THEWILL MAR. 7-13 EDITION

UPPER SAKPONBA: BENIN CITY’S DEN OF CRIMINALS – page 44

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MARCH 7 - MARCH 13, 2021 VOL . 1 NO. 4

AMCON: BATTLING REAL, UNREAL DEBTORS

ADAOBI: MAKING A MARK IN REAL ESTATE

– page 7

– page 39

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2023:Malami,Cabal Go For Tinubu’s Jugular ●Real Reason Oshiomhole, Fowler, Magu Were Sacked ●Ex-FIRS Boss Allegedly Linked To Bourdillon Bullion Vans Scandal ●New EFCC Chief Brought In to Finish Hatchet Job ●Don’t Pity Jagaban, That’s His Reward For Betraying Us - Adebanjo

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COVER

2023: Malami, Cabal Go For Tinubu’s Jugular ●Real Reason Oshiomhole, Fowler, Magu Were Sacked ●Ex-FIRS Boss Allegedly Linked To Bourdillon Bullion Vans Scandal ●New EFCC Chief Brought In to Finish Hatchet Job ●Don’t Pity Jagaban, That’s His Reward For Betraying Us - Adebanjo

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BY AMOS ESELE AND AYO ESAN here are fresh indications that the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also a prominent national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may be in for the toughest battle of his political career over his determined bid to actualize his highly-touted 2023 presidential ambition on the platform of his party.

was alleged to have come from him. For Magu, he was accused of over-protecting Tinubu with the help of Vice President Osinbajo, and had to be shoved aside for the Malami group to have their way. That explains the desperation of the AGF to get Magu sacked and replaced with Rasheed Bawa, his brother from Kebbi State, to help seal Tinubu’s fate finally,” the source said.

Currently in the eye of the storm, Tinubu, apparently, appears set to do real battle with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Ibrahim Malami, whom THEWILL reliably gathered is the arrowhead of a powerful clique in the presidential villa determined to fight the former Lagos State governor dirty in a well-orchestrated plan to truncate his 2023 presidential bid.

HATCHET JOB As if those plans were not enough, a criminal rope is now hanging around the neck of the cerebral politician, who holds the traditional title of “Jagaban Borgu” with the EFCC set to probe both his years in and outside government.

WEB OF INTRIGUES Clearly, Tinubu and his supporters have been battling multiple intense intrigues within the ruling political party aimed at neutralizing his influence in the party that he labored and financed into success with the support of other constituents.

THEWILL authoritatively gathered that part of the plan was the in-house “coup” that sent the former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, packing and the “hijack” of the party by the group loyal to Malami with members determined to whittle down whatever influence he still has within the party.

A source close to the party’s hierarchy with full knowledge of the power game to stop Tinubu, told THEWILL that the inglorious exit of the immediate past chairman of the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, as well as the treatment meted out to the sacked Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, were part of the orchestrated plan to scuttle the politician’s 2023 presidential ambition.

“The plan has been on for long and is so well-planned to weaken Tinubu’s influence and popularity within the APC. Fowler and Ibrahim Magu were just victims of the powerplay,” an insider source who craved anonymity, told THEWILL. “Fowler was accused of channeling federal funds to Tinubu and the controversial Bourdillon bullion van loaded with raw cash on the eve of the 2019 Presidential election THEWILLNIGERIA

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Only a few days ago, the new EFCC boss, youthful Bawa, six days after his confirmation at the Senate, took on a case involving Tinubu and which, according to a dependable government source, is “laced with a web of intrigues.”

The source continued: “Remember that it was the same Bawa who, last year, worked on Tinubu’s file at the EFCC. The fact that Tinubu’s case is the major task he’s taking on confirms his hatchet job stance.”

The EFCC had reportedly written to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, to request for copies of the politician’s asset declaration form when he served as governor of Nigeria’s commercial capital.

According to the letter, the anti-graft agency opened an investigation into his past in the last quarter of last year, shortly after the removal of Magu.

Curiously, Bawa signed the letter, reportedly marked CR/3000/EFCC/LS/Vol4/322 and dated November 6, 2020, when he was the zonal head of the Commission in Lagos.

The letter, according to an online report said: “In view of the above, you are kindly requested to furnish the commission with the outstanding requested information of Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu. *Continues on Page 4

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COVER New EFCC Chief Brought In to Finish Hatchet Job *Continued from Page 3

“This request is made pursuant to Section 38(1) and (2) of the EFCC Act 2004.”

A month earlier, in October 2020, Tinubu’s name had appeared in the file of the antigraft agency through a petition by Dapo Apara, former Managing Director of Alpha Beta Consulting, a Lagos –based tax consultant linked with Tinubu.

The former MD of the tax firm had petitioned the EFCC, accusing Alpha Beta of tax evasion.

Apara, in the writ of summons marked LD/733GCMW/2020LD, alleged that Tinubu runs the company through proxies and gets 10 percent of the taxes collected on behalf of the state.

As the head of the company, the former MD said he began looking into its finances and he made many startling discoveries such as mysterious transfers of over N20bn to various companies.

Apara had also in the petition to the EFCC accused the company of N100 billion fraud but two years after, the EFCC had yet to take action.

In his statement of claim, “the former Alpha Beta boss said Tinubu boasted that the then acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, would protect him.”

Apara alleged that N550million was paid to Ocean Trust Ltd vide payment instruction dated the 15/5/18, while another N850million payment was made to Ocean Trust Ltd vide payment instruction dated the 14/3/15.

The claimant said N960 million was spent on purchasing HITV’s 300,000,000 shares.

According to him, “Tinubu was furious that he was looking into the company’s finances and this led to his demotion and eventual exit.”

In the petition, he also alleged that the firm was being protected by powerful politicians and that it laundered funds through another firm, Ocean Trust Limited.

Bawa

The petition by Apara’s lawyer, Adetunji Adegboyega, read in part: “Over the years, the company (Alpha Beta) has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable.”

However, the consultancy firm, Alpha Beta LLP, denied allegations leveled against it and stated that he had diverted about $5m during his time as managing director by inflating a contract, which was worth about $300,000 and then diverted a separate N6bn to personal use.

The firm said it had reported Apara’s alleged fraud to the appropriate authorities but he had refused to show up and rather remained in Dubai.

The firm said Apara’s allegations levelled against Tinubu were specious and diversionary.

Attempt by THEWILL to get confirmation from the Media Head of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, on the status of the petition against Alpha Beta and whether the agency had actually commenced investigation against Tinubu failed, as he would neither answer calls put through to his phone nor reply to text messages.

But a source at the Commission simply said: “Yes, there is a case against the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but I don’t want to comment on it. I am sorry.”

Without pre-empting the case by EFCC against the former Lagos State governor, Tinubu, which borders on criminality, some watchers of political developments in the country believe it might have political colouration.

That Bawa rose promptly to begin this case against Tinubu is not surprising to many because feelers from the probe of Magu showed that part of the reason he was shoved aside was because he allegedly “sat on several petitions against Tinubu.”

THEWILL recalls that a group known as ‘Concerned Nigerians’ petitioned the Commission asking it to investigate the source of the money conveyed in bullion vans to the Bourdillon Lagos residence of Tinubu on the eve of the 2019 presidential election.

The group as reported in the media then had sent the petition following a November 12, 2018 press briefing by Magu that the Commission would investigate Tinubu anytime it receives a petition on him.

Leader of the Group, Deji Adeyanju, had said in the petition: “I have decided to take up your challenge after you called for a petition through your social media account on Twitter.”

The petition read: “The Commission would recall that it was reported all over the news that bullion vans allegedly containing an undisclosed amount of cash were seen entering the home of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State on the eve of Nigeria’s presidential election. Tinubu himself admitted to this fact while responding to questions by journalists.

“It is pertinent to note that section 7 (1) (b) of EFCC Establishment Act 2004 gives the Commission the power to investigate properties of any person that appears to the Commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.

“To the best of our knowledge, Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a private citizen who ordinarily should not be seen with a convoy of bullion vans.

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Magu “The questions begging for answers are: What were bullion vans doing in the house of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Who owns the content, believed to be cash in the bullion vans that were seen entering the house of Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the eve of Nigeria’s presidential election? Has the Commission, based on its core mandates, investigated the source of the bullion vans? Is Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s house now a bank where bullion vans take money?”

Magu, understandably did nothing about the petition, fueling allegations by many Nigerians that he shielded Tinubu during his tenure.

And up till the time a combined team of Department of State Services (DSS) operatives and officers from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) arrested him in July, 2020 and was made to face the Justice Ayo Salami led-Presidential Panel over alleged mismanagement of assets and insubordination, Magu failed to fulfil his pledge that the “Commission would investigate Tinubu anytime it receives a petition to do so.”

Malami had accused Magu of corruption and abuse of office. At the end of the investigation, Magu was shown the exit door.

The opening of investigation into Tinubu’s financial past is definitely attracting attention both from politicians and many other Nigerians who are wondering about the source of his stupendous wealth.

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COVER Ex-FIRS Boss Allegedly Linked To Bourdillon Bullion Vans Scandal Efforts to confirm this from Fowler proved abortive as he refused to acknowledge calls to his mobile phone.

Many of powerful northern leaders in APC are said to have been pissed with Tinubu’s arrogance and flaunting of his wealth in 2014 during the presidential campaign and believe he must be checked.

Though Tinubu has not openly announced his intention to contest in the presidential election in 2023, his body language and actions of his close associates are pointers to his bid.

A former Minister for Works, Dayo Adeyeye, is leading a campaign for him in the South West.

Also, a government source that talked about the EFCC investigation as “a web of intrigues” explained that since 2015, Tinubu had been operating like an alternative President of the country, incurring the hatred of many as the election of 2023 heats up.

Since 2015, according to the source, Tinubu has continued to wear the title of National Leader of the party when party convention and constitution allocates the position to the President. The party’s Constitution has no such position, which makes it look as if Tinubu is the face of the party, rather than the President.

Aside the EFCC probe, a shock to Tinubu and his group was the manner through which Oshiomhole, a close ally of Tinubu, was removed as the National Chairman of the APC in June last year. The belief was that with Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the APC, Tinubu’s victory in the presidential primary would be easy.

Oshiomhole was sacked during a controversial virtual National Executive Committee meeting of the APC. Majority of the National Working Committee members had opposed the NEC meeting, saying it was wrongly called by Victor Giadom, whom they said was not competent to call the meeting. But President Buhari, however, declared support for the meeting, saying “the law is on the side of Victor Giadom as Acting National Chairman.”

Fowler

A caretaker committee was subsequently set up led by Yobe State governor, Mai Bala Buni.

Though analysts inferred it was a blow to Tinubu‘s 2023 ambition, both Tinubu and President Buhari said their relationship remained cordial and that the step was taken in good faith to find a way for the party to continue waxing stronger.

Buhari also said that the Caretaker committee was to last for only six months and that it would organize a convention that would replace the sacked executive within the period.

To the surprise of Tinubu and his group within the APC, the tenure of the caretaker committee was not only extended, but it was also saddled with the responsibility of conducting registration/ revalidation of members.

On hearing this, former interim National Chairman of the Party, Chief Bisi Akande, former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba and former South West Vice Chairman of the Action Congress, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, went to the Villa to convince President Buhari that there was no need for the exercise. But Buhari was alleged to have turned down their plea, saying the exercise will hold as scheduled.

It was Akande, a close ally of Tinubu, who prepared the membership register that was submitted to INEC during the APC registration in 2014. But observers believe that having another register that will be ‘alien’ to Tinubu and his group is also another way of whittling down his influence in the party.

The registration/revalidation of members brought joy to the camp of the faction of the party in Lagos State led by Fouad Oki. Farouk Oki’s faction which also has a former Legal Adviser of the party, Dr Muiz Banire, in its fold openly expressed support for the exercise and described it as victory for the truth.

Many believe that the registration and revalidation of members was done to weaken Tinubu’s influence in the party. The open criticism that greeted the exercise by Akande, Tinubu and Oshiomhole reinforced this position by the observers.

Oshiomhole

The open condemnation of the exercise by Akande and Tinubu’s tacit support showed that the group is uncomfortable with the exercise.

There were also speculations that Fowler’s inability to secure a second term in office had to do with his closeness to Tinubu.

The question being asked by political analysts and watchers of political developments is whether Tinubu will be able to swim in the rough waters with no injuries or whether he will succumb to pressure and abandon his presidential ambition.

Fowler, a known Tinubu’s ‘boy’ was dragged into FIRS to buoy up the country’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the country. He had done the same as the head of Lagos State Inland Revenue Service with huge success when Tinubu was the governor.

Surprisingly, Fowler who many believe did well, even begged for a second term in office but was denied by President Muhammadu Buhari. Not only that, Fowler was queried by former Chief of Staff to the President, the late Abba Kyari, who accused him of undeclared remittances.

It was gathered that some political leaders within the APC and powerful group in the Presidency believe Tinubu was benefiting financially from Fowler’s position as FIRS boss and urged the President to remove him. The powerful group within the president’s circle particularly believe that Fowler’s position will give Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition the needed funding to crush rivals.

THEWILL further gathered that Fowler in answering a query issued by Kyari implicated Tinubu of some financial benefits from FIRS.

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Speaking on the development, a chieftain of the Pan - Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said: “They said Tinubu is a strategist. I just laugh whenever I hear that. A strategist that can’t see what is happening in APC. You are the principal partner in this merger but you have no constitutional position in the party.

They deceived you that they are going to make you chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) but they never set it up deliberately. So, the constitutional bodies of the party you have said no, and yet, he is still thinking that he is something in the party. There was an occasion when Buhari told him that there cannot be two national leaders in the party and that, as President, he is the only national leader. So, if Tinubu continues deceiving himself; that is his problem. You can see (Aremo Olusegun) Osoba now begging the party to call a national caucus meeting when they now know that by doing the membership registration, they are trying to edge them out and it is going to affect them. I have been saying that Tinubu betrayed us and now in his lifetime, he is already receiving his reward. Are the APC people not paying him back? I am not saying this for the first time that Buhari is deceiving him and he is also deceiving Buhari. Let them keep deceiving themselves. He is already receiving the reward for his betrayal in his party.”

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NEWS NSE: Investors Lose N314bn In One Week

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nvestors in the Nigerian equity market lost N314 billion in the first week of the month ending Friday, March 5, 2021, as trading closed in the negative territory compared to the previous days’ performance. Data from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) shows that market capitalization for the last trading week day (Friday March 5) was N20.57 trillion as against N20.89 trillion on the first trading of the month – March 1, 2021.

Similarly, the NSE All-Share Index (NSE-ASI) of 39,931.63 recorded on March 1, dipped 1.5 per cent to 39,331.61 on Friday, March 5, to close for the week’s activities.

The downward trend was consistent during the week with market capitalization dropping to N20.76 trillion (from N20.89 trillion the previous day) to decline further to N20.67 trillion on Wednesday, March 3. Trading on Thursday March 4, also closed negative as market capitalization dipped N83 billion to N20.59 trillion before it dipped further south to N20.57 trillion on Friday, March 5. A total of 587,742,048 shares in 4,895 deals, corresponding to a market value of N13.61 were traded at the last weekday of trading on the Nigerian bourse Friday, March 5.

Compared with the previous trading day (Thursday, March 4), Friday’s data shows 19 per cent improvement in volume, 188 per cent improvement in turnover, but 11 per cent decline in deals.

In the aggregate, 106 NSE listed equities participated in trading, ending with 20 gainers and 27 losers. Morison Industries led the gainers with 10 per cent share price appreciation followed

by Lafarge Wapco, N.E.M. Insurance Company and Skyway Aviation Handling Co. On the losing side, Tripple Gee & Co. came out last followed by Trans-Nationwide Express, Union Homes Real Estate Inv. AXA Mansard Insurance recorded the highest volume of 282.3 million traded shares, followed by Zenith Bank, FBN Holdings.

Dr. Cyprian Ngong of National Hospital, Abuja taking the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday 5/3/2020

Stolen $2m, N17m: CACOL Wants Oba of Lagos Investigated

BY AYO ESAN

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he Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, (CACOL) has called on the anti-corruption agencies to investigate the sources of the sum of $2m and N17m allegedly stolen from the palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corrupt ion organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “It would be recalled that the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu had said the sum of $2 million and N17 million were stolen when youths attacked his palace on October 21, 2020 in the violence that erupted after the #EndSARS protests.

The Monarch was quoted as saying, “I will support anything that will move Lagos forward. I have appealed to the Federal Government to assist Lagos with what we have suffered. The incident that happened here from October 20th to 23rd is so saddening.

The destruction we suffered in Lagos is so enormous than in any other part of the country. Many buildings were burnt, including vehicles used to generate income. I can now say publicly that they stole $2 million and N17 million from my palace”.

Responding CACOL said, “We heard the news and we were aghast that the Oba of Lagos can have such humongous amount of money right in his palace. The question is where exactly is the source of that money, which business is he doing that generated that amount of money for him? Is the Oba of Lagos operating a Bureau De Change in his palace? Has the palace of the Oba turned to a financial institution of some sort? Is this not violation of some existing laws? Is this not money laundering?”

“We were even more surprised that the Oba of Lagos has the audacity to publicly come out with that amount as what was stolen from his palace. It is a widely known fact that many people were impoverished as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sustaining their daily livelihoods became difficult for many families and households, which is why we found it difficult to believe that a monarch who is supposed to be the custodian of the culture of the people will be in custody of such huge sums of money both in local and foreign currencies when the people living in his domain are living in abject poverty.

The anti-graft czar added, “Considering the strategic and critical role of traditional institutions in our society, we are seriously concerned about the enormity of flagrance abuse of their offices and display of opulence that recently characterized our traditional institutions. We therefore call on Anti-corruption Agencies to swing into action and immediately investigate the claim by the Oba of Lagos. He should be quizzed to determine the source of the money allegedly carted away by hoodlums during the #Endsars protest and why he kept the money in his palace.”

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Okowa: Maritime University, Key Factor in Niger Delta Peace, Stability

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he coming of the Nigeria Maritime University was instrumental in bringing about peace and reconciliation in the Niger Delta following a period of fierce agitation for economic justice in the region. Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, stated this in Asaba during a courtesy visit by Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh.

Okowa said the maritime university located at Okerenkoko, in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State, which was established in 2017, with the active support of NIMASA, had a stabilising effect on the people.

“Indeed, the coming of the university gave birth to peace in the Niger Delta and we must appreciate NIMASA for its contribution,” Okowa stated. “I am glad that a lot is being done by NIMASA, particularly in Delta State, and we will continue to appreciate it so that you will continue to do more,” he added.

The governor pledged to cooperate with the maritime regulatory Agency in the building of a virile blue economy in the country, with a strong maritime business base in the state.

He said, “I am aware that we have been having issues with the ship repairs and building project and we will be happy to see this industry established to complement the university.

“We are aware that a lot of scholarships have been given to Deltans and I must register our appreciation to NIMASA.” Jamoh and his Executive Management team were in the state as part of a sensitisation drive to get the buy-in of the coastal states in the current attempt to develop maritime as the pivot of the country’s economic diversification effort.

The Director-General stated, “It is my sincere pleasure to be with you as part of our stakeholders’ sensitisation in terms of the development of the maritime sector. We felt there should be a moral and political buy-in from everyone in the littoral states. The participation and support of the governments and people of the Niger Delta are key factors in the successful development of a robust blue economy in the country.

“Our maritime sector is a huge treasure trove of development opportunities. The sector can fetch us even much more than oil, as recent studies by experts, including the World Bank, have shown.

“As an agency of the Federal Government, and the maritime regulatory body of the country, we should be in the vanguard of this new move to get our critical stakeholders on board as we strive to wean Nigeria off oil dependence.”

Jamoh stated that in the last seven years, the Agency had sited three major maritime projects in Delta State. They include the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, the country’s first maritime university; the NIMASA Science and Technical College, Okoloba; and a proposed shipyard for ship repairs.

He disclosed that over a thousand Delta State indigenes had benefited from the Agency’s overseas scholarship scheme to study marine-related courses.

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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION

AMCON: Battling Real, Unreal Debtors

•Parties Allege Victimisation •Accuse Agency of Disregard For Court Orders •N4trn Debt Threatened

BY SAM DIALA

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he Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is firing from all cylinders to recover over N4 trillion owed it by various entities that are regarded as recalcitrant debtors. To justify its calling, the bad debt bank is pursuing its daunting task with ruthless single-mindedness. While this tough stance has earned AMCON unceasing accolade, the flipside is that among the “recalcitrant debtors” are victims of wrongfully classified debts.

THEWILL learnt from those familiar with the matter that while some of the debts owed AMCON (referred to as AMCON debts), are real and indisputable, others are not. The latter constitutes part of the countless litigations in which AMCON is either a plaintiff or defendant, or joined as such.

Among the wrongfully classified toxic assets are unsubstantiated, non-existent, disputed and interest capitalization facilities. Legal and finance experts revealed that AMCON’s debt recovery drive has created casualties of victimization and highhandedness – those with wrongfully classified debts hung on their neck like millstone.

A legal practitioner who is extensively involved in AMCON related matters traced the origin of this anomaly to the procedure for buying the Non-Performing Loans (NPLs). He argued that this has created fundamentally legal and administrative challenges as due diligence was not exercised over the integrity

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of the toxic assets. This, he said, led to AMCON buying unsubstantiated and disputed loans that have now created a problem for the system.

“AMCON parades over N4 trillion debts; sadly, this figure includes unsubstantiated debts – debts that never existed; and debts whose figures remain controversial and doubtful. It is therefore futile to engage in the pursuit of such debts. From my extensive handling of AMCON related matters, I would say that a lot of the AMCON debts will never be recovered”, said Victor Ukutt, Principal Partner, Victor Ukutt & Co. (Legal Practitioners) in their Lagos Chambers.

Ukutt told THEWILL that the coming of AMCON revealed deep-rooted rot in the Nigerian banking sector: Some corrupt bank officials used the customers’ accounts for various fraudulent practices. The procedure for acquiring the toxic loans allowed fraudulent bank officials to go free while innocent customers, the victims, suffer.

“On the issue of non-performing loans, I can say with certainty that many of those debts AMCON is claiming to be recovering never existed in the first place because they are fictitious debts, disputed debts, interest-capitalization for years.

“AMCON should have been able to say, ‘Mr A, we learnt you are indebted to Bank C; is it correct?’ If it is correct, ‘how much have you paid back and how much is outstanding?’ There was no such communication. They bought over the loans from the banks; some of these are debts that did not exist. AMCON will now write to the so-called debtor, ‘Come and pay us this amount of money you owe a particular bank’. Then dispute will arise”, Ukutt explained in an exclusive interview with THEWILL. Expatiating further, he said: “Really, the AMCON Act empowers the purchase of the debts, but the Act was silent on the procedure. The procedure ought to be fair and transparent. The debtor ought to have been put on notice. Even the 2015 Amendment Act was silent on it. But, this is a case of a third party getting involved in a two-party matter and there must be fairness on all sides. If AMCON had wanted a transparent process, to avoid dispute over indebtedness, the socalled debtor should have been put on notice before AMCON purchased the debt.”

Unsubstantiated Facilities Among the unsubstantiated facilities Ukutt explained to THEWILL was the case of Bamidele Enterprises Limited (not real name) who applied for a credit facility to invest in their diesel distribution business. The application was never approved and no facility was extended to the customer. Surprisingly, Bamidele Enterprises Limited was published in the CBN’s list of bad debtors.

The business owner was shocked

when a team of AMCON and security

*Continue on Page 8

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SPECIAL INVESTIGATION *Continued from Page 7

AMCON: Battling Real, Unreal Debtors

officials stormed his house over the “debt” arising from a “facility” granted him by a nationalized bank . A third generation bank that acquired the bridge bank eventually inherited the controversial debt.

Giving further details, the legal practitioner told THEWILL that none of the fundamental terms and conditions in loan administration existed in the claimed facility extended to Mr Bamidele’s firm: “There must be availability of that product. There also has to be a warehousing agreement, and then the bank has to confirm from the supplier that they have diesel (the product) and they have to sign a tripartite warehousing agreement.

“The bank did not execute any of these agreements; the money was not given to the customer. What the bank did was to credit the customer’s account with over N100 million which was immediately transferred out; and the money disappeared. The customer never knew about this fraud. This is why customers, especially business people, should obtain their bank statements at least monthly.”

A twist in the narrative was that “a fictitious legal mortgage over a property at Modakeke – Ife (Osun state)”, was claimed to have been executed in respect of the facility. They also put another name as chairman of the company. The man they claimed to be the chairman of the company denied any knowing of Bamidele Enterprises Limited and a loan facility with any bank.

“

We proved to AMCON that we had drawn N10 billion from the facility and could not see the basis for the facility being sold to them for N15 billion. We found out that they had heaped a huge interest liability on the outstanding amount to build it to N15 billion

“We went to court after my findings showed that no such transaction existed. Eventually, the court gave judgement against the bank in 2018 after nine years of legal battle. The bank was ordered to refund the entire amount it wrongfully debited to the customer’s account with interest, now hitting about N200 million. AMCON went on an appeal.

That is where the matter is now and only God knows for how long. Meanwhile, the customer’s business is crumbled”, the legal practitioner said.

A similar case occurred at Eket, Akwa Ibom state where AMCON with security agents and operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) swooped on the owner of Akpan Udoh Company Limited (not real name) in 2010. The matter was a loan of N700 million said to have been granted the company by an old generation bank.

Mr Udoh was bundled into a waiting van and taken to Eket Police Station preparatory to being conveyed to Abuja via Lagos. He quickly contacted his lawyer who advised him to issue cheques of another bank for N900 million which AMCON claimed the company was owing, so that Mr Udoh could be left off the hook. That was done.

The lawyer flew into Eket the same day and issued a stop-order on the N900 million cheques after a meeting with Mr Udoh showed the facility was never granted to him by the said bank. The lawyer explained in his stop-order that the cheques were issued under duress and at gun point.

Mr Udoh sued the bank at the Federal High Court, Uyo, and joined AMCON, CBN and EFCC . The court gave judgement against the bank in 2014 after years of litigation.

“You can see that the N700 million is lost because the loan never existed in the first place. Yet it was among the AMCON debts”, a legal practitioner told THEWILL. In another instance a bank, now acquired by a major lender, claimed to have granted a facility to one Alhaji Muhammed (not real name). The facility was a bridging loan (to buy shares) which Muhammed secured with his own shares and stock worth over N100 million. The transaction had not been fully consummated when AMCON bought the facility as NPL and dispute ensued.

It was revealed that, contrary to the bank’s communication with Muhammed that the transaction was on course, no shares were purchased for him. “The bank claimed to have bought the shares, which the customer never saw till today. No shares were shown to the man. The bank later claimed to have credited the customer’s account. There was no evidence to that effect.

“AMCON started harassing the man. We sued the bank at a Federal High Court in Lagos where AMCON was a third defender after CBN. The court delivered judgement in favour of Mohammed in 2015. The stockbroker had confirmed releasing Muhammed’s shares, on his instruction, to the bank as collateral. The bank could not even present evidence of the shares they claimed to have bought. The man’s shares used as collateral could not be accounted for. This is among the debts that AMCON bought”, a source familiar with the matter said.

THEWILL also learnt that many AMCON debts in dispute have to do with faulty processes created by the banks to swindle the customer. This includes the execution of stamp duty to perfect a legal mortgage used as collateral. Some banks were said to have under-declared the value of the mortgaged property so as to pay less stamp duty; but the customer (borrower) is debited with the charges for real/full value of the transaction.

A legal expert said the Supreme Court had ruled that the value declared for the purpose of stamp duty would be deemed to be the value of the facility even where the actual value exceeds the declared value. “There are cases like this; and the client would, through his lawyer, insist on the Supreme Court pronouncement on the matter. How will AMCON be carrying the wrong value of the facility as NPL?”, the lawyer asked.

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his property”, the legal practitioner explained.

He said there are cases involving 10-year-old facilities and the bank is still charging interest. “Curiously, interest capitalization is now regarded as bad loans. Even abandoned accounts are packed with interest capitalization. How would AMCON realize such bad debts?

“In some cases, also, the Loan Purchase Agreement (LPA) contains discrepancies. If the loan purchase figure differs with the amount you want to recover, it is null and void.

These are part of the AMCON dilemma but no one is ready to look that way because ‘AMCON debts must be recovered’.”

THE CASE OF SURU WORLDWIDE VENTURES A particular case of wrongfully categorization as non-performing loan was that of Suru Worldwide Venture, a Lagos-based firm which is into property and hotel business. The Group Managing Director, Mr Edward Akinlade, had in a press conference in Lagos late 2020, narrated his ordeal in the hands of AMCON over a facility his firm had with a third generation bank. Mr Akinlade later spoke with THEWILL to expatiate on the issues he raised at the media chat.

He explained that his firm had a funding of about N13.5 billion from a new generation bank that was later acquired by a Tier-1 lender. He revealed that his firm had drawn down N10 billion and that the facility was performing and being serviced. Yet it was surreptitiously sold to AMCON after the firm had paid over N700 million in the three months preceding the sale of the loan to AMCON. “AMCON was set up to purchase non-performing loans, but our loan was performing yet they sold it. We sued the bank in 2011 for that action – mismanaging our account”, Akinlade told THEWILL. He added, “We proved to AMCON that we had drawn N10 billion from the facility and could not see the basis for the facility being sold to them for N15 billion. We found out that they had heaped a huge interest liability on the outstanding amount to build it to N15 billion. AMCON had paid N8.3 billion into the account.”

The company approached AMCON to work out a modality for funding the firm’s projects and AMCON asked them to sell their assets and raise money to pay their debt, promising to support the firm thereafter. “I sold my 8-acres land in Ikeja GRA, for about N1.75 billion and paid the proceed to AMCON who thereafter wrote us that we owe the Corporation N6.3 billion,” Akinlade said.

THEWILL learnt that AMCON refused to accept an offshore facility the firm obtained from the London subsidiary of a Nigerian bank, on the grounds that AMCON debtors are prohibited from obtaining loans from Nigerian banks. Akinlade’s argument that the London bank is a separate entity was not accepted as AMCON wrote the London bank not to grant the facility.

“To our surprise, AMCON went to court asking to be given the power to confiscate our assets on the ground that the loan was properly bought. The court dismissed AMCON’s case. Instead of appealing the case, AMCON counter-sued us for N26 billion in the N36 billion case we had instituted against the bank for mismanaging our account. The Court dismissed the case with N100,000 cost, stating that AMCON should have appealed the original case.”

Akinlade said AMCON approached anther bank for an Order to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to assist AMCON to recover their asset being occupied by hooligans.

According to him, “AMCON listed our hotel, Best Western on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos among the assets. In the early hours of September 27, 2017, AMCON came to the hotel with a team of Mobile Police personnel, tear-gassed everybody away and took physical possession of the facility.

“We subsequently sued AMCON to recover our hotel on the ground that we were not joined in the case. The Court of Appeal agreed with us and told AMCON to go and sue us properly, with our firm joined, if truly they wanted to confiscate the asset. AMCON appealed to the Supreme Court and is still holding on to the property. That is where the matter is now”, Akinlade said.

“The hotel has been empty since then and is basically destroyed. A hotel that was worth about N6.3 billion is now worth N1.3 billion for so many reasons: It was a functioning business, now it is just brick and mortar. All the furniture is wrecked. Everything inside the hotel that I spent over N1 billion to fix about 10 years ago, is gone.

Asked what the way forward is, Akinlade said, “AMCON has been reaching out to us for settlement of the N6.3 billion. I told them I want to settle, but you owe me N2 billion now.

I am not going to bear the losses of N5 billion of the action you took: Loss of revenue ever since, litigation from legitimate customers who were tear-gassed out of the hotel, loss of goodwill, loss of our name. Best Western is an American franchise. I have a contract for it.

All the cost we calculated at over N8 billion. We deduct their N6.3 billion from N8 billion and we have explained to AMCON that they are owing us N2 billion. We have been waiting for 10 years, and we will continue to wait. I do believe that God will see us through.”

SOME DISPUTED DEBTS ARE ALSO TERM-LOAN FACILITIES. A term loan is one that has fixed duration, like 6 months, one year, two years, as the case may be. According to a legal practitioner, the Supreme Court has made pronouncement with preponderance of authorities, that where a facility with fixed duration occurs, you cannot charge interest outside that duration, because you have already agreed on the tenor or lifespan of the facility, even if the customer did not pay.

Akinlade said he had petitioned the Public Petition Committee of the National Assembly that AMCON used illegal means and Police to take over his property in 2017 and that he was in hospital for one week after the incident. He disclosed that AMCON has not honoured the invitation on the three occasions that the Public Petition Committee invited them.

“What you can do, is to claim damages for breach of contract, not for you to begin to calculate interest outside the tenor. These are parts of the debts that AMCON bought over as jumbo debt. They now use security agents to deal with the client and confiscate

“I have also petitioned the ‘Lagos State Tribunal Against SARS’ (with images of what SARS did in our hotel), asking for justice and a compensation of N10 billion from Nigeria Police. That petition is there,” Akinlade said.

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POLITICS

INEC: Uneasy Calm Over Polling Units’ Delineation AMOS ESELE

F

ew days ago, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Festus Okoye appeared on national television and said the ongoing polling unit increase and expansion should not be likened to the distribution of palliatives, a code name for government alleviation measures to buffer Nigeria against hardship.

He declared that the electoral project, which had often aroused suspicion in the past for no just reason, was intended to make the voter sovereign and strengthen democratic governance.

“What we are dealing with is a long-time challenge that has existed over time and will give credibility and access to the system.” Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programmes at YIAGA Africa, a youth empowerment organization that has done extensive work on voter power and elections told this newspaper.

She said the project was long over due.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday, February 2 told the Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South) led Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC, that the Commission has received 10, 092 requests for polling units across the country.

He said; “The problem is nationwide. There are, at present, 10,092 requests for polling units from all over the country and rising. In other jurisdictions, expanding voter access to polling units is purely administrative. Nigeria should aim for that.”

Yakubu, during his meeting with stakeholders in Abuja in mid-February to canvass support and dispel controversies surrounding the decision on the Commission to increase polling units in 26 states ahead of the 2023 elections, explained the extent of the problem.

He said, “the last time polling units were established was 25 years ago in 1996 by the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON).

There were 120,000 polling units to serve a projected population of about 50 million voters. Today, the number of registered voters is 84,004,084 and is set to rise after we resume Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ahead of the 2023 General Election. Yet, the number of polling units remains static. In fact, the biggest category of registered voters on our data base (aged 18 to 25 years) were not even born when the current polling units were established a quarter of a century ago.” In 1996, Chief Karibi Dagogo-Jact was Chairman of the NECON during the military administration of late, former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

The Commission had tried with negligible success in the past to increase the polling units. The attempts under Professor Mahmod Jega has Chairman of INEC in 2007 and 2014 took place very close to election periods and naturally evoke suspicion and resistance by politicians and communities, which felt the exercises were meant to relegate them.

“Because they came too close to General Elections, the Commission’s intention was not properly communicated and therefore misunderstood and politicized, said Yakubu. Yet the voter population has been increasing. From 57.93million in 2019, it rose to 60.82million in 2003, 61,56 million in 2007 and 73.52million in 2011. Though the figure fell to 68. 83 million in 2015, it rose sharply to 80.4 million in 2019. 68.83 So touchy is the issue that the Commission has to consult widely before embarking on the process this time round. Ordinarily, Section 22 of the Electoral Act mandates INEC to create additional units with time. By INEC regulation, each polling unit is not supposed to have more than 500 registered voters on the average. But there are polling units with as much as 2,000 or 3,000 registered voters across the country. Given the social and political fault lines in Nigeria’s multi-ethnic and diverse setting, creation of polling units

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And for that reason that the issue had lingered, over 5,000 petitions from 26 states had been flooding the Commission requesting for the expansion and increase of additional polling units, especially in the face of growing population, worsening insecurity, natural disasters such as flooding in places like Bayelsa, Kogi, for examples, that make it near impossible for voters to want to walk far from their localities.

To get the process going without any opposition is the reason the Commission is still embarking with consultation with stakeholders. The consultative meetings, according to Mr Okoye, will involve political parties, civil society organisations, religious leaders, traditional institutions, labour unions, socio-cultural and political organisations and various arms of the federal and state governments.

According to Okoye, the Commission had for the past several weeks been preparing for the national engagements to discuss the inadequacies of Polling Units in Nigeria and the challenges they pose to election management.

He identified some of the challenges potentially disenfranchising millions of Nigerians and posing health risks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as over-crowding, increased populations and poor locations.

Okoye said: “For several years, the Commission has tried to address this fundamental challenge to democratic consolidation and election administration with minimal success. This has been mainly due to inadequate engagement between the Commission and stakeholders.

“Consequently, the Commission has had to resort to interim measures such as creating Voting Points at Polling Units nationwide and establishing Voting Point Settlements in the Federal Capital Territory.

“

The Commission has had to resort to interim measures such as creating Voting Points at Polling Units nationwide and establishing Voting Point Settlements in the Federal Capital Territory

“These engagements will afford an opportunity for the Commission to consult with stakeholders in order to build a genuine national consensus to address the problem of declining voter access to Polling Units.”

“Among the burning issues to be addressed at these consultations are the *Continue on Page 10

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POLITICS

‘Politicians Focus On Weaknesses In System To Manipulate Election Outcomes’ At this stage of our democracy, we should not limit any conversation on division but focus on the benefits of the process. INEC should conduct the exercise with transparency and ensure equity and fairness. It should be data driven and evidence-based. For examples, we need to know what are the current realities across polling units ? Is it about population or creation of new settlement? Citizens should also care about it, engage the process and follow through by providing independent oversight.

Given the extensive work of your organization on this, are you sure INEC is capable of doing the right thing?

If there is a political will to do the right thing, it can be done. The challenge in Nigeria has not always been the lack of creativity but the political will to engage the process. I think INEC is committed to do it. INCE has played a leadership role in ECOWAS on such matters. Let us also beware that INEC is not operating in isolation. Politicians who have benefitted from the flaws in the system do not want change. It is very clear that we need poling units created at this time.

Mbamalu

When it was created the voting population was about 50 million. Now, it is 84 million. An average polling unit in Abuja, for instance, is 2,000 voters.

Abuja in 1996 was a smaller city. Now it has expanded. If a polling unit has 2,000 voters and only 500 turn out to vote, people can manipulate the result.

After voting take place in voting points, results are taken to voting units.

So even at the level of collation, there is a tendency for manipulation to take place. Politicians focus on the weaknesses in the system to manipulate election outcomes. So if voting points are closer to the voters it reduces the chances of manipulation.

Ms Cynthia Mbamalu is the Director of Programmes at YAIGA Africa, a youth empowerment organization, which has worked on election and on issues of voter power for many years in the country. In this interview with AMOS ESELE, she looks into plan by INEC to increase polling units after 25 years and urged the Commission to expand its scope with acceptable benchmarks.

Y

our organization YIAGA Africa has been working on issues related to voter power for sometime now. How do you react to the plan by INEC to increase polling units in the country?

I think the first part in the plan is the beginning of this conversation now for a country with a projected population of 200 million persons in 2020. The last time this exercise was done was in 1996 when the country was over a hundred million and the voting population was about 50 million. So what we are dealing with is a long-time challenge that has existed over time and will give credibility and access to the system.

But why do you think that something as simple as that is generating controversy?

Because Nigeria is a diverse country with many fault lines like regional, political and ethnic divide, which politicians manipulate to make the people focus on the dividing line rather than focus on leadership. They manipulate the process to their benefit. Under Prof Mahmud Jega as Chairman of INEC in 2014, the Commission had to suspend the move to increase polling units.

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INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu said experience has shown that enhanced access to polling units increases turn out of voters at elections.

Do you support that view.?

It is debatable, because there some other factors that are responsible for low voter turn out during elections. People are dissatisfied with the quality of governance and do not want to participate. But closeness to voting units and points can ensure turn out on election days when there is usually restriction of movements.

People would not like to move too far from location in places, which has witnessed communal conflict. Flood disasters like it happened in Kogi and Bayelsa before the elections there mad it impossible for people who are displaced but still wanted to vote. These are some of the factors INEC need to consider because some of the locations in such disaster prone areas do not exist•

...Uneasy Calm Over Polling Units’ Delineation *Continued from Page 9

challenges that declining access to Polling Units pose to democracy and election management in Nigeria.”

Several communities in Nigeria, especially in the fast developing areas suffer acute shortages of polling units leading to several of voters having to travel several kilometers to cast their vote on election days. Others unable to cope with the stress simply disenfranchise themselves by staying put in their homes on election days. For examples, new areas have sprung in Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory, where according to Okoye over 20,253 voting settlements are presents

Yakubu is, however, confident on the success of his Commission’s mission: “I am confident that by working together we will make history by finally solving this 25-year-old problem of enhancing access to polling units in Nigeria. The Nigerian voter and our democracy in general will be the biggest beneficiaries of increased access to polling units.”

Lagos PDP Spokesman, Taofik Gani, is doubtful.

“The issues of INEC and acceptable election processes are beyond polling units. Creating 100 PUs on a street won’t change the integrity problem in our elections.

According to an INEC National Commissioner, Professor Okey Ibeanu, the increase and expansion in the number of polling units across the country would help reduce election violence, rigging and clustering during elections.

“Why can’t we have electronic voting linked to voters’ ID and the election can be done online?” Gani said. He has a supporter in Ms Mbamalu.

Assuring the public that the Commission means well with the ongoing exercise, Okoye dispelled the fear that creation and expansion of existing voting units has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity.

She said: “The conversations show that people are part of this process. What is required is for INEC to use some acceptable benchmarks in converting over 50,000 voting points and settlements into units, to inform the decision to relocate voting points.”

“Access to vote, to restore the sovereignty to the voter,” he explained is the focus of the exercise. Pressed further, he stated that,” the project is not a palliative allocation but the rights of the people. In Kago area of Kaduna state and Gwarimpa in the FCT, voting settlements are in the neighbourhood of 25,000 and 20, 253 respectively. On election days there is usually confusion and some can lead to cancellation of results, so lets bring voting units closer to the people.

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But did INEC have to wait for over 5,000 requests from Nigerians to begin the process? Isn’t that what is creating suspicion and bring controversy into what should be an ordinary administrative/legal matter?

No, I think INEC only provided data to show that citizens are determining the process. The process was to be done in 2014 but failed because it was close to election time and many. Polling unit expansion has been one of the considerations of YIAGA Africa and other organisations over the years. The conversations show that people are part of this process. What is required is for INEC to use some acceptable benchmarks in converting over 50,000 voting points and settlements into units, to inform the decision to relocate voting points.

She explained further that; “If there is a political will to do the right thing, it can be done. The challenge in Nigeria has not always been the lack of creativity but the political will to engage the process. I think INEC is committed to do it.

INCE has played a leadership role in ECOWAS on such matters”•

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POLITICS governor in a zone or region, automatically he becomes the leader.

Makinde is the only PDP governor in the South West and so by the party’s convention, he is the leader.

But Fayose will not want to hear anything like that. To him, he is Makinde’s senior, having been governor before him and so he should be the South West PDP leader.

Political analysts surprisingly could not fathom out while Fayose who has benefitted from the same position as the only governor and leader in the region will oppose Makinde’s leadership.

Investigation by THEWILL however revealed that there were some underlying factors that led to the hard positions being taken

by Fayose and Makinde.

HOW THE CRISIS STARTED The crisis started in August last year during the various State Congresses of the party. In Ekiti where Fayose hails from, there are two factions, two State Congresses were also held which led to parallel executive of the party in the state.

Fayose

Makinde

The faction led by Fayose produced Hon. Bisi Kolawole as the state chairman, while the other group led by Senator Abiodun Olujimi, has Hon Kehinde Odebunmi as the state chairman.

Olujimi is the Senator representing Ekiti South and the Senate Minority Leader.

S’West PDP Crisis Gets Messier

BY AYO ESAN

T

his may not be the best of times for the Peoples Democratic Party in the South West geo - political zone. The reason for this is not far fetch, almost all the state chapters of the party is in one crisis or the other, while the struggle for the soul of the zone has also polarised the party into two factions. Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun state chapters are having hiccups.

Unfortunately for the party it lost Ondo State governorship election last October to the All Progressives Congress. Next year , Ekiti and Osun states will have their governorship elections. PDP traditionally is a strong force in the two states. But the party is neck deep in crisis and political analysts and watchers of political events are watching keenly to see if the party can resolve its crisis and bounce back before the two elections.

In Ogun State, there are two camps, late Buruji Kashamu group and Hon. Ladi Adebutu camp. Although the Kashamu group is disintegrated due to the death of their financier, some of them are still holding their feet and there is therefore mutual suspicion between the two factions. All efforts to unite the two factional groups has not yielded good fruit.

In Lagos, the executive members and the Party’s state chairman, Engr.Deji Doherty are at loggerhead. At the height of the crisis in the state, the other executive members ganged up against Doherty and suspended him not only from his position as chairman but from the main opposition party, the PDP. His suspension was announced last year by the State Secretary, Mr Muiz Dosunmu after an executive meeting.

In Ondo, some members who recently visited former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose who is currently at dagger drawn with the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde as to who is the leader of the party in the zone were suspended recently by the state executive.

Those suspended for an ‘unholy visit’ to Fayose are former PDP chairman in Ondo, Chief Ebenezer Alabi, Lad Lajomo, Oyedele Ibini,former lawmaker, Rasheed Elegbeleye and former State Publicity Secretary, Ayo Fadaka. Thus as of today, there is no 100 per cent peace in Ondo PDP. In Osun State, two men are laying claim to the chairmanship of the party. The chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo was removed following a vote of no confidence passed on him by the other executive members and their decision was ratified by the National Working Committee, (NWC) which suspended Adagunodo.

The new chairman, Sunday Bisi is backed by NWC but Adagunodo is in court and he got a judgement from the State High Court in

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“

Fayose will not want to hear anything like that.

To him, he is Makinde’s senior, having been Governor before him and so he should be the South West PDP leader

Ikirun which reinstated him back to his position as chairman. So in Osun, Adagunodo and Bisi are laying claim to Chairmanship of the PDP. In Ekiti State, there are also two factional chairmen for the party.

While Ayodele Fayose’s faction has Bisi Kolawole as Chairman, Senator Biodun Olujinmi’s faction produced Kehinde Odebunmi as the State Chairman.

At the regional level, the situation is not better. There are two belligerent groups, one led by Mr Fayose and the other is being led by Engr. Seyi Makinde. The two factions are maintaining hard stance.

Fayose and Makinde are entangled in a superiority battle as to who is the leader of the party in the region. While PDP leaders in the region are backing Makinde , Fayose is being supported by the party chairmen in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti among others.

The leaders’ support for Makinde, according to information gathered by THEWILL is derived from party’s convention that a governor is the leader of the party in a state and if there is only one

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While the National Working Committee of the party in a purported letter supported and agreed that Bisi Kolawole from the Fayose faction is the authentic chairman, Makinde seems to differand romance Olujimi’s faction. Thus , a crisis began with Fayose saying that Makinde can only be leader in Oyo State and not in Ekiti.

Also, while Fayose favoured the retention of Eddy Olafeso - led South West executive of the party in the region, Makinde favoured the retention of the caretaker committee. Thus crisis erupted and Fayose started attacking the elders that backed Makinde.

At the height of the crisis, youth members of the party attacked Fayose at the Grand finale campaign for the 2020 Ondo Governorship Election in Ondo town last October. The youths who openly assaulted Fayose accused him of openly ridiculing Makinde who they said is the leader of the party. It took the intervention of Makinde and elders of the party to rescue Fayose from further assault at the campaign ground.

The underlying factor is that Fayose believes if he controls the state executive of the party in Ekiti and the regional executive he will have easy way in selecting who will be PDP Governorship candidate in Ekiti in 2022. He therefore sees Makinde as a stumbling block in his effort to produce the governorship candidate of the party in next year’s election in Ekiti State.

PREPARATION FOR ZONAL CONGRESS The two zonal factions have produced their candidates for the zonal Congress initially fixed for Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

The South West Vice Chairmanship candidate for Makinde’s faction is former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and former Ambassador to Jordan, Taofeek Arapaja while that of Fayose’s group is Eddy Olafeso, who was the immediate past South West Vice Chairman.

It was however gathered that the Fayose group or faction is not comfortable with Ibadan as the venue of the Congress and so some members of his group went to court to seek the postponement of the Congress .

Penultimate Thursday, Makinde accused the National Legal Adviser of the party of supporting a court case trying to postpone the South West Zonal Congress of the party. He called the National executive of the party to call the legal adviser to order.

But despite the opposition of Makinde to any postponement not the Congress, last Monday in a release signed by its National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (Rtd) the PDP said the tenures of Zonal Caretaker Committees for South-West, NorthCentral and North-West have been extended for another period of 30 days.

Speaking with The Will, a Public Affairs commentator based in Ibadan, Mr Bayo Fatimehin said if the party wants to achieve success in next year’s governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, it should embrace peace on time.

“The two states are currently under the control of the APC. Though PDP is also strong in the two states having governed the states before but if this crisis linger than necessary they should forget it”.

The question on the lips of political analysts and watchers of political developments in the country is whether PDP can resolve its crisis on time to be able to do well in the 2022 governorship elections.

Answering the question, the Chairman, South-West Peoples Democratic Party Reconciliation Committee, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has assured that his committee has the wherewithal to address the problems confronting the party in all the state chapters of the party in South West and bring about peace and unity to the fold.

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POLITICS/INTERVIEW

Nigeria Heading Towards A Failed State – Prof. Akinterinwa

Professor Bola Akinterinwa is a former Director General of the Nigeria Institute for International Affairs. An accomplished scholar of international repute, author and columnist on issues of national and international affairs, he asserts that Nigeria is heading towards a failed state and proffers solutions to address the ugly trend in this interview with AMOS ESELE. Excerpts:

Y Odumakin

George

ou are a former Director General of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, N.I.I.A, a professor of International Affairs with bias for diplomatic law and history, a former Special Adviser to two Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Oluyemi Adeniyi and Dr Ojo Madueke. You had taught and worked in the media. How would you characterize Nigeria of today?

Nigeria of yesterday, Nigeria of today and possibly of tomorrow has a lot. When Nigeria had a foreign policy focus, foreign policy principle, the country was well respected the world over.

I give you some instances. Nigeria was well respected in two or three ways in international relations. If you look at Article 2, paragraph 7of the United Nations chatter, it provides that member states must not intervene in the domestic affairs of other foreign states. The word used is intervention, which must not be confused with interference. Interference means you are butting into the affairs of another country without using force. When you use force, we talk of intervention. How was Nigeria respected in this perspective in international relations?

In 1963 President Sylvanus Olympio of Togo was assassinated.

Togo was a close ally of Nigeria. But the then Foreign Minister, Dr Jaja Nwachukwu said in a pronouncement that Nigeria will not consider the assassination of a good neighbourly friend as it has fallen into the internal affairs of a foreign country. The second example was when Nigeria came up with a compromise position on Apartheid in South Africa. Nigeria said any country in the world must fight apartheid inside and outside South Africa.

In a particular case, the Nigeria passport of the 60s had in its inside back cover a clearly stated statement that the holder of the passport must fight Apartheid with any means available to

“

Many persons believe that the Fulani herdsmen are unnecessary creating problem outside their jurisdiction even though the Constitution and their interpreters say they have the right to locate and reside wherever they find themselves in the country Akinterinwa

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When you look at it grammatically, I would say Nigeria is on the path of a failed state

him or her and wherever he or she found himself of herself. Nigeria said Apartheid would be an exception to that article of the UN. The Nigeria of today has no foreign policy with any force or principle.

Why have we lost focus?

Simply because before we had a decolonization struggle policy of nonalignment put in place as a result of the cold war between Soviet Union led WARSAW pact and the United States led NATO. There is nothing like non-alignment even though the movement is still there but there is no cold war again. In 1994 South Africa became independent, so there is nothing like saying we are fighting Apartheid. Under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency, the government came up with the idea that Africa is the center piece and we need to go with global centricism, meaning that whatever we are able to achieve at the external level the fruit will be brought back home. So you can see we had no focus because the basis is no longer there.

May be that is why it was easy for President Muhammadu Buhari to announce in Egypt sometime ago that any Africa can come to Nigeria?

There is policy as a decision, policy as a technic of implementation, policy as a tactic, policy as a focal objective, depending on what you want to expatiate on. We have policy, which will tell you exactly what you are pursuing as an objective. The same policy will tell you how to go about it. What we have today in Nigeria is supposed to serve for tomorrow. The foundation that is being laid today does not allow for any objective to be achieved in the future. In Nigeria of yesterday, the infrastructure was there. Today the conception of Nigeria as a united nation has been completely bastardized. The notion of national unity is meaningless.

How would you explain that?

With the situation of insecurity, many persons, rightly or wrongly, now see one ethnic group, the Fulani as the major source of threat against national unity today. Many persons believe that the Fulani herdsmen are unnecessary creating problem outside their jurisdiction even though the Constitution and their interpreters say they have the right to locate and reside wherever they find themselves in the country. Others also say they have the right of establishment but you cannot occupy contrary to the rules and law of your host state. So when you look at all the issues involved there is no pointer to a good future, not to talk of a better future.

The country is so sharply divided.

Well, there appears to be a national agreement that restructure will solve our problem but why we all talk about it, we are not talking to each other about it. Why? There is a difference between agreement to agree and disagreement to agree.

Please Explain?

Nigeria is trying to cope with disagreement to agree at the level of how to handle the problems confronting the country. Some are asking whether we should continue with a presidential, democratic system, while other are saying we should go to a regional democratic system. People hold different opinion on all these. But the beauty is that while some people are asking for restructuring, the government is not showing any preparedness to listen to the clamor. That trend has brought a situation of order and counter order, which always amount to disorder. The order of people versus the counter order of government cannot but amount to disorder. We are now at the level of encounter and when you do not manage the encounter well, it will lead to disorder.

and you pay compensation to the parents, does that replace life? So when the government say they do not pay ransom, they are lying. Ransom is not the problem. The issue is that ransom payment does not solve the problem. Former President Goodluck Jonathan said there were Boko Haram supporters in his government. Now, government is saying bandits are foreigners. So why do you want to grant amnesty to a foreigner who is a bandit?. Ransom payment is giving more powers to criminals, no doubt.

But when you look at the problem from a different angle when a governor reportedly said herdsmen carry AK47 in self-defense, you ask yourself what about the farmers whose crops are destroyed by the herders?. Should they be allowed to carry guns also?. I am giving these scenarios to further explain the order and counter order that leads to encounter and disorder when the problem is not resolved.

What would you suggest as the solution to these problems?

In a country of self-deceit there is no way you can move forward. We must move to a foundation of political governance based on honesty of purpose.

Anything short of that will not move the country forward. We are mentally fraudulent. Where is the honesty of purpose? Because whatever complaints there are will be openly addressed objectively. President Buhari said he had never had the time to look at the 2014 Constitutional Conference Reports.

That does not show honesty of purpose.

There is this increasing view now that Nigeria is a failed state. Do you share that view?

When you look at it grammatically, I would say Nigeria is on the path of a failed state. All the dynamics are there. The only thing is that we have been moving at the speed of a snail to the destination of failure. Look at the manifestation of insecurity as at today. As a way out, I would say, firstly, that President Buhari reverses his stand on security. The security of the nation comes first. Secondly, he must address that nation on whether there is a ‘fulanisation’ agenda or not. Thirdly, he must address the question asked by former Libyan leader Muomar Ghadafi when he said Nigeria cannot know peace until it is divided into Muslim North and Christian South. The President has to speak up if he genuinely wants solutions.

When ex-President Obansanjo said that a ‘fulanisation’ agenda was afoot, why did everybody keep quiet? Why are people not looking at the herders/ farmer conflict on the basis of the alleged ‘fulanisation’ agenda? Who are those sponsoring them? We need to ask questions.

What is your take on the increasing resort to self-help by Nigerians on this matter of insecurity? I have somebody in mind, like Sunday Igboho operating in some states in the South- west.

There is nothing absolutely wrong with that. People are saying the government can no longer protect them. There is also the call for state police because you have governors who chief security officers of their state but cannot give orders on security matters to Commissioners of Police in their states. Why should a police officer be sent from, say Maiduguri, to Badagry in Lagos?. The point is that if we want to build a nation state we have to be honest about it. We need to translate honesty of purpose into action and stop deceiving ourselves•

The situational reality we are in encounter is manifesting in many ways such as banditry, kidnapping unlimited, Boko Haram insurgency.

Do you think these encounters will end?.

In fact when you look at the pattern of kidnapping, it started with female schools-Chibok and Dapchi. When you look at it, the words Chi is common to both schools. I am trying to say that when you look at the words that differentiate the two towns, that is Dap and Bok, any town with such words may likely be part of kidnapping. This is the pattern when you also look at similarity of the names, Kankara and Kagara, whose students were also kidnapped. Those that are attacking do a lot of reflection too. So we need to know what they are thinking about in terms of their next attack.

Don’t you think ransom payment may be a major influence in the decision making of the kidnappers?

That is bringing me back to what I said earlier about Nigeria of tomorrow. That it is not bright. The question is justifying why the future may not be bright. Ransom payment has two functional aspects, which I can call positive and negative. When you look at the target interest at stake, you can determine whether to pay or not to pay ransom. When you decide to pay, it is because you want to avoid a situation where there is no death. That is to say the life of every Nigerian is important.

And you cannot quantify the life of any Nigerian. There was a time when, for example, President Buhari was in secondary school and we are now discussing issues of his certificate, could he have thought he would be President of Nigeria.? So if you kill a secondary school student THEWILLNIGERIA

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EDITORIAL Nigerian Women As Global Champions

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igerian women are not only breaking the glass ceilings at home, they are also proving their worth on the global stage. The recent emergence of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the DirectorGeneral of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is a pointer to the fact that there is no barrier that the Nigerian woman cannot break if given the levelplaying field.

With her emergence as not only the first woman but also the first black person to occupy the highlyexalted office in Switzerland, our dear Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has proven beyond every reasonable doubt that the Nigerian woman is ready to conquer the world and that the sky might just be the starting point for our amazons.

Though the WTO job might be the icing on the cake for Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and the highpoint of her career as a global champion, the former World Bank Vice President and Nigeria’s former Finance Minister continues to identify herself with the country of her birth and has never wavered in identifying herself as a proud Nigerian even as she is also an American citizen.

Nigeria, no doubt, is proud of not only Dr. OkonjoIweala, an Harvard-trained development economist, but all other amazons as well who are good ambassadors of our great nation and are shining lights across the globe. They have all gone to prove

the now-acceptable cliche that what a man can do, a woman can even do better.

The exploits and excellent performances of the Nigerian women across the various strata of the society and in both business and governance have proven to a great extent that they are even better leaders and administrators than the men.

For instance, we have Ibikunle Awosika who is the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria; Osaretin Demuren, Chairman of GT Bank; Dr. Ola Brown (Orekunrin), Founder, Flying Doctors Nigeria; Mosun Belo-Olusoga, Chairman of Access Bank and Mrs Nneka Oyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director/ CEO, Fidelity Bank and Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of Service of the Federation, to name a few.

Other top Nigerian women leaving their footprints in the sands of time include the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Mrs. Amina Mohammed and the former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, the permanent observer of the African Union to the United Nations as well as many others, who are daily bridging the gender gap and breaking barriers globally. Our dear Olabisi Boyle, an Engineer, is currently changing the game at Hyundai Motors North America as the Vice President of Product Planning and Mobility Strategy.

Only recently, another Nigerian woman, Dr. Njide Okonjo-Udochi, emerged as the first black female

Physician-of-the-Year in the United States of America just as Dr. Rita Orji, a Nigerian-born Canadian professor, was honoured at the Digital Nova Scotia’s Digital Diversity Awards as a “Women Leader in the Digital Economy” for being one of the women who “have made a significant contribution to Nova Scotia’s ICT sector and are active champions of diversity in their communities or organisations.”

The list of our women achievers who are making waves both locally and internationally is, indeed, endless and THEWILL is really proud of their exploits and determination to succeed even in the face of opposition. We recall the opposition and eventual triumph of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala in her bid for the WTO job as she remained resolute, focused and determined despite the opposition from the former U.S. President, Donald Trump. Her resilience and dogged determination to succeed despite all odds is the typical Nigerian spirit and that’s what makes us tick.

Therefore, as Nigerian women join their counterparts globally on Monday, March 8, 2021, to mark the annual International Women’s Day, we felicitate with our amazons worldwide as we encourage them not to give up no matter the challenges. The theme of this year’s celebration, Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, is quite instructive and we encourage them to continue to be the shining lights and good role models to the younger ones.

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Publisher/Editor-in-Chief - Austyn Ogannah Editor - Olaolu Olusina Deputy Editor - Amos Esele Politics Editor - Ayo Esan Business Editor - Sam Diala News Editor (Online) - Felix Oboagwina Cartoon Editor - Victor Asowata Entertainment/Society Editor - Ivory Ukonu Photo Editor - Peace Udugba Head, Graphics - Tosin Yusuph Circulation Manager - Victor Nwokoh

Nigeria Bureau: 36AA Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja. Lagos, Nigeria. info@thewillnigeria.com / @THEWILLNG +234 810 345 2286, +234 913 333 3888. EDITOR: Olaolu Olusina @OLUSINA PAGE 14

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OPINION Insecurity: Magashi, Where Are The Killer Herdsmen?

BY MAGNUS ONYIBE

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he level of insecurity in our country is at such a frightening stage that in a recent travel advisory to her citizens, the Canadian authorities directed her nationals not to engage in non-essential visits to Nigeria.

It is not that they face the risk of being infected by the novel coronavirus, (infection rate here is not that high) but to avoid being killed by local terrorists or kidnapped by bandits who now reign supreme and roam freely in our country.

This latter type of terrorists, now tagged bandits to avoid profiling or stigmatising a particular ethnic group, seem intent on setting our beloved country ablaze by committing ignominious and hideous crimes while camouflaging as cattle herdsmen.

And since the Fulani in particular is the ethnic group that is dominant in the business of animal husbandry, the consequences of the dastardly acts of the criminal elements cloaked as cattle herders are currently rubbing off fatally on law abiding herdsmen, who are bearing the brunt of the deviltry by their nefarious imposters as evidenced by the recent unfortunate and sadistic act of lynching alleged criminals disguised as cattle herders that went viral.

In my previous media intervention on same issue titled “Pastoralists And Farmers Conflicts In Nigeria: Time For Fulani Capitalism, Not Herdsmen Terrorism“ published widely on online and traditional media platforms, l encouraged Myetti Allah-the umbrella body of cattle owners and herders -to endeavor to fish out the criminals in its ranks to avoid its entire membership bearing the potential reprisal actions that may be unleashed as fallouts of the crimes committed by the criminal elements that might have infiltrated the group.

In that piece, I had also made a case that such a move is the necessary first step towards dowsing the tension in the highly volatile atmosphere engendered by the pastoralists and farmers conflicts.

There is no need restating the risk of the crisis rapidly degenerating into serious danger to the unity of Nigeria, since the point had already been espoused by the likes of Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state and Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate amongst other eminent Nigerians.

By now , even the deaf and dumb can see that our country would literarily be seating on a keg of gunpowder if the outlaws (wolves in sheep Skin) are allowed to continue hiding under the cover of being herdsmen to commit crimes of killing, rapping , kidnapping for ransom, and generally rampaging around the country with impunity.

The situation is even so sensitive and palpable that the multi ethnic nationalities that have been co-existing harmoniously in Nigeria for the better part of a millennium may be pitched against each other in conflicts that may result in complete breakdown of law and order, if identity politics continues unabated and ethnic profiling is not arrested.

But given the high volatility level that the crisis had attained , it is quite relieving that all the governors of the 19 northern states and indeed all members of governors forum now have their hands on deck towards deescalating the conflict that waon how soon the COVID-19 vaccine would arrive the shores of Nigeria, especially since it has finally landed in Nigeria’s smaller sister country, Ghana. Continuing with my search for information about efforts on how soon our country would receive her COVID-19 vaccine consignment, l stumbled on a statement that our health minister , Osagie Ehanire made after the last Federal Executive Council,

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FEC meeting. And it was to the effect that he had no idea when Nigeria’s portion of COVID-19 vaccine would be received.

Isn’t it preposterous that the nation’s chief health officer has no inkling of when Nigeria would receive the much coveted vaccine, while Ghana, a small neighbour with a population that’s approximately the size of Lagos state has taken delivery of 600,000 doses and Nigeria has received zilch?

Is that not enough to make one upset?

What such laid back approach implies is that there may be no desk officers from the minister’s retinue of aides engaging with COVAX on the matter of vaccine distribution in Nigeria. And it prompted the question: where is the sense of duty and urgency that the quest for COVID-19 vaccine deserves? Fortunately, the Secretary to the government of the federation, SGF , Boss Mustafa answered the question on monday when he stated that the vaccines would arrive on Tuesday, 2 March. Now that a little less than 4m of the vaccines have been received in Nigeria , the next questions are:which category of Nigerians will take priority in being being vaccinated?

And for effectiveness and efficiency, is the military , particularly the army and air-force to get involved in its distribution if higher quantities arrive? I’m asking the questions because of the ultra cold storage conditions required for the AstrAZeneca brand and the nightmarish logistics challenge often faced whenever attempts are made to distribute materials nationwide -be it voting materials

by INEC or palliatives.

Now, we have been informed that president Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo would be vaccinated on Saturday, but we have no word on who else would receive the jabs in their arms from this first batch of vaccines. Is it the powerful political class and the wealthy or the frontline workers ?

Fingers are crossed.

Returning to the issue of insecurity of lives and properties now pervading our country, I can recall back in the days, (mid to late 1980s) when a notorious bandit, (armed robber) Lawrence Annini was on robbery rampage and causing a lot stir in the polity. One day after the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting, then military head of state, General lbrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, publicly asked then Inspector General of Police, IGP, Muhammadu Gambo Jimeta of blessed memory, “where is Annini?”

That singular public pressure on the IGP who was the line-officer resonated so much amongst Nigerians that it made them aware of how serious IBB, and by extension the government of the day was taking the threat of Annini’s criminality to the precious lives of Nigerians. lts needless stressing the point that the IGP, Gambo -Jemeta, shortly after the marching order publicly given by the CommanderIn-Chief, (C in C ) of The Armed Forces Of Nigerians, captured Annini, and Nigerians that were holding their breath, exhaled.

Currently, most Nigerians appear to have come to the realization (correctly or otherwise) that the presidency may not be doing much about public health safety and security of lives and properties.

That’s simply because it is not seen to be doing so, as it should.

As such , l’ve elected to, (on behalf of Mr president) ask minister of Defense, Brig.Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd): where are the criminals killing, rapping and kidnapping Nigerians?

Today, there seems to be little or no oversight by Mr president on ministers and heads of agencies of government, hence accountability seems to have gone with the wind.

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He is neither stiff-necked, needlessly ceremonious, nor likely to peg an award for taking office shots or blaring his many good deeds. Diri is not that sort of man. Where one finds him is where he prefers to be: at work, thinking up ways to polish the fortunes of his Bayelsa people. Not afraid, not dawdling, not denting his work table with an anxious head.

So much executed, so little praise sought! In the beginning, the assumption - based on his phenomenal mode of obtaining the gubernatorial chair - was that he would laze about, or commandeer new projects and abandon old ones. But old ginger is spicier, as experienced minds can tell that Diri is no slouch.

From the projects of the past administration to those he approved of himself, the Miracle Governor has left nothing unturned. It is to the merit of this boundless sense of propriety that some formerly-ongoing projects have been completed and commissioned; that some formerlyderelict constructions are currently underway and nearing completion.

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As l continued scurrying for information on measures taken by other countries to mitigate the pandemic of COVID-19 and the massive loss of lives to violent marauders which is making our leaders look flat footed, l realized how deeply sunken, almost to the nadir of human existence , our beloved country had become.

Gutted and stunned by the current situation of anomie in our country, l continued ruminating over the implications of how laid back our public servants are in managing our public health system and the inability of our armed forces to defeat the religious insurgents and bandits that have turned our country into a killing field and making our security forces look like a ragtag militia.

After navigating through all the sources of useful information that l could find, the nagging question that remained in my head was: what could be done to change the apparent non-committed attitude to work by public servants and the seeming lack of sense of duty by our men and women in uniform that are supposed to be the bravest ones amongst us?

As for health minister, Ehanire, l’ve never met him one-on-one, so l can’t figure out whether he is driven or he just exhibits or manifests a dour attitude or personality. Regarding, defence minister, Magashi, l have had the privilege of being on a zoom meeting with him when we launched my book “Abba Kyari: Portrait Of A Loyalist: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Sides of Public Service In Nigeria“ which is focused on public policy using the former chief of staff to president Buhari, late Mallam Abba Kyari as the case study.

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*Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

That singular public pressure on the IGP who was the line-officer resonated so much amongst Nigerians that it made them aware of how serious IBB, and by extension the government of the day was taking the threat of Annini’s criminality to the precious lives of Nigerians

Governor Douye Diri’s Silent Touch

iding in the shadows and doing things under the cover of his easy going nature, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa has set his state alight with his work. 365-plus days in office and the former Senator representing Bayelsa Central is still a son of miracles. Indeed, who else could have gotten so much done in so few days?

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I implore readers to pardon the diversion, but it was necessary to contextualize the dire straits in which Nigerians find themselves in terms of the deaths (almost 2,000)from coronavirus and (nearly 20,000) from the killings by bandits hiding under the banner of cattle herdsmen since 1999 with the consequential effect of the profiling of members of the Fulani tribe for vengeance.

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Is the completion of the water project in Ovom Town, Yenagoa LGA, not deserving of a glass raised to Governor Diri in salute? How about the Kaiama Referral Hospital; or the state-of-theart Incinerator at the Bayelsa Medical University Complex; or the Imiringi Community Bridge in Ogbia LGA — all, aside the Ovom Water Project, were commissioned on the same day!

What about the ongoing projects? The complex to harbour Radio Bayelsa, Niger Delta TV and New Waves Newspaper is underway. So is the construction of the Elebele Community Bridge (Ogbia LGA), and the Igbedi Road in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA that stretches 4.5km.

Then there are the ‘deserted’ roads (from the past administration) that Diri has taken up: Glory Drive Road from Igbogene to Onopa; Igbogene to Elebele/AIT Outer Ring Road; SagbamaEkeremor Road; Yenagoa-Oporoma Road; Isaac Boro Express Road; and several others.

To think that Governor Diri was recently accused of taking a laissez-faire approach to his duties!

That Bayelsans can rest easy for the next three years is an occasion for satisfaction, and something the rest of Nigeria can look forward to discovering in their own State Governors.

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Nigeria Air In Limbo Two Years After PAGE 33

PH Refinery Repairs And Matters Arising PAGE 34

States’ N8.3trn Budget: Hope Dims For Economic, Job Growth In 2021

BY SAM DIALA

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otwithstanding the grandiose remarks accompanying the governors’ presentation of their 2021 budgets, (“Budget of Blush and Bliss” – Cross River; “Budget of Providence” – Osun; “Budget of Accelerated Recovery” – Kogi; “Budget of Stabilization and Consolidation in a Recession” – Ebonyi; “Budget of Fulfilment and Consolidation” – Bauchi), available data shows that budgets of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), totaling N8.3 trillion, offer little hope for economic or job growth which are the fundamental purposes of budget. The states are neck-deep in external and domestic debts while alternative revenue sources to Federal Allocation proceeds are lean where they ever exist.

Worse, still, the states engage in frivolous spending pattern that points to their choice of profligacy as a cultural necessity while unemployment rate mounts.

Analysis of the N8.3 trillion 2021 budgets of the 36 states’ and the FCT, vis-à-vis their revenue and debt profile, shows little avenues of economic or job growth to enhance the living standards of the people, besides payment of salaries. Revenueto-budget is low (20.76 per cent), compared to debt-to-budget (69 per cent). That means, almost 70 per cent of the total budget will go into debt servicing if strictly applied. Alternatively, the states are postponing the evil day.

South-East Geo-Political Zone, comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states has a total budget of N916 billion with Imo recording the highest – N346.16 billion, followed

by Enugu N169.84 billion. The Zone’s total revenue is N160.3 billion: Enugu records the highest revenue of N35.95 billion followed by Imo N34.22 billion. Anambra has the highest external debt of $115.8 million (of the Zone’s $428.5 million), followed by Abia $87.15 million. Imo with N158.17 billion has the highest domestic debt in the Zone followed by Abia N89.62 billion. The Zone’s total domestic debt is N411 billion.

The territory has average unemployment rate of 27.82 per cent according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

For the South-South Zone of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers, the total budget for 2021 is N2.06 trillion with Akwa Ibom and Rivers recording the highest: N456.25 billion and N448.66 billion respectively. The Zone’s total revenue is N504.4 billion with Rivers and Delta recording N139.66 billion and N131.65 billion respectively.

Edo and Cross River have the highest external debts of $254.19 million and $172.64 million respectively. Rivers with N266.93 billion has the highest domestic debt, followed by Akwa Ibom N239.20 billion. Average unemployment rate of the Zone is 31 per cent.

The South-West Zone of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states have a total budget of N2.16 trillion, with Lagos recording the highest – N1.16 trillion, followed by Ogun N338.6 billion. On the revenue side, the total for the Zone is N418.6 billion led by Lagos with N254.54 billion, followed by Oyo N42.59 billion. Lagos also has the highest external debt of $1.26 billion followed by Ogun $97.90 million. Again, Lagos leads in domestic debt of N493.31 billion followed by Ogun N150.08 billion. The Zone’s average unemployment rate is

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17.35 per cent – the lowest among the six geo-political zones.

North-Central Zone of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger states voted a total of N818.7 for 2021fiscal year. Niger and Plateau have the highest – N153.4 billion and 147.6 billion respectively. Kogi and Niger recorded the highest revenues of N30.96 and N30.06 billion respectively out of the Zone’s total N170 billion. Niger has the highest external debt of $66 million (of the total $256 million) followed by Nasarawa $55.82 million. Of the Zones total N520 billion domestic debt, Benue and Plateau have the highest of N128.5 billion and N127 billion respectively. The unemployment rate of the Zone is 26.3 per cent.

The North-East Zone comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe has a total budget of N975.7 billion with the highest being Borno N248 billion, followed by Bauchi N213.9 billion. The Zone’s total revenue is N164 billion with the highest recorded by Borno and Bauchi N33.68 billion and N28.82 billion respectively. The Zone’s total external debt is $397 million with Bauchi and Adamawa recording $129.44 million and $105.47 million respectively. The total domestic debt of the Zone is N546.1 billion out of which Adamawa and Taraba owe the highest – N116.89 billion and N96.29 billion respectively. Average unemployment rate of the Zone is 28.4 per cent.

The Zone of North-West made up of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states has a total budget of N1.32 trillion. Katsina and Kaduna have the highest with N286.6 billion and N246 billion respectively. The total revenue of the Zone is N250 billion with Kano and Katsina recording N55.75 billion and N44.71 billion respectively. The Zone has a total external debt of $844.8 million with Kaduna owning the highest – $570.04 million, followed by Katsina $74.99 million.

The Zone’s total domestic debt is N464.7 billion; Katsina and Kaduna owe the highest: N116.99 billion and N72.50 billion respectively. The Zone has an average unemployment rate of 23 per cent.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has a budget of N45.5 billion for 2021. The total revenue figure as at H1 2020 is N68.25. It has $29.08 million and N90.22 billion external and domestic debts respectively. Average unemployment rate is 29.1 per cent.

ZAMFARA AS CASE STUDY Zamfara state of North-West Zone has approved budget of N142.7 billion. Its FAAC revenue as at H1 2020 is N19.23 billion while IGR is N7.08 billion making a total of N26.32 billion, according to NBS. External and domestic debts are $29.63 million and N79.28 billion respectively, as published by the Debt Management Office (DMO). The state governor, Bello Matawalle, at the presentation of the N145.43 billion budget to the State assembly, said the budget was made up of N64 billion recurrent expenditure, or 45 per cent; while N81.04 or 56.7 per cent was for capital expenditure. The state assembly later adjusted the figures downwards to N63.1 billion and N79.6 billion respectively.

A recent report by The Cable showed a consistent pattern of profligacy by state governors amid huge debt overhang and depleting resources: Zamfara state government provided N2 billion for the government house’s “air transport” expenses, and another N470 million for international flights of all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). Other puzzling provisions are those for the purchase of water equipment and electrical cables -- N1 billion; N500 million welfare packages for the ‘seat of power’ and another N500 million for “special days and celebrations”. *Continue on Page 36

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AVIATION

Nigeria Air In Limbo Two Years After •Experts Express Doubts On Feasibility

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Hadi Sirika

It is a project that should have come on stream by 2018 but there was no transparency within and trust from outside government

BY ANTHONY OKECHUKWU

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n search of an indigenous airline that would serve her people, the Federal Government mooted the idea to float a new national carrier already named Nigeria Air. As part of the planning process, the present administration unveiled the name and logo elaborately at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom in July, 2018.

Two years after, Nigerians are still waiting anxiously to see the realisation of the airline project.

In 2003, the Olusegun Obasanjo administration liquidated Nigeria Airways, the government-owned national carrier, because it had failed as a business. Twelve years later, President Muhammadu Buhari prior to 2015 election promised Nigerians that he would deliver a new national carrier in the status of the defunct Nigeria Airways.

Following the slow pace the project was going amid its suspension, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had in January 2019, while defending the project, offered an insight into why the much-celebrated Nigeria Air project was suspended by the Federal Government.

According to him, the decision was to allow for private-sector management of the proposed national carrier. Since then, nothing much has been done by the government, concerning the airline project.

Although, the Federal Government has appointed transaction advisers, as early as March 2018, comprising many firms, for the establishment of the national carrier, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had continuously assured that the project is on course.

According to Sirika, the project which gulped about N100 million between July and November 2018 (spent for Transaction Advisers and branding purposes alone), is in the pipeline and also designed to drive the Nigerian aviation sector roadmap.

However, the sluggishness employed in driving the plan has elicited comments from aviation stakeholders who feel that continuing allocation of public funds by the Federal Government for the Nigerian Air project is wasteful and insensitive to the preponderance of public opinion against that project From records, previous attempts to float both a national carrier and even private airlines had always suffered. Since the demise of Nigerian Airways Limited, no local airline had survived continuously for 10 years in a stretch.

Over the next two decades, air traffic in Africa is forecast to increase rapidly; even at that, most state-owned flag carriers on the continent are losing money, with the exception of Ethiopian Airlines, and few others which analysts say have avoided the mistakes of other regional carriers.

However, some African countries are making headway. Uganda for example, has within a short period relaunched its national carrier. The Uganda Airlines was liquidated in 2001, some three years before Nigeria Airways closed shop. Today, Uganda has been able to establish a full-fledged national carrier. The East African carrier has bounced back though slowly; however, with clear focus on the regional market that is currently dominated by Ethiopian Airlines.

Beyond Africa, many foreign countries are doing well with their national carriers, raking in money, attracting tourists, investors and foreign exchange into their treasury.

EgyptAir, the national airline for Egypt, for example, is using its airline to make money, and also promote domestic tourism.

A good case in point is the recent effort by the airline to bridge the gap created by the THEWILLNIGERIA

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flight restrictions by the government of United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the General Manager, EgyptAir Airlines (Lagos), Muharram Abdel Rahman, the carrier is making frantic efforts to offer Egypt as alternative destination to Dubai. The airline has therefore, rolled out lots of incentives for prospective customers.

“We are offering Egypt as alternative destination to Dubai. We are working to promote Egypt as a destination for Nigerians”, Rahman said.

Other airlines, such as Lufthansa, Emirates, Ethiopia Airlines, British Airways, Kenya Airways, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, have equally shown good example in terms of profitability to their countries.

As in the case of Nigeria Air, aviation experts have faulted the beginning, pointing out that the controversial venture is coming at a time of lean resources, global downturn, and investors’ fatigue, amid an unfriendly local environment for airlines’ survival In his views, former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA) Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), told THEWILL that the journey of Nigerian Air started very well but met turbulent wave challenges; unfortunately, lost its way.

According to Capt Ojikutu, setting up a national carrier by a developing country like ours needs a technical partner and investors both foreign and national.

Citing example with that of Emirates, Ojikutu said “Even the Emirates we see as one of the best today has the hands of the British technical partners. Unlike the Emirates with a lot of government investments and control we need a national or flag carrier with no government control, otherwise we would end up with a government airline instead of a national carrier”.

Ojikutu, an Aviation Security Consultant who is also the Secretary General of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), maintained that a national carrier would have very little government shares, shares of credible Nigerians and the shares of public Nigerians through the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

“On the other hand, if government is not ready, we could go for flag carriers with or without government shares but the shares of public Nigerians, credible Nigerians and foreign technical partners and investors”, Ojikutu added.

He however, admitted that the only challenge either way, is finance and trust from the investors, adding that, “It is a project that should have come on stream by 2018 but there was no transparency within and trust from outside government”.

In his own submission, Secretary General of Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Abdulrasaq Saidu told THEWILL that there is nothing on ground to show that Nigeria Air project is feasible.

Stating that the project had long been abandoned, Saidu, noted that the whole thing about Nigeria Air are media hype just to make an impression.

He said “I don’t think there is anything on ground to show that the project is on. It has been completely abandoned. Remember the Federal Executive Council (FEC), had asked the minister to stay action on the project. It is only Sirika that is saying it will soon be ready. But how soon?”.

“If he is forming a national carrier, where are the staff members; have they been recruited and what is their fleet size? Another important thing is the technical partners; who are they?”.

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ENERGY

PH Refinery Repairs And Matters Arising

BY MUSBAU BABATUNDE

“

N

igeria’s oldest refinery, Port Harcourt Refining Company, is at the verge of wearing a new look on account of spirited efforts to shop for $1 billion to effect its refurbishment. The complex consists of two plants with a combined capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd), making it the largest among the nation’s four public-owned refineries. They all suffered a long neglect on account of their poor management by successive administrations.

Previous attempts to revamp the refineries have been scuttled after the NNPC failed to secure the necessary funding, estimated at over $1.2 billion

The Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari, recently shed light on the monumental mismanagement of the nation’s refineries when he disclosed that no turn around maintenance (TAM) of the refineries was carried out for over 42 years, despite humongous resources earmarked for same by successive administrations.

Little wonder, in 2019, the refineries lost some N167 billion ($439.47 million), and only Warri processed any crude. The following year, they were all shut pending rehabilitation.

Sadly, Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and the sixth largest oil producing country in the world, is battling scarcity of fuel amidst a spike in international crude oil price which should yield it more revenue to reactivate its economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While there is blame game between the oil marketers and NNPC which has remained the sole importer of the product into the country, Nigerians have continued to wonder the shape of the country’s deregulation which is import driven with little drive to bring back the ailing refineries and encourage the birth of new ones.

In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari in an attempt to end the oil import subsidy payments, shut out the fuel marketers and, in effect, made the state-run NNPC the sole importer of fuel even when it lacked capacity for daily import of 51 million litres of petrol.

While the government claimed that it had stopped the subsidy payment regime, the NNPC made provisions for what it called “under-recovery”, which the corporation said rose by 1.174 per cent in the first two months of 2019.

The NNPC’s Monthly Financial and Operations Report (MFOR) indicated that N206,585 billion was paid out as under recovery in January and February 2019, as against N16,212 billion recorded in the previous two months of 2018.

of the refinery complex, with oil major Eni appointed as a technical adviser.

In December 2020, the corporation announced that it received seven bids submitted by local and international companies for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract awards for the repairs.

The successful negotiations of the funding arrangement, led by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has paved way for the NNPC to move to the commercial stage of pre-qualifying bids submitted by local and international companies for the EPC contract award regarding the rehabilitation of 210,000 bpd refinery. It said work at the refinery will be followed by repairs at the Warri and Kaduna plants. The rehabilitation programme is estimated to take around 18 to 24 months.

Previous attempts to revamp the refineries have been scuttled after the NNPC failed to secure the necessary funding, estimated at over $1.2 billion.

Kyari had said: “The vision of revamping the pipelines is in tandem with the refineries rehabilitation project, which we have promised to deliver by 2023. I am happy to announce that the funding challenge which had stalled the second phase of the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery has been resolved. The contract for the second phase will soon be awarded and work will commence in Q1 of 2021.”

The chairman of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Adetunji Oyebanji, had recently disclosed that Nigeria spent N10.7 trillion on fuel subsidy in the last 10 years.

According to Kyari, a lot has been put in place to boost exploration and production with a view to achieving 3 million bpd production target.

He said this at the 18th Annual Aret Adams Memorial Lecture Series 2021, where he also told participants that a whopping sum of N750 billion was spent as subsidy on imported fuel in 2019 by the federal government.

TALE OF WOES According to reports, total comprehensive loss recorded in 2014 in Port Harcourt Refinery stood at N27.2 billion; N35.8 billion in 2015; N43.4 billion in 2016; N53.8 billion in 2017 (N55.8 billion in the published 2018 report) and N45.6 billion in 2018.

AHEAD WITH UNCERTAINTY To emphasize its commitment to the rehabilitation exercise, the NNPC said it is now on track to undertake the complete overhaul of Nigeria’s biggest refinery billed to commence in the first quarter of 2021. The corporation also said it has concluded talks with lenders to raise $1 billion for the rehabilitation of the facility. The refinery was shut in March 2019 for the first phase of the repair works after it secured the service of Italy’s Maire Tecnimont to handle the scoping

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Non-current liabilities included Corporate Headquarters funding of N372.5 billion in 2018 and N330.3 billion in 2017; retirement benefits N10.3 billion for defined contribution plans and N12.4 billion for defined benefit plans for 2018 and 2017 respectively.

In 2018, operating loss stood at about N46.6 billion as against N57.8 billion in 2017, with about N1.5 billion realised as

revenue in 2018 and N4.8 billion in 2017 and processing expenses in 2018 put at N24 billion and N23.8 billion in 2017; administrative expenses was N24 billion in 2018 and N38.8 billion in 2017.

Administrative expenses include N9.2 billion and N10.9 billion as salaries, allowances and bonuses for 742 and 815 staff in 2018 and 2017 respectively.

Other expenses included staff welfare N1.3 billion in 2018 and N1.4 billion in 2017; staff terminal benefit N121.5 million in 2018 and N99.7 million in 2017; retirement benefits (defined plan) N1.6 billion in 2018 and N2.2 billion in 2017, and defined benefits N12.4 billion in 2017.

On turnover, N2.5 billion was realized in 2014; N683.5 million in 2015; N3.4 billion in 2016; N4.8 billion in 2017 and N1.5 billion in 2018. Hwever, processing expenses gulped about N20.6 billion in 2014; N25.7 billion in 2015; N24.4 billion in 2016; N23.8 billion in 2017, and N24 billion in 2018.

On Directors’ emoluments, the report showed N58.8 million each for 2018 and 2017 in favour of the Chairman of the Board, while the other directors received a minimum of N12 million and above every year.

Observers said there is no economic sense in rehabilitating a scrap but rather the government should muster the political will to get new refineries on the stream. A petroleum engineer, Martin Onovo, belongs to this school of thought.

“This is not the first time that promises have been made about fixing the refineries,” says former Group Finance Manager, Nigeria LNG, Victor Eromosele. “They have all made promises and set targets and they all failed. If you parked your car for a long period, even when you put in a new battery, you may not be able to start that car because of something called regression.” He added that rehabilitating the poorly performing refineries seems like a good strategy on paper, but it doesn’t make any economic sense to fix them.

Labour unions in the oil and gas sector have also relentlessly advocated the need to adopt the NLNG model to fix the nation’s ailing refineries. How far the repair of the refineries would go in ending fuel importation and giving meaning to the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry is yet to be determined.

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TELCO affecting his business. He appealed to the government to do something so as to make it easier for subscribers to get their sims back.

“The idea of coming here every day does not make any sense.

The government should do something so that subscribers can get their SIMs easily, “ Joseph appealed.

Chief Adewale Oladosu, another subscriber, told THEWILL that “I don’t want to be involved in that endless waiting in the sun; that is why I left my home at 5am to be at this MTN’s office at Ikeja. Even as early as I am, my number is now 99. You can imagine that. “ When THEWILL visited network centres to ascertain the level of progress subscribers make regarding their SIM replacements, it was discovered that little or no progress has been made on the part of network providers.

At Glo office in Ikeja, SIMs are not easily replaced even when subscribers are attended to almost every minute of the day. Subscribers who approached the Ikeja office were told to wait till the government gave them “go ahead” to start registering people. Some subscribers were equally asked to drop their phone lines so that they could be contacted when the government gives them the “go ahead” .

SIM Swap: Agony, Pains As Queues Persist At Mobile Network Centres In this piece, ANTHONY OKECHUKWU examines the different levels of difficulties network subscribers face in order to retrieve their sim cards.

S

ince the Federal Government approved new modalities for SIM replacement, subscribers who want to replace their SIM cards for any reason pass through a lot of harrowing experiences.

It becomes even more difficult since these subscribers are now expected to present their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and other requirements. Although many Nigerians are yet to get their NIN, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has instructed that subscribers must present their NIN for their SIM cards to be replaced. An earlier date had been fixed as the deadline for the NIN linkage but was later extended till February this year.

Despite the extension of the deadline for NIN and SIM harmonisation by the Federal Government till next month, the process is still rowdy in some states of the federation.

In Lagos State, for instance, THEWILL gathered that many residents still leave their homes early in the morning to queue at offices of network providers such as MTN, GLO, Airtel and 9mobile.

The situation is not different in other states where subscribers spend hours at network centres in a bid to do SIM replacement.

Recounting her experience, Mrs Blessing Ada said her phone was robbed at gunpoint last December and that since then, she has not been able to retrieve her SIM.

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“

You also have to understand that prior to this new policy, subscribers who want to replace their SIM were among other things expected to provide valid photo identification, SIM Pack or other evidence of direct ownership of SIM/Affidavit

According to Blessing, she has been visiting all the MTN offices at Ikeja day and night, all to no avail.

She said: “I leave home every day in the morning only to come here and sit in the sun from morning to night. When you come, they will give you hope but at the end of the day, they will tell you that there is no network. I have been at the MTN Allen office for one full week now and there is no luck.”

Rose Uche has a similar story as she has been visiting both Glo office and MTN office located at Allen Avenue area of Ikeja regularly without success. Rose who sells interior decoration materials on Instagram said her business is in danger since she could not retrieve the MTN line that she was using to do her sales business.

Another Glo subscriber, Joseph Omosodu, who spoke with THEWILL said his inability to get a SIM replacement is

The story is, however, different with Airtel subscribers who walk into the Airtel office at Ikeja and get attended to.

THEWILL can report that most Airtel subscribers at different network centres got their SIMs replaced in a well-organised manner.

A subscriber, Millicent Amoka, who spoke to THEWILL, pointed out that if care is not taken, Airtel may take over a large chunk of MTN and GLO customers with the ease with which they are attending to their customers in terms of SIMs replacement.

“Here at MTN and GLO, they will tell us no network and you will sit from morning till night without a solution.

But just visit Airtel, they will attend to you and solve your problems. If care is not taken, they will carry MTN and GLO customers,” Amoka said.

While the Opebi office of MTN is making efforts and doing everything possible to attend and retrieve their customers SIM cards, the Allen Avenue MTN office has remained idle in the past two weeks. Since March 1st this year, subscribers wake up early in the morning, only to visit the office and wait endlessly for network to come up.

A security officer who spoke with THEWILL however exonerated MTN from the difficulties subscribers are facing.

The security personnel, who simply identified himself as John, said:”You can see. It is not MTN’s fault. We are trying our best but you will not understand. The problem is with NIN. I mean linking the line with subscribers NIN. So it is not our fault.

“You also have to understand that prior to this new policy, subscribers who want to replace their SIM were among other things expected to provide valid photo identification, SIM Pack or other evidence of direct ownership of SIM/Affidavit, etc. But following the recent directive by the FG, the NIN is now incorporated as part of the statutory requirements, among others. That makes it a bit difficult and cumbersome.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has given approval to Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, for the establishment of dedicated SIM Swap Centres across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria It has also approved the extension of the tenure of NIN enrolment agent licenses for MNOs from one to five years in consideration of their satisfactory performance, subject to continuous monitoring.

The approval was confirmed by the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM registration after its 4th Review Meeting held in Abuja recently.

According to the Minister, Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the approval was a deliberate effort of the Federal Government to simplify the enrolment process for Nigerians and legal residents.

He said the Technical Committee was mandated to complete the development of a new SIM issuance strategy that cannot be compromised.

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NEWS Bawa Assumes Office, Says Fight Against Corruption Will Be Intelligence-Driven

BY AYO ESAN

T

he Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa on Friday March 5, 2021 officially assumed duties with a pledge to steer the organization towards proactive and intelligence-led investigation.

He said he would create a full-fledged directorate of intelligence that would spearhead intelligence gathering, which will ensure proactive response in the fight against corruption.

According to him, “We are going to digitalize our processes, and we are going to create a new full-pledged directorate of intelligence to enable us gather intelligence so that we will be proactive in our fight against economic and financial crimes; and by so doing, we will also provide the government with necessary quality advice that will lead to good governance”.

Reiterating his remarks before the Senate at his confirmation hearing, the new EFCC boss promised a paradigm shift in the agency’s approach to anti-graft war, from fighting corrupt persons to fighting corruption. “There is difference between fighting corruption and fighting corrupt people; and going forward, we are going to be proactive in our approach in the fight against economic and financial crimes,” he said.

He assured stakeholders of continued partnership. “For our strategic partners across the shores of this country, we will continue to work together with you. We will continue to share intelligence, to see that the stolen wealth of this country is returned for the betterment of us all.

But all of these, we will be doing it the way the EFCC is known to be doing its things. The provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, extent laws of the country have always been and will always be our guide,” he said.

New Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa and the outgoing Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Umar Abba, at the official resumption of Bawa to office at the EFCC Headquarters, Abuja....Friday 05/03/21

...Hope Dims For Economic, Job Growth In 2021

*Continued from Page 16

payroll. The state also plans to inject N200 million into its amnesty programme while three projects related to grazing reserves will gulp N354 million.

Gov. Matawalle also got an allocation of N150 million for his medical expenses; N100 million (about 65 per cent of the figure) will go into his medical care abroad while the remaining N50 million will be for such expenses in Nigeria.

The money is equivalent to the allocation of 20 state’s general hospitals listed in the budget. It also comprises 90 per cent of N167 million allocated for the total expenses of overseas treatment for government officials.

ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS With inflationary trend on the upward trajectory, generally high cost of living – especially food items, getting out of reach of the ordinary Nigerians, spate of insecurity taking a worsening dimension, Nigeria’s misery index becoming more appalling, governors getting battle-ready with Labour over minimum wage and backlog of pensions, states are at a crossroads over the implementation of their 2021 budgets.

The recent report by the NBS showed a sharp decline in capital importation which is a window of employment opportunity for the youth. Some states in the North are battling with the overflow of inmates in the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, which worsens the situation of out-of-school children across the country. It is hard to figure out how the N8.3 trillion state budgets will translate into the magic wand of economic and job growth among the sub-nationals in 2021. More so, when the governors and their parties are amassing wealth to fortify their political enclave against 2023 elections.

The governor and deputy governor are to spend N165 million on donations; this is 35 per cent of the N476 million set aside for that purpose across all MDAs. Under the governor’s office, a sum of N132 million is set aside for activities of the governor’s wife without explaining what those activities are. The report revealed that the money is equivalent to the allocation of 21 government secondary schools which got N6.2 million each.

Furthermore, the state also budgeted the sum of N228 million for hotel reservations abroad in 2021, out of which N100 million would go to the office of the secretary to the state government (SSG). The governor’s office gets N12 million of the amount while the state house of assembly is allocated N60 million. About nine other STATES’ 2021 BUDGETS; REVENUE, DEBT, UNEMPLOYMENT PROFILES government agencies also get budgetary allocation for hotel reservations abroad, which is aside expenditure *TOTAL **TOTAL ***TOTAL DEBT UNEMPLOYGEO-POL. ZONE BUDGT REVENUE (N’bn) MENT RATE for some international training.

(N’bn) (N’bn) (H1 ’20)

The sum of N258 million is also set aside for outfits of government officials under 10 different MDAs. The office of the SSG got the lion’s share with N100 million, followed by the Sharia court of appeal with N52 million. The high court, state house of assembly and ministry of justice received N33.5 million, N23 million and N20 million respectively, among others.

There is also the allocation for rent across most MDAs: N1.6 billion goes into this sub-head with the Hajj Commission and Office of the SSG getting the highest sums of N343 million and N266 million respectively.

Zamfara also provided N87.3 million to engage the services of escorts and private security operators, despite regular security personnel on government

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South-East

(Q3 ’20)

(Q2 ’20 %Av.)

961.0

160.3

586.6

27.8

South-South

2,060.0

504.0

1,230.0

31.0

South-West

17.35

2,160.0

418.6

1,740.0

North-Central

818.0

170.0

625.0

26.3

North-East

975.7

164.0

708.8

28.4

North-West

1,328.0

250.0

811.0

23.0

FCT TOTAL

45.5

68.25

45.4

8,302.7

1,735.15

5,746.8

29.1 Av. 30.4%

* 2021 approved budgets as published by the states **FAAC and IGR for H1 2020 and segregated figures/dates for some states *** External Debts converted to local currency @ US$1/N410, added to Domestic Debts Sources: National Bureau of Statistics, Debt Management Office

The chairman also pledge to prioritize staff welfare, stressing that he is going to work on it, and also to ask the government for necessary support. “We know the problems and God willing, we are going to solve these problems,” he assured.

Earlier in his handing over remarks, the outgoing Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Umar Abba congratulated Bawa for a well-deserved appointment and wished him well in his new assignment.

“I am particularly delighted to be handing over the affairs of the Commission to Bawa. He is an officer with whom I have enjoyed close working relationship and who contributed immensely to our collective efforts in the war against Economic and Financial crimes.

I have no doubt that he will do well and enjoin all staff to accord him the same support that I have received over the last seven months, “he said.

Umar, who also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him the opportunity to lead the Commission, albeit in acting capacity, disclosed that under his watch, the Commission prosecuted 804 cases and obtained a total of 583 convictions. He added that substantial recovery running into billions of Naira was made, while various assets were equally forfeited through interim or final Order of Court.

Banker, One Other Bag Jail Terms For N116m Fraud

BY AYO ESAN

T

he Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has secured the conviction of Temitope Oluwasanmi and Augustine Olayinka before Justice Mojisola Dada of a Special Offences Court, Lagos State High Court, Ikeja.

The convicts were arraigned in December 2017 on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent diversion of funds to the tune of N116million (One Hundred and Sixteen Million Naira) to which they pleaded “not guilty” prompting commencement of trial.

Oluwasanmi, an employee of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, who was arrested by operatives of the EFCC in October 2017, following a petition from the bank was alleged to have diverted the N116million to the accounts of three friends: Augustine Olayinka, Oginni Opeyemi and Ogbaro Oluwaseyi. Opeyemi and Oluwaseyi remained at large.

In the course of the trial, prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, called three witnesses and tendered several documents to prove the case against them.

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NEWS PDP Salutes OBJ At 84, Extols Ex-President’s Patriotism

BY AYO ESAN he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has passionately celebrates former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as he attains the age of 84 years.

T

The PDP in a release issued Friday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan describes Obasanjo as a patriotic leader, global figure and exceptionally energetic administrator, who has made immeasurable contributions, both as a military leader and as democratically elected President, for the survival, unity, stability and development of our dear nation. “ As a military leader, Chief Obasanjo fought for the unity of our dear nation during her turbulent hours as well as making immense personal sacrifices for the return of democratic rule with the birthing of the Second Republic in 1979.

“Twenty years after, as a democratically elected President,

on the platform of our great party, the PDP, Chief Obasanjo further united our nation with the entrenchment of democratic values of all-inclusiveness, rule of law, respect for the constitution, regard for the sensibilities of Nigerians as a people, transparency in governance and establishment of various institutions for good governance in all critical sectors of national life.

PDP said Nigerians celebrate President Obasanjo for running a visionary administration, leading to the revamping of our productive sectors, settling of our foreign debts, turning our nation into an international investment destination and elevating her from a pariah and debtor nation to becoming one of the fastest growing economies of the world under his watch.

in the private sector, thrived in all fields, including telecommunication, aviation, banking and finance, education, manufacturing, sports, entertainment, real estate, healthcare both at home and in the international arena.

“Our party extols President Obasanjo’s undying sense of patriotism and love for our dear nation for which he has remained fearlessly active in his counsels, directions, admonitions and firm stance against injustice and impunity in the polity, and urges leaders, across board, to emulate his all-inclusiveness and commitment to the nation.

“Our party congratulates President Obasanjo and prays God to grant him many more years in good health for the benefit of our nation and humanity at large’.

“Under the Obasanjo-led PDP administration, our nation witnessed most of its best days as Nigerians particularly

APC Registration: Emenike Sues for Peace In Abia

FROM OKKEY UCHENNA, UMUAHIA

A

n All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, High Chief Ikechi Emenike has said Abia State members of the party must disregard their differences to ensure the success of the ongoing revalidation and registration of members in the state.

Emenike stated this when he launched a statewide sensitization and mobilization campaign on the exercise in his Umuakabia Okpualla country home in Umuahia North local government area, adding that they must brace up for it.

He told the participants, who were drawn from the 184 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wards in the 17 local government areas of the state, that the task before them is to ensure the success of the exercise.

The founding member of the party, therefore challenged every member of the party to spread the message to every nook and cranny of the state so that at the end, the state will be accounted among those with largest members.

According to him, the exercise has provided not only the people of the state, but the entire Igbo nation the opportunity to move into

Wema Bank Investigates Allegation of Verbal Abuse

W

ema Bank said on Friday that it has started investigating an allegation of verbal abuse levelled against one of its staff and assured all its stakeholders that the matter would receive appropriate redress that will be comforting to the affected parties.

Giving an assurance in a statement signed by the Head, Brand & Marketing Communication, Wema Bank Plc, Funmilayo Falola, the bank said: “Our attention has been drawn to an allegation of verbal abuse levelled against a staff of Wema Bank on social media, allegedly following some information from staff.

“At Wema Bank, our staff are our most valued assets and we treasure them greatly. Equality, fairness, and respect are the gold standards of our practice, operations, and relations with both internal and external stakeholders at Wema Bank. These are firmly rooted in our values spanning over 75 years of existence.”

The bank maintained that it respects and upholds the rights and dignity of all members of staff, irrespective of their age, gender, or position in the organisation even as it added that their contributions to the growth of the business and the success of its customers across all its business touchpoints are of immense value.

Wema Bank therefore assured all its stakeholders that the issue which was already being investigated at the highest level of the organisation will receive appropriate redress that will be comforting to the affected parties.

It, however, expressed gratitude to the stakeholders for their patience as it concludes its investigations.

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the mainstream of the party, “to position themselves fully in it’s affairs, especially at the national level.”

He challenged the Revalidation and Membership Committee to be through in the discharge of their duty and to report their observation about the party in the state and the members appropriately to the national headquarters, Abuja.

In his address, the chairman of the committee, Ambassador Bala Mairiga said their prime duty is to register as many members as possible to give the people a voice in the party, sensitize and prepare them for the 2023 general election.

Mairiga added that if the people are desirous of a change in the leadership of the state, they must begin by belonging to a strong political platform upon which they will launch the attack “to liberate themselves from the present misrule.”

Obasanjo/VanguardNews

FMDQ Exchange Approves Registration Of Fidson Healthcare N10bn Commercial Paper

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MDQ Securities Exchange Limited has through its Board Listings, Markets and Technology Committee, approved the Registration of the Fidson Healthcare Plc ₦10.00 billion Commercial Paper Programme on its platform.

This milestone for Fidson Healthcare , a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Nigeria, has seen it join other corporate institutions across various sectors of the economy, to not only raise capital to support its business operations, but to also enjoy the benefits of visibility, transparency and liquidity that come with FMDQ’s Quotation Service.

Fidson, which runs a ‘Current Good Manufacturing Practice’ (cGMP) Compliant facility, is crafting an exemplary architecture for the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry by playing defining roles in the emergence of a new generation of industry players, as the importance of the pharmaceutical industry to the prosperity of the global economy cannot be overemphasised.

In a statement provided by the Chief Financial Officer, Fidson Healthcare PLC, Imokha Ayebae, said, “We are glad about the successful registration of Fidson Healthcare PLC’s ₦10.00 billion CP Programme on the FMDQ platform. This is particularly significant as it coincides with the company’s 26th anniversary on March 1, 2021. Since its inception in 1995, Fidson Healthcare PLC has remained committed to the growth of the healthcare sector in Nigeria.

This strategic move aligns with our vision to be the preferred healthcare provider as a leading player in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Nigeria and West Africa. The CP Programme, which is poised to further broaden the company’s sources of capital by accessing funding from the Nigerian debt capital markets, will also reduce our overall funding costs.

Proceeds from this Programme will be used to meet the company’s short-term working capital requirements which are geared towards providing quality services to our valued customers”.

Also, the Sponsor to the Issue on FMDQ Exchange, FSDH Capital

Limited, through their Head, Investment Banking, Taiwo Olatunji, stated that, “FSDH Capital Limited is pleased to act as Sponsor and Lead Arranger on the registration of the Fidson Healthcare PLC ₦10.00 billion Commercial Paper Programme on the FMDQ Platform. We believe that the admission of the CP on the FMDQ platform will ensure its global visibility and enhanced liquidity, which will in turn raise the corporate profile of the issuer even further ahead of tapping into other opportunities in the Nigerian capital market”.

Delta Communities Threaten to Disrupt Repairs of Chevron’s Pipeline

BY DAVID OWEI - AMOUS

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ost communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West local government area of Delta state have threatened to disrupt repairs of a pipeline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited over alleged refusal by the company to pay adequate compensation for oil spillage that occurred on February, 3 2021.

To be from Utonana trunkline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited ( CNL ) have promised to disrupt repair works of the said pipeline if they are not paid adequate compensation.

The impacted communities, which are located close to the site of the oil spillage are Ighosuogbene, Teidegbene, Ebiabu - ama, Jones Creek, Edeuba and Ogidadunor communities.

In a statement signed by representatives of the affected communities, Comrade Jackson Timiyan, Chairman Ighosuogbene, Community Elder Sampson Teide, Chairman Teidegbene community, Mr Godfrey Bifuagha, Chairman Ebiabu - ama Community, Mr Jackson Powede, Edeuba Community and Mike Ari chairman Ogidamunor community the communities said the lives of the inhabitants of the impacted communities are in jeopardy as the sources of their livelihood have been negatively affected by the oil spill as well as posing danger to their health.

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK

PHOTOS: PEACE UDUGBA

L-R: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; Former President Goodluck Jonathan, and Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, during the opening of the 1st Bayelsa Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament at the HSD Golf and Country Club, Yenagoa, on Thursday. 4/3/2021.

:Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa (left), receiving a souvenir from the Director General, NIMASA ,Dr. Bashir Jamoh, during a courtesy call by the Management of NIMASA on the Governor in Asaba. 4/3/21.

L-R Managing Director, LASAA, Prince Adedamola Docemo,; Special Adviser on Operations Mr Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (second left), introducing some Heads of Security Agencies in the Adegbolahan Dixon: Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communication & Strategy,Mr Temitope State to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (left), when the governor received Osinbajo, at the Akanu Akande and Manager, Pointek Awolowo branch ikeja, Mr Ebute Peter , during an Awareness & Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. 03/03/2021.

Registration Compliance Exercise of the Agency in Lagos on Thursday. 4/3/2021.

L-R: Chairman Nigeria Governors’ Forum/Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefele; and Kebbi State Governor, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, at the fifth anniversary celebration of Anchor Borrowers programme and flag off of the second circle of 2020/2021 dry season rice cultivation /sales of paddy in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State on Thursday. 4/3/2021.

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L-R: Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa; National Leader, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye during the commissioning of Agege Pen Cinema Dual Carriage Flyover with adjoining roads, on Friday. March 5, 2021.

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INSIDE:

•Why Shobanjo Will Never Work With Adenuga Again

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•Daddy Freeze, Caught In The Web Of Adultery

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ADAOBI PRECIOUS OKECHUKWU Making A Mark In Real Estate

Special

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Every Woman Has Potential To Create Wealth - Adaobi Precious Okechukwu She is perhaps one of the youngest, if not the youngest, real estate developer in the country. Her brilliancy, entrepreneurial skill and her ability to thrive where others fear to tread has propelled her company, Hav’i-lah Real Estate Worldwide, which she founded less than three years ago, to be one of the most sought-after real estate firms. In light of International Women’s Day, there is no better suited person to grace this week’s cover than Adaobi Precious Okechukwu, who at only 25-years-old, is in a leadership position that took many years to attain. The unshakeable optimist speaks to IVORY UKONU about her leadership skills and the values she demonstrates as a young leader in her field. Excerpts.

How did your love for real estate evolve?

I wanted to cater to the needs of people by providing affordable but luxurious homes. I saw that not many can afford to own a home and I felt the need to make that possible for many by giving them something within their budget through a mortgage plan or a home at an affordable rate. With our current project, the plan is to make it easy for one to spread payment over a period of 20 years. Our vision is to make the average income earner a landlord.

Like other emerging real estate firms, does your company build and sell besides the usual renting, leasing and selling of finished houses?

We do all and we are currently building our own estate, Havilah Court 1 off Lekki County, and Terrace and Pent houses at Ikota villa. These are our own personal projects built by Hav’i-lah Real Estate Firm and I am happy that I am the CEO of this company in charge of these personal projects. But previously, we partnered with other developers on their own properties; we helped them sell off their finished products

.com

The industry used to be a male dominated one but now more and more women are making their mark in the real estate industry. What do you think is responsible for this?

Women are wiser now and when a woman puts her mind to achieve something, then she really does achieve it. What is the essence of only men achieving greatness in a particular field when women have the ideas, the wisdom and the capacity to do these same things and do them better?

Women are actually waking up and taking over in every sector of the economy, and are realising they can do well in these professions.

You were only 23 years old when you started out in the industry. Did you feel intimidated in anyway by the veterans?

The older ones wondered how a young person like me would just come into the industry to take over when they have been around for a long time. But as far as I am concerned, it is not how long you have been into something, it is actually how well you can produce results smartly. I am younger and more innovative and putting smartness into innovation brings results. I wasn’t doing things the way the older ones in the industry were doing, I started by bringing in my own skills and being innovative. I leveraged on technology and social media. So I refused to be intimidated or be afraid of anyone.

What are some of the challenges you have experienced in your line of work and how did you overcome them?

There is no business without its challenges but I don’t let the challenges define me. I just keep pushing to achieve my goals.

We are in a pandemic with most businesses across the world shutting down coupled with the recession. How has this impacted in the real estate business?

On the contrary, the real estate business in Nigeria experienced a boom in this pandemic/recession. I still don’t understand how but that is the truth.

The pandemic made people become more open to investing in properties.

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But I want to believe this is so because real estate is one of the most secure form of investment with very high returns on investment. And you can imagine that it is in the pandemic we embarked on building our own personal projects.

Today is International Women’s Day with the theme, ‘Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World’. As a young woman in a position of leadership, what are the most important values you demonstrate as a leader?

There are several. There is diligence. The bible says ‘He who is diligent in the works of their hands shall stand before kings…..’ Also, I am a hardworker. I am of the belief that there is always a way and there is no impossibility. One just has to keep trying different options to achieve the desired result. Another leadership value I demonstrate is consistency. You may no see the return/results initially but you have to keep at it until you hit your goal. I believe in staying on a path instead of wavering and being unstable. Another value I demonstrate is being persistent. I do not take no for an answer.

How has your leadership skill impacted on your work force in terms of getting them to understand your vision for your business?

People around me know that I am all about achieving results. I do not condone laid back or lazy people. Dull people can’t survive with me and my team know this. I am result oriented and all these has rubbed off on them, *Continues on Page 41

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making them better people. My manager who couldn’t talk publicly is now a bold talker and is a good motivator for the rest of the team.

How best do you think women can better position themselves for leadership positions?

Every woman has the potential to create wealth for their family and for themselves and if they put in the work, they will achieve way more than they believe they can.

As a young lady running her own thriving business, who are the people you look up to and what are the qualities you saw in them that made you seek them out as mentors?

One of them is Dr Kennedy Okonkwo, CEO of Nedcomoaks Ltd. He has done a very good job providing communal living spaces for people, including provision of water, security, light for as much as 100 people in a once upon a time empty piece of land turned estate. And he has built several estates like that. I admire him and I look forward to the day I will be able to do same.

Obviously, most young women look up to you for mentorship. Do you have some you have taken under your wings to mentor?

Yes I do and I also believe in giving back which is why we would soon start

training sessions for all categories of women. The idea behind this is to create more female ‘closers’ and more female millionaires and with God on our side, we will achieve that.

If you weren’t in this business, which other profession do you think you would probably excel in?

Perhaps a beauty entrepreneur, producing my own brand of makeup. I still intend to do that by building a factory where this can be done.

Covenant University, your alma mata is known for their strong leadership and entrepreneurial acquisition skills. Would you say this, to a large extent, impacted greatly into you doing your own thing from a very young age?

Most definitely. Covenant University was where the foundation for my entrepreneurial skills were laid. In school, we had a course called Entrepreneurial Developmental Skills and that helped to shape our minds to be solution providers rather than to chase after paid employment. It was a place where I was imbued with spirituality, integrity, hard work, consistency.

While all of these contributed to propel me to what I am today, grace is that one factor that actually brought me this far.

OTHER AMAZONS

Making Their Marks In Real Estate

Ichechi Okonkwo

Tolulope Onalaja

She is a billionaire wife steadily creating her own wealth. Ichechi’s love for real estate began from a young age. Her father is a surveyor. Then she got married to Dr Kennedy Okonkwo whose real estate firm, Nedcomoaks Ltd is the brain behind the strings of Victoria Crest Homes across Lagos State. This further heightened her passion for it. She joined her husband’s company and over time grew to become the sales director of the company despite running her own string of businesses and then later became the Deputy Managing Director. Today, she is the Chief Executive Officer of Victoria Crest Homes (VCH), a subsidiary of Nedcomoaks.

She is the executive director of RevolutionPlus Properties, where she oversees the entire operations of the company’s offices in Nigeria as well as the international office in Dallas Texas, USA. Even though she runs the business with her husband, Bamidele Onalaja, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of RevolutionPlus Group, Tolulope is the face of the real estate firm. She didn’t just dabble into it.

A philanthropist, Tolulope possesses over 18 years work experience in Real Estate and Facility Management

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Ololade Abuta She was an actress making her mark in the Yoruba genre of the make-believe world until she left it all and ventured into the real estate business. Today, Ololade has redefined through her flourishing real estate firm, Gracias Global Property Limited which plays big in the Lekki/Ajah axis of Lagos State. To say that she is one of the most successful female players in the real estate sector at only 36, would be putting it mildly.

A recipient of multiple awards, Ololade who is a strategic investor is driven by innovation and her ability to turn economic insight into investible ideas. For her impact in the real estate industry, she was awarded a honorary Doctor of Science degree by the Senate and Award Committee of the European American University.

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STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Dolapo, Son Of ex First Bank MD, Bisi Onasanya, Ties The Knot

OAP, Adenike Oyetunde, Bags Appointment With Lagos State Government

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n Air Personality with Nigeria Info, Adenike Oyetunde has been appointed by the Lagos State Government as the Senior Special Assistant on Persons Living With Disability.

Asides being a media personality, gratitude coach and a trained lawyer, Adenike is also an amputee & disability rights advocate.

Adenike who suffered from bone cancer as a young lady, realised that the only way forward she could have respite, having tried everything, was to have her leg amputated when she was 20 years old.

She runs Amputees United and is also an author of a selftitled published work Adénìké, an auto biography.

Oyetunde

Here Is Why Biodun Shobanjo Has Vowed Never To Work With Adenuga Again

Shobanjo

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dvertising guru, Biodun Shobanjo, has said that he would never in his lifetime ever work for billionaire business mogul, Mike Adenuga or with any of his companies ever again. While Adenuga, a Forbes listed billionaire has his tentacles spread across real estate, telecommunications, oil and gas etc. Shobanjo, a legend in the advertising industry has his tentacles spread across, advertising and marketing, security, public relations, real estate, all of which he operates under Troyka holdings.

Shobanjo’s advertising agency, Insight Communications, in the past had churned out advertising briefs for some of Adenuga’s companies but somewhere along the line, ethical issues cropped up. Adenuga must have made some mouth-watering poaching offers to members of staff of Shobanjo’s agency. On learning of this, Shobanjo decided it was best to end their working relationship.

“I thought what he (Adenuga) did was most unethical. All the people he recruited were those he interacted with in the period we used to look after his account. What that tells me is that it is dangerous working for him because if you expose your people to him, he entices them, which is totally unfair. I gave him all due courtesies as a client and he reciprocated. He gave us a free-hand; we had a wonderful relationship while it lasted.

Till date, he remains my brother. But to work together, no.”

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Dolapo & Iseoluwa

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his past weekend, Dolapo, one of the sons of the immediate past managing director of First Bank, Bisi Onasanya, tied the knot with his partner, Iseoluwa in a Covid19 compliant but classy wedding ceremony. Quite unlike what obtained when the older Onasanya threw the mother of all parties for his first son, Damilola in 2018 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, in the Dubai Marina, Dolapo’s wedding ceremony was strictly by invitation in keeping to Covid19 protocols. The ceremony however still managed to display the trappings of wealth and style synonymous with the Onasanyas. Also, unlike his first son’s wedding which was widely reported, due to his social status, Dolapo’s wedding didn’t quite catch the media buzz. This may also not be unconnected to the pandemic and how it has wreaked havoc on the social, economic and the health of millions all over the world. That, as well as the fact that having moved on from banking, all the political, business and social hangers-on that jostled over themselves to seek his attention in his days of yore, having since moved on to the man of the moment, his predecessor. These days, Bisi keeps busy with his real estate business aptly named The Address Homes Limited, a firm that is into the acquisition, development and management of luxurious homes across Nigeria.

Caught In The Web Of Adultery! Daddy Freeze Ordered To Pay Wife’s Ex-husband N5m

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Daddy Freeze & Elechi

or On Air Personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, more popularly known as Daddy Freeze, the chickens have come home to roost as a judge of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Hon Justice Akpughunum has ordered him to pay the sum of N5m for committing adultery with his lover, Benedicta Elechi in 2015. Freeze and Benedicta both have a son, Jason, a product of their amorous relationship. Apparently, Daddy Freeze was in a romantic relationship with Benedicta while she was still married to her now ex-husband, Paul Odekina who proved his case in court beyond reasonable doubts, with photographic, documentary and electronic evidence. While Benedicta was unable to prove her allegations of abandonment by her ex-husband as well as his gay status which said was one of the reasons she left him, she inadvertently, admitted that she indeed committed adultery with Freeze.

The adultery incidence ruined Daddy Freeze’ marriage to his ex-wife, Opeyemi. In grasping at straws, Freeze accused his wife of being violent and beating him up. The union was finally dissolved in 2019 by a Lagos High Court and this opened the way for Benedicta to move in with her four children. The judge in his ruling ordered Benedicta to hand over the birth certificates and international passports of her children with Odekina to their father and that their adopted daughter who is the daughter of Benedicta’s sister, should remain in their joint custody. The court also dismissed Benedicta’s suit seeking for N1.5m monthly upkeep, a brand-new car every three years, annual vacation abroad, share in the family estate etc.

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King Sunny Ade Becomes Musical Copyright Society Nigeria President

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he Board of the Musical Copyright Society Nigeria, MCSN has appointed Juju music maestro, Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye more popularly known as King Sunny Ade as the Honourary President of the Society, in recognition and appreciation of his leadership role in the society. King Sunny Ade was the chairman of the Board of MCSN during the turbulent period when the Society was struggling to be licensed as a collecting society or Collective Management Organisation (CMO). As chairman, he led several delegations of MCSN to meet with top government functionaries to press for the recognition of the organisation as a collecting society. He also led MCSN through a series of legal battles for the respect and defense of the rights of musicians. With his new position as honorary president of MCSN, King Sunny Ade is expected to act as the Ambassador Plenipotentiary, opening more doors of opportunities for the Society by leveraging on his wide experience and contacts around the world. MCSN is also expected to leverage on the vast experience and network of King Sunny Ade in pushing the cause of the Society.

King Sunny Ade

Ararume & Alakija

‘Mister Ragamuffin,’ Daniel Wilson, Is Back Obafemi Martins, The Financial Muscle Behind BayRock Club

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ormer Super Eagles striker, Obafemi Martins may be a legend on the football field but so is his sharp business acumen which shows in his several high-net-worth investments which includes real estate with properties scattered across the length and breadth of Lagos. He also reportedly owns an estate in Como Italy which wasn’t acquired cheaply. Another area where he has investments is in the lifestyle business, specifically in a club called BayRock otherwise known as The Gentleman’s Club. The club which is a mix of a dance and strip club is situated in highbrow Lekki phase 1 area of Lagos. And on days when the ladies file out to display their female glory, it is usually a parade of exotic Asian, Europeans and a mix of Latin strippers. There are reports he is eyeing other areas of investment in the lifestyle/hospitality business which will soon be unraveled with time.

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e was one of the biggest Afropop and Dancehall acts of the eighties/early nineties with hit singles like ‘Mister Ragamuffin’, ‘Heart breaker,’ ‘Abortion’ and ‘Original Bad Boy’, that was until he went off the music scene and settled for the bakery business. For 30 years, he was contented with just baking bread, music was the last thing on his mind. But something must have stirred a string in his heart as he is set to stage a comeback to the music scene with the release of a new album, ‘Timeless,’ years after the release of his last album, ‘OBB’.

The new album which is a mixture of love and political songs is to be released under his music label, Tropic Music Company. It will feature re-mastered versions of some of his hit singles such as ‘Mister Ragamuffin,’ ‘Abortion,’ ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘999.’The album will also feature politically motivated songs such as ‘Youths Taking Over,’ a clarion call to the Nigerian youths to buckle up and take charge of the destiny of our country.

Olisa Metuh’s ex-Wealth Manager, Nneka Ararume, Ties The Nuptial Knot

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he was a wealth manager with Asset and Resource Management Company, a company that manages the asset portfolio of business and individuals. And one of such individual’s investment portfolios she managed was embattled former PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh. Sometime between 2014 and 2015, she received $2m to invest on behalf of Metuh’s company, Destra Investment Limited. Unfortunately, with the arrest and prosecution of Metuh by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for receiving N400m from erstwhile National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), Nneka became a major appendage of the case. On January 26th 2016, she had to explain her role in the case to the Federal High Court, Abuja as the star witness of EFCC, about how she allegedly helped to launder the $2m for Metuh. The fund was supposedly earmarked for campaign activities of the then ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP but Metuh diverted it for personal use. Luckily, she escaped indiction. Perhaps, in a bid to get rid of her association with Metuh and the EFCC, Nneka switched jobs and took up an offer with Infrastructure Credit Guarantee Company Limited.

Well, Nneka who is the fourth daughter of Senator Ifeanyi Ararume recently tied the knot with her long time heartthrob, Kayinsola Oyekunle Alakija. The union attracted the who is who in Eastern political circles. Some of the dignitaries present included embattled former governors of Imo state, Ikedi Ohakim and Rochas Okorocha; his inlaw, former Abia state governor and now Senator, T.A Orji and his son, Hon Orji, the current Speaker of Abia State house of Assembly etc.

Nneka who is a graduate of the University of Kent and Cass Business School, has since moved on to First Bank of Nigeria as a Product Specialist. She is also a co-founder of N&N Smoothie & Juice Bar

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FEATURES

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I made a big mistake in building my house in Upper Sakponba but to God be the glory, I have relocated elsewhere within the Benin metropolis Suspected criminals paraded by the police

Upper Sakponba: Benin City’s Den of Criminals

BY ISAAC OLAMIKAN

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ecently, news went round that some policemen had stormed an uncompleted police barracks to forcefully take possession of it as their living quarters.

THEWILL gathered that the barracks built by the Edo State Oil and Gas Producing Development Areas Corporation(EDSOGPADEC) was meant for the police as part of the intervention agency’s welfare package for them to ease the issue of lack of decent accommodation that they have been going through over the years.

Ugbekun area, where the barracks is built, is situated within Upper Sokponba, a suburb of Benin metropolis, that is located in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area of the state.

Upper Sakponba means so many things to different people. To many, the locality is the den of criminals; while to others, it is a cool and calm area. But those that see the locality as the den of criminals are in the majority and their assessment is further backed up with the high crime rate associated with the locality. THEWILL gathered that the police always have their cells filled with criminals, mostly from Upper Sakponba whenever they raid dark spots in the metropolis.

By geographical spread, Sakponba is split into two different metropolitan Local Government Areas of Edo State; Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government Areas.

While the small portion that is closest to the Central Business District of the acclaimed ancient city of bronze which can be assessed easily through the popular Ring Road is called Sakponba, the larger stretch which commences from a place called third junction snakes into the Benin - Abraka Road and also to Orhionmwan Local Government Area of the state.

If you are a new face in the city, you may not see or experience anything out of the ordinary as you navigate your way from Ring Road to the third junction. But the moment you get to the third junction, the whole story takes a new dimension. And please, be careful as you get closer to the third junction, avoid falling into the hands of miscreants , who without your consent, may want to tutor you on what obtains in Upper Sakponba.

How would this happen you ask?

First thing you will be advised to do is to put your phone on silent or switch it off, especially if it is the high-end type of phones like iPhone, Nokia series, android, oppo, Samsung, Huawei etc. If you forget to switch the phone off or put it on silence and a call comes through which you may inadvertently want to pick, you may end up losing the phone to pickpockets who will snatch it from you with the speed of light.

If you fall prey to such a criminal activity from ‘the boys’, don’t bother shouting or trying to call the attention of bystanders to help you accost the thief as nobody will be willing to stick out his or her neck to do your bidding. The best you will get is a reprimand such as : “are you new in town?!”

If you survive this initial onslaught by keeping your phone, money or other valuables intact in your bag, please do ensure that you are not carried away by anything like watching “up and down” (meaning sight seeing). This warning is particularly useful for you so that you’re not distracted such that the person sitting next to you if he is criminally minded does not make away with any of your valuables while you are deeply engrossed in sight seeing.

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Depending on the bus stop that you will terminate your journey, the bus stops in this part of town bear somewhat funny names or are names given in honour of certain institutions, personalities and events.

For instance, there is Maria Gorreti junction. The bus stop derives its name from the Roman Catholic-owned church and school situated within a few meters to the bus stop. There are others like welfare bus stop, derived from the correctional facility for minors (remand home) built within the area; Erediauwa bus stop so named in honour of the immediate past Oba of Benin; wahala junction where a police station is situated close by; Abico Market bus stop named after a nearby market where you can get bushmeat at affordable rates; Jesus Christ named after a nearby church; Three house; Ariama Junction and Sin and Die bus stop.

Don’t be deceived that crime can only be committed in this area at night. The early morning hours is as risky as the night hours in Upper Sakponba. For some, staying out to patronise beer parlours, Isi-ewu joints, fun spots and the likes is in order while others don’t dare step out of their homes once they are indoors “as you never can tell when and where the miscreants would strike. In Upper Sakponba, we live with the fear of the unknown,” a resident who craved anonymity told THEWILL. Some of the dark spots in Upper Sakponba include Three house, Aifuwa and Nomayo bus stop areas where the rule is “exhibit violence at any given opportunity. Crime pays if you know how.” In these areas are preponderance of Indian hemp joints, illicit gin parlours.

In Upper Sakponba, there is no crime that cannot or have not been committed ranging from cultism, armed robbery, yahoo plus, kidnapping, car snatching, hard drug peddling etc.

The propensity of criminal activities associated with Upper Sakponba came to bear during the 2020 EndSARS protests hijacked by hoodlums. The jailbreaks in Edo State were said to have been carried out by hoodlums mainly from Upper Sakponba. Thus, if you can lay your hands on some viral videos of the destruction that were carried out in Edo State, majority of the main actors are from Upper Sokponba. Is it the Osaro DPO video? The main character in that video who we learnt was later arrested by the police is from Upper Sakponba. Or do you want to talk about the pillage of the state government warehouse filled with palliatives situated at another suburb of Benin City which was discovered by residents of the neighbourhood who had to wait until the Upper Sakponba goons arrived before they jointly broke in.

An experience that a media practitioner(name withheld) will not forget in a hurry was how he pretended to be insane in his move to outsmart hoodlums who stationed themselves all over Upper Sakponba openly robbing passersby during the EndSARS protests. There are four police stations/posts in the locality viz Dumez Road Police Station, St. Saviour Road Police Station, Ugbekun Police Station and Idogbo Police Station. All the facilities were razed down during the EndSARS protests.

THEWILL went to town to sample the views of some residents of the locality about the area and they share divergent views of the area.

Ebalu Ikhili, a journalist, said: “Don’t rely on the negative things some people say about Upper Sakponba to make your assessment of the area. I have being living there *Continues on Page 45

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FEATURES

Lalong And ‘Plateau’s AK-47 Farmers’ At a recent media outing, Governor Simon Bako Lalong, still panting from widespread criticism of under-performance that necessitated a mis-managed state-wide media tour, fouled socio-political atmosphere in the state with an amorphous, albeit unnecessary claim that Plateau farmers carry AK-47 rifle in the course of their work. UKANDI ODEY writes on a development that has veritably blackmailed the people, and sets Lalong on a free fall in local opinion polls as the issue continues to dominate discussions on social media platforms and different social circles

I

n India, it is said that the next most-feared thing after the fear of snakes is public speaking. In Plateau State and for Governor Lalong in particular, it is neither snakes nor speaking, but public gaffing.

It was one such moment, during the inauguration of the Plateau State Inter-faith Council at the Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos recently. Twice in the course of his speech to mark the occasion, Lalong delivered uncanny jibes at the Ndigbo, and another against his own people of Bassa Local government area, all in an attempt to underscore his savvy in managing inter-ethnic tensions and crises generated mostly by Fulani nomadic and incendiary pastoralism. Both sides left the venue to nurse their injuries, while Governor Lalong continued on his North-tropism and Fulanicentric world view to sustain his tenure and reign as chairman of the ineffectual Northern Governor’s Forum.

On Tuesday February 23, Governor Lalong scored a decisive own goal as he took the game of loose talk to his own vital areas. In an effort to exterminate a culture of corns bearing by marauding Fulani cattle rarer often times on the assault and aggression against natives, their land, and their farms, Lalong delivered an upper cut - a foul one though – against the people of Plateau and their farmers, by claiming that “Plateau farmers carry AK-47 rifle” in the course of farming.

In the past two weeks, this false claim by the governor has no doubt cast the chestnut in the fire; and the miasma is issuing and oozing in different directions with dire implications for the governor and his APC as the calculations and permutations percolate in the countdown to 2023. Pitiably, the own goal is visible and agreeable from all angles; and this has overwhelmed the government and its aides in no uncertain terms.

The Governor’s media team has been understandably tongue-tied and manacled by the pungency of evidence. In one frail and unimpressive effort, government said the governor has been hyper-interpreted, as his statement was particularly about arms proliferation as a national problem and not a contextual framing of Plateau farmers per se.

But the rave of vitriolic and vituperations have been unstoppable in the social media with some accusing the governor of identity crisis, or branding him ostensibly as a predator’s agent and apologist who trades his people for as meager as a pot of porridge and filthy lucre.

A lawyer and top APC member in the state described the goof in which the governor in a demonstration of uncommon malice maligned the state’s majority population as AK–47 bearers as the final nailing of the coffin of the APC in the State. However, acknowledging that public speaking is a skill which some public officers lack, the APC chieftain blamed the media team of the governor for the continued occurrence or committal of public gaffs by their principal, saying the media team has not been able to service the information needs of the governor, including not exposing him to situations of long-drawn on-thespot speeches and media live interviews.

Many who argue that the governor’s claim was “reckless” or “irresponsible”, posit that while it is irrefutable that Plateau State is agrarian, and majority of the population is largely farmers, arms bearing, which in the waspish context of Governor Lalong’s claim is war mongering, is not part of the people’s enduring culture which upholds the values of accommodation, peace, and hospitality. This group posits further that even among the scanty hunting community of the state population, local fire arms, mostly den guns, not sophisticated weaponry such as AK–47, are used for the purpose of hunting down wild animals.

It is also argued that the phenomenon of AK-47 got introduced into the state rural sociology by Fulani herdsmen who, for always venturing into farms and farmlands

Lalong not belonging to them, are constantly on the aggression and have developed a warring mentality and a psychology of living by killing.

In a quick and sharp riposte, the Plateau Farmers Association issued a disclaimer in which they expressed pride in the hoe and knife, and urged Lalong to look and search elsewhere for the AK–47 farmers. The farmers maintain that there is joy in the soil, and farming is their cherished heritage and not a bloody enterprise that will necessitate investment in state–of–the-cost guns.

In a release dated February 24, and signed by the State publicity Secretary of the party, John Atkans, the People’s Democratic Party currently panting in opposition in the state, simply advised Governor Lalong to “go back to school and learn how to talk”. In an earlier reaction, the state PDP called Lalong a “liar”, insisting that “Plateau farmers do not carry AK-47”.

Given that Gov. Lalong hinged his unpopular claim about the farmers on a certain ‘investigation report’, many have challenged him to publish the investigation report to allow public access to it. Other critical questions Lalong is expected to answer include, “as chief executive officer of the State, how many farmers has he arrested for carrying AK–47 rifle? Is it Plateau farmers that perpetrate crisis and continuous killings in Plateau villages? Are Plateau farmers aggressors on their own land?

It is certain that a tactless slip of the mouth has pitched the people tactically against the governor who is thinning fast in opinion polls and shedding electoral value having demonstrated his personal interest is over and above the Plateau Project.

...Benin City’s Den of Criminals

for over ten years and I cannot remember any untoward incident happening to me. My children were brought up there and to the glory of God, they are of good upbringing.

For Kenneth Iguisi, Correspondent of Authority Newspaper, “I was born and brought up in Upper Sakponba where I have spent over 45 years of my life. Given the opportunity, I will always live there. The only advice that I have for people living there is that they should mind their business. They should not form the habit of always interfering in things happening within their vicinity.”

Francis Ogbuagu, Correspondent of New Telegraph Newspaper, said: “Having lived in Upper Sakponba, there is no where in the world that I cannot live in. Though, I must confess that I cannot bring up/train my children there.”

For Osayi Teddy Omoruyi, a businessman, “It is not all part of Upper Sakponba that are no go areas. It is only some miscreants who are giving the place a bad name.”

Elvis Omoregie said: “I spent over 35 years in Upper Sakponba. The place is a calm and cool place. I have never experienced any nasty thing there.”

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Friday Akpomejero, Correspondent of Plus TV, said: “I cannot compare Upper Sakponba with any other area in Benin City. I was born and bred there. I have never had a bad experience there.”

However, a resident of the area who craved anonymity , said: “I made a big mistake in building my house in Upper Sakponba but to God be the glory, I have relocated elsewhere within the Benin metropolis. I was fortunate to get somebody to buy my building in Upper Sakponba for what I consider a token but I am not worried. While living in Upper Sakponba, I and my family became victims of deadly robbery attacks on more than four different occasions.”

Another resident, Idris Momoh, was however frank.

“A friend once told me of how an honest landlord refunded all the money he paid to rent an apartment after he had made all the necessary payments. The landlord told him that he should seek accommodation elsewhere having seen his young family. He advised him that Upper Sakponba is not a place meant for such a decent family,” he told THEWILL.

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SportsLive

Soname, Ede: Dangote’s Forerunners In European Club Ownership Business

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

R

ecently, the sporting media was abuzz with the oft-repeated news of the interest of Nigerian billionaire and foremost business magnate Aliko Dangote in acquiring controlling stakes in the English Premier League’s north London club Arsenal.

Every time this has come up as a hot item in the news, it has been whipped up to a frenzy by mostly a cross-section of Arsenal fans who have become disenchanted by current owner, American businessman Stan Kroenke, as a result of their perceived notion of his failure to arrest the club’s steady decline over the last decade. They believe that their favourite club would enjoy a considerable upturn in fortunes if Dangote eventually acquires it.

As newsworthy as this is, it is by no means the first or, indeed, the second time a Nigerian has openly displayed European football club acquisition interests in history.

In fact, there are currently two clubs under Nigerian ownership both of which are in Portugal and the second belongs to a Nigerian woman with the record of being the only woman of African origin to own a club in Europe.

“

That leaves Dangote and his intention for Arsenal as the third for the charm of owning an European club by Africans in general and Nigerians in particular

She is Nneka Ede, an entrepreneur and business mogul, who in 2020, acquired the 109-year-old club Lusitano Ginasio Clube, MHC, also commonly known as Lusitano de Évora, a Portuguese sports club based in Évora and competing in Serie D of Campeonato de Portugal, the third tier of Portuguese football.

Ede’s deal to take over ownership of the club effectively made her the first Nigerian woman to own a club in Europe. It was initially claimed in some reports, at the time, that she became the first African woman to own her own club but those reports did not take into cognisance the 2017 acquisition of Italian club Como 1907 by Akosua Puni Essien, wife of former Ghana international and Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien.

Essien reportedly paid €237,000 (£206,000) at a bankruptcy auction to enable her buy the third-tier team three years ago to become the first ever African woman to have a club. However, her ownership of Como was transient. With the club in bad shape evidenced by broken ceilings in the stadium, it was not long before they were looking elsewhere for buyers who could revamp the fortunes of the side and invest seriously in it.

The 2015 acquisition of the Portuguese side was not his first rodeo in club ownership because in 2004, he founded the Remo Stars Football Club (formerly known as FC DENDER of Lagos). The club was rebranded and relocated from Lagos and now plays in the second Division of the Nigerian National League.

His Clube Desportivo Feirense, which is more commonly known as CD Feirense or just Feirense, is based in Santa Maria da Feira. Founded on March 18, 1918, Feirense play in the LigaPro, the second tier of Portuguese football and they are managed by 42-year-old Portuguese coach Filipe Martins.

By acquiring a 70% share of the club, Soname took ownership of the side that was last seen in the Portuguese top flight in 2011. However, with fortune on their side, the chances of them returning to the first Division, the Premiera Liga, are very high with the team second and one point from group leaders Estoril Praia and a gap of four points from the third-placed side Academica after 22 games.

Soname who was convinced about owning the club has demonstrated no desire to change anything about it satisfied as he is with their operations, organisation, philosophy and fans. He was more dedicated to ensuring the progress of the club through promotion to the top division, while seeking benefits to Nigerian football through players transfer, training for officials and administrators, who have proven they have what it takes to succeed in Europe.

This meant that when Ede bought Lusitano, she became the second woman in chronological order but the only African woman who currently owned a European club. It took her months of monitoring before she decided to buy and more months of negotiations before an agreement was reached to allow the sports enthusiast and successful entrepreneur get her wish to claim the club for her own with the promise to improve the club’s standings.

That leaves Dangote and his intention for Arsenal as the third for the charm of owning an European club by Africans in general and Nigerians in particular.

Incidentally, the official flag of the 109-year-old Portuguese side shares the colours green and white with the flag of Nigeria, which was claimed in the official release of the transfer of ownership, as another link in the natural bonding of the club to the new owner, whose countrymen and women share a considerably significant love for the round leather sport.

However, though Ede was the first female Nigerian to own a football club in Europe, there was one before her, a premiere purchase that preceded hers and set the stage for the others that were bound come. This first ever record was set by another Nigerian businessman Kunle Soname when he purchased Clube Desportivo Feirense back in 2015.

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The wealthy billionaire, whose interests stretch across actual sports, betting, investments, and his love life, is also the Ijebu-Remo owner of Bet9ja, Nigeria’s foremost online bookmaker company that offers betting on major sporting events and is most popular amongst Nigeria’s betting public. Soname’s near 100% stake in KC Gaming Networks Limited, the company that co-owns Bet9ja, means his net worth can be estimated to be around $100 million.

Indonesia’s tobacco industry giant Djarum, through its vessel SENT Entertainment Ltd, stepped in and bought the club two years after it fell into the hands of Essien.

One of the company’s rationale for acquiring Como 1907 was the intention to provide the club’s headquarters as shelter for the Garuda Select team, which strives to unearth Indonesia’s next big football star, that was slated to visit Italy, as part of its training program on European soil.

Although the precise amount she parted with to take over the club was never made public, the new owner was euphoric about the success of the deal and filled with the optimism of the potential it afforded for deepening sporting relations between Portugal and Nigeria while providing a pathway for young talents to develop and shine through.

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Dangote

Although the industrialist and billionaire has been not been reticent about his intention for the club, there has been a recent lull in the conversation around his takeover of shares currently held by American businessman Stan Kroenke. It was argued that this was not unconnected to the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the globe.

The pestilence, which rendered many an economic outlook dire, turned investmentminded business types away from football club takeovers with other bigger returns opportunities higher on their agenda especially given the financial implications around football due largely of the pandemic and reflected in financial strains for some otherwise big clubs globally, with Barcelona as a standard example.

Nevertheless, the wealthiest African alive has not let that dampen his intentions for the club which has been a long-time objective. The 63-year-old admitted, in June 2015, that he missed the initial offer to buy Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith’s 15.9% stake way back in 2011 when they became available, as he and others interested did not act quickly enough, allowing Kroenke to snap up the stake.

His reason for not immediately effecting a straight out buy decision is based on how much he has to deal with currently with a plateful of competing business *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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