SUNDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2020 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Nda-Isaiah, a Massive Fish Gone Out of Media Ocean, Says Buhari Jonathan, Lawan, Gbajabiamila, Tinubu, governors, NPAN, IPI, others mourn late media mogul Omololu Ogunmade, Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Udora Orizu in Abuja, Seriki Adinoyi in Jos, Igbawase Ukumba in Laﬁa, George Okoh in Makurdi

As tributes continue to pour in for the late Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah, who passed away Friday, President Muhammadu

Buhari, yesterday, described Nda-Isaiah’s demise as a big fish gone out of the media ocean. Describing him as “a friend and ally”, the president said, “The country has lost a

man of conviction, a resolute and dogged believer in a better Nigeria.” A statement by the president's spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari

condoled with the media fraternity, the Nda-Isaiah family, friends and associates of the deceased. "He will be sorely missed. This is a massive fish gone

out of the media ocean," the statement stated, noting that the pharmacist turnedpublisher was a renowned Continued on page 8

Sanwo-Olu Tests Positive for Covid-19, Begins Treatment… Page 10 Sunday 13 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9379

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ARISE Fashion Week 2020 Stuns Global Industry Players Anna Wintour, others commend stellar showing Say initiative will attract young talents from Africa and beyond Vanessa Obioha The THISDAY/ARISE Fashion Week 2020 continued into the

early hours this morning with renowned global industry players impressed with the showing they variously

described as stellar. But beyond the glitz and blitz that naturally typify the annual event, a majority of

the industry players also contended that with the success of this year’s edition, the initiative is certain to attract

young design talents from Africa and beyond to the fore of strong global competitions. Leading the charge was

United States Artistic Director and Global Content Adviser of Continued on page 9

Katsina School Abduction: We Have Located Attackers’ Hideout, Says Buhari Security forces engage bandits in fierce gun battle State Police Command: 200 students rescued, efforts ongoing to rescue others Masari shuts down boarding facilities IG deploys additional rescue assets PDP alleges 600 students abducted, chides FG Atiku demands state of emergency Omololu Ogunmade, Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Francis Sardauna in Katsina President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said the federal government had located the bandits who attacked a Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State, and allegedly kidnapped no fewer than 54 students. This came a few hours after the president gave a marching order to the Army and the police to go after the bandits and rescue the abducted students and ensure no student was missing. But the State Police Command claimed it had rescued 200 students of the school and that efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining students.

As at the time of filing this report, combined teams of the security forces, according to the president, had engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle in their hideout with a view to rescuing the students, who were, reportedly, kidnapped from their hostels. But in response to the abduction, Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state. Masari pronounced the closure shortly after visiting the affected school. However, to complement the current effort to rescue the students, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Continued on page 5

Buhari Sacks Akpabio's IMC, Appoints Sole Administrator at NDDC... Page 9

MARITAL BLISS... L-R: Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun; bridegroom and bride, Dr. Oluseun and Mrs. Adeola Obasanjo, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the couple's wedding at Harvesters International Christian Centre, Lekki... yesterday

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SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

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Joshua Knocks out Pulev to Set up Clash with Fury Durojaiye Ikhazuagbe Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua mixed power and patience as he knocked out Kubrat Pulev Saturday night to bolster hopes that a historic fight against Tyson Fury could soon be a reality. The Nigeria-born British heavyweight champion drilled his mandatory challenger to the canvas twice in round three in a chaotic flurry that saw Pulev smiling while under attack and turning his back when under fire, only to somehow make the bell. Joshua, perhaps fatigued by the chaos, stepped off the gas and allowed Pulev to at least offer some mild threat, but a barrage of uppercuts in the ninth dropped Pulev and a straight right hand wiped him out seconds later. The 1,000 fans granted access to Wembley Arena saw a blend of the boxing skills and crushing punches that have helped build Joshua into the attraction he is. Moments after the fans roared at the prospect of the IBF, WBA and WBO champion facing WBC champion Fury next, Joshua said: "I started this game in 2013, gathered the belts.

"Whoever has the belts I want to compete with. If that is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury." In his reaction immediately after Joshua’s victory, Tyson Fury posted a video on social media. In it he says: "I want the [Joshua] fight. I want the fight next. I’ll knock him out inside three rounds. "There you go everyone. Anthony Joshua got asked if he wanted the fight and he went round the bushes. I want the fight. I want the fight next. I will knock him out inside three rounds. I can't wait to knock him out." Also speaking, legendary boxing promoter, Bob Arum said: “It looks like the stage is set for the biggest Heavyweight championship fight since AliFrazier in 1971, when @Tyson_ Furymeets @anthonyfjoshuafor the undisputed crown. “We at Top Rank will start on Monday working to put that fight together,” he stressed. BBC’s boxing commentator, Mike Castello said: Joshua pocketed a cool £10million prize pot from his title defence against Pulev on Saturday night. Despite gate receipts at Wembley's SSE Arena being limited to just 1,000 due to the

Covid-19 restrictions as part of the new regional tier system, Joshua still got a handsome payday in what is his first

fight in a year. Pulev, who came to London as the heavy underdog, earned just £3m from the fight - £7m

less than the world champion, according to UK’s The Telegraph. There were no set purses for the fight, and both men could

even exceed those figures with pay-per-view numbers soaring because of the lack of spectators allowed at the event.

THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH... AJ got behind the jab and found a home for the right uppercut, landing with success throughout before Pulev succumbed

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KATSINA SCHOOL ABDUCTION: WE HAVE LOCATED ATTACKERS’ HIDEOUT, SAYS BUHARI has deployed additional rescue assets in the state. But the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while reacting to the news, described the development as a testament to Buhari’s poor handling of the security situation in the country, noting that the number of students kidnapped was 600. According to a briefing the president received from Masari and the Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the military, supported by air power, located the bandits at their hideout at Zango-Paula forest, adding that an operation was already apace to free the abducted students. Buhari, who arrived Katsina on a weeklong visit, had strongly condemned the attack on the school and charged the army and the police to go after the attackers to ensure that no student was missing or harmed. A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the president on media, Garba Shehu, said the president urged the school authorities to carry out an audit of the population of the students following shootings in and around the school that sent hundreds of them fleeing and scrambling over perimeter walls. Parents, who rushed to the school and removed their children and wards, were also required to notify the school and police authorities in order to have a full account of the school population. “I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara. Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” said President Buhari. Buhari pledged more support for the police and military as they contend with the terrorists and bandits. In a relatd development, the president directed the reinforcement of security at all schools in line with the safe schools policy of the administration. But the Police said so far, no student casualty has been reported. Local sources claimed that the bandits had earlier operated at the Kankara town, where they

abducted some people before invading the boarding school at about 10:00 pm on Friday. Curiously, the raid took place hours after President Buhari arrived in Daura, his hometown, for a weeklong private visit. THISDAY reliably gathered that the incident forced the remaining students, who survived the invasion, to vacate the school in the night as parents were said to be busy searching for their children up till Saturday morning. A credible source within the school confirmed the development to THISDAY in an emotion laden telephone interview said 54 out of 884 students of the school, were missing after the invasion by the hoodlums. The bandits riding on motorcycles, according to the source, came in large numbers and started shooting sporadically and shot one of the police officers manning the school gate. The officer is currently receiving treatment at the Kankara General Hospital. The source explained that the bandits then moved to the staff quarters of the school, where they abducted an elderly woman before whisking away a large number of students, who were sleeping in their hostels. The source stated, “Fifty four students out of 884 are still missing after the attack by heavily armed bandits. The situation has forced the remaining students to vacate the school. Government and security agencies must wake up and do what is expected of them if not, the bandits will finish us". However, the State Police Command yesterday claimed it had rescued 200 students of the school and that efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining students. Spokesman of the Command, SP Gambo Isah, said: "Yesterday (Friday) at about 21:40hrs, bandits in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked Government Science secondary school, Kankara. "The policemen on duty also responded to the attack and engaged them in a gun duel, which gave the students

opportunity to scale the fence of the school and run for safety. "The DPO reinforced the policemen on duty with Armoured Personnel Carrier, (APC) which forced the hoodlums to retreat back into the forest. One Inspector sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital and is responding to treatment. "In the course of investigation, the DPO rescued over two hundred students back into the school compound. It will be too early to say at this particular moment the actual number of students that have been kidnapped or missing". But Masari, who visited the school on Saturday with his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu and other government officials, met with the school officials, some parents, traditional and religious leaders as well as security personnel in the area, before ordering the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state. Masari, who could not control his emotions, pleaded with the people to be patient and show restraint and understanding, assuring them that government would do everything necessary to ensure the release of all the abducted students. He said already, the security officials, constituting the military, the police and the Department of State Security, had swung into action and were on the trail of the abductors. Masari assured the people that both governments at the federal and state levels were doing their best to bring an end to banditry and other debilitating criminal activities in the state. He said the government was very firm in its resolve to be ruthless in any engagement with the bandits. But as the search to track the abductors of the students intensify, Adamu, yesterday deployed additional operational and investigative assets to support the ongoing search and rescue operations in Kankara and surrounding in Katsina State. A statement by Force Public Relations Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Frank Mba,

said the deployment, which included personnel from the police tactical squads and crack detectives from the Force Intelligence Bureau, would provide investigative support to the Katsina State Police Command. The statement said, "They are also to work in sync with the military and other law enforcement agents in coordinated efforts aimed at rescuing the students, hunting down the perpetrators and bringing them to book. "Investigations so far reveal that one of the attackers was killed and a policeman injured during the attack.” The statement explained that the exact number of missing students could not be ascertained at the moment as massive operations including investigations, search and rescue exercise were still ongoing. The IG also ordered the immediate review and strengthening of security arrangements around educational institutions in the country, sequel to the president’s earlier order. But the PDP has urged Buhari to return to his duty post and quickly account for the 600 kidnapped school children in Kankara, Katsina state. Addressing a press conference yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said the kidnapped school children were an added opportunity to rejig the security apparatchik in the country. Declaring to stand with the entire Katsina people, the PDP charged "President Muhammadu Buhari, as the commander-in-chief, who promised to lead from the front, to account for the abducted students, as the large-scale abduction happened a few hours after the President and his security machinery took over the state. "Our party holds as perplexing that at a time the people of Katsina should have heaved a sigh of relief, because of his presence, the abduction happened right under Mr. President’s nose; in his home state, where he had gone holidaying. "This development has

further exposed the failure of President Buhari to manage high level security intelligence that ought to accompany a presidential visit. President Buhari, who refused to honour an invitation by the House of Representatives for a collective deliberation on security, could abandon his duty post for a holiday, leaving our national flanks open for terrorists, bandits, vandals, and insurgents. "The time of the attack buttresses the fact that President Buhari, as the commanderin-chief, is totally incapable of securing our nation; the very reason there have been widespread calls by patriotic Nigerians that he should resign. "This insolence of Mr. President towards issues of national security compelled our caucus in the House of Representatives to demand for his impeachment", the PDP said. The PDP believed that if President Buhari had listened to wise counsel as proffered by it and other patriotic Nigerians, including the two chambers of the National Assembly to rejig the nation’s security architecture, the situation would not have deteriorated to this sorry state. "This particular abduction in the President’s home state, under his watch, raises further serious questions over this government’s capacity to fight insurgency. This is more worrisome as the state government had been known to have established contacts with, as well as pampering bandits, which Mr. President had not condemned." The PDP, therefore, demanded that President Buhari should immediately quit his needless holidaying in Daura and go in search of, and rescue the abducted students, particularly having earlier admitted that issue of security was his exclusive responsibility. Meanwhile, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked the federal government to declare a state of emergency in states bedevilled by insecurity. Atiku said the abduction of the students was an unwelcome escalation of

the spate of insecurity in the nation, one that he condemned in the strongest possible terms, adding that the time to review strategies is now. Atiku stated, “I sympathise with the parents of the abducted children and the government and people of Katsina, my adopted home state and home of my late benefactor, Tafida Shehu Musa Yar’adua. I pray for their safe return. “While I urge our nation’s law enforcement agencies to immediately swing to action and rescue the missing students, I am nevertheless conscious of the fact that we cannot continue to be reactionary in our response to the growing insecurity in Nigeria. Something has to give. “I therefore call on the federal government to immediately declare a state of emergency in states bedeviled by banditry and terrorism, for an offensive and decisive war on terror and insecurity. “For the avoidance of doubt, the emergency I call for should follow the steps prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and case law, by leaving all democratically elected state and local government structures intact. “The rationale is quite simple: We cannot win the war on terror by continuing with the same strategies we have deployed over the last five years. That they have not worked is very glaring, with the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara incidence being the latest in a long line of proofs. “If we must get better results, we must implement better strategies. Strategies that may have to include the temporary stoppage of the boarding school system, in favour of a day students approach, until the situation is brought under control. “Strategies that must include 24 hours armed military guard for each school in the affected states. No sacrifice is too great to make to return law and order to the affected communities, and that must be the singular focus of the Federal Government until this menace is eradicated.”

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NEWS NDA-ISAIAH, A MASSIVE FISH GONE OUT OF MEDIA OCEAN, SAYS BUHARI columnist, and one time presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Meanwhile, more and more tributes have continued to pour in, in honour of Nda-Isaiah’s memory, from eminent organisations and prominent Nigerians. They relive interesting memories, particularly, his contribution to the growth of newspapering in Nigeria and national development.

NPAN: He Was a Friend to All In its tribute, the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), in a statement by its President, Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, and Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, stated: “The nation woke up this morning with the startling news of the death of one of the key investors in the Nigerian media, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, the Chairman and Publisher of Leadership Group of Newspapers. “For us in the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), this huge loss is even more devastating and painful, because Sam was not only a colleague, but also a friend to all in the industry. “His commitment to the values and objectives of the association was unflagging to the very end. He was together with the rest of us only last week in Lagos, when elections into the national executive council of the NPAN were held, and Sam was elected as an ex-officio member. “Sam Nda-Isaiah has left indelible footprints in the annals of the Nigerian media. He started as a publisher right away with Leadership Confidential, a subscription-based monthly newsletter, which in 2004, he transformed into Leadership, a gutsy, stylish weekly newspaper that caught the eye of Nigerians as soon as it hit the newsstands. “As a popular columnist, Sam told the truth to power. His style was brash, bareknuckle and unapologetic. For his constancy in that, he was mostly regarded as patriotic. “His desire to transform his beliefs into policy made him to make a foray into party politics, where he ran for president in the 2015 general election. Politics made him to drop his column but the general direction of his newspapers was consistent with what he had been writing.” NPAN stated that it would sorely miss Sam as an active member and for his immense contribution to the development of journalism in Africa. “We wish to console his dear wife Zainab and their children, as well as his extended family, friends and admirers with the fact that Sam's concrete contributions to the development of this country, in particular, and the continent, in general, are visible and appreciated.”

IPI: He Left When Most Needed The International Press Institute (IPI), while mourning Mr. Sam Nda- Isaiah, a Patron of IPI, said, “We mourn Mr. Nda-Isaiah's death at a time his services are still needed

in the media industry and in the nation.” IPI, in a statement by its Chairman, Kabiru Yusuf, and Secretary, Raheem Adedoyin, stated, “We offer our condolences to the family of our departed colleague, to the staff and management of Leadership Newspaper and to the entire media community. “May God almighty accept the soul of Mr. NDAIsaiah and give the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.” He was Courageous, Visionary, Say Northern Governors The Northern Governors Forum has described the late founder and Chairman of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah, as a courageous Nigerian, saying his passing was both shocking and devastating. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, in a statement said the development was a monumental loss to Nigeria and the Northern Region. The release signed by his Director of Press, Lalong said, “This is a very sad development for the country as we have lost one of the most vibrant and courageous media entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Sam was a visionary man, who believed in the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria. He did so through his writings, and contributions reflected his passion for a strong democratic culture.” Lalong said Nda-Isaiah was a successful businessman and never afraid to dream big and venture into various fields, adding that his big dreams led to the birth and nurturing of the Leadership Newspapers that has grown to become one of the leading newspapers in the Northern Region as well as the country at large. The governors said the deceased would be greatly missed for his patriotism, selflessness, hard work, mentorship, and courage in the service of Nigeria.

Jonathan: He Was Deeply Committed to Public Good Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said NdaIsaiah was one Nigerian who was deeply committed to public good. Jonathan. In a condolence message to the family, Jonathan described the late Nda-Isaiah as an erudite journalist and columnist who deployed his creativity towards promoting peace, progress and unity. Jonathan commiserated with the Nda-Isaiah family and the management of Leadership newspapers, saying he would be missed for his patriotism and incisive commentary on the state of our nation. The former president said, "I commiserate with the NdaIsaiah family, the Nigerian media, his political associates and all sympathisers on the demise of Sam Nda- Isaiah at the age of 58 after a brief illness. "Sam Nda- Isaiah was a pharmacist, an erudite journalist, a columnist and a newspaper publisher, who deployed his creativity and platforms to promote the peace, progress and unity of Nigeria. As a politician, publisher and entrepreneur, he was a man of deep commitment to solving many

detribalised citizen. Sanwo-Olu commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership, the immediate family of the deceased, his friends and associates as well as the media industry, where the late Nda-Isaiah was a major player. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, Sanwo-Olu said the late publisher's eternal passage came at a time Nigeria needed more of his knowledge and wealth of experience. The governor added that the late Nda-Isaiah's Leadership newspaper, which has been at the forefront of the fight for a better society, had just honoured him along with some other prominent Nigerians for their modest contributions to humanity and he was looking forward to attending the event. SanwoOlu said, "Death is not what anybody has control over. It will come when it's time. It is painful that the late Nda-Isaiah left at a time when some of us were looking forward to the Leadership newspaper event."

Abiodun: He Fought for a Better Nigeria

Nda-Isaiah of the challenges within our country.”

Senate: He Was a Detribalised Media Guru The Senate has expressed grief and sadness at the demise of Mr. Samuel Ndanusa Isaiah, describing him as a detribalised media guru. Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, said, This detribalised media guru passed on when the media industry would have needed his skills, mentoring and professional guidance. He will be remembered as a quintessential professional and for his prolific and captivating writings. “We are genuinely pained by his death. It is a loss to the development of media and democracy in the country.”

Tinubu: He Was a Conscientious Journalist, Columnist National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, mourned the death of NdaIsaiah, and described him as a courageous and conscientious journalist and columnist. In a statement issued by his Media Office and signed by Tunde Rahman, Tinubu said he had a cordial relationship with Nda-Isaiah. Tinibu said regarding the Niger State=born journalist and publisher, "I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the death of Leadership Newspaper publisher, Mr. Sam NdaIsaiah. He was a friend and associate. We had built cordial relationship between us long before we founded the APC together with others

and before he contested for the presidential ticket at the primaries of our party in 2014. "As a journalist and columnist, he was bold, courageous, and conscientious. A pharmacist, he made an audacious move when he founded the Leadership newspaper in 2001. Nda-Isaiah was not only a newspaper publisher; he was also an entrepreneur with varied business interests. "His death is a blow to the journalism profession, which he served with all his heart. Perhaps, his last major appearance was last Tuesday’s Annual General Meeting of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria held in Lagos. My condolences to the NPAN. I commiserate with the management and staff of Leadership newspaper.”

Lawan, Eweremadu Mourn Nda-Isaiah President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and a former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, Saturday, condoled with the family and friends of Sam Nda-Isaiah. Lawan commiserated with the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), and the government and people of Niger State over their loss. The senate president described as shocking, the death of the pharmacistturned newspaper columnist, publisher and politician at the young age of 58 years. Lawan said, "Sam NdaIsaiah fervently believed in the Nigerian project and this is reflected in his writings and the editorial focus and tone of his Leadership Newspaper. "His contributions as a public opinion shaper and principled politician are profound and have put his imprints on the Nigerian

history despite his early home call." Ekweremadu said, "The news of his death came to me as a rude shock. It's a heavy loss to Nigeria especially, the media industry. My heart goes out to his family."

Gbajabiamila: Nigerian Media Lost One of Its Pillars Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has said with the passing of Mr. Sam NdaIsaiah, the nation’s media industry has lost one of its pillars. Gbajabiamila, in a statement on Saturday, condoled with members of his immediate family, the management and staff of Leadership Newspaper, the Nigerian media industry, especially the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), over the loss. The speaker reiterated that with Nda-Isaiah's passing, the Nigerian media industry had lost one of its committed pillars. He said Ndah Isaiah’s death came at a time the media was needed most to promote unity among Nigerians and the development of the country. While praying for the repose of the soul of late Nda-Isaiah, the speaker said the late publisher would be remembered for contributing his quota toward Nigeria's development through the media.

Sanwo-Olu: We Lost a Patriotic, Detribalised Nigerian Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has described the death of Sam Nda-Isaiah as painful, saying Nigeria has lost another patriotic and

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the late Chairman of Leadership newspapers, Mr. Sam NdaIsaiah, spent his life fighting for a better Nigeria. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, the governor expressed shock at the demise of the ebullient columnist, saying the country has lost a gem and the family could not be the same again with the death of its breadwinner. Abiodun stated, “The country has lost a rare gem of big ideas, whose politics was laced with conviction, selflessness and without bitterness. I am still in shock. I was jolted by the news. Sam Nda-Isaiah was a resolute and dogged fighter on the side of the people. His columns, ‘Last Word’ and ‘Ear Shot’ were pungent and fought the good cause for a better Nigeria. "A serial entrepreneur is gone. He had his hands in many pies and incredibly made a success of most of his endeavours." Describing Nda-Isaiah as "a friend and a man of ideas,” Abiodun stated, "Through sheer creativity and entrepreneurship, he straddled the professions of pharmacy by training and became a successful newspapers' manager. His discipleship also kept growing in politics and he once aspired to be the President of the country on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

Sule, Al-Makura Grieve Over NdaIsiah’s Death The Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, and his immediate predecessor, Senator Umaru Tanko AlMakura, Saturday, joined other Nigerians to mourn the death of Sam Nda-Isaiah. Sule, in a statement he personally signed, said, "This death is a great loss that has robbed us Continued on page 10

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NEWS

Buratai Speaks from Isolation, Says Planned ICC Probe Will Affect Internal Security Operations, Troop Morale Urges soldiers to focus on final onslaught against insurgents Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Following an announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it was opening a full investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by terrorist group, Boko Haram, and Nigerian security forces, Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, has said the investigation would hurt internal security operations and dampen the morale of troops. Buratai spoke 72 hours after going into self-isolation with other generals and commanders, after the death of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major General Olubunmi Irefin. Irefin died of complications arising from the COVID-19 virus. A statement issued by Army spokesman, Brigadier-General Sagir Musa, said the decision of the ICC would be a setback for internal security operations, with attendant negative consequences on troops trying to contain the Boko Haram insurgency. The statement said, “The Nigerian Army's attention has been drawn to a press release by the Prosecutor

General of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday 12 December 2020, alleging that she has found a reasonable basis to believe that ‘members of the Nigerian Security Forces (NSF)’ have committed acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes. “This was immediately followed by a release by the local branch of Amnesty International (AI) in Nigeria 'demanding full investigation of atrocities by Nigerian forces.’” The Army Headquarters statement added, “There is no doubt such statement and instigation can distract the Nigerian Army troops with its demoralising effects. It will have negative consequences on troops morale, interest in military service by Nigerians and be a severe setback to all our internal security operations in the country. “However, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General TY Buratai, enjoins Nigerian Army troops to ignore the distractions and call on the gallant troops never to be worried or demoralised by these moves.” He further enjoined troops "to ignore the wicked, unnecessary distractions and direct troops to fully concentrate on the final defeat of Boko Haram/ISWAP

terrorists group, which is in sight". The army chief also directed fighting troops to adhere to the rules of engagement, code of conduct, and standard operating procedure. “He also charges the troops to work hard and be guided by

the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Rules of Engagement, the Code of Conduct and the Standing Operating Procedures for all Nigerian Army Operations,” the Army statement said. Buratai reiterated, "The Nigerian Army is not only

protecting human rights but also sustaining human rights nationally and globally. Our professional conduct over the years and most recently during the #ENDSARS protest at Lekki Village near Lagos are clear testimonies to the Nigerian Army's posture on

promoting sustainable human rights policy. “The Nigerian Army wishes to advise local or international organisations not to allow themselves be used to destabilise or destroy the troops' morale by the sponsors of mischief in Nigeria.”

LOOKING FOR ABDUCTED STUDENTS... Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari (right), and Brigadier-General WB Idris, Commander of 17 Brigade, Katsina with Malam Usman Abubakar, the Principal of Government Science Secondary School Kankara, where bandits abducted unspeciﬁed number of students... Friday night

THISDAY Reporter Clinches 2020 DAME Award David-Chyddy Eleke THISDAY reporter, Mr. Bayo Akinloye, shone on Saturday night as he was honoured at the 2020 Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), which held at Lagos Oriental Hotel. It was the 29th edition of DAME and Akinloye clinched the Reporter of

the Year award in the Agriculture Category sponsored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Akinloye who is with THISDAY the Sunday Newspaper emerged the winner with his story, 'From Cocoa to Cannabis: Nigerian Farmers Seek Fortunes Inside Forbidden Farms.' The special report

detailed how Nigerian cocoa farmers are ditching cocoa for cannabis, the economic potential of the latter and the dwindling fortunes of the former. The story also highlighted the challenges both cocoa and cannabis farmers are facing, signposting what could be done to provide succour. Saturday's award was a

continuation of Akinloye's journalistic exploit as he won the PwC Media Excellence Award 2019's Best Reporter of the Year in the SME Category. Akinloye had been honoured in the past both nationally and internationally. Some of his previous awards and honours included

the Telecommunication Reporter of the Year and Political Reporter of the Year (at the Nigeria Media Merit Awards); and Africa’s Business and Finance Reporter of the Year (at the African Media Initiative’s Zimeo Awards in South Africa). Well-known for his exclusive stories, Akinloye

is an alumnus of the United States International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) and a journalism fellow of the United Kingdom’s Thomson Reuters Foundation. He was the only Nigerian journalist invited for the inaugural ‘War Stories Peace Stories’ conference in New York in 2018.

Buhari Sacks Akpabio’s IMC, Appoints Sole Administrator at NDDC Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday sacked Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei led Interim Management, IMC and appointed Effiong Okon Akwa as the new interim administrator of the

Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Akwa, according to a statement by the president's media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, who is the acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission, will oversee

the affairs of NDDC until the completion of the ongoing forensic audit. Adesina said Akwa is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He said his appointment

in that capacity had become imperative following the plethora of litigations and a recent restraining order issued against the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Recall the NDDC had been

embroiled in allegations of financial misappropriations under Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei. In one of the investigations into the financial misappropriations, Pondei fainted while being interrogated.

TNG reports NDDC’s Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is also affected with the dissolution of the commission’s management. The outcome of the forensic audit of the NDDC under Pondei is yet to be concluded .

Wintour also recognised the role played by Campbell in supporting the fashion event, saying: "I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Naomi Campbell, who has always understood the power of her voice especially, when raising it in support of arts.” The Arise Fashion Week 2020 kicked off with panache on December 10, when 30 designers selected from a pool of 150 across the globe were hosted to a sumptuous dinner and presented a participation fee of $5,000. This year's event marked the first time the award attached monetary reward to its ceremony and also the first time the focus was solely

on young designers. "We need a breath of fresh air. We need younger people to get into this space, and be given the accreditation they certainly deserve," noted Ruth Osime, co-producer of Arise Fashion Week. She explained that the monetary reward was a way of supporting young fashion designers as they branched out. "We're looking forward to launching a brand new designer that will also be making waves internationally," said Osime, adding that, "It's not just enough for us to be known only in Nigeria. One of the ways to be successful is to spread your tentacles

across the world." Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who graced the occasion, acknowledged the potential of the Nigerian fashion industry during his speech. Emefiele reiterated the commitment of the apex bank and the Bankers Committee to growing the fashion industry, stating that, "We are fully aware that the fashion industry in Nigeria can provide a positive and beneficial growth path for young Nigerians, who seek to utilise their talents in creating products and services that offer value at home. And indeed, abroad.

ARISE FASHION WEEK 2020 STUNS GLOBAL INDUSTRY PLAYERS Conde Nast, popularly known as the Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, Dame Anna Wintour, who connected with the event virtually. Introduced by supermodel and partner of Arise Fashion Week, Naomi Campbell, Wintour established with clear conviction reasons she associated with the pioneering fashion show. Her words: "One of the great joys of my job at Vogue has been to spotlight each new successive generation of designers. For the longest time, those designers came from the United States, and from Europe and Asia. “That's why I am so honoured to be a part of this

year's 'Arise 30 Under 30: The New Stars'. This initiative will bring young design talents from Africa and beyond to the fore, showcasing their work and allowing them the chance to receive business and development support." That aside, she added: "All of us have been through the most incredibly difficult year. But there have been some remarkable lessons, which have come out of it, and experiencing moments of joy and optimism and looking competently to the future. Now, more than ever, we all understand that we share a collective responsibility to lift up talents, all over the globe, not just on our doorstep."

The prominent global industry player emphasised the importance of the fashion world to put a light on new voices "particularly, where those voices were not listened to before. To highlight not only new designers but photographers, videographers, stylers, art directors and models, and so many more." She, therefore, encouraged the designers to see Arise Fashion Week as a platform to showcase their excellence, special talents to the world and to use the opportunity to "meet as many people as you possibly can be proud of, who you are and what you represent. That always should come first."

͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

Sanwo-Olu Tests Positive for COVID-19, Begins Treatment El-Rufai on self-isolation, to undergo test today Segun James The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has tested positive for Covid-19, Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has said. According to him, “following Lagos State Governor Babajide SanwoOlu’s exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19, a PCR test performed yesterday, the 11th of December, has confirmed that he has indeed been infected with the virus, which is supported by mild symptoms and fatigue typical of a mild case of COVID.” Abayomi explained that the governor has started receiving treatment and is being closely monitored at home by the very experienced state COVID-19 clinical team from IDH Yaba. He added: "Mr. Sanwo-Olu is doing well on treatment and rest and we are confident that he will recover quickly and clear the virus. We are seeing slightly increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in clusters in Lagos and all residents and visitors should strictly adhere to the prescribed advisories of safe distancing, mask-wearing, good hand and respiratory hygiene and avoidance of unnecessary or large gatherings. "The festive season is likely

to create the opportunity for the virus to spread if we are not compliant with the regulations established by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) for inbound travellers and the festive season celebrations. All inbound travellers must be COVID-19 negative by PCR before they board a flight to Nigeria and must self-isolate on arrival and undergo a pre-booked test on Day Seven of arrival in Nigeria. "Lagosians should keep celebrations to a minimum and be observant and responsible in their interactions. The significant gains achieved to date in containing COVID-19 in Lagos, which has allowed us to carefully reopen the economy, must not be reversed. "No one is immune to this virus and it is certainly still circulating in the community. Please, join me in praying and wishing the Incident Commander of the Lagos State COVID-19 response, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a speedy recovery so he can return to normal duties as soon as possible. "I will be keeping the public informed regularly of Mr. Governor’s recovery and wellbeing."

El-Rufai on SelfIsolation, to undergo

test today Also, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, yesterday disclosed that he had gone into self-isolation after some family members and senior government officials around him tested positive for COVID-19. El-Rufai, in a broadcast

on Saturday, disclosed that a COVID-19 test will be conducted on him on Sunday. He said: “I have been notified of more positive Covid-19 test results of persons close to me, including an immediate family member and senior officials of the Kaduna state government.

Ayade: It’s a Monumental, Irreplaceable Loss Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has described as a monumental loss to the nation and the media industry, the death of Sam Nda-Isaiah. The governor, in a press statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Christian Ita, lamented that, "Sam died at his prime and at a time his rich input to the growth of the media industry in Nigeria was still needed. "It was with rude shock and utter disbelief that I received the news of Sam's demise. For Nigeria and for his immediate constituency, the media, this is a monumental loss, a sad, irreparable loss. Sam was simply one of the finest of the pack". While urging his immediate family and the media industry to take Nda-Isaiah’s sudden death in their strides, the governor stated, "Since it has pleased God to recall Sam to His bosom at the prime of his career and age, we cannot but submit to His will for He alone knows why Sam had to leave us at this time.”

I’m Still in Shock,

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said the death of Sam Nda-Isaiah was both painful and shocking. Orthom described Nda-Isaiah as a true patriot, who though a pharmacist by training, made indelible contributions to the growth of the media industry and offered jobs to hundreds of Nigerians through his companies. In a press statement by his media aide, Terver Akase, the governor sent condolences to the government and people of Niger State, the Leadership newspaper family and the Nda-Isaiah family in particular.

Okowa: He’ll Be Greatly Missed Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has condoled with the Nda-Isaiah family, management and staff of Leadership Newspapers, over the death of Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, saying he would be greatly missed. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, said the governor the governor also commiserated with members of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the media and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the death of the respected entrepreneur, politician and philanthropist. He said the late publisher would be greatly missed by all stakeholders in the media industry especially, for his invaluable contributions to the growth of the Nigerian economy through the "National Economy", another publication dedicated to the development of the Nigerian business environment.

preventive protocols against Covid-19, especially wearing facemasks, avoiding large gatherings, practising physical distancing and washing their hands regularly. Kaduna state has recorded an increase in the cases of COVID-19 infections, with the latest infection figures put at 117.

EQUIPING THE POLICE... Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde (middle); Special Adviser on Security, CP Fatai Owoseni, rtd (left); Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Enwonwu Nwachukwu (third right); Director-General, Operation Burst, Col Japo Oladipo, rtd (left) and others during the handing over operational Security vehicle's to operation Burst and Police Swift Reponse Squad at Government House, Agodi, Ibadan

NDA-ISAIAH, A MASSIVE FISH GONE OUT OF MEDIA OCEAN, SAYS BUHARI of a consummate newsman, Says Ortom The statement said controversies of that period. whose patriotism and love for a better Nigeria is not in doubt." Al-Makura described the death of Nda-Isaiah as a monumental loss to the media and the nation at large. He said the late Nda-Isaiah was his personal friend, adding that he was a versatile politician, who made a name in the field of journalism.

“I am, therefore, in selfisolation and hope to be tested by Sunday. This is purely a precautionary move that complies with the standard Covid-19 protocols. There will be another update when the test results are ready.” He urged Kaduna residents to observe and abide by the

regarding the dead publisher, “He was a committed Nigerian, a publisher of repute, an astute politician and philanthropist, whose commitment to the realisation of a great and truly democratic Nigeria is discernable." The governor said the late Nda-Isaiah was a leading pro-good governance advocate and a consistent voice on contemporary and national policy discuss.

He Had Strong Convictions, Says Ibori A former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori has described the late Sam Nda-Isaiah as a man with strong convictions and who expressed them passionately. In a press statement by his media assistant, Tony Eluemunor, Ibori said Nigeria would remember Nda-Isaiah as a man of many parts. “He was not just a Leadership newspaper publisher but an influential columnist, who maintained a weekly newspaper column for decades. Nda-Isaiah, the businessman and writer, was also a politician, who grew to the stature of contesting seriously for the presidential ticket at the national primaries of the All Progressives Congress. “Sam Nda-Isaiah’s background as a journalist and politician, added to his inclination to audaciously speak his mind on political issues, his paths and mine often crossed, especially during the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and the

“On one occasion, I had a reason to reply to one of his articles – and he honoured my right of reply and published it in the space meant for his column. That was commendable. Beyond that, he was courageous enough to say openly, years later, that he was misled on certain things he wrote about me, and that he was sorry. “It takes personal courage and a large heart to do such, but then, anyone who knew Nda-Isaiah would have also known that he was courageous and that he had a large heart.”

Obaseki Hails His Dexterity, Strides in Journalism The Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, while mourning the passing of the Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, said Sam Nda-Isaiah, also hailed his dexterity and strides in journalism as well as nation building. The governor, in a statement, noted that NdaIsaiah served Nigeria as a committed patriot and contributed immensely to national development while he lived. According to him, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of the Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah. He was a committed journalist, who explored several opportunities to contribute to nation building. His commitment to progress and advancement would be greatly missed.” The governor added that the late publisher was a firm believer in the Nigerian project, noting that his fervent

zeal to drive change would not be forgotten.

Makinde: He Made Great Marks in Media Industry Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde Nda-Iasiah made great marks in the media industry. He described the late publisher as a man of courage, who took the cause of revolutionising the media industry head-on and made great marks on the industry. Makinde, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, maintained that Nda-Isaiah’s death has created a huge vacuum in the media industry in the country. Makinde stated, “The news of the death of the publisher of Leadership newspaper, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, came to me as shock. Mr. Nda-Isaiah was one of a few Nigerians whose courage I salute, because he picked up the challenge of revolutionising the media industry with the establishment of Leadership newspaper and within a short while, made a great mark. “I am sure that his death has left a vacuum in the media industry and I can only pray God to grant repose to his soul and grant his immediate family, the media family, especially the NPAN and all Nigerians, the fortitude to bear this loss. Mr. Nda-Isaiah played his part effectively in building the country and one can say that he has fought a good fight. May his soul rest in peace.”

Ngige: His Feats Are Etched in the Sand of Time

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has expressed shock and grief over the death of Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, saying his contribution to the growth of the Nigerian media and the deepening of democracy were etched in the sands of time. A statement issued by Ngige’s Media Office stated, “From profound thoughts in that scintillating column in the Daily Trust newspaper, to the brave and audacious founding of the Leadership newspapers and foray into politics as a founding member of our great party, the APC, at a critical moment that Nigeria bayed for a change, Sam was inspired by patriotism in an effort to illuminate and straighten out the dark paths and alleys of our national life. “I feel deeply sad he has breathed his last. The nation has lost greatly, even more, the media industry. Sam will be greatly missed. I send my sincere condolences to his family and to the Nigerian press for this huge loss. May God Almighty grant him eternal rest". Ngige equally sent his condolences to the family, friends as well as associates of the late Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, retired Justice Sylvanus Nsofor. Recalling the thoughts they shared, when the late ambassador hosted him at Potomac, the United States in 2018, Ngige described him as “a just and forthright jurist, who courageously stood for the truth,” adding that “posterity has a lot to learn from his brilliant example in demonstrating judiciary as the last hope of the common man.”

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

DECEMBER 13, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

EDITORIAL

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

YAKUBU’S SECOND COMING AT INEC Mahmood Yakubu’s duty is clearly cut out

hairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu was last week sworn in for a second term by President Muhammadu Buhari, following his clearance by the Senate. This is a remarkable feat. Yakubu is the first chairman to be returned to the post of the electoral umpire since inception. That he is distrusted by the leadership of both the ruling All Progressives Congress (who accuse him of orchestrating their loss of Zamfara and Rivers States) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (who accuse him of using ‘inclusive polls’ to deny them of Kano and Osun States) means Yakubu must be doing something right.

All electoral reforms will be meaningless if they are not driven by technology as it enhances integrity and transparency

WWhile we congratulate Yakubu on his renewed mandate, the challenges ahead are familiar, but are by no means easy. Like all his predecessors, Yakubu has thrown up some immediate priorities that the commission should tackle head on. The first is in ensuring the speedy passage of a new electoral law for the country. The Electoral Act No. 6 2010 (as amended) is dated and its amendment is vitally important to conducting free and credible elections. Fortunately, the National Assembly has now pledged to look at the issue with some dispatch. No less important is the need to clean up the voter register ahead of 2023 general elections. It is clear to all that the present voter register is bloated, made up with many fictitious and dead names. This has been obviously made poignant over the years with “poor” turnout in every election. The continuous voter registration is another opportunity for citizens to participate in the process by registering as voters ahead of the general elections in 2023.

Letters to the Editor

However, perhaps even more heartwarming is INEC resolve to deploy electronic voting in future elections, starting with the Anambra governorship poll coming up in the first quarter of next year. There is sufficient time between now and 2023 for INEC to put its house in order as we seek to enthrone credible elections where the votes of the electorate will not only be counted but would count. While meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) last December, Yakubu argued that the use of technology in results collation and transmission was “long overdue, doable, achievable and inevitable.” And while suspending the Continuous Registration of Voters (CVR) in May this year to prevent the health risks associated with COVID-19, he pledged that INEC “shall continue to apply relevant, value-for-money technology in all aspects of the electoral process and election management.” Now is the time to walk his talk. he use of technology has become an imperative for our elections. Given our sad experiences since independence with the existing method, there is no justifiable reason not to adopt e-voting, no matter how expensive. All electoral reforms will be meaningless if they are not driven by technology as it enhances integrity and transparency. Nigerians have for years lost confidence in the extant electoral voting method because of its susceptibility to manipulation. A reliable technology-enabled system could help minimise disputes over electoral fraud and rigging of results and thereby obviate the need for long-drawn litigation. The relative success of the recent governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States is credited to the use of technology in transferring election results. The introduction of the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) enabled results from polling units to be transmitted to a portal for citizens to view. This has gone a long way in increasing the transparency of the process. Even though there were also some pockets of violence, particularly in Zamfara and Bayelsa States in the recent bye-elections, it was also an improvement on past elections. The National Assembly thus owes it as duty to Nigerians to make sure they passed the INEC proposal for amendment of the relevant sections of the constitution and the Electoral Act. As we seek to enthrone transparent elections in Nigeria, INEC should be encouraged by all the critical stakeholders, including the National Assembly, to legalise the use of technology in the elecoral process. We can only wish Yakubu well.

S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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HOW SPORTSMEN CAN HELP NIGERIA’S ECONOMY

t is good news, rare moments actually, when Nigerians at home are cheered up by reports that our young sportsmen have been contracted to ply their trades over the course of a few years that ultimately translates to healthy income for this class of professionals in relation to what their peers earn over here in Nigeria. The sport of football offers such opportunities to a comparatively large numbers of lads but the sport of boxing is a heavyearning game too. Our sports journalists celebrate these pieces of good news

with superlative adjectives and sitting governors, their deputies, and high-ranking chiefs have been known to celebrate with pugilists who so easily dispatched their opponents in paid bouts. But this should not end here. These young sportsmen (and a few sportswomen in the female football and female basketball genres) should be encouraged to pour some of their earnings into real estate investments in-country. How so? Victor Oshimen of Napoli FC, for instance, should be encouraged by the Lagos State and Edo State governments to

invest in real estate condos that could be sold off at affordable rates to the mass of hardworking Nigerians whose repayment schedules can be monitored by banks through their assured paid-employment routes over the course of a fair period of time that would be win-win for the investor and the beneficiaries. Governments of Nigeria harp on this theme but none has so far succeeded in providing affordable housings to Nigerians. But these lads must be allotted prime land-plots at no cost to them. That sort of business venture is what

made Donald Trump the billionaire he is today and that is what drives Dubai of the UAE that is now such a swank place for Nigerians to relate to. The government of my home state of Benue would do well in this regards to entice the footballer Moses Simon and Apollo Cruise (Sesugh Uhaa) of the WWE wrestling franchise to invest in this regards; Simon has just recently demonstrated that he has Benue State in mind by doing charity work at his hometown of Obagaji in the Agatu province whence he constructed three units of potable-water boreholes for the poor folks over there. It is worth noting that Moses said he undertook that task because

elected politicians would not do it. Alex Iwobi of Everton should have his sights set at Asaba, Ross Barkley of Chelsea should have his sights set at Uyo because his dad Effanga hails from Akwa Ibom State; Anthony Joshua should have his sights set at Abeokuta and Lagos; Efe Ajagba should have his sights set at Asaba and Warri, and the list goes on. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory should ensure that every one of these stars can do investments in the Abuja domain, too.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

OPINION

TWO UNMET 2020 TARGETS IN AFRICA AND NIGERIA The missed targets hold lessons for Nigeria and Africa, writes Ejeviome Eloho Otobo

s 2020 draws to a close, it is worth recalling that the year has turned out rather differently than had been envisioned for Africa and Nigeria. The compelling visions for Africa and Nigeria were respectively encapsulated in The Silencing the Gun in Africa by 2020 initiative and the Vision 20: 2020. While the Silencing the Gun by 2020 is a regional initiative aimed at achieving the strategic goal of conflict-free continent by 2020; Nigeria’s Vision 20 in 2020 was aimed at making Nigeria grow and join the ranks of the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020. Neither goal has been achieved as 2020 comes to an end. How were these two 2020-related goals set? Why were the targets not met? And what are the lessons from the failure to achieve these two targets? Both targets were set in moments of piquant exuberance. The Silencing Gun in Africa by 2020 was a commitment made in the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration adopted by African leaders in May 2013. It was thereafter included as one of the 12 flagship projects to be fasttracked in the first Ten Year Implementation Plan (20132023) of the Agenda 2063. Subsequently, an AU Master Roadmap for Silencing the Gun by 2020 was adopted in 2016, with an emphasis on the need to pursue peace and development in an integrated manner. The African Union First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063 published in February, 2020 noted that “assessed by the number of armed conflicts, the continent recorded a score of 45 percent, denoting a relatively weak performance in relation to the target in 2019”. This dismal performance partly explains the decision to extend the Silencing the Gun Initiative by 10 more years. Buoyed by rising oil prices in the mid-2000s, Nigeria adopted the Economic Transformation Blue Print titled “Nigeria—Vision 20:2020” in December, 2009, which reflected the thrust of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). Vision 20:2020 envisaged a GDP size of US$ 900 billion by 2020 and annual growth rate of 13.8 percent during 2009-2020 period. Today, the size of the Nigeria economy is about $400bn and ranked 27th largest economy by market exchange rate. It may be argued that the Vision 20:2020 was replaced

by the Transformation Agenda 2011-2015 and, subsequently, by the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 20172020, adopted in response to the recession of 2016. But this line of reasoning conveniently ignores the central concern – which is, why were the more ambitious targets set of 13.8 percent in Vision 20:2020; 11.7 percent in The Transformation Agenda; and modest target of 4.62 percent in ERGP, all unrealised? In the period 2009-2020, Nigeria’s growth performance was as follows: an average annual growth of 7 percent from 2009-2014; 2.7 percent in 2015; contraction of 1.6 percent in 2016; 0.8 percent in 2017; 1.9 percent in 2018; 2.3 percent in 2019; and a projected contraction of 5.4 percent in 2020. The two missed targets are respectively in the political and economic realms. Nonetheless, besides whatever technical and institutional constraints might have hindered their realisation, it is possible to offer shared explanations for the failure to meet both targets: the policy-making processes at the regional level and in Nigeria are marked by five main features. These are tendencies to set unrealistic time horizon for very difficult or complicated goals; lack of deep political commitment to achieving the goals; febrile consensus building on major national or regional goals; time inconsistency, which refers to how policy preferences or choices by the same policy makers change over time; and the disinclination of new leaders to abide by, or continue with, the policies of their predecessors. These problems are not unique to Africa, but they have had baleful influence on implementation of agreed goals in the region. African and Nigerian leaders would do worse than heed the lessons from those experiences. The conflict that erupted

Vision 20:2020 envisaged a GDP size of US$ 900 billion by 2020 and annual growth rate of 13.8 percent during 20092020 period. Today, the size of the Nigeria economy is about $400bn and ranked 27th largest economy by market exchange rate

in November between the federal government of Ethiopia and Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders in Tigray Province has not only undercut the Silencing the Gun initiative. It has also highlighted an inherent tension between the AU Constitutive Act article 4(g) on “non-interference internal affairs of member states” and the amended article 4(h) adopted in 2003 which gives the AU “the right to intervene in a member state...when there is a serious threat to legitimate order to restore peace and stability to the member state of the Union”. The 27 November Communique issued by the African Union on the mediation effort by its three Envoys (former Presidents John-Sirleaf of Liberia, Chissano of Mozambique and Motlanthe of South Africa) to Ethiopia represented a brave effort to conceal the fact these eminent envoys made no headway in their mission. The encounter between the unstoppable force, of the AU, and immovable object, of the Nobel Peace laureate Prime Minister of Ethiopia, should prompt the AU to rethink its mediation efforts. In particular, the Ethiopian government’s insistence that it was conducting a “law enforcement operation” against a “criminal clique” or “dissident leaders” raises the question whether such action falls below the threshold for initiating regional peacemaking effort, even when the mediation was launched three weeks after the fight erupted. Similarly, as Nigeria prepares to articulate its Plan for 2050, a business-as-usual approach would not suffice. Three specific measures must be considered. The first is to undertake a detailed analysis of both the political, technical, and institutional constraints that impeded the implementation of the various plans since 2009. Second, the federal government must seriously consider whether it is desirable to articulate a plan with a longer-term horizon than the four years that each elected administration is constitutionally entitled. Third, it will be important to adopt a new approach to generating public and multiparties’ political consensus to underpin the implementation of any new plan. –– Otobo is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Global Governance Institute, Brussels, Belgium

My Testimony Whatever you do, don’t give up, writes Ayodele Okunfolami

y 2050, Nigeria’s population would have doubled to over 400 million to overtake United States to become the third most populous nation behind China and India. It is predicted that China, India and the Asia Pacific would have overtaken America, Europe and the Atlantic as the epicentre of global economics and politics. What are Nigeria’s plans to be a major player in that post-fossil fuel future outside another regurgitated National Steering Committee the President recently set up? While we muse over these, this article is more personal than public. It is supposed to be one of those overwhelming testimonies that you don’t know where to start. Among other prenup decisions, I had suggested three kids while she went for four. We wedded and off we went for a blissful life that matrimony brings. But two years down the line when the anticipated bump was unseen, we became both prayer points looking up for a miracle and patients seeking medical solutions. In our part of the world, life questions progressively become more demanding from admission into the next academic rung to employment to marriage and then children. Full stop. Success in a preceding stair doesn’t make up for the higher while success in any step makes up for the asterisks of steps beneath. Once children come in their binaries, bull’s eye! Having children is a blue ribbon in this country and to outgrow the cultural reproach from in-laws and the society at large that comes on childless couples won’t come just by pulpit proselytizing. It comes when an increasingly educated citizenry replaces a superstitious society stuck to its primordial past. It comes when the girl child is economically empowered not to be the prejudiced culprit for the fruitless union. We outgrow it when the polity is developed that social relevance comes not only from biological offspring that are temporal with life spans but conception and delivery of intellectual inventions that outlives generations. Now, Nigeria’s overall underdevelopment has kept her in the transitional stage demographically where birth rate remains high. Nothing wrong with population growth, but when it continues to grow faster than the economy as we are witnessing, it becomes a worry. And what is making our growth burdensome is that those that are economically and educationally disenfranchised to know, access and afford family planning tools, are the greatest contributors to the numbers. Despite this population paradox where the rich have fewer children while the poor have larger families, infertility does not respect class or creed. Because universal health coverage is abysmally low in Nigeria

making it difficult for those that can only have children via extra coital means. That is why, besides their lack of financial protection, ignorance has made many expectant couples subject themselves to diverse spiritual and traditional means. Even many that have it easy, because primary healthcare centres are not readily accessible in those under governed and forgotten bucolic areas, go full terms without antenatal and end up delivering their babies into the hands of crude midwives in unhealthy settings. That is why with about 814 per 100,000 live births, the Fragile States Index, considers Nigeria among 15 countries to be “very high alert” or “high alert” being a failed state. These 15 countries had maternal mortality rates ranging from 31 to 1150. With less than 5% of Nigerians subscribed to any prepaid health insurance scheme, we lose sovereignty not only to creditor nations but also to nations like India that is now treating all of our terminal ailments. It is a security risk when medical files of our citizens are in shelves of foreign clinics. The average Nigerian is an illness away from poverty or death – whichever comes first. There must be a deliberate effort to expand the health insurance net. Aside serving as a viable avenue to boost healthcare finance, the insurance pool spreads the monetary risk of ill health among the insured population. The larger the pool, the more sustainable it will be as transaction costs tend to decline and risk is more evenly spread. Along with education, housing and transportation, healthcare should be an equalizer not the current state where everyone is ravenous for himself. Thanks to our employers, me and wifey are enrollees in an insurance scheme which covers our primary healthcare. As we explored medical solutions, our case became one that needed consultants and not the general practitioners. Our health provider informed us that our insurance package didn’t cover specialized consultancy. What that meant was that we started paying like every other private client. It cost us and we didn’t see results. We moved on to a teaching hospital where diverse consultants were not only aplenty but also would be lot fairer to our purse. What it meant was that we would now wake up before dawn to join long queues as patient patients for our turn well after noon. While I saw the urologist, she saw the gynae. We had to be booked for scans, took tests, submitted samples and awaited results at monthly intervals. The cycles were repeated

for marginal improvements in our reproductive cells. After three years of failed trials at the multi-specialist tertiary hospital, we braced up and directed our quest for the fruit of the womb to fertility specific clinics. After our first scans and observations, the doctor prognosed that we were candidates for in vitro fertilization. This process was more telling on her as she went under the knife of laparoscopy to get rid of myomas, underwent hysteroscopy, was acupunctured, treated endometriosis, and took several injections and drugs to stimulate the ovaries in preparation for insemination. Mine was more straight forward occasional booster drugs. Anyway, the IVF failed. We tried again, failed. Again, failed. Again, failed. We opted for another IVF clinic, failed. We returned to the original IVF clinic, failed again. Phew! We were drained financially (IVF is not malaria), physically and psychologic ally but we NEVER lost faith. Thanks to our very supportive families who stood by us. Some people suggested that we adopted but somehow, we were not convinced to do so. And if I should add, the legal process for adoption in Nigeria should be made less cumbersome and less expensive. Maybe, it could be an antidote to the baby factories springing up. “Be fruitful and multiply” is not only procreational. Wifey and I decided to face other things in life. Continued our commitment to church, community and country. We both pursued our Masters degrees. But then a doctor friend of ours took it upon himself to help. Honestly, I was too scared to go through another route and spent to afford the supplements he prescribed. I followed lukewarmly. That was how some days to my 40th birthday in March, my wife gave me news with the positive pregnancy test to back it up. Wow! Just like that? It was like that o. Agnes had conceived naturally! We attended the necessary health checks and followed all medical advisories and to God’s glory, she gave birth safely to our daughter September 24, 2020, after ten and a half years of marriage. Was it the doctor friend’s intervention, was it the cumulation of previous treatments, prayers, chance or time? Whatever, we thank God. –– Okunfolami wrote from Festac, Lagos

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

LETTERS

IGBO AND THE 2023 PRESIDENCY

t will be a grave mistake and a disaster for All Progressives Congress (APC) if any Igbo man finds his way to be the presidential candidate of the party in 2023. I am consciously aware of the fact that it will be very difficult for many to swallow this frankness especially my Igbo people, and it will even be much harder for those of them who dwell in realm of fantasies, too emotional and sentimental and never objectively confront realities with facts – some of those Igbo politicians in APC who have arrogantly arrogated themselves Igbo leaders that they are not, and their sycophants who selfishly purse their presidential ambition will detest this gospel verdict. The submission is the bitter truth arrived at after critical view of Nigeria’s political

situation in retrospect and in contemporary. The agreement that culminated in the formation of APC was for power to be in the north for eight years and then shift to the south west (Yoruba) for also eight years. Igbo (southeast) was not even in any way considered during the formation of the party, perhaps because no Igbo respected man bought the idea of APC from genesis and a very few who did do not command the respect in Igbo land. Therefore, any attempt to disrupt the agreed political sharing formula now will be a political suicide for APC nationally, though many concerned Nigerians will welcome such because the performance of APC as a ruling party is woeful. Opposition parties will pray for this to happen

especially Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). PDP has not recovered from a similar mistake that happened when President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of a blessed memory died in May 2010 and his vice, Goodluck Jonathan took over. The emergence of Jonathan from the south-south geo political zone as a president changed all the political zoning arrangements agreed by PDP’s founding fathers. That single blunder later proved to be the tool that catapulted APC to a position which empowered the party to make PDP, a one-time most powerful political party in Africa, look very contended as an opposition party. If President Jonathan who I consider as a real democrat and have a lot

of respect for, had stepped down for a northerner in 2015, just perhaps, PDP would still have been in power till today. Analytically speaking that option will not be viable for a political party that has lost esteem and genuine followers like APC. With the woeful national performance of APC, I describe the party as a man in coma, and on life support. So, by pronouncing an Igbo man as its presidential candidate you would have succeeded in switching off the life-saving machine and the outcome would be, “To your tents, O Israel,” (ACN, CPC, ANPP, APGA, nPDP”). No matter how one futuristically views the political situation in Nigeria with regard to the 2023 presidential election,

WILL THE WORLD END IN 2068?

national newspaper recently carried a story titled: "Why world might end by 2068." According to the report, "come 2068 and the whole of humanity could be potentially wiped out due to an asteroid attack. According to astronomers, an asteroid named 'Apophis' is expected to pass extremely close or may hit the Earth in 2068 due to a phenomenon called Yarkovsky effect . . . " I would like to use this medium to express my disagreement with, and disbelief in such propositions, and also to encourage other people who might read about such speculations, not to believe them. Throughout history people have been struck with awe as they gazed at the sun, the moon, and the stars. By studying the positions and movements of those celestial bodies, humans have been able to mark the passing of days, months, and years. As a Christian, I respect the achievements of science and believe in scientific findings that are supported by evidence. According to one dictionary, "Science is the study of the nature and behaviour of natural things and the knowledge that we obtain about them." Although the Bible is not a science textbook, it encourages people to study the natural world and to benefit from the scientific findings of others. However, it is important to note that science has its limitations. I do not believe that science can answer all of mankind's questions. It is true that the Bible talks about the end of the world, for example, in Matthew 24:3; Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 3:7; and 1 John 2:17. However, it might surprise you to learn that what the Bible really means when

Oyakhilome

it mentions "the end of the world" is quite different from the understanding, ideas and beliefs that are common among many people today. What does the Bible really mean when it mentions "the end of the world"? When the Bible speaks of the end of the world, for example in 1 John 2:17, where we are told that "the world is passing away . . . " "the world" that is to pass away is not the earth, but the world of mankind whose lives are not in harmony with God's will. In that sense, "the end of the world" is a good thing. You may wonder, though, about 2 Peter 3:7 where the Bible says that "the heavens and the earth which are now, . . . are reserved unto fire against the day of judgement . . . " (King James version). Does this mean that the earth will be burned up? Actually, the Bible sometimes uses the terms "heavens," "earth," and "fire" figuratively, as symbols. For example, when Genesis 11:1 says: "And the whole earth was

of one language, and of one speech," it uses "earth" to mean human society. The context of 2 Peter 3:7 shows that the heavens, earth, and fire mentioned there are also symbols. Verses 5 and 6 draw a parallel with the Flood of Noah's day. On that occasion, an ancient world was destroyed yet our planet, Earth, did not disappear. Instead, the Flood wiped out a violent society, or "earth." It also destroyed a kind of "heavens" - the people who ruled over the earthly society. (Genesis 6:11) In the same way, 2 Peter 3:7 foretells the permanent destruction of wicked society and it's corrupt governments as if by fire. Then, in harmony with 2 Peter 3:13: A "new earth" or new human society, will be ruled over by " new heavens," or new leadership - God's Kingdom. Under the rule of that Kingdom, the earth will become a peaceful paradise. -Revelation 21:1-4. In view of the foregoing, when the Bible speaks of "the end," it refers to: one, the end of failing human governments; two, the

end of war, violence, and injustice; three, the end of religions that have failed God and humans; four, the end of the people who perpetuate and support the current state of affairs. The end is NOT: an epic, flaming destruction of the earth; a random, unscheduled event, triggered by humans or by debris hurtling through space. Furthermore, God's inspired Word, the Bible, assures us that our planet Earth will never be destroyed, burned in fire, or replaced. The Bible teaches that God created the earth to be inhabited forever. We can see these in the following scriptures: Psalm 104:5: " He (God) has established the earth on its foundations; it will not be moved from its place* (*or will not totter) forever and ever." Psalm 37:29: "The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it." Ecclesiastes 1:4: "A generation is going, and a generation is coming, but the earth remains forever." Isaiah 45:18: "For this is what Jehovah says, The Creator of the heavens, The One Who formed the earth, it's Maker who firmly established it, Who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited: "I am Jehovah, and there is no one else . . . .Also, God will not allow humans to ruin the earth completely by pollution, warfare, or any other means. In His own due time, he will "bring to ruin those ruining the earth." (Revelation 11:18). So, in view of all the points highlighted above, will planet Earth be destroyed by an asteroid attack come the year 2068, or at any other time? . . . The clear answer is NO! Daniel Ighakpe, Festac Town, Lagos

the odds favors PDP to produce the next president if members of the pa r t y s i n c e r e ly wo rk f o r t h e i nt e r e s t o f t h e pa r t y. A P C c a n n o t w i n a ny f r e e a n d f a i r

e l e c t io n i n Ni g e r i a, not now and not before the 2023 presidential election. Uzoma Ahamefule, Vienna, Austria

HAJARA GWAMNA: AN IROKO HAS FALLEN

s human beings and as Muslims, we all are in the know that death is an appointment every soul awaits. And Qur'an 3:185 says: "Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing)." Thus, as inevitable as death is, we should, rather than fear it, prepare for it. For, before its time, it will never come. And once its time comes, it becomes closer to the so destined than even the tiniest atom. And if we prepare for it by living a life that is in tandem with the teachings of the Qur'an and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (the greatest man to have ever set foot on the planet earth), on the day of Resurrection, we will be paid with Jannah. Thus, while He loves her more than we do, we are consoled by the fact that Hajiya Hajara lived a righteous life. She served God and humanity. Hajiya Yaya, as she was fondly called, impacted positively not only on her c h i ld ren but also on everybody else who got the privilege to meet her. As a mother, she was everything a mot her i s. She loved her c h i ld ren, sac r i f iced

a nd ded icated herself for their comfort, protection and security. Hajiya Yaya was a role model for her children - for, she was very much aware of her responsibilities of setting goals for them and encouraging them based on their potential. She was relied upon by many for advice and guidance. Thus, as Governor Inuwa Yahya of Gombe State rightly said in a condolence message to her family, she left when she was most needed. Her advice and guidance are needed now, more than any other time, when community and political leaders must come together to work towards making the society a better place to live, worship and work. It was last Thursday, 10th November, 2020, that the Angel of death visited Hajiya Hajara, wife of the late Alhaji Isiaku Gwamna, and whisked her away at the age of over 90 years. But He is always right. For, His plans are the best of plans. His arrangements are the best. His wishes happen as He wishes. Thus, by His wishes, we were blessed with her. She was a blessing. And blessing begets blessing. Therefore, even as she departed, she lives. She lives in her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and those who were privileged to meet her. Mukhtar Jarmajo, Gombe

FLIGHT PLANS UP IN SMOKE

he current SpaceX's Starship prototype exploded in a ball of fire which might symbolise Musk's plan to send a rocket carrying people to Mars, planned for around 2024. Many of the ancient cultures knew Mars as the red planet and it was named after the gods of fire, but it is hoped that the first landing with people won't end in flames. The wish to travel to other planets and live there is understandable but may be very difficult to achieve. It is also our only local

possibility as it is in the Goldilocks range of not being too hot or cold and having some water and as far as we know no Martians. It could be a better idea for Elon Musk to devote his time and resources to rescuing Earth and making it more liveable and let someone from the next century develop the technology. Maybe I'm a coward but I'm not going to Mars until they sort out that minor problem with landing the rocket. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENTS THAT SHAPED 2020

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENT

Events That Shaped 2020 Bayo Akinloye

compatriot and the best of them.

Abiola Ajimobi

he facts of history confirm that 2020, in various ramifications, is unique, leading many to conclude that some things will never be the same again as global economies took a hit, humanity shown its fleeting mortal nature and human governments grappling to be in control of a world spiraling out of their grasp. Historians in the future may well conclude that the year the world took ill was 2020: when an individual sneezed, the community caught a cold. There were agonising separations of parents from children, grandparents from grandchildren and the shared grief of the rich and poor, whose voices were silent in the ICU only punctuated by beeping equipment. Hugs, handshakes, friendly visits became taboos. The news from Wuhan in China in the twilight of 2019 sounded like a distant echo. So were early warning signals. The world was delirious with merriment in December 2019 and by the start of 2020, every effort of individuals, organisations, and governments appeared too little, too late: COVID-19 was already crushing everything in its path. There was some frenzy. The world went into a panic. Then, there were lockdowns as almost everyone froze in fear. Hunger, anger, and uncertainty momentarily took over. Amidst the conundrum of the coronavirus chaos, a light flickered in the dark, tumultuous tunnel. Vaccine. Humanity has regained its strength and has become daring again. Well, even as the COVID-19 restrictions took its toll, many have ‘rebelled’ against government and health authorities’ instructions, either wishing the virus away or caught between the devil and the deep blue sea: saving livelihood or life. There are sub-plots to the year: the souls that received the mortal blows of COVID-19 and never survived and the survivors. There were the protests (from Hong Kong to Thailand; Lebanon to Lagos; Belarus to Brazil, et cetera). The President Donald Trump-former Vice President Joe Biden feisty election face-off; George Floyd’s police killing that shook the world; the announcement that Nigeria has gone into a second recession, just to mention a few amid various dramas on the world stage. A review of events below is by no means exhaustive but reflects the angst of the pandemic, the #EndSARS protests that engulfed Nigeria, Black Lives Matter protests, and other global upheavals, including the demise of the ‘hand of God’ hero, one of the world’s greatest footballers, Diego Maradona.

The COVID-19 Crisis

On December 31, 2019, China alerted the World Health Organisation of 27 cases of “viral pneumonia” in the central city of Wuhan. Authorities shut down a wet market in Wuhan the next day, after discovering some patients were vendors or dealers. By January 11, 2020, a 61-year-old man was reported as the first death and preliminary lab tests cited by Chinese state media pointed to a new type of coronavirus. By January 13, a Chinese woman was quarantined in Thailand, the first detection of the virus outside China. Fast-forward to February 27, Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19, when an Italian tested positive for the virus. By March 9, a second case of the virus was reported in Ewekoro, Ogun State. He was a Nigerian, who had contact with the Italian. To date, almost 70,000 persons had caught coronavirus with over 1,000 fatalities.

A former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, 70, also died of coronavirus-related issues on 25 June. He served two terms in office as the governor of Oyo State. When the news of his death initially filtered out, those close to him described it as rumour. He will fondly be remembered for his “constituted authority” outburst against university students in his state.

Bayo Osinowo

Before his death, Bayo Osinowo was a senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District after many years in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He died on June 15, 2020. He was aged 64. A by-election was held in Lagos on December 5 to find a replacement for him and Mr. Tokunbo Abiru won.

Wahab Adegbenro

The Commissioner for Health in Ondo State, died on July 2, 2020. He was aged 65.

Suleiman Achimugu

Suleiman Achimugu, former Managing Director of PPMC, died on March 23, after contracting COVID-19 while battling multiple myeloma and diabetes at the same time.

Harry Akande

Nigeria’s billionaire businessman and former presidential aspirant, Chief Harry Ayoade Akande, succumbed to COVID-19 last weekend, December 5. He was aged 77. His son, Olumide Akande, announced his passing in a statement and disclosed that the business magnate died after “a brief illness.”

Public Ofﬁcials Who Contracted Covid-19 There’s a long list of public officials, who contracted the deadly virus. The list is not limited to the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu; Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Baba Tela; former Benue State representative at the National Assembly, Rebecca Apedzan; Chief of Staff in Benue State, Terwase Orbunde; Head of Service of Benue State, Veronica Onyeke; Secretary to the State Government, Benue State, Anthony Ijoho; Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Charles Aniagwu and Secretary to the State Government, Delta State, Chiedu Ebie. Also on the list were Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Commissioner of Works and Infrastructural Development in Kano State, Muazu Magaji (sacked for celebrating the death of Abba Kyari); Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu; Secretary to the State Government, Osun State, Wole Oyebamiji; Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Yobe State House of Assembly lawmaker, Lawan Nguru and Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, amongst others.

Prominent Nigerians Killed By Covid-19

Global Leaders Who Caught Coronavirus

Senator Buruji Kashamu

President Donald

On August 8, the icy hands of COVID-19 caught a maverick politician and governorship candidate in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Ogun State, Senator Buruji Kashamu. Prior to his death, he had represented Ogun East Senatorial District between 2015 and 2019. Born on May 19, 1958, the billionaire businessman and later politician was a subject of extradition between the United States and Nigeria. Abba Kyari Mallam Abba Kyari died of COVID-19 complications on April 17. He was aged 67. He was President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff and considered the most powerful person in the Presidency. He was, according to Buhari a true Nigerian patriot, loyal friend

Trump US President Donald Trump despite wishing COVID-19 away and refusing to wear a facemask as well as observe physical distancing, when necessary succumbed momentarily to the virus. In a couple of days, he was given a clean bill of health. Though in his 70s, the American president is considered a dogged fighter, mentally and physically.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, 56, who in the early part of the pandemic resisted a lockdown and social distancing measures, contracted the virus in March. He was later hospitalised, spending three nights in an intensive care unit. He recovered.

President Jair Bolsonaro

Jair Bolsonaro, described as ‘Brazilian Trump’, was cavalier about coronavirus, calling it a “measly cold.”

Even as Brazil became one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, he attended political rallies, shook hands with supporters and went around without a facemask. He succumbed to the virus but recovered.

President Hernández

Juan

Orlando

Juan Hernández, 51, tested positive in June along with his wife and two aides. He was also treated for pneumonia. He initially vowed to keep working as he displayed mild symptoms, but his health quickly worsened. For days, he remained in a “delicate” situation, hospitalised, and needed oxygen. He did not die.

President Jeanine Añez

Jeanine Añez, 53, who took office as Bolivia’s caretaker leader in January after the ouster of President Evo Morales, tested positive for coronavirus in July. She recovered that month .

President Alejandro Giammattei

Giammattei, a former surgeon, who walks with crutches after suffering sclerosis in his youth, said his health condition made him a “high-risk” patient. “My symptoms are very mild. Up to now, I have body aches. It hurt more yesterday than today, like a bad cold,” he had stated. Guatemala’s culture minister and four government officials also were infected.

Prince Albert II

Prince Albert, aged 62, was considered the first head of state to test positive for the virus when the diagnosis was disclosed in a statement from his office on March 19. The palace later reported that he emerged from a 14-day period of self-isolation “in good health.”

Prince Charles

On March 25, 71-year-old Prince Charles was announced to have caught coronavirus, sparking fears about the health safety of his 94-year-old mother, Queen Elizabeth II. But there was nothing to fret about as the queen was allegedly in good shape.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

Forty-five-year-old Nikol Pashinyan, 45, went into self-isolation in June after he tested positive for coronavirus. A week later and after displaying no symptoms, he said he had tested negative.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin

Mikhail Mishustin, who assumed office as Russia’s prime minister in January, was hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19 in April.

People and Events

Meghan Markle, Abandon Royalty

Prince

Harry

The couple’s January announcement, that they no longer wanted to be treated as British royals, shocked the public and the royal family. Despite palatial intrigues to get them to change their minds, the couple was already on its way out to start a new, ‘ordinary life’. That January news, perhaps, fitted into an unusual 2020. “After months of speculation from royal watchers in the know, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their plan to step back from their roles as senior royals in a post on their nowdefunct @SussexRoyal Instagram account. “There had been plenty of reports that the couple wasn’t happy, and in an October interview with Tom Bradby, their friend, and journalist with ITV, they both admitted that they had been struggling with the pressure that came along with being in the royal orbit. “Still, the abruptness and finality of their announcement came as a shock to nearly everyone involved, including the courtiers and aides at Buckingham Palace,” Vanity Fair had reported.

US Election: Trump Loses, Biden Wins The November 4 United States of America’s presidential contest had the world gasping for breath as the election initially appeared too close to call between incumbent President Donald Trump and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. The election, one like never before was characterised by melodramatic developments ranging from alleged voter fraud to conspiracies. In the end, Biden won, Trump lost. But the president is not conceding yet, insisting there were widespread electoral frauds. Governmental

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENT

Events That Shaped 2020 authorities in charge of electoral matters, however, claimed that the 2020 election was the “most secure in American history.” Nevertheless, ‘Stop the Steal’ still reverberates in the States. After it became obvious that the election had been won and lost, the world finally heaved a sigh of relief. But Trump is not backing down yet and as they say, it’s not over until it’s over.

George Floyd Murder, BLM and Global Protests “I can’t breathe!” were some of the agonising final words that a black American man, George Floyd, managed to utter under mortal knee-on-neck choke by policeman Derek Chauvin. The chokehold lasted almost nine minutes. The man died. The town he lived in shortly thereafter was thrown into mourning, uproar, and destruction. There were protests across the US with an acrimonious chant, “I can’t breathe!” Both whites and blacks took to the street to protest not just the brutality against Floyd but also against other blacks in the country. Sooner, the protests took global forms and expressions. In Lebanon, after a port explosion that killed 158, Lebanese protested against the country’s political elite. Belarus Opposition supporters held a mass rally in the capital Minsk after a disputed election. In Thailand, schoolchildren, wearing white ribbons and raising three fingers in the style of The Hunger Games, also took to the street. There were anti-government demonstrations in Zimbabwe to protest against corruption and economic hardship. In Brazil, ‘Stop Bolsonaro’ protests banged pots and pans, calling for the president to resign. In Hong Kong, hundreds of thousands demonstrated against Beijing’s new security laws. But something else was quietly brewing in Africa’s most populous nation.

Nigeria’s #EndSARS Protests

On October 8, 2020, nationwide protests, #EndSARS, engulfed Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. It was considered the culmination of the pent-up angst against police brutality in the country. Unlike previous protests in Nigeria, the protests were allegedly orchestrated mainly by the country’s youths rather than politicians or politically exposed persons. The initial images of the protests were idyllic and enchanting. After several days on the streets, creating barricades and sometimes grinding many cities to a halt, signs of violence began to emerge. What began as peaceful protests took another shape as new elements of unidentified persons began an orgy of violence: vandalism, burglary, arson, and looting took over. Warehouses were attacked and looted. Homes of prominent politicians were attacked and burgled. Media organisations were also attacked. Just in the thick of the protests at Lekki Toll Gate, the invitation of soldiers to disperse protesters at the place left a trail of shootings and alleged killings, sparking outrage and condemnation. A few days into the protests, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad was disbanded but a new tactical team was immediately established to the consternation of the protesters. The federal government said it had acceded to the #EndSARS five-point request. Currently, many states of the federation have set up judicial panels for victims of police brutality to seek redress.

Nigeria Enters a Second Recession

Still grappling with the COVID-19-related economic shocks, Africa’s biggest economy slipped into recession in November. It was the second time in five years. “Q3 2020 Real GDP contracted for the second consecutive quarter by -3.62 per cent. Cumulative GDP for the first 9 months of 2020, therefore, stood at -2.48,” Yemi Kale had said. The country had first gone into recession in 2016. Nigeria relies on crude sales for 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings and had before the current

recession said it expected the economy to contract by as much as 8.9 per cent this year in a worst-case scenario without stimulus.

The Supreme Court Magic

The Supreme Court put a smile on Senator Douye Diri in November, when it upheld his election as governor of Bayelsa State. The court, in a unanimous judgment, upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which had earlier upturned the judgment of the election tribunal that sacked the governor and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. The Supreme Court gave the verdict shortly after it dismissed six appeals seeking the nullification of the election of Diri and Ewhrudjakpo, following the withdrawal of the appeals by lawyers to the appellants. Following the withdrawal of the appeals, the seven-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, dismissed the appeals and affirmed the election of Diri. The Court of Appeal, in a judgment on October 2, had upturned the judgment of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified Diri’s election. The appellate court had in its decision by a fiveman panel of justices, voided the majority judgment the tribunal delivered on August 17, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the state within 90 days.

Obaseki Secures Re-election

Disqualified from seeking reelection as the governor of Edo State by the All Progressives Congress, Governor Godwin Obaseki did not give up. Politically smart, he defected from APC to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to set up a grand finale with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Both had squared up when Obaseki first sought to be the governor. In the re-match, they swapped places (political parties). Against all political permutations and supposed federal might on the side of Ize-Iyamu, Obaseki brought his opponents to his knees and won the proxy political war launched by his former ally and ousted APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. The rest, they say, is history.

Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu

Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, a Nigerian-born medical doctor, led the Pfizer trial for the coronavirus vaccine in the United States. Ogbuagu is also director of the HIV Clinical Trials programme of the Yale AIDS Programme, Section of Infectious Diseases of the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, New York City. Ogbuagu is part of a team of researchers for Pfizer, which jointly announced with BioNTech that a vaccine against COVID-19 had been developed with 95 per cent efficacy.

Adewale Adeyemo

US President-elect, Joe Biden picked Adewale Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary of the US. If confirmed, Adeyemo would have risen to the Treasury’s No. 2 spot from humble beginnings. Born in Nigeria, he migrated with his parents to the US, when he was a baby and settled in Southern California outside Los Angeles. His father was a teacher, his mother a nurse. Adeyemo, 39, and his younger brother and sister grew up sharing a room in a two-bedroom apartment. He would be part of a history-making duo at Treasury and the first Black deputy at the Treasury, serving with the first female secretary, Janet L. Yellen.

Umahi Joins APC

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, is unabashedly an admirer of President Muhammadu Buhari. Prior to his defection to the APC, the former PDP governor was said to be sympathetic to the country’s ruling party. Accused of jumping the ship in the hope of clinching the 2023 presidential ticket, Umahi said, “Anybody saying I asked PDP for a presidential ticket is being mischievous, because, even if PDP promises anybody the presidential ticket, how does it work when over 8,000 delegates will be electing the person and such a promise cannot happen with more than 10 or 20 people?”

Curtain Closes on Diego Maradona

His blistering, dribbling speed was mesmerising; his vertical limit was no impediment as he looked up, head raised to the heavens and hand matching the level of his head, in anticipation of an inadvertent pass, Argentina’s Diego Maradona nailed the coffin of England in the 1986 World Cup. “It was the ‘hand’ of God,” he reportedly responded when asked if his goal was a handball (touching of the ball with the hand or arm, constituting a foul in football). So, the man died. Maradona died on November 25, 2020. He was born on October 30, 1960.

Nigerians Shine Abroad

It’s not been all doom and gloom for the world especially, Nigeria as some of its citizens took centre stage abroad in a positive way.

Kelechi Madu

Kelechi Madu was appointed the Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, the Provincial Secretary and Keeper of the Great Seal of the Province of Albert by the Premiere of Alberta, Jason Kenney. He was serving as the minister of Municipal Affairs before his new appointment and made history, when he became the first Nigerian-born member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Alberta following elections in 2019. Madu graduated with a bachelor of law from the University of Lagos. He migrated to Canada in 2005.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENT

Events That Shaped 2020

Joi Nunieh

Ozolua

Babajide-Sanwo-Olu

Oshiomhole Lost His Chair

The National Chairman of the ruling All Pressives Party, APC Adams Oshiomhole finally lost his coveted seat as Charman. After many failed attempts to unseat him, those wanted him out at all cost used a purported suspension by his ward as a predicate to get a federal high court to order him out of office. In March, an effort to seek redress in court fell through. The court ruled that APC should strip Oshiomhole of his position pending the determination of the case. The final attempt to get him back into the party’s hierarchy failed in June after the appellate court ruled there was no justifiable basis for an appeal against the court ruling suspending him.

Boko Haram, Technically Defeated, Murderously Unstoppable

Boko Haram. Those words inspire fear; then, outrage because the group appears to strike and kill at will. The ‘degraded’ terrorist group took their menace to new heights when they killed at least 76 farmers. Shekau, in a three-minute video, said they were killed because “the farmers arrested and handed one of its brothers to the Nigerian Army.” “You thought you would apprehend our brethren and hand him over to the military and live in peace?” a Boko Haram jihadist said in the video.

Governor Babajide SanwoOlu’s Sterling Leadership

Amidst the coronavirus chaos, there was an apparent absence of leadership at the national level. Unheralded, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stepped onto the stage to take charge of a situation

Looted-COVID-19-palliatives

Godswill Apkabio

Looted-COVID-19-palliatives

that appeared to be spiralling out of control. In the eyes of many, he became the face of the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. An article in BusinessDay, ‘Sanwo-Olu: Showing leadership during COVID-19 pandemic,’ said: “Looking at the success rate of the state in addressing the pandemic, there is no doubt that Governor Sanwo-Olu has become a shining light and a beacon of hope by providing exceptional leadership in public office in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in Lagos but throughout Nigeria.” According to the piece, there seems to be a consensus among political pundits and public commentators that “if not for Sanwo-Olu’s leadership in managing the COVID-19 index case” and others, coronavirus might have overwhelmed the country. Many though chastised President Muhammadu Buhari largely for his seeming taciturn and silence when the pandemic started playing out in the country.

NDDC Probe and The Comedy of Collapse

You want to get out of a scandalous situation and save face from probing eyes and questions of legislators? Public analysts have highly recommended this: roll your eyes, make them look dim, stare momentarily, and let your body down like you just don’t care. It worked miracle when the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Daniel Pondei, was faced with fire and fury of the National Assembly’s public hearing committee on the financial frauds going on in the commission. Before he fainted, Pondei had said the

Shekau

commission spent N1.3 billion, and not N1.5 billion, which was earlier attributed to him, as COVID-19 palliative for members of staff. Recently, Nigeria’s alleged pension fraud kingpin pulled one off during his court trial.

Godswill Apkabio and Joi Nunieh’s Dirty Slap

Niger Delta, they say, ‘no dey carry last!’ From Pondei to Akpabio and Nunieh, it was a comedy of tragedy. The former NNDC boss, Joi Nunieh, summed it up: “Why did he not tell Mr. President what he did that I slapped him? I am the only Ogoni woman, Nigerian woman that has slapped his face. I slapped him because of his plan B...Why was he jealous that I was married for the 20th time – did he want to be my seventh husband? Even if I married 80 times... I did not even marry four times.” Sexual molestation? Was that the ‘plan B’? Both parties had accused each other of financial recklessness and drama wore on as it reached the Nigerian denouement.

Akpabio, NDDC and The National Assembly ‘Thieves’

In a self-indicting testimony last July, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, told the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC probing allegations of mismanagement and illegal spending by the commission that the agency under his watch parcelled several contracts for members of the National Assembly, contrary to the provisions of Code of Conduct for Public Officers. He said: “Just look at your chairman, (Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo). I have records to show that most of

the NDDC contracts were given out to the National Assembly members. The two chairmen of both committees can explain to you. Who are even the greatest beneficiaries of the contracts? It’s you people at the National Assembly.” Not done, he added, “We have records to show that most of the contracts in NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly but you don’t know about it, the two chairmen can explain to you. I was a member of the NDDC committee. So, I know about it.” Prior to his appearance before th committee, Nunieh had said of Akpabio: “He told me, as he did to my predecessor, Mrs. Akwagaga, to change all the dollars – $120 million in the account of the NDDC at the time to pay for his contracts, the desilting contracts that he got, the water hyacinth and all.”

The Looting of COVID-19 Palliatives’ Warehouses

People said there was hunger in the land. The state governments said they stored palliatives in anticipation of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. But the rumbling, empty, hunger-stricken stomachs of the poor did not allow Nigeria’s governments to sleep as images of heads carrying cartons of noodles, sacks of wheat, garri, and other foodstuffs went viral. It was a riotous crowd that demonstrated their hunger for palliatives and anger that they were “hoarded” by their governments. Nothing was spared in the warehouses. They were called looters but the people insisted they only took what belonged to them, saying the politicians are like the pot calling the kettle black.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

EVENT

Celebrities Who Hugged Headlines in 2020 In a year that recorded the good, bad and ugly, these celebrities made it almost unforgettable, writes Vanessa Obioha

that the accused offered money to Babatayo to sleep with him but she declined. Babatayo corroborated the story in a series of tweets that were later deleted. The rape accusation grabbed headlines for weeks, with many social media users calling out the artiste. Other entertainers joined in the fray. While some openly condemned the artiste, others stood by him like a solid wall. Others preferred to sit on the fence and watch events. Babatayo was allegedly arrested and asked to delete her tweets after D’banj slammed a N100m lawsuit on her. However, on July 17, Babatayo withdrew the rape petition against the artiste. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Admin), Umar Sanda, also discontinued the investigation after finding no substantial evidence to support her claims.

Stephanie Linus Okereke

If there was one thing the coronavirus pandemic taught Nigerians, it was the impact of hygiene on overall health. Actress, filmmaker, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regional ambassador, Stephanie Linus Okereke, underscored this importance with the launch of ‘Hygiene First: My New Habit’ campaign in May. The campaign helped to awaken consciousness about personal and community hygiene in the country. She was later rewarded for her mission in September when the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, appointed her as the National OPS-WASH (Organized Private Sector in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) ambassador.

Majek Fashek

The skies certainly looked misty and cloudy on June 1 when Nigeria’s reggae legend, Majek Fashek, died. His death triggered an outpouring of emotions and encomiums by lovers of his music. Before his death, there were rumours about his demise due to his deteriorating health. Fashek’s music career went downhill after his addiction to drugs. There were efforts to revive his fame by well-meaning Nigerians, notably billionaire oil mogul, Femi Otedola. Unfortunately, the artiste whose songs, ‘Send Down the Rain’ and ‘So Long Too Long,’ are all-time favourites gave up the ghost in a hospital in New York aged 57.

Davido

Tony Allen

DJ Switch Darey

On April 30, Nigerians lost another musical giant, Tony Allen, the exceptional drummer whose works spanned several decades died of a heart attack in Paris, France. Allen was famous for his time in Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Africa 70 band. He was said to have been instrumental in the creation of the Afrobeat genre. Allen’s last gig in Nigeria was at a Naijazz concert, organised by jazz promoter Ayoola Sadare. Allen played 10 sets at the event and was seen mostly in the company of Collins Akpakpunam, a veteran DJ and music promoter. He was aged 79.

Davido

It’s been a roller coaster year for Davido. From the cancellation of his Good Time tour, his fiancée’s coronavirus infection, his acquisition of a new home on Banana Island, Ikoyi, his break from social media, and his alleged ego tussle with Burna Boy. Perhaps, the highlight of this year for the Afropop singer was his involvement in the widespread protests, #EndSARS, against police brutality. It was the artiste who travelled to Abuja to meet government officials on the urgency of the five-point agenda raised by the protesters. Davido’s single ‘FEM’ was one of the protest anthems as well. ‘FEM’ is one of the singles in his newly released third studio album, ‘A Better Time.’ The artiste clinched MTV Africa Music Awards nomination in the ‘Artist of the Year’ category. The award is scheduled to hold next year.

Fashek

Wizkid

Burna Boy Falz

Funke Akindele-Bello

The actress and producer made the headlines in April when she violated the Lagos State government’s COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and marked her husband’s 43rd birthday. Her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, made the unfortunate decision to capture the mood of the party on social media, thereby fetching vitriols from the public. The couple were accused of being insensitive to the challenging times and were later charged to court for their misdemeanours and convicted. Due to that singular act, Akindele-Bello lost both her ambassadorial deals with the

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Dettol.

D’banj

Arguably, this year was a challenging year for the artiste and entrepreneur. What started as a simple Instagram post to support the fight against rape snowballed into a rape accusation that questioned the integrity of the Koko master. Nigerian model scout, Benjamin Ese, in June accused the singer of raping his friend, Seyitan Babatayo, in 2018. Ese claimed that the sexual assault took place in Glee Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos after the Koko master used a spare key to gain entry into Babatayo’s room. It was alleged

Known for his occasional posts on social media, the star boy surprised quite a few when he went for the jugular of President Muhammadu Buhari in a tweet. Wizkid had on October 4 called out Buhari to address the unjust killing of Nigerian youths by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) after the latter extended a ‘get well’ wish to US President, Donald Trump, who at the time had coronavirus alongside his wife. He called the president an old man and told him pointedly that Trump wasn’t his business. Wizkid’s tweet was deemed inappropriate and disrespectful and led to an exchange of verbal punches between him and the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie. Wizkid was among the musicians who led the #EndSARS protests in London. The year also saw him release his longawaited ‘Made in Lagos’ album and earned nominations in the 2021 MTV Africa Music Awards.

Burna Boy

If last year announced Burna Boy’s musical dominance to Nigerians, this year showed his musical prowess to the world. He released his fifth studio album, ‘Twice As Tall’ to high acclaim, garnering a total of over 175 million streams within one month of release. The album fetched him a second consecutive Grammy nomination. Again, he took home the BET Best

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

EVENT

Celebrities Who Hugged Headlines in 2020

Kunle Afolayan

Funke Akindele and her husband JJC Skillz

Stephanie Linus-Okereke

for Savage and her son, Jamil. They were both made ambassadors of Twisco, a chocolate drink powder.

Yemi Alade

Shortly after releasing her ‘Empress’ album which featured British singer, Estelle, the ‘Johnny’ crooner was one of the talents that announced the 63rd Grammy nominations. Alade unveiled the nominees in the rock and alternative music categories.

Tony Allen

Toke Makinwa

International Act for the second time this year. A notable side of Burna Boy that was glimpsed this year was his activism. It was glaring at his BET Award acceptance speech when he told the audience that for “black lives to matter, Africa must matter.” During the #EndSARS protests, the Afro-fusion artiste was supportive. He was among those who reached out to the United Nations to intervene after the shooting of protesters at Lekki tollgate.

The media personality was among those who hugged headlines this year. The highest blow this year was when she lost the defamation suit against her ex-husband, Maje Ayida. A Lagos State High Court had ruled in favour of the fitness entrepreneur who demanded the stop of sale of her memoir ‘Becoming’ which he said defamed his character. Makinwa was given 30 days to remove the defamatory words from unsold copies of the book.

Seun Kuti

Falz

No other artiste was passionate about the #EndSARS protests as the Nigerian rapper, Falz. It was Falz who initiated the protest online, calling on Nigerians to speak against the growing intimidation and brutality of SARS operatives. Falz also educated the protesters on the legal system and their fundamental rights.

Darey

After a five-year hiatus, afro- soul and RnB musician, Darey, returned to music. He teased his fans with the single, ‘Jah Guide Me,’ in August and followed it up with the release of his seven-track EP, ‘Way Home.’ He later performed alongside American greats, Stevie Wonder, and India Arie at Harlem Week 2020. His return to the art that brought him fame showed that the artiste never left the music scene.

Kunle Afolayan

Twenty-twenty was the year filmmaker and director Kunle Afolayan showcased his uncanny gift to cast big personalities whose acting skills are questionable in his film. First, he made Temi Otedola, daughter of the billionaire oil magnate, Femi Otedola, the lead character in his movie, Citation, about sexual harassment on campus. Then came the surprise element. Chairman Of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, played the role of the head of the judging panel in the film. It was the first time the businesswoman would be seen in that light. While the film which premiered on Netflix received mixed reviews, it, however, fetched Afolayan accolades for doing the undoable and unthinkable with his choice of the cast as well as telling a story that is prevalent in society.

Mo Abudu

The media mogul ended last year with the launch of her EbonyLife Place, a luxury lifestyle and entertainment resort. This year, however, saw her reaching far beyond the zenith. In June, she announced that she landed multiple deals with American streamer, Netflix. Under the new deal, Mo Abudu’s production company will make a film adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s ‘Death and the King’s Horseman,’ and a series based on Lola Shoneyin’s best-selling debut novel, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives.’ Her film, ‘Òlòtré,’ about sex trafficking received rave reviews when it premiered on Netflix. But lately, the film has been the topic of a legal battle between her and investigative journalist, Tobore Ovuorie. The latter is accusing Abudu of plagiarising her work and passing it off as original.

Tiwa Savage

In a New York Times interview following the release of her ‘Celia’ album, afro-pop singer, Tiwa Savage, gave the impression that her sexiness was too hot for the morality of most Nigerians. Yet, she is determined to use that to encourage young girls to embrace their femininity. Thus, it wasn’t surprising when the artiste to the chagrin of most Nigerians released her semi-nude photos on Instagram. The post had over 19,000 comments and 300,000 likes at the time of filing this report. The singer also faced a backlash from Beyoncé’s mother and publicist after she called out the American singer to lend a voice to the #EndSARS protests. But 2020 brought good tidings

In the aftermath of the violence that took place shortly after the #EndSARS protests, Seun Kuti, youngest son of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, decided to revive his father’s political movement, the Movement of the People. Seun, who has been speaking against police brutality deemed it necessary to use the movement to call for better governance and an end to police brutality. The Lagos State government, bent on preventing any form of protest in the state kicked against a planned protest by the musician at the New Afrika Shrine and laid siege at the venue before Seun announced the revived political movement. The musician revealed that the police called his sister and threatened to shut down the shrine if he moved on with the planned protest.

Idris Olorunnimbe

A media-shy guy, Idris Olorunnimbe is silently investing in the infrastructural development of the entertainment industry. His latest project is Ogidi Studios, a multipurpose facility that houses recording studios, film sets, hospitality, animation studio, dance studios, and hubs for video editing. This year also saw his film production company TMPL Motion Pictures releasing its debut film ‘Introducing the Kujus’.

DJ Switch

The female disc jockey garnered fame after she streamed live the #EndSARS protest at the Lekki tollgate. DJ Switch claimed that the protesters were shot at and killed by Nigerian soldiers who had come to quell the protest. According to her, she counted seven bodies before her phone battery went off. But there are no images to corroborate her story yet. She is currently living outside the country for fear of her life.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

ENTERTAINMENT

Vanessa Obioha writes about the peculiar ways 2020 changed norms and taxed the ingenuity of entertainers.

and had no contact with outsiders. This season’s prize was, however, bigger than the previous season with the winner Lekan ‘Laycon’ Agbeleshe smiling home with N85 million grand prize. The season turned out to be successful with 900 million votes recorded, shattering last year’s record of 240 million votes.

Marlians Day Concert

Naira Marley’s fans were anticipating his performance at Gidi Fest in April but the pandemic ruined their expectations. On May 30, the musician held the first online concert in Lagos, attracting 200,000 viewers globally. The show took place at the National Theatre and was streamed live on his YouTube channel. By June, however, Naira Marley drew the ire of the public when he violated the interstate lockdown and flight restrictions to perform at Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja.

SwiftThink Drive-through Experience

Naira Marley Laycon

Shortly before the nationwide lockdown, an innovative idea development and management company SwiftThink hosted a novelty drive-through pop-up experience for movie lovers. At the time, cinemas were already closed in adherence to Lagos State government restrictions on social gatherings. The company transformed the open-air grounds of Car Park B, Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway into a drivethrough pop-up cinema arena accessed only by cars. Over 71 vehicles were recorded at the drive-through.

THISDAY/Arise Global Virtual Commemoration of Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary

Kanso Ogbolu

In a pre-COVID era, the 60th Independence anniversary of Nigeria would be a colourful fanfare. However, the THISDAY and Arise Group uplifted spirits with a special virtual commemoration. The celebration featured music performances, fashion shows, and goodwill messages from influential politicians and business leaders, including a special broadcast by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

TurnUp Friday and Owambe Saturday Turn Up Friday with Dotun

Tim Godfrey Queen Moremi the Musical

Before the unwanted arrival of the capricious coronavirus in the country, the entertainment industry was gearing up for a tremendous outing. Gidi Fest was almost rounding off plans for the annual music and culture festival, Davido was about to embark on his ‘Good Time’ tour across North America, Burna Boy also planned a world tour for his fifth studio album ‘Twice As Tall’, Kenny Blaq was in the middle of his ‘State of the Mind’ tour, iREP Documentary Film Festival was about to mark a decade anniversary, Netflix was making plans to start production of first Nigerian originals on its platform, MultiChoice Nigeria’s first dating reality show in Nigeria ‘Ultimate Love’ was ongoing, and the list continues. Then the pandemic happened, bringing with it a cloud of uncertainty. At first, it seemed surmountable but as the country began to record more cases in March, a lockdown was inevitable. Gradually, theatres, cinemas, event venues, nightclubs, religious places, and every other space that allows social gatherings began to shut down like a row of falling dominoes, affecting every sector of the economy. But the entertainment industry was badly hit. Shows were postponed and in some cases cancelled, productions halted. By April, the nimbus in the country reeked of dread, doubt, and uncertainty. Entertainers like other professionals grappled with the uncertain realities the pandemic presented. The situation was severe for cinema exhibitors and event venue owners whose businesses depended on social gatherings. According to Moses Babatope, co-founder of FilmOne Entertainment, the estimated total cinema revenue loss during the shutdown period was N8 billion. No doubt, the pandemic taxed the ingenuity of entertainers. How would they survive? How would they stay connected with their fans beyond the caparison of social media — a reserved space used to vaunt their egos? Interestingly, the social interaction platforms provided the needed solution. Digital became the watchword for industries pushing for innovative ideas and creativity for survival. Physical meetings moved to the virtual space, live music concerts turned into a virtual affair experienced from a couch or bed, TV and online streaming platforms competed for eyeballs, and cinema drive-ins nearly evolved into a trend. Welcome to the new normal: a world driven by digital technology. Any doubt cast on the potency of social media and other digital technologies was instantly defeated as more people

depended on the platforms to stay connected and informed. As alluring and relieving as the offerings of the digital world, it wasn’t void of challenges. Chief among them was the financial capacity. As argued by Chin Okeke, the co-founder and Executive Director of Eclipse Live in an interview with OkayAfrica, “virtual can only be an alternative during the pandemic. As a revenue source, I don’t believe there are more than a handful of artists or events that would generate comparable revenue to the physical event.” Data consumption was another obstacle for consumers as the cost of data in the country is still relatively high. Yet, the health crisis offered new opportunities, challenging the industry to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity. Below are some of the outstanding events and projects that defied the peak period of the pandemic.

Netflix

To a large extent, the pandemic worked in favour of the streaming platform. Their subscription numbers skyrocketed during the pandemic as people looked for alternatives to stay entertained while locked down at home. In its first-quarter earnings report for 2020, the streamer announced that it added nearly 16 million subscribers and made a revenue of $5.77 billion. Not a few Nigerian movies found a spot in the rich vault of the streamer, even enjoying number one spot for weeks on the platform’s top 10 in Nigeria, notably Ramsey Nouah’s ‘Living in Bondage: Breaking Free’. The abundance of Nigerian films on the streamer indicated the growing interest in Nollywood. Netflix announced its grand entry in Nollywood last February with fanfare, announcing new projects that would later be halted as the pandemic raged on. To reaffirm its commitment to the film industry, Netflix recently premiered two Nollywood movies: the EbonyLife Films production ‘Òlòtré’ and Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Citation’. The sequel to Kemi Adetiba’s ‘King of Boys’ is expected to arrive on the platform next year.

Big Brother Naija

After a riveting and jaw-dropping ‘Pepper Dem’ season last year, MultiChoice Nigeria’s popular reality TV show Big Brother Naija returned for a fifth season amid the pandemic. Quite a few expected the organisers to either postpone or cancel the show. But braving all odds, the show kicked off with few changes in July, as the lockdown was partially eased. The housemates stayed for a shorter period (71 days)

MultiChoice Nigeria upped its game during the lockdown period by providing subscribers on DStv and GOtv platforms with entertaining shows. Two of the most innovative shows from the media and entertainment company during that period were Turn Up Friday and Owambe Saturday. As their name implied, each show was meticulously tailored to meet the entertainment demands of lovers of both live and club music. While Turn Up Friday featured DJ performances and club mixes, Owambe Saturday brought the best of live music to the living rooms of viewers with performances from Sir Shina Peters and Flavour N’Abania. The two shows aired for 10 weeks and will be returning this weekend for another bout of exhilarating and pleasurable entertainment.

One Africa/MultiChoice Concert

During the peak of the pandemic, MultiChoice Nigeria teamed up with One Africa Global Foundation to host a special concert, ‘Hope for Africa’ as part of its effort to support the fight against Covid-19. The three-hour televised concert featured top African entertainers like Nigerian music acts 2baba and Ladipoe, Ethiopian Betty G, Ghanaian Efya, and Congolese artiste BM. The fund-raising concert also featured appearances from some of the health frontliners and media personalities.

Tim Godfrey’s Fearless Concert

The gospel artiste already planned to hold his signature theatrical concert ‘Fearless’ last June at Eko Hotels and Suites. He had barely returned from a trip when the pandemic struck. Yet, he defied the constraints of the health crisis and staged an online concert in August that equally matched previous editions, if not better. Streamed on YouTube and televised on HipTV, the concert themed ‘Prisoners’ fetched positive reviews.

Freakthefxxkout Animation Series

If there was one evolution in the entertainment industry, it was the growing interest in animation. Nigerian animator Kanso Ogbolu who’s been promoting the art found the spotlight on him when South African comedian and host of the American TV show ‘The Daily Show’ Trevor Noah retweeted one of his animated horror clips. The series ‘FreaktheFxxkout’ is a horrifying mix of stories that ranged from myths to everyday events but with a dose of gruesomeness. In an interview with THISDAY, the creative designer confirmed that Noah’s tweet increased the number of his social media followers from 5,600 to over 50,000.

Queen Moremi The Musical

For the first time, the critically acclaimed production of Bolanle Austen-Peters, ‘Queen Moremi the Musical’ was streamed on YouTube. Although there was a tussle over the intellectual property rights between the art director and the House of Oduduwa, a partner of the production.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜2020

BUSINESS

Buhari

Ahmed

Editor: Kunle Aderinokun 08033204315, 08111813084 Email:kunle.aderinoku@thisdaylive.com

Alli

How Soon Will FG Open Borders? More than a year after the Nigerian government closed its land borders to trade, there is very little evidence to show that the much-trumpeted objectives of closing the borders have been met or will indeed be met in the short to long run. On the contrary, the closure of the nation’s borders has adversely affected economic activities, and thus shows the need for more practicable and shrewd strategies. Nosa James-Igbinadolor reports

n Tuesday, December 8th, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari indicated he could reopen the country’s land borders “as soon as possible” after they were shut last year to control smuggling activities. “Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbours, we’re looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible,” he tweeted. The President had earlier told state governors same day, that the closure of borders was “an attempt to control the smuggling of weapons and drugs”. The country’s willingness to reopen its land borders had earlier been signalled by Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed, who said in November, that those involved had learned from the closure and were working together on joint border patrols. The country, along with neighbouring Benin and Niger, agreed to set up a joint border patrol force to tackle smuggling between the nations after a meeting between their foreign ministers. The country closed its land borders in late 2019 over concerns about illegal exports of price-controlled petroleum products and illegal imports of food stocks such as rice and poultry, which it believed harmed local producers. “All goods, for now, are banned from being exported or imported through our land borders and that is to ensure that we have total control over what comes in,” Hameed Ali, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service had said. He had added that the country was “strategising on how best the goods can be handled when we eventually get to the point where this operation will relax for the influx of goods.” The country said it wanted to reduce the smuggling of goods and stop illegal inflows of Asian rice and outflows of subsidised fuel. More essentially, Nigerian authorities justified the closure by the need to support the domestic agricultural sector and accelerate

national productivity growth. For a country that relies heavily on imports to feed its expansive population of some 200 million people, the effect of the border closure has been damning on the economy of the country as well as the economies of neighbouring countries. A report by the OECD noted that the closure had badly affected livelihoods in local border economies. “In Benin, communities in areas close to the Seme border near the sea, or further up north near the Owode border, largely depend on Nigerian markets for their sustenance. The sudden shutdown has caused thousands of smallholder farmers to lose their produce and default on credits. In the Dendi region (an area that spans across northern Benin, Niger and Nigeria), economic networks are strongly integrated across borders. Small traders that live on these networks have lost their principal sources of income. “Large numbers of Nigerians are also feeling the negative consequences of the closure. The shutdown is pushing prices up in Nigeria, notably of rice, a major household staple. In Ibadan, a city of more than three million inhabitants, the price of local rice increased by almost 9% in the month following the closure, the largest month-on-month increase since 2012. Prices of other foods such as palm oil, fish, meat and bread are also increasing, fuelling rapid inflation. This hits consumers hard in a country where food prices are higher than in the rest of the world at comparable levels of per capita income and approximately half of households’ budgets are spent on food.” With Nigeria depending on food import for a tenth of its food needs, border closures and restrictions on movement during spring and summer months have also affected the availability of food in the markets. “Food items are very expensive in the market. When you go to a store, they will tell you that is because the border is closed,” a shopper told Reuters last year. Inflation in the country continued to expand, leaping from 13.7% in September to 14.2% in October, marking the highest reading since February 2018. According Bloomberg, “food

prices have been a key driver of inflation in Africa’s most populous nation. The food index, which accounts for more than half the inflation basket, rose 17.4%”. Border closure has been a key driver of the rise in food prices and its subsequent effect on inflation. “The rise in food inflation does suggest that border closures may have played a part in temporarily pressuring prices higher,” said Razia Khan, chief economist for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered. The country’s food security situation is growing perilously. Despite the President’s attempt at boosting agriculture, the progress has not been significant enough to secure the country’s capacity to feed itself without credible volume of imports. According to the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), “in 2017, one in four Nigerians was severely food insecure, In Nigeria, government policies in agriculture have focused more on self-sufficiency than food security”. This the international organisation asserts, has often led to impractical policies, such as a ban on rice imports, even though Nigeria does not produce enough rice to feed its population. “Today, no country in the world produces all its food; not even North-Korea, a country which seems to have cut itself from the rest of the world. And the world’s biggest economies, U.S. and China are the two largest importers of food. In light of this, the laser-focus on food self-sufficiency enshrined in targets for rice, tomato paste, and others is downright bizarre.” The closure of the borders was itself an assault by the Nigerian state on free trade. The action of the government punished legitimate local producers who sell their products outside the country, thus denying them the market critical to their business survival. It wasn’t as if the border closure policy was enforced with total integrity. The selective bias in the operationalisation of the policy was well advertised when the Buhari administration recently extended significant trade benefits to the nation’s two cement giants by allowing them to export their products across the

country’s land borders. The choice of both companies alone and the negation of other equally capable and competent manufacturing firms smacks of deliberate bias and reinforced the belief that some businessmen with the support of their political allies have captured the state for their narrow benefits. The discriminatory decision to allow the two manufacturing concerns to move their products across the borders of the country while stifling the capacity and ability of other companies to do the same served to make a mockery of government’s avowed objectives of closing the borders in the first place. The closure of the country’s land borders has not significantly served the purpose for which it was instituted. As long as Nigeria is unable to produce and export products, it will continue to be a magnet for dumping of smuggled goods. There is no credible evidence either that the long closure has succeeded in any significant way in reducing or stopping the smuggling of arms and ammunition into the country. Smuggling into Nigeria mostly occurs in environments that are difficult for border control agencies to monitor and control. Smuggling routes are located in remote areas which tend to be deficient in any kind of border control or institutional presence. The incapacity of the state to effectively use its border enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Customs Service as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service to check unbridled smuggling into the country speaks to the fact that the security services aren’t in anyway fit for purpose, and that their capacity needs to be reappraised to ensure efficiency in discharging their mandate of protecting the borders and economy of the country. At the end of the day, the closure of the country’s borders was nothing short of a sledgehammer that killed nothing. The borders need to be opened to allow for legitimate trade that will help grow the economy. It behoves on the government to find more savvy ways of dealing with the reality of Nigeria being a lucrative entrepôt for smuggled goods. Closing the borders wasn’t an intelligent move.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜2020

BUSINESS/E-BUSINESS

As FG Woos Global Investors at GITEX 2020… This year’s Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) event and conference, which held at the World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE, gave Nigeria the opportunity to showcase itself as strategic gateway for investment in Africa, during the African Investment Forum at GITEX 2020, while wooing global investors, reports Emma Okonji

he annual GITEX event, which commenced December 6, 2020, came to a close on December 10, with lots of opportunities for investments in Africa, as presented by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami. While presenting a keynote speech at the African Investment Forum in Dubai, Pantami said with about 1.3 billion, Africa accounts for about a sixth of the global population, second only to Asia in terms of continents with the largest population. “The United Nations has gone on to project that Africa will account for at least of quarter of the global population by 2050, with 50 per cent of these Africans projected to be below the age of 25 years. Africa has a massive geographical size that is almost the size of Europe and North America combined. It also accounts for a significant portion of the world’s natural resources, much of which are used for the manufacturing of ICT devices. For instance, materials like tantalite and cobalt are very useful in the production of laptops, batteries and other electronics; 71 per cent of the world’s tantalum comes from Africa while the continent meets 58 per cent of the world’s global cobalt needs. Narrowing it down to Nigeria, Pantami explained that Nigeria had already positioned itself as the strategic gateway for investment in Africa, since investing in Nigeria gives investors easy access to close to 550 million people- 200 million from Nigeria, another 200 million West Africans and about 150 million Central Africans. Investments in Nigeria Pantami, while presenting the keynote address during the African Investment Forum, was able to convince a large global audience that investment opportunities existed in Nigeria, and that the country had since become a strategic gateway for investment in Africa. According to him, Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa, with a 2019 GDP estimate by the World Bank putting Nigeria’s GDP at $448 billion. “Nigeria is part of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and it gives us access to the African continent covering an area worth over $3 trillion in GDP and eliminates tariffs on 90 per cent of goods traded across the continent. This is no doubt a unique opportunity for investors in Nigeria. With a population having an average age of 18.2 years, Nigeria is the 14th youngest country on earth, with close to 44 per cent of the population below the age of 15 years, according to the World Bank. Such a population of ‘digital natives’ can play a leading role in the global digital economy. Investors in our digital economy can be assured of access to a large pool of youthful and skillful employees at a more cost-effective rate than it would cost to engage employees in other parts of the world,” Pantami said. In the area of innovation, Pantami explained that many Nigerians have made their mark through innovative solutions that they have developed. I will mention a few that relate to solutions that focus on enabling people to live normal lives in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Nigerian-trained Doctor is credited to have played leading role in the development of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Reports indicate that this vaccine is expected to pull in more than $8 billion in revenue by the end of 2021. Another Nigeria developed Koniku, a device that uses artificial intelligence to create an electronic-nose that can ‘smell’ the COVID virus. A deal has already been signed by Airbus to deploy this solution on their aircrafts. Other non-COVID solutions include HopStop that was developed by a Nigerian and sold to Apple for $1billion. In his good Will message, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said “Today, Nigeria is a leading destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa due to its vibrant emerging market, exceptional geographical position, diversified economy, young and eager labour force, and excellent quality of life and much more. Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria is expected to reach $220 million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts’ expectations. This estimate portends an opportunity for investment in the Digital economy sector. “Digital technologies are rapidly developing in diverse fields—including mobile communications, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoTs), and 3-D printing. We are now in the 4th Industrial Revolution and the world is experiencing the profound changes that new technologies bring to the way we live, work, interact, and do business.”

through them, Pantami told global audience during GITEX 2020. He laid emphasis on three of the pillars such as Solid Infrastructure, Digital Services Development and Promotion, and Digital Society and Emerging Technologies. The Solid Infrastructure pillar addresses the need to provide broadband access and data centres required to enable citizens to access the digital solutions that characterize the digital economy. When I assumed office as the Minister of Communications on the 21st of August 2019, the official broadband penetration figures stood at 33.72 per cent. It increased with the subsequent monthly figures from end of August 2019 to end of October 2020, where it stood at 45.93 per cent

Pantami

Nigeria Woos Global Investors The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, who spoke to global investors about investment opportunities in Nigeria, encouraged them to look the way of Nigeria in their investment plans. Pantami, who led the Nigerian delegation to this year’s GITEX in Dubai, called on potential investors not to shun the golden opportunity of investing in the largest economy in Africa (Nigeria). According to him, “The Federal Government of Nigeria has different policies meant to provide enabling environment of the investment community. The present administration President Muhammadu Buhari, has been working daily to provide solutions to challenges faced by the investor community. So far, by the end of 2019; when it comes to Ease of Doing Business, Nigeria climbed 15 points higher than previous year. Our target is that by 2025 we will be among the leading nations when it comes to Ease-Of-Doing-Business. Today, we are promoting online business registration, online visa processing, among other investment-friendly policies. Our regulatory focus is developmental in nature, especially in the ICT sector.” Digital Economy Journey Giving a trajectory record of the digital economy journey in Nigeria, Pantami said bearing in mind the importance of a digital economy, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the request to re-designate the Federal Ministry of Communications as the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy on the 17th of October, 2019. The change was officially endorsed by our Federal Executive Council on the 23rd of October, 2019 and the process of implementing a digital economy for the country began on the 24th of October, 2019. “The re-designated Ministry was to focus on providing support for the development of Nigeria’s digital economy. We started by developing a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria. This document was unveiled and launched by Mr. President on the 28th of November, 2019. NDEPS provides a holistic and sustainable approach towards the development of our nation’s digital economy. It is based on the following 8 pillars: Developmental Regulation; Digital Literacy and Skills; Solid Infrastructure; Service Infrastructure; Digital Services Development and Promotion; Soft Infrastructure; Digital Society and Emerging Technologies; and Indigenous Content Development and Adoption.” These pillars, according to the minister, outlined Nigeria’s approach for the development of the digital economy. The document, our plan and achievements so far are readily available on our website and social media outlets. I would encourage you download these and to take out time to go

Broadband Pantami made it clear that broadband remained a key component of any digital economy and it is not merely for entertainment. “Rather, empirical evidence has shown that it can help to significantly improve economic indices, create jobs and lift people out of extreme poverty. For example, according to a Report by Ericsson titled “How Important Are Mobile Broadband Networks for Global Economic Development”, 10 per cent increase in mobile broadband penetration results in approximately 0.6 per cent to 2.8 per cent rise in gross domestic product (GDP). In some countries, it increases the GDP by over 6 per cent,” Pantami said. Citing the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020- 2025), Pantami said the document was developed to accelerate the growth of broadband connectivity across the country. The Plan was unveiled and launched by President Buhari on the 19th of March, 2020. The Plan is designed to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria of a minimum 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population by 2025. “President Buhari also approved the designation and protection of relevant telecommunications infrastructure across the country as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and this supports the implementation of the Plan. In addition to these, we have addressed the Right of Way Issue (RoW) that had lingered for over a decade. These twin actions have effectively addressed the key areas of concern for broadband investments. We invite investors to take advantage of the opportunities in the telecommunications sector as outlined in our broadband plan. As we implement the Plan we are addressing policy, infrastructure, demand-drivers and funding issues to ensure its successful implementation. We are committed to supporting you to make it a mutually beneficial partnership,” Pantami told global audience in Dubai. He said the Digital Services Development and Promotion pillar focuses on driving growth in the number of digital entrepreneurs in the country. We have a potential critical mass of innovative ‘digital natives’ that can provide the talent needed by any investor. These creative Nigerians can play a key role in the creation of digital jobs across all sectors of the country; jobs that are either based on or are dependent upon ICTs. “Our Digital Economy Policy appreciates the importance of identifying and supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and it also focusses on encouraging many of these SMEs to go a step further by aiming to become Innovation Driven Enterprises (IDEs). The IDE-concept has been promoted by leading institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and these enterprises, no doubt, have great advantages. In contrasting IDEs and MSMEs we find that IDEs tend to have a global outlook while SMEs tend to start small and choose to remain local,” Pantami further said. Strengthening Startups In Dubai, during the GITEX even, NITDA unveiled more plans on how to further strengthen startups in Nigeria. NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said NITDA would further support the startup ecosystem to achieve success and for the growth of the country’s economy at large. Abdullahi dropped the hint while fielding questions from TechEconomy.ng and other journalists at the opening of Nigerian Pavilion at the 40th edition of Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (#GITEX2020), which ended on Thursday. ‘Chiniki Guard’, a startup from Nigeria that uses AI product (application) to detect theft and prevent shoplifting, won $10,000 Best AI startup pitch at GITEX 2019. In line with this smart move; displaying unwavering support to startups in Nigeria, NITDA again, provided

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜ 2020

BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

COVID-19, Public Interest and Airlines Palliatives Armsfree Ajanaku

nlike the case with the advanced economies in the world, no individual or institution in Nigeria saw the dreaded COVID-19 pandemiccoming.With no fore knowledge of the coming months of doom, virtually everyone was caught napping. In the United States, part of the blames and the political squabbles which characterized the power contest between the Democrats and the Republicans were anchored on claims and counter-claims that the Trump administration was briefed, but did not respond quickly enough to warnings that a deadly pandemic was on the way to wreaking havoc on the economy of the United States. The Americans continue to decry the administration’s response saying if the Trump administration had been a little more responsive, hundreds of thousands of lives would have been saved, and the US economy, as well as the entire globe would have been spared the devastating effects of the pandemic. In the US therefore, it was a case of unheeded warnings, while in Nigeria, government, private sector and citizens were all in the dark about COVID-19. Absolutely everyone in Nigeria, from individual to businesses suffered the consequence of the absence of intelligence reports to tip off businesses and prepare them for the crisis that was to come. One key sector, which has found itself reeling badly from the revenue losses, and the many other uncertainties, is the airline business. In August, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released data, which indicated that air transport nosedived in the second quarter of 2020 by 57.38 percent. At the height of the implementation of the lockdown measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) warned that the aviation sector in Nigeria was on the verge of taking losses of not less than N360 billion as a result of the impact of COVID-19. Even so, the point must be made that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic did not only upend and disrupt business projections in Nigeria, everything that makes life a lot more interesting was affected globally. In the United States, the airlines, tourism and hospitality business took severe pounding from the effects of the pandemic. In the week of November 23-29, Airlines for America reported data showed that United States air passenger volume was

Murtala Muhammed International Airport

62 percent below what it was at the same time in November 2019. The data further indicated that domestic air travel in the United States was down by 61 percent, while international travel was down by 67 percent. In the face of these challenges, the Americans immediately began putting in place measures to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the airline industry. In April, the United States Treasury finalized plans on how to rescue the airline industry from an imminent COVID-induced collapse. The US bailout package for the airline industry, which was a combination of grants and loans amounted to $25billion. Earlier in the year, the Trump administration reached an agreement with the airlines to prop up the industry, which was facing record losses due to the effects of the pandemic. One major consideration for the bailout of the airlines using public funds was the need to save jobs and livelihoods. In Nigeria, the government in early November reportedly approved $4 billion as bailout package for the operators in the aviation sector. Paltry as the sum is, and given the fact that it is coming at a time the pandemic has already wreaked so

much damage in the sector, some interest groups remain bent on discouraging government’s support for the sector, notwithstanding the crisis in the sector. A number of the arguments against any form of support for an industry, which has taken so much hammering from the effects of the pandemic are being dressed in a patriotic garb. The argument is that because loans were given in the past, and some of the debtors-businesses have refused to fulfill their obligations, then no support of any such should be considered for businesses, which are currently in distress due to the pandemic. All such arguments conflate the context of the past with the present realities. If the alarm bells being sounded are meant to create safeguards, and ensure better strategies are adopted to ensure funds released to airlines are efficiently utilized, that would certainly be something to learn from. However, to simply canvass that support should not be given to businesses simply because mistakes were made by decision makers in the past, is not tenable. Importantly, the big picture all stakeholders in the airlines businesses should focus on is jobs. Like in the United States, the number of jobs to

As FG Woos Global Investors at GITEX 2020… opportunity for Nigerian startups to compete at the global stage. Ten startups, drawn across the country, were offered full sponsorship to participate in the Global Future Stars (GFS), a major highlight of GITEX 2020 offering a veritable window for the country’s startup community to leverage international exposure, angel investors and mentoring. Pleased with the innovation from Nigerian tech startups, Pantami said: “Even under COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian startups and the innovation ecosystem, have truly been brilliant. The startups are coming up with innovative solutions that help us to catch up with the new normal. “During the lockdown, we organised innovation challenge whereby our startups came up with excellent ideas on the creation and production of ventilators, smart decontamination chambers and MyClinic App; all to contain the spread of COVID-19. Presently, the startups are trying to come up with innovative solutions to cushion the economic impacts and prepare the country for the post-COVID-19.” Abdullahi further said that GITEX remained a big opportunity for the country to showcase her talented startups and learn from other countries what they are doing to prepare themselves for the post-COVID-19 era. “Recall that the ICT’s contribution to the country’s GDP has been amazing. In the last

quarter, the ICT contributed 17.83 per cent to our GDP; which is the most promising sector under this pandemic. So, the government is coming up with innovative policy to strengthen the ecosystem. We are working on the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy which will help us to create the ecosystem and an enabling environment; providing infrastructure for our startups. “We are doing a lot in terms of capacity building to build the capacity for our startups as well as our citizens to understand and embrace the new emerging technologies so we can build a future where creativity will be substantially rewarded”, Abdullahi said. Blockchain Technology Giving details of blockchain technology development in Nigeria, Pantami said the country was close to wide-scale blockchain technology adoption. He said efforts were being made by the Nigerian government to provide frameworks, guidelines, standards and regulations towards wide-scale adoption of blockchain technologies in the country. He said submissions from private businesses and professionals have reinforced the fact that blockchain technology, virtual currencies and digital assets have come to stay in Nigeria and globally. This has triggered active participation of the Nigerian startups in the new ecosystem and value chain created by this technology,

be saved in the sector was the major determinant of the decision to use public funds to save the airlines from going under. The situation in Nigeria is similar; the economy is already reeling from the number of jobs lost due to the effects of the pandemic. Matters have equally been made worse for employees, who lost their means of livelihoods as a result of the downturn in the sector. Millions of lives have been seriously affected, and it is only sensible that government should at this critical time ensure it preserves critical sectors, which provide big jobs numbers. The cost to the economy of hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs being wiped out, is better imagine. It is in the interest of the government, and by extension the wider society for public resources to be used to achieve a public-spirited goal. Realizing such an objective does not mean due diligence and proper safeguards should not be put in place. The important thing is for everyone to come to terms with the fact that every job saved in these difficult times would have a multiplier and humanitarian effects across the economy.

Cont’d from Pg. 26

Pantami said. The Minister, singled out education and financial sectors as those with immediate cravings to follow the steps of the Nigerian Customs Service blockchain technology adoption. “Government’s role in Blockchain technology adoption is strategic. It requires that government at different regions should come up with policies to support Blockchain deployment. In Nigeria, we are already doing that. “As a country, Nigeria is working towards becoming the leading nation in the Digital Economy. The Federal Government of Nigeria has developed a Digital Economy Policy that has eight pillars that crave for investments and Pillar seven which speaks about ‘Digital Society and Emerging Technologies’ and addresses issues around Blockchain Technology,” Pantami said. TechEconomy.ng reported that the minister said that creating awareness matters a lot for the citizens and institutions to understand why such technology should be deployed, especially in the education sector where the integrity of a certificate paraded by a supposed student of an institution, must not be compromised. When asked about the timeline with regards the wide-spread adoption of emerging technologies like the Blockchain, by the Nigerian market, the minister said: “Technology is becoming highly unpredictable due to the

rapid growth. What I want to see happen with Blockchain is when it will dominate education, finance and other sectors especially where we need to save the integrity of documents and transactions and provide interoperability for seamless operations. “My prediction is that Blockchain will be adopted across the world in the next few years. The future is that it will dominate every sector in no distant time.” In his contribution, Abdulqader Ali of the Smartworld, said that for a business person, “he looks for solution that is secured and that is what Blockchain offers. You wouldn’t want to transfer or wire money via a channel that has been breached over and over. You look for alternative. “Blockchain will have to disrupt a lot of industries. So, you can verify someone’s degree from any part of the world as Blockchain technology will empower you to do that.” On setting global standard for Blockchain Technology, Ali said it would be difficult to point at a particular country as the leader on blockchain standards presently as each country has peculiar challenges they want to solve with Blockchain. “The only way we can set standard is by tasking the leaders to understand the importance and give more credence to its adoption. Security is one big issue companies face today. A company with $100 budget, today, spends close to $80 solving security related challenges,” Ali said.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜2020

BUSINESS/BRANDS & MARKETING

As Dangote Brand Adjudged ‘The Most Valuable Player’… Raheem Akingbolu reviews the 2020 edition of the Top 50 Brands Nigeria, reckoning that the rating of the Dangote Brand as ‘The Most Valuable brand’, confirmed that the brand has not allowed complacency to set in

erhaps more than any year in a century, the year 2020 has posed more challenges and taught more lessons. As a result of the local economic crisis and Coronavirus pandemic, many companies crumbled while many brands failed. However, few dogged businesses that have remained strong despite the challenges have learnt new ways of doing business, especially in the area of customer engagement. Expectedly, the tense business environment has also led to stiff competition in various sectors, with every brand attempting to rejuvenate and remain stronger than before. That is why more stakeholders appear to pay more attention to the activities of rating organisations than before. One of such rating platforms in Nigeria is the ‘Top 50 Brands Nigeria’ that has, over the years, created a niche through transparency and consumers’ feedback in determining who does what. As part of the outcome of the 2020 edition of its annual brand evaluation, the organisation has identified the best of Nigerian brands. For the third year running. Dangote Group, a proudly Nigerian brand and one of the most diversified and fully integrated conglomerates has again emerged as the Most Valuable Brand in Nigeria for the year. From Top 50 to Top 60 To commemorate Nigeria’s Independence Diamond Jubilee, this year’s edition was tagged ‘TOP60’ instead of the 50, as announced earlier in the year. In a statement made available to journalists ahead of the public presentation recently, the Chief Executive Officer of Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Taiwo Oluboyede, said: “In this special edition of the annual top brands evaluation, I am glad to inform you again that Nigerian brands have taken the shine by maintaining their leadership positions. We are particularly delighted that locally made brands don’t just top the list, they also record the majority among the top 10, with 7 of the 10 brands being Nigerian” However, the multinationals have more entries overall, with 52 percent, an equivalent of 31 brands out of the 60. According to Oluboyede, this achievement by Nigerian brands is significant in many ways, especially as it reflects that 70 percent of the top 10 are Nigerian brands. “It shows that our locally made brands are constantly evolving and becoming more vibrant by the day. They have not relented in making attractive value propositions that endear the consumers to them, to the point that many consumers are now contended with Made in Nigeria, over foreign brands across many categories. This is a clear departure from the recent past. “This also means that many great things are still happening in Nigeria, regardless of the negative press. Our locally made brands are standing shoulder to shoulder with the multinationals in their industries and they are emerging better in valuation and perception. “Big businesses and widely ac-

ceptable brands are being built here, challenging the status quo and taking leadership roles across various industries and areas of operations. “They are not just local champions; many of these Nigerian brands have also become multinationals, expanding aggressively across other African countries and beyond. You can see this in brands like Access Bank, Globacom, UBA, GTBank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, Dangote Group and others,” he stated. Observers have described the recent development as a huge plus to the Nigerian business space and a strong point of encouragement to foreign investors that Nigeria still remains a top business frontier where you are almost certain of high return on your investment. Detailed Analysis In the details analysis, a summary of the 2020 report as published on the organisation’s website reveals that Dangote Group topped the list of the Most Valuable Brand 2020. This is followed by MTN, which also doubles as the Most Valuable Multinational and Telecom Brand. In third place is Globacom, another proudly Nigerian brand. Glo made an impressive achievement this year by emerging top in the popularity survey. The popularity test, which according to the organisation is done through a Top of the Mind (TOM) survey, is the first and most important variable in the annual top brands evaluation. The report indicated that Glo achieved an 89 per cent mention from respondents during the TOM survey. This made Globacom, the Most Popular Brand in Nigeria 2020. Coca-Cola Nigeria emerged in the fourth place and effectively topped the Beverages category, followed by GTBank on the 5th Place, topping the Banking and Financial Services

brands. The Banking and Financial Services had the highest number of brands in the top 10, with 5 brands. This is followed by the telecoms with 3 brands. Seven brands among the top 10 have maintained top 10 positions for the past four years consecutively, while five brands among the top 10 maintain previous year’s positions. In the overall, 48 percent, which is an equivalent of 29 brands are Nigerian brands while 31 are multinational brands. The Banking & Financial Services had 14 brands, equivalent of 23.3 per cent, followed by the Consumer Goods Category with 12 brands. This is led by Dufil Prima Foods. Conglomerates and Oil & Gas categories have six brands each, with Dangote and Oando topping them respectively. Telecoms and Beverages had four brands each. MTN and Coca-Cola emerged top in these two categories, respectively. Construction Services, Electronics, Agriculture and Retail categories had 2 brands each with Julius Berger, Samsung Electronics, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and Jumia, a first entrant topping these categories respectively. Seven brands made the annual ranking for the first time, these are Sterling Bank Plc, Seplat Petroleum, Daraju Industries, TGI Group, Transsion holding, Jumia Nigeria and AIICO Insurance. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc emerged the higher gainer this year, while 10 brands among the 60 maintained their 2019 positions. Stakeholders’ Views Meanwhile, brand analysts, within and outside the corporate Nigeria have commented on the development and concluded that it is a sign of better things ahead. Managing Director of IMS, a Marketing Communications firm, Mr. Dan Esiekpe, said in seasons of despair, the Dangote brand has

always given Nigerians hope of a better tomorrow. “Guided by a patriotic strategy of import substitution, the Dangote brand has consistently demonstrated empathy for the needs of Nigeria by decisively moving to fill identified consumer gaps. With Dangote, it is always hope renewed for a better tomorrow for Nigeria,” he said. Managing Director, Starcom/ Media Perspectives, Jude Odia, said: “As one of the marketing communications Agency partners for Dangote Group, it gladdens our heart to receive the great news that once again The Dangote Group has emerged the Most Valuable Brand in Nigeria for the year 2020. This did not come as a surprise to us, but rather it reinforces their commitment to continually deliver best in class products and superior customer services to partners and all other stakeholders within the ecosystem. Having worked with the team from Dangote Group, we are constantly challenged by their professionalism, execution excellence and focus on achieving set business objectives at all times. On behalf of the management and staff of Starcom Media Perspectives, we say a big congratulations to the President, executive management and entire staff of Dangote Group for this great achievement. They have continued to make Nigeria and Africa in general proud and we wish them well in the future.” To a United States of America University Don, Prof. Ehiedu Iweriebor, of the Department of Africana and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies, Hunter College, City University of New York, Dangote Group’s greatest accomplishment is as the first African company to be the practitioner of the universal. ‘Global principle of successful national development embodied in the concepts of: Production, Prosperity, Power and Pride,” he added.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜2020

BUSINESS OUTSIDER

On Business Ecosystems Tunji Adegbite

for an ecosystem, it is vital to take a leaf from ecosystem interactions pervasive in Nigeria’s Technology start-up sector. Co-Creation Hub (CCHub) plays an “orchestrator” role in the Nigerian start up ecosystem, providing the platform for them to thrive amidst collaboration and even competition. CCHub provides funding and incubates start-ups with the objective of solving local problems via technology. This has created a network of start-ups across several industries whose expertise complements and competes with other entities in the ecosystem. Examples of companies that have emerged from CCHub’s incubation program include BudgIT, WeCyclers, Lifebank, amongst others.

into a non-operating Holding Company (HoldCo) structure; FBN Holdings Plc and Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc are examples The crux of this piece is not for every commercial bank to become a holding company. Banks have the platform they can leverage to provide seamless digital services to customers (e.g. FCMB’s partnership with Brass, a fintech). They can broaden their current value proposition by leveraging ecosystems to stay “hyper-relevant” for their customers, especially in a situation where Fintechs like Kuda and Carbon are gradually increasing their share of the banking population. Afterall, banking is the necessity, and banks are not. Other options available to the commercial banks include orchestrating ecosystems to cross-sell financial services and partnering with third-party ecosystems thereby extending their presence into the non-banking aspects of customers’ lives. Banks with strong relationships and a seamless digital platform would largely benefit from the implementation of a solid ecosystem model. Whenever an ecosystem is created, the value chain changes as there is prospect for new players. From the consumer perspective, these extra players could be beneficial. While there exists to some extent justifiable fear in opening an ecosystem or entering a new ecosystem as a result of the perception of reduced rewards due to increased competition, the reality is that this increased competition makes the pie larger, and the externalities it gives foster growth for every player. In conclusion, while ecosystems could play a vital role in the evolution of the financial sector, customers are key. Plans should be driven by customer expectations and the job-to-be-done in their lives. In the financial service sector, it would seem as though there is a stark choice to be made between co-operation and competition. However, a reality that players in this system have to understand is that both can coexist – and have a symbiotic relationship. And if there are to be larger strides in the financial ecosystem, we would likely be expecting more partnerships between banks and Fintechs.

5IF 3PMFT PG #BOLT JO $SFBUJOH B 'JOBODJBM &DPTZTUFN The traditional banking model focuses on managing the maturity mismatch between deposits and loans. Banks offer more than regular retail banking services to increase revenue and drive growth. Nigeria’s commercial banking sphere is poised to orchestrate and provide a viable financial ecosystem platform, thanks to the “Holdco” policy by the CBN. This directive permits banks/banking groups to retain non-core banking businesses by evolving

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usiness strategies that facilitate interactions between entities are changing the way companies conduct business and interact with their environment. Very few companies can shoulder the responsibility of providing goods and/or services without external interaction. Thus, for businesses to flourish, they must understand and navigate the ecosystem in which they operate. This understanding will help the viability of that business, ecosystem and minimize the costs and consequences of rent-seeking among players in that ecosystem. The business ecosystems concept is analogous with biological ecosystems and was first introduced by James F. Moore in 1993 with the description: “An economic community supported by a foundation of interacting organizations and individuals-the organisms of the business world. This economic community produces goods and services of value to customers, who are themselves members of the ecosystem. The member organizations also include suppliers, lead producers, competitors, and other stakeholders. Over time, they coevolve their capabilities and roles, and tend to align themselves with the directions set by one or more central companies. Those companies holding leadership roles may change over time, but the function of ecosystem leader is valued by the community because it enables members to move toward shared visions to align their investments and to find mutually supportive roles.” There are three types of ecosystem leadership: 1. The Aggregator: They create transactional marketplaces that connect demand to supply by offering a frictionless exchange of value between customers and suppliers. E.g Amazon Marketplace 2. The Innovator: They create platform environments that enable the development of new solutions and encourages third-party developers to create services and solutions to satisfy customers’ wants or needs. E.g. Apple 3. The Orchestrator: They create platforms that define the reference architecture, drive exceptional customer experiences, and create a “true north” for participants. In Nigeria, many industries have created an ecosystem while carrying out their businesses. An example is in the eCommerce space dominated by Jumia and Konga. The e-Commerce ecosystem is one whose key functions, just as other ecosystems have,

is to create value via customer satisfaction and prompt delivery of services. Konga, for example, is vertically integrated to have its payment platform, KongaPay, Kxpress (logistics services), amongst others.Although independent, these arrangements collaborate, ultimately creating more value for the business, shareholders and customers. Another example of adaption to the ecosystem business model is the transformation of bike-hailing companies into logistics businesses. Due to the ban on their operation in Lagos, these companies (e.g. Gokada) pivoted to e-commerce . The integration of these businesses into the e-Commerce ecosystem became largely successful due to the impediment logistics pose for e-commerce businesses. However, when businesses pivot into a different ecosystem, it may lead to blurred lines across industries and thus create a challenge of multiple and/or conflicting regulations. For example, Chinese digital player, WeChat, affords users the convenience to send texts, make payments, invest, order taxis, buy tickets, and much more from a single integrated system. The ‘Start-up’ ecosystem, a model for Nigerian Banks To understand the role banks can play in ‘orchestrating’ or providing the ‘platform’

Former Executive Chairman Battles Firm on Corporate Racism Emma Okonji

The former Executive Chairman of Dimension Data, Mr. Andile Ngcaba, has accused the company of practising corporate racism, and discriminatory remuneration packages, which he said, led to a short-change of his earnings for the period between 2004 and 2017 that he worked for the company. Ngcaba established Dimension Data and Internet Solutions in Nigeria, West and East Africa. Dimension Data is an Information Technology Services Company that is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with focus on services including IT consulting, technical and support services, and managed services, with footprints in Middle East and Africa, including Nigeria. Ngcaba, now a top South African businessman, told THISDAY Newspapers that he was underpaid throughout the period he worked with the company, and never knew that the company was paying him less than his white counterparts. Based on this gross discrimination he seeks to receive remuneration due to him

for the duration of his time with Dimension Data, and to be paid for damages as well as defamation emanating from a statement made about him suggesting that he was greedy. In response, Dimension Data, through its Managing Director, Mr. Olugbenga Olabiyi, told THISDAY that the company was shocked at the action of Ngcaba adding that the company rejected the allegations because it respected ethics and values. “We are disappointed that we now find ourselves in a contractual dispute with Mr. Ngcaba. It is perplexing to us why he would allege racism as Dimension Data remains a committed and active corporate citizen; and will continue to work towards delivering on our part to transform South Africa’s society and economy by creating opportunities for equal and broad-based access for all South Africans,” Olabiyi further told THISDAY. Ngcaba first took Dimension Data to a dispute resolution body in 2017, where he stated that during his tenure, the company excluded him from an incentive scheme that benefited other white staff who were reporting to him. Ngcaba claimed to have

discovered during the 2016 Dimensions Data board meeting that he earned less than his white subordinates. Ngcaba said he was given assurance that he would always be remunerated either equally or more than his colleagues. According to Ngcaba, this was not the case. He became aware of the shortfall after changes in the South African Companies Act required businesses of a certain size to disclose all director remuneration. According to report, during that period, Dimension Data had been paying remuneration to the senior executives, who were white persons, in a manner which was different from and higher than that of Ngcaba. He is therefore seeking R440 million in damages from the company in a case that has gripped corporate workers in South Africa and across the globe. According to Ngcaba, “This is a principle, equal pay is part of human rights and is in our constitution. I will not take this lying down. Fairness, non-discrimination in the work place is what International Labour Organisation (ILO) is all about. We cannot live under apartheid in 2020.”

Ngcaba

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͹ͻ˜ 2020

THE EXECUTIVE UMAR DANBATTA

Cost Reduction Won’t Solve Data Fast Depletion The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, speaks on telecoms development and the expectations that Nigeria will surpass the target of 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, given the current statistics of 45.93 per cent penetration as at October 2020. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:

ou were among the recipients of this year’s ZIK Prize for leadership award. What does it mean to you and the entire staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) where you sit at the helm of affairs? I was honoured with the Zik Leadership Award in the professional leadership category. We were two, who got that award. The other person is a banker. The reason I was considered for the award, according to the organisers, was that NCC succeeded in raising the bar in the telecommunications industry. They acknowledged the fact that we have been able to raise broadband penetration from about 6 per cent in 2015 to 45.93 per cent in October 2020. They talked about how we at NCC have empowered the telecoms consumers. Remember, the NCC declared 2017 as the year of the consumer. That was equally appreciated. They also noted our efforts on protection of the consumers against unsolicited SMS, providing them a toll free number they can used to complain. So, when services are being provided to over 207 million subscribers, of course, complaints are expected. In fact, they are normal. We however, have an excellent consumer resolution mechanism in place, which is working well. The response time to complaints can be shorter. We have the 622 number that is on 24 hours to resolve issues. The Zik Leadership Award has made me more humble, and I have dedicated it to the telecommunications sector, subscribers, the management and board of NCC, and the media. They have all played huge roles in these last six years. I also acknowledged the confidence imposed on me by President Muhammadu Buhari, who appointed me in 2015, and re-appointed me in 2020 after a strong recommendation by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami. So, recognition of this nature comes with a lot of expectations, and it calls for more responsibilities, dedication, and commitment in the service of the country, and Nigerians, who have shown remarkable confidence in what we are doing despite the challenges. How do you intend to meet the expectations of telecoms subscribers, having been recognised with the Zik Prize? From about 100 million subscribers in 2015 to over 200 million now, it shows that on a daily basis, Nigerians are subscribing to telecoms services, and I think there are expectations from telecoms subscribers, in the area of getting value for money. They want consumer response time to complaints to be less than 24 hours and they also want the NCC to address the issue of data depletion. As a consumer-centric regulator, we will sure address all of that. The issue of high cost of data and fast data depletion have topped telecoms consumers’complaints in recent time. How do you intend to address them? The Commission will continue to work towards the reduction in the cost of data, and we are also working towards achieving the target of N390/Gigabyte cost of data by the year 2025, as enshrined in the National Broadband Plan (2020-205). We did our benchmarking recently and we discovered that the cost of 1 Gigabyte of data has come down below N500, which represents 50 per cent reduction from what it used to be. There is however a target to reduce data cost to N390/Gigabyte by the year 2025 and we are almost there. The target, as enshrined in the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) is to achieve N390/Gigabyte in the cost of data by the end of 2025, but the recent benchmarking that the NCC did, showed that the cost of data has reduced to more than 50 per cent from what it used to be at the beginning of 2020. For us as industry regulator, this is a good sign that data cost is coming down and that the issue of data depletion as experienced by subscribers, is gradually been addressed. Although the reduction in the cost of data may not completely addresstheissueoffastdatadepletionascurrentlybeingexperienced by subscribers, but that NCC is considering a new measure that will completely address the issue of data depletion. NCC has instituted a forensic audit on the cost of data, just like we did with cost of Short Message Service (SMS) on a particular mobile operator, where we discovered that the operator unlawfully surcharged its subscribers to the tune of over N100 million and we have asked the particular operator to make refunds immediately and the operator has commenced refund to the affected subscribers. This could have gone unnoticed, if not for the quick intervention of NCC. We have plans to even extend the forensic audit on sms to other telecoms operators. So like we did for sms, we are doing same for data to find out the reason for fast data depletion and it will be carried out across all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). By the time the audit

about 114 access gaps to be addressed. The clusters of access gaps are concentrated in some specific areas. But even in places like Lagos, we have areas that are underserved, and in the South west. So, from a little under 50,000 masts, which cut across 2G, 3G, and 4G because of co-location, we need more telecoms masts to boost connectivity. So we currently have about 50,000 masts across all networks, serving over 200 million telecoms subscribers, but if you compare this with a country like United Kingdom with a population that is a third of Nigeria’s, population yet they have over 60,000 telecoms masts, then you will see the need for Nigeria to have additional masts installation, the same way we need additional fibre deployment to further boost telecoms services in the country. So, if we go by that analogy, Nigeria will need about 150, 000 BTS to ensure services are expanded. But mind you, these are what we call wireless infrastructure. The infrastructure in this country is predominantly wireless, covering more than 80 per cent. But there is a limitation to wireless infrastructure, which include lack of speed and volume. So we need to bridge these identified challenges by laying fibre infrastructure to even connect BTS, and by doing that, we boost speed and telecoms services traffic. So, we need the two—the mast on one hand, then fixed infrastructure (fibre) on the other. But because fibre is inadequate, there is no way we can move the huge capacity of data in Lagos, which is close to 40 terabytes into the hinterland. What we intend to do in order to further reduce the cost of data, is to move these capacities at the landing point into every part of the country. Ultimately, we see that will help bring down cost of data, which I earlier said was already coming down. So, ultimately, by 2025, we may be able to buy data cheaper than the projected N390/Gigabyte, and I am confident this will happen because all the indications are there. Danbatta

is completed and the result is out, perhaps we will have better information of what is happening in the data segment, as it relates to fast data depletion.

The telecoms industry is still fraught with the challenge of telecoms infrastructure deﬁcit, which is negatively affecting quality of service. What is your take on this? It is true that there is the challenge of infrastructure deficit in the telecoms sector, the reason being that there are still existing clusters of access gaps in the country, which NCC is fast reducing. Infrastructure deficit will deprive telecoms subscribers of the right quality of service that they deserve and the NCC is working hard to address infrastructure deficit in the country in order to boost access and connectivity. NCC needs to act quickly in consistence with government policies on infrastructure build up. Government is looking at additional deployment of fibre optic cables in the next four years, in addition to what is currently on ground. The NCC is desirous that telecoms services are pervasive and accessible to all Nigerians, irrespective of their locations, even in remote and isolated communities. We need adequate infrastructure to address quality of service across networks. NCC on its part, will continue to deploy infrastructure, especially broadband infrastructure in order to solve the challenges of congestion on the networks as well as ensure the right speed of accessing telecoms services. Speed in accessing the internet is very important, hence the National Broadband Plan recommended two digits target of 25mbps for urban areas and 10mbps for rural areas of the country. Another area of target as recommended by the National Broadband Plan, that will enhance quality of service, is the broadband penetration, and it recommended a target of 70 per cent penetration by 2025, but there is a recent presidential order that we should attain 60 per cent broadband penetration by 2023. From statistics, broadband penetration has grown in the country, as it further deepened from less than 6 per cent in 2015 to 45.93 per cent as at October 2020. If the country can have a steady growth in broadband penetration per annum, which I think is possible, given the current statistics, then Nigeria is very sure of meeting and surpassing the projected 60 per cent and 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2023 and 2025 respectively. You talked about additional ﬁbre rollout to make telecoms services more accessible. What is NCC doing in the area of additional installation of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) also known as base station? Well, we know the number of telecoms masts and BTS that we have across the country since 2015. We had access cluster gaps of 217, where some 40 million Nigerians reside without access to telecoms services as a result of the gap in infrastructure. However, the number has gone down by more than 50 per cent. So, we have

What are the roles of communication satellite in boosting broadband services? There are terrains in this country, where we do not have fixed infrastructure, so you rely on satellite to reach those places. This is not peculiar to Nigeria. Communication Satellite infrastructure is still very relevant, and we are creating licences to communication satellite providers to augment the infrastructure in the fixed infrastructure space. The communication satellite operators have added beauty to the competition in the industry, even though the NCC is not launching satellite into space, and that is not within our jurisdiction. Our focus is about the usage of communication satellite in the country, which is part of our jurisdiction as empowered by law. What is the total amount required to adequately deploy ubiquitous telecoms infrastructure across the country? It is difficult to project how much investment is required to do the deployment of infrastructure that will ensure ubiquity in telecoms services. When the Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) were licensed, they came up with a CAPEX of about N200 billion. To that, you have to add the licensee of the North Central zone. There is one already, and all analyses on it have been done, a memo will be sent to the board of NCC for recommendation. So, because of the last licensee, you may need to add about N60 billion, that will give you about N260 billion. However, I must say this, those were projections made before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deterioration of the exchange rate. That is why I cannot say specifically, how much will be needed. Also, remember when we calculated the counterpart funding, we came out with about N65 billion. So, all in all, we are looking at about N300 billion over a period of four years. But that has changed because of the pandemic, which was not envisaged. So, COVID-19 has necessitated a review of the projections, though they are still good. I must also say this that we have embarked on the review of the InfraCo project, which however, has been completed. I wouldn’t want to preempt the Federal Government on what is on the review, we leave it to them. It is stated in the National Broadband Plan that between $4 billion and $5 billion will be needed, but that is in the implementation of the plan, but we need to sit down and look in specific, what component of the broadband plan that will cover. In terms of level of sector investments, we know that when the operators want to import equipment, they usually make request to the Central Bank for forex, it is when we clear such request that we know the reasonability of it, and normally the request comes in dollars, so we have a record that we can put together and come up with the foreign exchange request that telcos make to the CBN for them to buy equipment. Also, it must be stated that telcos must also have other means through which they source for funds without necessarily having to wait for the apex bank. (See concluding Interview on www.thisdaylive.com)

˜ ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

MARKET NEWS

UACN Appoints Ijaiya-Oladipo as Chief Financial Officer Goddy Egene

Nigeria Plc has appointed Mrs. Funke Ijaiya-Oladipo as chief financial officer. Her appointment

The board of directors of UAC of A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

followed the retirement of the Group Finance Director of UAC of Nigeria, Mr. Ibikunle Oriola

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 10Dec-2020, unless otherwise stated.

effective December 31, 2020. In a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange

(NSE), the conglomerate said Ijaiya-Oladipo is a highachieving, results-driven, finance

professional with over 13 years’ corporate finance and capital markets experience.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Dollar Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.03 1.05 15.25% ACAP Income Funds 0.86 0.86 11.41% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.89% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.69 3.82 50.96% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 0.89% Anchoria Equity Fund 124.80 125.25 18.33% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.45 1.45 21.38% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 119.27 120.11 24.14% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.39% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.24 2.24 20.09% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.21 2.25 40.17% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.54% Paramount Equity Fund 15.25 15.53 21.85% Women's Investment Fund 129.50 130.89 17.40% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.37% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 125.17 125.93 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.40 108.40 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 0.79% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.17 1.18 26.08% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.73 1.73 29.99% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 0.87% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 1.26% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,202.69 1,220.90 8.58% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,466.31 1,468.01 23.55% FBN Balanced Fund 179.11 180.43 21.99% FBN Halal Fund 110.98 111.01 10.98% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.39% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 121.10 121.51 7.26% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 121.27 121.69 6.88% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 145.26 147.48 11.63% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.69% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 125.41 125.94 17.64%

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.01% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.84 2.90 29.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 155.62 156.53 8.62% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.38 1.40 22.38% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,148.37 1,148.37 10.37% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.60 1.63 29.50% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.11 12.21 7.53% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2.10% PACAM Equity Fund 1.51 1.53 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.75 111.09 SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 133.73 136.75 9.40% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 8.87% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 22.73% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 6.34% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 22.22% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 7.42% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 29.05% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.31% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 19.50% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.22 1.22 5.33% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 110.83 110.83 6.35% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.33 1.36 11.68% United Capital Bond Fund 1.88 1.88 8.73% United Capital Equity Fund 0.82 0.84 16.51% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.93% United Capital Eurobond Fund 116.66 116.66 6.72% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 0.71% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Zenith Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Zenith Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Zenith Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.04

6.92%

52.14

0.17%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

11.44 109.71 86.43

11.54 112.10 88.05

35.83% 16.16% 15.06%

Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.83

3.87

11.62%

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

5.52

5.60

-6.48%

Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

15.58 1.00 15.96

15.68 1.00 16.16

29.55% 2.27% 53.09%

227.43

229.43

20.95%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

13.12.2020

AKINLOYE TOFOWOMO

Entertainment Is Engraved in My DNA ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECE ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

COVER

AKINLOYE TOFOWOMO

Entertainment Is Engraved in My DNA

Akinloye Tofowomo being honored as a Rotary International Ambassador by Dr Tunji Funsho, Chairman, Nigerian National Polio Plus Committee.

Selfless, noble, enterprising, committed, with love for humanity, the Managing Director of Shuga Entertainment, Akinloye Tofowomo, has paid the ultimate price to achieve fame and fortune. Convinced entertainment is etched in his DNA, investing in other enterprises has not dampened his passion for the industry. He shares with Adedayo Adejobi his lessons from Covid-19, the value of disposable income for an entertainer, among other things

“S Akinloye and his wife of inestimable value, Mariah Tofowomo.

Past DG Rotary Inernational 911, Kola Shodipo; Akiin Tofowomo (Shuga), and Dr Ogunbadejo

haring what I know and what I have is something I would not stop doing,” said the Managing Director of Shuga Entertainment, Akinloye Tofowomo. The music maestro and astute businessman has risen from various travails to triumph: from squatting in friends’ homes to owning his fair share of the finest things of life money can buy. Yet, he’s not driven by money. Talking to Tofowomo sandwiches you between nobility and commitment. For the Ile-Oluji, Ondo State native, Covid-19 has been more than an eye-opener, it has usurped people’s way of life, which includes the daily earner to band owners like Shuga. At the moment, where live bands gigs have slimmed down for over eight months, events considerably picking up and money is tight in that circle, men like Tofomowo have found alternative sources of income to augment and carry on with the life of giving as best as they can. Unlike many individuals and establishment who believe in downsizing, Shuga has all through the pandemic kept his 14-piece band members a notch tighter by ensuring they are well provided for during this pandemic. For associate and domestic staffs, negotiations were made to keep them on board, even if they have to go with a percentage of salary slash. Entertainment has blessed Shuga with its fruits. “Entertainment will forever be in my DNA,” but his new baby is renewable energy. He wants to add his voice to the numerous voices clamouring for a change in the power sector with a focus on solar and renewable energy. Here is a man that wants to harvest from the gazillion solar power wasted in Nigeria every day. All of these thoughts, he revealed, crystallized during the lockdown. For Tofowomo, money is not a source of motivation; focus is the key: the drive that continues to push him as far back as his days of little beginnings. Before he became a household name in the entertainment industry, Tofowomo sold firewood amongst other things to eke out a living. As big as he is now, he also wants to sell packaged plantain. Can you beat that? As a people, the issue of trust came to the fore when he spoke about his business, drive, and passion. He reminisced on how he has been roughly dealt with by people he once trusted. “Minding your business” is one mantra he lives by. Rather than look at Aliko Dangote’s wealth, he strongly believes in looking deeper within himself and advised others to find that

strength to look inwardly from time to time. ‘‘The actual goldmine is in your mind,’’ Tofowomo said. Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that “an entertainer without a disposable income is useless.” Instead of wasting time on social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc, Shuga advised young people to take time to mediate. Speaking of spirituality and spiritual gates, he remembered with nostalgia how his father taught him Psalms 23, 51, and 91. “My father made me recite it every day,” he said. According to him, his father made him understand there’s a limit to which he can protect him as a man but with God, his protection is always available. “Let us examine this scenario,” he said. “My father told me humans are like a radio set. Like every radio set, there’s a frequency through which they pick up the frequency of the radio waves with the right conditions.” “He said because we don’t tune in to God’s airwaves as his radio, that’s why we don’t hear from him.” Tofowomo believes there’s an architect responsible for the creation of all things. From being a vegetarian of about six years, he has come to the knowledge of light and sound. Talking of Association of Band Owners of Nigeria (AMBON), his brainchild, Tofowomo recalled his mentor, John Kellogg, who used to be a member of the American music group, Cameo, who is now a business professor. He said his mentor chose him after reading his profile. “How did you make up all of these things without any proper business training?” was the first question Prof. John Kellogg asked. Kellogg was interested in making Tofowomo better. He taught him about the music business. Tofowomo was able to use his God-given wisdom to build peace and unity between two rival groups and other bands in Nigeria. “Can a band play all the live shows in a week?” he wondered. With that in mind, he’s in the process of revamping the industry with professional codes and regulations. To this end, he noted that they need the help of the government to help with regulatory measures. Tofowomo sees this effort as a double-edged sword, even if it comes off as an afterthought. Like every other thing Nigerian, implementation of the process is where he expressed true fears of a likelihood of having the process hijacked or thwarted. A quick reference to the erstwhile President’s creative industry fund running into millions of dollars that flew through the windows of powers that be drove his point home. Tofowomo highlighted technological problems and how bad network services are the bane in giving consumers of his service a near-live experience with the epileptic nature of paid-for services.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸

A Gallant Politician at 53 ÓàÏÜÝ ÞËÞÏ ÙàÏÜØÙÜ˜ ãÏÝÙ× ÓÕÏ˜ ×Ëã ÌÏ Ë ͽͻ̋ãÏËÜ̋ÙÖÎ̋×ËØ˜ ÌßÞ ÒÏ ÒËÝ ÚËÍÕÏÎ ÓØÞÙ ÞÒÏÝÏ ʨàÏ ÎÏÍËÎÏÝ ÞÒÏ ÑÜÓÞ ËØÎ ÝßÍÍÏÝÝÏÝ áÙÜÞÒ ʨàÏ ÖÓàÏ ÞÓ×ÏÝ˜ Davidson Iriekpen áÜÓÞÏÝ

ut for the COVID-19 pandemic, Rivers State Government House would have been agog today with dignitaries from all walks of life being the 53rd birthday anniversary of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. Nevertheless, this won’t stop a torrent of goodwill messages and tributes from pouring in for a man many have come to regard not only as a political juggernaut but a strong defender of Rivers State and the South-south geopolitical zone in general. From a humble beginning as chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in 2002, Wike has risen to become a rallying point not only in his party, the Peoples Democratic Party but the entire Nigerian political space as many call him ‘the powerhouse.’ Others even see him as the enfant terrible of Nigerian politics. Before his current position as a governor, he was chief of staff for four years and minister of Education. For those who have watched him closely, one thing that stands him out is his principle and frankness on issues. He is not only fearless but courageous and blunt. He does not prevaricate and nor suffer fools gladly. A committed PDP man, one area where Wike is ever remembered lately is his strong determination to ensure that the PDP did not into extinction. At a time when many were nowhere to be found, and some had become pessimistic and were no longer sure whether PDP would be returned to them, Wike brought his whole being forward to fight Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff and his cohorts from killing the party. Today, history has recorded to his credit that the party secured a major victory at the Supreme Court to exist. To the people of the Rivers State, it is what Wike is doing that has endeared him to them. Since his election in 2015, there never been a dull moment. He has been vigorously trying to justify the mandate given to him with social and infrastructural facilities. Born on December 13, 1967, in Rumuepirikom, Obio Akpor Local Government Area to the family of Reverend and Mrs. Nlemanya Wike, Wike attended Government Secondary School, Eneka Obio-Akpor, where he proceeded to the University of Port Harcourt bagging a BSc degree in Political Science and Administration. Not satisfied, he enrolled at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUT), Port Harcourt, where he obtained a Law degree. He completed his studies at the Nigerian Law School in 1997, with the Barrister at Laws practicing licence. He also holds a Master’s degree in Political and Administrative Studies from the same Rivers State University. After a brief stint with private legal practice, Wike, like most politicians, started his political career from a humble beginning. He was elected twice as the chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area. He served his two terms in office from 1999-2002 and 2004-2007. As council chairman, he distinguished himself by embarking on projects that re-defined council administration and, as ALGON national president; he played a pioneering role in national security and primary healthcare, leading all local councils to commit themselves to highlevel grassroots development across the country. Between October 26, 2007, and May 28, 2011, Wike served as the chief of staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, during Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s tenure and was also appointed the director general of Amaechi’s re-election

Wike Campaign Organisation. His grassroots mobilisation and support, political intelligence, and organisational sagacity were not unnoticed. On July 14, 2011, Wike was appointed and sworn-in as junior minister of Education by President Goodluck Jonathan. He dazzled a country with many known non-performing ministers with palpable innovations. He distinguished himself with the following programmes: the creation of access to Quality Education for nine million Almajiri children in Northern Nigeria through the construction of dedicated schools in affected states; construction of basic education vocational training schools for out-ofschool children in Southern Nigeria; and Special Girl-Education Schools for less privileged girls in 16 states of the country. Following a cabinet shake-up, Wike emerged as the nation’s education minister on September 12, 2013. As the Minister of State for Education, he made an impact on the basic education sub-sector, spear-heading a nationwide reform of the nation’s education system. The fundamental programmes that were driven by the former Minister of State for Education were the creation of access to quality education for nine million Almajiri children in northern Nigeria through the construction of dedicated schools in affected states, construction of basic education vocational training schools for out-of-school children in southern Nigeria and Special Girl-Education Schools for less privileged girls in 16 states of the country, while also championing free distribution of books across the nation. Over 60 million textbooks and library resource materials were distributed since 2011. Determined to ensure that teachers have the capacity to deliver on the Transformation Agenda of the Jonathan administration, the former minister initiated the training of close to 500,000

basic education teachers and school administrators. Wike took proactive measures to resolve key challenges in the basic and tertiary education levels. Under his watch, the federal government established four new federal polytechnics, with one sited at Bonny, Rivers State. He facilitated the N1.3 trillion intervention fund for public universities in Nigeria, the very first of its kind aimed at reviving university education in Nigeria. He facilitated the revival of infrastructure in 51 state and federal polytechnics and ensured the construction of micro-teaching laboratories in Colleges of Education in Nigeria. His efforts have been recognised by stakeholders within and beyond the shores of Nigeria. He was conferred with the Best Performing Minister, 2011 by the Nigerian Pilot Newspapers, African Network Campaign on Education For All (ANCEFA), awarded him the Policy Champion Award for Africa to recognise his roles in the creation of quality access for Nigeria children. The Abuja Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) conferred on him a “Recognition Award for Reviving Basic Education in Nigeria”, while the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), conferred on him “Award of Performance in the Education Sector”. He has received several other awards from reputable stakeholders in the education sector who appreciated his investments of energy and intellectual resources in the system. On December 8, 2014, PDP delegates from all the 23 local government areas of Rivers State unanimously voted him as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2015 election in the state. He eventually contested the election and won, and on May 29, 2015, he was sworn in as governor. Since then, there hasn’t been any limit to what he can do for his state and the people.

Wike has so performed and transformed the state to the admiration of even members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). As governor, the most daunting challenges Wike has survived were efforts by the opposition APC to steal the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state through the judiciary in 2015. He survived it when the Supreme Court came to his rescue. If 2015 was a child’s play, it was certainly so in 2019 where over 40,000 security agents were deployed to Rivers State alone with marching orders to ensure that he did not come back for a second term in office. But like the man of the people that he has become in the state, the people of the state put their lives on the line to resist the security agents by defending their votes. The rest, they say, is history. The gallantry displayed by his people has made him not to be tired to serve them. This is why even at the peak COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, when a majority of the governors were using it as an excuse not to perform, Wike was constantly working and inauguration projects. Currently, he is simultaneously constructing five flyover bridges in Port Harcourt to ease the suffering of the people in traffic. It is this same passion for development he displayed in his first term in office that made Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of the opposition party to name him Mr. Projects. A holder of several traditional chieftaincy titles, Wike is married to Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, a high court judge with the Rivers State Judiciary, and blessed with three children; Jordan, Joaquin, and Jazmyne. Many who are just aware that Wike is just 53 are calling on him to thank God that he has achieved so much when a lot of his mates are still trying to find their bearing.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 13, 2020

High Life Sholaye Jeremi... Man on a Mission

ar removed from the conventions of a businessman slash public figure slash celebrity is Sholaye Jeremi, the man who has reached an apogee in transacting business deals in the billions and still managing to keep lips sealed over the details. Young and wise, laid-back and sharp, stylish and simple, well-known but favouring his privacy over all else, Jeremi is a study in contrasts.Yet, he is as well-loved as any other man of the people. Sholaye Jeremi cut his teeth in business remarkably early on. Essentially coming from little or nothing, the nowrenowned billionaire and serial business venturer has grown his base to include industries and enterprises of all kinds: from the industry as fluid as fashion to one as distinguished and elitist as oil and gas, to Real Estate, telecommunications, and shipping. However, Jeremi has clearly gotten the hang of them all, which is the reason for his confidence to move onwards and forward. Cutting the perfect figure of a man too used to both extremes of life to be bothered with altering his personality to fit circumstances, Sholaye Jeremi is immersed in his role as a gentleman, humble and charming, as sensitive to others as he is to himself, holding back nothing but his most private matters. Among the billionaires of the age, Sholaye Jeremi chairs a respectable position. The man is about as renowned for his onpoint business deals as he is for his philanthropy. Hardly an occasion passes without his offering food, shelter, and good bucks for the less privileged. Perhaps nobody knows the life of the disadvantaged as one who has lived it. And the people love him. Tall trees face the strongest wind, although the homeless have built homes among their branches. Notwithstanding, Sholaye Jeremi continues in his regular fashion, unaffected with tall gossip, walking his own path, and helping those crippled from an austere life.

Jeremi

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, ̋×ËÓÖ: ÕËãʮÏâ̶͓ãËÒÙÙ˛ÍÙ×

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

Thus Said Ojukwu: Royal Rumble in Ojukwu’s Family Very seldom does the family of a deceased person haggle over what was said or what was not said, except the said statement has to do with the will. This is not the case with the family of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu: the die is cast over what he said about the Civil War that ravaged the country in the late ’60s and into 1970. The narrative begins with Ojukwu’s widow, Bianca Ojukwu, who allegedly stated that the Biafran hero had said some things to her about the Nigeria-Biafra War, and perhaps the knowledge of these whisperings allowed her to know who and who fits the mould for Ojukwu’s party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Therefore, the reports claim, Bianco Ojukwu discredited Governor Willie Obiano, National Leader of the party, stating that the latter was not familiar with the ideals and purpose of the party, despite being

its number one member. Thus, Obiano cannot—and should not—be named Ojukwu’s successor. Emeka Ojukwu Jr. (Ojukwu’s son) responded to the alleged attack on Governor Obiano with a scathing rebuttal. According to him, Bianca Ojukwu has dishonoured the memory of the late man, misleading the public with fairy tales, and continuing to use his father’s name for traction and political gain. He said that his late father was well aware of the power of words and had documented—in writing—everything he thought about everything. On the subject of whetherAPGAis worthy of its current National Leader, Emeka Ojukwu stated that he has known and worked alongside Governor Obiano for several years now, and finds him (essentially) to be a more credible character than most. He stated that Governor Obiano has

Ojukwu

nothing but the utmost respect for the late legend, has no intention to separate his image and memory from APGA’s continued existence, or that whatever was ‘whispered’ to Bianca Ojukwu should be taken as nothing other than her personal opinions.

Godswill Akpabio Slows Down at 58

Akpabio

Godswill Akpabio, one of the names that echo without end in the halls of the

For Dr. Wole Aboderin, the former Youth Director for Buhari/Bakare Presidential Campaign Council 2011, Director Women and Youth Buhari/ Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Team 2019, his show of loyalty is unparalleled; his compassion for his people is unprecedented. His actions are well-thought-out, intended to hit targets without missing—that is Dr. Wole Aboderin, Special Assistant on NGO Matters, Office of the First Lady. Compared to his contemporaries, here is a man that has walked further on the block, as close to the grassroots as he was a day before his appointment, and yet managing to keep up with policymakers and the ultimate deciders of Nigeria’s future. When Dr. Wole Aboderin who recently concluded a course on policy design and delivery from Harvard Kennedy School was picked on merit by the first lady herself, it was evident to all that merit was the only qualifier, seeing as he had little in common with her, except the outspoken vision of better things. And this much Aboderin has brought to being, after numerous hours of good work. A proud son of Ibadan, Oyo State, Aboderin has not shamed his origin at all. There is a catchphrase in those hallowed Aso Villa halls that Dr. Aisha Buhari’s steps are glowing with gigantic and

governorship, senate, and the corridors of federal ministries. Now 58, Akpabio might have lost the right to be addressed as a hotblooded youth and hasn’t quite made the 60-plus years cut into eldership, but he has capsized more political Titanics than any lifesized iceberg on the Atlantic Ocean. Given the choice of holding down Godswill Akpabio to one thing and battling starved lions, only the uninformed will jump at the former. Godswill Akpabio is a character that has been ‘metaphored’ as an electric eel, perpetually sliding from your grasp and continuing to shock you. Reports claim that Godswill Akpabio burst into the limelight on the heels of his grandfather, his uncle, and his cousin, all of whom held top leadership positions way back then. The path to politics was not so paved as much as it was worn out, and thus began the making of a teacher, telecoms operator and manager, and commissioner in 2002 under Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State. In any case, Akpabio did not snatch the attention of people, high and low, as he still

Wole Aboderin, Changing the Narratives

Aboderin

does now, until he became Akwa Ibom Governor in 2007, with the campaign slogan, “Let God’s will be done.” And so it was, for a solid 8 years in office. Immediately after, former Governor Godswill Akpabio became Senator Godswill Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. He played his cards so well that he retired as a minority leader of the Senate, and was almost immediately appointed minister for Niger Delta Affairs. At every successive turn, Akpabio has been lambasted with corruption charges, which is very curious. Although he does manage to come out on top, with said charges never seeming to stick, his detractors are always quick to point such stains out. After the most recent debacle of a misappropriated 40 billion, the man has somewhat mellowed, slowing things down significantly, leading folks to draw connections with former and upcoming allegations. And that is 58 Godswill Akpabio years in a quick flash. An all-round statesman, lover, and fighter. What’s not to like, and vice versa?

long-enduring accomplishments because of thinking assistants like Aboderin. The reality is self-evident. With an instinctive grasp of governance, Wole Aboderin’s activities have not gone unnoticed by the ups-andups, and are most definitely behind the brainiac’s popularity with the common people. Easy to talk to and catching on with the speed of thought, Aboderin walks the line of steward and leader, capable, diligent, and most of all, dependable. As the cabinet of the first lady is packed with progressives, thinkers and masters of their distinct fields, standing out is about as difficult as getting in. But Wole Aboderin only needed to do the latter to do the former. His abilities in Information and Technology, project management, strategic negotiations, etc. are visible whenever the first lady engages her philanthropic side. Wole Aboderin has said time and time again that only the youth can usher in the golden age for Nigeria, and he is living proof that this is true. A mind for the future, a heart for the people and a will to see the labour of heroes past bearing good fruit—that is Wole Aboderin: doing his first lady proud; doing his people prouder.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MBER 13, 2020

HIGHLIFE

The Art of Making Babies: Babatunde Okewale’s New Book Tops on Amazon The Art of Making Babies! A daring title, to be sure. But if there is a medical doctor— and husband—who knows what it takes, it has to be Dr. Babatunde Okewale, with his donkey years of practice, and first-hand experience. And the glowing reviews the book has had so far just goes to show it. Not long after it was published, Dr. Babatunde Okewale’s book, The Art of Making Babies, was already on its way to being a bestseller. For one, it is the brainchild of authority in the field, and second, it is written around/against one of those bones in the neck of human society: infertility. Which is one reason it is selling like oxygen on Amazon, and the sales of printed copies are just a step behind. The Art of Making Babies contains Dr. Okewale’s wealth of knowledge regarding human fertility and reproduction, all the ins and outs that are seldom unveiled to the common people.

Okewale

Using insightful narratives, Dr. Okewale lays out everything struggling couples need to know about sterility, getting—and staying—pregnant, and shelving every other

attendant problem behind them. Everything is condensed in 294 pages, broken into seventeen chapters of a simple, informative writing style. Dr. Okewale takes the road less travelled in his book, advocating natural processes as effective for pregnancy. This is the culmination of 30 years in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, although that might be hard to imagine from Dr. Okewale’s rendering. Really, little wonder The Art of Making Babies is topping Amazon bookshelves and arresting local and international attention. Dr. Babatunde Okewale knows his business, to say the least. Not to mention his renowned advocacy for women’s healthcare, Dr. Okewale’s St. Ives Clinic is a centre of miracles on this front: over two thousand babies have been birthed since St. Ives began operations, all via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). So, yes, the options for The Art of Making Babies are either sell or sell. Kola-Daisi

Olori Hadiza Elegushi Celebrates Birthday with Crown Prince For Olori Hadiza Elegushi, these are the best of times. Having been delivered of the first male child of the direct lineage of Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, and heir apparent, it is surprising that the Olori did not drive her birthday celebration several octaves higher! Heaven knows any other person would. On Friday, December 4, 2020, Olori Hadiza Elegushi, second wife of Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, celebrated her Birthday with pomp and piquancy. A Kano-born 30-something, with the innate nobility of Sultanas, Olori Hadiza wore her new age with grace and style, grateful for her biggest plus of the year 2020, her newborn son, Crown Prince of the Elegushi throne. For many Nigerians, 2020 was not any icing on any cake, especially considering

that it was supposed to raise the second decade of the second millennium to new standards. But unless the said cake is poison to hope, there was little celebration. Which makes the fortune and finger of Providence over Olori Hadiza all the more obvious and worthy of praise. Folks will recall how August of 2020 was a rattling month for the good people of Ikateland. Oba Saheed Elegushi was not the only superlatively excited person on the day Olori Hadiza was delivered of the bundle of joy; every indigene of the Kingdom raised happy cheers to the new birth and heir apparent to the Elegushi seat. This was the first Okunrin and first Aremo, and his mother is Olori Hadiza. The honour is not lost on the Kano-born beauty. And this is why December the 4th was not only the Birthday of a second wife,

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second Olori, or apple of the eye of the youngest Nigerian monarch: it is the mother of the Aremo, Crown Prince of the Elegushi. Rainbow times indeed for Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Olori Hadiza Elegushi, and the good people of Ikateland.

New Era...Fidelity Bank Unveils Next CEO, Onyeali-Ikpe It is the end of a glorious era in Fidelity Bank, and the start of something expectedly better. Ushering in the new wave—in the person of Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe—former Fidelity CEO, Nnamdi Okonkwo, has sounded the gong to the expectations of customers, Board of Directors, and all stakeholders: which includes bigger and brighter prospects for Fidelity Bank. Essentially raising a toast of gratitude and congratulations to Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) stockbrokers at a recent virtual meeting,

Nnamdi Okonkwo formally introduced his successor, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, to all and sundry. Artfully listing his accomplishments since he took the CEO chair in 2014 (especially how Fidelity raised 30 billion local bond and $400 million Eurobond in 2015 and 2017, respectively), Okonkwo presented the roadmap for the bank’s continued successes and attainment of its goals. In the same spirit of drive and innovation that he led Fidelity Bank to greater heights, Okonkwo obviously

expects Onyeali-Ikpe to push the bank’s targets and accomplishments even higher. And this is something she can do, all things considering. Although five executive directors have been appointed as part of the new era, all eyes really are on the soon-to-be (starting January 1st, 2021) MD/CEO, Onyeali-Ikpe. Internet search engines are rife with queries on who she is, what qualifies her to take over from a celebrated banker and accomplished corporate leader like Nnamdi Okonkwo, and more and more.

Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke and The ‘Oluwole’ PhD Certificate scandals are fun in Nigeria. Remember disgraced Nigeria’s finance minister, Kemi Adeosun? But there’s a running story of one of Nigeria’s socalled Amazons, Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke. In 2011, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission had sent a request to the City University of New York’s Graduate School asking to know if the former Director General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, OkerekeOnyiuke, had a PhD. The response of the school’s Director of Student Services and Senior Registrar of CUNY’s Graduate School, Vincent De Luca, was startling. The statement of the school obtained from the website quoted De Luca as saying, “On January 18, 2011, I caused a search to be conducted of our student records (including graduation records) at The Graduate Center, at the request of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, to determine if Ms. Ndi

Okereke–Onyiuke was ever enrolled in the PhD programme in Business and if she received a PhD in Business at The Graduate Centre. “A thorough search of our electronic and paper files for the names, Ndi Leche Okereke, Ndi Okereke, Ndi OkerekeOnyiuke and Ndi Lechi Okereke–Onyiuke was conducted. No record was found that Ms. Ndi Okereke–Onyiuke ever enrolled in the PhD programme in Business or received a PhD in Business at The Graduate Centre.” That the former NSE boss earned a first-class honours degree in Business Administration, Computer Science and Economics, from Baruch College of the City College of the City, University of New York in 1975, is also said to be contestable – as the institution was said to be non-existent at least in the US. Could her professorship too be suspect? Not a few think so as they accused UNN of underhanded procedure. Madam, it’s time to speak up.

Abisola Kola-Daisi, Fashionista Par Excellence Back on the Grind

Okereke-Onyiuke

here are arcs to every story, periods, and circumstances that decide everything moving forward. For lovely fashion diva and businesswoman, Abisola Kola-Daisi, such an arc emerged in her life at the sudden demise of her father and role model, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. Where some would collapse from uncertainty and grief, Abisola Kola-Daisi (ABI-KD to some) has risen above it all. There’s no arguing the impact of the passing of the late Senator Isiaka Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi on his family, friends, the people of Oyo State, well-wishers, etc. The man had been a mountain upon which hopes had been built, a giant oak tree that has sheltered the hopeless, the homeless, the joyless. When such a mountain falls into the sea, imagine the splash and what remains of the nested hopes. But only a handful can claim to be as deeply affected as Ajimobi’s ﬁrst daughter, Abisola. Before her father died of the COVID-19 virus, Abisola Kola-Daisi was a proud wife and mother, style genius and practitioner, luxury retail entrepreneur, and a personality of national and industry renown. And then COVID-19 complications arose, the father of the Ajimobi household fell from life, ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Who would have thought that the strong mother of three would frazzle completely? Perhaps that is exactly why—because Abisola Kola-Daisi was not only the apple of her father’s eyes but a mother herself. Notwithstanding, death, darkness, and pain can only reign for so long. Light has dawned and the ﬁrst lady of both the Ajimobi and Kola-Daisi clans is up and running again. In style and all smiles, pictures of ABIKD have begun to permeate social media and draw the attention of folks everywhere. Also up and running is her lifestyle enterprise, Florence H, which has also upped its game. It’s an all-out season for all things related to Abisola Kola-Daisi, and the Nigerian high society is grateful for it. If one as sturdy and stimulatingly radiant as ABI-KD loses her momentum, what is to become of those looking up to her? But none of that. Abisola KolaDaisi has sprouted new leaves, new ideas for business, new styles for fashion, and new harbours for moving on.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Buhari’s Invisible Presidency Nothing we will not see in this presidency. The thing deserves its own reality show, but I tell you na sleep we go dey sleep throughout from boredom. Baba no dey even disappoint us. Speak to National Assembly and we mumu dey believe it will happen. Never, that kind thing is like asking for snow to fall in Shomolu. How can Baba leave him house drive to House of Representatives go talk wetin? You guys like to have a huge degree of self-importance o. Talk wetin, insecurity? Even Gbaja no expect

am as he don already go Olaiya go queue for amala. This is the era of invisibility in the Presidency and we really have to get used to it till it crosses the finish line. Look when we talk about Mr. Buhari being a man of integrity with a high sense of self-worth, it is true. Rather than come and stare us in the face and be bullshitting us like some others will do, knowing the true situation of things, he will just kukuma keep his mouth shut. Is that not better, abi what

do you want him to come and tell the assembly, that he has sacked all service chiefs or that he has the head of the Boko Haram person in his freezer cooling off or that Naira was now on par with Zimbabwean dollar? The man respect himself too much for all of that, so he just siddon for him house dey watch Zee World. When una tire, una go see the handwriting. Please leave Baba alone o, he needs to stay see him grandchildren marry o. Not this Nigeria wahala he come for. Kai.

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Oshiomhole

Fayemi

Ramaphosa

ABUBAKAR MALAMI – ATTORNEY GENERAL ‘OF LIFE’ In Shomolu, when someone is expansive and robust in his characterization or in the way he carries himself we add ‘of life’ after his name. This Malami guy is the Attorney General ‘of Life’. The way he has been carrying on since his appointment is reflective of a man that would have been given the highest title in the land. But since he is not here in Shomolu and may never come here - not that we really would like to have him though, the only thing to do as of this point is to add the moniker – ‘of life’ after his name. This explanation that I have read that the National Assembly has no powers to summon the president especially in the way he is handling the security situation is not only laughable but a mockery of everything the theory of separation of powers stands for. But what do I know? Do I even know the road to Law School to be arguing with the number one law officer in the country? Shebi NBA President, Olu Akpata, dey there refusing to be taking my calls because he thinks I am looking for sponsorship. He will not come and tackle this one. How president no go fit be summoned by the people’s representatives, is this a jankara democracy? Even if it is not legally correct, the president no know that the so-called 15 million people that voted for him will need some form of report card? I just tire. If not for this COVID-19,

I would have also run to Canada and go siddon and be looking at snow like my brother, Ernest. Kai. Jungle.

president and he responds matterof-factly, yes. He is your next president. I laugh o, almost fall inside the gutter. I say Asiwaju will pull his pants and flog his bare buttocks and later give him ori to go and rub it to soothe the pain. How can he ever want to be president abi he has not seen the video of Asiwaju inspecting the bridge in Kano and the report that all the beggars in Kano are endorsing his candidacy? Dapo eyes red by this time insisted that Dr. Fayemi has done so well in public service and I say which well. Mbok, leave me o, his stint at the Ministry of Solid Minerals was an invisible tenure like him baba and Ekiti still remains a backwater of underdevelopment despite the so-called strides in health and education that I knew Dapo was about to tout. Dapo no gree o. He talked o and as he spoke, I blanked out. That is what I do when the talk is not making sense to me. I will just be looking at you and you will think I am listening. My thoughts have gone to X-videos and I will be wondering why so many Nigerian porn is taking over the site. The way it is going, I will soon see my landlord’s wife in the thing. When Dapo finished, I say, thank you and left in peace before this one will now go and break my head cos of Fayemi wey no know the road to my village. But on second thought, I started to look at the whole thing again. Now in politics, power is never given out. You have to struggle for it. What this means is

that those who have it now must as a matter of contingency decide who they hand over to and the protection of interest is very key. So now they say they have zoned it to the south, so the candidate must be malleable, must be able to protect their interest, and must be acceptable to all. He must not be divisive and a strong character and he must be mumufied enough to be used for the four years before it comes back. You begin to see the possibility of a Fayemi presidency. The re-emergence of the mumu presidency. Can you imagine the return of a Shagari, Yar’Adua and Jonathan legacy? Installed frontmen. When this hit me, I run back to Dapo to apologize but the man don lock him door enter the other room, and has not been taking my calls. See me go annoy future press secretary, me and my big mouth. Kai.

ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE – STAY RETIRED I saw the statement, scrolled past it. Went back again to absorb the arrogance. He was reported to have said that if asked again to be the chairman of his party, he would refuse. But on second thought, I am asking myself wetin concern me? He did not say if he was called to be president of Nigeria but the chairman of his party. Which party, that APC? Is that one a party? That is a loose association of people driven together by the primitive quest for raw power and after getting it, will not know what to do. So if this kind person was able to rise to the leadership of the contraption, then it tells you just what the ‘thing’ stands for. So I am asking myself what exactly am I doing writing this piece? Why decimate my much-needed energy on something as inconsequential as this? Please, sorry, I wasted your time my dear reader. Please don’t vex, make I go drink my vitamin C be like say I am not performing at full throttle, please forgive. KAYODE FAYEMI AND SCRAMBLE FOR PRESIDENCY That is how I engaged my friend Dapo on Nigerian politics and inevitably the matter enter Dr. Fayemi. Na me first fire o. Dapo, I hear your oga wants to be

Buhari

SOUTH AFRICA – A TREK THROUGH THE WOODS Now I don’t even know how to go about this one o, because if someone talk now, the illiterate hoodlums in Ajah will rush to Circle Mall and go and loot, or they will rush to the nearest MTN office to steal phones and the new and energized Amotekun will come after me for inciting comments. But the South African people sef no dey even hear. I am just receiving some very unpalatable news. Apparently, a lot of Nigerians go there to build

DECEMBER ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

LOUD WHISPERS ships. This particular case is that of a Nigerian with over $50m in investments in the country being treated like a diseased rat by the embassy here. His frustrations have reached a feverish pitch that he has called them out, wondering what kind of thing is this. He doesn’t believe that the South African businesses here in Nigeria go through all these kinds of things so why are Nigerian businesses being subjected to this kind of wahala? I can only sha keep quiet. These South African people no try at all. The frustrations and sufferings they mete out to our people both officially and on the streets of their brothel-filled cities can only be imagined. Why can’t Nigeria and Nigerians be treated with respect? The answer, my friend is blowing in the wind… SPRAYING NAIRA – LIKE GOVERNOR, LIKE CHIEF OF STAFF The video of my pastor – Indaboski, the rock, the lion, the mice, and the abutata being received by the chief of staff of this our bald-headed governor hit me with glee. Me, I love Indaboski o. The comic relief is something else. I just love the confidence in the incompetence. The way the man boldly speaks bad English while proclaiming he is the lord of lords. He is charismatic and he is fun to be with. So I do not really blame the short chief of staff who getting carried away contravened the CBN rule by spraying taxpayers’ money on my pastor, the lion, the leopard, and the chicken of Igbo land. The video obviously went virile and public opprobrium became their lot. Wetin concern Indaboski? He has already moved on but they say governor Ikpeazu immediately suspended the chief of staff. But wait, just as I was about to say well done, another video this time of His Excellency, the governor appeared this time in better dance steps being sprayed. Mbok, the only difference here is that the governor can dance o. I loved the way he carried his bulk, his big belle swaying to the sweet drumbeats and the money shower although not as much as the chief of staff – be like say the chief of staff get money pass the governor. Anyways who will suspend the governor if truly they committed the same offence? Kai, my daughter, Zara, has deleted the video o. I need evidence in case oga want do El-Rufai for me o. That one, any mention na court. God help us. OSITA OPARAUGO – THE MADNESS THAT’S OGELLE I have been running around Lagos calling people madmen. Funnily enough, everybody, I have called mad except my bro (I will not call his name o before he change him mind about sponsoring my play). In fact, some people have been secretly calling me and asking why I have not proclaimed them madmen in

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public. I say come on go and sit down, you think the madness is for everybody. It is only for a select few who are making a difference. This is exactly what

this my brother is doing in the streaming space. His Ogelle has continued to grow in leaps and bounds garnering over 30,000

TOKUNBO ABIRU’S VICTORY AND LEGITIMACY QUESTION My brother, Mr. Abiru, has won an election that will go down in history as the worst in turnout. The level of apathy was appalling thereby throwing up the issue of legitimacy. I hear less than five percent of registered voters came out. You know I have a Master’s degree in Political Science and when I talk, you people should listen o. You see apathy can be a result of many things but this one, I can confidently say it is because the system has been so emasculated that people ask themselves why bother. So they stay clear. The process, the institutions, and structures have been captured and goaded so the true voices of the people cannot be heard, so they stay away. You can ask why after the #EndSARS, the first one o, not the

Abiru

hoodlum-inspired second one, that the youth refused to prove a point with this election as one would have thought. It’s simple, everybody has given up and there is a danger to this. The silence of the masses is more dangerous than that orgy of violence we just saw. Our masters will not have the sense to loosen the noose a little bit now o. They will be going about jubilating for Mr. Aburi who practically was voted in by his household and relations. If my lord, Mr. Aburi has sense now, shebi he will refuse to be sworn in because truthfully although he won a duly certified election, he really does not have the legitimacy that comes with this because the people stayed clear in revolt. But he no go gree, he don resign from bank and must be employed, so to Abuja we head.

African-based content while hitting one million views and catching the attention of highprofile American investors. The projections that I have seen show a whopping five million views and estimated projected revenue in excess of $20m. A figure larger than the budget of some states. This is really a mad turn. Osita, a UK-trained lawyer, has built the largest aggregator of African entertainment content anywhere in the world and is headed towards a listing on an international stock exchange. The rest of us will be waiting for the sleeping government and be blaming Buhari for everything including loss of erection. Things are happening. This is the dawn of the followers, no longer leaders. Bro, well done. GEN DOMKAT BALI – A QUIET EXIT You will please forgive me if I say my shock this time around was because I had thought he had gone since o. Kai, I am so sorry for such evil thoughts. But the man has been so quiet, unlike his colleagues who are busy writing letters and causing confusion everywhere. The man even at the peak of his powers was so very quiet that one used to wonder how he got himself involved with the band of coup plotters that really disturbed us in the 1980s. Let me leave this leg of thought before they now say I am speaking ill of the dead. Gen. Domkat Bali even in those heady days carried himself with panache and came out with strong goodwill and public acclaim. The fact that he was the one that used to make those announcements, those gory ones did not remove anything from his image as a fine gentleman. He lived to a ripe old age and he will be missed. Great guy. AMOTEKUN DOING FRIVOLITY The sector Commandant of Amotekun in Oyo (abi is it Osun State?) says that the force will not tolerate poor dressing and not being able to speak Yoruba well, amongst other world-shaking offences. When you carry people who otherwise should be in the bush hunting for lizards and give them leopard skin costumes to wear, won’t they be doing one kind? Thankfully, a higher authority has come out to debunk that assertion and better position the force. Me, I still think this is an exercise in futile duplicity. Instead of strengthening what’s on the ground and refocusing it, we now spend the money we say we don’t have to go and set up this thing and tomorrow now you will see Amotekun, FRSC, police, which one is that other one sef- guguru defence all fighting for turf in Oshodi and na the miscreants and the evil herdsmen that will be separating them. I have seen it before o, where police and army were fighting and area boys were telling them to stop na. Who will now arrest us? This Nigeria we never start.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Late Billionaire Harry Akande’s Unfulfilled Dreams

Dr. Bukola Saraki, former Senate President and ex-governor of Kwara State, must have been very popular among the big girls around in younger days for his handsomeness and intelligence. At a time, we gathered that many sophisticated girls were reportedly swarming around him like bees to nectar. But he chose to spend the rest of his life with Toyin Ojora, born into a wealthy and aristocratic family. When they were joined in holy matrimony 29 years ago in Lagos, not a few might have expressed doubts about the survival of the marriage. But today, they have been able to shame their critics, as they are still rocking the scene to the surprise of many. The former senate president and his wife have been able to keep their conjugal bliss out of scandal, even as they are always in the spotlight. Perhaps, this explains why the beautiful Lagos State-born former Kwara State first lady, last week, celebrated her husband on their wedding anniversary on social media. The founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa wrote: “Our 29th wedding anniversary today, an amazing journey through life together. I celebrate the many incredible years of life behind us. Happy anniversary!” Toyin, by all standards, is a role model par excellence and an epitome of womanhood. A very supportive wife, she ensures that the success of her husband, in his political career and other endeavours, is prioritized in her prayer points very religiously. Indeed, she ensures that the home front is peaceful, thereby guaranteeing her husband’s peace of mind. Evidently, events in the past years have shown that God has always granted her prayers for her husband and children. She not only trusts her husband, but she also believes in his cause.

Love him or hate him, the late Agbaoye of Ibadanland, Chief Harry Ayodele Akande, lived a lavish and colourful life that many, including his peers in the ultra-wealthy class, fantasized about. Indeed, the affable and flamboyant man lived a life filled with bold achievements. There used to be a myth, at a point in time, that no Nigerian could rival Akande’s charming extravagance. In fact, long before the arrival of Forbes’ Rich List or Fortune 100 on the continent of Africa, Akande was one of the first set of Nigerians to have been described with superlatives as a billionaire. Like all mortals, Chief Akande bade bye to mother earth last week. He was said to have battled with the COVID-19 before he lost the struggle to remain alive. In life, the late billionaire lived big and had a larger than life image. His passage to the great beyond would definitely be celebrated like a king; in fact, he was more than a king. When the news of his passing broke, many, including those who only knew him through the pages of newspapers and social media, were shell-shocked. It was not because the flamboyant businessman didn’t live a fulfilled life or that he didn’t live to old age, but it was because his colourful lifestyle even beat a kingly living. He was blessed with a larger-than-life image. He dined and wined with the most powerful across the world. The late international businessman-cumpolitician, it was gathered, had some unfulfilled dreams, despite his wealth, power, and influence. Until his death last week, Akande never gave up on his ambition of ruling Nigeria - his

Businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Oludare Akande, is a man who is well known on Nigeria’s social radar. Besides, the financial expert sometimes ago created a sensation by the audacious unveiling of his multibillion-naira American Polytechnic of Nigeria (APN), with a permanent campus to be located on over 200 acres of land in Wasinmi Community in Araromi LCDA of Oyo State. On December 8, the OkeOgun, Oyo State-born achiever clocked the age of 40. Though the debonair philanthropist fondly called, ‘Obama,’ only marked the day with special prayers and thanksgiving with close family members and select associates in attendance, he has shifted what he planned to be a double celebration to 19 December when his American Polytechnic will be having its first public event —in form of a Christmas carol. On that date, the school’s temporary site

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property in a manner that will alter, dissipate or remove these non-cash assets from the court’s jurisdiction. But with his death, it is difficult now to predict where the pendulum will swing in those two main projects -AIC/FAAN and Shoprite saga. In his 77 years’ sojourn on earth, Akande built many relationships across local and international bridges and will be remembered as one Ibadan man who had class, taste, and style and enjoyed his wealth to the fullest.

Rare Edge Boss, Adeleye Fabusoro’s Great Dexterity

Fabusoro

Bukola

love for his country was the motivating factor for his adventure into partisan politics which made him contest the presidential election unsuccessfully in 2007. He was said to be working quietly at contesting the 2023 presidential election. But he could not achieve this till he breathed his last. Aside from that, despite his pedigree as a firstclass business strategist, Akande’s major bid to introduce a new vista of business ideas into his home country suffered some disappointments. In 2013, Akande had a bitter row with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria over a piece of land located close to the international airport terminal building purportedly ceded to his company for the construction of a five-star hotel in partnership with an international hotel chain. That matter is still pending as of today. But his biggest battle in the twilight of his fascinating life was the fight for the soul of Shoprite, which pitted him against the owners of the South African retail giants. Akande was embroiled in a legal battle with Shoprite Checkers (PTY) Limited for a breach of contract and had recorded a series of victories against them. Not one to be caught unguarded, Akande also initiated a fresh legal step at the Federal High Court to halt Shoprite Checkers’ exit move. The billionaire successfully got an ex parte application for an order of Mareva injunction restraining the South African retail giant, its privies, officers, nominees, successors-in-title, subsidiaries, or anyone acting through it or by it from transferring, assigning, charging, disposing of its trademark, franchise, and intellectual

He is on the shy side of society, but you cannot take away his dexterity when it comes to achieving the purpose of what he has set up to become in life. Adeleye Fabusoro, Chief Executive Officer, Rare Edge, believes that not all that glitters is gold. Hence, he does not believe in flashy things. Fabusoro, who holds a Master ’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Ibadan, rather believes that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” An executive producer of repute, he stated that the second series of the award-winning soap opera, BÒRÒKÌNÍ, a 120- episode Telenovela,

will be a thriller. Borokini’s story exposes the latent dirt of the elite class and lets people know that the rich also cry and that not all that glitters is gold. He further stated that what Rare Edge Media has done is to examine the life of the seemingly untouchable and show the chink in their impenetrable armour. “So Borokini is inspired by the society we live in and how it affects the people; how the story can encourage and influence people in the society. And for a series that took over a year to produce, from production to broadcast, there is no gainsaying that it’s worth the wait.”

Businessman, Dr. Oludare Akande, Celebrates at 40 located at the famous Adegoke Motors complex in Ibadan will roar to life as a popular gospel artiste, Tope Alabi, will headline the carol. She will be leading about 10 other top gospel artistes to minister to scores of eminent personalities, including royal fathers, top public office holders, celebrities, and socialites expected at the event. Akande will later cap the celebration with a formal lavish 40th birthday shindig on 26 December. At the special bash that will be held at the posh Mauve 21 Event Center, Ring Road, Ibadan, with Dr. Yinka Ayefele on the bandstand, many of his friends and associates, at home and abroad, will be around to celebrate this young man whose achievements belie his age.

Akande

High Praise for Fast-rising Tech Wizard, Joel Popoola at 50 Joel Popoola, a Nigerian-born British tech wizard, has done so well for himself and has continued to deploy his resources and skills for the betterment of his society. This is evidenced in his critically acclaimed innovation, which is the first abuse-proof digital democracy platform application in the United Kingdom. Popoola, who started out as a banker with the United Bank of Africa (UBA) under the direct tutelage of Tony Elumelu and Hakeem Bello-Osagie, has now digitalised the workings of democracy on the global stage to suit its real essence with the edge-cutting ‘Rate Your Leader’ app. The app, which he conceptualized, has a five-star rating on the Google market and has been certified as the new level of politics in the new decade. The app simply reconnects electors and the elected, and also uses abuse-proof technology to combat online harassment and fake news. In the heat of the coronavirus lockdown, Popoola was in the front lines, leading the

Sirika

vanguard for telecommunications firms to remove data charges for educational resources so as to assist indigent students and reduce the figure of out-of-school children. With this, Popoola, no doubt, is a man on a mission to deploy skills to transform Nigeria into Africa’s first digital democracy. Interestingly, for the Gbongan, Osun State-born techpreneur, life may be said to have just begun at 50. Little wonder, his friends, family members, and colleagues literally poured encomiums on him and also penned moving tributes to him on the occasion of the celebration of his golden age at a low-key event last Friday. No doubt, he has successfully carved a niche for himself on the global stage, all thanks to his penchant for thoroughness, due diligence, and commitment to good governance.

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

13.12.2020

FROM SOYINKA, THE NATION GETS A NEW BOOK AND A FEW LESSONS

Cover continued on Page 66

A recent exhibition held by LIMCAF

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

ARTS & REVIEW\\BOOK LAUNCH

FROM SOYINKA, THE NATION GETS A NEW BOOK AND A FEW LESSONS Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka leveraged the recent public presentation of his third novel in Lagos to decry Nigeria's worsening insecurity and predilection for religion. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

inally, the much-anticipated historic moment happened on Monday, December 7. A gathering of dignitaries – urshered in by a gaggle of traditional dancers and drummers – converged at the Terra Arena in Victoria Island, Lagos for the public presentation of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka’s first novel in 48 years, titled Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth. The roll-call of that Monday evening gathering’s Who Is Who included the Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, the Works Minister Babatunde Fashola (represented by the CEO, Temple Management Company, Idris Olorunnibe), the US Consulate’s Public Affairs Officer Stephen Ibelli, Professor Ebun Clark (the wife of the recently-deceased poet John Pepper Clark), the environmental activist Newton Jibunoh, the renowned actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, TheNEWS’s executive editor KunleAjibade and The Nation’s editorial board chairman Sam Omatseye, among others. It was indeed expected that the event, featuring Soyinka as unarguably one of the country’s most reverred figures, would be a guaranteed crowd-puller. After all, this was all about the third novel of the playwright and poet, who became the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. His previous novels – The Interpreters, and Season of Anomy – were published in 1965 and in 1973, respectively. Thus, Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth, published by Bookcraft Limited, becomes his third. The publisher, which described the novel as “a narrative tour de force”, hinted at plans to publish the book internationally early next year. “This novel,” the publisher intimated in an earlier statement, “has got everything – friendship and betrayal; faith and treachery; hope and cynicism; murder, mayhem and no shortage of drama, all set against the backdrop of contemporary Nigeria. As you would expect from a Soyinka work, it’s got plenty of colourful characters, profound insights, witty commentary, and the most elegant language.” There were animated readings from the book in English, French and Spanish, while a pre-recorded readings by the author were screened before the audience. The other readers in the three languages included Somto Asibelua, Simi Olayemi, Bolanle Austen Peters and Mofe-Damijo. Honoured to be Soyinka’s African publisher, Bookcraft Limited’s chief executive Bankole Olayebi said: “We at Bookcraft are extremely delighted and grateful to Professor Soyinka for the opportunity to be the publishers of this book. We are grateful, especially for the continued trust and commitment he’s had to work with us. For nearly two decades, we have worked as Professor Soyinka’s

Chronicles of the happiest people on earth African publishers.” Indeed, it was the Ibadan-based publishing house that published Soyinka’s memoir, You Must Set Forth At Dawn in 2006 and other subsequent works including the author’s Interventions series, which is now in its ninth volume. Not surprisingly, the occasion was also a platform for Soyinka

to voice his concern over the state of affairs in the country. For ever since his literary odyssey began in Nigeria's pre-independence years, he had consistently been vocal against the failings of the successive governments. On the current atmosphere of insecurity, he expressed his dismay over the rising cases of killings and kidnappings across the country and cited religion as one of the fastest growing businesses in Nigeria today. The country, he added, was not only at war but in a war zone. "There is a greater dependency on religion because the nation is desperate. When a nation is desperate they turn to the supernatural. I think we are not only at war, we are all in a war zone. There is no question about that, because now, the sense of individual, collective and community safety has virtually become equivalent to a question of survival.” The author, who was jailed as a political prisoner for being outspoken against the injustices of the Nigerian civil war, decried the trends chipping away at Nigeria's unity and urged a decentralisation of governance to prevent a new set of conflagration fracturing the country. During General Sani Abacha’s regime he fled the country in 1994 after his passport was seized. Sentenced in absentia, he spent most of his time in exile teaching in the US, only to return to Nigeria in 1998 after Abacha’s death. He also destroyed his green card after the US President Donald Trump’s election in 2016. Asked how long it took him to write the novel, he responded that it took him forever. Not only was writing the book a problem he dealt with for many years, he had to escape twice, first to Senegal and then to Ghana before he could concentrate on the book. Cumulatively, he spent about two years to write it. “I just could not concentrate sufficiently within these borders,” he maintained. “For me, all media of expression are important. Some things demand greater expression and approach. When you look at the country as it is now, it requires not only prose but tones. So, in my frustration I turned to prose.” Another question that was raised regarding the book was the author's preoccupation with the theme of religion. In his classic The Jero Plays, religious hypocrisy got a hard knock with his strong characterisation of Brother Jero. In this new novel, he probes the vicious character that religion has assumed not only as a justification for bloodshed but for being responsible for crippling human wills. “I distinguished between spirituality and religion,” he said. “When religion is spiritual, it is good for humanity. And that which brings humanity under their spell. That is when religion becomes a problem.”

ART-ICLES

A WHIFF OF DOTUN POPOOLA’S METALLIC ACTIVISM

Metal-sculptor Dotun Popoola, known for his successful career in turning metal scraps into priceless sculptures, is set to regale aficionados with 13 works in his long-anticipated solo outing. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

“A

gainst all odds,” should be Dotun Popoola’s Metala’s real mantra. Conceived about a year ago, this solo exhibition, which opens on Saturday, December 19, was originally intended to hold sometime inApril this year. An unforeseen lull in cultural activities – caused by the imposition of the COVID-19 safety protocols – would later force its organisers to look towards Saturday, November 7 as a possible new opening date. But then, the eruption of the nationwide anti-police brutality – better known as #EndSARS – protests took the wind out of their sails. Thus, the “odds”, which loomed over the exhibition of metal sculptures, cast a pall of uncertainty over it. Understandably, Popoola grew increasingly despondent and frustrated with each postponement. He was teetering on the edge of giving up on the show before he was put back on track by the curator, Art Pantheon Limited’s Nana Sonoiki, who sternly reproved him and reminded him of the postponement of several high-profile international events during the year. “It has been a very interesting journey working with Dotun and every step with a peculiar energy released,” Sonoiki recalls. “The pandemic, as experienced generally by the art world, dealt [the exhibition] several blows, but this energy kept us going and we stand strong.” On the energy she was alluding to, it was drawn – she believes – from some of proposed exhibition’s inspiring works.Among these works is a realistic depiction of the mythical Yoruba god of thunder and lightning, Sango – a. k. a. Jakuta – whose resilience and tenacity became legendary. Somehow, the curious scripting of fate found a slot for Metala’s opening date on the day before the conclusion of Ajorin: Dancemetalphor, an ongoing group exhibition at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, featuring the artist alongside four other metal-sculptors. The former, which runs until Wednesday, December 30, will be holding at The Grandeur, along Bosun Adekoya Street in the upscale Lagos neighbourhood of Victoria Island. Talking about the solo exhibition’s title, while it subtly evokes the ObafemiAwolowo University Ile-Ife graduate’s medium of expression, it is actually an allusion to the 13 works viewers should expect to see, as hinted by the word Metala (the Yoruba word for 13). “Significantly, the synergy in rhythmic strength between pieces of welded objects

Popoola at work and numerical expression makes Metala a rare exhibition in the genre of metal art,” Sonoiki enthuses. “This show promises to renew your energy and projects amazing possibilities in recycling scraps, what we call useless and not useful being transformed into priceless luxury art.” Even as the build-up to the show careened from one disappointment to another, a cordial interaction developed between the artist and the curator, who constantly emphasised the need for the symbiosis. For this project, the curator, a stickler for high standards, counts on the support of a team of curatorial advisers – constituted by the renowned female artist Peju Alatishe, the art promoter Olasehinde Odimayo, the Ahmadu Bello University art lecturer Professor Jerry Buhari and the artist, Popoola. Thus, the stage has been set for Popoola – celebrated in the local art circles as “a synergetic metal sculptor” – to initiate the Art Pantheon’s debut outing in the exhibition circuit. Besides organising art exhibitions, this collective of professional and creative minds, united in their passion for the contemporary African art, also delves into such endeavours as documenting private and corporate collections as well as appraising and valuating artworks. As for the artist, who first graduated in 2004 from theAuchi Polytechnic in painting and general arts, he subsequently specialised in sculpture

for his first degree and in painting for his second degree at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. His deft transformation of metal scraps into delightful monumental hyperrealistic sculptures stands him out in the talent-glutted contemporary Nigerian art scene. Ditto his restless quest for new ideas as well as efforts at evolving a unique identity through the coalescing of previous diverse experiences. Acertified “hybrid metal-sculptor”, whose training saw him passing through several art studios, he was once a resident artist at John Lopez Studio in Lemmon, South Dakota, USA, where he developed passion for the art medium. It was Lopez, who nudged him on to further explore and develop his art. Beneath Popoola’s apparent unruffled demeanour once surged a whirlpool of despair. From out of this, he rose to dispense hope and succour by giving himself in the service to humanity through his studio practice and community services. Egged on by his predilection for impacting on the lives of others, he easily doubles as a facilitator for art workshops, designed not only for students, but also for professionals, NGO’s, healthcare institutions, hospices, orphanage homes, rehabilitation centres in both local and international art scene. Besides all that, the 2009 NYSC (NationalYouth Service Corps) Director General’s Award for the Best Artist winner had been featured in many high-profile exhibitions, which include ArtX Lagos and had recently represented Nigeria at the maiden scrap art exhibition in Qatar in 2019 and Global Art Festival in Gujarat, India this year. Among his commissioned works are several monumental sculptures and large murals both in Nigeria and the USA. The 39-year-old, who has been featured in over 100 local and international publications positions himself, through his art, as a catalyst and a living protest against environmental decadence and infrastructural decay. Indeed, his studio practice has been all about repurposing, recycling and reusing tons of wastes that threaten to overwhelm the environment. “His goal, then and now, is aimed at creating a luxury brand from discarded materials, and giving better values to dead and abandoned scraps,” corroborates Sonoiki, whoseArt Pantheon needed no goading to sign him on for the forthcoming show, which is being sponsored and supported by The Grandeur Hotel, 7UP Bottling Company, Tiger Beer, Belvedere Vodka, The Luxury Reporter, TSAContemporary Art Magazine, Faustino and George Osodi.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

In APC, Battle for 2023 Is Gaining Momentum The recent dissolution of states’ executive structures of the APC seemed like a hijack of the party structures, and an indication that the battle for the 2023 elections would be stormy. Chuks Okocha writes

t was a prophecy foretold. There is no way a new wine could fit into an old bottle. This is the story of the All Progressives Congress (APC) registration of new members, which consequently led to the dissolution of all wards, local governments, zonal and states’ executive committees, last week. Though the registration of new members has been put in abeyance for now, it will surely take place. The politics of the registration of new members is that their (new members) interest cannot be accommodated in the new emerging order of the former executive committees. The dissolved executive committees had their allegiance to the sacked National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and his dissolved National Working Committee (NWC). To that extent, the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who goes with the title ‘national leader’, but not a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), where highwire politics is played and decisions taken. Therefore, to dissolve the former executive committees was to sweep off the remaining part of the old structure. This will enable the enthroning of a new order. APC is an association of some legacy political parties, including the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). However, in the ensuing political power struggle, the CPC seemed to have outsmarted other members of the legacy parties. There is also, the New PDP members in the APC led by Abubakar Baraje, who is considered a protégée of former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, with the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambawul and of course, a former governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi, who is the current Minister of Transportation. All his colleagues that defected from the PDP to the APC in 2014 have all gone back to the PDP, leaving behind Amaechi. But the nPDP is not as potent as it was in 2014 as it has been consumed by the CPC moving train. The emergency NEC meeting was so planned to exclude the national caucus of the party. For sometimes now, APC has no Body of Trustee (BoT). Caucus is the conscience of the party in the absence of a BoT and those in the plot knew that elders and leaders of conscience in the party would advise appropriately against the dissolution of the party’s structures nationwide. They knew Tinubu and the likes of Akande were members of caucus, so they hurriedly call it for emergency NEC meeting. The dissolved states executive committees were the last vestiges of the ACN as the CPC, which consists of the President, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, who incidentally is the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni and Attorney General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, were the original members of the CPC. The Oshiomhole camp, which has Bola Tinubu as the leader is part of the ACN that has been dismantled. As things are today with the dissolution of organs of the APC at the state, zonal and national levels, President Buhari and governors of the party have tightened their hold on the party. The direct implication of this is that the reconstitution of the party structures would give the president and the governors leverage in deciding how the party’s candidates could emerge ahead of the 2023 general election as they would ensure that only people, whose loyalty they could count on, emerge as party leaders from ward to national levels.

APC leaders during a recent emergency NEC Also, it points to the fact that the struggle about who becomes the presidential candidate of the APC would be determined by the President and the governors, who tilt towards the CPC as the new controlling power base. Though the position of five governors of the APC with allegiance to the ACN in the Southwest is not known but they are somewhat divided in their support to the presidential aspiration of Bola Tinubu. This is because the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who is the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, is said to be nursing a presidential ambition, ditto former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, who is the Minister of Works. All these point out to a stormy struggle for the 2023 presidential ticket of the party and leave those with perceived presidential ambition in dilemma. President Buhari, who also is anticipating a strong and stormy presidential battle, has sued for unity, despite the fact that he is busy amassing powers to control the APC to his political group, the CPC He canvassed the need for the party members to rekindle the spirit that led to the success of mergers of 2014, which eventually culminated in the party’s victory at the polls by respecting resolutions of the party. According to him, there were mutual respect and trust among members at the time, pleading with members to rekindle such spirit and make sacrifices aimed at rebuilding the party. But Senator Rochas Okorocha, a former governor of Imo State, with deep presidential ambition has warned of what could become of the party towards 2023. He was quoted as saying, “There is no more APC. What we have is the respect for President Muhammadu Buhari. That is what is keeping us together. What we have is our

respect for the person of President Buhari and we still believe that something can be done. “That trust and respect is what we still call APC. Outside that respect for President Buhari and the trust and belief that he could wake up one day and correct all these injustices and make it fine, nothing is happening.” But there is every indication that there would be crisis soon in the APC, because of the way things are schemed in the party, leaving the CPC as dominant. Prominent members have also cried out against these scheming in respect for mutual agreement reached during the era of the formation of the APC. It was re-echoed by two ministers in the persons of Babatunde Fashola and Chibuike Amaechi. Fashola, who gave an encrypted message, said the APC must respect the zoning agreement at the formation of the party for the 2023 elections. Fashola’s outburst was to the claim that APC members were plotting to thwart the arrangement for power shift between North and South, intending to retain the presidency in the North on the expiration of President Buhari’s second term. “The truth is that what makes an agreement spectacular is the honour in which it is made not whether it is written. If it was written there would be no court cases of breach of contract, because it is a document that is written and signed. But the private agreement you make with your brother and sister should not be breached; it must be honoured,” he added. Repeating the same need to respect a gentleman’s agreement, Amaechi said the APC must respect the zoning agreement reached by the founding fathers of the party for the 2023 presidential ticket of the party. He agreed with the submission of his counterpart in the Works Ministry.

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

Of Amotekun’s Rules and a Misguided Soldier’

Amitolu Shittu

ommandant of the Osun State wing of the regional security network, Amotekun, Amitolu Shittu, courted a needless controversy recently, when he said the alternative security outfit would arrest people, who indulge in indecent dressing as well as speak incorrect Yoruba language. He sent the warning ahead of the March 2021 operational date of Amotekun. As if that was not enough a threat to the freedom of the people to which the leadership has yet to respond, an overzealous soldier literally stripped a lady naked in Ogun State for allegedly dressing

indecently in a combatant fit. These two developments are not only undemocratic and an infringement on the rights of the people, they also pose serious threat to the collective existence of the people if not nipped in the bud. How is it explicable that people run from terrorists and straight into the hands of misguided personnel of an alternative security arrangement? Leaders, who conceived this idea and employed these folks must address this challenge and assure the people that this is not going to be an experience akin to “moving from fry pan to fire”. There’s enough for everyone to contend with already.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

BRIEFINGNOTES Buhari: Is There a Conflict of Moral and Legal Obligations? Was President Muhamadu Buhari right to have shunned an invitation by the House of Representatives? Tobi Soniyi asks

he controversy over whether the National Assembly could summon the president to appear before it did not start today. In 2018, when President Muhammadu Buhari, without authorisation of the National Assembly, paid $496,000,000 for the purchase of military aircraft he was summoned by the Senate under the leadership of Bukola Saraki. He didn’t honour the invitation. One of Nigerian experts in constitutional laws, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN), argued then that as the Head of State, the Senate could not summon the president. However, many did not share his views. Again, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has given a different reason why the House of Representatives could not summon the president to appear before it. Human rights lawyers, Femi Falana and Mike Ozekhome, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, however, disagreed with the AGF. As rightly stated by Falana, by the combined effect of sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, the National Assembly is empowered to summon any public ofﬁcer including the President in the course of conducting investigation into any matter with respect to which it has power to make laws and the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering laws enacted by the National Assembly. He argues: “It is pertinent to note that the powers conferred on the National Assembly under the provisions of this section are exercisable only for the purpose of enabling it to make laws with respect to any matter within its legislative competence and to correct any defects in existing laws; and expose corruption, inefﬁciency or waste in the execution or administration of funds appropriated by it.” No one has argued that the House’s summon to the president was in respect of any of the issues raised above. While it is obvious that the House might not have done its groundwork thoroughly before inviting the president, the public outcry against insecurity in the country demanded that the leadership put legalese aside to address the challenge. As both sides continue to argue the legality of the summon, those living in Borno and other Northern parts of Nigeria continue to live under great trepidation, not knowing when the blood thirsty Boko Haram insurgents could come for them. Elsewhere, kidnappers and bandits are on rampage carrying on as if there was no government in place to secure lives and properties. For many Nigerians, the issue is beyond the constitutionality or otherwise of summon issued by the House of Representatives. Rather, the issue is whether Buhari, given the dire security situation of the country, does not owe the nation an explanation? Many are of the view that he does. In fact, many say he needs to address the whole nation on security and

Buhari, Lawan and Gbajabiamila not just the House or the National Assembly. It is difﬁcult to disagree. First, many voters supported the president, because they thought he would do a better job securing the country. Buhari came to power with a promise to rescue the kidnapped Chibok Secondary School girls and defeat Boko Haram. He did neither of this. Except for his ministers, Nigerians unanimously agree that the country was more secure under former president Goodluck Jonathan than under Buhari. That is considered a shame for a president, who rose to the rank of general in the Nigerian Army before becoming a civilian president. Second, it is strange that President Buhari, who is not known for obeying orders of court, would now hide under vague constitutional provisions to refuse to appear before the House of Representatives to answer questions on how and why over 43 rice farmers were slaughtered by Boko Haram under his watch. Third, the ﬁrst responsibility of government in a democratic society is to protect and safeguard the lives of its citizens. Having failed to uphold this responsibility, it is in public interest for the president to take advantage of every opportunity to allay the public’s fear on security.

In case no one has explained it to the president, there is a clear correlation between insecurity and the economic downturn the country is grappling with. It will be difficult to lift Nigeria out of the downturn without first addressing the security challenge. This is another reason the president must put aside his ego and honour the invitation to appear before the House. It is also sad that while citizens are killed daily, the justice minister sits in the comfort of his office maintained by taxpayers, arguing that the elected representatives of the people could not on behalf of the electorate ask the president to share with them the challenges he is having with securing the nation. Why Malami and other advisers, who have been advising the president against the people could be excused, the president should know that the buck stops at his table. In future, the blame for the country’s failure during the administration of Buhari would rest squarely on PMB and not on his retinue of advisers and ministers. History will not be kind to the president. This is another reason the president should make himself available to any group or individuals willing to help with the security challenge in the country.

NOTES FOR FILE

Celebrating Paschal Ishiagwo

Ishiagwo

There was a certain piece of good news that many practically bypassed in the week, either intentionally or by default. Although the many collective challenges of the nation might have been largely responsible for the oversight, it is however worth giving not just a mention but serious attention for further considerations. A certain young man by name, Paschal Ishiagwo, trended on the social media,

albeit insufficiently, as having manufactured a noiseless rechargeable power generating set in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that could last about 10 hours. The interesting thing is that Paschal, who is said to live in Ahoada, Rivers State, is just a secondary school graduate, who is still seeking admission into a higher institution and perhaps, yet to have a clear cut vision what the future looks

like. This is the kind of direction the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, should be looking at as against seeking to produce pencils in 21st century. Paschal needs encouragement. He needs to be put in the path to national development. He needs to be assisted to grow right and early in his life. Indeed, Paschal deserves all the commendations. Kudos, young man!

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

INFOGRAPH

COVID-19 AND BUILDING A STRONG HEALTH SYSTEM ! " # " " $ ! "$ # % ! "$ ! " " % It has claimed many lives including the Chief of Staff to the President, federal and state lawmakers, a Chief Judge of a state, a former governor, traditional rulers, clerics and health practitioners. &$ $ !"$ " "$ ' "% (# ! "$ " "$ ( ) " ( * #! " " " " !! " at least 15% of their annual budget to improve the health sector +( ) ! " ,%

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While COVID-19 deaths are lower than other diseases, COVID-19 does not have a vaccine, nor a cure. It is therefore very important to follow the NCDC protocols to prevent spread of the disease. “Better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

CICERO/INTERVIEW UCHE SECONDUS

Buhari Is Running a Broken Government The National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, has been the only chairman of the party to mark three years in oﬃce since 1998, when the party was formed. From Solomon Lar, Audu Ogbeh, Barnabas Gemade, Ahmadu Ali, Bamanga Tukur, Adamu Muazu, all spent less than two years in oﬃce. In this interview with Chuks Okocha, Secondus handed his three years scoreboard. Excerpts:

hat did your NWC meet on assumption of ofﬁce? It has been 36 months of ups and downs and I am proud to report that the party is not at the level where we met it. We took over the party when it was still trying to come out of the trauma of losing election and being in opposition for two years under an intolerant ruling party, the APC. We met a psychologically traumatised party struggling to adjust to opposing life after 16 years in power. We inherited party that had issues with internal democracy. Delegates were not having the final say on who flies the flag of the party in an election. Names of winners were randomly and blatantly changed in Abuja with disregard to the people and the requirements of our constitution.

What mandate was given to your NWC on assumption of ofﬁce? The delegates of our party across the country had given us the mandate to lead believing in our rebranding campaign message of 3Rs: Reposition, Rebuild to Regain, which were designed to recreate and rebrand the party. We quickly hit the ground running in our reform policy. We organised a rebranding conference and embarked on extensive consultations across the country. Our sensitisation programme took us to rallies in all the geo-political zones. By the time our reform programme came on stream, the party had become an attractive brand to accommodate the influx of new members that included the entire leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly, then, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, others members of the parliament at federal and state levels as well as three incumbent governors of Benue, Kwara and Sokoto, who joined us. How has your NWC been able to enthrone internal democracy? As we approached the general election of 2019, our party was already the party to beat. The internal democracy promised in our reform package was already in place. Powers were effectively decentralised to flow from the people. Party tickets were gotten at the congress venue not at party headquarters at state and National levels. Popular and more acceptable candidates emerged at state congresses and National Convention. Our National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in October 2018, became the first of its kind in Nigeria. It was so transparent that there was no complaint from anybody. Instead, all the contestants resolved to support the winner. All these helped to engender confidence and trust in our leadership What would you identify as the achievements of your NWC? PDP under my leadership had through its reform packages significantly enhanced the image and status of the party. All over the country, the party remains the bride. States under the party’s control rose from 11 to 16 and it could have been more if not for the shameless ambush of the APC in Osun, Kano, Kogi and Imo States. Internally, the party has also used its in-house means to resolve issues making PDP the right party to belong in this country today. Nothing supports this assertion more than that after five and a half years, the ruling APC instead of trying to put their tattered house in order is busy begging and coercing our members to join them with fake and unrealistic promises. At the risk of being seen as blowing our own

This back and forth from the President on vital issue as security that is overwhelming our nation underscores our position as an opposition party that nobody is in charge and that this is a broken government

Secondus trumpet, it’s necessary to note that this NWC is the first in transparency and accountability, the first to function effectively for three years without any scandal or dent of corruption. The first, also to successfully render account of its monetary expenditures to both NEC of our party and to INEC as statutorily required of us to do.

What would you say of your governors’ performance? Another thing that helped us as a party while in this opposition is the exceptional performance of PDP governors. Throughout all the PDP controlled states is glaring evidence of delivery of democracy dividend. This has helped to engender confidence on the party about democracy. APC’s performance in the area of delivering democracy benefits at federal and state levels has been awful and demoralising. As a party, we are proud of the performances of our Governors and Nigerians are also happy with them. What do you think of 2023 and the general state of the nation? I know you the media are interested in zoning, but our party has a clear method of doing things. After the general election, we set up a panel to study and appraise our performance and make necessary recommendations. The governor of Bauchi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Bala Mohammed, is heading the committee and they are still working. We did the same thing when we lost election in 2015, when we set up the Senator Ike Ekweremadu committee to look into why we lost. It was from that report that the party took action towards 2019. The same way, this time, we must study our last outing before looking ahead. We can’t be talking of zoning, when we have not appraised how we faired in the last election. Moreover, the state of the nation today is such that politics or anything concerning 2023 of three years away should take back stage. Nigeria is in a comatose state today, where APC brought it. That should be our concern now. What is PDP’s take on President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to address the House of Representatives?

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was scheduled to address the nation’s parliament today backed out after confirming to them he was coming. This back and forth from the President on vital issue as security that is overwhelming our nation underscores our position as an opposition party that nobody is in charge and that this is a broken government. Disregarding the nation’s parliament is disregarding the Nigerian people, because they are representatives of the people. The truth, which is worrisome is that the President either does not know what is happening or does know what to do otherwise he should not be afraid to face the people. The hard fact facing all of us now is that this regime has woefully failed Nigerians in all ramifications. It’s a shame that a government that came to power brandishing its military credential as a General with the propaganda to wipe away Boko Haram in 100 days is there five years plus presiding over the worst security situation in our history with no clear direction what to do and even afraid to face the country’s the parliament to explain what he is doing. In my statement to the media last May in the assessment of the five years of APC’s administration, I said APC is a road Nigeria should not have followed. Everything on ground in our country today from insecurity to the recessed economy etc points to the fact that Nigeria entered the wrong bus in 2015 and they are paying for it, because wrong vehicle cannot take you to your correct destination.

What in your view is the way forward? Even in a situation of hopelessness as APC has dragged the country, there is still a window for children of God. Nigerians should not despair. There is a light being sighted at the end of the tunnel. This light is in the resourcefulness and resilience of our youths. The well laid out programme of youth development by the PDP will ensure that the future of this country is handed over to those it rightly belongs to – the Nigerian youths. We have watched the hopelessness of Nigerian youths under APC administration, because its cabinet is made of largely the out-going generation, who think less of the future, because it does not belong to them.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

CICERO/INTERVIEW

‘No Court Can Upturn Elections Conducted Under My Watch’ Ayuba Wande Usman, a lawyer, is the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission. In this interview with Igbawase Ukumba, he spoke on the challenges of credible elections. Excerpts:

eople of Nasarawa State are looking forward to your commission conducting the local government elections next year. Is that possible? Yes, we have been planning to have an election. And if you are aware since around June, the former chairman of this commission, who by the grace of God is now ambassador-designate, announced to the public that Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission was planning to hold the next local government election in February, because the tenure of the present elected local government council officials will expire by May 2021. The commission is still preparing to hold that election as announced by our former chairman. So, how ready are you in terms of ﬁnances? We had some allocations to this commission in the last budget, and we are still awaiting the release of this fund from the state government, because some segments of the preparation of the local government election is going to take place this year. We have also proposed some amount in the 2021 budget. But full force, we’ll be coming out in 2021. What are those factors that may hinder you from conducting the elections? I think I would like to clarify. Just like I said now, we have some sum for this budget captured in the 2020 budget. We have N300 million captured in the 2020 budget. And we have N600 million captured in the 2021 budget. For us, as a commission, we have budget of N879 million thereabout for the conduct of the entire election. And for us as a commission, we are law-abiding commission. Legally, there are only two factors that can make us either call off an election or postpone an election. The first one is insecurity and the second one is lack of fund. Just like I said, we are still awaiting releases from the Governor. The fact is that the COVID-19 pandemic and also the EndSARS protests have affected the Nigeria economy in a way, and Nasarawa State is not in isolation. It is one of the reasons why we have not gotten our releases. But we are hopeful before the end of this year, we will get those releases and we will continue for our preparation for our election. But in-house, we are prepared. Do you have new innovations to introduce into the commission in order to make the forthcoming election more credible and satisfactory to all participating political parties? Like I addressed newsmen shortly after I was sworn in, I said we as a commission, we are embarking on confidencebuilding, because we understand that the major political parties didn’t participate in the 2018 election and we will not want a repeat of such in the 2021 election. Basically, we have to build confidence, because democracy is about free choice, and this free choice is about having election that will be generally perceived to be free, fair and credible. I want to assure you that for us at NASIEC, we are not going to do anything short of that. In the processes lined up for this election, we will have serious stakeholder engagement. And the major stakeholders firstly are the political parties, secondly, the journalists, who will help to create awareness, thirdly the electorate and also the security agencies and non-governmental organisations. We will be working very closely with all these groups to ensure that we plan an election that is acceptable to everybody, because when everybody has contributed in planning for this election, he will have some level of confidence in the system. We are not going to do anything short of that. Fortunately for us, we had by-election on the 14th November 2020 in the Gangare Tudu electoral ward, which was occasioned by the demise of the councilor of that electoral ward, Hon. Adamu Sale. I think for all those, who observed or covered that election, the election was credible. We allowed all political parties, who are willing to do that to fill in candidates too. We allowed them to conduct their primaries, which were observed by officials of NASIEC. We did not stop anybody from participating in that election. And on the election day, we fully mobilised our people. Our officials were all on ground at the polling unit. The election started exactly by 8am and we observed the COVID-19 protocols. I must commend the security agencies and the political parties that participated, because they all showed level of maturity and also believe in the system. That is the standard we have set and that is the standard we are going to maintain in all subsequent elections we are going to conduct. Are you assuring the people that in the forthcoming election, the PDP and APGA will participate, because they are the major opposition political parties in the state? That is for them to decide. But for us as an electoral umpire, we will do our best to satisfy them that the procedures will be

Usman free, fair and credible and also very transparent.

There are agitations across the country that state electoral bodies should be scrapped and allowed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government elections. What is your view on this? My view is that even the Independent National Electoral Commission, prior to 2007 election, when the late President Umaru Musa Yardua was also being accused and looked at in this bad light. It was the late president, who confirmed that the election he won was not a very good election. He put up the Justice Uwais Electoral Committee, which came up with a lot of proposal and recommendations. And part of these recommendations was implemented. Several laws were amended for INEC to be what it is today. I think for those that are calling for the scrapping of the state Independent Electoral Commissions, most especially those encouraging the Independent National Electoral Commission to take over our job, are not being sincere to us and to themselves. Strengthen this institution; strengthen the state Independent Electoral Commissions. Give them first line charge. For instance, state A tenure of Local Government chairman one year, state B tenure of Local Government chairmen two years, state C the tenure of Local Government is three years. And while one is conducting election in February another one is holding in July and another one is holding in December. You have a system whereby you do not have certainty of election. The present system we operate now depends on how the governors of various states work and the kind of independence they want to give to their state Independent Electoral Commission. But, luckily for us in Nasarawa State, so far so good, we have not had any issue regarding interference with our

As a lawyer, you know I will never do anything that will be upturned by tribunal or by any court. And I will never do anything that someone will come and ask me questions and I will not be able to answer

independence. We are independent and all that we have asked for, we have been given and we are conducting our affairs without interference whatsoever from any quota. There are allegations that while conducting local government election and an opposition political party wins, governor of the ruling political party in that state directs chairman of the state electoral body not to announce the opposition candidate as winner. What would you do if you find yourself in such a situation? Let me tell you something. I have sworn an oath and there is one basic thing on the day I was sworn in I said with me as head of affairs in NASIEC. I am only going to announce results as they come from the field. As a lawyer, you know I will never do anything that will be upturned by tribunal or by any court. And I will never do anything that someone will come and ask me questions and I will not be able to answer. So, as results come from various polling units is how it is going to be announced.

Since your assumption of ofﬁce as head of state electoral body, how has it been? It has been fine. The former chairman left a very good legacy, which we are building on. We are all planning and doing things together and we have a lot of things in the pipeline. Since the creation of this commission in the year 2,000, we have never had a rule of procedures that governs our operations in this commission. Since our former chairman got the approval of His Excellency for us to prepare the means of procedures, we have started. I met his Excellency and he has given me the go-ahead to submit the rules of the procedures to him, because it is going to help us have a watertight institution to hold you responsible if you fail to do your duties. And this election we are preparing to hold and conduct was initiated by the former chairman and we are continuing. For us as an institution, we are fine. It is very rosy. And definitely we are working very hard. It has been hectic. And we are working very hard. Lastly, what is your call to opposition parties that are very skeptical about the commission’s ability to conduct a free and fair election? They should believe in the system. We are going to be transparent. We are going to involve them in planning of the election. They are going to see through the process. They should avail themselves whenever we invite them. And our doors are open to tell us what their fears are with a view for us to addressing those fears within the armpit of the law.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

CICERO/ISSUES

Yakubu

Imo North By-election as An Unfinished Business AmbyUnezewritesontheoutcomeoftheImoNorthSenatorialby-election held December 5, and the intrigues played by the Independent National Electoral Commission in announcing APC winner without a candidate

o doubt, the much talked about by-election in Imo North senatorial zone of the state has come and gone but with a lot of worries on who the winner is. Instructively, any election without a clear winner is indeed a work-in-progress. Therefore, there is no gain celebrating an assignment that is yet to be concluded. It behooves the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the authentic winner instead of shifting her constitutional role to the judiciary to determine, who among the contending candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be declared the winner. Though INEC had described the conduct of the election as peaceful in spite of the fact that there were reported cases of vote buying as well as voter apathy, which was created by the different court rulings preceding the election, and then there were doubts on who was the candidate of the APC. In all these circumstances, there can never be a vacuum in a political situation, where the candidates of other political parties were involved and also actively participated in the election. A political party is only a vehicle for politicians or candidates to aspire to political positions and cannot be declared a candidate when it does not present one at the time of a particular election. The axiom, which goes that ‘one cannot build something on nothing’ becomes very apt in this situation, indicating that a candidate must emerge as winner and that candidate must come from a registered political party in line with the electoral act that currently gives powers for the conduct of this particular by-election.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Prof Francis Ezeonu, at a press briefing a few days to the by-election, declared 14 persons were authenticated by the commission as candidates for the election. These persons include Ifeanyi Godwin Arararume of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ndubueze Patrick (Accord), Emmanuel Ogueri (Action Alliance), Nathaniel Uba (AAC), Chigozie Onyinye (ADC), Charles Onyeirimba (All Progressives Grand Alliance - APGA), Raphael Nnadozie (APM), and Ernest Ezirim (APP). Others were Okorondu (Labour Party (AP), Okereafor Chukwujieze (NNPP), Charles Amajouyi (NRM), Emmanuel Okewulonu (Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rita Okorafor (SDP), and Promise Nwadigo (YPP) respectively. Then, 24 hours to the by-election, a conflicting Appeal court ruling emerged from the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri presided over by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam returning Frank Ibezim of the APC as its candidate instead of Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, who was declared winner of the primaries by a High Court in Owerri and whose name was listed by INEC for the election. The judge, in declaring Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the APC ahead of the election, faulted the November 6 judgment of the federal High Court, which sacked Ibezim and announced Araraume, the rightful winner of APC primary election and ordered INEC to immediately enlist Ibezim’s name as the candidate of the party for the bye-election. He said the revalidation of the candidacy of Ibezim was in tandem with the electoral act, having won the APC primary school in September. On the contrary, another court this time around, a

federal High Court in Abuja on the same day, December 4 ruled against Frank Ibezim, on the basis that the educational certificates he tendered to INEC and his party APC had conflicting names. The court therefore ruled that because of the fake certificates he tendered, Ibezim remained ‘unfit’ to occupy any public office “having lied on oath” and declared Araraume as the candidate of the party. With these conflicting judgments from reputable courts of the land, INEC therefore, became more confused as to which name should be listed as the candidate of the APC, who would have been otherwise declared the winner of the by-election. Based on the circumstances, and perhaps, in order to save her face from encumbrances, the commission decided to stop at announcing the result by declaring the party – APC as the winner without attaching any candidate. Generally, it looks absurd and unattainable to declare a political party without a candidate winner of an election. The Nigerian Constitution and the electoral act did not specify that a political party should be declared as winner of an election in the event the party fails to field a candidate for a particular election or if the candidate(s) has unresolved issues at the point of that election. In announcing the results of the by-election for Imo North senatorial in the morning of December 6, at the INEC headquarters in Owerri, the Returning Officer, Hakeem Adikum said APC scored 36, 811 votes, while Emmanuel Okewulonu of the People Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 31,903 votes. Adikum, who quickly rose after announcing the results scored by various political parties and their candidates except that of the APC, simply said, “I hereby return the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the bye-election held in Imo North on Saturday, December 5.” According to Adikum, APC won in five out of the six Local Government Areas in the senatorial district while PDP won in one LGA. While PDP won in Obowo LGA, where its candidate hails from, the Returning Officer said APC won in Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano and Ihitte/ Uboma LGAs. INEC’s failure to return any candidate as the winner of the election caused disquiet in the hall, as the supporters of the two persons, Araraume and Ibezim, laying claims to the APC ticket, who were waiting to jubilate outside went home dejected. INEC REC Ezeonu told journalists that the electoral umpire was unable to return a particular candidate from APC as the winner of the election, because of what he called several court orders for and against Araraume and Ibezim of the APC. He said two of the Court judgments had surfaced on Friday: one from the Court of Appeal, Owerri, and another from the Federal High Court, Abuja. The candidate of the PDP, Chief Emmanuel Okewulonu accused INEC of concerted efforts to subvert the will of the people by denying him victory in the December 5 senatorial by-election in Imo North. “It is not in doubt that the Saturday 5th December, 2020 senatorial bye-election was never contested by the All Progressives Congress (APC). In other words, the APC, following a series of conflicting court judgments went into that election without a substantive candidate. “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), being fully aware of this undisputed fact, could not therefore, legally announce any people masquerading as the APC’s candidate, as the winner. “It is in fact rather absurd, and an intolerable aberration for INEC to have allowed the APC to even purport to have participated in that election, or to record any votes thereof in its favour. In the history of elections in Nigeria, it has never happened that a political party is declared as an election winner without at the same time announcing the corresponding candidate of that winning party, who is to benefit from its victory”, he stated. Okewulonu therefore reminded INEC to stop playing the ostrich, and do the needful, in order to safeguard the sanctity and integrity of our electoral process. “As an unbiased umpire which it ought to be, INEC should have given life to the series of judicial pronouncements barring the purported two candidates of the APC namely, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Mr. Frank Ibezim, from the election, as no party ever fields two candidates simultaneously for the same position in the same election. In a television interview Senator Araraume asserted that the APC was lucky to have him in the race otherwise the APC would have had no candidate considering the fact that Ibezim was not qualified to contest the election. According to him, the governor’s plan was to work for the victory of PDP hence his structure in Okigwe zone was mandated to vote for PDP. He called on the leadership of the party at the national level to look into the anti-party activities of the governor in the state. What the people of Okigwe zone cum Imo State want now is to declare a winner so that the zone can begin to see some positive and quality representation. By doing so, their zone would have been enlisted as a beneficiary from what is known as a national cake. INEC should do the right thing and follow the law instead of turning the law on its head.

DECEMBER 13, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Who Is The Messiah, Jesus or Yeshua?

he reason why you get angry when people expose the truth about Christ and the Scriptures, which is in direct contradiction to what you have been indoctrinated to believe by organised religion, is not because people like me are lying, it is because we are challenging your belief system, and you are so comfortable with that system. It has supported you throughout your life. It has supported your parents and their parents and their own parents. Familiarity breeds satisfaction. And guess what? That is a clinical psychological response to deprogramming. Organised religion from Europe programmed mostChristians,andithasledtothisStockholmSyndromewhereby the converted are more fanatical than the converters. This is the reason why, for example, The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) is more fanatically Anglican, and has threatened the Church of England with breaking away, if they (The Church of England) change their doctrine. Dogma, the religious teachings of a denomination, is not Scripture. Defend Scripture, not dogma. And the truth is that dogma is such a terrible thing. It is dogma that makes people argue and say that there is nothing wrong if you change the Name of our Lord and Saviour from Yeshua to Jesus. They will give you all kinds of sophisticated arguments, none of which draws from Scripture, why it is okay to use Jesus, a manufactured name, instead of the real Name, Yeshua. ‘How come when I pray in the name of Jesus, I get answers?’ There are people that pray in the name of Ifa, Ogun, Buddha, Krishna, Confucius, and even the Dalai Lama, a living human being, and they get results. I went to Nepal last year and I saw people praying to the Kumari of Nepal, an eleven-year-old girl.And they get results. Jannes and Jambres replicated the miracles performed by Moses (Exodus 7). Even Christ Himself said: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.Away from me, you evildoers!”-Matthew 7:22-23. Notice that “in your name” is used three times in the above verses. That goes to show you how important it is to Christ that we use His actual Name, which He never hid from us, rather than a man-made name, that some people gathered and gave Him. If anybody should name anybody, it should be The Messiah that should name us, rather than we Naming Him. Can you imagine Muslims tolerating anybody, anywhere, changing the name of Prophet Mohammed to another name?

By the time they deal with you, you will know what it means for a name to be perceived as holy. I do not know who Jesus is. But one thing I know is that he is not the Son of God written about in Scripture. The Name of God’s Son is, was, and will continue to be Yeshua. It is a holy Name. It was a Name given to Him by God Himself, via Angel Gabriel. How dare any man change it? WhatishardinpronouncingYeshua?Ifitisnothardtopronounce, then why was it changed to Jesus? What is the agenda of those who changed it? What does Scripture say? “For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”-2 Corinthians 11:14. If you had told Christ’s Mother that you were looking for Jesus, she would have said, who? If you had told His disciples to say amen to a prayer in Jesus’ Name, they would have refused. Why? Because the Name Yeshua is a holy name. Christ does not change. His name does not change. He is the same today. He is the same tomorrow. He is the same forever! We do not follow a changing Messiah. We follow a Messiah who changed us, but is Himself unchangeable. Those that changed His Name had an agenda. I do not want to go into that agenda here, because I do not want to overload this piece. But I urge my readers to consider the words of Yeshua in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Let me ask you this question. What is the meaning of Jesus? Some of you will say ‘The Lord Saves’. No. That is the meaning of Yeshua, not Jesus. Now, again, I ask you, what is the meaning of Jesus? It is shrouded in mystery. It is unclear. It is suspicious. Some people think it is Zeus, the Greek God. I do not know if this is true. But what I do know is that satan likes to play games with names, such as Santa (Father Christmas). If you rearrange Santa, you get satan. Coincidence? What about Claus? Rearrange it and you get Lucas. For those who do not know Lucas comes from the Latin word Lucere, and means light or to shine. Lucere is the first part of the name Lucifer. Lucifer simply means Light bearer or Light Ferrier in Latin. Another coincidence? You be the judge. And I urge my readers to research these things. I went to great lengths to find out these truths. I did not just go on Google and Wikipedia. I went to The Vatican, to Rome, to Israel, to Egypt, to Israel, to Ethiopia, and even to Nepal where I saw the Kumari of Nepal with my own eyes. I saw ancient documents. Some in

THE PUBLIC SPHERE with Chido Nwakanma

papyrus. Those who purport to follow Christ must really put in commitment. Hebrews 11:6 says, “God is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him”. God does not want casual seekers. He wants diligent seekers. God can do more with one man who is committed to Him than with one billion men who are interested in Him. Now, how can we use a name whose meaning we do not know, when there is a Name given by God whose meaning we do know? Oh it does not matter, God sees our heart. Really? In Deuteronomy 10:8, God commanded that only the Levites may touch the Ark of the Covenant. In 2 Samuel 6:6, a certain righteous man named Uzzah saw that the Ark was about to stumble and fall off the ox that was carrying it. God saw his heart. God knew he was a good man. Scripture describes him as a God-fearing man. But because he was not a Levite, God killed Him in 2 Samuel 6:7 for touching the Ark. That verse says: “The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.” Notice the word IRREVERENT. Christ is the Lamb of God. He is the Ark of the Covenant of God’s grace. And we are changing His Name, not because God told us to, but because some men, somewhere sat and changed it? It is really a pity that God has stopped effecting instant judgment. It is as Ecclesiastes 8:11 says: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” When the Angel gave the Name Yeshua to Joseph, He did not say ‘you may call Him Yeshua. No. He said “she shall bring forth a Son, and she shall call his name Yeshua, for he shall save his people from their sins.”-Matthew 1:21. The word used is “shall”. I read Law up to Master’s level in England, and one of the things you learn is that once the auxiliary verb ‘shall’ is used, it denotes strict, uncompromising obedience. It does not allow for any alteration in the command. There is no leeway, or room for interpretation. Then why have we allowed men to change Yeshua to Jesus? I received Jesus when I gave my life to him in September of 1980 at the age of 6. I received Yeshua as an adult when God opened my eyes. And I pray that someone’s eyes have been opened by reading this. Because, as Christ said: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Read the full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

@ChidoNigeria https://www.facebook.com/chido.nwakanma

The Call of Nigerian Content from Bayelsa

lowly but steadily, Nigerian or Local Content is becoming familiar and accepted terminology in the oil and gas sector that drives the Nigerian economy.As the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) pursues its mandate, it creates opportunities for many more Nigerians to participate in the sector that drives the economic fortunes of the country. It has a herculean task of creating awareness beyond the small band of oil industry players to include entrepreneurs in other sectors. The primary focus is getting greater involvement of the host communities of oil and gas operations in the states that make up the oil-producing belt of the country. The states are Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Delta, Edo, and Delta. Opportunity beckons to Nigerians as individuals, companies, and communities in the evolving narrative around increasing the Nigerian Content of inputs and services in our premier industry, oil and gas. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is pushing the envelope for even greater participation and inclusion of Nigerians in this critical sector. They have grown Nigerian content from less than 5% in 2010 to 32% in 2020. The goal is to drive it to 70% by 2027. The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (NOGICD) of 2010 established the NCDMB. Its six key thrusts include integrating oil and gas producing communities into the oil and gas value chain; maximise the participation of Nigerians in oil and gas activities; and maximise utilisation of Nigerian resources, i.e. workforce, goods, services and assets. Others are to attract investments to the Nigeria oil and gas sector (service provider, equipment suppliers and other investment relevant to oil and gas industry; link oil and gas sector to other sectors of the economy and foster institutional collaboration. In short, the goal is to “develop the capacity of the local supply chain for effective and efficient service delivery to the oil and gas industry without compromising standards”. The new Community Content Guideline (CCG) is one of the expected game-changers. It seeks to achieve a key performance indicator that asked the industry to “deploy 30% of business opportunities from operating companies to communities” as articulated in the Petroleum Industry Roadmap President

Muhammadu Buhari launched on 27 October 2016. The NCDMB’s Community Content Guideline will increase “community content” in oil and gas around four pillars of the establishment of Project Office; Employment and Human Capital Development; Procurement of Goods and Services and Funding. NCDMB now requires that all operators must have a functional Project Office” in the community where they have significant operations”. It applies to projects above $100m that would last for two years and above. They should staff the Project Office with persons capable of taking project management and procurement decisions. All unskilled jobs will go to indigenes. Indigenes will get 50% of semi-skilled employment and at least 10% of skilled roles”. “If the host community or communities does not have qualified personnel to take up to 10% of the skilled roles, and object to the filling of the skilled roles from the neighbouring community or communities, then “the firms should convert the 10% slot to additional relevant skill training for the community or communities.” Firms in the sector must develop human capital from the grassroots. The Human Capital Development interventions will cover scholarships, entrepreneurship and empowerment and training on projects. The platform for such recruitment would be the NOGICJQS. NCDMB promises to sensitise youths in the communities to register therein and leverage the Digital Centres in its Zonal Offices. We gathered at Habitat Hotel in Choba, Port Harcourt, kilometres from the River Nun and the 17-floor imposing headquarters of the NCDMB in Yenagoa. President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned that tallest building in the South-South and South-East only recently. Our Port Harcourt gathering next door to the University of Port Harcourt was to tackle the theme Sustaining Nigerian Content Development Amidst COVID-19 pandemic: The role of the media. Participants were journalists drawn from media platforms in the South-South. Port Harcourt was central. Speakers included the Executive Secretary of NCDM, Simbi Wabote, an engineer now running his second term. He interacted with participants via Zoom from Abuja. Dr Ginah O Ginah, General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, provided insights into Community Content Guideline, the latest initiative

in deepening Nigerian Content. Engr Abayomi Bamidele briefed us on the Mid-Term Review of the Nigerian Content 10-Year Roadmap. At the same time, Prof Diri Teilanyo of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Federal University, Otuoke spoke on Improving Writing Competencies to Meet Evolving Media Trends. Chido Nwakanma spoke to the keynote of The Role of the Media in Achieving Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap. I recommended storifying the narratives relying on the Narrative Paradigm theory, offering news you can use and deploying Solutions Journalism. Here are some storylines from that event that summarise the issues from the NCDMB angle: Local content ensured the continued operation of the oil and gas sector during Covid19 - NCDMB Exec Sec; NLNG Train 7 to create 40, 000 jobs with strong local content; $50m R&D Fund to deepen local content; NCDMB support critical to the establishment of Nigeria’s first modular refinery –Board Executive Secretary; Local Content Fund increased from $200m to $350m. The media will play a significant role in ensuring that everyone delivers on this significant national plan to provide greater local participation. It should be asking for specific key deliverables the Act requires from the operators. They include a Quarterly Procurement Report on local content for contracts exceeding USD 1m; Nigerian arm of an international firm must own 50% of equipment; Annual report on programmes for technology transfer and Nigerian Content Performance Report -60 days into each new year. In return, the media should seek a place on the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum that shall provide a platform for information sharing and collaboration in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Act says the Consultative Forum should have representation from stakeholders in various areas. It lists fabrication; engineering; finance, legal and insurance; shipping and logistics; materials and manufacturing; information and communication technology; petroleum technology association of Nigeria; education and training; and any other professional services nominated by the Board. Media? I submit that the Nigerian Guild of Editors stands in the best stead to pursue this for the industry as membership cuts across all media types.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ECEMBER 13, 2020

INTERNATIONAL PMB’s Deepening Lack of Integrity and National Assembly’s Summon: the Foreign Policy

s PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) of yesterday different from the PMB of today? The PMB of yesterday was first seen as a good and very disciplined gentleman. He was considered as a new messiah to deliver the people of Nigeria from their life-style of political chicanery. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, he portrayed himself as a patriot, especially with his agenda of War Against Indiscipline (WAI). He was then seen as a man of impeccable integrity. He was feared but loved and respected, at least, for a foundation for a more disciplined society. For instance, during his military administration, three Nigerian men (Bartholomew Azubike Owoh, aged 26 and former employee of the Nigeria Airways; Lawal Akanni Ojuolape, Yoruba man aged 30 and a spare part dealer; and another Yoruba man, Bernard Ogedengbe, Sailor and aged 29), were publicly executed by firing squad at the Kirikiri Maximum Security in Apapa, Lagos for being in possession of cocaine on April 10, 1985. They were tried and convicted by a military tribunal in December 1984. The execution of the drug peddlers was carried out under Decree 20 which prohibited and punished the possession of cocaine and illegal dealings in oil with death penalty. The decree, in itself, was promulgated within the framework of the War Against Indiscipline. Thus, PMB’s integrity increased steadily with his policy of no compromise with corruption and societal indiscipline and the execution of drug pushers. Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi, an Igbo indigene, was convicted to death by hanging in Singapore on 26 January, 2007. Three Nigerians were executed by firing squad at the Nusakambangan Prison Island, in Indonesia would not have meant anything to PMB of yesterday. Consequently, every Nigerian was compelled to see a fresh seriousness of purpose in the political governance of Nigeria under PMB of yesterday. Put differently, the PMB of yesterday was a patriot and compatriot with integrity and in whom most Nigerians trusted and from whom they expected a new Nigeria that would be completely free from politico-economic chicanery. However, the story about love and respect for PMB of today has begun to decline speedily, a situation that has prompted the question as to whether the PMB of yesterday is still the same PMB of today? In fact, many Nigerians have been, unfortunately, spreading the death of PMB, wrongly arguing that the PMB of today is a different personality entirely. Our focus is not about this controversy but on the integrity of PMB of today, with the ultimate objective of investigating the foreign policy challenges of PMB’s refusal to be summoned by the National Assembly to address the recidivist problem of insecurity in the country.

PMB and Deepening Lack of Integrity

The notion of lack of integrity, at the level of the political appointees and public officials in Nigeria, is best explained by their fainting either during court prosecutions or during parliamentary investigations. They arrive in wheel chairs. They often complain of ill health in order to have sympathy or delay or to escape trial and investigation. Our focus is not on this aspect of integrity of character. At the level of PMB, his socio-political integrity is essentially defined by his disregard for the rule of law, and particularly for Nigeria’s Constitution, which he publicly swore on oath to defend as elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In this regard, PMB’s lack of integrity is both indirectly and directly engendered. Indirectly, the lack of integrity is established by the action of others, which he consciously or not support, but which, apparently, is driven by lack of integrity. For instance, a Professor of Polymer Science, Professor Paul Mamza, in a recent tweet, recalled the case of a Third Class Graduate of Political Science of Ahmadu Bello University, who he helped long time ago for admission into the B.Sc Political Science programme on the basis of the begging of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari. Professor Mamza was then the Deputy Director of the School of Basic and Remedial Studies (SBRS). In the eyes of Professor Mamza. even though Professor Mamza ‘thought (Major-General Buhari) was a good and upright man,’ the candidate he helped, ‘Fatuhu Muhammed, is too ill-prepared to understand what University system entails.’ In other words, why beg people to enable admission of someone who does not have the capacity to cope with university education? If General Buhari’s begging was considered at the level of the SBRS, it could still be pardonable. However, what happened at the level of Fatuhu Muhammed’s completion of the SBRS programme and passage from there to admission into the B.Sc in Political Science programme? This is where the perception of PMB’s integrity

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Buhari begins to pose problems. Professor Mamza believes that PMB is quite good and upright a man. The direct lack of integrity is a resultant from PMB’s various acts of omission and commission in the disregard for rule of law and for the protection of national interest. First, PMB is on record to have acted against the interest of Nigeria at international fora, even as Head of State of Nigeria. One of the leading scholars of international relations and formerly of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, and now a gospeller of the Holy Word, Dr. Femi Aribisala, once wrote about the integrity of PMB when the protection of the national interest was at stake. As reportedly put by Dr. Aribisala, ‘when the crunch came, his allegiance to Nigeria disappeared.’ Put differently, Dr. Aribisala has it that ‘in the election of the Organisation of African Unity Secretary General in 1985, Buhari voted against Nigeria but for Niger instead. He secured the election of Ide Oumarou, a Fulani man from Niger, as opposed to Peter Onu, an Igbo man from Nigeria.’ And perhaps most significantly, Dr. Aribisala observed that ‘by so doing, Buhari became the first and only Head of State in the history of modern international relations to vote against his country in favour of his tribe.’ In the context of our analysis of the deepening lack of integrity of PMB, how do we explain the fact of a Head of State, leaving his country on public funding to attend an African summit and, for that matter, to go and vote against his country? Even if PMB, for whatever reasons, has animosity vis-à-vis Peter Onu, a compatriot, what prevented him from abstaining from the vote so that he would not be on record to be acting against Nigeria whose constitution he had responsibility to defend? Again, was the Buhari of yesterday in any way different from the PMB of today? Second, we drew attention in the Vie Internationale of last week Sunday to Professor Ben Nwabueze’s observation of PMB’s subversion of the EFCC Act and the 1999 Constitution. As observed by Professor Nwabueze, Section 2(3) of the EFCC Act provides that the ‘Chairman and Members of the Commission, other than ex-officio members, shall be subject to the confirmation of the Senate.’ In this regard, Professor Nwabueze has argued, the problem is not about nomination, but about appointment that requires Senatorial confirmation. PMB has appointed Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the EFCC since 2016 without confirmation by the Senate, which has actually rejected twice his nomination for very weighty reasons. How do we explain PMB’s integrity in this regard? Integrity does not allow for politicisation and condoning of

Some Nigerians also posit that, even if it is illegal in the eyes of some observers for the National Assembly to summon PMB to address national security challenges, the ideal thing to do is to place emphasis on the need to be accountable to the people of Nigeria as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. PMB should normally be accountable for the actions of his government.Additionally noteworthy is Section 218(4)(b) which provides that the National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of... the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the Federation.’

weighty allegations against public officials. Third, PMB’s integrity, without any shadow of doubt, is on the path of rapid decline, especially in light of his refusal to be summoned by the House of Representatives to speak on the frightening situation of insecurity in the country. Indeed, last week, the House of Representatives summoned PMB to brief a Joint Session of the Senate and House of Representatives on the security challenges with which the country has been faced, particularly following the indecent massacre of 43 farmers on their farms by Boko Haramists. PMB initially was reported in a tweet on 10th December, 2020 by one of his media aides, Lauretta Onochie, that he would surely honour the summon from the National Assembly, but which was not to be. The disregard for the summon was not as a result of misinformation or miscommunication by the aide, but largely as a result of myopic political considerations and wrong strategic calculations: APC Governors met and objected to PMB’s appearance at the National Assembly because of the need to avoid creating a precedence that might be used to compel, in the foreseeable future, the summon of governors by the Houses of Assembly. And expectedly too, PMB took the advice and refused to appear on Thursday, 11th December at the National Assembly. Most unfortunate was the non-appearance of PMB. The non-appearance has generated heated interest and controversy. The opponents of appearance hide under Section 218(4) of Nigeria’s Constitution as amended, while the proponents of appearance capitalise on Section 89(1) of the same Constitution. As provided in Section 218(1) of the Constitution, ‘the powers of the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the armed forces of the Federation.’ This power is strongly believed to belong exclusively to the President. In the same vein, Section 89(1)(a) of the same Constitution says that ‘for the purposes of any investigation under Section 88 of this Constitution and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a Committee appointed in accordance with Section 62 of this Constitution shall have power to: a) procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable, and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter; b) require evidence to be given on oath...’ What is noteworthy about Section 88 referred to is that, in its subsection (2)(b), it is clearly stated that ‘the powers conferred on the National Assembly under the provisions of this section are exercisable only for the purpose of enabling it to... expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.’ It is noteworthy that the National Assembly is empowered to investigate anyone for the purposes of exposing corruption and inefficiency. This provision is quite apt in the sense that many hold the belief that Boko Haram insurgency is full time business for the military Generals, hence the issue of corruption and inability to contain the insurgency. Some Nigerians also posit that, even if it is illegal in the eyes of some observers for the National Assembly to summon PMB to address national security challenges, the ideal thing to do is to place emphasis on the need to be accountable to the people of Nigeria as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. PMB should normally be accountable for the actions of his government. Additionally noteworthy is Section 218(4)(b) which provides that the National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the regulation of... the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control of members of the armed forces of the Federation.’ All these provisions directly raise the question of the recidivist attacks on innocent law-abiding people of Nigeria. If, as we have shown above, the integrity of PMB has not protected the rule of law, and has been against Nigeria’s national interest. It is also deepening. In this regard, what is the place of Nigeria’s foreign policy?

The Foreign Policy Dimensions

First, the institutional mechanism required to execute foreign policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a problem of its own, and therefore cannot polish Nigeria’s image on the platform of integrity. The MFA itself lacks integrity of purpose. The MFA of today is more of a domestic administrative office, rather than for a dignified diplomatic strategy. It is a ministry where greater emphasis is always put by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs (HMFA) on what the Public Service Rules say, but without readiness to accept to look at acts of serious misconduct for which the same Public Service Rules also provide. Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

SUNDAY DECEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

DECEMBER 13, 2020

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

ENGAGEMENTS

The Tyranny of Absence

he dead farmers of Zabamari may have claimed a political casualty. They have dealt a further blow to President Buhari’s dwindling political capital. The mass murder of the farmers by a more emboldened Boko Haram has further heightened Mr. Buhari’s legacy of nationwide insecurity. If this were a realm with scientific opinion polling, by now the president’s job approval rating would have dived further south. On the scale of casualties in Nigeria’s new normal of copious blood -letting and human sacrifice, the Zabamari killings may not be so phenomenal. But in relation to the goverment in charge of today’s Nigeria, the audacious raid on the farmers was a direct assault on three critical planks of the President’s repeated commitments. His appeal to the rural majority of illiterate farmers and herdsmen up north as his critical base suffered gravely. His party’s identification of agriculture and food security as the basis of their entitlement to our attention has been badly shaken. Logically also, the truism that food security is central to national security especially in a republic over -populated by the poor suffered a devastating setback. Above all, the basic constitutional imperative that the security of life of every citizen is the primary obligation of the federal sovereign has been dealt a further devastating blow in a nation where serial state failure is emphasized by every new murder, every kidnap and every act of flagrant abuse of basic rights even by those entrusted with our protection. Public reaction to this recent incident is part of a national outrage over incessant violent acts and rampant of insecurity. Across all the boundaries that unite and divide us, Nigerians have once again raised their voices to demand that the leadership rise to the occasion of protecting the citizenry from a worsening insecurity. Wole Soyinka, habitual gadfly of our tortured national conscience, has recently averred that perhaps no one in particular seems to have been in charge of the nation for all of 2020. Even the very consequential Northern Elders Forum has been more directly political in its response. They have suggested that Mr. Buhari should consider resigning from an office he viciously sought but whose demands now seem to have overwhelmed him. By far the most consequential voice has come from the National Assembly. A bipartisan and bi- cameral consensus has requested that the President should at least address the assembly on the wave of nationwide insecurity. Expectedly, this legislative pressure has been more vociferously championed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the significant nod of ruling party members including both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Following the initial assent of the Presidency to the request for a presidential address of a joint session of the National Assembly on the 10th of December, the nation looked forward to some insight into what is clearly a lingering national emergency. Suddenly, the presidency aborted the hopes. The president would neither address the National Assembly nor offer any explanations to an anxious nation. Early speculations from insiders of the ruling party insinuated that the caucus of the opposition party had met the previous night and decided to heckle the president. Other more outrageous propagandists insinuated that there may have been a plot to raise an impeachment motion on the floor of the Assembly after the address. None of these wild speculations seems founded. The most concrete official excuse for the absence of the president from this much anticipated outing has come from Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, in his new role as both the nation’s chief law officer and some sort of political multi purpose jerry can. In Mr. Malami’s learned legal verdict, there is no law compelling the president to obey any summons by the National Assembly to address them on any subject. Beyond clanging his legal gavel on this contentious matter with annoying arrogance and majestic finality, the nation’s chief law officer proceeded to outline a novel presidential code of conduct on matters of national security. The president is barred from addressing the legislature on matters of national security because he may inadvertently divulge sensitive details of security strategies and operations that could jeopardize the cultic secrecy of national security! By the last account, the nation’s jurists and battalions of lawyers have since fanned out into conflicting formations to engage the Attorney General on the purely legal merits of his latest apologia for this unnecessary excuse for yet another embarrassing presidential absence from the call of urgent national duty. For those who may be interested in Mr. Malami’s all too frequent extra legal interventions in presidential politics, his excuse for the latest presidential absence is yet another chapter in a familiar pattern of habitual political interloping. In a partisan framework, no one expects the Attorney General to be totally apolitical in his relationship to matters that concern his principal. But as the nation’s chief law officer, he is first and foremost accountable to the generality of Nigerians irrespective of their beliefs and party affiliations. Because the rule of law is the basis of order in a democracy, the attorney general ought to be above thuggish roadside partisan frays. He must, in his utterances and general discharge of the onerous responsibilities attached to his office, reinforce the confidence of every Nigerian in the rule of law. It ought to concern Mr. Malami and his enablers that he has repeatedly fallen short

Buhari of the lofty expectations of his office. The instances have been sometimes quite embarrassing. For example, when the governors of the South West States rose in unison to establish the regional security outfit, Amotekun, I recall that Mr. Malami took recourse to his pre -eminent status to challenge the constitutionality of their choice. In spite of the clear constitutional provision that recognizes each state governor as the chief security officer of his state, Mr. Malami insisted that state and regional security outfits were unconstitutional. It took the combined legal muscle of the affected states and their legislatures to humble the Attorney General and emplace the security outfit. Today, Amotekun is real and the menace of Fulani murderous herdsmen and roving criminal gangs in the South West has diminished. Similarly, in the aftermath of the recent ENDSARS protests, there were wild contentions among interested parties as to the real casualty toll at the Lekki Toll Gate. Mr. Malami’s contribution was to say that whatever casualties may have occurred were people probably shot by hoodlums! This outrageous and unguarded outburst led to calls for his resignation mostly from legal quarters across the nation. Even now, no one knows the extent of Mr. Malami’s involvement in the confusion enveloping the case of the embattled EFCC leadership. Some have blamed the plight of the embattled Mr. Magu on the Attorney General’s power grabbing syndrome. It would be appropriate in these circumstances for the Attorney General to protect himself and his office from unsavoury insinuations and unfortunate conclusions by rising to the lofty expectations of his high office. Beyond the obvious foibles of a clearly over politicized Attorney General, the latest ‘explanations’ of Buhari’s absence at a time of national emergency belongs in a different place. In an earlier instance during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan, a similar summons was dispatched to Jonathan over matters of equally urgent national importance. Babtunde Fashola, then Governor of Lagos state and himself a distinguished Senior Advocate, stoutly argued that the summons was in order and adduced legal and constitutional reasons why Jonathan should honour it. In similar vein, the current Minister of State for Labour, also himself a Senior Advocate , argued then in respect of the Jonathan summons that the summons was in order as Section 89(1)(C) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) empowers the National Assembly to “summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document or other things in his possession or under his control”. We leave the legal brickbat to lawyers. The onus is on the Attorney General to battle his colleagues and convince Nigerians as to why an elected president should evade a summons to accountability by the nation’s parliament. On the political gravity of the matter on hand, purely legal arguments have no place. The National Assembly is the duly constituted legislature of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its members sit as representatives of the Nigerian people. Their roles and responsibilities include legislating for the good governance of the nation. Most importantly, as representatives of the people, they mirror the sensitivities of their various constituencies. The joys and pains of all Nigerians are supposed to be mirrored by members of the Assembly. It is their duty to reflect and transmit these feelings to the executive especially the president. Therefore, if there is a matter of such grave national importance and urgency as the current internal security situation all over the country, it is only proper that the National Assembly requests the president to update them for the benefit of all Nigerians. There is nothing technical or legalistic about this most mundane off presidential responsibilities. Malami’s additional point of the need to protect the confidentiality of security information from the National Assembly

is redundant and almost foolish. Any president worth his salt knows where to draw the line between an open televised address to the legislature and a briefing with the National Security Council for that matter. In any case, both chambers of the National Assembly have committees on the various arms of the security services where they are privy to sensitive security information. The Attorney General can exercise his freedom of opinion as a citizen, but he should not insult the experience of either the president or degrade the integrity and maturity of the members of the National Assembly. The tradition of absence at sensitive moments would seem to have become part of the unique style of the Buhari presidency. At critical moments in national life when Nigerians expect to hear from the president, he has remained absent. In extreme cases, the president has had to be literally cajoled and dragged to the podium to address Nigerians in moments of national hurt or anxiety. Recent instances include the incoherence and protracted silence in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then came the recent ENDSARS protests when Nigerians waited for weeks to hear from their president as the nation literally burned. Even where those utterances were extracted from the presidency, they were largely devoid of empathy or the kind of content that inspires a nation in an hour of need. At other times, Mr. Buhari has been content with maintaining a worrisome aloofness from public life. Yes indeed, he does keep a few scheduled appointments in his office. He receives guests, holds meetings and generally observes some sketchy schedule. But the general absence of the leader where and when the people need or expect him most has become a palpable trade mark of this presidency and also a burden to his reputation. Understandably, Mr. Buhari’s personality does not quite conduce to the general requirement of an ‘in your face’ chief executive. This president is the quiescent, a bit withdrawn, ascetic type. There have been speculations in the busy Nigerian rumour mills that age and health may have taken a toll on his energy level and presence of mind. I don’t believe these lazy insinuations. If indeed the president has any health limitations that militate against the effective discharge of his duties, I believe he will be the first to inform the nation and do the needful. For as long as that has not happened, the sensible thing is to assume that the president is merely being true to his personality. What seems to have created the impression of presidential ineffectuality under Buhari is a certain clash between the man’s personality traits and the requirements and demands of the executive presidential model. The US -type executive presidency that we have badly cloned assumes a leadership role profile that is a bit more activist than a Buhari personality would allow. In that model, the president is first and foremost a fellow citizen in a republican sense. He should be one of us. He is required to be in our faces all the time. He is supposed to do the things that ordinary people do work out in the gym, occasionally stop by a fast food joint, pay surprise visits to some restaurants, visit with the unexpecting common villager, be seen with family and friends, indulge his leisure hours like all of us and pray when he has to. In times of tragedy, the president, as one of us, is supposed to shed tears on television, mourn with the bereaved and rejoice with the triumphant. The modern presidency is made for the television age. If you can not mount the stage of frequent public outings, talk even when you do not feel like and confront irritating reporters with instantaneous responses. With the modern presidency, the national universe is a moving stage. He has to move with it or the public will boo him off the stage! In addition to these, the president at work is supposed to function like a corporate chief executive officer who appoints a cabinet promptly, follows a target driven programme of policies and projects, makes decisions based on science and logic, not impressions. Above all, he is meant to be father of all, an icon of national unity, uniter in chief, not divider in chief. His administration should look like Nigeria as we live it, not a template of his nativity or provincialism. Measured against the best parameters of his office and the system that we have adopted, it is easy to deduce why president Buhari continues to fail in the expectations of most Nigerians. In his distant style, he will indeed have difficulty rising to the lofty heights that his office warrants and the myth that his past reputation once invoked. The constrictions of his biography and basic orientation are in tragic opposition to the imperatives of his job description and the lofty heroic expectations activated in the hearts of many. There is an inherent political danger in this clash between a limited personality and the great expectations of a big job. When an elected leader is quiescent and apparently absent in most instances, the tendency is for ambitious lieutenants and organized power cells to chip away at the unmanned slices of presidential power. At best, mendicants and quislings in the place of power begin to adulterate the quality of governance under guise of protecting the throne. The distance increases between the president and his office. The atrocities of minions are sometimes ascribed to the sovereign himself. In the process something strange is born. Because a democratic society sees and recognizes only one elected president, most attempts by an aloof president to reassert his power lead inevitably to illiberal tendencies or even autocracy. Almost invariably, an absentee president enthrones either an uneventful reign of ordinary things or, at best, the tyranny of absence.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͹ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸

PERSPECTIVE Sanwo-Olu: A Leadership By Simple Gestures

Ø ãÏÞ Ë ÜËÜÏ ÙÍÍËÝÓÙØ˜ ËÑÙÝ ÞËÞÏ ÙàÏÜØÙÜ˜ ËÌËÔÓÎÏ ËØáÙ̋ Öß˜ ÎÏÖÓàÏÜÏÎ ÜÏÝÚÙØÝÓÌÖÏ ÖÏËÎÏÜÝÒÓÚ˜ áÒÏØ ÒÏ ÐßÖÐÓÖÖÏÎ ÒÓÝ ÚÜÙ×ÓÝÏÝ ÞÙ áÓÎÙáÝ ÙÐ ÙÖÓÍÏ ÙÐÐÓÍÏÜÝ ÕÓÖÖÏÎ ÎßÜÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ͭ ØÎ ÚÜÙÞÏÝÞÝ˛ Gboyega Akosile áÜÓÞÏÝ

t was mixed feelings last Thursday for families of the six Police officers killed in different parts of Lagos State during the EndSARS protests hijacked by hoodlums, as they received a cheque of N10million each from the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.It was an emotion-laden moment for the widows of the slain Police officers, all of whom could not hold back the tears as they received cheques from the Governor. Some guests, especially women who were also overtaken by the emotion, wept uncontrollably as they watched families of the late Police officers mount the stage one after another to receive the modest compensation from Lagos State Government, after the gruesome killing of their bread winners. It was a difficult task to get an almost inconsolable Anato Edward, widow of the late Yaro Edward, an Assistant Inspector of Police who was killed while on his legitimate duty, to speak on behalf of the other families. To Governor Sanwo-Olu, Anato merely found courage to say: “Thank You for what you have done for us. I am very grateful.” The compensation without any iota of doubt brought back bitter experience as widows of the slain Police officers and the children were in sober mood throughout the entire programme. After receiving the 10million Naira compensation, the widows and their children could not control their emotion when Governor Sanwo-Olu further announced scholarship for all the children of the deceased officers. The scholarship offer would cover each of the children from their current academic stage to the university level. Tears of joy and perhaps of sorrow rented the air. Governor Sanwo-Olu and some other eminent personalities had the onerous task of calming the women down. The presentation of the N10million cheque to the deceased families and scholarship to children of the late Police officers during the 14th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security organised by Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) last Thursday was in fulfillment of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s promise to the Lagos Police Command during his visit to the police personnel after the EndSARS protests. The slain Police officers whose families received a cheque of N10million each are late Yaro Edward, Assistant Inspector of Police (ASP), Inspector Ayodeji Erinfolami, Sergeant Bejide Abiodun, Inspector Adegbemiro Aderibigbe, Inspector Samson Ehiboh and Inspector Igoche Cornelius. During Governor Sanwo-Olu’s visit to the police command on Thursday October 28, he promised that Lagos State Government would not abandon the police for their role in protecting lives and property in the State, and further boost the morale of officers after the EndSARS protests. The Governor said the Government would take care of the family members of the officers killed in the violence that trailed the EndSARS protests. As parts of the measures put in place to heal the wounds of the police officers lynched in the State, the Governor also directed the Lagos State Scholarship Board to immediately award scholarship to the children of the slain officers, up to the university level. Governor Sanwo-Olu also promised that Police officers serving in Lagos would get life insurance from the State Government, with a directive to the Executive Secretary of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Rasaq Balogun, to establish the modality with the police leadership in the State. During the visit, the Governor also approved the request to upgrade Police Cottage Hospital in Ikeja, directing the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, to inspect the facility for the required upgrade. In addition to donating two 150KVA generating set to the police, Sanwo-Olu said the Command Headquarters would be connected to the State’s Independent Power Project (IPP) for constant power supply. He also promised to build two additional two-stories building at the Lagos State Police Command for additional offices for the personnel. “As your Governor, I have come here to take full responsibility for the loss you have suffered in terms of logistics. Through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), we will be replacing the police operational vehicles burnt in the violence. We have bigger plan for all the police stations burnt down. We will look for the funds and build befitting stations that will set the standard of what police stations should be,” he promised. Speaking during the town hall meeting on security, Governor Sanwo-Olu commended the brave and gallant officers of the security agencies, especially Police officers who paid the supreme price and those who were wounded during the EndSARS protests in the cause of duties, for their dedication to duty and commitment to the eradication of crime in Lagos. He said the officers have exhibited uncommon boldness and courage in the performance of their duties, noting that Lagos State will continue to appreciate their sacrifices and will be eternally grateful for all they did. The Governor, who described the late Police officers as heroes, said the deceased sacrificed their lives to secure lives and properties in Lagos State. He said the compensation was government’s modest reward for their gallantry, noting that the gestures from the State Government would help the families to

Sanwo-Olu with family members of deceased police oﬃcers heal from the loss. Governor Sanwo-Olu also assured that safety and security would never be compromised in the State, saying nothing will deter his administration from protecting the lives and property of the residents now and in the future. He said: “As the Chief Security Officer of Lagos State, my solemn promise to all law-abiding citizens is that Lagos State will always be safe for them. We will stop at nothing to flush out all criminal elements whose sole aim is to foment chaos and perpetrate crime. Let me sound this note of warning; there is no hiding place for criminals and bandits in Lagos State. “At the 2021 Budget presentation on November 10, I stated that the Lagos State Government will commit N9.16 billion to social protection, in order to critically address other contributors to crime like substance abuse, youth unemployment and poor education. We believe that it is easier to prevent crime than control it. “Consequently, in order to guarantee sustained peace and security, we will embrace a deliberate and determined approach toward crime prevention and the preservation of law and order. Nothing will deter us from protecting the lives and property of Lagosians now and in the future. Safety and security will never be compromised in our state.” Governor Sanwo-Olu also urged Lagosians to join in upholding the security of the state, as the security agencies and the government could not do it alone. The governor stated that even as the government takes bold actions to secure the state, it is the duty of all Lagosians to ensure that they do nothing to jeopardise the peace, safety, stability and security of the state. The Governor also urged Lagosians to remain vigilant and report all suspected attempts to disrupt law and order to the appropriate authorities. Responding to the good gestures of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the widows and children of the Police officers who were murdered during the EndSARS protests in different parts of Lagos commended the Governor for the N10million donation and the scholarship award. The beneficiaries commended the governor’s gestures, saying the compensation would help in wiping off their tears and brighten their hope that their children can achieve a great future as envisioned for them by their late fathers. Mrs. Olamide Erinfolami, the widow of ASP Ayodeji Erinfolami praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for the N10million donation and also urged the Governor to fulfill his promise for continuity of the education of the deceased children. “When I heard the information about my husband’s death, I didn’t feel good. I was very sad. It was somebody from Maiduguri that called me to inform me; the Police didn’t inform me officially about my husband’s death. Somebody from Maiduguri called me that my husband was shot. I wasn’t myself when I heard the news and I felt so sad. “I am from Ekiti State; I don’t live in Lagos. I want to say thank you to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I want him to also fulfill what he promised that he is going to do for our children,” she said. Mrs. Funmilayo Aderibigbe, the senior wife of the late Inspector Adegbemiro Aderibigbe, who could not hold her tears while speaking to journalists after receiving the N10million cheque, also hailed the governor’s gesture.

Ayotomiwa, one of the three children of late ASP Ayodeji Erinfolami also appreciated Governor Sanwo-Olu for giving him and his siblings scholarship to continue their education after the demise of their father. “Thank You Governor,” he said. Speaking at the town hall meeting on security with the Governor, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti, said the new Board of LSSTF has resolved to sustain the previous achievements made by the Board and to significantly improve the security architecture in Lagos State by seeking to attract the required resources and by providing a strong leadership and vision for safety and security in Lagos State. He therefore urged individuals and organisations to contribute to the Security Trust Fund for security of lives and properties in Lagos State. “I believe that our security architecture will benefit from being driven by more advanced technology, well trained personnel and robust equipment. But all these require adequate financial and material resources. “We therefore need to act urgently by making donations to the Fund to ensure that we secure our state from those that mean us harm. The Fund welcomes all donations in cash and kind,” he said. The Executive Secretary/CEO of Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, also implored people to make their donations and commitment to the Security Trust Fund. He said: “Security is a very expensive endeavour and we all know how much we spend in our various corporations and personal dwellings in this regard. Our security agencies are in dire need of basic infrastructure and equipment to function effectively and we need to come to their aid as a matter of urgency in our collective self-interest. “I dare say that the events of the last few weeks have shown us the importance of security to the wellbeing, prosperity and progress of the State.” Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the Command in the last one year arrested hundreds of criminals for various offences such as cultism, murder, armed robbery, drug peddling, raping, impersonation, vandalism, defilement and gender related issues, and recovered many of weapons, psychotropic substances and stolen properties. Odumosu while stressing the need for crime-free society, implored all Lagosians to continue to continue to be law abiding and particularly obey all traffic rules and regulations including traffic lights. The Police boss while commending Governor SanwoOlu’s administration’s contribution to security in Lagos State, said “The Command is privileged to have a Governor, who has an unmatched passion to create an enabling environment for the Police and other agencies to fight crimes and criminalities head-on in the State. “He has not only provided the necessary logistics for officers and men to discharge their responsibilities effectively, he has also continued to make available a steady stream of financial support, to boost their morale for optimum service delivery.”

––Akosile is Chief Press Secretary to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

˜ ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENTS

t was a celebration of life as the mother of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, the late Chief (Mrs.) Abigail Amope Omojolagbe Makinde, aged 81, was buried in Ibadan, Oyo State. Funeral service and interment took place at The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Aremo Ibadan. Guests were entertained at Recreation Club, Jembewon Road, Mokola with King Sunny Ade, Musiliu Aruna Ishola and host of other musicians on the bandstand.

L-R: Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji and his Olori

L-R: Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, and Alaﬁn of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi

L-R: Alaﬁn of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji

L-R: Former Governorship candidate in Ogun State, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi; Gbanka Aare Ona Kakanfo, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yrubaland, Otunba Gani Adam

R-L: Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde and his wife, Engr. Tamunominini Makinde

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Edo State, Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus

L-R: Former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Alhaji Hassan Agada; former Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu

L-R: Former Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala, exchanging pleasantries with a guest and former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola

L-R: Osi Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Akogun Gani K. Balogun, and Otunba Obafemi Arowosola

˜ ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

EVENTS

L-R: Gbanka Aare Ona Kakanfo, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani Adam

L-R: Former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Taofeek Arapaja and a guest

L-R: Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan, and his wife, Mrs. Olaniyan

R-L: Odoﬁn of Akure, Basorun Akin Adinlewa, and Yeye Oge of Akure, Mrs. Funmilola Oluwadare

Prince Niran Adeyoju and his wife, Sindi

L-R: Former Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Deputy Governor, Ekiti State, Prof. Kolapo Eleka and former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu

L-R: Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde and former APC gubernatorial candidate for Oyo State, Chief Bayo Adelabu

R-L: Former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni; Former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Zack Adedeji and other guests

L-R: Consultant to Oyo State Government on Waste Management, Mr. Idowu Salawu, and Mr. Ola Kukoyi

Guests at the burial

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

NEWS

Acting News Editor ÌÙãÏÑË ÕÓØÝËØ×Ó E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑË˛ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×˜͸΀͹ͽͺͻͽ΁ͺͽͻ ̙Ý×Ý ÙØÖã̚

HOMAGE TO OUR LEADER ... R-L: National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator-elect for Lagos East, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru and Vice Chairman, APC Lagos East Senatorial Bye-election Campaign Council, Alhaji Bode Oyedele felicitating with Abiru after receiving his certificate of return in Abuja... Wednesday

Buhari: Nigeria Now in a State of Turmoil Laments devastating impact of COVID-19 Says rural insecurity endangers urbanites

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos President Mohammadu Buhari yesterday acknowledged that Nigeria, like many countries worldwide, “is in a state of turmoil.” According to him, global currents are interacting with local tides to create stormy trends for our society. Buhari, also, lamented the worsening cases of COVID-19, which according to him, had grave effects upon the global economy resulting in the increased healthcare spending and infrastructure projects. He expressed grave concern about diverse national challenges at the graduation of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 42 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday. He, specifically, acknowledged that the facts and figures were grim

but said the point was not to drive the citizens into despondency or disillusionment. He said: “Rather, it is to attune our minds to the enormity of the task ahead. The times levy a demand on institutions such as this one and on its graduates for innovation and creative intelligence in addressing our national challenges.” Buhari, who was represented by Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, said: “You are all probably familiar with an axiom that never let a crisis go to waste. It is an axiom that sums up the imperative of the present moment. “A crisis, such as we are facing now, is an opportunity to institute a new and better order of things. Inherent in this moment, is an opportunity to dispense with old unproductive models of thinking

and summon the future. “Whether you are a senior bureaucrat or a military officer or a law enforcement official or a chieftain in the private sector, you must, as of this moment, see yourself as part of a cohort that must lead the change into the future.” He lamented the severe impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, which he said, had resulted in increasing expenditure on healthcare and related infrastructure, disruptions to supply chains and suspension of economic activities as a result of prevalent lockdowns and massive job losses. He added that measures taken to contain COVID-19 “have the effect of depressing the demand for crude oil and precipitating an unprecedented oil price crash. All of these have tipped the Nigerian

CNN: We Won’t Honour Summons by Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry Segun James The Cable News Network (CNN) yesterday told Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS-related Abuses and Lekki Toll Gate Incidents that it would not honour its summons. CNN, an American news-based pay television channel, justified its position on the ground that it did not fall under the territorial jurisdiction of the panel, hence it will not appear before the panel. It disclosed its position yesterday in a statement of objection its counsel, Mr. Olumide Babalola filed on behalf of its reporter, Stephanie Busari and her team before the panel of inquiry. The CNN, in its statement of objection, said the November 28 summon issued on them was invalid on the ground that they were not

within the geographical territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It said: “We do not have any physical or business presence in Nigeria. We submit that since the objectors are not ‘persons in Nigeria’ as envisaged by the provision of Section 5(c) of the Tribunals of Inquiry Law Of Lagos State, Cap. T6, then this Honourable Tribunal is, with respect, bereft of territorial jurisdiction to compel their attendance to give evidence before it. “We rely on the decision in Joshua Dariye v Federal Republic of Nigeria (2015) LPELR-24398 (SC), where the Supreme Court of Nigeria held that: Territorial jurisdiction implies a geographical area within which the authority of the court may be exercised and outside which the Court has no

power to act,” the statement said. The lawyer requested the panel “to withdraw the summons issued on his clients and to instead watch the CNN report on the Lekki shootings. “The objectors respectfully refer the tribunal to the link for the published version of the story as reported on their website, ‘How a bloody night of bullets quashed a young protest movement’ to aid the tribunal’s fact-finding mission.” The CNN, in a two-part report backed with pictures and video clips, implicated the Nigerian Army in the alleged killing of peaceful protesters at the Lekki tollgate. But the federal government condemned the CNN report, describing it as irresponsible, while the Nigerian Army denied shooting at or killing protesters.

economy into recession.” He noted that there was a plague of cynicism in the public life that had been fostered by the apathy and indifference of the elites to the common good. The president explained that the principle of enlightened selfinterest “does not ask us to do things merely out of the goodness of our hearts. It derives instead from a rational assessment of reality. “To interrogate our present situation and reflect upon our circumstances is to realise that we cannot take solace in our relative affluence in the midst of widespread misery. “Consider how the institutional reputations of our law enforcement and security agencies have rendered their personnel vulnerable to personal attacks. “Even if we are not directly

endangered by these perils, consider the price that our families and loved ones must pay by association. This is because ultimately, neither status nor class can indemnify elites against social catastrophes. “Precisely because they share the same economy and ecosystem, the fates of the elites and the masses are intertwined. When, for example, insecurity plagues rural agrarian communities, urbanites feel the impact in terms of the rising cost of food. “Rural-urban migration leads to increased pressure on urban infrastructure and an increase in urban poverty. Rural insecurity leads inexorably to urban insecurity. “These plagues emanate from the failure of institutions and all of you gathered here are custodians of institutions. More importantly, they underscore the importance of

legitimacy in the relations between state and society. “It is no longer enough to boast of successful careers in distinctly unsuccessful institutions. The true measure of our success will be revealed by the extent to which we are able to promote progressive values in our spheres of influence. “You are by no means powerless bystanders in the trends and events shaping the fate of this nation. You are critical actors now and in the days to come. As individuals and as a cohort, you possess sufficient authority and influence to reorient the institutions over which you have charge.” He, therefore, urged the graduates to consolidate the associations and friendship that they had established and used them as networks for positive change across all sectors of public life.

NBA Blames Lawyers, Poverty for Poor State of Human Rights Alex Enumah in Abuja The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Chapter, has identified factors responsible for the high disregard of human rights in the country by both government and others in Nigeria. The body in a communique issued at the end of its summit to mark this year’s International Human Rights Day, which has a theme: Recover Better, noted that the legal profession, both the Bar and the Bench have failed to do justice to the concept of fundamental rights. According to the NBA, a lot of judicial officers do not appreciate the gravity of fundamental rights and do not understand the rule of law. While the NBA blamed the poor salaries some lawyers received for their “low will to participate in human rights cases, it observed on the other hand that senior

lawyers do not actively participate or demand for veritable persons to be in the judiciary or even occupy positions in the Association. “The desecration in the profession has discouraged litigants from fighting for their human rights”, it concluded. The association argued that hunger and malnutrition persisted for lack of a rights-based policy environment that empowered the people to ask questions and hold the government accountable. On the part of law enforcement agents, the NBA also noted that there was an indisputable relationship between violation of human rights and police recruitment/ training. While stating that there are inherent discriminatory provisions in the nation’s constitution, the body, said, “Women do not have access to justice as violence against women and poverty are still the reality of women in the society.”

As part of recommendations, the NBA stressed the need to embed “in our work that human rights encompass women’s rights, marginalized people’s rights and vulnerable people’s rights; human rights is for all and must be upheld”. It also called for a review of the constitution in order to demand for inclusion of a gender sensitive language, and revisiting the indigenity clause. “The independence and character of persons must be of highest priority when appointing them to be judges. Lawyers should be innovative enough in fashioning out techniques in being the voice for the voiceless and fighting injustice. “Lawyers should envisage ways of sharing the limitations of the judges to the judges at their conferences. The National Assembly should be engaged in order to make Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution justiciable.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾DECEMBER 13, 2020

NEWSXTRA General’s Death: Kogi Community Rejects Army’s Explanation 6XVSHFWV IRXO SOD\ VHHNV IXUWKHU FODULÀFDWLRQ Tobi Soniyi The people of Ayetoro-Gbede, the hometown of General Olubunmi Irefin who died suddenly on December 10 during the Chief of Army Staff Conference have rejected the explanation given by the army for his death. In a statement issued on behalf of the Olu of Ayetoro Gbede, Oba

D.S Ehindero, Ayetoro Development Association and Ayetoro Gbede Traditional Council, the community said it suspected foul play given the circumstances of Irefin’s death. The statement signed by A.A. Aminu read: “The sequence of events before Irefin’s death and the main cause of his sudden death as propounded by the military authority,

ICPC Chair, Others for Inauguration as SAN Tobi Soniyi The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, an Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Justice, Tijjani Alkali Gazali and former National Legal Adviser, All Progressives Congress (APC), Babatunde John Kwame Ogala are among the 72 lawyers will be inaugurated tomorrow as Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) . Also to be sworn in as SAN are the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Aloma Muktah – John Mofolorunso Mustapha. Majiyagbe, ex-National General Secretaries, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe and Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, and a Lagos lawyer, Oladapo AkandeAkinOsun. In a goodwill message, Ebun -Olu Adegboruwa,(SAN)urgedthebeneficiariesof theprestigiousranktodeploytheirnewrank ‘to deepen legal practice, create the enabling environment for justice to thrive and to aid the legal profession to achieve purity of practice from the Inner Bar, as a model for others to emulate.” The rank of Senior Advocates of

Nigeria is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academic. Others to be sworn in tomorrow are: Obafemi Anthony Adewale, Chukwuemeka Obiajuru Nwagwu, Jacob E. Ochidi, Mela Audu Nunghe, Lawrence Fubara Anga, Akintola Olugbenga Akintoye, Abdullahi Yahaya, Uzoma Henry Azikiwe, Efefiom Otu Efiom Ekong, Taiye Abimbola Babajide Oladipo and Funmilayo Adunni Quadri. Others are Jean Chiazor Anishere, Taiwo Johnson Kupolati, Aliyu Omeiza Saiki, Richard Oma Ahonaruogho, Yusufu NyaAkirikwen, Adedapo Osariuyime TundeiOlowu, Olumide David Ayeni, Robert Egwono Emukpoeruo, Oluwtoyin Ajoke Bashorun, Chukwudi Chudi Nwabufo ObIeze,BomaFlorenceAyomide Alabi, Olusegun Jonhson Fabunmi, Latonna Chuka Okoli, Peter Adogbejire Mrakpo, George Olatinde Babalola, Osayaba Omorodion Giwa-Osagie, Ejike Chukwuekwu Ezenwa, Jomoh A. Mumini, Muhammad Katu Sani Ndanusa and Yakubu Abdullahi Hussaini-Ruba.

Head of Lagos Disabled Ofﬁce Hails T.B Joshua on Charities Kayode Fasua The General Manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Mr. Dare Dairo, has commended the Founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T. B Joshua, for supporting people living with disabilities in Nigeria. Dairo gave the appreciation yesterday in an interview with THISDAY, coming after the recently held International Day for the Disabled (IDD). Speaking on Joshua’s

outreach through the instrumentalities of the SCOAN and Emmanuel TV, Dairo said the prophet had been helping those living with disabilities in so many ways. According to him, this is practical Christianity, as he comes as a role model, whom we should all emulate. He said: “COVID-19 or no, Prophet Joshua’s support for the disabled is a sustained one; so going to the detail may not be necessary, as the Man of God is a humble man who does not like to flaunt his good gesture.”

which they claimed is COVID-19 made the highest decision organs of Ayetoro Gbede community namely, Ayetoro Gbede Traditional Council and Ayetoro Gbede Development Association to interrogate the main cause of his death as propounded by the military authority. “We should not forget that General Olubunmi Irefin was in Ayetoro Gbede two weeks ago for the burial ceremony of his late mother. During the brief period of his stay at home, he was full of life, and, observers of the general will agree that every movement of his, was with military precision.

“Suddenly, a signal came to him from Abuja to attend Chief of Army Staff Conference which started last Monday, December 7. ‘We did not hear of his sickness until the sad news came to us yesterday, 10th December, 2020 that the General died of Covid -19; and the sudden rush for his burial tomorrow 12th December, 2020. ‘The mouth piece of Ayetoro Gbede community namely, Ayetoro Gbede Traditional Council and Ayetoro Gbede Development Association were not happy with the military establishment over the reason it claimed was responsible for the

death of General Olubunmi Irefin for the following reasons: “If the incubation period of Covid-19 is 2 weeks after which the victim will start to show symptoms like high fever, severe headache etc, is that the case for late General Olubunmi Irefin? “Even if the symptoms mentioned above manifest in the General, does it also kills it victim instantly? “At advance age, the former Chief of Staff to the President, late Abba Kyari, battled Covid -19 for weeks before he died, common logic should tell us that General Irefin at younger age, even if it is true that he contacted

Covid -19 should be able to battle it for longer period of time. “Except there is Covid -20 which we doubt, Covid -19 does not kill it victims for 3 days. Why the sudden haste in the burial of the General by the military authority?” The community said until the military authority provided convincing answers to the above quest, Ayetoro would not be happy with the military establishment over the reason it claimed was responsible for Irefin’s death. The community, however, expressed deep sorrow over Irefin’s sudden death.

GOOD NIGHT, GEN. IREFIN ... A service of song held in honour of General Olubunmi Irefin at his country home, Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State...Friday

Bring People Back to God, Bakare Tells Clergymen Oluchi Chibuzor The founder, Citadel Global Community Church (formerly known as the Latter Rain Assembly), Pastor Tunde Bakare yesterday urged clergymen nationwide to bring people back to God by propagating the Gospel of God’s love and salvation. Bakare, a prophetic-apostolic clergyman, gave the advice at the 10th Harvest and Thanksgiving Service of Cherubim and Seraphim Unification, God is Good District, in Lagos. At the service, the cleric noted that it was the core mandate of the clergymen to bring people back to God in the service of divinity through sound and undiluted gospel. Bakare, who was represented by an

elder in the church, Pastor Olabode Adekanye, said the clergy should proclaim the good news to the people otherwise the blood of those who die in sin, would be required from them. On the socio-economic and political unrest in the country, the cleric-expressed displeasure over the level of poverty in the land and the innocent blood shed especially in 2020. He reminded political leaders that God “does not take for granted any innocent blood shed in any guise. Political leaders should beware of innocent blood wasted in the country especially in recent time as no innocent blood shed goes unpunished. “We are proclaimers, if you do not proclaim the good news now to the people, someone’s blood will be

on your head, if you do not make the right decisions and policies and people die as a result, their blood will be required from you.” Bakare, who spoke on the theme, Divine Mandate, assured Nigerians that afflictions would not rise a second time; though people must be ready to return to the Almighty God who has answers to every problem. He hinted that though the year has been challenging to everyone, people should still have cause to appreciate God for sparing their life. Citing Luke 4: 18 and 19, Bakare noted that the divine mandate of God “is that there is an end to every affliction. Therefore, Nigeria should be on guard against false messages and remain auspicious for better days

ahead. “Everyone must understand his unique calling and use it for the promotion of God’s kingdom and betterment of humanity. In this 10th thanksgiving service, 10 signifies completeness, so we expect complete turnaround going forward but everyone must do what is right at all times,” he stated. In his address, the Superintendent Apostle and Founder, God is Good District, Cherubim and Seraphim Unification, Hon. Dave Salako said the church had been able to move on only by God’s grace. Citing different scriptural references, Salako encouraged Christians nationwide “to be steadfast in this trial period with hope that all shall be well.

How My America Dream Became a Ruse in Egypt, Says Trafﬁcked Nurse Michael Olugbode in Abuja An auxiliary nurse, Rhoda Aladeboyeje has lamented how her American dream turned out a ruse. Rhoda, a mother of four, who was trafficked by her immediate elder brother with a promise of a nursing job opportunity in America, ended up in Cairo, Egypt. Rhoda, 35 years who arrived Nigeria on Saturday at 4.50 am via Royal Air Maroc, narrating her ordeal, said she was trafficked on March 17 and was sexually harassed on a regular basis, beaten frequently and home imprisoned sometimes.

She lamented that her going to America turned out to be a ruse, and was instead trafficked to Egypt, where she went through so much torture and hell. She regained her freedom when a distress call from her family member was received by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), which contacted the Nigerian Mission in Cairo that put logistics in place to facilitate her return to Nigeria. She was however able to be brought back into the country, after her family made provisions for her flight ticket home. Rhoda, according to a statement

by NIDCOM, had been released to link up with her family in Okitipupa, Ondo state. The Chairman/CEO, (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, however appealed to youths travelling out to be purposeful and beware of dangerous people, trafficking them out for their selfish and personal gains. Dabiri-Erewa,whowasrepresentedby Mr. Ayo Okuribido to receive Rhoda at the Murtala MuhammedAirport, Lagos at2.00a.m. thankedtheNigerianMission in Cairo for prompt intervention. The NIDCOM boss lamented that Rhoda’s story was the same as that of many victims, lured abroad under

the guise of securing them a job. She restated her appeal for Nigerians especially youth trooping out of the country in search of an elusive greener pasture, insisting that traffickers should be arrested, named, shamed and punished for this dastardly act. Dabiri-Erewa thanked God for Rhoda making it back to Nigeria alive and urged her not to be tempted to embark on such a journey again. Rhoda had earlier been profiled by Immigration officials on her return, and handed over to NAPTIP, in the presence of a representative of the family, Mr. Benjamin Akinbobola.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯͱ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

NEWSXTRA

Amnesty Urges ICC to Begin Full Investigation into Atrocities in Nigeria

Tobi Soniyi Amnesty International has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately open a full investigation into atrocities committed during the conflict in Northeast Nigeria. While welcoming the ICC report which said that both Nigerian military and Boko Haram committed war crimes, Amnesty International said the ICC finding was a milestone decision, which brought its longstanding call for justice for victims a step closer. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor announced Friday that it was concluding a decade-long preliminary investigation into crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed by Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces. AI in a statement by Media Manager, Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi said the ICC’s finding had finally paved the way for a full-blown investigation to begin. “After years of calling on the ICC Prosecutor to open a full investigation, this is the first meaningful step towards justice that we have seen for victims of atrocious crimes committed by all parties to the conflict in Northeast Nigeria,” said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Director of Research and Advocacy He said: “This is an important milestone, but it must be followed with immediate action to open a full investigation. For the victims of war crimes and potential crimes against humanity to see justice, it’s crucial that the Prosecutor swiftly begin an effective and well-resourced investigation.” The ICC’s preliminary examination, started in 2010, concludes that both Boko Haram and the Nigerian military have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, and that the Nigerian government

has failed in its obligations to hold those responsible to account, echoing the findings of numerous Amnesty International reports over the years. With no genuine domestic investigations, the Prosecutor can only conclude that a full ICC investigation is needed. “Victims have already waited a decade for justice. The Office of the Prosecutor must now move swiftly to seek the judicial authority needed to initiate the full investigation; further delays will only serve to frustrate victims and run the risk of evidence and witness testimony being lost forever,” said Belay. Amnesty however, noted that the Office of the Prosecutor faced serious resource constraints to investigating and prosecuting new situations and cases, but said this must not be used as an excuse to further delay justice. It said: “States parties to the ICC must ensure the Office of the Prosecutor has the resources needed to conduct its investigations. “Nigerian authorities still have an obligation to conduct genuine investigations into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by its own military. But to date they have done everything in their power to avoid independent and effective investigations.” Amnesty called on ICC states parties to ensure any investigation in Nigeria is adequately resourced. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor announced a preliminary examination into the situation in Nigeria on 18 November 2010. Last Friday the Office of the Prosecutor announced that it had decided to close the preliminary examination, on the basis that there was sufficient reason to conclude that both Boko Haram and the Nigerian military have committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, and that the Nigerian government

Adeboye: Naira’ll Become Strong Again The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye yesterday predicted that Naira would, again, regain its strength among the league of currencies. Adeboye, a 78-year-old preacher of holiness, also prayed that God would intervene in Nigeria’s financial sector and change the hearts of policymakers who deliberately devalued the currency. He predicted Naira’s resurgence at RCCG’s Annual Holy Ghost Congress under the theme, “It is time to fly” held at Kilometre 42, RCCG International Headquarters, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He shared a testimony on how he was in need of N5, 000 when the church kick-started its inaugural annual convention some years ago. At that time, according to the cleric, Naira was powerful then and N5, 000 was a lot of money and that the church needed instant financial breakthrough. Adeboye said: “During our first convention at the Redemption Camp, I was bold. I asked everybody to come, free feeding. They came, I ran out of money. My wife came to me in the morning, Sir, we need N5, 000. “Naira was powerful then. It will become powerful again. Those who

are deliberately devaluing our naira, before tomorrow morning, God will intervene. “So, my wife said we needed N5, 000. I asked her, ‘Do you need it today or later?’ She said today. I did not have a kobo. I told her to go. I cried to God that I needed a breakthrough. It was not long after that, one man drove in, he was not a member of the church. “He asked what was going on and we said we are having a convention. And then, he put his hands in his pocket and brought out an envelope with some money. “I then called on my wife and asked her, ‘How much did you say you need?” Recently, Naira had fallen to its weakest level in six weeks in informal trading as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) interventions in the official window failed to meet demand. At the parallel market, Naira changed hands for N470 per dollar, the lowest since September 29, according to abokifx.com, a website that collates street rates in Lagos. Naira closed at 382.10 per dollar on the spot market, where the central bank sells limited amounts of the greenback bank to importers.

has failed in its obligations to hold those responsible to account. The Prosecutor now needs to submit a request to ICC judges who will decide whether or not the Prosecutor may proceed with the opening of a formal investigation. The preliminary examination focussed on alleged crimes under international law committed in the Niger Delta, the Middle-Belt

States and in the context of armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces, including the crimes against humanity of murder and persecution, and multiple war crimes. In recent years, the preliminary examination also focussed on the existence and genuineness of national proceedings in relation to these crimes. For almost a decade, Amnesty International has repeatedly documented

crimes under international law and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Northeast Nigeria. In 2018, the Amnesty International report ‘Willingly Unable’ demonstrated that Nigerian authorities were not taking any genuine step towards investigating and prosecuting crimes by Boko Haram or the Nigerian security forces and called the ICC

Prosecutor to request the opening of a full investigation. The ongoing armed conflict in the Northeast continues to have a dire impact on civilians, as documented in recent Amnesty International reports on the atrocities and violations suffered by children and older people. Both reports directly called on the ICC to move from a preliminary examination to a full investigation.

GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL.. L-R: Representative of Lagos State First Lady/Commissioner for Establishment, Training & Pension, Hon. Ajibola Ponnle; Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Permanent Secretary, Health Service Commission, Dr. Ademuyiwa Eniayewun at the 2020 Health Forum held at the Orchid Hotels, Lekki, Lagos... Friday

Kaduna Mulls Another Lockdown over Rising COVID-19 Cases John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has warned that it will have no option but to close down public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship if the current rate of Covid-19 infection persists. This was revealed in a statement the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Amina Mohammed-Baloni issued yesterday, emanating from the increasing cases of the coronavirus. There has been a steady rise in the rate of infection with 117 positive cases recorded on Friday. But in his statement yesterday, the commissioner said: “If the rate of

spread retains or exceeds the current pace, then we will have no option to recommend the temporary closure of public spaces, including schools, markets, offices and places of worship. Giving an update on the rising cases of the infection in the state, the commissioner appealed for urgent action by residents to help stop the spread of the disease and save lives. “In absolute and relative terms, Kaduna State is now recording high infection figures reminiscent of the first wave of Covid-19 spread in April, May and June 2020. “The lowering of the infection rate following the first wave encouraged the government to approve the recom-

mendation of the State Covid-19 Task Force for a significant reopening of the state. “However, we are saddened to report that the conditions that compelled the 75 day lockdown of the state are now being replicated”, the commissioner said. She said, “On November 26, the state recorded 74 positive results from 531 samples. “The quantum of infections since then suggests both high infection rates and the reality that a new wave of infections is spreading across the state.” The commissioner disclosed that, “As at yesterday, 11th December, the state recorded 117 positive cases from

518 samples. This translates to almost one in four samples testing positive.” According to her, the ministry of health expected some increase in infections after the reopening of schools, markets, places of worship and recreational centres, noting however, that the figures easily outstrip estimated projection. “While infections cut across age groups, this new wave especially affects those aged between 10 and 35. There is now a veritable danger to lives and livelihoods with the renewed Covid-19 infections. “If the spread continues at the current rate, it may challenge and overwhelm the health system despite

Ekechukwu Leads Michael Okpara University VC Contest Amby Uneze in Owerri After a two-day intensive screening process, a professor of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Val Ekechukwu at the weekend ranked topmost as a choice candidate for the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Among 30 candidates that applied for the position, according to the Vice-Chancellorship Selection Board, Ekechukwu scored 88.93 points ahead of the first runner-up, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, who scored 82.35 points and Prof. Philipa Ojimelukwe with 69.67 points. A member of the screening board, who spoke with our correspondent on ground of anonymity Friday, disclosed that about 30 candidates applied for

the position. The board member disclosed that Ekechukwu, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2018-2020), scored the highest point in the selection process. Already, the board member disclosed that the selection committee under the chairmanship of Prof. Victor Ndirika had completed its task and submitted the report of the screening process to the Governing Council of the university. He said: “We need a neutral person, who would rescue the university. There are many cases in courts stunting the development of the university. It would be cleaned up and fresh air would be brought to the institution.”

However, the governing council abruptly suspended the announcement of the new vice chancellor due to the invasion of hoodlums that disrupted the deliberation of the council Thursday night. The attempt by the ProChancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Hon. Lawal Zayyana to prevail upon the hoodlums, who invaded the venue of the meeting failed. Consequently, the council resolved to move its meeting to Abuja in order to avoid undue interference in the process of announcing the successful candidate for the position. Ekechukwu, who is a professor of Mechanical Engineering with specialisation in Applied Energy, obtained his doctorate degree from the Cranfield University, United

Kingdom in 1988. He was Director, Research and Innovation and later of ICT of NUC between 2007 and 2015; Fellow, Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (FICCON); Fellow, Solar Energy Society of Nigeria (FSESN) as well as Fellow, Renewable and Alternative Energy Society of Nigeria (RAESON). He became a professor of Applied Solar Energy in 2001 in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he was employed as Graduate Assistant in its Energy Research Centre in 1983. Since 1998, Ekechukwu has been a member of the UNN Senate as well as member, Board of School of Post-graduate Studies of the University of Nigeria Nsukka for several years.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 13, 2020

SUNDAYSPORTS

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

U20 AFCON, WORLD CUP:

Flying Eagles Crash out After Ghana Fails to Beat Cote d’Ivoire Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

even-time African champions, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria have crashed out of the U20 AFCON Qualifiers WAFU B in Benin Republic– and by extension both next year’s U20 AFCON in Mauritania and the U20 World Cup in Indonesia. Nigeria’s hope of making it to the semifinals of the qualifying tournament in Benin Republic was hinged on Ghana doing the Flying Eagles favour by beating Côte d’Ivoire but that failed to happen yesterday. Ghana needed to beat the Ivorians by at least 2-0 so that Flying Eagles could sneak into the semifinals as Group B runners-up with a point. Ghana fell 1-0 to the Ivorians, who thus finished as group winners, while the Black Satellites finished as runners-up. Cote d’Ivoire will now take on Group A runners-up Niger, while Ghana tackles Burkina Faso in the other semifinal of the qualifying tournament. The Flying Eagles have alleged a gang-up to stop them at the WAFU B qualifiers. On Wednesday before their crucial Group B clash against Ghana, two players, Chisom Orji and Farayola Olawale, were reported to have turned in Coronavirus positive results and so had to be dropped.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have crashed out of the qualiﬁers for the Under-20 AFCON after Ghana lost to Côte d’Ivoire...yesterday

However, both players as well as the rest of the squad all tested negative in another round of tests conducted two days later.

With three teams in the Group B encounters, Fling Eagles played their mandatory two matches with draw against Côte d’Ivoire and lost 1-0 to

Ghana. This situation led to having to depend Ghana for the favour in Black Satellites clash with the Junior Elephants.

BUNDESLIGA

Promoted Stuttgart Inflict Embarrassing Defeat on Dortmund

Manchester United’s Luke Shaw (right) battling it out withRaheem Sterling of Manchester City during their derby

Manchester Derby Ends in Drab Stalemate Manchester United and Manchester City played out a dismal derby stalemate behind closed doors at Old Trafford last night. In a game devoid of quality and excitement, neither side were able to carve out the opportunity that could make a difference amid the eerie silence of the so-called ‘Theatre Of Dreams’. Gabriel Jesus was off target and Riyad Mahrez brought a routine save from David de Gea with City’s best first-half chances while Scott McTominay was agonisingly inches away from Victor Lindelof’s flick as United sought the breakthrough. United thought they had a secondhalf penalty when Kyle Walker fouled Marcus Rashford but the decision was overturned as VAR revealed the United

striker was offside. It led to an unsatisfactory conclusion for both sides, leaving United seventh in the Premier League and City a place below them.

Borussia Dortmund lost further ground in the Bundesliga title race as they suffered a heavy 5-1 home defeat by promoted side Stuttgart on Saturday. Silas Wamangituka put Stuttgart ahead with a 26th-minute penalty, after Emre Can had brought down Mateo Klimowicz. Giovanni Reyna’s wonderful touch and finish from Raphael Guerreiro’s pass drew Dortmund level before half-time. But Stuttgart scored three times in 11 second-half minutes, before Nicolas Gonzalez added a fifth in injury time. Defeat leaves Lucien Favre’s side fifth and five points behind leaders RB Leipzig, who replaced Bayern Munich at the top with a 2-0 win over Werder Bremen. Champions Bayern can move two points ahead of Leipzig with victory against Union Berlin later on Saturday (17:30 GMT kick-off). Dortmund, who finished second last season, have won only one of their past five in the German top flight - with this

their third defeat in that run. Favre’s side came from behind to beat Zenit on Tuesdayand secure their place in the Champions League last 16 as Group F winners, but in the absence of injured top scorer Erling Braut Haaland they have taken one point from their past three league games. Before Stuttgart’s opener, 17-year-old English midfielder Jude Bellingham was denied his first Bundesliga goal as Marco Reus strayed offside during a slick team move. Reyna’s sublime equaliser looked to have set Dortmund up for a muchimproved second half, but Wamangituka’s second and quickfire goals from Philipp Forster and Tanguy Coulibaly established an unassailable lead. Reyna had a late consolation ruled out for offside, before Gonzalez raced clear in stoppage time to seal a memorable victory for Stuttgart, who move one place and two points behind Dortmund in the table.

El Ghazi’s Late Penalty for Villa Sinks Wolves AstonVilla snatched a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday after substitute Anwar El Ghazi drilled in a stoppage-time penalty as both sides ﬁnished the game with 10 men. Villa had Douglas Luiz sent off in the 85th minute andWolves midﬁelder Joao Moutinho was dismissed shortly after the visitors scored against the run of play to register their fourth away win of the season. The result liftedVilla up to eighth on 18 points from 10 games while Wolves, again sorely missing injured striker Raul Jimenez, stayed 11th on 17 points from

12 games. El Ghazi said he felt relaxed about taking the penalty. “I practise penalties a lot, even if I am not playing,” the Dutch midﬁelder told the BBC. “I did not feel a lot of pressure to be honest. I appreciate Jack Grealish gave it to me, but he knows my capabilities.”The home side looked more likely to grab the winner in a dour clash,with their 18-year old striker Fabio Silva hitting the post midway through the second half as he made his ﬁrst start for the club. Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez pulled off several

fine saves, taming a stinging low shot from Daniel Podence before he somehow kept out a fierce Leander Dendoncker volley 10 minutes from time. When the match seemed to be heading for a draw, Nelson Semedo hauled down John McGinn in the penalty area and El Ghazi made no mistake with the spot-kick as he blasted the ball past keeper Rui Patricio. Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo said he wanted his team to be more ruthless. “In the first half it was an intense game and both teams were tight,”he said.

Sunday December 13, 2020

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N400

MISSILE

Shehu Sani on Insecurity “The friday night attacks in Kankara town Katsina State and the reported kidnappings of students of the Government Science Secondary School by bandits is another tragedy in the season of woes.Until these bandits are tackled and crushed,the problem will not ﬁzzle out” – Senator Shehu Sani while reaching to last Friday’s kidnapping of hundreds of students of the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State.

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simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Nigeria: A Land That Consumes Its Inhabitants

f you take time to study Nigeria since 1960 — when we began to govern ourselves — you would notice an unrelenting constant: bloodshed. From political violence to coups, civil war, ethno-religious riots, communal clashes, military massacres, banditry, terrorism, farmers/herders clashes and kidnappings, it has been a gory story spread across 60 years. In the last three years, though, it appears all the terrible things are happening at once, like under Murphy’s Law. As we are battling communal killings in Kaduna, terrorists are beheading farmers in Borno, bandits are slaying villagers in Zamfara, and kidnappers are grabbing people all over the federation. We are in a horrible state. Killings have become so routine that it takes something gruesome to jolt us. The killing of farmers in Zabarmari, Borno state, on November 28 by Boko Haram actually shocked us, although it would appear we have put that behind us now. Boko Haram had killed 70 Nigerian soldiers in Gorgi, also in Borno state, early this year. While we were debating whether or not the national assembly can summon President Muhammadu Buhari over the state of the nation (I thought it was only honourable for him to honour the invitation having promised to do so), a Taraba lawmaker was kidnapped. On Friday, bandits attacked a secondary school in Katsina state. It is dead scary. Nigeria is a land that should be flowing with milk and honey. Instead, it consumes its inhabitants. It is as if the country has been on a tragic auto replay, particularly since 1999. It has been a catalogue of bloodbath. In November 1999, at least 1,000 villagers were massacred by soldiers in Odi, Bayelsa state. In October 2000, hundreds were killed in Zaki Biam, Benue state. Various ethno-religious riots in Jos, Kaduna and Yelwa between 2000 and 2004 claimed at least 10,000 lives. We also had OPC, Bakassi Boys and MASSOB causing havoc here and there. President Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired general, was somewhat overwhelmed. I once heard a critic call him the “bad luck” president. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who succeeded Obasanjo in 2007, was not less fortunate, even if his tenure was short-lived. Jos North exploded yet again, with over 700 deaths recorded as Berom and Fulani communities renewed hostilities in November 2008. When Yar’Adua visited Jos after the riots, his convoy was attacked by youths, some of whom accused him of visiting only the Berom community and neglecting his own Fulani kin. In May 2009, troops invaded Gbaramatu, Delta state, and massacred hundreds to enforce “peace”. A military onslaught ordered by Yar’Adua against Boko Haram in July 2009 produced more than 1,000 dead bodies, mostly in Maiduguri and Bauchi. Under Jonathan, who held power from 2010 to 2015, Boko Haram bombed Abuja six times, with notable attacks on the UN building, police headquarters and Nyanya. In July 2013, the terrorists killed 42 students and teachers at a secondary school in Mamudo, Yobe state. They killed 58 schoolboys in Buni Yadi, also in Yobe, in February 2014. Hundreds of Chibok schoolgirls were kidnapped two months later. Troops allegedly carried out a massacre in Baga, Borno state, in April 2013 over the killing of a soldier. Several bombings in Kano and Kaduna killed at least 400. In Zamfara, bandits killed 43 in Kizara village in June 2013 and 79 in Galadima village in April 2014. Jonathan came under sustained media attacks from APC leaders who branded him “clueless”. They weaponised the insecurity to oust him.

Buhari Buhari was marketed as the ruthless retired general who once routed the Maitatsine sect and would easily crush Boko Haram. Ironically, in my article before the election, “Buhari and the Burden of Expectations” (January 25, 2015), I cautioned: “In an attempt to market Buhari, some chaps have gone overboard, designing and spreading beautiful disinformation about him… God help Buhari if, assuming he wins, he is unable to stop Boko Haram’s suicide bombers. God help him if the terrorists continue to grab more villages under his watch.” Five years on, is Nigeria safer? Major-Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd), minister of defence, says we are. However, many Nigerians, including my humble self, will dispute this claim. While Boko Haram may no longer be attacking Abuja and Kano at will, insecurity is now pervasive all over the country. Gunmen continue to terrorise the north-west. Non-oil kidnappers have never had it this good. The Kaduna-Abuja road has become a long stretch of anxiety. Clashes between farmers and herders have become more pronounced and political. Women are still being kidnapped, abused and traded for ransom. Southern Kaduna remains the killing field it has been since 1987. But why is Nigeria’s security situation getting so dreadful by the day? There are different ways of looking at it. One is to look at the remote cause: economic hardship. Any society as infested with poverty and unemployment as Nigeria will also be infested with crime. There is another way to look at things: any society with a security ecosystem as broken as ours will also be infested with crime — ranging from the petty to the petrifying. We not only have a largely corrupt security system, we also have so many demotivated and demoralised officers and operatives who are daily trying to keep us safe at the risk of losing their lives cheaply. Many things have gone wrong for too long. It is very easy to blame the soldiers and the police officers — the boots on the ground — for the insecurity. Of course, there is solid evidence that they are part of the problem. SARS is my key witness. However, we need a deeper and wider understanding of why things are the way they are. Fundamentally, the police are not primed to protect ordinary Nigerians. They are at their best protecting VIPs, principally politicians and moneybags. Any reform of the police that does not address this warped mentality will be a waste of time. We need to totally re-orientate the police in

particular to understand their duties to the ordinary Nigerians: to protect and to respect their rights. It is also clear that the security agencies have been weakened and damaged by indiscipline and incompetence. When you see a vehicle driving against traffic, parked in a ‘no parking zone’, running a red light or using siren without any emergency call, look inside properly and you will find a police officer or soldier at the wheel. You see some police officers playing “Baba Ijebu” (gambling) early morning on Kaffi Street, Ikeja, Lagos state. This indiscipline says a lot about our security agencies. It is as damaging as the incompetence that runs through — such as a police commissioner not knowing his left from his right when there is civil unrest. Many are simply not qualified to wear the badge. Operations-wise, do we have the necessary tools to combat serious crimes? Even if we had all the tools, whatever we are doing is not solving the problem. If we don’t have ordinary tear gas, can we describe ourselves as a serious set of people? The disbanded SARS was “fighting” cybercrime by checking people’s phones on the road. So crude! It can only lead to blackmail and extortion. More so, modern policing is very sophisticated. It is further disheartening that police operations are poorly funded. Attempts to reform the police will benefit tremendously from an appraisal of operation funding. Field officers and middle-ranked officers need to be allowed to make inputs, uncensored. My overriding impression is that our security agencies are not in a position to outthink and outsmart the criminals. That is one major reason criminals keep hitting our underbelly. I still rate Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, the inspector-general of police between 1986 and 1989, as one of the best security chiefs we have ever had. His policing was professional and intelligence-led. Police performed better under his watch compared to this era — despite the force being relegated to the background under military rule. What we have now are billionaire police chiefs, corrupted and incapacitated inside out by the elite. No surprises that we have been going downhill. We need to go back to the basics. Above all, the basics have to start from the leadership of the security agencies. We need new thinking. We need fresh ideas. The current chiefs have done their best but it is clear that whatever they are doing is neither sufficient nor efficient. We need people with fire in their belly, people with a point to prove, not those living on the edge — unsure whether or not the president will heed the persistent call to sack them. Critically, we need clear key performance indicators and accountability from the leadership of these agencies. When they are given such positions, what are the expectations? Who holds them to account? What are the consequences for non-performance? The insecurity is a problem affecting all divides. We must resist the cheap temptation to politicise it. What we need now is a united front. Nigeria is under attack. Ironically, if the current devastation across the north had been in the south, we would have been regaled by now with theories of “Islamisation” and “Fulanisation” by you-know-them. Clearly, the system is failing ordinary Nigerians and failing itself. Too many lives are being wasted everyday in painful circumstances. Dear President Buhari, Nigeria is going down. We can all see it. We can all feel it. It behoves on you to see what we are seeing and feel what we are feeling. You must ACT now to stem the tide. Mayday!

And Four Other Things… NDA-ISAIAH GONE Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher of Leadership newspapers, drew his last breath on Friday night, reportedly from complications of COVID-19. What a loss. What a huge loss. The exit of the consummate publisher, pharmacist and advocate of Big Ideas — coming days after the death of Maj-Gen Olu Irefin, also from COVID complications — should once again alert us to the stark reality that the pandemic is far from over. The conspiracy theorists are not helping matters with their propaganda which gullible people are swallowing recklessly. Some even say there is no COVID, or that it is ordinary malaria we call COVID in Nigeria. COVID is real. Let’s not throw caution away. Sad. FROM ARGENTINA Argentina has passed a law taxing its wealthiest people — those with assets worth over 200 million pesos (about $2.5 million) — to pay for medical supplies and relief measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. About 12,000 Argentinians are expected to pay the “millionaire’s tax”, as they call it. I find this quite interesting. In our own Nigeria, some billionaires will gather under an umbrella, announce donations, grab the contracts to supply materials funded by their donations and then get debt relief from the government for their “kindness”. Is there any other evidence to prove that the Siamese political and business elites are holding Nigeria by the jugular, even in tragedy? Captured. YRUNNING AWAY I don’t know if Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), is guilty of corruption charges. That is for the judges to decide. However, his conduct in the last eight years has been suspicious. First, he ran out of the country when his probe began. Three years ago, he sneaked into the country until Premium Times blew his cover and he was arrested. Then he ran away again as his trial started. He must have done something wrong for him to be running away. He was apprehended in Republic of Niger and brought back. On Thursday, he collapsed in court in front of the cameras. He will now have to travel abroad for medicals (don’t laugh). Dramatic. VACCINE AT LAST On Tuesday, Mrs Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, became the first person to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 jab as the UK rolled out the much-anticipated vaccine. If we are to use the logic of religious fundamentalists and their allies in the anti-vaccine movement, Bill Gates has now injected Keenan with a chip and she will soon become his zombie forever! On a more serious note, though, it is a thing of joy that humanity is now set to take on the coronavirus. The damage the virus has brought upon our world will take ages to repair — some are irreparable — but we should take solace in the fact that humanity is not as helpless as it was with the Spanish flu in 1918-1920. Progress.

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