SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2024

Says Nigeria remains giant of Africa

Rivers Crisis: Wike Mocks Fubara’s Camp for Joining APP

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, has ridiculed the camp of the Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, for choosing the All Peoples Party (APP) as their preferred political party platform amidst the ongoing crisis rocking the state.

Wike wondered when Rivers degenerated to the level of having the APP as its political party.

This just as Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri has called for reconciliation between Wike and Fubara. The former Rivers governor spoke yesterday during a civic reception organised by the Ijaw people in Rivers State at AmadiAma, Abuloma, Okirika

L-R: Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Edo State Deputy Governor-elect, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, during a thank-you visit to the governor, at the Lagos House, Marina…yesterday

John Shiklam in Kaduna

New COVID-19 Variant, XEC, Emerges in Europe, US

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

A new strain of COVID-19, which has been predicted to become the dominant variant globally in the next few months, is rapidly spreading through Europe and the United States of America.

The new variant, known as XEC, was first detected in Germany in June but has spread across 27 countries, including France and

Local Government Area, to honour him.

The reception put together by stakeholders under the auspices of the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress (RIPCO), attracted Ijaw leaders, traditional rulers, politicians among others from Ijaw-dominated LGAs in the state.

The FCT minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri; Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri; former governors and members of the G-5, Samuel Ortom, Benue; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu, Okezie Ikpeazu, and Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, among others.

Wike slammed his detractors, especially the Fubara’s camp for opting for the APP as their alternative political party.

He said:

“Imagine in Rivers; they are contemplating APP. It is not about money. Money does not move. You can have all the money but if there is no capacity there is no capacity.

“All the things you see are people envious of our growth. We have defeated them severally and if opportunity comes again, we will defeat them

“We have not started politics; when the time comes, we will play politics. Our job is politics. Tell them to keep their party ready. We will teach them what is called politics,” Wike added.

Wike said that 10 out of the 12 Ijaws in the state House of Assembly were against the alleged abuse of the constitution and non-performance of the governor.

Wike said it was not true that Ijaw people were fighting him but that a few

the US, infecting more than 600 people.

XEC is the latest in a long list of past and current COVID variants being monitored as the COVID-19 virus naturally evolves.

The strain has been described by health experts as a recombinant variant.

Recombinants can occur naturally when a person is simultaneously infected with two different

ungrateful people among the ethnic nationality were put up with such a disposition.

He said: “These are people representing Ijaw in the Assembly and they are saying that he is not doing well. If anybody tells you that Ijaw people are fighting me, it is not true. It is just a few ungrateful Ijaw people.

“If a father has 12 children one can be an armed robber, does it mean all of them are armed robbers?” he queried.

He said someone from Delta spoke about Ijaw governor but that he told the person to emulate him and make an Ijaw person a governor in Delta State.

The minister said:

“Somebody was talking about Ijaw governor and I told the person you are from Delta, make an Ijaw person governor in Delta. I have made an Ijaw man governor of Rivers State. Who loves Ijaw more? Is it people who appear on TV?

“If they were that strong, since after the old Rivers State has an Ijaw man become governor. Where were they? I am an Ikwerre man but I sat down and said for political conviviality and unity let’s go this way.

“They said why should I bring an Opobo man that Opobo is not the real Ijaw. Now food is ready and Opobo has become the real Ijaw. This is leadership of the stomach,” he added.

The former governor described threats from the opposing camp as empty.

Wike said persons, who initially told him that they would not serve him, the master, and still serve, the servant, Fubara, were the ones running to the servant in pursuit of their stomachs.

Alluding to the Edo State election, Wike wondered

COVID-19.

The XEC variants, health experts say, is a product of recombination between two hybrids of previously discovered omicron sub-variants –KS.1.1 and KP.3.3. These two parent variants are closely related, having both evolved from JN.1, which was the dominant variant around the world at the start of 2024.

Researchers detect XEC cases through the Gisaid public database,

why people were faced with examination but they chose to be concerned about his Rivers State PDP structures.

He said: “You have an exam and instead of concentrating on the exam you are going to protest, now you have failed and you said the teacher failed you.

“They went on the TV to say I made them fail. Go and carry your problem. It is a lesson to others. Don’t touch Rivers. It is a special state. Continue to be united for the interest of Rivers. Don’t lose hope. We must continue to work together”.

He alleged that his detractors sent some thugs with dynamites to attack the venue of the event, but that the police caught the suspects.

Speaking through the Director, Finance, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Boma Iyaye, Rivers Ijaw openly

where viral genetic sequences are submitted for examination. This platform enables the identification of mutations in SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Currently, the US has reported 118 XEC cases, the highest globally. Germany has 92 XEC cases, the UK has 82, Canada has 77, and Denmark has 61 cases according to media reports but actual figures are likely to be higher in nations

apologised to Wike for the alleged misdeeds of Fubara.

In his goodwill message, the Managing Director, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said he was a direct beneficiary of Wike’s benevolence.

“I am a direct beneficiary of your goodwill. We thank you for w hat you have done for Ijaw people. You are instrumental for me being the MD. While we are transiting, you supported me and brought a brother to work with me.”

On his part, Lokpobiri said Wike made his appointment possible, disclosing that the discussions that gave him the appointment started at Wike’s home in Port Harcourt and ended at FCT Minister’s Abuja house.

Speaking on behalf of the G-5, former Governor of Benue State, Ortom, described Wike as a good man, who would never abandon his

that do not regularly sequence COVID samples.

In Europe and North America, the dominant variant is KP.3.1.1, while Asia is primarily affected by the closely related KP.3.3 variant. XEC has not been reported from any African country, but experts suggest that the strain is likely to become the dominant variant globally in the next few months. Compared to other strains, XEC

friends.

The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri described the celebration as a means to build peace in Rivers.

He said as one of the leaders of the PDP, they would continue to look for ways to reconcile Wike and the governor.

Fintiri said: “This celebration is an honour and a way means to build on the peace of Rivers. This honour sends a message that what is happening is temporary. It will send a message to Fubara to come and reconcile with his master.

“We will continue to work with Wike and the G-5. It is not easy for a man to stand tall and build bridges across this country. Wike has built people and made friends all over.

“We will continue as leaders of our party to see that we build a reconciliation between

is said to have a higher growth advantage, spreading much more rapidly than the others.

Experts said XEC has this advantage because of its relatively rare T22N mutation (inherited from KS.1.1) combined with Q493E (from KP.3.3) in the spike protein. The spike protein is said to play a crucial role in helping the virus attach to human cells, allowing it to enter and begin replication.

Wike and your governor,” he added.

Don’t Put Fire in Oyo, Makinde Begs FCT Minister

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has begged Wike not to set Oyo State on fire. Makinde, during yesterday’s reception in Port Harcourt, praised the former governor of Rivers over the state’s infrastructure, saying the FCT minister has done well for his people. According to him, “I came to Oyo to identify with my brother and the celebrant of today (Nyesom Wike). When I showed up in Rivers yesterday (Friday) I told him that I brought a peace offering because he has been boasting that he would put fire in some states. I told him please, don’t set fire in Oyo State.”

TINUBU CHARGES MILITARY TO ENGAGE NIGERIA’S ADVERSARIES WITH GALLANTRY, SOPHISTICATION

(Army) and Direct Short Service Course 32 (Air Force) Cadets.

The 823 officers were commissioned into the nation’s armed forces.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, also charged the members of the armed forces to remain focused in their operations, emphasising that elite militaries remained professional in democratic dispensations.

According to him, this is with the belief that the individuals charged with the nation’s leadership would do their job.

“We are the giant of Africa and must remain so,” he said.

Speaking further, Tinubu lamented that Nigeria as a country was faced with multiple challenges

that have attempted to destroy nationhood.

He said the economic challenges and deterioration in the standard of living, as well as unemployment and insecurity, top the list of problems that were besieging the nation.

Tinubu, however, said more than ever before, his administration was determined to do all it took to ensure that Nigeria is united, secure, and repositioned for development.

“Based on this, the present government remains resolute in its mandate to create better living conditions for Nigerians, and to do this, it has begun taking several steps,” he added.

As a responsible government, Tinubu said, his administration was able to identify the crux of

NDIC: STRONGLY CAPITALISED BANKS WILL SUPPORT ATTAINMENT OF $1TN

(UBA), Mr. Oliver Alawuba, has declared that Tinubu’s quest to raise the country’s GDP to $1trillion is achievable but would require structural shifts in banking, financial innovation and sectoral development.

Delivering his keynote address yesterday at the 2024 annual conference of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), which had as its theme: 'Nigeria’s Journey Towards $1 Trillion Economy: Impact of Banks’ Recapitalisation, Opportunities for Fintechs, Real Sector,' Hassan stated that the banks are pivotal in promoting growth through intermediation function by mobilising financial resources from the surplus units to productive sectors of the economy.

The NDIC boss, however, noted that discharging this important role might expose the banks to some risks, which they would not seamlessly accommodate with their normal operational profits but would require strong capital to absorb.

Hassan said: “The role of

strong and well-capitalised banks in supporting the current administration’s bold vision of growing Nigeria’s economy to a one trillion-dollar must be appreciated by the relevant players in the financial sector.

“The opportunities and potentials for growth of the real sector depend, among others, on the availability and affordability of financing.

“To achieve the desired level of financing by the real sector, the window offered by the banks in partnership with Fintechs must be adequately harnessed.

“Supervisors must understand the interconnection among the various financial services providers and how their policies and actions can affect the efficiency and optimality of the overall financial system.

“For sustainable and inclusive growth, policymakers must create an enabling environment that supports innovation, financial inclusion and growth while simultaneously protecting

the markets, consumers, and investors,” he explained.

Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Banking Examination Department, NDIC, Mr. Emeka Udechukwu, said that without a vibrant real sector, the economy might not grow fast enough to hit the $1 trillion target.

He said: “If there is challenge in the real sector of any economy, that economy is already challenged.

“So, we should resuscitate our real sector through policies that encourage more Nigerians to go into the real sector such as the loan-to-deposit ratio policy of the CBN,” Udechukwu added.

Meanwhile, the UBA CEO, Alawuba, who was represented by the bank’s Executive Director of Finance and Risk Management, Mr Ugo Nwaghodoh, noted that the quest for a $1 trillion economy vision was bold but achievable.

“However, it requires not just incremental growth, but structural shifts in how we approach banking, financial

the nation’s problems, which was centred on some fundamental issues.

“As a government, we are working hard to confront these problems, including associated ones, to make our beloved nation more secure and improve the quality of life of the Nigerian citizen.

“We need the cooperation of all Nigerians for better answers in our interest,” he said.

Tinubu equally said each time the government looked at the military barracks, what struck it most was the number of widows and their children whose husbands sacrificed their lives for the survival of the nation.

He, therefore, directed the leadership of the Nigerian armed forces to work out a robust policy proposal to the government to

ECONOMY

innovation, and sectoral development.

“As we embark on this journey together, let us recognise that the future of Nigeria’s economy rests on the strategic alignment of policy, investment, technology, and, most importantly, our collective will to innovate and grow,” he said.

Alawuba stated that the ongoing banking recapitalisation should facilitate significant expansion in the provision of credit to the real sector, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure to close the current productivity gap in Nigeria’s economy.

The productivity gap, according to Alawuba, was noticeable from the declining contributions of the manufacturing sector to the GDP, which went down from 16.04 in Q4 2023 to 14.79 and 12.68 in Q1 2024 and Q2 2024 respectively as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“This is far below the

level required to drive industrialisation and economic diversification.

“With larger capital bases, Nigerian banks should be well-positioned to finance long-term infrastructure projects and provide low-cost credit facilities to businesses that will drive industrial growth,” Alawuba said.

He added: “For Nigeria to achieve its $1 trillion economic goal, the real sector must become the true engine of growth.

“A vibrant real sector will drive employment, foster innovation, and strengthen the overall economy by reducing dependency on the oil sector,” he added.

According to him, agriculture remained one of Nigeria’s largest employers of labour, adding that its productivity levels are among the lowest in Africa.

He argued that agriculture should be made more efficient and technologically driven while the banking sector, along with the fintech innovations,

alleviate the suffering of families of soldiers and officers affected by the trauma of the loss of their loved ones who paid the supreme price. Tinubu equally lamented that since independence, Nigeria has had a mixed history of turbulence and fortune.

He said his administration would change the course of history as it was determined to unite the country, where no one should be an exception.

Tinubu said the cadets of the NDA would not be an exception to this noble course, emphasising that Nigeria spent a lot to train them.

“The nation requires loyalty, commitment, dedication. Resilience and service from you.

”Be aware that wherever and whenever the nation comes calling, you will answer,” he added.

facilitate easier access to credit and technological inputs like precision farming tools. Alawuba also stated that the journey to a $1 trillion economy would require more proactive interventions from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the deployment of growth-focused monetary policies.

He said: “While inflation management is crucial, the CBN must ensure that its monetary policies support sectors that are critical to economic expansion.

“This means maintaining a careful balance between interest rates, exchange rates, and inflationary pressures to support the real sector without stifling growth.

“The CBN should continue to encourage banks to lend more to sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

“Recapitalisation alone is not enough; it must be followed by focused lending to strategic areas that promise the highest economic returns,” Alawuba added.

50 HEARTY CHEERS...

At Retreat on Constitution Review, Senators

Divided over Agitation for Return to Regionalism

Regional government outdated, say senators Ndume, Ningi, Musa, Dandutse It will boost economy, security, development, Oyo senator, Buhari insists

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Some southern and northern senators yesterday disagreed over the agitation for the return of Nigeria to the regional form of government.

They expressed their divergent views at the sidelines of the ongoing two-day retreat on the amendments to the 1999 Constitution organised by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in Kano.

While some senators from the northern part of the country who spoke on the issue vehemently opposed regional form of government, their colleague from South-west described it as a welcome development that would improve the economy, tackle insecurity and fast-track infrastructural development.

Nigeria had practised a more regional form of government between 1954 and 1966, in the Western, Eastern, and Northern regions. The Mid-Western region was later carved out of the Western Region in 1963.

The model lasted until 1966 when the military overthrew the civilian government.

Speaking to journalists on the issue at the retreat, a ranking Senator from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi, said his people would never support

the model because they did not enjoy any form of development when the system of government was practised in the defunct First Republic.

Ningi said: “I have heard so much about regional government or federalism and I have heard people going about, canvassing for such ideas.

“For a start, no matter how you see it, the current document (1999 Constitution) is still the ground norm. It has also stipulated how it is going to be amended.

“Having said that, it is also imperative to also know that it isn't just enough for anybody to come and say he is the representative of one ethnic group or another at the National Assembly.

“The question that arises is, when was this mandate canvassed? When was it received? You are a representative of a particular ethnic group in Nigeria, at what time were you given the mandate to canvass that?

“The only people that are given this mandate, to look at the Constitution and amend it are, of course, members of the National Assembly.

“Therefore, it is important for those who go about selling these ideas, false ideas in my opinion, that they are representatives of the people to let Nigerians know where they are coming from and in whose mandate and when

South African Police Launch Manhunt after 17 Killed in Mass Shootings

South African police have said they have launched a manhunt after 17 people were shot dead in a town in the east of the country.

According to local media, the mass shootings occurred Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape province about 200 kilometres (125 miles) southwest of Durban.

Two homes were targeted in the shootings early Saturday in Ngobozana village in Lusikisiki, South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, the country’s police ministry said, adding that six people, including a two-monthold baby, survived the attack.

“In one house, 13 people were killed, 12 women and

one man. In another, four people were killed. An 18th victim is in critical condition in a hospital,” the police said in a statement.

“We do not know the motive” and “we do not know if there is one or several suspects on the run”, national police chief Fannie Masemola said on South African public television.

Mass shootings are common in South Africa where murder rate is at a 20-year high. The country also harbours one of the world’s highest murder rates.

According to recent police data, more than 6,000 people were murdered across the country between April and June this year.

was this mandate given to them.

“We have seen how the regional government was operated in the past. My part of the country that I am representing didn't enjoy the development of that so-called regional government that was based in Kaduna.

“We aren't going back there again! I am speaking for my senatorial district. It is either the Nigerian federation or nothing. We can't go along; my senatorial district will be satisfied independently with Nigeria if that is what is required.

“As far as regional government is concerned, my constituency, my people aren't for it. What we need is the reform of the current federal government structure and fiscal federalism because there is nothing like true federalism,” he added.

“I have visited India, Argentina, Singapore, and the United States, all in trying to understand federalism. Federalism is done according to the history of each particular country. But what is important about our federalism is serious reforms but the bottom line is not what you see on paper that is important. It is the practitioners and the implementers, otherwise, the Constitution has been

able to sustain us over 25 years. That means that there is something germane and important about it. What it needs is that at every given time you look at it in particular, the devolution of power is so much more important, from the state to the local government level. There is no clear distinction of power between the state and the local government but there is distinctive separation of power between the Federation and the sub-nationals,” Ningi explained.

Also, the Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Dandutse, representing Katsina South Senatorial District, also disagreed with the proponents of regional government.

He said the essence of the ongoing retreat was to improve on the defects and anomalies discovered in the nation's constitution over the years.

He said: “We should not have myopic thinking about ourselves. No section of this country is not blessed.

“What is important is that we should have good governance, credible and responsible accessibility of the resources that we have because Nigeria is blessed.

“We have all the comparative

advantages that will move this country forward unless of course, we are not serious and determined,” he said.

Similarly, a former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, said the idea of true federalism was no longer fashionable because many countries in Africa had discarded it.

He advocated the creation of strong institutions that would enhance good governance and curb corruption and insecurity.

“When the government put these in place, there won't be clamour for true federalism because there will be justice, equity and fairness in all the regions of the country,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman, the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, also challenged the proponents of regional government to send the bills to the National Assembly and test its popularity.

Musa advised Nigerians not to confuse the establishment of the Zonal Development Commission with regionalism.

He said the various geopolitical zonal development commission was strictly for the social and economic development of their areas.

He said: “It is wrong of anybody to think that the development commissions being established for the six geopolitical zones is a plan towards regionalism. It is not.

“Those who are advocating for it should come up with bills through their representatives in the National Assembly and test the popularity of their proposal.”

However, the Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, disagreed with those condemning the regional system of government.

Buhari said: “Recall that the regions were able to harness their resources in the First Republic.

“We were able to harness all our resources. There was no dominance of a particular resource(s).

“In those years, the North was known for the pyramid of groundnuts, the South-west was known for cocoa, we should be able to do that.

“When you make the centre less attractive, you cut off corruption. You can't wipe it off, but you can cut it off because there is what is called, ‘watch your team’. People will watch their team within their locality or their region.

Lagos Police Warn Troublemakers against Independence Day Protest

FG declares Tuesday public holiday

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, has said the Force will not take it lightly with troublemakers during the proposed Independence Day protest on October 1.

This is just as the federal government has declared Tuesday, October 1, 2024, a public holiday to commemorate the nation’s 64th Independence anniversary.

Ishola at the weekend warned everyone partaking in the protest to avoid causing violence and embrace peace in the interest of fellow citizens.

The police chief said he had information that some disgruntled

Nigerian youths were calling for a nationwide protest in some parts of the state.

He said this in a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Lagos police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, and shared his verified X handle.

He wrote that this is coming after Ishola had a meeting with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and social media influencers among others earlier on Friday.

The statement explained that the gathering discussed “security concerns within the state following recent agitations and clamour for a nationwide protest provided the opportunity for Lagosians to ventilate their concerns, point

out areas of security concern and recommend strategies that would help curb any form of violence within the state.”

Speaking further, the commissioner of police called on influential Nigerians to lead by good example and alert security operatives whenever any form of threat arises.

“This would help ensure that peace is maintained by all and sundry. He equally gave the assurance that the command is fully prepared to protect law-abiding citizens,” the statement added.

The organisers of the 10-day #EndBadGovernance in August had announced the preparation for another round of protests tagged,

“A Day of Survival,” scheduled for October 1. Meanwhile, Tuesday, October 1, 2024, has been declared a public holiday to commemorate the nation’s 64th Independence anniversary. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration yesterday on behalf of the federal government in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani. Tunji-Ojo congratulated Nigerians at home and abroad on this occasion and praised the patient and hardworking Nigerian men and women, stating that their sacrifices would not be in vain.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

L-R: Master Chimaobi Obodo, Miss Chinaza Obodo; Chief Executive Officer, Ancoline Ventures Limited; Chief Amaechi Obodo; Brand Ambassador of PWAN Homes Limited, Ambassador Anthonia Obodo; Miss Chisom Obodo; Miss Chiamaka Obodo; at the 50th birthday celebrations of Anthonia Obodo in Lagos…recently

ALL HAIL THE GENTLEMEN OF THE BAR…

new

Obi Links Insecurity in Africa to Poverty, Unemployment, Inequality, Corruption

Insists over 60% of Nigerians are poor

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has said the security challenges bedevilling Africa were directly linked to poverty, with over 50 per cent of the population multidimensionally poor.

Speaking at the weekend in Athens, the Greek capital, at an international dialogue of global leaders that includes former Presidents and top government officials, Obi listed unemployment, corruption, poverty, and inequality among the factors militating against

security and peaceful co-existence in Africa.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Ibrahim Umar, Obi said: "I joined global leaders, former presidents, prime ministers, serving and retired senior government officials, military chiefs, renowned academics, sports personalities, and others in Athens, Greece, for a leadership dialogue focused on governance, particularly in the areas of security and the economy in today's world, and the lessons for future leaders.

"In my brief presentation, I emphasised that as leaders, we must acknowledge the profound global

and generational transformations confronting us. Despite vast human and material resources, there remain significant unmet needs in global governance," he explained.

Obi said Africa faces high levels of insecurity, alarming corruption, worsening poverty, huge youth unemployment, and gross inequality.

He noted that urgent attention must be given to enhancing collective security, lifting people out of poverty, and reducing injustice and inequality in society.

The former Anambra State governor said corruption must be tackled with vigour and leaders

must invest in critical areas of development to improve health and education while addressing poverty, unemployment, hunger, and other pressing societal challenges.

He attributed poverty to many African countries underinvesting in critical areas of development, such as health and education, calling on future leaders to take bold, accelerated, just and transformative actions to achieve far-reaching and people-centred development.

The LP leader stressed that Nigeria has all the resources needed to move in the right direction if the people are committed to placing the nation on the right path.

Ex-agitators Dissociate Themselves from October 1 Protests, Say Tinubu Needs More Time

Sylvester Idowu

in Warri

Over 30,000 ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region have thrown their weights behind the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, distancing themselves from the protest slated for October 1 to give the present administration more time to tackle the nation’s challenges.

They resolved that their position was anchored on the belief that the present administration has been fair to the region in terms of appointments and promised infrastructural development in the region.

The former agitators, drawn from across the region, including Phases One, Two and Three and from other groups at the end of a three-day stakeholders’ forum

organised by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) held in Warri at the weekend, acknowledged that the region’s challenges would be addressed by the Tinubu administration.

The Administrator of PAP, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, had told the gathering that the federal government had awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the East-West Road to a Chinese construction company, adding that work would commence soon.

He urged the people of the region to resist any calls for protests, emphasising that the peace and stability of the Niger Delta lie in the hands of its residents.

Otuaro reiterated the importance of maintaining peace in the region, noting that constructive engagements with the government

remain the best way to achieve progress and development.

“The East-West Road, a major artery in the Niger Delta, has been awarded to a Chinese company, and anytime soon, they will resume work. The president means well for the Niger Delta, and we must support his efforts to bring development to our region.

“The Niger Delta people will not be part of any protest. The problems of the Niger Delta will be resolved by the President, but it is up to us to ensure our region is not used as a base for protests,” Otuaro stressed.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that our region is peaceful. It is in our hands to keep the Niger Delta secure and support the federal government’s efforts to improve our communities,” he added.

The leader of the ex-Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) from Bayelsa State, Paul Elvis, popularly known as General Ogubos, called for peace in the Niger Delta region, stressing that war was not the solution to the region’s challenges.

The former militant leader emphasised the importance of dialogue and cooperation in resolving conflicts adding “Peace cannot be attained in a place of war.

"We must understand that violence will only lead to more destruction and suffering in our communities,” he stated, urging stakeholders to prioritise peaceful resolutions to grievances.

"Our people have legitimate concerns, but we must channel these grievances through dialogue, not violence," he added

Tinubu Names Nine-man Governing Board for North West Development Commission

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the names of ninemember inaugural Governing Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC) to the Senate for confirmation. According to a statement issued yesterday by the Media Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the move followed Tinubu’s signing of the North West Development Commission Bill into law on July 24, 2024, marking a crucial milestone in the commission's establishment. The nominees are Ambassador Haruna Ginsau (Jigawa) as Chairman; Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji (Kano) as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and seven other members.

Others include: Dr. Yahaya Umar Namahe (Sokoto); Hon. Aminu Suleiman (Kebbi); Senator Tijani Yahaya Kaura (Zamfara); Hon. Abdulkadir S. Usman (Kaduna); Hon. Muhammad Ali Wudil (Kano); Shamsu Sule (Katsina) and Nasidi Ali (Jigawa). The nominated board members are expected to contribute their wealth of experience and expertise to the commission's mandate of

developing the North-west region.

The NWDC aims to catalyse growth, economic empowerment, and social development in the North-west region, addressing decades of neglect and insecurity.

According to a statement, President Tinubu remains committed to supporting the NWDC’s mission to bring sustainable development to the North-west.

"Urgent attention must be given to enhancing collective security, lifting people out of poverty, and reducing injustice and inequality in society.

"In Africa, we face high levels of insecurity, alarming corruption, worsening poverty, huge youth unemployment, and gross inequality. Over 50 per cent of the world's multidimensional poor live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria and Congo both have over 60 per cent of their populations living in poverty and suffer from unacceptable levels of inequality.

Non-state actors have now taken over the security in some African nations.

"Furthermore, many African countries underinvest in critical areas of development, such as

health and education.

"Future African leaders must take bold, accelerated, just, and transformative actions to achieve far-reaching, people-centred development.

"They must confront insecurity head-on and reassure citizens of the state’s ability to maintain security without being undermined by non-state actors. Corruption must be tackled with vigour. Leaders must invest in critical areas of development to improve health and education while addressing poverty, unemployment, hunger, and other pressing societal challenges.

"Nigeria has all the resources needed to move in this direction, and we remain committed to placing the nation on the right path.”

North-central APC Group Vows to Appeal Suit Seeking Ganduje's Removal as Party’s National Chairman

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The North-central Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it will not allow the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje to cause disaffection and disunity in the party in the region, adding that the forum will appeal the Federal High Court ruling that dismissed its suit seeking Ganduje's removal.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, said they would pursue all legal means possible to ensure that the national chairmanship position of the party returns to the region.

The North-Central APC forum had dragged Ganduje, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before a Federal High Court in Abuja, praying for the nullification of the appointment of Ganduje as the national chairman of the party.

He, however, said that the interpretation of the 2022 constitution of the APC as amended, which outlined the zoning arrangement was neglected by the court, causing it to dismiss the case.

He said by the party's 2022 constitution, as amended, the zoning of the chairmanship position should go to the North-central and not the North-west region where Ganduje

hails from.

Zazzaga added that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution because it was not done through a democratic process as enshrined in the party’s law. But in his judgement on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the suit, observing that the APC North-central forum is not a juristic person and not registered in law. The judge added that it has no legal power to file the suit. Justice Ekwo noted that the plaintiff failed to explore the internal mechanism for peaceful resolution of issues before rushing to the court, adding that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party, which no court can dabble into.

But Zazzaga said his forum would appeal the judgement, and that they would pursue their cause to a legal and logical conclusion.

He said: "The North Central APC forum has been well recognised as a support group within the party since 2018, and the evidence of the letter of recognition as a support group is there.

"Besides, we are chieftains and members of the party alike, and as individuals and groups can express our grievances if we feel that the party’s constitution is being breached.

L-R: Mrs. Uchenna Akingbade; Mrs. Sola Adegbonmire; Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN); Mrs Rosemary Giwa-Amu; Mrs Titilola Akinlawon (SAN ), and Mrs. Florence Atuluku, at the reception heralding the commencement of

legal year 2024/2025 of the Lagos State Judiciary held at the High Court of Lagos State, Osborne Road, Ikoy i, Lagos…recently

GATHERING FOR CHARITY…

L-R: Member, Fundraising Committee, Mr. Yemi Awolokun; Media Personality, Mr Ik Osakioduwa; General Manager, Nigerian Red Cross Society Fundraising Committee, Lagos Branch, Mrs Gbubemi Uba; Chairperson, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos State Branch, Mrs Adebola Kolawole; SWISS Red Cross International Ambassador, Mrs Absa Keni; Member, Fundraising Committee, Mrs Yinka Ogunsilire; and another SWISS Red Cross International Ambassador, Mr. Crausaz Guillume, at the fundraising press briefing by the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos Branch…recently

Alleged N3.1bn Fraud: How I Delivered

to Suswam in His Residence, Witness Tells Court

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The sixth Prosecution Witness in the trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, Abubakar Umar, has narrated before the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, how in 2014, he converted the sum of N3.1bn wired to him by Suswam as governor, and delivered its equivalent of $15.8million in cash to him at his Maitama, Abuja residence.

This was revealed in a statement by the Head of media & Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dele Oyewale, yesterday.

Suswam, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1bn, being part of the proceeds from the sales of the state government’s shares held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited.

During the court’s proceedings, the witness, a bureau de change operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, who has been testifying on the matter since 2018, first, before Justice A.R Mohammed and later Justice Okon Abang, disclosed that the total sum of Suswam, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1bn

was transferred to him by Suswam, through a proxy in tranches with the first tranche of N413m hitting his account on August 8, 2014 and the remaining, coming in subsequently to sum up to N3.1bn.

Umar, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, affirmed that the proxy who did the naira transfers to him was a woman.

According to the witness, he had to change a total sum of N3.1bn to dollars, which he said amounted to $15.8 million at the rate of N197 to a dollar, and delivered it to Suswam in his Maitama, Abuja residence.

“One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him in his house in Maitama, Abuja. I went and met him in the house together with one fair woman. He asked me to give the woman my account number. I gave the woman my Zenith Bank account number. The woman said she’d send money into that account.

“On the 8th of August 2014, N413 million was transferred to my account. Based on this, I called the former governor and he told me to change the money to dollars and I asked him to give me time to do that. Three days after I bought the dollar equivalent, I called the former governor and informed him that the money was ready. He now asked me to take the money to his house in Maitama, near Jumat Mosque. I

My Biggest Challenge in Service was workers’ Resistance to Reforms, Says Yemi-Esan

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The immediate past Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, has revealed that her greatest challenge while in service was the resistance of civil servants to reforms.

The former HoS spoke at a dinner in her honour by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation which took place in Abuja. She explained that civil servants showed serious resistance to new reforms introduced during her tenure, particularly the resistance to changing old ways of doing things.

Her words: “Convincing them to accept a better way of doing things was a mountainous challenge. You know the initial reaction to anything new is resistance. To convince civil servants to accept our reforms was a big challenge.”

She also highlighted how collaboration was instrumental in facilitating digitalisation efforts

within the civil service and called for understanding with civil servants and greater collaboration between the public and private sectors to enhance civil service reforms.

“First of all, before we talk about legacies, I just want to acknowledge and thank God for the success. It is not what any human being could have done; so, I acknowledge the help of God. The partnerships, especially with the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, helped a great deal. They provided both personnel expertise and funding.

“But we were able to convince them by communication. We had communication with different stakeholders to ensure that they bought into the vision and what we were trying to do,” he added.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, praised the former HoS for her commitment and leadership.

now told him that he should inform the security at the gate that I was coming, if not they would not allow me access into the gate. I took a cab to the house, and after I arrived at the house, I knocked at the gate and they opened. I told them my name. They opened the first and second gates and I sat in the waiting room where he came and met me. I now brought out the money which we

both confirmed to be the equivalent of the N413 million. The exchange rate then was N197”, he said Testifying further, he said, “On the 12th of September 2014, N637 million was transferred to my account. After N637 million was transferred to my account, after like 40 minutes N363 million was also transferred into my account. On 13th October 2014, N630,008,50was also transferred to

my account. On 17th October 2014 1,0068,000 (One Billion, Sixty-eight Million) was transferred to my account. It is the woman who was directed by the former governor to do the transfers. The total money transferred to my account was N3 billion”.

The witness who stated that he was neither arrested by the EFCC for giving any testimony in favor of the defendant, nor threatened by the Commission to give evidence against the defendant, further disclosed that he did not have receipts for the transactions, so also no record book for them, stating that he buys dollars from his fellow retailers and only records based on discretion. Justice Lifu adjourned the matter till October 4, 2024, for continuation of trial.

NAICOM Boss Decries Impact of Inflation on Insurance Industry

Says brokers account for 70% of Nigeria’s insurance businesses

Nume Ekeghe

The Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, at the weekend decried the impact of inflation on the insurance industry.

Omosehin raised the concern at the Insurance Meet Tech (IMT) 2024 conference held in Lagos.

He described inflation as a major concern for the insurance sector, adding that rising prices affect both insurers and policyholders.

The commissioner, represented by the Head, NAICOM Lagos Control Office, Mr. Julius Odidi, noted that it would be difficult for insurance companies to operate profitably, especially if the cost of claims increases due to inflation.

“To mitigate this, insurers must carefully manage their investment portfolios, adapt pricing strategies, and maintain adequate reserves.

“It is critical to note that navigating

the current macroeconomic realities successfully would be a natural precursor and building block for the revitalisation of the insurance industry,” he said.

Omosehin promised that NAICOM had prioritised prompt settlement of all genuine claims, fair treatment of policyholders and utmost transparency, as some of the ways to boost the insurance industry’s image and support economic growth.

He noted that the commission resolved to give priority to the settlement of genuine claims, as that was the fundamental reason of its existence as an industry.

The commissioner stated that insurers needed to embrace digitalisation.

According to him, insurers must modernise their processes, enhance customer experiences through digital channels, and invest in technology to streamline operations.

“Adapting to changing consumer behaviours and preferences is equally

important, as offering online policy purchase, claims processing, and customer service can attract techsavvy customers,” he said.

In a related development, Omosehin, while presenting the outcome of a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) led by its president, Babatunde Oguntade, to the commission recently, said over 70 per cent of insurance businesses recorded annually were contributed by insurance brokers.

He said the visit underscored the pivotal place insurance brokers occupied in the nation’s insurance ecosystem.

According to him, this necessitated the commission’s intention to further strengthen and support its regulatory body so that it could effectively discharge its self-regulatory functions.

Omosehin said that the commission was ready to maximise the brokers’ vantage points and drive

the desired industry growth initiatives under its new leadership.

The NAICOM boss said the insurance industry had the potential to play a catalytic role in buoying the nation’s economy.

He said the industry’s current contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product must be enhanced to earn the industry its desired position within the nation’s financial ecosystem.

Omosehin said that the commission had been restructured into new directorates to meet the need for effective regulation of the ever-evolving insurance industry.

“The commission regulates professionals who operate in the private sector, and as such must adapt itself to the dynamism and dynamics of the sector for effective regulation,” he said.

Responding, the NCRIB President, Babatunde Oguntade, applauded the new leadership and management of NAICOM.

Stop Victimising Our Members, ASUU Tells FG

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the federal government to stop the alleged victimisation of its members across public universities in the country.

The union called on governments at all levels, especially the federal government, to fulfil all its agreements with the union to enable public universities to breathe.

Speaking while addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Sokoto, the zonal chairman of the union, Prof Abubakar Yabo, said the memorandum of action (MoA) signed between the union and the federal

government led to the suspension of their 2022 strike.

“Some of the agreements include the release of withheld three and a half months salaries due to the 2022 strike action, the release of unpaid salaries for staff on sabbatical, part-time and adjuncts appointments affected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“Others include the release of outstanding third-party deductions such as check-off dues and cooperative contributions, funding for revitalization of public universities captured in the 2023 federal government budget among others,” he said.

ASUU said rather than addressing what was mutually agreed upon, the

government through some visitors of some state universities in conjunction with some vice-chancellors of some federal universities and their governing councils, have resulted in victimisation and outright emotional assault of its members.

“The union notes with disdain that while government and respective university administrators are supposed to uphold the truth and protect the sanctity of the public university system, they now serve as agents of destruction of the same system they are meant to protect and promote,” the statement added.

The statement said the union is amazed at the attitude of “some overzealous university Vice Chancellors in the zone who have become intoxicated with power and, thus, resort to the unwholesome antics of tyranny and victimisation of innocent members of our union.

“The zone hereby calls on the concerned universities to thread the path of civility and global best assigned by treating university academics with the decorum they deserve.”

The union further disclosed “that the current economic hardships occasioned by the unpopular policies of governments at all levels have made the teaching and learning environment so unconducive and unbearable and as such, the government must protect and respect academic freedom.”

Editor: Festus Akanbi

08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

Independence: Tackling High Cost of Business with New Fiscal Incentives

broadcast to mark the nation’s 64th Independence anniversary on Tuesday, analysts said

tightening the noose on private businesses which are almost at the breaking point due to the rising cost production and burden of tax, among others, writes Festus Akanbi

Nigeria is marking its 64th Independence anniversary on Tuesday and expectations are high that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will unveil some economic the pervading tension in the private and business lives of Nigerians.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who gave the hint last week disclosed that the federal government is looking at granting outright tax the federal government will suspend more import duties for

the cost of production for businesses which has increased due to the weakness of the exchange rate and other policies introduced now contain a range of import duties, exemptions, lowering of more people, you will be given a tax break against it. So, a range Mr. President will in due course sign.”

Insulating Economy from Hostile Climate

economy in such a way to withstand the unfavourable climate in which they have found themselves in recent times.

With the rising cost of production, many companies are either shutting down completely or cutting down production with local initiatives with the tax burden, given the pains business owners go through to make ends meet in the face of the near collapse of infrastructure in the country.

It is in light of this that the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele was quoted as saying that the federal government is developing a system to provide tax relief to 95 per cent of Nigeria’s informal sector. less yearly will be exempt from the various taxes.

“We think that the informal sector comprises people who are trying to earn a legitimate living. We should allow them to be and support them to grow to a point where they can then have the ability to pay taxes”.

sector, the middle class, and the elite and that the committee was drafting legislation to implement the necessary changes to the country’s tax system.

He stated that the new laws will ensure that reviews are upheld

He also emphasised the need to raise the exemption threshold to pay taxes while struggling to make ends meet.

Lately, the Nigerian government has been intensifying taxation

The Gains

In his interventions, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Gbolade believed that the federal government’s policy of grantsuspending import duties for certain goods would help companies recoup losses due to the harsh economic environment.

He pointed out that “The high cost of doing business is one reduce the government’s projected revenue in the short run but will deepen economic growth in the long run.

“The present government is projecting a trillion-dollar economy but must expand the economy to the level where it can rise to meet such projections. The government’s tax policies will help businesses and improve the ease of doing business in the country. If these policies are properly implemented it will achieve the desired result,” he said.

Meanwhile, the rising cost of living in Nigeria has an impact on citizens’ well-being. It has steadily increased over time, with rates, government policies, and production costs all contribute to this.

Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), announced a surge from the initial N68 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Tax Receipts

These tax reforms come at a time of increased corporate tax

to cope with the country’s economic shocks.

Tax incentives are a vital component of government taxation reducing tax obligations. The United Nations Conference on

of business by a government, to encourage them to behave in a certain manner. Many nations, particularly developing ones, leverage tax incentives and waivers to attract both domestic and foreign investment in critical sectors of their economies. Nigeria, like many other countries, utilises tax incentives to foster investment, exports, and job creation, and alleviate unemployment.nesses operating in Nigeria. Inadequate power supply, unreliable transportation networks, and underdeveloped communication systems can increase operational costs and hinder productivity. Businesses are often forced to invest in backup power generators, which add to the overall expenses.

Taxation and regulatory compliance are essential components of any business environment. However, in Nigeria, these factors can become overwhelming burdens. High taxes and unpredictpotential investors. Moreover, navigating a complex tax system can lead to inadvertent non-compliance, resulting in legal issues and penalties.

It is in this light that economic analysts see the period of independence anniversary as a golden opportunity for the current administration to redeem itself by making life and businesses easy for Nigerians. The policies on fuel subsidy removal, foreign have combined to add to the people’s woes.

The rising cost of living which is also taking a toll on food production has added to the frustration in the land with the advised the government to remove all factors pushing away farmers from farms, insisting that Nigeria can still achieve food

Experts said that when the government pursues its policies

distant future. This is certainly the best independence anniversary gift that will make Nigerians happy.

President Tinubu NECA President, Okoye Edun, Finance Minister

MAN President, Meshioye

Consumer credit is a powerful driver of economic growth and job creation, argues ADEREMI ABDUL

THE WORSENING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF WOMEN CONSUMER CREDIT AS CATALYST

FOR ECONOMIC REVITALISATION

Nigeria’s economic growth and development hinge significantly on the strategic deployment of consumer credit. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to institutionalising consumer credit is evident in the establishment of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CreditCorp). This bold initiative has the potential to revitalise the economy, create jobs, and promote the growth of local industries.Consumer credit is more than just cash disbursement; it is a powerful driver of economic growth, demand stimulation, and job creation. Globally, consumer credit has been linked to increased GDP, higher consumer spending, and millions of jobs. Nigeria must tap into this potential.

consumer credit had been applied in Nigeria towards expanding the manufacturing and industrial sectors, creating employment opportunities, combating corruption, and catalysing economic growth. During the 1950s and 1960s, the government implemented policies that were aimed at stimulating industrial growth. Up until the 70s, consumer credit, primarily facilitated by private finance companies through hirepurchase agreements, was extensively used to finance the purchase of durable goods and capital equipment. This access to credit significantly boosted consumer spending, increased demand for locally produced goods, and supported the expansion of the manufacturing sector.

However, the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in the 1980s, which led to unrestrained importation and a high-interest rate regime, resulted in reduced credit availability and affordability for households. This shift severely impacted local industries that were mostly reliant on consumer credit, diminishing their ability to compete against cheaper imports and leading to the gradual decline of these industries, and ultimately resulting in the loss of millions of jobs.

At present, the consumer credit penetration in Nigeria remains critically low, comprising less than 10% of total private sector credit by banks and less than 3% of GDP. This was highlighted in the recent economic report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), comparing quite poorly to other peer African economies such as South Africa (40%), Kenya (10%), Egypt (12%) and Morocco (30%). This limited penetration is predominantly focused on cash loans, with minimal strategic use of consumer credit to drive the productive sectors of the

economy.

CreditCorp aims to address the current low consumer credit penetration - less than 10% of total private sector credit and less than 3% of GDP. Our strategy focuses on three key pillars: credit infrastructure, cultural re-orientation, and capital. The mandate of CreditCorp is to reverse this trend by removing structural, market, and policy barriers that are hindering the growth of consumer credit in Nigeria via the aforementioned three key pillars.

Firstly, we will strengthen credit infrastructure by collaborating with financial institutions, credit bureaus, and regulatory bodies. This helps to increase the number of consumers included in credit databases and while also improving the quality of credit information.

Secondly, we will promote financial literacy programmes to educate consumers on responsible lending and borrowing practices. This cultural shift is crucial for the sustainability of the consumer credit system. This will also help to change the historical perception among some consumers that consumer credit is some type of a government social welfare programme, with minimal or zero obligation to repay.

Thirdly, we will provide wholesale lending to expand consumer credit reach, particularly to underserved households. To attract local and international wholesale capital, we will offer guarantees that mitigate lending risks. The strategy is to transition from full reliance on public budgets to attracting local and international wholesale capital by offering guarantees that mitigate lending risks.

To avoid fueling mass importation of foreign goods, we will align consumer credit expansion with the President’s “Buy Madewill support industries manufacturing within Nigeria, creating a virtuous cycle where increased consumer demand leads to higher production volumes, achieving economies of scale and ultimately resulting words, CreditCorp is committed to establishing a balanced and sustainable consumer credit system that supports local industries, enhances purchasing power, and contributes to economic growth and stability. With the right approach, consumer credit can be a game-changer for Nigeria’s economy. We must seize this opportunity to unlock economic growth, empower citizens, and promote the rebirth of competitive ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods and services.

Otunba Abdul is the Chairman of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation.aderemi.abdul@gmail.

CHRISTIAN ITA contends that the current economic policies are impacting negatively on women and girls

ActionAid Nigeria recently launched two reports on the prevailing economic situation in the country and the attendant adverse effects on everyday lives of Nigerians, especially the female gender.

The reports which were an outcome of a meticulous research are respectively entitled “Austerity Measures, Poverty and of the Removal of Fuel Subsidies and Naira Floatation Policies On Nigerian Women,

The two reports are detailed, insightful and thought provoking. They expose the vagaries and sufferings Nigerians face daily, especially the female population, in the face of the economic policies of the current administration.

Subsidy and Naira Floatation Policies On

Nigerian women and girls are going through under current economic climate.

morally degrading strategies some women and girls have resorted to in a bid to survive the economic situation.

For example, in today’s Nigeria, to pay school fees, feed and take care of their personal needs, some female undergraduates in various institutions of higher learning who are either self-sponsoring or from poor homes now engage in disguised prostitution popularly known as hook up. They pay their fees and meet their personal needs with proceeds from the hook up trade which in essence is transactional sexual activities.

Similarly, some economically vulnerable women now pimp their underage daughters to dangers.

Street begging by able-bodied women and girls is equally on the increase just as uninvited appearances at social events for the purpose of getting free food. Trekking long distances as a result of skyrocketing transport fares is now a new fancy among the female gender. due to high costs has forced many housewives attendant health risks notwithstanding. establish low scale business, mostly roadside table businesses, according to the reports, more women have, in response to the current economic hardship, made a recourse to online

However, the online loan lenders have proven to be sharks and predators to the women with their( the online lenders) cutthroat interest on loans and the propensity to harass and embarrass defaulters, including the publication of their names and phone numbers online.

The ActionAid reports indicate that the economic policies of the government place women and girls in disadvantaged and disquieting positions in some critical sectors of the society in comparison to men in terms of survivability.

report revealed that 75 percent of female undergraduates who are averse to quasiprostitution to meet their personal needs and school bills are most likely to drop out of that more females than males are predisposed to either dropping out of school or not having access to education because of the policies. Similarly, the reports emphasize some women’s and girls’ lack of access to social While some of such women are in formal

employments, others are economically dependent.

The prevailing economic policies are equally impacting negatively on women and girls’ access to healthcare as could be gleaned from the reports.

of fuel subsidy, about 90 percent of women and girls have not been able to access health insurance. Poor wages are, according to the reports, attributable to this.

The studies have the overall goal of contributing to the building of a just and equitable economic policy environment embedded in a macroeconomic framework devoid of discrimination and inequality in a patriarchal society like Nigeria. Sadly, however, more women and girls have since May 2023 when the Tinubu administration introduced the economic policies suffered untold gender inequality more than ever before.

Decreased women and girls’ economic independence says ActionAid, means that their empowerment is generally affected government’s economic policies.

The reports under review indicate that there has been a downward slide in women’s economic making decisions. Mercifully, however, various women network groups in the country, according to study, have risen to the occasion by putting strategies in place to ameliorate the parlous economic situation. Many of these network groups play pivotal roles in providing economically vulnerable women and girls. The network groups are organized along socio-ethnic, cultural and religious lines.

ActionAid’s reports show that despite various coping strategies adopted by women and girls across the country, the stark realities of pitiable and worsening living conditions continue to stare them in the face.

Consequently, ActionAid believes and recommends the need to reverse the policies - fuel subsidy removal and among others, the enhancement of targeted at women entrepreneurs to help them start up and sustain businesses, implementation of vocational training and skill development programmes to enhance women’s employability and entrepreneurial capabilities, subsidizing healthcare, especially in the rural areas where poverty is prevalent, to make it more affordable, strengthening community health programmes and ensure they are adequately funded to provide basic healthcare services to women and girls. ActionAid also recommends enhanced targeted cash transfer programmes to vulnerable women and girls, ensuring they are directly reached; investment in community- based social protection and needs of women and girls in different parts of the country.

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

ISSUES IN THE BOBRISKY SCANDAL

The outcome of the inquiry should be made public, and culprits duly punished

Following allegations that controversial cross dresser Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky may have bribed his way to serve a recent sixmonth prison sentence in a private apartment, Service (NCoS) have been suspended by the federal government. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi

to probe the allegations. While allegations of bribery and compromise of critical agencies of government may not be new in the country, helping convicts to investigation should not be another cosmetic exercise that features a few scapegoats while the lucrative system that enables such malpractices and makes punishment remains unchecked.

We must recall that Bobrisky was arrested in April on six counts of money laundering and Naira mutilation. During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges and sentenced Bobrisky to six months in On 5th August, Bobrisky regained freedom after completing the sentence. But in a leaked audio by a unnamed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) collected N15 million from him to drop his money laundering charges. He also alleged that he served his prison sentence in a private apartment after his godfather contacted the NCoS Comptroller General, and that some lawyers have promised to secure for him a presidential pardon.

but also serve as a wake-up call for necessary reforms in our prosecutorial and correctional processes. The NBA shall appoint eminent members of the legal profession to monitor this situation and ensure that due process is followed.”

Custodians of our correc tional facilities have the primary duty of keeping convicts inside the available prison spaces. Any violation of this duty is a crime and should attract disciplinary penalty

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in calling for a thorough investigation of all the issues involved in this scandal. “The suggestion that convicts can freely serve their time in private residences and potentially procure a pardon by paying a bribe undermines the very foundation

Osigwe, SAN. “If these allegations are found to be true, it would not only mock our correctional system

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We endorse the stance of the NBA while we call on the federal government to be transparent in dealing with what has become a recurring scandal. In 20052006 in the Lagos area, 197 people convicted of drug ‘disappeared’ while the report of the Justice Gilbert racketeering was ignored by the federal government. In recent years, there have also been reports that NCoS verdicts through various dubious methods, including swapping real convicts for innocent people who are paid to serve their terms. Some prominent Nigerians have also been known to have fathered children at a period they were supposed to be in prison. In the wake of the scandal, the House of Representatives has commenced investigation in line with its oversight responsibility. Its committee has already summoned the EFCC Chairman, NCoS who broke the story, Bobrisky, and all other actors. Both the EFCC and NCoS have also instituted internal investigations on the matter. While these moves are not bad in themselves, they must not be used to scuttle the exercise as was the case in the past. Since Bobrisky scandal provides another opportunity for a we also hope that the probes will examine all the critical challenges, including why the prison system that reforms inmates in other countries hardens them in Nigeria.

Custodians of our correctional facilities have the primary duty of keeping convicts inside the available prison spaces. Any violation of this duty is a crime and should attract disciplinary penalty. Convicts who of imprisonment are equally culpable. If found guilty, Bobrisky should return to serve his term in real prison in addition to facing other charges of corruption.

MAIDUGURI FLOOD DISASTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Disasters could be manmade like civil unrest, wars, pollution or natural like in Maiduguri ravished the city and caused monumental damage. Many lives and property were lost, with many

for Nigeria to shift to a more proactive emergency management system which involves paying more attention to the mitigation, and preparedness. Effective emergency management goes beyond disaster occurring and distributing reliefs when they occur.

Mitigation aims to reduce the likelihood or impact of disasters . It

involves measures such as having early warning system in place restricting development in high-risk areas, promoting proper waste disposal to prevent blockages in drainage systems, ensuring people don’t build on water ways, fortifying infrastructure like dams, reinforcing critical structures, preventing deforestation to curb erosion, gathering intelligence to identify and address underlying grievances that may lead to civil comprehensive response plans, training personnel, and having the resources in place to respond to emergencies. It requires agility. For example, since there were warning signals about the been in place to evacuate people living in high risk areas to safe camps.

Better funding, coordination, collaboration and information exchange among key stakeholders, including the National Emergency Management Agency, State Emergency Management Agencies, local authorities, fire services, NIMET, and security agencies, are essential for a more proactive effective management system in Nigeria. It is imperative to

There is need for robust data gathering and analysis to enable effective identification of vulnerabilities, risk assessment and streamlining mitigation and response strategies. Nigeria should embrace the use of more technology in emergency management as the use of advanced tools like Geographical

Information Systems, remote sensing, predictive modelling, improve hazard monitoring and early warning capabilities. The flood in Maiduguri has emergency management system to be more proactive and agile in order to significantly reduce the risk of occurrence and impact of disasters. It involves a holistic approach, by ensuring proper town planning, carrying out integrity test on critical infrastructure like dams and fortifying when necessary, having early warning signal and evacuation plans, etc. Enough of the avoidable loss of lives and property in Nigeria.

Kenechukwu Aguolu, Kenerel1@gmail.com

Tobi Yusuf Driving Expertise in Event Planning

Her father wanted her to become a medical doctor, but she ended up working in a pharmaceutical company. Today, Mrs. Tobi Yusuf is renowned in the weddings and events industry in the United Kingdom, having planned and coordinated high-profile events for famed personalities like Nollywood star, Rita Dominic, and of course, the English rapper and singer, Stefflon Don. Vanessa Obioha captures her unexpected voyage into the world of weddings and events.

I Want the Heart of My Business to Be Committed to Building Relationships

It was her laughter that first greeted me—warm, gleeful, and full of life. Even over the call, it conveyed her vibrant personality often carrying a playful, mischievous undertone, as though she were about to share a prank. But that was just Tobi Yusuf: joyful and lively, a quality likely influenced by her position as the youngest in her family.

A UK-based events and wedding planner, Yusuf coordinated the famous Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic’s wedding in London in 2022. Originally from Ilesha, Osun State, she moved to the UK at 16, where she pursued her college and university education, eventually studying Biomedical Science. Currently working in the pharmaceutical field, Yusuf’s name is now synonymous with high-profile events and weddings. She is the founder of Riah Events and Weddings, London.

Her foray into events and wedding planning was not driven by a childhood dream or even a lifelong ambition. Her father had hoped she would become a doctor, but after realising she couldn’t stand the smell of hospitals, she abandoned that pursuit.

The flair for wedding planning, she disclosed, started after she planned her wedding.

“My sister was going to get married, and I got so excited, I started looking into colour schemes and bridals; I think that was when it hit me that I love planning weddings,”

of person who likes to solve other people’s problems,” she laughed. “Maybe I do it too much.”

Inspired by a sermon on becoming an employer, she began researching areas where she had expertise, asking herself introspective questions about her true potential and how she could make the most impact.

“What is my passion? What can I do with it? What can I do with my personality?”

These questions led her to event and wedding planning. She took courses, trained under a Nigerian wedding planner, and studied marketing with a British event planner.

“I was very particular in making sure that I know my craft very well before I go into it.”

At first, she identified only as a wedding planner but after the English rapper and Burna Boy’s former girlfriend Stefflon Don reached out to her to plan her birthday party as a wedding in 2022, Yusuf began to identify as an event and wedding planner.

Recalling her first contact with Don, Yusuf said she got a message from her team on Instagram.

“I remembered vividly it was in November, my birthday. I posted a reel of myself and 30 minutes later, I got a call from her PA that they had just seen my post and that she was going to call me in a few minutes when she was with Stefflon.”

It took a while before it dawned on her that this was for real. But what was more daunting was understanding her concept of having a birthday party that looked like a wedding.

“When she first told me, I was wondering how I could plan a birthday party like a wedding. But when she started talking about what she had seen on my Instagram page and how she would want something similar, it made sense. She said she loved my page.”

Don wanted her flowers to be white and gold, and a seven-tier cake.

“For a birthday party, you’re thinking about discos and big productions, right? You are not thinking about a seven-tier cake or lots of flowers.”

graduation parties, and traditional weddings to mention a few. But weddings remain her true passion.

“I have always loved attending weddings and celebrations. Just being a part of any celebration gives me joy.”

Therefore, when Nollywood actress Dominic decided to have her white wedding in England in 2022, Yusuf was called to coordinate the event. She explained the difference between coordinating and planning weddings.

“The wedding was planned by Rita’s sister, I coordinated it,” she began. “Planning a wedding involves everything from budgeting to finding venues, selecting vendors, and managing logistics. But as a coordinator, my role is to ensure that all the plans come together seamlessly on the day.”

For Yusuf, weddings are special because they signify the union of two people.

“I just love it when people connect.”

This passion for connection led to the creation of Love Connect. What started as just a gathering of friends over dinner on Valentine’s Day to discuss their relationships two years ago has now become a community for couples and singles to (re)connect, share experiences and glean insights.

“It was during St Valentine’s Day and I really wanted to do something special,” she recalled. “So I thought of having a private chef for me and my husband. But then I thought, ‘What if we have two of our friends and their spouses join us, and then we could talk about issues in our marriages and, you know, try to find out how to deal with them?’ My husband and I are very open so I knew he would not kick against the idea. And he didn’t.”

At the end of the day, more than two couples attended that dinner. She, as the planner, ensured that it was an unforgettable experience, coming up with creative ideas that would allow the couples to open up and reconnect with their partners. The outcome was a success. It became a therapeutic session for many of her guests.

“We had two or more gatherings and the conversations got deeper. The gathering became a safe place for them to open up to their partners.”

she recalled. “Even for a friend’s 25th birthday, I found myself browsing for venues and decor. It’s always been in me to be at the forefront of things like this.”

Still, her journey into professional event planning began later, after she had her first daughter and was on maternity leave.

“I was on maternity leave. Not that I was bored but I’m that kind

Yusuf and her team at Riah Events pulled it off spectacularly, and last December, she organised the Afro Royal Party 2.0 for the rapper, which was the talk of the town for days.

The wedding planner has since gone on to organise other memorable events such as bridal showers, wedding proposal parties,

She officially launched the first edition this year, extending the invitation beyond her friends. Through Love Connect, Yusuf has helped couples work on their relationships; from helping them with their communication skills to addressing other marital issues. Communication, according to her, remains a recurring issue in relationsh ips.

“We have to learn how to communicate with our partner. Ladies have to let their men know that this is exactly what they need from them and the men also need to understand them. It all boils down to having a clear communication and understanding between each other.”

“We are not therapists,” she clarified. “There are just times we need a space to open up and that’s what Love Connect has become. It is not a formal gathering; it’s just like a networking event where they can come in, have fun and talk.”

Beyond planning events, Yusuf said she is all about creating moments that people will cherish.

“I remember before my daughter turned one and I travelled with her, people said that she would be unable to remember the trip. But for me, it was not about wanting her to remember; it was the moment. I won’t forget it, because I’m living in the moment. So beyond planning events, I want to create unforgettable moments, and as I’m creating them, I want to build a brand that is beyond planning events, I want to build relationships. I want the heart of my business to be committed to building relationships and make my clients my family,” she concluded.

Yusuf

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

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

Aliko Dangote: A Legacy of Caring

When Aliko Dangote walks through a crowd, people notice him. He exudes an air of authority, yet his actions speak louder than words. He is a man who prioritises the interests of others, whether in business or philanthropy.

Dangote’s recent donation of N2 billion to flood victims in Borno is proof that he is committed to social responsibility. The donation is significant in view of the region’s many challenges. It also shows just how much Dangote is willing to support affected families, people that are strangers to him.

In contrast to his charitable acts to outsiders, Dangote’s establishment of a family office in Dubai is considered more normal. Critics believe that this move aims to protect his wealth in a changing global landscape. With his 13.2 billion dollars fortune, he is thought to be seeking security amid rising economic uncertainties. Captured in this light, this move stands apart from his philanthropic efforts.

In reality, Dangote’s Dubai family office is set to explore global investment opportunities. It marks a shift toward diversifying his portfolio beyond Africa. Moreover, his daughter, Halima, oversees this venture, ensuring family values remain at the forefront of the initiative. Of course, seeking stability in tax-friendly jurisdictions is not exempted as the initiative’s motivation.

While Dangote invests in his family’s future, he also champions Nigeria’s economy. The Dangote Refinery stands as a monumental achievement, one poised to reduce reliance on imported fuel and bolster foreign reserves. This project not only supports national interests but also underlines Dangote’s role as a catalyst for economic growth.

With Dangote’s dual focus on personal wealth and national development, he clearly fits the bill of balancing care for his family with a genuine concern for his country. His donations to Borno and the refinery’s contributions to the economy are examples of this duality.

So, in a world often dominated by selfinterest, Dangote’s actions shine through. He embodies the idea that “a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” This approach proves him to be an interesting figure who deeply cares for those around him.

Ambode’s Return to Public Admiration: A New Dawn with the Hyatt Regency

“When a man climbs a tree, he can see much farther than those on the ground.” Such is the case with former Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. After a quiet period following his single term as governor, things are now taking a turn for the better for him, especially since the completion of his new hotel, the Hyatt Regency.

The hotel, located in the upscale Ikeja GRA, stands tall on Ladoke Akintola Road, among other prestigious establishments like the Marriott and Radisson Blu. Yet, what sets it apart is the story behind it - Ambode’s shift from politics to hospitality, turning his dreams into reality.

Ambode’s pivot to this luxury hotel is significant for multiple reasons. The Hyatt Regency boasts 120 rooms of modern elegance, making it a prime destination for high-end travellers and

business elites. Its strategic location near Murtala Muhammed International Airport guarantees a steady stream of guests.

The grand opening of the Hyatt Regency is a personal triumph for Ambode. Denied a second term as governor, he redirected his focus toward a new goal. His perseverance has paid off, as the hotel was completed ahead of schedule. In addition to defying expectations, this has cemented the Epe man’s place as a successful entrepreneur.

But Ambode’s rise isn’t just about hotels and business. His relationship with the current Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has also seen a remarkable improvement. Once political rivals, the two have been seen in recent friendly exchanges.

This newfound friendship with SanwoOlu only adds to the positive momentum around Ambode. It also hints at a potential return to political relevance, alongside his business achievements.

As things continue to look up for Ambode, the Hyatt Regency is the brightest proof so far of his comeback. With his entrepreneurial success and renewed political alliances, it seems like providence is once again favouring him.

The Pitiable People of Zamfara: A Tale of Two Leaders

In a state plagued by banditry, Zamfara’s leaders engage in a public feud that only deepens the people’s despair. And what

can residents do but watch as Governor Dauda Lawal and former Governor Bello Matawalle hurl accusations at each other?

The rift between Lawal and Matawalle intensified following the 2023 governorship election. Accusations of banditry involvement and corruption have taken centre stage in their exchanges. And Matawalle’s recent appearance on television has only escalated the conflict with him challenging Lawal to swear on the Holy Quran regarding the allegations against him.

According to Matawalle, the claims of his involvement in banditry are absurd. Regarding his record, he pointed out that the total funds managed during his term were far less than the alleged embezzlement.

Observers are quick to note that Lawal’s leadership is under scrutiny amid the conflict. His criticisms of Matawalle have drawn mixed reactions, with calls for him to focus on tackling the banditry crisis. Senator Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor, is one of the

Helen Prest-Ajayi: Ageless Beauty Queen at 65

Helen Prest-Ajayi is a remarkable figure in Nigeria. She is best known for her diverse career as a lawyer, businesswoman, and beauty queen. At 65, her life story remains an inspiring journey of grace, fortitude, and dedication.

Born on September 17, 1959, she achieved national recognition at the age of 19 when she was crowned Miss Nigeria in 1979. This victory paved the way for her to represent Nigeria on the global stage at the Miss World pageant that same year. Yet, Helen did not limit herself to pageantry, going on to pursue a law degree at Obafemi Awolowo University and furthering her education at King’s College London.

Helen’s career as a lawyer spanned two decades before she shifted her focus to family and philanthropy. After stepping back to raise her three daughters, she

turned her attention to literacy advocacy. Recognizing the struggles many African children face in learning English, she authored educational books and promoted initiatives aimed at improving literacy in Nigeria.

Helen’s journey has not been without challenges. After the death of her partner, Dr Tosin Ajayi, in 2020, she faced public scrutiny and controversy. Despite this, she has maintained her dignity, choosing not to respond publicly to negative comments about her relationship. Instead, she continues to honour the legacy of her late partner.

Her 65th birthday, celebrated on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, is good proof of her enduring influence and ageless beauty. She remains an embodiment of timeless beauty and wisdom. Through her

most recent to advise Lawal to redirect his energy towards addressing the state’s security challenges.

In the backdrop of their feud, the people of Zamfara continue to suffer. Banditry has escalated, and is complicating governance and security efforts. And with political tensions diverting attention from pressing issues, citizens are left to question their leaders’ priorities.

Moreover, the media aides from both sides have also entered the ring and are actively adding fuel to the fire. Matawalle’s spokesperson thinks Lawal is wasting his time with witch-hunting instead of focusing on state development. Lawal’s aide counters that the governor’s agenda is not hindered by the ongoing conflict. University education is not needed to see that this is bickering between children, not leaders.

As all this is happening, the people of Zamfara are left to the whims of bandits. Is this how petty grievances play the Trojan Horse to suffering? With leaders like these, who needs callous bandits?

Prest-Ajayi work in law, business, and philanthropy, she has earned admiration and respect, making her an icon of Nigerian society.

The Other Side of Access Bank MD, Roosevelt Ogbonna

In the bustling halls of Access Bank, whispers of admiration often accompany the footsteps of the MD, Roosevelt Ogbonna, one reason being that he embodies the essence of quiet leadership. While many seek the spotlight, Ogbonna thrives in the background as he lets his achievements speak for themselves.

Since the return of Aigboje AigImoukhuede as Non-Executive Chairman, some have speculated about Ogbonna’s role. The perception has emerged that he is merely a stooge in this new order. However, informed insiders dismiss this notion. They assert that Ogbonna remains a key player, diligently working behind the scenes.

Ogbonna’s 2023 honour as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB) reflects his significant contributions, commitment, and expertise in the banking sector. Despite the accolades, he retains a humble approach and allows his work to define him rather than seeking attention. His steady ascent within Access Bank tells a story of relentless dedication.

Before assuming the role of Managing Director, Ogbonna held various leadership positions. His journey began as Deputy Managing Director in 2017, following his tenure as Executive Director in 2013. With over two decades of banking experience, he possesses

an unparalleled wealth of knowledge. His academic credentials are equally impressive, with degrees from prestigious institutions and various professional affiliations.

There’s also Ogbonna’s strategic vision which sets him apart in a competitive industry. His focus on driving growth for Access Bank has yielded significant results. Under his guidance, the bank has strengthened its reputation and market position.

It is true that Aig-Imoukhuede’s return sparked discussions about the future direction of Access Bank. Yet, Ogbonna’s role cannot be underestimated. By all indications great and small, the man is not merely a placeholder but a dynamic leader quietly shaping the bank’s trajectory.

Ambode

Ogbonna

Dangote

Matawalle

Why Goodluck Jonathan is Staying Away from Politicians

At a gathering not long ago, Goodluck Jonathan was asked if he would return to politics. He smiled warmly and gave no clear answer. The former president has mastered the art of saying much by saying little. But his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, gave a strong answer more recently: No!

Many Nigerians view him as a potential saviour in these hard times. The calls for his return are growing louder. The hardships under the current administration have left many yearning for Jonathan’s softer, more compassionate leadership. Yet, Jonathan seems disinterested in reclaiming political power.

Some say his lack of interest is due to the way Nigerians voted him out in 2015. He was ousted amidst intense criticism and accusations, which still sting. But Jonathan’s decision seems to be motivated by something

other than revenge. A few commentators believe that he is keen to avoid any political backlash from his mutual relationship with the current president, Bola Tinubu.

Jonathan is not a man who seeks confrontation. His diplomatic nature is well known. This is one reason he remains respected, even by those who once opposed him. His desire to stay away from politics may stem from a wish to maintain this peaceful stance.

While many pl ead for his return, Jonathan is more than cautious. He understands the volatility of Nigerian politics and the risks involved. For now, he prefers to stay in the background, offering advice where needed without stepping into the spotlight.

Fulfilling 80th Birthday of His Majesty Oba Rasheed Ladoja

At a young age, Oba Rasheed Ladoja was said to have an unusual charm. His schoolmates at Ibadan Boys High School often remarked on his leadership potential. This charm would follow him into adulthood, where he would rise to prominence in business and politics.

Born on September 25, 1944, Ladoja’s journey from Gambari village to governance began with a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Liège, Belgium. After working for Total Nigeria for 13 years, he transitioned into private business in 1985. His ventures spanned shipping, manufacturing, banking, and agriculture, establishing him as a significant figure in Nigerian commerce.

His entrance into politics came in 1993 when he was elected to the Nigerian Senate. This early political success was followed by his election as governor of Oyo State in 2003. Known for his independent spirit, Ladoja clashed with political heavyweights, leading to his controversial impeachment in 2006. However, he was

There’s an old story about a village market where two sellers became the subject of endless rumours. People said they were bitter rivals, always plotting against each other to sell more goods. But when asked, both laughed it off. They were simply doing their jobs, unaware of

reinstated later that year by the Supreme Court.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” applies well to Ladoja’s time in politics. Despite his reinstatement, his political journey was filled with trials, including legal battles and struggles with party power brokers. Yet, his fortitude through these challenges has earned him respect and admiration.

Even after leaving office, Ladoja remained an influential figure in Oyo politics. His run for the governorship in 2011 and 2015, although unsuccessful, solidified his status as a political leader. His later decision to become an Oba in 2024 marked a new chapter in his remarkable life.

Turning 80 on September 25, 2024, His Majesty Ladoja continues to lead a life worth celebrating. His contributions to Oyo State’s political and economic landscape are undeniable. His life story, marked by perseverance and charm, leaves an enduring legacy.

Calm Down… There is No Competition Between Bayo Adelabu and Zacch Adedeji

the drama imagined by others.

The same seems to be happening with Bayo Adelabu and Zacch Adedeji. Both men hold prestigious roles in the current administration. Adelabu is the Minister of Power, while Adedeji is the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). They come from Oyo State, and that has fueled speculation. But there’s no evidence of a rivalry.

Rumours about competition between them likely stem from their prominence and shared origins. Oyo State has a rich political history, and many people enjoy speculating about its future. However, holding high office does not mean one is angling for the governorship. The truth is often simpler.

Adedeji and Adelabu have carved out distinct paths. Adedeji’s career in public finance speaks for itself. His role at the FIRS and previous experience as Commissioner for Finance show his focus is on tax administration, not political ambition. Meanwhile, Adelabu’s strength lies in finance and banking, with

Resolving the Harbour Spirit Standoff: Tinubu’s Silent Efforts to Free a Blocked Oil Tanker

In February, a ship named Harbour Spirit was seized off the Bayelsa coast. The vessel, loaded with 88,000 litres of stolen crude oil, was held by men under Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo. Current reports claim that President Bola Tinubu, seeking resolution, has quietly dispatched his Chief of Staff to meet with Tompolo and resolve the issue. Why does this matter so much? Oil theft is not just a criminal act; it cuts into Nigeria’s wealth. The tanker incident is significant because it reveals the power Tompolo holds, not just in controlling vessels but in dictating terms.

For Tinubu, resolving this situation quietly is essential. Critics believe that the president knows that stirring up trouble with Tompolo could trigger instability in the Niger Delta. Sending his Chief of Staff was a cautious move, but will Tompolo be easily appeased, given his history and the high stakes involved in the oil

trade? Some commentators think otherwise.

Tompolo’s rise from militant leader to kingmaker in the oil security business demonstrates his unmatched influence. He has maintained his position by balancing between serving national interests and asserting control over the region’s resources. The fate of Harbour Spirit is just one episode in a much larger saga of power plays.

So, at the heart of this mess seems to be the raw power Tompolo commands. He controls more than just a handful of vessels; he holds sway over the region’s most lucrative commodity. The political class may talk tough, but they know a confrontation with Tompolo could spiral out of control.

As the saying goes, “When the snake is in the house, one must tread carefully.” The government’s careful negotiation with Tompolo proves how much power a single individual can wield in a nation rich with oil but poor in control. But it also shows a government willing to talk

DJ Cuppy: A Luminary in the Making

DJ Cuppy, born Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, embodies the idea that “… in the garden of dreams, the boldest flowers bloom.” She shines brightly, and is carving her path in a world rich with opportunities and challenges.

Cuppy has made history as the first British-Nigerian to host a session at the United Nations General Assembly. At the 2024 UNGA Summit of the Future, she captivated audiences with her keynote address and a spirited performance.

experience spanning the Central Bank of Nigeria and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

So why do the rumours persist? It’s human nature to look for drama where none exists. People see two successful men from the same state and assume competition. But in reality, both men are focused on their respective portfolios. They have little to do with each other in their daily work.

Insiders familiar with the situation have dismissed the idea of a rivalry. There’s no silent battle for political dominance. Both men are dedicated to their roles, working for the good of the country. The governorship of Oyo State is far from their minds.

In the end, Adelabu and Adedeji are just two professionals doing their best in challenging roles. They may cross paths in political discussions, but there’s no grand scheme to outshine each other. The rumours? They’re just that – rumours.

things out.

So, will a quiet negotiation work? Will Tompolo yield? Time will tell.

Her leadership at the Youth Action Day electrified the assembly. She inspired hope and dreams in her peers, especially as she discussed a future where she might become Nigeria’s first female president. This comment sparked a wave of excitement as it symbolises a shift in the narrative surrounding women in leadership. With laughter and warmth, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed added to the moment, saying, “After me,” showcasing support for Cuppy’s aspirations.

Cuppy’s role at the UNGA is proof that youth cannot be excluded in planning for a better tomorrow. Commentators now agree that her passionately engaging in both entertainment and philanthropy is the spark for meaningful change; and that her words and music resonate, and are inspiring the next generation to take bold steps toward their dreams.

It must be remembered that through The Cuppy Foundation and Cuppy Africa Scholars Fund, Cuppy has been offering critical support to African students facing financial hardships. And this is only the most public of her many philanthropic doings. It is also one reason her declared ambitions will certainly inspire a growing movement of female leaders aiming for the highest echelons of governance and business.

A new era is dawning. In a world yearning for change, DJ Cuppy really is one of the boldest flowers to bloom. Given the breadth of her brilliance, Cuppy is not just remarkable; she is a symbol of hope and transformation for generations to come.

Jonathan

DJ Cuppy

Ladoja

Tinubu

Adedeji

OWN PIECE

After the Edo election, I looked out for my brother’s comments. I love reading him, even though I do not understand one word of what he says but for humour and a poke at a deaf and dead society, I read him.

Oya see what he reportedly said about the election.

“This election is a jiggery-pokery executed by mephistophelean and accepted by megalomania and kakistocratic gbegbe post braggadocio after excessive ratiocination and phantasmagoria. Describe it as a pooh-pooh and odoriferous election superintended by gargantuanly insalubrious bequeathing edolites bugaboo, malodorous and insalubrious government, it’s akin to a conundrum, it’s egregious. How can a polling empire condone sky-high mendacious and fallacies in modern age? Therefore, we must demur against demuren, no onomatopoeic extrapolation intended. The quotidian stentorian atribilous ululation is abyssopelagic. The country is on a precipice of apocalyptic crepuscule with this kind of electoral malfeasance. The ungaga kungaga continues ad infinitum.”

Need I say more? Mbok go buy dictionary. Thank you.

Asue Ighodalo: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

I am not that politically naïve. I knew that the Edo State governorship election would come out just the way it did. As I stared at all those governors and their Senate President lined up to give their candidate their support, they all looked like “toy soldiers” in my eyes and I wished them the same fate that came to Humpty Dumpty in that famous poem they taught us in nursery school.

I looked at men who had stopped being men, men who stood there to raise their glasses in the face of the most blatant robbery in our electoral history, men whose consciences had frozen up. I did not see leaders there, but stone-cold mutants who had signed up to join an army led by an ancient vampire whose thirst for blood would make dracula cringe in fear.

I have heard all sorts of banal justification since the election. The same justification that impoverished Nigerians, given to explain away the madness. Ohhh they both did it, the other party just did it better. Ohhh it was Obaseki that they voted against, he had fought the Oba. Ohhhh Asue was

BOBRISKY, FALZ, VDM: A BABEL OF CLOWNS

While you were asleep, clowns were in the circus. So it happens that this person they call VDM on social media and who always comes out like someone who hasn’t taken his bath for ages, came across a private discussion between his arch foe, Bobrisky – the sensational man/woman who just came out of “prison” and a friend.

In the said discussion Bobrisky was said to have claimed that he paid N15 million to get the charges against him dropped and that he also was able to secure decent accommodations out of the prison during his recent incarceration.

The recording also pulled in Falz, the handsome musician son of legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) who was meant to assist him/her in procuring something for N3 million.

As expected, Falz has run to his fathers’ chambers and a long-worded letter has been sent to VDM seeking a public apology and asking him to bring down the posts because it is defamatory not only to Falz but to Daddy, which I agree with.

In the video, VDM is seen to be shouting – if this is true… how can the great Femi Falana be…

Now VDM has gone to hire a baby lawyer who has also fired back that

inexperienced. Ohhhh they should not have fought Shaibu. Ohhhhhh they should have brought Olu into their fold…

My people, the fact on the ground and with what we have seen, the credibility of this victory is one of the most leprous ever. It is like someone walking into your house and openly defiling your wife and blaming you for it. Yes, that is what happened as the people’s mandate was once again stolen.

For me, however, I see an opportunity and this is why I remain excited at this occurrence. I am very happy that this has happened because it must continue to happen as part of the process of change and my advice to Asue is to go the Gani Fawehinmi way.

In fighting the military despots of the 90s, Gani resorted to the “toothless” judiciary. How do you sue people who have seized power on the back of armoured tanks and who gloat that they have a monopoly of “legitimate force” and expect anything to come out of it? But the man knew what he was doing, he was chipping away at

they will do no such thing, and to add more fire, EFCC has thrown up an investigation and has summoned all parties including VDM who said he will nor honour the invitation until EFCC concludes its internal investigation. The Ministry of Interior, I think, has also commenced their own investigation and it is all so exciting.

Finally Bobrisky has issued a statement denying all of that and saying the recording was fake.

Now I am the “Icheoku.” They are all in my magistrate court sitting at Onipanu bus stop in Shomolu and I am about to deliver my judgement, so silence in court…

All parties in my estimation are clowns including EFCC and prison authorities. Let me start with them because na their own really concern us.

Now, if the honourable minister is trying to say that this is the very first time he is hearing of this possibility where people jailed are not serving in prison or are being given unfair advantages and luxuries over other normal prisoners, then he must change both his optician and ear, nose and throat doctor. Let me leave it at that and if the EFCC chairman is also saying the same thing, then his own case is worse than that of the

their credibility, slowly but surely chiselling away at their legitimacy, throwing them up in their nakedness and showing the world their true nature - naked fascist. Over time, Nigerians and the world saw them for what they truly were – despots. And you could see the jubilation that came with the death of the dark googled one, leading to the massive yearning for democracy.

So, my brother, this is the path you must tread. Run to the courts knowing fully well like Gani that nothing will come out of it, but also like Gani with the strategy of exposure, aiming at the credibility and pushing towards public enlightenment of the “captivity” we now have found ourselves.

We must all know that we are no longer free-born children in our own land and that “humpty dumpty” and his men – those ones who lined up in Benin during the elections and many more now fully have us tied down and enslaved.

Asue, go to court, move through all tiers, you will lose at all tiers, but still go because the strategy is simple – it is the Gani strategy. We will meet in court. Thank you.

minister.

I had said at the time of Bobrisky’s arrest that this matter would lead to prison reforms and people laughed at me. You see now. We will now have these reforms instituted by hook or crook if for nothing else but to save face because these allegations, true or not, are a total embarrassment to the system.

Now Mr. VDM, in your haste to achieve whatever are your goals you miss something very critical. A man is entitled to his privacy. You get hold of a private conversation of a man to his friend and the next thing is you throwing it to the public. That is an infringement on his rights to privacy and if we were in America, you are in jail right now. How did you procure the recording and in these days of AI, how are you sure that it is truly Bobrisky talking? He has kuku come out to say it is fake like I would do and the onus will be on you to prove its originality. In his shoes, I would not release my gadgets to you because they are private property and you would have to prove in court that my gadgets are a threat to national security or an accessory to a crime to get a court order asking me to release them and that I assure you would be herculean.

Yes, you have defamed the well-

PATRICK OBAHIAGBON: HIS

Ighodalo

Bobrisky

Obahiagbon

Adeyanju

Sunny Ade

respected Femi Falana. Yes, you tried to be coy by qualifying your statement with the word “if” in my court, you have defamed the Baba and you must apologise very quickly.

Bob, you na wahala. If that recording was true which I really hope is not, then you talk too much. Even if you cut those deals, those deals are deals you never tell a soul o. You go to your grave with them, which one is carrying phone and be spilling the beans like a mumu when everything and everything can be hacked?

Nobody talks anyhow on phone anymore, even on Whatsapp and you of all people should know that.

So, I find VDM guilty, he should immediately apologise, send three cartons of schnapps to Baba Falana and go take a bath. EFCC and the prison authorities are guilty. They should institute robust reforms of their processes and facilities. This should be an opportunity to do a personnel audit with the aim of fishing out the chaff in their system. Falz, I hold judgement as I am still looking closely at the matter. I will revert next week.

Baba Falana, please sir, ema bi nu. Na children mischief. Please don’t vex, just try and send for all of them and pull their ears.

Bobrisky, I sentence you to one year at the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital, something is truly wrong with your head.

DEJI ADEYANJU: BABY LAWYER TO THE RESCUE

No be last year this one graduate from Law School? Abi don’t we remember the day he graduated that he and his brother went straight to the front of EFCC office to “fight” gatemen, complete with lawyer robe for hand and cap?

Today, he has entered matter defending VDM who needs to go take a bath. His inexperience glaringly showed in his response to the threepage summons released by famous Femi Falana SAN Chambers. The summary of his one-page submission from what I can glean is that there is no defamation and all of that.

Ema gbami o, if VDM no careful, this his lawyer will be the end of his career o. There is defamation, even me sef I know. Pulling in the great SAN’s name into a matter that comes with so much public oprium is defaming and you must be able to prove beyond every reasonable doubt that he was involved in any way.

Better withdraw that post and issue the apology very quickly cause if we go by Falz submission, Baba was not even involved in all the talk- it was Bob who, according to Falz, reached out trying to beg for N3 million to subvert justice, and it was Bob, according to your recording which you still have to prove its authenticity, who pulled in the Falana hierarchy. Deji my brother, you have to crawl before you walk. That your letter was hastily written, without depth and with no real intelligence. In fact, those typists wey dey hang around the magistrate court at Sabo can write a better letter or even those ones that used to help us write an affidavit. Withdraw that letter and go and do junior lawyer in big chamber for like two years before you try again, this one no be am. Thank you.

AKINWUMI AMBODE: WHAT AM I HEARING?

I am hearing small small whispers that are getting louder everyday o. Baba has not mentioned it to me o, maybe he has not heard. Last time we spoke, I begged him to buy tickets to come and see my play Gowon,

he bought and did not come which is very ok. The money is the most important. Anyway, I am hearing that some people are muting his candidacy as a possible successor to my brother Governor Sanwo-Olu who has done very well as Governor of Lagos State. They are really muted and cowardly talks o. In fact, the person that told me swore me to secrecy but as he did not give me afang to eat, my vow to him does not hold.

They said that his only barrier is Senator Aburi, I hope I spelt that one name correct o. They said that one who used to be a bank MD is well positioned for the plum job and may well be the main contender, but that with the way Ambode performed in his first term especially in infrastructural development, that he may just get the nod.

Well, these are pepper soup joint talks. His Excellency has been dodging my calls since he refused to come see the play and I am kinda happy sha

because I sold his seats for a profit, and as such I have not been able to discuss this matter with him. Personally, I would really like for him to come back for very selfish reasons – VIO and LASTMA don show me for Lagos, so that I will get a car plate with an insignia ‘Aburo Governor’ on it.

ANTHONY JOSHUA: A DRUNKEN PERFORMANCE

The way this fine boy is going, one agbero in Oshodi will soon be able to beat him o. The man will be rubbing cream and looking like a fine boy but cannot collect blows. Which one is that one that they just gave him one blow and he just fall scatter like a drunk in ‘man must wack’ canteen at army barracks in Yaba. Mbok, the thing pain me o because I had bet N200,000 that he will win. Now I have lost my money and that was my Band A power bill for the month. Now, I am writing in darkness and sweating.

HERE ARE MY CANDIDATES, MR PRESIDENT

My all-time powerful president, how are you today? I hope you are very well relaxed and enjoying your mandate. I can see that more people are still standing on your mandate and that is very good. Sir, the main reason I am writing to you this morning — in my boxer shorts and under the heat is because we are on Band A and the thing don finish — is to thank you for this news we have heard of an impending cabinet reshuffle.

Lord el-presidente, this is long overdue and my plea is that in reconstituting this cabinet, think legacy, think good and honest hands that can help you build a legacy that would put you in a solid position with them Awo and Azikiwe and

Ahmadu Bello. However, these are my candidates –Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Temi Popoola, Mustapha Chike-Obi, Jalo Waziri, Nazir El-Rufai, Bola Adeshola, Donald Duke, there is a doctor in the VP’s office. I think she was inherited from Osinbajo. I cannot remember her name o. But she is dark, beautiful and very cerebral, ask DSS, they will know her. Akinwumi Ambode should also be given an opportunity. These are the ones I can vouch for sir. Please send me your email address or your Whatsapp number so I can send their full resumes. I am also available to discuss with you these names and why I want them on board. Shebi na me and you dem give mandate abi? LOL

This was just one more bad defeat. The way he was jumping at the beginning of the fight, you will think he will destroy the opponent. In fact the people who were betting with me, were saying we should cancel. Me, with overconfidence said no and the next thing na blow. Before I know what’s happening, aburo fall scatter legs, come even fart on top, my money go. Please who should I reach out to for a refund because I don’t know who send me this kind message. Should I approach his state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun or Afenifere or what? I am confused o. Which kind wahala is this one na?

RMD: A SPLENDID EVENING WITH THE ICON

I spent a lovely evening in Uyo recently with this icon. RMD was the marquee personality at the just concluded Uyo Fashion Week promoted by my sister – Lady May. The show was so glamorous that I wept. Beautiful models, talented designers, wonderful food- my people I chop afang that the thing almost comot for my head.

But the beauty of it all for me, was the nice quiet evening I spent with RMD in his palatial hotel room. We spoke about a lot and he came out as very brilliant, deep and esoteric. Still very handsome and sharp, he mesmerised me with his outlook and approach to life. Well done sir, you have been an inspiration.

NANCY OSIME’S DAZZLING ATTIRE

My people, I died and woke up three times sitting on the front row of the Uyo Fashion Week last weekend. My people, that was how we were sitting, crossing legs and they announcedNancy Osime.

Mbok, I hope no small child is reading this page o. The woman came out in one cloth that showed everything o. My people, the hall scatter, me that I was sleeping, woke up and lo and behold the most beautiful apparition that I have seen in a while o.

The shape was illuminous, the skin was dazzling, the face angelic and the hair gold. There was a yellowish patch where the – you know what –was positioned. My people, the whole ensemble left almost nothing to the imagination.

For the next thirty minutes, the question was – what is she wearing, can you see anything, look closer you will see the pubic hair, no it is not pubic hair, it cannot be yellow, but she dyed her hair yellow so maybe she also don dye that place.

My people she did a great disservice to the models and fashion designers as the debate distracted the whole hall, throwing us into a frenzy of argument as to if she was truly naked or not. Even at the airport the next day we were still arguing and they now came and put her beside me on the plane to Lagos. Please call me on the number on top of this page and ask if I asked her about her pubic hair or not….

KING SUNNY ADE: SYNCHRO SYSTEM KSA, I heard, was 78 years old last week. I was first introduced to him by a pepper grinder in Shomolu. Every Sunday morning, my mother would send me to go and grind pepper so that she could make stew, and I would go to this pepper grinder who also had a record store. As he grinded the pepper, he would be playing KSA and I would get intrigued. I fell in love with him and am still in love with him. Let me wish him a happy birthday and to also let out a small secret- something is going to happen to him this December. Start saving oooo.

Tinubu

More Controversies Trail Lagos Politician Babatunde Gbadamosi

Babatunde Gbadamosi, otherwise known as BOG, is not new to controversy. Since he joined the murky river of Nigeria’s politics, he has been involved in one conflict or the other.

He is once again enmeshed in yet another scandal. This time around, it has nothing to do with politics, but marital. It all began two years ago when his wife, Folashade reportedly kicked him out of their matrimonial home for what our source said was a case of an alleged infidelity on the part of Gbadamosi. Other people close to the couple claim that it was a result of the overbearing and nagging attitude of the wife, who is reportedly richer than the politician.

While many had thought that Gbadamosi had put the experience of the marriage crash behind him, the story took another twist recently when he was taken to the cleaners following his social media interview where he purportedly owed Redbrick Homes International Limited, a multi-million naira, Amen Estate.

Society Watch gathered that in instantaneous response, the law firm of Babalakin & Co, lawyers to Redbrick Homes International Limited, Amen City Ltd, Ashlead Estates and Ms Folasade Balogun refuted the claims by the former chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). According to the firm, Gbadamosi, a former director of the companies, voluntarily resigned from his position and relinquished all his shareholding interests as of July 2021.

“For the avoidance of doubt, once upon a time, Mr Gbadamosi, a full-time politician, used to be a sleeping partner/shareholder without any financial investment and one of the Directors of Redbrick Homes International Ltd, but he has since voluntarily transferred, for consideration, the entirety of his shares in Redbrick Homes Intl Ltd and has also resigned his directorship of its Board since July 1, 2021,” read the statement.

It was gathered that since the story was made public, Gbadamosi has once again recoiled back into his cocoon, leaking his wounds.

Her regal majesty, Olori Temitope Adeyeye-Ogunwusi, wife of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi is known for her philanthropy. She established the Hope Alive Initiatives, an NGO which brings succour to the downtrodden and puts smiles on the faces of many.

The Olori, who is also a princess from the Adesegun Ibipe royal dynasty in Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State, was recently honoured in Maryland, US when she was hosted by the descendants of AgoIwoye in Maryland and Baltimore to a dinner. It was an evening with a flagrant display of cultural and traditional aesthetics.

She also used the opportunity to speak about her pet project aimed at giving quality education to children from the suburb part of Nigeria.

The graduate of Business Administration from the University of Lagos recently received a lifetime achievement award in celebration of the International Day of Peace at the Senegalese Permanent Mission office to the United Nations in Manhattan, New York.

The UNESCO award was presented by Guy P. Djoken, Chairman of the U.S National Commission for UNESCO clubs. This highlighted the charitable works of Olori Temitope as a woman giving wings to African children to fly. Djoken emphasised her quest for the development of her immediate society which she has continued to champion with much gusto.

While receiving the award, Olori Temitope said the award is a testament that she is doing something right and she vowed not to relent on her efforts to touch the lives of the downtrodden as much as possible.

Accolades for Dupe Olusola as She Arrives the ‘5th Floor’

Modupe Olusola is, by every standard, a woman of pride and envy for her gender. She is successfully thriving in a maledominated world with her brilliance, intelligence, suave and finicky nature. These attributes distinguish her in the banking, agricultural, and now the hospitality sectors where she currently operates.

Blessed with ravishing beauty and a graceful gait, Olusola who is a graduate of the University of Leicester and the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, has a very sociable and affable personality.

As the head of Marketing at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Olusola

Power Couple, Gbenga and Adetutu Afolabi Celebrate Partnership

Adetutu Afolabi, the dynamic Managing Director of Wellness Group, a leading healthcare giant, is a shining example of a woman living her dreams and embracing her aspirations. Her unwavering commitment, sharp business acumen, and clear vision have revolutionised her business landscape.

One of the cornerstones of her success is the robust and symbiotic partnership she shares with her husband, Gbenga Afolabi. Together, they have set a new standard for aspiring couples, showcasing the immense benefits of a solid partnership in marriage and business. Their journey, marked by sweet and bitter experiences, is a testament to their resilience. They have weathered every storm with grace and strength, thereby inspiring others with unwavering determination. Today, their tireless efforts and perseverance are yielding bountiful

dividends. Their business empire continues to soar with an ever-growing list of prestigious clients.

Those who know Adetutu personally are not surprised by her accomplishments, as her passion and drive for success began to manifest from her early years. Her rise to prominence simply fulfils a destiny she has long been destined for.

A pharmacy graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Adetutu has remained resolute in navigating the turbulent waters of business with integrity, hard work and faith. Her success story continues to inspire many women who aspire to balance building a thriving business empire with fulfilling roles as wives and mothers.

As the famous saying goes, ‘When the snail crawls, the shell follows’, Adetutu and her husband continue to grow astronomically as a unit and a formidable team, united by their shared values and vision for the future.

invented innovative ways that contributed to the bank’s leap in fortune. This propelled her to the top echelons, and today she is the second female to wear the title of CEO of Transcorp. Since 2020, when she assumed the role, Olusola has gained investors’ confidence, with increasing Returns on Investment (ROI), while customers of the hospitality hub in Abuja commended the innovative ways of service delivery. Last Thursday, September 26, Olusola’s joy knew no bounds as she gracefully joined the golden club. It was gathered that her colleagues and friends gave her a surprise birthday package, and celebrated her success with an outpour of appreciation and tributes.

Recently, the power couple enrolled at Hult International Business School for their doctoral degrees in entrepreneurship to further hone their business and leadership skills. The focus, as gathered, is to master areas such as management, financial decisions, and risk analysis.

Festus Keyamo: The Aviation Maestro Transforming Nigeria’s Skies

When Festus Keyamo assumed the role of Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the aviation sector was in a shamble, plagued by policy stagnation, crumbling infrastructure, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness.

But Keyamo, with his unwavering determination, strategic brilliance, and collaborative spirit, has emerged as a true saviour, single-handedly rescuing the industry from the brink of collapse.

Keyamo’s bold decision to halt the controversial national carrier project, which had been entangled with foreign interests, marked the beginning of a new era – one where the focus shifted from dependence on foreign entities to empowering homegrown solutions. This visionary move paved the way for a more selfsufficient and resilient aviation industry.

Faced with the stalled construction of the critical

second

the longstanding land disputes. Through open dialogue and strategic diplomacy, he brokered a deal that allowed the vital infrastructure project to resume, showcasing his hands-on leadership and problem-solving prowess.

Keyamo’s impact extended to Lagos as well, where he swiftly addressed the shutdown of Runway 18R, rallying his team and mobilising the necessary resources to tackle the issue headon. His unwavering commitment to resolving critical infrastructure challenges has breathed new life into the aviation community, inspiring hope and confidence in the sector’s future.

But Keyamo’s achievements go beyond infrastructure. He tackled the daunting challenge of Nigerian airlines’ inability to access dry leasing options, a roadblock that

had forced them into unsustainable wetleasing arrangements. Leveraging his legal expertise, Keyamo spearheaded the signing of the Cape Town Convention, a landmark achievement that not only restored Nigeria’s standing in the global aviation community but also paved the way for airlines to secure dry leases, unlocking new avenues for growth and improved service delivery.

Keyamo’s vision extends beyond quick fixes, as he has initiated policy reforms and laid the groundwork for long-term, sustainable progress in the aviation sector. His meticulous approach to governance and steadfast dedication to elevating Nigeria’s global aviation standing have proved that even the most complex challenges can be overcome with the right strategy and leadership.

Gbadamosi

Ogunwusi

Afolabis

Keyamo

Abuja

runway, Keyamo displayed his exceptional negotiation skills, engaging directly with the Jiwa community to resolve

ARTS & REVIEW ARTS &

A PUBLICATION

A Master Driven by His Vision of Art for Identity’s Sake

As Nigeria navigates the complexities of its post-independence identity, the enduring legacy of Bruce Onobrakpeyaservesasabeaconforartisticinnovationandculturalpride,writesOkechukwuUwaezuoke

Sixty-four years on the path of independence, and Nigeria navigates a whirlwind of a Great Awakening. Old certainties crumble as a new landscape emerges—a scenario that would have left Newton scratching his head but would have been deemed possible and progressive by quantum physics.

Throughout this journey, Nigeria’s art maestro, Bruce Onobrakpeya, remains a catalytic agent of change—one that straddles eras and bridges generations of changing tides in the local art scene. Recently turned 92 on August 30, the artist affirms that art has been an engine room of this change. His legacy, meanwhile, serves as a beacon, illuminating the path forward.

Onobrakpeya’s vision for art is one of purpose and impact. Technique, he believes, is merely the key to unlocking the deeper meaning. “Art should be a bridge connecting us to our roots, our stories, and our collective soul,” he recently intimates to his midmorning visitor at his Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos home and studio. “In essence,” he adds, “true artistry lies not in the method but in the message it conveys.”

Recent developments at Onobrakpeya’s biannual Harmattan Workshop in Agbarha-Otor, a rustic Delta State town, meanwhile, suggest a paradigm shift. The workshop’s two-week residency now showcases artworks in a purpose-built gallery, allowing participants to learn from and draw inspiration from fellow artists.

Moreover, the long-running workshop has since inception in 1998 witnessed a gradual shift in focus from relying on stones from Okpella, Edo State, to exploring locally sourced clay, utilising resources available in the host environment. This adaptation not only promotes sustainability but also fosters a deeper connection with the local community. The February edition (February 11-24), themed “Folklore; Myth and Legends,” for instance, showcased this innovative approach. Remarkably, it attracted an unprecedented number of international participants: eight from Côte d’Ivoire, two from the Congo, one each from Austria and the USA, and others from francophone African countries (Benin Republic, Togo, and Cameroon).

So far, by forging its own path, this art gathering has played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s art renaissance, shifting perceptions and fostering a newfound appreciation for art as a viable profession, evidenced by a surge in art exhibitions, artist recognition, and community engagement.

Back to the artist, whose studio practice forms the cornerstone of the biannual workshop. As a founding member of the Zaria Art Society, established during his student years at

the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology (NCAST), Zaria (1958–1962), he played a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s modern art movement. This trailblazing collective aimed to decolonise Nigeria’s visual arts, integrating Western techniques with indigenous perspectives under its “natural synthesis” philosophy.

Against this backdrop, he undertakes a profound reimagining of the Christian narrative on the personality of Jesus Christ, the embodiment of Divine Love,Who sought to liberate humanity from its destructive paths. Yet, His message of resistance from the entrenched religious powers of His time, exposing the subsisting tension between revolutionary spirit and entrenched dogma, which curiously reworks itself in the psyche of the modern-day

devotee.

Reimagining the Saviour Christ Jesus in vibrant West African robes? That—in the eyes of a conservative devotee in the early post-colonial years—was nothing short of a daredevil move, one that was even akin to outrage. However, the nonagenarian artist wasn’t one to court controversy. No, it wasn’t in his character, then or now.

In 1966, Onobrakpeya’s artistic career had undergone a transformative shift, an epiphany of sorts, while teaching art at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos. That year, a passionate Catholic priest, Father Kevin Carroll, who had served in Nigeria since 1947, sauntered into his world, sparking a creative revolution. This revolution led to “The Stations of the Cross” series the following year. Carroll, credited by Onobrakpeya as a key contributor to the Zaria Art Society’s natural synthesis theory, thus inspired a bold new vision: merging Nigerian art traditions with Christian narratives. Fast forward to decades later, Ono-

brakpeya’s “The Stations of the Cross” series—a 14-panel mural illustrating the Passion of Christ, originally produced for St. Paul’s Catholic Cathedral in Ebute Metta, Lagos—now graces the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., a Smithsonian Institution branch in an ongoing exhibition. Previously showcased in Atlanta, it continues to captivate audiences.

This artwork seamlessly weaves faith and identity, sparking profound core lurks a powerful message: Christ’s universality transcends bord ers and cultures. “These are pieces that speak about our spirituality as a people,” the artist’s son, Dr. Mudiare Onobrakpeya, told an interviewer.

His father, he added, was not interested in depicting Jerusalem’s historical people, but rather focused on the “‘Christness’ in all of us.” This was as he acknowledged that the murals initially met with resistance at that time because the public deemed them revolutionary. “He took a leap of faith and anchored the fact that perhaps Christ, too, was one of us in spirit.”

In this daring remake that questions colonial narratives while reclaiming Africa’s rich past, Onobrakpeya’s work proclaims that Christianity is also African, lively, and living, rather than simply Western. In his opinion, depicting the Saviour at home in a Nigerian city surrounded by local architecture and rhythms makes His Message relatable to a local audience. Ditto the use of local fabrics as a potent symbol of cultural resistance.

Meanwhile, as Nigeria muddles its way through towards an uncertain future, his legacy will endure, guiding future generations toward cultural exploration, expression, and celebration.

A painting from the Stations of the Cross series

The crucifixion scene reimagined

Onobrakpeya

INTERNATIONAL

International Intrigues and Israelo-Hamas War: The Case of the 79th UNGA

The 79th UNGA, like the ones before it, is quite interesting organisationally and in terms of challenges, and intrigues. Organisationally, it involves a four-layered procedure. First, it always requires the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) or simply General Assembly (GA). The election of the President of the UNGA 79 session took place on 6 June 2024 at 3 pm in compliance with Rule 30 of the Rules of Procedure. Under normal circumstance, election is always based on regional rotation and it is the turn of the African region in 2024, hence the election of Ambassador Philemon Yang of Cameroon.

In its resolution 71/323, entitled “Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly,” the Assembly decided to call upon nominated candidates interested in the position of the President of the UNGA to present their vision statement and to also carry out an informal interactive dialogue with all Member States in the spirit of contributing to the transparency and inclusivity of the process. More important, the President of the 78th Session of the GA, H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, convened the informal interactive dialogue as mandated in Resolution 71/323 on 8 May 2024. And perhaps most significantly, civil society representatives and private individuals were invited to submit their questions to the candidate of the 79th session to be answered at the interactive dialogue. Questions were collected via pre-recorded videos.

Second, the election of the UNGA president was followed by the opening session, which began on 10 September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York. The third level was the holding of a “Summit of the Future,” held from 22nd September, while the fourth and the crescendo of all activities was the high-level general debate which started on 24 September and scheduled to last until tomorrow, 30 September 2024. Every general debate is themed. The UNGA 79 has “Leaving no one behind: Acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generation,” as the theme for 2024. In this regard, what is the situational reality of not leaving anyone behind and advancing peace and sustainable development in international relations?

79th UNGA and Intrigues

No one is running fast, not to talk of waiting for anyone behind. No one appears to be truly committed to the advancement of peace in international relations. What is true is that everyone is more preoccupied with self-survival through engagement in politics of intrigues. Intrigue fascinates or arouses an interest and curiosity. It means engaging in a secret and illegal act that is detrimental to the interest of another person. In this regard, any engagement that is illegal and secretly made cannot be different from what the French people call magouille or what the Yoruba people call wùrùwúrú or jìbìtì, both meaning fraud, dishonesty or any act of indecency. While the activities of the United Nations (UN) are grosso modo predicated on the triangle of international peace, international security, and international human rights, the war between Israel and Palestinians, in particular, Israelo-Hamas and Israelo-Hezbollah, is driven by international intrigues and magouilles. The UNGA 79 clearly reflects this observation.

It is a truism that the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is not only the decision-making, but also the representative, body of the UN. It comprises 193 Member States and operates on the basis of ‘One State One Vote.’ The UNGA general debate does not really take the format of arguing for or against, but what the Member States consider their own priorities and what the attitudinal policies to global challenges should be. More often than not, the general debate reflects power politics, north-south disagreement, and, more importantly, African problems and regional security. Most unfortunately, however, the UN appears to be failing in its core mandate of maintaining international peace and security because of politics of intrigues and lack of commitment to international peace and security. Power rivalry and me-tooism are given priority in foreign policy and strategic calculations to the detriment of international law obligations. The western protection

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

of Israel’s genocidal crimes, as well as western supply of weapons to Israel in the commission of the said genocide clearly suggest another world war in the making, with the Israelo-Hamas and Israelo-Hezbollah crises serving as catalysts without strengthened efforts by the international community to stop the escalation.

When the UN was established, one declared major objective was to save succeeding generations from new scourge of war. It was to protect humanity. However, the structures and sovereign rights provided for in the UN Charter necessarily run in conflict with the objective of global peace and security. While there is goodness in the establishment of the UN, the implementation of its peace support operations have little or no goodness because of three inhibiting factors: permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC); exclusive right of veto; and the rule of consensus of all the Permanent Members of the UNSC before critical reforms can be carried out in the organisation.

The concept of Permanent Members creates inequality of membership. Consequently, the notion of sovereign equality is meaningless. One definiendum to qualify for permanent membership was being one of the victorious allies in World War II and being a nuclear power. In fact, the Permanent Members, five in all and often referred to as the P-5 (China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and United States) are also referred to as the Nuclear Weapons States. The P-5 do not want any new member to join and are also very hostile to the development of nuclear capability by any other State.

The intrigue in this case is that the P-5 accept the development of nuclear power for peaceful uses but not for belligerent purpose. While this position is not condemnable in itself, the truth remains that the processes required for making nuclear weapons for war

In essence, as good as these concerns may be, to what extent can UNGA 79 help to stop political intrigues in the quest for global peace and security? Contemporary international politics of maintaining global peace and security is by condemning belligerency and genocide while also acquiescing to its commission, and addressing the effects rather than the originating definienda. UNGA Resolution 181, which was adopted 77 years ago, provided for a plan for 2-States side by side, (Arab and Israel). Why has it been difficult for the UN to get it implemented? When the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip were occupied by Israel following the 6-day war in 1967, why has the UN unable to compel Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories bearing in mind that the territories are generally acknowledged to be Palestinian? Benjamin Netanyahu noted in January 2024 that Israel would ‘not compromise on full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River,’ while Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, also said in June 2024 that the full Israeli security control was his life’s mission to ‘thwart the establishment of a Palestinian State.’ More disturbingly, European countries consciously arm Israel to kill while preaching the gospels of peace. These are challenges before UNGA 79. Having partisan interests and still seeking to mediate the conflicts is most unfortunate

are not in any way different from the processes required for peaceful purposes. And perhaps most disturbingly, some permanent members assist their allies to acquire nuclear capability status while preaching the sermons of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. It should be recalled that before the Nuclear Non-proliferations Treaty (NPT) was opened for signature on July 1, 1968, France and China refused to sign it until they had perfected their nuclear programmes. China argued that the treaty was discriminatory and therefore refused to sign it while France refused to sign it but accepting to ‘behave in the future in this field exactly as the States adhering to the Treaty.’ The NPT entered into force on March 5, 1970 with 46 states-parties while in 1992, both China and France acceded to the treaty. Even though the 91 states-parties decided on May 30, 1975 to be reviewing the treaty every five years, with the second review holding on September 7, 1980 and the third review on September 25, 1985, there is no disputing the fact that there have been proliferations, especially with the collaboration of the nuclear weapons states.

Apart from the P-5 countries, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea have developed nuclear capability or have nuclear weapons. All efforts were made to prevent the Democratic People’s Republic (DPRK) or North Korea from having nuclear weapons but North Korea not only withdrew from the NPT in 2003 in order to develop its own nuclear weapons, but also argued that ‘its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles to carry them are necessarily to counter threats from the United States and its allies.’ The period from 1985 when North Korea signed the NPT and 2003 when it withdrew from it, was the time of full determination and efforts to be nuclear self-reliant.

Today the problem has been made more complex with the re-definition of Russia’s nuclear doctrine. Considering that the West, led by the United States, is providing long-range western ballistic missiles to Ukraine for possible use against Russian military sites, President Putin has interpreted such a provision to be an infringement of Russian sovereignty. As he explained it, any attack from a non-nuclear state that is supported by a nuclear-armed state cannot but mean a “joint attack” and therefore cannot but mean a direct threat to use nuclear weapons in the Russo-Ukrainian war. President Putin is therefore considering a change in the rules and preconditions of the use of its nuclear arsenal. It has therefore become necessary for him to use nuclear arms to defend Russia.

In other words, countries that are required to save humanity from nuclear arms race, from new scourge of wars, to maintain international peace and security are precisely the ones threatening the use of nuclear force. This is political intrigue per excellence. The Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky responded that President Putin ‘no longer has anything other than nuclear blackmail to intimidate the world,’ and that the threat is nothing more than a ‘nuclear sabre-rattling” aimed at deterring its allies from providing further support. Whatever is the case, President Putin has ‘clearly set the conditions for Russia to transition to using nuclear weapons.’ The moment there is evidence of commencement of massive launch of missiles, aircraft and drones into the Russian territory, the launch of Russian nuclear weapons cannot but be expected. On Consensus and Veto, the two constitute two sides of the same coin. Articles 108 and 109 of the UN Charter require the consensus of the P-5 acting collectively before the UN Charter can be reviewed. As stipulated, for example, in Article 108, ‘amendments to the present Charter shall come into force for all Members of the United Nations when they have been adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the Members of the General Assembly and ratified in accordance with their respective constitutional processes by two-thirds of the Members of the United Nations, including all the Permanent Members of the Security Council.’

Intrigues and Global Insecurity

The intrigues of some Member States, especially the more powerful States, unnecessarily fuel the recidivist global insecurity and this is mainly because of the misuse of the right of veto power that cannot be easily done away with. Article 109, paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 of the UN Charter is about the convening of a General Conference for the purposes of possibly reviewing the UN Charter. For both convening the conference, as well as for decisions-taking, the validity of whatever action or outcome is subject to the inclusion of the votes of the Five Permanent Members of the UNSC within the required two-thirds votes of the Member States of the UN. By implication, the review of the UN Charter is largely dependent on the whims and caprices of every P-5 member.

And true enough, in the quest for international peace and security, it has not always been easy to evolve the consensus of the P-5. This is one major reason for lack of peace and security, and yet the cardinal rationale for establishing the UN is to prevent future wars.

But why is it that war can no longer be prevented and why the UN has not been able to keep the peace? Professor Akinwande Bolaji Akinyemi has offered one possible reason. At the 201st edition of Professor Akinyemi’s thruMyeyes social media platform on current international affairs (vide Syncterface.zoom. us/j/81728930611 or Meeting ID 817 2893 0611, PWD 820149), he explained that the UN was never designed to perform miracles but provides some signposts to enable the organisation to perform.

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Are Credible Elections Illusions in Nigeria?

The persistent shortcomings of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the conduct of elections in Nigeria have led many Nigerians to doubt whether they will ever witness a truly free, fair and credible election in their lifetime, writes Davidson Iriekpen

Again, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to clear the doubts of many Nigerians on their ability to conduct a free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria following the outcome of the recently held governorship election in Edo State.

On September 21, the people of Edo went to the polls to elect a successor to the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki.

INEC declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, winner of the election. Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes while his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 247,274 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata finished with 22,763 votes, according to the commission.

Despite the assurances by INEC and the security agencies that the election would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, the collation of the results of the election was discredited by the opposition parties and INEC-accredited observers.

While Ighodalo described the outcome of the election as “one of our darkest moments,” the LP and its candidate, Akpata, declared that the outcome of the poll lacked integrity because the process was characterised by vote-buying and other transactional methods that were antithetical to democratic norms.

Sharing a similar thought, the governorship candidate of Accord Party (AP), Dr. Bright Enabulele, alleged compromise on the side of INEC, describing it as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history. For the presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, the election was a mockery of democracy, while the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, described it as a fraud and called on INEC to review the results.

What started as a peaceful election despite the late arrival of INEC officials in some polling units and the massive vote-buying that characterised the poll across the major political parties, was tainted when INEC disallowed the collation and declaration of the results at the local government levels.

Instead, it opted for the results to be declared at its state headquarters in Benin City, where allegations of fraud, falsification and alteration of results tainted the collation process.

Many stakeholders had viewed the election as a crucial litmus test for INEC, especially in light of the controversies surrounding the 2023 general election and the off-cycle elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states. They had expected that INEC would improve on its performance to restore public confidence by conducting free, fair, transparent, and credible polls.

But the PDP alleged inconsistencies in the results recorded at the polling units, the ones entered into Form EC8 and the ones uploaded by officials of the commission on its IReV.

The party also faulted the commission for failing to invoke its powers under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 to review any declarations and returns where results were not declared voluntarily.

Signs that the election would not be free and fair first came when the police were accused of arresting members of the PDP and whisking them to Abuja where they were detained.

Then, there was the revelation that the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha, is a cousin to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike while the state Commissioner of Police is the minister’s ally in Rivers State. The minister is

a known political enemy of Governor Obaseki.

Before the elections, the members of Wike’s political family in Edo State chapter of the PDP led by Chief Dan Orbih had indicated that they would work against their party, the PDP, to ensure the victory of the APC.

The presence of the two strong allies of the FCT minister questioned the neutrality of INEC and the police, and also eroded the credibility of the election.

Unfortunately, INEC and police authorities bluntly refused to redeploy the CP and the REC.

As a sign of what the victory of the APC would mean to the party and the 2027 presidential election, seven APC governors and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, were on ground in the state.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), which monitored the election, issued a damning review of the election, declaring that the results from several polling units were altered at coalition centres.

While the civil society and the Situation Room said the conduct of the election lacked credibility, Yiaga Africa, one of the accredited observers, also declared the results as lacking integrity.

The Situation Room held that the conduct of the election lacked credibility and added that the result collations, as carried out by INEC, did not

POLITICAL NOTES

adhere to guidelines set out for the exercise. Co-convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mimidoo Achakpa, at a press conference in Abuja, highlighted the disruptions at ward and local government collation centres in Ikpoba/ Okha, Etsako West, Egor and Oredo local government areas.

Achakpa also noted reports of intimidation of INEC officials and the collation of results in a manner that was contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.

On its part, YIAGA Africa, in a joint statement co-signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, called out rogue officials of INEC over the manipulations.

The group particularly mentioned Ikpoba Okha, Egor, Oredo and Etsako West as among the most prominent local government areas where collation officers altered the figures.

However, the APC has fired back, warning Yiaga Africa against undermining the INEC by questioning the results of the Edo election.

In a press statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Tuesday, the APC criticised Yiaga Africa for allegedly attempting to second-guess INEC’s authority.

“Yiaga Africa is overreaching its election observer mission by second-guessing INEC on the result of last Saturday’s Edo State gubernatorial election.

“INEC is the sole statutory authority for the conduct and declaration of election results. Yiaga Africa is not and must desist from constituting itself as a parallel agency for the declaration of election results,” Morka stated.

Even the statement attributed to the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, in reaction to his party’s victory in the election did not go down well with the opposition parties as it further suggested that elections conducted under INEC would continue to be a mirage.

Ganduje, who spoke in Abuja while celebrating the victory of Okpebholo, said his party would use its template in Edo State governorship election to win the November 16 election in Ondo and also take over Anambra, and other states in the South-east in future elections.

He argued that a big party like the APC ought to have been fully in charge of the South-east geopolitical zone.

Many are of the view that Ganduje’s utterances were ominous signs that INEC will not deliver a credible election any time soon.

Bobrisky: Urgent Task Before Minister Tunji-Ojo

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, last week ordered a thorough investigation into allegations by a popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, who was quoted as claiming that after his sentencing recently, his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

The allegation by Bobrisky is not only damning but shows the level of rot in NCoS.

A few years ago, a national newspaper reported that prison

officials allowed convicts sentenced to prison terms or suspects ordered to be remanded by the courts to stay in private apartments or to go home after collecting bribes from them.

There was also another case where a convict was reported to have impregnated his wife while he was supposed to be serving prison term.

Though the minister has suspended two officials of NCoS over the allegation - Michael Anugwa, deputy controller of corrections in charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kiri-kiri, Lagos, and his counterpart at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Sikiru Adekunle – he must get to the bottom of the investiga -

tion of the allegation.

He will definitely etch his name in the history books of Nigeria if he is able to break the jinx and expose those who perpetrate this alleged malfeasance.

There is also an EFCC angle to the allegation. Bobrisky had equally claimed that he paid N15million to officials of the agency for the money laundering charges filed against him to be dropped.

The commission must ensure that it thoroughly investigates the allegation and bring the culprits to justice.

The allegations of bribery against its officials are too common, and Nigerians do not always see any action taken against them.

Tunji-Ojo

Yakubu

BRIEFING NOTES

Probing Lawal, Matawalle’s Alleged Links with Bandits

With the level of international embarrassment brought upon Nigeria by the bandits terrorising the North-west, Ejiofor Alike writes that the claim by Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle has links with terrorists, and the counterclaim by the minister, challenging the governor to also swear with the Quran to prove that he is not involved in banditry should be investigated by the federal government to demonstrate that there is no sacred cow in the fight against insecurity

The Minister of State for Defence and former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle is in the eye of the storm following an allegation by his successor, Governor Dauda Lawal, that he has links with the bandits terrorising the state and the entire North-west.

Matawalle’s critics had raised the issue of his alleged relationship with bandits when under his watch as the state governor, a notorious leader of bandits in the state, Ado Aleru, was turbaned as Sarkin Fulani (Chief of Fulanis) of Yandoto Emirate under Tsafe Local Government Area (LGA) of the state by the Emir of Yandoto Daji Emirate, Aliyu Garba Marafa, on July 16, 2022.

The occasion came barely two years after the Katsina State Police Command had declared the terrorist leader wanted and placed a N5 million bounty on him.

Alero was the leader of one of the ruthless groups terrorising local communities of Zamfara and Katsina states.

Following a public outcry, coupled with the allegation that the state government was shielding such high-profile terrorist from the law, Matawalle suspended the monarch.

The state government was expected to have liaised with its Katsina State counterpart and the security agencies to use the emir to track and arrest the bandit leader to account for his crimes.

But surprisingly, the state government, in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe Sardauna, announced the reinstatement of the emir in April 2023, based on the recommendations of the committee constituted to investigate the issue.

“Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town. The reinstatement takes immediate effect,” the statement added.

Watchers of the security situation in the state, who wondered how an emir could initiate peace efforts with terrorists without the involvement of the state and federal governments, as well as the highest levels of the security agencies, were not satisfied with the state government’s handling of the issue.

Matawalle’s handling of banditry continued to fuel suspicions and speculations that he was pampering the leaders of bandits because of his alleged links with them.

Though Matawalle and his supporters had on many occasions debunked this weighty allegation, his critics have remained unrelenting in their claim.

In a recent video, the most dreaded bandit leader in the North-west, Bello Turji, had accused the minister of being responsible for the escalation of banditry in the North-west when he was governor.

“Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi; I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later

hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House,” he explained.

In November 2023, the state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Abdulmalik Gajam, had in an interview published in a national daily, claimed that Matawalle distributed Hilux vans to bandits as governor.

“He was distributing Hilux vans to bandits but could not invest in mass transit for the people of his state. We met a system where bandits were the kings,” the commissioner added.

The issue took a different dimension on September 18 when the governor alleged that the minister was fully involved in banditry when he was the state governor.

Speaking during an interview with a television station, the governor demanded that Matawalle resign his position as minister.

Governor Lawal said, “If I were him, I would resign and face all the allegations against me. And that would have been more honourable because from all the information we’re getting,

NOTES FOR FILE

my predecessor was fully involved in some of these banditry issues.

“Typical is the fact that there was a permanent secretary; when his children were abducted, it was unfortunate that he had to pay ransom through the government house.

“And it was also very clear based on all the allegations that bandits were being kept at the government house,” the governor added.

The minister did not take Governor Lawal’s allegation lying low as he challenged the governor to swear with the Holy Quran to prove his innocence in banditry affecting the state.

While debunking the governor’s claim, Matawalle, who was a guest on a television programme, recalled how he swore using the Quran that he had no connection with banditry. He said: “It was not only me that had dialogue with bandits. Remember all the governors had dialogue; the then governors of Niger and Sokoto states did the same. Why only me? Because it is Zamfara.

“Zamfara is a very complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas. Let me remind you I was the only governor that swore to the Holy Quran that I have no hand or connection with banditry or I am not happy with what is happening that if I am happy or if I am part of it or if I know those doing it or if I am collaborating with them God should not give me one-second grace.

“I challenged all the politicians, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t take the oath that means they are part of it,” an angry Matawalle explained. However, Matawalle’s critics did not trust his words as they recalled how he had made a similar vow never to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) only for him to renege in his words.

Last Tuesday, the governor was quoted as saying through his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Idris, that he had reported Matawalle to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and President Bola Tinubu.

Many analysts believe that powerful individuals are behind banditry in the state because of their alleged interest in illegal mining of gold, which is a thriving business in the state.

With these accusations and counter accusations by the governor and his predecessor, President Tinubu should order a high-powered investigation to ascertain the innocence or culpability of very influential indigenes of the state.

Nigerian Army’s Injustice against Ruth Ogunleye

Another indication that female soldiers will likely not get justice when they accuse senior officers of sexual abuse emerged last week when the Nigerian Army disclosed that it had discharged Private Ruth Ogunleye, who accusedaseniorofficer,ColonelI.BAbdulkareem, of sexual harassment.

The Army specifically said the female soldier was eased out of the service on medical grounds after the conclusion of its probe.

Recall that Ogunleye had in January on her TikTok page via @Ogunleyeruthsavage1, accused Col. IB Abdulkareem, Col. G.S Ogor, and Brig. Gen. I.B Solebo, of making her life unbearable and confining her in a psychiatric hospitalforseveralmonthsbecausesheturned down Abdulkareem’s sexual advances. Giving an update, the army spokesman, Major-GeneralOnyemaNwachukwu,explained

that the senior officer did not commit the offence levelled against him by Ogunleye.

Butthedischargedfemalesoldierhasfaultedthe investigation, claiming that she was never invited to face any investigative panel or testify before any military panel to prove her sanity.

Her reactions showed that there was lack of fairness in the investigation.

A similar case was that of Beauty Uzezi, a 19-year-old Airwoman from Bayelsa State who was frustrated out of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on the same medical grounds, for alleging that she was drugged, tortured and raped by an officer, who was her former instructor.

Though a human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana secured a $200,000 judgment for her through the ECOWAS Court, the accused officer was never sanctioned.

Another female soldier, Lance Corporal Philo-

mena Nnamoko, attached to Ilese Sappers Barracks, Division 2, Ogun State, had also alleged that her senior colleagues beat her up and sent her to the Yaba Psychiatric Hospital on account of her refusal to give in to their sexual advances.

She had also accused the army of refusing to grant her request for a voluntary discharge as at January 2024.

All these cases give the impression that the military authorities hang the allegation of having medical issues on the neck of female soldiers who allege sexual harassment against officers.

President BolaTinubu should stop this perceived act ofinjusticebydisallowingthemilitaryfrominvestigating itselfoncasesofsexualharassmentinvolvingitsofficers.

Since the military hands over soldiers involved in armed robbery and other criminal offences to the police, they should stop shielding their senior officers facing allegations of sexual harassment, and hand them over to the police for investigation.

Ogunleye

Lawal

Matawalle

Tinubu Urges Developed Countries to Redeem $100 Billion Pledge on Climate Financing

annually for climate finance.

President Bola Tinubu has urged developed countries to fulfil their pledge to mobilise $100 billion

China: Nigeria is Our Most Reliable Major Investment Destination in Africa in Abuja

in Abuja

China has described Nigeria as one of its most reliable allies in Africa.

Speaking at the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said Nigeria remains China’s largest project contracting market, the second-largest export market, third-largest trading partner, and a major investment destination in Africa.

The Ambassador said since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, China and Nigeria have been enjoying a long-standing friendship, with strengthened highlevel engagements, consolidated political mutual trust, deepened people-to-people exchanges, and fruitful outcomes of practical cooperation.

He said: “Nigeria remains China’s largest project contracting market, the second-largest export market, third-largest trading partner, and a major

Tinubu made the appeal at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.

The Minister of Environment,

investment destination in Africa.

“In 2023, bilateral trade between our two countries reached $22.5 billion. Our practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results in areas such as infrastructure, investment, trade, agriculture and green economy, covering projects for aviation, on land and in the sea,” he said.

The envoy said over the past 75 years since the founding of the PRC, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese nation has forged ahead in unity and has achieved tremendous transformation from standing upright to becoming prosperous and growing in strength.

He noted that over the past decade, the CPC has rallied and led the entire Chinese nation to win the largest battle against poverty in human history.

He said: “Each year, an average of 10 million people were lifted out of poverty, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country.

Witstart Academy Empowers African Youths and Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Business

Witstart Academy, a dynamic training, mentorship, and community platform, is committed to transforming Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape by equipping students, NYSC members, full-time entrepreneurs, and professionals with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to build sustainable businesses.

Focused initially on empowering student entrepreneurs from African institutions, Witstart Academy has provided vital training in business development, financial management, and market strategy, all while guiding students on balancing their academic and entrepreneurial pursuits.

The Academy’s mission is to

raise the next generation of African entrepreneurs, preparing them to overcome challenges and seize opportunities within Africa’s fastevolving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The visionary CEO of Witstart Academy, Ayobami Oluwatoyin highlights the academy’s ongoing commitment: “We believe Africa’s future lies in the hands of its entrepreneurs, and we’re dedicated to equipping students and young professionals with the tools to succeed.”

Building on its success with students, Witstart Academy is expanding its reach. The academy is now rolling out programs tailored for NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) members, full-time entrepreneurs, and even 9-5 professionals seeking to transition into entrepreneurship.

Mallam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who represented President Bola Tinubu at UNGA’s high-level plenary meeting on addressing existential threats posed by sealevel rise, said the funds were not merely a financial commitment but a moral imperative to support adaptation and mitigation projects in developing countries.

He said: “Effective climate action is impossible without adequate financing. I call on developed countries to fulfil their pledge to mobilise $100 billion annually for

climate finance. These funds are not merely a financial commitment but a moral imperative to support adaptation and mitigation projects in developing countries.

“They are essential for implementing climate-resilient infrastructure, transitioning to sustainable energy sources, and safeguarding vulnerable communities from the escalating impacts of climate change. Fulfilling this pledge demonstrates global solidarity and ensures equitable participation in the collective effort

to build a sustainable future for generations to come.”

According to Tinubu, as a coastal nation, Nigeria faces significant challenges due to global sea-level rise, driven by human-induced climate change.

The president, therefore, said there was an urgent need for immediate action to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels.

Tinubu called for international cooperation to combat climate change and its effects.

He said: “The existential threat

posed by rising sea levels is a defining challenge of our time. It transcends national boundaries and demands a unified global response. As we convene here today, let us commit to concrete actions that will protect our planet and ensure a sustainable future for all.

“Nigeria stands ready to play its part, working with the international community to address this urgent crisis. Together, we can turn the tide against rising sea levels – and secure the future for generations to come.

Three Million Barrels of Oil Production Daily Achievable, Says NNPCL

in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has stated that increasing crude oil production from the current 1.7 million barrels per day to 3 million barrels is achievable.

The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Mr Olufemi Soneye, announced this during a Stakeholders Engagement Session with journalists covering the National Assembly yesterday.

According to Soneye, these efforts have contributed to a rise in daily oil production from 1.4 million to 1.7 million barrels.

“Three million barrels of oil production per day is achievable in Nigeria if all stakeholders work in synergy—from government and private security agencies to oil companies and host communities,” Soneye stated.

He added that with a collaborative effort against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, an enabling environment could

He attributed the potential for increased production to the political will demonstrated by President Bola Tinubu, who has issued directives to relevant security agencies to combat oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

be created to support optimal oil production levels of 2.5 to 3 million barrels per day.

Soneye also noted that at one point, oil production had plummeted to 900,000 barrels per day, highlighting the critical role of private security agencies and renewed military efforts in addressing the issue.

“At that time, we felt Nigeria was in trouble regarding oil theft, but the intensified fight against it has alleviated our concerns,” he said.

During the session, the Deputy Manager at the NNPC Command and Control Centre, Murtala Muhammad, presented

a PowerPoint on the ongoing issue of crude oil theft and its economic impact on Nigeria. He reported that over 8,000 illegal refineries and 5,800 illegal oil pipeline connections had been detected and destroyed in the last six months, with Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, and Abia identified as hotspots for this criminal activity.

In a separate presentation on “Balancing Reporting and Nation Building: The Role of the National Assembly Press Corps,” Professor Taiye Obateru emphasised the importance of fairness and national interest in all journalistic endeavours.

Inflation: Uwaleke Urges FG to Control Recurrent Spending

in Abuja

A university don and former Commissioner for Finance in Imo State, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, has advised the federal government to control recurrent spending and focus on productivity, including ramping up assistance to smallscale businesses.

Uwaleke’s admonition was in

reaction to Tuesday’s hike in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria ((CBN), from 26.75 per to 27.25 per cent, representing a 50 basis points increase.

Uwaleke, who is the Director of the Institute of Capital Market Studies, Nasarawa State University as well as the President of the Association of

Capital Market Academics of Nigeria (ACMAN), said he believed that members of MPC meant well for the economy and have taken the decision to further tighten monetary policy based on strong evidence of major threats to exchange rate and inflation.

However, he submitted that the task of taming inflation must be jointly tackled by both the

monetary and fiscal authorities, adding that the government has to play its part by controlling recurrent spending and focusing on productivity, including ramping up assistance to small businesses.

He said: “My take on the recent hike in MPR is that in matters like this, the CBN usually has information that may not be at the disposal of the public.

Rivers Women Hold Conference, Call for Unity of Purpose

Women across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State yesterday held an enlarged convention to pray and praise God for sustaining peace in the state and calls for unity of purpose by the people for the development of the state. The event which was held at the main bowl of the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre was graced by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Fubara and the Deputy

Governor of the state, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu. Queen Prudence Dandeson Douglas Jaja, wife of the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom was also in attendance.

Both the wife of the governor and the deputy governor harped on the power of prayer by the women in attracting the attention of God in the affairs of men, believing that Rivers women have set the pace to pray and praise God for His

protection and blessings upon the State.

They also commended the facilitator of Rivers Women Unite for SIM, Sotonye Toby Fulton and other Rivers women for their dedication towards the programme and their monthly engagement in prayer session for the peace of the state.

It was historic as thousands of women from various professional, cultural, and religious

backgrounds attended the event which featured exhibition of products from the 23 Local Government Areas, awareness lectures by medical experts which include Dr. Vetty Agala, Executive Secretary of Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme and Dr. Richard Okoye, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Save A Life Mission Hospital, Port Harcourt.

L-R: Rev. Salvation Oziri, Mrs. Uloma Saya-Braide, Mrs. Dappa; wife of the Rivers Governor, Lady Valerie Fubara; Mrs. Sotonye Toby Fulton; Convener of RWUS, Environmental Rights Activist, Ann-Kio Briggs; King Ugochukwu Nduwuisi; and Queen Prudence Dandeson Jaja, cutting the seven years prayer anniversary cake at the Rivers Women Converge 2024 in Port Harcourt… weekend

ENGAGEMENTS

An Epidemic of Downward Mobility

It is a sort of sinking feeling. Something like an uncontrolledslideintoadungeondownaslippery slope. You seem trapped as you descend into a hellish pit out of which you are powerless to climb out. The descent is often propelled by a force beyond your control. Government. The IMF. The World Bank. Policy makers in Abuja and other bastions of power. Suddenly,yourlivingstandardsplummet. Thethings that you have long taken for granted slip out of your control and become privileged luxuries instead of casual entitlements. You begin to learn a life style of subtractions,eliminationsandsubstitutions.Subtract breadandreplacewithslicesofyam;cutoutbutterfor breakfastanddopalmoilstew.Demobilizeonecarout of a fleet of two. Cut back on electricity consumption. Switch to fans instead of air conditioners etc. It is time to quit cooking with gas and switch to firewood and charcoal. But someone from the government is paid to scream about climate change and deforestation.There is no need to go to the hospital for every little headache. Forget essential drugs. Just pray and hope for the best. It is time for every man to become a doctor in the house: ‘physician, heal thyself!’ Ours is after all a land of miracles.There is no need for man made medicines. Just call in the neighborhood pastortosayalittleprayerand‘yeshallbecomewhole!’ Do not worry about what thou shall eat. Man shall not live by bread alone! Adults do not need three meals a day. That luxury should be reserved for children. The elimination and substitutions goes on in nearly every aspect of your daily life. Beyond individual life changes, you see whole segments of the society sliding downwards. Government has changed and has introduced new economic policies. A new deity is in town. It is called “the economy”; it feeds on the things that make people happy and lives livable.The things that enabled a better life yesterday have suddenly been pulled off. Downward mobility suddenly replaces upward mobility as the standard mode of social aspiration.

In nearly all cultures, the desire of citizens to move upwardsintheircircumstancesisuniversal.Westrive to move up in our circumstances. We toil so that our children will live a better life than us. In a sense, the dream of all humanity is that the next generation will, through education and skill acquisition, enjoy a better quality and standard of life than the present. In this sense, all national dreams have a meeting point: upward mobility. Details and cultural paraphernalia may differ but we all meet at the place of a better life for our offspring.The future is always a better place. Some societies have a constant dream, an ideal that fires the aspirations and hopes of their citizens. The American dream is easily the most famous. It is best captured by ‘the pursuit of happiness’ through positive aspiration and grueling hard work. It is most graphically captured by the 2006 film ‘The Pursuit of Happiness” directed by Gabriel Muccinno starring WillSmithasahomelesssalesmaninsearchofagood and meaningful life.

Inreallife,theAmericandreamremainsaliveasthe powering impetus of the United States as the land of possibility and opportunity for those who seek it through hard work and perseverance. The son or daughter of a pauper can struggle through a life of obstaclesandboobytrapstoemergeonthesunnyside oflifeasamillionaireorsomethingnearlyasgood.Not too many people, native born or immigrants, achieve the American dream. But they all embrace the spirit and struggle on. Hope eternal drives life’s struggles towards a national dream that fires every life. Thisiswhypeopleofdiversenationalitieskeeptrooping to America in the hope of realizing the American dreaminonelifetimeifpossible.Thematerialindicators of the attainment of the American dream in the lives of individuals include a good credit card, a house on a viable mortgage, a decent automobile, access to weekend grocery shopping, sausage and egg on the breakfast table and the occasional annual vacation for self and family etc.These appearances decorate a pretension to partaking in the American dream.

No one has yet defined the Nigerian dream in any clear terms. No one knows exactly what the average Nigerian kid struggling through school should look forward to on graduation. It is a blind voyage into the treacherous darkness of chances and uncertainty.To the politically minded elite, the Nigerian dream is the realization of a truly united nation that is home to all Nigerians irrespective of creed, region or tongue.To the common folk, the Nigerian dream is a place to call home, to pursue one’s quest for 3 meals and a future that is better than the present. The Nigerian dream is never an entitlement to material contentment.

TheNigeriandreamintermsofsocialandeconomic lifeusedtobethepursuitofhappinessandfulfillment through education, a career path and an ‘arrival’ at a destinationwhereeverychildthatgoestoschooland succeedsendsupbetterthanhis/herparentsinterms of material and socio economic accomplishments. The sun total of the aspiration of every struggling Nigerian is to bring up their children through education so that they can join the elite who possess cars, decent living accommodation, a career etc. In sum, up to the time of the civil war and soon after, it could be said that the Nigerian dream remained a certain upward mobility in which future generations were expected to far better than those before them in material socio economic terms.

The clearest manifestation of the thriving of the Nigerian dream was perhaps the rise of a Nigerian middleclass.Alloverthecountryinthespanbetween 1972 and 2007, there arose in the urban areas a demographic mass of Nigerians who could afford cars, apartments, weekend shopping, occasional holidays, bank accounts, investment in stocks and indulgenceinthetrappingsofmiddleclassexistence. The middle class was an enrollment into a productive role in national development.

Earlier in our history, investment in higher education was the best guarantee of enrollment into the Nigerian middle class. People pursued education as a means of guaranteeing their children a slot in the emergent middle class. Of course there were other not so legitimate routes to this dream. Short cuts emerged: fraud, corruption, robbery, ritual and cybercrimes.They could earn financial and material reward but not a place among the middle class.

Thesuccessoftheeconomicpoliciesofsuccessive administrationscouldmostlybemeasuredbywhether theyouthweremovingupwardsorwerestaticorwere regressing socio economically. Times changed and different periods redefined upward mobility and the good life.

Easilythemostnoticeableupwardmobilityinterms ofanincreaseinthesizeofthemiddleclasswasunder the Obasanjo elected government between 1999 and 2007. The banking sector ballooned, access to consumer credit grew phenomenally, employment in new growth sectors- telecom, banking and financial services,oilandgas,publicworks,thestockmarketetc. Mostimportantly,thesuddenandphenomenalgrowth in cell phone ownership and use unlocked hitherto hiddeneconomicpowersinthehandsofmultitudesin bothruralandurbanNigeria(andAfrica).Thiscoincided with the period when the international slogan about Africachangedfromunrelieveddoomsdaypredictions about “the dark continent” to an upbeat optimistic note about ‘Africa rising’ especially up to the 2010s.

In sharp contrast to the rev of upward mobility

initiated under Mr. Obasanjo as elected president, the economic downturn under Buhari inaugurated a massivedownwardmobilitythathasonlyaccelerated in the more recent months. National debt ballooned, inflation jumped, consumer credits dried up, retail and consumption shrank, unemployment grew as businesses struggled etc. From 2015 to 2023, we witnessed a phenomenal rise of downward mobility. The middle class shrank as living costs shot up. Inflation shot up. Retail and construction nosedived as the exchange rate of the Naira to major currencies worsened more than ever before.

In the fifteen months under Mr. Bola Tinubu as president, Nigeria’s downward mobility has entered a jet speed momentum. It is now an epidemic. On a daily basis , throngs of Nigerians are sliding out of the middleclass.Multitudesaredriftingintopoverty.Even those that used to exist at the fringes are now at the peripheriesofbareexistence.Insomestates,schools cannot reopen for the new school year as a result of high fuel prices making busing of children to school impossible. Some former middle class parents have changed the schools of their children and wards to lower class schools because of higher school fees. Even the federal government has increased school fees in the Unity Schools from N30,000 per term to N100,000aterm.InLagosstate,boardingfeeshave escalated from N30,000 a term to N100,000 per term. No one has said how these higher fees will be paidbyparentswhosemonthlywagisaboutN70,000!

Nigerian youth who cannot stand the gravity of spreading downward mobility have opted to flee, swearing that this was not the homeland that they dreamt of growing up in.The more elderly are fleeing also in the hope of finding places where their old age medicalcostscanbecoveredbythewelfareschemes of better climes. The only jobs they can find range from morgue attendants, care home attendants to gruelingmanuallabourasfactoryhands.Thefavourite destinations of the japa crowd range from Canada to the United States, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirate, South Africa and even some unlikely African destinations.

Some of the youth have set out with nowhere in particularasdestination.Somehavefoundthemselves strandedinfatalcrossingsthroughtheSaharadesert only hoping that their voyage would lead to southern Europe.Manyhavediedofheatandexhaustion.Others have boarded boats on a journey of no return. Many haveperishedintheMediterranean,leavingnotrace, trailormessage.Forthosewhohavestubbornlystayed at home, a different life has been defined by minus signs.Excludeonemeal.Excludeanotherhalf.Exclude hospitalsandmakedowithacross-the-countercheap drugs from Pakistani and India.

In the last one year, the rate at which Nigerians are

being forced out of the middle class is unequalled in ourhistory.Astronomicalgasolinepriceshavechased manyofftheroadsascarowners.Familiesthatowned andoperatedtwoormorecarsnowmakedowithone. Inflation has reached 43% while unemployment figures among the young highly qualified has exceeded 4.5%. Food inflation has driven many Nigerians into an unplanned hunger republic.

In recent times, parents who manage to send their children to schools and universities are doing so in ordertokeepthechildrenengagedandoutoftrouble. Thereishardlyanyexpectationthatthechildrenwould end up better educated or socio economically better off. We are now in a precarious position in our socioeconomic evolution.

Weusedtolamentthatwethemiddleclassoftoday are a ‘sandwich’ generation; we served and took care of our parents in old age. We ferried our children to privileged schools now only to have little time and resources for ourselves in retirement. Now, we are paying through our noses to educate children who are condemned to end up worse off than us and our fathers! Those we were expecting to take care of us in old age are themselves likely to remain dependent on us for the foreseeable future.

This is the crux of our present curse of raging downward mobility. Undoubtedly, our epidemic of downward mass migration has unmistakable political origins. It is inbuilt in a growing endemic culture of bad governance whose origins we know toowellandwhosedurationremainsunknown.Those who have descended from the middle class are not likely to return there any time soon. Those driven into poverty may be stuck there for the rest of their lives.The children now being thrust into poverty may be stuck there forever as more children are born into the poverty republic of the world. Everyone knows we are descending downhill but no one knows when the slide will end and whether an economic recovery is possible in our life time.

Yet, our only hope of recovery lies in the political realm. Democracy holds the key in the hopethatthe periodic changes of administrations will bring forth leadership that will redefine national progress and reverse our descent into oblivion. No one knows if Nigerian democracy will eve produce leaders of vision and courage that can reverse the curse of this generation.

When in one life time, we see the lives of the majority take a nose dive downwards, something uncanny has happened. Worse still, when in spite of our most strenuouseffortsthelifeexpectationsofourchildren is condemned to end up worse than ours, we are in a bad place. No quantum of prayers and supplications is likely to rescue a nation mired in bad governance and misrule.

Edun

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe

email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Osimhen May Miss Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 Qualifiers against Libya

Injured as he scores first ‘Gala’ goals *Scan today to determine degree of injury

Ikhazuagbe arriving in Istanbul.

VictorOsimhen scored his evening but

tober 15. moving to Istanbul. Osimhen help keep the Turkish giants minutes later.

Nigerian striker shielded a slight pain.

reports scorenigeria.com.ng.

MFM End First Bank’s Winning Run, Set for Zenith Bank League National Finals

evening.

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Army Emerges Overall

Thas emerged the overall the Nigerian

Bassey, Iwobi Triumph with Fulham Away at Aina, Awoniyi’s Forest chance to score in the minutes into the second Raul Jimenez made no mistake as he converted 1-0 to his side. chance to score in thethird. could not do much in the attacking third. On the the game ended 1-0 in

content catching them on the counter.

Champion at Armed Forces Games

ticipated in the sporting event preparing the Nigerian Armed John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Nigeria National League (NNL) 2024/2025 season has been announced November 2024. According to the Group-

battle it out. NNL 2024/2025 Season to Begin November 30

Victor Osimhen scored first goals for Galatasaray but picked hamstring injury that may force him to miss Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Libya next month

Nigerian internationals, Alex Iwobi (left) and Calvin Bassey celebrating Fulham’s 1-0 away win at Nottingham Forest ...yesterday

Duro

Wike to Fubara

“Imagine in Rivers they are contemplating of APP. It is not about money. Money does not move. You can have all the money but if there is no capacity there is no capacity...We will teach them what is called politics” – Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, mocking the supporters of Governor Fubara for planning to defect from the PDP to the APP ahead of the October 5 local government elections

SIMON KOLAWOLE

Banking on a Pan-African Vision

Tflies. No, I am not talking about the fact that the United Bank for Africa (UBA) is celebrating its 75th anniversary. As a financial institution that was set up during colonial rule, it has every reason to roll out the drums and pop champagne, of course. That is three quarters of a century. Not bad at all for a bank that started in a shop, as it were, on Kakawa Street, Lagos Island, and now operates in 24 countries worldwide, serving around 40 million customers. They deserve their flowers. In an economy where legacies are hard to come by, where businesses tend to die along with their founders, it is rare to find a trans-generational brand. It is often a case of here today, gone tomorrow.

Three decades ago, I used to enjoy the song in the bank’s TV commercial: “Wise men bank with UBA/And women too with UBA/Open a savings account today/At UBA, UBA” (hope I got the lyrics right). That was an early gender-sensitive commercial at a time gender equity was not a thing. But what am I even saying? UBA can claim to have a gender-friendly history. Mrs Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, a UK-trained economist, was appointed chair of the bank in 1984 — the first woman to hold an office of that height in sub Saharan Africa. That was an era when women were hardly at the top of any sector, private or public. It was an unwritten rule that top positions were strictly reserved for men.

Nigerian women were glad that the country had had its first female federal permanent secretary (Mrs Francesca Yetunde Emanuel, 1975) and its first elected female senator (Ms Franca Afegbua, 1983) but the men never hid the fact that they considered women to be backbenchers in politics and business. It was only in entertainment and sports that they enjoyed some prominence in those days. Things have changed significantly today, thanks to amazons like Kuforiji-Olubi who blazed the trail in the private sector as a woman of firsts and an inspiration to Nigerian women. Mrs Eniola Fadayomi, former attorney-general of Lagos, would later expand the rank by chairing the board of Afribank.

Kuforiji-Olubi was the first female president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the first woman to be CEO of a multinational company in Nigeria when she headed VYB Industries Ltd, which had UK affiliates. She was the first female chair of a quoted company in Nigeria, Bewac Plc. But being chair of a bank as big as UBA from 1984 to 1990 was a monumental feather in her cap. The year she was appointed UBA chair, the bank began its operations in New York City, US. Kuforiji-Olubi died in December 2016 at 80. Significantly, she was older than UBA, having been born in 1936 — a whole 13 years before it was founded as the French & British Bank Ltd (B&FB).

B&FB metamorphosed into “United Bank for Africa” in 1961 with the end of colonial rule and its incorporation as a limited liability company under Nigerian laws. It has gone through several eras — notably from the time it was privatised by the military government of Gen Sani Abacha in 1998, when Mr Keem Belo-Osagie became its chairman, to its merger with Standard Trust Bank (STB) in 2005. STB, under the leadership of Mr. Tony Elumelu as MD, was a much younger bank, having been established only in 1997. STB, it has to be said, was not the darling of old-generation bankers. They considered the Young Turks in

Tony Elumelu, UBA Chairman the banking hall as “too smart” and “too fast” for their liking.

The merger effectively launched Elumelu into the top tier of the financial sector. It was a no-brainer that the STB identity would be subsumed — UBA was the much bigger fish, one of the biggest in the Nigerian banking sector and even in Africa. But it was a case of new wine in old bottle: UBA was culturally different from STB. One was conservative and the other was radical. UBA appealed to the older generation in the category of First Bank and Union Bank, while STB was on a fast lane like the new class of GTB and Zenith Bank. How Elumelu reconciled the two contrasting cultures of the old UBA and STB to build the new UBA is worth an academic inquest. I assume it was a rough ride.

The born-again UBA kept expanding — there was clearly an aggressive mission to dominate the landscape. Inevitably, Elumelu became one of the most powerful bankers in Nigeria. Since the banking consolidation exercise of 2005, UBA has been getting bigger. It has grown to become one of the most visible Nigerian banks outside our shores. In fact, UBA prides itself as the only Sub-Saharan African bank “with a truly global presence” — operating in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America — and calls itself “Africa’s truly global bank”. At 75, UBA is the fourth oldest bank in the country after First Bank Plc (established in 1894), Union Bank Plc (1917) and Wema Bank Plc (1945).

The bank has been highlighting and celebrating its landmarks: its bragging rights date back to 1961 when it became the first among international banks to be registered under Nigerian laws; the first Nigerian-headquartered bank to offer an IPO following its listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE, now NGX) in 1970; the first Nigerian bank to issue a global depositary receipt (GDR) — a financial instrument that allows investors to buy shares of a foreign company on a local stock exchange; the first Nigeria-headquartered bank to hit N1 trillion in balance sheet size, contingents inclusive; the first to launch cash deposit ATMs in Nigeria; and among many other firsts and feats.

Mr Oliver Alawuba, the UBA GMD, recently spoke about his bank’s thirst for innovation-drive customer satisfaction, pointing out that it was the first to launch mobile banking in Africa. The bank has also been leveraging artificial intelligence; its AI-powered virtual assistant, Leo, enables transactions via social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp, and allows customers to interact with the bank round-theclock. This was also a first. The bank has been particularly big on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and has signed a $6 billion funding agreement with the African Continental Free Trade secretariat to make finance more accessible to them across Africa.

But, as I pointed out when the bank clocked 70, we cannot talk about building strong Nigerian brands without talking about building an enduring structure. Many Nigerian companies begin to decompose as soon as the founders die. That is why it is a rarity to see Nigerianestablished companies celebrating 75 years of doing business. Many would say UBA’s European roots may have largely contributed to its durability. That is debatable. But when you realise that many home-grown banks have gone under in the last 40 years, some in their infancy, we should not have to debate the fact that African entrepreneurs need to do more about building legacies that will outlive their founders.

As I also pointed out, I grew up being told the fascinating stories of legendary businessmen such as Alhaji Alhassan Dantata (great grandfather of Alhaji Aliko Dangote), who is believed to be the first Nigerian millionaire, Sir Louis Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Odutola brothers, and several others. What about Bashorun MKO Abiola? You have to wonder what happened to their businesses after they left the scene. Many of today’s pervasive global brands were built to outlive their founders. Some of them, such as Cadbury, Barclays Bank and Quaker Oats, are over a hundred years old and you are sure they would be around for much longer. What are they getting right, what are we getting wrong?

I’ve always been jealous of South African brands. They are stamping their feet all over Africa. Shoprite had planted its footprints in almost every Nigerian state before it was acquired by a Nigerian company. I am silently hoping it will endure. MTN is Africa’s king of telecoms. DStv, owned by Multichoice, sits atop the cable TV market in Africa. The late Dr Raymond Dokpesi set out to rival DStv, but his Daarsat pay TV did not break through. Many moons ago, HiTV attempted to take the Nigerian pay TV market from DStv using the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League, but it didn’t end well. Ethiopian Airlines and Ethiopian coffee are winners on the global stage.

Time flies. I almost forgot why I said that. Exactly 19 years ago, I used my first Nigeriaissued dollar-denominated card outside the country. It was a Mastercard, issued by UBA. I am too shy to admit here that I was as excited as a kid when I faced the wall, inserted my card, punched a few buttons and the machine spat out multiple notes in pound sterling. It was at the University of Sussex in the UK. Until then, you always had to travel with raw cash or use a foreign bank’s card. So, in a sense, I have benefited from UBA’s innovative approach to customer satisfaction. It is, thus, only in order for me to wish them a happy 75th anniversary. Here is to the next 75 years. Time flies, doesn’t it?

And Four Other Things…

NIGERIA AT 64

The Federal Republic of Nigeria will mark its 64th independence anniversary on Tuesday, predictably on a “low key” as we have are used to hearing from government officials for many years now. We are usually told it is a day for “sober reflections”. I wouldn’t mind if indeed government officials lived “low key” lives and ruled the country with “sober reflections”. But our reality has been a gross and mindless mismanagement of our resources, worsened by the political manipulation of our ethnic and religious emotions by the ruling elite to keep us from focusing on the real trouble with Nigeria: bad governance. We desperately need to gain independence from the buccaneering elite. Reflections.

POLLS AND PEACE

The Edo state governorship election went fairly well — at least by Nigerian standards. My heart is always in my mouth at election times because of the possibility of destruction and death. Although Senator Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the APC, was declared winner by INEC, PDP’s Asue Ighodalo is preparing evidence to head to the tribunal, insisting that some of the declared results are different from what is on official record. I really love this. Whether or not there is rigging, I always prefer peaceful pursuit of justice to carnage. No politician is worth dying for. Life will go on after lives have been wasted, believe me. Let’s see what Ighodalo has got in stock for the tribunal. Process.

RUTHLESS OR ROOTLESS?

Ms Ruth Ogunleye, a soldier who alleged that she was sexually harassed and raped by a senior army officer, has been discharged (read: dismissed) by the Nigerian Army. The army authorities described her as a psychiatric case. Ogunleye is, however, having none of that. She has gone on air to repeat the allegations and even challenged the army authorities to release the full report of their investigation. She insists she does not have any mental health issue. Who should we believe? I commend the army for investigating the allegations, but I suggest that, in light of her insistence that justice was miscarried, an independent body should look into the root of her claims again. Important.

NO COMMENT

The bill to establish the South West Development Commission, which looked like a joke when it was first mooted by Senator Ibikunle Amosun in March 2020, has been passed by the senate. We will end up having “development” commissions for the Niger Delta (south-south), south-east, south-west, northeast, north-central and north-east. I guess the next move will be for the federal government to establish development commissions for every state of the federation. We know the drill: there will be plenty commissions and little development — but since these things are done basically for political patronage, there will be plenty slush funds. Nigerian politicians know what they are doing. Pathetic.

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