SUNDAY 3RD MARCH 2024

Edun-led Panel Seeks Removal of Social Investment Programmes from Humanitarian Ministry

Festus Akanbi

The Presidential Panel on Social Investment Programmes has recommended the removal of intervention initiatives from the purview of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

According to TheCable, the panel led by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, sent its recommendation to President Bola Tinubu.

The social investment programmes are currently domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. By law, they are implemented

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by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

The programmes - Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, NPower Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Home Grown School Feeding Programme - were put on hold after Tinubu suspended Betta Edu as the humanitarian affairs minister.

Edu has since submitted herself to a probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

She ran into trouble after a memo surfaced where she asked the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to

transfer the sum of N585 million to a private account.

Thereafter, other documents where she made controversial approvals, including approving airfares to Kogi, a state without an airport, went viral, prompting the president to suspend her.

Before Edu ran into trouble, Halima Shehu was suspended as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSIPA over alleged financial malfeasance. Edu had alleged that billions of naira went missing on Shehu’s watch.

Apart from the EFCC probe, Tinubu directed that the panel led by Edun should “among other functions, conduct a comprehen-

QATAR, TINUBU SAYS NATION-BUILDING

of human capital development.

This is coming as Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said Nigeria’s transition from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy is crucial to the nation’s quest to join the league of developed nations, just as Qatar and Nigeria will today sign eight bilateral agreements.

Speaking with journalists shortly after inspecting the National Museum of Qatar, in Doha, Tinubu noted that since the beginning of nations, nationalism and patriotism had remained major ingredients for tackling various challenges along the way, adding that "you learn as you go on".

President Tinubu who was kickstarting his two-day state visit to Qatar with the visit to the Museum, was conducted round the edifice, which is located in the heart of Doha and built on a land of about 430,500 square feet.

Speaking on the significance of the museum, the President stated that "it is great to document culture from the beginning of history, the culture of civilisation, collaborations, challenges and perseverance of leadership."

On replicating the same in Nigeria, he said: "We still have a long way to go."

He, however, expressed happiness for the opportunity to take a guided tour of the edifice, adding that, "I am glad I am here. It is a great honour; you learn every day of your life."

The president was conducted round the edifice by the CEO of Qatar Museums, Mohammed saad Al Rumaihi.

From the museum, Tinubu also visited the Qatar Foundation, responsible for promoting Qatar government humanitarian activities in other countries, including Nigeria.

The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, is a state-led non-profit organisation, dedicated to helping humanity in the areas of science, research, and documentation.

The institution, which was founded in 1995 by the then Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife, Moza bint Nasser Al-Missne, has been linked to the development of schools, houses, and health facilities in several countries, including Nigeria.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, while speaking on the importance of the foundation to Nigeria, attested to the humanitarian activities of the foundation in the northern part of Nigeria.

He disclosed that the Qatar Foundation is currently building orphanages, houses, and schools in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, and other places in the northern part of Nigeria.

"Their main objective is to assist displaced and downtrodden communities in Nigeria.

“We want to give our appreciation to the Qatar Charity Foundation.

"We believe that with the presence of the President of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, this organisation will provide more support to the government of Nigeria both at the national and sub-national levels.

"The main objectives of the foundation are geared towards enhancing education, Science, and research in community development," Zulum added.

He also expressed the hope that Nigerian entrepreneurs, especially in the areas of agriculture and animal husbandry, would continue to benefit from the relationship between Nigeria and Qatar.

Zulum, while noting that Qatar has perfected the development of agriculture, particularly livestock farming, also expressed the hope that Nigeria would leverage the relationship to solve the farmers/ herders clash.

"What we need from them particularly, is in the areas of research in community development, because they export meat and other food items.

"We are speaking about cattle grazing and farmers/ herders’ clashes and I think the Qatari

ANYAOKU: CURRENT CONSTITUTION CANNOT RESOLVE NIGERIA'S ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

addressed under the constitution and governance system we have at the moment.

“We cannot effectively address these challenges that have assumed nationwide dimension, especially insecurity, which has pervaded the northern part of the country and other communities,” he said.

He stressed that the current constitution was a departure from the constitution that the nation’s founding fathers negotiated and agreed upon.

“The constitution for a pluralistic state as Nigeria, we have to return to those principles of the constitution as earlier agreed by our founding fathers.

“Until we do that, I am afraid that we cannot effectively deal with the challenges facing the nation,” he added.

When asked about the Monday sit-at-home observed in the Southeast region and the negative effects on the economy, the elder statesman said that the sit-at-home was causing

great damage to the economy of the country.

“The sit-at- home is doing great damage to the economy of the South-east region, I do not support the idea, I think it is doing great damage to the economy. We have to deal with the root cause of sit-at-home, which is the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.

“Notwithstanding the fact that the court of law had ordered his release, that word gives those who advocate and participate in sit-at-home the reason for doing so.

“I think that the cause of the sit-at-home should be addressed, I do not think that the sit-at-home should be maintained, it should be stopped,” he suggested.

On the Ito-Ogoto traditional event that was being celebrated every three years in the community, he observed that those who attained the age of 80 years were celebrated.

He added that the Igbo culture respects age, because it was believed that age brings wisdom.

sive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes to conclusively reform the relevant institutions and programmes”.

In an interim report seen by TheCable yesterday, the panel recommended that the programmes should be resumed to alleviate the sufferings of poor and vulnerable Nigerians, but that a new board under the leadership of Edun should oversee the social investment programmes.

“Convene a steering committee/board under the leadership of the Hon. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to oversee the

coordination of programmes,” it reads in part.

“Determine the future of the NSIPA by advocating for a proper review and amendment of the NSIPA act.”

A government official who pleaded anonymity said before the social investment programmes are transferred to a new body for implementation, the relevant laws would have to be amended.

“The executive bill sent by Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the National Assembly, placed the NSIPA, which is in charge of these social programmes, in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation,”

REQUIRES PERSEVERANCE, PATRIOTISM TO SUCCEED

Foundation will come in through research because in northern Nigeria, we share climatic conditions with Qatar. I hope that they will do the research in such a way that the two countries will mutually benefit from."

Meanwhile, President Tinubu will today engage the business community and join his host at the Palace of the Emir of Qatar, for the signing of eight bilateral agreements.

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who disclosed this yesterday in Doha, added that Nigeria would expect a strong partnership between the two countries, as Qatar which is the third largest gas producer, seeks to open up investment opportunities for the Nigerian business community.

"It will interest you to know that Qatar investors are in several countries in Africa, but not in Nigeria. Nigeria and Qatar jointly have stakes in the future of gas, as the debate is on as to the future of gas in the energy transition plans," Tuggar explained.

Speaking on the benefits of the visit for local MSMEs in Nigeria, Tuggar said the visit would provide opportunities for the business community to further engage with their Qatar partners to explore mutually beneficial relationships.

Also speaking, Minister of Youth Development Jamila Ibrahim, expressed high hopes for the Nigerian youths as the ministry was able to mobilise youths to Qatar on the President's instructions to engage with their business community for mutual benefits.

On his part, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State who is in the President's entourage expressed deep appreciation to their host for providing the opportunities to engage with the Qatar investors and look forward to a rewarding experience.

Sani noted that Nigeria's solid minerals development plans will also get a boost as a result of the engagements, especially by the

sub-national

governments.

Tinubu Insists Nigeria will Survive with Human Capital Development

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has said his administration will continue to support education because of his strong belief that Nigeria's survival can only be assured by the quality of human capital development. President Tinubu disclosed this yesterday at the 38th convocation ceremony of the Bayero University Kano (BUK), in Kano State.

The president who was represented by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Muhammad, explained that the present administration accorded top priority to education and human capital development.

“This administration will continue to support education because of our strong belief that our survival can only be assured by the quality of our human capital development. This is why we made education the top priority of our administration.

“We are supporting all aspects of education; this administration will focus on skills, technology, and vocational education as core drivers of the educational system that will prepare graduants for employment and employer of labour.

“For this purpose, the federal government is building 24 skills and vocational hubs in polytechnics as well as entrepreneurship centres in our universities. We are also reviving 970 Shanghai centres for integrated learning and development of Almajiri in the country. “We are also building 91 vocational schools in secondary schools across the country to ensure that all levels of education are enjoying the impact of our policy.

He said the federal government had taken steps to provide power to universities with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) through the Ministry of Education and Ministry

of Petroleum (Gas).

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of BUK, Prof. Adamu Sagir Abbas, appealed to the federal government to fence the new campus of the university, as the university community has been facing enormous security challenges, owing to the porous nature of the entrance and exit points.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jubrin, and the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina were conferred with honorary Doctorate degrees, during the convocation ceremony.

Dangote Advocates Nation’s Transition to Knowledge-based Economy

In a related development, Africa’s richest man, Dangote, has said the development of a knowledge-based economy is crucial to Nigeria’s quest to join the league of developed nations.

Dangote spoke at the weekend as a guest lecturer at the 38th convocation lecture of BUK. The business mogul, who was represented by the Group Executive Director of Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed, delivered a lecture entitled: ‘Role of The Private Sector in Building a Sustainable Knowledge Economy in Nigeria.’

He noted that for Nigeria to leverage and nurture a sustainable knowledge economy, the federal government must invest in education and skills development.

Dangote listed other factors that can grow the knowledge economy in Nigeria including the promotion of research and development; digital infrastructure development; entrepreneurship and innovation support; circular economy integration; and government policies’ regulation.

Others include Public-private partnership (PPP); environmental stewardship; digital inclusion and accessibility; community engagement and social impact.

the official said.

“A bill would have to be sponsored to amend the principal act.

“Anything outside of that is illegal and against the laws setting up the NSIPA.”

The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Mr Bayo Onanuga did not immediately respond to TheCable’s requests for comments. Before the humanitarian affairs ministry and NSIPA got embroiled in this saga, the Senate, in October 2023, commenced moves to place the agency under the presidency.

A bill to that effect has since passed second reading at the upper legislative chamber.

The billionaire said the nation needs a conducive business environment that provides incentives for the efficient use of existing knowledge.

“Given the tremendous benefits that the knowledge economy offers, it is vital that Nigeria makes the transition from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based economy,” Dangote said.

He added: “Countries like South Korea, India, China, and the Asian tigers at one time or the other took the decision to institutionalise a knowledge economy and are today reaping the benefits.

“There are many government research institutions and the existing knowledge gathered over the years can be put into use by firms.

Agricultural research institutes have produced new varieties of seeds, legumes, and others that are being cultivated in small quantities in their demonstration farms.

“This is where the government should come in with incentives for firms that would make use of these new varieties.”

Dangote said the government, through its agencies, could help in insisting that firms and businesses apply existing knowledge in their operations.

Dangote, however, noted that: “A major challenge in transiting to knowledge economy for Nigeria is the quality of the Nigerian worker,” stressing that: “The quality of human assets matters a lot in the operations of a firm.”

According to him: “Our educational system, which produces most of the human assets working in various firms in Nigeria needs to be modified to yield the desired results.

“The system as presently constituted produces graduates who may have excellent qualifications but lack the necessary skills to perform optimally in a knowledge-driven economy.

“We have thousands of graduates every year but selecting those with the required skills is often a tough task,” he added.

FG SUMMONS ABUJA, IBADAN DISCOS, TCN OVER WORSENING POWER SUPPLY IN 10 STATES, FCT

challenges as well as vandalism of distribution companies’ (Discos) assets.

Worried by the worsening electricity supply across the country, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu said he particularly summoned the Chief Executives of AEDC and IBEDC because supply has been exceptionally bad in those regions.

Also summoned in connection with the situation, he said, is the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule Abdulazeez.

A statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, quoted Adelabu as saying that the management of other non-performing Discos would also be queried over non-performance as reports continued filtered in on the situation in their regions.

According to a letter signed by the Director of distribution Services at the Federal Ministry of Power, Baba Mustapha, the affected chief executives of the institutions were

invited to a meeting summoned by the minister in the coming week.

The letter stated that issues to be discussed will be bordering on worsening electricity supply in their regions, to proffer lasting solutions.

“These two Discos have been summoned due to the worsening power supply situation in their regions despite improved supply from TCN,” the statement said.

According to the statement, gas shortage notwithstanding, the ministry had been putting pressure on the Generating Companies (Gencos) to improve performance and generation has been ramped up to over 4,000 MW in recent days.

“So, we expect power supply to have improved across the country, unlike what we are experiencing in some regions, presently.

“Findings revealed that some distribution companies were deliberately not taking up power supply from TCN while some power lines were also damaged by vandals in Abuja, Benin, Port

Harcourt and Ibadan regions," it added.

Going forward, the minister said the focus would be on all the Discos to compel them to meet expected performance while, “wilful non-performance by any Disco could suffice a reason for severe punishment or outright licence revocation”.

The minister said he had also directed the TCN to immediately commence repair works on the damaged transmission towers and power lines to improve supply in the affected regions.

According to the statement, the minister had embarked on supervisory visits to some of the power generating plants in the last few months, including the Kainji hydropower plant, which he said will soon embark on an expansion plan to boost the existing 560mw operational capacity.

“He also visited Benue and Taraba States to assess the infrastructure being constructed to evacuate an additional 30MW from the Kashimbilla hydropower station

to the national grid. Presently, only 10MW is being evacuated from the hydropower plant.

“The minister was also in Olorunshogo and Omotosho thermal plants in Ogun and Ondo states, Ihvobor and Azura power plants in Edo State, respectively,” it added.

During the visits, the minister said he assured the power plants that plans are underway by the federal government to defray part of the outstanding debts being owed to the power generation companies and the gas supply companies.

During the week, the federal government said it had offset $120 million of the debt owed the gas suppliers.

“With this, succour is close to electricity consumers nationwide as we expect this action to improve generation levels across the country,” according to a statement issued to this effect.

According to the statement, Adelabu, however, appealed to electricity consumers to exercise a little patience while the situation is being turned around.

HONORARY AWARDS...

L-R: President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau; and the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, at the conferment of doctoral degrees (Honoris Causa) on Barau and Akinwumi, during the 38th Convocation ceremony of Bayero University Kano...yesterday.

After Closed-door Meeting With Buhari, Shettima Says New Strategies against Insecurity Underway

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has promised Nigerians that the federal government will deploy new strategies to fight armed banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges in different parts of the country.

The vice president stated this yesterday after he held a closeddoor meeting with former President Muhammadu Buhari at his residence in Daura, Katsina State.

This assurance came a day after the Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu called for increased

collaboration among security agencies to adequately tackle the insecurity in the country.

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, had also appealed to the federal government to deploy more men and resources to support the state in its trying times

of incessant banditry attacks.

Speaking after he emerged from the closed-door meeting with the former President, Shettima said the federal government would deploy all the resources and expertise needed to restore security and lasting peace to the affected areas.

EU Seeks End to Criminality in Niger Delta

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The European Union’s (EU) Deputy Head of Mission to Nigeria, Zissimos Vergos, has called for the elimination of factors contributing to criminality in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Vergos, who advocated a paradigm shift in addressing the scourge, spoke during the launch of a peace promotion project, tagged: ‘A Community-centred approach to transforming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta’ by a consortium of partners led by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in Niger Delta (PIND); Search for Common Ground (SFCG); Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) and Academic Associates Peace Works (AAPW), and funded by the EU in Abuja.

Vergos said the EU would endorse inclusive community methods to tackle the underlying factors of violence in the Niger Delta region.

A recent report by PIND revealed that militancy/illegal oil bunkering-

related clashes, kidnapping for ransom, communal conflict, mob violence, clashes between rival cult gangs, organised criminality, and separatist agitations are the most prevalent crimes in the region.

Speaking at the event, Vergos said: “We all know we cannot address the structural problems of the Niger Delta region directly, but what we can do is highlight the paradigm shift and the theory of change that can convince a lot of people.

“Out of our interest in seeing Nigeria achieve its status as the giant of Africa, what we can do as a partner is bring resources to the table so that Nigerian partners can work around their challenges. This is very important to highlight.

“Through this process, we are learning because we definitely don’t come around to historical problems, pretending that we fully understand the solution. What we know and bring from our societies is that inclusive societies do better.

“The EU supports inclusive community approaches to address systemic drivers of violence in the Niger Delta region,” he explained.

He commended the consortium partners for working together to propose an alternative narrative to the interference of violence prevailing in the region.

He said the project would help to propose an authentic narrative to the region for sustainable development.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh, expressed the hope that the project would yield the desired impact.

Momoh, who was represented by his Special Assistant, James Khanoba, said: “We hope that the ‘Community- Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ project serves as a compass that guides government towards a more holistic understanding of the problem in the region and the potential pathways to sustainable solutions.”

The minister said the Niger Delta, with its breathtaking landscape and vast resources, was undeniably a region of immense promises.

He, however, added that the promise had been overshadowed by the persistent issues of criminality and violence impeding the growth and prosperity our people rightfully deserve.

According to him, the project is a testament to the unwavering commitment to address these challenges keeping in mind the human dimensions.

Country Director, of Search for Common Ground, Fatima Abubakar, said her organisation and the consortium partners have successfully launched the project in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta states, where the respective state governments demonstrated their commitment to promoting inclusive community security approaches and addressing the root causes of violence and criminality in the region.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was determined to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians despite the economic challenges while urging Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the administration.

On arrival at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina, the vice president was received by the Katsina State governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda and

other top government officials in the state.

The vice president who was accompanied by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, and that of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari as well as former Imo State Governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, also paid homage to the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar at his palace in Daura.

Nigeria Drops to Eighth Happiest Country in Africa

Festus Akanbi

Ravaged by political and social economic challenges, Nigeria has dropped to the position of eighth happiest country in Africa, according to the 2023 World Happiness Report.

The latest report showed that as of March 2023, Finland was the happiest country in the world for the sixth consecutive time.

Only two decades ago, Nigeria was ranked as the country with the happiest people.

In 2003, the World Values Survey reported that the world's happiest people were living in Nigeria.

However, in the 2023 ranking, Mauritius emerged as the happiest country in Africa, boasting a

Port Harcourt-Aba Train Services Begin Operation in March, Says FG

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The federal government yesterday said train services on Port Harcourt to Aba route will start operation by the end of March.

The Port Harcourt-Aba rail project is part of the larger Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railroad project initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Fidet Okhiria, Managing Director, disclosed this in Port Harcourt after leading a delegation

to test-run the reconstructed of Eastern Narrow Guage Rail line.

He said workers were currently putting finishing touches on the tracks to ensure that full train operation could begin within the month. “I am impressed with what I saw today, especially being able to ride the locomotive and wagon on the tracks.

“Last time we visited, we could not use the train because the contractor said it was not proper to run on the train due to imbalance of the tracks.

“The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, has directed that the Port Harcourt route be connected to rail as well as initiate the linkage of Onne Port,” he said.

Okhiria expressed confidence that the contractor would complete the ‘tampering’ of the railroad within two weeks, preceding the targeted three weeks for the train services to resume.

“We are pushing the contractor to make the track safe by deploying semi-automatic signalling of the machine points rather than manual

operation.

“Despite resource challenges, the contractors are doing their best, and our goal is to achieve this within the next two weeks.

“With this, we aim to commence passenger train services hopefully within March and fully resume transporting people from Port Harcourt to Aba by the end of March,” he assured.

The managing director said the project design team had started designing a rail track to connect the Port Harcourt-Aba railroad line

to the Onne sea port.

He stated that NRC had begun collaborating with the port’s terminal manager and leading engineers to ensure a smooth project delivery.

“The initial design has been done and handed over to us. We look at it, make corrections and seek approval. Once approved, work will commence,” he added.

Regarding transport fares, Okhiria mentioned that due to the current high cost of diesel, commuters might have to pay higher fares than what was obtainable before.

happiness score of 5.902. Its extremely happy landscapes and diverse culture undoubtedly contribute to this high ranking. Algeria was a close second, with a score of 5.392, reflecting a sense of well-being prevalent in North Africa.

Others on the list were: South Africa, in the third position, while DR Congo, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire came fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

Gabon, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mozambique came seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th in that order.

The World Happiness Report is a report by the United Nations that measures national happiness.

According to the report, the data is primarily sourced from the Gallup World Poll and based on respondent ratings of their own lives.

However, given the economic challenges prevalent in Nigeria, which manifested in terms of business collapse, an exodus of multinationals, an unstable foreign exchange market, and the attendant rise in standards of living, inflation, and high cost of living, bookmakers had predicted a poor showing on the ranking of countries with happy people.

In its 2003 report, which was carried out over three years, reported that Nigeria beat more than 65 countries to claim the top spot.

In 2012, a Gallup poll revealed that Africans were the world’s most optimistic people. In Nigeria specifically, 88 per cent of people were said to be optimistic about their future.

Minister Mourns as Nollywood Comic Icon, Mr Ibu, Dies at 62

Vanessa Obioha

The Nollywood actor who entertained Nigerians with his comic look and act, John Okafor, better known as Mr. Ibu, has died at the age of 62.

Reacting to his death, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, in a

statement, described Mr. Ibu as a household name who made families happy throughout his acting career.

"His death at this time is very unfortunate and a sad one for us all in the entertainment industry. We will sorely miss him. May his soul rest in peace," the minister added. His death came as a shock to many Nigerians who were still

grasping with the death of another Nollywood actor Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri, who died on Friday, March 1, 2024. Confirming Mr. Ibu’s death on his Instagram page, the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas wrote: “Sad Day for Actors Guild of Nigeria. Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier

today and Mr. lbu suffered cardiac arrest, according to his manager for 24 years, Mr. Don Single Nwuzor. I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr. Ibu didn’t make it. May his soul rest in peace.” Many Nigerians took to X, Facebook and Instagram to pay tribute to the man who brought so much laughter to many households

in Nigeria and beyond.

Notable Nollywood icons have also shared photos of him on different social media platforms, mourning his passing.

Born John Okafor, Mr. Ibu became a household name in Nollywood in the 2000s, starring in the 2004 eponymous film ‘Mr. Ibu,’ which was followed by a sequel in 2005.

Mr. Ibu belonged to the pantheon of Nollywood comedic veterans who fetched fame for their witty remarks. His characters, although comedic, had seen him play a hardworking father of a naughty child or a gullible friend. On TikTok, his comedic clips served as fodder for content creators, creating comedy relief and nostalgia for fans.

PAYING ROYAL HOMAGE...

Strike Imminent in Varsities as SSANU, NASU Issue

Seven-day Ultimatum to FG over Withheld Salaries

Stop treating us like ASUU, we never went on strike, says CONUA

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a one-week ultimatum for the federal government to pay the unions’ members’ withheld salaries or risk an industrial action.

This is as the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) also has asked the government to pay its members the remaining part of their withheld salaries.

In a statement jointly signed by SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, the workers asked the government to pay the withheld salaries like their academic

counterparts who were paid four months out of the arrears of several months.

JAC said it had written protest letters to the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the exclusion of the non-academic staff when the government decided to pay part of the withheld salaries but that the letters were not responded to two weeks after it was submitted.

“We, therefore, use this opportunity once again to call on the federal government to do the needful within the next seven days as the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU should not be held responsible should the wheel of administration and corporate governance be grounded to a halt in the university sector, as we have exercised enough patience,” part of

the statement reads.

The statement added: “If nothing is done by the federal government to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters to them, the members of the two unions may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decisions on the matter.”

JAC said it had done everything possible within its power to prevail on its members to maintain industrial peace and tranquility.

“While we appreciate the federal government for paying our academic counterpart, we also deem it necessary that our members are also paid,” the statement said, adding that the unions can no longer guarantee industrial harmony on the campuses should the government fail to pay them.

We Chose Peace to Sustain Devt in Rivers, Says Fubara

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that the reason his administration chose peace is to sustain the achievements of the past governments and the ongoing development in the state.

Fubara said his message of peace, sacrifices and commitment has liberated the people of the state, who in return, support his government.

The governor made the assertion yesterday, at a ceremony organised by the Okrika Council of Chiefs and the people of Okrika to honour the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Tom.

Speaking further, Fubara explained that the feeling of liberation has propelled the people of the state to organise special thanksgiving celebrations of his legal victory in the 23 local government areas (LGAs) on a weekly basis without prompting from him.

He said the basis of development is anchored on peace, adding that nobody can ever get the best out of himself or from the society without a measure of peace.

"If you love your state, you will not be any part of anything that will bring destruction to it. It doesn't matter who the person is. That is what people should understand.

"And for those of us who chose peace, it is not because we are weak but because we know and value this state. Whatever achievement that has been recorded by the previous administrations; it is important that we sustain it. And that is the reason

why we toe the path of peace."

The governor stressed: "Look at what is happening in the 23 local government areas in the state. I am not asking anybody to go round to do thanksgiving as some of you might be thinking.

"These are people who wake up in the morning and say, we have been liberated. We want to tell people that we exist.

"And every day, you're seeing the numbers; this is not artificial, this is organic support and why are we getting it, it is because of the peace that we stand for."

The governor said public office holders should not talk carelessly and because he is not a noise maker but a prudent leader, his achievements that are well documented will be displayed publicly at the appropriate time.

Fubara promised to commence reconstruction work on Isaka Community Landing Jetty, and activate the sand-filling project that was abandoned in the area.

He also pronounced the upgrade, from second class status to a firstclass status, the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits.

In his welcome address, a former Minister of Transport, Abiye Sekibo, said the Wakirike nation were celebrating one of their own, King Ateke Tom, who has contributed to the prevailing peace in the various communities and Niger Delta.

Sekibo who extended the congratulation of the people to Governor Fubara over his electoral

victory, commended him for his decision to ensure the reign of peace and assured that Wakirike nation will continue to support his administration into his second tenure.

The Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Tom was bestowed the honour of Be Se Poku by the apex body of traditional rulers and the people of Okrika.

In 2022, two months after ASUU commenced a nationwide strike, both SSANU and NASU also embarked on nationwide industrial action that further crippled activities across the campuses.

The action was to protest the government’s failure to fulfill its promises to the workers and what they described as gross underfunding of the universities.

At the time, the former administration of President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy and withheld the workers’ salaries.

The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) also took part in the strike at the time.

SSANU queried the rationale behind the government’s insistence on the “no work, no pay policy,” saying that due process was followed before embarking on the strike that lasted for four months. Till the end of his tenure, Buhari never authorised the payment of the workers.

However, in October 2023, Tinubu announced that his government would pay four months of the withheld salaries to members of ASUU, immediately raising concerns as to the fate of the members of the other unions.

The National Vice President of SSANU, Abdussobur Salaam, said at the time that the directive appeared to be selective in favour of a single union out of others whose members’ salaries were withheld.

He said the president’s directive if not reviewed to include SSANU

and other unions could be a recipe for disaster as he threatened another round of strikes if SSANU members’ withheld salaries were not paid alongside that of ASUU.

Meanwhile, CONUA has asked the federal government to pay its members the remaining part of their withheld salaries.

The academic union, a breakaway from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) asked the government to stop lumping up its members’ issues with those of ASUU members, saying its members had consistently denied being on strike while the ASUU strike lasted in 2022.

The latest position is contained in a statement issued by CONUA and signed by its National President, ‘Niyi Sunmonu, who commended President Tinubu for paying four months from the almost eight months’ withheld salaries of universities’ academic staff.

The statement titled: ‘State of the Nation, Payment of Four Months out of Seven and a Half Months’ Withheld Salaries, Stagnation of Remuneration of Academics, and Call for Negotiations,” CONUA urged the President to speed up his efforts and interventions aimed at repositioning the country for good and to address the pains of the poor due to economic hardship.

The statement reads in part: “Our union, CONUA, has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of any strike action.

“Since CONUA neither called for

nor joined any strike, withholding the three and a half months salaries of members of the union contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that “where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remunerations for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers being rights dependent on the continuity of the period of employment”. This provision is consistent with global best practices. In conclusion on this, CONUA demands that the process of paying these outstanding months be kick-started immediately to ensure lasting peace in our ivory towers.”

In 2022, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy and withheld the workers’ salaries during the eight-month strike.

The workers’ unions that had their members’ salaries withheld at the time include ASUU and CONUA.

Others are: NASU, SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

However, in October, Tinubu announced that his government would pay four of the withheld salaries to members of ASUU, immediately raising concerns as to the fate of the members of the other unions.

Last week, the federal government began paying the academics - ASUU and CONUA - leaving out the non-academic staff.

Igboho Seeks Monarchs, Others’ Support to Tackle Insecurity in South-west

Segun James

The Yoruba nation’s activist, Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Igboho, has expressed his readiness to tackle banditry and other criminal elements in the South-west if he gets the support of traditional rulers, security agencies, and other stakeholders.

Adeyemo, in a statement he personally signed and released yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, said he was ready to collaborate with the relevant stakeholders to ensure permanent peace in the region.

Reacting to the overtures by some of the traditional rulers, namely the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, and Owa Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph

Adewole, seeking his (Adeyemo) involvement in getting rid of hoodlums in the region, Adeyemo said he was ready to assist in ensuring the safety and effective security of lives and property.

Recall that Oba Ogunwusi and Adewolu, during a security summit in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday, suggested the need to involve Adeyemo in tackling the growing insecurity in Yorubaland.

While the meeting was on, the Yoruba nation activist was contacted via Zoom to share his views on measures to address threats posed by insecurity occasioned by banditry, killer herdsmen, and kidnapping, which have been ravaging the South-west.

Adeyemo said: “I welcome the idea, and assure them that

I will do my best to checkmate incidence of insecurity provided I receive the backing of the relevant security agencies, Yoruba monarchs, and other stakeholders.

“We need the active involvement of all stakeholders in restoring peace and tranquility in all parts of the South-west, most especially our agrarian communities. I am ready to contribute my quota in this regard if we secure the approval of the security agencies and the traditional institution in the South-west.

“Insecurity and threats precipitated by banditry, herders/farmers clashes, leading to deaths and massive destruction of farmlands have driven away farmers and agric entrepreneurs from farm settlements in Yorubaland. Our

fathers and other agile men can no longer engage in the cultivation of land for food production.

“If there is peace in our communities, the confidence of our farmers will be restored and an enabling ambiance will be provided for farming activities. We can do it and this will go a long way in addressing food shortages and inflation in the prices of foodstuffs. We must not shy away from any measure capable of securing our environment to boost socio-economic growth.

“We need to flush out criminal elements, who have occupied our forests using the place as launch pads to jeopardise the peace in our communities, towns, villages, and amulets. I am ready to lend my support in this regard,” he explained.

Olu of Warri Kingdom, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III (left); and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adams, during the courtesy visit to Warri monarch at Aghofen Palace in Warri, Delta State…yesterday

TOMPOLO HONOURED...

Justice Buba: Politicians’ Do-or-die Stance Endangers Nigeria’s Democracy

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A retired judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Buba, has raised the alarm that the do-or-die stance of politicians is endangering Nigeria’s democracy, stressing that until the political class begins to obey the orders of courts, good governance will continue to elude the country.

He spoke at the weekend in Abuja, at a one-day workshop on Judicial Accountability, organised by TAP Initiative in conjunction with the Open Society Foundation (OSF).

In his keynote address titled: ‘Impact of Judicial Accountability on Public Trust in the Legal System’ the retired former Federal High Court judge observed that if politicians play by the rules, a lot of cases ought not to have reached the courts in the first instance.

"The Nigerian judiciary, undoubtedly is being overworked by politicians to sustain democracy; it is very easy for an outsider not to see the ‘cow’ on the head of the politician and political class, but to quickly see the ‘lice’ on the head of the judiciary", he said.

"No amount of judicial activism by the judges can better society if the political class is not willing to play by the rules of the game, according to the constitution of their parties enacted by them and given to themselves, a fotiori the Constitution of Nigeria.

"Obedience to court orders is

sine qua non to order and good governance, if judgments of courts and court orders go forth without respect and come back without effect, society and by extension democracy will be endangered", he added.

While arguing that never in the history of Nigeria are the courts so inundated with pre-election matters and election petitions, as under the current dispensations, the former jurist submitted that the Nigerian judiciary has given a very good account of itself.

According to him, the "judiciary in spite of all odds, has to work with incompetent poorly paid

support staff whose trust cannot be guaranteed, judgments can be leaked to the press before being delivered. The Nigerian judge, a product of the Nigerian society and not from the moon, is still struggling to hold the balance evenly; why wouldn’t we say, the Nigerian judge has given a good account of himself, why would we not say, he is one of the best in the world?” he queried.

"Nigerian judges are courageous, very, very courageous; they have dared the military; they have dared the political class; like every society, they have also dealt even with their

colleagues who are found wanting. We have increased in numerical strength, both at the bar and on the bench; it is our duty to carry out checks on our members and the way we do things and stop crying wolf where there is none".

He accused politicians and political actors of having their way of undermining the independence of the judiciary, by not only starving it of funds but ensuring an erosion of independence of the judiciary by generating friction and trying to remove the chief judges unconstitutionally.

The retired judge said: "Even agencies of government who

cannot have their ways would want to have their judges and their courts, so as to act ultra vires their statutory powers and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Buba noted that if the country plays politics of development and politics of advancement, resources will not be wasted on inter-party fighting, election petitions, and by extension, dragging the judiciary in the mud of the conflict of do or die.

"In the three arms of government, it is only the judiciary that has stringent conditions of qualification. Our judges

must have a minimum of 10 years post-call to be appointed a judge of a high court, while a school certificate whether pass or fail or its equivalent can attain offices in the other arms of government. It is they who are in politics and try to dictate to the judiciary what the law is, and what should be done.

"It is in this regard, the members of the bar must jealously guard and guide their profession and ensure that the judiciary gets the right people on the bench who can call off the bluff of the other arms of government in checks and balances," he added.

Dangote Refinery’s Second Crude Oil Shipment Leaves US for Nigeria

Relief as Nigeria nears OPEC’s renegotiated 1.5m bpd quota

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Dangote Refinery has ramped up its stock of imported crude oil from the United States as a second cargo as a second shipment of US light sweet crude oil was headed to Nigeria on Friday for delivery to the refinery, according to a trader and ship tracking data.

This is coming as indications emerged at the weekend that Nigeria’s efforts to raise crude oil production continued to yield results during the February circle, with output for the month rising by approximately 60,000bpd during

the month.

Reuters reported that the vessel, Otis, which loaded about 850,000 barrels of WTI Midland in Houston last week, was signaling Lekki in Nigeria as its destination, according to Kpler and LSEG ship tracking.

It was estimated to reach the country around mid-March.

The vessel was chartered by Vitol, according to data sources and a trader.

The first shipment of two million barrels of US crude on the very large crude carrier, Gem No. 1, also chartered by Vitol, was nearing Nigeria and is expected to

discharge next week.

The refinery, Africa’s largest with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, was built on a peninsula on the outskirts of the commercial capital, Lagos, by the continent’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

The refinery began buying crude in December last year and The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) has been the main supplier.

The refinery had issued tenders to sell two fuel cargoes for export, a tender document showed and trading sources with knowledge

Atiku Rallies Support for Ighodalo, Urges Edo PDP Guber Aspirants, Other Stakeholders to Close Ranks

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming governorship election in Edo State, Mr Asue Ighodalo for his victory at the just-concluded primary election of the party.

The former vice president, who was also the presidential candidate of the PDP in the last general election, said the election

of a thorough-bred technocrat by the PDP as the party’s candidate in Edo State signposts the urgency that the PDP gives to ensuring that the next governor of the state is a round peg in a round hole.

Atiku, in a press statement signed by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, yesterday, stated that “the PDP leadership and members in Edo State must be congratulated also, for an amazing primary election that produced the quality of candidate to fly the flag of our

party in the upcoming election.

“The party has made a choice, and it is not in dispute that the choice is a good one. It is, therefore, on this note that I plead with all other aspirants and aggrieved stakeholders to reconcile and negotiate to make sure that Edo remains a PDP state.

“Barrister Ighodalo, apart from being a brilliant mind, in whose hands the affairs of Edo State will steer on stable waters, is also a fine gentleman.

“I believe that our candidate has what it takes to bring everyone willing to work for the interest of the PDP under the huge umbrella of our party,” Atiku said.

Continuing, he noted that the current hardship being experienced by Nigerians should energise every PDP member to work for the interest of the party, especially in Edo State, in ensuring that the ruling party, “the APC does not enlarge its map of hunger and poverty.

of the matter told Reuters earlier this month.

Bloomberg had in January this year reported that Trafigura Group sold two million barrels of WTI Midland to Dangote Refinery for end-February delivery.

This is the first time that the giant refinery has purchased non-Nigerian crude, traders said.

Trafigura is a multinational commodity trading company headquartered in Singapore, with major hubs in various locations, including Geneva, Houston, Montevideo and Mumbai.

Relief as Nigeria Nears OPEC’s Renegotiated 1.5m bpd Quota

Meanwhile, indications emerged at the weekend that Nigeria’s efforts to raise crude oil production continued to yield results during the February circle, with output for the month rising by approximately 60,000bpd during the month.

Although the monthly oil production report by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), usually released in the second week of the month, had yet to be officially announced, a survey of shipping data by Reuters arrived at the additional volume.

“Among those with higher output, the second-biggest gain of 60,000 bpd came from Nigeria, the survey found, as some crude was processed in the new Dangote refinery and exports rose,” it said.

In January, Nigeria’s oil produc-

tion increased to 1.42 million barrels per day, representing the highest production level since March 2021 when output was about the same 1.42 million bpd.

But with the addition of condensate, the commission said Nigeria’s oil production rose to 1.64 million bpd in January 2024, from 1.55 million bpd in December 2023.

This comes as some relief for Nigeria which is currently in the middle of a foreign exchange shortage crisis, partly occasioned by the country’s prolonged inability to raise oil output from where it gets up to 90 per cent of its FX earnings.

If the 1.42 million bpd is added to the tentative 60,000 bpd shipping data figure, this would total 1.48 million bpd and Nigeria could be just about 20,000 bpd away from meeting the 1.5 million bpd Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for 2024.

But it is still below the daily oil production benchmark of 1.78 million barrels in Nigeria’s 2024 budget, although that also includes condensate, which is exempted from OPEC calculations.

OPEC gave Nigeria the 1.5 million bpd quota last November after intense negotiations that lasted several days, but it was significantly lower than Africa’s largest oil producer had hoped for. Angola left the group after disagreement with OPEC in its own quota at the time.

L-R: Former member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Chief Macdonald Igbadiwei; Chairman of Tantita Security Services Limited, Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo; President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Chris Isiguzo; and Chief Hillary Ibegbulem; former Private Secretary to the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, during the conferment of NUJ meritorious award on Tompolo at Oporoza in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State yesterday

PHOTO: SYLVESTER IDOWU

Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Abia, Bauchi Top States with High Allocations to Health Sector

Minister tasks lab scientists, students on health challenges

Festus Akanbi in Lagos and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

A comprehensive analysis of the 2024 budgets of the 36 states showed that Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Abia, and Bauchi states are on top of the list of states with higher health expenditure with figures ranging between 15 per cent and 16.5 per cent of their total budgets allocated to healthcare initiatives in these states.

This is coming as the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa has charged Laboratory Scientists and students to keep abreast with ever-evolving challenges and advancements in technology and medical knowledge that are continually reshaping the landscape.

According to the analysis, some states significantly lag in their health budgets contrary to the 2021 African Union (AU) Health Expenditure benchmark, otherwise known as the Abuja Declaration.

Official statistics showed that Kwara, Ekiti, and Niger states allocated less than two per cent of their budgets to health, indicating

potential challenges in healthcare accessibility and infrastructure development.

“Kwara State, for instance, allocated 0.17 per cent of its budget to health, signalling potential challenges in healthcare delivery and infrastructure development,” the stakeholders in the health sector have revealed.

The stakeholders also applauded the states that met the 15 per cent healthcare budget and called for adequate funding of the health sector in the country.

A Health Economist and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Mrs Maimuna Abdullahi, said that citizens in states with lower health budget allocations should demand their rights to better healthcare by taking several actions.

“Use social media, community meetings, and grassroots campaigns to spread awareness,” she said, adding that they should form advocacy groups focusing on healthcare issues.

These groups, she said, could

organise rallies, petition government officials, and engage in advocacy to demand increased healthcare funding.

On her part, a lawyer in the FCT, Mrs Tina Atala, said that people at the grassroots should explore legal avenues such as filing lawsuits or seeking legal advice to challenge inadequate healthcare funding.

Atala said that the people needed to mobilise collectively to demand better healthcare services.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Alausa has charged Laboratory Scientists and students to keep abreast with ever-evolving challenges and advancements in technology and medical knowledge that are continually reshaping the landscape.

Represented by Dr. Janet Agba at a combined ceremony for orientation of Fellowship of West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, Orientation of Medical Laboratory Technicians, and matriculation of newly admitted students of Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science

FCCPC Tells Electricity Consumers to Follow Procedures in Lodging Complaints

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Dr. Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi, has advised electricity consumers to always follow official procedures by bringing their complaints through their respective DISCOs before escalating them to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the FCCPC.

Abdullahi gave this advice yesterday in Lagos at the “Electricity Consumer Complaint Resolution Platform,” which was dubbed a one-stop shop for addressing the billing, metering, transformer, connection, disconnection, consumer service and other electricity consumer issues in Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) coverage areas. He said: “The consumers should have confidence in their service providers (DISCOs) and feel free to complain to them first because that is what the law says.

“Without complaining to your service provider you should not escalate the matter to a sector

regulator like NERC or even to the FCCPC.

“We keep appealing to consumers not to take the laws into their own hands but to ensure that they lodge their complaints in the right manner,” adding that they should be “courteous when they lodge their complaints as opposed to being chaotic or trying to show that they can use force.”

He also advised the DISCOs to be forthcoming whenever a customer approaches them with issues because it is their primary responsibility to provide customers’ services to electricity consumers in Nigeria.

“This not FCCPC’s core competence area. It is the DISCOs that have these customers and provide services to them. So, it is them that have the primary responsibility of offering customer services to their consumers and addressing and resolving these complaints on their own.”

Abdullahi described the platform, which the FCCPC has taken several states in the country in collaboration with the Mac Arthur Foundation, as an intervention programme to bring all the stakeholders together to

listen to electricity consumers’ complaints and resolve them.

He assured the consumers that any of their complaints that were not addressed during the four-day programme would be resolved within a given time frame.

and Technology (FCMLST) Jos, the minister noted that medical laboratory scientists play a vital role in the healthcare system.

Urging the students to remain steadfast in their commitment to lifelong learning, the minister charged them to, “embrace new technologies, stay abreast of emerging trends, and never lose sight of the importance of compassion and empathy in your interaction with patients.”

The Provost of the college, Prof. Sunday Etukudoh, in his remarks,

called for prayers and total support for President Bola Tinubu-led administration as it seeks better ways to solve Nigeria's education and healthcare problems.

He observed that Nigeria has been be-deviled in recent years by a plethora of healthcare cases of COVID-19, Anthrax, and Lassa fever, amongst others, adding that the pains of petroleum subsidy removal, and insecurity (including mindless killings and kidnapping) are additional challenges that have shaped the way things are viewed

and done in the country.

In his submission, the Registrar/ CEO of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Tosan Erhabo encouraged the new students to continue to learn and develop themselves professionally to be able to cope with the rigors of technology advances.

Represented by Mrs. Ugochi Akangosir the Registrar stated that anything short of continuous development would make them inconsequential in the scheme of things.

Canadian Envoy Restates His Belief in Nigeria, Meets Akume

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Jamie Christoff, has reiterated his belief in Nigeria. He made the remark when he paid a visit to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in the company of the Canadian Political Attache to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Murphy in his office.

"I am a great believer in Nigeria and Nigeria is a great country. We share a lot in common as we also practice a federal system of government," Christoff said.

He said Canada is a country with two official languages, adding that they have people from all over the planet that make up the

country.

He described federalism as a system that can be designed to suit different levels with some form of coordination.

He also assured Nigeria to always count on the Canadian government for necessary support.

The envoy promised to let his country know that Nigeria was undergoing a transition process concerning the economic situation of the country.

The High Commissioner pledged stronger agricultural cooperation between the countries to bring further prosperity, saying that Nigeria and Canada are large producers of grains that can be of viable economic development that is mutually beneficial.

In his remarks, Akume assured the Canadian Government of Nigeria's commitment to consolidate the existing relationship with the country on the heels of their bilateral ties for mutual economic benefits particularly in agricultural development.

The SGF stated that Nigeria and Canada share a lot in common concerning the system of government of the two countries.

On the current economic situation in the country, the SGF stated that it was inherited but gave the assurance that the hardship will only be temporary due to the current economic policies of the government that are fundamentally designed to cushion the situation and bring succor to the citizenry.

Benue Gov, APC Trade Words over Disruption of Stakeholders’ Meeting

George Okoh in Makurdi

Governor Hyacinth Alia and the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in Benue State yesterday traded words over the disruption of a scheduled stakeholders’ meeting of the party.

The face-off between the governor and his party leadership in the state worsened on Friday when there was a heavy gunfire near the APC secretariat in Makurdi, the state capital as security agencies took over the facility to maintain law and order.

Alia, in reaction to the disturbances, called on security agencies to arrest the state Chairman of the APC, Comrade Austin Agada, and the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Mathias Byuan,

for allegedly destabilising his government.

But the APC leadership in the state flayed the governor, urging him to wear his thinking cap before he causes further damage to the image of the state.

The state’s Publicity Secretary of the party, Daniel Ihomun, in a statement yesterday, blamed the governor for the disruption of the earlier scheduled working visit of the Executive Director, Housing, Finance and Accounts, FHA, Dr Byuan, to the APC state secretariat in Makurdi, the state capital.

He alleged that Governor Alia sent thugs through his Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation and Empowerment, Moses Mkeenem, to barricade all roads leading to the APC secretariat to prevent party officials

from attending to their legitimate duties.

Ihomun alleged that the governor later went out personally encouraging the hoodlums to attack members of the party and disrupt party activities.

But Alia described the duo -–Agada and Byuan -– as “merchants of crisis” and appealed to the people of Benue State to remain security conscious and report suspicious activities of fifth columnists.

The governor also in a statement through his spokesperson, Tersoo Kula, said he received intelligence reports that the APC’s Agada and Byuan hired armed men into Benue State to shatter the relative peace in the state against his earlier directive that all political gatherings in the state be suspended due to the volatile security situation in the state.

He said, “But shockingly, the armed men who accompanied Agada and Byuan reportedly made their way into the heart of the town in a convoy and started shooting sporadically when they got to Tito Gate, Kashim Ibrahim Road, Makurdi.

“The duo led the armed men around parts of the old GRA and were headed to a property on Tarka way when the Nigerian police arrived and began to engage them before they disappeared.

“We urge Benue people to be security conscious and immediately report activities of these fifth columnists as we call on security agencies to arrest these merchants of crisis and bring them to book to serve as a deterrent to others,” the governor added.

Shielding Real Sector from CBN Rate Spikes

Economic analysts are cautiously optimistic about the Central Bank of Nigeria’s strategies the real sector from potential fund deprivation, reports Festus Akanbi

For eight months, it had been a long and seemingly endless wait for the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the newly constituted management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which ordinarily should give the direction of the monetary policy of the new administration.

For an economy hemorrhaging at such a measures by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, businessmen, investors and other economic players struggling to stay understandably anxious for the MPC meeting.

So, from whichever direction one looks at the Nigerian economy, the reality is the nation is facing one of its worst result of monetary policies that have pushed the currency to an all-time low against the dollar.S shrank, leading to widespread protests in major towns and cities up till last week.

It was in this atmosphere of frustration and uncertainty that where, according to the expectations of some watchers of the economy, some far-reaching decisions were taken.

At the end of the meeting, the apex bank adopted the points from +100 basis points and -300 basis points around the MPR.

Similarly, the committee voted in favour of a drastic increase cent while retaining the liquidity rate at 30 per cent.

The MPR is the baseline interest rate in an economy, every other interest rate used within the economy is built on it.

As predicted by bookmakers, last week’s decisions were

The CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, who recalled that the month, said “We are out to tighten the money supply and to ensure that we have a robust structure in place as far as

“We expect that this would moderate in the short to medium term, but interestingly, we also appreciate the fact to work very closely with other arms of governments, in

As the full implications of the policy measures begin to sink, economists’ and market watchers’ main concerns centre around

Limited in their post-MPC analysis said: “We attribute the agwhich have been primarily stoked by the constant depreciation of the naira and the low credibility of the institution in maintaining

On what to expect going further, the analysts said domestic prices are projected to stay high due to the depreciation of the naira exchange rate, elevated cost of energy products, and reduced food supply induced by heightened insecurity in the food-producing middle-belt region.

They maintained that the just concluded MPC meeting mirrors and highlights the need to enforce price stability, which, in their view, supports output growth in the medium to long term.

Speaking on the development, Chief Economist of the that the drastic rate hike would put pressure on businesses as according to him, commercial banks will begin to notify their customers of a new threshold of interest rates. He believed that while their favourite customers may get some considerations, other high-risk customers may bear the brunt of the new hike in the rates.

There is also a school of thought who believes that the dramatic sector of the economy.

Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf, who argued that the dramatic increases in MPR, as well as the CRR, would constrain the capacity of banks to support economic growth and investment, especially in the real sector cent hike means that the cost of credit to the few private sector will impact their operating costs, prices of their products, and

Speaking on a television programme on Wednesday, Yusuf said there were reports that many of those companies who borrowed money had already started getting notices of review from banks.

The situation, he explained, will hamper banks’ capacity to lend to the real sector and ultimately deny the sector the capacity to employ new hands.

Yusuf added that the decisions of the MPC, which were consistent with the typical policy response of the central banks globally, failed to reckon with the domestic peculiarities of the Nigerian economy.

The CPPE chief executive stated, “Over the last two years, there had been persistent monetary policy tightening, yet there If anything, the general price level had been continuously on the increase.

“Already, bank lending has been constrained by the high

the apex bank.

“The credit situation in the economy is already very tight, with

Director, Chief Economist, Africa and Middle East Global Research, Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan told THISDAY that attention should be put on consistency and the transparency of the steps taken. with the CBN announcing that it will move away from ad-hoc CRR debits can be described as a meaningful tightening.

She, however, has a problem with the adoption of an asymdetermining the rate on the Standing Deposit Facility, saying the decision is problematic.

She admitted that the SDF rate is important, pointing out that foreign portfolio investors wanting to get involved in Nigerian local markets will seek reassurance that there is at least a ‘minimum’ in place, to keep market yields relatively supported. She said the development is a key signal of the overall stance of monetary policy in Nigeria.

She argued that in the measures unveiled by the CBN last week, the SDF rate does not change meaningfully from its previous level, nor was there much detail in the press conference on the likely frequency of OMOs or any other consistent means of draining excess liquidity from the market. She believed that market participants will have to judge whether there is enough with FX under pressure, this is less than ideal.

CBN Headquarters, Abuja

Breaking the Stalemate over Mambilla Power Project

It is ironic that in a country like Nigeria where businesses close shops almost daily, while others relocate as a result of poor power generation and distribution, the successive administrations have allowed the ongoing crisis over the Mambilla Power Project to fester. It is time for President Bola Tinubu to wade into the crisis and give the project a new lease of life, writes

Festus Akanbi

As controversy continues to trail the Mambilla Power Project, President Bola Tinubu has been advised to, as a matter of urgency, put in place measures to ensure amicable resolutions of all the issues stalling the all-important project, especially considering the current state of power generation in the country.

Experts who weighed in on the legal tussle over the project said a quick resolution of all the outstanding issues on the project will not only raise the hope of a possible relief in a the setback in the economy but will also boost

The Mambilla power station which is located in Kakara village, in Taraba State, close to the border with Cameroon, sits across the Donga River and consists of four dams and two underground powerhouses.

Construction of this power station is expected to generate 50,000 temporary and permanent jobs. The power generated will be sold to the Transmission Company of Nigeria, which will transmit it to two locations, where it will be integrated into the Nigerian electricity grid; one 330kV high voltage transmission line will connect to Jalingo and two to Makurdi. The entire new planned high-voltage transmission system measures over 700 kilometres (435 mi).

Criminalising Commercial Dispute

However, analysts expressed shock that instead of working towards the actualisation of this project, and the realisation of the advantages enumerated above, the federal government is currently locking horns with the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd, Leno Adesanya, in arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France with the latter alleging a breach of contract.

They also lamented a situation where a commercial dispute is being criminalised as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is allegedly unleashed on the company to watchers of the unfolding drama, could make nonsense of the current drive for foreign investment by the current administration.

The consensus among watchers of the unfolding developments is that the criminalisation of commercial disputes by law enforcement investors.

Adesanya said the federal government decided to criminalise the power deal because unilateral cancellation of the deal.

Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited claimed it was awarded a $6 billion build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract in May 2003 by the Obasanjo administration but stated that the federal government at the time, rejected the agreement.

He disclosed that in August 2005, the company’s Chinese Consortium informed former President Obasanjo about China EximBank’s $5.5 million loan approval, and that the President instructed the FMOP to commence immediate negotiations with the consortium.

He alleged the federal government’s disregard for the agreement when, on May 28, 2007, the federal ministry of power signed a

the Civil Works project with China Ghezouba Group Company (CGGC) and CGC (now called CGCOC), excluding Sunrise Power from the deal.

Sunrise is now seeking compensation of $2.3billion, claiming it had spent millions before the contract was jettisoned.

In its defence at the arbitration hearing, the Nigerian government is alleging fraud and the contract.

Sunrise is asking for a compensation of $2.3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars contract was jettisoned.

Calls for Amicable Settlement

Some Nigerians while lamenting that the dispute had stagnated the commencement of the project, enjoined President Tinubu to break the jinx over the Mambilla project given the public anger against the current power generation in the country.

Today, the severity of poor power outages on Nigeria’s economy is such that companies and small and medium-scale businesses that supply are being forced to close down. This has resulted in the intractable high rate of unemployment that now prevails in all parts of the country.

Writing on behalf of his client, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN); renowned lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and human rights lawyers, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) recently asked the federal government to seek an amicable settlement and revive the execution of the $5.8 billion Mambilla hydro-electric power project by Sunrise Power Transmission Company of Nigeria Limited (SPTCL).

Even the indigenes, having seen and communities, have called on the federal government to resolve the dispute amicably for

the common good.

For instance, in Olanipekun’s letter titled: ‘Re: the ongoing arbitration between Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited and the Federal Government of Nigeria arising from the Mambilla Hydro-electric Power Project,’ he stated that it was not fair that the dispute had stagnated the commencement and execution of the Mambilla project for many years.

The letter dated December 7, 2023, urged the federal government to seek an amicable settlement of the matter and negotiate with and potential national embarrassment.

The letter read: “Given the foregoing facts and circumstances, which have stagnated the commencement and execution of the Mambilla project for many years, we have been authorised by our client to seek an amicable settlement with the FGN to revive the execution of the Mambilla hydropower project.

Observers feared that Nigeria might be having a replay of the scenario of happened to Prof. Barth Nnaji’s Geometric Power project which was stalled for over a decade due to controversies before it was eventually inaugurated last week.

Calling EFCC to Order

The latest attempt to bring a lasting solution to the crisis was a letter of appeal to President Tinubu by Adesanya where he requested an urgent intervention to restrain EFCC’s alleged harassment and intimidation and appealed to the president to caution the anti-graft agency to follow the rule of law.

According to him, the EFCC has taken unlawful actions to deny him the right to contest their allegations at the arbitration, while noting that Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Ltd (Sunrise) is currently engaged in international arbitration proceedings against the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in Paris over the issue.

The international arbitration, he explained,

concerns the contractual entitlements of Sunrise under a SettlementAgreement that was signed by Sunrise and FGN in 2020.

The letter read in parts: “On 3 November the Arbitration, in which FGN makes serious allegations of corruption (and other criminal acts) against me and various former FGN ofand intend to contest them in the Arbitration. However, my ability to do so is being impaired by the escalating actions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria.

“It is self-evident that these aggressive and unlawful EFCC actions are being taken to advance FGN’s defence in the Arbitration. The fact that the EFCC action is for the illegitimate purpose of aiding FGN’s defence in despite my repeated calls for the Arbitration to be conducted on a public basis, FGN has insisted that the Arbitration be private and Adesanya revealed that he had sought public conduct of the arbitration process which the federal government declined.

He said: “While I have long publicly advocated for tough measures against corruption, and I respect the powers of government in this important area, the rule of law must be respected. It is an abuse of police powers to use an anti-corruption agency such as the EFCC to manufacture a defence to a commercial claim, and that is precisely what is occurring in the Arbitration.

“I humbly request that you intervene to cause the EFCC to adhere to the rule of law and refrain from further unlawful acts against me and my family. I have repeatedly informed the EFCC that I am willing to meet with their agents in London to state the matters under investigation, and I remain willing to do so despite what has occurred. I relocated out of Nigeria six years ago after an attempt on my life.”

Mambilla power project site

At Last, Geometric Ready for Steady Power Supply in Aba

Emmanuel Ugwu

There were palpable collective sighs of relief in Aba as Nigeria’s Vice-president, Kashim Shettima switched

141 MW thermal power plant realisation of the dream of Professor Barth Nnaji, He said that he was inspired by Prof Ngozi World Bank, James Wolfensohn to dream the pos-

of the World Trade Organization(WTO), had

The visit opened the eyes of the World Bank big ones like the Star Paper Mill and small ones

The former minister of power, who is a profesattention after leading a small team of dedicated

bered after the NNPCL took over ownership

Geometrics had already signed an agreement

played by the bank to free Geometric from the by VP Shettima, Governor Otti and Prof Nnaji for facilitating the intervention of his bank to Apart from the payment of settlement money

The Geometric Power plant is Nigeria’s-

iaries, Geometric Power Aba Limited(GPAL) and Aba Electric Company Limited (Aba

First Bank, Lagos where he was serving as an years before, by the bank that originally started from First Bank of Nigeria, Geometric Power

the NNPCL did not make any investments for -

East zone comprising Abia, Anambra Ebonyi,

Geometric Power plant was welcomed with was graced by many dignitaries from far and

The Federal Government has already identiThe Vice President, who represented President described the Geometric plant as “a game

power plant, saying that it “bears testimony to the power of dreams; where there is a will,

and the role it’s going to play in resolving Nigeria lingering power problems within his

a special place in the heart and mind of every

A section of Geometric Power’s thermal plant

Abia State Governor, Mr. Alex Otti (3rd left), Vice President Shettima switching on Geometric Power plant

Rights and Wrongs in Nigeria’s Diplomacy: From Regional Integration to the Qatari NoteVerbale

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) has adopted the diplomacy of 4-Ds (Development, Democracy, Demography, and Diaspora) as foci and guiding principles of Nigeria’s foreign relations. In the conduct and management of these principles and Nigeria’s foreign relations, many measures have been rightly and wrongly taken, especially within the ECOWAS framework. In sanctioning the Republic of Niger, for example, Nigeria was wrong in stopping electricity supply to Niger Republic, because supply of electricity to Niger is based on contractual agreement. The non-supply of electricity is therefore a breach of contract.

Secondly, there is the obligation owed the ECOWAS and the obligation owed the Niger Republic. By cutting off electricity supply, it can only be in compliance with PBAT’s own interests and those of the ECOWAS, which requires all its Member States to take all necessary measures to enforce the sanctions taken against the Niger Republic. PBAT ought to have taken other measures in complying with the ECOWAS directives, rather than cutting off electricity supply. PBAT, as Nigeria’s president, has sacrificed Nigeria’s national interest and contractual obligation to Niger Republic in order to strengthen ECOWAS sanctions. Acting against Nigeria’s interest is a wrong policy attitude.

Thirdly, Nigeria’s relationship with the ECOWAS countries is warmest at the level of ties with Niger Republic. The Republic of Niger is the only country amongst the immediate neighbours with which Nigeria does not have any territorial border conflict. In fact, the border communities between the two countries are of the same ethnic stock. This means that any attack on Niger Republic, right from Niger’s southern borders, cannot but also be an attack on Nigerians. Thus, Nigeria’s policy attitude, though consistent with the supranational directive of the ECOWAS, ought to have reckoned with Nigeria’s national interest.

Fourthly, and most importantly, but contrarily to the foregoing, the conditional lifting of the sanctions on Niger Republic is a very welcome development, because it now seeks to alleviate the sufferings of the Nigeriens, which were initially ignored. Let us, at this juncture, expatiate on the wrongs and the rights in Nigeria’s and ECOWAS’ diplomacy in the handling of the problem of unconstitutional change of government and its aftermath.

The Rights and Wrongs

Without doubt, ECOWAS’ zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government is the main dynamic of the current problem between the ECOWAS and the three Francophone West African States seeking to terminate their membership of the ECOWAS on three main grounds: ECOWAS purportedly acting under the influence of foreign powers; ECOWAS’ abandonment of the vision of the founding fathers; and ECOWAS’ abandonment of the three countries in the fight against terrorism and general insecurity. These allegations completely ignore the fact that the ruling military junta in the three countries came to power through the use of force, even though the coups had the people’s backing. It is precisely the question of coming to power illegally that largely explains the attitudinal disposition of the ECOWAS Authority, but which the three countries do not want to accept.

Even though the ECOWAS rejected the allegations as invalid in its ‘Report of the Extraordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the Ministerial Level on Three Member States Seeking Withdrawal from ECOWAS,’ done on 8th February, 2024, it is wrong a policy for the ECOWAS to have threatened a sovereign state with an ultimatum, bearing in mind that Niger Republic only voluntarily delegated a part of its sovereignty to the ECOWAS as a supranational authority. It is a truism that the delegated authority can always be withdrawn at any point in time. Membership of any organisation is generally voluntary and there is always a provision for resignation often clearly stated in the agreement establishing the organisation. In the specific case of the ECOWAS, the point of emphasis is always on

Bola A. Akinterinwa

unity and economic development. No leader is expected to be against regional unity and economic development. In the event some countries are now opting for disunity, which withdrawal from the ECOWAS is all about, the approach should not have been the adoption of a manu militari policy.

Additionally, for the ECOWAS authority, after the initial ultimatum, to still be cautioning the three Sahelian States wanting to withdraw from the ECOWAS with further sufferings, cannot but be wrong a policy attitude. The ideal thing is not to adopt the stick and carrot method of conflict resolution. Seeking a mediation of a dispute and still having partisan interest in the same dispute only strengthens the imbroglio.

It is important to note here that the real problem is not the issue of unconstitutional change of government per se, but the misunderstanding between the people of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, on the one hand, and the Government of France and its people, on the other hand. The people have suddenly come to believe that France has only been exploiting them, exploiting their resources and not really doing much to contain the terrorists. They have therefore developed an unprecedented animosity vis-à-vis the French. And perhaps, more disturbingly, the elected president of Niger Mohammed Bazoum, is seen by the people as a stooge of France and particularly as the main instrument of French exploitation. Thus, the intervention of

The Qatari note verbal, number QEA/FA/057/24 of February 22, 2024, clearly belie the opinion of Special Adviser Onanuga. The first is the excuse of ‘unfortunately, there is no any agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Investment Promotion and Protection.’ Secondly, ‘His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry will be carrying out official missions outside the country during the upcoming visit period. And thirdly, ‘the State of Qatar will be hosting a Web-Summit during the upcoming visit period.’ The note verbale emanated from the Qatari Embassy, thus giving a governmental connotation. The issue is not simply that of business and investment forum. Government is expected to be fully engaged in the meeting, especially as potential guarantors when issues of avoidance of double taxation, repatriation of dividends, might be raised in the future. Most critical issue is lack of bilateral agreement which is quite snubbing. Must a particular minister be at the forum? For how long will a Web-Summit take? More importantly, ‘are the three rationales for the initial diplomatic illness no longer tenable for the change in position of Qatar? Qatar appears to have leaked the note verbale because it was done on 22nd February. Nigerians protested vehemently in the social media, compelling in a fresh note verbale of 23rd February, impossibility to suddenly become possible. It is the leakage that enabled the meeting on the margins.

the ECOWAS in the matter is seen by the peoples of the three countries as unnecessary and partisan to the advantage of the French and to their own detriment.

And true enough, ECOWAS Vision 2030, adopted in 2007 which is aimed at moving away from ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples, is what is first and most threatened as a result of the ECOWAS intervention. The Vision 2030 is predicated on five pillars of peace and security, good governance, development of the region’s resources, economic and monetary integration, and promotion of the private sector. The use of force to settle the misunderstanding cannot but be inimical to the attainment of the objectives of the ECOWAS Vision 2030.

The policy decision of PBAT that the 2012 Stephen Oronsaye Report should be fully implemented within twelve weeks is quite right and commendable. The decision falls under the ‘Development’ category of PBAT’s diplomacy of 4-Ds or foreign policy development. As noted by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the Monday, 26th February meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Villa, ‘this administration under the leadership of PBAT, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigeria, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report. Now what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions, and some are modified, and marked, while others have been subsumed. Others, of course, have also been moved from some ministries to others where the government feels they will operate better.’

It should also be recalled that in 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government, Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies under the leadership of former Head of Civil Service, Stephen Oronsaye. In his 800-page report, recommendations were made that 263 of the statutory agencies be cut down to 161, 38 agencies be scrapped, 52 be merged, and 14 be downgraded to departments in some Ministries. Those agencies to be merged include the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE); Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC); Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON); and Army University and the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA). The SERVICOM is to become the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Department. The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) is abolished. The recommendations were made in the belief that about N241bn could be saved if the Oronsaye Report is fully implemented.

In terms of foreign policy implications, a more effective and efficient Public Service cannot but enhance Nigeria’s international image, attract a befitting respect, and also enable financial solvency in politico-economic government of Nigeria. And more importantly, it has the potential to enable la grandeur of Nigeria, especially if the war on corruption is made total and not selective and a policy of zero tolerance is adopted vis-à-vis societal indiscipline.

The full implementation of the Oronsaye Report cannot but begin with PBAT himself. He wants a lean government and wants to reduce the cost of governance by so doing. In this regard, is there any real need for Ministers of State? Is there also real need for 45 Ministers? If there are the needs to maintain all of them, how do we ensure total commitment to the attainment of the objectives of every specific Ministry?

Regional Integration and Qatari Note Verbale

Nigeria is on record to have spearheaded the struggle for regional economic integration with the establishment of ECOWAS in 1975. The ECOWAS began to face unforeseen challenges as from 1979 with the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone. This development led to the signing of the 1978 Protocol on Non-Aggression which, in its Article 1, requires the Member States to ‘refrain from the threat or use of force or aggression… against the territorial integrity and political independence of other Member States.’ It is also within the quest for regional security that the June 1981 Protocol Relating to Mutual Assistance in Defence was signed. It stipulates in its Article 2 of Chapter II that ‘Member States declare and accept that any armed threat or aggression directed against any Member State shall constitute a threat or aggression against the entire Community,’ and therefore requiring mutual aid and assistance for defence against such an armed threat or aggression.

It is also against this background that the anger of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic, necessitating their withdrawal from the ECOWAS, should be explained and understood. The three countries have been victims of insecurity for over two decades, a situation that prompted the intervention of France in 2013 in Mali. The intervention of France does not appear to have meaningfully addressed the question of insecurity. The people of the three countries also complained that the French are only exploiting their mineral resources and not seriously fighting terrorism and the Touareg insurgency with which the three countries had been plagued.

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AFRICA AND COUPS

Democracy must render dividends to the people for them to defend it, argues UZOR MAXIM UZOATU

See Page 20

NUPRC: KOMOLAFE’S EYES ON THE BALL

IBRAHIM MUSA reckons that the planned movement of field officers to Lagos will enhance efficiency of the agency

See Page 20

EDITORIAL IMPLEMENTING THE ORONSAYE REPORT

See Page 21

POLICY SUCCESS AND NIGERIA’S POLITICAL ECONOMY

CHUKWUEMEKA UWANAKA argues the need for comprehensive analysis of public policy process

“To reduce the pressure on the naira, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised a 7,000-man special task force across its 14 zonal commands to clamp down on dollar racketeers” (EFCC, 2024)

The rather absurd law enforcement approach to economic management, characterised by the above quote from the EFCC, administration, which seem to have come up short. First is on economic management, where the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS), and the attempted harmonization of foreign exchange rate segments, were expected to make more funds available for governance, reduce public debt, reduce interest rate to spur investment and unify foreign exchange (FX) market rates at a converged rate of N550-N600/US$1. Second, is in the solid minerals sector, where the appointment of a close associate of President Tinubu as Minister of Solid Minerals, was expected to increase the contribution of the sector to gross domestic product (GDP) from 0.63 percent to 50 percent. That the expected policy outcomes have run into serious headwind, suggest not a lack of good intention, but perhaps, the need for more comprehensive political economy analysis, in the public policy process.

Before going into the details of the policy headwinds, it is important to understand what political economy analysis (PEA) entails. For policy makers, PEA would involve comprehension of dominant political and economic patterns in the country or environment of interest, with detailed understanding of the relationships, motivations and distribution of power between the different blocs, individuals and in a society. The outcomes of such analysis support the development of policies that are more politically practicable, and as such, more feasible to implement, with viable goals, practicable timelines, an understanding of the risks, and development of mitigations for

On subsidy removal, FX reforms and other macroeconomic policies, the outcomes have been a near opposite of what was expected. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), independent petroleum marketers and energy economists, have strongly argued government on PMS subsidy, after subsidy removal on May 29, 2023 led to an increase in its litre price from about N250 to about N700, the government is still subsidizing petrol provisions for other development needs.

On FX policies such as for FX liquidity and market rates convergence of N550-N600/ US$1, the situation of adverse outcomes has been the same, as there has been inadequate FX liquidity, while the estimated FX market rates convergence of N550-N600/US$1 has N1,500/US$1, but a divergence of rates still existing, with N1,700/US$1 at the parallel market.

The response of government to these missed policy targets, further underscores

the importance of PEA in policy making. There has been incoherent relationship in the petroleum downstream sector due to the subsidy situation, as government has been the sole importer of PMS- contrary to policy goals. The inability of some government-

to a number of factors. On the FX situation, the government has blamed domestic and international speculators, economic saboteurs and illegal operators for the inability of its FX policies to achieve the desired results. This has led to the absurd situation, where security agencies such as the State Security Service, Adviser (ONSA) have become actively involved in monetary policy implementation, with the EFCC deploying at least 7,000 law enforcement personnel.

From a PEA perspective, were the activities of speculators and saboteurs not anticipated, and planned for? Also, the removal of petrol at close periods, amount in principle, to a

highlighted the need for secured intervention funding, probably from agencies such as the is well funded, in a manner that would have prevented the current untoward situation. Such analysis would have also emphasized the need for the country’s economic management team to include more experience in the international economic system, who will be able to calm the markets, reassure investors, and attract new investment. Adopting proper PEA would have also made essential, consultations with renowned economists such as Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, given his considerable experience on the political, social and economic factors that are programmes (SAP). They include his successful experience as a World Bank Country Economist Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong (Asian Tigers) and Japan between 1972-80, and his mixed result experience as Federal Minster across different ministries in Nigeria.

For the solid minerals and mining sector,

Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals had on September 3, 2023, unveiled an ‘Agenda for the Transformation of the Solid Minerals for International Competitiveness and Domestic Prosperity’. This policy agenda is expected to increase the sectors contribution to Nigeria’s $440bn GDP from 0.63 percent to 50 percent, while also creating the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation, enabling Joint Ventures with Mining Multinationals, providing Big Data their deposits, giving a 30-day grace for establish a Mines Surveillance Task Force and Mine Police, comprehensively review all mining licenses, and create six Mineral Processing Centres to focus on Value-Added products. Just weeks after, at a parliamentary event on Dec 12, 2023, the minister lamented to lawmakers that illegal mining activities that have led to lost revenue and insecurity. He also added that the sector lacked formal structures to attract multinational investment, while there were institutional bottlenecks that have hampered sectoral investments of over $700bn.

As highlighted on the economic management policy, a proper PEA of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, should have emphasized the challenges the minister raised about the sector, before unveiling the policy on September 3, 2023. The analysis would have shown the role and structure of illegal operators, as well as institutional how to address them. It is commendable that the federal government has established the Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on Securing Nigeria’s Natural Resources on January 17, 2024, in response to the security concern in the minerals sector. The inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, held its maiden meeting January 25, 2024. concerns that making such pronouncements before acting, means that the crucial element of surprise in security attacks is lost, and will make such powerful operators, who may also have foreign backers, double down on their resolve, and device new strategies that the country’s security agencies to resolve the structural challenges in the sector.

With a comprehensive PEA of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, the domestic and international factors responsible for illegal mining, as well as its relationship with insecurity in the country and sub-region, would have been highlighted, with a proactive comprehensive policy response. The international angle of the challenge could have necessitated the need to draw lessons from other climes, with international advocacy on the linkage between illegal mining, foreign actors and state fragility. Such advocacy can lead to an internationally accepted ‘blood lithium’ or ‘blood gold’ problem for Nigeria, similar to the ‘blood diamonds’ challenge.

Dr. Uwanaka writes from African University of Science and Technology, Abuja. chukweks@yahoo.com

NUPRC:

Democracy must render dividends to the people for them to defend it, argues

UZOR MAXIM UZOATU

AFRICA AND COUPS

Foreign journalists from America and Britain who covered Africa back in the day never tired on writing headline stories on coups and earthquakes in Africa. There is no point to be gained denying the hard news that military coups are making fast and furious comebacks all over Africa.

The impossible death of the military coup in the continent is a clear and present danger that cannot be wished away.

The resurgence of coups across the African continent commands urgent attention. The small Central African country of Gabon was rocked by a military coup in the wee hours of August 30, 2023. The Gabon putsch occurred just barely over a month after the July 2023 coup in Niger Republic.

As things stand now, these seven African countries – Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Mali, and Sudan – are under the charge of military dictatorship.

While the coup in Gabon marked the end of the 55-year-rule of the Bongo family, the Niger coup abruptly ended the civilian regime of the recently elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

In both instances, economic degeneracy and electoral malfeasance were the buoys of the coup leaders.

The streets rose in tumultuous support of the coup-makers much to the chagrin of illassorted defenders of democracy.

There were also jubilations on the streets of Conakry in September 2021 when the military ousted President Alpha Conde of Guinea.

The attempts to preach popular democracy in the bid to stop the coupplotters have been very ineffective.

The order by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the leader of the Economic Committee of West African States (ECOWAS) that the coup honcho and head of Niger’s Presidential Guard, General Abdoulrahamane Tchiani, should immediately hand back power to the ousted Bazoum was flatly rebuffed.

In Gabon, a video was shown of the overthrown President Ali Bongo urging his people to come out in the streets to “make some noise”, but nobody heeded his call. Given the open support of the public, the emergent military powers can be said to be interventionist rather than adventurist.

Anti-French colonial policies are quite high in the minds of the peoples of the countries supporting the coups in Francophone Africa. There have been 10 attempted coups in West and Central Africa since 2020.

Burkina Faso, as a standout case, has been ruled by the military for 25 years of its 62 years of independence.

In equal measure, Mali has also in 62 years of independence witnessed 25 years of military dictatorship.

The current Niger imbroglio points to the fact that the country has been under the jackboots of the military for all of 38 years of its 63 years of independence. In 66 years of independence, Sudan has been ruled by the military for 31 years.

Africa happened on January 13, 1963 when President Sylvanus Olympio of Togo was assassinated. Ever since, there had been well over 100 successful coups across Africa, with even a greater number being aborted or unsuccessful.

It is galling that 45 of Africa’s 54 countries must have witnessed a military coup plot. Sudan owns the record of having the most coup plots, numbering 17, with six being successful.

It is Burkina Faso that holds the eagle’s feather of nine successful coups with only one abortion!

coup business until 1999 when General Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over civil power to ex-General Olusegun Obasanjo.

From independence in 1960 to the transition to civil rule in 1999, Nigeria experienced nine successful military coups and three aborted putsches.

It was after the annulment of the June 1993 presidential election and the diabolical coming to power of the iron regime of General Sani Abacha who wanted to transmute to a civilian democratic leader of the country that the majority of Nigerians, with the support of the international community, somewhat avowed: Never Again!

The heart of the matter is that democracy must render dividends to the people for them to defend it.

It is steeped in history that leaders - martial or civil - generally earn acceptance when they can guarantee the wellness of the populace.

Culturally, democracy and the African chief are not the best of friends.

An African chief sees the throne as his forever, and he is therefore alarmed that democracy makes the case for elections and the concomitant change in leadership. Asking the chief to quit power is akin to trying to move a mountain.

This way, holding an election in Africa is a high risk venture as the votes of the people hardly ever count. Even when an incumbent clearly loses an election there is no guarantee whatsoever that he would accept the result.

The tragedy is continent-wide. Lives are lost and whole nations are ruined in postelection conflicts.

The military coup is somewhat hailed as a Deus ex Machina, as in the theatre.

The sit-tight mentality of African leaders has over the years led to multiform riots and bloodletting. The grinding poverty of the people under the onslaught of sit-tight so-called democracies led the oppressed masses to resort to self-help in supporting the unseating of the uncaring leaders which eventually got the military to exploit the lacunae.

Who could have prophesied that “The Arab Spring” would start so innocuously on December 17, 2010 when a Tunisian man, Mohammed Bouazizi, to make ends meet by selling fruits at a wares?

His death on January 4, 2011 caused the uprising of the people that led to the sacking of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14, 2011, thus ending his 23 years in power.

If the people are alienated by any government that lays claims to being a democracy, a coup or revolution or mere anarchy supervenes!

No preachment on patriotism can save the day.

Nigeria used to rank quite high in the Uzoatu is a Journalist and Poet

EYES ON THE BALL

IBRAHIM MUSA reckons that the planned movement of field officers to Lagos will enhance efficiency of the agency

With clear mandate of ensuring compliance with petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines, monitoring of operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms and flowstations, crude oil export terminals, and all pipelines carrying crude oil, and natural gas, among others, the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) occupies a very influential position in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Unfortunately, some persons, including politicians and analysts, who are aware of its various roles, have come to perceive the actions of NUPRC more from the realm of politics than economics. They keep a close watch on the activities in the agency and would complain about almost every development that does not fit into their pre-conceived idealism, instead of embracing realism based on purely economic considerations.

Take the latest efforts to move some personnel, especially field officers to Lagos, where many oil and gas companies have offices for example.

The truth is that with the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), a comprehensive legislation, targeted at achieving restructuring, repositioning, increased productivity and transparency and accountability, the NUPRC inherited many personnel, and its current building in Abuja from the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

Sadly, many personnel do not have offices but work with their laptops from unsuitable locations, including conference rooms and corridors.

Meanwhile, NUPRC still bears the financial and other costs of taking them frequently to Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt to carry out their official duties.

After due consideration and in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to cut costs, eliminate wastages and enhance service delivery, the Gbenga Komolafe-led NUPRC started consulting with key stakeholders, especially the labour unions.

The consultation culminated in the taking of the decision, targeted at reducing pressure on accommodation in Abuja, maximizing the use of the Lagos-based office, reducing operational costs, improving organisational efficiency and enhancing industry growth.

Unfortunately, this decision has been unduly politicised and misconstrued to mean leaving Abuja. This constitutes a distraction to the NUPRC under Komolafe’s leadership that means so well for the industry and Nigeria as illustrated in the bold steps taken to make a positive impact in the past few years.

Since he assumed leadership, Komolafe has kept his eyes on the ball.

Under him, the NUPRC has developed regulations, giving meaning and intent to the PIA, to ensure that all bottlenecks associated with regulatory processes are eliminated, to entrench seamless upstream petroleum operations.

The gazetted regulations include: Petroleum Licensing Round Regulations 2022, Petroleum Royalty Regulations 2022, Conversion and Renewal (Licences and Lease), Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Host Communities Development Regulations 2022, and Domestic Gas Delivery Obligations Regulations 2022.

Others include: Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Measurement Regulations 2023, Production Curtailment and Domestic Crude supply Obligation Regulations, 2023, and the Frontier Basins Exploration Fund Administration Regulations, 2023.

The rest include, Nigeria Upstream Decommissioning and Abandonment Regulations 2023, Significant Crude Oil and Gas Discovery Regulations, 2023, Gas Flaring, Venting and Methane Emission (Prevention of Waste and Pollution) Regulations, 2023 and Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Unitization

Regulations, 2023.

Also, the 14 draft regulations awaiting gazetting include Upstream Petroleum Fees and Rent Regulations, Acreage Management Drilling and Production Regulations, Upstream Environmental Remediation Fund Regulations, Upstream Petroleum Safety Regulations, and the Upstream Petroleum Environmental Regulations.

Others include: Upstream Petroleum Measurement Regulations, Advance Cargo Declaration Regulations, Draft Upstream Commercial Operations Regulations, Draft upstream Petroleum Code of Conduct & Compliance Regulations, and the Draft Upstream Petroleum Development Contract Administration Regulations.

Other draft regulations are the Draft Upstream Revocation of licences and Lease Regulations, Draft Upstream Petroleum Assignment of Interest Regulations, Draft Nigerian upstream Petroleum (Administrative Harmonisation) Regulations and Draft Amendment to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Host Communities Development Regulations 2022.

NUPRC has also held several stakeholder engagements on the Commission’s Draft Regulatory Framework for Energy Transition, Decarbonisation and Carbon Monetisation and incorporated the inputs arising from the engagements into the regulatory framework, which will not only govern the activities of the newly established Energy Transition and Carbon Monetisation Division of the Commission but those of the entire industry in considering Energy Transition in oil and gas field development.

Komolafe has attracted many investors expected to boost investment in the nation.

The reserves report as of January 1, 2022 put the nation’s oil and condensate reserves status at 37.046 billion barrels, with a life index of 60 years, representing an increase of 0.37 per cent compared to 36.910 billion barrels as of 1st January 2021. On the other hand, the nation’s reserves status stood at 208.62 (trillion cubic feet) TCF with a life index of 80 years, representing an increase of 1.01 per cent compared to 206.53 TCF as of January 1, 2021. He has also taken deliberate steps to drive the Decade of Gas programme declared by the federal government through more aggressive development of the nation’s huge gas resources, enhanced exploration activities, development of utilisation schemes leading to gas reserves growth, increased gas production, maturation of domestic and export gas markets, in addition to gas flare elimination and commercialisation through the Nigeria Gas Flare Commercialisation Program (NGFCP).

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

IMPLEMENTING THE ORONSAYE REPORT

The aim is to cut costs, but there are challenges ahead

Amid dwindling resources and growing expenses, the federal government is falling back on the 2012 report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of federal government parastatals, commissions and agencies to reduce the cost of governance. Last Monday, an eight-man implementation committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume was given a 12-week deadline to take the necessary administrative and legislative steps for the agencies. But with most of them established by statutes, there are indications from the National Assembly that the exercise may not be smooth sailing. The House of Representatives last Thursday passed a motion which argued that the exercise “will not substantially reduce the cost of governance” and could “throw up unintended consequences, implications and outcomes.”

Established by President Goodluck Jonathan and chaired by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye (after whom the report was named), the committee proposed a drastic downsizing of the federal bureaucracy that would engender considerable reduction in the cost of governance. But there are questions about whether the administration of President Bola Tinubu is genuinely interested in reducing the cost of governance or it simply wants to use the Oronsaye Report to buy time. This is against the background that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari also made a song and dance about implementing the Oronsaye Report at the end of which nothing happened. Besides, the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to which the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) is supposed to be merged is a creation of the 1999 constitution. That requires a long amendment process. There are also questions about the personnel and political heads of these agencies. And of course, what happens to the new agencies that were created in the past 12 years after the submission of the Oronsaye Report?

Letters in response

letters along

national

com along with the email address

Indeed, only last year, three agencies - Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the Defence Industry Technology, Research and Development Institute, and the National Education Loan Fund which now has a board and an executive secretary, came into being.

Buhari also created three other agencies including the National Social Investment Programme, the National Senior Secondary Education Commission, and the Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria. And despite the high cost of governance, the Senate also proposed the establishment of 376 new agencies and institutions.

Successive governments have over the years created a multiplicity of other MDAs without any corresponding improvement in service delivery. Indeed, the only contribution many can be credited with is that they are cost centres through which some unscrupulous officials fleece government funds

But while presenting the report in 2013, Oronsaye had highlighted sundry duplication of functions by these agencies. For instance, while acknowledging that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has been quite active, the committee observed that what the agency was established to do is indeed a replication of the mandates of two existing bodies, namely: the highway department of the federal ministry of works with respect to the maintenance of safety and orderliness on our highways and the role of the police in ensuring law and order on our roads. Indeed, many of the current ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are sheer duplication as they perform overlapping functions which often result in accounts for why the cost of maintaining the nation’s bloated bureaucracy is rising every year.

However, successive governments (including the current one) have over the years created a multiplicity of other MDAs without any corresponding improvement in service delivery. Indeed, the only contribution many can be credited with is that they are cost centres through which

While reducing the cost of governance may be in the right direction, the planned implementation of the Oronsaye Report may not achieve that purpose. What we are faced with may therefore be no more than a timewasting distraction that will make no difference at the end of the day.

LETTERS

GOV ABDULRAZAQ PALLIATIVES FOR KWARANS

During his inauguration on May 29, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared that fuel subsidy is gone. Fuel subsidy removal was part of the economic reforms the President promised to implement during his campaigns to place Nigeria on a path of prosperity. The President has also sought to unify both the the naira. These two major policies have had biting effects on Nigerians of various categories. Fuel prices have gone up, affecting the cost of transportation and production. Consequently, the prices of commodities have also soared in the market.

The federal government has lined up different strategies and measures to lessen the impact of the policies on people. At a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting convened by Vice President Kashim Shettima and attended by the governors and select

subnational government were also urged to introduce measures to complement the federal government’s in facilitating relief for the people.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq notably led the charge when on July 24, 2023, he announced multi-billion naira palliatives cutting across different sectors and segments of the state.

On top of the palliatives AbdulRazaq announced was a cash support of N10,000 for public sector workers which commenced same month (July) and has been in place till the moment. The Governor said the cash support is to enable workers cope with the economic shocks created by subsidy removal and will last until a new minimum wage is introduced. In the 2024 budget he has assented to, there is a consideration for the new minimum wage. What this shows is that Kwara is fully prepared and will be a forerunner in implementing the new minimum wage.

Another important measure the governor announced to bring succour to the people was his approval of the payment of new hazard and skipping allowances, and 100% CONMESS and CONHESS for medical doctors and health workers under the state government’s payroll. A major implication of this incentive is that it will check the attrition rate in the state’s health sector.

Kwara State similarly charted a template which is now being adopted by other states, including Lagos of recent. The governor directed the leadership of the civil service to implement a staggered work schedule — not exceeding three days a week — to reduce transport expenses on workers. The policy is still being implemented as designed by the civil service bureaucrats.

It’s also recalled that AbdulRazaq inaugurated a task force headed by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi to check the hoarding

of fuel among petrol stations. Various stations had hoarded fuel waiting to sell at a higher price when President Tinubu declared scrapping of fuel subsidy. With the efforts and activities of the task force however, the fuel stations were forced to sell to people, thereby ending the painful long queues in the state capital and other parts of the state.

Governor AbdulRazaq promptly opened a including communities and MSMEs through the Kwara State Social Investment Programmes (KWASSIP) as a form of relief to pull through this phase, while also supporting the growth of the informal economy with grants during these have been reached. T

Ibraheem Abdullateef, Senior Special Assistant to Kwara Governor on

Why DJ Spinall’s Coachella Debut is a Win for Afrobeats

Iyke Bede

Each year, since 1999, the Colorado desert in Indio California welcomes thousands of music enthusiasts from all over the world to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience punctuated with musical performances from well-established and rising acts drawn from various genres. As an artist, earning a spot on the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s stage is a testament to your exceptional artistry.

Nigeria’s maiden trip to Coachella was in 2012 when afrobeat act Seun Kuti alongside Egypt 80 band performed. The afrobeats genre only gained recognition in 2019 when Burna Boy delivered an electric, viral performance, signifying the genre’s global acceptance and recognition. Since then, other afrobeats artistes like CKay have earned a spot on the stage, showcasing the different shades of the genre.

Recently, Coachella unveiled Oluseye Sodamola, a Nigerian disc jockey famously known as Spinall as a performing act. This announcement marks him as the first Afrobeat DJ to grace the festival. He joins international DJs like David Guetta, Calvin Harris, and Avicii, DJs who on multiple occasions introduced dance and electronic music to the eclectic Coachella audience.

To be sure, the Coachella crowd are no strangers to the concept of afrobeats, however, past acts only served as an interface between music lovers and the genre, oftentimes

through a limited discography that left the attendees with a poor grasp of the unique musical landscape of Nigeria. With Spinall, narrative shifts dramatically as he will introduce a series of budding and established acts in Nigeria to the thousands that visit this year, thus increasing exposure for Nigerian DJs, producers, and artistes. Put simply, afrobeats acts are single-course meals while Spinall is the musical buffet serving all forms of afrobeats.

Coachella, known for its inclusivity and diversity gains from Spinall’s addition to their roster, bolstering their image with what he brings to the turntable. But beyond that, Coachella is a hub where global artistes and music executives converge to scout for collaboration opportunities.

Increasingly, there has been a surge in cross-cultural collaboration between afrobeats artistes and their international counterparts, especially from the United States. With the crowd that Coachella attracts each year, more of such opportunities abound for Spinall, as well as the myriad of afrobeats artistes he projects from his selection.

For his performance, Spinall is set to command the Sahara Tent, a stage designed to push the boundaries of high-energy music and explore the intersection of technology and art, with a promise of delivering an unparalleled musical experience.

Humbled by the announcement of his inclusion in the line-up, Spinall expressed excitement ahead of his set billed for two consecutive weekends, April 13 and 20.

Incredible Music Festival: Nigerian Youths Urged to Rise against Traditional Bottleneck

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

In a strategic move to reshape the music streaming landscape, Chief Executive Officer of Aurally, a pioneering blockchain-based streaming platform, Mr. Meshach Ishaya has launched his platform at Incredible Music Festival (IMF) in Jos, Plateau State, challenging Nigerian youths to be creative and not to be disheartened by the common traditional bottleneck that does not promote their ambition and aspiration.

The event, spearheaded alongside Nigerian rapper and entrepreneur, M.I Abaga, marks a pivotal moment in the convergence of music and technology.

Ishaya assured that Aurally is the No. 1 NFT marketplace for creatives and fans, a platform built on the foundation of Web3 Algorand blockchain technology which empowers creatives to reclaim ownership of their work and connect directly with their fans in a transparent and equitable environment.

“At Aurally, we aim to revolutionize the way creatives share and monetize their work. Our decentralized marketplace model allows artists to retain control over their creations while providing fans with direct access to exclusive content,” he said.

According to him, the platform provides creatives with the tools and technology they need to thrive, including real-time rewards, smart contract royalties, and enhanced discoverability, and offers fans a curated selection of music from emerging and established artist as well as opportunities to engage with their favourite creatives through comments, likes, and exclusive content.

Ishaya emphasised that Aurally is not just a streaming service, but a pioneer of the Web3 revolution, integrating NFTs and cutting-edge technologies to elevate the music experience for all. More creatives like visual artists and video artists will be on board the platform by the second quarter of the year. He also revealed plans to take all the creatives at the IMF onboard reading from 1,000 to 5,000.

“We participated last year in Algrond blockchain and Aurally won the first prize of $60,000. With our integration of Web3 blockchain technology, we are shaping the future of music streaming, ensuring security, transparency, and fairness for all stakeholders,” he said.

L-R: President, PMAN, Pretty Okafor, and Chairman, NDLEA, Gen Mohamed Marwa (Retd) at a press conference announcing the partnership to tackle drug abuse recently in Lagos.

Bisola, Timini, Adebayo Go to School in New Temple Motion Pictures Series

Nollywood actors

Bisola Aiyeola, Dakore Egbuson, Timini Egbuson, and Femi Adebayo are some of the faces in Temple Motion Pictures new series, ‘School of Hearts.’ Currently filming in Lagos, ‘School of Hearts’ is set in Eko College of Arts, and unravels the drama around the lives of young adults as they navigate their way through senior high

school while pursuing their passion for the arts, offering a unique showcase of music, dance, and drama talents. The cinematography lens follows the interesting journey of their interactions with peers and family members, as well as how they handle the dynamics of peer pressure, combining it with their academics. It touches on the themes of friendship, betrayal, and trust, among others.

“This is a groundbreaking project that will leave a lasting impact on audiences and the filmmaking landscape,” said the series producer, Olutayo Odueke.

‘School of Hearts’ features a dynamic mix of established Nollywood icons and rising young talents like Faith Stanley and Ejiroghene Asagba. The series will be streamed globally on a video-ondemand platform upon completion.

PMAN Partners NDLEA to Curb Drug Scourge

Iyke Bede

In tackling the escalating i ssue of drug abuse in Nigeria, the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) is taking proactive measures through its collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to educate and provide support to performing musicians and the youths they influence.

The collaboration was made public recently at the PMAN Music House in Lekki Lagos, with the NDLEA Chairman, Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Retd) and his team in attendance.

PMAN boss, Pretty Okafor described the initiative as a way of giving back to the music industry, and the community on a larger scale by disabusing the myths associated with drugs boosting the creative output of musical artistes, which in turn influences their followers.

“Our profession attracts drugs,” Pretty noted. “I have never tasted alcohol or cigarettes, but we (Junior and Pretty) pioneered the brand of music

that took the world by storm. Our brand of lifestyle comes with being flashy, the luxury life, but there is never a time that a life of luxury can be sustained if you have a drug addiction.”

Marwa provided an overview of the current interventions of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme launched in 2021. He noted ways in which the programme continues to provide support through counselling, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, and accessibility to care at its various rehabilitation centres.

As of 2018, data obtained from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in Nigeria revealed that 14.4% (14.3 million) of people aged between 15 and 64 years abuse drugs. According to Marwa, the link between drug use and popular music are closely linked, noting that the collaboration was a timely intervention.

“This drug scourge has continually impacted negatively on our youth, families, and communities. It has also played a major role in promoting violence and criminality in our society, and the NDLEA is tasked with the mandate of eliminating drug use and trafficking,” Marwa highlighted.

DJ SpinallDJ Spinall at a concert.

CEO of Aurally, Meshach Ishaya

Bisola and Timini on School of Hearts set

FATUMATA COKER

MAKING GOLF AN INCLUSIVE SPORT

From her distinguished career in global markets to her pioneering role as the first female captain of the Lagos Golfers Club, Fatumata Coker, Afrinvest Securities’ Board Chairman, is making significant contributions to the Nigerian golfing community. With a focus on philanthropy and community development, she tells Vanessa Obioha her mission to promote inclusivity within the golfing world.

EDITED BY: VANESSA OBIOHA/vanessa.obioha@thisdaylive.com.

Playing golf is a lifestyle and not elitist as most people think

The golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 buzzed with activity on a recent Wednesday afternoon as members gathered for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) preceding the election. Throughout the bar, restaurant, and foyer, members congregated in clusters, indulging in drinks, lounging, dining, and engaging in lively conversation. Amidst this bustling scene, I spotted Mrs. Fatumata Coker, the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Afrinvest Securities Ltd, elegantly attired in Ankara fabric that complemented her figure, her chic bun adorned

connected to her African roots by opting for African prints in her attire, diverging from the corporate pants and suits she once wore during her time in America.

“Like 30 days in a month, you will be lucky if you found me without the African print on,” she said in a soft-spoken voice.

Similarly, she embraces her natural hair, preferring styles like the Back to School look. She often opts for braids or a bun.

“My hair is so fine. Typically, people relax their hair within two months, mine is twice a year.”

Despite not speaking Pidgin or any Nigerian language fluently, Coker could grasp a few words from conversations. She credited her understanding of Nigerian culture to Africa Magic on DStv, where she avidly watched Nollywood films and Nigerian TV shows.

A distinguished leader in both global and emerging markets, Coker hails from Liberia where she spent her formative years. She relocated to America during the civil unrest and spent nearly a decade working for IBM. Subsequently, she was headhunted by Microsoft to oversee their business operations in Africa, starting with Anglophone Africa before covering most of West, Central and East Africa.

Coker has held various leadership positions across different companies since then. She currently serves as the founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of YGroup Holdings Inc., Chairman of the Board of CreditRegistry, and an Advisory Board Member of ReEnergy Africa, among other roles. Given her technology background, Coker is concerned about the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly regarding the uneducated parent population in Africa.

“Our kids are exposed to these things and parents are clueless. That’s the scariest thing I feel every time I hear these things, especially for the African continent which is the youngest population in the world.”

She emphasised that children are exposed to and brainwashed by some of the information they find online and without parents’ guidance, it is a threat to society. She therefore argued that digitally conscious parents should help protect those who are not and their children as well as help urge the government to include parents in discussions about policies.

“They need to be able to say what they want for their children even if they are poor, they have the right to decide what information is shared with their children.”

Outside of her professional endeavours, Coker is a prominent figure on the golf course. She recently made history as the first female captain of the Lagos Golfers Club.

The club is renowned for its fundraising efforts in support of cancer patients.

At Ikoyi Club 1938, she holds the position of lady captain for the golf section of the lady subcommittee.

Coker’s foray into the Lagos golf scene was through the Ikeja Golf Club.

“I didn’t have a handicap at the time and a friend introduced me to a pro, Saibaba. I think he is the best,” she said glowingly of the pro.

Saibaba played a pivotal role in igniting Coker’s interest in golf. With her husband’s support, who facilitated her membership at Ikoyi Club 1938, they embarked on a journey to Saint Andrews in Scotland to delve into the history of golf. It was during this trip that she discovered the origins of golf as a gentleman’s game.

“It makes you want to be better because every time you play, you want to beat your last goal.”

Coker’s journey into golf began during her time at IBM, where the company fostered a culture of volunteerism among employees. Through IBM’s support, she engaged in extracurricular activities for children in inner cities.

“Once a year we would do a golf tournament to raise funds and introduce them to new techniques of the game and so forth. I became interested.”

Even though she initially played golf as an amateur, Coker’s skills were far from amateurish, as noted by friends who admired her efficiency on the course. By her fourth year, she invested in her kit. Upon fully relocating to Nigeria, it was only natural for her to bring along her golf equipment.

While there are various perceptions about golf, with some not considering it a sport and others associating it with older individuals, Coker shared a different perspective.

“It is built for every age group. My children started playing it young. As long as you can work and be healthy, you can play golf. We have ladies in their eighties playing golf here (Ikoyi Club 1938). And it keeps them going. It is not an elitist game as many think because if you put it that way, a lot of people will not be playing golf. It’s a lifestyle. It’s like wanting to eat healthy. It’s expensive but it doesn’t make you elite.”

Expanding on the topic, she delved into the historical origins of golf, elucidating how the game’s early enthusiasts, primarily skilled in carpentry, crafted their own clubs, inadvertently contributing to the perception of elitism surrounding the sport. She further highlighted the historical gender dynamics, noting that golf was initially exclusive to men due to societal norms dictating women’s attire at the time.

Despite the evolving acceptance of women in golf, Coker disclosed that many clubs still maintain gender-segregated sections except Lakowe Golf Club, where players of all genders mingle on the greens.

“But also what I have found out is, maybe it’s the traditional culture but women here like to be separated.”

In her view, women sometimes exhibit behaviours that contradict their desires. She illustrated this with an example: while aspiring for inclusion in executive positions within companies, some female CEOs organise conferences exclusively for women, which undermines their aim of inclusivity and setting an example for gender diversity.

Coker could come across as a restive person as her colleague pointed out earlier but she respectfully disagreed. She saw her ability to multitask as her superpower, allowing her to navigate the demands of her professional roles with ease and efficiency.

“And it works in golf because you have to be decisive,” she said, likening the game to life, as her husband often remarked.

“If you tee off, you have to go to the bushes and figure out how to get out of there because you just can’t lay in the bush. And when you get out of the bush, where do you want to be? You have to think precisely how you want to do it because if you don’t have all of that in sync, you’d probably be back in the bush. You have to have the ability to think, strategise, have a trajectory, be very determined and not be emotional about it.”

Coker is grateful that she can play golf. She counted herself lucky to be among the less than 25 million people who play golf in the world. Therefore, she is determined to use the opportunity to influence as many people as possible. This year, she and her Lady subcommittee are working towards encouraging more people to play golf under the theme “Play Golf, Make a Difference and Chop Life.”

She expressed their intention to educate players on techniques for longevity on the golf course. Additionally, she and her committee are devising a charity programme aimed at supporting individuals in their community, particularly caddies and day workers without regular salaries, as part of their efforts to make a positive impact.

with sprinkles of grey hair adding a touch of sophistication to her appearance.

Coker was in the company of a colleague, awaiting lunch. As she savoured a meal of amala and okra soup, she drew parallels between Nigerian and Liberian cuisine. She noted how Liberia’s wolor soup resembles Nigeria’s Ogbono soup in its slimy texture and highlighted the similarities between dumboy, a Liberian dish made from cassava, and pounded yam and fufu, both staples in Nigerian cuisine.

Over the past 15 years since relocating to Nigeria for work, Coker has remained

She continued: “Every golfer is thriving to come lower and lower to that even par of the course they are playing. I do well in Lakowe because it is built for me and I hit really hard and I strike my ball for green in regulations. If I’m playing a par 4, I need four shots to be even with that hole, if I play three, I beat the hole, if I play five, the hole beats me,” she explained passionately. So far, the lowest she has played is 76. Her goal is to play 72. “At first my goal was to be a single handicapper. I have met that goal, now the next is to be par with a golf course.”

To be sure, Coker was never athletic as a young girl. “I didn’t like nobody throwing a ball at me. I didn’t like anybody rushing at me. I didn’t like anybody making contact. I was just one of those kids who didn’t like such physical activity.”

“This will help their individual development or maybe help them get out of the situation that they are in. As we all know, education or any kind of trade can actually change the trajectory of a generation. And we are happy to give 10% of everything raised from our tenure to that programme. So we can enable people to go and finish that degree that’s been on hold because they didn’t have the money or that trade that they started but could not complete because they didn’t have the money or pay for the exams of their children. Anything to help that trajectory out of a static situation, that’s what we’re looking forward to to contribute back to our community.”

Also, she and her Vice Lady Captain Peggy Onwu are expanding the children’s golf programme such that they can compete globally.

For the Chop Life part of the theme, Coker said it’s simple the women coming to the clubs to have a good time and playing golf as therapy.

“The world is crazy as it is. The golf course provides peace.”

Coker

HighLife

TY Danjuma: Repairing Eyes in Taraba

“Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the world.” These words of Greek philosopher Archimedes have inspired people through the ages to consider how to initiate change. The political, retired lieutenant general, and philanthropist, Theophilus Yakubu (TY) Danjuma, has demonstrated an understanding of Archimedes’ words, grasping the means to effect changes across the nation.

Danjuma has gladdened the hearts of Taraba residents by establishing a medical centre for treating the eyes in the state. Called Daisy Danjuma Eye Hospital, the medical centre in Takum, Taraba State is already turning heads due to its humanitarian foundations. Given Danjuma’s selflessness, the hospital will doubtless come to be known for changing the lives of Taraba residents.

Based on reports, Danjuma’s gift to the Taraba people is hinged on his desire to reinforce health infrastructure in the state. From his perspective, helping people maintain a clear and literal vision goes a long way in positioning them for conceptual visions. Now people can dream great dreams and commit themselves to living a better, more rounded life.

Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba is the first to have his visions adjusted. He was the first to make a strong commitment to improvement during the inauguration.

According to Governor Kefas, a new era is upon the people of Taraba, one in which he will not hesitate to deepen the distribution of democracy’s dividends to all and sundry.

In truth, Danjuma is known across the nation for doing such amazing things. It was not long ago that he did something similar in Enugu State, completing and launching the Goodwill Medical Centre (GMC). What about his $1.36-million donation to the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), or how he gave away a 500-capacity female hostel to the University of Benin?

Danjuma’s generosity is almost boundless. In this day and age, it is immeasurably revolutionary.

with

08116759807,

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

Oyedepo’s Multi-billion Naira Ark Legacy Project Almost Ready

Great things can come from unexpected quarters. At a time when governments are building state-of-the-art facilities and businesses are competing in this enterprise, some churches have also risen to the challenge. Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, now leads the park with his Ark Legacy Project.

According to reports, the project is almost completed and will definitely send waves across the world upon completion.

To understand the gravity of the situation, one has to appreciate the grandness of the project. Based on observation, it is scheduled to be the biggest Christian worship auditorium in the world. Currently under construction at the Winners International Headquarters in Otta, Ogun State, the project is all selling points with giant numbers attached to it.

For example, the Ark Legacy auditorium

The expression that love does not cost anything alludes to love’s pricelessness. In Kogi State, this belief may soon fall on its face, with dust in its nostrils, and bystanders

is expected to seat around 200,000 people at one time. Secondly, when it was last discussed across media channels, it was reported to cost around $200 million upon completion. That was far back in 2022, a year after construction started.

Presently, with the state of the nation, that cost estimate is likely too small. But the constructor in charge, LaraLek Ultimate Construction, will definitely make things reasonable regardless of the odds. This is an easy meal for the founder of the construction giant, Lekan Adebiyi.

Are Nigerians ready to see this massive auditorium? Are they ready to agree that Bishop Oyedepo is one of the visionaries of the age, a great mind with few equals? In a little while, the Ark Legacy Project will be completed and then eyes will pop in amazement and fingers run across screen pads in argument.

Another Marriage Tale Trails Governor Ododo

pointing fingers in jest, mocking the absolute ludicrousness of it all. To adjust to a more local saying, why always Kogi?

There’s a growing rumour that Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo may soon marry another wife. Against those that might be offended at a new state governor bringing in an additional wife not long after coming into power, the rumour has more sides, including that the supposed wife-tobe is none other than the former First Lady’s sister.

According to the news bearers, Ododo is under a lot of pressure to get wedded to the sister of former Kogi First Lady, Rashida Bello. Initially believed to be Ododo’s latest attempt to please his predecessor and mentor, Yahaya Bello, the rumours now claim that Ododo is being forced into this position.

Multiple reasons have been given for the alleged attempt to impose a second wife on Governor Ododo. The first is that Ododo’s current and only wife, Sefiyah Ododo, is

not accomplished in terms of her educational attainment. Therefore, the alleged incoming wife is supposed to fill that position.

Another rumoured reason is to help the former governor, Bello, consolidate his grip on the state. Proponents of this angle argue that Sefiyah would have to relinquish her First Lady title to the new lady, much like every other person gave way for Bello’s relatives and friends to populate Ododo’s cabinet. Bello’s cousin, Ali Bello, who doubles as Ododo’s Chief of Staff, is a case in point.

Additionally, there are speculations that Bello is still residing in the government house while Ododo continues to occupy his former lodging. On the one hand, it is alleged that this is because Bello is being hunted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and uses the presidential suite within Lord Lugard House as a hideout. On another, it is supposed to demonstrate his transcendent status in Kogi.

All in all, things are happening in Kogi. But why always Kogi?

As Tinubu Appoints Billionaires to Rescue Nigeria’s Economy

Everything begins from a single point, whether it is the popularisation of an ideal or the salvaging of a nation-ship. Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has demonstrated his awareness by requesting the help of industry captains to help steer the nation’s economy. But the question on many lips is if it will work or not.

Extensive policy reviews have characterised presidential moves in the past few months. President Tinubu, attempting to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, has done, considered, and reconsidered much. He has gone so far as bowing his head to visit a distant nation that shares no business ties with his own. This new reliance on some of the most homegrown successful industrialists is the latest strategy of the president.

According to reports, President Tinubu instituted a new Economy Advisory Committee comprising leading business

people. They include Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Abdul Samad Rabiu, and Tony Elumelu, each a distinct and local hegemon of financial prowess and industrial might.

Tinubu believes that the involvement of these billionaires will change the waves of economic depression covering the nation and her people. He is especially looking forward to seeing them review the nation’s public and private sectors to see how the integration of each sector’s advantages can cut down the ugly weight of economic challenges mostly attributed to currency devaluation.

Tinubu is not the only one looking forward to positive changes due to the involvement of Dangote and his peers. Even they have been affected by the growing problems caused by the unfavourable Naira-Dollar wahala. Dangote and Rabiu have particularly felt it in their net worth and are consequently expected to put in their best efforts to rescue Nigeria.

Tinibu

Almost handing over the nation’s economy to experts—it looks like a good deal, especially as they’re also feeling the heat. All eyes are locked on Dangote and Co.

Otedola’s FBN Holdings Emerges as Nigeria’s Most Valuable Banking Group

Having scrutinised the success of individuals, businesses, and nations, one might arrive at the nod-worthy conclusion that luck is a big part of success. In that case, a lucky individual is known for their success. Such is the case for super billionaire and investor, Femi Otedola. With his recent slide into the chairmanship position at First Bank of Nigeria Holdings (FBN Holdings), one can attribute the group’s triumphs to Otedola’s involvement.

With February’s shadow almost fading into the distance, the group has emerged as the most valuable

banking group in Nigeria, running ahead of giants such as Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) in terms of market capitalization. Given enough time, FBN Holdings might reinforce its position as the first banking group in Nigeria, leaving its peers far behind.

Although nothing seems to be wrong with this possibility, it has to be said that it is not entirely ordinary. After all, GTCO is led by none other than the highly decorated banker and deep thinker, Segun Agbaje. Even without consulting the magical entrails of chickens, the reason for FBN Holdings’ recent domination is clear: Otedola.

Otedola came on board the FBN

Holdings ship as chairman at the start of the year. Looking at the momentum from his other businesses and how they thrived, investors at FBN Holdings judged Otedola to be the best choice for the position after Ahmad Abdullahi, the former Chairman.

It is clear that handing FBN Holdings over to Otedola is the best decision the group’s board has made this year. The man initiated several strategic moves that trounced competitors, resulting in the group’s market cap reaching N1.22 trillion as of February 25.

With such momentum, great times are ahead for FBN Holdings and its people. Agbaje and other captains of banking groups better watch out as Otedola’s wave of luck may sweep through them all.

Oyedepo

Otedola

Danjuma

Ododo

Kola-Daisi

Life changes people. The lily and the rose, once believing themselves to be the only flowers under the heavens, having brought

Abisola Kola-Daisi Gets Serious

fought new seeds, relax themselves. This is a lot like Lady Abisola Kola-Daisi, wife of Kolapo Kola-Daisi and the eldest child of the former and late governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. She is so different today from what she was yesterday as if she is another person.

There was a time when Lady Abisola, Abi-KD for short, wore life on short sleeves. She enjoyed life for what it brought, labouring only to decide what indulgence to dress in and what extravagance to exhibit to her friends and followers. But that lady of the past, that lily shielded by the affluence and influence of her parents, has faded into the background.

The Abi-KD of today is a different person. It was not long ago that she was appointed as Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu. Moreover, the appointment was not a favour to the Ajimobis nor the Kola-

Guardian of Style, Folake Coker, Hits 50

So many things can change over time, while so many others remain the same. Consider Folake Coker, fashion designer and style hegemon. After so many years, she has been sharpened into a brilliant manager of businesses. But she remains one of the most beautiful amazons in Nigeria, with enough polish and panache to launch ten thousand ships.

These are great times for Coker. A few days ago, she turned 50 years old, documenting the start of her golden years. But this is only a chronological phenomenon as most of her life has been spent on the golden shores of life, letting the breeze of the years softly file her into the radiant lady of elegance she is today.

What is yesterday’s memory in the face of today’s joys? For Coker, it is a matter of the present outshining the past. Even though her marriage to a Lagos Bigman, Folly Coker, hit the rocks,

it did not send her spiralling into obscurity and oblivion. Instead, Coker’s fortune is beaming from multiple angles, proving her to be yesterday’s best and today’s perfect.

Her looks might send the wrong message, but her words will not. She is no airhead but an accomplished businesswoman. She has continued to do only grand things with her brainchild, Tiffany Amber, over which she serves as the Creative Director. Across the fashion industry in Nigeria, she is regar one of the handful of guardians responsible for deciding what fits and what does not.

At 50, Coker cannot be described as greying, except the concept is stretched to imply that the person in question is growing wiser. Akindele’s fortunes have only grown broader, deepening her influence in the fashion industry and beyond.

She has done well for herself. But who knew that a woman at 50 could look and sound so brilliant? Only everybody who knows Coker.

Daisis but was based on her merits.

Presently, Abi-KD is building up a strong foundation for a political and corporate career. In the past, even when it did not seem as if she was very serious about life, she had a thing with the fashion business. That remains the rationale for her boutique in Victoria Island, Florence H Luxury, a top luxury retail fashion brand in Lagos and beyond.

It is amazing to see Abi-KD rise from the times of light frivolity to sternness and urgency. Life would do that to a person, showing them the possibilities to be had from holding by its horns the bull of life’s seasons.

Is this the same lady who travelled all around the world, spending a weekend in France for the wedding of American reality

De-Damak: New Aare of Ibadanland

Ambode’s Newfound Love for Tinubu

Life is a long journey with twists and turns. This friend can be an enemy tomorrow, and this enemy might be a friend the day after. Such is the case of former Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode with his former (now present?) godfather, President Bola Tinubu. Once at each other’s throats, the narrative has changed completely with Ambode as one of Tinubu’s most optimistic supporters.

The economic hardship in Nigeria today has transformed the voice of the citizenry along the lines of distress and regret. However, while the average Nigerian points accusatory fingers in the direction of the president, Ambode has bravely come forward to support the latter.

According to Ambode, Tinubu is not the problem of Nigeria. There are many forces seemingly militating against the nation’s progress and the president is at the centre of it, doing his best to remove these hindrances. So, Tinubu is the captain of the ship and his interests are the interests of all.

Who Gets Tinubu’s Support between Aiyedatiwa and Ibrahim?

When the tiger is not on the mountain, the monkey wears a crown on its head and prances about. This Chinese proverb fits the current political condition in Ondo, the Sunshine State. Set against the background of the forthcoming gubernatorial election, a cloud has started to cover this radiance, as aspirants lay siege against one another.

Among the main contenders for the Ondo State seat, the top giants are the incumbent governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, Senator for Ondo South. The choice of who will sit in Akure to rule over the good people of Ondo may be decided between the two.

In truth, there’s a lot more to the narrative than meets the eye. For example, in terms of support, it seems that Senator Ibrahim is in a better position compared to Aiyedatiwa. This is odd considering that Aiyedatiwa is currently

occupying the number one seat of power in the state. But given how he got there, it all makes sense.

Aiyedatiwa came aboard after his principal, the former governor of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, passed away. Following the dictates of the law, Aiyedatiwa who was Akeredolu’s deputy, took over. But the replacement was not smooth as Aiyedatiwa had been facing opposition long before Akeredolu passed on.

The main determinant of who will win the elections may just be decided on who has the most support, particularly from President Bola Tinubu. Many commentators think that this will be Ibrahim since he has always had something of a harmonious relationship with the president.

Only a handful of people think that Tinubu will stand by Aiyedatiwa, the reason behind that Aiyedatiwa reportedly did not follow Tinubu’s suggestions for the governor’s cabinet. Perhaps Tinubu remains displeased and will displace

Ambode also shook his head at people he considers to be contributing to the issue — people who are complaining and pointing fingers. According to him, the more Nigerians complain, the more they are likely to get the outcome of their complaint which is nothing.

Ambode’s comments demonstrate a new level reached by the former Lagos State governor. After all, the only reason he did not remain Lagos governor after his first tenure was Tinubu. It is an open secret that Tinubu did not approve of him in 2019 and instead pitched his tent with Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Even though they eventually settled the rift just before Tinubu officially launched his presidential campaign, Ambode and Tinubu did not speak a word to each other for years. Now seeing Ambode behind Tinubu, defending him against a sea of troubles… “It is a super story, where the fish drown and even die of thirst.”

Aiyedatiwa if given the opportunity.

Until the choice is made between them, come November 16, 2024, nothing is certain. But whoever Tinubu supports has a higher chance of winning the gubernatorial election. The one that loses is the monkey on the mountain.

New waves must overtake the old. In Oyo State, a new Aare of Ibadanland has been appointed. The appointee, Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, who is known as De-Damak among friends, is considered virtuous and capable, just the man for the job. Running alongside the vision of his predecessors, De-Damak is expected to help promote unity and prosperity in Ibadan, bringing happiness and pride to the sons and daughters of Ibadan soil in the coming days.

The entire Akinola family is currently celebrating the rise in status of De-Damak. The socialite who is the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta states, has been confirmed by the Olubadan-in-council as the next Aare of Ibadanland. With this confirmation, De-Damak is next in line to receive praise and expectations from the people.

Although the installation date has not been announced, Ibadan natives are patiently waiting to see De-Damak rise in influence as Aare of Ibadanland alongside his wife, Mariam Akinola as Yeye Aare of Ibadanland. Both of them are supposed to continue from where former and late Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and his wife, Florence Ajimobi, stopped.

In reality, De-Damak and Mariam will continue the legacies from the very roots of the title. It started with Oluyedun Adubiaro, and his wife, Iyanda. It moved to Bishop Alexander Akinyele, during whose time the implications of being Aare of Ibadanland were watered down a bit, becoming honorary rather than actively martial. Then it moved to Archdeacon Oladipo Alayande, then AbdulAzeez Arisekola Alao, before it settled on Ajimobi who passed away in 2020.

Interestingly, during Alao’s time, he was also Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland like De-Damak is now. De-Damak’s appointment is consequently fortunate, and, one might say, aligned with the will of history.

Great things are expected of De-Damak when he takes over the position. He will continue the thread of stellar leadership exemplified by Ajimobi and other predecessors.

De-Damak and wife Mariam Okunola

Aiyedatiwa

Ambode

Tony Elumelu Goes to School

Hottest gist in town o. Tony goes to school o. That is me trying to parody that old classic ‘Eze Goes to School.’ My people, I have just been informed that the maestro himself is being studied at Harvard. Harvard o. Oh my Goddd!!!

His Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is being used as a case study in the world famous Harvard and they have even

violence.

Ibeno is my motherland. It is where my mother comes from and it is a beach resort with an ample amount of oil. It is a very beautiful land, where Mobil first found oil and where the huge Qua Iboe church first berthed. Its beaches are a pull for tourists and fun seekers from as far as Cameroun and the hinterland of Nigeria, and its fish is world renown. I woke up to very sad news this morning about my beautiful motherland. Its neighbours from Eket reportedly attacked the sleepy beach resort. The stories I have heard so far as I write this column remain horrendous, although some of them are yet to be verified from official sources. Scores have been reportedly killed, houses burnt and looted, and my people have been forced to abandon their homes, with a few fleeing by boats to find refuge in the sea.

Further unconfirmed sources told me that the Governor, Mr. Umo Eno, has largely ignored the community as the carnage continued with unabated strength. My mother’s people are being killed, attacked and burnt simply because they have found themselves at the centre of a vicious resource control as a result of the vast oil resources on their historical land.

This struggle is not new. In fact, it has been a recurrent decimal in relations between Ibeno and their neighbours Eket, and now Una. The siting of Mobil and other benefits that comes as a result of being a host community has always been the crux of the wahala which in most cases, ends up in this kind of

This time, a controversial “remapping” that was proposed or even done during the last administration of Emmanuel Udom seems to have triggered the new surge of violence. This remapping seems to have ceded some portion of Ibeno land to Eket while also bringing into the fore Una, the local government of the past governor.

Of course, the Ibeno people have resisted leading to this attack that is reminiscent of past skirmishes that always ended with a bloody nose for my mother’s people.

I also learnt that the Mobil’s exit and the arrival of Seplat is another strong touch point to this present wahala.

Please, I’m calling on the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, the Commissioner of Police, the IG of police, the Chiefs of Naval Staff and Army to kindly step in to stop this carnage.

I’M CONFUSED OVER BINANCE

You know at my age, all these “kurukere” online things confuse me o. Mbok, which one is Binance again.

I must confess that the very first time I was hearing about the platform was when the CBN Governor announced that about $26 billion had passed through it via some shadowy and unidentified people.

My people, the whole thing is now looking like those Hollywood movies where some dark people would sit in a room to manipulate things to conquer the world, and then Superman will now

said that the founder, Mr. Tony Elumelu would be given a great mention. Seeing the other day that LASU did the same for me, I knew how I ran around naked with tissue paper in my hands screaming, Yesss!!! Yesss!!!!. The joy knew no bounds that a group of people would sit down and choose me to be studying.

So, you can imagine this one: Harvard putting Mr. Elumelu on a stand and studying what he has done with his Foundation. Do you blame them? A Foundation that has empowered over 20,000 African youths and spent about $100 million in the process.

Congrats Mr. Elumelu, you really do deserve this. Welldone Sir.

fly in and beat them, and they will be running but not before causing an earthquake and storm with a press of the button.

We have seen that since the CBN Governor had announced his crackdown on these portals, the naira has started gaining back strength, which goes to confirm the very strong possibility that the situation was as a result of artificial manipulations.

I learnt that the people even had the guts to fly in to “discuss” and that the NSA’s office has detained them. You see, as an illiterate in these things I cannot really put mouth, but to say that we had a very strong belief that the naira could not have crashed the way it did in the last one month only by the forces of demand and supply. It was very clear that it was being attacked and in its very vulnerable state, it fell. If these allegations are proven, then all must be done to bring to book all perpetrators because this is exactly what the military used to call economic sabotage. Sad.

FOR ALLEN ONYEMA, THE HUSTLE IS REAL

The news that Air Peace would be flying the Lagos-London route seeped into the public space with that beautiful promo by that Comedian- I have forgotten her name o. The one that has lost a lot of weight and speaks in a very aggressive manner and is from Warri.

For me, that promo heralded not only an exciting but very efficient way

of going to London, and also a very passionate need to celebrate the true Nigerian spirit. At times when I hear about Mr. Onyema, I would wonder which planet he came from. All the negativity that comes with being Nigerian, the challenges especially in his space – challenges that have pushed away his competitors.

The man keeps getting stronger by the day. From flying stranded Nigerians out of global hotspots, to maintaining a huge local fleet and now the controversial but very lucrative London route.

I have heard that he would be flying to Gatwick which is a little bit irritating but it’s ok. It’s a beautiful start and from there, knowing how he moves, he would expand to the better positioned Heathrow. Already, he has crashed the pricing from what we have gleaned, making it a little bit more affordable for Nigerians who see travelling to London as a national pastime.

Well done, my Lord and congratulations o. My sister Ada has been trying to see you o, oya pick her call o. She just wants to congratulate you. Well done sir; a true Nigerian you are. well done.

NESTLE: WHEN CHOCOLATE TURNS BITTER

The over N100 billion loss announced by confectionary giant Nestle is rattling. I saw the report at Olowora, one suburb in Lagos. I had to sit down with sweat dripping from my forehead. The loss position is even reported to have wiped out its shareholders funds, meaning that there is no hope of dividends for shareholders.

Coming from the recent announcement

IBENO: SORROW, TEARS AND REAL BLOOD

Elumelu

Onyema

Cardoso

Shaibu

of Nigerian Breweries and Guinness, fear is beginning to catch me o. These are giants that have been in the country for decades. They have contributed very significantly to the economy, growing capacity, impacting infrastructure, creating employment, buoying government revenues and also touching society with their CSR. This situation is very terrible o, especially as it is as a result of the forex crisis. First, it was the airlines, and now giants of industry that one would have expected have the girth to withstand the shock are now falling like a pack of cards.

I don’t even know how the markets would react to this. The implications of this are dire. The markets, government revenues, jobs, availability of their products which are household items thereby adding to the hardship.

Mehnn!!! This is maddddd. I swear. This is not just one small conglomerate that is tumbling over ooo, it is the cherry of our national sundae- Nigerian Breweries, Guinness and now Nestle.

Ahhh! What is the need of all these international junkets carrying Seyi all over the place, looking for investments when the ones already on ground are being stifled by warped government policies and a challenging environment. We need a requiem mass to pray for the economy o. If any of these three, fold up, we are dead. It’s as simple as that. Enough said, make I go chop. Kai!

ASUE, OLU AND A SHAIBU: TALES FROM THE CITY

The Edo State gubernatorial primaries have come and gone. As expected, a lot of colour, drama, music and shenanigans characterised the exercise. I have deliberately not involved myself in activities of other parties which is shameful for a national commentator like myself. I should be neutral and “fatherly” abi? But when it comes to Olu and Asue, I have been compromised. I have eaten their afang and I cannot lie, I am partial.

Asue calls himself AI - a brilliant one especially with the youths of Edo State who are digitally aligned. His resonating logo enmeshed on a brilliant red background is simply captivating and engaging. His statesman demeanour — like person wey go soon slap person if you annoy am — is very attractive to the elders and the power brokers in the state. So, he is a bridge between the youths and the elders. It is therefore no wonder that he easily clinched the PDP ticket with such a huge margin.

Olu on the other hand is looking like the “boy is good” candidate. His moniker, “who is your guy,” is a killer. The soundbite, background music and all makes him very compelling and engaging. The footage of his dance steps complete with towel wiping his sweat and reminiscent of the Osun State Governor is catching fire with the youths o.

Olu is a people’s person, a gyrator and a showman. The man can crack jokes, laugh and be laughed at and simply just knows how to have fun even while still throwing up intelligent moves.

Did you guys see the footage of him dancing at one party in Lagos? The video was released after he won the nominations of the Labour Party. As the music starts, Olu jumps into the middle, waving his hands and wriggling his waist and singing with such seriousness that you would think it’s a Grammy performance. Lovely. Now the dark side. One khaki-wearing Shaibu now wants to come and pour “sand sand” in this very beautiful song. The man is not agreeing o. The fact that he had about one vote in the primaries does not seem to faze him. He has carried his brown khaki to Abuja to attempt a claim on the certificate as reported.

You see, what I don’t like are people who fail to see the tide of things. Please

Mr. Shaibu, as you see Asue and Olu wetin you think? Edo is striving to be accepted into the digital age, striving to be connected to new ethos of governance - strong and transparent leadership, innovative engagements and technologically driven ethos. Can you open a laptop? Please, leave this “I no go gree” politics and leave the matter. Kindly just pass by. Thanks.

NLC: THE CONTINUED DEMYSTIFICATION OF A DINOSAUR

Can I reveal something shocking? NLC represents only six per cent of the workforce and this is why all their attempts at being taken seriously in this dispensation falls flat. They will call strike, they themselves will call it off after sometime. The president will fly to Imo and receive the beating of his life

HERBERT WIGWE: WHEN YOU CRY MORE THAN THE BEREAVED

When I saw the pictures of all the dignitaries who paid their condolences to Papa Wigwe, I noticed that Daddy was calm and even seemed to be the one consoling the people sef. My big brother Aigboje appeared totally downcast with no colour on his face. Do you blame him, he is the ground zero of all of our glooms.

I do not think Nigerians have collectively mourned anybody like they have mourned Herbert since the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed. Maybe the mourning of Chief Awolowo and Fela could also be compared.

Herbert’s passing like JFK’s slashed very deeply into the hearts of many Nigerians, throwing a collective national gloom on us to the point that, like Americans with JFK, we started asking ourselves the very pointless question - where were you when it happened?

As if that was not enough, people started sharing their last encounters with him, - oh, he told me he would see me when he came back; oh, I had an appointment with him on the Monday he was to come back. And then some others started showing people their last chats with him or the last pictures they took with him or the last letter he wrote to them.

Herbert didn’t have to live long. Such people do not need a long life to make a meteoric impact and that explained his urgency to deliver on his projects.

Herbert lived a very different life and that is why Nigeria seemed to be mourning him even more than his biological relations who move around like they know something we don’t know.

How do we explain their seeming ability to

take this impact with the kind of dignity that they have, without as much as betraying painful emotions at the passing of this icon?

They seemed to be the ones telling us it would be okay. Their carriage has gone a long way to console us and just maybe, give us strength. Abi how do you keep wailing when you see Pa Wigwe stoic in his belief in the afterlife and Ma Wigwe firm in her belief in the sanctity of immortality for the chosen few?

You can’t help but garner strength and provide a shoulder for the weak who still reel from the shock that was the drop from the sky that fateful Saturday in far awayonly God knows where.

As preparations for his journey to the afterlife begin, I consider myself extremely lucky to be given an invite to what will be the greatest gathering of Nigerians since the Union Jack was lowered and Nigeria gained its independence

The 4,500-capacity hall will be filled to the brim with people from all colourations and all united in the need to pay one last respect to this silent Iroko. When an Iroko tree falls, it falls with a resounding thud reverberating very far and wide to distant climes while making all creatures big and small pause for a moment in deep honour of the passing curiosity.

Herbert was our sage and he didn’t die, he only just transcended, and those of us he has left behind must from the moment his remains are lowered, resolve to uphold the tenets that guided him and made him what he was in life.

Hmmm!!! We murmur in full obeisance to the All-Knowing, the Almighty who allowed this.

and nothing will happen and then, he will call strike again and government, who themselves no too get sense, will be calling them to negotiate instead of calling their bluff, and then they will go on strike and only six people will come out and they will now call it off.

See Mr. NLC, we are too busy to be interested in your shenanigans. People are crying blood and really do not have the time to run around the streets like orphans and sing outdated aluta songs when they are faced with clear and very concise challenges in their lives.

I have shouted so many times on this page that the NLC is now very comprehensively irrelevant. It should pull back and recalibrate with a view to rebuilding itself to better fit the present times.

Shey you see this last strike or is it a protest they called it, people were just looking at them the way you look at expired comedians. They continued with their hardships and failed to see how joining these people would help their situation.

Shebi they formed a party, we have seen where that got them and us. If you ask me, I think they should try Nollywood because in my books t hey make very good comedic actors. Na wa.

THAT DANCE OF KUNLE AFOLAYAN

The last time I attempted to critique one of his works, I got threatened with juju. Since then, I try to respect myself and keep a distance. But this time, I have received so many prompts with over 50 people sending me a clip of the famous director dancing with a female that they have alleged was his daughter. My people, if that is his daughter, all I can say is “na wa.”

I cannot even begin to describe what I saw o. The clip is there on the internet; oya, you people google it and make up your mind on what you see. It was all so suggestive and dark. That is all I will say at this point for very obvious reasons, I don’t want to wake up in the morning and be crowing like a cockerel. So, I respect myself and return to my point of detached silence on this matter. You sef, go and watch the clip, but don’t come back to me on your thoughts, I no wan hear. Kai.

DON JAZZY: MAVIN GOES HOLLYWOOD

This past week seems to be a week of congratulations. The news that our own Mavin Records have snagged the interest of a global music giant is nothing more than a very exciting news report.

That someone can sit in his pyjamas — yes o, that is what me I see him wearing most times and in his sleepy, “I just wake up voice,” builds something that resonates globally to the point that a huge enterprise like Universal Music will not only show interest but will also take a huge chunk, and wait for it, retain him as CEO.

This is another Nigerian spirit and I must hail not only him but the whole team at Mavin Records for such a wonderful gate.

You see why to dey make assumptions no good. I have never seen the gates of that their VI office open one day. The place always looks permanently locked up with no seeming activity and I will be wondering exactly wetin dem dey do inside the place.

I even have written them off because when I pass and see only mallam for gate, I will now go on Instagram and I will see Don Jazzy in pyjamas singing “how are you my friend,” and I will just hiss and say, this one still dey house sef, lazy man.

Na lie. He is a genius and this has shown with this mega deal. I apologise, my brother, it is not until you bathe that you will make history. See wetin you don do in pyjamas, if you come bath and come dey come work nko….. Congrats, the great Don Jazzy, the sky is the beginning. Well done.

Stella Okotete Remains Unperturbed

When her name was penned down as a minister-designate, but was not cleared by the Department of State Services (DSS) for onward screening by the Senate, Stella Okotete, surprisingly was unperturbed. Rather she moved on and remained focused, refusing to hold grudges against anyone or blame anyone for the misadventure.

The woman, despite this, has continued to learn and contribute her quota to the country’s development in her capacity as a top echelon at Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM). Irrespective of naysayers’ attempts to discredit her and cast aspersions on her, she remained focused, using her weight to enhance technological empowerment for women through training for businesses to engage in the exportation of goods and services to earn forex.

While she has received commendations for this; she continues to be a strong advocate for driving investment to Nigeria and developing youths through mental health development, digital transformation in women and women’s participation in politics for national development.

According to sources; with her wealth of knowledge, she is being pencilled down to serve in a bigger capacity; but her detractors are employing every tactic to ensure she is pulled down again.

Her background’s success story resonates with that of the proverbial child born under the lucky star. Living in a maledominated world is more reason for her to remain solid and firm, and stay ahead of her game to become a force to reckon with, thereby grounding the cliché woven around women who limit their ability to soar higher.

Iconic Endeavour of Business

Mogul, Tayo Amusan

When you think of businessmen who deserve commendations for their shrewdness and brilliance, Tayo Amusan will certainly make the list. His firm, Persianas, built the first mall of international standards in Nigeria and currently owns several others in Lagos, Ibadan, Kwara, Enugu and Abuja.

His wizardry, spanning over 25 years, is evident in The Palms, a property situated in the Lekki Peninsula of Lagos.

The business mogul has come again with another brilliant idea that would shake the country. He led a group of businessmen to kick off a groundbreaking ceremony for a proposed 12,000-capacity arena in Victoria Island, Lagos.

As gathered, other members of the consortium delivering the iconic endeavour include Live Nation - the world’s leading live entertainment company; Oak View Group - a global sports and entertainment company, the firm behind the £365 million Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom; Tunde Folawiyo, Chairman of the Yinka Folawiyo Group; Adino Capital, a Nigerian investment fund and MBO Capital.

The consortium plans to create a monumental centre for entertainment and sports, with a hotel

Billionaire businessman, Prince Samuel Adedoyin is usually driven by an abiding quest to change the lives of his compatriots for the better. His name evokes success, affluence,

Real Estate Czar, Sijibomi

Take a cursory look at his profile, and you will not agree less that (Dr.) Sijibomi Ogundele, the Chairman Sujimoto Group is a businessman blessed with a clear vision.

For him, the journey on the boulevard of fame and mega success began some years ago. It only grew higher at the time having tasted success after launching his never-seen-before luxury real estate. At that time, he was prodded by the desire to leave his imprints on the sands of time.

He would later conceptualise Sujimoto’s construction. When the company was birthed, little did he know that in no time it would redefine the real estate industry. Before his eyes, the company has grown to become one of the most successful real estate companies in Africa.

Nevertheless, he has refused to relax in his comfort zone. Rather, he is hitting for the sky and ready to conquer his world.

The man, full of innovation, has since been involved in other businesses for the growth of Nigeria’s economy.

Recently, Ogundele is set to partner with the

and ample parking space.

According to Amusan, Nigeria with its young and rapidly growing population of over 220 million and a vibrant music scene has never had its own dedicated Arena. This is about to change with the proposed $100 million Arena in Lagos - the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria.

“This project is monumental in supporting Nigeria’s thriving entertainment and sports industry. A state-of-the-art music-first arena driven by technology will allow our artistes to deliver world-class performances to a home audience, something that has been missing for a long time.

“Beyond music, the Arena’s versatile design will allow for a diverse range of events including performances by both global and Nigerian music artists, family entertainment, basketball games, UFC fights, boxing matches, WWE shows and so much more.”

While performing the groundbreaking, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu described the Arena as a purpose-built marvel inspired by global standards.

He noted that the facility with an indoor capacity of 12,000 people will elevate Lagos to the forefront of the global events space.

The Arena was designed by Yazgan Design Architecture and will be constructed by Sinerji naat/Sinerji Construction. The acoustic design will be done by Mezzo Stüdyo Architectural Acoustics, Design and Consulting. The total construction area is 25,600 sqm and the landscape area is 15,311 sqm. Construction of The Arena began on Saturday, February 24 and completion is expected in December 2025.

Prince Samuel Adedoyin’s Good Deed Rewarded

ambition, power, compassion and fellow-feeling, among others.

Otherwise known as the Prince of Commerce, his business tentacles spread beyond manufacturing, as he has invested heavily in other sectors of the economy.

The Kwara State-born businessman is a true definition of a role model, having risen to the pinnacle of success through hard work, integrity, self- discipline and accountability.

From the relatively small beginning, this great achiever has soared higher on the wings of his uncommon brilliance and business acumen to become a renowned industrialist.

While the foregoing may not be news, especially to those who have been following his story with interest for years, he is recognised as a businessman whose love for fellow human beings beggars description. He seems to have

Ogundele’s

Clear Vision

Enugu State Government with his Sujimoto Rice Farm to ensure food security in the Coal City state.

As hinted, the company expressed joy at the prospect of playing its own part towards making Enugu a food-sustainable state, describing the people as very welcoming and accommodating while arriving at the former East Central State capital.

Ogundele had a successful meeting with the state governor, Peter Mbah, who welcomed his team with unparalleled hospitality and provided them with reasons why Enugu was the best choice for future audacious projects.

With an ambitious project set to span over 30,000 hectares of rice farm and a mill producing approximately 800,000 tonnes of rice annually, Sujimoto Farm Estate will be built on an advanced farming system that incorporates housing, farm hospitals, hotels, and markets within an ecosystem, driving agro-tourism, employment opportunities, and affordable housing for Enugu, we gathered.

entered into a vow to be committed to the course of humanity; he can’t stand the sight of his fellow human being in distress or wants.

The billionaire in the past has invested heavily in the future of many students in his home state, Kwara. As gathered, some of his beneficiaries have become important personalities in their respective fields.

But you will be wrong if you label it a ‘home affair, as the dark-skinned business guru has also been ‘secretly’ involved in philanthropic gestures outside his home state. He is someone who believes that though charity begins at home, it must not stop there. It was gathered that he has also invested millions of naira in other states across the country; For instance, the philanthropist par excellence recently donated a huge edifice to the Lagos State University (LASU) for information technology in the school.

What’s up with Bolajoko Aguda’s Marital Life?

More than a decade after he passed on, many still remember the late Justice Timothy Aguda as a brilliant legal practitioner of repute. He towered above many of his contemporaries and was a study in diligence.

In recognition of his astounding qualities, he was appointed acting SolicitorGeneral of the old Western Region. Prior to his appointment as the first African Chief Justice of Botswana, he had served concurrently as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho.

However, not many people know that he left behind highly cerebral and beautiful daughters to whom he literally passed on

the baton of law practice. They include Folashade Oluwatoyin-Aguda Taiwo, who is currently a serving judge in the Ondo State Judiciary; Titi Aguda, Modupe and Bolajoko.

Among these brainy children, tongues are, however, wagging about Bolajoko, an intelligent, courteous and friendly lawyer who runs an international logistics company, known as Logistique Xpeditors. She was once married to Abdulrahman Odunowo, owner of a telecoms infrastructure company, with whom she had three beautiful daughters.

Society Watch gathered t hat since their marriage broke up about 15 years ago due to what an insider described as

irreconcilable differences, she has refused to remarry, even when her former husband has since remarried and moved on. It was disclosed that the trained lawyer, who is blessed with a stunning figure, had reportedly said that getting married again was not a priority for her. However, when he met with another telecommunication giant, many thought she would again give marriage another shot, as the two lovebirds were head over heels in love with each other. But the affairs, unexpectedly, fizzled away like smoke. This has made tongues wag over her marital status.

Amusan

Adedoyin

Okotete

Ogundele

ARTS & REVIEW ARTS & REVIEW

Another Look at Humanity Through Sor Sen’s Botanical Imagery

Sor Sen’s latest Abuja exhibition embodies his one-of-a-kind aesthetic canons while proclaiming his brilliant artistry and profound philosophy. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

First, it should be noted that Sor Sen’s choice of the cosy Nordic Hotel in Abuja’s low-density, leafy Mabushi neighbourhood as the venue for his sixth solo exhibition, Earthlings & Others—a choice that resonates deeply with the very essence of his work—deserves commendation. Indeed, this subtle nod to nature, as well as the unexpected immersive experience in a realm where art blends with the everyday. It also breathes deliberate monochromatic painterly lacerations on his canvases.

It is against this backdrop—amid this fascinating mix of impressions—that Sen, on Thursday, February 22, evening—just the following day—hosted a coterie of the preview of his latest cryptic musings on canvas. These, though based on relatable everyday themes, weave a narrative that stretches the imagination to undreamt-of limits. This, of course, is in addition to lifting a corner of the veil on Sen’s unique technique—one that always promises to inspire and excite audiences from diverse backgrounds. “Over time, I have looked at man and the totality of his environment as a trigger for artistic explorations, [as well as] delving into the physical and psychological components of existence,” the 38-year-old explains further in his artist statement. “Nature intrigues me just like many others; block, Mother Nature.”

Recall that the vagaries of the human condition have always been the theme song of this Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria double alumnus’s creative odyssey. Take the solo exhibition titled Dreams, Disruptions, and Actualities, which he held two years ago in Lagos, for instance. Through it, he not only proclaimed his credo in evocative visuals he termed “the ambiguities of the human experience.” Is it therefore surprising that most, if not all, of his paintings are based on themes that seem to wax motivational, even when they are incapable of providing answers to questions bordering on the real purpose of human existence?

Sen’s fascination with both humans and trees spurs his exploration of intricate connections that serve as metaphors for human experiences. This is evident in the in the oil on canvas paintings, “Lifecycle,” “Entwined” and “Bloom.” For the Benue State native, those tangled branches of a tree, with their intricate dance of interconnectedness, mirror the complex and unpredictable nature of human experience. Indeed, just as trees experience seasonal changes, humans too undergo periods of growth and challenges. An observation of the shared processes of birth, growth, and mutual dependence between these earthlings highlights how the lifecycle

to human development from conception to adulthood are striking. Both display a marvel of interconnected systems, encapsulating the harmony and unity within the diversity of life’s expressions. Of course, there is also the fact that the structural networks of trees mirror the synchronised functioning of human anatomy, from roots to leaves.

Through this artist’s patented creative approach that intentionally prioritises emotive expression rather than literal representation, the works displayed in the exhibition seem to coax viewers into a realm of introspection that favours a deeper connection with their visible material environequip them to reinterpret existence with a solace through his oil on canvas paintings like “Hope in this Theatre of the Absurd,” “Stormy Sea but Steady Sailing,” and “I Will Be Your Shield through this Storm,” as well as the oil and acrylic on canvas work “Soaking It In All.”

Still on the artist’s creative approach, his unwavering commitment to expressing his unique creative essence—a circumstance that explains the fact that he pays little heed to conventional artistic conventions— makes attempts at labelling his artistic leanings or sources of inspiration a futile task. With the sharp edge of his palette knife, he delicately etches the canvas, adding layers and texture. Then, using the knife, he deftly lifts colours from his palette, defying the norm by applying them to the canvas with a blend of precise and spontaneous strokes. The result is a captivating mix of colours and shapes that enchants the viewer.

As for the concept behind this exhibition, it draws from the reservoir of his childhood reminiscences of those idyllic holiday periods spent in the rustic village, in his grandfather’s retirement oasis, which, akin to a miniature woodland, fostered a deep days, he muses in his artist statement on his refraining, despite his juvenile curiosity, from probing the motivation behind his grandfather’s choice of such an intricate and thoughtful layout. The memories, of course, remain vivid—especially of those hours spent deliberating and implementing changed: an errant tree branch here, a plant shifting there. Of all these moments, the most profound was witnessing his grandfather’s reverence for trees, treating them as though they were esteemed individuals deserving of utmost care and attention— almost as though they possessed a unique human essence.

The exhibition, which meanwhile runs until Wednesday, March 6, is an eloquent testimonial of the virtuosity and brilliance of the accomplished, multi-award-winning artist. His unique aesthetic canons exude a magnetic charm that sets him apart in the vibrant Abuja art scene, inviting viewers on an exhilarating ride through a realm where beauty and innovation intertwine seamlessly.

replicates itself in various forms. From the initial sprouting of a seed from beneath the

Sor Sen

Some of the works at the exhibition

Some of the guests at the VIP preview

soil to its evolution into a mature tree with a majestic canopy, for instance, the parallels

For All Its Bold Statements, ‘The Kitchen’ Rates Low Commercially

The Kitchen, directed by Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares and with a script written by Daniel Kaluuya, Joe Murtaugh, and Amy Baty, reminds us of an old school statement but that’s where the magic stops.

The movie follows Izi (Kano), a resident of a slum in a not-too-distant future London.

Izi works at a funeral home that uses the cremated remains of people as compost for plants. Izi sees Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman), a teenager, say goodbye to his deceased mother at the same funeral home. Benji latches on to Izi, as he has no other guardian or a place to live. Thus, drama ensues.

Izzi or Benji; it’s the Kitchen, the place. And that explains the copious shots of the Kitchen, scanning its architecture and activities. The Kitchen is prized land, and its occupants face a daily eviction notice. Former footballer and pundit Ian Wright plays the Kitchen’s DJ. He resonates throughout the housing complex to comfort the occupants during and after police raids enforcing the eviction. The occupants are the poor people of London in this dystopian future. Most of these poor people are black.

Disclaimer

First, I am a black man from Nigeria, born and raised in Nigeria. Although I would say I have western (Brit/Canadian/American) sensibilities through and through, My point of view has been predominantly colonised, unfortunately.

However, I am trying to “unlearn” by consuming and inculcating Neo-African sensibilities. Modern pan-Africanism is a real thing born out of an awakening in Africans to have an original (non-western and non-

Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana, which means “it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind.”

The word Sankofa is translated as made up of three words: SAN (return), KO (go), and FA (look, seek, and take). While the statement is very important and wishes one well, artists have found a way to represent it in what is known as the Sankofa bird symbol of the Akan people. The bird is mythically described as having a firm, planted-forward foot with its head turned backward. Thus, learning from the past ensures a strong future, or the attribute of turning back to remember and fetch something from the past. This is exactly Gerald Chukwuma.

Every year since 2022, the graduating painting major students at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria Nsukka, now the Department of Fine and Industrial Art, have showcased two selected works in a sectional competithe top painter of the graduating class is selected, kicking off the merit award process.

Established in 2022, the Gerald Chukaward funded by contemporary artist Gerald Chukwuma. Motivated by fond memories of his undergraduate training in painting, Chukwuma sought to give back by supporting the next generation of painters from his alma mater, thereby helping the next one in line. The prize includes N150,000 in cash as of the last time and a fully sponsored solo exhibition for the winner, who must display a minimum of 15 artworks available for

MOVIES

consciousness.

I’m also aware modern pan-Africanism cannot be discussed without colonialist or western ideas.

What I feel

While watching, I felt underwhelmed by exactly what it is.

Why are “black” movies predominantly about struggle?

Either “we” are surviving the collective abuse of 19th-century transatlantic slavery, present, or living in economic squalor in the future.

Black people need a break! If it’s not those subject matters, then it’s some screwball comedy with still quite traumatic conditions surrounding it. Shouldn’t we be yearning for some wholesome stories? Not forced, but surely there have to be some real stories around that we can tap into.

I’m not even saying that we shouldn’t make mix of the “good, the bad, and the ugly,” subject matter-wise?

Just like there might be widespread superhero movie fatigue, I have fatigue immensely.

I want stories of black people going through challenges like every other person but not going through their circumstances because they are black.

These alternatives are real things for every community, including black Africa and the diaspora.

I also understand and am aware that negative stories also exist in larger percentages, They can and should be aspirational as well. stars Jamie Foxx as a music teacher (who happens to be a black man) at a high school

who gets a shot at his dream job, being a pianist in a jazz band of repute. His dilemma concerns accepting death in a bureaucratic afterlife construct.

The struggle in Soul is about following your dreams; there is no statement about his blackness and the struggles that may come with that. I think black people need more stories like these in addition to the usual.

Tenet, some Denzel Washington movies, etc.—but we need a lot more. Although it is possible for an anti-black researcher to criticise these examples for not wholly capturing the black experience.

My response is: Let’s start somewhere and continue to improve. We should live, grow, and analyse our

AWARDS

sale, with total profits going directly to the artist.

In 2023, the first two winners, Elijah Godfrey from the class of 2021 and Obinna Eze from the class of 2022, held the inaugural Garland exhibition titled “Garland 1 & 2” at the Obiora Udechukwu Gallery, University of Nigeria Nsukka. The exhibition catalogue, with a foreword by the head of Fine and Applied Arts Department, Dr. C.V. Okpara and an

Ikwuemesi and Ugonna Ibekwe, who also served as the exhibition curator, is available online. At the opening of the exhibition, most speakers emphasised the importance of Chukwuma’s contribution to nurturing the winners’ careers. The exhibition opened with a display of each artist’s 15 artworks on one side of the hall. Godfrey, a native of Utu-Ikot Ekpeyong village in the Ikot-Epene local government area of Akwa Ibom State, had his vibrant, semi-abstract paintings

collective culture.

By the way, this message is not exclusive to the black experience; any culture, race, or Summary

its message. Recent research and projections say, “Black people are more than three times as likely to experience homelessness than all other ethnicities combined,” according to a blackequityorg.com article.

This is the core of The Kitchen, but I recently learned that making “important” statements and character development.

portant statement. I rate it 4 out of 10 as a piece of commercial art. As a statement, well that’s another story.

immerse viewers in the natural world through bold colours and energetic mark-making. His canvases capture the intricate patterns of tree trunks, the radiance of sunflowers, and alluring female faces, both distorted and contemporary. Accessible and appealing, his work celebrates nature’s synergy with Emotion,” “Ecstasy,” “Faces,” and “The Odd” resonate universally through their exuberant beauty.

On the other wall, Eze, a native of the Uhunowerre Igbo-Eze South local government area of Enugu State, draws inspiration from Igbo artistic traditions, incorporating Uli and Nsibidi motifs. This heritage anchors his exploration of culture, spirituality, and folklore. Lyrical lines and colours poetically unveil Igbo wisdom across three series: “Nsuka,” “Asusu Obi,” and “Nwa Uli.” “Nsuka” honours Uli’s enduring aesthetic power. “Asusu Obi” promotes emotional growth through symbolic messaging. “Nwa Uli” ponders the journey from childhood to adulthood. Eze upholds the Nsukka philosophy through his art.

As the 2022–2023 academic session comes to a close in early April, a new generation of Garland winners will emerge, and Chukwuma is looking forward to hosting Garland 3 in May. He has expressed his motivation to continue the award and even expand it for a greater impact. The award also honours Nsukka’s art school’s rich creative heritage and serves as a significant bridge that launches the young award recipient’s career. It is important that more individuals and organisations support these promising painters and other talented students as they embark on their careers.

Ugonna Ibekwe

Adesegun Ade-Martins

A scene from the movie

A scene from the movie

SMS: 08066066268

IN THE ARENA

Another Constitution Review Jamboree?

As the 10th National Assembly gears up to amend the 1999 Constitution, there are concerns about repeating past failures marked by insignificant changes and wasted resources, potentially leaving public needs unaddressed, Wale Igbintade writes

Having constituted two committees to review the 1999 Constitution, the House of Representatives and Senate will any moment from now begin another process to amend the country’s statute book.

The committees had requested the general public and other stakeholders, including civil society organisations, professional bodies and other interest groups to submit a memorandum for further alterations of the constitution on some listed matters or “any other matter that will promote good governance and welfare of all persons in our country.”

Other areas it listed were the Nigerian Police and Nigerian security architecture, devolution of powers, judicial reforms, electoral reforms, socio-economic and cultural rights, strengthening the independence of oversight institutions, residency and indigeneship, immunity, National Assembly and state creation.

While the House of Representatives has 45 members in the committee, the Senate has 47 members. The two committees have the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin as chairman and Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, as co-chair.

Speaking at the pre-inaugural meeting held in Abuja recently, the House Committee on Constitution Review led by Kalu pledged to complete the task in December 2025.

Since the Fourth Republic, five attempts have been made by the successive federal lawmakers to alter the 1999 Constitution, which many believe was hastily cobbled together by the military as it hurriedly sought to return power to civilians in 1999. These attempts, which took place in 2003-2007, 2007- 2011, 2011- 2015, 2015-2019 and 2019 and 2023, ended largely as a waste of human and material resources as there were hardly significant amendments carried out to impact the lives of the people.

Besides a few alterations like some judicial reforms, age reduction, and movement of a few responsibilities of government like the railways from the exclusive to the recurrent list, the outcomes of the previous exercises were out of sync with the resources injected.

Since 2011, N1 billion was always voted annually in the national budgets for amendment or review of the 1999 Constitution.

For instance, between 2011 and 2015, the committees in the House of Representatives and

Ighodalo

the Senate reportedly spent a whopping sum of N7.75 billion of public funds in four years to purportedly review the 1999 Constitution, according to investigation. It was not clear how much was released for the same purpose between 2015 and 2019, and 2019 and 2023 under the Senate presidency of Bukola Saraki and Ahmad Lawan, respectively, which also engaged in the constitution amendment exercise.

Though the committees carried out their assignments, a lot of gaps were still left uncovered in the constitution. For instance, there are many recurring issues like local government autonomy, devolution of power, rotation of power at federal and state levels, autonomy for state Houses of Assembly, electronic voting, and state police, which were clamoured for by a majority of Nigerians during previous exercises, but were not included in the amended constitution.

Out of the 44 bills transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly during the 2019 and 2023 constitution amendment exercise, less than one-third of the states performed their roles in accordance with the constitution. One of its most prized constitutional amendments - the Electoral Act, 2022 - suffered major setbacks as the controversy on what the law says in the transmission of votes in real time to the Inde-

pendent National Electoral Commission’s viewing portal has led to intense calls for further amendments.

It is for this reason that Nigerians have continued to find holes in the 1999 Constitution. It was in acknowledgement of the growing attacks that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, stated recently that the 10th House will pursue constitutional reform “purposely, deliberately, and expeditiously.”

Amid the increasing wave of crime and banditry in the country occasioned by the failure of the Nigeria Police to maintain law and order, there have been nationwide calls for the establishment of state police for effective policing. The aim is to hire locals familiar with the environment, language and all the nuances of culture to help identify, fight crimes, and solve social problems. The relative success of the Civilian Joint Task Force in the North-east, Amotekun in the South-west and others evidently inspired the recent formation of community protection guards in Zamfara State.

As the former security chief, General Aliyu Gusau (rtd) clearly stated, Nigeria is too big and complex to be policed from Abuja, an assertion endorsed by the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s governors.

It is heartwarming that President Bola Tinubu and the governors met recently and agreed on the need to establish state police to combat insecurity more effectively. It is expected that the National Assembly will approve the creation of state police and also carry out other constitutional amendments that will impact positively on the people.

Constitutional amendment, from the experiences of many developed societies, is not embarked upon every year, the way it is done in Nigeria. For instance, the American Constitution, which went into effect 231 years ago, has been amended only 27 times since then. Ten of those amendments were done once, the Bill of Rights. The last time a US constitutional amendment was ratified in the United States was 28 years ago.

However, many analysts believe that most of Nigeria’s teething problems are not constitutional. They posited that the impunity and brazenness of the Nigerian leaders, changes to the constitution are very unlikely to improve governance. For instance, one of the analysts, Philip Akowe said: “Is it the constitution, for example, that is responsible for corruption, income disparities, wasteful projects, poor economic management, insecurity, lack of democracy in local governments, lapdog nature of state Houses of Assembly, ineffectual Auditor Generals, election malpractice and many other woes of Nigerian public life?”

Akowe concluded that instead of wasting money in travelling abroad to sight model constitutions, holding numerous committee meetings, flying from one part of the country to another for public hearings, and engaging in expensive secretariat work for the review, the National Assembly should identify specific issues that would need to be tackled, initiate private member or executive bills on them, conduct public hearings and carry out approved amendments, which according to him, is less expensive for the country.

He stated that the lawmakers are only interested in the huge money they make in the constitution amendment process than getting serious with the exercise.

He further called on the National Assembly to take another look at the many crucial bills gathering dust in their chambers and initiate the processes of representing them, if that would save Nigeria the cost of engaging in the leg-work for amending the sections of the constitution related to them.

POLITICAL NOTES Asue Ighodalo’s Politics Without Bitterness

In the competitive landscape of Nigerian politics, good sportsmanship is a trait that many politicians lack.Thisiswhythestatementissuedlastweekbythe governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, deserves commendation.

In the statement, Ighodalo set a positive tone for the campaigns that are due to begin shortly by demonstrating decorum. First, he extended congratulations to his major opponents in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Labour Party (LP), Olumide Akpata, for their emergence as governorship candidates of their respective parties for the upcoming elections in the state.

Known for his calm demeanour and integrity as a businessman, Ighodalo in what is as politics without

bitterness, urged both Okpebholo and Akpata to prioritise issue-based campaigns leading up to the September governorship election.

Reflecting on the 2023 general election, he highlighted the dangers of hatred and vitriol disguised as political slogans, warning against the lingering effectsofpastpoliticalfiresthatcontinuetosmoulder across the nation.

“I and my team will continue to campaign to the people of Edo State in the language and behaviour that seek to unite rather than divide,” he said.

“We will stay focused on the issues that matter to our people and there will be no descent into abuse, ethnic-baiting and name-calling.We must not destroy the unity of the state we seek to govern. I therefore, urge all my fellow candidates to similarly run respectful issue-based campaigns.”

Apart from his admonition, Ighodalo’s actions exemplified his refined leadership qualities, setting a standard for others to follow. It shows that ifelectedgovernorofEdoState,hisconductsuggests he would instill a similar level of grace and integrity in leadership.

Hisadmonitionresonateswiththesloganofformer President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014, emphasising that no political ambition is worth the sacrifice of the life of any Nigerian.

His remarks stand in stark contrast to the recent actionsoftheAPCNationalChairman,AbdullahiGanduje, who openly boasted about his party’s chances of winning the election in the state. Such statements fuel desperation, encourage thuggery, and sow the seeds of chaos, which is the opposite of what the state needs at this crucial time.

Jibrin

Kalu

Tinubu’s Bold Moves to Implement Oronsanye’s Report

After being criticised for running what many perceive as the most expensive cabinet at a period the citizens are being advised to tighten their belts and endure hardship, President Bola Tinubu has made audacious moves to drastically cut the costs of governance by approving the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, Ejiofor Alike reports

One of the major ironies or contradictions in the administration of President Bola Tinubu is that while he is running what analysts believe is a bloated cabinet structure with its attendant exorbitant costs, he is appealing to Nigerians to tighten their belts and endure hardship.

Tinubu had in August 2023 set the record for the highest number of ministers in the Fourth Republic with 48, amid concerns around the high cost of governance.

The president’s ministers topped the 42 appointed by his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in 2019 by five additional ministers.

Buhari had named 36 ministers in his first term, while the number increased to 42 during his second term.

At the beginning of his first term in 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan had appointed 33 ministers for his cabinet, including the nine he inherited from the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration.

On his part, Yar’Adua named a 39-member cabinet of 32 men and seven women in 2007.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had initially appointed 42 ministers in 1999 but later reduced the number of ministries and ministers to 27 and 40, respectively, before he left office in 2007.

But despite the clamour for the federal government to reduce the cost of governance in view of the present economic hardship, Tinubu surpassed Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari, and named 48 ministers, setting a new record since 1999.

While many believe that Tinubu increased the number of ministers to create jobs for his loyalists, the president had justified his cabinet of 48 ministers, saying the number reflected the diversity of roles required to run an efficient government.

“If you combine too many ministries because you want to save money, you will have a future of non-performance and no results,” Tinubu said when he received a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its President, Daniel Okoh, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Tinubu had stated that he acknowledged criticisms over his heavily-staffed cabinet.

He, however, insisted that merging portfolios would only heap some officials with more burdens than they can bear.

Justifying his bloated cabinet structure, he said: “I have had a number of criticisms, including the rationale behind the size of my cabinet. If you want efficient, mobile, and resourceful people, we have to give people a load they can carry.

“If you combine too many ministries because

you want to save money, you will have a future of non-performance and no results,” Tinubu reportedly explained.

Though he later approved “cost-cutting” measures that involved slashing, by 60 per cent, official entourage on local and international travels, many argue that his long convoys and the extravagant lifestyles of the members of the National Assembly and other political appointees do not reflect the present economic realities.

Nigerians had condemned the inclusion of Tinubu’s sons – Seyi and Yinka – among the delegation that travelled with the president on a state visit to Doha, Qatar, describing it as another evidence of profligacy in the running of his administration.

But reacting to the backlash from Nigerians, the Senior Special Assistant on Digital/New Media to the President, O’Tega Ogra argued that children of world leaders accompany their parents for such visits, insisting that the Obamas, Clintons and others took their children on such trips.

Many have however reminded the presidential aide that the robust economy of the United States can sustain such trips, unlike Nigeria’s ailing economy,

which is characterised by hunger, poverty and mass protests over hardship.

However, in what many believe is an audacious move to calm rising tempers and reassure the citizens that Tinubu’s administration is also in belt-tightening mode, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the implementation of the Oronsaye Report.

The Oronsaye report prepared by a committee headed by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, principally recommended strategies for cutting down the cost of governance.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while briefing reporters at the end of a recent FEC meeting at the State House, Abuja, said the adoption of the report, which was submitted to federal government in 2012, meant that some agencies, commissions, and departments of government would be scrapped or merged, while some would be moved to new ministries for better performance.

Equally briefing journalists, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajia Hadiza

NOTES FOR FILE

Bala Usman, said Tinubu had set up a committee headed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to ensure that the approved mergers were concluded within 12 weeks.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration took the bold step to prepare the laudable report as part of his reform agenda but demonstrated the lack of political will to implement the report.

Oronsaye’s committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, was set up by Jonathan in 2011, and its report submitted on April 16, 2012.

A White Paper was issued on the committee report in March 2014, followed by an implementation committee that was inaugurated in May 2014.

However, the White Paper rejected most of the recommendations. But even the accepted recommendations were also not implemented.

As Idris had noted during the press briefing: “Now, a paper was turned in in 2012, but the implementation got stalled. Again, in 2021, almost seven years after that, the former President Muhammadu Buhari also initiated a process to consider the 2014 white paper on the Oronsaye Report. Again, the implementation of that also got stalled.”

The implementation of the report would have ensured the scrapping and merging of 220 out of the existing 541 government agencies at the time the report was prepared.

Tinubu’s bold step to implement the report will be his administration’s most audacious and laudable step to reduce the cost of governance.

In order to ensure that the implementation of the report would not inflict further hardship on the people, Idris had allayed fear of mass retrenchment in the implementation of the report.

The minister gave the assurance last Wednesday at the fourth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Series.

He said the government had no intention of retrenching workers or throwing people into the labour market but to reduce cost and also improve efficiency in service delivery.

Idris said the implementation of the report was a clear demonstration of President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to fiscal prudence and responsible governance by championing a comprehensive review of the government ‘s commissions, agencies, and parastatals.

It is expected that Tinubu’s administration will walk the talk by also reviewing downwards the budgets meant for the personal comfort of the president, federal lawmakers and other political office holders to reflect the current economic realities.

Akpabio’s Unending Garrulity

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, last week retracted his statement that the federal government gave state governors N30 billion each to address the food crisis in their various states. His statement, made penultimate week, raised questions among the populace as to how efficiently the governors planned to utilise the funds.However, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, countered the Senate president’s statement, saying it was erroneous. The governor, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said that as a stakeholder and vice-chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, he could not keep quiet in the face of such falsehood.

spokesman Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio took back his statement, saying that he was only urging state governments to collaborate with the federal government. He urged the governors not to be distracted by any misunderstanding of the context and true meaning of the statement. It has since come to the fore that even the N5 billion the federal government promised to give the state governors to alleviate the suffering of the people, only N2 billion has so far been released. This is why Akpabio needed to be circumspect.

Since he became Senate president, he has been reckless with remarks and comments. The retraction of his comments about the governors is a case in Akpabio

But in a statement last Monday by his

point. Senators are supposed to be distinguished in their utterances and conducts. This has not been the case with Akpabio who is fond of indulging himself in beer parlour talks.

Recently, Akpabio had equally courted controversy when he recklessly said the allegations against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele are so numerous that the federal government does not know which charges to pin on him. He went ahead to blame the economic hardship in the country on the policies of the former CBN governor. This comment has earned him a libel suit.

The office and position of the Senate president is so exalted that Akpabio does not need to always subject it to frequent public ridicule. He needs to always be circumspect and ensures that he avoids controversies. He should verify his facts before making public comments

Tinubu

As House’s Rejection of Two Critical Bills Raises Concerns

The rejection of two critical bills, widely viewed by many Nigerians as pivotal for elevating the country’s leadership standards, by the House of Representatives sparks debate over the sincerity of the federal lawmakers in Nigerians’ quest for good governance, Juliet Akoje writes

Recently, the House of Representatives rejected two critical bills that could have improved the quality of governance by raising the bar for political office seekers amid hostile opposition from a majority of the lawmakers.

First was the bill, which sought to raise the academic qualifications for the positions of president, governor, and National Assembly members to a minimum of a bachelor’s degree level, while the second was a bill that sought to make it mandatory for presidential and governorship candidates to secure more than 50 per cent of the total votes cast, to be declared winners in an election.

Many Nigerians have considered it ridiculous that while corporate organisations in their vacancy announcements demand that applicants should have a minimum of university and polytechnic education, the minimum requirement for those in the echelon of the country’s leadership positions such as the presidency, governorship and lawmaking is a proof of secondary school certificate or its equivalent.

The bill, sponsored by Oriyomi Onanuga (APC, Ogun), sought to amend sections 65, 106, 131, and 171 of the 1999 Constitution, which basically state that a person for the positions of president, governor and National Assembly members must be qualified for election into the aforementioned elective offices if he/she “has been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.”

Before the bill was brought before the House, many Nigerians had expressed support for the review of the minimum educational qualifications for persons aspiring to hold political offices in order to improve the level of governance in Nigeria.

Indeed, academic qualification should matter more for those aspiring to occupy political offices, given that it is the political leadership that formulates programmes and policies that drive development and also provide direction for the corporate environment.

Though many analysts have argued that possessing higher educational qualifications does not guarantee good governance and leadership,

insisting that character and integrity remain paramount, others believe that people of great intellect will make better leaders than others who are half-baked educationally.

Those who spoke to THISDAY feel that it is completely preposterous for Nigeria to have over 200 universities and over 150 polytechnics only to have the school certificate as the minimum educational requirement for public officeholders.

They maintained that if higher educational qualification is needed to employ an individual who would take up a particular responsibility in a given organisation, then a double of such qualification should be recommended for those that will be saddled with the responsibility of administering the states and the country.

It was perhaps against this background that Onanuga sought to raise the qualification to at least a “university degree level or its equivalent”.

Leading the discussion on the bill, she said the bill would raise the education qualifications to contest elections in Nigeria to a minimum of a university degree and its equivalent. She urged her colleagues to support the bill, noting that the action was long overdue.

Also speaking in favour of the bill, the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), said the constitution must conform with the current realities in the country.

“What we are discussing is whether elected officials should have wisdom and knowledge. Are you telling me that a school certificate holder in 1960 is the same thing as today? In the past, primary school students were drafted to be teachers. Can a primary school holder get a job in private establishments? We must say that education is important. We should do the proper thing,” he said.

Several other lawmakers also spoke in support of the bill. However, it was not sufficient to convince those opposed to the bill.

For instance, speaking against the bill, Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano), said the bill could create an elitist society where only a group of people is allowed to participate in politics.

He added that the bill would not affect him or his children, but insisted that laws should be made in the interest of the greater majority.

“Your leadership quality is not determined by education. I have three grown-up children; they are all in universities. What we are trying to do is about all Nigerians. The level of education is not in the constitutions of some states. In the case of INEC, what we saw the professors do is terrible.

“As a person, I hold an MBA, but it is not about the individual. It is about the collective. I believe we should allow that section of the constitution to stay,” he said.

Other lawmakers also spoke against the bill, citing exclusion as the reason for their positions against the bill. Some of the lawmakers who spoke against the bill include Kabir Maipalace (PDP, Zamfara), Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno), Bello Kumo (APC, Gombe), and others.

At the end of the debate, the bill was shut down.

The irony is that while employment into Level 8 and above in the civil service is pegged at bachelor’s degrees and above, those of the presidents, vice presidents, governors, deputy governors and even lawmakers are left at school certificate otherwise called WASC and its equivalent (NECO).

In the same vein, a lawmaker’s proposal to amend sections 134 and 179 of the Constitution, mandating presidential and governorship candidates to secure over 50 per cent of total votes to win, was vehemently rejected by colleagues.

As it is currently operational, in the case of a presidential candidate, they are only deemed elected after securing the “highest number of votes cast at the election; and they have not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja,” as stated in section 134 of the constitution.

Similarly, a governorship candidate must secure the highest number of votes cast at the election and have not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.

In the February 25, 2023 presidential election, President Bola Tinubu scored 37 per cent of the vote count to defeat his main rival Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 29 per cent, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi who got 25 per cent.

The bill aimed to prevent the scenario that played out during the last presidential election, where Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged as the winner without securing the majority of the total votes cast. He had a simple majority having polled 8.79 million of the total votes.

Over 90 million voters registered to vote in the 2023 presidential election out of which only 88 million collected the Permanent Voters Cards. Of this figure, only 25.2 million voted in the February 25 election.

It was against this background that Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers), sponsored the bill aimed to amend the 1999 Constitution by removing the simple majority rule for presidential and governorship candidates.

Abiante’s proposal sought to change the simple majority rule to a majority. In other words, when there are more than two candidates in the race, the winner must secure more than 50 per cent of the total votes cast.

However, the lawmakers did not allow Abiante to lead the debate on the bill. When the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, put the question for the bill to be considered for a second reading, the “nays” were louder than the “ayes.”

Shocked by the development, the Speaker repeated the voice votes, and the voices of those opposed to the bill were louder. Consequently, Tajudeen ruled in favour of those who wanted the motion thrown out.

Many Nigerians are disappointed that even during the process of constitutional amendments, the federal lawmakers do not always want any serious and impactful amendment that would disrupt the status quo, fuelling concerns over their sincerity in the quest for good governance and genuine democracy.

House during plenary

House Summons Binance Boss over Alleged Terrorism Financing

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes has summoned the Chief Executive of Binance Holding Limited, Richard Teng, over alleged terrorism financing and money laundering.

The Chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the management of Binance Holdings Limited., to appear before the committee on or before March 4, 2024.

Binance, an online exchange

where users trade cryptocurrencies, has been flagged by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to have been involved in money laundering, among other alleged infractions.

Onwusibe, however, warned that the committee will be forced to invoke the constitutional powers vested in the committee to take appropriate measures if Binance Holdings fails to heed the summons.

He decried Teng’s refusal to appear after a series of invitations to brief the committee relating to the total disregard for

Lukman: Tinubu Managing Govt Affairs Like a Military Dictator

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A former member of the ruling

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of managing the government affairs like a military dictator by allegedly shutting down the structures of the party and acting like a king with absolute knowledge of solutions to the problems facing Nigerians.

Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman (North-west) of the APC, said the current security and socio-economic challenges bedeviling the country are a threat to Tinubu’s second term, and capable of closing the party’s “shop” in 2027 if not quickly addressed.

The APC chieftain in a statement yesterday argued that the level of poverty, insecurity, hunger, and high cost of goods and services in the country showed that APC and its leaders had shortchanged Nigerians.

He said both former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Tinubu had rubbished the essence of the merger in 2013, and the APC manifesto by inflicting pains on Nigerians.

“What Nigerians are having today wasn’t what was promised at all. The most disturbing reality is that the current economic hardship was produced during the first term of President Asiwaju Tinubu, with no end in sight. Does it then mean that President Asiwaju Tinubu is not interested in the second term? Certainly not.

“If he is interested in the second term, why is he managing affairs of government like a military dictator, shutting down the structures of the party, and talking down to citizens like a philosopher king who has absolute knowledge of what will produce possible happiness for citizens?

“Unless the objective is to secure a second term by other means and not votes of the electorate, there can not be any logical reasoning. Could that be the reason for the newfound love of some identified political mercenaries who were strongly opposed to the election of President Asiwaju Tinubu? How successful could they be?

“If military governments with all their recruited mercenaries could fail to guarantee their survival how could anyone imagine that mercenaries could win a second term for President Asiwaju?” He queried.

extant laws governing business and financial operations in the country.

The committee had summoned the Managing Director of Binance, in a letter dated December 12, 2023, and signed by its chairman, Onwusibe requesting a hearing on December 18, 2023.

Onwusibe, while restating the resolve of the committee to fight

financial crimes, maintained that “the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has empowered us to protect Nigerians from financial crimes, especially by foreign companies.

“We also have to protect and defend the country’s finances, especially now that the country is nose-diving into recession. The allegations of terrorism financing, money laundering,

and tax evasion, among others, leveled against Binance are damning enough.

“At this material time, we need all the tax dollars to block the leaks and channels to finance terror.”

He added, “It is also our duty to do everything in our power to protect Nigerian investors from predatory firms, and no distraction and manipulation

can stop us.

“You cannot run a company with over 10 million Nigerians on your platform without paying tax and having a physical office where Nigerians can lodge their complaints when they experience any challenge with your service. The era of exploitation is over and all culprits must be held accountable,” he said.

Customs will Expedite Implementation of Electronic Cargo Tracking System, Says CG

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it is expediting the implementation of its Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS) to enhance its operations. Its Comptroller-General, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, made this known via a statement by Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS National Public Relations Officer, yesterday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the

ECTS is a web-based solution used to provide real-time monitoring of transit cargo under customs control.

Adeniyi said that Information Communication Technology (ICT), would be used to harness the requisite internal resources to speed up the execution.

“It is imperative that we modernise every facet of the Customs Enforcement Ecosystem. We must also

integrate technology to fortify our operations,” he said.

He reiterated the commitment of NCS to leveraging technology to streamline its operation and emphasised the importance of engaging stakeholders to ensure the seamless execution of the project.

“In 2024, we cannot afford to remain entrenched in outdated practices. Stakeholders are demanding a Customs Service

that embraces technology to enhance efficiency and transparency,” he said.

NAN reports that the NCS recently organised a two-day ICT- Modernization Management Retreat in Abuja aimed at digitising customs operations.

The digitisation would be facilitated through the Trade Modernisation Project of the service, designed to enhance its trade facilitation operations.

Techno Oil Wins 2024 NIES Energy Downstream Recognition Award

Ejiofor Alike

Techno Oil Group has clinched the 2024 Energy Downstream Recognition Award at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), the latest honour for the company in its pioneering strides in Nigeria’s energy sector.

The company has won a string of awards since 1998 when it opened shop in Nigeria’s crowded downstream sector.

Receiving the award on behalf of the company, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Techno Oil, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, described the latest award as delightful and a great honour

for the company.

“We are extremely honoured and humbled to receive the 2024 NIES Energy Downstream Recognition Award.

“Nothing compares with the joy of working so hard and being recognized with an award,” Obi told reporters on the sidelines of the award ceremony at Abuja’s Presidential Villa, Nigeria’s seat of power.

The NIES Energy Downstream Recognition Award is given annually in recognition of excellence among captains of industry and companies that have made extra-ordinary impact in the downstream of the energy industry.

“We are grateful to the

Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the brains behind the award, especially Mr. Brevity Anderson for the recognition of our role in the industry,” she said.

Obi, who is fondly called Madam Cooking Gas, for her pioneering role in championing clean cooking through the promotion of Liquefied Petrol Gas (LPG), better known as cooking gas, said she dedicated the award to the management and staff of the company for their professionalism, tenacity, hard work and loyalty, which are the virtues that make the company to shine from year to year. She recalled the humble beginning of the company, selling and marketing ESSO

brand of lubricants as exclusive franchise holder in 1988 growing and growing steadily into a formidable firm.

According to her, Techno Oil has made a giant leap by setting up a 10,000 Metric Tonnes Lubricant Blending and Manufacturing Plant with state-of-the-art Quality Assurance Laboratory for its own brand of ISO-certified lubricants.

Obi said that the group is now an integrated, wholly indigenous company with diverse portfolios of prime investments in oil and gas, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing focusing on positioning itself as Nigeria’s leading service provider in the energy sector.

L-R: Partner/Co-founder Consulting, AO and FA Consulting, Mr. Olawale Abiola; Factory Controller, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Agbara, Mr. Daniel Ogah; Partner/Co-founder, AO and FA Consulting, Mr.Tayo Folorunsho; Plant Manager, Nestle, Agbara, Mr. Olayinka Ojerinde; and Chief Financial Officer, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Mr. Edward Dunkwu, at the Inventory and Stock Management training organised by AO and FA Consulting for Nestle Nigeria, in Agbara, Ogun State…recently

Osoba Paved Way for My Emergence to Become Traditional Ruler of Egbaland, Says Oba Gbadebo

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has disclosed that the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, was the brain behind his (Gbadebo) choice in becoming the traditional ruler of the ancient town.

Gbadebo disclosed this at the weekend while speaking at the Adire Hall, located in Ake palace, venue of the special award and luncheon which was part of

activities to mark the annual Lisabi Festival.

The monarch going memory lane and in appreciation of Osoba’s role towards his emergence, recalled that it was the former governor who was the first person to put a telephone call across to inform him (Gbadebo) to start preparing for the royal stand after the passage of Oba Oyebade Lipede.

Gbadebo said following the involvement of Osoba, and for his (Osoba) genuine zeal and love

towards him, he was spurred and hence, decided to show interest and commitment in attaining the royal seat of his forefathers.

“I want to appreciate the role of Akinrogun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who was the first person to call me to prepare for the throne after the passage of Oba Oyebade Lipede. He called to congratulate me and tell me to start preparing for the stool. I now said am ready to take

The national leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG has condemned, in strong terms, the torture, inhuman, and degrading treatment meted out to two of its members in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Sunday, February 25, 2024, by overzealous men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

In a statement, PTD National Chairman, Comrade Lucky Osesua, his deputy Comrade Dayyabu Garga, and the National Secretary, Comrade Humble Obinna Power on Friday, called on the Federal Government, National Assembly, security authorities, particularly the Commandant, Imo State Command of the NSCDC, Police, Department of State Security (DSS), and the state government, to urgently look into the situation and help to guarantee the safety and protection of its members on wheels even as they seek justice.

Gilbert Ekugbe

FATE Foundation has announced its partnership with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank to address access to finance challenges impeding the growth of young entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

Both organisations at a Capital Unleashed Roundtable event held in Lagos, said the move represents a significant milestone in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria especially in today’s rapidly evolving world, where young entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovation, economic growth, and sustainable development.

The Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi, said the objective of the event is to initiate and develop ideas for new financial products that can bridge the early-stage financing gap, ranging between 50,000 and 250,000 Euros, maintaining that the initiative comes as a follow-up to the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (providing finance up to 50,000 euros) and finance provided via FMO subsidiaries (starting from 250,000 euros), both Dutch initiatives in Nigeria.

He stated that together with stakeholders from the startup ecosystem they touch on policy

The affected truck carries the number plate AXB 605ZH.

It also added that PTD as a law-abiding trade union was fully in support of a clampdown on criminal elements who had developed a penchant for illegal oil bunkering and other unlawful activities that promote economic sabotage in the country.

PTD however noted that incessant harassment and bullying of its members would no longer be tolerated, adding that their members had suffered one harassment too many in the hands of several state and nonstate actors and that the menace should forthwith be stopped in the interest of industrial peace, harmony and tranquility.

The oil workers’ body, in the statement, also expressed heartfelt sympathy to the affected victims, while also assuring them of the preservation of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the laws of Nigeria.

and regulatory reforms and design of innovative financing products, to explore collaborative solutions to address access to finance challenges.

Adeyemi pointed out that despite the vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, many startups struggle to secure the necessary funding to scale their ventures beyond the initial stages.

“Although Nigeria is the most popular investment destination on the continent, access to finance remains a significant barrier for many budding entrepreneurs –particularly in the pre-commercial phase. This lack of growth capital impedes economic growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation across various sectors,” Adeyemi noted.

The event builds upon the success of the Orange Corners incubation and acceleration programme and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund, implemented in Nigeria since 2019 and 2021, respectively.

Till date, Orange Corners has supported the development of nearly 200 youth-led enterprises, supporting the creation of around 500 jobs in Nigeria.

However, there is a recognised need for continued support beyond the initial stages of business development.

the heritage of my forefathers”, he explained.

The monarch added that he is pleased that unity and cooperation are much among the traditional rulers in Egbaland and beyond, and specifically appreciated Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Matemilola for equally injecting love among the traditional rulers through his conduct. The first-class traditional ruler

on the awards bestowed on some Egba indigenes stated that the award was necessary to show appreciation to the awardees given their contributions to the growth of Egbaland, assuring that it is going to be a continuous exercise.

The soldier-turned-royal father pointed out that in the history of Egbaland, he was the first traditional ruler to maintain one wife, and recalled that even his

late father who was a traditional ruler in the ancient town paraded ten wives.

The monarch appreciated his wife for tolerating him even after over five decades of marriage, pointing out that this is even despite his profession as a soldier, businessman, and traditional ruler, stressing that he would continue to ensure that peace does not lack in his domain.

ANOTHER HONOUR FOR ‘MADAM COOKING GAS’…

The Secretary-General of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al-Ghais (left), and the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer ofTechno Oil Limited, Mrs. Nkechi Obi, when Obi received the ‘2024 Energy Downstream Recognition Award’ on behalf of her company for its pioneering strides in Nigeria’s energy sector, at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), held in Abuja…recently

Boasting

ALAT

ALATPay

owners. Wema NQR provides “scan-to-pay” options for faster contactless payments via QR Code.

The Wema POS Machine allows businesses receive card, transfer and alternative point-of-sale payments without hassles. While MyBusinessCard, is a Business Card that offers business owners priority service in Branches, increased transaction limits,

supplementary cards like Virtual Cards, discounted offers on Ads, HR solutions and so much more.

According to Ayodele Olojede, Wema Bank’s Divisional Head, Retail and SME, this unique suite of solutions presents a unique opportunity to engender and accelerate digital and MSME empowerment in Nigeria.

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“Seamless and efficient processes are a non-negotiable requisite for achieving and sustaining true business success and with these relaunched solutions, I encourage all business owners to visit www.wemabank.com/sme/ collections-and-payment to access and onboard on the full suite of solutions”, She concluded.

Distinguished for its indispensable role in strengthening the MSME sector, Wema Bank consistently provides essential financial solutions, material and intellectual resources that empower businesses for optimum operational efficiency, growth, and success.

Qore Mobility, Sterling Bank’s electric mobility initiative focused on accelerating the adoption of cleaner, safer, more sustainable transportation, is set to fulfil the delivery of 120 electric tricycles to female riders in Kano state, commencing in the first quarter of 2024. This strategic move not only underscores Qore Mobility’s dedication to inclusivity and sustainability but also signifies a major step toward reshaping the future of transportation.

In 2023, Qore Mobility made headlines by launching Nigeria’s inaugural publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the Sterling Bank branch in Victoria Island, Lagos; in a bold step aimed at stimulating conversations and actions toward electrifying urban transportation, and making sustainable travel more accessible.

Building on this success, the group joined forces with LINKS, a Commonwealth program funded by UK AID, and the National Automotive Design and Development Council, in a collaborative effort to harness opportunities that foster profitable ventures, job creation, and gender inclusion in Northern Nigeria.

Backed by The Alternative Bank – a leading financial institution of ethical banking - Qore Mobility is partnering with the esteemed gender-based Mata Zalla and Yar Baiwa Cooperative

Societies, providing the essential financing for these electric tricycles. This initiative aligns seamlessly with the strategic community development interests of both cooperative societies to foster financial independence and communal contributions among Northern women.

Not only does this decision align with the goals of the Cooperatives, but it also promises to influence Nigeria’s energy transition policy, potentially paving the way for a future where electric motors replace traditional engines, carbon emissions are reduced, and the cost of mobility becomes more affordable for the average Nigerian.

At a critical moment in history where Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have taken centre stage, Qore Mobility’s initiative catalyses gender parity and emphasizes the crucial role of women in the narrative of economic growth and development.

The group has unveiled its short-term plans, intending to bring in all relevant production factors by Q1 2024. It also plans to install battery-swapping infrastructure within the Kano metropolis, as well as a base at the Mata Zalla office to provide support services for these electric tricycles. This commitment to creating lasting and sustainable equity through strategic partnerships, coupled with its vision to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, forms the bedrock of Qore Mobility’s objectives.

Tinubu and the Scarcity of Optimism

In more sensible places, President Tinubu’s job approval rating is so woeful that he should have been job hunting by now. In the United Kingdom, the opposition would have called for snap elections to test his popularity and probably throw him out of 10 Downing. In the United States, his party faithful would have been so embarrassed as to defect to the other side of the aisle with their votes. An engineered congressional revolt would either make him sit up or show him the exit door through an impeachment process. These consequences are very remote in Nigeria’s brand of democracy because we are Nigerians.

In a classic twist of irony and mass mockery, this presidency is riding on a political slogan –“Renewed Hope”- that literally laughs at the people and deprecates its very authors and vendors. Yet the mockery of that slogan lies at the very heart of our experience now. At a time when an administration is supposed to be renewing our hope in the future, we are experiencing the most drastic erosion of the basis of all hope. At a time when a government is supposed to be renewing our hope in government, the machinery of government has been turned into a cult of deceit. At a time when the political class is supposed to be reinforcing our hope in the nation, the very foundations of our nationhood are being eroded by a combination of incompetence and self delusion. As a result, optimism, the very intangible glue that holds nations together with each democratic transition is in dire scarcity among most Nigerians. Show me a collection of Nigerians at home or abroad, in the city or in villages and the shortage of optimism becomes the standard greeting. It is a series of rhetorical questions thrown by everybody at everybody: Where are we going? Where is this country headed?What is the agenda of this administration? What will happen to us? So, what next?

Among Nigerians of nearly every class, tongue or faith, it would be a hard search to find too many people who are still optimistic about anything, both about the prospects this government, their own personal lives or those of their businesses or indeed the very future of the country. The youth are either petrified or are fleeing in droves to other lands. The elderly look back at better earlier days and sometimes break down in tears about promises broken, good times gone by and a sweetness turned into bitter bile. Paradise in peril! Traditional rulers have turned into prophets of doom or professional counselors on the dangers of allowing the population of the poor to overwhelm those who can still find the next meal. The other day, the Chief of Defense Staff had cause to caution fellow Nigerians against the growing habit of raining curses at our fatherland. When people are hungry, frustrated and angry, they can curse even their parents and even mouth abominable heresy!

On the sad faces of their parents, even our children confront the bleakness of the present and are speechless when it comes to asking about the future. There is hardly anyone left to run to for reassurance. Irrespective of their position and the direction of their prayer compass, our clergy are getting tired of urging patience and perseverance among their faithful. A nation of inconsolable pessimists.That describesTinubu’s Nigeria at the moment.

But democracy feeds on optimism. When a democratic outcome dims the prospects of optimism and blurs the horizon of hope, democracy itself becomes bedeviled and imperiled. When elections approach, the electorate is fed on one key diet by campaigning politicians: optimism and hope in a better future. People are told that the coming election is an opportunity to replace declining hope with a new optimism. Incumbency retreats, satisfied that it has done its best. Aspirants mount the rostrum to preach grounds for new optimism. It is optimism about the nation and about the prospective leadership of the nation. The campaign mobs echo the anthem of optimism and the democracy wagon rolls on. In the dying days of the Buhari administration, the campaigns were fed by an unusual hunger for renewal and perhaps some optimism for a reprieve from the Buhari heist. Anything would be better than Buhari. After eight years of Mr. Buhari’s virtual locust invasion in the name of governance, people expected and fervently hoped that whatever replaced the clueless

Tinubu

Daura general would be better.

No one dreamt of higher poverty figures. No one expected a rudderless economic environment. No one expected a higher rate of insecurity. No one expected the continuation of an economy bedeviled by debts and lacking enlightened management. Indeed, no one expected a nation literally overrun by enpowered killer herdsmen of doubtful nationality. Worse still, no one expected a totally indifferent national leadership inured to all feeling and compassion for the sufferings of the people. Of all things, no one expected that in our life time, so many Nigerians will become hungry and very angry as to die on queues for rice!

A prevalent note of some optimism pervaded the 2023 presidential campaigns. People looked at the three major political gladiators and concluded that even the worst of the bunch would be better than the incompetent Buhari. The mood of the electorate was to guide Mr. Buhari out of the China shop and hopefully fix the broken parts after his untidy exit.

Democratic succession is a ceremony of optimism. People hail the winner and minimally hope that a better leadership will inspire confidence in a better government and a better nation.

Afterall, Tinubu had run a tolerably progressive and effective government as Lagos state governor. He had improved revenue collection, patched the worst roads, summoned the courage to confront and reduce Lagos’ refuse heaps and generally deployed propaganda to market his efforts. His administration fed on a large diet of populist propaganda sustained by the political loyalty of ancient lineages and cells of vicious thugs and urban cult squads.

Even if Mr. Atiku became the winner, there was something to refer back to. Mr. Atiku Abubakar had mostly one asset in his resume: he had been the deputy to the bullish Obasanjo who ran a tolerably enlightened federal government. Obasanjo had drastically reduced our nation debts internal and external, reformed the banking system, introduced a modern payment system and digitalized telecommunications. He had fired up the optimism of Nigerians and their faith in the future of the nation because individuals could make some money for themselves. A man who had been in the room where these decisions were taken deserved a second look and a chance to try his hands at the wheels. That was Atiku’s flag and appeal.

Mr. Peter Obi of the fledgling Labour Party came in from a cold anonymity. An Onitsha Market trader who had been a successful two term governor of Anambra state, Obi came with a decent moral pedigree that is rare in Nigeria’s brackish political culture. A strange new kid on the political block, his appeal to the youth to ‘take back your country’ resonated with Nigeria’s bulging youth population. Obi reached out to

is even more copious than what he has done. And yet, the nation seems stuck in a swamp, neither making progress nor retreating to past safer shores. Even worse, Tinubu’s job approval rating seems constantly in the red. A shrinking percentage of Nigerians appreciates his exertions.

None can deny that Tinubu has taken some positive actions and indicated positive directions. He plans a students loans scheme to assist indigent university students. He has dished out money to state governments to buy and distribute rice palliatives to hungry and poor Nigerians. He has called state governors to support the setting up of state police formations to help tackle insecurity. He has found money to reduce the Central Bank’s foreign exchange exposures to foreign airlines and the banks. He has unleashed EFCC, police, army and DSS goons to chase after Bureau de Change operators in the streets of Abuja and other major centres as if to physically chase down the rampaging exchange rate with little effect. He has suspended an errant thieving minister, sacked and began prosecuting a former Central Bank governor and sent sniffer dogs after other major thieves. The main bastion of corruption, the NNPCL, remains largely untouched and hardly even mentioned. He has approved the construction of some major highways and rehabilitation of others.

the youth and urban poor with a trenchant new message. On election day, the nation showed they had heard him and his results upset the apple cart of national ‘politics as usual’. The echoes are still reverberating.

Then the system anointed Mr.Tinubu. Irrespective of the divergence of popular opinion that greeted BolaTinubu’s emergence as President of Nigeria, the minimum irreducible expectation by February last year was that come May 29th, we would herald a new more hopeful Nigeria since nothing in anyone’s imagination contemplated a worse nightmare than the Buhari interregnum. No one could fairly deny Nigerians their democratic entitlement to optimism then.

From the entrance gate of power at Eagle Square, the man set out to inaugurate key policy measures aimed ostensibly at reversing the toxic trends of his clueless predecessor. But ironically, each bold policy move by Mr.Tinubu has produced the direct opposite of its intended objective. He has taken off a troublesome petroleum subsidy and inaugurated sporadic fuel scarcity and unaffordable gasoline pump prices. He has unified the Naira exchange rate and driven the Naira to its lowest exchange rate since it was introduced on 1st January ,1973. He has initiated a food security initiative but hunger has emerged as a national security threat of epidemic proportions for the first time in our national history.

The virus is not in the very policies themselves. It is instead in the methodology and embarrassing lack of method in the man’s policy madness. Key policies were announced ahead of the setting up of a functional government. Major initiatives have been announced and bandied ever before any systematic thought was given to their consequences by any group of enlightened minds.Apresidentthatsetoutasaswashbuckling conquistador had no horsemen to back up his charge.

He announced his signal reforms ever before he chose a cabinet. And when the cabinet came into place, it was an over bloated rough and tumble assemblyof(48?),aninchoateassemblageofodd men and anonymous women most of them with neither background, tested skills nor pedigree. A cabinet of political debt collectors was the first let down of the Tinubu government for a nation full of optimistic expectations.

Tragically, Mr. Tinubu has allowed the impression to grow in the streets that he is less than competent and prepared for the office of President. Contrary to this growing street perception, however, President Tinubu has been quite busy.The man has been working for Nigeria at least in his estimation and those of his devotees and acolytes. In all fairness, he has periodically unleashed a hailstorm of uncoordinated policies, actions and responses in all directions to qualify as a busy chief executive. The uncoordinated things he has said about our national problems

In this avalanche of executive actions, there is clear evidence of a president who wants to work for the nation. And Tinubu likes to be praised and appreciated. But that accolade is not quite as readily forthcoming as he would have liked. Lagos is a small constituency and his impact then could be felt and seen at a glance. Nigeria is a diverse behemoth with large problems and elephantine appetites and expectations. Mr. Tinubu’s efforts may not meet the desires of the Nigerian public square. No one can say also thatTinubu has shown the mental grasp of the Nigerian situation that the office of president requires. His solutions are too eclectic and peripheral. His choice of key personnel is too pedestrian and xenophobic. Outside his Yoruba home base, Mr.Tinubu seems to be devoid of friends of substance outside the charmed circle of political merchants. In these respects, he compares rather miserably with either an M.K.O Abiola or an Olusegun Obasanjo.

Worsening social and economic conditions have shreddedTinubu’s best efforts so far. People are very hungry and angry too. Most are watching themselves slide into unbudgeted poverty. The miserable semblance of a middle class that used to decorate our urban landscape has vastly evaporated. People who used to drive cars now commute to work in buses. The well heeled who used to own multiple cars as a show of their affluence, have shrunk to one or two functional fuel -efficient boxes. A crushing exchange rate has forced people with children studying abroad to begin bringing them home in trickles. Holiday schedules are being watered down.

With these problems ravaging the nation, Mr. Tinubu is unlikely to find enough cheer leaders at the ringside. And somehow, the national epidemic of hunger and hardship is beginning to eat away his solid Yoruba South West support base. If that persists and grows, he may have difficulty aspiring to a second term in office. More consequentially, the Northern mob support that helped him on to power is badly hit by the present hunger and hardship epidemic. They are not likely to chant “Sai Baba” at his future rallies unless he can find food for the hungry and cash for the impoverished and more pork for their politicians.

It ought to worry Mr. Tinubu and his handlers that in spite of his best exertions, the critical mass of the Nigerian nation is yet to either fall in love with him or see him as a symbol of hope and national cohesiveness. He is still seen by the social media mob as an embodiment of the ‘trouble with Nigeria’, a power usurper and illegitimate occupant of the Villa. Worse still, he still continues to carry the moral burden of his untidy resume and grisly background.

The only way to improve his job approval rating and mass appeal would be to erase the multiple problems currently threatening the livelihood of most Nigerians. To begin to do this, Tinubu must use his first anniversary in power to push the re-start button: a new cabinet of problem solvers, a think tank of non-political experts, inauguration of a target-driven administration and a more nationalistic outlook.

SUNDAY SPORTS

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

Napoli Ask Chelsea to Pay €130m for Osimhen to Switch to Stamford Bridge

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Struggling Chel- sea have been asked to pay €130million in full to Napoli if they are still interested in signing the reigning African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, in summer transfer window.

UK’s reportedStandardNewspaper yesterday that Napoli are demanding the full amount on the release clause for the 25-year-old Nigerian striker.

Other big admirers of the Super Eagles striker include; PSG and Arsenal. They will also have to meet Napoli demand to lure the top goal machine away from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples.Restless fans of Chelsea who managed to rescue a point against Brentford in a 2-2 Premier League result on Saturday afternoon, have turned against their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, voicing their anger

against the Blues’ poor run.

It was a bad 52nd birthwhose Chelsea have only managed to pick only 36 points from as many as 26 matches, sitting in the 11th place on the log.

Axel Disasi scored a late header to rescue a point for Chelsea at Brentford.

Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken gave away a cheap corner and his side were punished as Disasi rose to head in Cole Palmer’s cross with seven minutes remaining.

Yoane Wissa scored a sensational acrobatic volley to put Brentford 2-1 in front, but they could not hold on for the three points.

Sergio Reguilon’s cross into the box was headed away before Frank Onyeka Wissa contorted his body

Nicolas Jackson had earlier opened the scorhalf before Mads Roerslev equalised soon after the break.

Osimhen has made it clear he will quit the Serie

A champions this summer and Napoli are now pre- pared for his exit, but at a huge price.

Calm Down, Guardiola Tells Cityzens Ahead Manchester Derby

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has asked his wards to focus on tactics and not emotions in today’s Premier League derby with Manchester United at Etihad Stadium.

City, who won 3-0 at Old Trafford in October, are 15 points

General Manager of Rivers United, Dr Okey Kpalukwu, has hailed Rivers United U-17 Youth Team for emerging champions of the 2024 NPFL Youth League in Benin, Edo State.

Dr Kpalukwu, in a congratulatory message on behalf of the management,

above United.

Both sides are in good form, with second-placed City unbeaten in 18 and United only losing once in 2024. “What I learn from my experience in these types of games is to be more calm, relax, don’t talk about many things,” Guardiola said.

“Just focus on tactics and what you have to do to beat them,

players, and coaches of Rivers United, described their of the club’s vision towards promoting youngsters from the grassroots.

He noted that these youngsters are poised to take the football world by storm, adding that Rivers United will continue to help young players reach their full potential from the talented pool of

not about emotions - because emotions will be there, without doubt.”

of United and said he wants to within three years.

six Premier League titles.

“The 80s was Liverpool, 90s United and now we have won

players in the country.

The Rivers United G.M who doubles as Chairman of NPFL Club Owners Association and a member of the NPFL Board also commended the coaches of the Youth Team for their strong desire to compete amongst the best in the football profession with acumen which paved the way for the triumph in Benin City.

seven Premier Leagues in the last 11 or 12 years,” said Guardiola. “But in 50 or 60 years, there has never been one country where one team always dominates and controls everything. We will try in this organisation to extend this as much as possible for many years.

know the diagnosis of their club. I don’t know anything about

that Osimhen signed re-

from the chase for the golf medal in the football event of the 2024 Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games. NCDMBdefeatedNNPC1-0in played at the Shell Residential Area, Port Harcourt.ter, NLNG defeated NMDPRA 1-0 to set up a mouth-watering

BoastfulRangerslayambushforNigerTornadoesinKaduna

Adams Olamilekan

The

Today in Kaduna, Rangers International F.C of Enugu already in Kaduna for Tornadoes, will be looking to continue second stanza with another spectacular performance.

After annexing maximum 12 points

goals and conceding none, the Coal City landlords are optimistic going into this Minna.

Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu and his Flying Antelopes understand what is at stake in this encounter and are determined to give it their all to maintain their unbeaten run that has lasted four match-day.

scored 11 goals and made three assists for Napoli in the current Serie A campaign.

Since the commencement ofists have remained unbeaten in addition to playing the best football of the series.

NLNG topped Group 3 with six points following wins over TotalEnergies and SEPLAT. They edged PTI 4-2 via penalty in the victory over NMDPRA in the NCDMB on the other hand have been unstoppable. They topped their group with maximum points, crushed NUPRC yesterday’s 1-0 win over NNPC which has taken them to the

Axel Disasi (fourth left) saved Chelsea’s blushes yesterday, scoring the needed equaliser for the Blues to share points with Brentford in a Premier League clash...on Saturday afternoon

Rivers United youth team celebrating winning the NFL Youth League in Benin City... at the weekend

Napoli President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, admitted this week there is a release clause in the new contract

cently. Historic Goal King of Italy last season, Osimhen has

scored the only goal of the Match-day hosts Remo Stars and Bayelsa United as the Ikenne landlords climbed to the summit of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) yesterday.

The win catapulted Remo Stars to the top of the log on same 39 points as Enyimba but are ahead on superior goals

Aba Elephants still have the opportunity to reclaim the summit from Kunle Soname’s Boys if they succeed in outscoring Akwa United at the Nest of Champions in Uyo on Monday.

Lukman to Tinubu

“What Nigerians have today wasn’t what was promised at all. The most disturbing reality is that the current economic hardship is produced during the first term of President Asiwaju Tinubu, with no end in sight. Does it then mean that President Asiwaju Tinubu is not interested in second term?” –Former National Vice Chairman (North-west) of APC, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, accusing President Tinubu of managing the government affairs like a military dictator.

SIMON KOLAWOLE

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com,

From Udoji Award to Oronsaye Report

It is in order to say President Bola Tinubu is actually showing some balls with many decisions he has taken since he assumed power, although the jury is still out on the reforms. Last Monday, he “ordered” (we Nigerian journalists are madly in love with that word, aren’t we?) the implementation of the Oronsaye Report. We must quickly remind ourselves that it is a seasonal practice. President Goodluck Jonathan, who set up the seven-member panel in 2012 to “restructure and rationalise” governmental bodies, “ordered” the implementation in 2014. President Muhammadu Buhari also “ordered” the implementation in 2020. Let us now hope or pray that this will be the final “order”.

We have this obsession with proliferating governmental bodies in Nigeria. For example, we used to have the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) regulating the entire petroleum industry. Someone had a brain wave that we can further atomise it, so we now have the Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission (NURC) and the Nigeria Downstream and Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). Someone will soon develop the idea of creating the Nigeria Downstream Regulatory Commission (Diesel), the Nigeria Downstream Regulatory Commission (Petrol) and the Nigeria Downstream Regulatory Commission (Kerosene and Others). Please, don’t quote me.

How did we get here? Let me guess. Setting up agencies is our own way of “job creation”. Normally, it is private businesses that should be proliferating and creating jobs in a marketdriven economy, but since this has become a very difficult thing for us (maybe because the economic policies, operating environment and infrastructure are very hostile to innovation and growth), we have found the short cut by creating agencies upon agencies. The newly established National Commission for the Coordination and Control of Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NATCOM) announced last year that it was going to employ and train about 300,000 Nigerians. Yes, 300,000 Nigerians.

Let me guess again. For a tiny group of people, the sweetest jobs in Nigeria are the ones with the coat of arms on the business cards, so proposals for the creation of new government agencies and institutions are never scarce. The moving spirits, or the political enablers, are probably thinking of replicating a bank or a fintech firm with an MD, EDs and GMs. Some agencies have been created since because someone had an idea of the lucre on offer. It does not matter if the agency will be duplicating the functions of another or if it will be useless altogether. Even before some agencies are legally created, the executives are already waiting in the wings. This is stranger than fiction.

How did we get here? As I was saying, when the oil boom happened to us in the 1970s, we lost our senses. As a result of the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973, crude oil prices had risen fourfold within five months. From an average price of $3 per barrel in 1973, it was going for $12 by December 1974. Nigeria became overwhelmed with the flood of petrodollars and the accompanying pathologies. In 1970, our earnings from oil exports was a modest $200 million. Between 1973 and 1978, we earned an overwhelming $32 billion, averaging over $5 billion per year. Imagine your salary is N150,000 and you hit a windfall that now pays you N4 million monthly. You will surely be agog and go gaga. With so much money, we began to expand the size of government without paying the necessary attention to need, efficiency and service delivery. In 1972, the Udoji Public Service Review Commission

President Bola Tinubu

was set up by the military government to examine the organisation, structure and management of public service. In 1974, the commission made far-reaching reform proposals, but government was more excited about the recommended 100 percent increase in salaries and benefits across board — to be backdated to 1972 and paid in arrears. That would be politically more popular and beneficial. We had the oil money, so why not spend it cheerfully? Why worry about tomorrow?

Everybody was happy with the Udoji Award, save for the economists who warned of a looming inflation. We had plenty petrodollars, so the exchange rate was about 60 kobo/$ (aka “The good old days”). It was cheaper to import biscuit than make it in Nigeria. Mr Joseph Atobisi, an activist, wrote two years ago, “Civil servants developed appetite for imported commodities like sugar, canned milk, stockfish, dumping available local alternatives. More workers bought cars and expensive furniture. Nigeria soon became an import dependent nation. Manufacturing started collapsing. Unemployment spiralled. From 5.40% in 1973, inflation rose to 12.67% in 1974 and 33.96% in 1975.” It is what it is.

One of the pathologies of sudden oil wealth — or should I say natural resource windfall — is the bloating of government expenditure, notably through wage bills, overheads and white elephant projects, under the philosophy of “nina lowo” (“money is meant to be spent”). We thought our problem was not money but how to spend it. This was at a time most rural roads were untarred and most villages unelectrified. Norway, which also enjoyed the oil boom, chose to insulate most of the windfall from its economy by setting up a special fund and continuing to be a fiscal state. Although we built infrastructure from the windfall, we also created a culture of bloating government budgets.

Another pathology of the several oil booms since 1973 (starting with the Udoji Award) is the humongous expansion of public service. Government jobs could be instantly created and workers easily employed — based more on political considerations than a desire to enhance administrative capacity and efficiency. Every oil windfall came with federal, state and local governments bloating expenditures, multiplying the agencies and thinking oil money would flow forever. We can argue that with a

growing population and the liberalisation of the economy from the 1980s, we needed to expand public administrative capacity — but that was probably the smallest rationale on our minds.

We created an agency to make sure that fuel prices are the same all over the country and called it Petroleum Equalisation Fund. People reported for work every day. At no time were fuel prices the same but marketers still got the bridging payments in billions. We created an agency whose job is to enforce federal character in federal employments and named it Federal Character Commission (FCC), even when it is clear that federal character is always missing. People report to that office daily and they even have a DG. I can count at least 200 useless agencies. We have never had the intention of stopping the creation of more agencies or bloating public expenditure. It is always good for politics.

The National Assembly, in particular, appears to be trigger-happy when it comes to unleashing new agencies on us, although the blame equally goes to the executive and states. As reported by PUNCH published in 2022, the 9th Senate passed bills establishing 376 institutions and agencies. How they would be funded is none of their business. We created the Nigerian Independent Warehouse Regulatory Agency, National Poverty Eradication Commission, Erosion Control and Prevention Commission, etc etc. The bill to set up the Electoral Offences Commission (a job purely within the ambit of the police) is in the pipeline. A group recently proposed a Cement Price Control Agency!

In the last three decades, we have decimated the Nigerian Police Force by creating several agencies to duplicate or take over their functions. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (which we call “VIO”), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are all performing the functions of the police. Barely two days after Tinubu “ordered” implementation of Oronsaye Report, the house of reps passed a bill setting up the Peace Corps to also do part of the job of the police. We play too much in this country.

Even before deciding to implement the Oronsaye Report, Tinubu had ruffled features by putting directors and permanent secretaries on a maximum tenure of eight years so that civil servants will stop gaming the system and holding on to those positions forever. The policy was introduced by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua but Buhari reversed it. Let us now see how far Tinubu can go with the Oronsaye Report. There is a reason it had been gathering dust for 10 years without the political will to implement it. Vested interests will lobby to get some agencies exempted. They know what to do. We talk about how to make Nigeria work but work against it when our interests are at stake.

Finally, let me caution us that the Oronsaye Report is not a silver bullet, but it is a good development that Tinubu has set the ball rolling. He has a tough job ahead and he should know that. More so, the Oronsaye Report is dated, so there will be more knotty issues to deal with. For instance, what happens to the agencies that were created after the White Paper was issued? What happens to those commissions and agencies that are not under spotlight but are richer than some states? Shouldn’t we look at them too? Most importantly, Tinubu has to focus on an overall reform of the public service for optimal service delivery. Nigerians deserve better output from the bureaucracy.

And Four Other Things…

FORWARD MOVEMENT

We have been told several times that we needed to ditch the “military constitution” because it is against “true federalism” but I am very happy that many states are moving forward with the same constitution. Aviation and railways are on the exclusive list, but states are building airports and running airlines. Lagos state has just inaugurated its second train service, the Red Line, covering Ebute Metta to Agbado with stations at Oyingbo, Yaba, Mushin, Oshodi, Ikeja, Agege and Iju. The first phase is projected to transport 750,000 passengers daily, reaching 1.1 million once it is fully operational. The Blue Line from Okokomaiko to Lagos Marina was inaugurated last year. Progress.

MARKET MESS

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has taken a series of policy measures in the last few days to stop the naira from bleeding, to create a sense of stability. We desperately needed some calm. The naira was already heading for N2,000/$ and someone joked that it might enter 2025 before all of us. The MPC decision on interest rate has been praised by many market analysts who are hopeful that the economy will respond positively. The instability in recent times has been very devastating, although I find it comforting that there has been a swift and decisive response and Mr Yemi Cardoso, the CBN governor, has done a good job of trying to calm our fears. We are watching with bated breath. Relief.

RICE AND DEATH

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has gone into the business of repackaging and selling contraband rice to help implement Tinubu’s “renewed hope” agenda. Well done. But, predictably, there was zero risk assessment and zero crowd control, so seven people lost their lives in the stampede at the zonal headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, where the sale took place. In response to the tragedy, customs suspended the exercise, belatedly saying it was “part of the service’s resolve to ensure the safety of Nigerians and to enable it to properly articulate its next line of action, in order not to defeat the vision of the initiative”. Why was I expecting to hear customs had fired someone? Negligence.

NO COMMENT

The Nigerian government has introduced the expatriates employment levy (EEL), fixed at $15,000 per employee. According to the geniuses behind the policy, the levy is intended to “discourage” companies from hiring expatriates for jobs Nigerians “can do”. The EEL is expected to generate $13 billion per year. Imagine if the UK, US and Canada reciprocate by charging $15,000 on each Nigerian immigrant working in their countries. Meanwhile, will expats doing the jobs Nigerians cannot do also pay the levy? If you really want to “discourage” expats, why not deny them work visas? And how will you raise your $13 billion after discouraging expats from coming to Nigeria? And you know what? The company that got the contract is owned by expats doing the job Nigerians can do! Wonderful.