SUNDAY 10TH MARCH 2019

Low Voter Turnout Reflects Loss of Faith

Louis Achi

Political participation is one of the most important indicators of the democratic quality of elections and a prime criterion for defining democratic citizenship. Voter turnout is the most important form of political participation and crucially also is an important indicator of the state of health

N E W S A N A LY S I S

of any democracy.

Flowing from this, the significantly low voter turnout in yesterday’s governorship and state parliamentary elections in much of the 29 participant states and Council

polls (in Abuja FCT) speaks to an alarming diminution of faith in the process.

Undeniably, the scenario has firm linkages to what transpired in the presidential and national assembly polls two weeks earlier. This cannot be safely glossed over.

The February 23 polls were curiously defined by voter suppression, outright targeted violence/deaths, palpable militarization of the electoral space, targeted inflation of poll figures and a laundry list of other malfeasances.

Add to this, the deepened

sense of “my vote doesn’t count anymore” and it hardly needs a behavioural scientist to predict the backlash of voter apathy witnessed yesterday.

Reports from our correspondents from many states clearly indicate very low voter turnout for the

The Cost of Elections in Nigeria… Page 10

governorship and state assembly polls held yesterday.

In some areas in Lagos, like Akilo Road, Ogba, near Guinness, Olusosun area, off Oregun road close to Ojota, and parts of Anthony Village, some All Progressives Congress officials had to resort to comically resort to ringing Continued on page 9

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High Voter Apathy,Violence, Glitches Mar Governorship, Assembly Elections Federal lawmaker killed in Ibadan Abdulsalam shocked at poor turnout Atiku, Dogara, others blame situation on 'rigged presidential poll' Tension as Nigerians await results In Rivers, soldiers seize collation centres, bar PDP agents, INEC officials

By Our Correspondents After weeks of tension and apprehension, the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections finally held yesterday in 29 states across the country amid

high voter apathy, violence, snatching of ballot boxes and, in some instances, operational glitches. In Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, a member of the House of Representatives was killed yesterday. Hon. Temitope Olatoye (a.k.a.

Sugar) was shot by suspected political thugs.

Former Head of State and chairman of the presidential election peace committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who expressed serious concern at the poor

turnout of voters in yesterday’s election, said he was “short of words” to explain the situation.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu

Dogara; and the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room blamed the situation on the, allegedly, rigged February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections. They said the poor presidential poll might have discouraged

voters from coming out to vote since they reckoned their votes might not count.

But there is palpable tension in the land as Nigerians await results of the elections held

Lagos State PDP governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje and his APC counterpart, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, casting their votes at their respective polling units... yesterday

Continued on page 9

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͚͸Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

PAGE NINE HIGH VOTER APATHY, VIOLENCE, GLITCHES MAR GOVERNORSHIP, ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS in 29 of the 36 states of the federation, which, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) sources, would start coming in today.

While governorship elections did not hold in Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Anambra, Kogi, Bayelsa, and Edo states for reasons of their previously staggered polls, they partook in the state assembly elections.

Some of the states were marked as flashpoints given the political dynamics in the run-up to yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elections.

As at press time, there were no definite results in any of the 29 states where governorship elections took place to suggest the direction of voting and, perhaps, hint at who might likely emerge.

But the process of collation and announcement of results was in top gear and the results were expected to be made public any moment, state by state.

However, in many parts of the country, the election was marred by high voter apathy, violence, reports of ballot box snatching, and operational glitches on the part of INEC. The commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ad hoc staff, reportedly, protested unpaid allowances since the last election and refused to work.

This development caused delay in the voting process in many parts of the country, while in other states there was genuine apathy, which was believed to have arisen from votersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concerns about their votes counting.

Reps Member Killed Olatoye died yesterday at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, shortly after some suspected political thug shot him in the head in the Lalupon area of the state. Also, a young man, who was said to be a supporter of PDP, was shot by a police officer, and he eventually died in a hospital.

The news of the attack on the lawmaker spread within minutes, with some insinuating that he died immediately from the gunshot wounds.

Speaking on the incident, the UCH Public Relations Officer, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola, said the lawmaker was moved to the intensive care unit where doctors battled in vain to save his life.

THISDAY gathered that he eventually gave up the ghost around 7:45pm.

A close aide of the lawmaker spoke in confidence with THISDAY yesterday, accusing some suspected political thugs

of a rival politician in the constituency of been responsible for the attack.

Olatoye, who won the 2015 election under the platform of APC, lost reelection two weeks ago under the platform of the Action Democratic Party and vowed never to return to the APC. Before his death, he represented Lagelu/Akinyele federal constituency. Olatoye had in 2011 won election into the state House of Assembly under the platform of the Accord Party before he later defected to the then Action Congress of Nigeria.

He was said to be coming from his village where he had gone to exercise his franchise, when the assailant ambushed him.

Two hours earlier, a supporter of the PDP, simply identified as Mudasiru, was shot dead by a police officer in Ile titun area of Ibadan South East Local Government Area.

THISDAY learnt that Mudasiru, in his late 20s, was jubilating over the victory of his party when a trigger happy officer fired gunshot, which him from the back and ruptured his intestine.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Lawrence Fadeyi, confirmed both incidents, though said the police would make its comprehensive findings available.

Reacting to the lawmaker's murder, on his twitter account Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, said "I received with shock, the sad and distressing news of the assassination of my brother and colleague, Hon. Olatoye Temitope Sugar, in Oyo State today (yesterday).

The murder of Hon. Sugar in election violence is primitive, wicked, inhumane, barbaric and highly condemnable."

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Short of Words â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Abdulsalami The former Head of State, who was disappointed at the turn of events, said, "I am short of words to describe the low turnout of today's election, because the difference is clear when compared to the large turnout of the last presidential election."

Speaking after casting his ballot at the Uphill polling unit in Minna, Niger State, Abdulsalami partly attributed the voter apathy to the hangover of the presidential and national assembly elections.

"Probably because people are tired or because they were disenfranchised during the

previous elections, but one thing that is glaring is that the turnout in today's election is low," he said. Though, he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, which he adjudged peaceful and orderly.

Low Turnout is Protest against Injustice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Atiku, Dogara, CSOs Atiku, who voted at 12:08pm at Ajiya 012 polling unit, attributed the low turnout of voters to election malpractices and injustice at the last presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said Nigerians no longer had confidence in the electoral process.

The former vice president, however, pleaded with his supporters nationwide to remain calm and wait for the outcome of the case in court over the recent presidential election.

He, nevertheless, said he was optimistic that PDP would win the governorship election and described the exercise as peaceful and orderly.

On his part, Dogara, who voted alongside his wife, also said the low turnout was as a result of fear by the electorate that their votes might not count, following the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said, "From the conduct of the election, I think, it is peaceful, but what I have seen here is that there is no mammoth crowd like the last election. I don't know what happened and some of you who were here during the election saw the crowd, but I can't see that kind of turnout here today. I don't know what is responsible for that, may be voter apathy.

"The fear that peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vote may not count is the reason why people did not turn up as such, because we saw that in the last election. The problem was not with the voting, people came out to vote, the problem started at the coalition level, especially at the ward level "Collation at the polling units was almost done peacefully and conducted in a very transparent manner, but at the ward, local government and constituency level, things started changing.

So, I guess part of the reason we have voter apathy is that people think their votes don't count and as such, what is the point voting? The problem started with the collation and we hope that things don't repeat itself in this election."

Giving its own views on

the terrible apathy, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation attributed the low turnout to what it described as the excessive and heavy deployment of military and security personnel for the elections, which created fear in citizens. The group also talked about concerns over the neutrality of the security personnel.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Convener of the Civil Society Situation Room, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, said there was evidence of low voter turnout in many parts of country.

Nwankwo stated, "At the time of writing this statement, there is evidence of low voter turnout.

The low turnout of voters can only be attributed to two factors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; voter apathy arising from the effect of the disappointment of citizens over poor conduct of the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections and the excessive and heavy deployment of military and security personnel for the elections, that has now created fear in the citizenry, including concerns over the neutrality of these security personnel and, indeed, the integrity of the electoral process."

Nwankwo, who was joined by the Alternate Chair of the Situation Room, Esther Uzoma, said there was also reported widespread incidence of votebuying across the country by politicians. He said the Situation Room was concerned that the incidence could undermine the credibility of the outcome of the election.

The Situation Room listed states where vote-buying allegedly took place on a large scale to include Sokoto, Zamfara, Ekiti, Kebbi, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ondo, and Borno states.

Among the negative aspects of the 2019 general election, as recorded by the Situation Room, was the excessive deployment of the military that interfered with the electoral process.

The civil society coalition said its observers reported multiple cases of protest by INEC officials and ad hoc staff on issues around welfare in Anthony, Ejigbo, Ketu, Mile 2, Ojodu, in Lagos State, and Vom in Plateau State. But it commended INEC for ensuring that voting commenced on time in most areas.

According to the Situation Room, average starting time of voting at most polling units across the country was 8:30am, although there were a few cases

of late arrival of materials and polling officials in some states.

due process in the February 23rd Presidential and National Assembly elections. According to Orbih, who voted at Unit 4 Ward 4 in Estako Central Local Government Area, the people were unhappy that their votes did not count in the last presidential and national assembly election.

His words: "There is very low turnout of voters. You can see it everywhere. A lot of people are not happy with what happened in the presidential election where there was deliberate derailing of the due process. The people's desire to elect who they want was derailed. We need to look at the electoral process and review the system so that people can have faith in the ballot papers."

Low turnout of voters was recorded in both Borno and Yobe states with high presence of security and military personnel observed at strategic points on major highways to prevent possible security breach. According to THISDAY correspondentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reports, voter turnout was much lower than what was obtained during the presidential and National Assembly election as many voters did not come out.

Whereas former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, expressed serious concern at

the poor turnout of voters in yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s polls, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara also lamented voter apathy in the area, observing the low turnout was as a result of fear by the electorate that their votes may not count after the conduct of the election.

For Abubakar, "I am short of words to describe the low turnout of today's election because the difference is clear when compared to the large turnout of the last Presidential elections. Probably because people are tired or because they were disenfranchised during the previous elections but one thing that is glaring is that the turnout in today's election is low."

In Dogaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words: "What I have seen here is that there is no mammoth crowd, like in the last election. I don't know what happened and some of you who were here during the election saw the crowd, but I can't see that kind of turnout here today.

I don't know what is responsible for that, may be voter apathy."

Clearly, the low voter turnout flows from diminished faith in the process. Free and fair elections have been acknowledged as a cardinal pillar of a democratic political system. This is particularly so where polls satisfy

Situation Report Below are some of the situation reports in some of the states by our correspondents, who monitored the election.

Lagos In Lagos State, some INEC ad hoc staff, reportedly, refused to work for a long time because, according to them, they were yet to be paid their allowances for the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23. This caused delay, which affected the conduct of the election in some parts of the state before intervention came and the ad hoc staff deployed to work.

Reacting, the Lagos State Public Relations Officer of the commission, Mr. Femi Akinbiyi, said the protesters had no reason to abandon the electoral duty. He said the corps members protested when they got information that an unnamed politician was sharing money to some of their colleagues.

But Akinbiyi denied knowledge of the politician and insisted the money was not from the commission. He reiterated that the commission only paid allowances of corps members through bank transfer, adding that the only time the corpers were paid cash was after the training, when each participant was paid N4,500.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who voted at his polling unit in Epe, said there was no better time to enhance democracy and promote the culture of one man one vote than now. Ambode arrived at his polling unit at ward A5, unit 033, Ogunmodede College, Ajaganabe Area, Papa Epe, with his wife around 9:55am. He voted at 10:11am and enjoined eligible voters to come out en mass and be part of history.

According to the governor, who eventually delivered his local government to the APC, "I believe strongly that in doing this we would continue to enhance the tenets of democracy.â&#x20AC;?

APC national leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said the party was sure of victory, because there were no other parties outside the APC in the state. Tinubu said those calling for the "O toâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ge Lagos" should instead be saying "Oja so pe" as the state has witnessed tremendous growth and progress

in the last 20 years.

Tinubu said Lagos was the only state in the federation that did not rely on federal allocation, stressing that the state has grown to become the sixth largest economy in the continent.

Governorship candidate of the APC in Lagos, Babajide SanwoOlu, voted at his Polling Unit, 019, Lateef Jakande Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said he was sure of victory in the election, which he also described as peaceful.

His PDP counterpart, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, appealed to voters in the state not to be discouraged from participating in the voting exercise despite what happened during the presidential election in the state.

In a similar vein, a PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, lamented the voter apathy in the state, which he said was a telling sign of despondency among the people. He said the people seemed to have lost confidence in the system, which he said has failed them.

Anambra The House of Assembly election in Anambra State witnessed low turnout of voters. As at 9am, most polling centres were devoid of human presence, even though INEC officials had resumed as early as 7:45am.

At Aroma Ward 1 in Awka, Awka South Local Government Area, only few voters had turned out as at 9am.

An observer, Mr. Okey Ajuka, said the low turnout was foreseen, especially as there was no governorship election in the state.

"Last two weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Saturday was different because the influence of the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Peter Obi, made people to put their interest in the election.

I think the only places where high turnout will be registered are in places where they have candidates.â&#x20AC;?

Most traders in the rural parts of the state shunned the election in the state and opened their shops for business.

In Awkuzu, Oyi local government, where our correspondent monitored the election, the community's market held a normal session, and many traders opened their shops.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and his party, the APC, raised the alarm over Continued on page 12

LOW VOTER TURNOUT REFLECTS LOSS OF FAITH bells, urging voters to come out and exercise their voting rights.

Ditto for Ibadan in Oyo State.

Clearly, this doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t approximate campaigning but simply begging voters to giddy up. By 9.30 am in Gaduwa Estate Polling Unit, Gudu, Abuja, the neighbourhood bean-cake (akara) seller drew more patrons than the handful of voters who turned up at polling units to cast their votes.

A drive-by the polling unit near Tantalizers in Lekki, Lagos, showed it was shockingly deserted. In contrast, on February 23, you could hardly swing a cat given the massive voter turnout.

Low turnout of voters was also witnessed in most parts of the polling units visited by correspondents in the South Eastern states of Enugu, Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo. The PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, who is disputing and challenging the result of the February 23rd presidential election in court was quite blunt as to what he thought was the reason for low voter turnout. He stated the low turnout might not be unconnected with the outcome of the February 23rd elections, which he said was â&#x20AC;&#x153;rigged.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I particularly abhor the participation of the military in the electoral process. Their

participation is absolutely unconstitutional,â&#x20AC;? the former vice president further opened up.

According to Atiku who cast his votes at his Unit 012 polling centre in Ajiya Ward of Yola North Local Government Area, yesterday, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The last elections were marred with a lot of malpractices and that have impacted on the turnout of voters today,â&#x20AC;? he told journalists adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have just cast my votes and I did not see the large number of voters who came out to vote in this unit during the last election.â&#x20AC;?

Concerned, successive stakeholders have also noted and lamented the palpably low voter turnout in yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s polls.

According to a miffed Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate, African Action Congress, AAC, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigerians have practically abandoned polling units in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to the realization that â&#x20AC;&#x153;votingâ&#x20AC;? is done at the Collation Centers NOT at the Polling Units ...Sad day for Demon-Crazy!â&#x20AC;?

The governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, also decried the low turnout of voters in the state. Ajimobi who spoke at his unit 20 polling unit, Ward 11, Ibadan South West Local Government Area, after voting, told journalists the turnout

was low compared to what was obtained during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

His words: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reason for the low turnout could be as a result of discouragement, fatigue, disappoint or other reasons.â&#x20AC;?

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State Jimi Agbaje, while voting at his polling unit; PU 004, Ward A, Hinderea Road, Liverpool, Apapa, Lagos West, stated that the low turnout in the March 9 governorship election could be as a result of inadequacies of the last presidential election. He correctly noted that the low turnout should be a concern to all those that want to advance democracy because the citizens must be part and parcel of democratic process.

In Niger State, former Governor Babangida Aliyu decried the low turnout of voters, observing â&#x20AC;&#x153;I see no reason why people would not come out to exercise their right.â&#x20AC;? Babangida, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) voted at his PU 011, Umaru Musa Ward, in Chanchanga Local Government Area of the state.

For the Edo State chairman of PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, the low turnout of voters in his locality was a direct fallout from what he termed - derailing of

acceptable democratic standards, namely competition, participation and legitimacy. Elections that fall short of these standards can only serve to undermine the consolidation of democracy. This is the danger facing Nigeria today, unfortunately so after 20 years of unbroken civil rule.

The unseemly underlying forces that nurture voter apathy and spawn sundry electoral malfeasances like compromised security, perceived partiality, militarization of the electoral space and unchallenged impunity by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;untouchablesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; have to be brought to the front-burner. Specific measures to deal with these surely would have important policy implications for improving turnout in future elections.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth noting here that Nigeria is the world's fifth largest federation, after India, the United States, Brazil and Russia. Almost 60 years after independence, Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political leadership has rather been incapable or unwilling to make the necessary effort to respond to the challenges encapsulated in her peculiar history. This history actually positions the Muhammadu Buhari presidency, warts, pimples and all - at a crucial cross-roads from which Nigeria and Africa must be rescued and reinvented.

MARCH 10, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

10

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

THE COST OF ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA It’s time to conduct all elections in a single day

W

ith the conduct of the gubernatorial polls in 29 states and House of Assembly polls in all the 36 states yesterday, we hope we can draw a curtain on the 2019 general election.

But the experiences should compel a rethink on the varied implications of holding elections in Nigeria. We must examine this challenge from several perspectives: the closure of borders, the declaration of holidays on days preceding voting, the restrictions on movement during the exercise, the deployment of military troops and a disproportionate number of police and security personnel, etc. These are some of the issues that have to be looked at in the coming weeks, months and years in a nation where elections are conducted almost as war.

In several theatres across the country yesterday, violence remained a defining feature of the elections that were so militarised that the joke being circulated is that in Nigeria hunters fight terrorists while soldiers monitor polls. Virtually all the problems associated with the presidential and national assembly elections were repeated yesterday despite the fact that turnout of voters was low in Abuja and most of the states. At the end, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders need to examine all the factors militating against the conduct of credible elections in Nigeria.

However, of greater concern are the enormous resources that go with these elections every four years. At a period when the country is looking for cost-cutting measures to survive amid dwindling revenues, many have proposed a one-day general election as it is done in most countries, including within the West African sub-region. Against the background that under the prevailing electoral system it

The current system is not cost effective as the nation is almost always shut down for several days whenever elections are held with all the attendant economic implications

Letters to the Editor

P

could sometimes take between three and four weeks to conduct the various elections during which all economic--and sometimes even academic--activities are usually grounded throughout the country, we consider it a worthwhile proposition.

O

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

f course there are also those who argue that since INEC still has difficulties in holding crisis-free elections under the existing staggered formula, there is no assurance that the electoral body would get it right if all elections are held in one day.

That may be a legitimate concern. But in lending support to the single-day voting, we have weighed all the negatives that the extant staggered elections present against what the nation stands to gain from such proposition. It is indeed noteworthy that shortly after the 2011 general elections, former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega came up with the idea of holding all elections in the country on the same day. In proposing the single-day elections, Jega noted that the existing arrangement of staggered elections was fraught with many drawbacks just as it was wasteful in terms of energy, time and money.

First and foremost, the current system is not cost effective as the nation isalmost always shut down for several days whenever elections are held with all the attendant economic implications. There is also the issue of voter-fatigue as turnout of electorate often declines after the first major poll as witnessed yesterday across the country. This is aside the last-minute postponement that is becoming a tradition at every election season.Furthermore, and perhaps more fundamental, is the notorious fact that once the presidential and national assembly are held first and results declared, subsequent elections tend to reflect the so-called bandwagon effect. We therefore endorse single-day voting because, as has been evident in countries where it is practiced, it would take care of the waste and allegations of manipulation usually associated with staggered polls.

The main concern has always been whether INEC will really get its act together to ensure that all logistics problem in terms of management of ballot papers and voting materials to polling centres as currently being encountered will be eliminated prior to introducing the single-day voting.

But that does not obviate the fact that it is worth trying, as it has been perfected in smaller West African countries where elections are usually held in one day, even with a multiplicity of political parties competing.

Meanwhile, as we await the results of the gubernatorial and house of assembly elections in the states, we hope the winners will be magnanimous in victory while those who may feel aggrieved with the outcome will seek legal redress rather than take the law into their own hands.

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.

Buhari’s Reelection: Matters Arising

residential candidate of All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari polled 15,191,847 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who got 11,262,978 ballots in the 2019 presidential poll. Buhari was declared President-elect by the umpire accordingly. The poll ran concurrently with the Senate and House of Representatives. By implications, Buhari’s ‘Next-Level’ package gathers momentum.

Ultimately,the masses look forward to succour particularly a flourishing socio-economic activities, infrastructural development and employment opportunities in the next four years vis-à-vis the ‘Next-level’

mantra. Relatedly, a moment ago, President Buhari pledged to work harder in the next administration, which unfortunately has been misconstrued for tougher times.

The overwhelming trust the masses reposed on Buhari by his reelection cannot be taken for granted; their welfare must be uppermost.

Essentially, politics in Nigeria has subconsciously undergone a paradigm shift, leaving some powerful political dynasties in unforgettable shocks, flattened by peoples’ franchise. Money politics too got heavy punches.

Hopefully, future elections in the county may begin to epitomize merit and a levelplaying ground. Why? Scores of self-acclaimed ‘deciders’ were knocked out of the ring;

capturing Kingsley Moghalu’s catchphrase “retiring the old political-class”.

Beyond that, a baffling account is the trajectory of PDP votes from return of democracy in 1999. For emphasis, prior to the introduction of the smart card reader for accreditation, PDP had in 1999 polled 18.7million votes; 2003, 24.4million; 2007, 24.6million, and finally in 2011 - 22.5million votes. Eventually, when card reader was introduced for digital accreditation, PDP votes suddenly dropped to 12.8million in 2015. In the recent election, PDP recorded 11.2million votes. The hard question is, what happened to the high figures PDP persistently obtained before the advent of card readers?

Could it be that schemers

persistently allocated figures with impunity? The figures obviously have big question marks. Sadly, the courts affirmed the elections.

On the other hand, Buhari maintained an average of 12 million votes before the introduction of card readers. Subsequent to the merger that birthed APC and increased Buhari’s numerical strength, Buhari got 15.4million votes in 2015 to defeat Goodluck Jonathan. In the just concluded election, Buhari maintained 15milion votes. A cursory look at Buhari’s scores logically points to consistency both prior and during card reader eras. Beyond doubt, smart card reader exposed and outsmarted the old order - daylight electoral robberies.

Further indications empirically suggesting credibility of the poll include Dino Melaye’s victory. The lawmaker won his reelection bid

for the reason that democracy is a game of numbers. Probably, Melaye didn’t face the degree of heat Senate President Bukola Saraki contended with in Kwara. For example, Senator Saraki contended with overwhelming forces including the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, leading a league of Kwara professionals and elite and then, Gbemisola Saraki, a powerful voice in the dynasty that cooperatively worked to deliver the state for her party, APC. Above all, the masses had for long been yearning for power shift from the Saraki political dynasty. The dynasty led by his late father, Chief Olusola Saraki, controlled Kwara politics for decades until hijacked by Bukola.

Eventually, the recent political tremor knocked him out like a dream.

––Carl Umegboro, Lagos

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͚͸Ë&#x153; ͺ͸͚Π˞ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

E L E CT I O N S . . . E L E CT I O N S . . . E L E C T I O N S . . . E L E CT I O N S . . . E L E CT I O N S . . .

HIGH VOTER APATHY, VIOLENCE, GLITCHES MAR GOVERNORSHIP, ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS alleged theft of some electoral materials meant for the Assembly election for two constituencies in the state. Ngige, who raised the alarm while speaking with journalists shortly after voting, said the party had petitioned the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Anambra State, Prof. Nkwachukwu Orji, over the development.

But he decried what he called "persistent lack of preparedness" on the part of INEC. He said this after he could not vote at 9am at his Umumasiaku polling unit, Amatutu, Agulu. But he later cast his vote about noon.

"It is a shame that the same problem repeated itself on grander scale today, with news of faulty card readers all over the state. This has raised the issue of whether the problems are genuine or contrived for other purposes," Obi said.

Edo In Edo State, where turnout was equally low, the chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, blamed the development on what he termed derailing of due process in the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections. Orbih said the people were unhappy that their votes did not count in the last elections. "People no longer have faith that their votes will count after what happened in that presidential elections."

Similarly, member representing Etsako federal constituency, who was just reelected during the presidential and National Assembly elections, Hon. Johnson Oghuma of the APC, observed that the turnout was not impressive. Oghuma, who voted in his ward 2, unit 1, Etsako Central Local Government Area, said though the process was peaceful, the turnout of voters was not impressive.

But Governor Godwin Obaseki expressed satisfaction with the turnout in the state. The governor, who arrived at his Emokpae Primary School Ward 9 unit in Oredo local government at 10.05 am, voted at 10.09.

Obaseki said, "I do not believe that there is a low turnout, because as you can see, the ballot boxes are already filled up. It is a local election and the people that are concerned live in the neighbourhood and in the same community.â&#x20AC;?

Kogi There was a development in Kogi State, which INEC said compelled it to postpone the Assembly election in Mopamuro Local Government Area. The Electoral Officer, Mopamuro LGA, Mr. Opanachi Ojodale, told newsmen at the INEC office in Mopa that the election was postponed to Sunday, March 10, due to wrong ballot papers that were taken to the area.

According to Ojodale, the ballot papers belonging to Akpa Local Government Area in Kogi East were taken to Mopamuro Local Government Area. This development was discovered in the early hours of Saturday.

Meanwhile, some youths of Orokere community earlier on Saturday conducted a peaceful demonstration to the palace of their traditional ruler to protest alleged importation of thugs to the community by suspected opposition party members.

Governor Yahaya Bello alongside his two wives, Hajia Amina and Rashida, voted at Agasa polling unit.

Addressing newsmen after casting his vote, Bello commended INEC for a good job, saying he was impressed with the electoral body for correcting the mistakes in the last election.

Delta Delta State recorded pockets of

violence in the riverine areas of the state yesterday. Although there was low turnout in the early hours, the situation later improved as the exercise progressed. The election was largely peaceful in the upland areas. But there was violence's in some riverine communities in Bomadi, Burutu and Warri South West Local government areas of the state.

The violence, THISDAY gathered, erupted between supporters of the two major parties in the state in their attempt to have superior advantage.

The APC governorship candidate in the state, Chief Great Ogboru, cast his vote at Unit 8, Ward One at Abraka Grammar School, Abraka at about 12.05 p.m. He confirmed to journalists that he also got reports of violence in some places and particularly the riverine communities in Warri North and South West local government areas.

On his part, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who cast his vote at his native town of Owa-Alero, expressed confidence he would win the governorship election by a large margin, saying ''God Almighty has sealed my victory''.

Okowa said he had never been worried that his reelection might be threatened, noting that his only worry is about the election being peaceful throughout the state, because of threatened violence due to alleged importation of thugs into the state from neighbouring Edo State.

Bauchi Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar commended the smooth conduct of the elections in the state. Abubakar, who gave the commendation at Jahun Makama Sarkin Baki 2 Polling Unit immediately after he cast his vote around 9:53am, said "There is improvement. Everything is going on smoothly after we arrived. I and my wives within few minutes cast our votes. I want to commend INEC for that."

Bayelsa Apart from a relaxed security atmosphere, there was also voter apathy in many of the polling units as Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, in company with his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, and former President Goodluck Jonathan cast their votes in Toru-Orua in Sagbama, Opume in Ogbia and Otueke, respectively.

As opposed to the other elections, the few military men on the major roads looked friendlier and civil in their interactions.

But the APC in the state, yesterday, alleged that its members had gone into hiding in several parts of the state, insisting that thugs were unleashed on party loyalists.

APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, said in a statement that armed thugs loyal to the ruling party were on the loose in a number of communities throughout the polls, rigging for the party and intimidating APC members.

Kwara Low turnout also characterised the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Kwara State as voters did not turn up like they did during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The development, according to THISDAY checks, might not be unconnected with the mass deployment of security to the state capital. The military and other security operatives had since Thursday engaged in a show of force around strategic locations in the Ilorin metropolis.

Reports from other parts of the state also showed that the presence of soldiers in some parts

of the state had forced voters to stay away from voting.

But speaking with journalists after casting his votes, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki, condemned the militarisation of the governorship and state Houses of Assembly Elections. Saraki, who was accompanied by his wife, Toyin, to his polling unit at Ode-Opobiyi 005 in Ajikobi ward in Ilorin West local government council, blamed the low turnout on the heavy deployment of military and other security operatives for the exercise.

A former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Suleiman Olanrewaju, also joined Saraki in condemning the militarisation of the exercise in the state.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who voted at his polling unit in Oro town in Irepodun local government council, lauded the conduct of the poll.

But the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Hon. Razak Atunwa, yesterday, pledged to accept the outcome of Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governorship election if it was devoid of irregularities. Atunwa, who is currently representing llorin West/Asa Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, made the pledge while speaking with journalists in Ilorin. The PDP standard bearer, who is a former Speaker of the state House Of Assembly, said nothing was wrong in accepting the result of a free, fair and accurate poll that could stand the test of time.

Niger Niger State also recorded low turnout of voters during yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elections.

In Chanchaga, Paiko and Gurara Tafa and Suleja local governments, less than half of the population of voters that turned out during the presidential election was available for yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elections.

It was observed that even those that came out were mostly induced to exercise their franchise.

Security was also not tight at the polling stations with some of the units not having any policeman.

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, sued for peace while the party in the state expressed optimism that the governor would emerge victorious in the election.

Chairman of the party in the state, Alhaji Jibrin Imam, said the electorate had absolute confidence in the candidate of the party.

"We are optimistic of victory. I don't expect that we will lose this election," he said.

Borno, Yobe In both Borno and Yobe states, low turnout of voters was recorded during yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elections.

In Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the election started in time and was peaceful, but there was low turnout of voters. A massive presence of security and military personnel was witnessed at strategic points on major highways to prevent breach in security. The turnout was however appreciable at some voting points for persons from Gujba Local Government in Damaturu.

Resident Electoral Commissioner for Yobe State, Ahmad Makama, told journalists that it was too early to determine or conclude on the turnout at the time.

Governorship candidate of the APC in Borno, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, voted at about 12:07pm at Ajari (1) polling unit in Mafa ward of Mafa local government. He was however given protective cover by the security details of Governor Kashim Shettima as parts of Mafa was attacked on

Friday night by Boko Haram.

Zulum expressed confidence in the process and said though turnout was low in the morning, people were sent out to mobilise voters.

Candidate of the PDP in Borno, Alhaji Mohammed Imam, expressed concern that the election had been manipulated already by the INEC.

Adamawa Adamawa State, too, witnessed voter apathy across its 21 local government areas.

But Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Gida Mustapha, who voted at 10:30 at his Gwadabawa polling unit 009, said he was happy that there was no incidence of violence in the state. He noted that INEC had improved on its technology, which made the process easy and less cumbersome, even as he commended the people for coming out to vote for candidates of their choice.

The incumbent governor, Mohammed Jibrila Bindow of APC, and his PDP counterpart, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, also cast their votes in Mubi North and Gulak respectively.

Kaduna Amid high voter apathy, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on Saturday, commended INEC for addressing the lapses witnessed during the presidential election. El-Rufai also said he was not jittery over the outcome of the governorship results, "I am not under any tension since President Muhammadu Buhari has won. Even if I lose, I already have a job. It is my staff that are jittery. I always share this joke," he said.

However, many polling units in Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Chikun local government areas visited by our correspondent had scant voters, although voting started in most polling units by 8am.

Kano Governorship candidate of the PDP in Kano State, Mr. Abba Kabir Yusif, called on voters in Kano to ensure their votes count.

He gave the charge shortly after casting his vote by 12:00pm at Chiranci quarters in Gwale local government area, noting that such a step remains the only way to grow the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s democracy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I'm very optimistic of winning and want to call on all supporters to protect their votes at collation centres, and designated INEC offices," he stated.

Plateau Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong of the APC said he was confident that he would emerge victorious in the governorship polls, adding that he was only waiting to be announced and celebrated as the new governor-elect in the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the reports we got, elections are going on smoothly in all the local government areas of the state. People of the state came out early to vote,â&#x20AC;? he said.

His rival in the PDP, Senator Jeremiah Useni, has also expressed confidence he would emerge victorious in the election.

Useni, who voted at his Pajat polling unit of Langtang North Local Government Area said, "I think the election has been generally peaceful judging from the report we have got.

I commend Plateau people for voting for the PDP. Despite the poor turnout in some areas, I believe we will win the election when results are announced."

A former governor of the state and Senator Representing Plateau North, Jonah David Jang, described the widespread voter apathy as a protest against the stolen mandate of the people.

Rivers Not less than seven people were feared killed in Rivers State yesterday even as low voter turnout marred elections in the state. This is as Governor Nyesom Wike said he was sure of victory at the polls despite attempts to manipulate the elections.

One Micheal Abedinigo, who hails from Upatabo Community, was killed in Akinima, Ahoada West Local Government Area of the State. He was said to have been shot by thugs while resisting attempts to snatch electoral materials.

In Luawii, Khana Local Government Area, four persons were killed in the early hours of yesterday. However, sources said the victims lost their lives in an inter-cult rivalry.

Special Adviser to Governor Nyesom Wike on Gender Matters and former Chairman of Andoni local government council, Mrs. Emilia Nte, was feared dead, when she was shot at and abducted from her home town, Unyeada, on Friday night.

A mobile police officer attached to ward 6 Unyeada in Andoni Local Government Area was also shot on Friday night. He was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed clinic in Bori where he later died. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, only confirmed the death of Micheal Abedinigo in Akinima. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can only confirm the death at Akanima this morning, even though I am yet to get the details of the death,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Despite the casualties, elections in the state were relatively peaceful compared to the violence that characterised the state during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, fears that the army may be working against some political parties in the governorship and state assembly elections in Rivers State were highlighted yesterday as the PDP complained that the military prevented its accredited agents from accessing the collation centres.

Army personnel took over the collation centres in Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Eleme, OpoboNkoro and Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni local government areas, among others, denying access to PDP INEC-accredited agents.

Media aide to state chairman of the PDP, Jerry Needam, said soldiers had forcefully invaded the Khana local government council lodge and held all those inside hostage. He alleged that the soldiers were trying to plant incriminating materials in order to arrest PDP chieftains, especially the Local Government Council Chairman, Lahteh Loolo.

The spokesman of PDP Campaign Organisation and state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, said it was obvious the army was on a mission to disrupt the electoral process and install somebody.

In Degema LGA, information received had it that strange looking men of Nigerian Army were keeping guard at the collation center.

A source who doesn't want to be named told THISDAY "we have been asked by the electoral officer to leave this place for our good or stay and risk our lives."

When contacted for his reactions, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said the army would investigate alleged infractions of soldiers in the elections. He however refused to comment on allegations of soldiers barring PDP agents from collation centres.

FCT Poor turnout also characterised

the chairmanship and councillorship elections into the six FCT Area Councils.

Contrary to the long queues that defined the Presidential and National Assembly election on February 23, many prospective voters ignored Saturday's exercise.

Some party agents attributed the voter apathy to the outcome of the last election, which they said did not reflect the wish of the vast majority of them.

Akwa Ibom There were pockets of violence yesterday during the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State. Crisis started when a young man who hijacked a ballot box and attempted to run away with it at a polling unit in Ikot Udo Ossiom village Ukanafun Local Government Council was shot dead by a soldier.

Nine persons were injured in Nsit Atai local government when members of PDP and APC clashed over disagreement on election issues.

Despite the skirmishes recorded in some polling units across the state, the election was peaceful with impressive turnout of voters.

Governor Udom Emmanuel and wife, Martha, voted at 9.23 am, at Town Hall, Awa ward1, Unit 001) , Onna Local Government Area. He lauded INEC for improvement in the accreditation process and expressed optimism that the experience would be replicated in other units across the state.

Meanwhile, governorship candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere, called for the cancellation of the result of any polling units where there was reported violence and hijacking of materials. Ekere who voted at Edemeya ward 1, unit 004, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area at about 10:49am, lamented late arrival of election materials in his unit.

Katsina In the state of the president, no fewer than 10 ad hoc members of staff of INEC were kidnapped in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

THISDAY also reliably gathered that a Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) officer and a police officer were killed during the attack.

Although Commissioner of Police Sanusi Buba was yet to respond to the development, the INEC Commissioner Jibril Ibrahim Zarewa said he would address journalists on the matter.

A reliable source at the state INEC office who confirmed the development to THISDAY said, "Twenty of our staff have been kidnapped in Danmusa during election but 10 have regained freedom. We also lost an NSCDC officer in Kankara."

Similarly, reports from Danmusa indicated that gunmen numbering about 50 stormed polling units in the area and carted away many residents, forcing INEC staff to scamper to safety.

Gombe Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo again suffered defeat in the hands of the main opposition APC at his polling unit, Hassan Manzo 005, as his party, PDP, polled 201 votes against APC's 263 votes. Dankwambo had earlier lost the Gombe North Senate seat to APC's Saidu Alkali two weeks ago during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

Hassan Manzo 005 is in Harwagana ward of Gombe Local Government Area.

APC also won in House of Assembly election in the unit, scoring 230 votes to defeat the PDP candidate who scored 196 for the Gombe North House of Assembly poll.

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14

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

OPINION That We May Win Our Nation National interest should guide the Supreme Court’s considerations of the Presidential election petition, writes Sufuyan Ojeifo

P

ending a Supreme Court verdict in the presidential election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari remains provisional - or at best tentative. Both are potential winner and loser.

The pendulum of legal victory could swing either way. Beyond the subsisting electoral umpire’s declaration, whoever receives the Supreme Court’s approbation is the president in the eyes of the law.

But for the existence of the court and related constitutional provisions in the resolution of electoral conflict, the election would have been decisively won without recourse to legal redress. It would then also have not mattered whether the victory was achieved by hook or by crook. The aggrieved parties would have, in the vortex of disapproval, resorted to self-help to reclaim perceived stolen mandate. Then, there is no assurance the process would not lead to the loss of our nation, her shared values and recognized heterogeneity.

As it is, Buhari is a custodian of a questionable mandate.

Atiku, on his part, is a pretender to a supposed stolen mandate.

Remarkably, both the custodian and the pretender are exercising their liberty as constitutionally circumscribed within the milieu of a peaceful Nigerian nation. That is most significant within the context of the elections that seek to vest mandates in political leaderships. In any case, through the court, electoral process will be proved to be conclusive. Elections will be lost - and conversely won by many.

While negative emotions could flow from losses in the election s, they should not be extended to the structure of our corporate existence as a nation. Nothing untoward should be done to lose our nation. The philosophy of winning our nation has always been at the heart of overriding national interest. That perhaps explains the reason no incumbent president whose victory at the poll was challenged at the court had ever been defeated. The officers in the temple of justice, especially at the Supreme Court, have so far been in pari materia with this philosophy.

In the 2007 massively-rigged presidential election, a fact attested to by the beneficiary of the flawed process, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and which culminated in the electoral reform superintended by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Uwais, the Supreme Court had, in its ruling on Buhari’s petititon in the face of the glaring irregularities, preserved national interest in its four to three split verdict in favour of Yar’Adua. It could be recalled that Buhari got the minority (dissenting) judgment of Justices G.A. Oguntade, Aloma Muktar and Walter Onnoghen.

The majority judgment kept Yar’Adua in office and that enabled him to initiate and pursue obligatory electoral reforms. Buhari’s loss in 2007 as it happened in 2003 did not culminate in the loss of our nation. He also lost in 2011 and once more, we won our nation. In 2015, defeated incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, did not bother to legally challenge the election won by Buhari. Both the election and our nation were quickly won.

Today, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the defeated presidential candidate of the opposition PDP had already filed his petition at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, challenging Buhari’s victory in the February 23 poll. Certainly, the fate of the nation lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, the final appellate destination in the matter of presidential election petitions.

Whereas, great hope had always been reposed in the Supreme Court to act in the national interest, recent seemingly calculated attack on the Judiciary in which the morality of the head of that arm of the government, Onnoghen, had been called to question, has insinuated the executive arm into a premeditated plot to intimidate, demonise and demoralize the bench, perhaps in the prosecution of its overall plot to secure the position of president by all means.

The pertinent question the scenario raises is: to what degree can the panel of the Supreme Court justices that sits on the presidential election petition on appeal before it ensure fairness conterminously with national interest? Without prejudice to the character and integrity of members of the panel that will be carefully considered and appointed by whoever is the Chief Justice of Nigeria at the point in time, fairness of the matter and preservation of national interest will offer the ultimate challenge to their capacity and conscience to deliver justice in the matter.

But while it is expected that the Supreme Court will not pander

The Atiku petition has provided another challenge to the Supreme Court to intervene in a very utilitarian and just manner in a great moment of national anxiety

to partisan frenzy and end up succumbing to the pressure of judicial activism by being unnecessarily revolutionary in its verdict, it is not out of place for the popular sentiments and proclivities of Nigerians, correctly weighed on the scale of national consensus, to be considered in the administration of justice since the issue at stake is about the mandate of the people freely given at the poll.

Since the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been essentially impeached by widespread whispered and overt rejection of the outcomes of the presidential and National Assembly polls, the courts are expected to step in as the last hope of the people in quest for justice.

Justice is the essential balm that soothes frayed nerves. The most celebrated English judge of the 20th Century, Lord Alfred Thompson Denning, Master of the Rolls, once said: “If justice were to have a voice, she would speak as the English judge.”

The compelling insight of Lord Denning speaks volumes about the characteristic impeccability and infallibility of justice as delivered from the English bench. The English judges deliver justice in its pristine form. The temple of justice is not defiled on the basis of primordial considerations and negotiated ratio decidendi.

Over the years, the Nigerian judiciary has been plagued with reported cases of corruption. The Supreme Court has been the last bastion of hope in its real sense. Although, it may not be a perfect temple of justice, it has always kindled and rekindled hope in moments of countrywide doubts. The Atiku petition has thus provided another challenge to the Supreme Court to intervene in a very utilitarian and just manner in a great moment of national anxiety.

It should not matter who the CJN is or who the members of the appeal panel are. It should not matter who appointed the CJN or the social affiliations or associations of panel members.

What should matter is the national interest. What should matter is justice of the matter as reinforced by the position of the laws anchored on the body of facts or evidence that is proved beyond reasonable doubt. What should matter is the Supreme Court deploying the magnitude of its capacity as a force of social engineering for stability of and peace in the polity. What should matter is about us winning our nation and not about massaging the ego of or promoting the sense of entitlement of Buhari and Atiku to the presidential mandate.

––Ojeifo, an Abuja-based journalist, contributed this piece via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com

The Spirit of Lagos Tayo Ogunbiyi argues the need for continued inter-ethnic harmony in the state

H

ighlighting the ethnic and tribal composition of our great country is always a hurting venture for patriotic and detribalized minds. One of the banes of the country’s march to greatness is tribalism and ethnicity. Our diverse ethnic and tribal configuration has always been a major setback in our quest for a united, prosperous and strong nation.

Unfortunately, the nation’s elite, rather than emphasise more on the things that bind us together as a people, often play the ethnic and tribal cards for chiefly selfish and other primordial considerations. The elite have discovered that ethnicity, tribalism and religious sentiments remain cheap channels through which they could play upon the intelligence of the ordinary folks in the country and they have learnt to use them to the maximum for their advantage.

It is a common thing in Nigeria for political jobbers and certified opportunists, who usually have nothing good to offer the people, to fan tribal and ethnic sentiments across the land. The strategy is for them to pretend as defenders of the people; same people whose interests they have always trampled upon for ephemeral concerns.

In Nigeria, Lagos remains, perhaps, the only major melting point where all Nigerians could feel at home, irrespective of ethnic and religious differences. There is no other state that has opened its doors to accommodate Nigerians of various shades as Lagos does. It has always been the tradition of successive governments in the state to accord every resident in the state fair deal in the scheme of things.

This is the spirit of Lagos. It is this tradition that subsequent governments in the state have been building upon for years. Without a doubt, the state government is often motivated by a strong desire to build a state where everyone, irrespective of ethnic, tribal, religious and other such concerns could productively earn a decent living in a safe and secured environment. The main goal is to have a state where ethnic and tribal considerations count for nothing.

In Lagos State, in terms of strategic positioning, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is, perhaps, the most crucial of all the state’s MDAs. It is the ministry that priorities the expenditures of the state government. It is a testimony to the non-tribal disposition of

the state government that this all important agency was once, foe eight years, under the leadership of Mr. Ben Akabueze, a professional banker and economist of Igbo descent. To further reinforce its non-tribal posture, the Lagos State government named a few of its housing estates as well as parks after prominent Nigerians like Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu.

In the past 19 years, Lagos has continued to show the way forward in its commitment to an indivisible Nigeria where no one is denied of opportunities for self actualisation on mundane considerations. The state’s primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities and, indeed, other such infrastructure remain accessible to all Nigerians without any discrimination. The State Security Trust Fund has continued to ensure the safety and security of every Lagos resident. The public primary and secondary schools in the state have continued to open their doors to all Nigerians, irrespective of tribal and ethnic affiliations.

Since the inception of the now popular Spelling Bee competition, among public secondary schools in the state, some of the winners that have emerged as ‘One Day Governors’ sufficiently demonstrate the cosmopolitan nature of the state’s public schools.

A breakdown reveals that, out of the lot, two are from Edo State while the remaining four are of Igbo extraction.

In Lagos State, excellence and competence remain major factors in the recruitment of its workforce. Apart from the Federal Civil Service, the Lagos State Public Service remains, perhaps, the only one in the country that employs people without regards to ethnic and tribal factors. Today, the State Public Service has in its fold Nigerians that cut across the major ethnic/ tribal divides in the country.

While some states in the country employ or even retrench based on indigenization considerations, Lagos state has simply continued its policy of absorbing qualified Nigerians into its public service. It is on record that sometimes ago a state in the South East zone disengaged ‘non-indigenes’ from its workforce.

This has never been the case in Lagos State.

The relative peace being enjoyed in the state is a reflection of the unrelenting effort of the state government to accommodate

various interest groups in the state. On a regular basis, the state government organizes stakeholders meetings with the leaders of the ethnic/tribal communities in the state to rub mind together on how to make Lagos a better place for all. Specifically, the state government has a healthy relationship with the various ethnic and tribal groups in the state. The result of this robust relationship is the atmosphere of peace and harmony that currently reign in the state.

The issues involved in the development and growth of Lagos State and, indeed, Nigeria transcends ethnic and religious sentiments. The brotherly love and bond that have existed between the Lagos State government and the diverse ethnic and tribal groups in the state must not be compromised. Fifth columnists, whose major pre-occupation is to fan the ember of disaffection for self-seeking interests must not be allowed to profit, as it is their practice, from the current false campaigns. The hospitable nature of Lagos indigenes is legendary. And so is with the present government of the state and previous administrations.

In a political season, unusual things happen and perhaps we are living in an interesting time. There is too much at stake for anyone to begin to incite non indigenous population against their host state. It is a very dangerous and unwarranted pattern.

The sad manipulation of our people through ethnic, religious and sectional differences has caused a lot of harm to our nation.

It breaks the unity of our people and turns their attention away from the urgent and real matters of public interests.

Given the current thinking in Lagos State, it is strongly believed that all stakeholders in the state should play a major role in ensuring the full realization of the lofty policies and programmes of the state government for common good of everybody. Therefore, to further strengthen the current development strides, there must be continuous constructive engagements and collaborations between all groups, interests and actors in the state. This is the only way forward. This is the spirit of Lagos.

––Ogunbiyi is of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

15

LETTERS Gender Balance And International Women’s Day

"W

hat a man can do, a woman can do better” is a popular cliché which seeks to juxtapose the two genders.

Often times, it is raised when one, usually the female, is favoured above the other. But is it true that one gender is better than the other? History doesn’t support this claim.

The fifth Sustainable Development Goal, “gender equality” is a term that seeks to promote equal access to resources, opportunities. It underscores the realism that one gender is neither superior nor inferior to the other. The campaign seeks to abolish gender-based discrimination and all forms of human rights violation against women and girls in particular.

Over the years, society has assigned roles to the two genders. Perhaps because of their physiologies and the predominant patriarchal cultures, the male is often seen as the stronger because of his physical attributes, and the female, because of her tenderness is labelled as the weaker vessel.

This deep-rooted practice will require spirited efforts and unrelenting advocacy in order to have any significant behavioural change in the larger society. It is against this relegation of the woman folk

Aisha Buhari

that March 8 has always been celebrated as International Women’s Day. The significance of gender equality cannot be over emphasised. A world where men, women, boys and girls feel equal and respected offers a high sense of security and complementarity. It is a requirement for peace and prosperity in the society, where discrimination will be brought to its barest

minimum and potential can be fully maximised.

Gender inequality is a real phenomenon in Nigeria.

From the religious houses to work stations, men and women are segregated. The government is not excluded from such discriminations, despite its lip-service to gender quality. The ratio of men to women who are offered political appointments into the federal or state governments

is still rather low. The story is the same in the National Assembly and state’s Houses of Assembly. Till date, there is no elected female governor in Nigeria, and it does not appear that this ugly trend may change soon; for she is seen as a second fiddle. The highest position considered for them has always been deputy governor. A shining light however can be seen in the Lagos State judiciary where women have held the forth in the last five years.

In the workplace, it is essential to ensure empowerment and equal opportunity without any form of disparity or gender bias as a matter of deliberate policy direction. The right that a new mother has to maternity leave is the same her husband has to a paternity leave. When companies oblige parents of this, it is good for everyone, including the new born baby. Unfortunately, women are still being treated, evaluated and stigmatised unfairly. About this time last year, it was all over the news that, out of over 100 staff that were disengaged by a telecoms company, 90 females were laid off over their marital status. The protection of male and female rights contributes to the productivity of the workforce and the overall wellbeing of the organisation.

No doubt, we are approach-

Weighing Scale of The Madonna

A

society man cannot reveal his secrets for they are the treasures of darkness and to the un-learned mind, these series of articles may appear esoteric. St Paul in 2 Cor12:2-4, talks of a man that was caught up in slumber, ie Slum-mba, at about to get to as Ghetto of heaven which is the 3rd heaven known as paradise, where the man heard unspeakable words which are not lawful for a man to utter.

The beginning of SPIED was amorphous, it tends to say much in few words and unfolds as a jigsaw that fits into a sequence of puzzle that can only be pictured in the light of the previous pieces, supposed to have been searched out with New King James Version of the scripture. In Ehugbo dialect, ‘Agha’ is War, ‘Ghabata’ is enter, through ‘ukpukpani onuzo-ulo’ which is a Door into ‘Ulo’, a house. Uloma, a metaphor for daughter, who must have left her father’s house, house she left to cleft for her husband to cleave, in leave of her father and mother Eph5:32-31.

Ulo the mothers’ house, a sobriquet for daughter, must have left her fathers’ as ‘Ikwuulo’ the roof, coterminous with the caste, of her children to be. War is Agha, to enter is Agha-ba, Agha-Abba-Father, were formerly in heaven as choristers, who serenade and exhilarate Him with hymnary and musical instruments beyond earthly vocabulary, in

worship of the father as Nna ha fere, but they got puffed up and daa ada as fallen Puff adder, fallen as epileptic-seizures fere Nna. Some fell with Satan to land, others to the waters as mermaid Acts19:35 Mk9:18-20 Rev12:7 Gen6:2. They disguised themselves in the celestial coup-de-tat with mask to raid as masquerades of Agha Abba, Aghaba masquerade.

The house-door-post, ie ekwe-ukpukpani, is a sobriquet for vaginal vulva of the barren di-agha. It is believed in Ehugbo aaron-chukwu of the course of abia Lk1:5-7, that at the post are the seven devils of Magdalene, numerous host of hell, a multitude, known as ntutu-ekwe-ukpukpani Agha dinaya. Aghadi, which is the barren menopause, idi-agha of Reginas known as Nde Uruikpo. This is such that, emasculated as enter-price at veranda-a-gabatha through the door are the male-factors of re-production of Okikpo ie Di-ekwe, the husband of Magdalene.

Okikpo ntutu ekwe ukpukpani, the Sumo emasculated at door-post, in a process that would appear to be what is known as amu-matumatu in ikpakpa-ikolo-obia, an ask amiss, fore-shadowing coition with the Church, of Christ the Rabboni, Ura-bone of bone, the fullness of him that filleth all in all and the godhead bodily Eph1:23, Col2:9, Lk23:33-34, Lk23:41-42, Jn20:16, Jn20:1, Mk16:9, Jn19:13, Acts19:14. The 7th devil of Magdalene known as Agbogor-obe, is believed to be so atoned by what science

knows as aa-kporhor, a parody of alchohol as the sound of expectoration in coughing.

Coffin, a Cask-et, cask in earth as tomb, tomb ‘ili-nkwor’, tombo-liquor in corpse, cups of wine from the cask Dan5:4, 27. Wine-corpse known as ozuahia, a sobriquet for ‘nkwor’, the driver of screw of man with the van of atone-meant as a-tonovan, the incubuses at half-mast Ur bu nation of Messopota-mia.

Tonovan, the masticated flies of apothecary known as okporo ijiji, the flies of Egypt and idiom of Joes’ self-garment. Gamette of sex, a yard adockaara as cast afore stalls by the door-post of fidaus. Feedhouse at ‘NdokwaAsabathaadni’, as welcome to a Delaila feast of armu, made sauce for an helping to meat at mess, that comes-in as incom-merce. Commerce as greeting in market places known as ahia aturu okporo ijiji kukwe ekele, which is a token of enterprise. Enter-price token of one cent, one sent as coin-dey, kehinde sent as a borrow of mans’ seminal vehicle, seminal vesicle, vessels known as efere-aku fechaa or usari ogwu okpogho Lk20:46, Ecc10:1, Prov23:5, Jn19:24, Jn5:4-1, Gen39:12, Isa44:25, , Mt17:27 Lk5:19, 2kg4:1-7, Jdg16:19 Dt23:1, Gen2:18-23, Gen2:28, Gen24:2.

It would appear that this was the case history of the man at the tombs of ogadarenes in Mk5. As it were therefore, Oga-lili-nkwor, Nna-siezurefere, Jesus, asked him, Mk5:9, ‘what is your name’, he replied, Legion of Regina, regiment of

romance-soldiers, a bata-lion at Dothan for we are many Gen37:17.

Nsi-narrated in other words, we are nde-Ara-Agbara-otor, Ara-da-radar, nde-Agha-Abba, Seizure-fere-nnia, Schizophrenia of this Mad, a man found in want on weighing scale of the Madonna as Ochucho-Nsi-obikpe, ubi jus ubi remedium Acts26:24, for he does not know his want from his need to take and not given from heaven Psm23:1.

The man got rid of mad on the hill as-wine, swine that were given ishabathecal leave at the Bay of Pigs, missing as pigmies Mk5:14. While mad-rid was on a hill, depression was the case of King Saul, who could not find happiness in the harp of David, from He-brewery 1sam16:16, Isa44:25.

It would appear that the man by the pool of Bethesda sinned the more Jn5:13, and that Mary Magdalene was a fore-shadow of the Church and wife of Christ. It should equally behove on us that men are found wanting at the high or low of all kinds 1sam6:12, of enterprise-tokens.

Tokens such as: wish of endors’meant for divination at igba-afa-birth, in necromancy of akwam-ozu ahia and switch of astrological stars and lifetime seasonal chance in matrickster 1sam28:15, Gen27:15-16, Lk1:6064 Lk23:29. The root cause of madness, epilepsy, impotence is pride and envy, so the scripture says that contentment with Godliness is great gain.

–– Eleje Abili-Willy, Lagos

ing a gender balanced society.

But the task to abolish gender inequality is not a day’s job.

The overbearing influence of culture, tradition, religion, prejudice and stereotype against women is a real challenge. The idea that the woman’s career ends in the kitchen or that the girl child should not be educated or that women should do all the housework is now being seen as in the past.

It is heart-warming to note that women achievements are now being celebrated and their responsibilities are not just confined to “the other room”. The media must give voice to their issues and accomplishments. Adeola Sowemimo was recently showered with encomiums as the first female African to work as a pilot for luxury airline, Qatar Airways and fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. With continued campaigns and advocacy, the female child will continue to enjoy education which would give her the capacity to harness her full potential.

Gender equality is practicable and achievable. Neither man nor woman is inferior to the other. Their biological make up may be different

but their capacity to think and achieve in order to make a difference in our world remains the same. Their roles are to complement, rather than compete with each other. Their perceptions and interests would also differ.

This does not suggest that one is inferior to the other.

Both man and woman have their distinct peculiarities that make both dependent on each other. None is self-sufficient.

This is the true meaning of balance.

Finally, gender equality should be seen as an inalienable right of persons, violation of which offenders will be prosecuted. This is a clarion call to government and all policymakers that it is high time that gender equality was included in the law books and policy formulation process. Deliberate steps must also be taken to put system in place to execute and monitor it. According to the masked one, Lagbaja, in one of his lyrics: “Human kind may never find justice until we ensure justice between the sexes”.

The balance of the sexes is a non-negotiable prerequisite for a better world.

––Yinka Adeosun, Akure.

INEC’S Electoral Deceit

W

hen will Nigeria join the league of decent nations and be respected? When can we ever detach ourselves from primordial inclinations?

When a nation misses the path of recovery and direction, she regresses into sovereign emptiness and endless flagellation. Something must be fundamentally wrong with a country that spent almost half its annual recurrent appropriation and four years to conduct just one election, and still could not deliver anything acceptable.

What does INEC’s Professor Mahmood Yakubu stand to lose if he exercised seriousness in handling the February 23 Presidential and NASS polls? And what does the ruling APC stand to lose if it had avoided its obvious meddlesomeness which aided INEC to bungle the poll?

President Buhari is 76 years old. What does he stand to lose if he served just one term to satiate his fancies of having been once a military and civilian president during his lifetime? It is impossible for him to exculpate himself from allegations that the government he heads overtly and covertly influenced Yakubu’s handling of the February polls to his advantage. And more fundamentally, why did he go to Zimbabwe in mid-2018 to play the hypocrite, urging President Robert Mugabe to step down from his office?

The tale-tell signs were there that the President Buhari-led administration was out to circumvent the rule of

law to ensure the February 23 Presidential and NASS poll outcome favoured the ruling party.

First he circumvented due process in relieving Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria. The administration was desperate to oust Justice Onnoghen simply because they want to have in place a pliant and compromising alternative who would adjudicate on post-election petitions.

And in spite of the clarion call for the removal and trial of CCT’s Tanko Mohammed, a government that makes so much noise about fighting corruption never thought it fit to yield to such popular demand.

Now to the election. Why would someone who prides himself a professor not able to put up just one complaint-free election after four years with a hefty bill delivered months before 2019?

It has nothing to do with the faculty and mental capacity of the professor. It has to do with Professor Yakubu’s assigned mission to ruin the hopes of Nigerians.

I don’t know how to explain the fact that the smart card reader could not function when he had all of four years to put them in order or possibly replace them. Or how do we explain the excuse that vehicle conveying INEC papers broke down, as if there is only one single vehicle in the world?

––Sam Nwokoro, Lagos (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

5 ) * 4 % ": t SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019

16

RC: No 1079631

THE OLORI OMO-OBA is

Your life and character are trans-generational

Father of fathers, leader of leaders and a teacher of teachers

Your type of virtues, heights attained, can only come from God

A distinguished gentleman, mentor to mentors, a man truly blessed by God.

Your hard work and achievements, present you as an open lesson

As you dedicate the rest of your life to serve your God Almighty

Perseverance and faith in your God, are a comfort to them that despair

All of us at FCMB Group Plc, join the rest of the business world to celebrate our Founder,

You are a living legend whose positive impact on humanity, cannot be measured Whose remarkable life ink and words cannot do justice to A lover of children, builder of institutions

Otunba Dr. Michael Olasubomi Balogun, CON, the Olori Omo-Oba Akile Ijebu as he marks his 85th Birthday.

May the good Lord continue to keep you strong as you continue to age, gracefully.

Happy Birthday Sir.

www.fcmbgroup.com

44 Marina, Lagos, Nigeria

5 ) * 4 % ": t SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2019

17

18

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž MARCH 10, 2019

SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION...

President Muhammadu Buhari with his wife, Aisha casts his vote at the word 8 Kofar Baru word 003 polling unit Daura, Katsina State

L-R: Former President Goodluck Jonathan who was accompanied by his wife, Patience, voted at unit 39, Ward 13 at the Otazi Playground, Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode casts his vote at Ward A5 Polling Unit 033, Epe

Vice PresidentYemi Osinbajo, SAN, casts his vote atVGC polling unit in Lagos

Mr. Peter Obi casting his vote

Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara casting his vote in his home town of Gwarangah, Bogoro LGA, Bauchi

EnuguStateGovernor,Rt.Hon.IfeanyiUgwuanyi, castinghisvote at AmubeWard II Polling Unit, Ohom Orba, Enugu

Gubernatorial Candidate of PDP in Oyo state Mr. Seyi Makinde and his wife, Ominini casting their votes at Abayomi Iwo Road polling Unit

L-R: Oyo State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Chief AdebayoAdelabu;andhiswife,Oluseyi,castingtheirvotesatWard9,Unit10,

Anambra governor, Willie Obiano casting his ballot at Amaeze ward one, Aguleri, Anambra

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, votes at Polling Unit 003, Amachalla, Mpu, Aninri LGA

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž MARCH 10, 2019

SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION...

Chairman Forte Oil Plc; Mr. Femi Otedola casting his vore at polling unit EC.304 Word Ikoyi 11 PHOTO: Mubo Peters

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa at his polling unit

Oyo state Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife Florence, Ajimobi cast their votes at Ward 10 Unity 20

APC Kaduna Guber candidate, El-Rufai, casting his vote in his polling unit

Chief Great Ogboru, Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State

APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu casting his vote at unit 047, Ward C, lkeja PHOTO: Abiodun Ajala

INEC ad-hoc staff at Oba Moruf primary school, Ejigbo, Lagos protest non payment of their allowances PHOTO: Kunle Ogunfuyi

The deserted roads in Abuja during the general election...yesterday

INEC Officials waiting for voters who refused to come out to cast their vote during the governorship and state assenbly election in Lagos PHOTO: Abiodun Ajala

PHOTO: Godwin Omoigui

20

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

IMAGES

S

ir George lkechukwu Odabi, an educationist and former executive secretary, National Mathematical Center, Abuja who died on November 13, 2018 was buried in Agbor, Delta State on Friday, January 11, 2019. Receptiion took place immediately after interment in his Compound. Here are the faces of some of the personalities that attended occasion.

Photographs by Abiodun Ajala

R-L: Widow of the deceased, Lady Kate Odabi and the Eldest Night, Sir Ojobo

L-R: Sons of the deceased, George and Ernest Odabi

Daughter of the deceased, Mrs Kate lmansuangbon[middle] flanked by the in-laws Barrister Kenneth lmansuangbon [left] and Benny Nnabue. Behind them is David lmansuangbon

Children, Kingsley Odabi and Mrs Nko Nnabue

Grandchildren; Joree Odabi; Brian Nnabue and Justice Odabi

L-R: Pator lze lyamu and Senator Mathew Urohide

L-R: A. Odiase; Akere Ugbesia and Pascal Ogbeme [OMININI]

L-R: Izabella Odabi and Barrister Sukky Odabi [Son]

Daughters in-laws, Chioma Odabi[left] and Tosimin Odabi

L-R: Chief Dan Orbih and Senator Clifford Odia

21

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

BUSINESS At Last, A Glimmer of Hope for Textile, Garment Industry 08033204315, 08111813084

Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë? Kunle Aderinokun Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ë? Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;

The planned intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in the moribund cotton, textile and garment industry comes as a huge relief to operators and represents the right step in the right direction towards actualising the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the current administration although policy consistency remains crucial, writes James Emejo

O

nce the pride of the nation in the early 1970s and 1980s and major foreign exchange earner, the cotton, textile and garment (CTG) subsector of the economy had been in shambles since the advent of crude oil and now unable to make any meaningful contribution to economic growth.

The sector was once the hub of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest textile industry, with over 180 textile mills in operation and employing over 450,000 people and accounting for over 25 per cent of the workforce in the manufacturing sector.

However, today, the CTG segment is living in the shadows of itself as virtually all the companies had shut down and thousands of jobs lost, making the country a major importer of clothings and textile products.

Years of maladministration and policy inconsistency on the part of government especially the inability to provide infrastructure and conducive environment to retain as well as attract more investments into the sector had further strangulated the textile manufacturing economy.

It is further estimated that over $325 million was being lost in annual revenue to government through the importation of textile materials.

All past and recent efforts by successive administrations to revive the textile industry had only been more of paying lip service to a major economic matter, leaving the resuscitation of the sector in a state of dilemma.

The scenario partly explains why the policy pronouncement last week by the CBN to put an end to textile importation by adding all forms of textile materials to the list of items that are not eligible for foreign exchange from the official windows with immediate effect has come as a watershed in efforts at reviving the collapsed textile industry.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had at a meeting with stakeholders in the CTG sector in Abuja, reeled out far-reaching intervention programmes, aimed at restoring the sector to its former glory.

Emefiele announced plans for financial intervention to textile manufacturers with the provision of funds at single-digit rates, to refit, retool and upgrade their factories to enable them produce high quality textile materials for the local and export market.

He warned all FX dealers in the country to desist from granting any importer of textile material access to foreign currency in the Nigerian foreign exchange market.

Emefiele said going forward, the apex bank would adopt a range of other strategies that will make it difficult for recalcitrant smugglers to operate banking business in Nigeria, adding that details of the proposed strategies would be unfolded in due course. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Effective immediately, the CBN hereby places the access to FX for all forms of textile materials on the FX restriction list,â&#x20AC;? Emefiele had announced.

He, however, noted that the apex bank would initially support the importation of cotton lint for use in textile factories, with a caveat that such importers will begin to source all their cotton needs locally beginning from 2020.

Emefieleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s declaration for the textile industry was highly commended by stakeholders, particularly the CTG Association President, Mr. Dani Dahiru, who predicted better days following the CBNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intervention programme.

The apex bank boss noted that the country currently spent over $4 billion annually on imported textiles and ready-made clothing.

He said the CBN would craft adequate measures to deal with the menace of smuggling, which had often threatened efforts towards self-sufficiency.

A textile factory...nearly all the textile factories in Nigeria are moribund

According to him, CBN will make life difficult for smugglers.

He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will deal with smuggling this time.

We know what we will do to make it difficult for them to import textile. We will try economic solution to smuggling.â&#x20AC;?

Further reeling out an array of CBN initiatives targeted at restoring the lost glory of the textile industry, Emefiele disclosed that there would be financial intervention to textile manufacturers with the provision of funds at single-digit rates.

The textile firms, he added, will also refit, retool and upgrade their factories to enable them produce high quality textile materials for the local and export market.

He said as part of its Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), the apex bank would also support local growers of cotton to enable them to meet the needs of the textile industries in the country.

Emefiele also said that the CBN would support efforts to source high-yield cotton seedlings â&#x20AC;&#x153;to ensure the yields from our cotton farmers meet global benchmarks.â&#x20AC;?

He further pledged that regarding the provision of stable electricity, the CBN would support the creation of textile production centres in certain designated areas in the country where access to electricity shall be guaranteed.

He expressed the confidence that these measures would discourage smuggling, resuscitate the critical industry, and support stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts at creating jobs for Nigerians.

The CBN governor pointed out that with a projected population of over 180 million, the needs of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s domestic market are huge and varied, with immense prospects, not only for job creation, but also for growth of the domestic textile industries.

He explained: â&#x20AC;&#x153;One quick example that highlights the potential of this local market includes the need to support provision of uniforms and clothing apparels for school students, military and paramilitary officers as well as workers in the industrial sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, when we consider the amount

spent on outfits for religious and social events such as weddings, naming and funeral ceremonies on a weekly basis, the potential market size is well over $10 billion annually.â&#x20AC;?

He said the Nigerian economy has made considerable progress resulting from a series of steps embarked upon by the CBN. These, according to him, include a tighter monetary policy regime beginning in 2016; the establishment of the Investors and Exporters Window in April 2017; restriction of access to forex for 41 items that could be produced in Nigeria as well as the deployment of its agricultural intervention programmes to support improved cultivation of particular agricultural items namely rice, tomatoes and fish.

He noted that following a successful general election, â&#x20AC;&#x153;our foreign investor- friends have began to show interest in Nigeria again, given their confidence of a stable business environment.â&#x20AC;?

He added that noticeable declines had been recorded in monthly food import bill, which declined from $665.4 million in January 2015 to $160.4 million as at October 2018, resulting in a cumulative fall of 75.9 per cent and an implied savings of over $21 billion on food imports alone over that period.

According to him, a lot of progress has been made, but at the same time more needs to be done in order to ensure that we build an inclusive economy that supports domestic production of goods and services, while offering job opportunities to teeming Nigerians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the only option that we have, if we are to insulate our economy from volatility in the crude oil market and in the global financial markets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to achieve this goal, the CBN together with other critical stakeholders recently identified key commodities and products such as textiles and palm oil that have the ability to support the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in our economy,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

Emefiele said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As you are aware, in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and early 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Nigeria was home to Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

largest textile industry, with over 180 textile mills in operations, which employed close to over 450,000 people. By today, if we had nurtured and encouraged the textile industry, that sector will be employing millions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The textile industry at that time, was the largest employer of labour in Nigeria after the public sector, contributing over 25 per cent of the workforce in the manufacturing sector. This industry was supported by the production of cotton by 600,000 local farmers across 30 of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 36 states. This sector supported the clothing needs of the Nigerian populace, as our markets were filled with locally produced textiles from companies such as United Textiles in Kaduna, Supertex Limited, Afprint, International Textile Industry (I.T.I), Texlon, Aba Textiles, Asaba Textile Mills Ltd, Enpee and Aswani Mills amongst several others.â&#x20AC;?

Continuing, he said it was no secret that the past 20 years had been â&#x20AC;&#x153;very difficultâ&#x20AC;? for many textile firms, which had faced rising operating cost and weak sales due to high energy cost, smuggling of textile goods, and poor access to finance.

According to him, many of the textile industry employers have had to lay off employees while most of the factories mentioned have all stopped operations, leaving only 25 textile factories in operation presently- and operating below 20 per cent of their production capacities with total workforce of less than 20,000 people.

Emefiele further lamented: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, the cotton growing sector has gone dead, thereby depriving thousands of small holder farmers the opportunity to earn a living. Furthermore, a large proportion of our clothing materials are imported from China and countries in Europe.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;At this stage, we intervened to redirect our focus to the important role the textile industry played in our country. They did more than produce cottons and textiles; they helped in sustaining the vitality of the neighborhoods in which they operated.

With the death of these industries, came a rise in unemployment, insecurity and other negative social vices,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

22

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

Ëš

Dangote Cementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12% Revenue Growth Lifts GDP Heavy rains and uncertainties in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political landscape in 2018 were not enough threats to improved profitability for Dangote Cement, a leading cement manufacturing group in Africa, as consumption in the country boosted its revenue to about N901billion.

The sterling performance ostensibly accounted for 0.5 per cent of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP in the review year. Bamidele Famoofo reports Executive Officer, Joseph Makoju, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a record financial performance by Dangote Cement, driven by a strong increase in our home market, Nigeria, despite heavy rains and uncertainties about the election. Although Pan-African volumes were unchanged in 2018, I am confident that we will see an increase in 2019, driven by higher volumes in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Congo and Sierra Leone. Now that we have gas turbines operating in Tanzania we will also see increased profitability in the Pan-Africa region and this will help to improve overall Group margins.â&#x20AC;?

Dangote Cement Factory, Obajana, Kogi State

Manufacturing Sector he manufacturing sector of the economy was one out of four major sectors in the non-oil sector that helped Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grow by 2.38 percent in real terms (year-on-year) in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to figures from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The statistics bureau noted that nominal GDP growth for the manufacturing sector was recorded at 33.57 per cent, which is 24.37 percentage points higher than the rate recorded in the corresponding period of 2017 (9.20 per cent), but only 0.84 percentage points higher than the preceding quarterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (32.73 per cent). Quarter on quarter, growth of the sector stood at 6.62per cent, while annual growth was 24 per cent in 2018. The contribution of manufacturing to nominal GDP in Q4 2018 was 10.11per cent, which is higher than its contribution in the corresponding period of 2017 (8.53 per cent) and Q3 2018 (10.01 per cent).

For 2018, the sector contributed 9.75 per cent to total nominal GDP, higher than its contribution, of 8.83 percent in 2017.

The growth represents an increase of 0.27per cent points when compared to the fourth quarter of 2017, which recorded a growth rate of 2.11 percent.

It also indicates a rise of 0.55 percentage points when compared with the growth rate recorded in third quarter 2018. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, real GDP growth was 5.31percent.

The fourth quarter growth performance implies that real GDP grew at an annual growth rate of 1.93per cent in 2018, compared to 0.82 per cent recorded in 2017, an increase of 1.09percentage points.

During the quarter, aggregate nominal GDP stood at N35.230 trillion, which is higher than N31.275 trillion recorded in Q4 2017, a nominal growth rate of 12.65 per cent. For 2018, nominal GDP was therefore recorded at N127.762 trillion

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representing a nominal growth rate of 12.36percent when compared to N113.711trillion recorded in 2017.

The manufacturing sector comprises of 13 activities: Oil Refining; Cement; Food, Beverages and Tobacco; Textile, Apparel, and Footwear; Wood and Wood products; Pulp Paper and Paper products; Chemical and Pharmaceutical products; Non-metallic Products, Plastic and Rubber products; Electrical and Electronic, Basic Metal and Iron and Steel; Motor Vehicles and Assembly; and Other Manufacturing.

Dangote Cement While the improved contribution of non-oil sector and by extension the manufacturing subsector to GDP growth have been applauded by economic pundits, the impact of Dangote Cement in the revival of the near comatose manufacturing space in Nigeria cannot be ignored.

Ostensibly, Dangote Cement, largest capitalised company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of about N3.4trillion was a major contributor to growth in GDP in 2018 with record revenue of N901billion in its financial year ended December 31, 2018.

The ever expanding Dangote Cement Group with established manufacturing plants across major countries in Africa grew total revenue by 11.9 percent from N805.58billion in December 31, 2017 to N901billion in 2018.

Going by the details in the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audited financial records for 2018, revenue was largely driven by the Nigerian market where revenue grew by 11.9 percent from N552.36billion in 2017 to N618.30billion. The implication is that consumption of cement in Nigeria in the review year increased by 11.9 percent or about N66billion.

Dangote Cement accounted for 0.5 percent of nominal GDP in 2018 considering the N618.30billion total revenue generated from the local market in comparison to an aggregate nominal GDP of N127.76trillion recorded by Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest

economy in 2018.

Financials Dangote Cement Plc, Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cement producer, announces a groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revenue of N901.2billion as at December 31, 2018, which represents an increase of 11.9 percent compared to N805.52billion in the corresponding period of 2017.

Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s earnings before Interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), (used as an indicator of the overall profitability of a business), moved up 12.1 per cent to N435.3billion from N388.15billion in the preceding financial year.

Details of the report indicated that Nigeria EBITDA increased by 10.2 percent from N360.76billion in 2017 to N397.40billion in 2018, while margin also increased by 64.3 percent. Pan-Africa EBITDA surged by 28.2 percent from N38.28billion in 2017 to N49.1billion while margin growth was put at 17.3 percent in 2018.

Dangote Cement explained that the increase in EBITDA was helped by the more favourable fuel mix at Obajana and Ibese, both of which were able to use coal from mines operated by its parent, Dangote Industries Limited. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The use of expensive LPFO has been eliminated and our reliance on imported coal has ended at Obajana and Ibese, where we are using own-mined and third-party Nigerian coal, with obvious benefits to both margins and foreign currency demands.

All of our eight kilns at Obajana and Ibese are now capable running on coal, gas or LPFO, or a mixture of the three. Our two lines at Gboko run on coal or LPFO or a mixture of the twoâ&#x20AC;?, the leading cement company in Africa revealed.

Further breakdown of the audited 2018 financial figures showed that earnings per share (EPS) of the cement group went up by 95.9 per cent to N22.83. To reward its shareholders across board, Dangote Cement has proposed a dividend of N16.00 per share which represents a growth of 52.4per cent compared to the dividend paid in 2017.

Speaking on the performance, Group Chief

Operating Highlights Dangote Group revenue was driven by sales volumes which went up by 7.4 per cent to 23.5 metric tonnes (Mt) in 2018 driven largely by the Nigerian operations, which increased volumes by 11.4 percent to 14.2Mt in 2018, including export sales of 0.7Mt. Domestic sales in Nigeria were 13.4Mt, compared to 12.0Mt in 2017, because of higher building activity as the economy recovered from recession. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Nigeria, our 13.3Mta Obajana plant sold 6.7Mt of cement in 2017, with the 12.0Mta Ibese plant also selling nearly 6.7Mt. Our 4.0Mta plant at Gboko, in Benue State, was mothballed for most of the year but sold more than 0.8Mt,â&#x20AC;? the group remarked.

Meanwhile, group manufacturing costs increased by 9.1percent, mostly as a result of increased volumes in Nigeria. Manufacturing costs in Nigeria increased by 7.4per cent from N158.6billion to N170.3billion, on the back of the 11.4 per cent increase in sales volume for 2018.

Although Pan-African volumes remained constant, manufacturing costs increased by 10.6 per cent from N192.7billion to N213.0billion, mainly due to exchange rate impacts as well as input price adjustments.

The naira traded at N359/$1 at the end of 2018 compared to N331/$1 at the end of 2017, a decline in value of 7.8percent. The depreciation also contributed to the overall increase in Pan-African operating costs when these were converted to naira. The average exchange rate and year-end exchange rate for the main currencies applied are as shown in the notes to the financial statements.

Besides, total administration and selling costs rose by 22.0 per cent to N189.4billion, mostly as a result of higher sales and associated distribution costs in Nigeria, which also include increased export sales from the country whose delivery costs are higher. Haulage expenses in Nigeria increased by N10.2billion to N56.7billion from N46.5billion. Haulage costs in Pan-Africa increased

by N3.2billion, representing 11.3per cent increase.

Changes Mr. Olusegun Olusanya resigned from the board after being with Dangote Cement for about 15 years. Another major change on the board in the financial year ended December 31, 2018 was the resignation of the Group Chief Financial Officer and Board member, Brian Egan. The Irish finally quit the organisation on February 28, 2019 after five years with Dangote Cement.

In the interim, Guillaume Moyen, who recently joined Dangote Cement as Group Chief Finance Officer (Operations) will be Acting Group Chief Financial Officer from March 1, 2019.

Outlook Dangote Cement believes the year 2019 has started well with sales volumes in Nigeria more than 10 per cent ahead of last year in ongoing first quarter. It is also hinging its hope on federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to a strong programme of infrastructure investment and incentivisation that will drive increased road building, including the construction of concrete roads for better performance in 2019.

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

Ëš

Adding Value to Nigeria-China Currency Swap Deal For its special link to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Stanbic IBTC was chosen to lead the line with Zenith Bank, First Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank in the $2.5 billion currency swap deal between Nigeria and China. The deal has since taken off, but there is question about what value Stanbic IBTC has, as a correspondent bank, brought to the table. Kunle Aderinokun reports

EmeďŹ ele

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hen in 2017 the Central Bank of Nigeria announced the currency swap deal with China, four banks, Stanbic IBTC, Zenith Bank, First Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank, were chosen to act as settlement/correspondent banks for settling the trade transactions between importers and exporters from both countries. The deal was meant to ease the bottlenecks associated with trading with China using a third currency, the US dollar, to execute trades.

According to the CBN, the four banks were selected based on their footprints in mainland China. First Bank and Zenith Bank have representative offices in Beijing while Standard Chartered Bank and Stanbic IBTC already have operational offices in China. Stanbic IBTC, however, has a stronger footprint in China; it has a direct link with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the largest bank in the world, through its mother brand, Standard Bank of South Africa. ICBC owns a 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank while Standard Bank owns over 64 per cent of Stanbic IBTC, which is why Stanbic IBTC was chosen as a correspondent bank for the Chinese end.

Long before the CBN commenced sale of foreign exchange in the Chinese currency, the Yuan, in July 2018, the settlement banks had commenced a sensitisation drive and had invested in providing Nigerians and Chinese nationals, particularly importers and exporters, a better understanding of the framework and how the policy works. Particular focus has been on its possible impact on the Nigerian economy as well as the wider Africa-China trade ties. First Bank held the First Bank-Chinese forum while

Sogunle

Stanbic IBTC organised the African-China sessions in line with its wider African reach, through the Standard Bank Group (SBG), and its global connections. Beyond the sessions, Stanbic IBTC has gone ahead to commission an African-China Banking Centre, the only one of the four banks to do so. The centre is equipped with mandarin resources to facilitate communication and drive the required linkages between Nigeria and China thereby making it easier for its clients to trade with the Asian giant. Stanbic IBTC said at the launch of the centre that it represented a critical opportunity to leverage the full potential of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapidly evolving trade partnership.

Understandably, Stanbic IBTC continues to be more bullish in its sensitisation drive as well as in its efforts to facilitate stronger trade ties between Nigeria and China. Its African-China sessions, which it held in Lagos and Abuja, provided an auspicious platform to engage the Chinese business community on the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role as a settlement/correspondent agent for implementation of the policy. Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC, Demola Sogunle, noted the growing economic ties between China and Africa required players with the experience, expertise, reach and resources to help nurture the relationship and ensure its sustainability. A vehicle for this purpose already exists in the alliance of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Standard Bank and Stanbic IBTC, Sogunle noted. The ICBC-Standard Bank-Stanbic IBTC partnership boasts of a strategic synergy with enormous capacity to facilitate investment flows, trade and access between Africa and China, with Nigeria as a major benefactor.

Indeed, such benefits are beginning to play out with Nigerian businesses. The Standard Bank Group, which Stanbic IBTC belongs, late last year sponsored 61 entrepreneurs across Africa to the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) conference

including six entrepreneurs/Stanbic IBTC Bank customers. Even though only three (Okongwu Cyprian; Vora Dolarray; Mehta Pradeep) were eventually able to attend the conference. The sponsorship ties with the financial institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic objective to facilitate trade between Asia and Africa. The conference was part of the efforts by the Chinese government to give support to trade liberalisation and economic globalisation and actively open the Chinese market to the world.

According to Stanbic IBTC, the clients were sponsored to help them exploit new markets for their products in Asia; to help the clients understand a better way to do business in China; provide access to peer-to-peer collaboration and learning for the clients, leveraging the ICBC connection; and to provide the platform for the clients to partake in the $10 trillion earmarked for imports into china over the next five years, among other objectives.

To ensure these objectives are met, SBG and ICBC organised a business matchmaking summit on the sidelines of the conference. The summit was to match SBG/Stanbic IBTC clients to ICBC clients in related fields, to enable them foster business relationships that may lead to export into China and a long-term relationship. The matchmaking summit further underscored the strategic importance of the relationship between SBG/Stanbic IBTC and ICBC; the need to leverage this relationship in accessing the opportunities in China and Africa; and the need to use SBG/ Stanbic IBTC and ICBC as the International Trade gateway between Africa and China.

At the workshop, new relationships were forged and new markets attained. Participants agreed it was a valuable initiative that has had immediate positive impacts on their businesses. Dolarray, whose company, D2H Services Limited, is into the importation of agricultural equipment like

grinding machines, was able to open talks with WuhanKenoway Auto Parts Limited and Sino Machineries for the production of customised equipment at very competitive pricing for the Nigerian market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The invite from the Bank to attend the CIIE made me feel like part of the family. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obvious the bank is interested in my growth,â&#x20AC;? says Dolarray.

Mehta of Enkay Industry Nigeria Limited, an agro commodities processor & exporter, had an understanding with Jilin Voda Food to supply it at least 10,000 metric tonnes of sesame seed and ginger and also discussed buying grinders from Sino Machineries â&#x20AC;&#x153;to enable me increase my processing capacity in-country.â&#x20AC;? He says the sponsorship and the matchmaking summit â&#x20AC;&#x153;was of great value to me.â&#x20AC;?

Interestingly, the sponsorship and participation may have inadvertently opened the door to stronger trade relations among African businesses.

At the conference, a Nigerian business, OC Cyprian Limited, in the building materials and accessory subsector, was able to forge a relationship with a Ghanaian businessman, Mike Adu, to export to Ghana. Okongwu Cyprian visited Ghana two weeks after the CIIE event to firm up trade with Adu as well as explore similar ecosystem for opportunities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This initiative is great. At least I can say Stanbic IBTC is the first Nigerian bank to take its customers to the CIIE and I was a part of same. During the matchmaking session, I connected with Mike Adu from Ghana and can export materials to him. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good initiative the bank has embarked on,â&#x20AC;? says Cyprian.

No doubt, Stanbic IBTC is taking seriously its role as a correspondent bank to the currency swap deal. Beyond that, however, it has expressed the willingness to continue to foster stronger trade ties between the Asian giant and Nigeria and is desirous to be seen as the bank that â&#x20AC;&#x153;connects clients to opportunities in China.â&#x20AC;?

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

BUSINESS/MONEY

Is Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Compliance Industry Ready for Challenges of Regulatory Technology?

With banks struggling under higher costs, mergers and acquisitions, more competitive environments, increasing sophistication in the ease of doing business, intelligence, agility and speed to keep up with the evolving technology-based solutions and customer preferences, they are faced with a raft of increasing legislative and regulatory compliance requirements, and managing these is both a necessity and an opportunity to thrive, writes Adedayo Adejobi

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odayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers demand more options, more creative solutions, greater flexibility and faster responses from banks and other financial institutions. Survival and success for financial institutions in this new world requires that they operate with intelligence, agility and speed to keep up with evolving customer preferences and technologies. Consequently, more and more customer interactions and financial transactions are going digital as online and mobile payments, customer on-boarding and account opening are on the rise.

Yet, while digital interfaces present an opening for innovative business services, they also yield new challenges, such as pressure on back office operations or increased regulatory scrutiny. Largely automated interactions generate more data to analyse, demand higher volumes of sample testing, and expand the compliance burden. To create a flawless customer experience, the back office has to keep up as well. From a regulatory perspective, prevention requirements are stringent. In fact, thanks to the exponential increase in regulatory demands over the past decade, large organisations today may have numerous, different areas of compliance to consider.

In response to these new challenges, financial institutions have taken action. For example, after tentatively approaching technology-based solutions, regulatory compliance functions are now embracing new technologies with full speed.

This has led to the advent of RegTech, a new generation of regulatory technology.

According to Managing Director, DataPro Limited, a frontline Compliance Consulting, Abimbola Adeseyoju, RegTech, or Regulatory Technology, is the use of technology to facilitate the delivery of regulatory requirements. He explained that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;RegTech uses new technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to help financial institutions meet the challenges of regulatory monitoring, reporting, compliance and risk management, while driving down compliance-related costs and enabling a fully compliant experience for their customers.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Matching technology with regulatory requirements is not new idea, but it has become a more pressing need lately and will continue to be so in the future. Levels of regulation are on the rise for financial institutions. To address this, technology needs to be used in automating report and data collection to address regulatory requirements.â&#x20AC;?

Adeseyoju further added that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;RegTech advances the compliance function. Getting compliance right is the baseline for any bank, as it creates the net advantage of avoiding potentially disabling fines and penalties, such as those enforced since the banking crisis of 2008 by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Institutions with anything less than a robust regulatory compliance risk function have suffered reputational damage, with mixed rates of present recovery. RegTech can change the look of these compliance requirements in the future.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; To attain productivity, risk and compliance management leaders are embracing RegTech to streamline processes, automate activities, and push the digital agenda. It is worthy to highlight that banks are struggling under higher costs, mergers and acquisitions and more competitive environments. As a result, they are challenged to deliver strong returns to their shareholders and require superior productivity throughout their organisations, including in regulatory compliance.

When quizzed on some of the priorities in this area, the compliance professional was quick to note that, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;First, the application of data analytics

Marina Lagos

is foundational.

For example, banks gain the ability to evaluate risks in real time by embedding big data and risk analytics into revenue-generating activities.

Deploying big data and other alternative data source approaches bolsters compliance and supports specific end purposes.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Second, digitalisation of the risk and compliance function will follow, empowered by the use of work-flow automation, robotics process automation, and advanced analytics (including machine learning and artificial intelligence). In addition, digital business models can allow banks to re-imagine risk management frameworks that incorporate non-financial compliance requirements. Digitisation is a far-reaching concept and hence, digital business models include advanced analytics, cloud-based IT systems, machine/ deep learning and new technologies (e.g. AI, robotic processes, and blockchain), as well as other capabilities related to providing services to customers, such as mobile and other channels.

These can also encompass risk-in-real-time (RIRT) capabilities, which include know your customer (KYC), customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), transaction surveillance and authentication, and anti-money laundering (AML) technologies. While on their own, digital business models do not ensure the digitisation of the risk function, they do enable it because they drive the expansion of risk management,â&#x20AC;? he enthused.

One area that would benefit from RegTech is compliance testing. Testing is, of course, critical to an effective compliance programme.

Adequate sampling is crucial to cover all the key areas of the population such as customers, transactions, and proper sample sizes necessary to establish the predictive strength of the testing.

Too large a sample is unnecessary and a waste of resources, but too small a sample will not yield good predictions.

RegTech provides the opportunity for intelligent testing to create efficiencies and produce a more consistent, reliable way to mine data and detect anomalies than with manual testing. When adopted as part of an overarching enterprise-wide digital

transformation strategy, technology can provide more accurate and consistent, long-term testing results and predictions. These can be achieved through the adoption of automated tools and platform for business. Nevertheless, it is vital to note that financial institutions purchasing and using such tools must design their own strategies and customise these intelligent algorithms to yield the best results for their enterprises.

A big question on the minds of analysts is managing the cost of compliance. The cost of compliance is not to be overlooked. When asked recently to rank the cost of adhering to regulations, surveyed banks identified the following as particularly significant drains on resources: Stress tests â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 78 per cent say the cost of compliance is â&#x20AC;&#x153;very high or highâ&#x20AC;?. Capital requirements â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 62 per cent say the cost of compliance is â&#x20AC;&#x153;very high or highâ&#x20AC;?.

Meanwhile, additional major compliance areas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including anti-money laundering, liquidity coverage ratio, the Volker rule, supplementary leverage ratio and living wills â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ranked somewhat lower in terms of cost, but still represent drains on the bottom line.

RegTech provides a key opportunity to manage the cost of regulatory compliance, as it grows in step with institutions overall data strategies.

Efficiency is achieved in three stages namely: Consolidating risk and compliance within the same governance and operating model, achieving efficiency by streamlining processes, automating activities and exploring new technologies and Integrating risk management into the business for real-time responsiveness.

It is worthy of note that cost challenges for financial institutions have increased significantly due to the dynamic nature of the regulatory environment. New reporting demands and new categories of compliance have required institutions to gather new data, develop new analytics approaches and, at times, substantially expand their compliance investment. Once in place, RegTech tools offer an antidote to the ever-changing regulatory environment through their design flexibility, providing the agility to adapt as new requirements are put in place.

The ultimate opportunity for efficiency lies in linking RegTech solutions to cross-enterprise platforms and the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall data strategy. A comprehensive data strategy should not plan for one-point-in-time solutions that create operational silos, but rather for integration with existing and future systems. It should fit in the broader digital transformation cycle of the enterprise as it changes and adapts. Finally, such a data strategy requires securing specialised talent, which needs to be developed and identified in-house, hired, or outsourced by leveraging a third-party provider.

Speaking on the path forward for financial institutions, Executive Director, DataPro Consulting Limited, Oladele Adeoye, noted that, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Financial institutions need to focus on piloting small projects that will help them explore new technologies and figure out pros and cons that apply to their own particular business needs. This holds true for RegTech as well, where it might be tempting to just acquire and implement a solution just because another financial institution has had success with it, only to discover that it is not the right solution for your organisation.

Instead, piloting a technology implementation on a small scale â&#x20AC;&#x201C; e.g. a technology that improves workflow in regulatory reporting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a safe approach because risks are limited and new risks unlikely. It is also a quick and efficient way to explore new technologies and their possible long-term return on investments.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;For such pilots, DataPro is an ally, as we are leveraging partnerships with Fintech start-ups to enhance customer service for banks. Financial institutions need to take a close look at innovative new offerings in the RegTech space.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; RegTech, as well as the overall fintech revolution, represents a long-term change in the industry.

The only successful way forward is to focus on the big picture and plan for the adoption of interrelated technologies.

The integration of RegTech solutions within existing technology platforms will become a force multiplier for the compliance function and enable financial institutions to compete and lower the overall cost of compliance.

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

TONY ELUMELU

I Feel Extremely Fulfilled that UBA is Living up to its Mantra of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Bank

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

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UBA is Truly a Global Bank, Interconnecting Businesses across the World Recently, United Bank for Africa Plc opened its offices in the United Kingdom with pomp, which effectively established its full operation in the country, acclaimed as the financial centre of the world. Following the inauguration, the Chairman, UBA Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu; the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA UK, Mr. Patrick Gutmann, fielded questions from journalists and stakeholders. Kunle Aderinokun presents the excerpts TONY ELUMELU

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s your vision for UBA Group being fulďŹ lled within the context of the launch of the UBA UK?

I am very impressed with the board and management of UBA UK, for this wonderful attainment of the procurement of licence to operate full banking services in the United Kingdom.

Now is the first time we are operating in UK as a full-fledged bank. I am happy that this is happening. The UBA Group is Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global bank, with operation in 20 countries in Africa and over 17 million customers. But one thing that is important to us is helping to link our customers to the financial centre of the world. We are the only African bank that operates in the US that is regulated in the US.

Why do you think the UK is important?

London, traditionally is the financial centre of the world. To us, we are not just another Nigerian bank operating in the UK. We are Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global bank. I say this because we operate in 20 African countries, and in the US. So, it is important that we support our customers from the New York.

To us at UBA, at customer service, most things we do align with our customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aspirations and customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; need to grow. As SMEs need to do well, they want to succeed.

They want to do their businesses and pass it in the right direction; we are here to support. The big businesses come, and we are coming to support them.

Back to your question, I feel extremely fulfilled that UBA is living up to its mantra of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global bank; that UBA is positioning itself to be financial centres and be able to support investors. With over 20 countries in Africa and 17 million customers, I say, UBA continues help fulfill your business aspirations.

Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be interesting that you were a boy when UBA was formed. But you will be the one to take the bank to the 70th anniversary?

I was not even born then, but I recall in those days when we were still in the University of Lagos, when we opened UBA bank accounts. It is interesting that today, one is opportune to see the future of the same bank.

UBA is about Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage because in everything we do, it is about how to protect Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture and further help to develop our countries. In African countries, both Francophone and Anglophone, we support the businesses. We support infrastructure, SMEs and now, we are setting up a global financial movement. So, UBA UK is not just a bank.

You are in UBA UK today, where will be you setting out tomorrow? Will it be Canada? Where are you taking this bank to?

Between 2006 and 2010, UBA Group tried to consolidate; that was actually the second phase of our growth campaign. And just this month alone, this is the second one we did. On February 4, we were in Mali to commission UBA Mali. February 28, we are

Elumelu

in UK London. We do have aspirations. Our intent is to follow our customers, to continue to support our customers and Africans.

We have been in New York for quite some years. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see what happens in China and other European countries. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see what happens in other African countries. We want to help our customers. We want to be around our customers, and we need to help support our customers.

Would you like to say thank you to some institutions and individuals?

I want to say a big thank you to the young men and women who make up every day our great and tedious departments, who work to make to make the UBA dream come true. We say thank you. You are the reason we are in business today. Together with you, we will be able to fulfill and surpass our customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations. A strong workforce and the 17 million customers of UBA customers in Africa, we owe everything to you, we thank our customers for the patronage

and we also thank our supporters.

KENNEDY UZOKA UBA says it is Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global bank.

Is the opening of UBA UK part of that mantra?

As you know, UBA operates in 20 African countries and indeed, the only pan-African bank that operates in the United States, a rep office in France and of course, the UK. What we are celebrating today is something that we have worked for, for a very long time.

As you very well know, in our continent, because we have a lot of Anglophone countries, that trade link between these countries and the UK is still very strong and it is going to remain like that in a very long time. Before UBA got here, and with the kind of licence we had before, it means that, if a business in any of the Anglophone countries is transacting with a partner in England, they have to deal with another bank. But today, with our wholesale licence, that is a thing of

the past, UBA is interconnecting businesses in Africa, not just UK, but across the world because we have a big franchise in the US. It means that our customers anywhere in Africa donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to talk to a third party.

What we have done is to prove what we call a UBA one-stop shop, that whether you are in Ghana, whether you are in Nairobi, by talking to UBA in either Nairobi or Ghana, you are transacting without any third party.

Because we are a regulated entity here, and indeed, a first class financial institution. So this is at the heart of our pan-African operation. When we say we are a true pan-African bank, it means we bring our expansive reach and our expertise across the world to the doorsteps of our customers. We are taking away that boundary, that barrier that used to exist for Africans to make their businesses easy. So truly, we are letting them know that it is not just by saying it, but by making it happen. So, this is one of the right steps that show UBA is very unique, and it is the only bank with Nigerian origin that operates in

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

UBA Is Only Pan-African Bank Operating in US 20 African countries.

What is the size of the trade sector you are looking at in the UK and Africa?

As you very well know, most of the Anglophone countries deal directly with US or UK because of traditional business trade, and you know what I mean by that. So, it is not about $20 billion, but in its entirety. UBA has done that with a limited licence and today, with this licence, what we have is like a bird that has been in a cage, being disposed.

You can imagine what will happen. So, in terms of foreign direct investment, inflows, and because UBA has been in operation for a very long time, we are again going to celebrate 70 years of uninterrupted operation, which is very difficult on our continent.

Like I said before, in the US, we are the only pan-African bank that is licensed there that is 35 years old. So it is a generational bank with modern banking.

What competition are you looking at as you have this expansive licence that allows you to do everything from investment to trade, and every other thing that you love to see expand between Africa and Europe and indeed the entire world?

First and foremost, you have to be UBA to compete with UBA because we are unique. Our market is defined. We have had customers we have been dealing with for decades and we know them very well.

As we say, we know Africa very well like the palm of our hands. With this expanded licence, those restrictions, frictions that Africa had must be eliminated, so UBA has come to change the landscape right now.

Uzoka

Africa is pursuing the continental free trade, and some major geo-political shakeups in Europe as well. Do you think it is a very interesting time to start business full scale in London?

This is the right time. We are not involved in politics, we are involved in business, regardless of what happens, Brexit of no Brexit, businesses will always be between Africa and Europe, and of course, we have a rep office in France, so which ever direction it goes, UBA is ready.

PATRICK GUTMANN What is the big story around UBA United Kingdom starting a wholesale banking operation in the city of London?

Telling the big story here is that certainly, UBA has been present in London for many years. However, this is the first time it is present as a full bank. So when we recently received our banking licence, we became a full bank subsidiary in the UK. We feel that this is a key part of UBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision in Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global bank. If you want to be a global bank in Africa, you need to have presence in key financial hubs, and London is one of the hubs that you need to have a presence. We feel that gives us the opportunity to give service as a UBA Group, and all the clients that work with UBA across all the 20 African markets.

As a very big ďŹ nancial services company in the UK, do you think there is space for UBA UK to be part of that multi-billion pounds industry?

For sure we think so. And on the back of the strength of the group, and the client base and the calibre of people to be involved and how the group supports its clients, we believe there is a natural synergy with London, and we are still in London. And clearly, we know that many investment flows, many investment decisions have an angle in London and the signs of the financial sector. So from that perspective, we feel that we want to be the global African bank that supports both investment and trade flow into Africa and, London is a hub that we need to be present and be strong.

We believe the pan-African footprint that UBA has, clearly sets us apart from many of

Gutmann

the other banks already present in London, that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessary have that footprint to leverage.

Brexit is around the corner. How is UBA being positioned for that major political, ďŹ nancial and economic development in the UK? From our perspective, our view is that Brexit, whether it happens or doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hap-

pen, the impact will be minimal. And the reason I say that is because we are not a bank that deal across European borders, and as such, we are a bank that deals in the emerging markets, and in our case, the African continent. And those flows are not going to be necessarily interrupted by Brexit, if there is going to be Brexit or no Brexit.

Our business module and our clients will not be necessarily affected by Brexit. What

could affect us is any changes politically in some of our key African markets.

With Nigerian elections come and gone, gradually, investments are coming back to Nigeria and we are ready to play a part in that.

Our view is that London remains a significant financial hub, and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see Brexit discussion having a serious impact on our business.

28

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾MARCH 10, 2019

PROFILE

Chiezugo Orizu

On a Mission to Promote Local Brands People go into business for different reasons.

For Chiezugo Orizu, the CEO of Zugo Dilly Wagen Limited, her main goal was to curb the prevalence of fake products, writes Vanessa Obioha

I

t is often said that Igbo from Anambra state, particularly Nnewi, the second largest city in the south-eastern state, possess an uncanny knack for business and entrepreneurship. This is evident in the rapid infrastructural development of the city compared to the state’s capital, Awka.

However true this may be, the founder of Zugo Dilly Wagen International Limited, Chiezugo Orizu would not give full credence for her industriousness to her cultural heritage.

For the young lady, her proclivity towards business is a personal choice.

“I have met very industrious Yoruba people, and I’ve also encountered lazy Anambra people. Anambra has very industrious people nonetheless,” said the young entrepreneur.

As a child, Orizu had many aspirations. First, she wanted to be a lawyer because her father wanted her to study law, but as she grew older, her interest in law waned and she longed to be a diplomat. At the end of the day, Orizu graduated from Anambra State University, Uli with a Linguistics honour.

It was while in the university that she developed a keen interest in business. Her passion however was in the beauty business.

“I went into beauty business as a student. For me looking good is good business. Back then, I used to deal on Zaron cosmetics, a local brand. But my favourite brand then was Mac- topnotch quality. I was a make-up artist for three years,” she added.

Having access to different beauty products opened Orizu’s eyes to the number of fake beauty products

in the country. It was always a disappointment to her each time she finds herself a victim or sees friends deliberately purchase fake products.

“I hate fake products. There are a lot of fake international brands in the market ranging from LV, Gucci, Fendi, Michael Kors, Zanotti etc, even cosmetics products. And each time I see such items, I’m not happy. I’d prefer a $20 original H&M gift to a fake Fendi gift,” Orizu stated. “Not only are they fake products, it’s also killing someone’s brand which is not good.

I always ask myself, why wear a fake Gucci when you can own your own brand and build like Gucci?”

It was that question that led her into branding. She started her own branding company to promote Nigerian brands.

“Zugo Dilly Wagen is about helping clients to manufacture any product of their choice in their name. It can be cosmetics, clothes, shoes, handbags and even electronics. The goal is to be able curb the number of fake products in the market, and increase the number of Nigerian brands.”

So far, Orizu is content with the outcome of her mission. She pointed out however that it took a while before convincing Nigerians that local brands were also good.

“Nigerians are quite skeptical.

They believe that local brands are not authentic but gradually there is a shift as more local brands are springing up and getting patronage as well.”

Like any other business, Orizu faced challenges but through social media, was able to position her brand effectively, particularly for her cosmetic brand Dilly’s Girl which she launched

Orizu

last year. On the brand’s Instagram page are the tagline ‘Don’t Copy it...

Brand it’.

The cosmetic line has a diverse range of lipstick and lip gloss while she is still working on other beauty products.

“Give a woman the right lipstick, and she can conquer the world.

Lipsticks are a go-to fashion item. You can wear just lipstick with no makeup

on and still feel bold. Just like diamonds, lipsticks are a girl’s best friend too.”

Staying true to her heritage, Orizu named some of her lipsticks after important days and cities in Anambra.

For instance, her lipshines are named after the four autonomous villages in Nnewi: Otolo, Uruagu, Umudim and Nnewichi. Her matte lipsticks are also named after the four market days in Igbo land: orie, àfór, nkwó, and eke.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

NEWS

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

Bakare: I’ll Succeed Buhari in 2023 Tobi Soniyi in Lagos The race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who is yet to commence his second term, has begun in earnest.

The Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare yesterday said he would contest for the presidency after the expiration of Buhari’s second term in 2023.

Bakare made his interest known at a session with journalists in Lagos after casting his vote at the Opebi Grammar School polling unit, noting that he had made up his mind to join

the race.

He said, “I am going to throw my hat into the fray.

I am just waiting for President Buhari to finish his tenure (in 2023). We cannot continue this way because

IN LAGOS INTEREST

L-R: L-R: Attorney-General of Lagos State & Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu and his son, Fatai Akiolu walking to their polling unit at Iga Idugaran, Lagos Island... yesterday

we have something to offer this country, and we will by the grace of God.” Bakare, who said he was desirous of making Nigeria one of the greatest countries, said he looked forward to a future where every Nigerian vote would count.

The pastor who was Buhari’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential elections, said he would continue to pray for the day when every Nigerian would come out and make their votes count.

He urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be deceived by ‘stomach infrastructure’ when the needed infrastructure in their communities had decayed.

In an interview published earlier this year at Calgary, Canada, Bakare predicted he would succeed Buhari as Nigeria’s 16th president or head of state.

Bakare said President Buhari is the 15th president or Head of State of the country and claimed that he (Bakare) would be the next.

Bakare explained then that he was currently building a political family from across the world, which would be deployed for future political aspirations.

“As far as politics is concerned, it is not over truly; you would find out that

I shifted gear in the year 2018, I did what I have never done before.

“This would be the fourth or the fifth visit to the Nigerians in diaspora, letting them know that God sent them to different countries to learn, that their time is at hand.

“The time is at hand when many of them would have to come back and contribute their meaningful quota; they can speak to their governments on behalf of our people.”

Bakare’s declaration for the 2023 presidential contest would bring him in collision with the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, has not hidden interest in the 2023 presidential contest.

Tinubu’s presidential aspiration, it was alleged, the root cause of the rift in the APC chapters in Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Ondo and Osun, among others.

Beside Ti nubu, t he Vice Pre side nt, Prof.

Yem i O si nbajo a nd t he M i n i ster for Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola have been among the presidential aspirants that will come from the S out h-we st.

CBN’s Intervention Funds Not Yielding Result, Rights Group Laments Olaseni Durojaiye The United Action towards Building Institutions in Nigeria (UATBIN) at the weekend lamented that various interventions the Central Bank of Nigeria had released to the real sectors in the last five years had not yielded the desired results despite billions of naira expended.

The UATBIN, a not-forprofit economic rights and institution building advocacy organisation, said it would be in the interest of the country and the economy “to appoint a new CBN governor when the tenure of the present governor expires on June

3, 2019.”

The Convener of the group, Mr. Lai Omotola expressed the views in a statement he issued on Friday, noting that businesses have suffered the most unprecedented shutdown in the last five years.

The statement, also, said banks “have being turned into cash centres instead of investment and commercial Banks. If a vote were to be taken at the Bankers Committee, the vote will turn to be vote of no confidence on the team managing the economy of Nigeria. But such will not happen because they are scared.”

On its programs, the

statement said the CBN “has usurped the role of the banks in lending such that no bank can lend therefore access to credit is at the lowest since independence. Anchor borrower has taken the role of Bank of Agriculture and you need to know top persons at CBN before you can enjoy such credit.

“The various interventions in real sectors have not yielded the desired results. To even get access to the intervention funds you need to sit one on one with the CBN leadership.

I am yet to see the sector that benefitted from the intervention funds that made significant impact in the life of an ordinary

Nigerian.

“The core business of CBN like reduction of interest rate is yet to be seen. Instead, we have seen rate going high, too high for any reasonable business to survive. The inflation rate has gone up to double digits and there has not been any significant leap to the positive.

“The exchange rate has remained stable and the CBN leadership believes we should give him kudos for saving the naira at N360 to a dollar, this kind of narrative can only be in Nigeria,” the statement said.

In 2014, the statement said the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele

inherited inflation rate of 8 percent; interest rate of 16.5 percent reserve of $40 billion as well as exchange rate of N164 by 2019.

In the space of five years, the statement said inflation rate had risen to 13.5 percent; Interest rate 14 percent; exchange rate N360 and reserve of $43 billion, saying Emefiele should be thankful the APC government retained him, even it was the PDP government that appointed him.

On these grounds, the statement said the time “has come for a change that will take us to the next level. This is hinged on the need to bring someone with new ideas

that will take the country to the next level.

“The issue of economy was rigorously debated at the just concluded presidential election and if the truth must be said a lot of people voted for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar because they were not impressed with the state of economy.

“The CBN is a central part of the economy and as such the time is ripe to bring in someone that will transform the economy within the next four years. For us to maintain the status quo at CBN is to ascribe to the adage that says it is an act of insanity to expect different result from doing the same thing.”

Tambuwal Pledges to Electoral Fraud Tainting Cleric Faults Presidential Poll Accept Election Outcome Nigeria’s Image, Says Bamidele Kayode Fasua “The whole election was a big sham. We, the southSokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal yesterday promised to abide by the results of the ongoing governorship election in the state.

Tambuwal, who is seeking for reelection under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, stated this after cast his vote at his Kofar Ajia, polling units 011 in Tambuwal Town, Tambuwal Local Government.

Tambuwal, who arrived the polling unit at about 12:17pm and cast his votes amidst cheers from voters, said he was ready to accept the outcome of the election by the special grace of God.

According, from the reports I get on the field, everything seems to be going on perfectly, except for some few hitches. But generally, the process is going on very well and we hope that both INEC and the security agencies will continue to give their best”.

The governor also praised the voters, wondering how everyone is happy and being orderly.

In a related development, the senator representing Sokoto North, Aliyu Wamakko commended the resilient of the people in the state for turn out in good number to elect their leader.

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti A senator-elect in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele lamented that the growing culture of electoral violence and fraud had been tainting Nigeria’s image in the international community.

Bamidele, former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, said though the country’s democracy “is still at the nascent stage, there is need for radical development of the system in the area of voter education.

He lamented that cases of killings, ballot snatching and stuffing “are tainting the image of the country

abroad , advising that such should be discouraged in the system.”

Bamidele won the National assembly election on February 23, polling 94,279 votes to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Barr Obafemi Adewale .

After voting at his polling unit yesterday during the House of Assembly election at Ward B, Iyin Ekiti, Bamidele said a lot needed to be done in addressing pervasive cases of violence and apathy in the country.

“INEC must up its game if we really want to get it right.

In some part of the country, there were late arrival of materials, so this should not happen.”

Lagos cleric, Prophet Lai Bamidele, has berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not cancelling the February 23 presidential election, owing to what he describes as abuse of process, in allowing under-aged persons to vote in some northern parts of the country.

Bamidele, who is the General Overseer of Glorious End-Time Evangelical Ministries, a church with headquarters in Fagba, Lagos, said the outcome of the election had set a bad precedent in the electoral history of the country, and that it was a setback for Nigeria’s democracy.

erners, are only fooling ourselves, especially the Yoruba race. If you know what happened in the far north, in places where one person could thump-print over 1,000 ballot papers, where six, seven, eight years old boys voting with PVCs showing that they are 18, you will agree with me that we are fooling ourselves here.

“Is that an election?

These things took place in the home-state of a President who claimed to have integrity. Where is the integrity? Besides, INEC and the security agencies had been largely compromised, as they looked on while all these atrocities took place.

30

Ë&#x153; Ëž MARCH 10, 2019

MARKET NEWS

NSE Celebrates Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, Pledges Promotion of Gender Equality Goddy Egene The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema has restated the commitment of the exchange to the promotion of gender equality in operations.

Onyema stated this while speaking at a symposium organised by the NSE to commemorate the International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day (IWD)

in Lagos. The NSE joined the rest of the world to commemorate the IWD by hosting a half-day symposium and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ring the Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for gender equality at the exchange last Friday.

Themed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Balance for Betterâ&#x20AC;?, the event was targeted at galvanising efforts in line with The Exchangeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective to accelerate progress towards bridging gender parity.

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

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

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

Speaking through the Executive Director, Regulation, NSE, Ms. Tinuade Awe, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is time we pause to recognise women and girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; achievements, take stock of the progress made in achieving gender equality and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s empowerment and discuss how we can accelerate gender parity.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the NSE, our gender-focused initiatives are all in line with the WEPs. For Principle 1 which

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 07Mar-2019, unless otherwise stated.

concerns establishing high-level corporate leadership for gender equality, we have improved the representation of women on our Council by 27 per cent. Women representation on executive management committee is at 20 per cent. Women constitute 17.3 per cent for senior management positions. The exchange has a ratio of 1:2 for male to female employees,â&#x20AC;? Onyema said.

The event brought together over 200 women and men from the NSE, listed companies, dealing member firms, media, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil societies and government, to discuss opportunities for women in key industries to share insights on how technology can bridge the gender gap.

Country Director, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Ms.

Eme Essien led the speakers. The event was in partnership with International Finance Corporation (IFC), UN Women, United Nation Global Compact (UNGC), World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (SSEI), brought together male and female thought leaders from emerging industries who gave more holistic look at gender balance and its reality to businesses.

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 161.82 162.35 2.33% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 11.00% Nigeria International Debt Fund 280.74 281.42 2.88% 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 0.85 0.87 1.98% ACAP Income Funds 0.62 0.62 12.01% 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 13.28% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.28 2.31 2.67% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 103.63 104.36 2.41% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.60% 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 13.70% Paramount Equity Fund 12.15 12.26 2.91% Women's Investment Fund 106.13 106.69 2.44% 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 N/A N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 N/A N/A Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 12.36% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 11.76% 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 1,228.00 1,228.78 3.59% FBN Heritage Fund 146.05 147.32 1.84% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 14.28% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 115.99 116.55 1.84% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 115.92 116.48 2.03% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 151.47 153.73 0.98% 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 1.04% Legacy Debt Fund 3.31 3.31 2.15% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.04 1.04 0.86% 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 3,025.80 3,058.07 1.42% Coral Income Fund 2,822.56 2,822.56 3.05% 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 13.30% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.87 109.47 2.23% 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 13.45% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.18 2.21 1.79% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 14.22% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 124.20 124.46 -0.55%

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 1.16 1.19 1.78% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,095.88 1,095.88 2.44% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.38 1.40 7.94% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.33 12.40 1.06% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.01% 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 126.01 126.66 4.40% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.03 2.65% 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 2,382.79 2,397.34 2.98% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 195.15 195.15 2.63% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.98 0.99 3.68% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 252.16 252.19 2.02% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 168.81 168.72 2.87% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.26% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,675.58 8,782.54 2.21% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.12 1.12 1.12% 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 QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.35 11.50 6.92% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.48 12.62 4.03% Zenith Income Fund 21.07 21.07 9.43% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.30%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.95 119.16 51.94

-39.35% 0.00% 0.00%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.69 115.30 91.14

10.79 117.77 92.84

1.28% -1.70% 2.79%

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

4.25 7.30 15.05 12.45 152.45

4.29 7.38 15.15 12.65 154.45

6.27% -4.13% 0.66% 0.74% 6.17%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.24

17.42%

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 managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and FMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

10.03.2019

Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko On Photography, Artistry and Self-Discovery

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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Ayeni-Babaekoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breathtaking shot at Balogun Market

Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko

Life Behind the Lens, Inside the Studio Her craft, creativity and chemistry are exceptionally remarkable as she combines beauty with intellect. The glint in her eyes as she fixes her gaze on the aperture is electric. The eclectic Chief Executive Officer of Camara Studio, YetundeAyeni Babaeko, is one of the few talented and inventive Nigerian photographers. Since 2004, the photography Amazon has gone through moments of evolution, improvisation, devolution, and revolution in her craft. Funke Olaode explores her exploits in photography, artistry and self-discovery

T

Ayeni-Babaeko

he new millennium came with a lot of innovation in Nigeria. It even threw up some names in fashion, technology and even commercial advertising. In the wake of this revolution came Yetunde AyeniBabaeko, Chief Executive Officer of Camara Studio, who changed the way Nigerians look through her lens. The year 2004 was significant in her life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it signalled her way to self-discovery in artistry and photography.

Ayeni-Babaeko traces her photographic artistry to her maternal grandfather, who embraced photography as a hobby back in Germany. After completing high school diploma (Abitur), she embarked on a photography apprenticeship majoring in advertising photography at Studio Be in Greven, Germany. On completing her apprenticeship in 2003, she returned to Nigeria and joined Ess-Ay Studio for a 12-month photography programme, facilitated by Invent, Germany.

This experience spurred her to deepen her photographic skills by enrolling at Macromedia, a school for art and design in Osnabrueck, Germany.

Ayeni-Babaeko returned to Nigeria in 2005 and worked as a freelance photographer, before opening her own studio, in 2007. She has been active as a photographer with social conscience chronicling the life of modern Nigeria.

Besides her fashion and documentary photography, Ayeni-Babaeko has facilitated the numerous photography workshops in partnership with the Goethe Institute, mentoring young female photographers.

She has equally taken part in numerous group exhibitions, including her own solo exhibition. Ayeni-Babaeko has become a household name in Nigeria. Creating tremendous images through the camera lens has earned her high-net-worth individuals and corporate organisations.

As you walk into Camara Studio located in high-brow Opebi in Ikeja, Lagos, her captivating works of art soothe your nerves as they hang delicately on the wall â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they include family and individual portraits.

They reveal the depth of Ayeni-Babaekoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s originality, creativity and consciousness.

Throwing light on her trajectory into photography, she recalls: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I actually started

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Ayeni-Babaeko’s creativity on display in this artistic work

Inside the World of Nigeria’s Photography Amazon photography in 2004 and established my studio in 2008. I was already taking pictures before then but I didn’t have a studio. I was working from home for the first three, four years. So I will do the normal thing, family portrait, events and anything that I can do outside. In 2008 I had to put funds together to now rent a studio.”

She also alludes to a moment of selfdiscovery at the intersection of her career. ”What happened was that I wanted to study graphic design in the university in Germany. During my gap year, I interned in a studio that also had an advertising agency attached to it, and now stumbled on the photography section in that advertising agency,” she says “and I loved it so much because that was the first time I was working with a camera and all of a sudden I got more interested in that. I also figured out that as a photographer you wear many hats: you are a graphic artist, you are the creative person behind the idea, you are active, you are photographing and all of a sudden I found this more appealing because everything is incorporated in it. And since 2008 I have been working mostly in advertising photography, lifestyle images, and photography. I also do public portraits, events and weddings.”

As a photographer of high repute, AyeniBabaeko like any conscious businesswoman wanted to create an identity that would have her signature but at the same time be able to drive itself. So, she established Camara Studio.

“There was a reason I didn’t use my name like other photographers,” she explains, “because I wanted to create an entity that can accommodate more photographers, not just me. For instance, if you invite ‘Yetunde Photographer’, that means you are expecting me, nobody else.

But I wanted to create a studio with more than just one photographer, photographers that I have trained.

“I want the Camara studio to grow and operate itself. Also what we do in Camara studio is, while you call it paparazzi, I won’t call it like that, it is still an advertisement on its own but what we are doing is now catering to individuals, families, portraits, we are doing advertising photography as well, lifestyle images. As hilarious as it may sound we even do passport photographs.

People are always complaining about their

Ayeni-Babaeko’s artistry work

passports that this is a mug shot, I look so terrible, and it doesn’t look like me. You can come here to do it; maybe it’s a bit more expensive than a roadside passport photographer. But when you come here you will get a passport that you will be happy to show people.”

As the years pass by, Ayeni-Babaeko kept evolving. With Camara Studio establishing itself as a household name, she started discovering herself as an artist whose vision this time is to focus more on conceptual photography, having exhibitions and being more around in the art.

This new innovation was incorporated under Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko (YAB).

She clarifies: “I don’t do much of documentary photography. I am more of a conceptual artist. I also collaborated with people like breast cancer organization, dance companies like SPAN (Societal Performing Artist in Nigeria), and other people, just to do my due diligence as a Nigerian to support the social scene, trying to work as and at the same time come together and create some advertisement.

And it has worked well.”

Since its establishment, the studio has courted many big clients. This is attributed to its emphasis on standard, paying attention to details and its quality output. In the league of its clienteles are Nestle, 9mobile, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Chicken Republic, Dangote, and Leadway. It also caters for advertising agencies like Insight, Extreme media, IMS, etc.

“We are humbled to be a go to Photography Company when it comes to their company’s events. We are also happy that private individuals have won our trusts when it comes to family portraits, individual, etc,” the photographer enthuses.

The studio with its magnificent ambience and top-notch products, Ayeni-Babaeko says is not just for the high and mighty.

“Camara studio is more of middle class but at the same time I won’t say it can accommodate everybody,” adding “nevertheless, our packages are also a bit flexible. We are not expensive at all, if you also look at all the hours we spend here. And people always ask how many pictures will I get or how many clicks? My own take is that we will work until you are satisfied and until we are satisfied.”

She is not the kind of person who keeps looking at the time and say “now we have to go!” she wants people to have fun in the studio and get high value for their money.

“We all need to remember that after shooting, is editing and photo album. I always laugh when we go for events, people pay for their cake and make-up artist. But I always remind them after the event your cake is gone, your food is gone, your makeup is wiped off, so everything that keeps your memory alive is your image,” the exquisite photographers says.

“So, actually you can’t put a price tag on it. Looking at that you have taken images that will live forever, it is not like when you go and do your hair and after a month you need to go back to the salon. But here you come to the studio the images that you have taken if you keep them well you continue seeing, like they say images are forever.”

How has it been in the last 11 years for Ayeni-Babaeko?

“It has been Interesting. I learned a lot, and met a lot of people because photography is something that brings you to a lot of people. It is about networking, it has taken me around, I don’t think without photography I would

have seen as much of Nigeria that I have,” is her response.

What are the challenges of being a female photographer? In her admission, only a woman’s work will give her a true sense of identity and not gender.

“When I came in 2004 the industry was dominated by men. But one of the advantages that I had was that I was a woman. Of course, if I carry my camera at an event late at night there is this kind of attention and it is neither negative nor positive. Some people would be like, who is this woman carrying camera in the middle of the night. So it helps; but I think nowadays if you are a woman you really need to establish your craft. You really need to work on your craft because it’s just your image – your work and yourself that’s speaks for you.”

Married to an advertising communication guru, Steve AyeniBabaeko, she admits that having a husband like Steve is an added advantage: “I enjoy working with him because he is so creative and offers me constructive criticisms on my work. He can advise on how to push my work. So definitely, we are married; we’re living in one house, and definitely one is impacting on the other.”

Apart from her life behind the camera, how does YAB relax?

“I am not the kind of person who just lies down on the couch. I will go on vacation but even while on the vacation my husband is always complaining that I am still busy because I am with my camera all the time,” she explains. “It relaxes me, taking pictures, documenting everything and for me it also something that helps you from a very practical point of view to remember events, things and places.”

As the year 2019 unfolds, AyeniBabaeko says Nigerians should be on the lookout as Camara Studio is adding more feathers to its kitty. “Camara Studio will go stronger into the advertising photography and also on videography. So that is what we are doing for 2019,” the intrepid photographer discloses. “And I must at least finish one exhibition, that is for sure and it will happen in June or July. That is what I am actually presently doing. I am not going to reveal it now, but it something that is definitely more than half way done.”

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Balogun

Subomi Balogun

Royalty, Riches and Reverence The magnificence of his mansion dazzles in white and gold, in a brilliant facade of ornamented sculptures. The glow of his skin and the glint in his eyes complement the steady gait of his octogenarian body. Wealthy and winsome, Otunba Subomi Balogun needs no introduction. Decked in bespoke attire, his resplendent figure illuminates the expansive living room. Before he turned 85 on March 9, the blueblood from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State disclosed what distinguishes him from many mortals, writes Demola Ojo

O

tunba Subomi Balogun, the Group Chairman, First City Group (a financial conglomerate comprising First City Monument Bank, FCMB Capital Markets, First City Assets Management, CSL Stockbrokers and City Securities), chatted with journalists at his palatial home in Ikoyi a few days preceding the celebration of his 85th birthday.

Looking a decade younger than his age, he was dressed in all-white with his bespoke hat and cane in matching colours; regal complements to the decor of his one-of-a-kind, predominantly white mansion, which is predominantly white with gold trimmings, artistic sculptures and numerous collectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s items.

He spoke in a clear voice that floated through the spacious room as those gathered listened intently. The running thread through the conversation was his appreciation of God. Otunba Balogun is awed by his achievements in life and humbly attributes his many successes to God. He repeats it in every other sentence; you can almost anticipate it as his answer to the next question.

He is especially appreciative of his good health; he still lives an active lifestyle (swimming, boating and three-day work weeks) and maintains his mental sharpness, to the point of

remembering graphically and to the smallest detail, events that happened decades ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m extremely grateful to my maker for making me very agile, very meticulous, very articulate and still behaving like someone of about 60 years old. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to thank my maker, in his awesome benevolence to me. The whole essence of my celebration is to give thanks to my maker. In all humility, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m giving this opportunity to you, to let you know how appreciative I am for what the good Lord has done for me,â&#x20AC;? he said.

As can imagine, those seated around him were itching to hear success tips and life hacks, the type you can only get from one of the wealthiest and most accomplished Nigerians in the financial sector, the pioneer indigenous banker in Nigeria, a philanthropist of note and a multiple award winner in his community, country and internationally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m at peace with my God. I marvel at every occasion, why has he been so kind to me? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the amazing grace of God, even at the climax of anything I may have achieved.

I attribute everything to the awesomeness of God. His love for little me,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Pedigree If you listen attentively enough, you pick

up nuggets of information amid his regular reference to God. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was born in Ijebu-Ode. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide that I come from a notable family in Ijebu,â&#x20AC;? he said.

There was a little history lesson as we became beneficiaries of his sharp mind and vivid recollections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I happen to be a primus inter pares among royalties. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a direct descendant of the Awujale (king of Ijebuland) who had the courtesy of receiving representatives of the British Queen in 1892. And he allowed them to preach Christianity, which was unheard of then. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you tried to preach Christianity before 1892, they will pursue you with Oro (a Yoruba deity). But my own progenitor allowed that to be done. He even allowed some of his children to be christened and gave them the land on which the first church in Ijebuland was built. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t partial. He also gave the Muslims the site on which the first mosque was built. It was in commemoration of going to thank the Awujale that the idea of Ojude Oba festival started. They were all going to the Obaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace to show appreciation for what he had done. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, these are things of the past. That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t immediately make me whatever I am today. Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because my parents had the opportunity of putting me on the right track. I

had a good education. I went to one of the most illustrious secondary schools in Nigeria, Igbobi College. I came out with a very good grade.

Then I went to Britain and studied law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I qualified at a very young age. At 25, I was one of the youngest lawyers in the Western Region. Then I tried to be very close to my God, always seeking His guidance, and it is the answer to such prayers that brought me to where I am today.â&#x20AC;?

Otunba Balogun was called to the English Bar in 1959. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The then government of Western Region trained me as the first Parliamentary draftsman. When the British were passing the Nigerian Independence Act, I was the first black face to be seen in the official box. This is the background I have.â&#x20AC;?

He disclosed some traits that must have helped him attain success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I see you doing something good, I will rather emulate you than criticise you. Like I know some people like to wear white. At a point in life, I said the purest thing I want to be close to my God is white, and touchwood, God has allowed me to do that, which is a privilege,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know my parents, even though they were affluent, they had a common touch. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put on airs. Two things I like and I have a weakness for are my white dress and my white cars.â&#x20AC;?

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A Man of Means, Monuments and Magnificence We saw a taxi driver screech to a stop in front of us. What I have never seen before happened on that day. A woman about to get down from the taxi delivered a baby. I decided to adopt that child. And they named the child Subomi. He has just left university. He even added my name to his surname.

I don’t know why I do these things. God pushes me to do it. It’s not ostentatious.

I’m even scared to tell you, because they amaze me.

Well, whatever I can do to serve my God. I regard myself as a special agent sent by my God to do all these He spoke further on his use of symbols, saying: “When I started the bank (FCMB), I wanted it to have a solid character; permanent, respected, assuring. So I went with columns. If you are going anywhere, as soon as you see the four columns, you will recognise FCMB.” His home in Ikoyi is painted white and has columns, just like the bank. Looking around the room, you also see horses carved in white, symbolising strength, dependability, virility.

“I still do certain things people won’t expect me to do. I still go swimming. At times in the boat, I will wear shorts. This is the grace of God,” Subomi admitted.

“I’m a child of God. It would be wrong for me to conclude that God has concluded his work in my life. I’m throwing myself as a free agent for him to use me till the very end. And I’m also praying for something very interesting.

“By the time I’m 90, I’ll be praying for 100. And I’ll still want to be articulate and maintain my cerebral gifts. So I always believe there’s something more. Part of my name says Olaotan, Olaonipekun (wealth has no end).

Believe me, I may say it, but I don’t get carried away. I’m throwing myself in the hands of God to make me whatever he wants. And I’m enjoying it.”

Perhaps, his youthful looks have a lot to do with his active lifestyle and his optimistic outlook. “A friend of mine came here the other day. I ran upstairs and came down. He said ‘you have a lift there. Why are you using the stairs?’ I said, ‘I still want to be walking like a sprinter.’ These are my prayers and my approach to my God,” the billionaire added.

“I talk about it as the culture of excellence in my bank. I always want the best but I’m not arrogant about it. Rather, I am consumed with my appreciation to my God.” He reminisced on some memorable events in the past. Like when he honoured his mother during her burial. “Because I’m Otunba Tunwase, and it was through her, I decided to bring her body from Lagos to Ijebu in a motorcade of over 100 vehicles. My royal father arranged that all the kings in Ijebu send their staffs of office. Do you know the prayers I heard? People were praying that they should have a Subomi as a child.” He laughed softly, a mixture of bewilderment and amusement. “I was only honouring my mother.”

Giving Back Otunba Balogun is a renowned philanthropist.

“When people approach me for something, even though I’m not Father Christmas, I will at least do something. I won’t send anybody away.” He always tries to send a token, he said.

But there’s a lot more.

He has devoted a substantial part of his resources towards the care and service of the less privileged in his immediate community and Nigeria at large; from giving scholarships

Balogun

to endowing chairs at universities, contributing to infrastructure in his state, and supporting religious organisations. He has also constructed several institutions for the health care, welfare and survival of children.

There are personal encounters. Like the man who went through high school and university courtesy of a scholarship by Otunba Balogun, and made the most of a chance meeting by giving him preferential treatment at a registration exercise.

Realising that the man finished with first class honours in the university but was still jobless, Otunba Balogun gave him a prestigious job at FCMB. There was also the baby, who by providence, was born at the gate of a hospital while Otunba Balogun was opening a children’s ward in honour of his mother, with many top dignitaries present.

“We saw a taxi driver screech to a stop in front of us. What I have never seen before happened on that day. A woman about to get down from the taxi delivered a baby. I decided to adopt that child. And they named the child Subomi. He has just left university. He even added my name to his surname.

“I don’t know why I do these things. God pushes me to do it. It’s not ostentatious. I’m even scared to tell you because they amaze me. Well, whatever I can do to serve my God. I regard myself as a special agent sent by my God to do all these.”

He continued, “I’m doing a lot which I don’t like people to know. When God gave me this endowment, he didn’t want me to spend it on myself. He wants me to use it for the upliftment of my neighbours. And my neighbours are not just my family or domestic staff. Every one of you is my neighbours.

“I will pass through this world but once.

Any good I can do, let me do it now. That’s what drives me,” he said.

There would always be critics but they should be ignored, Otunba Balogun advised.

“If you listen to that, you won’t be able to do the work of God. It annoys some people that you’re doing things.”

Even when he’s low-key, it doesn’t always meet with approval. “A number of people have been disappointed when I said I’m not doing anything this year. I’m waiting till 90 and 100.

“It’s not easy for somebody who is successful not to be criticised. The mere fact you’ve succeeded in life, some people don’t like you. The fact that you built something like this for a house, some people don’t like you.

‘Haba! why all these?’ they’ll say. I’m telling you.

“So you just humbly do what you’re doing and leave the rest to God because our God sees the mind and he will continue to provide for you to enable you to do what you do towards His cause.”

Founding FCMB Between 1966 and 1975, Balogun was the first principal counsel and company secretary to the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB). During this period, he received extensive training at the World Bank, and its private sector affiliate, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) both in Washington DC. He also received extensive training from leading stockbrokers, investment banks and merchant banks in London and New York.

“Do you know that at the time we created FCMB, you couldn’t set up a bank in this country without a foreigner as your technical partner? But something was pushing me that I should do it. The reason was that I helped to set up another bank, which is now dead. And I thought I deserved being made the head.

They didn’t want me. They said I was only a lawyer.

“I prayed to my God. My nine-yearold boy, who is now almost 50 went to his mother and said, ‘why is daddy praying to be head of another person’s bank? Why doesn’t he start his own?’ The story is in my book.

“I went to the chapel and prayed, singing songs of praise. From my chapel, I walked into my study. I prepared all the papers. A few weeks later, I set up City Securities.

Luckily for me, something called the Indigenisation Programme came up during the military. Foreigners had to sell shares,” he said.

By the end of the programme, he had put against his name and that of his company, City Securities Limited, the public sale of shares of about 11 international companies and the private sale of another 20.

“I was the numero uno in this country.

Everybody who wanted to sell shares came to me. After, I decided to start my own bank.”

People thought it was impossible.

“Someone said you’ll either be a multibillionaire or go to jail.” He didn’t listen to the naysayers.

“I applied. I didn’t have any foreign partner. My God was my only partner. They

didn’t give me a licence initially. I went to church.

I saw Alex Ekwueme. I asked my wife to grab his wife’s garment. I asked him, ‘Mr Vice-President, what is happening to my licence?’ He said I should come and see him and assured me that the following Thursday, he will give me a licence.

That was how I got it. And no Nigerian before then had single-handedly set up that type of bank.

“But between me and you, rather than being arrogant, I’m humbled. It’s amazing grace.”

Daily Routine Balogun shared some aspects of his daily life. “When I wake up first thing in the morning, my wife comes in and we have a family prayer.

I open up as if I’m communicating with my earthly father.

“I will pour out my mind. I will pray for my wife and me, then I will pray for my children, then my neighbours, my friends and then the people who work with me.

“I do the same thing the last thing in the evening when I go to bed. Unless there is something extraordinary, by 9:30, I’m in my bed.

After praying, I don’t communicate again. If you telephone me and I’m in bed, I don’t pick it. I may respond in the morning.

“I attend church regularly every Sunday. If I am not in the church, I will probably be spending the time having a service somewhere else, or worshipping.”

This devotion to God earned him the honour of being chosen as head of all Christians (the laity) in Ijebu to replace “the late legend, Papa Odutola.”

It was an honour that blew him away. He was taken aback. ”I did not believe I was good enough to succeed that personality. He was a mega legend. Not knowing that further laurels were still coming my way.”

Someone had to ask why he talks about God so much. “A young, small lawyer into what I have now? The awesomeness frightens me.

“Even at 85, I’m amazed. There are many friends close to me at 85, they have one problem or the other. Yesterday, I went with my wife on my boat. And we went as far as Ilashe. People were wondering how I could still be walking around the boat in slacks. I don’t know what I have done to deserve it.

“I spend most of my time talking of God. It’s a measure of my appreciation and attributing anything that has happened to me to the Amazing Grace of the Almighty. That is what is responsible. I will spend the rest of my life just thanking him.”

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L-R: Executive Head of Content, MultiChoice Nigeria, Busola Tejumola; Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe; Executive Head of Corporate AďŹ&#x20AC;airs, MultiChoice Nigeria, Caroline Oghuma

IWD: Why Nigerian Girls Need New Role Models Every March 8, women all over the world celebrate International Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day; a day set apart to mark the historic leaps and milestones achieved by women in diverse backgrounds. It is a time when women can punch their fists in the air and proclaim â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Girl Powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Women Rule the World. Vanessa Obioha reports

E

ach of these mantras rings true in this era where the campaign for better representation of women continues to gain traction globally. The US Congress last year recorded 20.6 percent representation of women indicating that women hold 110 seats out of the 535 seats in the Congress.

Women like former US Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, are becoming role models for younger girls.

Back then, every girl wanted to be like Britney Spears or other superheroes depicted in films and comics.

Nowadays, that narrative has changed as women are taking charge in various fields apart from the entertainment industry.

In Nigeria, the narrative is quite different as most girls are exposed to celebrities in the showbiz industry.

To be sure, there are Nigerian women who occupy leadership roles in politics and business but their feats rarely receive the spotlight their counterparts in the entertainment industry do. Thus, the average Nigerian girl is mainly exposed to role models who are easily accessible on their smartphones; those who inspire them to pursue a certain kind of lifestyle.

Generally, every child be it male or female has role models they look up to. At inception, the family plays that pivotal role in shaping the girl child mindset. The mother is

often looked upon as the first role model for a female child. It is through her maternal role that the girl child learns to aspire from and inspire her community, but in cases where the mothers are trapped in a gender and cultural prison, the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next option is education.

Education seemingly has its conundrums. The good old days when the Nigerian education system was laudable are now resting in the annals of history. Today, poor remuneration, unworkable curriculum, untrained teachers and inadequate educational facilities deprive the younger generation from learning history and the required knowledge needed to enhance nation building. While the declining quality of education has sparked public discourse as the country continue to record a large percentage of brain drain, the little or no availability of education to the female child in the northern region due to gender inequalities and cultural differences is very worrisome.

According to a report published in Education Policy and Data Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, more than 50% of young women aged 15-24 years in the northern region have no access to formal education.

The onus now falls on the mass media to educate and inspire these young girls. As the fourth estate of the realm, the media contributes to the overall development of the society,

not only by being a watchdog but as well as setting agenda roles for the public.

This influential power helps the society to groom leaders that can effectively contribute to nation building.

But in a technologically driven society, the media finds itself competing with social media platforms to publish breaking news and attract advertisers.

Arguably, the Nigerian media is lagging in the reportage of women achieving milestones in other sectors. So much concentration is often given to women in the entertainment industry such that other sectors pale in comparison. Whereas, there are women who are shattering glass ceilings in the banking, engineering, science, politics and other sectors. Why are these women underreported? Why is the media also not reporting on blue chip companies that are giving women leadership roles? More importantly, why is the media not reminding us of the great women who laid the foundation for others to follow.?

Women like the late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the politician, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right activist and mother of the Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, or the admirable Igbo women in Aba who fought the Warrant Chiefs for limiting the roles of women in government. What about the bravura of Queen Amina of Zaria who became the first queen in a male-dominated society?

Nevertheless, the overwhelming

influence women bring to businesses and companies cannot be overstated.

Which is why companies like MultiChoice Nigeria are steadfast in their mission to give women equal opportunities in leadership positions. For instance, the customer care and experience, customer value management, channels, content, and corporate affairs departments for MultiChoice are headed by women. There is also Ibidunni Ighodalo, an event planner and interior designer who is a source of inspiration to many women in that field.

In the banking industry, the revered Ibukun Awosika who currently sits as the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria is an exemplary role model. In the legal department, senior lawyer Folake Solanke leads the trail as the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and of course, there is Joanna Maduka, the first female engineer in Nigeria.

Our young girls today need to be told about these women who are pioneers in these fields. They need to be reminded that life does not start and end on social media.

They should be able to recognise that beyond showbiz, there are a whole lot of opportunities in other fields. We need our young girls to be astronauts, or technology executives like Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook.

If we need to see our girls breaking barriers and ruling the world in the future, we need to provide new role models for them. And the time is now.

MARCH 10, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

High Life Folake Gets Her Groove Back, Paints Paris Red

The extravagantly talented designer, Folake Coker, is on a roll. She floats on an epic blaze of glory even as you read, like the fabled titan whose exploits dwarfs the attainments of peers.

While some allow themselves to be kicked hither and thither by the tides of life, Folake, the one-time darling of the social scene and daughter of billionaire businessman, Chief Bode Akindele, has become the conductor of her own beautiful orchestra.

Having battled adversity to a standstill, the shackles are off and she is ready to live again.

It was not so long ago that Folake was the butt of many a joke after her much-celebrated marriage to tourism boss, Folly Coker collapsed like a paper house, torn into shreds by multiple disagreements. She was dismissed in some quarters as a has-been whose glory days have disappeared beyond the horizon.

However, the talented lady of Tiffany Amber fame never gave up as she picked the pieces of her life and stitched them together to make something new and even more glorious than before. As a creative director at Tiffany Amber, she regularly travels to fashion capitals where she showcases the full range of her creativity to deafening applause.

Turning a year older a few days back, Folake was on top of the world as she jetted to Paris to mark the momentous occasion. Along with a few friends who came to celebrate with her in the City of Love, the birthday babe was the picture of vivacious youthfulness as she gave herself up to raucous revel.

Coker

61 with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807

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

Marital Tragedy! Pastor Joshua Iginla’s Adultery Woes Trouble touches even anointed men of God. That is why the case of a popular pastor, Joshua Iginla, and his wife, Yemisi, remains a subject fit only for the passing tribute of a sigh. Following their memorable wedding ceremony, the duo has severed the vows they made in the presence of friends, family and “anointed men of God.” Miracles were unable to save their marriage from the ravages of betrayal and an unfair world. Like a seaworn vessel crashing against the trunk of an iceberg, Pastor Joshua and Yemisi’s marriage, steadily disintegrated to the consternation of church members.

Feelers coming from the family revealed that their marriage collapsed in the wake of turbulence peculiar to most marriages that often becomes the topic of a sermon by most “men of God”. As the story goes, Pastor Iginla recently confessed to his sins of adultery. Given what the pastor said, his wife was the first one to cheat on him. Then, he took a cue from her and went on a similar extramarital spree.

Joshua also said that his wife lied about her genotype. She told him she was AA while they were together. Later, he got to know that she was actually AS after finding out that the genotype of their first

child is SS. Iginla said, “maybe I might be the first man of God doing this... I want you to throw your stones at me, abuse me, insult me. I will receive it. But I want to stay alive, if not for you, for myself. I and your mother in the Lord, we met; we had a wonderful marriage. Before we started, we did genotype tests. I was AA and she was AS. We had our first daughter and eventually we discovered that she has sickle cell anemia. I embraced my daughter and we had a good time with my family. I flowed with my wife and everything was okay...

“One thing led to another and something happened... and what happened is what will make a man to divorce a woman scripturally. I had backing for that. I had to cover it up to make sure that my marriage moved with my mother. When my wife cheated and had an ‘unholy’ child, I covered her up but when mine happened, she started blackmailing me. This is why I urged us to pray for our leaders. It’s not easy for me to come out in public to say this. But I warned my wife; she didn’t listen. Rather, she preferred to turn me into a laughing stock.”

Iginla

Top City Clothier, Korede Robert, Hits Two Scores

Robert

If life begins at 40, then dandy fashionista and man about town, Korede Robert just earned a ticket to the premiere of his own enactment of a new beginning. The brain behind top lifestyle store, Fusion Concepts recently waltzed into his 40th year with the same panache and élan with which he struts about in his stylish apparels.

Korede is a fashion god who dictates the laws of style that mere mortals scurry to obey. Perhaps that explains why he celebrated his birthday on a low key, wary of attracting a posse of

admirers hell-bent on gate-crashing the celebrations by fair means or foul. The beau of Arinola Roberts was more than happy to mark the joyous event in the company of wife, kids and cherished friends.

Korede’s Fusion Boutique numbers the posh Awolowo Way, Ikoyi and exclusive Silverbird Galleria, Abuja among its upscale hubs from which it caters to the needs of style-conscious members of the billionaire club. The enterprising hopeful who sold clothes from the boot of his car in Unilag has certainly come a long way.

How Otunba Timehin Adelegbe Sold N1b Hotel to Fund Political Ambition When Otunba Timehin Adelegbe reluctantly put his Royal Parklane Hotel, Ijapo Estate, Akure, Ondo State up for sale in order to fund his campaign for the House of Representatives, it must have felt like parting with a piece of his own self. But desperate times called for desperate measures; so off went the ownership papers for the rumoured princely sum of N1 billion.

The former commissioner for commerce and industry in Ondo State was forced to contend with the admonishment of concerned individuals who told him he was being penny wise and pound foolish. As they argued and warned that a bird of a money-spinning hotel in hand is worth

two in the bush of an uncertain political career, he nonetheless forged on without being clouded by sentiments.

Fast forward to after the National assembly elections, Otunba Timehin has been vindicated. The Asiwaju of Okeluse community in Ondo State slaughtered his opponent in the election and won the right to represent Ose/ Owo Federal Constituency in the 9th assembly.

With his flawless victory forged in the fires of personal sacrifice, Otunba Timehin has become the beautiful bride of politics in his constituency.

The rejected stone has become the chief cornerstone as his people are now depending on him for good representation in the national assembly.

Adelegbe

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HIGHLIFE

Oluwalogbon Boss, Bakare, High-Octane Burial Loses Wife, Omobowale Ceremony for

Heartfelt condolences are in order for Chief S O Bakare of Oluwalogbon fame, who recently lost his wife Deborah Omobowale Bakare. She was 74. For a man who has been through many debilitating vicissitudes and has come out stronger, Bakare was nonetheless heartbroken and inconsolable. Now that she has passed on, Oluwalogbon would fight the battle of his life never to let go, the wonderful, sweet memories bequeathed to him by Deborah.

Her immediate families are down and out; their souls are vexed about

the incident. This remarkable display of grief and support continually invoked questions about the true womanhood of Madam Omobowale.

To many, she was a woman at ease with children and the elderly, able to bring immeasurable happiness into their lives, but not capable of anything insidious and wily in nature.

It is never easy to criticize someone of privilege, wealth and position for helping the poor and disadvantaged, thus that Madam Bakare did a lot of good in her life excited profuse tributes in her wake.

The deceased, according to her family, often said that all she wanted to do was bring a little bit of happiness into peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives, to be a source of hope to the hopeless especially and that she achieved with remarkable humility and forthrightness.

Friends, relatives, and associates have been thronging his home to pay him condolence visits and offer consolatory advice. However, her children, Remi Odunsi and Rotimi Bakare are leaving no stone unturned to give her befitting burial ceremony.

Headache For Night Club Owner, Shina Peller

Peller

There is a saying that oil and water donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mix. A close second in terms of natural antagonism is business and politics. And Shina Peller, the eldest son of late Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foremost magician, Professor Peller is finding this out the hard way.

Recall that the premium night club boss was declared the winner of the House of Representatives elections in Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola and Iwajowa Federal Constituency in Oyo State.

Contesting on the platform of the APC, Shina floored his closest challengers from the PDP and ADC. Now that the dust has somewhat settled on the stunning victory of the King of Nite Life, it has become apparent that Shina will have to do some serious juggling if his business interest is not to clash with his new role as his peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative.

As Life Educates Sally Mbanefo... â&#x20AC;&#x153;To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,â&#x20AC;? proclaimed the sage of Ecclesiastes. At first glance, it seems that for Sally Mbanefo, the former Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General, it is time for operating under lights that are less luminous than she was used to.

Since she was booted out of the NTDC in controversial circumstances, the woman who loves draping herself in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national colours has generated an amount of national attention equal to the square root of zero. No sooner had she packed her bags from the DG office than she disappeared into the ether.

She has since resurfaced in her native home of Anambra where she serves as Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Indigenous Artworks, Culture, and Tourism. After years of being in the eye of the storm in Abuja, fair-complexioned Sally is enjoying her time on the periphery.

Mbanefo

The issue has been giving the Club Quilox head honcho sleepless nights as he ponders on what to do.

Luckily for him, there is enough time to come up with some magical solution as there are still a few months to go before the incoming House of Representatives will be inaugurated.

Shina is very popular in his constituency and there were wide jubilations when he was announced as the winner. His various local schemes have endeared him to every segment of the society, from sports lovers to indigent and the elderly. Now with his new position, it is expected that Shina will use the next 4 years to bring the dividends of democracy to his people.

Little wonder he is thinking long and hard about how best to make sure his multiple businesses donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere with his political assignment.

Lulu-Briggs

The well-heeled family of the late founder of Moni-Pulo High Chief Dr. O.B. Lulu - Briggs, has concluded plans to throw a stupendous burial ceremony for the late and lamented patriarch of the Briggs clan who died onFriday, December 28 in Accra, Ghana. His song has ended but the melody lingers on, in the ediďŹ ces he built, lives he touched, and family he loved. And the family, in recompense for his love, has put heads together to organize a beďŹ tting send-off for the native of Abonnema-Kalabari, the headquarters of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State and darling of the Ijaw nation.

From March 31 to April 6, the sleepy village of Abonnema, where the late Lulu-Briggs held away as a regent, will unite as one to pay homage to the memory of one of their most illustrious sons. The week-long activities will culminate in a thanksgiving service followed by a grand reception proper.

The whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who of high society will be present. The late Benson Lulu-Briggs who passed on to glory at 91 is the father of Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, who is the governorship candidate of Accord, and the founder of indigenous oil exploration giant Moni Pulo. He held sway as the vice chairman of the defunct UPN from 1979 to 1983. The beloved philanthropist who put smiles on the faces of the people with refreshing regularity is survived by his wife Seinye who continues to work in the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vineyard despite her own advancing age.

Lulu-Briggs

Omo

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HIGHLIFE

Twin celebration for Matriarch of High Society, Florence Ita-Giwa

Ita-Giwa

With a body that takes regular swims in the fountain of youth, a mind that works like a library of creativity, and a philosophy that places common welfare above personal interest, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa is the complete package. Mama Bakassi as she is fondly called recently turned 73 and fans and admirers found their way to her Calabar residence to pay homage to the effervescent matriarch who shows no sign of slowing down.

Even as she attains an age that would make most turn their attention to retirement, Florence remains the butterfly that keeps fluttering its silver wings. Photographers and

newsmakers remain on her heels, chasing her around for the latest scoop and pictures of the woman who possesses looks that come straight from Fairyland.

The amazing woman who has spent decades fighting the causes of her people in the Bakassi Peninsula recognizes that those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age but they die young. Her people, her children, and her charitable causes are the loves of her life and she hovers around them all like a protective mother hen.

True to her nature which seeks and finds diamonds in the roughest of roughs, Florence turned the occasion of her 73rd birthday into a

stage to display her entrepreneurial acumen to an awed and gaping audience. She launched her state-of-the-art restaurant located on the highbrow heart of Victoria Island Lagos.

Echoes of Calabar, her new palatial restaurant which is already enticing gourmets with the promise of sumptuous meals, is her birthday gift to herself.

Top society mainstays like Princess Abbah Folawiyo, Alli baba, Ini Edo, Kemen, Ifu Enada, AY and his wife, Helen Paul, Shola Shobowale, Ngozi Nwosu, Uti Nwachukwu, Ndidi Obiorah among others were given first-hand taste of the local and continental delicacies which are sure to keep foodies

Rahama Indimi Shares Emotional Message

Meet Buhari’s Godson, Nasiru Danu

For a mother, the only thing more painful than birth pangs is the pain of being separated from her beloved children.

It feels like the sun being yanked off the sky, plunging the world in eternal gloom.

The billionairebusinessman, Muhammed Indimi’s daughter, Rahama is feeling a glacial pang of pain like the stab of a dagger of ice frozen from a poisoned well.

Ever since losing custody of her children after a bitter legal back and forth battle with husband-turned-nemesis, Muhammed Babangida, Rahama has been inconsolable as she yearns for the presence of her cherished ones. She is unable to handle the reality of separation and often turns into an emotional wreck anytime she remembers the good times she spent with them.

One such occasion occurred a few weeks back as she transformed into an impromptu

Some sons are born by blood; others are made through long loyalty and consistent dedication. Business mogul and prominent politician, Alhaji Nasiru Haladu Danu belongs to the latter category. In a political clime where loyalties are bought and sold like akara and allies turn bitter foes at the drop of a hat, he remains an unflinching mast proudly flying on a single boat.

The favoured son of Dutse Emirate is a man close to the heart of President Muhammadu Buhari. Amidst the sea of confusion where several bigwigs switched loyalties to the opposing camp, Danu remained steadfast like a tower which blasts of wind can never shake.

He mobilized massive support for the president in Jigawa State and exerted himself to the fullest to ensure the opposition had no chance of an upset in the state.

The man known for his integrity, trustworthiness, and benevolence, Danu was turbaned as the Dan Amana Dutse of Dutse Emirate a couple of years back for his sterling service to his people and humanity as a whole. He brings the same sense of dedication to the political arena. He is always ready to go to war for the president and his strategies and leadership were crucial as Buhari won the presidential election in Jigawa by a landslide.

poet and composed a spontaneous Ode of Longing to one of her children, Khalifah on social media. “I don’t need to tell you how much you mean to me or how much I love and need you... I feel you in my heart and know you feel me in your heart,” she lamented.

Recall that Rahama’s marriage to Muhammed, son of the former military president, Ibrahim Babangida crashed a few years back under acrimonious circumstances. Since then, she has been fighting her ex tooth and nail for custody of their 4 children. At one point, it seemed she had won the battle but she eventually lost the war. Now, absence has made the heart grow fonder for Rahama as she struggles to handle the emotional toll of losing her kids.

Indimi

Oba Frederick Akinrutan Set to Build the Biggest Resort in Nigeria Billionaire businessman and paramount ruler of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinrutan is in the process of launching another goldmine project that would boost his own portfolio as well as put his sleepy domain of Ilaje in Ondo State on the world’s tourism map.

The maverick oil magnate and Olugbo of Ugbo in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State is putting the finishing touches to plans to build the biggest recreational and tourist resort in the whole of Africa. The flamboyant monarch who doesn’t do things in half measures has reportedly penciled world renowned contractors for the project which, when finished, would make Ilaje a hot global tourism destination.

The man behind Obat Oil is rumoured to have landed on the idea of the resort as his own infrastructural monument to his community. The multimillion-dollar venture which will be flagged off soon will create huge job opportunities for the people.

Although details of the ambitious project are sketchy at the moment, those who know the antecedents of the flamboyant monarch are already salivating at the prospect of a magnificent edifice to rival anything available anywhere in the world. It will not be forgotten in a hurry how Obat Oil, one of Nigeria’s largest and leading privately held oil companies, began life as a single filling station built to cater for the needs of family and friends.

Oba Akinrutan

Danu

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Mike Adenuga’s New Business Interest For a man who has a flourishing business empire with substantial investments in telecommunications, oil & gas and banking, it is not for fun that Dr. Mike Adenuga is described as a visionary leader, an exemplary entrepreneur and an outstanding manager of men and resources.

He has successfully etched his name in the sands of time.

No doubt, he is definitely a shining light in the business firmament not only in Nigeria but across the continent and far beyond.

Society Watch gathered that the man, who is the country’s biggest player in telecommunication with his Africa’s leading telecommunication company, Globacom, has invested billions of Naira in real estate business.

According to a source, the Ijebu Igbo moneybag is currently building an eyepopping edifice worth several billions of Naira.

It was gathered that part of the one-of-a-kind tower will be used for commercial purposes.

The building, according to the source, is strategically located at Bourdillon Road in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The billionaire is gradually taking over the real estate sector with his property company, Cobblestone Properties, which owns hundreds of prime residential and commercial properties across the country.

Rotimi Ajanaku’s Political Travail For a good author, the story of a Lagos multi-millionaire and top socialite turned politician, Rotimi Ajanaku, will not only make an interesting read, but also a huge success.

His journey and attitude, especially since he joined the murky waters of Nigeria’s politics and desperation to be elected into the House of Representatives in Oyo State, have given his compatriots cause to confirm that an average Nigerian politician is capable of spewing surprises.

Last week, he shocked all when news filtered that he had made a dramatic entry into the All Progressives Congress, APC, a party he had so much vilified towards the build-up to the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

In the thinking of many, his action reeked of desperation for power, political relevance and lack of clear-cut ideology.

Consequently, he suddenly became the anvil of criticisms in the social and political circles over his ambition that seems to have beclouded his sense of reasoning.

Following his second defeat in the hands of Saheed Fijabi, the insinuation in some quarters is that Ajanaku had all along been ruled by over-bloated ego and, perhaps, his closeness to the number one man of Oyo State, Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi.

In the face of his political challenge, he defected to an unknown party, Zenith Labour Party, to achieve his age-long ambition.

But this could not save him from the impeding defeat, as he lost woefully in his bid to represent his Ibadan South west/ North West constituency.

He was defeated at the poll by the PDP candidate, Stanley Olajide, who equally trounced Fijabi of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

As a result, he has not only been labelled a political paper weight, but a desperado without any iota of shame and lack of ideology.

A source revealed that the hotelier suffered a rude shock after the loss, especially after incurring a loan to pursue the dream that many had already seen as a mirage from the outset.

An insider who was part of his campaign told Society Watch that the socialite expended well over N250 million in the pursuit of his political ambition.

“Ajanaku defected to APC for his belief that Adebayo Adelabu, who represented the party will win the state’s governorship election and will likely be compensated by the party,” a source revealed.

Ajanaku

Former Afribank MD, Patrick Akinkuotu Smiles

Akinkuotu

For a former Managing Director of the defunct Afribank, Patrick Olayele Akinkuotu, it is time to dance and sing the song of victory. Society Watch gathered that after years of legal battle with Stanbic IBTC, his prayer has finally been granted, following the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria ordering the bank to

pay the boss of Long Term Global Capital Limited the sum of N2.5billion as general damages for breach of contract.

The judgment of the apex court has confirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos that had earlier awarded the sum of N2.5billion as damages against the bank.

Counsel to Akinkuotu and his company, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe, SAN, was said to have told the court that the bank granted an overdraft facility of N600million to Long Term Capital Limited on April 11, 2007.

The bank was also said to have granted two additional facilities of N400million and N250million to Akinkuotu on May 11, 2007and July 17, 2007 respectively.

The facilities were for a term of 365days with an option of rollover amongst other terms.

Upon application by Akinkuotu, the facilities granted were merged and same were secured with shares held in various companies.

The bank, upon instruction via an e-mail, sold 28,745,400 units of GTB Plc shares held by Akinkuotu and his company at the sum of N267, 775,799.21.

The plaintiffs became aggrieved and contended that the proceeds of the shares sold by the bank was very low.

They also contended that they had liquidated the overdraft facilities granted

them by Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. Consequently, they sued the bank for breach of contract and claimed damages for loss of business opportunity.

Fagbohungbe, on his part, argued that the case of his client is that of gross negligence and unprofessionally selling the shares separately owned by Akinkuotu and his company at significantly lower and unauthorized prices whilst purportedly acting on Akinkuotu’s unsigned e-mail alone between him and the officer of the bank, one N.Udoh, while ignoring entirely the specific terms of the sale mandate officially issued by his clients.

The trial court, while entering judgment in their favour, awarded them N2.5billion damages, saying, “The law stipulates that court should discountenance an unsigned document as its contents cannot override a duly executed mandate in the circumstances” Dissatisfied with the judgment of the court, Stanbic IBTC bank Plc appealed the judgment.

However, its case was dismissed by the court of appeal.

Thereafter, the bank took its case to the Supreme Court. After appraising the facts and submission of Fagbohungbe appearing with Barrister Abayomi against O. Ayanlaja, SAN, appearing with Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, for Stanbic IBTC Plc, the five-man panel of judges dismissed the appeal of the bank for lacking in merit.

Grace Egbagbe’s Grace

Adenuga

Without a doubt, Grace Egbagbe is elegant and has great taste.

When you talk about society women in Nigeria, her name readily comes to mind.

For her, life must be lived to the hilt.

So, she rocks the social scene to the envy of many.

Although Egbegbe is said to be very selective of the social events she attends, this ageless beauty always catches the attention of paparazzi and celebrity journalists any time she steps out.

But Society Watch gathered that the former NTA staff has now slowed down.

In fact, a source revealed that she hardly attends event nowadays, except it is most important.

Egbagbe has degrees in English from the University of Ibadan and Theatre Arts, Film and Television Production from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also obtained a degree in Law from the University of Buckingham, England. She had a successful career in the media spanning 27 years at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), culminating in her appointment as Executive Director, Marketing.

Egbagbe

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SOCIETY WATCH

Chima Anyasoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Baptism of Fire Can anyone say with certainty that billionaire businessman, Chima Anyaso, understand the dynamic nature of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s politics?

It is doubtful; otherwise, he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have either ventured into it or be more prepared than he did.

Well, it is too late, as he has suffered what a source described as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Baptism of fireâ&#x20AC;?.

The Ceecon Energy Oil and Gas Limitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head honcho has been swallowed in the shark-infested waters of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s politics. The Igbere, Abia State-born businessman lost in the February 23 election thereby, failing to make it to the Lower Chamber to represent the Bende Federal Constituency.

He is said to have thought that money was not going to be an obstacle to his political ambition. So, he was reportedly spending money as if it was going out of fashion; he empowered so many people in his community.

In view of this, many had thought he would effortlessly coast home to a sure victory at the election by virtue of

the support he felt he had got from his people owing to his philanthropy over the years.

But the Oil and gas top player, who is married to Adanna Nzeribe, daughter of strongman of Imo politics, Sir Arthur Nzeribe was dazed when he lost to the All Progressives Congress candidate, Benjamin Kalu. He was shown that politics goes beyond mere being nice with money.

A source revealed to Society Watch that the businessmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss in the election might not be unconnected to his disagreement with the former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzoh Kalu.

For those who have followed their story in the past two years, the Igbere, Abia big boys have been like brothers; they loved each other and also invested in the same business.

In fact, Anyanso was romantically linked with Neya Kalu, before they went their separate ways.

Orji Kalu got his pound of flesh when his preferred candidate of the APC won by polling 9139 votes against Anyaso who could only poll 5591 votes.

Anyaso

Sunmbo Adeoyeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Passion

Adeoye

Perhaps, if Sunmbo Adeoye, CEO and Creative Director of Esob Heroes Events, has followed her instincts

and started early enough, she would have probably been among the worldclass entrepreneurs rubbing shoulders with others around the world.

Besides, her love for humanity has taken her to many places to support women entrepreneurs.

While she worked in the banking industry, her dream was to further become a successful business owner.

In 2011, goaded by her dream, the beautiful lady, who is also married to the popular pastor of Royalty Christian Centre, Senior Pastor David Adeoye, resigned from banking and applied for a scholarship at the Lagos Business School under the Goldmansachs 10,000 women initiative.

Luckily, she was awarded the scholarship and graduated with a certificate in entrepreneurial management.

Upon completion of her training, her view of entrepreneurship changed.

But the beautiful lady didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to

rule the world all alone. Her passion for the womenfolk grows each day and she developed the idea of becoming a ladder of growth to other women, hence her philanthropic gestures.

Interestingly, today, tens of women have benefited from her milk of kindness through her annual Inspiring Change conference, a platform where she deliberately imparts knowledge, inspires change and transforms the lives of men and women in business with a focus on nation building.

Adeoye, a graduate of Accounting & Finance and an alumna of Lagos Business School, was recently honoured in London as a Goldman Sachs Star Scholar as , one of the 10,000 women in Africa to benefit from the initiative.

Adesunmbo is a mentor to many and a recipient of numerous awards for her dedication and contributions towards progressive initiatives and humanity in general.

Bua Boss, Abdulsamad Rabiuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rising ProďŹ le AbdulSamad Rabiu, founder, BUA Group, is an accomplished businessman.

Again, his profile has received a boost, after it became public knowledge that he made the latest list of Forbesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; richest persons in the world. He is said to worth $1.6bn.

The Kano State-born billionaire has been on this list for many years, maintaining his position as a giant in the business climate.

His story, irrespective of the angle one chooses to view it, will make a compelling read any time, any day.

His name means so many things to many people. But what no one can deny is the fact that the name is essentially synonymous with success.

The Kano State-born mogul has successfully engraved his name in the hearts of the generality of his compatriots.

Though he was born into wealth,

his ability to make more money will definitely inspire any ambitious soul.

As a young man, he had a clear vision of what he wanted to do later in life and he pursued it with unwavering doggedness.

While growing up, the only thing that caught his fancy was business and he refused to be swayed by any other interest.

He started out as a businessman at the young age of 24 when he came from the US to rescue his late fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business.

The business as gathered was going through a difficultly.

Since then, anything he touches has turned into gold.

He established his own company, BUA Group of Companies, in 1988 at the age of 28, Today, his chain of companies is spread across countries around the continent, with thousands people in his employ.

Rabiu

Between Buhari and Nuraini Mumuni Indeed, theirs is another classic example of friendship made in Heaven. Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Ambassador Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, president of the Londonbased Wall Street Global Finance Limited, have enjoyed an extremely cordial relationship that has deďŹ ed all barriers in the past years. For almost two decades, the two eminent ďŹ gures have been very close and enjoy each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conďŹ dence and affection.

Mumuni, who vied for the governorship seat of Lagos State on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2003, is described as one of the topranking politicians whose views on political issues are highly respected

by President Buhari.

Perhaps, this explains why it is said that within the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political circle, Mumuniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unhindered access to both the Abuja and Katsina private residences of President Buhari is an open secret. Those who are close to both Buhari and Mumuni describe their bond as a father-son relationship.

Mumuni, who is the Aare Jagunmade 1 of Lagos, heads and belongs to the Boards of some blue chip corporate entities and government agencies, including the multinational African Trust Alliance Insurance, Law Enforcement Alliance of America, Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association.

Also, the former Special Adviser on Economic & Foreign Matters to ex-governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame, was born into the noble family of Mumuni of Ita Akose, Lagos Island, Lagos on April 6, 1965 by Tahal Mumuni and Oluremi Mumuni.

Mumuniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, a ranking Lagos nobleman and contemporary of the late traditional monarch of Lagos, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan 11, was regarded as a top-of-theclass indigenous road construction contractor whose ďŹ rm constructed some of the major roads within the Lagos metropolis, including the famous Western Avenue, Surulere, now known as Funsho Williams Avenue.

Mumuni

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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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

President Buhari – No Victor, No Vanquished My lord, some of these things are very simple. You see, to get people behind you is as easy as getting a cake from a child. If I were in your shoes, I will go into a very robust charm offensive; going around the country starting from the PDP strongholds, preaching unity and healing.

Assuring the people that this time around we should come together to rebuild, mend fences and work for a stronger Nigeria.

All the statements I am seeing you issue about taking tough decisions, strengthening the war against corruption and the rest only tell people that ‘una never see anything yet’. Furthermore, the immediate arrest of some PDP stalwarts is also sending some strong negative signals to the system. My lord not only PDP people are afraid o, but even your APC people also are not sleeping with both eyes closed.

There is a palpable concern in the

polity that with no future election on the horizon and the present constitution of the new National Assembly we may be in for a rough ride. You see for me I am really worried because like you said in 1983, we have no other country but Nigeria...

You know all that thing you said, me I cannot run away. The US has revoked my visa and that is another matter you have to look into o. So we have no other choice but to stay here and work with you or rough it as you blow your hurricane over the land.

But my lord, Gowon said it after the Civil War, ‘No Victor No Vanquished’ that na war oh. This na common election o, so we must rise above this petty outlook and be statesmanly and call everybody to come to join hands to work to restore our integrity as a people.

If you ask me, there should be a détente, a waiver on all these ‘arrests for money laundering’, court orders should

be obeyed and those with rulings in their favour be released and a general amnesty so that tensions can drop and you immediately remove the moral platform from the opposition.

My brother, things have not been this bad since the civil war in the area of ethnic division. Nigerians are once again seeing themselves in ethnic colourations ascribing your victory as a victory of one section amongst others.

You have to as a matter of national urgency begin to show that we need to HEAL. Please na beg, let the arrests STOP immediately. Nobody has been conquered, Nigerians only chose by their votes one brother over the other based on how they perceived one against the other in relations to the skill set required to tackle our national issues. No be fight, na election. Thank you, sir. God will lead you. Kai.

Tinubu

Akpabio

Sagay

Emefiele

WHO IS A LAGOSIAN?

and hug me.

Even at 50 I still dey cry o. When she found something in my bag and I explained that it is the family planning people that gave me and she started packing her load, I just stood there dey cry like a baby. She just weak. I am telling you. That is the plan that APC had used as we moved towards yesterday.

They resorted to desperate measures, they just drove one truck of rice into Alausa and be throwing the thing at the people and those ones who have calculated the price of the rice just started jumping at it.

Funny because when my great brother Fayose institutionalized this and even branded it Stomach Infrastructure, we all derided him. Today come and see the way everybody is using the system nationwide and in different guises to deliver their states.

I am sure if Akpabio had come to that realization quickly, he would have been throwing fufu at my Akwa Ibom brothers.

Anyway, Sanwo-Olu I never see my own rice oh. When is the truck coming to Shomolu o? We need our own rice o forget all these yabs I have been yabbing you, man must wack abeg. Kai, Lagos politics should be studied at Harvard, it is unique.

especially the last one I just heard about the National Assembly under Saraki being the main opposition party, then I cannot fear your Ph.D. in law in a debate because I will floor you. That statement showed a lack of proper understanding of the principles of checks and balances and also the enshrined role of the National Assembly as the bastion of people’s power, checking the excesses of the executive.

This na Political Science 101. In fact, the National Assembly should be an activist one especially in the face of executive excesses and refusal to obey court orders in some cases like we have seen. So the executive spends money without National Assembly concurrence, they should keep quiet and smile so that Sagay will not shout?

What are we talking about here?

Please, sir, enough is enough, please choose date and venue, I will sponsor and pay for my night bus and will also bring Afang, I need to shush you once and for all.

You are not helping anybody not even your principals with some of these declarations if it is true you are the one making them o. let’s do this.

I have also seen how with your deft moves on import substitution and forex interplay, kept the exchange rate relatively stable, thereby saving a lot of jobs in the aviation industry to just mention one.

You have done well and if the powers that be want you to rest, so be it. Well done my brother. Respect.

PROF. ITSE SAGAY: I CHALLENGE YOU!

As I write, the news is all over that you may have been sacked. They say you have been asked to go on compulsory terminal leave.

Well, I see that your people have come out to debunk the news and that you will stay till your June terminal date after which if the powers that be are happy with you may consider giving you another term.

Well by the time you will be reading this a lot would have happened. You see you have tried and I must say that I respect you. I have seen the way you have fought to maintain currency stability which itself has impacted on the economy especially inflation.

This is the question this coming election would be aiming to answer. The tense and passionate electoral season has thrown up this issue and a credible answer must be sought and given.

The dynamic change in population dynamics has thrown up Nigerians from the South-East into a powerful swing vote bloc in the politics of Lagos and this has angered some elements who have fanned the embers of ethnic irredentism – even me I don’t know the meaning of the word.

I just like the sound but una know what I am trying to say - the Igbo have been attacked during the elections, they have been curried and they have in turn reacted either by running away, refusing to vote or asking for six slots in the cabinet in their traditional mercantilists way.

This led me into asking the simple question – if those they are asking us to vote for are not from Lagos traditionally, so why can’t those of us who are also not from Lagos also vote confidently. Come and see the abuse that has poured all over me since I dropped that statement on social media. But seriously, someone needs to come out and answer matter-of-factly this small question: who is a Lagosian? We are waiting.

RICE FOLLY When there is desperation, you move to other means- you throw rice at the people.

This thing used to remind me when I was courting my wife. When I offend her or she catches me straying which was rather too frequent for her liking she would ban me from seeing her.

I would now resort to desperate measures, I will just start crying. Very few women can stand a full man crying. I used to call it crying technique. The thing used to weak her o. I will just be crying without saying a word, she would now calm down

Yes, I have decided to come out of my irritable position to challenge you to an open debate in any place or country of your choice. I must tell you that apart from being deeply disappointed at some of the statements that have been allegedly ascribed to you, I still find it very hard to believe that you a whole professor of law can be saying something they have said you have been saying.

It is as a result of my disbelief that I have decided to challenge you to this debate so that I can hear them from your mouth. You see, if it is true that you said these things

GODWIN EMEFIELE: NO FEAR

Buhari

PROF OSINBAJO: LET’S HAVE A THREESOME! You look really tired, all that jumping in and out of crashed helicopters must have taken its toll on you.

You did a yeoman’s job during the elections crisscrossing the whole country in search of votes.

Don’t mind those VGC people who did not allow you to deliver your polling station, these things happen. I really think you deserve some rest and this why I am inviting you to my new play, Threesome coming up this June at the Muson.

Please if you accept, don’t come with madam o, I will not be there when she hit your head o.

The play is edgy and provocative.

Small nudity, not vulgar but artsy just enough to tell the story of responsibility in a committed marriage.

The girls are to ‘die for’. Please also don’t let GO Church of yours know you are coming o, I am not there.

You will be my special guest as executive producer and will sit beside me so that I can explain somethings to you especially the part where the mother-inlaw falls in love with her son-in-law, that will really surprise you.

So let me know on time if you are accepting so that I can begin to prepare for you. Let me also know what type of hostesses you would like to serve you – slim, light and tall?

Let me recommend the curvy, light and chubby ones, they really know how to

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MARCH 10, 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

LOUD WHISPERS

Fowler

Onari Duke

Osodi

take care of a man. So my brother, all work and no play makes Yemi a... let me know.

Thanks.

All Hail the Prophets in the House!

BABATUNDE FOWLER: THE MAGIC MAN

If this was not a national platform, all these pastors and prophets would have seen the worse of my tongue. They have all constituted themselves into a national mockery making a nuisance of themselves and in the processes rubbishing the Lord, they claim to worship. Hitherto to the elections, they made all sorts of declarations and statements claiming that they were hearing directly from the Lord.

One of them even said that if Buhari tried to campaign he will die.

I saw that one o, I watched with my korokoro eyes as the person confidently made his proclamation.

They panicked everybody with all these fake prophecies that even the candidates started running to them for all sorts of consultations.

Even Baba PDP found his way to one and was told categorically

They say FIRS has done N3 trillion in collections. Me I know the man very well o.

He is my brother Uwem Whyte’s Oga and through Uwem I have met him severally.

He has even bought food for me at the Cactus Restaurant.

In fact, I went to see Uwem for a meeting and behold the noble gentleman was at the head of the table. Uwem asked me to take anything and when I saw the prices I just took a piece of cake and water.

As I no wan kill Uwem, he is married to my sister Clara and dem get school fees to pay. Yes, I can be considerate like that, but midway into the water, Uwem looked at me and said is that all you are eating, Oga is paying mbok, I just remember the trillions that FIRS has been collecting since his emergence – national records o, I call the waiter and order food. Mbok, I eat that day, I almost vomit.

Mr. Fowler has been doing phenomenally well right from his days at LIRS. He has caused a tsunami of performance throwing up and widening our tax base thereby positioning the government in performance.

He also has used the entertainment industry to amongst others raise the bar, create awareness and better penetrate the taxable community. He has not been afraid to ‘attack’ any entity that is dodging to pay his taxes that today the fear of FIRS is the beginning of wisdom for corporate entities.

I just felt like saying well done to the big man today and wish him well. My brother, I had been driving past Cactus last month with the hope that I would see your car parked and branch but no show, mbok give me date na, I will not eat much I swear. Well done sir and God bless.

to start building his cabinet. The Catholic Priest who is always very vocal during these times was also not left out.

Today, they all have been thrown up for what they truly are – fake.

My people, which declaration was accurate o? Nobody saw postponements, nobody saw the felling of the Irokos in Akwa Ibom and Kwara. Momentous events that should have been staring at them in the crystal ball.

What we have today in the place of clergymen are mercantilists parodies of men of God. They have built huge financial institutions on the back of the ignorance of the people. But will we learn our lessons? No oh! We will continue flocking there and they will continue to hypnotise us, steal our money, our wives and our future.

cannot be narrowed down to just that, there is more to that. We go talk but for now, let me give it to the Asiwaju, how he gets these brilliant people beats me. Nice one Demola.

CHARLES O TUDOR: IT’S THE DREADLOCKS Well, I saw the man the other day at my buddy - Charles Aigbe’s office somewhere in VI. He was sporting his locks and looking quite good. I engaged him on his pet project which is the branding master class.

Charles still retains his lustre and charisma. I have been following him since his Adstrat days when he redefined the industry, he walked like a colossus and brought branding to the forefront of business discourse.

Today, while seating in Charles expansive office feeling like Denzel Washington as a result of the small-small girls that were fawning around him trying to catch his attention, we fell into a deep discussion on branding and its position in building businesses and professionals. He talked ceaselessly and mercilessly on the topic.

Mbok, I don forget most of the things he was saying because by the time he finished hungry don catch me and Charles is not one to be buying someone food. So I just say ‘it’s true; when he finished so he go stop.

Nice guy, he invited me to his annual master class on branding coming up this June and says it would be International.

I asked if Afang would be served and he started to stammer, I just look am, shake my head and waka go, which kind International with no Afang? I go dey Shomolu on that day dey chop my Afang, thank you.

BREAST CANCER AND THE MIRACLE OF GIVING

ONARI DUKE: ANGEL OF MY HEART Ok nobody should show Donald this piece. For him, this may not sound too good especially after the fiasco that was his presidential aspiration – I still think he is the best thing that would happen to this country if he is ever given a chance.

Well, today is for his delectable wife and grandmother, Her Excellency Onari Duke. She will not like this I swear but will she come to Shomolu to hold my hand as I write the piece? Mbok, I will write jo, she has been an angel I tell you.

Being the first every time to respond to my request for help as I raise much-needed funds for the sick. She is on my whats app and always the first to respond not only with funds but also with prayers and encouragement.

At times her responses draw tears from my eyes. She is ever so calm, so gracious and so willing. God bless her for me and her family. Please, all my readers kindly just kneel down wherever you are right now and shut your eyes and send a wonderful prayer of thanksgiving to mummy. Mbok, pilots, and drivers I no involve you o, don’t close your eyes o, I cannot shout o. Thank you ma.

Otudor

Buhari

DEMOLA OSHODI: A WELLDESERVED SHOUT-OUT Demola is my friend and a senior aide to the Asiwaju. Demola is urbane and well-travelled and an international developmental expert – you know the Asiwaju knows how to identify and curry talent. Demola is one of them, very pristine and astute.

So during the week, we engaged in a cerebral discussion on the candidacy of Sanwo-Olu viz a viz his emergence and its effect on transparent democracy and the will of the people. It was a didactic and deeply intellectual discussion that took us to the writings of the iconic Karl Marx and German Sociologist Max Weber.

It was not a ‘rice’ conversation and I must tell you before Demola floored me,

him sef know say he sweat. The kernel of his submission was the need to better maximize the opportunities thrown up by the dynamism of global economic transformations by throwing up the best in human capital in our bid to harness this potential for the sixth largest economy in Africa.

For him, Sanwo-Olu better fits this category of all the candidates and that I should forget his emergence since that boat has sailed and that what we are facing now is a contest between a well-tested hand that has been involved in governance at the highest levels understanding the issues as against the opponent who has not managed a family owned business beyond its infancy.

Well, I listened o. Do I agree with his position, my vote will decide that but did he make sense? He tried. My brother the issues

I have been doing some charity work and Nigerians have been supporting.

With the 1k miracle group, we have hit about N9m in N1,000 givings and then independently, I have been pushing.

Last weekend, I went to the Ikeja General Hospital or is it LASUTH they call it and got my soul in a quandary. Come and see human sufferings. In the ward I went, come and see our mothers, our women suffering from breast cancer with no hope, breasts have been cut off, the second ones about to be cut off with the paucity of funds, risking lives.

Two cases caught my attention o.

A deaf and dumb widow with three children, two deaf and dumb, ravaged by Breast Cancer and no funds to buy drugs.

The second one also after six bouts of chemotherapy and no more funds has been discharged to go home and die.

I ran out of the hospital to the main road and screamed: why in this country!? I swore to raise the N1.1m needed for the two patients and immediately threw it on my whats app. My friend oh my sister jumped in and offered N850,0000.

By the time you read this, we should be affecting that woman. Please Nigerians, it is not be railing at government and shouting Tinubu, bullion van; we can do things with just N1,000. Please rally yourselves together in groups to raise N1,0000 each and you will be amazed at just how much you will raise and walk into hospitals and save lives.

Please do this for yourselves, God will bless you. Thank you.

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MARCH 10, 2019 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

with RenoOmokri THE ALTERNATIVE The Igbo are The Engine of The Vehicle Called Nigeria

T

he larger than life electoral malpractices that greeted the recent elections in Nigeria made headlines and shocked the nation. What, however, did not make as much headlines is the shocking internal xenophobia that came with these elections.

The treatment meted out to people of Igbo origin, especially in Lagos, is even worse than the rigging perpetrated by Muhammadu Buhari and his goons. The ethnic hatred unleashed in Lagos probably set back inter-tribal relationships by about a decade.

Thugs were unleashed on Igbo dominated strongholds in Lagos and voters were beaten and prevented from voting. All these were captured on camera, yet sadly, maltreatment that persons of Igbo heritage received in Lagos has predictably gone unnoticed by the Federal Government.

Even worse, the public comments of people in authority, both in Lagos and Abuja, appears to legitimize these unconscionable actions.

The behaviour of the Federal and Lagos state government in this matter almost seems as if it is now official government policy that Igbos are second class citizens. How sad indeed.

I personally do not believe that the Nigerian and Lagos state governments fully understand what Igbos bring to the table.

Igbos are like palm trees in the desert. If you see palm trees, you know water is there. If you see an Igbo in a town, you know progress is there. Not as if they go where progress is. They themselves are seed of progress that yield harvests of progress.

To have a proper understanding of what the Igbo have achieved, consider that every Igbo man, woman and child in Nigeria was reduced to £20 after the civil war in 1970. But look at how far they have come since then. They turned adversity to prosperity.

No ethnic group are as Nigerian as the Igbo. An Igbo builds his family, his house and his businesses in whatever part of Nigeria he finds himself. They do not exploit other regions. They expand other regions. It is a disservice to treat them as unwanted.

Instead of making Igbos feel unwelcome, leaders should welcome them. Anyone who thinks the Igbo really want to break away does not understand economics. In 2003, Elrufai revealed Igbos own 73% of land in Abuja. Google it. That is commitment to Nigeria.

This idea that Igbo come to exploit other regions is unscientific. Igbos create value. They do not take value already created. Example, by opening shops, Igbos create value by meeting a need. Without Igbo, the price of spare-parts in the North will be x4.

It might shock you to know there are more Igbo doctors practicing in other parts of Nigeria than in the SE. Thousands of Igbos are battling Boko Haram in the NE. These are critical values. People

Nwodo, Ohanaeze President who bring such value should be celebrated, not denigrated.

In my opinion, Nigeria made a mistake dismantling Biafra’s military industrial complex after Biafra’s 1970 defeat. The allies defeated Germany in 1945 but absorbed their scientists into their military industrial complex.

Biafra developed technology that Nigeria could have exploited. We have issues fighting Boko Haram because we depend on others for weapons.

Biafra was surrounded, yet they made their weapons and refined fuel. Nigeria is not surrounded, yet we cannot make weapons or refine fuel! We could have been making our own weapons by now.

While I was writing this, I received news that Sergeant Blessing Onyekwere, a Nigerian of Igbo origin, was killed by Boko Haram as he fought to keep Nigeria safe. Blessing and others like him are the reason why we should do away with the

philosophy of Lagos for Yorubas and Kano for Hausas.

I do not know if Igbos understand their power. If every Igbo man, woman and child living in Nigeria returns home for a year, the economies of five geopolitical zones may collapse. You cannot say this about any other ethnicity.

Treat Igbos well. Not for their sake. But for your region’s sake. A liability consumes more than what he produces. The Igbos are not like that. Wherever they go, they produce more than they consume. In accounting terms, that makes them an ASSET wherever they are.

And to the Igbos themselves, I give this counsel-stop returning to the SE to register to vote and be voted for. Register and contest wherever you are. That shows that your commitment is TOTAL. Contest where you are for Governor, LGA Chairman and NASS. If you as an Igbo keep returning to the SE to register to vote and be voted for, you agree with those who do not see you as part of the regions where you live. You have a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote and be voted for where you are resident.

Igbos only think they are being marginalised. If only they knew!

God is using the marginalisation of Igbos for His purpose. I met an Igbo mayor of a major American city. Many Igbo are mayors/MPs in Europe. An Igbo is being considered as a future British PM. Like Jews, the more you marginalise Igbos locally, the more they leave to thrive globally. It is the destiny of the Igbo race to restore the fortunes of the Black Race worldwide. Their crucifixion is meant to prepare them for their benediction.

Finally, I am NOT Igbo or married to one. Some people think I am Igbo because of a video Onyeka Onwenu did calling me her son. She did not mean it literally. I am proud of Onyeka. She is not my mother. She just has an appreciation of my love for ndi’Igbo.

Reno Omokri #1 Bestselling author of Facts Versus Fiction: True Story of the Jonathan Years. Avid traveller. Table Shaker. Buhari’s Tormentor. PhD, London School of Savagery

POLITY

Kachikwu: Daring the Odds!

In Delta State, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu did his best for President Muhammadu Buhari’s election in a political turf where the president ordinarily stood no chance and his efforts are not trifling, writes Shola Oyeyipo

T

he Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, is one individual, who knows his onions, not only in his chosen field as a technocrat but also on the turf of politics, even though he nurses no political ambition for now.

For a man, who had suffered baseless and needless persecutions almost throughout his entire stay in the Muhammadu Buhari government from those who hate to see other succeed; that he was able to keep his head high and focused was perhaps his staying grace!

The months leading to the elections were not particularly easy for the minister as he battled almost every other week with different allegations, a majority of them bordering on alleged political ambition and unfounded accusations of certain impropriety. But while he did not waver, he remained focused and determined to help deliver Buhari’s success story, at least, from his posting.

For the first time, the February 23 presidential election put him to serious capacity test in his Delta State, where

he is the undisputable leader of the Buhari political family.

And realising the task ahead, the weight of the mobilisation deployed to work was evident of the man, who definitely knew what was at stake.

He was not oblivious of the strength of the ruling PDP in his state but was neither intimidated by their menacing posturing. To coordinate a team work that reduced the margin of defeat in the state, he had moved to Delta long ahead of the election to soften the ground for the president.

The 221,292 votes polled by the president in the state as against PDP’s 594,068 did not fall from heaven or grow from cultivation; it was the result of the hard work of a team put together and coordinated by Kachikwu. At least, for the APC, he made the difference in Delta and it is worthy of note and mention.

Therefore, whenever Buhari’s 2019 election success story is being told, particularly where a state by state analysis was inevitable, that the party lost in Delta state with 221,292 votes to PDP’s 594,668 would not form the totality of the Delta account, but who played what role and for

Kachikwu whom?

This is where Kachikwu comes in and deserves to be extended his dues in terms of his contribution to the collective success story of the APC and Buhari.

ARTS & REVIEW A

SELLING NIGERIAN BRAND THROUGH DOCUMENTARIES PAGE 71

PUBLICATION

10.03.2019

AN EPIC MOVIE SCRIPT GETS NEW LIFE AS A NOVEL Onwumere

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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

70

ARTS & REVIEW\\BOOKS

AN EPIC MOVIE SCRIPT GETS NEW LIFE AS A NOVEL As “an insider”, Ernie Onwumere revisits the story of the last Arochukwu king before the British invasion first as an epic movie script and subsequently as a prose. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

Onwumere

S

ome stories just have to be told. Besides choosing their narrators, they even compel their way to some form of verbal expression or the other.

Hence, before writing the novel, Kanu: The Last Eze Aro King, Ernie Onwumere, a CEO of a Lagos-based brand communication company, recalled being obsessed about the institution of monarchy in his native Arochukwu Kingdom.

His reflections specifically swirled around the kingdom’s last iconic monarch and its cultural peculiarities. This was at a time he was engrossed in a course at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation – often referred to in local cultural circles by its acronym NICO. These reflections soon resulted in a bulky epic movie script and, not long afterwards, he found himself visiting possible locations with his proposed film director, Adim Williams. “I reasoned that for such a legendary kingdom that has been in existence for over 1100 years, the Arochukwu Kingdom continues to elicit awe and interest because of its unique culture and civilisation,” he recalled.

Onwumere, who preens himself on being “an insider”, affirmed that he was well placed to write about the significance of the “Awada Aro” (Aro Covenant Place), the kingdom’s history, cultural values and family ties linking the Arochukwu homeland to its over 350 diaspora communities. Also, his insider’s position afforded him the privilege of a first-hand observation of the mystical powers of the traditional “Abah” group, which regale the people with magical performances at the Ikeji Aro festival or

during the burial of its members.

Leopards, he disclosed, are revered as totem animals among the Aro people, because they are believed to protect the kingdom from invaders. “I have heard many stories and, in some instances, seen the evidence of the presence of the animal around. We also know men, who have the capacity to transform themselves into leopards.”

Back to the movie script. Funding issues and limited time joined forces to frustrate its realisation into a film. Hence, Onwumere began to toy with the idea of adapting the script into a novel. Years after, the publication of the novel became a fait accompli.

The novel’s protagonist Kanu is none other than Mazi Kanu Okoro, the last sovereign Eze Aro, who was reigning at the time of the British invasion of Arochukwu in 1901/02.

“The Eze Aro lost his sovereign power after that military invasion,” Onwumere explained.

“Today, all traditional rulers in Nigeria get their recognition from the state governors.”

The novel, as a historical-fiction, reenacts an actual period in the history of this kingdom, which currently exists in the

south-eastern Nigerian state of Abia.

Like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it tells the tragic story of the British intrusion in an organised community.

Indeed, the consequent dismantling of this thriving pre-colonial-era kingdom effectively ended its fame as a regional power.

After the British military invasion of Arochukwu, some Aro village chiefs and leaders were hanged at the village square while others, including the Eze Aro, were incarcerated in a prison in Calabar. Indeed, the revered king eventually died in the Calabar prison.

There is also a brief account of the Scottish-born missionary Mary Slessor’s visit to Arochukwu in the novel. Relics of Slessor’s sojourn in the kingdom still exists today. Onwumere disclosed that at the centenary of the missionary’s death on January 13, 2015, her family members, the leadership of the Presbyterian Church in Nigeria and the Arochukwu community laid the foundation stone for the Mary Slessor International Women

Centre at Amasu village in Arochukwu, where she started her missionary work.

“Take a look at the Scottish ten pound note and you’ll see the map of the locations she visited while on her missionary work.

These locations, including Amasu River and Arochukwu, are well highlighted,” he said.

After the British deposition of the reigning Eze Aro and his eventual death in prison, the Aro Kingdom crowned a teenage successor, Mazi Kanu Oji, in 1914. The latter, then aged 14, reigned until 1987 for 73 years. This made him one of the world’s longest reigning monarchs.

Thanks to the Aro royal family, the author was able to lay his hands on the minutes of the Aro Clan Council from 1928 to 1948. So, when the Aros supported the British World War II campaigns with funds, the British home office wrote a letter of appreciation.

It is obvious: the choice of the novel’s title was meant to elicit curiosity and attract potential readers. Among the readers, the author targets specifically the younger generation, who were recently denied their rights to studying history by a warped educational system. Among the babel of stories about the Aro Kingdom, slave trade and its famed “long juju”, the novel offers a more appealing alternative with its anecdotal approach.

The author also sets out to correct the impression that Ibini Ukpabi or the “long juju” was used for the recruitment of slaves and the manipulation of the religious credulity of other Nigerians. “I say this, because the geographical location of Arochukwu made it impossible for the oracle to serve as a conduit for large numbers of slaves sold at the coast.”

Nonetheless, the novel is clear about the fact that the iconic Aro oracle aided the people's trade network spread out in south-eastern Nigeria and beyond. But, it also asserts the fact the services of the oracle were sought in settling disputes outside Arochukwu. Indeed, there was a documented case of an appeal made to the oracle in the 1850s over a succession dispute in Kalabari land in the present-day Rivers State. There were, in addition, reports of pilgrims from far and near visiting the oracle in search of help and relief.

As for the allegations by the British colonial authorities to the effect that the “long juju” was being manipulated for the procurement of slaves, the author dismissed it as a ploy by the former to discredit the Aros who were seen as obstacles to their colonial incursions of the south-eastern Nigerian hinterland. The fact that Ibini Ukpabi was popular among both Igbo and non-Igbo people attested to its widespread acceptance.

If indeed the narrative is meant to attract readership, it does little to keep them glued to the novel. This is no thanks to the cluttered anecdotes, which could pass for hastily penned-down thoughts. Besides, the reader is offered a lean, compact narrative of what could have been a literary delight.

But then, the author seems rather more interested in imparting historical facts than impressing his readers with a literary tour de force. Already, he is halfway into his second book on the Aros, which he titles Inside Aro and described it as “an authentic book on the Aro kingdom with detailed and verifiable information that will be a guide for the new generation.”

Through this second book, he hopes to debunk the numerous criticisms of Aro history.

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ARTS & REVIEW\\MOVIES

Macaulay

Macaulay in an interview with Rev Tetteh in Ghana

SELLINGNIGERIANBRANDTHROUGHDOCUMENTARIES Yinka Olatunbosun

R

onke Macaulay came to the film scene just in the nick of time. Nigerians in diaspora have so much stories to tell and there has not been a proper channel to air their true stories.

Macaulay decided to make documentaries films within her resources to open up the vista for the long overdue conversations about the issues with the Nigerian Brand.

Having lived most of her life in the UK, Macaulay developed interest in those socio-cultural issues but making documentary films about them at first was not particularly intentional.

“I didn’t set out to make the series of documentary films called Green Passport,” she recounted during a brief encounter at the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos. “The first one was borne out of the whole xenophobia experience in South Africa. I did some film studies in South Africa and I decided to combine my studies in directing with documentary film production on Nigerians in South Africa.”

Next, she made a second documentary film sequel to the initial one, Green Passport II: Nigerians in Ghana. Founded on her curiosity into the academic migration of Nigerians to Ghana, Macaulay, through the documentary film, raised questions about the quality of education in Nigeria and the rush for Ghanaian tertiary institutions.

The third one, Green Passport III will be screened at the IREP International Documentary Film Festival which runs from March 21 to March 24 at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

“I made the third one from the materials we got from events of some years ago,” said Macaulay. “I love soccer. When I was in the UK, I organised a trip to France ’98 for Nigerian football fans to go and watch the Super Eagles. You can imagine a coach full of fans, singing and cheering all the way from London to France. It was fun. It wasn’t a professional thing. But we had a camera which we used to record the whole experience. Last year, I saw the materials again and I thought I should do something from them. It is a very short documentary film,

just 18 minutes long. I submitted it to IREP and now it is one of the official selections.”

She explained that the documentary deviates in narrative techniques when compared with the previous ones but still shows a slice of history and aspects of lives of Nigerians in diaspora.

“I’ve always been a storyteller before I got involved in documentary film making. I have always been a writer. I had a blog. And back then when I had a full time job with an international organisation, I was still writing for Nigerian publications. I used to write for Nigerian Village Square about socio-cultural issues about Nigerians in diaspora.”

For her first instalment in the Green Passport series, her directorial approach took the viewer on a personal visual journey with her as narrator and guide. Perhaps, her career years in Amnesty International and her newsroom experience played major influences on the technique adopted and issues that her documentaries stir.

“I worked for Ben TV. I had a magazine show called, People and Places. I have always been interested in current affairs, people's lives and telling stories,” she said.

She matched with her passion the zeal to learn more.

Once, a friend informed her of the training on film-making techniques by AFRIFF in 2015.

“Many young people applied for those things. I applied for scriptwriting and I got invited for the workshop. I was the mummy of the class,” she recalled with smiles. “That was my first introduction to film making. Then I got involved in film production. I was learning on the job. Later, I did a course in directing at Jo’ burg. It lasted four months and was very intense.”

Her lecturer loved documentaries and that feeling was mutual. However, when she expressed her ambition to make a documentary on Nigerians in South Africa, that sent out a red flag. She had to convince her lecturer that it will not be a celebration of negative stereotypes.

“I told him I was not going to bash the South Africans or paint Nigerians as saints. I will let the story speak for itself,”

she said.

Undoubtedly, documentary films have been very powerful instruments of change. For instance, the viral documentary film, Surviving R. Kelly propelled the authorities in Chicago, US to reopen the unresolved case of multiple sexual allegations against the R&B singer-songwriter, Robert Kelly who is currently facing a 10-count charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. When asked if Macaulay could make a bold artistic statement like Dream Hampton did with Surviving R. Kelly, she responded that her Green Passport series had made some remarkable change in South Africa.

“After the Green Passport was screened in Jo’burg, there was a town hall meeting afterwards with Nigerians in South Africa, Nigerian Consulate in South Africa and some legal experts to talk about some of the issues raised in the documentary, towards building bridges and finding solutions,” she said.

“For the one in Ghana about education, the whole issue of Nigerian students paying school fees in dollars was raised. I thought Ghanaians should also come to Nigeria to get education. It should be a two-way traffic.”

After the drinks were served, the conversations continued on how the film maker's biases interfere with the visual narrative.

In many Hollywood documentaries, there are usually counterproductions which often seem to be artistic battle of wits. Macaulay argues that it is very hard for any visual storyteller not to have biases.

“I think it’s impossible to be totally without bias because at the end of the day, you want to tell a story and you can take it from different angles but then you chose to take just one. But I always try to come from the position of integrity and I won’t tell lies or hide what should be revealed.”

As to when her next documentary movie will be made, she responded that she usually takes her time, not putting herself under pressure.

“When I find something that speaks to me that I can be passionate about, then I will move into it,” she promised.

At the Best of Nollywood Awards 2018, her Green Passport series won the award for the documentary movie of the year.

MUSIC

Finding New Chapters in Music

Yinka Olatunbosun

S

ong-writingisseriousbusiness.Soistheart ofperformanceitself.BornKingsleyUche Ehilegbu,thisyoungsinger-songwriter isawareofhisstrengthaswellasweaknesses in music. “I write rap but I don’t performit,”hesaidatthelunchtableinarestaurant in the upscale Lagos mainland neighbourhood of IkejaGRA,wherehewassoughtout. Hehadtoyed withtheideaofplayingbassguitarbuthedecided thathisstrengthisreallyinsong-writing.

Of course, he didn’t start his career with songwriting.AsayoungsecondaryschoolstudentinOgudu Grammar School in Lagos, he wasn’t just another bookworm. He and his friends in school stepped out of the box occasionally to perform covers for popularsongsduringschoolgigs.Gettingfamous, theyselectedanameforthegroupUltimateGuys.

Itwasamuch-neededcomfortzone,havinglosthis

fatherasayoungboylivinginBourdillonStreetinthe upmarketIkoyineighbourhoodofLagos.

MovingtothelessaffluentOjotaneighbourhoodto startanewlifeafterthelosscamewithitsperks,one of which was music. In time, the group began writing theirownsongs.

“OurfirstsinglebackthenwasDansiatilleveryone decidedtogosolo,”herecalled.

Helovestellingstoriesthroughhissongsbutthenhe doesn’tthinkfreestylingisanentirelybadidea.

“Idon’tthinkthereisanyharminfreestylingtomake hits.Butifyoulistentomysongs,youwillknowthatthe wordsarecarefullyputtogether.Thereisalwaysastory there,”hesaidandontherequestofhisreporter-guest, heplayedoneofhisnewlyrecordedsongs.

Speakingonmusiccollaborations,herevealedthat therearestillmanyestablishedartistswhoareoffering tofeaturetheirvocalsonemergingartistssongsforfree togivethelatterabreakinmusic.Hewasfortunateto getTimayaononeofhistracks,“GiveHer”.

“Giveherwhat?”thisreporteraskedandhelaughed mischievouslybeforeresponding,“Whenyoulistento

thesong,youwillunderstand.”Itwasjustanattemptto imitateEllenDegeneres,adaytimeshowhostintheUS, whosometimesfeignedignorancetocreatehumour.

Apart from Timaya, he also had the good fortune of collaborating with Skales in the song titled, “Baby".

Anothersonghecalled“Skunkindance"isaself-created dancechallengewiththevideoshotbythephenomenal ClarencePeters. Othersongsinclude“Badman",“Tears andFears"and“SomeMore".

Stillworkinghardinthestudioforapossiblehitsong, hehasrecentlyrecordedsongssuchas“ComeThrough" workingwithawiderangeofproducerslikeYungDee, SmokingTunes,FunnyTunesandPixie.

Kingsboiisnotdiscouragedbythedelayintostardom.

Likemanyfreshartists,hehashadtoperformforfreein hisearlierdaysbutnowheisalsogivingbackintowhere hecamefrom.

“IfIseetalentinayoungartistthatwantsmetofeature onhistrack,Iwilldoitforfree,”hesaid.

HesaidDavidoisoneofthemusicartistswhohave beenveryhelpfultonewartistsintheirstudiowork.

KingsboihasperformedatareggaeconcertinGhana

Kingsboi

asoneofthefewAfropopartistsonthelistofheadliners.

HehasbeenaregularfaceatsuchLagos-basedfunspots asD’Place,ClubRoyale,ClubUno,VertigoBarinElegushi andBabcockUniversityinOgunState.

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ARTS & REVIEW\\MOVIES

GREEN BOOK'S COLLAGE OF CONTROVERSIES Yinka Olatunbosun sifts through the controversies and criticisms around the Hollywood movie, Green Book, to find merits for its prestigious Oscar win in the Best Picture category

R

eleased in the US on November 18, 2018, the movie, Green Book, was born with a fistful of criticisms. The 130-minute movie, amidst rave reviews, scored one of its sour points from the family of Dr Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), the late African-American pianist whose story formed the spine of the narrative.

The family members claimed that they were not contacted until the production of the movie which accounts for its historical inaccuracies.

Written by Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga and Brian Currie, the story was told from the perspective of a New York city bouncer, Frank “Tony Lip" Vallenlonga (Viggo Mortensen) who worked at a famous nightclub, Copacabana before it was closed for renovations for two months. In dire need of another source of income, Vallelonga was engaged by Doc Shirley's recording company to travel with the pianist on a music tour as his chauffeur-bodyguard.

Vallelonga's son, Nick played a significant role in the plot development as he recounted the part of history relayed to him by his father. Naturally, oral tradition has its perils, some of which are omissions and exaggerations.

Shirley’s family members are of the view that the movie’s plot exaggerated the relationship between the pianist and his driver, claiming that it was not a friendship but an employer-employee relationship. Maybe a movie director is not under obligation to tell the story precisely the way it happened. After all, a movie is the director’s account of the truth. If Green Book had been a documentary movie, then this argument about fidelity to historical truth would have been credible. Still, precautions are issued in a movie’s opening montage in form of disclaimer when the true characterisation cannot be established due to lack of facts.

In reality, the road-trip drama is a delightful visual odyssey into the period of stiff racial segregation in the US. The movie is named after The Negro Motorist Green Book, which is a guidebook of the period for African-American travellers written by Victor Hugo Green. It is a directory for motels and restaurants that would accept people of colour.

Vallelonga negotiated for a $125 per week with Doc Shirley whom he had thought to be a medical doctor at first. But upon learning that he was a musician, he was visibly confused but covered up quickly. He seemed eager to get the job in spite of having a coloured boss but only on his terms. He would not handle Doc's luggage nor will he shine his shoes.

Critics have argued that the storyline is not exactly original as it looks like a rehash of Driving Miss Daisy, a 1987 comedy starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman. There is no gainsaying that the screenplay is heavy on remarkable dialogue that can make a cinema goer call out for a rewind. Embodied in the Oscar-winning screenplay is its use of language to delineate the social status of the two lead characters which is breath-taking. Mahershala Ali enunciated those lines with the ease of some honeycoated tongue while Vallenloga struggled with his egocentric diction as they faced everyday challenges of survival in the two-month long trip.

Some members of the black community were unimpressed by the Green Book's point of view in racial discourse. They see Vallenlonga as a “white man saviour”, rescuing Doc Shirley from impossible situations. Other critics wonder why the black actor has to be fixed in a supporting role although Ali won a Golden Globe

A scene from the movie

Another scene from the movie Award and an Oscar for this impressive role. The producers of Green Book had stated during promotional interviews that they did not set out to pass a message through the movie. However, the themes of love, racism and reconciliation could not have been buried under the satire that informed the societal archetypes in the drama.

But the movie is not just about racism as it illuminates the plight of an educated African-American who may have paid for school but cannot buy class. With all his finesse and outstanding music career, Doc Shirley suffers social dislocation- not fitting into the white upper-class or the black neighbourhood. With slavery and racial segregation policies buried in the annals of history, the American society still wrestles with identity crisis, disguised racism and negative stereotypes of

the African-American.

Green Book was produced on a $23m budget but grossed $187.9m at the box office. It beats the imagination of critics to see this seemingly simplistic movie grab the coveted Best Picture Award at the just concluded Oscars in the same category with fire-brand movies like Black Panther, A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Roma, BlacKKKlansman, Vice and The Favourite. Best Picture Award is usually the last announced at the Oscars and is considered as the evening's apogee. Some found the win unacceptable, secretly wishing for the courage of Kanye West to knock the plaque off the hands holding it.

Away from all the primary criteria for selecting best picture, every one understands in principle that a good picture, without words tells a story. The scenes in the movie that featured Doc Shirley and

Vallenlonga communicated volumes of underlying subject matters. The mere sight of Doc Shirley at the backseat of a vintage car with the Italian-American Vallenlonga on wheels offers visual commentaries on racism. The geological details captured in each frame which even found their way into the lines in one of the letter writing scenes Vallenlonga are desserts to the whole meal narrative.

The Oscars turned out to be a man with many wives who needs just one of them to accompany him to an A-list event. All the wives dressed up like barbies, seductively; some a little too overdone. In the end, the man picks the modestly-clad wife. Green Book is just that modestly dished movie with well-timed soundtracks, enjoyable story, perfect sound quality, impeccable lines, believable actors and a long veil of enviable success.

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CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Yakubu announcing the result of Presidential Election...recently

INEC’s Problem is One and Simple!

The challenges currently being experienced by the Independent National Electoral Commission are defined by nothing but sheer incompetence, writes Olawale Olaleye

L

ater today, some of the results of yesterday’s governorship and state houses of assembly elections would have begun to trickle in. It is very likely the whole results, unlike the presidential run, could have been concluded by the end of today or latest Monday, thus clearing the coast about who emerged where.

But in all of the elections – from the first to the last – there is something you can’t miss out and it is the level of incompetence so far exhibited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its entire formation.

The outcome of the presidential election was a testament to the fact that nothing really had been learnt from the day the INEC National Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu assumed office. His early days were notorious for inconclusive polls and no one election was spared from that messy experience.

As such, when it appeared he had been able to get round his nervous start, the presidential election came and in spite of having produced a winner and a loser, the election was in general a non-starter, when compared to the successes recorded in the 2015 general election.

From mobilisation to logistics management, the process adopted, not to talk of the security arrangement, the election of Saturday, February 23, was nothing to write home about.

It is unlikely that the INEC leadership as well as its members of staff were proud of what they put up as efforts during

the exercise that is already being contested in court by the opposition.

Apart from exposing the fact that members of its ground staff are poorly trained for the job, its contract hands are no less an apology as the world watched professors of higher institutions of learning mumbling and messing up numbers as though they were kindergarten intakes.

How the management and deployment of logistics became physics studies by Yakubu’s INEC is indeed disturbing. And to think two weeks after the presidential election, the commission is yet to have the results it had so far released uploaded on its website beats the imagination of the ordinary observer.

You still do not want to talk about how practically all the numbers generated did not tally. In many of the states, not only were the numbers outlandish, they appeared impossible as they failed to tally in many instances, compelling agents of parties to raise objections at different turns during the announcement.

What about the sad reality of INEC’s sensitive materials discovered in the possession of politicians, sometimes with already thumb-printed ballot papers and filled result sheets? These are lapses INEC cannot explain away and yet, everyone moves around as if all is well.

The lapses and the poor coordination in this INEC of soft-spoken-Yakubu are indications that the chairman does not appear to be effectively in charge of many things. Indeed, the chairman often appears surprised about practically everything that happens right under his watch.

There is no doubting the fact that this INEC is typified by gross incompetence and that is evident in its delivery so far.

No one in INEC is therefore excusable especially its chairman, who has failed to learn anything from the past let alone change the direction of the all-critical commission.

Whilst the Nigerian people and indeed the world wait to see the results of yesterday’s elections, coming back to discuss some of the inherent failings is definitely not an interesting task to embrace. But going forward, it may have become inevitable, given the avoidable operational glitches that were experienced in many parts of the country, let alone the high apathy that was recorded.

In summary, it is spot-on to infer that INEC has problems and needs urgent help, but in locating what the problem is before discussing the solution, it is important to first agree that the problem is one and simple: it is incompetence of the current leadership.

And as it is, the solution may not be in another chance for this leadership, which had four years to sell itself and failed; it certainly is in the need to change the leadership, with the hope that the new one would have picked from the strengths of Attahitu Jega and learnt from the weaknesses of Yakubu before coming up with the ideal and desired INEC. But if the leadership of the country continues to beg the issue or considers retaining the current INEC head for whatever reasons, the potential damage for the collective national interest would be greater in another four years, when INEC would have achieved nothing but perfected its mesmerising incompetence.

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

Rescuing Lagos’ Cosmopolitanism

T

Sanwo-Olu

he pattern of voting in yesterday’s election Lagos would reveal many things, chief amongst which is the ethnic politics that is beginning to creep into the mix of the nation’s most cosmopolitan state. There was an attempt to bring in religion by the leadership of the ruling party in 2015, all in the bid to win the elections. Yes, they brought in religion but it was better managed at the end of the day.

However, the ethnic slant to the politics of the state almost went south after the experience of the February 23 elections, when some unscrupulous fellows disturbed voting in a

certain parts of the state, because they wanted voters to vote in a particular direction. The PDP and its candidate, Jimi Agbaje saw the opening and played it up.

Not unexpectedly, the ruling party saw the trend and knew it was a waiting disaster and immediately stepped it. It would seem the many interventions paid off, although the results of the election would reveal that.

But to maintain a saner Lagos, politics of religion and ethnicity do not fit here. Lagos is too cosmopolitan for such naïve and primitive agenda. Lagos must be rescued from predators, who seek to exploit cheap fault lines to divide it for personal gains. That is not the tolerant Lagos for everyone.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Lawan

Ndume

Danjuma-Goje

Wanted: Senate President for the 9th Assembly As the race for leadership of the ninth National Assembly heats up, who becomes the next Senate president is the main issue, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

W

ith the majority seats in the nation’s upper legislative chamber, the Senate, safely tucked in the political pouch of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there is no better time to begin to map out the shape of the leadership structure of the incoming ninth Red Chamber and this is being mindful of the benefit of hindsight.

A major criticism of the APC in its first term as the ruling party borders on lethargy. This was most pronounced in how long it took the party to constitute its federal cabinet leading many to conclude that the party was ill-prepared for the business of governance, in addition to the thinking that the long delay robbed it of the opportunity to hit the ground running from day one.

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, re-echoed this perspective in a recent interview with THISDAY during which he argued that “Nigerians voted them (PDP) out for a party that was not ready for leadership. I mean, after six months without a cabinet it became evident that the party was not ready for leadership. They were just interested in grabbing power.”

The perceived ill-preparedness of the APC also reared its head in the National Assembly as the party could not agree on the configuration of the leadership structure in both chambers of the parliament even with the fact that it controlled majority seats.

Many analysts of different persuasions had adduced different reasons for the challenge at the time but none of those reasons will be permissible this time around which is why the party and its leadership hierarchy must immediately put on its thinking cap and arrive at a leadership structure that will appropriately take care of all interests and divides in the party, mindful of all the legacy parties that came together to form the party in February 2013.

It is against this background that analysts expect that the APC leadership and its various stakeholders to have a tentative zoning arrangement in place to be activated ahead of the inauguration of the next Senate. Such an approach will eliminate tension and afford the party the needed time to manage whatever the fallouts from the exercise in good time. The party has agreed to this thinking anyway.

Forming the leadership structure of both chambers of the National Assembly particularly, the Senate, according to political observers, will typify the progressive and democratic credentials of the ruling party. Many commentators argued that the leadership of the lower house is given considering certain permutations especially, regarding the fact that the current Speaker of the House will be returning to the house albeit on a minority platform.

Investigations by THISDAY revealed subtle jostling and underground scheming have commenced in earnest among ranking returning senators with eyes on the seat of the President of the ninth Senate. It was further gathered that though the push at the moment was for the position to be zoned to the Northeast, where the party had zoned it in 2015 before Dr. Bukola Saraki upturned the apple cart.

Analysts, however, insisted that whoever emerges must not be a function of zoning and reiterated the importance of competence, capacity, and experience alongside other political considerations and expediency for the purpose of strengthening the legislature and delivering on good governance.

Observers are also waiting to test the democratic inclination of the APC given that nothing has changed in the set up in the presidency with the return of Presidential Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Indeed, political watchers

are waiting to see if the party would again zone the Senate presidency to the North-east geo-political zone as it did in 2015.

Interestingly, three ranking senators from the North-east zone are currently at the forefront of consideration for the Senate presidency position. They are Ahmed Lawan, Danjuma Goje, and Ali Ndume – all from North-east.

Pundits insisted that Senator Ahmed Lawan, representing Yobe North Senatorial district should ordinarily get the nod of the party strategists and leadership on account of the fact that his choice passes all the critical criteria of who leads the ninth chamber.

Ordinarily, his choice should have been a stroll in the park but given the scheming and intrigues characteristic of the nation’s party politics, it could be wishful thinking given that other ranking senators have already started eyeing the plum post.

Some observers and analysts opined that Lawan comes to the table with both intellectual capacity and legislative competence to lead the ninth Senate. As a former Senate president, Iyorchia Ayu, Lawan, he is a former university don, having lectured at the University of Maiduguri.

The 60-0year-old seasoned legislator holds a doctoral degree in remote sensing/GIS from the Cranfield University, United Kingdom. This was after he bagged a first degree in Geography at the University of Maiduguri and MSc from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.

Those familiar with him averred that it is a mark of his legendary humility that he does not flaunt his academic qualifications unnecessarily, thus, his preference for being addressed simply as Ahmed Lawan. What more, he is from the North-east.

A number of reporters covering the National Assembly credit him with laudable legislative contributions to the work of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review in 2009. As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, he initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill.

And in 2009, he spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. He had argued at the time that among other dislocations in the polity if constructed, the dam would cause intense poverty, increase desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

A Wikipedia entry corroborated Lawan’s expert opinion. The post read in part thus: “A study funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) study estimated that if implemented, even with a regulated flooding regime to reduce downstream impact, the Kafin Zaki dam project would have a negative value of around $15 million.”

Being the highest ranking senator in APC, when the ninth Senate is inaugurated is also considered by many as a huge advantage that makes him head and shoulder above other aspirants for the position. This is besides that he is the most ranking member of the third legacy party, the All Nigerian Peoples’ Party (ANPP), that formed the APC and the least favoured of the lot when positions were shared in the National Assembly, until he became Senate Majority Leader midway into the life of the eighth Senate.

Lawan first got into the National Assembly in 1999 as a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of ANPP and served two terms. In 2007, he contested for his current seat and defeated the candidate of the ruling (at the federal level) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He repeated the feat again in 2011 and 2015 before his latest election, thus making him a four-time senator when the ninth Senate is inaugurated.

Besides, he is an uncommon party man. He stuck to the ANPP even when the trending practice was for politicians to defect to the PDP. He has also shown the same loyalty to the

APC even when the party failed to deploy its might to make him emerge as the president of the eighth Senate. What more, he stoutly supported and rallied many senators and House members behind the party’s positions in the National Assembly during the tumultuous moments that characterised the better life in the current Senate.

On his part, Ndume, representing Borno South senatorial district also boasts a robust academic and legislative resume.

Like Lawan, his maiden entry into the nation’s parliament was through the House of Representatives in 2003 as a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He later dumped the ANPP for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a dramatic manner after he fell out with former Borno State governor, Alli Modu Sherriff. His spat with Sherrif was to later haunt his political career.

A recipient of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Post-Graduate Scholarship to study Business and Computer Education at the University of Toledo Ohio, United States of America, where he graduated with a B.Ed and M.Ed in 1990 and was awarded Magna Cum Laude academic honour. He was also admitted into the Phi Kappa Phi academic society for outstanding performance. On graduation, Ndume returned to Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri for a second stint as a lecturer, having taught in the institution before he proceeded to the University of Toledo until 2003 when he entered politics.

Knowledgeable source at the National Assembly insisted two factors may prove his Achilles heel. “Senator Ndume is perceived combative and a hardliner” a journalist who covered the Senate spoke about what might count against him when the chips are down, adding that “his alleged links to Boko Haram is another factor that his opponents may resuscitate to knock the wind off his sail to becoming the Senate president.”

Investigations revealed that in November 2011, Senator Ndume was controversially linked to Boko Haram. This charge came about following the arrest and interrogation of the Boko Haram Spokesperson at the time, Mallam Ali Konduga. It, however, turned out that the allegation was spurious as he had been mandated to liaise with the group in a bid by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to seek a political solution to the Boko Haram security challenge.

According to Wikipedia, it was later discovered that a former governor of Borno State, Sheriff, with whom he earlier had political disagreements had a hand in his ordeal.

Analysts insisted that even though the charges had since been dropped, the unfortunate incident could form bias decision against him on who becomes the next Senate president when the time comes just as his perceived hard line and combative posturing may not sit well with the APC apparatchik.

Senator Danjuma Goje, a former two-time governor of Gombe State is another returning ranking senator of the APC fold being touted as a possible president of the incoming ninth Senate.

He is reputed to be vastly experienced in both executive and parliamentary duties on account of having held positions that cut across the two divides.

He was a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly from 1979-1983 on the platform of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). Thereafter, he was appointed the Secretary of the National Institute for Medical Research Yaba, Lagos State in 1984, a position he held until 1989 before he went into private business.

He served as Minister of State, Power, and Steel from 19992001 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He has served in several committees in the Senate, the last being Chair of the very strategic and plum Senate Committee on Appropriation. He was a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

(Reader should 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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

CICERO/PERSONALITY FOCUS

Mike Igini: Hats Off to a Dogged Patriot!

The Resident Electoral Commission in Akwa-Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini deserves commendation for standing firm in the face of obvious intimidation and harassment, writes Shola Oyeyipo “I have not come here to count money. I only come here to count ballot papers. Those who want me to compromise the process are the ones shouting out there. I can tell you that…those looking for compromise in the process are the ones who are also calling for my removal. Why would you remove a man who says he wants to give everybody equal opportunity?”

T

hose were the words of the unruffled Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, who has been in the thick of the storm over calls for his removal by the opposition All Progressives Congress following allegations that he was biased and favourably disposed towards the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 13 presidential and National Assembly elections.

But going by his words, if he had opted to play along by collecting money, probably the issue would not have degenerated to a level, where his removal was demanded.

In what aptly captures the overall argument by members of the APC in Akwa-Ibom State, the party chairman, Ini Okopido, contended that with Igini in charge, his party would not have a level playing field. He went ahead to claim that the APC has evidence to prove that that REC has been romancing with the (PDP), and that he has handed over uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to officials of the state government.

The Akwa-Ibom APC did not stop at that, the party called on the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to remove Igini in a petition titled: ‘Petition against Mike Igini, the REC in Akwa Ibom State for his Unbridled Partisanship and Partiality: A Request for his Redeployment to Avert Anarchy.’

“In total violation of his oath of office and code of conduct for senior electoral officials, Igini is working hand-in-glove with Governor Udom Emmanuel, to rig, manipulate and influence the forthcoming elections in favour of the governor and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” Okopido and Augustine Ekanem, alleged in the petition.

There was also an allegation that in a telephone conversation with Okopido, Igini threatened that the APC would never win the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, irrespective of what the total tally may be.

“He told me he would ensure the PDP is declared winner of the election, no matter what happens,” Okopido alleged.

As if they had a good case, they pressed further and resorted to a judicial move to compel INEC to redeploy Igini from the state but that was equally rejected by an Abuja High Court.

One Mr. Stanley Okpara, the claimant who filed the application, ex parte through his counsel, C. F. Odiniru, had prayed the court for an order directing INEC, the first defendant in the suit, to remove Igini, the second defendant, as INEC REC, Akwa Ibom State and redeploy him to another state. But in his ruling on February 28, Justice O. A. Musa refused the prayers, stating that such an order may disrupt INEC’s plan to conduct a free and credible elections in the concerned state.

The court therefore held that, “Parties should maintain the status quo as of today, to this end. The first defendant either by themselves or chairman shall not take any step to either remove the second defendant as the REC at his current station pending the hearing of the motion on notice”.

It has since been their word against Igini’s. While they pointed fingers at him, he has maintained that the APC was only crying foul, where there was none, because he has refused to be corrupted, intimidated or harassed and many people have come to believe him more than his accusers.

In one of his reactions to the issues raised by the APC, Igini said: “The allegation by APC is nonsense. How do I have a meeting with the people I have never met in my life? Where was the meeting held? They should go and organise their affairs. In this election, nobody will write results at home.

“I will give all the parties a level playing ground and nobody would truncate the wishes of the people of Akwa Ibom State. Their votes must count.”

On the moves to remove him, he reiterated: “The question I am asking them is, why would you want to remove me? Why is it that in our country, today, when a man says he wants to do the right thing, a man who has embraced certain pristine values to do the right thing is the one having problems?

“That people want to do the right things, they are putting all kinds of hindrances on his way. Why is it so? My friend, if I had compromised, I wouldn’t have any problem today. I can now confirm to you that in my experience in the Nigerian public, integrity is very difficult to maintain.

“You are endangered if you are talking about integrity.

What kind of country are we? We are supposed to be going for a civil exercise and that is an election. Why does it look as if we are going to war?”

A lawyer by training, Igini has been a very vocal INEC official, who has taken position on several national debates.

In the build-up to this election, he took a swipe on Nigerian politicians, saying they are most often prepared to rig elections than to canvass for votes from the electorate.

Making the assertion at a public briefing to preview the elections in Akwa Ibom State, which he said was noted in the

Igini

past for election rigging, Igini stated that, “I can confirm to you that politicians here want to write results in hotels; they are afraid of elections.”

At the peak of the call for his redeployment, the REC said he was not bothered by the clamour for his removal. He said his focus was on the job and the need to deliver free, fair and credible election for the people of Akwa Ibom State. He also assured the people that he was committed to providing a level playing field for all the political parties and their candidates during the governorship and state House of Assembly elections conducted yesterday.

One reason interested observers might have reservation about the APC call for Igini’s removal is because it was repeated in other states, where the party seems not have stronghold and probably unable to influence the electoral body.

For instance, in Enugu State, the APC chairman, Ben Nwoye, accused the state REC, Emeka Ononamadu, of bias.

In fact, on Thursday, March 7, he led supporters of the party to INEC headquarters to demand his removal. Just as in the case of Igini, Ononamadu said no amount of intimidation or blackmail against the commission would stop the conduct of gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections scheduled for yesterday.

The same trend played out in Abia State, where the APC Secretary, Perfect Okorie, in a letter titled: Re: Lack of Confidence in the Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner,’ dated February 18 and copied the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, threatened that his party would boycott the rescheduled February 23 presidential and national assembly polls in the state if the REC, Prof. Francis Otunta was not redeployed.

The frivolous allegation by the party was that Otunta harboured deep-rooted hatred for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Same thing happened in Cross Rivers State, where the APC called for the removal of the REC, Dr. Frankland Briyai, alleging that he was working in connivance with the PDP to manipulate the forthcoming elections in the state.

The APC Vice Chairman in the South-south, Mr. Ntufam Hilliard Eta, who made the claim in Abuja while chatting with newsmen, declared that his party had enough evidence

to prove that the REC was bias and working with the PDP to manipulate the elections.

Though a state known for its volatility, the alarm raised by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike that there was a plot by security agencies and the APC to kidnap the REC in the state so as to create an excuse for the postponement of the governorship and State Assembly elections called for concern.

These allegations seemed to be common in the South-south and South-east states, where it is obvious that the APC is not very popular. Then the question would be, if it is in those select states that the RECs are biased, what happened in Northern states, South-west and states in the North-Central, was it that the RECs were saints or were just not biased or were they simply cooperative and ‘liked’ the president?

In Nigeria, intimidation and harassment of RECs is commonplace among political actors. Recall the REC in Ekiti State, Abdulganiyu Raji alleged threat to his life by unknown persons in the build-up to the gubernatorial election on July 14 last year.

Hence, bodies such as Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), cautioned the two leading political parties, APC and PDP to stop dishing out statements that tend to intimidate INEC commissioners.

Human rights lawyer and executive director of CASER, Mr. Frank Tietie, gave the caution following the allegations by Oshiomhole on Monday February 18 during the party’s caucus meeting that some INEC commissioners were working for the PDP. The APC received knocks for its antagonism of Igini from the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Akwa Ibom State chapter; Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), and the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), which all kicked against the call for his removal.

Akwa-Ibom State chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Publicity Secretary of IPAC, Mr. Aniebiet Emmanuel, who berated the APC said it was the unanimous position of the bodies.

Judging from his stance, Igini must be commended. He has a track record as a fearless Nigerian and he should sustain it. It is also important that others, who want to occupy such positions in the future should emulate his incorruptible virtues.

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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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

Buhari with Fashola

Expectations from Buhari’s New Government Nigerians expect a remarkable change from President Muhammadu Buhari’s prospective cabinet and government, writes Olaseni Durojaiye

W

ith the elections over and President Muhammadu Buhari certain of another four years on the driver’s seat of the world’s most populous black nation in the world since he has been returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerians across different political divides and walks of life are already eager to know what shape the new Buhari government would take even as they expect a better performance than they had in the first tenure of the administration of the President.

Clearly, Nigerians deserve better than they have had thus far. And their expectations were not unfounded. Rather, the expectations were as a result of the promises made by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) while the party, then in opposition, campaigned to dislodge the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) going into the 2015 general election.

Even with the less than impressive overall performance of the government as critics of the administration continue to insist, that more Nigerians elected to entrust their votes with the government, signaled a conviction and hope for a better performance given a second term in office.

A good number of Nigerians that toed this line argued that four years was not enough to appropriately judge the work of the administration while other were swayed by the need for the government to be given time to complete some of the ongoing projects and programmes it initiated.

And now that the mandate has been renewed, the onus is now on President Buhari to rebuild the faith of Nigerians in the Nigeria project by running a dynamic and successful administration. Expectations in many quarters include the urgent need to strengthen state institutions that will midwife the new Nigeria that many have always wished for.

Given the many crises, some of which were avoidable, that characterised the administration, Nigerians now expect that the Buhari government would have taken appropriate lessons from the experiences of the last four years and hit the ground running this time around.

Nigerians expect the new cabinet and by extension government to have been composed and ready even before the May 29, inauguration, with assigned portfolios. What obtained in 2015, when it took the president over six months to constitute a cabinet will not be permissible this time around.

The argument that it took that long to form a cabinet, because of the rot it met on the ground would not hold water this time even among the staunchest supporters of the government on account of the fact that the government is merely continuing as such no handover rituals and if there

was any, it would be at ministerial level and should not be a walk in the park.

Many political analysts, commentators and analysts are also eagerly waiting to see those, who would make the cabinet. On that score, the expectation of many Nigerians is that the new cabinet would be filled with technocrats and professionals in their fields. And where there is the need to bring in politicians, such characters must glow with sterling track records of accomplishments in their past public assignment and boast ideas that can move the nation forward.

A situation where about 70 per cent of the current cabinet is mere bench warmers would not be acceptable to Nigerians. Apart from a few like the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola; Minister of Trade and Investment, Mike Enelamah; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, not much has been heard or seen in terms of accomplishments on the part of other cabinet members.

For example, not much can be said to have happened in the work so far done to get the Ajaokuta Steel Complex to commence full operation since after the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who changed the face of the ministry quit as Minister of Solid Minerals Development. The same applies to the finance ministry after the exit of Kemi Adeosun.

Going forward, Nigerians expect that every cabinet member must earn his stripe.

Nigerians will be immensely disappointed if the President takes another six months to come up with his cabinet and those who make the cut, in Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s speak are ‘ the same old politicians wey scatter Nigeria before .‘ Analysts insisted that the calibre of people that should make the new cabinet, whatever their calling must have the capacity to drive sustainable economic growth, job creation and ability to enhance good governance via delivery of tangible dividends of democracy to the mass of Nigerians and to a section of it.

Nigerians also look forward to seeing a synergy between the Executive and the Legislature. Interestingly, the APC is again in the majority in the National Assembly and it cannot be said that it has some enemy within as some commentators branded the outgoing Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Again, enriched with the experiences of 2015, and having put its house in order as the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole would want many to believe, the expectation is that the two arms of government will work in harmony and in real time too, and avoid some time wasting distractions that could deny Nigerians their expectations.

Matter-of-factly, all eyes will be on the legislature to see how it supports the ministry of Solid Minerals Development

to resolve the funding requirement needed for the Ajaokuta Steel Complex to swing into 100 per cent operation. This is even so as findings show that the current legislature is not in support of the idea solution that was put forward by the ministry before now.

For the considerable support that President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo got from Nigeria, the duo must up their game in terms of securing the lives and property of Nigerians and everyone living in the country. In this regard, the twin issue of religious insurgency in the North-east and the corruption must be addressed appropriately.

Nigerians also expect that President Buhari would make security another major priority in his second term. This would include the incessant cases of banditry in some states in the North-west geo-political region, farmers and herders clashes as well as the religious insurgency in the North-east of the country.

The President will have to give the leadership of the nation’s security apparatus a matching order to up their game. The need for the Nigerian military to step up their game becomes all the more important given available intelligence report of a renewed threat in the North-east with the confirmation that the terror group, Islamic State West Africa has established its presence in the region.

Buhari’s administration must come up with a more lasting solution to the Boko Haram challenge and this will include a solution to the rut and financial malfeasance robbing the Nigerian military, believed to be ‘ill-equipped literally and institutionally’ of its gallantry and professionalism as being widely acclaimed during military interventions abroad.

Still on security, Nigerians will expect marked improvement in internal security. President Buhari must put an end to the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers which has resulted in hundreds of deaths particularly, in the North-central geo-political zone of the country.

This, of course, will require that the inter-agency rivalry between the nation’s security agencies becomes a thing of the past. The era of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) being at each other’s throats or constantly trying to outshine one another must be consigned to the past even as intelligence sharing for the good of all should be the new mantra amongst the agencies, ditto for the armed forces in the fight against insurgency in the North-east.

In the final analysis, it is worth reiterating that fate has favoured President Buhari with a third chance to make good with Nigerians, rebuild the economy, strengthen state institutions and unify Nigeria behind the one Nigeria philosophy of the nation’s founding fathers, for the good of himself and all Nigerians.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

TRIBUTE

Ayade:AGovernorandPhilanthropist@51 Chidi Onyemaizu

H

e is 51 today and looking back,the birthday boy has indeed lived an impactful and salutary life. His life journey, the philosophies he espouses and the whole gamut of his intellect are case studies in humanism, welfarism and scientific exposé.

The year was 1968 and Nigeria was in the middle of a civil war. As bombs and shells rained on the then Eastern Region, families lived in morbid fear of their safety but in Takum in today’s Obudu local government area of Cross River state, an event that would mitigate the pangs of the bloody combat was about to happen to a family.

On March 2 that year while arsenals of war rained down, unspeakable joy rained and reigned supreme in the Ayade family with the arrival of baby Benedict.51 years later, the March baby has a compendium of inspiring feats in his kitty.

In the 51 years of his life, he has marched from one greatness into another, leaving on his trail, many firsts. The icing on the cake came on May 29, 2015 when he was sworn-in as the fourth democratically elected governor of Cross River state.

He was the first person from Northern Cross River to occupy that exalted position. And come March 9, 2019, he will record another milestone as he marches back to that office for second term.

Esteemed readers, the subject of this piece is His Excellency, Professor (Senator) Ben Bengioushuye Ayade, the Governor of Cross River state. He is 51 today and therefore, a birthday boy! This is a reflection on his thought-provoking life. Ayade’s rustic but humble beginning shaped his approach to life and relation with fellow citizens. Born without any spoon at all in his mouth-whether golden, silver, bronze or even wooden-by sheer doggedness, hard work and abiding fate in God, Ayade overcame the vagaries of life. His philanthropic bend therefore has its locale from this. He is a giver who asks for nothing in return. His greatest passion is serving God and humanity.

Ayade is a humanist with welfarist leaning who believes that one’s life story should be written not with pen but with actions-impactful actions. According to an American philosopher, “the true measure of a person is in his height of ideas, the breadth of his sympathy, the depth of his convictions and the length of his patience.” Ayade encapsulates all these. He is the only Governor in Nigeria who has not sacked any appointee since assuming office. Rather than sack, he expanded the frontier of government with the appointment of more aides.

Not that he needs such burgeoning number of aides but Ayade is a modulator between two classical economic theorists; Adam Smith and Thomas Keyness. He believes that expanding and retaining the frontiers of government is a way of helping to put food on the table of indigent families.

Like Keyness, the governor believes that when an economy shrinks, it is the duty of government to spend in order to reflate the economy by engaging more people and encouraging them to spend; and by so doing the economy makes a rebound.

This March baby does not play to the gallery. His propeople orientation is ingrained in his character trait. For example as a Senator of the 7th Senate, Ayade set up a “Food Bank” where indigent members of his constituency, that is, Cross River North, came to eat three square meals every day.

An erudite scholar himself, hundreds of students across the state are on Professor Ayade’s personal scholarship. His rise as governor in 2015 has brought about magical re-invention of Cross River with the erection of solid signature projects, including industrialization drive –establishing more than 13 industries in less than four years-, an uncommon achievement that has firmly established the state an industry hub.

Here is man who has power and wealth but does not wield them. Rather than do so, he chooses to be unassuming.

He has no airs around him and is accessible. Even as governor, Ayade holds his phones; refuses to change his old phone number and personally answers his calls and replies text message. His simplicity and sterling performance in his first term have cooperated to greatly endear Ayade to the people so much so that wherever he goes the chant of “governor pass governor” rents the air.

Odey Oyama, an environmentalist, is a trenchant Ayade critic, especially as regard the 274km super Highway, but in spite of his criticisms, Mr Oyama concedes that the governor has performed better than all his predecessors in their first terms. Such testimonies pour in daily.

A Professor of Environmental Microbiology, Ayade per-

Ayade fectly fits into the kind of personality the Igbo would describe as “Ochinanwata” (he who achieves leadership or greatness at a young age). At 20 in 1988, Ayade became a graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.Six years later in 1994, then aged 26, he obtained his PhD from the University of Ibadan, winning the best Doctorial Dissertation Award in Environmental Microbiology.

At 43 in 2011 Ayade became a Senator of the Federal Republic and four years later in 2015, he ascended a higher political ladder when he became the number citizen of Cross River state. He was 47.

Though a young scholar, Ayade carries with him the wis-

dom of a 70 year old. Every session with him is like going back to the classroom for the lecturer in him readily comes calling.

His fecundity of ideas, academic and scientific prowesses are intimidating. For example, from his work in groundwater remediation in Nigeria, Professor Ayade invented a sewage treatment plant powered by solar energy. This Ayade-made technology is currently being used off-shore by oil companies in Nigeria.

Surly, this icon deserves 51 beautiful bouquets! Happy birthday, Your Excellency, the Digital one!

––Chidi Onyemaizu is SA Media to Governor Ayade

NOTES FOR FILE

Let Atiku Seek His Legitimate Right!

Atiku

Since he chose to challenge the results of the presidential election conducted on February 23, former vice-president and presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has come under both attacks and pressure from different quarters, a majority of them sympathetic to the cause of the APC, for daring to pursue his legitimate right of seeking redress.

When President Muhammadu Buhari lost the presidential elections of 2003, 2007 and 2011, he had no one to stifle him or tell him to stand down his resolve to seek justice. He

pursued the cause of justice till the Supreme Court, where he was told he lost. Even then, he did not respect the position of the apex court, because as far as he was concerned he won the elections and so, he congratulated no one.

Therefore, the current attempts to dissuade Atiku from legitimately seeking justice, citing ‘the peace of the land’ or national interest, is in itself injustice. He does not need to win if the facts do not support such, but it would help to deepen the nation’s democracy and strengthen the judiciary. Let Atiku be, for God’s sake. He is legitimately entitled to justice.

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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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

THE COVER

Convoy of soldiers deployed to Rivers State for the governorship and State Houses of Assemblies election

M I L I TA R I S E D E L E C T I O N

Democracy Under Siege From Rivers to Adamawa, Kwara to Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom to Delta, the deployment of heavily armed soldiers and other security operatives ahead of yesterday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections was massive. Samuel Ajayi looks at this development, which many believe was targeted against opposition states, and the ensuing voter apathy And the Maid Runs for Cover...

T

he cook made a dash as she heard the footsteps of soldiers who seemed to have momentarily held her boss hostage. Her boss was no other person than the Honourable Commissioner for Education in Rivers State, Gogo Jaja. The CCTV footage, which has since gone viral in practically all social media platforms, shows the maid making for apparently the store or another exit, other occupants of the house, whose identities could not be ascertained, following suit, and coming on the heels are soldiers who are heavily armed.

In another CCTV footage, which has also gone viral on social media, at the entrance of the home of the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, it was revealed how heavily armed soldiers stormed the house and were patrolling the compound.

Some residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, told THISDAY how their streets now looked like war zones as a result of heavily armed soldiers deployed in the state. A lawyer, Jennifer Briggs, said leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were on the loose.

“If you see the kind of military men here, you will think they are in Rivers State to battle Boko Haram or the so-called Fulani herdsmen,” Briggs said.

Another resident of the city, Oghenekome Isuosuo, said his area looked like a military barracks where soldiers were more than residents.

However, the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, said the deployment of soldiers was good for the people of the state. While receiving a delegation of the British High Commission in Nigeria at his residence in Port Harcourt, Amaechi said the voting exercise

would be more secure with the soldiers, as they would help to prevent unnecessary loss of life.

“With the presence of the military in Rivers State for Saturday’s elections, everybody, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members are protected. They (military) will beef up security in the state,” Amaechi said.

He added that his party, APC, was not on the ballot but he would be voting for the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), in the state.

Amaechi might be making a point. But that does not seem to explain why the same soldiers who were supposed to provide security for both members of the APC and PDP have been invading, Gestapo-like, the homes of PDP leaders in the state. And the former governor, a leading member of the ruling APC, did not explain why it was states controlled by the opposition PDP that witnessed the massive security deployment.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike criticised the harassment and arrest of PDP leaders, saying it is unlawful, as security agencies are expected to be unbiased.

“We want to warn that such biased, politically-induced arrests and malicious jailing of the PDP leaders only serve to heat up the already volatile political atmosphere with heightened tension and dissension, which could cause serious problems to the peaceful conduct of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state,” Wike said.

Despite Heavy Security, Dawn Fire at INEC Office...

In Akwa Ibom State, the story was not different. There were reports of heavy deployment of armed soldiers in the state ahead of the March 9 elections. The federal government also deployed three Commissioners of Police in the state. And they took over the security of the

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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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

SUNDAYCOVER Militarised Election: Democracy Under Siege

Continued on Pg.78

Soldiers on election duty patrolling Port Harcourt on Friday state. Four mobile police units, including the Special Protection Unit, were also deployed in the state. This was confirmed by the state Commissioner of Police, Sani Kaoje. Kaoje said the deployment of soldiers and policemen was not meant to intimidate voters but to maintain peace before, during and after the elections.

But despite the deployment of these heavily armed security agents, the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area could not be saved from arsonists who set the place on fire on Friday night. A release signed by an INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee said the commission did not know the source of the fire and had informed security agencies.

Ibesikpo Asutan is the home local government of a former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah.

Kwara and the Siege on Ilorin...

On Friday morning, residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, awoke to find the streets taken over by heavily armed security men. They comprised officers from the Army, Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Immigration, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Air Force. In fact, for the most part of Friday, military helicopters were flying all over the state capital.

Reports said fearing for their lives, residents of the ancient city stayed indoors in the early hours of the day as the streets remained deserted. It was not until about 10am that some residents summoned up the courage to come out and carry out their routine businesses. Even at that, an atmosphere of siege was palpable.

The Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, could not give an exact number of the security agents that were deployed in the state for yesterday’s election. But he admitted that it was more than the number deployed during the presidential and National Assembly elections.

If their day started with shock, residents of Ilorin also had the day ending in disbelief when news came that four serving commissioners in the state, including the Head of Service and Accountant-General, had been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Those arrested were Commissioner for Finance Nurudeen Banu, Commissioner for Water Resources Yusuf Abdulkadir, Accountant-General Sulaiman Ishola, Head of Service Susan Modupe Oluwole, Commissioner for Energy Eleja Taiwo Banu, and Chief of Staff to the governor, Abdulwahab Yusuf.

The anti-graft agency alleged it noticed an unusual withdrawal of over N 1 billion from the state government’s account on the eve of the last presidential elections. The money was reportedly withdrawn in cash of two tranches of N350 million and N720 million between February 7 and 11.

While EFCC claimed it was performing its constitutional duties, political analysts believe the arrests may not be unconnected with Saturday’s election. PDP had accused the ruling APC of targeting its leaders for arrest to prevent them from mobilising for the poll.

Okowa and the Unwanted ‘Delta Force’, Bayelsa Gets a Taste...

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State had to contend with the forces deployed in the riverine areas of the state, including Warri South West, Burutu, Bomadi and Warri North local government areas. There were also heavy military patrols in Warri, Efurrun, Udu and Ughelli.

There was uneasy calm on the streets of Yenagoa until Friday when tension became heightened as more soldiers and heavily armed mobile policemen were deployed in the Bayelsa State capital. Yenagoa also saw the deployment of Air Force personnel and naval

officers. The Commissioner of Police was redeployed and another commissioner sent to the state. As at 6am on Friday, military helicopters were flying over the state capital with many terrified residents refusing to come out of their houses.

Adamawa: Between Atiku and the President’s Wife...

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari, could not get her brother, Mahmud Ahmed, to be handed the APC governorship ticket, as the incumbent governor, Jibrilla Bindow, retained the ticket. It was a major fight in the state as Aisha wanted to prove she could deliver her home state, while the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, also tried to show he had his home state under control. And now, there was heavy deployment of security forces. Michika, a major town in the state, was under police and military siege with many residents considering either to come out and vote or stay in their homes.

The permutations in Adamawa were clear. There was a certificate forgery allegation hanging over the head of Bindow. The belief in the camp of the president’s wife is that if he is not able to wriggle out of the problem, Ahmed, Aisha’s brother, would benefit from it and pick the ticket.

A resident of the Michika, who did not want his name in print, said the interests of the president’s wife and that of Atiku were putting a lot of strain on the state, which has had its fair share of the Boko Haram menace.

Meanwhile, Air Force ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) platforms had been deployed in the state and many were asking if that was necessary.

PDP States seem to be the Only Volatile States...

While the military and the government would always give reasons for the heavy security deployments, the question many are asking is why they were only needed in mainly PDP-controlled states. In fact, the only state controlled by the ruling APC and where heavy security was deployed was Adamawa. Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Bayelsa are all PDP-controlled states.

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) condemned the deployment of the heavily armed military operatives. The group’s spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, said it was unfortunate that those being targeted for arrest by security operatives were PDP leaders.

“The homes of PDP leaders and serving government officials in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta states are being broken into by soldiers. Massive kidnaps and abductions of party leaders and people who have roles to play in Saturday’s elections are ongoing. Election officials are being surrounded in some areas in preparation to use them to announce fake results,” Ugochinyere said.

Civil society groups, on Friday, called on the international community to prevail on Buhari to halt the militarisation of elections in the country. At the time of filing this report, elections were ongoing and it was not certain if the president would heed any advice against deploying the military for elections. Besides, there were reports of massive voter apathy, even in Lagos State, as many potential voters chose to stay indoors rather than go out to, as many of them put it, waste their time trying to exercise their civic rights. In fact, a voter put it on his Facebook platform that he refused to go out and vote because “results have been written already. Why should I go and waste my time?”

Experts say when this kind of apathy sets in, democracy is in danger. A lawyer who preferred anonymity told THISDAY that the aim of the deployment of soldiers was to intimidate voters and engender voter apathy. May be, that has been achieved.

Even if there was no voter apathy, the maid in the home of the Rivers commissioner that was invaded might not go out and vote. Reason? Fear. And when such happens, democracy loses.

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Yakubu Dogara

Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë? Olawale Olaleye Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ë? ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;

Femi Gbajabiamila

Will 9th Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Assembly Sidestep Pitfalls of the Past?

On Tuesday, when plenary resumes at the National Assembly, also resuming with it is intense lobbying by members for potential leadership of the 9th Assembly, ahead of its inauguration in June, report Deji Elumoye and Shola Oyeyipo

A

ll is now set for the resumption of plenary on Tuesday by both the Senate and House of Representatives after an extended recess to allow Senators and House members to actively participate in the gubernatorial election held yesterday in 29 states of the federation.

In all, seven Senators and six House members contested to become governors in their respective states and the final results of the election are still being collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which will be made public as soon as they are ready in the state capitals.

As the leadership of the National Assembly is putting everything in place towards a hitch-free resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the ambitious federal legislators, who were re-elected during the February, 23 National Assembly polls and are interested in the leadership of the 9th National Assembly have already begun to lobby their colleagues as legislative business begins.

Although the gladiators had spoken to their colleagues about their ambition on phone, they still believe in having face-to-face dialogues with them and the resumption of plenary will provide that golden opportunity.

Apart from discussing the issue as an aside during plenary, the gladiators will also meet with their colleagues in their

offices as well as outside the premises of the national assembly with a view to convincing them about their desire to lead the 9th National Assembly at different levels come June.

In the Senate, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning 65 seats as against 41 seats by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last national assembly election, it is glaring that APC may produce the next Senate President if the party manages its success well.

Already, many ranking APC Senators are being touted as likely successor to outgoing Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and this has been sufficiently dealt with in the Cicero section of this edition on the major frontrunners for the office of the Senate President and how they all stand in the emerging equation.

For the record, however, they include Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North); former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume (Borno Central); Chairman, Senate committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje; former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin (Oyo Central) who is returning to the Senate for the third time having served during the fifth and sixth Senate (2003-2011) and Chairman of the Senate committee on Agriculture, Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West).

Although APC has not zoned the Senate Presidency to a particular area, there are indications that the North East may be highly favoured, which means the trio of Lawan, Ndume and Goje may be on the right track.

The APC leadership, sources said is to convene a meeting of all stakeholders including re-elected and fresh Senators on how the six presiding and principal offices of the 9th Senate, namely Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Senate Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip will be shared on zonal basis.

Already, the national leadership of the APC had commenced consultations with returnee and other Senators on the matter as it met last Monday night with 18 APC Senators at the Aso Drive, Abuja residence of the national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

The meeting, which lasted till 2am on Tuesday had in attendance Senators Lawan, Ndume, Goje, Gbenga Ashafa, Sola Adeyeye, Remi Tinubu, Ajayi Boroffice, Francis Alimhekena, Ahmed Baba-Kaita and Abubakar Kyari.

Sources told THISDAY that Oshiomhole, at the meeting, stressed the need for APC Senators to be focused and not be distracted in choosing the leadership of the 9th Senate having in mind what transpired at the inauguration of the 8th Senate on June 9, 2015 that produced Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

The APC Chairman claimed that with the party having majority number of seats at the Senate it should be easy for it to have a hitch-free transition of leadership when the 9th Senate is inaugurated in June.

One major undoing of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration after coming into power in May, 2015

was its lackluster attitude to the issue of the leadership of the National Assembly.

When he said in his statement of May 29, 2015 that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I belong to nobody, I am for everybody,â&#x20AC;? a lot of Nigerians were easily carried away thinking that there was a new sheriff in town.

Therefore, when he vowed to work with any leadership that emerged from the National Assembly, it was assumed that he had a magic wand with which he would handle the polity holistically. Ironically, it was extremely late by the time the National Assembly and the executive ended up as cat and mouse.

Therefore, reliable feelers within the ruling party are saying precisely that the APC has learnt from its mistakes and would not want what made it waste unnecessary time, resources and energy into legislatorsBuhari tussle.

At the House of Representatives, some names are currently flying around as potential candidates for speakership and they include the incumbent Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara; the Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; the chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno; the chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas and the chairman, Women in Parliament committee, Hon. Nkiru Onyejeosha.

For these individuals and many others, who may eventually throw their hats into the ring for the speakership race, many factors, including but not limited

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Will 9th Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Assembly Sidestep Pitfalls of the Past?

Mohammed Monguno

to zoning arrangements, positions taken by the parties, character of the candidates and the preference of the lawmakers will determine the next Speaker.

At any rate, while each of the aforementioned lawmakers has one or two factors going well for them, there are also those issues that may work against their ambitions.

Mohammed MONGUNO Though still quiet about his ambition to become the next Speaker, Monguno representing Marte/Monguno/Nganzai federal constituency of Borno State will surely come in among top contenders for the seat, when the whistle for the race is eventually blown. Elected in 1992 into the House of Representatives, he served briefly before the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election which ended their tenure abruptly. Monguno is currently a fourth term member in the present dispensation, so he is equipped with requisite knowledge and the know-how in managing the affairs of the House.

The soft-spoken lawmaker enjoys cordial relationship with his colleagues across board. He chaired several committees in the House, including Committee on Agriculture, which he headed in the seventh assembly. He is also the chairman, North-east caucus of the House.

Among what he has going for him is his unrivalled commitment to legislative duties. He recorded very high plenary attendance. Both Speaker Dogara and Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yussuf Lasun once attested to this and it earned him accolades from the duo. He is simple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not arrogant and easy to relate with.

As a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Borno State, he has a good grasp of laws and procedures. So, to his admirers, this coupled with his experience and the affinity he enjoys among his colleagues is enough reason to give him the job. He would have clinched the deputy speakership seat but he was defeated by Lasun, because Dogara, who is also from the North-east, emerged the Speaker.

Sources close to Monguno say he is prepared to go all out for the Speaker job this time around. He is also hopeful that considering the contributions of the North-east to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, the region could be favoured by the APC zoning arrangement.

Yakubu DOGARA Available information has it that the incumbent Speaker Dogara is not out of the equation in the calculations for the next speakership. Though he recently dissociated himself from issues related to considerations for the leadership of the ninth assembly, close watchers are of the

Nkiruka Onyejeocha

views that he is working behind the scene to retain the seat despite the fact that his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is coming in as minority in the next House.

Tested and trusted by his colleagues, Dogara who is serving as the 14th Speaker of the House stands a great chance but many bookmakers will not give it to him and this is not because the lawyer-turned politician, who has been representing Bogoro/Dass, Nigeria/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State since 2007 is not qualified to seek re-election but because it is obvious that the powers that be will surely work against his candidacy.

There is no need asking what his sin is.

Dogara, a former APC lawmaker defected to the opposition PDP and in the executive quarters, the change of alliances by the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly did not only disallow coordination between the presidency and the lawmakers, it also disrupted governance. So, they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a repetition of that scenario and as such they would do everything possible to prevent it.

Considering that Dogara is not an underdog, it may be foolhardy to write him off. He boasted that â&#x20AC;&#x153;nobody can retire me politically,â&#x20AC;? in the build up to the National Assembly elections and true to his words he won his re-election even when he was frontally antagonised by Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State and was not in the good book of the presidency. So, Dogara is equally one of those to watch out for in the speakership race.

Though some sources close to the APC leadership are hinting that the party is considering zoning the senate presidency to the North-east, but where this does not happen, the most appropriate position for the North-east region in the views of lawmakers from that zone is speakership and if peradventure it goes that way, Dogara and others from that area will easily become the biggest contenders for the post.

Femi GBAJABIAMILA The antecedents of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in the House are legendary. He is the lawmaker representing Surulere I federal constituency of Lagos State and he is one of the few longest serving legislators in the green chambers. He has been there since 2003. So, it will not be wrong to refer to him as a living encyclopedia of legislative rules and businesses.

As the House Leader, he has established cordial working relationship with lawmakers across party lines and he stands a good chance to emerge as the Speaker, particularly considering that he was the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice back in 2015.

Already, reliable sources said the APC is

Abdulrazak Namdas

moving to zone speakership to South-west, and that is a move that would better position Gbajabiamila for the top job but one major challenge he would face is the belief that he is being imposed on the House by a former Lagos State governor and one of the national leaders of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu.

No doubt, Gbajabiamila is perfectly qualified for the position but his candidacy will be confronted with intrigues that will come from PDP lawmakers. Opposition lawmakers are likely to throw their weights behind another speakership candidate in the APC as a way to remain relevant and to reduce external influence on their leader.

Nkiruka ONYEJEOCHA Another name being touted for speakership is that of a female lawmaker, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who represents Umunneochi/Isuikwuato federal constituency of Abia State. Experienced, Onyejeocha who is the chairman, Women in Parliament Committee, secured the mandate of the people of her constituency for a fourth term in office after she dumped the PDP and pitched tent with the APC. An Amazon, who has shown that she has what it takes to win elections even in the midst of stiff opposition from male contenders, Onyejeocha will enjoy massive support from her colleagues in the Southsouth and the South-east regions.

Two things will however stand in her way. One, the South-east is not considered as a major contributor to the fortunes of the APC in the last election. Two, being a woman, she is not likely to get widespread support from her northern colleagues, who may be averse to female leadership.

Abdulrazak NAMDAS Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas representing Jada/Ganye/Mayo Belwa/ Toungo federal constituency of Adamawa State on the APC platform is also a prospective contender for speakership in the ninth assembly. Unlike others, he is not shy about making his intention public. He has told whoever cares to listen that he desires to be Speaker when the next assembly is constituted.

Elected into the House in 2015 and having served as its spokesman since then, Namdas has acquired needed experience for the job. He once said the APC has a full grip on the next speakership and that members are all willing to abide by any position taken by the party.

He said if elected, he would bring in vibrancy as well as key into the programmes of the federal government and across party lines to ensure that Nigerians feel better impacts of the legislative assembly.

Though he claims to be a party man, who would work strictly in the interest of the party and overall interest of Nigerians, what may likely be an impediment to his ambition is his ranking among other contenders.

Whereas the likes of Monguno and Gbajabiamila are fifth timers, while Dogara and Onyejeocha are coming for the fourth time, he is just coming for the second term.

Also, if the Senate President goes to the North-east, his ambition will not likely see the light of the day as it is impossible to zone the two seats to the same zone.

Thus, as the June 11 date for the inauguration of the ninth assembly draws near, political parties, individual lawmakers and caucuses are already calculating where the pendulum is likely to swing as regards speakership. In fact, THISDAY can reliable confirm that every zone in the country is lobbying for the speakership.

Banking on victories recorded by its members in House of Representatives and Senate elections, the ruling APC is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it builds on its expected majority control of the National Assembly membership to ensure that the party produces consensus candidates as principal officers for both chambers.

On the other hand, opposition PDP members will be lurking around the corner to turn the table against the APC by supporting a different candidate.

The APC will do well to embrace the culture of party supremacy in the selection of the Senate President and Speaker but where the choice does not meet the yearnings and aspirations of lawmakers, the independence of the legislative arm may assume control. However, one of the most prominent lawmakers from the northern part of Nigeria, who is considered as one of the leading contenders for the post, who spoke with THISDAY strictly on the condition of anonymity sees no reason for jostling for the speakership.

He expressed optimism that the APC which would have the majority membership in the ninth assembly is expected to zone the position based on various factors, part of which should include what the zone has brought into the party.

He is also hopeful that after zoning the speakership, the party would allow lawmakers elect their preferred candidate, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;We expect that the party will zone the speakership. We wish that the party will then allow members to vote for their preferred candidates from the zone to which it is zoned.â&#x20AC;?

Though the lawmakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name has come up among as a potential candidate for the speakership, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who are elected to offices are predestined by God. So, everything is in the hand of God.â&#x20AC;?

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with DEMOLA OJO demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

SOCIAL MEDIA BITS

A former president and the present VP were celebrated, political activities climaxed, and President Buhari made a promise...

N

igerians can be forgiven for heaving a collective sigh of relief after yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

A few weeks preceding February 16 - when the Presidential and Federal House of Assembly elections were to be conducted (they were postponed for a week) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; till now, attention has been focused almost exclusively on politics.

During this period, economic activities have taken a back seat as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see/talk after electionsâ&#x20AC;? became the stock answer to those chasing business deals. The restriction of movement on election days hindered social activities, while the possibility of violence before and after put a pensive populace on tenterhooks.

All these were reflected on social media.

Usually the playground of entertainers and celebrities, they all retreated to the background as politicians stepped up.

Only those who were heavily vested in the outcome of the elections were prominent on Twitter.

Popular businessmen, who have recently caught the social media bug, became a little less active. Politicians and their supporters held sway.

Some state institutions, like the EFCC and the Nigerian Army have become more vocal on Twitter. Unfortunately, their increased involvement is mainly political in nature.

Take the Army for instance, which has been criticised for being used as a tool to suppress the opposition in specific locations, in the South-South region of the country. The institution has been in a running battle with officials of the Rivers State government and had to repeatedly issue denials of its involvement in partisan politics with statements on Twitter.

A few days ago, CCTV footage surfaced on social media showing what can only be

MARCH 10, 2019 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

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SOCIAL MEDIA BITS described as an invasion of the residence of Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja. He was subsequently arrested (or abducted if you like) by the soldiers who raided his house.

However, the Army denied authorising the invasion, and stressed that it had begun conducting forensic investigation into the video clips of the men in military uniform.

It didn’t take long for commentators on Twitter to draw parallels with EFCC promising to conduct a “forensic investigation” into videos purportedly showing Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje receiving kickbacks from a contractor. We all know how that ended.

Same EFFC penultimate Saturday arrested Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law and Director of Finance of his group of businesses, Babalele Abdullahi.

He was released last week after the anti-graft agency invited Tanimu Turaki (SAN) to sign a bail document for him. But the commission detained Turaki, who is also Deputy Director-General of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation.

Apparently, Turaki is the lawyer coordinating the suit to challenge the outcome of the presidential election which Atiku contested.

On Thursday, President Muhammadu

Buhari told Labour leaders who visited him that the PDP still owes Nigerians an explanation on how it expended $592 million between 1999 and 2014.

Senator Shehu Sani thinks it’s a good idea and suggested that PDP recall all members (past and present) during this period to give an account. This includes those who currently hold prominent positions in the APC, some of them close confidants of the President.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and former President Olusegun Obasanjo were both celebrated last week as they marked their birthdays. But it was the former President who, predictably, grabbed headlines with his comments.

Obasanjo said he opposed President Buhari during the build-up to the last Presidential election not for personal reasons but for the advancement of democracy.

“There is nothing personal between me and him. Just as he is your boss, I am his boss, with all due respect.

“The point is that I have been in that position longer than any other Nigerian will ever be there. That is the truth,” he added.

The truth, as long as President Buhari returns to Daura after the expiration of his second term in office like he has promised to do, “God willing...”

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M ͹͸˜ ͺ͸͹΁ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Electoral Diplomacy and Unilateralist Foreign Policy Impositions in International Relations: What Future?

E

lectoral diplomacy is essentially about the conduct and management of democratic elections in international relations, which witnessed the rivalry between democracy, as underscored by the West, on the one hand, and the East, which promoted communism and socialism, on the other. Democracy and Communism were often equated to mean freedom versus dictatorship.

Consequently, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, the Western countries began to work on the need to impose democracy as the only system of political governance to be accommodated in their foreign economic relations. This was the main rationale for the 1991 decision of imposing democratisation as a condition for the grant of development aid during the Franco-African Summit held in La Baule, France.

Without doubt, elections had been held in many countries of the world and the host countries had been given various forms of assistance bilaterally and multilaterally. However, such assistance was given, more or less, on voluntary basis. It was at the La Baule Franco-African Summit that the foundation of democratisation fever or the conditionality of democratisation as a requirement for the grant of foreign aid was laid. Assistance giving ceased to be voluntary but subject to conditionalities. This is the genesis of what we have called here electoral diplomacy. Immediately after the La Baule Conference, Member States of the European Community not only agreed with democratisation as a conditionality for development aid, but also began to also insist on it in their foreign economic cooperation programmes, particularly in Africa.

What is noteworthy about the development of electoral diplomacy over the years is the fact of increasing unilateral imposition of national foreign policy interest by the big powers, rather than an imposition of collective interest for the purposes of global peace and security. The specific cases of the United States, France, United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany are noteworthy. We therefore posit here that the current mania of conduct and management of electoral diplomacy has the potential of seriously undermining peace and security, and consequentially economic development at the national level. Explained differently, it has the potential of generating fresh intra-state crises. By so doing, good governance at the level of the international community cannot but be made more difficult.

For the purposes of this hypothesis, some illustrations will be given for further exegesis.: Zimbabwe, to reflect the situation in the African region and the Venezuelan example, to reflect that of Latin America. These cases will enable not only a better understanding of the nature of electoral diplomacy, but also the dynamics of what future it has, particularly for the people of Africa. Let us begin with a cursory look at the nature of electoral diplomacy in international relations.

Understanding Electoral Diplomacy Electoral diplomacy is an important aspect of a nation’s foreign policy process. It not only largely falls under tactical and preventive foreign policy, it is also largely aimed at protecting the national interest through guided democratisation. Its implementation modalities include adoption of policies of interference and intervention, election monitoring, provision of election logistic assistance, taking sanctionary measures against countries perceived to be non-compliant or non-cooperating, adoption of sets of rules and principles guiding the organisation of elections, and perhaps, more significantly, and choice of diplomacy as a tool. In essence, electoral diplomacy is both a means and also a strategy. It has a national and international dimension.

At the national level, it is operated differently, but essentially, its main focus is to promote democratisation and rule of law without resort to the use of force and without threatening international peace and security, but many powerful countries do not follow this logic. Electoral diplomacy as conducted by the United States is quite interesting as a case study.

US electoral diplomacy is generally predicated on a threepronged strategy of supporting a free and fair electoral process, prevention and mitigation of electoral violence, and supporting civic and political engagement. In this regard, technical assistance is given to countries, including Nigeria’s election institutions, civil societies, political parties, and monitoring of conflicts and peace

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Yakubu, INEC Chairman building programmes, as well as supporting civil society election observation.

In his testimony of December 13, 2018, given to the United States House of Representatives Sub-Committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organisations, Mr. Tibor P. Nagy, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, not only titled his submission as ‘Nigeria at a Crossroad: the Upcoming Elections,’ but also underscored the many expectations and concerns of the American people regarding elections in Nigeria. The concerns include fears of potential attacks on the legitimacy of INEC and the electoral process for political gains; intimidation and partisanship by the security forces; terrorism-driven insecurity and particularly terrorist attacks on elections institutions and violence on voters, observers and electoral officials; inability of the Internally Displaced Peoples or persons with disabilities to vote; voter suppression and use of armed group for voter intimidation and non-condemnation of hate-speech or disinformation; and widespread vote rigging that challenge the integrity of the electoral process.

Without any shadow of doubt, there is no fear or concern expressed above that was not manifested during the February 23rd, 2019 presidential and legislative elections in Nigeria. This is in spite of the various US diplomatic engagements on the matter in Nigeria: engagement of youth, especially the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), ‘Get Out the Vote’ Campaigns, Voter Education, as well as training efforts.

It should be recalled here that the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, was invited to the United States in October 2018 to observe US preparation for mid-term elections. As noted

by Mr. Nagy, ‘during this visit, INEC Chairman Yakubu observed early voting in Maryland and met with Congressional staff, US electoral civil society and legal experts, and US government

Electoral diplomacy, as it is currently conducted and managed, especially by the big powers, has a domineering character, and therefore the potential of serving as a catalyst in evolving a new Cold War.TheVenezuelan case clearly shows a struggle between a Russo-Chinese supported Nicolás Maduro, on the one hand, and Juan Guaido, supported by the United States and its allies. Thus, the electoral dispute is less of election rigging but more of an ideological struggle between Maduro’s socialism and Guaido’s quest for a Western-ruled Venezuela. Consequently, there is the need for greater caution in how to promote democracy in such a way that the factor of a unilateral action and imposition of a national interest on another sovereign State does not become another major dynamic of a new world war. As it is today, international peace and security is gradually threatened by the mania of election monitoring and the manu militari approach to solving election disputes

officials’.

The kind invitation to the INEC chairman is commendable, but what really is the lesson learnt from the visit? Is it really that Nigerian public officials cannot organise a free, fair, transparent and credible election? If truth be told, the INEC and incumbent governments in Nigeria may be challenged by problems of logistics, they are not incapable of organising very credible elections. The truth is that they are dishonest and simply do not want to have credible elections. If they want credible elections, they can have them.

Enabling credible elections does not allow for ethnic domination by the various political stakeholders. Credible elections cannot but allow for a new glasnost and perestroika à la Nigeriana. Credible elections will put a permanent stop to the militarisation of democracy without which professional politicians cannot survive in Nigeria.

If the Nigerian people, and particularly their government, can be frightened by the constant calls by the US for credible elections in Nigeria, then there is a serious problem. The Buhari administration preaches fairness and free election, but it does not want it to be drummed regularly to the ears of the people. This is a contradiction. It should also not be quickly forgotten that Barrister Festus Keyamo, the spokesperson for the President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, noted in one of his statements entitled ‘America’s unguarded Statement on our Election: a call for Caution and Equity,’ that Nigeria was “deeply concerned about many of the expressions of the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador W. Stuart Symington and other Western diplomats which have been directed towards Nigeria’s upcoming elections. While we laud and whole-heartedly welcome their interests in the elections, many of these expressions have been notably off-key. The continued warnings about “flawed elections” is capable of casting an unwarranted cloud over the process. Instead of encouraging our country toward credible elections, such statements undermine public confidence.

It would appear that these envoys seem to have discredited the election before it has even taken place.’

Most unfortunately, too, big power politics aid and abet the various political wrong doings, not only in Nigeria but all over, and by so doing, seriously threatening the future of democracy in international corporate governance. In this regard, Ambassador W. Stuart Symington was reported to have threatened to hold to account anyone who engages in hate speeches.

As Keyamo put it, ‘in condemning other forms of political speech, the American envoy overstepped his ambassadorial brief.

For instance, the American ambassador was reported to have condemned a situation where a candidate says that his opponent’s political and economic policies are abhorrent and dangerous to the greater welfare of the people and calls on citizens to hate and reject such policies... [T]his is a correct statement... [b]ut Ambassador Symington says his country would punish such necessary political speeches.’

The essence of the foregoing is that there is no big deal about the constant calls for credible election by the United States ambassador.

The calls were simple reminders to people who would consciously opt to forget the need for a transparent and credible election. If the United States also promised to sanction anyone on hate speeches, this is nothing more than a conflict between capacity to sanction and effective resistance to it, that is, capacity to punish at the level of the United States and resistance or application of the rule of reciprocity at the level of Nigeria. This is where the question of imposition of a foreign policy interest also becomes a problem.

Foreign Policy Impositions Many countries were not happy with Zimbabwe, especially under the rule of President Robert Mugabe. One major reason was the issue of farmland for white Zimbabweans, that is, the policy of Chimurenga. Robert Mugabe made efforts to bring fairness and justice in the matter, by reallocating land, the most fertile of which belong to the white people. The British government, in particular, agreed, under the Lancaster agreement, to pay compensation to the Mugabe government for land concession but later reneged.

This partly explained the constant misunderstanding between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom since 1980. In fact, sanctions were always placed on Zimbabwe.

The sanctions, varying from financial penalties, such as restrictions on financial transactions, visa restriction, ban on transfers of defence item and services, to suspension of non-humanitarian government-to-government assistance, were informed by various reasons: allegations of dictatorship, human rights violations, etc.

The United States placed the sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002 and 2003.

The sanctions did not stop with the election of Emmerson Mnangagwa as President of Zimbabwe. 141 individuals are currently placed under US sanctions, including Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa. The sanctions placed by Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003 on 77 Zimbabweans with effect from 12.01 eastern standard time, were renewed for another one year by the US on Monday, 4th March, 2019. The order, which is by the President of the United States, George W. Bush, is on ‘Blocking Property of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe.’

As announced by the US president, Donald Trump, ‘the actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States.’

(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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

NEWSXTRA Dogara Asks Buhari to Bring Killer of Oyo Lawmaker to Justice Tobi Soniyi in Lagos Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately set up a commission of inquiry to unmask the killers of the Hon. Olatoye Temitope Sugar.

Temitope was killed in Oyo State on Saturday during the governorship and houses of assembly election.

Dogara described the killing as primitive, wicked and barbaric.

The speaker who stated that elections should not be war regretted that 20 years into democratic practice, Nigeria is still living in the dark ages.

He said that those who perpetuated violence during the elections should be brought to justice to serve as deterrence to others.

Dogara said; “I received with shock, the sad and distressing news of the assassination of my brother and colleague, Hon. Olatoye Temitope Sugar, in Oyo State today.

“The murder of Hon. Sugar in election violence today is primitive, wicked, inhumane, barbaric and highly

condemnable.

“He was a fine gentleman, committed patriot, dedicated, hardworking lawmaker and worthy representative of his people.

“We mourn him and all those whose lives were cut short by forces of evil and soulless men.

“Our heartfelt condolences to their families. We pray for speedy recovery for all those injured.

“Elections are not war and should never be, they are and should be for service to God and country and not conquest with the barrel of the gun.

“The rate of killings, thuggery, ballot snatching, voter suppression and other forms of electoral malpractices – some aided and abetted by security agencies- in these elections portend great danger to our democracy and the survival of the Nigerian nation, since the will of the people as expressed in the ballot does not always count.

“It is unbelievable that 20 years after return to civilian rule, Nigeria is still stuck in the dark, primitive and uncivilised age where elections are seen as war and a do-or-

Army Bars PDP Agents from Collation Centres in Rivers Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Fear that the army may be working against some political parties in the governorship and state assembly elections in Rivers State were highlighted yesterday as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) complained that the military was preventing its accredited agents from accessing the collation centres.

Army personnel took over the collation centres in Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Eleme, Opobo-Nkoro and Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Areas, among others, denying access to PDP INEC-accredited Agents.

A chieftain of the PDP in Okrika, who would not wish to be named for fear of victimisation, told THISDAY that there were fears that the situation in Okrika might snowball into major crisis if nothing was done.

He said, “Unfortunately the army has taken over the LGA collation centre and are refusing any collation! The situation here is very explosive! I fear what may happen in the next hour or two. The people are determined to resist! Tempers on all sides are seriously frayed! I fear the loss of lives!”

Also, media aide to state Chairman of the PDP, Jerry Needam, said soldiers forcefully invaded the Khana Local Government Council lodge and held all those inside hostage.

He alleged that the soldiers were trying to plant incriminating materials in order to arrest PDP chieftains especially the Local Government Council Chairman, Lahteh Loolo.

He also said the soldiers were planning to move into the collation centre in Bori and hijack materials there.

The spokesman of PDP Campaign Organisation and state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, said it was obvious the army was on a mission to disrupt the electoral process and install somebody.

He wondered why soldiers would single out agents of the PDP for victimisation and why INEC-accredited agents would be barred from collation centre.

“Obviously they are up to something but God will not allow them succeed,” he said.

He said while the party was sceptical on sending protests to the same people who are perpetrating the injustice, the PDP would react accordingly.

When contacted for his reactions, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said the army would investigate alleged infractions of soldiers in the elections.

He however refused to comment on allegations of soldiers barring PDP agents from collation centres.

die affair.

“The killers of Hon Sugar and all those who lost their

lives in election related violence must be brought to book.

“We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief to set up a commission to

investigate these killings and bring the perpetrators to book.”

CASTING BALLOTS

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola casting his vote at, Ward 001, Unit 002 in Popo Iragbiji, Boirpe Local Government Area, Osun State during the House of Assembly election ... yesterday

Sala’s Death: Pilot Dropped out of Commercial Training TobiSoniyiwithagencyreport The pilot of the crashed plane carrying footballer Emiliano Sala dropped out of training for his commercial pilot’s licence before it was completed, the BBC has reported.

According to the British broadcaster, David Ibbotson, who has still not been found, was not licensed to carry paying passengers, which has fuelled speculation the flight was illegal.

Cardiff City striker Sala’s body was found in the wreckage just off Guernsey on 6 February.

Mr Ibbotson’s pilots licence and logbook were reportedly lost in the crash.

Citing an interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) BBC said Mr Ibbotson, 59, from Crowle, North Lincolnshire,

held a private licence in the UK and the US, meaning he could not carry paying passengers within the EU, other than on a cost-sharing basis and not for reward The report added further investigation was needed to discover his background and experience as a pilot.

The light aircraft disappeared on 21 January and Sala had completed his transfer to Premier League side Cardiff from French club Nantes just two days earlier for a club record fee of £15m.

He had returned to France to say goodbye to his former teammates.

Initsinterimreport,theAAIBstated that, on the basis of a cost-sharing flight, “it must not be made for the purpose of merely transporting the passenger”.

For it to be classed as cost-sharing, pilot David Ibbotson would have

had to have been making the journey regardless, dictating to Sala when the plane was leaving and sharing the cost of the flight equally with him.

Hpwever, Agent Willie McKay, who commissioned the flight for Sala, said the flight from Nantes to Cardiff was not a cost-sharing arrangement.

He said “Emi wasn’t paying anything” and that he was going to pay “whatever Dave [Henderson] was going to charge”.

McKay said David Henderson was the pilot he used most frequently to arrange his flights.

It is thought Henderson was not available for the Sala flight, so he asked Mr Ibbotson to do the job.

Payment would usually be made after a flight due to the varying amounts paid for landing fees at different airports.

He said he couldn’t do it himself but he was going to get someone. I trusted David, I had no reason not to,” said Mr McKay. “When you phone for a taxi you don’t ask him if he has a driving licence. I was just thinking about getting the boy home which he wanted and we were happy with what we did.

“I’ve been told on good authority he was a very good pilot so for people to vilify the pilot after a man’s death is a disgrace. I don’t hold anyone responsible because it’s just a tragic accident.”

McKay’s son Mark, agent to Nantes FC, who was also involved in organising and paying for flights for Mr Sala, said: “I don’t see how I would have done anything any differently. I’ve taken many flights - small aircraft, different types of aircraft, different pilots.

Police Nabs 10 Suspects for Join Forces with Buhari, Electoral Offences in Katsina Maharaj Tells Nigerians Francis Sardauna in Katsina No fewer than ten have been apprehended by the Katsina State Police Command for allegedly committing different electoral offences during the last presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

The command, also, disclosed that ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yazid Abdullahi, who was recently abducted during the election has escaped from the den of his abductors.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sanusi Buba made the disclosure a session with journalists yesterday, said the command has made adequate security arraignment for the election to avoid reoccurrence

of the incidence.

According to him, the suspects were arrested in different parts of the state for criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembling and in possession of illegal arms in an attempt to disrupt the electoral process.

The police chief said, “Items recovered from the suspects include knives and arms.

The suspects have since been charged to Magistrate court II for further investigation and prosecution in line with 2010 Electoral Act as amended.”

However, Buba explained that Abdullahi, who was kidnapped during the last election, escaped from the kidnappers and a suspect arrested in connection with the abduction is under investigation and would be charged to court soon”.

Kayode Fasua Leader of the One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has advised all Nigerians to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a way of giving President Muhammadu Buhari total encouragement, “in rebuilding the Nigerian state.”

Maharaj Ji, who spoke in a chat with THISDAY at the weekend, said he was vindicated by the outcome of the February 23 presidential election, that, ”there is no alternative to Buhari for now.”

“I have said it times without number that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, and that Atiku and the others should not bother themselves in contesting against President Buhari.

“Nigeria is blessed to have

Buhari as President, as he has begun to clean the rot in the system, by exposing corrupt politicians and running a government that has zero tolerance to corruption.

“In fact, all Nigerians should join the APC and team up with the President to build a prosperous Nigeria that we have long sought after,” he urged.

Maharaj Ji also advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar “not to wase his time, energy and resources in filing any suit against the election result”, averring that the outcome reflected Nigerians’ popular wish.

He, as such, advised the Buhari administration to, in the second term, devote time to building the economy, through job provision for the teaming population of jobless Nigerians.

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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 ˾ MARCH 10, 2019

NEWSXTRA Two Persons Killed as Thugs Attack Collation Centre in Ondo James Sowole in Akure Two persons were feared killed and another one critically injured yesterday at Oba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government when political thugs engaged security men in gun battle at Oba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government area, Ondo State.

Sequel to the disturbance, three vehicles including police van were vandalised by thugs just as a major beer depot was razed by irate youths.

A source said the crisis started when suspected thugs came to attack the collation centre for Akoko South West Constituency II.

According to the source, the thugs announced their arrival at the collation centre located within a primary school with sporadic gun shots.

Security operatives including soldiers were said to have repelled the assailant while officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quickly lied down as a safety measure.

The security operatives were said to have pursued the thugs into town and during which two of them were feared killed and another one critically injured.

The situation was said to have led to the locking down of the Ikare- Oba Akoko Road for several hours as security

men mounted toad blocks to arrest the attackers.

However, INEC officials said voting materials were intact as security men repelled the attackers. It was gathered that no less than 20 persons had been arrested sequel to the crisis.

Commenting on the matter, the Police Area Commander

for Ikare Akoko, Mr. Razak Rauf during the assessment of the situation described vandalisation of police property as barbaric.

Similarly, a source said ballot box was also snatched at Araromi area of Agbaluku Arigidi in Akoko North West area and which led to the disruption election at

unit.

The disruption also led to the vandalisation of a vehicle belonging to a popular chief of the town by hoodlums.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Ondo State, Mr Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident.

He however said nobody was killed in the incident saying that about 20 persons were arrested in the state during the election.

Consequently, Ondo Stare Government late yesterday declared curfew on Oba Akoko, a town in Akoko South West Local Government area of the state.

PDP Decries Killings, Violence, Militarisation of Polls tration has no regard for the Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the heavy militarisation, violence and killing of innocent Nigerians allegedly by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 9, 2019 Governorship and state assembly elections.

The party in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that never in the history of thr nation had a general election recorded such bloodletting, violence and manipulations as triggered in the 2019 elections by the Buhari Presidency and the APC. He stated “The world watched with utter horror as soldiers under the command of the Buhari Presidency, hound, arrest, shoot, terrorize opposition figures and provide cover for APC thugs to unleash violence, kill opposition members, cart away electoral materials and disrupt polls in PDP strongholds, all in the bid to forcefully foist the APC on Nigerians.

“This resort to bloodletting, violence and official high handedness by the APC in our electoral process has further confirmed that this adminis-

lives of Nigerians and lawful processes, but only interested in seizing power by all means.

“In Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, Kogi, Benue, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, among others, soldiers brazenly aided APC thugs to unbridle violence, hijack electoral processes and write fictitious results for APC candidates.

“In Rivers state, soldiers invaded INEC office in Bori, beat up and chased away PDP agents and assisted the APC in ballot stuffing and writing of results. The scenario was the same in Akwa-Ibom where security agents provided cover for APC thugs in their bid to hijack the electoral process.”

Ologbondiyan stressed that in many other states, the APC, in connivance with INEC orchestrated the deliberate diversion of electoral materials meant for certain areas to unknown destinations, resulting in the frustration of electoral processes in the affected area.

He added that in Imo state, APC thugs, accompanied by security agents disrupted polls in PDP strongholds and reportedly killed a PDP agents in Umudo/Umuwala area of Owerri.

Ugwuanyi Set to Win Enugu Guber Election A coalition of foreign and local observers and notable leaders in Enugu State have commended the successful conduct of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state, describing the exercise as “peaceful, free and fair”.

This came as results trickling in from polling units across Enugu State indicate the state governor and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and House of Assembly candidates of the party are coasting to victory as the PDP leads with wide margins.

Ugwuanyi, who voted at exactly 9:35am, said “In all we do in Enugu State, we give God due glory, honour and adoration and by the special grace of God this election will end in praise” Speaking on behalf of the observers after Ugwuanyi voted at his Amube Ward II Polling Unit, a foreign observer from Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO), Mr. Titus Alagba, said the election was in conformity with the INEC rules and regulations.

He, therefore, thanked Ugwuanyi for “providing the peaceful atmosphere for this free and fair election”.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

L-R: Pastor-in-Charge of Lagos Province 36, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Olaitan Olubiyi; celebrant, Anthony Ojo-Ibukun and Oluseyi Olubiyi during his 60th anniversary held at the RCCG Jesus House, Ajao Estate, Lagos…recently

Bello’s ADC, Thugs Invade Kogi NUJ, Allege Electoral Fraud Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Aide de Camp (ADC) to Kogi State Governor, Usman Shugaba yesterday invaded Kogi State Union of the Nigeria Union of Journalists with over 50 armed policemen, alleging that ballot papers were being thump-printed at the secretariat.

THISDAY learnt that the ADC alongside the thugs invaded NUJ in search of ballot boxes, which they claimed, might be hidden in the secretariat.

The ADC, who arrived NUJ

located at Lord Lugard road in twelve Hilux vehicles with stern looking thugs and policemen, claimed that they had information that ballot papers are been thump printed.

After ransacking the entire premise, the ADC alongside his men left the NUJ secretariat, though with a promise to continue their search.

During the siege of the NUJ secretariat, THISDAY learnt that the thugs and police officers that accompanied the ADC to the secretariat did not meet any journalist apart from the operators of the bar and

Fayemi Canvasses One-day Election, E-voting TobiSoniyi Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi yesterday said he looked forward to a time when Nigeria wouldbeabletoconductallherelections in one day, possibly through electronic voting.

Speaking shortly after casting his vote at his country home, Isan Ekiti, the governor said the current election schedule where elections into all elective positions were conducted separately “is not a good use of time and effort”.

Fayemi expressed optimism that the country would take advantage of technological advancement and switch to electronic voting to enhance seamless voting process that would enable the electorate exercise

their voting right while going about their normal daily work.

He however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for quickly addressing some hiccups that could have paralysedthesmoothconductofthe 2019generalelections;sayingthathe would be happy if the process run smoothly in all parts of the state just as the card reader worked perfectly in Isan Ekiti where he voted.

“Thecardreaderwork,myfingerprintwasreadandittooklessthana minute for me to do these and vote.

If it is like this everywhere, we really have to give kudos to INEC. There may have been some errors in the past but they have quickly corrected those and they have done well in this election.

those working in the centre.

In a response, however, the leadership condemned in strong terms the invasion of the secretariat of harmless journalists who were answering duty call at the time of the invasion.

Meanwhile, four persons were shot in Lokoja by some hoodlums. One of the victims was conveyed to the NUJ Clinic by a Hillux van with Registration Number: KG01BAS. Also, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the state

House of Assembly election across Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi state.

The Electoral Officer, Mopamuro LGA, Mr. Opanachi Ojodale disclosed this at the INEC office in Mopa, noting that the election was postponed to Sunday March 10, due to wrong ballot papers that were taken to the area.

According to Ojodale, the ballot papers belonging to Akpa LGA in Kogi East, were taken to Mopamuro LGA, development that was discovered in the early hours of Saturday.

Sterling Bank Unveils Café One in Lekki In its quest to support Nigeria’s growing community of entrepreneurs and millennials, Sterling Bank Plc, has unveiled Café One, Nigeria’s first lifestyle banking initiative designed to refresh its visual identity.

A statement from the bank’s Corporate Communication Office said the ultra-modern coworking space, which doubles as a Café, is the country’s first digital, hybrid experience centre.

Located at Lennox Mall in Lekki Phase 1, the statement said Café One “is designed for comfort and equipped to provide banking services with ease and convenience. Here, also, clients are enabled to work, network and host business meetings.

“The space boasts of serving the best coffee and pastries in

Lagos, provided in partnership with gourmet coffee brand, My Coffee Lagos.

Quoted in the statement, Business Manager at Café One, Tobi Jaiyesimi said the Café One experience “portrays banking as a partnership. From financial decisions to lifestyle choices, we want to serve every aspect of our clients’ lives. This intentionality is reflected in our newly recreated space and brand identity.”

She added that Café One is where innovation meets community—a mantra depicted in the new logo: a combination of a light bulb and people; a signal of its commitment to building communities, and Sterling Bank’s resolve to proffering tailored solutions, aided by technology, to clients.

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

87

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email: demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

ConďŹ dent United Dare Arsenal at Emirates Demola Ojo

oming off a simply outstanding 3-1 away victory over PSG in the Champions League midweek to qualify for the quarter finals, Manchester United resume Premier League duties and the battle for a top-four place as they visit Arsenal who, incidentally, are also in the race to finish fourth.

Unitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absentee list has eased ahead of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clash with Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera all set to return.

Still unbeaten domestically under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United head to the Emirates Stadium - a ground where they beat the Gunners 3-1 in the FA Cup in January - with their injury list decreasing.

Paul Pogba is available after serving a European suspension in Paris in midweek, Martial has recovered from a groin injury, while Herrera and Matic are pushing for a start. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eric (Bailly) is fine,â&#x20AC;? Solskjaer said of the defender he substituted after 36 minutes against PSG. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anthony will be available and hopefully weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have Nemanja and/or Ander ready as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking better for it. They just need to have another couple of days training with the team.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done well with their recovery work.â&#x20AC;?

As the battle for a place in the top-four heats up, Sokratis Papastathopoulos feels the hosts can get the right result this time around and is not

David de Gea (in orange) thwarts Pierre Aubemayang in the reverese ďŹ xture which ended 2-2

worried by Unitedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emphatic victory in Paris.

Asked if the PSG result will make today a more difficult task, Sokratis replied: â&#x20AC;&#x153;No. We play in our home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know what we can do. We will play with confidence and everything will be good. It is a

game that we know is very important for us but we will be ready. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of course we watched (the PSG match).

Everybody watched. But we will be ready, everybody is thinking about Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game already and we will give 100 per cent.â&#x20AC;?

Arsenal will be without suspended midfielder Lucas Torreira for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clash.

The Uruguay international was sent off in last weekendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draw at Tottenham and is banned for the next three league games.

Alexandre Lacazette is available having missed the Europa League defeat in Rennes through suspension, with long-term injury absentees Danny Welbeck (ankle), Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin (both knee) still missing.

While Matic and Herrera could return for United, Alexis Sanchez, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian remain unavailable.

Arsenal have won two of their last three Premier League home games against Manchester United (L1), as many as they had in their previous eight against them (W2 D3 L3).

Manchester United havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t won back-to-back away league games against Arsenal since a run of three between 1983-84 and 1985-86. This was also the last time the Red Devils won three in a row at the Gunners in all competitions.

Arsenal have only lost twice at home against an opponent in a season on two occasions - against Nottingham Forest in 1987-88 and Aston Villa in 1993-94.

Only Man City (42) have won more points in Premier League home games than Arsenal this season (38). Meanwhile, only Spurs (33) and Liverpool (32) have won more away points than Manchester United (29).

Bayern Crush Sterling hat-trick sends Man City Four clear of Liverpool Wolfsburg 6-0 to Lead Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich crushed VfL Wolfsburg 6-0 yesterday with two goals from top scorer Robert Lewandowski, to move ahead of Borussia Dortmund and lead the Bundesliga on goal difference.

Four days before they host Liverpool in their Champions League last 16 second leg, the Bavarians were brutally efficient, scoring twice in three minutes through Serge Gnabry and Lewandowski late in the first half to take control.

James Rodriguez fired in their third in the 52nd and Thomas Mueller, dropped along with Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng from the national team this week, added their fourth.

Goals from Joshua Kimmich and Lewandowski completed their rout.

Bayern are on 57 points, ahead on goal difference from Dortmund, who won 3-1 against strugglers VfB Stuttgart.

It was also the 12th consecutive defeat for Wolfsburg coach Bruno Labbadia against Bayern, more than any other coach against a single opponent.

Raheem Sterlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick-fire second-half hat-trick sent Manchester City four points clear at the top of the Premier League, but there was controversy over the opener that broke down a stubborn Watford side.

With the game goalless at the start of the second half, Sterling was challenged by Daryl Janmaat as he ran on to Sergio Agueroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flick and the ball cannoned off him and into the net.

Sterling was clearly offside when Aguero chested the ball into his path and the linemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flag went up. But, after a long discussion with his fellow official, referee Paul Tierney overruled his decision, to the disbelief of the Hornets players.

There was no disputing the legality of Sterlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second goal, which came only four minutes later when he tapped in Riyad Mahrezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross at the far post after a flowing City move.

And, just before the hour mark, the 24-year-old England forward made it 3-0, running on to a David Silva pass and cutting past two defenders before slotting home his 18th goal of the season.

Watford, who had made seven changes ahead of their FA Cup quarter-final with Crystal Palace next weekend, belatedly threw on Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu - two of those to be left out.

The pair combined seconds later to pull a goal back with their first touches when Deeney flicked on a long ball for Deulofeu to fire home with his sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first shot, after 66 minutes.

It proved to be only a consolation rather than the

Sterling scored a hattrick in 13 second half minutes start of an unlikely comeback, with City comfortably holding on to clinch their sixth successive league win.

Their four-point lead is their biggest advantage at the top since 4 December, although Liverpool can cut the gap when they host Burnley today.

It has been a difficult week for the defending

champions, with Uefa and the Premier League joining Fifa and the Football Association in launching separate investigations into their financial affairs and academy recruitment.

But if those issues, along with seemingly outlandish claims from Italy that Pep Guardiola has agreed to

Messi Scores as Barcelona Stay Seven Points Clear in Spain Golden Eaglets Invitation Thrills Ajanaku Lionel Messi scored a penalty as La Liga leaders Barcelona yesterday came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano and retain their seven-point lead at the top.

Raul de Tomas, on loan from Real Madrid, had given Rayo a surprise lead with an excellent 20-yard strike.

Gerard Pique headed an equaliser from Messiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free-kick and the Barca captain nonchalantly put the treble-chasing champions ahead from the spot. Luis Suarez tapped home a late third after a one-two with Ivan Rakitic.

Messi is La Ligaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top scorer with 26 goals in 25 games, with Suarez second on 17.

Second-placed Atletico Madrid had briefly narrowed the gap on Barca with a 1-0 win over Leganes earlier yesterday, Saul scoring the only goal.

Barcelona were made to work hard by Rayo Vallecano, who are in the relegation zone after six consecutive defeats, but Ernesto Valverdeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side are now unbeaten in 14 La Liga games, a run going

Messi has now scored 69 penalties for Barcelona back to November. They have won 13 consecutive league games against Rayo since 2002.

Next up for the Catalan side is a home game against Lyon in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, having drawn the first leg 0-0 in France.

Oluwadamilola Ajanakuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invitation to the camp of the Golden Eaglets in February was a dream come true for the fast rising defensive midfielder.

Fifteen-year-old Ajanaku, a student of Dowen College Lekki, Lagos, was invited to add his skills, aerial presence and steel in midfield as the Eaglets commence serious preparation towards the 2019 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) slated for April in Tanzania.

The Manu Garba-led team are expected to put up a good showing which will help them qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup later this year in South America.

Peru who were initially billed to host the competition have been stripped of the rights, with Brazil tipped to take over as hosts.

Ajanaku participated in the MTN-Arsenal coaching clinic that took place late last year at the National Stadium Surulere, where he got the applause of the organizers as a

well-rounded player and one to watch out for in future.

He is the son of Idowu Ajanaku, a media guru and Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the Lagos State Governor.

RESULTS & FIXTURES Crystal Palace Cardiff HuddersďŹ eld Leicester Newcastle Southampton Man City Liverpool Chelsea Arsenal

1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;0 0â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1 v v v

Brighton FT West Ham Bournemouth Fulham Everton Tottenham Watford Burnley 1pm Wolves 3:05pm Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; United 5:30pm

Sunday March 10, 2019

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UT H

& RE A S O

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Igini to Critics “I have not come here to count money. I only came here to count ballot papers.

Those who want me to compromise the process are the ones shouting out there. I can tell you that…those looking for compromise in the process are the ones who are also calling for my removal. Why would you remove a man who says he wants to give everybody equal opportunity?” – Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Mr.Mike Igini while reacting to call for his redeployment.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

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

Presidential Poll: A Post-mortem

S

ince I have been old enough to follow presidential elections in Nigeria, I have to admit that I have never experienced the kind of gloomy mood that hit some sections of the country after the declaration of Presidential Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the February 23 poll. In the past, there would be spontaneous outbursts, demonstrations and riots by the aggrieved. This time around, the atmosphere was more like a funeral in certain places. Many looked severely bereaved. A friend of mine, an entrepreneur, was so distraught that he sent me a chat after the announcement of the final result: “Simon, where do we go from here?” I joked in response: “Canada.”

In my opinion, there were generally two categories of people that backed Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the presidential election. In one category are those who genuinely believe his presidency would be better for business in particular and Nigeria as a whole. They are convinced that Atiku has a better grasp of the economy, is more pan-Nigerian in outlook and can assemble a winning team — compared to Buhari. In the second category are those who feel persecuted and marginalised by Buhari and would be too glad to see his back. It is not so much that they all passionately believe in Atiku, just that Buhari is bad news to them 24/7.

I can identify two of the strongest responses to the outcome of the election in the pro-Atiku camp. One is that the poll was rigged. They maintain that if everything had run normally, Atiku would have won. Their grievances are well known: they think that the votes for Buhari were inflated in some northern states, that the security agencies terrorised Atiku’s supporters in some parts of the south and that state institutions worked actively for Buhari’s re-election. I would conclude that a good number of Atiku’s supporters are of the opinion that the election was rigged. Atiku himself has headed to the election petitions tribunal to challenge the outcome.

Some prominent Nigerians have asked Atiku not to go to court. The former vice-president has even been derided by some APC supporters on the social media for daring to challenge the outcome of the election. I take it that people are simply playing politics. We know how many opposition candidates became governors via court judgments when PDP was in power from 1999 to 2015, and I think it is most unfair to mock Atiku for choosing to exercise his democratic and constitutional right. As to whether or not he can win his case, why not wait for the courts to decide? Why pre-empt?

It appears many of us still do not have the temperament for democracy in Nigeria.

The second strongest post-election response from the Pro-Atiku camp, which has been picked up and amplified by the international media, is that the results were reflective of the social strata and tendencies in the country.

Infographs have been designed along this line of thinking: that the educated voted for Atiku and the uneducated preferred Buhari; that the lovers of prosperity chose Atiku and the lovers of poverty trooped out for Buhari; that earners of higher income were in love with Atiku and the wretched of the earth stood firmly by Buhari. I have seen maps being circulated to support this thinking. Many foreign journalists and analysts have bought fully into it.

Any student of statistics will tell you a guiding

Atiku principle: that correlation is not the same thing as causation. If PDP wins the 11 states in the south-east and south-south, it may have nothing to do with the levels of education, poverty, violence or income. It may just be that the PDP is still very strong in those states. It may have more to do with their political leanings and traditional voting patterns rather than an addiction to university degrees. I don’t know.

I can’t say. But just sitting down in our living rooms and drawing conclusions from election data without a proper survey of the voters themselves might turn out to be unhelpful.

In the first place, you have to choose one argument. You have to either argue that Atiku won the election but it was rigged or that voters made the wrong choices by not preferring prosperity, which Atiku is said to represent, to poverty, of which Buhari is meant to be the poster boy — in the opinion of these analysts. If you believe the election was rigged, how can you go ahead to say Buhari won because the uneducated, unenlightened and wretched Nigerians voted for him? That would be contradictory. Also, you cannot argue that the wretched re-elected Buhari and still maintain that the election was rigged. You just have to pick one line of argument.

If we are to go by the educated vs uneducated parameter used by some analysts in their postelection commentaries, then we will end up confused. In the south-west, for instance, APC won four of the six states. Should we conclude that the majority of the south-westerners are illiterates and poverty-lovers for voting APC? In 2015, five south-west states voted APC. In 2011, five south-west states voted for PDP. Should we say south-westerners were educated and prosperity-loving in 2011 but became illiterates in 2015 and 2019? In states such as Benue and Oyo where votes were almost evenly split between PDP and APC, how do we separate the literate from the illiterate?

Correlation is definitely not causation. In 2011, the south-east gave 4,985,246 votes to PDP. The figure dropped to 2,464,906 in 2015 (when the PDP controlled all the instruments of power, including the security agencies). In 2019, the tally for PDP further dropped to 1,693,485. I do not want to believe the south-east has been falling in love with poverty and illiteracy since 2011. There may be another reason the voter turn-out has been dropping. Between 2011 and 2015, PDP lost a total of 2,520,340 votes in the south-east in the presidential election — even with a sitting PDP government at Aso Rock. We need to be more sophisticated

in our thinking.

I am beginning to come to the conclusion that we only have some respect for democracy in Nigeria when the outcome of an election conforms to our bias. I remember when President Buhari lost to President Jonathan in 2011, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which did not have any presence beyond the core northern states, kept insisting they won. In fact, CPC said there was a bug in INEC computers that was deducting Buhari’s votes. CPC questioned the results from the south-east and south-south, where Jonathan scored 97% of total votes cast. The reverse is not the case: PDP is questioning the results from the north-west and north-east.

What is the conclusion of the matter? Those who believe the 2019 presidential poll was rigged should stick to their position and support Atiku in his litigation. Nobody should say “it is a waste of time”. No litigation is ever a waste of time. Some improvements we have witnessed in our electoral system were influenced by previous legal experiences. For instance, the principle of “substantial compliance” came into being in 1979 when Chief Obafemi Awolowo mounted a legal challenge against Alhaji Shehu Shagari. It is relied upon by the courts till today. There is a reason our laws provide for post-election petitions. Atiku should be supported to exercise his options.

Those who cast the election as a battle between literacy and illiteracy should also stick to their story. They are inevitably saying the election was not rigged. They are only saying the outcome was reflective of the preference of the majority of voters, whom they consider to be illiterates and lovers of poverty. That means 15.1 million illiterates re-elected Buhari while 11.2 million professors voted for Atiku.

This narrative is condescending, no doubt, and reinforces inherited prejudices and biases against certain sections of the country — but at least it represents the mindset of some analysts.

My only problem with that is the abuse and misuse of statistics that readily comes with such a mindset.

However, when the emotions of the presidential election have cooled, I would advise the protagonists and antagonists to take a second look at the figures both retrospectively and introspectively. The APC should ask itself: is this really an endorsement of our performance or a mere benefit of the cult followership that Buhari enjoys in some parts of the country? Could we have turned out this performance if Buhari was not our presidential candidate? Should we gloat or keep our feet on the ground, knowing the enormous tasks ahead? Are there expectations from Nigerians tied to this victory? What do we owe to the millions who re-elected us into office?

The PDP, as the biggest opposition party, should also ask itself the critical questions: what did we not get right? Where did the rain begin to beat us? Did we overrate our chances? Was it just the incumbency factor that worked against us? Why has the voting trend for us in the south-east been on a downward spiral? How did we descend from the height of having 24 governors at some point in Nigeria’s history to having just 13 today? What did we do wrong? How can we rebuild faith with Nigerians? No doubt, we need a very strong opposition party in Nigeria. It is in the interest of our democracy.

Going forward, therefore, the protagonists and antagonists need self-appraisal.

And Four Other Things…

VOTER APATHY From indications, voter turnout for Saturday’s governorship and house of assembly elections was lower than we saw in the February 23 presidential poll.

Why? There would be many reasons. I think one of them is the sequence of elections. If I had my way, we would do state elections first and the presidential election last. That is a way of building momentum and generating interest in the elections. But I understand the politics of it all: if governors secure their own positions first, they may not work hard for the president two weeks later! That is why election sequence has always been a battle from the days of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Anti-climax.

MILITARISED ELECTIONS Does anybody still remember when the All Progressives Congress (APC) used to kick against the deployment of soldiers for elections? The defence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) then was that the deployment was necessary to secure the peace and avoid bloodshed.

An APC lawmaker even went to court and won. Students of history should find it amusing that with APC now in control, the militarisation of elections has continued.

There is always a reason to justify it: to safeguard lives and property and prevent violence, you know the rest. Give the average Nigerian politician state power and he is likely to use it the same way. It is the same difference. #APCPDP. JUDICIAL PRIMARIES Many of us have simplistic theories on why Nigeria remains backward in the comity of nations but we don’t need to be too hard on ourselves: it is just that we are not like any other people on earth.

It is only in Nigeria that candidates of political parties are determined by the courts. The moment our politicians and lawyers figured out how they could use and abuse the laws of the land, it has become fashionable for them to engage the courts to play the role of political parties by determining who is a candidate and who is not. The courts are supposed to serve the cause of justice, we cannot deny that, but why must our own case in Nigeria be always upside down? Mystery.

AND FINALLY… Election times can be very stressful and even life-threatening in Nigeria, but many people are making lemonade from the lemon. In affluent neighbourhoods, people set up canopies, play music and do barbeque while waiting to be accredited and while voting goes on. But you have to do a thumbs-up to the lively woman in Enugu, said to be a teacher, who came with a pillow and a mat to her polling unit during the presidential and national assembly elections. On Saturday, she turned up again for the governorship and house of assembly polls with more than a mat and a pillow: she brought Whot for a game of cards with fellow voters. Life is too short. Have fun. Chill.

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