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Buhari Insists FG Winning War Against Insurgents, Bandits, Kidnappers Francis Sardauna in Katsina President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday reiterated that his administration was winning the war on banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country. Echoing his

maiden June 12 Democracy Day address, Buhari assured that ending the carnage in the North-west and other parts of the country remained a cardinal objective of his administration. He spoke in Katsina at the fourth convocation ceremony of the

Federal University, Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA).

The president explained that the federal government was poised to create an enabling environment for lawful citizens to go about their legitimate businesses.

Represented by the

former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, Buhari said, “I want to assure the people of Katsina State and, indeed, all other states of the federation that the climate of fear being orchestrated by the bandits, kidnappers and insurgents

would soon come to an end.”

While admitting that the war against bandits and kidnappers involved covert operations that were not open to the public, the president urged Nigerians to work together to sustain peace in the country.

“We have no other country we can call ours, but Nigeria.

We must stay here and salvage it together,” he stated.

Buhari challenged the managements of Nigerian universities to conduct Continued on page 16

NERC: New Customer-friendly Tariff Regime out Soon… Page 8 Sunday 16 June, 2019 Vol 24. No 8833

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Tony Elumelu: How FG Can Lift 100m out of Poverty Plans to empower 1,000 northern youths with $5000 each Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagos and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Mr.

Tony Elumelu yesterday noted that with the right resolve accompanied by concrete action, the federal government could lift 100 million Nigerians

out of poverty.

In his foundation’s contribution to reduce the country’s poverty rate, Elumelu unveiled a new

plan the TEF had resolved to empower at least 1000 young entrepreneurs, disclosing that each beneficiary would receive with a sum of $5,000.

He disclosed the plan on his twitter handle @ TonyElumeluFDN yesterday shortly after he was conferred with an Honourary Degree

in Business Administration at the convocation of the Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

Continued on page 8

EU Proposes New Law on Full Transparency of Election Results Says military’s role in election must be at INEC’s request Suggests tribunals to cover pre-poll disputes Incumbency factor, Onnoghen’s suspension, violence tainted 2019 polls Presidency welcomes report, promises to analyse it Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Nigeria for the March 2019 general election yesterday released its final report advicing a new law that ensures full transparency in the election results collation process.

It also said a combination of factors, including incumbency, suspension of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, a few weeks to the election, and violence shaped the poll’s outcome. The EU report said Onnoghen’s suspension did not follow due process. And it alleged that over 150 people died in the violence that characterised the elections.

The Presidency, in its

reaction in Abuja Saturday night, welcomed the report of the EU observer mission, pledging to analyse and act on the recommendations.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, who said this in a statement, noted that the EU observers were invited to the country by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and welcomed by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The report alleged widespread pressure on the independence of the judiciary.

Chief Observer of the mission, Maria Arena, who signed the report, said they were on the ground between January 5 and April 7 with a core team of 11 experts and 40 Continued on page 8

POLARIS BANK LANDS IN LAGOS...

L-R: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Polaris Bank, Muhammed Ahmad and Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, during a courtesy visit to the governor and his deputy at the Lagos House, Marina at the weekend

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NERC: New Customer-friendly Tariff Regime out Soon AEDC issues 50,000 prepaid meters in Nasarawa Peter Uzoho in Lagos and Igbawase Ukumba LaďŹ a The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said it is working on a new cost-reflective electricity tariff regime that is customer-friendly.

Chairman of NERC, Professor James Momoh, disclosed this in Lagos at the 2018/2019 Graduation Ceremony of the Eko Distribution Training Programme (EDTP), where 99 staff of the Eko Disco, who participated in the training, were awarded certificates. He said the new electricity tariff estimate would be out soon for discussion and resolution by all the stakeholders in the industry.

In a related development, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said on Saturday it had given about 50,000 prepaid electricity meters to its customers in the Nasarawa region of its franchise territory.

General Manager, Corporate Communication of the AEDC, Oyebode Fadipe, revealed this to

journalists at Mararaba, a suburb of Abuja, during the company's Customer Consultative Forum for Nasarawa region of the company.

NERC said the issue of liquidity, a major complaint of the discos, was a problem of the past, as the commission had already come up with the evaluation of the market itself through enumeration of eligible customers. “I am saying the costreflective issue is being taken care of, with different instruments that are in place,�

Momoh said concerning the new tariff regime. “So, it will be good news very soon. The new prices, the new tariff estimate will be out and the customers will be involved in participating in the resolution of the commission. I think we are in the right direction now.�

He said the problem of liquidity was being addressed, explaining, “We have come up with the evaluation of the market itself; we do enumeration, we believe cost-

reflective will be very reflective, when there are not too many losses in the system, when meters are installed, because you can’t be charging fees or making numbers up when you don’t really know how many customers are out there. So, the issue of enumeration has been put in place. “We can’t be calculating prices when there are losses that I should not pay for. With meters now being provided, we now know exactly how much power you are using, and we know how many people are using it, and how much power you have purchased from the Gencos through the transmission providers.�

He added, “We can do a division, we can multiply anyway we want, and at the end of the day, we can surmise and summarise that in actual fact, this is the price we should pay, so give and take, it is a little profit to the discos. A disco is not there to do business for free.

So, by the time customers are happy, discos are happy, we as

the regulators are happy that we have done our job. Until that is reached, we are not stopping.�

Reacting to complaints arising from the inability of customers of discos to get electricity meters, especially with the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) initiative in place, Momoh said the commission was responsive to the complaints. He said all the discos that had obtained permits from NERC and their MAPs were committed to the full metering of consumers.

According to him, “I am sure that all the discos we have given permit are 100 per cent plus one committed with their MAPs to make this happen. We superintend the discussion, the decision that leads to a solution of MAP being available for all customers. Timing of doing it in terms of selling and deployment or making sure it is given at the right time is also within the hands of the discos and their providers. “They have signed on a dotted line again that what

they will do on a monthly basis in terms of deployment is also in the papers. Most of them will even publish it in the newspapers to make sure that the customers are aware of when meters will be rolled out in their neighbourhood but they must pay. “It is not like you get meter and then you pay. I am sure the first thing is to pay, and, of course, the payment line is already in place – those who will pay upfront and those who will pay through some financing strategy that will be put in place. All that is made clear, but I think it is no problem. “Personally, as a customer, I think it is the right thing they have done, what NERC has done, and all discos have bought into it. “The time is gone now when someone will say I have no meter. You will get meter but make sure you follow the procedure, processes and systems in place. In other words, apply, pay and then

sign papers and let it be done�.

In Nasarawa State, Fadipe said, “The 50,000 prepaid electricity meters were issued to 50,000 customers out of the 200,000 customers of the AEDC in the Nasarawa region, leaving a balance of 150,000.�

He dismissed insinuations that the prepaid electricity meters were purchased by the federal government and donated to the electricity distribution companies for the distribution of electricity to consumers free of charge.

According to Fadipe, “The Federal Government does not fund AEDC, or other electricity distribution companies in the country. The prepaid metering is strictly the responsibility of the electricity distribution companies in order to resolve the problem of power which lies on metering.�

He said AEDC took customers engagement very seriously because without the customers, the electricity distribution companies will not succeed.

enterprising and hopeful young Nigerians, who graduated from the Bayero University, Kano.

He, therefore, noted that occasions like this gave him optimism about the future in Nigeria, thereby congratulating all 10,000 graduates and fellow conferees at the convocation.

On this note, Elumelu announced his foundation’s plan to empower 1,000 northern youths, noting that under the empowerment scheme, each beneficiary would receive a sum of $5,000.

He said, “If only you had started talking earlier‌ It is

never too late anyway. Your experience and insight will be highly valuable. We are empowering entrepreneurs all over Africa, but particularly in every nook and corner of Nigeria “We already have entrepreneurs from the northern region of Nigeria. I was pleased to announce in my acceptance speech, a partnership with the UNDP, which will afford funding for another 1,000 entrepreneurs in the North and the wider Sahel region.�

Also speaking at the convocation, the Pro-chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim

Gambari urged the private sector to compliment government investment on education.

Gambari, Nigeria’s former Nigerian Permanent Representative in the United Nation, canvassed new strategic approach toward hasty end to cases of banditry, kidnapping and other security threat in the country.

The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Yauza Bello revealed that of 9,583 first degrees and higher degrees graduands while 105 exceptionally graduated with first class degrees.

accountability of the process.

In a 30-point recommendation, the report identified seven areas for consideration in an attempt improve elections in the country.

They include the need to: strengthen the INEC procedure for collation of results to improve integrity and confidence in electoral outcomes; establish requirements in law for full results transparency, with data easily accessible to the public; considerably strengthen INEC’s organisational and operational capacity as well as its internal communication.

It also recommended that the inter-agency bodies responsible for electoral security should work more transparently and inclusively, with regular consultations with political parties and civil society, to introduce a legal requirement for political parties to have a minimum representation of women among candidates.

The EU also suggested that electoral tribunals should cover pre-election cases in order to improve access to remedy as well as avoid petitions being taken to different courts at the same time. It suggested reform of the licensing system for the broadcast media to provide for media pluralism and diversity in all the states.

The report was, however, silent on whether or not it observed how election results were communicated to INEC headquarters. It said this was an internal affair of the election body.

Meanwhile, the Presidency said EU's invitation to observe the 2019 elections was an indication of the Buhari administration's good intentions, commitment to a democratic

process, and desire to improve elections. The president’s spokesman also observed that the EU noted in its report that there were improvements from previous elections, although more work needed to be done.

It statement added that the Buhari administration would work with all Nigerian citizens, state institutions, parties, civil society, the media and other experts to make sure that the improvements recommended by the EU were implemented, and areas of concern were addressed.

The statement added, “It is noteworthy that INEC is in receipt of a number of recommendations that form a part of the EU report. “The Presidency assures that the Commission is in safe hands and happy that they are currently engaged in root and branch reviews of the 2019 general elections and will input lessons learned into its recommendations for electoral and constitutional reforms. “We believe that the commission conducted a good election and will continue to improve on its processes and procedures. “While it is regretted that the elections in a few parts of the country witnessed some violence, among other shortcomings highlighted by the EU, we note however that none of these hitches affected the overall outcome of the elections. “Thankfully, EU did not question the results of the presidential election. This is further proof that the polls reflected the overall will of Nigerians, and that the world is solidly behind the election of President Buhari for a second term.�

TONY ELUMELU: HOW FG CAN LIFT 100M OUT OF POVERTY Buhari had at the June 12 Democracy Day commemoration in Abuja said that his administration can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.

Buhari added that despite the positive growth in the economy, his administration “is mapping out policies to ensure that the country’s GDP grows by 2.7 per cent in 2019‌.With leadership and a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.â€?

At the convocation yesterday, Elumelu expressed confidence that Buhari's commitment to

lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty “is laudable and possible, though ambitious.�

He said, “I am sure we took note of President Buhari's commitment to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

This is laudable, ambitious, but indeed very possible with the right resolve accompanied by concrete actions.�

To realise this commitment, Elumelu challenged the federal government “to abolish multiple taxes on small businesses; ease the operating environment for these employment generators by making business registration

easier; prioritise training and development and entrench the rule of law.�

He equally challenged the federal government “to create industrial, technology and agric zones for industries to thrive. We all also need peace and security. “We, the private sector and those with means, should invest in our young ones in a manner that creates social and economic returns, which is the philosophy driving the TEF.�

Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Holdings and United Bank for Africa Plc, acknowledged that he had met a lot of bright,

EU PROPOSES NEW LAW ON FULL TRANSPARENCY OF ELECTION RESULTS long-term observers deployed to cover all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The report did not give details of the alleged killings, but insisted that there was widespread violence and acts of intimidation, including cases of security officials harassing voters, which corroborated that part of the report. “The elections became increasingly marred by violence and intimidation, with the role of the security agencies becoming more contentious as the process progressed,� the report said.

It recommended 30 areas of reform to help elections and electioneering campaigns in the country, and stressed the need for the leadership of the INEC to determine the role of the military in future elections. “Such reform needs political leadership that is dedicated to the rights of Nigerian citizens, and an inclusive process of national dialogue involving state institutions, parties, civil society and the media,� Arena said. She added, “This needs to be urgently undertaken to allow time for debate, legislative changes and implementation well in advance of the next elections.�

The EOM noted, “Overall, the elections were marked by severe operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems and low turnout. “Positively, however, the elections were competitive, parties were able to campaign and civil society enhanced accountability.�

But the EU said the leading political parties failed to rein in acts of violence and intimidation by their supporters, and abuse of incumbency at the federal and state levels. It stated that except

for the federal radio, state media primarily served the interests of the president or the governor at the state level. “Journalists were subject to harassment, and scrutiny of the electoral process was at times compromised with some independent observers being obstructed in their work, including by security agencies.�

The report noted that INEC worked in a difficult environment but made some improvements, such as simplifying voting procedures, however, with considerable weaknesses.

According to the report, “Operational deficiencies led to the postponement of the elections.

There were insufficient checks and transparency in the results process, as well as a general lack of public communication and information.�

The EU EOM reported that the deficiencies damaged the integrity of the electoral process and might deter future participation.

It said, “During collation of the federal results, EU observers directly witnessed or received reports of intimidation of INEC officials in 20 states. “While the legal framework broadly provides for democratic elections and some improvements were made to the Constitution, various legal shortcomings remained, including in relation to the use of smart card readers.�

The EU EOM also noted the suspension of the chief justice by the president a few weeks before the elections, which it said was seen to lack due process and reportedly undermined judicial independence.

Other issues highlighted in the report include: conflicting and late rulings on electoral disputes

that undermined opportunity for remedy and created uncertainty; the dysfunctional regulation of political finance; very few electoral offences resulting in arrest or prosecution; problems with the collection of permanent voter cards; and the further fall in the number of women elected.

Regarding acts it said undermined the judiciary, the EU election observer mission said, “Three weeks before the original election date, the president suspended the chief justice of Nigeria. This had an inhibiting effect on the judiciary. It was seen by many as undermining security of tenure, damaging judicial independence and compromising the division of powers.�

It said the suspension of the CJN “did not follow due process, was divisive, and undermined confidence in the electoral process and opportunity for remedy.�

It noted that the CJN had a key role in deciding the Supreme Court bench for hearing final election appeals as well as governorship and presidential petitions.

The report said very few electoral offences resulted in arrest or prosecution, adding that acts of impunity were rampant during the poll.

It noted that although INEC had the power of prosecution, it did not have powers to investigate or arrest, and was, therefore, reliant on security agencies.

On the issue of transparency, EU said there was a lack of polling and results data availability centrally or locally.

It said many of the problems were evident in 150 polling unit result forms examined from the

governorship and presidential elections.

The report stated that most of the polling unit results contained mathematical anomalies, including about 13 per cent missing data, while some even had more valid votes recorded than the number of accredited voters.

During the March 23 supplementary elections, EU said there were extensive security problems in some areas, with groups of men wielding weapons intimidating and obstructing the process, and security agencies proving ineffective at protecting citizens’ right to vote.

The report cited the case of parts of Kano, which were largely inaccessible to EU observers, where citizen observers and journalists were also obstructed.

The EU observers said they saw increased interference by party agents and cases of vote-buying. “Given the high stakes and the reduced electorate involved, supplementary elections were vulnerable to parties strategically pressurising voters and disrupting the process. In the polling units that could be fully observed, there were improved logistical arrangements and procedures were mostly followed, although there were problems with secrecy of the ballot,� the report said.

Positively, however, the report said the political parties and candidates were able to campaign, with freedoms of assembly, expression and movement largely respected.

The EU EOM also emphasised the effective role played by civil society organisations in promoting election reform and positively contributing to the

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SUNDAY COMMENT

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

GOJE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION To win the anti-graft war, the Buhari administration must be firm and steadfast

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or almost eight years, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been prosecuting the former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje for alleged N25 billion fraud. Last week, the antigraft commission curiously withdrew from the case and handed it over to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation for continuation. “My Lord, this case was earlier adjourned for June 20 for the continuation of hearing, but then we are here today on the latest development on the matter,” said EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu. “As you can see in court is a state counsel from the AGF’s office to formally take over this case from us”.

The EFCC withdrawal from the corruption trial came a day after the former governor met with President Muhammadu Buhari who urged him to step down for Ahmed Lawan in the race for Senate President in the ninth National Assembly. Goje would later claim he stepped down for Lawan “out of respect for the party and President Buhari.” Even though the EFCC has explained that the AGF office has constitutional power to take over any criminal case at any stage of investigation, the timing was very suspicious. With insinuations in the social media about some dirty deals to get Goje off the hook, the conclusion to draw is that the fight against corruption has been compromised on the altar of partisan politics.

What transpired last week in the court is a demonstration of all that is wrong with this administration’s fight against corruption. That the withdrawal came a day after Goje met with the president at the Villa confirms what the opposition has been saying: This government is at ease with corruption so long as it is “within the family”. For now, the fight seems designed

to give only the appearance of dealing with a problem. Indeed, the scourge of corruption has grown in monstrosity because the administration has failed to speak with precision and clarity about the problem when politics is involved. It is a cynical dimension of the Buhari administration: If you are on their side, no matter how much you have undermined the system and abused public trust, you can walk the streets with arrogance and nothing will happen to you.

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The scourge of corruption has grown in monstrosity because the administration has failed to speak with precision and clarity about the problem when politics is involved

Letters to the Editor

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

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

s with the embarrassing case of the fugitive former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina to that of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal, who is reluctantly being tried after a sustained public uproar, and many others, it is clear that President Buhari cannot yet make a distinction between the rules of accountability in public office and patronage to those who supported or financed his political interests. But once the two realms are mixed and confused, it becomes difficult for the administration so afflicted to convince the public that it stands for probity or anti-corruption.

The case of Mr John Yakubu Yusuf is even more unnerving. More than a year after the former Assistant Director in the federal civil service was sentenced to jail by the Court of Appeal for embezzling the sum of N24 billion from the Police Pension Funds, he is still walking the streets a free man.

With the EFCC and the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) trading blame for the disgrace, the lack of seriousness in the fight against corruption is evident.

Yet this government cannot go on drowning the country in the mess of its own internal contradictions while blackmailing Nigerians into seeing it as a vehicle for change simply by holding to account only members of the opposition. The outrage that greeted the suspension, and later retirement, of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen was partly as a result of the current administration’s double standards and selective war on corruption.

But as we keep arguing in this space, mounting instances of tardiness in taking prompt decisions on matters of transparency and accountability have begun to taint the personal integrity which President Buhari brought to the job. All the raging issues of deficits of enlightened governance and lack of fidelity to rudimentary public morality run counter to his avowed commitment to right the wrongs of our past.

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.

Brexit And The Fall of Theresa May

he long-awaited resignation of the British Prime Minister, Theresa May finally came on 7th June 2019 when the beleaguered premier dramatically announced her resignation thereby brining to an end her political career as the most unpopular and unsuccessful prime minister in recent British history. Theresa May’s shoddy handling of the rather intricate Brexit negotiation with the European Union (EU) leaders at Brussels and its fallout had clearly portrayed her as a lame duck leader in the eyes of the British people and which eventually swept her out of power like her predecessor David Cameron who naively called for the Brexit referendum in

2016 which equally dealt a devastating blow to his own political career.

The visibly shaken and subdued May, was close to tears as she acknowledged her abysmal and monumental failure to secure Brexit deal for her country which in her own words “I love so much” when she addressed the British people recently at 10 Downing Street.

History will certainly remember the outgoing prime minister as a weakling, unimaginative, and uninspiring leader who lacked the authority and charisma to control her government and the Conservative Party at a critical moment in British history. She had literally abandoned the ship midstream.

Needless to emphasize the point that the current Brexit saga is the most contentious and complicated political issue ever witnessed by the British people in recent times even as the quagmire has terribly polarized the over 60 million Britons almost irredeemably along political divide.

Meanwhile, intense campaigns are already underway for the potential successor to May within the terribly battered and divided governing Conservative Party. About 10 contenders are vying for the premiership position but only a few could be considered as serious. Among them is the flamboyant and loquacious former British Foreign Secretary and hardline Brexiteer, Boris Johnson who

is clearly a front runner in the race and had already marshalled out his plans to finally break the ever lingering Brexit jinx if he emerges as the next British prime minister. He told the British people recently that Britain would insist on a fresh negotiation with the EU on “a new Brexit deal” and that Britain must leave the EU by the new departure date which is October 2019 “with or without a deal”.

However, British political watchers had warned that “no deal scenario” would certainly cause catastrophic consequences to the British economy and her people. Members of the governing Conservative Party who are expected to choose their new leader and subsequently the next prime minister by the end of July 2019 will consider all options available to them in the current

extremely dire and unpredictable situation.

Nonetheless, whoever that eventually emerges as the next Conservative leader and prime minister will certainly have an uphill task of pulling Britain out of her present precarious situation that had already swept out two former prime ministers within a period of three years.

The next British prime minister therefore must be a highly skilled and astute negotiator who will be able to find urgent solution to the seemingly intractable Brexit imbroglio and secure a decent and honourable deal for the terribly confused and dejected Britons and finally bring to a close one of the darkest periods in modern British history.

––Nze Nwabueze Akabogu (JP), Enugwu-Ukwu, Anambra State.

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OPINION Standard Bearer of The Anti-graft War Sufuyan Ojeifo writes that President Buhari should adopt a holistic approach in prosecuting the anti-graft war

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resident Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure began with a low-key inauguration at the Eagle Square in Abuja, a scenario that decidedly flowed from the President’s persona of prudence. His kitchen cabinet’s counsel must have also been contributory.

The observance of June 12’s maiden Democracy Day edition drew from the same spirit.

Unlike in 2015 when he ascended the throne with pomp and ceremony, Buhari, this time round, quietly jumped on the governance wagon; adjusted and readjusted himself in the driver’s seat, for another four-year ride, in a perceived attitude of somberness. The canonization of June 12 as Democracy Day is the most significant indication of seriousness yet that the second tenure holds better and greater promises.

The shape, texture and content of the administration in the next four years will depend solely on the President, his devotion and gravitas. Buhari assured that he would be firmer, hinting at a tougher four years ahead. If he has to be radical in his policies and decisions to be able to consolidate on the achievements of the first tenure and sustain the nation on the promised next level, he would be in apple-pie order.

The administration is Buhari’s. The bucks stop with him.

Therefore he receives the accolades and also takes the flak.

This is why he must remain prudent and unsentimental in constituting his cabinet and appointing other administration officials, knowing fully this is his constitutionallycircumscribed final tenure.

Indeed, many positives should be reasonably expected from an administration that is on the next level. Buhari requires his administration officials’ support to forcefully pursue his programmes and policies, especially the anticorruption crusade that has largely differentiated it from the previous administrations.

In the past four years, the change mantra powering his electioneering in 2015 had been deployed in the administration of the political economy. In review, the first tenure was an admixture of successes and failures. There were yawning gaps between expectations and fulfillment, particularly in the prosecution of the anti-graft agenda.

The critical agenda, which was the Unique Selling Point

(USP) of the administration, got bogged down by internal philosophical contradictions and thus stood the anti-graft war precariously on quicksand. Within those contradictions, a good number of administration officials were fingered in precedent grafts while some were allegedly enmeshed in subsequent grafts.

But to be sure, Buhari’s individuality provided the impetus that galvanised and sustained the anti-corruption crusade in the past four years amid charges of perceived selectivity. The body language of the president and his utterances in recent times indicate there will be a change of strategy in the antigraft war. The war will be intensified in terms of commitment and prosecutorial push.

A holistic approach in prosecuting the anti-corruption war is overdue. If Buhari must create the existential legend, he must be revolutionary or radical in the anti-graft crusade.

Corrupt administration officials must be dealt with. The president must cause toes - big or small - to be stepped on in the crusade.

The good thing is that no one is greater or bigger than the nation and the president. That makes Buhari the ultimate suzerain in the fight against corruption. He has all it takes, deploying the instrumentality of the anti-graft agencies and the complementarity of the Judiciary to rein in elements in the public and private sectors to embrace proper conduct, accountability and due process in socio-political and economic interactions.

Indeed, if Buhari succeeds in building strong institutional

If Buhari succeeds in building strong institutional mechanisms to check corruption in government, he would have built a very strong legacy for posterity to judge him by

mechanisms to check corruption in government, he would have built a very strong legacy for posterity to judge him by. The point is that the effects produced by the president’s persona in the past four years have been inadequate. Much more is needed to create a new wave of concrete and result-oriented anti-graft war that enjoys both national and international approbation.

The converse will hold as long as grand conspiratorial alliances by compromised political elite who purportedly fought back in a bid to undermine the agenda and render the commitment invested in the agenda nugatory is allowed to dominate the atmospherics and define the nuances of administrative architecture henceforth.

But for Buhari, Nigeria would have been subjected to an unrestrained global appreciation on the antediluvian platform of official heist that had characterized the previous administrations before his. He thus presents a clear anti-corruption base on which to be appraised and judged in 2023, whether positively or negatively, depending on how well he is able to walk his talk in institutionalizing the anti-graft war.

But I have a hunch the president will largely succeed.

The problem, however, is if the succeeding administration will be able to continue from where he stops. He has the duty to search for a strong successor on the APC platform to continue the crusade. However, whether or not there is continuity, Buhari would have become a legend of sorts.

He would have defined his eon with the enormity of his personal contempt for financial corruption.

It will be more significant if administration officials emulate his character of financial discipline. That will quicken the process of integration of financial discipline and anti-graft spirit in government. Officials become obligated to inculcate it in the governed as a matter of deliberate policy. The anti-graft spirit thus typifies the philosophical underpinning of the administration.

I believe Buhari now has adequate security reports and information about the characters and capacities of human resources in his party and those around him. He will therefore be properly guided in constituting a strong team or cabinet. The final decisions on those that make up the team rest with him regardless of the weight of the bodies of evidence that favour or disfavour possible choices.

–––Ojeifo is an Abuja-based journalist

Shooting Ourselves With Another Death Sentence Alastingapproachtoendkidnappingandcattlerustling,especiallyintheNorth,iseducation,reckonsAyodele Okunfolami

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overnor Aminu Bello Masari connected Katsina to the growing league of states that have made kidnapping a capital punishment when he signed into law an amended Penal Code Law prescribing death sentence for cattle rustling and kidnapping on Friday, May 24, 2019. The governor assented to this bill following the latest spate of attacks that have been bedevilling Dutsin-Ma, Batsari, Faskari, Dan Musa and many other parts of the Northwestern state. In fact, about three weeks before Masari signed the bill, one of the traditional rulers of Buhari’s country home of Daura was abducted by gunmen.

Good to know that the Katsina State governor and the state legislature have chosen not to fold their hands on this irritating scourge that is embarrassing the nation. However, before shouting Eureka on this development, one should ask if another ceremonial bill assent is the solution to abduction.

Prevention of crime should be the way to go and not punishment of crime. We are always quick to react as a people to recommend the “China model” of death penalty instead of proactively fixing our system, society and personnel. Is there anything wrong adopting the Netherlands model where we hear their prisons have been closed? More strikingly, it is usually after arresting some tens of criminals that hundreds more join the vices.

We are used to seeing pen happy governors signing various bills into law in the past but when it came to implementation, they dragged their feet. At the moment, there are several prisoners on death row littered in Nigerian prisons but governors have neither done the needful of ratifying their sentences nor granting pardons to the criminals. What this lily-livered tradition has led to is that at the end of the day, people convicted of capital offences end up not going to the stakes or gallows and continue to congest our penitentiaries. So, if history is anything to go by, the kidnappers would if condemned not face death and may return to the society with jailbreaks happening now and again.

Before the kidnappers even get to the death row, it is expected that they had got a fair hearing in our courts as they are presumed innocent until proved otherwise. This is where the judiciary and the security agencies come in. Judiciary first. Beyond

the photo ops of signing a bill, is the Bench ready to prosecute the cases in quick enough time and not render it lost in the haystack of unresolved cases? What are governors, through the ministry of justice in their respective states, doing to ensure cases are tried with the speed of light? Will more courts and court rooms be built so that abduction cases won’t be contesting for time, space and slot in our regular courts? Or would a special tribunal be set up for trial of the suspects?

While these questions are being pondered upon, our security agencies need to up their game if this fight against kidnapping, banditry and cattle rustling is to be won.

Crime fighting in the 21stcentury is not about purchasing expensive helicopters, developing policing apps or deploying mean-looking poorly-trained uniformed men to supposed trouble spots, it is about intelligence gathering. Negotiations are made between families of victims and captors via phone calls and ransoms paid in many cases yet the kidnappers are not traced by their registered GSM lines or Bank Verification Numbers. Why the stress going through all these costly personal capture exercises if they would not be used to prevent future kidnaps?

Even if we wrongly claim we are not technologically advanced to fight crimes forensically, except our present unitary policing system is unbundled for the more realistic and more efficient community policing, we will continue to move in circles. It has proved unworkable posting under-paid security officers who are unfamiliar with their duty terrains to fight crime effectively.

Agreed, it is not every investigative move that will be made public. However, it will be helpful to bring to the knowledge of Governor Masari and his colleagues that kidnapping is now an industry. There are informants, drivers, armed men, caterers, doctors, negotiators/middlemen and what have you and so displaying some semiliterate riffraff as suspects connected to kidnapping is only cosmetic. By the way, it is only the high profile cases that make the headlines, those of the commoners at “cheap” ransoms continue to be daily occurrences.

A more lasting approach to end kidnapping and cattle

rustling especially in Northern Nigeria is education. A region that boasts over 10 million out-of-school children today is only breeding cattle rustlers tomorrow. The over 400,000 Almajiris in Katsina alone are ready recruits for the kidnapping industry when they become unemployable adults. Rural infrastructural development helps to prevent criminal activities by a huge percentage because it opens up dark areas that would have been used as nefarious dens for kidnapping. Employment of its infinite potential into its vast land mass for commercial agriculture will make them more productive and not tools for banditry.

Suicide was foreign to Nigeria about 10 years ago, today suicide is part of us. So what makes us think death penalty would deter kidnappers or cattle rustlers? If punishment deters crime, our prisons should be empty by now. Life as a Nigerian is itself a death sentence, so being kept on death row, accommodated and fed on government expense before death, that may not come any time soon, is even favourable to the criminal. Meanwhile, the rest of the world is fast doing away with this medieval death penalty, Nigeria should instead set the pace in leading more civil and productive forms of punishment instead of turning back the hands of time. When one even considers that one may be wrongly convicted of the crime, it would be most unfair he gets an irreparable sentence.

Kidnapping is an economic crime and until the overall socio-economic condition of the nation improves, it may continue to be a thriving business. If our governors are interested in putting an end to kidnapping, then they should do more to make the lives of the citizenry better. Yes, they are working hard to make their states better, but the injustice of bringing down “illegal” structures that served as livelihoods for families and even revenue for the state will only increase crime.

Kidnappers, who are mainly young adults, do not commit the crime only because of hunger, they are committing the crime as a way of getting back at a society that has scarred them mentally, socially and economically.

–– Okunfolami wrote from Festac, Lagos

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

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LETTERS

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Task Before Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu

he picnic is over.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has not only won the electoral victory in the Centre of Excellence once again but has the onerous task of bearing the beacon of what democracy should truly be.

As often stated, “good leaders do not give excuses for failure, but find the reasons to succeed”. For the good people of Lagos, succeed the governor must. There is no more room for infuriating blame games. And that is because one sweet victory leads to more challenges.

So far, so good that the gentleman-looking and self-effacing Sanwa-Olu has hit the ground running. He has signed an Executive Order on the weighty issues of waste management and the seemingly intractable transport system with its nerve-grating gridlock.

There is zero tolerance for unruly behaviour of the commuters, not the least the ubiquitous Okada riders. Not done, down to the longneglected Badagry road he has gone, to see the mess for himself and to calm frayed nerves.

Furthermore, he has touched down at the Alausa Secretariat to mingle with and motivate the civil servants. For me, this is one

Sanwo-Olu wise move as they are the catalysts who oil the engines of good governance. Still to bridge the leadership-led majority gap there is the official Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu Mobile App. It was created to deepen the visibility of the administration of the governor and to galvanise continuous support for the administration.

In fact, one Williams Jones had this to say about

the App on March 24, 2019: “This Sanwo-Olu app eh, it is a miracle worker! I did not believe it when I was told.

Since I downloaded it on my phone, my data never finish.

More than two months now”.

Talking about challenges, they are not a few! These include inter-ethnic harmony, security, job creation, infrastructural development, sound and solid education and healthcare delivery.

Others, as he has rightly identified, include waste management and a multidimensional traffic network that flows. To succeed, Sanwo-Olu needs the visionary clout of the Jagaban of Borgu, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the single- minded yet holistic leadership matrix of Babatunde Raji Fashola and of course, the futuristic approach to governance of his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Let us begin with security.

Over the years, insecurity might not have attained any form of nerve-racking incubus in Lagos. But the influx of armed herders who have metamorphosed into kidnap kingpins, with cells in the forests of the SouthWest only means that the Sanwa-Olu-led administration must be proactive.

Appropriate data collation and analysis of those who have found their way into the city, as well as sustained intelligence information gathering have become imperative. Who are these young people trooping in from up North, who in less than a week of getting to the city have some work as okada riders, are into shoe-shining or hired as security guards ? Who hosts them? Have they any link whatsoever to the terrorists and bandits that have turned

June 12: The Gains And The Shortfalls

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eneral Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida had inadvertently made June 12 a historic day Nigerians will never abort from their memory. It symbolizes oppression, injustice and tyranny against the masses.

By the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by late Chief Moshood Abiola, the military’s insistence to control political power was finally brought to an abrupt end albeit the presumed winner lost his life in the struggle to reclaim the mandate. In tribute, federal government has reserved June 12 annually as a Democracy Day with public holiday alongside other remarkable compliments.

Without a doubt, the country has not achieved much when measured by the number of years - 26.

However, measuring from 1999 that the military men finally handed over, June 12 inadvertently drew a line between two distinct eras: dark ages and renaissance period. The latter is a democratic government through universal suffrage.

The dividends of democracy are still not fully realized; nevertheless, there are green lights.

For example, the nation was democratically put back on track from 1999.

The first civilian administration after the military

era which was led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recorded some progress by establishing essential government structures like the EFCC, ICPC and other agencies which are fundamental. They weren’t as effective as today but establishing them was a step in the right direction.

During this period, arbitrary power was at its peak, particularly against the opposition and perceived enemies; even elected state governors were not safe.

Political ‘godfatherism’, imposition of candidates, fraudulent electoral system, random removal of elected governors and obtaining sham court injunctions even at midnight, swayed abundantly.

Thereafter, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was ushered in after a brief stay in power by late Umaru Yar’Adua and through his government, a number of outstanding policies like the BVN, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and others were conceived albeit unimplemented. However, the squandering, looting and diversion of public funds that became the order of the day overshadowed the positive initiatives. Public funds were shared and diverted.

Then, from 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari was first elected to date, through political will,

these structures and policies on ground have been substantially activated and under implementation for service delivery. Similarly, most irregularities such as the notorious financial inducements at the National Assembly tagged ‘Ghanamust-go’ bags for performing legislative duties and many abnormalities listed above are now history. In particular, countless uncompleted projects scattered all over are receiving attention.

Remarkably, people are gradually beginning to have confidence in the judiciary which is fundamental in any thriving society. Similarly, people are beginning to live by their lawful means. It is no longer business as usual.

Politicians masquerading as contractors no longer liaise with public office holders to sign and abandon government projects after mobilization. These are critically, systematic progress looking at the point where we began the journey.

Of course, it is undeniable that these reforms tightened the economy but gradually, it is bouncing back. Sanity is returning to the polity. Essentially, right to freedom of speech and expressions has since Goodluck Jonathan’s administration gathered momentum. Governors and oppositions have in many times rudely attacked the president, yet no arbitrary

reactions.

Therefore, the nation has good reasons to celebrate these trajectories and progress despite insecurity and the fact that the masses in the streets have not been directly affected. With the structures being improved and continuously running expediently, jobs will be created and the economy will be stimulated for the common good.

But imperatively, government must invest more in education as nonchalant attitude to the sector some decades ago birthed the insecurity of the present times. The education system needs to be restructured to realistically meet the contemporary needs beyond mere certificate display syndrome.

The present system promotes and places certifications above skills acquisition, thereby making high number of graduates unproductive, redundant and unemployable. An education system where certification will accurately reflect degree of proficiency is a panacea to moving out of the quagmire.

A system where lecturers and students arbitrarily determine grades either by sexual harassments, financial inducements, intimidations or cultism can never give birth to positive outputs.

––Carl Umegboro, www.carlumegboro.com.

several states in the northern axis including Zamfara into killing fields? What about the trucks that come in on daily basis? What are their contents and of course, their destinations?

Credible answers to these questions will go a long way towards preventing an upsurge in crimes and criminality. Still within Lagos, there should be concerted attempts to nip in the bud resurgence of cult clashes. Forests and waterways should be constantly combed to identify the hideouts of those who smile at us during the day but turn into demons of destruction at night.

On inter-ethnic harmony, no effort should be spared towards ensuring that the bridge of trust is strengthened between the indigenes and other ethnic nationalities resident in Lagos. Truth be told, what transpired during the presidential elections with the premeditated attacks on some Igbos leaves a sour taste in the mouth. It should not rare its ugly head again!

As for the issues of infrastructural development, job creation, education, healthcare and housing, there should be continuity in government. After all, the change of baton has always taken place between one APC member and another.

In the light of this, we expect the Abule-Egba bridge, the famous Oshodi Interchange as well as some other ongoing projects completed in record time. The potholeriddled inner roads are crying for attention and he has to walk the talk.

On waste management, traffic control and tax payment, there should be sustained media campaign to enlighten the residents

that governance that works must be all-encompassing.

They should see themselves as partners-in-progress. Even then, the government should have in place some incentives and social buffers that would elicit their allegiance to the leadership.

Similarly, the focus on the development of entertainment and tourism sector should be sustained.

Lagos can be turned into the next Dubai, with creative approach to upgrading the tourism potential as well as pragmatic partnerships with those who have excelled at it.

A profitable synergy could be worked out between the state government and top Nollywood actors, musicians and artistes. In fact, there is nothing wrong with these brilliant and talented minds selling Lagos as a top tourism brand to the world. They can achieve this through musical concerts, movies, fashion and art exhibitions partly sponsored by the state across the major cities of the world.

For Sanwo-Olu, leadership models that work are anchored on the unfailing principles of building a network of already successful people who provide great advice, and with access to future political paradigms.

This is the admonition from Tim Ferriss, a New York Times best-selling author. He is well advised to stick with the wise counsel of his predecessors, political helmsmen and associates.

He should adopt clear task management guidelines, stay current by studying the latest leadership guidelines, practice servant leadership, give and ask for candid feedback, find a work–life balance, embrace change and stay humble.

Ayo Oyoze Baje, Lagos.

Leaders : Tell The Truth

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oliticians of the world, Rejoice for you can still tell lies during elections.

The High Court of Britain has thrown out the case against prospective Prime Minister Boris Johnson. During a recent election he had made claims that withdrawing from the European Union would save £350m (US$400m).

The figure was challenged by his opposition at the time and subsequently in a legal action.

The action was apparently 'politically motivated and vexatious', an unusual occurrence in any honest election.

The real concern is how honest are politicians, and especially prospective politicians, during elections.

It's not just a matter of kissing babies, shaking hands with people you will never speak to again or pledging monies to marginal electorate but to the themes they propose, better education, less poverty, freedom from drugs and in

some countries just freedom itself. These are the things everybody wants and yet no one can seem to deliver them despite many honest attempts.

Perhaps politicians should only promise what they can actually deliver.

A relatively recent change has been the rise of fake news and attacks on the freedom of the press. If the truth is not known as shown with the Chinese government's description of the Tiananmen Square's massacre as 'Justifiable' then it disappears into the mists of times. There have been many attempts to remove or at least cleanse history with even some people claiming that horrors of the Holocaust did not occur. Fortunately there still are people who tell the true stories even if the cost is their own lives.

We all need to tell the truth but especially our leaders.

––Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

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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 ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

NEWS

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

Peace Index: Nigeria, One of Least Peaceful Places on Earth tRanked 148 out of 163 least peaceful countries

Akinwale Akintunde Nigeria is one of the least peaceful places on earth, says 2019 Global Peace Index (GPI) report, despite claims by the All Progressives Congressled government of President

Muhammadu Buhari that the country is better than they met in 2015.

The country, battling with banditry, economic stagnation, insurgency, kidnapping and an increasing rate of suicides, is ranked 148 out of 163 countries

in the world.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria sits among the top five least peaceful countries in the region alongside, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, and South Sudan.

The GPI measures peacefulness across three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict, and militarization.

It pointed out that while the world has become less peaceful over the last decade, there have been some notable improve-

PROMOTING EDUCATION

L-R: First Lady of Niger Republic, Malika Issoufou; Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari and Group Head, Commercial Division, Notore Chemical Industries Plc, Tijjani St. James at the launch of Notore’s Green Schools Initiative at Aliyu Musdafa College, Yola... recently

ments in peace.

The GPI also analyzed the potential long-term impact of climate change on levels of peacefulness. An estimated 971 million people live in areas with high or very high exposure to climate hazards.

Of this number, 400 million or 41 percent, reside in countries with already low levels of peacefulness. Climate change can indirectly increase the likelihood of violent conflict through its impacts on resource availability, livelihood security, and migration.

Eight of the 25 least peaceful countries have ten percent or more of their population in high climate hazard areas, amounting to 103.7 million people at risk. These countries are South Sudan, Iraq, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, North Korea, Nigeria, and Mexico.

Yet, the report recorded some cheering news for the so-called African giant, saying Nigeria’s improvement was based on a reduction in deaths from internal conflict.

The report said, “Safety and security was sub-Saharan Africa’s least peaceful domain and recorded the largest deterioration last year. While

18 countries improved, 24 deteriorated.

“The likelihood of violent demonstrations deteriorated most significantly, followed by the impact of terrorism.

The incarceration rate rose on average last year, as did the homicide rate and perceptions of criminality.

However, the report stated that in a place like Nigeria, “experiences of sadness, stress, and worry are on the rise regardless of peace levels”.

It added: “In the past decade, 77 countries experienced increased sadness whilst only 20 decreased in experiences of sadness. Of those that increased in sadness, 44 had a corresponding deterioration in peace level.

“Of those that decreased in sadness, 60 percent recorded a corresponding increase in peacefulness. Less than half of the countries that improved in stress and worry levels had corresponding improvements in their GPI scores.”

The report noted that the world is considerably less peaceful now than it was in 2008, with the average level of country peacefulness deteriorating by 3.78 percent over the last decade.

Glo Crashes Data Subscription, Offers 1GB for N300 Gboyega Akinsanmi Nigeria’s second biggest telecommunication company, Globacom Nigeria Limited has crashed data subscription with a plan to internet services available to its customers nationwide.

In its ambitious plan to further entrench itself as a game changer in the industry, the telecom giant has unveiled a new offer, Glo Daily Data Splash, exclusively packaged for heavy data users.

The new offer was unveiled in a statement its Corporate

Communication Office released at the weekend, now offering 1GB for N300 while 2GB for N500 The statement said the package which was conceived to provide reliable internet services to subscribers at affordable rate comes with 1GB of data for N300 and 2GB for N500.

With N300 which gives a validity of one day, the statement said the new product “gives a data value of 1GB to subscribers, just as N500 gives the subscribers 2GB. “These are the most affordable customer-friendly data

With Agriculture, We’ll Transform Oyo State, Says Makinde Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Oyo state Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde has declared that his government would rely heavily on a turnaround of the agriculture sector to actualise accelerated development of the state in the next four years.

The governor disclosed this at an event ceremony in Eruwa, noting that his government would revive the farm settlements and leverage on the agricultural value chain to turn the fortunes of the state around.

Makinde said that the state intended to use agric “as a point of contact for development. For accelerated development of Oyo State in the next four years, we intend to use Agriculture as a point of contact.

“Special attention will also be given to Ibarapaland. I can see that there is a Farm Settlement in this place. It’s about 5, 800 hectares of land. We will revive it; we will give special attention to reviving the Farm settlements.”

He, also, said that his govern-

ment will take full advantage of the agricultural value chain so as to bring desired benefits to the government and the people.

On infrastructure development, Makinde assured the people of Ibarapaland that his government would compete the Ibadan/Eruwa road which was left uncompleted by the immediate past government.

He said: “while on my way here, I saw that the last administration had done the road halfway. We will complete the road. It will not become an abandoned project.”

Makinde said that he holds Ibarapaland in high esteem as Eruwa was the first location he would visit outside Ibadan since he was sworn- in as Governor.

“I hold Ibarapaland in very high esteem and you will discover that this is the first place I am visiting outside Ibadan after I was sworn-in. It shows the love between me and Ibarapaland and the love will keep growing.

plans in the industry. The Daily Data Splash offers are available for both existing and new Glo customers.

“The Daily Data Splash can also be gifted to other subscribers by the original subscriber and it can also be shared with others such that five subscribers can log on to the plan at the same time seamlessly and enjoy the benefits accruable together.”

Globacom restated its commitment to empowering more people with data at affordable rates, thus enabling them to meet up with their internet

needs.

It, therefore, called on Nigerians to make utmost use of the special offer by dialing *777#.

One of the dynamic changes Globacom brought to the industry is the introduction of the per second billing in Nigeria which made it much easier for Nigerians to get value for money by paying only for the exact time spent on calls.

It also crashed the cost of making GSM calls by reducing the cost of acquiring the line and tariff from N20,000 and N50 per minute respectively to as low as N200 and 5 kobo per second.

Nigerians Are Tired of Poverty, Foundation Tells Buhari Akinwale Akintunde The Christian and Citizens Empowerment Foundation at the weekend asked President Muhammadu Buhari to address the country’s rate of extreme poverty, noting that over 112 millions Nigerians living below one dollar per day are tired of poverty.

The foundation, also, asked the president to devote his second term “to address critical national issues that would benefit the generality of the people,” thereby challenging him to promote peace and security nationwide.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Pastor Ayodeji Olulani gave the advice in a statement he issued on Friday, expressing fear that the Buhari administration might tilt towards dictatorship now that the All Progressives Congress (APC) gained control of the National Assembly.

With the new leadership of the National Assembly, Olulani warned that the fear

“is ominous that the Buhari administration might tend toward dictatorship, insensitivity and oppression and delusion of grandeur.

“We believe the Buhari administration will accept and welcome sensible opposition, accept criticisms in good faith, learn or adjust from such,” the executive director said in a statement.

He, however, expressed hope that issues of the right operation of the federal system, insecurity and disharmony, religious intolerance, among others “will receive attention. We believe the Buhari administration will leave a legacy for which it would be remembered.

“Nigerians seek for development and good governance.

They are tired of poverty and threats to their lives and properties. Where there is a will, there is a way. We pray the Buhari administration, in this second coming, have the political will to do things that will benefit the generality of Nigerians.

The company’s leadership in innovation and value pricing has boosted the country’s telephone penetration and empowered Nigerians to enjoy affordable voice and data services.

Besides, the company had introduced Glo Mobile, which had since launch led the vanguard for the downward review of SIM acquisition and service costs in line with its mission to offer Nigerians affordable telecommunication services.

It claimed that prior to the Glo Mobile’s entry into the market, average prepaid call tariff was N48 per minute, noting that

Glo Mobile launched with N37 for calls within the network and N39 for calls outside the network.

More importantly, the telecom giant said the PSB, which it pioneered, “now ensures that subscribers pay for only what they use. The crashing of SIM cost is also attributable to Glo Mobile’s intervention.

“The company launched with N10,000 SIM price compared to the prevailing N25,000 offered by other operators. This was then reduced to N6,999.

Yoruba Elders Ask IG to Curb Police Brutality Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) yesterday asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to combat the rampancy of brutality that was common among the policemen in the country.

The socio cultural group said the convention globally has been that the policemen must respect the dignity of every citizen by refraining from actions that could either dehumanise or demean humanity by their actions.

It made the demand in a statement its SecretaryGeneral, Dr. Kunle Olajide issued in Ado Ekiti yesterday, condemning the police over the injury its men allegedly inflicted on some pro democracy champions in Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states on June 12.

Olajide said it was antithetical to democratic norms for peaceful rallies organised by

those perceived to be opposition to mark June 12 celebration to have allegedly been disrupted by the cops under any guise.

He said some policemen allegedly “disrupted rallies tagged enough is enough held in the concerned states on democracy day. The policemen did not only disrupt the rallies in those states, they also inflicted injuries on some of the participants.

“One of the leaders of the rallies in Ogun, Dr. Tunde Amusat, was picked up and delayed for several hours. Democracy allows multiplicity of opinions, but police as an institution should not have botched a peaceful protest meant to commemorate June 12 celebration.”

The secretary-general added that police main preoccupation in the southwest must be how to curb the menace of kidnappings and killings being caused by suspected marauding herders.

SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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J ͚͞˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Nigeria’s New Democracy Day and the Challenge of Manu Militari Governance: The Foreign Policy Dimensions

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resident Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has made strenuous efforts to sustain the legitimacy of his election in 2015 by addressing some of the issues that have centrifugal character in the polity. One of them is the question of whether May 29 or June 12 should be retained as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Both dates have proponents and opponents with with powerful arguments for and against.

The proponents of May 29 underscore the end to military dictatorship with the handing over of power from the military to elected civilians in 1999, while the proponents of June 12 emphasise Telephone : 0807-688-2846 the factor of the political recklessness of the military in denying the e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com nationally and universally acknowledged, freest, fairest, peaceful, and most credible election. The military-led government of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) prevented the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimowo OlawaleAbiola, his mandate to govern Nigeria.

The opposition to the choice of May 29 is largely explained by the consideration that the June 12, 1993 election was the fairest, freest, most peaceful, and the most credible election completely devoid of political chicaneries, of ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. The election was considered as the most hitch-free.And true enough, it was an election that served more as a catalytic, centripetal factor in the country’s efforts at nation-building. But, most unfortunately, the then military president of Nigeria, General IBB, reportedly ‘annulled’ the election and its results.

It is useful to first of all note at this juncture that an election that had taken place cannot be annulled. It is impossible to do so, because such an election was already a fait accompli.An election result can be disregarded and also manipulated, but cannot be annulled to give the impression that it never existed, simply because the results are already in the possession of all party agents. The worst scenario is to declare the results invalid. Invalidation does not imply that an election never took place. There cannot be a result or invalidation without election...

One truth is that IBB, knowing well that the collation of the election results was in favour of Chief MKOAbiola and some military leaders did not want the transfer of power that would be detrimental to the interests of the ruling military, the winner of the election was simply denied of his mandate by preventing the further Buhari announcement, and by implication, the conclusion of the compilation of the whole election results. The alleged annulment of the June nothing, even the October 1 Independence Day nor the May 29 re12, 1993 election should therefore be correctly interpreted to mean turning of power to civilian authority can be considered as important inconclusiveness of the announcement of election results, a manu as June 12, a very historical and symbolic date in Nigeria’s political militari coup against the winner of the election, and a coup d’Êtat history. The NADECO, the Yoruba people, and more importantly, against Nigeria and its people. This is the background against which majority of all other ethnic groups were agreed that Chief MKO the proponents of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day should be Abiola should be honoured. explained and understood.

For instance,Ayo Opadokun, the General Secretary of the Without doubt, the sponsors of May 29 as Nigeria’s Democracy NADECO, is on record to have said that ‘President Olusegun Day, mainly led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who, indeed, unilater- Obasanjo who the military foisted on Nigeria for eight years ignored ally declared May 29 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, but without legal all appeals to close the chapter of military’s disrespect to the popular backing, has it that MKOAbiola could not, and was not the Messiah will of the Nigerian people as expressed on June 12, 1993, which Nigerians voted for and wanted, place the day of transfer of military results have been officially announced at all wards, LGAs, and state power to a civilian, which is quite different from the manifestation of levels of collation confirmingAbiola’s victory.’Ayo Opadokun also a democratic will vested in MKOAbiola. recalled that ‘General Obasanjo, in reaction to the popular rejection From the foregoing, many questions have to be raised and of the General IBB annulment of theAbiola’s victory said that MKO answered: what makes May 29 wrong as Nigeria’s Democracy Abiola was not the Messiah the Nigerian people needed.’ Day and what makes June 12 right as Nigeria’s Democracy Day? Asecond explanation is the factor of analytical objectivity of Let us assume here that nothing is wrong with the choice of the two purpose. PMB has eventually accepted that June 12 is more symbolic dates, which is then better a date and what makes it better than the and relevant as a Democracy Day. He honoured MKOAbiola with other? More interestingly, since May 29, 2000 was the first imposed the highest award in the land, that of the Grand Commander of the Democracy Day, and since then, that day has always been observed Federal Republic (GCFR) post-humously. The award was to suggest as a Democracy Day in Nigeria, what has prompted the controversy that MKOAbiola was also a formerly elected president of Nigeria. over it, to the extent that, on June 6, 2018 PMB had to review the date, In his analysis of the implications of June 12 Democracy Day Decannouncing that henceforth, June 12 would be observed as Nigeria’s laration, MuhammadAjah, noted on June 11, 2018 that ‘historians Democracy Day, as well as a public holiday? and relevant government agencies should work out the period he Two explanations are possible. The first is that PMB appears to served or might have served in that capacity (July 07, 1998). Though have weighed the truth of the matter in light of the pressure brought he was not sworn in, they can consider the period after the election to bear on him, especially by the Yoruba ethnic group, and the till he died . Furthermore, his picture should now be fixed in all places NADECO (National Democratic Coalition), comprising various where past presidents of Nigeria are showed case.’ More notably, nationalists from different ethnic backgrounds, which argues that Ajah has argued, ‘if there are any national recognition(s) to which the

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Bola A. Akinterinwa

An election that had taken place cannot be annulled. It is impossible to do so, because such an election was already a fait accompli.An election result can be disregarded and also manipulated, but cannot be annulled to give the impression that it never existed, simply because the results are already in the possession of all party agents.The worst scenario is to declare the results invalid. Invalidation does not imply that an election never took place.There cannot be a result or invalidation without election... In other words, how can June 12 be remembered as a day of rule by the people, beyond being a day of failed democratic elections? Observation of June 12 as a Democracy Day should, under normal circumstance, should not be by manu militari. It should be a special day for national reflections on democracy as an instrument for nation-building in all its ramifications.It should be a time to review all efforts undertaken to grow democracy in the previous 365 days.Academic seminars, colloquia, workshops, debates, etc should be the hallmark of the day.June 12 should be one of pillars of intellectual restructuring.

It is by so doing that the Nigerianess in nation-building can be made manifest

wife and children were due for, there is the need to release it to them.

As simple as that, the wife and children should be granted access to federal government opportunities like other past presidents.’ Additionally, PMB did well by also conferring the second most important award of the land, GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger) on the running mate of MKOAbiola,Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, as well as on Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the illustrious son of Ondo City, who led the campaigns for the actualisation.As argued by many Nigerians, PMB has taken the measures to simply douse the tension created by the ‘annulment’ or rather the suspension of the final collation of the election results, for the Yoruba ethnic group from where MKOAbiola came.

And perhaps more interestingly, the controversy generated in the public explains in part why Mr. Kayode Oladele, one of the June 12 activists, representing the Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives to sponsor the June 12 bill, which eventually led to PMB’s signing it into law after all due processes. in 2018.Additionally and, in fact, it was in light of the need to make the Yoruba stop taking the bad end of the stick that the northern military oligarchy reportedly supported the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.And this brings us to the third consideration.

The third consideration is the aspect of hardly-talked-about rivalry between PMB and Obasanjo. Obasanjo is simply referred to as OBJ, that is, Olusegun Okikiola Obasanjo while Buhari is referred to as PMB. Both OBJ and PMB are military-turned politicians. OBJ was former military Head of State, and so was, and still is, PMB. OBJ served as a military Head of State before and more than PMB. OBJ also successfully served two terms as elected President of Nigeria.

PMB has just completed only one term. He began his second term last May 29.Apart from this factor of seniority, OBJ is also senior to PMB in the military setting. These similarities and differences are largely driven by a Cold War between the two leaders. Impression is given that PMB wants to be à la hauteur of the record of OBJ Probably, but also apparently, the factor of seniority appears to have always impacted on OBJ’s patriotic instinct to give advice to PMB on how best to address national questions, especially as regards national insecurity issues, but to which PMB has also been giving apprehensions.At times PMB would prefer that OBJ should have drawn his attention to such issues without the use of media platform, and particularly since OBJ is believed to have unfettered access to the presidency. One of the latest manifestations of this Cold War is the allegation by OBJ that PMB might have an agenda of or be aiding and abetting the Fulanisation of WestAfrica, and by extension, Nigeria.

And most relevant to this discussion is the opposition of OBJ to June 12 as a Democracy Day. One popular interpretation of PMB’s support of June 12 as a Democracy Day is said to spite OBJ. Whatever is the case, many seasoned members of the political elite are agreed with the OBJ’s allegation. The Yoruba leaders are generally in his support, even though some of them have accused him of laying the foundation for such alleged Fulanisation. Now that June 12 has legally become a Democracy Day and a Public Holiday with effect from 2019, how does this impact on Nigeria’s foreign policy?

TheForeignPolicyDimensions June 12, 2019 was the new and first Democracy Day for all Nigerians to begin to observe henceforth as a public holiday backed by law. It is made different from May 29 which is now only for the remembrance of the throwing of the obnoxious military dictatorship into the garbage of history and the ushering in of civilian rule as a basis for evolving enduring democratic rule and culture. In this regard, June 12, 2019, as a new beginning, is particularly interesting from its foreign policy dimensions: first, at the domestic level, and second, at the international level.

At the domestic level, it is made a day of rest for all citizens and residents in the country. But what really does June 12 mean as a Democracy Day at the domestic level?As for June 12, 2019, it was more of a day for presidential speech, military parade, cultural displays, music making, etc. Very little of the meaning of democracy was brought to bear on the day. Democracy, in terms of its etymology, simply means rule (demo) of the society or people (Cracy).

In other words, how can June 12 be remembered as a day of rule by the people, beyond being a day of failed democratic elections?

Observation of June 12 as a Democracy Day should, under normal circumstance, should not be by manu militari. It should be a special day for national reflections on democracy as an instrument for nation-building in all its ramifications. It should be a time to review all efforts undertaken to grow democracy in the previous 365 days.

Academic seminars, colloquia, workshops, debates, etc should be the hallmark of the day. June 12 should be one of pillars of intellectual restructuring. It is by so doing that the Nigerianess in nation-building can be made manifest. Put differently, as a public holiday, ample room has to be given to ruminate on how best to develop democracy as a system of government and also gradually evolve a democratic culture from it.

In fact, June 12 has two dimensions in terms of implications and how to grow democracy in Nigeria. The change of date from May 29 is not stricto sensu to honour Chief MKOAbiola but democracy as an instrument of international political governance, hence the international dimension to it. It is to inform the international community that Nigeria should henceforth be always reckoned with as a developing, if not, a quasi-developed democratic nation, to begin with.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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Free-Floating of Naira: To Be or Not to Be? Although the Central Bank of Nigeria has for the umpteenth time foreclosed the possibility of allowing market forces to determine the real value of the Naira, contrary to recent reports, experts while expressing divergent views on the subject matter, however emphasised managed floating of the local currency, reports James Emejo

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ast week, the market was again awakened to report that the CBN had allegedly indicated that it would allow the naira to weaken past its official rate as it gradually unwinds its regime of multiple exchange rates.

Specifically, Bloomberg had cited data on the bank’s website as suggesting a floating of the currency. According to the report, the CBN stopped publishing the fixed naira exchange rate on its website and stating that the rate will be “market-determined.’’ It further quoted the President of Shippers Association of Lagos State, Jonathan Nicol, as alleging that the Nigerian Customs Service had also instructed importers recently, to pay for duties at a weaker rate of N326 per dollar from N306 citing a directive from the apex bank.

Already, the development had started to gather momentum and attracted accolades from a section of the public which deemed it as a right step in the right direction, before the CBN later issued a statement to refute the claim that it had decided to float the naira.

The Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, had described the report as false, stressing that the naira exchange rate remained stable.

Okoroafor reaffirmed the bank’s commitment towards ensuring stability in foreign exchange market.

According to him, there has been no change in Nigeria’s exchange rate structure. The CBN has not floated the naira. The exchange rate remains stable. Speculations and reports to the contrary are false.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had at a forum with private sector operators in Lagos recently, restated the bank’s commitment to continue to defend the naira, saying that the CBN Act demands that the bank “defends� the naira using the foreign exchange reserves.

He said: “In effect, the CBN would be disobeying the law establishing it, if it sits idly by and allow the naira to be determined wholly by the so-called market forces. “Second, those who call for floating of the currency betray their willful ignorance of the effects of significant depreciation, however short-lived, on inflation. “Several empirical analyses have shown that the pass-through of changes in the exchange rate on consumer prices is almost one-to-one.

This implies that for every percentage point depreciation in the naira, there is almost the same rise in inflation.�

He also said policies of the apex bank in the past five years had been focused on protecting the purchasing power of the poor and vulnerable persons in the country.

According to Emefiele, the apex bank is comfortable staying on the side of the weak, vulnerable, and poor masses and protecting their purchasing power.

Emefiele had also pointed out that the task of building a stronger economy was far from complete; with the pace of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth still very fragile and badly lagging behind population growth rate of 2.7 per cent.

However, it would have come as a huge surprise if the CBN actually decided to float the naira, given that Emefiele had consistently foreclosed such move stressing that it was inimical to the economy.

This is because previous instances of naira devaluation had not solved the country’s foreign exchange and economic woes.

Notably, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been a chronic campaigner for the devaluation of the naira, arguing that the CBN ought to allow the current find its real value

US Dollar and Naira

through the interaction of market forces.

Earlier in January, during the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), Emefiele had rebuked those agitating for the removal of capital controls so as to allow free importation of goods, arguing that encouraging imports and free- floating the currency could be damaging to the economy.

He said doing so could lead to a currency crisis which will result in capital flight, massive depreciation and devaluation of the naira.

He had said: “First, let me say there is no capital control in Nigeria today because you cannot find a hand of CBN trying to intervene on the market for demand and supply of foreign exchange in Nigeria today. “But normally, CBN is an independent institution, apolitical but it is also important that we should say that this matter came on the MPC meeting of yesterday and today and it is not about criticising but reassessing our position to say look, is there any merit in the need to begin to say that we should look at free-floating the currency? Or allow free import of goods that can be produced in the country into Nigeria?�

He said: “The MPC came to a conclusion that this was a wrong premise. We cannot be talking about allowing import of items that can be produced in the country today, exporting jobs in Nigeria to foreign countries and we say we have the interest of Nigeria at heart- we don’t agree with anybody. “It is a wrong premise to say you will allow imports to just flood the country just because you want to please anybody. That is not our interest. And we have always said it that we are apolitical and remain apolitical but we would not want anybody to drag the CBN into issues that are within our remit otherwise, we would respond to it.

He said:“On the issue of free float, the MPC reviewed it and said it is as good as saying that we should go back to the eras of structural adjustment programmes again in Nigeria. The

implications can better be imagined as you know.

It will certainly lead to capital flight, it will lead to massive depreciation and devaluation of our currency and ultimately lead to currency crisis in Nigeria. We should all know that it is a route to perdition for whoever goes in that direction.�

In his opinion, however, Founder/Chief Executive, Global Analytics Consulting Limited, Mr. Tope Fasua, who spoke to THISDAY before the CBN refutal argued that it may not be in the best interest of the economy for the CBN to totally surrender the management of foreign exchange rate to market forces.

He said:�I still believe that most countries in the world practice managed floating. So no matter how you float the naira, you still have to manage it and keep an eye on where the currency is going. “I do not believe that we should totally float the naira in such a way that we would lose control because again, if you look at economic complexity index and I just checked one economic complexity index where Nigeria is 124 out of 128 countries surveyed and in fact, our complexity is in the negative. “So, if you look at the Nigerian economy against the United States economy, perhaps the naira will actually be somewhere around 2000 or 3000 to the United States dollar. “So, are we ready for that and the effect. So beyond what some of the guys in the financial markets are doing, which I believe some of them are turned against the naira...�

According to him, if you want to float the naira, you want to actually look at what the market will determine where the value should be, you also have to plan for productivity and economic complexity. “What the economic complexity is saying is that to a large extent is that the amount of knowledge that goes into the products we export as a country is actually so low- one of the lowest in the world. Are we doing anything to increase

that knowledge base of our exports? We aren’t. “So, we are just setting ourselves up for a free fall if we are not very careful. But it’s good that the statement has been made that they would now float the currency and to assuage the feelings of investors. “But, mind you, we are not created to impress only investors: at the end of the day we must think about the kind of life that it would give Nigerians. “If you look at it, since 1986, all we have ever done is to devalue and devalue and it seems to be a one-way streak. “And if you look that the pre-colonial times when even the colonial people left, why were we left with a strong currency in that era when the colonialists managed the economy? And the moment we started actually getting into our own, we are forced to devalue.�

Fasua said: “The only way devaluation would work is if you are sure that you can actually produce the essential goods that your people would need. “We would like to have salutary policies to that extent, otherwise, you will just drive your people up the wall and they will not be able to afford basic things of life and you don’t want to see them on the streets.

If we are not careful, if we don’t manage it well, it is the Zimbabwe or Venezuela kind of situation.�

Nonetheless, a credible source who pleaded anonymity because of his dealings with government, welcomed a possible floating of the currency.

He said:�Since 2015, there are two problems that are being micromanaged- this problem of exchange rate management or multiple exchange rates which definitely creates room for round tripping and arbitrage and subsidy. “It is not good for the economy because the real people that will be looking for foreign exchange, it will take them months to get.

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As Oando Shareholders Remain in Limbo The on-going tussle between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the management of Oando Plc is significantly having negative effects on shareholder value, writes Oluchi Chibuzor

Acting DG, SEC, Mary Uduk

M

inorityshareholdersin Oando Plc are presently in an unenviable position. This is as a result of the abrupt suspension of the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Some analysts believe the suspension of the AGM has created more uncertainties around the company and would further dampen investor confidence.

Section 81 of the Companies & Allied Matters Act ascribes to every member of an incorporated company, who has fully paid for his or her shares, a right to attend all the shareholders’ meetings of such a company; and to speak and vote at such shareholders’ meetings. The mode of proving membership of a company is by the possession of a share certificate and the tendering of a certified true copy of the register of members, should such a matter go to litigation. This right is clearly what the apex capital market regulator has denied the minority shareholders of the company.

SEC’s Reasons SEC had announced the suspension of theAGM in furtherance of an ex parte order of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos in Suit No: FHC/L/ Cs/910/19 in Mr. JubrilAdewale Tinubu &Anor V Securities & Exchange Commission & Anor.

According to the commission, the AGM was suspended till further notice, based on a court order.

SEC said the action was taken to allow the parties to maintain status quo, adding that it would update the public on the outcome of the ongoing litigation.

SEC had on May 31, 2019, announced the conclusion of investigation of Oando Plc and directed among others the immediate resignation of its Group Managing Director, Mr. Wale Tinubu, his deputy, Mr. Mofe Boyo and other directors.

The apex regulator also barred Tinubu and Boyo from being directors of public companies

Tinubu

for a period of five years. The commission followed later with the constitution of an interim management team led by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu.

But Oando challenged the decisions in court and got the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, to issue orders restraining the commission from implementing any of its May 31 decisions.

But in a ruling on Monday by Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, the Federal High Court barred SEC from giving effect to the decision pending the determination of a suit filed by Tinubu and Boyo.

Justice Olatoregun had ordered the parties to maintain status quo. The judge made the interim order following an ex parte application taken before her and argued by Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), accompanied by Mr. Yele Delano (SAN) and Motunrayo Akinyemi.

She ordered that the interim order along with the motion on notice filed by Tinubu and Boyo should be served on SEC and Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, who was joined as second respondent in the ex parte application.

Who Has Power to Suspend AGM, SEC or CAC? However, a source at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), faulted the action of SEC regarding the AGM. She cited a case in 2017, whereby SEC had requested that Oando postpone its 40th AGM whilst the commission addressed allegations raised by petitioners.

Oando had then promptly responded that it had responded to all of SEC’s enquiries and it would also not be in the interests of its shareholders to postpone the AGM and had proceeded with the meeting.

Oando had then written to SEC saying: “You have repeatedly referred to the provision of s.213 of CAMA, which grants the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (and not the DG of SEC) the power to extend the time, by a period not exceeding three months, within which a company may hold its annual general meeting, as part of the SEC’s justification for requesting the Company to postpone its AGM. Not only is this extension not automatic, it is within the discretion of the directors of the com-

pany whether or not to apply for this extension and will only be granted at the sole discretion of the Registrar General of the Companies.�

The oil and gas company had said there was no power in the Investment and Securities Act that gives SEC such powers.

Order to Seek Review Also, a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos last week, has granted Tinubu and Boyo leave to file a motion for a judicial review of the sanctions of SEC. Tinubu and Boyo, through their counsel, had approached the court for an order to review their ban from being directors of public companies for five years and the additional imposition of N91,125,000 on Tinubu.

Justice Ayokunle Faji granted the order of certiorari following an application filed by Tinubu and Boyo seeking a review of the decision of SEC. An order of certiorari is a writ or order by which a higher court reviews a case tried in a lower court or administrative agency.

In a separate ex parte application filed through their counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN), Tinubu and Boyo prayed for an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported imposition of N91,125,000 fine on Tinubu.

They sought an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported decision to bar them from being appointed as directors of public companies for five years.

They further prayed for an order of certiorari to quash SEC’s purported appointment of an interim management team to be headed by Sunmonu (the second respondent) to oversee Oando’s affairs. Justice Faji, last Tuesday, granted the application as prayed.

He granted an “order of certiorari bringing up to the Federal High Court for the purpose of being quashed, the decision of the first respondent contained in its letter of 31st May 2019 at Page 6 Paragraph 5 thereof, which purported to bar the applicants from being directors of public companies for a period of five years.�

He also granted an order prohibiting SEC, whether by itself or agents, from enforcing

or seeking to enforce its purported decisions contained in the May 31 letter.

He also ordered the restraining of SEC from implementing its purported decisions contained in a statement it issued on June 2 and from interfering with, taking over or usurping the management of Oando’s affairs either by itself, agents or through the purported interim management team.

The court restrained Sunmonu from purporting or continuing to act as head of the interim management team in place of the applicants.

Justice Faji made “a declaration that the first respondent (SEC) acted ultra vires and without jurisdiction in making its decision as contained in its letter of 31st May, 2019 which conveyed the imposition of a fine of N91,125,000 on the first applicant and purported to bar the first and second applicants from being directors of public companies for a period of five years‌ and appointing an interim management team to be headed by the second respondent.â€? “The motion or summons for judicial review shall be filed and served within seven days,â€? the judge ruled Justice Faji adjourned until June 21 for hearing.

Shareholders React Also, some shareholders of Oando Plc protested the action by SEC. In addition, some minority shareholders of Oando called on the federal government to save the company from its current crisis. But while some of the shareholders said the suspension of the AGM was neither in favour of the investors nor the capital market, others lauded the regulator for its action.

In fact, the minority shareholders urged the federal government to intervene and stop further value erosion in the company’s shares.

Chairman, Progressive Shareholders Association of Nigeria (PSAN), Mr. Boniface Okezie, said the regulator should have allowed the AGM to hold. “I think SEC has not done the right thing because the AGM has been approved before now.

Suspending it will lead to loss for the company, which has also booked for the venue and paid for other things necessary for the meeting to

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As Oando Shareholders Remain in Limbo take place. What I think SEC should have done is to come and observe,� he said.

Okezie added that since the release of the forensic audit result, the shareholders have not had the opportunity to hear from the directors, noting that theAGM would have afforded them the opportunity to get more information from the board of the company.

Also, the Chairman, Ibadan Zone Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Eric Akinduro, said suspending the AGM was unfortunate.

He said: “There should be a human face to some of these things. There is a court order saying the status quo should be maintained and I believe the AGM is one of the things referred to by the court order. “Suspending an AGM 24 hours to the meeting is not good for the shareholders and even the market. Some of the shareholders have travelled from other states to Lagos for this AGM.�

However, the President, Constant Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mallam Shehu Mikail, said SEC did the right thing. “To me, SEC has done the right thing because there are so many issues in the company right now and we do not know how the meeting will look like. So, the proper thing is to suspend the meeting. If Oando goes ahead to hold the AGM, it means it is disrespecting the market regulator,� he said.

An outraged shareholder, Pastor Olagoke Samson Olusegun, who is President of DeImpressive Shareholders’Association of Nigeria, disagreed with SEC’s decision.

He said: “This is simply a game because before we announced the AGM, SEC approved our accounts. So why now? Why is it when Oando is climbing out of the hole of debt and returning to profitability? Like Skye Bank, they want to take Oando over and give to their friends. We will fight to the end as shareholders. If we have to go and meet SEC in Abuja, we will. The SEC is functioning like a car with no engine – and in this game, the only people who suffer are we the shareholders. We will not tolerate it!�

Some of the shareholders also accused SEC of high-handedness. “What SEC is doing can only be described as regulatory rascality, and it is unfortunate that this is coming from a regulator. Are they regulators or revenue generators? We should go ahead with our AGM as though nothing happened.

We should continue as planned with our AGM. SEC tried to do this in the case of Ikeja Hotels, but we did not let them stop us, we had our AGM under a tree,� an Oando shareholder, Tunde Badmus, said.

The Secretary-General,Association for Investors Liberation, Mr. Hamza Ridhwa, who spoke on behalf of the shareholders in Lagos, noted that already the equity had depreciated from N4.20 on May 31, to N3.75.

According to him, it was not acceptable for SEC to attempt to take down the company, as Oando Plc adds significant value to the Nigerian economy as an employer of labour and attract foreign direct investment into the country.

He said the way and manner SEC suspended theAGM was disappointing and disheartening. “We condemn in absolute terms the way and manner chosen by SEC in announcing the cancellation on the eve of the event, despite having ample time to do the same. We have shareholders who have come in from all over the country; it is disappointing and disheartening to think that SEC did not think it worthy to consider us. “SEC is a regulator that is here to protect the market, and in particular, us the minority shareholders. They have a duty to care for us first.

Their actions in the Oando case have neither protected us nor shown a duty of care.�

The shareholder activist said shareholders were disappointed at SEC’s investigation into Oando Plc. “The actions over the last two years and specifically the last 10 days, have shown that our voices as minority shareholders are not being listened to,� he said.

Clearly, there is an urgent need for the ongoing dispute to be resolved speedily so as to avoid further damage to the company’s reputation as well as further erosion of shareholder value.

The apex capital market regulator must abide by all court orders and ensure that it follows due process in the matter so as not to continue to send wrong signals to investors, especially the foreign investors that the country is badly in need of.

Double Standard

Oando has repeatedly stated that it was not given fair hearing by SEC after it conducted a forensic of its account.

Cont’d from pg. 20

Oando OďŹƒce Complex

Oando also alleged SEC did not avail it opportunity to respond to identified infractions, if any, in the course of the forensic audit. And that the SEC pronounced punishment on its directors without hearing from them.

THISDAY is in possession of a letter the SEC wrote to Mr Isyaku Umar of Ecobank Transnational Incorporation Plc , dated December 4, 2013, by then Executive Commissioner, Operations, SEC after it had carried out a forensic audit of the bank that appears to buttress Oando’s position that SEC failed or neglected to follow standard procedure and did not avail it of findings contained in the forensic audit to enable it respond before pronouncing punishment against its board of directors in a press statement on May 31, 2019. Below is the full press release by SEC following the conclusion of the forensic audit of Oando.

SEC’s Press Release on Conclusion of Investigation of Oando

Following the receipt of two petitions by the Commission in 2017, investigations were conducted into the activities of Oando Plc (a company listed on the Nigerian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges). Certain infractions of Securities and other relevant laws were observed.The commission further engaged Deloitte & Touche to conduct a Forensic Audit of the activities of Oando Plc. The general public is hereby notiďŹ ed of the conclusion of the investigations of Oando Plc. The ďŹ ndings from the report revealed serious infractions such as false disclosures, market abuses, misstatements in ďŹ nancial statements, internal control failures, and corporate governance lapses stemming from poor board oversight, irregular approval of directors’remuneration, unjustiďŹ ed disbursements to directors and management of the company, related party transactions not conducted at arm’s length, amongst others.

As part of measures to address these violations, the commission has directed as follows: Resignation of the affected Board members of Oando Plc, The convening of an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting on or before July 1, 2019, to appoint new directors, Payment of monetary penalties by the company and affected individuals and directors, Refund of improperly disbursed remuneration by the affected Board members to the company, Bar of the Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer (GCEO) and the Deputy Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer (DGCEO) of Oando Plc from being directors of public companies for a period of ďŹ ve years.

As required under Section 304 of the Investments and Securities Act, (ISA) 2007, the commission would refer all issues with possible criminality to the appropri-

ate criminal prosecuting authorities. In addition, other aspects of the ďŹ ndings would be referred to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The commission is conďŹ dent that with the implementation of the above directives and introduction of some remedial measures, such unwholesome practices by public companies would be signiďŹ cantly reduced.

Therefore, in line with the federal government’s resolve to build strong institutions, Boards of public companies are enjoined to properly perform their ďŹ duciary duties as required under extant securities laws.

The commission, as the apex regulator of the Nigerian capital market, maintains its zero tolerance to market infractions, and reiterates its commitment to ensuring the fairness, integrity, efďŹ ciency and transparency of the securities market, thereby strengthening investor protection.

SEC’s Letter of Invitation to Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Following of Audit

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Insurance Sector Recapitalisation and Dilemma of Building Virile Industry Recent events trailing the proposed increase in the minimum paid-up share capital for the insurance sector, especially with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), the regulator, and the operators, continually in disagreement, may set the industry backward, reports Ebere Nwoji

T

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), on May 20th, 2019, announced 400 per cent increase in the minimum paid-up share capital of insurance and reinsurance firms.

The development is coming 10 months after it announced its failed tier base minimum solvency capital increase. The commission, unlike in the tier base capital increase, gave the operators one-year time frame to comply with the new capital regime.

It, however, said for new entrants into the business, the increase is with immediate effect.

Since the announcement, industry operators, stake holders and industry watchers have not ceased to comment and express their feelings on the development.

Shareholders of the industry were the first to express their ill -feelings on the development. In their usual way of attacking and accusing the regulator of wanting to strangle the industry to death using its regulatory instruments, the shareholders, at the annual general meeting of one of the insurance firms held in Lagos rained abuses on NAICOM’s management questioning where the commission thinks the firms would raise the money from since it is obvious that Nigerian investors are not interested in investing in insurance stocks.

The shareholders accused NAICOM of a plot to sell the entire industry to foreign investors and wipe out local investors.

They challenged operators to confront the regulator and make it clear that they will not be able to raise the stated capital.

Going by the new capital regime, Life Insurance underwriters with minimum paid up share capital of N2billion, will hence forth shore up to N8billion. General Business underwriters, will shore up their existing N3billion to N10 billion.

Composite insurance firms, that is, firms underwriting both Life and General business will increase from the current N5billion level to N18 billion, while reinsurance firms, will move from N10billion to N20billion.

The commission said the new capital regime takes effect from June 30, 2020 for existing insurance and reinsurance firms but with immediate effect for new firms entering into the business.

As earlier stated, the capital increase has, since its announcement, kept the industry operators unease mainly due to the high margin of the increase.

Employees of the industry are afraid that they will lose their jobs , most operators are jittery that since their companies cannot stand alone, they will lose their identity, if their companies go into merger with a stronger company, just as shareholders have expressed fears that their money will go down the drain should anything happen to their companies on account of the exercise.

But on its part, NAICOM is much more interested in building a virile and robust insurance sector that is capable of underwriting higher risk and paying claims when those risks crystalise .

Indeed, NAICOM wants a shift from the present situation in which most risks are taken abroad due to lack of capacity by local firms .

Over the years, NAICOM has been struggling to build a world class insurance industry that is strong enough to underwrite most capital intensive businesses that have over the years been taken abroad due to lack of capacity by the local insurers.

The commission is also interested in scaling up the status of insurance sector from its present level of less than N500billion annual premium generation, less than 1 per cent contribution to the GDP of the economy as well as less that 0.4 per cent penetration. This is despite the industry target, set in the past one decade, of transforming to a trillion naira market that contributes at least three per cent to the GDP with four per cent

Kari

level of penetration, while creating at least 50,000 jobs for the economy.

The commission actually set this target since 2009 through its medium-term Market Development and Restructuring initiative(MDRI) plan.

NAICOM, from recent comments by the Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, is no longer comfortable with the situation whereby inflation rate has increased cost of most properties the sector insures, but there is no corresponding increase in the capital base of operators and their pricing system.

He lamented that the industry last witnessed increase in their operating capital 12 years ago, arguing that inflation rate in the past 12 years in the country has more than tripled and no single good in the country is today sold at the same price it was sold in the past 12 years.

Kari also regretted that each attempt to increase operating capital of insurance operators in the country had always been greeted with court litigations and resistance from operators whereas banking industry operators had effected recapitalisation up to five times since then.

This, according to him, has been responsible for the industry’s retarded growth. “Their resistance to change is what has kept the industry where it is today and if it continues, the industry will not catch up with other sectors of the economy. Insurance has remained the only growth area in the economy. Whereas others have grown, insurance sector, vis-a vis population is not making the expected impact to the economy.

There is no way, but to grow,� he said.

Kari explained that the present capital base of operators compared to the level of risk they bear has exposed most operators to overtrading, adding that, this, last year, compelled the commission to stop some companies from doing certain classes of businesses because they were over-trading. “Anytime we discovered that any company is exceeding its capacity, we stop him. We have been doing it, we only made it public this time,�

Kari said.

Recently, the president of Nigerian Council of

Registered Insurance Brokers, Mr. Shola Tinubu ,painted a picture of financial status of the industry in relation to inflation rate in the country and increase in prices of goods and properties they insure as well as the consequences to the industry saying, “during and after the naira devaluation three years back, precisely June 2016, while business operators in other sectors of the economy up-scaled their price rates to be in tune with naira value, insurance operators for fear of losing businesses due to hardship experienced by the Nigerian business community coupled with the fact that by its position as the last item in the scale of preference of consumers that could easily be scrapped out in time of scarcity of resources, failed to effect necessary upward changes in the premium rates.� According to him, some underwriters, rather than increasing their rates, decreased to dance to their customers’ tune and retain such customers.

Tinubu said now that risks from such businesses were crystallising and the underwriters were expected to pay claims at the prevailing rate of value of naira, most insurers had been left struggling to pay claims. He said this was part of the reason Nigerian insurers seem not to match their counterparts in other climes.

The NCRIB president, however, said insurers were to be held accountable for the situation because they supposed to set their pricing right while customers should adapt to such prices.

Obviously, the current situation in the industry has spelt the need for two actions to be taken in the industry .

First is the obvious need for increase in the capital of the sector as the regulator has done so that the present situation in which, according to statistics, the industry loses average of N2.8 trillion annually to foreign insurers due to lack of financial capacity to handle high technical and capital intensive businesses will stop and such huge fund channeled to indigenous operators’ coffers.

But industry analysts said in doing this, the regulator should exercise caution not to use the

capital increase instrument to regulate many firms out of business or transform the entire industry to foreign-based industry where indigenous investors will have no base.

According to them, with the present geometric system of capital increase announced by the commission, what is likely going to happen, if not reconsidered is that foreign investors from Asian countries will highjack the industry and as is their business culture, capital flight will be the order of the day in the industry.

This, in their views, has spelt the need for the operators and the regulator to meet over the capital increase and arrive at an agreeable level.

The analysts suggested that contrary to the present margin of 400 per cent capital increase, 200 per cent increase would suffice while in the next three to five years, the operator would be going for a fresh round of increase.

According to them, what often generates controversy in capital base increase in the industry is obviously high margin of increase and short period often given by the regulator for implementation.

The regulator, according to the analysts, should realise the fact that any policy that does not encourage job creation rather induces job loss should be reconsidered in most appropriate way that will reduce the rate of job loss at least in the interim especially in developing economies like Nigeria, to avoid sporadic increase in social vices.

They therefore insisted that NAICOM should do well to constitute a meeting with the industry operators on the reduction on the level of increase .

They said on their part, the operators should help themselves by accepting mergers and acquisitions in order to allow greater number of firms remain in business.

The operators, they said should henceforth build a progressive industry through appropriate pricing by restricting themselves to charging of official premium rates instead of the present situation in which some operators in their voracious quest for business give rate as low as one per cent against the 10 per cent official rate so that they will be in better position to pay claims on such businesses when the claims crystalise.

The brokers they said should endeavor to help in this aspect because they are the ones pressing hard for the unprofessional rates in order to please their clients and at the same time, they want to get quick and appropriate claims from the underwriters from such low-priced policies.

The industry, on its part, should intensify efforts on its ongoing insurance rebranding project to popularise insurance and tap the opportunities in the retail insurance segment.

Shortly after the announcement, the Managing Director of Consolidated Hallmark Insurance plc, ,Mr Eddie Efekoha, who is also the immediate past chairman, Nigeria Insurers Association(NIA), the umbrella body of insurance underwriters, had said the industry would constitute a meeting with the regulator to plead for reduction on the margin of increase since the operators could not fight the regulator as requested by the shareholders.

THISDAY gathered that the regulator and some operators did not turn up .

Going by the present financial status of the operating firms, if the regulator vehemently decides to go ahead with the present level of 400 per cent increase, not more than 10 insurance firms will make the list of existing firms. The option left for the industry now is to embrace mergers, acquisitions and dilution of ownership structure through foreign capital injection.

But the problem in mergers and acquisition according to a management staff of one of the insurance firms is that one year is too short to consummate such marriages. Direct foreign investors take over of the industry is the remaining option, but again there is the problem of its accompanied capital flight which will apparently drain the economy.

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Nigerian Stock Exchange

Domestic Investors Take Shine off Foreign Investors The total money invested in Nigeria’s stock market by domestic and foreign investors in the last three years amounted to about N6.09trillion ($19.7billion) with domestic investors (retail and institutional) accounting for the bulk of the deal, reports Bamidele Famoofo

A

nalysis of data on the activities of domestic and foreign portfolio investors, provided by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed that about N6.09trillion was invested in the bourse in the last three years.

Domestic (local) investors accounted for bulk of the investment between 2016 and 2018, injecting N3.16trillion into the market in three years. It represented 52 per cent of the total transaction value recorded in the market in the review period. Domestic investors maintained the lead over their foreign portfolio counterpart in 2016 and 2017, but allowed the latter to get the upper hand in 2018 which continued till April, 2019.

Domestic investors (institutional and retail) are those investors which undertake investment in securities and other financial assets of the country they are based in while foreign portfolio investors purchase securities of foreign countries, such as stock and bonds, on an exchange. Portfolio investors can be viewed as investors whose primary motive for investing is to make quick money.

Total domestic investment as at the end of financial year 2016 stood at N633.8billion accounting for 55.0 per cent of total value traded compared to about N518billion recorded by foreign portfolio investors in the review period. Domestic investors raised the bar in 2017 when they increased investment by 112 per cent from N633.4billion in 2016 to N1.34trillion. But the tempo dropped in 2018 with domestic

investment dropping by 11 per cent to N1.19trillion. On the flipside, foreign portfolio investment increased, though marginally, from N1.21trillion in 2017 to N1.22trillion in 2018, representing 0.83 per cent growth. Moving ahead its domestic competition, foreign portfolio investors increased their stake in the market by 134 per cent from about N518billion in 2016 to N1.21trillion in 2018.

As at April ending in 2019, foreign participation in the market still outpaced domestic commitment accounting for about 53 per cent of total transaction value with N298.8billion as against N270.4billion by domestic investors.

Analysis of flow of funds of foreign portfolio investment showed that inflow was in excess of outflow in the last three years.

Total foreign inflow in the review period amounted to N1.61trillion, while outflow stood at N1.34trillion, representing excess of N270billion or 17 per cent of inflow.

Foreign inflow increased from N257billion in 2016 to N772.3billion in 2017, representing a 200 percent increase compared to increase in outflow which stood at 67 percent from N261billion in 2016 to N435billion in 2017. Inflow dropped by 25.3 percent to N577billion in 2018 compared to N772.3billion in 2017 while outflow on the hand jumped by about 48 percent from N435.3billion in 2017 to N642.7billion in 2018. Total inflow from foreign portfolio investors at 55 percent of total value is in excess of outflow in the three years period.

3-year average foreign outflow from the market stood at N447billion compared to an inflow of N537billion annually.

On the domestic front, institutional investors maintained dominance over their

retail competition in the last three years.

Aggregate investment by domestic institutional portfolio investors in the review period stood at N1.95trillion compared to N1.20trillion from their retail counterpart.

Interestingly, domestic retail investors have shown more faith in the market than their institutional and foreign counterparts as they have invested more money every year from 2016 to 2018. A year-by-year analysis of investment showed that domestic retail investors moved from N279billion in 2016 to N398billion in 2017, representing 43 per cent increase. Though the rate of growth in 2018 dropped to 32 per cent, domestic retail invested about N529billion in the market as against N661billion by domestic institutional in 2018, which represented about 30 per cent shortfall compared to N938billion invested in the market in 2017. Foreign portfolio investors only increased their capital in the by 0.83 percent to N1.22trillion in 2018 from N1.21trillion in 2017.

2019 Performance As at end of April 2019, total transactions at the nation’s bourse increased by 35.24 percent from N110.10 billion (about $359.3 million) recorded in March 2019 to N148.91 billion (about $485.9 million) in April 2019. The performance of the month of April when compared to the performance in the same period of the prior year (April 2018) revealed that total transactions reduced by 29.83 percent. In April 2019, the total value of transactions executed by foreign investors outperformed those executed by domestic investors by four percent.

A further analysis of the total transactions

executed between the current and prior month (March 2019) revealed that total foreign transactions increased by 37.13per cent from N56.09 billion in March 2019 to N76.92 billion in April 2019. Total foreign outflows also increased by 38.3per cent from N30.20 billion to N41.78 billion whilst foreign inflows increased by 35.8per cent from N25.89 billion to N35.15 billion between March and April 2019.

Domestic Transactions The value of the domestic transactions executed by institutional investors outperformed retail investors by 18 percent.

A comparison of domestic transactions in the current and prior month (March 2019) revealed that retail transactions increased marginally by 6.6 per cent from N27.44 billion in March 2019 to N29.26 billion in April 2019. However the institutional composition of the domestic market increased more significantly by 60.8per cent from N26.58 billion in March 2019 to N42.73 billion in April 2019.

Total foreign transactions accounted for about 51 per cent of the total transactions carried out in 2018, whilst domestic transactions accounted for about 49 percent of the total transactions in the same period.

The actual performance in 2019 showed that the total foreign transactions carried out year till date (YTD) stood at about N298.79billion, whilst the total domestic transactions YTD is about N270.37 billion.

Meanwhile, foreign transactions which stood at N1.539trillion in 2014 declined to N1.219trillion in 2018. Over a12-year period, domestic transactions decreased by 66.7 percent from N3.556trillion in 2007 to N1.185trillion in 2018.

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ĂŽĂ“ĂžĂ?ĂŽ ĂŒĂŁ Demola Ojo Ă—Ă‹Ă“Ă– demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Abdel Rahman: Nigerians Will Enjoy Historical, Cosmopolitan Alexandria â€?â€şĂ›Ă›â€şĂ˘Ă˜n‚ø‚º›à rĂ?ÂĄeør‚sĂ&#x;Ă˜nĂ&#x;‚øsâ€šĂ’ĂšĂ Ă™Ă¸â€šĂżÂşÂşĂ˜Ăşe‚Mønøer‚º›r‚֝¥œĂ&#x;Ă’Ă˜r‚ÚeĂ&#x;âeen‚200Ê‚øn¸‚20Ă‘3‰‚ âhen‚he‚sà úúee¸eÂ¸â€šĂ˜n‚râ€şĂ˘Ă˜n‚Ă&#x;heâ€šĂ¸Ă˜rĂ›Ă˜neus‚ºreqĂ enú¥‚ºrâ€şĂœâ€šĂ&#x;Ă˘â€şâ€šÂşĂ›Ă˜ÂťhĂ&#x;s‚âeeÚÛ¥‚Ă&#x;â€şâ€šÂ¸Ă¸Ă˜Ă›ÂĄâ€šÂşĂ›Ă˜ÂťhĂ&#x;s‰‚ MĂ hørrĂ¸Ăœâ€šĂ’ĂšÂ¸eÛ‚`øhĂœĂ¸n‚høs‚reĂ&#x;Ă rne¸‚Ă&#x;›‚NĂ˜ÂťerĂ˜Ă¸â€šĂ¸s‚•enerøÛ‚Mønøer‚›åerseeĂ˜n‚֝¥œĂ&#x;Ă’Ă˜rus‚ Ă¸ÂşÂşĂ¸Ă˜rsâ€šĂ˜n‚NĂ˜ÂťerĂ˜Ă¸â€šÂşrâ€şĂœâ€šĂźĂ¸Âťâ€şs΂—n‚Ă&#x;hĂ˜sâ€šĂ˜nĂ&#x;erĂĄĂ˜eĂ˘â€šĂ˘Ă˜Ă&#x;h‚Demola Ojo‰‚he‚Ă&#x;øÛÚs‚øÚ›à Ă&#x;‚Ă&#x;heâ€šĂ˜nĂşreøsĂ˜n‚ Ă&#x;rø¸e‚øn¸‚ú››œerøĂ&#x;Ă˜â€şn‚ÚeĂ&#x;âeen‚NĂ˜ÂťerĂ˜Ă¸â€šĂ¸n¸‚֝¥œĂ&#x;‰‚Ă&#x;heâ€šĂ¸Ă˜rĂ›Ă˜neus‚sĹ“eĂşĂ˜Ă¸Ă›â€šĹ“Ă¸ĂşĂšĂ¸Âťes‚º›r‚NĂ˜ÂťerĂ˜Ă¸n‚ Ă&#x;røåeÛÛers‰‚Ă&#x;he‚º›rĂ&#x;hĂşâ€şĂœĂ˜n‚ÒºrĂ˜ĂşĂ¸n‚Ôà œ‚›º‚NøĂ&#x;Ă˜â€şns‚ønÂ¸â€šĂœâ€şreÎÎ΂

W

hat is the relationship between EgyptAir and Nigeria?

Egypt and Nigeria share a very close relationship. There are several Nigerians studying in Egypt, others come for treatment and others for training in many of our aviation schools.

EgyptAir is one of the oldest airlines operating in Nigeria. We started ying from Cairo to Lagos in 1960, almost 60 years now. Can you imagine that?

EgyptAir was founded in 1932 and is the oldest airline in Africa and the the Middle East. We now fly to 80 destinations with a good fleet consisting of 79 aircraft.

In Nigeria we fly from three points: Kano, Abuja and Lagos, each one of them, five flights a week, making a total of 15 flights per week from Cairo to Nigeria. And we intend from next year to increase the frequency to 21 flights a week.

In future, we’re also looking at a fourth point to fly from Nigeria. We’re looking at either Enugu or Port Harcourt.

How has business been for EgyptAir in Nigeria so far?

Our market in Nigeria is divided into different segments.

We give each one of them the attention it deserves.

We have a market for religious tourists. So for example, we target Christian pilgrims going to Tel Aviv. We have daily flights from Cairo to Tel Aviv. We are giving these tourists from Nigeria to Tel Aviv the opportunity to spend two days in Cairo and visit Coptic Christian museums and Christian sites in Egypt.

You know that the Holy Family stayed in Egypt for six years. So we have many monuments and a rich Christian history.

We also offer Christian pilgrims the opportunity to travel the Holy Family Road from Cairo to Jerusalem and to rest at the points where they rested.

Also for the Muslim pilgrims going to Medina or Jeddah, we have an offer where they can spend two days visiting Islamic sites in Cairo. For both sets of pilgrims, we have Greek monuments, pyramids, the Sphinx and many ancient Egyptian monuments they can visit.

Egypt is central to Christian and Muslim holy sites and the fastest way to connect these sites is through Cairo.

Egypt is the centre of the world, which is why all the prophets passed through Egypt at some point.

A second segment is the medical tourist. We are offering Egyptian hospitals to Nigerians for them to get treatment.

We have famous doctors in various fields and the prices are very affordable. Imagine you can have a full medical check for an amount equivalent to less than 200 USD. You know, many famous doctors in Europe - London especially - are Egyptians. An example is Magdi Yacoub, a famous cardiothoracic surgeon. So instead of going to Europe and spend more money, you can get the same quality of medical attention in Egypt for less.

The third segment are students, especially from the north of Nigeria. Many students from Abuja and Kano study in Egyptian universities. We have American university, we have French university, we have German university, and many more universities and schools. And we are marketing these schools to Nigeria so that they can get high quality of education at comparatively low cost.

In addition to offering our schools in Egypt for Nigerian students, we know that Nigerian students go to Saudi Arabia, London and Toronto. These are the three main destinations for students. So now we are giving Nigerian students 25 per cent discount.

We’re also particular about training. Egypt Air has a training centre at Cairo Airport and we’re offering these services to Nigerian civil aviation authorities here. They can send their staff to Egypt and get good training.

For Nigerian traders going to Guangzhou, Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Bombay and other cities in Southeast Asia,

Abdel Rahman

we’re offering them a good product. You know they need to carry extra pieces of baggage, so we’re giving them unlimited extra pieces at a discount. For all these destinations, we have daily flights.

Operating daily flights on any long haul route will take at least two wide body aircraft which is more expensive to operate than the narrow body aircraft. But as a traditional airline, we have to operate both long haul and short haul.

Which would you consider lucrative routes, both within and outside Nigeria?

With the African Cup of Nations due to hold in Egypt from June 21 to July 19, does Egypt Air have any special arrangements for Nigerian travellers?

All three points in Nigeria are important. From Kano especially, we have traders who need to go to Guangzhou.

They also go to the Middle East, Jeddah and Medina for umrah and hajj.

Abuja is similar to Kano’s market but in addition, you have the diplomatic delegation, government officials and various organisations who travel to Egypt for research.

Here in Lagos, it’s a different market. You cannot narrow Lagos down to a particular market. You find different markets here in Lagos. You can target Middle East, you can target Far East, you can target Europe, you can target America.

It’s a huge market here in Lagos.

Talking internationally, you have to understand that we’re a traditional airline like Air France, British Airways and the like, which means we do a lot of long haul flights like Cairo to New York, or Cairo to Guangzhou, or Cairo to Toronto. At the same time, we fly a lot of short and medium haul routes.

However, commercially, these long haul routes are not as profitable as the short haul flights. So for us at EgyptAir, we concentrate a lot on the Middle East, because it is just two or three hours from Cairo. We are increasing frequency to the Middle East because it gets us more profit.

So for example, we fly from Cairo to Beirut four times a day because it’s just an hour and a half away. So it’s profitable.

But to fly from Cairo to Guangzhou, I need two wide-body aircraft to cover this route, because while one leaves Cairo on a nine-hour flight, it will be another one that will leave Guangzhou for Cairo.

For AFCON, we are giving special prices to tour operators, like Wakanow, Travelstart and others so that they can sell packages. These inclusive tours will include tickets, sightseeing, hotels, transportation and more. We’re giving these tour operators lower prices to enable them sell packages.

We’re also offering travellers 50 per cent discount on reservation charges because their return might be tied to how far the Super Eagles progress.

What advice do you have for tourists for them to get the best out of the destination?

Egypt is a wonderful country. I’m not saying this because it’s my country but because it’s a unique destination you cannot find elsewhere. It is a historical country.

Nigeria are lucky because they’re playing their group matches in Alexandria. Alexandria is a very historical city and was the capital of Egypt before Cairo. It is a cosmopolitan city where you can find many nationalities. You will enjoy it.

Alexandria is located by the Mediterranean Sea, so you find citizens of other countries by the Mediterranean in Alexandria; Greeks, Italians, Cypriots...

The famous Cleopatra ruled Egypt from Alexandria. It has Greek history, Roman history, Ptolemaic history, Christian history, Islamic history. In Alexandria, you have one of the oldest libraries in the world, along with many other attractions. The lighthouse in Alexandria was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

In other parts of Egypt, you can find Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada, seaside resort cities that people love to go.

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Wakanow Unveils Special Travel Packages for Nations Cup Demola Ojo

N

igeria’s leading online travel company, Wakanow, has unveiled special packages for sports lovers and tourists intent on seeing games at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt while also exploring one of the world’s famous tourist destinations.

The packages which run at different points during the month-long Nations Cup – which takes place June 21 to July 19 across various cities in Egypt – enable Nigerian fans to experience Cairo and Alexandria.

The Nigerian team will be playing in the beautiful historical city of Alexandria against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar on June 22, 26 and 30 respectively. “We are pleased to announce the opportunity for football fans to support the Nigerian team in Egypt with memorable experiences as we have created delightful packages for the opening ceremony, Nigeria’s games during the group stages and the finals,� said Muyiwa Matilukuro, Chief Operating Officer at Wakanow. “We have been to Egypt ahead of the competition to ensure our customers get the best experience and have also established firm relationships with the Egyptian authorities to ensure swift visa processing for them.�

The packages designed by Wakanow consist of attractive components like visa assistance, match tickets, return airport transfer, match day transfers, inter-city transfers, daily breakfast at carefully curated hotels and resorts, sight-seeing and tours, complimentary SIM with top up for unlimited data and cashback loaded into Wakanow prepaid cards.

Customers also have the option of seamlessly customizing packages to suit their tastes, from travel dates, to duration, class of flights and choice of accommodation.

Alexandria is the second-largest city in Egypt and a major economic centre with cultural and historical attractions from the ancient world.

A cosmopolitan city next to the Mediterranean Sea, it is a tourist hotspot that was home to a lighthouse regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Once the capital of Egypt, it boasts of Greco-Roman landmarks, old-world cafes and beautiful beaches. Its 15thcentury seafront Citadel of Qaitbay is now a museum for sightseeing, as well as its library, noted for being one of the oldest in the world.

Cairo, which will host the final matches (as well as multiple group games including those of Mohammed Salah’s Egypt) is the capital of Egypt.

Citadel of Quaitbay, a 15th Century fortress in Alexandria

The Pyramids of Giza

The city’s metropolitan area is one of the largest in Africa, the largest in the Middle East, and the 15th-largest in the world.

At its heart is Tahir Square and the vast Egyptian Museum, a trove of

antiquities including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts.

Nearby, Giza is the site of the iconic pyramids and Great Sphinx. “We’ve got you covered as you enjoy an unforgettable experience in Egypt,�

continued, Matilukuro. “We will do our best to customize a memorable trip for you, and would be delighted to work within your budget and in turn make your dream of enjoying the best of Egypt a reality.�

Abdel Rahman: Nigerians Will Enjoy Historical, Cosmopolitan Alexandria They are by the beautiful Red Sea coast.

The south of Egypt is famous for ancient pharaonic temples. You have Luxor (which the Greeks called Thebes), a pharaonic city where you find many temples and statues of pharaohs. So there’s so much for tourists to enjoy.

Egyptian people are very kind people.

Nigerians will like Egyptian hospitality.

Are there any cultural similarities between both countries?

Nigeria and Egypt are very similar countries.

Both of them are important hubs within Africa. Both also have significantly large populations. They are also very religious countries, with both Muslims and Christians in abundant numbers.

I don’t find it strange that I’m here, I feel like I’m in my country, because we have similarities in culture. And I hope that EgyptAir will strengthen the relationship between Egypt and Nigeria because there are many aspects of relationship between Egypt and Nigeria and we can help each other.

Now that you’re back in Nigeria but in a different city, what are your impressions of Lagos?

Lagos is like Cairo. If you’ve lived in Cairo, you can feel the similarities. Cairo is a highly populated city of about 20 million people, the same as Lagos. There’s also a lot of traffic.

Lagos is a very good market for me. You can find all segments of customers that we

are targeting. I’m happy to be in Lagos in spite of the competition.

We have many Egyptian companies working in construction, IT and communications in Lagos.

I always tell Egyptians that Nigerians are kind people, that they’re not difficult to deal with. And now we’re encouraging Egyptian companies to invest here in Nigeria.

During the three to four months I’ve spent here, I noticed that many Egyptian companies are coming here looking for opportunities.

For example, at the end of this month, we have the Egyptian universities fair, which will be held in Abuja, Kano and here in Lagos. We’re also preparing for another fair for Egyptian industrial companies.

From my point of view, the movement

Cont’d from pg. 20

has changed during the first time I was here from 2009 to 2013, and now. Many more Egyptian businessmen and corporates are investing, especially in Lagos.

This is due to the efforts of the Egyptian Embassy through His Excellency, Ambassador Assem Hanafi, and the Egyptian Commercial Service led by Muhammad Abdullah. They also help Nigerian businesses with information on Egypt.

While I earlier talked about passengers between both countries, I didn’t talk about cargo. We have very good movement of cargo, one flight a week from both Lagos and Kano and in future we plan to increase this to daily cargo flights to Lagos, because the volume of the trade between Egypt and Nigeria is good.

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˜ ˞ JUN E 16, 2019

MARKET NEWS

NSE Moves to Facilitate Islamic Finance in Nigeria Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), in partnership with REDmoney Group, is set to hold the inaugural edition of the Islamic Finance Nigeria (IFN) Nigeria forum themed: “Harnessing the Islamic finance sector for infrastructure development and economic growth� on Tuesday.

The forum is aimed at promoting the growth and development of the Nigerian Islamic finance industry and facilitate the growth of a new asset class in the capital market.

The forum, which will be headlined by Acting DirectorGeneral, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Mary Uduk, will bring together speakers, comprising senior industry players,

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

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

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

decision makers, regulators and investors, to exchange their views and experiences on opportunities in the Nigerian Islamic finance market. It will feature a mix of panel sessions, onstage interviews and interactive sessions on a number of themes in Islamic finance including, Corporate Financing and Capital Raising in Nigeria.

Other speakers expected at

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 13Jun-2019, unless otherwise stated.

the event are: Director-General, Debt Management Office of Nigeria, Ms Patience Oniha; Acting Director-General, National Pension Commission, Hajia Aisha Dahir-Umar; Managing Director/ CEO, Lotus Capital, Hajara Adeola; Partner, Udo Udoma & Belo Osagie, Adeola Sunmola and Head, Debt Capital Markets, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, Oluseun Olatidoye.

Speaking on the forum, Head, Trading Business Division, NSE, Mr. Jude Chiemeka, said: “Islamic assets are gaining momentum as an alternative investment avenue in Nigeria and globally.�

According to him, the forum affirms the exchange’s commitment to stimulating noninterest capital market products innovation.

“It will offer us the opportunity to deepen our engagement with our stakeholder. It will also provide us with important insights that will enable us to take a leap forward in the development of innovative and practical solutions to propel the Islamic capital market which will aid Nigeria in achieving its sustainable development agenda,� he said.

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

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

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 145.16 147.23 -7.70% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 8.11% Nigeria International Debt Fund 276.94 276.94 1.36% 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 0.87 0.88 4.06% ACAP Income Funds 0.76 0.76 34.08% 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 13.17% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.31 2.33 3.85% 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 15.36 15.82 -7.44% ARM Discovery Fund 342.74 353.07 -3.90% ARM Ethical Fund 28.88 29.75 2.28% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.23% 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 96.20 96.87 -4.93% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.50% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 13.62% Paramount Equity Fund 11.87 11.97 0.51% Women's Investment Fund 105.39 106.12 1.80% 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 1.00 1.00 12.58% Coronation Balanced Fund 0.82 0.82 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.20 1.20 6.90% 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 N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A 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 1,193.80 1,194.65 6.92% FBN Heritage Fund 143.62 144.58 0.59% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.90% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 136.84 138.75 -8.77% 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 Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.28% Legacy Debt Fund 3.42 3.42 5.52% Legacy Equity Fund 1.12 1.14 -8.31% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.05 1.05 2.15% 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 N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.19% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 108.31 108.80 0.75% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.42% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.14 2.17 -0.17% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.91% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 131.37 131.46 5.11% 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 1.21 1.23 5.37% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,108.93 1,108.93 6.18% 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 10.69 10.78 -7.05% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.95% 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 N/A N/A N/A PACAM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 119.64 120.43 -0.81% 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 6.59% 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 2,356.52 2,369.98 1.83% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 201.65 201.65 6.05% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.90 0.91 -4.74% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 256.66 256.76 5.88% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 152.81 154.65 -6.29% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.69% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,986.24 8,087.26 -5.89% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.11 1.11 2.75% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.20 1.21 0.80% United Capital Bond Fund 1.70 1.70 6.93% United Capital Equity Fund 0.69 0.70 -2.95% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 13.20% United Capital Eurobond Fund 111.08 111.08 3.56% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.13 1.14 3.66% 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 10.52 10.69 0.38% Zenith Ethical Fund Zenith Income Fund Zenith Money Market Fund

11.20 22.04 1.00

11.34 22.04 1.00

-9.18% 14.20% 11.64%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 121.33 52.39

-44.85% 3.06% 1.26%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.85 97.05 80.01

9.95 99.11 81.49

-6.57% -17.27% -9.77%

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

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.54 6.15 13.04 10.47 155.80

3.58 6.23 13.14 10.67 157.80

-11.40% -19.14% -10.93% -15.16% 17.48%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

106.90

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

16.6.2018

ALEX OKOSI His Midas Touch, Global Reach ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

32

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˞ ͯʹ, Ͱ͎ͯ͡

COVER

Celebrating Passion, Professionalism and Africa You can’t miss him in a crowd. He towers in height and shimmers in glowing skin. His demeanour is refreshing; so are his thoughts. He is a blend of shrewdness and creativity. He mixes splendour with brilliance; and rewards excellence with fame and fortune. He is global but he reckons with everything exceptionally local. Please, meet Alex Okosi. As the man at the helm of affairs at Viacom International Media Network Africa, he makes things happen.

Vanessa Obioha writes about the executive vice-president and managing director of BET International and Viacom International Media Network Africa’s relentless spirit

Alex Okosi

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COVER

How I’m Using BET Awards To Turn Africa Around

The most exciting thing is that we are nowhere where the Best International Act is now given out in the live show.

There are lots of awards that are not given out on the main show; I think that was what people didn’t understand initially

Alex Okosi

H

e could have been Nigeria’s own Michael Jordan. Gracefully lanky but he didn’t get to play professional basketball – no regrets. Today, he brings African talents to the global scene. You can’t miss him in a crowd. He towers in height and shimmers in glowing skin. His demeanour is refreshing; so are his thoughts. He is a blend of shrewdness and creativity.

He mixes splendour with brilliance; and rewards excellence with fame and fortune. He is global but he reckons with everything exceptionally local. Please, meet Alex Okosi. As the man at the helm of affairs at Viacom International Media Network Africa, he makes things happen.

Through MTV Base Africa and other brands, Okosi has been able to place the continent in a positive light.

It was in 2005 that Okosi spearheaded the launch of MTV Base Africa, the African version of MTV Europe’s urban music service, MTV Base. The channel was launched with a piece of live music special with performances from local African and international artists. It was a huge welcome to local artistes like D’banj whose music career was just starting. As part of his goal, Okosi was focused on not only providing a platform that will showcase the diverse music and culture of Africans but also to create content that will attract globally. African music, particularly

Nigeria at the time was steadily gaining recognition and Okosi understood the potentials of local talents. Three years later, he launched another initiative, this time around an award system that would reward creative talents. The MTV Africa Music Awards often called the MAMAs served as a vehicle for raising the profile and the earning power of African musicians.

It was the ‘it’ show for talents who looked forward to the international exposure the platform provided to climb the ladder of success, our own African Grammys. It was one place where African talents compete stiffly to win the coveted awards. It was a musical battleground for some of the major music artistes from South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria. Although the award’s consistency has dwindled in recent times, its impact on the Nigerian music scene cannot be overlooked. Some of the major winners from the award show were mostly Nigerians like D’banj and 2Baba, and even international acts like Rick Ross, Kelly Rowland and Akon.

With the passion which he drove the MTV Africa initiative, it was evident that Okosi who was born in Enugu and started his career at MTV in 1998 has one mission in mind: to reimagine Africa.

“When we launched MTV Base in 2005, our mission was to showcase a reimagined Africa. An Africa that was

beautiful and we wanted to showcase that through music and talents. We have done a lot of work in that space that we are very proud of,” he said recently at a BET event.

Since he assumed his new role at BET International two years ago, Okosi has not rested on his oars. He is responsible for the management and the development and overall strategy for BET International while continuing to oversee entertainment brands MTV Base, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., NickToons, VH1 Classic and BET on the African continent.

The task is a herculean one which Okosi has somehow managed to handle well. He draws his energy from the opportunity to work across an incredible array of brands and with young Africans across the continent to be able to develop these brands and localize them. He modestly attributed his success to the team he works with who helped in bringing their vision into fruition.

As he leads the BET International, Okosi again is waving his magic wand, ensuring that Africa gets the spotlight. For almost two decades that the BET Awards — an award that celebrates the brightest African American stars across music, television, film, sports, and philanthropy — has held, the award category that recognizes Best International Act was not given during the main show. All of that changed immediately Okosi took over the reins. For the first time last year, the award

was handed to the winner during the main show. That feat was celebrated in Nigeria mainly, as many have criticized the handling of the award backstage.

More so, last year was won by Nigerian singer Davido. For Okosi, the change of rules signals that Nigerian music has gained global recognition.

“I think the reality is that BET started as a US brand. We grew it internationally and of course we start building and adding pieces,” he explained.

“The most exciting thing is that we are nowhere where the Best International Act is now given out in the live show. There are lots of awards that are not given out on the main show; I think that was what people didn’t understand initially. Our award is part of the main show and I think it is a great testimony of the network understanding that this music is international and it is recognised. For me that it is what I celebrate, for us to be able to get to that point is recognition of great work of the artiste. So beyond the main show, we also have the pre-show that goes to audiences across the US.” The International Act category has honoured previous African winners who have gone on to explore Africa’s culture proudly and become recognizable worldwide for their talent: from Nigeria’s 2face to D’banj in 2011, from Wizkid in 2017 to Ghana’s Sarkodie; and from Stonebwoy in 2012 and 2015 to South Africa’s Black Coffee in 2016.

This year’s edition scheduled for June 24 also has Nigerians nominated. Burna Boy and Mr. Eazi will be vying for the Best International Act while Teni Apata was nominated in the Best New International Act. For Okosi, it is great news for the continent.

“The awards this year will provide an amazing platform to highlight the Best International African talent that we have in the world. I think what is really great is that our music has really travelled, our artistes are travelling. They are delivering good music that the world wants to hear, their notoriety is rising.

The BET Awards provide that, it is really a viable platform for them at least to be recognised globally. Just being nominated is tremendous. The BET brand is one of the top brands not only in the US but also globally when it comes to media,” he concluded.

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FOCUS

STEVE GUKAS

Making Nollywood’s Legacy Project He is not Stephen Spielberg. His name is not the buzzword in Hollywood. With confident steps, he steps out in confidence. His countenance signposts an intellectual mind, a creative heart and a dramatic personality. He understands the film industry like the back of his hand. Unassuming, he appears in a simple attire. You cannot miss the slight grey hair on his chin. He is a Nollywood giant who comes across like a dwarf.

Meet filmmaker and film director, Steve Gukas. In his recent award-winning flicks – 93 Days, A Place in the Stars – Gukas demonstrates a talent not common in the industry.

There is more about him as he attempts to tell the Nollywood story, writes Vanessa Obioha

S

teve Gukas was not part of the original plan. For all creative entrepreneur, Charles Okpaleke, and actor Ramsey Nouah knew, they were in control of everything. Their plan to do a sequel to the critically acclaimed 1992 film ‘Living in Bondage’ that

birthed Nollywood was moving in the right direction. They had acquired the rights of the film from its creator Kenneth Nnebue; Nouah will sample his directing skills, while Okpaleke will serve as executive producer. All seemed to go as planned except the script.

Nouah didn’t like the direction of the script. Okpaleke had no reservations. It was a tough call.

Notes were made, handed over,

deliberated on, and yet, there seemed not to be a meeting point for the two men.

Being his first directorial debut, Nouah had no intention to leave any stone unturned. His flinty determination to make the project a top-notch was evident in his argument that the script should reflect the current trend.

When it seemed no solution was forthcoming, it was evident that

an expert was needed. Okpaleke suggested that Gukas be brought in. “We had problem with the script which resulted in fallout,� narrated Nouah, “Charles hasn’t seen any of my works, and because of the magnitude of the film, he felt he needed a stronger hand so he brought in Steve who has a reputation of doing big projects.�

All it took was a lengthy meeting with Nouah for Gukas to step aside and decide to be a producer instead.

It was his first time working with Nouah. “I think we do need to allow for fresh talent to direct as well,� explained Gukas. “Sometimes if you have the opportunity to guide, it is helpful. Ramsey as an actor brings the wealth of experience and stature to the role he is playing and I think very few actors possess that. As a director, his years of experience serve him in good stead as it is showing how he is working with other actors and how he is telling the story. It is showing how he is prepared for the role of directing.

So I think his role as an actor served him quite well.�

Nonetheless, the two had developed such an amicable relationship. Nouah who is also starring in the movie found a helping hand in Gukas. When he is in front of the camera, Gukas gladly goes behind the camera. Take, for instance, this Sunday afternoon in Lekki, Gukas was shooting a scene that featured Nouah. The set was a bar. There was no interference of any sort as they focused on achieving the best. It was like an unspoken trust. Even while behind the camera, Gukas exhibited such admirable shrewdness. He is conscious of the angles shot, the lines read, the emotions displayed.

His eyes hardly missed a thing.

The 1992 ‘Living in Bondage’ film follows the story of an ambitious young man Andy Okeke (played by Kenneth Okonkwo) who sacrificed his wife to become wealthy. The consequences of his actions would later haunt him as the spirit of his dead wife sought justice. The film delved into burning issues such as ‘blood money’.

In the upcoming sequel, the focus shifted to Andy’s son, Nnamdi, who like his father is toeing the path of greed and flamboyance.

The producers aim to create a balance with the sequel that will evoke nostalgia for the older generation while gripping the attention of the younger generation.

The movie will see the return of some of its original cast including Kenneth Okonkwo, Kanayo O. Kanayo and Bob-Manuel Udokwu and new stars such as Enyinna Nwigwe and Kalu Ikeagwu.

A typical Gukas film is advocative in nature.

For instance, his 2014 film, ‘A Place in the Stars’, highlighted the dangers of trafficking adulterated drugs while paying tribute to the late Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), Dora Akunyili.

In the 2016 ‘93 Days’, Gukas led a stellar cast to celebrate the life of the heroic Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and her colleagues who contained the spread of the deadly Ebola disease outbreak in Nigeria five years ago.

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The Man Who Saw Nollywood

Ramsey Nouah and some of the cast members

For ‘Living in Bondage’ however, Gukas sees a story about Nollywood. He puts it this way: “It’s all about Nollywood going 360. It started with ‘Living in Bondage’. We are showing how far it has come with the sequel.

The industry has gone through a lot so this sequel is partly telling that story of Nnamdi Okeke and also how far Nollywood has come. I believe that in scales, the morals and the themes that ‘Living in Bondage’ sought to treat at that era is still with us today and we are addressing it now to a younger generation as dipped in the Yahoo plots.

“That is a strong thing that we can draw to the fact that you can tell a story and hope to bring conversations in the focus of those themes. But also to show that we are telling a story that Nollywood starts with and in telling it, how far we have come,” he said in between shoots. They had been up all night shooting and could only catch little sleep. He was working on several takes for a particular scene before jetting off with the crew to South Africa for another shoot.

He continued: “What we have tried to do is to contemporize it, bringing a telling that will appeal to today’s audience who are cinema enthusiasts. Whilst in the first ‘Living in Bondage’ you talked about how rich they are, this sequel will also show how fabulously rich they are.

They are flying in private jets, sailing in yachts, partying in Monaco. You see them living life, visually stunning in all the places that we have shot the film.

We really brought those things that are attractive to the younger generation.”

The movie basically is shot in locations across Nigeria and South Africa. The choice of these locations according to Nouah is to give the film its authenticity.

Making a sequel to such an iconic film is not a small feat.

Gukas described it as a huge challenge.

“We are not just making the sequel of any kind of film but the film that started Nollywood so it is a huge challenge. You do know that you have taken up something that will make people most critical of what you do. Therefore, you know the bar is already set way high. To up that, you will need a lot of focus on different elements that actually elevate the telling of what you are doing to the sequel, rather than take away from it. It’s a legacy project loved by a lot of people for a lot of reasons and so when you touch it, you better be prepared.”

Gukas whose film career rode on the academic honours gathered at NTA TV College in Jos, University of Jos and London Film School where he studied Television Production, Theatre Arts and Film Production respectively, spoke about Nollywood’s journey in glowing terms. For him, the film industry has done exceptionally well from the days of yore.

“I am very much impressed with Nollywood. If you look at where we started and where we are today, I think we have come a long way in terms of technology; it is a huge leap from where we started. There were no cinemas but we have them springing up everywhere today. Cinemas are an added revenue stream.

So every stream that can add to any kobo in your investment is something to be celebrated, so you

have the ambition of the kind of film that you can meet, increasing exponentially. Without the cinemas, you wouldn’t have been able to do a film like ‘93 Days’, ‘Wedding Party’, ‘Chief Daddy’, ‘King of Boys’. The fact that the trench of revenue stream exists, it is allowing filmmakers to imagine bigger projects. When we also started there was no Netflix.

“Because these are happening now, the levels of projects that one can imagine are also increasing. I think the kind of players we have in the industry today has also increased. We have lots of young people practising filmmaking; even those in Europe or the US are coming back. That deepened the pool in terms of craft and talent base. That is really interesting,” he stated.

In a way, the timing of the big budget sequel to ‘Living in Bondage’ is peerless, particularly with the rising cases of cyber fraud which is at the pith of the plot.

Gukas believes that filmmakers cannot turn a blind eye to the ills in society. Using the Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as an example, he underscored the importance of films carrying reformative messages.

‘I think Fela said it best during his time when he said that for an African musician, music shouldn’t be just about enjoyment. You should use it to speak about things that are important to your society.

And I believe that it is a very strong statement. Because what that says is that when you have a voice, you have a platform, you have a responsibility,” he added.

“Yes, entertainment is important but I think you can mix entertainment with a degree of commentary and tackling of issues

that are relevant, especially in our clime where there is the need for that. In more advanced climes, they face fewer problems than we face and therefore can dedicate a lot of their talent to entertainment and creating likeness for the consumer of their products. But while we do have that need, issues like these should be addressed, it should be put in the front burner so that conversations can foster.”

A no stranger to such storylines including his iconic film ‘Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation’ which stars Danny Glover, Gukas reeled out a list of Nollywood movies that are tackling relevant storylines. They include ‘Up North’, ‘Power of One’, ‘Fourth Republic’, and ‘Dry’.

“These films are actually talking about different issues.

Sometimes not as directly, but I think that the beauty of storytelling is to leave something capsuled in a statement that doesn’t appear quite didactic when you consume it and that it is only in retrospect that some of the things hit you.”

For a long while, Gukas nurtured a desire to make a film about Jos, the capital of Plateau state. The city is a shadow of what it used to be during his childhood days. One of the things that have kept him back is the raw sensibility that comes with making a film on a religious torn area. But he seemed to have found a way around it. The only obstacle in his way now is if he is to make it a documentary or dramatic feature. It’s a decision the filmmaker is yet to make – at least, until he wraps up his legacy project.

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JUNE 16, 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 Ex-Governor Chime’s Wife, Clara, Finds Her Voice Again From the outside looking in, the walls of bourgeois homes are like the gates of heaven, admitting only the privileged few to a life of unbroken ease in the lap of luxury, while shutting out the millions of masses who would die for a single taste of the opulence within. What is less realised is that those very same walls often trap their residents in their own vicious cycle of misery and woe that money cannot alleviate. The rich also cry, as the saying goes. They just don’t do it often in the public eye.

One woman who has decided to cry loud and long about her travails is Clara Chime, the estranged wife of former Enugu governor, Sullivan Chime. Since they got separated five years ago, Clara had disappeared from the scene. She became a tall shadow with no human substance in the public eye. Not many wondered what became of the woman, who during her time as first lady across her husband’s two terms, was very visible on the social scene.

However, someone, no matter how submissive or docile can keep quiet for only so long. Clara has decided to throw caution to the winds and let the whole world hear of what she is passing through at the hands of her estranged husband who turned 60 in April. Despite some moves made by close family and friends to try and salvage the marriage, Clara has reached the end of her tether. She has gone to court to dissolve the union.

Narrating her ordeal to a sympathetic court audience, the darkcomplexioned beauty alleged that the former Enugu number one has barred her from seeing her child, reducing mother-child interaction to occasional glimpses and fleeting chance encounters.

She claimed the abuse and threats she received during her stay in her matrimonial home became so much and so brutal that she had no choice but to flee for fear of her life. Since then she had given Chime a wide berth, focusing instead on her oil and gas business. Even though she hasn’t been receiving maintenance money for her daily upkeep, she is happy with the way she is living now and wants the court to make it permanent by legally putting an end to the marriage.

61 with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

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

Corporate Amazon Tokunbo George-Taylor, Glows on Golden Jubilee There are many languages in the world, but the most widely understood ones are power, love and money. Public relations guru, Tokunboh George-Taylor, understands the language of money and speaks the language of power fluently and effortlessly. Having mastered the language of love few years back with her marriage to foremost banker, Akin GeorgeTaylor, Tokunboh can be classed as a fulfilled woman.

All three languages were on display a few days back as the Managing Director of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Nigeria, a global public relations company headquartered in New York waltzed into her golden age. It was a case of a golden celebration for a golden girl as friends and family came together to raise their toasts to the successful woman who has etched her name on the sands of public relations history in Nigeria.

The thanksgiving service at Holy Trinity Church, Ikoyi was the appetizer before the main course of the grand reception where the invited guests were treated to a fun time. The classic but sedate event further underscored the qualities that endear Tokunboh to all who know her. Despite the lack of much noise, all the invited guests felt very welcome on the occasion. Tokunboh herself was on top of the world throughout as she happily lapped up the congratulations flooding her way.

The former Tokunbo Durosaro began her career at MNet/Multichoice as a PR practitioner in the 90s before going on to carve a stellar career that embraced and conquered challenging roles

Sanusi

in several blue chip companies, both home and abroad. Her steps eventually led her to the oil giant Oando Plc where she rose to become a pioneer director of the Oando Foundation.

Her foray in the company which lasted for fourteen years netted her roles as heads of

the company’s Corporate Services, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility divisions. Few months after she tied the knot with her lover of many years Akin George-Taylor in 2015, Tokunboh established and has been heading Managing Director of Hill+Knowlton Strategies Nigeria.

Oil Mogul, Julius Rone Celebrates 45Th Birthday

Julius Rone

There is something electrifying about Julius Rone, the billionaire businessman behind UTM Group. He exudes the lustre of the proverbial leading light thus distinguishing his persona amid a range of middling men. Julius radiates compassion, ardor and acclaim that no life’s odd could tame. Having hacked his path to affluence in honest, industrious strides, he spread out like a bastion of human aspiration even as his exploits

become objects of the world affection. Yes, like a strapping rampart in life’s sea of odds, Julius’ resilience stretches for miles.

However, joy and joie de vivre hover thickly in the home and offices of the founder of UTM Group. It is understandable. He’s 45 years old. For those who have known him for like forever, and considering his mammoth and mouth-watering successes on all fronts, he appears much older and he carries himself with as much aplomb and maturity.

Without a scintilla of doubt, 45 years is a long time in a man’s life. And if, like Rone, you have been gifted with an illustrious and impactful life, and worthy and worthwhile life, celebrating as uninhibitedly as you want shouldn’t be out of place. Julius understands and appreciates this, and how far he has come in life. In the years past, he would have shut down a whole city anywhere in the world and celebrate with friends and associates with rivers of champagnes and cognacs trailing them. But he has come of age.

He is, however, not unmindful of the fact that at 45, life now seems shorter which is why he is a walking embodiment of gratefulness to God for the grace and good health to daily wake up without any aches and anxieties. So, for his birthday, there are no plans at all to roll out the

drums or turn the city on its head in celebrations for the milestone age. Instead of a party, he plans to spend the day with the downtrodden in Abuja, share their angst and anxieties with them and try as much as possible to lighten up their year with tonnes of gifts and food items.

Rone, an alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the University of Calabar (Cross River State) - where he earned his Advanced Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration respectively. His company, UTM Group, which has many subsidiaries including UTM Dredging Limited, an established provider of premium marine logistic support in engineering, construction, equipment rental, leasing, procurement, supply and general labour services to the ever expanding clientele comprising government, oil and gas companies and other private organizations.

Julius is married to leggy beauty, Utibe Umoh-Rone, a microbiology graduate of the University of Port Harcourt. At 45, Julius exudes an uncanny mélange of zeal and fervor that becomes his charm. Intellectually, he flaunts a visceral approach that only a few of his contemporaries can rival. Hard work has designed him a wide-grin and leads him across the lane of fame to the realization of his dreams.

The Other Side of Segun Opeke

Clara

There is no gainsaying the banking sector is like a wilderness riddled with storms. But despite its inherent dangers, a few daring bankers navigate through with a stubborn resolve and unyielding spirit, like bog-hardened seekers. That relentless spirit often pays off. It guides them through periods of quagmires of global commerce till they emerge, victorious in spirit and resolve, like the champions they set out to become.

Dedication and fighting spirit are qualities many do not acquire without years of experience and failure, but for Segun Opeke, they are irremovable parts of his DNA, as natural as breathing. While others shrink into their anonymous cocoons when the storms of the business world come knocking, Segun boldly embraces the struggle. He wages war on the elements and bends inclement business climates to his iron will.

The Directorate Head at Nigeria’s newest bank Polaris is like an engine programmed

to perform without unnecessary noise. Each part and lever set precisely to complement one another, heart and mind and will moving in unison to form an unstoppable whole. And like the machine Segun is born for what he does: nobody embraces the joys of work like he does. Not for him the routine frolic and secret dereliction of duty like some of his peers.

For Segun, it is duty above all else. Since his ascension he has reduced what was a mountain of lingering issues facing the bank to little more than a pile of stones.

Since taking up the mantle as directorate head, Lagos Business at Skye (now Polaris), Segun’s singular qualities of hard-nosed dedication and single-minded focus on meeting set targets has won him admirers among his peers and Financial regulators alike. Little wonder he was able to emerge unblemished and untouched from the recent shake-up which retired the Skye name and brought Polaris into existence.

Segun Opeke

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HIGHLIFE

Davido’s Co-manager, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin Transits from Entertainment to Politics Superstar singer Davido’s former comanager, Debo Ogundoyin, has achieved a feat unheard of in the hallowed annals of the nation, emerging the speaker of the Oyo State house of assembly at the young age of 32. Having left the entertainment industry two years ago for full-fledged politics. What an impact he has made in such a short time!

The young man who represents Ibarapa East constituency emerged speaker of the Oyo house of assembly. Who would have guessed that a man as young and new in politics as Adebo could defeat veteran politicians in the last perliamentary elections? Not only that, despite his tender years in comparison with some of the fellow members of the newly inaugurated house, he was able to emerge speaker without as much as one voice of dissent.

Astonishingly, Adebo is the only lawmaker that was returned to the state house of assembly out of the 26 members elected on the platform of the PDP. While tides of electoral change swept away a majority of the previous legislators that bid for re-election, his youth and relative spotlessness proved the magic formula that returned him to the chambers.

The motion to make him the youngest speaker in Nigerian history was moved by Hon. Adebayo Babajide who represents Ibadan North Constituency and supported

by Hon Adeola Bamidele, from Iseyin/ Itesiwaju Local Government. With no hand

Adebo Ogundoyin

raised in opposition, he was thereafter sworn in by the house of assembly clerk Mrs

Felicia Oyediran amidst an atmosphere of harmony and camaraderie that seldom pervades such high-stakes political gatherings.

Does this man hail from a family of politicians? Digging deeply into Adebo’s background, it was found out that he is one of the sons of the late chief Adeseun Ogundoyin, a philanthropist and industrialist. Having relinquished his comanagement of DMW rapper Oremo two years ago, Hon Adebo won the Ibarapa East by-election in June, 2018, a position left open due to the death of the late speaker of the 8th Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt, Hon. Michael Adeyemo.

Hon Adebo Ogundoyin in his excitement promised to run an open door policy in order to avoid any form of skepticism among lawmakers and also between the legislature and executive. He was a picture of geniality and humility as he sought the support of his comrades and the new state governor Seyi Makinde who was also in attendance to witness the history-making occasion.

Trust Davido, he was not about to allow such good news to pass by without adding his voice to the chorus of congratulations.

He posted a congratulatory post on social media site, Instagram, while there will no doubt be some private hailing and backslapping involved the next time their paths cross.

Abayomi Awobokun: From Grass to Grace

Awobokun

When the story is told of the few men and women who shrugged off the shackles of their

humble status to earn for themselves deserved statues in the hall of greatness, Abayomi Awobokun, founder of Enyo Retail and Supply, will occupy the first chapter. From an early age, he vowed to himself that he would rather be a self-made man of means than a fate-made victim of circumstance, and every step of his sojourn towards the apex, he has stayed true to his word.

Abayomi recently celebrated the second year anniversary of Enyo Retail and Supply with friend, investor and chairman of the company, Tunde Folawiyo, the billionaire businessman behind the Yinka Folawiyo empire. If Abayomi had already begun to run the industrial race, Tunde was the one who strapped a rocket to his back and enabled him to fly. And fly, he most certainly has. Enyo celebrated its 2nd anniversary by launching Stillwater, a new mega filling station along the ever-busy LekkiEpe Expressway.

Abayomi graduated with a second class lower degree from the prestigious University of Ibadan. A result that would be dispiriting for many became what bolstered his resolve to rise above all odds. Leaping at the chance to acquire the necessary knowhow in a conducive environment, Abayomi gathered his courage and sojourned abroad. He did all kinds of odd jobs to keep himself afloat, at one point

he allegedly cleaned toilets for a living. But fortune, having spun its wheel one way, spun it another. That was how Abayomi found himself as the Area Manager, Halifax Bank of Scotland before his triumphant return to Nigeria to join the marketing team of Oando Plc in 2005.

It is said that if you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision will push you. This was the case with Abayomi, he was determined not to let his background get in the way of his success. He threw himself into his role at Oando, scoring accolades and promotions as if they were going out of fashion. At 31, Abayomi became the deputy COO at Oando Marketing, and in 2011, the deputy CEO of Oando Downstream, Mr Omamofe Boyo, relinquished the position for him and he became the CEO of Oando Downstream at 33.

As a personality making waves in the oil and gas sector, Abayomi after being the CEO at Oando for 11 years, established Enyo Retail and Supply, a customer focused technology driven fuel retaining company. It is believed that his success story wouldn’t have been complete without mentioning Tunde Folawiyo, the chairman of Enyo retail and supply.

Lekan Fatodu Renews Commitment to the African Child

I

t’s his birthday today and, coincidentally, this day, June 16, is also the United Nations’ International Day of the African Child, when issues confronting the African Child are reemphasised for desirable outcomes.

But, unlike many people tend to, the reputable development practitioner and PR expert, Lekan Fatodu, will not be indulged in any form of ostentatious rave and merriment.

Rather, Fatodu, who was one of the few Nigerians that swiftly rose up to galvanise support that resulted in worthy donations and scholarships for children affected by the Ita Faji collapsed building in Lagos, has hinted that the day is another opportunity for deep reection on life and for scaling up efforts that will provide necessary head start for the disadvantaged in the society, particularly children.

Reputable for his predilection for pro-people causes and extensive global network, it’s been revealed that top on Fatodu’s agenda is to facilitate greater support from the international development space to Africa and Nigeria in particular, thereby opening up the country to invaluable skills and resources that will enable it confront its development challenges more effectively.

It has also been reliably gathered that Fatodu, who convened the 1st African Roundtable on Business and Sustainable Development in the British Houses of Parliament, London, a highlevel engagement that played host to the British Prime Minister’s Envoy on Trade to Nigeria, John Howell and the Private Parliamentary Secretary on International Trade, Iain Stewart and other powerful stakeholders in industry and development, is working on delivering something related but bigger in Lagos, Nigeria.

Although, to many who know him, the Master’s degree holder in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Westminster and a certiďŹ ed PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner from London is always at the forefront of laudable ideas, not a few are itching to know the new initiative Fatodu will unfurl soon.

Gone Till 2023‌ As Jimi Agbaje Recoils into His Shell I came. I saw. I conquered were the immortal words of a triumphant Julius Caesar as he sauntered into Rome after defeating his rivals on the battlefield. He left. He came. He left again might just be the refrain posterity will use to remember Jimi Agbaje, the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. After the latest setback to his ambitions to govern Lagos State, the career pharmacist Jimi Agbaje has recoiled into his anonymous cocoon‌for the umpteenth time.

In three of the last four election cycles, Jimi had emerged on the scene, beating drums of revolution and good governance, gathering people under his banner and declaring that victory would be his. He first burst into public consciousness in 2007 when he had a thrilling campaign under the banner of the defunct African Democratic Congress, ADC. Although he lost, he made a great impression on the minds of many and was tipped by pundits as someone that would go on to scale greater heights.

Those greater heights have not materialized, however. Again and again Jimi keeps coming. Again and again, Jimi is denied. His third try at becoming governor

Agbaje

in 2019 ended in a loss as humiliating as his second attempt four years earlier. It didn’t

help that he was reportedly at loggerheads with many chieftains of the state PDP over allocation of election resources, leading many of them to leave him alone to sink or swim by himself. He sank.

Since he was taught a lesson in unity by the well-oiled machinery of the APC in Lagos, Jimi has slunk away with his tails behind his legs. His recent public utterances on the elections revealed his belief that the APC is to blame for his latest failure rather than something he might or might not have done.

Rumours recently surfaced that the 62-year-old dude has followed the likes of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Gbenga Daniel in dumping the PDP. Although he swiftly came out to debunk the news there is no gainsaying that his relations with the state PDP hierarchy has turned sour.

Although he still has two feet in the party his two eyes are roving elsewhere, testing out alternatives.

Those who believe that Jimi Agbaje will finally retire from active, or at least elective, politics might be in for a rude shock. For now, he has relapsed into the background.

But, come 2023, he is expected to bring out the old drums once again.

Lekan Fatodu

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HIGHLIFE

Fashion Forward? As Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila’s Wife, Salamatu, Creates a Stir with Dress Sense Salamatu Gbajabiamila, wife of the newly elected speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, this week caused pandemonium with how she came dressed to the inauguration of the ninth assembly on Tuesday, June 11.

She had come out in full force to support her husband, Femi Gbajabiamila, who was being inaugurated as a member of the green chamber of the National Assembly for a fifth time, a remarkable record. The feat makes Femi one of the longest-serving members at the national assembly since inception of the fourth republic in 1999.

Later in the day, Femi soundly defeated his opponent Umar Bago with 283 votes to 78 as his colleagues overwhelmingly chose him as the speaker of the House of Representatives in an election that was most noteworthy for the lack of rancour that attended past instances of elected representatives choosing their leaders.

However, what caught the eye before and after the process was

Gbajabiamila

Salamatu, the wife of the new speaker. She was powerfully dressed to the occasion with a nod to her cultural heritage. She spotted a gold head tie and splendid black native dress sprinkled with gold flowers.

However, what got people talking the most was her “larger than life� sunglasses. The big eyewear functioned like a mask, obscuring most of her face.

Expectedly, tongues have been wagging since the photos went viral.

While some commended her for trying new things and differentiating herself from the crowd, others lambasted the new speaker’s wife for going too far all in the name of fashion.

Recall that, just over a year ago, Salamatu became the centre of controversy when her husband gifted her a brand new Benz G-Wagon on her 50th birthday. The Gbajabiamilas became fodder for a lot of public scorn due to the perceived wastefulness and ostentatious lifestyle during a time of austerity from someone supposed to be a role model in the country.

High-Octane Bash for Folake Osinowo at 50 For one of the most glamorous society ladies and female politicians in Oyo State, Folake Olunloyo-Osinowo, it was party time few days back as she turned 50. Her Foreshore Estate, Ikoyi home came aglow as she and her popular socialite husband, Tunde Osinowo, otherwise known as TeddyShine hosted guests to a high octane shindig that will live long in the memory.

The Who’s Who of high society turned up at the Osinowos’ in many shades and hues of creative old school outfits for the vintagethemed dinner. It was an occasion that emphasized how grateful the beautiful politician was for the gift of life, friends and family; there were multiple sessions of praise, worship and prayer. From the moment one of her friends Mrs Adetoun Agbebi

There is, indeed, a reasonable expectation in a world of fickle idolatry, especially when you’ve risen to celebrity status as quickly as Aisha Buhari. She knows she can do anything and she is not one to apologize for that.

Yes, the line between anonymity and popularity is thin while that between meekness and megalomania is even thinner requiring just a sudden change in financial or social status. Evidences abound everywhere.

That is why discerning observers of the social space especially those who know the new “First Lady� of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, are not exactly surprised at how socially and verbally emboldened she has become in recent time. She hides her vanity beneath a veneer of humility...but at odd moments—in the exciting company of her bosom friends, in the folds of a wispy daydream or the middle of a friendly and feel-good banter, she now betrays her lust for reverence and acclaim.

kicked things off with a prayer session, the celebrant could barely contain her happiness and gratitude as she made sure the guests were comfortable and lacked nothing.

On hand to witness the cakecutting were the likes of the monarch of Ikateland ba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, deputy governor of Ogun State Mrs Noimot Salako, Senator and Mrs Musiliu Obanikoro, Dr and Mrs Taiwo Afolabi, and Ayo Subair. Others were Chief and Mrs Dayo Adeneye, Deji and Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Chief Bisi Olatilo, Mr and Mrs Taye Ayeni; Sijibomi Ogundele, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, and many others.

Top gospel sensation Ayan Jesu were on hand to dish out popular numbers that got the guests in their feet as good

food quickly found its way from plate to mouth and wine flowed freely and applause and toasts resonated round the place. None louder than when her husband of many years Tunde took the floor and lavished the woman who means the world to him with so much endearment as she blushed with happiness.

Folake had been on a low-key since she lost her bid to return to the national assembly some years back. In 2007 she had won an election under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Ibadan SouthWest Federal Constituency at the House of Representative but couldn’t retain her seat in 2011. However, those who attended her 50th birthday shindig left convinced that the popular woman is able to make a splash whenever the need arises.

Mr. and Mrs. Osinowo

A First Lady Seen in a New Light‌

Aisha Buhari Interestingly, however, Aisha has dropped the title ‘Wife of the

President’ that she adopted in 2015.

She now wants to be called First

Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with immediate effect. She made the title change on Thursday night at the presentation of awards to the former and current wives of Governors of the 36 states.

The event held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. She said her new title would take effect immediately in order to also resolve the issue of the title of wives of governors.“When my husband was newly elected, I personally chose to be called the wife of the President. “But, I realised that it causes confusion from the state as to whether the wives of state governors are to be addressed as the first ladies or wives of the governors. “So, forgive me for confusing you from the beginning, but now I chose to be called the first lady,� she said.

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Fun, Glitz, As Akpabio’s Wife, Ekaette Unoma Celebrates

Osoba

In politics, Senator Godswill Akpabio has made a name for himself.

As a a two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State and now a serving senator, he has proved to all that he understands the game of politics like the back of his hand.

But it would be wrong to assume that his forte lies only in politics.

Those close to him say he is also very romantic. Indeed, he recently showcased his romantic side when his  ’Â?ÂŽČąÂ˜Â?ČąÂ–ÂŠÂ—Â˘ČąÂ˘ÂŽÂŠÂ›ÂœÇ°ČąČą ”ŠŽĴŽȹ Â—Â˜Â–ÂŠÇ°Čą turned a year older on June 9.

Fondly called Eka Esit Mbom, the beautiful woman was celebrated to high heavens on the occasion by the respected senator and the invited guests. Čą —•’”ŽȹÂ?‘Žȹ™›ŽÂ&#x;Â’Â˜ÂžÂœČąÂŒÂŽÂ•ÂŽÂ‹Â›ÂŠÂ?Â’Â˜Â—ÂœÇ°Čą the Akpabios only threw a low-key birthday shindig in honour of the woman of substance at their Abuja home. It was witnessed by family members and a couple of friends.

To her, celebrating one’s birthday is essential, but helping others, especially the less privileged, is more important.

Her abiding philosophy is that wealth is given by God to whom He pleases, and whatever is given to you ‹¢ȹ ˜Â?ČąÂ’ÂœČąÂ—Â˜Â?ČąÂ?Â˜Â›ČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÂ›ČąÂ‹ÂŽÂ—ÂŽÄ™Â?ČąÂŠÂ•Â˜Â—ÂŽÇ°Čą but for others.

Her pet project, Family Life Enhancement Programme (FLEP), has been a channel of joy for the less privileged and the down-trodden. She has given hope to indigent students, widows, the homeless, traders, the sick, among others.

She, however, detests any form of noise-making about herself or her philanthropic gestures; she doesn’t blow her trumpet, despite all she has achieved in that aspect.

She is described as a pillar of support to her husband in his political Â“Â˜ÂžÂ›Â—ÂŽÂ˘ÇŻČą Â’Ä´Â•ÂŽČąÂ Â˜Â—Â?ÂŽÂ›Ç°ČąÂœÂ‘ÂŽČąÂ’ÂœČąÂ ÂŽÂ•Â•ČŹ loved and respected among her people, family and friends.

Again, Ex-Taraba Gov, Late Suntai’s Wife, Hauwa Finds Love Hajia Hauwa Suntai, wife of the late governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai, is back in the news!

Until now, most of the reports written about her bordered on her low periods, when her late husband was incapacitated after involving in a crash.

The unfortunate incident had thrown her into a prolonged period of pain, anguish, physical and emotional torture.

For five good years, she nursed her bed-ridden husband until he breathed his last.

Yet, for another two years, she has had to bear the pains of widowhood, with its accompanying discomfort. Now in her 50s, Hajia has decided to put together the pieces of her life and moved on. Her decision has been generating mixed reactions, after it was reported that she got married to a younger lover, Haliru Saad Malami, aka San Turakin Malumfashi.

Since the news of her wedding to Malami, CEO, ITBAN Global Resources Limited, not a few have condemned her.

But her fans have continued to stand in her defence , saying love has no barriers.

According to them, Hauwa has not committed any crime by agreeing to spend the rest of her life with Malami, who is said to be in his 30s and a cousin to Turai Yar’Adua, wife of the late Nigeria’s President, Umaru Yar’Adua.

It will be recalled that the late Suntai was involved in a plane crash in Yola and was flown to Germany for treatment.

In August 2013, he was flown back to Nigeria, after undergoing

Hajia HauwaSuntai and new husband Haliru Saad Malani

treatment overseas for 10 months, following claims by his supporters that he was fit to govern.

In November 2014, when Suntai was flown to a London hospital for treatment, he was accompanied by his wife, Hauwa.

In 2015, in the build-up to

the general election, Suntai was hurriedly flown back to Nigeria.

In all, Hauwa neither wavered nor faltered in the discharge of her matrimonial duties and responsibilities to her husband, who eventually passed on in June 2017.

Oil Magnate, Nkechi’s Giant Strides

Nkechi

Not many gave Nkechi Obi a chance to succeed, when she ventured into the difficult terrain of oil and gas business, several years ago.

But today, her name rings a bell among top industry players, owing to her resolve to succeed.

At the outset, Nkechi, who has a number of firsts in her kitty, was marketing lubricants. She, however, later ventured into the sale and distribution of petroleum products.

In less than a decade of operations, she has built an impressive track record with Techno Oil, a leading indigenous oil and gas company.

Indeed, her immense contributions to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria have also been recognised at home and abroad.

In spite of her success story, she is not resting on her laureis. A few weeks ago, the vice-president of Techno Oil led the high and the mighty , including the Vicepresident Yemi Osinbajo , to the commissioning of a Liquefied Pressure Gas (LPG) manufacturing plant.

The plant, which has the capacity to produce over 1 million gas cylinders, started in 2015 and it can reduce the importation of substandard cylinders.

For Obi, the journey to the enviable height in the oil industry has been laced with thorns and roses.

But she has held on to her beautiful dream.

Over the years, she has sown in sweats, so it is not surprising that she is now reaping in bountiful harvest.

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SOCIETY WATCH

Fatimah Dangote’s Husband Jamil’s Modest Lifestyle In 2017, Jamil Abubakar suddenly became a subject of interesting and robust discourses among the socially conscious members of the society. He even hit the cover of some magazines at that time. How? Though he is known to be a socialite, Jamil, son of a former police boss, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, gained more popularity when news broke that he married Fatima Dangote, daughter of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, in a fairy-tale wedding, which held in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos, respectively.

Two years after, Fatima, who is also an executive director with Dangote Group, has constantly been in the media, for obvious reasons.

However, Jamil, a graduate of Computing Information Systems and Multimedia from the Kingston University, seems to have disappeared from the social circle, making many to wonder about his whereabouts.

Fatimah Dangote and husband Jamil

Saraki’s Magnanimity Amidst Political Travails

Saraki

He made a choice, which he considered the best for him in the circumstance, and he pursued it with all his God-given resources.

He is not one who would ever entomb his dream, so put up a good fight. He suffered

attacks from all imaginable quarters, yet he held on to his conviction.

Those who believed in him egged him on and invested their time , energies and resources in him.

But fate, the ultimate decider, had its way.

So, last week, Dr. Bukola Saraki, stepped down as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly, after a lot of heightened political drama.

His reign, however, it may be described, has somehow added another interesting chapter to the annals of the nation’s fledgling democracy.

Regardless of his travails, the former governor of Kwara State is recognised for blazing a trail in the political circle, particularly as it concerned successful execution of major laws in the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Though he lost the bid to return to the senate in the March, 2019 election, the 56 years old political gladiator has shown an uncommon spirit of sportsmanship by not turning his back against his people; evidence that he eschews politics with bitterness.

He has also shown that you don’t need to be in power before you impact your society positively. This was evidenced when he announced the donation of his severance allowance to Leah Sharibu and some other families who are victims of the insurgency in the North-East geopolitical zone.

The initiative was widely commended by members of the public as well as the media.

He came into our consciousness after he was appointed an aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He would later dazzle many when he was governor of Kwara State and later Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), As chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, his tenure was eventful and he was well-loved by his colleagues .

When he first won a seat in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, he was appointed as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology and was also a member of the Senate Committees on Capital Markets and Finance.

Oba Tejuosho’s Son, Adedamola, Weds In Style

Newly wed Adedamola Tejuosho and his wife Oluwadamilola

A few days ago, Oba (Dr.) Adedapo Tejuosho, the Osile Oke-Ona of Egbaland, played host to dignitaries from in and outside the country, when his son, Prince Adedamola Bodunrin , married his dashing soulmate, Princess Oluwadamilola, daughter of the late Elijah Otubaga, in a traditional wedding at the popular Classic Event Centre, amidst fanfare.

At the Chapel of Christ The Light, Alausa, Lagos, the couple received divine blessings during the official solemnization, which was witnessed by many personalities, including Iyalode Alaba Lawson and Sen. Lanre Tejuosho, among others.

The handsome groom, a Business Administration graduate from the Bowen University, Oyo State, looked regal in his well-tailored Yoruba traditional attire, so also the beautiful bride, Princess Oluwadamilola, a graduate of International Relations from the Covenant University, Ogun State, looked every inch a princess in her traditional outfit.

Indeed, the event was literally soaked in royalty, as high flying guests turned up looking resplendent in honour of the Tejuoshos and the Otubagas.

Some of the top personalities at the church wedding include Otunba Adekunle Ojora and his beautiful wife, Erelu Ojuloape Ojora; Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele; General Oladipo Diya (retd.) and so many others.

The guests were treated to melodious tunes from the wave-making Aristo Band.

Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi’s Memorable Moment What do you know about Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. kayode Fayemi?

Are you interested in her because she is Ekiti State’s first lady? Or do you find her appealing only for her disarming humility or alluring simplicity?

No doubt, you will never get tired reading to find answers to all of the posers, if they were to be compiled in a book.

A deeper search into her life shows that she has cultivated a far-sighted career, in aspiration and in reality, as to what niche she must carve for herself as an educated young woman in a male-dominated social culture.

She once confessed again that being the wife of a governor has made her stop thinking like she would have loved to. She is one lady who loves to research into intellectual works; though this she did a bit but her scope was limited to governance.

No wonder, she was recently bestowed a great honour of Zik Award 2018 for her leadership traits over the years.

Interestingly, a couple of people who made her guest list during her 56th birthday celebrations , last week, had the opportunity to be fed with some snippets about her, as a few of the invited reportedly shared their encounter with her during the low-key celebrations.

Erelu Fayemi, an avowed feminist, born in England, Liverpool, 56 years ago. She attended Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School and Methodist High School, Lagos and later University of Ife( now Obafemi Awolowo University), where she bagged a degree and Master’s degree in History.

She later returned to the United Kingdom to earn another Master’s Degree from the University of Middlesex in Gender and Society.

Bisi Fayemi

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

MKO... ‘is Our Man’ For those of us who could afford radio at that time, that was the mantra. MKO, is our man ooooooo. He was truly our man.

Rich, extravagant, kind with expansive mood. He loved Nigeria and showed this by having wives in every nook and cranny of the country. Even those in Akwa Ibom were represented in the harem. It was truly federal character.

He contested the elections and carried out a very colourful campaign touching everybody and every geographical location bringing Nigerians together in unity and a true sense of purpose. He was a lovable stammerer. We all were

touched and we all responded with our votes, giving him the election which was adjudged as the freest and fairest.

Then these people struck, they cancelled the elections and threw the country into a dangerous precipice of uncertainty.

Some of us jumped on Ikorodu road, carrying leaves and singing war songs while the Igbo ran back to the east in fear of a resurgence of the evil civil war.

It took the short and ugly Abacha to quell the uprising throwing us into the worse period we have faced since the civil war.

Today June 12 is being celebrated for whatever reasons and the MAN who

made this all very possible is also being celebrated as a true hero of democracy in this our beleaguered country. For me, I am celebrating with a big bowl of afang and fufu. Sorry, I did not mention my mother is in Lagos all the way from Uyo to celebrate June 12 with me. She has cooked some very lovely afang with periwinkle and what we in Uyo call ‘Ekwong’. June 12 is more than a public holiday; it is now spiritual defeating the selfish purpose of declaring it – a leverage for the last elections. Today and forever we will always shout hallelujah and better express our resolve to remain free. Thank you.

Abiola

FRANK KOKORI, AYO OPADOKUN – MBOK, LEAVE ME O As I came downstairs, just waking from a troubled sleep, I stumbled on the TV with Chief Frank Kokori taking us through the June 12 struggle. He was our hero then o. The man fought the Army in the bid to reinstate the winner of that glorious Election. Ayo Opadokun, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi and Femi Falana were the other speakers. As they spoke, the reality of not only their situation but the situation of this country hit me. They were in 2019 still asking for ethnic nationalities to come together in a National Conference to discuss something. You know when Elders speak you cannot laugh or yab them so that you too will grow old. I cannot really speak my mind but to beg the media to allow them rest na. They have done their bit and they should be given war medals and celebrated with pictures and statues because from the talk I listened to it was obvious that the system has left them behind. Not only them o, but a lot of our leaders who just run around dribbling themselves thinking it is us they are dribbling. Look, the issue in Nigeria let me say it very clearly nobody can catch me is leadership and value. Inept leadership peopled by weak, visionless people in positions of leadership and inability to understand value. These old people are still fighting for oil blocs when that economy has gone. They are still fighting along ethnic lines when the younger generations have seen the power that is in the new economy. An economy that is not extractive but that of ideas, innovation and influence; a borderless market of which control is not by your state of origin but your ability to coral skill and innovation to capture.

Be fighting over oil that is becoming useless and be calling for yeye National Conference and go and be speaking broken English while the market is

moving. Young people are creating value, redistributing wealth and creating huge markets in this same country while these

Babas are talking their crap and indulging in their parochial tendencies. Billionaire Linda Ikeji and other thoughtful leaders

GBAJA –THE GOLDEN BOY Mbok, before writing this piece, I went through all my writings to see if I yabed this egbon anywhere o. But as I was researching, I saw that I have really yabed him many times and that I did not support his candidacy. So as a man of principles what position should I take now that he has emerged as the speaker? Should I maintain my stance that I do not think he is qualified for this position or should I like my friends turn coat? You see this is a very difficult decision to take especially if you take into consideration the glasses madam wore the other day to the National Assembly. Someone asked if she was a ‘welder’. The glasses were huge like the type welders in Shomolu wear to protect their eyes from the bright lights as they work. Anyways, let me answer my own question before I digress, well the man has emerged and what can we do as true democrats? We must respect the wishes of the people and send our official congratulatory messages. So my egbon, as soon as PHCN bring light, the Duke will send you his official congratulatory message in which he would exhort you to stand by truth and justice, to abhor the influence of bullion van owning godfathers and to uphold the oath you have taken and much more importantly, the values as enshrined in our constitution as you embark on this journey. I know all that one is English I am talking, na you sabi. We dey watch.

God will bless and guide you. Congrats my brother.

Frank Kokori

Ayo Opadokun

Gbajabiamila

Sanwo-Olu

TUNDE BAKARE, ‘KE’!

Please permit me to speak vernacular for this one. Pastor Bakare Ke! Please as you read this, kindly picture a Yoruba tomato seller in Shomolu market just being told that her nextdoor neighbour has bought a new car - Oya put your hand on your waist, bend down small and shout with all your mouth wide open – PASTOR BAKARE – KE!. It must complete with spit pouring out of your mouth. That was exactly what I did when I heard the rumour that he was being

considered for the chief of staff role. I not only shouted but threw away the last morsel of fufu I was eating. How can? chief of Staff ke? After all the abuse he had thrown at Baba and after Jehovah God told him he would be president abi did God later tell him it will be chief of staff? Make I just keep quiet before pepper enter my throat.

I am still holding my waist o, Pastor Bakare Ke. Oya clap your hand, laugh, jump around and complete it by saying- jo ma kpa mi!

Bakare

of the new economy made and created their influence because they are Igbo or Yoruba people? Value is the new king.

Sit down there. Mbok, I will not laugh, make them no go curse me. They can be that wicked. But that generation daily confirms Prof. Wole Soyinka’s position wasted. No be talk am, but na true. Crap.

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JUNE 16, 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

Naira Marley

Buhari

Godwin Obaseki

Oluwo of Iwoland

CUSTOMS – PLEASE NA! I have just got reports that Customs officers now move into people’s homes and offices to seize cars that they feel were ‘smuggled’ in. Mbok, this can be very traumatic o. You can imagine after suffering to buy a car and then some people in faded uniform will just pounce on you and collect the car because it doesn’t have papers. I really do not know the terms of engagement of the customs people and as such will not lay too much blame on them. But I have also heard that after impounding the cars, they are later auctioned out some months later. Well, all these no really concern me because na like 20 years ago I buy my last car and if the economy continue like this be like say, I may not buy car again in this life but then again if something is not looking quite well, we must all come out and speak. My lord, remember when Senators where fighting you to wear uniform and you preferred to wear shorts to their hallowed chambers, I was among those who supported you o especially when we started seeing the kinds of figures you were throwing up as per revenue generation. I know you are a man of discipline and forthrightness, can you kindly look into this matter and let us have a peaceful resolution? In case you do not understand what I am trying to say, the question is , does the customs have right to burst into people’s homes fully armed to impound cars? I know know the answer that is why I dey ask o. Them send me, if this is yes. Don’t vex. It is just question. But if it is No – DO SOMETHING SIR. Thank you my brother.

institutions and all. But the institution don catch this one and we must beg.

Na our pikin. Mbok, Judge or whoever is in charge, is it possible to waive some of these conditions so that this boy can go home at least until the case has been resolved. Na beg, it is not by force. It is pleading. We know that justice must be allowed to take its full course but at least we can tamper justice with small mercy.

So Mr. Judge please consider. This is not one big politician that can muster enough resources to meet the conditions in one minute. Na small amu igbo boy wey don enter this one. Please we are on our knees.

Thank you as you consider our plea.

pushing for strengthening of institutions, commitment to due process and the enforcement of laws. And then the next thing, this one happens and emotions now will be flying with all sorts of moral arguments. Me I am confused and don’t even know which side to take. I thank God the courts have asked for a status quo to be maintained. NBC has said that they have breached the Broadcasting Code, AIT said it is political witch hunt and inside the matter some staff are shouting that they have not been paid salaries forever.

Those ones are mumu. If person never pay you salary for one year you no commot go open blog na. na free. Please the management of AIT and Ray power including all media owners should please go and read that broadcast thing and abide by it and save us all this wahala. The other day I went into Beats FM for interview and my brother Olisa Adibua warned me before he gave me micro phone say I should respect broadcast code. I just look am.

But I respect the thing o. As he asked me the first question on the interview, before I answered, I said, ‘I respect the broadcast code’. I said it twice in case the NBC no hear. Lol.

have it very rough in his quest to return.

Well, my next play is EMOTAN and it is a Bini Play and I was just thinking of how I will reach him for support before I come dey hear all these funny talk. Please we must give him second term o. I have school fees to pay o. Abi what else can I say? I am too old to go and do Yahoo yahoo before EFCC will now come and use me to write film.

Goddy what can we do, how do we go beg oga and his people? Or should we go through his beautiful wife and hope that with that one on our side and a small suspension from the other room will make him see reasons. You must come back o, don’t worry. I will go into serious dry fasting with prayers and supplications so that we assure you of your second term. Abi we should sign agreement before I start this suffering so that you will not turn your back on me after you win. You know me; I cannot do that Ubah/Ngige drama o.

NAIRA MARLEY– A DILLEMMA You see I have often said that my readers are not social media savvy. Some of them like my egbon, Chike Ogeah, does not even know what Snap Chat is talk less of Instagram story. He will just be looking at the phone every time and be doing text message. The other day, at my play, 3some, he was seated in the executive box and staring at his android phone madam had just bought for him and she had to yab him small: ‘Chike are you going to continue to be staring at the phone or are you going to watch the Play’, laugh nearly kill me. Anyways that is not the story today, it is Naira Marley.

So most of you may not know who he is.

He is a young musician, a social media titan with millions of followers who has found himself in EFCC wahala accused of money laundering and other sundry charges. He has been in detention and recently secured bail. But feelers we are hearing is that he has not been able to meet the conditions of the bail and as such is still in the Ikoyi prison. Now I do not know how to beg for this case because the law is the law and we are all shouting on the strengthening of the

BUHARI – LET’S DO AMBODE Me I have decided not to put mouth in this your cabinet building. I have said my own that you should think of legacy and those who have the capacity to help you achieve this and I have kept quiet. So all these people asking me to put mouth on their behalf are just wasting their time because I have decided to siddon look.

But let me break my silence and make a passionate plea for the candidacy of Akinwunmi Ambode. Baba, don’t vex, he did not send me o. In fact we have not spoken since last December when he came to see my play, -Oba Esugbayi, and during that his wahala with the godfathers who tell us how to sleep with our wives, I tried to send him holy water and bathing soap so he can go and bath in the lagoon near Iyana Oworo to no avail. My request is based on his performance in Lagos, his pedigree and the main reason they said he had to go – he was not carrying his party members along - whatever that means. Please if you do this for me, I promise you I will not yab you again at least for two weeks. Thank you, my lord and God will guide you. You are the best President we have. I swear.

SANWO_OLU–LOSEWEIGHT? Mbok, please don’t let me laugh abeg.

The one that is doing me now is not laugh before I poo in my pants. After just 10 days, uncle is reported to have said he is losing weight. Kai, that means that by four years we fit they look full-scale malnourished person o like the ones we see during the Ethiopian famine. Uncle, please I think you should start taking multi vitamins and supplements o. This work is not easy o, better still let me introduce you to my afang woman at Onigbongbo so that she will be giving you well-nourished afang.

Don’t worry about the money I will pay. You really need all the strength and vigour to run Lagos with all its wahala.

You cannot be losing weight just 10 days into the tenor. Which kain wahala be this o? Wey red cross. Kai. AIT, RAYPOWER –WHATCANWE SAY? Things like these really stretch our democratic credentials. At once we are

OLUWO OF IWOLAND – PERMISSION? You see you have to be very careful when you are reading things on social media. So when I saw the report that the Chief Imam at the mosque in Iwo land was accusing the Oba of not liking him because he did not give him permission to sleep with his wife. I ignored it because I did not believe that any sane man would go and take permission from another man to sleep with that one’s wife.

But then again the video was released on social media and I was aghast. Who does that, who will go and be asking the other one permission to sleep with his wife?

Well, stranger things have happened in this our Nigeria. So I will just be sitting down in my house and then someone will now come and say I should permit him to sleep with Duchess? Me I will run away o. Because I will think the man is mad and dangerous because it is not normal. Kai, make I keep quiet as we continue to be looking. Permission ke?

GODWIN OBASEKI – HOW CAN I BE OF HELP? His Excellency is a stockbroker and as such a senior colleague. I used to like him when he was trading for SECTRUST and as a junior broker I used to just like his suits. He was quiet and carried himself with dignity and was one of the most respected brokers in the market. Well, now he is fighting the battle of his political career. I hear his diminutive godfather has insisted that there is no second term and our oga who is like a political small boy will

TONYE COLE – I THANK YOU At times, it is good not to listen to advice. Everybody had advised me against producing this Jude Idada’s psycho erotic play which featured nudity, sex toys and a lot of things you don’t say during the day. When NBC suspended AIT, I almost fainted for fear that they will now come and suspend me too. Finding the funds was something else. Everybody said no until I found Pay Attitude and Timekeeprs who believed in the story line and its importance in strengthening our relationships and by extension, strengthening society, came to my support. Mbok come and see crowd. The Hall was filled to the rafters. Everybody came, senators, bank MDs, federal court judges and so many prominent Nigerians including ordinary Nigerians. I lost money because I had given out so much complimentary tickets.

I locked myself in the toilet and cried when I realized that Nigerians had kept faith with this vision although not with their pockets but with faith. They gave us a standing applause, they hugged and celebrated with us the whole 4,000 people that came out to watch the play.

I thanked them and cried some more in the toilet again. I cried like three times in the toilet. Duke cannot cry in public o, that one go pass NBC suspension sef. And then Tonye Cole that tall fine man walked up to me and hugged me and said thank you, send me your details. That night I prayed for him o. I prayed for his safety, I prayed that EFCC should not catch him that night, I prayed that DSS should miss the way to his house and that rain should not fall in case flood catch him.

The next morning he dropped a bomb on me. Thank you, my brother. Because of people like you and the rest, the arts will keep bringing solace to our lives. Mbok come the next one o.

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ADVERTORIAL

SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019 • T H I S D AY

ADVERTORIAL

69

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

16.06.2019

ON THE STONY PATH TO MASTERHOOD… "Apprehension", oil on canvas by Olajide Salako

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@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 ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

ON THE STONY PATH TO MASTERHOOD...

The sustainability of Mydrim Gallery’s annual exhibition Generations…, which enters its third edition on June 29, depends on the artists’ ability and willingness to transcend commonplace themes, which have saturated the mainly conservative local Nigerian art scene, writes Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

O

. K., may be this is not really a back-to-the-basics clarion call to artists. ButAbiodun Olaku, one of Nigeria’s best landscape artists, had well-founded concerns about the universalist trends in the art world. Specifically, the renowned Lagos-based artist, who by his own rights is a master in photorealism, is concerned about how swiftly draughtsmanship is being edged to the back-burner.

So, he thought a solution would be holding an annual exhibition of his acolytes aimed at “reviving sound art practice based on firm foundational principles of observation, creativity, skill and draughtsmanship.” To make this a reality, he had enlisted the help of the South-West Ikoyi, Lagos-based Mydrim Gallery’s proprietress, Sinmidele Adesanya.

Thus, the annual group exhibition, Generations–Future Masters Series enters its third year at the Mydrim Gallery’s premises along Norman Williams Street. Also featuring at the exhibition, which opens on Saturday, June 29 and ends on Saturday, July 13, are these same artists, who had participated in the last year’s edition: Emeka Nwagbara, Chinedu Uzoma, Damilola Opedun, Ezekiel Osifeso, Olajide Salako, Olufemi Oyewole, Oluwafunke Oladimeji, Segun Fagorusi and Raji Mohammed. They will be joined this year by Opeyemi Olukotun.

The artists, who were all trained and mentored at the Universal Studios of Art, are understandably unapologetic adherents or admirers of photorealism.

Indeed, they are at a great risk of being derided as "Gratitude", oil on canvas by Damilola Opedun anachronistic by the high priests of conceptual art forms, whose surging waves have swept over the international art validation of the primacy of representational art form, which she circles. Of course, not everyone is impressed by these trends. Here says can never become irrelevant. and there in the art world, lone voices of dissent challenge what Close up on the exhibition. Emeka Nwagbara, a 1997 graduate they see as the downward spiralling of standards. Some like Olaku of Ogun State University, who invokes the artistic influences of such believes that many wanna-be artists hide behind these trends to leading lights as Edosa Oguigo, Abiodun Olaku and Wallace Ejoh, divert attention from their obvious lack of skills. Also, Mrs Adesanya among others, explores his theme, “The Women Around Us”, in had, just before the opening of the last year’s edition of Generaseries. While he adheres to the canons of representational art in the tions…, questioned any trend “that does not place any particular first four in the series, which are “Gele Series – White Gele”, “Gele emphasis on the foundational principles of art.”

Series – Vanity Room”, “Lobby Series – We Are Family”, “Lobby She had alluded to these “forms of artworks” as riding on the Series – At the Lobby”, he ventures into abstraction in the three, crest of publicity through the “social media and other aggressive titled “The Prognosis of Gele I, II and III” and returns to realism in promotion platforms”, adding: “Although this form may gather “Untitled I and II”. momentum and become established over time, it will be a disservice Moving on to Chinedu Uzoma, who remains delightfully to place more value, economic and otherwise, on this than the work representational in his works. Through works like “The Search”, of deeply talented artists. The danger in allowing this to happen will “Reap in Joy” and “The Bargain”, the 2014 Lagos State Polytechnic be an eventual lowering of standards.” graduate waxes philosophical and seeks to direct his viewers’ gaze Talking about standards, a spotlight on some of the featured beyond coarse earthly existence. Ditto Olajide Salako, whose work artists reveals a slow but certain growth. One of the artists, Emeka “Supplication” revolves around the African indigenous religious Nwagbara, hopes to regale his viewers with “quality renditions”, rites. Of course, the latter’s works segue from works with transcenpromising them “something new” and “improvements [on] old dental themes like “Apprehension” to “Contemplation” to more works”. Another exhibiting artist, Olufemi Oyewole, preens himself mundane ones like “Oge”, “Omosalewa” and “Royal Apparel II”. on the fact that he and his colleagues have “over the years...mastered Olufunke Oladimeji, meanwhile, continues to produce works their techniques and production quality”, adding that this makes proclaiming her dewy-eyed adherence to Olaku’s themes and styles. their “relevance in the visual [arts] industry very potent.”

Works like “The Council”, “Twilight Hustle I”, “The Terminus” and, Then, Olufunke Oladimeji, the only female artist among the lot, to some extent, “Fishermen’s Quarters” strongly evoke this influence. sees the fact that another artist has joined the group this year as a The newbie, Olumide Olukotun, a Ladoke Akintola University

of Technology, Ogbomosho graduate, is generously colourful in his depictions of human expressions and anatomy. This is evident in his works “Customer Come II”, “Matters Arising” and “My Change”, which revolve around the activities of the commercial motorcycle riders in typical Lagos neighbourhood streets.

His night scene paintings, “Survival I” and “Survival II”, distinguishes him as a really talented painter. So do his portrait paintings, depicting young Nigerian women, titled “Onome II”, “Eunice” and “Ajoke”.

Of course, there are genuine concerns among the exhibition habitués that works in group exhibition tend to blur into sameness and sometimes lapse into a numbing predictability.

Yet, flickers of brilliance here and there somewhat allay these concerns. Olufemi Oyewole’s delightfully painted “Gone Like Yesterday”, “Same Story”, “Contemplation” and “Table for Two” are works that are hard to ignore. Not even a blind adherent would deny the masterly attributes of these works. Nor would anyone fail to recognise Raji Mohammed’s skilfulness in the works “Evening Light III and IV”, “The Wait”, “My Little Thought” (Expectation Series), “Warm Communion IV” (Intercession Series), “Yellow Serenity” (Yellow Scarf Series) and “Prepping for Nightfall V” (Illumination Series).

Then, there is Segun Fagorusi, an Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife graduate of fine and applied arts and a University of Ibadan Master’s degree holder in African visual arts, whose works focus on elderly people in Nigeria and their deteriorating living conditions. His painting “Iya Alaro” depicts an aged woman fondling an Ankara print fabric as she stands against the backdrop of another yellow-themed fabric. “Who Knows?”, another painting by him, shows six destitute women sitting on the steps of a building in the early stages of dereliction and on whose wall is written: “THIS HOUSE IS NOT FOR SALE. BEWARE OF 419.”

Perhaps, Damilola Opedun, a 2010 Auchi Polytechnic graduate, remains the most exciting impressionists among the lot. This is a fact that amply corroborated by his depictions of scenes from the Makoko Lagos lagoon-front shanty communities. The viewer is enthralled by works like “Jacob’s Wall”, “The Beloved I, II and III”, “Light of Hope”, “Focus”, “Gratitude”, “Water and Fire” and “Meeting Place”.

Finally, among all the works by Ezekiel Osifeso, “Bewildered” and “Moment of Truth” stand out in their brilliance. Yet, the fact that these works, like those of his colleagues, rehash the Lagos backwater street life can be tiresome to an art public that yearns for novelty.

Indeed, the sustainability of Generations… depends on the artists’ ability and willingness to transcend commonplace themes, which have the regular fare of the mainly conservative Nigerian art scene.

Meanwhile, the exhibiting artists’ genuine aspirations to masterhood may be dealt a fatal blow unless they up their game through deeper exploration of their themes.

FILM FESTIVAL

Lekki International Film Festival 0pens June 22

T

he inaugural edition of the Lekki International Film Festival comes up next week, from Wednesday, June 19 to Saturday, June 22, according to the festival’s secretariat. The festival not only joins existing festivals of films and film societies all over the continent but determines to be the stand-out event in terms of upscale films and festival seminars and by becoming the key international stakeholders’ hub.

The head of the festival secretariat,Ayodele Ayobolu reveals that the festival is in close tie with some international festivals already, including the Pan-African Festival in France with which extensive partnerships have been concluded.Asked to elaborate on some of the details of the partnerships, he said film professionals featuring at the festival would be able to network and collaborate seamlessly with some of their counterparts on the programmes of the other festivals. There are also plans to combine resources and build platforms for distribution of films and video assets in new and developing markets particularly the black andAfrican fringe markets of the United States and Europe.

A scene from Palace Coup Lekki Fest (a short for Lekki International Film Festival) is scheduled to hold daily at the Lekki Coliseum in Lekki phase one, Lagos.

There are upcoming announcements that will include the finalised list of films for the programme, the festival schedule and the members of the jury.

One of the key platforms of the festival is the Festival Forum that already has a confirmed list of speakers including Segun Oyekunle, president of Arufa Productions in LosAngeles, USAwho is also a notable screen writer and administrator. Mr Oyekunle

is currently on secondment to Nigeria as the Managing Director ofAbuja Film Village. Duro Oni, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos and professor of CreativeArts, one of Nigeria’s pioneer production designers will be addressing the seminar. Other speakers, session chairs and coordinators include Joy Namure a well-known producer and make-up advisor.

She is also the General Manager, operations, atAfrica Independent Television,AIT,Abuja.

TajudeenAgboola a well-known production and post-production specialist. George Osodi, the acclaimed and award-winning photographer who will also be addressing the seminar.

On the panels also are Kingsley Uranta, an instructor for the BBC World Service Trust and Assistant General Manager at Channels Television; Elizabeth Ikem, who until recently was the Rector of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Chioma Okpara a media consultant.

Anew film set in the Kano Emirate over a hundred years ago produced by Balaraba Ramat Yakubu and entitled Palace Coup is one of those selected early. Balaraba is also a younger sister of the late Nigerian Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.

Ayobolu also says the emphasis of the festival

for 2019 is on the local scene even though films from Europe and the United States have been selected. They include films by Jude Fokwang a Cameroon-born director based in Denver, USA, PascaiAtumah based in LosAngeles, British film maker Dante Montagnani and Malcolm Benson.

Topping the list of Nigerian directors sure to show at the festival is Nollywood ace director Lancelot Imasuen.

Asked why “Lekki” for the film festival name, Ayobolu says the festival adopted the name because Lekki somehow indicates the brightest and the best. It also “suggests upscale”.

“The vision of the festival is a very big one,” he said. “It is not just another event that features screenings and awards. The time has come for some big steps to be taken for the advancement of our entertainment and movie industry in particular. We have the enthusiasm, especially among our younger professionals, what we want to do is to expand the opportunities.”

The award/gala night is the grand finale. The festival plans to honour and acknowledge pioneers and legends of the movie industry and it will be the trend for each annual edition.Aclip from the television series Mirror in the Sun, a 1980s production directed by Lola Fani-Kayode is on the line up.

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SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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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 ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

Waging Collective War against Jungle Justice The culture of jungle justice is fast threatening the nation’s social fabric, writes Funke Aboyade, SAN “If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t” – Alice in Wonderland

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provocative question: do we sometimes heave a sigh of relief, perhaps even feel a tinge of satisfaction, when a hardened criminal meets his waterloo in the hands of a mob?

But. Wait a minute. What if? What if he weren’t “guilty”? What if, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland,nothing is as it seems? Or. So what if he’s “guilty”?

Last week, a baying mob in Lawanson, Lagos almost lynched a man and his brother in the mistaken belief that they were kidnappers. The alleged victim was his mentally challenged wife, who had raised a false alarm as they sought medical intervention. But for the timely intervention of the police they would have become just another statistic.

Who can forget the Aluu 4? Young men, students of the University of Port Harcourt, slain in a most gruesome manner in Aluu, Rivers State by a baying mob, when a debtor falsely raised an alarm of theft.

Or the popular comedian going about his lawful business with his mechanics when they were mistaken for Badoo cultists and sent to an untimely grave by local vigilantes in Ikorodu, Lagos?

Children are not exempt; a few days ago, a 62-year old man in Okokomaiko, Lagos chopped off an 11-year old boy’s wrist for fishing on his turf without permission. Remorse-free, he declared he’d actually been aiming for his victim’s neck.

How many times have we heard of a cry of someone’s “manhood” disappearing and in the twinkle of an eye a mob descends on the purported villain?

The list is endless but these examples epitomise our sad reality and are a direct consequence of the breakdown of law and order in our society.

This happens if citizens a) do not have confidence in and/or access to our justice delivery system and so take the law into their hands; or b) are not made through the strict, unbiased and even application of the law to suffer the consequences of taking the law into their hands; and perhaps to some extent c) are not enlightened about why a parallel extra-judicial system, which brutalises and/or summarily executes people and in which the presumption of innocence and precepts of not being the accuser and judge as guaranteed by our Constitution and our laws is jettisoned willy-nilly should never be an option in a civilised society.

Is the problem an insufficiency of laws or an overwhelmed, ineffective and underperforming criminal justice delivery system?

If the former would throw more laws at this phenomenon make it go away?

For instance, the Prohibition and Protection of Persons from Lynching, Mob Action and Extrajudicial Executions and Other Related Offences in Nigeria Bill was passed by the Senate in 2017. It seeks to discourage jungle justice and punish perpetrators, criminalise any act depriving an individual of his right to life through mob action and any act of security agents, who fail to protect persons from extra-judicial killings. It has however yet to be enacted into law.

What are the extant laws and are they really inadequate to quell this alarming trend? The raison d’être of government, to ensure the security and welfare of the people, is stated in S.14 (2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

Sections 33 and 34 of our Constitution also guarantee the right to life which one cannot be intentionally deprived of save in accordance with due process of law and the right not to be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment.

Ss. 319 and 253 of the Criminal Code Act stipulate the death penalty for murder, as well as criminalise assault. The perpetrators (including a Police Sergeant) of the Aluu 4 lynching, who were charged for murder, felony, conspiracy, lynching and burning were convicted under S. 319(1) of the Criminal Code Laws of Rivers State and sentenced to death.

Nyordee J. expressed the hope that it would serve as a deterrent to others. It took five years (investigation, custodial, arraignment, trial, conviction) for justice to be served; admittedly trial commenced before the advent of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. The existing laws were clearly sufficient to sustain a charge and conviction against the active participants.

They were also sufficient in serving as deterrence. They do not however appear to have considered onlookers, who may or may not have actively jeered or passively encouraged the heinous crime or perhaps have done nothing at all to save the situation.

In that wise, nine of the Defendants were at various

IGP Adamu stages of the trial acquitted and discharged. It does not also appear that the instigator of the false alarm was tried or convicted.

Other laws, for example S.335 Criminal Code Law Lagos State, make inflicting grievous bodily harm a felony punishable by up to seven years imprisonment.

The Child Rights Act and various Child Rights Laws also guarantee the dignity of every child and provide that no child shall be subjected to physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse, neglect or maltreatment, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, etc. Further, a child shall be subjected only to the child justice system and processes Our laws (for instance S.23 (1) Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015)permit citizens’ arrest.

However, persons so arrested must be immediately handed over to the police. Those are just a few of our extant laws.

Again and again we hear of those accused of heinous crimes initially arrested by the police only to be set free under a cloud. Or the victim of a crime inexplicably becoming the accused or extorted in order to “facilitate” police investigation. Or perhaps the case finally after twists and turns makes it to court, where it may then remain on the docket for years to come leaving victims and their loved ones demoralised and hopeless - admittedly the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, a significant and progressive legislation, addresses in large part the challenges bedeviling the system of administration of criminal justice, including issues of speedy dispensation of justice.

The first port of call in reporting a crime under our criminal justice delivery system is the police. What if they also are complicit? Nyordee J. for instance, in an extraordinary rebuke of security agencies stated that no explanation would suffice for their failure to act to save the Aluu 4.

It is ironic that as often as we hear of the police saving one hapless citizen or the other from mob action

we also hear of them perpetrating jungle justice.

Extra-judicial killings must surely be a part of this discussion. Accused persons are routinely executed by the police at their stations or by MOPOL or SARS. It was not for nothing after all that the #EndSARS movement came into being. As I write, my attention is drawn to yet another report of the extrajudicial killing of a 16-year old wheel barrow boy at the Mile 3 Nkpolu Police Station in Port Harcourt. His alleged offence, stealing a generator, turned out to be false but even if true, what was the justification?

If those who are meant to ensure consequences according to the law for engaging in jungle justice are also the proponents, there’s a problem.

The Anti-Torture Act 2017 prohibits, criminalises and punishes with up to 25 years imprisonment on conviction, torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in the main by state agents as well as protects victims and witnesses of such acts.

Significantly, it brooks no exceptions at all – not war, nor instability, nor public emergency. Significantly too, both participant and onlooker are liable, as are both superior officer, who issues an order and the lower ranking officer who carries it out. If death occurs as a result of the torture, the person involved will be charged with murder.

For other acts committed outside the confines of that law, the police have a system of bringing offending officers to brook by way of orderly room trial but that system is at best haphazard and sometimes only ignited when public outcry is strident. Often, outside a dismissal from the Force or a demotion nothing further is done about prosecuting the offending officer in the criminal justice system.

One final thought. Jungle justice is essentially a resort to self-help outside of or irrespective of the law.

Does government itself set a good example, when it persistently and willfully refuses to obey lawful court orders?

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

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BRIEFINGNOTES Now That APC Has Its Dream Parliament With the outcome of the National Assembly leadership elections, the All Progressives Congress-led government no longer have excuses for non-performance, writes Chuks Okocha

“N

ow that the APC has captured the National Assembly and the Judiciary, let’s hope that Buhari and his party will no longer blame PDP, Jonathan, Saraki, and Dogara, but find ways to positively move Nigeria to the next level.”

That was how a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP described the election of the presiding officers of the National Assembly won by the preferred candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Though it is true that the APC-led government is in control of the National Assembly, it is yet to be seen how it will completely dominate the affairs of the two chambers, as it does not have a majority or the two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The APC-led government still needs to lobby the main opposition party, the PDP. The two-thirds majority needed to pass major bills from the executive arm of government is over 73 senators, whereas the APC has about 64 senators.

Key government policies from the executive arm expected to come very soon are the confirmation of ministerial nominees, ambassadorial appointments and key executive bills. Surely, there should be some negotiations for a fruitful senate, indeed the National Assembly.

That notwithstanding the road to the election of the senate president on Tuesday was full of daring but nearly impossible last-minute intrigues. Though a majority of the PDP senators had already keyed into the Ahmed Lawan senate presidency, there was no consensus for the office of the deputy senate president.

As some PDP senators had personally negotiated their interests, the party, in the twilight of the election came out with a position that Ali Ndume should be voted. This was seen as a face-saving and panic measure, it was not the real deal. Status quo was maintained.

This was because there were many unseen hands from the PDP already working for Lawan. One of such hands that worked in favour of Lawan was the influence of a former senate president for eight years, David Mark, who is very close to Lawan, when he was the Senate President and that relationship subsists till date.

This accounted for why all the three PDP senators from Benue state quickly announced their support for Lawan. But where the PDP had a direct problem was who would become Lawan’s deputy.

Ekweremadu as Alternative: Behind the story

When news filtered in late Monday night, June 11, that Senator Francis Alimikhena, might back out of the race for the office of the deputy senate president, it became imperative that the PDP Senate Caucus must get a quick alternative.

The alternative became necessary when the party’s senate caucus had reached a decision not to vote Senator Ovie OmoAgege for the office of the deputy senate president. In a meeting Sunday night at the residence of the former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, the PDP senators had agreed to vote Alimikhena.

The reason for the action was the ignoble role allegedly played

by Omo-Agege in the 8thsenate with the stealing of the mace.

According to the PDP senate caucus, to vote Omo Agege is to reward him for bad behaviour.

That also accounted for why the PDP members, Monday night, summoned a meeting at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge to discuss the development of Alimikhena backing out from the contest due to pressure from his party, the APC. The invitation to the meeting signed by one of Ekweremadu’s aides said, “Dear PDP Senator-elect, I have been directed by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu CFR, to invite you to a meeting with Governor Wike today.”

But the outcome was not what they wanted. Thus, to save the day and fill the gap, Ekweremadu was mandated to fill in the gap. As a result, they moved to the residence of the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson to present Ekweremadu as the alternative to Alimikhena.

But when the PDP senators met at Dickson’s residence and the Ekweremadu option was mooted, it was rather too late for many of the members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly to support him. The meeting lasted barely 40 minutes as the PDP senators openly disagreed with the Ekweremadu option.

Those of them, who spoke to THISDAY in the early hours of Tuesday, reiterated that it was too late in the day to float a candidate in the person of Ekweremadu for the office of the deputy senate president. They argued that many of them had taken a committed position and that it would be difficult to get a consensus among members.

Though still unrelenting, the meeting was moved again to Ekweremadu’s residence in the Apo Legislators’ quarters. At the

R-L: President Mohammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman, Oshiomhole and Senate President Lawan meeting, this time around, attended by many governors of the party, and it was agreed to mount pressure on the Edo North senator, assuring him of 8th PDP block votes, but Alimikhena did not want to toy with his political future and therefore resisted the PDP pressure.

However, before the meeting, some PDP members had taken a position. Peter Nwaoboshi from Delta State and former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro had openly endorsed the Ahmed Lawan and Omo-Agege campaigns.

It was at this stage, that the Ekweremadu alternative became inevitable. But the votes at the end of the day reflected the inability of the PDP senators to reach a consensus.

According to some PDP members in the senate, the Ekweremadu alternative was too sudden as some of them were already committed to both the Lawan and Omo-Agege project and indeed that reflected in the outcome of the two elections of the presiding officers.

But the decision to field Ekweremadu did not go down well with other members of the party in the Senate. Some of the PDP senators preferred another senator, like Chukwuka Utazi, also from Enugu. The argument was that Ekweremadu has had three straight runs as a deputy senate president.

The Drama at Proceeding

An Abuja High Court, just before the day of the inauguration of the legislature, had ordered the clerk of the National Assembly to use the open ballot system in the election of the president of the Senate.

Justice O.A. Musa, who gave the order, ruled that the Senate should not use the Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended) in the conduct of the election of presiding officers of the senate of the 9thAssembly, pending the determination of this suit.

The order has been received with excitement in the camp of Senator Ahmad Lawan, who was the APC-endorsed candidate for Senate Presidency. His main rival, Senator Ali Ndume had been banking on breaking the ranks of the supporters of Lawan in persuading them that the party would not know if they voted for him.

The Monday night order followed a motion brought

by Senator Jibrin Barau, APC, Kano in the suit with case number FCT/HC/BW/CV/136/2019. The senator was however represented by his counsel, Ebere Nwanya.

The ex parte order was upon the argument by Senator Barau’s counsel that issues arising from 2015 amendment of the Senate Standing Order was still to be resolved.

The judge upon the argument ruled that the clerk of the National Assembly, clerk of the Senate and sergeant-at-arms enforce the use of the 2011 Standing Order, which requires the use of the open-ballot system in the choice of the presiding officers of the Senate.

But when the issue was brought on the floor of the Red Chamber, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori told the senators-elect that the 2015 standing order would be used for the election.

Immediately, there was an uproar in the chambers. But Sani-Omolori maintained that “I only answered your ques-

tion out of respect. I won’t entertain any further question”.

He added “I didn’t receive any court order” and asked the clerk of the senate, Nelson Oyewoh to go ahead with the roll call of Senators-elect present.

Oyewoh, therefore, read out the names of the Senatorselect in alphabetical order state by state and thereafter, Sani-Omolori, read the proclamation letter from President Muhammadu Buhari and the business of the day commenced.

Oshiomhole and APC Governors’ Last Straw

Sensing danger, the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who led other APC NWC members and the party’s elected governors began what could be described as last minute campaigns for Lawan and Omo-Agege.

Oshiomhole literally stepped into the Red Chamber, moving from one senator to another reiterating why the party’s position must stand. Some of the APC governors followed up the same campaigns. According to some APC senators, “Oshiomhole and the governors were literally breathing down our necks”.

With the elections of the presiding officers of the National Assembly, the actors had withdrawn to decide the fate of other officers in the management of affairs in the senate like the majority leader and the whip. PDP will also meet this weekend to consider who among its senators will lead the party in the Senate as the minority leader, to which PDP senators are ripping the former deputy governor of Abia State, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is the chairman of PDP National Assembly caucus. For strategic reasons, Ekweremadu may not fit in for the position, as it means descending the steps.

Interestingly, much as the APC has continued to celebrate this overwhelming victory in the election of the National Assembly leadership, this comes with huge responsibilities for the party and government. It is sad to note that the APC and the Muhammadu Buhari government had spent the last four years blaming two categories of people for its palpable failures in delivering the change they promised the electorate.

While the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had become its natural excuse, it also found alibi in the frosty relationship between the executive and the legislature led by Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara.

Indeed, it is generally believed that this was why everything was done to eliminate Saraki from the current equation.

But as it is now, the APC and government now have at their beck and call, the totality of the legislature, which means there would be no more excuses for failure. While this would in no way stifle the PDP from playing the opposition as demanded in a democracy, it is also worthy of mention that the whole world is now watching the government and APC to see where next they plan to push their excuses of nonperformance, if it ever happened.

First, days are already counting in anticipation of the many appointments and the cabinet composition. This, of course, is to define the mark of the change that the Nigerian people truly seek in Buhari’s second term.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

CICERO/REPORT

Behold, Adebo Ogundoyin, Nigeria’s Youngest Speaker In this report, Kemi Olaitanpro files the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, who incidentally is Nigeria’s youngest speaker

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or the newly elected Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Adebo Ogundoyin, his assumption of the number three position in the pace setter state could not but be a new dawn for him as he has made history for himself as the youngest to occupy the exalted office in the history of the state at the age of 32 years.

Born on February 18, 1987, to the family of the late industrialist, philanthropist and politician, Chief Adeseun Ogundoyin and Chief (Mrs.) Justina Ogundoyin, he was elected into the House representing Ibarapa East State Constituency and emerged Speaker of the House unopposed on Monday, 10th June 2019.

A second timer, he was first elected into the 8th Assembly last year on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he won the bye-election, which was held after the death of the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Michael Adeyemo, who died on Friday, 27th April 2018.

The new Speaker emerged the candidate of PDP after polling 37 votes to beat his rival, Kehinde Adebisi, during the primary election held last year.

An agronomist by profession, the Eruwa-born Speaker attended Vale College, Ibadan for his secondary education and Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, where he studied Agronomy.

After the one year mandatory youth service, he proceeded to London for further studies and ran a record label with Nigerian musician, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido and were co-manager of DREMO, until 2018, when he was elected into the state House of Assembly.

Ogundoyin, a football lover and fan of the Red Devils – Manchester United, was conscious of the enormous responsibilities placed on his shoulders as the number three man in the state, called for the support of all stakeholders in his inaugural speech.

“Our state has set the pace for a new generation of leaders by electing me as the youngest Speaker in the history of the state and Nigeria. Politically, Oyo State has always set the pace for good things in Nigeria, and I promise, we the ninth (assembly) will raise the bar of quality representation of the people.

“I need your support, cooperation and bits of advice on how to move the house forward and you are free to call me to order when I’m about to drift.

Our dream is to make Oyo State House of Assembly, a model to others across Nigeria. ]“I believe with the continuous support and cooperation of all other lawmakers in the house, His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde and his cabinet, our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the people of Oyo State, we are going to make laws and formulate policies that will alleviate our people’s suffering and make them proud of us”.

Other principal officers elected include son of an Ibadan-based musician, Taiye Adebisi, Yusuff Adebisi, 25-year old, who is representing Ibadan South West 1 State Constituency, emerged as Deputy Chief Whip.

Others are Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi, Deputy Speaker – Ona Ara State Constituency, Hon. Adedoyin Onaolapo Sanjo, Majority Leader – Ogbomoso South State Constituency, Hon. Babalola O. Samson, Deputy Majority Leader – Egbeda State Constituency, Hon. Alarape Ashimiyu Niran, Minority Leader – Atiba State Constituency – APC and Hon. Adedibu Habeeb A, Chief Whip - Iwajowa State House Constituency.

It is however understandable why his election has attracted a lot of social media blitz, given the expectations that a lot of people nurse already with respect to his leadership as a youth ambassador in a crucial

Ogundoyin and sensitive position. And coming at a time that the clamour for power shift from the old brigade to the young turks has gained traction, the young Ogundoyin is definitely not in a place of envy.

Indeed, the youths have a lot of statements to make with the failure or success of Ogundoyin in office, the more reason they all must learn to support and rally round his leadership, because failure is definitely not an option.

Even people of other political parties have not ceased to rejoice with Ogundoyin. But he must deliver,

because the society does not expect any less from it.

The thinking that the young generation cannot cope with power must be declared a farce but through their performance record.

From the passage of the not-too-young-to-run to actually helping a majority of the youths to realising their dreams, Ogundoyin and other equally young folks in the legislature must allay the fears of the political class to relinquish power to the younger generation and reassure them of their readiness for leadership.

NOTES FOR FILE

A Truce in leagues Timefailed to appease him as he was

Ganduje and Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi recorded another first in his natural deft moves and approach to issues, when he co-opted a renowned business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote into brokering truce between the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and the Governor of Kano State, Abdulahi Ganduje, after weeks of hostility between them especially, as it was clear the matter had deteriorated very badly.

The move by Fayemi therefore became commendable after Ganduje’s northern col-

determined to teach the emir some lessons for allegedly interfering in the politics of the state, to the extent that it almost caused Ganduje his re-election.

To that extent, the Fayemi/Dangote intervention was not only timely, but also instructive to salvaging both the emirate and the institution of government from self-destruct. It is however hoped that both parties had genuinely learnt from that avoidable sparring in collective and personal interests.

Kudos to Fayemi and Dangote!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

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CICERO/REPORT

JUNE 12

As Nigeria Proclaims New Democracy Day...

Shola Oyeyipo writes that average Nigerians will continue to live in a state of despair, if hope, which was the slogan for the June 12, 1993 election, is not rekindled

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iven the importance of June 12, the annulled 1993 presidential election, acclaimed to be the freest and fairest in her history and indeed Africa, and also considering the fact that the presumed winner of that election, the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola eventually paid the ultimate price trying to reclaim his mandate, and the fact that it was what paved the way for 20 years uninterrupted governance in the country, it may not be out of place to commemorate such a date.

Thus, following the alteration of Nigeria’s calendar of holidays and events, instead of May 29, from last week Tuesday henceforth, June 12 marks Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration. This was done to honour Abiola, who was the symbol, albeit one of the heroes of the June 12 Struggle.

Therefore, as expected, President Muhammadu Buhari, his team in the federal executive council and heads of other arms of government converged on the Eagle Square, Abuja and watched well-choreographed renditions of march-passes by members of the Armed Forces. Cultural groups also performed masterpiece dances.

The colourful event was well attended by top government functionaries, members of the diplomatic community, traditional rulers, captains of industries and several others from other walks of life. They share banter and handshakes elegantly.

Usually, such events always come with speeches by prominent figures. The president would mount the podium with litany of achievements and roll out fresh promises. But the question has always been, how have all these events and speeches impacted the lives of the common men across MKO Abiola Nigeria? There is no denying the fact that in the build-up by ethnic, political or religious leaders hoping to benefit by to the election that ushered in the All Progressives Congress exploiting our divisions and fault lines, thereby weakening (APC) presidency in 2015, President Buhari enjoyed huge our country.” goodwill, but the party couldn’t boast of same level of But rather than make such lame and ineffectual stategoodwill during the 2019 election. ments, more so as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed But in spite of that the ruling party returned for a second Forces, relying on intelligence, those behind such crimes term. When President Buhari was sworn-in on May 29 for should be apprehended and brought to book in a manner his second term, quite a number of people expected him to that shows there is a government in place. make some strong statements, but he didn’t. His handlers It is simply unfair to underscore the problem confronting said he would make his speech last Tuesday during the June a people and leave the matter open-ended. Strong solutions 12 Democracy Day celebration. must be proferred and they must be implemented to the In his 74-bullet point address, President touched on letter in the interest of all. virtually every aspects of Nigeria’s national life, but there The president boasted that he had the privilege of free were not much cogent propositions to solving some of the education from primary school to Staff College to War major problems confronting the poor people who are daily College and has continued to enjoy taxpayers’ monies, but being tormented by violent criminals in most parts of the would the 10.5 million out of school children in Nigerian north. His speech, as always been, was rather aspirational ever enjoy similar benefit? and not inspirational.

What succor is there for poor parents, who are paying Ponder this: “I and Nigerians collectively must give school fees through their noses? Or is the miserable N10,000 adequate thanks to our Armed Forces, Police and other law tradermoni the best a people-oriented government could do? enforcing agencies for working round the clock to protect A project that was no less a scam – a glorified vote-buying us by putting themselves in harm’s way and defending our strategy, which has since stopped immediately after the values and protecting our future.” elections.

But his further clarification that “Terrorism and insecurity Curiously, President Buhari scored his government high. are worldwide phenomena,” and that “even the best policed He was also optimistic that with some projections, the countries are experiencing increasing incidences of unrest Nigerian economy stood a good chance of getting better. and are finding things hard to cope,” will not calm the “When we came to office in 2015 after a decade of frayed nerves of those feeling the pang of the rampaging struggle we identified three cardinal and existential chalkiller bandits across the country. lenges our country faced and made them our campaign There would hardly be any gainsaying that Nigeria and focus, namely security, economy and fighting corruption. her citizens are some of the most terrorized people around None but the most partisan will dispute that in the last the world. Lives are being lost in droves in the hands of four years we have made solid progress in addressing these blood-sucking criminals in the country, and a lot of people challenges. are helplessly waiting to be victims of another probable “When I took the oath of office on May 29, 2015, insecuattack. rity reigned. Apart from occupying 18 local governments Many well-to-do travelers through the Kaduna-Abuja in the North-east, Boko Haram could at will attack any city highway and other parts of the north have now opted to go including the Federal Capital Territory, could threaten any on the journey by trains. They have abandoned the roads institution including bombing the United Nations building for fear of notorious kidnap syndicates roaming the roads and Police Headquarters in Abuja. for their next victims without counter-attacks by the security “Admittedly, some of the challenges still remain in agencies.

Also, in the South-west, there are now parts of Oyo, Osun, kidnappings and banditry in some rural areas. The great difference between 2015 and today is that we are meeting Ekiti and Ondo States that people are constantly warned to these challenges with much greater support to the security be wary of plying because of the fear of Fulani kidnappers forces in terms of money, equipment and improved local or bandits as the case may be. intelligence. We are meeting these challenges with superior The Nigerian leader was not oblivious of the fact that strategy, firepower and resolve,” he stated.

Nigerians want to live in peace and harmony with their Nigerians can however hang on to some promises the fellow Nigerians and that they desire opportunity to better president made. For instance, he said: “With leadership and themselves in a safe environment, but he would have done a sense of purpose, we can lift 100 million Nigerians out of better by making a clear statement and actions on the farmer-herdsmen clashes that have left many Nigerians dead poverty in 10 years.

“Following the 60 per cent drop in oil prices between and which is still ongoing.

2015 and 2016, through monetary and fiscal measures, we According to President Buhari: “Most of the instances stimulated economic growth, curbed inflation and shored up of inter-communal and inter-religious strife and violence our external reserves. We now have witnessed eight quarters were and are still as a result of sponsorship or incitements

of positive growth in the economy and our GDP is expected to grow by 2.7 per cent this year. Furthermore, our external reserves had risen to $45 billion, enough to finance over nine months of current import commitments.

“This administration is laying the foundation and taking bold steps in transforming our country and liberating our people from the shackles of poverty. Over the next four years, we are committed to assembling a strong team of Nigerians, and allies, to implement our transformative plans and proposals.

“We will see significant focus, resource and, where necessary reform, in tertiary and technical education to reposition Nigeria’s workforce for the modern technological age.

“The principal thrust of this new Administration is to consolidate on the achievements of the last four years, correct the lapses inevitable in all human endeavors and tackle the new challenges the country is faced with and chart a bold plan for transforming Nigeria.”

That bold plan for transforming Nigeria is perhaps what Nigerians wanted to hear during the June 12 celebration.

Asked to evaluate the president’s speech, the National Publicity Secretary, Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said: “I have looked at the speech, there is nothing in it. I have read the speech, there is nothing in it. Nothing in it!

“It is with usual empty promises – talking about software when you don’t have hardware. We are saying that there is no country, yet, you are talking about building a nation out of Nigeria. What is a nation?”

To really understand how a majority of Nigerians feel about the Tuesday event, it is ideal for the president to follow some of the commentaries by Nigerians while the event lasted. For example, some Nigerians who chatted on the NTA Youtube livestream channel during the programme gave President Buhari kudos and knocks.

Commending the president’s initiative at honouring Abiola, Osayi Ugiagbe said: “Buhari will always be remembered for the honour just like Abiola now. PMB! He beat the likes of Babagida, Obasanjo the beneficiary of June 12 and others with this June 12 Democracy Day. But in his opinion, Tony Gabriel feels someone “should advise him (Buhari) to unite Nigeria. There is so much hate, nepotism, division, violence, killings, tribalism and religious intolerance and so on. He has promoted nepotism enough. It is time for unity.”

Paul Carlos noted that “no UK, America, European Union delegates for Nigeria Democracy Day – something not right in Nigeria.”

While Oluwagbemiga Olabode Ladegbuye bemoaned that “Nigeria is blessed with (these) different tribes, we must come together as brothers and sisters instead of acting like kids as if trying to break the cup you were drinking from.”

Joseph Ebong noted that “Ridiculous! Nigeria is a joke.

Only people who haven’t had opportunity of living in a true democratic country will be celebrating the current charade in Nigeria as democracy. This is painful. Can’t this man understand that it is not about him?”

Eunice Sanmi said: “I still don’t understand why the president of Nigeria has not come out to publicly condemn the act of the herdsmen killings.”

Kay Kobe asked what the future of 120 million youth without job was? Trouble is coming for all Nigerian political leaders, you like it or not. Ön his part, Osaoghe Enikarodion was miffed that “there is nothing the common citizens benefit from Nigeria government,” and was particularly concerned that “Fulani are everywhere destroying farmland in the South-south.”

Aminu Tukur was only bothered about the long speech and some of the unnecessary details, saying “Some speech writers; why stress us with all the extra details?”

There is widespread poverty. There is no denying that.

Nigeria now ranks as the poverty capital of the world. That is documented. It is almost unbelievable, because Nigeria that is blessed with abundant human and natural resources has been unable to make the best of it.

For many Nigerians, who are full of hope that Nigeria’s potential will ultimately make it rank among its peers, the electoral system has been the greatest disaster. You can hardly elect public officials in a rancor-free environment. The electoral system is characterised by imperfections that make it impossible for peoples’ wish to materialise during elections.

This administration must go beyond rhetoric. Concise action plans designed to change the Nigerian narrative must be rolled out and they must be implemented instead of unending promises that usually come with mere celebration.

The true spirit of June 12 must be rekindled. Nigerians need to be emancipated from their current state of despair.

SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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SUNDAYINTERVIEW Seyi Makinde

Makinde

Coalition of Forces Made My Election Possible For all intent and purposes, the new Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, represents the much talked about power shift from the old brigade to the young order, an indicator already defining other markers of the state’s body polity as witnessed recently in the state House of Assembly, which elected a 32-year old Adebo Ogundoyin as speaker. With the kind of zest that typifies the age of his ideas, Makinde, in this interview with Bayo Akinloye, spoke about his four-point agenda and the future of the state he is challenged to lead for the next four years. Excerpts:

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et’s start with the twin issues of probity and accountability. During the induction programme the state held for members of the 9th Assembly of Oyo State, you made some commitments to probity and accountability, when will the promises come to fruition?

The task before all of us now is to make Oyo State better and I look forward to us working together with the legislature. I want us to de-emphasize party affiliations. I want this ninth Assembly to be the best ever in the history of Oyo State. I know we can do it. The Assembly is blessed with a blend of experience, youthful energy and commitment. So, we won’t have any excuse not to deliver.

On the side of the executive, I give you the assurance that we will work together. The relationship will be cordial. I know that one thing members want to hear from me – which is also a major issue in the national space – is the issue of financial autonomy for the legislative arm of government at the state levels. You want financial autonomy. Well, we will work on it together and if it is possible for Oyo State, being the pacesetter, to set the pace in this regard, we will do it.

I told the lawmakers that as soon as they settle in, I will almost immediately bring executive bills. We have

four major areas that our government will focus on.

We want to expand our economy and lift as many of our people as possible out of poverty. We want to use agriculture to expand the economy. It is not by just saying it. We have to see real action and most of our infrastructure will be made to target our economy. We need to work together on this.

You have also spoken about the plan to establish the anti-corruption agency. What really are you driving at?

I have told the state’s assembly that the first executive bill we are bringing to the legislative chamber is for us to set up an anti-corruption agency for Oyo State. And I will waive my immunity, if I am found not to be above board, to face that agency.

Why did you ban the NURTW? Are you aware they are a registered body under the law?

As I have said, we are going to take the security of lives and property seriously. Few days after I was sworn in as the governor, we proscribed the NURTW. I told them that we were not interested in stopping them from running their union, because it is registered under the law. But we cannot allow a few people to hold the state to ransom in the name of running a union.

I am talking to the security agencies in the state. We

know the flashpoints and we know exactly what needs to be done. Oyo State has the largest landmass among the South-west states – four times larger than the size of Lagos State, though Lagos has the population.

So, I said security-wise, we would do what we deem best for Oyo State and we intend to make Oyo State one of the safest states in the country. We are still studying the situation with keen interest.

How do you intend for the four-point agenda you launched work?

We are going to focus on four issues. Number one is the economy. We have to take the state away from waiting on federal allocation. That is a task that has to be done. How do we do it? We are going to have to expand the economy and we are going to leverage the willingness of the private sector to invest in Oyo State.

I just left an investment forum and the responses have been really great because we have made commitments to run an open and transparent administration. It means that if people can bring their money into Oyo State, they can be sure of a return on investments and they can be sure that they have an administration that is pro-business because of my own business background.

Number two: we are going to focus on education. We promised to lighten the burden of the parents by scrap-

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW t COALITION OF FORCES MADE MY ELECTION POSSIBLE

ping the school fees that they currently pay. We are sure that by the next school year, that will kick in.

Number three is health care. We want to really re-energise the system, if I may use that word. We are looking at the Health Management Board, looking at the inefficiencies in there and the inability to attract talents, because doctors, nurses and other health workers, going by the current system, will have to be on the civil service salary scale. Some of them are unwilling to come in and so we will be creative in tackling that.

As I said in my inaugural speech, we are not building any new health centre. We all know that when the immediate past administration came on board, they promised to build primary health care centres in all the wards in Oyo State – 361 of such. But it didn’t happen.

They built some primary healthcare centres but most of them were just mere buildings and we have to make them functional. I don’t care if the glory goes to the last administration as being the ones that built them. I know that government is like the saying, ‘soldier goes, soldier comes but the barracks remain’.

So, what is important to us is to make life meaningful for our people. If they already built the health centres, then we will equip them. These are the things we want to do in the health care sector and we will also need to tinker with the Oyo State Health Management Board.

We have to explore possibilities to see if we can have a different result. We want to explore the possibility of some of our secondary and tertiary healthcare centres having their own boards and giving them some kind of autonomy such that they can function without so much bureaucracy.

Number four is the issue of security. We know that if we are talking about foreign direct investment and investors coming to Oyo State, even the residents going about their lawful business, it has to be in a secure atmosphere.

So, we will focus on security. These are the major pillars, but it does not mean that we will not pay attention to sports or we won’t pay attention to tourism and things like that. But these four areas are those that will take the chunk of our attention.

Your pronouncements on education have also been received with mixed blessing, especially the cancellation of the N3,000 levy. What does it mean to the average person?

Of course, we have also identified education as another area of focus. During my speech at the inauguration ceremony on May 29 at the Liberty Stadium, I said the N3, 000 education levy has been scrapped and a lot of people have been condemning that decision, saying I should have waited to occupy the governor’s seat and see the magnitude of the challenges before making that move.

We did our calculations and we found out that with the enrolment of students, we only require N1.2 billion

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yearly to take care of whatever the N3,000 levy was being charged for. In any case, I have given the commitment that the state’s annual budget will be jerked up to 10 per cent for the Education sector. That would help greatly in addressing some of these things.

To improve the standard of education, we have quite a lot of programmes that we think will help the state in lifting the standard of education. One of them is that we need the commitment of both the parents and the teachers. We will engage them. The teachers have to be motivated.

They are currently working under very unusual conditions. We have been to some of the schools. Basic things like chalks, dusters, chairs and tables are not even available. I don’t believe in having six or seven mega schools. The previous government talked about six or seven though it only built two model schools located on major roads, the schools must not be mega in structure.

They must be functional. You should put things in those little schools and that is what we have done in the past as private individuals and it produced results. I am a living example of how a functional public school system can turn out productive and successful individuals.

I went to Bishop Philips Academy (in Ibadan) and some of my classmates are also doing very well to the glory of God. I believe that if teachers are motivated and rewarded. If you reward hard work, they will want to do more.

In a recent interview you were quoted as saying you had planned to work pro bono for the state even before your swearing-in. Were eager to take over?

Yes, after my victory at the last election I became jobless, because I had already resigned from my paid job.

I was ready to do some jobs pro bono (for Oyo State) but the last administration insisted that they would be in power until the last hour of the last day, which was 11:59 of May 28, 2019. In that period, I actually visited a couple of countries, Botswana is one of them. They are big players in mining; they are the second largest producer of diamonds in the world.

That ties to what you have in your policy document regarding mineral deposits in Oyo State. Now, what plans do you have pursuant to lifting the sector in order to actualise the improved internally generated revenue?

The point I was making goes together with the question of IGR. I think Botswana also has the largest deposit of coal in the world, so the country is very good as far as mining is concerned. A delegation from the Business community in Botswana actually came for my inauguration.

So, we are talking to the mining countries out there. If you recall, in 2015, during our debate at the University of Ibadan, the issue of mining came up and I suggested that as an area that the state can explore to boost employment

in the state and also to expand our economy.

You have mentioned the readiness of your government to promote investment, how will that happen?

Well, we will leverage a lot on public-private partnership (PPP). I will give you an example. Let us talk about the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). The government has not been able to put one block on the other in the university in eight years.

For us, we have planned to run with the PPP model of BOO – that is build, own and operate. What we are saying is that we can begin to derive value from those investments from day one. You bring in an investor, allocate a land to them in the school; they build the structure, they own it and they are operating it.

You will look at the sharing formula between them and the government and what that does for us is that government is realising certain revenues from day one – and in keeping with our campaign promise to make Oyo State the preferred investment destination in Nigeria. One of the bills that will get to the state’s assembly soon is the Oyo State Investment Promotion Agency (OYSIPA) Bill, 2019.

The bill, when it becomes law, will birth an agency that will initiate, promote, facilitate and coordinate investments in the state through green field, public-private partnerships, privatisation, commercialisation of stateowned assets, and transformation of the state’s economy through strategic asset management.

Your victory at the March 9 governorship election seemed to have been against the run of play, with Oyo being the only PDP state in the South-west region. How did you make it?

I think basically we have to appreciate the people of Oyo State, because they were resolute in pushing forward their preference. Four years ago, it was a little bit different, because I ran on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). We moved to the SDP in December 2014 and the general election was to take place in February 2015. So, we didn’t have enough time to reach out to the people at the grassroots level.

We managed to let the people know the kind of programmes we intended to pursue if they gave us the opportunity to serve the state. That message was out there; that if given the opportunity, we would do things differently and the message resonated with the people.

They kept it in their hearts. Some of the people told me in 2015 to wait until 2019 and I was angry at that time.

But we waited and here we are.

Another major factor that made the 2019 experience different was the fact that, at the last minute, we had a coalition of political parties, with people like Baba (Rashidi) Ladoja, Senator (Olufemi) Lanlehin, Barrister Sarafadeen Alli, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde and a host of other leaders leading different parties, which all came in to team up with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and

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IMAGES

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he body of Mrs. Temitope Ekpenyong Ita, 52, who died on March 13, 2019 was buried in Calabar onJune8,2019.ShewasthewifeofMr.Ekpenyong Ita, former Director General of the State Security Services(SSS).The intermentfollowedafuneralservice held in the morning at the Presbyterian Church, Hope Waddell, Calabar.ThiswasprecededbyaServiceofSongs,theprevious eveningatthesameChurch.Alawyer,Mrs.Itawasanassistant directorattheCorporateAffairsCommission. Testimonies were given about her positive impact on the community.

The funeral ceremonies were attended by sympathisers from various parts of Nigeria and outside the country.

L-R: Former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio and former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke

Mr. Ita Ekpenyong and his daughter Ayeawan

Former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Peter Obi and Former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke

Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel Condoling with Ita Ekpenyong

Prelate of the Presbyterian Church, His Eminence Nsi Nzie Eke (middle) raises his hand in prayers at the church service. To his left, Prelate Emeritus, Professor Emele Uka and others priest

L-R- Governor of River State, Nyesom Wike and his close friend

L-R- FRSC Commander, Boboye Oyeyemi in a close chat with former NDDC Chairman, Victor Ndoma-Egba

Some guest at the church service

Cross River State Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu

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DEMOCRACY PHOTO NEWS Governor Abudulraman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State welcomed dignitaries and inspected a guard of honour while a tumultuous crowd cheered at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, as part of activities marking Democracy Day...weekend

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For the Ninth National Assembly, a New Life Begins With the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly last Tuesday, a new phase begins in the business of federal lawmaking, report Deji Elumoye and Shola Oyeyipo

T

he Eighth National Assembly, inaugurated on June 9, 2015, last Thursday adjourned sine die but not without the federal lawmakers taking stock of their four years legislative activities.

The day began with showers of blessings as the heavens opened up, resulting in the late take-off of the valedictory session as both Senators and House members took their time to arrive the two chambers of the Assembly.

From the lobby, one could see the aides and relatives of the lawmakers itching to be part of the last day of their principals.

At the Senate, the session witnessed a large turnout with many Senators, who had been absent since the last February general election turned up and stood to be counted as part of the last session of the Assembly. Those in this category included former Senate President, Senator David Mark and former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume.

Conspicuously absent at the session was the Senator representing Ogun East, Kashamu Buruji, who contested th The Ninth National Assembly has taken proper shape with the election, last Tuesday, of Dr. Ahmad Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as President of the Senate and Speaker, House of Representatives respectively.

After the politicking and horse-trading that characterised the election of the presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly, the federal legislators have begun to settle down to real legislative business even as many of them, the new intakes especially, are full of high expectations.

For Lawan, the immediate past Leader of the Senate, who ran an issue-based campaign before defeating Senator Ali Ndume to become the Senate President, the time is nigh to take the legislative arm to a greater level.

In his post-election speech, Lawan, who is the longest serving federal lawmaker, having been in the NationalAssembly since the commencement of the Fourth Republic in 1999, was specific about the shape the Ninth Senate will take.

According to him, “The elections are over and we are all back together in the spirit of one indivisible Senate, united in our commitment to work for the Nigerian people. Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our institution and renewing the Nigerian dream. “I’ve spent the last 20 years learning the ropes of how to make the National Assembly work better. In this humbling and extremely critical role you have all agreed to assign to me, I pledge to do my best to serve the best interest of the institution, its members and the good people of Nigeria. “Today’s epochal event is symbolic in many respects. It marks the beginning of another decade in the annals of the country’s federal legislature, recognising that the Fourth Republic National Assembly was first inaugurated twenty years ago, on June 4, 1999. So, as we commence the 3rd uninterrupted decade of our National Parliament, we pledge to remake, reform and revitalise the Senate in line with our constitutional duties, the urgent expectation of our citizens and global parliamentary best practices.�

The Senate President did not forget to stress the independence of the legislative arm as it was one of the contentious issues while the campaign lasted.

His words: “I want to seize this opportunity to tell the entire nation, particularly those that are in doubt, that the Senate and indeed the legislature is going to operate independently in accordance with its own rules, procedures and time-honoured norms and best practices.

While working closely with the executive arm to deliver the dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.�

On the Senate’s legislative agenda, Lawan said “We must focus on enacting laws and strengthening existing laws to facilitate the reforms required to truly take our nation, our people and our economy to the next level. “Within us as a Senate, our leadership will commit to partnership rather than partisan-

Buhari in a handshake with Lawan

ship and between us and the executive arm of Government, we will choose unity of purpose over conflict and discord while also working towards further strengthening and guaranteeing our independence and that of the judiciary. “We will sustain and strengthen our institutional working relationship with critical stakeholders especially the Civil Society Organizations, the Media and Development Partners within and outside Nigeria.�

Specifically, he told his colleagues that they must not betray the trust the electorate reposed in them as lawmakers, noting that, “Let it be said that we have come to this chamber conscious of the trust our constituents have reposed on us.

We must not betray that trust. To this extent, in the next four years, we must drive a transformative Senate dedicated to serving the people with confidence, courage and patriotism. Indeed, the urgent task towards socio-economic reforms and transformation through legislative intervention has begun.�

In so doing, we are convinced that our past was only a story told while our future can yet be written in gold�.

Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who initially had the ambition of becoming the Deputy Senate President before stepping down at the last minute, captured his legislative agenda thus: “Working in harmony with the Executive under the guidance and leadership of President Buhari to deliver to Nigerians dividends of democracy, guarantee the security of life and property of Nigerians, promote political and economic viability.�

Former governor of Imo State and first time Senator, Rochas Okorocha, stated that he has three-point legislative agenda he intends to pursue. “I am at the Senate to do certain things that are dear to my heart. One of them is, I have realised that the bridges connecting the South East to the other ethnic groups have been very faulty resulting from the politics we have played in the South-east. There will be need for the Igbos to mend political fences, relate with every Nigerian, play the Nigerian way of politics and get things right and that will help for the development of the south east politically. “It is a common knowledge that we are neither here nor there politically. We are not with the ruling party neither are we making impact as opposition. So, there is a need for us to get married to the opposition politically. “My second mission to the senate is what has

been dear to my heart that I practised when I was governor of Imo State. I am here to see the possibility of making free education a reality, to see the possibility of the children of the poor going to school. If I do that, I will be glad that I have achieved what I came to do in the senate. “The third one is, I am worried about the killings and destruction of property in the Northern part of this country, particularly the North East and recently Zamfara and Kaduna States. Whatever we can do on the floor of the senate to help the Executive curb insurgency will be my pleasure and I will be happy to work with my colleagues�.

At the House of Representatives, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, in his inaugural speech promised to be a good ambassador of the Green Chamber. “I understand that I hold this office in trust for you and Nigerians. Conscious of this sacred trust I hereby dedicate myself to the service of this honourable House and of the good citizens of this great country, with the commitment that I shall at all times strive to defend the constitution of our Republic. “I equally commit myself to always observe the tenets of justice, equity and fairness in my dealings with my colleagues, and to apply the ideals of transparency, probity and accountability in my management of the affairs of this House�.

Gbajabiamila, who is the immediate past Leader of the House, enjoined his colleagues to put aside all political differences to face headlong the problems bedeviling the country.

He contended that “Our country is presently confronted with a myriad of problems and it is our responsibility as members of this institution to set aside political, ideological and other differences that may distract us from the assignment the Nigerian people have sent us here to perform.

There is a lot more that unite us than divide us. “There is much work to be done and we must now pull together, roll up our sleeves, settle down and attend to the peoples’ business. Whatever political party each one of us may belong, we must be conscious of the fact that Nigerians are truly desirous of good governance and are looking to us to be the agents that will through meaningful legislation combat security, poverty, corruption and other problems and contradictions that have held our country back and stunted our development. “It is this message of unity and coming together that informed the theme of our campaign‌Nation Building a Joint Task. We have decided to carry this theme into the operations of the

9th Assembly. As you can see, the logo, which embodies all parties represented in the House, will be displayed permanently behind the Speakers chair for all to see and as a constant reminder of what this Assembly is all about. “We must remain one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity. Our vision is very simple, and that is to use the legislative platform and the instrumentality of the law to make Nigeria a better and more perfect union.�

In his assessment of the 8th House, Hon Wole Oke representing Obokon/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State declared that the 8th assembly achieved so much but that the 9th assembly has to learn from the just concluded session.

According to him, “The greatest achievement of the 8th assembly is that it is focused, that operated on a planned series of activities. This parliament came with a legislative agenda, which was conceived and authored by Mr. Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara. “He presented it to the entire house on the floor and so, we went through it, we researched it, we discussed it, we debated it and we adopted it.

So, it became the Bible and Quran that guided the 8th assembly. “We achieved so much. Let me start with the last leg. Look at the minimum wage amendment, look at the Electoral Act that we sponsored, look at the constitutional amendments that we made, look at age matter we are discussing about employment, look at the discrimination between HND/BSC holders that we are trying to eradicate, look at the review of the procurement act, which is before the executive but the executive is working with executive orders; so, we achieved so much. “This is also a parliament that is very proactive.

We take petitions from members of the public, we take petitions from every constituency; Mr. Speaker is aware of any development; he receives security report, when there is an issue in your constituency, he draws your attention to it.�

Oke therefore said: “We should position the right persons in the right places. We should put in place a competent person, who has capacity, who understands the rules, who understands the provisions of the constitution, who reads and comprehends what he or she is reading.�

The member representingArochukwu-Ohafia federal constituency, Hon. Uko Ndokwe Nkole also stated that the 8th assembly did “clearly very well in the aspects of bills and motion.�

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J ͚͞˜ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

PERSPECTIVE

Insurgency, Kidnapping And Banditry – Of Governance and Economic Opportunities Sola Akinyede

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orth West and North East Nigeria are currently in the throes and stranglehold of unprecedented violent insurgency, banditry, terrorism and kidnapping.

It is so bad that the Global Terrorism Index, a comprehensive study by the Institute for Economics and Peace analysing the impact of terrorism on 163 countries covering 99.7% of the world’s population ranks Nigeria as No 3 only after Iraq and Afghanistan with Syria, Pakistan and Somalia performing better than Nigeria. Although kidnapping started and still persists in the southern part of the country, it has together with banditry become an industry in the North, with villages having to pay communal ransoms.

No one is immune. The ring of security around many high profile public office holders is so tight that they cannot be kidnapped. But their friends and relatives can be. The kidnappers know that they cannot kidnap the President, but they can kidnap his in-law and District Head of his home town with the hope of a large ransom.

On the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, the fear of kidnappers is the beginning of wisdom.

As is typical of the Nigerian elite, rather than solving the problem, we try to escape from it. The mentality that makes us think that the answer to our power problem is a generator rather than investing in renewable energy such as solar energy, is the same mentality that makes top military men and top politicians to jump on the Abuja- Kaduna trains. If everyone abandons the Abuja- Kaduna expressway, the bandits and kidnappers will form armed gangs, stop or derail trains, raid the travellers and kidnap those whom they identify as, or look like good catches. Impossible? In August 1963, in what was then known as the Great Train Robbery in the UK, a gang of unarmed 15 men which included a retired train driver whose duty was to move the train to a designated location, and a specialist who knew how to rig trackside train signals, stopped a train by interfering with the signals and stole 2.6 million pounds about 55 million pounds (N25 billion ) at today’s value.

In April 2019, the Northern Elders’ Forum, complaining about Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping and marauding youth gangs, accused President Buhari of not doing enough.

In May 2019, the House of Representatives for the second time in less than one month summoned the President to explain the steps the administration was taking to contain the escalating insecurity. It is not possible to proffer a solution to a problem without knowing its cause. What is the cause ? Is it religion or ethnicity ? The answer is an obvious no, as the areas of operation have ethnic and religious homogeneity being predominantly Muslim Hausa- Fulani. Our ECOWAS brother Gambia, a tourist destination for many Europeans has a 95% Muslim population and is No 138 on the Global Terrorism Index .It has zero terrorism and they do not kidnap their tourists. We should therefore look at the socio-economic angle. Looking at other parts of the world with this kind of problem, Yemen, Afghanistan, one would see a common factor-poor education, extreme poverty, and lack of opportunities.

Consider the following facts and figures: The United Nations says that people are multidimensionally poor when they are poor in many respects- Education, health, access to potable water, nutrition, electricity, their assets, among ten indices. The United Nations Global Multidimensional Poverty Index published in 2015 has these figures for Nigeria on poverty rates: South-West-19.3%,South-East-25.2%, SouthSouth-27.3%,North-Central-45.7%,NorthEast-76.8%, North-West-80.9%. A sample from some States, Plateau- 51.6%, Katsina -82.2% ,Zamfara -91.1% . Ekiti- 12.9% Yobe-90.2%, Lagos- 8.5% ,Anambra-11.2%. Edo-19.2%.The 2017 Oxford University Human Development Initiative Multidimensional Poverty Index is basically the same as the United Nation’s.

Zamfara is 92%.

Now take a look at samples of literacy levels.

Lagos, Imo, and Ekiti are 96% , Zamfara-19%, Sokoto-15%, Katsina-10% and Yobe-7%. According to the 2006 national population figures, Ekiti State’s population was 2,398,957, while Yobe was 2,321,399. Ekiti State’s average monthly 2017 FAAC allocationN3.7 billion. Yobe State’s average monthly FAAC allocation-N4 billion. 2017 net annual allocation to Yobe N39.5 billion, while the net annual allocation to Ekiti was N25.6 billion . Annual internally gener- Akinyede ated revenue- Ekiti-N4.97 billion, Yobe-N3.5 billion. When you consider the fact that the 2017 FAAC allocation to Akwa Ibom State was N143 billion, Rivers State N119 billion, both Ekiti and Yobe are essentially poor rural agrarian States with the same population. However, take a look at the following 2015 figures. Number of primary school classrooms- Yobe-533, Ekiti - 7086. Percentage of teachers qualified to teach Yobe-22% , Ekiti- 90%. Multidimensional Poverty Index- Ekiti-12.9%, Yobe-90.2%.

Literacy rate-Ekiti 96%, Yobe-7%. You can then see that the parts of Nigeria that have the worst incidents of insurgency, banditry, terrorism and kidnapping are also the parts that have the worst and pervasive extreme poverty and low literacy levels.

Again recently, it was reported that for the 2019 Unity Schools applications, of the 75,000 children that applied to sit for the Common Entrance examination, 25,000 applied from Lagos State, while just 59 applied from Zamfara State.

According to the 2006 population figures, Lagos was 9,113,604 while Zamfara was 3,278,873 thus Zamfara is more than one-third the population of Lagos. If only 59 children applied out of a population of 3.2 million people, obviously there is a problem. Among the thousands of those unfortunate children who did not or were not able to apply are those with the brains of professors, doctors, multi-billionaire industrialists, computer scientists and IT professionals.

But when they are uneducated, unskilled, and poor, they have no opportunities and cannot create opportunities, they are the potential bandits, kidnappers and terrorists. It is not rocket science. When you compare Ekiti and Yobe, two States having the same population and virtually the same revenue profile, Yobe having some advantage, it tells you a clear story with regards to investment in education and poverty alleviation.

Having regard to the fact that Nigeria has had twenty years of unbroken democratic rule during which governance of States was by their governors and at least twenty five years of military rule with Heads of State mostly from the northern States, how can anyone blame President Buhari for the result of 40 years of governance in those States? Having regard to these facts and figures, does anyone need to summon the President to tell us what steps need to be taken ?

Causes of Poor Governance

The principal causes of poor governance are corruption, diversion of resources meant for social services by politicians and public service elite (by means of institutional or structural kleptocracy) waste and mismanagement.

The elite using their offices award themselves perquisites and allowances that they are not

statutorily entitled to. The most popular example by many Nigerians are the allowances and funds for constituency projects allocated to members of the National Assembly. However, structural or institutional kleptocracy abounds in all the three arms and three levels of government. Recently, a very senior judicial officer was said to have been given N24 million for the purpose of undertaking just one foreign trip. A departing governor in one of the South-West States was said to have given himself an SUV costing his State N75 million.

The so-called unaudited and opaque Security Vote which is not less than N100 million a month and reputed to be as much as N1 billion a month in some States is another example. All over the country, governors have been known to buy super luxury limousines many costing as much as N100 million for traditional rulers who are already entitled to 5% of their States’ local governments’ revenues.

Recently 30 Local Government Chairmen in Osun State were reported to have planned a trip to Dubai for a 10-day workshop to “be exposed and groomed on international best practices in Local Government Administration�. Thus we the elites are simply using the funds for potable water, education and health to buy vehicles, pay for foreign trips and allowances etc.

Corruption

According to a UNDP report, the lowest scoring countries on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI) Somalia, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Yemen and Libya are all facing intense conflicts characterized by violent extremism, insurgency and terrorism arising from the sense of helplessness, hopelessness, injustice and inequity that pervasive corruption promotes.

Waste

obvious wastes can be re-directed at investing in infrastructures, education and poverty alleviation all over the country. Developed and rich economies continue to reform .The UK abolished 130 and merged 18 of such institutions and agencies in 2010.

Suggestions

I believe that the first steps the North should take is to organize a Regional Conference (not a national conference) on Governance and Security. Anational conference will dilute and detract from the fact that this is essentially a serious regional issue although with potentially serious national consequences. The main aim of the regional conference will be a Marshall Plan to address these issues and proffer solutions. The following should be considered by the Conference: A) Setting up a steering committee composed of people like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai (NW)he has a deep understanding of issues, and the guts to do what needs to be done. Emir of Kano HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II (NW)- Atraditional ruler with a deep understanding of issues and the traditional authority to persuade the conservatives. Ambassador Baba Kingibe (NE)- cerebral,long experience in the civil service and governance issues and wide network. Alhaji Aliko Dangote(NW) , Alhaji Abdulsalam Rabiu(NW) Billionaire, General Theophilus Danjuma(NE)- Multi Billionaire, Alhaji Mohammed Ndimi(NE) Multi Billionaire, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (NE) Former Vice President and Multi Billionaire .

Senator Ahmed Lawan (NE) Senate President.

The idea is that Governor El- Rufai will represent the Executive, Senator Lawan represents the Legislature, while the multi-billionaires who have mastered the art of identifying and creating business opportunities will contribute their ideas and resources to create opportunities for youths.

B) Create the Northern Region Wealth Fund. Although there is now a North East Development Commission (NEDC), are we going to create a North West Development Commission if things get worse in the North West ?And a North Central Development Commission if the bandits and kidnappers flushed out of the North West move to the North Central ? Is the purpose of governance not development? Since States have governments, why are they not developing? Is the problem development or governance?

The reason why many parts of Nigeria are not developed is simply the result of bad governance. So when the problem is bad governance, creating a Development Commission as a solution is treating the symptom of the disease (poor development) rather than its root cause(bad governance) with a contaminated medicine a “Development Commission� e.g the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC)that itself had governance issues. As with most government agencies, sooner or later the NEDC may be bugged down by expensive bureaucracy and the usual ills as was the NDDC. The aim of the Fund will be to i) Develop infrastructures that will promote and accelerate agriculture and industrialisation, e.g solar energy , promote education and health facilities in the affected parts of Northern Nigeria. Ii) Promote and accelerate industrial and agricultural development . iii) Identify and create opportunities for citizens especially youths. Iv) Supplement the funding of security in the affected areas. v) Offer advice to State governments on socio-economic and development matters.

Funding will be sourced from i) Returns on investments made by the Fund i) Contributions by State governments ii) Savings from anti-corruption measures, structural kleptocracy and wastes etc Iii) Donations from well-meaning citizens in the region and outside the region iv) Donations from development partners.

To understand waste in Nigeria, go to the Federal budget (2018). You will see the proliferation of parastatals or MDAs some of which are moribund e.g Public Complaints CommissionBudget- N4.2 billion mostly on salaries. Others are either unnecessary or performing the same functions with expensive bureaucratic paraphernalia of office-SUVs etc. Examples -Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission-Budget N4.7b.

Apart from the fact that we have the Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority Budget–N7.3b and the Energy Commission of Nigeria Budget N4.2b,while nuclear powers like Japan, France are shutting down their nuclear plants in favour of renewable energy,(Germany total shut-down by 2022)we are still budgeting to build a nuclear plant when we have not been able to contain terrorism. Other examples-National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Development Studies and National Tourism Development Corporation.

National Institute for Culture Orientation and National Council for Arts and Culture. National Film Corporation and National Film and Video Censor Board. National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion Abuja –Budget N 1.39 b. National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure Abuja-Budget N4.8b .Hydraulic Equipment Research Institute, Kano. National Space Research and Development Agency Abuja, Budget-N5.1b ,Centre for Geodesy and Geodynamics, Toro Bauchi State, Centre for Atmospheric Research Ayingba, Kogi State. Centre for Space Transport Propulsion, Epe, Lagos State, Centre for Basic Space Science Nsuka, Advanced Space Technology Application Laboratory, Uyo. As President Buhari starts his second term, he ––Akinyede OON, LL.M, (Lond) BL should take another look at the Oransaye report, scrap and merge many of these agencies, retrain (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com) productive staff so that the savings from these

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with DEMOLA OJO demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

SOCIAL MEDIA BITS

Last week, a hero of democracy was immortalised, young guns assumed the mantle in some states, and a senator genuected before the president...

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ast week was all about elections into the national and state assemblies and after that, the inaugural celebration of June 12 as Democracy Day. In a continuation of the immortalization the late Chief Moshood Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election, the National Stadium, Abuja, was named after him.

As usual, there were varying reactions to the gesture by President Muhammadu Buhari, most of them positive.

The recognition accorded Abiola is long overdue is the general consensus, and even many of the president’s diehard critics couldn’t help but commend him.

Along with the commendation came bashing of past administrations, especially those led by Olusegun Obasanjo, who critics like former Ekiti governor, Ayo Fayose, described as the greatest beneficiary of the June 12 struggle.

Maybe it’s a good thing that the

recognition of June 12 nationally – even if belated – wasn’t propounded by Abiola’s kinsman, which could have reduced it to a sectional struggle that it wasn’t.

The state of disrepair of the Abuja stadium is a concern to many however, and it is hoped that government deems it fit to resuscitate it to a standard befitting of its name.

The President will have no excuses to execute this and other projects, with a friendly leadership in the legislature.

He is happy to see the back of the last leadership as his tweet stated clearly; “Today marks a new dawn, different from the duplicity and perfidy of the past,� he jibed.

Former senate president, Bukola Saraki, advised the legislators to always put Nigerians first. It is timely advice, as the new leaders of both houses at the national level are the favoured candidates of the president and his party, the

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SOCIAL MEDIA BITS APC. This has been met with misgivings in various quarters, with the suspicion that the current senate and house of reps will be mere rubber stamps for the president.

This wasn’t helped by the viral video on social media which showed deputy senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, kneeling before the president when he was introduced to him. “Shameful!� his critics exclaimed. “It is a traditional sign of respect given to elders where Omo-Agege is from,� replied those who saw nothing wrong with it. “Well, he should reserve that for the traditional rulers in his region,� his critics countered. “The President isn’t a monarch.�

The deputy senate president is certainly grateful for his new position of authority, as a tweet from him testifies. “You are God from beginning to the end; there’s no place for argument. You are God all by yourself.�

Who wouldn’t be excited to be a senator, a high ranking one at that? With it comes a share in the booty codenamed “Welcome Package� of N4.68 billion, a

cruel mockery of Nigerians according to BudgIT Nigeria.

There was some intereting news at the state level (only time will tell if it qualifies as good news). Young men emerged as Speaker in the state assemblies of .

Oyo, Kwara and Plateau.

In Oyo, it was 31-year-old Debo Ogundoyin, in Plateau 34-year-old Abok Nuhu Ayuba, and in Kwara, 34-year-old Salihu Yakubu-Danladi.

What’s in a name? “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet,�

Juliet told Romeo. But the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, for some reason doesn’t want to be referred to as wife of the president again but rather, First Lady.

President Buhari had in 2014 made an electoral promise of scrapping the office of the First Lady, since there was no provision for it in the constitution.

But last week, Mrs Buhari revealed that she was the one who decided she didn’t want to be called First Lady.

Now she has made a volte-face, regardless of the fact that she has always enjoyed the perks of the office anyway, constitutional provision or not.

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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 ˾ JUNE 16, 2019

NEWS Three Officers, 11 Others Face Court Martial for Murder, Kidnapping Ernest Chinwo

The Nigerian Army said on Saturday it has begun proceedings to court-martial 14 officers and soldiers accused of murder, kidnapping, and desertion, among other offences.

Inaugurating the court proceedings in Port Harcourt, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Army 6 Division, Port Harcourt, Jamil Sarham said the suspects were officers and soldiers of the division.

Sarham, a major-general, said the General Court Martial was convened in accordance with Section 131 of the Armed Forces Act guiding the professional conduct of the nation’s military.

He said: “The offences for which the accused persons are being tried range from murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, desertion.

“Others are offences in relation to public and service property, disobedience to standing orders and conducts

to the prejudice to service discipline.

“All the offences are punishable under the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

The GOC said the army had zero tolerance to indiscipline, adding that it would never shield any personnel, no matter how highly placed from

the law.

He said the armed forces hold personnel in high esteem, and as such, would not put personnel on trial unless the matter was thoroughly investigated.

According to him, the trial was not only aimed at prosecuting the suspects but to discourage others from indulging in criminality.

“To this end, each accused person was thoroughly investigated to ensure that an innocent person is not wrongly tried and punished.

“The headquarters 6 division has painstakingly selected credible officers with in-depth knowledge and outstanding experience in military law and duties as members of the court-martial

to ensure fair hearing and justice”, he added.

Sarham urged the sevenman court-martial panel led

by Brig. Gen. Bassey Etuk, a brigadier to ensure that the accused persons were given a fair trial.

The suspects include three officers (a major and two captains) and 11 rank and file members of the army.

Ugwuanyi Settles Oruku, Umuode Dispute Enugu State Governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi yesterday settled the age-long inter-communal hostilities between Oruku and Umuode communities in Nkanu East Local Government Area.

By implication, the governor facilitated a peace accord on land onwership and boundary delineation, which the leaders of the two communities signed at the Government House, Enugu yesterday.

The two communities had been in communal dispute over land ownership for more than two decades leading to persistent civil unrest despite interventions by past administrations.

Ugwuanyi, who on several occasions had visited the hitherto warring communities on peace interventions, promised

that his administration would resolve the crisis in line with its peace and grassroots development initiatives.

Announcing the final resolution of the inherent issues that were responsible for the conflict, shortly after the agreement was signed, the Permanent Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer to the Governor, Mr. Emma Ugwu said the development was “consequent upon series of conciliatory meetings between the parties at Ugwuanyi’s instance.

He added that Ugwuanyi congratulated the people of Oruku and Umuode communities, especially their leadership and representatives for their contributions towards the “consensus building project” and the realization of peace in the area.

Why We’re Committed to Teachers’ Reward Initiatives’ Raheem Akingbolu Nigerian Breweries Plc, has announced the opening of entries for the 2019 Maltina Teacher of the Year. This year’s edition is the fifth edition of the programme.

Speaking at the flag off ceremony held in Lagos recently, the Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mrs. Sade Morgan disclosed that the Maltina Teacher of the Year is one of the initiatives through which the company

contributes to the development of education in Nigeria in line with its corporate philosophy of ‘Winning with Nigeria’.

Morgan explained that the event is an offshoot of the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust fund. The trust fund, which was established

by Nigerian Breweries in 1994 to facilitate its active contribution to the development of the education sector in Nigeria, is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No.4

BUHARI INSISTS FG IS WINING WAR AGAINST BANDITS, KIDNAPPERS, INSURGENTS, OTHERS researches that would encourage industrialists to patronise their institutions to enhance their capacities to produce and diversify their products.

“It is not heart-warming that in over 58 years of independence, Nigerian universities are slow in discoveries and inventions,” Buhari said.

He said although the country was facing funding challenges at all levels, “Universities have both the legal and internal revenue muscles to generate fund to finance research and other academic activities.”

The president urged Nigerian universities to adopt proactive measures that would boost their Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) to complement federal government’s efforts.

In his welcome speech, the

acting Vice Chancellor of FUDMA, Professor Adamu Baba-Kutugi, said inadequate security arrangement, lack of staff accommodation, inadequate students’ hotels, and poor road network were predicaments faced by the university. Baba-Kutugi called for government’s assistance to the institution.

Earlier, the Chancellor of the institution, Dandeson Douglas Jaja, lamented that the university had not been able to utilise the student accommodation provided at the main campus due to security challenges.

“This university faces daunting problem in respect of security of lives and properties. The main campus of the university has been located in a volatile area security-wise,” he said.

CONGRATULATIONS...

L-R: Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Polaris Bank, Muhammed Ahmad and Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, during a visit to the Lagos

Ekiti University Queries Lecturer for Sex Scandal Allegation Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, yesterday disclosed that it had started investigating one of its academic staff, Dr. O.O. Aduwo for alleged sexual harassment brought against him.

Also, the institution disclosed that it would constitute a panel of investigation to unravel a trending footage that showed the nudity of the lecturer with some female students, who accused him of sexual harassment.

This was contained in a statement the Head of EKSU Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Bode Olofinmuagun issued yesterday with a promise to get to the roots of the allegation.

Aduwo, a senior lecturer in

the Department of Accounting, had been in the news since Thursday after a trending video showed the nakedness of the lecturer alongside some students accusing him of sex for marks.

The footage, which played for about 29 seconds, showed some people dragged the lecturer out of a room with one of them chanting EKSU lecturer attempting to have sex with a female student.

In its statement yesterday, however, the institution revealed that it had started into the fo≠≠≠otage and that it had already queried the suspect to give him fair hearing and ensure justice and equity.

The statement assured that the management of the institution “will not condone any act of sexual harassment in the

university and as such, issued a query to the concerned lecturer to defend himself from the allegation, as a first step in the spirit of due process.

“After the response of the lecturer to the query, a panel of investigation will be constituted to get to the root of the matter, while the findings of the panel will be made public,” the statement said.

Besides, the statement assured that the management would continue to be transparent and would not allow such a matter that could smear its good image to be swept under the carpet.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the management of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti has been drawn to a video that has gone viral on an alleged sex scandal involving

one of its lecturers. The video allegedly fingered one Dr. O. O. Aduwo of the Department of Accounting.

“The management wishes to inform the general public that it will not condone any act of sexual harassment in the University and as such, issued a query to the concerned lecturer to defend himself from the allegation, as a first step in the spirit of due process.

“Thereafter, a panel of investigation will be constituted to get to the root of the matter, while the findings of the panel would be made public. The general public is hereby assured that management will continue to be transparent.

It will not also allow such a matter that can smear its good image to be swept under the carpet,” the statement said.

El-Rufai Creates Internal Security Ministry to Curb Banditry John Shiklam in Kaduna Amid rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and armed attacks along the AbujaKaduna expressway, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir e-Rufai yesterday signed an executive order creating the Ministry of Internal Security & Home Affairs.

Besides the ministry of internal security, the governor also established two other ministries namely; the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Technology and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, thus

making three new ministries he created.

The decisions were disclosed in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Samuel Aruwan issued yesterday, announcing that the governor had signed an executive order creating three new ministries while abolishing three others.

With the rising cases of banditry and kidnapping across the state, the statement said the ministry of internal security and home affairs “has the mandate to coordinate internal security matters and liaison with security

agencies in the state.

“It is expected to enhance the state government’s capacity to address security challenges. It will also supervise the activities of parastatals and agencies performing home affairs functions.”

The statement added that the ministry of business, innovation and technology will coordinate the development of skills, business, trade and manufacturing in the state...

It also said the ministry of housing & urban development “has the mandate to ensure the construction

and maintenance of public buildings and to promote the expansion of the housing stock in the state.

“It will also be in charge of ensuring the enforcement of development control regulations and the implementation of urban planning and country planning policies and urban renewal programmes in the state.

Specifically, the statement disclosed that the restructuring “does not increase the number of ministries that were pruned to 14 when the el-Rufai assumed office in 2015.”

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SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email: demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Super Eagles Play Senegal in Last Friendly before Nations Cup Demola Ojo

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igeria’s Super Eagles look forward to a good outing as they face the Teranga Lions of Senegal today in Ismaila, Egypt.

The Lions are ranked Africa’s number one team, with the Super Eagles still third in Africa, despite dropping three spots to 45th in the latest FIFA ranking.

Reports from the Eagles’ camp point to a very positive ambience with players and officials thinking of how to bring honour and glory to the nation when the 32nd Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Friday, June 21.

The Eagles played out a 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe on June 9 in their last warm-up game played in Asaba, Delta State.

The last time Nigeria and Senegal clashed at senior level was two years ago in London. Kelechi Iheanacho equalized from the spot after Moussa Sow had put Senegal ahead – both goals coming in the second half.

Three –time African champions Nigeria are on an eight –match unbeaten run since elimination from the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Today’s game has been scheduled to start at 7pm Egypt time (6pm Nigeria time) and both federations have agreed the match be played behind closed door in order to enable both coaching crews to tinker with tactics and strategy during

Falode: Falcons must be Tactical, Proactive African champions, Nigeria must be proactive in their approach in order to earn a result against host nation and group leaders France at the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup tomorrow, according to a member of the NFF Executive Committee, Aisha Falode. “I must commend the Super Falcons for their approach and game plan against the Koreans in Grenoble on Wednesday. They showed the stuff of a champion team with their determination and doggedness. “However, against France on Monday in Rennes, we will need to be much more proactive and try to dictate the pace of the game. We must study them for the first five minutes or thereabout and then set out our tactics on how to contain them and also launch our own onslaughts in search of goals. It will be an interesting match but a good result is possible for Nigeria,� Falode, who has been with the Falcons in France since the commencement of the World Cup told thenff.com from Rennes yesterday.

Nigeria with three points, have a big chance of reaching the knockout rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in 20 years if they hold their ground against the Les Bleues at the 28,000 –capacity Roazhon Park.

The Falcons put up a credible effort at the sixth edition of the Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2011, but after one-goal defeats by host nation Germany and France, their one-goal defeat of Canada proved inadequate to steer them to the second round.

A win or draw against France tomorrow evening (match starts at 8pm Nigeria time) will automatically send the Super Falcons to the Round of 16, though a narrow loss might also see them sneak in depending on results in other groups, as well as the result between Group A mates Norway and Korea Republic – which is starting at the same time in Reims.

Norway have three points from their defeat of Nigeria but lost to France. Korea Republic could also go to three points if they defeat Norway on Monday, but their goals deficit of minus six (lost 0-4 to France and 0-2 to Nigeria) is heavy. Nigeria has only a minus one goal deficit.

Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Korea Republic was the first time in 20 years (also since USA 1999) that the Super Falcons won a World Cup match by more than one goal, and was also the first win by an African team at France 2019. Africa’s other flag bearers, South Africa and Cameroon, have each lost their first two matches of the campaign.

the encounter.

Head coach of the Super Eagles, Gernot Rohr, has confirmed that his assistant captain, Ahmed Musa, will not feature in today’s game.

Rohr cited ill-health as the reason why the Saudi Arabia-based winger is being left out of the squad. “Musa is sick as a result of this he will not play against Senegal,� the German said.

Rohr also revealed that striker Henry Onyekuru and right-back Shehu Abdullahi won’t face the Teranga Lions.

There’s however good news as Oghenekaro Etebo and Chidozie Awaziem, who were down with cold while training in Asaba, Delta State, are now fit to play. “Etebo and Awaziem have recovered from illness and they have been training with us. So they are available for selection for the big match against Africa’s best team Senegal,� Rohr said.

The Nigeria delegation will depart from Ismailia tomorrow morning for Alexandria – venue of their Group B games against Burundi, Guinea and Madagascar on June 22, 26 and 30 respectively.

Senegal are up against Algeria, Kenya and Tanzania in Group C and will play their games in Cairo.

Egyptian referee Mahmoud Ashor will take charge of proceedings today and will be assisted by compatriots Mohamed Abdel Mgeed, Ahmed Salah and Said Abdollah.

Egypt 2019 is Nigeria’s 18th appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, three more than Senegal.

Mikel is set to lead the Eagles against the Teranga Lions

Brazil Jeered before Trashing Bolivia in Copa Opener

Brazil celebrate Phillipe Coutinho’s second goal against Bolivia in the opening game of the Copa America

Brazil were jeered by their own fans in their opening Copa America game against Bolivia despite winning 3-0. Barcelona forward Philippe Coutinho scored twice and Everton netted a superb third late on in Sao Paulo.

Fans at the Morumbi stadium, which was around 70% full, booed Brazil at the break after a goalless first half in the Group A match.

Manager Tite said he “expected� a negative reaction from supporters after his team’s lacklustre performance.

“We felt it ... young lads feel it, the coach feels it,� the 56-year-old said. “We need to understand.

If we get forward and create chances then they will applaud. “Having been at big clubs, when you sometimes don’t produce, then don’t expect the fans to understand.

They will boo. When you pass the ball along the back, from full-back to central defender to goalkeeper, the first thing you hear is boo.�

Brazil, who are without Paris St-Germain striker Neymar because of an ankle ligament injury, started with Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino up front and Manchester City’s Fernandinho in midfield.

Neither could break down Bolivia’s resistance in the first half, as a large section of the 46,342 fans in the stands made their frustrations clear.

But they saw a brighter Brazil in the second half, as former Liverpool forward Coutinho, 27, scored the first goal of the tournament from the penalty spot in the 50th minute following a Bolivia handball, and added his second with a deft header three minutes later.

Substitute Everton, 23, lashed home the third in the 85th minute - a first international goal for the Gremio striker - to seal the win for Brazil, who were playing a home game in white shirts for the first time in 60 years.

Brazil are hosting the Copa America for the first time since 1989, with all 10 South American teams taking part, along with guest nations Qatar and Japan.

Lampard in Talks over New Derby Deal despite Chelsea Rumours Derby County are talking to boss Frank Lampard about a new deal amid speculation they will be approached by Chelsea for their former midfielder.

Chelsea are yet to make contact with the Rams about Lampard, who is the firm favourite to replace Juventusbound Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge. But Derby are keen to extend Lampard’s deal - which has two years left and have opened talks with the 40-year-old.

Chelsea would have to pay about ÂŁ4m in compensation if they appoint him.

Lampard took Derby into the

Championship play-off final in his first season in management, but there are senior figures at Pride Park and Chelsea who wonder if now is not the right time for him to return to the club where he earned legendary status - winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League, in addition to becoming the club’s all-time top scorer with 211.

The former England player has previously spoken of his gratitude to Derby for giving him a chance in management, and he met club officials earlier this week as he continued preparations for the new season.

Lampard

Sunday June 16 2019

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Salami to Senior Lawyers “Sadly, most senior lawyers who should ordinarily be role models and persons of integrity in the society, display acts or conducts unbecoming of persons of the noble profession.”

– Retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami speaking on the use of public funds in election litigation and the integrity of the judiciary.

SIMONKOLAWOLE Six Things June 12 Taught Me SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

W

here were you on June 12, 1993? I was in Ilorin, Kwara state, enjoying the weekend with my cousins. I could not vote because I registered in Lagos. If I had voted, I would have thumb-printed the space for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) whose presidential flag bearer was Chief MKO Abiola. I had been rooting for Alhaji Bashir Tofa, the candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC). But after watching the televised presidential debate and having an argument debate with my dear friend, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu (now APC national publicity secretary), I was finally persuaded to vote for Abiola, although I eventually disenfranchised myself.

I learnt a dozen lessons from the June 12 debacle. First, northerners were unfairly vilified in the political crisis that engulfed the nation after the annulment. The narrative was that they did not want Abiola to become president. There was a conspiracy theory that the north wanted to hold on to power by all means. However, the election results did not support this claim. Abiola won nine out of the 16 states in the north while Tofa won only seven. The romantic part of the story was that Abiola defeated Tofa in his home state, Kano, and even in his ward. I do not want to believe it was the Yoruba or southerners in the north that did the magic. That would be a disingenuous claim.

To be sure, I accepted the conspiracy theory then. The north, I mean the “core north”, had so dominated the political landscape that resentment had built up considerably in the south against the “northern oligarchy”. So it was easy to read the annulment as a northern agenda. If you ask my opinion today, I would say there was no conspiracy. I would say the military guys just did not want to let go of power. That is the benefit of hindsight. After all, the previously cancelled primaries had three northerners in the lead: Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua having pocketed the SDP ticket and Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi and Mallam Adamu Ciroma about to face a run-off for the NRC ticket.

The second lesson is that Igbo and Yoruba are not irreconcilable political enemies. Historically, the two dominant southern ethnic groups had appeared to be political rivals fiercely at war with each other — always going in opposite directions in the struggle for supremacy in the Nigerian power game. However, despite the SDP fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket that held virtually no attraction to the Igbo, they still voted massively for Abiola, a Yoruba. There were four Igbo states then. Although Tofa won in Enugu, Imo and Abia and Abiola won only in Anambra, the total scores provided better evidence: 790,371 to Tofa, 739,748 to Abiola. A mere difference of 50,623 votes!

I believe Yoruba still owe Ndigbo one. You would appreciate these figures better if you realised that there was an Igbo on the NRC ticket: Dr Sylvester Ugoh was Tofa’s running mate. Abiola getting 48 percent in the southeast was definitely not an ordinary gesture.

Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu had angrily left SDP for NRC after the Muslim-Muslim ticket was announced, arguing that SDP had marginalised the Igbo — even though Abiola

Abiola

was always going to pick a northerner as his vice-presidential candidate. Informed that Abiola would appoint an Igbo as secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Ojukwu famously quipped: “That’s a glorified tea boy!”

The third lesson is that the Nigerian political class can be petty. NRC behaved badly after losing the election. Rather than join forces with the SDP to defend our democracy and confront the military which was the mortal enemy, it became a matter of “if I don’t have it, then nobody else should”. NRC backed out of the fight very easily. To make matters worse, SDP members who had been unhappy that Abiola got the party’s presidential ticket in the first place were very eager to negotiate away the mandate. SDP leaders were soon engaged in meetings with the military to set up an interim government to “save Nigeria from the precipice”. You won the election, guys!

The fourth lesson is that anyone can become a symbol of resistance no matter their past.

Abiola was an establishment person, one who wined and dined with the powers that be, starting with the military government of Gen Murtala Muhammed in 1975. He was a known friend of Gen Ibrahim Babangida. If anyone was expected to accept the annulment of June 12 quietly, enter his car and go back to his house, it was Abiola. I am sure Babangida and his team were dumbfounded that Abiola led the rebellion against what was supposed to be a routine cancellation of elections. I honestly did not expect the resistance from Abiola, much less that he would go to his grave fighting.

What this seems to tell me about Nigeria is that the much-expected turnaround may come from unexpected quarters. I am not saying I saw any vision, but the usual suspects may not lead the ethical and political revolution that will unleash the potential of this country.

Nigeria is too blessed to be crawling on its chest. How can we have all these resources — human and material — and be stuck in the cesspool of poverty, disease, unemployment and corruption? But the change leader may turn out to be the least expected person, one whom we despise or treat with suspicion.

Abiola was an unlikely symbol of resistance.

He did not look the part but he played the part.

The fifth lesson is that Nigerians have short memory. Many of those parading themselves today as heroes of democracy were actually

in bed with the miscreants who annulled June 12. They fought vigorously to make sure the annulment was not reversed. They said and did despicable things for political gain and filthy lucre. But nobody remembers again. They now grandstand and lecture us on democracy and the resistance to military rule. If you want to have a list of these villains-turned-heroes, please get a copy of Olusegun Adeniyi’s “The Last 100 Days of Abacha”. You will marvel at the conduct of the sycophants who have become latter-day saints of the democratic order.

Finally, this may be minor but it is not irrelevant: I also learnt that presidential debate is a good thing. Actually, if Babangida had not annulled the presidential election, he would have bowed out a hero after a lot of missteps in his eight years as president of Nigeria. He had tried to create a new political order after performing many experiments, including banning and unbanning “old breed” politicians and creating, controversially, two parties based on competing ideologies and manifestoes. Watching the two presidential candidates debate was something completely new to me as a Nigerian and it really helped me weigh my options before making up my mind.

Unfortunately, debates have become a joke in Nigeria. Rather than make progress and build on what we experienced in 1993, we have gone terribly backwards on many counts.

Studies have shown that if you want to win the presidential election in Nigeria, you must not participate in TV debate. Okay, that is a joke, but all the presidents we have produced since 1999 never participated in debates. In 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo stood Chief Olu Falae up at the Hilton Hotel in Abuja on the night of the debate. Eventually, Falae had to do it alone. I remember him saying “I don’t find it funny debating with myself” — or something like that — when the programme started.

In 2003, Obasanjo was absent again, even though Gen Muhammadu Buhari and Prof Pat Utomi were waiting for him. In 2007, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua did not feature. No reasons were given, although we knew Yar’Adua to be articulate and capable of taking on his rivals. He did not prove it. In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan avoided the company of Buhari, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and chose to debate with himself. In 2015, he spoiled for a debate with Buhari, but Buhari’s handlers advised him to keep clear. This year again, Buhari avoided debating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Debate dodgers always win presidential polls in Nigeria.

We need a culture of debate. I would be the first to say that to debate is one thing and to govern is another, but I would add that avoiding debates does not guarantee good governance either. I won’t even say debates determine the outcome of elections.

I think most people’s minds are made up irrespective of the pedigrees and eloquence of the presidential candidates, but my point is: what do we stand to lose if we hear them debate their ideas and policies in a room? It is a feature of democratic culture we need to imbibe. It certainly swung me in Abiola’s direction in 1993. Overall, I have some good memories from the June 12 debacle, although the pains were devastating.

And Four Other Things…

HONORING MKO I’m quite happy that President Buhari has followed through on his national recognition of Chief MKO Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, by making June 12 our Democracy Day and naming the national stadium in Abuja after him. Former President Obasanjo must be livid. For eight years, we begged him to celebrate Abiola but he refused. Yet if Abiola had accepted the annulment of June 12, there would never have been an Obasanjo presidency. He died and Obasanjo became the chief beneficiary.

And here is Buhari naming a stadium built by Obasanjo after Abiola! At least, nobody can say Buhari is looking for south-west votes again. Lovely.

CORRUPTION AND POVERTY One interesting debate we have been having in Nigeria since 2015 is: is our problem corruption or the economy? Many think President Buhari has prioritised fighting corruption above the economy; Mr. Peter Obi, PDP vice-presidential candidate, even said anti-corruption is not an economic policy. Others have argued that without fighting corruption, the economy cannot grow and poverty will worsen. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has weighed in, pointing out to African leaders that it is not enough to fight corruption – they have to create wealth to fight poverty. Let’s hope President Buhari got the memo. Shared economic prosperity can actually help the anti-corruption war.

Deep.

CLEAN SWEEP Now that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has succeeded in installing its preferred candidates as leaders of the national assembly, Nigerians have a right to expect a smoother working relationship between the legislature and the executive — especially for the quick passage of budget. However, a part of me does not believe this is our problem. PDP installed most of its preferred candidates for the 16 years it was in power but that did not make much difference. In fact, the PDP became an opposition to itself. We can only hope that something will change this time around and that Nigerians will indeed see the benefits in form of good governance. Waiting…

MYTH BUSTER I recently got a WhatsApp broadcast that tried to recreate the murder of foremost journalist, Mr Dele Giwa, via a parcel bomb in 1986. It said the bomb was delivered to Giwa’s son, Billy, by Major Buba Marwa, accompanied by Major Tunde Ogbeha. It said they came in a Peugeot car which they burnt thereafter, and Gen Babangida made Marwa governor of Lagos and “pumped” money into the state. All credible accounts said the bomb carrier used a motorcycle. And why has Billy Giwa not identified Marwa as the courier in 33 years? Meanwhile, Babangida left power in 1993 and Marwa became military administrator in 1996. How did Babangida pump money into Lagos? Phoney.

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