OHG E\ ÀUVW FODVV patriotic and competent leaders who worked with equally skilled bureaucrats. Can you compare any of our leaders today to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Michael Okpara, Sir Denise Osadebey and the others who led the charge in that era? It is the people who build their nations and create systems that suit their peculiarities. Not the other way round. But is the presidential system more expensive to run? Of course, any system could be expensive, depending on how you operate it. If a parliamentary system, for instance, has a bicameral legislature with about 600 overpaid ministers, including a prime minister, deputy prime minister and all the special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants and personal DVVLVWDQWV ÀUVW ODG\ DQG VHFRQG lady, why wouldn’t it be expensive? Similarly, if a presidential system has unicameral legislature with IHZ SDUW WLPH PHPEHUV DQG an executive branch with few ministers, the running costs would be lower. It is therefore important to cut the cost of the governance, rather than change from one system to another. We should stick with the presidential system, but reduce its costs by adopting drastic measures. We can use one chamber of the 1DWLRQDO $VVHPEO\ ZLWK SDUW time members from each state; only 37 ministers (only one from each state and FCT) and reduce agencies and parastatals to no more than 200. The solutions to our problems are right before us. There’s no need moving around in circles. Etim is a Journalist

T H I S D AY SUNDAY FEBURUARY 18, 2024

EDITORIAL

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

ESCALATING HARDSHIP ACROSS NIGERIA

T h e g ove r n m e n t m u s t d o m o r e t o l i g h t e n t h e b u r d e n o f l i v i n g . I t i s u r g e n t

n the past few weeks, Nigerians have been groaning under the harsh economic conditions arising from some recent policies of the federal JRYHUQPHQW 6SHFLÀFDOO\ WKH UHPRYDO RI IXHO VXEVLG\ DQG ÁRDWLQJ RI WKH QDLUD KDYH EURXJKW untold hardship on the people. To worsen matters, insecurity in many of the rural communities has restricted the activities of farmers, thus affecting productivity and causing market disruptions with attendant food price shocks. Since food is needed for survival and well-being, there is an urgent need for meaningful intervention to avert a human catastrophe in the country. The despair has spilled into social media as angry citizens express their frustration with the daily hikes of staple foods, transportation costs, school fees, house rent and other inescapable expenses that are becoming LPSRVVLEOH WR ÀQDQFH GXH WR SDXFLW\ RI UHVRXUFHV DQG HVFDODWLQJ LQÁDWLRQ 6XSHUPDUNHW VWDSOHV KDYH HLWKHU disappeared from the shelves or have become simply unaffordable with scarce disposable income. For those with medical issues and limited means, it has become a stark choice between taking care of basic expenses and attending to their health needs, between a decent meal and worsening health and even demise. For besieged citizens, the current state of the economy has become a dark roulette, with poverty, suffering and death taking the place of bullets. ,QÁDWLRQ ÀJXUHV IURP WKH 1DWLRQDO %XUHDX RI 6WDWLVWLFV 1%6 FRQÀUP WKH seriousness of the problem. The latest ÀJXUHV IURP WKH DJHQF\ LQGLFDWH WKDW WKH FRXQWU\·V DQQXDO LQÁDWLRQ UDWH -DQXDU\ ² -DQXDU\ LV DW )RRG FRVWV DQG WKH IRUH[ FULVLV DUH DW WKH KHDUW RI WKH LQÁDWLRQDU\ FULVLV WKDW LV depleting incomes and savings, fuelling the suffering and despair that has overtaken the country. The message which President Bola Tinubu will do well to heed is loud and clear: we are getting to the end of the rope and things cannot go on like this. The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) has warned repeatedly that millions of Nigerians are at the risk of hunger as prices of foodstuff skyrocket. As of December 2023, a World Bank report showed that Nigeria’s poverty level had taken a notch higher. Recent data compiled by an international e-commerce organisation also revealed that the average Nigerian household spends about 60 per cent of its income on food, the highest in the world. In contrast, residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore spend less than 10 per cent of income on food. Living in extreme poverty, going by the parameters VHW E\ WKH :RUOG %DQN PHDQV OLYLQJ RQ OHVV WKDQ (now almost N3000) per day. Only few Nigerians can now afford that amount which represents 10 per cent of the current minimum wage. A World Bank report

‘A Better Future for All Nigerians: Nigeria Poverty Assessment 2022’ released in March last year revealed that “as many as four in 10 Nigerians live below the national poverty line.” That was before recent measures that have further dislocated the lives of more Nigerians. “Households have adopted dangerous coping strategies, including reducing education and scaling back food consumption, which could have negative long-run consequences for their human capital,” the report stated. Using a ‘cost of food basics’ analysis that compares the monthly minimum recommended spend on food per adult and average wage in 107 countries, a United Kingdom-based Institute of Development Studies last year placed Nigeria as the second poorest country in the world in terms of food affordability. In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, Nigeria is ranked 105th out of 125 countries, chalking up a level of hunger described as “serious.” Besides, a recent and more comprehensive report on poverty by the NBS estimated that 133 million Nigerians were multidimensionally poor using four indicators: food security, healthcare, education, and work. Tough times are of course not uncommon in this part of the world as human development indices (HDIs) and other indicators have shown over time. Despite the much-lauded human and material riches of the country, the lived experience of the majority of citizens over the decades has generally fallen short of minimum measurements of well-being, characterised by poverty and lack. But even from that ORZ EDVH WKH RQJRLQJ KDUGVKLS LV VLJQLÀFDQW 7KH sheer scale of the suffering and deprivation is pushing the country to the edge as frustrated citizens with nowhere to turn are reaching the limits of endurance. The federal government and authorities in the 36 states of the federation must wake up to the reality of the seeming hopelessness for a vast majority of our people in a nation blessed with enormous natural and human resources, but which has consistently been held down by poor governance at virtually all levels. While it is true, as various representatives of the Tinubu administration have asserted, that the government inherited a battered and serially mismanaged economy, there is no doubt that the situation is getting worse. There must be immediate, medium-and long-term solutions. The immediate ones could include targeted importation of basic items, and reduction of tariffs on essential drugs. The administration should avoid the temptation to take refuge in convenient platitudes or the blame-game strategy of its predecessor which did not serve the nation well. It is time to listen and act with compassion and a sense of urgency.

There must be immediate, medium and longterm solutions. The immediate ones could include targeted importation of basic items, and reduction of tariﬀs on essential drugs 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 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, 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

Letters to the Editor

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

LETTERS

BEWARE OF THE DANGERS OF STATE POLICE

We must raise our voices against the recent approval by President Bola Tinubu regarding the creation of state police. While on the surface, this might seem like a step towards better law enforcement, let’s not be naive about the potential dangers lurking beneath. History has shown us time and time again how politicians

misuse such systems for their own agendas. State police can easily become tools in the hands of politicians, used to intimidate opponents, suppress dissent, and manipulate the law for their own political gains. Let’s not forget the dangers of sentiment campaigns, and the divisive nature of politics. With state police at the disposal of

politicians, there’s a real risk of them being used to target certain communities, minorities, or even rival political factions under the guise of maintaining law and order. We must demand transparency, accountability, and safeguards against such misuse before blindly accepting the creation of state police. Our

safety and democracy are at stake, and we cannot afford to be complacent. Let’s raise our voices, stand united, and urge President Tinubu to reconsider this decision in light of the potential dangers it poses to our society. Engr Abdulmajid Lawal, Jos, Plateau State abdulmajidlawan@gmail.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

GLITZ FOCUS

Showmax’s Spectacular Relaunch: An Amalgamation of Ambition and Innovation At two dazzling events which signalled the dawn of a new era for African streaming, Showmax unveiled its revamped platform in partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal and Sky. The events marked a celebration of innovation and ambition. Vanessa Obioha was among the journalists who gathered in South Africa and Nigeria to witness the dawn of this groundbreaking collaboration, as the streamer positions itself as the premier streaming service on the continent

n the past few months, the Showmax team has been fully engrossed in planning the relaunch of the streaming service, following a big deal with Comcast NBCUniversal and Sky. The landmark deal spurred a revamp of the platform, originally launched as a standalone entity in 2015. This overhaul not only encompassed an expansion of Showmax’s content repository with a slew of new international shows and original productions but also seamlessly integrated the Peacock platform, promising a seamless and enriched streaming experience for users. For the Showmax team, the process of execution was not a walk in the park; it demanded full commitment from all quarters. From Nigeria to Kenya, and across South Africa in bustling cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town, the Showmax team, significantly bolstered since its integration back into the MultiChoice ecosystem, was in constant motion. Countless meetings were held, each meticulously planned to ensure a flawless event. “The marketing and PR teams have been having it worse,” said Stacey Venter, Senior Manager, PR and Internal Communications, during a tour of the Showmax office, situated in one of the complexes of MultiChoice City in Randburg, South Africa. “They have been having countless meetings in the past two months,” she continued, pointing to a war room. The distinctive new logo, a stylised X, adorned various corners of the building, making its presence felt from the moment one stepped through the entrance. Even the tiled floors showcased the vibrant new avatars, creating a cohesive and visually striking atmosphere throughout the space. Despite occupying its own office building, Venter urged us — select journalists from Nigeria and Kenya invited to experience the new Showmax — to perceive the brand as a startup. This wasn’t just because of the office space, but also due to the team’s size. She candidly admitted that at times, they required guidance, likening them to the MultiChoice Group’s baby. Yet, within the Showmax team, a palpable sense of camaraderie prevailed, transforming the workspace into a close-knit family environment. Whether it was sharing ideas during meetings or bonding over hangouts, the team’s dynamic was infectious. Dinners often felt like long-awaited reunions, particularly for team members meeting face-toface for the first time. This camaraderie not only fueled their passion but also underlined their collective commitment to Showmax’s success. Entering the streaming arena was a deliberate action of the MultiChoice Group, according to an insider. When Showmax debuted in 2015, the company’s goal wasn’t to challenge the established giants of subscription video-on-demand (SVOD); it simply aimed at establishing a presence in the market. However, over the years, this vision evolved, leading to a strategic shift with the relaunch. Now, the company is laser-focused on Africa, positioning itself as the foremost player on the continent. With aspirations to double its customer base and reach a staggering 50 million within five years, Showmax is setting ambitious targets. Despite already boasting a reported 40% market share of the continent as of November 2023, achieving this milestone is no small feat. Yet, as MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela emphasised, the company’s reputation for perseverance and determination ensures that these goals remain within reach. “Innovation is ingrained in our DNA. From pioneering satellite TV in Africa to delivering content across multiple platforms. We’ve always been at the forefront of technological advancements.” Moreso, Mawela highlighted the hard

work involved in convincing a company like NBCUniversal to invest in Showmax. “I think many don’t know how much it is for us to be able to get these partners. For us to be able to convince a company the size of Comcast, who have never been to Africa to come to Africa and their first investment was through a partnership with us, took a lot of convincing, a lot of hard work and a lot of thought behind what can we offer them going forward.” Under the new partnership, NBCUniversal has a 30 per cent ownership stake in Showmax while MultiChoice has 70 per cent. Both companies already planned to invest $177 million in equity funding into Showmax, with $30 million reportedly rolled out from February 2, 2024. However, an additional funding of $127 million is expected during MultiChoice’s fiscal year, ending on March 31, 2024. But much of Showmax’s strategy lies in its localised content as noted by its CEO Marc Jury during the relaunch event in South Africa. Giving his opening speech to a hall filled with talents and executives, Jury shared that “one of the key points of differentiation that Showmax has compared to a number of other streaming platforms in Africa, is our ability to localise and most importantly, not just like localised content, but localise on points of payments. Understanding the local market is really something that we have to set ourselves apart from.” As part of its relaunch, the streaming service released 21 originals including Nigerian originals such as ‘Cheta’m’ and the documentary ‘Free Men.’ Showmax also takes great pride in the standalone Premier League plan which offers subscribers all 380 games of the tournament. “At the heart of it, the new Showmax focuses on African content, showcasing diverse narratives and our rich cultural heritage,” said CEO of West Africa, MultiChoice, John Ugbe. “With exclusive African originals and collaborations with local talent, we aim to amplify African voices across Africa, ensuring that we nurture talent, promote diversity and drive industry innovation.” Beyond offering Africans unparalleled entertainment, Showmax is giving creative talents a platform to shine. For instance, Martha Ehinome who plays Tumi in the popular Showmax original telenovela ‘Wura,’ revealed that the show has significantly elevated her acting career. Additionally, its localised franchises such as the ‘Real Housewives of Lagos’ have generated more interest in reality TV shows. Renowned for its extravagant events, the MultiChoice Group pulled out all the stops for the Showmax relaunch, hosting lavish affairs in two different countries. In South Africa, the red carpet was rolled out, welcoming top celebrities from Showmax’s lineup and esteemed guests to an unforgettable evening inside the MultiChoice Dome. The venue underwent a stunning transformation into a captivating showroom, showcasing some of the platform’s latest and greatest shows. Guests were treated to interactive experiences at various booths, including the Real Housewives booth where they could mingle with stars from the show, and the Red Ink pod where they could make a call from a cell and have their photos taken in different poses. The True Crimes booth offered unique mementoes, allowing guests to take mugshots with personalized placards or replicate poses from the murals. Guests also had fun playing with different mascots. The atmosphere was further heightened by the musical performance of Congolese-born musician Tresor who gave an electrifying rendition of his song ‘Remedy’ as well as the pulsating beats of the DJ booth, while drinks and delectable finger foods flowed generously, ensuring an evening of premium entertainment and celebration. In Nigeria, the Showmax relaunch event was hyped up by the exclusive screening of the romantic comedy ‘Dead Serious,’ and of course, the energy gad Dotun was on ground to take the

L-R: General Manager of Showmax Nigeria, Opeoluwa Filani, CEO of West Africa, MultiChoice, John Ugbe; Daniel Christian of Bae Beyond Borders at Red Ink and Head of Marketing, Showmax Nigeria, Arinola Shobande at Showmax relaunch event in Nigeria.

Martha Ehinome

MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela

Princess Jecoco and Kelechi Supersport Presenter Thomas Mlambo at True Crime

The new Showmax

Tresor performing at Showmax relaunch event

party to the next level with his infectious energy and charisma. As Showmax embarks on this new

chapter, one thing remains clear: it is focusing on innovation and collaboration to redefine African streaming and capture the hearts of millions.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

GLITZ ENTERTAINMENT

Wigwe’s Lasting Imprint on Creative Industry Stories by Vanessa Obioha Tributes continue to pour in for the late Herbert Wigwe, Group CEO of Access Holdings Plc, who tragically passed away in a fatal air crash on February 9, 2024. Wigwe is fondly remembered for his significant contributions not only in the banking sector but also in various other industries. One sector where he left an indelible mark is the creative industry. From music to films and arts, he steadfastly supported this sector, recognizing its potential to provide employment for youths and contribute to the nation’s GDP Who could forget the Born in Africa Festival (BAFEST) spearheaded by Access Bank under his watch as the GMD/CEO of the financial institution? The vibrant festival encompassed different facets of the creative industry including fashion, arts, Nollywood, and music. Produced by Livespot360, it featured performances by Nigeria’s top music stars like Burna Boy, Flavour, Kizz Daniel, Davido, and Tiwa Savage, as well as renowned continental artists like Awilo Logomba and Sho Madjozi. Wigwe’s influence extended to Nollywood, where he fervently supported the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). The

festival organisers, in a statement on Instagram following his passing, hailed him as a patron of the arts who recognized the profound impact of cinema in shaping “our collective narrative.” They credited his generous contributions for the festival’s growth, enabling it to provide a platform for emerging filmmakers to “share their stories with the world, amplifying voices that might otherwise have gone unheard.” Indeed, Wigwe was passionate about young creatives. His commitment to nurturing young talent was evident through initiatives like the Accelerate Film project, which offered mentorship programs for creatives and opportunities to showcase their films at AFRIFF. In the visual arts space, Wigwe revolutionised art festivals in Nigeria through the Access Bank-sponsored Art X Art Fair, hailed as West Africa’s most prestigious art fair. He also lent his support to events like the Ake Book and Arts Festival, further cementing his legacy in the arts community. Wigwe also advocated for prompt financing for the creative industry. Following the launch of the Creative Industry Financing Initiative (CIFI) by the federal government in 2019 to boost

Lagos to Host AMAA 20th Edition In continuation of its commitment to host the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for four years, the organisers of the awards, the Africa Film Academy, have announced Lagos as the host city for the 20th edition of the awards. This was made known in a statement calling for entries for the edition. After attending the 17th edition of the awards, Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has pledged

to be a strategic partner and with the milestone anniversary of the awards, the organisers are rolling out plans to make the edition a memorable one. According to a statement by Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, the Designated Chair/ CEO of the AFA board, the decision to unveil the plans and activities ahead of the 20th edition of the continental film awards was deliberate and a

move to ensure the involvement of as many film practitioners in Africa and diaspora as possible. The organisers also announced that Dr. Shaibu Husseni, the current DG of the Nigeria Film and Video Censor Board, will return as the head of AMAA’s College of Screeners as well as other activities such as human capacity development by the AFA, jury’s session and nomination unveil.

Obi Cubana Shares Insights on Igbo Apprenticeship System as ‘Freemen’ Premieres With the launch of the much-anticipated Showmax documentary series on Igbo Apprenticeship titled ‘Freemen,’ entrepreneur and businessman Obi Cubana has highlighted discipline as the paramount lesson he gleaned from the ageold traditional system. “The most important thing I learned from observing Igbo Apprenticeship is discipline,” he said in an interview. “Waking up when you are supposed to wake up. Going to bed when you are supposed to go to bed and living within your means.” The Igbo Apprenticeship System is a cultural phenomenon where established businessmen, known as “ogas,” take on apprentices, referred to as “nwa boys,” to learn a trade and eventually take over the business. The cultural practice ensures apprentices immerse themselves in learning a trade, from loading and unloading goods to pricing and customer interactions. Despite not undergoing Obi Cubana in ‘Freemen’

the formal apprenticeship himself, Obi Cubana credited his success to the principles instilled in him during holidays spent with trade-oriented family members. The discipline learned, he noted, has been a cornerstone in his journey as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur further touched on the need to document the story of how the system has been an institution in the eastern region of Nigeria for centuries. “The Igbo Apprentice System is something that needs to be studied and thoroughly understood. This is because it initiates a positive chain reaction and allows outsiders to delve into the culture that has shaped a people. This Showmax documentary has the potential to revolutionise various areas and foster a shared world,” he said. As part of the Showmax relaunch in February 2024, the seven-part documentary is now streaming on the African streaming service. The documentary also features prominent figures such as Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Okey Japan, Bartholomew Duru Nwanguma alongside his son Peter Nwanguma and other notable personalities.

Late Wigwe and AFRIFF Founder Chioma Ude

investment in the industry, Access Bank began offering loans with a maximum interest rate of 9 per cent per annum and a repayment period of 10 years. This initiative aimed to foster capacity building and generate employment opportunities in sectors such as fashion, information technology, movie production, movie distribution, music, and software engineering. Wigwe’s impact on the creative industry is undeniable and will continue to resonate Tiwa Savage at Access across the continent, even in death. Bank sponsored BAFEST 2018

A Second Chapter of Camaraderie with ‘Family Feud’ Iyke Bede The sense of camaraderie that ‘Family Feud’ nurtures among Nigerian households has once again been highlighted with the second instalment of this beloved family-oriented game show, which has been on the air since last November. To enhance this sentiment, members of the press, along with select guests, were invited to a special live recording of the show at Ultima Studios in Lekki, Lagos, providing them with an unfiltered experience of the captivating programme in a face-off between the Mbagwu and Adewale families, as they progress through the Face-Off, Main Game, and Fast Money Rounds. Basking in lively music, fine finger food and drinks, guests also revisited moments of the second season. The first episode of the season was screened, portraying a fierce battle between the Adebayo and Olori families, concluding in an unprecedented victory for the Adebayos. Franchised in over 50 countries globally, Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria, Aisha Umar highlighted MTN’s commitment to ensuring the success of the show into the second season. “The reason we are so vested in sponsoring ‘Family Feud’ is because it is a family-based game show. You have to take part in the show with members of your family, or your close circle. We’ve had ‘Family Feud: MTN Edition,’ and we are planning a ‘Family Feud: Kids Edition.’ Because of what we feel about family, community, about society on a larger scale, it is important we all get along as family, in the core unit of the family, but also as part of a larger community. MTN wants to be associated with that camaraderie. She added, “We would also like to inspire, to educate as we do this. As lead sponsors of ‘Project Fame’ and ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire,’ these are part of educational programs that also inspire people, and these are the properties we want to be associated with.” The show’s host, Bisola Aiyeola, expressed gratitude for returning to host the sophomore season. She highlighted the rare opportunity to work with families and friends, uniting to illuminate the stage and provide enjoyable moments for viewers. In an unusual twist, guests were invited to participate in a special edition of the game show, where they were grouped into Team MTN and Team Momo. This interactive session further emphasised the show’s goal of strengthening bonds through play, and at the end of the exercise, reflected the impact of the show on Nigerian families

Host of Family Feud Nigeria, Bisola Aiyeola (m)

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

18.2.2024

Deola Art Alade Boss Lady of Show Business

Deola Art Alade, wife of the prominent Nigerian musician, media personality and creative, Darey Art Alade is quite the quiet and strategic achiever, choosing to pull the strings behind the scenes. But her impact and contribution to the entertainment industry is in no way some mere rustling. Vanessa Obioha profiles her, highlighting her various contributions and impact on the entertainment industry EDITED BY: VANESSA OBIOHA/vanessa.obioha@thisdaylive.com.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

COVER

I’m More Interested in Giving Back to the Arts

Art Alade

“Y

ou’re trying to interview me,” said Deola Art Alade gently but with a knowing smile. It’s widely known that she prefers to stay behind the scenes, rarely granting interviews. However, on this bright day in December 2023, she could not remain in the shadows. Accompanying her husband on a tour of their facility, the Livespot Entertarium along the Lekki-Epe axis, Art Alade stepped into the spotlight, revealing a glimpse of her strategic influence within the entertainment industry. It was the first day of Entertainment Week Lagos (EWL), a prominent gathering of the entertainment industry across Africa conceptualised by Deola Art Alade in 2022. An air of excitement and anticipation enveloped the venue. Security guards directed people to the car parks, ushers stationed at the entrance ensured that each attendee was duly registered, while the crew performed last-minute checks.

In just two weeks, Art Alade and her team transformed the Entertarium into a creative haven, resembling a maze, where each turn unveiled a carefully curated creative discovery, perfectly embodying the theme of EWL’s second edition, ‘The Next Wave.’ Starting with the X Club/Showcase room, which served as a daytime showcase for creatives seeking breakthroughs, the setting was loungelike. Complete with a stage, quality speakers, and soundproof walls, the view was astonishing; at night it was transformed into Club X, a 30-metrelong bar. The space further led to the Gen Z Republik, equipped with Gen Z’s favourite perks, including games, Instagrammable photo booths, and, of course, free WiFi. Next was the Marketplace, which focused on providing a platform for young brands. About 40 brands were featured. Situated close to it was the Creators Hub which offered live creativity from creatives, while the Podcast Room discussed the day’s activities to engage and attract

audiences.The Film Hub, another creative space, provided a chance to explore African creativity through over 17 short films screened wirelessly to avoid distractions. Surrounding the Film Hub were four spaces for various activities, including the Deal Room, where startups pitched to investors after undergoing training and mentoring from the team at Livespo360, the creative agency of Art Alade. The other three rooms hosted workshops, masterclasses, and panel sessions. The VIP Room, tastefully designed with a bar, accommodated speakers before they went on stage. “Everything you see here is born out of love,” said Art Alade. The transformation of the Entertarium is a testament to Art Alade’s keen eye for spaces, magically turning them into immersive experiences and unforgettable memories. Who could forget the ‘Love Like a Movie’ experience she and her husband brought to Nigerians a few years ago? These immersive events not only delivered breathtaking theatrics but also featured appearances from international stars like the famous American celebrity Kim Kardashian, as well as performances from music stars Kelly Rowland and Ciara. As if that was not enough, when Access Bank launched the Born in Africa Festival (BAFEST), Art Alade and her team were the natural choice. Building on that success, they transitioned into organising the Livespot X Festival, which brought Nigerians electrifying concerts featuring Cardi B and the highly anticipated P-Square reunion concert. More recently, their productions have included the music competition, The Voice Nigeria, and the premiere of Prime Video’s ‘Gangs of Lagos.’ Other notable productions by the agency include the Headies and the Heineken UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour. Beyond live event productions, Art Alade is also the producer of the popular reality TV series ‘The Real Housewives of Lagos’ on Showmax. The localised franchise has become one of the most-watched reality shows in recent times, with the first episode of its second season breaking the opening-day streaming records on Showmax in Nigeria. “I will be producing a new series this year and I’m already looking for talents. I’m a star maker,” she divulged. With these significant contributions, Art Alade joins the pantheon of Nigerian creatives like Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe and Dayo ‘D1’ Adeneye of the Kennis Music fame, Obi Asika, the late Chris Jeyibo, Alibaba Akpobome, Ayeni Adekunle, Ayo Animashaun, Eddie Lawani, and many others who have dedicated their lives to propelling the entertainment industry onto the global stage, believing in and showcasing its immense potential. By all metrics, the entertainment industry is currently in its prime. According to a PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook for 2022-2026, the industry has the potential to emerge as a significant export for Nigeria, with a projected annual consumer growth rate of 8.8%. Forecasts from other sources also suggest promising financial outcomes, with the industry expected to sustain a total revenue growth rate of 14.75% until 2027. Art Alade and her team are diligently working to turn this forecast into reality by investing in EWL. But why invest in such a

conference? “I’m a ‘core’ creative. People don’t know, they think I’m a core businesswoman. I studied Fine Arts at university. And that’s an industry that is barely getting support. But there are a lot of talented people in this industry. There’s nothing we do that does not involve the arts and we all benefit from it. I say to my colleagues, ‘What are we giving back?’” For Art Alade, whose philanthropy has benefited many within the industry, participating in EWL is about aiding the next wave of creatives in finding their footing in the highly competitive entertainment industry. “I’m a serial entrepreneur. When I wanted to start, I needed $5,000 and I knew how tough it was. That’s why the deal room is my baby. We want to help young people raise money for their businesses.” These young people, she said, are the future of the industry. Art Alade further disclosed that the overarching objective of EWL is empowerment, as part of a comprehensive five-year plan. “We need to have trained a certain number of people within five years.” With eyes on training, Art Alade has mentored numerous individuals who have subsequently secured positions at prestigious companies both locally and internationally. “I have four PAs who worked with me in the past that are now CEOs of prominent companies. When I see them, I feel I’m doing something impactful.” While she may operate as a quiet and strategic influencer, her impact on the industry resonates loudly and is far from being a whisper. Art Alade embraces a simple lifestyle, eschewing extravagant spending on wigs or fancy clothes. On this particular day, she opted for a casual yet stylish look, donning blue ripped boot-cut jeans paired with a white crop top from Zara. Her short, fashionably styled hair complemented her outfit, reflecting her mood-driven approach to fashion. “I feel like Gen Z today,” she said jokingly. She is also guided by certain principles, placing a higher value on sincerity and integrity over monetary gain. “Money does not move me,” she said. “I have walked away from some of the biggest deals that nobody would want to move away from. Sincerity and integrity are very key to me. It has become a culture for us. And it reflects in our hiring process. You may be the most brilliant but if you don’t have these qualities, you can’t work for us.” These qualities are what prompted some of her former employees to return to work with her. “I don’t have many friends but I’m big on relationships. And my relationships are not based on material things. It’s not about what they wear but the sincerity of their heart.” Hailing from Ekiti State, renowned for its intellectual prowess, excellence is ingrained in Art Alade’s DNA. “Everything I do, I try to do it well and excel. That’s why I take my time. I don’t rush or try to keep up with the Joneses. I’m a moving train.” Her mantra is never to make excuses. “People should always try to make something out of every situation.” As the EWL prepares for its third edition later this year, Art Alade is determined to transform it into more than just a breeding ground for ideas that will propel the industry to global dominance. She envisions it as a platform where the younger generation can enhance their skills, cultivate an achiever’s mindset, and forge new connections within a community of influencers.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

HighLife Akinwole Omoboriowo: The Silent Achiever

Omoboriowo

Mastery is the goal of the game, not popularity or constant recognition. Keeping this in mind, Akinwole Omoboriowo II, the amiable CEO of Genesis Electricity, has continued to climb to the heights of business achievement with his entrepreneurial prowess. At a time of infrastructural failure and ensuing doubts, attention turns to one individual who can reintroduce light into the situation. Omoboriowo is the CEO and Chairman of Genesis Energy Group, a successful and multi-award-winning group of companies with strong interests in the development of energy infrastructure, climate impact investment, and asset management. Doubling as the Chairman Board of Directors of the largest licensed Commercial OffGrid company in Nigeria, GEL Utility, Omoboriowo’s name is resounding. Oddly, despite the successes named after him, Omoboriowo manages to keep his achievements under wraps. Committed to lighting up the nation and bringing the necessary components for a modern life to communities in Nigeria, perhaps Omoboriowo expects the fruition of his goals before walking into the light. A silent achiever by all accounts, Omoboriowo’s innovativeness has motivated the energy and oil and gas industries to make adjustments to operational models. This is ultimately expected since Omoboriowo’s creative strategies are driven by decades of handson experience in enterprise building and sustainability. Omoboriowo’s name may not be wellknown among ordinary people, but he is a corporate giant in the eyes of industrialists, investors, and market watchers. Definitely one of the most innovative business people around today, high-profile advisory boards, such as that of the Global Thinkers Forum UK and Shell Foundation UK, recognise his genius and have benefitted greatly from Omoboriowo’s strategies. For a master like Omoboriowo, the days of darkness are only opportunities to turn up the light. At Genesis Electricity, that is exactly what Omoboriowo and his team are doing. Outside the shores of the nation, they are adding significantly to the good name of Nigerians.

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

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

Bolaji Agbede: The Amazon That Will Pilot Access Holdings The waves of life will always follow one after another, keeping the shores in a perpetual dance of old and new life. At Access Holdings, the waves arrived bearing the need for change, and ushering an era to be led and managed by none other than Ms. Bolaji Agbede, believed to be the successor to the recently deceased Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe. Life is a storm and has blown Agbede into the path prepared for the masterly feet of Wigwe. The latter passed away on Friday, February 9, 2024, along with his wife, son, and a former chairman of the Nigeria Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo. It was a helicopter crash, a harrowing experience that left Access Holdings with no other choice than to look for Wigwe’s successor. At this time, the pendulum of change seems to have swung in the direction of Agbede, marking her out to be the

Agbede

best choice for continuing where Wigwe stopped. Despite the massive shoes of the former group CEO and his unsurpassable vision, Agbede might just be the best person for the job as she wears enough understanding and experience to help Access walk into the light again. Having worked at Access Holdings for about 21 years now, Agbede knows the ins and outs of the enterprise with her professional experience which stretches across many corporate dimensions, especially in banking and consultancy. This is why she championed Access’ Group Human Resources section as the head between 2010 and 2022 and was made the founding Executive Director of its Business Support immediately after. With Access announcing Agbede as its Group CEO, customers and investors can rest easy. All hope is not lost. There is an Amazon, Agbede, among the crew who can pilot the enterprise into the sunset of positive change and progress.

What’s Next for Yahaya Bello, Retirement or Another Appointment? Progression is the natural order of life, and so is entropy. Against the moving train that is the life of Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, there are debates as to what route the train will take. Will it stop at political retirement or is there an appointment waiting by the next bend? The era of Bello in Kogi has come to an end. Named the GYB era, it was characterised by many narratives, some painting the man as the greatest devilish governor in the history of wicked state governors, and others portraying him as a misunderstood revolutionary. Strangers to Kogi’s politics tend to champion the latter narrative. Regarding his perception nationwide, debates are ongoing as to what path he will take if he is in the position to make the decision. Will Bello retire from all things political, perhaps take up a business venture and show the corporate world what untethered confidence can accomplish? Or will he bend the knee to get an appointment,

continuing where he stopped and stretching his influence across Nigeria? Many social commentators hold the view that Bello will not retire. As the impassioned loyalty of his successor, Usman Ododo has shown, Bello may remain a relevant pillar in Kogi’s politics for many years to come. But this means that Bello may not be able to climb out of the prison of the past, a prison that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are happy to make tangible and realistic. But another group of commentators believe that Bello will leave the political scene, especially since EFCC appears intent on throwing him behind bars. Assuming he can escape their grasp, he may choose to do something different with his life. All in all, nobody knows what Bello will do next. Assuming he can decide it himself, rather than have EFCC decide it for him, he may prefer a political appointment to retirement.

Bello

Tokunbo Wahab Stuns Lagosians with Jaw-dropping Feats

Wahab

Against a sea of mediocrity sails excellence on the shoulders of the pitiful few, changing the colours visible to the eyes from the shades of distrust and indifferent to bright hues of gratitude and expectation. On this ship, Tokunbo Wahab stands as captain, steering Lagos State into another era of positive change and progress in the area of environment and water resources. Lagos is blessed, that’s for sure. The governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is more committed to the welfare of the people and the progress of the state than any other governor can boast. But bigger than this, Sanwo-Olu has the willing and active support of people like Wahab, people with

thinking heads and beating hearts. With Wahab, it is a matter of vision. Since returning to the Lagos State government cabinet as Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Wahab has seen enough of the possibilities to recognise that what he chanced upon was not alright. It was his vision that led him to initiate a series of policy-driven steps that are gradually changing Lagos’ environment. At this time, Lagos is cleaner than ever. Moreover, Wahab has set things into motion such that the state’s natural resources will not be unduly utilised or wasted. Instead, every expenditure will be judicious, indicating a significant behavioural change in the majority of concerned Lagosians. This is the same thing Wahab actualized in the area of education when he was the Special

Adviser to Sanwo-Olu on education. Wahab did not only help set up the necessary infrastructure for smooth learning; he also inspired changes in Lagosians’ perception of the value of formal education, changing the narrative from ‘school is a scam’ to ‘knowledge is a charm.’ To think that this man started as a corporate lawyer. From there, Wahab moved into public service and has become the sweetheart of the coastal city. Thanks to Wahab’s good work, education in Lagos changed. The same wind of change is blowing over the area of environmental and water resource management. Undoubtedly, the coming years will see this aspect of Lagos transformed and improved.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

HIGHLIFE

Take Heart, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-Olu

Death is like an iron door that mortal hands cannot break or bend. Knocking does nothing but show the futility of human effort. The heart breaks at the deep sadness that Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is feeling over the untimely passing of his friend, Herbert Wigwe. Commiserating with him, Lagosians have asked the governor to take heart and strengthen himself to continue where Wigwe stopped, to the best of his abilities. Wigwe’s death came as a giant bell hitting one awake to the uncertainties of human life. It was a rude awakening, one that pushed many Nigerians to the limit, causing them to question why we are here in the first place. Wigwe did not seem to reach the peak of his life, despite his many achievements. But he died - and in such a bad way. According to reports, Wigwe passed away from a helicopter crash on Friday, February 9, 2024. He was not alone. Along with his wife and son, as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of

Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Wigwe crossed to the other side, leaving pain and heartache behind. Few felt the pain of the Access Holdings man passing as Governor Sanwo-Olu. According to the latter, Wigwe was his brother, his friend, and his adviser. Doubtless, the duo had planned to do many great and awesome things in Lagos. But there are no redos with death. Sanwo-Olu’s pain has brought discussions about how well one person’s competence can inspire another. Wigwe and Sanwo-Olu would definitely have groomed Lagos into something great, even as Sanwo-Olu is doing now and Wigwe did with Access Holdings. They definitely inspired each other, but Wigwe can no longer be pushed to his best by Sanwo-Olu’s achievements. Governor Sanwo-Olu can only take heart, as so many others have told him. Legacies depict the prints of human life better than words ever can.

The Bond Between Babatunde Fashola and Olasupo Shasore Friendship bonds are not forged over one dinner session, one chance meeting at a party, or one encounter during which shoulders bump and glances are exchanged. Friendship bonds are forged over shared experiences, varying from good times to accusations of theft and fraud. In this regard, former Lagos State governor and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, is friends with Olasupo Shasore, his Attorney General that year. Things are moving faster than eyes can blink. It seems like it was only a few months ago that Fashola roamed the streets of Lagos as governor and walked across the nation as Works and Housing minister. Today, the man has retired from the factory rooms of politics and is considering sharing some of his experiences these past years. It is on this note that Fashola recently published a book titled “Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole” in which he displayed his knowledge and understanding of

public issues in Nigeria. In the book, Fashola reportedly set pen to paper to unveil some of the realities of state and country, going into great detail to disclose important drivers and motivations behind some of the issues faced by Nigerians. Curiously, Shasore is reported to have played a significant role in Fashola’s book. This is not altogether surprising for two reasons: one, Shasore and Fashola are very good friends as the years have shown. Secondly, Shasore was around during Fashola’s adventure as Lagos State governor. He very likely played some of the tunes that determined the dance of issues around Fashola. Perhaps Fashola is only paying back for Shasore’s good gestures when the latter also featured him in his book, “Possessed,” published in 2014. Fashola had written the foreword to that book and reportedly featured heavily in it. Now that Fashola has chronicled his perspective, it is only right that his good friend, Shasore, plays a major role. This is the bond of friendship, tight and tethered.

Shasore

Wole Oshin: Nigeria’s New Shining Light

Oshin

It is not surprising that the Oshin of today is a distant alternative from what others would have expected. The man’s natural brilliance and vision are compounded by a spirit of seriousness, nevertheless making Oshin impressively passionate towards his business interests, which continue to increase as time passes. Looking at his position today, one could say that any other person who experienced as much as he has would also reach such heights. But that is not necessarily true. Take, for example, Oshin’s top business, Custodian Investment. Since he started serving as the company’s MD, he has wielded significant influence over the financial services industry, branching into the real estate sector. Being the majority stakeholder, investors are easily convinced that he is committed to their interests as anything that happens to the business would affect him more than anyone. This kind of approach to business is not what anyone can do,

not counting the average man who only wants to make a quick buck and disappear. Clearly, Oshin is in it for the long haul as characterised by his strategic investments in the company which are speculated to have reached N15.5 billion (or the equivalent of $11 million). In addition to Custodian Investment, Oshin also has Custodian & Allied Insurance, CrusaderSterling Pensions, Custodian Trustees, and Custodian Foundation, all of which are doing remarkably well. With the Custodian Foundation, especially, Oshin is actively changing lives through his commitment to corporate social responsibility and community development. Ultimately, the man who studied Actuarial Science at the University of Lagos and went on to walk on the finance path is determined to stand out all his life. There is no surprise to his new and shining light.

Runsewe

Olusegun Runsewe: Many Accolades Distinction marks an individual for excellence and excellence often clears the path for recognition. Olusegun Runsewe may not be deliberate about this formula but he has chanced upon its benefits in the last five years or so. Counting his expressions of commitment to arts, culture, and tourism in Nigeria, it would not be surprising if another nation invites him over to have him promote their cultures as he has done Nigeria’s. The former DG of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Runsewe, continues to claim accolade after accolade on account of his robust understanding of the arts and cultural sector, as well as his recommendations to that effect. Suggesting new means through which Nigeria may stand out and provide for her people, Runsewe’s past accomplishments come to mind, lending a voice to his belief in the possibilities of the future. In the mind of Runsewe, tourism can be leveraged as Nigeria’s most potent means of national income. Counting Nigeria’s arts and culture as currencies that can be exchanged for considerable recognition across Africa and the globe, Runsewe has never been shy claiming that tourism can be the country’s new oil. As many different people say many different things, there is a tendency to think that Runsewe only says such things to sound different. But the accolades that accompanied his work in NCAC stand as proof that he is serious about the prospects of Nigeria based on tourism and firmly believes in this vision. This is why organisations are falling over their heads to award Runsewe’s past achievements at NCAC. The latest of these organisations is the committee behind the annual Sportsville Special Recognition Awards. According to reports, they intend to honour Runsewe along with several other dignitaries for encouraging Nigeria and Nigerians to excel outside the country’s shores. Yes, it is a merry day for Runsewe, the master of new accolades. He has done many solid things and is committed to doing more.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Bode George: Leave Wigwe and Elumelu Alone

Chief George

The last time I squared off with a man of this age and standing, it was the police they used to pursue me. Not that I fear police o, but annoying a “daddy” may have some ancestral connotations so one must tread very carefully. Anyways, a very old video of Chief Bode George has reemerged on the eve of the very sad and tragic passing of the influential Access Bank honcho. In the said video, Chief George railed about bank chiefs and how in his own estimation they have milked the system and made themselves fatuously wealthy to the point that they are “advertising their private universities on CNN.” In his moment in the sun, he mentioned names of which these two didn’t sit well with me - Wigwe and Tony Elumelu. To be fair to him, the video is dated but dark cowards have gone to fish it out for their devilish and mischievous purposes. So, I would be totally wrong if I took aim at the sweet and chubby granddad who looks like a “Father Christmas” instead of taking aim at the faceless miscreants who have seized Herbert’s sad passing to

throw bile at his legacy. Daddy, these two have worked very seriously at delivering certain set visions which have grown beyond them and have taken root globally. They have and still in the case of Tony built huge financial conglomerates with very serious international and multilateral investing organisations embedded. These organisations do not joke with corporate governance and best practices and as such would have been the very first in pushing back and we would not have to wait for you to wake up from your siesta to come and be telling us tales by moonlight when you are not working for NTA. Access Bank and UBA under these two gentlemen have grown so big that their imprints now cascade the continent, berthing other such massive enterprises in other sectors of the economy leading to huge job creation, massive infrastructural development and much more importantly inspiring confidence in our economy. As an investment banker, I laugh

at all the “useless” write-ups on how Herbert stole Intercontinental Bank that is circulating. As one that was very close to that transaction, I can say for certain that these stories are just pigwash aimed at rubbishing a tight and well curated legacy. For Tony, you all know I am not his fan, but what we cannot deny is his influence in all sectors he is playing. Such huge entrepreneurial spirits come rarely. From philanthropy to power, from finance to leadership, he continues to push and pull garlands towards himself and the nation. So, singling them out as the main reason for the “shitty” situation we find ourselves in is just an exercise in tom foolery. Daddy, shouldn’t we be with the grandkids at this time, telling them stories of yore under the mango tree instead of lending our personality and weight to philistines who are running around with tar in a futile attempt at tarnishing well-built reputations and legacy? We never learn. It’s simply the crab mentality. We remain crabs, I swear. Annoying.

RUTH OSIME: A WONDERFUL OUTING On the back of the sad passing of the great Herbert Wigwe, we sauntered into the alluring venue of screen beauty and media personality- Ruth Osime’s 60th birthday bash. It was a subdued event as the attendee circle were of almost the same circle Herbert Wigwe socialised with. Attendees spoke in hushed tones but still had the grace to give sinfully beautiful Ruth a wonderful

time that she more than deserved. As I walked in, I met the brilliant Chairman of Fidelity Bank, my egbon Mustafa Chike-Obi on his way out. We greeted and hugged, and from there I moved straight into the arms of Fidelis Anosike whose very beautiful wife, the delectable actress Rita Dominic sat with my sister, brilliant and sweet investment banker Chioma Okigbo. Mai Atafo looked

extraordinarily handsome so tey I come dey wonder if he don do surgery. Mai no fine like this before o, wetin he dey chop was what I wondered as I hugged him and moved straight into the arms of debonair banker and financial wizard Robert Mbonu. Kai, Robert is a class act. He hugged me and we spoke about Herbert for a bit and I left him to go greet Chief Okoya who had just walked in with his prize jewel

Shade. This Shade is a wonder o. Kai, timeless beauty. Then my mummy of Africa entered. Senator Florence Ita-Giwa na real immortal beauty. I did not go and greet her o as people will not let her be. They were disturbing her with too much greetings so I decided not to add my own. Then I saw my greatest of the greatest – Tonye Cole. Tonye was dressed like an Italian Mafia don complete

Aig-Imoukhuede

Adedeji

Osime

Ukanwoke

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

with bowler hat and looked very handsome and rested. He hugged me, we talked a bit and I promised to raid his wardrobe one of these days. What most people don’t know is that Azuka Ogujiuba is the mother of the Duke of Shomolu as a columnist. She was the one that brought me to THISDAY and fought for me to get this column and for this I forever remain grateful. She looked like a thousand stars that night with the white attire and colour hair. Well done baby girl. Then Ruth came in. Oh my God, I cannot begin to describe what she wore o. She changed like three times, each time raising the bar and her dance steps from old school through to her village dance threw her up for the queen of style that she is o. I tapped her and she turned and I gave her a hug and the perfume catch me to the point that when I got home Duchess lamented- you have gone to cheat again o, and I said it was Ruth Osime 60th, and she replied is that your latest girlfriend, and I muttered under my breath as I walked towards the shower – I wish. Happy birthday, my queen. It was such a beautiful outing. God bless you. Mbok, put my name for the 61st. God will keep all of us alive. WALE ADEDEJI: AI IN RECKONING I have not personally met this chap but have spoken to him several times. He is an AI and cloud expert who has consulted for so many top international businesses. In recent years he has consulted for such huge international concerns as RBS, Oracle, BT, Lloyds, Vodafone and GTBank. I spoke with him the other day and he made a statement that rattled my tiny brain. He said: “Gone are the days of gut – feel decisions and intuition driven strategies, today the competitive landscape demands precision, agility, data-driven insights and that is where AI steps in.” By the time this bobo finished with me, my head was woozing I swear. He continued, “Edgar, the boardroom buzzes with excitement, data projections dancing across the screen, a dizzying symphony of numbers and charts…” My people, there and then, I decide not to listen to this one alone. I immediately called my brother Ugodre, promoter of the very influential online business platform, Nairametrics and said to him “Ugo I don jam messiah. Make

HERBERT WIGWE: SO SAD A SONG

Edgar, I have died o. I just got involved in a helicopter crash with my son and my beautiful wife. Even that your Stock Exchange guy is also here. Herbert, are you very serious or are you joking with me just now? Edgar, would I be joking over such a serious thing. Didn’t I tell you that we will meet on Monday when I come back to finalise plans of you appearing on ARISE TV to discuss Wigwe University? Herbert, this thing you are saying is making me weak o. I was at the Blue Diamond Hotel in VI waiting for my egbon Dapo Adelegan who really wants me to write an unauthorised biography of President Tinubu when I saw five very beautiful women o. They were so beautiful that I began to wonder if – na angels dey do them o. Suddenly one of them walked towards me and was shouting on the phone – Herbert, Helicopter? Aye mi, mog be, mo da ran. Herbert, I weak o. I could not ask them which Herbert it was o. I was praying deep in my soul that it is not the same Herbert that we chatted till 3am on Wednesday. Herbert, so it was you. Duke, it was me o, see me o. But I am ok. Very ok, we are waiting to be processed and I have seen some very lovely people. I hear your mother is somewhere around. I will reach out to her. But Duke, there is something I will like you to do for me. Herbert anything o as long as I don’t have to come there to receive the message, just send a chat I will get it. Dukeeeeeee, you can fear? I need to pass a very strong message to Nigerians. Herbert, wait first- before you send the message let me ask you one question. Why did you leave so many things

Late Wigwe

undone? Why didn’t you ask for a postponement or even a waiver? You have left so much uncompleted. Your university, your recent foray into the pension business, I even hear you were about to do something in housing and aviation, your expansion into Africa, Herbert you should not have entered that helicopter o. Is it that there is no GIG Motors in that place that you could have entered their night bus. They even have AC and armed escorts – Kai Herbert ooooooooooo. Everybody is showing people their phones, their last discussions with you. It seems you promised so many people to see them when you came back o, even Governor Alex Otti joined the queue- ohhh Herbert oooooo. Edgar, let me talk na before it’s my turn for registration. Madam and the rest have already been processed and have been given their quarters in heaven so let me talk. Oya talk my brother. Edgar, please tell Nigerians that they must carry on where I left it. Tell Aigboje that he must be strong and stop bowing his head in those pictures I am seeing like say “he no be man.” Tell him that the journey just started and he must lead the way. All the projects must be completed and expanded. We must touch many more lives and that the template is there and very clear so it will be easy to follow. Tell Nigerians that they should not fret, that Nigeria is a great country and that is why even till now I still have faith in the country and its people. Tell them not to tarry that the morning is nigh. I have to go now; you too be strong and keep pushing but always remember that the race is not for the swiftest. God will be with you all and Nigeria will rise again. God bless you, Edgar. Kai, Herbert, tears are not enough. Kai. Herbert. Kai.

we do breakfast meeting and invite all the chief technology officers of the top brands to attend make we open their eyes.” If our companies can be strong, then we can revive our economy. Ugo agree and I don finalise breakfast meeting at the Wheatbaker with Wale as guest speaker. After it all, I go just go somewhere go sleep because he would have given me a huge headache with all of that data crunching talk. Kai. I MET GOSSY UKANWOKE Nigeria has its own fair share of geniuses and Gossy is one of them. I had heard so much about him, especially his foray into education, technology and philanthropy that when the opportunity to meet up came, I grabbed with both hands. Gossy is the chief promoter of Betking, Nigeria’s second largest betting platform with over 600 employees and about 35,000 agents. As I walked into his very spacious office, I noticed that he has two desks and I immediately asked, “Mbok, are you sharing an office?” and he said “no ooo. I oscillate between the two.” He is young and looks it; well-groomed with flat facial hair that makes him quite handsome. Not too tall but super brilliant as expected. He did not open up to me as quickly as I too, I am looking at such a young man who has done so much. I hear he pays billions to the government as tax and is the main pillar behind some banks in terms of deposits and short-term financing bridge. As I looked away from him, I saw a football pitch and I made my inquiries and he said “Yes, I play on some Saturdays.” We talked about AI and he opened his laptop and said: “Edgar, let me write a script for your next play for you.” I say na lie, I dare you. He opened the laptop and typed – write a script…. And the thing started to write o. In five minutes come and see a full script. I screamed, kai Makinde Adeniran, the brilliant writer of my play ‘Awo,’ is gone o. We then started talking about his business, his philanthropy and his penchant for the disabled. His Foundation supports their sporting activities and many more. I am planning to meet up with him again to better discuss and understand his outlook and his quest for sustainable economic change in Nigeria. Make una no worry, I go gist una. Thanks.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R FEBRUARY 18, 2024

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Can We Just Let Femi Gbajabiamila Be?

Ekeh

Ikenna Ekeh is Redeﬁning Real Estate An apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This popular axiom says much about Ikenna Ekeh who stands out as a thirdgeneration entrepreneur, hailing from a lineage steeped in entrepreneurial spirit. It is clear that the handsome and amiable man did not go into business by accident. He was born into a family with a history of successful business empires. From a young age, he demonstrated a strong aptitude for real estate, actively contributing to the family’s property venture, Age Properties, during his college years. His involvement in strategic planning played a pivotal role in the company’s remarkable growth, underscoring his innate business acumen. This early experience laid a solid foundation for his return to the real estate sector, particularly with the advent of fractional blockchain real estate businesses. Ekeh, a distinguished and highly talented professional, has rapidly emerged as a leading figure among dynamic under-30 entrepreneurs revolutionising business across the African continent. As the visionary Founder and CEO of Invidux, a pioneering blockchain-based real estate investment platform in Nigeria, young Ekeh is determined to propel his vision forward. With the ambition of building the largest tech estate investment platform in Africa by the year 2030, his leadership has already seen Invidux achieve groundbreaking success. The platform swiftly garnered $490,000 in patronage just two months post-launch, following an eight-month ideation period. This remarkable achievement not only attracted the attention of venture capitalists but also spotlighted Ekeh as a formidable force in the entrepreneurial world. As he continues to steer Invidux towards unprecedented heights, Ekeh remains steadfast in his commitment to transforming the real estate investment landscape across Africa. Prior to Invidux, Ekeh launched Just Own It, an innovative Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service under TD Africa Distributions Ltd., the largest distributor of technology and lifestyle products in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative, driven by Ikenna’s forward-thinking vision, has significantly broadened the horizon of affordable asset ownership for countless Nigerians since its inception in 2021.

It is quite doubtful that Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, would court controversy but strangely how rhubarbs have literally dogged his steps and actions. This awful experience began soon after he resigned from the Green Chamber last year and assumed his current position. This dark chapter in his memoirs appears to be gaining attention in the public domain, thereby giving the impression that the former speaker himself is controversial. Since he was appointed Chief of Staff, he has been involved in several controversies. But more worrisome is the fact that on each occasion he comes out to defend himself, the controversy keeps coming in torrents at different times and versions. It would be recalled that shortly after his appointment as Chief of Staff to the President, the former lawmaker was accused of using his position to obtain money from people who wanted to visit Mr. President. It was also alleged that he received the sum of N500 million from businessman and oil mogul, Jack Rich, who

lobbied for a ministerial position under Tinubu’s administration. But all these were denied. When many thought the controversy had simmered down and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives was getting down to his new job, another imbroglio reared its ugly head. This time around, he was accused of receiving the sum of N10 billion to renovate his official house inside Aso Rock Villa. As expected, he came out to debunk the story. Just when this was in circulation, he was confronted with another battle from the home front as he was accused of imposition of a candidate. His political foes alleged that he imposed Fuad Kayode Laguda on them as the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Surulere 1 House of Representatives by-election (Laguda won the February 3 election). To clear his name of what he termed as a smear campaign against his person, the politician, in January, wrote a strongly-worded petition to the Department of State Services (DSS) to demand a probe of the alleged campaign of calumny against him.

Gbajabiamila

Air Peace Boss, Allen Onyema, Records Yet Another Milestone

Onyema

Would it be a hyperbole if one describes the boss of Air Peace Airlines, Allen Onyema, as the best to have happened to Nigeria’s aviation sector? Or will it be out of place if other airline operators consult him for the secret of the trade? These questions and even more have been agitating the minds of stakeholders in the

nation’s aviation industry. The trained lawyer has proven to the world, especially intending entrepreneurs, that with persistence, dedication, work and prayer anything can be achieved. Besides, his driving force has helped him maintain the top position among his competitors in the very stiff sector. He is an incurable optimist and always strives to attain results even when it seems nothing is going as planned. He seems to share the same philosophy as former American President, Calvin Coolidge, who said: ‘‘Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” It is no more news that he has set the pace for others in the same business becoming a reference point in the nation’s aviation sector. Despite the

unparalleled success, he has refused to rest on his oars but has continued to paddle his canoe with so much power and gusto, breaking new ground, achieving significant high points and towering above others to the surprise of many. Last Monday, Nigerians were awakened with yet another good news from Anambra State, as Air Peace has been granted permission to fly the New York route. This good news, as gathered, comes after Air Peace submitted a request on January 12, 2024, seeking approval for flights to New York. The airline would be among other international airlines flying into one of the most popular airports, the JF Kennedy International Airport in New York. Well, if you think the shrewd businessman has slowed down, you are mistaken, he has promised to secure more routes into his kitty, more routes that would shock many of his competitors, till there would be no more routes available.

Top Entrepreneur, Fifi Ejindu’s Pan African Mission Beautiful and elegant Princess, Fifi Ejindu, has no doubt made a great impact in Nigeria’s business world. Though a trained architect, her great contribution to the nation’s economy would be well documented and would definitely outlive her. The brilliant woman prides herself as one of Nigeria’s leading female architects, a fashionista, and an entrepreneur. She has a rich and diverse entrepreneurial journey that has helped to shape the business world. Her path to success includes a series of ventures that have significantly contributed to the architectural world in particular. On many occasions, she has been given kingly treats by some of the most powerful men and women in and outside the country. Indeed, such is the life of this great Cross River Stateborn businesswoman and philanthropist. A great woman by all standards. Even when the elegant and sophisticated woman has conquered Nigeria’s business climate, she takes delight as an African, where great potential lies. With her connections and influence that transcends the shores of the African continent, the intelligent woman is uniting African countries through trade and investment. Many would recall that last October, the renowned cerebral business magnate was

Ejindu

inducted as the president of the Angola-Nigeria Business Council in Abuja. During the induction, Ejindu vowed that she was more optimistic that her induction as President of the Business Forum would birth a smooth symbiotic relationship and also foster positive economic gains which would boost the

two countries’ GDP. It is an understatement that she has walked the talk as she has showcased herself as someone ready for selfless service to humanity. She has breathed fresh life into the council and given it a wing to fly. Society Watch gathered that the council has recorded an unimaginable feat since its inception last year. This was disclosed a few weeks ago at the Radisson Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos when it hosted eminent personalities to Angola-Nigeria Diplomatic-Business Investment. Some of the guests at the interactive session include Nigerian former President, Olusegun Obasanjo; former senate president, Bukola Saraki; Segun Awolowo, Vice President of the Council, and Engineer Antonio dos Santos Domingos, among several others. It was gathered that the high-flying woman wowed other dignitaries at the session with the depth of her intellect and critical analysis of trending issues in the global economy and trading. She was applauded by Obasanjo as well as Saraki for her effort and ingenuity aimed at harnessing Angola and Nigeria’s business initiatives.

Labo Autos Boss, Olabisi Akanbi, Celebrates The Chief Executive Officer of Labo Business Group, Dr. Olabisi Akanbi, has every reason to celebrate. His automotive, real estate and entertainment businesses have been growing in leaps and bounds thus his decision to celebrate each New Year and appreciate his loyal staff and customers who make it happen. For the past seven years, the businessman fondly called Labo has been hosting a one-in-town end-of-the-year bash to herald the new business year and this year is no

different. Recently, Labo played host to scores of his staff and customers at his office in Lagos for another blowout. At the event, gifts were presented to the best and most loyal customers of the year. On the wheel of steel at the bash was top turntablist, DJ Troy who thrilled the guests with the latest music while the best dancer in both male and female categories went home with lots of prizes and others.

Akanbi

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

18. 2. 2024

From the Smithery of Woko Aguru’sExperimental Fusions A Rivers State-based upcycling artist’s solo exhibition in Port Harcourt stirs up conversations around the environment’s inﬂuence on nature and humans. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

ith such an attention-grabbing title as The Treasures Within, the solo exhibition, which opened on Sunday, February 11, at 4 p.m. at the Brick House along Akassa Street LQ 3RUW +DUFRXUW·V 2OG *5$ GHÀQLWHO\ makes no secret about its intentions. After all, it is obvious—isn’t it?—that the artist, Woko Joy Aguru, is drawing his audience’s attention to treasures that abound in unlikely places. “Treasures are everywhere, but only intentional eyes can see them,” corroborates the exhibition’s curator, Primrose Ochuba, in her statement. “Aguru Woko’s body of work invites us to experience beauty in what is otherwise regarded as waste. His explorations with wine corks, plastics, polycerene, aluminium, mop sticks, and other materials associated with dirt argue for eco-visualities, environmental sustainability, and friendliness.” At the same time, the viewer must, of course, not overlook the fact that this exhibition, which concludes on Sunday, )HEUXDU\ VLJQLÀHV D UHPDUNDEOH PLOHstone in the Rivers State-based artist’s career trajectory. Aguru has, since his graduation in 2000 from the University of Port Harcourt with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sculpture, remained unwaveringly devoted to his studio practice. But what now sets him apart is his sucFHVVIXOO\ ZHDQLQJ KLPVHOI RͿ WKH XVH RI traditional pigments such as pastel, oil, and acrylic paints and breathing new life into such discarded objects and waste materials as wine corks, soda cans, and polystyrene, which coalesce into colourful visual expressions. Indeed, it is this keen obsession with repurposing and reshaping the familiar that ranks him among the growing tribe of unconventional artists. Still on this artist’s much-highlighted “unconventional” creative approach, it is hard not to notice a conscious stylisation that clearly references traditional African masks. This, it appears, is what bestows a patina of aged beauty on his sculptures. Similarly, a close-up contemplation of his paintings makes the VHQVLWLYH YLHZHU VXEFRQVFLRXVO\ ÁLQFK LQ sudden misgiving before the excrescences of present-day society’s propensity for mammon worship. The fact that these repurposed found objects used to be casings or coverings for what was deemed essential consumables forces him into a VREHU UHÁHFWLRQ 7KLV LV DOVR ZKLOH QRWLFLQJ how the artist delicately infuses elements of ancient aesthetics into his exploration of contemporary issues. And it is in the smithery of this experimental fusion—the repurposing of discarded materials, which are oftentimes the detritus of imported consumables—that the artist’s credo of form and aesthetics is forged. Perhaps that is what gladdens the hearts

Anya Anya

Dimkpa Badu

Aguru

of many environmental activists about this exhibition, which is being organised by Delaroke Gallery, a gallery Ochuba FUHGLWV ZLWK DQ ´D΀QLW\ >IRU@ JUHHQ DLU µ As for the works themselves, they are only vehicles of expression of the artist’s ultimate aim: rehashing a belaboured “waste-to-wealth” mantra. Indeed, how the recalcitrant environmental violators respond to such campaigns as Aguru’s is one thing—to them, they might have been words whispered in a storm. But it is DQRWKHU PDWWHU HQWLUHO\ KRZ DÀFLRQDGRV readily warm up to the visual euphony of works like “Anya Anya,” “In Her Flamboyance,” and “Flamboyant II,” among others. So, in a nutshell, through this exhibition, the artist, who is known for his pioneering and leadership roles in the Rivers State Indigenous Visual Artists’ Association, contributes to ongoing conversations DERXW WKH HQYLURQPHQW·V LQÁXHQFH RQ nature and humans. This is in addition

to drawing his audience’s attention to those valuable hidden treasures that have been hidden in plain sight. As a child, Aguru developed a deep love for art, much like many other artists do. Even at WKH \RXQJ DJH RI ÀYH KH ZRXOG replicate drawings and do a lot of sketching on sand. These early warning signs of an artistic calling were evident long before he enrolled at the University of Port Harcourt. Eager to wrench his art free from the clutches of the run-of-the-mill, he embraced upcycling as a way to give his art a unique twist. It is, however, worth noting that the 53-yearold had hitherto been making a name for himself in recent years, particularly in the Port Harcourt art scene, through his participation in several group

exhibitions. In fact, he previously had a solo exhibition organised by the same gallery in the capital city of Rivers State. Additionally, Aguru participated in two group exhibitions in Lagos in 2018: the Miniature Art Expo at Mega Plaza and the Faces and Forms exhibition at the National Museum. Over the years, the artist has actively engaged in various public-commissioned projects. One of such notable projects was the design and construction of the entrance gate for the Rivers State Carnival Village, which spanned from 2013 to 2014. Additionally, in a collaborative HͿRUW ZLWK HVWHHPHG DUW KLVWRULDQ )UDQN Ugiomoh, he participated in the making of the landmark 1971 Foundation Monument situated at the heart of the University of Benin’s main campus. These remarkable achievements have further burnished his artistic credentials, along with his works, which adorn esteemed public and private collections alike.

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

ARTS & REVIEW\\POT POURRI

Despite Few Letdowns, Maestro Remains Highly Recommended Adesegun Ade-Martins

, ÀQG WKDW WKH PRYLH IROORZV VRPH VW\OLVWLF conventions that Woody Allen movies follow. 7KLV LV DQ RYHUODSSLQJ GLDORJXH 7KLV LV QRW D ÀOP crime, and it’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. However, it has the ability to lose short attention span audience types (I’m just looking out for them). I would say those are the key letdowns in the movie.

ecently, I ran into a theatre director and key cultural organiser in Abuja, Nigeria. This being RXU ÀUVW LQWHUDFWLRQ KH VWDUWHG to share his frustration with the auteur theory. +H TXLSSHG EULHÁ\ DERXW KRZ it takes away from other key cast members and crew’s contribution to the body of work in question. 6LPLODUO\ ZH ÀOP FULWLFV WHQG WR IDYRXU DXWHXU theory in our thinking, and in the case of Maestro, it’s hard to know where Bradley Cooper ends and where the cast and crew begins. $FWRU GLUHFWRUV DUH D GLͿHUHQW EUHHG RI GLUHFWRUV It’s hard enough being behind the camera and directing the action, let alone preparing for the OHDG FKDUDFWHU WKDW FDUULHV WKH ÀOP DV ZHOO Maestro was written by Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer. The cinematography was done by Matthew Libatique, and it was edited by Michelle Tesoro. There are 13 producers credited, but the standout names are Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and, of course, Bradley Cooper. Maestro is an artistic biopic of Leonard Bernstein, an American conductor and composer whose rise to prominence from the 1940s with active years until the 1980s had a huge impact on American music culture till today. He was also a music educator and the composer

A scene from the movie

MOVIES for West Side Story (theAmerican Romeo and Juliet). Bradley Cooper stars as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as his endearing wife, Felicia Montelegre. What didn’t work *HWWLQJ LQWR WKH ÀOP IURP WKH EHJLQQLQJ FDQ EH D ELW GL΀FXOW VWDUWLQJ ZLWK WKH RSHQLQJ VKRW However, as it wears on and the inciting incident happens, the story jumps to life.

What worked As a piece of storytelling, Maestro is truly a PDVWHUVWURNH RI ÀOPPDNLQJ $OO WKH GHSDUWPHQWV are beautifully orchestrated in harmony to fuse PDNHXS SURGXFWLRQ GHVLJQ GDQFH EULHÁ\ VRXQG lighting, editing, and most especially acting. Bradley Cooper and Cillian Murphy both deserve the big prize for their roles. They really lead and carry the weight of their respective movies triumphantly. Cooper is a force in this movie, portraying the quiet and personal anguish that ripples all the way through. You feel the inner life that Bernstein may have lived. That is the tragedy of being queer and a SXEOLF ÀJXUH DW WKH WLPH KH OLYHG You see his joys of being a father and a husband to Felicia Montelegre. You also see his pain of having a longing that the world didn’t accept. In turn, you see Felicia’s role in Bernstein’s life as his wife. Delicately played by Carey Mulligan. Their chemistry as they fall in love, disagree, and argue is palpable. Other pivotal roles with short (ish) screen time

include Matt Bomer as David Oppenheim. Sarah Silverman plays Shirley Bernstein, Maya Hawke plays Jamie Bernstein, and Gideon Glick plays Tommy Cothran. There are either one or two key scenes between these characters and Bernstein. The decision to shoot some sequences in black and white may be equated to the other great biopic of 2023 by casual observers, but there’s a great nuance LQ KRZ WKH\ DUH H[HFXWHG LQ WKH ÀOPV Maestro has one of the best match cuts I’ve seen in a while when a point of no return occurs about a third of the way. A black-and-white shot is cut directly to a colour shot, which is exquisite. A big thumbs up to editor Michelle Tesoro. You would imagine that having two awardwinning directors, Scorsese and Spielberg, produce WKH ÀOP ZRXOG LQÁXHQFH WKH GLUHFWRU WR VKRRW RQ DQDORJXH ÀOP UDWKHU WKDQ WKH FRVW HͿHFWLYH GLJLWDO I support a choice like this, especially when you get Matthew Libatique to shoot it. His credits for VKRW RQ DQDORJXH ÀOPV LQFOXGH 5HTXLHP IRU 'UHDP The Fountain, and Black Swan, which are critically DFFODLPHG ÀOPV +H KDV EORFNEXVWHUV VKRW RQ ÀOP DQG GLJLWDO ZLWK a variety of camera gear in his resume. Clearly, he’s a versatile and capable technical artist. The mastery of his work shows on Maestro, where there is deliberate restraint with the camera work. Most shots are static, with a few that have slight push-ins, particularly in a pivotal conducting scene.

$GH 0DUWLQV ZULWHV IURP $EXMD

Breath of Fresh Air for Harmattan Workshop as Selma Etareri Comes to Town Segun Ade-Martins

o doubt, Selma Etareri’s arrival in Lagos for the 26th edition of the Harmattan Workshop has set the stage for a remarkable cultural convergence. The reputation of this celebrated Austrian ceramist, who is renowned for her exceptional ability to merge traditional Austrian ceramic techniques with contemporary DUWLVWLF IRUPV SUHFHGHV KHU DV DQ LQÁXHQWLDO ÀJXUH LQ the global art community. This much, the esteemed ceramist Ato Arinze acknowledged when he lauded her creative endeavours, while recognising the unique and innovative contributions she has PDGH WR WKH ÀHOG RI FHUDPLFV While Etareri’s participation in the Harmattan Workshop is undeniably worth crowing about, LW VLJQLÀHV PXFK PRUH WKDQ D PHUH HQJDJHPHQW ,W VLJQLÀHV D WUXH PHHWLQJ RI DUWLVWLF WUDGLWLRQV D melting pot of Austrian and Nigerian heritage. As she immerses herself in this vibrant artistic environment, her presence promises to inspire and captivate a diverse array of artists, from emerging talents within the local community to renowned international luminaries. This dynamic cultural exchange is poised to breathe new life into the

Etareri (middle) met on arrival by friends

VISUAL ARTS workshop, further enhancing its reputation as a platform for artistic collaboration and the celebration of cultural diversity. Then, there is also Etareri’s commitment to

cultural exchange and education, which extends beyond her involvement in the Harmattan Workshop. As part of her extensive itinerary, she is scheduled to deliver enlightening talks LQ /DJRV DQG $JEDUKD 2WRU RͿHULQJ LQYDOXDEOH insights gathered from her extensive experience in ceramics. These discussions are anticipated

to leave a lasting impact, igniting curiosity and sparking intellectual growth within the artistic community.Additionally, her exploratory journey will take her to Oshogbo and Benin, where she will immerse herself in the richness of Nigerian artistic heritage, delving into the roots of its diverse expressions. Far from being a one-sided endeavour, Etareri’s artistic odyssey through Nigeria serves as a testament to the nation’s rich artistic tapestry. Her engagements in various cities are poised to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation RI WKH LQWULFDWH QXDQFHV WKDW GHÀQH 1LJHULDQ DUW This immersive experience will undoubtedly imbue her own creative process with newfound inspiration while simultaneously nurturing a deeper connection and mutual understanding among the artists she encounters along the way. As the 26th edition of the Harmattan Workshop unfolds, the presence of Selma Etareri adds an unmistakable air of anticipation and excitement. Her distinctive artistic vision, coupled with her unwavering dedication to cultural exchange, elevates the workshop to new heights. This convergence of diverse talent and shared experiences demonstrates the transformative power of art to transcend boundaries, foster meaningful connections, and bring about a truly global artistic dialogue.

With Timothy Fasuyi’s Passing, Closes a Chapter in Nigeria’s Art History Yinka Olatunbosun

solemn turn of events on January 27 witnessed the departure of yet another Nigeria College of Arts and Science (now known as Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria) alumnus, Timothy Adebanjo )DVX\L $ UHYHUHG ÀJXUH LQ 1LJHULDQ DUW DQG DQ esteemed educator, Fasuyi’s multifaceted journey encompassed artistry, teaching, sculpting, and an impactful tenure as a federal art advisor, who succeeded the late celebrated artist Ben Enwonwu in 1969. Fasuyi’s contributions to the Nigerian cultural landscape extended beyond his primary pursuits. He played an instrumental role in establishing 1LJHULD·V ÀUVW HYHU FXOWXUDO FHQWUH 7$)$6 &XOWXUDO Centre in Ikeja, Lagos. Moreover, his unwavering dedication helped foster the growth and enrichment of art and culture throughout Nigeria. Born inApril 1935 in Ilesha, Osun State, he began KLV DUWLVWLF MRXUQH\ E\ HDUQLQJ KLV LQLWLDO ÀSORPD in FineArts from the Nigerian College ofArts, Science & Technology, now known asAhmadu Bello University, specialising in the realm of painting. Subsequently, he obtained his second diploma in art education from the University of Alabama,

TRIBUTE Birmingham, in the United States. For his further studies, he pursued a course in art education at the University of Sydney in Australia in 1971. Beyond his exceptional artistic talents, Fasuyi ventured into the realm of education. Starting in 1960, he embarked on a teaching career and served DV DQ DUW HGXFDWLRQ R΀FHU DW .LQJ·V &ROOHJH LQ Lagos. He also co-founded the Society of Nigerian Artists, solidifying his place among the nation’s cultural vanguards. Throughout his illustrious career, Pa Timothy Fasuyi participated in numerous group exhibitions that showcased his artistic prowess. Notable among these include the “Inaugural Exhibition of the Society of Nigerian Artists” held at the Exhibition Centre in Lagos in 1964, the “Contemporary NigerianArt: Exhibition for Ori-Olokun Opening” at the Ori-Olokun Cultural Centre in Ile-Ife in 1968, and the “Contemporary NigerianArt” showcased at the Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery in /RQGRQ GXULQJ WKH VDPH \HDU 2WKHU VLJQLÀFDQW exhibitions include “Contemporary Nigerian Prints and Paintings” at the Fourth Ife Festival RI WKH $UWV LQ DQG ´2ͿHULQJV IURP WKH *RGVµ hosted at the National Theatre in Lagos in June-July 1985. Additionally, the “Silver Jubilee National Art

Fasuyi Exhibition” held at the National Theatre in Lagos, the Federal University of Technology in Owerri, DQG /XJDUG +DOO LQ .DGXQD LQ SURPLQHQWO\ featured his remarkable artworks. Fasuyi’s impact extended beyond the realm of YLVXDO DUWV KH ZDV DOVR D SUROLÀF ZULWHU +LV QRWDEOH work, Cultural Policy in Nigeria, published in 1973,

H[HPSOLÀHV KLV LQVLJKW DQG SURIRXQG XQGHUVWDQGing of Nigeria’s cultural domain. Moreover, his contributions were acknowledged and celebrated, with him receiving theAustralian Commonwealth Scholarship in 1971 and being named a Fellow of the esteemed Asele Institute in Nimo in 1985. In a heartfelt tribute to honour his revered father, Wale Fasuyi, a former investment banker, christened the art gallery in GRA Ikeja as Tim & Carol. This gesture serves as a testament to Pa Timothy Fasuyi’s enduring legacy in Nigerian art and commemorates the invaluable impact he made throughout his lifetime. Indeed, his artistic journey was a testament to his unwavering passion and dedication. He pushed boundaries, challenged norms, and carved his own path in the Nigerian art scene. His artistic style was marked by a unique blend of traditional Nigerian DHVWKHWLFV DQG FRQWHPSRUDU\ LQÁXHQFHV OHDYLQJ an indelible mark on the art world. His impact extended far beyond his own creations. As an art educator, he played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of Nigerian artists. His profound understanding of art and his ability to inspire and nurture talent made him a beloved ÀJXUH DPRQJ KLV VWXGHQWV +LV WHQXUH DV D WHDFKHU DW .LQJ·V &ROOHJH LQ /DJRV DOORZHG KLP WR LJQLWH a spark in many young minds, instilling in them a lifelong love for artistic expression.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

History Beckons over State Police The rising security challenges in Nigeria have not only increased the agitation for the creation of state police but have also made it a necessity President BolaTinubu and the National Assembly should not ignore, Wale Igbintade writes

he news that broke last week that the federal government and the states had resolved that the creation of state police would be the solution to the rising insecurity in the country was a welcome development. Addressing the media after the meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the state governors in Abuja last Thursday, the Minister of Information, Mr. Mohammed Idris, said the president and governors had agreed to work out the modalities for the concept. For decades, the idea of creating state police in Nigeria has elicited mixed reactions from all the relevant stakeholders. Nigeria runs a unitary, centralised police force with exclusive jurisdiction across the country, which is headed by an Inspector-General of Police (IG). State police would mean police units that are controlled by state governments and whose jurisdictions do not exceed state boundaries. It is no longer in doubt that the country is currently grappling with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities. As a result, Nigerians now sleep with one eye open as the constant fear of the unknown lingers. Road travellers tell one story of fear or the other as they journey to their destinations. Some are killed, robbed or kidnapped for ransom. Every day brings news of deadly attacks, compelling residents to ﬂee their communities. Even worship centres are not spared by marauding terrorists whose aim is to kill and destroy without reason. According to Beacon Consulting in its security incident tracker, no fewer than 29,828 people were killed, while 15,404 others were kidnapped across the country between 2021 and 2023. While over 1,000 persons are believed to have been killed, 300 others were kidnapped for ransom this year. The attack on 25 communities in Plateau State, where over 200 people were killed was one among the several recent incidents that have continued to attract reactions to the weak security architecture in Nigeria is still fresh in the minds of many. This happened after several other incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery, and killings despite the presence of the military and other federal security agencies. All these incidents led to the waning faith in the current federal structure of the nation’s se-

NGF Chairman, AbdulRazaq curity architecture, a situation stakeholders say calls for the establishment of state police. Last week, state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rising up from their meeting in Abuja, proﬀered state police as a veritable solution to the pervasive insecurity across the country. The primary responsibility of the government is the protection of lives and property. However, successive governments in Nigeria have failed in this regard as killings and kidnappings by terrorists have become the order of the day in some parts of the country. Over the years, widespread insecurity in the country has led to the clamour for the establishment of state police. During his tenure, former President Muhammadu Buhari ruled out the state police option as solution to the country’s endemic security challenges. He said Nigerians should question why governors, who are at the forefront of the clamour for state police, have not given powers to local governments. The former president added that Nigeria can revert to the traditional rulers for recommendations, and approved N13.3 billion for the commencement of community policing instead. However, with the recent rise in insecurity in all

parts of the country and the assumption of ofﬁce by President Tinubu, an apostle of true federalism and devolution of power, agitations for the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force have remained persistent. The proponents of state police believe that it will drastically reduce the festering insecurity in the country. They also point out that the present centralised policing system cannot and will not address the mounting insecurity in the Nigerian federation. Those who spoke to THISDAY argued persuasively that it has become practically impossible for the current policing structure to eﬀectively police a country the size of Nigeria from Abuja. The seeming failure of a centralised policing system is very glaring and can no longer be hidden. Part of the major recommendations of the 2014 National Conference was the creation of state police. The belief is that since every crime is local, having in place a state policing system will curb insecurity, if well managed and adequately equipped. Being closer to the people, the personnel of state police have the advantage of knowing the terrain and the people as well. At the same time, it facilitates prompt responses

to security matters. Globally, the state police system is the standard in advanced democracies. Nigeria’s democracy is modelled after that of the United States, yet in practice, the country’s system is shy of the fine points of that bastion of democracy. The culprit of this anomaly is Section 214 of the Nigerian Constitution. When interpreted it means that there can only be one Nigerian Police Force, at the federal level. The Inspector General of Police (IG) heads that police force. And that IG is accountable only to one person, the Commander-in-Chief and President. The argument has always been that such a structure birthed in the provision of the 1999 Constitution, is faulty and against the tenets of a federal system of government. But for politics, the decentralisation of the police should not be an issue at all in a country with so large a population as Nigeria. From recent happenings, a centralised police force for a country with a population of over 200 million spread over 36 states, a federal capital territory, and 774 local government areas, cannot effectively tackle crimes and other forms of insecurity. Security experts, and stakeholders believe that if the governors who are by law the chief security officers of their states are directly responsible for their duties the several attacks will be avoidable. To a reasonable extent, state governors in the Nigerian context are kings in their own ways. They control land, property, budgets, courts and appointments. Yet, security in their states is controlled from the centre in Abuja. In this case, the power of the governors in the state over the police is little or none as instruction dished out by such a governor to the police commissioners can be overruled by the higher police authorities in Abuja. Policing is a local function and that police officers and men must be familiar with their environment, and understand the language and culture of the people, especially against the backdrop of the fact that the policy of moving police personnel across ethnic, linguistic, and religious boundaries, as is currently the case, is counterproductive. This is why many are calling on President Tinubu and the National Assembly to write their names on the good side of history by responding positively to the rising clamour for state police.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

How Not to Persecute Activists

Uzodimma

Fagbemi

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, last week withdrewthebogustreasonablefelonychargesslammed on pro-democracy activist, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, ending a trial that had floundered without any tangible progress for more than four years. Former President Buhari’s administration, had throughitsthenAGF,andMinisterofJustice,Abubakar Malami,filedthetreasonablefelonychargesagainstthe pro-democracyactivistandanotheractivist,Olawale Bakare,followingtheirarrestbytheDepartmentState Security Services (DSS) for calling for a nationwide #RevolutionNowprotestagainstBuhariinAugust2019. ThechargesaccusedSowore,atwo-timepresidential candidate, and Bakare of attempting to topple the

Buhari’sadministration,anallegationtheybothdenied. Insensationalepisodesthatfollowedtheirarraignment,theDSSrefusedtoobeythecourtordergranting Soworebail,pittingtheBuhariadministrationagainst thehumanrightscommunity,whichaccusedthesecurity agency and the then president of lawlessness. The matter got to a head in December 2019, when DSS operatives invaded the court, disrupting a proceeding to rearrest Sowore, who was adamant in resisting the widely-condemned forcible action of the security agents. But since after the arraignment, the trial has made nosignificantprogress,withtheprosecutiononlyable to call one witness in more than four years. The case wasoftenadjournedbasedononeexcuseortheother mostly from the prosecution. Itwasevidentthatthechargeswereonlymeantto

subjecthimtountoldhardshipandcowthoseopposed toBuhari’sstyleofleadership.ThethenAGFwhoshould haveknownthatitwaswithinSowore’srightstoprotest, and that the charges preferred against him were not sustainable looked the other way. Evenwhenthetrialcommenced,itwasobviousthat Soworeshouldneverhavebeenchargedinthefirstplace. TheNigeriangovernmentmustlearntobetolerant and allow activists and journalists to freely carry out theiractivitieswithoutanyharassment,intimidation and fear of reprisals. Unfairprosecutionispartofrestrictionofcivicspace andescalatingcrackdownonhumanrightsinNigeria. Mostimportantly,governmentsmustrespect,protect,andpromotethehumanrightsofeveryoneinthe country,includingtherightstofreedomofexpression, peaceful assembly, association and media freedom.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

BRIEFINGNOTES Ravaging Hunger in the Land As Nigerians groan under the excruciating eﬀects of hunger, poverty and hopelessness, the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, have added their voices to the calls on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the current economic challenges before the tension escalates to intractable crisis, Ejiofor Alike reports

ith the increasing hardship in Nigeria, those who can no longer cope with the situation now take their lives with their own hands due to poverty, hunger and depression. For instance, in July 2023, a 30-year-old Saifullahi Salisu of Shata, Maikunkele, in Bosso Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State, allegedly hanged himself, following his inability to settle a debt of N250,000 he owed people in the area. Earlier in June 2023, the manager of a microfinance bank in Saki, Oke-Ogun, in Iseyin LGA of Oyo State, Sola Ogungbe, allegedly committed suicide over his inability to recover loan facilities in the state due to the economic situation in the country. Last August, a 35-year-old man, Samaila Ilu, also hanged himself to death in Jigawa State over his difficult situation. The state police spokesman DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam confirmed that his body was found hanging on a tree with a rope. On January 8, 2024, an employee of a newgeneration bank in the Ikorodu axis of Lagos State, identified as Amarachi Ugochukwu, reportedly took her own life. The 32-year-old was said to have made her way into a restroom in the bank in the afternoon and consumed an insecticide. In her suicide note, she blamed economic despair for her decision to terminate her life. Unconfirmed report also had it that a 55 -year- old father of six simply identified as Abib, a.k.a Bibson, took his own life at Ashaka area of Ibadan, in Ibadan South West LGA of Oyo State last Sunday due to hardship. Following the widespread economic hardship, youths and women had trooped out to the streets in major cities across the country to register their grievances. Speaking on behalf of Kano protesters in Rijiyan Lemo area of the ancient city, Malam Usman Saidu Bello said: “We, the masses, cast votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; it would not be good of him not to listen to our complaints and address the poor economic situation we are facing.” Last December, the residents of Lagos Island and traders of the popular Idumota market also expressed dissatisfaction with President Tinubu, shouting in Yoruba, “Ebi npa wa oo” meaning- we are hungry. The traders who filed on both sides of the road as the convoy of the president passed through the market, refused to hail him but instead kept complaining of their pains believed to have been

Tinubu caused by his administration. But rather than acknowledge and take responsibility for the challenges, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed that the recent protests were sponsored by the opposition parties to portray the government as “under-performing.” However, the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had after their recent meeting called on the APC-led federal government to rise to the occasion and address the current challenges before they get out of hand. Unfortunately, the federal government has continued to play politics with the hardship ravaging the country with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, accusing the PDP governors of playing to the gallery. APC governors under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, had also in a statement by its Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, accused PDP governors of

making inﬂammatory statements. But the Labour Party (LP) also agreed with the PDP, insisting that the APC has ruined Nigeria’s economy. If the federal government viewed the comments by the PDP governors and the LP as playing to the gallery because they represent the opposition parties, the administration should take the calls by the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, very serious. The Kano monarch recently told the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in clear terms to convey the message of Nigerians about the hunger and starvation in the country to President Tinubu, insisting that the hardship is more alarming under the Tinubu-led administration. Emphasising the severity of the hardship faced by Nigerians, the emir who spoke in Hausa, told the First Lady, who paid him a courtesy visit that:

“Although we have several means of communicating to the government on our needs and request, your way and means is the surest way that you would tell the president the actual happenings in the country. “The hunger and starvation, though didn’t start with this government, the situation has become more alarming and needs urgent attention”, the Emir added. On his part, the Sultan who spoke last Wednesday in Kaduna at the sixth Executive Committee Meeting of Northern Traditional Rulers Council, emphasised that Nigerians are deeply frustrated, hungry, and resentful, pointing out that Nigeria sits on a keg of gunpowder. The Sultan, who was flanked at the meeting by the Emir of Kano, and the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, said: “To make matters worse, we are faced with rising levels of poverty of most of our people - a lack of normal sources of livelihood for the common man to have even a good meal a day. “I have said it so many times; we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder, with millions of them (youths), without jobs, without food; we are looking for trouble,” the Sultan added. Rather than reduce government’s spending on flamboyant lifestyles of political office holders, the federal government has continued to run a very expensive administration with an enlarged federal cabinet and mind-boggling sums approved for federal lawmakers for exotic vehicles, while the masses are asked to endure the economic hardship. Many Nigerians were enraged when news broke through a leaked memo that a humongous sum of N500 million was approved by President Tinubu as the first instalment of a purported N1 billion earmarked for the inauguration of a 37-man Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage. But rather than apologise to Nigerians for the obvious profligacy in running the administration in the face of hunger and poverty, the presidency called for a probe into the civil service structure to rid it of those it called “moles” loyal to the PDP, who it blamed for leaking classified documents. It was not surprising when human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), at the 18th annual memorial anniversary of Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, called for a social revolution. Falana used the occasion to reel out the wastefulness and insensitivity in the use of resources by the current administration, at a time the economy is struggling. Will the APC-led government wait until a revolution occurs before they reduce their extravagant expenditure and fulfill their campaign promises?

NOTES FOR FILE

AFCON: Soldiers Also Deserve National Rewards

Labgbaja

A Nigerian soldier, identified as Adie Paul, last week decried the decision of President Bola Tinubu to reward the Super Eagles with houses, plots of land, and national honours after they came second in the recently-concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON). The soldier’s displeasure stemmed from what seems like the abandonment of soldiers in the battlefield. Recall that Tinubu had on Tuesday conferred the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger on every member of the Super Eagles team that won Silver medal at AFCON. The soldier who said he sustained a bullet injury while serving in the Northeast took to his X handle to express his frustration, while reacting to a post by

an X-user, drpenking, who tweeted, “Even Ahmed Musa wey no kick ball once for AFCON follow collect flat, land and OON. Wonderful times.” Reacting to the post, the soldier, while sharing a picture, wrote, “Yet, as a soldier, I stayed in the Northeast fighting Boko Haram for four years plus; I was shot and I am still carrying the bullet in me till date, not even a medal from the Army/Nigeria government.” In the past, many soldiers had complained about poor welfare and wage structure. Recently, another soldier based in Maiduguri expressed his frustration for being unable to visit his family due to the transport fare. The soldier had in a trending video

lamented how he spent one year in the bush in Borno State and was given a pass to visit his family but could not go because his salary of N50,000 was not enough for transport fare. He said he was told at the motor park that the transport fare to his hometown was N35,000, which implied that the trip would cost him N70,000. After the video went viral, the soldier was promptly arrested and detained. But the points raised by these soldiers were valid. Given the fact that soldiers are putting their lives on the line defending the country, the current welfare and wage structure which can only engender poverty has to be reviewed immediately. Given the nature of their job, their salaries and allowances should be reviewed upwards. What is good for the members of the national football team is also good for Nigerian soldiers.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

CICERO/ISSUE

AU President, Azali Assoumani

Putin

Xi Jinping

Will Africa Fare Better Under China and Post-Prigozhin Russia With Burkina Faso and few other African countries severing historical ties with their western allies and leaning towards Russia and China, diplomatic analysts believe they are running away from the frying pan into the ﬁre, Alex Enumah reports

s some African countries sever ties with their traditional allies, particularly France, Russia is increasingly gaining influence in Africa, especially in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, and Niger Republic. In order to curb their former colonial master’s influence in their internal and external affairs, Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso recently announced their immediate withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), insisting that the subregional bloc had become a threat to memberstates, a development diplomatic and intelligence analysts say portends danger not only to Nigeria’s security but the stability of the sub-region. The late leader of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company (PMC), Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a controversial plane crash believed to be an assassination, accounted for Russia’s growing influence in Africa. Before Prigzohin’s death, Russia and China seemed to be scrambling for Africa, with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin seeking to surpass his Asian competitor in the continent. It is pertinent to note that African countries do not largely share Russian ideals and foreign policy as evidenced in the 2023 Russia-African Summit, which had 27 countries in attendance, down by 17 countries from the pre-Ukraine invasion summit attended by 43 countries in 2019. Prigozhin was captured in a video footage believed to have been recorded in Mali on August 21, 2023 where he boasted that he would make “Russia even greater on every continent and Africa even freer.” ThelateWagnerGroup’sleaderdiedtwodayslater–two months after his failed armed mutiny. Dmitry Utkin, who was long believed to be the founder of the PMC, andValery Chekalov, who reportedly managed Prigozhin’s oil, gas, and mineral businesses in Africa and the Middle East, were among the victims of the fatal crash believed to be an assassination. What has Prigozhin’s influence on Africa brought to the table for African countries? Russia reportedly rewarded five African countries, including CAR and Burkina Faso with free grain shipments, believed to be 20,000 tonnes each, representing a drop in the ocean from the 60 million tonnes Russia reportedly exported in 2022. Itisnotevenclearifalltheshipmentshavebeendelivered. While the undelivered grain shipments represent an empty promise, analysts believe grain shipments are a one-off aid that do not improve security. Putin is increasingly being isolated on the international

stage and BRICS ineffective, with Argentina no longer joining. While Putin cannot even travel to meetings, Russia’s actions do not match the rhetoric on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the G20 membership. Though the “multipolar” world which Russia has been presenting as a positive development for African countries may sound positive at first, the fact remains that it is all about Russia increasing its power and influence and not about doing what is best for African countries. Russia’s objectives are anti-multilateralism, which won’t give African countries their own voice in the United Nations (UN). Diplomatic analysts believe that having their own voice in the UN gives African countries the opportunity of acting in concert with other countries to have greater impact. In contrast, Russia’s actions have the potential to create a more unstable world as she is not known to be a respecter of international law. TheAfricanUnion(AU)hadinFebruary2022condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for an “immediate ceasefire”, saying the situation risked escalating into “a planetary conflict”. The then AU’s chair and Senegalese President, Macky Sall,andthechairoftheAfricanUnionCommission,Moussa Faki Mahamat, had said in a joint statement they were “extremely concerned” by the invasion. They called on Russia to “respect international law, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine”. In violation of international law and diplomacy, Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, killing dozens as airstrikes hit military installations and ground forces moved in from the north, south and east. Thewar,whichRussia’smilitaryauthoritieshadpredicted would end in the defeat of Ukraine in a matter of weeks, has persisted with western powers rallying military support for the European nation and imposing sanctions on Russia. Russia’s interest has been damaging causes that are beneficial to Africa. Currently, many other countries are supporting an increase in Africa’s voice at the G20. It is feared that Russia’s growing influence in Africa throughtheWagnerGroupwillpotentiallyfuelhumanrights abuses, tyranny, lawlessness and impunity as manifested in Prigozhin’s insurrection in Russia, and the massacres allegedly perpetrated by Wagner in CAR/ and Mali. From the events of the past decade, there are strong indications that it is all about Russia andWagner exploiting instability and insecurity in some African countries for Russia’s interest. Since the late 2010s, Wagner has become firmly entrenchedincountriesthatcreatedpoliticalanddiplomatic

headaches for the international community. For instance, Wagner arrived in CAR at the invitation of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in 2018. Touadéra had explained recently that he was desperate to find outside assistance to quell his country’s civil war, and Russia was the only country willing to send weapons and fighters, which turned out to be the Wagner mercenaries. Touadéra had reportedly explained in an interview that, “I asked all my friends, including in the United States, including France. . . I need to protect the institutions of the republic. I asked everyone for help, and was I supposed to refuse help from those who wanted to help us?” Unfortunately,inexchangeforprovidingpersonalsecurity, military training, and combat assistance, Wagner Group gained unhindered access to the CAR’s natural resources, including the Ndassima gold mining site. According to a recent CSIS study, Wagner-linked operatives had significantly expanded the gold mining site by 2023, with reports claiming that Wagner could gain as much as $1 billion in annual mining profits in the CAR alone. Analysts say the gains from the Ndassima gold mining site would help Putin mitigate the damages inflicted on Russia by the Western sanctions. The AU had expressed concerns about reports of human rights abuses perpetrated by Wagner Group’s forces in various member states, including Mali, CAR, and Mozambique. ThebodywasworriedaboutWagner’sallegedinvolvement in the internal affairs of African countries, which the AU feared could exacerbate existing conflicts and undermine state institutions, ultimately hindering long-term peace and security. There were also concerns about the opaque nature of Wagner’s operations, which fuelled greater concerns about accountability for potential violations of international law and human rights. But despite the concerns, the AU had unfortunately avoided directly condemning member states that choose to engage with Wagner, acknowledging their sovereign right to seek security assistance. The AU said it preferred to engage in dialogue and mediation efforts to encourage member states to address underlyinggovernanceissuesandseekalternativesolutions to their security challenges. Thecontinentalblochadhowevercalledforindependent investigations into alleged human rights abuses linked to Wagner activities. Indeed, AU’s ability to influence member states’ decisions regarding security partners is constrained by its non-interference principle and varying national interests. In addition, the complex geopolitical landscape, with

competing interests from global powers like Russia and France, further complicates the AU’s efforts. In the case of China, the Asian country is believed to have masked his growing influence in Africa by appearing to be actively involved in the continent’s agricultural sector and massive infrastructural development. But a peep into the agreements between China and some African countries shows that the relationship favours the African country greatly. WhileChinahasthefinancialandtechnologicalresources, as well as the global influence to offer a give-and-take scenario, it is evident that there is much more “take” when it comes to the Chinese relationship with the continent. China’spresenceinAfricahasbeensubjecttocontroversy over the years with many criticising the negative impacts on the continent. Some of the key areas in which China’s presence in Africa is seen as negative are in many areas. The first area is resource exploitation where China has beenaccusedofexploitingAfrica’snaturalresourceswithout consideration for the local environment or community, leading to environmental degradation and displacement of local populations. Second, China has also been accused of unfair trade practices. China’s trade with Africa has often been criticised for being exploitative, with African countries exporting raw materials to China at ridiculously low prices while important finished goods are bought at high prices leading to a trade imbalance that disproportionately benefits China. Another landmine China has planted for African countries is the debt-trap diplomacy. She is believed to be engaging “debt-trap diplomacy” in Africa, providing loans to African countries for infrastructure projects that are difficult to repay. It is feared that in the event of the African countries being unable to repay the loans, the Asian country will move into the continent and seize critical infrastructure which could potentially threaten the sovereignty of the affected countries. Both China and Russia have used their “super-power” status to exploit Africa and take advantage of what they see as fertile ground to expand their economic and military influence. Therefore, Africa is becoming an increasingly important region for global powers as evident in the scramble for the continent in recent years. Interestingly,Africanleaders,includingGhanaianPresident Akufo Addo recently met in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to discuss the continent’s future and the role of the external factors that are shaping it. How will Africa position itself to take advantage of those who aim to expand their influence by strengthening their economic and military ties with the continent?

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

INTERNATIONAL

From Presidential to Parliamentary System in Nigeria: Will that End Africa’s War on Democracy?

n Wednesday, 14th February, 2024, Honourable Wale Raji, an All Progressives Congress legislator representing Epe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, at the House of Representatives in Abuja, proposed a bill entitled, ‘The Bills Proposing Constitutional Alterations for a Transition to Parliamentary System of Government.’ The bill, sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and 59 others from different political parties, was first read on the same Wednesday. The bill is seeking a transition from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system of government at the three layers of government in Nigeria. Reasons given for the proposal include the need to reduce the costs of presidential governance and the need to have more robust policy debates. More important, Hon. Abdulssamad Dasuki, spokesperson of the sponsors of the bill, and representative of the Kebbe Tambuwal Constituency in Sokoto State, gave an interesting rationale for the bill: ‘our founders in their wisdom and in a political atmosphere devoid of compulsion, and having considered the interests of their native peoples and their desire to live together in a country where truth and justice reign, where no man is oppressed, and where all citizens live in peace and plenty, adopted the parliamentary system of government.’ And perhaps most importantly, Hon. Dasuki said, ‘that was the governance system of the First Republic, a period when legislative and executive powers were exercised by the representatives of the people in parliament and in the executive, and by the nature of the system, these representatives were accountable to the people. For six years, while it was in operation, the system worked for the country… The collapse of the First Republic and the long stretch of military rule culminated in the adoption of a new system of government, theoretically fashioned after the presidential system of the United States, but in practice, imbibed the uttermost attributes of military rule.’ Without any whiff of doubt, seeking a transition from a presidential, to a parliamentary, system is a very welcome development. However, can the transition stop the soft killing of democracy in Africa, and particularly in West Africa? Not likely.

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Presidential and Parliamentary Systems There are three schools of thought on whether the current presidential system in Nigeria should be discontinued or sustained. The proponents of presidential system, at its inception, looked at it as a possible antidote to the challenges posed by parliamentarianism under the First Republic. Presidential governance was not, and is still not, seen as a systemic problem, but as a mismanagement and leadership question. They often ask why it is working well in the United States from where it is borrowed and not functioning well in Nigeria. And true enough, presidentialism has its merits and demerits: it has the advantage of separation of powers, little influence of the political party system, political stability because of the fixed term of office, and the possibility to appoint experts into government. In terms of demerits. The executive is considered less responsible. There are always deadlocks between the executive and legislative arms of government. Besides, government can be rigid. It is also considered as a spoils system because the president has sweeping powers of patronage. And perhaps more interestingly, opponents of presidential system consider that the presidential system is unnecessarily too costly to maintain. The president wields excessive powers to the detriment of other arms of government. Besides, the president is generally elected by universal suffrage by the people, thus making it difficult to control the excesses of the president. In a situation where the president is at loggerhead with the legislature, he can easily address himself directly to the people. In the context of a parliamentary system, there are also merits and demerits. It is believed that the executive and the legislature are better coordinated, that there is no room for authoritarian-

Tinubu ism. Not only is the government responsible and diverse groups are represented in the legislature, there is also flexibility in the system as the Prime Minister can easily be changed whenever the situation warrants it. Its demerits are also many: parliamentary system does not enable the legislature to hold the executive responsible simply because there is no separation of powers. It enables unqualified legislators and political instability. This is because governments are only sustained for as long as they have the majority in the house, especially when there is no single-largest party following an election. Of more concern is the lack of pressure to act always promptly as the cabinet members do not have any fixed tenure in office. Party, more than national, interest drives politicians under a parliamentary system. It is the bureaucrats and technocrats that are more engaged in overseeing governmental affairs In a presidential system, the head of the government leads an executive, that is distinct from the legislature. In this case, the head of the state and head of government are the same. Also, a key feature is that the executive is not responsible to the legislature. An executive president can veto acts by the legislature and cannot be removed by a simple vote of no-confidence in the legislature. Apart from the power to pardon and commute judicial sentences given to criminals, the president is elected directly by the people or by an electoral college. An executive president is either elected

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Seeking a transition from the presidential, to the parliamentary, system is patriotic in its initiation, responsible in reaction to public yearnings, centripetal in national unity calculations, and quite soothing in calming down the current political tensions in the country. The political governance of Nigeria, especially under President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), underscores self-deceit, political chicanery, and cultural rascality in wrongly preaching the sermons of indivisibility of Nigeria. Most unfortunately, however, keeping Nigeria united by manu militari can no longer be done in the Gowonian mania. Keeping Nigeria one as a task that must be done now requires worshiping God with both common and uncommon sense. A lot of soft methods, like returning to a parliamentary system, has become a desideratum. In other words, no national unity can endure without ﬁrst ensuring strong regional cultural settings. A new Nigeria can emerge from the adoption of a parliamentary system which accommodates various social groups of society. With the deepening boko haramism Islamic jihad, and recidivist Fulani herdsmen’s attacks on farmers, democracy cannot be expected to thrive well. They are all killing democracy softly, and surely paving the way for militaro-people’s coups. The various State Assemblies should therefore make haste in passing the bill

directly by the people or by an electoral college. On the contrary, in a parliamentary system, the strict separation of power under a presidential system is seen to cause conflicts between the executive and the legislative arms of government. There is always a close relationship between the legislature and the executive in light of the fact that the Prime Minister and the other ministers are elected by the members of parliament. The executive is not only responsible to the legislature, there is also a collective responsibility. As noted by byjus.com, each minister’s responsibility is also the responsibility of the whole Council. Other features of the parliamentary system include dual executive, secrecy of procedure leadership character, bicameral legislature, and lack of fixed tenure. As put by the byjus.com regarding dual executive, ‘there are two executives, the real executive and the titular executive. The nominal executive is the Head of State (president/monarch) while the real executive is the Prime Minister, who is the head of government.’ Parliamentary system is characterized by secrecy of procedure. Cabinet proceedings are generally secret and not meant to be divulged to the public. More important is the leadership of the Prime Minister. As byjus.com further noted, ‘the leader of this form of government is the Prime Minister. The leader of the party that wins a majority in the lower house is appointed as the PM.’ It is a bicameral legislature and there is no fixed tenure. ‘The term of the government depends on its majority support in the lower house. If the government does not win a vote of no confidence, the council of ministers has to resign. Elections will be held and a new government is formed.’ Speaking grosso modo, the separation of power between the Executive arm of government and the legislature is not distinct, as ministers can also be appointed by the parliament. As seen by the people of Nigeria, and as Hon. Dasuki also rightly pointed out above, the parliamentary system functioned well under Nigeria’s First Republic. This is one major rationale for the many calls by seasoned old politicians to return to parliamentary system, especially to ensure national unity. Many observers have been drawing attention to the likely disintegration of Nigeria, because of the very inclement conditions of living in Nigeria. In fact, people are quietly talking about the possibility of a coup d’état in Nigeria. The Maradona of coups himself, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has reportedly cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT)’s about unending suffering of the Nigerian people which may precipitate coup making. The Media Assistant to General Babangida has dismissed the report as another figment of imagination that should be quickly thrown into the garbage of history. Likely coup or not, the conduct and management of democracy in Nigeria has become problematic to the extent that many conscientious observers are beginning to think that coups d’état may soon return to Nigeria. This is in spite of PBAT’s struggle for true federalism in Nigeria (vide my edited book on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Struggle for True Federalism: Perspectives, Problems, and Prospects (Vantage Publishers, 2000). In this regard, will it not be too shameful for Nigeria to play host to a military coup after having been preaching the gospel of non-constitutional change of government and even straining ties with Niger Republic because of military coup in the country? Neither coups-making nor lack of it solves the problem of democracy. The conduct and management of liberal democracy has prompted Chief Olusegun Okikiola Obasanjo to note that it has become imperative to review the question of democracy in Africa’s political governance. The problem of democracy has become more problematic in Africa, especially in the West African region. Proponents of democracy have always posited that it is the best form of government. Emphasis is always placed on promotion and protection of human rights, public accountability, regular elections, freedom of press, democratic pluralism, and in fact, freedom to do and undo. In fact, democracy is freely defined as the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But whose democracy is in question when discussing the bastardisation of democracy in Africa? Is the problem of democracy that of the system or that of the leadership? Explained differently, is the complaint about presidentialism that of unworkability in Nigeria or that of its poor conduct and management? Will there be any change in attitudinal disposition in light of the political chicanery to which the modern-day politicians in Nigeria are used? In short, will the transition from a presidential to parliamentary system put a stop to the current war on democracy in Africa?

Ending Africa’s War on Democracy In order to compel the world, and particularly the peoples of Africa, to evolve democratic culture in the mania of the West, President François Mitterrand of France made it clear during the 1990 Franco-African summit held in the coastal city of La Baule in France, that the adoption of democracy by African leaders would henceforth be the conditionality for the grant of development aid by France. Other Western countries quickly bought into the idea of conditionality. In fact, this conditionality later informed the ECOWAS Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance. Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER )(%58$5< , 2024

PERSPECTIVE

A Very Vicious Israel Femi Fani-Kayode

hilst much of the world and most of America watched the Superbowl the other night,theStateofIsraelwas busybombingandslaughteringtheChristianandMuslim womenandchildrenofRafah and its sprawling refugee camp in far away Gaza. 100innocentanddefencelesspeoplewerekilled, mostofwhomwerewomenandchildren,inthespace of a few hours of relentless bombing. Israel has expressed her intention to continue to bombandunleashhorroronRafahdespitethestern warnings and desperate pleas from the rest of the world not to do so including her two greatest allies and closest friends, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. TheJewishstatehasmurderednolessandprobably farmorethan35,000Palestinianciviliansinthelast fourmonths,17,000ofwhomarechildren,andinjured over 100,000. Iamcompelledandconstrainedbymyfaithandlove forhumanitytoopposeandresistsuchamonstrous entitythatisgiventocommittingsuchinhumaneand genocidalcrimesagainstmyfellowhumanbeingsfor WHATEVERreasonandneithercanIbeexpectedto confer on it some far-fetched and illusionary notion of “the right to exist”. Surelynocountry,particularlyonethatwasartificiallycreatedandwhichwasbuiltontheblood,sweat, suffering,toil,tears,andbonesofthePalestinianpeople like the Zionist state, has the right to exist. The oppressor has no right to exist if that “right” entails cheating, pillaging, plundering, enslaving, murdering at will, and occupying the land of the oppressed. The usurper, the conqueror, the pillager, the rapist, the mass-murderer, the thief, the land-grabber, the ethnic cleanser, the butcher of the elderly and the murderer of women and children may have the weapons, wealth, international support, power, wherewithal and homicidal disposition to commit and get away with his horrendous crimes against humanitybuthehasno“righttoexist”otherthanthe onethatheforcefullyanderroneouslyappropriated and conferred upon himself. Heexistsandcommitssuchunspeakableatrocities onlybecausehehasthepowertodosoandtogetaway with them and not because he has any right to exist. Greatnationsandpowerfulempirescomeandgreat nationsandpowerfulempiresgo.Thatisthewayofthe world,itisinevitableanditiswellreflectedinhistory. TheBabylonian,Persian,Mongol,Ottoman,Roman, British,Spanish,Russian,Han,andGreekempirescollectivelyandrespectivelyonceruledthecivilisedworld, andtheirpowerwasdeemedtobenever-endingand irresistible but where are they today? They had their time, sometimes stretching into hundreds of years, but eventually, they crumbled and were compelled by the force of circumstances that were beyond their control to relinquish power, toleavethescene,tocrumble,andeventuallyvanish into the night. Andinthatcrumblingtheirso-called“righttoexist” solely to destroy, enslave, subjugate, and torment others disappeared into the night with them. So it shall be for the Zionist state if she does not repent, go back to God, and change her wicked ways. Like Julius Caesar she came, she saw and she conquered. From the time that she was re-established 75 longyearsago,sheboastfullyflauntedherawesome power,magnificentglory,unprecedentedexcellence, and stupendous wealth over much of the world and particularly over the Palestinian people. Like the Virgin Daughter of Babylon who was graphicallydisplayedandmeticulouslydescribedin Isaiah 47 of the Holy Bible she loudly and boastfully proclaimedtotheworldandallthatcaredtolistento that “I AM and there is none besides me!” Yet despite her hubristic pride and vainglorious proclamationsofinvincibility,itisself-evidenttothe discerning that with her blind, vengeful, and savage rage, her unconscionable lack of restraint and selfdiscipline,herinexplicabledescentintomadnessand the abominable atrocities that she is committing in Gaza daily her cup is full and the Most High God has setHisheartandthepeopleoftheworldagainsther just as He did 2000 years ago after they murdered our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He shall surely break her yoke, bring her to her knees, revoke her “right to exist”, scatter her to the four corners of the earth, compel her to vanish into thenight,andensurethatherinsidiousandperfidious

Netanyahu intentiontoestablisha“GreaterIsrael”whoseborders stretchfromEgypttoIrancrumblesandisblownaway with the wind. The Zionist state’s sole purpose of existence is to crush,conquer,enslave,andexterminatethePalestinian peopleintheirnefariousandsinisterexpansionistquest and to deny them what is rightfully theirs including their identity, their history, their heritage, their land, their dignity and their lives. Worse still they seek to achieve this with the full backingandblindsupportofaBiden-ledUnitedStates of America that is simply incapable of any rational thinkingorbeingimpartialwhenitcomestothismatter and that has willfully shunned world opinion, given a thumbsuptogenocide,suppliedaid,arms,money,and materialsupporttotheethniccleansers,abandoned the cause of the Palestinian people and given their oppressors the right, the weaponry and the means to wipe them off the face of the earth. Yetconsiderthis.Nomatterhowpowerfulshedeems herselftobetheJewishstatehasanAchillesheeland asoftandvulnerableunderbellyandshewillNEVER achieve these objectives. Moreimportantlyinthefullnessoftimeandinthe processoftryingshemaywellbecrushedandremoved fromthemapoftheworld.ThisisbecauseGodalone rules in the affairs of men and He is just and true. TheBiblesaysHeisslowtoangerbutirresistiblein battle.Hispowerisawesome,Hismajestyisirresistible and His justice is swift. He is a man of war and as the Bible asks, “Who can stand against Him?” He contends against those who contend against us, He fights for the rights of the less privileged and theunderdogandHerisesindefenceoftheenslaved and the oppressed. HeremovesmightyKingsfromtheirthronesinthe blinkofaneyeandHecausespaupers,therejected,the hatedandthedeprivedtoriseinpowerandexcel.Heis thefatheroftheorphanandthehusbandofthewidow. Heisthechampionofthepoor,theneedy,theelderly, and the defenceless infant and He is the avenger of our blood. HisnameistheIAmThatIAm,theAncientofDays, theRoseofSharon,theLilyoftheValley,theLambof God,theResurrectedMessiah,theComingKing,and the Lord God of Hosts and at the appropriate time HewillhonourHiswordandrisefortheoccupied,the cheated, the subjugated, the humiliated, the denied, theoppressedandtheenslavedandstrikedowntheir strong tormentor. Simplyputthereisnoplaceorspaceintoday’sworld fortheworst,mostbrazen,mostprimitive,andmost insidiousformofracism,colonialism,andfascismthat

today’s ZionistStateofIsraelembodies,manifests, and represents. And neither does a vicious, relentless, barbaric, cruel,heartless,andblood-lustingapartheidJewish statewhichisledbyevilmenwhohavelosttheirsense of reason, their minds, and their humanity and who behaveinaworsemannerthanthewildestofbeasts have a right to exist. They LOST that right when they embarked on violatingallinternationalnorms,laws,andprotocols and chose to target and kill Palestinian women and children for their sport and pleasure. Andthesordidandrecklessfriendsandcompany thattheykeepdonothelpmatters.Forexample,egged in their insanity and to the brink of catastrophe by delusionalclownslikethenewly-electedArgentinian President who went to Israel a few days ago, wept at the praying wall in Jerusalem, and proclaimed that the Jewish state should proceed to build the second Jewish Temple on the Al Aqsa mosque as soon as possible ignoring the fact that this would undoubtedly and instantly provoke millions of Muslims all over the world to violence, likely result in WW111 and probably end with the total and complete obliteration and annihilation of Israel, the Jewish state continues to wallow in her pitiful delusion of invincibility and infallibility. I guess one cannot expect any better counsel from a man who leads a Latin American country in which every single black person was wiped out, exterminated, and eliminated at the outset on the grounds of not wanting their “beautiful” white bloodlines and unsullied Spanish heritage to be inﬁltrated, soiled, sullied and diminished by the blood of the black African and which acted as a secure and valued haven for Hitler’s Nazis after World War 11. WithfriendslikePresidentJavierMileiofArgentina, theJewsdonotneedanyenemies!Surelythisisnot theIsraelofKingDavid,thegreatestofalltheJewish KingsandamanwhowasdescribedintheHolyBible as being “a man after God’s heart”. ThisisnottheIsraelofPrimeMinisterGoldaMeir, who described herself as being first and foremost “a Palestinian”. This is not the Israel of Prime Minister Yitzhak RabinwhofoughtforpeacewiththeArabsandwho was murdered by one of his own for doing so. This is the Israel of Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu, a bloodthirsty,deludedandmegalomaniac,andtyrant whoisnotaJewinthetruesenseofthewordbutrather ablood-lustingandfascisticNaziandflamingZionist. HisisnottheAncientIsraeloftheHolyBiblewhich

prideditselfondecency,righteousness,theloveand fear of God, and justice but rather the Israel of the Rothchild family, the Israel of the Zionists, and the Israel of Shaitan. His is not the Israel that is the beloved of the Lord andtheappleofGod’seyebutanIsraelthatdoesnot knoworrecogniseGodandonethathasnosenseof decency, goodness, mercy, and compassion. HisisnottheIsraelthatisguardedjealousybythe ArchangelMichaelbutratheranIsraelthatisled,guided, motivated,andpropelledbyBeelzebub,Asmodeus, andtheprincipalitiesanddemonsofhellwhichseek toleadhertoenmitywithGodandutterdestruction. YetasinsaneandextremeasNetanyahuappears to be his bellicose disposition is nothing compared totheutterlypsychoticandsociopathicdepravityof some of his cabinet Ministers such as the far-right NationalSecurityMinister,ItamarBen-Gvir,whosaid thatthePalestinianpeopleshouldbedrivenintothe Sinai desert or the sea and who suggested that the 2.5 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip should be displacedandscatteredinto100differentcountriesat 25,000GazanspercountryortheMinisterofNational Heritage,AmihaiBenEliyahu,whosaidthatanuclear bombshouldbedroppedonGazaandthateveryone init,includingthewomenandchildren,shouldbesent to an early grave! If you think these outrageous submissions and nauseatingcontributionsare,tosaytheleast,shameful and unacceptable, I challenge you to listen to those that were made by some of Netanyahu’s other right-wing Cabinet members such as the Minister ofIntelligence,GilaGamlielandtheMinisterofFinance, Bezalel Smotrich. Theirviewsaretrulybeyondthepaleandwouldmake evenDr.Faustus’demon,Mephistopheles,tremble. Yet it doesn’t stop there. Worse of them all is a modern-dayJezebelbythenameofTallyGotlivwhois anIsraeliMPandwho,justafewdaysagoonthefloor oftheIsraeliKnesset,saidthatthewarmustcontinue in Gaza, there must be no ceasefire, the occupation must be sustained, the siege must not be lifted and the people of Gaza should not be allowed one drop of water or one morsel of food and instead must be “starved to death!” Thismodern-dayharpyshouldhavenotbeennamed Tally at all but rather Medusa the Gorgon or Cruella DeVille! Does anyone still believe that these bestial creatures are God’s chosen people or some kind of star-studded master race? They may be a chosen people but judging by their rhetoric, speech, and actions they were not chosen by God but rather by the devil. Totalkaboutwipingoutawholeraceofpeoplewith nuclearweaponsis,tosaytheleast,cold-bloodedand barbaricanditisthekindofrhetoricthatHitler’sNazis indulgedin.Ithasnoplacewhatsoeverintoday’sworld and whether it comes from the Jews or anyone else we must condemn it in the strongest terms. TheStateofIsraelthatIknow,thatIlove,thatIpray for every day and that is eulogised, celebrated, and enunciatedintheHolyBibleisnotthesameasthevile, callous,murderous,beastly,accursed,andblood-drunk Zionist entity that is presided over by the creature called Bibi Netanyahu, that falsely and erroneously describes itself as Israel and that feeds and drinks ontheblood,flesh,tears,misery,andsufferingofthe Palestinian people. TheIsraelofoldthatIknewandlovedwasashining beacon of light, love, joy, hope, and goodness to the world and humanity and was truly a blessing to all but Netanyahu’s Israel is a curse to the world and is shrouded in perfidy, deceit, evil and darkness. TothosewhostillclaimtolovetheZioniststateand who believe that they are above the law and can get awaywithanythingIsaythis:searchyourconscience, find your humanity, and always remember that God is fair and just. He will never support or encourage the barbaric thingsthatIsraelisdoinginGazaandneithercanthere beanyblessinginsupportingit.Beguided,bewise,and never forget that every form of evil and oppression has an expiry date. For the Palestinian people and indeed all those from all over the world who stand by them and who are weeping for them, the night may be dark but joy comes in the morning! Permit me to end this contribution by sharing a little more about the nature, history, character and experiencesofthesebeautifulPalestinianpeoplethat Israel wishes to remove fromthe records of history.

Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER )(%58$5< , 2024

ENGAGEMENTS

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

Rehearsing the Anarchy

igeria’s litany of troubles has finally anchored on two basic existential matters. Insecurity and hunger. We are all very unsafe and now the vast majority of our people are very hungry and angry. Of the two urgencies, the rise of mass hunger is indeed a novel addition to our familiar tale of serial calamities. Mass hunger and the anger and protests it can breed is a clear and urgent threat to our national security. The signs are already everywhere. Mass protests have held dress rehearsals in places as far flung as Minna, Kano, Suleja, Osogbo, Abeokuta and other isolated pockets around the country. The intensity of the protests has been somewhat tepid and mellow but the message is clear and unmistakable. The population of hungry Nigerians is building up into a critical mass that can make us all uncomfortable. The fear is now palpable that if the scourge of hunger is allowed to spread with the attendant protests, the business of governing Nigeria could turn into a nationwide crowd control and mob anger management operation. The danger in these hunger protests is in the very nature of hunger itself. Hunger is indeed an unfamiliar addition to our familiar cocktail of Nigeria’s usual calamities. Hunger in the sense of absolute lack of food of any kind in addition to the lack of the money to buy what is available and necessary, has not quite been the Nigerian thing. The poor may not feast on delicacies every day but they have always managed to find the bowl of eba, fufu, tuwo and basic grains to fill the stomach and resume praying for tomorrow as a better day. Never before has plain simple hunger been the lot of so many Nigerians at once. But we are in a new and different place. Democracy has yielded us the unexpected dividend of universal poverty and the reality of mass starvation. In response to the unfolding signs of imminent mass hunger, the government has been stumbling from one gamble to another. Initially it was some palliative of sharing bags of rice to poor people in the states and the FCT. The budgeted N5 billion per state has largely been lost in a haystack of corruption allegations. Claims and counter claims over who got rice or noodles have featured from across the country. There was a follow up pledge by some states to offer government employees cash incentives of anywhere between N10,000 and N100,000. From most states, the feedback is mostly one of serial default and unfulfilled promises. While this parade of guesswork has gone on, the cost of living especially food inflation has continued to gallop. Food inflation has shot up from under 30% in May to over 40% now. General inflation has similarly skyrocketed from 33% to over 39% in the same period. More frightening, the exchange rate of the Naira to major world currencies has seen the national currency dip in value from less than N500 to the dollar in May to over N1,600 to the dollar at the time of this writing. Neither the government nor the general populace have any idea of what concrete informed economic actions are being taken to alleviate a worsening economic condition. Nearly every measure or statement of solution by the Central Bank has been greeted by a worsening exchange rate scenario the day after. One interesting aspect of the onset of the hunger protests is that they began while President Tinubu was away in Paris on a “private visit”. The message did get to him. He probably cared as a man with the mandate of the people to help them overcome mundane matters like hunger and cashless poverty. But he preferred dignified silence on the matter till he returned home. Since his return, the president has resumed the affairs of state as usual. He has, for instance, urged citizens to recite the national pledge after each rendition of the National Anthem. He has instructed that limitless amounts of grains be released from the national reserves to assuage the raging hunger. No one has said exactly where the grains reserves are located and how much the silos hold in total. Even worse, no one has told us how hungry people who are also abjectly poor

Tinubu will pay for the grains. It turns out, as an afterthought, that the grains will be distributed free of charge. But the modalities are yet in the works. The promise of grains has raised other troubling questions. Without reference to any concrete evidence of concrete food production effort to support his optimism, the president has insisted that Nigeria will soon become a net exporter of food as he can envision a period of plenty in the horizon. As with most things in political Nigeria, the onset of mass hunger and the rising costs of living in the country have been the subject of either political football or predictable populist doublespeak among the elite. Predictably, the Nigerian elite has jumped on the hunger wagon to preach their familiar lines. The more politically minded have opted to play political football with the hunger crisis. Former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has preferred shifting the blame for the current hardships from Tinubu to Mr. Buhari. This is political bad manners. Every new government is elected to solve the problems they find on the ground, not to blame the predecessor government indefinitely. That is the most elementary lesson of democratic succession. New governments that spend most of their time looking for aspects of mistakes in what they inherited end up badly as a general rule. When Barrack Obama took over from George Bush Jr., some Democrats wanted him to blame the Bush administration for the global economic meltdown of 20078. Obama preferred to face and solve the economic problem instead of surrendering the global economy to a litany of blames. He succeeded. In furtherance of the Nigerian political football about hunger and high cost of living, political megaphones of the ruling APC

have blamed the governors of the rival PDP as being responsible for the hardship in the land. They did not distribute the palliatives released to them nor have they lived up to their obligations in paying the promised allowance of N30,000 to workers in the service of their states. No one has reminded them that the same thing applies to the APC governors. The Nigerian Labour Congress President has questioned the efficacy of grains as an antidote to universal hunger, arguing that Nigerians are not birds that feed mostly on grains. Implicit in that cynical interrogation of governmental good intention is the common knowledge that food consists of more than grains: proteins, vegetables, fats and various other carbohydrates etc. Meanwhile even the little that is promised remains invisible. The Sultan of Sokoto has been closer to his trenchant self. He has said Nigerians are now deeply frustrated, extremely hungry and very resentful. He spoilt his courageous message by insisting that it was time for Nigerians to seek repentance as our present adversities were a repercussion for our past sins. In similar vein, the incumbent Emir of Kano has sent the message of mass hunger and frustration more directly to the centre of power. Receiving First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu in Kano, the Emir topped up is lavish hospitality with a message through her to her husband. It was clear and direct: “please tell your husband that

the people are hungry and angry”. The clergy is not to be left out. Pastor Enoch Adeboye has shifted the blame for our intractable insecurity and hardship to the realm of the supernatural. In his view, the leaders are doing their best but the insecurity and current hardship require divine intervention. The answer is perhaps in more prayers and supplication while patiently awaiting God’s appointed time for relief of our economic burdens. Meanwhile the scourge of hunger rages and the fire of anger consumes the land as wealthy priests ready to jet out of hell in their private jets. Having failed to wish away the hunger troubles through political and public opinion manipulation, the Presidency has at last managed to find the courage to confront the matter as a government. President Bola Tinubu held a very consequential meeting last Thursday with the Governors of a 36 states and Minister of the FCT. The meeting was the first tacit admission by their excellencies that the Nigerian state is now reduced to a machinery for confronting the original necessity of the nation state. The business of government is to guarantee the security of lives and property or limbs in the absence of property and to ensure the livelihood (food) of all citizens. In its classical sense, the necessity of government is the need to save humanity from the physical danger of hurt and death by his fellows while guaranteeing food and livelihood for those alive. In short, the essence of the state and government can be reduced to these two elements. Quite wisely, the President and the governors winded up addressing the biting urgency of security and food security. The consensus on these two is not far fetched. Prior to the last one month, insecurity in the form of banditry, kidnappings, abductions sense killings and violence was the dominant concern of most Nigerians. The idea of state police is being debated to combat bandits and kidnappers. Meanwhile, rhetorical poverty has graduated into mass abject penury and mass hunger. While sensible normal people can take measures to avoid being kidnapped or abducted, there is no armour against unavoidable hunger. But when people are hungry, they become irritable and very angry. In every sense, hunger is an instant unifier of mankind. A mass of hungry people is undifferentiated by the things that divide people in a polity. Hunger has no religion, ethnicity or region. All those whom poverty throws into the hellish pit of hunger find fellowship in the commonality of their condition. When a critical mass of the citizenry is reduced to an angry mob in protests about basic necessities and hunger, we have the makings of anarchy. An anarchic mob can only produce a revolution for good if the mob is infused with guiding ideas and a populist political leadership. The French were lucky that the mobs that stormed the Bastille in 1789 were armed with a slogan of ‘Equality, Freedom and Egalitarianism’. They were helped along by the arrogance of a monarchy whose queen, on learning that the people were marching to protest scarcity of bread, urged them “to go and eat cakes”! There was of course an underlying political leadership that took over the revolution and converted it into a republic after an intervening period of anarchy. On the contrary, a series of hunger protests over a wide area such as Nigeria can get out of hand. It could degenerate into mere anarchy if it overwhelms the state. I cannot see an informing idea nor a political leadership that can own or galvanize Nigeria’s hunger protests into a political movement. Therefore, what we may be seeing is a series of rehearsals in anarchy. The possible ensuing mayhem may fall into the hands of a cocktail of power adventurers: military despots, ethnic bigots, religious fundamentalists, narcotics warlords and treasure- seeking gangster collectives. What began as hunger protests could lead straight into anarchy and total state meltdown. Perhaps it is much easier to import, mass produce or borrow food to assuage these hunger protests and mobs than allow them to consume the fragile Nigerian state and plunge us all into a 100 years of anarchy.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FEBRUARY 18, 2024

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

PREMIER LEAGUE

Awoniyi’s Goal Pulls Nottingham Forest Five Points Clear Relegation Zone Duro Ikhazuagbe

aiwo Awoniyi scored Nottingham Forest’s lead just beforehalf-time with Callum Hudson-Odoi sealing the win in added time as the hosts team defeated West Ham 2-0 yesterday. Awoniyi has now scored twice since his return from an injury OD\RͿ ZKLFK FRVW KLP WR PLVV D place in the Super Eagles squad WKDW ZHUH WKH EHDWHQ ÀQDOLVW DW WKH just concluded AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire. The born-again Christian also passedonanotherdivinemessage quoting a passage from the bible abouttheawesomepowerofGod. The striker got booked for removing his jersey and revealing the vest that displayed the bible passage. 7KH ZLQ PRYHG )RUHVW ÀYH points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and added to the pressure on West Ham United manager David Moyes with a deserved victory at the City Ground. 2Q ORDQ PLGÀHOGHU .DOYLQ Phillips was shown two yellow cards in three minutes midway through the second half as he had another game to forget for West Ham. Forest move up to 15th while Moyes’ side’s failure to bounce back from the 6-0 defeat against Arsenal last Sunday means they stay eighth. Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest went into the game on the back of

Taiwo Awoniyi (right) scored the opener as Nottingham Forest defeated West Ham 2-0 yesterday evening VL[ GHIHDWV LQ WKHLU ODVW VHYHQ KRPH matchesbuttookadvantageofthe opportunity to face a West Ham side chastened by last weekend’s thrashing. (OVHZKHUH 0RKDPHG 6DODK scored on his return from injury DV /LYHUSRRO EHDW %UHQWIRUG to maintain their lead at the top

of the Premier League. Darwin Nunez put Liverpool ahead with a superb chip before $OH[LV 0DF $OOLVWHU SRNHG LQ D second at the Gtech Community Stadium. 6DODK EDFN IURP D KDPVWULQJ problem sustained on Egypt duty DW WKH $IULFD &XS RI 1DWLRQV JRW

on the scoresheet with a crisp ÀQLVK Ivan Toney pulled a goal back IRU %UHQWIRUG EXW &RG\ *DNSR addedtheglossforLiverpoolwith a late strike. $W (WLKDG 6WDGLXP 5RGUL GUDmatically rescued a point with a late leveller for Manchester City to

deny Chelsea victory and maintainhisside’slongunbeatenhome record in the 1-1 draw yesterday. City still lost ground in the title race after seeing Liverpool and Arsenal both post emphatic wins HDUOLHU RQ 6DWXUGD\ EXW WKLV KDV WR go down as a point gained given how close they came to defeat.

Okocha Leads Ex-Super Eagles Against NNPC Selected Side As 13th NNPC Sports Fiesta kicks off in Abuja

he 13th NNPC Ltd. Sports Fiesta will NLFN RͿ WRGD\ DW WKH 0RVKRRG $ELROD National Stadium in Abuja as the company strives to retain its legendary status of the team to beat in the Nigeria Oil & Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) coming XS ODWHU LQ $SULO WKLV \HDU Thisyear’seditionofthebiennialeventthemed“Healthy :RUNIRUFH 3URGXFWLYH 2UJDQL]DWLRQ µV\PEROLVHV 113& Ltd’s belief in the integral role of physical well-being towards enhancing organizational productivity among

employees. The event will see the Company’s employees competLQJ LQ JDPHV QDPHO\ IRRWEDOO EDVNHWEDOO YROOH\EDOO FKHVV VTXDVK VFUDEEOH EDOO SRRO JROI WHQQLV WDEOH WHQQLV EDGPLQWRQ VZLPPLQJ DQG DWKOHWLFV 7KH RQH ZHHN HYHQW ZKLFK ZLOO FOLPD[ RQ )ULGD\ UG )HEUXDU\ ZLOO DOVR IHDWXUH D QRYHOW\ PDWFK WKDW will see the NNPC Ltd Football Team trading tackles ZLWK ([ 6XSHU (DJOHV 6WDUV OHG E\ 1LJHULD·V OHJHQGDU\ &DSWDLQ $XVWLQ -- 2NRFKD 7KLV \HDU WKH VL[ 113& /WG ]RQHV KDYH XQGHUJRQH D

UHVWUXFWXULQJ IROORZLQJ WKHLU FRQVROLGDWLRQ LQWR WKUHH teams that represent the Company’s three core values RI ,QWHJULW\ 3RUW +DUFRXUW %HQLQ ([FHOOHQFH /DJRV :DUUL DQG 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ $EXMD .DGXQD 7KH WRXUQDPHQW ZKLFK LV VHW WR VKRZFDVH IULHQGO\ \HW VSLULWHG FRQWHVWV DPRQJ WKH WKUHH WHDPV ZLOO DOVR serve as a platform for selecting NNPC Ltd’s potential ÁDJEHDUHUV DW WKH IRUWKFRPLQJ 1LJHULD 2LO *DV ,QGXVWU\ *DPHV 12*,* LQ $SULO ZKHUH WKH &RPSDQ\ ZLOO GHIHQG LWV WLWOH RI 2YHUDOO :LQQHU D IHDW LW KDV PDLQWDLQHG over the years.

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Fubara Confers Nwabali with State Honour, Gifts him N20m NPFL: Enyimba Kick off Second Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

ivers State GovHUQRU 0U 6LPLnalayi Fubara has announced a N20million reward to SuSHU (DJOHV JRDONHHSHU 6WDQOH\ 1ZDEDOL IRU KLV H[FHOOHQW SHUformance at the just concluded 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire. Governor Fubara made the announcement in his remark when he hosted Nwabali and the Rivers Hoopers Basketball Team at Government House in Port Harcourt at the weekend. The governor also promised to bestow on the Super Eagles goalkeeper with the honour of Distinguished Service Star of

L-R: Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali and Prof Ngozi Odu, Deputy Governor of Rivers, during reception for Nwabali at the Government House, Port Harcourt...at the weekend

5LYHUV 6WDWH '6656 MXVW DV KH gifted N30million to the Nigerian national football crew who were present at the visit. For emerging as champions in the Louis Edem National league

FRPSHWLWLRQ *RYHUQRU )XEDUD also gifted N50million to the Rivers Hoopers Basketball Team. The Rivers State governor said his administration will sustain purposeful governance and

DGPLQLVWUDWLYH H΀FLHQF\ EHFDXVH they are helping the people to engage in ventures that bring honour to the State. Fubara said in providing OHDGHUVKLS KLV IRFXV LV WR FUHate the enabling environment in which Rivers people will continue to feel encouraged to do the right thing to align with what he is doing in changing the narrative of how the State is perceived globally. The governor particularly commended the Rivers-born 1ZDEDOL IRU KLV H[FHOOHQW JRDONHHSLQJ LQ WKH 6XSHU (DJOHV WHDP playing alongside other patriots LQ WKH MXVW FRQFOXGHG $)&21 which has made Nigeria proud. “I want to join the great and wonderful people of Rivers 6WDWH WR FRQJUDWXODWH \RX RXU brother Stanley Nwabali and our wonderful team.

Round with Win against Shooting

nyimba FC NLFNHG RͿ the second stanza of the 1Lgeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season with a 1-0 defeat of Shooting Stars FC. Until NPFL leaders Lobi Stars play their Match Day 20 away game at Plateau United LQ -RV WKH $ED (OHSKDQWV ZLOO just be one point behind the Makurdi boys. Enyimba are also tied on second spot with Remo Stars who are also playing away to Abia Warriors today. In the other game played to open the second round of the 13)/ .DQR 3LOODUV VHFXUHG D valuable one point in the away

1-1 draw with Heartland FC of Owerri. 0HDQZKLOH DFWLRQV ZLOO resume nationwide today LQ WKH 0DWFK 'D\ À[WXUHV Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin will be on a trip to Lagos for the Match Day 20 game with Sporting Lagos. 2WKHU À[WXUHV LQFOXGH WKH clash between Bayelsa Utd v Gombe Utd in Yenagoa while Rangers International will be at their fortress against Akwa Utd. .DWVLQD 8WG ZLOO DOVR WDNH on Niger Tornadoes. The match day 20 between WKH WRS ÁLJKW OHDJXH QHZ HQtrants Sporting and the Benin Arsenals is scheduled to kick RͿ E\ 30 DW WKH 0RERODML -RKQVRQ 6WDGLXP 6XUXOGUH

Sunday 18 February, 2024

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MISSILE

PDP Govs to APC “It must be noted that even though Nigeria is a federation, there is indeed only one economy. Hardship and suﬀering being faced by Nigerians have no tribal, religious or party colouration. A hungry man is an angry man” – PDP governors advising the ruling APC to resign if it cannot find solutions to the various problems plaguing Nigeria.

WAZIRIADIO POSTSCRIPT

On Official Response to Soaring Food Prices

he President Bola Tinubu administration has responded swiftly to street protests in three Nigerian cities about rising food prices. Some high-level meetings have been held and clear directives have been given, including through a statement by the president himself after his emergency meeting with state governors on Thursday. This is commendable. Challenges can compound when officials do not act on time. This administration can thus be awarded an A on responsiveness. However, the government will struggle for a passing grade on the quality of its immediate interventions for taming soaring food prices. Some of its interpretations and actions on the issue need more nuance and rigour, and could benefit from a quick rethink. Public policy can be likened to the field of medicine. Proper diagnosis is foundational and should guide the way to appropriate prescription and effective treatment. Misdiagnosis has dangerous consequences not just in the medical field, but also in governance. When confronted with a public challenge, officials should spend quality time to first understand what is going on, identify the remote and immediate triggers, then design their interventions. Granted that sometimes decisions have to be taken quickly and it is difficult to have perfect information in governance but querying assumptions, being sceptical about ideas that easily jump to the fore and asking the why question many times over could help. Public policies should not be made on a hunch or on impulse/emotions or be based on anecdotal evidence or isolated intelligence. Constantly, policymakers need to ask themselves: what does the fact tell us? Policymakers need to make data, not dogma, their friend. Different government officials, including the president, have implicated hoarders as the culprits of rising food prices. Security forces have been ordered to go after them. A government agency in Kano actually stormed and sealed ten warehouses in the ancient city for hoarding foodstuffs and other essential items, and the president acknowledged this on Thursday. Merchants, including those who trade across borders, have also been blamed. The Minister of Agriculture was reported as saying Nigerian land borders should be closed to stop those coming to buy our grains on the cheap and driving up prices here. The Nigerian Customs Service has swung into action by impounding vehicles reportedly smuggling food items out of Nigeria. The governor of Niger State was quoted as saying traders from other parts of Nigeria will be banned from buying food grown in his state. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that we are in 2024 AD. There is a lot to unpack from these official statements and actions. Suffice to say that these prescriptions and statements give insights into official diagnosis of rising food prices. With all the charity I can muster, I will say these official prescriptions reveal a reductionist and even dangerous diagnosis of the problem. The misdiagnosis could be inadvertent or deliberate—inadvertent because of inadequate attention to data and developments; deliberate because of a ploy to create scapegoats, cause distractions and divert attention. Whatever it is, government is unwittingly creating another set of problems. It is undermining efforts at improving storage of agricultural produce, stigmatising and criminalising enterprise, discouraging investment, and officially sanctioning possible harassment and extortion of businesses by security agents. Worse: hungry and angry people could start storming and ‘liberating’ warehouses, stores and shops of ‘hoarded items.’ Just to be clear: farmers and traders have always stored food items that they could. (I know this first hand as I followed my grandfather to his farms almost every day for two years while waiting for university admission. My grandfather stored grains and yams on his farms and in the house sometimes for close to a year.) It is also not unusual for traders to aggregate produce from farmers, store and package them in warehouses/stores before selling to wholesalers and retailers. So, farmers, merchants and commodity traders storing grains and other items is not the problem. It will be important to know what objective metrics government officials and informants will use to determine when keeping items in warehouses/stores is legitimate storage and when it is hoarding. Also, selling grains across the borders actually predated

Tinubu independent Nigeria. And it is not a one-way trade: we buy grains from and sell to our neighbours depending on prices and harvests’ yields. For ages, we have had border markets and even international grains markets. A ready example of the latter is the Dawanau International Grains Market in Kano, which is patronised by farmers and traders from across Nigeria and from other west and central African countries. So, selling food items to non-Nigerians cannot be the reason for high food prices. According to even accounts by government officials, there is no scarcity of food in Nigerian markets. Food items are readily available. Affordability is the challenge. The nuance that government needs to factor into its clearly tendentious diagnosis is that an item can be available and be expensive at the same time, especially when price is largely driven by cost. However, admitting to the impact of associated costs will not allow the government to easily pass the buck or create convenient scapegoats. Food prices are impacted by associated costs in two ways. One obvious transmission line is transportation costs. Most of the trucks moving farm inputs and produce run on diesel, which is fully deregulated and which now sells for about N1400 per litre in Abuja. It would be unfair to expect the farmers and traders to absorb that cost. The second channel is that farmers have to adjust their prices to ensure that rising inflation doesn’t hand them the short end of the stick. Farmers cannot grow everything they need and they have reasonable expectations of the basket of goods that their produce should give them. We can call this the exchange value of their produce. For example, if a 100kg bag of sorghum used to fetch a farmer 50kg of vegetable oil, what do you expect the farmer to do when the price of vegetable oil doubles? Take the halving of the value of his bag of sorghum as an act of God or as a patriotic contribution or adjust his own prices? Farmers/ traders adjusting their prices to ensure they can maintain a commensurate standard of living in the midst of soaring cost of living is not profiteering. It is a rational human response. Though I criticise the implementation style and clear lack of a prior strategy for the Tinubu reforms on petrol subsidy removal and official exchange rates unification, I think both reforms are necessary and I support them. But it is indisputable that it is the combined effect of both reforms, especially the constant depreciation of the Naira in both official and parallel markets, that is the main driving force behind the recent surge in the prices of most goods, including home-grown food items for reasons mentioned earlier. It is true that both headline inflation and food inflation have been high for a while. According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation crossed the 20% threshold in June 2022 (20.60%) and headline inflation caught up in August 2022 (20.52%). Both have not looked back since, with headline inflation and food

inflation notching up to 29.90% and 35.41% respectively in January 2024. The constant yo-yoing of the Naira, now beyond the previously unimaginable N1500/$1 threshold, is the immediate cause of skyrocketing prices. The farmers and traders didn’t cause the plummeting of the value of the Naira. To be sure, our homegrown food items would now be cheaper for our neighbours because they are holding a relatively stronger currency, leading to an increase in quantity demanded. And of course, there would be some unscrupulous traders cashing in here and there too. But as long as these activities have not led to shortage or scarcity of grains and other foodstuffs in the markets (as government officials themselves have repeatedly said), we have to look for the drivers of high food prices elsewhere. Policy makers should be asking for actual or proxy data on demand and supply before arriving at probable cause. One useful hint about the hollowness of the primacy of the hoarding/ smuggling narrative: prices of all food items, including perishable and non-exported ones, are rising. Our overstretched security and anti-corruption agents should have more important things to do with their precious time than to be reduced to price police and chasers of food hoarders/smugglers. This approach feeds into the fallacy that the brute force of the state can solve all problems including purely market issues. It is wrongheaded, counter-productive and futile. I will not join those asking the government to abandon its two signature reforms. Government needs to finetune their implementation and develop robust strategies for them. Government also needs to urgent change course on some of its approach to the food price crisis. It is commendable that president has ordered the release of 42,000 metric tons of grains from the national grains reserves to be distributed free to the poor. But as in other areas, the absence of a clear strategy is evident. The Minister of Information announced the presidential order on February 8th but gave no indication about how this will be done. On February 14th, the Minister of Agriculture said the distribution will be done by NEMA and DSS but that government is awaiting ‘indexes’ from these agencies. Up till now, a cup of grains has not been shared anywhere and there is no clarity on when this emergency intervention will start. By the way, 42, 000 metric tons comes to 840, 000 bags of grains in 50kg bags. Assuming equal distribution, that will come to 22, 703 bags of grains for each of the 36 states and FCT. It will be interesting to see how much grains will get to each person (and the cost of distribution) in a country where 104 million people are categorised as income poor. I find two other things curious in this still cloudy arrangement: the involvement of DSS in identifying and distributing food to the poor; and the fact that 79.25% of the 53,000 metric tons of grains in our reserves will be released at once. On the latter point, an argument could be made that releasing about four-fifth of our reserves at once shows how seriously the government takes this crisis. Fair enough. But what happens to high food prices after the distribution, what happens to the beneficiaries after the one-off largesse and what happens in case of a critical emergency in the country? I am all for the state coming to the aid of the poorest of the poor. But I don’t think people are asking for free food. Agreed it is good gesture, and maybe some people actually need bowls of free grains. But how sustainable is this approach and what happens next? My sense is that most people are bothered about constantly changing prices of food items. Maybe releasing the grains to boost supply would have been a more appropriate intervention. Or maybe splitting what will be released to the market to boost supply and what will be shared gratis could also be a mid-path. Maybe. This goes back to the issue of proper diagnosis and the imperative of driving policy decisions with data. But there are more things to worry about. In the statement released on his X handle, President Tinubu said: “I will not establish a price control board, nor will I approve the importation of food. We must extricate ourselves from this predicament because importation only enables rent seekers to perpetrate fraud and mismanagement at our collective expense. Instead, we will support our farmers with schemes that encourage them to cultivate more food for the nation.” This is a great quote by the way. Fighting

and patriotic words. I agree with the president on the futility of price control and on the need to support our farmers to produce more (because we actually have a serious food security problem that we need to tackle in many ways in the medium term to long term). But, Mr. President, we have an urgent problem that demands an immediate and consequential intervention. I don’t think fighting and patriotic words are enough. The only immediate solution that the president has put on the table is the 42,000 metric tons of free grains, but it is too puny to make a dent. According to the USDA, Nigeria in 2024 is projected to consume 31.35 million metric tons of just four major grains: corn (12.3mmt), rice (7.8mmt), sorghum (6.75mmt) and wheat (4.5mmt). That 42,000mmt is a mere 0.13% of our projected consumption of four grains this year. Whatever support the president and the governors give to farmers now will not translate to harvests and lower prices until three to six months. What happens in the interim? This is why the fighting words about imports have to be reconsidered. Luckily, we are largely self-sufficient in roots/tubers, pulses, maize and sorghum. We are close to self-sufficiency in rice, but we have had an annual supply gap in excess of two million metric tons for more than ten years despite all our interventions over the time. But we are dependent on imports almost 100% for our supply of wheat and sugar, two items consumed directly or used as inputs for foods and drinks widely consumed in the country, especially in the tetchy urban areas. So, the fighting and patriotic words on not sanctioning importation and not enabling rent-seeking are not quite helpful in addressing the problem at hand. Despite all the different regimes of restrictions, we always import some staple food items anyway. If what the president meant is that the government will not do the importation, that is fine. But there are levers that the government can pull to quickly reduce the prices of some strategic food items like rice, sugar and wheat: reducing or removing tariffs on them, even for a short period. The argument is about making cheaper items that we already import, items that we do not have capacity to meet or fully meet in the short to medium terms, and items that are widely consumed and whose prices set the prices of so many other food items made out of them. At this time of high stress, the government invariably punishes consumers with high prices if it continues to insist on imposing tariffs of 85% on wheat (the main ingredient for bread), 75% on sugar (on which we created market power for Dangote, BUA and Flour Mills in the name of a clearly ineffective backward integration policy) and 70% on rice. Removing or reducing the tariffs, duties and other charges on these items for say three to six months will quickly reduce their prices and touch many more people than distributing cups of free grains. Late President Umaru Yar’Adua removed all levies and duties on rice between May and November 2008 in response to the global food crisis at the time. The price of imported rice crashed by 45%. A rough calculation shows that even at the current exchange rate, imported rice will cost at least 35% cheaper today without tariff and duties. Reducing or removing tariff on these three items won’t bring down the prices of all food items, but it will considerably calm nerves and will be good signalling because of the strategic importance of the items involved. It will not be cost-free. Government will take a revenue cut. But it is a time-bound cut, and the slight reduction in revenue will be more than compensated for by the benefits to the larger society. Government will be seen to be making sacrifice for the people and to be taking immediate and significant steps (not engaging in work avoidance of chasing ‘hoarders’ and ‘profiteers’). Consumers will breathe a little. The fears about displacing local farmers are misplaced, as the items spoken about here are not maize, sorghum, cassava, yam and others in which we are self-sufficient. In any case, we need to look at the big, national picture, not just the narrow interest of a lobby group or at how to burnish our ideological/nationalistic credentials. We need pragmatic and immediate interventions on this food issue. And very quickly too, as it is not in anyone’s interest for the surging hunger and anger on the streets to spill over.

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