THEWILL NEWSPAPER, November 26, 2023

VOL 3 NO. 48 • NOVEMBER

VOL 3 NO. 48 • NOVEMBER

26, 2023

Akeredolu’s Continuous Absence Still Raises Dust in Ondo

26, 2023

C HHEEFF OS C TO LUEERROS TOLU RIEN THRIL LING UAL I N A R Y EXPE C U LCI N THRIL LING R Y EXPE RIEN CE

CE

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TH EWI LLNI GERIA

T HE W I L L N G

Devaluation Erodes 10 Banks’ Assets by $24.73bn — Investigation

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PATRICIA ONUMONU The Timeless Designer

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T HE W I L L N IG E R IA

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 • VOL . 3 NO. 53

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CONTROVERSIAL JUDGMENTS:

Judiciary, INEC as Cogs in Wheel of Democracy

Photo: Kola Oshalusi @insignamedia Makeup: Zaron

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

Digital

Onah Nwachukwu Editor, THEWILL DOWNTOWN

I

first met Chef Tolu Eros about 10 years ago and immediately thought his cooking was distinct. Years later, apart from his restaurant in Nigeria, he has opened two in the United States.

For Eros, it’s all about passion. He wants to make a difference in the culinary arts space by putting West African and Nigerian food on the global map. He intentionally uses his creations as a bridge that connects the world to the Nigerian culture while also using himself as a point of contact for other aspiring African chefs to see what is possible and to keep striving for excellence. He would like to debunk the idea that Nigerian food is too spicy, oily, and unrefined and to make it accessible, look presentable, and one of the world’s best and sought-after cuisines.

According to him, France, China, Italy and Japan all have their accolades, and Nigeria should too.

Read his inspiring story on pages 8 through 10.

VOL 3 NO. 48 • NOVEMBER 26, 2023

By the time you read this, Christmas will be exactly a month away, so we wrote an article about getting ready for Christmas, where we point out little things to do to prepare your home for the festive season. You’ll find that on page 11.

We also highlight visa-free countries you can visit this Christmas on our travel page; that’s page 13.

Have you tried out our interactive pages? Click on any page titles on page 3, and it will take you to that page. Page 16, our movie review page, has also been upgraded. Click on the instructions underneath the QR codes to download the music playlist; you’ll love the songs.

CHEF TOLU EROS THRILLING C U L I N A R Y EXPERIENCE

Until next week, enjoy your read.

OnahNwachukwu @onahluciaa +2349088352246

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NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

MISREPRESENTATION OF GOODWILL MESSAGE MADE BY EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, NCDMB, ENGR. SIMBI KESIYE WABOTE AT 2023 NAPE CONFERENCE 1. It has come to our a en�on that some media reports on comments made by the Execu�ve Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board st (NCDMB), Engr Simbi Kesiye Wabote at the recent 41 Annual Interna�onal Conference and Exhibi�on of the Nigerian Associa�on of Petroleum Explora�onists (NAPE), in Lagos contained significant misrepresenta�ons and distor�ons.

2. The report distorted Engr. Wabote's privileged comments, and reached an imaginary conclusion that suggests that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has withdrawn from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the NCDMB, the Nigerian Na�onal Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and four other interna�onal oil companies (IOCs) towards shortening the contrac�ng cycle, ramping up Nigeria's crude oil produc�on and ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. 3. As a professional and rigorous ins�tu�on with a commitment to the sharing of accurate informa�on, it is necessary that we clarify the real facts and substance of his comments at the event in the interest of stakeholders, including investors.

4. Contrary to the impression in the report, the ES did not par�cipate in any panel discussion at the Conference; his comments were captured in his Goodwill Message, copies of which were shared at the event. In it, he touched on various issues cri�cal to the good health of the local and global energy sector. His comments, essen�ally a rallying cry to the na�on's petroleum explora�onists, included: A. Addressing the Energy Trilemma - achieving an appropriate balance between energy security, sustainability, and affordability.

B. The central role of Nigerian petroleum explora�onists in addressing key ques�ons in future energy dynamics.

C. The con�nued relevance of the oil and gas industry as a key pillar of global energy powering industrial and economic developments across the world.

D. The urgent need for the na�on to increase the component of renewable energy in its energy mix and the central role of petroleum explora�onists in achieving this impera�ve.

E. How the resurgence in the issuance of licenses for explora�on and development of oil and gas in the North Sea is affec�ng global energy dynamics and why Nigeria needs to work harder to remain relevant.

5. Second, the statement in the report - “the IOCs, especially Shell, were no longer interested in inves�ng in the country” a ributed to Engr. Wabote is inaccurate. It is, at best, a failure to understand the current context and nuances of the Nigerian oil and gas industry which Engr.

Wabote tried to explain in his Goodwill Message. The

NCDMB PAGE 6

Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board

existence of challenges does not translate to the bleak scenario painted in the report which certainly does not represent the views of NCDMB or its leadership. In fact, the tone of the ES message was very posi�ve in discussing the challenges.

6. The NCDMB is constantly having frank discussions with stakeholders, including the IOCs in a dynamic and o�en challenging sector. Protec�ng Nigeria's best interests is our constant focus as we try to balance the impera�ves of keeping the sector investor-friendly with the current and future priori�es of the country.

7. The NCDMB equally seizes the opportunity to refute the comments a ributed to the Execu�ve Vice President (Upstream), NNPC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, to the effect that the implementa�on of the NOGICD Act has led to the return of por�olio managers or companies, rather than the development of local competences and capabili�es.

8. NCDMB, as a regulatory agency does not select contractors for the operators. The role of NCDMB in the tender management process is to ensure that the operators and their Joint Venture (JV) partners comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in selec�ng contractors for their projects and ac�vi�es. It is, therefore, inappropriate to suggest that the implementa�on of the NOGICD Act has led to the return of por�olio managers and companies.

9. The phenomenal improvement in Nigerian Content growth from 5 percent before the NOGICD Act was enacted in April 2010 to 54 percent by the end of 2022, which is acknowledged locally and interna�onally, is clear evidence that Nigerian Content has created visible and tangen�al capaci�es and capabili�es and not por�olio companies.

10. The NCDMB's implementa�on tools and procedures are designed to approve only companies with demonstrable capaci�es and capabili�es and never por�olio companies.

11. We believe that ample and verifiable evidence and informa�on abound regarding the giant strides made by Nigerian companies on the produc�on and service sides of the oil and gas industry since the enactment of the NOGICD Act, and there is no such thing as por�olio companies arising from Nigerian Content implementa�on, contrary to what the EVP was quoted to have alluded to.

Esueme Dan Kikile, ESQ Manager Corporate Communica ons, NCDMB Swali, Yenagoa

/OfficialNCDMB

www.ncdmb.gov.ng

…Building local capaci es in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

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COVER

CONTROVERSIAL JUDGMENTS:

Judiciary, INEC as Cogs in Wheel of Democracy

BY AMOS ESELE

M

embers of the governing New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kano State openly heeded a warning by the Police not to embark upon a post- Appeal Court Judgement protest without its permission, just as the Friday and Saturday D-days came and went with little skirmishes. But investigation shows that supporters of both parties have merely sheathed their swords while secretly mobilising members in readiness for a showdown after the final judgement of the Supreme Court, which is expected in the gloomy days ahead.

Indeed, the tension and uncertainty resulting from the confusion over an Appeal Court judgement in the state governorship election petition casts a gloomy shadow over the state. Police Public Relations Officer in Kano State, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, on Friday told THEWILL that the Command was aware of a planned protest, but he faulted it on the grounds that apart from agreeing in a meeting with the Commissioner of Police to maintain law and order after the court pronouncement, leaders of both parties should not allow their supporters to engage in the “burning of tyres, cars and attack innocent people.”

“Nobody is stopping them from holding a protest,” he said, “but credible information that some groups of people claiming to be political party supporters of both NNPP and APC are using various media platforms and mobilising people and planning to enter the streets on Saturday, November 25, 2023 to stage a protest against the Kano State Governorship Appeal Court's verdict, revealed that the intention of the protesters is to shut down the state and attack prominent political party opponents. The action may likely result in violence.”

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Kiyawa added, “The position of the law is very clear. Whoever attempts to disrupt the peace in the state will be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.”

How far this Appeal Court judgement-induced tense situation lasts is debatable. But the Appeal Court ruling that the political party’s supporters are spoiling for a fight appears like a metaphor for the current low public perception of the judiciary and its role in the electoral process.

“Justice must be rooted in public confidence,” said lawyer and senior journalist, Richard Akinola.

Akinola, who spoke to THEWILL in a brief interview on Friday, has reported to the judiciary for 41 years. He said, “Lord Denning on December 3, 1964 in his address to High Court journalists, said, "Justice is not secrecy. When a Judge seats on a case he himself is on trial. When the Appeal Court made that pronouncement which they later tried to correct because it contained “clerical errors,’ they were on trial whether in the public opinion or before the Supreme Court, which would later adjudicate on the case.”

For Anthony Kila, a professor of strategy and development, the judiciary is becoming so exposed and involved in determining the outcome of our elections that we may end up with rulership by judges. Taking a long view, this is not good for our democratic system, he contends in an interview with THEWILL on Saturday.

"Many of their judgments are even too technical for the common man to understand. Such judgements do not aim at justice and so are bad.

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THE CONTROVERSIAL JUDGEMENT In its judgement on Friday, November 17, 2023, the appellate court virtually declared APC governorship candidate, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, duly elected in the March 18 governorship poll held in the state, “because the appeal lacks merit.”

But in a stamped and signed Certified True Copy, CTC, the majority judgement delivered by Justice Moore Abraham Adumein and released to the litigants’ counsel on Tuesday November 20, the court gave judgement to incumbent Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, as “the judgement of the tribunal in the petition No: EPT/KN/GOV 01/2023 between: ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) v INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION &2 ORS, delivered on the 20th of September is hereby set aside,” and the court awarded the sum of N1,000,000.00 as cost against Gawuna.

Then in the face of public criticism over this obvious contradiction in the judgements, the Justices citing ‘clerical errors,’ in the CTC, withdrew the copy and re-issued another one on Thursday, November 23 to reflect its earlier virtual judgement in favour of Gawuna, saying that, “A person must first be a member of a political party before he can be legally or validly sponsored by that party as a candidate for a general election… sponsorship without membership is like putting something on nothing and it cannot stand.”

To further underscore the impropriety of the Appeal Court Justices, Governor Yusuf’s Counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, declared the correction of the ‘clerical error’, an impossibility because the 60 days allowed by the law for the appellate court to hear and determine expired on November 18, 2023 and as such the court no longer exercised the power to correct any perceived error in the judgement.

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COVER

...as Cogs in Wheel of Democracy ROLE OF JUDICIARY IN THE ELECTORAL PROCESS Section 285 of the 1999 Constitution as Amended, empowers the Judiciary to make time for the determination of preelection matters; establishment of Election Tribunals and time for determination of Election Petitions. But there appears to be a wide gap between theory and practice, particularly with regards to recent court judgements on the outcome of the 2023 general election.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, reacted to this development in faraway Paris, France last week, while attending the International Bar Association conference, IBA, conference.

In a message shared on social media, he said, “While I was president of the NBA, what I found out was that there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the political class in Nigeria to capture the judiciary and that has very insidious consequences for the rule of law in Nigeria. It is deliberate and it is intentional.”

For him, many judges were unsuitable for the role they occupied because of their lack of requisite qualification, even as the Nigeria ruling elite has impoverished judges and the judiciary. On Friday, he issued a statement in which he described the Appeal Court pronouncement in the Kano governorship poll as a “scandalous and an extremely embarrassing report,” that can lead to the erosion of public confidence in the judiciary.

He called on the President of the Appeal Court, Monica Dongbam Mensem, to offer explanation on the judgement of the appellate court.

“Honestly I feel concerned when I read some judgements,” said Akinola, who noted that mockery had crept into the writing of court judgements, recalling the governorship tribunal pronouncement in Osun which asked Governor Adeleke to go and dance “lololo,” and the Kano Tribunal which described the supporters of a particular party as red cap bandits.

He said the political nature of post- election tribunals had exposed many judges, with notable exceptions, to the corrupt influence of desperate politicians as confirmed in 2020 by the ICPC “which said the judiciary led the Nigeria Corruption Index between 2018 and 2020, accounting for N9.5billion offered and paid as bribe to judges by lawyers handling high electoral and other political cases.”

He contended that this form of inducement has made it impossible to know when judgements are read according to the law or to the lucre.

In Plateau State, for example, all elected members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the legislators to state governors, have been sacked by the courts, owing to failure to comply with an earlier High Court ruling to conduct a legal party primary election. The candidates had no structure, the courts said. Yet the court ruled against the APC, which sought its relief that Peter Obi was not a registered member of the Labour Party during the presidential election, maintaining that, “it is a party affair.”

In fact, the most ludicrous concerns the former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and his successor, Godswill Akpabio. Both of them participated in the presidential elections of their party, APC, at a time when a party primary election was going on in their constituencies. In clear violation of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act, which prevents aspirants from participating in separate party primaries for the same election, Lawan who had participated in the presidential primary of the APC later went to pick the Senatorial ticket for Yobe South, which was already won by Bashir Machina.

The latter won the case at the High and Appeal Courts but lost on technical grounds, according to the majority decision at the Supreme Court. In Akpabio’s case, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it never conducted the primary he claimed he won and declared retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Epkoudom, as the duly elected candidate of the party for Akwa Ibom North-West District.

“INEC is part of the problem, not just the courts alone,” said Akinola, “The Appeal court said Governor Yusuf was not a

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member of the party as at the time he participated in the governorship election on March 18, 2023. But when that matter came up in Obi vs APC, at the Supreme Court, the court said it was a party affair.”

INEC Like the courts, INEC is also empowered by the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2020 to conduct elections. Section 160 (1) of the Constitution as amended empowers INEC to, by its rules, regulate its affairs, which is to conduct elections in Nigeria.

Given former President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to leave a legacy of a freely and fairly conducted election, a brand new Electoral Act 2020 and the promise to ensure that every votes counted through the use of electronic transmission of result, many Nigerians looked up to INEC to own up to its vow to “transmit elections in real time,” according to retired Festus Okoye, one-time National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee.

The many glitches suffered by the Commission during the last general election raised the stakes in litigation as many felt their hopes for the conduct of free and fair polls were dashed.

As the courts are revealing, some of the pre-election matters are still pending the courts a few days to the time lag for adjudication, November 18, 2023.

Efforts to get the response of the Commission, particularly with its legal department, failed as messages and calls were unanswered.

Still, there are unanswered questions for the electoral umpire. Why, for example, would it go ahead to witness party primaries that do not pass legal tests like the case with the Plateau State PDP, clear and publish the names of candidates for election? What work does its legal department do during electioneering? How operational is Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022 that mandates each party to maintain a membership register in hard and soft copies and to make such a register available to the Commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for primaries, congresses and conventions?

A professor at the Department of Law, Lagos State University, Mike Ikhariale puts it all down to society.

The state has been captured by self-interested politicians who determine who gets appointed, for what and to what end.

“

A body that runs elections and over 90 per cent is being contested in the courts is not one that can be rated for business or strategic services. But the real deal is that most of the people trying to govern Nigeria are crooks and criminals who will break the law, bribe and intimidate voters and engage in violence

Speaking with THEWILL in a brief interview on Saturday, he said Nigerians must determine whether they need democracy and then run a country based on the rule of law with the three arms of government-the executive, judiciary and legislature- mutually interdependently working for the good of their society or not.

“But when there is a cultural assumption that you can bend the rules and anybody can be bribed, you cannot have a better judiciary or INEC than you have currently,” he said.

For him, the way judges are recruited is defective. The same is true of INEC. They are put there to serve a determined end, often the greed of the politicians. “That is why the one who wins a case at the tribunal will always sing the praises of the judiciary as the last hope of the common man while the loser will give a different narrative,”Ikhariale noted.

According to Professor Kila, INEC is a failed institution because it is dealing with millions of Nigerians who have lost trust in the Commission.

"A body that runs elections and over 90 per cent is being contested in the courts is not one that can be rated for business or strategic services. But the real deal is that most of the people trying to govern Nigeria are crooks and criminals who will break the law, bribe and intimidate voters and engage in violence,"Kila said.

WAY FORWARD Professor Ikhariale said the future is bleak. He likened the situation to a moving train that is going to crash soon and the passengers will begin to ask questions about what happened and what can be done to start afresh with defined principles and ideals beneficial to everyone.

“Even restructuring that has gained some consensus cannot be driven by politicians except the civil society. Once he gets into power, the politician will want to hold on to his enclave because of greed,” he said.

There is a growing consensus among Nigerians that litigation on election matters should follow up immediately after the conduct of polls and before the winners are sworn into office.

There is also the viewpoint that INEC must be unbundled to make it better equipped to handle specific tasks.

On this, a senior journalist who is currently in Sierra Leone after covering the recent Liberian presidential election, Abubakar Hashim, thinks that both countries have one or two things to teach us about the conduct of free and fair elections.

“INEC needs to be unbundled. We can borrow a leaf from Sierra Leone, which has a pre-election clearing house, the Political Party Regulatory Commission, PPRC, system for taking care of all pre-election matters dealing with the likes of certificate, tax clearance, forgery, so that before election proper candidates are rejected. The same thing happened in Liberia. That is why you hardly find litigations after election taking place there” For the Judges, Akinola supports Akpata’s position on training, adopting a more proactive stand on disciplining of erring judges by the National Judicial Council, proper funding and digitisation of offices so that manual recording and writing of reports, which creates room for errors, are discarded.

Abubakar, who said he was from Kano, appealed to the apex court to look critically at the Appeal Court ruling so as to sustain the peace that has reigned in that ancient city more than its neighbours where kidnapping and banditry flourishes.

“I know my people. They know when their intelligence is toyed with and they will react violently. I pray the apex courts do justice in this case. I am an APC member and did not vote for the NNPP in the election, but I think we lost the governorship election,” he said.

In his view, Professor Kila said everything considered, Nigerians should also rise to the demands of citizenship and be ready to suspend their partisan and primordial views and engage the system and leaders on the basis of competence and character.

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NEWS

L-R: Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abukakar Bagudu; Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq; Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Muhammed, during the National Economic Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on November 23, 2023.

Akeredolu, Deputy A220-300 Delivery: Air Appeal Court: Ebonyi Resolve Feud as Tinubu Peace Boss Onyema Commissioner Describes Strikes Status Quo Deal Congratulates Ibom Air Judiciary as Bastion of Democracy P

resident Bola Tinubu, late on Friday, waded into the months-long crisis between factions loyal to the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu and Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

This followed negotiations between the President and the Deputy Governor, representatives of Governor Akeredolu, federal and state lawmakers of Ondo, officials of the state’s chapter of the All Progressives' Congress, and other stakeholders in the state at the State House, Abuja.

In his bid to restore political stability in Ondo State, a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said the President advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace, eliciting commitments to this effect.

"This means that Governor Akeredolu remains Chief Executive of the State, Aiyedatiwa remains Deputy Governor and members of the State Executive Council continue their respective duties, even as the leadership of the State’s House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State is preserved", the President resolved.

Responding to the peace deal, Aiyedatiwa, who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the factions, said: “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

“And I want to say that with no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it, and every other thing is in the past.

“It is one big family and our father has intervened to bring all the children together to remain under the same family and with the position that I occupy, I will carry every one of you along in every decision that needs to be taken and in everything that we do, we will work together; the executive and the legislature will work together to ensure that governance is on the right track."

He pleaded with all members of the State Executive Council to rally around the Governor and himself to “bring the dividend of democracy to the people of Ondo State.

“All the Executive Council members, I want to plead with all of you to cooperate with me, with the Governor, so that we can bring the dividend of democracy to our people.

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BY ANTHONY AWUNOR

T

he Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has congratulated Ibom Air, for the delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 aircraft out of 10 units it ordered from world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, Airbus.

Ibom Airlines, a flagship airline of Akwa Ibom State, announced the successful receipt of the aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the carrier's strategic expansion plan Onyema, who was elated by the addition of the aircraft to Ibom Air fleet, said Nigerian carriers are getting stronger and stronger by the day, remarking that this is the first time in the history of aviation in Nigeria that different domestic carriers are ordering brand new equipment.

He said that the new development signifies a new dawn for air transport in Nigeria, stating that with more fleet, Nigerian carriers would create more jobs for the citizens, contribute to the nation’s GDP and burnish their desire to become preeminent in the market, airlifting more Nigerians to local and international destinations at affordable airfares.

“We are getting stronger and stronger by the day. May God Almighty be praised in the highest for this feat and everything. May Ibom Air and, indeed, all indigenous airlines in Nigeria continue to prosper. These airlines have given means of livelihood to thousands of Nigerians who were hitherto unemployed. God will continue to support Nigerian carriers. I wish all of us permanent safe flights and permanent safe landings forever, in God's name, amen.

“My joy knows no bounds today because the more we see achievements like this, the less the demonisation of Nigerian airlines by vested interests both from within and outside the country. Congratulations to Ibom Air, congratulations to the government and good people of Akwa Ibom state, and congratulations to the Nigerian aviation industry for performing very well under very disturbing environment,” the Air Peace Chairman said.

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, the CEO Mfon Udom, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline, George Uriesi, attended the handover ceremony at Airbus’s facility in Canada.

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FROM SUNDAY OGBU, ABAKALIKI

T

he Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Engineer Jude Chikadibia Okpor, has described the Nigerian judiciary as a bastion of democracy and the last hope of the common man.

Okpor commended the judiciary for reaffirming the earlier pronouncement of the tribunal, saying it has proven to be.

A statement signed by the commissioner further stated that the judgement has diminished the already drowning voices of opposition in the state.

According to him, it has opened doors for the people of the state to join the platform of equity and justice, which has so far paid off in addressing the people's charter of needs, bringing development to all sectors of governance in Ebonyi state.

It reads: "This judgement has further strengthened the earlier pronouncement of the tribunal, and given added impetus to the Nigerian judiciary as the bastion of democracy and the last hope of the common man.

"The Ebonyi State Government yesterday, Friday, November 24, 2023, received the cheering news of the victory of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru at the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos.

"There is no gainsaying the fact that the judgement is not only the totality of the reflection of the wishes of Ebonyi People, but also a confirmation of their goodwill through the ballot box in the March 2023 gubernatorial election.

"Like we maintained after the Tribunal's judgement in September, The Court of Appeal's decision today, again, is a victory for all who repose their confidence in His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and what he can achieve for the State and humanity as Governor.

"This judgement has further diminished the already drowning voices of opposition in the state thereby opening further doors for all Ebonyians to join the platform of equity and justice, which has so far paid off in addressing the people's charter of needs, bringing development to all sectors of governance in Ebonyi state.

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POLITICS

Akeredolu’s Continuous Absence Still Raises Dust in Ondo

BY AYO ESAN

T

he absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State from office due to illness in the last five months and failure on his part to transmit power to his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, since he returned to the country in September, has been heating up the polity in the Sunshine state.

Apart from being relieved of his role as Acting Governor since September, Aiyedatiwa is also facing possible impeachment by the Ondo State House of Assembly.

Governor Akeredolu’s failing health and his inability to transmit power to Aiyedatwa are both serious issues, as Ondo seems to be on auto-pilot at the moment.

President Bola Tinubu late Friday waded into the matter and persuaded the opposing factions to embrace peace and maintain status quo.

This was as the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, pledged to carry all commissioners and officials along in handling the state’s affairs and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide, resolved to halt all impeachment moves against Aiyedatiwa.

The resolutions came after nearly six hours of deliberations between the President and state officials, including members of the All Progressives Congress, who converged on the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, until late on Friday night.

The Deputy Governor who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the warring factions said, “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you.

I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

The matter of non appearance of Akeredolu in the state and the non - handing over of power to his deputy had earlier been

“

The legal action, according to the group, is sequel to the governor having been absent from office since May 17, 2023 till date without any particular date of his return to office in sight

taken to court by a civil society group, the Incorporated Trustees of Librate Foundation International. The Group has sued the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olamide Oladiji, Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and 20 members of the State Executive Council, seeking an order from the court to declare Governor Rotimi Akeredolu incapable of discharging the functions of his office.

The ex-parte application with Incorporated Trustees of Librate Foundation International, J.I Sebotimo Esq, Vincent Adodo Esq and I.I Bewaji Esq as 1-4 Applicants, sought an order of mandamus to compel all the members of State Executive Council, listed as 3rd to 22nd Respondents, to pass a resolution or move a motion supported by two-thirds majority of its

members to declare the governor incapable on the ground of serious ill-health.

The legal action, according to the group, is sequel to the governor having been absent from office since May 17, 2023 till date without any particular date of his return to office in sight.

This is coming as the State Executive Council on Thursday November 16, 2023 passed a vote of confidence on the governor.

The cabinet members, in a communiqué, promised to continue to support the governor in his drive towards ensuring the development of the state.

The communiqué was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Oladunni Odu; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Olugbenga Ale; Head of Service, Kayode Ogundele, 16 Commissioners and 12 Special Advisers.

However, the Commissioner for Energy, Mines, and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, as well as the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, and Cooperative, Akinwumi Sowore, did not sign the communiqué.

In the communiqué, the cabinet members disclosed that the move was taken due to what they described as the “exemplary leadership of the governor”.

They maintained that the Rotimi Akeredolu Administration in Ondo has been rewarding to the people and the state at large.

However, different groups are protesting daily and calling for the resignation of the governor.

The relationship between Akeredolu and his deputy, Aiyedatiwa, is nothing but cordial and the governor upon arrival in the country in September sacked the entire press crew of his deputy.

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...Still Raises Dust in Ondo The Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti and other elders in Ondo State have waded into the political crisis as they appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the feud between the governor and his deputy.

Present at the meeting were traditional, religious and professional leaders, market women, the academia and other notable stakeholders.

The statement said the meeting, which lasted over four hours, called for prayers for the improved health of Governor Akeredolu and noted that his absence had caused lack of sustained good governance in the state.

The statement said: “There should be no impeachment of the governor or the deputy governor by the House of Assembly. All unelected persons should allow the three arms of government to find a lasting solution to the current crisis.The rule of law should be followed by stakeholders as enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution.”

The elders of the state also called on the leadership of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to provide the required guide to those in government as well as ensure discipline within their fold.

“This is a sign that the APC-led Federal government is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians “What is so difficult to call the State House of Assembly to order and ensure smooth working relationship between the Deputy Governor and the sick Governor’s family?

“Reconciliation efforts initiated by Papa Reuben Fasoranti, Oba Olu Falae, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Chiefs Femi Aluko, Korede Duyile and Professor Olu Aderounmu, that were started two months ago and being vigorously pursued by elders/leaders, spiritual and royal fathers in the state, should be concluded with a view to allowing true rapprochement and enduring good governance thrive in the state.”

“We believe that because the crisis is in Yoruba land, the APC has abandoned the constitution to serve some personal interests, thereby abandoning Nigerians to their faith.

“Let it be known that this country belongs to all of us, whether PDP or APC, even Labour Party. We cannot fold our arms and watch the nation sink.

The genesis of the crisis in the state started in June 2023, as Akeredolu went on a medical vacation to Germany when he took ill and transmitted power to his deputy, Aiyedatiwa in an “acting capacity” pending his return to the country.

“Once upon a time, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party attempted to protest against the leadership vacuum in Ondo State, but the security agencies prevented us. We are not giving up. We are resilient in propagating good governance at all time.

During his stay in Germany for treatment, Governor Akeredolu’s health was rumoured to have worsened and some powerful people in the government fingered the media crew of the deputy governor as being responsible for the rumour.

“It has become ridiculous and indeed a laughing stock the activities of non-state actors who display their overbearing influence on the management of affairs of Ondo State in view of their relationship with the ailing Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu returned to the country in September and officially wrote to the State House of Assembly, informing it of his resumption. A copy of his letter to the lawmakers was also forwarded to Aiyedatiwa, thus relieving him of his position as acting governor.

“The same people who are close to the Governor, mostly his family members, who believe that the mandate given to him is a retirement benefit to the entire family are responsible for the ugly situation in the state.

But since his arrival in September, Akeredolu has been staying in his Ibadan, Oyo State capital’s private residence, recuperating.

Four governors of South-West States last Month met with him in his private residence in Ibadan and a photograph of the visit was made available in the media.

“The Governor has been around in the country, but obviously not fit enough to manage the affairs of the state.

The governors who visited Akeredolu are Seyi Makinde (Oyo); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).

“The question is, since the Deputy Governor is not allowed to act and the Governor has refused to resume work, who is administering the state at the moment?”

Tensions are running high in Ondo State as many groups and the main opposition party, the PDP are constantly protesting the governor’s absence in the state.

The PDP Forever Initiative said, “We hereby call on Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to resume within 72 hours or hand over power to his Deputy for effective management of Ondo State.

The groups, under the aegis of PDP Forever Initiative, threatened to occupy Governor’s Office should he (Akeredolu) fail to heed the 72-hour ultimatum.

“We make bold to say that, if the Governor fails to resume or hand over power to his Deputy within 72 -hour, we will have no option than to occupy Ondo State Government House to press home our demand.

Addressing a press conference at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the groups, Hon. Obande Gideon Obande, expressed worry that President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to address the lingering constitutional issue in Ondo State.

Disturbed over what they called leadership vacuum created by the absence of Akeredolu in office, the groups asked that his deputy should be fully empowered to run the affairs of the state.

While the PDP groups said they would continue to pray for Akeredolu’s quick recovery because he is human, they added that his incapacitation should not affect governance, as there is a provision for a deputy who shall discharge his duties in an acting capacity as empowered by the law.

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But since his arrival in September, Akeredolu has been staying in his Ibadan, Oyo State capital’s private residence, recuperating. Four governors of South-West States last Month met with him in Ibadan and a photograph of the visit was made available in the media

Ondo elders urged President Tinubu to end “the current constitutional crisis in the state, to avoid the looming breakdown of law and order.” This was contained in a statement issued after an emergency meeting held in Akure at the instance of Pa Fasoranti on the current political logjam in the state.

“The All Progressives Congress, (APC), is yet to provide the kind of leadership expected of it by Nigerians. The worst of it is the political vacuum in Ondo State where the APC leadership used in showcasing its ineptitude towards governance in the country.

“During our (PDP’s) reign in power, former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was sick and could not transmit power to the Vice President before leaving the country; our party invoked the powers of the constitution and empowered the Vice President as the Acting President.

“It also happened in Taraba State when the late Gov Danbaba Suntai was involved in an air crash, we resolved the crisis, but the ruling APC has failed woefully in managing the political crisis in Ondo State.

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As pressure mounts on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to step down from office and attend to his fragile health, the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state has asked critics to be wary of their utterances.

In a statement, the party’s spokesperson, Alex Kalejaye, last Wednesday said the protest and violent agitations by groups demanding Akeredolu’s resignation and urging him to hand over to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, should note that their desire could only lead to personal injuries.

The statement said, “The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has advised political gladiators and stakeholders to be circumspect in their utterances and actions as regards the political development in the state.

“It is imperative to urge stakeholders to pursue peace with maturity and civilized conduct. Protests and violent agitations, as being contemplated by some groups can only lead to personal injuries. We should be reminded that security agents would not condone destructive conduct under whatever pretence. We should be well guided.”

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POLITICS

INEC Begins Preparation For Edo, Ondo Governorship Elections

BY AYO ESAN

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ollowing the conclusion of the November 11, 2023 off-Cycle Governorship Elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun preparation for the next offcycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States. The two elections will be held next year.

heists perpetrated by both the officials of INEC and casts of candidates in the field. A litany of cases abound, where the results manually declared by INEC conflicted violently with the data revealed on the IREV portal where transmissions of the various data from the polling units across the state and where the actual number of voters fell far less than the scores of the candidate declared as winner.

This was beside, or in addition to the reported cases of vote buying, violence, voters’ intimidation and harassment to mention but a few.

INEC has fixed September 21, 2024, for the Edo State governorship election while that of Ondo State will be held on November 16, 2024.

The electoral body said the announcement was in line with Section 178 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution, stipulating that election into the said offices shall be held not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of the last holder of the office.

“In what should qualify as a last ditch effort in casting the pall of despondency and seeming helplessness on the common man, the electoral umpire elected, sadly, to ignore all the established cases of the brazen infractions of the Constitution, violations of the Electoral Act and the Guidelines for the conduct of the elections and declared Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC as winner of the governorship election in Kogi.

Similarly, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires INEC to publish the Notice for the Election not later than 360 days before the date of the election.

“Similarly, INEC chose to look away from the visible scenarios of electoral outlawry which reigned supreme on Election Day in Bayelsa and Imo.

In a statement by its Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC noted that the tenure of the governors of Edo and Ondo States will end on November 11, 2024, and February 23, 2025, respectively.

“In the build up to the elections, what was witnessed in Imo is akin to a clearance operation against opposition. Not even the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress was spared. Joe Ajaero survived, apparently by divine providence, to tell the story of his ordeal in the hands of state agents.

“The Edo governorship election will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

“Party primaries will be held from February 1-24, 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9 am on March 4, 2024 and close at 6 pm on March 24, 2024.

“The final list of candidates will be published on April 23, 2024, while the campaign in public by political parties commences on April 24, 2024, and ends 24 hours prior to Election Day on September 19, 2024,” INEC said.

Furthermore, INEC stressed that the Ondo governorship election would hold “on Saturday 16th November 2024.”

It added that party primaries would take place between April 6 and 27, 2024, while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal would start at 9.00am on April 29, 2024 and close at 6.00pm on May 20, 2024.

It noted that the final list of candidates would be published on June 18, 2024, while campaign in public by political parties commences on June 19, 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to Election Day on November 14, 2024.

INEC and Lessons from Nov 11, Elections While reviewing the recently conducted governorship election in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States, Chief Anthony Aikhunnegbe Malik (SAN) said the election didn’t produce anything different on the positive fronts.

“By and large, it is disheartening that in this age and time, elections in Nigeria are still characterised by the kind of violence and electoral malfeasances on offer in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa during the last governorship elections in those states. It is a matter of monumental embarrassment and gargantuan shame, that our politicians and State actors see elections as “do or die”, he said.

“

INEC has fixed September 21, 2024, for the Edo State governorship election while that of Ondo State will be held on November 16, 2024

the nadir of unprecedented outlawry and violations of the provisions Electoral Act.

“The election was anything but free and fair. Elections in all three states were marred by all known and, in a few instances, novel forms of electoral malfeasances.

“The cases of the very security agents brought in to assist in the conduct of the election, but who looked the other way as the litany of crimes were perpetrated against the nation’s electoral values; reported and proven cases of prefilled polling unit results, unbridled violence that took the centre-stage, pervasive allegations of vote buying, bare-faced mutilation of polling unit election results, unprecedented cases of over-voting in virtually all the polling units and commercialisation of the entire spectrum of the electoral activities, all come to mind.

“For Kogi State, specifically, with every sense of responsibility and patriotism, this writer asserts that the recent election in Kogi is, by all indices, the worst so far in

“In several reported cases, despite the deployment of BVAS machines in the Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa elections, it did nothing to stop the brazen rape of democracy and electoral

“Expectedly, given the nefarious quest for power among the Nigerian elite, it was unsurprising that the elections conducted in the three states still wear the concomitantly inglorious barge of [massive] allegations of corrupt practices, irregularities and illegalities.

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Also speaking on the last off-cycle elections, a Development Consultant, Author, Columnist and Public Affairs Analyst, Jide Ojo said, “In my own assessment, the good thing about the off-cycle polls are as follows: The elections started on time, more so than they did during the general election earlier in the year.

There was priority voting for the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and persons with disabilities.

“The three elections were concluded on the first ballot, while there was timely uploading of the results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal. However, the bad aspects include the reported incidences of vote buying, abduction and holding of poll officials’ hostage in some communities such as Brass LGA in Bayelsa State. The death of George Sibo, also allegedly occurred at a Collation Centre in Twon Brass also in Bayelsa. Furthermore, is the reported bypass of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System Device, better known as BVAS, by some unscrupulous INEC officials. The ugly incidents also include the discovery of pre-filled result sheets, in some of the LGAs in Kogi.

“According to INEC, reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas. The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 Registration Areas. This is preposterous!

“Another baffling thing is the press statement issued by YIAGA Africa on Sunday, November 12, 2023. According to the civil society organisation which was accredited to observe the polls, reports from some watching the Vote observers in Imo State indicate elections did not take place in 12% of YIAGA Africa sampled polling units. These cases were prevalent in Orsu, Okigwe, Oru East, and Orlu LGAs. Yiaga Africa also monitored the upload of results on the •Continues on page 13

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POLITICS NEWS

From left, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Sultan of Sokoto and President Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammed Sa'ad Abubakar; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and Aare Musulumi of Yourbaland, Alhaji Daud Makanjuoka Akinola, during the grand Inauguration of organization of Tadamul Muslimeen Mosque, Ibadan, rebuilt by Governor Makinde.

Obaseki Bags Zik Good Governance Award AYO ESAN

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he Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has been honoured with the prestigious Zik Prize for Good Governance, in recognition of his government’s sterling performance across all sectors of the State over the past seven years, improving the lives of millions of Edo people and putting the State on the path of sustainable and accelerated growth and development.

The governor, during the 2021/2022 Zik Leadership Award ceremony, in Lagos, said the honour is a call to do more for the people of the State, pledging to sustain the developmental strides across various sectors of the State’s economy.

Obaseki was accompanied by his wife, Betsy; Secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, Osaigbovo Iyoha; Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq.; Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku and other members of the EDHA; Chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Edo State Chapter, Anthony Aziegbemi, among other top functionaries.

Other guests at the event are Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Oti; Chairman of Sterling Bank, Dr. Asue Ighodalo; former Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, and former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, among other dignitaries.

Obaseki while receiving the award, said: “It's not difficult to govern well, it could be inconvenient but it's not impossible; just do the right thing and what is just. This award has given me a renewed energy to strive and finish well.

Judiciary Has Shown Commitment to Uphold Rule of Law – Abiodun

O

gun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun on Friday said the judiciary has once again shown its commitment to upholding the rule of law in the country.

Prince Abiodun also appealed to his opponent, Ladi Adebutu, to stop running around and join hands with his government in the task of making Ogun one of the best states in the country.

The governor spoke at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, while reacting to the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, which affirmed his March 18 electoral victory.

"I want to thank the judiciary for yet again standing the course of justice. They have upheld the rule of law.

"The Court of Appeal today has affirmed the ruling of the lower court, the election Tribunal who did a very meticulous, painstaking work in delivering their judgement.

"Again today, the Court of Appeal has done just that, and we saw democracy at play at the Court of Appeal as well," he said.

Prince Abiodun called on his opponents to stop running around and join his administration in its quest to develop the state.

"I want to invite all our opponents who have tried their best in their quest to also govern the state; indeed, you mean well for the good people of the state.

"Having failed at the polls, tribunal, and the appeal, you should come and join hands with us and stop running from pillar to post.

•Continued from page 12

...Edo, Ondo Governorship Elections IREV, especially those from polling units where elections did not hold. The group gave a breakdown of about 40 of such PUs where elections did not hold in Imo, yet results were uploaded on the IREV Portal. How so?

I have also seen a number of inflated results, where the number of voters is higher than the figures of those who were accredited in the polling unit. This is a clear evidence of result manipulation and over-voting. This happened because the integrity measures put in place in Section 64(1 – 9) of the Electoral Act 2022 were ignored by the presiding officers, as well as the collation and returning officers”.

On the way forward, political analysts agreed that the way forward for the INEC is for it to improve on the standard THEWILLNIGERIA

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of the two off-cycle governorship elections coming up next year in Edo and Ondo States.

They also believe that the INEC should, after reviewing the last elections, put the lessons learned thereof to get set for the next year’s elections.

Speaking with THEWILL, a member of the Campaign for Democracy, Comrade Sola Olawale, said the electoral umpire should improve on its performance in the last three governorship elections.

He said September next year is a long time for INEC to improve itself.

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“Let me first commend the INEC for the promptness of its officials and a better effort in the usage of BVAS in the last elections.

“I want INEC and the Security agencies led by the police as well as the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission (EFCC) to curb the issue of vote buying which was prevalent in the last elections.

‘It is up to INEC to show improvement. Good enough, unlike the last elections, it will be one election per day, the Edo State election in September and the Ondo election in November. I believe INEC and the security agencies will do well in the elections”, Olawale said.

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EDITORIAL

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 WWW.THEWILLNIGERIA.COM

All Eyes on Nigerian Judiciary

R

To describe the confusion created by the statement as very embarrassing is just an understatement as it casts a lot of doubt on the calibre and integrity of the judges involved.

It is quite unimaginable that a judgment would dismiss an appeal and still award cost against the person which the judgment supposedly favours. What a contradiction!

Unfortunately, that is the situation in which we have found ourselves and it is a very sad development, no matter the claims of "clerical errors" being bandied around in defence

ecent judgments of the law courts in the country have put the judiciary on the spot. Some controversial decisions by some of our revered judges, especially in cases relating to election petitions and appeals, have kept tongues wagging. As the final arbiter of the law, the judges are continuously placed under constant searchlight as the people look up to them for justice.

It is, however, unfortunate that claims of ''clerical errors'' in some of the judgments which made their interpretation more confusing have not helped the judiciary in any way.

The confusion created by the so-called errors only helps as much in casting a doubt over such judgments, more so, as each party to the case interpretes it in manners that suit their interests. A case in point is the recent judgment of the Appeal Court on Kano Governorship Election.

Delivering its judgement on Friday, November 17, 2023, the appellate court virtually declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Nasiru Gawuna, duly elected in the March 18 governorship poll held in the state, “because the appeal (of Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf) lacks merit.”

However, in a stamped and signed Certified True Copy, CTC, of the majority judgement delivered by Justice Moore Abraham Adumein and released to the litigants’ counsel on Tuesday November 20, the court gave judgement to the incumbent governor, Yusuf, saying “the judgement of the tribunal in the petition No: EPT/KN/GOV 01/2023 between: ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) v INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION &2 ORS, delivered on the 20th of September is hereby set aside,”

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 LETTERS/OPINIONS: opinion.letters@thewillnews.com

and awarded N1,000,000.00 as cost against Gawuna.

of desperate politicians, though with exceptions.

To describe the confusion created by the statement as very embarrassing is just an understatement as it casts a lot of doubt on the calibre and integrity of the judges involved. It is quite unimaginable that a judgment would dismiss an appeal and still award cost against the person which the judgment supposedly favours.

What a contradiction! Unfortunately, that is the situation in which we have found ourselves and it is a very sad development, no matter the claims of "clerical errors" being bandied around in defense.

THEWILL recalls that in 2020, an Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) report noted that the judiciary led the Nigerian Corruption Index between 2018 and 2020, with huge bribes paid to judges by lawyers handling high electoral and other political cases. Sadly, there seems to be no progress in changing the inglorious and embarrassing trend.

The fact remains that the public confidence in the judiciary is fast diminishing and our judges in Nigeria are not in any way helping the matter.

This development is really bad for our democracy. It is sad to note that the recent blunder in the Kano Governorship Appeal judgment, which has been described as “scandalous and an extremely embarrassing report,” indeed runs contrary to the mantra that says that justice must be rooted in public confidence.

Actions like the case in Kano, which also described supporters of a particular party as "red cap bandits" and a related one at the Osun Governorship Tribunal which asked Governor Ademola Adeleke to go and dance “lololo,” are simply part of the mockery and embarrassment that some of our courts have become. It is becoming clear that the political class is deliberately moving to capture the judiciary, a development that comes with "very insidious consequences'' for the rule of law as ''it is deliberate and intentional."

There is no doubt that the political nature of post-election tribunals has exposed many judges to the corrupt influence

Most judgments now embarrassingly and ridiculously point in a similar direction to favour the government in power and help in making the country drift towards a oneparty state. We dare to say that this is not too good for our democracy as opposition voices will be subdued.

The law courts, rather than the election process, now seem to have taken over the role of determining who occupies elective positions as election results are being reversed at will by the courts through controversial and sometimes embarrassing and ridiculous judgments.

We therefore call on the judiciary to sit up and save itself from ridiculously shameful and embarrassing judgments that are being churned out by some judges. We also join other Nigerians clamouring for litigation on election matters to follow immediately after the conduct of polls and before the winners are sworn into office.

We as well implore the National Judicial Council to be more intentional on training for the judges and proper funding as well as digitisation of offices to ensure that manual recording and writing of reports, which creates room for errors, are eliminated from the system.

It should also take a more proactive stand on discipline of erring judges to put a brake on all the blunders and embarrassment to the judiciary.

THEWILL NEWSPAPER TEAM Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Business Editor – Sam Diala

Photo Editor – Peace Udugba

Austyn Ogannah

Copy Editor – Chux Ohai

Head, Graphics – Tosin Yusuph

Editor – Olaolu Olusina

Cartoon Editor – Victor Asowata

Deputy Editor – Amos Esele

Entertainment/Society Editor – Ivory Ukonu

Circulation Manager – Victor Nwokoh

Politics Editor – Ayo Esan

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Guest Art Director – Sunny Hughes

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15

OPINION

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 WWW.THEWILLNIGERIA.COM

Appeal Court Judgement: Gawuna Administration Now Loading

BY ABDULLAHI YUSUF

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he people of Kano State penultimate Friday received yet another cheering news that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had affirmed the election of Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna as the duly elected Executive Governor of the State.

The Appeal Court in its judgment upheld the verdict of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay which on September 20,2023, voided the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and declared Dr Gawuna as the duly elected Governor of the most populous state in Nigeria.

GAWUNA’S VICTORY CAME AFTER INTENSE LEGAL BATTLES BY APC'S LAWYERS LED BY CHIEF AKIN OLUJIMI AND PERSISTENT PRAYERS BY PARTY SUPPORTERS AND LOVERS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE STATE

The lower court had declared 165,663 votes of Abba Yusuf, who contested under the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), invalid on the grounds that they were not signed or stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor’s votes were then reduced to 853,939, while those of Nasir Ganuwa, his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, remained at 890,705.

Governor Abba Yusuf rejected the tribunal verdict, describing it as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice,” and therefore, appealed the judgment.

But in its ruling, the Appeal Court held that Yusuf was not eligible to contest the election because he was not a member of the NNPP. The Appeal Court's verdict affirming Dr Gawuna as the validly elected Governor of Kano State came less than one month after the Supreme Court affirmed President Bola Tinubu as the duly elected President of Nigeria.

was a popular saying in Kano that: "Gawuna is Coming", but which after the favourable Tribunal judgement, changed to:"Gawuna Has Come."

Going by the two straight victories recorded at the court by Gawuna and the APC, it is hereby concluded that God has answered the prayers and kind wishes of the people of Kano State towards Gawuna's triumphant entry to Government House as Executive Governor.

I recall that in one of my write-ups published before the governorship election which I captioned:"Gawuna: The Governor In Waiting", I said among other things, and I quote: "Obviously the most qualified person to continue with and sustain the quality policies and programmes of the Abdullahi Ganduje Administration is, the Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, who has spent more than half of the seven years of the Government learning the ropes from Ganduje.

"Which explains why Gawuna had a smooth emergence as the APC Governorship candidate in the state for the 2023 general elections.

"In the primary election which was held in May, the Deputy Governor came out victorious, garnering 2,289 votes to beat the then Sha'aban Ibrahim Sharada who placed a remote third with a paltry sum of 30 votes.

"While thanking Governor Ganduje for piloting the process that ensured his smooth election as the APC Governorship candidate, and other members of the ruling party for their support, Gawuna right there at the event pledged his continued loyalty to Ganduje, one hundred percent, and also undertook to continue with the good work the Governor had been doing.

"Then, to make the governorship ticket complete and solid,the state chapter of the APC under the leadership of Governor Ganduje, selected another good hand, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, as the running mate of Dr. Gawuna.

"The winning ticket is, therefore, manned by two illustrious persons whom have proved themselves both in the various public positions they have held so far, and in their respective private lives as well.

"Gawuna had served the people of the state meritoriously as Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government Area, Commissioner of Agriculture in a previous Administration and in the present Government, and as Deputy Governor in the same Administration, and still serving.

APC supporters and indeed other Nigerians, were still celebrating the Apex Court's judgement when another sweet victory came, i.e. Dr. Gawuna's triumph at the Court of Appeal.

"In all the positions he has held and the current post he is occupying, Gawuna has been adjudged to have remained loyal to His Excellency and performed commendably, discharging his statutory functions to the best of his ability.

The Gawuna victory came after intense legal battles by APC's lawyers led by Chief Akin Olujimi and persistent prayers by party supporters and lovers of good governance in the state as exhibited by His Excellency Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje when he served as the Governor of the state for eight eventful years.

•Yusuf was Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Information to the immediate-past Governor of Kano State

•Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

Amid those prayers which were conducted for the success of Dr. Gawuna and the APC at the court,

Of Migrant Tax Policy And Nigerian Situation

BY JOHNSON MOMODU

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he ongoing plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), to roll out a policy that will drag expatriates into its revenue-generation net has dominated the media space in the last two weeks.

According to media reports, the plan would dovetail into a policy that is well-rooted in the economic imperative of widening the nation’s revenue base and consequentially, bolstering the economy in terms of production and consumption of goods and services, as well as the supply of money.

The plan, understandably, requires some validation, against the important question around its novelty. While the plan to capture expatriates in the proposed revenue net (not taxes) may be novel in Nigeria, the decision by the Bola Tinubu Administration to consummate the policy of ensuring that the expatriate community in Nigeria becomes a veritable source of new revenue has obligatorily underscored the administration’s need to explore all reasonable avenues to generate income.

In fact, the essential international contexts for comparative analyses between how and why the policy is practised in other countries and why it is not in Nigeria, validates the urgency that is needed to effectuate the policy in its entire ramifications. A good understanding of how other countries have placed special demands on their migrant communities, leaves one with the impression that Nigeria has all along missed out in this critical area that has the potential to generate mega foreign exchange earnings for the country. If the trend must be reversed, the Federal Government must take the bull by the horns, confront the existential challenges that may want to conspire to frustrate the coming on stream of the revenue source.

Indeed, it is remarkable to note that as part of the nationalisation regulations to encourage hiring citizens over expatriates in the G-20 countries, including Mauritania and many other countries, private sector entities are being charged monthly for each expatriate employee that exceeds the number of employees at the entities. This is in apple-pie order and in alignment with international best practices and Nigerian can very well adopt it.

This practice is a cosmopolitan reality in Germany, China, France, Czech Republic, Ireland, and in over seventeen other countries, which are placing charges on the offshore earnings of expatriates.

The Tinubu administration will do well to replicate the same in Nigeria.

In those countries, which are by all standards developed, they have not put an end to generating revenue. A plethora of revenue sources is being constantly devised to meet the challenges of public finance, rising complexity in the ever-expanding infrastructure gap, especially in Nigeria, and funding of governments globally. Growth and development in all sectors of their respective national economies become the normative order in the consideration and effectuation of policies, programmes and projects that conduce towards the public good.

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The interplay between the wellbeing and security of the people underscores the primary purpose of government anywhere in the world. Significantly, these two essential ingredients of government and community cannot, suo motu, activate themselves nor can sheer political will without any corresponding or concomitant actions do so.

IF ANY COMPANY THAT ENGAGES THE SERVICES OF EXPATRIATES GIVES JOBS MEANT FOR NIGERIANS TO EXPATRIATES, IT SHOULD BE READY TO PAY THE PRESCRIBED PENALTY

The political will must crystallise in the nature and form of deliberate and aggressive funding, which is impossible if there is no cash backing. Governments cannot spend the money they do not have. It is the responsibility of governments to run and coordinate their national economies, manage the relationship and tension between production and consumption, as well as other financial or budgetary matters.

It is, therefore understandable when governments globally, including the Federal Government and the subnational governments, embark on government-to-government, government-to-business and government-to-people interactions that result in generation of revenues, including Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through taxes, royalties, fees, fines and sundry charges on both small and large scales. It is in this context that the plan by the Tinubu administration to extend its revenue source to expatriates working in Nigeria finds justification.

The first level of revenue drive may entail a fixed charge on each expatriate working in Nigeria; then the second level may be charges imposed on companies for infractions or failure to absorb Nigerian professionals into jobs that are allotted to them. If any company that engages the services of expatriates gives jobs meant for Nigerians to expatriates, it should be ready to pay the prescribed penalty. There may be other ancillary charges derivable from the overarching implementation of the new revenue measures, which Nigeria has not taken advantage of since 1960. It is not too late to begin to derive the requisite benefits in this area, which is why the beat is on.

•Mr Momodu is a development journalist based in Abuja •Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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71,230.48

SERVICES DRIVE NIGERIA’S JOBLESS GDP GROWTH IN Q3 2023

NGX ASI, Market Cap. Close Week on Positive Note / PAGE 34

N1,200

Inflation: Traders Lament Economic Situation

EDITOR Sam Diala

/ PAGE 35

Devaluation Erodes 10 Banks’ Assets by $24.73bn — Investigation T

ASSETS BASE OF BIG 4 BANKS IN 2021

ASSETS BASE OF BIG 4 BANKS IN Q3 2022

(N’trn)

(N’trn)

20TRN

10TRN 8.54

1TRN

9.22

8.93

9.85

9.44

5TRN

11.34

11.73

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–As CBN Urges Recapitalisation

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he Services sector has remained the driver of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in recent times, amid worsening unemployment rate. Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 34 percent in 2022.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated in its latest report that the nation’s GDP grew by 2.54 percent (year-on-year) in real terms in the third quarter of 2023.

It revealed that this growth rate is higher than the 2.25 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2022 and also higher than the second quarter 2023 growth of 2.51 percent.

“The performance of the GDP in the third quarter of 2023 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 3.99% and contributed 52.70% to the aggregate GDP,” the report stated.

It revealed that the agriculture sector grew by 1.30 percent from the growth of 1.34 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2022. The growth of the industry sector was 0.46 percent, an improvement from -8.00 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2022.

“In terms of share of the GDP, agriculture, and the industry sectors contributed less to the aggregate GDP in the third quarter of 2023 compared to the third quarter of 2022,” the NBS said.

In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP stood at N60,658,600.37 million in nominal terms. This performance is higher when compared to the third quarter of 2022 which recorded aggregate GDP of N52,255,809.62 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 16.08 percent.

Concerning the role of the oil sector which has remained the major economic live blood of Nigeria.

The NBS said the real growth of the oil sector was –0.85% (year-on-year)

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Access Incorporation

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BY SAM DIALA

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B

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Source; Banks’ Reports.

he total assets of 10 Nigerian deposit money banks were collectively eroded by $24.73 billion (N18.7 trillion) as of September 30, 2023, following the devaluation of the Naira, computations by THEWILL have shown.

The financial services institutions include Access Corporation, Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), FBN Holdings and Guaranty Trust Corporation. Others are Fidelity Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, FCMB Group, Sterling Financial Holdings Company and Wema Brnk.

Although the financial services institutions recorded significant expansion in their balance sheets and their top and bottom lines during the period, the quantum leap in assets base suffered severe value erosion when the effects of the naira devaluation were factored in.

The Federal Government had on June 14, 2023 introduced reform initiatives that involved the floating of the naira alongside unification of the multiple exchange rates which had seen the local currency badly battered in the parallel market.

In the bid to close the wide gap between the parallel and official exchange rates by the monetary policy authorities, the Naira has significantly depreciated in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), formerly investors’ and exporters’ (I&E) window.

Consequently, the naira which traded at N472 per dollar on the official window and N768 per dollar at the parallel market on June 13, began its downward slope with N665 per dollar on the official exchange window and N750 at the black market on June 14 – the first day of the reform.

As of September 30, 2023 the Naira had plunged to N756 per dollar on the official window, deepening to N1,000 per dollar at the parallel market. This implies that the local currency officially depreciated by 60 percent within 24 hours on June 14, against its last traded N472 to a dollar on June 13, 2023 The 10 financial service institutions had a total assets of N68.46 trillion as of December 31, 2022, according to data from their respective annual reports. This was equivalent to $152.82 billion at the ruling

official exchange rate of N448 per dollar at the time.

Inflation rate was 21.34 percent in December 2022, as against 26.72 percent in September, 2023 according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The banks’ earnings soared in the third quarter of the year which saw their total assets soared by N28.3 trillion to N96.8 trillion representing a rise of 41.37 percent.

At the ruling exchange rate of N756 per dollar in September 2023, the N96.80 trillion assets translate to $128.04 billion – a shortfall of $24.73 billion.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has advised the deposit money banks to be prepared to boost their capital base in order to meet the need of the envisioned $1 trillion economy of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The apex bank has also vowed to go after the licensed payment service providers that have parted way with the prescribed rules in order to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s financial services industry.

These disclosures were made by the CBN Governor, Dr Olayemi Cardoso, in his speech at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) 58th Annual Bankers’ Dinner and Grand Finale of the Institute’s 60th Anniversary held at the Eko Hotels in Lagos, on Friday, November 24, 2023.

Dr Cardoso said, while there has been stability in the banking sector, banks in the country were not adequately capitalised to meet the need of a $1 trillion economy which the present government aims to achieve within seven years.

“Will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the finance system’s needs in servicing a one trillion dollar economy in the near future? In my opinion, the answer is no, unless we take action,” he said.

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

BUSINESS WEEKLY ...10 Banks’ Assets by $24.73bn — Investigation “Therefore, we must make tough decisions regarding capital adequacy.

As a first step, the Central Bank will be directing banks to increase their capital”, Cardoso added, stressing that the policy measures adopted by the new CBN leadership have started showing results.

The CBN boss also stressed the importance of technology in delivering financial services as well as enhancing the much desired financial inclusion which the Bank had vigorously pursued over the years.

He however lamented over the erring behaviour of some licensed payment operators which he said had deliberately deviated from their prescribed scope of operations to breach their licences, thereby negating the benefits of technology in the financial services

At the ruling exchange rate of N756 per dollar in September 2023, the N96.80 trillion assets translate to $128.04 billion – a shortfall of $24.73 billion

sector.

His words, “Technology will continue to play a critical role in delivering financial services and enhancing financial inclusion.

“However, recent developments in the payment services landscape have raised concerns regarding the use of technology and the existing licensing and regulatory framework.

“We have observed that some licensees are operating outside the approved activities, breaching the boundaries set for them.

“Any intentional or unintended non-compliance will be subject to sanctions, as operators have the responsibility to ensure that they are licensed for the activities they undertake.”

The CBN boss said the apex bank will adopt a strategy aimed at promoting the desired change in the technology-driven banking industry to ensure that the banks that have made progress build on the milestones achieved.

He also said the CBN will strengthen its internal system to be able to assist the banks it supervises in achieving their desired goals.

“Concurrently, as we conduct a comprehensive review of the licensing framework for payment services, we will engage in extensive consultations to develop a new regulatory and compliance framework that is suitable for the technology-driven payment services sector.

“Looking ahead for the industry, banks should reassess the responsible banking framework to ensure that the requirements are effectively integrated into their strategies.

“I am aware that some banks have made commendable progress in this regard. Furthermore, the Central Bank of Nigeria is taking steps to enhance its in-house capacity so that it can assist other banks that still have progress to make in implementing their sustainability principles,” he said.

Cardoso acknowledged the economic challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians in both the urban and rural areas and assured that the CBN will initiate policies that would energise the creative abilities of the Nigerian citizens in their various callings.

To achieve this, he said there will be renewed commitment towards promoting the micro, small and medium enterprises which constitute the engine of the economy.

He commended the resilience of the banking industry amid global and domestic challenges, noting that available data showed the soundness of the Nigerian financial services institutions. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

...Nigeria’s Jobless GDP Growth in Q3 2023 in Q3 2023, indicating an increase of 21.83 percent points relative to the rate recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2022 (-22.67 percent).

Growth also increased by 12.58 percent points when compared to Q2 2023 which was –13.43 percent.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of 12.47 percent in Q3 2023. The Oil sector contributed 5.48 percent to the total real GDP in Q3 2023, down from the figure recorded in the corresponding period of 2022 and up from the preceding quarter, where it contributed 5.66 percent and 5.34 percent respectively.

Four sub-activities make up the Agricultural sector: Crop Production, Livestock, Forestry and Fishing. The sector grew by 11.06 percent year-on-year in nominal terms in Q3 2023, showing a decrease of 9.02 percent points from the same quarter of 2022.

Looking at the preceding quarter’s growth rate of 11.42 percent, there was a decrease of 0.37 percent points. Crop Production remained the major driver of the sector. This is evident as it accounts for 92.24 percent of the overall nominal value of the sector in the third quarter of 2023.

Quarter-on-quarter growth stood at 45.59 percent in the third quarter of 2023.

Agriculture contributed 26.36 percent to nominal GDP in the third quarter of 2023. This figure was lower than the rate recorded in the third quarter of 2022 and higher than the second quarter of 2023 which recorded 27.55 percent and 21.07 percent respectively The agricultural sector in the third quarter of 2023 grew by 1.30 percent (yearon-year) in real terms, a decrease of 0.04 percent points from the corresponding period of 2022, and a decrease of 0.20 percent points from the preceding quarter which recorded a growth rate of 1.50 percent. It grew on a quarter-on-quarter basis at 39.74 percent.

However, the sector contributed 29.31 percent to overall GDP in real terms in Q3 2023, lower than the contribution in the third quarter of 2022 and higher than the second quarter of 2023 which stood at 29.67 perceNt and 23.01 percent respectively.

In nominal terms, Other Services grew by 2.19 percent (year-on-year) in Q3 2023. This growth rate was lower than the 4.82 percent growth rate recorded in the same quarter of the previous year and lower than the growth rate of 2.62% in Q2 2023 by 2.63 percent points and 0.43% points respectively. Quarter-onquarter growth was -10.58 percent.

This sector contributed 1.59 percent to the aggregate nominal GDP in Q3 2023, lower than the 1.81 percent it contributed in the same period of the previous year and lower than the 2.07 percent it contributed in the preceding quarter.

Other Services’ real GDP grew by 0.63 percent (year-on-year) in Q3 2023. This growth was higher by 3.30 percent points than the growth recorded in the same period of the previous year, and lower by 1.06 percent points from Q2 2023.

Quarter-on-quarter growth was -11.87 percent. The sector contributed 2.18 percent to real GDP in Q3 2023, lower than the 2.23 percent recorded for the corresponding quarter of 2022 and lower than the 2.72 percent recorded in Q2 2023.

Access Bank Partners Asolar to Power up Nigerian SMEs, Rural Communities

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ccess Bank Plc, in collaboration with Asolar, has launched a green energy solution to tackle power supply challenges faced by small and medium enterprises and rural communities across the country.

The products, which included solar-powered TV sets, Air Conditioners, and PoS machines, among many others, were launched on Tuesday at the Access Bank Branch in Garki, Abuja Speaking during the unveiling ceremony tagged: ‘Light up your community’, the Access Bank Deputy Managing Director, Victor Etuokwu, said the inconsistent power supply has become a major obstacle to businesses and livelihoods in the country.

Represented by the bank’s Director of Regional Services, Neka Adogu, Mr Etuokwu said the initiative was aimed at promoting financial inclusion in rural areas.

He said: “This inconsistent power supply poses a THEWILLNIGERIA

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substantial challenge for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as initiatives aimed at promoting financial inclusion in rural areas, which is considered a yardstick for economic growth in Nigeria.

“Currently, in Nigeria, owners of SMEs and people living in rural communities with no or little power supply, spend huge sums in procuring generating sets, purchasing fuel, and the maintenance of generators to operate their business successfully.

“Furthermore, in the broader context of financial inclusion, the absence of power accessibility becomes a critical barrier.

“Dependable electricity is a fundamental prerequisite for implementing modern financial services like digital banking and payment systems, particularly in underserved rural areas./ “This disparity in power access widens the financial gap, impeding initiatives aimed at providing banking and financial services to those who are most in need.

“Through this partnership, we embark on a transformative journey to introduce cost-effective and dependable solar-powered solutions tailored specifically for small and medium businesses.

“By harnessing the potential of solar energy, we aim to untether these businesses from the shackles of unreliable power sources and offer promising alternatives to traditional generators reliant on expensive and polluting fossil fuels.”

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Asolar, Hakeem Shagaya, said the company was committed to ensuring every citizen has access to reliable and sustainable energy across the country.

While appreciating the management of the bank for the collaboration, Mr Shagaya noted that the initiative was in line with the sustainable development goals on clean and renewable energy. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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BUSINESS NEWS

L-R: The President, Waltersmith Group; Mr. Abdulrasaq Isa; Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi; Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, during the Minister’s visit to the Waltersmith Refinery in Ibigwe, Egbemi Ohaji LGA, Imo State on November 21, 2023.

University to Manufacture Electric Vehicles

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he Igbenedion University, Okadain Edo State, said it has commenced the process of manufacturing light weight electric minibus, the first by any university in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Lawrence Ezemonye, said this on Friday at the 21st convocation of the country’s first private university, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Mr Ezemonye, a professor, said that the design and fabrication that would lead to the production of the vehicles were ongoing.

“Research, development and innovation are critical to scholarship and knowledge production.

“The university’s efforts in this regard received a boost with the ongoing design and fabrication of Light Weight Electric Minibus, which will ultimately lead to the manufacture of light weight vehicles.

“There will be periodic public lectures at various phases of the project, while the engineering students are expected to come up with research topics at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels relevant to the project,” Mr Ezemonye said.

Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor has announced that 842 students graduated for the 2022/2023 session.

He said that 36 made First Class Honours, while 299 graduated with Second Class Honours (Upper Division).

The Vice-Chancellor reeled out the achievements of the university in the last one year to include the establishment of a Centre for Distance Learning, campus-wide digitalisation and innovation and scholarships.

The Chancellor of the university, Gabriel Igbinedion, charged the graduates to be good ambassadors of their Alma Mater and impact the world by being the best.

NGX ASI, Market Cap. Close Week on Positive Note

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he NGX All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 0.17% to close the week at 71,230.48 and N39.173 trillion respectively.

A total turnover of 2.425 billion shares worth N22.665 billion in 33,230 deals was traded last week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 2.025 billion shares valued at N27.693 billion that exchanged hands last week in 32,763 deals.

The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.721 billion shares valued at N11.647 billion traded in 14,585 deals; thus contributing 71.00% and 51.39% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Services Industry followed with 185.692 million shares worth N424.729 million in 2,816 deals. The third place was the ICT Industry, with a turnover of 139.865 million shares worth N4.440 billion in 2,971 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely Universal Insurance Plc, Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc, and Unity Bank Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 809.400 million shares worth N492.625 million in 2,005 deals, contributing 33.38% and 2.17% to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

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Zenith Tech Fair Concludes With Hackathon Winners Receiving Significant Cash Rewards

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he Third Edition of the Zenith Bank Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 3.0”, which was held on 23-24 November, 2023, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos has concluded. From the over 500 contestants that participated in the Zenith Hackathon (Zecathon), Sync, a team collaboration and workflow management platform that provides synergy, enables project management, task planning, messaging, payments, scheduling and people operations, emerged as the overall winner.

The team took home the grand prize of N20 million. This is in addition to a mentorship programme with Seedstars, a company dedicated to implementing high-quality capacitybuilding programmes for entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

The first runner-up, Skill Up With Kahdsole (SUWK), a social-tech startup that provides an end-to-end platform for learning technical and vocational skills to empower young people, won N15 million and a mentorship programme with Seedstars.

The second runner-up, Tribapay, a payment processing gateway that allows for cross-border payments and transactions in Nigeria and Ghana, won N10 million as well as a mentorship programme with Seedstars. Other finalists who took home N2 million each include Edupoint, Joovlin, Frootify, Izesan Limited, Natal Cares, Plychain.io, and Niteon.

In his welcome address at the Zenith Bank flagship Tech Fair, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, expressed his excitement for this year’s Hackathon, stating that it was indeed the high point of the overall event. According to him, “We have deliberately kept the best for the last. The high point of today’s event is the Hackathon. This is where we have the opportunity to see the immense creativity and talent in our youth as they come up with different innovative ideas.”

He added that “the good thing about the Hackathon is that the pitches you see presented are completely different from the ones we have seen before and we intend to make it far more elaborate as we hope that as we go into the future, we should be able to bring back winners where they can tell the audience their journey and how they have progressed so far.”

The two-day tech fair, which was described as a huge success by participants, featured presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Contactless Payments, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, FinTech, Data Analytics, Financial Intelligence, and communication technologies. The keynote address at the fair titled,” “Artificial Intelligence – Application & Bias“, was delivered

by Chris Lu, a renowned IT Specialist, business strategist and the Managing Director of Huawei Technologies, Nigeria.

The event also featured a welcome address by Mr Onyeagwu, the Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc and Chairman of Body of Banks’ CEOs, Nigeria. Goodwill messages were delivered by the Minister of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani and the Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Doris Anite (represented by Mr Femi Adeluyi, National Coordinator for the National Talent Programme).

Other eminent IT practitioners from top global brands who also made presentations include Demola Sanusi, Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services; Temitope Aladenusi, Partner & Leader Cybersecurity, Deloitte; Andrew Uaboi, Vice President/Cluster Head, Visa West Africa; Dr. Blaise Ijebor, Director of Risk Management, CBN; Keelan Singh, Head, UiPath EMEA Banking and Financial Services; Shweta Juneja, Partner, McKinsey Digital; Wole Odeleye, Financial Services Technology Lead, Microsoft; Ope Ajayi, Founder & CEO, Cinemax; Elo Umeh, and the Managing Director of Terragon. *Continues online at www. thewillnigeria.com

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BUSINESS NEWS

L:R- Brand Manager - Seasoning Cubes GBFoods, Juliet Ifeanyi; Convener ASC, Michael Adesanya and Brand Manager - Mayonnaise Category GBFoods, Bright Mgbemele, during the presentation of awards at the Adewale STEM Contest 2023, held in Ogun State at the weekend

FCTA Disengages Operators of Abuja Taxi Parks, Terminals

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he Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has terminated the services of the operators of taxi ranks and terminals for failing all terms and conditions of their engagement, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Mandate Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, FCTA, Ubokutom Nyah, announced the termination during a meeting with the terminals and taxi ranks managers in Abuja on Thursday.

Mr Nyah explained that having failed all the terms and conditions of their engagement, the FCTA was left with no option but to terminate their engagement.

He directed them to hand over the ranks to the FCT Administration within three months, beginning on 21 Novembe He decried the infiltration of illegal motor parks within the city and expressed the readiness of the Administration to provide the capital city with befitting taxi ranks and terminals.

He disclosed that a visit to the taxi ranks, terminals and illegal motor parks in the city has provided him with firsthand information on the ugly state of the facilities.

According to him, Abuja, being the federal capital city, deserves better, adding that the state of the facilities attracts all kinds of criminal elements.

“We must rid Abuja of all these.

“I have gone round the taxi ranks, and of all the places I visited, not one is worthy to be called even a village motor park.”

The mandate secretary explained that the action was not meant to punish them but to reposition the sector, bring new terms of engagement and provide the federal capital with modern taxi ranks and terminals.

This, according to him, will increase the number of the terminals and ranks where necessary, and improve the revenue profile for the administration.

He, however, said that the administration would still consider the operators that can develop the taxi ranks and terminals in line with the new vision.

Mr Nyah said that the FCTA has concluded plans to rehabilitate and revamp taxi ranks and terminals to a standard befitting the federal capital.

He said that the measure was part of efforts to rid Abuja of illegal motor parks and the criminalities associated with them.

Responding, the Operator of Jahi Taxi Rank, Adebisi Lawal, commended the administration’s move to modernise the taxi ranks and terminals.

Mr Lawal appealed to the administration to give due consideration to the current operators in the choice of new developers.

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raders in Enugu State have lamented the worsening economic situation occasioned by the high inflation rate in Nigeria. .

The traders stated this in Enugu on Thursday in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Some of the traders said the inflation was negatively affecting the prices of goods in the market, as they kept increasing daily.

They appealed to the federal government to urgently tackle the rising inflation in the country.

A trader at Abakpa-Nike market, Ugonna Ebo, who deals in plastics, said that his business was always confronted with constant price change.

Mr Ebo noted that the development was slowing down his business, as customers complained of price increases, which most times scared them away from patronage.

He said that a quality plastic bucket, which used to sell at N500 before now, was sold at N1,200, adding that customers who could not afford the quality one, were forced to buy inferior buckets.

According to him, many of my customers are seeking alternatives to cushion the effect of the bad economy in the country.

A food seller at Ogbete Market, who did not want her name mentioned in the report, said the inflation was worse in food commodities, making it difficult for average Nigerians to feed well.

She said that rice, which was a staple food for many Nigerians, was now considered luxury for the rich, as a 50kg bag of foreign rice was selling at between N55,000 and N60,000 while the local rice now sold for between N42,000 and N45,000.

She wondered how the low-income earners and the poor people would survive in the present difficult economic situation, which she said would not improve any time soon.

A young woman, Chidera Ani, who runs a provision store at New Heaven Market, said she was on the verge of closing down her shop, as she could not cope with the soaring prices of goods in the market.

She lamented that most of her customers, who preferred to buy soft drinks like Coca-Cola and others have stopped doing so, especially with the price adjustment to N300, as again.

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BUSINESS WEEKLY

Funding Gaps in Micro, Small And Large Businesses: Way Forward

BY TIMI OLUBIYI

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According to findings of several surveys, one of the top challenges facing entrepreneurs and businesses in Africa today is access to funding. Without doubt, funding is the bloodline of any form of business, therefore, whether it is a startup, nano, micro, small or medium-sized business, or an established large firm, knowing how to raise capital can often make the difference between the success and failure of the business. In fact, funding is important at all business stages and cash, which is most times referred to as “capital” in business terms, dictates the pace of performance in any business.

The key information from this piece is that there are many business funding options available for businesses. Therefore, business owners, managers and entrepreneurs do not have to get discouraged if one does not work out, other options can easily be explored. To find the right fit, in-depth research and adequate due diligence are imperative, having in mind these following questions- how much is really required for the business? When is it required? How long will it take to raise the funds?

What are the specific requirements to access the fund? What will the fund be used for? What are the

Consequently, businesses will be required to carefully plan, research, learn, and understand the necessary funding option in order to come up with the right decision.

So, the big question for businesses is what are the ways to adequately raise capital for seamless operations? This is the focus of this piece.

That said, equity capital involves exchanging a portion of the ownership of the business for financial investment in the business, most times it involves selling shares of the company in exchange for funding. The ownership stake resulting from this equity investment allows the investor to share in the company’s profits.

Equity capital is usually a cheap form of funding and is an important source of capital on a long-term basis. However, sometimes it involves going public, getting listed on an Exchange, and also giving up partial or major control of the business.

On the other hand, debt capital is when a business borrows fund from individuals or institutions and agrees to pay them back later. Debt capital simply means loans and borrowings.

The main consideration in debt capital is the ability of the business to generate sufficient returns to service the

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Also, trade credit is another significant form of capital raising option where business suppliers are willing to transact or sell on credit. Such credit may range anywhere from one month to three months or as agreed.

Thus, the entrepreneur might not have sole control over the business decisions, which may lead to conflict. Looking at another capital raising option is retained earnings as a way of raising finance, it simply means businesses can reinvest any setaside profits for business operations for expansion, equipment purchase, and development purposes.

Invariably, without funding, it will be extremely difficult to get any enterprise off the ground.

However, the structure that exists in the business significantly affects access to the choice of fund options. Recall that every business has a different structure and needs, it is, therefore, imperative to state that no financial solution is one size that fits all. Fund options usually require different rules and steps.

However, donations, grants, incentives, interventions, or subsidies can also be employed in certain aspects of a business to encourage activities in particular industries or sectors by the government. Just like other forms of capital raising options these grants and subsidies can be initiated for either short-term or long-term purposes.

These angel investors are often leaders in their field who not only contribute their experience and network of contacts but also their technical and/or management knowledge. Most times this form of capital raising is in exchange for equity ownership in the business and an active management role.

This is a very good method for businesses to fulfill short-term funding needs. It is an inexpensive method of funding for any business, I must say. Further to this is private equity investment, where private equity firms raise equity capital that is not listed on any Stock Exchange for investment purposes. Invariably, these firms raise funds from investors and then invest these funds in promising startups and businesses that require capital. The drawback of this funding option is that a controlling position or substantial minority position in the business is usually acquired and then looks to maximize the value of their investment.

n Africa, apart from the known business challenges, such as the decrepit infrastructure, inconsistent government policies, double taxation, increasing inflation, regulation irregularities and the COVID-19 pandemic consequences in recent times, overwhelmingly, lack of capital or funding issues contribute majorly to business failures.

Capital comes into any business particularly in two ways: as equity or as debt.

operators, and entrepreneurs leverage their financial resources to support the business operations. Further to this is angel investment, where investors who are generally wealthy individuals or retired business executives invest directly in a business or startups owned by others.

debt (interest and capital repayment). A typical mode of raising debt capital is through bank loans.

Banking institutions provide loans to individuals or businesses who approach them with a solid business plan, and good business structure with capacity for repayment. Bond is equally a debt instrument, and a way of raising debt capital as well. Without doubt, it belongs to debt capital categorization because the authorised issuer (business) owes the bondholder debt and it depends on the terms of the bond issuance.

The most significant difference between equity and debt is that, unlike debt, equity capital does not require an amortization schedule for repayment. More so equity capital involves the investor taking an ownership position in the business.

Significantly, there are several sources to consider when seeking business funding or any financing, some of it are expressed here. The easiest and starting point for small businesses from context observation is usually with selffunding and personal investment, where entrepreneurs leverage their financial resources to support business operations.

Self-funding can extend to family, associates and friends for capital, otherwise referred to as bootstrapping. Both self-funding and bootstrapping lets business managers,

Aside from every business having unique funding needs, each funding option also differ in availability, terms, funding amount option, and eligibility criteria associated risk with the fund type? From whom is best to raise the fund? How expensive is the fund? How and when is repayment? Is the business actually fundable or bankable? Because some fund options may be a perfect fit for a business situation, while others may be completely impractical, therefore due diligence is absolutely required.

Aside from every business having unique funding needs, each funding option also differs in availability, terms, funding amount option, and eligibility criteria. Therefore, each fund option needs detailed attention ahead of time. Whether a business opts for a bank loan, an angel investment, or a government grant, note that each of these sources of financing has specific advantages and disadvantages.

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SHOTS OF THE WEEK Photo Editor: Peace Udugba [08033050729]

L-R: Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo and The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan L-R: Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio during the Company courtesy visit to the Senate in Abuja November 23, 2023.

Ogunwusi, during his courtesy visit to the Governor's Lodge in Anambra State on November 23, 2023.

L-R: Manager, Merchant Channel, MoMo PSB, Emmanuel Akhigbe; Head, Go-To-Market & Customer L-R: Executive Director, Capital Markets, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Mr. Jude Chiemeka; Deputy Acquisition, MoMo PSB, Chioma Nwahiri; Partner, Corporate Account, MoMo PSB, Adejumoke Abolade; Director, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), John Briggs; Permanent Secretary, Lagos Debt President, LASCOTA, Alhaji Nurudeen Buhari; Director, Corporate Retention, Royal Certification Limited Management Office (Lagos DMO), Mrs. Sanusi Alake; Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), Dr Abozeer and Consultant to NASME, Nnebuogo Egboh, and Vice President, South West, NASME, Solomon Mohammed; Head, Secondary Market, NGX, Kazeem Alimi and Abdullahi Makama Yahaya, PENCOM, Aderoju at the MoMo/ NASME Symposium and Exhibition in Lagos on November 17, 2023. during a Capacity Building on Islamic Finance by NGX, in Lagos on November 23, 2023.

L-R: Iyalode of Iroko Land, Chief Mrs. Lawal Mariam; Executive Director, Denny Social Welfare Hub (DSWHUB), SW Abosede Otukpe; His royal highness, Oniroko Of Iroko Land, Oba (Arc) Olusegun Feyijinmi; Olori of Iroko Land, Omolara Feyijnmi and, Representative of Comptroller of NIS, MMIA Command; ACI Boniface Edet, during the Denny Social Welfare Hub (DSWHUB) iEMPATHY campaign, in Ogun State on November 18, 2023.

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R-L: Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada and Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, during the Y2022 graduation ceremony of 4,593 students of 19 Skill Acquisition Centres, at the De Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja Lagos on November 22, 2023.

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Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma Donates $1.36m to University of Ibadan

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY EDITOR Ivory Ukonu

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head of his 86th birthday celebration, which come up next month, Lt General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Retd.), a former Chief of Army Staff has donated a whooping sum of $1,363,108.43 to the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan towards the building of a hostel block for Continues on page 40

IFEANYI UBAH EYES ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP

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uring the week, Senate president, Godswill Akpabio reshuffled the leadership of the senate committees and one of those who got one of the juiciest committees was Ifeanyi Ubah, the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District. In fact, he got the juiciest appointment as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream. While many may argue that it is because of his knowledge of the industry, being an active participant via his Capital Oil and Gas Limited that he bagged the chairmanship position, the real reason isn't lost on political watchers.

The businessman who underwent gastric bypass surgery has his eyes on the governorship position in Anambra, come 2026. He hopes to 'strike gold' Continues on page 40

PATRICIA ONUMONU The Timeless Designer THEWILLNIGERIA

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY

Seeing People Easily Recognise Trish O Couture Products Makes me Fulfilled – Patricia Onumonu Patricia Onumonu is the brain behind Trish O Couture, a top fashion brand and Trish O Luxury Interiors, one of the most sought-after furnishing and interior decor outfits.

She speaks with IVORY UKONU about her vision for her brand as well as the pains and gains of plying her trade in Nigeria. Excerpts:

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ave you always wanted to be a fashion designer?

Yes, I have always wanted to be a fashion designer. I was born and raised in a home that was fashion personified. My mother was a fashion designer. So, I understudied her. Back in the day, I used to help her sew, bead, draft pattern for baby-sized dummies. So, my life has just been about fashion, fashion, fashion. I sleep, wake up, eat and breathe fashion. Growing up as a child, I visualized myself making clothes.

But did you acquire more knowledge by going to a fashion school?

Not formally. I grew up seeing my mum running her fashion business.

For me, fashion school was at home. She ran Henry More Fashion Design Home, which was located at Ire Akari Estate, Isolo, Lagos. So, each time I return from school, I go to meet her in her shop and that is why I believe that one doesn't have to go to school to study fashion.

At what point did you decide to become a professional fashion designer?

When I got into the university, my passion for fashion grew stronger.

At that point, I decided to follow my heart. Trish O Couture was fully born 16 years ago. I began this journey professionally when I was 23 years-old.

How has the journey been?

I must say that it has been a wonderful, exciting and fulfilling one.

What do you find most fulfilling as a designer?

The joy I see on my clients' faces when they wear my pieces. I like to see women look their best at all times and I find fulfillment in the opportunity that my job gives me to dress them up in my pieces. I am happy to style women. It gives me immense joy to see a Trish O woman look good.

What do you find most challenging as a fashion designer?

My workforce, managing them. Managing people isn't an easy task.

I realise that the older I get, the less patient I am with them. You teach them this craft and it feels like they are unwilling to learn. But somehow, I have been able to devise a means to get the best out of them. Then there is the issue of power. I spend about N3 million just to power the building every month. And let's not even talk about the tax masters (state government) who bill me ridiculous amounts of money all in the name of paying tax. They go through ones' bank accounts and automatically bill one based on what they see in one's account. They don't care how this money is made, if it is from the fashion business or otherwise. They are less concerned about how we generate power when they should have made power available. It is crazy. So, what do they do with all the tax they collect?

Does the state government have the power to look at your bank account?

Yes, they work hand in hand with bankers. Tell me why they do not bill smaller businesses in Victoria Island where I am also located, as much as they bill me (bigger businesses). The last tax I paid was close to N6.5 million. Am I making up to that amount of money, can I even save that at the end of the day after you remove the tax and the amount of money I pay for power? Let us not even go to the huge sum of money I pay as land use charge. So, most times, I am only able to stay afloat with the help of my husband.

How are you coping with the economic meltdown?

With the current dollar exchange rate, I am affected a great deal.

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Before now, I would give one of my staff N200,000 to purchase a few sewing items from the market. Now I have to double that amount. This has made me increase the prices on my services. It is challenging because my clients are finding it very difficult to accept the new prices. Those in the Diaspora are the ones that really appreciate what I do and they have no reservations accepting the new price increment. The ones in Nigeria just copy and replicate my styles. I am not bothered as I am not one to hide my designs. I mean as a designer; you should not hide what you do. So, I put up all my designs and whoever wants to copy, all well and good. I must be frank with you and tell you that most designers in Nigeria are not really making money now because of the crazy dollar rate. The cost of production is nothing but alarming.

What would you consider to be your greatest achievement since you launched out on your own as a fashion designer?

The fact that I can walk into some places and I am easily recognised, despite being a very private person. The fact that people see my designs and they can easily recognise that it is a Trish O Couture piece without being told. Nothing beats that.

You are an upscale designer. Are there people you will not render your services to even if they can afford it?

Very difficult women who are always full of complaints, even before trying out my designs. Such Onumonu women, I watch them and let their complaints slide the first and second time. By the third time, I would not render my services to them, not even for a billion naira.

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?

I get my inspiration from what I encounter daily, the things I see or hear.

How would you describe your designs?

My work is a fusion of romance, fairy tales and feminine beauty. The queenly look of the Victorian era has greatly influenced my designs, with the softness of womanhood with the objective of appealing globally to women across borders.

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Onumonu

Do you run a fashion school like some of your colleagues?

I used to own a fashion school, but I found out that it was draining me. I needed to be there 24/7 and it wasn't possible to do so as I have a business to run that required my time as well. The truth is that some fashion school owners get people to run it on their behalf. That way, they are able to concentrate on other things. But in doing so, the very essence of the fashion school, which is the input of the founder, gets eroded over time. And because I didn't want that to be my experience, I had to shut it down.

What do you tell people who desire to drink from your fountain of knowledge?

I simply refer them to other fashion schools.

What advice would you give to young designers who look up to you?

To stay focused, consistent and persistent. Do not despise the days of little beginnings. It’s not going to be rosy all the way, but your passion will push you to aim to be the best. Keep your head up and aim for positive outcomes. Do not let challenges bring you down; the most important thing is to learn from them.

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY A timeless console table.

Accent chairs for that extra oomph.

A humble table and chair for two. It could create a romantic getaway, a recharging spot, or a reclusive station for some alone time. Place it in the kitchen, or make it a dining table for two, convert it into a coffee table in the bedroom or balcony, or even a cute little study for the toddler, choose the role you would like the table with two chairs to play.

Freestanding stools.

A versatile ottoman etc.

Are you a member of a fashion association?

Yes. I am a founding member of Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria, FADAN What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your company?

I have learnt that patience and positivity are required in the face of challenges if you want to have victory.

Do you plan to add a male line to the Trish O Couture brand?

No because the Trish O Couture brand is a strictly female wear brand.

To what do you owe your success?

I owe it all to God, then to my husband who has been there for me financially, providing me with everything I need.

If you were a government official, what would you do to give the fashion industry the support it badly needs?

The fashion industry anywhere in the world is a revenue generating arm for any country and Nigeria is not an exception. I would set up policies and regulations to guard against copyright infrinement in this industry. I would give them tax breaks and provide constant electricity to help move the industry forward. Also, I would empower women by building a well-equipped school where those who desire to learn the craft can come to learn so they can get something going for themselves. I would also raise money for the talented ones who require funds to start up or move their business to the next level.

What is your take on the proliferation of fashion shows in Nigeria?

I do not think we have too many fashion shows, but I believe it is good for the designers. It is publicity for them. My only issue is the cartel that controls the fashion industry. Most of the fashion shows play politics, they only pick those they know and ignore those who should truly be showcasing their designs.

What are the three things that make you stand out as a fashion designer?

My simplicity, creating original designs and adapting to evolving fashion trends which I incorporate to my Victorian designs.

What are the three most important things a fashion designer must consider before making a dress?

The client's body size, body shape and the style of the dress. The style must be one that should suit the client's body size, shape, age and her lifestyle. I will not dress up, say, a 50-year-old in a style that will be better suited to, say, a 25-year-old.

Have you done any international fashion shows?

Yes, several of them. Glitz Fashion Show, African Fashion Week, London, Paris Fashion Week, Dubai Fashion Week.

What would you consider to be a fashion statement?

Different strokes for different folks. Some would say the accessories, but I believe it is one's outfit. People will see your outfit before they see your shoes, wristwatch or earrings.

Apart from your fashion brand, you also run Trish O Luxury interiors. What inspired your incursion into that profession?

I believe that interior design and fashion goes hand in hand. I have a flair for and love to make a space look beautiful. When I come into a space, my mind begins to work clock like on how I can transform that space.

Where do you source your furniture and interior decorations from?

Italy and Turkey Have you thought about creating your own unique and bespoke line of furniture?

No, I don't have any plan to produce my own furniture for sale because I am already in the fashion business, and it is actually draining because of high production cost and the non-availability of power. So, I prefer to travel abroad, buy my furniture and display for sale.

What are some of the most important furniture one must have to create a luxury but minimalist home decoration?

A modern multi-purpose movable shelf. This can be placed anywhere in the house, whether in the study, balcony, or partition between the living and dining room, and the versatile open shelf will fit perfectly.

A reminiscence from the past, at least one antique piece of furniture.

With each passing year, its importance will grow, and it will become a precious piece to decorate your home.

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How do you unwind?

I am actually a very dry person, but I love to cook. I wish I could swim but I can't, so I love to just be by the pool, lounging.

What would you say must have significantly shaped you to be who you are today?

My husband, my father and my mum. My father used to be a military man and I learnt from him the art of discipline and creating time for things, you know, not sleeping when you should be working and all of that.

My mum taught me the virtues of hard work. My husband taught me to be accountable in whatever I do. Like my father, he is a very disciplined person. He taught me how to make money.

“

Onumonu

How long have you been married to your husband?

19 years but I have been with him for 21 years. I met him when I was 20 and got married when I was 22 going to 23 years old. I got married when I was in university and had all my kids while in school.

If you were a government official, some of the things I would you do to give the fashion industry the support it badly needs are to set up policies and regulations to guard against copy rights. I would give them tax breaks and provide constant electricity to help move the industry forward. Also, I would empower women by building a well-equipped school where those who are desirous to learn the craft can come to learn so they can get something going for themselves. I would also raise money for the talented ones who require funds to start up or move their business to the next level. The fashion industry anywhere in the world is a revenue generating arm for any country and Nigeria is not an exception Onumonu THEWILLNIGERIA

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

STANLEY UZOCHUKWU FINALLY OPENS DOORS TO HIS HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

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usinessman, Stanley Uzochukwu has finally opened the doors to his hospitality business. An architectural masterpiece situated in the heart of Victoria Island, the design of The Del Borough Lagos is akin to that of The Dorchester, London/Paris.

Guests beat their chest when they describe the hotel as being world class, arguably one of the most exclusive hotels in Nigeria currently with some of the best chefs and providing top notch service.

On the board of the hotel which Uzochukwu plans to expand are His Royal Majesty, The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe CFR as the chairman; Dr Linus Idahosa, founder of DelYok Creative Academy and husband to Nollywood actress, Stephanie Idahosa, as a member of the board and Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, as a member, among several others.

Recall that THEWILL had exclusively reported two years ago that the man Uzochukwu behind Stanel Group of Companies was all set to expand his business frontiers with a stake in the hospitality industry. Unfortunately, the humongous project got delayed, no thanks to Ayanda Carter, an interior designer who attempted to throw spanners into the work.

The supposedly gifted South African-born design and architecture guru of Mozambican descent who is based in Nigeria was contracted by Stanley for the job.

They both signed a deal costing N38 million for her services. This was in December 2019. Three years later, Carter was yet to complete her part of the deal despite receiving full payment for her services. Instead, she ended up shipping in goods of inferior quality in 12, 40-foot containers, a far cry from what was agreed on.

Unable to provide a cogent reason for reneging on her agreement with Stanley, Amanda threatened to

abandon and sabotage the work. She eventually stopped taking calls, stopped supervision of the project and did other things that caused Stanley to lose additional millions of naira. Without warning she made a report to the police alleging that Stanley was threatening her. She was later invited by the police for questioning but on investigation and when the true situation of things began to unravel, a case with Criminal Charge No: CR/102/2023 was instituted against her by the Inspector General of Police at an Upper Area Court in Abuja.

She was charged with Criminal Breach of Trust, Cheating and Criminal Intimidation contrary to session 312, 322, and 397 of the Panel Code Act and she was remanded in Suleja Correctional Center. After six days in detention, she was granted a bail bond of N100 million and one surety who must be a public servant from Grade Level 13 and above. The judge also ordered her to submit her passport to the registry as she is not a Nigerian to prevent her from running to her mother country if she perfects her bail condition. Well Stanley seems to have gone past that ordeal and has since flung the doors of his hotel wide open for guests.

Rising from an obscure background, to setting up a one stop mega facility that boasts of a well-equipped 1000 sitting capacity, STANEL tyres, STANEL engine oil, STANEL gas plant and cylinders and other everyday facilities that make life convenient in Anambra State, Stanley who is in his 4os has no doubt done quite well for himself in the business world. The gangly dude is married to Irene, daughter of the immediate past minister of women affairs, Pauline Tallen.

Continued from page 38

Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma Donates $1.36m to University of Ibadan students.

It is the biggest donation by an individual to the institution so far. The donation, which came through the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation, was in response to a request by the college towards the realisation of the student hostel building project. The donation will be used to build a 280room students’ hostel, encompassing blocks A, B, C, D, E, and F, alongside a utility building. The building will be designed to house a total of 664 students. The building of the hostel is critical to the re-accreditation of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The hostel building project, which is in partnership with the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA) Worldwide, is an alumni-driven initiative that will be done in phases.

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Danjuma, who once declared that he had so much money than he could ever spend, amassed his enormous fortune through shipping and petroleum. His COMET Shipping Agency which was established in 1984 acted as an agent for the Nigerian American Line, NAL. He also established South Atlantic Petroleum, SAPETRO, the company that was among the few who got an Oil Processing License many years ago. Today he owns quite a few oil blocks.

Despite being a retired military officer, Danjuma has enjoyed numerous political appointments with different governments in the country. He was appointed the chairperson on the investigative committee on the Warri conflict, Minister of Defence to President Olusegun Obasanjo’s cabinet and some other important committees in the country. Many do not know that Danjuma is a philanthropist, his foundation, TY Danjuma has provided succour for a lot of indigent people across the country.

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Continued from page 38

Ifeanyi Ubah Eyes Anambra Governorship

Rich

TEIN JACK RICH LEFT IN THE LURCH?

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ave for ambassadorial postings left to be filled, appointment season is almost winding down. Unfortunately, a handful of President Bola Tinubu's supporters who have been hoping to get at least one political appointment are yet to bag any. Among these handfuls include people like Femi Fani Kayode and Tein Teinbo Seliyefubara Jack-Rich. However, this piece will only focus on Jack-Rich.

A wealthy businessman and politician, Tein Jack-Rich as he is fondly called, was a presidential aspirant in the All-Progressives Congress, APC, primary that produced President Bola Tinubu as the party's frontliner then. The singular gesture of stepping down for Tinubu during the primary endeared him to the president. This in turn earned him the position of being named the highest-ranking member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council from Rivers state during the campaigns alongside his wife, Elizabeth.

Shortly before the elections, Tinubu and his team had found it pertinent to pay Jack-Rich a visit and not long after that, he was appointed the Deputy Director of the PCC Fundraising Committee. Throughout the campaign period, he held very crucial meetings with both Seyi, the son of the president and his father - all to ensure that Tinubu emerged victorious in the general election. So naturally, many assumed he would end up being one of the biggest beneficiaries of Tinubu's administration.

Unfortunately, this has been far from the case. Sources claim that the 48-year-old was positioning himself for a ministerial position or at least to head a government parastatal, but this did not happen.

It is also unlikely that he may bag an ambassadorial posting as the nature of his multi-billion-naira business is such that won't allow for his absence at a long stretch. However, other sources close to him are of the opinion that whether or not he got a ministerial appointment is irrelevant as the crude oil licence he got for his Belema Oil Producing Limited, his oil Exploration Company about a month after the inauguration of Tinubu's government was more than enough to make up for the lack of appointment.

Jack-Rich’s Belema Sweet Export Terminal has been designed in such a way to have the capacity to add over $11 billion to the national revenue. It produces over 400,000 barrels of crude daily with a storage point that could store eight million barrels of crude and is guaranteed to provide 100,000 jobs to employment seekers. A philanthropist of note, Jack-Rich is a graduate of Petroleum Production from Panola College, Cartage USA. He also has degrees from the University of Wales & USAM Porto-Novo, Benin Republic, in Business Administration.

when he takes a shot at the position for the third time.

A serial governorship candidate, Ubah had twice contested the same position but lost on each occasion, first on the platform of the Labour Party, LP and secondly, on the platform of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, from where he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, after being promised by the party's authorities that he will emerge the party's sole candidate in three years' time when he will slug it out with other contenders at the polls.

To emerge winner and ultimately capture the state for the ruling party, Ubah will require enough

financial muscle to go head-to-head with the incumbent and dislodge him. Therefore, his wellappointed chairmanship of the Petroleum Downstream Committee provides him the needed leeway to beef up his financial coffers for the battle ahead. But before he rejoices, perhaps he may need to take some lessons from Timipre Sylva to understudy where we went wrong because despite being the immediate past minister of state for petroleum, giving him the opportunity to amass as much needed funds as possible, he was still unable to dislodge the incumbent, Diri Duoye at the just concluded gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

Gov Seyi Makinde Bags Chieftaincy Title in Ondo

The Makindes

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enultimate week, Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde's list of traditional titles increased by one when he got decorated as the Jagunmolu of Ondo Kingdom by the Osemawe and Paramount Ruler of Ondo Kingdom, His Highness, Oba (Dr) Adesimbo Kiladejo, CFR. The conferment ceremony coincided with the traditional ruler's 17th coronation ceremony and his 70th birthday. Makinde was conferred with the title alongside his wife, Tamunominini.

According to the traditional ruler, Makinde was honoured because he (Oba Adesimbo) recognised the governor’s contributions to Oyo and the Southwest in general through his astute performances in every facet of human endeavor, including the welfare of the state workforce, the retirees and the downtrodden. All of Makinde’s accomplishments

tie directly to the promises he made to the Oyo people. These include the provision of safe, adequate, and efficient transport infrastructure; the revitalisation of rural economies, with a cyclicsystem of empowerment and patronage; social inclusion for women and formerly marginalised groups; and many more.

In addition to receiving the title, the governor had the privilege of delivering the anniversary lecture for the event titled, ‘The Role of Traditional Institutions in Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria’. The newest chief also launched a book on the traditional ruler at the event.

Some of those who attended the ceremony in solidarity were former Ogun State governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, some members of his cabinet and a host of traditional rulers across the southwest.

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ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

Joseph Eze Okafor Throws Lavish Wedding Party For Daughter J

OONI OF IFE REUNITES WITH ESTRANGED WIFE, PROPHETESS NAOMI

Ibitade

IBRAHIM IBITADE DECLARED WANTED FOR OBTAINING MONEY UNDER PRETENCE

Silekunola & Ogunwusi

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enultimate week, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ọjájá II CFR and his estranged third wife, Prophetess Naomi Oluwaseyi Ogunwusi put aside their diffrences and reunited for the sake of their son, Tade. It was on the occasion of his 3rd birthday. The day started out with a photoshoot of the toddler dressed like the heir apparent to the Ooni of Ife stool that he is and thereafter, the mum took him to visit his father at his palace. Their three-year marriage ended when.

Prophetess Naomi announced on social media that she was divorcing the Ooni. They tied the knot with the king in absentia in 2018. Cracks in the marriage became noticeable when Prophetess Naomi

was conspicuously absent at the sixth coronation anniversary of her ex-husband. She also didn't congratulate him on the auspicious event on her social media platforms as has been her custom.

According to her, she tried to make her marriage work but she claimed that the monarch’s public identity was at variance with his true self.

“Today I announce the beginning of a new dawn and the closing of a chapter. Today, I am a mother to God’s unique gift. I am no longer a slave to my thoughts of perfection. I, at this moment, announce that I shall no longer be referred to as wife to the Ooni of Ife or as Queen of Ile-Ife but as the Queen of the people and mother of my adorable Prince,” she had said.

Alani Bankole Becomes Apena of Egbaland

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hief Suarau Alani Bankole, father of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has emerged as the Apena of Egbaland in Ogun State. He was conferred with the chieftaincy title by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, at a colourful ceremony held in Ake palace, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Oba Gbadebo said that Chief Bankole’s emergence after voting by all the nine kingmakers followed the demise of the former occupant of the seat. According to him, the seat of Apena is statutory in Egbaland, saying the position is a part II Chief and the occupant draws salary and entitlements like other chiefs.

The octogenarian, while

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Bankole

thanking the traditional ruler for the honour, promised to bring his experience to bear on the new position. The chieftaincy conferment is coming barely six weeks after his son, Dimeji, welcomed his first child with his second wife, Aisha, the stepdaughter of Atiku Bagudu, current Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, at a London hospital.

Aisha, who has also been a bundle of joy for Bankole, came into his life after the former Speaker and presidential aspirant divorced his first wife, Olaitan, in 2017. He decided to give love a second chance when he tied the knot with Aisha, a lawyer and graduate of the University of Hull in the United Kingdom in 2021.

I

brahim Ibitade, the CEO of Leatherback, a fintech startup that provides cross-border payments to customers in seven countries has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The commission said the 31-year-old is wanted in connection with allegations of conspiracy and obtaining money under pretence.

The EFCC is investigating fraud involving a company called SDQ Financials. According to the Corporate Affairs Commission website, SDQ Financials is incorporated in Nigeria and only one individual, Lawal Mohammed Kazeem, is listed as having significant control of the company.

SDQ Financials, a merchant on Leatherback, promised several companies and individuals better FX rates than what was obtainable on Nigeria’s black market. Several prominent companies, including a publicly listed company, gave billions of Naira to SDQ Financials, an unregulated entity with very little publicly available information, for FX deals similar to those done by Float, a company that lost at least ₦5 billion in customer deposits.

According to Leatherback, SDQ Financials is a merchant that uses Leatherback’s Naira and USD wallets. The company said it completed a Know Your Customer (KYC) onboarding process for SDQ Financials and kept records of its transactions, as mandated by law. It denied any direct involvement with SDQ Financials and says it did not know about the fraud allegedly perpetrated by SDQ Financials. EFCC began investigating Leatherback because some of the Naira funds reportedly received by SDQ Financials were traced to Leatherback’s wallets.

It is unclear how much the EFCC is trying to actively recover. At least ₦3 billion remains unaccounted for.

The EFCC has not shared any information on the specifics of its investigation. Nonetheless, Leatherback says it is unfazed and believes it is being bullied. Ibitade said his company has done as much as required to ensure the authorities have all the necessary information needed by the EFCC team adding that if he has spent 35 of the last 60 days at the EFCC offices in Lagos and Abuja, he is obviously not hiding from the EFCC. “If a commercial bank in Nigeria issues an account to an individual or a business and that business goes to defraud other people, will you declare the CEO of the commercial bank wanted?” Ibitade queried EFCC.

ust fresh out of throwing a lavish three-in-one party for himself, billionaire businessman, Joseph Ezeokafor, once again shut down the city of Asaba for his first daughter, Ada's wedding to her lover. Alongside his famous first son who is his name sake, but popularly known as Jowi Zaza, the Ezeokafor's family made it rain all kinds of currency at the lavish wedding ceremony.

Joining in the naira rain were Jowi Zaza's friends like Obinna Iyiegbu aka Obi Cubana, Emeka Okonkwo, a.k.a E-Money; Onwumelu Iwegbuna, Abig Nwankwo, Francis Udochukwu, etc, who all flew in from different parts of the country to honour their friend's invitation.

While comedians, Justice Nuagbe, a.k.a Ushbebe and Stanley Chibuna, a.k.a Funny Bone, steered proceedings at the ceremony, Chike Ezekpeazu Osebuka was the musician of choice who serenaded the guests. Only a month ago, the senior Ezeokafor, the founder of Jezco Oil shut down

The Ubahs Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra state for the celebration of his 69th birthday, the memorial of his late parents, Julius and Josephine Akuejuna Okafor, as well as his Papal Knight investiture at St Joseph Cathedral Church, Ekwulobia.

Some of those who were in attendance at the event were Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo; Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; Seyi Tinubu; Obinna Iyiegbu, etc.

Fred Ajudua Turns Land Grabber

Ajudua

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eputed for glamorising fraud in Nigeria in the 1980s, Fred Ajudua is to fraud, what Professor Wole Soyinka is to literature in Nigeria. But just when many thought he had turned a new leaf and embraced a legitimate life, the seemingly retired fraud kingpin has now embraced a new venture. This time, he is being accused of land grabbing

by Akwukwu Igbo residents and those of Ogbe-Iyase quarters in Akwukwu-Igbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. The residents claim some persons in the community were conniving to grant Ajudua power of attorney to sell their lands. The residents at some point formed a protest group and pleaded with the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to assist in dissuading Ajudua from taking over their farmlands to avoid crisis and bloodshed in the community.

Seeing that the state government wasn't doing

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their bidding, some of the protesters got a court injunction restraining Ajudua from entering some portions of land, specifically the ones situated at and known as Umusaigba Farmland by Enugu Atakpo Ibusa, behind Asaba airport.

Ajudua ignored the court injunction and he has continued to trespass into the land, using agents of a real estate development firm, Property World Africa Network (PWAN Plus). What is worse is that the firm has continued to advertise and sell some portions of land to unsuspecting members of the public.

The aggrieved persons have filed another motion and obtained another interim injunction restraining Ajudua and his agents from trespassing, pending the determination of the motion on notice. Earlier in the year, specifically during the 2023 general election, Ajudia whose only child, Bobo, is a lawyer to David Adeleke, a.k.a Davido, came out of hibernation after spending several years behind bars and in court houses trying to extricate himself from paying heavy penalties for his fraudulent dealings. The 62-year-old became a political thug, using his connection and influence to decide the political outcome of those who care to pay homage to him. Ajudua who likes to refer to himself as the 'Architect of Modern Ibusa,' employed the politics of intimidation, thuggery, violence to achieve his political goals and many dared not complain, at least openly.

THEWILLNIGERIA

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

ENTERTAINMENT &SOCIETY WEEKLY STORIES BY IVORY UKONU

OMOWUNMI AJIBOYE DENIES HAVING AFFAIR WITH MC OLUOMO N

ollywood actress in the Yoruba speaking genre, Omowunmi Ajiboye has denied being in a romantic relationship with Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a MC Oluomo.

A rumour that she was having an affair with the chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee started spreading around, following the lavish funeral party that she organised in honour of her late mum. MC Oluomo was one of the guests who took time out to attend the party held in Osogbo, Osun State, prompting many to assume he sponsored her mother’s funeral.

Moreso, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall was the choice musician of the day.

Many expressed the opinion that Omowunmi was not financially buoyant enough to pay KWAM1 to serenade her guests.

Reacting, Omowunmi said she had never had a romantic relationship with MC Oluomo. She admitted that he supported her financially for her mum’s burial, but that there was nothing amorous between them. She described him as a philanthropist and someone

who has been good to her.

“I need to clear the air. I am a virtuous and hardworking woman and I wouldn’t allow my hard work, my name, my sweat and my truth to be robbed,” she said.

“I had sealed it with the King of Fuji Music independently Ajiboye years before the burial party and after the birth of a group called CGI (Connecting Grassroots relationship with him and this does not Initiatives), I had to officially invite the cancel the fact that he has been good Pioneer of the group in person of MC to me. This is not to say that I did not Oluomo. I can categorically say that I receive gifts and support from friends have never had a romantic relationship and colleagues like everyone would. with him, before or during the party I “As for the father of my children just had. who has refused to say a word on “It took me seven years to give our relationship status, I respect his my mother a final befitting burial opinion but when I see the undeserved which I am proud to do solely. The empathy he gets, I feel tempted to talk. philanthropist gave me money But for the sake of the kids, I will keep to support in the presence of the mute until he finds an appropriate time committee, a day to the party. to do otherwise.”

Everything I have done single-handedly Omowunmi is currently separated is always tagged to him and somehow robs me of my hard work and my sweat. from her husband and father of her two children, fellow actor and movie “I kept quiet for long, but I am boldly producer, Segun Ogungbe. saying that I do not have any romantic

Why I Want my Womb Removed – Etinosa Idemudia C ontroversial Nollywood actress, Etinosa Idemudia, has revealed her plan to undergo surgery to remove her womb.

“The primary cause of death is life itself. So, to stop death, one must put an end to reproduction. What is never born will never die. I am not ready for this deep conversation. It’s deeper than I can comprehend,” she had posted on X. “The reason I am having surgery soon is to take off my womb. No child of mine is coming to this world to wait for death.”

A mother of one, Etinosa

HANNATU MUSAWA HOSTS SYMPOSIUM TO ADVANCE CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Iyabo Ojo, Lizzy Anjorin Go For Each Other’s Jugular that you have brought forth. Everything that you have said about my children. All your allegations that you said about my man, I have seen the videos. But the only problem I have is you are not mentioning my name.

So I am daring you to mention my name.”

Lizzy, however, fired back at Iyabo.

“I should mention her name, you all are mad. Mention whose name? You all are mad. You cannot use the court or police station to threaten me. Do you know what we have gone through on social media?

Madness is in your DNA,” she said.

“So I should mention her name so they can settle our fight. If they settle the fight, how does the dead child get justice? Wear your black bonnet if you are serious. If you are innocent, you do need to tell anybody to mention your name, you come with your receipt.”

Ojo

Anjorin

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ollywood actresses, Iyabo Ojo and Lizzy Anjorin are at each other’s throats. In the last few months, Anjorin has conducted a series of Instagram live sessions, where she verbally attacked Iyabo in expletiveladen rants.

Lizzy Anjorin alleged that Iyabo was the individual behind a well-known yet shadowy blog. She also claimed Iyabo was aware of the circumstances surrounding the death of singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, a.k.a MohBad. In her reaction, Iyabo dared Lizzy to call her out directly, rather than throw thinly veiled digs at her. She also said she would prefer they headed to court rather than engage in back-and-forth confrontations on social media.

“This is not a show for her because I will THEWILLNIGERIA

not stage a show for her. But this is me daring her. I hardly watch all the videos that she has done, but I have seen clips of accusations that she has made,” she said.

“But the only issue I have with her is that I cannot go back and forth with her on social media. I want to go back and forth with her with the law. So I would like you guys to help me tag Lizzy Anjorin and tell her I said ‘Sepeteri is actually a village in Nigeria, not my name’. Whatever name she has given me, I would appreciate that if she wants to make her allegations, she should be bold enough to mention my name.

“My name is Alice Iyabo Ojo. So, Lizzy Anjorin, your allegations saying I am Gistlover, saying I was involved in Mohbad’s death. All your allegations THEWILLNG

was previously married but she quit the marriage on account of domestic abuse. She has succeeded in shielding the father of her only child from public scrutiny.

About three years ago, she left Nigerians on social media in dismay after going totally naked on the Instagram live video of singer Innocent Udeme Udofot, a.k.a MC Galaxy. She had blamed her action on alcohol.

Not too long afterward, in the same year, she received severe backlash for using the Bible as an ashtray and threatening to use the Quran next. The Warri born actress had thrashed a bible verse, Proverbs 22:6 saying it’s Idemudia a scam.

Musawa

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he Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa have backed efforts to ensure public-private partnerships in the creative sector. To this end, the culture ministry hosted a symposium to further advance discussions on public-private partnerships in the creative industry.

The symposium themed: ‘A Creative Industry Intervention,’ addressed public-private partnerships, heritage preservation, global cultural impact and training opportunities within the creative sector.

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was the chief

host of the symposium which aimed to help unite key industry players and also facilitate the formulation of initiatives that could boost Nigeria’s creative economy.

The gathering addressed public-private partnerships, heritage preservation, global cultural impact and training opportunities within the creative sector. It also catalyzed actions that contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and create employment opportunities for the country’s talented youth, while also getting support by strategic partners in Nigeria’s private sector.

Musawa had declared Nigeria’s support for the creative industry noting that the nation is setting its sights on becoming the epicenter of creativity and culture in Africa. The minister noted that the nation’s creative prospect has caught the attention of the world, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s transformative agenda includes nurturing this valuable asset with the launch of “Destination 2030”.

She noted that all sectors of the creative industry, from literature and music to film, design, visual arts, and heritage, will be united with a shared vision.

“Nigeria sits at an inflection point where our global cultural impact is at an all-time high, combined with a new progressive administration. The time is now to support the talent and institutions that power the cultural, entertainment, and creative economy,” Musawa said.

My Ex-Husband’s Family Ruined my Marriage – Angela Okorie

N

ollywood actress, Angela Okorie, has opened up on the real reason her marriage to Chukwuma Orizu crashed. She revealed that the union didn't work out not because of Chukwuma himself, but because of his family and their position on her work.

Angela said she had no choice but to walk out of the marriage while also advising anybody who is not in love to not get entrapped in a marriage.

“I won’t advise anybody to be in a marriage when you’re not in love with the man. I think

THEWILLNIGERIA

that’s the reason a lot of women cheat. In this Lekki, you have too many women who cheat in their marriages. For me, I fell out of love. My ex-husband was a good man.

“I fell out of love because of what his family was doing.

The family didn’t want me to continue acting. They didn’t want me to do anything acting.

They were like, ‘If we are going to marry you, you’ll stop doing entertainment.’ And I will be like, ‘Even my mum can’t even stop me. That is my life. Do you know how many years it took

me?’

“He was in support of me.

He didn’t even stress me, but because of the whole saga, it was like I was in a place where the people didn’t even understand my vision. They didn't understand what I was chasing. You need to chase it with me. This is what your wife wants. You can’t kill my dream.

This is what I’ve worked for so many years to get here. So, you can’t just wake up and say, because you want to marry me, I should give up on my dreams,” she said.

Okorie

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FEATURES

Old Ways, New Tactics

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 WWW.THEWILLNIGERIA.COM

Commissioner of Police (Operations) comprising tactical teams and provost officers from the state headquarters. With instructions from the police chief himself, the team was to fish out and nab the extortionists at Mile 2.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Police Public Relations Officer for Lagos State, intimated that the Commissioner of Police “has set up an enforcement team with the mandate of raiding spots that have been identified as notorious for such nefarious activities.” The very first was a smashing success.

So, early last August, Nigerians got to know that three policemen, one LASTMA and FRSC official had been caught in the act and were promptly arrested.

Of the sting operation itself, Hundeyin would later confirm that “a total of 15 thugs were arrested in the act while three police officers, one FRSC, and one LASTMA personnel were also arrested for being in cahoots with the touts,” despite warnings from the CP “that any law enforcement personnel, irrespective of their agency, found complicit in extortion racketeering would not be spared as they would be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law.”

The arrests followed complaints by motorists truck drivers particularly - plying Mile 2 axis of extortion by thugs and some law enforcement officers, an area described as the hotbed of extortion by some officers of the Nigeria Police Force, FRSC, LASTMA and thugs.

Between then and now, there have been no cases of extortion by law enforcement agents at Mile 2. It may be as a result of the CP’s warning that the newly set-up enforcement team will sustain the raids and definitely replicate them in other parts of the state where the same issues exist until total sanity is restored.”

It may also be that some of the police officers have learnt a lesson or two from the proverbial Eneke the bird Chinua Achebe made famous in Things Fall Apart.

Last August, some law enforcement agents were arrested for extorting money from motorists at Mile 2 in a sting operation approved by Lagos State Commissioner of Police. Has money stopped changing hands between motorists and the police in a notorious black spot in the state? THEWILL asks. Michael Jimoh reports…

“

Elo le fun?” a middle-aged bus driver of an 18-seater LT Volkswagen bus from Ojo Army Cantonement through Mile 2 en route CMS asks a young conductor after he hopped on board the vehicle that just drove past a police checkpoint. “Fiber,” he says, clutching some half-folded naira bills in his left hand. In street lingo, Fiber is N500.

As the driver and some half asleep passengers approached the police cordon a short distance away, the bus boy alighted and disappeared from view. The driver moved on with his passengers. Unknown to the passengers seated four in a row, the boy had gone to meet one of the policemen on duty.

Nobody saw what transpired between them. But by the time he re-boarded the vehicle, it was clear his meeting with the law enforcement agents had gone swimmingly, prompting his response to the driver.

Bus boys from other commercial vehicles plying the route will similarly hop down and keep an informal appointment with the police officer on duty and then run back to his bus. With that, they are sure of safe and free passage for the rest of the day, undisturbed by police or touts at Mile 2.

Bordering the Mile 2 Estate and covering a swathe of land the size of a small community, Mile 2 Bus Stop is the heart of an artery of highways and routes from Apapa, Oshodi, Orile Iganmu. The longest road links Okokomaiko, Ijanikin (home to a Federal Government College and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education) to Badagry tapering off at Seme Border.

From there, it connects Cotonou in Benin Republic thus making it one of the international routes by land to the West African sub-region.

The half a dozen or so parks at Mile 2 take on this national and international coloration: there is, for instance, Apapa/ Wharf, Obalende/ CMS, Benin/ Sapele, Warri, Cotonou, Ghana and so on. As an important transit centre, therefore, there are also a corresponding number of police checkpoints all around and at Mile 2.

Considered a notorious black spot in Lagos, Mile 2 also has an unenviable reputation as a place where police routinely extort money from motorists, a reputation motorists know so well. On a good day, there is a checkpoint somewhere with two, three or four policemen manning it. A police pickup van is parked nearby with a senior officer lounging in one of the

“

Considered a notorious black spot in Lagos, Mile 2 also has an unenviable reputation as a place where police routinely extort money from motorists, a reputation motorists know so well. On a good day, there is a checkpoint somewhere with two, three or four policemen manning it.

A police pickup van is parked nearby with a senior officer lounging in one of the seats, walkie-talkie handy

seats, walkie-talkie handy. Two policemen stand on either side of the road, waving motorists down for random inspection – driver’s license, proof of ownership, the vehicle itself, fire extinguisher, boot, spare and so on.

Commercial bus drivers and private car owners step on the brake once they get near them, mentally bracing up for the shakedown that will follow shortly. Some act proactively: a carefully folded N100, N200 note exchange hands discretely and the police wave them on. Headstrong motorists tarry a while, their vehicles parked by the roadside as the officer thumbs through a sheaf of documents, taking forever and sometimes deliberately so.

Word soon got around to the highest quarters of the police command – the CP’s office. Faster than a rifle shot, Idowu Owohunwa put together an intelligent team under the Deputy

“Since hunters have learnt to shoot without missing,” it boasted, “I have learnt to fly without perching.”

Nobody expects the police to fly like raptors, but the ones at Mile 2 may have adopted the same survival strategies as Achebe’s adaptive avian, which is why conductors do their discreet deliveries nowadays, making some conclude that nothing much has changed – still the old ways but new tactics.

Despite the recent riot act by CP Owohunwa, there is concern that police extorting motorists in Lagos may not stop anytime soon. In a report in The Guardian of October 31 2018, for instance, the Lagos State Police Command arrested four policemen and three LASTMA officials for extortion. CSP Chike Otti who was spokesman for LSPC at the time said the officials had given an account number to one Waheed Lamidi to pay bribe money.

Inspectors Charles Omokaro and Idara Akai, Sergeants Chidi Mordi and Joseph Bernard were nabbed in the process. Sam Adekunle, Omolaja Ige and Modinat Folashade of LASTMA were also caught.

Quoting a newspaper publication on the bribe, Otti said that “the attention of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, was this morning, 30/10/2018, drawn to a publication in a national newspaper, captioned “Police as cesspit of corruption”. The reporter drew attention to the underhand dealings of some policemen he ran into on his way to Festac Town. He alleged that the men took him to First Gate of Festac Town, which they have turned to an extortion point.

“Sequel to the information gained from the publication, the CP directed the Area Commander in-charge of Area E, Festac, ACP Yusuf Ajape and the officer in charge of the command’s X-Squad Section, SP Aliu Abubakar, to carry out a covert operation around the aforementioned location leading to the arrest of the following policemen and LASTMA officials.”

Otti went on that the officials “were caught trying to extort one Mr. Waheed Lamidi, whom they gave a Diamond bank account number 0020558133, titled Femi Adebanji to transfer the sum of N75, 000 to when he complained that he had no cash. The CP Lagos has directed that the suspects be brought to the Command Headquarters, X-Squad section, for thorough investigation and appropriate disciplinary action if found guilty.”

It goes without saying that the officials caught and nabbed in the recent extortion racket at Mile 2 will face disciplinary action if found guilty. But will that put an end to what has since become a blight on a police force minded to rebrand and revamp its image?

The answer is anyone’s guess.

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THEWILLNIGERIA

NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

FEATURES

Echoes From Uyo Editors' Conference

By Abdullahi Yusuf

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n Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the cream of the Nigerian media made up of more than 300 media executives and senior editors converged on Uyo to attend the 19th All Nigeria Editors' Conference (ANEC).

Among the participants were members of the Kano/Jigawa NGE Forum made up of editors drawn from the Kano and Jigawa belt, ably led by the Chairman of the group, Dr Sule Yau Sule.

They traversed more than 1,000 kilometers and crisscrossed about 10 states notably Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo,Abia and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to reach Uyo, the host city, arguably making them the editors who covered the longest distance to attend the allimportant conference.

The five-day conference themed: ‘Stimulating Economic Growth, Technological Advancement: The Role of the Media,’ featured economists, technology experts and media professionals who deliberated on the nation's economic and technological challenges and proffered the way forward.

While welcoming the editors and other guests to the peaceful oil city, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba, said the conference would also examine “Nigerian media sustainability and the existential threat by the Big Tech and what we need to do in the face of the new reality."

"It will afford the participants the opportunity to discuss issues affecting the journalism profession and proffer solutions that hopefully will enhance its robust practice in the country," Anaba said.

Much earlier, the Oku Ibom Ibibio and President-General, Akwa Ibom Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, His Eminence Nteyin (Dr) Solomon Daniel Etuk, on behalf of the royal fathers, also welcomed editors and other guests to the state.

Etuk said the theme of the conference indicated the willingness of the editors "to contribute towards reviving our communal economy at a time we desire to bring it to the fore and promote same."

"The Supreme Council and I do attest to your continuous gatekeeping and agenda setting role, especially towards Nigeria's political and economic advancement over the years.

"It is my fervent belief in your commitment to the upholding of high moral and ethical journalism practice for a better Nigeria that I feel highly elated to associate with and welcome the editors to Akwa Ibom State," the Oku Ibom Ibibio said.

Cross section of Editors attending the All Nigeria Editors' Conference in Uyo,Akwa Ibom State.

“

The five-day conference themed: ‘Stimulating Economic Growth, Technological Advancement: The Role of the Media,’ featured economists, technology experts and media professionals who deliberated on the nation's economic and technological challenges and proffered the way forward

Declaring the well-attended conference open, President Bola Tinubu said his administration would continue to work to promote free and robust media without any intention to stifle the press.

story which, according to him, is written with a focus on the ARISE Agenda.

Another highlight of the conference was the induction of 39 new members and installation of 14 fellows of the NGE. This event was particularly a joyful one for the Kano/Jigawa NGE Forum as two of its members were eminently part of it.

They were Hajiya Maimuna Garba, a very senior colleague, who was installed as a Fellow of the guild and Adamu Ibrahim Dabo Dawakin Tofa, who was inducted as a member of the guild.

The conference formally ended with a communique in which the NGE said among other things, that it aligned itself with the measures so far adopted by the Federal Government to revive the nation's economy.

It, however, warned that the path to total economic recovery should not be littered with “corpses” of those who cannot survive the suffocating heat of the present situation.

He stressed the need for media professionals to ensure responsible reporting and digital literacy, even as he tasked them on operating within the framework of the ethics of journalism with utmost sense of duty and patriotism.

disposition by the Nigerian Guild of Editors at a Gala Night held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo. The award, which was presented to him by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, was part of the activities rounding off the 2023 All Nigeria Editors Conference.

Also, in the communique signed by Anaba and the guild’s General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the editors urged the Federal Government to reduce the deafening anxiety among Nigerians by taking short-term measures that would address soaring prices of goods and services, a depreciating currency, volatile exchange rates, illiquidity in the foreign exchange market, high-interest rates, high trade costs, declining purchasing power, escalating production costs, rising energy cost, slump in industrial capacity utilisation and erosion of profit margins.

Earlier in his address, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, commended the Nigerian media "for the robust role it has played in demanding good governance, for working to strengthen our institutions, for the good job it has done, sometimes at grave risk to see to the deepening of our democratic culture and traditions.

Presenting the award, Anaba extolled the Governor Eno-led administration in the state for raising the bar in governance through the A.R.I.S.E Agenda and reaffirmed the benefits of a continuum in governance as evident in the success stories in the different sectors of the state.

A particularly interesting aspect of the conference was an invitation extended by Governor Eno to editors to be part of Akwa Ibom’s month-long celebration of Christmas, especially the 2023 edition of the Ibom Christmas Carol scheduled for December 15 at Unity Park, Uyo.

“Akwa Ibom State has shown us the possibilities in Nigeria.

Akwa Ibom State has proven that we can have a good country.

Akwa Ibom has debunked some theories that only the private sector can drive an economy, with the success of Ibom Air, you have indeed given hope for a better Nigeria,” he said.

The governor's announcement at the Gala Night was greeted with thunderous ovation from editors who viewed it as a continuation of the weeklong hospitality they were accorded by the Akwa Ibom State Government.

Represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, President Tinubu also urged the editors to tackle the issue of fake news and misinformation through fact checking.

"You have advocated the need to have justice, equity and fair play as we work to achieve and nourish our unbending cords of unity.

"As excited and proud of the great work you have done, there are however, some areas that are very concerning and that’s why the theme of this confab is so apt and timely” Stimulating Economic Growth, Technological Advancement: Role of the Media,” Pastor Eno said.

The governor was later on Thursday conferred with an Award of Excellence in Good Governance for his media-friendly THEWILLNIGERIA

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Receiving the award, Eno thanked the guild for recognising the efforts of his administration in delivering good governance to Akwa Ibom people and to justify the mandate given to him.

Before their departure to their various destinations on Saturday, November 18,2023, many of the editors were overheard expressing interest to return to Uyo to savour the Ibom Christmas Carol.

He also thanked the NGE for choosing Akwa Ibom for their 19th conference and reaffirmed the readiness of the state government to collaborate with the media to tell the Akwa Ibom

All that started well, ended well. The Uyo ANEC was one of the most successful ever organised by the NGE and it will linger in Editors' memories for a long time to come.

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World Cup Qualifiers: Is Peseiro Still The Man For The Job?

BY JUDE OBAFEMI

A

s Nigeria seeks to qualify for the North American FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico, doubts linger over manager Jose Peseiro’s ability to lead the Super Eagles to global glory.

Uzoho

After reaching a verbal agreement to become Nigeria's coach in December 2021, Peseiro came with a track record that included leading teams like FC Porto, Al Hilal, Braga and national squads like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela during an illustrious 30-year managerial career. However, recent results have sparked doubts over his capacity to maximise a talented Nigerian squad brimming with elite players plying their trade across Europe’s top leagues.

“

Peseiro's contract will last till February 2024 when the AFCON ends, and, barring rumours of moves to Zamalek of Egypt, he is committed to seeing it through

A period of uncertainty, where Austin Eguaveon was in charge of the Super Eagles for the Africa Cup of Nations, with Peseiro as an observer, the Portuguese was finally appointed head coach in May 2022. His performance since then till now has seen confidence in the Super Eagles plummet to an all-time low, especially based on poor performances in recent games.

Peseiro's contract will last till February 2024 when the AFCON ends, and, barring rumours of moves to Zamalek of Egypt, he is committed to seeing it through. However, his team selection, tactics, and excuses for poor results are being questioned. A contending issue is his insistence on possession-based football, which has not worked well against

African opponents and has failed to yield results beyond the continent.

From the onset, the tactical foundation of his squad selection has engineered a team that lacks consistency and goals, which struggles defensively without key leaders. Squad is imbalanced upfront.

Statistics from recent matches have shown only one win in six games when Victor Osimhen did not play and this was against African teams.

There have been calls for Peseiro to change things up with player selection, tactics and be willing to drop underperforming players, especially the goalkeeper Francis Uzoho. It is pertinent too for the NFF to inspire confidence and change the negative atmosphere around the team.

With less than 50 days to AFCON, Peseiro and NFF need a "big statement" and "hard reset" to evoke belief in the Super Eagles for 202. However, unconvincing displays have set alarm bells ringing, especially with attention turned towards the 2026 World Cup under a new qualifying cycle.

Peseiro’s honeymoon period, from the renewal of his contract, is well and truly over, and the lacklustre performances against lesser African opponents is questionable for his ability to deliver results. Their Group B qualifying campaign kicked off in June 2022 with a home game against Lesotho. Despite naming attacking talents like Victor Boniface, Taiwo Awoniyi, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen, Nigeria failed to THEWILLNIGERIA

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NOVEMBER 26, 2023 T H E W I L L N E W S P A P E R • www.thewillnigeria.com

SPORTSLIVE

...Is Peseiro Still The Man For The Job? Aside from strategic concerns, Peseiro has also elicited criticism for perplexing squad selection policies. Also, bringing in new players from abroad for each international break is not a sustainable strategy.

This last time, Nathan Tella, was invited for his debut international cap to continue Peseiro’s tradition of naming new players to his squad selection.

capitalise, held to a morale-sapping 1-1 draw.

It was an alarming echo of previous games where superiority in chances created failed to translate into goals due to poor finishing and tactical issues.

If Lesotho represented a disappointing start, worse was to follow when Nigeria went to play Zimbabwe, a few days later. In a carbon copy of previous struggles, the Super Eagles monopolised both possession and chances, but they were stunned by a 26th minute Walter Musona opener for the visitors. Only a secondhalf Iheanacho equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw, but the inquest quickly turned on Peseiro. After just two games, their World Cup qualifying campaign risked unravelling if results did not improve quickly.

As pressure mounts, Peseiro faces calls to rejig his tactical system to harness Nigeria’s attacking potential. There is a sense he has stifled their thriving creative talents like Boniface, Ademola, Iwobi, Chukwueze and Simon with conservative tactics.

Providing them attacking freedom via a shape change could hold the key to reversing their scoring struggles.

With their latest matches ending in stalemates, Nigeria find themselves third in their World Cup qualifying group with a paltry two points. More dropped points could leave their qualification hopes hanging by a mere thread.

With two points from their opening games, Nigeria was salvaged by Rwanda's defeat of South Africa in a stunning 2-0 result. The upset has positioned Nigeria favourably ahead of their next qualifier against South Africa in June 2024. A win would boost the three-time African champions Super Eagles, ahead of the visiting Bafana Bafana.

Peseiro

Beyond wasting chances, Peseiro has also come under fire for Nigeria’s vulnerability from set pieces. Much of the goals conceded under his watch have stemmed from dead ball situations.

The manager is primarily responsible for failing to drill basic organisational discipline into his backline at defensive set-pieces. The draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe have reinforced these flaws. For all Nigeria’s attacking weaponry, Peseiro has failed to erect solid defensive foundations to balance the scales during games of fine margins.

With the next AFCON fixtures upcoming in January and more World Cup qualifiers in June, Peseiro faces intense scrutiny to justify his retention.

Failure to secure wins against Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast could make his position untenable.

For now, he retains public backing from NFF due to a scarcity of funds.

Continued from Back Page

Nigeria's Crumbling Healthcare And High Cost of Medicines Healthcare security forms a vital pillar of national security. Thus, an import-dependent system prone to external vulnerabilities is unsafe for the country.

Already battling high disease burdens from malaria to infant mortality, the country can ill-afford more spikes in morbidity and mortality should drugs become inaccessible if policies remain on the current trajectory.

The underdevelopment of domestic manufacturing in favour of imports has left the country’s healthcare system prone to external shocks, while citizens face shortages and prohibitive costs for critical medicines.

However, Nigeria could convert GSK’s exit into an opportunity that spurs major improvements.

With 25 per cent of its population in need of essential drugs yearly, developing robust domestic capabilities is indispensable for Nigeria. The country is too large to surrender its pharmaceutical future to the whims of external actors over which it has no control.

The government must institute policies that eliminate constraints to active pharmaceutical ingredients importation whilst incentivising investments in local medicine production through tax rebates and financing schemes. Stringent penalties for substandard medicines must also be enforced to foster confidence in locally produced options.

Secondly, drug manufacturing clusters providing shared production facilities and reliable infrastructure at subsidised costs can lower barriers for new THEWILLNIGERIA

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entrants and smaller players. Positioning Nigeria as a West African pharma-hub through such enablers could attract investment by companies seeking regional export bases. Workforce productivity can also be boosted through industry collaborations with academia in technical and vocational training.

Most importantly, significant bottlenecks for manufacturing like credit access, forex, infrastructure, regulations and security must be urgently addressed using well-researched strategies for enduring improvements. Getting the fundamentals right would rebuild investor confidence in Nigeria’s economy.

Healthcare self-reliance requires the political will to implement unpopular but necessary reforms. The current administration at federal and state levels must move from rhetoric to expedient action in fixing the national manufacturing ecosystem while fostering import-substitution policies in the health sector.

Nigeria’s future is at stake!

The GSK case reveals how fragile the healthcare sector has become after years of neglect and policy missteps. Its exit may presage the eventual collapse of local production without emergency action. Nigerian lives already hang by a thread from daily incidents of preventable deaths. The government must institute supportive policies for domestic manufacturing to avert the looming drug security crisis whilst safeguarding the health of millions relying on affordable essential medicines.

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Still, recent comments by the Federation board member Nse Essien regarding the NFF's inability to sack the underperforming Peseiro due to financial constraints are unacceptable. As the governing body charged with oversight of the national team, the NFF has a responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of Nigerian football. They cannot hide behind monetary limitations to explain their failure to take action against a struggling manager.

While problematic salary payment delays by the Sports Ministry have created difficulties, this does not absolve the NFF of its duty to take action when the team is underperforming. If finances were an issue, appropriate termination clauses should have been built into Peseiro's recently extended contract.

To make excuses after the fact demonstrates poor planning and accountability by the NFF. As custodians of Nigerian football, the NFF must be able to make tough decisions regardless of financial circumstances.

The NFF’s excuses over the Peseiro situation show a dereliction of duty and lack of leadership when it matters most. Furthermore, more poor performances could see his time in charge abruptly cut short.

Peseiro deserves plaudits for integrating fresh faces like Calvin Bassey, Lookman, Boniface, Tella into the Super Eagles fold. He has also implemented a passing philosophy focused on dominating possession and chances. However, those principles have yet to manifest into results, with his record of six wins in 17 games underwhelming for a coach of his pedigree and Nigeria’s talent pool.

Unless his flawed tactics, player selections and failure to address recurring issues are resolved soon, calls for him to be axed may crescendo into an unavoidable outcome. With potential World Cup exclusion looming ominously, Peseiro urgently requires tactical tweaks and positive performances to turn around his embattled tenure. If not, his reign risks ending in recriminations with Nigeria forced to seek a new guide to steer them to future glory.

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Nigeria's Crumbling Healthcare And High Cost of Medicines

T

he announcement in August this year by pharmaceutical mammoth GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) terminating over 50 years of operations in Nigeria has spotlighted the rapidly decaying state of healthcare and domestic manufacturing in the country.

GSK declared that a restrictive climate of policy unpredictability, forex troubles and supply chain instabilities has made continued investments in local production unfeasible, forcing a switch to an import-dependent distribution model.

Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical multinational, has also disclosed its plan to cease manufacturing and operations in the country next year for similar reasons.

This mirrors a wider exodus plaguing Nigeria's manufacturing landscape.

The exit of the healthcare multinational giants will not only threaten major disruptions in the supply of essential medicines but also further expose the economy to external shocks. More importantly, it is a stern indictment of the Federal Government's long failure to institute impactful reforms and confront the binding constraints strangulating industrial growth.

GSK began operating in Nigeria in 1971 and it invested significantly in local manufacturing, with production facilities in the country accounting for over 40 per cent of its revenues in West Africa.

Its brands, including Amoxil, Augmentin, Panadol, Andrews Liver Salt, Horlicks, Sensodyne, Macleans, Voltaren, and Otrivin, spread across therapeutic categories, were household names. Its departure leaves a gaping hole in terms of investments, availability of high-quality yet affordable essential drugs and national self-reliance in healthcare.

The company directly attributed its decision to challenging operating dynamics, including excessive barriers to importing critical raw materials, inability to access foreign exchange for vital transactions and unpredictable trade policies – issues that have chronically plagued Nigeria's manufacturing landscape.

Operational conditions have deteriorated to a point where multinationals can no longer justify further investments. The departure of such anchors lowers overall sector attractiveness and investments, while stretching the supply chains of indispensable medicines.

Nigeria has already witnessed an alarming exodus of manufacturers, including industrial giants like Michelin, Dunlop and several other entities spanning steel, textiles and consumer goods over the past decades. Other recent notable exits include Mayor Biscuits Company Limited, Louis Carter Industries, Moak Enterprises, Tower Aluminium, Technoflex

Company Limited, Evans Medicals and Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc. Their closures were influenced by a tough macroeconomic environment characterised by issues, such as foreign exchange scarcity, poor infrastructure, security concerns, port congestion, policy uncertainties and multiple taxation.

High production expenses from energy costs to borrowing rates, alongside forex troubles and broken infrastructure, have made Nigeria wholly uncompetitive. Complex clearance procedures, high duties and corrupt practices at ports also hike costs. Insecurity raises risks and costs of distribution. Lower local patronage due to a shrinking consumer market further dampens viability. Poor road networks put the final nail in the coffin.

Successive governments have failed at reforms to improve the ease of doing business whilst boosting domestic capabilities in a globalised economy. Nigeria performs abysmally on global competitiveness rankings. Sub-optimal policies have created a hostile landscape, making continued local operations and fresh investments unattractive. This de-industrialisation leaves the economy dangerously reliant on imports, even for basic items.

The ramifications of GSK’s exit on domestic pharma production are also worrying. Nigeria’s healthcare

sector depends almost wholly on importation with over 70 per cent of utilised drugs produced overseas.

Meanwhile, existing manufacturers operate at a meagre 20 per cent capacity.

Rising populations and disease burdens require an estimated 100 per cent increase in local production in the immediate future. However, manufacturing firms at home struggle with similar dilemmas of foreign players while battling additional headaches of counterfeiting that rob potential revenues.

Poor policy formulation and coordination between regulators stymie growth. Capacity deficits also hinder compliance to international standards, blocking access to export markets that could bolster profitability. Lack of financing options to upgrade production lines also forces dependence on imports.

With GSK's exit, the few remaining manufacturers may be hard-pressed to address local needs, especially for specialised drugs. Distributors of the multinational’s brands are already exploiting monopolies to raise prices by over 100 per cent in a country where over 70 million already lack adequate access to essential medicines due to unaffordability.

Nigeria already faces frightening health statistics with one of the worst public health outcomes globally. With a population of over 200 million, shortages or price hikes for essential medicines could trigger catastrophic public health crises. Learning no lessons from the crippling fuel and cash shortages still haunting Nigerians, those occupying Nigeria’s corridors of power continue gambling with critical supply chains that undergird national wellbeing.

Meanwhile, ruinous out-of-pocket spending already drives over 40 per cent of Nigerians into poverty yearly. An over-reliance on imported medicines would exacerbate foreign exchange pressures in a country still struggling to manage its balance of payments crisis.

Additionally, the government’s spending priorities appear disconnected from the healthcare and economic crisis facing average Nigerians. Instances of extravagant spending on luxury vehicles, mansions and lavish foreign trips by political office holders paint a picture of wastefulness and insensitivity to the needs of impoverished citizens lacking basic medicines.

Reports of inflated contracts and white elephant projects further highlight apparent fiscal recklessness and deficiencies in resource allocation by political leaders far removed from the harsh realities facing average Nigerians. With craning healthcare challenges, the government needs to demonstrate greater urgency and efficiency in utilising limited public resources to serve the medical needs of millions of vulnerable citizens.

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Nigeria already faces frightening health statistics with one of the worst public health outcomes globally. With a population of over 200 million, shortages or price hikes for essential medicines could trigger catastrophic public health crises PAGE 48

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