SUNDAY 30TH DECEMBER 2018

Obasanjo Mourns Shagari, Says He’s an Achiever Buhari orders flags to fly at half mast Amosun, Ambode, Dickson, ACF, others mourn former president’s demise Our Correspondents As condolences continued to pour from around the country following Friday’s death of Second Republic President,

TRIBUTE Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, state governors and other prominent Nigerians yesterday

commiserated with the late leader’s family, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, and the people of the state in messages that eulogised Shagari’s virtues.

In a condolence letter released on Saturday in Abeokuta, Obasanjo described the former president as "a man of honour and an achiever".

President Muhammadu

Buhari last night in Abuja ordered that flags should fly at half-mast in military and para-military formations nationwide as well as public buildings for three days,

starting from Saturday, to honour the memory of the former president.

Ogun State Governor Continued on page 8

2019: Agbaje, Sanwo-Olu Scramble for Igbo Support… Page 86 Sunday 30 December, 2018 Vol 23. No 8656

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Report: Corruption in Military Responsible for Faltering B’Haram War Tobi Soniyi Massive corruption among top military chiefs appointed

by President Muhammadu Buhari is the reason Nigeria is losing the war against Boko Haram, the Defense and

Foreign Affairs has revealed in its Special Analysis released on December 28.

The Defense and Foreign Affairs reports are published by the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) based in the United States

of America. ISSA is a Washington-based nongovernmental organisation with a worldwide membership of professionals involved in national and international security and strategic policy.

The association, in 1998,

took over publication of the Defense and Foreign Affairs publishing and information group, which began in 1972, providing strategic information and analysis to governments worldwide. It also incorporates the Global

Information System (GIS), an encrypted on-line intelligence service for governments.

President of ISSA, Gregory Copley, told THISDAY yesterday night that their analyses were not released to the public but to governments

the organisation had affiliation with. Investigation shows that not less than 160 countries have some form of affiliation to the organisation's reports.

Asked specifically if the Continued on page 8

Saraki: It’s Criminal to Say Nigerians Consume Over 50m Litres of PMS Daily Says organised private sector has no confidence in Buhari Bayo Akinloye Less than two months before the 2019 presidential election, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government, accusing it of lying to Nigerians that the country consumes 50 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) daily. Saraki said the claim was criminal. He also accused the government of scaring away investors by creating a climate of fear and implementing poor economic policies.

Saraki, formerly an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and member of the ruling APC, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following what he called

“witch-hunts and political persecution” by the ruling party. He told some editors in an interview that the federal government’s anti-corruption crusade was an attempt to hoodwink the masses.

According to the senate president, “Under this government, we went from fuel consumption of 30 million litres a day to over 50 million litres per day. Where is this consumption taking place?

This is criminal. What I am saying is that if we could be so hard on Jonathan that claims to be doing 30 million litres per day, now, they are debiting us with over 50 million litres per day.

“Nobody will tell you that we can consume more than 25 Continued on page 8

See THISDAY Weekly Guide to 2019… Pages 18-19

ALL FOR BUHARI'S RE-ELECTION...

L-R: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Plateau State Governor, Barr. Simon Lalong; and Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, during the APC Presidential Campaign Flag-off at the Godswill Akpabio National Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom... Friday

PDP Rejects Nationwide Military 'Operation Python Dance’… Page 85

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ÍťÍ¸Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀ Ëž T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

PAGE EIGHT SARAKI: IT’S CRIMINAL TO SAY NIGERIANS CONSUME OVER 50M LITRES OF PMS DAILY million litres per day. Calculate the amount of money that we are losing. It is not appropriated, that terminology is just a means to cover that transaction. Instead of reversing it, the president said it should be appropriated for and now we are coming back for it to be under the budget.�

Saraki, who is also the directorgeneral of Atiku Presidential Campaign Council, the 2019 election campaign organisation of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said the president ignored repeated counsels he had given him regarding an alleged oil subsidy fraud being perpetrated under his nose. “If you look at it, that this subsidy must continue, then let it be efficient, instead of doing that the NNPC wrote the government saying that without putting the money in the budget, they can

take the money straight from revenue, called cost recovery.

This is fraudulent, it is illegal.

There is nothing we did not tell Mr President that this cost recovery is wrong.�

Unlike former President Goodluck Jonathan, who adjusted his policies when corrected, Saraki stated that Buhari saw him as an enemy and attacked him as such.

Recalling what happened to him and others then in the APC, the PDP stalwart said, “Go and look at 2016 when we were in a recession. I called a debate and we wrote the president, listing things that he was yet to do. I will give you an example: we said we should see how we can raise equity; he (Buhari) attacked us. They said we wanted to sell refineries to our friends – you can remember. If you see the 2019 budget, the President is saying he is expecting the sum of N810

billion from the restructuring of the JVC – exactly what we had said at that time.�

Furthermore, the former governor believed the Buhari regime was stifling economic growth through its opaque economic blueprint, and urged the president and his economic team to open up investments to the private sector.

He declared that the organised private investors do not have confidence in the president’s commitment to provide a level playing field. Saraki asserted that while ordinary Nigerians would cast their votes to elect a president next year, the investors had already made up their minds.

Saraki affirmed that only the PDP presidential candidate could bring back the investors’ confidence in the country. “You can harass politicians but investors’ money can only

go to where there is safety,� he stated. “As long as the private investor does not have confidence (in the government), things will be difficult due to the fact that the right decisions are not taken by the government. I keep saying that ordinary Nigerians will go and vote on February 16, 2019.

But the business community have voted already – that is the truth.�

Speaking further, the senate president said, “Unless we bring that confidence in our economy it will be difficult. That is why for those of us that found ourselves on the other side of the divide, we are saying that for Nigerians to move this country forward, we must do the right thing and vote for our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, because that is what will bring confidence in the private sector to invest.�

According to him, Nigeria is not like Saudi Arabia, which has

enough funds to fund any project.

He urged Nigerians to vote out the incumbent president. “We don’t have that money.

There are some countries, like Saudi Arabia, those kinds of countries that can fund their projects successfully. We cannot. Where is the money and who is going to bring out the money? Who will bring out that money? Do they (investors) have confidence in the government? The answer is no. Then, the government has to go, if the government does not go, poverty will continue,�

Saraki stated.

He economic disaster lurked if Nigerians chose to keep Buhari in power, as it will further scare away the few investors staking their resources in Nigeria. “Because oil price is at this level, it’s not going to move up. So, we already know the

revenues. The question with this revenue is: will it bring the needed investment? The answer is no. Where will the money come from? It has to come from somewhere else. This is why they have been taking loans, which is not good for us, it should come from investments,�

Saraki said.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had in a report last week said Nigerians consumed a total of 479 million litres of petrol from January to September 2018, representing an average of 53.2 million litres daily for nine months. NNPC’s operational and financial results for September 2018 also showed that the country consumed 80 million litres of petrol per day in March 2018, up from the 41 million litres consumed daily in December 2017.

In all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility.

"Let us bear in mind that we all have the opportunity to act nobly in whatever position we find ourselves. President Shagari died at a time the country and its leadership is in dire need of such leadership, experience and wisdom to tackle the multifaceted challenges facing the nation."

It would be recalled that Obasanjo, in 1979, handed over the reins of power to Shagari under a democratic process, thus, becoming the first Nigerian military Head of State to successfully do so.

Amosun: He was an Exceptional Public OfďŹ cer

In a statement by his special adviser on media relations, Mr Fidelis Soriwei, Dickson said Shagari passed on at a critical time when his vast experience and wise counsel were needed in the country. “Our country will miss Alhaji Shehu Shagari dearly, as his passing came at such a critical time when his wise counsel, extensive historical knowledge and vast experience of the Nigerian polity would have served all of us,� Dickson added.

Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as ordering that flags should fly at half-mast as a mark of honour to Shagari’s memory. Adesina also quoted Buhari as saying, “The late president represented almost the last link with the government of our Founding Fathers under Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

He was also the first elected President of Nigeria. “The late Alhaji Shagari was a man of many parts: teacher, local authority administrator, politician, minister, and finally President. He served his country with dedication and moderation. “Over the years, through interaction at the Council of State, he and I came to understand and appreciate each other, whatever the differences we may have had in the past.�

Commiserating with the Shagari family and the people of Sokoto, Ambode stated, “The late President lived an exemplary life; he was a democrat and a fine gentleman whose idea of power was that of being a tool to serve his fatherland and humanity. He was an elder statesman in the true sense of the word. “He was also a detribalised Nigerian who was committed to the course of a united, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria. He believed so much in all inclusive governance and was one of those patriotic Nigerians who contributed in laying the foundation of a sustainable democracy in Nigeria.�

Consultative Forum (ACF), signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, said Shagari would be remembered for his humility and respect to democratic ideals.

"The late Turakin Sokoto not only engraved his name in the annals of Nigerian history as an elder statesman, but also as a symbol of peace, unity and selfless service to the North and, indeed, Nigeria, which has lost a great leader and a stabilising personality whose wisdom had greatly influenced the nation’s polity,� the statement said. "The best way to remember Alhaji Shehu Shagari is for those of us whom he has left behind to live up his legacies by way of promoting national ideals, moral values and respect for sacred core of inviolability of the individual.�

Meanwhile, Saraki said, in a release by his special adviser on media and publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, “At the most critical times in the life of the nation, Alhaji Shagari was there as part of the group directing the affairs.

He was part of the people who won independence from the colonialists, proved that Nigerians could direct the affairs of their country, saved Nigeria from disintegration when the unity of the country was threatened, and was the pioneer elected President of Nigeria when the nation first experimented with the presidential system of government. “Even in his retirement from politics, he silently worked for the unity and progress of Nigeria.�

OBASANJO MOURNS SHAGARI, SAYS HE’S AN ACHIEVER Ibikunle Amosun, in a statement yesterday, called the late elder statesman an exceptional public officer. Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said Shagari was an exemplary leader, in a statement by his chief press secretary. Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson called Shagari a compassionate leader and a decent politician.

The governors of the 19 northern states described him as one of the best leaders the country ever had, saying, he “made the rare and bold choice of staying out of partisan politics in Nigeria, despite his immense popularity in the country.�

In his own condolence message yesterday, Senate President Bukola Saraki said Shagari “represented so many good pages in the history book of our dear country.� The statement said Saraki will on Monday lead a delegation to Sokoto to condole with Shagari’s family and the government and people of Sokoto State, on the demise of the first elected President of Nigeria.

Shagari died Friday night at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness. He was aged 93.

Obasanjo’s condolence letter, which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, eulogised Shagari's role in the country's pre and postindependence politics.

Obasanjo stated, "It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to say how deeply grieved I was to hear of the death of His Excellency, President Shehu

Usman Shagari. On behalf of my family and on my own behalf, I wish to commiserate with you, the entire members of his family, and the good people of Sokoto State over the passing of this humble, patriotic, amiable and notable Nigerian leader.

"I would like to express my deep respect for the achievements of President Shehu Shagari in the course of his long life as one of the principal actors in Nigeria’s pre-independence and post-independence politics.

He held various positions as a parliamentarian in the Federal House of Representatives, representing Sokoto West in 1954, as a Parliamentarian Secretary 1958-1959, as a Federal Minister and Commissioner in different ministries and capacities between 1959 and 1975. I remember his role as Commissioner for Finance while he and I served in the government of General Yakubu Gowon. He was thorough.

"And later, I saw him as my successor in government as a democratically-elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983. Indeed, President Shagari rendered outstanding service to our country, and we will remember his services in that respect.

"President Shehu Shagari was a man of honour and an achiever.

In all his national assignments, he was forthright, dedicated and showed great commitment in the discharge of his duties. He was a unifying force for the nation and his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot easily be forgotten.

Amosun, in his condolence message, said Shagari “served our nation meritoriously and zealously. The deceased distinguished himself as a devoted public officer.�

Amosun added regarding Shagari, “Though his tenure was cut short by a military coup, it should be acknowledged, to his credit, that he bore no grudge over the subsequent challenges, but rose above them and continued to offer his service for the growth of the nation.�

Northern Governors: He was One of Nigeria’s Flags to Fly at Half Mast Ambode: He was an Best Statesmen Chairman of the Northern A statement by Special Adviser Exemplary Leader States Governors Forum, Alhaji to the President on Media and

Kashim Shettima, in a statement on behalf of the other governors of the region, eulogised Shagari for choosing “to remain a statesman and a father of the nation and he maintained such a dignified position till he died in December, 2018, making it exactly 35 apolitical years. “In all these years, he measured his words and actions as a peaceful and unifying leader.

To cap it up, Shagari died in Abuja, the nation's capital which symbolises our nationalism and unity.�

Shettima said, “Clearly, Shagari lived and died a nationalist and a true statesman.�

ACF: He Symbolised Dickson: He was National Peace, Unity a Compassionate, A statement on Saturday in Kaduna by the Arewa Decent Politician

REPORT: CORRUPTION IN MILITARY RESPONSIBLE FOR FALTERING B’HARAM WAR organisation had any affiliation with Nigeria, Coley, replied, “All I can say is that our report go to all countries we have some form of affiliation with. I will not comment on specific cases.�

The report obtained by THISDAY is damning and blames corruption among higher ups in the military high command for the faltering war against Boko Haram. Extracts from the analysis stated that at present, the Nigerian government had completely and comprehensively lost control of the engagement with Boko Haram and could show no instance when the government presently had tactical, theater, strategic, or information dominance of any aspect of the conflict.

According to the report, the insurgent groups grow stronger, and the government forces grow weaker and more beset by morale collapse.

It said, “It is fair to say that the Nigerian intelligence community itself is no longer sure what groups even comprise 'Boko Haram', nor has it addressed the international logistical, ideological, and support aspects contributing to the ongoing viability of the groups."

The report stated that the leadership of the military, rather

than concentrating on how to defeat the insurgents, were preoccupied with how to stop the leakage of information about massive corruption that had taken place on the pretext of fighting Boko Haram.

Excerpts from the report states as follows, "The conflict will almost certainly prove the undoing of the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 16, 2019, presidential elections.

"Despite this, the only significant engagement which the Nigerian military leadership — up to and including the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. (rtd.) Mohammed Babagana Monguno – seems to prioritise is the fight to stop the leakage of information about massive corruption, running into the equivalent of several billions of dollars, in the purchase by senior military officers of major military capital goods and military consumables, including the troops’ own food.

"The conduct of the war in the North is tied to the corruption in the military, and Buhari — ringfenced by his own team — is unable to tackle the issue.

"His poor health does not

help, but he had always (even as a military president, taking office on December 31, 1983) been indecisive and vindictive.

"This ongoing set of characteristics mean that the coming months will be dramatic, even more than the dying days of the preceding administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

"It is significant that Buhari, who received the findings of the commission as much as a year ago, has refused to allow it to be made public and he, through National Security Adviser Monguno, has attempted to have the commission disband.

"However, it is believed that Monguno and Buhari are aware that copies of the report are beyond their reach and could be released unofficially if further attempts are made to assassinate commission members.

"The commission, investigating defense procurement from 2007 onwards, made significant strides which were initially accepted by the Buhari government, until the scope of the inquiry went beyond the period relating to the former government of Pres. Goodluck Jonathan, and began to show corruption patterns extending into officers still serving under President Buhari."

The report stated that the death of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (rtd.)

Alex Sabundu Badeh (who became Chief of Defence Staff), and that of a former Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Major General Idris Alkali, on September 3, 2018 were not a mere coincidence .

It said, "Given the upsurge in momentum by 'the highest levels of government' to stop the findings becoming public from the corruption commission on defense procurement, it is plausible that the attribution of a criminal ‘kidnapping-attempt-gone-wrong’ against the Air Chief Marshal was a convenient excuse to ensure that the victim — Badeh — could not divulge in court the pattern and details of corruption which has grown even more rampant in the current generation of defense leadership.

"On September 3, 2018, the retired Chief of Administration of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali, was also killed, ostensibly by a gang of youthful protestors who set up a roadblock near Jos, the capital of Plateau State. His body was discovered on October 31, 2018. And his death was blamed on ‘an irate mob’, who were protesting in

the Du-ra-Du community against the September 2, 2018, killing of 11 members of their own community."

The report further stated, "No significant economic or political progress can be achieved in Nigeria until the issue of the Boko Haram insurgency is resolved. Other insurgencies are also expected to emerge, or re-emerge, particularly in the Niger Delta. And while other pending internal security issues are important, it is on the BH issue that the prestige, credibility, and reliability of Nigeria is assessed by the international community. Thus, all questions of the viability of Nigeria as a candidate for inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and international cooperation are dependent on a resolution of the BH issues. “Domestically, resolution of the BH issue is a prerequisite to enabling issues of intra-Nigerian regional equity imbalances to be addressed.

Moreover, the credibility of the Federal Government as an arbiter of justice is assessed by the domestic electorate and the world community."

However, the Nigerian Armed Forces have consistently denied

any allegation of corruption against the leadership. They have also stated and demonstrated the fact that they are capable of not only stopping the insurgents but rooting them out of the country.

Two days ago, army spokesman, Brig. General Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the nation's military repelled an attack by the insurgents in Baga, Boro State. According to him, the insurgents on Wednesday, December 26 attacked the 7 Brigade of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), based in Baga, Borno State, about 7pm.

A statement issued by Usman read, “The troops along with their Nigerian Navy counterparts put up a very determined fight to repel the attack throughout the night, while Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE sent in reinforcement who are in hot pursuit of the terrorists. “Similarly, a Search and Rescue team has been constituted. “The Nigerian Air Force component has also been mobilised and are engaging the fleeing terrorists. Unfortunately, a naval personnel was killed in action. So far, no further details of casualties yet as efforts are ongoing to clear the terrorists hiding in Baga and environs."

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DECEMBER 30, 2018 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

SHEHU ALIYU SHAGARI (1925-2018) Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria, dies at age 93

T

he death, on Friday at age 93, of Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari has robbed our country of a patriot who was both an elder and a statesman. Throughout his life, Shagari maintained a simple, sincere, humane and realistic stance in his approach to national issues. In and out of the various offices he held at different times, before and after independence, the former teacher and bureaucrat remained untainted by the greed that was common among his peers.

As president between 1979 and 1983, Shagari enthroned the kind of bi-partisanship that is in short supply today and gave everybody their dues. Besides, no one could accuse him of promoting one ethnic/ religious group over another. He saw the whole country as his constituency.

For sure, there will always be a debate about Shagari’s stewardship in the Second Republic which was terminated by a military coup in December 1983. But it is to Shagari’s credit that the Justice Samson Uwaifo Panel that examined the misdeeds of the era absolved him and his deputy, the late Vice President Alex Ekwueme on the charge of corruption even though the military regime said both must be held vicariously responsible for the economic mismanagement and excesses of their appointed officers.

Otherwise a noble personality, Shagari’s greatest flaw as president was his weak and vulnerable disposition. For a country as complex and raucous as Nigeria, his temperament and recessive character arguably made him a mismatch for the extra rigour and assertiveness specifically required for political leadership within our unique sociopolitical context. Since nature tends to avoid a vacuum, it was logical that some lieutenants of overbear-

From the perspective of the management of the political development of Nigeria, the rise and fall of Shagari’s presidency has taught the nation a lesson on the need to allow civilian constitutional rule to self-correct as military rule offers no positive solutions

Letters to the Editor

C

ing disposition would help fill the gap-to negative consequences of his administration and Nigeria.

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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

hatever may have been his failings as a leader, Shagari will be remembered as a president who upheld the rule of law and respected the principle of separation of powers. He will also be remembered as a president who was blind to ethnicity and religion in making critical appointments. This much was attested to by a former Naval Chief, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo who once reminded Nigerians of what obtained during the Second Republic.

Aduwo wrote: "President Shehu Shagari of the NPN, a northern Muslim, had set an amazing example of great nationalist statesmanship in the appointment of service chiefs in April 1980 as follows: Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Alani Akinrinade, a Christian from the then UPN ruled Oyo State; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General G.S. Jallo, a Christian from the then GNPP- ruled Gongola State; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo, a Christian from the then UPN-ruled Ondo State; Chief of Air Staff, AVM Abdul Bello, a Christian from the then GNPP-ruled Gongola State and Inspector-General of the Police, Chief Sunday Adewusi, a Christian from the then UPN-ruled Oyo State. All those senior officers were Christians and none came from President Shagari's NPN controlled state, and three out of the five of us are of Yoruba origin!"

Born in February 1925 in a village founded and named after his great-grandfather in Sokoto State, Shagari started his education in a Quranic school before attending Yabo Elementary School. He would later attended Sokoto Middle School, Kaduna College and the Teachers Training College, in Zaria, Kaduna State. Shagari’s career in politics started in 1951, when he became the secretary of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) in Sokoto, a position he held until 1956. In 1954, he was elected as a member of the Federal House of Representatives for Sokoto West. In 1958, Shagari was appointed as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister SirAbubakar Tafawa Balewa and that year he also served as the Federal Minister of Commerce and Industries.

From 1959 until the first military coup in January 1966, Shagari held various cabinet portfolios, including Economic Development, Pensions, Internal Affairs and Works. Between 1967 and 1970, he worked in the Sokoto State public service. Following the end of the civil war in 1970, Shagari was appointed by then military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon as the Federal Commissioner for Economic Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, a position he held for one year before being reassigned to man the finance portfolio. As a founding member of the NPN in 1978, he was bidding to become a senator when the party nominated him as the presidential candidate and he went on to win the election. But from the perspective of the management of the political development of Nigeria, the rise and fall of his presidency has taught the nation a lesson on the need to allow civilian constitutional rule to self-correct as military rule offers no positive solutions.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

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.

In Praise of Charles Dokubo

harles Quaker Dokubo was born in Abonnema, Akuku Toru local government of Rivers State on the 23rd March 1952. His primary and secondary school education were in Abonnema. He proceeded to the United Kingdom where he did his ‘A’ levels at Huddersfield Technical College in West Yorkshire. Dokubo obtained his BA in History and Politics at University of Teesside, Middlesbrough.

On March 2018 Professor Charles Dokubo was appointed Special Ad-

viser and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Prof Dokubo has good knowledge of the problems of Niger Delta people and how to solve them so as to create an enduring peaceful coexistence in the region for business to thrive.

Dokubo summoned meetings of Niger Delta stakeholders made of ex-agitators and leaders of the region where the issues at stake were discussed.

Besides deploring over1800 delegates to 145 institutions across the globe for various

educational programmes by the offshore education unit of the amnesty office, over 200 students spread across 66 institutions in 20 countries are currently studying various courses. Some of the offshore graduates attained first class degrees.

The new regime in the management of the amnesty programme includes education, vocational post training engagement and job placement initiatives as well as sustainable plans.

The amnesty boss deserves to be commended for ensuring

that the onshore education unit of the amnesty office attends promptly to the welfare of students pursuing degree programmes in Nigerian institutions. It would be recalled that on assumption of duty, Prof. Dokubo had tasked the onshore education unit to develop a sustainable plan for the next two years.

Dokubo’s managerial ability has led to finishing touches for the five vocational training centres across the Niger Delta region to come on stream. They include the maritime vocational training centre at Oboloma, Rivers State; basic skills vocational training centre in Boro town, Kaiama, Bayelsa State; power and energy vocational

training centre in Bomadi, Delta State; oil and gas vocational training centre, Agadagba-obon, Ondo State and Gelegele in Edo State.

The projects cut across ethnicity. With Dokubo in charge I affirm that President Buhari will be voted massively.

Evidence abounds that after a few months in office as special adviser to the president on Niger Delta and coordinator of the Presidential amnesty programme, Prof Dokubo has not only repositioned the agency, but has brought life, peace, succour and economic development to Niger Delta region.

––Taremi Zuokumor, emomotimi7@gmail.com

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NEWS

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

Don’t Be Deceived, APC Won’t Hand over to You, Obasanjo Tells Igbo Leaders David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday asked the Igbo leaders across the federation to remain fo-

cused and united, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not honour its promise to hand over presidency to an Igbo indigene in 2023.

Consequently, Obasanjo urged the Igbo not to allow any person from any part of the country relegate them to the background, noting that the Igbo occupied a place of

preeminence in the emergence of Nigeria.

He gave the warning at a stakeholders meeting held at the residence of former Minister of Aviation, Chief

BATTLELINES...

Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; President Muhammadu Buhari and governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ogun State during presentation of Osoba ‘s memoir to the President at the State House, Abuja

Mbazuluke Amechi in Ukpor Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State yesterday.

At the meeting, Obasanjo urged the Igbo to bury all their differences and work together for the actualisation of the Atiku Abubakar/Peter Obi candidature, which he said, was in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

He, particularly, urged Atiku’s running mate “to reach out to Mbazuluke Amechi and other eminent personalities in Igbo land to drum support for his candidature.”

Obasanjo equally, said the Igbo should be weary of the promise of the APC government to hand over power to them in 2023, noting that it was dangerous to take the APC government seriously He, therefore, prayed for a successful outing for Atiku and Obi in the 2019 presidential election, tasking them to do the right thing for Nigeria and Nigerians if eventually elected.

Obasanjo urged the Igbo not to allow anybody relegate them to the background as they occupy a place of preeminence in the emergence of the nation.

He observed that Obi and his principal “have great work to do for Nigeria,” noting that they “have become a

beacon of hope to all Nigerians who have had it so rough in the last four years.

“It is incumbent on Obi to think out of the box to take the nation out of the woods caused by incumbent clueless administrators. With Obi’s pedigree as a governor, he was hopeful that things will work for Nigeria under his leadership as vice president of the country.

In his address, Amechi described Obi as good man and his principal the country needed at a time like this.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Obi, former Minister of Power, Chief Barth Nnaji, former Minister of Health, Prof. ABC Nwosu, former Imo State Governor, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim, member of National Assembly, Hon. Chris Azubogu and Chairman, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Chief Innocent Chukwuma.

At a session with journalists after the meetings, the vice president candidate of the PDP assured Nigerians that his principal Abubakar Atiku and himself would not let the nation down.

Obasanjo, Obi and dignitaries later went to unveil the statue of the former aviation minister built by the Ukpor community in honor of Dara Amaechi.

CFL GMD Decries Worsening Economic Crisis under Buhari Blames Nigeria’s woes on four ministers Gboyega Akinsanmi The Group Managing Director of CFL Group, Mr. Lai Omotola has said Nigeria’s domestic economy is dangerously drifting to the precipice under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Omotola equally blamed the Minister for Finance, Ms. Zainab Ahmed; Minister for Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister for State, Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Minister for Works, Power & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and the Governor, Central Bank Governor

(CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele for the country’s worsening economic crisis.

Omotola made the comment during a recent media parley in Lagos, noting that the country’s economy had nose-dived in the last four years and that pragmatic effort should be put in place to rescue the economy from outright collapse.

Speaking at the session, Omotola said, “To state that Nigeria’s economy is challenged is an understatement.

The truth of the matter is that our economy is dangerously moving towards the precipe.

Every nation depends on a strong economy to have peace

and Nigeria cannot be an exception.”

He explained how the four ministers caused the current economic challenges, which he attributed to the economic model of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank the country adopted without considering its effects on the country.

Lamenting that the economic model could not bring about prosperity, Omotola said the economic mode “is hinged on heavy investment on infrastructure. In as much as this is good, the impact on our economy has been little.

“The problem is that we can-

not say our economy will come out better by just doing one thing. When this government reeled out her achievement, the first thing they mention is infrastructure.”

Omotola cited the dearth of synergy between the Minister of Finance and the CBN Governor as another challenge, saying for the nation to achieve a buoyant economy, it should possess the ability to move persons and goods without hinder because transportation should be seamless, integrated and efficient.

He said the only thing the ministry of transportation had been promoting since 2015 “is

rail and yet major rail projects that will catapult the economy remain comatose and we have embarked on rural rail projects that cannot be seen by urban people that contribute majorly to the GDP. “Look at Light Rail (Blue Line) from Okokomaiko to Marina, one will think the Buhari government that destroyed the metro rail will compensate Lagos and help complete the light rail project.

Take a look at the rail corridor at our port. For close to four years, there is no transportation reform and no master plan.”

As for the Minister of

State of Petroleum, Omotola recalled that Kachikwu had told the country that the refinery would start work in six months and that one refinery had indeed commenced work.

But he said the country’s refinery remained comatose while decrying that Nigeria had returned to the subsidy regime, which he described as a fraud.

On works, power and housing, Omotola said one person could not handle the three ministry that are highly technical, saying Fashola continued to deceive the nation on the Lagos Ibadan expressway.

Armed Robbers Attack Ekiti Navy Unveils Measures to End Woman Arraigned for Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism Defrauding Pastor APC Assembly Candidate Victor Ogunje in Ekiti Suspected armed bandits on Friday attacked the home of an All Progressive Congress (APC), House of Assembly candidate for Ekiti West ConstitZ West Senatorial District, described the way his life and that of his family were traumatised as unfortunate incident that would linger in his heart.

Recounting the incident yesterday, Akingbolu revealed that the attack occurred around 8.30pm few minutes after he drove into his compound at Olorunda area of Adebayo quarters in the state capital.

He explained that he

suspected that the gunmen “must have trailed him from town where he had gone to attend to some issues to his residence with the sinister intention to either rob or attack him.”

Akingbolu said immediately he drove into his house, two gun wielding men followed him and made it straight to the living room, where they met his wife, children and some family members.

He added that as they were rough handling his family members, one of the bandits was repeatedly asking after him, which according to him, suggested that they had a target.

Sylvester Idowu in Warri The Nigerian Navy yesterday disclosed that it had increased its surveillance in the country’s maritime domain with the refurbishing of its old vessels and the acquisition of new ones, which would end the rate of oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta.

The naval force warned naval personnel not to engage in any form of partisan politics, noting that the statutory duty of the Nigerian Navy was to assist civil authority to ensure that the election was free and fair.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas

made the remarks at the inauguration of the newly remodelled headquarters of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Warri, Delta State.

Ibas, who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Saidu Garba, noted that it would be able to reduce, if not end, the rate of oil theft and pipeline vandalism, particularly in the Niger Delta.

With its new plan, the naval chief said the Nigerian Navy had increased its surveillance in the country’s internal and territorial waters with the refurbishing of its old vessels and the acquisition of new ones.

Kayode Fasua A 29-year-old woman, Mrs. Bisola Akintayo has been arraigned for allegedly defrauding the General Overseer of Christ Glorious Endtime Evangelical Ministries, Pastor Lai Bamidele of about N500,000.

In a four-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, stealing, and threat to life, Akintayo was accused of committing the crime along with two others now at large.

The charges, brought before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court, were preferred by the police from Lagos Zone 2 Command’s headquarters in Onikan, led by Tajudeen Abass, an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

One of the counts read: “That

you, Akintayo Bisola “f”, and others now at large, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by refusing to allocate a plot of land to one Pastor Lai Omotayo Bamidele “m”, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 168 (d) of the criminal law of Lagos State, 2015.”

The third count added that the accused persons did obtain the sum of N491,750 from Pastor Bamidele on the pretence that they would “allocate a plot of land to him, situated at Beryi Estate, Phase 11, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 314 of the criminal law of Lagos.”

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OPINION Unravelling The Zamfara Conundrum The government has failed in its duty of protecting the people, writes Ayo Oyoze Baje “He who does not punish evil, commands it to be done.” ––Leonardo da Vinci

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s it has been with embattled states such as Plateau, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Taraba, Benue and Kaduna - all turned into killing fields, so it is now with Zamfara State. The figures of causalities are simply frightening, igniting calls for the declaration of state of emergency. For instance, as at July 13, 2018 media reports claimed that over 3,000 innocent citizens had their lives wasted in the state in two years, precisely between June 2016 and June, 2018!

Furthermore, some 682 villages and towns were literally sacked by the bandits with 2,706 farms destroyed even as 13, 838 cattle and 11,088 sheep and goats were carted away.

They also succeeded in stealing 2,244 motorcycles. Many citizens have been kidnapped for ransom with several houses destroyed. And over N1.2 billion was paid as ransom to secure the release of residents abducted during the period.

As expected, not a few of the residents took flight into the neighbouring states of Katsina and Kebbi.

There has been a ping-pong, blame game between a former Senator, Sa’idu Dansadau who reeled out these mind-blowing figures at a press conference in Abuja in June this year and Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s special adviser on public enlightenment, media, and communication, Malam Ibrahim Dosara. On his part, Dansadau renewed his appeal to the president to “invoke his powers under Section 305 (3) (c) (d) and (f) & (5) of the Constitution and declare State of Emergency in Zamfara State to deal with the rampant, horrific, indiscriminate and daily killings and violations of innocent people of Zamfara by an emboldened band of criminals in order to restore normalcy.”

The governor’s aide, Dosara, however, reminded the former lawmaker that removing officials democratically elected is not as easy as what Dansadau thinks it to be. He went further to accuse him as one of the people engineering the crisis in the state. That he has been sabotaging efforts geared towards ending the banditry, and should be ashamed of challenging both the federal and Zamfara State governments on the killings.

He admonished him instead to go back to his emirate and give his piece of advice. He also reminded him that the governor has set up “a committee of elders to fish out anybody involved in banditry in whatever capacity – be it informant or bandit. It is good for Dansadau.”

Meanwhile, characteristic of the recurring melodrama that often plays itself out in Nigeria’s effervescent political space, while they are busy chasing shadows of who to blame for obvious institutional failures of governance , precious lives are being lost on daily basis. There the pain lies. It is curious for instance that while on September 11, 2018 , Lai Muhammed, the Minister of Information and Culture was gleefully celebrating the so-called drastic reduction in the number of killings in Zamfara State, the bandits were out there preparing to wreak more havoc!

It was a good initiative that 1000-strong military force, comprising the army, air force, police and the civil defence were there to launch fierce attacks on the bandits terrorising the villages and towns of Zamfara State as Lai claimed. It was commendable effort that the police repelled attacks from armed bandits at Mahanga Forest in Birnin Mogaji LGA of the state.

That in the process they killed104 bandits, destroyed over 50 bandits' hideouts in three camps, recovered over 500 cattle and 79 sheep from the bandits.

But they could not stop the killings of not less than 12 police officers, contrary to the claim by the force spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood that the police lost only one officer and 12 persons were injured.

Whatever might have happened, who says that any Nigerian should die from largely preventable deaths? What is the statutory role of government if not to act as a protective father-

Characteristic of the recurring melodrama that often plays itself out in Nigeria’s political space, while they are busy chasing shadows of who to blame for obvious institutional failures of governance , precious lives are being lost on daily basis

figure; to ensure the security of every citizen, and provide for his welfare, irrespective of status as enshrined in Section 14(2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended? Why has it been impossible to single out the mindless masterminds behind the Boko Haram insurgency which began with the Muhammed Yusuf altercation with the then government of Borno State and has since snowballed into a conflagration that claimed thousands of innocent souls? Where are the parents of these cruel youthwhose voices are only heard when their people have fallen victims of their evil machination? Who are those arming these malleable and gullible youths with sophisticated arms and ammunition instead of with quality education delivery and self-sustaining jobs?

And why are they getting Scot-free with blue murder?

Worse still, on what moral ground does the government stand to grant amnesty to the so-called ‘repentant members of Boko Haram’? Should we consider their lives more precious than the helpless others they have sent to their early graves? Would such an odious act not encourage other evil-minded youth to take up arms against the state, believing that someday they would also enjoy some spurious and unpatriotic amnesty? One cannot but also wonder what has delayed the release and judicious utilisation of the One billion dollar fund to frontally tackle the rampaging insurgents?

The ongoing debate over the declaration of a state of emergency or not is understandable as the governor of the state, Yari, says he has relinquished his position as chief security officer of the state as he has no control over security agencies. And as the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has rightly observed, the killings continue to defy the presence of security personnel and is now affecting a North-Western state. All these continue despite the assurance from the Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), who has assured Nigerians of the federal government’s readiness to deploy additional security resources.

A state of emergency means the federal government would take over governance in the state by massively deploying soldiers or appoint an administrator to maintain peace. Coming close to an election year makes it more worrisome.

The time to put in place strong institutions of youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, job creation and infrastructural development, prompt information gathering mechanism and taking preventive actions to save lives will do us all a world of good.

Chris Okotie’s Restructuring Gambit Ken Adibua writes that many people are buying into Okotie’s interim government suggestion

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t is an irony that the restructuring campaign of Rev. Chris Okotie, which he launched some months back, is now gathering momentum just six weeks to the general election. Some rights groups and ethnic minority political organisations have also declared support for the postponement of the election and the institution of an interim government to restructure the country before returning Nigeria to representative democracy via election.

This is precisely the position advanced by Rev. Okotie in his widely published letters to leaders of the leading parties recently. He had declared, “Nigeria is in dire need of restructuring. Our federalism is simply terminological inexactitude. It is a realistic piece of fakery. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is obsolete, retrogressive and subversive to the Nigerian cause. It can no longer subsist as the legal protocol that guarantees the peaceful co-existence of autonomous ethnicities. No extant or subsisting government can right these aberrations, for obvious reasons of parochial party considerations and entrenched partisan rivalries within the polity”.

His controversial letters have obviously caught the attention of some vocal groups who share a similar political disposition, with him. The groups have as their arrowhead, Arch. George Akinola of the Yoruba Liberation Movement, Dr. Fred Agbeyegbe of the Itsekiri Nation, Dr. Uduma Idiaka of the Biafran Coalition, and Mr. Tony Nnadi of the Lower Niger Congress. At a press conference in Lagos early December 2018, the group demanded that instead of the 2019 election, a transition arrangement should immediately be put in place to ease out the rejected unitary constitutional order which the 1999 constitution represents.

Subsequently, they argued that a body with constituent powers be inaugurated to midwife the emergence of a successor constitutional arrangement which would be according to the wishes of the constituent component

nationalities of Nigeria. Rev. Okotie must have heaved a sigh of relief that he is not alone in the boat as he set sail on the turbulent mission to reconfigure our faulty federation. He now has vibrant co-travellers who share his ideas. The pastor-politician had stirred the hornet’s nest recently when he wrote letters to the three main political parties asking for an interim government and a suspension of the present transition programme.

The leadership of the APC, PDP, and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) to whom the letters were addressed did not give a formal response; there’re indications, however, that the big wigs in the parties were shocked by Okotie’s audacious proposition, especially coming in an election season. Who wouldn’t?

To implement such maverick proposition as suspending the transition is to throw the entire political class into a quandary. So, it is expected that the governing elite should be concerned.

However, like it or not, what looked like a bizarre, unattained objective now appears to be gaining converts across the nation, because as we inch closer to the election month hope for a happy ending to the complex problems of Nigeria appears dim. Now, it is clear that the seed of an interim government of National Restructuring and Reconciliation that Okotie sowed in his controversial letters has begun to germinate gradually.

The pastor- politician made his case forcefully in this wise: “The dream of a great Nigeria which flowered at Independence, the yearnings and aspirations of the people and the Nigerian brotherhood whose ensign dominated the political horizon at independence have all been consigned to oblivion. The worrisome symptoms indicative of the restiveness signaling the preamble to the civil war have re-emerged in more definite configuration and now form a circadian rhythm which must be addressed immediately. We must act now to avert the

manifestation of the great inevitable”.

It is highly unlikely that the political class would act now because there’s no visible threat to their leadership.

Even in the face of serious national crisis in the past, our leaders weathered the storm and survived because of collective self-interest. But we are in a different season. Whoever wins the 2019 Presidential election surely has a very hostile National Assembly to contend with. The cat and mouse game between President Muhammadu Buhari and the current Senate is a child’s play compared to what we’d see in the ninth senate.

There are several pro-restructuring forces that the Okotie letters have inspired which may become more assertive in their quest to dump the rejected 1999 constitution and demand a transition government, as the “Great inevitable” (crises) loom in the horizon.

Many have asked for the justification of a caretaker government when law and order have not collapsed.

The truth is that there’s no real security in many parts of our country, and nobody can be proud of the dysfunctional state of the economy in which we now borrow to fund the national budget.

Experts have warned that another recession is knocking on the door. The nation is burdened by heavy external debts. Like Okotie argued, no partisan political equilibrium can salvage Nigeria at this time. Our best option, therefore, is to constitute an interim government to help midwife a new constitution that can give us the legitimate legal framework to move our nation forward.

Some observers believe that after the general election is over, the pursuit of an interim government would be a logical imperative, once the governing elite discovers that they are not able to move the nation forward or put an end to our developmental conundrum. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, let the debate continue.

––Adibua wrote from Kaduna

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LETTERS

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OGFZA and The New Lease of Life

urthermore, some 682 villages and towns were literally sacked by the bandits with 2,706 farms destroyed even as 13, 838 cattle and 11,088 sheep and goats were carted away. They also succeeded in stealing 2,244 motorcycles. Many citizens have beewo years may not mean much in the life of a country or a government agency but it certainly means a lot at the Oil and Gas Export Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) under the leadership of Obong Umana Okon Umana It is slightly over two years ago that President Muhammadu Buhari decided to appoint the Akwa Ibom technocrat to head a parastatal that was anything but spectacular in spite of having a major role to play in an industry that is the mainstay of the nation’s economy Umana may have had a distinguished public service career in Akwa Ibom State spanning 32 years where he rose to the pinnacle as Secretary to the State Government (SSG); but he also has an executive training that he has since brought to bear in his first major appointment at the federal level.

Obong Umana Okon Umana

Aside from attending a Senior Executive Programme at the prestigious London Business School in 2009, he had before then attended a similar course at the Columbia University Graduate School

of Business in New York. So it should not be a surprise that he is excelling at OGFZA in such a short time.

A clear testament to the new lease of life in Nigeria’s oil and gas free zones is the

Jose Mourinho: The Underdog Specialist

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he special one, the happy one, the only one, Ze Mario, Jose Mourinho's legacy spanning from his unlikely triumph with Porto in the 2003-2004 UEFA Champions League, and his nomadic coaching career has seen him rack up a number of nicknames as well as trophies across Europe. However, with Manchester United opting to terminate his contract with the team recently, many have pointed out to a rather strange pattern- his struggle with teams after his second season in charge.

With Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and his two stints at Chelsea, he departed or was forced out on or before his third season- a case of lightening striking the same place one time too many. There is a bigger picture to this pattern, as we take a journey to the illustrious, yet controversial career of a coaching genius with a football philosophy antagonised by many, but with a trophy count almost equal to the number of antagonists.

Jose Mourinho: coaching philosophy and underdog specialist. About a year ago, I wrote an article that talked about the tactics of the Portuguese tactician and you can quickly take a glimpse by clicking on the link.

A master in setting up near impenetrable barricades at the back, and making you pay for the slightest of mistakes in your own half, Mourinho has always set up his team to

be without the ball, believing that the team with the ball is likelier to make mistakes.

Anti-football, negative football or whatever name you have in mind for this, it has worked for him and he has been vocal about his achievements throughout his managerial career.

The feat he has attained with clubs like Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan have shown a side to the man, many have been blind to- his capability in inspiring lesser sides and underdogs to unimaginable success.

"I have won eight League titles in my career and I am the only manager in the world who has won in Italy, Spain and England – not small titles, not small countries, eight proper titles. But my second position last season is one of my greatest achievements in football. Two seasons ago we had a fantastic season by winning the Europa League and last season everybody thought Atletico Madrid did amazing, because they won the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League.

We won the Europa League, because that was our level, and we are the last team in England to win a European competition.”

However, this is as good as it gets for the Portuguese, who seems to lack the middle part of his nickname (the special one) after his second season with the clubs he has coached.

Why does Mourinho fail after his second season?

Firstly, Mourinho's tactics is one which is solely dependent

on the final result. That is if his team is not winning, you can barely find a means to defend - as an analyst or to smile - as a fan. Without victory, there is hardly any positive.

Furthermore, after winning trophies in his first and second season with a club, some players become more difficult to "inspire", while others become fed up with being subjected to playing the Mourinho way.

Star names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Eden Hazard each had their episodes of fallouts with Mourinho, being unhappy with his playing style.

Simply put, it has been difficult to maintain longevity with his style, having a maximum lifespan of three years.

Have we seen the last of Jose Mourinho?

I strongly doubt that we have. As Pep Guardiola rightly said after his dismissal, "I am on his side, the managers - we are alone," he said. "They contract us to try to win, when we don't win I know what happens. I know exactly what they can feel.

Always I am there because we feel very alone, all the pressure is on our shoulders. He has a lot of experience, he is a tough man, he is coming back soon and we are going to play again."

When he is coming, where he is going? I do not know.

But one thing is certain, Jose is coming back soon!

––Great Oriahi University of Benin.

fact that within few months of unveiling a road map to guide OGFZA’s operations, the agency was ranked the 6th amongst 44 government agencies in terms of compliance with the President Buhari administration’s policy on ease of doing business in 2017.

The agency went a step better by topping the ranking in 2018 and in doing so sent a clear signal that indeed it would no longer be business as usual under Umana’s watch. w Before the coming of Umana Umana, Nigeria had really not fared well so much so that it was classified as one of the least competitive in a 2016 investment.

But the 2017 World Free Zones convention in Doha, Qatar, provided a platform for Umana to set the record straight now that the cogs in the wheel of progress of the oil and gas trade zones had been removed. He seized the moment at the Doha convention in a paper entitled “Cluster and FDI promotion strategies -Nigerian in Perspective” which showcased the true fact about Nigeria as an investment destination that cannot be ignored.

Umana was emphatic that there are now changes in investment indicators in the last

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two years due to the Buhari administration’s business friendly policies from what it used to be to a dynamic one capable of responding to the global demand for speed and efficiency.

One major step is that OGFZA under Umana Umana has cut the turnaround time for the licensing of a new business in the free zones from 28 days to 14 days, and the time for licence renewal from 14 days to 48 hours.

Another indicator that the old lethargic order is gradually giving way to a new dispensation of dispatch in business transaction is the strengthening of OGFZA law.

On assumption of office, Umana’s first assignment was to lobby the National Assembly to review the obsolete act to meet the 21st century global demand.

It is therefore not surprising that almost exactly a year ago OGFZA wrote the finance ministry that it could conveniently meet its staff salaries and overheads from internally generated revenue (IGR).

It therefore requested that the federal government to suspend the funding of the recurrent expenditure of OGFZA from treasury funds. OGFZA said in a statement that financial

independence that permits self-funding was one of the six goals that the authority set for itself under the Umana-led management in its three-year road map which became operational at the beginning of last year. The memo by Umana read, “Following the measures taken by the new management of OGFZA to increase IGR, I write to inform the Hon Minister of Finance that with effect from the 2018 financial year, the Authority will no longer depend on treasury funding to meet her recurrent expenditure requirements (salaries and overheads).

The recurrent expenditure of the authority will be funded with our IGR”.

This was barely 18 months after he assumed office and since he has since earned local and international accolades including but not limited to one by the financial Times of London which ranked Nigerian’s oil and gas free zone at Onne as the most successful in Africa. Surely OGFZA is on track and Obong Umana has proved himself as a round peg in a round hole, a very business-minded chief executive officer who leads by example.

––Lady Gloria AiteEhiemua, Abuja.

Why Egba Will Never Forget Efianayi

t has been difficult accepting the fact that Dr. Iyayi Efianayi (MFR), our grand patron and the great iroko tree of our community has fallen.

Although he departed this world at age 87, we never thought we would be thinking about him as a memory so soon. Yes, his departure came as a shock and feels a bit illusory.

We members of Egba Development Organisation however take solace in the fact that he was a great man whose footprints on the sands of time will ever remain indelible.

He was a man who did not just pass through this world, he left great trails wherever he passed and therefore will always be remembered for the lives that he touched and the positive changes he effected in our community, Egbaland in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of Edo State.

Individually, we all have diverse reminiscences of Dr. Efianayi but one thing common to all is the way he loved and lived for our community.

Speaking with a friend few days ago, he wanted to know why most indigenes of Egbaland are full of admiration for our late grand patron. I was glad to apprise him the immense honour of having such an astonishing kind man, who had such deep care for his community. How he taught us strong values and the importance of unity, tolerance towards one another.

Dr. Iyayi had the greatest inspiring love for Egbaland.

Whenever he spoke about Egbaland, his eyes always lit

up with astounding glow. A radiance that could never go unnoticed. He was indeed an illustrious oviegba (son of Egba) and benevolent eregba (father of Egba).

There is no family in Egbaland that has not in one way or the other benefited from the generosity of Dr. Iyayi. Is it in the area of education? In 1979, he singlehandedly built Egba Grammar School, equipped with science and introductory technology laboratories, staff quarters, students hostels and 250kva generating set and donated it to Bendel (now Edo) State government.

This ensured that many sons and daughters of Egba and neighbouring communities had access to secondary education. He didn’t stop at building and providing infrastructure, no fewer than six graduate teachers were on his company’s payroll; the students were getting free frozen fish from his seafood company to augment their feeding while also footing the medical bills of all students.

It was by virtue of Dr. Efianayi’s munificence that Egba and the following communities: ldokpa, Ogheghe, Adumagbae, Ogueka, Evbiekoi, Ekose, Uhegie and Ayen were connected to the national power grid. He drew the 33kva high tension cable and all the infrastructure from Guinness sub-station Ikpobahill to Egba, 24km and was also responsible for the regular maintenance of the power line while also paying electricity bills for all houses in Egba.

In the areas of roads and

bridges, it was Dr. Iyayi who in 1973, mobilised and engaged the services of Egba indigenes and singlehandedly financed and constructed a wooden bridge across River Oken. This was followed by the construction of a 19.5km earth road from old Lagos road Osasimwioba village to Adumagbae in 1975.

In 1981, he built and equipped Egba District Hospital and donated it to the then Bendel State Government while also augmenting the allowances of the medical officer.

Being an ardent Christian, Dr. Iyayi did not forget to support the spiritual health of his people. He singlehandedly built and donated to the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Egba Baptist Church.

Born January 6, 1931 he died on Thursday, October 11, 2018 in France while in transit from the United States of America where he went for medical check-up. Although with very little formal education, through sheer industry, perseverance, creativity and indomitable will to succeed, lyayi built for himself a sprawling business empire straddling sawmills, sea foods, aluminium and galvanized roofing sheets, rubber products, agriculture, cosmestics and petroleum.

Despite his explicit success in entrepreneurship, Dr. lyayi Efianayi was humility personified, a devout Christian quick in attributing his good fortune not only to his industry but also to God’s benevolence.

––Frederick Onaghise, Lagos.

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30, 2018

THISDAY WEEKLY GUIDE TO 2019

Amaechi

Amosun

Yari

Abdulrazaq

The Road to 2019: Flashpoints to Watch (XVI) Given some of the political activities in the last week of 2018, it is evident that a few of the key indicators of the 2019 elections are fast assuming shape, writes Olawale Olaleye

B

oth the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had a good time last week sparring on sundry issues.

Although what appeared like some issue-based disagreements were largely politicised, both parties also tried as much as possible to desist from being disagreeable.

Thus, with President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign kick-off in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital last Friday and the setting up of a star-studded presidential campaign council, last week was undeniably a good one for the ruling party.

But the opposition PDP refused for the ruling party to have a smooth sail as it constantly took it up on issues and passing snide comments, chiefly demystifying the integrity selling point of the government and President Buhari.

There is no debating the fact that the APC rally in Uyo was a huge success, considering that the South-south is not a naturally friendly zone for the APC and the president.

This was however amid a lingering integrity debate, championed by the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who claimed Buhari had abused his office and also soiled his image by letting his relatives acquire huge shares in Airtel and Keystone bank, a development that is fast changing the campaign narrative of both parties even though Buhari’s diehard supporters didn’t seem bothered.

There was also the subsisting debate on the characters of the 2019 budget, which both Atiku and his Campaign DirectorGeneral, Senate President Bukola Saraki had described as hopeless and unable to achieve results.

Indeed, Atiku told off the president, when he asked him to stop blaming others for his woes but learn to take responsibility for once. Of course, the presidency had equally put Atiku in his place, because according to them, he was not qualified to speak to the president or on corruption to say the least.

Meanwhile, Buhari’s presidential campaign council ran into a slight hitch, when the name of Alhaji Aliko Dangote

and a few other businessmen featured prominently. This naturally sent a wrong signal to the observing public.

But the presidency had immediately come out to say he was not a member of the campaign team since he was not an APC card-carrying member. However, his advisory spot in the council remains the same. Whatever logic that is there in their differing positions is yet to be seen.

In other news, the police, again, went bonkers in the week, when they allegedly invaded the home of Senator Dino Melaye.

The senator and the police have had a running battle, such that the senator recently accused the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris of planning to kill him by injecting him with a lethargic substance.

Certainly and without any iota of doubts, the last week of 2018 was politically eventful and expectedly so, being the prelude to a full blown political engagement in the coming year. That nonetheless, the battle in the states was also a delight to keep tabs with as certain key states took their spots in the scheme of things before embracing their deserving end of the year break.

RIVERS Living True to Type The one thing that Rivers State is noted for is intense violence – election or not – and this has never been mistaken. Although there had been respite in the land for a while, unfortunately, that fragile or better still, fleeting peace was damaged last week, when some unidentified gunmen reportedly killed the Ward 4 Chairman of the APC in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Jonah Chu. He was shot dead last Sunday night while returning to his residence in Onne along with four others, who were in the car with him.

The deceased, according to some reports, was ambushed by the gunmen and shot him at close range, killing him on the spot.

This is the real Rivers and as it appears, its peculiar electoral character might have begun to manifest.8 Also, recall that Governor Nyesom Wike had penultimate week cancelled the state-owned power plant sold to some of the companies owned by the APC governorship candidate in the state, Tonye Cole.

Although Cole had come out to immediately condemn the action of the governor

and described it as purely political, Wike too had responded saying there was no going back on the decision.

Rivers has never betrayed emotions about its tendency when it comes to election. It always goes all out and does its things in the way that could only produce its desired results, regardless of whose ox is gored. Everyone is of course concerned about how election in the state would turn out.

OGUN A Different Kind of Game Unlike the typical Ogun State, political events dotting the state lately have shown a different kind of game preparatory to 2019. First, Governor Ibikunle Amosun assisted the Allied People’s Movement (APM), the party of his loyalists to secure appointment with President Muhamamdu Buhari, where they formally presented him with a letter of their adoption of him as their presidential candidate.

The visit, which pictures went viral had naturally stoked envy in the other camp of the APC, which quickly rushed to the villa to present Dapo Abiodun as the authentic candidate of the APC to the president and announcing that the president had endorsed him.

Although apart from the picture showing a former governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba and the president raising Abiodun’s hands, there was no statement from the president either directly or through his aides, indicating that the president truly endorsed Abiodun.

But whilst the dust raised by that competitive muscle-flexing was yet to settle, another picture of Governor Amosun riding on the same plane with President Buhari on their return from a presidential campaign kick-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, went viral, with a clear message that emphasised his relationship with the president.

Interestingly, the camp of the PDP had been a bit quiet even though the Appeal Court sided with it. But Senator Buruju Kashamu has appealed the Appeal Court ruling, which nullified his candidacy.

Thus, from APC to the PDP, it is a

different kind of game they are daily throwing up, although there is ADC’s Gboyega Nasiru Isika, who is quietly moving around, and waiting to reap from the misadventures of the two parties.

ZAMFARA The ‘Next Level’ Plot With the recent killings of innocent people by those identified as bandits, Zamfara has not had a good time in the last few days, coupled with the internal political squabbles the ruling party in the state has had to deal with.

But a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, raised the alarm recently, when he claimed that, because the APC did not have constitutionally recognised candidates for various elective positions in Zamfara State ahead of the 2019 elections, President Buhari was plotting to hide under the killings in the state to impose emergency rule, having failed to secure the lives of Nigerians to achieve his selfish partisan agenda.

Fayose, who is the South-west Coordinator of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, alleged that the plot was a response to the insistence of INEC not to allow the APC field candidates for the 2019 general election in the state as a result of its failure to comply with the Electoral Act. Curiously, Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari of the state has also acceded to the call for an emergency rule if that would help tame the insecurity in the state. On the contrary, it does not appear like a Yari would not want his candidate to partake in the governorship election and so, that next level plot may be dead on arrival.

Whatever it is, Zamfara has never shied away from revealing itself as a flashpoint in 2019. The indications are clear and the elements are more than willing to outplay one another.

KWARA Introducing the Shaming Politics A mild but embarrassing drama happened in Ilorin, Kwara State in the week, when during the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) community event, members of the APC in the state were booed and chased out of the venue, calling them names including

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DECEMBER 30, 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

The Road to 2019: Flashpoints to Watch (XV)

Dankwambo

thieves.

What happened at that event, inside sources said, was a ploy that boomeranged. According to the sources, it had been designed that the crowd would boo the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to make him appear as losing grounds in the politics of the state especially, after a recent bye-election in which the APC won. But the alleged plan failed and instead, turned against the planners.

Since the development, which exposed APC’s weak existence in the state, prominent figures in the party, including the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the governorship candidate of the party in the state, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had practically gone on the offensive, seeking ways to punish those who blew up their alleged plans.

Whilst many concur that the perpetrators should be brought to book, the lesson must not be lost on the masterminds that they do not have a monopoly to such madness and that indeed, two can play that game. There is no doubting the fact that Kwara would be interesting in the 2019 elections.

NIGER Enter the ADC The Niger State APC is certainly not going to have a field day in next year’s election. Since the contentious party primaries, the party in the state has not had a good time, as aggrieved members have remained angry and constituted themselves as opposition within.

To say the governor, Abubakar Bello has tried to play this down in different ways, including playing humanitarian politics, all seemed to have failed to yield desired result. But certainly, he is not giving up and has continued to devise many means to that effect, including appeasing the aggrieved members.

But the inauguration of a 50-man governorship campaign committee by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), last week, where the party promised to focus its attention on the reform of the entire education sector in the state has thrown a different challenge altogether to the governorship race especially in the state.

Governorship candidate of the ADC, Dr. Ibrahim Mani, also pledged to ensure regular payment of salaries and allowances of workers, obviously cashing in on the shortcomings of the Bello administration.

Again, that is another commendable and yet interesting dimension to the race in Niger State. Perhaps, Niger is one of the states eagerly waiting on the ringside to pull off surprises in 2019.

GOMBE Setting the Record Straight For some time now, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has been preoccupied, dealing with the opposition led by a former governor of the state, Danjuma Goje, who has vowed to take over the state from him and reset the development chart

Eze

Okorocha

of the state. That would have been the start and end of Dankwambo’s headache. Not at all – there’s more!

The governor has come under attacks lately, albeit from within over allegation of working to betray the candidate of his party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, an allegation weighty enough to undo him and his current standing as the face of the party in the state and zone.

However, with an understanding of the implications, Dankwambo came out last week to dismiss insinuations that he was in league with his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, to betray Atiku. He reassured the party that he was solidly behind Atiku, and also promised to deliver the entire North-east to the PDP in February 2019.

Aside the internal challenge that the governor appears to be facing lately, he has a bigger task ahead of him in 2019 as he would be faced with another former governor in a serious survival battle.

Gombe would not play relegation in 2019, evidently.

that has by its own doing attracted huge attention to itself is Imo. Since the outcome of the party primary which outplayed Governor Rochas Okorocha, and his preferred son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, the governor had taken the liberty to personalise his attacks against the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

Last week, an unrelenting Okorocha described Oshiomhole, as a noise maker, saying the APC national chair owed civil servants in Edo State seven months arrears of salary by the time he left office as governor, in addition to saying he lacked the moral right to contribute to issues concerning payment of civil servants salaries.

According to him, instead of Oshiomhole to market the ruling party during a rally in Owerri, he was busy abusing him (Okorocha) and therefore challenged Oshiomhole to publish his scorecard as the state governor for eight years while he (Okorocha) publishes his own scorecard as the Imo State governor.

There is no doubting the fact that Okorocha is still very bitter with the party leadership and is not hiding the fact that he would use the opportunity of next year’s election to prove his mettle. How realistic that turns out to be is subject to a debate.

But clearly, he would fight and fight harder than anyone can imagine, even though he has also not hidden his desire to run for the presidency in 2023.

ENUGU Stewing in Their Own Juice Developments within the APC in Enugu State have confirmed some of THISDAY’s extrapolations that the state might be impregnable for it in next year’s election.

The post-primary election crisis besetting the party took a turn for the worse last week when the governorship candidate of APC, Senator Ayogu Eze, accused another claimant to the position, George Ogara of engaging in deceit to attract sympathy.

Ogara had disputed the emergence of Eze as APC’s governorship candidate in the state, having participated in another primary organised by a faction of the state executive. He alleged that his campaign office was attacked by persons linked to Eze for political reasons.

Eze however dismissed the allegations and said Ogara was lying and that he was simply on an impossible mission.

But what seemed like a harmless tradetackling soon degenerated as factions of the party were alleged to have burnt vehicles of opposing camps, in a manner that was building up violence in the state.

This development, observers believed, had exposed the inadequacies of the party to manage a small advantage let alone a major electoral success in the state.

At the same time while the APC was undoing itself, the ruling PDP was consolidating as Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had reportedly put smiles on the faces of the people through his free Christmas buses gesture, while at same time, requesting for more prayers for the state. Ugwuanyi sure knows the right button of his people, the reason he has remained relevant and immovable in the countdown to 2019.

IMO Personalising the 2019 Battle In the whole of the South-east, one state

LAGOS Raising the Stakes With each passing day, the race to the Lagos House gets more interesting as candidates of the two leading parties – APC and PDP – are daily undoing each other. Importantly, what the current tenor of campaigns has done to the polity or the message therein is that it is not going to be a walkover for whoever wins at the end of the day.

Needless to say that the candidate of the APC, Babajide Sanwo-Olu started earlier than his counterparts in other parties, coming late behind him and already side-byside with him on the pitch now is the PDP standard bearer, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, who had since picking up, gone on the offensive.

Although some have come out to say Agbaje was playing divisive politics and in some cases playing to the gallery, he has however been consistent about his message that a vote for Sanwo-Olu would mean a vote for Bola Tinubu, political leader of the party and a former governor of the state. Indeed, his message appears to be resonating with the people.

Both sides have however continued with their consultations of critical stakeholders in the state. They boast well-off resume.

There is age on their side, in addition to commanding impressive following.

Therefore, as it is, Lagos in 2019 is take-able by whoever pushes harder and better.

Indeed, the stakes are high and Lagos, being the Centre of Excellence, remains the cynosure of all eyes.

Sanwo-Olu

Situating the Presidential Run

T

he presidential campaign tide switched a little last week with the launch of the APC campaign in Uyo, Akwa Ibom and the setting up of a presidential council. Buhari’s kick-off rally has been adjudged impressive from all and sundry and might have provided the opportunity for a better showing subsequently.

Although the two parties took to the ring in the week that just ended, trading tackles and debating issues of corruption and competence, amongst others, it appears there might be a short break for the festive period while everyone is expected back in the trenches next year.

Given that the two parties had launched and in a big way too, in addition to both setting up their campaign councils, even though that of the APC was delayed because of the crisis in the party across the states, what it connotes is that everyone is ready for the big fight next year – it could be a bareknuckle fist or with their gloves on. Whichever they settle for at the end of the day, all these would be put to rest in February and March next year, when the elections must have been done and over with.

Buhari

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INTERNATIONAL Manifestations of Corruption and Societal Indiscipline: The Challenge for Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Candidates

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orruption, defined in legal terms, is simply an abuse of office, in the sense of using public office for private gain. Shumaker and Longsdorf defined corruption in their 1910 Law Dictionary as ‘an act done with intent to give some advantage inconsistent with official duty and the rights of others.’ It is further noted here that corruption includes bribery, ‘but is more comprehensive because an act may be corruptly done, though the advantage to be derived from it may be offered by another.’ From the foregoing, the definition of corruption is operationally limited to the public domain. Secondly, an act of corruption must have been deliberately conceived and executed. Thirdly, the act must also have an objective that is illegal, that is, inconsistent with established rules. Fourthly, the illegal advantage sought must also infringe on the rights of other Nigerians. Fifthly, a distinction is made between the agent of corruption and the recipients of gains of corruption.

Corruption, in whichever way it is looked at, is an act of, and a resultant from, dishonesty on which the polity is largely predicated in Nigeria. Again, corruption has been given different typologies. Huther and Shahl have distinguished between bureaucratic or petty corruption in which bribes and small favours are sought; grand corruption involving theft, embezzlement or misuse of public funds by a relatively small number of public officials, and state capture or regulatory capture involving officials extracting favours for private gains.

Regardless of the categorisation, corruption is driven by dishonesty. Besides, political governance is characterised by impunity, unfairness and injustice. It is largely the perception of engagement of highly-placed people in sharp practices and corruption with impunity that attracts attention of others in acts of corruption. It will be useful, in this regard, to seek to listen to motorists, transporters, traders etc, in the various motor parks.

What people say about government officials and politicians are not in any way encouraging and complimentary.

But true enough again, many Nigerians are dishonest, and for that matter, to themselves. Whoever is dishonest with himself or herself should not be expected to be honest with or to others. Even when some people are found guilty of gross misconduct, they are allowed to walk freely in an atmosphere of braggadocio to the dislike of those who are criticising them for their misbehaviours.

Most unfortunately too, the foundation of both public governance and professional politics in Nigeria is built with cement and sand of corruption and sustainably watered with policies of self-deceit and ethnic jingoism, especially as from the end of the country’s civil war in 1970. But who is to blame and be blamed?

Put differently, how do we explain the fact that indiscipline in the Nigerian society was not a big deal under the British colonial rule but remains the bane of the Nigerian society on attainment of independence? Professor J.S. Cookey noted in his Political Bureau’s Report in 1987 that corruption was first identified as the bane of the Nigerian society in 1967. How do we explain the recidivist or inability to come to terms with it since then? Rather than have it nipped in the bud, it has been allowed to develop into official culture, acquiesced to by the generality of the people of Nigeria.

Before explication of the manifestations of corruption and indiscipline in Nigeria, it is useful to put the understanding of corruption in context, as this Column simply believes that corruption is nothing more than an expression of indiscipline and dishonesty.

For instance, dishonesty is considered as both a misconduct and a serious misconduct under the Public Service Rules (PSR) of Nigeria. Under Section 3 on Misconduct, sub-section 030301 identified 16 types of acts of misconduct. They include scandalous conduct (immoral behaviour, unruly behaviour, drunkenness, foul language, assault and battery), habitual lateness to work, deliberate delay in treating official document, failure to keep records, sleeping on duty, improper dressing while on duty, insubordination, discourteous behaviour to the public, and perhaps more importantly, dishonesty, which is the seventh on the list.

If we take a cursory look at the various types of misconduct, how many of the public and civil servants can lay claim to freedom from them? Are public servants not generally discourteous to the public, especially Nigerians that are underprivileged or without contacts or who are not well connected? What about deliberate delay in treating official documents and non-keeping of records? One truism here is that the conscious delay in treating

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Serving as an employee of Government and at the same time working against the attainment of the objectives of the same Government constitutes a divided loyalty per excellence. At the non-governmental level, there is no disputing the fact that divided loyalty is at its crescendo at the level of party politics and politicians. Many are the politicians who are PDP in the morning, APC in the afternoon, SDP in the evening, APGAat mid-night, and yet will be defending their own individual selfish interests on the altar of corruption he following day. This is the current environmental conditioning of presidential campaigns in Nigeria.

Without scintilla of doubt, the APC Standard Bearer, President Muhamadu Buhari, incumbent president, and the main opposition party contender, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have been trading blames on who has better integrity than the other. Arguments for and against, on both sides, have been offered. It is the position of Vie Internationale that whenever there is the need to make a choice between two evils or devils, one must take the better evil or devil. In this case, neither of Muhammadu Buhari nor Atiku Abubakar is devilish, but for many obvious reasons, Atiku Abubakar is preferable to Muhammadu Buhari. This is why the analysis of the manifestations and their implications for the 2019 presidential elections should be located at the level of the general societal indiscipline and corruption.

This column observes that most Nigerians are corrupt by way of commission, acquiescence, aiding and abetting, and perversion of justice. If we admit of the foregoing legal definition of corruption, which is the deliberate abuse of public office to have private gains to the detriment of the interests of others, and if we also admit that such favours and gains may not be financial, many of political decisions cannot but therefore be corrupt. Consequently, the tune and direction of debate on corruption should not be simply tailored along a holier-than-thou attitude but more along the articulation of how best the presidential candidates are prepared to address the corruption issues, all of which border on manifestations of dishonesty.

Manifestations of Corruption in Nigeria

Buhari official letters and documents precisely and largely serves as the first dynamic of corruption. The delay necessarily sends a message to the public, rightly or wrongly, that there is the need for ‘settlement,’ often interpreted as a ‘bribe,’ before any prompt action could be taken. Government is not on record to be replying to letters from the public unless compelled to, how much less replying to them.

Perhaps more interestingly, when do public servants resume duty in Abuja? What is the percentage of people resuming for work at 8 am? Where are the Nigerians sincerely interested in efficiency of the public service? Is the main preoccupation not a priori self-survival and that of Nigeria thereafter?

Let us espy the case of serious misconduct at this juncture. There are 23 categories of serious misconduct. Bribery and corruption are listed as numbers 10 (j) and 11 (k) under Section 4, sub-section 030402 of the PSR. Other types include divided loyalty, sabotage, sexual harassment Advance Fee Fraud (Criminal Code 419), embezzlement, misappropriation, nepotism or any other form of preferential treatment, false claims against Government Officials, suppression or falsification of records, unauthorised disclosure of official information, any action prejudicial to the security of the State, as well as violation of Oath of Secrecy. Holding more than one full-time paid job and conviction on a criminal charge (other than a minor traffic offence) are also acts of serious misconduct.

In this regard, again, is suppression and falsification of records not rampant in the public Service, and particularly among politicians? Why is it that it is precisely the very senior-level Government officials and public position-seeking politicians that are having problems of NYSC certificates of discharge? Why is it that ordinary level certificates cannot be joyfully presented when allegations are levied? What should we understand by divided loyalty in the public Service?

The Federal Government is the most corrupt and is not better than an armed or pen robber and kidnapper. In April 1994, the Federal Government collected deposits from Nigerians for houses that were to be built and allocated by December 1994.

As at 2018, no house has been built. No refund of deposit and no one is talking about it. This is another form of ofďŹ cial corruption by excellence. Houses were sold to occupants of government houses in Abuja, following President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Monetisation Policy in 2004.The CertiďŹ cates of Occupancy are yet to be given. Even in Lagos State, lands allocated on the basis of full payment under the Isheri North project and started by Governor Buba Marwa, in the mid-1990s, are yet to be ďŹ nally allocated and documented

Corruption in Nigeria is manifested institutionally and multi-dimensionally in national life. At the institutional level, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria lays the foundation in its preamble.

It says ‘We the People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible Sovereign Nation under God...do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution...’ The interpretation of this particular provision has sharply divided the polity. One school of thought posits that ‘We the People...’ has a manu militari character and therefore not democratic. In the eyes of this school, the 1999 Constitution is not only undemocratic, but particularly fraudulent. In other words, there has not been any democratic basis for the claim of firm and solemn resolution to live in unity, or to give ourselves the Constitution.

The other school of thought believes that the Government in power has the necessary locus standi to act on behalf of the generality of the people of Nigeria, and therefore does not see anything fraudulent, dishonest or corrupt about it. The problem with the constitutional provision is that it has prompted agitations and calls for a review of the Constitution. In terms of categorisation, constitutional corruption falls under category 3, regulatory capture.

As reported in The Punch of Friday, December 28, 2018 some politicians in Oyo State had been pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission to sell the unclaimed 914,529 PVCs to them. As noted by Mr. Agboke in online journalism and Media Integrity in Nigeria, there is the need ‘to tell those who are looking for PVCs to buy that there is none to buy in Oyo State...[N] o INEC employee will sell PVCs to any politician.’ Perhaps more disturbingly, Mr. Agboke also declared as follows: ‘those who are looking for PVCs to buy, I won’t give you their names. I don’t have their names. But that is the security report I got and the report did not specify the party and the individuals that are involved. They want us to give them PVCs but we can’t give it to them. They want to buy PVCs but there is none to sell in Oyo State.’ The import of this report is to suggest the extent to which politicians are corrupt and are better prepared intentionally to win the elections by all means. It also clearly shows the extent of party indiscipline and dishonesty. The mere fact that the INEC is promising its non-preparedness to sell any PVC to any politicians is also politics. If not, why is it difficult to give the names of those seeking to buy electoral materials when the Buhari administration is said to be fighting tooth and nail corruption? The position of the INEC is nothing more than another expression of dishonesty, and therefore of corruption.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced on Thursday, December 27, 2018 that it had secured 312 convictions between January and December 2018, which is a considerable improvement on that of 2017 which was put at 189 convictions. According to The Nation of Friday, December 28, ‘the record of convictions cuts across the various offices of the EFCC with Lagos securing 85 convictions, Abuja (53), followed by Kano with 36. Port Harcourt secured 33 convictions, Gombe recorded 28, Benin had 27, Enugu (15), Maiduguri (11), Ibadan (10), Uyo (8), and Kaduna (6).’ (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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BUSINESS

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08033204315, 08111813084

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MTN NIgeria CEO, Ferdinand Moolman

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$8.1bn Refund: The CBN-MTN Drama and Impacts on Investor Confidence In this piece, James Emejo reviews the recent resolve by the Central Bank of Nigeria to reverse its decision on MTN Nigeria to refund the $8.1 billion the company was accused to have repatriated illegally

I

n August, the Centra; Bank of Nigeria sanctioned MTN Nigeria over alleged illegal repatriation of $8.1 billion from the country to its parent company in South Africa, in violation of the extant laws and regulations.

After an extensive investigation into the alleged infraction, the apex bank had demanded that the $8.1 billion be refunded with immediate effect to the CBN. Also affected by the sanctions were four Nigerian banks, namely Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank Nigeria Limited, Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited and Diamond Bank Plc – which allegedly aided the repatriation between 2007 and 2015, despite the fact that the telecoms giant was in violation of the extant Nigerian foreign exchange and anti-money laundering laws.

However, the telecoms company immediately denied the allegations that it repatriated foreign exchange unlawfully from its Nigerian operations.

Notwithstanding, shares of the MTN Group dropped 23 per cent to a nine-year low, following the CBN announcement of sanctions against the South African company.

The situation also raised concerns that the confidence of international investors might have been badly impaired by the development.

For one, it implies that investors may not freely move in their monies and exit at will.

But, CBN made spirited attempts to douse the tension, assuring investors that the sanctity of Certificates of Capital Importation (CCIs) remained sacrosanct and will be respected.

Following a sustained protest by MTN, which felt it had done nothing wrong regarding the accusation- and constrained by growing criticism even by the government regarding the negative impact on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country, the CBN was forced to reconsider its decision.

Consequently, at the September meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, assured that it was engaging with MTN and other stakeholders to give them the opportunity to prove their case over the alleged illegal repatriation.

According to him, the CBN was engaging with affected parties to afford them the opportunity for fair hearing.

He predicted that the outcome of the engagement will leave all parties satisfied.

Emefiele had said: “First, it’s important for us to know that the fine- $8.1 billion is dollar equivalent of MTN’s naira generated from their profit. So I will neither call it a fine or a penalty. “What CBN sought by asking MTN to return that money is that we want a reversal of that transaction because it was not finally authorised by the CBN and that’s what we sought to do. “And because those funds moved through these four banks, the quantum of dollars that passed through the banks was what we said the banks needed to remit back or the company needed to remit back to CBN through the banks. “It didn’t mean that these were the banks’ obligation and we understand that there were some interpretations in some quarters that aside from the naira penalty, that there were some conclusions that those dollars said to have been remitted by these banks on

behalf of this company were indeed the liabilities of the banks. “And that’s the reason we provided a clarification to the banks when they called us that that liability is indeed that of MTN and not theirs: and that CBN was not in any position or in any way going to debit the banks for the dollar because it was not and it’s not meant to be their liability.�

According to him, it is important to know that this was an investigation that started over two years ago; there were a number of issues; about two of the issues we’ve decided to allow it a dispensation to say let it go. “But on this last one, we thought the amount was large and that there’s a need for us to subject this to further investigation and discussions.�

He said, “Yes, I feel vindicated that in the history of the banking industry, at least I gave a chance where the regulator - governor sitting in the meeting, deputy governors, director of banking supervision and over 20 examiners sitting in a hall with a company and the banks, asking them to resolve the issues because we admit that MTN is a systemically important telecoms company in Nigeria. “And after that meeting we held on May 25, 2018, the discussion was inconclusive- we gave the company and the banks one week, which was meant to be the end of May; it was not done but also realising the importance of this company so that we will not jolt the system, we gave almost extra two months for them to provide relevant documentation to the examiners so they can knock those items out of their outstanding item. “Unfortunately, this didn’t happen and we felt that we couldn’t wait indefinitely. And that was the reason we released the investigation report to the banks and the company. They’ve now responded and provided documents which I have sent down to examiners to now begin to review. And I repeat; we will go through the pain again to invite the banks and invite the company to prove their case because it’s just normal that we should allow these company and the banks to clear themselves. That’s what we are doing and I believe in due course, we should make a final call on this subject,� he added.

Reassuring on the flexibility of the investment policy particularly as it concerns foreign exchange, the governor noted: �And it’s important for me to say and repeat at this meeting that the sanctity of our CCIs remain sacrosanct; at a time CCIs were being issued by CBN, but in order to provide a transparent system, we migrated the process to banks issuing the CCI. “Today, we’ve migrated this into what we call the electronic CCIs- so that tells you how transparent we are on this subject.

And I repeat, the sanctity of CCIs remain sacrosanct; we’ll respect CCIs, but again, it’s important that people should please as much as possible ensure that they do what’s right, obey the extant laws and foreign exchange regulations of our country. We will resolve this matter; I’m very optimistic we’ll resolve the matter and I believe that everybody will be happy: MTN will be happy, the banks will be happy and CBN and government will be happy.�

The CBN reassurance notwithstanding, in October, the federal government again publicly expressed reservations over the MTN repatriation controversy.

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, admitted that the recent CBN directive on $8.1 billion refund to MTN Nigeria and the fines imposed on four other banks over foreign exchange infractions has had a negative impact on investors’ confidence in the economy.

She hinted that authorities had since been working to offer some explanation to investors on how the matter was being resolved.

Ahmed said the government could not afford to allow a repeat of the development because of its implications for the economy.

She said, “Unfortunately this was negative for us, but it’s now being sorted out and we are bearing the cost of it. We have been engaging investors and trying to explain what is happening.�

Speaking during a panel session on “Sustainable Economic Opportunities: Ending the Vicious Cycle�, at the 24th Nigerian Economic Summit, she added, however, that the issue was currently being sorted out.

The minister further foreclosed suggestions that more companies may also be punished for similar infractions.

She submitted that the MTN incident had a damaging effect on the reputation of the country.

She had said: “We are trying to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. We are continuously discussing with the regulatory authorities and there will be no company next after MTN. Nobody is next because we just can’t afford this kind of incidence to happen. “The MTN incident was a very damaging one for us and that was one of the reasons why we have been out trying to engage our investors. But you see there is a tendency for big businesses to take regulation and government for granted.�

According to her, multinational companies have, however, been operating with impunity by showing disregard for extant regulations, stressing that government will not condone such attitude going forward.

Clarifying the sanction on the South African company, the minister said MTN had only been asked to refund the amount it allegedly repatriated in violation of extant regulation.

This is why the recent decision by the CBN to reverse its sanction on MTN Nigeria, imposing a refund of $8.1billion the telecoms company had remitted abroad in violation of foreign exchange remittances law of the country must have come with some measure of relief to the government, MTN and international investors in particular.

The Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Isaac Okorafor, said MTN Nigeria, led by its Nigerian shareholders had held intensive engagements with the CBN in the course of which it supplied additional material information, not previously offered to the bank, satisfactorily clarifying its remittances - leading to the amicable resolution. “Having now reviewed the additional documentation provided by the company, the CBN has concluded that MTN is no longer required to reverse the historical dividend payments made to MTN Nigeria shareholders,� he said adding however, that it identified that the proceeds from the preference shares in MTN Nigeria’s private placement remittances of 2008 were irregular having been based on CCIs that were issued without the final approval of CBN.

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Threat to Budget Implementation President Muhammadu Buhari recently presented an appropriation bill of N8.83trillion to the National Assembly for consideration and ratification in pursuit of his administration’s ‘continuity agenda’ in 2019. Bamidele Famoofo reports that given falling oil prices at the international market, the federal government may find it difficult to fund the budget Oil Prices f there is no reversal in oil price at least in the short to medium term, the plan of President Buhari to use the proposed budget of continuity for 2019 to further consolidate his past achievements in economicgrowthmightjustbeamirage.

This is because the price of oil has already fallen by more than 30 per cent so far this quarter to its lowest since the third quarter of 2017 even as global stock markets also declined after they came under pressure from concern about a United States government shutdown and a worsening world economy.

As at Thursday, December 27, 2018, crude oil price in the international market stood at $52.42 per barrel, according to figures made available by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This is about $8 per barrel lower than $60 per barrel on which Nigeria benchmarked the funding of its 2019 budget.

Commenting on the perceived threat, a Lagosbased economist and analyst, Dr. Boniface Chizea, told THISDAY that, “Dealing with the benchmark price of oil is one of the difficult issues to handle with budget preparation because of its vexatious volatility. So a situation whereby the budget benchmark is above the prevailing market price is ill-advised and certainly problematic. We are on record to observe that it is eminently easier to manage surplus and therefore that is the preferred thrusts as we put together the budget details. But we should not overly worry and be concerned about this for now. All that would happen is that the deficit included in the budget will be exceeded if revenue projections are not realised and there will then be recourse to additional borrowing.�

However, economic pundits have identified the escalating trade dispute between China and the United States as further threat to crude demand and global growth.

And also because the US Senate has been unable to break an impasse over President Donald Trump’s demand for more funds for a wall on the border with Mexico, and a senior official said the shutdown could continue until January 3, 2019, investors are flocking to perceived safe-haven assets such as gold and government debt, at the expense of crude oil and stocks, Brent crude futures were down 58 cents at $53.24 per barrel.

Likewise, the US crude futures fell 90 cents to trade at $44.69. Brent fell 11 per cent last week and hit its lowest since September 2017, while US futures slid to their lowest since July 2017, bringing the decline in the two contracts to 35 per cent so far this quarter.

The federal government also predicated the budget on the 2.3 million barrels per day even though the current output is still around two million barrels per day.

I

Optimism While the reality remains that oil price continues to drop in recent times, Buhari said his government is optimistic that the trend will not continue for a long time. “Notwithstanding the recent softening in international oil prices, the considered view of most reputable analysts is that the downward trend in oil prices in recent months is not necessarily reflective of the outlook for 2019�, he disclosed while presenting the document to the joint National Assembly recently.

The president said he had issued directives to the nation’s oil corporation otherwise known as Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to up its games to meet the projected production target of 2.3 million barrels per day listed in the document to be able to meet revenue target. “With regard to oil production, I have directed the NPPC to take all possible measures to achieve the targeted oil production of 2.3 million barrels per day�.

Meanwhile, it still remains unclear what the NNPC would do differently next year to achieve the mandatory production target given that output in 2018 stands on the average of 1.9million per barrel per day.

Realistically, however, Buhari said “as a

Barrels of crude oil...prices are currently sliding at the international market

responsible administration, we will continue to monitor the situation and will respond to any changes in the international oil price outlook for 2019�.

2018 Review The 2018 budget was based on a benchmark oil price of $51/barrel with oil production of 2.3 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N305 to the dollar. Based on these, the federal government’s aggregate revenue of N7.17trillion was projected to contribute to the 2018 budget of N9.12trillion. The projected deficit of N1.95trillion (or 1.73 percent of GDP) was to be financed mainly by borrowing.

While the budget was premised on 2.3million barrels per day In 2018, average oil production up to end of the third quarter was 1.95 million barrels per day. However, what could not be achieved through volume in 2018 was robustly compensated for in terms of price as average market price of Bonny Light crude oil was higher (an average of $74 per barrel as at October) than the benchmark price of $51/barrel.

As at the end of the third quarter, federal government’s actual aggregate revenue was N2.84trillion, which is 40 per cent higher than 2017 revenue. The overall revenue performance is only 53 per cent of the target in the 2018 budget largely because some one-off items are yet to be actualised. But the president said revenue items in the 2018 budget will be rolled over to 2019.

Despite the delay in the passage of the 2018 budget on 20th June 2018, it has so far recorded a 67 per cent performance given that N4.59trillion has been spent as at 30th September, 2018 against the prorated expenditure target of N6.84 trillion.

The sum of N820.57billion had been released for capital projects as at 14th December, 2018.

2019 Budget According to the president, the 2019 budget proposal is intended to further place the economy on the path of inclusive, diversified and sustainable growth in order to continue to lift significant

numbers of the citizens out of poverty. He explained that the underlying drivers of the 2019 revenue projections had been adjusted to reflect current realities. “On the expenditure side, allocations to ministries, departments and agencies of government were guided by the three objectives of the ERGP, which are: Restoring and Sustaining Growth; Investing in our People and Building a Globally Competitive Economy,� he said.

The 2019 budget proposal is based on five key assumptions which are as follows: price benchmark of $60 per barrel; oil production estimate of 2.3 million barrels per day, including condensates; exchange rate of N305/$; Real GDP growth of 3.01 percent; and inflation rate of 9.98 per cent.

Revenue Total revenue is projected at N6.97trillion which is three percent lower than the 2018 estimate of N7.17trilion, consisting of oil revenue projected at N3.73trillion while non-oil revenue is estimated at N1.39trillion.

Analysis of revenue projection shows that 53.5 per cent of funding is expected from oil, which is presently highly volatile in the world market, while 46.5 per cent of revenue will come from the non-oil sector. A deficit of N1.86 trillion is planned to be funded through borrowing.

Further breakdown indicates that the estimate for non-oil revenue consists of N799.52billion from companies income tax (CIT), N229.34billion from value added tax (VAT) and Customs duties of N302.55billion. Expectation from independent revenues was reduced to N624.58billion while other revenues expected in 2019 include various recoveries of N203.38billion, N710billion as proceeds from the restructuring of government’s equity in joint ventures and other sundry incomes of N104.11billion.

But there is an expression of confidence in some quarters that the funding of the 2019 budget would be achieved despite uncertainties in oil prices.

Chizea said growing performance in non-oil revenue generation was a sign of great things to come. His words: “There is a development

no one has celebrated so far to the best of my knowledge. If the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has raised about N5.3 trillion this year and Customs, N1.0trillion, we are surely getting there. If we sustain this level of performance, it means we would be able to fund our recurrent expenditure from fiscal sources and like other well managed economies of the world, use income from the extractive sector for capital expenditure.

Expenditure A total expenditure of N8.83trillion is estimated for 2019 which includes grants and donor funds of N209.92billion. The provision is less than the N9.12trillion expenditure estimate for 2018 but higher than the N8.6trillion originally proposed by the executive branch to the National Assembly for 2018.

The proposed N8.83trillion of 2019 aggregate expenditure comprises of a N4.04 trillion recurrent expenditure of which a substantial part will be spent on payment of salaries and overheads in ministries providing critical public services.

The Ministry of Interior takes a chunk of N569.07billion ahead of education and health with N462.24billion and N315.62billion respectively.

Defence also got a priority funding of N435.62billion.

The four key ministries account for 19.3 per cent of recurrent spending. “The allocation to these ministries represents significant increases over votes in previous budgets, underscoring our commitment to increase investment in national security and human capital development�, Buhari explained.

Capital Expenditure A sum of N2.28trillion was allocated for capital spending which is inclusive of capital in statutory transfers. But with the inclusion of N275.88billion representing capital for the larger Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) and N556.02billion for Multi-lateral/Bi-lateral project-tied loans, the aggregate capital budget will rise to N3.12trillion.

This represents 30 percent of the total FGN proposed expenditure for 2019.

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As FG Revamps Airport Facilities On December 20, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the new terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Before then, Buhari had unveiled a new terminal at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa. In this piece, Chinedu Eze writes about the need to maintain the facilities

A section of the recently inaugurated terminal of Nnamdi Azikiwe Internnational Airport, Abuja

P

resident Muhammadu Buhari recently inaugurated the new terminal at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, barely two months after opening the terminal at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

While unveiling the terminal, Buhari said the federal government was developing Nigeria into a regional air transportation hub and the country was assuming its leadership in the aviation sub-sector in Africa.

He noted that the new terminal was the first to be connected to rail transport system in the country and indeed in the region, providing airport users with a choice in the mode of transport to and from the city centre.

He said the government was gradually closing the infrastructure deficit bedevilling the country.

Also, the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the newly commissioned terminal had the capacity to process 15 million passengers annually and covered a space of approximately 56,000m2. It also has 72 check-in counters, five baggage collection carousels, 28 immigration desks at arrival and 16 at departure.

Other facilities include eight security screening points, eight-passenger boarding bridges, walkway to link the FCT metro rail and additional apron for remote parking of aircraft, among others, that were designed and laid out in accordance with modern requirements for airport operations.

Sirika urged the President to intervene in the payment of counterpart fund owed to the China Exim Bank so that the CCECC could complete the second phase of the airport remodelling exercise, which include the provision of additional facilities that would enhance airport efficiency.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, told aviation correspondents that the new terminal would be used for international flights, while the old one would be used for domestic flights.

Readiness Incidentally, none of the new airport terminals unveiled was put into use immediately.

The one at the Port Harcourt airport, THISDAY gathered, still has a lot of work to be done to make it ready for passenger facilitation.

That raised the question among stakeholders why the President should open the terminal that was not ready?

But the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, told THISDAY that from mid-January 2019 the facility would be opened for the processing of passengers on international destinations. “We know that Ethiopia Airlines, British Airways, Arik Air and Air Peace will use the new terminal to process their passengers for overseas destinations.

Ethiopia Airlines has given us their words.

You know they always support us in whatever we are doing,� she said.

Maintenance THISDAY investigations disclosed that maintenance of the airport terminals was not part of the agreement the federal government reached with the Chinese, who constructed the facilities with a $500 million loan from Chinese Exim Bank with counterpart funding of $100 million from the federal government.

Yakubu, who said she did not have any information on the maintenance of the facilities after construction, expressed optimism that FAAAN would ensure that the terminals were kept to standards when they go on stream.

About two years ago, Sirika raised an alarm over the structural deficiencies with the terminal in Lagos and Abuja, which include lack of proper sewage, small apron hangar and inadequate power and water capacity.

The minister also said the terminal in Abuja had no link to the old structure, no apron space provided.

The little one that is available is obscured by the fire service. And the control tower at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos cannot see the apron of the new terminal due to the location of the structure.

Funding To correct these technical deficiencies, the Chinese Exim Bank after persuasion by the federal government agreed to raise some funds put at about $500 million and likewise, the government was also expected to raise some funds in order to bring the terminals to acceptable standards.

According to reports, the federal government was yet to pay counterpart funding of $69.3million to the China Exim Bank and it has allegedly only paid 31.1percent of the $100 million counterpart fund for the $500million credit facility provided by the China Exim Bank for the remodelling of the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano airports.

Many industry observers are of the view that without maintenance policy, the new terminals being unveiled would eventually fall back to the old system, become dilapidated; unless government carries out its plan to concession the airports or give FAAN autonomy status so that it would be run like a corporate organisation without interference from the government.

Comparison Many Nigerians, who were downbeat when Ghana inaugurated its new terminal at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, were excited when the federal government unveiled the Port Harcourt and Abuja airport terminals. But insiders are of the view that the state of the art facilities was incorporated in the Accra airport terminal with modern technologies on Immigration service, check-in system, baggaging and others.

THISDAY found out last Sunday that the new terminal at the Kotoka airport had seven avio bridges and 14 fingers with large apron space where flights could park and board passengers. The Abuja new terminal, though a large edifice, is shrunk in a small space that allowed only two avio bridges on one side with four fingers.

Despite the commissioning of the two terminals, some industry stakeholders insist that the Murtala Muhammed Domestic Terminal, known as MMA2 is still the best terminal

in Nigeria in terms of functionality, 11 years after it was put into use.

Concession Arrangement The new Port Harcourt International Airport Terminal, the Abuja terminal was built by CCECC Nigeria Limited at the contract sum of about $111, 168, 752.55 and according to CCECC, 85 per cent of the contract sum came from the Export-Import Bank of China “as a concessional loan�, while 15 per cent of the amount came as the counterpart funding from the government of Nigeria.

The contract was signed on December 3, 2012 “but large-scale construction� commenced in Abuja and Lagos terminals in early 2015.

Recently in Lagos, Sirika reinforced the desire of the federal government to concession major airports in the country and said that all the major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano would be given out on the concession.

The minister, who was obviously piqued by the celebration of Accra airport new terminal opened recently by Nigerians, observed that many Nigerians had taken to the social media to celebrate the new terminal at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana, but they did not know that the country has better airport terminal facilities in Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Lagos.

He, however, stressed that despite the building of the four facilities and an additional one at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, the government had realised that it could not efficiently build and manage airport infrastructure, hence the decision to concession them.

But industry experts are curious about how the government would concession the airports while they already have a concessionary agreement with the Chinese, who are expected to manage the new terminals and recoup their investment on the projects.

The new Abuja airport terminal may be the best edifice in terms of the airport terminal and the linking of the facility to a rail station makes it one of the best mode of transport in West Africa.

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A view of the Second Niger Bridge

With New Funding, Second Niger Bridge Offers Hope of Economic Revolution The projected completion of the second Niger Bridge by 2022 is bound to boost the economic potentials of the entire eastern region and the country in general, writes James Emejo

T

he resurrection of construction activities on the Niger River has again kept hopes alive for the people living along the area especially those in Asaba, Delta State and Onitsha, Anambra State, on whose soil the foot of the second Niger bridge stand.

The bridge current has both political and economic significance, helping to spur economic activity in the area and to larger extent the country as a whole, and politically help the eastern region have a sense of belonging in the federation (Federal presence) particularly at a period of growing agitation over the separation of the Igbo people from Nigeria.

However, from the economic perspective, the project was conceived amid the realisation that crossing point between Asaba and Onitsha, which is currently served by the First Niger Bridge, is key to the socio-economic lives and development of people of the South-Eastern region, according to the Managing Director/Chief Executive, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr. Uche Orji, while explaining the rationale behind the alternative crossing route. “The route is a principal facilitator of regional integration, and the primary corridor for the movement of goods and services between the South-west and South-east plus South-south regions of Nigeria. “The First Niger Bridge was constructed in 1965, i.e. 50 years ago, with a single bi-directional carriageway. However, due to population growth in the area and the high rate of urbanisation, the bridge is now stretched to capacity, especially during peak periods, and as a result suffers continuous strain from excessive vehicular weights during periods of slow/ stationary traffic.�

He said: The Second Niger Bridge (2NB) project was thus conceived to fulfill the

following specific needs: Provide an alternative crossing between Asaba and Onitsha within reasonable distance from the current one, which would allow the existing bridge to be shut down for much-needed maintenance without causing significant economic losses to the people of the region; provide congestion relief as well as improved health and safety along the route, with all heavy goods vehicles proposed to be diverted to the new bridge; spur an increase in investments, agriculture and trade (particularly with the Onitsha Main Market) in the region, due to the improved and quicker access and cater for the expected growth in traffic over the next 50 years, resulting from the increased economic activities, population growth and new urban developments.

However, the bridge construction, which commenced in 2014 with some early works had been stalled along the line by funding constraints- particularly the mode of financing, as well as community- related obstacles, leading to criticism from some quarters following the temporary suspension of activities.

Some had even questioned the competence of the contractor to execute the job while other blamed it on witchcraft, which was bent on frustrating the construction over the river.

But, earlier this year, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, was invited to the National Assembly and was grilled on the status of the second Niger bridge.

The minister had among other things, cautioned against the blame game stressing that, “It’s not to lay blame, if not, there is enough to go round.�

According to him:�Nothing is wrong in capacity of the contractor: they are competent by their works.�

Fashola had attributed the stoppage in construction work on the bridge to the financing choices� which were earlier made

by government.

He further chided government for not making adequate provisions in the annual budget with which to fund some of its private partnerships including the second Niger bridge.

The minister, giving further insight as to the reasons behind the temporary suspension of work on the bridge, had said:�Since last March, money has not come. And contractors stopped working because...There’s nothing wrong with PPPs...

But project is still under construction as it wouldn’t be left fallow‌�

Nevertheless, the recent announcement that the much-anticipated second Niger bridge will be completed by February 2022 came as a huge relief to Nigerians, particularly the eastern region.

The project financing partner, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the bridge builder, Julius Berger during a joint facility tour of the authority and traditional rulers from both Onitsha and Asaba gave the completion timeline- to the excitement of the host communities and business segment.

The tour further afforded the parties the opportunity to inspect the bridge construction site and the pre-fabrication plants on both sides of the bridge, whose first phase will gulp a total sum of N220 billion.

Orji had during a courtesy visit to the Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, as well as the Iyase of Asaba, His Majesty, Patrick Isioma Goodluck, assured that the project will be completed by 2022, adding that there will be visible signs of the bridge by the end of 2019 when some concrete slabs would have been positioned.

He based his optimism on the resumption of work following the deployment of capital to key projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), which was announced recently.

Essentially, the PIDF, an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari, was designed

to facilitate the rapid completion of key infrastructure projects that had been stalled for years and managed by NSIA. The funds had already been disbursed for construction works on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Second Niger Bridge Project as well as the Abuja-Kano Expressway.

Orji said till date, the NSIA had disbursed N71 billion under the PIDF programme.

According to the NSIA boss, other projects being undertaken under PIDF include the Mambilla Hydro-Power Project and East West Road.

He pointed out that the funding sources for the PIDF included N585 billion from the Nigerian Federation (Federal, State and Local Governments); N97 billion from NSIA, N1,500 billion from export credit agencies, and N372 billion from private investors.

He added that the NSIA was currently working closely with the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Power, Housing and Works to ensure proper financing and completion of the projects.

Orji added that all issues pertaining to the sustainability of the funding for the project had now been addressed, through the amendment to the funding structure.

Also, Julius Berger’s Project Director for the 2nd Niger Bridge, Mr. Friedrich Josef Wieser, told journalists that the entire bridge was 16 per cent completed, adding that he was convinced that the project will be completed on February 28, 2022.

Meanwhile, the palace of the Onitsha monarch - as well as his counterpart in Asaba, Orji appealed to the host communities for their continued cooperation for the engineering contractors working at both ends of the bridge.

He added that the visit was to thank the people for past support as well as reiterate government’s unflinching commitment towards the completion of the project.

He also said funding for mobilisation for the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway had just been released.

On the bridge, he said:�The contractor was paid his advance in August and that’s what is pushing us to feel very confident that from where we are, we are on track for the scheduled handover in 2022.� “We are very confident with the new funding mechanism which increases by way of support from the federal government; then it also allows us when we get to the part that we need private sector participation, which we believe is the fund we will be raising sometime in 2020, it will not be a difficult stretch to raise that private sector portion of the funding.

He said the project had gone from its early works to the main works.

Responding, however, His Majesty Achebe vowed to ensure that peace is guaranteed as the contractors resume work.

He also appealed to the contractors to apply local content principles in the employment of young men and women who are qualified to work at different stages of the work duration to reduce unemployment in the area.

He said, “We are not asking for handouts, but make us feel as part of the project� adding that, there are several people from both Asaba and Onitsha who may have the professional qualifications to take up some of the vacancies in the construction work.

He also affirmed that going by what was seen on ground at the project site, despite the temporary suspension, it had now been established that “this time there is something going on.�

Similarly, His Majesty, Isioma Goodluck, who spoke on behalf of the Esagba of Asaba,also said, “Over the years we heard about this and nothing happened� adding that, “From what I hear happening in the river, we have every cause to commend the Federal government for the efforts being taken.�

He further urged the project handlers to ensure justice in the engagement of qualified indigenes to participate in the project in order to create jobs.

He said the completion of the bridge will aid economic development in the areas as well as the country in general.

He said, “I pray for continued peace, without which there will be no development.

Leaders should promote peace and learn from the mistakes of the past. With proper management, Nigeria will be one of richest. Niger Bridge will boost potential in the Niger area. I am convinced that with completion, economy will be impacted positively. I pray also that the goddess of the river helps you.�

25

˜ ˞ DECEMBER 30, 2018

MARKET NEWS

Unclaimed Dividends in Stock Market Remain High at N100 Billion Goddy Egene Unclaimed dividends in the national capital market stood at N100 billion as at September 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Director General of SEC, Mary Uduk, who disclosed this in an interview, said the value was reduced by N10 billion this year. “The law provides that 15 months after dividends have been declared unclaimed ones

should be returned to the companies. As at September 2018, the value of unclaimed dividends stood at about N100 billion, and those that were reduced this year stood at about N10 billion,� she said.

The DG, however, said the commission is making efforts to reduce the unclaimed dividends in the market.

According to her, the electronic-dividend Mandate Management System is one of such initiatives.

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

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

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

“The essence of the e-dividend Mandate Management System is to eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of unclaimed dividend.

Unclaimed dividend is an undesirable feature of the Nigerian capital market which denies investors/shareholders the gains of participating in the capital market. It denies the economy access to the huge amount of money which should have accrued to shareholders

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 2712-2018, unless otherwise stated.

and would have gone into circulation to oil the wheel of the economy,� she said.

Uduk explained that the e-dividend allows investors’ accounts to be credited immediately they are mandated with the registrars and the relevant banks. “Within 24 hours your dividend hits your account and even the backlog that were not paid for years also hits the account. You also must have heard of our multiple

subscription initiative which we have extended for another one year because we want investors that subscribed to shares in multiple names to regularise their accounts.

Many of them do not even remember the names with which they bought the shares and this increases the quantum of unclaimed dividends in the market. That is why we are engaging with the receiving agents to check into their records and see how this can

be reduced and the owners can claim their dividends,� she said.

Speaking on investor confidence, the DG said:�We are doing a lot to boost investors’ confidence in our market. But I want to say that both local and foreign investors are very good for the market. For instance the foreign investors, because they trade their shares all of the time it leads to price discovery as against the local investors that just take a long term view on their investments.�

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 157.84 159.32 -10.95% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 11.00% Nigeria International Debt Fund 276.59 278.32 19.68% 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 0.84 0.85 2.21% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 7.35% 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 12.90% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.22 2.24 -3.29% 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 16.93 17.44 -7.33% ARM Discovery Fund 362.47 373.40 -6.84% ARM Ethical Fund 28.61 29.47 4.72% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.97% 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 101.32 102.03 -13.01% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.63% 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 13.90% Paramount Equity Fund 11.56 11.86 4.27% Women's Investment Fund 101.32 103.91 0.68% 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 12.32% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 95.85 96.09 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 98.40 98.72 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 12.52% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.85 0.86 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.17 1.17 11.12% 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 11.52% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 7.72% 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 1,179.51 1,180.27 11.74% FBN Heritage Fund 145.33 144.09 3.45% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.05% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 113.18 113.73 3.85% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 112.91 113.46 3.73% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 151.58 153.78 -4.80% 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 1.23 1.25 -4.90% Legacy Debt Fund 3.24 3.24 12.09% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.03 1.03 2.92% 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 2,986.74 3,016.92 0.05% Coral Income Fund 2,758.76 2,758.76 12.68% 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 12.80% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 107.30 108.15 7.44% 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 12.61%

Vantage Balanced Fund 2.15 2.17 1.98% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.41% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 124.81 125.01 8.44% 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 1.22 1.24 6.07% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,096.53 1,096.53 13.46% 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 11.48 11.57 -11.52% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.46% 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 1.34 1.37 12.71% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.21 12.28 10.64% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.90% 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 128.19 128.62 -1.17% 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 1.70 1.70 14.48% 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 2,323.83 2,338.17 5.71% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 189.94 189.94 9.06% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.96 0.97 -4.46% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 246.97 247.01 14.41% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 164.78 166.67 -7.98% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.38% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,562.15 8,666.32 -9.98% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.11 1.11 7.24% 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 N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 11.26 11.41 -6.89% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.46 12.58 -3.32% Zenith Income Fund 20.75 20.75 12.39% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.90%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

9.00 139.60 51.74

-20.11% 5.39% 1.79%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.71 120.37 90.60

10.81 122.92 92.29

-9.66% -15.73% -17.07%

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.98 7.62 14.95 12.39 143.21

4.02 7.70 15.05 12.59 145.21

-15.92% -20.31% -14.40% -36.85% 6.45%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.13

17.03%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

26

INFOGRAPH

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

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28

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ECEMBER 30,2018

PERSPECTIVE

INEC in the Last Three Years Mohammed Haruna

F

ollowing an emergency meeting it held on September 9 at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, the PDP Governors’ Forum issued a statement in which it passed a vote of no confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to a report of the meeting in the Vanguard of September 11, the PDP governors said INEC, “needs to re-invent itself as a truly independent umpire of the electoral process in the country. For now we have no confidence in INEC. The Commission has conducted itself as a tool of the APC-led Federal Government, especially with the roles of the chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and a National Commissioner, Mrs. Amina Zakari.”

Three days later the same newspaper seemed to agree with the PDP governors in its editorial of September 14. There were, the newspaper said, widespread concern for a couple of reasons about INEC’s neutrality as an umpire in the Osun governorship then scheduled for September 22.

“The more insidious factor” the newspaper said, “is that for the first time in the political history of Nigeria the electoral umpire has individuals intimately connected to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari occupying powerful and sensitive positions.

Buhari appointed them shortly after he assumed power in May 2015. The tradition hitherto had always been for the Chairman to come from a region other than those of the appointing President.”

Since then PDP, as the nation’s main opposition party, has seized every opportunity it has had to denigrate the two INEC members and the Commission itself as, in its opinion, an appendage of the ruling APC. Yakubu, INEC Chairman Both the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Vanguard were entitled to their opinions, as we all are. But then whereas opinion, as it is often said, is free, facts must always remain not produce a child. Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, the veteran Kano sacred. And although free, any opinion not based on facts is, at politician who first made the claim many years ago, has since best, dubious, at times even downright malicious. recanted. Those who continue to repeat it are therefore either As we shall see shortly, the opinions of both the governors’ unaware of his recantation or they are simply incapable of letting forum on September 9 and that of the Vanguard’s editorial on go their prejudices in the face of facts to the contrary.

September 14, were not based on facts. Let’s begin with the Clearly when Vanguard repeated the widespread notion that Vanguard. both Mrs. Zakari and Prof. Yakubu owed their appointments The newspaper said the public’s concern about INEC’s to their “intimacy” to President Buhari, the newspaper couldn’t neutrality as an umpire was partly because President Buhari’s have been further from the truth. appointment over three years ago of Professor Yakubu as the The claim is even more tenuous in the case of Professor MahCommission’s chair and Mrs. Zakari as a National Commismood Yakubu who incidentally, comes from Bauchi State, and sioner “occupying a powerful and sensitive position” violated a owed his first prominent public service job as Executive Secretary “tradition” of presidents appointing persons from regions other of then Education Trust Fund (ETF, now Tertiary Education Trust than theirs as chairmen of INEC and to “sensitive” positions in Fund (TETFUND)) to late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, the Commission.

General Buhari’s nemesis in the 2007 presidential election.

Since Independence in 1960 the Commission has had 12 The professor also owed his second prominent public service chairmen, seven of them appointed by the military leaders job as Assistant Secretary (Finance and Administration) of the between 1976 and 1999. All seven military-appointed chairmen 2014 National Conference to President Goodluck Jonathan, the were Southerners. All the military leaders, except General general’s nemesis in the 2011 presidential election.

Olusegun Obasanjo as military leader between 1976 and 1979, Nepotism and geographical origin in the composition were Northerners. It would then seem that the popular notion of INEC’s membership, as in the composition of any other articulated by Vanguard of INEC’s chair coming from a region organ, should, of course, be of public concern. However, what other than that of the serving president is correct. In reality it is should be of far greater concern is the character, diligence and not. competence of the members, not whose relations they are or It is 23 years between 1976 and 1999 which, in certain where they come from. On all three counts no one can accuse contexts, is a long time. It is, however, debatable that a 23-year either Prof. Yakubu or Mrs. Zakari of failure in the past or in the practice, being just about a generation, is long enough to be present. considered a tradition in the true sense of the word. But even if Each of them was the best graduating student of his/her it is, it was military tradition and the appointment of Professor class; the professor as the best overall graduating student of the Yakubu as INEC Chairman was not the first to break with that university with a first class in History from Usman Danfodio “tradition”. What broke with it was the appointment in 2000 University in 1985 and Mrs. Zakari as the best graduating of Dr. Abel Goubadia, a Southerner, as INEC’s Chairman by student of her class with a second class upper in Pharmacy from President Olusegun Obasanjo, a fellow Southerner, followed by Ahmadu Bello University in 1980. Before ABU, Mrs. Zakari had that of Professor Maurice Iwu, another Southerner, by the same finished her secondary education as one of the best students president in 2005. Indeed, as military head of state back in the from the once prestigious Queen’s College, Lagos. late seventies, Obasanjo appointed a fellow Southerner, Chief Yakubu went on to earn his Masters from Cambridge in Michael Ani, as the chair of the Commission which conducted 1987 and his PhD from Oxford in 1991, making him a member the 1979 election that ushered in the Second Republic. of that rare breed of Oxbridge graduates. He also earned his Second, a president’s power to appoint members of the professorship in 1998 at a relatively tender age of 36.

Commission is not absolute; it is subject to approval by the Their public service careers after graduation have been no Senate. Besides, presidents do not share out portfolios in the Commission to their appointees. This is strictly its internal affairs. less stellar than their academic records. Among other things, the professor was dean of graduate studies at the Nigerian Mrs. Zakari, therefore, does not owe what Vanguard called her Defence Academy and Executive Secretary of ETF. Mrs. Zakari “powerful and sensitive” position in the Commission to the was Secretary, first of Health and Human Services and then of President. Besides, Mrs. Zakari was first appointed a member Social Services. In all the offices they served both left a legacy of of the Commission, not by President Buhari, but by President character, diligence and competence. Both have since brought Goodluck Jonathan. these same virtues to bear as members of the Commission.

Third, Mrs. Zakari would not be the only national commisHowever, since INEC’s last governorship election in Osun on sioner to have been given a second term. There have been three September 22, not only have they come under attack as being others at least, namely, Chiefs Lawrence Nwuruku, Ishmael deficient, or even lacking, in these virtues. The entire INEC has Igbani and Prince Adedeji Solomon Soyebi, serving his second come under similar attack from several quarters. term like Mrs. Zakari.

For instance, Thisday in its editorial of September 30 entitled Last but no means the least, the lady, contrary to widespread “INEC and bungled elections”, condemned the Osun governorbelief, is not a blood relation of President Muhammadu Buhari. ship election as “wide off the mark” because it was lacking in Her mother was from Daura, alright, but she was not Buhari’s “justice, equity and fairness.” It also dismissed the supplemensister. It’s also true that Buhari’s sister was once married to tary election of September 27 that followed the inconclusive one Mrs. Zakari’s father. But this was over 60 years ago before Mrs. of September 22 won by APC as “a sham.”

Zakari was born. Besides, the marriage was short-lived and did

No fair-minded assessment of the election would agree with the newspaper. True, the Osun election, as Vanguard said in its own editorial a day before the supplementary election of September 27, was not perfect. But, to quote the same newspaper again, at least the first election was “generally acclaimed as free, fair and peaceful though tension-soaked.”

The supplementary election is now before the courts and therefore cannot be commented upon freely without risking contempt of the courts. Still it is safe to say any fair assessment of INEC’s conduct of the election should take into consideration not only the record of all the elections it has conducted since 2015. It should also take into consideration all the things it has done in the last three years to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

Since 2015 INEC has conducted about 195 odd elections, including seven off-season governorship elections, about a dozen senatorial and two dozen federal constituency elections and scores of State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections.

Out of these 195 odd elections only a handful have been successfully challenged in courts and in none of them did the courts order wholesale re-runs. Even more importantly, in a large number of the elections, notably the Ondo governorship election in which all contestants were senior lawyers, there were no litigations at all. Most important of all, victories at the polls have been shared across all the major parties including the ruling APC and opposition PDP and APGA. It may, of course, be argued that an election management body, like a newspaper, is as good as its last outing and the Osun State governorship election, as INEC’s last major outing before next year’s general election, was not perfect. Certainly, it was not as good as, say, those of Ondo and Anambra States.

Even then no fair-minded critic of the Commission would accuse it of being tardy, or worse still, of being an appendage of the ruling APC. Were it so, it would not have had the courage to announce, as it did in early October, that APC had no candidate, save that of the Presidency, for all the elective offices in Zamfara State, because the party had failed to conduct proper primaries for its candidates for those offices by the Commission’s deadline of October 7. The Commission would also not have had the courage earlier to have conducted a free, fair and credible impeachment process against Senator Dino Melaye in Kogi East which failed woefully in spite of the notorious fact that the Senator had become a painful thorn in APC’s flesh.

The most obvious reason why it is wrong to accuse INEC of partisanship is the apparent irony that the same people who accuse it of being an appendage of the ruling party are often the first to advocate that Local Government elections should be transferred to it because the State Independent Electoral Commissions that were given the mandate to do so by the 1999 Constitution, have, without exception, signally failed in their duties. Second, not only has INEC’s strict adherence to its procedures produced different winners and losers at different elections, it should be apparent to even the most casual political observer of our politics that the central directive principle of the Commission’s policies and programmes in the past three years is the dictum that “Sunlight is the best of disinfectants.”

INEC’s watchwords in being guided by this dictum have been inclusiveness, courage, openness and transparency. Hence, the Commission’s well-structured quarterly meetings with all the major stakeholders – the political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media, development partners, etc. – to thoroughly discuss issues pertaining to its mandate, find solutions to them and through these robust discussions, secure the public’s buy-in of the solutions.

Among the Commission’s key innovations in furtherance of its mandates in the last three years are, first and foremost, the fixing of the dates of future general elections going forward from 2019 (in this case, the third Saturday of the February of every election year) and its subsequent issuance of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Election on January 9. This was in line with the best global practices that allow long range planning by all stakeholders in elections.

Second, is its reintroduction of simultaneous accreditation and voting, in contrast to the practice in the immediate past of separating the two which was more prone to abuse. Third, is its implementation for the first time in the Commission’s history, of the constitutional and electoral provisions for continuous voter registration (CVR). Fourth, is its enhancement of existing 167,875 smart card readers (SCR) for authentication and verification of its biometric permanent voters’ card (PVC) in addition to procuring 27,327 new ones. This has led to continuous declines in the failure rate of the SCR in the elections it has conducted since 2015 such that today the rate is down to a negligible single digit.

Last, but by no means the least, there is its introduction of Form EC 60E, the so-called peoples’ result sheet. This is a poster-size copy of certified results of vote counting announced at polling units (PUs) posted on walls or similar surfaces so that the results can be captured by anyone with a phone which has a camera. This will enable any interested person or political party collate results of an election well ahead of INEC’s official announcements of same. This is meant to make it well-nigh impossible to change the results between PUs and collation centres.

––Mohammed Haruna is an INEC National Commissioner and member of its Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

30.12.2018

2018

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˞ ͹͎, Ͱ͎ͯ͜

COVER

Prince Harry with wife, Meghan Markle

Personalities That Shaped 2018 Dream, excitement, ambition, fulfillment and the final word, death, are some of the words that have described the year 2018 as it enters its last day on December 31, tomorrow. As life’s a stage, Funke Olaode, in this piece, reflects on the personalities – dead or alive – who have shaped 2018 as the year draws to an end. The list is by no means exhaustive, however, it parades the good, the bad and the ugly of 2018 Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s Marriage

T

hey shook the entire world with their romance as doubting Thomases were placing bets on the relationship as one of those flings. One is a royalty and the other, a divorcee -an American with an AfricanAmerican heritage. Indeed, it was a relationship that broke royal protocol of 350 years. Against all odds, Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle, an American actress best known for her role in the Canadian-American legal-drama television series, Suits, was officially acknowledged on November 8, 2016, when a statement was released from the royal family’s communications secretary addressing the “wave of abuse and harassment� directed toward Markle.

A year after, on November 27, 2017 to be precise, Clarence House announced that Prince Harry would marry Markle in the spring of 2018. And on May 19, the marriage was sealed at George Chapel in Windsor, England and watched by billions of people across the world. The couple announced that they are expecting their first child in spring of 2019. As the world looks forward to royal baby due in Spring of 2019, no doubt Harry and Megan are one of the most powerful personalities that shaped our world in this outgoing 2018.

Linda Ikeji’s baby drama Today, she is being referred to as a billionaire and one of the most successful bloggers in Africa. Linda Ikeji debut as a model while pursuing her undergraduate study at the University of Lagos. She has

since conquered her world as a successful media mogul and top blogger, raking millions of Naira in her exploits. Though in the public glare, Linda drew the entire world deeper into her private life early this year when she got pregnant outside wedlock and the rumoured engagement to a mystery man. For someone who has always emphasised a life of celibacy, she received a lot of criticisms. Linda has since put that behind her as she welcomed her first baby on September 17. She later confirmed that the billionaire oil magnate, Sholaye Jeremi, was the father of her boy. Though the duo has since gone their separate ways, 2018 has been a year of blessing as she became a mother. The baby’s dedication paraded who-is-who in Nigeria, including the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate’s running mate, Peter Obi, among other dignitaries.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi’s remarriage After two failed marriages, first to Olori Adebunkola and then Zaynab, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi shocked naysayers when the news of his new royal bride, Olori Moronkeji Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi from Akure surfaced.

It came as a shock to many who didn’t have any clue of their relationship. To quench the fire of rumour, the monarch also took to social media and wrote: “I waited patiently upon the Almighty, the King of kings; he eventually did it in the midst of many trials.

Shilekunola, Moronkeji, 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’. It is Linda Ikeji with son, Jayce

31

DECEMBER 30, 2018 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

COVER Personalities That Shaped 2018 the beginning of your wisdom on this throne of Oduduwa. You are welcome home my beautiful and adorable queen.” His royal majesty is currently enjoy marital blissful with the 25 year old damsel.

Naomi Osaka’s triumph She is a young tennis player who put an end to two decades of Serena Williams’ dominance in the tennis court. Naomi Osaka, a Japanese-born US-based tennis player took the tennis by storm during US Open in New York from August 27 to September 9. Naomi Osaka won the US Open after an angry Serena Williams accused the umpire of being a “thief” in some of the most dramatic scenes at a Grand Slam final.

Williams was given a game penalty for her outburst, which followed racket smashing and another code violation as Osaka won 6-2 6-4 in New York. Osaka, 20, kept her focus to become the first Japanese to win a Grand Slam. The American, 36, graciously congratulated Osaka at the net after the 20th seed completed an extraordinary victory and, although Williams’ behaviour will grab the attention, nothing should detract from a classy and composed display from Osaka at Flushing Meadows.

George Bush and wife, Barbara’s final passage He was a public figure and once referred to as the most powerful man in the world.

The curtain fell on H.W. George Bush, the 41st American president who died early December, months after his wife of over 70 years passed away. The former American president and father to both President George Bush and former presidential candidate Jeb Bush was hospitalized on and off after his wife Barbara’s funeral in April. Over the past few years, the former president had suffered several intense medical predicaments, including pneumonia, bronchitis, and a broken neck bone. In 2017, Bush was hospitalized after contracting pneumonia while already suffering vascular Parkinsonism. He was given a state funeral that spanned almost one week from his home state of Houston, Texas and Washington DC. His funeral drew world leaders across the globe and watched by millions globally.

Jamal Khashoggi’s murder In what could be termed as occupational hazard the world woke up October 2, to the news of disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, journalist for The Washington Post and former general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel after entering Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi had entered the consulate in order to obtain documents related to the marriage he and his fiancée were planning. Because no security camera footage of him exiting the building could be found, he was declared a missing person amid news reports claiming that he was assassinated and dismembered inside the consulate. When the disappearance of Khashoggi was first reported by the news media, Saudi Arabia claimed he had left the consulate and denied having any knowledge about his fate. Turkish media published evidence suggesting that Khashoggi never came out of the consulate. Saudi Arabia subsequently denied any involvement in his disappearance. Government officials of several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, believe Khashoggi was murdered.

Turkey in particular believes it was premeditated murder and anonymous Saudi officials have admitted that agents affiliated with the Saudi government killed him.

Almost three months after his disappearance, the exact cause of his death is unknown since his body has never been located or examined.

Kashoggi’s unresolved murder remains one of the incidents that shaped 2018.

Aretha Franklin’s last ‘serenade’ She dazzled the world with her captivating and enchanting voice with soulful music. Her always eclectic and excellent performances earned her the sobriquet, ‘Queen of Soul’. But the beat stopped for Aretha Franklin, American singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, actress and pianist who ruled the world of music and left indelible

marks on music. The queen of music bade the world farewell in August 16 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her funeral in her home state of Detroit, Michigan drew who is who in entertainment, religious community and world leader including former President Bill Clinton. The world will not forget the ‘You make me feel like a natural woman’ crooner in hurry.

OPC founder, Frederick Fasehun’s final battle He was a renowned medical doctor whose activities as founder of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) would later overshadow his early calling as a medical doctor. The OPC boss breathed his last in December after a prolonged battle with diabetes at the age of 83.

Prince Louis’ royal baby number three As the most respected monarch in the world, any news coming from the stable of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, always sends excitements to royal admirers.

After their royal weeding of April 29, 2011 which was watched by billions across the globe, and arrival of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the royal watcher was delighted when it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Williams and Kate Middleton will be welcoming their third child. Apart from the queen herself who has four children, her offspring – from Prince Charles to Prince Edward have two children. With the arrival of Prince Louis in April, onlookers believe Kate must be following in her mother-inlaw’s footstep. Will the world welcome royal baby number four in the nearest future?

Time will tell.

Oba Ogunwusi

Alex Badeh’s epitaph The former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, was not just an ordinary man. He was once sat atop the security of the nation under former president Jonathan. In what could be termed an irony of life, the former top security chief was killed along AbujaKeffi road on December 18 while returning from his farm. Considering unresolved high profile murders in the past, the question remains: would the federal government fish out Badeh’s killers?

Osaka

Ex-CBS boss, Moonves’ sex and sack Les Moonves, the former boss of CBS, will not receive a $120m (£95m) severance package after an inquiry into alleged sexual misconduct. The US broadcaster said that he misled the company over the allegations and failed to work with investigators, meaning it had grounds to fire him.

Moonves stepped down in September following fresh claims he had sexually harassed or assaulted six more women.

He said that the accusations made in The New Yorker magazine were untrue. In a statement, CBS said Moonves had displayed “wilful and material misfeasance” and failed to cooperate fully with the company’s investigation into the allegations against him. It also said he had had violated company policy and was in breach of his employment contract and as a consequence he would not receive any severance payment from CBS. At the time of Moonves’ departure as chairman and chief executive at CBS, where he had worked for 23 years, the company said it had set $120m aside as a possible payment to him pending an investigation.

Alex Badeh

Others From politics to entertainment and financial sector, 2018 will remain evergreen.

In politics, after seemingly foot-dragging, President Buhari finally threw his hat in the ring seeking reelection. He has a nemesis in former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

The banking sector witnessed a tsunami as Skye Bank became Polaris Bank under new ownership while Diamond Bank was acquired by Access Bank.

The entertainment industry flourished under the likes of Wizkid (international collaboration) and David Adeleke aka Davido (ruled the entertainment world from January to December).

Jamal Khashoggi

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ENTERTAINMENT

Rise and Fall of Entertainment Stars, Events in 2018

2018: A Year Like No Other for Nigeria’s Big Stars, Shows The Year 2018 will likely end as it started – anonymously. It will also go down as a year some promising entertainment heavyweights failed to realise their full potential and a time the entertainment industry-defining events and shows either did not live up to their billing or did not hold at all. Vanessa Obioha examines the kaleidoscope Seyi Shay

The Voice Nigeria

Cynthia Morgan

For the first time, MultiChoice Nigeria didn’t hold the popular music reality show The Voice Nigeria. The Nigeria version of the international reality television singing competition franchise launched in 2016 with the promise to provide unrivalled entertainment to viewers. That first edition was a rave. It returned in 2017 with a better script but any chance of it hitting the airwaves this year was dashed. Its absence on the screen this year indicated dwindling sponsorship for the show which is produced in South Africa.

MTN Project Fame West Africa With the reality show finally rested, not a few expected the telecom company to launch another singing competition.

That was hardly the case. Despite the various art and entertainment projects MTN sponsored this year, none was designed for music fans and budding talents who leverage on such platforms like Project Fame to display their talenys.

Since inception, the MTN sponsored reality show has been steadfast in its quest to discover new music talents. Some of its products like Praiz, Chidinma, Niniola have blossomed into superstars. Its last season was in 2016.

Korede Bello

Love Like A Movie Lovers of Darey’s themed Love Like A Movie concert may gradually accept the fact that the singer will no longer host the show. Since the American singer, Ciara’s visit in 2016, the show hasn’t hold. Though the production company, Livespot 360 has been involved in other projects, most recent being the Access Bank’s Born in Africa, audience still yearn for the magic of Love Like A Movie.

Phynofest The year 2018 wasn’t a fantastic year for the Ghost mode rapper. Even though Phyno had successfully hosted three editions of his annual themed concert in the south-east, the ‘Fada Fada’ singer failed to host the show this year. At his last edition, cases of sexual harassment was widely rumoured though the artiste had debunked the claim. Phyno is expected to unveil his new artistes in the coming year.

Music and Deals Festival Adedayo Thomas

Popularly called MAD Festival, the event was a first-of-its-kind shopping experience that saw a partnership between

foremost music channel, Trace Naija and top online retailer, Jumia. The festival was a commemoration of Jumia’s Black Friday which lasted for one month.

Music stars like Wande Coal, Niniola, and Skales entertained the crowd while they enjoyed flash sales from the e-commerce hub. This landmark event was missing in action this year.

Cynthia Morgan Her disappearance from the music scene earlier this year was a cause for worry to many in the industry, until it was discovered that the artiste was in a financial mess. Although she resurfaced with a change of name: Madrina on her Instagram page little had been heard of the ‘German Juice’ rapper.

Phyno

The Luxury Lifestyle Summit Last year, journalist-cum-publisher, Funke Osae-Brown, launched the first Nigerian Luxury Lifestyle Summit to address the issues in the luxury industry. The summit attracted major stakeholders in the industry and was largely applauded. The second edition of that summit, however, didn’t materialise this year.

Seyi Shay For a while, Seyi Shay looked like the next big diva to emerge from the music industry. But this year saw a low turnout for the artiste. Apart from starring in Biola Alabi’s ‘Lala and the Beat’ and her Electric Package (EP) – which had the song, ‘Surrender’, featuring Kizz Daniel – Shay didn’t really hug the headlines.

Olamide

Korede Bello The ‘Godwin’ crooner didn’t cause quite a rave this year as other fellow label artistes like Tiwa Savage and Johnny Drille. Of all the songs the Mavin Records artiste released this year, only ‘Work it’ (the dance version) garnered over 1.2 million votes on YouTube. The official audio on YouTube had only 456,031 views.

Rita Dominic The all-time Nollywood diva was mostly in the news this year for her fashion, age and marital status as well as opinions regarding her industry. This year didn’t see the actress carting away major awards or featuring in a major Nollywood production.

Rita Dominic

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ENTERTAINMENT

Controversies, Deaths in the Entertainment Industry Tekno Early this year, Tekno had a brief rift with the Ajegunle singers, Danfo Drivers, over the song, ‘Jogodo’. Jogodo was a hit song of the group back in 2000. When Tekno released his own version in April without acknowledging the singers, the duo expressed displeasure and threatened to deal with Tekno. However, the Made Men Music Group artiste quickly sought out the artistes and resolved the issue.

Jogodo was perhaps the only hit the artiste produced this year. By November, his record label announced that the singer had damaged his vocal cord and could be away from music for a while.

Iyanya

Nyanya

Recent times have seen the first winner of the MTN Project Fame West Africa Reality TV show struggle musically. This year marked his 10th anniversary in the music industry but the artiste’s career instead of moving upward has been on a downward spiral. Moving from Mavin Records to Temple Management, the artiste had failed to perform the magic that came with his hit tracks ‘Kukere’ and ‘Your Waist’. Also, he is not on the top list of corporate events organisers. Before he released his latest works, ‘Credit’ and ‘No Drama’, there were unconfirmed reports that he was in a financial mess to the extent that he sold the car his label bought for him. His new releases are yet to attract commercial success.

Olamide

DJ Cuppy

It has become a habit of the rapper to release controversial songs that eventually lead to a ban. In January, Olamide released the controversial science student song that celebrated drug abuse. That song drew heavy criticisms but the artiste turned around, claiming that the song was condemning the abuse of drugs and not promoting it as widely circulated. Recently, another track ‘Logo Benz’, from his debut YBNL Mafia album has also been pilloried. Critics argued that the song was too explicit in its attempt to highlight the menace of blood money and pant robbery culture that is prevalent in the society today. Reacting to the vitriol, Olamide on Twitter said that musicians should not be boxed because they reflect the happenings in the society.

Wizkid and Tiwa Savage The duo got the internet raving with their collaborative effort, ‘Fever’. While the visuals which displayed the two in a very intimate setting fuelled the suspense around the relationship between the two, Savage was criticized for her indecency.

The public argued that as a mother, she should have shown some modesty in the video. Both singers are yet to confirm their relationship status.

Daddy Freeze and Akpororo Controversial on-air-personality, Daddy Freeze had some squabbles with many in the religious and entertainment sectors regarding his opinions about the church and its conducts. When the Redeemed Christian Church of God bestowed a

pastoral title on the wife of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, he condemned the act. But his most recent clash with comedian Akpororo was a sensation on social media. The comedian attacked the media personality during his performance at the gospel concert ‘The Experience’, stating that he would convert Freeze to a wall gecko if he had the anointing to do so in order to stop his rants about tithing. Not one to run away from a fight, Freeze reacted, calling the comedian ignorant while expressing disappointment that the convener of the concert, Paul Adefarasin would allow “someone so uncultivated in scriptural maters address such a delicate issue as tithing on his platform.”

Tekno

NFVCB Saga The Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas, has been embroiled in a series of allegations of corruption levelled against him by some members of staff of the board.

Thomas was accused of stealing a 500KV generator and misappropriating funds to the tune of N150m. He appeared in court recently where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lending their support to the embattled boss, major Nollywood stakeholders led by Ralph Nwadike described the allegations as the work of the oldest member on the board, Cornell Agim. They stated that Thomas had helped in fighting piracy in the industry, urging that his name should not be dragged through the mud. The case was adjourned till January 28, 2019.

Tiwa Savage

DJ Cuppy The billionaire DJ new video announcement on Twitter was met with mockery. Cuppy, who came into limelight as a DJ is yet to record commercial success in the singing department. Fans mocked her poor vocals through memes while alleging that the only reason producers will work with her was because of her wealth.

Ras Kimono The reggae legend who came into limelight in 1989 with hits such as ‘What’s Gwan’ and ‘Rhumba Stylee’ died on June 10 this year. Kimono slumped at the airport on his way to the US after complaining of uneasiness.

He was rushed to the hospital where he finally gave up the ghost. His wife, Efe, died in September.

Baba Sala

Baba Sala Popularly known as Baba Sala, comedian,actor and producer, Moses Olaiya Adejumo, died in October at the age of 82.

Aisha Abimbola The actress who came into limelight after starring in the flick, ‘Omoge Campus’ died in Canada in May following a long battle with cancer. She was greatly mourned by her colleagues in the Yoruba speaking film industry.

Aisha Abimbola Kimono

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DECEMBER 30, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

The Many Contradictions of Muhammadu Buhari

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has blamed everybody but himself for his problems and now that he has gotten to the end of his tenure, he has run out of human beings to blame, so he has now been reduced to blaming inanimate objects.

I mean, on Christmas Day he told the visiting Federal Capital Territory Christian community that his anti-corruption war had not really taken off because the Nigerian system was slow.

Well, he does have a point, because if the Nigerian system had been working, Muhammadu Buhari would have faced imprisonment for overthrowing the democratically elected civilian administration of President Shehu Shagari on New Year’s eve of 1983.

But the same Muhammadu Buhari who said he cannot fight corruption effectively because the system is slow appointed Godswill Akpabio as National Coordinator for his campaign just two days after making the statement.

That act alone proves that me right when I tweeted to the president that he is the problem, not the system.

Godwill Akpabio is obviously corrupt. There is no question about that. Not only does he have a pending corruption case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, but the man is also obviously richer than his legitimate income can justify. Far richer. The single greatest ‘uncommon transformation’ in Nigeria during that last ten years is the transformation of Akpabio from a nonentity in 2007, to a fabulously wealthy buffoon in 2018 who allows himself to be photographed while crouching to Buhari in London.

President Buhari hates corruption so much and is so angry at the slow pace of the Nigerian system that he appoints a man who should ordinarily be the poster boy for corruption as his main man. I hope Nigerians can now see that they have been had?

The man we have as the President is just a study in contradictory behaviour and the incident with Akpabio is only the latest in a very long and distinguished career in hypocrisy.

Consider another contradiction. President Buhari is now on record as promising both the Southwest and the Southeast that he would have over power to them if they vote to re-elect him as President In 2019.

He made the first promise to the Igbos of the Southeast through Boss Mustapha, his Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the second vow to the Yorubas through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

But before I elaborate on this contradiction, let me go on record as saying that it is so disappointing that a Professor of Law like Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who also happens to be a pastor, would ask Yorubas to vote for Muhammadu Buhari, not because Buhari has done well, or because he will do well, but because he will allegedly hand over to a Yoruba. How can you promote ethnic interests over the wellbeing of Nigerians?

Buhari has turned Nigeria into the world headquarters for extreme poverty, yet Osinbajo a supposedly enlight-

campaign in Uyo, the Akwa-Ibom state capital, on Friday, December 28, 2018, and while there, he told his supporters that he had ‘delivered on my promises’ and that ‘Boko Haram has no stronghold in any local government area in Nigeria at the moment’.

The shocking reality, however, is that on the same day as the President made his empty boast, both the BBC and local media were reporting that Boko Haram had just dislodged the Nigerian Army from Baga.

Other local media were reporting that 700 troops were missing and 2000 troops were trapped in Baga. Meanwhile, 1,200 miles from Baga, their Commander-in-Chief was shaking his booty and declaring victory over Boko Haram!

Boko Haram dislodged the Nigerian Army From Baga yesterday and the next day, Buhari and the APC are dislodging their shame in Uyo. How can terrorists defeat two out of your three battalions in Maiduguri overnight and your response is to shake your booty in Akwa-Ibom?

But the final contradiction is the accusation by President Buhari that if the Nigerian system was working properly, Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, would be in jail. Really?

Apparently, President Buhari has forgotten that when he needed money from Atiku Abubakar to campaign in 2015, he did not think Atiku should be in jail. When he needed Atiku’s private jet, to crisscross Nigeria, he had no complaints about him. When Atiku donated Garba Shehu to President Buhari to act as his spokesman, Buhari accepted. But now that Atiku is contesting against him, President Buhari suddenly remembers that he is ‘corrupt’ wants to jail him!

Buhari ened man, both educationally and spiritually, wants us to bring such a fellow back? Is it not better to be a non-President in heaven than to be the President in hell.

But back to the contradiction. For a long time, I have been pondering over Buhari’s promise to hand over to the Igbos in 2023 if they vote for him in 2019 and his simultaneous promise to the Yorubas to handover to them in 2023 if they vote him in 2019. Then the truth hit me. Jibrin made the promise to the Igbos, while Muhammadu made the promise to the Yorubas! That is the only way the two conflicting promises can make sense!

And then former President Shehu Shagari died on December 28, 2018, only for President Buhari to release a statement saying that Alhaji Shagari “led an exemplary life”. I agree with the President that Shehu Shagari lived an exemplary life, but if Buhari really believed what he said, the question becomes why did he overthrow him?

By saying that Mr. Shagari “led an exemplary life”, it means Buhari wants Nigerians to emulate him. Yet this man, who Buhari want Nigerians to emulate, was violently removed from office by Buhari. Doesn’t anyone around the President see the contradiction?

And then the other contradiction I will write about is the fact that President Buhari kicked off his re-election

Reno’s Nuggets

Sadly, the lack of money will ruin marriages faster than lack of love. With money, you can endure a marriage that is not loving. Without money, it is hard to endure a marriage, even if there is love. Love is the greatest gift of all, however, money answers all things. So make money. And if your money is not making money, then you don’t know the value of money. Don’t put yourself to work. Put your money to work. Invest in ventures that will produce money. Invest your seed and spend your harvest. Treat money like a tree. Eat the fruit, not the tree #RenosNuggets

Reno’s Darts

IF (and it is a big IF) there is a free and fair election on February 16, 2019, President Buhari is only sure of victory in one zone: Northwest The herdsmen killings and his general failure in governance mean he will lose the North Central. The South-South and Southeast will overwhelmingly vote for Atiku along with the Northeast (narrowly).

The Southwest is the only region I can’t forecast. Right now, things are too volatile there politically and it is hard to gauge the zone.

2019 Agenda Setting of the Media and Nigeria’s Mono-Economy As Nigeria’s economy flounders in its over-reliance on crude oil, the media must act to stop the worst from happening, writes Bayo Akinloye

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he disruption by the only online media and other instant news platforms has intensified the competition in the media landscape. From general interests to the specialised publications, and from the hard news to soft sell, all media genres all have a common thread: the quest for relevance, which ultimately delivers a good share of the market and revenue to keep them in business.

At all times and seasons, the Nigerian media and the professionals within the industry have played pivotal roles in the country’s development. Despite the criticisms, society accepts that the Nigerian media have largely played their watch-dog roles right from when pioneer journalists got involved in the agitation for the country’s independence and the other significant developments that followed.

The history of Nigeria will not be complete without recalling the roles of distinguished media professionals such as Ernest Ikoli, Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo, Lateef Jakande, Olusegun Osoba and Sani Zorro, among several others.

Significantly, the duty of the Nigerian media to the nation has become acknowledged such that there are provisions in the Constitution to justify their importance. Section 22 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution stipulates: “… the press, radio, television and other agencies of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”

The chapter in reference is Chapter 2, which relates to the “Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.” It is the heartbeat of the Constitution as it covers the responsibilities of the government at all levels to the citizens and the nation. The media therefore have the obligation to hold government and its functionaries accountable to the public.

A respected elder in the media industry and former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Aremo Taiwo Alimi stressed the importance of the media in the life of a nation. “While you may have information without development, you cannot have development without information,” he stated.

The present economic challenges have presented the media with another opportunity to set a new agenda for both the leaders and the general populace. Although Nigeria is endowed with many mineral resources, the agricultural sector, for instance, has failed to keep up with the rapid population growth.

At one time in its history, Nigeria exported agricultural produce, now it is an importer of the same produce!

Dependence on crude oil over the years and the fluctuations in the international oil market has led to low revenue and the attendant massive infrastructural deficit. This is the dire condition which the media is now supposed to help in reshaping.

Diversifying Nigeria’s mono-economy is the direction out of the present economic downturn. Achieving this is, however, subject to some factors, including institutionalising a deliberate policy of backward integration.

Consequently, the crusade for a diversified economy has been on the agenda of past and present administrations because it is apparent that oil is no longer the black gold that it used to be.

The media has been in the vanguard of drumming this into the ears of the ruling class, urging them to take bold and sincere steps required to drive the country away from this mono-economic road of avoidable disaster once and for all.

Some corporate entities have stood out as reliable partners in supporting media professionalism and excellence. For instance, Nigerian Breweries Plc instituted the Golden Pen Award 10 years ago with the primary objective of promoting professionalism and objective reportage of events in Nigeria. The award honours media professionals who abide by the fine ethics of the profession. It has since evolved into a reference point on how to encourage the media discharge their social responsibilities.

The Promasidor Quill Awards, the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA), the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) and the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism are among the notable recognitions used to positively impact on professionalism in the media industry.

Continued online www.thisdaylive.com

DECEMBER 30, 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 Julius Rone Serenades Wife, Utibe at 41

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ne of the major sources of joy of Julius Rone, is Utibe, his beloved wife and eternal soul mate. For a man with the world at his feet, literally, earthly things shouldn’t necessarily excite him. She is celestial, almost surreal even – the one who can wish away the crippling stress of running a conglomerate with just the soothing poetry of her voice. And he treats her as such.

Unlike most husbands, Rone the chairman of UTM Group, hardly reminds his wife, Utibe, “of an orangutan trying to play the violin.” And unlike the late French writer, Honoré de Balzac, Julius’s wife has no reason to doubt or disdainfully analyze the character and depth of her husband’s love for her in such manner.

And the reason is never far-fetched; Rone does not only deploy great tact and ingenuity at pleasing his beautiful wife, Utibe Rone clocked the age of 41 on 27th December. As Utibe adds another year to her enchanting life, the pert, blue flame of joy burns through her pretty frame; brightening her world and burnishing her persona with irrepressible shine.

The beautiful mother of three lovely boys is beside herself with joy for being privileged to witness yet another glorious addition to her inspiring days. Curiously, however, at 41, some women are like sapphire, they glow as the brilliant blue gem thus colouring the world with their craft. Some are sassy as teens and cute as amber studs. Some are like coral clasps pretty yet disposable. Amidst the glitter, Utibe is an emerald cut. Julius was made for Utibe. To Utibe, it probably feels like she had him ordered and delivered to her, to be worshipped and revered. On this note, it may be said that Julius is Utibe’s idol. And this is where it gets interesting; Julius also considers her a boon from God. The wealthy dude treasures her like a priceless heirloom – this explains his predilection to flaunt her like a sapphirestudded wristwatch or buttonhole bouquet to the world. No doubt, Utibe was and still is the mysterious woman of his dreams, the angelic muse that inspired and still invigorating his ardor, leading him everlastingly into the Eden of unparalleled love. Their love was neither a performance nor a jailhouse thus Julius and his heartthrob felt no pressure to break out of a literal or symbolic prison of lust and unrequited love. Utibe owns Yutees, the much-talked about fashion house in Abuja. Gifted with a physique and psychological balance not a few people would die for, she has evolved from the proverbial silver spooned kid to a full-fledged, self-driven entrepreneur with astounding diligence and sartorial depth.

Utibe Rone

61 with LANRE ALFRED 08076885752

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

How Tunde Folawiyo Allowed Femi Otedola Drive a Car for The First Time Many years ago, Femi Otedola was not a billionaire. Neither was his father, Sir Michael Otedola, who later became the governor of Lagos State circa 1992.

As of 1976, when Femi was a rangy and audacious young boy, his dad was a public relations consultant managing among other briefs, the Mobil Oil Group of Companies as it was then known. The Otedolas were a content middle class family. One of his closest friends was Tunde, the son of the late Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, a billionaire industrialist and founder of Yinka Folawiyo Group, an organisation with interests in energy, agriculture, shipping, and real estate. At the time, Tunde, the silver-spoon kid with all the bona fides, was 16. The two young men would go on to become primus inter pares.

Some days ago, Femi posted a picture of himself and Tunde in Malaysia where they had gone for the wedding of Mohammed, the son of Sani Dangote, to Sara, the daughter of one of Asia’s richest men, Fouad Hayel Saeed. Femi captioned the picture thus, “In Malaysia with my brother, the great TUNDE FOLAWIYO! 43 years ago, his family opened my eyes to entrepreneurship! The great late Chief Iyanda FOLAWIYO, the richest Nigerian of all time! First time I drove a car in 1976, TUNDE availed me the opportunity! MAY THE LATE BABA ADINNI’S GENTLE SOUL CONTINUE TO REST IN PEACE ...” Of course, the post opened a floodgate of comments with the common denominator being that a humble parentage does not in any

Tunde Folawiyo and Femi Otedola

way preclude one from reaching the stratosphere of influence and affluence.

Both friends, apparently, have gone on to make good fortune regardless of their diverse backgrounds.

Trained in London as an economist and later, a lawyer, Tunde helms the Folawiyo business conglomerate, which one of its subsidiaries, Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited, operator of the OML 113 offshore in Lagos, announced the commencement of production of crude oil in 2015. Now a billionaire in his own right,

Tunde was rated the 39th richest person in Africa in 2015 with an estimated net worth of $650m.

By 2015, Otedola, whose Forte Oil Plc, an integrated energy services provider among other business concerns, is an industry leader, was listed as the 16th richest man in Africa by Forbes with an estimated $2billion net worth. If he so wanted now, he would not need Tunde to add The Daimler Group, the parent company of Mercedes Benz, his preferred automobile of all time, to his list of companies.

When Former Communication Minister, Mobola Johnson, Hosted Classy Wedding For Daughter in Lagos Former Minister of Communication Technology, Mobola Olubusola Johnson recently hosted the wedding of her daughter, Morenike in Lagos. The solemnization of the union between Morenike Johnson and Ademola Adewale-Sadik took place on November 17 at Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Yaba, the Very Rev. Yinka Olatunbosun officiated the service.

The couple had their traditional wedding ceremony on November 15, at Harbour Point, Victoria Island. The bride, Morenike, 27, works in Lagos as a consultant at Bain & Company, the strategy consulting firm based in Boston.

She graduated from the University of Manchester in England, from which she also received a master’s degree in refinery design and operations.

She is the daughter of Omobola Johnson and Oluseyi Johnson of Lagos.

The bride’s father works in Lagos as administrative head of West Region at Julius Berger Nigeria, a construction firm. Her mother, who also works in Lagos, is a senior partner at TLcom Capital, a venture capital firm based in Nairobi, Lagos and London. From 201115, the bride’s mother served as minister of communication technology in the cabinet of Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. The bride is a granddaughter of Brig. General Mobolaji Johnson, who served as the first governor of Lagos

from 1967-75. Her maternal grandfather was the late High Chief Ilemobayo Akinnola, prominent businessman, boardroom titan, philanthropist and former Lisa of Ondo Kingdom. The bride is also the niece of Yewande Zacheaus, lawyer, corporate Amazon and the pioneer of event planning and management industry in Nigeria.

The groom, Ademola AdewaleSadik, 30, works in London as the group corporate finance manager at the McArthurGlen Group, a luxury retail real estate developer. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland at College Park, and received a law degree from Yale. He also received an M.B.A. from Harvard.

He is a son of Omowunmi Sadik and Abiodun Adewale Sadik of Vestal, New York. The groom’s mother is a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She is also a fellow of the United Kingdom’s Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the fourth woman to receive the Nigerian National Order of Merit, the country’s highest academic honour that has been bestowed upon only 75 people, including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. His father works as an assistant chief engineer at WIVT-TV/WBGH-TV in Binghamton.

Mobola Johnson

The groom and his father are princes of the Yoruba ethnic group from the Ijebu Kingdom of southwestern Nigeria

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HIGHLIFE

Celebration of Life: Akanimo Tope Abere‌ UdoďŹ a Throws Mother-of-All The Titan at Parties in Uyo as Father Clocks 80 60 Celebrates On December 21, one of Nigeria’s richest oil and gas entrepreneurs, Akanimo Udofia, effectively put to rest the inquiry and endless streams of speculation about the limits or otherwise of his affluence. That day, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, literally heaved and creaked as the cream of Nigerian society, preeminent oil businessmen and women and everywhere in-between stormed the oil-rich town to felicitate with the Udofias on their father, Obong Asuquo Udofia’s 80th birthday.

Not surprisingly, the African King as many call Akanimo because he is on first name terms with many African leaders, dug into his contacts and connections to celebrate the illustrious life of his father.

The E3-Centre, Uyo, where the birthday party held wore a new look as oil and gas businessmen came to stand by one of their own. They oozed wealth and showed lesser mortals how billionaires ball. Everything that makes a party merry and memorable was in effusive supply.

Expensive champagnes and vintage cognacs covered the finely draped tables for the pleasure of the guests while the menu was gourmet all through. To ensure that his guests partied smoothly and in style and without disruption of any kind,

AK hired fierce-looking security men who manned the different areas of the venue.

It was one of those times when AK had genuine cause to deploy his vast wealth for serious merriment.

Indeed, when you are wealthy and connected and sociable, throwing a party that would be in the mind and mouth of attendees for ages comes naturally to you. And it was no less for AK-47, as he is more popularly known who ensured the minutest details of the party were painstakingly planned. For the celebrant and his wife wore a permanent smile and savoured the festivities. A wealthy man in his own right, the octogenarian and his son epitomise the saying that an apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. AK took over Desicom Engineering, a leader in the provision of innovative Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) solutions for Nigeria’s oil and gas industries from his father. Originally founded in 1974 –Desicom, under his leadership, now provides services to international oil giants such as Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron among other leaders in the indigenous and international energy sectors. Thus, he went all out to give his father a memorable birthday celebration never seen before in Akwa Ibom State.

with Friends and Family

H

UdoďŹ a

Bimbo Ashiru Throws High-Octane Soiree to Celebrate Birthday and Wedding Anniversary

Bimbo Ashiru with wife

Last Wednesday, the former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Ogun State, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru and his beautiful wife, Kemi, celebrated their wedding anniversary and his birthday at their Magodo residence. The couple’s wedding anniversary was no doubt an exhibition of pageantry and class; the Ashirus have a reputation for understatement but in honour of their blissful matrimony, they threw subtlety overboard. The event was well attended by friends and associates of Bimbo. As the A-list guests wined and dined and slipped into jolly moods, the Ashirus thrilled their palates and souls to the choicest of exotic meals, music and liquor. They held court and provided ample space and materials for their distinguished guests to enjoy a sumptuous royal gathering designed to rival the best of the filthy rich’s parties.

The Ashirus’ wedding anniversary was undoubtedly a spectacle of grandeur; among other things, it reflected the couple’s impeccable taste and high sense of fashion, order and splendour.

The elaborate event, which paraded top politicians, respected technocrats, society bigwigs and captains of industry, saw the guests shuffle and nod to the liveliest and most delightful musical tunes. The Ashiru’s residence exploded inwards and outwards in colourful bursts, the bass and treble guitars black strumming and buzzing to mesh with the cymbals and drums in a thunder clap. The melody reverberated through the halls and passageways of their posh apartments and spilled into the atmosphere, drawing excited and muted sighs of pleasure from their invited guests and neighbours.

Bimbo played the perfect host; and so did his wife, Kemi whose warm and comforting smile seemed etched on her face throughout the birthday party.

Bimbola is a man’s man.

is smile, with an extensive grin, brings clinch from narrow to vast, on the best of his great days. Hence, as a top businessman, Tope Abere clocked 60 last weekend, his trademark smile cast an expansive pall of warmth, and he wore it so well beaming radiantly, like an eternal sun ray on a ďŹ eld of daffodils. The owner of Teresols Nigeria, beamed generously and laughed heartily, bathing his beloved family and friends with gratitude and warmth, as the soothing breeze courses through windswept rivers of hyacinths.

As he clocked 60, friends and family of Abere trooped out to honour him with earnest felicitations and their presence at the prestigious Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadikwe road, Victoria Island, Lagos - hardly anyone would dispute that he deserved such honour. And the reason is not farfetched; Abere has over time, carved his niche in the business and social spaces, a magnate and entrepreneur of immense worth. His place in the pantheon of Nigeria’s most successful businessmen undoubtedly assured by the impact of his earthly endeavours.

As he made his grand entry into the league of sexagenarians, the evidently gracious and reticent businessman enjoyed the undisguised love and goodwill of friends, family and business associates. There was so much joy in his household and workplace; though not one to throw gaudy parties, Abere yielded to the plea of family and friends that he ditched his conservative toga for once, and celebrated without inhibitions.

Of course, he won’t turn 60 twice, and this was the reason his associates and relatives, threw a big bash for him.

It was classy affair that attracted the creme of Nigeria’s high society. Good food and expensive drinks were in large supply and the celebrant cut a radiant sight, looking regal by the side of his wife of many years.

Okunbo

DECEMBER 30, 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

Second Time’s a Treat: Ekua Abudu Finds Love Again, Marries Lover in Private Ceremony

Abudu

Like a bull in a China’s shop, bitterness and distrust wracked Ekua Abudu’s marriage, leaving her empty and disillusioned.

Contrary to her dreams of matrimony, the sweet, passionate love that endeared her and estranged husband, Wale Abudu to each other,

suddenly turned sour. While she struggled to save it, it evaporated into thin air. In the highest boughs of her marriage, love rustled like branches of a dying oak with roots falling off and like several other couples whose passion and affection extinguished in the raging inferno of mid-life crises and love-gone-sour, Ekua and Wale’ s marriage died amid trials.

That was too much for Ekua; so disenchanted was she with marriage that she flinched whenever it was mentioned to her; anger curdled with regret and leapt out of her distressed soul, like knives from the sleeves of a medieval Samurai.

However, no more for Ekua Abudu are lonely nights and lovelorn days; broken promises of marriage and the consequent heartbreaks; the sneers and sniggers from friends and fiends who thought she would remain single for life in spite of all her wealth and successes. Now, she is ready to tell it on the mountains that she has found love again and this time, it is for keeps, forever. Ekua got married in a private but classy ceremony Friday, December 21st, to Femi Akinsanya, reputed

as one of Nigeria’s greatest art collectors. The news was broken by her childhood friend, Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, early Saturday morning. Mrs Saraki’s several posts on Instagram of the new couple and their guests dripped pure elation.

She wrote, “To God be the Glory. And a lovely surprise! Congratulations to my darling friend Ekua and her beau, Mr Femi Akinsanya on the occasion of their Marriage Blessing Ceremony, yesterday.”

Ekua is the first child of Taiwo Koffie Sagoe, renowned lawyer-cum-businessman, Modupe Sagoe, a foremost name in the textile business.

She is a lawyer, educationist and proprietor of the prestigious Greenwood House School, Ikoyi. The dark-skinned beauty was once married to Lagos businessman, Tokunbo Abudu, but their marriage packed up due to irreconcilable differences. Since then, the very enterprising woman has had her fair share of heartbreaks from men, many of who saw her as a veritable meal ticket. As much as she jealously guarded her heart, it opened up to the sweet cadences and lyrics of poetic predators

It’s Official, Donald Duke, Niyi Adebayo, Now Grandfathers!

From Singapore To Nigeria the ‘Game-Changer’, Adamu Mu’azu, Returns to Nigeria After 3 Years for Daughter’s Wedding Former Bauchi State Governor, Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu is back to Bauchi after three years’ absence. Mu’azu, arrived the country some days ago for his daughter’s wedding, which took place in Bauchi on December 15. The Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN and the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar attended the wedding ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by his friends, political and business associates including national and state PDP bigwigs. He was believed to

have stayed in Abuja for some days and then went to Bauchi within the week for the wedding. PDP chairman had not been in the country for three years since the party lost the 2015 general election.

Dubbed as the ‘Game Changer’, Mu’azu was the PDP chairman when the then-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan lost to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His absence, many believed, was as a result of the defeat suffered by the PDP while he was at the helm of affairs.

Mu’azu

Corporate Citizen Extraordinaire…How Ocean Marine is Adding Value To Pipeline Surveillance ...Rues allegations of impropriety Among Nigeria’s more respected and renowned corporate citizens, Ocean Marine Services is streets ahead. Established to enhance the safeguarding of maritime-related commercial investments by offering expert advice and real time solutions to security problems, OMS also provides premier security solutions that help to promote a safe business environment not only in Nigeria but the entire West African Coast.

Given this background, its impressive catalogue of corporate social responsibilities and proven integrity in the industry and beyond, the company found incongruous a Thisday publication of December 10, 2018, promoted by one Eraskorp Nigeria Limited (Eraskorp) accusing it of impropriety on the multi-million dollars pipeline surveillance deals with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Those conversant with the far-reaching activities and integrity of the company say it is a ludicrous and puerile publication not deserving of the attention of OMS. Its management reckoned however that it was worth reacting to, and setting the records straight, in view of how fast such negative reports travel.

Also, the company stated that it was constrained to respond to the publication in the sole interest of the general public that has been presented with a potpourri of untruths,

inaccuracies, and fabrications which serve no utilitarian purpose than to undercut the reputation and goodwill of the company.

“Many in the oil and gas industry and even in the Nigerian commercial sphere are aware that OMS is a law-abiding corporation with a sterling reputation of probity, integrity and competence that has made significant contributions to the Nigerian economy. We fully intend to protect this hard-earned reputation. Accordingly, in all our years of existence, we have conducted our business fully in compliance with the law, and as a testament to this, allegations of impropriety have never been proven against OMS,” the statement read.

Further, it stated, “As it relates to our competence, the record of our contribution to the Nigerian economy, through stellar services, is clear. We need not itemise our track record of success on this platform, in order to give credence to our work. That said, we categorically state that we are proud of our work in assisting the NNPC in a number of pipeline surveillance mandates, including our impressive performance surveilling the Bonny-Port Harcourt and WarriEscravos evacuation lines.”

The company went on to assert that despite the allegations, what is independently verifiable is that its efforts are directly responsible for an

perpetually on the prowl. She celebrated her 50th birthday in 2015 in the presence of friends and relatives but without a husband by her side though she and Femi had been dating for a few years. And when she crossed that age, there were side talks that it was over for her and love or marriage. But, along came Femi Akinsanya, an elderly art collector, investment banker, freelance financial advisor and private equity investor who returned the sheen to her skin again and made her smile-wide grin even broader. Ekua is an unabashed art lover while Femi’s interest in African art is said to date back to his childhood in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he grew up surrounded by indigenous artworks that played a major role in daily life, culture and religious rituals. The Femi Akinsanya African Art Collection in Lagos is a premier gallery of African art consisting of sculptures from all major regions of Nigeria along with canonical examples of artworks of Yoruba, Igbo, Urhobo, Cross River and Benue origins and bronze and brass sculptures from the 20th Century interregnum periods of art from the Edo Kingdom of Benin.

increase in revenues for Nigeria and a significant reduction in what had become recurring costs in repairing damaged and/or vandalised pipelines.

“We counsel that any allegations of corruption

by Eraskorp should be directed at the relevant anti-graft agency(ies), rather than co-opting the instrumentality of the media to conduct a media trial that relies on pedestrian, half-baked, and inaccurate allegations, devoid of factual evidence.

OMS prides itself on its robust anti-corruption policy, and for the avoidance of doubt, the company does not engage in any form of corrupt practices, economic crimes, financial crimes and/or acts of economic sabotage. Specifically, the award of the surveillance contract for the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) to OMS followed due process, with no wrongdoing, illegality, or illicit activities underpinning its award,” the company said.

It continued: “We take the allegations of impropriety in the publication very seriously, and we would be pursuing our legal remedies, including but not limited to actions in defamation and injurious falsehood. We trust that in this era of fake news, our media houses and journalists would continue to uphold the standards of their profession by verifying publications, at all times, with authentic and reliable sources, before publishing. We must never sacrifice truth on the

Former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, and his beautiful wife, Onari, (nee Bob-Manuel), a lawyer, are officially, grandparents. Their first daughter, Xerona Phillips, was delivered of a baby girl last Thursday, 20 December, 2018, in a highbrow hospital in Houston, Texas. It will be recalled that last April, Xerona got married to Derin Phillps, (aka Dr Caise) the son of Engineer Lanre and Chief (Mrs.) Teju Phillips, former Lagos Commissioner; and the grandson of international business mogul, Ambassador Deinde Fernandez.

Xerona is being assisted, in nursing the baby, by her mother, while she is also getting moral support from her husband as well. However, barely six months after her wedding, Morenike Agbe-Davies has welcomed her first child, a baby boy.

She was delivered of the child on 28 November, 2018, at a highbrow hospital in London. The first daughter of former Ekiti State Governor, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and his wife, Erelu Angela (née Da Silva), an accomplished lawyer and boardroom Amazon, got married to Oladele Agbe-Davies on Thursday, 28 June, 2018, in Lagos. Her husband, Olafele is the son of Mr Fela and Mrs Sunmbo Agbe-Davies. His mother is from the prominent Ajose-Adeogun family of Lagos Island; and is the younger sister of Chief (Mrs) Lande Dekalu-Thomas, (aka Lady Cobbler) a grand dame of the Nigerian social establishment.

Duke

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30, 2018

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Again, Ekua Alao-Akala’s Desperation Abudu Finds Love

When Ekua Abudu’s marriage to Lagos businessman and lawyer, Wale Abudu, hit the rock a few years ago, many had thought the owner of Greenwood House School would shut her heart against love, particularly as age is no longer on her side.

The beautiful woman, in the face of the unpleasant experience, moved on, savouring the success of her career.

During the period, she put her trust absolutely in God, while she also gave utmost aĴention to her businesses and her three children.

But the woman of substance shocked many penultimate Friday when she gave marriage another shot, as she walked down the aisle with her new hearĴhrob, Femi Akinsanya.

The ceremony, which took place at the Guilding Light Assembly, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, was strictly a private aěair witnessed by close friends and family members.

Ekua has undoubtedly distinguished herself as a force to reckon with in the world of business and industry.

A lawyer and chartered administrator, she is the proprietress of Greenwood House School, one of the upscale private nursery and primary schools in Lagos.

She is the former President of International Women’s Society, IWS; and the current Chairperson, Interior Designers’ Association of Nigeria.

The trained lawyer is the ęrst child of Taiwo oĜe Sagoe, the highly respected society patriarch, lawyer and entrepreneur, who passed away in 2012. Her mother is Chief (Mrs) Modupe Sagoe.

The groom, an accomplished chartered accountant, is the Chairman of First Ally Capital, a ęnancial institution.

The company is a forwardthinking, proactive and client-driven ęnancial services ęrm set up to create and deliver value to its various stakeholders.

He ualięed as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co and he is an Associate and Merit Award Winner (1983) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria and a licensed dealer the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Nigerian politicians cannot cease to amaze one. In their desperation to assume power, they throw caution to the winds.

This is exactly the story of former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, as he is again contesting to be the governor of the state in the next general election, leaving many in wonderment.

In a desperate move to realise his ambition, the Ogbomoso born ex- cop has changed parties, making the African Democratic Party, ADP, his fourth political party in four years.

He first defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to Labour Party in 2015. He left the PDP after he lost the governorship ticket to Senator Folarin.

Following the 2015 election in which he contested on the platform of LP, he again shifted base to the APC, where he stayed until his recent defection to the ADP.

He was one of the aspirants who cried out against alleged moves by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to foist Joseph Tegbe as APC candidate. Remarkably, Tegbe did not make it.

Since his defection in October, tongues have been wagging about his political ideology.

In the wake of this recent development, it is said that the move has further confirmed his desperation for power and political relevance.

Before now he had made his intention known to contest the senatorial ticket in 2019. But for some inexplicable reason, he is now going for the number one position of the state.

For a fact, many would not forget in a hurry how he betrayed his former boss, Alhaji Rasheed Ladoja, in 2006.

Since then, he has been viewed by many as a desperate politician who can do anything for power and a man who is over- ambitious.

Akala

Fuji Star, KWAM 1’s Worry

KWAM 1

Festive periods are a time when many musicians, especially A-list acts, are usually busy with several engagements in and outside the country. But King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, otherwise known as K1, is not so happy at the moment and the reason is not far- fetched. One of his sons, Sultan Omogbadebo Anifowoshe, was arrested alongside others for alleged $2million scam in Chicago. The 26-year-old was apprehended in the US as part of an international investigation into online ‘love scams’ and ‘mystery shopper’ schemes that made victims lose at least $2 million over the past two years. During the Chicagobased investigation, dubbed “Operation Gold Phish,” the agency identified a variety of cyber-enabled fraud schemes allegedly carried out by conspirators in the US and Nigeria. But the musician, who trusts his son, has come to his defence, claiming it was a mistaken identity. In his defence ,

he wrote, ‘’Our attention has been drawn to the news circulating that Sultan, K1 De Ultimate’s son was arrested alongside five other people in the US over two million Dollars fraud.”

There is no doubt that he was among those who were arrested. But what is, however, not true is that he is a fraudster Those who know him say he was not in any way involved in the crime, which explains the reason he was the only person who was released on bail. The bail given to Sultan indicates that he was not involved in the crime. He was only a victim of circumstance who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. One of his father’s fans said: “Many detractors are quick to celebrate the news because they want to get to the father. But the truth will always shine as light over darkness.”Sultan, we are sure, will be given a clean bill of health at the next adjournment.’’

Orji Kalu Hale and Hearty Ready to Face Trial When the billionaire businessman, Orji Uzoh Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, left the shores of Nigeria in November for treatment in Germany, the trip provoked a lot of spontaneous reactions from some members of the public.

Many had insinuated that he might have absconded, particularly because of his ongoing alleged fraud trial by the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. However, some of his supporters pushed back on the insinuation, maintaining that he would never do such.

Interestingly, his supporters have been proven right, as the former Governor returned to Nigeria last week.

Society Watch gathered the Forbeslisted billionaire came to Nigeria with his wife and some of his children to celebrate the Yuletide.

With his recovery from surgery and

return to the country, it is hope that he is now ready to face his long ongoing trial that has been plague by delays and distraction and all manners of spurious excuses.. .‘’He is now fully hale, rocking like a hurricane.” A close source tell SocietyWatch According to the close source, “Orji can just flee the country, besides, he has businesses all over the country with well over 9000 staff. Do you expect him to abandon them all? The source added. It was also hinted that he will be travelling back to Germany in January, 2019 for the final phase of the treatment. The source said he would kick-start his campaign for the senatorial seat upon his return.It is however curious that his aides are talking of his senatorial ambition when he should be focused on his trial and prove his innocent of the allegations of corruption in public

Kalu

office. Well,maybe he is very sure that his membership of the ruling APC will provide him the much needed insurance cover. After all the APC protects its own.

Capt. Hart Modey’s Interest

Abudu

Modey

That Chief Capt. Hart Modey, Ph.D, is one of the most respected big boys from Cross River State is not news. A philanthropist of note, his Hart Modey Foundation, established in 2009, has been a succour to several indigent persons in the country.

The Foundation’s mission is advancing human welfare, capacity building and training to make people relevant and be able to provide for themselves.

For some time, Captain Modey has been very active in the quest to return Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to office in 2019.

He is heading the very vibrant Atiku/ Ayade Trans-Generational Movement, ATM, as the Director General.

His ATM group is presently one of the most visible campaign groups in the country right now.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30, 2018

SOCIETY WATCH

Akwa Ibom State Gov, Udom Emmanuel, Scores Another First Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, is a man who loves to distinguish himself in anything he does. Little wonder, in both banking, where he started out, as well as in politics, he has scored many firsts in his life. Today, the trained chartered accountant has scored yet another first. How? He is introducing an airline to be solely owned by the state government, making it the first state in Nigeria to operate an airline business.

It was gathered that the airline will commence operations with three aircraft in the first quarter of 2019. The source also divulged that the three new aircraft have been fully paid for, while two more will be added in the later part of 2019. The routes, it was also gathered, will be Uyo-Lagos, LagosUyo and Abuja, while others routes will follow as the business stabilizes.

Emmanuel, a chartered accountant, is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management. He has attended the Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988. He later served as an audit manager of Price Waterhouse Coopers. An associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigerian, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank Plc.

Emmanuel

Billionaire Businessman Prince Arthur Eze’s new Acquisition Nigerian billionaire businessman, Prince Arthur Eze, is in the news again!

For those who know him very well, Eze, a big player in the oil and real estate businesses in Africa, has always been in the news for the good reasons.

This time round, the Forbe-listed billionaire has has chosen to end the year 2018 on a particularly interesting note, which will equally make him a subject of interesting discourse among his fans and contemporaries.

For some time, it had been his passionate desire to add another exotic automobile to his fleet of cars. But just a few days to the end of the year, the dream of acquiring a 2019 Royce Phantom came true. The new wonder- onwheel reportedly came at a princely N220m.

The new acquisition has further proven that Eze, who is one of the wealthiest men in African, loves to spoil himself with the best

imaginable things in life.

Eze, who is said to worth about $5.9 billion, has two private jets. The first, it was gathered, is the 1991 Gulfstream GIV with the number 5N-PZE. He was said to have bought it at the 2011 auction, where the aircraft in the presidential fleet were sold. It can fit two people in the cockpit and between 14 and 19 in the cabin.

A philanthropist of note, his company, Oranto Petroleum, the Pan African oil exploration and production company, flagged off the construction of two primary schools in Yirol and Rumbek communities in Central South Sudan, where he is expected to spend more than $800,000 as part of his Corporate Social Responsibility , CSR, programmes.

Lara Banjoko’s New move Lara Banjoko, CEO, Zone4 Energy Limited, is successful by all standards. As a businesswoman, she has worked so hard to make a name for herself. Many attest to the fact that she holds the magic wand that can turn the fortunes of any moribund petroleum company around.

Banjoko, a former Chief Operating Officer, Oando, is also scored highly in the social scene, as she is always a cynosure of eyes whenever she steps out.

Her profile got a boost when she floated her company, Zone 4 Energy, which has since become one of Nigeria’s fastest growing indigenous oil and gas brands.

Today, she cannot be happier, as Zone 4 Energy is going global, with many outlets recently opened across the country despite the harsh economic situations in the country, particularly the sharp decline in the world oil price. This is evidence that she surely knows her onions.

Though the forgoing is no longer news, Society Watch gathered that the beautiful woman of substance would be shaking the oil sector with her new business move which our source termed as “innovative.”

This move, it was gathered, will further showcase her dominance and brilliance which has made her the envy of some of her competitors.

Arthur Eze

NEPC Boss, Segun Awowolo’s Daughter, Seun, Set For Marriage

Segun Awolowo

Come January 19, 2019, the CEO of Nigeria Export Processing Council, NEPC , Segun Awolowo Jnr., and his amiable wife, Bola, who have been married for 28 years, will play host to the world, as their ęrst daughter, Seun, will be walking down the aisle with her hearĴhrob.

The wedding promises to be a society aěair , as pieces of colourful Aso-ebi have been going round with invites to those who maĴer in the society. It was also hinted that the

wedding is one of the most discussed among the socialites today going by the people involved.

It is the marriage of the ęrst grandchild of Abbah Folawiyo, a known top matriarch of the Lagos society.

Top government functionaries, corporate colossi and captains of industries of diěerent colourations, heads of diplomatic corps and other guests are expected to grace the occasions.

Banjoko

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˞ ͹͎, Ͱ͎ͯ͜

EVENT

Some participants at the Zenera Consulting ďŹ fth-anniversary ‘’Hope Beats Cancer’’ walk

Hope Beats Cancer

Zenera Walks to Raise Awareness The streets of Ligali Ayorinde and Sanusi Fafunwa in Victoria Island, Lagos, are usually empty on weekends. However, in the early hours of December 1, 2018, they suddenly came alive as several people dressed in bright colours moved down-street in orderly fashion. Among them were some notable personalities from the corporate world and celebrities from the entertainment industry. Celebrities spotted include Denrele, Yomi Fash Lanso, Djinee, Aramide, TY Mix, Toni Kan, Pastor Godman Akinlabi of the Elevation Church, and Nelson Allison the Mr Universe. Soon the procession arrived at Muri Okunola Park along Adeyemo Alakija Road and the park burst into a flurry of activities. Denrele was his usual vivacious character, delighting the crowd alongside other celebrities. More facts soon emerged that the essence of the walk and the meeting at the park was a celebration of hope against cancer. It was an awareness campaign themed, ‘Hope Beats Cancer’. It was spearheaded by a prominent brand consulting and reputation management outfit, Zenera Consulting, to sensitize and educate the public about prevention, screening, treatment and management of cancer. Bayo Akinloye writes Facts and Figures mmanuel was a vibrant, bubbly kid, full of life. At five years old he started getting weaker and easily tired. His parents noticed this and took him to the hospital. For three months, the doctors misdiagnosed and treated him for the wrong ailments. He underwent therapy for almost all the usual suspects; and yet there was no improvement. Finally, his parents took him for a CT scan and a malignant tumour was discovered in his kidney. Emmanuel had been diagnosed with cancer.

There are millions of people like Emmanuel around the world, battling with an infirmity that has so far confounded modern medicine.

We live in a world that is increasingly being ravaged by the deadly monster called cancer, cutting short millions of lives globally every year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells; it is a chronic infirmity that takes over the body and gradually destroys it from within.

WHO estimates that there are over 14 million new cancer cases every year and 8.8 million cancer-related deaths worldwide.

In Nigeria, several cases of death from various forms of cancer are recorded yearly.

Unfortunately, there is no reliable data on the disease in the country due to poor health infrastructure.

The rate of cancer incidence is also increasing. According to the American Cancer Society, 21.7 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2030 world over.

And, by 2030, 13 million cancer deaths are predicted. This would be a remarkable jump from 14.1 million new cases and 8.8 million deaths recorded in 2015. It is believed that these figures will likely be much higher due to the adoption of lifestyles that are known to increase cancer risk, such as smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and fewer pregnancies, in economically developing countries.

In Nigeria, Cancer is like a myth for many people who have not experienced it, and a death sentence for many whose loved ones have been diagnosed with it. A failing health

E

system, low literacy level, and conservative cultural values have combined to create an information gap whereby people don’t know much about the disease and yet they fear it.

Its debilitating nature means a harrowing experience for both the patients and their loved ones.

Hope Beats Cancer The Cancer Awareness Walk is part of the activities for Zenera Consulting’s fifth-year anniversary. In just five years, the company has retained a fast and remarkably growing client base in the energy and financial services sector.

For its high-level brand, reputation management, crisis management and media strategies, Zenera emerged as the Most Inspiring Agency of the Year at Marketing World Awards 2017. The company has therefore decided to give back to the society, hence its decision to embark on the cancer awareness campaign.

To successfully carry out the initiative, Zenera partnered with several organizations of like minds, including the Lakeshore Cancer Centre, Roding Health Management Organization, Inspiration 92.3 FM, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

According to Zenera’s Managing Partner, Meka Olowola, Cancer awareness is still at a very low level in Nigeria, and for those who are aware, they look out for the most common forms. “With this walk, we are identifying with those who have lost loved ones to one form of cancer or the other and encouraging those who are battling this that hope beats cancer,� Olowola added Dr Oge Ilegbune, the Head of Strategy at Lakeshore Cancer Centre said her organisation, which is the only private operational facility in Nigeria, dedicated solely to cancer prevention and treatment, is partnering with organisations who are like-minded like Zenera and are looking at cancer with hope and a need to drive awareness. “We need to concentrate on education and awareness. When people get the right information, and they start talking about it, then they can start asking, ‘where can I go and do a screening?� Dr Ilegbune emphasized.

During the event, Lakeshore Cancer Centre shared vital information about the prevention, screening, and treatment of various forms of cancer to participants and bystanders.

According to Pastor Godman Akinlabi of the Elevation church, the campaign also raises the hopes of those living with cancer, their loved ones and everybody who dread cancer with the belief that the deadly disease will eventually be defeated.

According to multiple award-winning writer and media consultant, Toni Kan, whose brother died of cancer about 10 years ago, “Cancer is something that will not kill you if you know on time. I feel people should be aware, check their health so that they can avoid it,� Kan said Mercy Oluwakorede, one of the people who volunteered to render services to participants during the event said she volunteered for the event because she loved sensitizing people. “This is how we let people know that there is hope, you don’t have to die because you have cancer.�

Baseline musical artist, Aramide said the message of the campaign resonates with her because she lost an uncle to prostate cancer. “If you feel anything strange in your body, go and get it checked out and take your health seriously, and whatever happens just keep hoping.,� the Headies award winner said.

One of the major partners in the initiative, Roding Healthcare, a prominent Health Management Organization in Nigeria, provided a medical team and ambulance to support the cancer awareness walk while the FRSC contributed to the event by diverting traffic to protect participants in the walk.

Hope and Cancer Survival The founder of Zenera Consulting, Meka Olowola is a man familiar with the pain and grief of losing a loved one to cancer. His older brother died from Multiple Myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The cancer cells accumulate in the bone marrow, where they crowd out healthy blood cells. Rather than produce helpful

antibodies, they produce abnormal proteins called immunoglobulin and release them into the bones and blood. This builds up throughout the body and causes organ damage. “Multiple Myeloma represents about two percent of all cancers. A lot of people do not hear of it until they are diagnosed, and this makes it harder to beat�, Olowola said.

Nevertheless, Dr Oge Ilegbune, of the Lakeshore Cancer Centre says the four most common forms; breast, prostate, cervical and colon cancer can be prevented, screened, and treated if detected on time. “In Nigeria, people should not be dying from preventable forms of cancer just because they are not aware until it reaches Stage Four. As a cancer centre, we cannot be waiting for people to come through our doors at Stage Three and Four.�

A number of prominent Nigerians have survived cancer, one of them is entertainment icon, Bankole Wellington, popularly called Banky W. In a newspaper interview, the EME entertainment boss, who got married last year said he went through three successful surgeries to remove tumours from his shoulder. “I’m sharing these because they’re proof of what God has brought me through. And because somewhere out there, I know there is someone who needs to hear this.� Banky W said during the interview Another notable Nigerian cancer survivor is the First Lady of Ondo State and the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN), Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu. She was diagnosed of breast cancer in 1997 at the age of 43.

Akeredolu summoned the courage to go to the hospital and fight the disease after watching a TV programme about the story of an American cancer survivor. “My experience was one of shattering loneliness, unavailability of information and group support, coupled with the tight- lip syndrome and indifference surrounding the disease.�

Twenty-one years later, after going through mastectomy, she is alive and well.

With the upcoming initiative by Zenera Consulting, there will hopefully be more Banky Ws and Betty Akeredolus; those who will conquer the debilitating infirmity in their body and not only survive but thrive.

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

OBA ESUGBAYI AS A PLAYFUL TAKE ON HISTORY PAGE 69

30.12.2018

A YEAR OF LANDMARK TRENDS L-R: French President, Emmanuel Macron, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, and Bankole Wellington with Portrait painted by Kareem Olamilekan

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

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ARTS & REVIEW\\2018 IN REVIEW

Fmr. Chairman, Stanbic IBTC, Atedo Peterside; Founder, Art X, Tokini Peterside, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi with his wife, Princess Adeola Ogunwusi and APC Lagos Gubernatorial Candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

A YEAR OF LANDMARK TRENDS It has been, like any other year, an eventful year for the arts. But, much of the activities were inspired by trends in the international scene, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

H

ighlights of the events in the visual arts scene this year corroborate a continuing embrace of new canons of aesthetics. It would indeed take more than the phenomenal successes of the late Ben Enwonwu’s works, which were produced with conservative media, at both local and international auctions to halt this trend.

Art exhibitions, workshops and festivals were turned into platforms for serious experimentations, uncertain gropings in the dark, great ideas expressed in minimalist forms and, perhaps, unabashed commercialism.

At the Harmattan Workshop, held in February in the Delta State town of Agbarha-Otor, artists were striving to outdo themselves with not only by expressing themselves in new ways, but also by the use of uncommon media. Back in Lagos, a few artists, known for their use of such conservative media as oil, water colours and acrylic, ventured into unconventional media. They are seemingly following in the footsteps of the leading lights like Rom Isichei, Olu Amoda and Kainebi Osahenye, among others.

Talking about the use of unconventional media, two exhibitions stood out in their uniqueness.

One was Ngozi Omeje’s Digging Deep at the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Lagos, which featured installations of elephants contrived with ceramic shards dangling on strings. The other was Bob-Nosa Uwagboe’s Obituary, which held at the Signature Gallery, along Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Exhibitions like these explain why the winning work at the 12th edition of the annual Life in My City – also known by its acronym, LIMCAF – was an installation piece by Ifedilichukwu Chibuike, titled “Enigma” and why there was an overwhelming presence of works in new media at this year’s Art X Lagos, which was headlined by the Nigerian-born British artist Yinka Shonibare.

In the same spirit of homecoming, New-york based Nigerian artist,, Laolu Senbanjo returned to Nigeria with his afro-centric paintings.

Perhaps, the rising value of Nigerian art at

international auctions is something to cheer about.

This inspired the well-attended seminar on “Art As an Alternative Investment”, held on Monday, June 4 at The Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos. Organised

by Omenka Art Gallery in collaboration with FROT Foundation, the seminar featured, as discussants, Hannah O’ Leary, the director and head of Modern & Contemporary African Art at Sotheby’s; Prince Yemisi Shyllon, the founder of Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation; Jubril Enakele, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Capital Limited; Jess Castellote, a director of the Foundation for Contemporary & Modern Visual Arts and Oliver Enwonwu, the Society of Nigerian Artists’ president.

This was also a year when two Lagos art ventures – Mydrim Gallery and Arthouse Contemporary – celebrated their long presence in the scene. While Mydrim Gallery marked its 25th anniversary with two different exhibitions, Arthouse celebrated a decade of being a catalyst in the local art scene and held both its 20th and 21st auctions this year. Also, the recentlyestablished Lagos branch of the Thought Pyramid Art Centre hosted an exhibition in celebration of 50 years of Oshogbo art.

Books

On the literary scene, the Nigerian LNG returned to the cherished tradition of celebrating its laureates with a dinner cum gala night, this year. Hence, its award of the $100,000 winner-takes-all prize to Dr Soji Cole took place during an elaborate ceremony at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Then, the week-long Lagos Book and Arts Festival – known as LABAF – held its 20th edition from November 5 to 11 at the Freedom Park in Lagos Island. The seven-day feast of ideas, organised by the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) revolved around the theme “Renewal: A World That Works for All’’. It opened with what it called the “Young Theatre Feast”, which featured troupes from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Germany and Sweden and featured among other things, a documentary film on LABAF at 20, an art seminar in honour of Kolade Oshinowo who turned 70 this year, nights of poetry, screening of Tunde Kelani’s movie “Saworoide” and conversations with authors and publishers.

Also, the annual Ake Arts and Book Festival,

for the first time in its five years of existence, moved its venue from the more serene Abeokuta to Lagos this year. The festival, which was headlined by the Somali writer Nuruddin Farah, had about 112 guests from different parts of the world. Besides books, it also featured film screenings.

Among other literary events held this year were the Lagos International Poetry Festival – a. k. a. LIPFest – which was held between October 31 and November 4, the Coal City Book Convention, which marked its 10th anniversary in Enugu recently and Kaduna Books and Arts Festival or KABAFEST, which featured a rich harvest of literary talents.

Macron’s visit

Among the traditional arts events this year, the French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the New Afrika Shrine was a headline-grabber. The event, which brought the entire Lagos culture community under one canopy, was also seen by many as the validation of the city as Africa’s cultural hub. The event featured such musical acts as Femi Kuti, Yemi Alade and the Cameroonian Charlotte Dipanda, among others. Macron had in a tweet about his Shrine visit enthused: “This is African energy. The one I discovered here in Lagos when I was 23. The one I am glad to see is still thriving several years later. The one I hope many Europeans will get to know. The one that is far from the African prejudice of misery.

“The Shrine is an iconic cultural hub.

And I say with a lot of humility that I recognise the importance of African culture.”

The event, whose master of ceremony was the well-known Nigerian singer, rapper and actor, Olubankole Wellington (a. k. a. Banky W), was tagged “Celebration and African Culture”. Bank W’s efforts were complemented by those of a Nigerian host, Keturah King, who has anchored a variety of programmes for both Arise TV.

Theatre

There was an obvious boom in local thespian activities, thanks to the industry of the local creatives.

First, there was the British Council-sponsored Lagos Theatre Festival, which held from February 28 to March 4 and featured over 100 shows from 47 companies across Lagos. The festival, which aligns its contents to the contemporary trends worldwide, is gradually earning its seat of honour among Nigeria’s leading arts events.

Besides staging of important plays at venues like the MUSON Centre in Onikan, the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island and the Freedom Park in Lagos Island, the existence of the Terra Kulture Arena has given stage performances a shot in the arm. The privately-owned 400-seater performance space is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, sound, stage and an audio visual LED screen.

Films

Predictably, Lagos cinema buffs were regaled with landmark feature film premieres this year.

Among them was EbonyLife Film’s “Chief Daddy”, which obviously was leveraging on the box-office successes of its predecessors like “Fifty”, “The Wedding Party”, “The Wedding Party 2” and “The Royal Hibiscus Hotel”.

There was also Ayo Makun’s “Merry Men” (with the sub-theme “The Real Yoruba Demons), which premiered on September 28 at the Imax Cinema in Lekki, Lagos. Understandably, the event attracted the industry’s crème de la crème to the venue.

Among other notable film premieres in Lagos were those of “Kinsman” and SMASH, which attested to the vibrancy of the industry in Lagos.

Perhaps, the icing on all the thespian activities this year was the Africa International Film Festival, which held from November 13 to 20.

Deaths

Death, the inevitable conclusion of this earth-life, took away prominent figures in the arts community. Among them were Akinwunmi Ishola, Ras Kimono and his wife Efemena, Moses Olaiya (better known as Baba Sala) and the last year’s winner of The Nigeria Literature Prize Ikeogu Oke.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

ARTS & REVIEW\\DRAMA

OBA ESUGBAYI AS A PLAYFULTAKE ON HISTORY

Yinka Olatunbosun

S

ince some education policy makers in Nigeria have put the subject of history in a lying-in-state situation, it had become imperative for theatre producers to teach the people history through dramatic performances.

That was the reason why the producer of Oba Esugbayi, Joseph Edgar sought the director of the play, William Benson to craft the best piece yet on the invasion of Lagos by the British Colonial powers.

Sponsored by MTN Foundation and the Lagos State Government, the play was staged at the Agip Recital Hall of the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos. It offered glimpses into Lagos just before the colonial intrusion. It begins with everyday activities – the people are completely oblivious of the impending danger. Clubs are pulsating with music; traders are conducting their businesses without fear or regulations; some are marrying; others are returning from the United Kingdom, presumably educated.

Amidst these are those flamboyant Nigerians who benefited from the colonial relations even at the detriment of national interest.

That is the plot of Oba Esugbayi drama.

The conflict revolves around the fight against the imposition of water tax by the colonial government. The pipe-borne water project is meant to improve the sanitary conditions in Lagos. Oba Esugbayi (Yemi Shodimu) opposes the water scheme and says if it must be done, then the Europeans who need it should pay for the water project.

He backs the people in protest against the colonial government. This water tax issue causes a split amongst the Lagos elite. There is a pro-government camp made up of Kitoyi Ajasa, Dr John Randle, Dr Obasa, Henry Carr, Candido da Rocha, Chief Obanikoro, Chief Alli Balogun and the anti-government group comprising of Herbert Macaulay, J. Began Benjamin, Dr. Adeniyi Jones, and Dr. Caulrick. Some like Dr. Obasa and Randle are initially in the anti-government camp but back pedalled after getting threats of being seditious and engaging in activities inimical to the war effort. Eventually, Oba Esugbayi is arrested for failing to cooperate with the colonial government and deported to Oyo. But upon his return from exile, he received a hero's welcome.

There was an attempt by the playwright to appropriate some historical elements in the narration while puzzling the audience with some details that are fictitious. For instance, Lord Lugard (Offiong Anthony otherwise known as Thin Tall Tony) is the representative of the colonial government in the play and one of the first opening scenes in the play shows him and his wife deliberating on the name for the amalgamated northern and southern protectorates, now known as Nigeria. The unity of the market women, fostered by Alimotu Pelewura (Yinka Davies) is shown as a powerful tool of resistance against the colonial government when an attempt is made to impose direct taxation on the women traders and regulate their position at the Lagos Business District.

The women are harassed and threatened by some of the overzealous officers of the state who were trying to enforce the regulations of the colonial government.

A member of the audience, Sunmbo Olajubu remarked at the end of the drama that perhaps, the colonial government was not entirely evil. She insisted that if some of the regulations initiated by the colonial government had been assessed objectively by the traditional rulers, they would have served as good development template.

“A lot of our history is hidden,” she argued. “Most of our children do not know our story because they are not taught our story.”

That's quite true. But the drama also unveiled the distrust that the colonised had against the colonisers. The latter failed to keep their side of the treaty; with records of educated natives earning far below the low-cadre staff who were Europeans, thus making the Nigerian people resist the imposition of tax on the citizens as it was

A scene from the play perceived as the colonial government’s ploy to amass wealth for themselves.

The stage design was reminiscent of the heroes of the colonial period such as Herbert Macaulay, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Nnamdi Azikwe and Obafemi Awolowo amongst

others. The quality of the images on the stage flats did not do justice to how much they are cherished in the collective memory. Follow spots played a delineating role for the narrator in all the scenes although there were a few moments when the lighting cues were missed,

making the narrator wait a few seconds in the dark before the spotlight was beamed in that direction.

Some of the actors came on stage with wrinkled clothings; it was only the actors playing the elite roles that were clad in crease-free costumes. Though it could have been deliberate, it was not exactly a good food for the eyes.

One of the highest points in this drama is the music, directed by Abe Oluwaseun. He and the band brought back the Lagos high life groove to the stage while recreating the believable Lagos colony. Even with three runs daily, the dancers delivered energetic gyrations, which was choreographed with some erotic movements by Thin Tall Tony.

The drama ended with the reminder for Lagosians to vote wisely in the 2019 elections by the narrator, thereby situating the all-time relevance of the play in the scheme of things. A curtail call brought the play to a wrap but not without missing Thin Tall Tony's absence on stage for a few minutes before he returned to the stage wings to acknowledge the audience's applause, having shed a few of the costumes.

It was a defiance of the professional code of ethics in theatre to miss the curtain call but can easily be pardoned if it was done in response to urgent nature's call.

The Inverted Pyramid; Adapted from a novel by Emeka Dike

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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 ˾ IL 1, 2018

2019: As Ambode Throws Weight Behind Buhari, Osibanjo, Sanwo-Olu David Oyekanmi

E

ver since the events culminating in the thwarting of his deserved second term in office, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has privately and publicly demonstrated very rare courage and character and truly moved on by accepting the outcome of the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which threw up Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu as the gubernatorial candidate of the party for next year’s governorship election in the state.

In the build-up to the governorship primaries, there were political tension in the state but immediately after the primaries and the twists that followed, Ambode in a statewide broadcast congratulated Sanwo-Olu, and pledged to work for the victory of the party; a move that drastically doused the tension.

“Fellow Lagosians, the last few days have witnessed intense political activities that have gripped the attention of the nation and created palpable tension in the polity. I strongly believe that the time has now come for the state to move forward in order that the gains of the last three and half years are not lost.

“APC is a great party and the interests of our beloved state must always supersede that of any person or group. It is in this regard that I wholeheartedly congratulate the winner of the Lagos State APC Primaries, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and urge all Lagosians to immediately support our party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 elections and work for the success of our dear party,” the governor said in the broadcast.

After that, Ambode commenced another move to galvanize all the critical stakeholders in the party to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not take advantage of the fallout in the primaries to clinch power in the state.

During the first weekly Exco meeting after the primaries, Ambode had specifically told his cabinet members to forgive and forget the past, and team up with the candidate of the party to ensure victory, which would in turn, according to him, foster the consolidation of the massive gains recorded in the last three and half years.

To authenticate the development, a cabinet member had quoted the governor 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 who opposed my reelection.

“The State Executive Council has taken off fully and 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.

“We must all double our 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.”

Ambode immediately ordered that his campaign structure, Ambode Mandate Support Group (AMSG), be collapsed into the Sanwo-Olu Campaign Council which later transformed into Independent Support Group (ICG) to work for the victory of all APC candidates in the state, as well as the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo in 2019. From the political front, several other moves were initiated and are being implemented by Ambode to ensure APC’s victory across board, including directing his supporters across the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) to begin grassroots campaign for the APC governorship candidate, while preaching message of forgiveness and unity.

Speaking to journalists at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport shortly after he accompanied President Buhari to perform the official commissioning of the new Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Border Posts at Seme-Krake joint border post in Badagry, the governor publicly assured all that he would lead a strong campaign to ensure victory for the President and Sanwo-Olu. “I want again use this opportunity to let Lagosians know that we are heavily committed to the re-election of Mr. President and you can see that his continuous visit to Lagos reiterates the fact that he is actually a lover of Lagos State and I am committed to ensuring his reelection.

“We are going to campaign strongly for him. I am also committed to ensuring that the APC wins the governorship election come 2019. We support the candidacy of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and we would make sure that APC retains Lagos State and the centre,” Ambode said.

At another recent event during the unveiling of an ultramodern lecture theatre donated to the Lagos State University (LASU) by businessman and philanthropist, Chief Remi

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); Lagos APC Governorship Candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu (2nd left); his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (2nd right); National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (right) and Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Oluranti Adebule (left) during the APC Stakeholders’ meeting at the Party’s Secretariat, Acme Road, Ogba, on Monday

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima (2nd left); Barr. Seida Bugaje (left) and former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu (right) during the APC Southwest’s National Peace and Reconciliation Committee interactive hearing with Osun and Oyo States members at the Government House, Ibadan, Oyo State

Makanjuola, on November 22, Ambode gave assurance, that Sanwo-Olu would not abandon ongoing projects in the state but would rather complete and build on the enduring legacies already put in place by his administration.

“I am so excited about the fact that Mr. Sanwo-Olu has actually come out here and he has issued a promissory note and what that meant is that we are going to have a government of continuity. “For whatever structures that we have in LASU right now, and I’m going to also convince our chief negotiator, Dr. Wale Babalakin, we are already doing Senate Building here, we are doing Students Arcade and we are also doing the Library.

I hope I will be able to complete them. But if I am unable to complete them, I speak on behalf of Mr. Sanwo-Olu that he will finish and also do the Staff School.

“We are not campaigning yet but truly that is the spirit of the kind of governance that we bring to Lagos; that is the spirit that we really want to see and then we should be able to show leadership in all spheres of life that we find ourselves,” the governor said.

Aside hosting Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on a number of occasions at Lagos House together with members of the Governors Advisory Council (GAC), and visiting some markets in Lagos with the Vice President to launch the TraderMoni initiative, the governor has also continued with his message of assurance to Lagosians that the APC government remains the best option in 2019.

This assurance was restated by at the presentation of cheques to over 2,000 beneficiaries of the loan programme of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) held at LTV Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja, on November 26; and during the 12th

Annual Town Hall on Security organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund on November 28, this year at Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Yet, on December 4, in Abuja during the National Consultative Forum of the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups, a coordinating body of all the groups campaigning for the reelection of Buhari and Osinbajo, Ambode vigorously rooted for the party’s presidential and governorship candidates. Speaking at the event held at Nicon Luxury, Abuja, Ambode stunned the participants drawn from across the country when he said that Lagos State had not benefited anything from the PDP’s reign at the centre in the last 16 years.

“Sixteen years of PDP, I can say it clearly that Lagos State never enjoyed anything from them. Three and half years of APC, I can clearly attest here that whatever it is that we have achieved in Lagos in the last three and half years, the present Federal Government has largely contributed to the things that we have achieved be it in terms of right of way, be it in terms of approval for waivers for import duties and other things that have actually made Lagos to be on the progressive trajectory that it had been in the last twenty years.

“So, for me it is very easy and it is just common sense that we have to uphold the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket to allow that economic progress and the growth in the GDP that we want for Nigeria rather than allowing it to get dismantled and then make us to go back to Egypt after crossing the Red Sea, and we are not going back to Egypt,” the governor said.

–––Oyekanmi, a veteran journalist lives in Surulere.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

2018 IN REVIEW

The Many Shades of 2018 In spite of the fond memories and the many regrets, tomorrow brings closure to 2018, writes Olawale Olaleye

Buhari...pondering the outgoing year

B

y midnight tomorrow, 2018 will call in time on its 12 months’ reign across the world. Although the differing global time could see some nations bidding the year a final goodbye earlier than the others, by Tuesday, however, the entire universe would have welcomed another baby: 2019, also with peculiar hopes and despair.

For many a person, group, corporation, association and nation, the outgoing year signifies many things, mostly measured in terms of the impact the year has had on them – good or bad. Nigeria is not an exception either.

Although largely eventful, many Nigerians will not forget 2018 in a hurry especially in terms of their interpretation of the social, political

and economic happenings the year under review has had on them.

The outgoing year has witnessed more killings than seen in recent years, as it was ushered in with the horrendous New Year’s Day killings in Benue State, with 73 lives needlessly wasted. What had started like a one-off, tarried almost through the many curves of the year!

The pains of this experience were not made any easy with the constant pummeling of the Nigerian military by insurgents, believed to be members of the ISIS West Africa, which melted away from Syria.

This too has not subsided even though the year ends tomorrow.

Compounding these were incidences of kidnapping, ritual killings in many parts of the country, increasing cult activities and lately, banditry in some parts of the north, endlessly claiming lives.

The recent murder of Major-General Idris Alkali and a former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh were two separate incidences

that gave strong indications of the weakness in the nation’s security architecture. Whilst it is true that the security agencies had made commendable progress in the investigation of the two murder cases, with a better security set-up, they could have been prevented.

There were other killings that also got the attention of the entire nation in the outgoing year. The April Offa, Kwara State, robbery was one of them. A pure robbery case was largely politicised by a rather partisan police, such that there was a conscious attempt to implicate the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

The killing, which claimed about 32 people, mostly policemen and led by a dismissed officer, Michael Adikwu may have been muddled up after all especially, with the passing away of Adikwu, who many believed was killed for God-knows-what.

Continued on Pg. 72

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

Adeyanju: Rule of Law or Persecution?

T

Adeyanju

he continued detention of Deji Adeyanju, Convener, Concerned Nigerians, by a Kano magistrate’s court is curious. Hassan Fagge, a magistrate, ordered that Adeyanju be kept in prison after he was arraigned by the Nigeria police force over alleged murder, an allegation he had been acquitted of some years ago and granted bail on two occasions, on charges bordering on public incitement and criminal defamation.

First, he was arrested on November 28 and had since faced three separate charges, securing bail in two of those charges.

But the latest, which borders on alleged murder, has to do with a case Mohammed Haliru, a judge of the Kano State High

Court, acquitted and discharged him, alongside three others of in 2009.

Interestingly, however, at the resumed hearing, Fagge said the court lacked power to hear the charges and ruled that the activist be remanded in prison till an adjourned date of February 6 for hearing in a higher court. Although Justice Danladi Senchi of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an order seeking his immediate release on fundamental human rights as filed by his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, the trajectory of the case suggests there might be more than meets the eye.

Is it about the rule of law or this is sheer persecution of Adeyanju for obvious political reasons? Well, time will prove this right or wrong.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

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2018/IN REVIEW

t ‘The Many Shades of 2018’ t Continued from Pg. 71

A female lawmaker, Boma Goodhead and others protesting the seal-off of the National Assembly complex by operatives of the DSS

Benue people protesting the Killings of their people The killing, also, of Chief Ope Bademosi, the late Chairman of Credit Switch Technology Limited, allegedly by his Togolese cook, was one death that many Nigerians would have loved to see an intelligent investigation expose the real killers. But as it appeared, the handling of it was itself a turn-off and has remained another puzzle despite the story by police that the Togolese cook confessed to the killing. The state of the cook can no longer be ascertained.

Of course, the passing on Friday, of the Second Republic First Elected President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness, closes the year with the demise of a quintessential patriot. His death was confirmed by his grandson and President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCNI), Bello Shagari. He was 93.

Two major governorship elections held in Ekiti and Osun States, on July 14 and September 22 respectively. Although both elections were somewhat controversial, the poor handling of the Osun exercise had created worry even for the international community, which claimed to have witnessed a brazen manipulation of the electoral process. Many bye-elections held in many parts of the nation within the year, preparatory to next year’s general election.

The enmity between the executive and the legislature took its worst toll on government this year especially, given the failed plot to remove the leadership of the Senate led by Senator Bukola Saraki. This untoward ploy also gave rise to many afflictions, one of them, the sack of the former Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura.

The development further presented to the world, a badly divided nation and a heavily reduced presidency in terms of importance. Many senators and House of Representatives members have had to defect across the major parties on account of this situation and other related issues.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s acclaimed fight against corruption also suffered credibility crisis for many reasons, particularly on the case involving the suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Usman Yusuf, which has become messy. Attempts to ‘specially treat Yusuf’ had been met with stiff resistance, which is why the matter is where it is today. A report was last week submitted to the presidency on the matter. It just might go the way of others.

Sharing closely with this was President Buhari’s certificate scandal, which denouement is even the more scandalous. After pushing back and forth on whether or not he had a secondary school certificate, a major precondition for contesting election, the president was finally handed a certificate of confirmation and attestation by WAEC, an idea that raised more suspicion in terms of discretion and cast scathing aspersions on the president and the presidency.

One of the significant markers of the outgoing year, albeit politically sculpted, is the unchanging position of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari,

Buhari being presented with certificate of confirmation by WAEC Registrar, Iyi Uwadiae

Aisha Buhari and Dolapo Osinbajo at a function. Aisha has been critical of Buhari’s government and consistently so

Governor Kayode Fayemi during his swearing-in as Ekiti Governor who has always insisted that the government of her husband had been hijacked and this year, she boldly said only two people were behind it.

Aisha has been consistent over the years since her husband took over office, criticising everything considered improper in the running of the government. That her husband once dismissed her as belonging to the other room did not however change her stance but instead made her stronger. Not even the recent attempts by the presidency to personalise her stance has altered the equation.

The sentencing to 14 years behind bars of a former governor of Plateau State and senator, Joshua Dariye was one of the highpoints of the outgoing year and in a sense, a breakthrough for the anti-graft crusade of the Buhari administration. Needless to say this is being politically interpreted especially the move to jail another former governor of the state and also senator, Jonah Jang. The development is being analysed as likely to have a huge effect on next year’s election in the state.

The slow recovery of the nation’s economy from a rather devastat-

ing recession is still ongoing and is by far adjudged one important highlight of the outgoing year. Although the economy has not assumed the kind of shape that many eagerly look forward to, that it has exited from what was described as the worst recession in recent times is also not in doubt.

Thus, as the nation gears up for the national elections next year February and March, it was understandable that the international community has shown extreme concern on the need to ensure a credible exercise, coupled with the commitment from Buhari and the INEC that the elections would be free, fair and credible.

Save for life, the outgoing year came with more regrets than hopes although not surprisingly so, as many predictions had shown that it was not going to be a very good year. That many however survived the many shocks and disappointments that attended the year is the reason they look forward to an auspicious 2019.

It’s goodbye, 2018!

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

BRIEFINGNOTES 2019: Will Buhari Uphold His Commitment to Free, Fair Election?

Following rising concerns on the conduct of the 2019 elections, President Buhari’s avowed integrity may be up for a major test, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

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s the general election slated for next the first quarter of next year gradually approaches, the need for the country to conduct free, fair and credible elections has assumed more importance and occupies the front burner of national and international discourse. And in reiterating the need for the elections to conform to internationally acceptable democratic standards, many have argued that it is the only way the country could build off on the gains recorded during the last elections.

Many factors make the call allimportant. Nigeria’s leadership role on the Africa continent is one of such factors given that what happens in Nigeria has a way of setting the tone for smaller African countries that look up to the most populous black nation for direction.

The call is also premised on the perceived crackdown by the current administration on opposition figures in the country. Allegation of crackdown on opposition is neither new nor restricted to elements in the nation’s political space.

While opposition politicians, especially those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dubbed the administration’s anti-corruption fight as being one-sided, it has assumed a new tone as the Buhari...time to walk the talk nation prepares for another election even in the conduct of members of his ruling party, the as a few international figures and organisations have APC, during some of the elections especially, the also joined to condemn the alleged crackdown on the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States. opposition.

Expectedly, opposition party cried blue murder on The calls for credible and universally acceptable account of the conduct and result of the two elections. elections next year is understandable given that NigeThey lamented that it was massively rigged, with the ria remains Africa’s largest democracy and economy. connivance of some state security personnel, who However, given the nature of the country’s dewere expected to be neutral, in favour of the ruling mocracy, many have argued, and justifiably so, that All Progressive Party (APC). Indeed, the international the onus rests with President Muhammadu Buhari. community frowned heavily on the election.

Indeed, a whole lot rests with the president if the However, given that Nigerian politicians are country conducts acceptable election or not. notorious for shouting themselves hoarse on alleged In fairness to the president seen as Mr. Integrity, he electoral malpractices each time they lose elections, has severally sworn to a commitment to uphold a free many were tempted to ignore the cries that trailed and fair election. In a manner reminiscent of former the Ekiti Election; but not so with the Osun State President Goodluck Jonathan, when he openly stated election and in fact the re-run. The attempt to arrest in the run up to the 2015 election that no Nigerian the governorship candidate of the PDP on account deserved to die on account of his bid for re-election, to of his involvement in an alleged criminal act, many which he matched with actions, President Buhari has observers insisted showed the hands of the police as also given his words to ensure credible elections next being biased. year.

Interestingly, it was president Buhari that called off In the same vein, the electoral umpire, Indepenthe police from doing same, which further buttressed dent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the conclusion that much of whether the country’s assured Nigerians of its readiness to conduct credible next election turns out credible or not rests on his elections and enjoined the participants to play by the shoulders. rule in order to forestall any untoward consequences.

Thus, while the President’s directive was hailed In fact, the commission’s resolve to foreclose the as a timely intervention, which saved the electoral use of incident forms following the president’s refusal process in the state, others interpreted it differently. to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law is Those who hold contrary opinion berated the being seen in certain political quarters as evidence police force as having betrayed a poor reading of that INEC might be sincere, that is, if committed to its the political barometer at the time, adding that the promise too. president’s directive signposted interference in the However, the whole world is watching to see if affairs of the police force, which he could repeat in President Buhari would, like Jonathan, match his favour of his party during the next election. words with action and uphold the avowed commitIt is worthy of note that the whole world is watchment to free and fair elections. The growing concern is ing the President. What’s more is that the election will not misplaced given some ominous signs as evidenced be a test of his acclaimed integrity, which unfortu-

nately had been on the decline. Nothing further underscores this position than a letter authored by four United States senators in which they insisted that Nigeria must build off on the peaceful transfer of power which it pulled off in 2015 as the nation gears up for the 2019 elections.

Senators Jeff Flake, Cory Booker, Johnny Isakson and Christopher Coons in a letter to Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs expressed the importance that the 2019 election must meet expectations and international standards even as they hinted that the United State government was determined to help the country consolidate her democratic gains.

The senators in the letter which THISDAY exclusively obtained stated in part: “With the elections approaching, the United States reaffirm its support for democracy in Nigeria by calling on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment or intimidation of political opponents, and from impeding the political process in any way.

“We urge you to speak out against any efforts to interfere in the political process in a timely manner to reinforce the US government’s support for elections that are credible, transparent and peaceful,” they stated.

Whether a coincidence or not, their letter came at the same time US congressman, Christopher Smith took a swipe on President Buhari government’s alleged crackdown on opposition. Smith who chaired a hearing on Nigeria on December 13, 2018, titled “Nigeria at a Crossroads: The Upcoming Elections,” had repeatedly called attention to extremist violence and appealed to President Buhari to use his authority to put a stop to it.

It goes without saying that the perception in the opposition camp is that the president’s body language is opposite his vow to uphold a credible election.

This take gained more traction, when the he declined to assent to the electoral bill passed by the nation’s legislature. Valid as some of his reasons may be, the opposition had insisted the decline was in line with the ruling party’s plan to rig the election.

Critics of the administration and the opposition had earlier alleged that the refusal of the president to sack the leadership of some of the nation’s security architecture in the face of glaring security challenges in the country was so that they could assist the ruling party to rig the elections. Even if a cursory look at the charge revealed the opposition as playing politics, the glaring disobedience of presidential directive especially regarding the incessant killings in Benue State appeared to lend credence to the allegation.

It is against this foreground that President Buhari is expected to match his commitment to uphold free, fair and credible elections next year with action, and transparently too. The president needs to be reminded that his supposed hard earned integrity is at state and he must do all within the ambit of the law to safeguard same as the buck naturally stops on his table.

In doing so, Nigerians and the international community will want to see the president rein in the hawks within his party, who may be planning to orchestrate a political heist using the nation’s security apparatus.

Indeed, the world will expect the president to direct the nation’s security apparatus to maintain the highest standard of professionalism by being neutral as they provide different levels of adequate security for the process during the elections even as it expects him to allow the electoral umpire an unfettered freedom to perform its constitutional duties uninhibited.

NOTES FOR FILE

In the Spirit of Fair Play

Udom

The Akwa Ibom State Government, after initially refusing to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) use the stadium for its presidential rally, finally acceded to the request. That is a quintessential spirit of fair play especially at a time everyone seeks free, fair and credible election in 2019.

There is no debating the fact that one of the preconditions to a free, fair and credible election anywhere in the world is the attitude of the actors

before, during and after the elections, such that shows sanity, maturity and a willing spirit to play fair.

Whilst the initial refusal of the government could be properly located within the context of its recent harassment, believed to have been orchestrated by the federal government, the decision to see things differently and be the better player counts positively and hugely so in favour of the government and its governor, Udom Emmanuel. That is the spirit of fair play and it is the way everyone should go in 2019.

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CICERO/REPORT

Before Banditry Takes a Permanent Spot The increasing reign of banditry in many parts of the country as exemplified in the recent killings in Zamfara State, should not just worry the authorities, but stoke them into action, writes Shola Oyeyipo

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igeria has already sustained brutal bruises from militants, terrorists and the likes and is therefore not in a position to add another burden to the weight of its insecurity challenges with the growing rate of banditry in many parts of the country, Zamfara State being the centre of it all.

Although some have branded it farmersherders clash, to many others, it is just another vista of terror attacks. But whatever it is, lives are being lost and their means of livelihood disrupted.

Stories of killings by armed bandits from Zamfara State are growing everyday and indeed niggling. Since early 2018 till today, suspected armed bandits have been killing innocent residents in the state. On December 20, they killed about 25 people in attacks on two villages in Birnin Magaji local government area (LGA) of Zamfara State.

Unsuspecting farmers harvesting sweet potatoes on their farms at Garin Halilu village became victims of the motor bike riding killers, who opened fire on them, killing nine on the spot.

Not satisfied or perhaps hoping to instill more fear in the people, the killers made their ways back to the community and killed three more around 5:00pm, when the bodies of the slain farmers were being prepared for burials.

There have been reports of pockets of attacks that have claimed many lives recently and it is obvious that efforts by the police to stem the tide are not without telling consequences on the force.

Police in Zamfara confirmed that 16 of its personnel were killed in the November 29 clash between the command and bandits in the state.

Although the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Muhammad Shehu, said the clash was as a result of a raid on criminals’ hideouts in the state by the police during, which 104 bandits were killed by policemen. The perpetrators are however daring. The onslaught against innocent Zamfara residents is deliberate and well planned.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara is obviously perplexed by these killings and is surely looking for ways to address the problem. First, he blamed the continued killings on informants, who support the bandits and kidnappers hence he implored the people of the state to support government in tackling the situation.

According to the governor, who is no longer averse to an emergency declaration in the state, while the state and federal governments as well as security agencies were making frantic efforts to address the situation, informants had made it difficult for security agencies in the state to operate effectively.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari had been doing his best to address the situation and had deployed more security personnel to the state, noting that, “Before Buhari’s administration, we have few security personnel in this state, but today we have about 4000 security personnel including Army, Police and Civil Defence.”

Also, in search of solution, the Zamfara State government had suspended four traditional rulers over their alleged involvement with bandits terrorising the state and Governor Yari vowed that more heads would roll if found culpable in the banditry afflicting the state.

In yet another move to reduce the spate of attacks, Yari announced a reward of N1 million on every illegal AK 47 rifle returned to the state government. When he was asked recently if the policy had yielded result, he said he had paid N1m for one AK47 surrendered.

However, with no concrete evidence that these efforts were yielding noticeable results, Nigerians are already calling on government at all levels to review their strategy.

For instance, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, recently suggested that the federal government should deploy Special Forces to curb the insecurity before it grows out of proportion.

The duo of CDHR National President, Mr. Malachy Ugwumadu and the Executive Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, were unanimous in their call to the federal government to step up the deployment of security forces in the troubled areas.

Though Governor Yari was initially against the call for a state of emergency in his state, convinced that stronger measures were required to stop the growing rate of violence, he has shifted his position. He said on December 26 that he supports the call on President Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the state.

The governor, who told newsmen at a press briefing in Gusau, the state capital, said he would do anything within his power to end the security challenge confronting Zamfara.

Governor Yari “I am in support of the declaration of state of emergency if it will save the lives of people of the state,” Yari said, warning that the situation should not be politicised.

As it is, the situation in the North-west state is quite disturbing as it epitomises the failure of the government in the management of security. Going by the words of the Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, at least 371 people had been killed in the crisis since it started in January 2018. Today, the killings are widespread.

She said: “The crisis in Zamfara is making life hell for villagers, yet it is clearly low down on the list of government’s priorities. These killings must stop immediately, and those suspected of criminal responsibility must be brought to justice in fair trials. The Nigerian authorities have a responsibility to protect the lives of everybody in the country, including people in poor and rural communities.”

According to her, villagers gave the impression that they were helpless and on edge and preparing themselves for attacks, saying “Men said they are sleeping outside their homes and in trees as a way of keeping vigilant, while women and children are sleeping together in groups for protection.”

Another worrying revelation by the Amnesty International director was that despite the deployment of security personnel by the federal government, the crisis between herders and farmers in the state had not reduced.

“Previous military interventions failed to end the killings, especially in rural areas of Zamfara. At least 371 people have been killed in Zamfara in 2018 alone, and at least 238 of these killings took place after the deployment of the Nigerian Air Force. The government is still neglecting the most vulnerable communities in this region,” she said, pointing fingers at government.

She said during a visit to Zamfara, villagers told the agency that before some attacks, the bandits wrote threat letters to the communities, which were relayed to the government but no concrete action was taken.

“When we visited the region, villagers told us that they had pleaded with the government to help them after receiving warning letters from the bandits ahead of attacks but had received no protection. The Nigerian authorities have repeatedly claimed to be tackling the situation, but the mounting death toll tells a different story,” she said.

She added that on Friday, July 27, 18 villages in the Mashema, Kwashabawa and Birane districts of Zurmi local government area of Zamfara State were attacked, leaving at least 42 people dead.

Ojigho said at least 18,000 residents of the affected villages, who were displaced took refuge at various locations in the local government headquarters. The following day, 15 people were kidnapped in Maradun local government area.

“On Saturday, July 28, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the deployment of 1,000 troops to Zamfara.

This is the third time since November 2017 that the

authorities have deployed the military in response to attacks, but villagers told Amnesty International that this had not translated into protection for remote, vulnerable communities,” Ojigho said.

A major fear, already underscored by the federal government is that the persistent attacks on residents of Zamfara State by bandits will affect food security in the country, but such a statement is being considered defeatist and irresponsible in some quarters, because rather than tackle the menace headlong, government has begun to create excuses for inefficiency.

Minister of Interior, Alhaji Abdulrahman Dambazau, said during an on-the-spot assessment of the activities of the bandits in the state that “Since those affected by the killings are largely the agrarian rural dwellers, the activities of bandits will have a serious impact on agriculture and food security.”

He issued a final warning to the bandits to stop attacking innocent citizens, saying the federal government would descend upon them and “I want to assure them that they cannot withstand the consequences.”

He said stakeholders in the security sector in the state would meet to fine-tune the new measures that would be used in tackling the threat posed by the bandits and as such advised the hoodlums to immediately surrender and embrace peace.

“This administration will continue to go to any length to protect the lives and properties of the citizens, because any single innocent life lost has a devastating effect on the nation and is unacceptable,” Dambazau said, even when the threat has yielded no results.

President Buhari’s leadership has witnessed series of violence across Nigeria and as usual, he merely condemned the killings, saying “These horrendous acts of violence are crimes against humanity. This violence must stop.”

Expressing his deepest condolences to the families of those killed, the government and people of Zamfara State, the President also wished those injured a speedy recovery.

He has since ordered the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Abubakar Baba Sadiq to carry out an assessment trip to Zamfara and Sokoto States on Christmas and Boxing days, reassuring residents of the two states as well as Kaduna, Niger and Taraba, who have been victims of armed banditry that their safety was an enduring commitment of his administration and would continue to ensure that security agencies work round the clock to protect local populations.

Already, a special operation by the Nigerian Armed Forces, Police, Department of State Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, is being put together to ensure that peace and stability is returned in the region.

The president is particularly optimistic that the Special Forces deployed in each of the local governments in Zamfara State would respond to the security challenges

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CICERO/REPORT t ‘BEFORE BANDITRY TAKES A PERMANENT SPOT’ t Continued from Page 74

Ammunition recovered from suspects in Zamfara in the North-central and North-west. He hoped that the measures, among others, would be intensified to flush out the bandits from wherever they are.

It was against this development that the Nigerian Air Force deployed two attack helicopters to its base in Zamfara. The helicopters were received at the NAF 207 Quick Response Group, Gusau, and by the Commander, Group Captain Caleb Olayera, who noted that the facilities would help in tracking and arresting criminal elements disturbing the state.

The NAF consequently constructed two helipads at the base, in preparation for the combat helicopter gunships to be fully operational from Gusau and this would boost air operations within the state and environs.

The Air Officer Commanding, Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita, said the Air Force would collaborate with other security agencies to tackle the security challenges in the state.

But opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has labelled the recent killings in the state as part of major failures of the administration.

In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said it shared in the anguish of the victims and relations of the slain, who daily live with the devastating trauma of the escalated bloodletting and killing of their loved ones, by marauders, who still roam the area “in spite of the propaganda and lip service by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.”

The party said the ugly situation in the country is an undisputed testimony of the failure of President Buhari’s administration to provide adequate security for Nigerians, especially in the troubled states, despite his promises as well as the huge resources at his disposal to tackle insurgency.

Also, President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has condemned the killings and described them as “barbaric and unacceptable.” Saraki said the killings were a major threat to the nation’s democracy, hence the need for security agencies to come up with a strategy to tackle the menace.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said the Zamfara killings were not getting enough attention from the media and the non-governmental organisations.

No doubt, Nigeria has had too many issues of insecurity and so, government must spare the citizenry the misfortune of yet another horror that is gradually building up in Zamfara by being proactive in addressing the killings.

Of course, there are many theories about the factors fuelling the crisis in the state, one of which is the speculation that the illegal mining of gold in the state by some highly placed persons is largely responsible for the increase in the bandits in the state as the foot soldiers used for the illegality are usually heavily armed to discharge their duties. It has also been identified as one reason the military operation in the state has not been effective because of vested interest.

This is why government must look beyond issuing terse statements or mere condemnation of the killings but get cracking with the ultimate goal of containing the menace of banditry.

Destruction of Properties in Zamfara

Military personnel in Zamfara to quench rioters

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

SUNDAYINTERVIEW Bukola Saraki

Flank

I Insist 2019 Budget Is Hopeless, Deceptive There is an organised heist going on in the current regime of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, explains in this interview with a group of select editors. Saraki also criticises the All Progressives Congress-led federal government’s lack of foresight and transparency in revamping the economy and fighting corruption. Bayo Akinloye presents the excerpts:

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ooking at the budget benchmark, one can see the oil price coming down gradually against the budget benchmark of $60. Will this not negatively affect actualising the budget?

I made a comment where I said it was a hopeless budget that will rarely bring Nigerians out of poverty, diversification of the economy and inclusive growth. When I said that, I noticed a lot of people were a bit defensive, saying the statement was borne out of politics.

I am a kind of person that is responsible enough to choose my right words and I am happy about this question.

If you followed the previous budgets under this administration, there was no budget under this administration that I have ever used any word as strong as that. Some of the budgets had given hope; some had tried to address growth. But this budget (2019 budget) particularly, I still stick to my words: it is not only hopeless; I think it is even deceptive. Is it that those that prepared the budget did not ask themselves these questions?

Looking at the issue of the oil price, they had not completed the budgeting exercise, when the price of crude oil dropped to 50-something and they are now using the benchmark higher than the current crude oil price, what does that mean? If some people believe that the price might go up, then they better come back later with a supplementary budget.

But to say categorically, putting the price at 60 is not realistic. The government will soon know that the price will not be realistic. Not only the price: if you look at the production level throughout 2018 and 2017, we are producing about 1.9 barrels and now we are now

using 2.3, how? What indices are there? Again, it is not realistic.

And if you are going to base your revenues on that, you’ve already seen the big hole. That was the reason I said it was not a budget of inclusive growth.

Would you say the preparation was wrong or was it just done simply out of ignorance?

Well, I can’t see their minds or speak on their behalf. What I am just saying is from my own experience as an SA (special assistant) on budget. What I suspect is that they are just looking at the best way of financing the expenditure, based on realistic projections.

What is even disturbing is the fact that when you look at the total expenditure, you’ll see that over 70 per cent is already gone on recurrent, debt servicing and others.

So, it’s clear that any shortfall of revenue is going to be very impactful because already between the crude oil price and production we have already seen that once we don’t meet those targets, we are going to have a huge deficit problem.

Generally, budgeting has been a big problem for this administration. There are always issues around the process and the eventual document. What exactly is the administration getting wrong?

One is that they (are) all realistically based on assumptions and I believe that the leadership needs to take charge. They need to provide leadership. You see, as a president, you can’t just be a technocrat to prove this. I can’t just imagine if somebody tells me he’s going to produce 2.3 million barrels of crude oil, when we

have always produced 1.9 million barrels. It is not true.

It is better if some of these assumptions are realistic. But I think there should be more consultations with the National Assembly, at the senior level – I am not talking about the ministerial level. The president should be able to sit down with the Speaker, House of Representatives, and the Senate President to tell them that this is what my technical people have brought to me.

By the time it comes to the National Assembly, to the public domain, it will be something that is fully known, not talking about ministers briefing leadership. If the process is followed, it will become document owned by both (the Presidency and the National Assembly), not a document owned by the executive.

What is happening now is the fact that a lot of works that should be done behind the scene; that shows consultation and ownership are not there. That’s why it takes a longer time. The executive will bring it (the budget); it’s as if the work starts all over again, because we have constitutional powers to do our work. So, it starts all over again. But if there is adequate consultation, by the time it (the budget) comes to the National Assembly, it will be in the National Assembly for a very short time because the principles have been agreed on.

The framework will have been agreed. It will only remain the details. So when you see details, you might see maybe five per cent or 10 per cent adjustments, here and there, because you’ll see those adjustments at the lower level.

That is why you’ll see a budget that the executive will bring

Continued on Pg. 77

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW t ‘MY COMMITMENT IS TO A GOVERNMENT THAT’S NOT BACKWARD’ t Continued from Pg. 76 alarming. What does the country need to do?

and by the time it leaves the National Assembly, it looks like a document that does not look presentable and the provision of the constitution, which emphasises check and balances expect that, but there is no dialogue and we may continue to see this kind of scenario.

Even if you bring your budget in the second week of December, if there is adequate consultation, there shouldn’t be any problem.

If you look at some of the states, they bring their budgets and they don’t have issues, because of consultation. When I was governor, before I brought the budget, I would have consulted with the entire House of Assembly. Whatever was their concern, like their priority I knew it. I would have incorporated it in the budget, because they are stakeholders. You can’t ignore them. There is no alternative to dialogue and once you don’t do that, those are the kinds of things causing friction.

It’s not the personality. Change the whole 360 members of House and 109 senators, even if the president likes let him write the names of the people he wants in the National Assembly, as long as the style and the approach does not change, it will be the same result.

Where does Nigeria stand on implementation, because it is very poor?

It will be poor because the funding is not there. Go to the Independent Revenue, it has been underperforming from day one of this administration and they keep giving the man independent revenue that is not realistic: N700 billion, N800 billion, and N900 billion. Look at the implementation; N150 billion and N200 billion. These are areas we have been telling him. Independent revenue is not working, because there are many leakages.

In a government that claims to be fighting corruption, the level of leakages is too huge. You are giving a budget of N900b and they are coming with N200 billion so that N700 billion does not allow the implementation of the budget, because the first charge will go to personnel.

Like this budget now personnel is about N2.3tr, you cannot do anything; it’s gone. Serving of loans-overN2tr, overheads even if you can’t take the whole over N2tr, N6tr has gone, so, recurrent expenditure has carried the whole money. It is now the little money after that that can be used for capital expenditures. So, once you have gotten the revenue wrong, implementation will be a problem.

What is even more frightening now is that the deficit is so huge that a majority of the borrowing in 2019 is going into the recurrent expenditure. If you are not already seeing it now, and that is against the law. Borrowing is meant for capital expenditure. So, the major issue now is the issue of revenue, you must block the leakages.

As long as you don’t block the leakages, you’ll have a poor implementation, you’ll break the law and there will be no investment in capital infrastructure. And when there is no investment in capital infrastructure, there cannot be growth. There cannot be an issue on addressing poverty – so where is the hope for Nigerians?

Currently, their propaganda machinery on, instead of us looking at the message; we just attack the messenger. This is the truth, and that is why it will continue to reoccur. Go and look at the budget in the last three years, you cannot address the issue of independent revenue. I think finally now the president is going to an extent now on oil subsidy.

Go and look at my speech, I have shouted about the issue, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was blowing illegality called cost-recovery, where is it called cost-recovery? This is illegality; it is inefficiency. Again, that is the source of leakage, because if subsidy management is efficient, we would save money; if subsidy management is inefficient, monies that should be coming to the consolidated account is going away, so these are the things that we should all tackle, but unfortunately that is not the case.

So, when you talked about the implementation of the budget it will be poor, because there is no money to fund the budget. The reality is that there is no money.

Government’s borrowing has been massive, without a corresponding impact, why is this happening?

If you borrow well, if you borrow for infrastructure there is no problem with that. As you can see now, I am sure some of the borrowings are going for recurrent expenditure, because of the huge deficit. Secondly, should we be borrowing? Since our expenditure is up, instead of doing N150 billion, we are doing N700 billion, servicing of the borrowings is high.

If you remember when we were in recession in 2016, some of us said, look we need to recoup some of your assets. Again, instead of looking at the message, they said ah, they want to sell it to their friends. Go and write it down, a time will come when we will have no alternative than to restructure the G.D.P assets.

This year, finally, the government that was saying over a year ago that we wanted to sell assets has put N810 billion in the budget this year – unless it’s a U-turn. I don’t believe they’ll do it.

Even, if they do it, that money cannot come in a year. Again, that is another gap, which might materialise in 2020. So, it’s either you have equity, revenues and investments or you borrow. But their own has been a one-line strategy, which is borrowing and the borrowings have not been properly utilised.

What can you say about the management of the economy in the last three years?

Well, these are the things that have created a lot of issues, based on the fact that we need serious investment in infrastructure. Like I said, you can’t do social investment in education, invest in health, invest in security and infrastructure, the money is not there to do that. I think should try and get more private sector investment, if the private sector is allowed to do the infrastructure deficit-roads, and they focus on education and security, things will be better.

A year or two ago, I was the one that pushed very strongly for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. I said look, it is a viable road and people die there on a daily basis. I said focus on viable roads instead of just constructing or reconstructing roads that are not so viable and will not be completed. But they were shouting that Saraki didn’t want them to complete the South-west road.

Today, go and find out, what are they doing now? The NSIA, the sovereign wealth fund – exactly what we said that you cannot fund a road like that through regular appropriations. So, these are the wrong decisions that had been taken. The private sector must have confidence in government.

You can harass politicians but investors’ money can only go to where there is safety. As long as the private sector investor does not have confidence (in the government), things will be difficult due to the fact that the right decisions are not taken by the government.

I keep saying that ordinary Nigerians will go and vote on February 16, 2019, but the business community have voted already – that is the truth. Unless we bring that confidence (back) in our economy, it will be difficult. That is why for those of us that found ourselves on the other side of the divide, we are saying for Nigerians to move this country forward, we must do the right thing and vote for our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, because that is what will bring confidence in the private sector to invest (again in the country).

We don’t have that money. There are some countries like Saudi Arabia – those kinds of countries that can fund their projects successfully. We cannot. Where is the money and who is going to bring out the money? Do they (investors) have confidence in the government? The answer is no. Then, the government has to go, if the government does not go, poverty will continue.

Because oil price is at this level, it’s not going to move up. So, we already know the revenues. The question with this revenue is: will it bring the needed investment? The answer is no. Where will the money come from? It has to come from somewhere else. This is why they have been taking loans, which is not good for us, it should come from investment.

We were taken aback recently when the Governor of Zamfara State said the president disclosed that the economy was in bad shape, because he’s been telling us the economy was growing and that we were moving in the right direction.

Again, the figures coming out from the NBS are showing us that over 20 million Nigerians are unemployed – that is

The country needs to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is not just propaganda. I have said it many times that my commitment is to see a Nigeria that is not backward. In 2014, we believed Buhari would come in as a former general – a former head of state – who has the capacity and with his integrity, address the issue of corruption, which will provide an atmosphere for people to invest in the country.

And I said then that if Nigeria did not perform on three issues: security, provision of jobs and eradication of poverty and corruption, they should vote us out. That’s a democracy, because the election is a referendum. There are some in APC, who know that the man has not performed but because of their own personal interests, they have kept mute or have chosen to look the other way. They say Yoruba should look at 2023 – so people should just continue this way? No. No president knows everything, but a man should know his strengths and his weaknesses. You don’t have to be an economist to revamp the economy: put the people who will be able to do it in the right place. Let us look at it: in 2015, there was the issue of Boko Haram. Today, they are not only in the North-east, they are also going as far as Zamfara. What we saw in North-central is even as bad as that. In that area, he is a failure.

Regarding the economy, the NBS has told us the number of unemployed people.

Today, we have over 85 million people living in extreme poverty, the highest number in the world. Even within us, let’s ask ourselves: all these cases in court, tell me why there is none from this administration?

So, everybody in Buhari’s government is a saint? They are clean?

To me, the way forward is clear: if we continue in this direction, we will not perform, because the revenues cannot ensure growth, because the numbers are not there and we must change that. To do that, we need investment from economists, investment from the private sectors.

What did you try to do to reverse these anomalies before you eventually left the party?

Go and look at 2016, when we were in a recession. I called a debate and we wrote the president, listing things that he was yet to do. I will give you an example: we said we should see how we can raise equity and he (Buhari) attacked us. They said we wanted to sell refineries to our friends – you can remember. If you see the 2019 budget, the President is saying he is expecting the sum of N810 billion from the restructuring of the JVC – exactly what we had said at that time.

I shouted about oil subsidy during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. I raised the issue of oil subsidy; it was a scam that we were importing fuel and consuming 30 million litres per day – that Nigerians cannot consume that. That made Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and others to go back – and because of us – they saved half a billion dollars yearly. That was one of the major ways of curbing corruption under Jonathan’s government.

If you look at it, that this subsidy must continue, then let it be efficient. Instead of doing that, the NNPC wrote the government saying that without putting the money in the budget, they can take the money straight from revenue, called cost recovery. This is fraudulent, it is illegal. There is nothing we did not tell the President that this cost recovery is wrong.

Under this government, we went from fuel consumption of 30 million litres a day to 50 million litres per day. Where is this consumption taking place? This is criminal. What I am saying is that if we could be so hard on Jonathan that claims to be doing 30 million litres per day, now, they are debiting us with 50 million litres per day. Nobody will tell you that we can consume more than 25 million litres per day. Calculate the amount of money that we are losing. It is not appropriated, that terminology is just a means to cover that transaction. Instead of reversing it, the president said it should be appropriated for and now we are coming back for it to be under the budget.

You should open it up to the private sector, because the private sector is more efficient. With the private sector, the price we pay for the subsidy will come down because you cannot tell me the total cost of importing petroleum products will be higher than NNPC’s.

No government’s agency is as efficient as the private sector. I gave an example of why the private sector should be allowed to invest in infrastructure, because as the government you cannot.

I spoke on the Lagos-Ibadan road and it came to a level that royal fathers in the South-west were calling me: ‘You don’t live in Lagos?’ ‘Are you against the South-west?’ I called Wale Babalakin and other people they were fighting on the road for the sake of Nigerians to reconcile. I begged them to drop all their court cases and they settled.

But the government said no – the road must be financed by the budget. Today, they have seen the light and they have gone to the Sovereign Wealth Fund to bring out some N100 million, because I spoke to the contractors and they said there is no confidence.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

78

CICERO/TRIBUTE

Dakuku Peterside: Celebrating a Wonderful Leader Vincent Obia

B

irthdays come around once a year, but summoning up the ingredients to make it a memorable time for the celebrant takes a long time and effort. Dr. Dakuku Peterside launched this effort some decades ago. He was only 29 when he came into public life. And he came with a lot of hope and promise.

“My greatest ambition in life is to always make a difference wherever I find myself, and to also help others make a difference,” Dakuku says. “I shall pursue this desire as long as God gives me life and opportunity.”

As he turns 48 tomorrow, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says, “I am thanking God for the wonderful opportunities He has given me to serve humanity. My prayer is that He will continue to afford me the strength and wisdom to take every opportunity He brings my way to do good.”

A man of fierce determination, the drive to succeed and inspire change has been among the most remarkable features of Dakuku’s public life.

He came to NIMASA in 2016 with ambitious reforms, from staff orientation to maritime industry operations and laws. Today, the reforms are yielding good fruit and the effects are there for all to see. Both staff of NIMASA and industry stakeholders are agreed on the fact that the agency, which was virtually rundown, has been given a new lease of life.

At NIMASA, Dakuku hit the ground running. He launched a quick response operation, Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP), aimed at returning the agency and the maritime sector to the path of growth and sustainability. That was followed by an expanded strategic repositioning and restructuring initiative captured under five pillars, namely, Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation Programme; Environment, Security, Emergency Search and Rescue Transformation Initiative; Digital Strategy Reforms; Capacity Building and Promotional Initiatives; and Structural and Cultural Reforms.

To build staff capacity and create new work ethics, the Dakuku-led management introduced a series of professional and leadership trainings called the Knowledge Transfer Sessions (KTS). Under the programme, scheduled teaching and learning activities are organised all the year round where in-house resource persons mentor staff on various professional and leadership themes to try to enhance their competences.

Under Dakuku, NIMASA has achieved a lot in the discharge of its duties ofadministering maritime safety and security, seafarers’ standards, maritime labour, shipping regulation, promotion of commercial, coastal, and inland shipping activities, and pollution prevention and control measures in the marine environment.

NIMASA has reviewed downward the freight rates benchmark, in response to operators’ yearnings, and this has helped to boost shipping and foster a harmonious regulator-operator relationship. The review has resulted in over 30 per cent rise in cargo activities this year, compared to last year’s figures.

The administration has championed a Change of Terms of Trade for the affreightment of Nigerian crude oil from Free on Board (FOB), where the country has virtually no control over the distribution of its crude oil, to Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF), which favours indigenous operators.

It has intensified training for seafarers under the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme. Last Thursday, Dakuku announced in Lagos that no fewer than 500 seafarer cadets will be placed on various vessels by January, to undergo their mandatory sea-time training. This would bring to over 1, 000 the number of cadets that have undergone such training.

As part of efforts to enhance shipping, the Dakuku leadership of NIMASA is negotiating a special interest rate with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for acquisition of assets by indigenous ship owners.

Under the Survey, Inspection and Certification Transformation Programme, Certificate of Competency (CoC) examinations have been conducted at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, leading to the issuance of different categories of CoCs to successful candidates. In 2017 alone, NIMASA issued 3,752 certificates to successful seafarers, which represented a 149 per cent increase from the CoCs issued in 2016.

The agency leased six fast intervention security vessels under the maritime security strategy project, and this is already making impact. Port State inspections rose by 10.53 per cent in 2017, up from 475 in 2016 to 525 in 2017. Flag State inspections are also experiencing an upswing, from 77 in 2016 up to 98 in 2017, representing a 27 per cent increase. The increase has continued in 2018.

The Dakuku administration has launched an effort to ensure effective maritime domain awareness and better compliance enforcement through the establishment of a satellite surveillance control and command centre with coverage capacity of up to 312 nautical miles from the coastline (approximately 100 nautical miles off our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)). The system can detect vessels with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off as synthetic aperture raider (SAR) images, which can be interrogated immediately by near point of sight patrol/enforcement boats.

The system has facilitated effective enforcement of maritime regulations. It has helped to preserve cabotage trade for indigenous operators by identifying and differentiating Ship-To-Ship (STS) operations that take place at the secured anchorage and offshore locations from cabotage trade to avoid foreign domination of the trade under the guise of STS. Accordingly, there has been an increase in indigenous participation in cabotage vessels manning, ownership, building, and registration with the agency’s zero tolerance on the granting of manning waivers.

The agency has introduced an electronic software for vessels monitoring and investigation, and improved interface with the

Peterside Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), leading to a harmonised marine vessel categorisation standards and delivery of a common database.

Ship registration has been on the rise since the current management took over. About 125 vessels have been registered this year, as against 94 vessels registered in 2017, representing an increase of 33 per cent. The number of Nigerians manning vessels has also increased. About 2,840 Nigerian officers and ratings were recommended to be placed onboard cabotage vessels in 2018, as against 1,789 Nigerian seafarers in the same period in 2017, which is an increase of 58 per cent.

NIMASA recently installed some new ship demolition equipment at its new ultra-modern shipyard in Port Harcourt to ensure safer navigable waterways for vessels in Nigeria.

To facilitate effective regulation of the maritime industry and provide a kind of compass for local and international stakeholders intending to do business in the Nigeria maritime domain, NIMASA has initiated a yearly publication of its outlook for the maritime industry. The initiative debuted with the unveiling of the 2018 Nigerian Maritime Industry Forecast in February.

NIMASA intends to publish the next edition of its Outlook and Forecasts for the Nigerian Maritime Sector, covering 2019, no later than the first quarter of 2019.

Dakuku has raised the bar in public administration.

Within NIMASA, many are thanking God for the “wonderfully made leader He has brought our way,” as one staff, who preferred anonymity, put it.

The Dakuku reform agenda has also become topical in the broader conversation about how to reform the economy and position Nigeria properly in the comity of nations. Stakeholders have been commending him since he set about rebuilding the maritime industry.

“In the last two years NIMASA has taken steps in the maritime sector, which are unprecedented, and one area that the agency led by the Dr Peterside has focused on is identifying the

dangers posed by the presence of thousands of abandoned ships along the Nigerian waterways, which also have a lot of negative environmental implication for the country,” Group Managing Director of Uni-Trident Group, a leading marine support and logistics company, Prince Chukwuma Obiorah, was quoted as saying recently in Port Harcourt.

When in April 2017, Dakuku was elected chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA), President Muhammadu Buhari stated, “Peterside’s unanimous election is not only a personal honour and affirmation of confidence in his ability to lead AAMA, but also places Nigeria in a pivotal position to rally other maritime administrations in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) towards safer global maritime activities.”

Educated at Okrika Grammar School, in Rivers State, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and the University of Port Harcourt, Dakuku has degrees in Management and Medical Laboratory Sciences, and a doctorate degree in Organisational Management, with research interest in Corporate Political Strategy.

He began his public service career in 1999 as Special Assistant to the Governor of Rivers State on Student and Youth Affairs. He has served as commissioner in the state and a member of the House of Representatives. In 2011, he was honoured with the prestigious award of excellence in public life as “Studentfriendly” by the University of Port Harcourt Students Union Government.

Dakuku is a member of Nigeria Institute of Management, fellow of Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria, fellow of the Chattered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and member, Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences of Nigeria.

At a time when dedication to duty in public life seems to be as rare as anti-matter, Dakuku has demonstrated capacity to stand out from the crowd and make a difference.

––Obia writes from Lagos.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,2018

CICERO/REPORT

FG’s Anti-Corruption War in the Shadows of NHIS Probe Report After the crisis that engulfed the National Health Insurance Scheme, leading to the setting up of a panel to investigate its Executive Secretary, Usman Yusuf, last week’s submission of the probe report offers the federal government an opportunity to change the narrative regarding other similar reports, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

T

he report of a probe into the activities of the suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, submitted to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, last week has elicited a rare interest in many Nigerians, who are waiting to see what becomes of the report.

The crisis that birthed the probe started in July 2017, when the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, suspended Yusuf over allegations of corruption. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was the acting president at the time, had also approved of Yusuf’s probe. The presidential directive was sequel to two petitions against Yusuf, by Solomon Agbo and Dr. Tunde Ladele THISDAY findings indicated that, the investigative panel set up by the minister found Yusuf culpable of some infractions bordering on nepotism and theft of public funds.

Before then, the House of Representatives had directed the minister to recall Yusuf, according to media reports.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari, upon resumption from his trip abroad upturned the suspension and reinstated Yusuf.

Then on October 18, 2018, the council of the NHIS again suspended the executive secretary. Before the latest suspension, the council had issued Yusuf a couple of queries. He did not reply to one.

Matters, however, reached a head when he resumed office with security cover, which infuriated employees of the agency, who demonstrated and when over-powered by security personnel, threatened to down tools. This led to widespread controversy in the polity, thus, his suspension from office and the set-up of a probe panel to look at the allegations against him.

So, what has become of the report? Will it go the way of past probe panels set up by subsequent administrations?

And this is limiting the probes to those that were instituted under this fourth republic. Will it be a break away from the usual practice? Or, like what the nation is used to, the report from the probe will be allowed to gather dust and rot away in one shelf in the labyrinth of power?

The questions speak to the usual practice by successive governments wherein reports of probe panels were left unattended to or never made public, or their recommendations implemented.

The above concern is not in the least misplaced. Reports from the panel set up to probe the handling of the multimillion naira grass-cutting contract for the Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camp in the North-east involving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, is still fresh in mind. Same applies to the huge foreign currency found in an apartment in Ikoyi Towers in which the erstwhile Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayo Oke, was implicated.

The two cases were probed by a team led by Osinbajo and included Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

Other than relieving both Oke and Lawal of their positions, nothing has been heard of the panel’s report even as it was headed by the vice president. It is against this

Concerned Nigerians are interested in how the government handles the NHIS report. Given the anticorruption posturing of the current administration, the probe into the allegations against Yusuf presents the administration yet another opportunity to right past wrongs and swell its anti-corruption credentials at home and abroad.

It is pertinent to note that how the report of the NHIS crisis is treated will form yet another talking point when chronicling and evaluating the administration’s anti-corruption stance

Yusuf...guilty or not background that the latest NHIS probe report is believed to offer the administration the opportunity to change the narrative regarding the government’s handling of reports from probe panels.

Concerned Nigerians are interested in how the government handles the NHIS report. Given the anti-corruption posturing of the current administration, the probe into the allegations against Yusuf presents the administration yet another opportunity to right past wrongs and swell its anti-corruption credentials at home and abroad.

It is pertinent to note that how the report of the NHIS crisis is treated will form yet another talking point when chronicling and evaluating the administration’s anti-corruption stance. This is even more so considering that opposition politicians and critics of the government have shouted themselves hoarse in claims that the anticorruption fight of the Buhari administration was skewed against opposition figures and their sympathisers.

The expectation of the public goes beyond Yusuf being the sole culprit. Commentators who claimed that the NHIS scheme has not significantly impacted on Nigerians and access to affordable and quality healthcare insisted that some of the Healthcare Management Organisations (HMOs) registered with the NHIS may be culpable, leading some to argue that Yusuf may have run into troubled waters in an attempt to curb their sharp practices.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mallam Garba Shehu, insinuated that much in an interview on a TV station, Channels, in the heat of the crisis last October.

“I’ll tell you one thing, as we speak now, you know that no matter whatever mistakes this gentleman may have made, and that is to be proven, because I don’t have the records to say yes or no, he has launched a major reform in that institution, which had blocked access to public resources.

“Money from the NHIS is not money belonging to government; it is money taken from your salary, from my salary. If we have been enlisted, we are supposed to

get treatments, when we fall ill then you should ask the question in 13 years of the NHIS, how many Nigerians have received the treatments,” Shehu had stated.

Instructively, the NHIS probe also puts Mustapha differently in the eye of the public. And this is on account of one of his infamous statements. While the board and employees of the agency, the supervising ministry and observers, among them Kabir Akingbolu, a lawyer argued that the board had the power to investigate Yusuf, Mustapha had asserted otherwise.

Speaking at an induction programme for governing board members of federal parastatals, universities and medical colleges, Mustapha had insisted that no governing board of a federal agency or parastatal has the power to remove the executive secretary appointed by the president.

He, however, clarified that the board may “articulate infractions, investigate wrongdoing and make recommendations to the government through the supervisory ministry”.

Observers were divided at the time in their reactions to the SGF statement. While some noted that the board had done exactly what he had stated, they faulted Yusuf’s continued stay in office and blamed it on the seeming unwillingness by the government to act on the reports of an earlier panel set up by Adewole at the behest of Osinbajo.

Now that a “duly” constituted panel has turned in its report to Mustapha, the world will be interested in what role the SGF plays in what government does with the report.

Interestingly, a court sitting at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted a temporary forfeiture order against the embattled NHIS secretary ordering that some of his properties should be forfeited to the government pending the final determination of the suit against him.

In the light of this, it is compelling that the findings of the probe panel should be made public and the recommendations acted upon.

In the final analysis, it goes without saying that the Yusuf saga affords the Buhari administration an opportunity – a rare one – to redeem its image and correct the perception that its anti-corruption crusade is not one-sided.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30, 2018

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Akinwunmi Ambode: The Eleko of Eko Very little things create a lasting impression on the minds of the led. On December 23, as our play, Oba Eshugbayi, was going on in full throttle, two men walked up to me enquiring if I was Edgar the Duke of Shomolu. I denied o, I said it was not me. They were holding walkie-talkie like those ones DSS usually go around with. I quickly denied o. You know this Nigeria, the story will be sweet. The newspapers will scream – busybody Investment banker and pretender Theatre producer arrested during his Play and charged with wandering. I said it was not me o. They smiled and introduced themselves as the governor’s protocol people and advance party. My legs started shaking.

This Ambode will not stop surprising me. He had once called me two years ago during the preparation of our play, ISALE Eko which was staged to celebrate Lagos at fifty. That one is story for my biography. So this time I was being told that His Excellency was coming personally. Mbok they wanted to know where he would be seated and how his

entourage of 12 will be seated. My people, I told them to wait first, I needed to take a leak, in my mind’s eye I still dey look the people.

Well, I showed them the box seat and started calling all Akwa Ibom immigrants to inform them that we all can have a dream. Lagos is for all of us once you have a vision and are hard-working. The lagoon will not be our portion. Like play, the motorcade swept into the Muson centre and he emerged. Mbok, I stood beside my senior brother, Ayo Subair, the likable Executive Chairman at the LIRS and begged him to make sure the governor shook my hand o. This was needed because there were so many Commissioners and Lagos top officials that suddenly emerged.

They were there all alone and since I no dey watch LTV, I did not recognise them.

The governor emerged and came straight for me – The Duke of Shomolu he said.

Mbok, I felt a lump in my throat as he asked me to lead him to his seat. The Play continued and throughout, I was just praying that nothing should go wrong. I called my mother

in Uyo to inform her that her son was hosting a real governor o. She blessed me. After the show, the great Olisa Adibua who is a coProducer called His Excellency on stage who not only held my hands in front of Nigerians and proclaimed me the original Duke of Shomolu stating that I was ‘naughty’ and versatile. He talked about his interest in the entertainment industry especially its potential for huge revenue generation, employment and social benefits. He thanked us for the invite and promised to continue the support for the industry ‘in and out of office’. This was the peak and on behalf of the whole cast and crew of the show, we say thank you my lord. With people like you, the industry can still hope.

One more thing my lord, you know a Duke is powerless without staff of office and certificate from state government. Can you kindly send me my staff of office? I will need it to be showing LASTMA, police and guguru defence anytime they stop me on the road. Seriously sir, thank you.

Paul Usoro

Buhari

Aisha Buhari

Abubakar

NIGERIAN BAR ASSOICATION, OWO STYLE

BUHARI – MBOK CONTINUE!

are entertaining in its nothingness.

It is in one of these episodes, that we were told about ‘the other room’ and now we are being told that the issue of the cabal is her business and that of those who do not understand the workings of government. Well for me, as we approach the elections, I think the President should sit down with his wife to resolve whatever is agitating her. Because this is confusing and distracting us. The President’s wife cannot be one of his most rabid critics.

It is at best showing that the President needs protection and this is not good for the image of the Commanderin-chief of our Armed Forces. Me, I know how these things happen and that is why I am standing with the President on this matter. My own Duchess sef na wa, when she start, you will just be shaking your head in helplessness. You will just be powerless and be looking in amazement. Even with my parents na the same thing.

My father was the pastor and my mother was Mummy GO, but when she made a pronouncement like that, my father would just be standing on the pulpit sweating and looking at me for help. One day, we locked her up in the room, me on my knees and my father’s cheque book in hand tried to convince our champion to calm down on the activity because we were losing support in the church due to her ‘forwardness’. My lord let’s call mummy in quietly and ask her what the matter is. Let her tell you as her husband the cabal and then you call in the people and tell them they have to go on sabbatical, maybe ambassadorial positions to far flung places until after the elections. If not mummy go scatter

everything o. One thing before I go daddy, she has what communications expert call - ‘believability’. She comes across as sincere, truthful, mother-like and genuine, unlike some of these other people around you. So you need her on your side because some of us are considering you cos of her. That is your passport to a second term, use it or lose it. Mummy no vex, na the same thing we dey talk. Kai.

The NBA Owo chapter has brought new style o. They have been reported to have issued a statement that their members will no longer be defending kidnap suspects again. This is a very serious issue and we should not joke with it. I will not joke with it. You see this position has been said to have been thrown up as a result of the rash of kidnappings and violence unleashed by hoodlums in the town and the authorities seeming inability to do anything to curb them. You see this is very dangerous and I dare say even more dangerous than the kidnapping sef. Me, I no be lawyer but I know small book especially civil rights.

Everybody even mass killers have a right to defence and representation so saying that you will no longer defend people accused simply because the issue is overwhelming the authorities is rooting for carnage and lawlessness.

Basically, you will be arrogating too much powers to the investigating authorities and if this is true then this is the height of cowardice. Can a doctor say I will not treat you because you are Hitler or a coup plotter? I pray this report is not true or at best not the official position of the body.

Instead of playing to the gallery, the body should work very closely with the police to ensure the objective and speedy administration of robust justice in these matters. The police have cried severally on how our legal system makes the prosecution of these suspects herculean. They should look at how they can assist the police instead of running away mbok. I don talk my own.

Baba has said that if it is to continue to catch looters that is making people call him Baba go slow, he would continue o; that those who were going fast, where did they lead us to. Me I support him on this one o. When he was doing fast justice like fast food eatery and finding people guilty after three days of prosecution and jailing them for 500 years, na we still dey complain o. Now the man is trying his very best to follow due process, respect the rules and safeguard human rights, we are taunting him and calling him baba go slow. Daddy, please ignore.

Don’t mind them o. They are like children of Israel who were crying to be free from Pharaoh and when they became free, simple hunger for desert they started missing Pharaoh. If this Baba just change for us na we no go survive o. Let the man continue in the slowness as long as every body has fair hearing and a level platform to defend themselves in a duly constituted court of law, we are ok. The fastness can only lead to arbitrariness which is much more dangerous. Daddy take your time, no mind them o. We stand with you.

BUHARI VS AISHA – IT IS OUR BUSINESS You see these contradictory positions between husband and wife are really confusing us and that is why I am even thinking that maybe madam should just go to the next level and decamp to another party.

Madam has been screaming cabal right from the outset and daddy would be responding with classic responses that

Ambode

ATIKU ABUBAKAR: STOP THIS! But why would you even find yourself in this kind of issue? You are already battling serious image issues with this your American fiasco and all the things OBJ said about you in his book. Kai, I read the book again over the weekend, that was major and now you are now adding this phone call matter into the equation. Why even bother to call anybody at all – wife or sister? It is fitting that the woman refused to take your call. That was selfserving if you ask me. Why attempt to play politics with such a sensitive issue? Why you dey call them for what reason - to show that you are a sensitive and caring person or what?

The one that we have lost all these years before your emergence, how many have you called? Mbok, please do not annoy me this hot afternoon.

So why make it public that you even called to score a cheap one politically?

Not fair on the family, not fair on Nigerians and shows us very clearly the hypocrisy of it all. If at all, these should not have been a public matter.

We should not know about it if it was sincere and now see the PR fiasco you have gone to put yourself. Mbok, don’t call me o if you will be running to the

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LOUD WHISPERS

Ajimobi

press to announce the call, I no need that kind call. Please my lord focus, you are getting too distracted with all these avoidable non-issues. Allow the family to mourn their loss in private, I beg. Thank you.

OHANEZE – DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH They say until an Igbo man is president before Nigeria will progress.

That statement credited to one of their spokesmen totally captures the dilemma of the Igbo man in this our country. The penchant of some of their leaders to continue to deal in symbolism and opaque political opportunism remains their continued undoing. I am sorry if this is looking like very harsh but you sef see these kinds of statements. How for the life of me would a serious-minded leader make this kind of statement and expect to be taken seriously even by his own followers? Power can never be gotten on the altar of emotional gibberish like this. Power is secured through a deliberate and strategic push towards it by cohesive mobilization, adroit negotiations and massive deployment of resources towards corralling and securing power blocs. Making these kinds of statements I would have said is beer parlour talk but that would mean apologizing to those who patronize such parlours. Look, Obama came from no base to emerge the first Black American president, he did not get there with this kind talk. The Igbo people will get the presidency when they are ready. With these kinds of statements the road is still far. I have said my mind with no fear after all my Anne from Orlu division broke my heart 10 years ago so there is nothing to fear again, the worse has happened.

Osinbajo

Oba Akiolu

The Curious Case of Deji Adeyanju This is no longer funny. Deji is gradually becoming a “prisoner of conscience’. They say that his case has been adjoined to next year effectively after the elections. Now the question is why? The Senate has stepped in and I hear the President of the Senate has appealed to the President to personally intervene because this is beginning to look according to him like government intolerance. But let me ask, was the man truly acquitted of a murder charge some years ago and is he being held on the same charges?

You never know with these things and since the man is incarcerated we cannot really hear his side except when he is arraigned. But honestly, if these are the facts, then the president or whoever is in control should really intervene because it is looking like the young man’s rights are being trifled with. If he truly has a case to answer then he must be made to face the full ambit of the law to prove his innocence. If not then, the games should cease. Let’s even take it for example, that he is being held for his

anti–government stance which I do not for one second believe, taking him out of circulation is a dodgy way to tackle the issue. I listen to Deji and to the best of my imagination, he is just an inconsequential rabble rouser without any firm grasp of the issues he tries to throw up. His logic is usually suspect and his positions are at best watery. He doesn’t lead any serious groupings and apart from a motley crowd of motor cycle riders as led by the area fada and traders, Deji is at best an annoying itch. So throwing this kind of hammer at him assuming he doesn’t truly have a case of murder to answer is really funny and mostly show a certain level of panic.

Let’s engage the opposition with logic, strategy and on the ground mobilization. We have the power of incumbency, trader moni, Festus keyamo, Lai Mohammed and the rest. We can win this thing without all the gra gra. Please don’t vex, all I am saying is just using style to beg for the boy. Mbok.

AJIMOBI – WELL DONE! At times I used to go crosscheck some of these reports before I comment. This is because some of them are just so laughable that you would be thinking that it is fake news like this one where the handsome governor of Oyo State was reported to have said that God has told him that he would die at 96. You see much as I would not come between the man and his God, I cannot help but ask if he didn’t wonder how God arrived at the figure.

I would have wanted to know if I were in is shoes o. Was God saying that at that time Oyo State would be paying salaries regularly or what? And at that point his role on this earth as the ‘constituted authority’ which he like calling himself would be? Mbok laugh is just catching me. The report which I am still not believing went on to say that His Excellency also countered the perception that he was not humble and to prove it, he gave as evidence that

Duke

he used to go round at parties to greet people to show that he was humble o.

You see what I am talking about the kinds of leaders we have. Mbok, let me keep quiet before they ban me from entering Ibadan, I bury my mother-inlaw there o. Humble ke, I’m just rolling on the floor.

TRADER MONI VS STOMACH INFRASTRUCTURE Let’s not mince words. This trader moni thing is looking like a refined

stomach infrastructure gambit. The timing, the target audience, the effect on behaviour and the expected outcome vis-a-vis electoral fortune are dubiously alike. The major difference if you ask me is mode of distribution.

While the other one is distributed through loaves of bread and crass throwing of wads of Naira into huge crowds of impoverished people, this one is more refined. As you have to register, shake the Vice President, watch him dance, scream his name at

Primate Ayodele

the marketplace and sing his Oriki then drop your account number and you get credited. So tell me as a poor trader with no hope, you come and give me a ‘loan’ with no collateral only with the condition that if I pay back on time I will get more and if I do not pay back nko? Will the government two months from election now chase defaulters?

My people we are all the same abeg PDP and APC na we, we. LOL. This is Nigeria.

OBA AKIOLU – KABIYESI !

I just say I should send a major shout out to his Royal majesty the Oba of Lagos Kabiyesi Oba Akiolu. I had once met him when I went to discuss some issues early in my career as an investment banker. Handsome man in a Lagos way sha. A great man with strong personality. They have said he has said no other party can rule Lagos.

I agree and will not say any other thing till I am ready to jump into the lagoon.

Till then all I will do is to prostrate and say Kabiyesi ooooo, may you live long for us and continue to be the father for all. Thank you, sir.

PRIMATE AYODELE AND THE PROPHECIES You see one has to be very careful how they approach these matters so you do not become a subject of some of these spurious prophecies. This great man of God says Atiku will not emerge and that God had told him so. Well, we cannot doubt God so what else did God say we should now do, since we already have the answer. So INEC should not waste all the resources and our time and should just announce the winner so that we can rest. You see my lord, even if God told you this which I very much doubt, you for just keep am to yourself instead of releasing it that is if we even take this seriously. One prophet had once said that I will die in secondary school another had told me that the Lord’s grace had left me and that I would be jobless for life. Yet another had also told me that my father was bewitched and needed serious dry fasting to be healed meanwhile na BP do the man. So you see we believe these things at our own peril. That is not to say that fear will not catch me should Primate Ayodele suddenly decide to descend on me. All I am just saying is that as a polity we should rise above all these kind things and face the issues that will determine voter choice come the elections and leave all these distractions alone. My dear Primate this is not to spoil business but we have issues of very serious national importance to face come February and as such will really not like to be distracted. Well done and God bless.

Thank you.

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍ¸Ëœ ͺ͸͚΀

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with DEMOLA OJO demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

SOCIAL MEDIA BITS

Last week on social media, police oďŹƒcers were dismissed for mutiny, the President sang a Christmas carol, and his aide celebrated Ganduje...

I

n the spirit of the season, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and APC chairman Adams Oshiomole sang a Christmas carol for Nigerians.

Obviously, the motive was to endear the ruling party and its candidates in the next Presidential elections to Nigerians.

However, going by social media, many did not buy into the plan. Probably because it seemed contrived and forced.

It was seen for what it is, a blatant attempt to put a human face on a government desperate to retain power despite the disillusionment and disenchantment in the land.

The Nigeria Police is certainly disillusioned. Despite denials by the Force

hierarchy, it was reported that 167 officers absconded after being deployed to help in combating Boko Haram terrorists.

The Nigerian Army revealed that many police officers departed without official permission from a counter-insurgency training facility in Yobe State.

The army said some of the officers were caught in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe, about 60 kilometres away from the training centre in Buni Yadi.

They were accused of mutiny and desertion, prompting their dismissal by the Inspector General of Police with immediate effect.

At about the same time, the terrorists reportedly took over Baga, a town in

DECEMBER 30, 2018 ˾ THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

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SOCIAL MEDIA BITS Borno State. The Army confirmed an attack on troops with certain media reports claiming they overpowered the military in battle and hoisted their flag over the town.

Unexpectedly though, the Army refuted these reports. The terrorists contested and terrorised the town but lost the contest according to an Army chief.

Considering that one of the major pillars the President contested and won the 2015 election on was security – and with the 2019 elections fast approaching – this is bad news for the General in charge of the country’s affairs.

Nigeria’s first executive president, Shehu Shagari passed away last week.

He was ousted from office 34 years ago by the man who is currently President.

Members of the opposition PDP have had a field day reminded Nigerians that their President is a coup plotter.

Ramping up the pressure, the PDP’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar accused President Buhari of corruption.

The President needs to explain how/ why members of his family secretly ac-

quired shares in 9mobile and Keystone Bank, Atiku has said.

Remember, fighting corruption is another major plank on which President Buhari contested three years ago.

Meanwhile, the attempt to launder the image of Kano Governor Umar Ganduje continued in earnest when a presidential aide on social media made sure to celebrate him on, you guessed right, social media.

Ganduje was the one who, not too long ago, was allegedly caught on tape receiving kickbacks from a contractor.

The governor is adamant the videos were doctored. The State House of Assembly has been stopped by a court from investigating the matter. Instead, we have in the past few weeks been steadily regaled with one achievement or the other, while he wins awards for God knows what.

You just can’t help but feel that his promise to deliver five million votes to the President in next year’s election is a masterstroke. He can do no wrong.

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Deconstructing the Eighth National Assembly

SMS: 08116759819

ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ™ĂœË? Olawale Olaleye Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă–Ë? ĂĄĂ‹Ă–Ă?Ë› Ă–Ă‹Ă–Ă?ĂŁĂ?̜ÞÒÓĂ?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ù×

Despite its many challenges, the eighth National Assembly remains one of the most effective federal legislatures in the nation’s political history. Deji Elumoye and Shola Oyeyipo report

D

espite the drama and intrigues associated with the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki, as the President of the eighth Senate on June 9, 2015, the legislature had struggled to carry out its core constitutional function of churning out good laws for the betterment of the nation.

Saraki, a two-time former governor of Kwara State, who is also the Chairman of the current National Assembly, alongside the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has been able to give quality leadership to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Although the duo faced some challenges especially from some of their colleagues, who were opposed to their emergence, they were however able to quickly put that behind them to face the legislative duties ahead of them.

The Assembly had succeeded in passing several bills in the last three and a half years with President Buhari refusing to assent to some of them. A case in point is the 2018 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, which was transmitted by the National Assembly to the President but refused assent in a record four times The Eighth National Assembly however recorded huge successes, particularly in actualising their mandate as a legislature in a country, where the people expect much from every level of governance.

As a mark of carrying out legislative duties for over three years at the National Assembly, Senate President Saraki had recently emphasised that federal lawmakers deserved some kudos, having performed well, noting that the Eighth Senate worked “assiduously and diligently to meet the demands of Nigerians.�

According to him, “In this time, we have passed 213 Bills, cleared 138 petitions submitted by the public. We are happy to say that this Senate is the most productive since 1999. It has surpassed the fifth Senate with 129 bills in four years, as against the sixth Senate with 72 bills, and 128 passed by the seventh Senate. “The number of petitions we have successfully treated to the satisfaction of Nigerians, who filed them dwarfed those treated by the sixth and seventh Senate respectively.�

He was particularly excited that through legislative activities, the present Senate has contributed to growing the economy by passing Bills like the Companies and Allied Matters Act Bill; the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Bill; the Credit Bureau Reporting Bill and the Warehouse Receipts Bill; Nigerian Railways Authority Bill and National Transportation Commission Bill, which according to him, were aimed at providing significant reforms to the business environment and strengthening Nigeria lending legislative frameworks.

He further said, “We are particularly glad that the impact of the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act and the Credit Bureau Reporting Act became apparent immediately after they were signed into law as they formed the basis for which the World Bank upgraded the rating of Nigeria in its Annual Ease of Doing Business rating. “We expect that when the new CAMA, which we just passed, becomes law, it will yield even more significant results in helping small and medium scale entrepreneurs to access capital, grow and multiply�.

He recalled also that the eighth Senate passed bills like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill (FIUB); the Mutual Assistance in Criminal

Saraki, Dogara and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu during a joint sitting of the National Assembly

Matters Bill; the Witness Protection Bill; the Whistleblower Protection Bill and the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill to support the fight against corruption.

Saraki further named the Constitution amendment bills, the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ bill, the Financial Autonomy for Local Government Bill, Financial Autonomy for Houses of Assembly, among other bills aimed at improving governance and ensuring that government serves the people better.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, said what the House achieved in the past three and a half years surpassed previous assemblies.

According to him, the House successfully passed 222 bills and referred 284 to relevant committees. He added that over 1,473 bills were altogether introduced on the House floor with 90 bills for constitution amendment while 519 others were awaiting second reading.

Namdas disclosed that 112 bills were awaiting consideration, adding that 22 bills died naturally while 23 others were withdrawn by the leave of the House.

Since the inception of the National Assembly, no assembly has achieved this success,� Namdas said, particularly elated that the House was able to work with the executive to lead the country out of recession. Also notable was the passage of the North-east Development Commission (NEDC), for which the Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, took credit.

There appears however to be a lot before the lawmakers. There are still 546 bills pending before the National Assembly as it gradually winds down. Though at the last count, the Eighth Senate has so passed about 219 bills,

including Senate bills, concurrence bills and constitution amendment bills, pending bills at committee stage are 167; those awaiting first reading and second reading at both chambers of the federal legislature are 95 and 236 respectively, while pending bills for concurrence are 48.

President Buhari, however, assented to 32 out of 78 Bills transmitted to him.

Another task that the lower chamber may not be able to accomplish is addressing several petitions before it. The House has so far received a total of 1100 petitions out of which 127 were treated between January and December 2018.

In line with the provisions of Section 88(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Order 18(5) of the House of Representatives Standing Orders I, the Public Petitions Committee has been engaged in fact-findings/investigations of the 127 petitions.

The Public Petitions Committee chaired by Hon Uzo Nkem Abonta listened to allegations from individuals, collated information and made recommendations to the general House.

Talking about the achievements of the committee, Abonta said the committee had achieved a lot. “I must say we have done very well in the last one year, because the committee has received more than 1,000 plus petitions. We have also considered many and I believe our efforts have also changed a lot of lives and situations; “Several agencies have written to us conveying the implementations of our recommendations. So, yes it is worth the while serving Nigerians,� he said.

Abonta added that, “For instance, Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) is one of those agencies that wrote to the committee

not too long ago to inform us of complying with our directives of reinstating some persons whom were sacked.�

As the federal lawmakers begin to wind down their activities, they are now saddled with the onerous task of working on the 2019 Appropriation Bill before them.

President Buhari had presented a N8.83Trillion budget estimates for the 2019 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 19, 24 hours short of when the lawmakers adjourned plenary till January 16, 2019.

The 2019 total budget estimate is N300 billion short of the 2018 budget of N9.1bn with N4.04trn being earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N2.03 trillion was earmarked for capital projects. N492.36bn was set aside for statutory transfers; N2.14trn for debt servicing and provision of N120bn as sinking fund.

The 2019 budget proposal is based on an oil benchmark of $60 and production estimate of 2.3 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N305 to a dollar.

The real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 3.01 per cent and inflation rate of 9.98 per cent were presented to the lawmakers.

President Buhari presented projected revenue of N6.97trn, which is three per cent lower than the 2018 estimate of N7.17trn and the expected income consisted of oil revenue projected at N3.73trn, and non-oil revenue estimated at N1.39trn.

The estimate from non-oil revenue consists of N799.52bn from company income tax; N229.34 billion from value added tax, and customs duties of N302.5bn and expectations from independent revenue was reduced to N624.58bn.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30,, 2018

NEWSXTRA PDP Rejects Nationwide Operation Python Dance Says it’s plot to harass voters

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected a nationwide military ‘Operation Python Dance, claiming that it was a ploy by President Muhammadu Buhari to use it to intimidate voters and rig the 2019 Presidential election, having realised he could not win in a free and fair poll.

The Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan faulted the operation in a statement yesterday, calming that investigation by the party showed that the plot “is to use the military operation as a subterfuge to unleash heavy security presence to intimidate, harass and instill fear in voters in PDP strongholds across the country and pave the way for the allocation of fictitious votes to the APC. Toward this end, the main opposition party rejected deliberate attempt by the Buhari Presidency “to set the military on collision course with Nigerians, bearing in mind the col-

Isale Eko Marks Cultural Day Today The Isale Eko Descendants’ Union of Lagos Island will today mark first Isale Eko Day, a cultural festival to foster unity among its indigenes.

In a statement by Chairman of its Planning Committee, Mr. Yomi Tokosi and Secretary, Mr. Wale Irokosu, the union said the cultural day “is an event aimed at promoting the unity of indigenes, friends and well wishers of Isale Eko. The statement said the festival would include a Walk-about of Isale Eko, particularly selected heritage sites including palaces, religious places and different quarters 2-3 hours from 8 a.m.

The statement added that the walk-about of the heritage places “will be followed with a celebration at the Lagos City Hall, along the Catholic Mission Street, Lagos, at 4-10 p.m.

“Isale Eko, which translates, literally, to “Downtown Lagos” or metaphorically, to the origin of Lagos’ or ‘Heart of Lagos’, is the core of Lagos Island.

It is the very heartland of the Island as it is home to its traditional institutions and the most inhabited area of the island till date.

“Settlement on the island started from here and it is the traditional home of Lagosians.

According to the Isale Eko Descendants’ Union, an apolitical socio-cultural organization, founded for the promotion of education, heritage and oneness, the greatness of Isale Eko, its history, culture and diversit y is worthy of an nual celebration and this informs the an nual event.

lateral damage that usually occurs whenever the civilian population clashes with military.”

Ologbondiyan noted that the country “is a democratic state and obviously not in a state of emergency that requires the militarization of the electoral process.

This plot is in consonance with the desperation of the Buhari Presidency to foist a siege mentality on the nation ahead of the 2019 general elections, harass voters and create a sense of escalated insecurity to stalemate the electoral process, once it becomes clearer that the APC was losing.

“Further, investigation reveals that agents of the Buhari Presidency are working in cahoot with some compromised top officials of the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use soldiers to provide cover for diversion of electoral materials, as well as aid APC agents in their plan to unleash violence and disrupt the electoral process in areas

where the PDP is winning.

“In spanning the military operation to February 28, 2019, the Buhari Presidency betrayed its anticipation of public rejection or violence, which can only come when a result that does not reflect the actual wish of the people

is announced.”

He said the only threat to peaceful election today “is the Buhari Presidency, which has been overheating the polity with its official high handedness, clamp down on opposition and desperation to rig the polls.

He noted that the authorities believe that military steps are genuinely required to ensure peaceful poll in any part of the country, they should recourse to the constitutional approval of the National Assembly and not making impositions

as if the nation is under a military regime.

According to him, all that Nigerians desire at this point is to go to the polls and peacefully elect a new President to reposition our nation and not another round of electoral crisis.

SDP Guber Candidate Pledges to Build Fourth Mainland Bridge Oladipupo Awojobi The governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse at the weekend promised to build the Fourth Mainland Bridge and complete the light rail project if elected the governor of the state next year.

Pearse said when completed, the two projects would ease traffic congestion in the state while promising to complete the eastern route that the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode started.

He unveiled the plan during an interview with THISDAY, noting that he had an ambi-

tious plan to construct an alternative corridor route from eastern corridor to western part of the state to decongest Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

He lamented that everybody “is now passing through Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to the west. We will develop our waterways because Lagos is an island. We cannot continue to depend on road alone to move our people from one part to the other.

“The state’s first civilian governor, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande started the water transportation system. But as soon as some other governors came in, they messed it up.”

“I will renew water trans-

portation so that we can move around Ikorodu and Badagry by water. If there is an emergency, you can move by water. The major problem in Lagos is congestion. If you want to build an economy, you improve transportation.”

He SAID the gridlock on the state’s roads “is destroying economy. Imagine someone who is ill being trapped in a gridlock. It happened to someone I knew who died in a car after spending three hours in the traffic and this happens all the time.

“The first thing I will do is to build drainage all over the state so that when rain falls, the water will flow into the canal,

which will run into the river.

Water on the roads damages the roads and create problem of traffic.”

He said a megacity like Lagos could not work if it did not have the 21st Century transportation system and that only the light rail could do this.

According to him, let me give some statistics about rail transportation. If you use rail, you would save 70 percent of movement of people. South Africa uses 20 percent rail, while Nigeria uses 2 percent.

This is how we lose income, damage our economy, and damage life because people cannot move fast.”

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ DECEMBER 30, 2018

NEWSXTRA 2019: Agbaje, Sanwo-Olu Scramble for Igbo Support APC candidate offers commissionership slot, N300m Igbokwe denies claims, admits coordinating Igbo for APC Olaseni Durojaiye Ahead of the 2019 general election, the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, are at different stages of negotiation to try to get the support of the Igbo residing in the state, THISDAY can report.

While Sanwo-Olu has allegedly agreed to reward the Igbo with a position in the State Executive Council (SEC) and release N300 million for the purpose of mobilisation, THISDAY investigation revealed that Agbaje was still in talks with different Igbo groups and leaders in the state.

Multiple sources confirmed the quest of the two governorship candidates to THISDAY at the weekend, noting that Sanwo-Olu appointed the Publicity Secretary of Lagos APC, Mr. Joe Igbokwe “to coordinate Igbo

leaders and residents to support him and other APC candidates in the state.”

An APC leader, who spoke with THISDAY in confidence, disclosed that the Igbo leaders had allegedly accepted the offer “to cede a cabinet position to an Igbo resident and N300 million as conditions to canvass support for the APC and its candidate in the March 2, 2019 governorship election.”

Following the sealing of the deal, the source revealed that Sanwo-Olu “had already agreed to release N100 million before Christmas with a promise to settle the remaining part before the end of January 2019.”

However, according to the source, some Igbo leaders, mainly the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) leaders, are dissatisfied with the offer because they were initially demanding N1 billion, among other conditions, to support the APC candidate in Lagos State.

Consequently, the source noted that Igbokwe “has lost ground as long as Igbo people in the state are concerned. For some Igbo leaders, they believe Igbokwe cheapened the Igbo with N300 million deal.”

Another competent source, who also craved anonymity, claimed that Agbaje had initiated talks with different Igbo groups and leaders in the state ahead of the March 2, 2019 governorship election. The source

disclosed that majority of Igbo leaders were negotiating with the PDP candidate for a better deal, noting that the Igbo meetings with Agbaje, started since the last four weeks, are gaining momentum.

According to the source, most Igbo leaders are more comfortable with Agbaje for different reasons. First, they have strong affinity with the PDP. Second, they want a government that protects their interest better.

Third, they did not like the way Lagos APC maltreated Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

However, the source noted that some influential Igbo leaders, like the former military governor of Imo and Lagos states, Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kalu, were not part of the meetings with the PDP candidate.

In telephone discussion with THISDAY yesterday, Igbokwe admitted that he was the one

coordinating Igbo residents for APC and its governorship candidate in the state. He said he had been able “to secure Igbo support for Sanwo-Olu without any condition attached to it.”

Igbokwe, however, denied the claims that Sanwo-Olu had agreed to cede a cabinet position to an Igbo resident and release N300 million for the purpose of mobilising Igbo voters in support of the APC and all its candidates.

40 Presidential Candidates Disagree over Plan to Adopt Buhari Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The move by some of the leaders of the Patriotic Forum of Presidential Candidates (PFPC), an alliance of 40 presidential candidates, to adopt President Muhammadu Buhari for 2019 elections, has collapsed.

THISDAY checks revealed that the decision by some of the leaders of the forum to align with Buhari ahead of the February 16, 2019 presidential election was against the spirit of the forum.

A member of the forum, who spoke with THISDAY on the condition of anonymity, said the Chairman of the PFPC and National Chairman of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Alhaji Shittu Kabiru Mohammed, met with APC and presidency officials on the plan to adopt Buhari.

Speaking during the meeting of a new alliance, the presidential candidate of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), Dr. Onwubuya Breakforth said that the older forum collapsed due to the plan adoption of President Buhari, contrary to the spirit of the forum.

Breakforth, who is the Chairman of the new alliance, said he would rather be on the part of patriotism and national interest than individual interests.

He said the forum was formed with “about 30 presidential candidates. We are looking at how we can have free and fair 2019 general election; engagement with INEC to ensure that INEC remains an unbiased umpire as it ought to be.

“We are looking at how various security agencies will not take side and remain neutral during the election. We are looking at how we can engage the UN, AU, EU, US and other embassies in Nigeria to beam their satellite to ensure that we have free, credible and violent free election in 2019.

“At the end of the day, we want to be able to tell Nigerians that we are the third force. As individual candidates, we may not be able to favourably compete with the APC or PDP. But when we come together as a strong force, we can be able to compete against the seemingly dominant parties and bigger brothers and salvage Nigeria.

BLISSFUL MATRIMONY...

R-L: Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; bride, Lynn Chime; her husband, Tochukwu Chime; the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Callistus Onaga and former Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime during the wedding of Chime’s son at Holy Ghost Cathedral, Ogui, Enugu, yesterday.

Saraki: Invasion of Melaye’s Residence, Misuse of Police against Citizens The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has described the invasion of the Abuja home of Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, as another instance of police being used to suppress the rights of the citizenry and silencing people with opposing views to the current administration.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said a situation where the police invaded the home of a Nigerian lawmak-

er, tampered with the supply of electricity and water to the house, beat up and cuffed his domestic staff and disturbed the peace of his neighbours by claiming he allegedly committed an offence in July was unacceptable.

He said the timing of the invasion and the desperate attempt to arrest the Senator is suspicious as the man had raised an alarm a few days before his house was invaded that there was an attempt by the police to get hold of him and inflict injury on his person, an allegation that

was denied by the police.

He explained that the general belief now “is that the police action against Melaye was aimed at keeping him out of circulation so that he would not participate in the general election coming in February.”

According to him, the manner of invasion on his house is highly suspicious.

This same man has been charged with sundry and needless allegations and he has attended the various court sessions. He is also a candidate in the coming

elections and therefore have no reason to run away from the country.

Saraki said Melaye was “present in the Senate for plenary, committee meetings and oversight functions till the Senate went on recess on December 20, 2018. Though the police in their statement claim that there was a request to the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) inviting Senator Melaye to report to the police, my enquiry from the CNA showed that he had no such letter.

Lokpobiri Blames Rice Group Mobilises Youth for Smuggling on ECOWAS Protocol National Development

RCCG Renovates Kirikiri Prison Reference Hospital

James Emejo in Abuja

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has renovated and equipped Reference Hospital and newly renovated Liberty Chapel for the inmates of Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos.

The two properties were dedicated by the National Overseer of RCCG and a member of the Governing Council, Pastor Joseph Obayemi.

The Controller of Prisons, Lagos Command, Mr. Tunde Ladipo described the newly dedicated hospital as the best hospital in any prison in the country.

He said, “You have made our work easy by what you are doing in the prisons such as improving the infrastructures and also

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said the nation’s efforts at curbing the smuggling of foreign rice into the country is being hampered by Nigerian neighbours, particularly Benin Republic who take advantage of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free trade to frustrate Government’s efforts.

Lokpobiri regretted that Benin Republic allowed countries like Taiwan to dump foreign parboiled rice in their country and later re-bag such products and smuggle them into Nigeria, tak-

ing advantage of the ECOWAS protocol, which allows access to free trade within the sub region.

The minister, who made this disclosure recently in his office in Abuja when he received Ms Ndine Gbossa, the new country representative of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to Nigeria noted that, “The challenge we have with our neighbours is that because of the extant ECOWAS protocol, people will dump their rice products in their region and re-bag them and bring them into Nigeria. The reason is that under the ECOWAS protocol, any goods produced within the sub region can have free access to any market within the region.

Olaseni Durojaiye An independent advocacy group, Build the Future has identified young Nigerians as the country’s most prized assets even as it noted that one of its core objectives is to harness the potential of Nigerian’s young people towards the sustainable growth and development of the country.

In a statement made available to THISDAY and signed by the convener of the group, Mr. Ade Thomas, the group noted that, Mary K. Ash once said, in life there are three kinds of people, those who make things happen, those that watch things happen and those who wonder what happened adding that Build THE

Future belongs in the category of those who make things happen.

“The greatest asset of our nation is her young people and the power in their hands, Build the Future also knows that empowering the youth is one of the greatest tools in building the future of the nation.

“The vision of Build the Future is to be the voice that advocates for the progress, empowerment and development of Nigeria through her most priced asset which is her young people. He added that Build the Future also has the mission to contribute towards Nigeria’s sustainable and incremental growth through responsible citizenship and a participatory democracy.”

feeding inmates in all Lagos prisons.”

The church also held a thanksgiving service at the Liberty Chapel in the prison.

At the thanksgiving service, the Pastor of Liberty Chapel, Pastor Tunwashe Kabiru appreciated God for what He had been using the RCCG to do for in the lives of the inmates.

He itemised the initiatives carried out by the RCCG over the years, noting that the RCCG had renovated the National Open University (NOUN) Special Study Centre in 2010; provided scholarships to students until NOUN recently gave them 100 percent free and equipped the computer centre in 2012.

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SUNDAYSPORTS Liverpool Thrash Arsenal 5-1

Edited by Demola Ojo Email: demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

L

Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to an imposing nine points with a devastating attacking dismissal of Arsenal at Anfield - with hattrick hero Roberto Firmino the inspiration.

Arsenal took the lead after only 11 minutes when Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in at the far post to score from Alex Iwobi’s cross - but it was a false dawn for Unai Emery’s side.

Liverpool, lifted after title rivals Tottenham’s home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier, responded with an explosive display that saw them 4-1 up by the interval and on their way to continuing their unbeaten league run to 20 games.

Firmino took advantage of Arsenal’s defensive confusion to quickly equalise then slalom past a posse of defenders to put Liverpool in front after Lucas Torreira lost possession, all in the space of two minutes.

Sadio Mane extended Liverpool’s lead after 32 minutes when Andrew Robertson’s long cross exposed Arsenal after they needlessly conceded a corner, before Mo Salah effectively ended the contest from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after he had been fouled by Sokratis.

Liverpool then cruised to close out the win, Firmino completing his hat-trick from the spot after 65 minutes following Sead Kolasinac’s push on Dejan Lovren.

Manchester City, ten points adrift, will attempt to close the gap at Southampton on Sunday before they meet Liverpool in a pivotal encounter at Etihad Stadium on 3 January.

When Liverpool went behind to Maitland-Niles’ 11th minute strike, it was the first time they had trailed at Anfield in the Premier League since Leicester City led here on 30 December last year.

If there were any nerves troubling the new Premier

Firmino scored a hattrick yesterday League pace-setters, this might have been the moment for them to show - but not a bit of it.

Liverpool, admittedly helped by Arsenal and by a huge roar that swept around Anfield, were ahead in five minutes thanks to two Firmino goals and never looked back.

Instead of shrinking in the face of a setback, it was simply a case of Arsenal prodding the beast as Liverpool swarmed forward in the style that has become their trademark under Jurgen Klopp to record

another statement win in this hugely impressive season.

After a period earlier in the campaign when the sparkle of last season was not quite there, Liverpool’s stardust is being sprinkled once more, led by that potent attacking trident of Firmino, Mane and Salah.

And the signs are ominous for the chasing pack, effectively Spurs and Manchester City, who want to deprive Liverpool of their first title since 1990.

They have won 88 points from 37 league games in this calendar year - the highest points ratio in that

spell in the club’s history at 2.38 points per game.

This statistic alone outlines the scale of their performances and means they are now rightly title favourites.

Liverpool’s greatest test of the season now awaits when they travel to Manchester City - but such is the level of confidence surging through a team that looks more like the complete package with every passing week, it is a challenge they will accept without any degree of concern.

Wolves Shock Spurs at Wembley Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes suffered an unexpected setback as Wolves scored three times in the last 18 minutes to come from behind and win at Wembley yesterday.

Spurs would have moved three points behind leaders Liverpool with a win, but defeat meant the Reds ended the day nine points clear.

Willy Boly levelled with a powerful header in the 72nd minute to punish the hosts for a sloppy second-half performance after Harry Kane’s spectacular first-half opener for Spurs.

Raul Jimenez then beat Hugo Lloris with a weak effort from the edge of the area to put Wolves in front before Helder Costa added a third on the counter-attack three minutes from time.

The hosts did not have a single shot in the second half as their five-game winning run in the league came to an end. They remain second in the table but Manchester City can go back above them when they visit Southampton today.

Spurs’ performance in the second half was in a

stark contrast to their previous two games, in which they scored six times against Everton and put five past Bournemouth.

That free-scoring form had led manager Mauricio Pochettino to admit his side were “intruders� in the title race, but a fifth league defeat of the season halts the momentum they had built.

The north London side played well in the first half and had 10 efforts on goal, though most - including Kane’s goal - came from distance. Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min were particularly lively.

But after the break they were flat and lacked cohesion, the influence of Kane, Son and Eriksen diminished, and the introduction of Lucas Moura failed to spark them into life.

The tension inside Wembley increased as the home support witnessed their team lose control of the game as Wolves, who had barely threatened in the first half, grew in confidence.

After Boly’s deserved equaliser, the Spurs fans tried to squeeze more from their team but it was

WOlves celebrate their equaliser Wolves, helped by some slack defending, Wolves had eight shots in the second half to Spurs’ none Wolves’ fans, players and manager Nuno Espirito Santo celebrated wildly at full-time.

They did not create chances in the opening 45

minutes but, unlike Everton and Bournemouth before them, defended well enough to stay in the game.

Then, when Spurs’ performance dipped, they began to exert control on the game and Nuno made the right substitutions.

Ronaldo Nets Brace to Keep Juventus Unbeaten The video assistant referee played a major role, including ruling out an injury-time equaliser, as champions Juventus beat Sampdoria to keep up their unbeaten run in Serie A. Riccardo Saponara thought he had taken a point, but the goal was ruled out. Cristiano Ronaldo scored early on, and later put his side back in front with a penalty that was awarded for a handball which did not look deliberate.

Samp’s equaliser came from a penalty awarded

RESULTS & FIXTURES Brighton Fulham Leicester Tottenham Watford Liverpool Juventus Empoli Genoa Parma Napoli Crystal Palace Burnley Southampton Man United

1–0 Everton 1–0 HuddersďŹ eld 0–1 Cardiff 1–3 Wolves 1–1 Newcastle 5–1 Arsenal 2–1 Sampdoria 0–1 Inter 0–0 Fiorentina 0–2 Roma 3–2 Bologna v Chelsea 1pm v West Ham 3:15pm v Man City 3:15pm v Bournemouth 5:30pm

after consultation with VAR. Former Juve striker Fabio Quagliarella hammered home the spot-kick after referee Paolo Valeri took instruction from his assistant following Emre Can’s handball from a corner.

Juve looked to be on their way to a routine victory when ÂŁ99.8m summer signing Ronaldo drilled home after just 107 seconds, before VAR took centre stage.

32 minutes: Former Liverpool midfielder Can challenges Albin Ekdal at the near post from a corner and the ball hits him on the arm, which is above his head. Quagliarella scores from the spot.

Correct decision? Yes. 63 mins: As Juve push for a second goal, a corner is swung in by Miralem Pjanic. It hits Samp defender Alex Ferrari on the hand, which is by his side.

The referee has a chat with the VAR, decides to have a look at the pitchside monitor and still thinks it was deliberate. Ronaldo scores to make it 2-1.

Correct decision? No. 90+2 mins: In the six minutes of added time - some of which are down to the use of VAR - Saponara curls in a brilliant finish and rips off his shirt to celebrate. But the VAR tells the referee the substitute has come back from an offside position and rules out the goal.

Correct decision? Yes. Play continued until the 99th minute, but Samp

could not find a way through, so Juve go into the new year unbeaten in the league this season and having dropped just four points.

They could have won more comfortably, but Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi both had efforts kept out by Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil Audero.

Eke: Talented Gymnast Chooses Nigeria over USA Nigerian gymnast Uche Eke born Maryland has decided that he would rather represent Nigeria instead of the USA as he draws inspiration from the likes of Courtney Dike, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi and the current trio of Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga. Eke seeks to shatter the glass ceiling by becoming the first African to win a medal in gymnastics at the Olympics, especially with the fact most of his contemporary for the Tokyo Olympics gymnastics events from team USA, are all a step behind him. A sense of loyalty is what drives 21 year old Eke, as he believes he can bring home the coveted gold for his family, nation and continent. Eke has had the opportunity to train with the best in the USA gymnastics team, while pursuing an Engineering degree in the University of Michigan.

With his coaches in the University touting him as the next big thing in gymnastics, this might turn out to be a blessing for Team Nigeria as the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo draws ever closer.

Eke

TR

Sunday December 30, 2018

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MISSILE

Saraki to President Buhari

“The situation in that state (Zamfara) is an example of why we need to overhaul our security architecture in order to bring them to a state where they can tackle emerging challenges” – Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki calling on President Muhammadu’s Buhari to act decisively to stop the killings in Zamfara State.

TOPEFASUA RIGHT OF REPLY

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

Let There Be Jobs K indly permit me some space for a rejoinder to your column dated 22ndDecember, 2018 with the above title. My locus standi is established by the fact that I am running for president and I am one of those who strongly believe that government has a strong role in job creation – especially in a toddler economy and society like ours. In fact, I believe that we don’t as yet have a public sector and we would be well-advised to start building one.

This will require a lot of employment in areas that the private sector may find unattractive and un-bankable; areas where we may not be able to point to the relevant cashflows and profitability which excite privet sector players. I believe strongly that jobs - in the environment, security services, primary healthcare, mass mobilization etc - are such that organize society, create a sense of certainty and predictability, and also fosters unity and peace. This is the real ‘enabling environment’ everyone seems to be demanding for. Yet, we sometimes want to jump the gun. Until we get good governance and our politicians understand that they are not there to occupy space and feather their nests, there is no way that enabling environment will appear.

And it will take a lot of funding, focus, sacrifice, time and painstaking efforts to put in the ‘enabling environment’ that businesses require to prosper.

I’m an economist and our training is that we must think with versatility.

When thinking of job creation every option should on the cards. Also there is a need to take the subject away from mere wishful thinking and to force real action beyond saying all the nice and modern-sounding stuff. For example, it sounds modern and enlightened to say that the private sector should create all the jobs and govt has no business creating jobs. Western capitalist types love to hear that, but is that our aim – to impress them? ‘Private sector led economy’, ‘SMEs’, ‘Entrepreneurship’ and so on has actually been our rhetoric since at least 1999 but look at us today with the worst employment, poverty, environmental, and health indices in the world! There is therefore a need to think differently, and in a different direction in order to achieve something different.

We must never allow government to get away with irresponsibility. They cannot be spending taxpayers money lavishly like happens nowhere else in the world and be telling people to go and sort themselves out or that private sector will provide the jobs. The idea or giving loans to startups is not enough and can never transform this nation.

In fact it has become cliched. Almost

President Muhammadu Buhari

Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige

every youth in Nigeria is now jostling for some government loan that they don’t intend to pay back. The new experiments with ‘Tradermoni’ is not helping matters.

We are damaging the indigenous credit culture. The people know it is free money and bribes for votes. Why call it a loan and solidify the idea in people’s minds that loans are not meant to be repaid or taken serious? Even the emphasis on entrepreneurship seems to be driving some sort of selfishness, individualism and greed among our young ones. I don’t believe that a nation can be truly great if its youths are not ready to do something for the nation in return for free. Or for little.

We are therefore stuck with a scenario where it’s all about ‘the Benjamins’. Our young ones are now kidnapping people for money or rituals. Is that the way to go? There is something wrong with the philosophical underpinning of our idea of development ideas.

Is this how it worked elsewhere? No. Government must first create the floor.

We want our streets to be clean and beautiful. We want public toilets; decent

ones; well manned and maintained.

We want to see serious environmental works. We have 400,000 people in the police with half being bag carriers for money-men and women. This is absurd.

We want the big men who use them to be maximally taxed so that we can employ more policemen. We are the most under-policed country in the world in real terms. We want more young people to be employed into intelligence services.

We need MAMSER (Mass Mobilisation Agency) back. It’s more important/needed now than it was in the early 90s. We want our young ones to be dispatched to the villages with messages of hope, unity, and productivity from the govt encouraging our villagers and informing them of govt activities. We want our youths to become vanguards of a new Nigeria with renewed vigour and patriotism. We want to see our youths cleaning up and beautifying the entire country. Most of these will not be attractive to private sector and even when you route through them we have seen many instances where outsourcing labourleads to exploitation. The big boys

Lastly there is evidence contrary to the idea that we have a large public sector. No we don’t. Evidence points to the fact that all the countries that work – where we run to for everything including vacations, healthcare, education etc- have far larger public sectors.

17% of the workforce in the USA works for government. 21% in the UK. 20% is the OECD average. 35% is it in Scandinavian countries. 18% in South Africa

who take the contract pocket the billions and pay peanuts to workers who soon revolt. I admit that private sector is by far more efficient though. Like you, I run SMEs and pay staff monthly. It’s not easy.

Lastly there is evidence contrary to the idea that we have a large public sector. No we don’t. Evidence points to the fact that all the countries that work – where we run to for everything including vacations, healthcare, education etc- have far larger public sectors. 17% of the workforce in the USA works for government. 21% in the UK. 20% is the OECD average. 35% is it in Scandinavian countries. 18% in South Africa. Please anyone reading this should simply Google“List of countries by Public Sector workers” and we will see the truth. The truth cannot be available at the click of a button and here we are deliberately taking uninformed decisions. If we are rightly concerned that the crop of our politicians and top civil servants are too far gone in their evil ways and cannot manage this renaissance, this is the reason we should all be rushing forward to see how we can displace them. Yet some of us who are struggling to make this change are being put down.

The 5million public workers you mentioned for Nigeria is less than 5% of our workforce even though the figure here is like 3million which is less than 3%.

People of working age in Nigeria should be between 100million and 120million if our population statistics are to be believed. I did extensive research on this. We have a dearth of information and I only got a proximate figure from one of Dr Goke Adegoroye’s books. No state employs more than 100,000. Federal Civil Service is less than 100,000 at core.

Parastatals contribute maybe 1million at most. The problem is that most of those employed in government in Nigeria today see their positions as opportunity to feather their own nests, not serve the people.

So there you have it. If we truly love our country and ourselves we need to first establish a minimum standard of living for our people wherever they may be.

For now, we don’t have a public sector in Nigeriabecause perhaps our politicians don’t see most of our people as human beings worthy of the enjoyment of what we call PUBLIC GOODS viz security, good environment, health, education, well-maintained infrastructure etc. It’s human beings that will provide public goods and they must be employed and maintained. The private sector will then leverage on this and soar. t 'BTIVB JT UIF QSFTJEFOUJBM DBOEJEBUF PG "CVOEBOU /JHFSJB 3FOFXBM 1BSUZ "/31

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