Some stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed outrage and disbelief over the anti-party activities of the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, just as they have described the Rivers State governor’s demands during a meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar in London on Thursday, as Thisunrealistic.isasTHISDAY gathered yesterday that Atiku is set to head back to the country to receive former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, into the main opposition party. Members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT) and National Executive Committee (NEC), who expressed serious concerns over Wike’s demands, accused the Rivers State governor of engaging
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Wike’s camp wants Mimiko as PDP national chairman, prefers Saraki to lead presidential campaign
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PDP Stakeholders Express Outrage, Disbelief over Wike’s Anti-party Activities
In major boost to his electoral chances, Atiku wins Shekarau back to main opposition party
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his resolve to support the candidates of the party vying for various political offices in the 2023 elections. This came as former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, urged members of the party to begin mobilisation for next year’s election, noting that staying united would be the only way its presidential candidate and others can win next year’s election. Tinubu spoke at the weekend when he received the party's National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office in TinubuAbuja.inastatement issued yesterday by his Media Office and signed by Mr. Tunde Rahman commended Buhari for his loyalty and commitment to the party.
2023:Tinubu Commends
Emefiele: CBN’s Focus on Economic Diversification Yielding Dividends… Eze
Bakassi Peninsula: Nigeria, Cameroon to Return to ICJ for Judgment Clarification…
Buhari’s Decision to Support APC Candidates of seek permanent solution Say CBN's action saved Nigeria’s image
Continued on page 5
Following the announcement of the release of $265million trapped funds to foreign airlines by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the international carriers have reintroduced their lower class tickets, better known as lower inventory in their operations in Nigeria. This came as aviation industry stakeholders have commended the CBN for releasing $265 million in trapped funds to foreign airlines, saying the action saved the image of the country.Some foreign airlines had raised the alarm over their inability to remit their revenues in Nigeria, amounting to about $450Lastmillion.week, Emirates Airlines announced that it would suspend all flights to Nigeria from September 1, 2022, over its stuck $95 million. However, the Nigerian government bowed to the foreign airlines’ pressure on Friday with the release of $265 million of the trapped funds. This development encouraged the airlines to reintroduce their lower-class tickets. The reintroduction of the airlines’ lower inventory in their booking means that Nigerians can now buy cheap tickets for Continued on page 6 theirThesetravels.cheap tickets were blocked by the airlines following their inability to repatriate their revenues to their countries in foreign currency.
Continued on page 8 www.thisdaylive.com Sunday 28 August, 2022 Vol 27. No N40010001 Aviation stakeholders hail release
Only a united party will guarantee victory, says Oshiomhole in anti-party activities by meeting with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi. Following Atiku’s earlier request that the PDP leaders should refrain from commenting on the crisis within the party, the chieftains of the party opted to speak to THISDAY on condition of anonymity. The members of Wike’s camp reportedly increased their demands on Atiku during the meeting in London, which was aimed at getting the Rivers governor to support the former vice president’s bid for the THISDAYpresidency.hadquoted a source as saying that: “Wike and his allies demanded, among others, that Atiku put in writing, his commitment to serve for only one term if he wins, to pave the way for power shift to the South; to produce Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Sunday Okobi in Lagos
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Excited by
TRUTH & REASON
L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Jibrin Barau; Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; and Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during the presentation of Overall Award of Most Improved State for COVID-19 to the governor at the Immunisation Performance Award 2022 in Abuja…yesterday CBN’s $265m, Foreign Airlines Reintroduce Lower Class Tickets
funds,
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Festus Akanbi and Gboyega Akinsanmi With the recent rise of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to 19.64 per cent, experts in public finance and macroeconomics have warned that the trend might trigger socio-political disharmony if the intense inflationary pressures continue to spiral unabatedly. The experts, however, recommended the need to stabilise the Naira; unlock fiscal liquidity from the country’s idle national assets, and address security challenges nationwide, among others, as measures to avert the impending social tension that might arise from the intense inflationary pressures.
L-R: Deputy Governor of Delta State, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro; Wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Edith Okowa; and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, at the inter-denominational thanksgiving service to mark the 31st anniversary of the creation of the state in Asaba…yesterday.
“How can Wike’s camp be talking of the Office of the Senate President? The demand is selfish. He is anticipating that the governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal might wish to contest for the Senate presidency if the PDP wins majority seats at the Senate in 2023," he added. THISDAY gathered that Wike’s camp prefers a former governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero as the Senate President if he wins the 2023 senatorial election. It was also gathered that if the demand by Wike’s camp for the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to step down is accepted, the camp will propose a former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko as the national chairman of the party. The camp, it was learnt, also prefers the former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki to lead the party’s presidential campaign council.ANEC member also told THISDAY that Atiku cannot trade off the party, insisting that the worst-case scenario is to call Wike’s bluff and the Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde. He also noted that the Rivers State governor has much at stake and would not like to toy with his political future.
“While inflation is pressured globally, Nigeria’s macro challenges leave it more vulnerable to inflation expectations becoming entrenched. Stabilising prices may be even more costly than elsewhere.”Mustapha, NLC’s Senior Research Fellow, feared that with the inflationary pressures, the poverty level “will likely to increase in the absence of effective social protection. Unemployment especially among the youth will ultimately lead to more social crises and insecurity, which can disrupt the political process.” She, therefore, urged the governments at all levels “to increase government spending in such a way that we can increase effective demand, specifically wages and social protection.
Economists Propose Measures against Social Unrest amid Rising Inflation
CPPE’s chief executive equally recommended pragmatic reforms of foreign exchange policy, which according to him, would no doubt boost investors' confidence and attract foreign exchange inflows into the economy. On his part, Teriba acknowledged the implication of intense inflationary pressures for the country’s economic, political and social stability, noting that the policymakers should be debating what the federation could do now to ease the burden of compounded consumer price volatility. If the trend plunges the country into socio-political harmony, EA’s chief executive warned that nobody “will be spared nationwide. Nobody will be safe whether you are in government or you are not in government.
DISBELIEF
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“So, we should refrain from making comments that can incite the populace to embark upon a mass uprising. The people who start the reign of terror will also be consumed by the reign of terror. Let us encourage our government to act now. It is better late than never.”Speaking on how the government can reverse the escalating inflationary trend, Teriba recommended the exigency of stabilising the Naira, stressing that devaluation had compounded the composite consumer prices. He said the first problem that the government should solve immediately “is to stabilise the Naira. If we do not stabilise the Naira and we still have devaluation happening in the parallel market, it will compound the consumer price index. “Except we stabilise the Naira, there is nothing we can do about it. The government needs to boost the competency of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to manage foreign exchange stability. It also needs to boost the capacity of the CBN to manage foreign exchange supply rather than manage foreign exchange demand alone.”
PDP STAKEHOLDERS EXPRESS OUTRAGE, OVER WIKE’S ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES
Identify insecurity, oil theft and forex issues as core triggers the new PDP National Chairman from the South-west geo-political zone once Ayu steps aside; that the Wike camp should produce the Senate President, principal officers of the National Assembly and key ministers if the PDP wins; and that the Wike camp will nominate a Director General for the Atiku CampaignSpeakingOrganisation.”onthesedemands, a member of the NWC of the party told THISDAY that Atiku cannot trade off some members of the leadership of the party because of his ambition. He described Wike’s demands as unrealistic and"Whatself-serving.Wikeis even doing is glaring anti-party actions. When he came back, he openly said that they are still consulting, making it look like he decides for the party. What is he trying to achieve by meeting with other political parties as he did at the London meeting?” heSpeakingqueried. in the same manner, a former governor described Wike’s demands as vexatious, insisting that they won't be accepted by Atiku or the PDP as published in the media. The former governor who called on the PDP and Atiku to call Wike’s bluff said: "If what is already in the public space is true, then the peace deal is dead on arrival."
Teriba also challenged the government to identify idle public assets and deploy them to unlock fiscal liquidity and foreign exchange. He claimed: “Nigeria has rich assets from which we can unlock fiscal liquidity even if we do not sell a barrel of crude oil or collect any tax from the populace. Nigeria has so many idle assets that we can generate sufficient liquidity, both in Dollar and Naira.” In his reaction, Ademola attributed the rising inflation to insecurity in northern Nigeria and oil theft in the Niger Delta, which he argued, had affected the country’s foreign exchange earnings from the export of crude. Ademola further noted that inflation “is an expected phenomenon, caused by the global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Russian-Ukrainian war added more to it due to the increase in gas prices and other complementary goods.” He pointed out that insecurity “is adding to the severity of inflation due to the decline of farming activities and food production.”Henoted that tackling inflation in Nigeria “is beyond the monetary authorities. While managing the prices is the duty of the CBN, the fundamental cause of the problem will require a response from the fiscal authority, both politically and otherwise.”
Chief Executive Officer, Economic Associates (EA), Dr. Ayo Teriba; Chief Economist, Standard Chartered Bank, Razia Khan; Group Executive Director, Cordros Capital Limited, Mr. Olufemi Ademola; Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf and Development Economist, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ms. Hauwa Mustapha canvassed the measures in separate interviews with THISDAY at the weekend. Amid the worsening insecurity, foreign exchange crisis, and oil theft across the federation, inflation has been on an upward trajectory in the last nine months, rising from 15.4 per cent in November 2021 to 19.64 per cent in July 2022, the highest ever recorded since 2005. Reacting to the development, Yusuf, a former Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), specifically warned that intense inflationary pressures could snowball into social unrest, if not quickly addressed, and with such scenarios, economic and political stability could be at risk. He lamented that the situation “is particularly worrisome because even staple foods are no longer affordable by the majority of the citizens. It is an emergency social situation that demands an
"Wike has three candidates for the senatorial election, eight candidates for the House of Representatives, 32 members of the state assembly, a governorship and a deputy governorship candidates, making it 45 candidates for the 2023 elections, whose career and political future are at stake and at the mercy of whatever option he"Theembraces.same situation applies to Makinde of Oyo State, as well as Ortom of Benue State and Ikpeazu of Abia State, both of whom are even senatorial candidates of the PDP."Unfortunately, for them, the presidential and the National Assembly elections are holding first, the outcome of which could shape subsequent elections in the following"Therefore,week.whether or not Wike embraced the olive branch extended to him by Atiku in London, it would be impossible to see him bite his nose to spite his face, in a fit of anger,” the NEC member added.
DELTA CELEBRATES 31ST ANNIVERSARY…
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The former governor, who acknowledged that the north occupied key positions, added that there is a need to harmonise theHe,positions.however, faulted the demand by Wike’s camp to produce the President of the Senate.
He equally recommended that the will to curb oil theft and other insecurity issues should be unambiguous while implementable tasks should be developed immediately. Also contributing, Khan attributed the country’s inflation to foreign exchange volatility and the global food crisis, among others. She said: “Global food and fertiliser pressures, the fact that diesel prices are not subsidised and the rapid pass-through into inflation from any parallel market depreciation, likely explain the trend.“While the outcome is not surprising, the concern is that Nigeria may have few tools with which to meaningfully influence inflation“Despiteoutcomes.astepup in the pace of Central Bank of Nigeria policy tightening, the action remains overshadowed by greater reliance on CBN financing by the government,” Khan pointed out grave concern about the future of the Untileconomy.officialforeign exchange markets see greater turnover, Khan further observed that the difficult-to-regulate parallel market, itself prone to overshooting, will continue to play a disproportionate role in price-setting behaviour. She warned that rising inflation at a time of weak growth also risks exacerbating social concerns – with Nigeria’s policy settings making it more difficult to tackle near-term pressures.
emergency response.” He, therefore, proposed urgent engagement with stakeholders in the agricultural sector, especially food crop farmers, farmers poultry, investors in fisheries, agro-allied industries and those in the production of staples as one of the steps to bring down the food inflation component of the CPI.
“CBN should go further by extending that gesture to domestic airlines by making forex available to them. The airlines have been losing their fleet from 60 aircraft to 30 aircraft and now it might have gone down to 20. It is also good to note what the Lagos Chamber of Commerce said recently. The body noted that inflation that spiked in June and July this year was caused by a crisis in the aviation sector. The roads are bad; the number of operating aircraft has reduced; this is the time the government should address the issue of forex with domestic airlines,” Uko said.
Speaking about some state universities that recently pulled out of the struggle, the ASUU president said, “talk about important universities, not those quacks. They’re not part of our strike”.Hefurther said: Is the University of Ibadan on strike? Is the University of Nigeria on strike? Is Ahmadu Bello University on strike? Is Bayero University on strike? Is the University of Maiduguri on strike? Is the University of Lagos on strike? Let us talk about the important ones, not those quacks.”
NEWS 6 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022 Continued on page 10 EXCITED
Commission (CNMC) held between August 25 and 26, 2022 in Abuja, both countries seemed not to have an equal understanding of the ICJ judgment on the course of the boundary on localities of Rhoumski, Pillar 8 and Koja. The two parties then agreed to table discussions on the matter to the ICJ for clarification of its decision.Thisformed part of the resolutions at the session, as captured in a communique issued by the Nigerian government. According to the communiqué, Nigeria and Cameroon expressed commitment to work closely to identify and encourage the implementation of trans-border infrastructural projects to enhance the economic cooperation and integration of both countries and the West African sub-region. The communiqué also stated that the Mixed Commission recommended that the two parties finalise the agreement on the joint exploitation of the hydrocarbon along the maritime border. Both countries commended the sub-commission on Demarcation and the Joint Technical Team for reaching an agreement on the course of the boundary in Mabas village and the project steering committee and the technical monitoring team for the successful construction of additional 327 pillars in Alantika mountains, which has been endorsed by the Mixed Commission. The Nigerian team to the session was led by the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his spokesman, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu said in a statement issuedGwanduyesterday.quoted Malami as expressing Nigeria’s determination to ensure that the limited areas of border disagreement between both countries are resolved amicably. “Nigeria is committed to the quick and successful execution of the mandates of the Mixed Commission,” Malami said, noting that the areas of disagreement had been reduced to just three. Malami urged experts working on the issue to “embrace pragmatism in order to reach consensus in all the three areas of disagreement,” hoping that “amicable solutions would be found as soon as possible to enable the work to be completed.”
He also noted that the federal government should have opened a discussion earlier with the airlines to give them assurances on the Accordingpayment.to him, if the government had interfaced with the airlines they would not have reduced their flights to Nigeria or sold their tickets at exorbitant rates to Nigerian travellers.“What CBN has done is a welcome development because in everything we look at things from the positive development. But they should have saved the country the embarrassment and high cost of flight tickets levelled on Nigerians, especially those students who were travelling back to school overseas. If CBN had announced to the airlines that they would pay this money, the airlines would not have embarked on a certain action to cut down their losses, which include selling high inventory tickets and reducing their flights,” Bernard said. Bernard argued that when tickets are bought from outside to travel to Nigeria, the country loses a five per cent charge from that ticket, known as the ticket sales charge, which the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) collects on behalf of aviation agencies.Alsospeaking on the issue, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and former CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY that CBN has saved the image of Nigeria with the payment made to the foreign airlines.“Itis a really welcome development. But my reaction is if they knew they would make that payment they should have communicated to the airlines and assured them they would pay the money. This is because communication is key. They shouldn’t have waited until airlines began to issue threats before making the payment. “Let me also call on the government to make forex available to domestic airlines too. I think we should have a permanent solution to forex. This should be made available to both local and international airlines,” he said. On his part, an industry analyst and the Publicity Secretary of Aviation Round Table (ART), Olu Ohunayo noted that the payment has helped Nigeria to redeem its image.Hesaid that the challenge before Nigeria is to win back its credibility as a credit-worthy nation.“Ihope we will not get backlash from other sectors of the economy based on our action in the aviation sector. We should not allow the industry to lump us together with Venezuela, Lebanon, and Zimbabwe which have been on this for a while. We do not belong there. Now that the first tranche of payment has been made, they must continue to provide the forex so that by December/January they would have completed the payment,” heAlsosaid.reacting, a travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, told THISDAY that by releasing the funds, the Nigerian government adhered to the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) it signed with the countries that host these airlines. He suggested that the government should find a way to release the money more regularly, even if in tranches.
President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmnuel Osodeke, has urged the federal government to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan in resolving the lingering industrial action. This is as Osodeke yesterday denied describing state-owned universities as quacks. The strike, which began on February 16, is a result of the government’s inability to fully address the union’s demands. The industrial action has lasted for more than six months with the federal government, through the education and labour ministers, finding it difficult to reach a resolution.Speaking on the way forward, Osodeke, in an interview with AIT’s Focus Nigeria, said the immediate past administration engaged the union in a 14-hour negotiation to resolve the issue. He said the government of the day should set up a committee comprising people who love the country and can negotiate dispassionately.“Government should for once go the way of Goodluck Jonathan. And in one night, we had that meeting for 14 hours,” he said. “Open. Both sides were open, no class, no power, no sitting power, and we looked at all the issues and we resolved it within 14 hours. “If this government can put out a strong team, if the president cannot be there, let him put a strong team together or people who are not part of those who are telling lies presently.“People who love this country. They don’t have to be in government. If you can put this thing together and we meet to look at how we can resolve this nationalMeanwhile,problem.”Osodeke has denied describing state-owned universities as Kwaraquacks.
Emulate Jonathan’s Method to Resolve Strike, ASUU President Tells FG Bakassi Peninsula: Nigeria, Cameroon to Return to ICJ for Judgment Clarification
State University (KWASU), Ekiti State University (EKSU), Osun State University (UNIOSUN) and Kaduna State University (KASU) had deplored Osodeke for portraying them and other state-owned universities in the country as "quacks and irrelevant." Osodeke had last Thursday appeared on ARISE NEWS Channel where he addressed some issues regarding the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by ASUU over six months ago.
The ICJ, in a judgment on October 10, 2002, upheld Cameroon’s claim to the area. At the 24th session of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed For instance, the foreign airlines had for the past three weeks introduced tickets that ranged from N1.2million to N1.5million for economy class, which used to be sold for N400,000 in January and February this year. They also introduced N4million tickets for business classes that used to go for between N1.5million and N2million.However, with the release of part of their trapped funds, the airlines have reintroduced cheaper tickets. Some of the airlines had also reduced their flights to Nigeria to cut back Meanwhile,losses.aviation industry stakeholders have commended the CBN for releasing $265 million to foreign airlines. They however urged the federal government to have a permanent solution to the trapped fund’s problem. Reacting to the announcement of the release of the fund by CBN, the Group Managing Director, Finchglow Holdings, and the immediate past President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) Mr. Bankole Bernard commended the CBN for releasing the money to the airlines.Bernard, who spoke to THISDAY, said the apex bank saved the image of Nigeria.
FARE THEE WELL UYIGUE…
L-R: Mrs. Eki Uyigue Redd; Osayogie Uyigue; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; his Chief of Staff, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha, and Efosa Uyigue, during the funeral service of Sunny Uyigue, in Benin City…yesterday to the report yesterday, described the ASUU president as a careless talker.Adeboye said the state university has 481 full-time academic staff and among them, 387 are full-time PhD holders, insisting that “this is not a quack.” In its statement Friday, EKSU
The development has triggered a backlash from some state universities and concerned Nigerians who lambasted the ASUU president for allegedly naming state universities ‘quack’. In separate statements by the Vice Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Prof. Odunayo Adeboye; EKSU's Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Bode Olofinmuagun, the Director of University Relations of KWASU, Dr. Saeedat Aliyu and KASU's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adamu Bargo, they faulted Osodeke for quack comment.Whiledemanding an unreserved apology from the ASUU president, the institutions defended their decisions to refrain from joining the ongoing strike or pull out of it midway, saying it was in the interest of the public, students and theirTheparents.Vice-Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Professor Odunayo Clement Adeboye, while reacting BY CBN’S $265M, FOREIGN AIRLINES REINTRODUCE LOWER CLASS TICKETS
Alex Enumah in Abuja Nigeria and Cameroon have agreed to return to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for clarification of some grey areas in its judgment on the dispute between both countries over the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula.
SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 • THISDAY 7
Hails
Responding to Buhari’s resolve not to support any other candidates except those being sponsored by APC, Tinubu said the President deserves commendation for being a true leader and loyal party man. He said: "I like the statement of Mr. President a few days ago - firm, concise, straight to the point, and bold as a leader of our party. We should commend the President for that statement; for his commitment and loyalty to the party; and for being a true partyTinubuleader."pledged to work towards creating and powering a knowledge-based economy in Nigeria if elected president. He added: "Among other things if and when we are elected, we will work towards developing Nigeria as a knowledge-based economy that meets the overarching needs of the present and plans for the future.
L-R: Olori Omoyemi Aniyi; Obaleo of Erinmope-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Aikuirawo Aniyi; Ekiti State First Lady/Honouree, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Governor Kayode Fayemi; and the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; during the coronation ceremony of Oba Aniyi and installation of Erelu Fayemi as Yeye Oba of Erinmope-Ekiti…yesterday
"This campaign is not a campaign you are going to speak through somebody, that person needs to come and directly tell us what he is going to do for our country and we must take note of whatever he says and hold him by his words."
"I am a trader but I have the privilege to go to some of the best of schools like Oxford, Cambridge, and other Ivy League institutions, but I always say to people that educational qualification is not the same as integrity. Listen to all the presidential candidates, not through proxy. Let anyone who wants to be your President come forward himself and speak to you directly, because he is the one you will hold responsible for whatever happens to Nigeria under his care.
"We also don't want someone that would be carried to this place in a wheelchair but must consider his capacity, competence, integrity and commitment.
forthatofweekend,meetingelection.anditsunitedelection,beginurged2023."effortsthatAndwhowithalreadycampaign.erectedtheChairmanOntechnology-driven."hispart,theAPCNationalcommendedTinubuforeffortsmadeandstructurestoensureaneffectiveAccordingtohim,"You'rewritingthewordsuccesstheselaudableefforts.Thoseknowyouexpectnoless.itisourhopeandprayerGodAlmightycrownourwithvictoryinFebruaryMeanwhile,Oshiomholehasmembersofthepartytomobilisationfornextyear’snotingthatstayingwouldbetheonlywaypresidentialcandidate,Tinubu,otherscanwinnextyear’sSpeakingatastakeholders’inBeninCityatthethetwo-timegovernorEdoStatedebunkedtheclaimhehadendorsedacandidatethe2024governorshipelection
"Our human capital today is low, we have 200 million people with barely ten per cent productive capacity. You also need to reduce the cost of governance and have zero tolerance for corruption. People cannot continue to do what they are doing with government resources."Obipromised to provide an opportunity for diaspora Nigerians to vote in the 2027 elections if elected president nextHeyear.also stressed that Africa will remain the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy as it would improve the diplomatic sphere of influence via peacekeeping, trade, and investment citieslargegrouphailedMeanwhile,initiatives.ObiyesterdaymembersoftheOBIdientwhotroopedoutintheirnumbersyesterdayintwointheSouth-Southzone as Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, and Auchi, Edo State came to a halt for the Labour Party presidential candidate. OBIdient movement rallies in the city of Makurdi, capital of Benue State, and in Afikpo, Ebonyi State also witnessed a heavy turnout of supporters in thousands that marched for the LPThecandidate.citieseach embarked on their two million supporters’ march for Obi. The clips trending online show amazing crowds of young people mainly, marching through the streets and chanting support songs for Obi and his running mate, Senator Yusuf Baba-Ahmed.Therallieswere announced beforehand that the OBIdient movement members would stampede the cities to show their solidarity for Obi for the 2023 presidential election. The OBIdient movement powered mainly by the younger generation of Nigerians has been making waves and raving up sensitisation for Obi nationwide through such rallies to show their alignment with their preferred candidate.OnhisTwitter handle, Obi personally tweeted: “We are watching as Port Harcourt, Auchi, Makurdi, and Afikpo move #OBIdiently today, in the sun and in the rain. Constitutional rights to peaceful assembly are protected and must be respected by all. Our labours will never be in vain. I appreciate you all.” Presidential Candidates Who Speak through Proxies, Obi Tells Nigerians
NEWS
On the issue of racism, Obi said, "I don't see any country as racist. If you think your host country is racist you can go back to your country. The reason why you are here is that your place is not working. "So, it is our duty to turn things around in Nigeria for the good of our country.
"We will institute 21st-century financial reforms, embark on 21st-century infrastructural development and 21st-century elimination of crimes that will be
8 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022
Don't Listen to
2023: TINUBU COMMENDS BUHARI’S DECISION TO SUPPORT APC CANDIDATES supporters for massive rallies in Port Harcourt, Makurdi, Afikpo, Auchi
"Somebody asked me a question about going to look for foreign investors, I said Nigerians outside are going to do what China and India did. "It is good for us to go back and fix our place, we need to secure it and it is important for our place to have proper leadership that is visionary, there is nothing happening in other countries that is rocket science; a country is measured by its productive"Somebodycapacity.askedme what are we going to do to stabilise the naira and I said it is very simple; production, because the more you produce goods and export, the more your currency becomes stronger if you are looking for dollars and Euro, just go and sell something to somebody that has euro and dollar and your currency will become strong. The former Anambra State governor pledged that he will ensure the security of lives and bring stability to governance.
in the state, stating that he has learnt his Oshiomhole,lesson.the APC senatorial candidate in Edo North, said that party leaders in the local government have an important role to play in the forthcoming elections, appealing to them to go to their various local governments, hold meetings and sell their candidates to the electorate at the grass root. He also called on aggrieved members to take a cue from him when he was ousted as the chairman of the party after serving for two years. He said, “The primaries are over and the candidates have emerged. We need to put away our differences that came at the primaries and queue behind our candidates, beginning with our presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for two-time Governor of Lagos and the party’s national leader.“The aggrieved members of the party should learn from my act of political tolerance when I was ousted from office as the national chairman of the party. I had the opportunity to seek redress, which would have stalled the party’s congress, but I didn’t. “I have not endorsed anybody for the governorship election and I will not be doing so. I have learnt from my mistakes. I have also not asked anyone to step down or asked anyone to step up. The only person I asked to step down was my younger brother and this is because two Oshiomhole cannot be on the“Inballot.the past, when I asked people to step down, they did and never forgave me, while the ones that stepped up have not done anything to justify the confidence reposed in them.” While speaking on the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, he urged Nigerians not to be deceived by the comments of the other presidential candidates, noting that Tinubu is a tolerant Nigerian who has no ambition of making Nigeria an Islamic country.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has asked the Nigerian electorate not to vote for any of the presidential candidates speaking through proxies. Recall that at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA-AGC) in Lagos last Monday where most of the leading presidential candidates unveiled their programmes for 2023 to Nigerians, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, was conspicuously absent.Hewas, however, represented by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima. But in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, Obi said anyone who wants to be president of Nigeria must come forward himself and speak to the people directly because he is the one to be held responsible for whatever happens to Nigeria under his care. In responding to his ascription as a trader by some of his opponents, Obi said even as a trader, he was privileged to go to some of the best schools like Oxford University Cambridge University and other Ivy League institutions in the world. Addressing Nigerians who came to welcome him in Frankfurt, Germany on Friday, Obi said that every candidate must come and tell Nigerians his agenda to make the country work.Heurged the electorate to do background checks on all the presidential candidates before listening to whatever promises theyHemake.said:"When you listen to us, go and check our background, this is not a time for somebody to show us his qualifications, I live in Nigeria and I know Nigeria and what Nigerians need. I am not a stranger to Nigerian problems.
ANOTHER HONOUR TO ERELU...
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Eromosele Abiodun, Nume Ekeghe in Lagos and James Emejo in Abuja
“You may recall that our flagship Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) that heralded the recent rice revolution in Nigeria has changed the long-standing dependence on imported rice as the country is not only depending on domestic production, but we have now become a rice exporting country. The Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) is a major special purpose vehicle to support commercial farmers in the country in different value chains including oil palm, cotton, cocoa, among others.”
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has stressed the urgent need to diversify the Nigerian economy into other areas other than oil, even as he disclosed that the diversification efforts of the apex bank have begun to yield results, especially in the agricultural sector.Emefiele, who stated this yesterday at the 33rd Seminar organised by CBN for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors in Lagos, explained that the apex bank is already leading the drive towards the diversification from oil through its numerous interventions.Theconference, which was held simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja, had, “Policy Options for Economic Diversification: Thinking Outside the Crude Oil-Box,” as its theme. The CBN governor, represented by the apex bank’s Director of Corporate Communication Department, Osita Nwanisobi, said the apex bank had supported non-oil sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education, power and aviation, and other allied economic value chains, adding that these efforts have begun to yield positive results.Hesaid Nigeria had become a rice exporting country as the bank’s flagship Anchor Borrowers programme (ABP) had changed the long-standing dependence on imported rice. He said the CBN had through its Agriculture Credit Scheme, supported commercial farmers in the country in different value chains, including oil palm, cotton, and cocoa, among others. He said the implementation of 44 items prohibited from foreign exchange for import had revealed that the bank’s continued support to the manufacturing sector and MSMEs was yielding great results. He also said the apex bank’s faulted the denigrating remark about some state-owned universities coming from the ASUU president as unfortunate, reckless and unwarranted.Thestatement listed EKSU's recent achievements, saying the institution "is currently the 14th best university in Nigeria out of about 200 universities (federal, state and private) and the second best state university according to the recent Webometric ranking of universities.Alsotaking on Osodeke over his comment, KASU observed that with his unguided statement, it was in doubt if he was struggling for a better educational system in Nigeria, but for personal and irresponsible aggrandisement. KWASU in a statement issued in Ilorin yesterday considered the statements as undeserving of an academic of Professor Osodeke’s
purported status who should know better than to denigrate institutions of higher learning for one reason that is unrelated to any factor used to measure the standard of institutions anywhere in the world. However, speaking yesterday, the ASUU president debunked the report saying he was misquoted by the Accordingmedia.to Osodeke, he was referring to only three universities owned by state governments which are currently not on strike. Describing the report as fake, Osodeke lamented unprofessionalism in reportage, alleging that the media aimed at creating confusion in the system. He said: “There is nothing like that. It is a lie. I have told myself that I will not talk to the press again because they always misrepresent things.
He further noted that the CBN’s continued support of the manufacturing sector and MSMEs have been yielding great results. He stated, “Furthermore, the new 100 for 100 Policy on Production and Productivity (PPP), which is targeted at harnessing our local raw materials to increase our domestic production, as well as exports through our deliberate credit and other supports, will soon begin to yield quality results. OUTRAGE, DISBELIEF OVER WIKE’S ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT… L-R: Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Mr. Alfred Olajide; Director, People and Culture, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, Ms. Juliana Esezobor; Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Olusegun Dawodu; Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo; Managing Director, NBC, Mr. Matthieu Seguin; and Manager, Supply Chain Capability Development, NBC, Mrs. Misan Ilesanmi, at the graduation ceremony of NBC’s Supply Chain Academy in Ikeja, Lagos…recently ETOP UKUTT Atiku Returns to Nigeria Today to Receive Shekarau into PDP Meanwhile, Atiku is set to head back to the country to receive former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, into the PDP. Shekarau exited the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) recently, claiming that his supporters were not accommodated in elective positions in the party. Atiku is expected to return from Europe today (Sunday), where he met with Wike The former vice-president is billed to meet with Shekarau ahead of his official defection to theShekerauPDP. left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the NNPP in May 2022 after months of leadership tussle with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, of Kano State. The senator representing Kano Central said APC’s inability to settle the crisis between his faction and Ganduje’s camp resulted in his exit. But his new alliance with the NNPP was short-lived. He said the NNPP under the leadership of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s presidential candidate, failed to integrate his supporters. Shekarau accused Kwankwaso of betraying the agreement they had before his defection.
In a related development, a former National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Haliru Bello, at the weekend said the internal rift currently rocking the main opposition party would be resolved in earnest, Bello, who also acted as the Chairman of the PDP’s BoT between May 2015 and February 2016, added that the party would win the 2023 presidential election. He expressed the optimism during a television programme Friday, maintaining that the PDP had experienced politicians working to resolve the impasse.
“The quest for building a more sophisticated economy and agricultural, micro, small, and medium enterprises, industrial and manufacturing concerns has become the major component of our monetary policy.
Says Nigeria now exports rice due to apex bank’s interventions
He added: “The Central Bank of Nigeria, under my leadership, has taken major leaps to diversify the economy away from a largely oil-based economy through our numerous interventions. We have supported non-oil sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, health care, education, power and aviation, and other allied economic value chains.
Wike has the right to feel slighted, because he was expecting to be nominated.“Whenthe decision was made, he was not privy to it before the announcement. I think that was the mistake that was made. But that is a minor issue. Wike is a loyal party man. As I said earlier, he has been supporting the party. He will want the PDP to win the presidential election. “After he is consulted and assuaged, I think he will support Atiku Abubakar and work hard to make sure the PDP wins the presidential election. I am sure everything will be sorted out after this Port Harcourt meeting.” He observed that while he had not seen leadership lapses in the PDP over the crisis, the only mistake he identified was the late response of the party’s BoT to the need to inform Wike appropriately before the selection of the vice presidential candidate. The former national chairman said: “Had Wike been carried along properly, the problem might not have arisen. The development made Wike and some other supporters of the party feel slighted. With the machinery put in place, however, the matter would soon be a thing of the past.”
“I will never be a party to injustice. My integrity is of utmost and not any political position that will make me compromise it and that of my people. Nobody will use position or money against my integrity,” he had said. “Nobody will use money to change my conscience. I was a governor for eight years in Kano and people believed in myHeintegrity.”wasamember of the PDP until 2018 when he exited due to the internal rift in the Kano State chapter of the party. Party Crisis will Be Resolved Soon, Says Ex-National Chairman
NEWS EMULATE JONATHAN’S METHOD TO RESOLVE STRIKE, ASUU PRESIDENT TELLS FG health sector intervention was beginning to reduce healthcare tourism, which according to him, was helping to conserve the country’s foreign exchange and improve the well-being of NigeriansEmefiele said the quest for building a robust economy had remained the major component of the monetary policy. According to him, Nigeria has largely depended on the oil sector for revenue generation over the past four decades. He, therefore, said there was a need to build a broad-based and well-diversified economy that would guarantee overall macroeconomic stability.
PDP STAKEHOLDERS EXPRESS
“Nigeria has largely depended on the oil sector for revenue generation over the past four decades, and the sustained decline in crude oil production has continued to negatively undermine the performance of the“Thus,economy.there is the urgent need for a conscientious effort to diversify to other non-oil sectors,” Emefiele said. To achieve this, Emefiele, therefore, called on all arms of government in the country to urgently improve production and output to surpass population growth, which is pegged at over three per cent per annum. He believed that doing so will help the country achieve macroeconomic stability. “As I have often said, it is important that we work to create an economy that will enable us to feed ourselves, create jobs for our teeming youths, and improve the standard of living of our people.
Emefiele: CBN’s Focus on Economic Diversification Yielding Dividends
10 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022
He noted that the skill of PDP’s chieftains helped the party “to tackle many crises in the past to become stronger. Nomination problem is always significant in any“Weelectioneering.havealways come through them. But this very one is a bit different because of the importance of Governor Wike in our party. Remember he stood with the party when we were in deep crisis over the Ali Modu Sheriff problem. “He has also been our pillar supporting the party since that time. In fact, the rebuilding of the party happened, thanks to him and some other governors since we lost the 2015 election. “But all the same, the issue of nomination, and especially nomination of running mate, this time, became problematic, not because Atiku Abubakar set up the committee, but because in 2019, when the vice president was nominated without consultation, there was a lot of complaints and brouhaha.“Thistime around Atiku corrected that mistake and consulted widely among party members before nominating his running mate. But the problem is, as always, for any appointment or nomination, there are several contenders.“Ibelieve the way it was handled before the announcement was the cause of the problem; and people have the right to feel slighted over the problem.
“I have found out that the Nigerian press is specialised in manipulating interviews, reporting what someone did not say just to create confusion in the system. They won’t report things the way it is.”Meanwhile, ASUU has accused the federal government of displaying an apparent lack of sincerity in resolving the ongoing strike by the union, saying that the government cannot deceive the union to suspend the industrial action.Addressing a press conference in Jos, the Bauchi Zone coordinator of the union, Professor Lawan Abubakar noted that the strike action embarked on by ASUU in February this year is now in its seventh month with more than 95 per cent of the Nigerian universities’ students in 49 Federal and 57 state universities idling away at home.
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Air Peace Flight Suffers Bird Strike
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) yesterday said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector had contributed 18.44 per cent to ‘Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report’ for Q2This2022.is as the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, said Nigeria is currently working to establish a strategy for e-commerce that will boost the growth of the sector.The Technical Assistant Research and Development to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Femi Adeluyi, made this known in a statement in Abuja. Adeluyi said that the digital economy sector under Prof. Isa Pantami has continued its trend of playing a key part in the growth of Nigeria’s economy. According to him, the oil sector contributed 6.33 per cent to the total real GDP in Q2 2022, which was lower than the contribution in Q2 ‘2021 and Q1 ‘2022, where it contributed 7.42 per cent and 6.63 per cent, respectively.“Thenon-oil sector’s contribution grew by 4.77 per cent in real terms, resulting in a 93.67 per cent contribution to the nation’s GDP in the Q2 ‘2022. “This was higher than Q2 ‘2021 and Q2 ‘2022, where it contributed 92.58 per cent and 93.37 per cent, respectively,” he said.Pantami said that the growing contribution of the sector to the GDP was a result of the commitment of the current administration to the development of the digital economy.He said that the unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP can also be attributed to the dynamic and results-oriented leadership of the sector. He, however, said that the Report had shown how critical the ICT sector was to the growth of the country’s digital economy and, by extension, the general economy.“Thediligent implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria, stakeholder engagement, and creation of an enabling environment have all played an important role in this achievement.“Thesupport of President Muhammadu Buhari has contributed immensely to the impressive developments in the“Thesector. unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP can also be attributed to the dynamic and results-oriented leadership of the sector,” he said. Pantami congratulated stakeholders in the digital economy ecosystem for this cheering news. He called on all sectors to take advantage of the Federal Government’s new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICTs. He added: “This would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigeria’s GDP. “
The battle for the soul of Katsina State has continued to gather momentum as 19,500 registered members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Daura senatorial district. The defectors cited the lack of accomplished campaign promises by the APC-led administration, economic hardship as well as security challenges bedeviling the state as their reasons for leaving the ruling party for the opposition PDP in the state.
Meanwhile, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adebayo, has said Nigeria is currently working to establish a strategy for e-commerce that will boost the growth of the sector.The minister stated this yesterday in Abuja at a stakeholder dialogue on e-commerce and digital trade policy for Nigeria.
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Francis Ndubuisi in Abuja
FG restates commitment to devt of e-commerce strategy
NBS: ICT Sector Contributed 18.44% to Nigeria’s GDP in Q2, 2022
NEWS 14 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022
Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Air Peace, has announced that its operating Flight P47154, which departed Lagos at 12noon yesterday, August 27, 2022, for Owerri, could not land due to a bird strike that got the bird stuck on the left main landing gear. In a statement signed by its management, the airline said the strike affected the operating parameters of the landing gear, which made the pilots follow regulatory safety procedures by returning to Lagos where they landed the aircraft safely without any “Passengersincident.disembarked normally and another aircraft was been deployed to operate the flight. We apologise for the inconveniences caused to all passengers affected by this situation and be assured of our strict compliance with established safety standards,” the statement said.
Receiving the defectors in Baure town yesterday, the state Chairman of PDP, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri said the 19,500 defectors were from Baure and Zango local government areas of the Baurestate.and Zango LGAs are among the 12 local government areas that made up the Daura senatorial zone of the state. According to the PDP chairman, "Today (Saturday) we received 19,500 defectors from the APC into our great party, the PDP, and most of them are APC exco members from different political wards in Baure and Zango LGAs. We will work with them to rescue Katsina from APC in 2023". He enjoined them to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023, adding that the party is set to reclaim power from the APC in order to tackle what he described as a myriad of challenges afflicting the state and the country at large.
Adebayo noted that there is no better time than now to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from the oil sector by building a dynamic, profitable, and efficient non-oil sector to reposition the economy on a sustainable growth path.
Katsina PDP Receives 19,500 APC Defectors in Buhari’s Senatorial Zone
The minister who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Commodities and Export Department, Mr. Suleman Audu, said Nigeria is actively participating in the ongoing negotiation at the World Trade Organisation, to boost e-commerce. He said: “Nigeria is yet to fully harness the inherent opportunities in the e-commerce value chain, largely due to inadequate investment, coupled with inadequate information on the opportunities in the sector and the inability of Government to provide the required enabling environment.“Assuch,the government has identified e-commerce as a major priority programme that will play a critical role in the promotion of commodity trade, especially with the realities of the unprecedented Covid-19 global heN171.9985.5transactionsthatSettlementfrommillion2021,whichonlineshowsforbybillionisatspending“Thepandemic.currente-commerceinNigeriaisestimated$13billionperannumandprojectedtorisetoabout$75inrevenuesperannum2025.ThemarketoutlookNigeria’se-commercethatthenumberofshoppersinthecountry,wasat76.7millioninisexpectedtohit122.5by2025.ThefigurestheNigeriaInter-BankSystem,alsoshowNigeria’se-paymentincreasedbypercentyear-on-yeartotrillioninAugust2021,”furtherstated.
Earlier, the state PDP governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke, called on the defectors to reject any form of inducements in readiness for the battle of winning the forthcoming general election. He explained that the PDP has been receiving thousands of defectors from other political parties in the state into its fold, and predicted that the party would receive over 100,000 defectors before the commencement of 2023 campaigns.Danmarke reiterated that if elected as the governor of the state he would eradicate poverty, economic hardship, and security challenges bedeviling residents of the state through meaningful policies and developmental programmes.SenatorAhmed Babba Kaita who also addressed the defectors said the opposition PDP needs not to campaign before winning any election in the state because of what he termed massive failure and bad leadership of the APC-led administration. He said: "The failure of the APC administration in Katsina State is a clear sign of victory for the PDP. The party and its leadership have nothing good to show after about eight years of its administration in the state. Their government is full of deceivers and liars". He also flayed the state government for its failure in project execution that would alleviate the plights of the masses, saying the decision of the defectors was to help end the era of the APC’s misrule and maladministration in the state come 2023.
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as
lions of adults and youths roaming the streets a consistent pattern of the worsening situation per cent of that army of idle citizens is peopled by those between the ages of 15 and 35. Many of them, university graduates, are not only miserable but condemned to the street corner. 17-year high of 19.64%. This compares to 18.6% recorded in the previous month of June 2022. to 24.32%. This is according to Nairalytics, a web portal that publishes Nigeria’s historical macroeconomic data. Notably, the uptick in the and core index. in July 2022 from 18.01% recorded in July 2021, 16.75% recorded in the corresponding period of While2021. the bumper sale of beer manufacturers counterproductive for the government to ignore the danger signal in the rising frustration of the Nigerian people. The untamed security situation which makes farming and other productive ventures risky, and the rising cost of living, largely accentuated by the rising energy costs, according to observers, are driving many Nigerians, especially youths to Itcrimes.istherefore hoped that government will not focus on the pool of funds made available through the increase in excise duty on beer products at the expense of well being of the generality of the people of Nigeria especially as the nation braces up for the next general election.
I
t is bad enough that the global economy is slowing down with devastating consequences cutting across all the continents. Even the so-called developed economies are not spared peaked at 10.1 per cent, the highest index for July was 8.5%, which is said to be close to a multi-decade high. Are Nigerians on Drinking Spree? However, in Nigeria, the situation is worse because it is feared that the pervading mood of hopelessness unleashed by a combination of general insecurity, failed economic policies, and large-scale corruption is driving many Nigerians intoNothingdepression.bestdescribed the fact that the majority of Nigerians are frustrated with the prevailing situation as the spike in the Misery Index which moved from 59.4 per cent in December 2021 to 62.79 by July this year. It was a development that coincided with the bumper harvest recorded the year, strengthening the claim that in their state of misery, more Nigerians may have been taking solace in beer consumption with a corresponding increase in excise duty paid by beer However, while virtually all the other sectors in the face of the current economic realities, beer manufacturers are smiling to the banks as alcoholic consumption rose sharply within the results of four major brewers in the country showed that Nigerians drank beer worth N599.11 billion in six months running from January to JuneAlso,2022.over N68 billion was collected in form between January and June. Critics, however, raised the fear that with the growing level of misery and the harsh economic climate, the government might be making life the federal government introduced a new excise Different brands of beer regime in 2018 to address shortfalls in revenues; the new regime led to an increase of at least N30 per litre of alcohol consumed in the country. Another increase to N35 per litre was implemented in June 2019. With another adjustment imminent, operators are already concerned about to make nonsense of chunk of individuals’ real incomes, limiting household spending. The government is accused of ignoring the peculiarity of her economic operating environment growth, weak naira, and struggling economic growth, among others, which makes the survival of companies and households threatened, hence, the timing of such policy is considered by experts, a bad one. Rising Revenue As expected, the surge in beer consumption has translated to huge revenue for the federal collected over N68 billion between January and June, from excise duty on beer, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and tobacco. The excise duty is levied on the manufacture, sale, and consumption of goods that fall under the excise control, which include but are not limited to beer, spirits, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and cigarettes, which are collected across the country. While presenting the half-year report of the service covering January-June, this year, the disclosed that the Customs had commenced collections from traders producing carbonated and sugary drinks, which were newly added Bumper Beer Sale and brand awareness. increased prices more than twice due to high excise duty, a levy on the manufacture of locally produced goods. within six months of H1 this year, in contrast to the N81.96 billion grossed in the same period share of the market, recorded the highest revenue growth of 41.6% during the period under the industry. It generated N6.86 billion, against the N4.84 billion reported in H1 2021. Guinness Nigeria reported 28.9% turnover growth, which rose to N206.82 billion in H1 this year, from N160.41 billion in H1 2021. It neverthebillion, which is 1146.7% year-on-year growth when compared to the N1.25 billion of H1 2021. its revenue to N274.03 billion between January to June this year, the 30.9% growth rate when compared to the N209.21 billion turnover of H1 year-on-year, having declared a N19.08 billion
Rising Misery Index number of citizens living in extreme poverty have risen to 19.6 per cent, the highest in 17 years. who developed the index to assess the degree of hardships faced by citizens in their country, and bank lending rates, minus the percentage people more miserable.” As the index rightly explained, the country’s misery ranking is laid at the foot of the economy and the unemployment crisis.
Bumper Harvest for Beer Makers Misery Index Spikes
Diffbdfb emerging statistics show a consistent increase in beer consumption, resulting in higher Festus Akanbi
17THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022 BUSINESS Editor: Festus Akanbi 08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com
MTN’s Readiness So far, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc the best of service with 5G technology. The company, which intends to launch 5G ser vices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri, is testing the next-generation network infrastructure. According to MTN, customers with certain enabled devices would be allowed to con nect with and try out the new service where coverage is available. To access the 5G network and en compatible devices, such as routers and mobile phones, which can be pre-ordered from designated MTN walk-in stores and online via the MTN Nigeria website and e-marketplace. The pre-ordered devices can be picked up or will be delivered to customers post the launch event scheduled to take place in the coming weeks. The advanced technology promises to extend the reach and capacity of MTN Nigeria’s data network in Ni geria and enable much faster speeds and lower latency, giving customers near-instant access to the things they care about and downloads that take seconds, instead of minutes. Giving details of its readiness to boost subscribers’ experience with 5G technology, the Chief Marketing – changing the way we live and the way we connect. MTN Nigeria has been at the forefront of every leap in 2G, 3G, and 4G. 5G has the potential to change everything. It will allow us to connect, create, collaborate, and compete in ways we have not even begun to imagine.”
5G Experience A few subscribers who shared their 5G experience with THISDAY, said they were excited at the incredible connectivity speed with zero latency to complete each task, coupled with the clear voice quality and picture quality of downloaded online materials. They however said the data consumption rate appeared much higher than the 3G and 4G networks. Mr. Philip Okonkwo, one of the MTN subscribers with a 5G enabled smartphone who experienced the 5G technology on the MTN network from Lagos, described the experience as mind-blowing.
5G Spectrum The spectrum issued to MTN Nigeria as one of the two successful winners of the 5G license bid holds a promising future for technology in Nigeria, and is projected to contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy by 2034, according to a 2020 GSMA Intel The implementation of 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, Strategy, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.WiththeMTN 5G launch, leveraging the largest spectrum dedicated to 5G in Africa, Nigeria will join a h andful of Af rican countries that have rolled out the 5GThenetwork.NCChad in December 2021, auc tioned two slots in the 3.5GHz spectrum in a keenly contested bid process among MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Ma fab Communications Limited and Airtel Nigeria Communications. At the end of the exercise, the NCC declared MTN and Mafab winners of the two frequency slots and gave them a timeline to make pay ment for the 5G frequency licence before issuance of the licence.
“The 5G experience is awesome because of its incredible high speed of connectivity, but my challenge with it is that the rate of consumption is on the high side. What it means is that subscribers must have enough data to experience the swiftness of 5G. People that manage data cannot use 5G for now, except the operator work on the fast data depletion rate, which I think will be a thing of concern to many subscribers. It is however a technology of choice. Those that cannot and 4G technology,” he said. Another subscriber to MTN, Mr. Tunde Shobajo who also shared his experience with 5G technology, told THISDAY it was a wonderful experience to be on the 5G network because of its high download speed. “In seconds, I was able to down load movies of two gigabytes and three gigabytes. Though it consumes data faster, the experience cannot be compared with the data depletion because the download speed is extremely fast and saves a lot of time,” Shobajo said. the 5G technology on the MTN network, shared their experience with THISDAY. One speed with near-zero latency in completing tasks. I invite all MTN subscribers and all Nigerians to connect to 5G technology to have the awesome experience.”
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5G network, when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country. The technol ogy is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.”
TELECOMS Subscribers Count Gains of 5G Roll Out by MTN
As MTN Nigeria pioneered the pilot roll-out of 5G technology last week, subscribers have begun to experience high-speed internet connectivity on its network, ahead of the full commercial roll-out in seven cities, writes Emma Okonji H istory was made on Wednesday, April 24, 2022, when MTN Nigeria Communica tions Plc, one of the winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum licence for 5G rollout, gave access to some custom ers with 5G enabled devices in Lagos and Abuja to experience high-speed internet connectivity that is associated with the 5G technology.Although MTN had a pilot rollout to further test its 5G network, ahead of its commercial rollout across seven cities, some of the subscribers who had the 5G experience on Wednesday, were excited at the high-speed internet connectivity of the 5G network, with almost zero latency and super clear picture quality of downloads. Some of them were however surprised about the high rate of data consumption within the period they were connected to the 5G network.
Mafab’s Readiness Mafab Communications Limited, the second winner of the 5G licence auction, has not shown any sign of readiness from the very day it was declared the winner of the 5G licence. Payment for the licence it won was initially an issue for the unknown telecom operator which did not have a telecom licence, but it however managed to make payment for the 5G licence fee on the last day. But with barely two days to August 24, 2022, which was the rollout date for MTN Nigeria Limited and Mafab
While the licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations, NCC called for the col sector and government toward transform ing every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G, which it said, would herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.
Communications Limited as mandated by the NCC, the telecoms industry regulator, Mafab Communications in a statement, from NCC for its 5G rollout. development to THISDAY, said NCC de cided to extend the rollout date for Mafab alone because Mafab does not have an operating licence to roll out a 5G network. “The 5G licence comes with frequency licence and not operational licence. So Mafab only has a frequency licence and does not have an operational licence and it needs to apply for a telecom operational licence to enable it to roll out 5G services extension will enable Mafab to process its telecom operational licence” Muoka said. THISDAY gathered that Mafab was issued (USAL) and Numbering plan, which did not happen until the end of July. In the statement issued by Mafab Com munications, its Chairman, Dr. Mushabu Nigerians and deploying a network that will drive economic development with increased broadband capabilities Nationwide. I do not doubt that the service will help deliver business, smart cities and entertainment. vice will enable Nigerians to achieve more with broadband and increase the nation’s broadband penetration, quality of service and capabilities, Bashir further said. Industry stakeholders who are worried about the development, are beginning to question the NCC on the rationale for al lowing Mafab to bid for a 5G licence when it has no telecom operational licence, a development, which they said, would slow down 5G network rollout in the country. A telecom operator who pleaded anonymity said it was wrong for the NCC to have allowed Mafab Communications Limited to bid for a 5G spectrum licence and that it was also completely wrong of NCC to issue a 5G spectrum licence to an unknown operator who has no telecom operational licence to roll out 5G network.
Osaretin said this impression is not the true position of the law because, from the statutory provisions and case laws referred to, as far as surveying and geo-informatics are concerned in Nigeria, SURCON does not share its statutory and regulatory powers with any state or authority.Hesaid state governors or governments, have no power to make policies on surveying, while the state Houses of Assembly have no power to make laws on surveying, although surveying is on the Concurrent list, as long as SURCON exists.
According to Ogbebor Osaretin, a lawyer because of the misrepresentation of some important facts by the stakeholders in the surveying profession.Henoted that surveyors in Lagos State have been subjected to serious professional been deprived of their legitimate practice right because most parcels of land in the state have been tagged “government acquired land” or “government acquisition”.
“Flowing thereon, it is clear that any law made by the state House of Assembly must be in agreement with that of the National Assembly particularly on the same subject matter. Furthermore, the National Assembly in exercising its legislative powers as regards item 25 on the Concurrent Legislative List, enacted the Surveyors Council of Nigeria Act Cap $18, LFN 2004 (SURCON Act).
The recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which held that the Lagos State Surveyor General lacks the power to deny any registered surveyor in the country consent to survey any parcel of land in the state has brought relief to stakeholders in the surveying profession, writes Wale Igbintade
However, in their notice of preliminary objection, the 1st, 3rd, and 10th defendants challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit. They argued that the suit by its nature is a challenge to the constituState Government, under a law enacted by the House of Assembly of Lagos State, and therefore not one of the matters within the judicial competence of the Federal High Court, as conferred by section 251 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. They further argued that the reliefs sought and 3rd -10th Defendants/Applicants who are not agents of the federal government. They urged the court to hold that the suit as constituted disclosed no cause of action or reasonable cause of action against the 3-9” defendants/applicants.
How Court Rescued Surveyors in Lagos
“It is crystal clear to me that the provisions of Section 5 of the Survey Law of Lagos State, which restricts licensed surveyors in Nigeria from carrying out survey work on any land owned by or acquired by the Lagos State government without the prior written consent of the Surveyor General of Lagos State and after payment of the prescribed fee failing which a licensed surveyor may be liable upon conviction provisions of section 19 of the Survey Act, which provides a right to nationwide practice for all
“Whether having regard to the provisions of section 4 (a-e) of the SURCON Act, CAP $18, LEN 2004, the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, (2nd defendant) has the powers to issue the guidelines for the conduct of survey practice in Nigeria 2020 in the exercise of its powers to regulate and control survey practice in Nigeria. ‘’Whether having regards to section 2 and 4 of the SURCON Act, the 1st defendant who is a member of the 2nd defendant is bound to follow and apply the guidelines for the conduct of survey practice in Nigeria in Lagos State.’’ They also prayed the court to determine whether the Surveyor General, of Lagos State (1st defendant) has the power to deny the to survey any parcel of land in Lagos State (whether owned by the Lagos State Government, corporate bodies or private individuals).’’
PROPERTY
“The blue pencil rule is applied to severe a part of legislation that is good in the sense that it is valid, from the bad part, in that it is invalid. That is, the blue pencil is run over the bad part. If what remains of the impugned legislation, that is the good part, can stand, then it is applied. But if what remains cannot stand on its own, the impugned legislation is declared invalid.
“It must be emphasised that legislative enactments are subject to judicial interpretation because they are not and can never be absolute on their standing alone without the interpretation of the courts. The exercise of legislative powers shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts of law which can examine and determine whether the“Itconstitution.istothisend that, in the exercise of the powers of this court, I have examined the SURCON Act and the Survey Law of Lagos State and have come to the conclusion that, Section 5 of the Survey Law of Lagos State ought to be struck down because the SURCON Act has
portions of section 5 of the Survey Law of Lagos State by invoking the Blue Pencil Rule.
“The Survey Law of Lagos is not targeted duties in line with the SURCON Act, dare to enter into and survey any land in the Mende revocation area of Lagos, to survey any property and As-built survey plans of individuals, organisations or companies.
19THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022
Respite came the way of over 400 registered surveyors licensed to practice anywhere within the Federal Republic of Nigeria, following the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which declared Section 5 of the Survey Law of Lagos State unconstitutional. Justice Daniel Osiagor in his judgment delivered in a suit marked FHC L/ CS/ 1789/ the Surveyor General of Lagos State and 10 others, held that the state House of Assembly overstepped its legislative boundary in enacting LagosSectionState.5(1) of the Survey Law requires that no licensed surveyor will demarcate or survey any state land or land acquired by the state government without the prior consent in writing of the surveyor general and after the payment of the prescribed fee. Section 5(2) of the law also provides that any licensed surveyor who contravenes the provior imprisonment for 12 months. dated December 11, 2020, had prayed the court to determine, “Whether having regard to Section 4(4) and items 25 and 26 Part Il of the second schedule of the 1999 Constitution, and Sections 1 and 4 of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria Act Cap S18, LFN 2004 (SURCON Act), the Surveyors Council of Nigeria is the only body vested with the powers to regulate, and control the practice and the profession of surveying throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’ They also urged the court to determine
established the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), a body corporate in perpetuity.
“The provisions of the Survey Law of Lagos State purports to legislate over survey, a matalready covered by the SURCON Act because of the nature of the subject matter and items, especially with particular respect to the entitlement of registered surveyors to practice and carry out survey works without any hindrance, it is safe to hold that the power of the Lagos state legislature to legislate over survey is limited.
‘’Thus, Section 5 of the Survey Law of Lagos State, “Provided that no licensed surveyor will demarcate or survey any stale land or land acquired by the state Government without the prior consent in writing of the surveyor general and after the payment of the prescribed fee”, is deleted by implication, the defendants circular-dated the 15/09/2020 which is premised on the proviso to Section 5(1) of the Survey Law of Lagos State, to which the blue pencil rule has been applied is invalid because the law is settled that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. I so hold.’’ According to experts, some state governments have delved into the surveying contents of the state policies because they believe that the Land Use Act vests all land in the state in the governor and because surveying is contained on the concurrent list of the Nigerian constitution.
But, in his judgement, Justice Osiagor dismissed the preliminary objection and held that “The SURCON Act, being an enactment of the National Assembly is under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. The court held that the 2nd and 11th defendants are agencies of the federal government and that the interpretations agency of federal government is within the ambit and scope of the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction.“This,therefore, means that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this suit and I so hold. It is for this objection and accordingly dismiss same,” the court held. On the substantive suit, the court noted that “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) being the grundnorm, stipulates the powers of the three tiers of government namely: the federal, state and local government. The federal government operates through the National Assembly and legislates on matters on the Exclusive Legislative List set out in part 1 of the Second Schedule to the Constitution. The National Assembly is also empowered to legislate on matters on the Concurrent Legislative List set out in Part 11 of the Second Schedule to the Constitution.
Section 1 of the Act
Surveyors on duty
“This depends on the wealth-builders plan. A wealth-builder who decides to be a sole proprietor can go into it alone. A sole proprietorship offers wealth for builders who desire to do it alone. And in doing that, you can register ordinary business enterprises. But, they will not be protected against legal consequences against such sole proprietorship, thus endangering their wealth. The sole proprietorship is not a recommended model for successful wealthbuilders in terms of its limitations for raising needed large capital funds and protecting wealth builders from personal liabilities if their businesses fail”.
WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING WEALTH, HEALTH IS EVERYTHING
“Many Nigerian wealth owners and builders have died for not paying attention to and investing in their health while being fixed and busy stashing wealth in vaults. Some of my close friends have died from lacking investment in regular medical checks and attention to their health”.
“Real estate valuers and planners are needed when investing in properties. These experts are needed to select the best location for wealth-builders to optimise the return of their investments. Location is the prime factor in wealth-building exercises for optimal returns. Poor locations give poor results. In essence, wealth hunters need experts during the process of wealth building. As wealth builders encounter intricate issues and have to make informed decisions, wealth-builders should seek the opinion of experts, including financial planners, lawyers, stockbrokers in terms of investing in company equities, financial planners, accountants, etc. Depending on the areas of engagement of wealth builders, these are necessary”.
REGARDLESS OF THE PATHWAY CHOSEN, YOU NEED TO WORK WITH SMART ADVISERS TO BUILD ENDURING WEALTH
Forming wealth-building entities in companies such as PLLCs or LLCs is the best option for wealth builders who aim to grow big corporate entities and achieve long-term success. However, building wealth through LLCs and PLLCs makes wealth builders lose some degree of ownership control of their businesses. The laws guiding private limited companies(LLC), for instance, do not allow single ownership. The ownership of LLCs must be shared between a minimum of two people. You thus cannot run a sole proprietorship under a private limited liability company arrangement. Therefore, you will need to lose some element of control over other company shareholders. However, wealth-builders can arrange their wealth-building vehicles, whether private or public limited liability entities- such that their articles of association and percentage of equity holdings can allow them some varying degree of voting controls at board meetings. And this is by ensuring that they continue to control their entities along with other shareholders of their companies.”
“More importantly, wealth-builders must seek tax consultants. Tax consultants help to determine tax liabilities for wealth builders and look at areas where wealth builders can gain capital allowances and tax exemptions to avoid undue tax liabilities and take advantage of the provision of tax laws for optimisation of the returns on investment by wealth builders. These experts are all important in different ways depending on the wealth-building engagement of wealth builders”.
“The qualities of professional expertise to look out for are: proven competence, the size of projects that such advisers have handled, the length of service provided by such advisers, the quality and size of the entities that have been advised and the quality of the financial position of such professional advisers.
“Wealth-builders must use professional consultants for quality advice. Quality advisers can be obtained from the professional associations of different professions. For instance, wealth-builders that need the services of engineers should get the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and other technical advisory consultancy organisations, to give them a select list of experienced and proven engineering experts to pick from. The same applies to accounting experts from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, expert issuing houses from the Chartered Institute of Stock Brokers and the Stock Exchange.”
“Here is the reality, from personal observations, experience and what I have also read: once your health is fundamentally assaulted, everything may come to a halt and worse, it could get to a point where you will not be able to just throw money at it. Once your health is affected, lofty dreams can vanish; great visions can perish, and the wealth you have spent your vigour to build may become meaningless. I was once told of a wealthy man who sold all his property worth quite a lot, at a fraction of the value, just to get cash, yet he could still not make it”.
“Wealth builders who do not invest in resting, recreating, engaging in pleasurable leisure activities and some simple exercises only end up with cerebrovascular diseases. These occur more regularly with ageing wealth builders who ignore their health but spend their time solely pursuing and accumulating wealth.“
Without proper financial planning, wealthbuilders would inevitably head for insolvency. Therefore, financial planning is key for wealth building, as this has been severally stated in our previous series. Financial planning includes good budgeting, forecasting, monitoring the cash flow of wealth builders’ entities, optimising returns on assets, proper management of company liabilities, and good investment planning”.
“We must realise that medical insurance companies that provide this health insurance policy coverage run for profitable goals and that they do make profits. Therefore wealth builders are encouraged to establish health insurance and health gym firms as viable opportunities for building wealth. Since health insurance is vital in the management of people’s health, then Nigerian with inferior public health facilities, over 200 million population and with only 3% of its population investing in the provision of health insurance coverage offers wealth builders
“Another investment structure that can be used by wealth-builders outside private and public limited liability vehicles is a partnership. Partnerships can be ordinary or limited. However, partnerships do not immunise or protect partners against personal liability in case of business failures and collapse. For partnership, once the business goes into bankruptcy, the partners will be personally liable for all the losses that may have been accumulated. This same personal liability goes with a sole proprietorship.”
“In my case, even though I took the trouble to be professionally versatile, I still engage the services of professional advisers to better achieve my wealth-building projects. I cannot claim to be an expert in all the skills I have utilised in my wealth-building journey. Even with my professional competence in some areas, I still have to use professionals to help me wade through various challenges. Experts in different professions who have more experience than I have had to be consulted. However, my competence and knowledge levels in different professions have helped me to relate to and quickly understand the inputs of various professional experts. It has also allowed me to cross the t’s and dot the i’s faster and better than those wealth builders without professional versatility”.
WHAT KEY PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS SHOULD WEALTH BUILDERS CONSIDER ENGAGING?
“Once your health is affected, lofty dreams can vanish; great visions can perish, and the wealth you have spent your vigour to build may become meaningless. I was once told of a wealthy man who sold all his property worth quite a lot, at a fraction of the value, just to get cash, yet he could still not make it” a great opportunity to wealth builders to grow their wealth in such an environment.”
“In building wealth, wealth builders must take cognisance of the importance of their health. Otherwise, the whole effort of wealth building would end up worthless for their lives. Wealth builders must therefore be conscious of the need to regularly monitor and take care of their health, to ensure that they live and work with a sound mind, body, energy, good health, and the right mind to build their wealth”. “Wealth builders should also invest in creating the right environment around them to avoid the possible development of chronic respiratory diseases and avoid smoking and smokers. Smoking is medically known to be carcinogenic. Wealth builders must avoid smoking since it is known to damage the lungs and lead to chronic respiratory diseases in the long run. Therefore, it is strongly recommended for wealth builders to invest in their health via regular checkups, using their recommended drugs appropriately and ensure that their medical doctors properly monitor their health
“Successful wealth builders generally build wealth using investment vehicles such as private or public limited liability companies (LLC). And this gives them the opportunity to raise funds through capital investors (with private limited liability companies-LLC) - or long-term equity funds from the capital market, through the stock exchange, with public limited liability companies (PLLC), for zero-interest capital equity funds for their wealth-building goals. To go it alone is to achieve it alone and die alone.”
“The issue about obtaining cheap, incompetent advisors would only lead to obtaining poor consistent results and ultimately result in insolvencies and bankruptcies. Wealth builders that run their businesses by being unduly miserly in using incompetent professional advisers would eventually have themselves to blame.”
My meeting with my Billionaire Friend was a short one; it was essentially a review session, and we went through the entire project and looked at the feedback from the readers. My friend confirmed we needed to move to the next phase, but that would require a recap of what we have done so far to put people in the picture again. So here is the third set of recaps. Enjoy.
“Here is the reality, from personal observations, experience and what I have also read: once your health is fundamentally assaulted, everything may come to a halt and worse, it could get to a point where you will not be able to just throw money at it”.
“Therefore, I will not recommend that wealth builders assume that their knowledge is adequate for their building of wealth. In general, wealth-builders must engage the services of professional advisers, whether or not they have some level of understanding and knowledge in the areas they require expert advice. Depending on self-knowledge in the intricate decision-making journey of building wealth is suicidal.” Can’t wait to catch you next week.
CONVERSATION WITH MY BILLIONAIRE FRIEND ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com 08086447494 (SMS only) AYO AROWOLO PERSONAL FINANCE SAVINGS BUDGETING COMMODITIES GOLD INVESTING Putting It All Together… On the Path to the Next Phase (3)
“The number of experts required is unlimited and cannot be pre-discussed. It all depends on the wealth builders’ journey. Wealth-builders should not be miserly in not wanting to pay for the services of experts, as may be necessary for wealth building. To do so would be termed foolish. Successful wealth-builders like Bill Gates, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede, and industrialist Prince Adedoyin would attest to the importance of financial and other professional advisers in their wealth-building journey.”
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WEALTH HUNTER CHOOSES TO GO INTO IT ALONE?
Artist Impression of my Billionaire Friend
“Being solely self-dependent and assuming knowledge, especially with intricate issues that would arise from time to time, could be selfdestructive. Wealth builders should engage professionals for their input concerning intricate decision-making issues, promising investments, returns, compliance with existential laws and regulations, and prevention. Wealth builders in consulting and regularly paying for the quality advice of professional experts stand to gain in multiple returns of wealth, business buoyancy, enviable business reputation and the attraction of quality “Generally,personnel”.wealth-builders stand to gain innumerable benefits in getting the best obtainable business results for their business investments and succeeding in building an enviable generational lasting successful brand.”
“Oneperformance”.areaofhuman health which wealth builders need to pay close attention to is the early detection of cancer. The symptoms of cancer for early detection include lumps or thickening of the skin, fatigue, skin changes, unexplained bleeding, etc. Once these begin to rear their heads, wealth builders must take prompt measures to invest in a thorough investigation before such early symptoms of cancer develop to advanced stages. We can go on and on about the health issues usually occurring during wealth builders’ earnest pursuit of wealth. However, the whole essence of this conversation is the need for wealth builders to invest in and pay due attention to their health while seeking wealth. Wealth without health has no value and significance because man needs a healthy life to enjoy wealth. Wealth builders’ benefits of investing in health are enormous because they need to take care of their survival, energetic body, stable health and flexible body to build wealth and make significant contributions to societal, national and human development.”
The conversation with my Billionaire Friend was based on the following questions: WHY SHOULD A WEALTH HUNTER HIRE QUALITY ADVISERS? If a wealth hunter prefers to be self-dependent, he would be heading for failure in his quest. Humans’ successes are best achieved through the utilisation and coordination of the expert inputs of others to optimally achieve set goals. Nobody should think he is a master of all; only God almighty is the master of all. - the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. Therefore, wealth hunters must seek the priced expertise of professionals of all spheres in their wealthbuilding endeavours to optimise the expected outcomes of their search for wealth.
20 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022
“Somewhere in our conversation, we had discussed the need for wealth builders to have some basic understanding and knowledge to help them appreciate and better utilise the advice of professional experts as it pertains to their wealth-building endeavours. With such basic literacy and understanding, it would thus be easier for wealth builders to make informed judgments and take appropriate decisions that will successfully catapult them to their wealth-building goals”.
SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 • THISDAY 21
SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 • THISDAY22
Presidency See Page 24 See Page 49 IMO AND GUESSINGTHEGAME
The sub-Committee discussed Section 106(4) of the 1963 Constitution which requires the Commissioner of Police of a region to comply with the direction of the Premier of a Region and that in case of disagreement with such direction, the Commissioner may request that the matter be referred to the Prime Minister of theItFederation.wasargued that the recourse directly to the Prime Minister rather than through the intermediary of the Inspector-General of Police undermines his authority as the InspectorGeneral has the constitutional responsibility for the operational control of the Police. However, it was agreed that it is not proper that any disagreement involving the Governor of a state be passed through the Inspector-General who is a public official. The issue of possible conflict between the State and Central government on the control of police operations, especially where the state government concerned is from a party which is not the same as the party in control of the central government was raised. It was thought that this issue is not limited to control of police only and that it is a question of state/federal relations to be dealt with by the appropriate sub-Committee”.
”There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be styled the Nigeria Police Force. Two, Subject to the provision of this Constitution, the Nigeria Police Force shall be organized and administered in accordance with such provision as may be made in that behalf by the legislature. Three, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the members of the Nigeria Police Force shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred upon them by any law in force in Nigeria. Four, no police forces other than the Nigeria Police Force shall be established for Nigeria or any part thereof. Five, the Legislature may make provision during emergencies for Police Forces forming part of the armed forces of the Federation, or for protection of harbours, waterways, railways and airfields. Six, there shall be an Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police and a Commissioner of Police for each state of the Federation, whose offices shall be offices in the Public Service of the Federation. Seven, the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police. Eight, the President or such other Minister of the Government of the Federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the President may give to the Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police such directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary and the Inspector-General shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.
he declared. Throughout the tenure of General Yakubu Gowon, there was no mention on the need to create State Police. It was against this background that the Constitutional Drafting Committee was announced by the then Head of State in 1975, General Ramat Murtala Mohammed on October 1, 1975 in his broadcast. The committee was headed by Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams. The committee then established seven sub committees. The subcommittee on Public Services including the Armed forces and the Police was headed by Dr. Obi Wali. Other members of the subcommittee were Alhaji Ahmed Talib, Colonel M. Pedro Martins, Dr. O. Idris, Mr. A. Makele, Alhaji Mamman Daura and Chief Ekanem Ita. Dr Obi Wali’s Committee did not recommend the creation of a State Police. The sub-Committee in discussing the structure of the police for the country raised the question whether the unified Police system, now in operation, accords with the spirit of federalism. The preponderance of sentiments however was for the continuation of a unifiedHowever,structure.while the sub-Committee favours the continuation of a unified Police Structure for the country, it believes that a different arrangement from what now obtains should be made in the operation of the Police. This is because each level of government, central, state and local has responsibility for the maintenance of law and order and each should share in the operational control of the Police commensurate with the level of its responsibilities. The subCommittee recommends that the Police force that operates at the local authority area should be under the operational direction of the local authorities, where such local authorities have been entrusted with the responsibility for maintenance of law and order. Conflicts between the local authority and local police command could be resolved through a system of appeals, the police appealing through the State Command and local authority through the State Ministry of Local Government. It is also suggested that an advisory committee established at the local level could be used in discussing issues concerning the local authority/ local Police relations.
‘CONSTABULARIES’RAGEEDITORIALOFTHE 23
STANLEY OKOROAFOR contends that the offensive against former deputy governor, Gerard Irona, is unfortunate
THE BLUNDER IN NOT HAVING STATE POLICE
See Page 24
1THISDAY MONDAY MARCH 14, 2022 OPI NION‘ ECONOMYINOPPORTUNITIESACRUMBLING Amid the hard times, there are so there,opportunitiesmanyoutwritesAISHA SHUAIBU Sunday 28 August, 2022 Vol 27. No www.thisdaylive.com10000 opinion@thisdaylive.com
The non-inclusion of State Police in the Constitution was an error. It was a grave omission. The lapse occurred in 1976. No one could have imagined 46 years ago that our security challenges would become so grave, that we now live at the mercy of terrorists, kidnappers, Boko Haram, ISWAP, political thugs, armed robbers, and the rest. Who could have imagined that our country will be so mismanaged, to the extent that we are experiencing depression and crippling fear, like a nagging hound of hell pursuing our every footstep?Instead of emotional lamentation, wailing or grieving, if we really wanted State Police, we could have had it. No need crying over spilled milk.But if we have really wanted State Police, that blunder should have been corrected by now. And perhaps our security apparatus would have improved. For some of us who grew up in this country before independence and even during the first Republic, we experienced the services of regional police and local government native police called AKODA. If you look at Section 106(4) of the 1963 Constitution, the establishment of regional police was recognized. The Section states that “Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, the Commissioner of Police of a Region shall comply with the directions of the Premier of the Region or such other Minister of the Government of the Region as may be authorized in that behalf by the Premier with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order within the Region or cause them to be complied with:” When we have issues like the creation of State Police, we have no choice than to trace how the Presidential Constitution was made with particular reference to the founding fathers no matter how often we make that reference. They are the framers of our constitution. Moreso, when our Presidential Constitution did not pass through a referendum, plebiscite, initiative or mandate.General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, the first Military Head of State of Nigeria, on assuming power on January 1, 1966, suspended the 1963 Constitution and with it, the Regional Police. General Ironsi promulgated the Constitution (Suspension and Modification Decree 1966) , Decree 1 dated January 17, 1966 but not published in the official gazette until March 4, 1966. The decree pronounced the death of Regional Police. Even in his speech at the Lugard Hall in Kaduna on April 19, 1967, at a meeting with Emirs and Chiefs, the then Military Governor of the Northern Region, Lt-Colonel Hassan Usman Katsina emphasized that Regional Police and native authority had become a thing of the past. He said on that day that “one of the main features of the Panel’s recommendations was a closer control of the native courts of the government. The taking over of the native courts by the government was in fact accepted in principle by the civilian government and judging from some of the legislation it had passed since 1958 there is no doubt that it was working towards the goal,”
State police is urgently needed, argues ERIC TENIOLA
Teniola was a Director in the
Since 2020, Imo State’s decline both in its political and economic spheres are can impose a Governor, it cannot afford to superimpose trust on the people, so taken a toll on the state, such that the In that dark side of search, Uzodinma’s easiest supposed prey happened to be former Deputy and tactics within Uzodinma’s circle is First, since the well-orchestrated Uzodinma and his henchmen have spared no effort to make life and some of his commissioners unwarranted and undue use of every
Yet, despite all these provocations, Irona has remained calm, level-headed to entrench accountability and political vendetta, intimidation and Mr Uzodinma is all aware of the certainly not part of the pathways
“A person who can dominate during rough times is a person who can dominate, period.” – Gary Vaynerchuk (Crush It, 2009) economic turmoil, as most have not, since the opportunity and business operators must world that if a Micro, Small & Medium in their first three years due to factors that have remained persistent in the country: driven by information and communication lead to investment opportunities, job Fact of the matter is that there is no While we are at risk of very slow us from our reluctance to raise alarms about the elephant in the room in the construction of the Great Green Wall Shuaibu is a member of EditorialTHISDAYBoard
More audaciously, in a move to rope in Irona at all costs, the Uzodinma’s Warp and all, there are constitutional means will only stand to hurt Uzodinma is the recent protest in Imo on the the sponsors of insecurity in Imo OKOROAFOR contends that the offensive against former deputy governor, Gerard Irona, is unfortunate
OPPORTUNITIES IN A CRUMBLING ECONOMY
Amid the hard times, there are so many opportunities out there, writes AISHA SHUAIBU Okoroafor writes fromImoOguta,State of the Sahara and Sahel Initiative where a wall of trees is to be created across 11 states rehabilitate 225,000 hectares of land under must hold the President and Minister of reckless and irresponsible when the air that we breathe, the food we eat and the land we to lessen the future impact of environmental Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development because the idea itself is not sustainable look beyond what has been done before and The conversion of ideas to solutions that cater to the mass population is not an impossible business vision to include a social impact instance; how can we promote a sports culture across the nation that could also lead
This would also create more demand in the job market for sports administrators, officials, to outside the country like our current world
2 crowd which Uzodinma deployed solve the problem of insecurity in Imo State? What is the end result tackle insecurity, which is a result at the person of Irona cannot be footprints of authoritarianism before draw the attention of the public to these sinister plots to persecute Irona Imo State has suffered so much on how to improve the economic architecture and infrastructural beyond monstrous politics to policy issues that will better the lot of the citizens, such that fear is the most the backwaters of arson, crime and about a plan to push forward a petition
24 THISDAY SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 IMO AND THE GUESSING GAME STANLEY
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
between those hired as police constabu laries and government at all levels. Yet, at the root of effective and its operators. Incidentally, but for the incident in Ilorin, many Nigerians were not even aware that the scheme has taken off since there is no dent in incidents of crime in neighbourhoods and communities across the country. Instead, crime rate is on the rise with daily reports of diverse problems ranging from drug abuse to violent gang activities and rape. Ordinarily, community policing is predicated on the belief that authorities and citizens at the grassroots have both the police and the locals build synergy aimed at guaranteeing the security of lives and property in the neighbourhoods by freely exchanging ideas, sharing intelligence and acting on such. Community police personnel are expected to have frequent contacts with members of the community all with a view to enforcing law and order and solving local problems. That is not what is happening in Nigeria today with this controversial scheme. If the overall aim of the “special constabularies” is to hire locals familiar with the environment, crimes, the idea has been subverted. Such a scheme can only be driven effectively by the states, not from Abuja. There could be areas of mutual cooperation between the federal and the state, but not the suffocating model that is in the works. The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has long championed the call for state police. And the governors have very compelling reasons to ask for the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force as presently constituted. or less, bear the huge responsibilities for the upkeep and maintenance of the police in form of logistics, allowances and other forms of assistance. But they have no control over these police commands. As admitted by the Force Headquarters, there is an urgent need “to review the effectiveness” of the “special constabularies” scheme. But in the immediate, bunch in Kwara State before they become a national security risk.
to the Editor LETTERS EDITORIAL
If the overall aim of the ‘special constabularies’ is to hire locals familiar with the environment, language and all the nuances of culture to help fight crimes, the idea has been subverted. Such a scheme can only be driven effectively by the states, not from Abuja Nigeria`s return to democracy in 1999 brought with it the pleasant realization that genuinely go to the polls to choose those to govern them without the military, interlopers in the corridors of power, breathing down theirThisnecks.realization was made sweeter by the fact that pain was not far away in the buildup to 1999. In 1993, the Nigerian military had violated the sanctity of the electoral process after MKO Abiola swept to victory at the presidential polls. In annulling the elections, the military conspired to send the country into the clutches of a brutal military dictatorship that only expired when Sani Abacha breathed his last in 1998. Nigerians were able to go to the polls in 1999 and it happened that a country newly restored to the path of democracy in 1999 Obasanjo.
AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION WHOSE TIME HAS COME
sanctity of elections in Nigeria. This went on for a while and needed a series of judicial interventions to stop. It is not to say that elections in Nigeria have completely become free and fair. But what has always been a journey has continued and Nigeria has come a long way. Long canvassed by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), the body has been unwavering in its belief that without a proper agency to expeditiously deal with those who subvert the electoral process in Nigeria, the electoral process will never reach its full potential. This much was revealed by Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chiarman, at a public hearing on the “Bill for an Act to establish the National Electoral Offences Commission’ recently conducted by the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral matters.Mr.Yakubu revealed that in many cases, electoral offenders are prosecuted while those who commission them go scot-free. He courts since 2015, only about 60 had resulted in Theconvictions.INEC chairman proposed that an Electoral Offences Tribunal be established with the exclusive jurisdiction to try electoral offenders. He cited the Commission`s current incapacity to arrest offenders and conduct investigations as well as the volume of cases before the courts saddled with the responsibility of trying electoral offenders. There is no doubt that for Nigerians to access electoral justice, there is every need for an Electoral Offences Commission that will bring to book those who commit electoral offences in Nigeria. This will no doubt further sanitize Nigeria`s electoral process and prove salutary for the country`s democracy.
49THISDAY SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022
The present community policing strategy does not cater to the needs of the people
peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
RAGE OF THE ‘CONSTABULARIES’
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All over the world, those who subvert the will of the people know how critical elections are in deciding whether a people remain themselves, or whether they remain docile under the often heavy hands of those imposed on them. Because free and fair elections show off democracy`s unrivalled power, they are often the subject of the most attention from those whose motives are anything but noble.In1999, the antics of Nigeria`s electoral offenders were obviously lost in the euphoria generated by Nigeria`s return to democracy and elections. But, like every other human endeavour, time breeds change, and with its passage, democracy grows. By the time the country`s four-year electoral autocade came around in 2003, awareness had grown, spinning in the process a tight contest. The 2003 elections also witnessed the beginning of the PDP-led assault on the
While the clamour for community policing had been on for decades, not many Nigerians were enthusiastic when in October 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari directed the police hierarchy to commence recruitment of some special constables with a N13 billion take-off grant. Following the directive, then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu asked police commissioners to liaise with traditional rulers and community leaders in their states to screen volunteers. That the recruits were expected to replicate the functions and duties of the conventional police and wear the same uniform without clear ideas about their expectations and remunerations was a problem from the outset. It therefore came as no surprise last week when hundreds of men and women, dressed in police uniform, staged a public protest in Ilorin, Kwara State, over “nonpayment of salaries” since completing their training in April 2021. The viral video on social media stirred up the Kwara State Police Command to disown the protest. “The characters seen in the video are police special constabularies recruited to complement the operation of community policing,” spokesman, Ajayi Okasanmi said. He added that neither the state commitment to the constabularies before, during and after their training. The Police Force Headquarters in Abuja has also described the protest as a “rude shock” because the community policing constabulary scheme is voluntary and meant only for gainfully employed people essentially “to promote community partnership in crime control via the presence of respected members of the public.” But the protest raises pertinent questions: Were many of the jobless youths who enlisted in the scheme told in clear terms that their services were only voluntary, and that they would not be paid salaries? Even more important, were they properly vetted before being given police uniforms and deployed for security duties? And is the scheme supervised from Abuja or are the locals in charge?
Letters
While some of the Victorian accoutrements and social customs have long since been discarded, Obaigbena, through the ingenuity of Bolanle Okusanya-Feyita’s LTJ Funeral Homes, brought to life the use of horse-drawn hearses. Leading the procession, Okusanye-Feyita, in braided hair art, scarf and gloves, alongside mourners, and pallbearers, wore military-like uniforms and crepe bands around their blue shirts, black hats, cream capes and the ladies wore blue corporate gowns, matching fascinators and gloves while dabbing at their faces black-edged handkerchiefs.
The Heavenly South African Choir For anyone who knows this choir, and has over the years followed the 80 to 140man Stellenbosch University Choir, affiliated with Stellenbosch University, South Africa, you’d understand the nature of its distinct performance at the event. For Obaigbena to have had them headline the three-day event, clearly, they must be doing something right with choral Performingmusic.among many other songs, their signature song, ‘Baba Yetu’, which essentially means the Lord’s Prayers in Swahili and means ‘Our Father’ in English, one could see the sheer joy and passion of the Conductor, André van der Merwe, who has since 2003 been in that role. Almost, if not all in the hall, had goosebumps. The harmony was mind-blowing, articulating trebles, tenors and altos in sheer interplay with the sopranos and the bass. It was indeed a great day to have ears. Connecting to a diverse Nigerian audience, other songs performed by the elite choir spanned a variety of choral styles, artistry, cultural influences and a high level of musical fluency through mastery of a wide variety of repertoire.Asindicative of their performances, which cut across African traditional renditions, traditional cathedral choirs and ancient European choirs, the vastly talented students of Stellenbosch University Choir are not just a choir but a symphony orchestra. On three different stages in three days, the Stellenbosch University Choir showed strength, vigour, excellence and diversity. Ideally, a flurry of thoughts would rush through one’s mind at the mention of South Africa, but when you hear them sing, a fresh well of peace, calm and a great dose of inexplicable joy overwhelms the listener who has heard so much unprintable news about South Africa. Indeed, South Africa’s 86-year-old oldest Choir, Stellenbosch University Choir, is its country’s promise. They showcased Africa’s musical strengths and potential. No wonder, it is viewed as a leading South African choral ensemble and has toured overseas extensively, where it has won critical acclaim for its performances. For the late Dame of the Anglican Church and a lover of timeless hymns and good music, she would be dancing and all-smiles in heaven at the sight and sound of the mere mortals, yet heavenly Stellenbosch University choir. Away from the solemnity of symphony and understated moments of mourning, the sound of juju drums jolted everyone’s pulse…
When Shina Peters Engaged Obaigbena in A Rare Karaoke… If you have never seen Obaigbena lose steam before, the Saturday and Sunday poolside reception was a good time to see him in his full glory, spontaneously singing and OLUFUNKE OLAODE/victoria.olaode@thisdaylive.com.
Children, family members and guests dancing to the melodious songs of Shuga Band L-R: Senior lawyer, Eyimofe Atake (SAN) and Prince Benjamin Obaigbena L-R: Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal; Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Musical Maestro, Sir Shina Peters You cannot but be puzzled by death; a necessary end that will come when it will (to fetch from the wisdom of the famed Elizabethan writer, William Shakespeare). This was evident in the carnivalesque procession witnessed at Owa-Oyibu, where Mrs Margaret Obaigbena, the late mother of the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, was laid to rest. Anyone would want to save his pennies to honour their dead with a proper send-off with such a colourful ambience.
The burial was witnessed by eminent Nigerians from all walks of life, who converged on the usually quiet town of Owa-Oyibu, the administrative headquarters of Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, to pay their last respects to the deceased whose remains were interred at the Obaigbena royal family compound.
ASSISTANT EDITOR
GLITZ EVENT 50 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022
Grand Royal Farewell for Princess Margaret Obaigbena
Beautifully-decorated horses accompanied the white Escalade hearse carrying the body of the deceased. The dancers were sighted with batons, pages, mutes and feathers as they walked in procession from the royal home to the church and back; with songs, drums and brass renting the air. But then, there was something quite angelic about the choir…
The Chairman of THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Nduka Obaigbena, last weekend in Owa-Oyibu, Delta State, in honour of his late mother, Princess Margaret Obaigbena, threw an elaborate, no-expense-barred carnival, shutting down a rather quiet town in celebrating a woman of great impact. Adedayo Adejobi writes L-R: Chairman, UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu; President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and Chairman, Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia
Tributes to Princess Margaret Obaigbena… In his tribute at the church service, the Delta State Governor and vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, eulogised the deceased for her invaluable service and significant contributions toward advancing the cause of Speakinghumanity.toTHISDAY, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, described the late Princess of Owa Kingdom as a great community leader. “She really helped her own people; she helped the state and also Nigeria in general. She served and she did her own best and we pray that her soul rests in perfect peace.”
the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Peters went further to eulogise his prodigy, Akinloye Tofowomo of the Shuga Band fame… If there is a musician that the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY/ ARISE Media Group has a great deal of love for, it is Tofowomo. It is on account of Shuga’s sizzling performance of classics - highlife, jazz, old skool and Motown all through the three-day event. His guests and family members were wowed by the classics and repertoire lists churned out each day. No performance was the same, so much so that he got the crowd jumping while the guests danced their hearts out. At the close of the final day, overjoyed by the Shuga band’s performance, Obaigbena, a very reserved, yet observant man, could not help but thank and commend the Shuga Band boss, assuredly telling him: “thank you so much, we will work more.” For any musician, nothing more could have been deeply satisfying than such endorsement from a person like The Duke himself.
South African choristers performing during the funeral service Photos by Abiodun Ajala L-R: Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim-Imam; Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo; Chairman, THISDAY/ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, his wife, Margaret; Chairman of Bi-Courtney, Mr. Wale Babalakin (SAN); and MD/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Adesola
GLITZ EVENT 51THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022 GRAND ROYAL FAREWELL FOR PRINCESS MARGARET OBAIGBENA
Obaigbena, a Prince of Owa Kingdom, decked in his signature all-white Buba and Sokoto, in his element, took the microphone from Peters and replied in the same lyrics, singing, “I want to be like Shina Peters ooo,” and the crowd burst into a great dose of laughter.Peters also went further to eulogise Tambuwal, while Obaigbena went on to sing the praises of the governor, lyrically waxing a song to drum support for his 2023 senatorial ambition.Narrating how he sees Tambuwal becoming the President in the future, the music reached a crescendo when Peters requested Tambuwal and the other guests to stand in the rendition of the National Anthem, prophesying him as a future President of
Colourful Cultural Performances… The three-day celebration, carnival and colourful cultural performances in honour of the late Dame Obaigbena by the various dancers, all of Owa-Oyibu extraction generated consciousness on the indigenous art forms, especially the oral tradition. The various dancers were all about royalty and ‘big’ energy. Surrounded by male and female dancers, the physical image of the King was elevated as he appeared in special costumes. Next, various acts of submission to the King are reenacted by his chiefs and subjects, followed by praise songs, eulogies or chants, for a monarch marching on to the pedestal of a deity.Portraying the full glare of its culture and historic tradition, the dancers moved with grace as the King delivered his role as the Chief Risk Bearer. In an attempt to explore and examine the artistic qualities and possibilities of the performances, the rituals and dance performances showed the unique artistic and literary characteristics of the Owa-Oyibu people which had largely remained ignored and unacknowledged with their musical performance, which, when viewed critically, could be potential for tourism. The colourful cultural display at the threeday event, attested to the ethnomusicology of the people of Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State while serving as a reminder of its huge tourism potential, if well harnessed.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, described the late matriarch as a great, humble and virtuous woman who should be celebrated.TheEkiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, praised the deceased for her hard work and extraordinary commitment to the family. Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described her as a woman with humanity, adding that she cared about people. To the bereaved family, he charged them to “take it in good faith because that is the work of God and they should continue to pray for her.”
In his tribute, Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, said, “Mama was a health care worker, a nurse who took care of people, brought people to life and cared for them through life as a nurse and the way she led her life was as an exemplary life-giver.”
AdeduntanShugaBand
Truely, the three-day royal funeral ceremony was a rich homage to Dame Obaigbena’s life of service to her family and community in Delta State.
performing at the event CEO of LTJ Funerals International, Mrs. Bolanle Okusanye-Feyita (middle), and pallbearers on display dancing to Sir Shina Peters’ evergreen songs. His love and affection for Shina Peters are infectious! That probably wouldn’t shock Obaigbena’s longtime associates who knew him from his earlier years in Ibadan. The Shinamania showman, Peters bedazzled the governors of Sokoto and Kwara states Aminu Tambuwal and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq respectively; Wale Tinubu, Tonye Cole, Nigeria’s frontline legal luminary Eyimofe Doyle Atake (SAN) and Ruth Osime - all who sat in very close proximity on tables stacked with food, juices, assorted fruits and bottles of champagne. This scene could be anywhere in the world. Indeed, the assortment of guests at the lavish funeral brought New York, Los Angeles, Monaco and Miami vibes to OwaOyibu.Having wowed guests on Saturday, Obaigbena insisted that the Afro-Juju King should wait to thrill guests on Sunday again. In what was supposed to be a rather brisk performance, it turned into a carnival of sorts. A major highlight of his Sunday performance was when Peters, through his syncretic genre, percussive and melodic rhythms, walked across the poolside to where Obaigbena was seated with his guests and spontaneously praise-singing “I want to be like Nduka ooo, Obaigbena.”
Following its recent call on Nigerian producers to enter their films for the International Feature Film (IFF) category in the 2023 edition of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) otherwise called the Oscars, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) added four new members into its jury, bringing the voting members to 15. The new members include notable advocacy filmmaker, Stephanie Linus (‘Through the Glass’, ‘Dry’); award-winning filmmaker, Keneth Gyang (‘Oloture’, ‘Confusion Na Wa’); Actor/Director John Njamah (‘Fuji House of Commotion’, ‘Tinsel’); and Actress/Polyglot, Meg Otanwa (‘October 1’, ‘Hush’).Last year, two prominent members of the film industry in Nigeria also joined the Committee. They include Omotola, a voting member of the Academy since 2018 and Izu Ojukwu, scriptwriter, cinematographer and director of ‘Amina’, ‘76’, and ‘White Waters’. The growing list of voters, according to the NOSC, is to bring people of diverse creative portfolios into the dynamics of selecting the very best from Nigeria, for a highly competitive international awards scheme like the Oscars. The NOSC is headed by filmmaker and entrepreneur, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi. Other members include Chairman of Audio-Visual Rights Society (AVRS) of Nigeria, Mahmood Ali-Balogun; Filmmaker/Talent Manager, Mildred Okwo; veteran actress and filmmaker, Ego Boyo; Director and Cinematographer, Adetokunbo ‘DJ Tee’ Odubawo; Theater Practitioner, Yibo Koko; Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, Moses Babatope; Academic/Culture Journalist, Shaibu Husseini and CEO of Legend Box Office, Bruce Ayonote. The window for the submission of films for the 2023 Oscars is open until August 31, 2022. The IFF Award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length film produced outside the United States that contains 50 per cent or more of non-English dialogue.
For the Head Honcho at Efizzi Worldwide and Efizzi Communications Mr. Collins Akpapunam, the benefits of 5G to the entertainment industry in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. His company is known for organising and curating events for top brands across the country and is huge on audio-visual projects.
“It is exciting to see how technology has created alternatives and options in distribution for Nollywood,” he continued. “Technology has also helped to a great extent to reduce piracy, which was a huge Gue Family Feud Comes to Nigeria
The creative industry is one of those industries that the 5G network will have an impact on. From film, and music to the event planning industry, the mobile network will enhance the experience.
GLITZ ENTERTAINMENT 52 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022
In a colourful event held recently at its headquarters, MTN Nigeria announced that it would be premiering
95th Oscars: Stephanie Linus, Kenneth Gyang Become New Voting Members of NOSC
How 5G Network Will Impact the Nigerian Creative Industry
Graduates of The Phoenix Project flanked by Peter Ogedengbe, Cofounder at Nest Hub (4th right); Nkem Ike, Director of Programs, SMC for The Phoenix Project (3rd right) and Jite Ovueraye, Head of Marketing and Operations at Accelerate (2nd right) the Internet of Things(IoT) and the much-talked-about Metaverse. It comes with peak data speed and low latency and will help in connecting industries.
“On the production side, we still rely on a lot of physical storage because we don’t get internet access everywhere but with 5G, you will be shooting and storing in the cloud straight away because we know the bandwidth is there and can carry it. I can’t count how many hard drives we are currently running in storage. So storage is one problem that it will solve as well help in easy upload of content,” he said. Live streaming of events will be easier and faster as well. Hopefully, before the end of the year, Nigeria would have fully entered the 5G race alongside countries like South Africa and Kenya.
5G network
the Nigerian version of the popular reality television show ‘Family Feud Nigeria’. The Family Feud franchise has a presence in over 45 countries. The show follows the format of two families of four competing by guessing general knowledge questions whose answers are determined by a survey to win a grand prize of N5 million.“Withthe pandemic, the economic circumstances that we find ourselves in, it’s becoming even more important for families in Nigeria to find a way to stay, work and play together,” said Acting Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria, Aisha Mumuni on the significance of the show in enabling families to build stronger bonds. Similarly, the CEO of Ultima Studios, who is also a partner, Femi Ayeni, further spoke on the expected impact the show will have on Nigerians generally. “We thought at this stage in the lives of Nigerians where things are not quite as smooth as they used to be: security issues, and infrastructure issues, we thought this was the game show to bring Nigerians together,” Ayeni said.
L-R: Acting Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria, A’isha Umar Mumuni; actress and host, Family Feud Nigeria, Bisola Aiyeola and Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, at the unveiling of Family Feud Nigeria show sponsored by MTN Nigeria at MTN Nigeria Headquarters, Lagos on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 scourge for intellectual property rights in Nollywood. There will also be many added benefits that technology offers in terms of real-time data collation of audience behaviours which will be useful for planning for film industry regulators, investors and producers. So 5G is a welcome opportunity for the creative industries, especially for content creators.”
“The ease of the viewing experience, that is, seamless streaming, stability of the connection and the speed as well will improve with 5G technology,” said Nigerian filmmaker Mr. Femi Odugbemi who believes that the future of film in Africa is inseparable now from the technology driving telecommunications.
Akpapunam is particularly worried however about the challenge of epileptic power supply which will grossly affect its services. Nonetheless, he sees technological development as a harbinger of exciting times for the world. Hakeem Condotti, the CEO of BLK Hut, the company behind the current season of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ show has already sampled the 5G network and is impressed by the promise it holds.
Stories by Vanessa Obioha Amid the myths that have trailed the 5G network, MTN Nigeria on Wednesday, August 24, rolled out the next generation of network infrastructure in Nigeria, making it the first to achieve that feat. About 190 sites were switched on to test the mobile network which the company intends to launch in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, andBeforeMaiduguri.itslaunch, the 5G network has been riddled with lots of myths. From being the cause of COVID-19 to an apocalyptic sign, the theories are endless. However, the 5G network in simple terms is just the fifth generation of mobile networks which comes with more benefits than harm. It is designed to connect everyone and everything in such a way that will empower new user experience. It will facilitate At an exclusive graduation ceremony, Accelerate presented its first cohort of learners from The Phoenix Project.The project which kicked off in April had different stages beginning with the beginner level that had over 5,000 learners trained in different fields in the creative industry spread across three bundles: Film and Production, Business of Entertainment, and Social Media for Business.Thesecourses were delivered through intuitive learning management, and upon completion, successful learners were admitted into the intermediate and advanced levels which are learner-exclusive structured in-person sessions that expand the knowledge instilled at the beginner level while also preparing them for entrepreneurship and employability in the creative space.For the intermediate and advanced levels, the Phoenix Project partnered with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) to train the 200 learners who made the stages. With the high standard of learning in PAU, the participants went through rigorous training relative to the ever-growing creative industry. During these sessions, learners had The Phoenix Project Graduates First Set of Learners in Style a combination of assessments and conditions to be met that would ensure their graduation from the programme. At the end of the assessments, 63 students qualified for graduation while students with exceptional performances were selected to participate in the final stage of the programme called The Phoenix Den — the phase of the programme where participants are selected to either access funding to support their business ideas or gain internship opportunities within a host of creative companies in Nigeria. According to Jite Ovuraye, Head of Marketing and Operations at Accelerate, “It is important we exist as a platform for all creatives to leapfrog their careers in this sector of the economy. Accelerate strives to go beyond entertainment, and through The Phoenix Project we get to do just that.”
“5G will enable easy streaming of 4-8K videos and create greater outreach for lovers of entertainment to watch the latest Nollywood film releases on Netflix and other digital platforms. It will also allow sports lovers in Nigeria to follow live streams of football matches and other sporting events from around the world as well as help the creative industry to catch up with world trends as they evolve speedily in different formats.”
L-R: Acting Chief Digital Officer, MTN Nigeria, A’isha Umar Mumuni; actress and host, Family Feud Nigeria, Bisola Aiyeola and Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adia Sowho, at the unveiling of Family Feud Nigeria show sponsored by MTN Nigeria at MTN Nigeria Headquarters, Lagos on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.
SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 • THISDAY 53
Wike: Tale of a Governor’s Funny Songs and Dance
The trend in Nigeria for retiring state governors to almost immediately leave the country or start to live underground and far from gawking paparazzi continues. Former Kwara Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, did not break this tradition when he vacated the governorship seat for the incumbent Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. However, Abdulfatah broke out of his cocoon recently while attempting to correct a rumour that he got involved in a tango with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). And knowing that involvement with the anti-graft agency seldom revolve around the good things that one had done, Abdulfatah’s intention with his reemergence was to extricate himself from any and all damaging implications. Whether he managed to accomplish this remains unknown. The news began making the rounds some time ago that officials of the EFCC had sandwiched Abdulfatah with a number of other past Kwara State officials in a cell for questioning. According to the report, the EFCC was certain that Abdulfatah was directly or indirectly involved in the disappearance of N9 billion, a fraud that was registered as a diversion of funds in EFCC’s dossiers. Furthermore, it was intimated that Abdulfatah’s role extended to his time as the state’s Commissioner for Finance. In other words, if Abdulfatah is found guilty of the charge, he would be sentenced for pilfering state funds as Finance Commissioner and as state Governor, which should amount to a tidy dozen years. But Abdulfatah has declared that he was only invited to help the anti-graft agency clarify some muddy details. This is good for him, even though it is reported that he spent two nights with EFCC officials. Then again, these things take time, especially considering the long list of fraud allegations against him that pop up
It is truly the turning of the tide in Nigeria as more individuals climb into the rank of the overlord wealthy. Despite hiding under the corners for donkey years, the man behind Prudent Energy, Abdulwasiu Sowami, cannot hide it anymore. He is one of the top-shelf moneyed Nigerians currently building on a foundation of hard work and smart investing. Even so, he continues to be low-key and far from the ringing plains of vaunted veterans. It came as a shock to Nigerians when prominent businessman and philanthropist, Femi Otedola, decided to cut down his shares at Forte Oil Plc by 75 per cent. But what came later was even more astonishing: Sowami acquired Otedola’s shares and went ahead to focus on building these shares in the nowestablished Ardova Plc (formerly Forte Oil). Sowami’s status renewed in the public’s eye, showing him as more than the average Joe with regard to business management and growth.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is currently undergoing something of a trial with several of its principal members. Among these, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is having the time of his life. Continuing to baffle onlookers vis-à-vis his intentions for the party
54 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022 with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com
Nwaezeigwe
the Noscene.wonder that when Fashola concluded his eight-year tenure as Lagos State Governor back in 2015, many people speculated that he will be summoned to bear the mantle of public responsibility almost immediately after. However, for some reason, the lawyer took that period to rest. It wasn’t until 2019 that he honoured the summoning call of President Buhari to take up the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. And it has been a fascinating journey ever since. There is something titillating about refusing to betray public trust. This is one of the many unique properties typical of the former Lagos State Governor. An individual with the most profound understanding of humility and modesty, Fashola’s commitment to the charge of his office is unquestionable and definitive, especially considering that he continues to slave away at the Works and Housing Ministry without mingling with peers who are idle public officials at occasionally.best.Regardless, Abdulfatah is out of his cocoon and back to the light.
Democracy may be the most commonly held narrative for progressive politics and civil leadership, but there is no alternative to meritocracy in the business world. Here, genius and exploits are regarded as the determinants of success, especially when an individual manages to extend said success to an enterprising group. This is what Benjamin Nwaezeigwe is doing at Eterna Plc, driving up the public ratings of the energy company and at the same time hitting milestone afterEternamilestone.Plcis experiencing a period of across-the-board growth. The publicly listed energy company, with its strong business interests in the supply and sale of fuels, lubricants, and other petroleum goods, has grown in scale and profits in the last four months. Very recently, the company appointed Nwaezeigwe as its substantive MD/ CEO (effective August 1, 2022), thereby solidifying the already prevalent report that Nwaezeigwe is the brain behind the unprecedented — but wholly welcome — changes at the company. At Eterna Plc where excellence is rewarded with new positions and better tokens of motivation, Nwaezeigwe’s appointment as the new MD/CEO is uncontested. After all, he has been holding down the headship fort as Acting MD/ CEO since April 2022. During that time, Nwaezeigwe proved beyond reasonable doubt that he has what it takes to bring the company to new levels of achievement vis-à-vis its business targets of being able to call rains and storms in the midstream and upstream of the Nigerian energyNwaezeigwesector. has been able to accomplish his newfound prestige at Eterna Plc thanks to his innate virtuosity, not to mention almost twenty years of active experience in the productive sectors of the economy, particularly the energy sector. He came to prominence at Rainoil Limited and only joined Eterna Plc in December 2021. And yet, Nwaezeigwe is already splitting Red Seas for the company and leading it towards the ratings of promise.
For Abdulwasiu Sowami, No More Noise
Nwaezeigwe’sBenjaminMagic
Even though his status and assets have grown significantly due to his recent business dealings, he remains one of the least known oil moguls in the country. It was reported that he had lost around N700 million after acquiring Enyo Retail and Supply Limited. The loss came from fluctuating market prices, none of which favoured Sowami despite his rich experience. But, as Wole Soyinka wrote in one of his poems, all trading leads to bankruptcy or wealth, and there, an end. So, Sowami has probably recovered his purported loss and even added more to it. After all, over his 20 years of active business in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, he has had many opportunities to rise and fall, sink and float, suffer and strive.Nevertheless, Sowami has grown quiet yet again with no news of his travails, triumphs, and failures. Maybe he is crouching so that he can spring even bigger surprises on the public. Time will tell. Sowami Wike
Fashola and the forthcoming presidential election, Wike has now become the most controversial member of the party. And accompanying his many recent exploits are gyrating songs and dance moves. Wike has been moving in and out of the limelight in recent days. Since losing the PDP presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Wike has shown himself to be a thorn in the flesh of one and all, not excluding Atiku. Wike’s conduct and performance may appear playful to indifferent observers, but this is not the case for those whose aspirations depend on his support.During a project inauguration in Port Harcourt some days ago, Wike took the stage to lead his merry audience in dance and song. Going, ‘E dey pain dem, e dey sweet us. As e dey sweet us, e go dey pain dem,’ Wike effectively captured the sentiments of his camp and every other. One can only imagine how the people straining their heads and funds on reconciling
Abdulfatah Out of His Anonymous Cocoon
There is no better avenue to demonstrate one’s diligence than in a public office. Especially in Nigeria where there is somewhat low accountability until after the individual has left the place, devotion to duty is often interpreted by many officials as a pocket-lining opening. Not so for Babatunde Fashola, the Federal Minister of Works and Housing. After three years of holding at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Fashola continues to prove to all and sundry that he is one of the most useful public officers in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Thanks to Fashola and his team at the ministry, there is no informed individual in Nigeria who can chide the Buhari administration for neglecting infrastructure. Apart from a few states where certain governors insist on undermining the efforts of the federal government, Fashola’s steps can be seen on newly-constructed roads and bridges, some of which had never been imagined by the people of the area before Fashola came on Ahmed
HighLife lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous
...Amazing
Wike with Atiku are feeling at the moment. Wike is not the first presidential aspirant to be distraught by the results of a primary election. However, he certainly tops the list on those that bounced back the quickest. The only indication that Wike lost to Atiku is his constant diatribe aimed at PDP governors for allegedly betraying him. Oh, and the constant tango with high-tier members of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as the sardonic songs that are now anthems whenever he attends a public gathering. Many people have forgotten that Wike is an incumbent governor. In fact, thanks to his obviously happy disposition, chirpy singing and gyration, one would assume that he is the mythical Minister of Happiness that a certain former governor once considered appointing. Alas, Wike’s attitude continues to flummox his fellow party members and throw their plans for 2023 into disarray.
Adesina Fashion and cosmetics are gaining more and more traction all across the world today. As a result, there are so many individuals willing to sacrifice their joys and happiness to participate in the bounty of wealth available to the leaders of this industry. However, so few of these individuals have the innate passion and Babaeko Meshida talent to walk the entire length. Banke Meshida BM Pro, the founder and CEO of BMPro Makeup Group, is one such individual. At 44, she continues to smash the expectations of onlookers, setting herself up as a shining example of a diligent and successful makeup guru. When it comes to make-up and cosmetology in Nigeria, few people have been able to fuse the business with their innate advantages. BM Pro, with her suaveness and accomplishments in the industry, has raised the bar on her fellows too many times to count. Very recently, she clocked 44 years and earned the regard of even more Nigerians at home and in the diaspora. Of course, if it were by talent alone, BM Pro might have long lost her propulsion. But her momentum, even at 44, continues without clocking 10, Babaeko has established himself as an illustrious businessman, resolute philanthropist, and all-round sharp guy.
Between Arthur Eze and Andy Uba
In terms of creative juice and lasting success, the Lagos-based digital advertising agency known as X3M has a peerless reputation. So vast is the company’s shadow of success that it has exceeded what Nigeria can accommodate and extended to other nations in West Africa, reaching even Central and Southern Africa. But all of this is because of the visions and travails of one man, Steve Babaeko. It has been 10 years since Babaeko started X3M, and his last name is not the most fascinating thing about the entire enterprise.Babaeko’s presence in the communication industry in Nigeria is only outdone by his presence on the continental stage. Despite his somewhat humble beginnings, Babaeko’s many-leafed passion for the advertising and communications industry has led him to overcome all sorts of obstacles. His determination is one of the reasons X3M has been able to make it so far; his knack for delegating tasks to the most talented, diligent, and reliable people around is another. In X3M’s decade-long journey, Babaeko has himself outclassed many of his peers. To think that the man who is today considered a multifaceted genius started from somewhere humble, dipped his fingers in many pies, and eventually made it to the peak of the advertising industry. At one time, he was even a copywriter. But all that was needed for him to reach the apex of all that he is, although it is clear now that Babaeko (literally the father of Lagos) is not waiting for anyone to catch up. To the average Nigerian, Babaeko is only the brains behind X3M Music, the record label responsible for music acts like Simi and Praiz. In truth, the man has strong business interests (and has attained reasonable success) in other industries outside media, including agriculture. Between founding X3M and X3M prepare to honour the summons from the Agba Akin Majeobaje of Ibadanland to join the Accordingfestivities.to the reports that have managed to fall into the gaps of social media, the celebrations will soon be held. Precisely, pillars of high society will all gather at the Monarch Event Centre, Ikate, Lekki, Lagos, on September 18, 2022. Naturally, Adesina and his lovely wife, Abidemi, will play host and hostess for the sea of traditional monarchs, business people, captains of industries, and other highly regarded dignitaries that are expected at the Theevent.biggest news yet is that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, will be available to lead the delegation of the Obas who will attend the big day. This is not altogether surprising considering that Oba Ogunwusi has always been the strongest backer of the Adesinas. Really, things are getting better and better for Adesina and his family. The kismet of his forefathers has clearly settled on him.
the leading corporate leaders in Nigeria. Aig-Imoukhuede’s recent gig with FMAN is no surprise. Ever since the man stepped on the carpets of corporate Nigeria, it has been one victory after another. In fact, Aig-Imoukhuede has defined and redefined the peaks of management success many times. He has even managed to replicate his feats in adjacent industries and sectors, not counting the fields of health and legal representation or corporate law. In spite of all his achievements, it is obvious that Aig-Imoukhuede will not take the FMAN appointment for granted. In fact, the new position is a fine opportunity for him to extend his already strong influence to the fundmanaging corners of corporate Nigeria. If AigImoukhuede can do to this industry what he did with banking, the horizon would be dotted with forthcoming episodes of corporate revolution.
The Makeup Queen, Banke Meshida, Who Ticks All the Boxes at 44 obstacles. Her company, BMPro, is also constantly benefiting from the popularity of the beautiful lady, leading others to imitate her and attempt to duplicate her success. Alas, there is more to BM Pro than meets the eye, and simple replication of her strokes and brushes cannot cut it. While her peers educated themselves in makeup institutions abroad, BM Pro taught herself the art of cosmetics. This was while she was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos. When she graduated with a degree in English Language, she also had lots of experience in the field of beautification. And so began a vocation that has thrived for over twoSo,decades.at44,BM Pro ticks all the boxes for beauty, diligence, and talent. Her husband and children are undoubtedly proud.
HIGHLIFE THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022 55
Steve Babaeko Celebrates a Decade of X3M
UbaEze
Another Big Chapter for Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede
Nothing is ever really white and black in politics and business in Nigeria. In fact, when they appear to be, one should be terrified because it would mean that God’s fingers are involved or that there is no divine interest in the matter. For Senator Andy Uba, the prominent politician and former Senator from the Anambra South Senatorial District of Anambra State, things are not looking at all fine. To put it bluntly, everything is looking black and white for him, with onlookers staring between him and his old nemesis, oil mogul Arthur Eze. Social media is currently agog following the recent news of Uba’s misfortune in the hands of the officials of the Execution Unit of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and members of the Nigeria Police Force. According to the reports, these representatives of the rule of law divested Uba of his vehicles on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. This operation was carried out in response to a judgment delivered by the court in which Uba was found guilty of owing N50 million to Oranto Petroleum Limited.Oranto Petroleum Limited is just another oil company that Uba borrowed money from. However, the oil company is owned by none other than Uba’s longtime rival, Eze. In other words, Uba is riding down the gory lane of nationwide embarrassment and mortification because he owes Eze’s company N50 million, and Eze is more than happy to squeeze him dry. The tango between Uba and Eze is not new. Over the years, their conflict has extended to both Eze’s business domain and Uba’s political terrain. However, it seems that Eze currently has the upper hand, especially considering that he recently got himself a private jet that reportedly cost N27 billion. Compared to Uba’s debt of N50 million, well, it is a drop in the bucket. Nevertheless, Uba must pay or continue to suffer regular episodes of property seizure, not minding the discomfiture from these episodes and Eze’s apparent schadenfreude.
Great times are here once again for Prince Adebiyi Adesina, the congenial Agba Akin Majeobaje of Ibadanland and proud brainiac behind the success of the leading car dealership Nigerian company, Unique Motors. Once again, the stars appear to have gathered for the enjoyment of Adesina, and he is not shy about sharing that glory with pillars of high society. In a little while, these pillars will clink glasses and share the dance floor at Adesina’s behest in celebration of the 11th anniversary of the businessman’s UniqueGreatnessMotors.is not something that every human being can grasp, so it is not all that surprising that the news of Adesina’s Unique Motors clocking 11 has not reached every corner of the nation. However, those in high places are already aware and starting to clear their schedules as they
Aig-Imoukhuede
It is the beginning of a new era at the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN) with the recent appointment of Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede as the President of the fund managers association. By so doing, FMAN has cemented its place among industrymonitoring institutions in the country as it most certainly draws on the almost threedecades-long experience of Aig-Imoukhuede in Nigeria’s corporate sector. Without question, Aig-Imoukhuede’s qualifications for the post of FMAN President are unquestionable. Since setting himself up as a brilliant, progressive, and trustworthy banker, Aig-Imoukhuede has been recognised as one of the top-tier financial management personnel in the country. Moreover, with his work at Access Bank and Coronation Capital Limited as evidence of his strong character and focus, Aig-Imoukhuede is undoubtedly one of Pillars of High Society Set to Honour Prince Adebiyi Adesina
SUPERMAN TOMPOLO TO THE RESCUE You know my mind is versed. When I heard of this matter, my mind went to the very first time I watched a Superman film. It was in my brothers Ejiro and Voke Eghagha’s Victoria Island home. In the movie, ASUU: THE DRAGONS DIG IN Another group of unintelligent Nigerians are the whole membership of ASUU. The government that is even negotiating with them are of no concern to me, because those ones, we have already lost hope in them and are just waiting till 2023 to see if Jehovah will finally come down and put an end to all the chicanery that is going on. As for ASUU, I have never seen a group of thickheaded, clueless and shallow people in my life. To think that they are supposed to be ‘eggheads’ really frustrates me. How can you be on the same matter for over 20 years with no result and you are still sitting on the same fence and still shouting, ‘We no go gree?’ Are you reasonable people? I, Joseph Edgar, can resolve this ASUU matter in less than one week. It’s just pragmatic thinking. All these labour union approaches are just laziness and fear of the emerging markets. The system has moved on and ASUU cannot cope. Their courses and research are now outmoded and totally ineffective in the employment markets; this is why they go and hide under strike to be disturbing Nigerians.
comes across as an ‘emporonic’ aide, talking down at the masses who really have no choice but to shout hooray the way the Jews shouted when Pontius Pilate washed his hands off Jesus. Pontius Keyamo was there and he spoke, he said, “we should even be happy that Emperor Tinubu has come to take away what is even Myleft.”people, Pontius Keyamo has said he is ready to drive to Kaduna from Abuja without escort. I dare him and will donate N1 million to any orphanage of his choice if he goes ahead with the trip. Oya try am, las las I will go and borrow the money to pay. Oya Pontius Keyamo, let’s go on the trip. I am ready when you are ready.
ShettimaAdamu
Where do they want the government to get N1 trillion to pay only staff salaries? If the government even tries it, I will tie myself naked on the Abuja International Airport tarmac and make sure no plane flies. Do these people even have sense at Theyall?will now be hiding under increased government grants to research, infrastructure and all that crap to hide their bare greed as reasons for this meaningless action. I am so angry. Even the government, corruption has riddled them that is why they too cannot do the right things. You see that government subvention is what both sides are fighting for. The government side is milking it and the ASUU people are seeing it and are vexing, meanwhile the system, students, parents and the nation are left to SELL!!!!suffer.SELL!!!! SELL!!! the schools. We will buy it. We will buy and that frees up the government who will now use the money to strengthen regulation at the level of the NUC. Then also set up effective scholarship schemes to cover gifted and indigent children. Simple. Let every lecturer under a privatised system use their pedigree to attract student registrations, grants and funding, simple. This is how it is done. ASUU knows that, the government knows that but they will not o, because of their laziness. Instead, they will be dancing this macabre dance of ‘stupidity’ everywhere.
I DARE YOU, FESTUS KEYAMO
Kashim Shettima and the ‘Suit’ of the Matter
I am very sure that in choosing Mr. Keyamo to play whatever role they have asked him to play in this APC campaign, his noise factor must have been taken into very crucial consideration. They must have looked across the pond and seen Dino there and said to themselves, we will need an equal level of irritation and who in our boat can we throw into the mix and Keyamo’s name came up. Since this appointment, bros have not disappointed. All his posturing and statements have been designed to annoy, irritate and alienate. He
Tompolo
56 LOUD WHISPERS with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)
As I write, I hear that they are set to announce an indefinite strike. Indefinite strike for what? To achieve what? Look if the government is not ready to end this crap, they should allow me with ASUU and all these will end in one week. I swear. This thing no hard like that na, if there is sincerity on all sides.
KeyamoJoshua
Lord appeared at the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Lagos with a suit and ‘ended’ the conference. His tailor stole the show. The suit looks like what someone would wear to a war-torn area as it could also double as a bomb shelter. To add more colour, he hung a red tie that could also be used to strangle any bandit that wandered close. Then, the sneakers did it for me. In an attempt to appear trendy, he ‘nack’ the sneaker of life and finished the look by looking bloated and confused on a chair that completely swallowed him. This appearance completely distracted the nation, turning state of the nation in a very colourful manner while also capturing the plans his party’s presidential candidate, the ever ‘energetic’ Asiwaju Tinubu was putting in place to save us. Regrettably, the suit did not let us listen. Nigerians were more interested in what must have been going on in the head of the tailor that made the ‘iconic’ suit. If we check it well, that tailor can be a former PDP member who although now in APC, still has some small love remaining for PDP or how else can we explain that ‘thing, megida wear go stand for Eko Hotel’? Na wa. everybody to fashion police. Not only that, he was massacred on social media. Come and see all sorts of ‘yabis’. To deflect it, garrulous Keyamo came out with a pose attempting a lame taunt – that if it is this fashion faux pas that is the problem with the nation, then let’s go there. But this one immediately threw up an online challenge with Nigerians sending in pictures of them in different comedic forms of the outfit. I hear that Mr. Shettima gave a brilliant speech at the conference, a speech we have been told captured very lucidly the current
THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022
USMAN IMMANAH: BANKER TURNED SEX TEA VENDOR One thing I have learnt in this world is the hypocrisy of fear. A lot of people suffer from this ailment of erectile dysfunction which is almost inevitable as a result of age and its concomitant Asailments.youget older, your firing ability begins to diminish just as your crave for young girls increases. Very frustrating abi? You now have the capacity, the boldness and the confidence to attract very beautiful and nubile queens with perky breasts and all but where it matters most you begin to look like a limb vegetable. Well, my brother Usman Imannah who used to be a banker and is now one of the most thoroughbred young entrepreneurs has come up with a solution. Usman distributes locallymade, NAFDAC approved solutions for not only power failure but other such ailments like BP and the rest. Now this is not me advertising his products o. Far from it, but this is me trying to achieve two things –his perseverance and the exposé of solutions to a problem that is affecting millions. Usman left his lucrative bank job to go into the dreary waters of manufacturing. Usman has suffered. No infrastructure, wicked operating environment, distribution challenges, lack of institutional support but in all, he is still standing. He has expanded his product base, opened a new factory, created jobs all still in his early years. I respect him for his adroitness. His perseverance and his firm belief in Nigeria. He will not ‘japa’ but will stay here and make things happen. He is building people, providing solutions and making us proud as a fellow Nigerian. So, my people, I am supporting him in every way possible. I am asking people to buy his products; I am helping him source funding and I am shouting his praises so he will not give up no matter how much Nigeria happens to him and his business. We will not all japa, some of us will stay at least until we can get the sex tea in Canada. Till then, we are located very close to Usman’s factory for obvious reasons. Na here we dey o.
ANTHONY JOSHUA, LET’S TAKE A REST My brother after being defeated in his latest attempt at regaining his titles, went into a Wike type hissy fit. Flew out of the ring, came back, snatched the microphone and started ranting. Later, he apologised and blamed the cornflakes he ate that morning for his defeat and disgraceful unsportsmanlike behaviour after it all. Look, this thing don do me before. I had just graduated and chased a beautiful, young lass. She was the most beautiful in Shomolu that time and every man wanted her. But here I was, handsome graduate with car. I just parked in front of her house and sent the mallam to call her. She came down feeling proud and privileged. As one of the very few graduates in the area who had a car, she was indeed privileged. My people, we enter room o. Nothing. Power failure. I say not possible. Me from Akwa Ibom? Power failure? Not possible. I try, nothing. I jump up and start to sweat. I try again, nothing. I shout o. Exactly as Anthony Joshua did that day o. I start to pace up and down the room. I say, it cannot be me. My track record by this time was legendary knees everything and when I finished, she smiled and said, “yes, that is my So,champion.”mybrother, it’s the same thing. What is doing you is desperation to come back on time. You are a champion like me. You are the king and cannot believe what is happening which is worsening your matter. Please take a break, we will wait for you. Come to Nigeria, relax. Go to Uyo, eat Afang, swim in our stream. Come to Lagos, go to Bariga and sit down with the Chief Priest of Igbo Igunnu. Climb Olumo Rock. Remove your mind. By the time you come back, you will finish everybody that comes your way. My brother, it happened to me and that is what I did. Relax, you will come back. If you don’t listen to me, they will just be beating you anyhow. If you are not careful, by the time they finish beating you, you will see your mummy and you will think it’s Buhari with the toothpick. I have said my own as a brother.
LOUD WHISPERS 57THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022
someone had stolen an oil tanker and superman flew in and carried the huge oil tanker in his bare hands and returned it to massive applause and got to kiss a girl for his efforts. Our own superman no dey interested in any girl or applause. Na hard cash. So, they have been stealing crude oil all over the place, hurting the economy and almost rendering the government impotent. The government has run back to this Ijaw Superman without the cape for help. This same person that was declared persona non grata when they first came in 2015, today is the same person that will put on a costume, fly over the creeks to stop all the oil Itrustling.isgood o. I really have nothing against it, as long as the end justifies the means. For me, while we are still at it, the Nigerian Navy should be privatised or disbanded and the men and officers should carry their white uniform and go and join the Salvation Army. It’s as simple as that. The Chief of Naval staff by this contract should turn his pants to skirts, go and learn how to dance ballet cos work no dey again. Me, I believe that this Tompolo guy will do a better job of policing the system. But there also lies the continuous fruits of the weakening of our institutions. The question I will readily ask, is how will he be regulated, how will he be monitored, who does he report to and very seriously, are we empowering another government within a Mygovernment?fear,make we no run from one matter enter another matter. That is why I am being very cautious in fully endorsing this move until we see the full terms of the contract. But for now, if this is what will provide a short-term solution to this major issue, then let Tompolo reign. Please, my brother Tompolo, in designing your superhero costume, no go do am with Ijaw wrapper o so that as you dey fly across the creek in service to the nation, breeze no go blow make we dey see your blokoss o. let’s take this for what it is – a patriotic call to service to the motherland and nothing else. Na beg.
CSP Aliyu is one of the most thoroughbred police officers you will ever come across. I have had a personal encounter with him, when some bad eggs within the police force set up a joint task force with some errant officials of LASTMA to rob and humiliate me. It was to his office the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police Edgal sent my matter. Come and see the way Aliyu went after these rogues under the Ketu bridge. It was like film Theyo. took me to the scene and the policemen scattered. Aliyu and his team jumped at them; come and see policemen running for their dear lives. They kept me at a safe distance as the pursuit ensued. Me, I wanted to run o, so a stray bullet would not come and kill me o, but one sweet police woman held my hand and I said, “No ma, please, can I put my head on your chest, I am scared?” She said “ok.” That was how Aliyu apprehended all the policemen and since then we have become very good friends. He is the head of the X Squad and I hear his job is to monitor the policemen who run counter to their ethics. Brave man. CSP Amadin on the other hand I have never met, but her reputation precedes her. I have heard some very good and strong stories about her passion for the job. In fact, the other day, when the DPO of Alausa, one fat black woman like that with low cut just arrested me like that o; it was the CSP Amadin that everybody was saying call because she would never behave like that. My people, a tanker was burning on that Otedola bridge – you know, we have not yet unraveled the juju that used to lead to all that tanker accidents on that axis that will be killing people anyhow – that was how I was running for dear life. We were plenty running away and driving one way to avoid imminent death. Mummy DPO now chose me o. Me ooo, to arrest for driving ‘one way’. I thought it was a joke. I looked at mummy, I said, “are you serious, can you not see the fire, is it only me running away? mbok this is the ‘wrongest’ time to be looking for a boyfriend o if that is the reason you are arresting me o.” Well las las, I ran away and left the car and the keys in the ignition. Shebi we will be alive first. After the inferno and confusion, I went to the station and there was my car with deflated tires and madam swearing with all the gods of Ijebu that I will be the last person she will Everybodyrelease. I called, said, call DPO Anthony Village. She is kind and well respected. I swear. Everybody said that. I could not reach her and it took Yemi Shodimu to come to the station to show star quality to release me –that one will be doing like Yoruba Idris SinceElba.then, I had made a mental note to look out for this DPO Anthony Village that everybody was saying was a very dutiful policewoman. So, you can imagine my excitement, when I heard of this award being conferred on her and my brother. All I can say, is that the Nigerian Police Force is made up of some of the most brilliant, hardworking Nigerians who still go on and perform wonders despite the very horrid conditions of their service. Well-done guys. Welldone.
These two represent the very best of the Nigerian Police Force and it is no wonder that the Lagos State Stakeholders Forum on Police Accountability just honoured them with an award for effective community engagement and upholding police accountability. That they both more than deserve the awards cannot be overemphasised.
Amadin Aliyu
ABUBAKAR ALIYU AND PATRICIA
AMADIN AS HEROES OF THE FORCE and just like Joshua, no real defeats so I could not understand this. The young girl advised me. Jay- that time I was not yet Duke, I was still Jay- I have heard of you. I know you are world class, you are just in a space, why not relax. I am here. I am not running away. Let’s go to the beach or somewhere and try again. I say on one condition, you will not tell a soul until the thing comes back. She said deal. So, we left it. We dated for a bit and my mind left the matter and when we finally came back, it was world class. I jumped, I moved, I shook, I carried leg, upside down, sideways,
Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, the wife of the Kebbi State Governor, has won the hearts of many for her brilliance, intelligence, humility and rare sense of fellow feeling. Besides, the Kebbi State First Lady has shown evidence of a privileged woman blessed with a heart of gold. All her actions in the past years point to the fact that she shares in her husband’s vision, which is to further change the face of the state, while also bettering the lives of the indigenes.Herfoundation, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, has been at the forefront of caring for people suffering from cancer across the state. She has spent the last 17 years advocating cancer control.She was inducted as a fellow of the African Institute of Public Health Professionals (AIPHP) Kuku
saying “I owe it to Ndigbo to resign from my position as the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK. No one person is bigger than Ndigbo and that is the brief legacy I leave
City Businessman, Omo’ba Ademuyiwa Adedeji,
Kebbi’s First Lady, Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, Shines Again
Otedola Ukemenam
Painted the Town Red for Mum’s Burial
commitment to reduce the number of lives lost to diseases, such as COVID-19, cancer and kidney diseases, among others. This has fetched him standing ovations and recognitions not only in Nigeria but across the globe. No doubt, this explains the reason President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as one of the executive members of the National End Malaria Council (NMEC), a body established to eliminate the scourge of malaria in the country. No one will forget in a hurry how he shattered all records in charity in Nigeria with a humongous donation of N5 billion to the Save the Children Foundation in 2019. Otedola, in giving to the cause of humanity, believes it is far better and more gratifying to make a difference in the lives of the poor.
Wike
THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 202258 SOCIETY WATCH Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651
More Crisis Engulf UK Chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as Ukemenam Takes a Bow
Shinkafi-Bagudu
lawyer, real estate and financial expert, made no secret of his plans to make the party one that would be talked about for a longHistime.company, according to experts, is one of the fastest growing and major players in the real estate sector of the Nigerian economy. He is known to have successfully turned several bushes into cities in the last few years of venturing into the business. As a result of his peerless charm and remarkable presence, Adedeji always leaves a deep impression on everyone he comes across.
Otedola on a National Rescue Mission
You don’t need to be a politician or even come from Rivers State to know Governor Nyesom Wike. He is one of the most popular governors in Nigeria today, not necessarily because of his achievements in office, but simply due to his over-bloated ego that is currently rocking the boat of his party, the Peoples Democracy PartyThe(PDP).governor fell out with former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, after the PDP’s presidential primary election. He believes he was abandoned for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as Atiku’s running mate; hence, he has vowed to crush anyone that stands in his way. Since then, there have been accusations and counter-accusations. A source, who spoke with Society Watch, disclosed that Wike is embittered by the treatment meted to him by Atiku; PDP Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and some members of the party, in spite of his efforts to prop theTheparty.source hinted further that shortly after the 2019 general elections, Atiku left for his base in Dubai, while the party was in a serious financial mess and leadership crisis.“PDP was like an ‘orphan’ abandoned by everyone after it lost the 2019 presidential election. But Governor Wike rescued it from total collapse; so, he deserved to be compensated for his trouble,” the sourceHowever,added. another source argued otherwise, saying, though Wike, like other leaders of the party, played his expected role, he shouldn’t throw the ‘baby’ he nurtured with the bath water. “He played his role well, just like some leaders of the party and with the capacity as a PDP governor. Remember he was given a platform to serve by the same party, so it would be catastrophic if he allows himself to be used by enemies of the party,” the source said. Since the beginning of the crisis, Wike has reportedly been pacified and begged by stakeholders of the party, but he has stuck to his gun. In the face of all this, the question some party loyalists are asking is: What does Nyesom Wike want? What Does Nyesom Wike Want?
“A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.” This timeless quote by Victor Hugo captures the relationship between a mother and her child. It is, therefore, understandable the pains in the heart of Omo’ba Ademuyiwa Adedeji, following the passing of his mum, Madam Oyinade Adedeji, at a very ripe age of 95 last month. Not one to do things in half measures, Adedeji, Chairman, Havard Stockwell Nigeria Limited, left no stone unturned to give his mother a truly befitting burial.
If you think there is an end in sight to the crisis that has engulfed the United Kingdom Chapter of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, you are better have a Insteadrethink.the better has taken another dimension as its recently elected president, Prof. Joe Ukemenam, has been pressured to make a quick exit, Society Watch gathered. As revealed, the ink had hardly dried on the paper on which his election was announced when a new controversy arose over media reports credited to Ukemenam which rubbed members of his executive on the wrong side. Calmed nerves were frayed again, leading to long knives being drawn against Ukemenam in the form of a However,disclaimer.inamove that caught many by surprise, instead of fighting back as expected, the honourable Professor chose to save the organisation another round of trouble by opting to throw in the towel. He was quoted behind.”Also, the joint statement issued by the trio of Mazi Kingsley Offor, Chief Uche Osuigwe and Mazi Charles Nwaogwugwu; who are designated as Acting President, General Secretary and Publicity Secretary respectively had disassociated themselves and Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK from the views credited to Ukemenam, saying, “ that at the time of the said interview, Prof Joe Ukemenam who had already handed over his duties to his deputy due to his trip abroad, was neither speaking on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK nor was he mandated to act or speak on our behalf.” Following this unfortunate turn of events, Ukemenam reasoned that although he was proud to be sworn in as the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo UK at the House of Common, London UK on 16 June 16, 2022, “so it is with sincere gratitude, and sadness, that I must now vacate this revered position.”
The burial ceremony, which was held yesterday, August 27, in Epe, his ancestral home, was attended by political heavyweights and society bigwigs as well as other close friends of Adedeji. It was gathered that Adedeji, also a for her outstanding contributions, which have propelled significant innovation and progress in public health in Nigeria and beyond. She is one of the six members honoured by AIPHP for their efforts to advance public health in Nigeria.Speaking at the investiture in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, the Registrar of the Institute, Dr. Ayodele Bankole James, FAIPH said she was made a Fellow of the Institute after going through her works, services to humanity and achievements as the Founder and the CEO of Medicaid Cancer Foundation. Speaking on the occasion, the brilliant woman, who expressed her joy over the honour, pledged to continue to put more effort into the good works she’s doing, especially in the cancer control space.
The Chairman, Geregu Power Plant, Femi Otedola, will never be found wanting in charitable ventures. Apart from his wizardry as a businessman, Otedola’s philanthropic gestures, especially his wondrous donations now and then, are a testament to the goodness of a man who cannot stop giving. Otedola and some others in CACOVID, the private sector-driven coalition spearheaded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pooled resources across industries to provide technical and operational support, while building advocacy through aggressive awareness driven by the sole aim of combating the Coronavirus in Nigeria.This gesture showed how he had always been at the forefront of fighting with a Ex-President Jonathan’s former Aide, Kingsley Kuku, Gone into Oblivion
Has Kingsley Kuku, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, suddenly become yesterday’s man? This is the question many who have been following his story with interest are asking, given his unenviable status nowadays. When Kuku worked as an aide to former President Jonathan, he was loved by many and had a large following, especially because he had so much money to throw around. He was also so popular, powerful and influential. However, immediately after his principal lost the 2015 presidential election, he began to fade into oblivion. Shortly after the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, the Ondo State-born former activist scampered abroad for fear of being arrested by the antigraft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), claiming that he was going for knee surgery at the Andrews Sports, Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. But this, it was gathered, was a dummy to escape from being interrogated for his role in some corruption-related offences. Ever since he has been making frantic efforts to regain relevance in the nation’s polity. Unlike in the past, his birthdays recently have been without the usual fanfare. There were no congratulatory adverts in any newspapers or magazines, which suggests that he may have been abandoned and left to his fate. Or could it be that he had all along been surrounded by fair-weather friends? Kuku had embraced activism early in his university days as one of the socio-politically conscious young Nigerian students who were agitated about the then military rule and dictatorship in Nigeria. He was a student leader and a one-time National Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), who was active in the campaign and struggle for the demilitarisation of the Nigerian society and absolute return of democratic governance to Nigeria.
Ibiebe, which was inspired by Chinese, Japanese, Ghanaian, and Nigerian calligraappreciation of his Urhobo heritage. Even his evergreen presence in the local art scene and his trail of an impressive smorgasbord of artistic expressions, which occasionally leach into the works of several habitués of his annual Harmattan workshops, do not seem to deter him from experimenting with new mediums. He is still improving on his manipulation of new materials, he added. New ideas are emerging. And working persistently with such new mediums becomes the open sesame to new ideas. This explains his recent gravitation towards metaphysics, for which he now deploys his paintings, drawings, etchings, and installations, among his other trademark mediums. The idea is to share his metaphysical ideas with his audience while also making the precepts of Urhobo folklore more accessible to them. It is not surprising, therefore, that he said, occurred thus far seems to have occurred yesterday. I simply ponder the passage of time. Age doesn't seem to weigh on me. I don't have an obsession with slowing down because I'm Meanwhile,90.”as an icing on the activities commemorating his 90th birthday celebrations, this widely-eulogised artist, who Tunde Odunlade of the Ibadan-based Odunlade Arts and Culture Connexions described as “an astute scholar and a consummate creative guru”, will on Tuesday, September be conferred with his third doctoral award by the Michael and Cecelia Ibru University in celebration of his contributions to ‘’the advancement of knowledge and growth in human capital development at local and international levels.” This honour will be bestowed upon Onobrakpeya during the university's convocation ceremony and 6th Memorial Lecture in honour of its founder, Olorogun Michael M. C. Ibru, OFR. Onobrakpeya previously received honorary doctorates from the University of Ibadan in 1989 and Delta State University in 2017.
Anguish is vividly expressed on the face, dredged up with other images from the mists of time, even despite its sketchiness. With a mouth forming an “O” – obviously in mourning, possibly also in ing away from a terrible deed that has just been committed as it faces the reader. And the reader's blurred memories of Cyprian Ekwensi's novella, An African Night's Entertainment, could still retain – borders on the patricidal, even when it is unpremeditated. As an adult, decades later, the reader would eventually trace that haunting image, conjured up from his early teenage years, to the legendary Bruce Onobrakpeya. Also to the latter’s credit is the illustration of other literary works, which include Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease, Adeboye Babalola’s Iwe Ede Yoruba, Apa Kini, Cyprian Ekwens’s Juju Rock, the cover illustration of Nkem Nwankwo’s Tales Out of School, Kola Onadipe’s Sugar Girl and Magic Land of the Shadows, Onuora Nzekwu’s and Michael Crowder’s Eze Goes to School, Rosemary Uwemedimo’s Akpan and the Smugglers, and TNO Quacoopne’s West African Religion. Further additions to this list are: Oladele Taiwo’s The Hunter and the Hen; Barbara Haeger’s On Her Schedule Is Written a Change; Daniel Orowole Fagunwa’s Forest of a Thousand Daemons; Soyinka and Fagunwa’s A Forest of a Thousand Demons; and Clementine Deliss’s Seven Stories About Modern African Art and May Your Kingdom Come (a publication of the Nigerian Episcopal Conference).Isitanywonder that it struck a chord with the interviewer when the legendary artist, whose 90th birthday comes up on Wednesday, August 31, waxed philosophical about leaving legacies in the minds of future generations on that sun-drenched Tuesday, August 23, afternoon?Notsolong before the interview, the soon-to-be-nonagenarian 2006 recipient of the UNESCO Living Human Treasure Award was voicing his opinions in a group discussion over the transfer of the late Ulli Beier's material legacies to Bayreuth, Germany.
THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 24 2012 ARTS & REVIEWARTS & REVIEW A PUBLICATION 28. 8.2022
Onobrakpeya One of Onobrakpeya's famous works Not even the imminence of Bruce Onobrakpeya’s 90th birthday seems to deter him from exploring new creative terrains, he tells Okechukwu Uwaezuoke
“My response was that such pioneers left a legacy in people's minds, not just in material terms,” he Similarly,said.he’d rather his legacy be seen in the seeds he had over a period spanning more than half a century sown in the hearts of his audience than in the material objects and institutions attributed to him. This, according to him, is because people remain the most important legacy. "What you sow in the minds of people continues," he further If Onobrakpeya earns the diadem as Nigeria’s – if not Africa’s – indisputably most documented artist, it is because he has been intentional about entrenching his precepts in the art community’s collective consciousness. During that early afternoon chat with his interlocutor, he disclosed his longtime habit of making notes about the repository of artwork he produced. “I developed a portfolio of my artwork with explanatory notes.” Meanwhile, there is an ongoing collection of articles on him under the title Bruce Onobrakpeya: Perspectives, which is now in its eighth volume. This artist of awesome talent and lustrous pedigree has, not unexpectedly, elicited widespread interest in academia, leading to his becoming the subject of at least four PhD theses and several MAAsdissertations.acomplement to the aforementhese are Kindred Spirits: Contemporary Nigerian Artists by Smithsonian World, Washington, D.C. USA; The Magic of Nigeria, produced by Delka/Polystar and directed by Ola Balogun, Lagos, Nigeria; Recalling the Future Art by Joanna Grabski, produced and directed by Claudine Pommier with the executive EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com
Bruce Onobrakpeya and the Art of Ageing Like Fine Wine
An installation by Onobrakpeya copy
producer Cheikh Tidiane N’diaye/Arts in Action Society (Vancouver, Canada) in 2002; The Harmattan Workshop Experience: The years of the Agbarha-Otor Harmattan workshop experience, produced and directed by Onobrakpeya in 2009; and RedHot, produced by Communication for Change, directed by Sandra Obiago, in June 2011. Added to these are two documentaries by the Lagos-based Back Page Productions. a member of the Zaria Art Society during his years at the Zaria-based Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology (more often known as NCAST) have already engraved his name in the annals of contemporary Nigerian art history. It was through this art collective, which was created on Friday, October 9, 1959, 1961, that the "Natural Synthesis" philosophy became a front-burner issue. The philosophy, or aesthetic credo, which was articulated by its then-president, Uche Okeke, was all about unearthing traditional aesthetic values from their various ethnic backgrounds and placing It pivoted mainly on the precept of taking polishing it, and using it to make a better life. Though not invented by the Society, its reverberations chimed so well with the independence era zeitgeist. As one of Onobrakpeya’s endeavours to home in on the practical application of this aesthetic philosophy, his invention of a writing style he called Ibiebe ideograms easily stands out not only for its calligraphic distinction but also for its painterly and sculptural presentation. “The idea,” he explained, “was to put our thoughts and language into symbols. The pieces are artworks in themselves. As symbols of hidden meanings, they convey messages, which can be deciphered only with time and patience. They bring out something that has been locked in the mind as aesthetic and cultural messages.”
For weeks, long after the drums stopped, book worms still remember the mood of the select poets—11 of them on the longlist for this year’s edition of the Nigeria Prize for Literature. The party, which was preceded by a cultural dance performance, featured a book reading session with the poets. Jahman Anikulapo, the compere for the annual literary feast introduced the Secretary General or Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), Toyin Akinosho who gave the welcome address at the event held at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. In his remarks, Akinosho noted that CORA has played a complementary role to the NLNG in its contribution to improving Nigerian literary space. This was as Andy Odeh, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Develop (NLNG), extolled the prizes as a demonstration of the organisation’s commitment to building a better Nigeria. The reading session was moderated by Kola Tunbosun, a foremost linguist, writer, scholar and cultural activist. The only female poet on the longlist this year, Iquo Diana-Abasi, who read from her collection, titled Coming Undone as Stitches Tighten, later explained: “The poems were not written for a particular purpose. It was while I was collecting the poems that I started to see the cohesion to them. They document and pay homage to the situation in of the collection called the staccato verses talk
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BOOK REVIEW about every day and political issues in Nigeria, as well as love.” For her, poetry is an escapism of sorts from the madness of the world. Known for her performance poetry and thoughts deeply entrenched in cultural ethos, Diana-Abasi’s comfort zone is poetry even though her creativity has been expressed in other forms such as screenwriting and Readingprose.from his collection, Memory and the Call of Waters?, the award-winning writer and poet, behind the poems. “I am bothered about what happens at the river,” he explained. “I created some and they ended up coming together in their own way. Also, I am inspired by my contemporaries. It is frustrating being a Nigerian sometimes and Said Obari Gomba, an honorary fellow in writing at the University of Iowa (USA) whose collection, titled The Lilt of The Rebel had won the 2022 PAWA Prize for African Poetry said: “I wanted to do poems that had nothing to do with politics. But towards the end of the collection, I guess I started to get angry over a number of things. I couldn’t escape the anger so I added two new sections: one of global import. Still, there are poems on morality, faith and divinity, poems on resistance and they are all lyrically poems. My language is accessible, almost chatty. I hope it draws people to reading poetry.”
The suspense came to a momentary halt last Friday as the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature announced Memory and the Call of Water by Su’eddie Vershima Agema, Nomad by Romeo Oriogun, and Your Crib, 2022 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Literature.
Similarly, the MCSN’s DG/CEO, Ayilaran, stated the Society’s determination to ensure that the multi-talented artiste gets full payment not only for past use of his works but for present and future exploitation. “From now, his works are no longer free to be used. All his works will be tracked and he will be fully compensated. Wherever his music is played, he gets paid: Naira income if within Nigeria and Dollar/Pounds from works played outside the country.”
ARTS & REVIEW\ \POTPOURRI 60
At a recent ceremony held at his Asokoro, Abuja palatial home, the one-time celebrated Nigerian country music icon, Bongos Ikwue registered as a member of the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN). The registration, carried out by the MCSN’s director general/ CEO Mayo Ayilaran, was witnessed by the society’s chairman, and notable musician, Orits Williki. Brimming over with excitement over his fullis best known for the NTA soap opera theme music “Cock Crow at Dawn” and for such soul-stirring songs as “Still Searching”, “What’s Gonna Be, Gonna Be”, “Amen” and “Eche Une”, said: “I’m a little above 80. It’s been long overdue.” He also urged younger musicians to register their works. “There’s so much technology now. You can never repeat anything you have done.”
In his remarks, the MCSN chairman, Williki decried the fact that Bongos Ikwue’s works have over the years been used with impunity without royalties accruing to him. “We look forward to when the works will bring back the dividends to him,” he said. “I am happy that we are doing the right thing.”
AgemaRomeo Saddiq Dzukogi Ikwue
COPYRIGHT
AdebayoOlatunbosunOlowo-Ake
Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, the chair of the Advisory Board, announced the shortlist in a live broadcast on the Prize’s social media channels. The top three, drawn out of a longlist of 11 at the recent book party represent the best of the 287 books which were entered for this year’s competition, which is focused on Poetry. According to the Board, Memory and the Call of Water is a collection that consistently uses metaphor of water, Nomad has a fresh language and a nostalgic engagement with the themes of exile and displacement, while Your Crib, My Qibla translates tragedy into lyrical poetry with pathos
Raji Raji, a one-time Association of Nigerian Authors president, held the audience spell-bound with his distinct voice and dramatic pacing as he read from his collection, titled Wanderer Cantos. This collection is his seventh. “My sixth collection was published in 2013,” he
It is gratifying to note that the rich bibliography of publications on naval warfare and maritime operations continue to expand, offering the reading public a wide variety of topics within this genre to choose from and gifting researchers with first-hand participant accounts of the events enunciated to enhance intellectual enquiry and policy analysis. Indeed, the list of such rich store of historical accounts is dominated by books such as“One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander Rear-Admiral Sandy Woodward,” the published perspectives of Captain Edward Pellew, in command of HMS Indefatigable (described as“the greatest British frigate captain in the age of sail”), the nerve-wrenching account of Frank Gregory-Smith, in command of the escort destroyer HMS Eridge which sailed for a grueling 18 months betweenTobruk and Malta under German controlled airspace during the 2nd WW. His experiences resulted in a famous book titled“RedTobruk: Memoirs of aWorldWar II Destroyer Commander.”Thereisalsotheiconoclasticbook,“Stand by for Action”byWilliam Donald detailing his exploits commanding first a Corvette, and then a Destroyer, to escort East Coast convoys in Norwegian waters during the 2nd WW. From the above-mentioned, we might be tempted to conclude that many navies the world over have brilliant commanders and that their experiences
Calling on younger musicians to join MCSN, as “Life does not end on stage”, Ayilaran disclosed that there are other fees, besides performance fees, that accrue to musicians, composers and performers which they are not presently enjoying because their works are not registered. Ikwue Joins MCSN
Romeo Oriogun who currently lives in Ames as a postdoctoral Research Associate at Iowa State University, USA, raised the question of identity in his collection, titled Nomad. “When I left Nigeria in 2018 and travelled around some countries, I was is very personal. My poems interrogate history, identity and my experience in the US, especially on what it means to survive as a Nigerian in the Saddiqworld.”Dzukogi, a professor of English and the current Vice-Dean, Post-graduate School, Uni versity of Uyo interrogates grief in his deeply personal collection, titled Your Crib, My Qibla.
“Writing the book wasn’t about making a great gesture to the arts. I had just lost my daughter. My book is a manifestation of that loss and I am a dad trying to understand that grief.” intellectual capacity to do so, but simply because it has not been a tradition in the country’s military. With the exception of the many erudite accounts of the civil conflict in the late 1960’s which saw Nigerian and Biafran commanders document their experiences and opinions, we rarely come across accounts from Nigeria’s military officers. Admittedly, not every military operation can be made available for public consumption, given the implications of that for national security, however, there should be aspects of such professional exposure that can serve to document important facts and details, enlighten the general public, and help enhance the professional competence of younger officers. It is my considered opinion that Victory with Honour is a good candidate for fulfilling all three. It is a good candidate because in its 343 pages, 18 chapters and an epilogue, it chronicles 7 sea training exercises (popularly referred to as naval manoeuvres), one major and globally acknowledged successful anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Guinea, and addresses other important happenings on the navy and naval operations, including Obangame Saharan Express and Ship borne Helicopter Operations. Indeed, Ferreira sets about detailing the contribution of the ship under his command to the already glorious contribution of the Nigerian Navy to enhancing national, regional and international security.-
experiences,rianFerreira’stheofNavybynavalmoreIttocircumstancesithonourableofthatalludedThewhetherentrustedindirectlythatThethatGulf,commandBandarAbbastragedyduringwhichthatshipunderhisshotdownIranAirFlight655inthePersiankilling290civilians—anunprecedentedblunderpracticallyendedhisincrediblyfascinatingcareer.fateofthisbrilliantofficerunderscorethefactsometimes,therearefactorsdirectlywithinandbeyondthecontrolofmenandwomenwithgreatresponsibilitiesthatwilldeterminetheysucceedorfailintheirassignments.authorofthebookbeingherewithreviewedtothisaswellwheninhispreface,hesubmits“…althoughthejobofacommandingofficeraseagoingshipcanbeprestigious,dignifying,andarguablythebestjobinanynavy,canalsopresentsomeofthemostperilousofthatcanruincareersandevenleadlossoflivesandmaterielinothersituations.”ishowevergratifyingtoobservethatwehavemanysuccessesthanfailuresinthebibliographyonoperationsandthebook,“VictorywithHonour”RearAdmiralOlusegunFerreiraoftheNigerian(NN)giftsuswithyetanotherbrilliantaccountasuccessfulcommandofamodernman-o-warinformandshapeofthefrigate,NNSOkpabana.bookblazesatrailinthesensethatNige-militaryofficersusuallydonotwriteoftheirnotbecausetheydonotpossessthe told the audience. That’s a long time ago. Between then and the time I published the seventh one, there has been a lot of wandering on my part.” For the author of Yawns and Belches, Joe Ushie, this honours’ list in a poetry competition. In 2017, he Poetry Prize. The unassuming poet addresses failure in leadership with a stylistic signature that is reminiscent of Niyi Osundare, Susan Kiguli and Eaman Grennan. “My attitude to writing has been consistent,” he said. “My last poem is a short one titled ‘isms.’ The question is what it means to be human. We are divided into two in terms of those who belch are yawning because they have nothing to eat. That is my division of society. When you look at society is so clearly divided between those who are eating and those who are not.”
S. Su'eddie V.
always make for spectacular publications to titillate our imagination.This thinking would be a function of the fact that oftentimes, commanders do not write about experiences that expound on their professional failures, choosing to keep those in the archives and so denying us access to the other side of the success stories that we are more familiar with. To illustrate this opinion, let me cite the very brilliant Captain Will Rogers, United States Navy (USN), who was given command of the first ever Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruiser in the USN and was a shining star before the
Chronicle of Admiral Olusegun Ferreira’s Command of NNS Okpabana Yinka
THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022 Musical Legend Bongos
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On the Heels of CORA-NLNG Book Party, Best Three Poets Emerge
Determined to curb the loss of over 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil to illegal bunkering, the federal government recently renewed a multi-million dollar pipeline surveillance contract to a former militant leader and Commander of the defunct Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo. Recall that the contract, which was first awarded by President Goodluck Jonathan when Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke was the Minister of Petroleum, was immediately stopped when President Muhammadu Buhari first came to power in 2015. As if that was not enough, Tompolo was swiftly declared.
The new electoral regime spells out how the election results will be transmitted immediately after vote counting at every polling unit. Section 50(2) of the 2022 Electoral Act largely resolved the public apprehension on how election results should be transmitted without ambiguity.
Like other civil society actors, the Civil Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) specifically warned against ploys by some powerful political actors, who it alleged, often preyed on the weak electoral process “to secure votes through electoral frauds, vote buying, multiple voting, money laundering and vote forgery.”
THE ARENA
61THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022 CICERO Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com
The resolve of the Independent National Electoral Commission to transmit election results electronically and collate the same manually in 2023 has obviously fuelled the recent public apprehension about the integrity of the next general election, Gboyega Akinsanmi writes The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu recently stirred the hornet’s nest when while addressing a delegation of Media Trust Group in Abuja, he explained the resolve of the commission “to transmit election results electronically and collate the same manually.” Yakubu’s dialectical use of “electronic transmission of election results and manual collation of election results” led to public uproar against the commission.Forthecivil society, the commission was just testing the waters of electoral manipulation ahead of the presidential and federal legislative elections slated for February 25, 2023 as well as the governorship and state legislative elections scheduled for March 11, 2023, which they threatened to resist vehemently.
In a response by the spokesman of his campaign organisation, Atiku alleged that INEC “is laying the foundation for the rigging of the 2023 elections through the manual collation of election results. Section 60 of the Electoral Act, 2022
POLITICAL NOTES
The former MEND commander, known for his knowledge of the creeks, is meant to monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta. Before the cancellation of the contract, the arrangements he put in place had tackled illegal bunkering and increased Nigeria’s production to over two million barrels per day. With the slump in Nigeria’s current production to just a little over 1million barrels per day, the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited agreed to exercise.UnderSection 60(5), specifically, the Act stipulates that the presiding officer “shall transfer the results including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.” By interpretation, this section is not specific about the method the commission should adopt to collate election results as in the case of Section 50(2), which unequivocally prescribes electronic transmission of election results. As its provisions have revealed, the Electoral Act markedly differentiates the transmission of election results from the collation of election results without ambiguity. Consistent with the electoral regime, the former takes place during the voting process and requires that election results are transmitted electronically.
Admiral Gambo engage Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta communities. A source close to Tompolo said the current deal is worth a whopping over N4billion monthly. While many may not see anything wrong with the contract, others see it as passing a vote-of-no confidence not just on the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria but the Nigerian Navy whose duty it is protect and secure the Nigerian waterways and the infrastructure therein. They are wondering why the country would have a Navy and be awarding contract worth N4billion monthly to militants. It is a big shame indeed.
In its wisdom, INEC embraced a manual method of collating results after vote had been completed and results declared at the polling units. Okoye further clarified that the presiding officer “shall after recording and announcing the results deliver the same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available to such person as may be prescribed by theThecommission.”sectiondidnot specifically mention the phrase “manual collation of election results” as the INEC chairman put it at a session with the delegation of Media Trust Group. Under Section 60{5), however, the Electoral Act empowers the commission to prescribe a method of collating election results from the polling units. By implication, the collation process “is still essentially manual” as witnessed during the recent elections. But every election result collated manually must be subject to cross-verification to ascertain that the number of accredited voters stated on the collated result “are correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units.”
Navy and Tompolo’s Pipeline Contract
IN
For the opposition parties too, INEC has already started pandering to the overture of the ruling party, which they claimed, marred the outcome of the 2019 presidential election. Conscious of what happened in 2019, the opposition parties are now prepared to avert the repeat of similar errors wherever they manifest before or during the 2023 elections.
Apprehension over Collation of Election Results is clear. At the close of voting at the polling unit, the voting results will be uploaded. It means by the time the officer from the unit goes to the ward, he cannot present a result different from the one that was uploaded.” With the heat Yakubu’s comment generated, INEC’s Chairman on Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye attempted to clarify INEC’s position from the legal perspective. But Okoye’s intervention never quelled the public apprehension about the integrity of the process.
Civil society actors largely attributed such apprehension to the failure of the commission “to earn public trust in its previous undertakings between 1999 and 2015.” Also, they linked it to the flaws of the 2019 elections that utterly “ruined the gains of the 2015Whatelections.”doesthe Electoral Act, 2022 recommend with respect to the transmission and collation of election results?
The section states: “Subject to Section 63 of this Act, voting at an election and transmission of results under this Act shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the Commission.”Forthe key actors, the mode of transmitting election results is neither a subject of dispute nor a source of public fear because it has been resolved under this section as far as the current debate is Perhapsconcerned.unknownto key actors, the electoral regime too largely clarifies how the election results should be collated after the voting Yakubu
The presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar also felt uncomfortable with the way Yakubu muddled up the use of the electronic transmission of election results on the one hand and that of the manual collation of election results on the other hand. As a result, he was concerned about INEC’s integrity to conduct credible and transparent elections in 2023.
The latter, as Okoye succinctly put it, is a postvoting activity, which requires a presiding officer “to transfer the results, including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner prescribed by the commission.”
In his response in March, the Ebonyi State governor had expressed dismay over Wike’s outburst and behavioural disposition towards issues of national interest.
It is unbelieveable that the state that has two universities - Yobe State University, Damaturu; and Federal University Gashua - yet it choses to spend money in foreign universities educating its people. Besides, there are hundreds of private universities in the country with high academic standard where these students could have been educated to save the state of scarce resources. Giving scholarships to students to study abroad clearly show that Governor Buni does not have any iota of confidence in the stardard of education in his state and other parts of the country. It also shows that he does not believe that the graduands from the institutions in the state can address manpower shortages in civil service. The monies budgetted for these scholarship prgramme could have been channelled into improving the institutions in the state. Governor Buni’s action is part of the deliberate efforts to destroy education and public universities in Nigeria by those who can afford to sponsor their children abroad.Buni
62 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 21 , 2022
Since Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State lost out in securing the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket and vice presidential position, he has successfully rallied some of the party’s governors to his side in anger. Perhaps to avoid a repeat of the fate that befell the party in November 2013 when it lost five serving governors to the then opposition All Progressives Congress, its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, needs to make some concessions, writes Ejiofor Alike
NOTES FOR FILE as a cancer at stage four, which can kill. The governor was responding to a call by the Minister of Niger Delta, Godwill Akpabio for him to dump the PDP for the APC. But in a swift response, Wike said: “I prefer to stay where there is malaria than to go to where there is cancer. Cancer at the fourth stage, you are likely to die. So, I don’t want to die Wikenow”.and Akpabio were speaking at the inauguration of a new police headquarters in Rivers State where the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2021. The Rivers State governor had earlier in April
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The news that broke last week that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State visited the 233 students sponsored by the state to study various courses at Glocal University in Utta Pradesh, India is another evidence of the misplaced priorities by Nigerian leaders. Buni was represented by the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Gubana. The students, drawn from the 17 local government areas, were studying medicine, pharmacy, engineering, as well as paramedic sciences, among others. Recall that the state had in 2021 spent over N800 million on foreign scholarship for 316 students in various universities across the globe.
While 233 were sponsored to India, 83 others are studying in United Kingdom, Sudan and Uganda, among others. The state government said the sponsorship was part of efforts aimed at raising standard of education and addressing manpower shortages in civil service.
“You heard him on Channels TV boasting that he is behind the court case - a mere man that depends on the breath of God; I pity illiteracy. It’s a shame. You are boosting to remove another governor. “What qualifies you just because you are packing money that is public fund? Not intel lectual material but by just packing money from public funds and you are boasting about it. Otherwise, who were you?” Umahi queried. Wike had also in March thrown caution to the wind when he described Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State as a serial betrayer. He said: “If you ask anybody or check the DNA of Obaseki, you will discover that he is a serial betrayer and an ungrateful person. I apologise to Oshiomhole, who told us about Obaseki,” the Rivers governor said. Obaseki incurred Wike’s wrath by protesting against his attack on his deputy, Philip Shaibu. Wike had first publicly tongue-lashed Shaibu for threatening to dump the PDP. Wike said Shaibu lacked the effrontery to threaten to dump the PDP. He wondered how a “mere” deputy governor who begged for the PDP ticket and even lost his local government area during the election in 2020, should have the guts to threaten to dump the PDP. Reacting to the attack on his deputy, Obaseki described Wike’s comment as “most unfortunate and totally uncalled for,” warning that Edo State has a history of dealing with bullies. Wike did not spare the ruling APC. He had also described the ruling APC boasted while canvassing support from the party’s delegates in Benin, Edo State, that he would never accept the position of vice president in 2023. But after losing the presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Rivers State governor was alleged to have lobbied to become his running mate. However, Atiku opted for Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Many politicians believe that it would be difficult for anyone to settle for Wike as his deputy. Speculations that he was planning to defect to the APC first emerged when he hosted Umahi, one of the victims of his verbal attacks. Wike had also hosted other leaders of the APC such as Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. He later invited Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who are close allies of the presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu to inaugurate projects in Rivers State. Speculations of his imminent defection to the APC heightened with his reported meeting with Tinubu in London on Wednesday. With the huge resources at his disposal, Wike is not alone. His allies include: Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, as well as many former governors and ex-ministers. Many of these governors pitched tent with him to avoid crisis in their states. Some of these governors reportedly attended the London meeting. Many believe that it is late for Wike or any of these governors to defect to the APC due to their ambitions to seek re-election, install successors or go to the Senate on the platform of the PDP in 2023. But they can play a spoiler-game to truncate the success of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election. The PDP lost the 2015 presidential election due largely to the defection of five of its governors to the APC. Wike and his allies may not defect but may choose the option of working against the party’s presidential candidate.ThePDP and Atiku should quickly make concessions to pacify Wike and his camp to avoid another calamity for the party. Asking the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign as demanded by the camp will not amount to too much sacrifice if it can guarantee victory for the party. The main opposition party needs a united house to confront the ruling APC in the 2023 general election.Atiku’s reported meeting with the Rivers State governor in London on Thursday was a right step for genuine reconciliation.
BRIEFING NOTES
Before Wike Destroys PDP Wike
Buni’s Misplaced Agenda
The outcome of the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergence of the party’s running mate had obviously humbled Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. Since he rode on the back of the goodwill of the people of the state to win his second term bid despite the massive federal forces deployed in the state to rob him of victory in the 2019 general election he has spared no one. As soon as he settled down for governance, he started his unrestrained verbal assaults on his fellow governors; his party, the PDP; the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and even traditional rulers. Wike established a reputation as the only governor whose pastime was to launch attacks on his colleagues and also interfere in the internal affairs of his party in other states. He was alleged to be behind the crisis in the Cross River State PDP, which forced Governor Ben Ayade to dump the party for the APC. Before Ayade’s defection to the APC, Wike was said to have insinuated that he was behaving like someone who was allegedly involved in advanced fee fraud, better known as 419. He equally insulted other governors by accusing them of not announcing publicly that the federal government had refunded them for the federal roads they constructed. When Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State defected to the APC, Wike did not spare him. He boasted that he and the PDP were the masterminds of the Abuja High Court judgment on Umahi’s defection, a comment which Umahi described as a sign of “illiteracy.”
The dismissal of Riok’s case by the Supreme Court also affected the payment to two private lawyers to Riok – Nwafor Orizu ($1.2 million) and Olaitan Bello ($215 million) who were also beneficiaries of Promissory Notes issued by the Debt Management Office (DMO). Besides Riok and the two lawyers, the NGF is also challenging the claims made by the other contractors. Rather than continue to dissipate their energies or inundate the public with the dispute, which is currently pending at the Court of Appeal, many observers are wondering why don’t the consultants save their breath and wait for the case to be determined “What, perhaps is surprising to many, is that both the consultants and the AGF are aware that the dispute is currently before the Court of Appeal and yet very frequently they choose to hold press conferences on the issue. Why can’t they exercise some patience and wait for the court to determine it? Why are they so in a hurry to get the money? Is there anything they know that Nigerians don’t know?, asked an observer who did not want his name mentioned.
MalamiFayemi With the dispute between the consultants and the 36 state governors over the non-payment of the $418 million consultancy fees from the Paris Club refund pending in courts, Alex Enumah writes that the parties should wait for the judiciary instead of the media war
The apex court held that funds belonging to a state or local government must be kept in an account belonging to the State or Local Government as the case may be disbursed or expended by the state strictly in the manner and for the purposes prescribed in the Constitution and an Appropriation Law.
CICERO/ ISSUES 63THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 21 , 2022
asumtacitdeterminationromanceallispartiesisWhatAParislocalsameAllof$68“wasLinasAttorneyCA/ABJ/PRE/ROEA/CV/327M1/2022:GeneralofAbiaState&35OrsVsInternationalLtd&239Ors.ThegovernorssaidthecommentbyNwokothereforetoseparatehisownclaimofmillionasifitisnotrelatedtotheclaimsotherconsultantsandisbeingcleverbyhalf.theconsultantsclaimtohaverenderedtheorsimilarserviceofhelpingthestatesandgovernmentstorecoverover-deductedClubrefundsbythefederalgovernment.“Theircases,therefore,riseorfalltogether.poisonofthepartisapoisonofthewhole.isunlawfulremainsunlawful.Itsoriginimmaterialandthepartorroleplayedbyallseparatelyorcollectivelyatalltimesunlawfulandcannotberemedied.Aswithunholyalliances,itdoesappearthatthebetweentheconsultantsandtheirtofighttogetherundertheAGF’scoordinationtopulloutofthestatestheof$418,953,690.59mayhavesufferedcrack.”
“The governor’s forum comprising all the governors commonly agreed on the engagement of a consultant to provide certain services for them relating to the recovery of the Paris Club. So, it was the governor’s forum under the federal government in the first place that engaged the consultant,” Malami said. According to him, among the components of the claim presented for the consideration of the federal government by the governors, was a component related to the payment of these consultants, implying that the governors had recognized the consultants and upheld their claims.Bello-Barkindo, while reacting, urged Nwoko and the other consultants to end the media war and direct all energies towards defending the appeals. He said the NGF and its leadership remained focused and determined to diligently pursue all appeals on the Judgments on the Paris ClubHerefunds.insisted that there was no collective agreement between the consultants and the NGF, adding that the forum has requested the consultants to provide evidence of work done. He maintained that there was no component that compels the governors’ forum to pay consultants anything, and there was no agreement between the consultants collectively and governors collectively.“Allthat it requests of the AGF and the consultants is to allow the appeal processes to run and be exhausted. It may be that the consultants will successfully defend the appeals after which they will be paid. However, if they lose as Riok Nigeria Limited has lost; which is the most likely verdict that shall befall all the other consultants; let the public funds in issue remain protected,” he said.
Background In 1985, Nigeria owed the Paris Club creditors $8 billion which grew in interest to about $30 billion in 20 years. By October 2005, the Nigerian delegation headed by then Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, negotiated the Paris Club agreement which stated that the club would “write off” 60 per cent ($18 billion) of Nigeria’s debt to members of the club, while Nigeria would pay back the remaining 40 per cent in two phases. The federal government entered into agreements with state governments to deduct certain amounts from their federal allocation to service the debts and by April 2006, Nigeria transferred $4.5 billion to the recipient countries to complete repayment of all debt owed to the Paris Club of creditors. However, some states were overcharged in the debt servicing arrangement and applied for a refund. In December 2016, the federal government agreed to refund the states, but in three tranches. But controversy ensued when some consultants demanded money for their service in facilitating the payment.
A former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, said some governors agreed with some consultants
Nwoko, while reacting to the flurry of allegations and controversiea trailing his company’s demand for the payment of fees from the state governments and local government councils in the country penultimate Saturday, had stated that his firm was owed only $68million and not $418million.Hefrowned at the recent outbursts of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, regarding the Paris Club refund, accusing him of telling lies over the payment of their entitlements. Nwoko had also claimed that the governors took $100million for Osun and Ekiti elections. But in a swift statement issued by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, NGF Secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the governors accused Nwoko of attempting to blur the real facts and legal issues in controversy by dishing out blatant lies and half-truths. Before Nwoko’s outburst, the NGF had described the position of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on the controversial ‘$418 million Paris Club contractors’ fee as “fraudulent and self-serving”. The governors vowed to pursue the issue before the law court to a logical conclusion so as to know the next steps to take on theOnmatter.Thursday August 11, Malami had stated that the state governors had no justification to protest against deductions from the Paris Club refund paid to the consultants they hired as they created the liability whose payment they had also indemnified. He accused the state governors of reneging on their agreement with the consultants, insisting they have no basis for complaining about the Paris Club refund deductions paid to consultants they hired.
The statement further read: “Not surprisingly, the desperate, spurious and futile advocacy mounted and coordinated by the AGF on behalf of the so-called Paris Club consultants to justify the plundering of the humongous sum of $418.9m from the public treasury of the states and local governments continued on Saturday August 20, 2022. The facts are and will always remain: whether the claims of the consultants are lawful and justified under our Constitution and whether any Judgment which is a subject of a pending appeal can be enforced or executed as the consultants now attempt to do? If both questions are answered in the negative, it does not matter if the contracts leading to the claims were entered into by any public official, past or present. “No person or persons can agree to blatantly circumvent our Constitution and get away with it. Neither is the period when Judgments were obtained of consequence in this case…. While Mr. Ned Nwoko strenuously tried to single out and justify his own bogus claim of $68 million; the total amount which all the consultants working in concert, collectively seek and claim from the states and local governments, albeit unlawfully is $418,953,690.59 no matter how long it takes….“Theuse of libelous language on the person of the Chairman of NGF, who has refused to be compromised and has firmly stood his ground on the unconstitutional and unlawful nature of the consultants’ claims, is not helpful to their case either. The NGF hereby states unequivocally that it has not at any time been involved in or been in receipt of $100million or any other funds from Ned Nwoko to finance elections in any state.”
been challenged on appeal by the states and NGF in Suit No
Endless Dispute over Paris Club Refund
The last has certainly not been heard of the controversy between the consultants and the governors of the 36 states of the federation over the non-payment of the consultants’ $418 million Paris Club refund. The governors last week picked holes in the arguments adduced by one of the consultants, Ned Nwoko to justify the payment of consultants engaged as a result of Paris Club loans.
Additionally, the governors stated that it was instructive to note that all the claims by the consultants were rooted in suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/130/13 between: Linas International Ltd & 35 ORS and Federal Government of Nigeria & 3 ORS in which Nwoko instituted and was awarded a bogus 20 percent of the sum of $3,188,078,505.96 from the states and local governments Paris Club refunds.
The governors said the judgement had to pay fees ranging between 10 to 30 per cent to secure a refund. There was also an allegation that about N3.5 billion was paid out as consultancy fees by a collective of the NGF and some of the funds were reportedly traced to the bank accounts of senior members of the Senate. President Buhari had approved the payment of the contractors through the issuance of promissory notes, but this was resisted by the NGF. One of the contractors, Riok Nigeria Limited, who is a beneficiary of the Promissory Notes for $142 million and who had lost at the Court of Appeal, further appealed to the Supreme Court in suit no.: SC 337/2018. The Supreme Court on June 3, dismissed Riok’s appeal as lacking in merit, noting that neither the NGF nor the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has the power to award contracts and charge the same directly to the Federation Account as done in the case.
Since the presidential candidates emerged as the standard bearers of their respective political parties, besides trying to reconcile the aggrieved members, they have been spend ing time bantering, bickering and throwing tantrums and jabs at themselves, leaving the critical issues bothering Nigerians unattended to. But the NBA’s event changed all that.
How Presidential Candidates Pitched at NBA Conference
“Even our most important source of foreign exchange revenue, oil, is today 80 per centstolen. That shows how bad it is. We are the only country apart from Venezuela (we know their own is because of sanctions) that is not meeting up with its OPEC quota. “And you wouldn’t believe the quantity that is missing. In July, our total average quota was 1.83 million barrels a day. That means that in July, we lost 77,000 barrels per day. If you multiply that by 20, in 31 days it will give you 22.223million barrels of oil that we lost. This is a country that needs dollars. If you sell the quantity of the oil that we lost in July alone at the average of $110, it will give you $2.45bil
64 CICERO/ REPORT THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022
Speaking as a panelist at the opening ceremony of the conference with the theme ‘Bold Transitions,’ Atiku said he would devolve more powers to states. He added that the government doesn’t have infinite resources to continue to shoulder the cost of university education in the country, especially against the backdrop of ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The former vice president noted that one of his major objectives for vying for the presi dency in the 2023 general election was to unite Nigerians and also tackle insecurity. He pointed out that Nigerians had never been this divided in her history, stressing that uniting Nigerians remains one of his five-fold agenda for the country. The PDP’s presidential candidate also said he would abolish the multiple exchange rates and devolve more powers to the states if elected president.
On how to stabilise the economy, Atiku said the “multiple exchange rate,” must be “abol ished.” He said since the return of democracy in 1998/99, Nigeria has never found itself in such a critical point in its history. He explained that despite its overwhelming victory in 1999, the PDP formed a national government inclusive of other political party members, adding that this boosted national unity.
“Our GDP was $455million and our total number of troops was 213,000. The percent age of our GDP that is spent on the military for security was only 0.5 per cent.” He noted that Nigeria’s “peers across the world” such as Iraq, Israel and Turkey spend far higher percentages. He argued that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket was the best combination to tackle Nigeria’s economic, security and other challenges because of their vast experience. The former Borno State governor said his combination with Tinubu, if elected next year, will replicate the “wonders” they performed in Borno and Lagos states. “I will handle the security and lead the troops while my principal (Bola Ahmed Tinubu), who is an economic wizard will handle the economy. Nigerians have the capability to see through the worn-out rhetoric and sophistry of preten tious politicians,” he explained. Shettima promised that they would hit the ground running from the first day, if elected. The pitching of the presidential candidates did not end with criticisms. For instance, Shet tima was criticised for saying that would be in charge of security and lead Nigerian troops, a role specifically reserved for the Commanderin-Chief, while his boss, Tinubu will handle the economy.“Doyou understand the implication of this? His he saying that they would swap roles? His saying that he would be the Commanderin-Chief? Is the VP not supposed to be in charge of the National Economic Council? Why is Shettima saying he would be in charge of security. Is that not an anomaly?,” asked Adegbai Eromosele. Obi, on the other hand, was faulted for describing Nigeria as a failed state, with many saying such a comment ought not to have come fromWhilehim.the NBA conference provided an opportunity for the presidential candidates, a majority of the listeners at the event said that going forward, they would not want to see bickerings but how the candidates intend to deal with the fiscal crisis Nigeria faces – how to shore up revenue, cut cost, fix monetary policies and the foreign exchange rate regime, tackle insecurity, end the debilitating subsidy regime, end oil theft, clean up the Niger Delta, and fix electricity.
he Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA-AGC) last Monday provided a platform for the presi dential candidates of the leading political parties - Abubakar Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progres sives Congress (APC), and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) - to articulate what they would do if elected into Aso Rock in 2023. The event was the first time the candidates were provided with such opportunity since they won their parties’ primaries. The event, which also had the presidential candidates of African Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peter Umeadi, in at tendance, however witnessed the conspicuous absence of Tinubu who was represented by his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
“The only way is to make sure that you make conducive environment available to both foreign and local investors to participate in our country, whether it is infrastructure, education or power. I had an argument with a university professor from the Federal University, Lokoja. He said he read in my policy document that I intended to devolve, in other words, to return education to the states. ‘How dare I do that’? “I said, ‘Mr. Professor, do you realise that the first set of our universities belonged to the regional governments?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I said who are the successors of the regional govern ments? He said the states. I said the children you send to America, to England, who own those universities? Mostly the private sector! So, why is it that you think we cannot do it here? We don’t have the money.” Atiku said: “Since the return of democracy, Nigeria has never been in such a critical situ ation as we find ourselves now. The problem of poverty, insecurity, unemployment, etc is enormous but what is important is how to tackle“Whenthem.PDP came into power in 1999, despite winning overwhelmingly across the Following their first outing at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference last Monday, it is hoped that the presidential candidates of the leading political parties would continue to focus on reviving the prostate economy, tackling insecurity, and uniting Nigerians ahead of the official commencement of campaign for the 2023 elections, Ejiofor Alike writes
Atiku Tinubu Obi country, we decided to include members of other parties in our leadership. That singular action united the country and resulted in calm. I believe we can have that experience again. It is only when we have a sense of belonging that we can deal with insecurity.” In his presentation, Obi said the 2023 election should not be about religion or tribe but character and competence in leadership. He also stated that his approach to tackle the worsening exchange rate problem in the country would be to encourage manufacturing and export of goods and services. He said: “Nigeria is in a mess. We got here simply because of the cumulative effect of bad leadership. The coming election is not about tribe or religion but about character and competence. We need a bold transition from a highly insecure state to a highly secure state.” Obi lamented the numerous problems facing the country. He restated that the “only way” to stabilise the naira is for the Nigerian economy to “move from consumption to production.” In his view, Nigeria had qualified to be a failed state. According to him, 80 per cent of the country’s crude oil was stolen and blamed the situation on bad leadership. He added: “Nigeria needs an urgent transi tion from being a highly insecure country to a secure country, from a disunited country to a united country, from corruption to a success ful country, from a country of lawlessness to a country of law and order. But in all these, it is important to look at where we are today for people to understand the gravity of the journey we are going to take if we are going to transit. Where are we today?”
T
ion, meaning by our exchange rate of N550, we lost“ThatN1.344trillion.isyourcountry; that is what we lost in one month because of stealing. It is important that we know this. “Number two item to show that we are a failed state is that you are no longer in control of our economy. We have an economy where over 100 million people live in poverty; our unemployment rate is one of the worst in the world because we have a combined unemployment of 50 per cent. “Out of 200 million Nigerians, 60 per cent is supposed to be working; so, we are supposed to have more than 120 million persons working but today Nigerians that are working are under 50 million; so, 70 million plus of Nigerians are not working - are not productive. When you compare this to your productivity, you will see how low it is. But what is even worse is that we are in a total physical mess because of all these,” he added. On his part, Tinubu, who was represented by Shettima, said his principal would replicate what he described as the wonders in Lagos and Borno states, if elected president. The former governor of Borno State disclosed that he built some of the best schools in the state during his tenure, adding that Tinubu’s administration will address issues of the economy and security, amongShettimaothers.said the former Lagos State governor will deploy his “mastery of financial management capabilities” in revamping the economy.Hesaid he (Shettima) would use his eightyear experience tackling Boko Haram in Borno to deal with banditry and insurgency. According to him, the strength of the country’s armed forces is abysmal relative to its challenges and compared to its peer countries. He believes Nigeria’s troops’ strength needs to be boosted to at least Shettima960,000.said:“Iwant us to juxtapose two scenarios. At the end of the unfortunate Nigerian Civil War, the Nigerian Armed Forces ballooned to 250,000 combat troops. In 1970, Nigeria’s population was 55.9million, our GDP was $22billion, and our military spending was $660million representing 5.28 per cent of our GDP. I would like us to juxtapose the figures in 1970 with the figures for 2022. At the end of July, Nigeria’s population was 216.9 million.
If it is about speaking grammar, we will speak grammar, if it is about quoting laws, we will quote laws. You secured the ticket of your party to return to the House a few weeks back and you will be running on the platform of the APC and you are from the southeast.The APC is not a very popular party in theSouth-east.Whatareyourchancesintheforthcomingelection?
What is your reaction to the latest move by the minority caucus in the Senate to impeach the president due to the increased state of insecurity in the country? Everybodyisconcernedandbothered aboutthespateofinsecurityinthecountry and we are no longer talking about when it was only consistent with the Niger Delta. We have gone past that stage now to say that no part of this country is safe; from the North-east to the North-west to the North-central to the South-west to South-south and South-east, it is as if Nigeria has been engulfed, nobody and nowhere is safe. But this is not the time for us to play politics with it because look at the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train, nobody was sure who the bandits were going to meet on that train. It could have been anybody. Insecurity generally doesn’t know a political party, doesn’t know any religion, it doesn’t know whether you are Igbo or Yoruba, it doesn’t know any tribe; anybody and everybody can be engulfed as a matter of fact.We are concerned, we are all bothered, we should look beyond partisanship and the government because it wasn’t any better in the previous PDP-led administration. What I mean by that is that I believe that the government is worried, I believe the government is not overwhelmed, and I believe that the government is making very honest and sincere efforts to arrest the situation. So, bring you home to what happened in the Senate, I said that and I want to repeat that just like everybody is bothered, whether you are a minority caucus or majority caucus but rising up to grandstand and to use the word when people say you want to trend, you want to catch cruise, I can tell you that is what they did. Is that how you start an impeachment proceeding against a sitting president in an advanced ofcardinalalsoyoucourseissecuritylookingthetouparticlesdemocracy,eveninourdemocracy?Youmustsitdownandputtogetherofimpeachmentandnowbegintheprocess,youdon’tjustgetbecauseyouareonnationalTV,youwanttocatchcruise,youwantletyourconstituentsknowthatyouaretalking,thatisplayingtogallery,thatisnotit,thatisnotwhatwillbringthesolutionwearefor.Thesolutionthatwewantistositdownandengagetheforces.SoIwanttoseeaconsciouseffortbyeverybody,itnotonlythegovernment,totackletheissuesofpovertywhichofisafunctionofunemploymentandalsoyouthrestiveness;ifcandealwiththat,whilethatisbeinghandled,thegovernmenthastostepuptheissuesofprovidingsecuritybecauseoneofthefunctionsofagovernmentistosafeguardlifeandpropertiesthecitizenry.
so much so that, statistically the whole of the north is about 80 per cent Muslim and less than 20 per cent Christian. Then ditto for the South, with over 85 per cent Christians and 15 per cent Muslims. And then it is the turn of the South after eight years of Buhari’s presidency and then it comes to the South, and a well-grown, matured, exposed, prepared politician showed interest. Do you think either religion or something, is he disenfranchised? Is he not qualified to run? He ran. Did he stop anybody else from running? No, including from the Southsouth, South-west, South-east, and the North-east. So, everybody went out for it but the better prepared candidate won. And we now started looking at that. He is from the South but he is a Muslim, that was not a mistake. It is divine orchestration. The only one that you can now say that one or two or three or more persons have to sit down to determine and decide, is who becomes his running mate, nobody sat down to negotiate who gets the ticket because a day or two the ticket could have gone to anybody. But this man, Jagaban, having prepared himself, picked the ticket against all odds. So that was not part of the discussions and negotiations and the thing that can be for discussion is who becomes his running mate and the number one thing the APC has to look at is the possibility of winning the election.
On the popularity of the APC in the South-east where I come from, I will tell you that the APC was a no-no party in 2015 when I ran and I won. APC was barely a year old having been formed in 2014; the legacy parties of ANPP, the APGA faction of Rochas Okorocha, the CPC and then the ACN in the South-west, all came together and formed APC. So, the first election APC ever did in this country was the election in 2015 and I got on the ballot in 2015 and was voted for. That is to tell you that in the part of the country where I come from, they don’t really look at parties, they look at individuals. That is the truth but of course, the party is a vehicle because our brand of democracy doesn’t give room for independent candidacy or candidature, so you must have a party platform. Our people are so political savvy that they profile every individual of the party notwithstanding, and then they will come in and also vote for the individual’s party. For us as a people in the South-east, APC has not done so badly.We come from the South-east, five states of Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi. Today, you can easily drive from Onitsha to Enugu. That road was impassable for many years when the PDP was in power, they didn’t give attention to that road. You can now close your eyes and drive from Enugu to Port Harcourt today as we speak. Look at the Second Niger Bridge, which is about Chike Okafor is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress representing Ehime Mbano/ Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives. In this interview with Vanessa Obioha, he argues that despite the current wave of insecurity gripping the country, impeaching the president is not the solution. Excerpts: APC Has the Numbers to Defeat Any Impeachment Move per cent completed.When we want to look and assess the
The minority caucus in the House of Reps says it will join its Senate counterpart in the impeachment process at the expiration of the eight-week ultimatum to the President. If that happens, what will your reaction be from the majority? We will not support them, we have the numbers. You know what they say, “the minority will have its say but the majority will always have its way,” at the end of the day it will come down to numbers. We, the APC members of the House, are convinced that the government is honest and sincere about the decision or the output to keep Nigeria safe and make life better for us. We will not wake up or keep our eyes open and allow them. We have the numbers, we will outnumber them.
Okafor:
Now2023isaroundthecornerandweareallowingsomedistractions to also make it impossible for us to do a lot more because I see APC retaining power at the centre that is the truth. So what we are telling people back home now that elections are still seven months away, is to avoid these distractions and come out clearly so that what happened in 2015 and 2019 will not happen again. How well or bad will you say that your governor, Sen. Hope Uzodinma is governing the state since coming on board? I will tell you without sentiment that having been a part of the politics in that state even while I was in the organised private sector, I came backtoImostatein2002,startedinthebanksandIwasdoingbusiness with the public sector, government officers, directly dealing with the government, managing treasuries, managing accounts of business of government. So, I have followed activities and events in Imo from 2002 while I was in the private sector, until 2011 when I got in and became Commissioner of Finance and I have been in active politics till now. And I will tell you that, we’ve passed through Udenwa, Ohakim, Rochas, Ihedioha, though short-lived and now Hope Uzodinma, I will tell you that there are factors that define the performance or otherwise of a leader at that level. One, how much are you not interested in your own issues of interest? How much are you interested in delivering to the larger society? We have a governor today who is not interested in the acquisition of assets, we have a governor today who has not built one house since he becamegovernor,andsinceJanuary2020,wehaveagovernorwhohas not acquired one single land for himself or any of his cronies directly. As a matter of fact, this governor has not signed one CofO in Imo. He has placed an embargo on the allocation of lands in Imo because he wants to sanitize that part of our enterprise that was an avenue for the enrichment of those in government. For that first part, which is for a governor who is not interested in the acquisition of wealth, he has scored for me 90 per cent and the other part of also being responsible and responsive; I just mentioned to you, these are federal roads but he is not waiting for the federal government to come and do it, what he did was to get some approval from the federal ministry of works, do it and then put in for refund. Maybe that refund may not come under his watch but what is important to him is that these roads are critical. He has invested in infrastructure in Imo in the last three years, much more than the governments in the past.
Many feel that your party, the APC has not treated the Southeast well in terms of federal appointments. Now, you are going to 2023, what should the people from the South-east be expecting from the APC by way of a position in the federal government? Well, we want to say this, we have not been fairly treated since the APC government, I agree with you. I am from the South-east. I speak for a constituency in Imo state, in the South-east of Nigeria and you don’t want me to remember in 2015 what happened in the National Assembly where all the leadership positions in the two chambers, not even one was held in the South-east. But let me also explain that to you; in that election, APC threw up only two elected members, I and Austin Chukwukele. We were first timers and you know what the rules say, we were first timers in 2015 and the president also explained it in one interview he granted somewhere, he had elections, he won elections, I wish the South-east did things differently. If you were the president of this country and you ran elections and you probably also got so much support from here and there and you have things to share and you don’t have enough, you will naturally look at those who gave you the most support. So the least that the South-east has had to manage within the last seven years is that those ones are statutory, which is to say that every state must have a member in the FEC, so that is what it is.
65 GAVEL THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022 Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com
Okafor 85
willyou,deliverablesAPCwhatgoingOkigweOwerri,arestartedthetheandYouandNoyousoObowuyouneverdaystogovernmentthehadIperformanceofAPCforeverygeopoliticalzoneincludingwherecomefrom,wewillfirstofalllookatthetwoparties,whodonesomuchormuchmoreforus.TodayinImostate,APCgovernment,ifyouknowOwerriverywell,theAPCfromOwerritoOrlucompletelydualised.OwerriOkigweis65percentdone,workisstillongoing.Justafewago,thegovernorflaggedoffOwerritoUmuahia,we’vehaditthisgood,itwasgiventothreecontractors.SohavefromEgbutoAfugo,onecontractor,fromtheretoonecontractor,theretoUmuahiaanothercontractor,thatworkwillbegoingonsimultaneouslyalongthataxisandthinkthatourpeopleareungrateful,wearenotingrates.government,notevenwhenwehadthedeputyspeakerhishomeisalongthataxis,thatroadnevergotattention.cannotgotohisvillagewithoutpassingthroughthatroad;ifyoulookattheexcitementinourplace,itisnotbecauseroadwasflaggedoff,theexcitementinourplaceisthatgovernorintwoyearsdeliveredonOwerritoOrluandheOwerritoOkigweinJanuary,ifyouknowthataxis,theyalreadyataplacecalledAnarawhichisabout21kmfromsothatmeansbeforetheendofthisyear,theywillhitRoad.So,whenthechipsaredown,ourpeoplearetositdownandtheyarealreadysittingdowntolookatthetwoparties,whilePDPwasinpowerandnowthatisinpower,havebeenabletodoforus.Soitisabouttheasitconcernsyou,whohasdonewhatandforthatiswhatmatters.Sotoansweryourquestion,APCgivePDParunforitsmoneyintheSouth-east.
AsasouthernChristian,aren’tyoubotheredaboutAPC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket? Yes, I am bothered about it, but if those who are attacking it didn’t think it could give APC the victory, why are they attacking it? Why not just go home and sleep and say APC has driven the vehicle into a ditch, and it cannot come out, let us think about it. Muslim-Muslim ticket, we are from the south, it is not appealing to us but APC is looking at winning the election. You want to lose the power, you want to lose Aso Rock to the opposition? So, to me what the party has done is to look at the thesethisisfromenvironment,TinubuhasemergedfromtheSouth.Ok,fine,heistheSouthbutaminorityreligionintheSouth.Thiscountrydividedalongtwomajorreligions:ChristianityandIslam,andcountryisdividedintoNorthandSouth,statutorily.Andtworeligionshavetheirdominanceinthetwodivides
Regarding contending issues, General Irabor noted four of them that required further explanation: socio-political environment; the role of the media and security; regional security dynamics; and economic security. The point of emphasis in socio-political environment is what led to the new dimension of insecurity which he traced to the killing of the boko haramists in 2009. He advised that‘all government agencies must use their mediums of influence to remind Nigerians of the need to be more security conscious. For the media, being the societal watchdog, there is the need for caution when reporting security activities. General Irabor explicated that‘many are of the opinion that the media often sensationalize their reportage to the detriment of national security. Even though the military boss admits that the media in some other climes understands the power of positive projection and they deliberately use it for the unity and development of their nations… it is important to constantly bear in mind that nation-building, security and development is a slow and dynamic process which requires the cooperation of all the press inclusive.’
Maritime Insecurity and Official Complicity
The NIIA sees prevention as a potent tool. This explains why the Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor, was invited to come and share his ideas on‘Security, Defence and Development in Nigeria, with the ultimate objective of articulating the dynamics of national insecurity. This also explains why the NIIA is also putting in place an early warning analytical programmes.
INTERNATIONAL 66 AUGUST 28 , 2022 Telephone : 0807-688-2846 e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com Bola A. Akinterinwa INTERNATIONALEVIE withrecentfornotcommitmentdefencebecausethatPresidentThismentgrowththatandattacks,thedefencecounterlawoldDefence,tranquillity,fortruetheoreticalaggression,aNNPCTheHeroicofon‘Security,Defence,andDevelopmentinNigeria’wastheinitialtitleofthelecturedeliveredbyNigeria’sChiefofDefenceStaff,GeneralLeoIrabor,onThursday,25thAugust,2022.ItwasdeliveredontheplatformoftheNigerianInstituteofInternationalAffairs(NIIA),KofoAbayomi,VictoriaIsland.ThelecturecameontheheelsoftheNIIA’sonline‘RoundtableInsecurityinNigeria,’heldonFriday,15thJuly,2022andontheheelstheinterceptionbyEquatorialGuineaofacrude-ladenvessel,MVIdun,withInternationalMaritimeOrganisationnumber9858058.vesselloadedcrudeoilfromNigeriawithouttherequiredrelevantdocumentationpapers,butapparentlywithofficialcomplicity.True,thelecturetitleisquiteapt,especiallythatNigeriahasbecometerracognitaforvariousactsofterror(armedbanditry,herdsmenkidnapping,train-jacking,etc)andthereforeraisesquestionsofsecurity,defenceanddevelopment.Andagain,securitymeansacollateraloraguaranteeinexchangesomethingintermsofbankloans.Militarily,itisasituationofpeace,thatis,beingfreefromthreatsordanger.Itisaboutsafety.etymologically,isfromaLatinword,defendereandfromFrench,defens,bothmeaningdefence.Defenceinlitigationorsuitisaboutneutralisingallegationsbyclaimantsbyprovidinglegalarguments.Intermsofmilitaryandensuringsecurity,isaboutrespondingtoanattackorpreventingit.Itisaboutmeansofensuringastateofsecuritybycreatingbarriersagainstself-fortificationagainstanenemy.Thecriticallinkagebetweensecurityanddefence,ontheonehand,development,ontheother,isthatallAfricanleadersstronglybelievetherecannotbeanymeaningfuldevelopment,especiallyeconomicandbetterlife-standardwithoutpeaceandsecurity.Develop-cannotthriveinanenvironmentofbelligerenceandinsecurity.iswhatcurrentlyobtainsinNigeriaundertheadministrationofMuhammaduBuhari(PMB).ItisagainstthisbackgroundthelectureofGeneralLeoIraborshouldbeunderstood.Thus,wecontendthatinsecurityhasbecomerecidivistinNigeriaofgovernmentaluntruth.Consequently,noamountofstrengtheningcanbringaboutsecuritywithoutgenuinetofightingnationalinsecurity.InsecurityinNigeriaissimplyaboutfightingterrorbutavoidinggovernmentsupportterrororeconomicsabotage,asclearlyshownbythecaseoftheoiltheftbytheMVHeroicIdun.
The Southwest zone is relatively peaceful and most economically viable region in the eyes of General Irabor. It is also the region with the highest literacy rate in the country but challenged by armed robbery, kidnapping, political thuggery and ethnic militia violence, cyber and financial fraud, weapon trafficking, sea robbery and border crimes. In the Southeast and South-South, the Chief of Defence Staff says ‘the prevailing security environment is characterised by militancy, ethnic violence, communal conflicts, separatist agitations, environmental degradation, political violence, drug abuse/trafficking, oil theft and vandalism, as well as other crimes occasioned by the existence of large populations of unemployed youths.’
saabnecdiapbrtctmtlsotpvdIrabor “ “
In the Northwest, General Irabor has it that there is a steep rise in violent crimes because of poverty, poor governance, cultural and political inadequacies, low literacy rate, large unemployment of youth. This is in spite of the fact that the Northwest comprises some of the richest states in the north. The situation is not all that different in the North Central zone, which is the zone playing host to increasing communal violence, ethno-religious conflicts and farmers-herders clashes, all of which are exacerbated by ethno-religious-driven political violence.
The Lecture
And finally on regional security dynamics, General Irabor had it that climate change, flooding and desertification, epidemic and pandemic, etc., are fuelling socio-economic malaise afflicting most of Nigeria’s neighbours and that this malaise creates the environment that incubates terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crimes and cross-border banditry. More importantly, General Irabor talked about economic security and maritime security. For him, ‘economic security is the condition of having a stable income or other resources to support a standard of living now and in the foreseeable future. It includes continued solvency, job security, sustainability of the future cash flow of a person or other economic entity… Economic security cannot be sustained without an enabling environment.’ Maritime insecurity is what I found most disturbingly, because of the issue of the Idun vessel. In the words of General Irabor,‘as a result of the unrelenting activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals, the country’s revenue earnings have remained threatened by criminals who engage in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, sea robbery and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in our continental shelf..’ Additionally, he said ‘the threats in the maritime domain are deepened by the absence of viable navies in several littoral states in the Gulf of Guinea, thereby making the task of securing the Sea Line of Communication (SLOC) quite difficult.’We agree with the submissions of Chief of Defence Staff, but he only opted to give one side of the coin or only his own version of the truth. The Idun vessel saga lends much credence to Government’s complicity in the ravaging insecurity and economic sabotage in the country.
As noted above, Equatorial Guinean authorities intercepted a crudeladen vessel, MV Heroic Idun with International Maritime Organisation number 9858058 on 15 July 2022.The vessel is a super-tanker, 336-metre long, and has the capacity to carry two million barrels of oil. It is owned by HunterTankers and domiciled in Scandinavia, in Norway but operated by theTrafigura Maritime Logistics in the Netherlands.What is noteworthy about the vessel is that it did not have any loading approval as at the time of loading. Normally the required loading approval papers are to be issued by the NNPC. As generally reported, the vessel arrives at the Total Safe Anchorage operated by the Akpo Oil Field for loading but was discovered not to have the required NNPC clearance paper.The Nigerian security officials knew quite well that the vessel did not have any official authority to load. However, it loaded fully on 08 August 2022 without papers. Why was this so? Available information has it that the vessel’s agent, Messrs Inchcape Shipping, reportedly directed that the vessel’s captain and crew should not listen to Nigerian directives. Based on this, rather than accept to be arrested, the vessel refused to cooperate, increased its velocity, and raised a false alarm to the International Maritime Bureau, arguing that his vessel was under pirate attack. Notably, raising a false alarm took place after the vessel was first accosted after fleeing Nigeria’s Akpo Oilfield. The arrest was to no avail. But why? How do we explain the fact that the vessel could load without official authority? It is on record that the NNS Gongola ordered the vessel to sail to Bonny Fairway Buoy for interrogation but the Captain disregarded the directive given by the NNS Gongola? More interestingly, when the vessel altered its course towards Sao-Tome and Principe, why was there no application of the principle of hot pursuit?
The lecture also took place against the background of two complementary rationales, on the one hand, and controversial perceptions on military self-evaluation of doing well and public belief in the contrary. As regards rationales, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, Chief Executive and Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), differentiated in his welcoming remarks, between‘prevention is key to defence’and‘prevention is better than cure.’Methodologically, the common saying that prevention is better than cure necessarily implies that there are two analytical levels: a state of prevention, which does not allow for a situation of disaster to exist. What is better as an approach in solution finding is not allowing a problem to even exist. More important, when it is admitted that prevention is better than cure, the notion of cure suggests that the problem is already a fait accompli, and because it is already existing, finding a solution to the trouble can be greatly tasking. Consequently, in the eyes of Professor Osaghae, rather than underscore solutions-finding after problems and dissipating of energy, efforts are being made by the NIIA to evolve an approach to neutralise all forms of threats that can engender insecurity.
ongoing efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to curtail contemporary security threats with the attendant consequences on Nigeria’s national development.’ Without any jot of gainsaying, the new topic and intention to underscore efforts hitherto made to contain insecurity in Nigeria cannot be faulted even if it is self-justifying. Again, there is nothing wrong in self-justification or singing songs of self-praise. What eventually matters is that a sizable percentage of the Nigerian elite holds a negative view of the roles of the Nigerian military in the war against terror. This is why the lecture is quite apt and interesting.Inthelecture that actually began at 11.29am, concluded at 12.42 pm, and followed by a question-and-answer session until 2.30 pm, General Irabor gave an overview of the environment of insecurity in the country’s six-political zones; delineated some contending issues in the environment and related to national development; focused greater attention on the patriotic efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in containing security threats and enhancing national development; and provided an actionable leeway for the government. As regards environmental insecurity and issues involved in the six geo-political zones, General Irabor noted that the Northeast is Nigeria’s most volatile and intense security environment,‘the largest, most ethnically, religiously, linguistically diverse geo-political zone’ and which also‘reveal high level of poverty, infrastructural decay, lack of development, poor governance, unfavourable climatic conditions and differences in religious cultures. This situation has negatively impacted on food security and socio-economic activities thereby militating against national development.’
The rationale for the lecture, and particularly for slightly modifying the topic as given, is deductively to disabuse the public mind that the Nigerian military has either not being doing well, or not doing enough, or working against public interest. He retitled the lecture topic as‘Contemporary Security Environment and National Development: Efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.’As General Irabor put it, the reason for slightly changing the lecture topic is‘to bring into more focus the Security, Defence, and Development in Nigeria: The Challenge of Oil Theft and Maritime Insecurity
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Prince Adelusi also suggested that everyone should turn his or her negative narratives to positive ones. Is this possible in Nigeria where patriotism and honesty of purpose is consciously sanctioned? This question is raised because, after the lecture, some friends called me to advise me to stop criticising Government to avoid being ‘neutralised’. What is wrong if I do not agree with General Irabor’s version of the truth? Psychology of human differences allows for academic differences. True, the Federal Government is worse than a terrorist. Alhaji Lateef Jakande, then Minister of Works and Housing, advertised and collected money from the public, including me, in April 1994, for the building and allocation of a medium semi-detached bungalow in FESTAC. Till today, the building meant to be allocated by December 1994, is yet to be built as at August 2022. No building, no allocation and no refund. Besides, the NIIA management is yet to refund my four million naira and the entitlements of five others, being my and their legitimate allowances and personal expenses incurred in running government business. Reason for non-payment: the required documents for payment cannot be found. The truth: the Director of Administration and Finance, Ms. Agatha Ude, and Director of Library, Mrs. Bimbo Dada, paid themselves their own entitlements after I left, from the same documents they could not find. In fact, the Ike Nwachukwu-led Governing Council, not only protected them, but also laid a bad foundation for the appointment of ‘Governing Council Professors’ rather than for NIIA Professors. The court will soon hear the non-payment case. So if anyone wants to kill me, that will not obliterate the truth already established or prevent God from blessing my death. It is well with my would-be killers
Peter Obi: Man in Black, Politics of ‘No!’ Chidi Amuta
Politics as usual has run into trouble. Decades of political bad behaviourhavebirthedanewand subversive urgent counter force, withitsamovementwithamomentumofown.Anunusualmaninblackahuskyvoiceandashymien has mounted the soap box with a message of fear some urgency and unanimous appeal. Perennially clad in the anonymity of black outfits, Mr. Peter Obi, a modest man with a message bigger than himself is at the front door. Perhaps more for good than for ill, the move ment in the making variously called “Obidients” or “Obi-Datti” after its main political drivers, will likely alter the political landscape of Nigeria for a long time. What is unfolding before our eyes is mostly unintended. But it is coming at a most auspicious moment. A crucial general election offers our democracy an opportunity to renew itself peacefully through the electoral process. But this election season is like no other one in the history of our country. The challenges that await urgent political action are unprecedented. The Nigerian state is tottering with institutional theanyshipeveryaboutpuses,amongmessageofassumeddecades.thethethathoarsetransformeddancefamiliarmerelyItportunity.leadershipthetraderbroughtHeAbubakar’sNigeriansneithermatter.LabourParty.ofquicklyrebellionandcondemnedfamiliarDemocraticthetransactionalwouldfromJuly,presidentialmomentumingPetertimeguestwoes.aingsthatarmytakingformallytollstatemonopolyThehaveincapacity.Fiercearmedgangsofsundryidentitiesbesiegedthenationfromnearlyeverycorner.theoryofabsolutesovereigncontroloftheofforceasadefinitionofthenationisintoday’sNigeriauntenable.Thedeathfromviolentinsecuritysurpassesthatinadeclaredwar.Hardshipandpovertyarecasualtiesandenrollingmillionsintoanofdesperatesurvivalists.ThemultitudesrowdilythrongtoPeterObi’ssporadicoutarehungryforanunusualleadershipwithdifferentpoliticstosurmountourcountlessThenoteofurgencyispalpable.Inasense,Mr.Obiisanunexpectedandgentlethatsomehowmakesarowdyentranceeachhecomescalling.Hecanhardlybeignored.Obiandtheomnipresentmovementbuildaroundhimareeverywhereandgatheringbytheday.Rewindtotwomonthsback.BythetimetheconventionsendedinlateJune/earlynooneanticipatedthatanythingdifferentthepredictabletwo-partyalbatrosschange.Bytheoutcomeofthatlargelyprocess,itwasgoingtobeeitherAllProgressivesCongressorthePeoplesParty,achoicebetweentworatherhousesofmammon.Nigerianswereonceinabinarychoicebetweenalameacripple.Suddenly,Mr.PeterObishowsupinagentleagainsthisformerparty,thePDP.Heemergedasthepresidentialcandidateahithertonon-descriptandlacklustreLabourTherewasnothingnewabouteitherthePartyorevenMr.ObihimselfforthatBothcouldconvenientlybeignoredasspectacularnorunusual.ThelasttimeheardofMr.Obi,hewasMr.Atikurunningmateinthe2019contest.madeafewnotablenoisesthenthatmerelytheperspectivesofanOnitshamarketintotimidnationalfocus.HehighlightedconsequencesofeconomicrecklessnessandprodigalitywheneverhefoundanopButhewasnotthemainmasquerade.wassomeoneelse’sshowanddance.HewasthesupportcastofMr.Atiku,anallsomascotofanancientculttowhomthebelonged.Butnowashisownman,Mr.Obihasquicklyintosomethingelse.Hehaslenthisraspyvoicetotheexpressionofsomethingnooneinthepastdaredname.Hehasspentlastfewweeksstompingthenation,namingmanythingsthathavetroubledNigeriansforHehasshedhispersonalmaskandthemantleandfaceofspokespersoneverytroubledNigerian.ItisnotObibuthisthathasignitedanunfamiliarflameNigerians.Conversationsinmarketplaces,buses,churchesmosques,boardrooms,barber’sshopsandcamarenolongercompletewithoutdiscussionsthemaninblackastheembodimentofwhatsensibleNigerianwantsinthenextleaderofthecountry.Hehasdefiedanimosityandformofbitterness.Herefusedtoembraceusualdivisionsthathavemadeourpolitics
Obi
episodes of vicious warfare. For Obi and his followers, this hour is not the turn of any nationality, creed, section or person. It is Nigeria’s turn to become great by removing the shame of generations of its citizens. His message belongs to this time and this place. It also belongs to all times and all places where the politics of elite distance and greed has laid nations waste and ren dered peoples destitute. It is an urgent message carrying an idea whose time has now arrived. It is the idea of Nigeria as a land of hope and possibility. It is about the urgency of a rescue mission to free Nigeria from the vice grip of what the French would call the sins of the ancien regime, the old orderanditsdefiningpolitics.It is arejection of the politics of anything goes, of ‘Ghana Must Go’ bales of cash ferried around at night to purchase the conscience of those, who decide the fate of many. It is also a generational message. The youth of our land have found a rallying cry, someone to carry the blood stained banner rescued from Lekki Toll Gate. It is something that had been simmering under thesurface,readytoerupt.Itbrieflypeeped in during the brief EndSARS surge. It is the clear message from those we have been waiting for, the youth of Nigeria united by a rejection of the old order and its politics. It is the voice of those impatient to wait another day for the sweetness that was long promised and long denied. The message is something that defies a label or a name. It defies geography or ethnic identity. Those who have tried to pigeonhole either the message of its carrier have come against a barrage of incendiary anger from every corner of Nigeria and the world where Nigerians live. And yet the message has become a tectonic force, a moving locomotive of history that no one in their right senses can ignore. It is something beyond the cheap blackmail of ethnicity, religion, and geographical permutations. It means politics to the power of infinity. Yet it is not politics as usual. It is the politics of No! An open rejection of stasis, the power to say No! ‘Even in thunder’ as the late poet Christopher Okigbo wrote. It is a resounding No! in the united voice of those long denied a voice. That voice has broken out and become a force. That force is growing into a movement. The force they call ‘Obidients’ is not a party. It is not a personality cult. It is the message of a movement that has found a suitable voice and convincing mascot to carry it to the arena of national attention. In a sense, then, we all, the common folk of long betrayed Nigerians, created the Obidients. They are not party faithful. They are not devotees of a cult. They are not worshippers of any hero or subscribers to any known myth. They are Nigerians eager to reclaim a decent nation from too long a political captivity. Above all, they seem poised to retake their nation as their entitlement. Mr. Obi has only just emerged to reduce the aspiration of most Nigerians into a simple message: It is time to take back our country! The new movement is a gathering storm; hard to ignore and tempting to embrace. It has identified the prevailing ruling class and its politics as usual as the enemy. This coincides with the common perception on the streets that the trouble with Nigeria is embedded in a political tradition that sidelines the people and consigns them to eternal poverty. In the logic of this messaging, there is no need for a detailed apportionment of blame or guilt. We are all victims of bad politics and deplorable leadership by the rulers of politics asEvenusual.the elite of the established parties have acknowledged the logic of the new Obidients movement as a force. Those who want to keep their party affiliations want to use their PVCS for a different purpose this time around. The rhetoric of the movement coincides with the popular consensus on the streets. That consensus is simply this: it is time to say No! It is a No to the old parties. No to the old style politics and politicians. No to business and politics as usual. It is a no to the rule of aliens, a clan that rules for itself and alienates the rest. A new inclusiveness has been defined. Nigeria belongs to us all. But in the euphoric welcoming of this new thing, no one has asked what would replace the old order. Even Mr. Obi has only defined his alternative vision mostly by negative signage. He has said what is wrong. He has said what we do not want. But he has been too busy to articulate what follows the day after the fall of Babylon. That is the urgent burden of the new song. Sometimes Peter Obi has denied his personal ambition and stake, insisting that he is not running
Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com 67 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28 , 2022 ENGAGEMENTS with Chidi Amuta e-mail: chidi.amuta@gmail.com
mobThatrescueemergingsovereign.forPresidentbutisrunninganerrandforthepopularHehassaidthathisunderstandingofhismandateisthatthemasseswanthimtoandretakethegovernmentontheirbehalf.isclassicpopulistrhetoric.Therabbleandthedonotruleacountry;onlythepowerelitedo.Mr.Obimaynothaveseenthiscoming.Anordinaryman,aself-effacingtraderturnedpoliticianwithoutanyideologicalpretensionsormegaphonecouldneverhaveimaginedhimselfacandidatefornationalheroismofsuchvolcanicproportions.ButthatiswherethelogicofnationalhistoryandthedepressingrealityofthisanxiousmomenthaveplacedPeterObi.ThepersonalpulloftheManinBlackasamessengerofchangeisthatheisoneofus.Heproudlydescribeshimselfasatrader.Heisrichbymoststandards.Heisrichbecauseheworkedhardtomakeanimpressiveamountofmoney.Hewasrichbeforehebecamegovernor.Hedidnottakeadvantageofhisprivilegedofficetogethopelesslyricher.Heisnotclaimingmessianicinnocenceorsomeimmaculateconception.HeissayingthatNigeriaisrichandcanbeahappierplaceifitsresourcesaremanagedbetterbyamorehonestleadershipthatunderstandstherulesofeconomicmanagement.Hehasdemonstrableanecdotestobackhisaspiration.Hismoralcredentialsarereasonablycredibleinanationtraditionallyruledbysuccessivepageantsofcrooksandgangstersincostumesofdecency.Unlikethepersonaeofoldpolitics,Obi’spoliticalrhetoricisalanguageoffacts,lacedwithstatisticsandanimatedbycommonsense.Mostofall,itisrhetoricbackedbyarecordofdemonstrabletransparency.Thetrader’smodestyandthriftareitsbedrock.OnitshamarketthriftandacertainCatholicsimplicityandmodestyarethemajorbackgroundinspirationsofthePeterObiPhenomenon.ButMr.Obiunderstandsthatanationisneitheramercantileenclavenoramonastery.GreatQuestionshavearisen.Canastreetmovementdefeatthehegemonyofestablishedparties?Canthemereforceofincensedmobstrouncetraditionalpartyfaithful?Canaminoritypartywithneitherastategovernorshipnorhardlyanyrecognisablenationallegislativepresenceoverwhelmlongstandingpartiesthatdominatethepoliticalspace?CantheLabourPartydefeatthedominantorganisedsyndicates?Cananindividualarmedonlywithapopularmessageanddepressingstatisticsoverturntheentrenchedfortressesofvestedinterestandviciouspower?Inshort,canMr.PeterObiwinthe2023presidentialelection?Possibilitiesabound.First,ifthepopularmovementaroundMr.Obiassumesacleardemographicmajorityamongvotersinthemajorityofstates,thenthemaninblackcouldbecomepresidentwithaprecariousholdonpower.Hewillhaveneitheralegislativemajorityinparliamenttobackhimnorthefinancialheftofsomestategovernorstostandstrong.Thiscouldbreedinstantinstabilityastheentrenchedpartiescouldquicklybecomeanoppositioncoalitionwithimmensepoliticalmuscle.Thenewlyelectedpresidentcouldbeinstantlyimpeachedandthecountrycoulddiveintoaninstantconstitutionalcrisis.Second,Obi’smovementbydintofitsdemographicquantumcouldscoreamajorityofthepopularvotebutforsomereasonsfailtoachievetherequisite25%spreadintwothirdsofthestates.ThatmeanstherewillbearunoffbetweenMr.Obiandthesecondrunnerup.Arun-offwillbedeterminedbyasimplemajority.So,hereagain,Mr.ObiandhisLabourPartycouldwinwiththesameconstraints.TheonlysurvivalkitObiwillhaveisanoffertosetupagovernmentofnationalunitywithrepresentationthatreflectsthevoterperformanceofthevariousparties.Inthatevent,everybodybecomesan‘Obidient’bydefault.Themovementbecomesanationalmovementthatkillsoffthetwobigpartiesandeventuallyalsodilutesitselfintoanonymity.IfthePeterObimovementcontinuestogetstrongerastheelectionsapproach,the2023presidentialelectioncouldbecomemoreofareferendumontheoldpoliticalorder.Nigerianswilltroopouttochoosebetweenthenewmovementandtheoldorderanditspoliticians.Inthatevent,theoutcomewouldbepredictable.
The US is set to return another $23 million loot recovered from the Abacha family to Nigeria. This is part of the global settlement agreement reached with the family of the late head of state by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2013. Abacha is believed to have stashed away over $5 billion and over $2 billion has been restituted since 1998. There is still a substantial amount sitting somewhere in Paris, France. I am happy that the Buhari administration is now spending the recoveries on specific projects after the over $300 million returned by Switzerland was said to have been distributed to poor Nigerians. Imagine the infrastructure $300 million could have built. Sense.
OBASANJO AND OBI
WhatsApp is now clearly the centre of action, perhaps because it is private and direct, and broadcasts are easier. Regular consumers of media contents would probably not distinguish between misinformation and disinformation. Without being too technical, I would define “misinformation” as false information being passed as true but without a motive, while “disinformation” is the calculated fabrication or manipulation of information to achieve a purpose. Misinformation could be a mistake. Disinformation is deliberate. Both could produce similar consequences, but the former is open to remorse while the latter is not. As we journey towards the next elections, both will shape the push by all sides to win. There will be irreparable wounds inflicted on the society in the process. I already have come across disturbing misinformation and disinformation since we got into the mood for 2023. Quotes are imagined, created and attributed to prominent people either to disparage one candidate or promote the other. Recently, someone circulated an old picture of underage voters in Kenya and passed it as what happened in Nigeria during the 2022 continuous voter registration. This picture had been fact-checked as far back as 2019. People would make videos that say nothing but run commentaries that put an acidic spin. To whip up religious sentiments, a lady recently did a video saying Christians were not allowed to register at Lugbe, FCT. It was false when we checked. To combat this malaise, we at TheCable are committed to fact-checking information on the 2023 elections — no matter whose ox is gored. Ironically, Obi’s unruly supporters have been having a go at us for doing our job, but their rants are irrelevant. The real problem is that it takes less effort to believe misinformation than to process the truth. In a University of Western Australia study led by psychologists Stephan Lewandowsky and Ullrich Ecker, they argue that rejecting a piece of information as false requires more “cognitive effort” than simply accepting that it is true. That is why despite my disclaimer, the false infographics are still trending. Still, we will never give up or give in.
And Four Other Things…
ABACHA AND LOOT
The cat-and-mouse game between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Chief Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, continued during the week when both camps met in London for further peace talks. Wike, whom Atiku defeated in the PDP primary, has been hobnobbing with Atiku’s opponents recently. Wike’s supporters believe that Atiku did not handle the fall-outs of the primary well, and that his northern supporters, such as Alhaji Sule Lamido and Dr Babangida Aliyu, have been talking arrogantly as if Atiku had already been elected president of Nigeria. The weeks ahead promise to be interesting for Atiku and PDP. Decisive.
•(Series to be concluded next week.)
Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has been a major backer of the presidential bid of Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP). He met with Governor Nyesom Wike and his PDP colleagues in London on Thursday to seek their support. There seems to be some consistency to Obasanjo’s positions over national political balance over the years. This is my reading but I could be wrong: Obasanjo backed Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 for power shift to the south, supported Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 because he said Jonathan promised to do only one term, and wants power back in the south — and specifically the south-east, which is yet to produce an elected president. Method.
LAW AND DISORDER When it comes to apportioning blame for the sorry state of Nigeria, we are very quick at pointing to everybody else apart from ourselves. The conduct of lawyers at the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos is a case in point. Lawyers went on the rampage over the sharing of conference “bags” (read between the lines and you will understand what went down). They destroyed registration booths and looted conference materials. Area boys would be jealous. This is the same country where some broadcast stations “fighting” bad governance do not pay their statutory dues and activists resort to legal blackmail to justify a clear breach of the law. Dissonance.
WIKE AND ATIKU
THE MENACE OF MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION BACKPAGE CONTINUATION 68 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • AUGUST 28, 2022
revenue have reined in some of these super agencies and have reduced their propensity for profligacy and patronage. But much more needs to be done. It will be important to restrict regulatory agencies to regulations, to let the regulators publish their schedules of fees and fines and do assessments, and then have all revenues collected by one central revenue agency as in other countries. Even the revenue collection agency should not be a commissioned agent. Let its expected costs be budgeted, each line item approved and justified through appropriation, and any increase be seen as investment and be tied to commensurate return to government. These measures will help to telegraph a sense of urgency and signal government’s readiness to make internal adjustments to boost revenue. Such will make it easier to address revenue-draining wastes and leakages that affect the larger populace. I will touch on two areas here. One is the co-funding of public higher education by parents and students. This should increase the quantum of resources available to our public tertiary institutions and enhance accountability and performance. According to Statista, 1.8 million undergraduates enrolled in Nigerian universities in the 2018/2019 academic session. Out of this number, 1.2 million or 66% enrolled in federal universities. Assuming the number has not changed and assuming that the federal universities charge an annual tuition fee of N100, 000 (or N50, 000 per semester), this means the federal universities would have N120 billion per annum from tuition fees alone. The argument against tuition fees in federal universities can no longer be sustained, not only because of dwindling revenue but because also because the construct around inability to pay cannot stand scrutiny. A significant number of the undergraduates attended fee-paying primary and secondary schools. Government’s investment in education should go more to primary and secondary levels. Let the universities start with low fees, put a cap on increase, and provide scholarship, loan and work opportunities for those who cannot afford to pay. The fact that a university is publicly owned doesn’t mean only the government should bear the entire cost of running it. The second revenue leakage that needs to be addressed pronto is petrol subsidy. In the 2022 revised budget, N4 trillion was appropriated for petrol subsidy. That’s 23% of the 2022 federal budget and almost 3% of the 2021 GDP. That N4 trillion is the revenue not available to the three tiers of government, and money that could have been applied to more productive and impactful areas. In the 2023 to 2025 MTEF, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning presented two scenarios for petrol subsidy for 2023: N3.36 trillion for six months and N6.72 trillion for full year. One serious point many people missed in that presentation is that with full year subsidy, FG will make zero allocation for capital expenditure for MDAs in 2023 and that only donor-funded and loan-backed capital expenditure will be budgeted for. If those do not materialise, it means no capital for 2023. About two weeks ago, there were hints that FG will budget for only six months of petrol subsidy in 2023. I will argue for subsidy to end by 1st January 2023. It is better to re-allocate some of the more than N500 billion that will go into petrol subsidy every month to areas that will directly benefit the poor, and plough the rest in other areas that will increase the productive capacity of the populace and the economy as a whole. I fully acknowledge the political and social risks of such a move, especially with rising inflation and an approaching election. But we need to face up to the gravity of the situation before it is too late. The government has four full months before January 2023 to engage Nigerians and convince them about its plan to repurpose the savings from petrol subsidy. By showing the stomach for needed internal and external reforms, the government may be able to convince development partners to provide some soft landing. It is time to be bold.
Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed the total amount shared from the Federation Account was N8.2 trillion. Out of this, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), and the former Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) got N335 billion or 4% as cost of collection. That is N335 billion that wasn’t available to be shared by the three tiers of government. And N335 billion as commission to just three agencies or average of N111.6 billion per agency. In similar vein, the concept of revenue generating agencies should be re-examined. According to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, these agencies are expected to remit 80% of their operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and are allowed to retain 20% in their reserve fund. Operating surplus is defined as excess of income over expenditure. Expenditure is capped at 50% of income, irrespective of the quantum of money generated by the agencies, and even when some of these agencies are still funded fully or partially by the government. The latitude granted the revenue generating agencies clearly has negative implication for government revenue. The concept of multiple revenue generating agencies is not only problematic, it creates all sorts of perverse incentives. To start with, the money retained by these agencies is the money not available to government to meet its obligations. In most instances, these agencies earn these commissions just by existing or merely by doing their work, not on account of anything extra. The promise of a cut creates the incentive to bat more on extracting as much revenue as possible than on providing services to the public or the private sector. Whatever the provenance of these special agencies—whether those retaining a portion of the revenue they ‘generate’ or those earning a cost of collection—the level of waste and leakages within these entities is palpable. The agencies are usually awash with cash, and once there is money, it must be spent. A variant of Parkinson’s Law is at play here: expenditure will always grow to meet income. And most of their extra incomes goes into bogus buildings, shiny offices, cars, local and foreign trips, endless trainings, and sundry allowances.Thepractice also creates different tiers within government, with pockets of prosperous agencies in the vast desert of under-resourced ones. There is scant evidence that these special agencies (including those on special salary scales) are more productive or more ethical or more professional than the rest. Rather, they create avenues for patronage and rent-seeking from the well-heeled and the authorisers. They are beloved and courted and protected because they have juicy jobs and contracts to dispense. By the way, this is not an argument for under-resourcing government agencies or for not paying civil servants well. It is about blocking wastes and leakages and making sure that every expenditure counts and serves the greater good. It must be acknowledged that the Treasury Single Account, the inclusion of government owned entities in FG’s budget and the drive to increase FG’s independent ON NIGERIA’S DIRE REVENUE CHALLENGE (2) was more or less campaigning for Jonathan. However, when Buhari was seeking re-election in 2019, the game had changed. Obasanjo had become anti-Buhari. The APC media spinners who had criticised me in 2015 cunningly resurrected my article and placed it as an advert in newspapers, creating the impression that it was fresh and making it look like I was criticising Obasanjo for opposing Buhari’s re-election. Remarkably, some PDP supporters, who did not know when I wrote the article, started abusing me, alleging that I was campaigning for Buhari. Based on these instances, I cannot therefore claim to be surprised that my opinions are twisted for political utility. However, the Peter Obi case is completely different because that is not my article. As I later found out, it was written by a Kolawole Johnson and published by TheCable. You can pardon those who think everything that appears in TheCable is written by Simon Kolawole — perhaps, that is the limit of their understanding of how a newspaper works. I am tired of explaining to people that being the publisher does not make me the reporter or the editor. But how do you pardon those who take “Kolawole Johnson” as “Simon Kolawole” and put someone else’s words in my mouth? I feel violated. I have wasted so much time and energy since Tuesday doing rebuttals. Sadly, there is nothing else I can do: the cowards are faceless. But I have a good idea of who they are. These may be the same hirelings who have been abusing me on Twitter anytime TheCable or I write something that does not flatter their party. I am now their favourite columnist as they try to justify the millions they collect monthly to go berserk on social media. I always ignore their Twitter tantrums. As I often tell my friends, when I decided to become a journalist, there was no social media. I never set out to measure my progress in life by the number of Twitter followers, retweets, likes and comments. Ironically, it was after the fabrications went viral that I went to read the original article, “On Peter Obi, we must verify”. It was published on August 10, 2022. The article could still have been reused for propaganda purposes without my name being attached to it. But the muppets probably wanted more bang for their buck. I won’t be surprised if they even used my name to make quick cash by claiming I was commissioned to write the article. I suffer this all the time but I don’t lose any sleep over it because my conscience is clear. More so, I am not the first victim of fabrications and I will not be the last. This presidential campaign will usher in more desperate and despicable propagandists.Manyanalysts and commentators have expressed worries over the various threats to the peaceful conduct of the 2023 elections, with particular attention being paid to the insurgency in the north-east, the banditry in the north-west and the militancy in the southeast. However, the role of misinformation and disinformation must be given equal prominence in all calculations. Generically tagged “fake news”, the interplay of misinformation and disinformation has done extensive damage to our society and created destructive and deadly narratives. The signals are ominous.
Under the 1999 Constitution, Falana said: “To ban ASUU, the federal government will have to amend the fundamental right of citizens to freedom of association enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution.“Itisaspecial amendment, which requires the resolution of four-fifths of members of the National Assembly and approved by a two-thirds majority of members of not less than 24 Houses of Assembly. “In addition, the federal government will withdraw its ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87of the International Labour Organisation.
69THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28,
FG Conditions to Assist States in Water Projects
The minister, who spoke in an interactive session with water correspondents in Abuja, further explained that state governments’ weak work ethics were mostly to blame for the country’s poor water delivery, adding that his office’s stern measures were not meant to penalise states but rather to summon them to account.
Oloyede said the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) was not oblivious of the current traffic gridlock due to the ongoing reconstruction works. She promised that the government would make necessary improvements in the traffic management system on the road in order to alleviate the sufferings of the road users.
He expressed the concern while featuring on a radio program in Ibadan, the state capital yesterday, though revealed that the party’s leaders and members would work for the victory of the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He disclosed that most of the aspirants and stakeholders played the card of seizure against one another, stating that it was only Folarin that played it negatively against the others and failed to bring sanity to theThesystem.senior advocate stated further that most of his followers “are now in different political camps to play their politics and would not work for Folarin.
He said, “now we said no it was to be a partnership and we have what we call the PEWASH protocol, under which a lot of conditions have to be met and if these conditions are not not met the Federal government will not be dishing out money anyhow any longer.”
“The anti-democratic forces urging the Buhari administration to ban ASUU should be made to realise that a democratic government lacks the competence to abrogate the fundamental rights of citizens outside the ambit of the 1999 Constitution. to be working in Kogi State, was arrested at Doma market, while putting on full Military Camouflage, by operatives of 4 Special Forces Command, Doma and handed over to the Police for further investigation,” heThesaid.spokesperson added that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect procured the military regalia and accoutrements from Lagos State. The PPRO in the statement, added that the suspect had been wearing it to deceive unsuspecting members of the public before nemesis caught up with him. He further said that investigation led to the recovery of some military accoutrements of the Nigeria Navy.
Akintola: APC Can’t Win 2023 Guber Election in Oyo
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) yesterday disclosed that the party would lose the 2023 governorship election in the state, saying there was no end to the crisis rocking party in sight. Akintola added that the events that led to the emergence of Senator Teslim Folarin as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state “are sacrilegious events that no right thinking person should be identified with.”
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu has disclosed that his office would no longer assist any state water project unless state governments comply with the new Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) regulations.
NEWS News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08152359253 Gboyega Akinsanmi
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana; Professor of International Law, Prof. Akin Oyebode and a Professor of Practice in International Human Rights Law, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu yesterday warned the federal government against its plot to proscribe the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as being speculated.
Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
L-R: President, American Business Council, Dipo Faulkner; US Mission Commercial Counselor, Andrew Billard; CEO, American Business Council, Margaret Olele; US Consul-General Will Stevens; and Group Managing Director (West Africa) Schlumberger, Sopiribo Ideriah; during a reception in honour of the new consul-general in Lagos… Thursday.
The project titled, ‘The Report: Nigeria 2023,’ will analyse in detail sectors like agriculture, services and ICT, among other related contents.TheMoU was signed by the Director for Human Resources Management, NIPC, Emeka Offor and Country Director,Oxford Business Group, Wen Qian Chang. The report is expected to shine a spotlight on Nigeria’s energy sector, specifically the Petroleum Industry Act, which was signed into law in 2021, and the key role earmarked for the private sector in unlocking the new legislation’s potential. With the African Continental Free Trade Area now established, the opportunities for Nigeria to forge new partnerships across the continent and boost intra-regional trade will be another focus. A statement by the Director, PR and Video Content, Oxford Business Group, Marc-André de Blois quoted Offor as saying that “Nigeria offered a wide range of opportunities for the global investment community, with the government ke,ith key macroeconomic challenges still an issue and national elections approaching.TheReport: Nigeria 2023 will be produced with the NIPC, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Precise Platforms. It will mark the culmination of more than a year of field research by a team of analysts from Oxford Business Group.
“I want to assure you that we are law abiding citizens and we are ready to dispense justice on anybody who is found wanting, irrespective of position or rank,” he also said.
The minister while expressing his disappointment pointed out that the Ministry of Water resources had kick started projects worth billions of naira with state governments, only for these numerous programmes to be abandoned.
“To this end, the Federal Ministry of Works has concluded plans with the contractor to suspend the works for today Saturday 27th August, 2022 in order to plan and make provisions for required improvements in traffic management on the road,” she said.She said that the highway under construction bears daily heavy vehicular volume and the contractor managed the traffic through dedicated diversions while carrying on construction works. 2022 that the federal government lacked the power to proscribe ASUU and other trade unions under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. Speculations were rife that the federal government might be plotting to wield the big stick against ASUU for failing to call off a protracted strike after it offered the union N50 billion and N100 billion in two tranches. In a statement he released to THISDAY yesterday, Falana observed that ASUU’s right to organise is guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 ConstituIgbawase Ukumba in Lafia
But the legal experts also warned that such a decision would earn Nigeria the status of a pariah in the international community if the federal government “eventually makes good its plot to proscribe a trade union validly operating within the ambit of national and international laws.” They issued the warning in separate conversations with THISDAY yesterday, emphasising Falana, Oyebode, Odinkalu Caution FG against Plot to Proscribe ASUU
Oxford Business Group, NIPC Sign MoU on Economic Report FG Promises to Unlock Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock
“The outcome of the investigation gave us the latitude to sanction the suspects accordingly and they are now officially dismissed regiment from the Nigerian Army,” Osabo said. He added that the dismissed men would be handed officially to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution.“Wearetaking them to our Sector Headquarters in Damaturu, the Sector Commander will then officially hand them over to the Nigeria Police to face civil prosecution. They no longer represent Nigerian Army,” he added. Commanding Officer condemned their actions and said it was not a true reflection of the Nigerian Army personnel.
John Omo-Izirien The Oxford Business Group has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) to produce a report that will highlight the sectors of the economy that are expected to drive recovery in the post-pandemic phase.
The federal government yesterday apologised for the hardship being faced by road users due to construction works on the Berger-Opic axis of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and announced plans to improve on trafficThemanagement.ActingFederal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Forosola Oloyede, conveyed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in AccordingLagos. to her, the government feels the pains of the people, especially residents of Lagos and Ogun States who are at the receiving end of the inconveniences due to the Motoristsgridlock.plying the axis have continued to spend long hours in gridlock daily, a situation with the hardship getting worse in the last three days.
Speaking on the PEWASH campaign, the minister said only 83 local government areas are now Open Defecation Free (ODF), in Nigeria, even though all the states have flagged off the Clean Nigeria Campaign.
tion and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act. He also cited the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention No 87 of the International Labour Organisation Convention, which refrained the federal government from banning or suspending trade unions.Hesaid the Government of Nigeria “has ratified the ILO Convention. It is pertinent to note that parties to the Convention are obligated to ensure the right of both employers and employees to join an organisation of their choice and free from any influence of authorities which belong to the core principles of the ILO.”
Gives
The Police Command in Nasarawa State has arrested a fake Naval Officer in the state. The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Ramhan Nansel made the disclosure in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Lafia. According to the Police spokesperson, the suspect was arrested wearing full military camouflage and with identity card bearing his name.“On August 25, a 33 years old man, an indigine of NassarawaEggon Local Government Area, was nabbed wearing military camouflage.“Thesuspect who claimed The 241 RECCE Battalion of the Nigerian Army yesterday dismissed John Gabriel and Lance Cpl Adamu Gideon who allegedly killed an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Goni Aisami, in Yobe. Acting Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Yobe, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Osabo disclosed this to newsmen shortly after the suspects were de-kited in Nguru. The suspects were reduced from Lance Corporal to private soldiers before they were dismissed. “You are all aware of what happened a week ago where the two service personnel of this unit went out and committed atrocity and the Nigerian Police personnel arrested them. Thanks to Almighty Allah we are able to do the needful. We initiated military police investigation together with the Nigerian Police.
The James Sowole in Abeokuta
The APC has become naked in OyoWhileState.lamenting that the party had been taken over by those he described as reactionary forces, Akintola maintained that as a progressive who is principled, but not stubborn, he would not leave the party he has been in since the days of the defunct Alliance for Democracy.
Police Arrest Fake Naval Officer in Nasarawa Army Dismisses Killer Soldiers, Hands over to Police for Prosecution IN HONOUR OF US ENVOY …
Williams Sisters to Play US Open Doubles Together
Liverpool Equal Premier League Record in 9-0 Demolition of Bournemouth
ANasarawa State medal-winning Taekwondo athletes, Maria Raphael, was Friday evening reportedly killed by an articulated vehicle in Lafia, the state capital. The incident occured barely few hours after she returned from a championship in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented the state. The death of Maria was contained in a statement issued in Lafia by the Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youths and Sport, Eche Amos. The statement read in parts: “Maria was crushed to death (sic) by an articulated vehicle (trailer) along UAC Road here in Lafia, while on her way to purchase some items from a grocery store in the evening of Friday, 26th August, 2022, few hours after returning home from a championship in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where she represented Nasarawa State.
S uper Eagles Deputy Captain, William Troost-Ekong, has called the Super Eagles B camp in Ghana to underline his total support for the team as Nigeria battle Ghana for a place in the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN) holding in Algeria. The high-profile game against the Galaxies will kick off at 4pm Ghana time (5pm in Nigeria) in Cape Coast this evening. The Watford FC of England defender assured Nigerian fans that he would be watching the game live. He then volunteered any form of support the team desires to win the all-important
The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, 3rd September at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. Southampton
J urgen Klopp’s Liverpool equalled the English Premier League’s record win yesterday with a 9-0 crushing of Bournemouth at Anfield. The Reds stole the spotlight as they recovered massively from Monday’s lacklustre 2-1 loss at Manchester United in astonishing style. After three games without a win, the Reds rebounded by equalling Manchester United’s 9-0 wins against Ipswich in 1995 and Southampton in 2021, as well as Leicester’s thrashing of Southampton in 2019. It took just three minutes for Luis Diaz to strike at Anfield as the Colombia winger headed home Roberto Firmino’s cross. Three minutes later, Liverpool moved further ahead as Harvey Elliott bagged his first Premier League goal with a 20-yard curler. Trent Alexander-Arnold rifled into the top corner from 25 yards in the 28th minute. After providing three assists, Firmino scored himself with close-range volley to put the result beyond doubt by the 31st minute. Elsewhere on the English topflight, Erling Haaland scored a 19-minute second-half hat-
home-and-away cracker and grab the ticket. Ekong reached out to the players through team Captain Tope Olusesi while they were on the flight to Ghana on Friday. He said: “Hello captain, this is Ekong and I just want to wish you and the guys and the staff all the best in the game against Ghana. I know it won’t be easy but I believe in you “Continueguys.to make us proud. Every time you put on the green and white jerseys, it’s something very special and as players, we can’t be there to support you guys now but
Firmino (left) scored twice as Liverpool hammer Bournemouth 9-0 to equal Premier League record... yesterdayLateMaria Raphel Venus (left) and Serena Williams to play together in this year’s US Open Doubles event trick as champions Manchester City fought back from two goals down to claim a thrilling 4-2 Premier League victory over Crystal Palace. The visitors looked on course to win at Etihad Stadium for the second consecutive season when they led 2-0 at the break through John Stones’ own goal and Joachim Andersen’s powerfulHowever,header.City’s first effort on target saw them reduce the arrears shortly after the break when Bernardo Silva’s shot deflected off Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp past Vicente Guaita. And with the hosts in complete command Haaland took centre stage. The Norwegian nodded in Phil Foden’s cross to draw Pep Guardiola’s side level, then prodded in Stones’ wayward shot to complete the turnaround.WithPalace chasing the game, Haaland rounded off the scoring, racing on to Ilkay Gundogan’s pass and holding off Joel Ward to cap a fine performance, before being replaced to a rapturous ovation from the home fans. At Stamford Bridge, 10-man Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 while Manchester United’s revival continued with a 1-0 victory at Southampton. Arsenal also maintained their perfect start to the new season with a dramatic 2-1 win against Fulham.
“At the 15th edition of the Panamai West African and Cottage Mills Taekwondo Championship held early this month in Lagos, the late Maria Raphael was one of the athletes who inspired Team Nasarawa to finish 4th position on the medals’ table as she won a bronze medal in the -46kg Women’s Category at the Championship.
“She also won silver medal for Team Nasarawa at the recently concluded Bayelsa Open Taekwondo Championships held between 21st and 24th August, 2022, in Yenagoa.”According to the statement, “the deceased was a committed and focused athlete, winning medals of different categories for Nasarawa State, ranging from Cadet, Junior and the Senior Category.” The statement, however, concluded that Maria’s demise was an unquantifiable loss to everyone at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and Nasarawa State as a whole, while her immense contributions will be sorely missed.
0-1 Man Utd Brentford 1-1 Everton Brighton 1-0 Leeds Chelsea 2-1 Leicester Liverpool 9-0 Bo’mouth Man City 4-2 C’Palace Arsenal 2-1 LAFulhamLIGA Elche 0-1 Sociedad Rayo 0-2 Mallorca Almeria 2-1 SERIESevillaA Cremonese 1-2 Torino Juventus 1-1 Roma AC Milan 2-0 Bologna Spezia 2-2 SchalkeMainzH’BerlinBUNDESLIGASassuolo0-1Dortmund0-3Leverkusen041-6U’Berlin PREMIER LEAGUE
70 SUNDAY SPORTS THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 28, 2022 Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com Duro Ikhazuagbe
Troost-Ekong Declares Total Support for Eagles against Ghana
2023 CHAN we will be watching the match and I am praying for victory for you guys. So, keep working hard like you have been doing; we are following you and I’m following all the news and I will be watching the game and I look forward to meeting with you guys. “Wishing you all the best and just know that I am supporting you guys one hundred percent and if there’s anything I can do to help you guys please let me know. Up the Super Eagles! Take care and all the best. Speak with you again soon.”
Serena Williams will play alongside older sister Venus in the US Open doubles in what will be the final tournament of her career. The Williams sisters have won 14 major doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals together. Serena Williams, 40, announced recently that she will retire after the US Open which starts in NewYork on Monday. As well as playing in the singles, she has been given a wildcard to play with her 42-year-old sister in the doubles. The pair have not played doubles together since the 2018 French Open, when they lost in the third round. Their first Grand Slam title together came at the 1999 French Open, and they won their 14th at Wimbledon in 2016. Serena Williams announced last month she is “evolving away” from the sport and will play her final tournament at Flushing Meadows. Now ranked 608th in the world, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will play Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic in the first round, and the match headlines the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday (19:00 local time, 00:00 BST on Tuesday).
Truck Kills Nasarawa Taekwondo Athlete, Maria Raphel
Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia
SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2022 • THISDAY 71
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Out of the blue, I was inducted into the dreaded hall of fame for victims of disinformation last week. An article I did not write and had not even read was attributed to me. A dozen infographic cards with quotes from the article went viral, particularly on WhatsApp. The attractive infographics had my face, name and designation. In the imagination of the guys behind the mischief, I was supposed to have taken Mr Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to the cleaners. I was supposed to have said Obi “democratised poverty” in Anambra state while he was governor. I was also purported to have said there was no single signature project to remember him by as his legacy. When my attention was drawn to the nonsense on Tuesday, I did not take it seriously. After all, it is only in THISDAY and TheCable that I write my opinion articles and it is very easy to verify, thanks to Google. But I was horribly mistaken. Soon enough, several people started forwarding the infographic cards to me via WhatsApp. Some displayed them on their status. I immediately posted a disclaimer on Twitter. Yet, almost every hour for the next four days, people kept forwarding the infographics to me. My default response was to share my Twitter rebuttal. The little conclusion I came to is that while fake news Menace Misinformation
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“The comments by Professor Emmanuel Osodeke are also reckless, uncalled for and a denigration of the status he occupies as national head of the union of academic staff in Nigeria” – Kwara State University carpeting the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, for describing state universities as quacks. to ASUU President THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja All to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 181 181 0811 181 0811 181 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 ENQUIRIES & BOOKING:
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Peter Obi Continued on page 68 travels at the speed of light, rebuttals go at snail speed. It is what it is. My joy, though, was that many people who forwarded the fabrications to me added a note: “This cannot be you.” A senior friend told me that when someone forwarded the cards to him, he called the person immediately and said he was ready to bet his bottom dollar that “Simon did not write this”. I felt gratified. In truth, anybody who knows me well, at least through my writings, will not be easily sold a lie that I am denigrating a presidential candidate. As someone whose driving philosophy in life is that nobody is completely good or utterly bad, I will never pick on one candidate and run him down while sparing the others as if they are perfect. That would be the height of Tohypocrisy.besure, my views have been adapted for political utility for as long as I can recall. That is not strange. Ahead of the 2007 presidential election, when President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, were bitterly at each other’s throat, I wrote an article, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, It Is All Politics’ (THISDAY, April 15, 2007), in which I lamented: “While Obasanjo and Atiku are battling it out, Nigerians are groaning in darkness and under the noose of armed robbery, assassination and extreme violence. Businesses have been crippled by the lack of electricity and the heavy cost of fuelling [operations] with diesel and petrol. This does not bother Obasanjo and Atiku.” I went on to hit out at both camps for the energies they were wasting on politicking, asking: “How many all-night meetings have been held by presidential advisers to address the problem of road accidents in Nigeria? Yet, they would meet all night to fashion out the next strategy to launch against Atiku. How many nights have been spent by Atiku’s team to look at the main reasons why banks don’t give loans to small businesses? Yet they spend nights preparing press releases and casting headlines for newspaper editors, twisting facts and figures, distributing photocopies of fake cheques, and diverting people’s attention from the original [allegations of corruption against] Atiku.”Tomy horror, Obasanjo’s media managers excised the aspect on Atiku and ran full-page adverts in major newspapers, creating the impression that I was criticising Atiku and supporting Obasanjo. I was embarrassed. I suffered a similar misfortune in 2015. Obasanjo was working overnight to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan and enthrone Candidate Muhammadu Buhari. I was irritated by the lionisation of Obasanjo. In an unflattering article, ‘Obasanjo as Nigeria’s Moral Compass’ (THISDAY, January 18, 2015), I wrote: “Obasanjo, amazingly, has become a god or saint to many Nigerians. Many politicians, journalists, activists who used to criticise him are now celebrating him...”PDP supporters were happy with me. APC fans said I should have focussed on Obasanjo’s message and ignored the messenger, that I The fragility of Nigeria’s public finance has always been there. However, this vulnerability had long been masked by the steady flow of petrodollars, which created an illusion of not just normalcy but also of extreme wealth. The illusion, in turn, sired a propensity for work-avoidance, misplaced priorities and mismanagement. After decades of living a lie, Nigeria has come face-to-face with the unflattering reality that accompanies mismanaged natural resource wealth, otherwise known as resource curse. The hour of reckoning, ironically, arrived at a time of record-high oil prices, a period when ordinarily the country should be having a ball, and smiling to the bank.The moment of feasting for other oil producers is thus paradoxically a moment of anguish for Nigeria. High oil prices are not resulting in corresponding increase in government revenue due to inability to meet oil production quota and ballooning subsidies, among others. Foreign exchange inflow has slowed to a trickle. Federal Government’s revenue is about half of what was expected in the first four months of 2022, even when oil was selling more than 30% about the budgeted price. Then this: the debt service obligation of the Federal Government (FG) was almost 120% of FG’s aggregate revenue for the same period. As I stated in the first instalment of this article, that dispiriting landmark should force us all to focus on the urgent need to rescue our public finance from worsening ill-health. And in trying to do this, we cannot run away from the need to address the country’s dire revenue challenges. Borrowing more, even if it will offer temporary relief, should not be an option. More borrowing will amount to continuing to dig while inside a hole. Even seeking debt restructuring will not help much. We cannot borrow or beg our way out of this crisis. We need to do a lot of heavy lifting and make necessary adjustments. In this piece, I will focus on how spending available revenue well and blocking revenue leakages will give the government greater fiscal headspace and will be a good place to start on the road to recovery. In the next and concluding instalment, I will look at areas where government can boost revenue. Last week, I made the point that the record N17.3 trillion federal budget for 2022 is still paltry for a population of about 206 million. Additionally, I argued that in absolute and per capita terms Nigeria actually needs a bigger and not smaller budget, if we hope to make a dent on development outcomes. This, however, does not mean that Nigeria’s budgets are optimally deployed. It will be important to shift the bulk of the annual budgets away from paying the salaries and allowances of public servants who constitute less than 0.5% of the population to areas that will benefit the mass of the populace and stimulate economic growth.
On Nigeria’s Dire Revenue Challenge (2)
Continued on 68 sync with the current revenue crunch. Even if for symbolic reasons, public officials should take pay cuts, starting from the president and his ministers. A sharp knife should be applied to overheads and service-wide votes, for which N822 billion and N987 billion were allocated respectively in the 2022 budget. For some time, release of overhead ranged between 60% and 80% and the agencies managed. It is better to slash overhead by 20% to 40% and ensure prompt and full releases so that the agencies can plan and perform better. It is important to look at service wide votes again and see if what they are expended on cannot be budgeted for individually to ensure greater transparency andUnderaccountability.recurrentexpenditure, there should be freeze on trainings, conferences and travels, unless absolutely necessary. Under the capital budget, similar freeze should be applied to office furniture, office buildings, computers and cars etc. The commission collected by some agencies on generated revenue, called the cost of collection, needs to be revisited. In 2021,
Starting with the 2023 budget proposal, it will also be important for the government to lead by example by ensuring that every line item in the budget can be justified under the prevailing circumstances and is put through the metric of value to the greatest number. For example, most of the budget in health and education is salaries and overhead, and services provided by teachers and health workers directly impact on human capital development. But this doesn’t mean all budget items can be justified and at a time like this. While it may not amount to much savings and it may even be counterproductive to rationalise the workforce, the talk about increasing salaries of civil servants is out of
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