SUNDAY 21ST OCTOBER 2018

Why Lagos APC Leaders Want Ambode Impeached Let’s forgive and forget, governor tells cabinet Collapses campaign structure into Sanwo-olu's Olawale Olaleye and Gboyega Akinsanmi It appears there is no relief yet for Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, despite

losing his re-election bid in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the leadership of the party in the state has, allegedly, concluded plans to remove him from office to

guarantee its victory in next year’s governorship election.

This indication emerged at the weekend, and it corroborated the information exclusively obtained by THISDAY that the

APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had not only initiated the idea of Ambode’s removal, but had also given a direct order to the relevant quarters to that

effect.

THISDAY gathered that although the impeachment plot had always been in the cooler as an alternative plan in the run up to the last primaries,

it was played down as the leadership explored other options open to them.

However, multiple sources Continued on page 8

Buhari Laments Loss of Lives in Kaduna, Abia‌ Page 85 Sunday 21 October, 2018 Vol 23. No 8586

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2019: Sani Dumps APC Heads to PRP We're yet to confirm his exit, says party John Shiklam in Kaduna In a further depletion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) membership in the

Senate, the senator for Kaduna Central senatorial zone, Mr. Shehu Sani, yesterday dumped the party after failing to get its ticket for re-election in

2019 under controversial circumstances. Sani submitted his resignation letter to the APC chairman in his ward, Ward 6, Tudun Wada, Kaduna

North Local Government Area.

He said he had joined the APC and remained in the party against all odds in the belief that it will be a veritable

platform for the realisation of the democratic ideals he held dear.

But the APC national leadership claimed it could not

ascertain Sani’s resignation.

APC National Publicity Secretary Lanre Issa-Onilu, Continued on page 86

President’s Men, Governors Plot against Oshiomhole Buhari aims to unite party after fractured primaries Olawale Olaleye Disturbed by their inability to have their way, some members of the president's kitchen cabinet and a host of governors are plotting against the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The governors, about 15 in number along side their allies in the presidency wants the chairman out of office as soon as possible and replaced with someone more amenable to their demands and interests.

Their disaffection with their chairman stems from their inability to impose their candidates on the party to fly its flag in various elective positions.

The plot is thickening just as the president is taking steps

to reunite the party following the disaffections and bad blood created by its recent divisive primaries.

However, Oshiomhole has fought back saying that everything he is doing is for the masses of the party and not about to pander to interests of a clique within the party who are driven by a sense of entitlement.

Oshiomhole was said to have clearly warned that he is not about to compromise his principle just to please a few.

THISDAY gathered that the outcome of the recent primary elections, which left the party more divided, had become a source of serious concern to stakeholders in the party. Oshiomhole is being Continued on page 8

See THISDAY Weekly Guide to 2019‌ Pages 16-17

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L-R: Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; celebrant, AlaaďŹ n of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo at the 80th birthday celebration of the monarch, which held at University of Ibadan...recently felix ademola

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

PAGE EIGHT

CELEBRATING ANOTHER LEGAL YEAR L-R: Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I; Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke; and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the 2018/2019 Legal Year Dinner in Lagos... Friday

PRESIDENT’S MEN, GOVERNORS PLOT AGAINST OSHIOMHOLE accused of not playing fair thereby creating the mood for the divisions and defections that have plaqued the party.

Sources within the presidency alligned in the plot against Oshiomhole claimed that even when some of the challenges were seen ahead of time and brought to his notice, Oshiomhole mismanaged the situations, with grave consequences for the party and fear Atiku Abubakar's growing momentum.

The sources noted that when the crises, which arose from the primary election, started, the president had personally given a directive to the national chairman about six times on what to do. But he disregarded the orders because of his personal interest and continued with what he thought was the best even when he was not getting

results. The situation was said to have gotten so bad that Oshiomhole started avoiding the president and refused to honour his invitations. All these were seen as constituting great danger to the party.

THISDAY learnt that those to perfect Oshiomhole’s removal had already been deployed and they had commenced the task quietly, even though not necessarily to the knowledge of the president.

The president’s men were equally said to be worried about the role Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and some prominent members of the party had played which seemed to embolden the national chairman.

Oshiomhole's Fight Back Interestingly, multiple sources

close to Oshiomhole confided in THISDAY that some of the governors are against Oshiomhole because they could not have their way with him, adding that contrary to insinuations, the national chairman had the backing of the president in all he has been doing in the party.

For instance, the sources maintained that ahead of the recent primaries, some of the governors, apart from completely controlling the list of the delegates in their respective states, had approached Oshiomhole to have an idea of the panel members to be sent to their states, but Oshiomhole turned down the requests, telling them “you cannot have the players and the referee.”

According to the sources, Oshiomhole pointedly told the governors that they

were the ones who made him chairman to clean up the Augean stable and that if things must change, they had to consciously change the approach. He also noted that if he had his way, there would be direct primaries in all the states to give every APC member a sense of belonging in the running of the party. He told them he was not going to pander to any interest other than the interest of the party. “And that he would not bend his principle to please them.

Of course the governors interpreted this to mean that Oshiomhole was working against their interests.”

But in a related development, the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was said to have stopped Oshiomhole from accessing the president’s residence in Aso Rock. Mrs

Buhari was alleged to have insisted that if the APC national chairman needed to see the president, he should meet him in his office, which is, however, still within the Three Arms Zone.

Mrs Buhari has not hidden her disgust over Oshiomhole’s alleged mismanagement of the party and she is said to be part of the plan to remove him. She is said to have passed an order to the president’s security personnel not to allow Oshiomhole come within the presidential residence.

It would be recalled that the First Lady had some weeks ago chided the APC leadership over the way it managed the party primaries and the aftermath, saying the party and its leadership have betrayed the very essence of democratic ethos and had

descended into sheer fascism.

Aisha Buhari’s outburst, even though she was believed to have been irked over her brother, Mahmud Halilu Ahmed’s inability to clinch Adamawa State’s governorship ticket, had set the tone for the current move to finally get Oshiomhole out of the way. She is, apparently, cashing in on the general mood of other stakeholders in the party and the danger his disposition had put her husband.

Although the removal of a party’s national chairman is not easy, as it would require a long process, culminating even in a national convention, those pushing for Oshiomhole’s removal believe that he has become so unpopular among the top echelon of the party that his removal would be an easy ride.

the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not take advantage of what happened during the primaries to take over the state.

Just after the process that threw up Sanwo-Olu, Ambode had been taking different steps to reunite party chieftains, principal officers of the House of Assembly and members of the State Executive Council (SEC), among others.

At the first EXCO meeting after he lost the return ticket, a cabinet member told THISDAY that Ambode devoted quality time to preaching a message of forgiveness and unity, asking all the council members to work in support of the governorship candidate.

The cabinet member, who preferred anonymity, quoted Ambode as saying, “The primaries have been concluded at all levels. We must forgive one another irrespective of what happened before the primaries.

As a Christian, I will never be vindictive to any person for opposing my re-election.”

The commissioner disclosed that Ambode equally told the cabinet members that the State Executive Council “has taken off fully and that we should focus more on governance and issues of public concern rather than engaging in another round of political conflict that can undermine governance and public administration.”

He explained that Ambode encouraged every council member “to double their efforts to make Lagos a true centre of excellence. All of us must forget what has happened. We

must forgive and forget so that we can face the business of government with renewed spirit and approach the next election in unity.”

After Ambode’s address at the EXCO meeting, the cabinet member disclosed that all council members applauded him, even though they were surprised that he gave in so easily. With the development, he said, a task force has been set in motion to rehabilitate failed roads across the state.

Apart from Ambode’s message of forgiveness and rededication at the SEC meeting, an APC chieftain disclosed that Ambode had already collapsed the Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG) into the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council.

Specifically, the APC source disclosed that Ambode appointed a five-man contact team under the leader of the Coordinator of AMSG, Hakeem Sulaimon, to hold a meeting with the Director-General of the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council, Mr. Tayo Ayinde, on how to work together now that the primaries had been concluded.

In addition to Ambode’s decision to set up the contact team that met with the SanwoOlu Campaign Council, the APC source explained that the governor had directed his supporters across the 20 local government areas and 37 LCDAs to begin grassroots campaign for the APC governorship candidate.

Immediately after the primaries, according to the

source, Ambode sent the message to all his supporters and support groups to ensure that the PDP did not win the state, for the sake of continuity and President Muhammadu Buhari. All over the state, Ambode’s supporters are now working for Sanwo-Olu. To demonstrate the commitment he made in his concession speech, the APC source revealed that Ambode also held a meeting with principal officers of the House of Assembly also with a message of forgiveness and peace. He noted that all the principal officers attended the meeting during which the governor pleaded with them “to work for the peace and progress of Lagos State. Irrespective of what happened before and during the primaries, Ambode told them that he had forgotten and forgiven all those who opposed his re-election.”

The source further stated that Ambode had made it clear that he was going to do everything to win the state for the APC, including giving financial support to Sanwo-olu and even campaigning for him.

The governor, he further stated has consistently praised Tinubu who he said remained his mentor. "He harbours no ill feelings towards anybody, as a matter of fact, he has repeatedly thanked the National Leader for choosing him from millions of able and capable people, eligible to be the governor in 2015. So I see no reason for the impeachment," he added.

WHY LAGOS APC LEADERS WANT AMBODE IMPEACHED from Ambode’s camp noted that the reports of an impeachment plan “are unfounded, baseless and without substance,” stressing that the governor has been working to ensure the victory of the APC and its candidate since the governorship primaries on September 29. One of the sources noted that there was no evidence to back the allegations of the hawks at Bourdillon, who were bent on throwing the state into another round of crisis, which he said, might be the strategy of the opposition parties to destabilise the APC. With the first assignment, which was denying Ambode his re-election ticket, successfully prosecuted, stakeholders in the Lagos APC had allegedly put pressure on Tinubu to activate Plan B in their bid to finally get rid of the governor and whatever threat he might pose to the elections in the state next year.

Sources in the party hinted that with the kind of money at his disposal and the control of the security architecture of the state, it would not be strategic to leave Ambode in office, when it was obvious that he was still unhappy with the humiliation he suffered during the primaries.

This move was activated a few days ago, when Tinubu was said to have told a northern colleague of Ambode that there was no going back on his impeachment.

Returning from the inauguration of the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi,

in Ado Ekiti recently, Tinubu was said to have beckoned on a North-west governor, whose state has had dealings with Lagos lately to join him on his plane, in the course of which he hinted at the latest development in the state.

He was said to have told the northern governor that certain stakeholders in the state were no longer comfortable with Ambode’s demeanor and that the governor’s recent moves showed that he would be unkind to the party during the coming elections, and therefore, their best bet would be to get rid of him as fast as possible.

The impeachment move was further given credence to when at the weekend, the House of Assembly, without recourse to extant legal implications, ordered the 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to call the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators in their areas back to work for refuse clearing immediately, effectively displacing Visionscape, a company brought in by Ambode to clean refuse in the state.

While the impeachment move against him has not been properly angled or anchored on anything tangible, there have been several side-talks on the many other reasons why his impeachment had become inevitable.

Generally, there have been insinuations that Ambode might have some ulterior motives and might be thinking of playing

the spoiler against his party, the APC, in the state for denying him a second term ticket, a suspicion the APC leadership claim to have on good authority.

One reason the APC leaders are said to be moving against Ambode is that after promising to help fund the election of his successor-to-be, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he made a U-turn and dismissed any such thing during a recent conversation with one of the contractors through whom the funding would have been made possible. This conversation with the said contractor was said to have been leaked to the APC leadership and other stakeholders, who then immediately related it to other suspicions they had since gathered about the governor.

Besides, Ambode is said to have failed to show remorse to the party leadership and the political class over some of the grouses they had against his reelection. So the stakeholders are believed to be eager to activate the impeachment plot so that he would leave office without any entitlements.

The next few weeks are expected to witness intense political intrigues, as the move to remove Ambode from office begins to crystalise.

Ambode's Camp: Impeachment Story Unfounded But, according to a source, Ambode has been working with the APC leaders at different levels to ensure that

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

9

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

B REAK ING T HE C YCLE OF V IOLENCE ON T HE P LATEAU Government must look at the divisive indigene-settler concept

I

t is disconcerting that the ethnic groups in Jos and environs are again on the warpath after a lull in the widespread violence that have over the years embroiled Plateau State and left many communities desolate. The new wave of killings and the recent startling discoveries by the army in a disused mining pond in Lafendeg Du, Jos South Local Government Area is a pointer to the extent the crisis has degenerated. Yet, aside the thousands of people that have been killed and property destroyed, several families are today dislocated with countless people physically and psychologically maimed for life.

While the conflict is now almost two decades old and has thrown up a major security challenge, there is also the increasing danger of transmuting the neighbourhood into one huge canvas of banditry. This fear is real as the proliferation of arms by all the groups is gradually shifting the theatre of lawlessness from the north-east to the north-central part of the country.

Almost on a daily basis, criminal gangs waylay and kill passengers on the Abuja - Bauchi road and in the most despicable manner they dump their victims’ vehicles in the pond to cover up traces of their dastardly crime.

It is noteworthy that Plateau State has been embroiled in this ruinous communal crisis that has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 2001.

The crisis has affected most parts of the state and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and take refuge in camps in many parts of the country. Sadly, all the community elders as well as the political and religious leaders who

ordinarily should help in bringing peace are most often the ones leading the rhetoric of hate that in turn ignites the spiral of violence.

T

Violence keeps recurring in several theatres across the country because the perpetrators always get away with their sordid acts since they are never prosecuted

Letters to the Editor

T

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

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI , PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH, PATRICK EIMIUHI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

he conflict began as a localised intracommunal strife over access to land, political offices and economic opportunities between groups of people that were once the shining example of harmony and warmth. However, over the years, the scope of the conflict has escalated and assumed a dangerous dimension. All sides now exploit religion as a tool to mobilise largescale support across the country and as a cloak to commit impunity and attack opponents and innocent people. With access to small arms, criminal elements are also capitalising on the violence to rob, rape, commit arson, rustle cows and settle old scores.

At the heart of the crisis is the manner in which the terms “indigenes’’ and “settlers” are being deployed to drive a wedge between and among ethnic groups across the state. And for any enduring solution, all the belligerent ethnic groups must decide to break the cycle of violence and allow peace to return to their communities. We also admonish the federal government and critical stakeholders within the state not to allow the conflict to spiral out of hand by putting in place adequate control measures ahead of the general elections early next year.

We must, however, note that violence keeps recurring in several theatres across the country because the perpetrators always get away with their sordid acts since they are never prosecuted.

So cheap has life become in our country that no fewer than 55 persons were last Friday killed during one of such communal clashes at a market in Kasuwa Magani village in Kaduna State. “Many people have been killed. According to what the police have briefed me so far, 55 corpses have been recovered; some burned beyond recognition,” said Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the course of his on-the-spot assessment visit.

While the long-term solution for all these clashes is for the constitution to be amended to remove all references to the concept of "indigeneship" as it will ensure that all Nigerians are able to enjoy the same rights, regardless of their place of origin or residence, the people must also resolve to live together in peace. Without any conscious efforts in that direction, it will be difficult to bring an end to the spiral of violence that has unwittingly turned our country into one big killing field.

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

The Kingsley Moghalu Challenge

he statistics are simply scary, looking at Nigeria’s human development index (HDI) vis-a-vis its enormous natural endowments. For instance, that the world’s sixth largest producer of crude oil, witha maximum capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day, was recently ranked152nd out of 188 countries by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on HDI, below neighbouring Ghana and Zambia positioned at 139, Gabon, 109, and Equatorial Guinea, 135 is only part of the parlous picture.

Similarly, how do we explain the paradoxical fact that Nigeria, also ranked as the world’s largest producer of cassava and yam according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has overtaken India to become the world’s capital for the extremely poor people? That is according to the World Poverty Clock. Also, in February, this year Nigeria ranked

11th amongst the countries with global deaths of newborn babies, according to the Executive Director, Ms. Henrietta H. Fore.

One does not need rocket science to know that the missing link is that of quality leadership. We are talking about a leadership that is visionary, dynamic, proactive, pragmatic, detribalized and modernistic in its approach to critical socio-economic issues, as they evolve. Not one that forever finds or flies flimsy excuses for failure but one that musters the political will to succeed, against all odds. Indeed, one that understands the nitty-gritty of people-oriented policies and programmes; one that is intellectually and physically equipped and prepared to take our dear nation to new heights.

There comes in Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and currently, the presidential

candidate of the Young Progressive Party(YPP) for the 2019 elections. It would interest the reader to know that as a characteristic of one that is prepared for leadership he published the book, Build, Innovate and Grow (BIG): My Vision for our Country (Bookcraft, 2018) .

Through it he has spelt out in clear terms what he wants to do should the good people of Nigeria cast away the swirling sentiments of ethnicity, religion and a fixed, mesmerized mindset of leadership couched in gerontocracy and pitch their tent with him.

In his words, during the forthcoming 2019 presidential election Nigerians “will be faced with a choice between progress and retrogression, between scary poverty and the prospect of prosperity for millions of our citizens and not just the elite few, between our freedom and our continuing false imprisonment by the political elite that

have brought us to our present sorry pass”.

One cannot agree any less.

Simply put, it is time to shine our eyes!

To those who erroneously believe that this is the best form of government we could ever have, Moghalu warns that: “On current trends of what passes for governance in Nigeria and despite our dynamism and resourcefulness as a people, that future is a bleak one. I want to lead our country as its president because I have a BIG vision for the future of our children and youth”.

One cannot but align with his concern that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has noted that poverty is increasing in our country and we remain the world’s greatest importer of petrol while we export crude oil!

Should he become the president, he will reverse the drift of government controlling and subsidizing the importation and pricing of petrol and go for the deregulating of the downstream petroleum industry.

His practicable vision stands on a tripod of first healing our country and building a new nation. The second step is to wage a

decisive and relentless war against poverty and unemployment. He intends to have skills acquisition centres spread across all the local government areas in the country.

Participants would have access to soft loans from a N1trillion fund to generate employment. This would be a most welcome idea as 11 million Nigerians are believed to have lost their jobs over the past three and half years! His third move is to restore Nigeria’s standing in the world.

And without sounding immodest, he states in unequivocal term that: “I believe I have been well prepared for that task by the level, quantum and quality of my leadership experience. From nationbuilding around the world to economic management at home, from international diplomacy to the global academia, I have demonstrated a track record of creating superior value”. Interestingly, several young Nigerians - men and women desirous of true change- who have listened to him have started keying into his verdant vision.

––Ayo Oyoze Baje, Lagos

10

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

Acting News Editor Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08081986590 (sms only)

10 Babies Born in Bayelsa IDP Camps, Govt Deploys Medical Teams t 145,000 return home in Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba George Okoh in Makurdi and Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

At least 10 babies have been delivered in some of the 13

internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Bayelsa State in the last few days, it was learnt yesterday.

The new babies arrived even

as the state government deployed several medical teams to the camps to ameliorate the health risks brought about by the floods which have rendered

thousands of people homeless in the largely coastal state.

At the SUBEB IDP camp in Ogbia, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s town, three babies were born while three and four were delivered at the

St. John’s Catholic Church and the Airforce Mobility Centre IDP in Yenagoa respectively.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel IworisoMarkson alongside his health counterpart, Prof. Ebitimi Etebu and officials from the Bayelsa Drug Distribution Centre said the government owed them a responsibility to ensure that it provides relief and succour for them.

He said, “We are moved by the fact that we are public officers and we need to do what is needed to support our people. And that’s why we are here. his will be a continuous exercise because we need to make sure that no one dies as a result of this flood and that we curtail any spread of any kind of diseases as a result of the flood.”

He lauded Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson for leading by example, noting that his team was only following the leadership and

directive of the governor.

“From the report we got from them, they are happy and are thanking the government. We are also calling on well-meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies etc to come out and assist the government, and we thank God some private bodies are doing that already” he added.

Etebu said that his team was providing medicines for the common ailments in the camps, including malaria and flu.

“We are here to provide succour for the affected and put every measure in place to ensure that nobody dies of this natural disaster. The government is also monitoring the distribution of items donated by the various agencies to ensure even distribution.”

“For the newborn babies in the IDP camps, we have provided them with mosquito nets, mattresses , blankets and disinfectants and basic immunisation,”he said.

‘APC Plotting to Use Militias to Disrupt Guber Election’ Tobi Soniyi

YOU ARE WELCOME...

R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari Received In Audience, Chief Lemon Ikpea, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Lee Engineering and Construction Company, at The State House, Abuja...on Friday

Again, Immigration Arrests Ghanaian Human Trafficking Suspects at MMIA Chinedu Eze

Less than two weeks after the apprehension of eight Ghanaians at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos for attempted human trafficking, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested another batch of four suspects from the West African nation for the same offence.

The four Ghanaians, who were arrested at the weekend, were between the ages of 22 and 25 years were allegedly on their way to Europe for prostitution

before they were stopped after interrogation by Immigration officials.

Immigrationsaidthefourhad entered Nigeria through road from Togo and Benin Republic, while they also planned to travel outofNigeriathroughEgyptAir before they were apprehended by the immigration officials at the airport.

Among others, Immigration official, who spoke with THISDAY in confidence, named the suspects to include Asare Mary, 24 and Ameyaa Naomi, 23.

The suspected Ghanaians

Ambode Links Justice Sector Reforms to Lagos GDP Growth Gboyega Akinsanmi

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode at the weekend noted that the reforms carried out in the judicial sector were already improving on the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), thereby commending judicial officers for their integrity and dedication to duty.

Hemadetheremarkataspecial dinnertomarktheNewLegalYear of the State Judiciary held at City Hall in Lagos, urging the judges and magistrates to be fair in the dispensation of justice.

Ambode said in view of the

symbiotic relationship between investmentandeffectivejudiciary andsecuritysectors,consciouseffortshavesofarbeenmadetofoster improvement in the sectors, with theultimategoaloffacilitatingmore businesses into the state.

Ambode urged judges and magistrates to continue to be fair in their dealings to attract more investmentintotheState,assuring thathisadministrationremained committedtojusticesectorreforms and welfare of judicial officers.

According to him, I am a very strong believer in judicial sector reforms.

confessed to the crime, noting that they had attempted to use Nigeria as a transit point to connect Europe via Egypt Air. The ladies, who were identified with their Ghanaian international passports, on further interrogation lamented that the hardship in Ghana prompted themtoattemptinthetrade,adding that their sponsors who they refused to name bought them air tickets.

After interrogation, the four ladies were handed over to officialsoftheNationalAgencyfor the Prohibition of Trafficking in

Persons (NAPTIP) for possible deportationbacktotheircountry.

The source said, “Once again, our officials at the Lagos Airport have stopped four Ghanaians from using our country as a transitpointtoEurope toengage in prostitution.

“Our investigation has revealed that some unscrupulous elements within the West Coast want to use our country as a transit point to Europe or even Middle East, but our officials have been trained to detect such people, either Nigerians or foreigners.

Boko Haram kills 12 in Borno Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Suspected Boko Haram members prowled an outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, killing 12 persons on farmlands.

The terrorists were said to have moved on Saturday morning in a convoy of gun trucks around the north flank of Sambisa Forest, their former stronghold and spiritual headquarters.

They were said to have sighted some farmers working on their farmlands around Kalle community, near Molai village.

Seeing that the farmers were harmless, the insurgents did not waste their ammunition on them but rather hacked them down with machetes.

A member of civilian JTF in the area, Abba Ali, who spoke to our correspondent said the farmers were killed on Saturday morning by insurgents without firing a shot.

He said, “The insurgents used machetes; instead of guns to kill 12 farmers, while working on their farmlands, located along 185-kilometre MaiduguriDamboa road.

The Akwa Ibom State Government has formally invited the security agencies to investigate various claims to run down the government and cause mayhem in the build-up to the general elections in February next year.

In a letter to the Inspector General of Police, the DirectorGeneral of the State Security ServiceandtheNationalSecurity Adviser the state said “available intelligence has revealed a plan forasystematicrubbishingwith lies of the governor’s private life that has nothing to do with the governance of the state.”

The state also called on the security agencies to investigate the allegation that “military and policeuniformsarebeingsownin aparticularfederalconstituency to be used by thugs during the election.

“The thugs to be imported from one of the states of Niger Delta would come in through the creeks at the back of Qua River Hotel Eket, Eastern Obolo Riverside and Utaewa in Ikot Abasi River.”

SenatorBasseyAkpan(Peoples DemocraticParty -AlwaysIbom North East) had last week on the floor of the Senate drew the attention of the Senate and by extension, the good people of Nigeria to a plot being hatched by the leadership of the All ProgressivesCongressinAkwaIbom Statetocausemayheminthestate duringthegubernatorialelection slatedforSaturday,March2,2019.

According to him, the plot of the Akwa Ibom APC chieftains to scuttle the election in the state through violence, is to ensure cancellation of election in the state on that day for an isolated exercise later, upon which the so-called federal might would now be used to right it in favour of their candidate.”

Following up on this, PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, IniEmemObonghadinareaction tothedetentionbythepoliceofthe State Commissioner of Environment,DrIniobongEssien,overthe erection of campaign billboard said “the police must know that Nigeriansandindeedtheinternational community are watching these troubling developments.”

Kanu to Speak on Ordeal in Hands of Military Today David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has announced that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu who recently resurfaced in Israel would address Biafrans and lovers of the organisation on Sunday evening.

In a statement by its media and publicitysecretary,EmmaPowerful, theIPOBsaidKanuwouldbebriefing on Radio Biafra to explain his ordealincaptivityafterhisalleged abduction and the circumstances surrounding his reemergence.

According to the statement, IPOB leader has said that he is

more determined now than ever beforetofightfortheattainmentof Biafrarepublic.Thestatementsaid theSupremeLeaderofIPOB,Mazi NnamdiKanu“willbecominglive onRadioBiafraLondononSunday, October21at6:00p.m.Biafrantime.

“IPOBleaderandotherreputable andhardcoreBiafranswillleaveno stone unturned to restore Biafra sovereignty as long as Fulani and otherNigeriansholdBiafransdown.

“Biafra independence and freedomisgatheringmomentum aroundtheworldrightnowwewill notrelentinpursuinghardfortotal Biafra freedom in the near future.

11

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13

14

Ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

OPINION Obi As A Motivational Metaphor The combination of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi will make a lot of difference, argues Ifeanyi Izeze

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ithout doubt, the argument by some political leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southeast zone that the party’s presidential standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar could not have picked a running mate from among them without their knowledge especially when he had bargained with them for the slot, is understandable and should be appreciated as adding to strengthen our democratic experiment especially in this era of “me too.” This is more so when the zone has its own calculations on how to take a shot at the presidency when the position rotates back to the South.

Those who know would agree that if Peter Obi’s kinsmen (some of their political leaders) did not kick in their usual characteristic manner, Obi’s credentials and suitability for the office would have become suspect outright. I speak as nwa-afor Igbo!

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council aptly captured the picture when the group in a statement in Abakaliki stated that the insinuation that the Southeast is divided on Obi’s choice as Atiku’s running mate is untrue and a deliberate mischief by enemies of the zone to create rancour where there is none.

Despite the feigned furore which was at best an understandable political gimmick, Atiku deserves praise for making this tough choice among contending sectional interests. Those who know would agree that this was a deft move to address to some extent, issues of equity and fairness.

Like him or hate him, Peter Obi is an enigma. Apart from the way he managed Anambra State economically for eight years; Obi has frugality, global world view, and vast experience in economic management, acceptability across board and limited political baggage. Above all, he is still a young man relatively speaking.

No doubt, Atiku and Obi will make a great team that will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic

prosperity and unity. They are both successful business men, they both understand the benefits of industrialisation and most importantly, they are both employers of labour. What more can Nigerians ask for if not employment? Obi and Atiku joint ticket will be a veritable asset in our quest to get Nigeria working again.

As explained by Atiku himself, Peter Obi’s choice as a running mate “was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, all experience which Nigeria is in great need of at this point in time.”

Like Atiku, Obi is a successful businessman and wealth creator.

His wealth of experience in the financial sector, governance and human capital development would be of immense benefit to the government. Also, Obi’s rich experience in the private and public sectors will help him manage the nation’s economy as the Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC).

The banking sector, which is the mainstay of the nation’s economy, will have a new lease of life with Obi in charge of NEC. As said by Atiku, “In every other sector, such as education, health, security and infrastructure, Obi as governor left tangible and verifiable worthy legacies in Anambra State. Development partners such as the World Bank, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF, adjudged the state as one of the best in development partnership and commitment to reforms for good governance under him.”

It is on record that at a time many other governors were leaving

Atiku and Obi will make a great team that will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic prosperity and unity

huge debts, Obi left the equivalent of US $500 million in investment as well as local and foreign currency, including $156 million in dollar-denominated bonds. So he understands the dynamics of the economy. He has an impressive track record of tangible achievements both in governance and in his private sector life.

Few Nigerians can dispute the fact that Obi has proven himself to be a man of vision, mission, focus, compassion, piety and integrity, attributes needed to turn around the pathetic state of the nation’s economy.

Does anybody dispute that Peter Obi has a reputation for frugality and good economic management, as shown in his deployment of the scarce resources of Anambra State during his eight years as governor to achieve milestones that were acknowledged even by international development agencies? His track record shows that he is a thinker who can deploy ideas to change the value frame of his people so they can achieve longer sustainable values.

As a businessman who has nurtured business from a small level, and ran government as it should be run by putting the necessary structures in place, and entrenching decency and transparency in governance, Obi no doubt will be an added advantage to our government. What else are we looking for as good qualities for someone that is to head the National Economic Council?

This ticket will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic prosperity and unity. Peter is a great choice.

He brings his business intelligence into governance. He is not corrupt and as a governor, he was not wasteful.

Southeast region had long deserved a better and higher role in the administration of this country. Obi himself has proven to be competent judging from his performance as governor.

His choice as running mate normally would be the right thing to do. There could not have been a fairer running mate than Obi, from the Southeast.

––Izeze wrote from Port Harcourt

School Sports: Where Are Thou?

Osagie Jacobs argues the need to give attention to sports at the grassroots

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he names Mbappe and Pogba will continue to ring a bell in the minds of football enthusiasts for some time.

They were blacks who were prominent in the French team that won the 2018 World Cup. Their sterling performance electrified the world and made a bold statement that blacks can achieve excellence under the right conditions. We were thrilled by their adventurous attacking football played with skill. These two consummate footballers have their roots in Africa, a continent of which Nigeria is the most populated country. However, a fact we must not overlook is that they are in a different world where things work.

Jamaica, a country with fewer blacks than Nigeria has produced world beaters in the sprints like Usain Bolt, Asafa Powel and Yohan Blake. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas with less black population has been dishing out world class female sprinters. It is useful to state that the population of Jamaica is below five million while that of the Bahamas is under 500,000. Yes, less than the population of Ajegunle, Lagos. Blacks dominate the sprints in the world. It is, therefore, in place to assume that Nigeria with the largest population of black people on earth will have panoply of sprinters. For the past 10 years it is rare seeing a Nigerian making the 100 metres dash below 10 seconds. In this year’s African Athletics Championship held in Asaba, Nigeria came fifth in the 100 metres dash for men courtesy of foreign-based Seye Ogunlewe. Our male sprinters now hover between 10.20 to 10.45 seconds in the 100 metres dash. It implies that had the American female sprint star, Florence Griffith Joyner, been alive, she would be running shoulder to shoulder with our male sprinters over the same distance.

Nigeria is a big house of talented people. It is obvious that there are many Mbappe and Usain Bolt in Nigeria. They are undiscovered and their talents lay waste. Our Mbappe may be a talking drummer for masquerades in a village deep inside Oyo State. It is painful that he will die and be buried with his talent.

The only area where talented people realise themselves quickly in Nigeria is music. The ambience is conducive and it is enhanced by modern technology. Those with talent in music have the facilities to excel within their reach. This is not the same with sports. In modern times good sportsmen and sportswomen are products of school sports and sporting academies. In this regard, the worst hit is athletics. There are football, hockey, basketball, and volley ball clubs but I doubt if virile athletics clubs exist in Nigeria. Whereas our first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, had a vibrant athletics club, Zik’s Athletic Club, (ZAC), as far back as 1938.

Many talented Nigerian sports men and women die with their talents. In Akoko Anglican Grammar School, Arigidi, Ondo State, I encountered one Master Ajayi Babalola who was a football genius.

That was in the year 1970. He honed his skill through primary school sports and street football in his Ikeramu village in Ondo

State. He enchants the ball with his skill and does anything he liked with it. He was a cameo revelation because he died before he was 20 years. If the dead can see he will painfully note that Neymar of Brazil earns N33 million a day. His skill wouldn’t have been revealed if he had grown up in a locality with no sporting facilities.

Excellence in sports is driven by the availability of sports facilities and good administration. Sports in a country will be extinguished without school sports. It is like lighting a candle and placing it under a bushel. It was through school sports that the best high jumper of all time, Cuban Javier Sotomayor, was discovered. He has a personal best of 2.45 metres which makes him the only person ever to have scaled over 8ft. It should be noted that the height of a football goal post is 8ft (2.44 metres).

Many schools established now are without a field for sports. This is very common in our towns and cities. It is due mainly to the high cost of land and non-availability of free space. It is disheartening that the government is indifferent to the lack of provision of recreational areas in our expanding towns and cities. For these reasons, our sports plod on listlessly with poor results.

I know as a fact that my Midwest region (Edo and Delta States) can produce five Mbappes every year. The region is blessed with kids with latent sporting talents. This was what the late ex-Governor Brig. Samuel Ogbemudia exploited to make the region an incubator of sport stars. Developing a strategy for excellence in sports is not rocket science. What is needed is commitment. Through commitment the Kenyans have maintained their dominance in the long distance races in the world for the past 50 years.

In my school days sports was an enjoyable pastime. Many sports stars were hatched and developed through school sports.

In sports seasons the whole community is "electrified" for action.

I remember the 1969 Giwa - Osagie Cup final between St. Anthony’s College, Ubulu – Uku and Edo College, Benin – City.

We watched a mini World Cup. It was a delight watching school boys who were football craftsmen. In Anglican Grammar School, Igarra, one of my juniors, Ekundayo Saliu, was one of the best Pole Vaulters in Nigeria while in school. He later became the national champion. His ancestors were Gabriel Aturu (Trade Centre, Oyo; national champion from 1965 – 1972. (He passed on this year 2018 in his hometown, Ikare - Akoko); Tony Urhobo (Hussey College, Warri) and Emmanuel Elili (Zik Academy Grammar School, Sapele). In the year 1970 one Amos Odenusi (aka Shakila) of Victory College, Ikare, Ondo State, represented Nigeria in the sprints at the 1970 Common Wealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In the same games one Master Gladstone Agbamu (ex-Police College) did the sprints for Nigeria. As a sports enthusiast and

a connoisseur of sporting records I will give more names of secondary school students who while in school made Nigeria proud. I remember them as if it was yesterday. Peter Okodogbe (Esan Grammar School, Uromi) was a prominent sprinter while in school. He shattered the 21 seconds national record in the 200 metres of Karimu Amu which had stayed for 21 years. Few others are Philip Ofili (St Anthony’s College, Ubulu Uku, later Edo College, Benin), Majekodunmi (Government College, Ibadan), Bruce Ijirigho ( Holy Trinity Grammar School, Sabongida - Ora, Edo State) and Rukevwe Bazunu ( Loyola College, Ibadan), Hameed Adio (Offa Grammar School, Offa.

They were all national sprinters. The ladies didn't do badly.

Modupe Oshikoya (Methodist Girls, Yaba - Lagos - Sprints and Jumps), Gloria Obajimi (St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan) and Titi Adeleke, the fleet-footed Ibadan girl with tribal marks (St Theresa’s College, Ibadan). Her specialty was the 400 metres.

After her came Kehinde Vaughan, Falilat Ogunkoya and Fatima Yusuf (the Ebira girl discovered through school sports in an Ebira farm settlement near Owo, Ondo State. There was also one Uwa Idienuma (Government Girls College, Ibillo, Edo State) who did long jump for Nigeria.

Without school sports perhaps diminutive Fatima Yusuf would have become the third wife of a poor farmer going to farm with her husband. We had Miss Emenahor, Edo College, Benin. She came from another school for her Higher School.

At the time Edo College had a mixed Higher School. Comfort Ighagbon (New Era College, Benin). This small girl started running for Nigeria right from when she was in secondary school class three. Pius Agho (Immaculate Conception College, Benin – City) was a national discus star while in secondary school. Godwin Obasogie (Edo College, Benin) was a revelation of the century. I was his armour- bearer from 1971 to 1972. I was a little college boy carrying his spike shoes and track suites behind him to Ogbe Stadium for training during the holidays.

He left school and in the following year was one of the best huddlers in the world. He took over from Umuze (Edo College) and Aboyade - Cole (FGC Warri). Chalton Ehizuelen, a product of school sports in the then Midwest State made a leap in the long jump which was the fifth best in the world.

He paved the way for Kayode Elegbede (Comprehensive College, Ayetoro, Ogun State), Yusuf Ali and Ajayi Agbebaku. They were national long and triple jumpers. Now, let us discuss football. We were outside Lagos when we did hear of the exploits of Tony Eyo and Bernard Mensah in the Lagos State academicals.

––Jacobs is of Celestial Church of Christ, Calabar

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

LETTERS

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Young People And Mental Health

he World Health Organisation (WHO) in its constitution defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. WHO further defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. From the foregoing it is obvious that there can be no health without good mental health. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended guarantees the right to health for its citizens.

The theme for the 2018 World Mental Health Day is “Young people and mental health in a changing world”.

The United Nations defines youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The Young Persons Act of Nigeria states that childhood ends at 14 years. The Webster’s dictionary defines youth as the time of life between childhood and maturity. An adolescent is an individual within the age bracket of 10

Adewole

and 19 years. About 23% of Nigeria’s population is made of persons aged 10 – 24 years.

According to WHO, “half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14, but most cases go undetected and untreated”.

The primary aim of the 2018 World Mental Health Day theme is to improve the awareness of the public about emerging issues that can have

negative impact on the mental health of young persons.

Life events such as job loss, bereavement, change of schools, communal strife and conflict, incarceration, and illegal migration, etc., negatively impacts the mental health of young persons.

Drug abuse and widespread inappropriate use of technological devices also negatively

impacts the mental health of young persons. Illicit drug use among young person leads to risky behaviours such as unsafe sex, dangerous driving, suicide, etc. According to WHO, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds and 78% of global suicide occurs in low and middle income countries.

Rohan Borschmann et al, in their article on self-harm and suicide in young people, define “self-harm” as any intentional behaviour that causes damage, mutilation or destruction of the body without suicidal intent. They also report that “most young people who self-harm do so in response to intense emotional pain or a sense of being overwhelmed by negative feelings, thoughts or memories”.

Each historical period in Nigeria has been reported to be associated with peculiar patterns of drug abuse among young persons. The pattern of the 1960’s and 1970’s were mainly characterized by the use of cigarettes and alcohol.

Young persons in Nigeria currently abuse cannabis and other extremely potent dependence producing substances like Cocaine, Heroin,

APC'S Primaries: Garlands for Oshiomhole

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s part of the buildup to the 2015 general election, all registered political parties went to the field to conduct primary elections to choose candidates to fly their flags.

Something noteworthy happened in Benue State. If you recall, the state was one of the worst governed states at a time.

Governor Gabriel Suswam owed workers several months of unpaid salaries. Schools were closed for as many months because teachers could no longer continue to teach their pupils on empty stomach.

Yet the state governor was engaged in a campaign to go to the Senate. To achieve his senatorial ambition, Suswam, against the will of the people, insisted on grabbing the PDP Senate ticket for the Benue northeast from the incumbent, Chief Barnabas Gemade. Gemade, was a former national chairman of PDP. He was still the popular choice in his constituency. But Governor Suswam, in spite of his unpopularity, with the support of his party chairman and PDP NWC, snatched the ticket from Gemade in a sham of a primary.

Gemade was forced to join the APC and his people followed him and made sure they showed their anger and displeasure at the polls by electing him. Many other PDP governors, like Suswam, had their ways in perpetrating the unspeakable impunity of imposing unpopular candidates on their party, of course with the support of their party chairman. The PDP chairman in 2015 chose to protect the personal interests of

the governors over and above party interests. Of course, the rest is history. PDP was comprehensively routed at the election!

The above story is a teaser for those who still do not understand the enormity of pressures that Adams Oshiomhole is facing as chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Perhaps it is not wrong to assert here that some APC governors, in fact, have behaved in a more autocratic manner than the PDP governors of yore. Some of them decided that their selfish interests in the choice of candidates must override party positions. And so, for some of these people sidestepping the laid-down party rules for the conduct of primaries was a norm rather than an exception.

It was, indeed, sad and reprehensible to read reports of some governors intimidating electoral panels duly constituted by the APC National Working Committee.

There was even a particular case in which a state governor, not satisfied with raining verbal abuses on the national chairman of his party, resorted to threatening the lives of innocent party men and women whose only offence was their acceptance to carry out party functions assigned to them. And in the quest for personal glory, this governor almost jeopardised the chances of the entire party in all the elections in that state in 2019 as INEC threatened that APC would not field any candidate in the state in the coming general election.

That's the kind of damage an unbridled personal ambition and selfish interests

can unleash on a party, if not checked. Thankfully, the leadership of the party took the proactive step of approaching the court for redress. As the dust of the party primaries begin to settle, even as different political parties submit the names of their candidates for the various elections, there are still some disgruntled voices ignorantly calling for the sack of Oshiomhole as APC chairman. You may want to ask what exactly has Oshiomhole done wrongly.

Unlike the PDP chairman in the 2015 general election, Oshiomhole is insisting on his party’s interests. He is not ready to subordinate under any condition the interest of the APC as a political party.

Oshiomhole is also resolute in his position that the rules guiding the conduct of his party primaries must be respected. This explains why he cautioned state chairmen of his party to be firm in the application of the rules and guidelines of the party's primaries, and refuse to succumb to the arbitrary pleasures of their state governors.

What Oshiomhole is simply saying to his party leaders and members is that democracy is a rule-governed system, which ceases to be democratic when the underlining rules are subverted. He is telling his party men and party women that the days of impunity, the days of imposing unpopular candidates on the electorate with the expectation of victory at the polls are well over. With the integrity which the use of card readers has brought to bear in the conduct of our elections by INEC, political parties had better put their

houses in order.

What is more? Oshiomhole is constantly advising his party members and leaders not to fall into the same trap of looking down on the electorate as if they do not matter by foisting just anyone as a candidate on them - the way the ancien regime, the PDP, did and paid dearly for it three years ago.

Let it be known that state governors are not the only troublers of the APC. Of course, in some states without APC governors, there are also pockets of unrest. From Delta State to Akwa Ibom, from Cross River to Rivers State, and from Enugu State to Anambra State, there are uncompromising leaders and disloyal members fomenting crises here and there.

The dangerous extent some of these aggrieved party members are willing to go in making their cases seems to corroborate the suggestions that some of them are indeed fifth columnists working for the opposition from within.

Or, how else can one explain away the situation in which party members engage their party in a seemingly unending litigation aimed at preventing their party from fielding candidates in certain elections? Now that the national leadership of the party has concluded the nomination process with INEC, it's time genuine party members, party leaders, including governors, rallied behind Oshiomhole.

The party chairman has done his best in trying to aggregate the pervading disparate interests within the party.

–– Chika Madubuike, Abuja.

Tramadol, Codeine, etc. The recent ban on the importation of some of these psychoactive substances can only be a short term solution as the possibility of purchasing some of these substances online cannot be ruled out. Some household products are currently been abused by young persons in Nigeria because of the feeling of euphoria (“high”) that they derive from the use of such substances. In the light of the foregoing a holistic strategy must be conceptualized to combat the menace of drug abuse amongst young persons in Nigeria.

The widespread inappropriate use of technological devices in Nigeria brings to the fore the emerging phenomenon of cyber bullying and its adverse effects on mental health of young persons. Young persons in Nigeria should be armed with basic information on how to prevent cyber bullying especially as regards what they post online (photographs and messages etc),who they communicate with online and how they ensure the integrity of the password to their social media accounts especially while using public technological devices.

The role of the family in strengthening the resilience of young persons against the development of mental illness cannot be overemphasized.

Parents and guardians of young persons, should create quality time to interact with one another as well provide support and a nurturing environment for the young.

The responsibility of the family should not be abandoned for educational institutions and religious organisations.

Early intervention services for young persons who develop mental illness should be made accessible. Seamless linkage of mental health services for the young should also be provided as they attain adulthood. Majority of the institutions that provide professional mental health care services in Nigeria are located in the urban areas and young persons with

I

mental illness residing in rural areas have to overcome some logistic challenge before getting to such institutions for treatment. For the records payment for mental health care services in Nigeria is still largely by direct out- of- pocket payment. Only very few Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) exist to crusade for improved care of mentally-ill young persons in Nigeria. Another unsavoury report is the poor budgetary allocation to mental health care in Nigeria. WHO posits that low income countries like Nigeria invest less than 1%, of their health budget on mental health care. Giving effect to the spirit and letter of Primary Health Care that incorporates mental health as its ninth component will improve access to mental health care for all and reduce the stigma associated with the illness. Lagos State and few other states in Nigeria are blazing the trail by making mental health care services available at the primary health care level.

Other states should take a cue from them. Government needs to exercise the political will to ensure that a mental health bill is enacted. WHO avers that mental health legislation serves as a key component of good governance, especially concerning issues related to protection of the human rights of the mentally ill, involuntary admission, professional training for mental health workers and the framework for service delivery. The Federal Ministry of Health should conceptualize culturally appropriate and evidence-based strategies for identification of issues that constitute a challenge to the mental health of young persons in Nigeria.

Such strategies should be multidisciplinary and multisectorial. The teacher training curricula in Nigeria should be redesigned to enable teachers to identify early signs of mental illness in students who are young persons.

––Lawani Ambrose, a Psychiatrist, Benin City.

The Execution of Hauwa Liman

was absolutely shocked at the news of the execution of a young lady, Hauwa Muhammad Liman, who before her untimely demise was working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). However, the killing of Hauwa Liman by the deadly terrorist group of Boko Haram is not only condemnable, it is ungodly, inhuman and barbaric. Her killers will not have peace of mind.

Let me use this medium to extend my heartfelt condolences to the Red Cross, friends and family of the deceased. May her gentle soul rest in

perfect peace and may the Almighty also grant Jannatil-firdausy to be her final abode.

Similarly, while commiserating with the family of Hauwa Liman, I am also calling the attention of the federal government that it should not just rely on making press releases/ conferences or calls in the newspapers alone but to rather expedite action in rescuing the remaining abducted persons from the terrorists’ enclave.

May Almighty God protect us and bring this menace to an end.

––Comrade Kassim A. Gamawa, Gamawa LGA, Bauchi State.

16

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

THISDAY WEEKLY GUIDE TO 2019

Ambode

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC boss

Amosun

Dapo Abiodun

The Road to 2019: Flashpoints to Watch (VI) Nearly all the political parties, the two major ones especially, are still sprawling in the post-primary election mess, writes Olawale Olaleye

W

ith a recalcitrant and determined Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which made good its resolve not to extend deadline for the submission of lists of candidates by political parties for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for the first quarter of next year, the result of sticking to deadline has unsettled many of the parties that didn’t prepare for the worst.

Thus, at deadline, only 84 political parties had submitted their rather untidy lists as confirmed by INEC at the International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja, venue of the collection exercise.

Plagued by confounding disputes as a result of its primaries, the All Progressives Congress (APC) also seized the advantage of deadline to allot tickets to whomever it pleases in the states, including the heavily controversial Zamfara and Ogun States.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not left out either.

Hide original message Other parties that made it to the finishing line included the Zenith Labour Party (ZLT), Yes Solidarity Electorate (YES), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Although INEC had maintained that there would not be any extension to the deadline, the delay in the submission was said to be because some other parties were equally

waiting to reap from the fallout of the primaries by major parties. But with what has happened, some of the other parties are already stressing the need to extend the number of days for submission since the number of political parties had increased to 91.

But so far, below is the state of affairs in some of the states following the INEC deadline and the treatment meted out by the leadership of the parties to some of the aspirants.

LAGOS Not Yet Uhuru for Ambode Typical of Lagos, which always throws up peculiar intrigues, the last may not have been heard of some of the conspiracies that characterised the primary elections in the state. If anyone had thought that those up against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had relaxed their nerves and would be willing to look forward to the future, such a person might be naïve after all.

The latest on Lagos update is that there is an impeachment move against the governor by all those who came together to deny him his re-election ticket, led by their ‘indefatigable leader’, Bola Tinubu. They are accusing him of planning to play the spoiler, because he has everything at his disposal. They claim he won’t fund the election of their candidate, babajide Sanwo-Olu and that he is clandestinely speaking to the opposition.

It is therefore expected that in the days ahead, some interesting high wire politics would come down on the state’s political firmament. That is as far as the governorship bout is concerned.

On the senatorial category, it appears that in spite of announcing a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bayo

Osinowo as winner of the primary election for Lagos East senatorial district, THISDAY can confirm that the name of Senator Gbenga Ashafa is still the one upheld by the National Working Committee of the APC. The party leadership, THISDAY learnt, has refused to recognise Osinowo, because he was not cleared by the screening committee and therefore considered his participation in the primary a waste of time that would not be accorded any recognition.

According to THISDAY sources in APC, the screening committee that disqualified Osinowo had since been dissolved, as such, no other body is empowered to undo what the committee had done except the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, which is not sitting any time soon. Therefore, any attempt to tamper with the name would amount to illegality and process abuse since the aspirant fell short of a critical prerequisite to be part of the process ab initio.

The other way out is to compel a consent letter from Ashafa, yielding to Osinowo, a development that has remained even more difficult.

Although the party leadership in Lagos was said to have partly relied on Ashafa’s concession speech as indicative in the choice of who represents the zone, however, by law Ashafa is expected to write a personal letter to the NWC, admitting he yielded to him.

Unfortunately, the party has not been able to get Ashafa to do that.

Besides, a majority of the NWC members were said to be angry with Lagos APC on how it managed its

primaries and were not willing to switch the names to further discredit themselves. But Tinubu is said to be planning to bulldoze his way, riding on his camaraderie with the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

In other news, wife of Tinubu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in preparation for the next assembly has been christened SPOT by her admirers, meaning ‘Senate President Oluremi Tinubu’. That is the new alias she cheers at whenever it is chanted. Lagos is quite setting the pace.

OGUN The Battle Isn’t Over Yet The crisis in Ogun State over the choice of governorship candidate is far from being over. Although Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the state was said to have been met half way by the party in the allotment of slots, the governor was not going to play such balls at this time. Besides, his camp had already gone to court to secure an injunction, which forbade both the party from forwarding the name of Mr. Dapo Abiodun to INEC and also INEC from accepting it.

While some reports had it that the party’s appeal committee threw out Hon. Adekunle Akinlade’s petition against Abiodun’s nomination, sources in the governor’s camp said it was part of the lies being doled out by the Abiodun camp because they never approached any appeal panel in the first place. Therefore, with deadline which already caught up with some of the existential discontents, it is left to be seen how the Ogun impasse would be resolved, more so that there is a legal slant to the whole saga now. Abiodun too is in court.

17

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

THISDAY WEEKLY GUIDE TO 2019

Simon Lalong

El-Rufai

Mahmudu

Dankwambo

The Road to 2019: Flashpoints to Watch (VI) PLATEAU They are Gender Insensitive Here In Plateau State, apart from a former deputy governor of the state, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, who was also at a time minister, losing her bid to pick up a senatorial ticket, there has not been much to the situation in the state as far as the primaries are concerned.

Unfortunately, for one who had held two critical offices in the state and at the national level, more so a woman, it was shocking to the hearing of many that Tallen was denied an opportunity to represent the party at the senate. How she plans to handle this insensitivity by a chauvinist leadership is not known to no one yet.

KADUNA A Fresh Battle Signals In Kaduna State, fresh tension is expected to start building up soon.

Senator Shehu Sani has finally lost his seat for the central district. Although the party’s appeal committee upheld his nomination as saved by the National Working Committee (NWC), his name was eventually not on the list submitted to INEC by the party. No thanks to Governor Nasir el-Rufai.

In its report, the appeal panel said it held that the primary conducted by the electoral panel for Kaduna was done in contempt of a court order, adding that the only aspirant cleared by the party to contest the election was Sani. Yet, his name did not make the party’s list.

Naturally, this would open up a fresh battle front in the state, now from opposing camps to Governor el-Rufai.

RIVERS

Tonye Cole In, Magnus Abe Out Finally, in Rivers State, the appeal panel had dismissed the petition written against the emergence of Mr. Tonye Cole as the APC gubernatorial candidate.

This meant that the ambition of Senator Magnus Abe would have to be put on hold for some really good time.

This decision regardless, it does not appear Abe would totally give up as there are insinuations in the state that he might align with the opposition to battle his own party. That, of course, is still in the realm of speculation. But as far as the Rivers matter is concerned, the jury is still out.

IMO The Bulldozer at Work This may not have been made official, THISDAY however learnt in the week and from a reliable source believed to be privy to some of the decisions reached by the appeal panel, that it eventually upheld the candidacy of Mr. Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law of Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha as the governorship candidate of the state.

This, if true, clearly places Okorocha against the likes of Senators Ifeanyi Ararume, Eze Madumere, Osita Izunaso and others in the APC, while at the same time, emboldening the opposition, who might secure sympathy votes from within and without. It is therefore difficult to establish that Okorocha has won this very battle, but as it seems, he is fast bulldozing his way.

CROSS RIVER A Curious Failure In Cross River State, speculations are rife that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Uguru Usani, might have lost out in the highly intricate struggle for the governorship ticket of the APC in Cross River State. In his place, Senator John Eno, was reported to have been picked by the appeal committee.

It does not appear the manner the decision was taken would go down well with Usani. But what can he do? No one can tell till he steps in the fray. Until then, let no Eno jubilate yet .

ADAMAWA A Colossal Presidential Loss One of the big time losers in the governorship race is Alhaji Mahmud Halilu Ahmed, brother to the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari. Popularly known as Modi, Ahmed had been up in arms against the incumbent governor, Mohammed Bindow over the party’s ticket. In fact, he was rumoured to have defeated the governor at some point.

But the report turned out to be false eventually.

It is also believed that it was because her brother lost out in the race that the First Lady recently shaded the party leadership for the way the primaries were handled. However this is viewed, it could be likened to a major defeat for the presidency as an institution.

GOMBE Battling the Name-switch Bug The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State might be on the verge of running into some crises soon

following the alleged alteration of the result of the primary election for the Billiri East State Constituency.

As a result, THISDAY learnt that Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo and the State Party Chairman, Joel Adamu Jagafa, are already at loggerheads over the winner of the election.

Honourable Rambi Ibrahim Ayala allegedly won and had the blessings of the Governor.But the State Party chairman, allegedly in connivance with the Secretary, Alhaji Buba Shanu and some other party officials, preferred Mrs. Rabi Daniel, the immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare in the party.

Thus, by deliberately standing in the way of the governor, those on the other side apparently know what they are up against and perhaps, are battle ready.

This is one spectacle no one should miss.

NIGER A Taste of APC’s Bitter Pills A member of the APC in Niger State, Alhaji Sani Musa, who allegedly won the Niger East senatorial district primary election, has headed to court to challenge his substitution with incumbent Senator David Umaru.

Umaru’s name was among those submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the APC national secretariat. But Musa said his principal had the result slip issued to him by the returning officer, Alhaji Saidu Akawu, and that it was the national secretariat that changed the wish of the people of the zone. Something interesting is also cooking in Niger. Just wait for it.

Situating the Presidential Run

W

ith what many have concluded to be a two-horse race following the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in both the APC and the PDP, next year’s presidential race may have been settled.

But the choice of a former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate has begun to shape a different narrative in the body polity. Some of Obi’s people are not happy, not because he does not fit the bill but because he was

considered a product of imposition by some PDP cabal.

Regardless, that has not stopped anything as the duo of Atiku and Obi have continued to steal the momentum thrust upon them by the staggering acceptability that followed Atiku’s emergence.

Again, the Buhari people are not giving up the fight either and as it appears, the next few days are going to be messy in terms of character assassination and mudslinging campaign by both camps. Watch out for the missiles!

Buhari

Atiku

18

Ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Form and Interpretation of the Constitution: The Case of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aids by Justice R.N. Ukeje, OFR

H

onourable Justice R.N. Ukeje, Officer of the Federal Republic, the first female judge to sit on the Federal High Court Bench, and also the first female Chief Judge to be so appointed, has authored a book entitled, Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aids to the Interpretation of the Constitution, Statutes and Private Documents. The book, published by the Ecowatch Publications (Nigeria) Limited, in early October 2018, is chapterised into seven. It is well printed and has a pagination of 255 pages. In terms of format, the size is standard: 8” by 5”.

The lettrines are not less than 14 points and are printed on an off-white 80 grams paper in three editions: soft, hard, flip.

The Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, Chief Justice of Nigeria, wrote the foreword and noted that ‘the most intriguing part of the book, apart from its Title, is the apt use of constitutional, statutory and judicial authorities to emphasize and support the judicial opinions stated in the Book itself.’ In the expectation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the book is a ‘rich erudite work that would... occupy a kingly position in every scholarly library.’

I cannot agree more with Justice Onnoghen. The book is more or less an aide mémoire for new judges, lawyers who want to be part of the bench, and particularly for student lawyers. More important, the agreement with Justice Onnoghen is not only because of the extensive scope of court rulings addressed in the book from the perspective of Nigeria’s Constitutions, statutes and private documents, but also essentially because of the need to go beyond the consideration of the relevance of form and interpretation in the conduct and management of justice to the investigation of its relevance in the context of academic discourses, and particularly in diplomatic documents.

Put differently, to what extent is the relevance of form and interpretation required in the writing of presidential or ministerial speeches and diplomatic statements? For instance, how do we explain and interpret a statement like ‘Nigeria views with great concern’ President Donald Trump’s statement on ‘lifelessness of President Muhammadu Buhari’? How easy can it be to determine the true intendment of a diplomatic letter in which messages are coded? Besides and more important, the maintenance of international peace and security is largely determined by the extent to which efforts are made to understand the form of a dispute, the extent of efforts made to sustain security by preventing order and counter-order from amounting to disorder. Sustainable peace is also determined by the quality of interpretation of the attitudinal disposition of the disputants from their prayers during mediation.

In the social sciences, for instance, explanation of problems, either in terms of their causal factors, manifestations, management, or effects, etc, is generally done within the contexts of frameworks and methodologies in order to make the explication scientific. But even at that, the need to also look at the form an explanation takes, the need for a correct interpretation of the problem, cannot be ignored. This means that the two most critical means of understanding an issue and taking a decision on it thereafter, form and interpretation, should be explained beyond the Constitution and Statutes in order to further enrich other disciplines.

Justice Ukeje, in fact, stated the interesting point thus: ‘the principle that all human means of communication derive form and meaning from the interpretation of words, applies effectively to the interpretation of the Constitution, Statutes, legal and private documents.’ The point being made here is that an act of interpretation necessarily gives birth to form and meaning. This situation can then give rise to different versions of a truth, since interpretation may not always reflect the situational reality on the ground and since the different versions of a given truth may also result from psychology of human differences.

In this regard, what is the nature of the form and meaning derived from the analysis of the Nigerian Constitutions, the various statutes and case studies? In which way are they different from social science methodologies? What are the possible lessons for the social scientists and particularly for students of international law and relations? If an objective interpretation of words, documents, statutes, etc, enables the derivation of form and meaning, and particularly the intendment of laws, legisla-

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Justice Ukeje

tors, and other legal stakeholders, are the various aids examined

by Justice Ukeje in the interpretation of the Constitution, statutes and private documents not required in understanding academic documents? Whatever is the case, a preliminary textual explication of Justice Ukeje’s book is necessary as a prelude to possible answers to the questions.

Summary and intendment of the book Writing grosso modo, the book explains the use of the Interpretation Act (CAP LFN 1999) and the Evidence Act in the interpretation of the Constitution and statutory provisions.

The courts are guided by some basic common law principles, called Canons of Interpretation, in the construction of legislation. As defined by the Supreme Court in the case of Awolowo Versus Shagari in 1979, “Canons of Interpretation are rough, rather than strict immutable rules. Further, in the interpretation of statutes, it is settled that the courts should, in response to the demands of justice, adopt an expansive interpretation, unless a narrower interpretation will best carry out the object of the legislation.”

In Chapter One on the purport of interpretation, it is noted that the interpretation of the Constitution or other Statutes is usually recurrent in adjudication to determine the rights and duties, liabilities and obligations of parties whether in a civil or criminal action.

Explained differently, courts have the responsibility of “interpreting the Constitution and Statutes in sync with the intention of the legislature who enacted such laws”, with the objective of removing loopholes or unnecessary ambiguities, if any, in the language used. As Justice Ukeje has it, ambiguities are sometimes unavoidable. Consequently, “in the resolution of disputes and determination of rights, situations arise where the words employed by the legislators are ambiguous or sometimes capable of different meanings”. In this regard, courts use intrinsic and extrinsic aids to unearth the intention of the

From the foregoing, there is no disputing the usefulness of the book as a guide. The concern of Vie Internationale, however, is how to evolve further reflections on the intrinsic and extrinsic aids of interpretation beyond the Constitution, Statutes, and private documents to make them applicable to research documents, particularly diplomatic notes and documents, as well as in library research. Without any jot of doubt, the book cannot but be another intellectual complement to Justice Ukeje’s earlier book, The Nigeria Judicial Lexicon. The book presents an immediate challenge for social scientists, which is how to explicate ‘interpretation’ within analytical framework and methodologies

draftsmen, legislature, or parties and to overcome the unreasonableness that may result from such ambiguities”. This is the cogent objective of the exercise of interpretation.

Chapter Two provided historical evolution of Constitutionmaking in Nigeria following the completion of the British conquest in 1903 and the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria into the Colony and Protectorates of Nigeria in 1914. True, there were three separate independent territories under British control before1900. They were the Niger Coast Protectorate, created in 1891, the Colony of Lagos, ceded in 1861 to Britain; and the territory of the Royal Niger Company, “a trading company chartered by the British Government in 1886 and granted broad concessionary rights to carry on trade within the territory covered by the Niger Coast Protectorate”. The territory of the Royal Niger Company corresponds with that of Northern Nigeria.

In all, Nigeria has had five pre-independence Constitutions: the 1914 Frederick Lugard Constitution of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria; the 1922 Clifford Constitution; the 1946 Richard Constitution; the 1951 Macpherson Constitution and the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution for the pre-independence era.

All these were imposed and consultative. For the post-independence period, there are the 1960 Independence Constitution, the 1963 Republic Constitution, the 1979 and the 1999 Constitution.

Justice Ukeje noted the merits and demerits of the 1922 Clifford Constitution thus: “it did not only introduce the elective principle which was highly significant and novel. It equally led to the emergence of political parties. On its demerits, the Clifford Constitution isolated the North from the South since little attention was given to matters affecting the North and also excluded Africans from the executive”.

While the 1946 Richard Constitution not only provided for the representation of Northern Nigeria in the Central Legislative Council, thus making it the first effort to establish a Single Legislative Council for the entire territories of the present-day Nigeria, it also retained the elective principle of the 1922 Constitution, as well as introduced three regional councils: North, West and East. The essential objective for this, Justice Ukeje has posited, is to promote the unity in diversity of Nigeria, to secure greater participation by Africans in the discussion of their own affairs.

The 1951 Macpherson Constitution, which was partly inspired by the 1950 Ibadan Conference during which it was decided that Nigeria should adopt a federal system of government and Lagos should be autonomous, was the Constitution that introduced a federal system and a public service commission for Nigeria.

And perhaps more importantly, the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution “made regional governments independent of the Central Government in respect of subjects and legislative powers allocated to them. It introduced a unicameral legislature for the Federal Government and each of the three governments. And more significantly “Lagos was taken out of the control of any regional government of three regions (Northern, Eastern and Western), a bilateral legislative framework (the Senate and the House of Representatives at the Federal level and the House of Assembly and House of Chiefs, at the regional levels. The legislative powers are divided into three categories : exclusive, concurrent ad residual.

The 1963 Republican Constitution introduced Nigeria’s First Republic under a parliamentary system of government “by replacing the Governor General appointed by the British Monarch with a President elected directly by members of the Nigerian Federal Legislature. More important, in place of the Privy Council, the Federal Supreme Court became designated as the final appellate judicial authority over any person or matter in Nigeria.

The 1979 Constitution, which can be rightly described as the 50-wise men Constitution or the Welfarist Constitution presidential system of government in Nigeria. In this regard, the President is not only the Head of State, but also the Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

What is noteworthy about the Constitution is that the President does not appoint his Ministers from the parliament as required in the previous Constitution.

Finally, on the 1999 Constitution, Justice Ukeje sees it as a democratic, presidential and a Federal Constitution, which established the principle of Separation of Powers and the complementary doctrine of checks and balances. The Constitution has had three alterations and amendments since its promulgation in 1999.

The focus of Chapter Three is on the Canons of Interpretation which are basically the Literal Rule, the Golden Rule, the Mischief Rule, the Ejusdem Generis Rule (of the same kind), and Lord Denning’s Purposive Rule or Approach. The Literal Rule has it that the primary responsibility of the Court in the application and interpretation of the law to cases is to determine the intent of the legislature from the words used in the statute.

The starting point of interpretation is the literal rule, and this is simply that the words of the statute best declare the intention of the law giver.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

19

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

BUSINESS

08033204315, 08111813084

ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ Kunle Aderinokun ×ËÓÖ˝ ÕßØÖÏ˛ËÎÏÜÓØÙÕßØ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

Poverty amid plenty

W’Bank: In 12 Years, 90% Extremely Poor will Live in Nigeria, Other Sub-Saharan Countries Out of world’s 28 poorest countries, 27 in sub-Saharan Africa Extreme poverty partly due to reliance on extractive industries Kunle Aderinokun

The World Bank has predicted that by 2030, about nine out of 10 extremely poor people in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Nigeria and others.

In percentage term, this translates to 90 per cent of the population of the extremely poor people.

The Bretton Woods institution, which gave its forecast in its report named Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018, just released, affirmed that forecast for 2018 suggested that Nigeria would take over from India as the country with the most poor people.

According to the report, the rate of extreme poverty and the number of poor in South Asia, which been constantly declining, would continue, resulting in a shift in poverty from South Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa.

“In a sign of change, however, forecasts for 2018 suggest that India’s status as the country with the most poor is ending— Nigeria either already is, or soon will be, the country with the most poor people.

The extreme poverty rate and the number of poor in South Asia have been steadily declining and are expected to continue that trend. The result of this trend is a shift in poverty from South Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa. By 2030, the portion of the poor living in Sub-Saharan Africa could be as large as 87 percent on the basis of historical growth rates,” the new report noted.

This publication is coming after a report

by The World Poverty Clock released in June this year, which stated that Nigeria overtook India as the world’s poverty capital. Specifically, the report published by World Data Lab based in Vienna, Austria, revealed that, “At the end of May 2018, our trajectories suggest that Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty, compared with India’s 73 million. What is more, extreme poverty in Nigeria is growing by six people every minute, while poverty in India continues to fall.”

India with a population of 1.324 billion people, previously held the position, which is occupied with Nigeria which has a population of about 200 million.

The World Bank in this latest report with the theme, report, “Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle”, stated that, “Even if every other country in the world had zero extreme poverty by 2030, the average rate in Sub-Saharan Africa would have to decrease from the 2015 rate of 41 percent to about 17 percent for the global average to be 3 percent.”

In its analysis, the bank reckoned that, “That would require an unprecedented annual growth rate for the region. Stronger economic growth and renewed efforts to resolve violent conflicts will be crucial to speed up the rate of poverty reduction in Africa and elsewhere.”

However, pointing out that, business as usual will not be enough, the Washingtonbased global institution recommended that, “More needs to be done to ensure that

growth is inclusive, with a stronger focus on raising the productive capacity of the poor. If Sub-Saharan African and other fragile countries are to have a chance of reaching the 3 percent goal, not only will their growth rates have to be high but incomes among the bottom 40 in their societies will also have to rise at a higher rate. “ “Yet, in two-thirds of the 13 extremely poor countries (with poverty rates above 10 percent) covered by the World Bank’s shared prosperity indicator, average incomes of the bottom 40 are growing at a slower rate than the global average of 1.9 percent per year. That is a worrying trend for the poorest economies and conflict-affected states, precisely the countries least likely to reach the 2030 target,” the report indicated.

“A second and crucial worry is that data needed to assess shared prosperity are weakest in the very countries that most need them to improve. Only 1 in 4 low-income countries and 4 of the 35 recognised fragile and conflict affected states have data that allow us to monitor shared prosperity over time. Because a lack of reliable data is associated with slow income growth for the poorest, the situation could even be worse than currently observed,” it added.

The World Bank lamented that, the huge progress against poverty in other regions contrasted sharply with the much slower pace of poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. It explained that, “Extreme poverty is becoming more concentrated there because of the region’s slower rates of

growth, problems caused by conflict and weak institutions, and a lack of success in channeling growth into poverty reduction. “ “Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for most of the world’s poor, and— unlike most of the rest of the world—the total number of poor there is increasing.

The number of people living in poverty in the region has grown from an estimated 278 million in 1990 to 413 million in 2015.

Whereas the average poverty rate for other regions was below 13 percent as of 2015, it stood at about 41 percent in subSaharan Africa. Of the world’s 28 poorest countries, 27 are in sub-Saharan Africa, all with poverty rates above 30 percent.

In short, extreme poverty is increasingly becoming a sub-Saharan African problem,” the report noted.

“African countries have struggled partly because of their high reliance on extractive industries that have weaker ties to the incomes of the poor, the prevalence of conflict, and their vulnerability to natural disasters such as droughts.

Despite faster growth in some African economies, such as Burkina Faso and Rwanda, the region has also struggled to improve shared prosperity. The bottom 40 in the dozen sub-Saharan African countries covered by the indicator saw their incomes rise by an average of 1.8 percent per year in 2010–15 (slightly below the global average of 1.9 percent per year). More worrying, however, is that the incomes of the bottom 40 shrank in a third of those 12 countries,” it added.

20

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

To Avoid Recession, Nigeria Must Build Fiscal Buffers At the 2018 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank held in Bali, Indonesia, the Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, had talks with development partners, including the Bretton Woods institutions and investors.Among the delegation were the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse; DirectorGeneral, Debt Management Office, Ms Patience Oniha, and Acting Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms. Mary Uduk. The team along with their foreign counterparts discussed ways to address development issues in Nigeria as well as attract foreign direct investments. At the close of the global summit, the Nigerian team briefed journalists on the outcomes of their meetings. Kunle Aderinokun and Obinna Chima, who were there, present the highlights

L-R: Udoma, Ahmed and Emefiele, during the closing press briefing at the 2018 IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Bali, Indonesia...recently

ZAINAB AHMED Debt

A

s I stated earlier on and I think it has been collaborated by the three of us about Nigeria’s problem in respect of debt, we don’t have a debt problem, because at the ratio of 3 per cent of GDP we have

one of the lowest debt, in fact, the lowest debt among our comparative countries.

What we have is a revenue problem and we need to work to increase our revenue to ease our debt service obligations. So we have to enhance our domestic revenue mobilisation so that we can ease the debt service burden that we now carry.

We have a lot of headroom to borrow, but we are not rushing to borrow more because we have to consider the foreign debt service that we carry.

We have so far in the 2018 budget

released N460 billion and this is for capital projects. For us to have to give you the lists of the capital projects, we have to review our monitoring report, that is where the schedule of the projects that have been implemented will be seen. But subsequently, we are looking at also the possibility of going forward, that when we release capital projects, we would clearly determine what projects the funds are released for. Going forward, we want to do that to support us in monitoring from the beginning not after the funds

have been utilised as it currently obtains.

Building Fiscal Buffers We really are in a situation where we have to consider increasing building fiscal buffers because even though the global economy is going positively upward there are still a lot of fragilities, a lot of countries, including our own, and the next wave of recession that might hit the global economy might not be the one that any country can quickly come out from unless the country has sufficient buffers. So as a country, both

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

Nigeria’s Reserves Dip, but Foreign Exchange Remains Stable

Ahmed

the federal and the state, we have to look at how to save more and we have to look at how to invest more in critical infrastructure that we yield revenue.

And that is what came across throughout the meeting from the World Bank, from the IMF, that all countries, not just Africa but globally need to build more fiscal buffers.

There are only a few countries in the world that have saved so much in the world that any shock will not affect them. So we have to do this to protect ourselves from external shocks that we are seeing coming from increase in rates in the US and also of the shocks we can get also nationally. And some of those shocks are shocks caused by natural occurrences. So we all need to be really, really ready.

Planned Eurobond The upcoming bonds that we are trying to raise should be within 2018 and it is within the approved budget, so we are not going beyond what was approved in the budget. The budget has approval for us to borrow both globally and domestically and we have a bond issuance within the range of $2.8 billion that we need to raise before this year closes. That will be used to finance the capital projects in the 2018 budget.

Impact of Flooding on the Economy The meeting on climate change was not specific to any country. It was just trying to wake up everyone to realise that just as we prepare for meeting economic challenges we also have to prepare for meeting natural disasters that may occur, and we have seen floods occurring in our country time and time again. So the objective of that meeting is that you don’t need to wait until a disaster occur before we prepare, you need to prepare for it ahead of time because you know what you are predisposed to and in our country we are predisposed to flood. Other countries are predisposed to earthquake and disasters. We are fortunate that we in our region in Africa that we have very limited natural disaster, but we still need to be more ready to mitigate whatever losses of lives, properties from such floods.

NNPC Reporting Template We work with NNPC. Let me tell you what we are doing in terms of more transparency with NNPC reporting. There was a committee that was set up by the president on revenue mobilisation.

One of the intention is to ensure that all revenues are reported in a transparent manner. That committee is working to support FAAC and they have agreed on new reporting template for NNPC, which is still being negotiated. NNPC has reviewed the template and made its input and FAAC has also reviewed the template. It has to be agreed and then NNPC will start reporting in that template. The essence is for NNPC to

Udoma

make its reporting more granular so that more information will be provided. On the revenue that is generated and the cost they have incurred. So, that is ongoing.

We hope that in the next few weeks, it will be concluded and the new reporting will take effect. Reporting has been a concern for the whole of FAAC both state and federal government.

In respect of your question relating to financing of power by the World Bank, we have a guarantee that the World Bank will pay in terms of financing specifically for one of the power projects and it has already taken effect, it has been in the news.

Taxing Multinationals On instrument we will use in taxing, we are already taxing companies with the rates approved in the tax laws. For us to change the taxes, it means we will review the tax laws. That may be a process we will address in the future, but right now we don’t have any plan to review upward taxes in Nigeria. We don’t have such plans. Instead, what we are trying to do is to identify people who are supposed to pay tax, but they are not paying. A lot of efforts is being put to expand the tax base as well as improving the tax collecting processes and it is already yielding results. We have seen our tax base grow from 13 million to 19 million. That number is not enough for a country of 185 million, but we are doing a lot of works in this regard.

You also recall VAIDS was implemented and phased out in June, even though VAIDS is closed, the rigour contained in the VAIDS programme is still on-going.

Election 2019 The discussion we had with IMF managing director included the concerns around what is going to happen to the economy because of the elections. So what we did was that, we assured them that we have directive by the president to focus on the economy. There are few key functions within the government that has been directed to focus on working to sustain the growth that we have in the economy and not to be distracted by election processes. Some of us are actually focusing on the economy and IMF was comfortable with that and they said that was a good strategy. We are trying to raise a new Eurobond, which will be used to fund capital projects and I said earlier that this is $2.8 billion, mainly to finance capital projects.

UDOMA UDO UDOMA Human Capital Development In terms of the issue of human capital development, what I want to say is that where we are today is not where we want to be. But it is the result of cumulative neglect over a period of time and one of the things in the ERGP that we clearly identified is that we need to clearly invest in our people. And we are doing so, but it takes time. Just

Emefiele

by the way of illustration, the capital allocation to education which in 2015 was N22.52 billion, by 2018 we are taking it up to N102.9 billion. In health, the capital allocation was N22.68 billion in 2015, in 2018 we are taking the capital allocation up to N86.49 billion.

Focus of Government We have taken capital allocation to N86.49 billion. In addition, in this year’s budget, we are setting aside N55.15 billion under the provisions of the National Health Act, as well as N3.5 billion counterpart funding for GAVI immunisation, which is in the Service-wide Vote.

So, what I want to say, basically, is that it has been the focus in the ERGP. We have increased funding to those areas that border on human capital development because we are conscious of investing in our people. But it takes time for these things to manifest.

GODWIN EMEFIELE Capital Flows and External Reserves You will recall that about 2009 through 2011 was a period of quantitative easing and those periods were marked by the flow of capital from the United States and Europe, even Japan. Capital from these countries ended up in the emerging market and developing countries. At this time that we have started to see reversals in monetary policy, where interest rates are rising and naturally those flows are beginning to return back to where they came from. Practically all emerging markets have suffered, not just by depreciation, but also lost reserves.

India, for example, has depreciated almost 14 per cent, Ghana by almost 12 per cent, New Zealand by about 12 per cent, Indonesia by another 12 per cent, Australia by 8, South Korea, 8; Japan, 6; Thailand, 6; Philippines and Vietnam have also lost, but Nigeria have lost nothing.

While we are at this meeting, our host country has reported a loss of about $20 billion in foreign exchange reserves and at the same time suffered currency depreciation, which is the same for the rest of the emerging market economies.

For Nigeria, we have lost only reserves by a margin, in my view and at the same time, we have managed to sustain stability in our foreign exchange market. I think we have done a very good job, not only trying to maintain a stable exchange rate, but trying to avoid depreciating our currency so far in this early days of normalisation. We have lost reserves, yes, somewhat marginally in my view, and at the same time, we have managed to sustain stability in our foreign exchange market.

It is not about trying to say that others have not done a good job, but am saying in Nigeria, we have done a very good job.

Foreign Exchange Stability We are trying to see to it that we

maintain a stable exchange rate and avoid the pitfall of depreciating our currency so soon in the early days of the normalisation. We are going to need to build buffers, but unfortunately I must say that we are in a period where it is difficult to talk about building reserve.

You can only build reserve buffers if you want to hold on the reserve, while allowing your currency to go and wherever it goes is something else. It is a choice we have to make and at this time, the choice for Nigeria is to maintain a stable exchange rate so that businesses can plan and we don’t create problem in the banking system assets.

Naturally, when this happens, it results in weakening of assets, raising non-performing loans, and other wide implications. This is why we will maintain the posture we have and we believe that it is sustainable in the short run.

Mint and Further Privatisation On the issue of the Mint, like you all know, CBN is the majority shareholder in Mint and it was thought fit that being the majority shareholder and given that Mint is an important national asset, that Bureau of Public Enterprises should divest from Mint and that is why that happened, but on this issue of whether more and more of this will be coming, I am aware as a member of National Council on Privatisation that more are coming and I believe in due course, the BPE will make this available for us. I’m also aware of the situations like ALSCON that has been brought about by takeovers and that is also on the cart for a total review of the process of privatisation and making payment so that our aluminum sector can eventually come to live.

MARY UDUK Foreign Investors We have had questions as it concerns the outflow of investors from the country.

Foreign investors would normally want to leave a frontier market once interest rate begins to go up in advanced economies, especially United States, as we currently have.

Having foreign investors is good as they bring in liquidity and efficiency, and transparency in the market.

We are also encouraging our local investors by giving them confidence in the market. We have put in place, incentives like risk-based supervision, to enable us properly monitor the works of the capital market operators.

We are also encouraging new product to deepen the market, like the non-interest finance-related products We are looking to increase and encourage the commodity ecosystem. We are also looking to introduce derivatives in the market. As we speak, our rules on derivatives are ready and we are building internal capacity to supervise all of these.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

Celebrating Africa’s Fintech Genius, John Obaro, at Three Scores Bekeme Masade

F

or a man who would neither toot his own horn nor pay a trumpeter to sing his praises, it is not so surprising that John Obaro, Nigeria’s Fintech tycoon, recently reached the diamond age of 60 without creating a fuss about it.

Obaro, the ‘Consummate Innovator’ who has used his ingenuity in software development to set Nigeria on a better path. A man of distinction and extraordinary depth like him deserves to be celebrated daily. Obaro’s name is one of the firsts that come to mind when we list software doyens in Nigeria.

His company, SystemSpecs, which he founded in 1992, blazed the trail in Nigeria’s Fintech landscape with the introduction of Remita payment software in 2006. Years after, Remita, is putting West Africa in the spotlight for global recognition in Fintech.

John Maxwell once wrote that “Success is...knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” John Obaro has sown seeds that have benefited not just others in his immediate circle, but an entire nation. Yet, his influence grows daily across the continent as Remita makes bigger inroads in Africa’s Fintech space. This man with an unassuming personality, has been very instrumental in pioneering Fintech innovation in Nigeria. Still, Obaro would rather let his success make the noise.

John Obaro proves to a large extent that the way we conceive the future sculpts the present. His company, SystemSpecs, saved Nigeria from near-collapse; the uncelebrated heroes behind the Nigerian government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA). SystemSpecs’ breakthrough product, Remita, is a household name, not only as the Fintech infrastructure supporting the TSA, but also as a technology solution for several state governments, large companies and individuals, who simply have all their accounts at their fingertips through its app version.

Obaro’s success wasn’t a day’s journey. When he started out, he was selling computers for a living. “I started my career in the 90s. For briefly six months, I was supposed to be selling computers. I realised that I wouldn’t do well selling what I don’t know, so I decided to leave to practice my craft, which was software development”, he shared recently in an interview with ThisDay Newspaper.

Unwaveringly convinced about this dream, he moved to United Bank for Africa, and from there joined the International Merchant Bank (IMB). As Obaro would later explain, “I was being promoted almost every year or every other year. The money was good. For a young man I had all the perks of office, the fully serviced duplex in Victoria Island, five minutes from work, you know, every young man would love that, but I didn’t see my future doing something repeatedly, so I took the plunge and left.”

Obaro risked his well-paying job as head of ICT in IMB and began a brave quest to set up his firm, SystemSpecs.

The plan was to make SystemSpecs a “strictly software house focused on the delivery of extremely innovative and globally competitive solutions from out of Nigeria.”

Given that every decision comes with fresh hurdles and peculiar problems, Obaro’s decision to start up his company met with some challenges. Despite his close connection and knowledge of the Nigerian banking system, all the banks he approached for capital summarily shirked him. At last, one of his friends gave him the sum of N200,000, trusting in Obaro’s integrity and vision. As at then, ICT was not what it is today. There were only a few people making use of computers. But Obaro’s venture ostensibly became greater. The timing was perfect. Obaro opened up the frontiers of technology adoption in the financial sector, developing software to boost efficiency of human resource and financial operations.

When John Obaro started SystemSpecs, which has become the continental reference point in e-finance, the company was just an added reseller for SunSystems, an accounting package developed by Systems Union, UK, now known as Infor. But with sheer imagination, combined with focus and adroit execution, Obaro has transformed SystemSpecs into a home of the best software solutions in Nigeria, indigenously developing a payroll and human resource management solution, HumanManager, which has revolutionised the Payroll and HR processes of several organisations and has been a market leader for over 20 years.

With the number of innovations recorded, we can say without being accused of frenzied exaltation that John Obaro is clearly holding Africa’s baton on the track of global financial intelligence. The company grew from offering payroll services, to transmission to the banks, to bulk payments and then single payments, and today, SystemSpecs is a full-blown Fintech organisation.

For Obaro, it may not have been something to crow about when former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his book, The Presidential Legacy, acknowledged SystemSpecs

John Obaro, Managing Director, SystemSpecs Limited, owners of Remita. to be the solution provider of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) which was behind the over N400 million that was saved from payroll applications on salaries, and over N200 million that was recouped from net savings in his administration. Indeed! Not many people even know that this legacy project by the Obasanjo administration which pioneered the physical verification and biometric data capturing system of bona-fide members of staff in all ministries, department and agencies to control payroll fraud, was facilitated by SystemSpecs.

With Remita as the infrastructural power house for the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account programme, the current government has saved over N700 billion from unprincipled bank charges, and has recouped over N8.9 trillion in cash inflows. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the government can determine its cash balance across all ministries and departments with the aid of Remita Technology. There is no doubt that all of Obaro’s achievements are larger than how he rather chooses to promote them.

Obaro’s persona has become a strong leadership reference point, such that he is one of the few individuals that were used for an academic case study by the Lagos Business School (LBS). The LBS case study did provide some handful insight about the rising challenges John Obaro encountered, both during his start up days, up till this point where he has raised SystemSpecs to be Africa’s e-payment leader.

Obaro was honoured with ‘Leadership in Technology Award’ by the Africa Forum in Scotland. He was also immortalized with a research lab named after him. In 2018, he emerged as the ‘ICT Man of the Year’ at Beacon of ICT Awards, while his company SystemSpecs also bagged the ‘Software Company of the Year’ at the same event. He was named among the 50 Most Influential Nigerians in 2017

by BusinessDay Newspaper. In 2015, he emerged winner of ‘Engineer Simeon Agu Prize for Best Software Entrepreneur’ at the National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA) organised by Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

Under his good leadership, SystemSpecs has garnered several awards, some of which include ‘Most Efficient e-Revenue Service’, ‘ICT/Telecom Company of The Year’, ‘Online Payments Processing Company of the Year’, ‘E-Payment System of the Year’, ‘Software of the Year’

and was listed in ‘Top 50 Technology Companies in West Africa’.

The lesson to learn from Obaro’s is not mainly about his breakthrough in the world of e-finance and technology in general, but the fact that he is such a positive influence on people who come across him. Several people can testify about his chest of inspiring influence which he spreads through his engrained humility.

His generosity was recently shown in Kano State where his company, SystemSpecs, donated a social welfare centre to help improve the wellbeing of patients at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, and renovated two class room blocks at Dandago Special Primary School to, according to him, “increase the capacity of the school authorities to provide quality education for children with special needs” You might also find it unbelievable that Obaro does not believe in compromising integrity and character, especially judging by the fact that it is hard to do business in Nigeria (both private and public sector) without getting your hands soiled with corruption. As a matter of fact, his inflexible stance on integrity has become one of his travails throughout his professional journey.

John Obaro is one of those few that can be characterized under John Maxwell’s maxim as “one life influencing another”. Coincidentally, both Maxwell and Obaro bear the same first name. And hopefully, someday, John Obaro’s narrative of innovative leadership would be used as one of John Maxwell’s case studies in exemplary leadership.

As John Obaro hits three score years, he deserves some praises for his outstanding achievements, innovativeness, out-of-the-box problem solving skills, and leadership qualities, which continue to keep SystemSpecs in a position of relevance 26 years after, despite the proliferation of younger Fintech firms.

His commitment to transforming the financial and human resources sector in Africa is second to none, and his patriotism in helping Nigeria steer towards accountability, is legendary. We wish him many more years of ground-breaking exploits as he continues to inspire the next generation of innovative leaders in Africa.

Cheers to an Innovator Extraordinaire and Fintech Gamechanger at 60!

– Masade is the chief executive of business sustain-

ability outfit, CSR-in-Action

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

23

Majomi

CHARLES MAJOMI

Oil & Gas Crisis in Niger Delta Caused by Conflict Entrepreneurs ÔhørÛes‚MøÙ›ÜØ‚Øs‚ßhe‚Mønø»Øn»‚ÕØreúß›rÏÔÖÿ‰‚ røÙøn‚Öner»¡‚ü߸‰‚ø‚sßrøße»Øú‚ú›nsàÛßØn»‚ ºØr܉‚øn¸‚øÛs›‚øn‚ø¸áØser‚ß›‚ßhe‚ºe¸erøÛ‚»›áernÜenß‚›n‚•øsÍùøse¸‚—n¸àsßrØøÛØsøßØ›n΂–e‚hø¸‚ œreáØ›àsÛ¡‚â›rÚe¸‚øs‚øn‚ø¸áØser‚ß›‚óeneÛ‚—n¸àsßrØes‚›º‚|øà¸Ø‚ÒrøùØø‰‚›ne‚›º‚ûØn»¸›Ü s‚Ûør»esß‚ œeßr›úheÜØúøÛ‚ºøúØÛØßØes΂ÔàrrenßÛ¡‚œr›áظØn»‚sßrøße»Øú‚ø¸áØúe‚ß›‚ßhe‚hØ»hesß‚eúheÛ›n‚›º‚ßhe‚ NØ»erØøn‚»›áernÜenß‚›n‚»øs‚sßrøße»Øes‰‚MøÙ›ÜØ‚sœeøÚs‚e~ßensØáeÛ¡‚âØßh‚Kunle Aderinokun ›n‚h›â‚ßhe‚»›áernÜenß‚‚Øn¸àsßrØøÛØse‚NØ»erØø‚âØßh‚Øßs‚øùàn¸ønß‚»øs‚res›àrúes‰‚»øs‚Üøsßer‚ œÛøn‰‚{eßr›ÛeàÜ‚—n¸àsßr¡‚•›áernønúe‚ÓØÛÛ‚…{—•Ó†‚øn¸‚àœ»rø¸e‚›º‚reºØnerØes‚øs‚âeÛÛ‚øs‚ßhe‚ œerennØøÛ‚úrØsØs‚Øn‚›ØÛÍrØúh‚NØ»er‚ÕeÛßø‚re»Ø›n΂Ö~úerœßsË

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͺ͚Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC;

Nigeria Must Make Gas Provision to National Grid Profitable for Oil & Gas Producers

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mong oil-producing countries, Nigeria has proven trillions of standard cubic feet of gas in reserves, but nothing much has come out of it. Can you really call Nigeria a gas nation? And talking about gas-based industrialisation, can Nigeria be a gas-based industrialised nation?

Nigeria is indeed more of a gas nation than an oil nation. In fact we have the 9th largest reserves of gas in the world; I think it is close to 6 trillion standard cubic feet of gas. The question is that, why is it that we failed to take our place amongst the great gas nations? To answer that, I will say it is an issue of gas utilisation. If you look at our gas utilisation portfolio, you will see it is 51 per cent export orientated, whereas the needs that we have for gas to power and industries are not fully addressed. Why do we need to rebalance this portfolio? The need is directly related to this spectre of our population exposure.

By many accounts, by the year 2050, we will have close to half a billion people in this country.

We need to add value to our resources in order to create jobs. What do I mean by that? We export our gas in form of LNG, it is processed abroad and returned to Nigeria at a high cost to us. Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we take that gas, process it locally and in so doing, add value to the resources, create jobs, create better stability and provide training for our teeming population of youths? I should also add that Nigeria is the only country of its size with this size of gas endowment that does this. Saudi Arabia does not export its gas. It takes all its gas and utilises it locally and as a result, it is able to create employment and give its population the kind of security it deserves. Smaller countries with large gas reserves such as Qatar export gas after it has fully utilised the benefits of its own local population. We are the only country that has the kind of profile and actually operate the way we do.

What do you think the government should do to harness these resources?

It is not that the Nigerian government has not done anything. The gas master plan, which was initiated in 2008 set a specific roadmap for the utilisation of our gas domestically. Even prior to that, we had the infrastructure blueprint that outlined what needs to be done on which the gas master plan was based. What we need is the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve attempted to do in different places. For example in Ogidigben which is known as the Gas Revolution Industrial Park in Delta State, probably the boldest one, but it has not succeeded yet. Then, you have the Dangote Industrial Complex in Lekki, Lagos. That one is another bold attempt to create gas-based industrialisation through the development of a urea plant and an oil refinery, but again it is moving at a slower pace. What are the reasons for this? If you look at the country as a whole and various enclaves where gas based industrialisation has been attempted, we see recurring dysfunctionalities. Number one, in spite of being a gas-rich country, there is a lack of processed gas feedstock. Number two, there is a lack of pipeline infrastructure to deliver the gas from where it is created to the place where it is needed as a feedstock. Number three, we see a very, very disturbing recurrence of host community agitations, specifically where brownfield projects are being attempted which lead us to believe that what may be happening is that the ugly face of conflict enterprise is actually happening here in Nigeria. That is when you have the government or private sector contemplating a large investment in a particular area, you will find that the conflict is driven as much by genuine grievances as by opportunists within the sector, who see it as an opportunity for state and benefits capture. For example, if you have made considerable investment and feasibility studies and you have clear the ground, and about to start your operation, you are substantially invested, we find out that that point that this so-called conflict entrepreneurs emerge and exacerbate existing conflict in a community in order to stop the project and extort money from the project or the government backers, thereby embarrassing the government politically and extorting money from the investors, who have already gone far.

There are varieties of issues. I think these are the issues that are most important.

Do you think the Gas Master Plan was well conceived?

Dr. David Ige is a very good friend of mine; we

Majomi

worked jointly on some aspects of the master plan.

I think at the time, it was well-intentioned and as a document, certainly, it was sound. However, it was without bespoke consideration of the peculiarity of the Nigerian State. I think the gas master plan is an evolving concept. I think now the opportunity is to really bring it down to the level of application in the Nigerian context and that is where we are. If the government provides the right will, it will surely succeed, but there is a lot to be done before it can actually happen.

What do you think of the new gas regulatory framework, which raised the penalty for gas ďŹ&#x201A;aring from N10 per cubic feet to $ 2.50?

You know gas flare came about as a result of it being associated with gas. Associated gas is gas that is produced at the wellhead by default while oil producers are producing oil. This gas is a kind of a byproduct of oil production, which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t injected for an operational benefit, that is, to force out the oil from the ground and is flared. Before the regulation, there was a lot of disincentives to cease the flare, from a flare point of view, it was too low, which means, it was better to pay the fine than to make the necessary optimisation that could lead to the cessation of the flare.

The other issue that needs to be addressed is the fact that the gas flare penalty itself was a tax-deductible expense on the oil companies. So, you can imagine not only was it a very low cost, but it can also be deducted from the tax liability of the company involved in gas flaring. In fact, it reduces their tax burden without impunity from them. So, there was a very little incentive to reduce it. So, this gas flare regulation that has been put in place now is a very significant milestone. If you look at the correlation between its imposition and reduction in flare in the coming months, you will see that it will make a very sizable impact. I know that it has enabled the Nigeria gas flare commercialisation programme, which is ongoing in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and which seeks to monetise the gas flares through commercialisation and we watch with great interest as this unfolds.

As a gas expert, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think it is better to have incentives for oil companies utilising

gas than to say if you flare it, we will penalise you. It should be so incentivised that you will be attracted to use it, rather than flare it.

My answer to that is that a company, which comes to Nigeria to produce oil, has no business doing anything else. It is coming to Nigeria to do oil on a commercial basis, often to export it; so to impose any obligations on it beyond its original mandate, I think is onerous and perhaps unreasonable. But that is not to say that there is no synergy between the gas that is being produced and users of that gas in Nigeria. There has to be a waythatassociatedgascanbecommerciallyviable as well as being beneficial to the operator whose core business is oil production. That synergy, I think the Nigerian gas flare commercialisation programme has pursued very successfully and I am looking forward to a successful outcome.

There is an upgrade of NNPC reďŹ neries, whereby new investors are expected to put in money, by way of a contractor ďŹ nancing model. What is your take?

I think that at this time, any kind of innovative format in that context will be welcome. The devil is always in the details. We have tried many approaches towards reviving the refineries. I think that giving the right incentive, there can be the public-private partnership towards doing it, whether it is on forward sale basis, whether it is on product exchange type basis, but I think that the number of different paradigms should be examined and I think we should learn very harsh lessons from what has not happened in the past, because there has been a lot of failures as well.

The $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna- Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline project, a 614-kilometre pipeline infrastructure, which when completed would create a network of pipelines between the eastern, western and northern region of Nigeria, is due to commence this October and be completed in 2020. What do you think of it?

While we have considerable pipelines going into the South-west of the country, talking about the ELPS (Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System(ELPS)

in particular and the plan to build the ELPS 2, we cannot leave out the north of the country in our development. There is a large population in the north; certainly, without gas being piped economically to the North, there wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the kind of industrialisation that occurs more naturallyintheSouth-westandintheSouth-south, where the resources are more proximate. I am all for it and I believe when in place and given the large population in the north, and the need for power in that region, you will see a revival of wide-scale industrialisation in the north.

Let us go back to the utilisation of gas, in this case, LPG. As a gas nation, why is it so difďŹ cult for most households to have cooking gas used in their homes?

I am glad you asked me about LPG because LPG reflects another paradox of wasted potential.

We are the second largest producer of LPG on the African continent, second to Algeria, yet our per capita LPG usage is certainly the lowest in West Africa. The majority of our LPG is imported, while the LPG we produce, we export. We have a dearth of infrastructure when it comes to storage and distribution of LPG, especially into Inter-land. The cylinders are looked upon as beyond the reach of most people to afford as well. So, you have the notion of LPG especially in the rural areas as being a rich manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fuel. In fact, the impact of that has been that we have the highest mortality rates when it comes to cooking fuel amongst women.

There is a number of dysfunctionalities, many of which one might say is deliberate, within the LPG value chain precluding us from taking our place as a major LPG producer in this country.

If you are looking at some of the reasons, for example, the importation of components that you will require to make an LPG plant, where we are seeing tariffs as high as 40 per cent while the importation of LPG in other countries is zero tariff. I am not saying that there should be zero tariffs, but 40 per cent on the component part is punitive.

We are also looking at the regulatory point of view, there are multiple regulators in the industry, while the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) outlines the need for a single regulator, you can see that this is all the more needed in

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͺ͚Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC;

Passing the PIGB will Spur Further Development and Profitability of Oil & Gas Sector the LPG industry where we really should be to reduce cost, we should kind of cut down on the amount of regulation going on right now in the industry.

to this country.

What is your area of specialisation?

My area of specialisation is gas-based industrialization and devising strategies for nations to best leverage their resources to the benefit of their people and energy security. My training was in the UK and the United States and I have worked across the world, both in the UK, the United States and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where I worked with a very prominent petrochemical company called Xenel Industry, which was to be one of the anchored investors in the Ogidigben Industrial Park. In fact, I came back to Nigeria with them as their lead business development consultant. That is how I got back here and I worked with NNPC and David Ige as their lead business development consultant. That was how I came back to Nigeria after many years of working abroad. I decided to stay, to do my best to address what I perceived as the obstacles to industrialisation in this country having experienced them firsthand

Talking about PIGB, President Muhammadu Buhari is withholding assent to it and the way it is, it is like it is going to have a serious impact on investment. What kind of impact do you think it will have on investment in the industry?

Looking at the PIGB is a sort of compromised outcome of a very under arduous process under the PIB itself. The final document, PIGB, was in many ways a victory for the National Assembly.

They were able to harmonise and come up with a document that works. We in the industry didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it was going to go forward. Without commenting on the political reasons why it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t or the good or bad why it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, certainly, it sends a very negative message to the industry in terms of investment. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider that it is dead. We believe maybe there is a hiatus right now, but we need the passage of the bill in order to move forward. And I think moving beyond even the PIGB, we are looking at the other bills like the fiscal bill, host community bill, PIAB and others. All these are essential to the development of the country.

You kept on talking about Gas-based Industrialization, GBI, how do you think this will impact the economy. What is the multiplying effect?

What do you think is the fate of the other bills since PIGB is yet to be assented to, a long time after it was passed by the National Assembly?

Well, you cannot extricate the fate of these pieces of legislation from the wellbeing of the industry.

Whether it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen now, it must happen tomorrow for this industry to move forward. We must take the necessary steps to address the issues from the legislative point of view, in order for us to allow this nation to move forward and in order for us to increase our upstream production and take the industry forward. There is no way out, It has to happen eventually.

Let me add that in this context, Nigeria should understand that other nations that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist before and are now the darling of the energy industry in Africa. You have countries along the East African seabed that have the greatest proximity to deficit markets in China and India that are moving ahead. You have Angola that overtook us in production, you have Ghana next door with the Jubilee field that has already passed its own version of the PIB. Like somebody said, if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take care, we will drink our oil like Coke. You have Europe now that is talking about clean energy, no gas, no oil by 2025. We have to understand, who we are in the context of the global development, otherwise, by the time we get our act together, there will be no more market for us.

What is your take on this expected coming on stream of Total Egina FPSO with about 200,000-barrel production daily capacity?

Thank God, this is a very welcome development. It shows you that actually, where there is will, met with opportunity, we can actually take this thing forward. I wish that this is a beacon to the industry that despite the challenges, it is possible for us to increase our production and to actually take things forward in the industry.

I think it is something we should look at and emulate as much as we can.

Generally, what is your assessment of the oil and gas industry?

My assessment of the oil and gas industry is that there has to be a paradigm shift in the way we view ourselves in as an energy nation. We cannot look at it from a rent-seeking point of view where we take it out of the ground, we put it in the ship and send it abroad, we make the money and we spend it. We have to take a much closer look at our oil and gas and the way we utilise it. We have to add value to these resources.

We have to see it as critical to our own internal security, to the security of future generations, to the security of our nation as a whole. We cannot allow anymore this kind of neo-colonial approach to energy development, whereby we take it out of the ground, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even operate, we have an operator to tell us how much we produce, because we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a proper metering system for our oil and gas, the operator send it to their facilities aboard, processes it and sends it back to us as a finished product at high cost. We cannot continue doing that. We are exporting jobs, we are giving value to other people to our own detriment while our population is exploding.

It makes very little sense.

Back to gas utilisation. Often times, the

Majomi

excuse that is always being given when it comes to electricity generation, is that there is no gas. Can you give a value proposition for an enduring seamless supply to our gasďŹ red power plants?

There are a number of things we have to do.

Number one, we have to make it profitable for oil producers to sell gas into our national grid.

We are talking about fiscal review concerning pricing of gas, the domestic supply obligation: is it feasible in the context of current production?

The issue is that of delivery of the gas. Do we have to have the knowledge, who is going to build these pipelines? In my opinion, there has to be a role government will play and I look at it as a social investment. The government has to finish the preliminary gas network. They should be able to take the gas into the grid so that producers of electricity are able to extract that gas at low cost and feed it into the turbines.

There has to be a synergy between government and producers of power that is bankable. What do I mean by that? If I am a producer of gas and you are forcing me to give a portion of that gas into the local for domestic use, there has to be the pipeline for me to do so, that pipeline builder wants to make sure the gas would be there when he finishes building the pipeline. The guy who has the power station wants to make sure that if he wants to upgrade his capacity, there has to be sufficient wheeling capacity of that gas through the pipes that will be there in time for him by the time he makes the upgrade on his facility.

There is no point building a facility if there is going to be no gas. So, it is a careful symphonic orchestration between the upstream gas producer, builder of the infrastructure and the off-taker. All these things have to be in place in a manner that is credible to support the bankability of each of this project, otherwise, it is a chicken in the egg and nothing will happen.

Sometimes ago, there was a gas project called West African Gas Pipeline Project done by Nigerian Gas Company. What do you think of the project? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think the project was a misplaced priority, while Nigeria is trying to do West African gas pipeline, the whole country was not yet networked. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think it would have been better for Nigeria to have done the national gas pipeline, before that one?

I think it was well-intentioned for a number of reasons. For commercial reasons? Certainly for commercial reasons. But more for a strategic geopolitical reason. The WestAfrican Gas Pipeline Project was intended as a component of a larger

pipeline system that would have allowed us to take gas to Euro which would have been a competition to gas coming in from Russia. There are geostrategic implications for that. Currently, we are supplying Takoradi Power Station through the West African Gas Pipeline system. That is a credible off-taker. It is a revenue generator for the country. I think at the time it was conceived, we projected that we will be much further along in terms of our national development with respect to gas than we are currently. So, it was well-intentioned, but in retrospect, the reality is that certainly, there is a greater need now than we had anticipated that would be at this time.

So, you can retrospectively say that our priority would probably be best served to feed our own needs. But I think having the West African Gas Pipeline will be of strategic long-term benefit

Nigerian gas ďŹ&#x201A;are commercialisation programme has pursued very successfully and I am looking forward to a successful outcome.There is an upgrade of NNPC reďŹ neries, whereby new investors are expected to put in money, by way of a contractor ďŹ nancing model. What is your take on it

There is a direct impact on GDP that we have been able to determine. In fact, one of the things we have done in providing our advice to the government in the past is assessing what is the economic impact of the volume of gas it will be if it were exported versus what it will be if it were fed into the local economy and what we see is an exponential difference in the value, if you were to bring it locally and feed it into the domestic value chain. Through the economic multiplier effect, you will be able to contain, for example, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say, two billion standard cubic feet of gas, under certain utilisation strategies of gas such as urea or ethane production, could create as much as a million jobs. Whereas if you are to take that value or that same quantity of gas and put it into export, which is what we are doing of more than anything else, it will be several thousands of jobs, not even up to 50, 000 or 20,000 jobs, you can see that this multiplier effects on the domestic market vastly outweigh the impact in export. It is a mere common sense.

Given this problem, how can Nigeria kick-start this thing in the short run?

Let us not obfuscate the challenges ahead.

I will not want to simplify the issues such that they will be such that these things could get done in a certain amount of time. However, we have discovered that there are certain optimisations that occur that could bring about gas-based industrialisation in a relatively short period of time. What are those optimisations? What we found is that in the midstream, there are a number of mature assets that already exist.

In other words, these are things that pre-exist, they already have all the components required to become alive. What are those things, power, gas processing facilities, road, pipeline, potable water, housing and security etc? The aspect of co-location which is basically leveraging these assets already existing in order to drive more projects is something that the government should look at very carefully. It is an optimisation in the midstream through co-locating facilities. That is how given the challenges we have, this is the way of circumventing this monstrous issues. An example is something that recently happened in Ikot Abasi, where you have an aluminium smelter company,ALSCON, that was moribund.

However, you have theAkwa Ibom power plant locally that was supposed to service it, you have a substantial amount of gas going there that was supposed to be the feedstock and you have the Ibom port. The idea that rather than just letting the thing go to waste, you can actually locate the fertiliser plant there. We are gratified that the NNPC has taken the decision to go into a joint agreement with Nagajuna of India to do just that. This kind of innovative mainstream optimisation is exactly what we can do in the short term to kick-start industrialisation in this country, giving the tremendous challenges with funding, host community and the others that we face. Once you have created one viable project, you would have dispelled the myth that GBI is not possible in Nigeria. And that goes a long way to sending a signal to the international community that things can actually happen here in Nigeria despite the challenges we face. And right now, given the massive problems we are facing with our population, the need to create jobs for teeming youths, we must start to thinking seriously about we are going to use our resources and add value to them.

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T H I S D AY t SUNDAY OCTOBER 21, 2018

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Ë&#x153; Ëž OCTOBER 21, 2018

29

MARKET NEWS

Nigerian Stock Exchange Restates Commitment to Provision of Efficient Services Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has restated its commitment to the provision of efficient services to investors and businesses using its platform.

Head, Shared Services Division, NSE, Mr. Bola Adeeko stated this while reacting to an award won by the exchange at the Nigeria Tech Innovation & Telecom Awards 2018 (NTITA). According to Adeeko, the exchange was very honoured to receive the award.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This achievement is a testament to the efficiency of our service offering which is underpinned by cutting edge technology. This award will spur us to continue to provide investors and businesses with a reliable, efficient and adaptable exchange hub in Africa, to save and to access capital,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The NTITA is said to be the most celebrated industry awards for the technology and telecom industries attracting top decision makers in the sectors. The annual

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sharesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the

event is held to showcase excellence and celebrate the continued growth of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information, communication and technology industry with a focus on the exceptional and innovative performance within the industry.

Chairman, Organising Committee of the awards ceremony, Mr. Akin Naphtal, stated that the award is in recognition of NSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding service, innovation and tireless efforts in the industry.

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 1810-2018, unless otherwise stated.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are proud to promote success stories, technology advancement and disruption in one of the most dynamic business sectors in Nigeria. Not only do we look at businesses, but also those who have made a genuine impact on the market from within these companies,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Before now, the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema had said the exchange would mobolising savings for domestic investment in

the economy including sector that requires special attention such as small and medium scale enterprises(SMEs) and infrastructure sectors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will also provide thought leadership on economic and business issues, build capacity for institutions and communities and promote good governance as the foundation of sustainable and equitable long-term growth and competitiveness,â&#x20AC;? he said.

According to Onyema, the business model of the exchange

ensures long-term sustainability that enables it to weather cyclical changes in the market conditions and provide new, innovative opportunities for wealth creation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We provide a market for the issuance and trading of range of investment products (including equities, bonds, exchange traded funds and mutual funds) powered by world-class technologies and robust regulatory framework, for reliable and efficient access to capital formation and value creation,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.83 0.84 0.89% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 5.98% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.14% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.20 2.21 -4.39% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 134.78 135.73 -11.15% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.95% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 10.83% Paramount Equity Fund 11.60 11.90 4.63% Women's Investment Fund 102.20 104.82 1.56% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.96% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.24% Coronation Balanced Fund Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.08 1.11 4.13% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 11.73% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 12.19% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,165.32 1,166.06 11.09% FBN Heritage Fund 140.87 141.81 0.66% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.98% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $114.87 $115.11 4.19% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $114.64 $114.88 4.09% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 150.60 152.73 -5.38% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,998.36 3,028.14 0.43% Coral Income Fund 2,728.49 2,728.49 11.46% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.57% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 105.60 105.70 5.09% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.91% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.13 2.16 1.18%

Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 14.25% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 122.43 122.67 6.39% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.19 1.21 3.74% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,070.91 1,070.91 11.05% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.47 11.57 -11.57% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.48% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.33 1.35 11.43% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.94 11.99 8.12% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.13% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 128.01 128.55 -1.26% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.66 1.66 11.79% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,262.41 2,276.92 2.99% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 187.17 187.17 7.49% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.94 0.95 -6.44% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 243.34 243.38 12.76% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 161.43 163.23 -9.87% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.48% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,533.98 8,637.95 -10.27% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.09 1.09 6.02% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.17 1.17 -1.59% United Capital Bond Fund 1.56 1.56 9.50% United Capital Equity Fund 0.69 0.71 -8.23% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.80% United Capital Eurobond Fund 105.20 105.20 5.15% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.07 1.08 3.16% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.23 11.40 -7.40% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.21 12.32 -5.55% Zenith Income Fund 20.44 20.44 11.33% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.61%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

9.00 138.53 51.55

-20.11% 4.58% 1.42%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.62 121.41 92.77

10.72 123.98 94.51

-10.36% -15.00% -15.08%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva GrifďŹ n 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

SPECIALIST FUNDS*

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.10 7.48 15.24 14.94 144.01

4.14 7.56 15.34 15.14 146.01

-13.41% -21.79% -12.77% -23.91% 6.98%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

105.44

17.63%

FOR HNI & PROFESSIONAL INVESTORS ONLY

Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and FMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

21.10.2018

Wiebe Boer A Black Man in White Skin

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE ON AFRICA’S HEALTH CHALLENGES AT THE UN, NEW YORK Participants at the GBCHealth, Aliko Dangote Foundation and United Nations ECA High Level Dialogue.

Aigboje & Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede hosted participants to a dinner reception at the prestigious Union Club NY.

H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President, Togo

Amina Mohammed, Dep. Sec. Gen., UN

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Co-Chairman, GBCHealth

H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

Ofovwe & Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

HRH Emir of Kano, Sanusi II, Jim & Cathy Stone and Axel Van Trotsenburg of the World Bank

Ray Chambers, WHO Ambassador

H.E. Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy PM, Namibia

Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary, UNECA

Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, UNAIDS

Bill Roedy, Co-founder MTV, Director GBCHealth with Mrs. Roedy

Zouera Youssoufou, Bolaji Balogun & Halima Aliko Dangote

Halima Aliko Dangote, Director, ADF

Nancy Wildfeir-Field, President, GBCHealth

Zouera Youssoufou, CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation

Aisha Sesay, Moderator

Jim Ovia, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede & Vera Songwe

Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede & Nancy Wildfeir-Field, President, GBCHealth

Bogolo Kenewendo, Min. of Trade & Inv., Botswana

Aouele Eugene Aka, Min. of Health, Côte d’Ivoire

H.E. Hala Zaid, Minister of Health, Egypt

Jim Ovia, Chairman, Zenith Bank

Uzo Iweala, Author, Beast of No Nation & Tunde Folawiyo, MD, Yinka Folawiyo Group

Acha Leke, Chairman, McKinsey & Co. Africa, & Mimi Alemayehou, MD, Black Rhino Group

Segun Awolowo, ED/CEO, NEPC

Patrick Dlamini, CEO, Dev. Bank of Southern Africa

Naveen Rao, MD Health, Rockefeller Foundation

Gayle Smith, President, ONE Campaign

Falana performing

Saurabh Sinha and Chigozirim Bodart of United Nations ECA

58

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°ÍŻ, Í°ÍŽÍŻÍś

COVER

As a one year old boy in the then Baissa, Taraba State

With his friend, John Yisa (now at CBN) from Air Force Military School in Jos at age 11

With his wife, Joanna, and two of his youngest sons, Gerrit and Markus

Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă?

On His Dutch Roots, Hausa Heritage and Nigerian Mentality When you see him, you think of a European. His skin colour betrays him. His big smile, calm countenance and simplicity are endearing. He understands the humanity of being an African. He shares the plight of poverty ravaging many Nigerians. Sitting down across him in his office and listening to him talk, you think he is a Nigerian. He wears a badge of pride, passion and promise for the country and the African continent. He has always been that way. The trajectory of his life is like the ever-flowing River Niger. His story may yet be one fit for the silver screen. Like many things, his life and narrative have a beginning, writes Funke Olaode about the Chief Executive Officer of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;All Onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Dr. Wiebe Boer

B

orn in the northern part of Nigeria, he grew up to become a global citizen. Though of Dutch parentage, his deep roots are found in Nigeria in a profound sense. From Rockefeller and Tony Elumelu Foundation, his vision and passion to impact positively on lives know no bounds. When you see him, you think of a European. His skin colour betrays him. His big smile, calming countenance and simplicity are endearing. He understands the humanity of being an African.

He shares the plight of poverty ravaging many Nigerians. Sitting down across him in his office and listening to him talk, you think he is a Nigerian. He wears a badge of pride, passion and promise for the country and the African continent. He has always been that way. The trajectory of his life is like the ever-flowing River Niger. His story may yet be one fit for the silver screen. Like many things, his life and narrative have a beginning.

For the Boer family, a young couple from the Netherlands who arrived in Nigeria in 1966 to spread the word of salvation in Taraba (then part of Plateau State) little did they know that they would not only have succeeded in

impacting on the lives of many Nigerians. They might never have imagined how much they would have changed the life of man: Wiebe Boer.

Wiebe given birth to in Nigeria by the couple was raised in Jos. Years after the missionary work of his parents ended in Nigeria, he has continued to impact on lives in Nigeria beyond the pulpit. As he rode his bicycle in Baissa, a tiny village in Taraba as a one-year-old, Wiebe was not conscious of his environment or who he was. He spoke the language of the natives.

Today, Wiebe has since grown beyond Jos where he was raised to conquer the world in history, science and humanity. After his secondary education at Hillcrest in Jos, he proceeded to Calvin College in Michigan, United States for a degree in history. He had his masters in history and philosophy and obtained his PhD at the Yale University.

Wiebe recalls with nostalgia his days in Jos where he spent the first 18 years of his life: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My parents were missionaries when I was born in Jos. They were living in small village called Bassa in Taraba State. I actually learnt how to speak Hausa before I spoke English. Today, I can go to Kano and spend a week without

speaking English. My first word that my parents recognized was when I saw a snake and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tsoroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that in Hausa means fear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My parents as missionaries were engaged with the Nigerian church and leadership. They consciously taught us Hausa and not Dutch because they wanted us to connect with Nigeria.

The first thing I got from my parents from my upbringing was there is no discrimination. My older sister (Jude Abaga, MIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mum) was a Nigerian. My parents adopted her when they first came to Nigeria in 1966. Even though I look very different, it never dawned on me that she wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my biological sibling. That is the kind of upbringing we had. They (my parents) were also always focusing on addressing poverty or what the church could do to alleviate it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough to convert and they are still suffering. This has had a positive impact on my career which has always been focused on ways to improve the lives of the people.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I was five, my parents moved to Jos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a cosmopolitan city where people speak English and all that. I spent my first 18 years in Nigeria before I travelled abroad for educational pursuit. I grew up in Jos and Jos at that time was a peaceful place. If you ask anyone with a connection with Jos in the 1980s and 1990s

would tell you it was like a paradise. It is a unique place, not only in Nigeria but in the world. It is a city in the middle of Nigeria with beautiful weather, amazing environment, outdoor culture freedom and safety. And regardless of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religion or ethnicity everybody was the same. There were no issues. I mixed with Lebanese and the Hausa.

There were no ethnic or religious problems.

I played with everybody both Muslims and Christians and there was no issue. We all spoke each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s languages. It was an amazing experience growing up in Jos and I wish I can give the same to my children but Jos has changed.â&#x20AC;?

Wiebe is saddened that the Jos of old where he grew up has become a battleground. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize the Jos of old anymore. The beauty is not there anymore. That togetherness is not there anymore. It is now a divided place.

I remember four days before the September 11 attack in America in 2001 was when the first Jos crisis happened where over 3,000 people died more than the number of people that died in 9/11. But because it was Nigeria, the news didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pick it up. That was when I was back in Nigeria to do my doctoral dissertation research. The killings were really scary. There was one point a group of vigilante was coming

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OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

COVER

His Nigerian Dream and Desire to our neighbourhood. I lived in the GRA then,” Wiebe narrates.

“This local group were destroying houses in the neighbourhood. Some people came to our compound and we hid them. Then the vigilante came and said we know that you are hiding our enemies and we are going to get you also. They were busy breaking down the gates and I was like let me say my last prayers that this is the end of my journey in Nigeria which started and ended in Jos. And from nowhere it started raining I mean heavy down pour and they left. That was my close shave with death. That was when my romantic love of Jos changed because I saw a new side of Jos. The memory is still there and it is still a beautiful place.”

With a Nigerian mentality, Wiebe experienced a culture shock during his academic exploits after spending 18 years in Nigeria. He said: “I went to Calving College in Michigan for my first degree. It was a culture shock because growing up in Nigeria. I am not just an Oyinbo but the pure one: blonde hair, blue eyes very pale. All my life I always stand out and anytime I am in a crowd you can see me. When we were travelling and stopped on the road people would run to touch my hair, skin.

“So I am used to that and while I went for an undergraduate in a university where most of the students were children of Dutch immigrants they all looked exactly like me and I hated it. And so from the day I started I wore something that was made with Nigerian fabrics and I would stand out. So I was a bit different; the identity issue was a bit extreme.

When I look back I think I overdid it but at that time I didn’t want anyone to think I was part of them even to a point that I had a jacket covered up with jukun – a fabric from Taraba – so that even in Winter I always looked different.”

Wiebe though a European will pass for as an African. The reason is simple. He has always been drawn to African. At Yale University, he was Graduate President of the Yale African Student Association. His career exploits have also revolved around Africa. In 2012, the Tony Elumelu Foundation selected him as its inaugural CEO following his

recruitment from the Rockefeller Foundation – one of the world’s leading charitable foundations with over 90 years of commitment to Africa. Wiebe’s previous experience includes working at McKinsey.

Wiebe studied history up to a doctorate and has written more than three books including ‘Invest in Africa: Unlocking the Potential’ his latest work, ‘A Story of Heroes and Epics: The History of Football in Nigeria (1904-1960)’.

He said studying history has to do with an identity issue. When Wiebe was 16, he went to an immigration office to apply for Nigerian citizenship. He was born to missionaries in Jos and had lived all his life in Nigeria – moving between towns and cities in the north. So, he had nominally fulfilled the conditions of naturalization – which says you must have resided in Nigeria for a continuous period of 15 years. But he was denied the citizenship he craved.

“It was the first time in my life that I actually knew I was not a Nigerian. I studied African history because I wanted to know about Africa more than anybody. In addition, getting a doctorate is a good credential to have,” Wiebe recalls with a sense of dashed expectations.

The pioneer CEO of Shell’s ‘All On’ has big dreams for Nigeria. His firm is noted for making the first investments in Nigeria’s off-grid power market, aimed at facilitating increased access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy sources for low income households, small scale enterprises, and communities in the country.

He adds: “What ‘All On’ is doing is going step further to solve the electricity problem with more efficient energy source. And that is what we are trying to do using solar, hydro, gas etc.

We have an investment company that invests in companies that provide the services. The industry is new and it takes time but based on what I have seen we can be optimistic that there would be a revolution in power in Nigeria just like we experienced in telecoms.”

For Wiebe, it has been an amazing journey.

“I have spent almost 30 years of my life in Nigeria. Every Nigerian that I have met is friendly, welcoming and amazing. Nigeria is interesting; living in Nigeria is an adventure,” he says with pride.

Learning how to tap palm wine in Cross River State in 1995

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

with VANESSA OBIOHA 08081789737, vaysylver@gmail.com, entertainment@thisdaylive.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Major Lazer waving the Nigerian flag on stage

Hands in the Air for Major Lazer Using Music to Promote 2019 Electoral PeaceNigerians The musical ecstasy at the beachfront of Hard Rock Cafe last weekend was inspired by thrilling performances from the international electronic DJ Group, Major Lazer, at the U-Live Africa concert organised by the United States consulate in Lagos, reports Vanessa Obioha

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or most of the music lovers who gathered at the sandy beachfront of Hard Rock Cafe in Victoria Island last weekend, the U-live Africa organised concert was another opportunity to catch the popular EDM group DJ Major Lazer on stage. The last time the group comprising record producer Diplo, and disc jockeys Walshy Fire and Jillionaire, were in the country, only the latter was absent. At that event, they thrilled the crowd even though their sounds were relatively new to the Nigerian audience.

Their major collaborations with Nigerian acts then were with Davido, Wizkid, Tekno and Mr. Eazi. But the trio have gone beyond that. Today, they boast of a large portfolio of African acts collaboration, particularly Nigerian artistes. From Burna Boy to Kizz Daniel, they are the latest sensation. What makes it more interesting is the way they fell in love with Afrobeat sounds, though they have a reputation creating unique sounds by mixing different genres such as reggae, house, dancehall and others. Fusing African sounds on their productions only show how far our sounds have travelled and the global appreciation that have accompanied it.

Prior to their African tour that led them to Lagos, the group released ‘Afrobeats Mix’, a compilation that featured only African acts like Mr. Easily, Sauti Sol, Burna Boy and others.

In an interview with music magazine, Complex, Diplo stated that the music project puts African artistes and their dances right in the international music mainstream, saying “new African music gets overlooked in America and Europe.”

One of their most popular tracks in the continent is ‘Particula’ which featured Ice Prince, Jidenna, Nasty C and Patoranking. On YouTube, the music video has been viewed more than 45 million times.

Thus, when the news of their concert

Skales performing on stage

filtered in the air, expectations soared. Will the trio who have produced unforgettable electro sounds in the last few years live up to their fame?

Early birds thronged the venue clinching the best spots on the beachfront which have been transformed to a concert ground. A stage was mounted at the middle with few tents dotting the sandy landscape for those who preferred a cosy and intimate setting.

The stage was adequately designed to accommodate the performing art with brilliant lights flashing in sync with the sounds from the wheels of steel. The concert, however, did not alter the bubbling club

atmosphere in the cafe which is one of the popular hangouts for the elites. Music blared from the loudspeakers as the music revellers clinked glasses and engaged in small chats.

As the night wore on, the music denizens were entertained by mixes from DJ Consequence who thrilled with drum beats and afro-house mix, Pheels had earlier proven to be the king of house music with his unique selection. With the hosts, Dot2dun, Nenny B and Bollylomo keeping up the energy with their hypes, DJ Xclusive waltzed on stage and took it to another level with his own selection taking the crowd from old to new school, afro to American hip hop; he kept the crowd screaming for more.

Before the arrival of the trio, the US Consul General, F. John Bray came on stage with Korede Bello and Sound Sultan to advocate for non-violent elections.

“Tonight we are all here for Major Lazer.

Music is the weapon, peace is the mission.

As the 2019 general election draws close, I encourage you all to make a commitment to a non-violent and peaceful democratic process,” the American envoy noted.

Though the consul general tried to be audible, his message was lost on the audience who were anticipating the arrival of Major Lazer. Immediately, the musical trio hit the stage, the ambience was electrified.

Diplo known for his brio mounted the deck, shouting to the fans that it was good to be back in Nigeria. Jillionaire, the most reserved member of the group wasted no time dishing out very wicked mixes that threw the crowd into frenzy. They sang along, screamed when Walshy or Diplo got closer to the crowd, and always on cue when he asked them to raise their hands in the air.

Other times, the two hype men of the group asked them to jump or move their body in an up and down movement. At a point, they encouraged members of the crowd to tell one another ‘I love you’.

Throughout their over one hour set, the group entertained the crowd with beautiful energetic sounds, sampling some of their collaborations with Nigerian acts such as the remix of Davido’s Skelewu and when they played their ‘Run Up’ remix with Skales, the latter came on stage to perform.

To close the night, they played ‘Particula’ which sent the crowd into wild ecstasy, dancing and screaming – with their hands raised in the air for the group. Before finally taking a bow, the group paid respect to the nation, waving the green-white-green flag alongside their ‘Peace is the Mission’s flag.

Te Major Lazer SoundSystem Concert was organised in collaboration with the US Consulate General in Lagos.

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

High Life

61 with LANRE ALFRED 08076885752

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

Brothers at War… Politics and Betrayal Tear Uba Family Apart Tragedy looms as Uba siblings, Andy and Chris, lock horns over senatorial seat

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he truth dawned on the household of Uba like a pall of eternal damnation; the enemy within is hardly the proverbial outsider eager to cause filial disaffection in pursuit of personal gains rather the enemy within is none other than their illustrious son, Andy Uba. No thanks to Andy, the family now knows that real politics has little to do with ideas, values, and imagination and everything to do with maneuvers, intrigues, plots, paranoia, betrayals, a great deal of calculation, no little cynicism, and every kind of con game.

Chris has gone further in the consistent opposition against his brother by picking the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Anambra South, while the incumbent senator has emerged as the candidate of

All Progressives Congress, APC, though in a controversial manner, as his ticket is still being contested by some APC aspirants in the zone. According to Chris, He said: “My brother has been in the Senate for eight years and he must take a bow this time. I pray for my brother to go higher and he can become a governor or vice president, but he will not be a senator again. It is now my turn and I want him to throw in the towel because the battle between us is going to be very serious.” Trouble loomed when Andy, who was governor of Anambra, before he was sacked in 2007, went against a family agreement. Further findings revealed that before the party primaries that threw up Andy Uba as the PDP Candidate, Chris Uba had shown interest in contesting for the same Anambra South Senatorial seat.

However, in the build-up to the 2015 general election, the Uba family unanimously agreed that Andy Uba should vacate the senate seat for his younger brother, Chris, while Andy contested for the governorship seat. Andy reportedly agreed, but after losing out at the Anambra governorship primaries, he breached the agreement and insisted on vying for the senate seat erstwhile ceded to his brother. Entreaties by senior members of the family to get him to respect the earlier agreement fell on Andy’s deaf ears and this has led to a serious crisis within the family. It is common knowledge that Chris Uba is the godfather of Anambra PDP. First, he installed his eldest brother, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, as Senator for Anambra South between 2003 and 2007. He

Double Celebration!

City Clothier, Mudi Celebrates 50th Birthday

2019: What Choice for Bank CEOs and Businessmen?

As 2019 general election inches closer at the passing of each day, alignments and re-alignments among political players have started assuming feverish dimension.

Political juggernauts are becoming intrepid enough to publicly associate and show their preferences. In the same vein, business moguls and economic players are coalescing, albeit discreetly, to choose which side of the divides to lend their support to.

Key among this group of economic players are managing directors and chief executive officers of top Nigerian banks.

While loyalty of some several bank chiefs is not a hard nut to crack based on their closeness to and affinity with certain political leaders; there are others whose allegiance is yet to be unravelled. The major question agitating their minds is which camp to pitch their tents.

A section of Nigerian bank chiefs may have had their fortune shored up; there is also a group for whom the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari has been with burdens. Few have had their sterling career truncated when they played hosts to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while several have emerged unscathed.

Ifie Sekibo of Heritage Bank has had to be invited by the commission for his role in the alleged diversion of N13 billion belonging to Oyo State. Adesola Oduntan of First Bank Plc faced hurdles at the National Assembly to provide answers to questions regarding the bank’s role in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

Some are still under quiet probes so as not cause panic in the banking sector.

These dudes are not just heading financial institutions; they sit on huge financial resources capable of influencing outcomes of elections. Would this group be rooting for a President under whom their stewardship and integrity have been called to question or camping with a candidate under whom their interests would be protected?

In another breadth, several other businessmen might also be finding themselves in the dilemma of choice.

Notable among this group are Cletus Ibeto, the billionaire owner of the Ibeto Group and Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Motors. While Ibeto has had the noose of prosecution around his neck loosened; that of Chuwkuma has been the opposite.

In whose corner Ibeto would be throwing his support is not yet clear as he has only

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Sekibo

faced his cement business. He registered his corporate ambition several weeks ago when he signed a financing agreement of $850 million dollars with Milost Global Inc. Chukwuma’s seemingly intractable ordeal might have given him a sense of direction as he reportedly donated two hi-tech sports utility vehicles to the Buhari Campaign Organisation.

It is a common practice all over the world for economic players to be identified with political interests; though this identification is mostly done with tact and discretion.

Still on Peterside Dakuku’s Unfulfiled Dream

Dakuk

He is too old to cry and definitely too hurt to laugh. When the possibility of becoming the APC gubernatorial candidate slipped from his hands, like a dog-eared rainbow fading from the skies, Dakuku, the director-general of Nigerian Maritime

Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA was forced to quietly accept the fact that some dreams are far more charming and enjoyable in the realms of desire.

This is indeed, a sad stroke of reality for Dakuku who had until his replacement being courted and feted by the creme of Nigeria’s high society in frantic bid to curry his favour prior to his pronouncement and emergence as the APC candidate in Rivers State. Suddenly, his coterie of friends increased and he became a darling to every notable politician, technocrat and entrepreneur seeking desperately to befriend him. Dakuku is one man whose heart is very heavy, hurting and filled with regrets at the moment. He is sated with sadness because he would not have a second chance of trying his popularity at the poll come 2019. The most excruciating part of it is that the choice is not his to make but made for him by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who dragged him into the contest the first time.

Dakuku, who until now enjoyed Amaechi’s confidence and trust, had

Andy Uba

prepared and invested heavily in the 2019 election because he was so certain he was the aspirant to beat. In actual fact, the only challenger he had was Senator Magnus Abe, whose governorship ambition was truncated to field Dakuku in 2015. And going by the political equation in today’s APC in Rivers, there is no way Abe would defeat Dakuku at the primaries. It, therefore, hit Dakuku like a thunderbolt when Amaechi threw up co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Group on Rivers APC as his anointed candidate in 2019. Dakuku was said to have initially dismissed Amaechi’s choice of Tonye as a joke because the former Rivers State governor was kept in the loop of efforts being taken by Dakuku to make the 2019 dream a reality.

Not only had Dakuku been on the field for extensive mobilisation, he had sunk hundreds of million into logistics and printed materials in preparation for the contest only for reality to hit him that he has really been jettisoned by the same man he had heavily relied on to make it happen for him in 2019.

f fortune can be harvested as gold and silver grapes and blessings flourish like leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys, the life-path and home of Clement Mudiaga Enajemo a.k.a. MUDI’, would glitter like a barn full of treasure and a life well spent. MUDI, the extravagantly talented and award-winning international designer, celebrated his 50th birthday and his 25th year in the fashion industry, some days ago.

The occasion presented MUDI with an opportunity to express gratitude to his Creator for the inestimable love and mercies He bestows upon him. The twoin-one soiree attracted the crème of the international fashion industry, high society, friends, family and business associates of the fashion buff and entrepreneur whose exquisite works have made him the favourite of a considerable segment of the high society.

No doubt, the calibre of dignitaries that trooped out to his residence to celebrate with him presents a worthy testament to his enduring popularity and acclaim.

Guests at the party were treated to the choicest liquor and sumptuous meals made by the finest caterers. It no doubt warmed the cockles of the celebrant’s heart to see dignitaries at the event smack their lips in pleasure as they devoured the sumptuous meals and drinks offered to them at his anniversary.

The top fashion designer and style consultant via his elegant and brilliant styling has continued to attract and build an international following for his fashion label over the last two decades. Yes, MUDI has a lot to be thankful for. Asides the fact that he runs one of the most successful fashion outfits in Africa, MUDI rise to the top is attributable to years of assiduous endeavour and thirst for excellence. Never resting on his oars, he plowed ahead till his signature label became a household name in Nigeria nay Africa.

Mudi

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HIGHLIFE

Again, Olujonwo Obasanjo Dares Father, Olusegun Obasanjo ÒÏ ×ÙÞÓàÏ ÌÏÒÓØÎ ÒÓÝ ÝßÚÚÙÜÞ ÐÙÜ ßÒËÜÓ The fantasies of an egoist are often mightier than his will, but he commits to their attainment all the same. He wishes upon his pride forgetting that arrogance functions on the oxygen of its own foolery; eventually, he crashes and burns at the crossroads where conceit chokes to the stab wounds of its own fangs.

Were the controversy-prone son of Olusegun Obasanjo, Olujonwo, aware of such bitter truth, would he dare to challenge his father to a duel politically?

Apparently looking for some cheap publicity and some pecuniary benefits.

There is hardly a nation where confrontational politics of backstabbing and betrayal thrives like Nigeria. It is a country where a son-in-law shows disregards for his wife’s father and goes ahead to defeat him in a gubernatorial contest. It is the kind of politics where a step-son is shown the way to abyss of defeat by his step-mother because he lacks the insight and respect for the family institution by ignoring his father’s counsel and contesting against his father’s wife in a race to the national assembly.

The latest instance of this kind of seemingly abominable politics is younger Obasanjo’s resolve to pitch his tent with President Muhammadu Buhari, a candidate whom his father, Obasanjo, is working publicly and spiritedly against in his bid for a second term. For a fact, Olujonwo has blatantly displayed that his political choice is at variance with his father’s; coming from a culture that equates one’s father with one’s hero, Olujonwo has also shown that he lacks discretion in great proportion and should not be associated with native intelligence.

There is no gainsaying that Olujonwo’s stance has thrown up questions about Obasanjo’s fatherly bond with him; what needs to be

Okunbo

Capt. Hosa Okunbo Absolves Self from Oil Swap Deal Scandal

R Olujonwo Obasanjo

dissected is his motive for coming stoutly against his father. His motive for pitching his tent with the opposing camp is as ulterior as they come for he has no electoral value beyond his single thumbprint.

Could he be that he has an axe to grind with his father after his marriage to Temitope Adebutu (daughter of Chief Adebutu Kessington) took an inglorious crash? It would be recalled that the former president, against the stance

of Olujonwo’s mother, facilitated the marriage of ‘Jonwo and Tope in a ceremony that drew every player in the high society. The union could barely last a year before news of tumults and strives started filtering from their home. Reports of Taiwo Obasanjo (Jonwo’s mother) interfering in the marriage also escaped to the nose of some newshounds. Things eventually got bad and dirty that they culminated in a messy separation.

Scandalous Exploits of a South-west Governor ßÝÞ ÐÙÜ ÒÙßÝÏ×ËÓÎÝ ÍÙÝÞ ÒÓ× ÍÙØÞÜÙÖ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÝÞËÞÏ ÓÐÏ ÞËÕÏÝ ÙàÏÜ ÑÙàÏÜØËØÍϘ ËÌÙÜÞÝ ÐÙßÜ ÒÙßÝÏ×ËÓÎÝ˪ ÚÜÏÑØËØÍÓÏÝ ÞÙ ÝËàÏ ÒßÝÌËØÎ˪Ý ÐËÍÏ He is a feather for every lustful wind that blows; driven by his lust for a woman’s backside, a popular governor of a South-west state, has impregnated one of the housemaids attached to the State House. Consequently, his lust for his housemaids’ behind has cost him his seat and control of the state. As you read, his wife has practically taken over the administration of the state and that is because he ceded power to her, to appease her for his incessant sexual indiscretions. For a long while, members of the governor’s cabinet and highly placed civil servants in the state, had wondered what could be responsible for the governor’s appalling tameness and timidity in the presence of his wife. Our investigations, revealed that the governor was forced to swallow

a humble pie and adopt a docile disposition when dealing with “Madam Excellency” because the latter dangles a very sordid and disgraceful dossier over him like the Sword of Damocles.

The governor is scared that if he should attempt playing the governor and head of the house with his wife, it might cost him the respect he enjoys as the number one citizen of the state. A very close source to the couple within the government house revealed that the governor whose knack for sleeping with housemaids in the Governor’s House has left three of the maids pregnant in the last two years has no option but to play dumb before his wife because the latter has been helping him to keep his sexual indiscretions hushed and hidden from public knowledge. According to

the source, the governor’s philandering causes his wife sleepless nights and interminable head and heartache; at the last count, she has aborted four pregnancies for him in the last three years to save her husband’s face and the seat he occupies from shame. Thus to compensate her, he allows her to run the affairs of the state.

As a result, the first lady has become the chief contractor for the state; under her influence, her husband allocates all the juicy contracts, including the beautification of the state to her. She also manages all funds that come into the committee through her office. The identity of this randy governor will be revealed in a short while, with more heartrending accounts of his sexual perversions.

espected businessman-cumphilanthropist, Captain Hosa Okunbo, has caused to be issued again a statement dissociating him from the controversial oil swap deal involving former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke.

An unverified news report currently being circulated among Whatsapp users, which listed some Nigerian businessmen as beneficiaries of the said fraud, is a rehash of a report published in 2015 by a news portal, Pointblanknews.com, which it had since retracted as Okunbo was never listed among the perpetrators.

A statement released by the media team of Captain Okunbo reads, “As widely known, Captain Okunbo is neither under any probe nor facing any litigation over oil scam. The current administration, which has made anti-corruption its mantra and made giant strides in that respect, has not found Captain Okunbo or any of his businesses questionable or culpable of any underhand dealings.

It is therefore horrifyingly unprofessional that some people, who perhaps saved the earlier report for hideous purposes apparently, have made it a habit to rehash and circulate it on a periodical basis on social media platforms especially on Whatsapp to unsuspecting contacts who in turn send it as broadcast messages.”

The statement reads further, “We, therefore, urge the public to disregard the report, which as far as we are concerned, is a product of the puerile imagination of blackmailers masquerading as bloggers, and fifth columnists who have clearly demonstrated that they have an axe to grind with the widely respected businessman.”

“It bears reiterating that Captain Okunbo has nothing to do with the controversial offshore processing agreements, OPAs, known as oil swap, involving the former Minister of Petroleum and others,” the statement concluded.

However, like a strapping rampart in life’s sea of odds, Okunbo’s resilience stretches for miles. As a businessman, Okunbo has the same fundamental psychology as the artist, inventor, or statesman. He has set himself at a certain work and the work absorbs and becomes him. It is the expression of his personality; he lives in its growth and perfection according to his plans.

There is no gainsaying that the amiable Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions represents a force of nature on the African continent, a towering force of hope and entrepreneurial depth. Capt. Okunbo is a patriot whose commitment to national and economic stability is beyond doubt. By grit, persistence and hard work, he built a great empire that employs thousands of Nigerians and Africans in highly profitable and futuristic endeavour.

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

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HIGHLIFE

Travails of a Minister – Accusations of False Academic Trail Ibe Kachikwu When Onuora Nzekwu and Michael Crowder wrote the classic coming-of-age novel, Eze Goes to School, they didn’t have President Muhammadu Buhari in mind. In the last couple of weeks, members of the Buhari administration have come under intense public scrutiny and opprobrium for certificate forgery and false academic claims.

It has been one week, one embarrassing revelation. From Kemi Adeosun, until recently the Minister of Finance to Adebayo Shittu, former Minister of Communications and Okoi Obono-Obla, Special Assistant on Prosecutions, they have all come up against accusations of certificate forgery and falsification.

The latest exposé is about the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, who had been claiming to be a First Class product of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as against the second class upper that he actually graduated with. Few days ago, a popular news website sensationally revealed documentary evidence that Kachikwu, while highlighting his educational achievements at a church programme in 2016, said, “…I went to Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) to try and read medicine and I was there for two weeks and then I got admission to read law.

My Father drove all the way to Ife to meet me and he asked, why do you want to go to the University....My dad was talking to a little boy and that got me. So, I packed my bag, left the school of medicine and went to read law (at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka). And, I got in there, got a scholarship and became the best student. I had a first class in that institution (UNN).”

In all his profiling on Wikipedia and traditional and new media, and even at public and private events, he never missed

SAD, DESPERATE QUEST OF NIGERIA’S CELEBRITY POLITICIANS ˾ Poverty and hunger drive Nigerian artistes into politics The hungry hare has no frontiers and follows no ideologies. So does the Nigerian actor. The hungry hare goes where it finds its food. And so does the Nigerian actor; it would seem. The possibility of passage from affluence to stark poverty no doubt incites the dread and intense mortification of the clan of Nigerian artistes; little wonder many of them are taking to more lucrative fields, like politics.

Some actors and celebrities, while currently serving out various political appointments, have declared their interest in politics.

The celebrities’ new-found fascination in politics no doubt generates mixed reactions among their fans and other members of the public; while many believe that their decision to go into politics is borne of patriotic zeal to serve and improve the lot of the country, some others believe that the artistes’ participation in politics is borne of a desperate lust to feather their nests by amassing wealth and ill-acquired profit at the state’s expense.

Another school of thought opined that the artistes are desperate to try their luck in politics having come to the sad realization that their bubble would burst anytime soon and the world would see that beyond the hype of their famed affluence and celebrity status, they are truly poor. Creeping poverty, it is believed, is responsible for the feverish rat race embarked upon by the country’s artistes and celebrities in the political arena.

Reality unarguably dispels claims to riches and stardom perpetuated by many Nigerian actors according to numerous stakeholders. “Most of them

Kachikwu

an opportunity to mouth his phantom First Class.

As if this was not enough scandal in a week, Kachikwu is now facing accusations of being abandoned those who helped to facilitate his federal appointment. As the story goes, Kachikwu, then an unorthodox dresser who was likely to be seen in gaudy ensembles than a well-cut suit, was first introduced to President Muhammadu Buhari by businessman, Nuel Ojei.

Kachikwu, who has a PhD in law from

Harvard University, had made good in the oil industry where he rose to become Executive Vice Chairman at Exxon Mobil and he was presented as the man needed to turn around the oil industry.

The president, typically, was slow to act. Then, Senna All-Well Brown, a respected name and face in the oil and gas industry, took Kachikwu to meet Senator Daisy Danjuma for onward introduction to her husband, billionaire retired General T.Y Danjuma.

earn far little than they claim to earn.

Veteran Nollywood actress, Joke Silva, has warned Nigerians not to be deceived by the excessive display of wealth on social media by celebrities. “Don’t be deceived by what goes on social media.

Obviously there is something else such actors are doing, perhaps other businesses to shore up their income.

“The reality is that on the earning capacity of an actor in Nigeria, you cannot have that sort of lifestyle in this economy.

“Yes part of our industry is to have glamour but also the other part is to have reality.”

Surprisingly, many notable actors earn between N30, 000 and N100, 000 for movie appearances. That is why many of them seek appearances in as much movies as possible – the idea is to improve their net-income per month. If an artiste features in four movies at N80, 000 per flick, there is the likelihood that he or she would earn as much as N320, 000 in a month. However, despite the likelihood of recording such earnings, not a few artistes groan over inability to receive their fees in full, even after fulfilling their part of the contractual obligation.

The deceptions and grand delusions of artistes laying indefensible claims to wealth and breathtaking fees are prevalent in the Nigerian movie sector.

Many artistes in the film industry derive satisfaction from keeping up appearances. The delusion is even more prevalent in recent times as not a few artistes have been known to plummet to obscurity in the wake of their pretensions to fame and desperate claims to affluence.

Many actors, according to movie pundits, have plunged to infamy in their desperate bid to keep up appearances and sustain a larger-than-life reputation.

Ask Hon. Desmond Elliot, Richard Mofe Damijo, they would confirm this.

ON GOVERNOR IBIKUNLE AMOSUN’S UNENDING JOUST Since he became governor, Amosun steadily evolved into the de facto leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ogun State. He determined the political fate of everybody regardless of their pedigree.

Leaders like former governor Olusegun Osoba were virtually forced out of the party to pave way for the brash-talking and condescending governor who carried on like the party was his private business. Amosun would shock the people of Ogun State and indeed, discerning Nigerians, when news emerged last month that he had unilaterally drawn up a list of candidates for the party in the general election and subsequently announced Abiodun Akinlade, a member of the House of Representatives, as his anointed for the governorship ticket.

Amosun reportedly told Dr. Dapo Abiodun, a successful businessman and proprietor of Heyden Oil and Gas among other lucrative ventures, in no uncertain terms, that he would not support his ambition. If Abiodun was aghast, he didn’t show it. The Iperuborn prince went about his ambition without fuss. Angry members of the APC in Ogun could read between the lines – Amosun simply wanted a lackey that he could easily manipulate from his obscenely-appointed country home in Ibara GRA, Abeokuta. And Akinlade ticks all the boxes.

A happy-go-lucky 48-year-old dandy who is more dilettante than diligent, Akinlade is married to a former beauty queen, Chineye Ochuba. By the estimation of Ogun indigenes, Akinlade would do better as a Commissioner for Tourism to give free reign to his predilections, rather than foist on him

It was in the early, tentative days of the Buhari administration and Danjuma still believed in Buhari so he gleefully put in a word for Kachikwu with the President. In August 2015, Kachikwu was appointed Group Managing Director of the NNPC. Sources in the know said a major piece of advice Ojei gave Kachikwu was to avoid any dealing with industry players whose credibility had been soiled by their relationship with the immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Diezani AllisonMadueke.

The auto magnate maintained a respectable distance and Kachikwu was past caring. Not long after, what Ojei feared, happened, as reports got to the president that Kachikwu might be allegedly feathering his own nest at the NNPC where he was charged to initiate enduring reforms. Kachikwu’s famed credibility was eroding before his eyes and the taciturn retired General turned democrat struck. In July 2016, he was removed as GMD of NNPC and told to face the Ministry of Petroleum where Buhari is the substantive minister.

“The president was going to sack Kachikwu outright but he was prevailed upon to retain him as Minister of State in a face-saving move,” a source told Highlife.

Another source said that while he held sway at the NNPC, a number of persons who helped along the line never saw Kachikwu’s rear again. Interestingly, other sources confided in us that Kachikwu might, as he claimed, not have an academic First Class, but he is a First Class brain and that he was on the verge of introducing reforms that would change the NNPC for good before his removal.

It is this same set that effusively describes him as nice, accessible and accommodating. Different strokes for different folks.

the serious job of governing a state, much more a cosmopolitan one like Ogun. Like a dog fated to loss, Amosun typically turned a deaf ear to wise counsel.

When the governorship primary held on Wednesday, October 3rd, Amosun’s candidate was roundly beaten by Abiodun who polled 102,305 votes. Akinlade came a distant third with 23, 443 votes. Predictably, Amosun went ballistic, stumping and swearing, spitting into the air and receiving it with measured cadence. Alongside other disgruntled governors, he scurried to Abuja where he met with the President on Thursday but nothing came of it.

Amosun didn’t give up. His propaganda machinery went into overdrive, claiming via a viral press release that the party, after the president’s intervention, had replaced Abiodun with Akinlade as the party’s standard-bearer. But those who know say he is fighting a lost battle. Helped into office by the political machinery of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Osoba, Amosun’s magisterial nature soon came to the fore the moment he was sworn in. He did away with his godfathers, dared them and chose to dine with President Buhari who he has now realised is more concerned about his second term ambition than sticking out his neck for a recalcitrant governor.

As things stand, Amosun is yet running helter-skelter, imploring and consulting to have his way but the die seems cast as the good people of Ogun State have also thrown his weight behind the candidature of the easygoing Abiodun. Fingers are still crossed on Amosun’s next line of action while Abiodun has moved to the next stage of proper preparations for the 2019 election.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Mohammed Babangida’s Disappointment

Adebutu

Adebutu Kessington: Celebrating a Rare Gem at 83

It was Johann Schiller who said “It is not flesh and blood, but the heart that makes us fathers and sons.”

This quote aptly captures the story of Mohammed Babangida and his father, Ibrahim Babangida, a former military head of state.

The younger Babangida is his father’s split image. But beyond this striking physical feature, he also shares almost similar idiosyncrasies with the retired general.

Apart from this, he has never ventured into anyfthing without carrying his father along.

So, when the scion of the Babangida dynasty decided to go into politics, he had no choice but to consult his father for his wise counsel and advice.

As gathered by Society Watch, he had expected his father , who has been a political godfather and mentor to so many successful politicians in the country to help him nurture his own aspiration, but this was not to be as he was advised to take it off his mind.

The polo-loving man, who had earlier

Babangida

Nimble-witted Oba Akiolu

A

debutu Adebunkunla Kessington is everything you would wish to be in life.

Providence, no doubt, has literally lavished its favours on him.

But success, greatness and fame were never thrust on his laps on a platter of gold. His is an intriguing story of a man who is determined to survive in life.

Indeed, if anyone had told him that he would someday become one of the gladiators in the nation’s business sector, he would have dismissed it with a wave of the hand.

While he was growing up, he had the picture of how rich he wanted to be in his head, but was slightly unsure of how to actualise it.

Today, the man famously known as Baba Ijebu, has risen to the pinnacle of success through hard work, integrity self-discipline and accountability.

As far back 1963, he had set out, albeit on a small scale. He sought a business that required little or no fund, and then decided to be a local pool agent.

“Having no capital, I looked for a business that required little or no capital and what came to his mind was to be a pool agent, because what you only need is a table and your pen,” he was once quoted to have said.

This he did briefly with his late best friend, Chief Solomon Adebayo Ayoku. He later diversified into other areas like agriculture, manufacturing, estate management, the lotto and hospitality.

It is interesting that even as the Remo, Ogun State-born billionaire philanthropist is advanced in age, he is still very agile, with a sound mind.

For this and more, he will be appreciating divine favour in his life, as he celebrates his 83rd birthday on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

It was gathered the man, who likes to engage in celebrations of life, will be throwing his doors open to the crème of the society for the birthday celebrations on the occasion.

made his intention known in 2013 to vie for the number one position in Niger State in 2015, had to drop the ambition when the retired soldier refused to offer his blessing.

Again, as disclosed by a source, he again consulted his father over his aspiration towards the 2019 election.

This time, he has a different dream: to represent his people at the Senate. Surprisingly, his father was said to have kicked against the idea.

So, Mohammed didn’t need any soothsayer to tell him that his father never wants him in the murky waters of Nigeria’s politics yet.

Consequently, he has had to jettison the ambition for good.

This, a source further hinted, didn’t go down well with many of his supporters who would have loved to see him represent them in the Senate.

Though many argue that he is riding on the crest of his father’s influence, the truth is that he is loved by the majority for his philanthropic gesture.

Oba Akinolu

Towards the build-up to the 2015 general elections, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, allegedly threatened to drown into the Lagos lagoon anyone who opposed the emergence of Akinwunmi Ambode, the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The threat had created a serious furore and anger, especially from non-indigenes, who saw this as nothing but an abuse of human rights and freedom of association.

Though the revered monarch denied this statement, he threw his weight behind the governor who eventually won the election.

Since then, he has been like a father to the accountant turned politician.

But unfortunately the outspoken monarch couldn’t save the governor, and was unable to drowned the powerful ‘masquerade’ behind his second term ordeal.

While many were surprised that the king failed to save him when Bola Ahmed Tinubu refused to endorse Ambode for a second term, Oba Akiolu did all he could but failed..

A source told Society Watch that the retired police top shot did everything possible to save Ambode’s job, but Tinubu was just

too adamant and even nearly rubbished the Monarch.

It was even disclosed that it got to a stage that many were afraid that this could affect Tinubu and the Oba’s smooth relationship.

Another source, however, that when it dawned on him that the issue was out of his hands, the Oba was forced to travel out of the country to stay away from all the drama and controversy that left the governor in a neverseen before messy situation. ‘’ When the king got tired of the whole drama, he left the country when it was getting too hot. Remember, he is a like father to Ambode, he loves him so much that he risked his relationship with Tinubu as he did everything within his capacity to save Ambode from that saga” The source said.

In a chat with Society Watch, another source said “It was simply a tactical decision by the Oba. He understands Asiwaju’s body language and he doesn’t want to offend him anymore after several visits to Asiwaju’s residence alongside other top personalities, all these however proved abortive. He left the country to cool off abroad.

Lanre Nzeribe’s Low Profile For a long time, Lanre Nzeribe who runs a few night clubs in the Victoria Island of Lagos State, used to be a popular face in the social circle. In fact, he could be described as a party freak.

For him, life must be lived to the hilt.

So, he rocked the social scene to the envy of many some years back.

In addition, he was a serial lover, who

reportedly had romantic liaisons with some of the finest ladies in the country. He was at various times linked to Liz Benson, an actress-cum-evangelist, Monalisa Chinda, an actress, as well as Grace Egbagbe and Tola Odutola, both renowned socialites.

His good looks, physique and bubbly personality were a few of the things he had

going for him. But he was not known with any thriving business.

Society Watch gathered that since his relationship with the light-complexioned actress, Monalisa , crashed like a pack of cards, he has been keeping a low profile.

However, the reason for this is said to be known only to him.

Again, Ooni of Ife Finds Love!

At last, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, may have shut up naysayers, who had made him a butt of criticisms over his seemingly prolonged single status, following the news of his ‘secret’ wedding to beautiful Shilekunola Moronke Naomi Oluwaseyi.

To further give vent to his joy, the revered monarch proudly announced the good news via his Instagram page about 24 hours after he celebrated his 44th birthday, with copious pictures of the 25-year-old beauty that has captured his heart, amidst cheers.

“I waited patiently upon the Almighty, the King of kings; He eventually did it in the midst of many trials. Shilekunola, Moronke, Naomi; the greatest Arsenal you can apply on this highly revered throne with many rules and regulations in the midst of undiluted tradition, heritage and culture is the “Fear Of God In You”, which is the beginning of your wisdom on this throne of Oduduwa. You are welcome home my beautiful and adorable queen,” he wrote.

It was gathered that Shilekunola, who our source described as the biggest birthday gift for the monarch is said to be a virgin, she is also the Founder/President of EN-HERALDS, a prophetic mandate and inter-denominational Ministry based in Akure, Ondo State.

Described as humble and courteous, her

Ministry has reportedly recorded a lot of successes and saved many souls.

In a chat with Society Watch, a source said: “The mighty hand of God has been on this young lady from when she was six years old.

She started public ministration at the age of 18, and heeded God’s call in October, 2011.”

Interestingly, the love tale of the Ooni of Ife has now found meaning in a popular saying that “It takes a strong heart to love, but it takes a stronger heart to continue to love after it is hurt.” Reason: since his celebrated marriage to beautiful Olori Wuraola broke up, the respected traditional ruler had been linked with several ladies, who were said to have practically thrown themselves at him owing to his status.

Sometime ago, a fair-complexioned lady, Abishine, who posed for a photograph with him was mistakenly touted to be the replacement for Olori Wuraola. At that time, many had said that the Ojaja had even paid her bride price to her parents in Abeokuta, Ogun state. But this was quickly dismissed as a wicked rumour.

Also, another lady touted to be the next Olori was Bolanle Emmanuelle Ropo. But she later came out to deny the claim.

As if that was not enough, it was once rumoured that the dark-skinned royal father

Olori Oluwaseyi

planned to take one 27-year-old Tobi Philips as wife.

Before the dust over this alleged affair with Tobi abated, the rumour mill was agog with the story of his romance and possible marriage to the co-convener of Hope Alive, Temitope Adesegun. But as soon as the story hit the street, it was refuted by people very close to the Oba, saying, “It was sponsored by some unscrupulous elements.”

Many had thought the handsome and youthful king has shut his heart to love. But he understands the import of Yoruba saying that no respect for a king without queen in the palace’’.

So, for the well revered monarch, one can only hope that he has now truly found his proverbial missing ribs in Shilekunola.

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OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SOCIETY WATCH

Arthur Nzeribe’s Autumn At a relatively young age of 22, Francis Arthur Nzeribe became a major player in the nation’s financial sector, having hit a mega fortune in the 1960s.

As fate would have it, he later became powerful and influential. In reminiscence, Nzeribe, who was the promoter of the infamous Association for a Better Nigeria, an organization that was instrumental to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, was elected a senator to represent Orlu first in 1999 and 2003.

In November 2002, the then Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, suspended Nzeribe indefinitely over an allegation of a N22 million fraud.

Also, in April 2006, the Orlu People’s Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the

then governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, staged what it called a “One million march” to drum support for Nzeribe’s recall from the Senate.

Tragedy, it is said, sometimes comes not singly but in myriads. In the December 2006 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for the 2007 senatorial election, he was defeated

by Osita Izunaso.

For the past years, the billionaire has been in and out of the country for an alleged undisclosed illness and his fortunes have dwindled. His Haven of Peace (Mkpu Udo) Estate in Oguta, his hometown, is said to have lost its glory, as rodents have taken over the place, especially the chalets that serve as guest houses. They are not only dirty, but are also in a mess and total disrepair.

Nzeribe

Atiku Abubakar’s Steadfastness

Atiku

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2019 presidential election, has been a feature in Nigerian politics for many years.

The suave and cosmopolitan Waziri Adamawa is not a pushover in the volatile game of politics in the country and is ready to give his best shot for the plum post come 2019.

His emergence as the PDP

presidential candidate at the recently held party’s primaries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State did not come as a surprise - he simply has an edge over the other contestants in a lot of ways.

Since he won the PDP’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election, his image is currently reaching for the skies.

Perhaps, this is arguably the reason rival parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, have jittery about his candidature.

Those close to him say that he is leaving no stone unturned to get the topmost job in the country, even as his allies across the states have been perfecting strategies and meeting with him to ensure this comes to reality.

Within the ranks and file of PDP, the former vice president is seen as the most favoured among the contenders for the post.

Beyond this, one of the factors that may work in his favour is that he is regarded as a man of the people, one who is close to

the grassroots.

It will be recalled that as the vice president to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he controlled a fair share of the National Assembly membership; and the connection, it was gathered, is still intact to date.

Though in the eyes of his critics, he is a desperado and a man with inordinate ambition in some quarters, having moved from one parry to the other in pursuit of his ambition, those close to him maintain that those who mouth such criticisms do not know him very well.

Atiku wields a very strong political power and is almost the strongest man in northern politics today, considering his vast influence and high network of connections among all political divides.

His profile received a boost recently when he received the blessing and endorsement of his former boss, Obasanjo, who had been quoted to have previously vowed to work against his ( Atiku) ambition till he breathed his last.

Abdulrazaq Isa, Danjuma Saleh’s Great Feats At a well-attended ceremony at Ibigwe field in the Ohaji/ Egbema Council Area of Imo State, penultimate week, the duo of Abdulrazaq Isa and Danjuma Saleh pleasantly shocked their guests when they declared that their dream of setting up a 5,000 bpd Indeed, if you take a cursory look at their profiles, you will not agree less that they are businessmen blessed with a clear vision.

For them, the journey on the boulevard of fame and success began some 20 years ago.

At that time, they were both prodded by the desire to leave their imprints on the sands Before then, they were top-class bankers who co-founded Savings and Loans Limited (now a subsidiary of Sterling Bank Plc.) and were both highly responsible for the structuring and financing of several multi-million dollar transactions in the upstream and oil service segments of the oil and gas industry.

They would later conceptualized Walter Smith and Associates.

When the company was birthed, little did they know that it would someday, before their very eyes, grow to become one of the most successful oil exploration companies in Africa, as the company eventually merged with a Canadian company, Petroman Oil in Calgary, Canada, thereby becoming

Isa

Walter smith Petroman Oil Limited that same year.

In 2003, the new company eventually won the bid for a marginal oil field known as Ibigwe OML 16; and five years after, it commenced production and export of crude oil.

Not yet sated, these ambitious partners, in 2011, invested huge sums of money in drilling additional oil wells in the Ohaji-Egbema area of the South-East.

But sadly, there was a tragic twist to their hitherto enchanting stories.

While drilling the second oil well known as Ibigwe-2, a blowout occurred that resulted in a huge fire outbreak for two months.

For them, it was a most unnerving development, as initial efforts to put out the fire were unsuccessful.

Not a few had imagined the closure of the company. Though they recorded a huge loss, God intervened and turned their sorrow inside out. So, like phoenix, the company rose from its ashes in a surprising manner.

By 2013, Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited raised $180 million to drill five wells and Commissioned 15,000 barrels per-day-capacity flow station to expand its 20,000-barrel capacity crude storage tank operations.

Till date, the company has produced more than four million barrels of crude oil and several million cubic feet of associated gas.

In spite of their rising profile, both Isa and Saleh are not resting on their oars. Theirs is a fascinating story waiting to be told!

In 2011, they announced their plan to establish a refinery close to their oil wells. Those who are familiar with their antecedents said it was not a tall dream in any way.

Today, they are fulfilling the promise as the 5,000 bpd refinery is expected to be ready in 18 months.

Adedoyin

Tears, Tributes As Funke Adedoyin Goes Home Even if you had literally feasted on the head of a tortoise, as the Yoruba would say, you would have cried out your heart, on Friday 12, 2018, when the remains of the late Funke Adedoyin , a former member House of Representatives were committed to mother earth at Lekki in Lagos.

Amidst the funereal ambience, tributes poured in torrents from family members, friends, government officials and associates who had come to pay their last respects to Adedoyin .

In reference to the Biblical saying that “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot” the daughter of Samuel Adedoyin was celebrated even in death with sweet and kinds words during the burial.

The journey to the final resting place of the deceased started with a service of songs held on Tuesday, October 9, at the State Banquet Hall, Ahmadu Bello Way, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The Ilorin service of songs was followed by another on that day, but at a different location, A Class Event Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja.

On Thursday, October 11, a wake keep and night of tributes held at BICS Garden, Wole Olateju Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State, while a funeral service took place at Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pavilion Parish, Jide Obi Street, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

She was described by many as a dogged fighter and a woman with pure heart of gold that sacrificed her comfort for the uplift and development of her immediate community.

Until her death on Friday, September 28, Adedoyin who died of cancer represented Ekiti/ Isin/Irepodun’Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State in the House of Representatives.

66

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

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Ȉȶ ƺƃɥɽȈʤȈɽʰ

Ýȶ ěȃʍɨɰǁƃʰӗ Ãƃɨƺȃ іӗ їѕіѝӗ ј ȃʍȴƃȶȈɽƃɨȈƃȶ ƃȈǁ ʥɁɨȟljɨɰ Ӹ ČƃȈǹʍɨƃ ȃȴljǁ ӯ :Ą: і Ӱӗ ƃʍʥƃ ¸ljȴƃȶ ӯ :Ą:Ӱ ծ ȢȈƺlj ÇǼƃǁǁƃȃ ӯĩÇ :KyїӰ ʥljɨlj ƃƹǁʍƺɽljǁ ƹʰ 9ɁȟɁ ƃɨƃȴӝ

іѕќ ɨljȢljƃɰljǁ іѕћ ǼȈɨȢɰ ƃȶǁ і ƹɁʰ 2ZWPR @UUMQMV͜ :MdfM >W\M]͈D;B͉͜ EMWSdaM 2V\RQ ͈D;B͉

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ČƃȈǹʍɨƃ ʥƃɰ ljʯljƺʍɽljǁ Ɂȶ Čʍȶǁƃʰӗ ɽȃ Čljɥɽljȴƹljɨ іћ ӗ ƃʍʥƃ ʥƃɰ ɽȃ ljʯljƺʍɽljǁ Ɂȶ ÃɁȶǁƃʰӗ ÝƺɽɁƹljɨ іњ ӝ

͔ ɰ ɨljɥɁɨɽljǁ ƹʰ ɽȃlj ɨljɽʍɨȶljǁ ǼȈɨȢɰӝ ÇɁ ɁǹˎƺȈƃȢ ƺɁȶˎɨȴƃɽȈɁȶӝ

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Ɂʥ ƺƃȶ ƃ ԆɽljƺȃȶȈƺƃȢȢʰ ǁljǹljƃɽljǁԇ 9ɁȟɁ ƃɨƃȴ ɰɽȈȢȢ ƃƹǁʍƺɽӗ ȟȈȢȢӗ Ȉɰɰʍlj ɽȃɨljƃɽɰ ƃȶǁ ǼȈʤlj ʍȢɽȈȴƃɽʍȴɰ ƃȶǁ ɽȃlj yljǁljɨƃȢ {Ɂʤljɨȶȴljȶɽ Ȉɰ ɥɁʥljɨȢljɰɰӞ

ĀɨljɰȈǁljȶɽ 9ʍȃƃɨȈӖ ʥƃȟlj ʍɥ ɽɁ ʰɁʍɨ ĄKČĀÝÇČ 9 ¸ ěťә ӜĄljɰƺʍljÝʍɨ{ȈɨȢɰ Ӝ9ɨȈȶǼ9ƃƺȟÝʍɨ{ȈɨȢɰ ÇÝŚ ÇA ¸ řKә

°ɁȈȶ ƃ ɰȈɽ Ɂʍɽ ȶljƃɨ ʰɁʍӖ ƹʍȚƃ ӵ ĩȶȈɽʰ yɁʍȶɽƃȈȶӗ AƃȈȢʰӗ њ ӵ ћɥȴ ¸ƃǼɁɰ Ӹ ÇɁɁȶ ӵ іɥȴ ȟɁʰȈ ӯKʤljɨʰ ČƃɽʍɨǁƃʰӰ ӵ yƃȢɁȴɁ ĄɁʍȶǁƃƹɁʍɽӗ ȟɁʰȈ ȶǁ

ɽȃ

KȚȈǼƹɁ ӯї ծ љ ČƃɽʍɨǁƃʰɰӰ Ӹ ћљӗ ǁljʥƃȢlj ǁljȶʍǼƃ Čɽɨljljɽӗ ÝɨȈȢɁʥɁ 9ʍɰ ɰɽɁɥ ʤȈƃ 9Ȉȶɽƃ ȶɽljɨȶƃɽȈɁȶƃȢ ČƺȃɁɁȢ

ČɁʍɨƺljӖ KȈK Ąljɰljƃɨƺȃ

і

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ȶɽljɨȶƃɽȈɁȶƃȢ :ɁȴȴȈɽɽljlj Ɂǹ ɽȃlj Ąljǁ :ɨɁɰɰ ĩȶȈɽljǁ ÇƃɽȈɁȶɰ :ȃȈȢǁɨljȶӡɰ yʍȶǁ

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

SHONIBARE AS ART X 2018â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRUMP CARD PAGE 69

21.10.2018

FELA AT 80 A LOST PROVOCATEUR EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

68

OCTO Ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͯͶ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\TRIBUTE

FELA AT 80

A LOSTPROVOCATEUR

Decades after his death, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Afrobeat impresario remains a revered icon among his teeming devotees worldwide, Yinka Olatunbosun reports

F

ela was a legend of strong music pedigree. His grandfather, Rev. Josiah Jesse Ransome-Kuti, a great musician who composed the Egba National Anthem reportedly fought for use of umbrella – yes, umbrella by citizens of Ilaro which was only the preserve of the traditional ruler. Fela’s father, Rev. Isreal Oludotun Ransome-Kuti was a prominent educator and the first President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers while his mother, Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria and the first African woman to visit China, USSR, Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and East Germany during the cold war. She is the heroine that agitated for the universal suffrage of Nigerian women.

Against this background, Fela demonstrated his love for music quite early as a student of Abeokuta Grammar School-initially preferring to play piano and organ by familiarity rather than learning the rudiments. Fela would later form “The Planless Society,” which floated a school newspaper to criticise school activities and air social commentaries. Obsessed with nightlife, Fela found a soulmate in J.K. Braimah with whom there was “no limit’’.

Fela sharpened his musical skills with Victor Olaiya’s Cool Cats Band before he proceeded to study at the Trinity College of Music in London where he played with the Koola Lobitos, experimenting with jazz and other music genres. He became influenced by Ambrose Campbell, Joe Harrriot, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock among others. In 1961, he married Remilekun Taylor and returned to Nigeria in 1963 to play jazz although highlife was the dominant music of the period.

According to Fela’s first manager and foremost music journalist, Benson Idonije in his memoir titled, Dis Fela Sef, it was Fela’s mother who brought two of his singles to the Broadcasting House in Ikoyi for airplay. It was a tough call as most of the radio presenters favoured highlife. Idonije recalled how Fela lived the busy life in Lagos and loathed marijuana. His debut interview on radio was on NBC Jazz Club with Idonije and a long-lasting bond was formed between them. Idonije who is grandfather to Burna Boy, managed Fela’s band, Fela Ransome Kuti Quintet.

Fela’s revolutionary ideas about music was first glimpsed when he turned down the job opportunity in the Nigerian Army as the band’s Director of Music. His argument was that the military, after the nation’s independence should have composed songs that reflect our cultural values and indigenous rhythms. This idea made him look like a confrontational job seeker.

Away with the military, he took a job at the NBC as music Producer while running his music band.

His music made a detour when his mother suggested that he returned to highlife, spawning hits like “Onidodo@ and “Ololufe”. One of the band’s cheery moments was being selected to back up Millicent Small, an international singer with the smash hit, “My girl Lollipop”.

Back at NBC, it became clear that Fela’s unconventional lifestyle was interfering with his job. His was always late for work, with the burden of hangover from night clubbing. He embarked on a music tour in Ghana on “sick leave’’ to push the frontiers of his music, defying

Fela

queries at work. The Koola Lobitos metamorphosed into Nigeria ’70, Afrika ’70 and Egypt ’80.

With Lekan Animashaun on baritone saxophone, Tony Allen on drums, Fayewun on Trumpet, Wmonah on guitar, Ngomalooh on acoustic bass and Ojo Okejo on guitar, Fela confidently tested the critic’s bite, in Daily Times review, his artistry was praised but its commercial success was questioned.

Aturning point came to Fela music when he went to the US in the late 60s- the peak of civil rights’ movement. He met Sandra Izsadore who educated his mind with African history and philosophy.

Afired up Fela returned to Nigeria in 1970, and Afrobeat was born with the “Jeun Koku” creating the much-anticipated mass appeal. He changed his name from “Ransome” to “Anikulapo” (the one who has death in his pouch).

In a desperate search for foreign recognition, Fela signed on with EMI and milked the moment. Fela introduced pidgin English to his lyrics, added chorus girls and entrenched the call and response patterns.

He began to develop very militant music materials alongside philosophical and political affiliations such as Nigerian Association of Patriotic Writers and Artists (NAPWA), Young African Pioneers (YAP), and later floated the political party, Movement of the People (MOP), which was not registered. Fela nursed the ambition of becoming the President.

Fela became a multi-instrumentalist upon the disappointing exit of his tenor saxophone player, Igo Chico. He created hits such as “Yellow Fever”, “Roforofo fight” and “Palava”. In time, Fela became

famous not just for his musicianship and activism but for his marijuana imagery. His rebellious stance was the media’s interest and instead of reflecting his strict rule over his Kalakuta commune, the media sensationalized the news of sexual prowess and conflict with the law.

From Sunday yabis to vocal attacks on oppressive government, Zombie, one of his best-selling albums of all time was released. The scathing lyrics brought some consequences- an outright ban on the sale and distribution and later the destruction of Kalakuta Republic on February 18, 1977 by unknown soldiers. Idonije had argued in his book that the Kalakuta destruction was a consequence of numerous remote causes given the magnitude of the assault and that it couldn’t have been Zombie. With his mother reportedly thrown out from the window, his women brutally battered and, in some cases, raped, Fela decidedly married his 27 wives under controversial circumstances.

Fela made the front page of National Newspapers with his exploits against the military government. Fela, like Politics, Business or Sports was a designated beat for some journalists at the period. Afierce provocateur, Fela daringly marched to the dreaded Dodan Barracks with his family carrying a coffin and a heavy heart following the death of his mother in 1978.

Though Fela was not a pro-democracy activist, his Afrikan Shrine was the rallying point for human right activists. Fela was not a member of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and was mostly alone in his struggle and trials which he channeled forceful through his message and instrumentations till his death on August 2, 1997. He left no topic untouched in his music- corruption, religious bigotry, corporate scandals and capitalism were all subjects of his music.

Adishonour to the music activism that Fela and other reggae musicians after him propagated still persists today. Any music that criticizes the government is liable to be erased from the airwaves. Ask African China, Idris Abdulkareem and lately, Falz the Badh Guy. Meanwhile, his posthumous fame was heightened by the Bill T. Jones’ directed Fela! On Broadway and the viral nature of Afrobeat’s influence in popular music greats like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Lauryn Hill and legions of young Nigerian artists who have stirred heated debates with the addition of “s” to Afrobeats. Unknown to them, the international music community had added the letter “s” to clearly distinguish between the music of Fela’s ingenuity and commercial music influenced by Afrobeat. Hopefully, Afrobeat will get a Grammy category and Nigeria will not miss the chance to produce a full length-movie to crystallise the whole story of Fela and how Nigeria has lost a fearless provocateur.

69

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž BER 21, 2018

ʜ ˺˺

SHONIBARE AS ART X 2018â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRUMP CARD Yinka Olatunbosun

J

ust picture the influx of thousands of people into Civic Centre every November 2 to 4 in Lagos to see tasteful, eclectic works of art. Since 2016, West Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere international art fair, ART X has served as the loop connecting art and its multicultural audience owing to its special features such as live paintings, interactive media art installations, ART X Live, curated shows and of course, the ART X Talks which had featured the legendary artist, Bruce Onobrakpeya and the sensational Njideka Akunyili-Crosby in its first and second editions, respectively.

Heightening the anticipation for this edition is the glowing declaration by ART X Founder and Creative Director, Tokini Peterside during a recent press conference in Ikoyi, Lagos. Clad in a crisp powder-blue shirt and tailored cream-coloured trousers, she announced in sheer delight that the British-Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare would lead the talks at the two-day fair, sponsored by Access Bank,which is traditionally preceded by a VIP preview and a lip-sealed after-party.

Born in London in 1962, Shonibareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global popularity hinges on many details of his life and career. For starters, he is a Member of the British Empire. But, more importantly, Shonibare pushed the frontiers of visual arts with his directorial approach to studio practice when he became confined to the electric wheelchair as a result of his long-term physical disability. Shonibare reportedly contracted transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord at 18 which paralysed a side of his body. Fortunately, what didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t kill him made him stronger. Shonibare emerged as a parallel of sorts to Stephen Hawking, a renowned British physicist who overcame a debilitating disease to publish world-acclaimed books that probe the mysteries of the universe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one of which is A Brief History of Time which sold more than 10 million copies.

Against the odds of his physical condition, Shonibare proceeded to study Fine Art at Byam Shaw School of Art and later at Goldsmiths, University of London where he obtained his MFA. Subsequently, he worked as an arts development officer for Shape Arts, a charity organisation funded by Arts Council, England that makes arts accessible to persons living with disabilities. A great initiative, one might add, by a state that has enabling structures to undo a disabling condition where there is a will. Perhaps, that was a turning point in his career.

A CNN documentary once showed Shonibare making sketches for one of his art projects with his better hand. These sketches would later be the blueprint for his assistants to execute his work. This is how he earned the debatable description of a â&#x20AC;&#x153;conceptual artistâ&#x20AC;?.

Launching him to the international stage was his work titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gallantry and Criminal Conversationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, commissioned

by Okwui Enwezor in 2002. Two years later, Shonibare was shortlisted for the Turner Prize for his Double Dutch exhibition at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam and his solo show at the Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. With a rich portfolio of works that reference cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism, Shonibare tickles the minds of art collectors and critics. Needless to say, his works are sought after by leading museums worldwide and his larger-than-life installations are dominating the public spaces. In 2010, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ship in a Bottleâ&#x20AC;? became his first public art commission on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, City of Westminster, Central London and in 2016, one of his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wind Sculpture VIIâ&#x20AC;? pieces was installed in front of the Smithsonianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Museum of African Art, Washington D.C. That same year, that six-metre tall, fibre glass and steel sculpture was installed at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, a rather secluded municipal part of the culturally and commercially vibrant city with competing options such as the Lagos Central Business District, Eko Hotel Roundabout, Race Course Roundabout, Freedom Park and Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way interchange with Agege Motor Road inwards Murtala Mo-

hammed International Airport II (MM2).

Shonibareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invitation to the Art X conversations will naturally pull a crowd larger than the designated hall for his story is an embodiment of inspiration to many artists constrained by lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges even beyond the physical. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel very lucky to be able to do that; I can realise my utopian dreams and still survive,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he once said in an exclusive interview with Art 21. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most artists will want to ask the basic questions such as, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why am I here? How did I get here? What are my origins?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; All those are natural questions that you could ask yourself, anyway. My works evolved out of that. I get bored very quickly. And I have been doing this for maybe 25 years or so. I need to stay interested. Because I change the way I work so much, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never boring,â&#x20AC;? he said in the interview produced

by Tateshots titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m The Rebel Withinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Certainly, there will be no dull moment, as the ART X visitors listen to Shonibareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exploits on the global space and his integrity to artistic truths in his form and content. With art biennials and festivals seizing the art audience around this period in Lagos, ART X Talks with Shonibare is indeed a trump card to grow a broad spectrum of audience for the art.

Shonibare

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T H I S D AY t 46/%": 0$50#&3 ċĊ ċĉĊđ

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30TH YEAR IN MEMORIAM Beloved Mum, You left us within one year after Dad left us, We, however, take consolation in the fact that only the Deep (Dad) can call to the Deep (You), To come to the Highest Spiritual Mountain.

The Inner Part of me is in Turmoil, The Waves Ride Over The Crest, Thy Beloved Face Rise Over the Rest, For It is SAD to acknowledge, That No Flower on Earth, But Beloved you, Could Ever Bloom, To Gladden my Heart.

What is this thing Called LOVE, That we Foolishly and Desperately Try to prevent our Loved Ones From leaving us and going to The Highest Spiritual mountain.

We forget that All Belong to Mother Nature and that powerless You Remain, If that be her Will.

Mum you were a simple, kind, Generous, and Virtous woman.

You were an Icon and an Inestimable Jewel.

You brought us up in the Way and Fear of The Lord our God. You gave us courage, And showed us the Realities of the World.

You taught us to Fight for Principles.

You Guided and Inspired us.

Your smile was Loving and Tender, You added Gladness to our Living.

You made a Home out of our House, By being Thoughtful and Sweet.

You had True Wisdom and Strength, And Limitless Faith in Us your Children.

Mum, it is 30 years Today, and we Dearly Miss you today, as ever, but Almighty God loves you more.

May His Light Perpetual Continue To shine upon you as you Rest in Perfect Peace in The Spiritual World, Where There is No Time, and Where the Present, Past, and Future, Form One Mighty Whole.

Dr. (Prince) Bolu Akin-Olugbade, PH.D. (CAMBRIDGE).

THE AARE ONAKAKANFO (FIELD MARSHAL) OF OWU KINGDOM AND THE UNIVERSE.

Chief (Mrs.) Gladys Iyabode Akin-Olugbade OTUN IYALODE OF OWU KINGDOM 12TH JUNE 1924 - 21ST OCTOBER 1988

FONDLY REMEMBERED WITH LOVE BY:-

THE AKIN-OLUGBADE FAMILY AND THEIR IN-LAWS

71

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

No One Deserves to Die Like Leman The recent killing of Hauwa Leman, a Nigerian aid worker by Boko Haram, is one murder too many, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

T

he brutal killing of an aide worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Hauwa Leman, last Monday, threw the nation into intense gloom. But more, it exposed the administration of President Buhari to flaks from different of fronts.

Reports of her death were linked to a video clip and a statement from her killers. In the video, a hapless Hauwa was forced to her knees, her hands tied to her back with what looked like a crested hijab and then shot at close range.

Certainly no one deserves to die in such bestial manner, not the least an aid worker, who left the comfort of her home and the warmth and conviviality of family and friends for the good of humanity.

Lima’s fate reminds many of that of Saifura Ahmed. The two, alongside their colleague, Alice Loksha were humanitarian workers abducted in Rann, Kala Balge Local Government, Borno State in March 2018. Four soldiers, four policemen and three aid workers were reportedly killed in the attack. Ahmed was killed last September.

Reports had it that Saifura and Hauwa were killed, because they were considered Murtads (apostates) by the group. What this means is that they were once Muslims but abandoned their Sislam the moment they chose to work with the Red Cross, and there is no difference between Red Cross and UNICEF. “If we see them, we will kill the apostates among them – men or women – and choose to kill or keep the infidels as slaves – men or women,” the statement read, according to The Cable.

The killing on Monday of 24 years old Leman, a midwife and student of health education at the University of Maiduguri was carried out following the failure of the federal government to meet some of the demands by Boko Haram as of the deadline, which elapsed Monday.

The three were in captivity alongside I5-year-old schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped in Dapchi on February 19, 2018 with about 108 other students. The group has continued to hold Sharibu, when other 104 students were freed in March for her refusal to convert to Islam 24 hours prior to the release of other students.

However, ICRC communication delegate, Maiduguri subdelegation, Taofic Toure had pleaded with the federal government to avert Leman’s killing as the Monday deadline set by the insurgents approached. It is not clear if the administration did anything to avert her death.

Hauwa Leman Although a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the federal government was shocked and saddened at the killing of another aid worker by the terror group despite the actions taken by government and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.

If the dead do a reunion, the circumstances of their untimely deaths and what role the Nigerian government played or didn’t will certainly feature in Leman and Ahmed’s catch-up conversations.

For a government that listed improved security in the North East region of the country as one of its top achievements, its handling of the kidnap of the three aid workers in March 2018 is the opposite.

The manner the girls were being kidnapped while on humanitarian duties, held in captivity and now Leman’s death

punctured the claim by the federal government of a far more improved security in the troubled region. Not even government’s argument that the Boko Haram war was not conventional, to justify the many raids on defenceless communities in the region can absolve the administration of blame in the handling of the issue.

Observers have therefore insisted that the administration is not on top of the security situation in the region given the ease with which the terror group continues to raid defenceless communities, loot their treasures, rain down unimaginable terror and cart away young girls, as though they were spoils of war.

An analysis of the raids revealed the same pattern. More importantly, how the raiders of the terror group access communities deep into the country’s borders without coming against Nigerian forces not only faults government’s claims that all is now well in the region having heavily degraded the group, it also throws up a few questions.

Has government forces resorted to resting on their oars too soon or battle weary? Perhaps, government forces are taking a cue from the administration which appeared to have congratulated itself prematurely when it stated that Boko Haram has been greatly defeated. Is it a question of drop in the morale of the forces? What went wrong with the same forces that retook initially captured towns like Baga, Kawu, Konduga among others?

What is the military high command not seeing in terms of reappraising its war or containment strategy?

Interestingly, whenever the issue of securing the release of Nigerian captives is mentioned government officials were always quick to respond that government was making efforts in the direction. Unfortunately, the efforts have not yielded result, and the girls keep getting the bullets. The first was Saifura, now Hauwa, leading analysts to wonder what exactly government has been doing behind the scene to secure their freedom.

However, aside stepping up on the security of lives and property in the region, government needs to speed up whatever it is doing to free those captured by Boko Haram. The time to reactivate one of the tactics of statecraft that permits negotiated release of hostages, whether in swap deals or not, is now. Other hostages like Leah Sharibu, Alice Loksha, the remaining Chibok Girls and many others not known to the public but government intelligence corps should not go the way of the two aid workers.

Whatever it is, government needs to step up its game. And there is no better time to do so than now with the general election around the corner especially that the ruling party is faced with an apparently rejuvenated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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

Between Fayose and EFCC’s Mudslinging

T

he show staged last Tuesday by former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State at the national headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not unexpected. Not only did he prepare the commission ahead of time, he successfully competed for space on the front pages of major national dailies with the swearing-in of his successor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Fayose made good his boast to report himself to the EFCC to answer allegations of corruption and money laundering.He did so in style and drama only he could have pulled off.Fayose wore a bespokeT-shirt with the bold inscription,“EFCC, I Am Here”to announce his arrival at the EFCC office.There is no doubt Fayose’s antics have won him psychological victory of sort over the crimebusting agency which seemed unprepared for their new guest.

Beyond the ex-governor’s antics,most revealing thing so far is that while EFCC was busy shouting in the media of its case against Fayose,it was totally unprepared.At best what it was doing was to engage in a media trial It is senseless,to say the least,that four years after a crime was purportedly committed,the anti-graft agency is still conducting investigation.

EFCC is another name for joke.With EFCC claiming to have had a conclusive investigation and vowing that it was going to prosecute Fayose immediately his tenure ended,nothing else significant has happened.

It has become the dog of war of President Muhammadu Buhari going into the 2019 presidential election,hounding anybody that criticises or seems to be against the President’s ineptitude.

One thing is certain: Ibrahim Magu,the agency’s acting chairman,will go down in history as the most infamous individual to ever lead the once auspicious organisation.It is little wonder he has not been confirmed as the agency’s chairman.

The agency had gone public screaming blue murder,giving instructions to the immigration and customs not to let Fayose escape – slip through one of the borders.It is vainglorious shame,discredit and dishonour to men and women of integrity who uphold the highest values of intelligence and surveillance.What the Buhari administration is parading in EFCC are men fit to chase after cows in Daura.

Barely hours after the INEC declared Kayode Fayemi the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election,the EFCC said it was determined to prosecute Fayose regarding an alleged fraud at the Integrated Poultry Project/Biological Concepts Limited to the tune of N1.3 billion.

EFCC had tweeted:“The parri (party) is over; the cloak of immunity torn apart,and the staff broken.Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project/Biological Concepts Limited N1.3 billion fraud case file dusted off the shelves.See you soon.

In September,the EFCC wrote Fayose claiming he was needed for routine questioning – that has turned into two weeks.What the world is waiting for is whether EFCC will hold until February 2019 after the presidential election.One does not need to like the Ekiti State’s ex-governor’s style to understand that the EFCC is the pettiest and nastiest institution in Nigeria.Its stock in trade is smear campaign.Or else,how does one explain the rationality of the pictures of houses allegedly owned by Fayose being splashed in the media?

It’s simple: EFCC’s best achievement since the

coming of Buhari is media trial; smear campaign.

Despite willingly submitting himself for investigation,the agency still surreptitiously went ahead to get a devious court injunction.Which judge in his right sense granted EFCC – a politically tainted institution – the request to detain a former government for two weeks for no apparent reason to a politically tainted organisation like the EFCC? From Fayose’s disposition, the ex-governor would have been willing to answer EFCC’s invitation at anytime.To Fayose’s credit,he had already prepared his mind to spend time in EFCC’s detention facility.

Which judge granted the two-week detention order when the EFCC had four years or more to conclude the investigation?What the EFCC has done smacks of retribution and punitive action – it borders on irresponsibility.EFCC is more interested Fayose in punishing Fayose than in seeking justice.

The commission apparently wants to punish him that those properties were acquired by corrupt for always criticising Buhari.EFCC is not really means.They had four years to track these properinterested in his alleged crimes because if it was, ties.Why are they holding a media trial? EFCC it would have – with all the so-called damning should go to court and prosecute the former evidences it claimed to have at its disposal – governor – no immunity excuse any more. proceeded to prosecute Fayose and arraign him Had Fayose defected to APC,singing Buhari’s with much ado. praises,no harsh treatment would have been Hell,no! Forty-eight hours after Fayose had meted out to him.EFCC has become a lean, presented himself,thinking of what to do with the mean fighting machine for Buhari and his man.What does the EFCC need two weeks for to acolytes.They are fighting a losing battle.They did keep Fayose in detention? In puerile display,it has same with FFK,what did they come to? Nothing! been regaling the public with pictures of Fayose’s Therefore,as always the EFCC’s dolorous and houses.Is that the issue at hand?That is not the repetitive tale of atrocity against vociferous issue.Rather,EFCC should prove to Nigerians opponents like Fayose will come to nought.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

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BRIEFINGNOTES Saraki vs. Amaechi: Old Allies, New Foes and 2019 Grudge Battle Next year’s presidential election may boil down to a ferocious battle between two old allies now in opposing camps as they lead the campaigns of the nation’s leading presidential candidates, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

T

he appointments of two strong political allies, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi as the directors-general of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Muhammadu Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, are a classic example of the truism that the only thing permanent in politics is interest.

Given the antecedents of these two political gladiators, the nation appears set to witness one of the most interesting and intriguing campaigns for the office of the president in the weeks ahead.

A little over a decade back, when the two became politically intertwined, never would they have imagined that they would be pitted against each other in a manner that could be considered irreconcilable. That was about the time that the two political tacticians became close when they served Kwara and Rivers States as governors, and under the same political platform, the PDP. The two went on to head Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) as Chairman. Those familiar with the extent of their closeness linked the emergence of Amaechi as Saraki’s successor at the NGF to the measure of their political friendship even though the position was zoned to the South at the time. Saraki reportedly did everything to ensure Amaechi emerge, including playing tricks on his colleagues.

Their friendship may have been further cemented by the fact that they both suffered persecution at the time from some loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan, leading to the two of them dumping the PDP for the APC in 2014.

The two campaign directors-general did not only quit the then ruling party, but they also did so in a manner that decimated the PDP preparatory to its eventual defeat at the polls. They led a sizable number of notable PDP politicians out of the party.

Among them was the current Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, who was then Speaker House of Representatives, many senators including Dino Melaye and Ali Ndume among others.

They also left with their political structures in Kwara and Rivers.

The two former governors played very significant roles in the victory of President Buhari. While Amaechi was appointed the director-general of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, including spending his personal resources, Saraki rallied his contacts both at state and federal level behind candidate Buhari, and went all over the country with the APC standard bearer to campaign and raise a lot of money.

But shortly after the election, their relationship was strained over the slot for the running mate and ever since they have remained enemies. In fact, this ugly turn of event manifested in how Amaechi scaled through the ministerial screening at the Senate and was eventually cleared.

Still seething with anger on account of his jumping ship to the APC and his role in how their party was dethroned at the centre, exacerbated by his strained relationship with Saraki, PDP senators swore to scuttle his bid to become a minister.

Senators from his home state, backed by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, had seized on a petition authored by Integrity Group, in which the Port Harcourt-based group accused Amaechi of embezzlement and described him as unfit to be appointed a minister. After so many intrigues, wily horse-trading and alleged backstabbing, Amaechi was screened and cleared for his current ministerial appointment. The PDP lost, he smiled; but his friendship with Saraki had been largely slowed down, although Saraki availed the APC senators the executive cover, which eventually saw the PDP senators literally kissing the dust.

All those have now become history. The two political strategists now belong in different parties and pursuing different interests.

They are set to lock horns as they lead the campaigns of their different candidates. Political watchers are on the lookout to see who outfoxes the other.

Going forward, certain dynamics will determine who does what at the end of the day. One of the factors will be who has a better understanding of issues that will shape the campaign and has a

Saraki and Amaechi better strategy to execute the campaigns.

This is so because the two had over the course of their political growth demonstrated a good understanding of the nation’s political turf, which plays out at every turn.

Starting with Saraki, he appears to stand pretty well considering that he has little or no distractions. His home state appears rancourfree even after the party primary elections in the state. The state PDP structure is firmly in his grip and party members solidly behind him, so, he is not distracted, at least openly.

The same cannot be said of Amaechi. His control of the party in the state may not be in doubt but he is being challenged by a certain Senator Magnus Abe, who is interested in the APC governorship ticket as against Amaechi’s choice of Tonye Cole. Observers argued that this is a potential distraction.

Beside the disquiet in the home front, it will be interesting to see how Amaechi manages the egos of party stalwarts like the APC National Chairman and National Leader, Adams Oshiomole and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu respectively during the campaigns.

The two leading figures of the party initially kicked against the appointment of the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly as DG of President Buhari’s campaign. Media reports had it at the time that it was feared that holding the position would benefit Amaechi with so much clout, which he could deploy for his suspected presidential ambition come 2023.

But those conversant with Amaechi insisted he is up to the task adding that he is battle tested and a survivor, politically. They noted his doggedness and how against all odds, including opposition to

his governorship ambition by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some party elders, including estranged godfather, former governor Peter Odili, he vied for the PDP governorship ticket in 2007.

Even with all the political forces that stood against him, he held his own and won at the primaries. They also recalled how when the ticket was given to his cousin, Sir Celestine Omehia, he soldiered on until he retrieved it through the courts in October of 2007.

Saraki’s job may not be totally free of political headwinds though.

It remains to be seen how the formidable campaign organisation of Atiku, which won the ticket and bested the likes of Saraki, will team up with that of the PDP to forge a united force.

Signs of muffled discontent surfaced shortly after the announcement when the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, through the DG, former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel clarified that the Saraki committee was a creation of the party and not meant to replace that of the candidate.

Some analysts suggested that the Daniel committee may be unwilling to coalesce into that of the party or take directives from the Saraki committee. How these permutations play out will also define who gets the better of who between Saraki and Amaechi.

The campaign is definitely an interesting one for both of them.

There is no joking and they definitely must prove the stuff they are made of. While Amaechi has been tested before with Buhari’s first coming and also shown capacity, Saraki has never left anyone in doubt that he is a factor that no one can afford to take for granted, because he not only knows the game, he was born into it.

NOTES FOR FILE

Abia’s Frightening Explosion

Abia-pipeline explosion

Sixteen persons, including a soldier, reportedly died last week in Abia State following a pipeline explosion in two villages in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.

Commander of the Abia State Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Benito Eze, who said he visited the scene around 4a.m., described the incident as unfortunate, claimed the incidence happened when some youths in the area tried to scoop petroleum products from vandalised pipelines.

Although there was another reported fire incident in the same state from a private property in Umuimo village, which claimed three, incidences of explosions are becoming too rife and they question the disposition of the authority to safety.

The pipeline explosion was both frightening and disturbing and exposes the kind of value placed on life in this part of the world. Besides, constant reports on avoidable deaths cut the image of a nation still living in the Dark Age. This cannot continue unaddressed!

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

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CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Kanu: Disappearing Act of a Separatist Leader The sudden reappearance of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, after over a year of disappearing, is generating its natural traction, writes Emmanuel Ugwu

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hen a video clip and pictures showing Mr. Nnamdi Kanu praying in Jerusalem recently appeared on the internet, not a few knew what to make of it. There was no mistaking the image: it was indeed the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). But even as the video and pictures went viral, doubts still persisted as to whether they were pictures taken well before Kanu disappeared on September 14, 2017.

In fact, some thought it was IPOB propaganda gimmick.

However every shred of doubt was cleared when Emmanuel, younger brother to the IPOB leader, told some journalists on the phone that Kanu was in Jerusalem praying at the Wailing Wall on Friday.

He gave the name of the person, who posted the video and pictures as Castro Nkume and went further to state that the deputy director of IPOB, Uche Ejiofor had confirmed that the leader was in Jerusalem.

Hide original message “I can confirm that Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of IPOB is alive,” his younger brother enthused.

IPOB, on its part, promptly announced that its leader was alive and was “sighted praying at the Wailing Wall in the city of David in Jerusalem, State of Israel”.

The IPOB media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement said the reappearance of Kanu in Israel, “is the second coming” of the missing leader. He therefore announced “to Biafrans, friends of Biafra, lovers of freedom, men and women of goodwill across the world that the supreme Leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be coming live on Radio Biafra London on Sunday 21st October 2018 at 6pm Biafra time”.

It is expected that the radio broadcast would further lay credence to the claim that Kanu was not liquidated by Nigerian troops. The video clip and pictures posted on the net contained no audio component. The leader of IPOB was generally believed to have died more than a year ago, when troops involved in operation python dance II had on September 14, 2017, stormed the palace of Eze Israel Kanu, the father of the IPOB leader, ostensibly to dislodge IPOB members.

The separatists had converted the compound of the Egwukwu II of Afaraukwu Ibeku into their headquarters following the return of their leader from detention. And given the scale of destruction, including the bedroom of the IPOB leader, which was riddled with bullets, it was inconceivable that he managed to escape unscathed.

As casualties were said to have been carried by soldiers, it was believed that Kanu’s body could have been taken away by the troops. The suspense was thick in the air. But all the while, IPOB never said that its leader was dead nor did they count him among the living. The question on the lips of many was: Could it be possible for Kanu to be alive and maintain such silence, given that he had always taken his traducers to the cleaners in war of words.

Both the Nigerian government and its military high command denied killing the IPOB leader just like they also denied killing IPOB unarmed members. But it was hard to believe the authorities as they had never admitted to any killings even when the evidence was very glaring.

So Kanu has succeeded in cheating death and fooling everybody, including those that wished him death. His parents, Eze Kanu and Ugoeze Sally, who also disappeared in the smoke of the bombardments, are yet to be seen or heard from and the people of Afaraukwu are very worried about the whereabouts of their monarch.

As the whereabouts of the IPOB leader lingered, security agencies never made any public pronouncement to indicate whether or not they knew where Kanu was hiding if he was alive. It’s possible the authorities knew but chose to keep mum in order to cover the shame of their failed mission to eliminate the IPOB leader.

Kanu’s escape also highlighted the efficiency of IPOB intelligence, which they had often relied on in their running battle with the authority. But a former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu had proved to Nigerians and indeed the world that he had a superior intelligence gathering network.

Soon after the IPOB leader disappeared, Kalu reportedly declared that Nnamdi Kanu had made his way to London through Malaysia. He did not make public the date that Kanu entered Malaysia and when he arrived in London as well as the means of escape. Kalu was largely ignored with his opponents accusing him of playing politics with a serious issue that affects his own people all in the name of seeking to please President Muhammadu Buhari.

Since the disappearance of the IPOB leader had complicated his trial for treasonable felony pending at a federal high court, Abuja, it was a matter of time before Kanu talked himself into trouble. On October 11, 2018 Justice Binta Nyako summoned Kalu to appear in court on November 14, 2018 to testify on the whereabouts of Kanu.

The subpoena was issued on the request of Kanu’s lawyer,

Kanu praying in Jerusalem Ifeanyi Ejiofor, following Kalu’s “outburst” of September 18, 2018, when he reportedly told journalists in Minna, Niger State, that he knew that the IPOB leader was in London.

Kalu had visited the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and reiterated his knowledge of Kalu’s whereabouts while fielding questions from journalists.

Kanu’s unknown whereabouts also caught Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe on the wrong side of the law. The Senator representing Abia South had as the chairman of Southeast caucus in the Senate, signed the bail bond for Kanu’s release after he was granted bail on health grounds. The IPOB leader was still enjoying his freedom, when troops invaded his home, leading to his disappearance.

But the court would have none of that as Justice Nyako insisted that Senator Abaribe must produce the IPOB leader or forfeit his N100 million bond or even be committed to prison.

Abaribe had tried to wriggle out of the imbroglio to no avail, saying he was not a party to operation python dance II, which led to Kanu’s disappearance.

All the arguments put forward by Abaribe’s counsel that the Senator should not be held responsible for Kanu’s disappearance had no impacts. But it would be interesting to see how the issue would pan out at the next court sitting on November 14, now that Kanu’s whereabouts has been confirmed by his immediate family and IPOB family.

The IPOB leader, through his separatist activities, was a thorn in the flesh of no less a person than President Buhari. Kanu’s separatist messages rankled the ears of the president and others, who share the strongly belief in the corporate existence of Nigeria with all its imperfections.

To them, the IPOB leader was an irritant and if allowed to continue with his gospel of Biafra self-determination, Nigeria would be plunged into crisis that could dismember the nation.

It was therefore not a surprise when troops were sent to Afaraukwu in the capital city of Umuahia to deal with the IPOB problem. Kanu’s critics accused him of cowardice when he was not pronounced dead after the military operation.

They accused him of leading dozens of young men and women to their early graves in the quest for Biafra only to

disappear, when it mattered most. Kanu actually behaved like the man, who first started the Biafra consciousness for self-determination, the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who declared the short-lived Republic of Biafra and led his people to fight for its survival.

Ojukwu disappeared on losing the war but his whereabouts in Ivory Coast (now Cote D’Ivoire) was in the public domain until he got a state pardon and returned from exile in 1982. And even if Kanu had died, truth is that the Biafra question would have remained unresolved as IPOB has always maintained that it has concentric layers of leadership hence the death of one leader would not end the quest to restore Biafra.

Not only that, Biafra is an ideology that has permeated millions of hearts hence it would be extremely hard to wipe it away just by killing a man called Nnamdi Kanu.

Those who believe that the elimination of Kanu would put an end to the Biafran agitation could readily point to a historical example from Sri Lanka, which for over two decades, was bogged down with separatist armed struggle by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The separatist agitation ended with the death of the founder and leader of LTTE, Velupillai Prabhakaran on May 18, 2009 while leading the Tigers in battle with the Sri Lanka troops. The death of the LTTE leader and members of his nuclear family actually ended the Tamil quest to create an independent state in the area covering north and east of Sri Lanka.

While both the LTTE and IPOB share the same ideology of separatism, the former was engaged in armed struggle to realise its objective while the latter has till date not taken up arms against the Nigerian state. Though IPOB is expectedly in joyous mood on the reappearance of its leader, Kanu, there is no hint that the separatist movement would change its tactics of using non armed struggle to achieve its objectives.

Its spokesman said Kanu and “other reputable and hardcore Biafrans will leave no stone unturned to restore Biafra sovereignty” as long as Biafrans are held down in Nigeria, adding that, “Biafra independence and freedom is gathering momentum around the world right now. We will not relent in pursuing hard for total Biafra freedom in the near future.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

CICERO/REPORT

Kicking off the Presidential Debate From the reactions that trailed the heated debate between the campaign spokespersons of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) and that of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Segun Sowunmi, it is clear that debate is inevitable in the nation’s electoral process, writes Shola Oyeyipo

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ext year’s presidential election promises to be historic and expectedly, it is already attracting the attention of many Nigerians, who are expressing deep interest in knowing whether incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari will get a second term or one of his opponents, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is capable of ousting the sitting Nigerian leader.

In the midst of the permutations and speculations, the general concern among well-meaning Nigerians has been that the debates leading to the election should be issue-based, devoid of character assassination, vituperative attacks, religious and ethnic sentiments and all such primordial extraneous emotions that shaped the 2015 presidential election.

Apart from harping on the need for a free, fair and credible election on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), when he was speaking with THISDAY on the successful conclusion of the PDP presidential primaries in preparation for the 2019 general election, elder statesman and a founding member of political and cultural association of the Northern leaders, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, emphasised the need for issue-based politics.

In the estimation of the elder statesman, the 2019 presidential election presents Nigerians with a huge opportunity to elect a leader based on specified agenda and capability and not on the basis of sentiments that have no direct correlation on improving the quality of life they live.

“Since the candidate of the APC and the PDP are now in the same region, coming from the same ethnic group and coming from the same religion, there should be no politics of ethnicity, religion or sectionalism. It should be based on issues. It is what they are going to do for the people,” he said.

That, perhaps, explained the attention a lot of Nigerians paid to the heated debate between the campaign spokespersons of President Buhari, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) and that of Atiku, Mr. Segun Sowunmi, when they both slugged it out on a live programme.

It was a fierce and no-holds-bar engagement. Keyamo fired all the salvos in his arsenal. He did not only accuse Atiku of failing in the management of public institutions during his days as vice-president between 1999 and 2007. He maintained that the PDP candidate could not run based on his achievements as a private businessman, but on his records as a government official, which he called colossal failure.

According to him, “How did Atiku Abubakar create jobs, when he was vice-president? What we saw was a colossal failure in terms of management of public institutions,” adding that “Under the privatisation programme, NITEL became a disaster.”

Keyamo said as much during the interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily Monday.

But Sowunmi, while canvassing support for Atiku, assured Nigerians that his principal deserves all the support he could get from Nigerians to become the president of the country in 2019, because he possesses the requisite understanding needed to address some of the major problems confronting Nigeria such as insecurity and unemployment. He added that relying on his private sector experience, he would create jobs.

Whereas the APC-led Buhari government has continuously showcased its anti-corruption campaign as one of the major achievements of the administration, Sowunmi dismissed Buhari’s anti-graft war. His argument was that the Nigerian economy ran into a slump, because of the monumental corruption going on under this government and he was sure that a lot would be uncovered if Nigerians vote a new government from another party in 2019.

Sowunmi, a public affairs analyst, described the President Buhari government as one with zero integrity, and that the APC national leadership is not capable of fixing the economy.

He said, “The present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari has zero integrity. Whatever arguments they have now about fixing the economy is laughable. They say one thing in the morning, they do another. First, they said they don’t even know the meaning of subsidy. Right now, they can’t explain to us who is paying subsidy or who is appropriating it.

“All over the places where you turn, all the principal officers of this government are just deep in sleaze, made totally worse, is that they really have no care for any section of the country; when they are not calling young people lazy, they are telling the women that their position is just in the bedroom, whatever that meant. Worse is that they go all over the world shaming the whole country, claiming that Nigeria is corrupt, even applauding other nations who call us ‘fantastically corrupt,” Sowunmi said tagging the Buhari administration as “totally incompetent and unacceptable.”

He also wondered that having spent almost three and a half years in their various ministries, the government has not been able to reconstitute the cabinet, saying “how can they re-jig their cabinet when they don’t know what they are doing?”

But expectedly as a lawyer, Keyamo was not cowed. While he sustained his argument that the APC government has delivered

Sowemimo

Keyamo

on its promises, he observed that Atiku is working to ride to power on the emotions of Nigerians. He also harped on the corruption stigma pasted on the PDP candidate, laying emphasis on the corruption case against then Louisiana Congressman, William Jefferson in the United States, which allegedly involved Atiku.

Stressing that President Buhari has done well with the Nigerian economy such that the country is the best-performing economy in Africa, Keyamo said, “One of the best things that has happened to us as a party and to President Buhari is the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP,” and one of the reasons according to him is that he has baggage. The reactions that trailed the debate on Twitter as it was ongoing were clear indications of how interested Nigerians are about the content of character of their leaders, particularly at the presidential level.

For instance, Yung Mula said: Festus Keyamo spoke like an illiterate. He was asked why Buhari is a preferred choice and he was talking about Atiku. That is what you become when you follow an illiterate herdsman foolishly without thinking.

Same rubbish Magu, Lai Mohammed and Buhari do. They can’t answer a simple question.”

But Mommoh Ismaila thinks differently, because to him: “Keyamo destroyed Atiku’s spokesman, wailers, IPOB and haters combined this (Monday) morning.” Also, in Yusuff Azeez’s opinion, the allegations of corruption against Atiku can be verified. “It is on US homeland security website and if you type Abubakar Atiku you will see all you need to know about the money laundering and bribery indictment on Atiku.”

Contending with Azeez, Bakare Olawale asked: “I want to know, please, does indictment also mean conviction? To my own understanding, the fact that somebody is indicted doesn’t mean he’s guilty. After being indicted, did they investigate and find him guilty of the offence? If yes, then let him be labeled as corrupt, if no, then everybody shut up!”

Chichi Onyewuchi said: “Sowunmi Segun, I doff my hat to you sir. That was top notch. That is how intelligent political discourse is handled. Give us hard facts and not mudslinging.

It will be an honour to learn from you sir.” Similarly, Ogbiye Cormelavoga opined that: “In summary, Segun Sowunmi projected his principal, while Festus Keyamo spent his lot to attack Atiku. Sowunmi is superior!”

But Abar Sammy didn’t agree that Sowunmi was that impres-

sive. He replied Cormelavoga by noting that, “I guess you never had time to watch it (the debate). In as much I am not for any of them, Atiku’s spokesperson just embarrassed himself for not even having enough evidence to defend his master.” Olayinka Alebiosu added that “If this is strictly about how people do their jobs properly, I salute Keyamo for bringing the discussion back to where it counts: public service records only,” saying “It would be the only solid basis for comparison.”

While not attempting to paint any of the debaters as superior to each other, the compiled reactions are simply indicative of one thing, that Nigerians are really keen about hearing what the would-be-leaders have in plan for them and that being part of a well-organised debate is one of the easiest ways to give the citizenry that opportunity to take informed decision on who to cast their votes for.

While President Buhari succeeded at avoiding the debate ahead of the 2015, it is clear that he may have a hard time escaping it this time around. Already, Atiku, a former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau and other presidential aspirants interested in contesting in the 2019 election had challenged him to a debate ahead of the poll if they emergedw candidates.

Similarly, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu; a former presidential candidate of the KOWA Party in the 2015 election, Prof. Remi Sonaiya; Publisher, Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore; Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher; and Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies, have all indicated readiness to stand on the podium in a debate challenge against the Nigerian leader.

In fact, Moghalu, who is now the presidential candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP), alleged plans by the APC to delegate Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for the presidential debate, saying such move is fraudulent.

The articulate Professor of International Business, who suspects that President Buhari plans to evade the debate, said he should rather come out for a debate. He advised Osinbajo to debate with his fellow vice-presidential candidates and not with aspiring presidents.

As it is, it is either the ruling party begins to draw up a plan for the president to trade tackles with his challengers in a debate or score themselves low in the eyes of the interested public, who are obviously not only waiting to evaluate the bargain a would-be president has for them, but who also want to assess the intellectual capacity of the presidential candidates.

T H I S D AY t 46/%": 0$50#&3 ċĊ ċĉĊđ

75

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

76

CICERO/REPORT/TRIBUTE

For Ganduje, ‘Bribery Video’ May Change It All Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s bribery video is changing the tenor of debates ahead of next year’s election in Kano State and President Muhammadu Buhari’s so-called integrity as individuals he surrounds himself with are anything but above board, writes Ibrahim Shuaibu

A

video of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano State allegedly receiving a kickback from contractors is currently trending on the social media and amongst the people of Kano State especially, on whether or not the scenario was blackmail.

The video also created discontent among the loyalists of the governor, who were in shock while others doubted its authenticity at a time Ganduje is battling internal crisis in the party over the outcome of the primary.

The video that was uploaded by Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, showed the governor receiving bundles of dollars and putting them into his white dress known as ‘babanriga’ in the northern part of Nigeria.

According to the online newspaper, the governor had allegedly requested $5 million from the contractors, who recorded the video while handing part of the payment to him.

Since the video surfaced online, it has generated a lot of reactions from Kano people, with some saying it was, in general, a dent on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption agenda since the governor is a member of the ruling party of the ruling APC. Many people are already of the opinion that reactions so far generated by the alleged bribery video may likely impact on the second term bid of Governor Ganduje.

Mr. Jafar Jafar, an online publisher of Daily Nigerian, had in the last two weeks announced that there were videos of a governor from the North West collecting kickbacks from contractors to be made public.

The first video had no voice because the ambience had been removed and replaced with the sound of a flute.

But in its response to the video, the Kano State government claimed it was cloned. “We wish to state that there is no iota of truth to these allegations and if indeed there is any such alleged video, it is at best cloned,” the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, said in a statement.

“The government of Kano State is taking this matter seriously and will exploit every appropriate and legal avenue to ensure that it gets to the root of the matter and the perpetrators are brought to book,” he added.

The government said the video was cloned by an antagonist of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that has been working for the opposition.

But reacting, Hajiya Binta Spikin, spokesperson for the former governor and now a senator, Rabiu Kwankwaso, dismissed the claim saying her principal had nothing to do with it.

The governor, 69, who said he was not moved by the development has come out to say despite the situation, medical personnel at Shiekh Jidda General Hospital in Kano city, certified that his blood pressure was within normal range.

Taking a swipe at his antagonists, the governor said, “This shows that the blackmail is not effective. It has failed. It is a deception and it is fictions.”

A day after the reaction by Garba, who threatened legal actions against Jafar, he released the second video clip in which the governor

Ganduje

was seen collecting bundles of dollars from anonymous persons. But this time, there was the sound and the voice could be heard. It also has a transcript on the screen for non-Hausa viewers to read.

Following this, the Kano State House of Assembly could not help but react to the growing tension in the public space especially that it had started to manifest in political programmes on radio, the most widely accepted source of information dissemination in the state.

Speaker of the assembly, Alhassan Rurum, immediately announced the setting up of a seven-man committee to investigate the matter and called on the state government to suspend its planned legal action by one month to allow the committee to investigate the matter properly.

In another public reaction monitored on the radio, the Kano State Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Musa IliyasuKwankwaso, defended Ganduje, reportedly saying collecting kickbacks

is normal in government.

Kwankwaso spoke on a Hausa programme recently and explained that though it was illegal to collect certain percentage to award contract, the practice is rampant levels of government.

He tried to prove that even if the allegations against the governor was true, it is nothing because it is a generally accepted practice in the country.

“Since the three years of this administration, the contractors have been giving the kickbacks, why did they fail to claim that they must pay 15 to 25 per cent before they were awarded contracts until now?

“I challenge the contractors to come out and say that they must pay the percentage before they receive contracts. This is just blackmail to the person of Ganduje,” the commissioner said.

Although Ganduje had remained silent over the whole saga, the whistle-blower claimed that multiple contractors, who spoke to him on the condition of anonymity, said the governor personally received from 15 to 25 percent kickbacks for every project executed in the state.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had since written a letter to the Kano Commissioner of Police, notifying the command that some students in the state were planning a massive protest to call on the governor to resign to allow for independent investigation into the matter in order to unfold the truth.

The leader of the students union, Comrade Isah Abubakar, stated that the group would hold its protest on October 29, from Zoo road to the Government House.

But the police through its public relations officer, SP Magaji Musa Majia, had called on the students to desist from such plans or face the wrath of the Command, insisting that the command would not accept any attempt to politicise the matter and would not allow the thugs waiting for such opportunity to disrupt the peace being enjoyed in the metropolis.

The Police have also enhanced security in the city of Kano to forestall any crisis eruption between rivals as they believe it is difficult for it not to be given political undertone and exploited.

Mr. Ahmed Dauda, an analyst in Kano, explained that the issue is that of an allegation that needs to be investigated, until proven, it remains an allegation.

He added that “room for independent investigation must be allowed if the government is to preserve its public integrity. It is not just enough to dismiss the allegation as false without any investigation. He, therefore, called for independent investigation even if the governor has to serve as a deterrent to others”.

He further explained that since giving and taking bribe are both criminal offences, the giver of the bribe will also be unwrapped if investigated to face the wrath of the law as well.

Political analyst, Mr. Yakubu Yau, was of the view that if the investigation committee set up by the state House of Assembly found Ganduje guilty, the chances of his second term ambition might be forlorn.

“Governor Ganduje is having integrity problems with this viral video of bribery allegations but all this will be sorted out before the general election,” he said.

Prince Adedapo Aderemi: A Short but Memorable Life Adegboyega Aderemi

M

orounfolu Adedapo Aderemi was six years old when his father, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, was installed as the Ooni of Ife in September, 1930. His mother, Ileladewa Aderemi, was the daughter of Ooni Adelekan, Olubuse I (1894-1909).

Being the heir of the great Oba Aderemi, upon whose shoulders an equally great dynasty was being placed, meticulous attention was given to the young Adedapo’s tutelage. After his early education at the private royal school in his father’s palace, he proceeded to the Kings College, Lagos.

At the KC, Adedapo began to exhibit tendencies that were totally at variance with his conservative upbringing. In 1944, a group of students at the KC organized anti-establishment demonstrations at a time such activities were prohibited.

Leading members of Hexagon, the body that mobilized fellow students for action included the late Adedapo, the late Justice Adenekan Ademola, the late Victor Ologundudu amongst others. Young Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was one of the ‘storm troopers’ that enforced the action.

A government enquiry was set up with the students defended by E James Alexander Taylor, eminent lawyer and master of court room theatrics, famously called the ‘cock of the bar’. The incident resulted in the conscription of Adedapo Aderemi into the army to fight in World War II as punishment.

With the KC experience, the radicalization of the young prince was complete. After his discharge from the army, he proceeded to the UK and attended Lincoln College, Oxford University. He was eventually called to the English Bar in 1951. During his student years in England, he became a very radical activist.

Operating from his father’s residence at Hans Crescent in Belgravia, he was a regular speaker at the Hyde Park. The subject of his protests was of course the evil of colonial rule.

At a point, he became a prominent member of the World Communist Students Union, with headquarters in Prague Czechoslovakia.

the party gave Adedapo an assignment of leadership in the Action Group’s campaign Blitzkrieg of the North. For 100 consecutive days, he was involved in AG’s robust engagements in the north. When the Northern People’s Congress began to intimidate, arrest and detain AG party leaders, the Sardauna of Sokoto persuaded the prince to return home. He insisted on not harassing him. He presented him with a dozen exquisitely made Hausa caps as a gesture of respect for royalty.

Prince Adedapo Aderemi’s worldview was transcendent of partisan politics as he had friends across party lines.

His bosom friend, the T.O.S Benson tried unsuccessfully to persuade him to team up with the Federal Government coalition, with the promise of a ministerial appointment.

Fondly and variously called M.A, Obadimeji and Prince Charming by his colleagues, friends and admirers, he was the quintessential aristocrat as well as the ultimate people’s champion.

Prince Adedapo (right) with his father Ooni Adesoji Aderemi, who was the first He was just as comfortable with caviar, Nigeria Governor of the Western Region, at Government House Ibadan in 1961 blue cheese and goat milk as he was with ‘isa emu’ (fermented palm-wine) and dele ( a native Ife cuisine made of blended beans and okra).

He attracted the attention of the British Intelligence Community and during a search of his residence, Stalinist materials What a contradiction. But that was his essence.

He loved his father dearly, and his father loved him were discovered in ample supply. A Royalist-Stalinist. It could not have got more confounding. Upon his return to Nigeria in with equal measure. Theirs was an unusual relationship of 1952, the prince quickly found his footing in the Action Group mutual adoration. He was his father’s son, friend, confidant and heir. When on October 15, 1963, he died at the age of for whom he worked tirelessly with friend R.A Fani-Kayode 39, in the prime of his life, a monumental tragedy struck until the 1959 elections. a family for which it is yet to recover. It is amazing how The story of the intrigues of those elections, which led people still talk fondly about this man, 55 years after his to the emergence of an independent candidate in Ife, solely demise. funded by Oba Aderemi against the Action Group of which –––Adegboyega Aderemi is the first son of Adedapo he was a pillar of support, is material for another time.

Aderemi and writes from Ibadan.

After the dust of the elections had settled, the leader of

77

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱͯ˜ ͰͮͯͶ

FOREIGN NEWS

Khashoggi’s Death Height of Saudi Intolerance The suspected murder of a Saudi journalist in Turkey again highlights Saudi Arabia’s suppression of dissident views.

However,thelatestincidentmightbeonetakentoofarbytheMiddle-easternmonarchy,writesDemola Ojo

L

ast week, the gory details of what might have happened to Jamal Khashoggi who disappeared more than two weeks ago were revealed by Turkish authorities to a shocked world.

Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian journalist, author, and a former general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel.

He also served as editor for the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Watan, turning it into a platform for Saudi Arabian progressives.

He left Saudi Arabia September last year and went into self-imposed exile in the US. Khashoggi said that the Saudi Arabian government had banned him from Twitter and that he feared for his life.

He later wrote newspaper articles critical of the Saudi government, especially of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, and his controversial tactics to consolidate power, which has involved arresting powerful business executives and members of the royal family.

Khashoggi also opposed the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

On October 2, a few days to his 60th birthday, Khashoggi entered the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents necessary to marry his Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz.

Cengiz reportedly waited for Khashoggi outside the consulate for roughly 11 hours, but said he never came out. Saudi officials initially claimed Khashoggi left the consulate freely, a lie they told for two weeks.

“Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter,” an unnamed Saudi official told The New York Times.

The Saudi Arabian government continued to vehemently deny allegations the reporter was murdered. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg News shortly after Khashoggi’s disappearance that Turkish authorities were welcome to search the consulate, adding, “We have nothing to hide.”

However, after overwhelming pressure from the international community, the Saudis two days ago finally admitted that Khashoggi was killed at the consulate in a fist fight.

Brutal Account But according to details coming from audio recordings described by a senior Turkish official last week, Saudi agents, who had flown into Istanbul a few hours before by private jet, were waiting when Khashoggi walked into the consulate. Within minutes, he was dead.

He was beheaded, dismembered and his fingers severed. Within two hours, the killers were gone.

The government of Turkey let out these and other leaks about the recording in an escalation of pressure on Saudi Arabia for answers about Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post.

Khashoggi’s death is disturbing because it seemed to have been at the behest of the Saudi crown prince, even though the Saudi narrative is that a rogue team perpetrated the act. A few senior officials have been sacked.

According to the Turkish officials’ account, the 15 Saudi agents, some with ties to Crown Prince Mohammed, deliberately murdered Khashoggi.

After the journalist was shown into the office of the Saudi consul, Mohammad al-Otaibi, the agents seized Khashoggi almost immediately and began to beat and torture him, eventually cutting off his fingers.

The consul was present and objected, the official said.

“Do this outside. You will put me in trouble,” Mr. Otaibi told the agents, according to the Turkish official and a report in the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak. Both cited audio recordings said to have been obtained by Turkish intelligence.

“If you want to live when you come back to Arabia, shut up,” one of the agents replied, according to both the official and the newspaper.

According to the New York Times, a top Saudi doctor of forensics had been brought along for the dissection and disposal of the body — an addition to the team that Turkish officials have called evidence of premeditation. And as the agents cut off Khashoggi’s head and dismembered his body, the doctor had some advice, according to the senior Turkish official.

Listen to music, he told them, as he donned headphones himself. That was what he did to ease the tension when doing such work, the doctor explained.

Although several Turkish officials have described the audio recordings or other evidence related to Khashoggi’s disappearance in the consulate, all have declined to disclose how the material was obtained.

Some recordings or other evidence may have come

bin Salman

from intercepted communications or audio surveillance that the Turkish government is unwilling to acknowledge for fear of compromising intelligence sources or revealing violations of international law.

Khashoggi

into an island.

The Salwa island project will change the geography of the region by digging a canal along its 61 kilometer border with Qatar. Saudi guards took control of the Salwa border crossing in April, cutting off Qatar’s only land link, and further isolating the peninsula.

Suppressive Antecedents Also, in what has been described as “a 9/11 threat” Whichever way the Saudis decide to handle a situation that has blown up in their faces, it only highlights a regime Saudi Arabia’s state media, in August, tweeted a graphic that has always trampled on the rights of citizens and also appearing to show an Air Canada airliner heading toward the Toronto skyline in a way that recalled the September 11, intolerant of contrary views both home and abroad.

2001, terrorist attacks on the US. This is a country that until June this year, was the only Saudi Arabia expelled Canada’s ambassador after an one in the world where women could not drive and families had to hire private chauffeurs for female relatives. official account called for the release of detained women’s However, the lifting of the ban came amid an intensified rights activists in the kingdom.

Fifteen of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, and crackdown on activists who campaigned for the right to Osama bin Laden, the attacks’ mastermind, was a Saudi drive. Women’s rights activists have been detained and citizen who has family there. could face trial in a counter-terrorism court and long The graphic warned of “Sticking one’s nose where it prison sentences for their activism. doesn’t belong!” and included the text: “As the Arabic Meanwhile in November last year, more than 200 businessmen, princes and government officials were detained saying goes: ‘He who interferes with what doesn’t concern and imprisoned at the luxury Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh him finds what doesn’t please him.’” in what the Saudi government said was an anti-corruption drive.

Economic Power Some of the powerful detainees may have suffered Saudi Arabia has been getting away with a lot due to its abuse at the hands of their captors as they were coerced economic power and its ties to the US. The Saudi economy into agreements to hand over billions of dollars to the is the largest in the Arab world. It has the world’s secondSaudi government in return for their freedom. largest proven petroleum reserves and the country is the According to the New York Times, a Saudi general may largest exporter of petroleum. have been tortured to death and several wealthy businessIn his initial reaction to Khashoggi’s disappearance, US men allegedly abused. Major General Ali al-Qahtani, President Donald Trump made mention of a $110 billion an aide to a senior Saudi prince seen as a potential rival arms deal he signed with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh last year to Prince Mohammed, died in government custody in and its importance to his country’s economy. mid-December.

But things may be changing at last. Washington has Sources said the general’s “neck was twisted unnatuhardened its stance with Trump saying in answer to quesrally as though it had been broken” and that his body had tions about consequences for Saudi Arabia if it is found burn marks which appeared to be the result of electric to be involved in the killing: “Well it’ll have to be severe, I shocks. mean it’s bad, bad stuff.”

Saudi Arabia’s reputation has taken further dents over Last Thursday, Saudi Arabia felt the first repercussions its conduct in Yemen. The past months have been replete from the US over Khashoggi’s apparent death, with with horror stories from the Saudi-led invasion there: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin pulling out of a planned an airstrike claiming the lives of at least 20 members of a appearance at a Saudi investment conference this week. An wedding party, or 40 children killed when a Saudi bomb administration official said no US officials would attend hit their school bus. the conference in his stead.

The conflict at its heart has been driven by a local fight Liam Fox, the UK trade secretary, and the French finance between the former president and his vice-president who minister, Bruno Le Maire, and his Dutch counterpart, ousted him following the Arab spring. But Saudi Arabia’s Wopke Hoekstra, also pulled out of the conference. interference has helped escalate it to the detriment of the The CEOs of three top banks had already announced civilian population there. their withdrawal. International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has also cancelled her attendance.

Saudi Arabia was also at the forefront of the coalition Bipartisan groups of US lawmakers have begun to back that attempted to arm twist its neighbour, Qatar which international demands for an independent investigation even though has faults of its own - is rapidly modernising into Khashoggi’s disappearance and are calling on Trump, and has set an example for freedom of the press by Arab who has touted the crown prince’s “total denial” of any standards. involvement, to reveal his personal financial ties to Saudi The historic land, maritime, and air blockade were mea- Arabia. sures designed to strong-arm Doha to comply with a list With the US, Saudi Arabia’s biggest ally taking the lead, of 13 demands, which included shutting down Al Jazeera the middle-eastern monarchy might finally start answering and other media outlets said to be funded by Doha. for decades of suppression and intolerance to dissident And last month, a senior Saudi official confirmed the views, starting with further explanations and clarifications Saudis desire to move forward with plans to turn Qatar over Khashoggi’s death.

78

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

EFCC, - Here I am!

It is not me o. Kai, I know those sometimes overzealous agents would now be looking for fuel to put in one of those buses and start heading to Shomolu to look for me. It is not me o. I am just reacting to the T-shirt my friend and neighbour wore for his appointment. The T-shirt was very beautiful and showed his very fine built. The man no get fear and I respect him abeg. He announced his arrival with those immortal words – I AM HERE! Mbok you will not know the magnitude of this action until you receive a letter of invite from EFCC. It has happened to me before o. When I saw the letter headed paper, I peed in my pants even before I read the content. I began shaking and could no longer breathe. God gave me immediate wisdom, this one was not a matter of carrying lawyer, that na waste of time, this na work for prophet.

So I headed straight to the prophet at Iyana Oworo near the lagoon. I showed him the letter and he just smiled. He said he was the one that got the politicians that Buhari was jailing for 100 years in 1983 out of the prison that this one was small.

He asked for so many items and started work. We embarked on series of massive prayers and fasting, screaming holy holy holy. Jumping up and down and running into the lagoon to be baptised 7 times with the picture of Magu strapped to my chest. He told me on the day of the appointment, I should open the book of Psalms and be shouting Magu, magu, Magu, Magu as I was entering the gates.

So on the said date, as I drove in with my team of 20 including pastors, one witch doctor and two former beauty queens just in case they were needed to negotiate my freedom, I was whispering Magu, Magiu, Magu. Immediately I entered, the agent welcomed me in very good English, asked me to submit my phone

NO-FLY LIST IS SCARY The Executive Order in itself is scary enough but what can we do especially now that it has judicial backing? So the release of the list of the 50 high profile Nigerians who cannot travel because they have questions to answer is really intriguing. I am not a lawyer and would not begin to even attempt to discuss it but would only concern myself with the political implications of it all. You see, our President comes with a lot of strong positives but you will agree that some of the pot shots directed at him include his possible autocratic disposition. So a few months to a decisive election where his democratic credentials especially in the face of some policy decisions and apparent refusal to obey some court orders would be tested, you would really be sending very wrong signals to the populace with this no-fly list. Agreed that the names already being mentioned have cases to answer and as such may deserve to be on this list, if you ask me the timing is so so poor. But then again, what do I know? We should be seeing a softer Presidency with human face. This is the time that Aisha and

Aisha Buhari

Fayose

and come in alone. All my delegations stood there helpless and I was led in alone. My people, the interrogation lasted for almost the whole day. The agents were very meticulous and kind, they even gave me a bottle of Coke at some point. When I started crying, they offered to call my mother for me. We called my mother in Uyo and she told me to be a man and stop crying and that if I had to go, then I must go as a man. Kai, which kind mama be this? But anyways, it suddenly looked like the prophet was working because immediately after all the questions, they gave me a release document to sign and go. Mbok, I jumped up, hugged them, cried some more and thanked them very much. I gave them an undertaking to sign not to ever tell my supporters that I cried o and they willingly signed. Very nice people o, these EFCC agents on Okotie Eboh. They followed me outside and

the other women like Osinbajo’s madam should start coming out. This is not time for all these powerman moves and the fight against corruption is a liability and should be discarded immediately. It will not win you guys any sympathizers. Start selling a story of a brighter future with the President using the next four years to groom and guide a smooth transition towards a younger, more virile leadership.

A stay on the anti-corruption pedestal will look selective persecution of opponents.

So kindly de-emphasise that No Fly list. it is looking draconian despite its obviously good intentions. My two kobo.

stood aside and watched me address the little crowd that had assembled. I spoke boldly about how not to fear if you have nothing to hide, exactly the same thing Fayose is saying now. I told them how, I will continue to stand for transparency and how a strong leader should always stand by the truth and never be afraid to stand or die for his beliefs. As I walked into the waiting car with my followers including the beauty queens shouting AJANAKU!!! AJANAKU!!! – that time I was not yet the Duke of Shomolu, I made a mental note never to drive pass that Okotie Eboh street talk less of entering that place. So you can imagine the deep respect I have for Fayose, for not doing the needful of running away like the NADECO people through borders at night but by boldly walking in and proclaiming himself ready to be interrogated. You are my man of the year.

God bless you.

Fayose – tips to survive EFCC Your Excellency, as you commence the next phase of your career which will see you form an inconvenient partnership with the EFCC, you will need the following tips: · EFCC agents are some of the best trained you will get to find so you must remain at the top of your game Remain calm and patient. Answer only direct questions in simple short sentences.

EFCC agents are very polite and respectful, return the courtesy and you will have good interactions Eat well every morning before you go for your appointments. The questions will kill your hunger Go in with a bottle of water, thirst will kill you Ignore the crowd outside, they are attempts to go to court. You know all these just make me laugh at the kind of society we have found ourselves. Anyways, my advice to all who have things to hide, always make sure you search all your counterparties, switch off their phones and in fact seize the phones and contract your business and after that, you release the phones. If you don’t do that you just might find yourself guest-starring in an epic like this. But Winston Churchill? Edgar you are just mad. I tell you.

useless to you · Never hurry to answer questions.

Think well before talking o. If not sure, say you are not · No rhetoric here. All that one na for campaign, here na facts dey rule · Look at the agent straight in the eye, a significant part of their business is reading your body language. · Don’t panic, don’t fret. You are the rock and they know. · You are in good hands and you will be treated well. I assure you. · In case you have to sleep, don’t worry about carrying your pillows, just go with two clean boxer shorts and carry plenty newspapers · There will be no conjugal visits, so fill your rations before entering · You notice, I never mention lawyer for all these. They will just be pushing you to go to court because of the weight and celebrity of the matter. Don’t mind them abeg o, the one you can beg, beg, the one you can negotiate, negotiate, the one you can confess, confess, the one you will not gree, no gree. · Finally, nothing is impossible for our Lord. Please let me know if you need spiritual fortification, my Prophet is on standby. Remember he worked for Second Republic politicians so he comes with a lot of experience Peter you are the rock. Always remember that, remain steadfast and continue to stand tall, you have started well, remain strong.

Ayo Fayose – suggested T-shirt tips EFCC – I am here, need to pee though Lere – I hope you are there o FFK – Aburo Mi EFCC – It wasn’t me

Obi comes with very strong credentials and his choice shows the direction that an Atiku Presidency if elected would be headed. So as I sit, apart from may be Charles Soludo I do not really see any other better candidate. So let’s calm down and make this process seamless for once.

Thank you my bothers. If you guys spoil this one, I will not forgive you.

OBJ AND HIS PRODIGAL SON

If you have not seen that video, you just may be living under a rock. In fact , as I wrote, a second one had emerged. Me, I have looked very closely at the video and cannot recognise anybody in it o. Am I not a coward? Even the second one really confused me o. But they have been saying who it is and I will not say who I think it is only that the person I am seeing looks little bit like Winston Churchill. As usual denials have been issued and I hear even

Shebi anytime, the country looks towards the Igbo for stability and cohesion they will start to be showing themselves.

Now they are fidgeting about the choice of Peter Obi which in my estimation is an excellent choice. Some elements are now saying they were not consulted before the Obi choice and before you realize it they will through up 64 possible candidates and muddy up the whole thing. It is their style and this is quite unfortunate. At this point we need focus and cohesion. If you ask me, Ndigbo should for once act out of character and line up behind Obi’s choice.

Mbok, immediately I saw the report and the pictures, I went immediately to read OBJ’s book especially the part that concerns Atiku. I am telling you, it is not good to act in anger o. If you see the things OBJ wrote about this his prodigal son, you will cry o. Please go get the book, they still sell it on Third Mainland Bridge as you descend into Onikan near the Yoruba Tennis Club. You will see street hawkers still carrying it. If you cannot afford the pirated book, get the photocopied one, that one is N500. So you can imagine my shock when I heard that this was about to happen. Atiku must really be desperate for him to after that kain yabis and abuse go seek Oga’s

Winston Churchill

Obi

Obasanjo

NOLLYWOOD IN KANO

NDIGBO YOU HAVE STARTED

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OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

LOUD WHISPERS

Oyedepo

blessings and daddy too must really have a big heart to have hearkened to the pleas to not only receive this prodigal son but also go ahead to endorse his candidacy and proclaim him the incoming president.

Lesson learnt here is never to write a book when someone annoys me. So if this my partner Lami annoys me as he is always wont to do, I will yab him verbally o and not write a book, just in case I am called upon to endorse him for something like what is happening here. So Lami watch out for my big mouth. Kai, the yabis OBJ gave Atiku in that book was too much o.

Mbok, run and go get the book NOW.

PASTOR OYEDEPO: BUT WHY? The highly respected man of God is working with his dictionary to better explain his role at the last reconciliatory meeting between OBJ and the PDP standard-bearer Abubakar Atiku.

Daddy has been going through pains to explain to us the true meaning of the word ENDORSEMENT. But honestly, why bother? So you did not know that by even showing face at that kain of meeting was a kind of endorsement. If I invited you to come and help me beg the late Fela in his shrine and you followed me, what would that be? You see, me I am getting tired of all these lily-livered people who pervade our sociopolitical space. So you accept to go with a team to beg for forgiveness from the greatest living Nigerian and then do a photo op and then turn back to say ‘I did not endorse’. Daddy na full endorsement and it is ok. All you need to do is also turn around and endorse the other side too, it is, within your purview as a great man of God to play a fatherly role and endorse both sides and it is left for us as Nigerians to choose who we want. There is no problem, sir.

AGBAJE – THE ‘ME TOO CANDIDATE’ This candidacy is beginning to look like a ‘Me Too Candidate’. His posturing does not show any seriousness. To me, this was a knee-jerk reaction to the confusion thrown up by the Jagaban led putsch against Ambode. So Agbaje was lying in bed after hot Amala and watching TV, tuned to Channels TV saw the report that Ambode was struggling with his godfather and he just jumped up from the other room shouting with his towel still wrapped around his waist – ‘eureka, I have found it. I am coming back’ and that was it.

Gone is the vibrancy of the last campaign, gone is the energy level that perfectly positioned him as a possible threat to the feudal hegemony that continues to hold down Lagos. What we are seeing here now is a slow moving, arthritis-laden campaign riddled with memories of the days gone by. Mbok, if you can’t do it, let us continue suffering under the yoke of the lion until a true messiah born out of Shomolu with Ibibio heritage comes to rescue Lagos. It has been foretold.

Jimi Agbaje

Ambode

Festus Keyamo – Let’s Change Strategy This brilliant legal mind is my friend o. We have had series of discussions on the Nigerian Project before and after his appointment as spokesman of the Buhari campaign. I was genuinely excited about his appointment as I felt that the Buhari team needed to build a strong intellectual bulwark to resist and counter Reno Omokri who was and is still firing some very strong darts using facts and figures as veritable tools for penetrative attack. As at that time, all we were getting as response were Uncle Lai’s comical Ali-type responses. So when Keyamo’s appointment was announced I was genuinely excited at the prospect of serious and constructive engagement.

But my brother you know, I cannot lie for you, that TV programme, no be am at all. I know know that PDP person, na

you I know and na you I go fire. What was that na? Shouting and heckling on live TV? Na so spokesman dey behave?

You no get CNN? Abi, I should come and pay your subscription, so you watch and see how spokesmen defend positions with strong arguments? How they pace themselves with decorum and professionalism? Abeg, my bro you no try. Both of you and that episode would not help your candidates. Mbok, let’s be deliberate in our responses, let’s work with facts and eschew all the provocative and sometimes abusive languages and statements, let’s position our candidate as a statesman, who will not descend into the muddy pits to win a point. I trust you and believe that you can turn this around, so do it. Thank you.

Em

be talking those things he used to tell us during the MAMSER days. These people really do not have respect for the populace otherwise how would such a relic from our past wake up from deep slumber and begin to harbor this kind ambition? He should respect himself, I tell you. Please, allow Duke to concentrate and see how he will deliver his 5,000 votes. Don’t go and distract him now or even attempt to split those votes o. I am warning you o, my Lord.

SOWORE AND AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH Let us even say that we are taking this candidate seriously which I dare say we definitely are not, his carriage, comportment and hot-headedness would certainly do him in. I fear with the way he is going, he could just fall from the candidacy into the infamy of an irrelevant mosquito. You really cannot avoid him because of his deft use of social media but his comments, vituperations and comportment do not strike you as a presidential candidate but that of an angry student union activist which he still remains at heart. He is not portraying Nigerian youths in very good formats and is going about his so-called campaign in a roguish and temperamental manner which is distracting a credible and structural move towards power by genuine Nigerian youths. My bother, calm down and allow us focus. Thank you.

SANWO-OLU – I DON’T HAVE MONEY

Keyamo

AKINWUNMI AMBODE – I AM HEARING RUMOURS I am hearing rumours that this candidacy may not be totally dead o.

I was in one office in Alausa looking for sponsorship for my new play, OBA ESUGBAYI when I overheard some very strategic members of this administration discuss this possibility. I will NEVER mention the office of the people who were talking even if I am hung upside down with fire on my head and my testicles tied to the ceiling fan. I will die instead but you don’t have to go that far to get information from me o. My testicles are very sensitive.

Well, back to the gist: apparently, they claim the Sanwo-Olu campaign is starved of funds as a result of the complicated financial system that Harvard-trained Ambode has put in place and as a result not only the Lagos wing of the firm is suffering but also the centre and that a

well-respected traditional ruler from the South-west came in for a meeting with the Lord of Hosts in Ikoyi to discuss the matter and the possible redrafting of the Ambode candidacy. You see in Nigerian politics never say never o. After all, Umaru Dikko won an election from a crate and Akpabio defected to APC and Mustapha is seeking presidency, so this Ambode own na small thing. Anyways, like I said, it was a gist and I will never say where I heard it. They gave me amala with goat meat to buy my silence and I intend to keep that oath.

JERRY GANA, WHAT IS THE MATTER? So my lord is upset about the emergence of very handsome and welldressed Donald Duke for president on their party’s platform. These are the kinds of things that really do annoy me in this country. So Gana thinks that the platform is another one where he will come and

Bro, I am sure you know that I have really not attuned myself to this your candidacy. Last week one of my guys invited me to your new office on Awolowo Road. I came o and it was very late at night and I saw your life-sized portrait on the wall. Well, much as I wish you luck on this campaign, I would like to inform you that although your emergence was a fallout of certain centrifugal forces, you would need to do more in establishing your own true identity and what you are really bringing to the table. I see a lot of people running around looking for money for you. I have been inundated with requests to financially support your campaign and I am beginning to wonder if they want me to carry my pikin school fees give you. The whole thing is so unstructured that it begins to show us just how this administration would run Lagos in a haphazard manner. So if this candidacy is truly that of the people like they have positioned you, then build a viable structure that should get the people’s support in the true sense of the word.

Mbok, tell your people to stop calling me o, I no get money ooooooo and let us start seeing a robust and well-organized structure that should seamlessly deliver the position to you. Well done, it is well.

When will you wear the Igbo traditional attire? You will need that vote. Thank you.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

SOCIALMEDIABITS Last week on Social media, Kano governor Ganduje was enmeshed in a bribery scandal, ex-governor Fayose presented himself to the EFCC, and Nnamdi Kanu surfaced in Jerusalem...

I

t would have been funny if it wasn’t so scandalous: videos circulated on social media seemed to show Kano State governor Umar Ganduje in compromising situations; in one, he obeyed a command to stand up and conceal wads of dollar notes under his flowing traditional attire. If seeing is believing, he should have ‘ex’ next to his appellation by now, rather than hobnobbing with the Nigerian president, which was exactly what he was doing by the end of the week.

But technology is so advanced these days that the veracity of the videos are being questioned. The governor’s spokesmen have put up several denials, stating the videos were doctored and that their principal is being blackmailed. The publishers of the

video have been summoned by the Kano House of Assembly through a letter to prove the authenticity of the “cliffs” (clips).

The case couldn’t have come at a worse time for the APC, with the ruling party heading into next year’s general elections touting its anti-corruption stance.

In contrast to Ganduje, former governor of Ekiti State Ayo Fayose has been detained by the EFCC after he submitted himself for questioning over allegations of corruption.

In line with his penchant for the dramatic, he arrived wearing a T-shirt announcing his arrival (EFCC I’m Here) along with supporters including Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike in tow. Let’s just say the Cont’d on pg 81

with DEMOLA OJO demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

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SOCIALMEDIABITS anti-graft agency wasn’t impressed by his theatrics.

While the (ex)governors were facing allegations of corruption, Nigeria lost two promising young women in circumstances symptomatic of the country’s security challenges. Hauwa Leman, an aid worker who had earlier been captured by terrorist group Boko Haram, became the latest victim of the insurgency that has bedevilled Nigeria for the better part of this decade but doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.

Just as sad was the case of Anita Akapson who was shot on the streets of Abuja by a policeman who under normal circumstances should be ready to lay down his life to protect her. It is another example of why Nigerians view the police with so much distrust. Our security agencies need an urgent overhaul but there doesn’t seem to be much hope of this happening in the nearest future.

There is hope of Nigeria finally returning to the Nations Cup, Africa’s premier football competition. The Super Eagles have missed the past two editions in 2017 and 2015 after lifting the trophy in 2013. A hard-fought 3-2 victory over Libya in Tunisia was added to the 4-0 thumping of the same opponents a few days before in Uyo.

One hallmark of the new Super Eagles is the number of Nigerian players born and/ or raised in the Diaspora as highlighted by Alexander Iwobi on Instagram.

President Buhari was in the news again last week because he feels Nigerians leaving the shores of the country to seek greener pastures abroad are putting a dent to the country’s reputation. He was quickly reminded on social media that his medical sojourns have been worse for Nigeria’s image. Along with security, healthcare is another challenge that doesn’t look like being surmounted anytime soon.

In the face of these and many more challenges, it is no surprise that many Nigerians have given up and are seeking better opportunities abroad. However, the Ooni of Ife hasn’t given up on finding his soul mate; he got married for the third time at the tail end of last week. Third time lucky, maybe?

After months of his whereabouts being unknown, a video of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu praying in Jerusalem surfaced on social media. There are many questions to be answered. It is believed he will make a statement later this evening. Now you know IPOB and Biafra will be trending topics on social media this week.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

IMAGES

T

he Publisher of The Life Magazine and the City Lawyer, Barrister Nosa Edo-Osagie, was installed as the 47th President of the Rotary Club of Benin Kingdom for the year 2018/2019 recently at Uyi Grand Event Centre, G.R.A. Benin City, Edo State.

Photographs by Dan Ukana

L-R: AG Percy Okojie, IPDG Ikponmwosa Ogiemudia, DG 9141 Oladokun Adeyemi , Nosa Edo-Osagie (club president) PAG Agharese Idubor, DGN Virginia major and DGE Nze Anizor

L-R: Rtn Charles Akhigbe, Rtn Agharese Idubor PAG, and Rtn David Musa

L-R: Martha Nwosisi, Rtn. Pat and Rtn.Meg

PDG Eddy Ikponmwen decorating inspiration President Nosa Edo-Osagie as a Major Donor while DG Oladokun Adeyemi looks on

L-R: Chief ABO Salami,PAG, Architect Vivien Uku,PP. and Chief Mrs PEB Uku,

L-R Guests Barrister Tom Enakhena, Rtn Charles and Thomas Oamen

L-R: Rtn Philip Ogbole, Rtn Raphael Irorere and Rtn Awaritoma Humphrey.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ͺ͚Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î&#x20AC;

Ëš

MTN and the Bleeding of a Nation Sonni Anyang

W

hat value could MTN have possibly added to the lives of Nigerians since it first set up shop in the country in 2001, to warrant the remittance overseas from 2006 to 2015, of $8.1 billion as dividends for an investment of $400 million that was made between 2001 and 2016?

This is the burning question that Nigerians, their leaders and the media (which is forever reminding the world of its watch-dog role in society), should have been asking in the wake of the report that the Central Bank of Nigeria had ordered MTN to repatriate to Nigeria that huge sum of hard currency, having determined that the telecommunications service provider had illegally transferred same out of the country. It is the question we are now constrained to ask in this piece, especially since the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has announced in faraway London that the matter will soon be resolved â&#x20AC;&#x153;amicably and equitably.â&#x20AC;?

It is most disconcerting that the main concern of most observers and the mainstream media has been the legality of the Central Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s action and the need to preserve so-called investor confidence in Nigeria and its policy and regulatory environment. Even the direct representatives of the Nigerian people, the Senate which had looked into the matter in 2016/2017 when the allegation was that the sum illegally transferred was a humungous $13 billion had previously and somewhat blithely, cleared MTN of any wrong doing. Its excuse for doing so at the same time was that it had been assured by the CBN that the company had been â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pardonedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for any infractions of extant foreign exchange rules it might have committed. The Senate of the Federal Republic did not feel troubled in any way that such a sum, about a third of our foreign reserves at the time, had been casually relocated to private coffers abroad.

Following strident remonstrations by MTN and the banks that were fined for facilitating the alleged illegal dividends transfers, the CBN now appears to be backing down. As had the Senate earlier on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;adviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the same CBN. What could have prompted the Central Bank that had earlier declared MTN â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pardonedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to exhume the case more than a year later? Why should such a grave matter be treated so perfunctorily, to the point of the CBN governor promising an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;amicable and equitableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; settlement apparently ahead of the conclusion of investigations and the public announcement of the details thereof? Amicable from whose point of view and equitable to whose interest?

Given the way the entire matter has been treated by institutions like the Central Bank and the Senate, by the general public (in their reaction) including even labour (which has not made any comment to our knowledge) and by the mainstream media (which has pussyfooted around the issue, possibly because MTN is one of the biggest media buyers in the country), it is clear that what passes for pubic conscience in Nigeria is dying fast, if it has not been dead and buried already. In

Michael Ikpoki, CEO of MTN Nigeria the current, market-obsessed ideological climate, nobody cares anymore if the country is bled to death by buccaneers masquerading as foreign investors.

Whether MTN broke the law or not is quite beside the point. In fact, particularly if it broke no law, the remittance abroad of $8.1billion in 10 years as dividends against an investment of a paltry $400 million over five years, calls for a serious re-examination of the philosophy, direction and goal of national development as well as the institutional and operational environment that made such a leakage possible. This afterall, is a country that only a few years ago, boasted foreign reserves of a mere $25 billion or so and is forever devaluing its currency with attendant deleterious effects on the well-being of the broad mass of its people because it is frequently in danger of running out of reserves!

It must be borne in mind that the enormous dividends in question were by no means the only monies repatriated by MTN. That company, along with other foreign investors, routinely cart away from our shores, eye-watering sums as technical, management and licensing fees of dubious value. The country is literally bleeding out as a result.

If MTN alone sent out so much, how much have other foreign companies hauled out? Might the perennial pressure on our reserves and exchange rate be the result of the unrestrained repatriation of super-normal profits by so-called foreign investors; including those who invested in MTN and reportedly sourced the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;foreign currencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for their investment from the local dollar market? Is there nothing we can do to limit the hemorrhage of scarce foreign exchange from an economy that is perpetually in dire need of same to finance infrastructure and social

goods that can spur genuine development, create jobs and reduce the high incidence of poverty?

How can Nigeria not be the world capital of poverty if it loses so much of its wealth to the outside world in the name of returns on foreign investment? If such investments have been so beneficial; if it has truly delivered development, why have we remained so poverty stricken after all these years?

Given the abject surrender of our governing elites to neoliberalism, these types of questions probably sound heretical in their ears. But they have to be asked at this point even if for purposes of historical record. Let it not be said decades hence when Nigeria would have been left further behind by the rest of the world, that nobody bothered to bring these and related issues to the attention of elites that evidently do not recognize their historic duty and appear even less inclined to doing anything about it.

Leaving aside the matter of the leakage of foreign exchange, the sheer size of the dividends suggests a level of profitability that is seldom seen outside the illegal drug trade. Might MTN have been profiteering on the backs of hapless Nigerians? It is well-known that mobile telecommunications services in Nigeria have been of less-than-stellar quality. So what business management wizardry, other than price gouging and barefaced exploitation of the people by virtue of its oligopolistic market position, could have yielded such rates of profit? And what has the Nigerian Communications Commission, the industry regulator, done about it all these years? How and why, after the experience we had with the oil and gas industry, did we allow foreign investors into the telecommunications sector without explicit, stringent, time-specific and enforceable local content provisions?

No country in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position; or, come to that, few better-off ones, should suffer the kind of leakage that the MTN dividends repatriation represents. As the policies of Donald Trump in America have shown, even that country, as rich as it is, would balk at such a level of financial hemorrhage. As a net borrower whose indebtedness is already a source of anxiety, Nigeria should watch what goes out with eagle eyes; foreign exchange is always scarce relative to our needs. Shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we be mindful of the shameful fact that the unrestrained plunder of our foreign exchange earnings despite the bounteous inflows of the Jonathan years led directly to the increased foreign indebtedness we are seeing today?

Of course, Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling elites have embraced, without any reservations whatsoever, the usual neoliberal mantra:- liberalisation, open capital accounts, privatization and other free market orthodoxies. But should Nigeria be more catholic than the Pope? If America under Trump can question the wisdom of some of these orthodoxies, why should we, in a country as economically backward as ours, allow foreigners and their local collaborators to get away with the financial and developmental equivalent of murder all because those who run our affairs canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overcome their mental enslavement by the neoliberal world view? â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Anyang, who has been variously a journalist, banker and Commissioner for Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State, writes from Port Harcourt.*

Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2039;ʨĂ&#x2DC;Ë? Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Î&#x20AC;͸

Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; ËŠ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă Ă? Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă? Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014;ËŞ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;ËŞĂ? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x152;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2039;ʨĂ&#x2DC; Ă&#x2122;Ă? ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x201C;ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x17D;Ă?ĂŁĂ?Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x201C;

Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Î&#x20AC;͸Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă? Ademola Babalola

A

repertoire of knowledge and walking encyclopedia, Oba LamidiAdeyemi III is replete with uncanny wisdom and gifted with the rare understanding of his environment and people. He comes with distinction in all his dealings with all men. The low and the high in the society covet him as he maintains dignity on the throne as a classical Yoruba monarch with unmatched prowess.

Oba Adeyemi ascended the throne after Oba Gbadegesin Ladigboluâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reign in January 14, 1971, and performed the rites like others before him. He came forth with the calabash of affluence for his people and Oyo has been better for it for ages.

Both the indigenes and settlers alike are blossoming and his reign heralded much craved peace. As a youthful monarch in the early 70s, Alaafin was a dinosaur and sprout all traits of modern Alaafin.

He comes across as a philosopher, a traditional poet, counsellor and natural leader with candour and elegance.

Ascending the throne, Oba Adeyemi was armed with panache to promote the independence of Alaafin and restore the lost glory of his kingdom, because of the earlier ignominious era, which banished his late father, Oba Adeyemi II, he left no one in the dark that he was prepared to lead not only Oyo people but the entire Yoruba race to national preeminence.

He did so by bringing class and unrivalled brilliance to bear on his assignment. He had learnt enough of the tradition and history of the Oyo

Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeem Empire and had no doubt that Oyo should never play the second fiddle to any part of the Yorubaland.

The reign Ooni of Ife at the time, Oba Sijuade Okunade Olubuse had a match in Oba Adeyemi, who was not only a good student of history but also did many unthinkable by engaging in extra-curricular activities to be abreast of global developments and recent histories of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre and post-colonial era to the chagrin of many.

Very controversial in many instances, Alaafin nevertheless stands out as the foremost â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gatekeeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Oyo politics. No governor has ever ruled without

Oba Adeyemiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blessings and support. He is a grossly misunderstood monarch by succeeding authorities in the Pacesetter state, because of his principled stand on issues of governance and more importantly, his cherished traditional institution.

He fought and won many battles and had been linked to how some Governors never won the elusive second term ticket until the current occupant of the Agodi Government House, Senator Abiola Ajimobi broke the jinx four years ago.

President Muhammadu Buhari in his congratulatory message to the Alaafin on his 80th birthday, said he believed his 48 years on the throne of his fathers had been most remarkable for the entire dynasty, illustrated by his contributions to the educational, social and cultural development of the people, including those at home and abroad.

Buhari extolled the Alaafin of Oyoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courage in upholding the values of integrity, hard work and search for knowledge, which has been the hallmark of the great Oyo Empire, commending him for regular counsel to governments, institutions and families.

The President prayed that the almighty God would grant the royal father long life, good health and more wisdom to sustain the legacies of his fathers. The current Alaafin was born on October 15, 1938. He was working as an insurance clerk before he emerged the new Alaafin. Apart from being a wealthy Yoruba king, making his net worth to run into billions of Naira, there are other names or titles by which the Alaafin is called.

These names include Kabiyesi, which means the king no one can question; Iku Baba Yeye, meaning

the one who can command death or pronounce same upon his father or mother or he who is parent to death; Alashe, which means he who wields authority; Ekeji Orisha means second-in-command to the gods.

Oba Adeyemi III is a holder of the Nigerian national honor of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR). It was also him who installed the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO) as the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland on January 14, 1988.

He was appointed the chancellor of Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and held the position from 1980 to 1992. In 1990, he was appointed Amir-ul-Hajj by the then former military president, Ibrahim Babangida. Alaafinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religion is Islam yet he is a cosmopolitan monarch, who embraces all religions including the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ifaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

He is a first class Oba and also one of the richest kings in Nigeria. As a wealthy businessman with many landed properties, both in Nigeria and abroad, his net worth is estimated to run into millions in the US dollars.

Alaafin is married to many wives and he goes out to functions with at least seven of them on a regular basis. His 80th reminds many of how to be a king and still distinguish oneself with respect and dignity that befits the throne. He rarely courts controversies and has learnt to stay above the fray in all his undertakings. Alaafin is one Oba that many ponder with trepidation, because he carries himself as such. He is truly the one Yoruba Oba with whom the culture and the tradition of the people are safely kept.

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OCTOBER 21, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Buhari’s Glaring Double Standards in The Anti Corruption War

I

meant what I said a week ago that if the Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, had been caught red handed and on camera taking bribes, under a Peoples Democratic Party administration, by now he would be an ex Governor.

I got a lot of flak for that statement and the reason is because Nigerians have no sense of history. What happened last week is like ancient history to a Nigerian, how much more what happened last decade. It is sad, but true. Let us take a walk down memory lane.

On November 21, 2005, then Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, jumped bail in London after being arrested for suspected money laundering and other related charges.

Within a week of his return from London to his state, the process for his impeachment had commenced and ten days after his return, he became an ex-Governor.

Alamieyeseigha was a PDP Governor, under a PDP Federal Government. But party solidarity did not save him when it was established that he had been mismanaging his state’s finances.

Can President Buhari and the All Progressive Congress say the same?

Ever since the Kano Governor was caught on camera implementing Babanriga banking, there has been a very loud silence from the supposedly anti corruption government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Very strange indeed seeing as the President is never shy of accusing everybody but himself of corruption.

And that is why I find the treatment being meted out to former Ekiti state Governor, Ayo Fayose, most vindictive. The President showed his bands months ago by his barely concealed hatred for Fayose. And it was not just President Buhari that publicly condemned Fayose. Even his wife, Aisha, called Fayose a ‘mad dog’. Yet very strangely, the trio of Buhari, Aisha, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have suddenly become quiet ever since Governor Umar Ganduje was caught on camera taking bribes.

The whole Ganduje saga has exposed the hollowness of President Buhari’s so called anti-corruption war. Even the President’s supporters are no longer able to proffer convincing rebuttals to the charge that what we have is just an anti-opposition war.

These are the same people traversing social media to slander and impugn the image and reputation of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar.

Without seeing any form of evidence, whether video, documentary, or otherwise, they falsely claim Atiku is corrupt.

Now they have a video where a serving APC Governor is receiving bribe and they refuse to believe that he is corrupt.

The worst is that the APC issued a statement saying they cannot of take action against Governor Umar Ganduje over his alleged bribery caught on video because he has gone to court, yet President Buhari banned people who are in court from traveling.

Buhari Everybody on President Buhari’s travel ban list (except the dead ones) have a pending case against the government. So how are they different from Ganduje? Do we have one set of laws for APC members and another for PDP members?

And to imagine that Musa Ilyasu, a Commissioner in Governor Umar Ganduje’s administration, defended the Kano Governor’s bribery by saying (and I quote) “there‘s nothing new in this. Who asked the contractors to give the money to the governor?” Is this how APC/Buhari are fighting corruption? I am just heartbroken.

The saddest thing to me is that Ganduje is the recipient of Nigeria’s third highest National Honour, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) . Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who has achieved so much for Nigeria, does not have an OFR, but a bribe taking Governor does. And we wonder why we are like this?

And it is not just Ganduje’s case that exposes President Buhari as a hypocrite. The double standard is not an isolated incident but a well honed state policy under Buhari’s leadership.

For example, The Buhari administration is taking Senator Ademola Adeleke to court for examination malpractice, yet this same government took Kemi Adeosun to the airport to escape Nigeria after being exposed for certificate forgery.

An Adeleke who allegedly committed malpractices at an examination is better than a President who did not even practice the examination. He who comes to equity, must come with clean

hands. Before President Buhari charges Senator Adeleke, let him show us his certificate.

The double standard of this government are becoming strikingly obvious.

EFCC DETAINS Fayose, but APC RETAINS Ganduje. That is Buhari’s Nigeria for you. If APC members forge certificates, they are escorted to the airport to escape, like Kemi Adeosun. But if you are a PDP member, the police will escort you to court, like Senator Adeleke. This will not do. This will not do at all.

Finally, let me say to those youths that have been recruited by the Buhari Media Center to promote the Buhari government on social media: rather than just blindly do what they tell you, I challenge you to name one youth in Buhari’s cabinet. For almost four years that Buhari has ruled Nigeria, he could not find a single youth to appoint to his cabinet, and here you are on social media campaigning for such a government.

These BMC youths should remember that Nigeria became the world’s headquarters for extreme poverty under Buhari because of the massive failure to govern displayed by Buhari and his cabal. These guys have failed and it is time they gave way to a more effective leadership.

As I always say, it is impossible for a man who could not grow his own private business to be able to grow the economy of a nation.

Buhari had 150 cows in 2011 according to his asset declaration.

In 2015, it was found that he declared the same number of cows as assets. If Atiku was the one that had 150 cows in 2011, do you think they will still be 150 cows today? Nigerians, be wise. Don’t mistake laziness and lack of business acumen for ‘integrity’.

You have to be extremely clueless if you can’t make your cattle reproductive. Buhari is due for his pension. Let us all join hands to make that happen on February 16, 2019.

Reno’s Nugget One of the most ungrateful things to do is complain to God about the life you have while billions pray to God to give them just a fraction of the life that you have. You complain to God about your parents while orphans are praying to God for somebody to love them. So, stop looking up to God for money and financial breakthroughs. He gave us brains and hands to get a job or a business. God is not some casino where you can get lucky. Look up to God for two things only-for redemption and things that you are unable to do by yourself #RenosNuggets

Reno’s Darts Who knows what happened to Tam David West, the man who in 2015 promised that Buhari would reduce price of petrol to N40 per litre. The man has become as invisible as Buhari’s achievements. Poor man. He thought that by being a noisemaker he would become a newsmaker #RenosDarts

Time To Power the Power Sector Diekola Femi-Jolayemi

“W

e bought our distribution company cash down for $82m in 2013; we are willing to take $72m in 24 hours and leave.” When one gets to know that the above excerpt was ascribed toAlh. Tukur Modibbo, chairman of Jos Electricity Distribution Company Plc., your heart might begin to pound.

This is the palpable tension the recent spat between the Federal government through the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and the owners of the electricity distribution companies has brought upon concerned members of the public, considering that these are the fellows we all have put our hope in for an efficient electricity sector that can power our dreams.

If we must be free from the clutches of darkness, floodlights must be beamed on the corners of gloom that may exist in this sector so as to proffer lasting solutions to this stalemate.

To start with, given the turn of event, one begins to wonder if the government ever went into any kind of understanding with the electricity distribution market operators before privatization was berthed. We need not search too far to find the 2013 Multi Year Tariff Order, MYTO, and its set out objectives, rules and agreements as the binding oath that formed the basis of the relationship between the government and the investors.

It is clear enough that all parties went into the 2013 MYTO voluntarily and never had any qualms with its provisions. So why the embarrassing and endless bickering that today defines the relationship? Why do the DISCOs owe the Nigeria Electricity Bulk Trader Company, NBET, a whooping N800billion? Why are GENCOs threatening to shut down their power stations? Why is the National Control Centre occasionally ordering the GENCOs to generate lesser power? Why is the Transmission Company of Nigeria fond of transmitting lower amount of electricity than what the GENCOs send to it? Indeed, there are so many ‘whys’ in this industry begging for answer.

The three core components of the 2013 MYTO which have been ignored by the government are basically as follows; a cost reflective tariff, a clean debt book and the annual subvention promised to help stabilize price differences within the sector.

It may surprise you to know that for a service that cost N80 today, the GENCOs, TCN, NBET and the DISCOs have been restricted to charging N32. How will there ever be stability, not to mention growth in such a business setting? Are these philanthropic agencies or businesses? It is now no surprise why a N1.35trillion shortfall exists in that market today. This definitely can’t be sustained.

A major way out of the power sector underfunding and unending supply crisis, is to immediately commence the implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP), which stipulates that the market shortfall will be addressed through: An annual federal government budget that will include provisions for totally financing historic and future sector deficit from 2017-2021;Establishment of cost reflective tariffs across the board over the next five years; A payment assurance facility to be established by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to support the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc, and other initiatives by the World Bank Group and its subsidiaries, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), with funding of up to $2.5 billion and $2.7 billion respectively.

With an investment of over N11 trillion so far, spent in buying assets unbundled from the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in 2013, the DISCOs can’t be said not to have done enough neither can the GENCOs who paid a lot for acquisition and have since spent even more in rejigging the turbines be said to be lax.

Of a truth, the sincere argument of consumer affordability raised in some quarters in not to be jettisoned. However, killing the wheels of progress with an inappropriate tariff, as is presently the case, wouldn’t be the solution. To bridge the N1.35trillion shortfall, bring an end to the endless bickering in the sector and set the sector on the path of growth, the government in conjunction with the international financial agencies would have to put in place a regime of sustainable subsidies that would ensure the realization of the cost reflective policy as enshrined in the MYTO agreement.

To be sure Nigeria will not be doing anything strange toeing this path. Direct electricity consumption subsidy accounted for about US$16.4billion in the 2013 fiscal year in the US, while the EU, according to an European Environmental Agency [EEA], Technical report, stated that a whopping €125billion was expended on direct electricity consumption subsidy within 1995-2001 (I.e. an average of 6.5trillion yearly, as at 15 years ago, mind you this has recorded even

much more increase in recent times).

It is also imperative to point out that the New Delhi Tariff structure which the current (Nigeria) MYTO is modeled after has a very robust and strategic subsidy plan of which hovered around $US2billion yearly between 2007/08.

Unfortunately, here in Nigeria, the 100billion funding agreed upon between the government and the sector investors before privatization is still a mirage today, rather loans have been disbursed (as with the CBN Intervention fund) with its attendant spiraling interest rate and other charges in the face of a pegged tariff that is far below cost.

Availability of funds cannot be raised as an issue, especially when billions continue to be budgeted year-on-year for social welfare programs that would only ensure paltry sums for those the Government tags the poorest of the poor. One could imagine what one-fifth of such funds would do to this class of our citizenry when there is sufficient energy to power their skills and trade, the earnings to them would surely stand above the meager idle and quite worthless sum they are given, caps in hand, irregularly by the authorities.

Behind the functionality of these lines of cables and power turbines are businesses which must remain financially solvent to keep any hope or wish of retaining light in the bulbs. A peek into the financials of any of the successor companies across the electricity value chain shows huge pile of losses and debts.

This has left the Banking Sector wary of the power sector, as honoring previous commitments by these investors has become a herculean task in the face of business plan gone awry in the face of wrong policy initiative by the authorities. And no prudent bank would want to be exposed further to such unbankable business venture as government initiative in the sector has turned the business to. In such a case, only direct Institutional funding from the CBN and other foreign and local development banks backed up by guarantees by the CBN can generate the long term, low interest and seismic capital needed to stop the gory financial bleeding currently been experienced in the Industry.

It is no news that this power sector itself needs to be powered, the question is, who would do it?

The time has come for all relevant stakeholders in the power sector to come to a round table and agree to a business model that will bring stable and sufficient electricity to meet Nigerians’ energy need. At the end of the day, we all are been affected by this spell of inefficiency.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

NEWS

Buhari, Tinubu Lament Loss of Lives in Abia, Kaduna

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja regretted what he described as unnecessary loss of life and property in a pipeline explosion that rocked Osisioma Ngwa community in Abia State on Friday morning.

Likewise, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu condemned the fresh communal crisis at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State in which 55 people reportedly died.

In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the Presidential, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari said preliminary reports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) showed that the explosion was not accidental, but caused by vandals who punctured the pipelines to scoop the products. According to him, despite repeated warnings, unscrupulous persons have vandalised that particular pipeline 684 times in the last six months alone.

Shehu stated, “Each time the pipeline is repaired, they resume their activities, even collaborating with security agents, who are reported to have set up toll gates collecting fees from the vandals.

“A fight broke out as a heist was going on and there was shooting, which is believed to have ignited Friday morning’s explosion, during which three security personnel also lost their lives.”

The statement quoted Buhari as urging communities and state

governments which host oil pipelines to be more vigilant and rise up to combat the menace of pipeline vandalism.

He recalled that Enugu depot of the NNPC, which he said had been repaired and was ready to function, had remained idle till date because of the activities of vandals.

“The president also appeals to host communities to collaborate with the NNPC to tame oil pipeline vandalism in their areas,” the statement added.

In another statement, Shehu said Buhari condemned the latest communal violence in Kasuwan Magani in Kaduna State, which claimed 55 lives.

He said Buhari lamented the frequent resort to bloodshed by Nigerians over misunderstandings that could be resolved peacefully.

He quoted the president as saying, “No culture and religion support the disregard for the sanctity of life,” adding: “peaceful coexistence is necessary for the progress of any society and its wellbeing.”

Shehu also said Buhari noted that without communal harmony, the environment for the conduct of “our everyday businesses would be impossible to achieve.”

He said the president explained, “Violence cannot be an alternative to peace,” adding, “On the contrary, reliance on violence leads to ultimate selfdestruction. Violence is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Embracing peace is a necessity.”

The statement added that in commending the Kaduna State government for its

Why Yari Wants His Finance Commissioner to Succeed Him Bayo Akinloye Real reasons have emerged why the incumbent Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, is fighting tooth and nail to have his anointed aspirant emerge as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress and eventual winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election, THISDAY can authoritatively report.

THISDAY checks also unravelled why a governorship aspirant and former Executive Director of First Bank, Dauda Lawal, is throwing everything at the Zamfara governor to emerge the APC governorship candidate in the state.

The fierce battle regarding who takes over the reins of power on May 29 next year is not about peace, justice, economic prosperity and development – indices that Zamfara people need badly – but particularly about the selfish desires and aspirations of Yari and Lawal.

The governor, who had recently claimed that God had anointed the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Muktar Idris, as the next governor of Zamfara, competent sources told THISDAY, was

trying to cover up the financial mess he has left the state in.

“Governor Abdulaziz Yari knew what his fate would be like by the time he is out of office and he has no immunity to cling to. It is apparent that he has mismanaged the state’s funds. He must account for them. He knew that the EFCC would come after him because there are many people waiting to blow the whistle regarding the way he has mismanaged the funds of the state,” one of the sources stated.

Another source who is familiar with the fierce battle of supremacy and political intrigues going in Zamfara added: “The governor has financial mismanagement of the state to deal with. You know what that means? As of today or tomorrow, he can’t clean up that financial mess.

Somebody else has to do that for him. It is not Kabir Marafa or Dauda Lawal who could.

Guess who? It’s his anointed candidate, Alhaji Idris. Why? It is simply because Alhaji Idris is the state’s commissioner for finance. The battle in Zamfara APC will be a battle to the finish. For Yari, everything is at stake.”

rapid response to the crisis, the president appealed to community leaders to engage in regular dialogue to nip imminent crises in the bud. It added that Buhari admonished the people to develop the spirit of tolerance and patience at all times.

In a statement in Lagos at the weekend by his Media Office, Tinubu said it was essential for people of various religious groups and persuasions to accommodate one another and live in peace and harmony.

Twenty-two suspects were

arrested and quizzed by the police in the wake of the crisis sparked on Thursday by restive youths in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

The APC leader admonished traditional, religious and youth leaders to embrace peace and put an end to the mayhem and bloodshed, which first reared its ugly head in the area in February this year claiming 10 persons.

He particularly urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril

Islam (JNI) in Kaduna State and in the troubled area to inculcate in their members and youths generally the importance of peaceful co-existence and the sanctity of human life, saying without peace and tranquillity, a society cannot make any meaningful progress.

“Security agencies must also be alive to their responsibilities and step up their intelligence gathering mechanism. The police should be pro-active so they nip any deadly attack in the bud before they are hatched. We must bring all

the perpetrators of this fresh attack to book, they must be made to face the full wrath of the law in order to serve as a deterrent against any future nefarious plan,” he added. el-Rufai had after the problem begun imposed a two-hour curfew on the area. He later visited the area on Friday to assess the situation. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmad AbdulRahman, also visited the area to engage youth leaders, traditional and religious leaders in a bid to check further bloodshed.

STAFF OF AUTHORITY...

The new Obaro of Kabba, Chief Sunday Dele Owoniyi being presented with Staff of Office by the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in Kabba on Saturday

No Plans to Dump APC, Says Abe Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt A senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has said he has no plans to dump the All Progressives Congress (APC) contrary to reports in the media.

Abe, elected as the governorship candidate through direct primaries by a faction of the party in Rivers State, has been said to be on the verge of leaving the party after the decision of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) submitted the name of Tonye Cole to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the state’s as gubernatorial candidate.

But in a statement issued by his spokesman, Parry Benson yesterday, Abe said remained the preferred governorship candidate of the party in Rivers State, noting that he had no plan to dump the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He described the report as

unfounded and a pedestrian move to derail the conversation about the preferred choice of the Senator as the governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers State.

“We know that such calculated misinformation in the public domain is coming from the usual quarters to confuse Senator Abe’s supporters who have remained firm, resolute and insisted on justice, equity, and fair play in Rivers APC,” the statement said.

Abe said, “I am the frontline choice of Rivers APC for 2019 elections that is why so much efforts, resources and energy have been expended on a futile mission to obliterate that reality.

“This sponsored campaign of hate and calumny is part of that effort and like every pack of lies, it will collapse in the fullness of time. The recent report that I, Senator Magnus Abe has dumped the APC for the PDP is another of such endless and wicked campaign against me. I remain a member of the APC. I remain committed to the party and to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Osinbajo, Ajimobi Grace Alaafin’s 80th Birthday Ademola Babalola in Ibadan Eminent Nigerians from all walks of life on Saturday graced the grand finale of the 80th birthday of Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III and the book launch held in his honour.

President Muhammadu Buhari was represented by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state; former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; a National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode were represented by the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa and Mr Steve Ayorinde respectively.

Others were the former President Goodluck Jonathan represented by the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state, Mr. Seyi Makinde; the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli and governorship candidate of

the APC in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.

Eulogising the monarch, Osinbajo said Oba Adeyemi has demonstrated true leadership and stood on the path of truth as a leader of the Yoruba race.

Osinbajo who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, said, “Leadership is not in title no matter high sounding or revered the title may be. Ultimately, the true leader of the people is the one who serves his people by personal sacrifice and by the demonstration of personal conviction even to his own detriment.

“The Alaafin has in the past 47 years on the throne, by words, deeds and personal sacrifice, demonstrated true leadership. He has time and time again stood on the side of the truth and personal conviction of what he thought best for the Yoruba race. Among leaders, traditional leaders, you have a more profound role to play.

Traditional leader is the true custodian of the moral essence of the people.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 21, 2018

NEWSXTRA

Buhari, Gowon, Jonathan Charge Traditional Rulers to Foster Unity Adibe Emenyonu in Benin President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Benin called on traditional rulers across the country to continue to build bridges of unity and oneness to promote national development.

Buhari made the call at the official launch of the Book titled “The Benin Monarchy: an Anthology of Benin History” held in Benin City in commemoration of the second coronation anniversary of the Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II. Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) also commended the Benin monarchy for the remarkable effort to tell the history of the Benin Kingdom to avoid distortion that may arise from allowing others to seize the narrative.

In his remark, Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki assured on plans to build the Benin Royal Museum to preserve Benin heritage and retrieve stolen artefacts.

Buhari, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha commended the good relationship that exists between the Sultanate and the Benin Kingdom, saying it should cut across the country.

He said that traditional institutions must continue to stay abreast with the digital changes in the world and should not allow the changes affect the preservation of customs, languages and traditions of the people.

Buhari congratulated the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II and the

council of chiefs for preserving the Benin culture, saying that the Benin kingdom is a role model to others.

He further called on traditional rulers across the country to join the federal government in preaching against hate speech and resist money politics as the 2019 elections draw near.

The Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, commended the outstanding features of the Benin Monarchy, and described the book as a masterpiece that “tells African history by Africans” “One of the tragedies of Africa is that our story has always been told by others from their own perspectives and with their own

purpose.

“The result is that much of the narratives of our continent have been a distortion. Against this background, we appreciate the impact of this singular effort of telling the history of Benin Kingdom,” he said.

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan said the Benin Kingdom has always made the country proud via its rich history and well-structured governance system.

Jonathan commended the Oba of Benin for his resourcefulness and protection of the Benin people.

In his remark, Obaseki of Edo State, assured that the Benin Royal Museum would be built and completed before the end

of 2021.

He said he made the decision recently at a meeting of The Benin Dialogue Group which is made up of all prominent museums in Europe.

“We also got the commitment of the group to return many of the works that were taken from the palace during the expedition in 1987,” the governor said.

In his address, His Royal Majesty Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolo kpolo, Oba Ewuare II, commended all who have supported him since his ascension to the throne, saying his mandate is to prioritise the welfare of Edo people.

He said the 7-kg book being launched was a compendium of the great history of a great

people and would also be showcased in London, the United States of America, amongst other countries.

He said the Oba Ewuare II satellite Town which is also being built in commemoration of his 2nd coronation anniversary was modelled to booster youth employment, create jobs in the agro-allied industry as well as cater for the general welfare of Edo people.

Dignitaries at the event included the Sultan of Sokoto, former governors of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole, as well as the Vice Chancellor of University of Benin, Prof Faraday Orumwense amongst others.

Solid 21, Hublot Agree to Settle out of Court After eight years of litigation between Chris Aire’s company, Solid 21 Inc., and Hublot, a subsidiary of LVMH, regarding Solid 21’s RED GOLD® trademark in the United States, and less than one month from a highly anticipated trial, the parties announced they have resolved the disputes between them in a joint press release.

Additionally, Hublot stated that it “recognises that Solid 21 has a registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on the use the phrase ‘Red Gold’ as a trademark in connection with watches and jewelry and that such registration has become incontestable under Section 15 of the Lanham Act.” According to court records, Nigerian-born Chris Aire, world-renowned jewelry and watch-maker, began using the mark RED GOLD® in association with the sales of or

watches and jewelry in 1989.

In 2002, he registered the mark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office..

The success of the brand demonstrated Aire’s marketing ingenuity in coining an identifier that signifies masculinity. His RED GOLD® collection of jewelry and watches was highly successful and exponentially expanded his business, while instigating massive media buzz that helped propel sales to new heights. It also broadened his celebrity base, which today includes such high-profile and eminently loyal followers as Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Liam Helmsworth, Shaggy, Dr. Dre, Ellen DeGeneres and many more.

“You couldn’t give rose gold away before we started branding it,” the Nigerian-born designer told Bloomberg.

GENDER EMPOWERMENT...

Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left) receiving an appreciation letter from Miss Tochi Aboh, when the 750 beneficiaries of the state government’s skill acquisition programme paid him a thank-you visit at the Government House, Enugu

ECOWAS Court Laments Human Rights Abuse in Nigeria, Ghana, Others Alex Enumah in Abuja The President of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Court of Justice, Justice Edward Asante, has described as “serious” the issue of human rights abuse in Nigeria and Ghana, among others, particularly the attack on journalists by some governments through their various state apparatus.

Asante also lamented the poor level of enforcement of the decisions of the ECOWAS Court by member-states in the sub-region while calling on the civil society organisations (CSOs) to develop mechanism that would compel government of their various countries to comply with the judgment of the court.

The president stated this at the weekend while receiving a network of lawyers, human rights activists from 9 West African countries namely: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone

under the auspices of Public Interest Lawyering Initiative for West Africa (PILIWA), at the Community Court in Abuja.

“We know it is a very serious issue in our continent. Even till date, there are governments and presidents still inflicting bad things on their citizenry and it is our duty here to uphold their rights, particularly those of journalists and other people who are being bastardized because they are speaking the truth doing the right thing trying to report government who are doing bad things”, he said.

He said the ECOWAS Court was established initially to tackle issues only between member states but, following the high level of abuse of rights of citizens by governments of member States, the regional body in its supplementary protocol of 2005 expanded the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court to now adjudicate on human rights violations in the subregion.

Justice Asante assured that the court will always do its best to

deal expeditiously in the interest of justice particularly that of the human rights cases that has brought his guest.

On the issue of disobedience of the orders of the court by government of some member states, Justice Asante remarked that the development of not curtailed now would eventually lead to the death of the court.

He disclosed that so far, only about three or four countries have taking the initiative to enforce the judgment of the Court and in most cases, it is not all the judgments they enforce.

He said: “The court would rely heavily on institutions and civil society organizations to help propagate the ills governments are doing to judgments of the court because the court.

“It is our wish that the civil society, especially professional groups, lawyers, would bear on the governments and various institutions so that they will comply with provisions of the ammended protocol, to set up

2019: SANI DUMPS APC HEADS TO PRP who responded to media enquiries, said, “We received the news of the alleged defection of Senator Shehu Sani through media reports. The party leadership will relate with all the facts concerning the reported defection and react appropriately in due course.”

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that Senator Shehu Sani may join the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in Kaduna.

Sources within the party hinted on Saturday that Sani may be given the party’s senatorial ticket for Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone.

The source disclosed that Sani has a very strong relationship with the PRP, adding that he had been its financier for a very long time.

The senator’s resignation letter reads, “I present to you my highest compliments and wish by this communication to formally offer to you my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I had joined the APC and remained with it against all odds in the belief that it will constitute a veritable platform for the

realisation of those democratic ideals which I hold very dear, that honour and integrity will be the ultimate ethos of the patty and, most importantly, that internal party democracy will always be the norm.

“However, only posterity can affirm the extent to which the APC has committed to and reflected these values.

“As I exit the APC at this point in time, I wish to formally thank the party for availing me the platform upon which I am currently serving this country in the honoured capacity of Senator of the Federal Republic.

“I wish the party well in all her future endeavours and ask, sir, that you, please, accept the assurance of my highest considerations.”

The National Working Committee (NWC) of APC had earlier granted Sani an automatic ticket to recontest the Kaduna Central senatorial seat, but this was greeted with protest from the state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, whose preferred aspirant, Uba Sani, and three others were not cleared to contest at the time. A primary election was later held following

the governor’s objection. But Shehu Sani, who insisted that he was the sole candidate of the party, boycotted the election, describing it as a “Kangaroo election sponsored by the state government”.

Uba Sani was declared winner of the election after polling 2,088 votes to Shehu Sani’s 15.

The NWC was said to have declared the primary election as an illegality and insisted that Shehu Sani was APC’s sole candidate.

However, it was later learnt that the party submitted Uba Sani’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the senatorial zone.

El-Rufai and Senator Sani have been engaged in a bitter political rivalry since 2015, with the former vowing to ensure that Sani does not return to the senate in 2019.

The ruling APC has of late lost many senators and House of Representatives members to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͺ͹˜ ͺ͸͹΀

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email: demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Frantic Finale as ChelseaUnited Ends in Draw

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anchester United manager Jose Mourinho was involved in a furious touchline bust-up after Ross Barkley’s 96th-minute equaliser rescued Chelsea’s unbeaten Premier League start at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho’s side looked on course for an outstanding win over his former club after two goals from Anthony Martial overturned the first-half lead given to the hosts by Antonio Rudiger’s 21st-minute header.

He bowed his head in disappointment as Barkley scored in the dying seconds after a goalmouth scramble, but then reacted angrily as Chelsea technical assistant Marco Ianni celebrated in front of him before then pumping his fists in Mourinho’s direction again.

The Portuguese jumped from his seat and was then held back by a mixture of stewards and Manchester United staff as he attempted to get down the tunnel at Ianni.

It was a dramatic conclusion as Mourinho saw victory snatched away after he had replied to the taunts of Chelsea fans by holding up three fingers to remind them of the three Premier League titles he won while in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues looked in control when Rudiger took advantage of Paul Pogba’s poor marking to head home Willian’s corner, but United responded superbly after the break and Martial’s double - a smart, swivelling finish and a composed, low effort - put the visitors on the brink of three points until that frantic finale.

As the game entered stoppage time, everything seemed so orderly. Mourinho had kept to his promise that he would demonstrate restraint if his team were winning and, in fairness, Chelsea’s supporters had shown no appetite to hound him in the way they had on previous visits to his former club with Manchester United.

But then the dramatic, extraordinary finale:

Sarri (right) calmed Mourinho down after a tiuchline melee following a 96th minute equalizer by Chelsea

96 minutes gone, the moment when everything erupted, when Mourinho lost the plot and a confrontation in the tunnel that made it literally shake because of the number of people involved.

Mourinho was clearly incensed by the provocative manner in which Ianni, celebrated Barkley’s late equaliser directly in front of him,

fists pumping, and it was true the home team’s coach seemed unduly keen to rub it in.

“Bad education,” Mourinho noted afterwards.

The FA is likely to want an explanation and in the circumstances it was almost a surprise Mourinho calmed down quickly enough to shake Sarri’s hand at the final whistle a few moments later.

Sarri was not impressed with Ianni either, describing it as a “big mistake” and instructing his assistant to apologise to Mourinho. “The situation is now between me and my staff, face to face,” Sarri said, indicating that would not be the last Ianni, who worked with him at Napoli, would hear of it.

Messi Injured as Barca Thrash Sevilla to Top La Liga Lionel Messi will miss El Clasico after being ruled out for three weeks with a fractured arm as Barcelona beat Sevilla 4-2 to go top of La Liga. The Argentine was left writhing in agony after landing heavily on his right arm after colliding with Franco Vazquez. He was still in obvious discomfort as he left the field in the 26th minute.

Just moments earlier the Barcelona captain had scored a sublime goal to put Barcelona 2-0 up. Messi had also set up Philippe Coutinho for the opener on two minutes.

Barcelona confirmed after the game that the 31-year-old suffered a “fracture of the radial bone in his right arm” and is set to

miss the Champions League tie against Inter Milan in midweek and the clash with Real Madrid next Sunday.

Despite the injury to Messi, Barcelona extended their lead in the second half through a Luis Suarez penalty.

Pablo Sarabia’s deflected long-range effort brought Sevilla back into the game before Barcelona had goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for a wonderful double stop to deny first Sarabia and then Wissam Ben Yedder.

Ivan Rakitic’s fine volley made it 4-1 and although substitute Luis Muriel curled home an impressive effort of his own, Barcelona held on to secure their first win in five La Liga matches.

The result also puts them one point clear of Alaves at the top of the table before next week’s huge game at the Nou Camp against rivals Real.

However, while Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde will be relieved to see his side end their four-game winless run in La Liga, there will be concern for the fitness of star forward Messi.

The Argentine looked in scintillating form in the opening stages, setting up one goal before scoring a fine second to take his tally for the season to 12 in as many matches.

Valverde can take comfort from the form of Luis Suarez, who stepped up in Messi’s absence to put in a commanding display and score his first goal in seven matches.

Messi was left in agony after landing awkwardly on his right arm

Ronaldo Reaches Record 400 Goals Hamilton on Pole Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score 400 goals in Europe’s top five leagues as Juventus dropped points for the first time this season. Ronaldo’s fifth Serie A goal for Juve was added to his 84 Premier League strikes for Manchester United and 311 in La Liga for Real Madrid.

He tapped in after Joao Cancelo’s shot was blocked - having earlier hit the post with a header.

But Daniel Bessa equalised with a header from Christian Kouame’s cross.

Juventus defenders switched off for the goal, expecting the ball to drop for a corner - but Kouame kept it in and found an unmarked Bessa.

The hosts dominated most of the game, but of their 21 shots, only three were on target - all from Ronaldo, who had 11 efforts in total, in the first half.

Krzysztof Piatek’s run of scoring in every game for Genoa since his summer move from Cracovia came to an end. The 23-year-old Poland striker had scored 13 goals in his first eight games.

Ronaldo’s landmark puts him 10 goals above the second top scorer in Europe’s main leagues,

for F1 Decider

Ronaldo has scored five goals in 10 games since his £99m summer move from Real Madrid Lionel Messi - who scored his 390th La Liga goal for Barcelona in their 4-2 win against Sevilla.

Champions Juve had won their opening eight Serie

A games and two Champions League fixtures. They are four points above second-placed Napoli - who beat Udinese 3-0 yesterday.

Lewis Hamilton will start the US Grand Prix on pole position as he seeks to take the final step towards wrapping up a fifth world title. The Mercedes driver beat title rival Sebastian Vettel by 0.061 seconds but the German will be demoted to fifth on the grid because of a penalty.

Hamilton will clinch the title today if he wins the race and Vettel finishes lower than second.

Potentially crucially for Vettel, his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen starts second, ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Vettel will also be behind the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo, who qualified fifth but will be promoted to fourth by the German’s penalty.

Sunday October 21, 2018

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& RE A S O

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Aisha Alhassan to APC

“I bought the items to furnish the party secretariat, but since I have moved to the UDP, I did not see anything wrong with moving with all my belongings. They should buy their own furniture for the offices” – A former Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan while justifying her decision to retrieve items she donated to the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Taraba State.

SIMONKOLAWOLE And Four An Officer and a Gentleman Other Things…

SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

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

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ith gratitude to God for a life well spent — and I mean every word of it — I mourn the passing of Air Vice Marshall George Ayo Osho (rtd), one of Nigeria’s first two presidential pilots, the first Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilot to clock 6,000 flying hours, former acting governor of Lagos state — and definitely one of the best human beings that ever lived.

Since creation, God has made billions of souls, but AVM Osho must be in the league of the most caring, the most humble, the most contented and the most selfless of them all. If it was possible for any mortal to be perfect, he would be my top nominee.

On October 13, 2018, he drew his last breath, aged 78. I never heard anyone say one bad word about him when he was alive. I once mentioned him to Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, and he said only two words: “Perfect gentleman!” Gen. Abubakar should know — in 1963, he started his career in the air force, where he first met Osho, before moving to the army in 1966. Again, I proudly mentioned him to President Muhammadu Buhari years ago, and he too said only two words: “Perfect gentleman!”

Gen. Buhari should know too — Osho flew him at the onset of the Civil War when Buhari was based in Makurdi, today’s Benue state.

Osho served Nigeria with “heart and might”.

He was operations officer and commander of NAF detachments in Makurdi, Enugu and Benin in the late 1960s. He was one of the key initiators of most of the post-Civil War policies of the air force with special reference to operations, training policies, force projection and NAF 2 establishments. He was the first NAF officer to attend the prestigious Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, India. He was “faithful, loyal and honest” — he was one officer known in military and civil service circles for returning his unspent estacode to the treasury whenever he came back from foreign trips.

He told me a lot of interesting stories about his service to fatherland and I must take the blame for not encouraging him to write a book. I was just sitting there, soaking in the compelling stories and never thinking I could have encouraged him to record history in his own words. By the time it crossed my mind, he had started battling old-age medical issues. Writing a book, or even sitting down for gruelling interviews for the purpose of writing a book, was no longer an option. He was such a self-effacing human being that it would even have been difficult to get him to talk on his service to the nation, much less his role in the development of the air force.

He once narrated to me his experience of the December 31, 1983 coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari. “I followed Gen. Buhari to NTA for his inaugural address to the nation after he was named head of state,” he said, joking that even though he was not involved in the planning of the coup (which was usually an army business), he could have been imprisoned or executed if it had failed. He said Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo, then the chief justice of the federation, politely declined to swear in Buhari.

Sowemimo said he was not authorised to swear in a military head of state and asked Buhari to simply raise his right hand, recite the oaths of office and that would be it!

My paternal grandfather was on his deathbed when the coup broadcast was made by a certain

AVM Osho Brigadier Sani Abacha in the wee hours of December 31. When we told him of the coup, he said he had a feeling “Baba Tolu” (AVM Osho) would be given an appointment. My grandfather later died close to midnight same day, but Osho — who had been promoted to AVM that year — was not given an appointment.

It was not until last year that he told me the full story. He was nominated to be chief of air staff by Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, but Gen. Buhari said he had already promised the late AVM Ibrahim Alfa the position. He was instead appointed air officer operations (AOO).

He was AOO till 1989 when he retired. No other officer occupied the position for five years before or after him. He served as acting governor of Lagos in 1977 when Navy Captain Samsudeen Adekunle Lawal, the governor, fell ill. He handed over to Navy Commander Godwin Ndubisi Kanu (who later became chief of naval staff and retired as a Rear Admiral in 1993) when Kanu was made the substantive governor. For all his service to Nigeria, AVM Osho did not receive any national honour. He was nominated for the honour in 1999 by Gen. Abubakar’s government but all nominations were later nullified by President Olusegun Obasanjo, having not been officially conferred.

The most amazing aspect of AVM Osho’s life was his Christian service. He was love in motion. For as long as I can remember, he regularly went to Kirikiri prisons to minister to inmates, both spiritually and materially, on Wednesdays until his health could no longer handle it. When I visited him about five years ago, one young chap I had never met opened the gate for me. I later asked AVM Osho who the boy was, and he told him he was an exKirikiri inmate. His parents had disowned him after he had served his prison term, and AVM Osho decided to adopt him. I marvelled. He practised the Christianity that he preached. ‘I was homeless and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me…’

In him, I saw my inadequacies and failings as a human being and as a Christian. His mind was stubbornly fixed on eternity. It was all about what he could give than what he could get. I lived with him for seven years, between 1994 and 2001, and not once did I hear him make a personal prayer request during the nightly family altar. While the rest of us would be praying for new jobs and new businesses and other things “modern” Christians like me are primed to ask for, he had a different kind of prayer request.

He would say: “Let us remember the widows in our prayers. Let us pray for those in prison and those who are in the hospital.”

He regularly led the Yoruba service at the Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos, until his health began to fail. But that is not the story. Anytime his one and only car began to throw tantrums at the crucial hour — such as refusing to start as tired cars are wont to do — he would simply walk to the road side, take a cab to Ojota and take a bus to Obanikoro to go and tell his congregation that Jesus loves them. This is old time religion. A “whole” AVM — the equivalent of a major general in the army — going by public transport to church, in a country where to be a general is a licence to be a billionaire! He never pitied himself. He was always at peace with himself. He never felt entitled.

He was contented. I was told Abacha offered him a ministerial appointment in 1995 but he turned it down. He had a land allocation in Abuja which papers he struggled for years to perfect. When he told me of his predicament in 2002, I wrote a passionate note to the then FCT minister, Engr. Mohammed Abba Gana, appealing that he should help issue the certificate of occupancy (C of O). I said, rather emotionally, that it was the only favour I would ever ask from him in my life. Engr Abba Gana, another compassionate Nigerian I was privileged to know, promptly obliged. I am normally very reluctant to ask for favours, but I would do anything for AVM Osho.

I was over the moon when he showed me the C of O. I was feeling like, “Finally, I did something for this great man!” I did not hear anything about the land again. A few years after, I asked him if he had started development or sold it, and he said, with a lot of pains on his face, that Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who succeeded Abba Gana as FCT minister in 2003, had revoked the allocation. He sounded broken-hearted. I said I was going to raise the issue with el-Rufai, whom I barely knew at the time, but he said I should not worry, that the stress was too much for him. He was no longer interested in the allocation. He never owned a plot of land in FCT till he died.

AVM Osho took me on my first flying experience in 1983. I was a tiny secondary school boy holidaying in Lagos. Vice-President Alex Ekwueme had travelled to Enugu state on an official visit. AVM Osho flew Hercules C-130 to Enugu to bring Ekwueme’s official vehicles — two green-coloured Mercedes-Benz cars, as I recall — back to Lagos. I sat behind him in the cockpit having the experience of my life.

As we were about to fly over River Niger, he beckoned on me. He “tilted” the aircraft a little to the side and said: “This is the River Niger.”

My classmates in the village had to know I flew in an aeroplane! I was no longer their mate.

AVM Osho made such an impact on my life. I saw humility and compassion, godliness and contentment. If I could possess half of his virtues in this life, I would be a fulfilled man.

He took me like a son. I started calling him “Daddy” from when I was five (I lost my father at 4). He acted as my father on my wedding day. Actually, he was married to my aunt. But he loved us so much and we so much loved him that you would think we were biologically related to him. An uncle of mine, writing under “appreciation” in his undergraduate dissertation, thanked AVM Osho profusely for his love and care. He wrote: “What else could a father have done?”

SANI VS SANI I once said APC is the most disorganised ruling party in Nigeria’s history. I now wish to withdraw that statement. They are worse than that. Their conduct of the 2019 primaries made PDP look like a gathering of angles. The most dramatic must be the Kaduna central district, which Senator Shehu Sani currently represents. Mallam Uba Sani, his challenger, was mysteriously screened out by the party. Senator Sani was to be returned unopposed. The primary still went ahead and Uba Sani won. Shehu Sani appealed and it was upheld, but Uba Sani has finally won the tug-of-war. The senator has now quit the party in anger. Over all, APC is nothing but a house of commotion. Pathetic.

KANU IS BACK After disappearing for over one year, Nnamdi Kanu, the supreme leader of Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), is back in the limelight. In the photos and videos shared online by Radio Biafra, the IPOB leader was seen observing some religious rites in Jerusalem. There are more questions than answers. Are the images recent? Would it not be a dangerous gambit for him to travel to Israel at a time he has been declared wanted in Nigeria? Are old videos being presented as fresh to create the impression that he has the support of Israel? The comforting thing for me, though, is that: going by new revelations, he has not been killed as alleged

by IPOB. That settles the puzzle. Finally.

ADIOS, AMBODE So Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode will not be a candidate in the 2019 governorship election? Wow. This would be the first time a governor of Lagos state would not be seeking re-election. It was not as if he didn’t try, just that his political weight was lighter than he thought. One big lesson I am picking from this is that if you want to take on your godfather, you must have enough bullets in your pouch. If I were Ambode, I would spend the remaining seven months in office working like mad. I would make sure there is no single pothole on any Lagos road, improve access to quality healthcare and upgrade education infrastructure all over the state. It is not how long but how well. Legacy.

AND FINALLY… You must have seen the videos in which Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Kano state, appeared to be collecting bundles of dollars from unseen persons. The allegation is that he collected millions of dollars in kick-backs from contractors. The governor has denied the allegation, and one of his aides has comically described the videos as a “clone” (what is “clone”, fellow Nigerians?)

The governor himself said his blood pressure has been normal despite the scandal. To be honest, except you are genetically prone to hypertension, collecting that volume of greenbacks is very good for your blood pressure. My blood pressure would be normal too. LOL.

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