SUNDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER 2023

Tinubu to World Leaders: G-20 Incomplete Without Nigeria

Says Nigeria ready to play leading role as Africa’s largest economy, market

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has declared that the G-20 would remain incomplete without Nigeria and expressed the nation's commitment to

play a leading role within the group and contribute to shaping a more equitable world as Africa’s largest economy, market, and democracy. Addressing the world leaders at the 18th G-20 Leaders' Summit

in New Delhi, India yesterday, the president emphasised that "Nigeria is poised, able and willing to be a major player in this family of the G-20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family

will remain incomplete." He called for global unity and cooperation in tackling pressing challenges, fostering inclusiveness, and establishing a fairer world order. While acknowledging the vital

role of the G-20 in shaping a rulesbased world order that promotes shared prosperity and security, President Tinubu emphasised that most of today’s pressing issues are "international in character and cannot

be addressed without multilateral cooperation.

"Therefore, stronger collaboration, cooperation, and partnerships among

Fubara Offers N100m for Information on Killers of Rivers DPO, IG Fumes…

Page 6

Despair or Surrender is Not an Option, Obi Tells Supporters

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25, 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the members of the Obidients movement and the generality of his supporters not to be

depressed by the last Wednesday’s ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC), stressing that the dream remains alive and is only deferred.

Obi, in a message to the Obidient movement and his numerous supporters at home and in the

diaspora who must be feeling forlorn and disheartened, said despair is not an option.

“Understandably, there has been a note of general disappointment within our fold and indeed the general population of Nigerians who hoped that the outcome of

the February 25 presidential election would usher in a new and different Nigeria of our dreams. That dream has only been deferred for now but remains alive for all times.”

The LP standard bearer noted that “since the tribunal verdict, there has been a note of general despair

among Obidients and the generality of our supporters but let me assure us all that on this journey, despair or surrender is not our options.”

He said: “Today, I want to personally reach out and encourage you all to keep hope alive. Considering the challenges that lie

ahead of us as a movement, despair is not an option. Nothing good in life comes easy. Throughout history, positive change comes only with sacrifice, perseverance, resilience and fluctuating fortunes.”

Continued on page 5

APC, PDP Trade Accusations over Inscription on Election Judgment

Atiku demands to know whether Tinubu’s legal team provided clerical services to PEPC

We watermarked our copies of court judgment, president’s lawyers clarify Debunk insinuation of pre-determined manipulations

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Atiku Abubakar, and the legal team of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday clashed over an inscription by the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT) on the widely circulated copies of the judgment of the Presidential Elections Petition Court (PEPC), which was delivered on Wednesday.

While Tinubu’s legal team clarified that the inscription was a ‘watermark’ it made on its own copies of the court judgment, Atiku argued that it was a ‘header,’ which showed that Tinubu’s legal team

might be the originator of the document unless otherwise proved.

Atiku stated that all the 798 pages of the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the judgment given to Tinubu’s lawyers bore the inscription ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT)’ as if the Tinubu presidential legal team provided clerical services to the PEPC.

The former vice president called on the PEPC to explain to Nigerians and the world the ambiguities around why copies of the judgment bore the header of the TPLT.

But in a swift reaction, the Tinubu legal team berated critics insinuating the watermark was a result of pre-determined manipulations,

Tinubu, World Leaders Commiserate With King of Morocco as Earthquake Toll Rises to over 1,300

Deji Elumoye in Abuja with agency report

President Bola Tinubu and other world leaders have extended their heartfelt condolences to King Mohammed VI of Morocco following yesterday’s devastating earthquake in his homeland, killing over 1,300 lives and injuring another 1,204, with many of them critically.

Leaders and diplomats all over the world yesterday expressed condolences and support for Morocco after a devastating earthquake struck near a tourist hotspot, Marrakesh.

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 72 kilometres (45 miles) south-west of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11 pm (2211 GMT) Friday, the US Geological Survey reported.

Tinubu, according to a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, commiserated with all families who lost loved ones and all those otherwise affected by this tragedy, while wishing a full and swift recovery to those who were injured.

He assured the government and people of Morocco that the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians are with them during this difficult moment of tragedy.

"In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild, and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event," the president said.

French President, Emmanuel

Macron said he was “devastated” by news of the quake, adding that “France stands ready to help with first aid.”

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, of Morocco’s cross-strait neighbour, Spain, expressed his “solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake… Spain is with the victims of this tragedy”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, “Our thoughts are with the victims of this devastating earthquake. Our sympathy goes out to all those affected”.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she “learned with the grief of the tragic toll” from the quake and pointed to “Italy’s willingness to support Morocco in this emergency”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy “with the Moroccan people in the face of the terrible earthquake”, while top EU diplomat Joseph Borrell said the bloc is ready to provide Morocco “the assistance it wishes”.

Swiss President Alain Berset expressed his condolences. The country’s foreign ministry said it activated a crisis cell and is evaluating sending aid.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country stands by Morocco “in these difficult moments.”

The leaders of both Russia and Ukraine also offered their sympathies.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his “deepest

condolences to HM King Mohammed VI and all Moroccans for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake.”

“Ukraine stands in solidarity with Morocco during this tragic time,” he said on social media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

expressed similar sentiments and said in a message to Morocco’s king, “We share the pain and the mourning of the friendly Moroccan people.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit this weekend, said he was “extremely

pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered support to “our Moroccan brothers in every way in this difficult hour”.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin

Netanyahu “instructed all government bodies and forces to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Morocco, including the preparations for sending an aid delegation to the area,” a statement from his office said.

Keyamo Sets up Task Force on Relocation of Airlines to New International Terminal in Lagos

Chinedu Eze

The Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has set up a task force for the relocation of airlines from the old international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to the new terminal that was opened for operations last year.

A statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Oluseyi Odutayo, said the minister was concerned about the problems of relocating the international airlines to the new terminal which was necessitated by the recent fire outbreak at the old international terminal in Lagos, adding that the minister set up the task force to resolve these challenges.

The members of the task force are Hassan Musa, a retired Permanent secretary and ex-Director of Department of Air Transport Management (Team Leader);

Adebayo Oladipo, General Manager, Aerodrome, NCAA; Mr. Collins Mukoro (Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development), Mrs. Uyoyou Edhekpo (Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development) and Mr. Henry Agbebire (Special Adviser to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development).

The statement noted that during the minister’s inspection of the Lagos Airport on August 31, 2023, he gave a deadline of October 1, 2023, for the relocation.

“However, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had to fast-track the implementation of this directive in response to the recent fire outbreak, which raised safety concerns and affected passengers’ movements.

“We urge all passengers and other stakeholders to be patient and bear with us as the inconvenience caused will soon be resolved. Your understanding plays a vital role in

making this transition smoother for everyone involved,” the statement said.

It identified the primary objectives of the task force to include the resolution of passengers’ concerns, adding that the task force will work diligently towards resolving all concerns raised by passengers regarding congestion, discomfort, and related issues stemming from terminal relocation.

“We are committed to ensuring that every passenger's voice is heard and addressed promptly,” the statement said.

The second objective of the task force, the statement said, is to minimise the discomfort of passengers and other airport users, adding that the focus is to dwell on minimising any form of discomfort during this transition period.

“Efforts will be made in streamlining processes at both terminals while closely monitoring operations 24/7. Measures such as enhanced signage, dedicated

APC, PDP TRADE ACCUSATIONS OVER INSCRIPTION ON ELECTION JUDGMENT

explaining that it watermarked its copies of the judgment with the inscription ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team ‘TPLT’ before circulating the scanned soft copies to the lawyers in its legal team.

In a statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Communications, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said: "It is not our intention to stir up controversy on the matter, but it is very important that the PEPC should tell Nigerians why they chose to affix the header of the respondents on the CTC copy of their judgment, whereas the copies that went to the petitioners did not have the same.

"Was that because the Tinubu legal team is deemed to be accorded special privileges? The court must explain! It is very clear that many questions are begging for answers, including why the PEPC decided to avail the respondents, especially the Tinubu legal team, to have a first receipt of the CTC of the judgment before the plaintiffs.”

According to Atiku, "the curiosity is more confounding based on the fact that the lead counsel to Atiku and the PDP had pleaded in the open court to have express receipt

The former Anambra State governor reminded his supporters of his earlier warning before the elections that it was not going to be a sprint but a marathon.

“Right from the onset of our journey, I told you that the journey upon which we were about to embark was not a short sprint but a long and tough marathon. It was always going to be difficult, painful, and excruciating.

“We set out knowing fully well that the forces we are up against are entrenched and formidable but not insurmountable. They would resist the wind of change and try to push us into surrender or despair. We must not succumb to their design.

“I am inspired that we have endured the odds placed in our

of the judgment, to which Justice Haruna Tsammani agreed to and promised to make the document available the following day, which was Thursday.

"Nigerians want to know why the PEPC confers special privileges to the Tinubu legal team by making them have first custody of copies of the PEPC judgment, even though it was more urgent for the petitioners who needed the document to cause an appeal to the Supreme Court within 14 days, including weekends," Atiku stated.

According to the statement, the PEPC made a “discretionary decision of having the respondents have a custody of the judgment earlier in the day on Friday while only making the same available to the petitioners later in the day, and only after the lead counsel to Atiku and PDP had written a second letter.”

"In the course of delivering its judgment, the PEPC had spoken of the petition it was ruling upon in a vexatious and denigrating language as if it was a crime to bring a case of electoral banditry before the court.

"However, unfolding developments after the court’s

way at every point. In such a short space of time, we have persevered to get to the point where we cannot be ignored any longer. Therefore, I urge you to abide and never think of giving up.”

Obi assured them that rather than being downcast, “our recent disappointments have inspired me to re-dedicate myself to the cause of building a new Nigeria. For me, rescuing Nigeria is a lifelong commitment. And on this journey, we shall be resolute but orderly, principled but lawful. I assure you that we shall persist with even greater determination and zeal until we get to our destination. Nigeria must belong to all Nigerians and not to a select few,” the LP presidential candidate added.

ruling elicit suspicions about whether or not the Tinubu legal team provided clerical services to the PEPC. Otherwise, how and when did the ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team’ creep into a document that was supposed to be the official document of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria?

"We need to restate that the ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team’ on the top left-hand corner of all the 798 pages is neither a monochrome nor a metadata. It is actually a header, meaning that except for a valid explanation, the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team is the originator of the document. For clarity, a header is text that is placed at the top of a page, while a footer is placed at the bottom of a page.

“Typically, these areas are used for inserting information such as the name of the document, the chapter heading, page numbers, creation date, and the like. On the other hand, a watermark is a ‘faint design made in some paper during manufacture that is visible when held against the light and typically identifies the maker of the document,” Atiku explained.

The statement alleged that when the PEPC was informed that the CTC copies of the judgment given to the respondents were already circulating in the public domain with the header of TPLT on it, “a further delay was necessitated by the need for it to undertake a laundry of the documents by removing the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team header before handing over same to the lawyers of Atiku”.

"Whereas the legal team of the PDP and Atiku have statutory 14 days to prepare its appeal to the Supreme Court, the PEPC had erased two days out of 14 days, no thanks to the PEPC whose Chairman, Justice Tsamani had promised to make available the CTC copy of the judgment to Atiku a day after its judgment was rendered, which ought to have been on Thursday.”

Atiku urged the PEPC to provide answers to this poser so as not to “validate suspicions that there were external factors involved in

the formulation of the judgment and bring the entire judiciary of Nigeria into disrepute.”

We Watermarked Our Copies of Court Judgment, Tinubu’s Lawyers Clarify

However, Tinubu’s legal team has offered explanations over what it described as its “watermark” on the widely circulated copies of the judgment of the PEPC, and berated critics insinuating the watermark was a result of pre-determined manipulations.

A statement issued yesterday by the Coordinator of the TPLT, Mr. Babatunde Ogala (SAN), said there was nothing untoward with the watermark.

He explained: “Following some mischievous insinuations being made in certain quarters regarding the innocuous water-mark of copies of the consolidated judgment of the Court of Appeal with the inscription –‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT),’ it has become necessary to offer this clarification.

“After the delivery of judgment in the three election petitions by the Court of Appeal on September 6, 2023, the court directed its registry to make physical copies of the same available on September 7, 2023.

“Accordingly, the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team applied for a certified true copy of the said judgment and paid the prescribed fee. Lawyers for PDP were present at the registry at the same time to collect the same judgment.

“In fact, the representative of the

support staff, and improved communication channels will be implemented proactively,” the statement said.

The third objective of the task force is to ensure effective public communication.

“We pledge transparency throughout this process by providing regular updates on progress made in addressing concerns arising from airline relocations. FAAN aims at improving public relations strategies through various channels including online platforms and customer service helplines so that you stay informed about developments firsthand,” the statement said.

The minister also expressed regrets over the inconvenience the relocation has caused and assured all travellers that “we are fully committed to resolving these concerns promptly. We pledge our commitment to passenger comfort, safety, and overall satisfaction during this transitional period.”

PDP collected the first copy that was made available by the registry.

“On collecting our own copy, we immediately scanned and water-marked it with the inscription‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team (TPLT’ before circulating the scanned soft copies to the lawyers in our team.

“The certified true copies issued to us and other parties in the petitions by the registry do not contain the said inscription and any insinuation to the contrary is untrue.

“Counsel to the petitioners will also appreciate the fact that the insinuations being circulated in some quarters are untrue, unkind, unfair, and unfortunate, as they have the same certified copies of the judgment as we have,” Ogala added

TINUBU TO WORLD LEADERS: G-20 INCOMPLETE WITHOUT NIGERIA

diverse regions are the pathways to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for our world.

"This is why the role and contributions of the G-20 in shaping a new world order that is fair and rules-based cannot be over-emphasised. A world that lives as one family, but is divided by staggering income inequalities and uneven access to basic social goods by the vast majority of our people cannot result in a peaceful and secure world where shared prosperity is achieved.

"I hasten to add that such rules and global governance structures of our collective dreams must be collectively designed, collectively owned, and collectively managed. This is consistent with the true spirit of One Family, mutual respect, and sustainable development".

The president congratulated India for hosting the historic summit and for successfully landing on the moon under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He described the achievement as an inspiration to all developing

countries of the Global South.

On the issue of African Union (AU) inclusion in the G-20, President Tinubu welcomed the decision, saying it "opens opportunities for future membership of the group in a manner that reflects the relative balance of power and inclusiveness of humanity as One Family.”

Reflecting on the theme of the Summit: 'One Earth. One Family. One Future,' the president stressed the interconnectedness of global affairs and the need for collaborative efforts.

He underscored the importance of tackling challenges related to technology, energy transition, and access to credit, as well as the growing socio-economic divide between those who have and those who do not.

President Tinubu urged greater solidarity among nations, tasking advanced economies to support disadvantaged regions in the Global South and to promote climate justice.

He also called for the strengthening of international frameworks for resource mobilisation and governance that are based on

the principles of justice, equity, and fairness.

In addressing the sub-theme of Session II of the Summit, which is One Family, the president highlighted the magnitude of challenges facing humanity today.

According to him: "The need for us to work together as one family has, therefore, become more imperative. We must strive to create a world of inclusiveness in which everyone has access to the necessities of life, and in a manner that widens and strengthens the ownership of our planet regardless of one's economic, social, and political status."

President Tinubu urged the Global North, advanced economies, and multilateral institutions to mobilise resources and direct efforts to where help is needed most in the disadvantaged Global South.

"By doing so, we will be building a society anchored on the strong values of tolerance and mutual respect, where diplomacy, dialogue, and cooperation take precedence over competition, conflict, and divisions, which are based on inflexible ideologies and belief systems," the president further said.

DESPAIR OR SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION, OBI TELLS SUPPORTERS

REST IN PEACE FATHER…

Fubara Offers N100m for Information on Killers of Rivers DPO, IG Fumes

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, has offered a N100 million bounty to anyone who gives useful information for the arrest of one Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a. 2-Baba), suspected to have led the armed gang that killed a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), SP Bako Angbashim, in the state.

This is just as the acting Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has condemned the gruesome murder of the slain officer and ordered the arrest of the killers.

The Rivers State Police Command has also vowed to track the gunmen who ambushed and killed Angbanshim, in Odiemudie community, Ahoada East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

SP Angbashim was killed and beheaded by suspected dreaded cultists, Friday night.

This incident has sparked outrage in the state, as Angbashim was known for his exploits against criminals in all the areas he was deployed to in the state.

THISDAY gathered that when was the DPO in Bori, Khana LGA of the state, his gallant impact tamed criminal activities in Ogoniland.

A viral video also surfaced on Friday night showing the moment the gunmen displayed his mutilated body, with his head, hands, and private parts cut off and displayed in a very gruesome manner.

The police said Angbanshim led a team of operatives to raid some criminal hideouts in the area and while returning, gunmen suspected to be cultists ambushed them.

The IG, in a statement issued yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, described the DPO’s murder as “utterly mindless” and “despicable”. He stressed that such attacks on any operative of the Force would not be tolerated, as he vowed to ensure the perpetrators of the murder were apprehended

and prosecuted.

The statement read: “The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stands resolutely appalled by the cowardly and utterly mindless killing of SP Bako Angbashim, who was, at the time of his passing, the Divisional Police Officer, Ahoada Division in Rivers State.

“He noted that the despicable act is not only an attack on the Nigeria Police Force but also a blatant assault on the very fabric of law, order, and security within our nation, adding that SP Bako Angbashim was not just a police officer; but was a shield against chaos, and an embodiment of unwavering commitment to duty.

“The IGP while emphasising unequivocally that such nefarious acts against any operative of the Force will not be tolerated, assured that the relentless pursuit of justice begins immediately, and the culprits behind this heinous crime will be fiercely pursued, apprehended, and made to face the full fury of the law.

“The Inspector-General of Police extends his deepest condolences to the grieving family of SP Bako Angbashim, his dedicated colleagues, and every Nigerian who mourns the loss of a true hero in the Force’s quest for peace and security.”

Also expressing sadness over the incident, Governor Fubara declared the said Gift David Okpara Okpolowu wanted, alleging that the suspect was the leader of the criminal gang that has been terrorising the area.

He also suspended the traditional ruler of the area over his ignorance of the activities of the criminals in his area.

The governor said: "Credible intelligence from the security agencies traced the entire incident to one Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a. 2-Baba) and his criminal gang, who have established camps in the locality and are responsible for the resurgence of violent crimes, including kidnapping and terrorism in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the State.

"As a responsible government, we cannot fold our arms and

allow criminals and crimes to rear their ugly heads and thrive in any part of our state.

"Accordingly, upon the review of the entire incident and the security situation in the affected areas with the security agencies, we have decided on the following measures to bring the murderers of SP Bako to justice and arrest the deteriorating security situation in the Ahoada East Local Government:

"First, the prime suspects, Mr. Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a. 2-Baba) and all members of his criminal gang are hereby declared wanted.

"Secondly, a bounty of N100,000,000 is hereby placed on his head for anyone who gives useful information that would lead to his arrest and prosecution.

"Thirdly, His Majesty, Eze Cassidy Ikegbidi Eze Igbu

Akoh II, is hereby suspended indefinitely for acts of complicity in ceding control of his territory to the notorious David Gift and his gang to freely operate and carry out their criminal activities."

Fubara however, reiterated the government's commitment to the security of all residents and assured that they would do everything in their power to hunt down Gift David and his gang and bring them to justice. Describing the DPO as a fine, brave, and dutiful police officer, who gave up his life to keep the people of Rivers safe and secure, the governor said: "He died in active service to his nation and we remember him for his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice."

The governor added that the "Government of Rivers State will not allow his family to suffer the pains of his sudden and

irreplaceable loss alone as we pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.".

Narrating the incident that led to the gruesome murder of the DPO, Rivers State Commissioner for Police, Emeka Nwonyi, said in a statement issued yesterday by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, that while the miscreants attacked the operatives, Angbanshim’s men retreated after running out of ammunition.

The statement added that the late DPO sustained fatal injuries and was captured by the gunmen who took him away, leading to his death.

The statement read, “In an unfortunate incident on the evening of September 8, 2023, the DPO of Ahoada Division, SP Bako Angbashim, displayed exemplary courage during a mission to combat criminal

activities in the Odumude area of Ahoada East Local Government Area in Rivers State.

“SP Bako Angbashim, alongside his dedicated team, embarked on a raid of known criminal black spots in the region. The operation led to the pursuit of criminals from their concealed hideouts. Tragically, as they were returning from this operation, they were ambushed by a significant number of criminals who opened fire on the brave officers.

“In the face of this adversity, SP Bako Angbashim valiantly held his ground, while his men, depleted of ammunition, made a tactical retreat.

“Regrettably, during this engagement, SP Bako Angbashim sustained fatal injuries, and one of his informants was also injured, currently receiving medical care for a gunshot wound.”

Obi Can’t Win at Supreme Court, Says Umahi

Osinbajo congratulates Tinubu, Shettima

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has called on the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, not to contemplate appealing the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) which affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the poll.

This is just as former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has congratulated President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on their victory at the PEPC.

The PEPC had dismissed the suit filed by Obi and his PDP counterpart, Atiku Abubakar against Tinubu.

Obi, however, vowed to challenge the judgment of the tribunal in the Supreme Court.

But Umahi while answering questions from reporters in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital yesterday when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Francis Nwifuru as part of his ongoing inspection of federal roads in the South-east,

urged Obi not to go on appeal against the court judgment.

He said the LP presidential candidate will still fail in the Supreme Court as according to him, he came third at the general election.

The former Ebonyi Governor of Ebonyi claimed God told him that Tinubu will become President of the country in 2023 and it has manifested in his victory.

Umahi said: “Throughout the campaign period and even now, I keep saying it boldly that God told me that Tinubu will be President of Nigeria.

“It was tough here in the South-east but I am very happy that Tinubu eventually became the president of this country.

“Like I said in Imo State, God has a purpose for everybody. There was John the Baptist, there was Christ and there is still Christ.

“Peter Obi has served the purpose of John the Baptist for the Divine President Bola Tinubu Ahmed, that’s all that God brought him to do this time around.

“So, I advise him not to go to any

court of appeal. I am not a lawyer but the Governor of Ebonyi State is a lawyer and he has interpreted the judgment and it has left no hope for any appeal.

“Those judges are spirits. They went into everything and dissected them just like getting a coconut and breaking it. You will get the water and everything and get the nut.

“So, I advise him not to go to appeal, he is not even second, he came third at the election; he is our brother. Let South-eastern people come together to support President Tinubu. He made us the number one minister even when we didn’t vote very well for him.

“But we voted even more than other regions because through the calling of John the Baptist, we were able to bring down PDP and that is a victory for APC”.

He called on the South-east to key into the centre to be treated fairly like other regions of the country.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued yesterday via his verified Facebook account, Osinbajo stated that the PEPC ruling was a great victory for

Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

The statement read:

“Congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and our great party, the All Progressives Congress, on the judicial affirmation of the victory at the presidential election of February 25, 2023.

“This ruling is a great victory for Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and its rule of law.

“The practice of democracy in our nation has been further strengthened by the fact that all parties faithfully followed the electoral process according to the law and relied on our courts in the event of a dispute.”

He added that President Tinubu and his administration now needed Nigerians to come together and work as one to achieve a common goal.

“Our nation now needs all of us to work together to address our challenges and to deliver the realisation of the incredible potential of our nation,” he said

L-R: Children of the deceased, Pastor Toluwani Odukoya-Ijogun; Mr. Jimmy Odukoya; Timilehin; Jomiloju; Pastor Tobi Enuha and her husband, Mr. Enuha, during the funeral church service of the founder of the Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, at Ilupeju in Lagos...yesterday. KOLAWOLE ALLI

EU, ECOWAS Reports on Elections Have No Judicial Value, Says Court

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Despite what was termed as comprehensive reports by the European Union (EU) and Economic Community of West African State on their findings on the February 25 presidential elections, a senior judge has ruled that they were ‘valueless’ and ‘inadmissible’.

Justice Moses Ugo of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in Abuja said this while reading his ruling as a member of the court last Wednesday.

Recall that the five-member panel on the PEPC had dismissed the appeals filed by three opposition parties against the election of President Bola Tinubu.

While declaring support for his fellow judges on the panel, Justice Ugo spoke on why the EU and ECOWAS reports which criticised parts of the 2023 presidential election were inadmissible in court.

“The EU-EOM report on the 2023 presidential elections… and I dare to add even the ECOWAS report of the same elections tendered by second and third respondents is completely valueless and inadmissible…,” he said.

The EU and ECOWAS delegations were among the organisations accredited to observe Nigeria’s elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

After the presidential election, the European Union Election Observation Missions (EU-EOM), in its final report on the 2023 presidential poll, said though the elections showed the commitment of Nigerians to democracy, it also exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signalled a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.

In his ruling, Justice Ugo, according to Premium Times, said the EU report tendered by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter

Obi, was inadmissible since the makers of the report did not present themselves in court to face cross-examination to authenticate their opinions.

“The impression given by both petitioners is that the said report is like the gospel truth of what happened in the election and so must be accepted by this court and the conduct of the presidential election declared corrupt or at the very least declared below par regardless

of whether or not the authors of the said report presented themselves in court to defend their opinions,” the judge ruled.

All the five members of the PEPC had unanimously affirmed Tinubu as the validly elected President of Nigeria, a judicial resolution of the credibility questions that had hovered around his election for over six months.

In its over-12-hour-long judgment, the panel of judges

led by Justice Haruna Tsammani dismissed all three petitions challenging Tinubu’s election in his lead judgment.

The other members of the panel – Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Moses Ugo, and Abbah Mohammed – took their turns to adopt the reasoning and conclusion of the lead judgment.

The petitioners were Atiku of the PDP, who was declared as the first runner-up in the

election; Peter Obi of the Labour Party, the second runner-up, and the All Peoples Movement (APM).

The panel unanimously stressed the total lack of credible evidence adduced by the petitioners to support their cases and described some of the legal arguments of Atiku and Obi as “fallacious and ridiculous”.

“From the foregoing, therefore, it is very clear and

certain that the petitioners have failed to prove that the 2023 presidential election and the return of the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) were invalidated because of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022,” Justice Tsammani declared.

Atiku, Obi, and their political parties have since rejected the verdict.

They have also instructed their lawyers to appeal the judgment

I'm Deeply Touched by the Show of Affections, Akeredolu Tells Tinubu,

LCDAs

law

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has described the outpour of love wrapped in prayers, kind words, cheering messages, affectionate support as well as countless displays of varied forms of brotherliness during his recovery process as heart-lifting.

This is as the governor yesterday assented to the bill creating 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state.

Akeredolu had travelled to Germany in June for medical treatment and returned to the country on Thursday.

Upon his return, he convened a meeting with key stakeholders from Ondo State in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where he landed.

In a statement he personally signed yesterday, he particularly thanked President Bola Tinubu, and other eminent individuals, groups, organisations, and political associates, for their support and love.

Akeredolu who described Tinubu as a reliable ally and a dependable leader, said: “I am deeply touched by the show of love and affection from eminent individuals, groups, organisations, political associates, and particularly, the good people of the Sunshine State.

“Your outpour of love wrapped in prayers, kind words, cheering messages, affectionate support as well as countless displays of varied forms of brotherliness during my

recovery process were heart-lifting. The love and prayers were, indeed, potent enhancers which aided my recovery and deepened my abiding faith in God and service to humanity.

“Undoubtedly, gratitude is the greatest spark that lights a fire in the soul. I consider these gestures as uncommon privileges which underscores the importance of the gift of humanity. I appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support and love. Mr. President, you are a reliable ally and a dependable leader. I am deeply grateful.

He equally appreciated the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; and all members of the Senate as well as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by its Chairman and Executive Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq; and the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma.

“My sincere appreciation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abass Tajudeen; and all Members of the House of Representatives; Members of the Federal Executive Council; national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and other prominent leaders in the party,” among others, including the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the Ondo State House of Assembly.

Besides, Governor Akeredolu expressed his administration's determination and resolve to improve the lives of the people of the state.

However, getting down to work yesterday, the governor assented to the bill creating LCDAs in the state.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, explained that the bill was presented to the governor for assent by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide , during a brief ceremony.

With the governor's assent, the bill now has the legal backing for the creation of the LCDAs in the state.

The governor noted that the establishment of the LCDAs marks a substantial step towards fulfilling his campaign promises and addressing the aspirations of the people for enhanced grassroots development.

THISDAY gathered that the governor signed bill into law despite protests from some communities, which described it as a political exercise aimed at ceding their ancestral lands to other communities.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has extended his heartfelt welcome to the governor on his return to Nigeria.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, and made available to journalists yesterday, Tunji-Ojo stated that the return of the governor is not just a testament to his strength, resilience, and will, which the majority admire him for, but also a proof of God's faithfulness.

Others

Signs 8 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 10, 2023

"Your unwavering commitment to the well-being and progress of Ondo State has been an inspiration to us all, and we are pleased to see you back in good health.

"Your leadership and dedication to the people of Ondo State are invaluable, and we look forward to the continued development and prosperity of the state under your guidance.

"As you formally resume duties, I pray our state witnesses more development under your watch," he added. Fidelis David in Akure Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has described the outpour of love wrapped in prayers, kind words, cheering messages, affectionate support as well as countless displays of varied forms of brotherliness during his recovery process as heart-lifting.

This is as the governor yesterday assented to the bill creating 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state. Akeredolu had travelled to Germany in June for medical treatment and returned to the country on Thursday.

Upon his return, he convened a meeting with key stakeholders from Ondo State in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where he landed.

In a statement he personally signed yesterday, he particularly thanked President Bola Tinubu, and other eminent individuals, groups, organisations, and political associates, for their support and love.

Akeredolu who described Tinubu as a reliable ally and a dependable leader, said: “I am deeply touched by the show of love and affection from eminent individuals, groups, organisations, political associates, and particularly, the good people of the Sunshine State.

“Your outpour of love wrapped in prayers, kind words, cheering messages, affectionate support as well as countless displays of varied forms of brotherliness during my recovery process were heart-lifting. The love and prayers were, indeed, potent enhancers which aided my recovery and deepened my abiding faith in God and service to humanity.

“Undoubtedly, gratitude is the greatest spark that lights a fire in the soul. I consider these gestures as uncommon privileges which underscores the importance of the gift of humanity. I appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support and love. Mr. President, you are a reliable ally and a dependable leader. I am deeply grateful.

PAYING LAST RESPECTS…

Delta Guber: Oborevwori Goes to S'Court over Judgment Ordering Retrial in Pela's Petition

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has filed a Notice of Appeal at the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which ordered the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to hear, on merit, the petition filed by the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, Ken Pela, challenging his election as governor.

Oborevwori, in the Notice of Appeal filed by his lead counsel, Mr. Damian Dodo (SAN), listed three grounds upon which he would argue that the appellate court erred

in making an order for a retrial in the Labour Party's petition.

A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice M L Shuaibu had in a judgment delivered on August 31, faulted the decision of the tribunal to dismiss the case of the petitioners on claims that the petition was abandoned because the petitioners’ application for pre-hearing session was not properly filed.

Subsequently, the appellate court ordered that the petition be taken back to the tribunal for hearing within the time stipulated in the Electoral Act. Dissatisfied with the decision of

the Court of Appeal, the governor has now filed a Notice of Appeal at the Supreme Court where he is seeking an order of the court allowing the appeal. He also asked the court to set aside the judgment of the Appeal Court delivered on August 31, 2023, and affirmed the decision of the tribunal delivered on July 6, 2023.

In ground one of the Notice of Appeal, Oborevwori stated that “the lower court erred in law when, despite its findings that the respondents’ application for issuance of pre-hearing notice filed on May 19, 2023 was pre-mature, having been filed before the close

of pleadings, and the respondents’ admission that the said application was indeed pre-mature, it proceeded to hold that the procedure adopted by the respondents, albeit wrong, did not matter as issues in contention had been brought to focus, and thereby occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice."

While observing that Paragraph 18 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022 requires a petitioner to apply for the issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice as in Form TF 007 within seven days after the filing and service of the petitioner’s reply or seven days after the filing and service of the respondent’s

Amnesty International Knocks FG for Withdrawing Journalists’ Accreditation

Wale Igbintade

The international human rights advocacy organisation, Amnesty International, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for revoking the accreditation of 25 journalists covering the Aso Villa.

On August 18, 2023, the Presidency withdrew the accreditation of 25 journalists and media houses, citing “security concerns and overcrowding of the press gallery area” as the reasons.

The banned journalists reportedly were those from Vanguard Newspaper; Galaxy TV; Ben TV; MITV; ITV Abuja; PromptNews, ONTV, and Liberty. Other media personnel affected by the withdrawal are mostly reporters and cameramen from broadcast, print, and online media outlets.

The affected journalists were simply told at the main gate of the Presidential Villa to submit their accreditation tags.

Media freedom, media diversity, and the protection of journalists are a central part of the effective exercise of freedom of expression, AI argued.

In a statement, Amnesty International expressed its concern that this action represents a significant setback for press freedom in the country.

The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, emphasised the importance of media freedom, diversity, and the protection of journalists as essential components of the right to freedom of expression.

Sanusi underlined that the media plays a crucial role in conveying information and ideas on matters

of public interest and ensuring the public’s right to access them.

He pointed out that Nigeria is a signatory to international agreements such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantee freedom of expression and place legal obligations on states to protect this right.

Sanusi further noted that Nigeria’s own Constitution, as amended in 1999, guarantees freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom. He stressed that authorities should promote and encourage the enjoyment of human rights, including freedom of expression and media freedom, rather than restrict them.

Amnesty International characterised the arbitrary revocation

of journalists’ accreditations as inconsistent with Nigeria’s international and constitutional human rights obligations and commitments.

The statement read: “The media has a role and responsibility to convey information and ideas on matters of public interest and to make sure that the public has a right and the possibility to receive them,” a statement by Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said.

“Nigeria is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which guarantee the right to freedom of expression and impose legal obligations on states to protect freedom of expression and information.

Doctors Measure Blood Pressure Wrongly, Says Report

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The result of new research has suggested that doctors have been measuring blood pressure wrongly and may miss certain health complications.

The latest research was presented at the American Heart Association’s hypertension scientific session 2023 in Boston on September 7. The session focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity, and

genetics.

A person is considered to have high blood pressure if their reading is 140/90mmHg or more when taken by a doctor.

The researchers working on the nearly three-decade study looked at how blood pressure when sitting or lying down affected the risks of diseases.

The authors, according to TheCable, said they discovered that doctors may not detect certain health complications if patients’ readings are only taken while sitting upright.

According to the researchers, the “autonomic nervous system regulates blood pressure in different body positions; however, gravity may cause blood to pool when seated or upright, and the body is sometimes unable to properly regulate blood pressure during lying, seated, and standing positions.”

To conduct their findings, the scientists took the blood pressure of 15,972 people while lying down or sitting up.

The participants’ health was then followed for an average of 25 to

28 years, while the recent data was collected between 2011 and 2013.

The US researchers said they discovered that 16 per cent of people who did not have high blood pressure when seated were found to have it when lying down.

The study added that three in four participants (74 per cent) who did have high blood pressure while both seated and lying down showed a 1.6 times higher risk for future heart failure, a 1.86 times higher risk for stroke, a 1.43 times higher risk for premature death, and a 2.18 times higher risk for coronary heart disease.

reply, whichever the case may be, the appellant pointed out that "pleadings" in the instant petition closed with the filing and service of the 1st and 2nd respondents’ reply to the appellants’ reply to the petition on June 9, 2023.

"Prior to the close of pleadings, the 1st and 2nd respondents filed an Application for the Issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice on May 19, 2023.

"On June 5, 2023, when the petition came up for commencement of pre-trial, the 1st and 2nd respondents by their admission, informed the tribunal that the petition was not ripe for pre-hearing as they have only just been served with appellants’ reply to the petition.

"In a bid to cure this defect, the 1st and 2nd respondents filed another application for Issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice on June 21, 2023, 13 days after the close of pleadings.

"The first and second respondents proceeded to orally withdraw their second Application for Issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice on June 24, 2023, while replying to the 2nd and third respondents’ motion on notice seeking the dismissal of the petition for being abandoned.

"The lower court, despite finding that the application for issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice as in Form TF001 was premature, proceeded to set aside the decision of the trial tribunal dismissing the petition.

"Paragraph 18 of the First Schedule is of a unique and sui generis nature, and its provisions are mandatory.

"Failure to comply with the rules as to the procedure therein is fatal to the fate of any petition", Oborevwori stated.

Similarly, in ground two of the Notice of Appeal, the appellant argued that the lower court below erred in law when having held that pleadings will be deemed to have closed when all the respondents file their respective replies to the petition, it proceeded to allow the appeal, even though the 1st and 2nd respondents’ application was for issuance of Pre-Hearing Notice was pre-mature, having been filed before the close of pleadings.

Oborevwori further submitted in ground three that the, "lower court erred in law when it failed to be bound by the latest decision of the apex court in Maku & Anor v. Sule & Ors (2019) LPELR- 58513 (SC); (2022) 3 NWLR (PT. 1817) 231 and proceeded to set aside the trial tribunal’s decision which had followed the said decision of this honourable court."

In addition, he submitted that by the doctrine of stare decisis, the lower court ought to have followed the decision of the Supreme Court in determining the 1st and 2nd respondents’ appeal before it.

NSIB Probes into Incident Involving United Nigeria Airlines

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an investigation into an incident involving a United Nigeria Airlines Embraer ERJ145, which occurred en route to Lagos from Abuja on Thursday.

This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NSIB, Dr. James Odaudu, signed on his behalf by the General Manager, of Public Affairs, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi.

The statement said the affected aircraft, marked: 5N-BWY, had 51 passengers and four crew members onboard during the incident.

According to the statement, the aircraft landed on Runway 18R of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, and skidded off

the runway but without any injury or fatality.

“The NSIB, hereby, solicits information from the general public in the form of pictures, video, or recording evidence to assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.

“The NSIB will appreciate that the general public and press respect the privacy of the people involved and NOT assume the cause of the serious incident until a formal report is released,” the statement said.

It stated that the bureau would release the preliminary report soon.

NSIB is a multimodal investigation agency charged with the mandate to investigate transportation accidents and serious incidents in Nigeria. This is to identify the probable causes and proffer safety recommendations that can prevent reoccurrence.

L-R: Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; husband of the deceased, Dr. Timothy Oshin; and son of the deceased, Dr. Segun Oshin, at the funeral service of Mrs. Adepeju Funmilayo Oshin, at the Cathedral Church of Our Saviour in Italowajoda Ijasi, Ijebu-Ode…yesterday.

ANOTHER RECOGNITION FOR GOOD SERVICE…

Less than 1% Unemployed Youths Benefit from Govt’s Safety Nets, Says Report

Omolabake Fasogbon

Not up to one per cent of over 50 per cent of the unemployed youths population in Nigeria have been able to access support from government’s social safety net structures which are set up to cushion effects of poverty and unemployment.

Moreover, religious bodies where the unemployed fall back on for relief after facing denial in government’s net have proven unproductive, forcing many youths to resort to ‘side hustle’ to survive.

In its recent report, West Africa’s online job platform, Jobberman, further reckoned that limited coverage and weak targeting of social interventions, amongst others may have denied a larger percentage of youths due access.

Noting that Nigeria’s increasing unemployment rate on a yearly average of six per cent was worrying, with a far -reaching effects, the Chief Executive Officer of Jobberman, Oreoluwa Boboye, said it was high time that youths shifted their priority away from white collar job and develop their

Odukoya Laid to Rest in Lagos

The Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church (TFOLC) died about a month ago in the United States.

The preacher, whose church headquarters is in the Ilupeju area of Lagos, was buried yesterday in a private ceremony attended by family members and close associates.

A funeral s ervice was held earlier in the day at the church’s headquarters.

In his sermon at the event, Bishop Da vid Abioye extolled Pastor Taiwo’s legacies, while commiserating with Fountaineers on their demise of the cleric.

He told the attendees that life is about impact, asking them to maximise their time on earth.

According to him, every man must taste death but what matters in the end is the legacies

people leave behind.

“We have to be sensitive to how we spend our life because all men shall die,” he said.

“The big question to all of us is, how are you living?”

Apart from Bishop Abioye, other dignitaries who graced yesterday funeral service included Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM)’s Bishop Mike Okonkwo; the Senior Pastor of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo; House on the Rock’s Pastor Paul Adefarasin, a delegation from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), among others.

Born in Kaduna, North-West Nigeria, Pastor Taiwo is survived by six children including Nollywood star Jimmy Odukoya.

Uzodimma Appoints THISDAY Correspondent Media Adviser

Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has officially appointed the Senior Correspondent of THISDAY Newspapers Group, Sir Amby Uneze, as his Special Adviser on Print Media.

Uneze’s appointment was announced in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba on Friday.

Emelumba said Uneze’s appointment, alongside forty other Special Advisers, took immediate effect.

The statement read in part: “Governor Hope Uzodimma, CON, the Executive Governor

of Imo State, has approved the appointment of the following persons for the respective portfolios as listed herein.”

The new appointees include: Dr. Perry Njoku (S.A. Hygiene), Chief Morrison Njoku (S.A Environment), Kelechi Norbert Offor (S.A. Peace and Conflict Resolution II), Casmir Nneji Okereafor (S.A NANS Affairs), Mrs. Beatrice Nkwo (S.A Grassroots Women Mobilization), High Chief John Chilakpo (S.A Town Union Matters), Chief Ezechukwu N. Ogbonna (S.A Rural Mobilization) and Obioma Nwamuo (S.A Private Schools).

side hustle to main job.

Boboye, who shed more light on the report during an unemployment roundtable discussion organised by Jobberman in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, admitted to unemployment surge, but opined that scary statistics was also due to the general belief and understanding of what job is.

He said: “When you hear job, what readily comes to mind is

white collar job, a feeling of working in the office and being entitled to perks and others. Overtime, this dictate what is termed as gainful employment and because people are not finding their desired opportunity in the white collar space, they tend to tag themselves as unemployed.

“But job is actually beyond white collar job. A lot of youths are engaged in the informal sector

with one kind of hustle or the other. They usually call this survival, but it is in the actual sense not survival because they are making money from it. Like every successful and established entrepreneurs, they must wake up to focus and develop that side hustle or survival to main hustle. This is the way to go because considering Nigeria’s growing population, there will

always be job demand and supplier mismatch.

On his part, Managing Director of Sterling Bank Limited, Abubakar Suleiman, in his keynote address wants the youths to rely less on government for job but to start thinking out of the box.

To him, government is not set up to create jobs, but to enable job creation.

Chevron Denies Alleged Involvement in Crude Theft

Chevron Nigeria Limited, operator of the joint venture between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and CNL –NNPCL/CNL JV – has refuted alleged involvement in crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.

Reports had blamed international oil companies, especially Chevron Nigeria Limited for oil theft, attributing it to a report of the Chairman of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating crude theft in the region.

In a statement yesterday, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, CNL noted that though it is aware of the reports, it is untrue, incorrect, and made without any basis.

According to the statement, CNL’s commitment to working with government agencies and others to prevent oil theft and its impact on the environment was recently commended by the Special Investigation Panel on Oil Theft/ Losses in Nigeria set up by the federal government during their

visit to CNL’s operation

While reiterating Chevron’s commitment to supporting the collaborative efforts to prevent oil theft and pipeline vandalism in its area of operation, the statement affirmed that illegal bunkering and oil theft in the Niger Delta “has negatively impacted CNL’s operation and has devastating effects on the nation’s ec onomy and the environment in the Niger Delta.”

CNL therefore pledged to

continue to monitor the environment in its areas of operations and report any suspected illegal activity and breaches to the relevant government security forces and regulatory agencies.

The statement stressed that CNL had helped in reducing pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger delta region by collaborating with communities around the areas of the company’s operations to set up the Community Pipeline and Facilities Surveillance Programme (CPFSP) in 2005.

Ozekhome Faults 1999 Constitution, Says Nigeria Not Practising Democracy

Uchechukwu

Nnaike

Human rights lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN) yesterday faulted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), pointing out that Nigeria was not practising democracy.

He made the remarks yesterday while delivering the 22nd Mike Okonkwo annual lecture titled, “Nigerianisation of Nigerians: A Look Inward.”

He said: “Nigeria is practising what he described as electionocracy, selectocracy, executocracy, legislatocracy, and judocracy, which played out at the Presidential Election Tribunal on Wednesday.

“Judocracy is a system of government where the people go to vote, but their votes may never be counted and when they are counted, they do not count.

“We end up conceiving, midwifing and delivering our

presidents, governors, legislators in the bowels of our courtrooms instead of through the ballot boxes,” Ozekhome said.

He regretted the character deficiency in the country and widespread corruption, saying the state actors did not put forward the first or second eleven, and had impoverished the citizens.

The senior advocate added that the country had not made profit from democ-

racy and did not enjoy any dividend of democracy.

He also insisted on an indigenous, homegrown constitu tion, which according to him, would enjoy public acceptability and respectability.

He said such a constitution should be midwifed after a credible constitutional conference or constituent assembly and then subjected to the people of Nigeria in a referendum.

Glo Wins Big at Consumer Value Awards

The giant strides of digital services company, Globacom, in the nation’s telecoms industry were recognized on Thursday at the 2nd edition of the annual Consumer Value Awards, where the company emerged winner in two major categories. Globacom which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary carted home “Best Value for money Telecommunication Service of the Year 2023” and “Best Value for Money Data & ISP Brand of the Year 2023” at the event held at Radisson Blu

Hotels, Ikeja GRA, Lagos. Speaking at the event, Mr. Akonte Ekine, M anaging Director of Brand Xchange, the convener, stated that Consumer Value Awards is a prestigious online periodic award aimed at creating awareness for the rights of consumers and promoting brand excellence in the country. Winners are determined by consumers in an online vote conducted by Brand Xchange.

“Globacom emerged as “Best Value for money Tele-

communication Service of the Year 2023” and “Best Value for Money Data & ISP Brand of the Year 2023”, after polling a total of 56% and 53% of the votes by consumers, showing the level of acceptability of the brand across the country. Glo and other winners have shown relentless commitment to consumer- centricity”, Mr. Ekine explained. Globacom’s Head of Enterprise Business, Zakari Usman who received the awards on behalf of the company, thanked Nigerians for voting for Glo, describing

the honour as a very apt 20th anniversary gift from Nigerians. He assured them that the company would continue to deliver quality services and unequalled benefits to its subscribers.

“The Glo brand had in the last 20 years of operation shown its commitment to innovative service delivery, excellent customer experience and empowerment of Nigerians. We will continue to delight Nigerians with our customer-centric product and services”, he added.

L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, Mr. Afolabi Solebo; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Adetutu Ososanya; Head of Enterprise Business, Globacom, Mr. Zakari Usman; Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olumide Sogunle; and Convener, Consumer Value Awards, Mr. Akonte Ekine, at the 2023 edition of the awards in Lagos...recently

Managing Windfall from Rising Crude Oil Prices

Last week’s rise in crude oil prices, which coincided with the rising oil output promises to ease the nation’s revenue pressures. However, economic analysts warned that unless adequate plans are put in place to save part of the oil windfall, manage the burden of debt, grow the foreign exchange position won’t make the desired impact on the nation’s economy, writes

Festus Akanbi

Nboost in the volume of Nigeria’s oil production and the upward trend in the price of crude oil at the international market last week raised a measure of relief and hope for the economy which had been under serious pressure in the recent time. However, there were concerns that the fallout of the new price regime may pit the federal government against Nigerians who are currently protesting the burden of higher pump prices of fuel.

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limimprovement in the crude oil output which earlier part of the year. For instance, Nigeria’s daily oil production in July 2023 fell by 13.6 per cent to an average of 1.08 million barrels per day compared to 1.25mbpd recorded in June.

The National Assembly had approved a $75 benchmark for crude oil in the 2023 budget.

What came as the icing on the cake on from $89 a week ago to $94.19 per barrel. The prices continued their upward movement on Tuesday to their highest since November, after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended their voluntary supply cuts to the end of the year, worrying investors about potential shortages during peak winter demand.

Implications of New Price Regime

Analysts pointed out that the surge in oil prices has implications for the global economy, dampen consumer spending. It also poses a challenge for Nigeria, which relies on oil revenues for about half of its budget and 90% of its foreign exchange earnings.

Nigeria has been struggling with the impact of fuel subsidy removal, as it led to higher fuel prices surging by over 400%. Higher crude oil prices could likely lead to higher fuel prices, piling more pressure on the government to provide succour for millions of Nigerians who have seen their purchasing power dissipate.

In its analysis, Nairametrics, an online media platform, contended that the increase Nigeria when oil marketers decide to import petroleum products at higher prices. This, in turn, it argued, may result in potential fuel price hikes. petroleum products, it is anticipated that the impact on pump prices, particularly during periods of high demand. Additionally, local prices of these products will be subject to transportation costs.

According to a report, about N318 billion (N10.6 billion) monthly losses are now recorded on petrol and may be calculated as under-recovery by the supposed NNPC Limited. Similar development had played outmadu Buhari, where the government secretly returned subsidy and called it under-recovery in NNPC’s books.

The fear is that the rising price of crude oil will put the current administration in a dilemma having assured Nigerians that petrol subsidy has gone for good. The question is where will the government get the money to pay the widening gap between the actual cost

In mid-August, Tinubu stated that despite the deregulation of the downstream market, the current petrol price would remain unchanged, as there are no immediate plans to raise fuel prices.

They maintained that on the positive side, higher oil prices could boost Nigeria’s oil

This, analysts said could enable the government to increase its spending on infrastructure, health, and education, which are crucial for economic growth and development. They added that the development could also help the government to reduce its borrowing and debt servicing costs.

Speaking on the development, the Founder/CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Thursday that the surging crude oil price is, paradoxically, good and bad for the Nigerian economy.

According to him, “It is good because of the positive implications for crude oil earnings which is in foreign exchange. If there is anything we need most desperately in the economy today, it is foreign exchange. And our best prospect to boost forex earnings in the short term is in the oil and gas sector. The renewed vigour in tackling crude oil theft is good for our oil production outlook.”

implication of high crude oil prices for our petroleum import bill and energy prices, saying that the prospects of return of fuel subsidy regime, and under this scenario.

“This may pose a serious risk to ongoing reforms in the petroleum downstream sector. It is thus imperative to accelerate the

has come for the government to begin to save for the future.

He said: “Nigeria is presented with another opportunity to reverse the wastages of past years. The country can maximise the upward trend in crude oil by increasing its savings in Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund and the excess crude account. The SWF will increase Nigeria’s external reserves and strengthen the economy, while the excess crude account will be used to intervene in critical sectors of the economy especially the conversion programme from fuel to gas using Compressed Natural Gas which will go a long way to reduce the cost of transportation and increase employment for the youth.”

“This opportunity must not be seen as a windfall and wasted as done in the past but should be used to strengthen our economy and reduce the prevailing poverty in our country,” he warned.

international economist and Head of Research,

international politics on crude oil pricing since She said, “The good news is that with consumption of fuel already down 30% in response to the subsidy removal, Nigeria is now more a winner than a loser from higher oil prices.”

increase in the pump price of fuel by people who had gotten used to cheaper pump prices.

“Still, decades of consumption behaviour in which reliance on cheap fuel was incentivised go. This means that there will be a necessary period of painful adjustment, but ultimately she said.

Idakolo Gbolade, believed the time

Oil barrels

Averting Total Collapse of Poultry Industry

Festus Akanbi writes on the current travails of poultry farmers, who are taking the heat from the prevailing low activities in crop production and the attendant rise in the cost of feed ingredients, especially grains

The current economic challenges which appear to have overwhelmed key sectors of the economy:

manufacturing seem to have found their way into the operations of poultry business in virtually all the regions of the country.

The unfavourable operating environment, which has been blamed for the closure of many poultry businesses in the northern and southern parts of the country, has been attributed to factors including the rising cost of maize, instability in the exchange rate, and drop in the purchasing power of the potential customers among others.

Nigeria’s poultry industry, worth $4.2 billion according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (UNFAO), is a major protein source for over 200 million people. But the sector, which contributes nine to 10 per cent to the GDP, has struggled in the last three years and many operators have abandoned their businesses due to high costs. Farmers lament high feed costs and traders complain about the cost of the constantly rising ingredients for the feeds.

Reports traced the scarcity of maize and other agricultural produce to the unresolved security issues, especially in the northern part of the country where many farmers have had to abandon their farms because of threats of kidnapping and killing by insurgents.

Maize farming is carried out in nearly all the geographical zones in Nigeria. However, the bulk of the country’s maize production is concentrated in Borno, Niger,

Plateau, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo and Taraba states.

Investigations also showed that the difbusiness operators are replicated in the cost of feed and maintenance has forced

A random survey of the operation of poultry businesses in Lagos and some border communities showed that while some farms have scaled down their operations, others have closed shops. The areas visited included Ikeja GRA, Mushin, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Aboru, Iyana Ipaja, Sangotedo area of Lekki, Agbado Ijaye, Shomolu, Ojodu in Lagos while similar trends exist in Akute and Sango areas of Ogun State.

Interestingly, the problem of the challenges facing the sector is not limited to a particular zone in the country. For instance, the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN) in the North-central state of Plateau said the industry has been reduced to half because of the current challenges bedevilling the subsector.

The state chairman of the association, Johnson Bagudu, in a recent report, said that the poultry industry in the state happened to be one of the highest employers of labour with over 4,000 farms which in He, however, regretted that due to the prevailing unfavourable operating climate, nearly 50 per cent of their members have either shut down operations or are operating below their original capacity.

On its part, the South-west Zone of PAN

urged President Bola Tinubu, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and governors in the region to rescue the poultry industry from outright collapse.

The Zonal Chairman of PAN, Gideon Oluleye, who made the appeal in Ibadan, Oyo State, said the challenges facing the industry are enormous, noting that farmers the naira redesign policy.

Poor Handling of Maize Allocation

He lamented that poor handling of the recent maize allocation arrangement by the CBN in the South-west has prevented Nigerian optimally from the support of maize interventions.

According to him, “Recently some maize was allocated to farmers by the CBN and the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) market, as part of interventions to bring down the soaring prices of maize in the market. About 40,000 metric tonnes were allocated at the rate of N220,000 and N225,000 per ton to farmers, while the farmers were still trying to negotiate a reduction in the price per tonnage, which they perceived as too high for an intervention programme, the two weeks payment deadline issued by the NCX lapsed.

“Only a few farmers and stake-

holders could meet the deadline. At the expiration of the deadline, the NCX and the CBN withdrew the allocation. A few states like Oyo, Ekiti, and others paid at the brink of the deadline, yet the commodity exchange market went ahead to cancel the to renew the allocation at the initial price given proved abortive,” he said.

The PAN Chairman disclosed that the marketing strategy to hoard the maize had caused unnecessary scarcity, which had led to the high cost of maize in the open market while revealing that the cost of maize in the Southwest is currently about N400,000 – N430,000 per ton, which is not

The chairman lamented that the price of maize, formerly sold between N225,000 – N230,000 in the Southwest, now costs about N400,000 – N430,000 as a result of hoarding by the NCX.

Fall in Egg Production

With the fall in the purchasing power of the people, poultry business operators said the demand for eggs has fallen considerFor instance, in Jos known for its massive production of eggs because of its peculiar favourable weather conditions that suit commercial production, reports indicate that the last break-even price per crate of eggs had been around N2000. This is said to have now dropped to less than N1500, thereby throwing the hapless farmer into a precarious position. Poultry farmers argued that in contrast, the cost of poultry feeds has hit the roof as a result of the fall in the value of naira.

According to a statement jointly signed by PAN’s National President, Sunday Ezeobiora, and Director-General, Onallo Akpa, the poultry subsector in the country is heading for a crash if the government fails to salvage the industry, appealing to the government to employ urgent intervention.

Noting that the federal government has declared a state of emergency on the food security situation of the country, the PAN insisted that the situation of the poultry industry calls for an urgent intervention to save the industry from total collapse.

Farmers recalled that the federal government had in 2020 banned the importation of maize into the country as the CBN added maize to the list of items restricted from accessing foreign exchange to increase local production, stimulate a rapid economic recovery, safeguard rural livelihoods, and increase jobs.

Trouble in Fish Farming

production is not a better alternative this time as a combination of factors (including the instability in the prices of feeds and vaccines, and lack of market regulation leading to buyers’ determination of prices close shops.

in Lagos and Ogun states last week, it was a tale of woes by farmers who complained of the high cost of feeds. The recent increase in fuel price was also blamed for the suspension of their activities. spoke with our correspondent said it is with fuel prices sold at various prices.

According to Mr. Stephen Ogunsola, who runs Testa Farms in the Olambe area of Ogun State, “There is no way one can make litre given the fact that farmers will also incur other bills like feed and drugs for the a situation where public power supply is not guaranteed, it means you have to rely on your generators. Already, we are coping with a fall in sales and the corresponding fall in the price of our products.

diculous prices since demand is falling and there is no way you can hoard your products. If you do so and they die, that is a double tragedy for the farmer.”

A poultry farm

SOFT FINANCE

The Power of Collective Investment: Getting Experts to Work For You

THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT: GETTING EXPERTS TO WORK FOR YOU

Case # 1:

In January 2020, a young man that I have been having a mentoring relationship with since 2017 put a call through to me to announce a great income opportunity he wanted to jump into.

He was doing well in his company as a top-level marketing executive. As he explained, a friend had sold an investment idea that would see him getting a monthly return that was more than his monthly salary. He visualised how the deal would turn him into a wealthy person within a very short period.

I asked him to share with me what the person selling the deal to him would be investing the money he would collect. He could not give any satisfactory explanation. He said he trusted his friend and that everything would work out well.

I counselled him against it, but he went ahead and staked his money there and recruited three other friends. He went a step further: he got his wife, who was a teacher, to resign from her school so that he could set up a business for her.

Interestingly, everything went well for about five months. The guy credited his account with a handsome amount of money, which came from his direct dividend combined with the additional money from his referrals.

Then, after the sixth month, the guy delayed about 10 days before crediting his account with the due returns. Then, after the sixth month, the flow ceased, and the guy vanished from his radar.

When he eventually showed up, he manufactured several stories on why the flow ceased. To cut the long story short, the guy took the investment merchant to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but unfortunately, the antigraft organisation could not do much. The case is still hanging, and our man is now in a great dilemma.

He lost his job. His wife could not get her proposed business off the ground, and they have two young children to nurture.

Guess the rest of the story.

Case # 2:

This happened far back in 2007 when investing in the stock market reached a crescendo, as ordinary investors were made to believe they could rake in huge returns speedily by investing in any stock in sight.

At the time, almost everyone, including taxi

drivers, became investment analysts.

A certain middle-aged man, who was running a successful school jointly with his wife, dipped his hand in their savings, without sharing his dream with his wife and invested it secretly hoping to surprise her with huge returns in a short time.

He went further to borrow money from his stock brokers. Contrary to his expectations, the stock market began to misbehave. To cut the story short, he lost all his money. The secret was let out of the bag as his wife discovered. Their school was closed. Eventually, they divorced.

Figure out the rest of the story.

Case # 3:

A seasoned journalist had attended a seminar where an individual, introduced as a Forex Trader, mesmerised the audience with his ability to turn around invested money quickly and with great returns. The journalist approached the “Investment expert” after the class, and they struck a deal. He parted with $4,000 the following week, and for three months he got his account credited with some dollars. But after the third month, the usual stories started to flow in. Eventually, everything ceased. But our journalist decided to take the investment expert to the police. When the police arrested the investment expert, who happened to be a disabled individual, they ultimately advised our journalist to swallow the bitter pill: his money had gone with the winds, and there was no

hope of recovering his money.

You are familiar with these lines, I can bet. The question I have always asked is, what makes people think that they can put N100,000 in investment and expect to rake in more than 50% of invested money monthly when the rate of return on average money market instrument is less than 15% per cent per annum?

We all remember Forum (“everybody come inside”), a microfinance bank operated by one guy called Owolabi, in the 1990s who offered mouth-watering returns so huge that many banks turned in their depositor’s money to him for a bit of the action. The collapse of that microfinance bank created spiral effects that led to the collapse of a few financial institutions.

It is surprising that despite the repeated disappointments from the Ponzi scheme operators and several warnings from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), many Nigerians continue to patronise them.

Experts attribute greed to the continued trend of investing in instruments that fit no reality.

As a way of educating the investing public on credible investment options available, THISDAY Economic Insights Unit (TEIU) decided to start a series of special reports dedicated to educating the investing public on available investment options.

In the first of the series to be published on Monday, we are focusing on MUTUAL FUNDS.

In the special report put together by the very best of THISDAY analysts synthesising views from investment experts, we shall be addressing the questions:

- What is a mutual fund?

- How have they fared in Nigeria?

- What are the compelling reasons people should consider investing in mutual funds?

- How would people select the best mutual funds to invest in?

- What is the future of mutual funds?

And many more.

In putting the report together, we worked with the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria, FMAN, under the able leadership of its president, Mr. Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede.

We interviewed several FMAN members. We also spoke with a variety of individuals ranging from operators to investors and analysts.

In the report, for instance, Abimbola Olashore, a tested hand in the business of investment, says that Nigeria is currently experiencing strong demand for investment options, a growing middle class with disposable income, regulatory reforms improving investor protection, increasing digital adoption and fintech integration and collaborative potential with local and foreign financial institutions.

Finance expert, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, however, recommended to investors not to invest in equity mutual fund because it has a very high risk amid the current business operating environment in Nigeria.

Read the full article at https://www. thisdaylive.com

Special Report on Mutual Funds

“One key advantage of investing in mutual funds is the low investment threshold: You can invest in Nigerian mutual funds with as little as N5,000. Due to the relatively low investment threshold, the market has grown because of the industry’s appeal to retail and individual investors”

On Monday, September 18, 2023, THISDAY ECONOMIC INSIGHTS UNIT (TEIU) shall be publishing a special supplement on Mutual Funds in Nigeria. With many Nigerians now more aware of the dangers of Ponzi schemes, guided investments have now become a clear alternative investment option for individual and corporate investors.

The report will be answering these questions:

1. What is a mutual fund?

2. What differentiate investment in mutual funds from investing directly in stocks and financial instruments?

3. How can one invest intelligently in mutual funds?

4. And many more...

In the report, top fund managers will be sharing their views and perspectives on the concept. Don’t miss it.

To participate, Contact: Editorial: Oluchi THISDAY-08164722713 Adverts: Dare FMAN-08023922582

“On the question of why you think wealth builders should be willing to hire quality advisers, the straightforward answer is that if a wealth builder prefers to be selfdependent, he would be heading for failure in his quest. Human successes are best achieved through the utilisation and coordination of the expert input of others to optimally achieve set goals”

-Prince Yemisi Shyllon, a successful and enlightened st ocks investor

Olashore

Aig_Imoukhuede

Shyllon

“Investing in mutual funds is a game changer: it is like engaging the services of the very best experts in investment to work for you without being asked to pay for the real values they deliver. It is like eating your cake and still having it back”

-Abimbola Olashore, Director, Lead Advisory Partners Limited.

-Aigbovbioise Aig_Imoukhuede, President, Fund Managers Association of Nigeria

THE G20 MEETING IN INDIA

EXPLAINING NIGERIA’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WITHOUT EVIDENCE

AYODELE OKUNFOLAMI urges the NBS to always use best practices to derive our data

Sometime ago, I had a friend from Togo who was teaching me French. I visited him the Sunday after the general elections in 2003 (20 years ago). While in his house, the results of the elections were being announced. He was shocked that Nigerians were complaining that the polls were rigged despite the electoral body detailing how it came about each result. This is how Jean Maire put it, “You Nigerians are funny. They are showing you on television the results of what each candidate and political party got from each polling unit, yet you say it was rigged. If it was my country, you will just hear ‘Eyadéma is the winner of the elections’”.

See Page 20

HOW BUHARI ‘RESCUED’ NIGERIA’S ECONOMY

It is that kind of feeling Nigerian institutions battle with; doing their constitutionally assigned responsibility judiciously, using all the apparatus of the law and equipment available to them to a distrusting audience that does not fully understand the details behind the results. Sleeping through half a day listening to judges that had committed themselves for months going through tonnes of materials to come up with what judgement only for the public to disregard all their efforts.

So it happened that, using a different methodology it claims is the new global measuring standard, the agency responsible for collecting, compiling, analysing, interpreting, publishing, and disseminating statistical information relating to the socio-economic life and conditions of the people of Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics, came up with 4.1% as Nigeria’s unemployment rate. NBS has tried, like INEC and the tribunal to explain with evidence.

The science behind figures is correct because NBS practically redefined employment to a minimum of one hour per week from 40 and left the labour force bracket open instead of closing it at 64. Why fault NBS now if we reasoned with them when they told us nearly 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, when they monthly release inflation figures or when they told us Nigeria was in a recession?

See Page 20

EDITORIAL

before he can be termed unemployed.

Aside academic, who listens to NBS? Is it the policymakers that do not know how much crude Nigeria produces, how much petrol it consumes or can’t agree on the number and names on its poverty list that would listen to NBS? Governors didn’t listen when NBS revealed state-by-state unemployment two years ago. The ordinary man on the street is too bothered about the bare necessities of life that all these bar charts and graphs with upward green arrows or downward red arrows to know whether the POS business he is doing or the hair she is plaiting under the tree is termed employment.

most importantly gave life to its numbers by practice method to sound patronising. Its goal is to the Americans. NBS should make their numbers more relatable.

But do I blame a poorly funded NBS? How it comes up with its numbers in a country that does not have periodic censuses should be commendable.

In summary, people don’t care what the thermometer says, if they are hot, the weather exercise to that jobless guy that works one hour in a week.

Secondly, NBS should continue to do its constitutionally assigned functions more diligently, consistently, transparently, and responsibly. Data is the ammunition any society needs to get ahead. Good enough, there are other private statistical bodies operating in the Nigerian space that NBS can be peered against.

PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION TRIBUNAL JUDGMENT: MATTERS ARISING

First, just as one does not need a meteorologist to tell him the rain is about to fall or an if spending patterns remain unchanged, similarly Nigerians do not need any statistical body to tell it the unemployment situation is. A simple look at the crowds at accident scenes, motor parks, crusade grounds, political rallies and betting shops is enough to tell the unemployment rate of the country.

The fact that, virtually every Nigerian family has had to feed at least one unemployed graduate for more than a year before he or “something” that NBS is calling employment even if it means being under an umbrella booth for one hour weekly. There is no or morally because percentages hide the actual volume and details behind the data. For example, the NBS itself says less than 7% of Nigerians work in the formal sector. This employment.

See Page 21

to time. There was a time unemployment Implying that one must be willing to work

So, like other institutions that tell us about upcoming environmental hazards or health epidemics, the NBS performs to viewers who can be used for political reasons. And this is the perception that NBS might have been a political slant. Although I disagree and would always encourage that we must as a society continue to believe in our institutions. However, NBS’ inconsistency in releasing the

Why should a quarterly report last published in 2020 with 56.1% unemployment rate miss seven straight quarters only to come now with a new formula to give 4.1%? These suspicions would not have arisen had NBS been more consistent in its publications and forthcoming with its methodologies and not giving us the answer before showing the workings.

It is good and advisable to always use best practices to derive our data but caveating with World Bank or other international bodies to justify its methods does not always cut it. NBS should be seen to be working for Nigeria and Nigerians. America for monthly irrespective of which political NBS equivalent website: The Employment Situation for September 2023 is scheduled to be released on October 6, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. It is regular. It has nothing to do with the temperament of the boss. Like every other research worth its onions, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in its August report came with all the academic jargons but

To government at all levels, it should not score cheap political points. GlaxoSmithKline and other multinationals cannot be leaving Nigeria and they remain comfortable. Indigenous companies are folding up, high employing industries are becoming nonexistence while warehouses and depots are converted to religious centres. Those and more are enough data for our administrators

Palliatives won’t solve it neither will handing out sewing nor grinding machines in the name of empowerments schemes. And governors directing the recruitment of 4,200 people into civilian JTF would neither solve infrastructure beginning with electricity formal sector to facilitate more taxable employment. The Minister of Labour should not only be seen to be negotiating industrial actions but to be initiating policies and programmes that would generate jobs for Nigeria’s teeming population. It is then that NBS’s numbers can make sense.

It is an opportunity for President Tinubu to assure the world that Nigeria is open for business, writes

SONNY IROCHE

THE G20 MEETING IN INDIA

HOW BUHARI ‘RESCUED’ NIGERIA’S ECONOMY

Last weekend, former President Muhammadu Buhari who had thought he would be resting in Daura or somewhere in of discussion in the Nigerian media. Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke stirred the hornet’s nest when he called out the former President on the performance of his administration, particularly in the area of corruption and management of the economy.

Au President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has of some of the most developed countries in the world, in India. This invitation presents numerous opportunities for Nigeria in the changing global economic landscape, particularly in relation to the controversial BRICS dimension. Additionally, Nigeria’s leading position in Africa and its relationship with South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and other countries on the continent, will play a crucial role in determining the country’s future cooperation and rivalry with these nations, and establishing its strategic position in International affairs, as it relates to Africa.

Tinubu’s government with a platform to engage with the world’s leading economies and showcase its potential as a key player in the global economic order, especially with the emergence of the new accompanied to the summit by a team of about 38-man top Nigerian businessmen, ministers.

It is crucial to ensure that the trip will ignite the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria, in multiple economic sectors. The government must is now open for business. The trip should send out the right signal that the country is ready for business. Global investors are like shoppers, who are perpetually looking for the best markets for their investments.

Nigerians expect the country will explore the opportunities that arise from Nigeria’s of the BRICS dimension, and the dynamics of Nigeria’s relationship with South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria, on one hand the other.

There are clearly no sentiments when it comes to investments decisions and enabling environments which guaranty safety and return on investment.

Importantly, the following are some of the developments that economists and analysts would want to see emanate from Nigeria’s participation in the summit:

economic opportunities for the country. As one of the largest economies in Africa, Nigeria can attract foreign direct investment, forge new trade partnerships, and enhance its economic growth. The summit provides a platform for PresidentTinubutohighlightNigeria’spotential as an investment destination, particularly in sectors such as power, renewables, oil and gas, agriculture, marine and blue economy, and technology. By engaging with developed countries, Nigeria can learn from their experiences and adopt best practices to further strengthen its economy.

BRICS Dimension: The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) the global economy. Nigeria’s participation an opportunity to explore potential collaborations and partnerships. Nigeria, with its vast natural resources and growing and investment ties with the Bretton Woods institutions and BRICS countries. Additionally, Nigeria’s membership in the African Union and the leading country

the African market, creating mutually

Leading Position in Africa: Nigeria’s leading position in Africa gives it a unique advantage in the global economic world order. As the continent’s most populous nation and still the largest economy, Nigeria has the potential to drive economic growth and development across Africa. advocate for African interests, promote regional integration, and attract investments leading position also allows Nigeria to collaborate with other African nations, such as South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, and Algeria, to address common challenges and pursue shared economic goals.

Rivalry and Cooperation: While Nigeria’s relationship with South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria may involve elements of rivalry, it also presents opportunities for cooperation and collaboration. Nigeria oil to South Africa and some of these

economic potential and play crucial roles in their respective regions. By fostering cooperation, Nigeria can leverage the strengths of these nations to drive economic growth, enhance regional stability, and address common challenges such as infrastructure development, security, and trade barriers. However, healthy competition can also spur innovation and countries involved.

In essence, President Bola Tinubu’s provides Nigeria with a unique opportunity to correct the poor economic and security environment of the country in the past decade and to showcase its potential and readiness for enabling environment for business to thrive in the new global economic world order. By engaging with developed countries investments, forge new trade partnerships, and drive economic growth.

This article was inspired by the news reports on the response to Adoke’s interview by Mallam Garba Shehu, the former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity where he was quoted as writing that “Buhari came on a rescue mission and effectively saved Nigeria from corrupt undertones that were planted to expose its economy to imminent collapse”. The claim by Garba Shehu that Buhari ‘rescued’ Nigeria’s economy is debatable. However, my opinion is that it is a claim that cannot stand the test of good scrutiny. And my reasons are as follows:

In the eight years of Buhari’s presidency, the percent that the administration inherited from the Jonathan government, a development that pushed millions of Nigerians into poverty. It is weak monetary and exchange rate policies as well as excessive government borrowing from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

the unemployment rate also hit the roof. Under Buhari, 33.2 percent of Nigerians have 133 million people are multi-dimensionally poor. This is the same administration that promised to lift millions of people out of poverty. In reality, its poor and inappropriate policy choices pushed many more people into poverty.

The Buhari government’s poor economic management style is manifested in the value of the naira in exchange with the dollar. From The black market value of the dollar rose to at the advent of the administration. Also, the

this was a response to the poor economic policies, harsh business environment, heightened insecurity, and inability of the President to endear himself to foreign and local investors.

Also, when the drivers of his monetary needless squabbles, the president did not demonstrate the needed leadership nor direction to call them to order. That is why the vital statistics continued to show danger with no rescue efforts being put in to the problems.

all-time high. While the Fiscal Responsibility Act, deficit rate for each year’s budget, the Buhari is 4.8 percent rate. This hurt borrowings and future debt service.

Also, the Buhari government seemed to have mortgaged the future of Nigerians with its huge borrowing through ways and means increased in the eight years of Buhari to N23.8 trillion, a development that also constituted an infraction of the Fiscal Responsibility Act because most of the borrowings were to fund recurrent expenditure.

under Buhari was a partial fall-out of the poor revenue accruing to the government within the period. The revenue to GDP

under the immediate past government fell to between 2.8 percent and 3.4 percent compared to 4.4 percent which was the lowest recorded in the period preceding the coming of the Buhari government. Still, the high debt service costs and subsidy payments made matters worse for the administration.

The government of Buhari did not know how to tackle the oil theft menace in the Niger Delta area and therefore watched helplessly as low crude production prevented Nigeria from increase in the price of crude oil.

Also, the Buhari government continued to fritter money away and accumulate

three years, the administration spent N1.2 trillion on fuel subsidies. In the four N5.9 trillion. In the last six months before the exit of the administration, it budgeted N3.4 trillion on subsidies. What a waste of unavailable money!

Still, the Buhari government made political decisions that further created socio-political and economic instability by setting one section of the country against the other. Through skewed appointments and incendiary statements, the government destroyed the fragile unity among the parts of the country. of the heads of security agencies come referring to a part of the country as a ‘dot in a circle’, the suspicion and hostility among different sections of the country got to the zenith.

This affected trade and commerce, travel across different parts of the country, and relationships among people of various ethnic groups. Tension rose. Groups exhibited distrust and many people returned to their ethnic conclaves.

So, with the report above, how can Buhari be said to have strengthened the economy of Nigeria? In what way will the Nigerian economy be said to have been rescued in the last eight years with these ugly developments and unimpressive statistics? I think it is now that the country deserves to be saved, salvaged, and rescued from the ills of the last eight years. Mallam Garba Shehu may want to fault my points above. The debate continues.

UMAR GARBA argues that the claim by Garba Shehu is debatable

It is an opportunity for President Tinubu to assure the world that Nigeria is open for business, writes SONNY IROCHE

Iroche is a 2022/2023 Senior Academic Visitor, African Studies Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TRIBUNAL JUDGMENT: MATTERS ARISING

Electoral petitions should be disposed of before winners are sworn in. The present practice is defective

With the dismissal of their petitions by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his Labour Party counterpart, Mr Peter Obi, have

Bola Ahmed Tinubu who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was validly elected on 25th February this year. The unanimous and was delivered by Justice Haruna Tsammani. It addressed all the salient issues brought for adjudication and held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of irregularities, malpractices, corrupt practices, and substantial non-compliance, amongst others.

We commend both Atiku and Obi for toeing the path of peaceful disputations on the election. Once the inclination for rules and laws towers over recourse to self-help and violence, our society will be a more peaceful and stable one for citizens and foreigners alike. But there are matters arising from the election tribunal case that must be dealt with in the long-term interest of our democracy. The framers of our Constitution foresaw a situation where electoral contests would become subjects of disputes and provided remedies. Aggrieved persons have the option of going up to the Supreme Court, especially for presidential and governorship elections. That these remedies are being explored is gladdening. However, we are concerned by the time it takes to conclude such cases.

Section 285 (6) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) states that “an election tribunal shall deliver its judgement in writing within 180 days from the petitioners have 21 days after the date of the further provides that “an appeal from the decision of an election tribunal or Court of Appeal in an election matter shall be heard and disposed of within 60 days from the date of delivery of judgement of the tribunal

VICTOR DANBOYI

SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI

CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO

TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

or Court of Appeal”. The combined effect of these provisions is that the declared winner would have is concluded.

Since judicial systems hardly rule in favour of upturn a presidential election in which the incumbent why we have always advocated a situation in which electoral petitions are concluded before the swearingin of winners, as it is the case in many African countries. In Kenya, for instance, it takes only three weeks between the date of declaration of presidential election result and the decision of the Supreme Court. Article 140 of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya provides after the result is declared and “within fourteen a petition, the Supreme Court shall hear and determine the petition and its decision shall be

The present arrangement in Nigeria is inherently unfair. The idea that post-election disputes should be disposed of long after the declared winner has quandary. If they rule in favour of the incumbent, they are open to charges of compromise and possibly corruption. If they rule in the opposite direction, they would be deemed as advocating anarchy. The way out is to amend the relevant laws to enable a speedy disposal of all post-election matters well in advance of the commencement of the succeeding tenure. Only then can we correctly gauge the independence and integrity of the judiciary and ensure equality before the law in electoral disputes.

Meanwhile, we must also deal with an aberration that has become the norm. Ordinarily, the essence of judicial interventions in election matters is to promote people in the process and instil accountability in leadership. But by reducing our courts to vote counting stations with Judges now deciding the outcome of elections, allegations of deal-making and corruption are now rife. That also bodes ill for democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria.

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

LETTERS

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITION RULING: ANOTHER CHANCE WASTED

The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja delivered its eagerly awaited judgment on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. In affirming the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 elections, it duly delivered a rude shock to those who expected a different outcome.

Nigerians are no strangers to seismic shocks. On personal and national level, many Nigerians have lived things that no one should fairly have to live in a thousand life times.

Nigerians have seen it all: from absolutely shocking and senseless depredations visited on public funds to heinous terrorist attacks visited on families and their children.

However, in the hierarchy of shocks, political events in the country have come to pack quite the punch, showing several times that they can deliver quite a heavy dose.

In 2015, amidst deep-seated resentment of the Goodluck Jonathan presidency, history was made when Muhammadu Buhari came tops in the election. That he went on to deliver

a shocking governance in his time in office did not take away from the fact that for the first time in Nigeria’s political history, an incumbent president had lost elections.

Ahead of the 2023 election, echoes of the EndSARS movement which was swiped at decades-long injustice surfaced and congealed into a significant part of the Obidient movement.

But for all that the EndSARS protests were unruly and unwieldy, Peter Obi, around whom the Obidient movement revolves, has shown himself a different kind of Nigerian politician peddling a different kind of politics.

His entrance into the presidential race marked a watershed in Nigeria’s political history. The Independent National Electoral Commission said he did not win the election.

The PEPT has now affirmed the decision of the PEPT. Judicial options are yet to be exhausted, and there are still a handful of Nigerians who nurse faint hopes that there can be a judicial intervention to correct the travesty which transpired on February 25. But this number

continues to dwindle and each passing day bleeds this hope of any true substance.

The election may have been tightly fought as a contest, but the nagging feeling remains that forces beyond the considerable force of voters and their votes played a crucial if disruptive role in determining the destination of electoral victory in this instance.

In the immediate aftermath of the process which was reportedly marred by unprecedented irregularities, the overwhelming phrase was “go to court” as if the Nigerian judiciary has done enough in recent times to make a compelling case that its best.

It appears the case that this judgment though not unexpected has only served to further cast the judiciary in an unfavorable

victory in the last polls counter those of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They may even be able to

sneer and devise new sobriquets for those they have easily dismissed as sore losers, but the challenge runs deeper than that.

It is depressing that even many years since Nigeria returned to democracy, the judiciary is yet to do enough to seriously be considered an institution that keeps its head above water in a country savaged by corruption. Those celebrating the judgment in which substantial questions of electoral malpractice largely went unanswered are making a rod for their backs.

For as long as similarly grave questions continue to go unanswered in Nigeria, the country would be worse for it.

For as long as institutions continue to consistently fail to hit the mark in terms of performance in Nigeria, Africa’s most important country can expect a wild ride in the abyss of dysfunction and destabilization.

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

The way out is to amend the relevant laws to enable a speedy disposal of all post-election matters well in advance of the commencement of the succeeding tenure

Justice Amina Augie: A Legacy in Law and Justice

After decades of shaping the course of justice in Nigeria, Justice Amina Augie has gracefully hung her gown, retiring from the distinguished halls of the Supreme Court. Her retirement is more than a mere closing statement; it signifies the concluding chapter of a legal expert, whose impact reflects a strong basis of legal examples and steadfast principles, writes

Vanessa Obioha

I Took Each Case as it Came

February 25, 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, among others. The celebration also doubled as a retirement party. Her valedictory session at the Supreme Court is expected to take place later this week.

At 70, Augie is still a sight for sore eyes. Her striking gray hair symbolises the depth of her judgments over the years. Her vibrancy is infectious, exuding good-humouredness. Her brilliance extends beyond the courtroom, evident in her inspiring talks at conferences and interviews, such as her recent appearance on the Hague Talks podcast, where she emphasised the importance of turning weaknesses into strengths.

“Look at the keys to the doors, all those cuts, you know, fit into a lock. That’s how we all are. There is always a door where your peculiar key can open, where you can be the best you can be.”

At the same event where she was the only woman represented in a delegation of African justices, Augie again gave a thought-provoking response to the topic: “Why Having More Women Judges Benefit All of Society.” In rounding up her speech, she said: “When we think of the sociological barrier, a lot of women have locked themselves in a mental prison and they can’t imagine getting out of it’s all auto exclusion. Nobody stopped you from being a judge. Nobody stopped you from aspiring but you have stopped yourself because, inside your head, you just don’t believe that it could happen or you could be a judge at all. You just step back.”

Born Anne Eva Graham in Lagos, Augie’s path to the esteemed Supreme Court bench began with a childhood aspiration. At the age of 14, she boldly declared her ambition to become a lawyer. Therefore, after completing her primary and secondary education in Ibadan, Calabar, Enugu and Kaduna between 1958 and 1971, she pursued her law degree at the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University), graduating in 1977. A year later, she was called to the Nigerian Bar and later obtained an LLM from Ahmadu Bello University.

Her career took an interesting turn when she met her husband, the late Kebbi State Senator Adamu Augie. This love story led her to Lagos, where she continued her legal studies. Despite this, her passion for the law persisted. She obtained an LLM in criminology and related subjects from the University of Lagos between 1986 and 1987.

In those early years, Augie’s career journey saw her transition from legal practice to academia. She started as a Legal Aid Counsel during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Sokoto. Her commitment and diligence propelled her from this role to becoming the Head of the Legal Aid Council in the state.

In 1980, Augie embraced academia fully, serving as an Assistant Lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University. She later joined the Office of the Chief Counsel to the President as a Senior State Counsel in Lagos. Her passion for teaching resurfaced, and she lectured at the Nigerian Law School, focusing on evidence from 1984 to 1988.

consumes me till it’s done. Then the next one comes without knowing it.”

Explaining further, she added: “Each case is different. So where the law would apply and convict somebody, the same law if you look at the facts and find out and you acquit; so each case has its own twist. Each case has to be unravelled. Each case has to be like, you know, you’re taking it step by step. I write judgments, not because I’m writing for anybody, it is for me. If you read it, I’m unravelling. I don’t know what the end will be but I’m unravelling it.”

Her 45-year career is distinguished by versatility and unwavering integrity. She consistently emphasised the importance of integrity in law and justice, a message she conveyed during the unveiling of Justice Oputa State High Court Complex in Imo State in 2019.

“Posterity beckons, history is calling us. So we don’t write judgments today because somebody gave you some money. Tomorrow that person is gone, your reputation is down the drain, and your children will not want to be associated with you. Is that what we want as judges or do we want to stand and say ‘long after I’m gone, my words will speak for me, will teach and motivate others?”

In addition to encouraging judges to uphold integrity, Augie cares deeply about Nigeria’s judicial system. She believes that the workload on judges should be lightened and that not every case needs to reach the Supreme Court; some should conclude at the High Court or Appeal Court. While this change didn’t occur during her tenure, she remains thankful for the opportunity to serve her nation in the way she saw best.

Augie left an indelible mark with her noteworthy judgments during her tenure at the Supreme Court. One decision that remains etched in the memories of many Nigerians, setting a significant precedent, occurred in February 2020. In a moment that sent shockwaves through the legal community, she imposed a fine of N30 million each on two distinguished legal luminaries, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN). Their offense? They had jointly filed an application seeking the review of the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Bayelsa State election. This decision, delivered with a heavy heart, would resonate in legal circles for years to come.

With tears in her eyes, Justice Augie expressed deep regret that “very senior” lawyers had initiated such an application. She went on to denounce the application, filed by the APC and its governorship candidate at the poll, David Lyon, as vexatious, frivolous, and a blatant abuse of the court process. She stressed that it was an invitation for the Supreme Court to question its own judgment, a violation of constitutional principles. Granting such applications, she warned, would undermine the finality of the court’s decisions and open the floodgates for unwarranted reviews.

One judgment she delivered that did not sit well with some Nigerians, was when she charged and acquitted General Sani Abacha’s once powerful Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha. Al-Mustapha had been convicted and sentenced to death for his involvement in the assassination of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the renowned democracy activist and rightful winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

On November 7, 2016, retired Justice Amina Augie was appointed as a justice to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. While such appointments are typically celebrated without much fanfare, Augie’s held special significance. She broke barriers by becoming the sixth woman to serve in this esteemed role. Her appointment was a milestone for Nigerian women, challenging traditional gender roles and paving the way for

others to ascend to influential positions within the judiciary and beyond.

In her over four-decade career, her reputation did not diminish; it remains impressive. Therefore, on September 3, 2023, when she clocked 70, the mandatory retirement age for Justice of the Supreme Court, she received well-deserved accolades. Dignitaries from different walks of life convened at Abuja where she was feted by loved ones. Notable names at the high-octane event included the Labour Party presidential candidate in the

Again, her husband relocated to Sokoto in 1988. Despite the challenges posed by the relocation, Augie’s career in the judiciary took off. She became a Chief Magistrate in Sokoto, marking her entry into the judicial field. In 1992, she was appointed as a Judge of the High Court, later rising to the Court of Appeal in 2002 where she served in various divisions. Her pinnacle moment arrived in 2016 when she became a justice at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Known for her diligence, Augie’s approach to her cases is marked by dedication and a deep sense of responsibility. She described the process of writing judgments on the Hague Talks Podcast as a personal journey, unravelling the complexities of each case step by step.

“I take each case as it comes. I like to say that a judgment takes my soul. I’m faced with what I’m writing now and it

As a Justice in the Court of Appeal, Justice Augie assumed a pivotal role as the lead judge in Al-Mustapha’s appeal. On June 10, 2013, she delivered a judgment that would forever be debated. In her ruling, she acquitted Al-Mustapha of the charges related to Mrs. Abiola’s murder, a decision that left both supporters and critics with much to ponder.

Augie’s dedication goes beyond her legal career; she passionately supports human and women’s rights. Her numerous awards and certifications underline her commitment to justice and gender equality. These include honours from the International Association of Women Judges (Africa Region) in 2005 and the Lagos State Judiciary in 2016. She’s also been recognised as a fellow by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Nigeria and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Additionally, she received the prestigious National Honours as a Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), a significant recognition granted to all Supreme Court Justices.

As Amina Augie steps away from the bench and hangs up her gown, her legacy endures. She will be remembered as a trailblazing jurist who, despite facing adversity, remained steadfast in her pursuit of justice.

Augie

HighLife

...Amazing

Clement Enajemo is over the Moon as the Guardian of Style Set to Celebrate Three Decades of MUDI Brand

Fashion occupies a special place in the modern world. Often, it represents class and can be relied on to distinguish one level of glory from another. For Clement Mudiaga Enajemo, the man behind the fashion enterprise known as MUDI, there is no better way to show the glory of progress than to celebrate it fashionably.

Why All Eyes are on Gbajabiamila

From time immemorial, the best leaders have been those with immaculate assistants. On this front, one is unable to fault President Bola Tinubu, particularly when it comes to his selection of Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff (CoS). The highly-sought CoS position has brought Gbajabiamila under much pressure, but the man is not unused to such.

Indeed, in terms of handling the obligations of a power-dense position, Gbajabiamila is one of the leading individuals in Nigeria. When he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, Gbajabiamila micro-managed everything until people started to complain that he did not let them do anything. But this attribute, once irritating to the lazy and infuriating to the corrupt, is now greatly sought after.

As President Tinubu is almost always busy with duties of office, Gbajabiamila is the next best address for anyone looking for favours from the new government. Seeing as the former Speaker is refined and gentlemanly, folks find him easygoing and do not hesitate to trust him with their requests. Moreover, it is clear that his refusals, being correspondingly composed rather than uncouth, still endear him to all and sundry.

But Gbajabiamila continues to wield great power. And for this reason, all eyes are on him. Those who claim to be informed on the thoughts and considerations of President Tinubu allege that his decision to select Gbajabiamila as right-hand man came after deep contemplations, and was settled by an appreciation of the former Speaker’s soft but steady approach to things.

At present, Gbajabiamila can be considered one of the most powerful individuals in the country. His power stems from his position but also the fact that he is somewhat approachable compared to his boss and has many friends. And a man with many friends should show himself friendly, shouldn’t he?

It has been exactly thirty years since Enajemo founded MUDI. Back in 1993, Enajemo’s game plan for the establishment of MUDI was the expansion of his alreadygrowing fashion products. With MUDI, the fashion genius was able to stretch his influence across Africa, until he

was acknowledged as an invisible dignitary in all things men’s clothing.

Enajemo is doing right by himself to celebrate this milestone. According to those in the clothier’s close circle, preparations for the celebration are coming along, all guaranteed to get people talking for the next couple of months. Of course, seeing as it is all about MUDI, Enajemo cannot allow the event to be one-sided, narrow, or ordinary.

The publicized schedule for the celebration of MUDI’s three decades of glory shows that the high-octane event will kick off in Lagos, and later move to Ghana and finally culminate in South Africa.

Sanwo-Olu: Winning the Hearts of Small and Great

Good things are here again for the people of Lagos State. As Governor Babajide SanwoOlu continues to eclipse expectations and deliver quality governance for his peers to emulate, he has attracted deep admiration from all and sundry, the small and great alike. To the point where even someone like Femi Otedola who has seen it all would commend his work, one must recognize the doings of Sanwo-Olu.

It is a new era for Lagosians in view of the Lagos Blue Rail. After many years of waiting on promises, the people can finally rest their minds and go about their businesses, knowing that someone close by is looking out for them. Seeing as that person is Sanwo-Olu and that he will go out of his way to ensure that things are working as they should, there is little cause for alarm in Lagos these days.

The Lagos Blue Rail project has been completed. With its completion, the burdens of transportation in Nigeria’s biggest commercial center have eased a great deal.

Babatunde Okewale: A Doctor with a Difference

Distinction comes with sacrifice. This is a fact that is historically recognized to be indistinguishable from the truth, and also one that Dr. Babatunde Okewale has demonstrated time and again. After all, the recognition of Okewale’s contributions to society only came after the appreciation of the sacrifices that he has made with respect to gaining mastery over his vocations.

Upon mentioning Dr. Okewale, the mind is visited by images of an individual who is very sombre, given to much reflection, and seldom relaxed. The truth is quite far from this. Perhaps, in the early years of his work, the man who came to be known as a master of women’s fertility and health was like this. But now, mastery has come and he is now often

battered by praise wherever he goes.

Only an individual with little or no interest in women’s health in Nigeria would be ignorant of the works and accomplishments of Dr. Okewale. Okewale is a source of pride, especially with his name still ringing from Women Radio 91.7, the number one specialist radio channel designed for female health in Nigeria.

Based on recent news, the Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation has started work on its partnership with Okewale’s Women Radio 91.7 and also Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation. It is reported that the game plan is to use Okewale’s top radio programme, RadioDoctor, to offer medical consultation opportunities to Nigerian families.

Commuters no longer have to stay on the road for hours on end, sowing complaints and harvesting depression for all their efforts. One could say that with the project concluded, Lagosians have entered a golden era.

Blue Rail’s completion has inspired many individuals to throw their weight behind Governor Sanwo-Olu in support. Otedola is one such person, and he has called on Lagosians to do the same, recognizing that Sanwo-Olu is trustworthy in many things, especially in the delivery of world-class infrastructure for the benefit of all.

Otedola’s call, while coming on the dusk of the completion of the Blue Rail project, is the latest of many that celebrate the good work that Sanwo-Olu’s administration is doing. With enough of these calls and favourable responses, perhaps the governor will see even more reason to do his best in his service to Lagosians.

Gbajabiamila

Sanwo-Olu

Enajemo

Okewale

Bishop Mike Okonkwo at 78

Nigeria is blessed in more ways than one, including with countless individuals who function as tutors and guardians in all things spiritual. Among this number, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the General Overseer and Presiding Pastor of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) shines brightly. Recently clocking 78, Okonkwo’s existence brings renewed faith to Nigerians with respect to the superintendence of God over the nation.

Bishop Okonkwo’s life has been one of wonder. Studying under the tutelage of great men like Morris Cerrullo, he has managed to bring the divine into everyday operation. Bishop Okonkwo has demonstrated his deep understanding of life and truth in the multitude of TREM branches in the country, numbering over 180 branches. In each of these and their peers in other parts of the world, Bishop Okonkwo’s emphasis

is righteousness and truth. At 78, Bishop Okonkwo has much to be proud of, including his 30+ years of committed service to God and the many individuals he has helped bring up in similar service. Today, he is recognized for his work with the Communion of Covenant Ministers International (CCMI), the National Ministers Conference (NMC), the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and even the Empowerment for the Less Privileged (ELP) Foundation, to name a few.

Indeed, Bishop Okonkwo is a father to many and an inspiration to all. His life continues to bear witness to the grace that commitment to God can engender. At 78, the man continues to fight the good fight, set on winning the race and getting a crown of glory for his confession and commission.

Another Good News from the Household of Billionaire Businessman, Kamoru Yusuf

Every sensible human being is ever open to hearing good news. This is the case for the family of the steel magnate and philanthropist, Kamoru Yusuf (fondly referred to as Kamwire) and his wife, Bolanle, upon the new status of their daughter, Damilola Yusuf Adelodun.

It is a happy day for all the wellwishers of Adelodun upon her appointment as the Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology. This appointment follows the decision of the Kwara state government, especially Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to rely on the understanding and judgment of their own people.

In truth, Adelodun’s appointment follows her confirmation by the necessary authorities after her nomination by Governor AbdulRazaq. Moreover, it is believed that the reasons that the governor would name Adelodun among the commissioners include her breadth of experience and education. Upon screening her, the judges of the governor’s decision found her to be qualified.

Before this appointment, Adelodun was appointed into the board of

Founder of Wellbeing Foundation for Africa,Toyin Saraki, is 59

Thus, it has been a while since the government needed her to bear some responsibility for its continuity, lending her abilities to this endeavour and bringing much happiness to the hearts of her parents.

Adelodun is a social entrepreneur and philanthropist. Having studied International Business at the University of Dundee, Scotland, she is believed to have the greatest proficiency in fields such as Accounting, Finance and Strategic Transformation, International Professional Business and Relations, and Humanitarian interventions. She has been especially active through many NGOs, with the Threshold of Hope Foundation being the most prominent.

Ultimately, Adelodun’s contributions can be attributed to the efforts of her parents. The latter is one of the most respected business couples in Nigeria, whose generosity has moved many Nigerians to happy tears and comfort, thus earning them the admiration of many over the years. Adelodun has inherited this part from her parents and is one of the brightest pillars currently in the Kwara state government.

Eminent Jurist, Amina Augie, Celebrates 70th Birthday in Style

Despite how little of it we can grasp and control, time is one of the ultimate indicators of human quality. For someone like Justice Amina Augie who is still strong and brilliant at age 70, one can only express admiration. Thus, the recent celebration of her 70th birthday was not without colour or noise as goodwill messages were mobilized from all over Nigeria and beyond.

Justice Augie has shown that a luminary at 70 is far superior to one at 40. Her virtuosity, having won the respect of all and sundry, has even started to eclipse the abilities of her forebears in the courts of law and order. Even now, at the beginning of a ripe old age, Justice Augie can be described as a dazzle, a still-fresh existence inspiring greatness in the hearts of her juniors.

During her birthday celebration event on Saturday, September 3, 2023, Justice Augie’s relatives, friends, associates, and well-wishers made sure to extend goodwill to her. Held at the Abuja

International Conference Center, the milestone of clocking 70 as a luminary at law brought many of her peers out of hermitage, casting even more light on Justice Augie’s accomplishments.

Justice Augie is a known figure in Nigeria’s Supreme Court. Appointed as a Supreme Court Justice on November 7, 2016, Augie has only made more impact as the years progressed. Because she was the 6th woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice in Nigeria, her every step was paid attention to, making her a model of sorts, one that others have unsuccessfully attempted to surpass.

Justice Augie’s legal career can be described in many words: splendorous, superb, and superior to her peerage. Her meritorious contributions are compounded by the tenure of her service. Thus, at 70, she deserves an ocean’s worth of accolades. Thankfully, upon clocking her new age, she got it.

The number of our years on earth is few. Yet, it is left to us to decide their use and usefulness. With people like Dr.Toyin OjoraSaraki in front, one finds it easier to manage their sojourn through time. Thus, at 59 years of age, the wife of the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is an inspirational figure and a strong justification for meaningful living.

In Nigeria, we have had many individuals bearing the touch of selfless accomplishment. Among them, Dr. Toyin is a leading light. Regarded as one of the most influential women of her time, she is a strong and self-driven individual with enough passion to extinguish the frigid circumstances of the modern culture of self-seeking and self-serving.

If not for anything, Dr. Toyin’s role in providing quality health care for women and children in poor conditions is enough reason to appreciate God for her existence. Despite fitting the characteristic profile of one that is high and mighty, Dr. Toyin has shown through her Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) initiative that she is humble, even-tempered, and given to satisfying the needs of other people.

During his reign, Senator Saraki was a mighty figure. His presence altogether eclipsed that of his fellows at the Senate. His wife is not at all like that. With Dr. Toyin is a gentleness that typifies the coolness of water during a period of great thirst. Interestingly, her WBFA initiative serves a similar purpose, bringing succour to the underprivileged, underappreciated, and uncaredfor.

At 59, one could celebrate the many milestones of Dr. Toyin’s career as a global health advocate and healthcare philanthropist. One could also call to mind the support she has provided her husband, helping him reach pinnacle political heights. But none of that compares to the radiations of her warm heart as expressed in the commission and crusade of WBFA.

Okonkwo

Harmony Holdings, the investment company of the Kwara state government.

Saraki

Yusuf

Atiku and Obi: Can We Move on Please?

To say that I covered myself in shame yesterday was an understatement. These two just generally dashed our hopes with the “yeye’ petitions that threw up. They not only dashed the hopes of many, but they also wasted taxpayers’ money in the process. It is no wonder that almost everybody in the hall fell asleep. Not the least their own lawyers who were fast asleep as the judgments were being read. If I didn’t know better, I would think that maybe they had put

PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU, PLEASE DO NOT GLOAT

Mr. President, the fact that you were faced with a clownish struggle to upturn your “victory” at the last presidential elections should not give you any reason to gloat. I watched a clip of your people singing victory songs in India and with you raising up your hands and acknowledging victory.

My egbon, we both know what we know. The fact that those two have acted like Papi Luwe and Jacob does not in any way completely wipe out the massive glitches that followed up with that election. The fact that they were also not able to prove anything about your colourful past does not mean that we have a white bedsheet with no stains.

What this calls for is an introspective look at the wobbly mandate that you have secured with a strong view to look at Nigeria as a project with which you would have to deliver very sterling performance. You have to take this as a true mandate to rise above and work for Nigeria. Be a statesman, pull in all parties and begin the arduous task of rebuilding Nigeria. This is not time for a hermitic view of things, but time for an expansive engagement in a bid to build national cohesion as we move.

So, my brother, it is no longer on “your mandate” we stand as your sycophants gleefully sing but on “Nigeria’s” mandate you now stand.

Let’s work, enough of the games. Thank you.

GODSWILL AKPABIO ON CRUISE CONTROL

This one is just on cruise control. Having fun and playing with the gavel the way a child plays with the joystick of his new computer game. For this one it is the ceremony of it all and not the very arduous task of providing oversight for a government that has come out in its first 100 days, wobbly and confused.

From sending prayers to his colleagues’ mailbox to cracking very senile jokes about letting the poor breathe to now pushing that the Senate has no expense to cut, the insensitivity is so glaring that if I had the opportunity, I could give him a knock on the head.

With the level of hardship pervading the country and with inflation and unemployment running so high like fever during Covid, what we need to see is a leadership that can at least pretend to “suffer” with us and not this kind of blaise showoffs of the spoils of office that Akpabio seems to be bent on showing us. Saying that they have no expenses to cut and that they cannot be held responsible for the economic hardship Nigerians are facing is just the height of insensitivity and if this was not a national newspaper, I would have had one or two words for Senator

heads with Tinubu to send in these very lean petitions that even a youth corps lawyer cannot file to.

See the kinds of big wigs that they lined up as their attorneys and see the kinds of nursery rhymes that they threw up. Shame was just catching me as I was reading the whole thing. They were lucky they did not show up at the tribunal, otherwise, their faces would have been shown across the world as two real jokers who were

Yemi Adaramodu, the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs who has been quoted by reports to have uttered such shameful words.

Akpabio’s Senate class is rearing up to be the worst since democracy came back. Shame. Come and beat me.

FOR OBASANJO AND BUHARI, IT’S ECONOMICS 101

A sit-down with Baba is usually an interesting and exciting event. Anybody who has not had this opportunity does not know what you are missing. Chief Obasanjo is fearless, and bold and uses humour in a very dangerous way. You will really hate to be at the receiving end of his barb. Buhari is the latest of his victims. In an interview with an online outlet, he was quoted as saying that he knew that Buhari did not understand economics, but that he could also be reckless, “I did not know.”

Kai, how can you say that of a twoterm president, former Petroleum Minister, former military Head of State and owner of 100 cows? If he did not know economics, how did he manage to breed that amount of cows and how did we manage to vote for him not once but twice? That Buhari did not understand a lot of things and not only economics

messing up with the future and fortunes of over 200 million people.

You say there were massive irregularities in almost all of the over 700 polling units and you no show evidence in one. This was a great waste of time and I think they should stop distracting us and move on. They should both ride into the sunset and into a welldeserved political oblivion. They truly deserve it, this was just a great waste of time. Kai!

was very obvious even to the blind man at Onipanu Bus-stop, the question here is how we keep throwing up these kinds of leaders in this our country o. That is the real question, Chief Obasanjo. Thank you.

KAYODE FAYEMI: GOD BLESS YOU

You see, when you see people like Dr. Fayemi, you smile. His level of intellectual appreciation and clarity of purpose remains on the very visibly high side. My regards for him is however shallowly muted by the “gang he keeps.” I wonder how such an intellectually upright man is so comfortable in the den in which he plays. Granted those ones have helped him into government both at ministerial and gubernatorial levels, but this still doesn’t mean that he would continue playing with them with all the mud that comes with it. So being reported as saying that the fuel subsidy protests that were managed and led by him and his “gang” were just playing politics is an admission that should have come with a real naked plea for forgiveness by Nigerians and a resolve not to stand for public office again for at least 10 years in utter repentance.

I would have pushed for a lifetime ban, but Dr. Kayode is too much

Obasanjo and Buhari. Who blinks first?

L-R: Obi and Atiku

Tinubu Akpabio

of a brilliant man to be kept out of leadership forever. I personally will forgive him, he remains a great guy.

ABDULLAHI MURAINA: TEARS FOR THE OBVIOUS

My people, this man’s two wives must be declared national heroes. This was a Major-General in the Nigerian Army. Well decorated and given all sorts of medals. He was the Army Chief of Finance and Supply, a job he also played in Gambia. Then he passed and all hell broke loose. He was said to have died intestate and since his two wives could not put their heads together and share the “loot,” they started to fight and ended up in court. My people, come and see the list of assets the man left behind. Remain small, this man for get money pass Dangote. Kai, huge assets, warehouses, malls, filling stations, choice properties, na small self the man for own Aso Rock.

One is now wondering how much is being paid the average Major-General in the Army and if his salary is what we know of how come he is now rubbing shoulders with them Otedola and receiving medals for it?

This our country na Nollywood film I swear. Common Major-General o, see what he has amassed in office, to the point that his wives cannot give themselves sense and share the thing quietly without all the noise. Please can EFCC and ICPC be joined in this lawsuit? We need to ask questions before the widows settle their matter.

TONY ELUMELU: IT WASN’T HIM

When Baba Tinubu went to visit him in his house nko? When he too now went to visit that one in Aso Rock, and then he will be taking pictures with the IMF President, going to Davos to take pictures in the snow and be walking behind bided and be smiling at Macron and be taking pictures on the street of New York directly opposite the UN Head office, why won’t we be thinking that they are lining him up for a position at the CBN?

He has come out to shout o, that it wasn’t him, leaving me very sad. We have had a long list of colourless CBN Governors from Clement Isong through to Ola Vincent and the sickly Ugwuma. We had a sharp lift with Emir Sanusi who came in and turned into a motivational speaker and rapper causing trouble everywhere.

A Tony at the CBN would have been another round of glamour. He will be snapping pictures as he is walking into the office and just before he starts meeting with the Paris Club, he will look at the camera and say, “I am wearing Tom Ford …..”

Then Wizkid will be a special adviser and official musician to the CBN and Charles Aigbe will be the official bag man and I will be the one that will be shouting “Make way for the governor” as he strolls in with his superbly put-together fashion spoots. Kai, what an opportunity for fun at the CBN we have missed.

Can someone please try and put this back on the table? Tony would make a very competent but highly fashionable CBN Governor, the best we would have had. Kai!

JULIUS RONE: FROM INDIA WITH LOVE

When I looked at the list of billionaires who joined our President Bola Tinubu on his trip to India, three names struck out – Chidi Ajaere of the GIG Group, GB, the head honcho at Flutterwave and Julius Rone, the one they call Gas King.

businessman from Delta State continues to be in the news for the right reasons. His foray into gas which is looking like the next bonanza continues to be noticed and appreciated.

The other day in talks with Umaru Kwairanga, the Chairman of the

revitalised NGX, he mentioned that he was looking at floating his UTM on the Nigerian stock exchange and two other international bourses so that it would continue to generate revenues, employ Nigerians and contribute very significantly to the economic development of the

Julius Rone, the very brilliant

OUR CHILDREN HAVE GONE MAD AGAIN

My beautiful daughter dropped the phone on me last Sunday. I called over 18 times and she did not respond. She is in the UK like thousands of our children running away from the shambles that is our educational system. I now went to a meeting, frustrated and angry.

How can my daughter drop the phone on me, leave the family WhatsApp group and block me?

I will beat this one o.

So I mentioned this to my senior colleague who immediately informed me that his own son has not spoken to him for two years. He also mentioned that another friend of his had lost contact with all three of his children.

I now wrote a post on WhatsApp on the matter. Come and see a floodgate of stories. Our children have all gone mad o. From blocking, disrespectful attitudes, peer pressure, struggle with their sexuality and just general bad behaviour. Kai!

So we send our kids into a very free and encouraging society in search of education. They are thrown into the confusion that is the pervasiveness of Western society. The structures there immediately pull them in, build cages around them and turn them into what we no longer recognise.

My people this one pass prayer o. That is what Duchess went to do when we saw pictures of our son dressed like a woman, complete with lipstick. He said, it was Halloween celebrations, I vomit o.

The stories are p lenty, and a lot of people are beginning to wonder if it is not okay to just allow these children to remain here, risking semiilliteracy than to go out there and be turned into monsters.

The other day, the son of a retired general turned into a full-blown woman o. I am sure the Army chief must have gone to his grave broken. Kai. Who do we turn to for help in this matter oooooo?

country. It is no wonder that he made the list of serious Nigerian businessmen who joined our President in that very important meeting of the G20. Well done.

THE ARTISTE KNOWN AS PORTABLE. Kai! Laugh nearly kill me. Our lawyers after procuring two kobo garnishee orders, felt that as a befitting conclusion to their annual jamboree they term ‘National Conference’ was to bring in the mercurial artists Portable to entertain them.

My people, it was a show. The man ran into the hall amid a walkout of distinguished lawyers and proceeded to climb the poles with no shirt on, dirty undies showing and hair the colour of the wigs that supreme court justices wear. As he climbed the pole, some lawyers were shouting that he should come down, others were enjoying the show while their treasurer was shouting that she had been marginalised in the budget. My people, this NBA convention is something else. It compares with Big Brother Africa in fun, scandal and controversy. They are either stealing phones, fighting over corporate gifts or watching Portable attempt suicide. I don’t even understand the rationale behind the convention sha but it seems to make them very happy as every year, they will dust their gowns and move to one location and be doing all the things that will make Big Brother housemates green with envy.

Maybe it is the monotony of the job-reading all those lawbooks and talking very slowly to judges who need to write everything down in slow motion that fuels the need to go crazy once a year. Whatever the reason is, they provide very beautiful fun and laughter. All hail the NBA. Watch o, one of them will soon write me letter and give me seven days to apologise, otherwise, they will sue me for libel.

My dear learned friends, I already have the letter, na to date am remain. Na wa.

OLAKUNLE ADEGBITE: A TECHNOCRAT TO WATCH

Last week, on the back of my plea on this page entitled: ‘Travails of a Corn Farmer’ in which I lamented the wahala Sir Kayode Otitoju was facing with the drainage officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, we were invited to Alausa. Otitoju is a senior citizen and former Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State. He has a farm on the Lekki corridor which has brought him to lock horns with the ministry officials.

The meeting was very convivial as I entered in my T-shirt and jeans. We met with Mr. Adegbite who was gracious. He listened carefully, gave out suggestions and generally just worked us through a middle-of-theroad solution. His calm mien and disposition, his clear understanding of the issue and his passion for his work and fearlessness: “Edgar, if you like put my name in the papers, I stand for truth and justice,” made me love him.

As he spoke, I looked at his grey beard and smiled at myself wondering if Obasa and his people in the House of Assembly even allow such brilliant ones like this even aspire to serve Lagos in a higher position.

That na story for another day, For today, I just want to wish Mr Adegbite well and thank him for his patriotism. Lagos really has a star in this man.

Tahir Mamman

Ifeanyi Ubah Glides Gracefully into 52

That Senator Ifeanyi Ubah has made an impact in whatever he does is stating the obvious. As a businessman, he makes a lasting impression; as an oil guru, his presence is felt.

A force to be reckoned with in Nigeria’s economic sector, his entrepreneurial exploits readily qualify him as one of the most audacious business moguls Nigeria can boast of. The exceptional achiever grabbed life by the lapel and t ransformed it into an enviable status filled with accomplishments. His convictions moved mountains; his determination shattered ceilings and his confidence dared and achieved success in the strangest of places.

This is evident even in his everyday life, as his profile is continually on the rise. It is easily agreed that he is blessed with a golden touch.

As a politician, he has proved that he is a dogged fighter who has showcased exceptionally valorous actions on the political battlefield. He has surmounted all the obstacles, and his voice is being heard loud and clear while his constituency is enjoying his representation. Also, as a philanthropist; he is known for his uncommon milk of kindness. He is unapologetically committed to the uplift of his community, while also helping humanity. It is said that Ubah has magnanimity running in his veins.

To say this has made him a darling of those he has crossed paths with is an understatement, he is being admired and cherished. This was efficacious last Sunday, September 3, 2023, when the Anambra Stateborn celebrated his 52nd birthday. A source revealed that though he didn’t roll out the dr ums for the day, he dedicated the whole day to Almighty God who s aved him from the jaws of death exactly a year ago. He was also celebrated with a barrage of messages from his family, friends, business as well as political associates and admirers.

Again, Wale Tinubu Hits it Big!

Top oil player and Group Chief Executive of Oando Group, Adewale Tinubu, has no doubt earned a name for himself through his visionary contributions to Africa’s economy.

It is therefore not for mean achievements that the man is rated among Nigeria’s high-flying tycoons. His record of incisive investment and vision to reshape Nigeria’sbusinessclimateremainsunequal.

When he took to the podium recently and confidently proclaimed his determination to elevate Oando’s fortunes to heights never seen and scarcely conceivable, there were quite a few raised eyebrows. Even his fans found his proclamation a bit herculean. But what many fail to understand is that the oil tycoon belongs to that rare breed of men who possess the ability to consistently do more than they say. If he promises you a hill, better be sure you’re getting a mountain.

For Tinubu, cutting deals comes as easy as a hot knife slicing through butter. Multiple times, he has proved to the world that he is indeed a genius and a cognoscenti when it comes to investment and the art of making money. That special

trait came into play last Monday when Tinubu’s Oando acquired a 100 per cent stake in Agip in a deal considered one of the best of the decade.

The landmark acquisition would see Oando’s participating interests in OMLs 60, 61, 62, and 63 increase from 20% to 40%. It also increases Oando’s ownership stake in all NEPL/NAOC/OOL Joint Venture assets and infrastructure which include 40 discovered oil and gas fields, of which 24 are currently producing, approximately 40 identified prospects and leads, 12 production stations, approximately 1,490 km of pipelines, three gas processing plants, the Brass River Oil Terminal, the Kwale-Okpai phases 1 & 2 power plants (with a total nameplate capacity of 960 MW), and associated infrastructure.

Commenting on the acquisition, an elated Tinubu said the deal would help unlock more opportunities for the energy company. He also indicated that the acquisition highlights the important role indigenous companies will play in the future of the Nigerian upstream sector.

the service of her people. It is also true that if you have ever followed the story of this intelligent diplomat, you will attest to the fact that she is indeed someone who understands what service to humanity is all about.

Commissioner to Jamaica in 2021, she immediately hit the ground running by showcasing herself as a perfect embodiment of panache and progressive diplomacy.

“Leadership is never an avenue to be selfserving but a platform to render great service to people,’’ writes Nigerian-born writer and educator, Ifeanyi Onuoha.

You won’t be far from the truth if you say this writer had in mind Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Maureen Tamuno, when he penned this piece. She has indeed dedicated her entire life to

Over the years, she has proven her stewardship to the selfless cause having served in different capacities. Before her present position as an ambassador, she had held several positions, including her tenure as a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ogu Bolo Constituency in Rivers State. The beautiful story of that era is still being told in glowing terms, especially for the fact that she did what many thought was impossible and ensured the provision of public amenities to her constituents. A good example is the 11.8km national grid project ( light) to Bolo community (an Island) in Rivers where when electricity comes, the people say “Maureen don come” and vice versa. This is among many other people-oriented programmes and projects she initiated and executed.

Following her appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s High

Julius Rone’s Testament of Growing Influence

Those who realise the import of the Biblical saying in Proverbs 22: 29 that, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean me n,” will surely understand why businessman and Group Managing Director of UTM FLNG, Julius Rone, has been the darling of many leaders and top executives across the globe.

That his workaholic disposition has taken him around the world is a testament to his growing

influence and r esultant affluence.

Last week, the billionaire businessman was among other notable and influential Nigerian business magnates worthy of Presidential invitation. They were invited by President Bola Tinubu to India for the IndiaNigeria Business Roundtable.

The event was organised by the Nigerian High Commission in India in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Nigeria-India Business Council (NIBC).

Since then, she has proved beyond any doubt that she knows her onion very well by taking her assignment seriously as if she was born with it. Of course, she was born with sterling leadership qualities. The welleducated Tamuno, with an intimidating profile, has been very proactive and continually putting the country on the global stage. She has scored many firsts with unprecedented achievements, far beyond any of her successors, a feat that would be hard for many to beat. Her assignment in Jamaica has brought out the best in her with so many awards as testimonials and badges of honour for excellent service to her fatherland.

A source revealed to Society Watch that as her tenure winds up with her diplomatic assignment in Jamaica, her fans expect more responsibilities to be thrown on her lap by the new administration.

Alex Okosi is a proven leader with a wealth of experience in the media and technology industries. He has a deep understanding of African countries and a passion for using technology to empower people and businesses. He is a seasoned media, entertainment, and technology leader.

Okosi, who is the current Managing Director for YouTube in EMEA Emerging Markets, has been appointed as Google’s Managing Director for Africa.

In his new role, Okosi will be responsible for Google’s operations

in Africa, including programme to help businesses and economies on the continent grow, as well as expanding access and providing tools to help the next billion users get more from the Web.

Prior to joining YouTube, he held the position of Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Viacom International Media Networks Africa and BET International.

In his most recent position at YouTube, Okosi played a pivotal role in steering the platform’s growth and expansion across Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey.

Rone

Tinubu

Ubah

Kabaka & Oriental Brothers Set for a Grand Comeback with Derda Promotions

Stories by Vanessa Obioha

Derda Promotions, a leading 360 entertainment management company, has unveiled plans to bring back the legendary highlife musician Kabaka and His Oriental Brothers.

At a press conference attended by Kabaka and Sir Foreigner, a veteran Bongo musician, Amarachi Anyanwu, the Chief Operating Officer of Derda Promotions, revealed that the highlife icon would make his triumphant return with a brand-new album, fittingly titled ‘Abialam: The Return of Kabaka.’ Kabaka last graced the music scene in 2006 with his heartfelt tribute song ‘Madu Bu Aja,’ dedicated to his late friend and band member, Sir Warrior.

Kabaka’s journey in music began in the 70s when he founded the Oriental Brothers music band. Their debut album, ‘Uwa Atualamujo/Ihe Chinyere,’ released in 1973, marked the beginning of their musical voyage. However, it was their sophomore

album, ‘Oriental Brothers International,’ in the following year that truly catapulted them to fame, particularly in Eastern Nigeria. Their use of proverbial sayings as lyrics endeared them to countless fans.

As time passed, the band eventually disbanded, leading some members like Sir Warrior to pursue solo careers.

Highlife music has its roots in West Africa but gained more popularity in Southeastern Nigeria in the 1960s. Through its distinctive use of guitars, brass instruments, and rhythmic patterns, highlife paints a vivid canvas of stories, traditions, and values.

Legends like E.T. Mensah and Osita Osadebe, alongside the resurgence led by Kabaka and His Oriental Brothers, have sculpted the genre’s evolution.

With ‘Abialam,’ Kabaka whose real name is Godwin Opara intends to display his enduring spirit and leave a lasting legacy in the music industry.

AMAN Awards to Promote Creative Talents

L-R Sir Foreigner, Amarachi Anyanwu and Kabaka

“Abialam is my way of reaffirming my musical presence,” he said. “It serves as a testament that my passion for music remains undiminished.”

More significantly, the 77-year-old composer aims to restore the authentic essence of highlife music, which he believes has been diluted over time. While acknowledging the talents of younger highlife musicians, Kabaka emphasizes that the true essence of highlife lies in its composition. As a skilled guitarist, he takes immense pride in his unique sound, a quality that sets him apart from others.

For Derda Promotions, the decision to

partner with Kabaka for his grand return is strategic in bridging the gap between young and old musicians.

“This album aims to restore the Highlife genre and transcend the controversies that ensued from the Oriental Brothers’ decision to go solo and subsequent members’ losses,” said Anyanwu.

She further described the album as a musical journey that transcends time and space, exploring emotions, culture and life experiences.

The highly-anticipated six-track album ‘Abialam’ also features Sir Foreigner and is scheduled for release on September 15.

FoodBay TV Takes Gen Zs on a ‘Food Quest’

Iyke Bede

A newly launched web-based series

There are so many meals that they haven’t seen,” Ogundoro noted.

The Artistes Managers Association In Nigeria (AMAN) is set to host the AMAN Awards on November 26, 2023, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos.

In a statement signed by its President, Mr Collins Enebeli, the awards is “to restore the confidence, dignity and interest of our young creatives who have the challenge of being influenced wrongly by western culture that is trying to erode their value for local contents. It will encourage and recognize those creating the real African stories in beautiful colours.”

The criteria for nominees and awardees include impact, content quality, versatility, consistency, honesty, credibility, and contributions to the industry’s growth.

AMAN, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, was founded in 1995 to support and elevate Nigerian artistes.

Memorable Moments at Osun Osogbo Festival’s Orijin Village

‘Food Quest,’ created by FoodBay TV and anchored by online food critic Opeyemi Famakin, is making waves among Gen Z food enthusiasts who praised it at a formal launch event held at the Marriott Hotel in Lagos.

A novel approach to reintroducing local delicacies and esoteric dishes to Gen Zs, CEO, Maxima Media Group, Femi Ogundoro hopes the gastronomic odyssey will redefine how the younger generation experiences and explores food culture from across the country.

“Some have not seen abacha because they were born in Lagos or Ibadan. And they’ve not had the opportunity of going to the East.

The first episode showcased servings of unseasoned moi moi (local bean pudding) served with a side of stewed ponmo (cow skin), prawns, and dodo (fried ripe plantains) to guests to give their reaction. The follow-up episode explored dodo Ikiri (made from ripe plantain) which is local to Osun State.

The culinary journey into the vast palates of Nigerians elicited various reactions that ranged from shock to surprise to satisfaction. The show also employed the use of memes to drive home punchlines, making it a humorous and engaging culinary experience for audiences of all ages.

BJ Miah Wins Red Bull Dance Your Style Nigeria, Secures World Final Spot

Iyke Bede

In an arena where the audience reigned supreme as umpires at this year’s edition of the fiercely contested Red Bull Dance Your Style Nigeria held at The Jewel Aeida, Lekki, Lagos, BJ Miah danced his way to victory from a pool of 16 contestants.

Recollections of the vibrant Osun Osogbo Festival continue to resonate, bringing to life the magical moments experienced at the Orijin festival village, presented by Orijin, the renowned blend of African herbs and fruits. The city of Osogbo buzzed with excitement as this cultural celebration took centre stage.

From August 7 to 12, the festival immersed visitors in a cultural journey like no other. The Osun Osogbo Festival painted a vivid picture of Yoruba culture through music, dance, and resonating chants that reverberated through the city. The grand finale on August 12th featured Taye Currency’s soulful Fuji melodies, creating a sense of cultural pride.

Prior to the festival, Orijin supported the local community with a N4 million grant for 40 indigenous youths, emphasizing the importance

Mark Mugisha, Marketing Director at Guinness Nigeria PLC, highlighted Orijin’s celebration of roots and culture.

“We are delighted to witness this year’s Osun Osogbo Festival and make a significant impact by empowering our youths with the deeply rooted grant. Orijin is more than just a brand; it represents a celebration of our roots, our culture, and our extraordinary potential. We are proud to inspire our consumers to embrace their heritage and recognize the superpower of being deeply rooted within them.”

The festival also showcased African culture with raffle draws, performances, and open mic contests.

With his triumph at the nationals, he will advance to the World Final to compete against dancers from over 30 countries.

“God Knows it’s my time,” BJ Miah said after revealing it was his third tryout at the championship. “I want to go to the final and win. I just need to win this for Nigeria.”

Split between red and blue teams in a face-off that saw defending champion King Davinci make a return, BBNaija’s Hermes make a debut, and maiden Dance Boss winner QueenExtel shine with finesse, all the contestants had just two minutes to interpret random songs thrown their way.

In an interesting turn of events, King Davinci was defeated after an intense

duel with BJ Miah that ended in a tie. The tie-breaking dance-off earned the latter a unanimous vote from the crowd that advanced him to edge out Blayke with sleek moves and sheer charisma.

Hermes was booted off by Fusion Daze in the first round while the crowd favourite, QueenExtel, suffered a crushing defeat from King Davinci in the second round.

Adrenaline-inducing, the crowd were not only thrilled by the performances from their favourites drawn from the state-level finals held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, but they also witnessed a colourful display of culture from the dance troupe Wow Factor. The group performed the rhythmic Ekombi dance traditional to Efik people and the calisthenic Atiliogwu dance of the Igbos.

A special performance was rendered by The D Soraki, a Japanese hip-hop dancer who outmanoeuvred King Davinci at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final last year to emerge the winner.

The Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals will take place on November 4, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Kaylor Fresh performing at Orijin Festival village

Enebel of preserving heritage.

Jean-Baptiste Duroselle’s ‘ToutEmpirePérira’ and French Dynasty in Africa: QuoVadis?

Jean-Baptiste Duroselle was Professor of Diplomatic History at the University of Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne in France. Amongst his many famous publications are Histoire Diplomatique de 1919 à nos jours (Diplomatic History From 1919 Till Now), which was first published in 1953 as an update to Professor Jacques Droz’s Histoire Diplomatiquede1648à1919(DiplomaticHistoryfrom1648 to 1919) and‘Tout Empire Périra’meaning‘Every Empire Shall Perish.’

When he propounded this theory of every empire that has a beginning must also have an end, he probably did not contemplate a quick end to the French Empire especially that the French Fifth Republican Constitution validated the privileges of French citizenship conferred in 1944 on the colonial dependants in Congo Brazzaville. The French Community established under General Charles de Gaulle was meant to ensure that the colonies remain under perpetual French influence in the post-independence era.

While Professor Duroselle strongly believed that every empire, every hegemony by implication, must witness an end, he did not explain how the end will come to be. What is indisputable as at today is that French imperialism appears to be on the path of désuétude in Africa and it is coming to an end through anti-French coups d’état in France’s former colonies in Africa. Most unfortunately, animosity vis-à-vis the conception of a French Community began ever before coup-making in recent times with Guinea (Conakry) which refused to be part of the French Community at its inception.

France, in reaction, later took punitive measures against Guinea, but that did not end the Guinean animosity and the mutual suspicions that followed, but only delayed their open manifestations. The animosity has now become an open secret with many countries playing host to coups and straining their diplomatic ties with France. Explained differently, France is ceasing to remain a household name. In fact, France is now a persona non grata in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic. Is this the beginning of the end of French influence in Africa and possibly in the world? Is the theory of every empire shall perish coming into application in the context of Franco-African relations?

From the historiography of France’s relations with Francophone Africa, it appears the animosity vis-à-vis France in Africa is on the increase since 2020. The return of coups-making in Francophone West and Central Africa clearly points to this observation.

Dynamics of the Animosity

The dynamics have an external and internal character. At the external level, the first dynamic is foreign intervention. France has a policy of intervention in Africa based on purported kind invitation of incumbent Francophone African governments. In response to Nigeria’s hostile policy to foreign military interventions in Africa, France explained that she has always been in Africa on the invitation of the legitimate governments in power which have always invited France based on the exercise of their political sovereignty. This means that Nigeria cannot act on behalf of the countries playing host to the French.

The problem here is that, on the one hand, France’s argument is quite logical and tenable, as she has the support of the host government while, on the other hand, Nigeria, which has Africa as the centrepiece of her foreign policy and therefore having the obligation to defend and protect Africa’s continental interest, cannot but have limitations in compelling any other sovereign country not to act in compliance with the national interests of the country. More importantly, French presence in any country enables the deepening of relationship with influential politicians, cultivation of pro-France politicians and allies, and eventually the use of such allies to undermine the polity whenever the protection of French politico-economic interests is at stake. In this case, the pro-foreigners are necessarily agents of coup-making. The planned intervention by the ECOWAS to restore the government of Mohammed Bazoum in Niger Republic is quite relevant here.

On the basis of non-acceptance of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa, and particularly in the West African region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided to use military force to restore constitutional order and bring the ousted President of Niger, Mohammed Bazoum, to power. For various considerations, particularly the domestic hostility to the use of force to settle

the crisis, the ECOWAS has been compelled to make haste slowly. Aseconddynamicistheissueoforderandcounter-orderasinstrument of sustaining coups. It prolongs the stay of military junta in power. For instance, and more interestingly, the reaction of the military junta to ECOWAS threats has raised a new dust in the controversial coup. The leader of the junta, General AbdourahamaneTchiani, in responding to the ECOWAS Chairman, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT), GCFR, of Nigeria, reportedly told him that,‘Your Government is Illegitimate, I Will Not Listen to You.’This statement does not clearly show which government is illegitimate: is it Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency of Nigeria or his chairmanship of the ECOWAS?Whatever is the case, it can be inferred that General AbdourahamaneTchiani might be thinking of the court case challenging the election of Bola Tinubu as President of Nigeria. This is simply to imply that an illegitimate president of Nigeria cannot have the locus standi to be challenging another presumed illegitimate government in Niger Republic.

Additionally, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, also raised the issue of illegitimacy differently in his keynote address at the public presentation last week of a book entitled,‘International Humanitarian Law and Armed Conflicts: An African Perspective.’ In the words of the Senior Advocate,‘the international community never came to dictate to us how to govern ourselves during instances of military interventions. We have no moral authority to go and intervene in another sovereign State’s internal affairs.’As tenable as this argument may be, the need to also ask what happens to the obligation created by Niger Republic’s

From the foregoing, there cannot be a single solution to coup making in Africa unless attention is focused on the root causes of bad governance. Bad governance is a function of several reasons: political chicanery, ethnic jingoism, economic kleptomania, attitudinal recklessness, wrong development policies, unfairness and injustice in the allocation of national resources, double-standard-driven political governance, me-tooism, extra-African mainmise, puppet voluntarism, misuse of politics, and misunderstanding of democracy as an instrument of economic growth and development. All these causal factors must first be addressed before there can be a correct frame of mind to throw coups into the dustbin of history coups d’état. These causal factors can be simultaneously addressed if the cancerous minds of professional politicians are first healed by training their minds to accept that politics is a priori a service to the people and not for money-making or door-die business. Most importantly, what constitutes an unconstitutional change of government as defined by the AU and the ECOWAS must be reviewed lato sensu to include settlement of any controversial election result before legitimacy is duly conferred on a newly elected government. Thus, whether French dynasty can come to an end now or later largely depends on how long the anti-French leaders will be in power and on the extent to which France is able to quickly douse the tension bearing in mind the popular support of the people

membership of the ECOWAS as a supranational authority?When there is conflict of interest between an ECOWAS-created obligation which should be respected in the spirit of the rule of pacta sunt servanda, and obligation of national sovereignty, how do we explain the concession of part of Niger’s sovereignty to the ECOWAS Authority? Is the Niger Republic a Dualist or a Monist State on the basis of international law?

Whatever is the case, onWednesday, September 6, 2023 when PBAT marked his first 100 days in office, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) dismissed all the petitions against PBAT on various grounds of lack of merit and technical considerations. This means that no one can rightly consider for now that the PBAT administration is illegitimate even if the petitioners intend to appeal against the PEPC judgment at the Supreme Court.

A third dimension of the external causal factor is establishment of military bases in Africa. Military bases constitute a major instrument of protection for cronies in power apart from assisting in the defence of national security and protection of political sovereignty in the host country. Generally, military bases are a resultant of bilateral or plurilateral defence agreements. Troops can always be flown from the military bases to carry out attacks in another country.

Recall here the 17 January, 1977 French Opération Crevette (Operation Shrimp) which was put in place to oust the Government of the People’s Republic of Benin, a communist party led by Mathieu Kérékou. President Kérékou was a proponent of Marxism-Leninist principles which France and its western allies contest in their anti-Soviet ColdWar strategic calculations. President Kérékou came to power following a coup d’état in 1972 and reigned until 1991. During his tenure as president, political governance was guided by Marxist and Leninist principles. His Revolutionary Party of Benin (RPB) was the only recognised political party in the country. In essence, France was not happy with a pro-Soviet Communist or with Kérékou’s People’s Republic of Benin. It is against this anti-communism that the 1977 coup d’état was organised. However, it failed. In fact, the name of the country was changed from Republic of Dahomey to People’s Republic of Benin and this remained so until of 1991. The new name was irritating for France.

For other reasons, President…. lost in the March 1996 elections, enabling former President Kérékou to regain the presidency and to govern the country with the old name, Republic of Benin, until 2006.

Ending Coups: Quo Vadis?

A coup d’état is a method of electioneering that is generally considered as anti-democratic and therefore as uncivilised and unacceptable, especially since Africa appears to have accepted the democratisation fever as a new way of life since the Franco-African summit in La Baule in France in 1990. Put differently, the world does not entertain the use of force to get to power but only by choice of the people expressed through electoral balloting.

As good as this democratic election may be, it is more often than not always fraught with fraudulent attitudinal dispositions, especially in terms of policy design and implementation. Election rigging has become part of political culture in Africa. So is sit-tight politics through constitutional manoeuvres. And most unfortunately too, when elected people get to power, they easily and quickly forget that the mania of their election was fraudulent. They begin to govern on the basis of don’t-care policies. This is one major irritant that often infuriates the people, especially when the policies have very negative impact on them. Still at the external level, African leaders must decide on the need to stop unwarranted foreign interventions in Africa, by particularly ending all defence pacts with extra-African powers. Defence pacts with extra-African powers, and even inter-African defence pacts make very little or no sense. For instance, how do we explain the quest of continental unity, and oneness of purpose? How do we explain the quest to act jointly or speak with one voice in foreign policy matters and at the same time be holding the perception of another African country as a potential aggressor?

We are not unaware of possible territorial disputes between and amongst States. The Chado-Libyan dispute over the Aouzou strip is a case in point. The Nigerian-Cameroonian dispute over the Bakassi peninsula, the manifestation of which prompted the killing of five Nigerian naval officers and the public request for military retaliation under the Shehu Shagari administration in April, 1981is another case in point. The issue in this case is that African leaders are preaching the sermons of United States of Africa, union of Governments in Africa but are taking arms to fight themselves over territories. They preach the sermons of regional and continental integration but are also enforcing national protective policy measures. Xenophobia reigns amongst the peoples. African prioritise foreign cultures to the detriment of their own cultures.

There was the time Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku NgbenduWa Za Banga, former President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to September 7, 1997, came with Zaireanisation or authenticity. He changed the name of the country fromThe Congo to Zaire in 1971. He jettisoned his own name, Joseph-Désiré, which was given to him at birth to Mobutu Sesse Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga and compelled all the Zaireans to adopt more of indigenous African names in order to make them have a sense of self-identification, to promote African culture, and earn international respect. In fact, he came up with an official ideology of‘l’authenticité’, that is‘Zaireanisation’on 27 October 1971 with the ultimate objective of cleansing the lingering vestiges of colonialism and stopping the deepening western influence. Zaireanisation policy banned the use of Christian names in favour of authentic African names. Many cities were renamed.

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Duroselle

ARTS & REVIEW ARTS & REVIEW

In Anticipation of Excellence

With a respectable line-up of renowned artists for its inaugural exhibition, the Lekki, Lagos-based Iwalewa Gallery of Art seems poised to honour the industry’s best.

Few people—quite a negligible few, for that matter—seem to have gotten the memo. And that is to the effect that the local art industry, which is occasionally denounced for its frivolity and lack of a clear-cut direction—even despite its spectacular achievements—is in desperate need of a reinvention.

As the Iwalewa Gallery of Art formally opens its doors to the local art community on September 29 in the charming, affluent Lagos district of Lekki Phase I, therefore, enthusiasts should keep an eye out for this reinvention.

Complementing this opening is a group exhibition titled Beyond the Eye. According to the gallery’s statement, the exhibition will officially open at 4 p.m. and will feature works from a coterie of Nigeria’s leading artists alongside those of one Lagos-based Cameroonian female artist.

Talking about the artists, they seem to have been deliberately chosen to represent the industry’s leading contemporary art mediums. Sam Ovraiti, Segun Adejumo, Edosa Oguigo, and Duke Asidere, all members of the Guild of Fine Artists, are among the most proficient painters in the Nigerian art scene. Then there is the duo of Ato Arinze and the Cameroonian female artist Nathalie Kassi Djakou, who have taken ceramic sculpture to sublime levels. Fidelis Odogwu and David Abdul Jabba have stayed the course on the less-trodden path of metal sculpture. As the only photographer among the lot, Don Barber’s name recognition can almost be taken for granted since his accomplishments in the medium have become legendary. Finally, the presence of the iconic Bruce Onobrakpeya, who turned 91 on August 30, as the exhibition’s trump card, ups the ante.

Still, among the artists, there is hardly anyone among them who should not be deemed accomplished in his or her field. Starting with Ato Arinze, he has, since the completion of his formal training at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, in Anambra State, and the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, evolved into unarguably the most proficient ceramic sculptor in the Lagos art scene. Practising as a full-time studio artist since 1991, the 54-year-old, who was born in Mushin, has remained one of the few consistent artists practising in the medium.

As his complement, the Cameroonianborn Nathalie Kassi Djakou has, since 2015, when she ventured into the Nigerian art scene, asserted herself well enough to be invited to participate in high-profile group exhibitions. Practising with ceramics since 1998, after completing her university education, her career’s trajectory has seen her teach ceramics at Cameroon’s Institut de Formation Artistique, manage the Centre d’Art Appliqué in the Cameroonian town of Mbalmayo, and eventually appointed the vice president of the

Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

local craft association in 2011 by her local government. Her works have since been exhibited at such international platforms as the 9th China Changchun International Ceramic Symposium and the Say My Name exhibition in London, as well as the Deus Ex Femina exhibition in Dubai and the Art & Exception exhibition in Paris.

Then, the Federal Polytechnic Auchi School of Arts and Design graduate, David Abdul Jabba, is a known devotee of creative excellence, whose true passion, according to the gallery, “lies in transforming mechanical components into extraordinary metal sculptures, each a testament to his mastery over the medium.”

His co-alumnus, Fidelis Odogwu, remains one of the most consistent and proficient sculptors in the Lagos art scene, having, besides holding two solo exhibitions, featured in several group exhibitions both within and outside Nigeria. The award-winning artist is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA), and the African Artists Foundation.

Meanwhile, the distinctive styles of the four members of the painting quartet—Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere, Edosa Ogiugo, and Segun Adejumo—make them easily recognisable as the leading lights of the obviously preferred medium of the local art scene.

As for the photography legend Don Barber, who has mentored many photography greats, including Kelechi Amadi-Obi and Uche James-Iroha, he has remained a by-word for creative excellence. His formal training at Kingsway College Farringdon in London, now Westminster Kingsway College London, where he specialised in photography and film production, has since been burnished by his many years of practice. “His belief in photography as a thought process shines through in his work,” according to a write-up in the exhibition catalogue. “He sees the camera as a conduit for translating intricate creative visions originating from the mind into tangible visual arts.”

Moving on to the patriarch of the contemporary Nigerian art scene, Bruce Onobrakpeya, it is interesting that this would be his first outing after his 91st birthday on August 30. The fact that his works would be featured in the gallery’s debut exhibition sends a clear signal of what it has on the cards.

Closing up on the gallery’s founder, Femi Williams, himself a graduate of painting, he has had a lustrous history of art dealership, which not only accounts for his insights into the art market but also explains his acquaintance with emerging artists.

This fact, therefore, should reassure the art community that the gallery will cater to the interests of artists from across all generations, even when it will not readily hop onto the next trending bandwagon.

A view of the gallery's exterior

One of the gallery's exhibition spaces

BANTU’s Consciousness and the Return to Roots

Yinka Olatunbosun

In the wake of coups and cries of citizens yearning to be heard inAfrica, the leader of the 13-piece Afrocentric music band BANTU, Ade Bantu opens up about his new album and recent tour of Europe. Away from the warmth of the rising sun that morning inside Freedom Park, Lagos, the Nigerian-German singer, Adegoke Odukoya sat with a handful of journalists who were curious about his recent tour of Europe and the launch of Afropolitan Vibes in Berlin. Germany band’s place of origin. Hence, the visit felt like using a story to kill two birds: to promote the new album “What is Your Breaking Point?” and launch the music festival, Afropolitan Vibes for the European audience to experience the best of Afrobeat and Afrofusion live on stage.

“We released the album and quickly went on tour so we haven’t been able to launch it in Nigeria,’’ said Bantu who just arrived from the eight-week tour of Germany. The new album will be formally presented to the Nigerian audience by next month. Some of the songs can be streamed on social media platforms at the moment.

“We have released two singles ahead of the ofaddressing the way politicians used ethnicity and religion to divide us Nigerians and it’s something that is played across Africa. We felt we needed to rights, the rights of women to decide and claim full ownership of their bodies instead of allowing men to make decisions for them. Our starting point was the comment Buhari made about his wife’s place being 'in the living room or the other room', which an artist or empathetic human being, I can’t close my eyes and pretend that I am not seeing what is happening and can’t be singing about drinks and big buttocks when there is a problem around me.”

The new album is rooted in deep socio-political messages, concern for human rights and the need to challenge the status quo. Bantu is also aware that the sweeping consciousness across Africa manifested in coups and wars are a sign that many disgruntled citizens are fast reaching their breaking point.

“When do you get to that point where you say enough is enough where people stand up for their basic human lives? Or realise that their basic human right is being violated when you don’t have

MUSIC

is high and basically life is upside down? You

“Wayo and Division” a social-political song and a happening around us. It is important to document what is happening around us and the question is what is your breaking point?”

The album, recorded in a six-month period, was produced during a series of events that shaped the Nigerian polity: the general elections, the introduction of the new currency, fuel shortages, Burkina Faso. Bantu wondered why the frustration of Nigerians are so subdued.

“I want people to question why they are silent. Why they are not acting or reacting? I want a reacwhen I say what is your breaking point? It is a very personal question. When do you say I can’t take it anymore?”

On the heels of over 25 shows and festivals in Germany, BANTU spread the African love in the most climate-friendly way possible.

“What we did was we went completely green,’’ the bands not actually go on the road by car, we traveled by train for all our dates. That means our carbon

K-Pop Festival 2023:

Yinka Olatunbosun

Nigeria and South Korea may seem far apart in geographic location but the blend of two cultures that held the Lagos audience spellbound was remarkable. The K-pop festival was recently unleashed in Lagos at the Terra Arena, Victoria Island Lagos. The festival organised by Terra Kulture to keep up with its annual tradition of deepening cultural diplomacy by celebrating the best of dancers- and this year, singers as well. This edition featured dance and singing contest, process. It was an opportunity for the contestants to showcase their artistry using the Korean songs as the medium of artistic expression. Songs from K-pop icons such as BTS, Kai, Hwasa, Bae Suji among others in the hot playlist. Despite the language barrier for some in the audience, the energy of the show proved to be infectious with every pitch and dance.

In his opening speech, the South Korean ambasgratitude to partners and commended the contestants, describing Nigeria as Africa’s superpower in creativity.

“About twenty teams succeeded in reaching the work. I will like to convey my congratulations to all competition participants for being able to perform in front of you. The winners will be able to visit Korea by the invitation of the Korean government. Korea

platforms, you will not be able to have a sustainable career except you are Kanye West or Beyoncé. You have to be on the road, you have to put together a good show. When you are good on the stage, when you are authentic and interesting, and when you have engaging performances people will book you for shows.

Nigerian artists understand this. I think someone like Burnaboy understands this. He has tight shows that he is among the frontiers in this country at the moment. Life is very important and with the new model and longevity of career, live band is the key and you need to invest in live shows.

The Lagos shows are planned for October and November marking a continuing tradition. Afropolitan vibes, founded by Ade Bantu started at the Freedom Park Lagos Island and later moved to edition in Germany this year was much more than just another music concert.

footprint was low, as opposed to taking a car and burning fossil fuel.”

“Live shows are ways to go if you want a successful career as a musician. There is no money in Spotify. You need about 300 places on Spotify to are not making any money from Spotify, boom

“We also had a panel of discussion on the role of women in Afrobeat and in particular, the marginalisation of female voices and gender stereotypes and other conversations about the transformation of Nigerian pop and how it has grown into a phenomenon called Afrobeats.

The second edition ofAfropolitan in Germany will hold next year and it promises to be intellectually engaging.

Young

Artists Show Perspectives on "Japa' Phenomenon, Identity in 'Journeys'

Yinka Olatunbosun

The trend of 'Brain drain' also known as 'Japa' in Nigeria's local parlance is not peculiar to Nigeria alone but across Africa and Asia. The desire to travel in search of a better life or greener pastures has always been part of human life and reasons

This development is the focus of the on-going Art titled ‘Journeys.’

The show which closes today September 10 is hosted by Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi where 33 art pieces from 10 young artists are on display.

An Alchemy of Two Cultures

DANCE

with Nigeria ever since we tied diplomatic relations in 1980. Korea and Nigeria have helped each other when we are in need. Naturally, Nigeria became one of the key partners to Korea when it comes to relations in West Africa.’’

In his goodwill message, a member of the House of Representative, Kayode Akiolu celebrated the talented Nigerian youths.

“I am glad that everyone here has chosen a right path in life. Entertainment is a major industry in the world. We in Nigeria should be very happy. We

are lucky to have a youth population just as Korea. I visited Korea this year through the invitation of the Korean foundation and I notice something: almost 75% of Korean children are in school. By the special grace of God, as a young parliamentarian, I intend to move the motion that every Nigerian child must be educated. When I look at young people doing something positive for themselves, I know Nigeria has a bright future.’’

In the end, the winners were announced after the well-paced performances. Olonade Joseph (singing) and Team Triumphant X (dance) won the third prize of N200,000; Joy Ossai (singing) and Team Switch won the second prize of N300,000

VISUAL ART

Zimbabwean with a striking collage of oil paintings made with Zimbabwean decommissioned bank notes, snippets from prints, and letters. Also, the poignant surreal portraits by emotional struggles most people encounter on their physical and meta-physical journeys.lins Abinoro and Ejiro Fenegal created out of stone, marble dust, newspaper clippings, and up-cycled cutlery serving visual commentaries on governance, identity, and spirituality.

There are works from Ademola Ojo, Aluu Prosper and Robert Oniha. Others are Iniobong Usoro, Sanjo Lawal and Tuminunu Gbebire. Their creative pieces explored various questions about life journeys. The young artists present a cross-generational analysis of critical themes such as cultural identity and rootedness, the physical, and spiritual quest for homes, and humanity's yearning for safety, abundance, and a place for enfolding.

exhibition's curator shared her thoughts on 'Journeys' as an expression was inspired by the current brain drain going on in Africa— the Japa phenomenon is where people leave Nigeria for greener pastures. Over the past years, we realised that this scenario is not limited to particular people in Nigeria. It decided to do an exhibition to explore the trend of why people move and why they are leaving Nigeria.

not peculiar to Nigeria alone, some people migrate from Asia and all over the place and we decided to expand the scope of the expression.

We are now looking at what is pushing people to leave their country. What are the physical, spiritual, and emotional reasons why people go on this type of journey? You don’t necessarily have to move to go on a journey, it could be a journey of retrospection. There

The participating artists are essentially midcareer and emerging artists from Nigeria and Zimbabwe with paintings, mixed media work and sculptures. The artworks would be on display for two months at Wheatbaker Hotel.

BANTU in performance

PHOTO: Concert pictures: Klaus Langer

IN THE ARENA

Danger of Weakening Opposition Parties

Afortnight ago, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), once an emerging alternative political platform, ran into a violent storm. Its leaders, especially at national and state levels, are now in disarray, inordinately scheming for control of the party structure rather than addressing the roots of their differences that are now jolting the party towards political oblivion.

Currently, the storm has bifurcated the NNPP into two warring factions. Each of the factions is taking decisions and counterdecisions to assert itself and clutch its levers of internal control. The first comprises nearly all members of the National Working Committee (NWC), who pledge allegiance to the 2023 presidential candidate, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso. The second is spearheaded by its Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Boniface Aniebonam.

But the storm started raging when disagreement erupted between its National Secretary, Mr. Oladipupo Olayokun, and National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Agbo Major, both of whom were Aniebonam’s nominees. It became more complicated when the NWC dissolved and expelled its State Executive Committees (SECs) and State Working Committees (SWCs) first in Delta and Ogun States for alleged anti-party activities.

The NWC followed up with the dissolution of the SECs and SWCs in Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Katsina, Kwara, Rivers, and Zamfara, a decision aimed at purging the party and repositioning it for future elections. The decisions compelled the affected executives to team up with Aniebonam to challenge their suspension and expulsion. They also claimed that the BoT, the party’s advisory organ, reserved the power to discipline them.

As the rift grew deeper, the NWC convened a session of its National Executive Committee (NEC) on August 29 to review the conduct of Aniebonam and his allies. At the session were Kano State Governor, Mr. Abba Yusuf; Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Jibrin Falgore; the NNPP National Leader, Alhaji Buba Galadima, and Abah-Kawu. In its resolution, the NEC accused Aniebonam and his allies “of sabotaging the NNPP; creating a parallel group within its ranks and causing disaffection among its members.”

Aggrieved by the decision of the NEC, Aniebonam immediately convened a meeting of the affected executives at the Rockview Hotels, Apapa, Lagos State. The faction then made some farreaching decisions anchored to Article 12.3.4 of the Constitution of the NNPP, 2022, which empowers the BoT “to ensure the highest standards of morality in all the activities of the party and call to order any officer of the party whose conduct falls below the norms.”

Consistent with this article, Aniebonam’s faction suspended Kwankwaso for alleged involvement in anti-party activities and mismanagement of N1 billion in campaign funds. It equally suspended the NWC under its Acting National Chairman, Alhaji Abba Kawu-Alli obviously for similar allegations. Specifically, it defined Kwankwaso’s sins around the meetings he had been having with the leaders of major opposition parties.

The faction justified its decisions, citing different close-door sessions Kwankwaso had been having with President Bola Tinubu. It also claimed that he had been discussing the possibility of setting up an invincible political platform with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi.

For the BoT, having such unauthorised meetings with leaders of the major rival parties violated the Constitution of the NNPP, 2022, hence culminating in the award of a six-month suspension against Kwankwaso and his allies. Will the decision of the BoT stand? Does the BoT have such powers under Article 12.3 (g), which limits its function to offering advice on party matters to the NEC?

Like NNPP’s case, LP and PDP are embroiled in fierce internal crises, which according to analysts, have undermined their capacities to discharge the duties of a formidable opposition party in a democracy. In its instance, the Labour Party was almost torn apart between Mr. Julius Abure and Mr. Lamidi Apapa, contesting its national leadership in multiple court actions with some already resolved and others still pending.

The case of the PDP is no less deleterious and inter-

POLITICAL NOTES

nally fractured since its first defeat in the 2015 presidential poll. Among diverse observers, its internal cohesion is a source of national concern. Likewise, its woes have become much more complex between October 2021 and June 2022 when its key leaders could not agree to a common zoning template for elective and national offices. This failure precipitated the PDP G-5 governors to work against Atiku’s candidature during the 2023 presidential election.

Analysts largely agreed that these intra-party conflict dynamics would undermine opposition parties from effectively playing their roles as an alternative government. Some ascribed crises within opposition parties to the handiwork of the APC without credible evidence. They claimed the APC planted moles in the opposition parties to foment crises in their ranks aimed at weakening them.

To justify this claim, they labelled Apapa as an agent of the APC paid to sow seeds of discord and dismemberment in the rank of LP’s national leaders. These analysts had earlier come up with an unsubstantiated claim that Tinubu funded Kwankwaso’s presidential campaign in the NNPP to further deplete the support base of the PDP. However, they never provided hard facts to back up their claims.

Other analysts argued differently. The opposition parties, they contended, are no doubt victims of a self-inflicted crisis deeply rooted in the irrational pursuit of political payoff among their power brokers without due regard to the provisions of their constitution. They justified this argument with a claim that Atiku’s 2023 presidential nomination did “not conform with the principles of power shift and power-sharing…” enshrined in the Preamble 2(d) of the Constitution of the PDP, 2014.

The aftermath of the contention viciously manifests in the waning influence of the opposition parties, which in concept exist to question government actions; present alternatives to government positions, and provide the option of an alternative government. Many analysts have argued that the foremost opposition parties have lost sight of their statutory functions.

However, the Director of Strategic Communications of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu blamed the APC for the ailing conditions of the major opposition parties in an interview he granted in the 2023 general election. For him, APC is turning Nigeria into a one-party state.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) shared Momodu’s sentiment, which the APC claimed, lacked credible evidence to substantiate. However, these claims have been faulted because most opposition leaders are pursuing their political interests with little or no regard for the rules of the game.

Consequently, as many analysts have observed, opposition leaders should look inward to resolve their internal rifts; ensure outright compliance with the provisions of their constitutions, and reposition their parties for serious contests in future elections. This suggests that it is not enough to blame their plight and woes on the ruling APC, which also manifests diverse internal conflicts that threaten its future.

That Fayemi’s Confession on 2012 Fuel Subsidy Removal

tion Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who are now in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

OtherpartiesthatantagonisedJonathan’sadministration included the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

On January 1, 2012, the then President Jonathan announced the removal of fuel subsidy, therefore, adjusting the pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to N141.

Buttheannouncementsparkedmassprotests,known as ‘Occupy Nigeria’ across major cities of the country.

The price was later adjusted to N97 after a week of protests. It was further reduced to N87 in 2015.

Jonathanfacedseriousbacklashfromtheadjustment in fuel price, especially from leaders of the defunct Ac-

But Fayemi while delivering his keynote address at a national dialogue organised to celebrate the 60th birthdayofthefoundingNationalSecretaryofAlliance forDemocracy(AD),ProfessorUdentaUdenta,inAbuja, shockedNigerians,declaringthatthoughtheyknewthe truth in 2012 that fuel subsidy was not sustainable, they deliberately mounted pressure for Jonathan to reverse the policy.

The former governor admitted that the last time Nigeria experienced economic development was during Jonathan’s administration.

“Allpoliticalpartiesinthecountryagreedandtheyeven put in their manifesto that subsidy must be removed. We all said subsidy must be removed. But we in ACN at the time in 2012, we know the truth, sir, but it is all politics.That is why we must ensure that everybody is a crucial stakeholder by stopping all these.”

What Fayemi did not realise is that their action was tantamount to economic sabotage.The protests then andJonathan’sreversalofthepolicypushedthecountry backward20years,andalsocausedherahugeloss.The moneywhichisintrillionsofnairathattheMuhammadu Buhariadministrationexpendedonsubsidycouldhave been used to better the country’s seriously decayed and depressed infrastructure. Fayemi’s revelation has confirmedthatmostNigerianleadersplaypoliticswith the welfare of the people for their selfish interests.

The internal crises within the main opposition parties, which have now hit the New Nigeria People’s Party reinforce public concern about Nigeria’s gradual descent into a one-party state that will restrict the choices of the electorate in future elections if not decisively tamed, Gboyega Akinsanmi writes

Kwankwaso

The confession by a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr, Kayode Fayemi, that the protest launched against the fuel subsidy removal during the administration of formerPresidentGoodluckJonathanin2012wasmere politics has revealed how dirty and selfish politics is played in Nigeria.

Fayemi

BRIEFING NOTES

NYSC’s Insensitivity in Posting Corps Members

The controversy trailing the recent abduction of eight members of the National Youth Service Corps by bandits on a highway in Zamfara State is a reflection of the insensitivity on the part of the leadership of the NYSC, which has sustained its old policy of deploying young graduates to far-flung locations when the country’s highways are no longer safe. Ejiofor Alike reports that what makes it more bizarre is that corps members are also being posted to states ravaged by bandits

The August 19 abduction of eight members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on a highway in Zamfara State was a sad reminder of the dangers facing young graduates, whose lives are being endangered needlessly by the leadership of the NYSC who post them to danger zones.

Despite the high level of insecurity on the roads across the country, NYSC has continued to sustain its old policy of posting corps members to states that are hundreds of kilometres away from their state of origin.

It is shocking that while bandits, terrorists and kidnappers are ravaging many parts of the country, the NYSC leadership has not considered it a priority to rethink its posting policy and post corps members to the states nearest to their state of origin to reduce the long distances they have to travel by road to their orientation camps and places of primary assignments.

When the government is unwittingly encouraging privileged Nigerians to skip the NYSC by appointing those who did not do the mandatory one-year service into political offices, the NYSC leadership is exposing the less-privileged graduates to avoidable dangers as if the one-year service is a do-or-die exercise.

NYSC has become so insensitive to the safety of young graduates that it does not see anything wrong in posting indigenes of Akwa Ibom State, for instance, to Sokoto State, a distance of hundreds more than 1,200 kilometres by road.

Despite the frightening level of insecurity in the North-west states where bandits occupy the highways to kidnap for ransom, the NYSC still posts graduates to the states in the zone as was the practice when all parts of the country were peaceful and long-distance travel by road, even at night, was very exciting and fun-filled.

Many Nigerians were not surprised that some young graduates suffered the consequences of NYSC’s act of indiscretion on Saturday, August 19, 2023 when eight corps members travelling inside an AKTC bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Sokoto State, were abducted on a highway in Zamfara State.

Analysts would think that with the highways across the country becoming increasingly unsafe, graduates from Akwa Ibom State, for instance, should be posted to the neighbouring states to avoid the life-threatening dangers

associated with long-distance travel by road.

While the children of the rich and the powerful can influence their postings to safer and more secure states, the children of the less-privileged Nigerians are made to suffer the consequences of these thoughtless postings to danger zones.

This was the case of the eight unfortunate corps members who apparently could not afford the cost of travelling by air.

It was not surprising that the father of one of them, Mr. Emmanuel Etteh, last Monday accused the NYSC of showing no concern towards the plight of the abducted graduates.

His daughter, Glory Thomas, was one of the eight abducted graduates.

In a live appearance on national television, Etteh described the over two-week-long ordeal as devastating, alleging that the authorities had failed to communicate with the parents.

He said: “It is very devastating because, as a parent, I am very disappointed by the government. No one has been talking about or asking questions since this incident happened

“Security agencies are not caring; NYSC leadership shows no concern, and everyone behaves as if nothing happened.”

Ette noted that “NYSC invited these children out of their homes to Sokoto.”

He added that NYSC had not cared to reach out to the parents or discuss the situation.

Etteh’s frustration also stemmed from the fact that the bandits had earlier demanded a ransom of N4 million for the release of his daughter.

“They called me with their line; they asked me to pay N4 million. I spoke with my daughter because I asked how they wanted us to pay; she said we should contact the AKTC,” he reportedly said.

The NYSC also displayed its insensitivity in its response to the abduction when it blamed the corps members for travelling after 6p.m.

NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, argued on

NOTES FOR FILE

national television that the corps members might not have been abducted if they had adhered to the corps’ warning against travelling beyond 6p.m. According to him, the organisation had advised corps members against embarking on night journeys.

Megwa said: “Let’s not look at the NYSC as if we are living in a different world. NYSC is part of Nigerian society. You and I know the kind of security situation we have in the country; it is not selective; some students are kidnapped at a point, government officials, even young children at primary and nursery schools are kidnapped.

“So NYSC or corps members are not living in a different world, but we have made it categorically clear. We told our corps members please don’t travel at night. In their call up letters, we stated this clearly. We said please anywhere you are, once it is 6pm cut short your trip.

“Find a park, police station, military barracks or corps lodge or anywhere you think is safe. Park and continue your journey tomorrow,” he reportedly explained.

Megwa’s response represents the height of insensitivity.

If the NYSC actually realised the frightening level of insecurity in the country as Megwa claimed, it shouldn’t have sent young Nigerians from Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto State. Which management staff of the NYSC, including Megwa or the NYSC Director General will allow their children to do NYSC in Sokoto State or Zamfara State or Niger State?

The NYSC should blame itself for risking the lives of young Nigerians by insisting that they should go all the way from Akwa Ibom State to Sokoto State for a national assignment they could easily do in the neighbouring states.

The former Chairman of the Committee on Prosecution of Bandits Related Offences in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, last week asked the NYSC, to stop posting corps members to some states bedevilled by bandit attacks.

Shinkafi, who spoke in an interview on national television, said: “I’m calling on the leadership of NYSC to stop posting youth corps members to Sokoto, Kebbi, and even Zamfara.”

NYSC should stop risking the li ves of graduates by posting them to bandits-ravaged states. Corps members should also be posted to states nearest to their state of origin until the security situation in the country returns to normal.

Murtala Muhammed Family’s Cry for Justice

The family of the late former Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, recently expressed profound discontent with the refusal of the federal government to prosecute those responsible for the murder of the son of the late military general, Zakari Muhammed.

The family expressed their disappointment in a statement in remembrance of their son and brother whowasa27-year-oldfinancegraduateoftheUniversity of Canterbury in Kent, United Kingdom, who was shot dead in Abuja on August 13, 1993.

The daughter of the late general, Dr. Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, made the family’s position known at the 30th anniversary of Zakari’s untimely death, held in Lagos. She expressed frustration with prosecution of murder trials in Nigeria, urging the National Assembly to enact a legal framework for seamless prosecution.

theperpetratorswerepositivelyidentified, all efforts to prosecute the case failed during the preliminary investigation and arraignment stage.

Recallingthedistressingcircumstances surrounding Zakari’s tragic demise, Muhammed-Oyebode, a lawyer and human rights activist, criticised the handling of the case. She said the entire procedure was shrouded in confusion, adding that the ultimate conclusion was a glaring miscarriage of justice.

According to her, the establishment of such a legal framework will guarantee comprehensive protection for victims throughout the complex corridors of the criminal justice system.

former Head of State, and a man who had sacrificed so much for the country, the federal government would have thoroughly investigated the murder of Zakari and bring the perpetrators to justice. But this is not the case.

If it is true that the perpetrators of Zakari’s murder were identified and yet have not been prosecuted, it is indeed really unfortunate. It shows how the country always let people down.

It is sad that in Nigeria, crimes as heinous as murder and assassination are not always thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

This negligence promotes a culture of impunity and a society filled with freely-roaming criminals.

Muhammed-Oyebode lamented that even though

Many would have thought that being a Muhammed

The criminal justice system in Nigeria is in dire need of reform because justice still remains a precondition for humanity in a sane society. The right to life should not be a concept that only exists in print and imagination; it must be upheld by the state.

NYSC DG, Brigadier-General Ahmed

Legal Fireworks Shift to Supreme Court

It did not come to many Nigerians as a surprise that former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi rejected the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) affirming the election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

In his official reaction to the judgment during a press briefing at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku said he had been a fighter all through his political career and would not relent.

On his part, Obi at a press conference in the commercial town of Onitsha, Anambra State, said he had instructed his lawyers to immediately challenge the judgment of the five-member led by Justice Simon Haruna Tsamani.

While Atiku noted that he respects the judgment, he however said he rejected it. He argued that the way the election was conducted has placed the onus on the judiciary to redress the situation.

He said he had instructed his lawyers to activate his constitutional right to proceed to the Supreme Court.

Obi also said though he respects the views and rulings of the court, he disagreed with its reasoning and conclusions in the judgment.

“It is my intention as a presidential candidate and the intention of the Labour Party to challenge this judgment by way of appeal immediately, as allowed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he concluded.

Recall that while delivering the judgment that lasted for more than nine hours on Wednesday, the court led by Justice Tsammani, unanimously upheld the victory of President Tinubu in the presidential poll.

It said the petitions filed by the three political parties challenging Tinubu’s victory were “all devoid of merit”. It consequently, dismissed all the petitions

“This petition accordingly lacks merit. I affirm the return of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The parties are to bear their cost,” the court held in its final judgment.

The aggrieved political parties and their candidates had insisted that the election was not in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

Part of the grounds of the petition against Tinubu included his failure to secure 25 per cent of votes cast in the federal capital territory (FCT). They also challenged the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically, adding that the commission deliberately failed to upload results to the IReV in order to manipulate the election results in favour of Tinubu during the election.

They stated that Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the US government after a Chicago court found that the money was the proceeds of heroin trafficking.

The petitioners also made allegations of suppression of results, over-voting and inflation of votes when they said that from the totality of the evidence, the elections are invalid because of corrupt practices.

In a similar development, the APM asked the court to invalidate the votes of the president on the grounds of the double nomination of his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima. It argued that at the time Shettima became the vice presidential

candidate of the APC, he was also a senatorial candidate in Borno State.

The APM had argued that the nomination of Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate was in breach of the Electoral Act which forbids double nomination.

First to be dealt with promptly by the court was APM’s petition which accused Shettima of double nomination. Chairman of the court, Justice Tsammani threw out the petition for being incompetent and lacking in merit. He ruled that the case against Shettima’s qualification to run as APC presidential candidate’s running mate was a pre-election matter which ought to have been filed at the Federal High Court.

He also submitted that the petitioner should have approached the Federal High Court within 14 days after the emergence of Shettima as vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Besides, he said the APM was a meddlesome interloper in the affairs of the APC. He said the APM could only challenge Shettima’s nomination if it could show how the nomination affected it.

The panel also ruled that INEC is at liberty to determine its mode of transmitting election results. Justice Tsammani cited the judgment of a federal high court in suit FHC/ABJ/ CS/1454/2022 delivered on January 23, 2023. He said the judgment subsists since the LP failed to appeal against it.

The judges also ruled that Obi and Atiku could not establish that INEC deliberately failed to upload results to the IReV in order to manipulate the election results in favour of Tinubu during the election. They added that the petitioners did not prove how they were affected by the failure of INEC to electronically transmit the results.

“The petitioners have failed to prove substantial non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act. The petitioners made the allegation of non-compliance a substantial part of their case. By the provisions of Section 135(2) of the Electoral Act, they are required to show how such non-compliance substantially affected them. If they fail to show the same, the petition fails,” the court said.

In its ruling earlier, the tribunal said the FCT is not treated specially in the election

as it is not superior to any state. It said the interpretation of the 25 per cent votes cast in the FCT by the LP is “fallacious”.

“With due respect to counsel to the petitioners, their interpretation of the provision of the constitution, as regards the 25 per cent in Abuja, is fallacious if not completely ludicrous,” the court said. The court held that there is equality of rights, irrespective of which part of the country voters prefer to live in.

The tribunal also ruled that the LP and PDP failed to prove that Tinubu should have been disqualified from contesting the election on account of a forfeiture agreement.

While reading the lead judgment, Tsammani said the evidence (Exhibit P5) tendered by the petitioners showed that it was a civil forfeiture case. He held that the petitioners failed to adduce credible evidence to show that Tinubu was arraigned or took a plea or was sentenced or fined in any criminal suit in the US.

“The proof must be beyond reasonable doubt. The petitioner must produce two sets of results, one genuine, one false.”

For Atiku’s petition accusing Tinubu of dual citizenship, the court struck it out. Justice Stephen Adah, who took over from Justice Tsammani, after a review of the evidence and documents tendered, struck out the evidence of some of Atiku’s witnesses on the grounds that their witness statements on oath were not filed along with his petition. The court also expunged 37 exhibits tendered by the witnesses from the court’s records. On the issue of Tinubu’s conviction and the issue of his dual citizenship, the court again held like it earlier did that these issues were incompetent and liable to be struck out and the same were indeed struck out.

The court proceeded to strike out several paragraphs in Atiku’s petition. It also rejected and discountenanced exhibits

including witnesses’ statements tendered to substantiate his allegations of electoral irregularities and malpractices at the last presidential election.

While President Tinubu and members of his party were rejoicing over the verdict, it was a case of dashed hope for the supporters of PDP and LP.

Though it is Atiku and Obi’s constitutional rights to go to the Supreme Court, many are wondering why they want to embark on another journey that may lead to nowhere.

Based on the antecedents of the apex court, many analysts are wondering what new evidence the appellants would bring to get judgment in their favour.

Justifying why Obi’s petition was dismissed, a public affairs analyst, Philip Okon, “I said that Obi’s petition was defective. If you claimed that you won majority votes, you should state the number of votes you scored that made you the winner and also state the number of votes your opponents scored that made them losers. It is as simple as A,B, C. That was what Hope Uzodimma did. That was what they did in the governorship election dispute.

“You can’t claim that you scored majority votes without telling the court the number of votes you got and the particular polling units you got the votes from. It is not easy to prove that you won an election because what the tribunal is looking out for is any grounds to dismiss your petition.”

Okon, however, said going forward, Nigerians should agitate for constitutional amendment to ensure that election cases are dispensed with before the winners are sworn in.

But have been lampooning the judges of the court for the judgment, saying they really erred in their decisions. Dissecting and analysing the judgment, those who spoke to THISDAY argued that it did not reflect the weight of evidence tendered before the court. They also faulted the judges for behaving as if they are not part and parcel of the society who saw and watched videos of many the infractions that took place or transpired during the election.

As the legal fireworks shift to the apex court, Nigerians are anxious to know the new angle the petitioners would introduce in their pleadings.

With the Presidential Election Petitions Court dismissing the petitions filed by the aggrieved candidates who participated in the February 25 presidential election, to challenge the victory of President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians are now anxious to know the fresh angle the petitioners will introduce in their pleadings as the legal battle shifts to the Supreme Court, Wale Igbintade writes

Tinubu Atiku Obi

Politics in Wig and Gown

Ordinarily,itwouldbehazardousto judgethejudgmentoffiveeminent Federal judges over an issue as life threatening as the results of a Nigerian presidential election. Apexpowerisinvolved.Bigmoney isatstake.Livelihoodsareuponthe hoist.Theinstrumentsofstateandnon-stateviolence areatthedisposalofthosewhoseinterestsaremost troubled. It is a zone where even the angels will tread verycautiously.Butoncethejudgeswiselypermitted theirrulingontheFebruary25thpresidentialelection tobetelevisedandbroadcastlive,theyadmittedwe regular mortals into the legitimate sphere of public theatreanddrama.Asatelevisionmassaudienceand apublicofvotingcitizens,weautomaticallyacquired therighttojudgethejudgmentofthelearnedjudges. After all, it is all about us and how we are likely to be governedormisgovernedinthenextfouryearsatleast.

The13hour-longtheatreofaseaofwigsandgowns in Abuja made impressive spectacle but depressing television. But it may not have been that humorous to too many ordinary Nigerians who had so much at stake. Yet there was still something quite remarkable. A largely lawless and inherently unjust nation parading such a copious population of lawyers is in itself anachronistic. But the ‘show’ failed on many other scores. It was not public entertainment. It was boringlylong.Asmasslegaleducation,itwasadisaster as well as no systematic legal lessons were on offer.

The decision to televise and broadcast live the proceedingsofthejudgmentofthe2023Presidential Election and Petitions Tribunal may have been well intentioned.Afterall,democracyoughttobeanopen festival, more so in the age of instant internet and universal digital television. After 13 hours of boring caterwauling of legalese and motionless suspense, the predictable verdict is out. Spending 13 whole hours to rehearse and restate a forgone outcome is yet another Nigerian first in what is essentially a political conquest of the judiciary.

Yet on closer examination, there was something aboutthejudgmentsessionthatwasabitominously disturbing. The lengthy presentation was perhaps intentional and dubiously strategic. Under normal circumstances,theattentionspanofanormallistening audience is not beyond three to four hours. To put up a 13 -hour ‘show’ on a matter of supreme public interest on national television was rather cruel but perhaps intentional.

There is perhaps a sense in which that judgment session was a carefully rehearsed public torture designedbypeoplewhoknowabitmoreaboutthese matters. You can torture with a long steady beam of light on a subject. You can torture with music at an unusual decibel beamed at a subject in isolation for too long. You can torture with a steady jet of water directed at a subject’s face for long enough to make themconfesstoacrimetheyprobablydidnotcommit (GuantanamoBay,AbuGhraib!).Youcaneventorture with silence in isolation for too long a time to drive your subject crazy. The possibilities are limitless.

For a public television audience, you can torture with a long boring session full of incoherent inanities and legalistic jargon, beamed at an entrapped audienceheldspellboundbytheircommoninterestinthe subject.ThatwaswhathappenedonWednesday,6th September. Nigerians were hooked in anxiety for an outcomethatmeanssomethingtonearlyeveryone. Itdraggedonendlesslybutmanydarednotleave.The political animals in the immediate courtroom were boredand30%ofthemwerefastasleepandsnoring mostofthe time. Mostlawyers inthe packmanaged to keep half awake for professional reasons. ThefivejudgespresidingovertheTribunalmayhave fared better as they divided the 800 page judgment into segments among themselves to alleviate their ownboredom.Atsomepoint,someofthejudgesfared poorly as they seemed to be reading a pre-written text of doubtful authorship. Like conscripts in a bad drama cast, maybe they did not rehearse enough!

Totheperceptive,thepreludewassufficientindication of the forgone outcome. The president jetted off to the G-20 meeting in India, seemingly oblivious of what was in the offing. A date for the judgment was carefully chosen to come a day after the 100 day mark of the Tinubu presidency. The ingenuity of that schedule is that most public discussion will be on the emotional matter of the tribunal verdict, thuscrowdingoutwhateverdiscoursetheremaybeon thechaoticfirsthundreddaysofaflipfloppresidency fromthemediaspace.TheDSSpredictablywarnedof oppositionplanstoprotestthetribunalverdict.That was enough indication that the verdict will reaffirm the victory of the incumbent. An incumbent could not possibly be mobilizing to protest against its own victory! Unexpectedly, the Court of Appeal,

in an unprecedented gesture, joined the DSS in the scaremongering,cautioningthepublictostayhome onJudgmentDay.Theyallknewwhatwedidnotknow. But the ultimate credit must go to President Tinubu for a masterful arrangement!

The verdict of the tribunal has come. It has been greetedbyamixofunderstandabletriumphalismand despair depending on where Nigerians stand on the political spectrum. Among Mr. Tinubu’s immediate political family of party devotees and ethnic cheer mongers, the talking drums and trumpets are out. On the other side, especially among the youth and ‘Obidients’,followersofMr.PeterObiandtheLabour Party,itisanextendedperiodofvirtualmourning.Mr. AtikuAbubakar’sfollowershipismoreamorphousand a bit confused and muffled. It is to the eternal credit ofthepoliticalleadersespeciallytheoppositionthat the hell predicted by the DSS and other merchants of fear have come to nothing.

Prior to the tribunal verdict, however, there was this stubborn hope among Mr. Obi’s nationwide throng of followers especially that, somehow, the judiciary could restore some justice to a system in which the presidential elections of February 25th was universally adjudged to be seriously flawed. In the minds of this group, the Nigerian judiciary could do one of two things: right what they perceived as an electoral wrong or reaffirm an unpopular status quo in line with its tradition of delivering judgments without justice.

Yettheskepticismremainedstrongthatajudiciary withastrongreputationforcorruptionandcompromise would predictably reaffirm the victory of the incumbentBolaTinubu.Theskepticshavecarriedthe day. After a hundred days of what promises to be a turbulent and bumbling presidency, Mr. Bola Tinubu seems secure in power to begin navigating his way and his country out of very troubled waters.

The actual substance and body of the tribunal judgment proceedings was quite interesting even if long drawn out and spectacularly boring. Many principalactorswereasleephalfofthetime!Atsome point,thetribunaljudgesbegantosoundmorelikean aggressivebandofdefenseattorneysouttodefend the incumbent at all costs. Most of the evidence adducedbytheoppositionpetitioners,PeterObiandMr. AtikuAbubakar,wereeitherdismissedasuntenable

orroutinelydemolished. Mostofthewitnesses of the petititoners were equally dismissed, discredited or simply rule out on grounds of personalinterestoridentityconflict.Inall,the tribunalwasquitedutifulinthrowingoutwhat itdidnotlikeandselectingwhatwouldnothurt a seemingly preconceived verdict.

Interestingly, all witnesses called by the opposition that had any suggestion of technical expertise and competence were all casually dismissed as either lacking merit or relevancetotheissuesonhand. Thewitnesses themselves were cast as persons with either personalpecuniaryorotherhiddeninterests or parading expertise that the tribunal said it did not need!

Clearly, the Tribunal was averse to witnesseswithatechnologicalbentastheywere likely to punch holes in INEC’s leaky armour of technological sophistication. The tribunal simply kept everything at the analogue level asitwasinnomoodtoengagewitnessesthat would goad them into exposing their own technological deficits. No need to expose the relative ignorance of the learned judges on complex matters of information technology,digitalcommunicationorthecombustible possibilities of the social media.

Quiteconveniently,onthesubstantiveissues of the eligibility of the APC candidate, the Tribunaltookrecoursetotechnicalconveniences.

Questions about Mr. Tinubu’s qualifications were rightly adjudged pre-election matters that ought to have been brought up in the appropriate lower courts and disposed of 180 days before the elections.

But in demolishing most of the grounds of substantive preliminary objections that would have weakened Tinubu’s and INEC’s positions, the Tribunal cleared the pathway for the material evidence in the various petitions. The tribunal may have staged a valiant legal battle but thrown logic, common sense andnationalmoralitytothedogs.So,Tinubu’s refundof$460,000totheUSgovernmenthad no criminal infraction component. We were however not told what type of transaction

the money came from. Was it just a routine errant financialtransactionalertthatfoundthishugetrove of cash enter Mr. Tinubu’s US account? Maybe, the moneywasnotevenconnectedtohim.Maybe,itwas an accidental transfer from an unknown vendor of questionablemerchandise.Justleaveacloudofdoubt in order to degrade the weight of this allegation!

Anothercuriouslegaldisclosureisthatcandidatesin anelectiondonothavearighttoquestiontheeligibility ofthecandidateofanotherpartyforthesameelection.

In other words, it is a fair contest if the other party decides to send in either a Sumo wrestler or killer hulktoduelmyfrailstructureinawrestlingmatchup!

Strictevidence-basedlegaloutcomesmayserve the needs of legal justice. But it often flies in the face ofcommonsense,naturalJusticeandignoressomeof thethingsthatworryordinarypeople.Theseinclude issues of public morality and the common sense behavior of public institutions. So, the culpability of INEC in the various infractions and irregularities of the election are left to the petitioners to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

As far as the tribunal was concerned, for as long as petitioners could not discharge the onus of proof of allegations against INEC, the agency is beyond reproach. Worse still, INEC’s own commitments as speltoutintheElectoralLawareconvenientlywaived, So,INECdidnothavetotransmitanyresultselectronically or otherwise. It could decide to transmit either electronicallyormanuallyordeployahybridsystem of result transmission. Yet the same INEC paraded the use of BVAS technology and the transmission of results via its IREV portals as the unique selling pointsofthelastelections.Thepubicboughtintothis hoax since these technologies had worked in state governorship elections in Anambra, Edo, Osun and Ekiti states.

Furthermore, the onus of proving an electoral irregularityatapollingstationisthatofthepetitioners with no bounding obligation on the part of INEC to accountfortheprocessesatthesaidpollingstation. If a petitioner’s agent has evidence of INEC facilitating the thrashing or falsification of election results, the onus of ultimate proof is still the petitioner. The Tribunal cannot even compel INEC to authenticate the processes at that polling centre.

Matters of general abuse and the use of violence, intimidation and profiling to influence the voting process in different parts of the country did not quite qualify for the attention of the Tribunal. Even the rather incisive on –the- spot report of European Union (EU) observers during the elections was rejectedbythetribunalasimmaterialtoitsverdictand beneath its purview. In short, the tribunal gave out the overall impression that nothing went wrong on 25th February, 2023. All was smooth, free and fair. It was the opposition, the social media, the EU and other international observers that raked up all this unfoundednoise!ThereisnothingtofixaboutINEC’s processes, protocols and performance. There was no need to adjust the vote tally since the petitioners could not prove either over voting, rigging, under counting etc anywhere in the country! Therefore, the vote scores of the three principal contestants as declared by INEC remain sacrosanct!

In reaffirming the victory of the incumbent over theclaimsoftheoppositionpetitioners,theTribunal was replaying the familiar path of jurisprudence in all matters where the order and peace of the state are challenged. Even ahead of the verdict of the tribunal and those of a possible Supreme Court outing, it is obvious that a reaffirmation of thesovereigntyoftheincumbentistheeasiestoption for the judiciary.

Thelogicissimple,elementaryandancient,deriving from early political philosophies from Thomas Hobbes to John Locke and even Machievelli. Going to the Tribunal or the Supreme Court is a quest for justice according to law. But justice is only possible when law and order prevail in an orderly state. In an anarchy,neitherlawnororderarepossible.Therefore, everyjudiciary,inmattersthatchallengethestability of the state and the legitimacy of the sovereign, will always rule in favour of the incumbent order. That is the only guarantee that unites all citizens. The state must exist as an orderly whole in order to make the pursuit of our individual rights, freedoms and quest for justice possible in the first place.

But once an ultimate political consideration such as the survival of the state overrides specific legal argumentsindeterminingajudicialoutcome,judges unconsciouslydonthegarbofpoliticalpartisanship. Thelawyers’wigandgownbecomepartofthecostume ofpoliticalactorsandthecitizensbegintoseejudicial outcomes as an extension of the partisan fray.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

Ariwoola

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

Super Eagles Set to Consolidate with São Tomé Tonight in Uyo

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria’s quest to top the Group A of the AFCON 2023 to be played next January in Côte d’Ivoire will become reality after 90 minutes against visiting Falcons and True Parrots of Sao Tome and Principe in Uyo this evening. The match is scheduled to kick off at 6pm at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

The Super Eagles who have already qualified for the continental showpiece are seating pretty on 12 points on top of Group A. The three-time African champions need just a point from today’s game to earn that bragging right as Group A winners!

Will the hapless, whipping team of the group turnout Super Eagles killjoy?

Second placed Guinea-Bissau on 10 points are playing at home against Sierra Leone and will profit from Eagles slip in Uyo and ascend the top of Group A if they beat the Leone Stars.

Such a scenario appears weird

AFCON 2023 QUALIFIER

to Nigerian football fans. They still remember with relish how Super Eagles crushed these islanders from São Tomé 10-0 in Agadir, Morocco and expect a better result in Uyo tonight. But unfortunately, there are no minnows anymore in football. This is the new reality of the Beautiful Game in not only the African continent but globally.

But will a Super Eagles parading some of the most lethal finishers in front of goalkeepers in Europe capitulate against these no-hoppers?

Super Eagles have in their fold, Victor Osimhen who is the poster boy of Napoli, champions of the Italian topflight league.

Osimhen has scored seven goals so far in the qualifiers and will be hoping to add more to emulate his compatriot, Odion Ighalo who topped the qualifier and the tournament proper at the 2019 edition hosted by Egypt. The gangling lad scored four of the goals against São Tomé in Morocco.

On hand to give helping

hands to Osimhen is the duo of Victor Boniface and Gift Orban. Boniface was yesterday announced as German Bundesliga player of the month while Orban is also the headline boy of the Belgian league.

Coach Jose Peseiro also have in his fold , Taiwo Awoniyi whose goals ensured Nottingham Forest retain their elite status in the English topflight. He has continued from where he stopped last season.

Although Super Eagles parade a lethal forward line, the same cannot be said of other departments of the team with mostly average players. This game ought to be one in which the Portuguese gaffer try out new players in some positions to ensure steady, quality reserve bench.

Will the boasts by São Tomé and Principe Captain, Luis Leal, that they are in Uyo to humiliate Super Eagles be taken as word on marble? Only 90 minutes hold the answer to that statement from the visitors.

...Injury Knocks out Orban from Nigeria, São Tomé Clash

KAA Gent of Belgium star, Gift Orban, has been effectively ruled out tonight’s AFCON 2023 clash between Nigeria and São Tomé and Principe.

Orban sat out the team’s last training session at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium,

Uyo on Thursday evening.

According to medical officials of the Super Eagles, the 21-year-old forward got injured in previous training session on Friday.

Orban is now expected to wait for his maiden appearance for the three-time African champions

when Nigeria open 2026 World Cup campaign against Lesotho in November.

Orban along with Victor Boniface and Jordan Torunarigha were the new faces in Peseiro’s squad for the clash with São Tomé.

with Morocco over Earthquake Tragedy

NFF Commiserate

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed deep sorrow and grief at the death of over 1,000 people in an earthquake that occurred in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco in the early hours of Saturday, 9th September 2023.

Reports indicate that more than 1,000 persons had been confirmed dead while hundreds more were injured from the impact of the magnitude 7.2 quake that damaged buildings in the picturesque city of Marrakech. The quake was the deadliest in the North African country in six decades.

“This is a very difficult period for the people of Morocco. We deeply mourn with them on this

devastating earthquake, and we pray that Almighty God will comfort those who have lost loved ones and also grant the souls of the dead eternal rest.

“The NFF and the Nigeria Football fraternity are shocked beyond words at the carnage to human lives and infrastructure. Our hearts are with the people of that country, and we commiserate with not only the Football fraternity but the generality of the Moroccan population on this tragedy,” President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said in Uyo on Saturday.

The Confederation of African Football has instructed Member Associations to observe oneminute silence in honour of

Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic

Crash out of AFCON 2023

Benin Republic’s Cheetahs handled by former Super Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, have been knocked out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations yesterday by Mozambique.

Mozambique’s Mambas are returning to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in over a decade after a thrilling 3-2 win over Benin on Saturday.

This victory was a momentous achievement for the Mambas, marking their return to the AFCON after an 11-year absence and setting the stage for their fifth appearance in the tournament finals.

The game unfolded with immense tension, as Mozambique needed at least a draw to secure second place in Group L, behind the formidable African champions, Senegal.

However, the early moments

of the match saw Benin take the lead, courtesy of a Steve Mounie penalty in the 20th minute, leaving the Mozambican supporters anxious but the hosts fought back to end the game in their favour, thus ending Rohr’s hope of leading another African team to the AFCON.

Elsewhere, Guinea came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Malawi in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday.

Robert Saizi put Malawi ahead in Lilongwe, firing home the opener after 23 minutes.

In the game with little at stake, both nations entertained in an open end-to-end contest. The result concludes a disappointing qualifying campaign for Malawi, who picked up just two points.

the victims of the earthquake in Morocco at all matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification series taking place this weekend across the continent while the fixture between hosts Morocco and Liberia has been postponed.

GROUP

1. 12. 12

G’Bissau 5. 3. 1. 1. 5. 10

S’Leone. 5. 1. 2. 2. 0. 5

São Tomé 5. 0. 1. 4. -17. 1

AFCON 2023 RESULTS & FIXTURES

Malawi 2-2 Guinea

C’d’Ivoire 1-0 Lesotho

Comoros 1-1 Zambia

DR Congo 2-0 Sudan

Mauritania 2-1 Gabon

Morocco v Liberia (PP)

Mo’bique 3-2 Benin

Senegal 1-1 Rwanda TODAY

Nigeria v São Tomé Togo v C’Verde

Gambia v Congo

EURO 2024 Qualifiers

Ukraine 1-1 England

N’Macedonia 1-1 Italy

Azerbaijan 0-1 Belgium

Kosovo 2-2 Switzerland

Romania 1-1 Israel

Super Eagles players in relaxed mood Eagles players in relaxed mood ahead of this evening’s AFCON 2023 ahead of this AFCON 2023 qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome and at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo at the Godswill Stadium in

Coco Gauff Upsets Sabalenka to Win US Open Title

Coco Gauff signalled a potentially new era for American tennis by holding her nerve to stage a brilliant comeback and claim the US Open title on Saturday night.

The Arthur Ashe Stadium rose to acclaim a new hero as she ultimately dissected the game of Aryna Sabalenkato emerge a 2-6 6-3 6-2 winner after a sometimes chaotic but always compelling final.

Before an assembled A-list crowd of screen stars – from Nicole Kidmanto Diane Keaton – the players fought for a cheque of $3 million, fifty years after equal prize money was introduced.

The 19 year-old can expect a far greater bounty than that in time after positioning herself in the vanguard of an emerging generation.

A shooting star to the last sixteen at Wimbledonfour years ago, she has been a long time in the making but this was a coming of age which will promote her to world number three.

Onuachu Completes Loan Switch to Turkey

Both Trabzonspor and Southampton are believed to have agreed a season-long

Paul Onuachu has completed a loan transfer to Turkish Super Lig’s Trabzonspor. Various reports out of Turkey last night confirmed the arrival

of the Super Eagles striker from Belgium

loan for Onuachu who has been unable to settle into life in the English topflight since arriving from Belgium in January transfer.

Coco Gauff wins first grand slam at US Open after defeating Coco Gauff...wins first slam at US after Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 last night Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 last

Atiku’s Aide to Shettima

“Those who brought him (Shettima) had high expectations for him having come from the banking sector. H owever, rather than bring prosperity to the people of Borno, he opened the floodgates of terror.” – Atiku’s aide, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, replying Vice President Shettima for saying that he would retire Atiku to Fombina and buy goats for him.

Matters of Interest from Tribunal’s Verdict

For 14 or so hours on Wednesday, the presidential election petition tribunal delivered its judgment on the petitions filed against the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the president of Nigeria. The unanimous verdict, in one word, was: dismissed. Needless to say, this verdict disappointed supporters of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and, most especially, Mr Peter Obi. Of course, the petitioners will appeal to the Supreme Court. Only Chief Olu Falae, joint candidate of the Alliance for Democracy/All Peoples Party — remnants of which co-founded the APC in 2013 — stopped at the Court of Appeal but that was well over 24 years ago. The overall determination of the tribunal is that Atiku, who flew the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Obi, the torchbearer of the Labour Party (LP), merely alleged rigging without providing proof. In the final results of the presidential election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu had polled 8,794,726 votes, Atiku 6,984,520 and Obi 6,101,533. To establish that irregularities affected the final scores, Atiku needed to prove how the gap of 1,810,206 between him and Tinubu could be upturned. Obi, at his own end, needed to prove how the 2,693,193 gap owed to irregularities. The tribunal said neither of them provided concrete proof.

The rest are technicalities — whether or not electronic transmission of results via iRev was mandatory; whether or not the forfeiture of monies linked to illicit drugs amounts to criminal conviction and an automatic disqualification of Tinubu from the presidential race; whether or not he was qualified to run based on his academic credentials; whether or not Alhaji Kashim Shettima had double nomination for senate and vicepresidency; and whether or not scoring 25 percent of votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is mandatory to being declared as president. None of these arguments was upheld by the tribunal, leaving a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of the petitioners.

I was quite eager to get the judicial interpretation of Section 134 (2) of the 1999 Constitution which says: “A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election: (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.” The petitioners interpreted this to mean FCT has a special status in the presidential election. They demanded a run-off nationwide since the APC candidate scored only 20 percent in FCT.

The tribunal ruled that the entire constitution has to be read as a document and not in isolation. Justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the lead judgment, took us through the preamble of the constitution which says every citizen shall have equality of rights and obligations. “It cannot be read in any way to mean superiority should be attached to any voter above others,” he said. He quoted Section 299 of the constitution which says: “The provisions of this Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federation.” Except the Supreme Court upturns this judgment, this should finally settle the question on the 25 percent requirement.

I always felt there was something unconvincing about the petitioners’ argument. Theoretically, it means a candidate can win all the 36 states and still not be declared president if he/she fails to get 25% in FCT.

The obvious intention of the constitution was not to confer an extraordinary status on FCT. The spread criterion is to ensure a presidential candidate has presence across the country. The constitution does not prescribe that 25 percent has to be secured in any state, including the most populous or one with biggest landmass, but just two-thirds of the states. Is

Tinubu

there any country where a candidate must win a percentage of votes in a particular city to be declared president?

When we insult the drafters of the 1979 Constitution (which is what was amended and repackaged as the 1999 Constitution), we are just being uncharitable. This constitution was written by academics, lawyers, and other accomplished Nigerians, not roadside mechanics. The requirement of geographical spread was to address a weakness in the parliamentary system of the first republic in which a party could be limited to a region and still form national government. By requiring the president to score at least one-quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 19 states, the 1979 Constitution ensured that no candidate could hope to be elected by his/her own region alone.

But as with all human contraptions, there is no perfection. The 25 percent requirement ran into a hitch at first attempt in 1979 when Alhaji Shehu Shagari met the threshold in 12 out of the 19 states and also polled the highest votes. What is two-thirds of 19? Would it be 12 or rounded off to 13? When the late Prof Bala Usman raised the issue at the 1978 Constituent Assembly which worked on the draft constitution, many members scoffed, but he included it in the minority report. As it turned out, it became a major issue in the presidential election. The Supreme Court would rule that it should be 12 states and two-thirds of the 13th state — hence the famous “12 two-thirds” judgment.

This is my matter of interest in this tribunal judgment. Now that it is interpreted as “36 states plus FCT”, making 37, what is two-thirds of 37? Will that be 24, 25 or 24 two-thirds? Going by the Supreme Court judgment in 1979, it would logically be 24 states and two-thirds of the 25th state. We now need constitutional clarity. Developments of this nature can help improve the laws. Even though Tinubu met the requirement in 30 states, it can become a problem in the future. If the Supreme Court upholds this verdict, we have to consequentially amend the constitution to reflect the judicial interpretation of “36 states and FCT” and to also spell out what “two-thirds of 37 states” means.

The second matter of interest: the tribunal threw out APC’s petition that Obi was not qualified to be the LP candidate having joined the party a couple of

days to the primary election, whereas the Electoral Act 2022 stipulates that the party must submit the membership register 30 days prior. The Electoral Act, meanwhile, does not provide for waivers. By this verdict, which declared that it is a party that has a right to decide who are its members, it means you can join a party in the morning and contest for its ticket at noon. I support removing this. If the Supreme Court does not make a contrary finding, it becomes law. We would need to amend the law to eliminate any confusion.

Three, the tribunal verdict may be erroneously interpreted to have devalued BVAS and iRev. I hope this is not going to be a problem going forward. The tribunal only said not using BVAS and iRev does not invalidate an election. It didn’t say we should stop using them. By the way, I have noticed that many Nigerians appear not to know the difference between the two. BVAS is for accreditation of voters at the polling unit (PU), storage of voting data and transfer of results to the INEC server, while iRev is a portal for the uploading of results transmitted to the server. In fact, BVAS was used during the presidential election — the issue in dispute was the failure to upload results real time to iRev.

Lawmakers had argued that there are general problems associated with technology — network connection, device failure and security. This may explain why they made the Electoral Act flexible in section 47(2) by adding: “…or any other technological device that may be prescribed by the Commission.” In trying to justify the huge sums it spent on technology, INEC hyped the use of BVAS and iRev as the ultimate marker of credible polls. With iRev not used real time during the presidential poll (and there has been no convincing explanation for this till today), this became a strong point for those who lost. Nevertheless, APC still won the majority of votes in the elections where iRev worked.

The irony, of course, is that even in governorship and legislative elections where BVAS and iRev worked seamlessly, those who lost still went to court to challenge the outcomes. That means the acceptance of the credibility of an election does not depend on BVAS, iRev or live transmission, contrary to the impression we might have got from the dispute over the presidential poll. The tribunal said it would have been helpful is there was a table showing the differences between the results declared by INEC and the result sheets signed by party agents at the polling units. I strongly believe BVAS and iRev have improved the electoral system and must not be cast away or relegated.

In sum, I doubt that any presidential election will be upturned based on technicalities, especially those that could have been settled pre-election. The stakes are high. I also think that tribunals should be dealing more with the smoking gun from the elections, such as proofs that if the lawful votes were counted, the outcome would be different. That was how Obi won his Anambra governorship petition in 2006. He presented the result sheets signed by all party agents as well as INEC officials and proved that what was officially declared was different. When he promised to do that again after the 2023 presidential election, I told myself: “INEC has messed with the wrong guy again.” Oh well.

While we may have our different opinions on the verdict of the presidential election petition tribunal — I have read tonnes of comments, some purely emotional and some quite rational — I am glad that all the threats of war and rumours of war came to naught. I want to believe that we are learning how to be angry or excited within the confines of the law. The Supreme Court offers a final opportunity for Atiku and Obi to prove their case that they won the election. This they will do by puncturing the contentious aspects of the tribunal’s verdict. Democracy could be a pain-filled journey, but no matter how frustrating the rule of law and due process are, I will never promote alternatives to democracy.

And Four Other Things…

MODUPE ATANDA

Days after Deborah Modupe Atanda, a 200 level student of the Federal University OyeEkiti (FUOYE), went missing, her body was found in a shallow grave around the school. Her eyes were reportedly gouged out, an indication that she was killed for ritual purposes. This evil is unimaginable in a society where most of us claim to be Muslims or Christians and where we punctuate every statement we make with “God”. Sadly, another woman has fallen victim to violence again. This trend should worry everyone because it is now an established pattern. Police must get to the root of this, even though it will not bring back the poor soul. But doing justice will at least bring some closure. Wicked.

HOPE RISING?

President Tinubu is in India for business, as it were, ahead of the G20 Summit. Four Indian conglomerates, including Indorama Petrochemical Ltd and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, have pledged to invest $14 billion in Nigeria. This is huge, even for a promise. The investments will go into fertiliser production, petrochemical, power and steel, among others. However, commitment is one thing; action is another. I believe action will depend on the fulfilment of Tinubu’s promise to make Nigeria “one of the most conducive places on earth” for foreign investments. Return on investment is believed to be high here but the bureaucracy, security and infrastructure are key elements. Killjoys.

STATESMANLY STATEMENTS

After the verdict of the presidential election petition tribunal which affirmed the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I must say I was impressed with the public statements of the petitioners. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, said: “However, the disappointment in the verdict of the court can never destroy my confidence in the judiciary.” Mr Peter Obi, the LP candidate, spoke similarly, saying “we respect the views and rulings of the court, but we disagree with the court’s reasoning and conclusions in the judgment it delivered”. Their disappointment is very glaring, but they weighed their words with a sense of responsibility. Cute.

AND FINALLY…

Nigeria’s oil production has risen to 1.6 million barrels per day, according to Mallam Mele Kyari, the CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd. This is some good news, given that our production went as low as 900,000bpd some years ago. And with crude oil prices now rising to $85/barrel, this should ordinarily mean more revenue and more forex inflow for us, although I am aware we have tied most of our share of production to some commitments. But there is a hanging question: with crude oil prices rising, will pump prices of petrol also rise since “subsidy is gone”? Also, have we finally learnt how to manage oil windfalls or normal service will resume? Watching.